Dana plane crash-I watched my brotherburn to death— Survivor

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61639

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ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

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Our encounter with ill-fated plane — Ministers Pg.5

DANA PLANE CRASH:

I watched my brother burn to death— Survivor •How I escaped with my daughter —Resident —P.12 •Why we've not released bodies of victims— LASG —P.6 •We 'll punish indicted persons — Jonathan —P.7

BY EVELYN USMAN AGOS—THIS is certainly not the best of times for the Okafors who are currently thrown into grief following the death of their bread winner in last Sunday’s plane crash in

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Continues on Page 5

Jonathan lacks power to okay my recall — Salami —P.7

Mr & Mrs

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IN HONOUR OF THE DEPARTED President Goodluck Jonathan (left) and other members of the Federal Executive Council watch as Vice President Namadi Sambo (right) signs the National Condolence Register in memory of victims of the Dana and Allied Cargo air tragedies at the State House, Abuja, yesterday. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida.More pictures on Pages 8&9.

16 die as JTF, gunmen clash in Borno —P.15 C M Y K

UNILAG: Jonathan writes NASS to ratify name —P.6

2 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012 — 3

C M Y K

4 —Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012—5

POCKET CARTOON

Our encounter with ill-fated plane — Ministers

BY BEN AGANDE

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BUJA—THREE ministers, Chief Edem Duke of Culture and Tourism Development, Senator Umar Idris of Transport as well as Minister of State for Defence, Olushola Obada, yesterday gave graphic details of their encounter with the illfated Dana Airline plane that crashed in Lagos last Sunday.

Narrating their experiences at a special session of the Federal Executive Council Meeting, the ministers said but for divine intervention, they would have been victims.

In his comment, the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Edem Duke said he was made to board another airline against his preferred choice of Dana when he got to the Abuja airport.

According to him: “A critical lesson to the living is that the future is not in our hands.

Those who have the opportunity to serve this country must ensure love bond and know that every minute counts. I was lucky to be navigated around them and ushered into another flight which was not my preferred flight”.

Petroleum Minister, Diezani AllisonMadueke said: “I watched the take-off of the aircraft at the airport before I left Abuja. We saw the fire when we

were landing and we asked ourselves what was causing the fire and we were very sad on landing to hear that the plane had crashed. We lost five of our trusted hands. It is a turbulent time for Nigeria. Our prayers must be deeper because deep must call to the deep. We need to say that 20 years old plane can fly, they do all over the world. But we must ensure that engines are replaced when due. Punitive measure when we found out the cause must be fully implemented”.

Transport Minister, Senator Umar Idris who said he flew the same plane from Lagos to Abuja the same day, said the plane crash is a wake up call. According to him: “There is destiny in everything.

There is hand of God in everything. Every man will taste death. Any time any one dies, his time has come. I used that same aircraft same day from Lagos and came to Abuja by 2pm. In the conduct of investigation, certain issues will be addressed to avoid recurrence."

Special session for victims Yesterday ’s Special session marked the end of the three-day mourning declared by the federal government in the wake of the plane crash on Sunday. And to underscore the

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own — Robert A Heinlein.

HE other day I saw an hilarious cartoon illustration about the nature of love, cupid aims the love arrow at the heart of this young man and anyone would expect a smile of joy that love true is about to happen for him, but instead he brought out a weapon aimed right at cupid. He said: “Don’t you dare, the last time you messed up big time!

When was the last time you loved so deeply, so keenly? Sometimes the only time we feel love as deeply as adults, is when we first fall in love – or when we lose someone we love. We may want to ask, why does the heart go numb? Because every time we have a painful experience, we tend to grow a protective layer around our heart. The unpleasant thing is that this protective layer doesn’t just shield us from pain, it numbs all emotions.

How can the heart awaken? There is a natural way of awakening the heart that we all know about.

It’s falling in love. Ask anyone who is freshly in love, and they will rave about how wonderful the person they love is. But there is a challenge… the euphoria doesn’t always last. Fortunately, there is another way of awakening the heart. A way that lasts. And that is through loving-kindness practice.

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uniqueness of the session, the FEC was open to members of the media who sat through the session which ended at 3 p.m.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, read out the focus of the meeting, after which a roll call of victims was read out.

A minute silence was observed in honour of those who lost their lives in the crash.

The Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah who spoke on the incidence said there was dual engine failure of the aircraft at 3.42 p.m. on Sunday while fiire trucks mobilised within 20 minutes.

She said those involved in the crash included 136 adults, five children, six infants, six crew members, adding that the Pilot was an American, while the copilot was an Indian.

Oduah also reported that Allied Air cargo plane overran runway in Kotoka Airport in Ghana, on Saturday June 2nd.

She said the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) was being supported by the aircraft and engine manufacturers according to international laws.

According to her, 148 bodies (including those on ground) have been recovered as at Tuesday.

It was weekend of sorrow Health Minister In his remarks, Minister of Health, Dr. Onyeakachi Chukwu said: “It was a weekend of sorrow for Nigerians.

Actions taken so far by FG, Ministry, Lagos etc are all in good direction.

Nigerians should remain calm and put their trust in God. Government will ensure victims don’t die in vain.

Aviation sector is like medicine, safety cannot be taken for granted.

Government will take proper action if and any lapse is found during investigation. May God intervention heal our nation”.

The Minister of Interior, Abba Moro described the incident as unfortunate but commended rescue workers and assured

that the panel’s recommendations will address many issues.

Works Minister, Mike Onolememen, said this was clearly not the best of times for Nigeria.

“While we pray for the repose of the victims, it calls for retrospection.

We 've experienced several crashes. The circumstances recur years after. It appears that the only motive for operators is economic at the detriment of lives of Nigerians. It is time to float a national airline.

It may not be wholly owned by government, some people can subscribe to it. The lives of Nigerians are too precious to be left at the whims and caprices of businessmen whose

main objective is to make profit”.

Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala said: “To the bereaved, we cannot replace their loved ones.

But we can enhance safety so that our airspace will not become a place of carnage and loss of lives. We should

also look at the financial and economic strength of the airlines to work towards consolidation”.

Head of Service of the Federation, Isa Bello Sali, described the incident as tragic as many professionals perished in the crash.

“We join all Nigerians in mourning”.

I watched my brother burn to death — Survivor Continues from Page 1 Iju area of Lagos.

More painful is the fact that the late Nwabuwa Okafor, was not a passenger in the ill-fated aircraft. The plane, it was gathered, crash-landed on his apartment while he was observing his siesta, killing him instantly.

The deceased had returned from morning mass that fateful day without the slightest inkling of the tragedy that loomed ahead. He reportedly slept in the sitting room, as was his habit every Sunday.

Then, all of a sudden, there was a loud bang which was later discovered to be the plane crash. As everyone was scurrying to safety, it was obvious that Nwabuwa was deep in sleep.

In this interview with Vanguard, his brother who simply identified himself as Okey, said he went visiting the Okafors when tragedy struck.

According to him: “Immediately we heard the explosion, everyone rushed out of his apartment. Already I was in the sitting room where I sighted Nwabuwa sleeping. I also ran out, only to discover to my shock that a part of the plane crashed right into my cousin’s building.

I rushed inside to wake him up. But by then, it was too late as the whole

building was vibrating, signifying an imminent collapse. I called out his name but there was no response. By then the beam of the building had started falling.

Immediately I got to the entrance, I heard another explosion and this time around, there was fire from one of the wings of the plane. And before my eyes, I watched my brother engulfed by the fire. It was at that point that he made an attempt to stand up but he could not. Rather, he fell down on his face. At that point, I was helpless and all I could do was to rush out of the apartment.”

As if the death of Nwabuwa was not enough trauma for the family, his corpse as at 4pm, yesterday, was yet to be found. His relations thronged the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital(LASUTH), Ikeja, where, to their dismay, Nwabuwa’s name was not among the identified bodies.

Looking frustrated and exhausted, the deceased younger brother who identified himself as James Okafor, told Vanguard that efforts to trace the remains of his late brother had proved abortive since the incident occurred.

He said: “In fact since the crash, the problem we are faced with is how to locate his corpse. We have

searched the designated mortuaries to no avail. All they have been telling us is that he was not brought to any of these places.

The question begging for an answer now is, where is my brother’s corpse?

"First, I went to the Pathology department of LASUTH where the autopsy were made, only to be directed to Mainland mortuary. But on reaching there, we were told it was not there.

Thereafter, I went to Saka Tinubu centre within the premises only to be told same thing.

"At first we thought he would be alive. But our worst fear was confirmed just this afternoon( yesterday) when one of his neighbours brought a photograph of when he was being brought out of the rubbles in a burnt state. The shot of the burnt corpse was taken right in the same sleeping position he was”, he said.

On what would be the family ’s next line of action, James kept mute.

But after a while, he replied, "our worst worry now is how to locate his corpse. After that, we will not carry the corpse until DANA airline tells us their line of action. Even if they claim they would pay a N100 million compensation as reported in the papers, will that bring back my brother", he asked.

6—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

UNILAG: Jonathan writes NASS to ratify name Also 2 other varsities in Umudike, Yola Seeks stiff punishment for war crimes

BY HENRY UMORU, EMMAN OVUAKPORIE & INALEGWU SHAIBU

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BUJA—PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, sent a bill to the Senate and the House of Representatives seeking endorsement to rename the University of Lagos, UNILAG to Moshood Abiola University, Lagos.

It would be recalled that Jonathan had in his Democracy Day broadcast changed the name of University of Lagos to its new name, Moshood Abiola, in recognition of the late politician and business icon’s role in entrenching democracy especially against the backdrop that he died in the course of fighting for democracy.

Also included in the Bill for Acts to rename three universities by the President were the change of the Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike to Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike and Federal University of Technology, Yola to Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola.

The letter which was read at the plenary by Senate President David Mark stated: "I forward here with, for your kind consideration and passage into law, the attached Bills for Acts to rename three Federal Universities as indicated below.

“Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike to Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike; Federal University of Technology, Yola to Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola and University of Lagos to Moshood Abiola University, Lagos.

"It is my hope that the Distinguished Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will consider and pass these Bills in your usual expeditious manner.”

Also yesterday, President Jonathan sent to the Senate a Bill for an Act to amend the Public procurement Act, No.14,2007.

The President also, yesterday, forwarded to the Senate a Bill for an Act to provide for the enforcement and punishment of crimes against humanity, war crimes, genocide and related offences, 2012.

ALLEGED N558M FRAUD:

Court okays Ehindero for trial June 28

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

BUJA — AN Abuja High Court, yesterday, gave the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, the nod to arraign former Inspector General of Police, Mr Sunday Ehindero, over allegation that he misappropriated about N558 million belonging to the Nigerian Police Force.

Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi ordered Ehindero to appear for trial alongside a former Police Commissioner in-charge of Budget, Mr John Obaniyi, on June 28.

The duo will be answering to a six-count criminal charge preferred against them by the anti-graft agency on May 30.

Specifically, ICPC alleged that the accused persons conspired and used their positions to confer undue advantages upon themselves by diverting N300 million of N558 million do-

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nated to the Nigeria Police Force by the Bayelsa State Government.

ICPC told the court that though the money was donated for the procurement of arms, ammunition and riot control equipment, it said investigations revealed that the accused persons diverted N300 million into a fixed deposit account at Wema Bank Plc where it had already yielded an interest of N9.8 million for them.

The prosecuting agency added that the fraud was perpetuated between May and November 2006.

It would be recalled that Ehindero piloted the affairs of the Nigeria Police between 2005 and 2007.

The ex-IGP and his alleged accomplice were equally alleged to have placed another N200 million of the Bayelsa State Government donation to the Force, in a fixed deposit account at Intercontinental Bank Plc where an interest of N6.5 million was yielded for them.

From left: Mr. Recherd Ward, Blake Emergency Services; Prof. John Obafunwa, Vice Chancellor Lagos State University; Prof. Wale Oke, Chief Medical Director, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja; Mr. Ade Ipaye, Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State and Dr. Jide Idris, Commissioner for Health, during a World Press Conference by Lagos State Government and Dana Aircraft Management on Dana aircraft crash, in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

Why identified bodies 've not been released — LASG, Dana Air Autopsy, DNA test to be concluded in 2 weeks

BY CHIOMA OBINNA & MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

AGOS — LAGOS State Government and the management of Dana Airline, yesterday, justified the delay in releasing the 52 identifiable bodies deposited at the Lekan Ogunsanya mortuary of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, even as they said all autopsies on the 149 corpses in the state mortuaries would be concluded within two weeks.

These explanations were made during a world press conference jointly organised by the Lagos State government and Dana Airline, in Lagos.

They further disclosed that the autopsies on the 52 identifiable bodies would be concluded on Friday making way for commencement of autopsies and DNA examination on the 97 non-identifiable bodies at Mainland Hospital mortuary.

Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State, Mr. Ade Ipaye, who led the state’s team to the joint press conference with representatives of Dana Air and the airlines overseas insurers noted that the explanation had become necessary following growing concern by the relations of the victims over the delay in the release of the bodies of their loved ones.

According to Ipaye, “we are protecting the interest of the victims and their relatives and in doing this, we are working with the insurance company (Llodys, London) and Dana Airline, and to make sure that the

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bodies are properly identified so that they will be handed over to their relatives. This is the process that is ongoing. And by the local law and the international standards, it is not possible for the relatives to identify their families correctly. It also rests on the state government to do more in terms of carrying out autopsy on each bodies, whether identified or not. We need to have conclusive information on that.

"The autopsy has started and we were able to do autopsy on 12 bodies and 18 were conducted today. And we will go on that way and hopefully, we will complete the autopsy of the identified bodies on Friday. And then in batches, the bodies of those who were unidentified will be brought in for autopsy.”

Compensation for victims Explaining why it is important for autopsy and DNA investigations to be carried out on the corpses, Ipaye said airline insurance company was likely to pay compensation to families of the victims.

He noted: “With proper documentation and data, compensation due to any of the victim will not go into wrong hands.

Even corpses that families have not show up, with the data and documentation, anytime they showed up they will collect the compensation due to them.

“Although we know that relatives will like to embark on certain burial rites for their loved ones but they should bear with the state government as it engages in the exercise. Each of the

victims is entitled to compensation. We need to do all these so that we can get all the data that would be required so that it would be easy for the relatives while claiming the bodies of their family member.

This is because the records we are able to gather will be use to compare to whatever any relative presents as claim to receive their family member.”

Ipaye said the DNA examination was the only available solution to identify unidentifiable corpses that were charred beyond recognition in the crash.

He, therefore, appealed to relations of the crash victims to bear with the Lagos State Government and to be a little patient, because the delay presently in releasing the corpses is for the good of all involve.

He opined that it was better to take time and do a project thoroughly, adding that to hurry over it may cause unnecessary complaints in future.

He assured all families of the victims that they would receive the bodies of their relations but should make room for due process and documentation.

LASG to pay for autopsy On who pays for the autopsy, going by the fact that an autopsy costs between N100, 000 to N150, 000 per corpse, Ipaye explained that from the onset of the crash, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State gave directives to all relevant authorities to render services and assistants to the victims and relations of the air crash to alleviate their sufferings.

In line with that directive, Ipaye said the evacuation of the corpses from the site of the crash, depositing them in mortuaries and carrying autopsies on them were currently being borne by the state government.

He stated that the state government had the privilege to approach the airline insurance companies to pay for the autopsies and other services rendered if it deems it fit to do so.

“The insurance of an airline include the liability to pay for accidents, both for victims on ground and onboard including the payment of autopsies where the need arises. Therefore, if ask who is paying for the autopsies, for now it is Lagos State government but we have the right to write the insurance of the airline for refund.”

Corroborating his views, Consultant Pathologists and Forensic Medicine, who is also the Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University, Prof.

John Obafunwa, said a file had been opened for all the corpses that had received autopsy examination and the files would be kept as document for future references, especially for families that have not yet showed up for their corpses.

On his part, the representative of Dana Air line, Mr. Francis Ogboro, who is also a director in the company said structures had been put in place to alleviate the sufferings which the families of the victims are passing through.

Ogboro said a crisis and media centres had been opened for relations of the victims and the general public that might want to access any information on the situation.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012—7

Jonathan lacks power to okay my recall, Salami tells NJC Denies secret meeting with ACN leaders

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

BUJA— THE sus pended President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Ayo Salami, yesterday, maintained that President Goodluck Jonathan lacked the statutory powers to okay his reinstatement to office.

The embattled PCA who spoke for the first time since the National Judicial Council, NJC, recommended his recall to President Jonathan, equally denied reports that he held a secret meeting with stalwarts of the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, saying the allegation was nothing but a “malicious attempt by some persons to tarnish my image.”

Refuting the allegation through his lead counsel and former Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Akin Olujumi, SAN, Salami, argued that the NJC ought not to have sought the consent of President Jonathan before reinstating him to office, noting that constitution bestows on the council the powers to order him to resume duties having lifted his suspension.

It would be recalled that Justice Salami held sway at the appellate rung of the Nigerian Judicial hierarchy till August 18, 2011, when he was ousted from office by the NJC on allegation that he lied on oath against the immediate past Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu. Salami had in an affidavit he deposed before a Federal High Court in Abuja, alleged that Kastina-Alu pressurized him to pervert justice in a gubernatorial election appeal dispute involving Sokoto State.

However, NJC after a stormy session it held on May 10, urged President Jonathan to reinstate the PCA to office, a request that was ignored by the Presidency on the premise that there were pending litigations in court regard-

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Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State (right) and Chairman, Dana Airlines Limited, Mr Ramesh Hathiramani during a condolence visit to the Governor over last Sunday's DANA Air plane crash, at the State House, Marina, Lagos, yesterday.

DANA Air crash: Jonathan vows to punish those indicted Says investigation 'll be thorough FG to review tariffs, taxes in aviation industry

BY BEN AGANDE

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BUJA—PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, warned that where clear case of dereliction of duty is established against anybody or company that led to the crash of the Dana aircraft last Sunday, firm action would be taken against such persons.

In his remarks shortly before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council meeting, President Jonathan said his administration was prepared to take whatever action that might become necessary after the investigation to prevent the recurrence of air mishaps.

According to him, his administration is committed to improving the quality of the country’s aviation infrastructure with the overall goal of making air travel safer.

He said lives of all Nigerians and foreigners were precious to the administration and so would continue to do everything possible to protect lives and prevent avoidable deaths.

He said: “It is with a very heavy heart indeed that I address you today on this last day of national mourning for our fathers, mothers, children, brothers, sisters, colleagues, associates, friends and fellow citizens who lost their lives in Sunday’s plane

crash.

“While the official mourning period ends today, no one can doubt that the pain and anguish of the shocking, sudden and unexpected loss of highly valued lives in that horrendous plane crash will remain with us all long after this day has ended.

“My heart goes out to the immediate families of all the Nigerian and foreign victims of the crash. We continue to pray that God Almighty will grant them divine solace and consolation.

“As I said at the crash site on Monday, it is a highly regrettable setback to ongoing efforts to reposition our aviation sector and further enhance the safety record of Nigerian carriers which had improved significantly in recent years.

Improved quality of aviation infrastructure “I wish to reaffirm our commitment to the improvement of the quality of our aviation infrastructure with the overall goal of making air travel safer. We will remain and stay firm on this commitment. At a time such as this when a tragedy of such proportion befalls the nation, we must strive even more to put in place those measures that can support air

safety and other means of transportation.

“I have directed that the fullest possible investigation be undertaken into the remote and immediate causes of the crash with a view to ensuring that the proper lessons are learnt from it, and that going forward, every necessary measure is effectively implemented to enhance the safety of air travellers in Nigeria.

“In the past few days since the crash, our newspapers, airwaves, and social media have been awash with all manner of theories and speculations on the cause of the tragedy. I urge that there should be no rush to judgment.

“The lives of all Nigerians and foreigners in our country are precious to this administration.

We will continue to do everything possible to protect lives and prevent avoidable deaths.

Investigation 'll be thorough “I assure all Nigerians and the international community that the investigations which I have ordered will be very thorough. Let me warn that where clear dereliction of duty is established, firm action will be taken.

“This administration stands ready to take what-

ever action that may become necessary after the investigation to prevent the recurrence of air mishaps.

“We are a nation of highly resilient people; in time, we will surely overcome the collective trauma of Sunday’s plane crash in Lagos.

However, we must never forget the many precious lives that were lost in that utterly devastating crash.

FG to review tariffs, taxes in aviation industry “I invite all stakeholders in the sector to join hands with us in proactively implementing measures and undertaking actions that will ultimately benefit the entire industry and reassure the public.

“In addition to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)/ Federal Ministry of Aviation Committee on the strengthening of the financial stability and growth of domestic airlines, I have also directed the Coordinating Minister of the Economy/Minister of Finance, the Minister of Trade and Investment, the Governor of the Central Bank, and the Chief Economic Adviser to the President, to further look into our tariffs and other taxes as they relate to the aviation industry and come up with recommendations as to where we can further assist the sector.”

ing the subject matter.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke Bello, had on May 22, contended that recalling Salami during the pendency of the cases would amount to subjudice.

Nevertheless, Salami, via a letter he sent to the NJC through his lawyer, asked the NJC to sideline President Jonathan and go ahead and order him to return to office.

Denies secret meeting with ACN Reacting to his alleged convivial relationship with the ACN, Salami, through his lawyer, noted: “The latest antics by those who are hell bent on running down Justice Salami was the publication of May 31 in a national daily (not Vanguard).

“It was absolutely a lie.

There was never any meeting at which Salami was present and at which he made any such submission. He did not attend any meeting with the people listed in the publication. When Salami read it, he said this was another plot by the enemies.

They have been to courts.

They have resorted to all sorts of tactics. This is the latest lie.”

Olujunmi stressed that Salami found it farcical for the sponsors of the said publication to have cooked up such deliberate falsehood, adding: “The folly of the sponsors of the publication was further ridiculed by the fact that Justice Salami will retire from the Court of Appeal bench in 2013 at the mandatory age of 70 years. The question that then begs for an answer is how Justice Salami who leaves the Court of Appeal bench next year, can influence the political permutations purportedly being made for 2015?”

Meanwhile, it would be recalled that an Abuja Federal High Court had last week dismissed a suit filed by one Noah Ajare who sought an order of the court stopping Jonathan from acting on the recommendations of the NJC relating to Salami’s recall.

8—VANGUARD, THURSDAY,

JUNE 7,

2012

DANA AIRCRAFT CRASH IN LAGOS PHOTOS: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor, & Kehinde Gbadamosi, Ola Ajayi.

Mr. Ezenwo Wike, Minister of State for Education, addressing students of Federal Government Girls College, Bwari, Abuja, during his condolence visit to the school on the death of their principal in the ill-fated Dana plane.

Clearing of the demolished building and wreckage of the aircraft began, yesterday.

BELOW: From left— Mr. Emeka Ugwu-Oju, President, South-East South-South Professionals; Amaka Abugu, widow of Ike Abugu, a victim of the illfated Dana plane crash; and Eunice Efole, member of the association, during their condolence visit to the widow in Lagos, yesterday.

The demolished building on which the plane crashed.

From left— Alhaji Aliko Mohammed, Chairman, Arewa Consultative Forum; Senator Joseph Waku and Queen Elisha, Child Governor of National Inter-Faith Children of Nigeria, planting a tree in memory of the victims of the Dana plane crash in Kaduna.

Mr. Emeka Ihedioha, Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives (right) on a condolence visit to Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri (middle), who lost her husband to the crash.

Clearing of the demolished building and remains of the plane, yesterday.

Port Health Service officials fumigating the site.

Doing business at the crash site.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012—9

DANA PLANE CRASH VICTIMS Victims of the Dana plane crash, which killed no fewer than 153 people in Iju, Lagos, on Sunday..

SURVIVED

LATE CBN OFFICIALS

Mr. Amiaka Raphael, Senior Manager

Mr. Bamaiyi Adamu, Senior Supervisor

Mrs. Falmata Mohammed, Assistant Director

Mr. Ibrahim Yusuf, Principal Manager

MR.Paul Apel - Lucky Crash Escape?

Paul Apel had an uncommon bond with the ill-fated Dana Air flight that crashed into a two-storey building at Iju-Ishaga. Apel, a Benue State indigene, works parttime with the China Central Television (CCTV) in Nigeria. He missed the flight by whiskers and, Tuesday, had the luck of recording the accident for Chinese TV viewers.

DIED Anthonia Atuh, Senior Manager

Samuel Eventus Mbong, Manager

Mr. Mutihir I.I, Deputy Mr.Kim E. Noris, SpeManager cial Adviser

Late OKWULEHIE, M. O (Mrs), Director (Education), former Principal, FGGC, Bwari

Relations of Dana air crash victims at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja, to identify bodies of lost ones, Photos: Bunmi Azeez Relations of the crash victims at LASUTH, Ikeja

Relations of the crash victims at LASUTH, Ikeja, yesterday

Relations of the plane crash victims at LASUTH, Ikeja.

Relations of the plane crash victims at LASUTH, Ikeja.

10—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

Gambari for book launch

Court settles N300bn land dispute in late Oba Oyekan's favour

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BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH & MICHAEL OLADEPO

Briefly

AGOS—JOINT Spe cial Representative for African Union and UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur and former Nigerian Foreign Minister, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, will chair the launch of Curse of Berlin: Africa After the Cold War” by Dr. Adekeye Adebajo, at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA, Lagos, tomorrow.

Dr. Garth Ie Pere, Senior Partner at DAJO Associates and Visiting Professor at University of Pretoria, South Africa,is the discussant while Adebajo, Executive Director, Centre for Conflict Resolution, Cape Town, South Africa, is speaker.

Teachers' recruitment test shifted

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

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KEJA—FOLLOWING the seven-day mourning declared by Lagos State Government for victims of Sunday’s Dana plane crash, recruitment examination for teachers into the state's public secondary schools slated for today, had been shifted to next week.

The government also cancelled the celebration of this year's World Environment Day. In a statement, the Public Relations Officer in Ministry of Education, Mr. Lanre Bajulaiye, said the shift in the date for the exercise was necessitated by the recent developments in the state.

Free kerosene for Islanders

BY EBUN SESSOU

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AGOS—A member of Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Hakeem Marsha, representing Lagos Island Constituency I, has distributed 15,000 litres of kerosene to his constituents to mark his first year in office.

Masha said: “I decided to distribute kerosene to my people in Lagos Island to reduce pressure and agony being faced by them when searching for the commodity to cook. It is also part of my promise during my electioneering to give account of stewardship to my constituency.”

AGOS—NINE years after the demise of Oba Adeyinka Oyekan of Lagos, the retiring Chief

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Judge of Lagos State, Justice Inumidun Akande, yesterday, delivered judgment in a 17-year-old land dispute in his favour.

In the two and hours

judgment, Justice Akande held that a disputed land, the subject of the case between parties claiming to be the true descendants of Esimikan family, in Ilado-Odo and

Inagbe Islands in Badagry Creek, Lagos, belong to the family of Oyekan, who were the defendants in the case.

The court also ordered the arrest and prosecu-

From right,Professor Sola Akinterinwa, Director-General, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, guest lecturer; Dr. Frederick Fasehun, Chairman,Coalition of Ethnic Nationalities of Nigeria, CENN; Alhaji Yerima Shettima, President, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum; Mr.Bright Ezeocha, President, Igbo Youth Congress and Mr. Abuka Omobaba, President-General, United Middle Belt Youth Congress, at the Nigerian Ethnic Nationalities' Summit on Security and Consolidation of Democracy, organised by CENN, in Lagos. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

LASU: 27,087 for graduation

BY IKENNA ASOMBA

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AGOS—LAGOS State University, LASU, Ojo, will graduate 27,087 students during its 17th convocation, holding between June 13 and 14.

At a briefing, the ViceChancellor, Professor John Obafunwa, said: “The week-long event will commence Friday, June 8 with a Jumat service at the university’s mosque; church service at the university ’s Chapel of Light on June 10; Coconut Breaking Festival at the Badagry entrance gate of the institution and Command Performance of ‘The King Must Dance Naked’ by the Department of Theatre Arts and Music, respectively on June 11.”

He added that the convocation lecture, entitled: “Reflection on Culture, Democracy and the Quest for a New Nigeria,” will be delivered

by Prof. Tunde Babawale, Director-General, Centre for Black African Arts and Civilisation, on the university campus on June 11.

The award of first degrees, diplomas in all faculties and award of higher degrees will hold on June 13 and 14.

tion of one of the claimants, Rasheed Olushesi, for illegal occupying the position of baale (head) of the disputed islands since 2004.

Defendants in the matter by Prince Waidi Akeju, Adisa Aberuagba and two others were Oba Oyekan, Prince Mobandele Oyekan, Alabi Dosunmu, Mufutau Tadeyo, Adesoji Ajose and two others.

Justice Akande said Olushesi was ordered to be arrested having told the court during trial that he had no document backing his position as Baale of Ilado-Odo and Inagbe Islands since 2004, as he committed an offence contrary to Section 23 (1) of the Obas and Chiefs Laws of Lagos State, by occupying the position illegally.

The outgoing Chief Judge ordered the Lagos State Attorney-General to prosecute him.

Also, the court awarded N250,000 against the claimants in favour of the defendants for succeeding in their counterclaims.

Akande subsequently dismissed the case for lacking merit with costs of N500,000 awarded in favour of the defendants.

The claimants, Prince Akeju and others, who sued for themselves and as Head and representatives of Esimikan Family, had dragged the defendants to court on April 21, 1995, asking the court to among others, declare that the defendants were not members of the Esimikan Family of Ilado– Odo.

Operators violate Aviation Act — Ore

BY DAYO BENSON

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AGOS—AS the nation continues to mourn victims of Sunday ’s DANA plane crash in Lagos, a former pilot with the defunct Nigerian Airways, Captain Dele Ore, has raised the alarm over non-compliance with the provisions of the Aviation Act by operators in the industry.

Captain Ore, also a lawyer and President, Aviation Round Table, however, admonished the aviation ministry for what he described as undue interference in safety regulations which he said the regulatory agency should not be blamed for.

Read more on Page 37 C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012 —11

Ijaw youths threaten SPDC over employment

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA ENAGOA — IJAW youths have issued a 21-day ultimatum to Shell Petroleum Development Company,SPDC,overwhatthey described as the alleged refusal ofthecompanytoemployyouths from its Egbemo-Angalabiri host communities in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

Rising from a meeting of the sixclansinEkeremorcounciland Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, central zone in Yenagoa, the youths threatened to cripple activities at the company’s base in Warri, Delta State and Port Harcourt, Rivers State, if the oil company fail to meet their demands.

The youths in a statement by

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SEMINAR: From left: HRH Yibo Buowari-Brown, guest speaker; Mrs. Ayo Fagbemi and Chief Sylva Emoekpere at an area seminar organised by Eckankar, Lagos South in Lagos.

Concern over NDDC's failure to submit 2012 budget As Bayelsa orders commission to stop work on Sagbama-Agge road project

BY EMMANUELAZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR & SAMUELOYADONGHA BUJA—THE failure of Niger Delta D e v e l o p m e n t Commission, NDDC, to present its 2012 budgetary proposal to the National Assembly for approval, six months into the year is raising concern in the Senate.

Meanwhile, irked by the slow pace of work on the NDDC-sponsored Sagbama-Ekeremor-Agge Road project in Bayela State, the state government, yesterday, ordered the commission to stop work on the road.

The state government also said the monthly savings of the state from funds accrued from the monthly Federation Account had risen to N24.5 billion and it was ready to commence the disbursement of cheques for various road projects outlined by the current administration.

On NDDC nonsubmission of its budget, the commission, has not given any reason for its failure to submit its budget to the Senate, though officials of the commission contacted assured that the budgetary proposal would soon be tabled before the National Assembly.

It could not be confirmed, if the delay was from the commission or the presidency, which normally would receive the budget and forward same or with alterations to the National Assembly.

In 2010, the NDDC

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budget was submitted in June of that year while the budget proposal for 2011 was presented in December of that year, forcing the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark to rebuke the agency for its seeming tardiness.

“We are saying that this time around that it is not going to be business as usual as it must be sounded

out to this board, that they must not follow the habit of previous boards in submitting their budgets late,” Senator Manager told Vanguard, when contacted on the development.

He said: “We will not be hurried by any consideration, so they must take serious efforts to submit their budget for approval as

soon as possible as you can see that it is already into the middle of the year.”

In Bayelsa, Governor Seriake Dickson, who announced the take over of the road project by the state government in his monthlybriefinginYenagoa,said the move would ensure early completion of the project with a view to accelerating socioeconomic development in the hinterland of the state.

Rawlings Ezetu, Dennis Ofiyou and representatives of the variousclansfollowedthealleged refusal of the company to accede to the pleas of prominent indigenes of the area, including the royal fathers to employ qualifiedgraduatesfromthearea.

Lamenting the alleged insensitivity of the company to indigenes of its host communities, IYC cited the case of four youths from Egbemo-Angalabiri in batch 13 2007/2007 Shell intensive training programme 2 (SITP 2), who after successfully completing their training in electrical/production operation and mechanical/ production operation in 2008 were yet to be offered employment by the company.

Akwa Ibom sets up c'ttee to probe death of 3 YO—THE Akwa Ibom State Security Council has constituted a committee to investigate the purported killing of three indigenes of Nkari in Ini Local Government Area of the state by security operatives.

Chairman of the committee is the state deputy governor, Mr. Nsima Ekere. Other members are Mr Ekpenyong Ntekim, the state Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Commodore M. Lekwot and Flight Lieutenant O.

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Folarin.

Charles Akpabio, Emmanuel Akpabio and Joseph Akpabio were alleged to have been killed

by Police and Department of State Security Service operatives.

State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Aniekan Umanah, in a statement, said the committee was inaugurated with the specific mandate of ascertaining the circumstances leading to the death of the three persons, and to submit its report to the state Security Council in two weeks.

PDP chieftain, Mudiaga-Odje bemoan Delta moves to tackle roads failure Dana air tragedy

BY FESTUS AHON

G H E L L I — NATIONAL Vice Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, (South-South), Dr. Stephen Oru, yesterday, described Sunday’s Dana air crash as a national disaster and an aviation catastrophe.

Oru said: “It is a major setback, especially at this critical time in our history, when the Federal Government is battling with measures to stem social evils claiming lives in the country. It is a call for emergency to be declared in the aviation industry, taking into cognizance the varied air accidents in the country in the last 10 years.

“The Federal Government should immediately carry out reforms in the aviation industry to ensure that benchmarks of world best practices are put in place to guarantee the safety of lives in our air space. I commiserate with families of those who died in the air

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crash.”

A Warri, Delta State based lawyer, Dr Akpo MudiagaOdje, described the Dana air crash as a monumental loss to the country. Odje said; “It is with a deep sense of sorrow and grief that I comment on this tragedy of monumental proportion.

“The air worthiness and

safety of the Nigerian airspace has been brought to the front burner again.

Government should urgently carry out a thorough and comprehensive check on the air worthiness of all aircrafts in Nigeria, including the professional competence of the pilots and engineers.”

Navy donates borehole to Delta community GHARA—THE Nigerian Naval Logistics Command, Oghara, Delta State, has donated a borehole to Ijomi community in Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State.

At the commisioning, the F l a g Officer Commanding, Nigerian Naval Logistics Command,Rear Admiral Gabriel Okoi, commended the quality and performance of the Nigerian Navy, saying that the command had performed gallantly and creditably to the expectation

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of the country and the world.

Admiral Okoi said the military might, administrative and logistics capacity, which the Nigerian Navy had gained over the years surpassed the expected progress based on the resources accruing to it.

He gave a pass mark to the Nigerian Navy force, which is currently marking its 56th anniversary, for being able to complete the construction of a locally made war ship, which he said was first of its kind in Africa.

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

S A B A — D E LT A State Government said it will soon embark on vegetation control on 67 roads across the state to tackle the issue of road failure, so as to sustain the lifespan of the roads.

State Commissioner for Works, Mr. Funkekeme Solomon, in Asaba, yesterday, during the maiden interactive session with the Ministry’s Zonal

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Chief Engineers handling the six zonal offices in the state, said already “the state Executive Council had approved the clearing of invasive vegetation on the shoulders of these roads, so as to improve visibility, traffic and reduce accidents on our roads.”

He added that the creation of the zonal offices would make for effective supervision, monitoring and inspection of the various civil engineering projects across the state.

....Plans empowerment programmes for youths

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-

YOUNG S A B A — D E LT A STATE Government has said it had packaged more capacity-building and skills training programmes for youths in the state as part of efforts aimed at empowering youths in the state for sustainable development.

Commissioner in charge of the Directorate of Youth Development in the state, Mr. Ebifa Ijomah, at a briefing in Asaba, Delta

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State, said the Directorate will drive the entrepreneurial development aspect of the programme to promote self employment among youths in the state.

He said: “This will come in the form of selection of youths from communities and wards to undergo training in courses in various artisan trades and vocational skills to enable them beadequatelypreparedtoprovide the skilled manpower that will drive the economy of the state.”

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12—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

DANA: How I escaped with my daughter —Survivor

BY EVELYN USMAN

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VISIT: Wife of River State Governor, Mrs. Judith Amaechi (right) and Dr. Alex Otti, GMD/CEO, Diamond Bank Plc during the visit by the Rivers State Governor's wife to the bank in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Diran Oshe.

AGOS—ONE of the survivors of Sunday’s plane crash, Mr. Iloka Chima who is still undergoing treatment at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, yesterday, narrated how he escaped death by the whiskers. But this was without a rear display of act of bravery, as he did all he could to also rescue his daughter even in the face of death.

From his hospital bed where he had a plaster of Paris, POP, on his hand, he narrated, “I was in the

sitting room playing with my electronic game when all of a sudden, we heard a loud bang on the roof. At first, I looked away. But when I started feeling the vibration of the building, I knew all was not well. The next thing I heard was my little daughter crying and calling me at the same time.

As I rushed to where she was, I discovered that a beam from the building had fallen on her . I managed to carry her and rushed out.

"On the way, one of the beam landed on my shoulder. It was at that moment , I concluded that the building was

collapsing. I can not tell how I managed to go out.

But when I did , I discovered that it was a plane that landed on our building.

"I lost everything I had laboured for all my life. But I am most grateful to God for sparing my life and that of my entire family.

"My wife was just returning from church with one of our children when the incident occurred. Above all, I am grateful toGodthatmyapprentice,whom I brought from the village, Uchechukwu Okoye , also survived it. Had the contrary happened, tell me, what would I have told his parents?"

thousands of youths across the countrytostageprotestsinLagos, Abuja and Port-Harcourt international airports to press home their demand and also go to court to restrain the operations of the airline.

Reacting to the sad incident, the group in a statement by Nelly Emma, John Sailor Mukoro Stanley, condemned the crash and called on President Jonathan to not only suspend the operation of the airline, but ban its operations in the country, describing the crash as one too many.

“We are saddened over the plane crash of Sunday, June 3, 2012 in which we

lost 169 souls. The oil and gas industry in the country was robbed of Dr. Levi Ajuonuma and other promising Nigerians. The oil and gas sector can never be the same again now that Dr. Ajuonuma is gone. Our hearts go out to the families of all the victimsofthegenocidecausedby Dana Airline.

“Never again, must this genocide happen to us. Our demand from the Federal Government is a simple one, but if it is not met, we will mobilise thousands of youths across the country to storm major international airports in the countryforamassprotestagainst Dana Airline."

Edo NSE sets up c'ttee to probe collapsed Engr.Obanor Victor, in a ....As Group urges Jonathan to hospital building statement, yesterday,

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM ENIN CITY— FOLLOWING the collapse of a section of the Benin Central Hospital project, being executed by the Governor Adams O s h i o m h o l e ’ s administration on Monday, the Nigeria Society of Engineers, NSE, Edo State chapter, has set up a six man committee to

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investigate the incident.

Six persons were rescued while an expatriate lost his life in the incident, which occurred when a rope cut on one of the cranes conveying concrete from the base of the fourstorey building, smashing into the third, second and ground floors of the building.

State Chairman of NSE,

expressed shock over the incident, adding that the society decided to investigate the collapse so as to avoid future occurrence in the state.

The committee is to investigate the architectural, structural design drawings and mechanical/electrical design drawings of the project.

ban airline

ARRI—A CIVIL society group, Niger Delta Indigenous Movement for Radical Change, NDIMRC, has implored President Goodluck Jonathan to ban Dana Airline completely from operating in the country, describing Sunday’s plane crash as a ‘clear genocide’ that must not repeat itself.

The group, while welcoming the suspension of Dana’s operating licence by the Federal Government,urgedthePresident to go a step further by banning the Airline totally in the country.

It threatened to mobilise

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Delta realised N1.5bn not N1.5trn in five years, says commissioner

BY FESTUS AHON GHELLI—THE Delta State Government has denied media report, that it generated over N1.5 trillion as revenue from land related charges in the state in the last five years.

The state Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban

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Development, Mr Patrick Ferife, in a statement, yesterday, said: “I never gave such figure to the press as quoted by the media during the Ministry ’s media briefing in Asaba.

“I told journalists that the Ministry collected over N1.5bn as revenue for the state from 2007 to 2011 and not N1.5

trillion as quoted in the media.”

Giving details of the revenue profile, he said; “in 2007, the Ministry collected for the state N90.2 million; in 2008, N135.8 million; in 2009, N300.4 million; in 2010, N543 million; in 2011, N554 milion, bringing the total amount to N1.5 billion.

“This refutal became necessary as I was quoted out of context by the media as well as the need to keep the records straight as the people had been misinformed.”

Vanguard , THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012—13

Dana plane crash: Falana seeks coroner's inquest

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH coroner inquest has been filed before the Chief Coroner of Lagos State, Justice Yetunde Idowu to determine the cause of last Sunday air crash that involved Dana airline which claimed over 160 victims in Iju area of the state.

In the request filed pursuant to Section 15 of the Lagos State Coroner’s Law 2007 by a Lagos lawyer and rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana, the court was asked to conduct inquest into the circumstances leading to the air mishap and recommend who was at fault regarding the air accident.

Section 15 of the law provides that, “an inquest shall hold whenever a Coroner is informed that the death of a deceased person within the Coroner District was as a result of death in a violent, unnatural or suspicious situation.”

Falana in his application prayed the court to conduct its findings timely and make public its report. Stating the reasons behind the move to file the request, Falana said

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findings revealed that the aircraft was allowed to fly by the airliner after it knew that it was defective. He also said, rather than the authorities to come to the rescue of the victims on time, it was the members of the public that were on hand to carry out rescue operations with bare hands.

“We have confirmed that the aircraft was allowed to fly even though it was defective. The distress call made by the pilot of the illfated aircraft several minutes before the crash was ignored by the airport authorities while the management of the disaster was crude as members of the public had to use bare hands in the rescue operations.”

VISIT—Tokunboh Durosaro, Director, Oando Foundation (right); Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire (middle); and Mr Taofik Tijani, Lagos State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources during a visit to the Lagos State government.

Youths in Anambra protest As community murder of colleagues petitions IG

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

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WKA—PROPERTY worth millions of naira were yesterday destroyed when youths from Ikenga Ogidi in Idemili North local government area of Anambra State took to the streets to protest alleged murder of 26-year-old man in the area whose name was given as Arinze Ajaekwu.

Ajaekwu allegedly lost his life following injuries he sustained at a place called Ani Owelle Farm during a tussle over leadership of the community.

The youths were said to have carried the corpse of Ajaekwu to the compound of the president of Ikenga Ogidi Development Union, Rev Emmanuel Obianagha and were said to have torched a one-storey building of one of those accused of being an opposition in the community.

This was said to have triggered off the violence, resulting in the destruction of property worth millions of naira in the area.

The youths were also said to have carried the corpse of the deceased to the Ogidi Divisional Police Station, due to alleged police bias in the matter.

Police Public Relations Officer in Anambra State, Mr. Emeka Chukwuemeka, confirmed the incident, but denied police complicity. He also denied knowledge of the death of Ajaekwu.

Meanwhile, the Ikenga Ogidi community has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, IG, urging him to intervene in the matter with a view to avoiding

further loss of life.

The community in a petition thorough its lawyer, Dr Emenike Ezeagba, appealed to the IG to checkmate the activities of certain people in the area, it accused of masterminding the crisis.

The petition read in

part: “The late Arinze Ajaekwu was shot on May 16, 2012 and the wound he sustained led to his eventual death. Police in Anambra State appear helpless in curtailing the menace of these people and the Ikenga Ogidi will not know peace until these people

are dealt with in accordance with the law. The people responsible for the death have been holding clandestine meetings since the incident and they have vowed to cause more harm in the area and only the quick intervention of the police will save the situation.”

Police arrest perm sec, 3 others over burglary at Enugu SUBEB office

BY TONY EDIKE NUGU—DETEC TIVES from Enugu State Police Command have arrested a permanent secretary and three others in connection with weekend’s burglary in the accounts department of Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board, ENSUBEB. Though details of the burglary remained sketchy yesterday, but a staff of ENSUBEB who pleaded anonymity, said there were fears that vital documents may have been removed from the accounts department.

Public Relations Officer, PRO, of ENSUBEB, Mr. Okechukwu Anyaji, confirmed that arrests had been made by the police in connection with the case but could not give details of items allegedly removed from the affected offices.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, also confirmed that the police have commenced investigation into the incident and that four persons were being interrogated.

“Information revealed that the office was broken

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into but details of what was removed are being await-

ed before your request,” the police spokesman said.

Two feared dead, others injured as building collapses in Anambra

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

WKA—TWO persons were feared and two others sustained injuries yesterday in Awka, Anambra State, after a two storey building under construction collapsed.

The building, located along the Ifite road, close to the back gate of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, had reached the second floor where most of the workers

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were said to be working at the time of the incident.

At press time, four persons were still trapped in the rubble and rescuers and volunteers were making efforts to rescue them.

Those who sustained injuries were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Eyewitnesses said there had been noticeable cracks on the completed floors of the building which the contractor patched before laying the second deck.

FUTO mourns Onwuliri, ex-VC

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WERRI—THE Federal University of Technology, Owerri, FUTO, has described the death of the immediate past Vice Chancellor, VC, Prof Celestine Onwuliri, as “a sad and colossal loss to the academia.

The VC, Prof Chigozie Asiabaka, said this while reacting to the news of Onwuliri’s death.

He said: “Prof Onwuliri was a pragmatic leader, a consummate intellectual, an

educationist par excellence and a father to staff and students of FUTO. His sudden death and painful exit is a colossal loss to the university, the academia and the nation at large. He will be remembered for his numerous contributions to the growth of FUTO, advancement of knowledge in science and technology and his fatherly role to many who came in contact to him”, Asiabaka said.

14—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

Osun poly students remanded over alleged murder

BY OLA AJAYI

SOGBO—AN Osogbo Magistrate's Court, Osun State, yesterday, remanded two students of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Mufutau Saheed and Adeeko Olamilekan, in Ilesa Prison custody for allegedly killing a colleague, Adeola Balogun.

The prosecutor told the court that Mufutau and Olamilekan, who are member of a para-military corps in the institution, allegedly arrested and tortured Balogun to death on suspicion that he was a cult member.

The prosecutor further told the court that in the process Balogun was brutalised and tortured to death as he insisted that he was not a member of

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From left, Prince Timothy Adenuga, Trustee-Emeritus; The Rt Rev Julius Abbey,Bishop, Lagos Central Diocese of African Church; Venerable James Bamidele, Vicar-in-Charge and Chief Muyiwa Adebajo,Vice Lay-President, at the dedication & consecration of the new modern Ebenezer African Church building, Palmgrove and award ceremony in Lagos. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye.

Fayemi shuns call to contest second term

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

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DO-EKITI—EKITI State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, yesterday, shunned those luring him to vie for second term

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as governor, urging them to support his drive to complete the jobs he had mapped out for execution.

Fayemi, who was reacting to comments by some

members of Ekiti State House of Assembly in Ado-Ekiti, tasked the lawmakers to support him to complete the projects and plans for the people of the state.

The governor, who was in the House during a special sitting to celebrate one year of proclamation of the House, said when the clamour reached a peak, “By your votes of confidence you have passed on me today, you have placed a big burden on me to do more and ensure that all the facets of the state’s economy are given a facelift. ”But, let us limit the encouragement you are giving to the level of votes of confidence and forget about second term or 2014 because we have a lot of work to do for our people in the current term.''

While rejoicing with the lawmakers for celebrating one year in office as lawmakers, Fayemi said they should continue to embrace constructive engagements in dealing with him and forget about the campaign for a second term on his behalf.

He added that he was committed to making poverty history in the state by engendering participatory democracy.

any cult group while other students tortured along with Balogun were on danger list in the hospital where they are receiving treatment currently.

The accused persons were arraigned on a twocount charge of felony and murder contrary and punishable under Section 324 of the Criminal Code CAP 34, Vol. II, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2003.

Magistrate Olusola Aluko did not take the plea of the accused persons, but ordered the Investigating Police Officer, IPO, to duplicate and forward the case file to the Director of Public Prosecution for legal advice.

The magistrate thereafter remanded the accused persons at Ilesa Prison and adjourned the case till July 11.

Immigration arrests alleged human trafficker, 8 victims

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA—OGUN State Command of Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, yesterday, said it had intercepted an alleged human trafficker identified as Mrs Amosan Nimonta, who was reportedly trafficking eight Nigerians .

She was reportedly arrested last Saturday about 3am at Ajanlekoko, Idiroko border in Ipokia Local Government Area of the state.

The Command’s Comptroller, Mr Greene Anik’Nweze, who spoke in Abeokuta gave the victims ages as between 20 and 29, while that of the suspected trafficker was put at 33.

Anik’Nweze said: “The unauthorised border leads to Benin Republic and the suspect claimed that she was taking the victims to Agadex in

Niger Republic to work as maids in her restaurant. ” He said items recovered were nine fake Nigerian passports, charms and luggage, adding that security measures introduced by NIS on the new passports had made it difficult for forgery.

Chairmanship aspirant die in auto crash

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

BEOKUTA—A lead ing chairmanship aspirant on the platform of Action Congress of Nigeria,ACN, Otunba Yomi Ismail, yesterday, died along with two others in a fatal auto crash that left three others critically injured.

However, the family of the late aspirant alleged that it was politically- motivated, claiming that his opponent invoked spiritual power to kill him through the accident.

The fatal accident occurred on J4-Igele Road in Ogun Waterside on Tuesday evening, while on his way back from Abeokuta, after he was cleared by the party to contest the forthcoming Local Government Election fixed for July 21.

Vanguard gathered that the late Ismail hailed from Ibiade in Ogun Waterside Local Government area of Ogun State was unanimously endorsed by the party in the council area as its choice on Sunday.

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Vanguard , THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012—15

LAUNCH:From right— Representative of Abia State Governor, Mr. Mao Ohuabunwa; Prof. Jerry Gana; Senator Ben Obi; Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha; author of the Book, Emeka Nwosu and Sarkin Karshi, HRH Ismaila Mohammed, during the launch of a book entitled, Nigeria and Crisis of the Nation-State, in Abuja. PHOTO: Gbemiga Olamikan.

16 die as JTF, gunmen clash in Borno

BY NDAHI MARAMA

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AIDUGURI—NO fewer than 16 people were, yesterday, confirmed killed, while several others were injured during a confrontation between the military Joint Task Force, JTF, and some gunmen in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, which lasted from 4pm, Tuesday, till the early hours of yesterday.

JTF said it killed 16 of the gunmen, even as five soldiers were said to have been seriously injured during the battle which was fought with heavy weapons from both sides, just as multiple explosions were heard throughout the period.

Many houses also allegedly caught fire from the blasts.

The battle was fought in some areas of Lawan Bukar Street, Abbaganaram, Budum and Shehuri wards in the Maiduguri metropolis.

Residents in the affected areas had remained indoors for the last 24 hours.

According to sources, men of the JTF had corndoned off the area after warning residents to stay in their houses as they engaged the gunmen, who had come out fully armed to engage the military and other security agencies.

Although it could not be ascertained whether members of the JTF were among those killed, the Field Operations Commander of the JTF, Col. Victor Ebhaleme told newsmen that the casualties were all members of an Islamist sect.

However, an eyewitness, who spoke to Vanguard on condition of

anonymity, said he saw about five JTF members, who were seriously injured, being taken to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. He could not say whether they were dead or alive.

The source further doubted the figure said to have been killed, pointing out that over 66 people died.

The family house of Governor Kashim Shettima is located in Abbaganaram-BudumLawan-Bukar street where the fight took place.

The confrontation reportedly started, Tuesday, when gunmen attacked one of JTF local bases in Budum area before JTF restrategised and repelled them in a fight characterised by multiple explosions, Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Goni College of Legal and Islamic Studies, BOCOLIS, which is a few metres away from the troubled spot, became a haven for fleeing residents and students at the time of this report.

... as Bauchi church attack victims are buried

BY SUZAN EDEH

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AUCHI—IT was a day of sorrow and wailing, yesterday, in Bauchi State as five victims of last Sunday’s suicide bomb attack at the Living Faith Church a.k.a. Winners Chapel, were buried.

At least 20 people lost their lives while several others were injured during the attack at Yelwa Tudu area, by a lone bomber in a Honda Civic saloon car.

Among those buried, yesterday, were a former member of the House of Representatives in the Second Republic, Mr. Irmiya Hassan Dodo, 67; Joseph Kehinde Aiyedipe, 30, student of Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi; Samuel Olusegun, 16, an SS II student of Divine International School, Bauchi; Augustine Effion Ita, 32, an Adolescent Health specialist, and a final year student of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Suru Bamgboshe.

The deceased who were members of the Living Faith Church, were interred at the Christian Cemetery at Yelwa Kagadama at about 12: 30pm.

The Presiding Pastor of the church, Gauis Biyal, in his brief sermon admonished Christians not to seek revenge against anyone over what happened to their family members or friends.

‘Vengeance is the of Lord' He said: “Vengeance belongs to the Lord. Vengeance belongs to Jesus Christ who was persecuted for our sake. It is He that can fight on our behalf. He knows what to do and if we try to do it ourselves, we will die in the process.”

Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, in the state, Rev. Pokti Lewi also asked Christians not to take the laws into their hands because of what happened, warning that CAN as a body will not support such action.

C M Y K

16 —Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012—17

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Malfunctioning air craft

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he DANA air crash has therefore given us another opportunity to reflect on this vital aspect of modernity which we nevertheless treat with a contemptuous indifference to the human suffering which these crashes engender. As for the ill-fated aircraft, it has now come to the public space that it has a record of malfunctioning, dating back to the years before it was brought into the Nigerian airspace. Its original American owners saw the danger it

old TV documentary put it, our lives are in their hands. And they have continued the habitual practice of making a mess of these lives: on the roads; by air and as a result of what amounts to a deliberate effort to institute a national railways system, even when decades of life without them have taught the lessons of their imperative!

Three days? But we mourn everyday represented to their customers and de-commissioned it; it came here despite its record of faults and was permitted to carry Nigerians, who the authorities have concluded, are far less worthy of the protection which American humanity gets and which ensured that the plane could no longer operate in American airspace. Similarly, it was reported that some members of staff of the airline had expressed reservation about putting the plane in the air given the problems it had manifested in recent times. Of course, in the long run, the pursuit of profit to the detriment of human lives finally triumphed over the caution allegedly expressed; and the result is the tragic crash which took the lives of young and old; men and women. There were very touching human stories that emerged in the 24 hours

Relatives of crash victims at LASUTH experience will serve as guide, we can predict the outcome of the investigation ordered by

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“You travel by road, tankers will catch fire; by air, plane crashes; you sit in your house, a plane comes to meet you; you go to church or even a mosque, Boko Haram will come after you; you go by sea, militants attack you; you finally run to your village, and you are kidnapped! There is no safe place in Nigeria.

What a life!” – Text message from a friend.

WRITE these lines with mixed emotions: sadness at the loss of lives early this week in the tragic killings in a Bauchi church when a suicide bomber rammed into a church filled with worshippers. We were still digesting the story from Bauchi, when story of the air crash involving a DANA airline plane broke, with the loss of all passengers and crew onboard and several other people on the ground, in a densely populated area of Lagos. And then anger; because in truth, it could have been anyone of us, frequent travellers, that was caught up in that tragic crash. The crash has brought to fore, the general state of aviation in Nigeria, especially the airworthiness of the aircraft ferrying us around the country; the regimes of maintenance; the pervasive corruption that holds the air transportation sector in a bear hug, and the danger which the cumulative effect of these problems has on our national life. I fly literally all the time, but I do with my heart in my mouth, every time I enter any of the planes in Nigeria’s airspace. Nigeria is far too compromised by the pervasive corruption in the land, that what is a surprise, is that we don’t have these crashes everyday!

Why did we allow its management to play Russian roulette with the lives of Nigerians, when it seemed clear, as revealed after, that the ill-fated aircraft has the record that should have made it impossible to fly? Is it not time to review the obsession with foreign investment when it has often opened access for all sorts of persons to exploit Nigerians?

after the crash, which should melt even a heart of stone! But where was the necessary regime of regulation that should have alerted about the state of the aircraft? A lot of motion has accompanied the crash but if

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President Goodluck Jonathan even before it gets started.

The President also declared three days of mourning, with a pledge of “the fullest possible investigation into the crash”. It must be a very difficult moment

to be Nigeria’s president; Jonathan is swamped by a myriad of problems and it is very clear that his government looks like it is buckling under. There are fundamental issues raised by the crash. Last week revealed the unwholesome underbelly of the transportation sector in our country, with the deaths harvested on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway following the explosion of tankers and the various vehicles that burned on that vital but absolutely dilapidated road. Taken from 2002, trillions of naira has been appropriated to rehabilitate roads, yet our roads have become increasingly worst. For example, all the roads that lead to Ilorin, from Lagos, Abuja or Kaduna are an absolute disaster; there are no functional trains so increasingly we are forced to fly airplanes that we cannot vouch for their airworthiness. As the title of an

Prof. Jean Heskovits: Reminder on being Nigerian

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ROF. Jean Heskovits, the long-term watcher of Nigeria, last week came calling in these shores, to present a speech. It was at an event dedicated to the memory of a Nigerian patriot, the muchlamented General Joseph Nanven Garba: soldier, diplomat, sportsman, gentleman and patriot. I think everyone should endeavour to read the truly remarkable speech Prof. Heskovits gave at the occasion. In truth, the intrepid academic knows our country and in the breadth of analysis and the sweep of description of the various aspects of the often controversial and clogged Nigerian persona and the country’s multi-layered history, she was able to remind us, as a friend of Nigeria, the importance of our country. It is very refreshing to read through a speech which was damning in its description of our foibles

and failures, but was filled nevertheless with an optimism about the Nigerian condition, if we get the basic things right.

Those who have made a habit of promoting the breakup of our country were reminded that it can never be done in a way that will meet their romanticised ‘post-Nigeria’ hankerings! In truth, as this reporter has always known and consistently argued, Nigeria is not the simplistic “mere geographical expression” of Chief Awolowo; the dynamics are far more complex. In any case, there are no nations that came into being, as “acts of God” forget the racist pretenses of Zionism!); they are products of human social evolutions. We can therefore work to build a country with the tremendous potentials of Nigeria, if the ruling class becomes responsible, driven by a nation-building ethos, while the citizens also imbibe the sense of responsibility which

nation-building calls for. It is clear, that the combination of implementation of policies advocated by imperialist institutions and the irresponsibility of the ruling class, have lead to the gradual decline in the ability of the Nigerian state to provide basic decencies for the Nigerian people.

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o social institutions that we took for granted a few decades ago, like the worldclass university system; functional national railways system; the hospitals ran by qualified medical personnel, to mention a few, have become unavailable to the majority of Nigerians who have become overwhelmingly young. A situation like that breeds antipatriotic feelings; and then add the fact that we do not teach history in our schools anymore and you get the slide into the mindset of breaking up the

country as the answer to all the problems in the land.

Nigeria’s problems are enormous but they are not insurmountable and Nigeria matters. Those who have taken the time to study Nigeria for decades like Prof. Jean Heskovits, know that for a fact.

Unfortunately, there are many of our compatriots driven by anger, frustration and in a lot of cases, deep-seated ignorance of the values of history, to make conclusions that de-legitimise the country. They undervalue the manner we have become so intertwined as a people; others parrot statements that we are not yet a nation, as if that is an occasion, not a process. This does not underrate the frustrations that citizens feel in the hands of an irresponsible and uncaring state.

But Nigeria is worth fighting for and it is the duty of its patriots to reclaim it for the sake of the present and the future.

Quest for foreign investments

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e lurch from crisis to crisis and get ever more promises from a President who seems befuddled by the enormity of the crises phenomena he presides over.

In the DANA air crash, we clearly reached a tipping point.

Why did we allow its management to play Russian roulette with the lives of Nigerians, when it seemed clear, as revealed after, that the ill-fated aircraft has the record that should have made it impossible to fly? Is it not time to review the obsession with foreign investment when it has often opened access for all sorts of persons to exploit Nigerians?

Check it out: industrial relations practices have worsened on the back of the foreign investment mantra, that protects foreign capital while tolerating the exploitation of labour in conditions that recall the worst excesses of 19th Century industrial capitalism. The failure of regulation is premised upon the corrupt collusion of officials with those who are prepared to cut corners and as we saw on Sunday, such criminal behaviours can lead to unacceptable and tragic loss of lives! The state that is ostensibly set up to protect lives and property ends up supervising the incineration of the lives of citizens.

So when the President declared three days of national mourning, it seemed to me, that the irony of the declaration was lost to him. Three days? At the rate we are going, we will have to declare 365 days of mourning: to mourn the escalating killings by Boko Haram and the counterinsurgency by the state; to mourn victims of kidnapping that often end in the death of victims despite payment of ransome; to mourn the daily harvest of death on our roads; in badly run hospitals and the negligence and irresponsibility of medical staff; to mourn a systematic plunder of national resources by a bandit ruling elite, which regularly steals billions and trillions as basic infrastructure goes to ruin and young people are left without hope for a future; to mourn the systematic institution of electoral heists which return ever higher figures in elections to parties and candidates who ruin the nation in the cumulative effect of their actions in power. We can add to that list forever! Ours is a country which is in mourning, not just for three days, but for as long as those who rule us remain as clueless and as piratical as they are. By their action and inaction, they are leading our country to perdition, because it is not acceptable to continue to harvest the number of deaths we do each day of our lives; something just has to give!

18 — Vanguard, THURSDAY , JUNE 7, 2012 NIGER State set a record last month when its State House of Assembly had third speaker in one week! The most important work of the House seemed to be the replacement of speakers. Some critics wondered how Honourable Mohammed Lokogoma grabbed the floor under “a matter of national importance,” and moments after was moving a motion for the speaker’s impeachment.

The legislator was in order. Under Section 92 (c), Lokogoma did not need a reason to move against the speaker. The Section states, that his leadership expires “if he is removed from office by a resolution of House of Assembly by the votes of not less than two-third majority of the members of the House”.

Legislators exploring this loose provision change their leadership at the slightest disagreement. The most frequent reason for change of leadership is a speaker’s failure “to carry others along”, an expression for the House leader not spreading the largesse from his office around the membership.

The issue of members’ welfare is usually

Speakers Endangered an excuse to change leadership. The amount of resources speakers control and the powers they wield have put their positions at stake. The constitutional provision that places speakers among successors to governors, even if briefly, make their positions more attractive. A speaker is not an ordinary legislator, his political path can lead to heights that his colleagues only suddenly realise.

On the other side, governors want to control speakers. The oversight functions of legislative houses and the independence they require can make the difference in the administration of a State. Most speakers keep their position at the pleasure of governors who want to be fully in-charge.

Blames for most of the maladministration

in the country go to the legislatures that have failed to perform their functions of making laws for the good of their States.

Houses do nothing when the executives loot state resources. Are they not really part of the mist that descends on state accounts?

The rumpus in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, where members have elected a new speaker, is only one in the series of alignments that point to the concerns of politicians about their future. As the puzzle of the 2015 elections falls into place, more of these disruptions, which represent politics of self-preservation, will continue all over the country.

Politicians are simply looking after themselves and making others think there is any reason to take them serious. What will a new speaker do?

After 13 years of civil rule, politicians should start investing in the security and welfare of the people, which the Constitution holds as the essence of governments.

For now, their interest in the people is disappointing.

OPINION

BY AMECHI OKOLO

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DO not hold a copyright to the headline of this piece. The inspiration came from the theme of the 2012 calendar of the Delta State House of Assembly, DTHA, which, to any discerning and concerned observer of affairs in the current dispensation, encapsulates the mindset and modus operandi of the honourable members of the House.

A salient question that should engage the minds of all is whether this set concept of ‘’Legislating for A Greater Delta State’’ is being actualised or not.

One year on, the leadership and honourable members of the DTHA have cause to roll out the drums and celebrate a session of robust and people-friendly legislating that has played a big role in the uplift of the living standard of all Deltans. In addition to a long list of law-making and other interventions, the honourable members recorded a memorable first amongst the 36 state legislative houses in Nigeria.

A landmark achievement of the present session of the House of Assembly is the ground-breaking deliberations and passage into law of the current Delta State Appropriate Bill in record time.

It is of note that Delta State has enjoyed relative peace after the needless inter-ethnic and fratricidal strife of the early 2000s. To consolidate on this climate of peace and stifle the pockets of security challenges of urban terrorism and kidnappings, the Anti-Terrorism and Anti-kidnapping Bill is already in the legislative process of being passed into law. This will ensure that the twin crimes attract capital punishment to deter perpetrators.

Significantly, on being elected the Speaker of the House, Victor Ochei ordered the biometric screening of all the staff of the House of Assembly through the House of Assembly Service Commission to ensure premium service, identify those actually working and remove the scourge of ghost and redundant workers on the payroll of the House. This has freed scarce state funds for use in other pressing and deserving areas of development.

Legislating for a greater Delta State For one who last visited Asaba, the capital city of Delta State, two years ago, my Thursday, March 22, 2012 visit afforded me an opportunity to observe the monumental strides in the areas of infrastructure and human capital development, and sustainable security. One edifice that caught my attention and subsequent admiration was the Delta State House of Assembly complex. It will not be an overstatement if I say that the signboard at the precincts of the Assembly premises allayed my fears that I may have been looking at another building but Delta State House of Assembly.

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he squalid and stagnant environment of the premises had given way to an array of paved side walks and courtyard, covered drains, well-laid-out lawns with carefully trimmed and luxuriant grass and beautiful flowers that elevated the general aesthetics of the whole complex. A collection of objets d‘art litter the lawns of the House of Assembly showcasing the rich cultural heritage and proud history of the people of Delta State. The interior décor of the complex is simply enchanting and neat, one that gives a convivial ambience and class to the working environment.

The buildings that comprise the Assembly complex have either undergone rehabilitation or outright construction with eyepleasing and avant-garde architectural designs, fittings and furniture. To enhance the security of the complex, modern surveillance gadgets have been put in place to protect and safeguard this crucial arm of governance in the state.

In this new dispensation, emphasis has been placed on the need to meet the positive challenges of global trends in Information and Communication Technology that will fast-track the installation of an efficient, effective and durable e-governance

option. In this wise, the computerisation of all the departments, units and sections of the House of Assembly is being aggressively pursued. These and many other instances of the proactive roles played and the critical interventions made by DTHA has led observers of the activities of the House to critically examine the major index (or indices) responsible for the quantum leap in its roles in the functional and good governance of Delta State.

A summation of the findings points to the quality of the House leadership and the complementary roles of the honourable members who are genuinely united in their goals of Greater Delta State.

Good leadership inspires people, manages challenges and contradictions, withstand adversaries, survives upheavals, mobilizes and motivates people, etc. In fact, you can promote growth, peace, stability, sustainable development and further the goals of democracy with good leadership. A good leader is conscious of his position as first among equals (Primus inter pares).A contributory factor to the giant strides made so far in the House of Assembly is the emergence of the current Speaker.

A cursory look at the ascendancy, pedigree and track record of Ochei’s humble roots, education and careers in business and politics, points to the quiet emergence of a rare leader whose present sojourn in politics is driven by his desire to contribute to the uplift of his people.

The other factor is the complementary roles being played by the other members of the House leadership echelon and the honourable members who do not play politics with the sustainable development of Delta State and its people.

As they say: A tree cannot make a forest. The House, as presently constituted, has a collection of some of the brightest brains from the public and private sectors of the nation’s economy who are deploying these combined arsenals of intelligence, diligence and commitment for the greater good of all Deltans. *Mr. Okolo, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Asaba, Delta State.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012—19

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Many clues point to the possibility that the ill-fated aircraft has been troubled without much being done by the authorities to keep it from flying

Fall of DANA

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ANA Air was my preferred airline. Their ticketing system was easy – you could buy your ticket in advance and collect your boarding pass immediately for convenient boarding on travel date, unlike some others where you had to come two hours to boarding and stand in long queues. Flights were generally smooth with reduced effect of turbulence if you sat at the front area seats. Touchdowns were above industry average. And the air hostesses in their blood redand-white outfits looked good enough to change a man’s mood – for the better.

These were the reasons that I specifically asked my travel agent to book me on a 4.20pm Dana Air flight to Abuja on Sunday, June 3, 2012. We were to fly on their 9j 345 aircraft.

Braving a slight touch of malaria, I arrived at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2) at about 3.00pm, went and obtained my boarding pass, bought a couple of newspapers to read on board and settled in at the departure lounge

to await the call for boarding. It never came.

Other airlines were departing normally and ours had been delayed for about 45 minutes without any word. Then, a group of travellers on the Lagos – Abuja route suddenly returned to the departures lounge through the gate they took to board their aircraft about 30 minutes before.

That was the first sign of trouble.

Usually, those exiting an aircraft would leave through arrival, not departure. The bemused passengers later told curious enquirers like me that they had already sat down ready for departure when the flight crew asked them to disembark; that there was a serious incident involving another aircraft.

Soon after people received this troubling news, the crowd in the departure lounge clustered around the glass windows to catch a glimpse of what could have gone wrong. It was then that people started receiving news alerts on their smart phones that a Dana Air plane had crashed somewhere around the airport. I

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quickly went downstairs to the check-in counter of the airline to find out if it was true. Operations were still going on normally, as passengers were still being checked in, though a large crowd of anxious customers wanted to know exactly what was going on.

Staff of the airline said until they received confirmation from their office they would continue to assume the news was a rumour.

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uddenly, one of the operations staff of Dana got a call on his walkie-talkie. He called his colleagues working at the check-in counters and they conferred in hushed tones for a few seconds. Then, with grim expressions on their faces, they started closing shop. That was when I knew that indeed, Nigeria had been visited by a demon which was last exorcised in November 2006 when an ADC airline fell in Abuja airport. In a little while, families and relations of those on board the ill-fated flight started arriving, with the usual heart-rending

dissolve into utter grief. At this point my malaria became worse and I needed to go home and lie down to watch the unfolding tragedy on television.

I was able to confirm that the flight that crashed (9j 997) was not the one that was supposed to take us to Abuja, but you never could tell. They could always switch their passengers from one flight to the other “for operational reasons”.

This sad incident brought again to the fore how far behind the advanced countries we are at playing in this advanced technological arena. I frequently watch Air Crash Investigations on National Geographic Channel and I know how air crash investigators value the sanctity of the crash site. In advanced countries, emergency and security services would be on a crash site before the citizens get there. They quickly cordon off the area and handle issues of search, rescue, fire-fighting and evacuation of casualties professionally. In most cases, crash investigators go through the site with a toothcomb.

The smallest evidence could lead to the discovery of factors that led to the tragedy. Since the primary reason for documenting a crash site is to ensure that future flights are made safe with lessons learnt, the failure of investigators to determine the cause of a crash is regarded as a major loss to the aviation industry in the world at large.

That is why a crash in the remotest part of the world attracts the curiosity of investigators of the National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB, of the USA. Watching the milling crowd

that invaded the Iju crash site on Sunday, I developed goosepimples. How on earth would investigators be able to successfully process the crash scene? There was total chaos.

Those gathered there could be there for any number of reasons ranging from pure curiosity, pity, patriotic impulse to help in salvage operations and (believe this) the quest to loot the valuables of the dead victims. It was probably the fact that human vultures were the first to invade the arrive scene of the Bellview Airlines crash of 2005 over Lissa, Ogun State that helped render the cause of crash inconclusive.

When will the authorities administering our aviation industry and the safety and emergency services evolve a partnership with the people to know exactly what to do once an incident of this nature takes places until the professionals arrive? Now that we are asking questions, when will those who failed in their duties of inspecting aircraft be brought to justice if aircraft put in their care for safekeeping falls from the skies?

Many unofficial clues point to the possibility that the ill-fated aircraft has been troubled repeatedly without much being done by the authorities to keep it from flying. Will the culprits just walk free once again?

Finally, what has become of the insurance compensation for the families of the crash victims of 2005 and 2006? Must we wait for Chief Gani Fawehinmi to come back from the dead before a good lawyer takes up the fight for the compensation of families of victims? Let us remember: We must fly, and no one is immune!

Obasanjo and his many thieves HE Christian religion encourages us to confess positive because the power of the tongue is so strong that whatever you confess easily becomes your portion.

But if all you see around you is an aura of pessimism, it also behoves you to tell the bitter truth and continue to pray for change.

How does anyone really begin an essay on a nation in the mood of celebration on a sad note? The truth still remains that way passed the half-century mark after its nominal independence, and 13 full years after its uninterrupted democratic rule, socalled, this fat man is still a toddler, unable to develop mentally.

It is a tragedy that after all these years, Nigeria is still groping in the dark, totally rudderless. Leadership of the country still emerges by default and sometimes, by sheer luck. In the main, the country is still for the highest bidder. The bids are in cash or kind.

The first attribute is your ability to cleverly conceal your interest. It is a hide and seek game in which the would-be president must first say he is unwilling to contest. Meanwhile, he has carefully stationed the professional canvassers who are normally bountifully mobilised with our oil money to begin to plead with him to show interest in the position. The pretence process reminds one of the case of that man who refuses to eat his wife’s food because of certain infractions.

Meanwhile the man hides in one corner of the house, whistling.

This hide and seek approach to the presidency occurs all the time but President Goodluck Jonathan is seemingly taking it to the point of absurdity. Could we have forgotten so soon how long this man kept the entire nation on its knees, begging him

to show interest in the 2011 presidential election? It is not so annoying that these people get what they want through the back door. After all, the end still justifies the means. But the most annoying aspect of it all is that in the process, they insult the rest of us and push through with impunity.

After all these years, should we still be getting our leaders by the game of dabbling through?

This time around, the ink on Jonathan’s inauguration papers had hardly dried before the manoeuvres started; when he submitted a bill to the National Assembly seeking to amend the Constitution from two four-year tenures to single seven-year tenure for the President. He quickly informed us that he was not going to benefit from the amendment. We saw it coming and we demanded at that time why the President would not want to benefit from a good provision in the Constitution, if he is, indeed, not allergic to good things.

Clearly, it was a booby-trap.

Still in the theatre of the absurd, the issue of Jonathan’s intention has been fully commercialised. It is now a money spinner for some. We invite to the witness box, Mr. Syracuse Njoku, a member of the PDP (Zuba Ward, Abuja Municipal Area Council, with membership card number 1622735). In spite of all the pretensions of the President and his men, as soon as Njoku smelt a rat that Jonathan was going to contest the 2015 presidential election, he dragged President Jonathan, the PDP and the INEC to court, seeking to stop Jonathan from the contest.

Suddenly, Njoku is making a complete somersault. On Wednesday, April 18, 2012, an Abuja High Court granted him leave to explore modalities for out of court settlement. Hear him: “I have been

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Suddenly, Obasanjo remembers that there is a bunch of thieves at the National Assembly; what a crude reminder that he is still licking his wounds over the third term debacle!

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approached by some powerful elements in PDP for an out of court settlement” (The Nigerian Observer, Thursday, 19 April 2012, p.2). We see justice being hawked for sale in the open market. If only these people knew that corporate Nigeria has invested so much on this case (who has been paying the judges and other court workers for the wasted man hour?), they would not resort to burying a public issue by private treaty.

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n a more civilized society, the PDP should be biting its fingers by now for openly avowing that it will rig the 2015 elections. General Mohammadu Buhari flew a kite and the PDP fell flat. Apparently,

at the mention of the White man, the white ant shivers. Buhari perhaps spoke the minds of many when he asserted that there will be bloodshed if the 2015 elections are not free and fair. For that, the PDP is asking for his head, which means that this “largest party in the world” is bent on doing evil. If someone is recommending that election riggers will henceforth be beheaded, how would that bother those who are not intent on rigging elections?

When some of us were thinking that we should talk less about the forest and more of what we did with the woods, we did not reckon that there comes a point in the life of a big man when he must have some noise around him. Suddenly, Obasanjo remembers that there is a bunch of thieves at the National Assembly. What a crude reminder that he is still licking his wounds over the third term debacle! Obasanjo hardly shifts grounds. The time spent in asking him to name the thieves is akin to that spent in sleeping with the barren.

To some of the decent legislators, it must be painful to be bundled among “Ali Baba and the 40 thieves” but this is a hazard of the occupation. In any case, of what use would naming the numerous thieves be?

What have you done with the myriad of other suspects there – the Boko Haramists, the money guzzlers, the EFCC clientele and the rest?

This unserious level of discourse only leads back to where we started – it is hardly a way to deepen any democracy. Sad, sad indeed!

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African economy at risk over Greek exit from EMU — StanChart

By CHINEDU IBEABUCHI

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REEK’S exit from European Monetary Union, EMU, could spell doom for Africa’s economy if the exit leads to a more pronounced recession in the euro zone, says a report

by Standard Chartered Group.

Though the continent’s GDP growth is likely to remain positive on average, the report said the risk is due to the fact that Africa’s growth is correlated with Europe’s, adding that the impact would depend on how the contagion is contained.

Assessing the effects of a Greek exit from the European Monetary Union (EMU) on its footprint markets of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, the report said if contagion is contained by European Central Bank’s (ECB) liquidity injections, any negative impact on emerging-market (EM) growth is likely to be limited and temporary.

“We also expect EM central banks and governments to take the necessary action to stimulate their economies. If the European authorities fail to contain the fallout from Greece’s exit, leading to exits by other EMU members, the economic and financial impact on emerging markets could be comparable

to the 2008-09 global financial crises,” it said.

The report documented by its Regional Head of Research, Greater China, Stephen Green, revealed that a Greek exit from the euro area would leave financial flows at risk.

“In the case of a financial crisis, however, the effect may be transmitted more rapidly. This was seen during the 2008-09 global crises, when reduced availability of trade finance triggered an almost immediate collapse in global trade, and demand for Africa’s exports

plummeted. This time, a large number of European financial institutions are likely to face pressure to recapitalise.

“Anecdotally, there is already evidence of asset disposals by European banks and of a general pullback in new lending to Africa. Trade finance is likely become increasingly expensive; project finance will slow, but probably not on a scale that will threaten Africa’s positive overall growth. “The key lesson from the 2008-09 crises is that Africa is vulnerable to global events, even if it tends to be impacted with a lag. A Greek

EMU exit leading to a more pronounced recession in the euro area would result in slower growth in Africa, but the continent’s GDP growth is likely to remain positive on average. Our chart shows that Africa’s growth is correlated with Europe’s.”

Also, the research showed that while the importance of the euro area as an export destination has been declining (largely due to gains by Asia), the region remains Africa’s largest trading partner by far, representing 25.6% of African exports in 2010.

CBN ex-chief advocates effective supervision of banks A FORMER Director in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Titus Okunronmu, has called for effective supervision under the new banking regime.

He told the news Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the step was necessary to save the country from recurrence of the last financial crisis.

Okunronmu blamed poor corporate governance as the major cause of the banking crisis, stressing that many of the directives of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) were not enforced.

He alleged that the banks often used their subsidiaries to perpetuate malpractices like using depositors’ funds to buy shares for their owners.

The former CBN official also alleged that banks’ directors gave loans to their friends and relations without any collateral.

He said that these sharp practices contributed to the collapse of some banks and the stock market.

Okunronmu said that some banks’ officials used depositors’ money to fund their subsidiaries, a situation that prevented banks from rendering financial services to their customers.

He said that the CBN should effectively supervise the banks under the new banking regime to provide a level playing ground for all the operators.

NAN recalls that the CBN introduced a new bank licensing regime under which banks were categorised as regional, commercial and a holding company.

The new banking regime took effect from Nov. 15, 2010.

From left: Senator Kola Bajomo, Council Member, Business Recovery & Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria (BRIPAN); Sola Oyetayo, 2nd Deputy Vice President, BRIPAN; Chief Anthony Idigbe (SAN), President; Otunba Olutola Senbore, Past President, BRIPAN, and Dele Odunowo, First Deputy Vice President at a press briefing to herald the association’s international workshop with the theme: ‘Insolvency and Economic Development Particularly in an Emerging Economy,’ in Lagos.

Oyo State targets affordable housing through PPP

By PROVIDENCE OBUH

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OVERNOR Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has restated his commitment to providing affordable housing for citizens of Oyo State through an efficient public private partnership scheme.

Speaking at the “Ibadan Transformation Estate” promoted by ASO Savings and Loans Plc held in Ibadan, Ajimobi noted that it has become imperative to provide affordable housing for Nigerians, consequence to the growing inadequacy of housing in urban centres, especially in the state.

He said, “This is public private partnership as we all know that the Transformation Estate will not only provide housing, but skilled and semi-skilled employees will be engaged in the project while 1, 000 people will be fully employed in the final stage of the project.”

In his welcome address, the Executive Director, ASO Saving and Loans Limited, Mr. Hassan Usman,

promised to provide Nigerians with affordable housing schemes and viable mortgage option, said: “Through this public private partnership scheme, we will be developing 53.7 hectares of land at the Ibadan-Lagos Expressway and it will consist of 1,400 units of mixed dwelling in two phases.”

Usman added that the beneficiaries of the scheme would also enjoy mortgage from ASO which would be secured by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBG) at 6 per cent to qualifying contributors to the National Housing Scheme and the Cooperative Hosing Scheme of the FMBG. Priding on the partnership, he said that the prime mission of the institution was to build mutually profitable relationships anchored on a passion of excellence.

He described the partnership as the first of many to come, saying, “The scheme is intended to facilitate the acquisition of inexpensive houses by low income earners in the society.”

156.10

-2.35

2,155.00 +61.00 19.17

+0.27

98.70

-0.15

84.23

+0.25

CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL SELLING CFA 0.2716 KRONER 25.8642 EURO 192.2616 POUNDS 237.4942 RIYAL 41.2745 SDR 239.8471 FRANC 159.9835 DOLLAR 154.8 YEN 1.9783 RENMINBI 24.3081

0.2816 25.9478 192.8826 238.2613 41.4078 240.6218 160.5002 155.3 1.9847 24.3871

0.2916 26.0313 193.5036 239.0284 41.5411 241.3965 161.0169 155.8 1.9911 24.4661

CBN Exchange rate as at 06/06/2012

Vanguard Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

BRIEF

UBA reduces opening balance for savings account

U

NITED Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has enhanced its savings account, with reduced minimum opening balance driven by her array of cost saving e-Banking products and services.

With a minimum of N2,000, customers can now open a UBA Savings Account and enjoy a world of high value banking with Africa ’s global bank.

Christened UBA Savings Account Advantage, existing and new holders of UBA Savings Account stand to benefit from the bank’s range of cost saving e-banking products and services.

Speaking on the new initiative, Head, Retail Products, UBA Plc, Olumide Osunyomi, said “ we have reduced the minimum opening balance for savings account to encourage more savers to inculcate the culture of savings, enhanced their living standards with the plethora of added high valued banking services.”

According to her, UBA has invested in cuttingedge technology towards delivery of seamless, efficient and cost saving eBanking products and services. “UBA, being the largest eBanking services provider in the country, is inviting old and would-be customers to enjoy a new way of banking,” she said.

UBA savings account holders, among other traditional services availed by the Bank which include an ATM Card, would have opportunity to subscribe to the following eBanking platforms: U-Mobile; UMo; UBA Visa Prepaid Card; UBA Naira Debit Card; UBA DCDC. On the Cash-lite policy of the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN), Divisional Head, e-Banking, UBA Plc, Dr. Yinka Adedeji, noted the bank had adopted critical measures to encourage its customers to embrace electronic channels. He added that UBA is leading the crusade in the implementation of the policy, particularly small depositors, which the new initiative meant to address.

— 23

CBN Act in line with global best practices —CIBN STORIES BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE T HE Chareterd Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) has said the the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act is in line with global best practices with respect to the

autonomy of the apex bank. ?

The Institute was one of the selected institutions invited by the National Assembly to make presentation at the public hearing on the amendment of CBN Act on May 28, 2012, at Abuja,

stated that the CBN act of 2007 was in line with International best practices.?

“After examining the governance structure of Central Banks across the developed and emerging/frontier economies and the impact on central bank independence, we

From right: Vice President, West African Union of Tax Institutes, Mr. Felix Ahima-Adonteng; Acting Director, Customs of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, Mr. Salifou Tiemtore; Chairman Tax Conference Committee, Ms. Gladys Olajumoke Simplice, and Mr. Ronald Macdonald Garnett, Representative from Liberia during a courtesy visit to the Commission in Abuja by Executives of the Union.

WAUTI, Customs push for tax harmonisation in Africa

T

HE West African Union ofTax Institutes (WAUTI) and Nigerian Customs are discussing possibility harmonising taxes in the West African region.

This was disclosed during a visit by a delegation of the WAUTI to the Acting Director of Customs of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Mr. Salifou Tiemtore in Abuja.

The delegation, led by WAUTI Vice President, Mr. Felix Ahima-Adonteng said there were also discussions on the role of the union and other stakeholders in achieving this feat.

Ahima-Adonteng said the parties agreed that taxation will play a major role in reviving economies of the region

thereby meeting the increasing needs of its citizenry. Discussions during the visit centered on harmonization of taxes in the West African Region and the role of WAUTI and other stakeholders. The role of taxation revenue in regional development was nonnegotiable as attested to by all present during the visit, he said.

According to him, the WAUTI is committed to achieving a high level of tax awareness in the region through campaigns, and various means of communication that will be carried out by professionals and stakeholders in the region.

He said that achieving this will require formation of tax professional bodies that will

continually educate and harmonise issues of taxation in the region Tiemtore said there is increasing need for ECOWAS to support WAUTI in its activities aimed at increasing tax awareness and creating enormous tax revenues to finance developmental projects in the region.

He promised to push for the establishment of a tax directorate in the ECOWAS specifically to be devoted to issues of taxation in the regional body According to him, the visit will assist the institute in enlisting the support of critical stakeholders in its activities and programmes aimed at ensuring taxation is given a principal place in the region of West Africa.

found out that the CBN Act 2007 is in line with International best practices”, said Mr. Segun Aina, CIBN President, who made the presentation on behalf of the Institute and the banking industry.

He said that an independent central bank would be in the best position to ensure financial stability, sound economic performance, stable economic growth, access to resources to achieve its policy objectives, a positive international perception among other benefits than when under control of an external body or agency.Mr. Aina observed that Central Banks all over the world have the core mandate of ensuring monetary and price stability, non-inflationary growth as well as the responsibility of ensuring a sound and stable financial system, in addition to other developmental functions.

T hese mandates and functions are peculiar to central banks, and no other institution performs such functions”, Aina said.? ?Similarly, Alhaji Amusa Oladimeji Otiti, a Past President and Chairman of Body of Past Presidents of the Institute affirmed the position of the Institute by saying that the apex bank should continue to have its operational and financial autonomy and the budget should not be subjected to financial appropriations.

“I strongly implore members of the Senate and House of Assembly to leave the CBN Act alone as it was conceived by the founding Fathers in 1958”. Alhaji Otiti who spoke on the floor of the house through the CIBN president, Mr. Segun Aina also noted that Central banks all over the world are autonomous.? ?Another Past President of the Institute, HRH Prof. Green Nwankwo, OON, FCIB alongside Managing Director/Chief Executives of Banks spoke-out in total support of CBN autonomy.?

The Institute’s position is a reaction to the plans by the National Assembly to amend the Act establishing the Central Bank of Nigeria through the Senate whose intention is to enhance the powers of the CBN to prohibit transactions with foreign currencies in Nigeria. The Upper House also wants to divest the Board of Directors of approval of the Annual budget by compelling the Board to submit its annual budget to the National Assembly for approval.

24 — Vanguard Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

APPOINTMENT & PROMOTION

Brief

Airtel appoints Akanmu chief marketing officer

FCT Minister’s wife gets FOMWAN Award

A

ITEL Nigeria has announced the appointment of Olu Akanmu as Chief Marketing Officer, CMO, with effect from 1st of June, 2012.

Akanmu, a former Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Retail and Consumer Banking in Bank PHB, now Keystone Bank, is said to be a marketing professional, motivational speaker and seasoned manager.

It is believed that he could lead Airtel’s quest to reclaim market leadership and assist the company realize its primary ambition of being the most loved brand in the daily lives of Nigerians by 2015.

Speaking on the appointment, the Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director of Airtel Nigeria, Rajan Swaroop, said “Airtel is proud to be an employer of choice for talented Nigerian professionals and we will continue to invest in our people just as we will remain committed in our quest to building a brand that will be the most loved in the daily lives of Nigerians.”

Akanmu has over 23 years of experience spanning marketing, banking, telecommunications, consulting, manufacturing, advertising, pharmaceutical and health care sectors.

During his stay at Bank PHB, he was responsible for the delivery of the retail business

vicahiyoung@yahoo.com 08033348923

W

Students of Obafemi Awolowo University Ife during Nescafe Hot Air Balloon campaign at Ife annual profit across 97 dedicated retail branches and additional 90 business co-location branches nationwide.

He also worked at MTN Nigeria where he spent half a decade as General Manager, Consumer Marketing in charge of consumer business strategy.

Other organizations where he worked include InsightGray Nigeria, Oxford Center

for Innovation, UK, Population Service International/ Society for Family Health, South Africa and Glaxo Nigeria Limited.

Akanmu, a 1985 Pharmacy graduate of University of Ife, Nigeria, has attended several management and leadership programmes in reputable institutions such as INSEAD, London Business School and Lagos Business School.

In 1998, he scored a distinction to emerge the overall best student among 87 managers in the management advancement programme 37 of the Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Witwatersrand and Johannesburg, South Africa.

IFE of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT and Founder, Al-Muhibbah Foundation, Hajia Aisha Bala Mohammed, has been honoured with an award by the Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria, FOMWAN. Presenting the Award on occasion of the Association’s 25th anniversary ceremony, the President of the Association, FCT chapter, Hajia Raliat Akinbobola, said the efforts of the wife of the Minister were worthy of emulation and commendation.

According to the FOMWAN President, Mrs. Bala Mohammed has constantly demonstrated very rare and spirited support to the association as well as the promotion of the course of Islam in the territory. “We have received tremendous moral, financial and physical support from the recipient of today’s award noting that the least we can do as an Association is to honor such personality with a view to encouraging other well meaning Nigerians to follow her footsteps”

Anchaver now AAEUN President A

NEW President of Agriculture and Allied Employees Union of Nigeria, AAEUN, has been elected.

He is Comrade Simon Anchaver from Benue state. He defeated the incumbent, Comrade A.D. Bungudu from Zamfara state with 277 to 178 votes to cling the top position.

The election of the new officers took place Abuja during the 2nd Quadrennial Delegate Conference of the Union with

the theme, Building a Modern Nigeria through Agricultural Sector Transformation”““In his post election speech, the new president promised to provide purposeful, prudent, and accountable and people oriented leadership throughout his tenure. ““He also promised gender equity and equality in all Union matters and policies, assuring that the leadership will provide overseas training

for staff and elected members, as well as ensuring that they are entitled to vehicle loans including other loan facilities.

He assured members of improvement in their condition of service by ensuring that their salaries and emolument as well as elected officers’ allowances meet up with the challenges of global economic realities.“Other officers who came on board to lead the Union are: Ime Bernard Akpa-

Oshiomhole now Peace Ambassador E

DO State Governor, Com peace and unity to all Nigerirade Adams Oshiomhole, ans irrespective of tribe, race has been conferred with the or religion.”

Gana, a former Minister of award of National Ambassador the Federal Capital Territory, of Peace in Nigeria.

Conferring the award on the FCT, said Nigerians look up to Governor at the Government the governor as a national House, Benin City, Chairman leader, saying “we expect you of the National Council for to come and tell Nigerians why Peace and Unity, Engineer they should embrace peace.

Abba Gana, said the award was Without sustainable peace, in recognition of the gover- unity and security, all other things for which government nor’s antecedent as a tested Kierian exists cannot be achieved.” and trusted leader.

Enechi The chairman noted all states According to him, “by this award, we expect you to bring of the federation face one secu-

rity challenge or the other, adding there is extra need as a direct and large country to work for sustainable peace and unity.

Stressing the need for peace as a national objective, Gana said “because of the nature of our mandate and the importance of national peace and unity in every state we need the support of the government, the political leaders, traditional rulers and civil societies. Because of nationalistic history of Edo people, the rest of Nigerians expect Edo State people to

diaha from Akwa Ibom State who emerged as the Deputy National President; Comrade Adisa Abdulkareem from Oyo State, National Treasurer; Comrade Alanana M. Emmanuel from Nasarawa State, National Vice President, North Central Zone and Comrade A. O. Owopetu from Osun State, National Vice President, South West Zone.

Others include Patricia Bassey from Cross River emerg-

be role models in terms of peace, unity and security. Politics is a means to an end and the end is peace, unity, security, prosperity and progress of the people.

“We of the National Council for Peace and Unity do sincerely believe that our dear governor possesses all the necessary and sufficient experience, capacity, ability and wisdom to provide the exemplary peace and unity to the good people of Edo State in this critical time ahead of them.”

ing as National Vice President, South-South Zone; Comrade Shehu Bello from Kebbi State, National Vice President, North West Zone; Comrade Joram S. Massam from Gombe State, National Vice President, North - East Zone.“Also Comrade Elsie Emecheta from Imo State emerged as National Women Coordinator; Comrade Gloria D. Haruna from Kaduna State, National Auditor; Comrade Isa Bello Toungo from Adamawa State, National Trustee (I) and Comrade Adama Ardo from Borno State as National Trustee (II).

The delegates’ conference with over 600 attendances but with only 456 accredited to vote was a surprise but sent forth party for the former National officer, as only two of them made it back to the new team“In his reaction, the former National President, Comrade Bungudu said that the election was credible and described his defeat as God’s wish, saying, he will cooperate with the new leadership of the Union.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012 — 25

NPA, NIMASA collaborate to enhance maritime operation

BY GODWIN ORITSE

M

ANAGING Direc tor of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Engr. Omar Suleiman, has said that the authority is ready to collaborate with other sister agencies particularly the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, on matters that can move the industry forward.

Giving this assurance in Lagos recently Suleiman stated that NPA is pre-

pared to collaborate and to partner with NIMASA and indeed all stakeholders with a view to realizing the objectives of the transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration in the maritime sector.

He immediately directed the General Manager Security NPA, Lt. Col. J Tahir [RTD] to liaise with NIMASA on the implementation of International Ships and Ports Security (ISPS) code at the nation’s seaports.

Reacting to Suleiman’s preparedness to partner with NIMASA, its Director General Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi debunked the rumors and insinua-

tions that NPA and NIMASA do not agree on issues in the maritime sector.

He said that both NPA and NIMASA are joint stakeholders in the industry, stressing that he and Suleiman share similar opinions on ways of mov-

BY GODWIN ORITSE

T

HERE are indication that commercial activities on the newly

dredged River Niger has increased following the increased afreightment of crude oil by some International Oil Companies (IOCs) Besides the movement of crude on the River Niger, there has also been increased ferry boats moving com mutters to and fro villages located around the river.

The River which cuts across seven states stretching from Lokoja in Kogi State to Patani in Delta also serves as a fishing ground for people of the riverine area .

A visit to the river showed that oil companies have taken advantage of the deepened channels of the river to move their liquified cargoes to the terminals for onward movement to waiting vessels through pipe lines.

Already, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has conclud-

Cargo clearance process to go through five steps T

HE Presidential com mittee set up by the federal government, is to introduce “five quick steps to cargo clearance” which is intended to achieve the 48 hours cargo clearance time.

The five steps to cargo clearance is expected to be Information Technology (IT) based and would reduce both human and vehicular traffic, as well as de-congest the ports in the country.

President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, Prince Olayiwola Shittu, who doubles as the head of the technical committee, said that the new clearance procedure would change the face of clearing in the country when it is finally introduced.

Shiitu explained that the sub-committee drafted the new procedure which has since been sent to the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who was delighted with it adding that the document has been sent to the federal executive council for ratification.

He explained that the committee acknowledged the need to carry other stakeholders along since they are not fully represented in the actual committee. To this end, the ANLCA boss explained that the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) and other Associations are represented in the sub-committee. Shittu further noted during a visit to the secretariat of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria, MARAN, that the

tion but the most critical is that of security of the water ways and informed the Managing Director that NIMASA will soon take delivery of Ten[10] patrol boats to complement existing security infrastructure in the industry.

Commercial activties gather momentum in dredged River Niger

National President of Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, Prince Olayiwola Shituu and Customs Area Controller (CAC) of Apapa Area 1 Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Yusuf Adamu Garko, during a visit to the Customs boss , in Apapa.

BY GODFREY BIVBERE

ing the Maritime Industry forward and had on numerous occasions collaborated very well on matters bordering on the interests of the two organizations.

The Director General stated that there are so many areas of collabora-

committee’s work may turn out naught if major industry players are not engaged or factored in properly. This he said formed the reason why stakeholders in the industry were carried along by the committee.

He pointed out that this is to avoid a situation where key stakeholders would be isolated and therefore barred from contributing their quota, like the situation in the past. He said requisite government ministries had delayed the committee work by simply refusing to come to Lagos to observe the situation first hand. This he said would have presented the committee an opportunity to harmonise its work.

Another area which the committee is working on is to remove artificial bottlenecks and corruption

from the port clearing process, as it was bent on eliminating all interpersonal relationship between agents and customs o f f i c i a l s .

On the concession of the nation’s port the ANLCA boss said the average Nigerian was yet to benefit from the policy several years after. He however blamed the Nigerian Ports Authority for the failure of the concession regime, adding that the concessionaires are faced with many challenges.

Also on Benchmarking, Shittu said the policy was a laudable one that could have benefitted the sector and the nation’s economy as a whole. He said benchmarking would have encouraged the importation of quality goods into the country while it could also promote uniform duty payment on vehicles.

ed plans to begin a campaign that will sensitize people on the use of the river for economic benefit.

Speaking to newsmen during a tour of the river, NIWA’s Managing Director Arch. Aliyu Yar Adua said that the dredged River Niger will enhance economic activities in the

Eastern flank of the country as well as surrounding town and villages around the river.

Already, NIWA has concluded arrangement to concession the Onitsha River just as Prsident Jonathan has also made plans to commission the port in the next few weeks.

‘Frozen foods can go through scanner’

BY GODFREY BIVBERE

M

ANAGING Director of Gateway Services, Ghana, a subsidiary of Cotecna Inspections, Neseili Bawa, has said that scanning of frozen foods can be done without any effect on the consumers of such items.

Neseili who disclosed this to Vanguard in Lagos, said that at present, his company is scanning frozen chickens imported to Ghana.

According to the Gateway Services boss, “You know in Ghana, even with the frozen chicken, we scan that. The Ghana Customs has directed that anything that is frozen chicken, in respective of your risk level, you still come to the scanner because they don’t want the frozen chicken or meat to be removed from the freezer and then put back.

Everything should go into the scanners.”

On whether they have the relevant permission for scanning of frozen foods and the aftermath of the scanning, Bawa said that they have gotten the relevant clearance from the agency responsible for radiation control in Ghana.

In his words, “We have gone to the Radiation Protection Board, it has given us a license. There is no harmful effect on, all the things that we scanned, at the beginning when we started we were

being very curious but we have done test and we have been given a certificate saying it has no harmful effect on that.

“It is just that with radiation normally now in Ghana at least, for the xray scanners, they can give you permission to be able to scan with a douse range of 10 Million Electric Volt (MEV) but even at that, in the manufacturing, the technology hasn’t gotten there yet. The highest now is nine MEV but if we were to be using the other one, Germa Ray, that one they will not license you if the MEV is up to five.” He pointed out that when one uses Germa Ray and the radiation level level is above five, “ it starts creating some harmful effect on the product. Our competitor has one of such scanners but the rate is very low, it is not harmful, it’s only 1.5. The down side of it is that because the penetration rate is not high, the pictures becomes very blurring, it is not as clear as in the x-ray,” he noted.

He further explained that the purpose of using scanners is to ensure that people psychologically behave right because normally, what they can get away with in physical examination whether international or un-internationally they can not with the scanner because the physical examination is very difficult, he concluded.

26 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

Nigerians pay N160bn tuition on 71,000 children in Ghana

By AMAKA ABAYOMI & LAJU ARENYEKA The statistics

I

F the over 71,000 Nigerian students who pay tuition fees in Ghana were to contribute the N160 billion they spend annually, they would account for 40 per cent of the 2012 education budget.

A report in 2010 recorded that Nigeria fuels the UK education sector to the tune of N246 billion; over 60 per cent of the 2012 education allocation.

Nigerians studying in British and American universities have spent over N137, 023bn on tuition and living expenses in the last two academic sessions; about 34 per cent when measured against the Federal Government’s allocation to education.

The Director of the Federal Scholarship Board (FSB), Mrs. Hindatu Abdullahi said that the Federal Government spent more than N900 million to sponsor 150 students abroad last year; nearly 10 per cent of the 14.14bn allocated to Nigerian universities.

It is no longer news, according to a breakdown of the 2012 budget, that the sum of N400.15 billion was allocated to education. However, when measured against the figures that Nigerians spend on education in the Diaspora, the situation raises alarming questions concerning economic implications as well as a lack of confidence in the Nigerian education system.

Economic implications Average tuition fees of some selected countries (excluding living expenses) for undergraduates are: USA $8,000; UK 19,000 pounds; Singapore $4,000; Malta $20,000; Malaysia $1,000; Ire-

land 6,000 euro. When converted to Naira, Malaysia is N130,000; UK N1.4m; US N1.04m; Malta N2.6m,etc.

According to a member of the British Parliament, Mr. Iain Stewart, there will be nearly

from non-European Union countries, trailing 39,090 recorded for India and 67,325 for China, according to statistics provided by UK Council for International Student Affairs.

Continues on page 33

*Participants at a recently held education fair in Lagos

FG inaugurates 22-man technical committee on eradication of mass illiteracy

By FAVOUR NNABUGWU

W

ORRIED by the huge number of illiterate Nigerians, including adults and children; the Federal

FG introduces food, drug safety education into basic school programme — Page 32 C M Y K

at 2011, there were 17,585 Nigerians studying in UK universities, about 1,000 more than the 16,680 registered in the 2009/10 academic session, making Nigeria’s student population the third largest

30,000 Nigerian students in the UK by 2015, and this accounts for seven per cent of the total UK university population.

As these numbers increase, so do the financial figures. As

Government has inaugurated a 22-man technical committee for the 2012 National Mass Literacy Campaign comprising Chief Segun Odegbami, Chief Abdul-Rasheed Aderinoye and

20 others.

Odegbami, renowned footballer and Deputy Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC and Prof. Aderinoye are

Palm oil is another black gold

— Page 34

in the 22-man committee chaired by Alhaji Jubrin Paiko, Executive Secretary of National Commission for

Continues on page 27

61 make first class in Babcock Varsity — Page 30

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012 — 27

Eradication of mass illiteracy Continues from page 29 Mass Literacy, Adult Education and Non-Formal

D

ESPITE efforts of Joint Admissions Matriculation Board, JAMB, to wrap up candidates’ admission for 2012/2013, the non-uniformity of universities’ academic calendar has continued to prove a challenge to the Board, even as 100 tertiary institutions would soon receive letters from the admission board JAMB Registrar, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde who received members of the Senate Committee on Education led by the chairman, Senator Uche Chukwumerije at JAMB’s head office in Bwari, Abuja recently, said that the admission board had three major challenges including examination malpractice; non-uniformity of academic calendar and inability of the board to increase JAMB fees.

For exam malpractice, Prof.

Ojerinde confessed that the board had been able to reduce examination malpractice to 0.45 per cent at present He said that because of the varied academic calendar of universities, the institutions kept going back and forth over admission of candidates.

It was at this juncture that he disclosed that JAMB had already prepared 100 letters to be sent to universities that were yet to comply with JAMB’s admission directives.

He also revealed that JAMB was going to carry out admission exercise in Abia and Makurdi to sensitise the institutions and candidates on admission processes.

“One of the challenges we face is non-uniformity of academic calendar by universi-

*Students from Ikeja LGA at the annual public speaking and mathematics motivational competition organised by Hon. Fibisola Lola Akande.

Non-uniformity of varsities' academic calendar worries JAMB

By FAVOUR NNABUGWU ties. They kept coming at odd times for admission approval.

Right now, we have 100 letters that we want to dispatch to those universities that have not complied. If you want their names we can avail you.”

He, however, told the committee that N2.02 billion was appropriated in 2011 for personnel but N1.66 billion was released; N1.54 billion was appropriated and the same amount was released for overhead while N52.9 billion was appropriated for capital but 35.5 billion was released in the same year. He further

said that the board contracted the services of 91,560 officials who helped in the 2012/2013 UTME outside JAMB employees, adding that the board also established offices in six states including Delta, Ekiti, Jigawa, Niger and Kwara states.

However, the JAMB Registrar said that the board would testrun electronic testing known as e-testing, along with the hard copy testing for two years before adopting the former fully. “We will run the e-testing side by side with paper testing for two years before we move fully to e-testing. That will give candidates the chance to choose which one they prefer and also

‘Invest in children education, values’

By DAYO ADESULU

M

ANAGING Director, Middle East and Africa, Bacardi-Martini B.V, Mr Francois Portier has urged stakeholders in education sector to invest in children education and values saying that children are future of the country. ”Children are the future of a country, therefore, we need to do something urgently to help them in their education and values,” he said.

Bacardi who invested in the education and values of St. George School, Ikoyi to the tune of N500,000 said it is part of the policy of the company in the month of May to give back to the society from where they have been benefiting for years. ”Because caring is the real part of our value at Bacardi, the month of May has been dedicated as a month of CSR

which is part of our values,” Portier said. He noted that the choice of St. George School Ikoyi was basically through the recommendation of Tulsi Chanrai Foundation, an international organisation that provides education and human values.

He reiterated that money disbursed to the school will be used to educate the students and add values to their lives.

Portier, however, promised to extend the gesture across the country as the need arises.

His words: “ I hope to come back in July to do more as I like to keep contact with the children. Also, in future, we hope to take it to other states like Abuja and other places in Africa.” On her part, Tina Pohoomull, representative, Tulsi Chanrai Foundation (TCF) noted that people give their children knowledge in school but they don’t give them values of life.

She stated that the

Foundation which has been in Nigeria for 15 years has been promoting education and human values.

Her words: “The N500,000 cheque presented by Bacardi to the school will be used to take care of the school toilet that is in bad shape and the rest used for students’ school uniforms.” Taking the audience down memory lane, the Head Teacher, St. George School, Mr Kareem Olanrewaju said that Sathya Sai Baba as early as 1980 introduced the most valuable education in human values which he called ‘Educare’ meaning to bring out the quality of education.

In appreciation for the kind gesture, Kareem thanked Bacardi for their generous contributions to the furtherance of education in the school, noting that the money will be used for the purpose for which it was donated.

enable them get familiar with the e-testing in those two years and in the third year, we will take on the e-testing.”

He said, “with the implementation of the recommendation of e-testing, we will be able to release results on the same day of the examination while it will be possible to conduct JAMB exam on a Saturday as suggested by the Senate.”

Responding, Senate committee chairman, Chukwumerije said that the committee was interested in knowing the preparations JAMB had made in respect to the recommendation of e-testing and its suggestion on conducting JAMB exam on a Saturday. “We want to know how far you have prepared for the e-testing we talked about and Saturdays exams we put forward.

“We share a common concern with you, but nevertheless, we demand appropriate free-flow of information from you on how you have judiciously and efficiently used the funds given to the board and to also have feasible evidence of your goals.”

Education (NMEC).

Minister of State for Education, Barr. Nyesom Wike during the inauguration in Abuja recalled that the 2006 National population census puts Nigeria’s population at about 140 million, adding that of that figure, 75, 751, 576 including adults and children could neither read nor write.

He, therefore, attributed the slow progress made towards mass literacy in the country to unemployment and poverty.

The committee has been directed to reduce mass illiteracy of 66.2 billion Nigerians to barest minimum. “Out of the 167 million Nigerians, over 56 millions adults representing 35 per cent of the major population are illiterate whilst 54 per cent of that figure are women with an additional 10.2 million being school aged children out of formal school.” Of the illiteracy figure of 60.2 million, Wike said that 15 million of them are nomads, migrant farmers, fishermen and cattlerearers.

He regretted the inability of past governments to pay attention to that segment of the country’s population which had constituted a menace in the nation.

“Ignoring this huge population of illiterates constitutes a very serious threat to Nigeria’s economic developmental efforts.” The committee is to, under its terms of reference, organise and launch a national mass literacy campaign; collaborate with notable individuals, philanthropists, corporate institutions and multinational companies to support the programme while the committee is to persuade private sector, civil society groups and faith-based organisations to participate in the campaign.

Responding on the task before the committee, Paiko said the committee would endeavour to sensitise the minds of the people on the importance of education to among other things, erase poverty from the country and give them better understanding of what democracy stands for.

Paiko blamed the fruitless efforts of the past administrations on poor funding of adult literacy programmes and lack of cooperation from stakeholders which had drawn the country backward.

Laranarrowway wins Nutricima debate competition

L

ARANARROWWAY Pri-vate School, Ikorodu, has emerged winner in the maiden edition of schools debate organised

by Nutricima Limited, to commemorate activities for the World Milk Day. Themed: Milk consumption is essential for brain development, the debate had Laranarrowway Private School and Difas Private School, both

in Ikorodu, and Little Saints Private School, Ilupeju, as participating schools.

Little Saints Private School, represented by Olamide Odutola and Osayuki Erhabor, came third with 142 points.

Difas Private School came second with 143 points and was represented by Chinwendu Chigereokwu and Wilson Andem.

28—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012 — 29

IGI escapes Senate hammer on pension probe

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

I

NDUSTRIAL and General Insurance Plc, IGI has escaped the hammer of the Senate Joint Committee probing the administration of pensions in the country as the insurance company was not indicted in the late disbursement of pensions to the Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST) pensioners.

The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Aloysius Etok, absolved IGI of blame on the disbursement of pension payment to NIPOST, but rather blamed the Office

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of the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) for late release of funds as the AGF office was said to release pension funds meant for the months of January, February and March in the month of May. The chairman said it was obvious that the delay in the payment of pension was from the AGF Office which did not disburse fund to IGI as at when due. “You collected your salaries up to date but delayed the payment of retirees’ pension from January till May. This is wickedness, considering that you and the

retirees go to the same market and pay the same amount for items procured.”

Etok called for confirmation from the representative of PenCom, Mrs. G. E. Usoro, who corroborated IGI’s claim, stressing that the company was not responsible for the failure of some pensioners to receive their entitlements.

She attributed the complaints to lack of communication.

In his presentation before the committee, IGI’s Acting Managing Director, Mr. Rotimi Fashola, revealed that the the underwriters received N240 million allocation for the first quarter of the year (January-March) on May 18, 2012.

Power supply: PHCN solicits customers’ support

BY KUNLE KALEJAIYE

P

OWER Holding Compa ny of Nigeria, PHCN Ibeju Business District under Eko Distribution Company has called on its customers to support the company’s effort to effectively deliver stable power supply within the district.

The Business Manager Mr. Godwin Iperite made the appeal at the district first Customers Consultative Council meeting held in Lagos.

According to him “Ibeju Business district like never before solicits the collaborative efforts of all its esteemed customers in providing efficient and effective power supply.

“The customers’ consultative meeting has afforded the district and its stakeholders ample opportunity to brainstorm on ways to advance and ensure that we give worthy service delivery to our customers.”

Ibeju Business Disrict was carved out of Lekki Business District on the 2nd of September 2011.

In order to extend it services to the grass root level, Mr. Godwin Iperite who was represented by the Senior Manager, Distribution, Mr. Oluwagbega Ojo said the creation of the district became necessary and due to the rapid growth and expansion being experienced in the axis.

30 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

61 make first class in Babcock Varsity

By IKENNA ASOMBA

S

IXTY-one students have graduated with first class honours at the 2011/2012 convocation ceremony of Babcock University (BU), Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State, weekend, at the university ’s Stadium Complex. Speaking to students at the 10th convocation, the President/Vice-Chancellor, BU, Prof. Kayode Makinde, urged them to be focused and determined to achieve greater positive feats in life, and reminded the graduands that “getting a degree (first, second or third) is just one of the ‘firsts’ that God is waiting to achieve in you and for you.”

Also speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Benjamin Carson (Snr.), foremost American paediatric neurosurgeon, who was the first doctor to successfully operate on Siamese twins, urged the graduands not to lean on their own understanding, but to believe in God with all their soul, heart and mind, even as they are going out into the labour market to positively contribute to the society.

The ceremony which presented 1,370 for convocation, saw 20-year-old Gilbert Oladeinbo, emerging overall best graduand with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.92 in Law, even as Opeyemi Sodipe, 25, emerged the youngest pioneer awardee of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D), amongst 17 others, at the university’s School of Postgradu-

*A cross section of graduands at the 2011/2012 convocation ceremony of Babcock University. ate Studies. Speaking to Quadlife, Gilbert Oladeinbo, an indigene of Ojo, Lagos State, described his journey to success as tough, difficult and very challenging.

His words: “I can’t appreciate God enough who has taken me to this stage in life, and also I must appreciate my dearest mum, who has been there for me as the pillar of the house, especially when my father left me, failing in his responsibility as a father.”

Oladeinbo who is the first and only child of his mother in a polygamous family, however, disclosed that, “determination, hard work and working for God as a chorister kept me going. If you work

for God, He will definitely work for you,” he opined.

Meanwhile, the breakdown of the 1,370 graduands are as follows: First Class 61; Second

Class Upper 1,107; Second Class Lower 202. No student was in the Third Class, Pass and Failure categories.

Also, the Babcock Postgrad-

FOSSU gets new leaders

By BABATUNDE ALAO, AAUA

S

TUDENTS under the aegis of the Federation of Oyo State Students Union (FOSSU), Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko (AAUA), Ondo State chapter, have elected new leaders as members of the executive of the association.

Speaking to Quadlife, Com. Muniru Abdulafeez who is also

the chairman of the electoral committee, described the process as impressive and peaceful. The results, which were released few minutes after the election, saw the emergence of Com. Olugbodi Olaoluwa as the new President and Adeyemo Olapeju as the Vice-President even as Oladiti Muhammed became the General Secretary of the association. Olakunle Omolara and Okuntola Lateef were

being important.’Another meaning of canon is ‘a piece of music in which singers or instruments take it in turns to repeat the melody’.

Examples: The troops returned fire with machine guns and cannons.

Christian women can also be made canons.

Things Fall Apart is a central book in the canon of African literature.

Frequently Confused Words Canon – Cannon Do not confuse canon with cannon. The two words are different in spelling and meaning. A 'cannon‘is a large, heavy, powerful gun; an automatic gun that is fired from an aircraft.’Canon has more than one meaning. A canon is ‘one of the clergy in the staff of a cathedral; a Christian priest.’ A canon is also ‘a basic rule or principle; a generally accepted rule, standard or principle by which something is judged’. It also means ‘a list of the books or other works that are generally accepted as the genuine work of a particular writer or as

uate School churned out 96 pioneer students: 11 Postgraduate Diplomas; 68 Master's degrees and 17 doctorates.

Flagrant – Fragrant Flagrant is an adjective. Flagrant actions ‘are openly shocking and bad’. It is shocking because ‘it is done in a way that is easily noticed and shows no respect for people, laws, truths etc.’ Blatant is the synonym of flagrant.

Fragrant is also an adjective but it means ‘having a pleasant smell; sweet smelling’. Do not use flagrant when fragrant is intended. The synonym for fragrance is perfume.

Examples: The garden is full of fragrant flowers.

The politician showed a flagrant disregard for the law.

Military regimes are known for flagrant violations of human rights.

The air was fragrant with scents from the sea.

EXERCISE INSTRUCTION:Choose the appropriate word from the alternatives in parenthesis.

1. He was not (explicit/implicit) about what he really felt.

elected as the Financial Secretary and Treasurer of the association respectively.

Others include Oyeniyi Lateef and Adeyemo Ahmed as the Social and Welfare Directors respectively. Ismaeel Abdulkadir won the post of Assistant General Secretary even as Akintola Adeyinka and Katibi Abdulrasheed were elected for the post of Public Relations Officers.

2. The instructions were not (explicit/implicit) enough.

3. I have (explicit/implicit) faith in Jesus Christ.

4. I have (explicit/implicit) confidence in my son’s ability to study Medicine in the university.

5. Two men were prosecuted for (elicit/illicit) liquor selling at Majidun.

6. Her tears (elicited/illicit) great sympathy from her audience.

7. The Police Officer tried to (elicit/illicit) from the criminal the names of others involved in the (elicit/illicit) activities.

8. The detainee had no (access/assess) to his lawyer.

9.

At the Murtala Mohammed Airport, journalists were denied (assess/access) to the President.

10. Dr. Iwelanka’s papers for promotion were (assessed/ accessed) by three experts in his field.

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

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012 —31

UNILORIN adopts e-voting at SUG elections

By WALE BAKARE, UNILORIN

A

•Some of the students casting their votes out of 32 aspirants for 11 posts at the Central Executive Council (CEC), only Lawal Oluwatofunmi, Faculty of

Business and Social Science was disqualified.

After collating the results, ISEC chairman, Ashim To-

Olanipekun asks aggrieved UNILAG students, alumni to seek redress in court

By TOSIN ADESILE, UNILAG

F

OLLOWING the decision of the Federal Government to rename the University of Lagos (Unilag) as Moshood Abiola University, Lagos, the Alumni have taken a step further to salvage the situation of everyday protest by the aggrieved students since the President made the announcement by instituting a legal action against the Federal Government.

Speaking at the alumni meeting held on Sunday at the University Main Auditorium, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) explained that the best option is to seek redress in court.

According to him, “Univer-

sity of Lagos does not belong to any nation but the whole universe” and cannot be hijacked for a selfish purpose.

On the other hand, Prof Olayide Abass, the National president of the University of Lagos Alumni Association, advised the students to sheathe their sword and allow the alumni make use of legal option in the school's collective interest.

“Once the school resumes, I’ll want all the students to go about their normal classes and allow the law to take its

course”.

He appealed to the government to reconsider its decision looking at the poor aspect of funding. The alumni has been playing a major role to make sure the school got more classrooms, donation of N159 million research and endowment of another N50 million for furniture.

He maintained that University of Lagos is a strong brand like University of London, University of Washington and University of Nairobi and its integrity needs to be kept.

gunde announced the following aspirants as the winners. Aremu Abdulmalik, Faculty of Science as the president, Abiola Wakiyat, Faculty of Business and Social Science as vicepresident, Abdulrahman Abdulraheem, Faculty of Law as the general secretary, Ogunwusi Adedeji, Faculty of Agriculture as the Assistant General Secretary, Titilope Akogun, Faculty of Law as the PRO 1, Adegbite Muibat, Faculty of Basic Medical Science PRO 11, Adeboyegba Ibrahim, Faculty of Business and Social Science as the financial secretary, Olapetun Akinwale, Faculty of Business and Social Science as the Welfare Director, Oloyede Muftau, Faculty of Education as the sports director and Abiola Kehinde, Faculty of Education as the social director.

Encomium as corps member launches book on English Language

By SIKIRU AKINOLA, OAU

I

•Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN)

OAU releases post-UTME results

By SIKIRU AKINOLA, OAU

S

TUDENTS of the Univer sity of Ilorin went to the polls last Thursday to elect new leaders to handle its affairs on the 2012/2013 academic session. At the end of the election, Aremu Abdulmalik of the Faculty of Science, emerged as the President.

As parts of efforts to conduct easy, free and fair election, the Students Union Government elections was done by e-voting as the old ballot paper was dumped.

The planning and conduction of the election was done by the Independent Students Electoral Commission (ISEC).

ISEC was constituted on the 9th of May, 2012 by the Students Representative Council (SRC) and Ashim Togunde, 400 level Physiology student was elected as the chairman.

After the screening exercise,

BRIEFS

T was a gathering of literary icons and intellectual giants at the Obafemi Awolowo University International School (OAUIS), Ile-Ife, as a corps member, Paul Young Akpomuje, two weeks into his compulsory youth service, launched his new book.

The ceremony which was graced by crème-de-la-creme of the Obafemi Awolowo University community was electrifying as speaker after speaker poured encomiums on the graduate of OAU who gradu-

ated with the best result from his department and second best from his faculty.

Geepee as Paul is fondly called, co-authored Tears: Anthology of Poems and Short Stories in 2009 and is a motivational speaker, teacher, regular television programme guest, a veteran freelance journalist with published works in many national and international newspapers and a researcher.

The 165-page book with the title: The New English Compass, is divided into four chapters. The first chapter centres on grammar, lexis and struc-

ture; chapter two on vocabulary and meaning-making; chapter three on test of orals while chapter four is on summary, comprehension and composition. In the book, 32 broad topics were carefully and painstakingly treated. Copious examples and ample exercises are drawn from JAMB and SSCE past questions in order to acquaint users of the book with how questions are set in these examinations. Paul, ‘who did not sleep for seven months’, said the big question he has always asked is 'why do people fail English Language in examinations?

UTHORITIES of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, has released the results of all the candidates who participated in the post-UME screening for admissions into the school.

A release by the Public Relations Officer of the University, Abiodun Olarewaju, stated that out of 35, 823 candidates who took part in the screening exercise which was based on 400 marks, only 7,663 candidates scored above 200 of which 51 candidates scored above 300.

According to the OAU spokesman, three candidates, Ogunlade, Stephen Tayo (UME form no:25457115HI / 32882), Kolapo, Ismail Abidemi (UME form no:26328328HJ / 15158) and Ayansola, Oluwaseun Joshua (UME form no:2604698BH / 13940) exhibited exceptional academic brilliance in the screening exercise by scoring 337, 335 and 332 respectively.

While Ogunlade Tayo applied to study Biochemistry, Kolapo Abidemi goes for Medicine and Surgery, and Ayansola Joshua opts to read Law.

UNICAL mourns DSA’s late father

By EMMANUEL AHANONU

I

T was a sober moment for students as well as the management of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), as they gathered penultimate Thursday at the compound of the late Elder (Chief) Ubana Ubanan Eyong, the father of the university ’s Dean of Students Affairs, Prof. Eyong Ubana Eyong, to pay their last respect to the deceased.

The officiating minister, Bishop Dr. Patrick Etata Ukpi during his sermon said that the deceased had played his positive part on earth which secured him a place in heaven. Bishop Ukpi, in his sermon titled “Is your name written in the book of life?”advised all to give their lives to Christ as the only route to heaven.

He equally admonished that the church burying the dead is not a criteria for going to heaven as the church can bury people to both heaven and hell, depending on the kind of life they live.

32 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

BRIEFS Walk Tall Int’l school educates pupils on road safety

FG introduces food, drug safety education into basic school programme

By DAYO ADESULU

P

UPILS in all the nation’s primary and junior secondary schools will now receive instructions on food and drug safety education as a way of equipping them with the knowledge on the use, misuse and abuse of products.

Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), Prof. Godswill Obioma made this known while speaking in Lagos on the need to bring this new subject area into the Basic Education Curriculum (BEC). The exercise is being carried out by NERDC, which is the nation’s curriculum developer, in collaboration with the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

According to Obioma, topics on food and drug safety education are to be infused into relevant subjects at the basic school level, including Basic Science and Technology, which encompasses Information Technology and Physical /Health Education; Pre-Vocational subjects under which we have Home Economics and Agriculture; Religion and National Values made up of Social Studies, Civic and Security Education. Business and English studies are the other subjects that could conveniently carry food and drug safety elements, says Obioma, adding that the food and drug safety contents are to be infused into these carrier subjects beginning with Primaries 1 – 6 and JSS 1 – 3 and will subsequently be introduced into senior secondary school level.

His words: “The infusion exercise is important because it has to do with safeguarding public health and stimulating behavioural change on health issues especially among school children. It has been noted that lack of awareness of unsafe products is a major factor in health issues. NAFDAC has the mandate of regulating and controlling the manufacture, importation, exportation, sale and use of food, drugs and other products. To achieve the objectives and mandate of NAFDAC, one of the effective tools to use is the curriculum”.

With the planning and writing workshop for introdction of food and drug safety education already done last week jointly

by NERDC and NAFDAC, the

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teaching of the new subject is expected to begin in primary and junior secondary schools nationwide by September, 2012 when the implementation of the newly revised BEC is slated to commence.

Specialists in the various relevant subjects who participated in the workshop studied available literature on food and drug safety, then they selected appropriate themes, topics and

contents that would be infused into the basic curriculum through the identified carrier subjects, they identified the levels that each topic will fit into, and finally they developed the appropriate performance objectives, content, teacher and pupils' activities as well as teaching and learning resources and evaluation guide for each topic selected.

When the teaching of the food

and drug safety commences, pupils are to learn topics such as identification, sources, implications of taking fake, counterfeit and substandard food and medicines to enhance the well-being of the citizenry and the economy of the nation.

They will also be exposed to the roles of the consumers, distributors and manufacturers of food and drugs.

*From left: Mrs Adeline Osakwe, Head of Pharmacovigilance/Food and Drug Information Centre, NAFDAC; Professor Godswill Obioma, Executive Secretary, NERDC and Dr. Ismail Junaidu, Director of Research, Curriculum Development Center, NERDC at the workshop for the infusion of food and drug safety education into basic curriculum.

I

N its bid to reduce incidences of road accidents, especially those involving school children, management of Walk Tall International School, Ibafo, Ogun State has taken its pupils on an excursion to the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) office to educate them on road safety matters, understanding of signs/symbols, and rules and regulations to be obeyed on the road.

Pointing out that the importance of road safety cannot be over-emphasised, the Assistant Head Teacher, WalkTall International School, Mr. Abiodun Onikoyi, said the increase in number of road accidents has made it mandatory for the pupils to be properly enlightened on road safety guidelines.

“We take the safety of our students very serious which prompted us to embark on this excursion so that our pupils would have firsthand information on these safety measures.”

Stressing the need for government to include road safety education in school curricula, Staff Officer, Public Education Sector Command, FRSC, Lagos, Mrs. Vivian Uchechi Akaeze, said there is need to understand some basic facts and precautions we need to watch out for on our ever busy roads to avoid the unexpected, and parental involvement is invaluable to model and reinforce road safety behaviour.

Unity school teachers return to NUT

By FAVOUR NNABUGWU

How culture, belief system retard girl P child education

By AISHA MOHAMMED TIFFIN

W

HEN it comes to education, some parents are very primitive when it comes to choosing what is right for their children. With all the civilization in the world, some parents still prevent their female children from going to school.

Although many have observed that this practice is peculiar to northern Nigeria, it is actually a nationwide phenomenon. It can also be linked to the traditional belief and the teaching of the Holy Quran, that once a girl has her first monthly flow in her father’s house, the second one should be in her husband’s home. Families that observe this teaching send their children into early marriage, making education impossible for the girlchild.

Other factors affecting girlchild education include poverty, school environment, govern-

ment policies and the culture of the people amongst others. Action Aid International (AAIN) in a research discovered that there was a gap in favour of boys in school enrolment.

In the past, education has not necessarily been a priority for the girl-child because of the cultural beliefs, poverty and so on.

It’s not surprising because particularly in the northern part of Nigeria, educating the girlchild isn’t part of the culture, so many girls are not encouraged to go to school. It is believed that the place for the girl is her husband's house.

Other cultural observance make girls get married from the age of eight which is the reason why girls from the northern region account for highest rate of VVF in Nigeria.

Salman Muhammed, who lives in Obalende area of Lagos thinks that some parents go against female education be-

cause after the parents must have spent a lot of money to train the girl-child, she ends up getting married to a man and uses all she acquires to please the man and his family leaving her own parents without much consideration. Some parents think that rather than send a girl to school, it is better to send a male child because there are greater chances of him becoming a medical doctor, an engineer, a pilot,a banker etc.

Omonike, a plantain seller at Ajah, also in Lagos, thinks that education for the girl-child is good, but she cannot afford it.

Iya Moji, a trader at Oshodi market said that in the olden days, it was difficult for girls to go to school, unlike now that the world is civilized, it must be a very rare case for a girl not to be in school. Although Abdullahi Saidu, a northerner, supports female education, he says that it is very certain that back home, a lot of families prohibit girl-child education.

RESSED by the need to be under the cover of a strong professional body that fights their cause without fear or favour, Unity School teachers in the country have returned to the Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT even as the body denied association of any kind with Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools, ASSUS. The return of the teachers in unity schools to the teachers union was hinged on the stance of the Federal Government that teachers in unity schools were civil servants whilst they were denied all payments and allowances paid to civil servants in the country.

Coordinator of unity school teachers, Mr Emeka Okonta in Abuja weekend, said that they had to return to their professional body which understands the needs of teachers and also fight their cause proudly.

“We, the teachers in Federal Government colleges have joined the NUT because we are professional teachers.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012 — 33

BRIEF MTN staff volunteer 21 days to lecture students

By DAYO ADESULU

Nigerians pay N160bn tuition on 71,000 children in Ghana Continues from page 25 According to the U.S. Embassy Educational Advising Center (2011), Nigeria sends more students to the United States than any other country in subSaharan Africa. Nigeria currently has over 6,500 students studying at over 733 institutions in all 50 states of the United States and the District of Columbia.

It is a fact that foreign universities are profiting from Nigeria’s ill-equipped institutions, as Nigerian youths paid whopping sums as tuition to foreign universities in the last two years. Nigerians studying in British and American universities have spent over N137,023bn on tuition and living expenses in the last two academic sessions, going by an average tuition of £19,000 per session for international students in UK universities, and $21,000 tuition and living expenses for international students in America.

In the UK, international students, including Nigerians, spend an average of £19,000 on tuition and living expenses per annum though science students pay more. This amount far exceeds an average of £1,310 paid by home students and students from the European Union countries per annum.

According to a graduate of one of UK’s varsities, some international students pay far higher than the average, depending on what part of the country they school or reside in. He stated that most univer-

sities in the UK charge the same tuition fees for home/EU students, and another rate for international students, which is far higher than home students’ fees.

“Students’ sustenance/ maintenance entirely depends on the area the school is located, if the individual will be living in the halls of residence or renting a place around the school. ” Some Nigerian students in the US said, depending on the course of study, tuition and living costs gulp an average of $26,000 per student annually.

According to a second year student at Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland, “my school fees is $26,500 p/a, including accommodation, feeding, internet access and other

needs.”

Despite the huge cost of schooling abroad, more Nigerians are joining the quest to acquire foreign education.

Such Nigerians spoke to Vanguard Learning with reasons ranging from a higher standard of education, to more job opportunities, and a higher standard of living.

Asinobi Nnadozie, who recently embarked on his second degree at the University of Exeter said: “The primary motivation for going abroad for my second degree, was to get more specialist knowledge in my field of study. With London being one of the top financial centres in the world, it offers me a unique opportunity to learn more about finance in a very practical manner.”

*Students of Walk Tall International School with the Staff Officer, Public Education Sector Command, FRSC, Lagos, Mrs. Vivian Uchechi Akaeze, during an excursion to FRSC.

Falling education standards:

Part-time study not the problem— Bells VC

BY DAYO ADESULU

T

HE falling education standard in Nigeria has again been brought to the fore by concerns of stakeholders in the sector who knew what it used to be in the 70s and early 80s.

Government, examination bodies and students often trade blames on the real cause of the decay in the sector and none has been able to identify the problem or to proffer solution to it.

Last Sunday in Abuja, the boss, National Universities C M Y K

Judith Uchidiuno who had her three degrees abroad said that the prior motivation was because her parents wanted her to do so. However, she realised as her educational career progressed that: “Classes are much smaller, Very focused on real world application and networking, and education here is much more expensive.”

Citing better teaching method as her reason for wanting to study in the UK, Obioma Ochuba said: “I want to further my education in the UK because their schools are well funded, they have better facilities and their teaching method is superior to what we have in Nigeria. Schools in Nigeria can be at par with UK schools if only they are well funded and adequately equipped.”

Omotola Layeni isn’t satisfied with the standard of education in Nigeria and prefers to study in the UK for better understanding of her course.

Commission (NUC), Professor Julius Okojie said: “Poor quality of graduates of part-time programmes in universities is partly responsible for the decay in Nigeria’s education sector.”

He added, “The part-time programme is giving us a bad name; we have students who go through the back-door to earn certificates of universities that have reputation.”

Reacting to the claim, the Vice-Chancellor, Bells University of Technology, Ota, Professor Isaac Adeyemi said that there is nothing wrong

with part-time programmes in universities, saying that the system is synonymous with distance learning programmes in overseas countries where they offer online degrees to PhD level.

“Part-time programmes are not uncommon all over the world, it is the same with distance learning that is ICTdriven,” he added.

According to the VC, the problem is not with part-time study, but the modus operandi and motive behind the operation that matters.

He pointed out that in overseas countries where they run such programmes, they have a standard which they

strictly adhere to.

The standard includes: minimum academic qualification, standard Information Communication Technology (ICT) where students could have access to lecturers and academic materials online without interruption of electricity supply. “In Nigeria, the case is different. There is no constant electricity supply, how can students and lecturers log on to access materials online?” he asked.

Professor Adeyemi reiterated: “There is nothing wrong in part-time programmes if the quality and standard in terms of admission, quality of lecturers and examination conduct is put in place.” He maintained that examinations must be properly moderated and conducted to get the desired standard.

I

N its bid to improve education standard in Nigeria, MTN staff will for 21 days engage secondary schools students on intensive teaching that will be geared towards strengthening reading culture in our children. The Corporate Service Executive, MTN, Mr Akinwale Goodluck said: “21 days of Y’ello Care is a MTN Group staff volunteerism initiative observed annually in the month of June across all MTN operating unit that provides a platform for MTN staff to demonstrate leadership in Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS) as staff take part in social investment projects in various communities of operation.

He noted that as education remains key to Nigeria and by extention Africa’s development, so is education critical to MTN’s overall CSI strategy which is guided by a commitment to adding value in Nigeria education sector and ultimately contributing to socio-economic development.

According to him, the theme: “Investing in Education for All” will among others, focuses on improving educational standards, providing an enabling environment for learning and promote gender equality in education by investing in the education of the girl child.

Akinwale explained that specific projects in line with this focus will include; make reading a child’s habit. “This programme is designed to promote reading culture in Nigeria starting with the Nigerian child as we will partnering with Proact Educational Services who will deploy six reading club across Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt,” he said.

He, however disclosed that ‘Teach me Reach me’ is the very project which involves actual classroom teaching, motivational talks and Information Communication Technology awareness workshops. Akinwale who disclosed that because in Sahara Africa the girl child has no enough support to go to school, pledges will be made

by MTN staff to support girl child education in the country.

Besides, he noted that there will Y’ello Spelling Bee which is designed to give school children an opportunity to improve their learning ability.

According to him, there is a plan to upgrade libraries in fifteen schools across the country, adding that there will be donations of books and other educational material to boost learning.

34— Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7,

2012

G

Motivation: According to Professor Ekpa, some years ago, he and his team began a research on palm oil as an industrial raw material. “Palm oil is not only edible, it is also of interest industrially so we decided to look at it as a means of creating raw materials for what we wanted to do in the area of paint, soap, detergent, cosmetics and bio-fuel production.”

Contents: Apart from fatty acids, palm oil contains carotenoids which are sources of vitamin A; it contains the eight components of vitamin E (four tocotrienols and four tocopherols) and co-enzyme Q10, a very strong antioxidant, especially for the heart muscles which other oils do not contain.

These are removed during processing of palm oil. That means that the value of palm oil is greatly reduced when it is processed. It is the most prized oil in the international vegetable oil market, the only red vegetable oil on earth as a result of exceptionally high carotene content, very stable to auto-oxidation due to the presence of tocopherols and tocotrienols, and contains probably the most balanced fatty acid composition of any vegetable oil. It has almost the same composition as body cells which are made up of about 50 per cent unsaturated and 50 per cent saturated fatty acids.”

Anti-aging: “When you take palm oil, you are taking a complete food that will not only feed you, but will feed your cellular system and help to fight the so-called aging process.” Ekpa said people get ill either through infection or cellular degeneration caused by free radicals which make cells feeble and unable to stand stress. “It takes about 10 to 15 or even 20 years for the effects to manifest.

That is why when cancer, diabetes, hypertension, or old age manifests, there is not much one can do. Luckily, some who are reading this now have these facts and therefore do not have to grow old because if you can do something to protect yourself from free radicals which cause cellular degeneration, you won’t grow old fast,” he said.

Biofuel: When you look at olive oil (from Mediterranean) or soybean oil (US), palm oil yields more oil per hectare than any other oil so the C M Y K

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Palm oil is another black gold

— Prof. Douglas Ekpa ….An anti-aging agent

•Professor Okon Douglas Ekpa

By EBELE ORAKPO cost of production is much lower.

Therefore, in this era of biofuel, palm oil is the best in terms of cost effectiveness. The fruit has the outer layer that gives us the palm oil and the nut that gives us palm kernel oil. When you add the two oils from one fruit, no other source of vegetable oil in the world can match it. So in terms of cost of production and the amount of oil produced per hectare of palm plantation, there is no other source of oil that matches it.”

The propaganda: However, despite all the goodies in palm oil, there is a death sentence hanging over its head occasioned by western propaganda. Said Prof. Ekpa: “As we were going into the research, we realised the very serious fabrications by the industrialised world against palm oil.

“Unfortunately, it is a product mostly cultivated by Third World countries. The entry of the US with soybean oil in the early 1960s brought about the issue of polyunsaturated fatty acids and human diet. They started by implicating palmitic acid as the acid that raises blood cholesterol. The white man simply took palmitic acid portion of the oil and tested it on rats and said ‘oh, palmitic acid raises cholesterol level’ but palm oil is not just palmitic acid. There is what is called synergistic effect. If you take all the components of palm oil and put them together, the effect of palmitic acid will be cancelled.

When it was countered that palm oil and olive oil have similar effects on blood cholesterol, they came up with the issue of bad and good cholesterol (LDL and HDL) but palm oil by itself, does not contain cholesterol,” he said.

He continued: “In the late 1990s, researchers from Japan, Malaysia and other level-minded elements

,

OING by the magnitude of natural and human resources with which Nigeria is blessed, there is no doubt that the nation is a giant in coma probably occasioned by bad leadership and followership.

Everything she needs to become an industrial great is within her, yet, names like ‘third world country’, ‘poor nation’, ‘backward nation,’ still cling to her like leprosy. In this chat with Vanguard Learning in Calabar recently, Professor Okon Douglas Ekpa, professor of Industrial Organic Chemistry at the University of Calabar, says that only Nigerians can sincerely make Nigeria great if they believe in themselves.

Excerpts:

If you can do something to protect yourself from free radicals which cause cellular degeneration, you won’t grow old fast

from US and Britain came out with results to show that up to 50% of the so-called bad fat came from unseen diet sources dear to the industrialised world like pastries, meat, sausages, eggs, milk, butter, shortenings, margarines, etc.”

He pointed out that hydrogenation of oil produces transfat which has been implicated in some forms of breast cancer. Egg yolk and most of the meat we eat contain so much cholesterol but nobody is saying anything about them.

“They then began to bring in environmental issues, ‘oh, you are clearing so much forest that could absorb carbon dioxide to plant palm trees. When they were planting soybeans and olive trees, they had to clear the forest, so what is wrong with palm trees?" he asked adding: "This is a perspective from a Nigerian who was raised in the US and knows the politics of the world now telling you this is what it is."

Free radicals: Free radicals are unstable electrons that can cause a chain reaction of decay in the environment around them. Generally, free radicals attack the nearest stable molecule, stealing its electron. When the attacked molecule loses its electron, it becomes a free radical itself, beginning a chain reaction. “Free radicals are very reactive so the body has three

,

enzymes that are capable of fighting them but when they are too much, probably due to stress, environmental exposure etc., the body cannot handle them anymore and that is why you need external supplementation. Our forefathers used to eat whole palm oil which contains all the antioxidants.”

Mode of operation: “Vitamin E is soluble in fat so it attaches itself to the fat and moves around with it to ensure that it does not oxidize. Bad or good cholesterol is nothing more than cholesterol esters just moving around the body.

Cholesterol is not bad until it has been oxidized because of the presence of free radicals in the body. So if you have enough antioxidants to take care of the free radicals, then

the issue of bad or good cholesterol does not arise.

Palm oil contains very powerful antioxidants so if we take whole palm oil, we will not have these problems,” he said.

“The human body uses what it sees to replenish what is going out because the cells go through a lot of stress.

Therefore, if you have say 50 per cent saturated and 50 per cent unsaturated fatty acids that make up the cell and then you start eating something that contains almost 80 per cent unsaturated fatty acids, it means that along the line, the body will not find the saturated fatty acids to use in building up the cells so it will have to use the unsaturated fatty acids to replenish whatever is missing. The implication is soft skin, soft cells etc. and we have discovered that these are the sources of some forms of skin cancer because the soft cells cannot withstand much of the environmental situation and nature was not foolish when it made the cells to be almost 5050.”

I can change the world

A

DEGBOLA Fayemi. I attend Whitesands School, Lekki, Lagos. I am in JS1. Although I am yet to decide on a course of study, I like mathematics, sciences and music.

I would like to teach young people who are the leaders of tomorrow, how to harness their talents and show the world what they have inside.

I believe in the words of Dr. Ben Carson who said if you can THINK BIG, ie (Talent. Honesty. Insight.

Nice. Knowledge. Books. In-depth Learning and God), you will succeed.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012, —36

SUCCESS RECIPE WITH

UDEME ARCHIBONG udpraise@yahoo.com

Start well...finish well!

O

Academia, govt and industry must work together for Nigeria — Aladekomo

By EBELE ORAKPO

N

ew president of Lagos Business School Alumni Association (LBSAA), Mr. Demola Aladekomo has called for synergy among the academia, industry and government. He said this while fielding questions from journalists weekend during the association’s 2012 President’s dinner at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.

He added that no nation can progress as long as there is disconnect among the three.

“Right now, government sees business people as parasites, business people do not know whether there is a government that is taking care of their interests or not.

The same thing goes on between the academia and business community and academia and government. Without the three coming together, it is going to be really tough for any society to move forward. If you look at advanced societies, you see that research work starts with the academia, they inter-relate with business and industry; whatever they are doing is towards supporting the industry. Between business and government, there’s supposed to be a good relationship which is not there for now,” he stated.

Immediate past president of the LBSAA, Mr. Udeme Ufot advised the new president to make good use of the vast resources available to him to take the association to the next level. Said he: “The LBS has a system whereby the successor works with the president for two years so the new president has been my vice-president for two years. My advice to him is to keep his team together. He has a very supportive alumni association with the most powerful network in corporate Nigeria at this point in time and that is what he has to plug into to make things happen.”

The ceremony which was attended by about 1,400 LBSAA members from across the country, the largest turnout so far according to Mr. Ufot, saw Chevron Nigeria Limited carting away the President’s award, while the DisC M Y K

tinguished Alumni award went to Mr. Ben Akabueze, Lagos State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget.

In the Best Alumni Class Award category, the winners were: Chief Executive Programme (CEP)18 (3rd) with 65 points; Owner Managers Programme (OMP)15 (2nd)with 71 points and Advanced Management Programme (AMP) 22 (1st)for the second year running.

Speaking on his vision for the association in the next two years, Aladekomo said the new executive hopes to bring the LBS and alumni into national discourse because they have very well trained men and women that can do the job in the country. "A major challenge is how to bring the alumni into the mainstream of gov-

ernance in Nigeria.”

Continuing, he said: “In the next two years, I will want us to challenge ourselves on how to bring together the academia, industry and government. Once there is that disconnect, it becomes almost impossible for things to work.”

Mr. Pascal Dozie, the first president of LBSAA, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma and wife, Senator Daisy Danjuma, Lagos State Commissioner for Works, Dr. Femi Hamzat who represented Gov. Babatunde Fashola, Jaco Vilijoen, Prof. Pat Utomi and many others, were among the dignitarires at the occasion.

In her address, the Dean, LBS, Dr. Enase Okonedo said LBS remains the sixth greatest place to work in according to Financial Times ranking.

Reagan Memorial Girls School marks 60th anniversary

R

EAGAN Memorial Baptist Girl Secondary School, Yaba, penultimate Wednesday, held its 60th Anniversary and Founder ’s Day ceremonies.

Activities for the one week long celebration included the commissioning of an ultra modern block of toilets and reconstruction of the Introductory Technology workshop, donated

by ExxonMobil Nigeria; a Cultural Day, the Speech and Prize Giving ceremonies and a Dinner.

Speaking at the Speech and Prize Giving ceremony, the Principal of the school, Mrs Titilayo Amune, disclosed that the students performance in the last academic year was highly commendable as shown by the results of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and the National Examination Council (NECO) where the students recorded a 100 percent credits and distinctions in 11 subject and 85 percent and above is six subjects.

Mrs. Amume stated that the

awards were organized annually to celebrate the outstanding performance of the student as a way of ensuring that they remain on top as well encourage the weak students to work harder since there is room for everyone on top. Amune stressed that the directorate of Baptist Mission Schools were always ready to put in all that was required to ensure that the students excel and would also celebrated everyone, including teachers and management of schools for their hard work.

She challenged all the students who received awards not to relent in their efforts while encouraging those who did not make the marks not to be discouraged, but to work harder.

The Principal commended the efforts of everyone who supported in making the celebrations a success, particularly, ExxonMobil Nigeria and the Reagan Old Girls Association (ROGA) worldwide, especially Mrs. Gloria Essien Donnier for their interest in the school.

,

*From left: Jaco Vilijoen, Head of Personal Markets, Stanbic IBTC Bank; Demola Aladekomo, President, Lagos Business School Alumni Association (LBSAA), and Professor Pat Utomi, Director, Centre for Applied Economics, Lagos Business School during the 2012 LBSAA President’s dinner in Lagos.

N your marks! Get set! Ready! Go! The race of life begins.

But the race of life is a unique race that is based on a different set of principles that is set apart from the regular rules of other games laid out by man. The amazing thing about the race of life is that you are in competition with no one but yourself; you compete with yourself to be the best “you” that you were created to be. In the race of life, you need to start well in order to finish well and you can only achieve that by abiding by the rules of the game; no cutting corners; no playing “smart”.

In this age of shortcuts, moral looseness and business sharp practices in which people are eager to outdo, cheat, deceive and take advantage of another; can a business or a life built on an ethical foundation thrive and blossom into an outstanding success? Let’s unravel the success secret behind Mary Kay Inc. Mary Kay Ash had certain radical beliefs on how to start and run a business and life as opposed to the popular concept of succeeding in life and in business. It is a regular practice for employers to manipulate their employees and policies for their selfish interest but rather, Mary Kay had a different perspective; The Golden Rule formed the foundation of her life and business; Mary Kay Ash reveals, “Before our doors opened for business, I vowed that no one associated with my company would ever be subjected to unfair treatment or unjust management. She further declares, “I can say unequivocally that every decision we make at Mary Kay Cosmetics is based on the Golden Rule.” It is popular for companies or employers to exploit their employees without considering their need for a personal life but the reverse is the case for Mary Kay, Her company’s motto was “God first, family second, career third.” She

If you treat people right, they will work more efficiently and the profits will come in

,

states, “What value is professional success if family and personal happiness must be sacrificed? It’s important that we keep sight of what really matters in life. If we lose our families and our faith in the process of developing our careers, then we have failed.” It is common for employees to value profit at the expense of people but not Mary Kay; “From day one, how people were treated at Mary Kay Cosmetics was more important to me than profits and losses.

That’s why I say, ‘P & L means people and love’. Of course I’m concerned about profits and losses. I just don’t give them top priority. If you treat people right, they will work more efficiently and the profits will come in.” We live in a society where money is invested in companies and to develop natural resources while neglecting to improve mankind and develop human resources but Mary Kay had an entirely different focus; Anne Newbury who was an employee with Mary Kay Cosmetics and had earned commissions in excess of $7million revealed about Mary Kay’s influence: “I would have done anything that she ever asked me to do. Not only because I admired her and loved her, but because when I look back over what my life could have been if I hadn’t been drawn to her influence, I shudder.

Not just financially, but emotionally and spiritually. She helped me to believe that I could be anything in the world that I could ever dream of becoming.” Breaking promises and commitment has become an expected norm but Mary Kay’s dependability was unwavering; she declined a White House invitation from President Raegan in order to keep her commitment she made to greet the company’s new employees. Mary Kay Inc. began with only $5,000 as investment capital and grew to a $3.2 billion a year company in the field of women’s cosmetics. Even after her death in 2001, her business continues to grow and has 1.6 million people constituting the sales force of the company around the globe because she had built her company on the foundation of sound principles that stands the test of time.

36 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2011

*The suicide bomber’s car burning close to the Living Faith Church after the bomb exploded

•As CAN accuses Army of extra-judicial killing of Christians

BY SUZAN EDEH

I

T was indeed a day of pain, grief and lamentation for Christian worshippers and residents of Yelwa Tudun community, a suburb of Bauchi State. For many, last Sunday was a black and bloody one following a bomb attack at the Living Faith and Harvest of Field church.

Oblivious of the tragedy waiting to happen that fateful morning, most Christians thronged their usual places of worship for Sunday service at the ever-busy Yelwa Tundun area. Again, based on the increased presence of security operatives deployed in the area to forestall possible attack arising from an earlier security alert, nobody envisaged that a suicide bomber could penetrate the supposedly secured area to carry out a successful attack. The unfortunate incident which claimed the lives of 21 persons and injured 45 others, occurred at around 9.30 in the morning after the close of the first service at the Living Faith Church.

Prior to the Sunday attack, a threatening text message of an imminent attack was sent to residents in the state and it read thus: “I am in Air Force Base Kaduna now; there is serious talk in the barrack that Bauchi

churches and ... environs will be attacked tomorrow. Please pass it to (as) many as you can”.

Sam Itodo, a member of the Living Faith Church said he was close to the scene of the bomb blast that Sunday Morning.

He told Vanguard Metro that he narrowly escaped death because he was 20 metres away from the scene of the blast.

H

e said: “After the first ser vice ended, I left the church premises because I wanted to give my bike to my younger ones so that they could go home.

After they left, I decided to trek to the house since it was not very far. It was not up to 20 minutes when I heard a loud bang that almost deafened me. I was about 20 metres away from the church when the bomb exploded. I thank God for sparing my life and that of my younger ones”.

An eye witness who refused to disclose his name said he had heard stories of bomb attacks, but on that day, he saw death starring him on the face. He said: “The suicide bomber came to the security check point of the Living Faith Church in Honda car. When he was approached by the security operativesforchecking,herefusedtostop; instead he ran and hit the security gate of the church and immediately the bomb he was carrying in his

car detonated. The explosion killed and injured people who were close to the scene of the blast. I was lucky to escape because I was selling at my shop which was not very far from the church. There was confusion as residents and church-goers tried to flee. Because of panic induced by fear, some of them fell into the fire caused by the explosion”.

Another witness, who requested anonymity, said a presumed accomplicetriedtoflee from thescene after the blast went off and was later chased down and killed by enraged residents, although police could not confirm this account. Residents said the explosion caused the church building to collapse, prompting dozens of people to flee, seeking refuge; but some ran straight into a fire raging outside.

Joint internal security Confirming the incident to newsmen in his office, the Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Ladan, said: “On June 2, the joint internal security operation in Bauchi State revealed that there will be multiple attacks on churches within Bauchi metropolis.

Based on this, there was visible deployment of security personnel around the target areas. As a result of the blast nine people were killed, including the suicide bomber and 27 people were injured and are presently receiving treatment at the

,

How suicide bomber killed 21, injured 45 on bloody Sunday

Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital, ATBUTH, Bauchi.” The Police boss also disclosed that one Improvised Explosive Device, IED, intercepted under the bridge, near Dass Motor Park, was defused by Police Anti-Bomb Squad.

CP Ladan, however, called on the people to remain calm and go about their normal activities because the Police and other security agencies are on patrol within the state metropolis. He, however, advised parents, guardians, religious and com-

dead by the military who went to the blast site to maintain law and order.

A total number of 45 persons have been confirmed wounded out of which25werewoundedbythebomb blast and 20 sustained various degrees of injury from gun shot from themilitary”.

The CAN chairman said that as much as the Christian community appreciates efforts of the state government in responding to the bomb incidentbytakingthewoundedpersons to the teaching hospital for emergency help, it utterly condemned the extra-judicial killing of innocentcivilians,mostofwhomare womenandchildren. He said: “We declarethatthesecurityagentshave nomoral,ethicalandempiricaljustification to open fire on the women, youths and children who came out to mourn their loved ones. We see this act as extra-judicial killing worthyofremorsebytheNigerianArmy.”

Rev. Pokti called on authorities of the Nigerian Army to claim full responsibilityfor the killings and compensate families of the affected victims. But he urged Christians in the state not to embark on any reprisal attack, saying that it will constitute a criminal act and a violation of the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. The CAN chairman then prayedGodtogivetheaffectedfamilies the fortitude to bear the loss.

While visiting the scene of bomb attack, the Bauchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda, described the act as barbaric and man’s inhumanity to fellow men, assuring that his government would go after the perpetratorsuntiltheyarebroughttobook.

He declared that his administration will rebuild the Harvest Field Church as well as the Living Faith Church and other structures around the area that were dam-

The explosion killed and injured people who were close to the scene of the blast; because of panic induced by fear, some of them fell into the fire caused by the explosion

munityleaders,andmembersofthe publictoeschewviolenceandavoid attacking innocent people in the state. He urged them to be vigilant and give useful information to security agencies to ensure that those involved in the incident are brought to justice.

CAN accuses Army: The Bauchi State Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Rev. Lawi Pokti, had, during a press conference at the COCCINHeadquartersinBauchi,accusedtheNigerian Army of acts of judicial killing of unarmedandaggrievedrelationsofvictims of the blast. He condemned the dastardlyact,describingitasevil,satanic and executed by devilish terrorists who parade themselves under the canopy of Islam.

Pokti said: “At press time, 21 people have been confirmed dead, out of which 12 died as a result of the bomb blast, while nine were shot

,

aged.

Governor Yuguda who was accompanied on the sympathy visit to the scene by the State CAN Chairman, Revd Lawi Pokti, as well as Bishop Oyedepo, General Overseer of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, lamented the monumental loss of lives and property in the blast, declaring that his administration will bring succour to all those who lost their loved ones. He added that his government had already picked up the medical bills of the injured. The governor said the perpetrators were neither Christians nor Moslems because, according to him, none of the two religions preaches violence but peaceful coexistence and being brothers keepers, stressing that the time has come when all Nigerians should put aside religious sentiments and join hands to fight all forms of terrorism in the country.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012—37

dayobenson@yahoo.com I N S I D E

UNILAG renaming: President trying to score political point — Prof Oyewo — Pg 38

F oundation giv es gives hope to widows — Pg 39

As the bill to amend the Central Bank Act runs into hot water...(2) — Pg 40

We are not complying with Aviation Act — Capt. Dele Ore

By DAYO BENSON & BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

C

APTAIN Dele Ore is the President of Aviation Round Table. A former pilot with the defunct Nigeria Airways and a lawyer, he was instrumental to the drafting of the nation’s Aviation Act. In this interview, he spoke on effectiveness of the regulatory agency and seeming non-compliance with the provisions of the Aviation Act. Excerpts: What are the legal issues in the aviation industry, particularly as it affects the regulatory agencies?

The first indication is the fact that we have been audited by the KO in very flying colours. And as far as regulatory agencies are concerned, we could say we have scored much more higher in the region of 97.3. as far as regulatory agency is concerned. And this is confirmed again by the USA FAA Category 1 Certification.

So what are we saying, our regulations are at par with the world standard in line with standard and practices.

So what you are saying is that the regulations are consistent with international standard?

Yes, very much so!

How effective would the regulation agencies are vis-a-vis the law setting them up?

We have very effective regulatory agency and it has been proven. As an indication of that effectiveness, it is that recognition and respect that the whole world is now according Nigeria as a country.

And it is because of this that they selected Africa as the Chairmanship of the General Assembly; and recently, several appointments to head several safety committees in Africa and Indian Ocean.

Of course this respect reflected on the readiness of the KO and the international bodies to come to Nigeria an unrestrained support very very willingly so that we can maintain the pact to move forward.

But let me say something which most people do not know. The regulatory agency as was delivered by the UN Supreme court at the SKJ cannot be responsible for negligence certification with emphasis because the regulatory authority cannot be the policeman of the air. Operators therefore, having been given the regulatory

Captain Dele Ore, President of Aviation Round Table, (ART) requirement, they don’t expect that big sticks should be kept at their back before they comply.

You can decipher that not only in Nigeria are we talking about Nigeria, it is the global standard. You cannot hold the regulatory agency responsible for any lapses here and

We should do what the Aviation Act says we should do, which is what we should ensure.

We will continue to carry on and let the regulatory agency do its work without undue interference.

,

,

there, the operators will be held responsible once the regulatory authority have already laid down the procedure and how to comply and then they set up what you call “Enforcement Mechanism”. That is all that is required. And that is what we have firmly on the ground and we must be very proud of that in Nigeria.

What about the Supervisory ministry, since you said the regulatory agency should take the blame?

This a Nigeria context, we always talk about supervisory ministry. It is not in that content. I always think that

Captain Dele Ore: Our certification has passed the worst standard in line with international practices.

we should have a Ministry of Aviation that will set out policies. Not a ministry of Aviation that will be interfering with safety and economic regulations. Regulations, economy and safety should start and end with the regulatory authority without any undue interference. That is what the Aviation Act says. The Aviation only empowers the ministry to set out policies.

Are you then saying that the ministry should be blamed for negligence certification?

No! We should do what the Aviation Act says we should do, which is what we should ensure. We will continue to carry on and let the regulatory agency do its work without undue interference.

We have achieved that before, under the honourable minister, Omotoba.

As a former pilot with Nigeria Airways and a lawyer, what advice would you give to the National Assembly on this issue?

What advice can we give when they already have their own consultants?

But the fact remains that they should ensure and understand the provisions of our regulations and also not forget that the Civil Aviation Industry is a dynamic industry that is always moving according to technology. Our National Assembly should therefore use the best people on particular issues.

Are you suggesting a review of the

Aviation Act, in view of the present challenge?

The Act is a very perfect document.

Let us continue to use the provisions of the Act because the Act is a perfect document but we are not following the provisions of the Act. On the issue of compensation for the victims onboard and those on ground too, are the victims on ground also covered by the Aviation Law on compensation?

If something happened to a person on the ground who did not buy a ticket to fly, the compensation also covers third party on ground. So it is quite clear that those on ground are covered just like those onboard. Those on ground did not go to the airport; it was a missile to their home. So the third parties on ground, on the surface, are fully covered.

EDITORIAL TEAM Dayo Benson (Editor) Innocent Anaba Wahab Abdulah Ikechukwu Nnochiri

38 —VANGUARD, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

UNILAG renaming: President trying to score political point — Prof Oyewo

By BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

P

WHAT is your reaction to

•Prof Oyelowo Oyewo the changing of UNILAG to Moshood Abiola University, by President Goodluck Jonathan?

It is very clear that the University of Lagos was established by an Act of Parliament, unlike the other regional institutions which were later taken over by the Federal Government. The University of Lagos was

,

ROF Oyelowo Oyewo, Dean Faculty of Law, University of Lagos (to be known as Moshood Abiola University), graduated with honours from the Faculty of Law, University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University OAU), Ile-Ife, Nigeria, in 1981. He attended the Nigerian Law School and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1982. He obtained the LL.M degree from the University of Lagos in 1984. On a Fulbright scholarship to the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), he was awarded LL.M degree in 1990, and admitted to the State Bar of California, USA in 1991. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation.

Prof Oyewo started his professional career as a State Counsel in the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Federal Ministry of Justice, in 1983, before joining the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos as a Lecturer II in 1985. He wa s appointed an Associate Professor of Law in 1998, and Professor of Law in 2005, with effect from 2002. He serves on the Boards of the Council for Legal Education (C.L.E.) and Council of the Nigerian Institute for Advance Legal Studies (N.I.A.L.S).

He has taught Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, Human Rights and Civil Liberties, and Environmental Law in the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos. He is the contributing editor of International Encyclopedia of Laws, Kluwer Law International, Constitutional Law of Nigeria. His other areas of interest are international business transactions and corporate law and practice.

He is committed to contributing to the establishment, development and sustenance of constitutional democracy and good governance in Nigeria. He is a member of the African Constitutional Lawyers Network, and associated to the International Constitutional Law Association.

In this interview, Prof Oyewo talks hard on the recent pronouncement of President Goodluck Jonathan, which changed the name of the popular UNILAG to Moshood Abiola University, Lagos.

here are doing.

Don’t you think it is a good thing that an Institute of Democracy was established in the institute?

I believe the President meant well in trying to establish the Moshood Abiola Institute of Democracy in the University of Lagos. But I think he went too far when he now pronounced that the

Doing something in the educational sector one has to be very careful because politics cannot be brought with education the way our leaders here are doing

established pursuant to UNESCO Advisory Committee’s report. I believe the President wanted to raise his political strength by trying to score political points without looking at the consequences of such. Doing something in the educational sector one has to be very careful because politics cannot be done with education the way our leaders

,

University of Lagos should now be known as Moshood Abiola University.

Establishing the Institute of Democracy is what I believe the President meant to do, but probably in the communication to those who probably wrote the script that his intention was lost. I think the change of the name will not stand because the renaming

was totally without consultation of all the stakeholders.

We hear that the Education Minister, Professor Ruqayattu Ahmed Rufai, was not consulted. The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of the University of Lagos, Deacon Gamaliel Onosode was not consulted.

The Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Rahman Bello and all the management team were not consulted, the Senate of the University of Lagos was not consulted; even Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was not consulted.

Are you saying that the President made a mistake by pronouncing that the name UNILAG should be changed?

The President should be matured enough to know that he has erred. To err is human, so he should retract and clearify because our students have really been provoked as it were.

Political process The students are already going out, even with the authority telling them that this matter will be settled through the political process. The future of the young people are at stake.

What we don’t appreciate is that the University of Lagos has become an international brand. And you don’t kill a brand that is selling. It is like asking Coca-cola to change its name or asking a university like Harvard, Cambridge to change their name now. We must learn to protect some things for posterity sake.

Even, we don't want to think about the consequences on our certificate. When UNN was going to be named after Nnamdi Azikiwe, Nnam people said no that they should not

do that because UNN is not a regional institution. The one that was done during the military (i.e. renaming Ife after Obafemi Awolowo) was a Decree even before President Babangida made that pronouncement. So history should have guided the President.

And worst of it, the university is in a mourning, now all the processes of mourning our Vice Chancellor, Prof. Tokunbo Sofoluwe have been disrupted. It is very sad that each time this President comes out on national occasions, he makes statement that provoke the citizenry. I think he has to watch it. The name ‘University of Lagos’ is a name that we all take pride in.

Looking at the circumstance, don’t you think the status of the President will be belittled if he should retract the pronouncement?

If he retracts his pronouncement, I think the maturity and status of the President will be enhanced. A President in a civilized democracy will at this time retract such pronouncement, except if he sees himself as a dictator under a military regime because this is a representative. Democracy is the difference between a military government and a democratic government.

Due to the sensitivity of the matter and in order to make sure that everybody is carried along the President should follow the due process of the rule of law. Rule of Law requires that you do things in accordance with the law. I think it will be better for the Presidency if he retracts than to go ahead because it will not go down well with him, if he persists on this and of course he can’t win. He cannot win as his pronouncement will be successfully challenged in a court of law as unconstitutional, ultra vires, null and void.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012—39

Law Pavilion launches blackberry application

BY INNOCENT ANABA

Y

OUR law library is now black-buried. That is the caption of the new legal blackberry software application launched by GIT Limited, the publishers of Law Pavilion.

LawPavilion has become known within legal circles as the premium research tool that any serious minded member of the Bar and Bench must acquire to significantly enhance their practice or quality of rulings. Hitherto, the Law Pavilion application has been available for installation on personal devices such as laptops or desktops, office servers and more recently, the Ipad.

The Law Pavilion Black Berry Application was launched in Lagos, during the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, LawWeek.

Prof Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Lagos State, who also delivered the keynote address at event, commended LawPavilion’s brilliant contribution and innovation towards the advancement of legal practice in Nigeria.

Lawyers at the event were generally thrilled by LawPavilion’s innovation, and especially the affordability of the new BlackBerry version starting from a paltry sum of N10,000 per annum. Mr. Femi Botoku of the NBA Lagos Branch said “now, no Lawyer has any excuse not to be digitally equipped, as this (LawPavilion on BlackBerry) is very affordable.”

With the innovative technology deployed for the BlackBerry Application, LawPavilion has made access to relevant authorities on any issue of law, the latest Supreme Court judgments (within 48 hours of release), latest Court of Appeal decisions, Civil Procedure Rules of State High Courts and oft-used Laws of the Federation very cheap and affordable (from as low as N10,000 per annum) to all lawyers, especially young and upwardly mobile lawyers who are eager to bring their practice to par with contemporary global legal practice. The LawPavilion blackberry software application means that lawyers can conduct their research on the go without any hindrance or having to contend with heavy luggage occasioned by carrying books around or even other personal devices like the laptop.

Vanguard Law In Pix NAJUC holds capacity devt workshop National Association of Judiciary Correspondents, NAJUC, recently, organised a capacity development workshop for judicial correspondents in Lagos. PHOTOS BY INNOCENT ANABA.

L-R:Mr Akeem Nafiu, The Tribune Newspapers and Mr Hakeem Ishola, Ray Power/AIT.

L-R: Mr Davidson Iriekpen, ThisDay Newspapers and Mr Ayo Aluko-Olokun, Media Practitioner.

L-R: Mr.Sunsay Fagboyo, Reality Magazine and Mr Wahab Abdulah, Vanguard Newspaper.s

L-R: Mrs Faith Omoruyi, The Sun Newspapers and Mr Adewale Busari, STV.

L-R: Mr Betram Nwannekanma, The Guardian Newspapers and Edit Bolokor, News Agency of Nigeria.

L-R: Miss Olubukola Sofowote and Mrs Bola Akingbade both of Lagos State Ministry of Justice.

L-R: Mr Tunde Opesitan, Daily Independent Newspapers and Mr Olugbenga Soyele, Compass Newspapers.

L-R: Mr. Solomon Asowa of the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN and Mr. Henry Ojelu of The News/ PM News

L-R: Mr Joseph Ojekwere, The Guardian Newspapers and Mr Joseph Jibueze, The Nation Newspapers.

L-R: Mrs. Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare of The Tribune Newspapers and Mr. Akin Akinwale, Thisday Newspapers.

Foundation gives hope to widows

By LAJU ARENYEKA

A

T a very young age, Anthonia Onyekwe became a widow; exposed to the circumstances that accompany such a status. She isn’t the only one; Blessing Obi, Eucharia Igwe and Margaret Ikechukwu are only a few of the many thousands of Nigerian women that are widowed each year. They also represent only a few of the hundreds of widows that the Blessed Fruit Foundation (BFF) has helped empower since it was established four years ago.

At the fourth Annual Patron’s day of the foundation, held recently in Lagos, President of the foundation, veteran actor and Lecturer, Sola Fosudo said: “The Business Empowerment Programme of the foundation has witnessed tremendous development in the past one year. Having been linked to First Bank Micro finance bank (FBMFB), the foundation has been able to provide soft loans in tangible amounts to many more widows.”

One of such widows, who preferred anonymity told Vanguard: “I took the first loan of N50, 000. I was able to pay back the loan soon after my yam business kicked off. After that, I took another loan of N100, 000, reinvested into the business, paid back, and then I took a loan of N200, 000 and did the same.

Now, I can afford to take care of myself and my children.” Another widow, Margaret Inori applied for her first loan of N100,000 and began to deal in cement. “Very soon,” she said “I’ll become a distributor of cement.” The BFF has paid for Blessing Obi’s diabetes treatment since she contacted them after her husband’s death.

For Cecilia Ugbogu, the foundation was an answer to her prayers when it came to settling disputes over her late husband’s land. “It was that land I sold and used to send my children to the university. If BFF didn’t fight for that land, my children would be at home by now.”

C M Y K

40 —VANGUARD, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

As the bill to amend the Central Bank Act runs into hot water...(2)

BY AWA KALU, SAN

Continued from last week

I

N his words, Central Bank independence is a concept that has gained global acceptance. It is a holistic concept that entails four key elements namely: financial, administrative, personal and operational independence. In the true sense, it is an institutional arrangement in which the Central Bank has freedom to take decisions in the pursuit of its mandates. It is a situation in which the Central Bank is free from undue political influences usually informed by short-term considerations. In further elaboration of the need for independence, the Governor purposely submitted that “the very strong institutional arrangement of the European Central Bank and the relationship between it and the National Central Banks (NCB) and between the NCBs and governments of member countries best conveys the meaning of a truly independent Central Bank.

One aspect of Central Bank independence that is very critical to achieving the major mandates of a Central Bank is financial

independence. Financial independence for a Central Bank has four ingredients, namely: “the right to determine its own budget; the application of the general accounting principles; clear provisions on the distribution of operating surpluses and clearly-defined financial liability for supervisory authorities.” The Governor placed reliance on a speech by the Governor of the Central Bank of Cyprus in 2008 in which it was argued that “the ability of a Central Bank to perform smoothly its tasks could be undermined when, for example, the Central Bank does not have sufficient control over its budgetary process for administrative and operating issues.

Thus, financial independence takes into account a multitude of factors such as the ability of the NCB to determine its own budget, to prepare its accounts in accordance with general accounting principles and to enjoy the requisite autonomy in staff matters.” After a survey of the operators of at least forty Central Banks in diverse countries including the United States of America, England, Malaysia, Mexico and South Africa, the Governor submitted to the amusement of the diverse and discerning audience that only the Central Bank of Zimbabwe faced the unbelievable hurdle of

•Awa Kalu, SAN budgetary control by its legislature.

Was it a case of quod ed demonstradum?

The answer was supplied by senior citizens such as Alhaji Adamu Ciroma and Professor Green Nwankwo both of whom gave invaluable service to the Central Bank in their prime. Alhaji Otiti, former deputy- governor of the Central Bank, the Chartered Institute of Bankers, a former chairman of the Institute of Stockbrokers, Comrade Issa Aremu, National Vice-President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, the National Association of South-East and South-South Professionals all

spoke in favour of retaining the autonomy of the Central Bank unmitigated by the vagaries of politics or other short-term considerations.

Other eminent speakers were the chief executives of the United Bank for Africa Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Access Bank etc. The striking thing about this public hearing was the unanimity of opinion indicating that the National Asembly, perhaps, is on the wrong path. Will the august Assembly beat a retreat? Time will tell but the National Assembly needs to be reminded of the age long maxim vox populi vox dei.

It would also serve a useful purpose to remind all persons who have the powers of law making that laws are made for the good of the greater number. To this end, laws are always classified as good or bad and the inevitable questions that arise in the assessment of good or bad laws relate to the following- “How many people benefit from the good consequences of law? How many people benefit from the reduction of harm or consequences of a law? Do the benefits from promoting good consequences outweigh the acts of reduction of harm? Do the benefits from reducing harm outweigh the costs to the greater good in taking no action?

To be continued

The Supreme Cour er pret ation and cons truction of Courtt doctrine in the int inter erpret pretation construction statutes before a court is interpreted, whereas, individuals. In this regard, the construing statutes, occasions may

BY PROF LAWRENCE ATSEGBUA

T

HE analysis outlined in this paper shows how the Supreme Court involves itself in philosophical abstraction in the interpretation and construction of statutes. The cases also show that the Supreme Court engages in legal philosophy, disregarding the wider political context in which the law is moored.

The evaluation of the theories used by the Supreme Court is an indispensable and decisive component in the selection or formulation of any concepts for use in description of such aspects of human affairs as law or legal order.

In this paper, we attempt a synthesis of the Supreme Court doctrine in the interpretation and construction of statutes. This doctrine is clearly discernable from the cases examined in this paper.

The Supreme Court is the highest court in Nigeria. Over the years, the court has displayed brilliance in its adjudication. This is not to say that the court’s decisions are faultless. No court can claim the status of infallibility.

In Nigeria, democratic principles and practices are at their infancy. The roles of the three arms of government and the relationship between them are clearly defined in the 1999 Constitution. The oversight functions of the National Assembly over the executive arm of government are presently ineffective. Despite the above shortcomings, the Supreme Court has continued to play its role as the final adjudicator in disputes between the three arms of government and also between

Supreme Court has made landmark pronouncements in many areas of the law. We are concerned with the philosophical bent of the Supreme Court, with particular reference to the recent judgment of the Court in the cases involving the governors of Cross River State, Kogi State, Adamawa State, Sokoto State and Bayelsa State (tenure elongation cases).

In this paper, we examine briefly the principles used by the Supreme Court in arriving at its judgment. Are these principles acceptable in law?

Interpretation and Construction of Statutes. The interpretation and construction of statutes is a subject that merits serious academic exposition. The reason for this is not farfetched. In interpreting and

legitimately arise on the ordinary meaning of certain statutory provisions. This may not be easily discernable from the statute itself. In such a case, the court is faced with a conundrum as to what exactly is the intention of the legislature. According to Dias, when confronted with the task of interpreting a statute, the accepted formula is that the judges seek to ascertain the intention of the legislature.

There is a technical distinction between interpretation and construction. Interpretation is simply the process whereby a meaning is assigned to the words in a statute.

Construction on the other hand, is the process whereby uncertainties or ambiguities in a statute are resolved. It follows that every statute which come

only uncertain or ambiguous provisions require construction.

Walker and Walker have pointed out that ambiguity in statutes arises through an error in drafting, whereby words used in a statue are found to be capable of bearing two or more literal meaning. On the other hand, uncertainty occurs where the words of a statute are intended to apply to various factual situations and the courts are called upon to decide whether or not the set of facts before them amounts to the factual situation envisaged by the Act. This distinction is vital and must be kept in a proper perspective for any meaningful and critical examination of the Supreme Court doctrine.

To be continued

Inadequate judges affecting adjudication in Industrial Court — Adejumo

BY DAYO JOHNSON, Akure

T

HE President National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Babatunde Adejumo has lamented that inadequate judges posted to the specialised court is affecting the adjudication of the volume of cases before it.

Adejumo speaking in Akure at the inaugural sitting of the Court said that has just been constructed said that” judges are currently being over stressed because of the workload before them.

According to him about 100 cases were being filed in the court every week.

He pointed out that cases arising from industrial disputes in Ondo, Edo and Ekiti states would henceforth be

entertained in Akure.

Adejumo said that arrangement had reached an advanced stage to hire 15 judges for the court in the next few weeks while about 50 judges needed within the next four years when its current extension to the various parts of the country would have been completed.

The President said part of the strategy to ensure speedy adjudication of cases in the court included a computerized system of filing cases and giving fresh orientation to lawyers on the need to shun frivolous injunction that could slow down court process.

He said the judges in the court as a matter of deliberate policy have not been favourably disposed granting frivolous applications and

adjournments.

“We need at least 50 judges within the next four years going by the volume of cases being filled daily at the court.

At least between 80 and 100 cases are filed on daily basis, 400 per month and about 5, 000 in a year.”

Adejumo said the NIC constructed in Ibadan at a cost of N1.2bn would have been built in Akure if the state government had about four years ago, provided necessary logistics which the NIC requested to hasten the establishment of the court.

He commended the Governor Olusegun Mimiko administration for giving necessary support to the NIC which led to the construction of the ultra modern, court with state-of- the art facilities in Akure.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012—41

TIT BITS

Workers benefit more under democracy — Labour UESDAY MAY 29, the nation cele brated 13 years of uninterrupted civil rule and as part of the activities marking the occasion, the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, brought together in Lagos, labour leaders, workers, civil society organizations and university lecturers brainstorm on “Strengthening Internal Union Democracy” Participants included Comrade Issa Aremu, General Secretary of NUTGTWN and Vice President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Oladele Hunsu, President of NUTGTWN, Comrade Bension Opia, Head of NLC Parliamentary Liaison Office, Comrade Rufus OLusesan, Vice President of the National Union of Shops and Distributive Employees, NUSDE and Chairman Campaign for Workers Democratic Rights, CWDR and Professor Funmi Adewumi, of Osun State University.

Speakers at the seminar were unanimous that in spite of the several shortcomings of the country ’s democracy, it remained the best form of government for Nigeria and called on Nigerians not to undermine it.

According to Comrade Aremu, Nigerian workers had every reason to deepen and defend democracy because it had benefitted workers than any other form of government, recalling that workers and other Nigerians suffered untold hardships, pains, persecution, detention and even death to bring about the current democracy.

Aremu who is also a Vice President of NLC said “As a matter of fact, there is no group that can mark democracy better than the trade unions because we fought for the democracy. The second point why democracy is important to us as unions is that if you check our history, all the major gains that labour movement has made over the years, were made under the democratic system. The first minimum wage we got in 1981, under President Shehu Shagari before then N125.00.

If you know the exchange rate then, in fact Naira was even stronger than the Dollar. If you check it now, it is about 250 Dollars and if you multiply it today, that gives about N25.000 to N30,000 which means it is even higher than the so-called N18,000 new minimum wage. We got that under a democratic government led by the first President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Hassan Sumonu.

Before then NLC had been fighting for new minimum wage, both Muritala Mohammed and Olusegun Obasanjo did not listen.

“Also, it was democratic Nigeria that first declared May Day as public holiday in 1981. It started with the government of the late Abubakar Rimi of Kano seconded by the defunct People Redemption Party, PRP, government under governor Balarabe Musa of Kaduna State and later followed the government of Alhaji Lateef Jakande of Lagos State. It was under the democracy that opposition parties declared May Day as public C M Y K

Dr. Tajudeen Ajani of University of Ibadan; Comrade Issa Aremu, General Secretary of NUTGTWN; Comrade Oladele Hunsu, President of NUTGTWN and Comrade Benson Opa of NLC national secretariat at the Democracy Day seminar. holiday in their states, the federal government then had no choice than to also make it a national public holiday. Comrades, also check the review of the minimum wage that we have done. We did the review of minimum wage in 1991 under Ibrahim Babaginda, but it was with tears. But

,

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BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

All the major gains that labour movement has made over the years, were made under the democratic system

,

the major review of minimum wage started in 2000 under a democracy.

What the military government of Obasanjo could not do, the democratic government of Obasanjo had no choice than effect a review. Do not forget that we just review it in 2011.”

Military govt undermined NLC Continuing, NUTGTWN’s General Secretary, reminded his audience that no democratic government in Nigeria had ever dissolved the NLC. He said “In spite of the struggles and torments that we gave governments under democracy, none of them has been able to dissolve the NLC, but military government dissolved the NLC. IBB in 1988 dissolved the National Executive Council of NLC under Comrade Ali Ciroma and that was why Comrade Ciroma did only one term. What was the crime of NLC? The crime of NLC was that we protested against the increases in the pump prices of fuel. He appointed a sole administrator. Of course, we fought back and NLC was eventually reconstituted which led to the emergence of late Pascal Bafyau.

Again, Bafyau did only one term because during his second term was the June 12 crisis. Again, the NEC of NLC was dissolved in 1994 under late

General Sanni Abacha.”

“Comrades, you can see the issue of democracy to us because why one day protest against IBB made him go dissolve the NLC, eight days strike, 12 days strike against the democratic government of Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, nobody has been able to dissolve the NLC because we have a constitutional democracy in which you cannot do anything by fiat or decree, you have to pass through.”

Aremu added that “ we cannot be talking about democracy in the country without talking about democracy in our union. Trade union is a product of democracy.

NLC is older than Nigeria in terms of democratic traditions. Today, we are making the third republic. NLC just did its 10th delegates conference, so we have a lot teach politicians about democracy. The only way we can able to make change or deepen democracy is that we must sustain our democratic tradition. I am happy that our entire branch chairman, treasurers, secretaries and all the other council members are product of democracy.”

Earlier, President of NUTGTWN, Comrade OLadele Hunsu, explained that seminar Provided an opportunity to assess the nation’s democratic journey and to workers that they had the civic responsibility and the historic duty to participate actively in the political process.

He said “ we have conceded the political space enough to charlatans, rogues and professional politicians who have done nothing to substantially improve the living condition of our people. But in doing that we reckon that we need to remind ourselves that the trade unions remain an important model of a democratic organisation and we need to defend that part of our history and use it as our launchpad for our engagement in the polity. Hence the theme of this one day conference is: strengthening internal union democracy. Trade unions as we all know are founded on the principles of unity, independence and democracy.”

PENGASSAN mourns crash victims

P

ETROLEUM and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, has called for a comprehensive investigation into the remote and immediate causes of the afternoon Dana Airline crash in Iju-Shaga, Lagos which claimed over 170 lives.

While mourning the victims, PENGASSAN in a statement by its President, Comrade Babatunde Ogun, “This is very sad and I urged the Federal Government not to make the issue of the investigations only a rhetoric but to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the remote and immediate causes of the crash. The investigation must be carried out promptly and report made available to the public unlike what obtained in similar crashes in the past. All those found culpable or negligent in causing this crash must be prosecuted for murder as that is what they have committed. From information so far, it seems there was compromise of standards and safety by the management of the Dana Airlines and probably by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the civil aviation supervisory agency.”

“Nigerians particularly the flying public had been lured into a false sense of security and safety in the skies but this Dana crash has jolted us out of our façade sense of safety with devastating effect.

This needless loss of hundreds of lives of innocent children, women and men from all walks of life including the oil industry has again brought to the fore the need for regulatory agencies to be alive to their responsibility and shun the tendency to aid operators in cutting corners thereby putting lives at risk. It would be recalled that our late president, Comrade U. M. Okoro died in a similar air crash in 2005.”

The union advised the Federal Government to equip the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, with modern facilities to enable it respond to emergency situation on time.

…NUPENG too

S

IMILALY, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, called on the Federal Government to quickly commence full investigation into the cause of the accident with a view to averting more air crashes.

Speaking through a statement by its Acting General Secretary, Comrade Aberare, that union said “It is on record that the nation has not witnessed such magnitude of air disasters in recent times.

We are therefore at a loss of what went wrong. We therefore call on the Federal Government to quickly commence full investigation into the cause of the accident with a view to averting more air crashes.

It is against this background that we appeal to the federal government to intervene in the financial crisis facing the airlines operating in the country. The airlines, through their body the Airlines Operators of Nigeria have cried out in recent times of the unhealthy climate in the industry, which has led to huge debts incurred by them in the cause of overseas maintenance of their fleets and the exorbitant cost of aviation fuel.”

“Most of the airlines have not been paying their workers as at when due because of cash flow problems. This has led to serious operational challenges. We urge the government to speed up the release of intervention funds to the airlines to save them from collapse and with a view to saving lives through the use of functional and modern aircrafts.”

42—Vanguard, THURSDAY,

BYVICTORAHIUMA-YOUNG RUSTFUND Pensions Plc weekend in Lagos, said it had paid a total of N13.99 billion to 37,536 pensioners under the new Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS. Acting Managing Directing, Trustfund Pensions, Mrs. Helen Da-Souza, said the amount covered the period between July 2004 and April 2012.

She spoke at an interactive session with the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUGTWN) in Lagos.

Da-Souza, who reaffirmed the company’s commitment to effective pension fund administration, said “at a time when the industry is largely grasping with the rudiments of the business, Trustfund has over 10,000 retirees on its payroll who access their benefits promptly every month in their bank accounts at various locations across the country.”

According to her, the company’s focus was the welfare and comfort of Nigerian workers “ who deserve peace of mind and financial security on retirement” noting that the company had introduced numerous services and products to guarantee a smooth transition for retiring workers.

T

JUNE 7, 2012

37,536 pensioners get N13bn from Trusftfund Pensions …10,000 retirees on its payroll

Eno Umog, Trustfund Pensions' Director of Operations and Services; Comrade Issa Aremu, General Secretary, NUTGTWN; Hellen Da Souza, Acting Managing Director, Trustfund Pensions; Comrade Dele Hunsu, President NUTGTW; Racheal Osa-Obi, Compliance Officer, Trustfund and Comrade Slyvester Chimezie, Deputy General Secretary, NUTGTWN during a srminar organised by the fund for textile workers, in Lagos.

The Acting Managing Director who applauded the introduction of the CPS as a veritable tool to addressing the age-long trauma associated with pension system in Nigeria, faulted the case in some states, where governments

selected Pension Fund Adminstratos, PFAs, for workers without adequate consultation and input from labour, saying “this does not speak well of the organised labour movement.”

According to her, as major

stakeholders and beneficiaries of pension schemes, labour should take the driving seat in the entire process of transformation to the new pension scheme in the states.

Da Souza, who also faulted deductions from workers’ sal-

Retiree lauds Jonathan over pension reform

BY KAYODEAJETUMOBI S someone who retired in 1982 from the Federal Ministry of Defence, I had pursued my retirement benefits to no avail. My kids, very successful in life give me more than what I need but many a times, I feel the pension is my right, so why must I allow someone to steal i t ?

A day I will never forget, 13th April, I got an alert on my phone. I was credited with N4.3 million from the pension office. I thought it was 419 gimmicks. I Went to the bank where they confirmed same. I reluctantly withdrew N300, 000:00. The bank paid the amount. Three days later, I went to Abuja by air (from Lagos) which would have been impossible and unimaginable. At the pension office, I took my papers pretending as if I don’t know what was going on.

A lady working at the Computer Centre of the Pension Reform Task Force politely explained to me how the payment was computed over the years and that “ you have been paid up to date.

Please check your account with your bank. 23,000 persons have so far been captured in like manners,” she said.

I wanted to see the Chairman, Abdulrasheed Maina, but was told he was

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C M Y K

very busy. I asked for his phone number, I was reluctantly given. As I called, he picked it, I introduced myself and right there, he called me back on my line.

When I told him that I was in his premises, he said they should fetch me. That day, I was praying for him and shedding tears of joy. He gave me my rights while still alive.

May God bless him and all those who made us, retirees, to laugh and be happy.

When I asked questions, I was told that in the last 44 years, thousands of retirees have suffered untold hardship (I am one of them) and some of them died without getting pensions for the services they rendered to the nation (so many that I know).

Successive regimes had not attempted to reform the pension system until Jonathan Goodluck. If this is the only thing Jonathan has done, is it not worth it?

Did Jonathan’s regime not dealt with the pension problems once and for all? I have read in the papers that Maina’s people have recovered over N181 billion. Maina told me on my visit that day that they discovered about 71, 000 ghost pensioners from Head of Service Pension Office.

So when he was talking of E-Pension Management System, it made sense to me

because that was how I got paid. He even said that, “today, nobody can steal one Naira in the new pension scheme without detection.”

If what we have read in the papers is it, for the current prosecution of the alleged persons on trial, it would have taken an unusual, dogged determination and patriotism to have cracked down on the fraudulent and notorious pension cartel and get to the root of the pension scam.

Reading how the pension mafia recruited under-aged people, primary school teachers and even jobless

people to pay into their accounts millions of Naira daily is a sad commentary.

The conduits get a paltry 10% of such millions and return the balance to the evil (did you say civil?) servants.

To read that over 73,000 bank accounts were operated by these cartels shows that the banks were culprits who also aided and abetted the commission of the crimes. So, why are the banks not arrested and prosecuted too?

Yet, the House of Representatives went round and saw what we are seeing.

Ajetumob, lives in Ibadan.

1,300 immigration retirees appeal to FG for entitlements O fewer than 1,300 offic ers of the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, retrenched in 2006, have appealed to the Federal Government for the payment of their entitlements.

In a statement issued in Ilorin

by Alhaji Abdullahi Sulaiman, the officers said that government’s inability to pay them had brought untold hardships to their families.

The statement said that 40 of the affected officers were from Kwara.The retirees stated that

N

their gratuity and pension were not based on the Consolidated Para-military Salary Structure (COMPASS).

Sulaiman said that this was unlike their colleagues in Customs and Prisons Services who were also affected by the same restructuring.

He said that those categories of officers were being paid, based on the COMPASS structure, noting that all entreaties made by the affected officers nationwide to the immigration authorities had proved abortive.

aries without remitting to the PFAs by some employers, said the practice was unacceptable in view of the long term negative impact on affected workers.

She said, “as some of us are aware, there are many instances where employers make deductions without remitting.

The implication of this is that upon retirement, the affected workers may not have the correct amount that is due to them. To this end, labour has a vital role to play in ensuring that the contributions of its members are safe and secured as those of us present as workers of today are the pensioners of tomorrow.”

She regreted the challenges faced by some contributors in the textile industry as a result of the impasse in the country where most factories had shut down leading to non funding of RSA accounts of the affected workers.

She prayed that the current efforts by the present administration to revamp the sector would yield the desired results so that most of the accounts could be funded to enable the workers earn their pensions at retirement.

Speaking, General Secretary of NUTGTWN, Comrade Issa Aremu commended the management of Trsutfund Pensions for presenting workers with detailed update of its operations and solicited the company in the campaign for the revival of the textile industry, noting that “the struggle for the re industrialisation is a collective responsibility.”

Aremu who is also a Vice President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, assured that workers in the textile industry would remain with Trustfund Pensions because of its reliability and value added services, advocating higher payments by employers in the contributory pension scheme.

Trustfund operates with authorised share capital of N2 billion, and a customer base of 543,860 as at April 2012. It c urrently manages over N164.6 billion pension funds, offering services in the following areas: retirement savings account (RSA) administration, pension funds investment management, pension advisory services, pre-retirement and post retirement pension seminar services and pension & benefit processing and payment services.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012—43

Tenant’s tales: ‘My landlord killed my wife’ (2)

Even when the baby came and the initial euphoria had died down, they kept their distance, as opposed to what I’d expected would happen because of my relationship with them.

I reported the dustbin incident to a colleague at the office and the only thing he said was that I should expect an increase in rent because it was obvious that the man realised that we had a little change on us, besides, the rent was very cheap compared to what obtained in the area.

What my colleague did not know also was that I was paying the least rent in the house.

As time went by, baba landlord did not make mention of any increase in rent and the incident passed away like it came.

Because of the strain of combining office with taking care of the house as well as the baby and the fact that another baby was on the way, we decided that Carol should resign from her job and after childbirth, go into private business.

She wanted to run a fashion designing outfit

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H

i,the problems associated with landlord versus tenant relationship are innumerable.

From indiscriminate hikes in rent to molestations over how occupants manage the premises. In extreme cases, landlords and tenants have had to trade punches or taken their grieviances to the courts of law.

Almost every tenant has a story or another to tell about their landlords, from the bizzare to the hillarious. Stories of greed, jealousy and hatred and of course, kindness and love.

Our first respondent, Amune,(42), Manager with an oil firm, shares a peculiar story. He claims his first wife was murdered by his landlord. Why? Follow us as he continues his story below. Happy r e a d i n g !

She had been helping out even while she was still training and everything went well even though my wife did not really like the idea initially. But the girl came in handy when Carol became pregnat with our third child. She was always there to assist with the chores and

I became a bachelor once again with baba landlord and his family to take care of me just like they did in the old days when I had not gotten married.

The shop was closed down but in the fourth month, baba landlord called me to ask of my plans

and so we went about setting one up a short distance from the house.

A few months later, baba landlord called me to inform me that his eldest daughter who had left school the previous year with a poor result was interested in learning fashion designing.

I was forced to tell him that it would be a bit difficult just then becuase my wife did not really know about it and that the workers might not have enough time to teach her properly like a real school would. If she can afford to get some formal training, then he could be sure of a place for her with us at the end of her training.

He complained about the cost and I promised to assist, believing it was the least I could do for them in return for their kindness towards me.

The girl was signed on for a 16 months training programme at a Fashion School and thereafter joined my wife and other workers at the shop full time.

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attended to cutomers, especially with delivery of jobs.

Even her younger ones too became friendlier with Carol and things seemed to have returned to the way they were when Carol and I were still courting and I lived there alone.

Little did we know that we were digging our graves.

Carol’s pregnancy this time was more traumatic than the other two and when the baby finally came, she knew no peace. If she did not have headache today, it will be stomach ache. The thing will either be in her chest or back, or might move into her legs by the next day.

There was nothing we did not do. We moved from one hospital to another and they will just tell us there was nothing wrong with her. the problem was post-natal depression, everything was either in her mind or head and would stop with adequate care and attention.

In the heat of the problem, someone took us to a white garment church.

They came to pray in the house, sprinkled Holy water everywhere and we drank and had our bath with some.The illness will subside for a few days only to spring back in a more severe manner.

Carol’s mother was dead, so she had only an older sister who did not also know anything about spiritual problems. On their part, my parents tried all they could, but nothing worked.

Eventually, Carol gave up the ghost early one morning, barely five months after she had the baby.

We had only been married for five years. I was not only devastated but broke, we had spent so much on the illness and welfare of the baby on other things.

I was not myself, so my mother had to take the two older boys with her while Carol went away with our little daughter. I became a bachelor once again with baba landlord and his family to take care of me just like they did in the old days when I had not gotten married.

The shop was closed down but in the fourth month, baba landlord called me to ask of my plans.

He said I would only be wasting money by keeping it shut indefinitely and suggested that his daughter should be using the place and the equipments on lease.

They would be paying an agreed sum of money to me at the end of every month until it was completed.

When I told him I would have to think over it and discuss with Carol’s family members as some of them might have interest in the machines as well, baba landlord asked if I was not the person who bought the machines.

I affirmed that I was and he then told me I should not allow anyone to use any sentiments on me.

That as Carol’s husband and the one who bought the machines for her, I had the final say on whatever I wanted to do with them.

When I asked Carol’s sister all the same and she told me to dispose of the things as I pleased as none of their family members was interested in the business.

Friends Searching Males •Kelvin, tall, handsome, a Christian, employed, resides in Lagos and passionate about love, needs a nice, matured and employed lady, for a very serious relationship, aged 20-30.08169367747 •Nelson, 20, a student, resides in Delta state, needs a lady, aged 17-22.08164030974 •Oboh, 40, fat, fair in complexion and matured, for a relationship.

08026645221, 0 8 0 5 1 8 0 9 1 5 1 •Fortune, 23, a student, needs a tall, slim, sexy and educated girl, for a serious relationship, aged 19-22, within Delta state.07060613696 •Biodun, 35, 5.7ft, tall, chocolate in complexion, employed and resides in Lagos, needs a nice, descent and God fearing lady, who is down to earth.07067887051 •P, resides in Lagos, needs a sexy and very busty lady, for a good relationship.07089854667, 0 8 1 2 3 0 8 2 1 7 5 •Keyano, needs a girl, aged 21-28, who is good and

nice, for a relationship.07062444279, 0 8 0 6 6 5 9 9 0 0 5 •Adewale, 38, resides in Ikorodu, needs a fair in complexion, Christian lady, who is employed, for marriage.08096623640 •Osas, 23, tall, slim, good looking and a student, •Dear readers, please note that neither Vanguard, nor Yetunde Arebi will be liable for any error in the publication of requests on the Lovezone that may result in any form of embarrassment to any member of the public.

Also note that we do not run any match-making agency in or outside the country. Any reader who transacts business with anyone claiming to be our agent does so at his/her own risk.

Henceforth, only messages sent through the numbers readers want to be contacted on will be published.

This notice is necessary in order to serve you better in our refreshingly different style. To get your requests published, just text it to the code number 33055. For further enquiries, call 08056180122. Cheers!

BY ONOZURE DANIA

How to show you are interested

BY ONOZURE DANIA

HE number one tool, to show a man, that you are interested, is the warm open smile.

When a man or a lady, looks at you and says something nice and you smile.

Smiles goes a long way, in expressing what you feel, for a man. If you are beating your head against a wall plotting or planning ways to hook a man or show him you are interested, you are beating a dead horse.

If you have to work or put in much more than warmth and a smile, you are doing too much work.

You shouldn’t go out of your way to show interest in a m a n .

Men, when they are interested in you, they will approach you, they will pursue you and there is nothing that you can do, but to let them, with a smile and a welcoming attitude that is.

So many women are now the ones approaching men and this takes away your feminine elegance and allure.

If you are the one calling or texting, then you are doing the work of a man.

You say it’s year 2000 and not longer the 90s, so times have changed. Yes they have and women are more and more successful and equal.

But what really draws a man in though is not this.

It’s your feminine essence, you being a woman.

Embrace being a woman and act like a woman and you will not really need to do anything extra to show your interest.

Now there are many ways to smile. There is the slightly shy smile that has its allure. There is the smile that makes him wonder what you are thinking.

There is the smile that says you might have something a little risqué on your mind. A smile can trigger many things in a man’s imagination and make him feel warm and welcome.

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If you want to know how to show a man you are interested, smiling and being receptive to him is the key. Often times, women, when are interested in a man and the man is not calling them, they start thinking that is their duty to call or text him.

Well if he is not calling and texting you or asking you out then he more it means, he is not really interested you.

He can make every excuse in the world as to why he is not chasing after you, but the bottom line is this, when a man is interested, he will and does make the calls and texts and plans to see you. You don’t have to work overtime or jump through hoops to show him you are interested.

He is perfectly happy to try to gain and work for your i n t e r e s t .

Sure if you call or text he may sound happy to hear from you and likely he is.

If you ask him out because you just happen to have tickets to this or that, he may even go. Not many men will turn down something that comes so easy to them.

They will not, likely build an attraction towards you, for a long term. Sure there are exceptions, but more times than not, men like to be the pursuer.

If he isn’t pursuing, he isn’t ready for a relationship, or he simply isn’t interested enough in you. You won’t make his interest grow by showing more interest on your part.

Quite the opposite. He will view you as an easy target and be happy to make you a back burner girl until one comes along with more of a challenge.

How to show a man you are interested is simple, you do nothing but smile and be r e c e p t i v e .

You attract men with your feminine elegance, your warmth and your smile along with your attitude.

Do you have that feminine elegance that causes you to be the woman men adore.

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08037721501 •Olamide, 28, 5.7ft tall, slim, chocolate in complexion, needs a caring woman, for a romantic affairs. 08064028322 •Jay,23,tall,handsome,romantic,from Anambra state, needs a loving and caring lady, for a relationship.07038631452 •Ken, 25, from Delta state, needs a rich, sexy and romantic, lady, aged 26-45. 07063788180 •Macom, 30, fair in complexion, needs a God fearing lady, within Delta state. 08l5207353l, 0 7 0 3 7 4 6 3 6 4 3 •Kelvin, 26, resides in Warri Delta state, needs a lady, who can take care of him. 07067638892 •Promise, 27, a student, in Asaba Delta state, needs a lady, aged 35.08080988423 Casimir, 24, needs a loving lady, who resides in either Lagos or Port Harcourt, who can take good care of him.08153270773,08068341890

44—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE7, 2012

Almonds: Small in size, huge in health benefits A

QUARTER cup of almonds contains about 18 grams of fat! But the good news is that most of it (11 grams) is monounsaturated fat which is hearthealthy. Studies have shown that substituting nuts for an equivalent amount of carbohydrate in an average diet results in a 30 percent reduction in heart disease risk. Even more impressive is the fact that the risk reduction comes down to 45 percent when fat from saturated fats found primarily found in meat and dairy products is replaced with fats from nuts in the diet! Consuming a diet containing almonds and other nuts also reduces blood levels of all LDL (bad) cholesterol

eatrightconsult@yahoo.com 08091276796

with Funke Oshifuye team up with the vitamin E found in their meat to double the antioxidant capacity either delivers when eaten separately. So eat your almonds whole, with their skin as it significantly increases both the flavonoids and vitamin E in the body. The

synergy between this antioxidant vitamin and flavonoids found in the almond skin like catechin and naringerin cannot be overemphasized as it enhances the LDL's resistance to oxidation significantly. Still on almonds and your heart, research has also found that almonds can reduce Creactive protein, a marker of arterydamaging inflammation, as much as statin drugs.

Almonds are also rich in magnesium and potassium. When there is enough magnesium in the body, the veins and arteries are able to relax more, thereby lessening resistance and improving the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Potassium, on the other hand is an important electrolyte

involved in nerve transmission and the contraction of all muscles including the heart. It is essential for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. Just eating a quarter cup of almonds provides your body with 257 mg of potassium and 99 mg of magnesium!

Need additional reasons to include almonds in your daily eating plan? This is interesting news for people with diabetes!...............Did you know that eating almonds along with a high glycemic index food significantly lowers the glycemic index of the meal and lessens the rise in blood sugar after eating?

Think about this.............almonds are really good!

LASG, Nutricima support advocacy for milk drinking AGOS Deputy Governor Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire has canvassed increased advocacy and awareness on the benefits of milk consumption to elevate the nutrition status of Nigerians.

She said it was critical for the health of Nigerians to increase the level of milk intake during a courtesy call by officials of Nutricima Limited, led by its Managing Director Mr. Glentzes Melitis as part of celebration of the World Milk Day on June 1, 2012. as declared by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.

Orelope-Adefulire said the low per capita milk consumption of Nigeria could be due to a combination of ignorance, lack of advocacy and poverty. She said it is “high time to raise the bar of awareness campaign to let mothers in particular know

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fractions including small dense LDL (the type that most increases risk for cardiovascular disease). In addition to their cholesterol-lowering effects, almonds' ability to reduce heart disease risk may also be partly due to the antioxidant action of the vitamin E and flavonoids it contains.

The flavonoids found in the almond skin

the importance of milk. I want to advise that we raise the bar in our publicity campaigns so many more people can take milk”.

Meanwhile, Nutricima Limited indicated its desire to partner the Lagos State Government’s free education programme through provision of milk in “selected public primary schools” in support of the school feeding programme.

Speaking during the visit, the Managing Director Mr. Glentzes Melitis stated, "In furtherance of our corporate social responsibility and in support of the objectives of the World Milk Day and of the Lagos State Government, Nutricima Limited is glad to announce our desire to partner with the Lagos State Government's free education programme through the provision of our milk products for consumption in selected public primary

schools within Lagos State."

He said Nigeria needs to increase per capita consumption of milk currently put at 9 kgper annum or about 25ml of milk per person, compared to 29kg per annum in China and 68.7kg per annum in India.

Meletis said the figures mean that while Nigerians on the average take a glass of milk every 10 days, the Chinese take a glass every three days and the Indians a glass every day. The per capita consumption figures for the industrial world translate to three glasses every day.

"The need for Nigerians to be empowered with the knowledge and practical application of milk" in human nutrition. Meletis stated: "One cup of milk (250ml) contains 285mg of calcium and this gives 25.29 per cent of the daily recommended intake of calcium. Calcium is particularly important for women and growing children.”

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

I

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Don’t worry. You will be fine after you have undergone treatment - Uche Uche please I need your help. I noticed last year that after ejaculation, the sperm comes out of my vagina almost immediately. I went for scan and they said that I am normal. My husband was diagnosed with a very low sperm count. Could this be the reason this is happening or could there be an underlying factor?

Please reply ASAP – Mrs Chikwelu Dear Mrs Chikwelu, there is nothing wrong with you.

Semen is meant to flow out after ejaculation because it is liquid. It has nothing to do with your husband’s low sperm count. If you are trying to have a baby, then lay on your back after intercourse and raise your legs for ten to fifteen minutes. This will ensure that the sperm travels long enough to make contact with the egg if you have ovulated. As for your husband’s sperm count, a fertility supplement will help him. Get Repro Aid for men. It is a natural supplement that provides complete vitamins and anti-oxidant support and improves hormonal balance and reproductive wellness. It also improves sperm count and motility to boost a man’s chances of getting his wife pregnant – Uche My boyfriend keeps insisting that we have sex without condom. He says he does not enjoy it with condom and

I don’t know what to do. I really love him and don’t want him to leave me – Grace Grace, in this day of HIV/Aids, hepatitis and all manner of sexually transmitted diseases, unprotected sex is not an option. DON’T EVEN TRY IT. Tell your boyfriend to wear a condom or better still, he should marry you and then he can have all the unprotected sex he wants after both of you must have gone for the initial hospital screening. Don’t play with your life. Take care – Uche I am using the Plump Enlargement cream for penis enlargement but I also want something that can stop my premature ejaculation. I have read your column about delay creams but I don’t know how to use it with the penis enlargement cream that I am using – Okey Okey you can use a penis sleeve to prolong your ejaculation and maintain your erection even after ejaculation. Get the Support Plus Extended Sleeve. It is the best for this and also vibrates for female stimulation so you can kill two birds with one stone – Uche Please I need a vibrator but something affordable – Susan There are lot of affordable vibrators out there such as the Love Wand, Water Proof G spot vibrator and Erotic Stud Vibrator – Uche I have weak erection and I cannot find Sex Voltz anywhere. What should I do? Femi There are other options. Xzen 1200 and Libigrow are all very effective erection enhancers that also work for 72 hours with one capsule taken. Cockstar is also good and so is Enzyte – Uche That’s it for today. The names of the people featured here have been changed for their privacy. Adults in need of these treatments/novelties can call 08027901621 or 08051924159 or any other number here to order or they can order online at www.zeevirtualmedia.com. Zee Virtual Media delivers to you wherever you are in Nigeria. For enquiries, send your emails to custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com - Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012—45

There is no controversy over my Aidonogieship—Alhaji Danesi HRH Alhaji Aliyu Kelvin Danesi, Oba Idanesi 11, was crowned the Aidonogie of South Ibie Kingdom of Etsako West Local Government Council of Edo State in 1998, following the demise of his predecessor, Inusa Umoru Inusa. There are two ruling houses in South Ibie, the late Inusa is from the Ogiator branch while the current Ainogie, Kelvin, is from the Danesi branch.

Vanguard was made to understand that before the reign of Inusa, the law made it mandatory that the Aidonogie must be the eldest son of the family. But when Inusa died the Danesi branch whose turn to produce the Aidonogie decided to opt for Kelvin who is not the first son in the Danesi ruling house.

As a result, the Ogiator branch kicked against it, arguing that it must be the first son and insisted that they must retain the throne by crowning the first son of Inusa, Prince Umoru the Aidonogie after the death of his father. The matter became a serious legal matter that even went as far as the to the Supreme Court.

However, following some recent comments by those still kicking against the law that recognised him as the substantive Aidonogie, Alhaji Danesi has in this interview with Vanguard in Benin City, declared that there is no kingship tussle in South Ibie Kingdom.

Excerpts:

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HAT is this controversy over your Aidonogieship all about?

As far as I know there is no controversy as to who is the King of South Ibie Kingdom. I am the substantive king of South Ibie. I was installed in 1998, presented with a staff of office by Navy Captain Onyearugbulem of blessed memory, the then military governor of Edo State. And I have been on throne since then. Although there was a legal challenge by the son of my predecessor, but that has long been resolved.

The Court of Appeal held amongst other things that it was the turn of my branch to present somebody to the vacant stool of the Aidonogie. And that the other branch had exhausted their turn because ours is rotational, it is one ruling house of two branches. My predecessor exhausted his turn and this is my turn. And of course the Edo State government had again in 2009, reaffirmed their position that I am the substantive king and I have been exercising all the rights and privileges attached to my office.

And of course, there has been relative peace since then. There has also been development; my appointment is also gazetted by the Edo State Government and I have been performing all the traditional rites and functions attached to my office without dispute. I think basically, the problem is ignorance and the inordinate ambition of a few individuals. Some of them feel that as a young man ascending the throne, it may take too long for the throne to get back to them. And I have C M Y K

Principle of rotation

said that God determines life. The shortness or the longevity of life is in the hands of God. As I said earlier, when ever it is their •HRH Alhaji Aliyu Kelvin Danesi, Oba Idanesi 11...no turn to ascend the throne, controversy over Aidonogieship they will get it because I am not perpetrating any thing to hold on to the throne. That they was where the law changed from it moved to the other branch. But have attempted to do even in the being the first son to any male there is a proviso, that it is only face of the clear positions that child in the family. Now, the el- the eldest surviving son of the last they have exhausted their tenure dest son of my predecessor was occupant that is qualified to asand even according to the laws, Prince Umoru Inusa, who has cend. When my branch brought they intended to keep my branch joined the ancestors. me out as the substantive Aidonoout permanently. And of course, The one they are parading now, gie, they contested that I was not if I did not come out to fight the he is not qualified under any of the eldest surviving son of the last injustice, perhaps my branch the laws because he is neither the Aidonogie; in fact, that my father would have been kept out of it. eldest surviving son of my pre- had not been a previous occupant decessor nor a heir from my of that stool. So this was taken up Offer of self branch whose turn it is to produce the Aidonogie. So they have no for service case at all. I am told that some But I thank God that since I vol- die-hard amongst them have said untarily offered myself for service, that yes they appreciate the realI have been there for my people. ity that the thing has moved but And the community has known they will make the place uncompeace and development since fortable for me.

But again, the laws of the land then.

But why the controversy over are there to protect us and that is why each time they try to foment the interpretation of the law?

I don’t know. The truth remains trouble we always alert the police by the High Court. At the High that we have two laws. By the old because I don’t want anybody to Court the provisions were interlaw they were not qualified and take laws into their hands. Again, preted in their favour but the by the new law that was amend- because they are also my sub- Court of Appeal over-turned that ed, they are not qualified either. jects, I have played down those to the effect that the provisions of So the question now is, under minor things that have not fun- the law are very clear.

The ruling house is a rotational which law are they claiming the damentally shaken the fabric of thing, moving from one branch peace in my Kingdom. throne? There is a principal law How and why did the contro- to the other. And, of course, if it is regulating succession of South the turn of another branch it does Ibie Kingdom. There was an versy arise?

The controversy arose essential- not matter who they decide to amendment to that law in 2006; ly from the provision of the cus- present. But however, the lacuna essentially amended was section 3 of the old law which stated that tomary law regarding ascension in that law was to be cured by to qualify to be an Aidonogie, you to the throne. It provides that another amendment by the Edo must be an adult male from the there is one ruling house, the State House of Assembly in 2006. branch whose turn it is to produce Okoko ruling house with two By 2006, the state House of Asan Aidonogie. The other House branches: the Ogiator and the sembly made an amendment in has no business to tell us who we Danesi branch. The Ogiator had response to an advice by one of should crown Aidonogie. That exhausted its tenure so naturally the Judges in the Court of Ap-

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By SIMON EBEGBULEM

peal that that provision must be looked at in order to give full effect to rotation. And so they now said that to qualify to occupy the stool, you must be an adult male, a suitable male; it matters not whether you are the first son or not. So on the basis of that amendment, the Executive Council of the Government met again and said well, I had earlier been appointed, so they re-validated my appointment and gazetted my appointment to take effect from the original date where I was installed in 1998.

They tried to revise that by a court action but they lost. Since then it has been one futile exercise in court or the other. And it is interesting that the man who they said is the rightful owner, who is the first son of my predecessor, Prince Inusa Umoru, died about two years ago, while the matter was still on.

That is the person in whose favour they are fighting. As long as we are concerned, God has again intervened to say what was done previously that brought me was in order because it gave effect to the principle of rotation.

This is a very just and equitable principle of rotation. So, as far as we are concerned in South Ibie, even those who were the doubting Thomases, the few people who were still sitting on the fence, when that event happened, they all said that this was God’s judgment and they all came to submit to me. As I talk to you, majority of the people of my kingdom do not entertain any controversy as to who is their king. I sit as the substantive ruler with a well-structured Aidonogie in council functioning and looking after the community. I attend the state traditional council meeting. As I am speaking to you, I am the Secretary to South South Traditional Monarchs Forum. I enjoy all the

By the old law they were not qualified and by the new law that was amended, they are not qualified either. So the question now is, under which law are they claiming the throne?

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privileges accruing to my office.

So it is not true that my kingdom is without a traditional ruler. Ask the people who their king is and they will tell you.

Development: I want to say that our people have witnessed accelerated development since I became the Aidonogie. We have a police station which I solicited the assistance of our sons and daughters to ensure that it was built.

And we also collaborated with some NGOs to build some boreholes for our people. We have also done a lot in ensuring that our people get employment and it is very clear today, that night life has returned in our community.

46—Vanguard , THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2011

C M Y K

Vanguard, THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 TAURUS: Although matters-of-the-heart may give you cause to smile broadly, if care is not taken, you would cause friction that can’t help you r case at work. This is the wrong time for unnecessary scheming within your working arena.

GEMINI: Those of your who are red-blooded for romance may have an exciting and satisfying day. Happenings within your social circles must be taken more seriously.

CANCER: Confrontation may come your way in the circle but the heavens are working favourably for you. Some doses of romance is not too much for you on a day like this.

LEO: Provided you don’t allow your innate ability to be as diplomatic as necessary desert you, things work favourably for you to the betterment of your finances.

VIRGO: Many of you will be in sentimental mood and exhibit strong romantic desire openly. But then, if care is not taken, you may be carried away to the detriment of your finances. Serious minded lovers are in for happy day.

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012 —47

LEISURE

YOUR LUCK TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

HEN last did you see your doctor?

Do you even have a doctor? I can hear you say you are not sick, so you do not need the service of a doctor. Fine! But do you need to see your doctor during emergency time alone when you may not be able to

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See the doctor? tell the doctor the historical facts behind your ailment? You need a doctor in these days of sudden death. In this age of cardiac arrest, you need proper and constant management of your health. Nor-

TERROR MUDA

mally, ailments don’t just get worse if only we pay attention to the little signs of our body. Experience has shown that emergency cases had accumulated over a long period. Go for check-up. Check your blood pressure regularly.

in “Never say goodbye”

Ensure it’s not above acceptable level. Reduce your tension. Stop worrying. The world will not collapse on your head today. You are not the only one with problems. Everyone has ones fair share of the challenge of this world.

See the doctor. Create time to go for regular check-ups. Remember, a stitch in time saves nine.

By Kola Fayemi

LIBRA: Whatever anybody says or does, you will have both your say and way. Venus and Jupiter may tempt some of you to embrace illicit (or secret) romance within your base of operation.

SCORPIO: Venus and Jupiter at positive angles may tempt you to join some of your friends who are already onboard of merry making train. Watch your health.

SAGITTARIUS: Good luck will smile at many and induce love of luxury merry making and romantic liason. Genuine lovers will need to be on guard against deceit from new admirers.

CAPRICORN: Both financial success and emotional satisfaction are closed to you than before. Those of you travelling because of maters-of-the-heart are in for an exciting romantic day Those ambitious career-wise will succeed after few struggles.

AQUARIUS: Many members of your opposite sex will go out of their ways to attract your romantic interest. This is the wrong time to engage on unnecessary argument.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

PISCES: If you priority is love, much of it would come your way as desired. But here is a better day for more ambitious in the business world. Don’t allow anybody to deceive you over money.

ARIES: Those of you with secret admirers within your working area will have the needed opportunities to make the needed moves. Resist the temptation to deceive others.

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING Send your date and place of birth to the Astrological Counselling, P.M.B 1007, Apapa, Lagos

What’s my horoscope Dear Joshua, I am a middle aged lady born on September 13, 1962.

Although I am fairly successful, I want you to give me my comprehensive horoscope, especially what my special gift is.

Which day of the week was I born? Where were my natal planets and their meanings? Who am I?

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

Tolani, Jos. Dear Tolani, There is no space for comprehensive horoscope but what you’ll have here -under is answer to your questions/ You were born on a Thursday and your special gift is LEADERSHIP quality.

YOUR HOROSCOPE DATA Date of Birth: Thursday, September 13, 1962 Sun Sign: Virgo: Sun in 20th Degree of Virgo Moon Sign: PISCES: Moon on 10th Degree of Pisces Mercury in 16th Degree of Libra Venues in 5th Degree of Scorpio Mars in 13th Degree of Cancer Jupiter in 6th Degree of Pisces Saturn in 5th Degree of Aquarius Uranus in 2nd Degree of Virgo Neptune in 11th Degree of Scorpio Pluto in 10th Degree of Virgo North Node in 6th Degree of Leo South Node in 6th Degree of Aquarius Quality and Element Cardinal and air star signs hosted two planets each fixed and earth three each, no planet in fire while mutable and water star signs hosted five planets each.

Push-full influence = 20% Non- push-full element = 80% Final dispositor = Lucky Jupiter General Analysis Just 20 per cent of push-full influence in your chart can deceptively present you to others as a soft (or even timid) person but practical Virgo that hosted nothing less than three heavenly bodies when you were born and Astrological aspects between Mercury (mental focus) and aggressive Mars in you r chart are pointers to the contrary.

Commen3

by Lawrence Akapa

48—Vanguard , THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

MEETING: From left— Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State; Senator Annie Okonkwo and Dr. Chidi Anyaegbu, during the meeting of Committee21,C-21, made up of South-East leaders of thought hosted by Governor Okorocha in Owerri.

FRSC takes census of accident spots in Lagos

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

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AGOS State Command of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, has said that it would carry out an audit of bad spots where accidents occur on regular basis to enable it police such areas effectively to reduce road mishaps by, at least 50 percent.

The Commission also said that it would soon launch the new drivers’ licence in conjunction with the state government to trace drivers who disobey traffic rules easily.

Dropping the hint during a courtesy visit to Vanguard, Tuesday, the newly appointed Sector Commander of the FRSC in the state, Nseobong Akpabio, said the census of the bad spots would take about two weeks to complete.

Akpabio pointed out that FRSC will be looking at highway pressures at the Oshodi-Apapa expressway, Badagry expressway and Lekki-Epe expressway, noting that they were major areas FRSC will focus on.

He said: “We also want to involve the judiciary in prosecuting traffic offenders. The laws are there. Once an offence is committed, the person will be charged to court.

“So it is not an issue of fine because such money does not come to the FRSC’s purse. It goes to the Federal Government.”

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AMAGE CONGRESS: From left— Prof. Rowland Ndoma-Egba, VP, African Middle East Association of Gastroenterology, AMAGE; Prof. Reda Elwakil, International Treasurer; Prof. Olusegun Ojo, General Secretary; Mr. Ibrahim Farouk, General Manager, Arab Organiser, and AMAGE Organisers in Egypt; Prof. Hussein Abdel-Hamid, AMAGE President and Dr. Edith Okeke, Treasurer, Society of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Nigeria, SOGHIN, on arrival of the AMAGE Governing Council for a pre-congress assessment visit to Nigeria in preparation for the 6th AMAGE congress holding in Nigeria in November, yesterday. PHOTO: Biodun Ogunleye.

CLO blames Dana crash on corruption C

IVIL Liberties Organisation, CLO, has blamed the DANA aircraft crash that killed 153 people on corruption.

In a statement by its Executive Director, Ibuchukwu Ezike, CLO also expressed regret that an Allied Airline’s 727 cargo aircraft

crashed at the Accra Airport, Ghana, killing 10 persons after colliding with a van.

He said: “CLO learnt that cutting corners by the operators of the system and an inefficient government that cares

Entrepreneurship: Adeboye's aide wants curriculum restructured

BY OLAYINKA LATONA

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HE Federal Government has been urged to include entrepreneurship in school curriculum as this will go a long way in taming unemployment and alleviate poverty in the country.

The call was made by Pastor Funsho Odesola, Special Assistant on Administration/Personnel to the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, after a special prayer session for parents and intending parents at the international

headquarters of the church in Ebute Metta, Lagos.

Odesola said perceptions and attitudes about entrepreneurship start at a tender age in every human being, hence the need for the Federal Government to re-design the nation’s school curriculum towards entrepreneurship.

He said the current education system which only encouraged people to be subservient to others rather than being entrepreneurs was bequeathed to us by our colonial masters.

He said: “Entrepreneurship should be introduced to our educa-

tional system. The education system should be redesigned to include entrepreneurship to reduce the soaring rate of unemployment and a spring board for the establishment of small scale industries, thereby reducing the clamour for white collar jobs which are nonexistenct.”

He advised financial institutions to encourage small scale industries by providing low interest loans with little or no collateral, adding that lots of Nigerian youths have great ideas but have no capital to develop such.

less about the lives and welfare of the citizens were responsible for the mishap. CLO regrets these monumental losses in human and material resources in the crash.

“We sympathise with the families of the victims as well as the collapsing system that we run, which we hold primarily responsible for these preventable shameful incidents.

“While awaiting the official reports on the crash, CLO calls on the Federal Government to undertake both very urgent and serious measures that will resolve the crisis in the aviation sector in Nigeria that has caused the huge loss in both human and material resources.

“The major responsibilities of every government are and should be the security of lives and property of the citizens.

May the Almighty God grant us all the fortitude to bear these irreparable losses and grant the souls of the departed eternal rest.”

... as Mimiko empowers 30,000 artisans N its quest to reposition its artisans and enhance their income earning capacity, Ondo State Government has concluded plans to train over 30,000 hairdressers and cosmetologists.

According to Governor Olusegun Mimiko, training the beauticians would promote national development and give the beauticians a better economic placement.

While speaking at the 13th annual exhibition and foundation laying of the Association of Hair-

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dressers and Cosmetologists Hall in Akure, the state capital, Governor Mimiko commended them for their unity, stressing that this makes it easier for his administration to assist them morally and financially.

The governor further assured the association that plans are underway to increase the soft loans designed to empower them. He said the overall essence of the soft loan of N28.5 million recently disbursed to mem-

bers of the association was to sustain employment creation and poverty reduction in both the urban and rural areas of the state.

In her address, wife of the governor, Mrs. Olukemi Mimiko, while commending members of the association, said they were very organised, versatile and disciplined.

She commended the governor for his various interventions towards improving the standard of living in the state.

Mrs. Mimiko appealed to women in the state for their continued prayers and loyalty to the Mimiko-led administration so that peace and progress would continue to reign in the state.

Earlier in her welcome address, President of the association, Mrs. Oludipo Adewumi expressed happiness that the association was the first in Ondo State to organise a professional exhibition despite the fact that they are a womendominated organisation.

Sanusi becomes Dan Majen Kano OVERNOR of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi will, tomorrow, be turbaned as the Dan Majen Kano by the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero.

Mr. Wale Edun, former Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, on behalf of the Committee of Friends, Lagos Zone, told newsmen that the ceremony was a rare opportunity to recognise and celebrate Sanusi outside the Banker of the Year honour.

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Anyaoku, Ghana's VP, Tinubu for Panafest R. John Mahama, Vice President of Ghana; Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State, and Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, are expected to grace the 2012 edition of Panafest Colloquium.

A statement by representatives of Panafest in Nigeria, Messrs Taiwo and Kehinde Oluwafunso, said this year’s edition is scheduled to hold on June 14, at the Muson Centre, Lagos.

The organisers said the colloquium will showcase African fashion, Panafest ECOWAS, Arts exhibition, cultural and musical performances.

Other dignitaries expected at the event are Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State; Mrs Colley Iheme, Gambia High Commissioner to Nigeria; Mr. Nyahuma Obik, Trinidad and Tobago’s ambassador to Nigeria, and Alhaji Abukari, Ghana’s ConsulGeneral to Nigeria.

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012 — 49

New PM emerges as pressure mounts on Syria YRIAN President Bashar al-Assad named a Baath Party stalwart to form a new government yesterday , signaling no political concessions to a 15-monthold uprising, as the army battled rebel forces near the Mediterranean coast.

The appointment of Riyad Hijab, agriculture minister in the outgoing government, as prime minister follows a parliamentary election last month which authorities said was a step towards political reform but which opponents dismissed as a sham.

“We expected Assad to play a game and appoint a nominal independent but he chose a hardcore Baathist,” said opposition campaigner Najati Tayyara. The new government, like its predecessors, would wield no real power, he added.

“The cabinet is just for show in Syria and even

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more so now, with the security apparatus totally taking over.”Activists said soldiers backed by helicopters and tanks fought rebels in the coastal province of Latakia for a second day on Wednesday, in the heaviest clashes there since the revolt against Assad erupted in March last year.

The relentless violence has shredded an eightweek-old ceasefire deal brokered by former United Nations chief Kofi Annan. Rebels, who say they are no longer bound by the accord, have killed more than 100 soldiers this week, according to one monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Russia called for a broad international meeting, including regional powers Turkey and Iran, the Arab League, European

Union and permanent U.N. Security Council members, to rescue Annan’s plan, but the United States gave the idea short shrift. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who has accused Iran of supporting pro-Assad militias, said it was “a little hard to imagine inviting a country that is stage-managing the Assad regime’s assault on its people”. was due to discuss the crisis in Syriawith ministers from Turkey and European and Arab states gathered in Istanbul for counter terrorism talks.

US defends Pakistan strike, Libyan mission attacked S Defence Secre tary Leon Panetta has backed the use of drones to target militants in Pakistan, two

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Israel orders more settlement in West Bank SRAELI Prime Minis ter Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the construction of 300 new homes at the Jewish settlement of Beit El in the West Bank. The announcement came hours after Israel’s parliament rejected a bill to legalise settlement outposts.

Mr Netanyahu, who opposed the bill, said he would honour a Supreme Court order to demolish homes on private Palestinian land at the Ulpana outpost. The issue has been a source of tension between settlers and the government. All settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

The settler outposts are also illegal under Israeli law and the government agreed to remove them under the 2003 Road Map peace plan. Five buildings which are home to 30 families at Ulpana, also known as Jabal Artis or Pisgat Yaakov, were built entirely on private Palestinian land, the court found. Before yester day’s vote in the Knesset, Mr Netanyahu had warned that he would sack anyone in his government who supported

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the bill to bypass the court ruling and, in effect, legalise the buildings at Ulpana, because it would have prompted international criticism. Ahead of the vote, hundreds of settlers marched on the Knesset, insisting on their right to live on what they said was historically Jewish land.

Angry Syrians continue their demonstration against President Assad.

•Abu Yahya al-Libi

days after a missile strike reportedly killed al-Qaeda leader Abu Yahya al-Libi. Mr Panetta said the US had made it “very clear that we are going to continue to defend ourselves”.He made the comments while attending a conference in neighbouring India.On Tuesday, Pakistan summoned the US deputy ambassador to reiterate its “serious concern” about drone strikes.

There have been eight US drone strikes in the past two weeks despite Islamabad’s demands for them to be stopped.

Pakistan says the drone attacks fuel anti-US sen-

timent and claim civilian casualties along with militants. The US insists the strikes are effective.US officials say Abu Yahya al-Libi died when two missiles struck a suspected militant compound early on Monday in Hesokhel, a village to the east of Miranshah, the main town of the North Waziristan tribal area.

At least 14 people are thought to have been killed alongside him.

The White House said Libi’s death dealt a heavy blow to al-Qaeda as he played a critical role in its planning of operations against the West, and had become

second-in-command to Ayman al-Zawahiri following Osama Bin Laden’s death.

Meanwhile, Washington had confirmed a few hours before the attack that a U.S.-operated drone had killed Abu Yahya al-Libi, a Libyanborn cleric and senior al Qaeda operative, in Pakistan. U.S. diplomats said after the Benghazi blast they had asked the Libyan authorities to step up security at U.S. facilities in the country, where last year Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown in an uprising supported by NATO air power.

Russia seeks greater military ties with China USSIAN President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that he will boost military cooperation

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with China, including holding more joint exercises, after the United States announced plans

US tasks media on FOIA

BY VERA ANYAGAFU & PRISCA SAM-DURU HE United States of America has stressed the role of the media in keeping the public abreast of the activities of the government for positive change in Nigeria.

Speaking on the effective use of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the Paris based American journalist Elizabeth Bryant via video conference with journalists in Lagos, emphasized that FOIA which was signed into law a year ago in Nigeria is for everyone which makes

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it imperative that the media should use its position to educate the public on what is happening in the country.

to shift most of its warships to the Asia-Pacific by 2020.

Putin referred to recent Sino-Russian joint navy exercises in the Yellow Sea as an example of military cooperation which, he said, would go on.

“We will continue cooperation also between our military,” he told Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping

in Beijing, where he is attending a security summit and meeting his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao. “Recently joint navy exercises were held in the Yellow Sea, and they were the first of such exercises. We have agreed with Chairman Hu that we will continue such cooperation,” Putin said.Chinese and Rus-

sian naval forces held six days of exercises in the Yellow Sea off China’s east coast in April, with drills including anti-submarine operations and the rescue of hijacked vessels.China deployed 16 ships and two submarines, while Russia sent four warships from its Pacific fleet, according to Chinese state media.

Wisconsin governor survives recall vote N this throw-a-chair era of political combat, it was inevitable that the recall election results from Wisconsin would be misinterpreted. Flush with vindication over having survived the over-hyped recall challenge, Republican Gov.

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Scott Walker declared, “Tonight, we tell Wisconsin, we tell our country, and we tell people around the globe that voters really do want leaders who stand up and make tough decisions.”

Walker, who won his

rematch with Tom Barrett, the Democratic mayor of Milwaukee, by a larger margin than in 2010, is entitled to assume that yak herders in Mongolia—like everyone around the globe— cheered the results from Waukesha.

•Scott Walker

50—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

Consolidation in Rivers IN his second and final term in office, Governor Amaechi only has his shadow to beat in his efforts at consolidating achievements of the first tenure. But the politics of shaping the future as it always happens in Rivers could be an unhelpful distraction.

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

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T is the opinion of many who visit Port-Harcourt that Governor Chibuke Amaechi gave governance a meaning after his inauguration in 2007.

In his second term the administration is continuing on its efforts in infrastructure development.

He assured recently that two hundred and fifty of the model primary schools would be delivered by September this year.

The governor explained at a forum recently that his vision is to build a society where both the rich and poor could access qualitative education in the same class room. And he is driving to achieve this goal. In the health sector the administration is also making appreciable impact. Over 70

Amaechi, at a forum with media men in the state had, however, pledged not to interfere in the succession.

Linkage with legislature A school of opinion in the state believes the executive has not granted the House of Assembly the necessary autonomy to exercise its functions. They cite the bill providing pension benefits for former governors and deputy governors of the state as an instance. The bill provides for a former governor to be entitled to two houses in any place of his choice in the state and the federal capital territory, Abuja.

In the area of flood control and supply of portable water in Port Harcourt, residents think the government should take more practical measures. It is claimed that despite its efforts

*Gov Amaechi

,

The governor explained at a forum recently that his vision is to build a society where both the rich and poor could access qualitative education in the same class room, and he is driving to achieve this goal

ultra modern health centres have been delivered to various communities in the state.

The administration’s efforts in the education sector have been especially hailed by the citizenry though the desire for more is clearly apparent mostly in the rural areas.

New road constructions Likewise, the moves to open up the rural areas through new road constructions are clearly obvious even though some citizens still urge the state government to make more of the roads in Port Harcourt passable.

As some citizens allege the government’s worthy efforts including the Operation No Potholes were sabotaged by contractors.

Though still three years away, the subtle battle on who succeeds Amaechi has crept in to cloud the political space.

Some close aides and associates of the governor have quietly commenced subtle campaigns to position themselves ahead in the succession battle.

,

that flood remains a major problem in several parts of the state.

The administration is still

BY PETER OKUTU

F

OR Governor Martin Elechi, the past year has been one of remarkable developments in politics and administration of the state.

In the political arena, Elechi was in the first eleven months after inauguration tackled by his political traducers up to the Supreme Court which affirmed his gubernatorial victory only on 6th March, 2012. The whole litigation exercise took the state government about eleven months before its resolution.

The fallouts from the litigation process created tension within the inner caucus of the governor’s camp leading to changes here and there in the administration and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. In some cases, there were allegations of violence against government supporters and

challenged by the problem of providing potable water to the citizenry in the state capital. At the moment most residents rely

on personal boreholes for their water consumption.

The government on its part has been making efforts to resolve the flood problem in the state with construction of drainage and clearing of water channels.

Power supply in some areas of the state remains very epileptic.

The state administration has on its part bemoaned legal constraints limiting it from wholly tackling the issue.

On a general note, residents who commented on the performance of the governor Amaechi administration within the last year scored it high. But

they nevertheless said there was still enough room for improvement.

They, nevertheless, also advised the governor to concentrate on completion of ongoing projects.

The governor also reconciled with his erstwhile political boss and former governor of the state, Sir Dr Peter Odili within the first one year of his second coming . It is not clear if the reconciliation shaped his administration in any way but most residents of the state hailed it, describing it as a necessary action between a father and a son.

WAR AND WARMTH:

Elechi’s engagements in Ebonyi IN the first year of his second term, Governor Elechi has been on war footing with vested interests in the state. Perhaps it is for the good of the citizenry. also against members of opposition political parties in the state.

Outside the political terrain, the administration was seriously challenged by the non-implementation of the National Minimum Wage for workers in the state. Governor Elechi had deposed that the state lacks enough funds to implement the new salary package in its entirety. The failure to commence the implementation of the new salary package on time led to an industrial action which was compounded by the

administration’s refusal to pay salaries of workers in

September 2011, the sack of the former Universal Basic Education Board, UBEB Chairman, Mr. Thomas Eze among others.

Organized labour till now is still demanding the full implementation of the National Minimum Wage for workers in the state. When at a public function the Deputy Governor, Engr. Dave Umahi alluded that the state was the first to implement the new wage for workers in the country he faced the wrath of workers present at the Continues on page 51 C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012—51

New order in Kwankwaso’s Kano GOVERNOR Kwankwanso has reasons to fast-track the establishment of a legacy because not only is he limited by time, but he could well have his eyes higher in the polity.

BY ABDULSALAM MUHAMMAD

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T is not difficult to fathom why Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso is in a hurry in his return at the helms of the administration, to transform Kano State.

Unlike many of his colleagues who were inaugurated with him just over a year ago, Dr. Kwankwanso is limited by time; he has no future term at the end of 2015.

The governor who first served as governor of the state between 1999 and 2003 would not have been surprised that many of the legacies of his first coming, were eroded during the eight year regime of his arch political enemy, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau. To what extent his speed would count for him in future remains an issue, but the citizenry are apparently for the better.

Culture of governance In the last one year, Kano under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP administration headed by Kwankwanso has re-ordered the shape and culture of governance as was obtainable under his predecessor. Some of the new steps have been separately commended and condemned

*Gov Kwankwanso based on political and other leanings.

The administration’s stringent economic policies have especially attracted both commendations and knocks from the general public.

The concerted criticism from the opposition and the elites in who until lately, were beneficiaries of the old order, initially threw the Kwankwanso administration off balance, but it soon recovered its steps.

The economic policy dubbed

as ‘ wujuwuju economics’ because of its stringent measures is, however, not an issue for the masses who have benefited from increased water supply to the city, several blocks of classrooms across the 44 local government areas of the state, while intake into schools has increased following free meal and tuition free educational system.

Kwankwaso has within the limited resources available floated 18 specialized post

secondary Institutions, scattered across the state and established an additional state University christened North West University. These institutions have reduced pressure on the existing educational facilities and succeeded to very large extent in addressing restiveness among youths in the state.

The Kano story in the year under review could conveniently be situated on the zeal by Dr. Kwankwanso to establish a legacy, a move that is especially championed by his closest political associates including the Secretary to the State Government, Rabiu Suleiman Bichi , the Chief of staff to the Governor, Dangoni and the woman largely seen as the ‘man behind the throne’, Hajiya Baraka Sani.

The efforts of these

dependable allies more than anything else may have stabilized the administration and endeared the new regime to the people.

In the year under review the opposition as represented by the ANPP progressively lowered its profile. Shekarau had initially served as a rallying point to members of the opposition, but all that fizzled out as it became evident that nothing much could come out of it.

Besides, the decision of the administration to engage some opposition members in the cabinet further weakened the base of the opposition groups in the state. It is as such not surprising that a number of opposition groups had to switch their focus with some even now taking turns to praise the governor in both government and private radio stations.

For the Director, Communication Strategy, and Public Relations to the Governor, Baba Dantiye, Governor Kwankwaso has raised the benchmark of governance in the state “Kwankwaso came to power on a popular mandate and has within the last 12 months justified his choice by the electorates,” he told Vanguard.

Even where it has succeeded in overwhelming the opposition, the administration still has the challenge of overcoming the insecurity situation in the state.

The insecurity challenge came to the fore in January after a terrorist group invaded the city and caused mayhem that led to the death of at least 170 persons.

WAR AND WARMTH:

Elechi’s engagements in Ebonyi Continues from page 50 occasion who shouted him down.

The challenges nonetheless, Governor Elechi in the last year moved on to consolidate on his works in the first term.

The administration commenced the construction and completion of some projects including, Ebonyi State Broadcasting Corporation, EBBC Digital Radio and Television Station situated in Abakaliki, the State Capital, Ocho Udo City a model State Secretariat and three Rice mills for each of the three senatorial zone in the state among other endeavours.

These projects were

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designed to touch the lives of the entire people of the state, the Commissioner for Information, Hon. Chike Onwe deposed citing the water project in Abakaliki which is expected to produce over 1000 cubic metres of water per day for the capital city and its environs.

One of the remarkable projects of the administration is the construction and completion of Unity bridges across the state.

The bridges have reduced the distance commuters travel to reach various destinations across the state and farmers now enjoy easy access in terms of transportation of their farm produce to markets in their areas and outside the

state capital.

Perhaps as a way of getting across the problems caused by its poor relations with labour, the administration took the initiative to organize town hall meetings with the citizenry.

The town hall meeting provides the people the unhindered opportunity for them to air their views on the state of affairs, policies and actions of government.

This platform has helped the government to understand the mindset of the people toward its policies and how best to bring democratic dividends closer to the people at all levels of governance.

Apart from knowing the need of the people, the town

*Gov Elechi hall meetings create a forum by which the people are brought closer to the powers

that be in government thereby giving them a sense of belonging in the affairs of governance.

52 —Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

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54—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012 Edited by MCPHILIPS NWACHUKWU 08026350360 E-mail: chimeena@yahoo.com

sounding applause.

After the Heritage choir, there was a fifteen minutes intermission and on resumption for the final lapse, the sad news of the Dana Air Crash was announced and a minute silence was observed for the souls of the victims affected in the ill fated air crash.

After that the Muson Diploma choir directed by Emeka Nwokedi mounted the stage and managed to lighten the sad mood in the hall with their wonderful performance of three selected songs: Mobo me senkuda from Fante, Ghana, Asiko l’aye , Yoruba, Nigeria and Teta, Igbo, Nigeria. And in that painful mood, the song Teta na ura meaning, wake up brought back the mood and the audience once more applauded to the tune.

Finally, the four choirs came together in what was called mass choir and gave the audience the parting gift with five wonderful songs from five ethnic groups from Nigeria and •A musical performance by Igbobi college choir

MUSON concert in season of tears

By JAPHET ALAKAM

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T was not the usual yuletide season for songs. But the Shell Hall, Muson centre venue of last week’s choir extravaganza event was decorated with brilliant colours that foreshadowed the season with lights dimming on and off.

But it was not the season; rather it was another created moment for relaxation put together by the Musical Society of Nigeria, MUSON as part of its 2012 New Era Artistes concerts which have been running since January 2012.

The atmosphere was calm as people sat comfortably like those in a worship service waiting for the arrival of the officiating minister and the dim within the hall has a dose of elderly people some with their suits and others with their traditional attires, while few younger people dressed very well to suit the night as it was not the usual hip hop dance for the youths.

The event eventually kicked off at 6.15 with the introduction of the Muson choir conducted by a music teacher/instructor and director, Alex Nwokedi ably assisted by Ifediora Obinna, a student conductor. With rich and varied repertoire, the choir took the audience to four African countries starting from Nigeria to Ghana, Zaire and

South Africa and in all, performed Nigerian/ African indigenous choral music’s with traditional instrumental accompaniment to the delight of the audience.

The songs rendered were; Ibikea , an Ijaw song from Nigeria followed by Beto Tunga from Zaire, down to Akan in Ghana where they rendered Anigye Aba, meaning Happiness has come and finally to South Africa from where they took one of those songs like the type they sang during the apartheid years titled, Bawo Thixo Somandla.

After that the Igbobi College Choir made up of youths, who dressed in their beautiful

ankara attires took over and with the supervision of Adebola Ola who conducted their choir , they were able to show their large •Another performance by Muson choir and diverse repertoire as they rendered four songs, Linden Lea, Let be, Ise be and Meja Yesu- My Father; Jesus from Akan speaking Oluwa and Ere Ayo The Igbobi choir was followed people of Ghana. Though all by the Heritage Choir under the songs received clapping the supervision of David Aina, ovation, it was the song, let it which also thrilled the be rendered in a very audience with Ori l’ elejo, a melodious tune that moved the Yoruba song, Alleluya Chim audience closer to nature and lee, an Igbo praise song, Let it they responded with a

one from South Africa. It was truly a good evening for many who came to enjoy themselves as they were treated with such songs that touched souls ranging from hymns and chants to standard anthems and traditional African music.

Namibian envoy seeks literary corporation with Nigeria

By CHARLES KUMOLU

AMIBIAN High Com missioner to Nigeria, Selma Ashipala- Musavyi has disclosed that her country would welcome corporation with Nigeria on areas of literary and cultural exchange, noting that such gesture would be of immense benefit to Namibia.

The High Commissioner stated this in Abuja while receiving the Chairman and some members of Abuja chapter of the Association of Ni-

N

gerian Authors,ANA, who paid her a courtesy visit at the Namibian Embassy.

She described Nigeria as a country with very rich cultural and literary culture.

According to AshipalaMusavyi “Although I have been in Nigeria barely one year now, I have come to appreciate your country’s rich literary culture in the area of newspapers, books, poetry and other art works. I will very much welcome exchange of ideas and works between our people and the people of Ni-

geria so that we can examine them and know the areas we can borrow from your rich cultural background.’’

She disclosed that her office is working on an agreement with the Nigerian Ministry of Environment on issues that would enhance tourism and cultural exchange between the two countries.“Namibia is just 22 years compared to Nigeria’s independence. I believe therefore that there is a lot our people can learn from Nige-

rian writers,” she said added.

Earlier while speaking, the chairman of Abuja chapter of Association of Nigerian Authors,ANA, Edwin Oribhabor said ANA were at the High Commission to intimate the High Commissioner of an event titled: ANA Night Of Many Tongues being convened by the association.

While soliciting the support of of the Namibian High Commission, he noted that the event would feature poetry, music, cultural display as well as book reading.

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012 — 59

Euro 2012... Euro 2012...

Spain get down to business S

pain yesterday began fine-tuning their bid to retain the European title they won four y e a r s ago,

as the last teams for Euro 2012 were expected to arrive in Poland and Ukraine.

Vicente Del Bosque’s side were put through their paces at their secluded training camp in Gniewino, near the Baltic port city of Gdansk in northern Poland, cheered on by some 300 Polish fans and about 40 travelling Spanish supporters.

Spain have been drawn in Group C with Croatia, the Republic of Ireland and Italy and take on the Azzurri in Gdansk on Sunday, with

Beware of Ronaldo, warns Mertesacker

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xperienced centre-back Per Mertesacker has said Germany ’s defence must be on their guard against Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo on Saturday in their opening Euro 2012 match.

Germany open their Group B campaign against Portugal in Lviv, Ukraine, with Ronaldo in outstanding form having scored 46 Spanish league goals for Real Madrid last season, bettered only by Lionel Messi’s 50 goals for Barcelona.

Despite having missed three months at the end of last season after surgery to repair ankle ligaments, Arsenal defender Mertesacker looks set to anchor the German back four and says only good teamwork can subdue Ronaldo’s silky skills.

“I think we have managed to nip in the bud any of Ronaldo’s efforts in past matches against Portugal,” said the centre-back at Wednesday ’s press conference here referring to Germany beating Portugal at both Euro 2008 and the 2006 World Cup. “We must try at all costs to avoid one-onone situations with him, because Ronaldo plays a key role and that is something we will work on in the next few days.”

Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said Germany’s

UEFA president Michel Platini tipping La Roja to be among the challengers for the title come the final on July 1.

“The two teams for me are Spain and Germany — if they play at 100 percent. But if they don’t, there are a lot of teams that can beat them,” Platini told a news conference.

Spain will be without Barcelona captain Carles Puyol and alltime record scorer David Villa but defender Javi Martinez said they were more than capable of making up for the duo’s absence.

“It’s true that they are two very important players, integral to our wins in both Euro 2008 and the World Cup,” said the 23-year-old Athletic Bilbao star, who was also part of the World Cup-winning squad.

“But those who have been selected can do as well as they did, why not better? With the help of everybody, I think that their absence will not be noticed.”

Onogagamue loses fatherin-law

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elta State’s Director of Sports, Victor Onogagamue has announced the passing on of his father-in-law, late Chief William Teshone Agborie (JP).

The deceased, who was the Okakaro of Agbon Kingdom, died recently in his Okpara Waterside hometown at the age of 82. A retired school teacher and politician, he deceased was a PDP leader in Ethiope East LGA of Delta State.

Onogagamue said the burial date will soon he announced

FIXTURES Friday June 8 Warsaw, Group A: Poland v Greece 5pm Wroclaw, Group A: Russia v Czech 7:45pm Saturday June 9 Kharkiv, Group B: Holland v Denmark 5pm Lviv, Group B: Germany v Portugal 7:45pm Sunday June 10 Gdansk, Group C: Spain v Italy 5pm Poznan, Group C: Ireland v Croatia 7:45pm Monday June 11 Donetsk, Group D: France v England 5pm Kiev, Group D: Ukraine v Sweden 7:45pm Tuesday June 12 Wroclaw, Group A: Greece v Czech Republic 5pm Warsaw, Group A: Poland v Russia 7:45pm Wednesday June 13 Lviv, Group B: Denmark v Portugal 5pm Kharkiv, Group B: Holland v Germany 7:45pm Thursday June 14 Poznan, Group C: Italy v Croatia 5pm Gdansk, Group C: Spain v Ireland 7:45pm Friday June 15 Donetsk, Group D: Ukraine v France 5pm Kiev, Group D: Sweden v England 7:45pm Saturday June 16 Wroclaw, Group A: Czech v Poland 7:45pm Warsaw, Group A: Greece v Russia 7:45pm Sunday June 17 Kharkiv, Group B: Portugal v Holland 7:45pm Lviv, Group B: Denmark v Germany 7:45pm Monday June 18 Gdansk, Group C: Croatia v Spain 7:45pm Poznan, Group C: Italy v Ireland 7:45pm Tuesday June 19 Donetsk, Group D: England v Ukraine 7:45pm Kiev, Group D: Sweden v France 7:45pm QUARTER-FINALS Thursday June 21 Warsaw, QF1: Winner A v Runner-up B 7:45pm Friday June 22 Gdansk, QF2: Winner B v Runner-up A 7:45pm Saturday June 23 Donetsk, QF3: Winner C v Runner-up D 7:45pm Sunday June 24 Kiev, QF4: Winner D v Runner-up C 7:45pm SEMI-FINALS Wednesday June 27 Donetsk, SF1: Winner QF1 v Winner QF3 7:45pm Thursday June 28 Warsaw, SF2: Winner QF2 v Winner QF4 7:45pm FINAL Sunday July 1 Kiev: Winner SF1 v Winner SF2

7:45pm

England can’t win Euro — Shearer Mesut Ozil is just as dangerous as his Real team-mate Ronaldo, but admits the responsibility to subdue Portugal’s impressive attackers falls on the whole team to deny them possession.

“Mesut Ozil has just as good a shot as his

Real Madrid teammate,” said Neuer.

“I think all of Portugal’s forwards are dangerous and a force to be reckoned with, so we have to place the responsibility on all the players to defend well against them.”

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ormer England captain Alan Shearer believes the side enter Euro 2012 with expectations at their lowest-ever ebb.

But with Hodgson only recently appointed and the squad beset by injuries, even England’s most loyal fans don’t

give much for their chances this time around — including former striker Shearer.

“I can’t see us winning it,” he said Wednesday. “I think it’s the first time I can remember when we’ve gone into a tournament without huge expectations.

“We didn’t even have a manager or a coach a month ago and we’ve had a lot of injuries,” he added.

Shearer entered the debate by saying: “Every manager has the right to pick who he wants and who he doesn’t want. But in my opinion, I’d have had Rio in the very first squad.”

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60 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7 , 2012

Aluko, Moses adjusting to Eagles style •Utaka thinks Malawi win HE duo of Omatsone Aluko and Victor Moses, who are the only players in the current Super Eagles set up that did not start their careers in the country before hitting international limelight are gradually adjusting to life in the Eagles camp with the other players.

The twosome, who incidentally share a room, were asked at the start of the camping exercise whether they

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ON COURSE••• Rafael Nadal rejoices after beating Nicolas Almagro to reach the semi-finals yesterday. Photo: AFP

Maigari: Keshi, Eagles need encouragement P

RESIDENT of the Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Aminu Maigari on Wednesday urged ball fans and the generality of Nigerians to keep encouraging and supporting the re-building process of Super Eagles’ Head Coach, Mr. Stephen Keshi.

Seven months into a four-year tenure in which he has been mandated to qualify Nigeria for the 2013 African Cup of Nations and 2014 FIFA World Cup finals, Keshi has

won three of eight games, drawn three and lost two. The matches lost were the 3-2 defeat by seventime African champions Egypt in Dubai on April 12 and the 0-1 incident against Copa America bronze medallists Peru in Lima on May 23. Of the remaining matches, Keshi’s Eagles have beaten African champions Zambia and Liberia in friendlies and Namibia in a FIFA World Cup qualifier, and drawn with Botswana and Angola

Keshi Continues from BP at the team’s camp in Bolton White Apartments, Abuja, during an interactive session with the media, Keshi agreed that the team should have scored a basketful of goals against Namibia, last Sunday in Calabar, but because of the anxiety on the part of players, pressure from the fans and the desperation to correct the mistakes of the past.

“The team and particularly the strikers are under tremendous pressure to deliver and that is why they make mistakes in front of goal and in the process it comes out to hunt them. We must be patient with the team and the strikers and very soon the goals will start rolling in aplenty ” But are Nigerians ready to be patient?. That is the big question”.

Like all Nigerians, the former Mali and Togo national coach, commended Calabar fans

in friendlies and against Rwanda in a 2013 African Cup of Nations qualifying match in Kigali.

“It is crystal clear even at this point that the re-building project is not a vain venture.

Surely, the Super Eagles now play with far greater enthusiasm and vivacity, and they fight hard on the field. The goals may not have come aplenty against Namibia but we created chances and were simply unlucky to have won by only one goal."

Nigeria 2014 World Cup qualifying group opponents Malawi,KenyaandNamibia are outside of the top 20 on the continent, and away from the world’s top 100.

Nigeria’s next opponents

BY SOLOMON NWOKE

Ronaldo, who is preparing for Euro 2012 with Portugal, scored SIXTY goals last term to help Real to the Spanish title.

And he said: “If it was up to me then I would stay at Real Madrid for the rest of my career but it doesn’t all depend on me.

“I am not just saying this, I am sincere, I want to finish my career here.

“I would sign for 10 years today if I could, but this is something that also depends on other people.

“All that I have achieved I have done so with my sweat and talent, but overall with a lot of work. Nothing has

N a bid to give back to the society, Super Eagles and Chelsea midfielder, Mikel Obi is set to launch his pet project, ‘The Mikel Obi Foundation which comes up this Friday at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Still basking from his victorious outing in the Champions League with Chelsea, Mikel said the launch of the Foundation tomorrow will hold simultaneously with a welcome party tagged ‘Welcome the Champion’ organised in his honour by members of the Lagos Business Community led by Prince Donatus Okonkwo.

According to Mikel, the foundation whose mission is to bring succour to the

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•Keshi

Malawi are the highest ranked of the three at 107 in the world and 27th in Africa, Kenya are at 111 in the world and 29th in Africa while Namibiaarewaydownat134 in the world and 41st in Africa.

Ronaldo Continues from BP

•Moses matches, because this is African football”, opined former NFF Scribe, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi. Moses’ reply on Wednesday was simple. “I’m getting used to everything in Nigeria and Africa. The sun, food, football and the people and Nigerians will soon start appreciating my game”, he said.

Mikel Obi Foundation for launch tomorrow

FIFA rankings Continues from BP

for standing by the team last Sunday, even when the goals refused to come early. “Gradually, we will overcome the poor scoring credentials of the team, because what we are doing at the moment is building a new team in the midst of crucial qualifiers, which is very difficult to do.

In the meantime, team psychologist, Dr Robinson Okosun, has been working on the team’s presence of mind as the crucial game against Malawi in Blantyre, on Saturday draws near. Okosun said he has been taking on the players one by one to correct observable lapses, that come purely from the mind and also help boost the level of confidence of the entire team. “But Keshi has made the job easier for me because you can see each time he talks to the players that he is also a great psychologist”.

can face the rigours of playing in the Super Eagles by Coach Stephen Keshi and they nodded in the affirmative, with Aluko, even confessing that he’s already used to eating the popular pepper soup delicacy.

Moses on his part, played in Rwanda and was more used to the team, while Aluko, had played only at the U23 level. On Sunday, against Namibia, Moses saw the harshness of African football with the heavy marking he was subjected to by the opponents. He has since bounced back, though many believed he didn’t play to capacity against Namibia.

“His attitude must change at training and

fallen out of the sky.

“At times I think about how I am still the most expensive singing in the history of football and I always try to justify on the pitch the huge gamble the club took on me.”

Jose Mourinho penned a new deal at the Bernabeu in the wake of their La Liga triumph.

And Ronaldo added: “I am happy Mourinho is staying.

“A club like Real Madrid has to have a top coach like Mourinho.

“The manager has to stay here, it seems clear to me that Real Madrid without Mourinho would win less titles than with him on the bench.”

homeless and displaced people across the nation especially the ‘alamajiris’ would flag off in Jos, Plateau state capital.

“It was a dream for me when I was growing up. I know the way it feels, many are homeless and have no food to eat and it has always been in my mind to do something in this direction. I intend to make this a lifetime thing if it achieves the purpose.

I have been in talks with other ‘NGOS” and have approached a number of corporate organisations and they all have given their support to this project”, Mikel said.

The executive governor of Lagos state, Babatunde Raji Fashola is expected to grace the occasion as a special guest of hounour.

I’m a City sticker — Tevez ARLOS TEVEZ says he is in no rush to leave Manchester City — but does want to end his career at former club Boca Juniors.

The Argentina star was at the centre of controversy last season when he missed five months of the campaign after a fall-out with manager Roberto Mancini.

Tevez eventually returned and apologised to the Italian and even played a part in helping City beat Manchester United to the Premier League title.

He has now gone back to Argentina for the summer and, speaking at an event organised by Boca Juniors, outlined his short and long-term plans.

He said: “My biggest wish is to finish my career in the Boca shirt.

“I am still thinking the same as when I left, I want to retire here. I am here for whatever Boca need.

“But the truth is that I finished the season very happy in England."

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012 — 61

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012 — 63

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VANGUARD, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

I’m Mad for Real —Ronaldo

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RISTIANO Ronaldo has cooled talk of a Premier League return by declaring: I want to stay at Real Madrid for life.

The Madrid megastar quit Manchester United in an £80million move three years ago.

He has hinted in the past at an eventual Old Trafford return and is also thought to be a target for Manchester City.

Eagles move up in FIFA rankings I G E R I A , propelled in part by Sunday ’s win over Namibia, moved up three places in the latest Fifa Rankings to 60th place in the world, and 11th on the continent.

The move is an improvement from last

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•Keshi

month, where the Super Eagles were dragged down by draws and a loss to Egypt.

Cote d’Ivoire dropped one place in the world rankings but held on to their place as Africa’s top team.

They are followed by Ghana, who dropped three places to 25 in the world.

African champions Zambia are the only one of the continent’s top five from last month to drop out following their loss at Sudan.

Their place is taken by Libya, who moved up four places to fourth, just behind Algeria.

CContinues on Page 60

AFRICA’S TOP 20 16 1 Côte d’Ivoire 25 2 Ghana 32 3 Algeria 42 4 Libya 43 5 Mali 43 6 Zambia 46 7 Tunisia 48 8 Egypt 49 9 Gabon 59 10 Sierra Leone 60 11 Nigeria 63 12 Senegal 64 13 Cameroon 67 14 Guinea 68 15 South Africa 70 16 Morocco 72 17 Benin 77 18 Cape Verde Islands 83 19 Congo 84 20 Angola

CContinues on Page 60

French Open

Nadal on course for title No7 AFA NADAL powered past fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro to reach the semi-finals and continue his bid for a seventh French Open title.

Nadal won in straight sets and extended his career record to 8-0 against the 12th seed, but he was made to work a little harder than those figures suggest.

The first set went to a tiebreak but the second was one-sided, and a resurgent effort from Almagro in the third set came too late to prevent a 7-6 (7/4) 6-2 6-3 defeat.

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Football failures

Keshi blames anxiety UPER Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, says Nigeria’s recent football

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TODAY'S

BADGE OF HONOUR ...

Cristiano Ronaldo

failures has heaped a lot time to clear off.

Speaking Wednesday of anxiety on the national team setup that needs CContinues on Page 60

PUZZLES

YESTERDAY'S

QUICK CROSSWORD

ANSWERS ACROSS 4 Stupefied (5) 7 Clergyman (6) 9 Equipment (3) 10 Seed-case (3) 12 Call on (5) 13 Vegetable (4) 15 Decoration (5) 17 Entertain (6) 19 Wicked (4) 20 Guide (5) 22 Consume (3) 24 Fussed (7) 27 Beverage (3) 28 Wear (5) 31 Muddle (4) 33 Nuclear (6) 35 Seraglio (5) 37 Plague (4) 38 Ease (5) 39 Obscure (3) 41 Fix (3) 42 Growth (6) 43 Enquired (5)

DOWN 1 Weighing-device (6) 2 Strict (6) 3 Prima-donna (4) 5 Nimble (5) 6 Evoked (8) 8 Stupor (4) 11 Deputed (9) 14 Sharp (4) 16 Trade (4) 18 Courage (4) 21 Indefatigable (8) 23 Pour (4) 25 Equipment (4) 26 Ooze (4) 29 Animal (6) 32 Form (5) 34 Exclude (4) 36 Cut (4) 40 Mire (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Pact 4, Eat 6, Soak 9, Arm 10, Complain 11, Pear 14, Die 16, Edged 19, Remained 21, Merit 23, Disabled 24, Dared 27, Egg 31, Rode 33, Alacrity 34, Nor 35, Deny 36, Due 37, Pine.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 2, Anon 3, Type 4, Examined 5, Tent 6, Sapid 7, Ore 8, Amaze 12, Trend 13, Smear 14, Dim 15, Eerie 17, Grill 18, Dowdy 20, Disgrace 22, Tag 25, Atone 26, Every 28, Band 29, Grip 30, Stun 32, Don.

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

Place a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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