512 escape another plane crash by Vanguard Media Limited

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Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha displaying the award presented to him at the 25th anniversary dinner of the Aka Ikenga in Lagos recently. Standing beside him are Eze Cletus Iluomanya and Chief Goddy Uwazurike, president of Aka Ikenga.

Prince Demola Adedokun, Welfare Officer, Archbishop Magnus Adeyemi Atilade, National President, Superior Evangelist Sena Wusu, Public Relations Officer and Mr John Nnadi, Secretary of the Christian Welfare Initiative (CWI), during a press conference on the state of the nation, held in Lagos at the weekend.

18 feared dead in fresh Niger boat mishap BY WOLE MOSADOMI

NOTHER boat mis hap has occurred in Kokoli village in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger state with 18 people feared dead. This tragedy came barely six days after the boat mishap in Malale village along River Niger in the LGA in which 26 lives were lost. Our correspondent gathered that 10 corpses from the latest tragedy had being recovered. It was also gathered that, out of the 18 feared dead, 16 were women. It was gathered that the boat capsized while conveying traders from the weekly Thursday market from Kokoli village to Ulakami at about 4pm. The boat was said to be carrying no fewer than 80 passengers when it suddenly broke into two half way into their journey. One of the survivors, called Umar Ibrahim, told newsmen that they were

only half way into their journey when the boat suddenly split into two with the passengers drowning. According to him, “ we had just gone to the middle of the journey which is about 10 kilometres when the boat split into two and people started screaming and falling into

WO persons were feared dead and eight others injured in an NNPC gas pipeline explosion, yesterday, at Okwokolo community, Mereje, Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State. Officials of the Petroleum and Pipelines Marketing Company, PPMC, were battling to put out the fire ignited by the explosion as at 6.30 pm, but they disputed the claim that two persons died. Many of the villagers fled for the fear of the unknown. Two pick-up vans of PPMC were burnt in the fire disaster. While a source said the

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captain of the boat and other passengers in the boat who rose to the occasion by rescuing other passengers who could not swim. The village head, Mohammed Garba, confirmed that after frantic search, 18 people were ascertained dead and recovered.

Boko Haram killings: Ihejirika summons GOCs, formation commanders to Abuja •Frowns at soldiers deaths through ambush; reviews strategies to combat menace BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI, Abuja

OLLOWING terror ist attacks in parts of the North-east, especially the ones at the College of Agriculture, Gujba and Benisheikh that left scores dead, and questions about the determination of the 7th Division of the Nigerian Army to checkmate them, the

Two dead, 8 injured in Delta pipeline explosion BY EMMA AMAIZE, FESTUS AHON & GODWIN OGHRE

water”. He said because of his experience in swimming, he was able to swim to safety and also able to rescue about 10 people, mainly women and children. The survivor said the casualties would have been more if not for the rescue operation by the

explosion was caused by pipeline vandals, a villager said the pipeline sparked fired as PPMC officials were effecting repairs on a ruptured section. It was gathered the fire started at about 3.30 pm. Our source said the injured persons were rushed to hospital for medical attention.

Chief of the Army Staff, Lt. General Azubuike Ihejirika, at the weekend, summoned all the General Officers Commanding the Divisions of the Nigerian Army and Corps Commanders to an emergency meeting described by sources as no holds barred. Also summoned for the meeting where the Army Chief was said to have warned of dire consequences henceforth if officers were found wanting or negligent in the performance of their duties thereby exposing soldiers and equipment to terrorists were Brigade Commanders and Formation Commanders across the country. Sunday Vanguard gathered that the decision to summon the GOCs was informed by intelligence reports showing that with the continuing onslaught on the Boko Haram terrorists, elements of the group were massively

migrating to other parts of the country. Confirming the development, Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Ibrahim Attahiru, said, “As part of routine review of the counter terrorism and counter insurgency operations with a view to ensuring a more agile and robust posture to meet the full spectrum of asymmetric warfare challenges, the Chief of the Army Staff has just concluded a meeting with top military commanders from all major formations of the Nigerian Army”. “The purpose of the meeting was to reappraise the counter terrorism and counter insurgency efforts in the north east with a view to making future plans. “It is worthy of note that our operations in the North-east have continued to disrupt terrorists activities thereby denying them freedom of action”.

NYSC strategizes, seeks inputs on service delivery

HE National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has called for inputs from all stakeholders including serving Corps Members (CMs) as the scheme strategized to improve its service delivery. To this end, the scheme has organised a 2-day Corpers Forum tagged; ‘Harnessing

Ideals of Corps Members for a more Effective Service Delivery’, with a view to assisting Management formulate and implement policies that will enable it adjust to the changing needs of the public. Addressing the forum of 148 corps members from all the 36 states and

the FCT, in Abuja, the Director General of NYSC, Brig. Gen. Nnamdi Okore-Affia emphasized the need for the NYSC to harness the brilliant ideas from all stakeholders, particularly, corps members to inject more innovations into the scheme to enhance service delivery.

1 dead as NURTW factions clash in Agbor aghan, had last Wednes-

OLDIERS and po licemen were deployed, weekend, to Agbor, Delta State, following a row between two factions of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, in the area, which left one person, Isa Alika, dead and several others injured. The leader of one of the factions was reportedly arrested and detained by security agents. Governor Emmanuel Udu-

day, cautioned the warring NURTW members not to threaten the peace of the state. Sunday Vanguard learnt that the national executive of the union had waded into the disagreement and dissolved the executive of the union in the area when one of the leaders refused the creation of another chapter in Ika axis, and took up arms against those opposed to his continued leadership.

PDM slams National Conference

HE People’s Demo cratic Movement (PDM) has described the move to convoke National Dialogue as a distraction by the Peoples Democratic Party-led government to win the 2015 elections at all costs. The National Chairman of the party, Bashir Hassan, stated this, yesterday, while fielding questions from newsmen at the zonal North-east

stakeholders in Bauchi. According to him, “the decision of President Goodluck Jonathan to convoke a National Conference is a distraction. The reason why it is a distraction is because last year this same President said that there was no reason why we should sub-convene the constitutional process of making laws and create another one”.

Mrs Mimiko’s wheelchairs for the physically challenged

ATERNAL Pulse Foundation, the pet project of the wife of Ondo State governor, Mrs. Olukemi Mimiko, has donated wheelchairs and rendered medical assistance to some physically challenged persons in the state. Amongst those that benefitted were children below 12years. Mrs. Mimiko, while speaking at the occasion, held at the Government House grounds, Akure, said the gesture was to encourage the beneficiaries and make them live a better life. She said “although the organisation might not be able to cater for everybody that was in need, the one given out was to show solidarity with the people, particularly those with disabilities. The First Lady said that the people were part of the society and should be

encouraged and given a sense of belonging. Mrs Mimiko said the foundation, “since inception had been out to give succour to the physically challenged and economic empowerment of the needy. Some beneficiaries also were given cash gift to cater for their medical challenges just as others were empowered and given complete set of sowing equipment. Speaking at the ceremony, the Project Manager, Maternal Pulse Foundation, Ireti Adesida, said the organisation had been advocating for the total well being of the mother and child. The state Commissioner for Health Dr. Dayo Adeyanyu, noted that the foundation had over the years helped in alleviating poverty among the people of the state.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 3, 2013, PAGE 3

Tinubu back, dismisses National Confab as diversionary, Greek gift BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

LL Progressive Con gress, APC, national leader and former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, returned to Nigeria, yesterday, amidst fanfare after three months of absence, following a successful knee surgery in the United States of America, USA. Tinubu declared: “I am back and better.” A grand reception planned for him at the Onikan Stadium, Lagos Island was cancelled on his request in sympathy with the families who lost their loved ones in the Associated Airline plane crash on Thursday in Lagos. Hundreds of well wishers, including party leaders, members of the National Assembly from Lagos State, local government chairmen, friends, party members, market men and women, amidst tight security, thronged the Murtala Muhammed International Airport to receive him. The jet that brought the APC leader touched down at the airport around 1:30pm. On arrival, Tinubu, clad in a white caftan and his blue trademark cap to match, was received by his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State and Iyaloja General of Lagos Market Men and Women, Mrs. Folashade T i n u b u - O j o . Tinubu, addressing journalists, said he felt good returning back to his homeland after a long while abroad attending to his health. Commenting on the registration of APC as a party, he expressed confidence that the registration would pull through even in his absence, assuring that the party is on a mission to save Nigeria and the party remained determined to re-write the political history of governance in Nigeria. On the 13-man Advisory Committee for National Conference, NC, set up by the Federal Government, Tinubu wondered why the move came suddenly ahead of the 2015 elections, saying, “How do you develop the agenda? It’s a diversionary tactic. ”How long have we been talking about this? Why suddenly?

Now there is something in political and social history. They say we have Greek gift. Two crumbs of poison that will survive the trappings of the onus. Let us first of all ask ourselves some questions, I am yet to consult with my party, but I see a contradiction here. I see a diversion here, I see deception here, I see lack of honesty and integrity here, I see a state of a sinking ship that needs no raft any longer; allow it to sink, build a new life, move the nation forward. “I will consult with the party leaders and we will look at the agenda and develop our own agenda along it. ”But Nigeria is divisive now. Why is this coming a few months before the elections? Can’t you smell a good soup when it is passing. It is left for our party and all of us. I am a democrat. “This is a president that said it was unnecessary to have a Sovereign National Conference because the sovereignty is in the National Assembly; that was his belief then, now he says it is okay. “

From left: Mrs. Toun Ajomale, Treasurer of Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO) Mrs. Ladun Ogunbanwo, Publicity Secretary and Dame Abimbola Fashola, first Lagos State and chairman of COWLSO, during the press briefing on forthcoming of National Women Conference 2013, at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos. yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez

2015: Jonathan’s campaigners in Kaduna escape lynching By Luka Binniyat & Mayen Etim

AMPAIGNERS for President Jonathan Goodluck ahead of 2015 elections, yesterday, escaped being lynched when hoodlums among the estimated 30,000 youths attending the Northern Youth Summit in Kaduna suddenly turned violent and went for the organisers of the event, while policemen on ground looked the other way. The Murtala Square venue of the summit, which was thronged by the youthful men and women, said to come from mainly far northern states, was alive when the occasion kicked off around 11am. But it turned out that most of them had little idea why they were there. The coordinator of the summit, also the Chairman, Northern Youth Forum (NYF), Jibrin Tafida, mounted the rostrum, surrounded by other states coordinators, soon launched into oration on what the real North should be like and how their forebears were exploited by past northern leaders. The initial applause he got reduced to murmuring. Coordinators from Kano, Jigawa and Kebbi, who spoke in the same tone, did so in an atmosphere of arguments in the crowd. Suddenly, a crowd of illclad youths was formed which

started asking in loud voices that they heard what President Goodluck gave the organizers on their behalf, since Tafida had claimed so much closeness to Nigeria’s number one citizen. Others claimed that the organizers had collected money to induce a fight among the youth during the sharing of the booty, so “they could use the blood that would be shed in the free mason fetish”. Soon, the unruly youth started throwing stones and other objects at the rostrum as they

shouted, “Give us our share of the loot” and, “free mason, you will not taste our blood. You will instead shed your blood”. Some of the youths drew daggers and charged at the organizers. But it would seem that the pro-Jonathan group had envisioned such a scene, because their private security guards sprang from nowhere, but unarmed and stood to the attackers, who relaxed the aggression. The anti-Jonathan mob seemed to be adding in numbers, as sticks, clubs and stones flew towards the direc-

tion of the rostrum. While thousands scampered for safety, a vehicle forced its way into the place where Tafida and his three main officials were protected by a ring of supporters and body guards. At this point. While the drama played out, the hundreds of policemen around the venue kept a safe distance. Tafida and his men boarded the vehicle and were driven into safety. The summit lasted about 35 minutes.

PDP crisis: Mass defection looms in C-River BY CHINWEOKE AKOMA

ARRING any last-minute change in plans, it is just a matter of few days before the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) takes its toll on the Cross River State chapter of the party. Information exclusively obtained by the Sunday Vanguard reveal that plans are already in full throttle that will see a lot of members of the PDP in Cross-River defect to a faction of the party being led by Alhaji Kawu Baraje. In this wise, Cross River State will emerge as the second, after Rivers State, among states in the South-south geopolitical region where the

crisis rocking the ruling party will make a full impact. Sources privy to meetings being held across the state, however, told our correspondent that Governor Liyel Imoke is not in the know of this development. It was gathered that the proBaraje faction in the state is being led by two chairmen of category A Committees in the House of Representatives. Both members are from the Cross River Central Senatorial District, and have been coordinating meetings among some aggrieved members of the PDP and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), towards altering some established political

arrangements in Cross River State. It is gathered that the governorship position in the state has been zoned to the northern senatorial district after the tenure of Imoke, who is also from the central senatorial district, while one of them on the other hand has his eyes on the senatorial seat of Cross River Central, which present occupant, the Senate Leader, Chief Victor NdomaEgba, is from the same old Ikom local government area as one of them. This is also believed to be a negation of an established notion that the central senatorial position is rotated between the old Ikom local government area and the old Obubra local government area.

Post traumatic stress in Nigeria looms — Experts BY ADEOLA ADENUGA

ISING from their 2013 annual scientific conference which ended on Friday, the Nigerian Association of Clinical Psychologists (NACP) has raised the alarm regarding the security situation in the country. A communiqué issued at the end of the conference noted

that Nigerians have been living under a climate of fear for the past decade “owing to a rising tide of religious, political and ethnic tensions as well as militancy and incidents of kidnapping. Today, words like Boko Haram, Suicide Bombers, Militants, Kidnappers, JTF have entered the common lexicon of the average

Nigerian. These have led to cases of anxiety disorders, depression, post traumatic stress, anger and general existential fears.” Speaking as a special guest at the conference, Chief Taiwo Taiwo, President of the Aart of Life Foundation, which has worked with the Murtala Muhammed Foundation and MTN in counselling victims of

Boko Haram and kidnapping, said “Post traumatic stress can be as bad as death because it devastates families, destroys marriages and leaves citizens under a cloud thus affecting the economy and polity.” Papers presented during the conference addressed a broad area of concerns on psychological impact of

violence, conflicts and kidnappings; psychological analysis of the pathway to radicalization and terroristic behaviour. The Aart of Life Foundation pioneered grief counselling in Nigeria and remains in the forefront of efforts targeted at helping victims of terror, kidnapping and grief heal and find closure.

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SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 6, 2013 — PAGE 5

512 escape death in Sokoto Continued from page 1 Abubakar Sadiq III International Airport, Sokoto, to pick some high profile passengers before heading to Saudi Arabia. The incident happened just as a Benin-City bound aircraft could not land and had to return to Abuja. The plane reportedly stayed in the air for two hours for the 30-minute Abuja-Benin flight and then returned to Abuja. Heavy rains in Benin-City were blamed for the inability of the pilot to land the plane at the Edo State capital. The Sokoto incident was said to have thrown the plane passengers, airport workers and security agents into panic. One source said the tyres were hit by a sharp object on the runway as the plane touched down. The Kabo plane was immediately grounded at the airport by regulatory agencies pending investigation and determination of what caused the tyre blowout. Meanwhile, the management of K abo Air, yesterday, dismissed the claim that “its aircraft made an emergency landing in Kano”, adding that “ what happened was that our aircraft lost its two rear tyres while landing in Sokoto”. The Corporate Affair Manager , Kabo Air, Aminu Hamza, who described as “laughable online report that depicts an air mishap, said: “How can an aircraft that was airborne lose its tyres? According to him, it was a ridiculous and mischievous news peddled by unpatriotic elements to paint the aviation industry black”. Narrating the incident, Hamza said, “About 494 passengers were on board during the incident, and it was a tripartite journey that took off from Kano en-route Sokoto to Jeddah. We are happy to announce that none of them was injured”. The Corporate Affairs Manager disclosed that “ we have since sent a rescue

From left: Prince Bola Ajibola, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Aremo Segun Osoba, Agoro Doja Adewolu "celebrant", Hon Justice Yetunde Adewolu rtd, Governor Ibikunle Amosun and his wife, Mrs Funso Amosun, at the special thanksgiving to mark the 80th birthday of Agoro Doja Adewolu, held at Owu Baptist Church. Totoro, Abeokuta, yesterday. PHOTO BY WUMI AKINOLA aircraft from our fleet to convey the passengers to their destination, adding that “ from reports at our disposal everything is going on as expected”. Shedding more light on the landing mishap, the Director of Flight Operations of Kabo Air, Mr. Joseph Machimu, noted that “the aircraft just returned from maintenance in Malaysia”.

According to him, the aircraft air worthiness is not in question. Machimu explained: “We were not surprised by the noise the landing mishap generated because those who are close to the industry know clearly that tyre burst at the point of landing is a normal incident.” The Director stated that “ the

pilot who was fully conscious of the mishap took full control , taxied it and parked the aircraft to pave the way for evacuation”. Reacting to the incident, yesterday, Mr. Joe Obi, Special Adviser to the Minister of Aviation, stated that the plane only had a stop over at the airport to pick up additional passengers.

However, he admitted that the aircraft landed with deflated tyres and damaged parts of the instruments landing system (ILS) at the r u n w a y . Obi’s statement reads: “On October 4, 2013, a Boeing 7473 aircraft with Reg 5N-JRM, operated by Kabo Airlines arrived safely with all passengers and crew on board, following a landing incident at the Sokoto airport at 2100 GMT. ” The aircraft, which departed from Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, was enroute Saudi Arabia when it had a stop-over at the Sokoto airport for passenger pick-up. “Preliminary reports indicate that the control tower gave the pilot clearance to land on Runway 08 but the captain opted to use Runway 26, for reasons yet to be ascertained. The 512 souls on board, made of 494 passengers and 18 crew members, landed safely. The aircraft, however, damaged some Instruments Landing System (ILS) and came to a stop with deflated tyres. The FAAN emergency response apparatus acted swiftly to secure all souls on board and the aircraft. ”The airline has since made arrangements for another aircraft to pick the passengers to complete their journey to Saudi Arabia.”

Italy shipwreck: Lampedusa rescuers give up hope of finding more survivors BY TONY NWANKWO, with agency reports

OPE faded, yesterday, that any more survivors would be found two days after a packed migrant boat sank half a mile off the shores of Italy ’s tiny Lampedusa island, with the loss of at least 111 people. Some 155 survivors were pulled from the water after the boat capsized Thursday morning. But rescue teams now say they have given up hope of finding anyone

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Rescue operation for the Italian boat mishap else alive. Italian authorities fear as many as 200 bodies may lie entombed in the vessel on the sea bed, some 47 meters (150 feet) below the surface of the Mediterranean. A diver who made it down to the wreck said that dozens of corpses were wedged inside. Italy’s government declared Friday a day of national mourning in the wake of the shipwreck. The scale of the disaster shocked the nation and prompted Pope Francis to describe it as “a day of tears.” Candlelit vigils were held in Lampedusa as darkness fell. Many of the island’s 6,000 or so permanent residents turned out to remember the many lives

lost. Some also expressed their anger that the island is again at the center of a tragedy involving migrants seeking a new life. Italian authorities are investigating why they were not alerted to the boat, which had engine problems, sooner — which might have allowed for more lives to be saved before it sank. Survivors told the U.N. refugee agency that as they approached the coast of Lampedusa, the engine stopped. The migrants hoped to be spotted, but, they told the U.N. agency, fishing boats passed by without helping, so they set fire to clothes and blankets in a bid to attract attention. The flames spread,

causing panic, and the boat capsized and sank. Lampedusa fisherman Domenico Colapinto, pulled 20 people on board his boat — two of them dead. “It was very difficult to get them out because they were covered in gasoline, they were nearly naked and slippery,” he said. “Then they just hugged me and said, thank you, thank you.” The U.N. refugee agency said that all but one of the survivors were from Eritrea, in the Horn of Africa. The other was Tunisian. The boat is also believed to have been carrying migrants from Somalia. Four children were among the dead, alongside 49 women and 58 men, coast guard spokesman Filippo Marini said.

PAGE 6 —SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 6, 2013

Plane crash: I lost a political successor — Falae *Identification of corpses begins, ends in 4 weeks *Tambuwal, Tinubu, Adeboye, Fayemi, others pay condolence visits BY DAYO BENSON, OLASUNKANMI AKONI ,MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO, IFEANYI OKOLIE & JANE DANIA

former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, and a chieftain of Afenifere, Chief Olu Falae, whose son, Deji, a commissioner in Ondo State, died alongside 12 others in last Thursday ’s plane crash in Lagos, says he lost a political successor. Falae spoke when the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, paid him a condolence visit in his Akure, Ondo State home, just as Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), yesterday, commenced the identification of the victims of the crash burnt beyond recognition. Those who visited Governor Olusegun Mimiko to condole with him over the disaster, yesterday, include Pastor E.A. Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God,

a former governor of Ondo State, Evangelist Bamidele Olumilua and the first lady of Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi. All Progressive Congress (APC) leader, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu, Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi and the Director General of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt Folayele Akinkuotu, were among those at LASUTH to see Feyi, the son of a former governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Agagu, whose corpse was being conveyed to Akure when the plane crashed. Falae, while receiving Tambuwal, said he had reached the peak of his political sojourn. ”I was looking forward to seeing Deji take over from me, because I have reached the peak of my being in politics. I will miss him so much,” he said. He, however, pointed out that he had submitted to the Almighty God and he could not question God over the death of his son. The House Speaker told

his host that Deji was his friend and that he had sent useful text messages to him on how to move the country forward, four days before the unfortunate incident. He prayed God to grant the family the fortitude to bear the loss. Adeboye, during his visit to Mimiko, commended the Ondo governor for taking over the burial ceremony of his predecessor irrespective of party affiliation and charged him not to relent in his good works for the people. He vowed to continue to pray for peace and development in the state. The Nigerian Medical Association,NMA, also condoled with the families of those involved in the plane crash, calling on government at all levels to be more committed to the development of the transport system, particularly in terms of fixing and regularly maintaining the bad roads/death traps that dot Nigeria’s highways and landscape. Meanwhile, LASUTH, yesterday, commenced

•The President of Isheri Platinum Lions Club and his team paid a courtesy visit to the corporate HQ of Vanguard Newspapers in Lagos recently. Px left Mrs Lion Titilayo Onafeko,Treasurer, Lion Kayode Adewoyin, President, Lion (Prince) Ademola Odubanjo,1st Vice President and Mr Emeka Mamah, Asst News Editor Vanguard during the visit Px Biodun Ogunleye the identification of the victims burnt beyond recognition in the plane aircrash. Relatives of the victims had earlier been asked to come forward for collection of biological samples for the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) test. According to the Chief Examiner and pathologist, Prof John Obafunwa, the DNA analysis was necessary for proper identification of the corpses. Families of the victims, who had reported as early as 8a.m at LASUTH, however, could not hide

their anger for being kept in the dark till about 3p.m by the authorities. According to some of them, the authorities were aggravating their pains. Addressing the relatives, the Lagos State Commissioner for Special Duties, Wale Ahmed, said the delay was as a result of consultations with the involved in the crash to ensure correct dissemination of information to relatives.

Ahmed further disclosed that results of the DNA test would be ready between three to four weeks based on the email from the company handling the analysis in the United Kingdom. In the meantime, one of the seven survivors of the crash recuperating in one of the hospitals in Lagos, identified as Hassan Samson, was said to have passed on.

GUS 10 Review: Episode 2 Gov Akpabio meets the 12 in search of the 10th symbol

F the over 40,000 contestants that applied for Gulder Ultimate Search 10, only 30 contestants were invited to the final selection process. They had to undergo a battery of mind games and psychological tests to ascertain that they were physically and mentally capable of withstanding the obstacles and rigours of the Usaka jungle. It dawned on the contestants that the saying, “Gulder Ultimate Search will stretch man beyond the limits of his existence”, was no mere fad. By the end of the final selection process, 18 hearts had been broken. The GUS journey for the unlucky contestants ended, while the final 12 heaved temporary sighs of relief after being chosen among the Gulder Ultimate Search 10 `Order of Heroes’. The jungle bound warriors are: Umeabuni Edmond, a 27 year old medical doctor from Enugu State; 21 year old Etido Emma Ebong from Akwa Ibom State; 29 year old Dennis Okike from Abia State; 29 year old Brosu Anthony from Delta State; 21 year old Onike Ifunaya, from Anambra State; 28 year old Halima Sheidu

from Kogi State; 24 year old Salako Olukunle from Oyo State and 27 year old Peter Ijeh from Delta State. Others are 23 year old Ezidi Nzube, Anambra State; 25 year old Tracy Chapele from Delta State and Martha Adeboye, Gulder Ultimate Search’s first set of identical twin contestants, aged 21. Ezugo Egwuagu and Dominic Mudabai, winners of GUS 1 and 4 respectively, were introduced as Gatekeepers. The contestants were also hosted by Barr. Godswill Akpabio, executive governor of Akwa Ibom State. He congratulated the contestants on their emergence and thanked Nigerian Breweries Plc for staging Gulder Ultimate Search 10 in the Usaka jungle of Akwa Ibom State. As he bade the contestants farewell, he wished them a wonderful stay in the state. Catch exciting episodes of GUS 10 and learn how to participate in the Fans Edition on the following Stations: African Magic (DSTV), Ebonylife TV,k Realstar, Wap TV, ESBS and AKBC at 10 p.m.; and AIT and Galaxy TV at 10.30 p.m.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 6, 2013, PAGE 7

Unity Bank rewards customers BY DAYO JOHNSON

NITY Bank Plc has rewarded its customers in the Southwest in its ongoing ‘Aim, Save and Win’ promo, tagged, ‘The 3 in 1 Advantage’. Eight lucky winners in raffle draws for N10, 000 and N100, 000 category of savers went home with various household equipment ranging from Plasma TV set, soundproof generator and refrigerators to deep freezers and Blackberry p h o n e s . The star prize for the Ñ10, 000 category, a”72" Plasma TV, was won by Mr Garuba Alidu of Odutola Road Branch, Ibadan while the first runner up prize of a Blackberry phone in the same category was won by Mr Olaleye Gbolahan of Abeokuta branch. The second and third

runner up prizes of a bedside Thermocool fridge and a mini generator were won by Ogbolo Phillips of Igbokoda branch and Halima Jidda of Eleganza Branch, Apapa, Lagos r e s p e c t i v e l y.

Also, in the second category of N100, 000 and above, the star prize of a 6.5 kv sound proof generator was won by an association simply identified as NAPAS in the Abeokuta branch of the bank. In this category, the first, second and third runner up prizes of a Thermocool deep freezer, a gas cooker and

AT I O N A L Association of Microfinance Banks (MFBs), Association for NonBank Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) and African Labour Watch Magazine are organising Miss Microfinance Nigeria and E-Enterprise Exhibition. The star prize in the Miss Microfinance Nigeria contest, which grand finale holds in Bayelsa State on

HE Sam Umukoro Interview has launched a campaign to reward students with the

December 6. is e m p l o y m e n t / empowerment contract, a car and one million naira education, enterprise grant. The programme is being sponsored by Bayelsa State government and SMEDAN. Speaking on behalf of the organisers, Comrade Ossai, said the programme includes honouring young women with the desire to bridge financial literacy gap as ‘The Youngest M i c r o f i n a n c e Ambassador (TYMA)’.

Scarcity looms, as IPMAN accuses NASS of fueling crisis

HE conflict rocking the Warri Zone of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has assumed a new twist with a faction of the body accusing members of the House Representatives of fueling the crisis and threatening scarcity of petroleum products in the zone. In a letter to the Speaker of the House of Reps, Aminu Tambuwal, signed by A. T. Oyebisi, a section of the Warri Depot IPMAN with under the aegis of Concerned Independent Petroleum Marketers accused the House Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) headed by Dakuku Peterside for highhanded and prejudice in its intervention on the crisis. Among its worries, the group said, “Firstly, one decision of the committee was that all parties who

December”.

Sam Umukoro Interview offers N100,000 for best tweet

Bayelsa hosts Miss Microfinance Nigeria BY ADEOLA ADENUGA

a giant Thermocool fridge were won by Martins Oluranti of Odutola Road branch, Ibadan, Oguntimilehin Grace of Ibadan Road, Osogbo Branch and Azeez Sikiru of AdoEkiti branch r e s p e c t i v e l y . Speaking with newsmen after the draws, the South-west Regional Manager of the bank, Mr Isaac Tajomawo, said the aim of the draw to cultivate attitude of among Nigerians. According to him “ the third zonal draw and Grand Finale will come up between 16th of November and17th of

have taken their various grievances to courts were implored to withdraw such cases as the committee will grant audience to all factions to table their grievances. “It is shocking that when several of such cases are still pending in the courts, the committee has decided to enforce its other decision to summon all sides with intent of resolving all the issues and avoid resurrection of the conflict of interest that provoked involvement of the house committee in the first instance.” The group consequently implored the Speaker to prevail on the Dakuku-led Committee to suspend its intervention, including planned visit to the Warri Depot by a committee it has empanelled pending the determination of the allegations of compromise and intimidation being levelled against it.

best “tweet”. The website is running a book grant using micro blogging site Twitter to reach out to undergraduates in Nigerian Universities. Applicants should use no more than 140 characters to explain why they deserve the N100,000 book grant. U n i v e r s i t y undergraduates have until November 4, 2013 to enter the contest.The tweet should include the hashtag #SUIBookGrant. According to Dr.Kolade Arogundade, Editorial Director of the website, “Sam Umukoro Interview is asking university undergraduates to tweet why they are deserving of the book grant. The grant illustrates Sam Umukoro Interview’s commitment to education and empoweringyouths through books”. The winner will be announced November 7, 2013 and will receive up to N100,000 as book grant. The objective of the Sam Umukoro Interview, www.samumukoro.com, is to tell the African story from a different perspective through exclusive interviews with Business/ Political Leaders, Newsmakers and Celebrities from Africa.

Chief Agwanihu dies at 72 HIEF Patrick C N k e m d i r i m Agwanihu, a prominent

community leader, businessman and former customs officer of Umunakano, EhimeMbano local government area, Imo State, aged 72, is dead According to a statement by the family, service of songs/wake keep holds at his residence, 2nd Avenue, 21 road, H close in Festac town Lagos on Monday, 7th October. Funeral service and interment takes place on Thursday, October 10, 2013 at St. Matthias Anglican Church, Umunakanu, EhimeMbano, Imo State. He is survived by wife, Mrs. Virginia Agwanihu and six children.

PAGE 8, SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013

C M Y K

SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013, PAGE 9

News: BOKO HARAM SUSPECTS: Nigerians outraged by Abuja killings

"Any RULES OF ENGAGEMENT? Yes! shoot first, ask questions later." All letters bearing writers' names and full addresses should be typed and forwarded to: The Editor, Sunday Vanguard, Kirikiri Canal, P. M. B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. E-mail: sunvanguardmail@yahoo.com

Bring down the price of kerosene to N50 Dear Sir,

ITHOUT sounding sycophantic, President Goodluck Jonathan is leaving no stone unturned in his desperate bid to fulfill some of his campaign promises. He also went further to prove his critics, who doubted the possibility of ploughing back the excess oil subsidy removed last year into some life enhancing projects wrong by embarking on massive rehabilitation of some projects. A typical example of some of these projects is the on going rehabilitation work of the rail transport which he assured Nigerians would be completed by December this year. In the meantime, the frequent usage of generating plants by Nigerians is diminishing as the age long epileptic power supply in the country is fading away. Long queue at our filling stations which was the order of the day in the past has completely died down. More commendable is the price of petrol (PMS) that has remained stable at N97 per litre in spite of all odds. I was pessimistic of these unfolding developments when the president made the pronouncement last year but now I am happy that Nigerians, especially the down trodden are co opted into the system. Keep it up Mr President. Much as I commend the present government on the progress made so far, I am however not comfortable with the escalating cost of kerosene in the country. The official price of this product is still N50 per litre, whereas it is being sold in the filling stations at between N140 and N150. This area needs to be looked into very seriously as more than 80% of the entire citizenry use kerosene for their

cooking. The use of this item is practically unavoidable in the lives of the masses and as such government should make the cost affordable at that official price of N50 for them , more especially as they do not have any other safer and comfortable alternative and the product

can be produced in the country. Among the series of challenges confronting this present administration, bringing down the prices of diesel and kerosene to the affordability of their numerous consumers seems to be the last straw that breaks the camel’s back.

Nevertheless, government should not relent in her effort in putting meaning into the lives of the flotsam and jetsam amongst us. Nkemakolam Gabriel Port Harcourt 0 8 0 7 2 2 5 7 3 6 0 gabchiz56@yahoo.com

Before you call off the ASUU strike Dear Sir,

university is supposed to be the highest citadel of learning. It ought to be an instituted authority of higher education and research which grants academic degrees in various courses and provides both undergraduate education and post graduate education. But most Nigerian universities have lost this vision and mission. Our schools are shadow of what universities should be. It’s obvious that the aim of every university is to have excellence in teaching, learning and research works and a conducive environment of learning of both students and lecturers, but how can this be achieved in Nigeria when our school libraries are empty; the few books found, are old ones used by our founding fathers. As the universe is moving into modernity, no new thing is added, books inclusive. Modern writers have written a lot of books but they can not be found in our libraries. In fact, there are no research facilities in our public schools. Most science laboratories are there for formalities. Some are functioning but no enough facilities and equipment for the students. The department of English and

Linguistics’ where I belong, has no functional sound system laboratories. In fact, the existing laboratory in my department has since become the dwelling place of spiders and other insects. Then, the question is how can Nigerian graduates be valued in the global ranking. Furthermore, most departments are in shortage of lecturers. Just last year (2012), about five (5) lecturers were sent off in my department alone either by retirement or sack, yet not one new lecturer was employed. One then wonders where our best graduating students are. Why are they not employed as graduate assistants? That will over time take over from the older ones. It is not enough for ASUU to go on strike, they should get all these issues down before the Federal Government and make sure that they are properly addressed. The damage strike has done to our academic life is a story for another day but since that is the only language our government hears then let ASUU ensure that it is done once and for all. Before you drop this piece, remember one day if we contiune like this what happened to our once glorious public secondary schools will also happen to our public universities. Nonye Uzor,

Department of English and Literary Studies, Delta State University, Abraka. 08066212285

One funeral, many deaths Dear Sir,

HOUGH, according to William Shakespeare, death is the necessary end and it shall come when it shall come, but every human being’s prayer has been to have God’s grace to live to a certain age, which is usually referred to as a ripe age. The age in when family members and friends would come together and give a gratitude to God for a life well spent. So, the fact that an aged man was being buried amidst pomp and funfair and all of a sudden, some of his family members, guests who attempted to attend the event and were still bubbling with life, had their lives chapter closed in a crash while taking the dead man’s corpse home for funeral is in indeed bad news. No doubt, the Governor’s family must indeed be wondering and asking why now? And the fact that victims of the disaster were mostly high class men and women in society makes it more horribly and too grievous. What a funeral that was meant for one person, but ended for many. Imeh m. E. Essangesi, Yenagoa

PAGE 10 — SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013

Calls for finance minister’s resignation

or-die”. Suddenly, there are no more restraints on what members of the opposing camps will do to each other, and who they will hurt and for the most indefensible reasons. Okonjo-Iweala is one of my favourite Ministers in this administration. Notwithstanding the fact that I wrote an article, on these pages, welcoming her, while warning her about the booby traps, in the polity, that might make her return most unpleasant. And two months ago, I wrote a column wondering when she would quit. I was almost certain she would not last the distance – 2015. Now she faces the prospects of being humiliated out of office. Irrespective of how it happens, the Finance Minister has met her Waterloo; failure stares her in the face. Unfortunately, she would have been hounded out for developments which are largely beyond her control. She has few supporters because she had also allowed too much politics, and insufficient economics, to dictate her public utterances. So, this call for resignation is not entirely fair to the Finance Minister. Dr Okonjo-Iweala had nothing to do with the failure of the 2013 budget – which was defective right from the first day – especially after the National Assembly got through amending it. Let me explain the major problem by pointing to the revenue stream since January this year. The Federal Gov-

Education is the key "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."-- Nelson Mandela MY father often tells my siblings and I, that "education is not an inheritance, any one can’t take away from you once you have it, ". I agree, but the sad reality is that in Nigeria the young are deliberately and systematically denied the opportunity to have an education. So between the poor leadership, to corrupt officials, Boko Haram insurgency, the abject poverty and the ASUU strike, the young are in dire situation. The politicians and religious figures blare on that Nigeria has got something to crow about which we know is far from the truth. More than 40 million Nigerians are unemployed, that's astounding and unmtigating disaster. The national unemployment rate for university graduates is 23.9 percent; the unemployed young numbers over 20.3 million; and the poverty rate stands at 71.5 percent. These figures, I am sure, is a conservative esti-

mate as many more young people are not in training and education. These young people are been denied their birthright and a future. That is what we are doing to our future. Should we not wish our young a better future than ours? Education is so important to the recovery of our country and though the majority of our nation are sliding back into the abyss, Osun State is steaming ahead by distributing its elearning tablet called the tablet of knowledge, the OPON IMO. These tablets are to being distributed to all secondary school students to assist with their learning. These innovation and investment will pay untold dividend and the difference will unfold in the academic acumen of the recipients of the tablets. The Project Manager of OPON IMO, Mr. Sam Omoruyi,said: "The plan is to distribute 600 tablets of the device everyday and with the approach adopted by the distributing team, the distribution of the tablets would have been complet-

ernment had budgeted for monthly revenue amounting to N702 billion per month for 2013. Yet in only one month, from January to July, had the actual revenue reached or exceeded that amount. Revenue for the first seven months and the variances generated were as follows, January N621b (-81); February N571b (-131), March

“Members of the Nigerian Governors Forum [Amaechi’s group] have called on the Minister of Finance, who is also the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to resign if she knew she would not be able to adhere strictly with the Appropriation Act, 2013. PUNCH, September 18, 2013, p 18. N 2008, I wrote two articles titled “WHEN GENIUS FAILS”. The first was about the former Director-General of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Dr Ndidi Onyuike warning about the imminent collapse of the Stock Exchange that year. It happened as predicted. The second was related to the crisis in the banking sector even as Professor Soludo was pretending that all was well with the banks. Today, everybody knows better. Where are OCEANIC, INT E R C O N T I N E N TA L , BANK PHB etc today? This article also might have been titled “WHEN GENIUS FAILS -3” and it would have been appropriate because the Federal Minister of Finance is no longer the highly respected figure she was in 2003-2005. Her return is shaping out to be some sort of personal disaster for her for many reasons – mostly political. Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the former World Bank Managing Director is set to be among the next victims of Nigerian politics – now based on former President Obasanjo’s template of “do-

would hold the Executive Director for Finance responsible if sales and gross revenue are far below target; the blame belongs to the Marketing people. Those shifting the blame to Dr Ngozi are probably doing so because they realize that Jonathan has an untouchable in the cabinet. So, they are blaming the victim. And, by God, Okonjo-Iweala is the victim this time around. She is holding the “cow” while others are milking the cow dry. What a pity! Unfortunately, the Finance Minister had also provided her antagonists with ammunition for shooting at her. At her Press Conference on Wednesday, September 18, 2013, she an-

Those shifting the blame to Dr Ngozi are probably doing so because they realize that Jonathan has an untouchable in the cabinet. So, they are blaming the victim

N595b (-107), April N621b (-81), May N590b (-112), June N863b (+161) and July N498b (-204). Altogether, there was a revenue shortfall of N686b in the first seven months alone. As Governor Uduaghan of Delta State had said in a televised defence of the Finance Minister, she is not responsible for revenue generation; all the other bases of revenue – NNPC, FIRS, Customs etc are the culprits; NNPC being the number one accused. Neither Shell, nor DANGOTE Group, nor anyone else

nounced that “The economy is doing reasonably well...In agriculture where we are seeing results, we have seen that 2.5 million seasonal and full time jobs have been created”. That was unfortunate; because she had once again become a victim of the BIG LIE peddled by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture – whose Minister had been making these claims without substantiating them. I had, on three different occasions, challenged “my brother ” Dr Adewunmi to provide us with the breakdown of the

ed by the first week of November."And furthermore he added that "no government had ever done such a thing, it would put the students of Osun State ahead of their peers across the country". Rauf Aregbesola has laid down a strong foundation for education in Osun State; other states will do well to emulate him. Better

tary organization that I have been avidly following and it so heartening that even in the midst of chaos and deprivation , that 1GAME is paving the way to get education to areas where it is mostly needed. 1 GAME founder, Philip Obaji rightfully believes that education defeats violence and that it is necessary that education paves a positive alternative for those who otherwise are denied and as result, their outcome is very predictable ;leaving a life of poverty, deprivation, resentment and crimes. They do say that a devil finds work for idle hands. That is so true in this case. Education is the solution to the cause and effect of the ills that plagues our society at least in many parts and it could go a long way to tackle and address the violence ravaging the nation. The 1 GAME founder, Philip Obaji spoke so eloquently that education defeats violence and that leads to a destructive and violent path. I cannot agree more where the campaign did a baseline survey they discovered that 90% of those that pick up arms had no basic education. I am sure if they were given an opportunity to learn they would not perpetuate a life of crime and destruction. In a recent donation of books, pens and reading materials ,galvanized many parents to register

Although, we have had nothing of note to celebrate of late, the incessant killings have added poignancy to the plight of many innocent and defenseless Nigerians

still, other states should be demanding why their Governor cannot do likewise. They have no excuse; after all Rauf has paved the way and shows it can be done. Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another. ~G.K. Chesterton The 1 GAME campaign is an incredible innovative and humanitarian volun-

THE MANY LIES OF MALAM RIBADU ON IBORI BRIBE. “Liars ought to have good memories”, Algernon Sidney, 1622-1683, (VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS p 127).

Malam Ribadu, the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was in the news again last week – in a London Court where an Ibori trial was in progress. And he made statements which could be admitted in evidence by the court. Before quoting Ribadu and providing contrary evidence to that which the witness made in court, let me make one point clear. I am not holding brief for Ibori. Sufficient evidence had been produced in court to establish the fact that Ibori embezzled a lot of public funds. There is also the court of public opinion which holds the view that Ibori was the person earlier convicted in Nigeria – even when a Nigerian court ruled otherwise. But, I am guided by one principle in my writings on this page and it was handed to me by Malvin Kalb, one of America’s greatest journalists when he wrote: “A journalist should be pursuing a fair rendition of truth without regard to popular moods; the journalist should not be swayed by public opinion..” (BOOK OF QUOTATIONS p 109). . I am not a journalist. Like an Area Boy, I entered journalism through the back door. I am only going to present the truth – which will shock Ribadu and the readers. If I am one of Ibori’s lawyers, at the court in London, I will ask the court to expunge all of Ribadu’s testimony because it is tainted with untruths….. P.S. The articles on Nigerian Universities will continue but have been shifted to the EDUCATION pages of VANGUARD on Thursdays. Please join me there henceforth. It is in everybody’s interest. Thanks for reading our paper.

their children in school in Gombe, now that is so powerful . They were due to follow suit in Yobe but are unable to do so , because of the latest murders of young people at the agriculture college. 1GAME is blazing the trail and I hope, people will support and contribute to the cause. When someone says it can't be done, it can and it has been done so, what are their excuses? One life is too many and to die the way these young men died was beyond the realms of imagination. The attacks have been unrelenting that of the week's odious attack in Benisheikh, where more than 160 people were shot and slaughtered, then attacks in Yobe that left more than fifty innocent students and civilians killed. These murderers are psychopathic criminals. They have no justifiable cause that warrants the spilling of the blood of defenseless and innocent people. There is no justification for the level of anarchy that goes unabated in these areas and contrary to what some people say; it affects the whole of Nigeria. The country has been held to ransom for so long by the group of people hell bent on spending fear, abductions, depravity, intimidation and chaos. Even the present administration has fled to the safe confines of the Rock to celebrate a low key independence day and the Eagle square? , well,

that has not been an independence march past there for the last three years. What is the message that is filtering through to the ordinary man on the street? That even the government is fearful and they cannot assure the safety of its citizens. The government has not done enough to protect its citizens and the whole world knows that. They are united that it is about time that Nigeria acted and acted decisively too. Although, we have had nothing of note to celebrate of late, the incessant killings have added poignancy to the plight of many innocent and defenseless Nigerians. THE United Nations and the United States of America have lent their voices and concerns to this latest murders that the President act resolutely. The US asked the Nigerian government "to find and bring those responsible for this deplorable violence to justice." and the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, in a statement from the UN Secretariat, called for the "the perpetrators to be swiftly brought to justice." The US has" encouraged the Government of Nigeria to work together with the families of the victims and affected communities to find and bring those responsible for this deplorable violence to justice, and to enhance the protection of civilians to ensure respect for the rule of law."

2.5 million jobs, state by state, person by person for verification without receiving a reply. It is doubly unfortunate that the Minister had to rely, first on a rumour to declare that Nigeria’s “economy is doing reasonably well”; secondly, Dr Ngozi would be the first to admit that using one index to determine the health of a modern complex economy, and not its most important, is at best political; and at worst intellectual dishonesty. She has not done her reputation any credit. Just as if the “gods” are really angry with the Minister, the next day Governor Amaechi of Rivers State exclaimed that his state had not received its July allocation in full. No state had received full allocation of revenue. Also next day, Dr Christopher Kolade, Chairman of SURE-P was announcing that the programme was behind in its payments to the participants in the programme. Surely, an economy which is doing reasonably well should be able to pay its bills – as and when due. This economy increasingly is not. The Minister is beginning to sound like the Financial Director who keeps assuring all the stakeholders that all is well with their company even as the liquidators are banging on the door. In the end, if care is not taken, the Finance Minister, who is not responsible for the mess we are in, will be ruined by two enemies – the political opposition and herself.

SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013, PAGE 11

think the doctors are unpatriotic, hard hearted and unfair to the suffering masses need to also find out why government is fond of creating convenient grounds for doctors to remain aggrieved. In other words, why are avoidable lapses in the handling of our doctors allowed to occur so often? Did those who introduced IPPIS for instance understand its processes before adopting the system? If not,

HE nation-wide strike action em barked upon since last Tuesday by the National Association of Resident Doctors has expectedly made its painful impact on Nigerians. The doctors are angered among other things by the failure of government to observe the implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS) agreement reached between government and the doctors. Briefing the media during the week, the President of the Association Dr. Jibril Abdullahi explained that his Association had given government uptil September 30, 2013, to resolve the issues involved but that it failed to do so. He added that the Enugu State Government also failed to implement the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) for his members in the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital. Those of us who always chastise our doctors each time they resort to strikes as a basis for conflict resolution need to pause this time to take a second look at the scenario. Oh yes, those who

other categories of Nigerian workers who are equally adversely affected by the IPPIS and have not gone on strike as the doctors have done merely applauds the timidity of some segments of our civic society. Again to argue that the situation at the Enugu University Teaching Hospital is too isolated to serve as one of the grounds of the doctors’ strike misses the point because an institution does

Those of us who always chastise our doctors each time they resort to strikes as a basis for conflict resolution need to pause this time to take a second look at the scenario

is it fair that a so-called new system of payment of salaries leaves workers for months without means of livelihood? Is it rational to ask doctors or indeed any group to be patient while using terminologies to deny them their rights? Thus, the argument that

not have to be federal to do what is right. Besides, the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure which the doctors in Enugu are demanding is reportedly being implemented to a select group in the same institution. The fight by the doctors for their right is there-

PhD, Department of Philosophy, University of Lagos,

08116759758

Nigerian history and the morbid obsession with national unity (3)

ALEWA'S control of the national gov ernment placed the Northern region at an advantage over the other two regions because NPC, the party representing its interests, had power over federal revenue and other important national institutions. Expectedly, the NPC used its dominant influence to determine, in favour of the North, developmental projects to implement, where to site such projects and contractors that would execute them. Northern political leaders wanted power at the centre desperately out of conviction that the NCNC and AG, if allowed to control the federal government, would likely allocate more resources to the Eastern and Western regions at the expense of the underdeveloped Northern region. Again, they believed that Southern domination entails that the later would control the civil service and educational institutions of the North, thereby depriving Northerners the resources needed to develop a robust educated class capable of competing favourably and meritoriously with their Southern counterparts. On the other hand, Southerners feared that the NPC-controlled government would divert and funnel resources derived mainly from Southern Nigeria to

the North, remove Southerners from their vantage positions in the administration and military, and gradually Islamise the country. These mutually destructive fears were detrimental to the emergence of real national integration shortly after independence. In 1963, Balewa's administration, apparently deploying the colonial divide and rule strategy in order to weaken the cohesiveness of Southern Nigeria in the political power game with the North, created Mid-West region for non-Yoruba minorities in the West but refused to do the same for minorities of the Middle Belt, because the latter could politically be counted as Northerners. The previous year, 1962, a census was organised throughout the country. Political leaders of each region knew the headcount was very important: accruable revenue and number of seats in the federal legislature for each region were dependent on its population. Thus, the regional governments tried various means to bolster their population figures. The numbers released showed that the population of Eastern and Western regions increased by 70%, with 30% increase for the North. That result threatened the hegemonic power of Northern Nigeria, which was

predicated partly on its alleged demographic superiority over the South. Consequently, Ahmadu Bello and his cohorts promptly rejected the result. In the recount that followed Northern Nigeria had, in about one year, an additional eight million people, which was commensurate with the increase recorded for the Eastern and Western regions combined. Nnamdi Azikiwe, leader of the NCNC, rejected the result, thereby preventing its ratification, whereas the Akintola-led Western regional government and the MidWest accepted it ostensibly for "the sake of national unity." Another opportunity for the South to whittle down the hegemonic political dominance of Northern Nigeria was the general election held in 1964. The Sadauna of Sokoto broke the ten-year old alliance between the NPC and the NCNC, on the ground that "the Igbos have never been the true friends of the North and will never be." NPC entered into alliances with Akintola's Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP) and the Mid-West Democratic Front (MDF) to form Nigerian National Alliance (NNA), just as the NCNC combined with AG to become the United Progressive Grand Alliance (UPGA).

lthough no one knows who is like ly to win any of the fights, it is obvious that the public will end up as the loser in every case. Also, no one can say with certainty how long each fight will last. A case in point is the dilemma of the nation’s Electricity workers. Since 1999 government had been ‘vigorously ’ working on liberalizing the power sector to improve the nation’s public power supply. Last week, it concluded the sale of the PHCN to 14 successor companies without abiding by the agreement with Labour to first settle all its liabilities before the handover. The workers stood firm to disrupt any further move. The next day, government announced that it had succeeded in quenching the PHCN fire and that the anger of the warring workers would soon be a thing of the past. But if as the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) stated much earlier, Government had set aside about N384 billion to settle labour liaDuring the poll, allegations and counter allegations of various forms of electoral malpractices, harassment and intimidation of opponents were rife, although it was clear to every objective observer that NPC deployed its power of incumbency to help NNA win at all cost. Not surprisingly, UPGA boycotted the election, but it held nonetheless. The outcome was predictable - the NNA won by a wide margin. Azikiwe, as President, refused to mandate Balewa and the NNA to form a new government. Prominent Nigerians including Adetokumbo Ademola, Chief Justice of the Federation and Louis Mbanefo intervened. Azikiwe relented and the Zik-Balewa Pact was born which envisaged formation

Fighting for allowances in Nigeria

fore not only justifiable; it is in line with a new working culture in Nigeria whereby “worker-unrest” is now the only language government understands. Indeed, many interest groups, these days, fight for their rights especially allowances. At the moment, Medical doctors and workers of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) Limited (PHCN) etc. are all taking turns in the boxing ring.

The Biafra Story, is very interesting, because it underscores the crude Machiavellism of Nigerian political leadership

of a broad-based government that would accommodate UPGA members in positions of authority and a rerun of elections in areas where voting did not take place. The election of 1965 did not change the pattern of results recorded the previous year. NNA won 198 out of the 312 seats in the Federal Legislative House, whereas NCNC and its partners won most of the seats in the Eastern Regional Assembly, but the official results released had it as 197 for NNA and 108 for

bilities, why did it wait for the workers to assume a sabotage posture before pacifying them? Was it to task the patience of the workers or was it just demonstrating an unfamiliarity with the concept of governance with a human face? Football is probably the best example of where our citizens have to fight for their allowances all the time. Each time players of our national team –the Super Eagles demand their allowances; the nation is made to believe that they are over demanding. The truth however is that they always ask for only their due which is also usually the previously agreed figure. Rather than encourage our leaders to keep faith, many analysts become sentimental and begin to accuse the players of being unpatriotic. Interestingly, although the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has a marketing department that can deal directly with sponsors without any agent, thereby making savings, it allegedly prefers to use an agent who eventually retains 20 % of whatever funds that comes to the NFF. Some 4 months ago when our football managers decided to cut the allowances of the players by 50% they instructively refused to board a plane to the FIFA Confederations Cup until the Sports Minister intervened and their payment pledges were met. Only last month, the female team-the super falcons travelled to Japan to

he point that is be ing made is that Ni gerians enjoy depriving their compatriots of allowances. A few days back, postal services workers did not just complain about unpaid allowances, they also alleged that deductions made from their salaries concerning the National Housing Scheme were misappropriated. When added to the closure of universities for 3months now on account of the unfulfilled agreement between government and university lecturers since 2009, do we also need a “sovereign” national conference to alter our culture of fighting for allowances?

UPGA. The controversy generated by the scandalously distorted official results had not died down completely when preparation for the November 1965 election in Western Region reached its climax. The conflict generated by that very election was quite devastating. After the election, both the NNDP and AG claimed victory. Balewa's NPC administration, which was already biased against AG and wanted to help its ally, the NNDP, keep the former out of its stronghold in the West, permitted the arrest of D.S. Adegbenro, leader of AG and his supporters. Violent protests and riots broke out in different parts of the Western region. Prime Minister Balewa's response to the violence, as reported by Frederick Forsyth in his enthralling book, The Making of an African Legend: The Biafra Story, is very interesting, because it underscores the crude Machiavellism of Nigerian political leadership, particularly from the early days of nationalist agitations till date. According to Forsyth, "Balewa, who had been so fast to declare a state of emergency in 1962 because of an uproar in the Western House of Assembly, remained quiescent. Despite repeated appeals to him to declare an emergency, dissolve the Akintola government and order fresh elections, he declared he had 'no power'." Instead, the Prime Minister decided to send more soldiers to quell the disturbances. Before the decision could be effected, the army struck on January 15, 1966, killing Balewa, Bello, Akintola, among other prominent public officers and some senior members of the army. Now, it should be pointed out that before the

military coup, prominent Northern leaders, led by the Sadauna of Sokoto, much more than their Southern compatriots, disliked the unification or amalgamation of Northern and Southern Nigeria. For instance, at the inauguration of the Richard Constitution in 1947, Balewa, who later became Prime Minister, declared, "We do not want, Sir, our Southern neighbours to interfere in our development. ...I should like to make it clear to you that if the British quitted Nigeria now at this stage the Northern people would continue their uninterrupted conquest to the sea." At the General Conference held at Ibadan in January 1950, the Emirs of Zaria and Katsina made it quite clear that "unless the Northern Region is allotted fifty per cent of the seats in the central legislature, it will ask for separation from the rest of Nigeria on the arrangements existing before 1914." In March 1953 during a heated debate at the Federal House of Representatives, Ahmadu Bello remarked that "the mistake of 1914 has come to light., and I should like it to go no further." When a delegation from AG decided to visit Kano in May that same year "to educate the Northern peoples about the crisis in the House of Representatives over the self government motion," Inua Wada, Kano Branch Secretary of the NPC declared in a speech two days before its scheduled arrival that, "having abused us in the South these very Southerners have decided to come over to the North to abuse us...We have therefore organised about a thousand men ready in the city to meet force with force." To be continued.

play a two match friendly against the reigning world champions and they lost 02 in both games. Analysts attributed the poor performance of our team to loss of concentration occasioned by the refusal of their handlers to open up on the exact bonus to be paid to the players. In the end they were shortchanged although the officials put up some unpersuasive defence. One of the players was reported to have confided in the media that they were often short-changed at every competition outside the nation’s shores making many of the players to seek greener pastures in other African countries .Equatorial Guinea allegedly fielded about nine players of Nigerian origin to win the 2012 African Women’s Championship (AWC).

PAGE 12—SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013 my hysteria and give very wise counsel. Like most grief stricken people, I was determined to give my mother what I thought was the best. I pointed to a shiny green coffin, that looked more like a showpiece luxury bed than a casket and was determined to buy it. He said no problem and led me to his private office and in that gentle voice of his started to ask me some questions that had me crying. He always called me Baby mi or baby girl and I still remember his exact words. "Baby

HE litmus test for any success ful relationship or association is growth. I have always believed that a good relationship calls us up higher, we rise to become better, because of the nurture and encouragement we receive. Some people bring out the best in others but there are some extraordinary people who can bring out the best in you when you are at your worst. Kindness and humility is a very rare combination; they go hand in hand but they are not easily found. Now if you go one step further and add generosity to that combination you would get an accurate description of the subject of my thoughts this week. The major reason I write the column is to capture my moments and document the happenings of day to day life for myself and hopefully posterity. This past week was not a great one; an accident changed the landscape of many lives; mine included. A life, in fact many lives ended and it is with pain that I document a most remarkable life and personality; a man I had the pleasure of knowing for most of my life, a gentle, caring, compassionate, down to earth, humble and very generous soul. The business of funerals and undertakers is morbid, even scary. Most peo-

ple come across an undertaker at the most painful times in their lives, when they have lost a loved one. They look to an undertaker to make their pain a little less tedious; to take over the grim tasks they cant handle. He sells them a coffin, organises burial lots, tombstones, pall bearers and in some cases handles the entire funeral proceedings. An undertaker is not someone anyone prays to see, for it would mean there is a bereavement. That would be a generally accepted fact if you didn't know the beauty, the kindness and the compassion that was Tunji Okusanya. The world became a lot darker this week with the death of my big brother and friend. I think we all meet people in our lives who transcend friendship into family and Brother Tunji (as I always called him) was one of those. He was my older sister's friend when I was a teenager and became a fixture of my childhood and adult years. He always treated me like I was a little girl and I am not ashamed to admit I enjoyed it even into my forties. Brother Tunji took his work like it was a ministry and he never ran out of comfort to give.He ran MIC Funeral services like it was a charity. I remember sitting with him in his office when I lost my mom and he managed to calm

The great undertaker

Tunji Okusanya was a great undertaker; the best undertaker but he was an even better man. He was a father not only to his own children but to others, he was a mentor, a role model

mi, what do you need a fire proof, bullet proof coffin for?, It wont bring auntie back!" He knew it was grief and not common sense that attracted me to that casket and he steered me in the direction of a white one, that wouldn't have cost the fortune I didn't have. He made sure the lying in state was beautiful and did his best to lighten our load in that awful time. We barely paid a cent for all he did and I remain forever thankful for his kindness to me and my entire family.

Over the years, I have had course to run to him when the need arose and I am often teased by friends as a mini undertaker. Spending time with him meant I could reel off the requirements and things to do for a funeral to the last detail. A few years ago, after I twisted his arm to knock off 1million Naira off a 1.5million funeral bill; I asked whether he actually ever made any money and he just laughed. He said it would be hard to make money with baby sisters that always came begging for people. On a sober note, he went on to say, he always met people when pain had brought them to their knees and it was his calling to stand with them and not take advantage of them. I am a person of faith but this really hurts! It hurt even more that he died with Jnr, his son. They were among the 13 people who lost their lives in the ill fated Associated airlines plane, which crashed in lagos on the 3rd of october 2013. Tunji Okusanya was a great undertaker; the best undertaker but he was an even better man. He was a father not only to his own children but to others, he was a mentor, a role model. To me, he was my brother Tunji; he read my columns, never failed to call when he read about my achievements. He would say how proud he was of me and was always there to listen; he had my time!! I write this with a broken heart to honour my big brother; our loss is heaven's gain. God bless you my Egbon, God comfort your family, and all you leave behind. Thank you for demystifying death; it was never a big deal to you; you said it was a natural passage. Its an irony that I would have come running to you when heartbroken by such tragedy but I take solace that you are in a better place. Rest in peace brother Tunji.... till we meet again.

REPS AND THE PDP CRISIS

Between the devil and the deep blue sea BY EMMANUELAZIKEN Top officials of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, are overworking themselves to portray the ‘New Peoples Democratic Party, nPDP’, as a media fascination especially in the South-south. But beyond the surface is the seething indignation of some party members and legislators against the system

Kawu Baraje

Bamanga Tukur

T would turn out to be a miracle if tomorrow’s scheduled peace meeting of aggrieved governors of the PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan holds. It would even be still miraculous if anything positive comes out tomorrow to affect the fortunes of the ruling national party. Even before the ink on the minutes of the last meeting dried, the two sides in the still unfolding crisis bestirring the PDP were back in the trenches hauling accusations and counter- accusations against one another. It is as such not surprising that ahead of tomorrow’s meeting, if it holds, that strategists for both camps have deployed diverse schemes with the aim of getting the better of the other in the unfolding crisis. Doubts about the meeting followed disclosures last week by the camp of the governors that many of them would be unavailable on the scheduled date on account of religious obligations in Saudi Arabia. Though seven governors namely: Sule Lamido of Jigawa, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa, Ahmed Fatai of Kwara , Babangida Aliyu of Niger, Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso of Kano and Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto, are seen to be ringleaders of the rebellion, it is generally believed that a number of prominent leaders from other states in the South-South, besides Rivers, are also sympathetic to their cause. Of the seven states in the region only Rivers, and even more embarrassingly for the president, Bayelsa State, that has seen signs of the rebellion stirring the ruling party. But is it the fact that all other states in the region are at peace and immune to the ravage of the Kawu Baraje led nPDP? Ponders to that are especially potent in the House of Representatives where ma-

Indeed, for these members of the House of Representatives from the South-south region, they have seemingly been positioned as quarries caught between the devil and the deep blue sea

jority of the members have embraced the rebellion instigated by the seven governors. Before now, the House members had been partially restrained by the counsel of the former Special Advsier to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Joy Emodi. However, with her dismissal, some members believe that the administration may not be disposed towards the maintenance of peace and cordiality in the polity. Following the unveiling of the nPDP, it emerged that a little less than one hundred of the original PDP members in the House of Representatives were inclined towards

the Baraje group. Remarkably, many of them are associates of their serving governors who are also leading the trench battle for the president. So while many of the House members shower praises at party officials at the state and local levels, the members are on different tunes with national party officials. Though many of the legislators are yet to

come out from the closet, it is understood that they have been meeting quietly pondering their options ahead of their formal unveiling. Indeed, for these members of the House of Representatives from the South-south region, they have seemingly been positioned as quarries caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. Whereas some would want to go with the open sentiment of their governors and populace in rejecting the nPDP, many of them are inclined towards going with the majority of their colleagues in the House of Representatives who have shown abhorrence to the ways and manners of the PDP under the Bamanga Tukur leadership. Besides the representatives from Rivers State who have almost all shown their loyalty to the nPDP, there are suggestions that some other members from the region could also decide to brave the odds to identify themselves with the nPDP. Sources pointed out that some of the secret apostles of the nPDP have been meeting with their colleagues in the zone and are set to parley this weekend in an undisclosed venue in Calabar, Cross River State this weekend. Two high ranking members of the House of Representatives from the region are alleged to be anchoring the plans of the group.

Group drums support for Senator Manager BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

HAIRMAN of Delta youths, based in Port Harcourt, Mr Fullpower Bussa, has again called on all other ethnic groups in Delta State to support Ijaw for the next governor of the state. Fullpower, who spoke in Port Harcourt, said it should be the turn of the Ijaw to succeed the incumbent governor of the state, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan. According to him, other tribes had at one time or the other produced the governor and deputy governor for the state but the Ijaw have not had such opportunity.

Continuing, he said in the spirit of fairness, other tribes should reciprocate the support they have always had from the Ijaw. Fullpower who also called on Senator James Manager to run for the office of the governor, said they chose him because of the impact he had made so far in the development drive of the state. According to Fullpower, as a Commissioner for Works in the state, he ensured that projects were evenly distributed round the states. Fullpower, who said he would soon be leading youths of the state to prevail on the Senator to declare for the office, also called on all Ijaw to rally round him.

SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013, PAGE 13

THE AGAGU DOUBLE TRAGEDY

How we survived crash, by Feyi Agagu (son) *Why late Agagu’s embalmed body remained intact *Cap remained on his head in the coffin after crash’ *Crash site, 24hrs after BY JIDE AJANI

F individuals took their instincts more seriously, perhaps, the tragedy of last Thursday involving the embalmed body of late Governor Olusegun Agagu of Ondo State and the burial team traveling aboard the Associated Airline Flight, with registration number SCD 361, may have been avoided. Indeed, Feyi, son of Chief Agagu, who was on board that flight, may have been spared the horrors of hospitalisation in the wake of the tragedy. He is lucky to be one of the survivors. Sunday Vanguard has been informed that shortly after the crash and the hospitalisation of the initial nine survivors including, of course, Feyi, it came to light that there were strong indications just before boarding the plane that all may not have been well. Two of the survivors later died that day. Speaking to very close family friends and sympathizers as well as very senior government officials who came around on Thursday afternoon, the young Agagu disclosed that just a few minutes before the passengers of the ill-fated flight boarded, he did not feel very comfortable. According to the family insider Feyi spoke to, “the young man said that once they got to the tarmac before boarding and once he sighted the plane, what struck him was the seemingly very old look of the plane”. Continuing, the source narrated: “Feyi said he didn’t like the looks of the plane. “He also said but for the importance and significance of the trip, his inner sense didn’t feel comfortable boarding the plane.

“In fact, Feyi said he told another survivor, Femi Akinsanya, that the plane looked too old and he didn’t feel like boarding. “ But Feyi said he was told not to get himself worked up needlessly since this was not going to be his first time aboard a plane neither would this be the first old-looking plane that he would board. “That was how he said he boarded the plane”. Sunday Vanguard was later made to understand that the event which transpired between Feyi Agagu and his brother-in-law, Femi Akinsanya before they boarded that plane suggested that the former may not have had anything to do with the flight arrangement for the movement of his father’s corpse to Akure, the Ondo State capital. Though 23years old, the plane, according to Balami David, the President of the National Association of Pilots and Engineers, during a television interview, reportedly operated some days before the ill-fated flight. No matter. Sunday Vanguard was told by the source that Feyi recounted “how he and Femi Akinsanya boarded the plane and moved straight to the back end to take up seats.” “Why Feyi chose the back seat”, the source said, “was more a function of his state of mind about the state of the plane rather than a preference for taking a back seat. “When they sat down, Feyi told me that he and Femi simply prayed that they should just take off and land safely, oblivious of what lay ahead of them. “Feyi said once they took off, everything happened so fast. “What he also told me was that both he and Femi noticed what looked like a crack

Feyi Agagu not far from where they sat at the rear end of the plane. “He said everything happened so fast that by the time the plane crashed on the ground, it was that crack that had been noticed earlier that transformed into a gapping exit point upon impact on the ground. “Feyi said the exit point created was where he and Femi escaped through”. Another source further revealed that most of the survivors of the crash appeared to be those seated at the rear end of the plane. This is further corroborated by the fact that the first point of impact was the frontal part which eventually caught fire soon after crash-landing. And whereas there were insinuations about the entire crash, something much more interesting was to be discovered when rescue operations began. The brown coffin in which was laid the body of Agagu did not as much get destroyed despite the impact of the crash and the fatality number of 13. More, the embalmed body of the late

Agagu remained intact inside the coffin when it was opened for inspection, a source disclosed to Sunday Vanguard. That was not all. The most intriguing part of the discovery was that the body of the neatly dressed Agagu who was to make a statement of sartorial flamboyance even in death (he was to be laid-in-state at a well organized reception by the Ondo State Government and his political associates) was not ruffled. “The cap on his head stayed intact even after impact”, a source told Sunday Vanguard. For a typically traditional society that Nigeria is, these discoveries got tongues wagging. From the absurd to the very absurd, some insinuated that there may have been more to it than meets the eye for an accident because after claiming 13 lives, the dead was remained intact. Sunday Vanguard learnt that the coffin cargo was latched to the hooks in the cargo compartment of the plane. It was also gathered that the coffin was in the rear end of the fuselage and, like those who survived the crash, it enjoyed the benefit of positioning. However, aviation experts are of the view that sitting at the rear end of the plane is not a definite guarantee against fatality during an air crash. They use the ASIANA Airline flight which crashed last July at the San Francisco Airport. The Boeing 777, while attempting to land at the sea-bordered airport, hit its tail on the concrete embankment, engendering a forced ejection of some passengers along with their seats. Those few passengers who died in that crash were those seated at the rear end.

We ripped ill-fated plane apart to save seven people — Wale Ahmed, Lagos Special Duties Commissioner BY BILESANMI OLALEKAN

R. Wale Ahmed is Commissioner for Special Duties, Lagos State. In this interview, he explains how the state government was able to manage the situation to the point of saving seven people from the wreckage and preserved it for investigation of the Accident and Investigation Bureau, AIB. How did you get to know about the crash? We got to know about the incident almost immediately it happened because I have Traffic Radio with me which has many channels to link most of the first respondents which are agencies of Lagos State Government like LASTMA, LASAMBUS, LASEMA and RRS. It was incidented at the Command and Control Room, so we got to know of it almost immediately it happened because the structures are in place. And immediately I got to know of it, we mobilised all disaster emergency stakeholders. But some people claimed it took you people more than 30 minutes before you got to the site? That is not possible. Our fire service men actually put the fire out, in conjunction with the Federal Fire Service within the airport which naturally would be closer to the scene because, in this case, the site is right within the airport. And it was LASEMA that used their concrete cutting saw and other rescue equipment to cut

the plane open before they could bring out the bodies. That was how we were able to save some people as a result of the promptness of response. We were there right from the word go. When things happen, you get to hear all sorts of things in town, we don’t work with that. It is from people like us you can hear the facts. You talked about dismembering the plane. Will that not distort the evidence for the AIB on the long run? You had to cut the plane open to bring out the people to save lives first of all before you now talk about evidence. Of what value is the evidence you get later be if you refuse to cut the plane open and save lives just because you are trying to preserve evidence? The way we work is to save lives first, that is paramount before any other thing. Again what we did, I don’t see how that action will compromise whatever investigation the Accident and Investigation Bureau may want to carry out on the plane much later because I didn’t leave the scene until I made sure officials of AIB were there to take over the scene and wreckage. How many lives were you able to save? We were able to recover 13 bodies. At the end of the day, the dead were 13. Survivors are seven and they are still alive, as we speak. I was with them just before this interview. How many are in intensive care unit? There are two victims still in intensive care but they are very stable as I speak.

Dr. Wale Ahmed How were you able to manage the crowd at the scene such that it was not problematic for you this time around? Crowd control, yes, we still have problem with it but it was much better than the previous experience. RRS got there on time, other security officials within the airport were there on time. The response was prompt. It was actually people who knew what to do that were there. Though initially we had problem with the crowd, it was not as bad. But I

still want to emphasise today concerning people who fight for the right of way with a vehicle blaring siren which I mentioned few weeks back. Yesterday I was in a vehicle; the commissioner for health was in another, behind me, and there was an ambulance behind him and the three of us were blaring siren and people were still struggling for right of way with us. So I am appealing to our people once more, the governor of Lagos State does not use siren, therefore I would not use siren, ordinarily, and, therefore, nobody else could reasonably be using siren in Lagos. I am appealing to Lagosians to realise that since their governor does not use siren, government officials will not ordinarily use siren. So, if they hear any vehicle blaring siren, it must be that the vehicle must be in a hurry going to save a life or situation. It may even be related to them. If we were not able to get to plane crash scene on time, may be we would not be able to talk about some people living now. They should please give way to all emergency vehicles blaring siren to do the work they have been mandated to do. This is very important. Based on your interactions with all the stakeholders, can you recap how the accident happened? Well, that is for the AIB to do. All we know from the records of Associated Airlines was that the plane took off at 9.30am and went down at 9.32. What happened, we are not in a position to know.

PAGE 14 — SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013

THE AGAGU DOUBLE TRAGEDY

From a state burial to a ‘private family affair’ BY DAYO JOHNSON

HERE was tension and unbelief across Ondo State on Thursday when the family of the late immediate past governor, Dr Olusegun Agagu, less than 24 hours after the plane conveying the corpse to a lying in state from Lagos to Akure crashed, killing 13 passengers, including a serving Commissioner, Mr Deji Falae, insisted that the burial plan should not be a l t e r e d . Mixed reactions followed. While some people were of the opinion that it would be callous to go ahead with the burial because of the tragedy, others argued to the contrary since none of the late governor ’s family members died in the plane crash. Indeed it was a black day for the 37year-old state. The decision of the family to continue with the burial was greeted with condemnation across the three major political divides in the state- the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the ruling Labour Party (LP) and the All Progressive Congress, APC. Many chieftains of the three parties said the incident was a double tragedy that would need time to heal. Shortly before the demise of the former governor, the traditional ruler of his community, Iju Odo, in Okitipupa council area, joined his ancestors. Consequent upon Agagu’s death, it was gathered that the family was approached by a seer that disaster loomed in the family and was asked to pray and fast for seven days to avert the disaster. The fasting and prayer ended few days to the plane crash. Reports had it that the Agagu family, after confirming its members in the aircraft survived and that the corpse was intact, asked that the remains of the former governor be brought to town for burial on Friday. Olufunke, the wife of the former governor, after she reportedly spoke with his son, Feyi and, son-in-law, Femi Akinsanya, relocated with her two daughters, Solape and Omowunmi, to Iju Odo, her husband’s country home, for the final burial. A source said Ondo State government suggested to the Agagu family after the ugly incident that the burial be put on hold but the family saw no reason to halt the ceremony. The state government was said to have called the attention of the family to the mood in the families of those who died in the plane crash. The insistence to go ahead with the burial may have necessitated the absence of government officials at the burial.

side some members of the burial committee and a senator representing Ondo South, Boluwaji Kunlere, government officials, including Mimiko and his deputy, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, were conspicuously absent. Some aides said the governor could not attend the burial because he” is more grieved” as no fewer than four government officials, including a commissioner, died in the crash. A statement by the PDP state chairman, Hon Ebenezer Alabi, confirmed the anger of the people of the state. According to Alabi “the decision to go ahead with the burial was taken

Dr Olusegun Agagu’s burial after a meeting with the members of the family. ”We just consulted with the family and the family has decided to go ahead with the burial moreso that the son of the former governor survived, the son-in-law survived and the cas-

You can see that when Nigerians are mourning the incident, evil people are somewhere insinuating rubbish, cooking up false stories just to feed the public. I will advise those behind it to change from their evil behavior so that they will not face the wrath of God”.

ket did not scratch at all. ”So while the family symphasised with the those that lost their lives and their loved ones, they have decided to go ahead with the burial as was initially planned”. Also, report had it that the MIC Funeral Services, whose Managing Director, Tunji Okusanya, and son, Olatunji, died in the crash, delayed in releasing the corpse of the former governor on the day of burial ostensibly to register their displeasure over the plan to continue with the burial. However, the Agagu family, possibly after giving the matter a second thought and sensing the implication of the statement by the state PDP chairman and the condemnation that followed, adjusted the programme and made it a solemn burial devoid of pomp and pageantr y. The wake keep, earlier slated for Thursday, was the first to be cancelled.

The family, as early as 8am on Friday, the day of the burial, issued a statement to clear the air on the vexed matter. Journalists, who trooped to Iju Odo, to cover the burial, were handed the statement signed by a younger brother to the former governor, Pastor Femi Agagu.

he statement reads: “The family of the late former governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Agagu, sympathizes with the families of the 13 persons that died in the plane crash conveying his corpse to the state on Thursday. ”The family, consequently, has decided to scale down the details of the funeral to its barest and basic minimum”. They added: “The funeral will now be a private family affair devoid of pomp and pageantr y. ”It is also instructive to note that the traditional Christian wake was entirely cancelled. ”The Agagu family deeply commiserates with all the bereaved families and prays fervently for the repose of the souls of all the departed, even as the family continues to remain in close contact with all the families affected by this tragedy.” There was a light reception at the end of the burial with a live band which sang the praises of the former governor. Sources at the weekend claimed that the Agagu family left Iju-Odo immediately after the burial on Friday.

We did not hire plane-Ondo govt

eanwhile, Ondo State government has denied the claim in some quarters that it hired the ill-fated plane to convey the corpse of the former governor. According to a source, the state government merely provided the fund to charter the plane while the choice of Associated Airlines for the plane was that of the Agagu family. The source added that the Ondo State government also picked the bill of the ‘Night of tributes’ organised in honour of the late former governor in Ibadan. The lying-in-state in Akure that never held, the source said, was, however, ar ranged by the state government. The source said the clarification became necessary following false

claims on the Ondo government’s role in the burial, saying the state government did at it could to make the burial a success. The commitment of the Ondo government to make a success of state burial for the former governor, the source said, was the reason it raised a committee to handle the burial arrangements alongside the Agagu family and deployed officials to accompany the corpse from Lagos to Akure, regretting that some of the officials died in the plane crash. “Left to us, the corpse would have been conveyed from Lagos to Akure by road, but the family opted to take it by air. We obliged them and released the fund to charter the plane to them. We did not do the plane hiring. They (the family) did. Not see what the decision has cost us!,” the source stated. The source said it was wicked to say the state government hired the plane when “in actual fact, it tried to stop Associated Airlines from plying AkureLagos, Akure-Abuja some months ago after some Ondo government officials noticed some lapses in one of its planes.” “The state government even did a letter to Associated Airlines to that effect.”

eports that I own crashed Associated Airlines is wickedIgbinedion In the meantime, a former governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, yesterday, described as mischievous and misleading, reports linking him with Associated Airlines, owner of the plane that crashed on Thursday. While commiserating with the families of Agagu and those who lost their lives in the crash, the former governor expressed shock that he was being associated with the airline in social media which, according to him, “is another attempt to tarnish my image by my detractors”. While speaking to Sunday Vanguard on telephone, yesterday, Igbinedion said, “People can be wicked some times. Some of my friends called me to say that people are insinuating in the social media that the crashed Associated Airline plane belonged to me. This is not true. I want to say that I have no hand or business in the running of Associated Airlines. “It is sad that people will just get up and feed the public with lies and, to me, that is wicked. I see it as another attempt by my detractors to rubbish my name. You can see that when Nigerians are mourning the incident, evil people are somewhere insinuating rubbish, cooking up false stories just to feed the public. I will advise those behind it to change from their evil behavior so that they will not face the wrath of God”. The former governor, who said he was shocked when he received the news, called for prayers for the souls of the dead. “I was really shocked like many other Nigerians because the late Dr Agagu was someone we all knew very well and for this to happen even after his death is quite sad. I pray that the Almighty God will grant mercy to the souls of the departed”.

SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013, PAGE 15

THE AGAGU DOUBLE TRAGEDY

Crash site, hospital wards, mortuary: 24 hours after BY LEKAN BILESANMI

IFFERENT strokes for different people. This statement aptly describes the scene of last Thursday’s plane crash in Lagos and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, where the corpses of the 13 victims who died are being kept and the survivors receiving treatment. Let us take it from the hospital. At the LASUTH gate, which the teaching hospital shares with the General Hospital, Ikeja, you were asked where you are headed. If it was LASUTH, you are directed to the left; if it was the General Hospital, surgical emergency ward, you moved straight on. It was a drizzling Friday and, as you arrived the morgue, not far from the pathology section, many people were there, waiting to collect the corpses of their loved ones, but you could not decipher which of them were for the victims of the plane accident. You began to hear all sorts as things as you mixed with the crowd, from the absurd to pure comedy. Part of the absurd. The General Manager of a top private radio station in Lagos was said to be among those who died in the crash. Although somebody quickly countered the claim with a question: What was the broadcaster ’s business with the Agagu family? Akeem, that was the name they called him. He was said to have died with Tunji Okusanya, the owner of MIC Undertakers. He was, according to the crowd, Okusanya’s friend. He was so nice, even better than Okusanya, somebody in the crowd said. Why? “He gave money freely. He was much more important to them than Okusanya, because Okusanya was tight fisted”, the man said.. ”Akutunku e lona orun”, meaning who cares if he dies. The same man Akeem was the topic of discussion at the gate of the hospital . Mortuary attendants and three other uniformed security men likened “Akeem” to Senator Bola Tinubu, former Lagos State governor. According to one of them, Akeem was not different from Tinubu. “He gave freely. Whenever he came around for collection of bodies, he would give money to all of us. He was like Tinubu and that is the reason I can never talk ill about him. And since he (Tinubu) left office I have never voted”. A few meters away, a man was lamenting aloud why a

The crash site of Associated Airlines that conveyed the body of late Agagu

benefactor had to die now especially when he was yet to fulfill his promise to him. “He asked me to see him yesterday (Thursday), and here he is in the mortuary. How can this be? This is not really fair ”, he said. He continued: “Death, this is not fair. It is not fair to him and not fair to me. How do I start now? I have relied so much on you (deceased), I have really relied so much on you. Where do I go from here?”. He broke down in tears. Then, the Agagu issue came up. Somebody had implied that the former governor, through the plane accident, wanted to take people with him to the grave. The expression brought out reactions. One came from one of the relatives of a victim of the ill-fated plane. At this time, tempers rose to the point of the bereaved families exchanging blows. And then a lady walked past and the atmosphere changed especially for four men in their early 30s there. ‘Look at that lady going, look at her backside’, one of them said to which another replied. ‘I will give it a trial.. after all, the dead is gone, those must go on’. Having gone after the lady, he returned with a smile:

“I told you. I have collected her number. My coming here is not in vain”. Then the Lagos State Special Duties Commissioner, Dr. Ahmed Wale, walked towards the pathology department where forensic analysis, on the bodies of the plane crash victims that died was being done. Sunday Vanguard approached him for a chat, and he obliged. I followed him to the office of Professor John Oladapo Obafunwa, said to be the only forensic pathologist in Lagos State. As we walked to the HOD’s office, an old friend, who claimed to be residing in Spain, saw me and was thoroughly embarrassed. He turned out to be one of the mortuary attendants. I asked him to wait while I conclude with the commissioner, but by the time I returned, he had bolted; his colleagues could not say his whereabouts. Within the pathology block was a conference room where the staff of the NCAA were attending to the relatives of deceased persons to update them on what was being done on the bodies. Back to the surgical emergency section where the survivors were, a consultant doctor there identified as Mustapha, said the plane

crash survivors were in stable condition. He would not disclose their names or allow access to them. Back to the crash site: The staff of Accident and Investigation Bureau, AIB, on Friday morning, 24 hours after the crash, had condoned off the site, but one could find personal belongings of the victims there: slippers, handbag, key holders and the plane wreckage. Two things however bothered residents of Mafoluku, where the plane came down, regarding the accident. The site was not far from a tank farm. Akinwunmi Olatunde, 32, a resident, said if the plane had crashed into Mafoluku, the disaster would have been mind-boggling. “Do you know that the houses in this area are close to one another? Not only that, a room has as many as six people living there. If you add it up, you are likely to have 40 people in an eight-room house. And it is like that every where in this area. The accident happened in the morning, just when people were leaving their houses, so there was the possibility of people being killed if the plane had crashed here”. For Michael Okpara, 40, business man, his fear rose with the crash. According to him, he got scared each time a plane took off or landed. “That is just my fear. Each time I hear the sound of a plane taking off or landing, it is like it will fall on top of our house. I was in my shop when I heard of the accident, and that is why I ran home. There is no doubt, I will look for another accommodation when my rent expires. When things like this happens, it is more or less a warning for the wise. Imagine if the plane had crashed around here, what would I be saying now? I can’t bear it anymore. Now is the right time to move. All the same, we thank God for his mercies over us”. For the tank farm owners, they couldn’t be luckier. Only few of them volunteered to bare their minds. Jimoh Kareem is one of them. He said he was grateful to God for sparing the area from the crash, otherwise, according to him, “Some of us would have been dead. If the plane had crashed here, the entire neighbourhood would have gone up in flames, drivers and motor boys would have been burnt to ashes with the vehicles and for those who may not be on site, on hearing of the crash, some of them would probably commit suicide. So the enormity of the disaster cannot be quantified”.

Rumours of Sacrifice, Agagu and Stella Oduah BY FEMI FANI-KAYODE

AST year on June 3rd 2012 there was a plane crash in Nigeria in which over 163 people were killed. The plane was owned by Dana Air. The day before that on June 2nd 2012 a Nigerian cargo plane owned by Kabo Air left our shores and flew to Accra, Ghana where it overshot the runway, crashed into the main road behind the airport and killed many Ghanaian motorists. What made this all the more tragic was the fact that Ghana had never experienced a plane crash at Kotoka International Airport before this incident. It is a pity that it had to be a Nigerian plane, with a Nigerian crew and cargo that had to break that enviable record. Over one year later on 3rd October 2013, which was last thursday, there was yet another plane crash in Nigeria in which 13 people died. The plane was owned by Associated Airlines. Worse still the following day, which was 4th October 2013, a Saudi Arabian-bound Nigerian plane which was owned by Kabo Airline

Late Agagu and which was carrying 400 passengers on board from Sokoto, almost crashed when both it's tyres exploded mid-air and it had to crash land. Had that plane actually crashed we would have lost another 400 precious souls on that day.

Stella Oduah Before the first crash took place last year and between the two major crashes there were numerous other smaller ones involving light aircraft, private jets, military planes and helicopters that were not publicised. All these unfortunate

events occured under the tenure of Princess Stella Oduah, who is the current Minister of Aviation. Under her watch close to 200 souls have been killed in air crashes in the last two years alone. This does not surprise me given the nature of the individual that is involved. What does surprise me however is the fact that just one day after those that perished in the latest crash were killed, before the victims were buried, before the site of the crash was cleared, whilst the charred bodies and burnt parts of the victims still lay at the crash site and before any formal investigation into the causes of the crash have commenced, the ruling PDP, through their spokesman Chief Olisa Metuh, has told the world that they have ''full confidence'' in Stella Oduah and that ''she should be allowed to continue her good work''. Is there any greater evidence of the fact that the PDP is a sick party that is led by sick people than this? Such insensitivity is rarely seen anywhere in the world. Only in Nigeria can this happen. Not only am

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AY PAGE 16 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; SUND SUNDA

Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013

THE AGAGU DOUBLE TRAGEDY

Rumours of Sacrifice, Agagu and Stella Oduah Continued from page 15 I surprised but I am also utterly disgusted. How many more people have to be killed in air crashes before our President realises that he needs a new Minister of Aviation? The truth is that there is far more to aviation than beautifying airports. The first and most important consideration has to be the safety of the passengers and the airworthiness of the planes followed by a solemn and avowed commitment to ensure the discipline, professionalism and efficiency of the aviation parastatals. Most important of all when a plane crashes, whatever the reasons or causes, the Minister ought to assume full responsibility and even offer his or her resignation. Failing that he or she ought to be redeployed to another ministry or completely removed from the cabinet. This is because it is his or her primary responsibility to keep air travellers safe and alive.

adly it does not appear that this is likely to happen anytime soon. As a matter of fact I am convinced that even if 1,000 people were killed in air crashes in the space of just 6 months under President Goodluck Jonathan he would still not redeploy or sack Stella Oduah because our President just ''doesn't give a damn''. Each time a plane crashes it saddens me deeply because to anyone that has ever worked there before aviation is like a family. Worse still those people that lost their lives were our people- they were our fellow Nigerians. It really does hurt. Suffice it to say that there were no air crashes under my watch and not one drop of blood was spilt from the air whilst I was Minister of Aviation, whether it be passenger plane, private jet, helicopter or light aircraft. I thank God for that because if it had happened I would not have been able to sleep at night. I am the only Minister of Aviation in Nigeria between 2002 to date that can lay claim to that. I put it down to hard work, prayer and the grace of God and nothing else. Unlike some others I was literally paranoid when it came to air safety and security because it was obvious to me that there was more to the whole thing than meets the eye. Permit me to go into a little detail. The year before I became Minister of Aviation there were 5 plane crashes and 453 people perished from our skies. The airlines that crashed were Bellview (2005), Sosolisso (2006), a Nigerian military plane carrying a large number of senior army offficers (2006), ADC (2006) and a private light aircraft in Kano which had on board the adopted son of the PDP National Chairman Ahmadu Ali and a pilot (2006). At the time that all these crashes took place Professor Babalola Borisade was the Minister of Aviation. In November 2006 Borisade was redeployed to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism where I was Minister and I was sent to Aviation and by the grace of God from that point on my team and I, with the full backing and support of President Olusegun Obasanjo, put a stop to the crashes and we broke the cycle. We left office in May 2007 and almost immediately after that the standard dropped again and the cycle of terrible air crashes returned to our shores. They have not stopped since. As I pointed out in another essay which I wrote last year after the Dana crash, 90 per cent of the crashes that have taken place in Nigeria in the last 11 years have taken place at weekends. That in itself is strange but what is even stranger is the fact that there are two ten year cycles of major crashes

the President. I am not aware of ANY plane crashes that took place during Agagu's tenure as Minister of Aviation. The string of consistent major crashes in Nigeria really began in 2002 when EAS Airline crashed in Kano killing over 105 people including the then Minister of Sports, Mr. Mark Aku. At the time of that crash Mrs. Kema Chikwe was Minister of Aviation and not Agagu. The last major crash that took place before the 2002 EAS crash in Nigeria was the aforementioned ADC crash of 1996 in which 160 were killed.

The crash site prepared to share those with the public in order not to create any panic.

The most pronounced years of tragedy and carnage in aviation, which involved 6 major crashes and numerous smaller ones, were really between 2002 and November 2006 when the carnage was finally brought to a halt that have been in operation in our country since 1992. I call them ''sacrificial cycles''. The details are as follows. There was a major crash in 1992 (C-130 military airplane in which 160 army officers were killed). Ten years later there was a second major crash in 2002 (EAS Airline in which 105 people were killed). Ten years later there was a third major crash in 2012 (Dana Airline in which 163 were killed). This represents the first ''ten year cycle'' of crashes and if it is not broken there will be another major crash in 2022 which will result in a large loss of life. The second ''ten year cycle'' began in 1996 when ADC crashed with the loss of over 160 lives. This was followed by another crash ten years later in 2006 which involved another plane from ADC and which again resulted in the loss of over 160 lives. If the cycle is not broken I have little doubt that there will be another major crash in Nigeria in 2016. These observations have nothing to do with superstition but they are based on painstaking research, facts and logic. There have many other big and small crashes within and between the dates of the two major ''ten year cycles'' but what seems amazing and strange to me is the recurrent and definative pattern of the ten year cycles themselves. It is almost as if it is some kind of pagan or religious obligation or debt that is being paid to some hidden and dark forces. Some may dismiss all this as mere coincidence but the actual day and month that all those crashes took place on tells another story which I will not go into here. Whatever anyone else may believe or think I have no doubt whatsoever in my mind that there is a spiritual dimension to these matters and I have been saying so publiclly since I was at aviation. Other than sheer hard work, an insistance on full compliance with safety standards and the display of the most rigorous form of discipline from the top to the bottom, in order to break these patterns and cycles of crashes and protect our skies, much prayer and intercession is required. There are a number of other rather startling and strange patterns as well but I am not

ne thing that I know though is that God is in control and that, as the bible says, ''He reveals to redeem''. There is absolutely no cause for any fear or alarm. I have written and spoken many times on this. I have pointed out the problems over and over again and suggested how it can be stopped. It may not stop though because there are some depraved people in our country that do not want it to stop, that benefit from it, that delight in it and that believe in it. This is the bitter truth. That, together with the fact that in Nigeria not enough people care for or truly value human life. We only pretend to care. For more on this I urge those that are interested to read my essay titled ''Air Crashes In Nigeria, Sacrificial Cycles and the Weekend Phenomenon'' which was published in a number of newspapers after the Dana crash last year. They can also read the first segment of my submissions at a public hearing of the Senate Aviation Committee in 2008 which was titled ''My Mandate at The Ministry of Aviation''. They are both on my website (www.femifanikayode.org) or they can just be googled. My views about the crashes and their causes are well enunciated in both. Other than that I will not say anything about air crashes in Nigeria because what I have said and exposed has already caused me more than enough trouble from those that believe such matters ought to be kept secret and away from the public for reasons best known to themselves. Suffice it to say that my conscience is clear and that I did my very best to save and protect Nigerian lives whilst I was Minister of Aviation. That is all that matters to me and because of that I sleep very well at night. To God alone be the glory. One last point. I find it nauseating and distatsteful that some people would relish the fact that the corpse of Governor Agagu went through all that it did when he was being flown to Akure for his final burial rites and that they seemed almost joyful at the fact that the plane crashed resulting in the loss of all those innocent souls. This is a disgrace and I feel utterly outraged by it. The shameful refrain, which is all over the social media, is that Agagu somehow deserved to die a ''second death'' from the skies because so many people had supposedly been killed in plane crashes under his watch as Minister of Aviation. This is false. It is also sheer wickedness. As a matter of fact it is evil. > Only God knows how each of us will come to our end and it is not true to say that the harvest of deaths that took place in the aviation industry whilst President Obasanjo was in power took place under Agagu's watch. He was appointed Minister of Aviation in 1999 and remained there until 2001 when he was redeployed to the Ministry of Power by

he most pronounced years of tragedy and carnage in aviation, which involved 6 major crashes and numerous smaller ones, were really between 2002 and November 2006 when the carnage was finally brought to a halt. Sadly it began again almost immediately after we left office in May 2007 when small planes, light aircraft and helicopters started dropping from the sky. Then came the mysterious disappearance of Ibori's ''Wings Aviation'' plane with a number of fatal casualties from our skies in 2008 and things really went downhill from there. In the last 11 years, between 2002 and 2013 over 850 people have been killed in air crashes in Nigeria- 453 under Borisade and just under 200 of them under Stella Oduah. This is an atrocious record of air safety and I believe that I am right in saying that it is a peace-time world record. Whatever the case it is nothing to be proud of and it reflects badly on all of us, particularly those of us that were once Ministers of Aviation. I have done my research and I have the details of every single crash that has taken place in this country over the last eleven years whether it be a private plane, light aircraft, military aircraft, passenger plane or helicopter. As long as such a crash resulted in the loss of life I have the record of it and all the details. None of those crashes took place under the watch of Dr. Segun Agagu and I implore those that are doing so to stop attributing the sad events that preceeded his burial to some kind of divine retribution for what purportedly occured when he was Minister of Aviation. Nothing can be more cruel than this and nothing could be further from the truth. Permit me to end this contribution with a few words to the families of those that were lost in the crash. It is always a painful thing when we lose someone dear and this is especially so when it happens in such a painful and violent manner. My heart goes out to each and every family that lost their loved ones in this latest crash. May the Lord comfort each and every one of them and may He heal their wounds with the balm of Gilead. My commiserations also goes to the people of Ondo state and particularly to my dear friend and brother Governor Olusegun Mimiko who is a man that I have tremendous respect for, a practising and commited christian and a man of immense integrity and spiritual fortitude. > To my dear brothers that were lost in that terrible crash themselves, including Mr. Tunji Okunsanya and his son Tunji jnr. (whose MIC company buried both of my parents in 1995 and 2001 respectively), Mr. Deji Falae who was the Commisioner of Culture and Tourism for Ondo state and so many others, I say the following- may God have mercy upon you. May He forgive you of all your sins. May He cause His face to shine upon you. May He grant you peace eternal. May you abide with Him in eternity. May your souls be blessed forever. May the watchman and the boatman grant you safe passage into the higher realms. May the halls of Valhalla, where the brave shall live forever, be open unto to you. > May you never be forgotten and may your names wax strong in our hearts and minds from generation to generation. May the memory of your beautiful smiles continue to give us strength and bring us hope. You were a real blessing to so many. Rest in peace. Until we meet again.

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Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013, PAGE 17

National Conference: Questions for the Okurounmu Committee *President inaugurates panel tomorrow BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR

S President Goodluck Jonathan inaugurates the 13-man National Dialogue Advisory Committee, tomorrow, the Senator Femi Okurounmuled panel has a number of tough questions to answer. While raising the panel, last Tuesday, Jonathan handed the members a fourpoint terms of reference they are expected to work on and submit their report on or before November 7, 2013. The terms of reference are: *To consult expeditiously with all relevant stakeholders with a view to drawing up a feasible agenda for the proposed National Dialogue/Conference; *To make recommendations to government on structure and modalities for the proposed National Dialogue/ Conference; *To make recommendations to government on how representation of various interest groups at the National Dialogue/Conference will be determined; and *To advise on a timeframe for the National Dialogue/Conference. Given the heated debates that have hallmarked the agitation for a Sovereign National Conference (SNC), which has now be whittled down to National Conference or National Dialogue, the Okurounmu team is expected to crack some hard kernels in order to come up with time-tested and acceptable roadmap for the talk. The nagging questions include: * How will Conference delegates emerge? * Will the 389 ethnic nationalities in the country be represented? * How will nominees of the ethnic nationalities emerge? * Will interest and pressure groups like Ohanaeze, Afenifere, Arewa, OPC, MASSOB, NGOs, people living with disability, etc be represented? * Will delegates be elected, nominated or both?

said every ethnic nationality must be represented at the confab for it to be fully representative. Gbonigi, YUF hail move, pledge support Reacting to the raising of the panel, the Yoruba Unity Forum (YUF) c o m m e n d e d Jonathan “for the bold and courageous * If by election, will it be based on wards, local councils, states, geo-political zones? * How long will confab last: Three months, six months or longer? * Will there be restrictions (no-goareas)? * Can confab deliberate on divisibility and dissolubility of Nigeria? * How will the outcome of conference become law? * Will outcome be subjected to referendum, ratification by National Assembly or both? * Will it be subject to review by another panel? * How large will the conference be in terms of number of delegates? * How will the Chairman and officers of the Conference emerge: through presidential appointment or election by the delegates?

Commenting on the kind of conference Nigeria needs at this critical time, Third Republic Governor of Anambra State, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, said the most important ingredient the Conference should have is producing “a Constitution about which, for the first time, Nigerians can truly say, ‘ we, the people of Nigeria, make and give unto ourselves, this Constitution.’ He continued: “Among the decisions we need to make is whether to have unicamera or bicamera legislature. How do members of the National Assembly deal with the conflict of interests involved? The National Assembly has no role in Constitution making. A referendum shall confirm the people’s Constitution.” Also, environmental and human rights activist, Ms Ankio Briggs, who is one of those agitating for National Conference,

initiative to convene a National Dialogue by setting up an Advisory Committee to advise government on the modalities for organizing the National Dialogue.” In a statement by Rt Reverend Emmanuel Bolanle Gbonigi, the YUF said, “This action has demonstrated that Mr. President is a listening leader and a champion of democracy. “Many of the crises plaguing the country are better addressed in a National Dialogue. The forum therefore supports the setting up of the advisory body to create the framework for convening a National Dialogue and shall work with all patriotic Nigerians to ensure that the goals of the National Dialogue remain to strengthen existing democratic structures and institutions, negotiate understanding, mutual respect, mutual love, mutual cooperation and trust and install true federalism in our dear country.”

Our condition for National Conference, by Senate it is in line with the earlier call of its president, David Mark, to that effect. Abaribe said the upper chamber was aware that the National Conference, as designed by Jonathan, would be limited to the scope where the sovereignty of

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, in his national day broadcast, expressed his resolve to convoke a National Conference. Consequently, the President set up an Advisory Committee made up of eminent Nigerians to work out the modalities for the National Dialogue as he called it. Members of the Advisory Committee are Senator Femi Okurounmu (Chairman), Dr. Akilu Indabawa, (Secretary), Prof. George Obiozor, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, Sen. Khairat Gwadabe, Sen. Timothy Adudu, Col. Tony Nyiam, Prof. Funke Adebayo, Mrs. Mairo Ahmed Amshi, Dr. Abubakar Sadiq, Alh. Dauda Birma, Mallam Buhari Bello and Mr. Tony Uranta. Even before Jonathan’s pronouncement, Senate President David Mark, while welcoming members of the Senate from their two months vacation, had emphasized the need for the country to have a National Conference. Though Mark emphasized the need to have a National Dialogue, he was not in support of the appendage, ‘sovereign’.

David Mark Meanwhile, other members of the upper legislative chamber have commented on the issue. In what may seem to be a unanimous decision, senators say no to SNC. The Senate spokesman, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said that the Senate was in full support of the decision of convoke a National Conference and that

The Senate has always canvassed the position that it will always welcome a conference where all ethnic nationalities would converge to discuss all critical issues and proffer the very best way that will enhance national unity Nigeria was not called to question. He argued: “It is therefore given that the proposed conference is in tandem with the time tested stand of the Senate of the

Federal Republic of Nigeria and as enunciated by the President of the Senate, Senator David A. B Mark, in his address at the last Nigerian Bar Association Conference in Calabar and to senators penultimate week. “The Senate has always canvassed the position that it will always welcome a conference where all ethnic nationalities would converge to discuss all critical issues and proffer the very best way that will enhance national unity,” the statement read by the Senate spokesperson added. “The Senate red-line and for which was aptly factored in the President’s broadcast is the conferment of a sovereign status to the conference. The Senate is happy that it is a conference that will hold with due respect to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended. It has always been Senate’s considered stand that there cannot be two sovereigns at a time.” He further said that he was “gratified with the development and see it as an opportunity to address all of Nigeria’s

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Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

The character, prospects and limits By FEMI ABORISADE Against the background of President Goodluck Jonathan’s setting up of a Committee to plan a National Conference, this paper seeks to examine the nature, character, prospects and limits of national conferences (whether National or Sovereign National Conference) in galvanizing socio-political change in Nigeria. HE stringent call for Sovereign National Conference in Nigeria may have been influenced, among other factors, by the 1989 Benin Republic’s National Conference. Here, a National Conference of civil society organisations successfully declared itself ‘sovereign’ in place of the then existing state power. The Conference overturned the Constitution, supplanted the authority of President Kerekou and spearheaded elections which brought in a new President. Similarly, the National Conference of Congo was organized at the convention centre of Brazzaville under the pressure of mass movements by the then President of the Republic, Denis Sassou-Nguesso, in February 1991. The 1100 delegates represented civil society organisations including political parties, workers’ unions, professional organisations, religious denominations, as well as government representatives. Thus, the success of the Benin Republic’s experience henceforth became the battle cry of opposition forces in other African countries, mainly in French speaking African countries but also in Nigeria, particularly since the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election and the murder in detention of the acclaimed winner, Chief MKO Abiola.

*TYPES OF NATIONAL CONFERENCE National Conference may be broadly classified into three categories, namely: 1. (Non-sovereign) National Conference, which tends to be accommodative of the status-quo ante. 2. Sovereign National Conference, which tends to threaten the status-quo ante, and 3. Constitutional Conference While the first type, that is, the (Nonsovereign) National Conference is subject to a higher authority and operates within limited scope, the second type, Sovereign National Conference, as the word, ‘sovereign’, suggests, is not subject to any higher authority. While the outcome of the first may strengthen the existing power structure, by rebalancing it on new but marginal basis, the second may supplant and sweep away existing order while heralding an entirely new order. The third type, Constitutional Conference, as the name denotes, has a single specifically defined limited scope – making proposals for constitutional changes within the existing constitutional framework. It is thus, in essence, akin to the first type of conference, and may in fact be a subset of the first category. The idea of a constitutional conference refers to building or rebuilding the nation-state on democratic constitutions which define or redefine the driving rules and principles

President Goodluck Jonathan

Altogether, since 1914, Nigeria has experienced eleven constitutional experiments, including those brought about through sham constitutional conferences of political pluralism, the role of the state, citizenship rights and duties, protection of fundamental rights, including socioeconomic rights, and so on. Each of the three types of conference is examined more closely below. *CONSTITUTIONAL CONFERENCE As stated above, the Constitutional Conference is concerned with the sole project of developing the constitutional framework. Nigeria has had a history of constitutional impositions. The constitution was either imposed by the colonial powers or the indigenous military juntas. Military dictatorships tended to introduce the Constitution unilaterally, either by public declaration or through a process of appointing a Constituent Assembly composed by handpicked individuals who put up constitutional proposals along lines dictated by their military appointers. Altogether, since 1914, Nigeria has experienced eleven constitutional experiments, including those brought about through sham constitutional conferences.

In all the constitutional experiments, the generality of the people were usually excluded. In other words, the constitutions have always been imposed. In addition, it is contended that a Constitutional Conference will be relevant where what is at stake is a mere constitutional lacuna. But in reality, the social crises in society require much more than mere marginal constitutional changes. The socio-political challenges tend to reflect deep contradictions which suggest the need for a completely new social order. NON-SOVEREIGN NATIONAL CONFERENCE An example of the Non-Sovereign National Conference in Nigeria’s history was the February – July 2005 National Political Reform Conference, NPRC, also referred to as the National Dialogue, which was established by President Obasanjo, without legislative consent . It comprised about 400 delegates who were handpicked by the President. The agenda of the Conference was delimited by the regime and included the following: · Reform of the political party system · Electoral reforms · Judicial and legal reforms · Civil Society reforms · Police/Prison system reforms · Intergovernmental relations Indeed, there were also no-go areas or non-negotiable issues, which the Conference was ordered not to debate. They included: · unity of the country; · its federal character; · federalism; · multireligiosity; · separation of powers, and · Fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy. The Conference was merely consultative in nature. The Report of the Conference was submitted to the President. The

President was to submit the Report to the national legislature, which could have used it as part of its sources of literature for legislative activity, if found useful. Indeed, the national legislature, at a stage, distanced itself from the Conference on the ground that it was put up without its consent. The 2005 Conference was organised by President Obasanjo in the attempt to undermine the popular call by the opposition and pro-democracy movement for a Sovereign National Conference. The coalition of opposition groups under the aegis of Pro-Sovereign National Conference Group (PRONACO) validly rejected the Obasanjo conference for lacking popular support and falling short of popular expectations. The PRONACO thus organised an alternative conference, which the sponsors claimed to be sovereign, with powers to deliberate on all issues without ‘ no -go ’ areas. Organisations and ethnic groups were required to appoint specified number of representatives. The PRONACO conference produced a report, including a model constitution containing progressive provisions. But as it turned out, it lacked the capacity to implement or enforce its decisions and recommendations. *SOVEREIGN NATIONAL CONFERENCE This paper conceptualizes Sovereign National Conference, not as a tool to stabilise an existing system or regime, but as a transitional phase in the process of mass struggles to carry out fundamental system or regime change. Thus, it is conceptualized that resistance struggles under capitalism represent incapacity of the capitalist system to take society forward and reflect a striving, consciously or unconsciously, to carry out a socialist transformation of society. Within this understanding, in a revolutionary situation, the demand will not be for the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference; the challenge will be to goad the working masses to set up independent organs of political and economic control of society. While political empowerment of the masses for a socialist reconstruction of society is the ultimate goal, that goal cannot usually be attained overnight. It will generally be necessary to raise democratic demands that can exhaust the democratic limits of the existing regime or system. Based on their own practical experiences, the masses may then come to the conclusion that their interests can no longer be protected unless and until they seize state power. The slogan of the Sovereign National Conference is thus useful in a semi-revolutionary situation in which the existing regime is incapable of solving economic and political problems and is too weak to assert its authority; but the democratic opposition forces are equally not strong enough to effect instant regime or system change. The Sovereign National Conference is a demand suitable in such a dual-power situation. It was such a dual power situation in February 1990 that compelled Kérékou to convene a Sovereign National Conference to reconsider the country’s political future. The Sovereign National Conference became the instrument for political transformation to a new, multiparty regime, which became the model for all of Francophone Africa. A similar context played out in Congo Brazaville. Sassou initially resisted the convocation of a conference. When he finally conceded, he sought to keep the Conference under his control. But opposition forces succeeded in wresting control from Sassou’s supporters. The Conference established an interim government, developed the framework for a new pluralist

Continues on page 19

SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013, PAGE 19

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

The fear of ‘no go’ areas, by Otunba Banjo Three-time governorship candidate of the National Conscience Party in Ogun State, Ogbeni Lanre Banjo, commends President Goodluck Jonathan only if his decision to convoke a National Conference is genuine. Nigerians have witnessed the establishment of several committees under his administration namely the subsidy, electoral reform and Boko Haram committees whose reports were never implemented. The report of Justice Mohammed Uwais which spurred well meaning Nigerians into action is collecting dust in the archives. We cannot also forget similar misnamed conference of former President Olusegun Obasanjo which the National Assembly threw into the thrash, partly because the foundation was not sincerely built. President Jonathan therefore owes his credibility a duty not to be further dented, and Nigerians should not be gullible and allow themselves to continue to be fooled at 53.

president should not impose his will. The President, Vice President, governors, their deputies, and the members of the state Houses of and National Assembly are agents of the Nigerian people. Their selfish interests must not override our collective interests because their powers are derived from us. The decision of the conference must not be subjected to any formal discussion or approval by the National Assembly because citizens are the principal, while they remain our agents. They have the rights to participate as Nigerians. Other than to protect and

COUNSEL If the President means well, and this is not designed to rattle his enemies in the PDP, he must not interfere in the work of the Advisory Committee. This will be his first test. If the Committee elects to add the word “Sovereign” because sovereignty belongs to the people, the

execute, no arm of the government must be allowed to intervene because no government prescribes form for itself. It is the people that prescribe the form of government. The members of the National Assembly cannot legally and reasonably establish the nature of government for Nigeria. It is not a

*Ogbeni Lanre Banjo government that gives a nation a constitution; it is a constitution that gives a nation a form of government and it is the desire of the people that the constitution will express. The President is also advised not to issue any executive fiat that would establish a “no-go” area. It is our lives;

we must have the latitude to discuss all issues as we wish. A provision should be made for referendum and must be well funded. Funds spent on referendum will be far more productive and fruitful than funds allocated to celebrate independence that does not exist in substance and centenary existence of a convoluted union that neither yields its potential greatness nor gives hope for the country and does not bring Nigerians together as one after 99 years in existence. I hope the President is serious and does not want use this as a diversionary tactic. If he is, he should be grimly determined to establish an enviable legacy by convoking a Sovereign National Conference, and not just a National Conference. This legacy will be more rewarding than and superior to his quest for a second term. It will be more ennobling than a two-term mediocre presidency. His name will forever be remembered. The president will not only be loved by Goodswill Akpabio but by many Nigerians across the globe and Nigerians yet unborn. As a matter of fact, I promise to build an edifice monument to immortalize his name in Sagamu, if he convokes a Sovereign National Conference without interfering with the process.

The character, prospects and limits Continued from page 18 constitution and drew up a timetable for elections under a new regime. The foregoing shows that the nature, character, capacity, competence, relevance and legitimacy of the Sovereign National Conference to chart a new course of history depend on concrete contexts in individual countries. Just as a competent physician may hardly make a single prescription for all ailments, the Sovereign National Conference is equally not an idea that is automatically suitable in all political situations and at all times, contrary to the impression being created in certain circles within the opposition and pro-democracy movement. The relevance of the Sovereign National Conference depends not only on the state of the economic crises from time to time, but also on the balance of political forces – that is, the ripeness or otherwise of the subjective and objective factors. In the Nigerian situation, opposition and pro-democracy forces may justifiably, from time to time, resort to the call for Sovereign National Conference to take the Nigerian society forward. The existing economic and political structures appear incapable of holding the Nigerian society together on a peaceful, orderly and just basis. Constitutions have always been imposed on Nigeria; the people have never had any input in constitutionmaking. Things appear to perpetually fall apart in Nigeria as presently constituted. Material poverty, stupendous corruption in the midst of abject poverty, opulence of a few in the midst of stark starvation, high unemployment levels, religious intolerance, political and socio-economic Boko Haram, kidnapping for ransom, armed robbery, frequent bomb explosions as a product of disaffection and disillusionment, pervasive insecurity, all indices of a breakdown in the social fabric of society have attained unprecedented degrees. In the face of

these realities, there appears to be every justification for a platform such as the Sovereign National Conference that will bring together elected representatives of the fighting working people and the poor to deliberate on the future of the country. But it is important that the Sovereign

National Conference is not conceived as an assembly of ethnic nationalities. The Sovereign National Conference should be conceived as an assembly of elected representatives of organisations in which people are actively engaged, economically, politically, socially,

culturally, and so on, to ensure and influence their continued existence and social interaction. There are also are other realities such as economic categories or class stratification, gender, religion, age, vocational and professional variations.

Our condition for National Conference, by Senate Continued from page 17 structural problems that keeps agitating the mind of her ethnic nationalities”. “The Se nate is confident that the conference’s final outcome would go a long way to cement Nigeria’s unity.” In the same vein, the Senate Leader, Chief Victor Ndoma-Egba, welcomed a confab to negotiate and re-negotiate the terms of the union of the country. NdomaEgba said, “You don’t go into a union and, 100 years later, you are still operating under the original terms of that region. “So, we hope to, every now and then, renegotiate the terms of staying together. Yes, we moved from four regions in 1963 to 36 states today, was it through a democratic process? Certainly not. It was by military fiat. States were created, local governments were created by military fiat not through discussion, not through negotiation. And the amendments to structures have come with consequences. That is because they were created under the military regimes. “We have not been able to sit down and deal with the consequences of very fundamental structural issues that arose during the times of the military. So, we need to deal with some of the consequences that arose during the military.”

But he vehemently objected to SNC, saying, “Well, I keep asking people what is it that will make the conference sovereign? What ingredients should we look out for a sovereignty of such a conference? My understanding, and I might be wrong, is that our sovereignty, yes, sovereignty resides with the people, it derives from and resides with the people but that sovereignty is expressed in the Constitution. “So, our sovereignty is the one that is expressed in the Constitution. And the Constitution has proclaimed itself as supreme and we have accepted it as supreme. People say that the origin of the constitution are dubious. I concede that point that we the people never met. But we have ratified the Constitution by conduct because we all have submitted to a president or presidents that were elected under that Constitution”. Also speaking on the issue, Senator Burka Abba Ibrahim said, “I have nothing against National Conference, it is most welcome, we will participate in whatever way we can. But what is not possible is for somebody to talk about Sovereign National Conference. You cannot have a Sovereign National Conference when you have a National Assembly. What we will have is a National Conference and whatever is decided by the National Conference, the National Assembly will

have to ratify and then it becomes law in Nigeria.” A legal practitioner and former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Uche Onyeagocha, has, in the meantime, condemned the position of the lawmakers, saying what the country needs is SNC and not National Dialogue or mere National Conference. Onyeagocha said, “Well, I am particularly interested in the issue of National Conference. My view is that, we do not need a National Conference as suggested by Mr. President. What we need is a Sovereign National Conference. “Where Mr. President does not have the enough courage to allow for us to have a Sovereign National Conference, then he shouldn’t waste our time, money and the energy over the issue of National Conference. “If you may recall, we had a National Conference under Abacha. Then, it was a jamboree, a waste of public fund and resources. Nigeria is in a dire situation and doe s not require for us to spend whatever the little resources that we have doing a talk show that will worthless. It is time we have a proper Sovereign National Conference where all issues will be put on the table and nothing should be off limit for discussion so that we can renegotiate Nigeria and agree on the way forward for this nation.”

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Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013

National Conference is wasteful, diversionary — Comrade Issa Aremu ON LABOUR LAWS REVIEW t the media chat on Sunday, President Jonathan, in his apparent frustration with the ongoing ASUU strike, mooted the idea of tightening labour laws to curb strikes. 53 years after independence, Nigerian leaders should not behave like the discredited colonial masters who wrongly saw labour as an obstacle rather than a partner for development. Labour is a critical success factor in development. It must be consciously motivated and cultivated for productivity by governments and private employers alike. The issue is not the strike but the cause. President Jonathan accepts as much that there is a huge needs gap in the education and health sectors. Indeed for as long as these huge deficits exist, crises are inevitable. Government cannot and should not turn its acknowledged weakness in funding and motivation in the public sector to strength through unnecessary arrogance and bullying. All parties in the universities crisis must abide by the principle of collective bargaining, namely respect sanctity of agreements and negotiate in good faith and without duress. In case of a break down in negotiation, Nigerian labour laws also provide for arbitration through the Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) and the National Industrial Court (NIC). Sadly, none of the parties in the crisis in education has explored any of these legal frameworks. Indeed it is the Presidency that is politicizing a purely industrial issue through the setting up of a high sounding presidential panel manned by embattled governors and politicians who see politics in every noise of a fly rather than industrial relations experts who have a mindset of conflict resolution. At 53, independence celebration is hollow if public universities remain closed and the burden is on President Jonathan to govern for the good of all. ON PERFORMING REPUBLIC AND NATIONAL CONFERENCE Nigeria at 53 must be a performing society not a debating society. Nigeria has over 10 written constitutions from 1954. America retains the same constitution as proclaimed in 1788 (with few amendments in 1791). Nigeria has certainly had its fair share of constitutions and debates. A Sovereign National Conference is one debate too many, diversionary and wasteful. It’s time Nigeria had its share of good governance. The founding fathers did not agonize debating the imperfections of the inherited federation. They moved into action to build a fast growing nation ahead of China, India, Pakistan and Indonesia in the 60s and 70s. The best of Nigerians must come out for public office just as the best fought for independence and reclaim the politics from the existing largely unfocused acrimonious self- serving ruling class. REINDUSTRIALIZE NIGERIA

•Comrade Issa Aremu, NLC Vice President ...We need a performing society; not a debating society

ice President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Com rade Issa Aremu, in this piece, dismisses the move by President Goodluck Jonathan to convene a National Conference, saying it is diversionary and wasteful. The General Secretary of the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN) also criticizes the President’s statement that government could review the nation’s labour laws in the wake of the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). Aremu speaks on Nigeria at 53. At 53, Nigeria boasts of GDP Annual Growth Rate of 8.6 percent. However the share of industry and agriculture to this GDP growth is lower than 1960 and 1970 when industry was the key determinant of growth. We regret that at 53, Nigeria’s growth driver is not the manufacturing sector but banking and finance, telecoms services with very little employment content. At 53, federal and state governments should make case for reindustrialization of Nigeria. At 53, somebody must speak for Nigeria’s re-industrialization. Stop the current massive imports, counterfeiting, gross under-capacity utilization, collapse of industrial estates and job-losses. Without industrialization, Nigeria should forget independence. Industrialization is at the heart of development. The advantages of industrialization include lessening of dependency on imports, thus saving scarce foreign exchange and creation of massive decent jobs. Independence must make a difference otherwise colonialism becomes attractive.

e commend the Governor of the State of Osun, Eng Rauf Aregbesola, for initiation the setting up of a garment factory through provision of school uniforms and sewing them

locally. There can be no reindustrialization without electrification. President Jonathan has formally handed over the power sector to the private sector. This development is significant. However there can be no sustainable power sector reform without immediate resolution of all labour issues with respect to payment of severance pay and crediting the retirement saving accounts of the outgoing workers in the power sector. There must also be job retention and indeed job expansion. Lastly privatization is the means not the end. What Nigerians want is cheap, uninterrupted power supply. As the deteriorating services in telecoms show, privatization is no substitute for good governance and service delivery. Government and regulatory agencies must see to it that bid winners become real suppliers of electricity not players making money at the expenses of industry and consumers alike. INDEPENDENCE NOT COLONIALISM President Jonathan and the Presidency should come to terms with Nigeria’s correct history. Jonathan, in his anniversary broadcast, said, “On January 1, 2014, Nigeria will be 100 years old as a country, following the amalgamation of the Protectorates of Southern and Northern Nigeria in 1914.” I

think the President got it wrong.

onathan should abandon the fairy tale that falsely says Nigeria became one entity in 1914. 53 years after independence, it is an embarrassment to teach our children that Mungo Park discovered River Niger, as if the great peoples, who long lived by the banks of River Niger, did not know the river. It is even totally unacceptable to accord colonial Lord Lugard the undeserved grandfather of modern Nigeria. Lord Lugard did not form Nigeria through his so-called amalgamation of exploitation and oppression. He met Nigeria and Nigerians who had coexisted through commerce, trade, marriages and even exchanges of royal ambassadors. It is embarrassing to deploy scarce resources to celebrate an old discredited colonial myth that says Nigeria of today is a product of the socalled amalgamation of the North and the South of 1914. Nigeria has no business celebrating colonial land mark of 1914 as it plans to do with fanfare next year. On the contrary; what Nigeria should celebrate in high spirit is independence. Nigeria’s founding fathers fought with high patriotic spirit to get freedom for Nigeria in 1960 after century long colonial oppression and domination. They were never nostalgic of 1914. In fact they turned 1914 of dependency to 1960 of independence. They were proud of 1960 as a freedom year. They marked independence with fanfare until the military disastrous intervention of 1966. The best to do to honour their efforts is to also in high spirit raise the banner of independence and freedom 53 years after. 50 YEARS AS A REPUBLIC This year ’s independence anniversary even assumes a special importance. It marks the 50th year of Nigeria as a republic. Nigeria becoming a republic means Nigeria’s complete journey to full independence and maturity as a nation ended in 1963, not necessarily in 1960. A republic simply means having a Nigerian as our Head of State. To show the significance of Nigeria as a republic, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the then Prime Minister, on the 29th of April 1963, announced that the country would become a republic within the British Commonwealth on the 1st of October 1963. So the Federation Act of 1963 repealed and replaced the 1960 Independence Act of the British parliament and installed Republican Constitution of 1963. History and patriotic moves of the founding fathers show that what indeed Nigeria should genuinely celebrate as an achievement is the move from Monarchical to Republican Constitution in 1963, not the colonial preference of Lord Lugard of 1914. INDEPENDENCE DAY History of labour in Nigeria shows that independence is important. Without Nigeria, there can be no Nigerian labour much less Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). Of course there was Nigerian free labour before the British colonialists came in after the Berlin Conference of 1878. Colonialism later imposed forced labour to build the railways, work on the coal mines of Enugu and tin mines of the Plateau and the nascent civil service among others. Colonialism underdeveloped Nigeria and Nigerian labour through brutal exploitation and denial of trade union rights.

SUNDAY Vanguard , OCTOBER 6 , 2013, P AGE 21

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Forget a facelift, what you really want is a voice lift! S

ETTLING down with our favourite drinks, my husband and I got ready to watch the lovingly compiled video footage of our first son’s 21st birthday party,” said Nancy, a 46 year-old mother of four. “As the screen came alive, the celebrant cheerfully flitted around his guests, happy and excited. But wait a minute. What the heck was that? Oh my God, it was me talking - or to be brutally accurate - whining on. The video camera had cruelly recorded my nasal voice for posterity. It was a voice I would never have believed was mine - thin, monotone and crackly. I am only 46 for goodness sake. So why was I sounding eightish?! “When did this happen? My voice wasn’t always like this. When I worked as a lecturer only a few years ago, teaching a class of a lot of students, my voice was strong and resonant - clear as a bell, in fact, it had to be. With most of the students snooty lots, a hint of feebleness and I’d have been a laughing stock. I didn’t realise that while I’ve been busy scrutinising my wrinkles and grey hair for further signs of ageing, another part of me was giving the game away! Now, it’s my voice that’s crying out for an anti-ageing treatment. Forget Botox or facelifts. I desperately need a voice lift! But is there such a thing as a voice lift? Well yes! I recently read that an operation called vocal-cord augmentation or voice - lift surgery - is becoming the latest must-have for those keen to turn back the clock .

The procedure involves taking fat from the stomach wall and grafting it on to the vocal cords, or ‘vocal folds’ as experts call them, to plump them up and make the voice sound younger. But can the voice be kept young without resorting to the knife? Frances Parkes, a vocal expert who runs the clinic Max Your Voice says, yes. She’s seeing increasing numbers of women who feel their voice is letting them down when they hit their 40s. Thankfully, she says there’s plenty we can do before having the fat sucked out of our tummies and injected into our throats. “W ith a few small

changes, voices can defy time,” she says. “If you listen to some of the best voice coaches, they might be old but sound 30. That’s because they know how to look after their voices.” Here are some non-costly ways to sound eternally youthful. Take deep breaths: “When we breathe shallowly, our voices sound weak,” says Frances. “So the first thing to do is breathe deeply. Letting the air into the diaphragm rather than keeping it in the upper chest makes your voice sounds resonant and strong. Sophia Loren has a great voice. She sounds sultry and sophisticated, but not old. If you look closely, you’ll barely see her cleavage move when she’s speaking. Her breath-control long deep breaths, not gasps or shallow breaths - is fantastic. Ditch the curries: Diet plays an important part in how we sound. Spicy or acidic foods can dam-

age our voices because, as the stomach attempts to digest them, unpleasant gases are produced that travel over the trachea and vocal folds, irritating them. The voice then sounds phlegmy and croaky. Frances advises: “If you do eat spicy or acidic food, try to drink plenty of water to neutralise the effect.” Dairy products are out too - they are hard to digest, producing those gases. So dark chocolate is fine, but milk chocolate is a no-no. Red wine is better than white because it is less acidic, while tea and coffee should be avoided. “Caffeine is a diuretic and very dehydrating. Dehydrated vocal folds leave the voice sounding dry and raspy. No crash diet: Luckily enough, carrying a bit of weight benefits our voices because fat cells provide a good source of oestrogen.

This hormone is essential for lubricating our vocal cords, keeping our voices rich and young. “It’s far better for your voice to keep a few extra pounds on board,” Frances says. People with barred chests have greater lung capacity than the ultra-skinny Victoria Beckhams of this world, so more resonant voices. If you’re naturally slim, aerobic exercise - such as running, dancing and swimming will improve your lung capacity and give your voice depth. According to her, we lose 50 per cent of our lung capacity between the ages of 20 and 80 but you can improve capacity by physical exercise. More lung capacity means a richer, more powerful voice.

for the love which you gave me, Lord of host thank you for my Angel, Chioma I love you. Dave Okpako, dave_okpako11@yahoo.com, 08063577548.

OUR column to express your loving thoughts in words to your sweetheart. Don’t be shy. Let it flow and let him or her know how dearly you feel. Write now in not more than 75 words to: The Editor, Sunday Vanguard, P.M.B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. E.mail: sunlovenotes@yahoo.com Please mark your envelope: “LOVE NOTES"

My Angel…

For the beauty of the earth, for the beauty of the day,

Dear to my heart

Nothing gladdens my soul like waking up with the feelings of the one who is so dear to my heart, you. You brighten my day and give me the zeal to forge on. With thoughts of you, the days activities is less stressful. No matter how the day ends.. I just smile cos I've got you. God bless you my love song and the ground you step on. I love you. Reuben Okorie, reubenokorie82@yahoo.com

Stay happy: Feeling low expresses itself in your voice. One of the symptoms of depression is a flat, listless voice. This is due to lack of energy, which makes the muscles around the vocal cords slacken off. Slack muscles, whether they be on your tummy or in your throat, are very ageing. So perk up and smile. It will not only actually lift your mood, it will add youthful brightness to your tone. Smiling opens up the throat and encourages higher pitch, which makes you sound younger. Practice great big smiles while speaking on the phone and no one can see you. You’ll definitely hear the difference. Stand tall: If you stand tall with good posture, you make more space for breath and more breath means stronger richer

LUST OF LOVE

tones. The Alexander Technique, which voice coaches use to help actors achieve rich tones, is greater for posture and voice. Imagine your shoulders are totally relaxed and someone is pulling a piece of string from the crown of your head towards the ceiling. Lengthening the body means the diaphragm can move properly, letting in more air, so your tone is clear and more powerful. Belt out a tune: Practice singing scales and humming. This gets the vocal folds moving and keeps your voice young and supple. Frances says: “Humming the song ‘Mmm’ up and down the scales is great. It brightens the tone because it encourages higher pitches.” If you sing for a few minutes every day, you should notice an improvement within three weeks.

o shouting or whispering: “Shouting strains the vocal folds, more strangely, whispering does too,” she says. “For me, as a harassed working mum of a six-year old, whispering is not an issue, but I have been known to raise my voice on occasion. Perhaps this is what has caused me to sound like a fog horn on a bad day. From now on, when my daughter refuses to let me brush her hair in the morning, I won’t impersonate a banshee, but I will smile broadly, imagine someone pulling piece of string from the top of my head, and say in my brightest, bounci-

est tones: Please, darling. If nothing else, it might shock her into doing as she’s told.”

You're staring at your phone waiting for a text from a guy who's probably having deep conversations with another girl.. You're posting subliminal status' about a guy who's probably too busy paying attention to another girl's page to read them. You're crying over a guy who's probably making another girl smile right now. If you're not the girl he gives his all to, then he's not the guy you should be stressing over. NB! THE OPPOSITE IS ALSO TRUE Think twice wisely...start a revolution! Chris Onunaku dekris4real@gmail.com 08032988826/08184844015.

PAGE 22 — SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013

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Now slave trade booms with ‘black’ merchants

A group of deported trafficked girls

C M Y K

TRANGELY, in Nigeria, 206 years after the 1807 abolition of slave trade by Britian and 15 years into the yearly remembrance of victims by the United Nations, the business has taken a new twist with two forms— internal and international— booming. Focus has shifted from energetic men preferred by Europeans for labour on plantations, to women and teenage girls as young as eight. Particularly, perpetrators are no longer Europeans but women of African and, most times, Nigerian descent, who deceive young girls into voluntarily surrendering themselves while a few are given away by family members after being assured of better lives. A 2009 United Nations Office on Drugs and CrimeUNODC assessment, Transnational Trafficking and the Rule of Law in West Africa, revealed that thousands of women are trafficked each year from West Africa to Europe in a multimilliondollar criminal industry. With an estimated value of between $152 million and $228 million annually. The market sees a yearly inflow of between 3,800 and 5,700 women. It is estimated that West African trafficking victims, many of whom originate from Nigeria, comprise about 10 per cent of

forced sex workers in Western Europe. With the successful smuggling of one female to Europe profiting a “madam” (trafficker) about $40,000 in return, according to hints from reliable sources, this refurbished trade sure seems to be fuelling the bank accounts of its black merchants, who deceive young girls with promises of jobs and better lives in Europe, in the case of international trafficking.

because of the penurious state of their families back home waiting for their divine ‘European’ intervention. The unlucky ones usually end up in prison or deported, while the “smart” are eventually able to legalise their stay abroad upon completion of their about $40,000 debt payment to their “madam”. According to Joseph Famakin, Zonal Commander, Lagos Zonal Office, National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons, NAPTIP,

BY JOSEPHINE IGBINOVIA

With the successful smuggling of one female to Europe profiting a “madam” (trafficker) about $40,000 in return, according to hints from reliable sources, this refurbished trade sure seems to be swelling the bank accounts of its black merchants

These girls are, however, disillusioned as soon as they arrive Europe and the illegality of their migration limit their movement to night and their employment to sex work only. According to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity, for victims that abhor this only form of employment, returning home to Nigeria becomes more difficult than succumbing,

trafficking in persons, as a modernised form of slavery, repeats the history, mechanisms of recruitment and the socio-economic, cultural, health and educational consequences associated with the former transatlantic slave trade. He said: “It involves a forceful and deceitful acquisition, sale and resale of persons, especially women and children. Human beings

are bought, sold and resold or forced across the world’s borders like commodity. Among them are hundreds of thousands of teenage girls, and others as young as five, who fall victim to the sex trade. Victims are forced to swear oaths at voodoo shrines in their local communities to instill fear in them. They are made to believe that they would die should they refuse to obey their “madams.” A United Nations Children’s Fund-UNICEF child protection specialist, Mrs. Roseleen Akinroye, who spoke with Vista Woman, VM, said that Nigeria, particularly due to its porous borders and napping security forces, is classified under each of the three phases of trafficking— source, transit and destination— because there are substantial internal trafficking as well as international trafficking to such locations as Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, the Middle East and other African countries. Blaming domestic and international human trafficking on socio-economic factors such as extreme poverty, large family size, lack of education, poor social services, ignorance, parental neglect, lack of opportunities, conflicts and corruption, Akinroye described the trade as a major violation of human rights, requiring renewed efforts from government and communities for eradication.

COWA donates to juvenile centre BY UDEME CLEMENT

OUTH empowerment is quite imperative for economic growth and development. This is one of the major aspects of economic transformation framework that must be given serious attention for the Federal Government to achieve the desired result in repositioning Nigeria’s economy for greater prosperity." Those were the words of the Chairperson, Customs Officers Wives Association (COWA), Oyo/Osun chapter, Mrs. Betty Oteri, who was represented by the Vice Chairperson, Mrs. Roseline Tobin Nemieboka, during their visit to the Juvenile Correction Institute/Abandoned Children Home, Ijokodo, to mark the 53 independence anniversary in Oyo State. “This is in line with the corporate social responsibility of COWA, as spelt out by our National President, Mrs. Dikko Inde. Our objective is to identify with the less privileged in the society to support government’s programme on youth empowerment. The three tiers of government, corporate entities, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and individuals should contribute tangibly to support government’s policies on youth and women development in Nigeria”, she said. Some of the items presented to the children include bags of rice, bags of detergent, toilet paper, cartons of Indomie, milk and soap.

SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013, PAGE 23

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BY JOSEPHINE IGBINOVIA

ould you tell us more about Liome Engele?

My father is from the Democratic Republic of Congo while my mother is partly Lebanese and Nigerian. I was born in the United Kingdom but was brought to Nigeria at the age of three to be with my maternal grandma. I had my primary and secondary school education and then worked briefly with a Lebanese oil firm in Lagos, Nigeria, before relocating to the UK at age 21. There, I attended the Guildhall University where I studied Information Technology. After that, I worked for a while and then decided to follow my passion. So, I went to the College of Naturopathic Medicine to study the production of natural skincare products and then to the London School of Natural Health Science to study Homeopathy and Aromatherapy.

But why did you suddenly switch to natural medicine after studying Information Technology?

I’ve always been passionate about healthy living because there’s no shop on earth where body parts are replaced. Your body is like an investment; what you put into it when you’re young is what you see when you’re old. I’ve always wanted to take good care of myself and because I’m not a doctor, I had to do a lot of research and courses. My background in Information Technology actually gave me an edge.

Was there someone or something that inspired you in that line?

A lot of families have ailments they inherit. In my family, on my mother’s side, it is arthritis, while on my father’s side, there’s high blood pressure and diabetes. I always said at the back of my mind that I did not want to inherit any of these. So, I started looking for ways of avoiding being cut in the net. I therefore had to do a drastic overhaul of what I eat, know at what age I should eat less or more of certain food items, incorporate exercise, etc. I think my family history was the main push because my grandma had to undergo knee replacements at the age of 68 because of

LIOME ENGELE:

IT expert turned natural health scientist •Says,‘Genetic ailments stirred me’

er firm resolve to end a long family history of hereditary ailments landed her in the world of natural health science. UKtrained Information Technologist turned natural health advocate, Liome Engele, is the Director of Business Development at Laserderm Clinic, a dermatology and cosmetology clinic set up by British medical consultants in Lagos. In this interview, Liome takes us through her journey into the vast world of natural health science and also passes her judgement on Nigerians’ attitude towards skincare among other issues.

•Liome Engele

arthritis.

As a natural health advocate, what’s your opinion on Nigerians’ approach to skin health and care?

It’s painful! The amount of chemicals some women put on their skin simply because they want to be lightskinned is outrageous! In the course of my duty at Laserderm, I meet women with extreme skin damages; most of which are irreversible! A lot of people don’t realise that whatever is put on the skin goes into the bloodstream in 20 minutes because the skin is the biggest organ of the body. All they know is that they want to be lightskinned! Then when they get to age 50 or thereabout and are diagnosed with critical organ conditions, they begin to wonder what happened! That’s what they’ve invested in and so, the body reaps the defect!

Could you therefore teach us how best to care for our skin?

Use sunscreen and drink a

lot of water so you don’t get dehydrated. As a matter of fact, dehydration comes with a whole lot of ailments. Unless you have issues with water retention, when you drink water, you pee it out. So, drink a lot of water because it helps your body regulate! Most importantly, gravitate towards natural things. Any product that uses a lot of natural ingredient is best for your skin; I use only black soap because it contains sheer butter, Vitamin E and lemon for cleansing!

Your paternal lineage has a history of high blood sugar; what remedy have you discovered from your research over the years?

Bitter leaf water is the cheapest, reliable remedy! I taught my sister this and she suggested it to a friend’s mum who came to the UK for her medicals. The woman tried it out and the next time she came for her medicals, the doctors were amazed and

It’s painful! The amount of chemicals some women put on their skin simply because they want to be light-skinned is outrageous!

‘

were all asking her what she did! As a homeopathy specialist, I want to let you know something: you use something that is opposite to counter another; if something is very sweet, you use something that is extremely bitter to balance it. Because your body can heal itself, once you balance it, your body activates and starts healing itself.

Africa is rich in medicinal herbs, but do you think we’re harnessing these resources?

Not at all! I believe that if we invest in research and harness the natural gifts we have been given by nature,

we won’t need to go abroad for treatment. Belgian Chocolate is the best all over the world, but do you know they get their cocoa from Africa? Yes! They take them from Nigeria, process them and we go there to buy! So, you could see we’re not investing in what we have.

Finally, what’s your advice?

Invest in your body! You don’t have to join a gym; I run outside! If you can’t run, walk, and if you can’t walk, skip. Your body is a machine that you can’t get any spare for from anywhere. So, what you put into it in your youth is what you reap in your old age.

PAGE 24—SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 6, 2013

Using one-night stands to numb the pain of failed retationships

CCORDING to a Professor of Psy chology Simon Baron Cohen, “Generally, men have . ‘systemising’ brains (they like classifying information and enjoy games and gadgets) whereas women have ‘emphasising’ brains (they connect with people and emotions). This lower male drive to ‘empathise’; means they’re more likely to be focused on their own feelings (satisfaction and short-term pleasure) and able to detach from the feelings of others. Evolution may also be a reason: men were hunters whose job was to kill and, for that, a lack of empathy is a distinct advantage.” he professor ’s view T throws some light on the emotional fallout

women experience as a result of casual sex. A few months back Beth, a 26year-old staff nurse who confessed she’d lost count of the one-night stands she’d had;complained bitterly that: “l thought that having one-night stands was how to find a boyfriend - you meet someone at a party maybe, go home with them and have sex, and then afterwards you start seeing each other, but it never seemed to work out like that. They make you feel so incredibly special but it’s for one night only and it never, ever lasts. When I realised this was the case, I decided to stop hav-

ing one-night stands.” With girls like Beth, the puzzling questions are the same: “Why did he never call when he took my number and- asked me out to dinner next week? How, when we got so intimate and establish such a connection, could he forget me so quickly”? A few men have actually confessed that beneath the predatory front shown by many of them was extreme, unresolved pain from a previous relationship. Whereas we, as women, are able to work through our romantic agonies by talking to friends, men are more likely to suppress and deny the pain they feel. After making a pact with themselves that they’ll never be hurt again, they’ll immerse themselves in an orgy of causal sex, imagining its physical gratifying and, more importantly, emotionally safe - as long as they never call the next day! So as more and more early relationships end - instead of leading to marriage as they may have done 12 or 15 years ago - it means more and more emotionally scarred young men are out there ... on the prowl for casual sex!

ccording to Richard, a renowned journalist: “There are plenty of men who do want a relationship, but for those who don’t, soul-less sex, otherwise known as one-night-

with emotion. You’ve just met someone at a social gathering and you’ve slept together. Does that create an instant emotional bond? It shouldn’t. Emotion takes time. Sex doesn’t. Women speed from zero to intimacy like a sports car. Men take longer. Which is more appropriate with a stranger? Also, some men might have lots of casual sex because they’re emotionally scarred, but I think most lotharios are simply genuine lovers of women”. ith today ’s falling W standards in morality, it’s quite interesting most stand~ is understandable if they’re still-dealing with pain and rejection. Male emotional pain is very private and, even if you’re scared of relationships, you still crave the intimacy sex gives. Men will talk about notches on the bedpost but the truth is that sleeping with lots of women is a selfesteem boost. It’s pathetic. The same goes for the double standard:..men have such low opinions of themselves they believe any girl who chooses them isn’t discerning. It’s depressing:’ “I’ve had over 20-onenight stands in my odd 30years,” confessed Mide, a computer analyst, “but my attitude to them has changed as I’ve got older.

But even if you’re relatively emotionally matured, most men, if offered soul-less sex, would say yes. Personally, I now make sure I’m completely honest with a woman if I’m not looking for a relationship. The reason women feel so upset after casual sex is not because they’re in love but because they’ve been lied to. But it cuts both ways - I’ve never heard from the woman. At the end-of the day; you’llalways have better sex in a relationship. anny, a post-gradu D ate student says: “I don’t think men are strange

because we find it easy to have one-night stands. Instead, I find it puzzling how easily women connect sex

single men believe that if a woman has sex on the first night, she’s ‘cheap’ and not girlfriend material . “Taking a girl home,” said Chuks, a property developer, “is testing them out. If she sleeps with me, I won’t see her again because she’s a tramp and has no respect for herself. If she has, however, ‘passed the test’ by not having sex, and I still find her attractive, then will I date her. Sadly, I still yearn for a past relationship that ended years ago - the likes of which I might never find. She was my first girlfriend and my true love, but she left me because she thought I didn’t love her enough and she’s now married. I don’t know if I’ll ever love like that again. As things are, I don’t see the women I’ve had casual sex with as emotionally vulnerable. They ’re

looking for a good time as much as I am. And I make sure I’m always very loving in bed to my ‘pick-ups’. I’ll cuddle up to them, but it doesn’t mean anything. My cosy seduction technique means many of my partners want more. “It’s my fault because I don’t want girls to dislike me after sex. So I’ll-be loving and look into their eyes even though I have no feelings for them. I don’t feel guilty afterwards, but at least they’ve had a good time. The affirmation I get when a woman wants to see me again is a transitory quick fix I use again and again to overcome the rejection I felt when my girlfriend left me” ob would never for B get the humiliation he felt on his last pick-up. “She agreed for us to go to her place,”- he recalled. ‘’I didn’t really like her and we had sex anyway. Immediately afterwards, she told me to go home as she didn’t sleep with men on the same bed. It was a long way back to the flat I shared with friends and Ifelt tired, humiliated and depressed. I didn’t really know her and I felt insecure about my appearance. I worried about what I looked like - that my stomach wasn’t toned. After that experience, I vowed that for me, the best sex is always going to be relationship sex ... “

08052201867(Text Only)

Tone up your muscles through daily exercise ANY keep wonder M ing what could possibly be the cause of the pain

they feel in their right calf anytime they stretch and tense their bodies as a form of exercise before getting out of bed. Some further complain of going numb in the fingers after holding an item for quite sometime. They may also notice their fingers being awkwardly set and most of them would have to massage those hand with his other hand to restore feeling and movement. Well I suspec that such fellows blood circulation must have gone sluggish and that regular exercises to improve circulation would be what would help them. In fact, I am rather familiar with the latter symptoms – numbness and a grotesque setting of the fingers. Blood vessels must never be clogged. When they do become clogged in the heart for instance, that leads to angina, a strangulating pain in the heart. When the cloggue’ vessels are found in the parts of the body fur-

thermost from the heart meaning the arms and legs yet what is called interminat claudstron. This is infact the symptom phase of artenal disease. When you have arterial disease in the heart, you get angina and heart attacks. When you have it in the head circulation, you get strokes. The same process can occur in the legs and arms. Once you have this afflic-

* Suptavajrasana Pose

tion, if you smoke you most endeavour to stop. Nicotine narrows the arteries which further restricts blood flow possibly harming arteries themselves and leading to blood clots. Next to stopping smoking, the most important thing is exercise. Walking is highly recommended. Set out for an hour of walking. Walk till the pain in the leg comes on then rest for a while to case the pain and

then continue walking again. Rest yet again when the pain comes on. Keep the pain/walk cycle on during your hour of daily walking. If you’re patient with yourself and exercise regularly for two to three months, you should see improvement. If on the other hand you’re not cut out for walking there are some yoga exercise that should help with

your circulation. Let consider the following: The shoulder stand (Against a wall). Technique: Lie on your back with knees drawn. Take a deep breath and raise the feet up placing them against the wall with the knees locked, support the trunk with the hands placed on the hips. Stay in the posture for a minute or a bit more. Breath deeply in this position. Benefits: The shoulder stand stimulates the endocrine glands and strengthens the heart for more efficient performance. Suptavajrasana Technique: Sitting on your heels, part the feet wide apart and get your buttocks on the floor. Place your

hands by your sides. Stay in this posture for some 1020 seconds, get up and straighten up the legs, rest a while and repeat. Benefits: This exercise tones up the muscles of the legs leading to improved venous return. It will also help you shed excess fat about the thighs. The writers pose Sit on your heels and get your left hand from below your back, hold the left hand with the right from above so that the right elbow points upward. Stay in the position for a minute and alternate with the left hand above and the right below. Benefits: The writers pose strengthens the shoulders and tones up the muscles of the arms improving the circulation there.

Yoga classes at 32 Adetokunbo Ademola, Yoga classes 32 Adetokunbo Victoria Island,at Lagos, 9.10am onAdemola, Saturdays Yoga classes 32 Ademola Adetokunbo Victoria Island,atLagos, 9.10am on Saturdays Victoria Island, Lagos, 9.10am on Saturdays

SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013, PAGE 25

08116759757

KADUNA KILLINGS

‘Fulani herdsmen have case to answer’ By LUKA BINNIYAT

orried by media reports over the attacks on Atakad community by alleged Fulani herdsmen, the Chairman, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, has been briefed on the matter by Gurara Forum a group of southern Kaduna indigenes campaigning for peace, justice and the realisation of Gurara State from the present Kaduna State. Meanwhile, a conflict was averted in Kafanchan, in Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, as natives protested the murder of some worshippers in a local church and the stabbing to death of three villagers at the outskirts of Katsit inhabited mainly by Hausa settlers. The deaths occurred close to a bridge that connects Kastit and Kurdan village where one of the victim, Ibrahim Silas, came from. Another victim, a mechanic, Ibrahim, according to Sunday Vangaurd source, was killed and his body mutilated. The Atakad live about 250km south-east of Kaduna metropolis, on the range of hills that extends from Kagoro, in Kaduna State up to the Ganawuri in Plateau State, spreading southwards to form the Mada hills in Nasarawa State. Atakad hills are of profound historical and cultural importance to southern Kaduna, serving as a fort for many tribal groups during ancient wars, mainly waged by Jihadists and slave raiders of the 1800s. According to historians, that range of hills formed one of the major reasons southern Kaduna was never conquered by invaders. Blessed with perennial streams, and lush grassland and woods, the Atakad hills are a magnet for herdsmen, who, as long as memory can recollect, lived happily with their hosts, even during the 2011 post-election violence that saw the exodus of Fulani

*Atakad elders ... we were friends wih Fulani herdsmen until recently.

* A cross section of refugees occasioned by the attacks.

*Another cross section of refugees.

in some parts of southern Kaduna. But, all that went awry last April. Two dead Fulani cows, allegedly poisoned in Zankan, an up hill Atakad village owned, introduced blood bath in the Atakad villages in Kaduna and

Plateau States. Subsequent invasion of the villages by alleged Fulani herdsmen led to the killing of not less than 50 people, and the displacement of about 10,000 natives who were secured under harsh conditions in three refugee camps in

Atakad chiefdom. Adu, a small Atakad farming village that prospered through irrigation and livestock, was attacked in the early morning hours of September 1, leaving seven persons dead. Six Fulani men, said to have been arrested by neighbouring villagers while washing their blood stained clothes by sunrise that morning, were taken to Kaduna for investigation, as confirmed by K aduna State Police Command spokesman, DSP Aminu Lawan, to Sunday Vangaurd. Gurara Forum, led by Mr. Vincent Bodam, asked the

Six Fulani men, said to have been arrested by neighbouring villagers while washing their blood stained clothes by sunrise that morning, were taken to Kaduna for investigation NHRC to intervene on the attacks on the Atakad people. The Forum also invited critical stakeholders from southern Kaduna, including the representastives of the Atakad at the National Assembly, the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union, (SOKAPU), the Atakad cfhiefdom, academics and legal minds from southern Kaduna for the briefing. After listening to the woes that had befallen the Atakad people, Odinkalu said he would also hear from the Fulani. “I am here on a learning mission after all that has taken place. I have heard from you. There is no excuse whatsoever for people to live under such conditions. I am going to have a meeting with the Fulani people and I will also hear from their side. After that, the Commission will undertake a tour of the affected villages. This will

give us better glimpse of the situation. And I hope something will be done about this”, the NHRC said. Kafanchan was under 24 hour-curfew after trouble broke out over alleged murder of worshippers in a church and the killing of a woman and two men as they made their way back to their villages from Kafanchan. Natives pointed accusing fingers at Hausa/Fulani Muslim residents in the town. Muslims and Christians relationship had been at all time low since after the 2011 post-presidential election violence, which led to a large section of Christian residents and business premises torched. Mosques and Muslim businesses and homes in Christian strongholds were also attacked. No one is sure of the exact casualty, but it was in scores. The Hausa/Fulani Muslim community makes up less than 20% of the population of Kafanchan with the controversial Jema’a Emirate boasting of about three major streets only. It is said to be the smallest emirate ever. The Tuesday mayhem led to the burning of more shops, two private hospitals and a private school. According to the Fantsam Foundation, its clinic treated five gunshot victims. Sunday Vanguard could not confirm any loss of life. Soldiers were drafted to the town and stopped the spreading violence, before a 24-hour curfew was slammed over the area. A statement from the governor of Kaduna State, Alh. Mukhtar Rammalan Yero, signed by Ahmed Maiyaki, Director General, Media and Publicity, urged the people of the area to shun rumors and any act capable of disrupting peace and order. The statement said, “Security agencies have already commenced investigation into the matter and will soon apprehend those found culpable. “The governor has also directed the state bureaus of both Islamic and Christian Affairs to commence the process of sensitizing followers of the two faiths in the area and engage religious leaders on the need to continue to peacefully coexist as one people. “The governor has also asked security agencies to provide maximum surveillance in Kafanchan and environs towards ensuring the maintenance of law and order ”.

PAGE 26— SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013

08116759757 By EMMA AMAIZE

SK any security officer on duty in the twin cities of Warri and Effurun in Delta State about Enerhen Junction, Effurun, and he would tell you that it is one of the black spots in the state. However, the situation ceased when Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan dreamed what he called a junction improvement project and turned the ‘criminal -breeding ground’ to a tourist haven. For six years that Uduaghan has been governor and chief security officer of Delta, it was as if intelligence reports on the notoriety of the Enerhen Junction fell on deaf ears. So, some months ago when the residents and traders saw bulldozers working on the junction and the adjoining Enerhen Road and Enerhen Motel Junction, they wondered what “Uduaghan people” were up to. Some people said, “They have come to spoil the road”, while others adopted `wait and see’ attitude. By the time the governor finished the project, which is part of his urban renewal strategy, Enerhen Junction, in the words of a 45-year tricycle operator in Warri, Mr. Andrew Omonigho, “has turned to small London.” An Effurun resident, Mr. Titus Orido, told Sunday Vanguard, “A woman, residing around the Enerhen Junction area, but had

Delta black spot gives way

Aerial view of Effurun during the commissioning of Enerhen Junction Improvement works by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan.

been away in the village for nine months, returned a month to the commissioning of the project by Governor Uduaghan, September 28, and refused to disembark at the junction when the bus driver asked her to come down. “Her contention was that she was yet to get to Enerhen Junction, which she told the driver she was going to and the driver should take her to Enerhen Junction. The place has considerably changed in her eyes and that is the marvel of everybody in Warri

and Effurun today”. Uduaghan, who takes pride these days in his ‘finishing strong’ mantra, confirmed that Enerhen Junction was once a breeding ground for criminals before the state government approved the execution of junction improvement works in 12 junctions/road intersections in Asaba and Warri/Effurun metropolis at a cost of N3.1 billion. An elated Ovie of Uwvie Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Emmanuel Sideso, his chiefs, subjects and traders, thronged Enerhen Junction for the

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan cutting the tape to commission the projects.

commissioning ceremony of the project. Speaking before the project was commissioned, Uduaghan stated, “Initially, there were doubts as to what we want to do with Enerhen junction, but the simple truth is that we have embarked on urban renewal in Warri, Effurun , Asaba and other cities because we do not want the world to leave us behind. “For most of us who know Enerhen Junction before, we know it was a breeding place for pickpockets and other criminals and, besides the traffic obstruction it created, it

also posed a serious security challenge, but we took all the factors into consideration in transforming the place and criminal activities will be checked with the way we constructed the junction”. The state Commissioner for Special Duties, Special Infrastructure, Dame Orezi Esievo, in an address, said, “The main objective of the works was to decongest the selected junctions and to promote free flow of traffic in them thereby, enhancing economic and social activities in both cities.”

Mimiko’s UN Revelation:The Strategy that made Abiye a success O

ndo State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, has anchored the success of its government’s globally acclaimed Safe Motherhood initiative, Abiye, on the implementation of three key principles adopted as the main strategy for the running of the programme. Mimiko made the revelation while speaking at the Nigerian side event of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on the Abiye Safe Motherhood success story. Mimiko said the Abiye success story is hinged on three basic principles: “Tracking of the pregnant women from conception to delivery; opening the health care sector for universal and free access; and allocation of resources in the most efficient and equitable manner.” He added that the Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Death, an initiative to track death of pregnant women, has provided a verifiable proof that maternal mortality figures are falling in the State.

Speaking on the specifics of his now globally-acknowledged ‘Abiye’ initiative at the UN General Assembly side event, Mimiko said his government had to embark on a government-fi-

nanced health care initiative when faced with mind-boggling figures of mortality in the State. “We vowed that pregnancy will no longer be a death sentence in our State and we embarked on a com-

prehensive process of intervention that has yielded noticeable results in a short period of time. From a novel process of tracking pregnant women through ICT tools, to providing care and access at

all stages of pregnancy to delivery and five weeks after, we have provided care at no cost to the woman or her family at the point of care. Several lives have been saved in the process.”

Jakande, Ikuforiji, others extol late Lagos Speaker BY EBUN SESSOU

ignitaries thronged the Lagos State House of Assembly to bid farewell to the late Chief Oladosu Oshinowo, the first speaker of the first Assembly of the state. The dignitaries include the first civilian governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, his wife, Abimbola; a former Chief Judge of the state, Justice Inumidun Akande; Senator Olorunnibe Mamora and members of the state Assembly. Speaking during the special parliamentary session for Oshinowo, the Speaker of the State Assembly, Hon Adeyemi Ikuforiji, said that the deceased was a trailblazer and a true legis-

lator who stood for the tenets of democracy and also championed the soul of the legislature. Ikuforiji stated that the accomplishments of Oshinowo were enduring and will continue to exemplify the best in legislative practice. “Oshinowo was a man who during his lifetime was admired for his achievements and the legislative gains he brought to this House even when he had no predecessor to emulate”, he stated. ”He charted the legislative trajectory which this House still treads; he was the engineer of our house rules; his indelible name will forever be written in this legislature’s hall of fame”.

Gov Mimiko

SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013, PAGE 27

NASARAWA ERUPTS AGAIN

Two brothers beheaded BY ABEL DANIEL, Lafia

he Nasarawa State crisis which, pitted the Eggon tribe against the Alago, took a frightening turn after two Eggon men, said to be brothers, were beheaded. Peter Abaku, 32, and his brother, James, 28, both refugees in Lafia, the state capital, as a result of the conflict in Nasarawa, were said to be returning to Obi in Eggon area, where they had lived, to move their properties when they were ambushed by some Alago men. The incident, according to report, happened on Monday. The Abaku brothers died a horrifying death. An eye witness, who accompanied them on the ill-fated trip but escaped, said the assailants tied the victims to a tree, plucked out their eyes, removed their hearts before beheading them. An Eggon youth leader, who spoke anonymously to Sunday Vanguard in Lafia, said he and some of his kinsmen visited the scene of murder in the company of Nasarawa State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abubakar, and met the two brothers dead and tied to a tree with parts of the bodies removed. According to him, the police commis-

*Hearts, eyes removed

•Razed building...a sad reminder of the Nasarawa conflict sioner pleaded with them not to allow the matter get out of hand by taking the law into their hands. “It was such a horrible sight seeing two brothers killed and parts of their bodies re-

moved”, the youth leader lamented. The bodies were said to have been taken to Dalhatu Specialist Hospital, Lafia but were later released by the police to relations and buried in Tudun Gwandara on Tuesday.

‘Even children are not immune from cancer attack’ BY ESTHER ONYEGBULA

ealth experts have called for col lective efforts in tackling the rising incidence of childhood cancer in Nigeria, stating that the disease is almost assuming epidemic level. Speaking in Lagos, the President, Children Living With Cancer Foundation, CLWCF, Dr. Nneka Nwobbi, posited that checking the scourge of childhood cancer required collective efforts because of the huge amount of money involved. Nwobbi, who spoke during a Cancer Awareness Walk to enlighten the public on the need for cancer screening and early detection, advised sufferers not to see the disease as a death sentence. “Childhood cancer is not a death sentence. It is curable though expensive to manage; but there should be enough money to make cancer treatment free for children in this country. If about 10,000 people contribute N1,000 monthly, with N10 million, it would go a long way to bringing relief to parents because access to drugs is not the problem, but affordability,” she said. Nwobbi explained that, that can lead to effective treatment and save lives especially in children. The CLWCF boss lamented that her

An operation to remove cancer experience collaborating with individuals, organisations and institutions on cancer indicates that most cancer cases that eventually lead to death are those detected at late stages. She therefore stated that all should support groups and individuals involved in the fight against cancer in order to successfully tackle the challenges of cancer disease, which, she said, threatens the entire human race. Consultant pediatrician at LUTH, Dr. Edamisan Olusoji Temiye, underscoring the seriousness of the issue, noted: “Childhood cancer treatment is very expensive. For example, a complete treatment for kidney cancer (nephroblastoma), which lasts for less than six

months and is not as costly as cancer of the blood, will cost parents of an affected child nothing less than N1 million. And we will have to monitor the child up to five years before we can say he is okay. It takes between N7 million and N10 million to cure blood cancer, which lasts two or three years. “So, it’s not feasible for an average Nigerian family to afford the cure for cancer. That is one of the reasons why our cure rate is very, very low because there’s a lot of treatment abandonment. The parents come and when they see the enormous cost, they just go away. And the next time you see them, they tell you the child died at home.”

SOS to Fashola, IG over market crisis BY ADEOLA ADENUGA

group of concerned members of Industrial Market Association Unit in Alaba International Market, Lagos have appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, and Lagos State governor, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), to order law enforcement agents to call to order two members of the association, for over alleged acts capable of leading to breakdown of law and order in the market. While accusing the duo of parading themselves as leaders of the association in defiance of a subsisting court order, the group noted that their action amounted to disregard for a caretaker committee set up by Ojo Local Government to run the affairs of the association pending the time an election would be conducted to usher in officers that would run the affairs of the association. According to the spokespersons for the group, Messrs Ejike Ikonte, and Obiorah Ikechukwu, members are peace loving and therefore would not see the alleged impostors, out of blues, parading themselves as the association leaders. “The affairs of the association is being run by the caretaker committee set up by Ojo Local government. The caretaker has been operating since 2011, without any opposition and hindrance from our members. We are alarmed by this new turn of events. That is why as peace loving citizens, we are appealing to the Lagos State governor, and the Inspector-General of Police to intervene immediately, by taking appropriate action to forestall a breakdown of law and order,” the spokespersons said. Ikonte and Ikechukwu further implored Ojo Local Government chairman, and operatives of the state security services, SSS, to invite the alleged impostors for questioning. They faulted the claim by the alleged impostors that a recent judgement by a Lagos High Court approved their action.

Gov Fashola

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PAGE 32 — SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013

.... CRIME AND NATIONAL SECURITY

YOBE MASSACRE

How gunmen outwitted govt *’Intimidating military presence had little impact on insurgents, Gov Gaidam laments By BALA AJIYA, DAMATURU

n July, some unknown gunmen; widely believed to be members of Boko Haram, stormed Government Secondary School, Damaturu, the capital of Yobe State, and unleashed terror, killing 12 students and two teachers. Barely two weeks after, some gunmen visited Government Secondary School, Mamudo, in Potiskum Local Government Area of the state, killing 33 students and a teacher in an overnight attack. Rattled by the dastardly act, Governor Gaidam, who visited the Mamudo school to see things for himself, condemned the attack, describing it as callous and barbaric after which government decided to close down all schools in Yobe. The decision to close down the schools was to give government, in collaboration with security agencies, the opportunity to take measures to

The decision to close down the schools was to give government, in collaboration with security agencies, the opportunity to take measures to prevent further attacks by insurgents prevent further attacks by insurgents. One of the decisions said to have been taken was to deploy security operatives to schools in the state as well as fence the schools. Barely three months after, precisely 29 September, the schools were reopened, gunmen, also believed to be Boko Haram members, stormed the College of Agriculture, Gujba, some 50 kilometres away from Damaturu, and killed scores of

students in an attack that lasted several hours. The next day, the Red Cross Society of Nigeria, in conjunction with the Federal Road Safety Commission, was busy taking the corpses of students killed in the attack to hospital. The medical director of the Damaturu Specialist Hospital revealed that 40 corpses were brought there. A day after, one of the five students undergoing treatment from gunshot injuries sustained during the attack died while one other corpse was found in the bush close to the school, bringing the death toll to 42. While the attack came to some people as a surprise, it was not so to many others notwithstanding the measures taken by the state government. When the Yobe governor visited Damaturu Specialist Hospital to sympathise with those who sustained

injuries in the attack as well as to the families of those killed, he was sad that there was intimidating military presence in Yobe but with little impact. He charged security agents to redouble their efforts in the fight against insurgents. “We as a government have been giving necessary support to security agents but, sadly, these insurgents still operate at will. There is the urgent need for security agents to step up efforts in their surveillance and tactics in the fight against unnecessary attacks,” Gaidam said. Since the insurgents shifted their attacks to schools, the latest on the College of Agriculture, Gujba seems to be the most devastating going by the number of deaths which is more than the previous two put together. At the moment, all primary and secondary schools in Yobe have been reopened with normal academic activities picking up. But the fear of the people is that insurgents can still launch attack on any school considering the fact that the schools are yet to be fenced and security personnel not deployed There are nagging questions. Why have security agents’ failed to stop the attacks on schools in the state? Has government failed in the provision of support that will aid security agents to curtail the attacks on innocent people? The insurgents, apart from attacking schools, are shifting their focus to innocent people along the highways. The Maiduguri-Damaturu highway, of recent, has become vulnerable to attacks as insurgents invade the road and kill travellers. The Boko Haram sect has vowed to continue launching attacks on schools in Yobe. With the attacks on three schools in the state, the number of students’ enrolment was said to have reduced drastically as parents withdrawn their wards from schools. Many students of Yobe State University, it was learnt, in the wake of the insurgency in the state have abandoned school. Same situation is said to apply to many other tertiary schools across the state. Some students of the College of Agriculture, Gujba, who witnessed last week’s killings, are surely to abandon the school. Yobe is among the states that are backward educationally and, with this sad development, the future of the children of the state is in jeopardy.

SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013, PAGE 33

SURE-P: Sure pit for Nigeria’s fiscal drain pipes, by Lai Mohammed Interim National Publicity Secretary of All Progressive Congress (APC), in this piece, dissects the Federal Government’s Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P)

S if the drain pipes instituted by this PDP government to siphon the commonwealth of the people of Nigeria are not enough, the Federal Government, in the wake of the people’s revolt over the sudden removal of fuel subsidy, hurriedly put together an idea for empowering presidential cronies and set the template for amassing the 2015 campaign war chests. The concept was sweetly christened SURE-P, acronym for Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme. But just exactly as the Presidency’s double standard was demonstrated by the flagrant flouting of its own promise not to remove fuel subsidy, and then presenting Nigerians with a sordid New Year gift of a N141 per liter pump price in 2012; the same helmsman has demonstrated that proceeds from the withdrawal – total or partial – of subsidy will translate to nothingness for Nigerians. This is because the SURE-P Committee of 21 President’s hand-picked, chaired by Dr Christopher Kolade, has proved to be another massive fiscal siphon. The committee is busy duplicating projects and paying for projects already embarked upon and financed by the various ministries, departments and agencies. To start with, in contrast to the first term of reference of the SURE-P committee, which is “to determine in liaison with the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Petroleum Resources the subsidy savings estimates for each preceding month and ensure that such funds are transferred to the Funds’ Special Account with the Central Bank of Nigeria,” the Committee now waits for monthly ‘handouts’ from the Central Bank. This much was revealed by Dr Kolade when he recently led his Committee to a review visit to the newly constituted Senate Committee on SURE-P. He told the Senate Committee that the SURE-P Committee receives a monthly sum of N15billion from the CBN. He said that his Committee does not award contracts but just intervenes in projects that are deemed to be of national importance by the Federal Government. It is the duty of the Project Implementation Units (PIUs) of the SURE-P, which are in all

Lai Mohammed.....SURE-P is not a centrally coordinated project

Within the first seven months, the Federal Government had spent a whopping N248.85billion, the savings made from the partial fuel subsidy removal. It was shared among the three tiers of government the federal ministries and agencies, to map out the area of the interventions; what the cost will be, and then use the already existing Federal Government contractors to implement the identified projects. The PIUs will then raise certificates with which SURE-P pays the contractors. N248.85bn spent Within the first seven months, the Federal Government had spent a whopping N248.85billion, the savings made from the partial fuel subsidy removal. It was shared among the three tiers of government. The amount was based on the budgeted monthly provision of N35.55billion credited to the SURE-P account by the Federation Account Allocation Committee. Of the N248.44bn, the Federal Government got N105bn, representing a monthly allocation of N15bn for the seven months; while

the balance of N143.55bn was shared by the states and local governments. A breakdown of the N35.55bn shared by the states in July 2012revealed that Akwa Ibom got the highest amount of N1.83bn; while Rivers got N1.46bn; Delta, N1.40bn; and Bayelsa, N1.09bn.Abia got N364.9m; Adamawa, N393.3m; Anambra, N394.08m; Bauchi, N456.52m; Benue, N439.43m; Borno, N494m; Cross River, N389.13m; Ebonyi N285.76m; Edo N446.3m; and Ekiti, N301.1m.Others are Enugu, N347.1m; Gombe, N297.42m; Imo, N469.75m; Jigawa, N454.62m; Kaduna, N504.13m; Kano, N718.6m; Katsina, N535.7m; Kebbi, N390.29m; Kogi, N395.9m; Kwara, N335.93m; Lagos, N540.48m; and Nasarawa, N296.6m. Similarly, Niger State got N475.26m; Ogun, N376.59m; Ondo, N533.08m; Osun, N406.47m; Oyo, N515.89m; Plateau,

N364.73m; Sokoto, N415.93m; Taraba, N366.13m; Yobe, N360.05m; Zamfara, N352.01m; and the Federal Capital Territory, N56.77m. Since then, no matter the amount of money earned as per the excess accruing from the new petroleum pump price, the allocation has remained more or less fixed as the above. Real money saved SURE-P is not a centrally coordinated project. The National Office of the project only intervenes in national projects at the federal level, while leaving the states to run the state SURE-P committees. The state committees are known as State Implementation Committees (SICs). The Federal Government, at the outset of the programme, immediately after it reduced the pump price of petroleum as a result of the pressure from Nigerians during the January 2012 protests, said the SURE-P funds dropped from the expected N1.134 trillion to N426 billion following the reduction of PMS pump price from N141 per liter to N97 per litre. But since the inception of the programme, it has not deemed it necessary to brief Nigerians on the real money saved in the first year from the added pump price. Controversial segment The aspect of SURE-P, which

is patently controversial is the segment entitled, “Community Services, Women and Youth Employment.” Under this scheme, at least 3,000 secondary school leavers, holders of National Diploma and the Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE) are employed in each state and Abuja in the following fractions: women (30%), disabled (20%), and others (50%). The employment scheme is at three levels. While those employed under the Federal Government’s scheme get N10,000 stipend per month, those who get SURE-P jobs under states get N6,000, while those who are employed under the local governments scheme will be paid N4,000.00 each. In addition to this, many youths would be given the opportunity to acquire skills in various vocations with which they could be self-employed. Under the arrangement, beneficiaries are selected based on wards, while a desk officer is appointed for each local government. This officer keeps the data of the beneficiaries, ensures they carried out the community service which they were assigned to do, and approve the payment of the stipends to them. Each beneficiary opens a bank account, with the United Bank for Africa Plc, for the payment of the stipend on a monthly basis.

Continues on page 34

PAGE 34— SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013

‘SURE-P: Sure pit for Nigeria’s fiscal drain pipes’ Continued from page 33 Party patronage Investigations have however confirmed that President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign coordinators in the 2011 elections have taken charge of the scheme, giving the signal that they have oiled their machinery to facilitate Jonathan victory in 2015 presidential poll. The coordinators include the following persons who worked for Jonathan in 2011: Alhaji Bode Oyedele(Lagos), Mr Joseph Ishekpa (Nasarawa), Alhaji Garba A. Kurfi (Katsina), Alhaji Aliyu Mamman (Niger), Alhaji Adamu Yaro Gombe (Gombe), Hon Femi Akinyemi (Ekiti), Jarigbe Agbom Jarigbe (Cross River), Chief Abdullahi Ohioma (Kogi), Dare Adeleke (Oyo), Alhaji Al-Kasim Madoka (Kano), and Mr Bulus Daren (Plateau). To buttress this suspicion is the accusation that non-PDP elements are not involved in the process of executing the projects. Although SURE –P maintains that they do not award contracts, the projects executed are based on party patronage. In December 2012 during a presentation to the Joint Committee on Petroleum Resources at the National Assembly, Dr. Kolade, presented documents to the lawmakers which showed that N2.2billion had been spent on a line item called “secretariat services” and another N75 million on “tours” inspecting projects nationwide within a period of four months. It was also during that hearing that it was revealed that SURE-P received funds from donor agencies. Dr Kolade could not totally explain the expenses and promised to furnish the Joint Committee with more details at a later time. That later time may never come as it is becoming obvious by the day that the SURE-P programme is as rotten at the national level as it is in the states, and explanations are no longer enough to justify the waste of our commonwealth. Probe Earlier this year, the Plateau State House of Assembly began the probe of over N5billion suspected to be missing from the state government’s account. The money is the state’s share of the SURE-P, which the Jonah Jang administration reportedly received for the state’s SURE-P implementation; and the lawmakers said the probe became necessary following public outcry that the funds might have been misappropriated. When the probe started, the ad hoc committee, chaired by Dalyop Mancha, raised its voice

concerning the refusal of government officials who appeared before it to give details of the bank accounts of the SURE-P funds. The state government has been receiving N218 million monthly, to an accumulated amount of N3billion at the time of the probe, while it has been receiving N146 million monthly on behalf of its 17 local governments to an accumulated sum of N2 billion. War of attrition Similarly, in Kaduna State, the State Executive and the Legislature are pitched in a war of attrition as the Kaduna State House of Assembly had earlier this year taken the State Government to task over the composition and implementation of SURE-P in the state. The Chairman of the House Ad-hoc committee on investigation into the implementation of SURE-P programmes, projects and activities in the state, Kentiok Irimiya Ishaku, said the actual receipts by the Kaduna State Government of its share of revenue from subsidy reduction for 2012 stood at N2,243,188,906.24 at a monthly rate of N280,398,613.80 from May to December, 2012. He said no receipts for the months of January to March, 2012, and no mention was made with regards to the month of April, 2012; while records showed that a lump sum of N560 million was said to have been received with no further details. The committee then recommended that the implementation of the SUREP Committee be composed of technocrats and people of proven integrity, and a dedicated account be opened in any commercial bank where the SURE-P funds would be lodged, while the implementation of all SUREP programmes, projects, activities and all expenditures related thereto be subject to approval of the State Executive Council. It is however no wonder that, at the time of writing this piece, the recommendations are yet to be implemented, no doubt for the singular truth that the PDP government would not want anything to rock the SURE-P gravy train. At the national level, the legislators are also kicking at this mother of all drain pipes. From Senator Ita Enang, who lamented that for SURE-P to be funding only peripheral projects and leave the vital issue of funding the establishment of functional refineries, it is a failure; to members of the Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) who had rubbished the programme and called for its scrapping, while affirming that it “lacks a clear sense of purpose”. They questioned the relevance of the programme and said it was fulfilling the desires of the

accruals to the programme whereas the funding was supposed to be based on each litre of petrol sold in Nigeria.

Lai Mohammed Federal Government for more capital funding through the back door. The committee members were also furious that the programme had no clear mandate, as some of the projects undertaken by it were already provided for in the budgets of ministries, departments and agencies of the Federal Government. Social welfare schemes Furthermore, the SURE-P programme was supposed to provide funds for the implementation of short-term social welfare schemes to

favour. Dr Kolade, when he appeared before the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on SURE-P, chaired by Senator Abdul Ningi, disclosed that over 110,000 youths employed under the empowerment programme of SURE-P will be disengaged because of paucity of funds. Over 3000 youths were engaged from each of the 36 states of the federation and the FCT and were being paid N10,000 monthly. Kolade said that the money approved by the National Assembly was inadequate to continue paying the youths.

The UNDP report placed Nigeria amongst the last countries of the world that recorded achievement in the upgrade of the welfare of their citizens – the Low Human Development category where mostly poor nations or low-income countries belong alleviate the impact of subsidy removal on Nigerians, and some of these are the construction, completion and rehabilitation of rail, refineries, key federal high ways, hydro stations, information technology and water projects. It was also to fund mass transit, public works, training for unskilled youths and social services to reduce high maternal and infant mortality rates. But the reality, regrettably,is that the undefined model for appointment of the implementing officers has nipped the success of all these high sounding projects in the bud. The people handpicked by the PDP government to disburse the vaguely allocated funds are not there to serve the country but themselves and their masters who did them the

Replying him, senators on the committee alleged that there was duplication of contracts between SURE-P and the Federal Ministry of Works on some road projects which have been provided for in the 2012 and 2013 budgets. Senator Kabiru Garba Marfa said that documents available to him indicated that whereas there were allocations for some federal roads in the budget under the works ministry, SURE-P went ahead to award contracts for same both in 2012 and 2013. Marafa cited the Abuja airport link road, KanoMaiduguri road, Abuja-Lokoja road and some roads in the Niger Delta region as examples of duplicated contracts. Committee Chairman, Senator Ningi asked how the government arrived at N15 billion monthly

Economic interests The truth is that various socalled poverty alleviation programmes embarked upon by the PDP led government right from 1999 has always been based on political patronage. Starting from the dysfunctional National Poverty Alleviation Programme (NAPEP), they were deliberately designed to service the economic interests of the political class of the ruling party rather than the interest of the poor in the society. According to Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Argentina, Professor Edet Okon Uya, “If you are not a member of the political party, then you are definitely not part of the programmes.” This is exactly the reason all the socalled intervention projects are marred by administrative perfidy and corruption. There is therefore no surprise that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Index for 2012 indicated a damning result for Nigeria, signifying that most of the Nigerian people are excluded from the PDP government’s much-touted ‘impressive growth’. The UNDP report placed Nigeria amongst the last countries of the world that recorded achievement in the upgrade of the welfare of their citizens – the Low Human Development category where mostly poor nations or lowincome countries belong. Poor rating Despite having spent at least N18.844trillion generated between 2011 and last year, as reported by the Budget Office of the Federation, Nigeria, on the rating table, attracted an overall placement of 153 out of a total number of 186 countries around the world where the survey was conducted. It is a shame that after the welter of rackets ravaging the NAPEP having thrown billions of naira down the drain, the Federal Government has decided to scrap it. Unfortunately, SUREP has become the victim – or more aptly the next scam – of the same government failure. Whereas the recurrent expenditure for such an intervention programme is not supposed to exceed 10 per cent, a check on SURE-P’s travelling expenses alone is so mind-boggling that the Senate had to query the agency ’s leadership. Therefore, Nigerians should not expect anything good from a phantom poverty alleviation programme which is a paradigm to give jobs to the boys and loot the national patrimony for campaign funding.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 6, 2013, PAGE 35 sameyoboka@yahoo.com

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Arinze calls for religious dialogue By SAM EYOBOKA

'Methodist Church Nigeria remains united and indivisible'

O tackle the multidimensional security challenges facing the nation, Prefect Emeritus, Congregation for Divine Worship and the Disciple of the Sacraments, Vatican City, His Eminence Francis Cardinal Arinze has stressed the need for a religious dialogue that will facilitate better understanding among the different religious groups in the country and promote peace, unity and national growth. Speaking on Monday at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA in Lagos at a public presentation of a book in his honour titled; “Cardinal Francis Arinze: The Church pathfinder of dialogue and communion,” he said the book will provide an opportunity for students to know what the Catholic Church is doing in the area of religious dialogue. Arinze believes that religious dialogue does not necessarily mean discussing with Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, but “meeting people of other religious convictions; listening to them, (which some find very difficult), and they listening to us; we hope and we working together with a view to helping the street children in Indonesia or people suffering from leprosy.” According to him, in one of his numerous visits he saw a hospital run by Muslims and Christians to treat leprosy patients without discussing religious beliefs, noting “that is religious collabor-ation...we

*Francis Cardinal Arinze (l), Chief book presenter, Chief Ernest Azudialo with a copy of the book and another guest at the presentation at NIIA, Victoria Island, Lagos. join hands together to make believers or kafir, feeling that ance and poverty, in order to this world a better place to live.” sharia is being applied without realize the Millennium Development Goals set by the UN. Earlier in his keynote sensitivity to Christians.” Kaigama enjoined religious “Christians and Muslims address, the guest lecturer and president of Catholic Bishops’ leaders to be forthright in the must unite to fight secularism, desecrates and Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, condemnation of violence and which Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama reject it in its entirety even if cheapens life by acts of said there is the urgent need committed by their adherents, abortion, homosexuality, and for Muslims and Christians to noting “it is falsely believed by unethical scientific experidevelop a more positive view some fanatics that the com- ments,” he enjoined, noting of each other’s religion for the mitting of crimes in the name that the things that unite the of religion is an expression of two faiths are many, asking peace of the nation. According to him, “some religious fervour and an “ why always dwell on what Christians are sometimes guilty automatic guarantee for heaven divides them? “The Christian says to a of hasty generalizations if they die or kill others in the because they conclude falsely process. This is wrong fellow Christian, ‘peace be that be-cause some Muslim theology, either in Islam of with you’ and a Muslim says to a fellow Muslim ‘assalamfanatics adv-ocate violence and Christianity.” Instead of dissipating energy alakum’. We can exchange terrorism, Islam itself is a terrorist religion. Christians too in asserting superiority, he these greetings of peace with have their share of militant argued, Muslims and Christ- sincerity beyond the narrow fanatics. Just as Muslims do ians “should concern them- confines of the two reli-gions. not want to be branded as selves with the critical social This will signal the building of terrorists, so do Christians take issues that affect Nigerians, a happier and socially offence if they are referred to such as human trafficking, integrated Nigeria,” he argued. by some Muslims as un- unemployment, hunger, ignor-

ETHODIST Church Nigeria, has described the September 1, 2013 election of Most Rev. Samuel Uche as the new prelate of the church as credible and in consionance with the provisions of the church's 2006 Constitution. In a statement signed by the church's Secretary of Conference, Rt. Rev. Chibuzo Raphael Opoko and titled; "Methodist Church Nigeria remains united and indivisible", the church debunked claims by Prelate-Emeritus, His Eminence Sunday Mbang that the said elections were fraught with several constitutional breaches. In the statement, Rt. Rev. Opoko said: "The attention of the church has been draw to the publication by Vanguard Newspapers of Sunday, September 29, 2013 on the election of the prelate and some archbishops and bishops in Methodist Church Nigeria and we state as follows: 1. The newspaper publication was apparently based on a letter addressed to no one in particular but credited to His Eminence, Dr. Sunday Mbang, a prominent member of the church. 2. The letter purportedly written by His Eminence Mbang does not in any way represent the views of the Continued on Page 36

Church Society donates Microbiology Laboratory to WUSTO

S part of its commitment towards sound and qualitative education especially at the tertiary level, Men’s Auxiliary Society of Methodist Church of the Trinity, Tinubu, Lagos recently donated a Microbiology Laboratory to Wesley University of Science and Technology, Ondo, WUSTO, reports SAM EYOBOKA. At the dedication and commissioning ceremony which had the bishop of the Trinity Church Council, Rt. Rev. Sunday Ogunlere, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Tola Badejo, members of the University community and the society in attendance, the president of the Society, Sir Babatunde Sobamowo, described the occasion as historic and a testament of

*President, Men's Auxiliary Society, Very Rev. Steven Adegbite, Bishop of Trinity Church Council, Sir Babatunde Sobamowo, Rt. Rev. Sunday Oluyemisi Ogunlere, Vice Chancellor, WUSTO, Prof. Tola Badejo and lay president, Sir Ademola Ogunbiyi, at the commissioning/dedication of a Microbiology Laboratory donated to WUSTO by Men's Auxiliary Society. the Society’s service to God and humanity.

In a release made available by the Church’s Media and

Public Relations Officer, Rev Oladapo Daramola, the president said; “WUSTO is our ‘baby’ and it is imperative that as Methodists, we partner with the church and the school in building what we firmly believe will be a lasting legacy. "The idea of a Science and Technology University is a noble one especially in a country like ours where these two subjects are dwindling. The world is driven by Science and Technology and the world has become an extremely competitive market where the war has shifted from that of guns and bullets to cyber warfare. "Researchers are working day and night in the world of medicine, agriculture, biology, information technology to make new discoveries that

would better the human race. We cannot afford to be left behind hence our resolve to partner an institution like WUSTO,” he stated. In his reaction to the kind gesture, the Vice Chancellor of WUSTO, Prof. Badejo on behalf of the management and students thanked the Society immensely for their support. He said “the benevolence of the society is a pointer to the fact that there are people who still place enormous value on education in our country.” Trinity Church Council bishop, Rt. Rev. Ogunlere who represented the church Prelate, His Eminence Sunday Ola Makinde lauded the Society for partnering with the church in the development of the institution.

PAGE 36—SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 6, 2013

*BOOK

REVIEW

Why you need a life support

GOD IS TALKING TO YOU (3)

HEN Christians cannot hear the voice of God, we become tethered to the bible. We insist God only speaks through the bible. However, the bible is only 600 years old. If God spoke to people in the past without using a bible, as the scriptures testify, you can bet your bottom dollar he is still doing so today. God does not change. (Malachi 3:6). “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8). Don’t accept the limitations of bible fanatics. Jesus says: “My sheep hear my voice.” He does not say: “my sheep read the bible.” John warns that Jesus cannot be delimited to one book. He says: “there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” (John 21:25). Therefore, don’t put God in a box or a book. God is talking to you, with and without the bible. God talks to those who cannot read the bible, including the illiterate and the blind. On three different occasions, and without the benefit of a bible, God called out to Samuel. Samuel thought it was Eli calling him. However, by the fourth time, he had received instructions from Eli about how to respond. Therefore, he answered God and engaged in a conversation with him. Let us also be instructed by the different ways God talks to us, guides us and leads us.

Situations and circumstances God is the God of all providence. I call him the God of situations and circumstances. Since you are his child, know this for sure. Nothing in your life is by

God talks to those who cannot read the bible, including the illiterate and the blind. happenstance. If it happened to you, it happened for a reason. It is your responsibility to determine why; and what you are supposed to learn from it. So doing, you will soon be confronted with a kingdom dynamic. The good often turn out to be bad for us and the bad often turn out to be good. Every valley is exalted: every mountain and hill made low. One of the best things that ever happened to me is that I was attacked and shot in the leg by armed robbers. Just imagine that! In the middle of the attack, my ears were opened, and I heard the Lord for the very first time. Much later, I was thanking God, for the umpteenth time, for delivering me from the robbers when, out of the blue, he said to me: “Femi, I allowed you to be shot because I wanted you to see yourself using crutches. You have been using crutches all your life. I decided to show it to you physically otherwise you would never know.” Then he asked me: “Can a man walk properly with crutches?” I answered: “No.” He continued: “That is what you have been doing. You have been trusting in chariots and in horses. Now listen to me Femi, put down your crutches and walk.” “But my leg is broken,” I protested. “No,” he said, “there is nothing wrong with your leg. It is not about your leg. It is about your faith. I want you to walk by trusting in me, without using any crutches whatsoever.” Therefore, I say to you: don’t ignore situations and circumstances. Interrogate them. Take nothing that happens to you in life for granted. God is a God of purpose, so you need to ask: “Father, what are you trying to teach me through this situation?” “What are

you saying to me?”

Object lessons In the scriptures, Jesus taught with parables. He is still using parables today; only that they come as word pictures or object lessons. An object lesson is when God uses something in the natural to illustrate a spiritual principle. Be alert to object lessons from God. They often come through some crisis or difficulty. Bolaji Ogundimu applied to me for a housing loan, but there were others already on the queue before her. Two Good Samaritans came to see me, insisting Bolaji should be given a loan right away on the grounds of her deplorable living conditions. But I put my foot down: “Bolaji will only be given a loan when it is her turn. It is a matter of principle.” Soon afterwards, I was on a return-trip from New York. When I got to the check-in counter, there was a computer malfunction. I waited patiently for over 30 minutes while they tried to fix it. Imagine my surprise when suddenly a man came to announce that there would be no more check-ins. When I protested, he spoke directly to me. He said: “According to the principles of Swiss Air, this terminal closes at six o’clock. Once it is six, no more passengers are taken on board the plane.” The man was not one to argue, he simply walked away. I went into a panic. I couldn’t afford to stay any longer in New York. I just had to get on that plane. And then I heard that still small voice of the Holy Spirit. “So Femi,” he asked, “how do you intend to get on the plane? They have principles too at Swiss Air.” It then dawned on me

that God had set me up with a reversal of fortunes. His word says: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Matthew 5:7). I had not been exactly merciful to Bolaji. But now, I was the one in need of mercy. “Please, Lord Jesus,” I pleaded, “only your love can get me on this plane.” The love of God got me on that Swiss Air plane; and the love of God got Bolaji the money to rent a house. I learnt my lesson. When I got back to Lagos, I did not lend her the money: I gave it to her.

Everyday life God uses everyday life situations to speak to us and to teach us things. As we are going about our daily routine, he might suddenly start speaking to us through them, in order to give us some instruction from them. This can be fairly simple, or it can be incredibly profound. It can broaden our understanding of the nature and character of God, or it can be used to direct our path. Perhaps your desk was all cluttered with files and papers and you misplaced a vital document. Therefore, you decided to look for it. In the process of looking for it, you were constrained to go through the clutter on your desk and re-arrange all your files. After you finished re-arranging your files, you found your lost document. God has used the loss of your document to get you to clean-up your desk. Don’t ask me if you lost your document or if God hid it. I don’t know. In any case, in the middle of the clean-up, God starts talking to you about the need for a corresponding spiritual house-cleaning. The Holy Spirit convicts you that you need to get rid of spiritual clutter: bad attitudes and sinful habits that have been impeding your walk with God. That is one of the many ways God talks to us. To be Continued.

We need visionary leaders, says Cleric

RESIDENT of T U L O International, Obazuwa Uyioghosa has joined the league of persons who believe that all that Nigeria requires to transform from a sprawling third nation to become one of the 20 most powerful nations of the world by the year 2020; is visionary and inspirational leadership. Speaking at the 2013 annual camp convention

of the Living Christ Gospel Ministry in Benin City, Uyioghosa argued that if the nation votes visionary and inspirational leaders “our people will no longer suffer or perish daily and we will be respected in the international community.” He expressed disgust that several decades after political independence from former colonial masters most African

nations still depend largely on Western nations for aids and grants, asking “when will African countries start giving grants and aids to other countries of the world.” Quoting the Bible, the cleric averred that it is more blessed to give than to receive, saying “if we want the blessing of God, then we must also do the giving. It is only vision

that will make our leaders appreciate the need to be giving instead of constantly receiving aids, some of which mortgage the future of our young people.” He further argued that Nigeria has a destiny and only requires one who will galvanize the huge human and material resources for the benefit of the general good of the country as a whole.

TITLE: Life Support AUTHOR: Chima Emenuga PAGINATION: 584 PRICE: Not Stated REVIEWER: Chinyere Elele

HE book, Life Support talks about problems and issues in the human life. It talks about what people go through in their normal every day lives and the kind of prayers they must pray to overcome such challenges. It deals with all aspects of the human life. The book reveals that in the world today, people require constant Divine touch to live and be happy. The author emphasises that with unceasing prayers and implicit faith in God, we can conquer all our tribulations. He successfully covered the subject of prayer adequately with corresponding Bible verses and relevant Bible references. The 584-page book divided into 149 themes, has a minimum of 21 prayer points and a maximum of 85 prayer points. It is targeted at believers and nonbelievers who are in various forms of demonic bondages or satanic attacks. With faith, God will answer their prayers. The message in the book is to encourage people, especially Christians to pray for themselves since the man of God cannot reach everyone at the same time. Life support is aimed at restoring destinies of people. The content of the book is vast and expository, traversing from barrier-breaking prayers to those which bring favour and blessings. The approach to the subjects is topical, analytical and descriptive. The author‘s evidence in this book is convincing because it is supported with bible references and songs as it affect our everyday lives. I recommend the book. Life Support is the second book from Pastor Chima Emenuga, General Overseer, Destiny Revival Church, who started his career as a minister of God with the Mountain of Fire and Miracle (MFM). He served diligently under the supervision of Dr. D.K. Olukoya where he attained the position of a senior pastor before he was called by God to oversee Destiny Revival Church.

'Methodist remains united' Continued from Page 35

church and in particularly members of the Electoral College. 3. The election of Most Rev. S.C.K. Uche as the new prelate, Methodist Church Nigeria and that (sic) of other archbishops and bishops on Sunday, September 1, 2013 was credible and in consonance with the provisions of the provisions of the 2006 Constitution of Methodist Church of Nigeria. 4. The Electoral College and indeed, the Emergency Conference of the church adjudged the election as free, fair and constitutional. 5. The Electoral College had in attendance the out-going prelate, trustees of the church which

include the prelateemeritus himself, archbishops, bishops, lay presidents, among whom are judges, senior advocates of Nigeria, professors, technocrats and people of high integrity who will do nothing to demean the integrity of the process. 6. Methodist Church Nigeria is one big family and cannot be divided by any sensational reportage which has absolutely no basis in fact and logic. 7. We call on all Methodists, friends and wellwishers, at home and abroad, to discountenance the reports. A more comprehensive account of the electoral process will be issued after a meeting of the appropriate organs of the church.

SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013, PAGE 37

Why the North should forget the presidency in 2015, by Fidel Ayogu Mr Fidel Ayogu, a former Minority Whip of the House of Representatives and currently an ambassador, explains, in this interview, why the North stands no chance against President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 election. Ayogu also speaks on governance in his home state of Enugu and the 2015 gubernatorial race there. BY EMEKA MAMAH

ed by the Federal Government. The National Assembly is another organ which is very free under this administration. During the previous regimes, Nigerians, the National Assembly was not free to make laws for the country. Many Nigerians would remember that the leadership of NASS existed at the pleasure of the president then. The system is more stable these days, indicating that President Jonathan is not the overbearing type. So, Jonathan has performed creditably and is, politically, a sellable product. What about the education sector where ASUU has been on strike for months? ASUU began its strike when Polytechnic teachers are also on strike The problem we have in the education sector did not start during this administration and it will take time to sort out. It is omnibus. If all the country’s revenue is spent on the education sector, it cannot solve the problem and education, as important as it is, cannot be said to be our only problem. Health, electricity and roads are equally important. The problem in the education sector is like cancer, it will not heal in a day or two. The North says it is their turn to produce the next

HAT is your take on President G o o d l u c k Jonathan’s purported interest in the 2015 presidential election? President Jonathan has not said publicly that he would contest the 2015 election. However, I believe he has performed creditably well for the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, to be proud of him. The issue is not about whether the occupier of the nation’s highest office has performed and can fly the flag of the party again. If you look at all the ministries, they are performing. The critics of the administration may turn the blind eye to what is happening in the aviation sector but there is no gainsaying that Jonathan has done well there. He has also performed in the transportation sector. If you look at the railway, you will discover that a lot is going on there. For example, the Abuja- Kaduna rail project is on-going. You can also travel by rail from Lagos to the north now unlike what obtained in the past. In the East, the Federal Government is handling the Onitsha- Enugu road, the Enugu- Port Harcourt or Enugu to Abuja road. It used to about seven to eight hours for people to travel from Abuja to Enugu by road but now it is just four hours. It is same with those travelling from Abuja or Kaduna to Aba or Owerri. The roads have improved tremendously. The government recently signed contracts for the construction of the ever busy Lagos- Ibadan highway just as the Ore- Benin road project is on-going. The Abuja- Lokoja- Auchi road is also receiving attention just like the government has linked the Southern Kaduna with Jos, Plateau State, making such journeys very short. Also, if you visit our airports, you will notice the transformation there. For some of us from the East, the Akanu Ibiam Airport has been upgraded to international standard. This is something that the people had been crying over for a long time. This will bring more progress to the region. The Second Niger Bridge project is also coming and all of us

•Fidel Ayogu

know what these things mean if you are really talking of economic progress. On foreign affairs, it is not possible to gloss over the fact that almost all African leaders have visited Abuja, once or several times. This is a plus for Nigeria. We now have Missions in some places like Rwanda unlike before. Nigeria has signed bilateral agreements with more countries within and outside Africa. This shows that more things are happening now than ever before. You remember that President Jonathan was in China recently to sign cooperation agreements with that country in so many areas. So, what are we talking about? Again, you can see that most of the state governors are performing and this is due to non interference of the president. In this country, states depend more on the centre just like local governments depend on the states. If the president is the type that gives the states

The problem we have in the education sector did not start during this administration and it will take time to sort out. It is omnibus. If all the country’s revenue is spent on the education sector, it cannot solve the problem trouble, you will find most of them being distracted, thus slowing down their progress, but this is not the case. Jonathan has never delayed the financial allocations from the centre to the states unlike before and this has brought economic growth, even in the states not controlled by the ruling PDP. The performance of state governors is tied to the enabling environment provid-

president. Many people think they have a good point? Is it the North alone that wants power? What of the East which has not tasted power at all? This country does not belong to the North alone. Easterners also have a lot of stakes in this country. The North was in power for over 35 years before it went to the South-west. Now, power has

gone to the South- south and will remain there for another four years after 2015; so the logical thing is that it would go to the South east after the South-south had served out their term. Again, the north as at now does not have a better presidential material than Jonathan. Most of the people showing interest in the North are not better materials. They are tribal jingoists. We do not have better persons than Jonathan in the PDP now. He is the best candidate to fly our flag based on performance. Nigerians should sit down for the first time and judge the President objectively based on what he has done and not on what those who want him to do their bidding are saying. You are from Enugu State. How do you rate the performance of your governor, Mr. Sullivan Chime, in the last six years? Chime has done very well and posterity will judge him positively. You know that political killings have stopped in Enugu. There can be no progress without peace and there is peace now in Enugu State. You can now sleep in Enugu with your two eyes closed. If you have not been to Enugu in the last few years, you would probably not recognize it now if you visit the place because of the changes he has brought through road construction and other land mark projects. The development is widespread because he has also given local government chairmen the latitude to perform. In Enugu, there is healthy competition among local government chairmen in the all areas of development; be it on roads, provision of light, water, schools among others. It was not like that in the past years. The allocations to the local governments are given to them and this is also a marked departure from the past. In the area of politics, Chime has given the assurance that power would rotate to Nsukka and this has brought a lot of relief to the people. The fact that only about two or three people from other parts of the state opposed the decision of the governor and the PDP caucus to cede power to Nsukka shows that the idea is popular. I believe that Nsukka people would ever remain grateful to Sullivan Chime and the PDP. How easy do you think it would be for the people of Nsukka to select their candidate in view of the high number of aspirants from the zone? The PDP is a large family. There will be no problem. The party will cross the bridge when it gets there. In spite of what you describe as high number of aspirants, there will be no stress about it. The Nsukka people will support whoever is chosen.

PAGE 38 — SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013

NIGERIA AND DIGITAL MIGRATION DEADLINE By Jide Ajani

t the Digital Dialogue in Dubai penultimate week, experts in digital broadcast came together to deliberate on the June 17, 2015, digital migration deadline set by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and came to the conclusion that if an engagement process that appreciates the essence of time is not put in place, some countries might be caught napping. In the case of Nigeria, the country appears to be well behind the exploits of Kenya and Ghana. But government functionaries insist that all hands are on deck to meet the deadline.

From Dubai with concerns *Experts express worry over Nigeria’s preparations *Government says it is confident of meeting deadline

Yet, it was not all about gloom. From contributions made by participants from Uganda, Kenya, Switzerland, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Malawi, Tanzani and the United Kingdom, it was obvious that the earlier fog of inadequate information that characterized earlier dialogues had given way to a wealth of information richness as contributions reflected a grasp and understanding by participants. All thanks to MultiChoice, the global pay-TV leader, sponsors of the dialogues, participants were upbeat about meeting the deadline.

C M Y K

Samplers In Kenya, where the attempt to meet the deadline is in fever pitch mode, December 2013 would witness a switchover for Nairobi and environs, followed by other cities like Mombasa, Kisii, Nyeru, and others in phases next year. Though a tortuous jour ney, the regulators in Kenya have simply decided to give it a go after putting in place some measures. But as part of measures to ensure a smooth transition, the regulators in Kenya had impressed on and succeeded in convincing the government to allow for waivers for those to import the set-up boxes for digital broadcast. Even on the issue of enlightenment, the regulators admitted that there were some commercials

A cross-section of panelists during discussions at the Digital Dialogue, Dubai

In Kenya, where the attempt to meet the deadline is in fever pitch mode, December 2013 would witness a switchover for Nairobi and environs, followed by other cities like Mombasa, Kisii, Nyeru, and others in phases next year

‘

ust as it was in Johannesburg, Lagos and Accra where experts expressed concern about some countries not meeting the June 17, 2015, digital migration deadline, the story was not different penultimate week in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. There, experts from Europe and Africa again focused on the need for urgency and clear-headed policy approach to the need to fast track meeting the deadline.

that were predicated on nottoo-helpful themes. However, the determination of the regulators in Kenya brought to the fore the unrelenting quest of a regulator to do all it could to ensure a smooth switchover. Daniel Obam of Kenya’s National Communications Secretariat, explained that “ whereas the switchover attempt has not been a smooth sail, the country cannot be accused of lack of commitment. For Tanzania, it was a mixed bag. It came to the fore during discussions that whereas the regulators in Tanzania were priming for a total switchover any which way, a new reality of some gaps in implementation is forcing back the hand of progress such that an earlier push for a switchover would likely suffer a reversal. For the ECOWAS subregion, just as the Dialogue was going on in Dubai, countries of the sub-region were busy working to adopt a common implementation plan for digital transition as the 2015 deadline approaches.

This disclosure was made by Edmund Yirenkyi Fianko, Manager, Engineering, at the National Communications Authority of Ghana. Fianko, while delivering his paper on the ECOWAS protocol, said that ICT ministers in the sub-region were billed to meet that same week in Banjul, The Gambia, to approve protocols and specifications on digital transmitters and set-top boxes that will henceforth be imported by countries in the region to fulfill needs generated by the digital migration. One of such protocols, he said, includes character set specifications so that set-top boxes can appropriately decode programme and station names in local languages. He also explained that if these specifications were not made, names of stations and broadcast programmes in several languages will not decode properly. For instance, the name of a radio station like FAAJI FM,

or a television programme like Kaakaki, BEBE’NLO, will not decode well if the manufacturers of set-top boxes do not have the appropriate character set specifications. These, among others, are what ICT ministers of the subregion deliberated on at the Banjul meeting. In the very instance of Nigeria, the thorny issues revolve round network rollout (for broadcast organizations), and the allimportant issue of set top boxes (decoders) that members of the public will need if they are to continue receiving signals from television stations. This need arises as free-on-air TV signals will no longer be available from June 17, 2015, the ITU deadline. Regarding set-top-boxes, there are issues regarding specifications, manufacturing, distribution, retail and installation of the set-top boxes. As things stand, majority of the Nigerian viewing public are in the dark regarding the source of the set-top boxes, the manufacturers, where they can be purchased, and at what prices. A sector of the population that subscribes to pay-TV services however remains smug as their service providers are offering digital decoders. At the Digital Dialogue held in L agos last November, former director-general of the National Broadcast Commission, Engr. Yomi Bolarinwa, disclosed that since 2008, late President

Umaru Musa Yar ’Adua had approved that Nigeria should key into the digital migration process with T-2, the latest technology in digital broadcasting. In a presentation, Gerhard Petrick of the South African Digital Broadcasting Association (SADIBA), said that countries beginning the transition should leapfrog the technology gap by opting for set-top boxes driven by the T2 technology. However, this issue is problematic in Nigeria as some service providers are still aggressively selling T-1 decoders to unsuspecting members of the public. For the rest of the public who are largely unaware that they will need set-top boxes to receive broadcast signals, the industry regulator, NBC, will have to gear up to ensure that one of their fundamental rights, the right to freedom of information is not infringed on when the analog signals are switched off. This is because, as Petrick added in his presentation, there will “be no protection for ATVs (analog TVs) after 2015,” and those who are still locked in the analog format of broadcast signal reception “ will have to contend with signals from digitally compatible” neighbours. Countries like Togo and Benin Republic fall into this category as they are yet to launch digital terrestrial operations. However, the advantages of T-2, both for broadcast organisations and the viewing public are over-arching. For broadcast organisations, DVB-T2, according to Petrick “yields 67% more payload at equivalent coverage and network cost” than T-1. Ana Aguilar of Deloite’s Economic Consulting Group in her presentation highlighted the economic benefits of digital migration, saying the proliferation of channels, content, platforms and devices will generate employment opportunities in both the broadcast and entertainment sectors, while the multiplicity of channels will create new revenue channels for the advertising industry.

Why the switch any way? he onward march of technology spurred initiatives in this direction. Hitherto, whenever people switched on their TV sets and searched for channels to view, often they come up with some static, accompanied by much noise. In the case of radio, frequencies allocated to stations need to have

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SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013, PAGE 39

What Nigeria must do, by Jenkins Alumona I

s Nigeria Ready for Digital Migration considering the competences needed to meet the ITU deadline? The answer is a simple no. But if you ask me if Nigeria can be ready for Digital switch over by the prescribed date, my answer will be different. It will be yes, it is possible. And that answer is based on the hope that we start work today. I believe some work is being done. I believe we have a number of very competent people capable of delivering digital migration. But as with everything we get wrong in our dear country, its not because of a scarcity of competent personnel, its usually because of the lack of a plan, the lack of adequate funding and the placement of square pegs in visibly round holes. The new DG of the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission, Emeka Mba is eminently capable. The head of the federal government Digi team, Engineer Eddy Amana is also is also very experienced and knowledgably. So competence is not the question. What are the key elements of this migration? The formulation of a policy framework is of the utmost importance and I believe we should have one now even if it has not been made public. I believe the Digi team was inaugurated based on that policy and to make it work. Sadly though, since the inauguration of the Digi team, not much has become public knowledge. My own findings suggest that this is not because of a lack of commitment or a lack of leadership in the Digi team but as a result of a lack of funding. Technically, following the policy the next important element, which is of course central to the entire activity, will be the build out of the network its self. Now, how this will be done and by who will depend on what the policy dictates. Will we be using a signal aggregator as well as a distributor as with the British model, or will we use just one or more signal distributors? Those are issues, which either remain unresolved or have not come to public notice. Another critical element is of course public awareness which an area where is Digital Dialogue Conference sponsored by MultiChoice has led the way. After four conferences I dare say that the work has just began. Individual countries including Nigeria now have to sensitize their peoples. What are the Dangers of not completing the switch over? For one, Nigeria will be failing to keep its word. If you sign an international agreement, the proper thing is to keep to

The world may leave us behind in the area of broadcasting. Our television viewers in border areas like Lagos may lose their signals due to interference from digital signals from neighboring countries Jenkins Alumona it. But I do not believe that it will come to that. What if it comes to that? The world will leave us behind in the area of broadcasting. Our television viewers in border areas like Lagos may lose their signals due to interference from digital signals from neighboring countries where the transition has happened. And if this occurs, we cannot do anything about it because we are signatories to the ITU agreement. We will also be slow to, until we migrate, start

enjoying the digital dividend that comes with Digital migration.

hat Digital Dividend? The expectation is that with digital broadcasting on stream, some of the spectrum hitherto used for broadcasting will be freed up for use by telecommunication and internet companies. Government can therefore sell this freed up spectrum and make money like it did when it sold the GSM licenses.

As a communication strategist how do you think we have enough time to communicate the migration even if we finish the technical aspects of the migration? I believe we can. The task is a huge one, but I believe we can. For starters the NBC is holding a digital broadcast conference later this month and I believe awareness will certainly be one of the issues that will be highlighted. Ours is a large and diverse country and their will be difficulties but I am certain that the job can be done provided we begin as early as possible. This is the third Digital Dialogue Conference, why has all been sponsored by

MultiChoice and are the organizers achieving your objectives? Actually this is the fourth. The first one was in Johannesburg, the second was in Lagos, and then one was held in Ghana before this one in Dubai. And you are correct when you say all have been sponsored by MultiChoice. Perhaps because this is a pan African initiative and MultiChoice is the biggest broadcast organization in Africa and because the company has African roots, it has the interest of Africa at heart. Really no other company can match the commitment of MultiChoice towards improving the lot of African broadcasting and this conference proves that point once again. The quality of resource persons we have brought here is unbelievable; inventors, regulators, economists, communication experts, researchers and broadcast managers from all over the world to provide knowledge for African media and regulators. All courtesy of MultiChoice. That’s uncommon commitment. I believe we are meeting our objectives. We are spreading knowledge of the issues and the challenges Africa must deal with as the deadline for migration approaches and providing possible solutions also.

From Dubai with concerns Continues on Page 38 “buffers”to guard them against interference from other stations. That is in the analogue format. Thus, Digital Terrestrial Transmission technology came up as a way of making broadcast signals transmission and reception more efficient in terms of clarity of audio and video. It also ensures precision broadcasting. The only thing needed by the average man on the street for this is what is called a set-top box (STB). Call it decoder, if you like. Thus, from June 17, 2015, analogue signals will be switched off and nations worldwide are expected to be digital. In addition, with DTT, more stations can occupy the same frequencies than in the analogue format. Thus, a lot of frequency “space”can be freed for other uses, especially for broadband and related ser vices. DT T is already in the second generation, called T-2. In a presentation, Gerhard Petrick of the South African Digital

Broadcasting Association (SADIBA) said the advantages of T-2, both for broadcast organizations and the viewing public are overarching. For broadcast organizations, DVB-T2, according to Petrick “yields 67% more payload at equivalent coverage and network cost.” than T-1. The Nigerian problem The Nigerian angle of this digital migration is that the people just don’t know what is going on. While it is accepted that some work is in progress as the Federal Government constituted a “Digi Team” to oversee migration to digital broadcasting, the snag is that targets of the development — ordinary Nigerian folk — remain in the dark about the issue, despite the launch of DTT in the country. For now, only pay-TV operators like Multichoice, Star Times, and others are on DT T platforms. Not many

Nigerians, relative to the entire population are aware that Nigeria had opted for DTT-2 more than five years ago. Former director-general of the National Broadcast Commission, Engr. Yomi Bolarinwa had disclosed at the second Digital Dialogue held last year in Lagos that since 2008, late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua had approved that Nigeria should key into the digital migration process with T-2, the latest technology in digital broadcasting. Ray of hope in ECOWAS t is gladdening to note that some work is in progress. Fianko disclosed at the Dubai conference that member states at a conference in Abuja earlier in July agreed to the following: -a deadline of December 2014 as the date for the completion of Analogue Switch-Off (ASO) in the UHF band -the minimum specifications for Integrated Receiver Decoders should be harmonized by ECOWAS Member States in order to

create economies of scale to drive down prices. Fianko also disclosed in his presentation that a few weeks after the Abuja talks, member states again agreed at another summit in Accra that -the First Draft Common Specifications (dated 30 Aug. 2013)should be translated into French and circulated by 10 Sept 2013 -Each member state shall apply for Original Network Identification (ONID) from DVB Services - Each member state shall provide language character codes and power supply plug in the country specific annex of the draft DT T receiver specifications. -Minimum specifications to be finalized 24-26 Sept 2013 for adoption by ICT Ministers on 27 Sept 2013 in Banjul, Gambia. In fact, Fianko left the Dubai Digital Dialogue Conference to attend the talks in Banjul. Perhaps it is after all these that authorities here will begin sensitization programmes. Only time will tell.

PAGE 40 —SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013

INTRIGUING EXPERIENCES

London Council Flat deal taught me an unforgettable lesson – Aisagbonhi *‘I am bad business for Lagos land speculators’ BY BILESANMI OLALEKAN

Nigeria of today is a place where buildings collapse. Chief Omo Aisagbonhi, a real estate developer, in this interview, explains why buildings go down and proffers solution. He adds that he would rather give loan to women than men, because ”even if the man becomes irresponsible in paying back the loan, the woman will not”. HE cost of doing business in Nigeria is said to be high. Is it also like that in the real estate sector? Doing business in Nigeria has not changed from how it

was five, six years ago. The only thing is that the environment has become tougher because, after the banking sector crisis of 2009, it became obvious that you had to be tough in a tough environment like Nigeria. A couple of people, not only in the real sector died after that economic meltdown. In an environment like ours, 80% of those running medium scale enterprises are borrowing money from banks and most people had their loans recalled by these banks without notice. And those who lost money then have still not recovered. But for some of us, not necessarily because we were clever, I will say God was on our side and because we didn’t bite more than we could chew; at the point the meltdown worldwide happened, we had a loan of N300m. I never traded in shares as such. The few I bought were those I bought from people who came to me to say, ‘’Help, because we have target to sell these shares’. So I didn’t invest the money I was using for business on shares. Because the value of property was high, I bought some property here and there. I bought one in Osborne worth N260m, got N160m from Fidelity Bank and, by the time the meltdown started , what we bought for N260m went down to N120m and nobody was even ready to buy. I had another one in GRA for N130m that now went down to N60m. The loans were there that I had to repay. So we had to sit down to review our business plans. The first thing that came to mind was that we needed to do serious rethinking. The middle class, which we were catering for, had been wiped out by the retrenchment in the banking

Chief Omo Aisagbonhi..... We have acute shortage of

housing for young people

much. So I said to myself I was not going to quit. The first thing I did was to convert the things I had planned to do in those various sites to something else because, at the point of the meltdown, even

this country. And if you go by the number of hours these young people spend in traffic everyday from where they can afford to live, to where they work, you will agree with me that our country is losing so

When we discovered that banks were no longer borrowing and people were not really buying property anymore because they did not have the wherewithal, we deviced a method where we were able to have 2,3,4 people together and say ‘each of you, bring N5m each, making N20m, we buy the land and we build and you will only be paying us the cost of owning the house’ and related sectors. We had lot of young stockbrokers who had subscribed to some of our new developments but could not pay and were even asking us to refund what they had put in. So we found ourselves where we had to do a u-turn. The first thing we did was to recognise that housing is a need, no matter the situation, you must have a roof over your head. ‘I was not going to quit’ We have acute shortage of housing for young people in

though it was bad for people, it was not bad for everybody, some rich people were still coping. And luckily for us, some of our bankers were friendly. The ones that were friendly helped us to survive the ones that were hostile. And today I can say we are no longer owing that debt; we have paid back. The business picked up not necessarily because young Nigerians are earning more but because the average Nigerian wants to give his family a comfortable

lifestyle by reducing his extravagance lifestyle and trying to concentrate on those things that are important. So people are beginning to buy houses. The GRA property in Ikeja that was supposed to be a single unit was converted to multiple units and we got big organisations to let it out to their expatriates. Before the crisis, by divine intervention, I started doing branches for the defunct Oceanic Bank. We did about 20 branches for the bank across the country. When the crisis came, the bank was owing us some money and the people who took over refused to pay. We are in court on that. But I won’t be sitting here today if those who managed that bank at that point did not help ordinary Nigerians like us. In developed countries, they give housing loans for as little as 3%. Banks not borrowing But in this country, if you approach any bank for mortgage, they ask you to pay between 17% and 22% and you pay in five years. So how are you going to own a house if you are not a criminal, except that you want to go and live in Ota or Mowe and then you will now have to spend 4,5hours in traffic everyday? So when we discovered that banks were no longer borrowing and people were not really buying property anymore because they did not have the wherewithal, we deviced a method where we were able to have 2,3,4 people together and say ‘each of you, bring N5m each, making N20m, we buy the land and we build and you will only be paying us the cost of owning the house’. You can have a home in say Gbagada for as little as N20m over a period of five years to pay back. Of the people we gave this opportunity to, only two did not make it, the rest paid up. That brings me to this. If you want to give loans in this country, give it to a woman. Women are credible in terms of loan repayment. From my experience, it is better to deal with women than men. If you make a woman to co-sign an agreement that concerns their home, even if the man becomes irresponsible, the woman won’t. Most of our property, we allowed the clients to move in while payment went on. When the cheques the man gave failed and he was no longer picking our calls, all we needed to do was to call the wife; she

would come here to apologise and say,’ Give me sometime, I will work on him.’ Trouble and first loan When I returned to this country from the UK, I came in with N40mwhich came in through a Nigerian bank. When I ran into trouble with my first development, the bank was not there for me. Oceanic came to my rescue, not because I went there to beg. I wanted to sell where I was living when I didn’t have money to complete the project I was doing. I offered where I was living and somebody had come to look at it. Of course before making payment, he said if he bought the house now, where would I move to? and I told him within three weeks I would have moved out to rent an apartment. He was shocked that I could sell my house only to rent another. I told him that I needed the money because I was developing some property and my banks were not willing to help me. He said it was not true. So I ended up driving him to Omole where the property was. He saw it and asked how much was needed to complete it. I said between N20m and N25m. He said he could loan me and I told him I would pay back in less than three months. That was how I met the then general manager of Oceanic Savings and Loans. He was the one that gave me my first loan. At what point did you decide to go into real estate? I started as a patent medicine dealer in Jos, in 1984. I was the first person to open shop in National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies. My step mother was a midwife. We had a chemist in front of our house owned by my step mother. So, as soon as I returned from school, that used to be my preoccupation. So, after a while, I took a decision that that was what I wanted to do. My mother was not with my father. She left shortly after I was born. Unfortunately, the man she married never wanted any baggage to accompany the marriage. That was how I ended up with my father. So I found myself starting life earlier than I thought. I started living on my own from age 14. I rented my first apartment at 14. The decision to go to school on my part was deliberate. I did all sorts of

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SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013, PAGE 41

INTRIGUING EXPERIENCES

‘I am bad business for Lagos land speculators’ Continued from page 40 odd jobs but I made sure that whatever I was doing, education was part of the plan. I later sold the shop in 1988 to travel to the UK. But I, first of all, went to Spain; unfortunately, language became a barrier there. It was in 1992 that I moved to the UK. I did all sorts of odd jobs to survive. I got a Nigerian, a Yoruba to be precise, to let out his Council Flat, because he didn’t have to stay in the flat as he had accommodation somewhere else. So I and a friend staying there were paying him rent and he in turn remitted to the Council and when Council officials came calling, we just answered his name. Eventually we were given the right to buy the flat because when you live in a Council Flat for a while, you are given the opportunity to buy it. That was how I bought it and that was how I started real estate business. I refurbished the flat and sold it and made enough money than I could ever imagined. The bulk of your investment is here in Lagos. Is it because Lagos is more lucrative? The question is, what does it take to be an estate developer? Every business has its own intrigues. In Nigeria today, if you start real estate business in an environment you don’t really know, you are in for a serious trouble. I started in Lagos 2003. I had thought that by

C M Y K

now I would be doing neighbouring states like Ogun, Ondo and my state, Edo, places I can go in a jiffy. I am someone who bites as much as he can chew. I don’t even have money to do

I have studied my environment and I can tell you that I am a master of where I am. You see, if Lagos is successful, I can tell you every part of the country will be successful Mainland Lagos, not to talk of Lekki. Every project, for me , has a lifespan. Any project that I cannot complete within 24 months I don’t venture into it. Any project that I wont be able to go twice a week to supervise, I won’t venture into it. You must know your

environment very well before doing anything. For example, you buy a land in Lagos, but before you buy, your lawyer studies it, vets it and then you buy, but the day you hit the site, you meet some people claiming ownership of the land. You have a lot of people to contend with. The Omo-onile are there. The state agents, local government agents, you must deal with all of them except you don’t want to build. If you are a JJC, all these people will take undue advantage of you. I am a chief in Ikeja. Where ever I operate now, I am like bad business for Omo-onile, (land speculators) because they know that this man knows us left and right. I have studied my environment and I can tell you that I am a master of where I am. You see, if Lagos is successful, I can tell you every part of the country will be successful. For example, if you provide Lagos electricity, 80% of our economic problems will be solved. If all that is supposed to be in place is there, 80% of our unemployment would be solved. Can you imagine the number of hours people spend everyday on traffic, going from this part of town to the Island? Have you ever imagined why successive governments have not been able to proffer solutions to the electricity problem? Yet our leaders go on holidays abroad every now and then. Between Gbagada and end of Third Mainland Bridge, if you put a ferry there and carry people and cars,

do you know how much money one saves and the productive hours that would saved? Why do you think buildings collapse in Nigeria? Poor quality of materials. The second thing is that the system itself encourages all sorts of things. Let me give you an example. You buy iron rods that are supposed to be 12mm or 16mm from the market; if you are not smart enough to do test after you bought them, you will find out that the 16mm is less than 13mm. That is not the fault of the property developer. Of course there are greedy thieves in every industry, so it is in our industry. Unfortunately, none of the associations has been able to coordinate itself to do what they called self-check so that if you don’t have a particular licence you cannot operate. We are hoping that one day we shall get there. In our properties, we give the clients two years warranty such that whatever that is bad there, apart from, maybe changing of your bulb, we repair it. It is only a call. Beyond that, in our houses, you don’t need anything to come with apart from your clothing. Everything is set, washing machine, air conditioners, everything you can think of that can make life comfortable has been provided. Besides, the houses are insured. These are some of the unique things that what we do and which have helped us to remain in business.

PAGE 42—SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013

2015

Nobody can stop Jonathan — Gov Orji

*’How we got rid of Abia kidnappers’

MUAHIA , Abia State capital, last week, played host to the 9th biennial conference of the Nigerian Army Finance Corps. The conference presented Sunday Vanguard an opportunity to rub minds with Governor Theodore Ahamefule Orji on the crisis rocking his party, the PDP, the challenge posed by kidnapping to security in his state, among other issues. He was blunt on President Goodluck Jonathan controversial bid to run for second term in 2015. You are known to be a strong supporter of your party. What is happening in the PDP? And how do you think the crisis in the party at the national level can be resolved? There is no state in Nigeria right now that is more PDP than Abia State. In the House of Assembly, we have 24 members, and all of them are PDP members. In the Senate, our three senators are PDP members. In the Federal House of Representatives, we have eight representatives, all of them are PDP members. Mr. Governor is PDP. So, which state is more PDP than Abia? And there is nothing like old PDP and new PDP, we have one PDP, PDP has come to stay in Abia. We must make sure we remain one family. What do you think is responsible for the crisis in the PDP?

PDP is made up of human beings with different ideas. So, we have to accommodate each other. The party is the only true Nigerian or national party. That is why everybody wants to belong to it. It has the capacity to take in everybody and this we shall do after resolving the current family issues confronting us. This is not the first time. And we have always overcome and emerged stronger. Because of the size, vibrancy, ability to deliver and successes, the party is seen as a goldmine and everybody wants to belong which is okay. The umbrella will eventually cover everybody. On the contentious issue of presidency in 2015, what is your take? Should the President go for second term? Is he not entitled to second term? Going by our Constitution, he has only done one term. I (Governor Theodore Orji) am not hiding my own. I am supporting him and I will continue supporting him. He has the right to go for second term and he must go for it. After your tenure as governor, what is next? Some people say you might head to the Senate in 2015 as governors ending their second term oftentimes do. I have a lot that I want to achieve in the remaining two years. I am building a befitting Secretariat for the state; Governor’s Lodge and an International Conference Centre. WHAT motivated you to host the Army Finance Corps to biennial conference considering

the former state of insecurity in Abia occasioned by kidnapping and robbery? We are in a better position now security wise. It was hell in this part of the country. Kidnapping was rampant, people were afraid for their lives, properties were not safe. We were able to resolve the challenge. People are back to their businesses, we are doing our projects, we are progressing and the state is moving economically. That is why I am happy that the army chose Abia to host

By KINGSLEY OMONOBI, Abuja

Is he not entitled to second term? Going by our Constitution, he has only done one term. I (Governor Theodore Orji) am not hiding my own. I am supporting him and I will continue supporting him the conference because they know how the state was before. So, what they have come here to do is to celebrate with us the victory that we achieved in fighting armed robbery because if the place isn’t safe, they will not come. So, their coming is a testimony that Abia is safe and

that any person who wants to come here to invest can relax. That Abia is free is the essence of this conference but the general statement as far as we are concerned is to tell the whole world that Abia is now one of the safest states you can think of in terms of investments and businesses. What was the formula you adopted to make the state safe and free from kidnapping and other crimes? People continue to ask me this question but you know security issues are not issues you discuss on radio or television because, if I bare my secret, these hooligans will know because most of them are literate and intelligent. You bare your secret, they use it against you and come back. If people come to consult me, I will tell them, but first, you have to be determined to fight crime. Second, you have to bring out all the resources because fighting crime is capital intensive. What was the role of Operation Jubilee in achieving this and the synergy with the people? Of-course, if we didn’t synergize, we couldn’t have achieved anything. Operation Jubilee came and it was very successful. It was successful because the state government cooperated with the security agencies. Don’t forget the security agents are human-beings, the police, and the soldiers are human-beings and they need logistic support. They need equipment and we can’t

leave it to the federal government alone because this is what concerns both the federal and the states but, primarily, the state is our responsibility. So what we did was to partner with the military. Do you know how many vehicles we have given to the military since they came here? So many, because they have to move into the hinterland and fish out these people. If incentive is not there, they will not be bold to confront the criminals. You can’t send a soldier to fight a kidnapper when he has nothing to fight the kidnapper with. So you have to arm him. How do you sustain the tempo? Of-course we are doing that. The same magic that we used is what we are using to sustain it because if you don’t sustain it, the criminals will regroup and come back and you go back to square one. So, we are sustaining it. We are also using traditional rulers, churches and town unions to tell the people about the evil of kidnapping because those who are doing it are our boys who are here. They did not come from outside; they know the terrain here or they are encouraged to do it by people who are here. So, if by advocacy we can change the mindset of these boys, they will not be involved. And then we are also doing a lot of youth empowerment programs to make sure that those who are doing something, maybe some of them have families, some of them have responsibilities and they have to cater for their responsibilities and when the legitimate need of catering for their responsibilities are not there, they go through every means of getting money and that is kidnapping, getting quick money. What we have done within this period is marvelous. We have given employment to 4,500 youths. Even if you don’t have a job, at the end of the month, we give you that money so that you use it to cater for yourself. We have given out 234 vehicles to the youths so that they can be self- employed. Another area is farming; we have a farm where we are partnering with a foreign country. The project gave employment to 500 people. We have other farms in the three senatorial zones. That of the South employed 200 families. Another one employed 100 and the other employed 100. Now we have another estate which was lying fallow which we now brought investors to reactivate. We partnered with them and they employed 1,000 youths. We also have skill acquisition centres. I made it compulsory for all chairmen of local governments to build a skill acquisition centre. I gave them N60 million each to do it. There is one also that is being done by the office of the First Lady. After six months, the trainees graduate and you give them some money to establish their businesses: Hair dressing, computer repairs, shoe making, dress making, etc.

SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013, PAGE 43

hief Chris Uche, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN,with an eye on constitutional, political and electoral cases, in this interview, x-rays the forces that have given Nigeria high and low points at 53 and goes further to admonish President Goodluck Jonathan on what lies ahead of him and Nigeria.

How has Nigeria performed in 53 years of nationhood? must say that 53 years in the life of a nation is obviously not really a long time, but it is for a nation that actually didn’t just begin to exist 53 years ago but merely got independence, which was a platform for self-development. Looking through these years, I am not happy that as a nation we are still grappling with elemental issues that ought to have been sorted out long time ago if we had good leadership and followership. Looking back too, one begins to even feel that each year that passes by seems better than the present year, which now creates the impression that we are retrogressing on annual basis. If you ask the average Nigerian today whether he is happy than he was 15 years ago, naturally he would tell you he is not-not even the few privileged ones, who are occupying political offices and controlling our fortune and future. Our problems have even been complicated by the overwhelming issue of insecurity that government is finding almost incapable of handling. So, looking back over the years, I don’t think we have done well. And I don’t think we should continue to blame our misfortune on military interregnum-yes it is true that the military, which was not trained for political leadership, ruled us and they have since been out of the way for many years. The question to ask ourselves and those who are always quick to blame the military is, what have we achieved many years after the military quit the scene for civilian administration? It is on that score that I say that our score card is still negative. On what do you put the blame then? I put the blame on two key issuespoor leadership and amorphous struc-

ture of the country-both have contributed to the conundrum we have in Nigeria today. In the first place, because the country is structured to emphasize ethnicity, religion, tribalism, it is very difficult to talk about nationalism and patriotism. Every section of the country now talks about what to take from the centre and not what to bake to sustain the nation. That attitude has affected out attitude to politics-politics in Nigeria is not generally about service

By SONI DANIEL, Regional Editor, North

political offices have been imbued with financial attractions and I believe that the first thing we must do if we are to succeed is to make political offices less attractive. The other day, I got to know that the British Prime Minister went to a wedding in a train and that he does not even own a private jet and goes to events on British Airways as opposed to our own country where those in government fly jets maintained with public funds and where even people with

We should begin to ask ourselves what we really want in the next 50years especially as there is the prediction that the country can disintegrate by 2015. Unfortunately, those at the helm of affairs are doing everything to make the prediction come through

but about what to take from the system. Because of the attitude, everyone now feels that the easiest route to making wealth is public office and that is why the Nigerian brand of politics is do-or die. And that also explains why all the political parties in Nigeria do not have ideology. All they are concerned about is how to win election and corner the common wealth. You can see what is happening in the ruling People’s Democratic Party and you can begin to ask: is it a dispute over ideology or a dispute over service delivery to the citizenry or a dispute over how to provide dividends of democracy to the people? None of these applies to the current dispute, which is unduly heating up the polity. It is all about selfinterest and how to retain political power because it is only through political power in that they have unhindered access to wealth. It is only in Nigeria that

questionable means of livelihood own private jets. I understand that we have over 200 private jets in the country where government officials who do not own private jets fly first class or business class not minding the poverty level in the nation and the effect on the ordinary citizens. Selfish interest This tells you something about the distortion in our economy and the distortion of values in our country. That is why it is difficult to really get Nigerians together to think as one nation because everybody is working for his own selfish interest. And that is why one is pissed off by the current emphasis on 2015 election when we still have about two years to the election. And what is 2015? Nobody is even asking those in powers what they have done in the past years. Why should we

be struggling for our turn or not our turn? Why should our leadership be on rotational basis? If we are offering the ideals of democracy, then we should be talking about merit and not where a leader comes from. Even for me as a southerner, I should be able to ask myself, for these years that southerners have been the Presidents of this country, how has that impacted my life as a person or my community or my state? I don’t see any difference; that is why I am calling on Nigerians to deemphasis the struggle about where our leaders come from. Boko Haram is an offshoot of the political struggle and it has become hydra-headed; there is no way the issue will not become an issue in the next election. We should begin to ask ourselves what we really want in the next 50years especially as there is the prediction that the country can disintegrate by 2015. Unfortunately, those at the helm of affairs are doing everything to make the prediction come through. This is worrisome and the trouble we are talking about is within the leadership. These are the same people who are expected to do everything to galvanise the country for development. I read about the Anambra election, which people are saying will be the litmus test for the 2015 election. What amazes me most is that the parties and INEC had more than four years to prepare for the election. They had more than four years notice to avoid the trouble of the past. Now, there are multiple lists for the same election and the stage is set for a protracted legal tussle that may outlast the election. Why would the parties not sit down and streamline? It is embarrassing. And it is the foretaste of what is coming. The litigations will get to the Supreme Court and it means that whoever is sworn in will be sitting on banana peels until the final court gives

Continues on page 44

PAGE 44—SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013

Continued from page 43

*Chief Uche...oil is a blessing to Nigeria

‘I foresee banana peels for Anambra’s next governor ‘

you become the UN Secretary General it does not really amount to anything for the average households in this country. We must be more inward-looking. Government should begin to think more about the things that will help Nigerians to live more happily and fulfil their dreams as human beings. As we approach the next election in 2015, government should be able to let Nigerians see what is on the ground and be able to voluntarily elect their governors, their President. But in a situation where the party in power and government believe that votes shouldn’t count because they have never really counted in the past; that is not fair enough after 53 years of nationhood. As a lawyer, do you think the legal framework in Nigeria is adequate to give the nation a good society? I believe the necessary legal framework and infrastructure are there for a nation that wants to develop. We have a constitution that is very comprehensive. There is nothing that our constitution has not taken care of. Very few countries have constitutions that are as comprehensive and forward-looking like that of Nigeria. Apart from the constitution, we have Acts and statutes that make ample provisions for virtually everything that you can think about. So the problem with our country is not the absence of legal framework or the absence of relevant laws or whether the laws are obsolete or whether we have current laws. There is really no situation in Nigeria that you don’t have existing and extant laws to take care of but our problems have always been

the operators of the system. Our operators have always manipulated the system in such a way that it has become common that laws are not actually made for everybody in society. The laws are made by the rich in order to keep the poor in check. That has become the summary of what law is all about. That is why all this talk about constitutional amendment to me sounds like a jamboree and a distraction.

a verdict. Let us begin to think. Disintegration will not serve the interest of any section of this country. Both the section where oil is being produced and those without oil will not benefit from disintegration. Many Nigerians have been speaking about oil as a curse and blessing. Do you think Nigeria would have been better off if oil was not discovered on August 6, 1956 in Oloibiri in the present Bayelsa State? Oil is a blessing to this country. What is the curse is stealing the oil by our leaders and their cronies? That is the curse. Oil has assisted this country for so many decades in its developmental programmes in terms of infrastructure and global leadership. If oil has not been there, we could not have gone this far. Oil is not a curse but it is just that it has been mismanaged. As a country, we don’t know exactly how much we produce, we don’t know how much we export and we don’t know how much is stolen. And then, we now import the same product that we produce. It is unfortunate that a country like Nigeria does not have functional refineries. All we keep hearing is that these refineries are bad and nothing is done to revive them. We hear the same thing every four years. How many years of decay did they have to wait before they built the refineries that we used before they were abandoned? This government does not have any excuse why the oil sector cannot be streamlined so that Nigerians can derive the greatest benefit from it. This government has no excuse having been in power for so long and we do not have regular power supply. Every day they tell us stories of how we will have so and so megawatt and comparing us to countries that don’t have the same resources like Nigeria. I think our problem is one of leadership. And once the head of the fish is rotten, the entire body is affected. That is why you can never really talk about good followership because nobody is committed and ready to die for this country. The only thing you hear is that so and so persons have stolen so and so billions of Naira and that ASUU and other groups are on strike over unfulfilled promises by government. And government is beating its chest that it has achieved so much at 53. It says the big thing at 53 is that we are still one nation. It is like a 70-year man who has accomplished nothing boasting that he is still alive. It does not make sense at. Nigeria is also fighting for a seat at the UN Security Council. Is this not an achievement? I am seriously thinking of how that will translate to benefits for the Nigerian on the street because those things he is asking for are not many: steady light, water, good roads, hospitals and schools. So if you take a seat at the Security Council of the UN or

President Goodluck Jonathan means well for this country, but his problem is that he has not equipped himself adequately in order to obtain the desired results

I don’t think that constitution amendment is our problem as a nation. There is nothing the President can do for the country or the governors can do for their states that is being hampered because of its absence in the constitution. The constitution adequately provides for the building of roads, schools, health care facilities and the like in all ramifications as the main objectives of the states. So, we have adequate laws to facilitate investments, physical and human capital development if our leaders are not distracted by their continuous quest to remain in power. Are our anti-graft laws also

adequate to fight financial crimes? If not, do we need special courts for such offences? The current clamour for special courts is well founded because of the experience of people with what is happening now. For instance, the trial of people charged with corruption cases does not progress speedily as people would have expected. But then, people are not also asking why the cases are not moving fast. Indeed, where are the cases and who are the ones being prosecuted? When things are not being done objectively, the cases cannot move in the expected direction. When you decide to use a system for witch hunting and political victimisation, you make many mistakes and, in that attempt, there will be roadblocks. Because everybody knows that these institutions are being influenced in the choice of suspects. And that is why the constitution knows that things like that happen and the law provides defence for such people. And that is the same facility that those who are ‘unjustly being prosecuted’ are also exploiting. To railroad people into the prison within four or five months, that does not make a legal system just. You cannot sacrifice justice on the altar of speed. Talking about special courts, we have had them in this country. We had the Special Military Tribunal, we had the Failed Banks Tribunal, Miscellaneous Offences Tribunal and so on and everybody knows that they brought more injustice than justice to the nation and that was a real danger to the nation and its people. If you now want to set up special courts for the EFCC and the ICPC, there will be new challenges; one of them being that there would be a ‘special relationship’ between the commissions and the courts. Sometimes, the commissions would sponsor them on ‘courses’, sometimes they discuss the management of cases with them to the detriment of the defence and you know that one of the constitutional guarantees which is the foundation of the rule of law itself is that an accused person is presumed innocent until the contrary is proved. So, if you now create special courts that will have special relationship with these commissions, there won’t be any guaranty of fairness. The principle in law is that it is better for nine guilty persons to escape than one innocent person to be unjustly punished. We know our political leaders and we know that institutions like that could become handy tool for manipulation and witchhunting. Therefore, there is the danger in creating special courts. And again, to create such special courts could throw up social dilemmas. If such courts are created, would they be at par or below High Courts? For them to assume the status of High Courts, in which case appeals from the special courts can go directly to the Appeal Court, it means there must be a constitutional provision in place putting them at par with High Courts. That is a big constitutional problem that we would have. And if you make them inferior to High Courts, the problem

you wanted to solve would have been complicated. Anybody arraigned by the special courts would run to the High Courts to quash the trial and that would create more problems for the system. We don’t really need special courts to solve the problems in the judiciary. If special courts are created, who will man them? Are the people to man them not Nigerians, who graduated from the same universities, who have relations in the courts and commissions? Are we going to import foreign judges or even angels to run the special courts? The Nigerian factor is one of the greatest problems and that is why when we are talking about corruption, we are merely dealing with the symptoms and not the root causes. Now you find a situation where even judges would begin to lobby to go to the special courts because they would have special litigants, high calibre men and women and internal corruption would emerge. Why are you so apolitical despite being very successful as a lawyer? I believe we must not all occupy the same position or do the same thing even if we are gifted to do such things. I would be very happy to be a governor and do all these things I am saying the governor should do. But I know that by my calling and training, I have been equipped to manage the laws to help develop the society. So I believe that if I am doing my own part from my own sector, that I would be contributing my own part to nation building rather than going to struggle, to displace and fight or challenge other persons, who may be better prepared or more endowed for political leadership. That is why I believe that my role is that of using the law to advance the welfare of the society. And that is why I find myself doing mostly constitutional, political and electoral cases. What advice would you give to President Goodluck Jonathan if you were to meet him on the 53rd anniversary of Nigeria? President Goodluck Jonathan means well for this country, but his problem is that he has not equipped himself adequately in order to obtain the desired results. When you hear him speak or you hear a few things about him, you discover that he has the best intention for Nigeria. But intentions and good wishes alone cannot transform a country. So, I would advise him to distance himself a bit from politicians. It was not politicians who put him in office but the Almighty God. I would advise him to have a pact with God that between now and 2015, he would leave his marks on the sands of times by delivering to Nigerians basic things like power, medicare, education, good roads and water. Let him do that and forget who the chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum is. Once he has satisfied the basic needs of the people, they would naturally vote for him when the time comes.

SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER, 2013, PAGE 45

BY OLAYINKA AJAYI

AMID POWER SECTOR REFORMS

The Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Dr.Sam Amadi, speaks on the reforms in the power sector. Excerpts:

Why electricity tariff was increased

HAT level of success do you think privatisation will bring to the power sector? Theoretically, privatization is the best policy we can embark on today that will yield result. From the history of this country, you and I know that the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, has not been efficiently handled. Consumers complain bitterly about the sector and their complaint is an indicator that the services provided by the sector is very poor. So, that is a clear evidence that privatisation of the sector is very essential. So the reform is based on changing the market structure of the sector. Let us look at the effect of the privatisation process on the masses. How does it affect consumers financially ? The reason private operators are coming to Nigeria is to improve power supply because Nigerian people have complained a lot about the sector. So private operators have invested a lot to improve the sector. I strongly believe that it is a fair bargain as far as Nigerians get better services at a fair price. People are yearning for adequate power supply, they said they want quality service with a fair pricing. They don’t want to be exploited by estimated billing. As the regulator of the sector, you consider both the consumers yearning for quality service at a fair price and the operators who want a good return on their investment. The equation of private investment has to be balanced. Part of the equation is that the pricing must be good and must attract investment to recover cost. Nigerians should focus on fair pricing and quality service. An opposition party said it could generate 40,000 megawatts within a short while if it comes to power. How feasible? I know miracles happen but there is a limit to how much power you can generate within the next two years that can be effectively distributed. So if some people say in the next two to three years they can generate 40,000MW, we would like to see their business plan and their policy frame work, but I believe the policy President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration has adopted is a very intelligent one. It is a value chain approach where we are expanding capacity generation, improving

----Amadi distribution and increasing transmission. Even if you have hundreds of thousands of megawatts, there is no way they can implement it within a short time. In South Africa, they are doing up to 40,000MW but they have no capacity of doing 80,000MW within a short time. Those people boasting should not liken electricity to a factory where goods are manufactured and imported; electricity is a very complex business transaction that is managed hand to hand. When government says it plans to increase power supply to 7,000MW within a year, they are as well looking at the responsibility of generating that power within that year and the ability to distribute that power has to be in line. The power frame work in Nigeria now is very intelligent and sustainable. I can assure you that there will be massive power haulage in the next three to four years because we have gone past the time when for five years, we don’t have any additional mega watt; to a period where we now have a very strong faith that, in the next two to three years, we would be adding 2,000MW or more. So, I believe that is what it means to be providing sustainable power supply to Nigerians. The present policy is the right one that focuses on real improvement and not cosmetics; we are resetting the power sector in Nigeria to bring about sustainable progress in the power sector. We have reports of capacity decreasing by 400 megawatts instead of increasing. Is that

correct? I am of the opinion that the major problem facing the electricity sector in Nigeria is not about increase or decrease in megawatts. If we are doing 4500MW in December and maybe due to vandalisation of gas pipeline, repair and other unforeseen challenges, it’s dropped to 4,000 or thereabouts, it happens all over the world and because we have acute shortage in MW, it becomes news. There are peak and off peak periods where the power available will not be able to carry us but by the time we enter adequate

They were stagnant for some years but it was the framework of Jonathan administration that fast-tracked their efforts. If not, it would have been difficult for them to have gotten to this level. What that means is that in a couple of months and years, new power plants would be constructed by the companies licensed by NERC to start operation. Geometric is the first organization which got licensed because they already signed a memorandum of understanding,MOU, with the Federal Government before NERC came on board. But if you look back to about

If some people say that in the next two, three years, they can generate 40,000MW, we would like to see their business plan and their policy framework; I believe the policy President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration has adopted is a very intelligent one sustainability, all the issues about shortage will be a thing of the past. How soon are Nigerians going to experience uninterrupted power supply? We are already getting there. If presently, we are operating on 2,000MW, that simply means we started the operation three to four years ago. So, you won’t see the result of the one we are doing today until the next three to four years. For instance, so many things are being done today. Hopefully, Geometric Power will be operational next month and that has been there for the past six years.

two years ago, what would you say about Geometric? You would probably say no progress had been made but if you fasttrack to the end of next year when 3,000MW would have been added, you would probably say a lot of progress has been made because power projects are capital intensive and the gestation period is very long. NERC has created a market that attracted millions of dollars on investment. It is a vote of confidence that NERC has put in place to better the sector. The reason the sector did not enjoy 20,000, to 30,000MW in the

early 60s, 70s, 80s was because the system was not well structured but, in the next 10 years, we should be talking about multiple of tens of thousands of mega watts and even more. In other words, there will be geometric increase. There are reports from applicants of pre-paid meters that N25,000 is being requested for acquisition should it be so?. We have realized that the issue of meter is causing so much problem and people don’t seem to understand it. You don’t pay twice. The moment you pay the money; they will deduct it from the service you’re enjoying. Meters and transformers ideally belong to the service provider. Even if you buy a transformer, it does not belong to you, that is why you should not buy anything by yourself. They should be provided for by the service provider based on the investment plan and the distribution plan of the operator. There are two problems here: the distribution company said they have no money and the consumers are left in the dark for too long. Second, Nigerians built houses where there is no access to electric power supply and they are not patient enough to wait for the service providers to bring in transformers and meters and, if you pay, the meter belongs to government. The situation was that when NERC did the tariff review, we made it very clear that customers should not pay for meter. The ideal thing was that the investors will come and meter everybody at a price that is feasible but consumers were calling us, saying they want to pay for their own meter in order to escape from what they call over-estimated billings or outrageous billings. So we approved it but with the intention of refunding the money to them in the form of fixed tariff charges until that amount is re-acquired fully. But the ideal market created is that you’re not to pay for meter. That you must get a meter as soon as possible is the intelligent plan of the distribution company.But because this plan is not working effectively, we now allow our consumers to front load meter. Is the increase in the electricity service-charge from N500 to N750 justifiable? When we launched the tariff plan, the methodology was for five years, which is prone to change every six months. The tariff review was meant to run from 2012 to 2016. In 2012, people forgot that the service charge will change except something beyond control happened. We did not introduce any new tariff review. We should have communicated to the people how the plan works. NERC did not increase the tariff this year.

PAGE 46—SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER, 2013

LPG

Nigeria loses a fortune *Utilisation can cut petrol subsidy BYKUNLE KALEJAYE This report presents the clear and present danger Nigeria faces on many fronts if it does not begin in earnest to engage a critical development paradigm for the optimal utilisation of its vast liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). It also provides a wide range of options for this engagement as well as the multi-faceted benefits that will accrue.

IGERIA is said to be predominantly a gas country with untapped huge expanse of reserves in excess of 187tcf and an average production capacity of over three million metric tonnes (MT) per year. But in spite of this huge endowment, Nigeria, regrettably, has the lowest per capita liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) consumption of 1.1kg in Africa. In 2011, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison Madueke, announced that LPG is the alternative to kerosene. According to her, LPG is cleaner, safer, healthier and most affordable for cooking. However, according to a report by the Nigeria Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association, the annual LPG consumption in Nigeria for 2010 was 120,000 metric tonnes, whereas, in Lagos alone, there is a potential market for 1,000,000 metric tonnes annually the report stated. Hence, the development of Nigeria’s domestic LPG market, without doubt has continued to be affected in great measures due to choice of firewood and kerosene as energy sources for cooking. National President, Petroleum Gas Retailer Association of Nigeria, Mr. Michael Chika, said to curb affordability of LPG in the country, Nigeria should follow the examples of countries like Indonesia, Philippines, Guangdong - China, Brazil and even South Africa, adding that their examples could help solve subsidy issues by reducing large expenditure on kerosene. According to him, to overcome affordability issues, Indonesia, for example, initiated a cylinder programme in 2007 and has, since then, introduced a total of 37.44 million units of 3kg cylinders in the country free of charge. It targeted household consumers and small and medium-scale businesses and withdrew 3.26 billion litres of kerosene. He said “In 2004, Philippines, on its part, took from their rural population 6 million defective cylinders and replaced them at a subsidised rate. The Cylinder Replacement Scheme was funded through revenue generated from Value Added Tax (VAT) on LPG sales. “With a population of 120 million and a market size of

Gas flaring: A waste of resources 413,000 Million tonnes, the Chinese City of Guangdong, in 1991, implemented an LPG expansion programme which grew the market to 6 Million tonnes within 20years. Today, Guangdong consumes in excess of 10 million tonnes annually, which is about the same as the annual African LPG demand. “Brazil, with a population of 203 million, has 100 million cylinders in circulation and consumes over 5 million tonnes of LPG annually. “South Africa has a population of over 40 million but has a total cylinder population of about 25 million. In 2009, local refineries, supplied over 90 per cent of their current consumption of 370,000 tonnes. “In some West African countries like Ghana and Senegal, consumption of LPG has increased over the years. Ghana with a population of 25 million grew her consumption from 78,000 tonnes in 2005, to 240,000 tonnes in 2010. Senegal, with only 14 million people, consumed some 300,000 tonnes of LPG in 2010.” Chike further stated that the Federal Government and Nigerians can make a lot of savings by switching from kerosene to LPG, noting that Indonesia saved more than 1.65 billion USD per annum on fuel subsidies in 2010. Using the Indonesian Model, the LPGRAN scribe said government should partner with the private sector to provide LPG infrastructure such as storage, filling station, skid tank and LPG truck. “They should also distribute free initial package of 3kg LPG cylinders, enlighten the populace about the benefits of LPG, and give incentives to support the Conversion Scheme. The

available kerosene can be better deployed to the aviation industry as jet fuel.” Challenges President of Nigeria Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association (NLPGA), Mr. Dayo Adeshina, in an interview, said the VAT on domestic LPG, extant statutory duties/tariffs on LPG equipment and most importantly government’s hefty subsidising of

N i g e r i a averagely spends about N345b on kerosene subsidy yearly and increased LPG usage will reduce the amount and also reduce the unquantifiable damage to the environment through the use of fire wood domestic kerosene for years now have not helped in the promotion of wide usage of domestic LPG in Nigeria, thus, the slow-paced growth of the LPG market in the country. Chika, the LPGARAN National President, also speaking on the challenges facing LPG in Nigeria, explained that the Federal Government is yet to implement any robust policy on LPG, thereby leaving the country to be one of the least LPG consuming nations in the world. In 2012, Chika said government prepared a policy framework to develop LPG but nothing has been heard about

that since then. He listed other challenges facing the LPG market. According to him “the latest NIMASA / NLNG crisis brought a setback on the little progress made since NLNG intervention in late 2007.” He continued: “NLNG sells LPG to Nigerians at international price often influenced by demand and supply phenomenon. ”At about 250 metric tonnes consumption per year, Nigeria remains one of the least consuming country on earth. Also little progress has been made so far is mainly as a result of the efforts of the stakeholders often under the Nigeria LP Gas Association (NLPGA). ”Lagos based LPG depots are only used to supply LPG to Nigerians in recent times, making prices to be too high in the South-east, South-south, and North. ”Generally, the supply situation is slow due to congestion in Lagos and preference given to other petroleum products such as PMS, DPK and aviation fuel. ”Prices generally remain high against the expectations of the stakeholders as a result of the factors. Boosting usage Meanwhile, some local firms and state governments have rolled out various schemes that will encourage the use of LPG in the country. For instance, the Federal Government recently commended companies that have popularised the use of LPG. The companies include NIPCO, Oando, Techno Oil and the Lagos State government. Speaking just before her departure to New York to attend the UN General Assembly, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke,

expressed her keen delight in the effort put in place by the companies to promote LPG as cooking gas. She stated that government was delighted over the remarkable increase in LPG consumption from 100,000 metric tonnes to 250,000 metric tonnes in 2012. “Government appreciates the pioneering efforts of Techno Oil Ltd, Oando Plc and NIPCO Plc in the popularisation of small gas cylinders for low-income homes,” Alison-Madueke stated. In 2012, Techno Oil launched its “Going Green Revolution” which introduced gas stoves, in a bid to make Nigerian households to embrace the use of cooking gas, rather than continuing to depend on kerosene, fire wood and other sources of energy harmful to the e n v i r o n m e n t . Oando Plc similarly invested in gas stoves, providing the product in major retail outlets nationwide to make Nigerian households to embrace the facility. Some months ago, Lagos State government launched the “CAGEL Programme,” aimed at prompting clean and sustainable environment. The programme was commissioned by Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, with the active support of Techno Oil and Oando. The CAGEL Programme, launched at the popular Oyingbo Market in the Lagos heartland, attracted hundreds of households who went home with 3 kg and 6 kg gas stoves at subsidised rates. Executive Vice-Chairman of Techno Oil, Mrs Nkechi Obi, at the occasion, expressed delight that government had started appreciating the struggle of the oil companies to promote LPG usage in Nigeria. “Nigeria is a predominantly gas province with untapped huge expanse of gas reserves in excess of 187tcf and an average production capacity of over three million metric tonnes per year,”Obi said. “But in spite of this huge endowment, Nigeria regrettably, has the lowest per capita LPG consumption of 1.1kg in Africa”, Obi said. “Nigeria averagely spends about N345b on kerosene subsidy yearly and increased LPG usage will reduce the amount and also reduce the unquantifiable damage to the environment through the use of fire wood. “For us in Techno Oil, the advocacy for the switch to the use of cooking gas — a cleaner way of cooking — has become a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). We regard ourselves as change agents. It is a disgrace that Nigeria with so much gas reserves higher than countries like Ghana and Senegal will have the lowest consumption of cooking gas.” She added: “It is our determination to sustain the LPG advocacy because the nation will be better for its and the money spent on subsidising kerosene importation will be spent on other critical sectors such as education, healthcare and infrastructure development. “We are happy that stakeholders are appreciating the humble efforts of our advocacy and the investment of Techno Oil in making cooking gas the energy of choice in Nigeria.”

SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 6, 2013, PAGE 47

Appropriate legal framework for foods and drugs BY MARTINS IKHILAE VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF The imperative of reviewing NAFDAC Act to strengthen its campaign against fake drugs.

HE need for a legal framework to back the exploits of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) cannot be underplayed. It has become imperative for government, through its parliamentary arm, to re-strengthen the legal instrument backing the agency’s enforcement activities. A cursory attention must be paid to India and China where majority of the nation’s pharmaceutical products are imported. Following complaints from the Nigerian government through NAFDAC under the leadership of Dr. Paul B. Orhii, the government of China had to sentence six of its citizens to death for manufacturing and shipping into Nigeria cloned and counterfeited pharmaceutical products. It would be frustrating for NAFDAC officials to embark on energy-sapping and highly demanding enforcement exercises leading to apprehension, prosecution and conviction of counterfeiters of the agency’s regulated products particularly drugs only for such offenders/convicts to be treated with kid

gloves by the law courts through the imposition of laughable sentences and fines. These legal decisions and actions invariably are predicated on provisions of the agency’s aged parliamentary acts which evidently have been overtaken by modern development as regards desire to maximally sanitize health care

VIEWPOINT

A cursory attention must be paid to India and China where majority of the nation’s pharmaceutical products are imported

practices. NAFDAC was established by Decree No 15 of 1993 as amended and now Act cap NI Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN ) 2004 and consequently accorded a comprehensive mandate which empowers it to regulate as well as control the manufacture, importation, exportation, distribution, advertisement, sale and use of food, drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, chemicals and packaged water. The “monumental footprints” so far engraved by the agency in the nation’s healthcare delivery sector

through dynamic innovations and sophisticated approaches towards confronting and conquering healthcare delivery retarding “cankerworms” are indeed laudable and will continuously remain memorable in the minds of every Nigerian. However, events in global healthcare services fortification seems to have overtaken the age long legal policies governing NAFDAC operations. Unquestionably, the amendment seeking aspect of the agency enabling laws is particularly the clauses which have to do with the weight and size/ degree of punishment/ penalty stipulated for persons found to have contravened NAFDAC Acts especially those who sabotaged its efforts towards entrenching and maximally sustaining a healthy society for all. All the strenuous efforts, mouth-watering and award earning achievements of NAFDAC will amount to merely “pouring water into a wasteful basket” if urgent measures are not adopted by the nation’s Judicial arm of government (i.e. office of the Attorney General of the Federation, National Assembly to amend the status- quo which amount to treating capital health offences with levity. A good example in this regard is the recent manhandling of officials of NAFDAC who were on inspection of a bakery in Osogbo, Osun State capital to prevent the bakers from using deadly and cancer causing flour enhancer popularly known as potassium bromate

outlawed by NAFDAC. A Federal High Court convicted the baker. Delivering his judgment, Justice Babs Kuewumi pronounced the baker guilty as charged and summarily sentenced him to one year imprisonment with an option of N4,000. Although the light sentence is not the fault of the judge as it was in accordance with the legal provisions in that regard, it is ridiculous punishment which lacks the strength and ability to forestall future similar occurrence. Also worthy of mention is the celebrated My Pikin teething mixture which was credited with the death of some Nigerian children in 2008. NAFDAC secured a court judgment against the producers of the deadly product. The court ordered that the firm, Barewa Pharmaceutical, wind up in accordance with the provisions of the law while its assets be forfeited to the Federal Government. Although these and other convictions secured by the agency portend a radical departure from the past when this feat was unachievable, making it a premier historic initiative and accomplishment in the history of NAFDAC, there is the need to further encourage the agency’s officials in their zeal to entrench sanity in the nation’s healthcare delivery sector through a total overhaul of the agency’s enabling laws to enable it prescribe very stringent punishment which will also grant powers to take away the incentives from drug faking and counterfeiting business.

* Ikhilae is a Lagos based public affairs analyst. Email: martinsikhilae@ymail.com

PAGE 48—SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 6, 2013,

By JAPHET ALAKAM LECTURE

Asserting African identity through hairstyles PHOTOGRAPHY

or the average Nigerian women who are engrossed with western cultures, there is the need for them to go back to their roots as there are a lot of values in African culture especially their hairstyles. This is the central message in the ongoing exhibition at the Omenka gallery Ikoyi. Tagged, Networks and Voids, Modern Interpretations of Nigerian Hairstyles and Headdresses, an exhibition of work by celebrated Nigerian photographer, ‘Okhai Ojeikere and one of the fastrising names on the continent, American artist, Gary Stephens who lives and works in Johannesburg opened on October 5 and will run to 19, 2013. On display were about 25 works. The works presented in varying media of photography, linoleum prints and charcoal on paper, are united by the central theme of Nigerian hairstyles and headdresses (geles) fashioned from hand-woven aso-oke and expensive imported textiles including damask and brocade.

Speaking at the previev, Oliver Enwonwu, curator of Omenka gallery said that “the show draws its title from the variegated patterns formed by the network of interlocking branches of finely plaited hair and the open spaces or voids left in their wake. These patterns are repeated in the weaves of the headdresses, where they give the impression of low relief embroidery and mimic matching lace outfits populated by open spaces.” For Ojeikere who started taking photographs since 1956, the works reveal some of the different photograph of hairstyles that Nigerian women adorn which are now regarded as old fashion. Among the works on display are Ojeikere’s Onile go go ro (skyscraper), Suku oni di di and Suku Sinero ki ko. In traditional African society, hairstyles had immense cultural and social significance, but in modem times, the social significance and personal meaning of traditional hairstyles have been eliminated and forgotten. Instead, ancient styles are re-born, with many variations linking them more with fashion than aesthetic feeling. This Ojeikere

*One of the works by Garry Stephens media and techniques to engage issues of preservation. Perhaps the similarities between the artists end here. Since 1968, Ojeikere began to develop series of photographs exploring Nigerian culture. The Hairstyles and Headdresses are his best-known and most significant bodies of work. Importantly, these series are shot in black-and-white and largely with an analogue camera, which lends to the cultural and historical significance of the work. Ojeikere’s series of photographs has since become a significant anthropological, ethnographic and documentary national treasure as it tends to preserve traditional hairstyles, but Stephens records the *One of the works by Pa Ojeikere evolving culture associated with employs African women to go bringing his monumental these hairstyles by capturing back to their roots as there are drawings of hairstyles that the sense of modernity and a lot of values attached to it. people feel and appreciate. dynamism of urban style in For Gary Stephens who Though in black and white, Africa. He is also successful in his fusion of the exhibited at the same gallery more last year, this time he is In traditional African comparatively traditional media of drawing society, hairstyles had and printmaking with immense cultural and meticulously crafted string social significance, but systems. This dedication and striking attention to detail is in modem times, the clearly evident in his social significance and drawings. Johannesburg to mention a ombining long, vertical, personal meaning of few. Our target is for Abuja repetitive folds and traditional hairstyles to be one of the top Jazz pleats in the paper with string destinations in Africa in 5 have been eliminated systems, Stephens years and the world in 10 emphasizes the threeand forgotten years and ABUJAZZ is the dimensional quality of the vehicle to do that. the works as usual portray the weave patterns and voids in We also believe apart from back and style of the geles the plaited hair. Here, the providing top class modern women in Nigeria focus is slightly different. The entertainment through live wear. This can be seen system of strings and vertical Jazz and Jazz related music through works like Braids, pleats are a metaphor for the performances it will help Earrings and Sunglasses, influence of modernity and deepen the tourism realities The Moonlight Scarf and the spread of global capitalism of Abuja and Nigeria by Shiny Braid Bun, he raises on post colonial Nigeria promoting sustainable and The drawings and questions of hybridity and responsible tourism. The identity as his subjects adorn photographs of various economic impact on big and sunglasses, modem earrings hairstyles by Ojeikere and small businesses as and decorative ornaments in Stephens are veritable sites to thousands are attracted yearly their hair. Of particular assert the African identity and is enormous and the reference are his drawings challenge these stereotypes. hospitality and other Zig Zag Braids and Neema, The works then assume greater importance and new businesses benefit. The the titles accentuating these meanings along two major image of our great nation notions of modernity and lines of thoughts; first when Nigeria will be reinforced underlining the artist’s viewed against the positively as patrons get to interest in capturing the preponderance of imported visit and see progress being distinctively African sense of human and synthetic hair and made first hand. Abuja is skin lightening beauty urban fashion. being positioned as a live At first glance, it seems products, and second in music destination in Africa.” rather disconcerting that the documenting an ebbing artists employ contemporary culture.

Inspiro takes Jazz to Abuja A

fter dazzling Lagos jazz fans for years, Inspiro productions, a jazz promotion outfit is set to hit the city of Abuja in the Federal Capital Territory with a world class signature event tagged the 1st Annual Abuja International Jazz festival – ABUJAZZ in November 2013. The initiative is a partnership between The prestigious Abuja Jazz Club and expert event management and Jazz promotions outfit - Inspiro productions.

A joint statement issued by the organisers and co-signed by Jimmy Johnson Chairman – ABUJAZZ Publicity SubCommittee and Ayoola Sadare - Inspiro CEO stated “Abuja in particular and Nigeria as a whole is strategically being positioned as a Jazz Tourism destination placing the city firmly on the Global Jazz Tourism Circuit side by side with other global Jazz festival cities like New Orleans, Montreux, Montreal, Paris, Dubai, Tokyo, London, New York, Cape Town and

• L-R: Ayoola Sadere(CEO-Inspiro productions), Gboyega Adelaja, Floretta Odili-Obi, Greg Ozegbe, Peter Igho and others at a meeting in Abuja

STORIES BY JAPHET ALAKAM

SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 6, 2013, PAGE 49

The amazing world of Maurice Iwu ‘How Nigeria can earn $1b from herbs and medicinal foods’

HIS year’s HerbFest is getting huge attention. What marks it away from the previous ones? Two things: It is the first HerbFest that is dedicated exclusively to food plant - the emphasis is on food medicine . The other reason is that there are some exciting new products that will be launched at HerbFest 2013. The previous four editions had been mainly on medicinal plants. This time, there are many Nigerian companies that have gone into dietary components and are launching new products. That is why we think this year’s own has to be done in a special way. That is why we are partnering with some media organisations to promote the event so that it will become a Nigerian event. In America where they have what they call NaturalExpo, they hold the event three times yearly. They use the event to showcase to people from other countries who attend what they can do . They use the event to shop around for new ideas. In this year’s HerbFest some foreigners are attending. They will look at Nigeria’s capabilities and see what they can buy from our scientists and our manufacturers. Can you be specific on the countries attending the Expo? U.S, Britain, South Africa , some West African countries, etc. Some of their top pharmaceutical companies are attending. We don’t have the exact figure of the countries that are coming; we will know when the day comes. Remember this is the only event that happens in Africa where you really have manufactured dietary supplements and medicinal plants products on display. This year’s case, as I said earlier, will be different because it is focusing on ‘foods as medicine’. We will be able to showcase what has been done in various parts of Nigeria; our raw materials, how far we have been able to process them. One other thing that is also exciting this year is that since the last two years, two West African products have met international standards. They’re making waves. One is called the African Bush Mango; that you can use Ogbono fruits for slimming down. If you Google the Internet, it is the number one medicine for weight loss. The second product that has made it to the international market is Moringa. It is a plant that is used by the Hausa people for cooking soup. It is a very good medicine. Although we the scientists have known this for the past 25 years, within the last two years, it has become popular in the in-

ternational market. The whole idea is to take a product and promote it. We have looked at the whole issue of ageing. We have come up with a product that will make old people to function maximally even at old age. What happened here is that we have been able to get a particular mushroom that grows on the head of caterpillar. It is an ancient mushroom. We combined it with two other products to have a unique product that will make ageing not to be seen as a disease. You can age and, just like any other kind of organic function, you can function effectively. That means it makes your brain to function well? Every part of your body; even physically. We have things for brain health. We have another mushroom that is good at helping you adapt and make diseases not affect people or succumb easily. There will also be a talk about actual domestication of some white plants that people will show how they’ve been able to cultivate hitherto plants they have not been able to cultivate. This is a component of agriculture that people are not very aware of. It can compete favourably with other aspects of the economy. The market estimate for this sector is $40 billion annually. This is something that Nigeria should be able to have a platform for people to view our capability as a nation and be able to interact among scientists and businesses. It is the only platform we have on

Nigeria’s former electoral umpire, Professor Maurice Iwu, in this interview, veers into the world of herbal medication. He says Nigeria’s potentials are many, saying two of them are herbs and medicinal foods, both of which, according to him, can earn the country at least $1 annually. Excerpts:

Nigeria spends more than that buying Chinese products. When some people travel, half of their boxes are filled with vitamins. Our own tea manufacturing companies are struggling because they are not patronised by our people

the continent where we can have this kind of interaction. It is not entirely economic, industrial or scientific. The participants will be able to interface. What is the level of involvement of government in HerbFest ? Luckily for us, we have the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency. The agency has been partnering with us for about 10 years now. We also have a full retinue of government agencies that are involved. The commitment is not necessarily in terms of money. Sometimes it is encouragement. The

•Professor Maurice Iwu place we are having the event is at Raw Materials Research and Development Council. We also have NAFDAC which is the regulatory agency. NAFDAC has played a wonderful role by setting the standard for the products. That gives foreigners good feelings in terms of knowing that those products have been regulated. NAFDAC is very stringent in making its rules. We also have the government-owned research agency. Even the active participation of these agencies alone is a form of support to us. It is a sector that doesn’t really require government intervention. But if you help universities to be strong in departments of biology, pharmacy, biochemistry and economics, it will be good. There is no aspect of our academia that is not useful for the kind of work we are doing. That is something that can open the economy to a whole new dimension. We also have farmers who are specialised in these kinds of crops. We have people who can grow tomatoes for example - Tomatoes, not for food only, but as medicine. Raw tomatoes are good for men suffering from prostrate disease. There are so many aspects of it. There is the leaf, for example, for stress. There is this thing called Ukpo and it’s used for cooking. It is very good for male libido. I just saw a packaged product few minutes ago for that. If you turn it the other way round, it helps in female libido too. Some of these traditional medicine practitioners come up with one herb and claim it can cure 20 ailments. Sometimes, people find it difficult believing them. Don’t you think that is one of the reasons several people don’t openly embrace traditional medicines? I think you have a point there. We shouldn’t confuse traditional medicine with herbal medicinal products. Traditional medicine as the name entails is a traditional medicine. It’s based on experiential rather than evidence. Somebody had been using something and you don’t know why he does that. The other one is based on evidence. That doesn’t mean that traditional medicine doesn’t have its merits. But the human body is complex and it’s difficult to know where your ability of self-healing stops and medical healing starts. Much more fundamental is the fact that it is so difficult to explain to people who are used to medical approach to health-

care to begin to explain to them that you can treat somebody through a holistic approach. How many participants and corporate bodies are you expecting? We are targeting about 200 people. It is a specialised event. But the number may be higher since it is a public event and it holds in Abuja. Are lecturers in universities and research institutions involved? Yes, universities are very actively involved. We have people that are coming from the Universities of Lagos, Obafemi Awolowo, Jos, Ahmadu Bello, UNN, among others. How much does Nigeria stand to gain annually from this? It is difficult to estimate. It is an informal sector. Very easily, I don’t see why the nation cannot generate $1 billion annually from this. It is just in terms of monetary value. The jobs that you create, the healthy nation that you have, the impact you have in the society are unquantifiable. Nigeria spends more than that buying Chinese products. When some people travel, half of their boxes are filled with vitamins. Our own tea manufacturing companies are struggling because they are not patronised by our people. One of the outcomes we expect from this festival is to have an undertaking to have it as an annual event. The industry has come of age and we can have it annually. The second thing is that we will be talking among ourselves and have a monograph of current products that are in current use. What that does is that it will help researchers and the market people know what the standards are. Those are the behind- the-scenes things that will come out of the event. Where is the place of Nigeria in this sphere of medicine? Nigeria is in a very peculiar situation. We are not in the top league when it comes to people who export herbal products. We talk about South Africa, Ghana and even Kenya. It was during the recent fire incident in Kenya airport that I was shocked of the number of flowers and herbal products they export everyday. They were making about $3 million everyday. You’ve even our neighbouring Cameroon here. Apart from kola nuts, Nigeria is minimal in that area. We want Nigeria to compete in terms of the finished products.

PAGE 50, SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013

C M Y K

SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 6, 2013 — PAGE 51

I’ve a long way to go with Celtic— Efe Ambrose •As club manager rates him high

UPER Eagles and Celtic defender, Efe Ambrose has agreed a new four-year contract with the Scottish champions even as he commits his future to the club The 24-year-old Nigeria international arrived in Glasgow in August 2012 after joining for an undisclosed fee from Israeli club Ashdod. “He’s already an important player for us,” said Celtic manager Neil Lennon. “Efe has been fantastic and he’s low maintenance in terms of injuries. “He’s got terrific pace, terrific athleticism and he’s improving.” An Africa Cup of Nations winner this year, Ambrose is now tied to the Glasgow club until the summer of 2017. “He gives us an extra dimension in the way we play,” added Lennon. “When teams are camped in, he’s not afraid to bring the ball out from the back and take a risk now and again. “I don’t want to discourage that because he’s becoming consistently good at it.” Ambrose has scored once this season, in the Champions League qualifier at home to Cliftonville, and is enjoying his time in Scotland. “Celtic are a massive club, one of the biggest in Europe, and the history behind the club is great,” he said. “I still believe I have a long way to go. But this deal shows how committed to the club I am. “I feel at home here, my family is settled and that is important to me.”

BY BENEDICTA ADEBGOYEGA

NSC promises logistics support for Eagles’ Addis Ababa battle A

S the crucial World Cup first leg final qualifier between the Super Eagles and Ethiopia draws near, the Sports Minister/Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi has reiterated the commission’s zeal and commitment to support the team in beating Ethiopia in in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia on October 13, 2013 . The minister represented by the NSC’s Di-

rector of Finance and Supply, Alh. Mustapha Mohammed when the Supporters Club of the Super Eagles paid him a courtesy call in his office at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja on Thursday promised to assist with logistical support for members of the Supporters Club to come out in full force and support the team in Addis Ababa. The minister said that the Super Eagles match in Ethiopia is a national assign-

ment and no stone will be left unturned in order to ensure the qualification of the Super Eagles. Chairman of the Supporters Club national, Dr. Rafiu Ladipo who led the delegation to the minister expressed their relentless effort to help the Super Eagles raise the Nigerian flag at the World Cup in Brazil next year. Dr. Ladipo noted that the National Sports

Nadal, Serena hit China Open final •Plays Djokovic, set to become No 1

AFAEL Nadal will return to number one in the world rankings on Monday after reaching the final of the China Open just as Serena Williams overcame a back injury to also reach the final where she will play Jelena Jankovic. Nadal, 27, was leading fourth seed Tomas Berdych 4-2 in the first set of their semi-final when his Czech opponent retired with a back injury. “This is a great year, one of the best of my career,” said the Spaniard, who

Nigeria female boxing champion dreams Rio 2016

won the French Open and US Open and was last top of the rankings in July 2011. Nadal will play current world number one Novak Djokovic in today’s final. The Serb breezed past France’s Richard Gasquet 6-4 6-2 in his semi-final. “It is special to be back to the top position of the rankings after more than half a year without playing tennis,” added Nadal. “What makes me happy is everything I did to be back where I am.”

Meanwhile, the women’s world number one, Serena walked off court clutching her back during the second set of her semi-final but returned to complete a 6-2 6-2 victory over Polish third seed Agnieszka Radwanska. The 32-year-old American said: “My back was a little tight from playing a lot so I was just trying to release it.” Jankovic beat Petra Kvitova in the other semi-final 6-7 (7-9) 6-1 6-1. The Serbian, seeded eight, broke serve eight times in the match and took advantage of Kvito-

va’s 25 errors in the second set to record a first win against the Czech player and reach the final.

•Nadal

Commission is their constituency hence their visit to intimate the minister of their plea for financial support for both the Club and journalists towards a memorable outing in Ethiopia.

•Dr. Ladipo

IGERIAN female boxer, Kehinde Obare has high hopes that she will qualify to represent the country at the 2016 Rio Olympics after narrowly missing the London 2012 Games last year. Obare who is the national champion in the 60kg category from the last national championships in Lagos stated that she was seriously working hard to earn a ticket to be at the Olympics as it represents the highest level of participation in the sport. “I have high hopes that I will qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics. In 2012 I was very close to achieving that. By God’s grace my training is going on well and we are getting all the support from the boxing federation,” said the boxer who is also very good at kick boxing. Female boxing was introduced into the Olympics in 2012 and Nigeria had only one female boxer in London, she was Edith Ogoke who could only manage a quarter-final finish. Obare who believes that hard work leads to success said “I will be in Rio by God’s grace to have my own Olympics experience,” adding that she was looking forward to the female world championship in three months time, where she can show her skills, so as to take her to the next level of her career. She also commended the government for their good works on sports and boxing in particular, and urged the government to continue to support athletes so they could achieve their potential.

World boxing championship: Federation keeps team list secret

ORMER Nigerian Olympian and coach of the national boxing team, Tony Konyegwachi is hopeful that the seven boxers to represent the country at the World Boxing Championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan, from October 14 to 26, 2013 will give a good account of themselves. Konyegwachi told NAN in Lagos after their training that the seven boxers were chosen based on merit. However, he said

the list of the selected boxers was being kept a secret, in order not to create bad blood in the camp. “It will be premature to announce the names, now that the camp is still ongoing. Even the selected boxers are yet to be aware of the list. “But one sure thing is that, they were picked based on their dexterity and ability to score valuable points,” Konyewachi said.

PAGE 52 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 6, 2013

WADA questions Campbell-Brown’s clearance apply in addition to the been under scrutiny this year with Asafa Powell

ORLD Anti-doping agency (WADA) has expressed reservations on the clean bill given to twotime Olympic 200m champion, Veronica Campbell-Brown by the Jamaican Athletics Association after she tested positive to banned drugs. The 31-year-old who won gold at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, tested positive for a banned diuretic at the Jamaica International Invitational in May. But Jamaican Athletics Administrative Association said in a statement that a reprimand is sufficient because the banned substance was not used for performance enhancement. The disciplinary committee “ recommended that a reprimand without any period of ineligibility would be appropriate”. World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) responded by issuing a statement which says the IAAF has the right to appeal against the JAAA’s decision. “In this case, IAAF rules

regulations set out in the World Anti-Doping Code,” the statement said. “Therefore, the IAAF has 45 days (from receipt of the decision) to file an appeal. After this period, or once they have made their decision, Wada will have 21 days to decide whether to lodge an appeal.” Jamaican sprinting has

and Sherone Simpson also testing positive for banned substances, which forced them to miss the World Championships in Moscow in August. And in 2009, Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake and three other islanders received reduced suspensions of three months after testing positive for a banned stimulant.

DOPING CONCERNS ...Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown (centre)competing with Murrile Ahure of Cote’d Ivoire (right) and Tianna Madison of the USA.

Give us money, we’ll get results — Nigerian coaches declare

IGERIAN athletics coaches have urged the sports authorities to give them financial muscle in their drive to discover and groom more athletes for the country. This call was made by the coaches against the background of the submission by Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN tasking them to buckle up and produce more grassroots athletes like was done in the past when Nigerian athletics thrived with a sparkle. Then coaches like Harri-

son Momoh, Tobias Igwe, late Samuel Akinyemi and others selflessly produced athletes in their localities and these athletes made a mark in world athletics. Names like Davidson Ezinwa, Mary Onyali, Fatima Yusuf, Olapade Adenike, Seun Ogunkoya passed through these coaches, but the story is different today. Nigeria has turned to a onestar- athlete nation. Most coaches have always complained of lack of motivation and finance, hence their seeming lack of

desire to knuckle down and do a good job of scouting and grooming young talents. “If our coaches can be empowered, we will get results. We have coaches who are ready to work, but if they don’t get funds to develop their programmes, they will not achieve much,” said Nigeria Coaches Association president, Gabriel Okon. His view was seconded by high jump coach Johnny Igboka who runs an athletics academy in his home town Nimo.

My humble plea to Keshi I

Commonwealth Games: Toblow urges NSC to support AFN preparations

WANT to say that Su per Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi is neither my friend nor my enemy. My only relationship with him is that we were former Bendalites before the military separated us into Edo and Delta States. He being from Illah fell into Delta while me from a litle village called Ekpon in Igueben local government fell into Edo. But I have always admired Keshi from his days as a player of the defunct New Nigeria Football Club of Benin, the only club I have truly supported in Nigeria. I stopped supporting them in 1983 after IICC Shooting Stars ‘robbed’ them of victory at the Adamasingba Stadium after they led 2-0 in a league match that year.. I almost failed an exam I was to write the next day as an undergraduate of the then University of Ife. The essence of this piece is to bring to Keshi’s notice the thoughts of Nigerians on his position on Eagles captain, Joseph Yobo and the lessons he should learn from Clemens

Westerhof and Shaibu Amodu when it comes to assisting players achieve a milestone. I decided to do this piece after Dr. Rafiu Ladipo, the president-general of the Nigeria Football and other Sports Supporters Club added his voice to the clarion call on Keshi to reconsider his stand on Yobo making the Eagles team. I recall that Westerhof was recalcitrant on the call for him to draft Nduka Ugbade into the Eagles team for the FIFA World Cup in 1994 after the Nations Cup victory some months earlier. Ugbade had captained the Golden Eaglets to their first ever victory in 1985 in China to become the first blackman to ever lift a FIFA trophy.He was part of Nigeria’s team that was on the verge of making history again as the first African team to lift the FIFA U-20 trophy in Saudi Arabia in 1989 before the Flying Eagles fell to Portugal in the final. If Ugbade had made the Eagles list to the USA ’94 World Cup, he would have become the first player to have participated in all FIFA’s com-

petition from the U-17 through U-20 to the senior competition. FIFA looked forward to it and Ugbade was expectant but Westerhof ruined that dream and Ugbade has not forgotten nor forgiven the Dutch for that till today. Next was late Rashidi Yekini, Nigeria’s most prolific striker till date. Yekini, after the Nations Cup victory in 1994 was one goal short of Laurent Poku’s all time Nations Cup goal of 14.He was looking forward to that in the 1996 edition hosted by South Africa. It never was because late Head of State General Sani Abacha pulled the Eagles out of the competition. Yekini never recovered from that disapointment, believing that the Nigeria he so much laboured to lift high soccer-wise could treat him that way. Initialy I thought Yekini held Abacha responsible for that botched dream until I read a book in his memory written by his close cofidant and lawyer, Barrister Jubril Mohammed Olarenwaju where it was re-

ENOWNED grass roots athletics coach, Tobias Igwe has urged authorities of the country’s sports to commence early preparations for the 2014 Commonwealth Games billed for July 23 to August 3, 2014. The coach who was in Nigeria’s team to the 2010 Games in New Delhi, India, stated that it was necessary for the National Sports Commission, NSC to set the ball rolling by providing funds that will drive the

vealed that Yekini believed Shaibu Amodu, who was incharge of the team after Westerhof took a walk in 1994, did him in by dropping him out of the team that were supposed to defend the trophy in 1996. He didn’t complain of Abacha, the lawyer wrote, but Amodu who dropped him. That annoyance he took to the great beyond and never forgave Amodu. Now again, Yobo is on the verge of making history as the most capped Eagles. He has been capped 96 times or so and needs just four matches to hit the 100 caps mark but suddenly he is no longer consdered good enough to even sit on the bench and be counted among the 23 players registerd for a match. According to his friends, Yobo is not too keen making the 2014 World Cup in Brazil but to enter the record books and just like Ugbade and Yekini, that dream is slipping out of his eyes courtesy of Keshi’s tough posture. Dr Ladipo rightly said that Yobo has laboured for the Eagles and Nigeria and dserves to be assisted in making history. He suggested that Keshi must not play Yobo for 90 minutes nor even 30 minutes but just 10 or five minutes in games that are already as sure as being won. That is my view too and today I talk to Keshi as one of his admirers to reconsider Yobo because of posterity. Ugbade’s heart still hurts and Yekini took Amodu’s name to the great beyond. Yobo must not keep Keshi in his mind for bad but for good forever, so give him

preparations of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria. “I sincerely believe that with early preparations, we will make a huge impact in Scotland; we have athletes that are as fast as Usain Bolt, but they need to train for a long time. By now we should understand that camping of athletes for two months will not give us the desired results. Our athletes do not start training early enough unlike the Jamaicans.

this honour. Keshi should also remember that Westerhof gave him the honour in 1994 both at the Nations Cup and World Cup by making him a non-playing captain. That was the first time that cliché entered into the football lexicon of Nigeria. Because he laboured to qualify Nigeria for both competitions, Keshi was given the honour of lifting the trophy when Nigeria won even though Austine Eguavoen wore the captain’s band in that competition. To today, it is counted that Keshi played in the World Cup. That was because Westerhof gave him that honour because of his work for the Eagles and Nigeria before then. Keshi could begin by giving Yobo some playing time from the second leg of the final qualifier against Ethiopia in Calabar on November 16, 2013. After qualification for the World Cup, which I believe is certain, the Eagles must play tune-up matches to prepare for the battle in Brazil and Yobo could have the chance to achieve his dream and remember Keshi, for good, forever. This is not too much to do for a captain that has done so much for trhe country. This I beg of Keshi my Bendel brother. I hope you hearken to this priceless advice and God will continue to pave more paths of success for you in Jesus name. Amen.

SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013, PAGE 53

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SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013

Wrestling: Igali vows to probe Nigeria’s visas denial BY SOLOMON NWOKE

RESIDENT of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, Dr Daniel Igali is still pained that his wrestlers were not able to participate at the recently held World Wrestling Championship in Budapest owing to visa hitches. Dr Igali was particularly hurt by the fact countries like Congo,Guinea

NFF committee declares Baribote a •May sanction him ‘rebel’

Bisau, Senegal, Cameroun and many others participated while Nigeria couldn’t not because of lack of funds, but because of visa problem. Nigeria had planned to feature three wrestlers; Ifeoma Iheanacho (67kg), Blessing Oborodudu (63kg) and Odunayo Adefioye (51kg) in preparation for the 2016 Olympics and the wrestling boss vowed top get to the root of the matter.. “We planed to go with three wrestlers, Ifeoma Iheanacho (67kg), Blessing Oborodudu (63kg) and Odunayo Adefioye (51kg) but we did not get visas. We did apply over two weeks before the tournament and we did not get visas. This is something I must get to the root of,

because while in Budapest I saw Congo, Guinea Bisau, Senegal, Cameroun and others. So why should Nigeria not get visas to be at the World championships. It really makes me feel bad since I am now the President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation . “Why it also bothers me is because when people ask what my regret in sports is, I tell them that one of my saddest moments was in 1992 when I was supposed to go for an Olympic qualifier but was dropped because there was no money.” In this case, we even have funds to go but there was no visa. So I can appreciate and understand how the athletes feel.

know by the books, is one Mrs Baribote, and legally Mrs Baribote representing Nembe City is not the same thing as Rumson Victor Baribote. So, we found this contradicting. “We found out that the letter he sent to FIFA was in bad faith and taste and we referred to articles 2, 4,

7, 10, 12 and 34. These are relevant articles of the NFF that authorised its chairman to set up this committee to look into this matter,” Inyama said. The committee chairman said the recommendations of the committee were however being kept secret until the NFF board had seen and approved it.

COMMITTEE set up by the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF has said that Victor Baribote, a former vice president of the federation was guilty of disobedience. Baribote, a former Chairman of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) and ex-NFF Second ViceChairman, had accused the association’s leadership of misconduct. He had sent a petition on this to world’s football governing body, FIFA, with the Zurich-based body asking the NFF to investigate the allegation instead. The NFF then set up a committee headed by Emeka Inyama, one of its board members and Chairman of its Media and Publicity Committee. Inyama, while presenting the committee’s report to the NFF leadership, said Baribote had contravened various articles in the football statutes which preached fair play. “In Baribote’s letter to FIFA, he claimed that he was still the chairman of the NPL.“We saw from evidence available that, sometime in December 2012, he was impeached by the Congress of the Premier League Club Owners in Abuja and those evidences were tendered. “How come six months

Baribote

Maigari after, he was writing as if he was still the Chairman of the NPL, whereas the same Baribote submitted himself to the authority of the League Management Company (LMC). “He took the LMC to court, but he participated in their meetings, one of which was a representation to Nigerian football. “Baribote was seated there and we found it embarrassing and confus-

RESULTS Man City Cardiff Fulham Hull Liverpool Sunderland

3 1 1 0 3 1

Everton Newcastle Stoke Aston Villa Crystal Palace Man Utd

1 2 0 0 1 2

GERMANY Monchengladbach Bayer Leverkusen

2 1

Dortmund Bayern Munich

TODAY’S MATCHES S’hampton Norwich Tottenham West Brom

v v v v

Swansea Chelsea West Ham Arsenal

1.30 pm 1.30 pm 4 pm 4 pm

0 1

ing. “He went to court against LMC and NFF, and against the course which he was promoting, collected N10. 5 million from the LMC, being a share of revenue from league sponsorship. “Yet he was in court with the same people, we did

not understand that,” Inyama claimed. He also said one Mrs Baribote was the true representative of Nembe City FC of Bayelsa, contrary to the make-belief of Victor Baribote that he was in charge. “The authorities of Nembe City FC, as we

CROSS WORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1. Nigerian state (5) 3. Snarled (7) 7. Of the dark race (5) 8. Respond (5) 9. Consumed (5) 10. Wit (3) 11. Church part (5) 13. Entrance (4) 15. Stitch (3) 17. Deed (4) 19. Hope (6) 21. However (3) 23. Thanks (2) 25. Curve (3) 26. Class (5) 29. Important (5) 30. Before (3) 31. Revise (4) 34. Mate (4) 36. Italian City (4) 39. Push back (5) 40. Heed (4) 42. End of day (5) 43. Exposed (8) 44. Halt (5)

DOWN 1. Rubbish (7) 2. Go in (5) 3. Proceeding (5) 4. Eye-socket (5) 5. Fortune (4) 6. Faculty head (4) 14. Newt (3) 15. Heavenly body (4) 16. Damp (3) 18. Keen (4) 20. Treaty (4) 22. Goad (4) 24. Always (4) 25. Beer (3) 27. Grow old (3) 28. Stray (3) 32. Lucifer (5) 33. Fashion (5) 34. Schemes (5) 37. Leer (4) 38. Otherwise (4) 41. Pup’s cry (3)

7 8 9 11 11

10 10

12 12

13 13 15 15

19 19

14 14

16 16

17 17

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21 21

18 18

22 22

23 23 24 24

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SOLUTION on page 55

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