More countries join US, UK to rescue girls

...towards a better life for the people

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ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

VOL. 25: NO. 62139

THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

EFCC traces N200m to Prisons accountant >14

WEF: Six Nigerian firms make WEFA 16 Global Growth companies >51

CHIBOK STUDENTS' ABDUCTION:

More countries join US, UK to rescue girls

BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI, CALEB AYANSINA & BEN AGANDE BUJA—THE build-up of an international coalition ready to assist Nigeria in locating and rescuing the more than 200 schoolgirls abducted in Chibok, Borno State by Boko Haram terrorists three weeks ago got a boost, yesterday, as France and China and Canada joined the United States and the United Kingdom in the search and rescue operaContinues on page 5

•France, China, Canada offer to assist in rescue efforts •Police offer N50m reward for credible information •Outrage, emotions spread abroad over abduction •Pgs.54&55 A

IOCs to divest $11.5bn assets >8 — Alison-Madueke

Mr & Mrs PROTEST—Protests in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday, over the abduction of the Chibok school girls. Photos: Nwankpa Chijioke.

COLUMNISTS: Bring back our girls: The worst and the best of times •P.17

ACF's anti-Igbo memo (2) •P.19

All the black market •P.19 injunctions

Idika Kalu, others oppose scrapping of LGs >9

2— Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014 —3

4—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8,

WORLD

2014

ECONOMIC

FORUM

AFRICA

WEF: Chinese investors offer FMBN $4bn mortgage fund

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BY EMMA UJAH, Abuja Bureau Chief

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IGERIA’S mortgage in dustry has become one of the first major beneficiaries of the World Economic Forum, WEF, Africa, with Chinese investors offering the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, FMBN, $4 billion to boost the nation’s housing infrastructure.

Managing Director, FMBN, Mr. Gimba Yau Kumo, disclosed at the sideline of WEF, in Abuja, yesterday, that part of the 200-man strong Chinese delegation would meet with his management team and other relevant government officials for final agreements on the deal.

His words: “The Chinese have made an offer to us to lend us about $4 billion dollars to the Federal Mortgage bank of Nigeria. The only requirement they are asking for now is for the Federal Government to give them a Sovereign Guarantee.

To them, they believe this is the way they have been financing housing industry in other climes, especially in Brazil and Singapore where they have a very strong presence.

“This is the normal requirement which they usually ask for in other climes where they have been financing mortgages across the world. For instance, the Chinese have a very strong presence in Singapore’s property industry.”

Robust opportunities Kumo revealed that the FMBN management had engaged with the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, with a view to getting the federal government to accept the terms of the Chinese.

He expressed optimism that the deal would be sealed, given the robust opportunities for boosting the housing sector with the facility.

The FMBN boss said his team which came on board in December 2010 had transformed the bank into a profitable public organisation which has granted loans totaling N119 billion to Nigerians wishing to own their personal houses.

According to him, between December 2010 and April 2013, the bank recorded N82.1 billion as National Housing Fund, NHF, collections which was about 61.2 percent of the cumulative NHF collections of N134.1 billion since inception.

He explained that with a strong collection drive embarked upon by his team, average monthly collection rose by 174 percent from N730 million, pre-2010, to

100 young African leaders parley on life improvement

From left: Professor Charles Aworh, Professor of Food Technology, University of Ibadan, Professor Idowu Olayinka, Deputy Vice Chancellor , Academics, U.I., Mr. Paul Gbededo, Group Managing Director, Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc and Alhaji Olalekan Saliu, Company Secretary/Director, Flour Mills during Flour Mills' presentation of a cheque for the second tranche of N30 million for the Flour Mills Food Research Centre at the University of Ibadan, when delegation of the tertiary institution paid a courtesy visit to Golden Penny Place, Apapa. over N2 billion.

Kumo further explained that the jump in the monthly collections was enhanced by the enlistment of six additional states, namely: Akwa-Ibom, Sokoto, Benue, Enugu, Taraba and Borno into the scheme.

He added that in the last 41 months, the bank gave out

N33.4 billion and N23.8 billion as estate development and mortgage loans, respectively.

“By aggregation, the total disbursement of N57.2 billion recorded in the past 41 months constitutes 48 percent of the N119.1 billion to date,” he said.

Kumo said FMBN had cumulatively delivered 39,425 hous-

ing units, of which 12,420 (31.5 percent) were in the last 41 months. He also disclosed that the organisation helped finance the acquisition of FG Non-Essential Residential Houses in the FCT by Nigerians under the N100 billion Mortgage-Backed Bond programme

WEFA: How FG is tackling SMEs’ obstacles

BY EMMANUEL ELEBEKE

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HE federal government says it’s taking strategic steps to tackle the obstacles confronting the Small and Medium scale Enterprises, SMEs, in Nigeria to ensure the growth and survival of the sector.

Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, stated this at an SME Summit, a side event at the ongoing World Economic Forum holding in Abuja.

The event was meant to discuss mechanism for developing SMEs as catalysts for inclusive economic growth and job creation in Africa.

The minister identified inadequate infrastructure and power, multiple taxation and lack of awareness as part of the challenges facing the sector.

She said her ministry is taking steps to address the hurdles fac-

ing the SMEs in the country.

According to her, the federal government had succeeded in convincing about six states of the federation on the need to encourage investors to increase infrastructure base in their states to create more internet access for SMEs. The states include Lagos, Anambra, Katsina, Osun, Cross River and Ondo states.

According to her, the ‘smart’ states are expected to witness huge investments from both local and foreign investors.

“We have succeeded in convincing Lagos, Anambra, Cross Rivers, Osun and Katsina States to clear all the hurdles facing investors in their states and they have promised to do everything possible to encourage them roll out infrastructure in the states. Some other states are not heeding to our advice probably because they feel that the only

way they can get money is by taxing these investors but that will neither benefit them nor the SMEs,” she said.

Johnson argued that it was wrong for state governments to tax investors at the point of investment instead of taxing the output of their investments. The minister also said that efforts were being made to alleviate the difficulty being faced by SMEs in accessing loans from banks. According to her over 500 jobs had so far been created by the ministry through the interventions, out of which she said 95 per cent are homegrown.

On his part, Minister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, said the most African countries are not taking full advantage of their agro produce before they are exported, which he said has negative effect on SMEs.

VER 100 of Africa’s most accomplished young leaders and change-makers met in Abuja prior to the start of World Economic Forum on Africa to share ideas on how they can improve life in their home cities and countries.

Meeting under the theme “BOLD Solutions”, participants to SHAPE Africa – the annual meeting of Forum’s Global Shapers community – developed a website www.chibokgirls.com to tell the story of the kidnapped Nigerian girls to support the efforts of the authorities and the community to bring them home.

Other solutions include the development of a Global Shaper farm network; an Africa-wide social media initiative to track the multifaceted effects of investing in people; an eco-funding platform, which will rally multinationals to fund entrepreneurs; and the creation of a Global Shapers Business Network, which will act as a common marketplace for African Shapers.

The Global Shapers Community is an international network of young, dynamic and socially engaged leaders between the ages of 20 and 30.

The community consists of over 73 hubs across Africa, with at least one in every country.

WEF release report on Africa infrastructure

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HE World Economic Fo rum, in Abuja yesterday released a new report on regional infrastructure development in Africa. The report titled Managing Transnational Infrastructure Programmes in Africa – Challenges and Best Practice was released in collaboration with The Boston Consulting Group. It serves as a guide for policy-makers, sponsors and managers to help facilitate the delivery of transnational infrastructure programmes on schedule, at cost and at a high quality.

According to the report, such programmes can make a huge contribution to social and economic welfare by boosting intra-regional trade, connecting landlocked countries to world markets, and improving access to and security of electricity supply by linking large power plants with neighbouring countries.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014—5

POCKET CARTOON

Canada to supply equipment

ARRIVAL—President Goodlkuck Jonathan (2nd right) discussing with the Chinese Prime Minister, Mr. Li Keqiang (2nd left) while First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan (right) and wife of the Chinese Leader, Ms. Cheng Hong (left)watch during the arrival formalities for the Chinese leader at the forecourts of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

More countries join US, UK to rescue Chibok girls Continues from page 1 tion.

Both the US and the UK had earlier given their word to President Goodluck Jonathan to assist Nigeria.

The abduction of the girls had triggered series of protests across Nigeria and in some other countries, with protesters demanding that world leaders should take drastic actions to rescue the girls. The Twitter hashtag,‘#BringBackOurGirls’, put together to push the rescue of the girls, is trending globally, with prominent world leaders lending their voice and support to the demand

for their freedom.

France joins rescue efforts

France, yesterday, offered to send security service agents to Nigeria to help recover the abducted girls. Reuters quoted French Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius as telling French lawmakers that “the President has instructed that we put the intelligence services at the disposal of Nigeria and neighbouring countries. This morning he asked us to contact the Nigerian President to tell him that a specialised unit with all

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH God gave you gifts that make you unique, gifts that hold great possibilities. But you have to discover them and develop them. A sign on a DIY shop says it all: ‘We’ve got it, if you can find it.’ Nobody was ever born without talent, including you, but you’ve got to find it.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

“allowing” is the absence of negative vibrations or doubt. The best way to allow anything is to remove doubt. So how do you remove doubt? “Find proof or evidence,” “When we can prove something or we can get evidence, that helps us whittle away the doubt, and things can come to us much faster and much smoother — Michael Losier

DO

you feel you are only getting a fraction of what you truly desire? Do the things you want take too long to come your way? If that’s the case, you may need to work on the “allowing” part of the manifestation process. You must learn how to allow the law of attraction to work for you so you can create the life you want.

The proof you need is all around you — it’s everything and anything that you have desired, given attention and attracted. The more you notice the things you’ve attracted, the less doubt you will have and the more you will manifest, he says. “Become a seeker of proof, and start seeking things that you can say, ‘That’s here because of me!

the means we have in the region was at the disposal of Nigeria to help find and recover these young girls.”

He added: “In the face of such ignominy, France must react. This crime cannot be left unpunished,” Fabius said.

With more than 4,000 troops operating between Mali to the west and Central African Republic to the east, Paris has a major interest in preventing Nigeria’s security situation from deteriorating, having previously voiced concerns that Boko Haram could spread further north into the Sahel.

China pledges support The Peoples’ Republic of China has also offered to assist in the effort to rescue the abducted girls. Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati in a statement, yesterday, said Chinese Premier, Li Keqiang conveyed the assurance of China to President Jonathan yesterday. According to the statement, “in talks with President Jonathan earlier today, Premier Li Keqiang promised that his country will make any useful information acquired by its satellites and intelligence services available to Nigeria’s security agencies.

“Mr. Keqiang assured the President that China will support Nigeria’s fight against terrorism in every possible way, including the training of military personnel for anti-insurgency operations”.

Canada on its part will supply surveillance equipment to help Nigeria find the girls.

According to Jason MacDonald, a spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, in an email, “Canada will provide surveillance equipment and the technical expertise to operate it.”

MacDonald was responding to an earlier report that the Jonathan government had asked Canada to provide surveillance equipment in the wake of the kidnap by the Boko Haram terrorists. Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, John Baird had also said, “ we’ve offered support to the Nigerian government. If Canada has surveillance equipment that is not in the region that could provide assistance to find these young girls, we’d obviously be pleased to provide it."

Meanwhile, the US Pentagon is sending no fewer than 10 military troops to Nigeria as part of the U.S. effort to help find the kidnapped girls.

A Pentagon spokesman said officials have no plans now to launch any military operations. Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren said the troops will be arriving in a few days as part of the larger U.S. assistance team to include State Department and Justice Department personnel. The military members will help with communications, logistics and intelligence planning.

Police offer N50m reward for information Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force, yesterday, announced a mouth-watering cash reward of N50 million to anyone who volunteered credible information that could lead to the rescue of the over 200 girls of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, abducted recently by Boko Haram insurgents.

It assured all citizens that any information given would be treated anonymously and with utmost confidentiality.

The Force urged all patriotic citizens with such useful information to contact the following numbers: 0 9 - 2 9 1 4 6 4 9 , 0 8 0 8 1 7 7 7 3 0 9 , 0 8 0 5 5 5 4 7 5 3 6 , 0 8 0 3 2 1 2 5 0 5 0 , 08034617591, and 08035969731.

Military vows to

rescue girls The Defence Headquarters has also assured protesters from different parts of the country that it was treating the issue of the abduction of the girls as a special test case, pointing out that the military was committed to bringing back the girls.

Director, Defence Information, Major-General Chris Olukolade, made the disclosure to the media and scores of protesters after a closed door meeting between selected leaders of a protest group that stormed DHQ and top officers of Defence headquarters.

According to Olukolade, the “Nigerian military is freshly committed to finding the girls.

“Let me assure the Nigerian public that the best will be done to bring back our girls safe and alive. Please, keep supporting us, keep praying along. We will get results very soon.”

One of the leaders of the protesting group, Dr Jibrin Ibrahim, in his response, said: “The key outcome of the interaction we had is that the priority for this nation, for the military and for us, the civil society is to bring back our girls.

“They have committed to intensifying their efforts, but above all to produce results in the shortest possible time. They have briefed us fully about the activities they have engaged in, a lot of which we do not want to reveal in the open.

“I want to assure you that the very clear message we got from them is that their engagement is serious, is being escalated and is focused on the objective of bringing back our girls alive and safe.”

Northern CAN slams Borno Gov Meantime, the Northern Christian Association of Nigeria has accused the Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima and the authorities of Gov-

ernment Girl Secondary School in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State of conspiracy against the abducted girls and the people of Nigeria.

A statement jointly signed by the SecretaryGeneral and the Public Relations Officer of the Association, Prof. Daniel Babayi and Elder Sunday Oibe respectively, in Abuja, also demanded explanation from Governor Shettima to some issues it raised.

The body maintained that the abandonment of the abducted girls was a confirmation of the persecution Christians in the North had been suffering from authorities of various states in the region, accusing the state government of playing politics with the lives of Nigerians.

They said: “The Governor and government of Borno State should and must, as a matter of urgency, stop playing politics with the lives of the children of other people.

They should produce those children without delay because they know their whereabouts.

“We demand an explanation from the Governor, Commissioner for Education, Principal and CSO of the school on what they did and what they did not do that led to the ferrying away of these innocent children who went to sit for an examination for the betterment of their tomorrow.

“How come that the parents of these children have not been able to come out and say anything? Are they saying that these children are orphans and do not have parents? We demand an explanation because from our investigation, parents of these children are facing intimidation and threats from the government of Borno State. That is why they could not come out to speak; but they are nursing their pains in silence.

“We also demand that the Federal Government and the international community should help us beg the Governor of Borno State to do everything within his powers to produce these children."

6—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

8 die in Lokoja-Abuja highway auto crash

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OKOJA—EIGHT persons, including a child, were killed in a road accident on the Lokoja-Abuja highway, yesterday.

The victims, including four women and three men, were said to be on their way to Okene from Kano.

The accident which happened at about 6.00 a.m. at Ohono village, near Koton Karfe, involved a white Toyota passenger bus and a truck with number plate Lagos EKY 244 XG. The Kogi FRSC Sector Commander, Mr Godwin Omiko, told newsmen that the truck was on high speed when the Toyota passenger bus with number plate Kogi XB 641 LKJ from Abuja rammed into it, killing the eight persons on the spot.

Omiko said that a passenger was fatally wounded, adding that the corpses and the injured were taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja.

Twins docked for stabbing colleague

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA — TWIN brothers were, yesterday, docked at a magistrate court sitting in Isabo, Abeokuta for allegedly stabbing a colleague.

The brothers, Taiwo and Kehinde Bankole, were accused of inflicting injuries on one Isa Lamidi, Saturday, at motorcycles park in Odeda village, Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The accused persons pleaded not guilty to a count charge of assault, claiming that the complainant fought them and they retaliated.

In his defence, Kehinde said the complainant attacked him and his brother and they defended themselves.

The prosecutor, Inspector Sunday Eigbejiale, said the accused persons committed the offence contrary to and punishable under Sections 516, 315 and 355 of the Criminal Code Volume 1 Laws of Ogun of State of Nigeria , 2006.

Magistrate Martins Akinyemi granted the accused bail in the sum of N80,000 with one surety in like sum.

The case was adjourned till July 14, 2014.

Suspected hoodlums that allegedly murdered Hon Prosper Erhinyojare, Chairman, of Udu Central Vigilante Group and Godwin Migaga, leader of Red Bar Security in Warri, Delta State being paraded by the Police in Asaba, Delta State, yesterday. (INSET): Arms and ammunition recovered from the hoodlums. Photos: Nath Onojake.

How I escaped assassination,

by Keke riders' boss

BY ESTHER ONYEGBULA

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AGOS — THE Chairman, Three Wheelers Association, Ojo chapter, Mr Babatunde Aiyelogun, yesterday gave a blow-by-blow account of how he escaped being assassinated recently.

His assailants, according to him, numbering four, stormed his residence in Ojo at about 2.30 am and left him in a pool of his blood after the attack, apparently thinking he was dead.

Narrating his ordeal to Vanguard, Aiyelogun explained that he had retired to bed on that day with his family when the gunmen broke into his apartment.

According to him, "The incident happened at about 2.30 am when four armed men broke into my residence from nowhere. Immediately they entered, they asked for our phones which we gave them.

"I was pleading with them, asking what they wanted, thinking they were robbers but they said nothing.

"One of them held my neck, attempting to strangle me. I was still struggling with the man when another member of the gang tried to shoot me with a shot gun but fortunately I don't know what happened and the gun didn't fire.

"Immediately they realised that the gun could not fire, they started hitting my head continuously with the iron cutter which they used to cut the window burglary.

"I started bleeding profusely and collapsed so they locked the main entrance and left thinking I was dead.

"They locked us inside to prevent my wife from seeking help. Luckily for us, there was another entrance into the house where the generator was kept. It was from there that my wife called for help.

"Later one of our neighbours came to our rescue, took my kids to their house and rushed me to hospital. I was still unconscious when I got to the hospital, my wife with the help of neighbours got police report to facilitate my

treatment in the hospital.

Threats from rival association

"I have been receiving series of threats from a rival association. I started receiving these threats after the Lagos State Government asked tricycle riders associations to merge with commercial bike riders, with which we complied.

"Soon after the merger, the National Union of Road Transport Workers asked us to affiliate with them. Although our association disagreed, we made them understand that the operational

route of the association falls under RETAN and that it would not be possible to be affiliated to a similar association.

"We later registered a new association called Tricycle Owners and Drivers Association (TRODA), with the Corporate Affairs Commission."

The incident which was reported at Ojo Police station was later transferred to Lagos State Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) for further investigation while suspects who were arrested in connection with the attack have since been released.

He, however, called on relevant authorities to save his life from the alleged threats.

Police arraign three for attacking suspected kidnapper

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA— THE Ogun State Police Command, yesterday, arraigned three persons before an Abeokuta Magistrate's Court sitting in Isabo, for allegedly attacking one Yusuf Sulaimon after tagging him a suspected kidnapper.

The three, Ayegbeso Odumosu, 45, Sulaimon Isiaq, 44 and Adebayo Segun, 50, were accused of attempting to kill Sulaimon , Monday, at 9.00pm in Soyoye area of Abeokuta.

The prosecutor, Banji Sangotokun, told the court that the accused conspired to

kill the complainant by hitting him with sticks, stones, cutlass and other offensive weapons on his head and other parts of his body which caused him injuries.

The prosecutor also said the accused persons had exposed the complainant to ridicule by raising a false alarm that he was a kidnapper with an intent to injure his reputation.

According to him, the offence committed is contrary to Sections 516, 373 and 320 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun State of Nigeria, 2006.

Counsel to the acussed persons, Sakirudeen Alausa, Ganiyu Ogunsanwo and

Wale Ajayi prayed the court to grant bail to the accused persons in most liberal terms.

The counsel argued that Section 36 (5) of the Federal Constitution of Nigeria as amended presumed all accused persons innocent until otherwise proven.

The prosecutor, however, objected to the bail application, saying the offence is punishable with life imprisonment.

The presiding chief magistrate, Anthony Araba, however, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N500,000 each with two sureties in like sum.

The magistrate adjourned the case till June 23, 2014.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014—7

Trader arrested with 9.375kg cannabis concealed inside foodstuff •I wanted to use proceeds to pay house rent — Suspect

BY EVELYN USMAN

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AGOS— A 38-year-old trader has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, for allegedly being in possession of 9.375kg of compressed cannabis hidden inside foodstuffs, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

The suspect, identified as Izuchukwu Jude Ekwosimba, was apprehended while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airline flight to China where drug trafficking attracts capital punishment.

The operatives reportedly detected the drugs which were concealed inside dried fish,

Absence of witness stalls case of suspected pipeline vandals

BY INNOCENT ANABA

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AGOS — A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, further adjourned the trial of 11 fishermen, charged with pipeline vandalism due to the absence of a police witness.

The accused, Sidi Egbayelo, 29; Sunday Shadrach, 39; Edem Okon, 30; Godwin Kofa, 28; Rosemon Neito, 30; Ejona Kpamkpam, 23; Moses Victor, 28; Chris Sunday, 29; Peter Gay, 21; Remo Uchugwu, 23 and Mike Sabato, 29 are standing trial on a fourcount charge bordering on conspiracy, vandalism, stealing and unlawful possession of petroleum products.

The case which was adjourned till, yesterday, for continuation of trial, was stalled due to the absence of a witness for the prosecution.

The prosecutor informed the court that his witness, a police officer, had been transferred out of the jurisdiction of the court, adding that he will send signals to the witness to secure his attendance in court on the next adjourned date.

Trial judge, Justice Musa Kurya, in a short ruling adjourned the case till June 30, for continuation of trial.

Izuchukwu Jude Ekwosimba with the drug.

dried bitter leaf, crayfish, melon and other local food spices, when the suspect came to check in his luggage.

During investigation, the father of one told operatives that he was tempted to go into the illicit business in order to pay his house rent.

According to the Anambra State-born, "I sell clothes on Lagos Island and I live at Ikotun with my wife and child.

My business was doing well until I was duped of N5 million. Since then, I have been living from hand to mouth. My greatest challenge now is the payment of my house rent and shop.

"I bought the hemp for N104,000 and I learnt that I

could sell it for $9,000 in China. I had no other source of getting the needed amount, that was the reason why I decided to smuggle drugs."

Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, however, dismissed the suspect's claim of financial difficulty as cause for indulging in the illicit business, stressing that someone who could afford a return ticket, buy drug worth N104,000 with basic travel allowance, could have conveniently settled his rent.

He, however, expressed joy over the suspect’s apprehension, explaining that it prevented him from possible death sentence in China.

2 Policemen, 3 others killed as gunmen attack Police station in Kaduna

BY EMEKA MAMAH

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ADUNA — ABOUT five per sons, two policemen and three civilians, were killed at Fadan Karshi, in Sanga Local Government of Kaduna State by gunmen who raided a police station in the area, Tuesday night.

Sources said that the attackers, riding on motorcycles, invaded the police station by shooting indiscrinately.

Chairman of the local government council, Mr. Emmanuel Adamu, who confirmed the incident described it as a sad development after the peace treaty recently signed by Fulani herdsmen and the Southern Kaduna People’s Union, SOKAPU, in the state.

Adamu said that those injured during the "unprovoked attack” were receiving treatment at a

nearby hospital in the area.

Also, spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, DSP Aminu Lawan, confirmed the incident, saying investigation had already started to unravel the circumstances that led to the attack.

Governor Mukhtar Yero also condemned the attack, describing it as a provocative attempt by hoodlums to throw the state into confusion.

A statement signed by the Director-General, Media and Publicity, Government House, Mallam Ahmed Mayaki, while consoling families of those who died in the attack said it was condemnable.

The statement read: "We call on people in Fadan Karshi and other parts of the state to remain calm as security forces have already been deployed to maintain law

and order in the area. We should remain united and resolute in resisting obvious attempts by agents of darkness to create confusion and sow seeds of discord in our state.”

Yero added that security agencies had commenced investigation into the matter to track down the criminals, adding that "no stone shall be left upturned in our resolve to bring the perpetrators of this attack and all other criminal assaults on our people in the past to justice."

He then asked residents of the state to continue to live in peace with one another and to become more vigilant in observing the happenings in their areas with a view to assisting security agencies with relevant information on suspicious persons and movements within and around their communities.

Man, 40, nabbed for defiling 7-yr-old girl

BY ESTHER ONYEGBULA

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AGOS— THE Police in Lagos State are quizzing a 40-year-old man, one Hakeem, popularly known as Baba Iwura, for allegedly defiling a seven-year-old girl.

Vanguard gathered that the incident occurred at the residence of the suspect, 3, Third Avenue, Okemoro Street, Magbon, along Badagry expressway, last Sunday.

It was learnt that the Baba Iwura usually takes permission from Mrs Tawio Fathia, the girl's mother to send her on errands every Sunday when his wife and children had gone to church.

But unknown to the victim's mother, the errands were a guise to abuse her daughter.

According to reports, the game had been going on for a while without the knowledge of the victim’s parents.

The bubble burst on that fateful day when he asked her to run errand for him as usual which terminated in his having carnal knowledge of the girl.

Vanguard learnt that the little girl innocently told her playmates what Baba Iwura has been doing to her each time he sends her on errand.

In the process, the victim’s elder sister overheard her and immediately alerted their parents who quizzed the victim and she admitted.

Feeling betrayed by Hakeem's action, the parents of the victim, Mr. and Mrs. Tawio Fathia immediately reported the matter at the Area K Police station and the suspect was picked up.

Medical test from Badagry General Hospital confirmed that the suspect actually penetrated her.

UNICAL don shot in his office

BY EMMA UNA

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Scene of an accident involving an articulated vehicle with number plate XT 433 LSD which lost control and rammed into other vehicles on Apapa-Mile 2 expressway by Otto Wolff Bus-Stop, Lagos. Photo: AKEEM SALAU.

ALABAR—GUNMEN suspected to be students, Tuesday, shot a lecturer in the University of Calabar, Dr Godwin Iwatt in his office mortally wounding him.

The lecturer who was shot in the stomach was rushed to the General Hospital Calabar where he is still in a coma at the emergency unit of the hospital with doctors battling to save his life.

An eyewitness who spoke to Vanguard on condition of anonymity said the lecturer was in his office at the Department of Microbiology at about 3 pm when two persons suspected to be students went into his office and opened fire on him.

8—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

Nigeria gets $1.7bn World Bank loan for electricity

BY EMMANUEL ELEBEKE

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HE World Bank, IFC and MIGA Board of Executive Directors have approved a $1.189 billion loan package and guarantees to boost power generation in some selected states of Nigeria.

The loan facility is a series of energy projects that will help boost independent power generation and ease crippling energy shortages in Nigeria.

World Bank partial risk guarantees include up to US$245 million for the 459 megawatt, Mw, Azura Edo power plant near Benin City, Edo State; and up to US$150 million for the 533 Mw Qua Iboe plant in Ibeno, Akwa Ibom State. Both plants are gas fired.

The boards of IFC and MIGA also approved loans and hedging instruments of up to US$135 million and guarantees of up to US$659 million for the Azura Edo project.

The Vice President, Africa Region, World Bank, Makhtar Diop, said: “Efficient, affordable and reliable access to electricity is essential for small and medium sized enterprises in Nigeria to accelerate job creation.

“I am glad that we were able to support Nigeria’s extensive energy reform programme and provide direct assistance to increase generation capacity by mobilising nearly US$1.7 billion of private sector financing through a range of instruments.”

The IFC Regional Vice President, Jean Philippe Prosper, said: “Addressing energy needs in Nigeria requires investment from the public and private sectors. Working across the World Bank Group, we can help catalyze significant private investment in an environment that best assures successful delivery of increased power supply.”

IOCs to divest $11.5bn assests — ALISON-MADUEKE

BY CLARA NWACHUKWU & SEBASTINE OBASI

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OUSTON (TEXAS)— N I G E R I A ’ s Petroleum Minister, Mrs Diezani Alison Madueke, has said that the total value of assets divested by the International Oil Companies, IOCs, operating in the country is estimated to worth about $11.5 billion by year end.

The amount is derived from the 20 oil blocks with about four billion barrels of oil equivalent that the IOCs have been dropping since 2010, when the divestments programme began, led by the Nigerian unit of Anglo Dutch Shell joint ventures.

The minister disclosed this at the panel session with the theme Asset Divestment in Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry: Opportunities and Challenges, organised by the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria, PETAN, at the ongoing Offshore Technology Conference, OTC, in Houston Texas.

At the session, sponsored by the Oilserv/Frazimex Group, the Minister, who was represented by the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mr. Andrew Yakubu, she said currently, assets divestments by the IOCs are worth about $5 billion or about 2.2 billion barrels of oil equivalent working interest.

“Divestment ‘ll boost economy”

She said the spate of divestment will not hurt the country ’s petroleum industry and economy as feared, but will boost the Federal Government’s local content policy.

With Nigerian being an oil based mono product economy, there have been fears about the impact of these divestments on the economy, especially on government’s revenue drive, with oil accounting for over 80 percent of Nigeria’s revenues and foreign exchange earnings.

She said: “Let me allay your fears that the spate of divestments would not lead to crisis in the nation’s oil and gas industry. Rather, the divestment campaign by the majors is changing the onshore corporate landscape and creating

material brown field opportunities for upstream players looking to enter the Nigerian upstream space.”

Local content development

However, Alison Madueke insisted that the divestments are helping to boost local content drive, as Nigerian companies now have opportunities to develop capacities, while also increasing production from oil blocks, otherwise lying fallow for years.

She argued, “the divestments in the upstream sector of the oil industry by the IOCs such as SPDC, Total, Agip, Chevron and ConocoPhillips have continued to create opportunities for participation in the industry by the Nigerian private

sector.

“Indigenous independents can take over the spare capacity that has been shut in by the IOCs. The indigenous Nigerian companies have been presented with the opportunity to develop local operatorship capacity and boost local production and consequently grow into major upstream players.”

Reason for divestments

The minister noted that the asset divestments are deliberate measures taken by the IOCs for portfolio management, even as it is believed to be on account of harsh operating environment. According to her, “the reasons for the spate of divestments by these oil majors were many and

varied. The fact is that a number of these IOCs are moving into more challenging frontiers in the deep offshore and are leaving the onshore blocks, which they consider less profitable.

“In addition, some of them have been sitting on the oil blocks and have allowed the acreages to go fallow for years without significant development.”

Alison Madueke further noted that there had been some divestments in the offshore area, with Nigerian unit of French oil major, Total, selling its 20 percent stake in OML 138, Offshore Usan Field, to Sinopec in November 2012 for $2.5 billion.

Shell also disclosed last year that it planned to sell two of its offshore assets— OMLs 71 and 72.

OTC: From left— Mr. Bank-Anthony Okoroafor, Vice Chairman, Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria, PETAN; Mr. Dapo Oshinusi, Secretary; Mr Geoff Onuoha, Offshore Technology Conference, OTC, Committee Chairman; Mr. Emeka Ene, PETAN Chairman; Mr. Val Obidi, Publicity Secretary; and Mr. Gbolahan Lawal, Assistant Secretary, at a briefing on Nigeria’s participation at the OTC in Houston, Texas, USA.

Right of way issues stall Oben gas project

BY CLARA NWACHUKWU

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IGERIAN National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC’s challenges in acquiring the right of way, RoW, for the 120km x 48 inch Ob/Ob Oben East-West Gas Pipeline is one of the reasons for the delay in the delivery of the project.

The Federal Government awarded the contract for the project in 2012 to enhance domestic gas supply, particularly for gas to power.

The pipeline is meant to bridge gas supply shortages to the power plants to boost generation capacity.

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Oilserv/ Frazimex Group, Mr. Emeka Okwuosa, whose company is

one of the contractors handling the project, disclosed this at a briefing on the sidelines of the ongoing Offshore Technology Conference, OTC, in Houston, Texas.

Okwuosa, who said his company is handling half of the engineering procurement and construction for Nigeria’s biggest gas pipeline, said his portion of the contract will now be delivered within 20 months, as NNPC concludes acquisition of RoW for the project.

He noted that RoW is a major land issue in projects execution in the country because “ you will have to negotiate with the land owners on meter by meter basis.

“We only got approvals last

month (April) and we will soon commence on the project.”

He said the Ob/Ob project is among the 11 industry projects worth about $550 million being handled simultaneously by the group, adding that none is interfering with the other.

He disclosed that Oilserv had been successful in acquiring the RoW for its projects because it had discovered the secret of dealing with the host communities.

He said: “We try to understand the feelings of the communities, and their needs in order to create a win-win situation. This comes in the provision of infrastructure and jobs for the people.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014 —9

China, Nigeria sign N2trn railway deal

BY JONAH NWOKPOKU

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NHRC: From left— Ranti Daudu, member; Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, Chairman, and Prof. Bem Angwe, Executive Secretary, all of National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, at the commission's hearing into cases of demolition and forced eviction held at Federal High Court, Lagos. PHOTO: Lamidi Bamidele.

We 'll not accept govt of insurgency, blackmail— SOUTHERN PEOPLES ASSEMBLY

BY HENRY UMORU

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BUJA—STATESMEN, prominent leaders of the three geo-political zones of the Southern part of the country, under the aegis of Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly, SNPA, rose from a meeting yesterday, with a strong condemnation of insurgency in some parts of the country, warning that it would not be ruled by a government that would be a product of insurgency or blackmail against President Goodluck Jonathan.

According to the group, no amount of intimidation by the insurgents and their sponsors would force President Jonathan to abdicate the powers given to him or refuse to seek re-election.

The leaders, who called on President Jonathan to urgently close the borders with neighbouring states, warned: “Let it be known that the people of Southern Nigeria shall not allow themselves to be ruled by any government that is a product of insurgency or blackmail if the sponsors of insurgency in this country think they can brow-beat and pummel the government of President Goodluck Jonathan to abdicate the authority and mandate freely given to him

by Nigerians to rule this country.”

The meeting, which took place Tuesday night in Abuja, had former Vice President Alex Ekwueme, former Federal Commissioner for Information and South South leader, Chief Edwin Clark, and Retired Bishop of the Anglican Communion, Akure Diocese, Bishop Bolanle Gbonigi, as coleaders.

While Chief Edwin Clark

zTo meet with Northern leaders served as host chairman, Dr. Ekwueme was represented by Dr. Dozie Ikedife.

In a communique signed by Clark, Gbonigi and Ikedife, the SNPA, with members drawn from the South South, South East and South West geopolitical zones, declared its unflinching support for President Jonathan on his resolve to employ all means and power at his disposal to stop Boko Haram insurgency.

It stressed that the closure of the borders would forestall the continuous infiltration of Nigeria by mercenaries.

The leaders resolved to meet

with the leadership from the North to cross-fertilise ideas and urged the governor of Borno State, Kassim Shettima, local government chairmen in the state, traditional rulers, prominent citizens and the security agencies in the state to take full responsibility for the rescue of the over 225 abducted girls.

The communique said: “We declare our unequivocal and unflinching solidarity with President Goodluck Jonathan on his declared resolve to employ all means and power at his disposal to bring the

Boko Haram insurgency to an end.”

Roll call

Air Cdre Idongesit Nkanga; former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara; Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu; Bishop Ayo Ladigbolu; Senator Rowland Owie; Senator Stella Omu; former Inspector-General of Police, Mike Okiro; Dr. Cairo Ojuogboh; former Bayelsa State Governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha; Col. Tony Nyiam; Ann Kio Briggs; Dr. Walter Ofonagoro; Senator Adefemi Kila, among others.

HINA Railway Construction Corporation Limited has signed a contract for a $13.1 billion (about N2 trillion) railway project with the Ministry of Transportation for a coastal railway line that will transverse 10 states of Nigeria.

The length of the railway line will be 1,385km in one-way mileage and a design speed of 120 km/h, including 22 railway stations, which is expected to be built along the line.

In a statement, the company said one of its subsidiaries, the China Civil Engineering Group Co., Ltd., signed the contract and that the two parties are still discussing details based on the released framework.

In a related development, Chinese Commerce Minister, Gao Hucheng, yesterday, at the ongoing World Economic Forum in Abuja, said that China encourages more Chinese enterprises to expand investment in Nigeria’s manufacturing sector, transfer technologies and train personnel.

Idika Kalu, others oppose scrapping of local govts

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

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NSTEAD of scrapping the local councils as a federating unit as recommended by a National Conference Committee, the councils should be better funded and granted economic and political autonomy because the councils are the closest tier to the people.

This was the consensus of former Finance and Economic Planning Minister, Dr Kalu Idika Kalu; Vice Chancellor of Covenant University, Professor Charles Korede Ayo; Mr. Victor Ukut and other speakers at a lecture in Lagos, yesterday.

Held at Eko Hotel and Suites, the lecture, with the theme Sustaining Momentum for Social Service Delivery in Good Governance, was organised by the Centre for Democratic Governance in Africa, CDGA.

Wondering why the confab committee would recommend removing the councils as a federating unit, Kalu, who chaired the event, said: “Development takes place at the grassroots, which is a reason we must upgrade the local governments.

Democracy encompasses grassroots consultations.

“Democracy is a form of interaction with the grassroots people to know their needs and make provision for them.”

Stressing the need for good governance, which he said is an ingredient of democracy, he said: “Good governance entails what I call community laws, accountability, freedom of choice of candidates in an open and competitive politics, which make for provision for how to come

into public office and leave.”

He decried the situation where how people come into governance are not predictable, saying “some governors in the country have now developed the habit of rushing or scheming to go to the Senate at all cost after their tenure.”

In a lecture entitled Local Government Autonomy Under the 1999 Constitution: The Journey So Far Under Nigerian Democratic Experience, a legal practitioner, Victor Ukut, said contrary to the provisions of Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution, which provides for the Local Government System in Nigeria, governors and the various state legislatures have violated the political and economic autonomy of the councils with impunity.

He cited the examples of Lagos, Kano, Adamawa and Abia states among others, as states that have not only taken over the responsibilities of the councils, but have also replaced democratically elected council officials with sole administrators and care-taker committees, which he argued amounted to “gross violation of the 1999 Constitution.”

Professor Ayo, who was represented by Dr Olawande Daramola, in his lecture entitled e-Governance: How Technology Can Drive SocioEconomic Development at the Grassroots, also stressed the need to empower the councils financially.

He flayed a situation where state governments do not only pilfer allocation to councils, but also deprive them of sources of internally generated revenues.

10— Vanguard , THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

Cross Country boss asks court to quash N82.8m theft charge

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

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AGOS—AN Ikeja High court was yesterday asked to quash the N82.8 million theft charge preferred against the Managing Director of Cross Country Limited, Mr. Bube Okorodudu by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. In a preliminary objection filed by Okorodudu’s counsel, Chief Robert Clarke, SAN, before Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo, he argued that the EFCC had no power to prosecute offences under laws enacted by the state Houses of Assembly.

Also, Car Link Limited, charged with Okorodudu prayed the court to strike out the charges against it, in an application filed by its counsel, Chief Ladi Williams (SAN).

The defendants are facing an eight-count charge of conspiracy, stealing, forgery and uttering.

The anti graft commission had alleged that they stole the money through the fraudulent sale of 17 units of Volkswagen transporter buses belonging to AG Moeller Ltd and Mr Adeloye Olukemi.

Chief Clarke, while arguing the motion said all the charges were brought under the Lagos State Criminal Code Laws.

He said,”Section 70 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State 2011 makes it mandatory for the EFCC to obtain a fiat from the Attorney-General of Lagos State before they can prosecute matters before the state high court.”

Clarke submitted that the failure of the anti-graft agency to obtain the fiat from the state had made the charge against the defendants a nullity.

He asked the court to quash all the eight counts listed in the information and discharge the defendants.

Chief Ladi Williams (SAN), representing Car Link Ltd also argued that the charge was absurd as the defendants had already paid for the buses collected.

However, the EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, prayed the court to dismiss the applications and order the defendants to take their pleas.

Lagos rakes in N8.4bn from land transactions ...As LASRRA registers 1.6m residents

BY OLASUNKANMIAKONI & MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

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AGOS—LAGOS State Government yesterday said it generated about N8.4 billion from various land transactions in 2013, even as out of the estimated 21 million residents in the state, only 1.6 million so far registered in the ongoing residents’ registration exercise, which kicked off on September, 2013.

Permanent Secretary, Lands Bureau, Mr. Muri-Okunola, who disclosed this yesterday lamented

that the figure was 19 per cent lower than the N10.28 billion recorded in 2012.

According to him: “The resultant shortfall arose as a result of a reduction of about 40 per cent in the revenue expected to be generated from transactions on state land and capital contributions.”

He said the government expected to generate more revenue this year through property recertification and transactions from government’s land and noted that N1,633,214,

776 was paid as compensations to residents whose property were acquired for infrastructural development in 2013.

According to him, the compensations were paid for the execution of six major projects including the Itire/Okota Link Bridge and the Agbowa Housing Scheme in Epe, explaining that the money was paid to facilitate easy resettlement of owners of such acquired property.

He stated: “Usually when land is acquired and interest revoked for overriding public interest, it

is the duty of government to compensate persons so affected to enable them resettle easily.

This was exactly what we did in 2013 with the payments of N1, 633,214,776 as compensations.''

Giving a breakdown of the payments, he said N54.6m was paid for the revoked Oko-Baba Sawmill, while N26m was paid for the construction of Okota/Itire Link Bridge.

He added that N14, 352,000 million was paid to residents displaced by the Agbowa Housing Scheme while N500 million was paid to Messrs Ocean Trust in Oregun as compensation for acquired land.

N40 million compensation was also paid to one Mr. Adeleke Lawrence of Ago Palace Way, Okota, while N940, 347,860 compensation was paid for a project in Badagry.

Muri-Okunola said compensation payable in respect of projects such as Ketu/Ikorodu Expansion, Lekki–Epe Airport Project and Lekki Free Trade Zone Parcel B were under processing.

LASRRA on registration

PRESS BRIEFING: From left — Mr Femi Collins, Human Resource Manager, Bristow Helicopter Aviation; Captain Akin Oni, MD/CEO and Mr Tunji Olugbodi, GMD Verdant Zeal during a press briefing by Bristow Helicopter Aviation on its activities held in Lagos yesterday. Photo by Lamidi Bamidele.

Fashola re-assures residents of affordable houses ...As 76 allottees emerge at 4th draw

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

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AGOS—GOVERNOR Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State yesterday assured residents that his administration would continue to provide affordable housing for them in spite of high cost of building materials in the country.

Fashola gave the assurance at the fourth draw for the allocation of homes to residents under the state‘s Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme, Lagos HOMS. 76 beneficiaries across different estates emerged at the draw.

Speaking on the insinuations that that homes under the state‘s mortgage scheme were not lowcost, Fashola described the statements as “unfair”, saying the claims were aimed at discrediting the good intentions of the state government.

“Some people have criticised us that homes under our mortgage scheme are not low-cost, but these people cannot point to one place where our government promised to build low cost houses. What we promised was affordable housing, and so people should not accuse us of not doing what we did not

promise. As I said and I have always reiterated from when I was a candidate in 2007, my commitment to the people of Lagos was an affordable housing and that is what we are delivering.”

“The homes are affordable because there are one, two, three bedrooms designed to fit different income brackets; they are affordable because residents can easily access them and can pay for them conveniently” he said.

According to him, the state‘s mortgage scheme was already a success story as 200 homes in estates across the states, were allocated monthly to successful applicants.

Fashola urged allotees to help strengthen the scheme by fulfilling their obligations of the mortgage, saying “this scheme has been designed to outlive me and continue for a long time. To achieve that, we have created a board to ensure the processing of applications and ensure delivery of homes to successful applicants. I don’t have a hand it. It is not about me. ” The estates, in which homes were allocated include: Sir Michael Otedola Estate, Epe;

Olaitan Mustapha Estate, Ijaiye; Adetoun Mustapha Estate; Ijaiye; Shogunro Estate, Ogba and Choice Estate; Lekki.

On the total number of registered residents so far in the ongoing registration exercise, Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr. Fatai Mabadeje, said LASRRA, the agency responsible for the exercise had changed its strategy to ensure that more people were captured quickly to aid the state government planning project.

The commissioner, who expressed dissatisfaction with the response from the public said; “We have registered 1.6 million residents of Lagos state and we have changed our strategy to mobile."

Cabotage act: NNPC, PPMC want case dismissed licenses being issued or any

BY INNOCENT ANABA

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AGOS—THE Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, yesterday asked a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos to strike out a suit accusing them of violating the Cabotage Act. A former Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, DirectorGeneral, Mr Raymond Omatseye, through his firm, Polmaz Ltd, had asked the court to direct NNPC and PPMC to cancel all contracts with foreign flagged vessels operating in Nigeria’s coastal waters without licence.

The plaintiff had also urged the court to direct the defendants, except NIMASA, to pay fines stipulated in the Cabotage Act for their alleged violation of the law.

Polmaz said NNPC and PPMC engaged the vessels in domestic coastal trade without requisite

waivers granted to them as stipulate in the Act. It urged the court to determine whether Nigeria’s shipping laws had not restricted foreign flagged vessels, or vessels not owned or built by Nigerians and registered in Nigeria from engaging in domestic coastal trade within the country’s territorial waters.

Defendants in the suit are NIMASA and the vessels’ operators, Olimpex Nigeria Ltd, Unibros Shipping Corporation, Africulti Ltd, Marika Investments Ltd, Nidas Marine Ltd and Prometheus Maritime Ltd. The plaintiff is praying the court to declare that the operation of the foreign flagged vessels operated by the fourth to ninth defendants and their engagement by NNPC and PPMC in domestic coastal operations were in clear violation of Section 5 of the Merchant Shipping Act and several sections of the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act, No. 5 of 2003.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014—11

Uproar in Ado-Ekiti over chief’s installation

BY GBENGAARIYIBI

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DO EKITI—THERE was pandemonium in Ado Ekiti yesterday over the installation of the new Edemo of Idemo quarters in Odo Ado area of the state capital when the reigning Edemo, Chief Bamidele Aduloju, is still alive.

Chief Aduloju was removed last year by the Ewi of Ado Ekiti,Oba Rufus Adejugbe following a disagreement over landed property.

The aggrieved youths and the elderly argued that there could not be another Edemo at this time.

They displayed placards of various inscriptions which read thus “ Ewi, stop tormenting our Chief, “Another Edemo is illegal, ”Ewi is causing trouble in Ado, ”Ewi stop dividing our family,” "Deputy Governor is supporting Ewi,” among others to express their grievances.

The protesters armed with dangerous weapons also made bonfires on Odo-Ado/Polytechnic Road and smashed the wind screens of some vehicles including two police vans.

Briefing newsmen on behalf of the protesters, Mr. Gbenga Akinbo accused the monarch of instigating the crisis with the installation of Mr. Dayo Fajemilusi from the Faje Ruling House as the new Edemo when the substantive case instituted by the sacked Edemo was still in court, even though a case instituted by him on his suspension by the Ewi was struck

APC crisis: Osoba meets party loyalists today

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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COMMISSIONING: Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, assessing a group of students with their computer laptops, during commissioning of the State's Digital Transformation Programme, in Ado-Ekiti... yesterday. out on Monday.

Akinbo, however, said a notice of appeal had been served on the monarch, adding that the Oba disregarded the court’s papers and installed another Edemo.

He added that : “What the Ewi of Ado is doing is against the tradition of the people and we will not allow that to happen. Another Edemo is illegal when there is a surviving one.”

Also a member of Faje House where the new Edemo emerged, Mr. Paul Falade, said his ruling house was not in support of the

action of the monarch, describing it as illegal.

Defending his action, Oba Adejugbe said there was no uproar anywhere in the town, saying he only filled a vacant stool after a court of competent jurisdiction had struck out the case instituted against him.

He also said that he followed the due process in line with the tradition of the people in appointing chiefs, adding: “He (the former Edemo) filed a suit and all the three grounds were struck out by the court on

Monday. So, in order not to create any vacuum, I have to fill the vacant stool in line with the tradition of the people.”

He accused the former Edemo of recruiting thugs from IkareAkoko, Ondo State, to cause confusion in Ado. The king said he received the notice of appeal filed by the sacked Edemo hours after a new one had been installed.

He urged the people of Edemo Quarters to remain calm and avoid anything capable of truncating peace in the area.

Aregbesola denies plan to sack workers ...As Dep gov’s brother joins PDP

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

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SOGBO —THE Osun State government said yesterday that there were no plans by governor Rauf Aregbesola to sack workers, if reelected, as being peddled in some quarters.

A Senior Special Assistant to the gover nor, Mr Olatunbosun Oyinloye, said this in Osogbo.

Oyinloye said that the speculation that Aregbessola would reduce the state’s labour force, if reelected, was the handiwork of the opposition.

The adviser said Aregbesola had made public that his second term in office would rather employ more workers than sack them.

Deputy governor's brother defects In another development, the electoral fortune of the Peoples

Democratic Party, PDP, gubernatorial candidate in the June 21 governorship election in Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, yesterday received a boost as the elder brother of the state Deputy Gover nor, Mrs. Grace Laoye-Tomori, Mr. Sunday Laoye, led his supporters to defect to the PDP. Decamping to the PDP, he called on other progressive minded politicians in the APC to leave the party and join the PDP. Laoye, who was received into the PDP at the party ’s secretariat in Osogbo by its National Secretary, Professor Wale Oladipo, said he laboured for the APC but had nothing to show for his commitment to the party.

Receiving Mr Laoye and his supporters, Professor Oladipo assured him of equal treatment in the party, saying “there is no preferential treatment in the party.

We believe ever y member is important in the party.”

BEOKUTA – FORMER governor of Ogun State, Aremo Segun Osoba has scheduled a meeting with all his political loyalists in the state today.

The former governor, who is also a national leader of the All Progressives Congress was reported to have reached out to his loyalists in the APC across the state with a view to explaining the true nature of the situation.

According to a chieftain of the party and a close confidant of Osoba, a member representing Ifo/ Ewekoro Federal constituency, Adekunle Adeyemi, the meeting would hold at the private house of Chief Osoba in GRA, Ibara, Abeokuta.

The APC in the state has been embroiled in an internal wrangling which has led to its polarisation into two factions.

The two factions are loyal to both Osoba and Governor Amosun and had elected parallel executive councils from wards, local government and state levels during the recently concluded congresses.

Adeyemi said the stakeholders' meeting would be used to inform the members of the party the state of things in the party.

I don’t run govt on loans — Amosun Meanwhile, Governor Ibikunle Amosun yesterday dismissed insinuation that he was running government on loans ahead of the three years anniversary of his administration, describing the report as erroneous.

Amosun also said despite the dwindling Federal Allocation, his government had been depending on its Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, to execute projects contrary to reports from some quarters that it had been borrowing from banks.

The governor spoke during an inspection of the Sango-Akute-Ojodu road under construction, adding that on assumption of office, he swore to be prudent with the tax payers money and execute projects that would improve the lives of the people.

12—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

Why we dumped Edo APC —Ize-Iyamu

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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ENIN—FORMER Vice Chairman South-South of All Progressives Congress, APC, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who resigned from the party with his loyalists Monday, yesterday, described as laughable, the tirade from his former party that his obsession for the 2016 governorship race led to his exit from the party.

Speaking to Vanguard, he said: “I read Osaro Idah who said he is the interim chairman of APC, and that pathological fixation over my rumoured ambition to be governor of Edo State led to my resignation from the party. The man that decamped to APC in Egor, was it because of IzeIyamu’s ambition? Abubakar Momoh, who is a member of House of Representatives, was it Ize-Iyamu’s governorship ambition that made him leave the APC also?

“The problem in Edo North that warranted Alhaji Shagadi and Abubakar Momoh to resign, was it Ize-Iyamu’s ambition that caused that?

There are fundamental problems in the party. I read them describing those of us who left as actually cancer in the party. By this confession, they are saying that the party is terminally ill and if they think that the cancer has left because we have left, let me tell them that

they will now realise that the cancer has not left because when you have cancer, which is a terminal illness, what it means is that the party is set to die.

“In the next few days, you will see more people leaving the party. It is regrettable that a party that we laboured to build is going this way. Unfortunately, the governor is being held hostage by people who have no idea about how a party is run and how a party is managed and their utterances have confirmed that. So the statement

credited to Osaro Idah is nonsense, it does not address the issues.

“And what makes you think that because I am in APC, I don’t have a right to see the President? It is a joy, and a privilege, and there is nothing wrong with interacting with people in other parties. I am not detained in APC, my membership of APC cannot reduce the freedom that the constitution has given to me, to interact and associate. So for him to say that even going to see the

PDP leaders and the President amounts to anti-party activity tells you how shallow they are. Nobody forced us into APC and nobody can detain us in APC. “I sympathise with some persons in APC, but it is clear to me that as long as they have the current leadership at the state level, the party is doomed. And for some us who have a little political experience, we rather not be there when the party is destroyed and that was why we left.”

CONDOLENCE VISIT: Vice President Namadi Sambo (right) and Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, during a condolence visit to the Vice President on the death of his brother, Capt. Yusuf Sabo Sambo by a delegation from Bayelsa State led by the governor, yesterday.

Edo community alleges invasion by oil firm

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

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ENIN—THE people of Oghobaye in Ikpoba/ Okha Local Government Area of Edo State have called on the Director of the Department of State Services, DSS, in Benin to intervene in the alleged destruction of crops, property and unlawful entry into the community by Dubril Oil Plc to avert a break down of law and order in the area.

However, reacting, Mr. Clement Seweje, who is in charge of the Edo office of Dubril Oil Plc, denied that the company forcefully invaded the land, saying that the land in question was allocated to the company between 1991/ 1992 by the Chief John Odigie-Oyegun administration for expansion.

The elders and Odionwere of the community, led by Chief J. Osaghae, in the petition to the DSS, Benin, through their counsel Mr. Olayiwola Afolabi, alleged that on April 23, 2014, Dubril Oil Plc invaded their land

with several bulldozers and tractors with over 50 labourers and forcefully entered the over 300 hectares of land belonging to the indigenes of the community.

They alleged that in the process, crops and other valuables belonging to the community were destroyed, adding that the invaders did not seek the consent of the Odionwere, elders and members of the Community Development Associa-

tion, who are responsible for the allocation of land to prospective buyers.

They accused the indigenous oil company of committing an act of aggression, invasion, unlawful entry and malicious damage which they said almost resulted in a total breakdown of law and order in the community.

The community also accused a commissioner in the state of using his position to

intimidate the community, as the Commissioner said that he had the power to enter into any community in the state without permission from the host community.

Mr. Seweje, in further defence of his company, said: “It is not true that we invaded the community. The land in question was given to us in 1991/92 by the OdigieOyegun administration for expansion

EPZ: Itsekiri graduates warn against inflammatory remarks

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ARRI—THE National Association of Itsekiri Graduates, NAIG, has cautioned the people of Sokobolu and Yokiri communities in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State over their threats to stop President Goodluck Jonathan from the groundbreaking ceremony of the Export Processing Zone, EPZ, in Ogidigben, warning that such threats were capable of derailing the $16 billion project and aborting the existing peace be-

tween Itsekiri and their Ijaw neighbours.

NAIG, in a statement by its president, Lucky Futughe, decried the “inciting words used in the report and the misleading information which wrongly accused the Itsekiri people of depriving Sokobolu and Yokiri communities of partaking in the EPZ.” According to the Itsekiri graduates association, the threat of another possible

round of crisis between the Itsekiri and Ijaw in Delta State as declared by the Youth President of Sokobolu and Yokiri communities over Jonathan's well conceived EPZ project in Ogidigben “is most unfortunate and reminds us of the dark ages of inter-tribal wars which can cause further insecurity distraction to President Jonathan in his determination to tackle the yearnings of people of Niger Delta coastal communities.”

FUPRE VC passes vote of no confidence on contractors

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

W

ARRI—VICEChancellor of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, FUPRE, Prof. John Ovwata Etu-Efeotor, has passed a vote of no confidence on local contractors, noting that many of them abandon jobs awarded to them.

Speaking while unveiling his blueprint at institutionalising excellence and global recognition for FUPRE, which he noted is the only petroleum university in Africa and 6th in the world, Etu-Efeotor said: “Nigerian contractors are disappointing.

Give them N120 million contract and the first interest to them is to marry more wives and acquire more cars. I am ready to build FUPRE, but we want honest contractors, not people who will start, abandon the job and run away because they want to contest elections.”

He said that in his five year tenure as VC, his action plan for FUPRE will focus on putting the institution on the global map through cooperation with local and international partners.

Fishermen recover corpse of missing ex-Bayelsa CDC Chair

Y

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

E N A G O A — BAYELSA State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hilary Opara, yesterday, confirmed the recovery of the remains of the ex-chairman of Amatu II Community Development Committee, CDC, killed Sunday during the abduction of three Dutch nationals and two Nigerian born Dutch citizens, in Lutugbene, Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state.

The deceased, identified as Paul Esebele, was reportedly killed when the propeller of the speed boat in which he was travelling alongside others capsized when they came under attack from the gunmen, who seized the Dutch nationals.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014 — 13

PARENTS AGAINST AUTISM INITIATIVE: From left: Mrs. Adetoun Okunoren, Mrs. Dotun Akande, Mrs. Nneka Obiagwu, Mrs. Bolanle Adewole and Mrs. Emuwa, Trustees of Parents Against Autism Initiative PAAI, at the official launch of the initiative, in Lagos.

Protesters in Rivers demand relocation of council secretariat

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

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ORT HARCOURT—INDIGENES of Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, yesterday, stormed the streets of Port Harcourt, demanding the relocation of the headquarters of the council from Omoku for security reasons.

The protest came shortly after civil society groups hit the streets, condemning the abduction of female students in Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Bornu State, by the dreaded Boko Haram Islamic.

Some of the placards carried by the protesters, read: “ONELGA is for peace,” “Austin Ahiamadu is our chairman,” “ONELGA council has come to stay,” “Relocate ONELGA council headquarters,” among others.

The protesters alleged that youths of Omoku in the council had always disrespected every council Chairman from other communities, noting that it was why they sealed off the council secretariat on Monday.

Permanent Secretary of Government House, Port Harcourt, Mr Fortune Oguru, thanked the protesters for the orderly manner they conducted themselves and promised to convey their complaint to the governor of the state.

C M Y K

From left: Mrs. Emuwa, President, PAAI; Dr. Yinka Akindayomi, Service Director at The Children's Centre and Mrs. Adewole, Vice President, PAAI, at the official inauguration of the initiative.

Police, Bayelsa govt launch rescue operation for kidnapped Dutch nationals ... as kidnappers demand N500m ransom

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

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ENAGOA—THE Bayelsa State Police Command and the Bayelsa State Government have launched a massive rescue operation for the three kidnapped Dutch nationals at Letugbene community on the Atlantic fringe of Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state.

Meanwhile, the Police have denied the reported arrest of the two freed Nigerian-born Dutch nationals.

The rescue operation, which was launched yesterday, is to be managed by a special security team of Ijaw youths and policemen.

The kidnappers, according to a security source, have, meanwhile, demanded N500 million as ransom for the release of the abducted Dutch nationals, identified as Mr. Erhard Leffers, Mrs. Marianne

Vos and Mr. Jan Andre Groenendijk.

Speaking to newsmen, yesterday in Yenagoa, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hilary Opara, who denied the alleged arrest of the two Nigerian born Dutch nationals, Mr. Sunny Ofehe and Mr. Femi Soewu, said they were invited by the police for an interview to get more information about the mood and utterances of the kidnappers.

Opara said four persons were invited for interrogation including the organiser of the illfated trip and the chairman of an indigenous organisation known as Dodo Rovers Regional Development Association, Mr Berry Negerese and an indigene of Letugbene, Chief Benson Dodoru.

He said that while the duo of Soewu and Ofehe were released alongside Berry Negerese, Chief Dodoru, aged 42, was undergoing further inter-

rogation over the incident.

Opara, however, expressed dismay at the failure of the organiser of the trip and the Dutch nationals to inform the police in Delta and Bayelsa State about the trip.

Meantime, Bayelsa State Government, yesterday in a statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Col. Bernard Kenebai (rtd), condemned the abduction of the Dutch nationals, describing same as unfortunate.

Kenebai described as wrong and irresponsible, the failure of the organiser of the trip and the Dutch nationals to inform the security agencies of their trip. He assured that the state government is partnering security agencies to secure their release. He said: “We consider the ill fated trip as unfortunate due to the fact that the state has not experienced it for a while.”

I've not dumped APC —Senator Obende

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—THE senator representing Edo North senatorial district of Edo State, Senator Domingo Obende, yesterday, denied reports that he had resigned his membership of All Progressives Congress, APC. He said that the reports, which he described as mischievous, were geared towards creating the false impression among “my teeming supporters, who are preparing for my re-election to represent them at the Senate.”

Obende, in a statement,

said: “I want to assure my supporters that I remain a member of APC that has taken development in our state to a very high level. I urge my supporters to remain committed to the party that made us realise the dream of giving the right representation to the people of Edo North.

“We intend to continue this representation in our second term. The APC, ably led by our governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, as the leader of the party has given and is still giving the right direction coupled with his administration’s developmental strides across the state.

“My attention has been drawn to media publications alleging that I had resigned or about to resign my membership of APC. I want to say again that those reports are false as I remain a committed party man and registered member of the APC.” He admonished party members who have any complaints about the recently concluded ward and local government congresses to explore established party mechanisms to resolve whatever grudges they may have.

Delta Speaker eulogises Uwechue

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PEAKER, Delta State House of Assembly, Mr. Peter Onwusanya, has called on the people of the state to live a life worthy of emulation that will make people remember them long after death.

In a tribute in honour of late Chief Ralph Uwechue, Onwusanya noted that individuals could only make a better meaning of their existence if they strive to impact considerably on other people’s lives.

“For our fallen hero and compatriot, who will be buried on Friday, we will remember him for his remarkable life and immense contribution to the development of his community, Anioma nation, Delta State, Nigeria and indeed the larger African continent,” he said.

Describing Chief Uwechue’s life as worthy, exemplary and fruitful, he observed that his exploits in the diplomatic and publishing fields were measures of his valuable personal qualities.

“He was a great leader who devoted much of his time to community service, and like most of his contemporaries, he forged synergy with like minds to bolster the development of his area. He was endowed with leadership qualities and these were evident a few years back when he commendably steered Ohaneze Ndigbo as President-General on a path which promoted shared vision and galvanised unity of purpose among the states that make up the organisation."

14—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

WEF: Organisers to thrill attendees with Kakadu Dance

BY OLAYINKA AJAYI

T

HE WORLD’S political and business leaders, who are participating in the three-day World Economic Forum, WEF, in Abuja, will be entertained with a dance, tagged, ‘Kakadu Dance,’ to illustrate the glorious past of Nigeria as a nation.

A statement by the former Minister of Information, Mr. Frank Nweke jr, stated that the musical group, will illustrate in dance the unity that had bound Nigeria together as a nation.

According to him: “The enthralling and scintillating performance of the young cast of Kakadu, is a story of Nigeria’s glorious past when our people were truly one. When we lived together in peace and harmony in the true African spirit of being our brother’s keeper!

"No one cared about the other people's ethnic origin. We celebrated together, we danced, sang together, and mourned together.

"In our homes and our communities, we were one people under one God.” He applauded the efforts of the author of the script, Mr. Uche Nwokedi, SAN, for a brilliant idea that is quintessentially Nigerian.

“I believe in the high destiny of our country and the talent of our people. The Kakadu story is an evidence of the creative genius of our people.

"Its graphic execution on stage embodies the promise of our nation’s youth.

The cast that took our story to the world in Davos, Switzerland, holds the key to Nigeria’s future."

Symposium

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HE ROSICRUCIAN Order, AMORC, Lagos Zone, will hold a symposium on religious tolerance and integration, Saturday, May 10, at Airport Hotel, Lagos, by 9a.m.

Dr. Douglas Anele, Professor Sophie Oluwole, Mr. R. T. B. Akinbile, and Professor John Idiodi are expected to speak on the theme, 'One World Religion — Is it Attainable?'

Special guest of honour is Dr. Kenneth Idiodi, Grand Administrator and Director, Supreme Board, AMORC. C M Y K

EFCC traces N200m to Prisons accountant ...suspect remits N60m to Abuja church

BY SONI DANIEL, Regional Editor, North

T

HE ECONOMIC and Fi nancial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested the head of Capital Accounts at the Nigerian Prisons Service, NPS, Abuja, for alleged corruption, money laundering and abuse of public office.

Imaobong Akon Esu-Nte, a level 14 officer, who is on secondment to the NPS from the Federal Ministry of Finance, was picked up by the operatives of the EFCC, Tuesday, and grilled for several hours over the huge amount of money found in companies' accounts all traced to her.

Operatives of the agency reportedly swooped on Esu-Nte

.3 exotic cars seized

following intelligence reports that she had been using her office to transact business as a private contractor in violation of extant public service regulation, which forbids civil servants from doing so.

Investigators said that the lifestyle of the suspect, who is on a monthly salary of N121, 460 was at variance with the level of opulence being displayed by her.

FORUM: President Goodluck Jonathan GCFR (2nd right), President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya (middle), Mr. Olusegun Aganga, Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment (1st right); Ruth Mwaniki, Chief Executive of Kenya Export Promotion (1st left), and Mr. Olusegun Awolowo, CEO of NEPC, during Nigeria-Kenya Business Forum, at State House, Abuja, Monday.

INEC's preparing grounds for rigging in 2015 — CODER

BY EMMANUELAZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR

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HE COALITION of Democrats for Electoral Reforms, CODER, has warned that the decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC not to use the computerised card readers for the Ekiti and Osun states' gubernatorial elections is a deliberate attempt to destroy the integrity of the 2015 general elections.

Noting past promises and subsequent fiascos by the commission, CODER said that the refusal by INEC to test-run the card readers in Ekiti and Osun states would mean that the commission would not be able to navigate around any issues that could arise in the 2015 general elections.

Convener of CODER, Chief Ayo Opadokun at a press conference in Lagos, yesterday, also raised concern on the capacity of INEC to do anything right, giving as his reasons, the fiascos that accompanied recent by-elections in Ondo, Delta and Anambra states.

Noting that the card readers are supposed to limit double or multiple voting, he said: “The purchase and efficient usage of the Card Reader is expected to make double/multiple voting and impersonation impossible because on the presentation of your voters card, your fingerprint will be tested with the card reader.

"The Card Reader will either

validate or invalidate your claim of being a genuine voter. This certainly is supposed to be a significant step towards achieving credible elections and where every vote must count as demanded by Nigerians and the international community inclusive.

“The recounting of such positive and timely development by the INEC is suspicious because the non-usage of Card Readers in Ekiti and Osun states in June and August 2014 means that it will be practically impossible to detect multiple voting and impersonation which are rumoured to

be perfected strategy of particular candidates.

“The non-usage of the Card Reader in Ekiti and Osun states would mean that there will be avoidable floodgate for the usage of Clown Voter Cards for multiple voting and impersonation in several polling units.

"Such a scenario will most certainly lead to confusion, accusations and possible violence in various polling centres given the expected effective monitoring and vigilance that contesting political parties would mount in order to defend their votes.”

Apart from tracing the sum of N200 million to companies owned by her and her children, the EFCC said the woman had also been remitting money amounting to N60 million into the account of an Abuja-based Pentecostal church.

She is also said to be in possession of several exotic cars and property in various parts of Abuja.

The commission said that among the property were a palatial mansion, a duplex with two-bedroom Boys Quarters at Sun City Estate, Abuja and another duplex at Karu Extension, Abuja, now nearing completion.

Three top of the range automobiles were recovered from her at the time of arrest. They include a Mercedes Benz ML 350 4matic, Mercedes Benz GL 500 and a Toyota Sienna.

EFCC sources said Esu-Nte's arrest was triggered by intelligence report on suspicious inflow of huge funds into her account with a new generation bank.

Close scrutiny of the account by investigators literally opened a can of worms, as it came to light that the suspect "is the promoter and signatory to the accounts of three companies: Abasiaga Global Resources Limited, Abasiono Nigeria Limited and Ememima Global Ventures Limited, which she established shortly after being posted to the NPS." Curiously too, all the directors are the suspect's children. She was also said to be the owner of two other companies- Darima Properties and ID Petroleum, into which a huge amount of unjustified cash had been flowing into steadily.

The accounts of her companies were said to have recorded an inflow of about N200million between 2009 and now.

Spokesman of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the arrest of the woman, but warned public officers engaged in corrupt practices to desist or risk the wrath of the law.

Anambra election tribunal: I' ve only one voter’s card —Obiano

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

A

WKA — ANAMBRA State governor and the candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in last year ’s election in the state, Chief Willie Obiano, yesterday, told the Justice Ishaq Bello- led election petition tribunal that he has only one voter’s card.

He said the card was the one issued to him by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, following his application for transfer of his voting right from Lagos to Anambra State.

Answering questions during cross-examination by the counsel to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. A.O. Ajana and counsel to the party’s candidate, Chief Tony Nwoye, Obiano denied the allegation that he possessed more than one voter’s card.

He said he did not see under-age voters during the election at the time he went for accreditation and voting.

He said: “I arrived the polling unit at about 8.30a.m. and was accredited along with other. I also voted when the voting started, just like others."

St. Adekahunsi Day

T

HE ANNUAL St. Ade kahunsi Day holds today.

It is the 35th anniversary of the founder of Oke-Igbala Olu Society and Chairman, Spiritual Workers Union (Alaga Ojise Olorun), South-Western Nigeria, St.

Benjamin Adekahunsi's ‘joining the church above.’

The cleric died on May 8, 1979.All parishes of Motailatu Church Cherubim and Seraphim Worldwide will hold special service for the event.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014—15

Let's fight our common enemies, Sultan urges ...joins Oritsejafor, others on child's improved health

BY VICTORIA OJEME

A

BUJA — THE Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, yesterday, called on Nigerians to unite and fight the common enemies of the nation, saying it did not include shedding of human blood.

Sultan Abubakar stated this at the first Inter-Faith Health Summit, organised by the Nigerian Inter-Faith Action Association in

Abuja.

He said though leaders of faith in the country were determined to make their contributions towards improved health of the nation’s population, especially the children, such a dream would only be achieved in a peaceful atmosphere.

The revered leader of the Muslim faith in the country also condemned media reports hyping negative stories about Nigeria,

especially as it related to the World Economic Forum on Africa which took off in Abuja, yesterday.

He said: "There are many good things happening that require that the world come together. And, Nigeria is playing the role very well. You can see how we (leaders of faith in Nigeria) relate with one another; we meet personally; we attend functions together.

“If we are at war, we can’t even

sit together, you can’t go to church, you can’t go to mosque; you would remain indoor s.

“For the problem of insecurity, what we must do is to come together as one body to fight terrorism at all levels. Terrorism does not know who is a Christian or who is a Muslim. When terror strikes, we all see what happens; Muslims are killed, Christians are killed. Even those who do not possess any religion are killed.

Safe Schools Initiative launched at World Economic Forum ....Nigeria to protect the right to education

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COALITION of Nigerian business leaders working with the UN Special Envoy for Education, Gordon Brown, the Global Business Coalition for Education and 'A World at School,' has launched, a “Safe Schools Initiative” at the World Economic Forum in Nigeria in response to the growing number of attacks on the right to education, including the kidnapping of more than 200 girls last month.

As part of the growing movement to “Bring Back Our Girls,” the initiative is an initial $10 million fund, challenging matching investments by the government, to promote schools as safe places.

Starting with 500 schools as the

pilots in northern states, the “Safe Schools Initiative” will focus on school and community interventions, with special measures for the most at-risk and vulnerable children.

The initiative will build community security groups to promote safe zones for education, consisting of teachers, parents, police, community leaders and young people themselves.

In the longer term, the initiative will focus on bolstering the physical protection of schools, providing school guards and police in partnership with Nigerian authorities, training staff as school safety officers, providing communication tools and school counselors.

The initiative will also work to help schools create security plans and work with the government to develop a rapid response system so that even when faced with attacks, response units are set up to quickly repair or rebuild, and repace destroyed education material.

Gordon Brown, UN Special Envoy for Global Education, is set to meet with President Jonathan this week and will take a plan from the international community to partner with Nigeria for the largest school expansion in the country’s history to get out-of-school children into school.

A petition with already over 400,000 signatures will be delivered later this week to President

Jonathan showing international support for creating safe schools in Nigeria so that every girl and boy is able to go to school and learn.

The Global Business Coalition for Education will solicit more corporate partners to support the expansion of safe schools in Nigeria to protect the right of children to go to school and learn.

“One of Africa’s greatest assets is its young people who will drive its future development. The Safe Schools Initiative can help Africa unlock its potential and in this light, could be seen as a crucial intervention,” said Saadia Zahidi, Head of Gender Parity and Skills Initiatives, World Economic Forum.

“What we need to do as leaders at all levels is come together to defeat terrorism. We plead with our foreign partners, disperse the message that we need you to come together with us so that we bring to an end the insecurity issues facing our country.”

On the need to promote religious tolerance in the country, the Sultan urged: “I want to assure you, we (Muslims) are not at loggerheads with anybody in this country. What Muslims want is to live their lives according to the Islamic dictates, without any hindrance and without any let up."

In his remarks, President, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, reiterated the commitment of leaders of faith in the country to help improve the health of the citizenry, particularly children.

Pastor Oritsejafor noted that Nigerian children were suffering; and that they deserved better attention from both government and relevant stakeholders.

“We are not public health experts, but we know our people.

We don’t ask for resources from international donors and the Ministry of Health because we are nice people who somehow deserve a role; we ask for resources to play our part because we know that it works; we know it works."

16— Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014 — 17

N

OT since the OCCUPY NIGERIA demonstrations of January 2012, against the Jonathan administration's hike of petroleum products prices, has an event shocked and united Nigerians like the ongoing #BRING BACK OUR GIRLS manifestation. Like wild fire in the veld, a nationwide movement has triggered an international momentum.

Nigerians are joining hands across fault lines political actors opportunistically exploit to access power. The abduction of the Chibok School girls in Borno state has troubled the conscience of all of humanity. Those who profit from the disunity, docility and acquiescence of Nigerians in their oppression are shocked to the marrows by Nigerians' united response: man-woman; old-young; North-South; Muslim-Christian!

This national mobilisation has also swept the world. And for the first time since the emergence of the Boko Haram insurgency, the Chibok abduction has interrogated the dominant

Bring back our girls: The worst and the best of times government's determination to bring home the girls. On the contrary, they have attempted a cruel, irresponsible and cynical attempt to spin the story and cast doubt in the minds of Nigerians. When PDP Women's Leader Kema Chikwe expressed doubt that the girls were abducted, it was the first

The narratives were hitherto simple and effective: Boko Haram was a Northern conspiracy against Jonathan; the other line presented an elaborate Northern Muslim scheme to wipe out Christians

,

narrative and exposed the inadequacy of governance.

The girls were abducted on April 14th and President Jonathan responded only in the past one week. Goodluck Jonathan couldn't find the time to visit Chibok to commiserate with the families, nor reassure the Borno people of

,

shot in a campaign to shift blame; set up straw men and find scapegoats. It was this cynically manipulative politicking that incensed Nigerians. The narratives were hitherto simple and effective: Boko Haram was a Northern conspiracy against Jonathan; the other line presented an

elaborate Northern Muslim scheme to wipe out Christians.

They were divisive enough; and Jonathan can conveniently sit on his hands and do nothing, beyond the perfunctory. Boko Haram's excesses have occasioned very hollow governmental responses. It is a scandalous, Trillion Naira annual defense budget that has not dented the ferocity of the insurgency. But above all, Nigerians have become frustrated with the serial inability or outright refusal of President Jonathan to be presidential: dormitories killings in BuniYadi, Yobe State, and neither president, vice president nor education minister showed up at the scene; the same with the Chibok abductions. In the USA, President Obama was always one of the first callers whenever children are caught up in tragedies. That is a genuine show of leadership. Its absence in Nigeria, under President Jonathan was so cruelly expressed and exposed in his response to the Chibok girls' abduction. Nigerians'

anger triggered the #BRING BACK OUR GIRLS movement!

Nigerians are expressing themselves as owners of the country, putting the administration on notice: BRING BACK OUR GIRLS! There is no other way! The belated fact finding committee three weeks after the abduction underlines Jonathan's handling of the situation. The belated effort was clearly in response to the international dimension of the mass movement for the girls' return.

The neocolonial Jonathan administration fears the wrath of the Western powers!

Scapegoats

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t is looking like Mrs. Patience Jonathan, President Goodluck Jonathan's wife, is leading the effort to find scapegoats.

She has consequently gone beyond her remit to summon Federal and state government officials to a meeting at State House. They have attempted to twist the story by launching an offensive, in response to the worldwide movement.

Patience Jonathan railed against the Borno Governor's wife, who didn't attend the belated meeting of Sunday 3rd May. When Patience Jonathan "directed" women to stop demonstrating because the Borno governor's wife did not attend the meeting, I wonder where she got the power to summon state and federal officials to such a meeting. She is overstepping her remit and deploying powers that have absolutely no recognition under Nigeria's constitution.

As a matter of fact, in law she will be described as a busybody! But here we are; she even had the temerity to order a democratically elected Borno state governor to secure the girls' release or risk a march on the Government House in Maiduguri, led by her! Beyond the empty bravado, it would have made comical relief to see Patience Jonathan leading such a demonstration; but the Chibok girls' abduction is not a joke! Mrs. Patience Jonathan is apparently incensed because the pressures from around the world are getting to President Goodluck. She must be reminded that presidency is more than the lucre that they seem so enamoured of; Noblesse Oblige! Privilege entails responsibility and the first duty of government is the security of lives of the citizenry. It is the failure in that job by the Jonathan administration that the abduction of the Chibok Girls has underlined. That is why Nigerians have built up the #BRING BACK OUR GIRLS movement; that movement has struck the conscience of the world. Scapegoating the leaders of Borno state will not win Mrs. Patience Jonathan and her husband's administration a respite, until they #BRING BACK OUR GIRLS!

Alhaji Adamu Attah: Decency from a different era I

RETURNED to Nigeria on Sunday, May 3rd, to discover from my pack of newspapers of the previous week, that Alhaji Adamu Attah, the first civilian governor of the old Kwara state, had died on May 1st, 2014. So many thoughts have raced through my mind about the politics of the Second Republic, 1979-1983. Radio Kwara had prepared an elaborate series of programmes as part of the transition programme to Civil Rule, under the broad title of ELECTIONS 79. I was the voice of those programmes and the very exciting electioneering process brought me into close proximity to the politicians of the period: J.S Olawoyin; Abubakar Olusola Saraki; AGF Abdulrazaq; Akanbi Oniyangi and Adamu Attah, to mention just a few. Adamu Attah's very strong Ghanaian accent, ease of manner and a general decency stood him out; a prince and scion of the legendary Attah family of Ebirraland, which was arguably, the most educated in Northern Nigeria, Adamu Attah was not as well-known as his gubernatorial opponents like JS Olawoyin of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and AGF Abdulrazaq of the Great Nigeria Peoples Party (GNPP). He nevertheless had the formidable machinery of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) to ride to power; and like the proverbial rider of a tiger's back, it was the schisms within that behemoth of the Second Republic, that ended his political career. But that was to be in the elections of 1983.

As governor, Adamu Attah ruled with all the decency of his origins and education. He was an incredible stickler for time; and unlike the generation of clowns and crooks in power in many of our states today, you could literally set your wristwatch with Adamu Attah's arrival at public events. He always arrived on time! Looking back now, he left some noteworthy legacies in Kwara state that we must continue to appreciate. Attah had a cabinet of very formidable individuals who helped to define his era.

The late Babatunde Kassum was commissioner for

C M Y K

education and under him, Attah's administration opened up very well equipped schools all over Kwara state and that was a major turning point in education that was not equaled by subsequent administrations.

Poignantly, under Bukola Saraki in eight years, he managed to rehabilitate four secondary schools!

Attah built the Danish Overseas assisted Specialist Hospitals in Sobi, Ilorin; Offa; Jebba and Obangede.

He also constructed the second phase of Kwara Hotels, in Ilorin, which Bukola Saraki transferred to an obscure group in a controversial half-house to privatization and has become a machinery of bleeding funds out of Kwara. Attah also introduced the Sunday edition of the NIGERIAN HERALD newspaper; built the Governor's Office in the GRA; and his administration was the last to organize the Patigi International Boats Regatta. He built the KabbaOkene road. In the years of his administration, salaries were never owed even for a month; I worked at Radio Kwara at the time and do remember. Many years later, I wrote a Master's degree thesis on the reportage of labour issues by the Herald newspaper titles during the Second Republic and it was remarkable to discover that many states owed up to six months in those years and one even owed nine months salaries arrears!

Lost chance As I indicated earlier, Adamu Attah was to lose a chance to be re-elected in the 1983 election because of the serious crisis that had opened up between him and Abubakar Olusola Saraki, the Senate Leader, who doubled as party chieftain in Kwara state. Early in the administration, Attah deferred completely to Saraki, including even the abandonment of state activities to await Olusola Saraki at the Ilorin airport. The prince in Attah began to reject the apparent humiliation of such waits and other acts in the hands of the powerful party leader

that was nevertheless a commoner. Efforts by the national leadership to broker peace repeatedly failed.

The national NPN leadership supported the governor, but Olusola Saraki was at his wily best, and had mobilised the Ilorin people to oppose a demonised Attah (the same tactic was exploited by Olusola Saraki against the late Governor MuhammedLawal in 2003), this was inspite of the support that Adamu Attah enjoyed from the late Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Zulkarnaini Gambari (father of the present emir). Saraki went into an alliance with the opposition UPN, and convinced the community to back its candidate, C.O.Adebayo.

Adamu Attah lost the election and disappeared from the political scene. He spent the next thirty years in relative obscurity, hardship and ill health.

But with his death, we must acknowledge his contributions to the making of our state and the building of our country. He was a very decent man, who clearly belonged to a more decent era. He did not work out a dubious pension package for himself, the type that Bukola Saraki did, at the end of his controversial governorship of Kwara. Bukola Saraki allegedly receives N100Million monthly pension from Kwara today and he also got the state to build him a house that occupies half of a street in the GRA. Kwara pays for his convoy of cars and security men; we pick the bill of his hired private jets and we foot his and family's medical and holiday expenses, annually. All that for the misfortune we had that he governed us for eight years. That was not what Adamu Attah did. The Second Republic politicians, the generation that Adamu Attah belonged to, suffered a lot of opprobrium, especially after their overthrow in December 1983. But they were much more committed to our communities than the present generation of barefaced looters of our states. Adamu Attah left power quietly and died on May 1st, 2014. May Allah forgive his sins. Allah yajikansa.

18— Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014 BARELY three months after the for mer Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, was relieved of her post over the armoured vehicles contract scandal, worrisome reports have it that work on some of the airports has stalled over lack of payment to contractors. The former Minister had embarked upon an ambitious upgrade of no less than fourteen airports nationwide as part of her ministry’s contribution to the transformation agenda of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

For the first time since the end of the civil war, our local and international airports started wearing alluring looks within the space of two years. Airports are essential gateways into countries, and governments seeking to project their seriousness in economic modernisation use their airports as tools to make lasting impressions on local and

Don’t abandon airports’ facelifts international travellers. The remodeling exercise was supposed to be the first step towards establishing mini-business hubs around our airports, thus giving way to new business and employment opportunities.

The story we now hear is that work in only the five international airports at Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano and Enugu, have continued to be funded by officials of the Ministry of Aviation, while the rest are starved of funds. According to the reports, the Permanent Secretary and Accounting Officer, Dr Jamila Shu’ara, is “sitting” on the funds already set aside for the projects.

Shu’ara is also alleged to have redeployed directors monitoring these facelift projects. The reason for her action, according to the reports, is that she does not consider them as “priority projects”. We hope this allegation is not true, and if so, we urge the Ministry to immediately clear the air. Otherwise we may well be on the way to another set of abandoned projects, which is one of the hallmarks of a nation bedevilled by severe infrastructural deficit.

We need to remind the Aviation Ministry ’s officials that the airports mapped out for total rehabilitation were carefully

spread to reflect the six geopolitical and economic zones of the country. This was why they were highly applauded before the scandals came to sweep away those who initiated them. They are meant to provide outlets for the evacuation of agricultural outputs in far-lung zones of the country. The objectives behind the remodeling and modernisation of our airports are still germane and strategic for the economic development of the country.

Selective funding will take Nigeria back to the dark days when favouritism over the financing of federal projects led to the marginalisation of certain parts of the country while the others were favoured with a surfeit of federal infrastructure and presence.

The Presidency should look into this issue and act immediately to ensure the timely completion of the projects.

OPINION

BY TOCHUKWU EZUKANMA

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IGERIA is an extremely corrupt country. With the exception of an eccentric few, the generality of Nigerians are corrupt. Corruption has permeated and pervaded every Nigerian institution and every spectrum of her social life. It has rendered every of her institutions dysfunctional, and it is, in essence, unravelling the social fabric of the society.

And consistently, the anti-corruption watchdog, Transparency International, rates Nigeria as one of the most corrupt countries in the world.

Paradoxically, despite the overwhelming proofs of barefaced acts of corruption in Nigeria, Nigerians, especially the Nigerian government, bristle at being characterised as corrupt.

They fulminate and seethe whenever foreign observers talk about corruption in Nigeria. They castigate these observers as though they committed a criminal offense. To be disgracefully corrupt, and yet, expect or demand acclamation for incorruptibility is, among other things, denial. Denial is falsehood, an exceedingly dangerous form of falsehood. In denial, the individual lies, not to others, but to himself which is the most deleterious form of lying.

In 1995, the distinguished American public servant, Colin Powell, talked about official corruption in Nigerian, and that scam (419) is part of the Nigerian national culture. Ironically, Nigerians were incensed by that factual statement.

Many Nigerians in the United States of America, in anger, besieged him, demanding an apology. In 2002, the

Let’s stop lying to ourselves Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dubem Onyia, summoned the British Deputy High Commissioner, Charles Bird, to protest a report, by Britain's Department of Foreign and International Development, DFID, that stated that more than 55 percent of the corruption in Nigeria is perpetrated in high quarters (of the government). Onyia called the report “embarrassing and absurd” and asked the Deputy High Commissioner to "produce evidence of the said corruption in high quarters in Nigeria".

Lately, also, the Nigerian government was angered by President Robert Mugabe’s (of Zimbabwe) depiction of Nigerians as “very corrupt people”. The Permanent Secretary of the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Martin Uhomoibhi, summoned the Zimbabwean Head of Chancery to tell him that Mugabe’s comment was “vitriolic and denigrating on Nigeria and Nigerians” and “does not reflect the reality in Nigeria”.

Onyia demanded evidence of corruption in the upper echelon of the Nigerian government and Uhomonihi wants us to accept that Nigerians are not corrupt. With the shameless level, and mindless acts, of corruption in the highest echelon of the Nigerian governments, there is no need to furnish any evidence of corruption within the circles of the Nigerian power elite. We are routinely inundated with gaudy evidence and proofs of such corruption.

What kind of proof of corruption is needed in a country where $20bn disappeared from

the public coffers and it all seems normal?

If not that Nigerians have been ruled, for so long, by brigands, and thus, are almost inured to the depredation of the national wealth by the ruling elite, the disappearance of such a staggering amount of the people’s money should have resulted in the immediate firing of some ministers, and even, in the impeachment of a president.

Do you need evidence of corruption in a country where the oil minister allegedly spends more than N10bn of public funds for her private air travels? No evidence of corruption is needed, as it is obvious that oil-rich Nigeria has the social indexes of the poorest and/or war torn countries because a preponderant amount of the country’s wealth is routed into private pockets and not towards the socioeconomic betterment of the people.

Mugabe was totally correct when he called Nigerians a very corrupt people.

Actually to call Nigerians corrupt understates the fact. The scale of corruption in Nigeria defies the English lexicon. Just as Raphael Lemkin cobbled together a new word, “genocide” to characterise a scale of mass murder that defied the English lexicon, a new word needs to be coined to aptly describe the rate of corruption in Nigeria. In some other very corrupt countries of the world, some institutions, especially the universities and the churches remain bulwarks against encircling, encompassing avarice, bribery and societal sleaze. But in Nigeria, even these ultimate bastions of morality and probity are corrupt. As such, lecturers/

professors steal and share money designated for research and scholarship, and demand sexual favours and bribe from their students for good grades. Pastors use tough arm tactics to coerce money off their congregant. They lie and convolute the Gospel of Jesus Christ so as to sway their members into emptying their pockets into the offering box.

To besiege a man who told the truth about your country demanding a recant and an apology was insincerity. To demand evidence for facts that are intrusively evident was deception. And to deny a fact that is blinding clear, even to the most causal observer, is falsehood.

We have lied to ourselves for so much and for so long. Therefore, it is high time we stopped lying to ourselves. We must stop wallowing in our moral squalor and demanding a splendid international image. We can only change our image and foreigners’ perception of us by changing our ways. It is time we address the problem of corruption in Nigeria and stop fuming at those that told us the truth about ourselves.

If you look into the mirror and see dirt on your face, sanity dictates that you clean your face and leave the mirror alone. For the mirror in revealing the smear on your face did its work and also did you a favour. To ignore the dirt on your face, as revealed by the mirror, and proceed to break the mirror verges on lunacy.

Therefore, we should clean our face, that is, tackle corruption in Nigeria and leave the mirror (the foreign observers) alone. *Mr. Ezukanma, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Lagos.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014— 19

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HE Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF's, call on delegates from Northern Nigeria not to support the creation of an additional state in the South East Zone is a provocative negation of the national consensus agreed twice on that issue. It is based on the untenable assumption that creation of states in Nigeria or elsewhere is based on population and landmass alone. Much as Igboland is small by landmass, it is a well-known fact that the Igbo population is, if not the single largest in the country, it will be second.

The states were never created based on population, landmass, or even economic "viability". The British colonialists' primary consideration for the creation of the three defunct Regions was to give the three dominant ethnic groups in Nigeria - the Igbo, 'Hausa-Fulani" and Yoruba control of the regions as they prepared to leave. The Minorities complained bitterly, even fought and struggled for their own states. It was not until the North needed the support of the Yorubas and the Minorities to solve their

Igbo problems that General Yakubu Gowon created 12 states in 1967, giving the Minorities of the East, West and North the states they craved. That was the "bribe" most of them latched on to join the coalition for the defeat of Biafra.

States have always been created: (a) to give agitators their own political turf for internal selfgovernance and benefit from the wealth of Nigeria and (b) balance the federation of Nigeria, and (c) appease those who have been unfairly treated. The way General Abacha created the six states in October 1996 satisfied the three above criteria and earned for him a lot of legitimacy.

Even in the USA, there are big and small states by landmass and population. Montana has 145,556 square miles and a small population of 902,195. Delaware has a tiny landmass of 1,955 with a smear population of 783,600.

On the other hand, Texas had the landmass of 261,914 square miles (almost a third the size of Nigeria) with 20,851,820 people by 2000. Most states in the North are like Montana, with

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large landmass and small populations, but due to politics, semi-desert states are made to have larger populations than coastal states. Nigeria is the only country that has such unlikely demographic characteristics, since populations in the world crowd towards coastal zones with their larger clusters of urban agglomerations.

That the Igbo population is one of the largest in Africa is selfevident. There is no part of the world you do not see Igbos in explosive numbers. They all came originally from that tiny enclave which the ACF says it lacks population. Because the Igbo territory is so small, it occasions large outbound migratory trends.

Igbos constitute the second largest population in every state after the indigenes. The Igbos make up about seven of the 17 million population of Lagos State. It is fair, right and just that the Igbo heartland, the South East Zone, is

All the black market injunctions

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ORMALLY, we don’t have to justify telling the truth but we do have to justify not telling the truth. The plain truth is that from the beginning, these smart guys -- men who at times even attempt to outsmart themselves -- have the same modus operandi. They think they are bold and with their boldness, they can intimidate the rest of society and browbeat all of us into submitting to their whims and caprices.

One good attribute of the truth is that it is empirical and verifiable -- bend it whichever way you like, it remains constant; and crush it to death, it will await you at the next corner.

In ancient times, Atakpalakpa existed in a rural setting. He was a notorious thief whose stock-in-trade was around goat thievery. He was a menace to the entire community. On that fateful native Sunday, Eken Market Day, a general meeting of the villagers was called to consider what to do with Atakpalakpa. As soon as the villagers converged at the village square, Atakpalakpa came out and warned that nobody should talk about him. Whosoever dared talk after a stern warning from a terror would have done so at his own risk. It was like removing the clothes put in the sun by a witch. That was the end of the meeting.

During the period 1999-2007, Dr. Peter Odili was the Governor of Rivers State. He was a damn good Governor. Seven years after, many Rivers State indigenes, particularly those who worked with him, hold him in high esteem. If you were to go to a street in Port Harcourt today to proclaim otherwise, you would probably be lynched.

That is how far street loyalty can take anyone.

On the debit side, quite early into the Odili administration, tongues wagged that the Governor was stealing the State blind. EFCC was quite vocal on this when in the interim report of its investigation, it asserted unequivocally that Governor Odili had diverted over N100 billion of Rivers States

fund into his personal accounts. The report contained serious allegations of “fraud, conspiracy, conversion of public funds, foreign exchange malpractices, money laundering, stealing and abuse of Oath of Office” against Dr. Odili.

In the tradition of Atakpalakpa, Odili rushed to the court to stop the security agencies, including the EFCC, from investigating him for corruption and from further probing his administration.

On February 22, 2007, the then Rivers State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice filed Suit no. FHC/PHC/CS178/2007 - Rivers State Vs the EFCC and 3 others -challenging the powers of the EFCC to probe the affairs of the State, claiming that the activities of the EFCC were prejudicial to the smooth running of the Rivers State government.

The case was given accelerated hearing and was apparently decided ex-parte. Thus, on March 23, 2007, Justice Ibrahim Nyaure Buba, sitting in the Federal High Court, PortHarcourt, swiftly granted all the declarative and injunctive reliefs sought by the plaintiff, declaring that the EFCC investigations were invalid, unlawful, unconstitutional, and null and void. The injunction restrained the EFCC and other defendants from publicising the report of the investigation; and also restrained the EFCC from any further action in relation to the alleged economic and financial crimes committed by Dr. Odili.

Not too surprisingly, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Federation who also doubles as the Law Officer of the Federation and the guardian of the public interest failed to file any defence to this thoroughly outrageous claim. The EFCC filed a preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to oust its statutory powers, particularly after its investigation had established prima facie case against Dr. Odili.

It was soon to be technicalities-galore, including that the EFCC’s objection was filed

given six states just like other zones. Or,create Anioma State and make it part of the South East Zone. That is what the Obi of Asaba, Professor Chike Edozien, has shouted himself hoarse demanding.

But if we want to shy away from the crippling cost of governance which is often traced to the large number of states, we can settle for dissolution of the 36 state-structure. We can convert the six geopolitical zones into regions, thus making Nigeria a six-region federation based on resource control and sharing of federal revenue on the basis of equality of the regions. Each region can have the power to create such number of states and local governments as its people demand. In so doing, no region will parasite on others as we are having today where states that contribute virtually nothing to the federal purse collect more federal allocation because of the large number of local councils

out of time. In a ruling delivered on March 5, 2008, the Judge held: “The subsisting judgment of March 2007 by this court is binding on all parties. Therefore, there is a perpetual injunction restraining the EFCC from arresting, detaining and arraigning Odili…”

A UK-based Nigerian, Osita Mba, has since fired a petition against Justice Buba, to the

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ACF's anti-Igbo memo (2)

All Nigerians once stood up and gave the presidency to the Yorubas; it helped preserve the unity of Nigeria; we gave amnesty to the Niger Delta after their valiant fight for a fair share of their oil wealth; we are all joining hands to fight Boko Haram which is decimating the North; we shall win, and the North shall be peaceful and great again; it is the turn of Igbos to be assisted to come to be at par with the rest of the country

Even where the power of investigation is a potent instrument in the hands of the legislature, the body language of our legislators clearly indicates that where the looter is prepared to part with part of his loot, the rest would simply be story-story

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NJC and Justice Buba has been queried as a result.

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eanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan, in his usual magnanimity has given Odili and his likes the opportunity to acquit themselves. Former Governor of Bayelsa State, DSP Alamieyeseigha, who was convicted by EFCC, has since been granted State pardon. These men and their likes are the bunch at the ongoing so-called National Conference writing your Constitution. Why wouldn’t they write themselves into the

dishonestly bestowed on them by the military. Let's face it: some states are living on the stolen wealth of other parts of the country in the name of federalism. The regional option will bring out, once again, the enterprising spirit of all regions to exploit their human and natural resources as we saw in the golden era of Nigeria: 1960 1965.

We must use this conference to change our attitude of mutual antagonism. Let's become members of a family; where everyone will help his brother who has a problem. Tomorrow it will be the turn of your brother to help you. One good turn deserves another. One bad turn also deserves another. I believe the delegates from Northern Nigeria will continue to do the right thing, including supporting the creation of an additional state in the South East because it is the right thing to do. When it is the turn of the North to be supported every zone must stand up and do so. All Nigerians once stood up and gave the presidency to the Yorubas. It helped preserve the unity of Nigeria. We gave amnesty to the Niger Delta after their valiant fight for a fair share of their oil wealth. We are all joining hands to fight Boko Haram which is decimating the North. We shall win, and the North shall be peaceful and great again. It is the turn of Igbos to be assisted to come to be at par with the rest of the country. Only enemies of this nation will kick against it, and I know that Northern Nigerians are not the enemies of the Igbo people!

Constitution? If they work hard enough, they may abrogate or substantially weaken the anti-graft agencies. That’s Nigeria, our Nigeria!

Section 88 of the Constitution of Nigeria, 1999, mandates the National Assembly to look for a rat whenever it smells one. The National Assembly has smelled a big rat – the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been accused of squandering a whopping sum of N10 billion in hiring taxis (air taxis)! She too has approached the courts for immunity from investigation.

The penultimate week, they flew a kite: We woke up one morning to find virtually all the media awash with news that the Petroleum Minister had slapped a perpetual injunction on the House of Representatives, barring them from investigating her. With all the denials and counter-denials, the resort to Atakpalakpa is just a question of time.

Who is deceiving whom? Even where the power of investigation is a potent instrument in the hands of the legislature, the body language of our legislators clearly indicates that where the looter is prepared to part with part of his loot, the rest would simply be storystory! Otherwise, even if the Farouk Lawan saga was clearly a case of entrapment, the House of Representatives should, at least, have been seen to mete out some semblance of discipline on him.

On balance, these black market injunctions are injurious to the health of our democracy. They fuel corruption and destroy the very essence of the doctrine of Separation of Powers.

C M Y K

20 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

*Imo Modern Poultry Complex...waiting to be revamped.

Neglected, vandalised: Imo Modern Poultry resurrects

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA, Owerri

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HE old Imo State, which in cludes parts of today’s Ebonyi State and the entire Abia State, suffered serious destruction of its vital infrastructure as a result of the 30-month fratricidal war of survival and self-determination waged by Ndigbo.

Chief Sam Onunaka Mbakwe came on board as state governor in 1979, barely nine years after the war ended. Although he found himself in the opposition Nigerian People’s Party, NPP, Mbakwe felt that creating job opportunities for the teeming youths that came out of the war fronts, was one of the surest ways of keeping them gainfully employed and away from crime. That was how all the local government areas of the old Imo State benefit-

was rudely truncated no thanks to over-ambitious military officers that in a dawn coup d’état, sacked the Second Republic civilian government in 1983. Unfortunately, the machines already bought by the Mbakwe regime and delivered to the project sites were either sold by the military, vandalized or left to rot in the crates. The two power generating stations located at Amaraku and Izombe, designed to supply power to rural communities, were equally sold.

Imo Modern Poultry Complex can rightly be counted as one of the industries that survived the senseless sales but like the crab that escaped from a trap, its legs can’t be said to be complete.

What is most disturbing about the fortunes of this establishment is that all previous administrations were not prepared to revive this money

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Thieves have, over the past years, feasted on the establishment; electrical components of the complex were stolen by rampaging rogues; the hatchery building was mindlessly burnt by hoodlums

ted from Mbakwe’s industrialisation programme. That was how Imo Modern Poultry Complex was conceived, executed and commissioned. Scores of people were employed and all the production lines of the establishment commenced production in full force.

The vision that gave birth to this

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spinning poultry industry. They simply paid lip service to their promises to reactivate the establishment.

Imo Modern Poultry has a land mass of 17.7-kilometer radius or 177 hectares. Forward looking Mbakwe built a magnificent administrative block, a feed mill that also has a 3,000-tone silos and a

parking lot for workers and visitors. He also built residential buildings for workers, a mechanized plant that can process 13,000 birds a day. There were also five fish ponds, a fully equipped technical and maintenance department and three 1,000KVA electric generating sets and hatchery that was capable of producing 2.5 million day old chicks per annum.

There are nine large plots of land, housing five poultry pens and each was built to accommodate 15,000 birds. The calculation of Mbakwe and his team was that the 45 poultry pens could conveniently house 215,000 layers and by extension, produce an estimated 14 billion eggs a year! By every stretch of imagination, this was and still is a money spinning establishment that was sadly left to rot away.

Thieves have, over the past years, feasted on the establishment. Electrical components of the complex, iron and steel structures, equipment of all sizes and functions were carefully dismantled and stolen by the rampaging rogues. The hatchery building was mindlessly burnt by hoodlums.

The good news is that life is gradually returning to the embattled establishment. Currently, Governor Rochas Okorocha has appointed a General Manager, Sir Frank Ibezim, for the poultry complex. Ibezim has commenced skeletal rehabilitation in some of the buildings.

He told Vanguard Metro that the current rehabilitation would be done in phases.

As part of the rehabilitation pro-

*Sir Frank Ibezim, the new General Manager, supervising the rehabilitation of the complex cess, the administrative block, some buildings in the staff quarters and recovery of the internal road network has started. Sir Ibezim has equally commenced the process of connecting the complex to the national grid of the country’s public power supply.

“We are doing everything possible to connect this establishment to the national grid. This will be the first time in history that this place is going to be powered outside the installed generators,” Ibezim said.

Similarly, work has commenced on the 1,000-gallon capacity water tank, while two out of the three

water boreholes has been reactivated.

“We are trying to reactivate all the automotive gadgets in the poultry pens to its original form.

We have been able to convince he Governor that we will start raising birds once we repair some critical infrastructures,” Ibezim said.

VM was told that if things move as planned, the establishment will sell the first set of broilers in June this year. “We have the mandate to raise full grown birds by the end of June this year. The Governor has also promised that he will bring funds to completely revive the entire complex, if we are able to show him our capability,” Ibezim said.

NSCDC urges schools to be security conscious

BY BOSE ADELAJA

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IGERIA Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has said school business should not be seen as a money spinning venture, but an avenue to invest in the lives of students, especially in the area of security. The body also warned school owners to desist from investing in unprofitable things when students have not been adequately protected.

NSCDC Commandant General, Dr. Ade Abolurin, who gave the hint, also advised school owners to take advantage of the services of licensed and trained private security operators in place of untrained ones which is dangerous.

In a statement, he said untrained security men are capable of causing more harm than good. ‘’They should help to assist in securing the academic terrain against the backdrop of preference for ‘’Mai guards” who in most cases are untrained and dangerous foreigners from neighbouring countries; they are capable of causing more harm than good in terms of security provision,’’ Aboluring said. He added that the private guard operators could also assist security agencies in the provision of timely information in case of any security threat.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014 — 21

41 Nigerian firms among 4,760 exhibitors at OTC

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From right: Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo; Managing Director of Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, Mr. Rumundaka Wonodi and Deputy Managing Director of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited, Mr. Segun Odusanya, at the Azura transaction closure summit in Abuja.

NSC to stem capital flight with efficient port pricing

By GODFREY BIVBERE & IFEYINWA OBI

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XECUTIVE Secretary of the Ni gerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Hassan Bello has said that the Council will use efficient port pricing to stem the tide of capital flight ravaging the maritime industry.

Bello made this pledge at a one-day seminar on “Achieving fair and equitable port pricing system in Nigeria” in Lagos.

He promised to ensure a sustainable port pricing system that will boost port operation in the country. Bello who was represented by the Chief Operations Officer, Compliance and Monitoring

201.0

-1.4

2,919.00

-2.00

17.19

0.28

107.28 -0.44 99.92 CURRENCY BUYING DOLLAR STERLING

EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA RENMINBI

RIYAL RONA SDR

154.73 260.8903 214.7343 176.3104 1.518 0.308 239.2928 24.7725 41.2547 28.765 240.0636

-0.44

CENTRAL SELLING 155.23 261.7333 215.4282 176.8801 1.5229 0.318 240.066 24.8531 41.388 28.858 240.8393

155.73 262.5764 216.1221 177.4499 1.5278 0.328 240.8393 24.9336 41.5214 28.9509 241.6151

CBN Exchange rate as at 07/05/2014

unit of the Council, Mrs. Catherine Ifeora, said the port plays a crucial role in the economy of any country, hence it must be provided with utmost attention that would ensure smooth movement of cargoes.

To this end, he pointed out that an efficient ports pricing would ensure that port facilities are used in the most efficient manner which would lead to improved asset utilisation and cushioned capital flight. The NSC boss noted that a right pricing mechanism would promote prosperity and growth of the port.

“Wrong pricing can guide port to inefficiency or even extinction; also a high pricing could deprive a port of high patronage of vessels and cargoes.

Wrong prices will reduce demand for cargo services and when the demand for port services is reduced equipment

at the ports will be underutilised. Even with monopoly, high port prices will hurt persons the port is suppose to serve. Low port prices, on the other hand, could bring life into a port but congestion may be the order of the day,” he stated.

In his remarks at the event, Chairman of the Nigerian Ship Owners Association (NISA), Chief Isaac Jolapamo, commended the Federal Government for giving the Council the statutory responsibility to regulate the port.

Jolapamo, who was chairman of the event stressed that “it is only in Nigeria that ships are sent to the port without money by the ship owner to settle dues.”

He charged the NSC to ensure that anomalies in the maritime industry are corrected within the shortest possible time frame.

OME 41 Nigerian companies are among the 4,760 exhibitors participating at the 45th session of the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) which opened in Houston, Texas, on Monday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event also attracted more than 120,000 delegates from across the world, out of which 2,500 are Nigerians.

In a message, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani AllisonMadueke, expressed optimism that some Nigerian companies that inherited assets from international oil companies would eventually measure and live up to expectations.

Represented by the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr Andrew Yakubu, the minister said that Nigerian companies participating at the conference would use the experience garnered to develop the oil and gas sector in Nigeria. AllisonMadueke said that the world was looking on to Nigerian companies to improve their capacities and boost service delivery to consolidate Nigeria’s position as a top oil and gas producer.

The chairman of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria, Mr Emeka Ene, said that Nigeria’s oil and gas industry had witnessed remarkable development in the past four years following the introduction of the Nigerian Content Law. “Coinciding with this milestone, several land and swamp-based oil and gas assets were divested to new independent operators who invested aggressively to grow production from these assets. These developments have translated into a high level of activity in the service sector fuelled primarily by local content drive. The success of the first round of divestment also gave rise to successive ongoing rounds of asset divestments, coupled with the announcement of the $15 billion Egina Deepwater Project by Total.”’

Calabar port to handle containerised cargo with specialised vessels

By GODFREY BIVBERE & IFEYINWA OBI, in Houston, Texas

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he Port Manager of Calabar Port, Musa Wada, has disclosed that despite the low draft of the channel leading to the port, an arrangement is ongoing with one of the terminal operators to bring containerised flat bottom vessels to the facility to increase its cargo throughput.

Disclosing this to Vanguard in Houston, Texas, Wada explained that the arrangement is part of efforts of the central management to increase and expand the capacity of the port which

presently handles 90 percent wet cargo.

The Port Manager, who said that they are working on some form of concession of the terminal’s operation to make the deal attractive, noted that the first of such ship is expected to berth at the Calabar port before the end of the year.

According to him, “Right now as I am talking to you, there are specialised vessels, (that is containerised vessels) which we are trying to introduce into the port which can pass through the present channel.

“We have not concluded but very

soon it will take off.”

On how soon it is expected to take off, Wada said “Well it depends on when the application for waivers for them is granted. We are looking for waivers for them and if that is approved by the management, it will take off.

“You see when you are wooing people to come and invest you must give them waivers to encourage them because of our limited draft. We are working on that but hopefully in a few weeks from now when we get the approval from the central management, it will take off.

22 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

MasterCard seeks extension of agency banking to rural areas

By PETER EGWUATU

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From Left:Mr Jude Nwosu,Fund Manager,Regcharles Finance and Capital limited;With Mr Peter Damian Mbama,GMD/CEO,Regcharles Finance and Capital Limited and Mrs Akenobi Udemeh, PR Branding.At the press conference to Launch the Regcharles Money Managers in Lagos.PHOTO: AKEEM SALAU

xtending agency bank ing to rural areas of the country has been identified as a critical condition for attracting the informal sector into the banking system.

Vice President and Business Head, West Africa, MasterCard, Omokehinde Ojomuyide, made this observation in an interview with Vanguard, adding that MasterCard is committed to a cashless Nigeria. She said that majority of Nigerians in the informal sector are not captured in the banking system, even though the country is regarded as one the highest card issuance in the world.

She further revealed that

Weak corporate governance threatens bank examination

By JONAH NWOKPOKU

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igeria Deposit In surance Corpora tion (NDIC) has identified weak corporate governance and inadequate implementation of risk based supervision (RBS) strategies as major threats to effective bank examination in the country.

Director, Bank Examination Department, NDIC, Mr. Adedapo Adeleke said this at the 2014 Bank Examiners’ conference organised by the corporation in Lagos.

In a paper titled, ‘Overview of challenges faced by examiners on on-site examination” he noted that bank examiners faced major challenges which are both systemic and operational. According to him, weak corporate governance forms the bulk of the systemic challenges faced by examiners.

He said despite the fact that Nigeria has adopted the International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS), the people that introduced it and worked out the modalities for its adoption also took into cognizance that without strong corporate governance in the financial system, there is no guarantee that the financials will change in terms of their reliability.

He explained that systemic challenges have led to declaration of profits by banks in what appears like profit game in the face of dwindling real sector, including regulatory induced balance sheets and low level of financial inclusion.

He said, “The challenges with examination are many. If

you look at what has happened, we have had significant growth in the balance sheets of the banks and industry watchers would understand that with the introduction of IFRS, it has all been off- balance sheet engagements. This is because you are supposed to list all those transactions you consider as off-balance sheet engagement and then appraise them for fairness and then put them on your balance sheet. So if you look at the total bank assets between 2011 and 2012, we had 10.15 percent growth in assets but the off-balance sheet engagements growth was 22.91

percent within the same period.

“There is also increasing introduction of financial products which are esoteric and which when examiners try to interact with board members of banks, they find that some of these board members do not even understand what these products are all about. And examiners need to have deep knowledge of these instruments in order for them to appraise the risks that surround them.

This is because the Risk Based Supervision that we are currently using is only about thinking of how we can isolate

the risks inherent in transaction of banks.”

He further noted that, “Beyond the issues that have happened, in terms of the crisis in the global system, NDIC and the CBN have tried to introduce some reforms.

“We are also trying to protect ourselves from future occurrence. The period of financial crisis was very unique. Our supervisory resources were overstretched. We also tried to retool the bank examination department, build capacity for our examiners and also get new staff to come into the department.”

Skye Bank launches Ria Money Transfer

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KYE Bank Plc has launched a new money transfer service known as Ria Money transfer service. The new service complements the bank’s other international money transfer services.

Speaking at the launch of the product in Lagos on Tuesday, the Bank’s Group Managing Director/CEO designate, Mr. Timothy Oguntayo, said the product is in tandem with the bank’s concept of value creation and addition.

He said that if banks must function as a one-stop financial supermarket where customers’ needs can be seamlessly taken care of, they must provide needs-satisfying products timely and effectively. Oguntayo said the new money transfer service would be available at the bank’s 250

branches nationwide as well as through some specially designated branches, assuring that quality service would be the watch word.

Also speaking on the new product, the bank’s Executive Director, South South/Retail Banking, Mrs. Ibiye Ekong, assured the general public that the bank would make funds remittance and collection easy, safe and convenient for both senders and recipients alike.

Ekong said the bank would strive to make Ria Money the reference in money transfer business in the country. In his remarks, the Business Development Director, Africa, Middle East and America, Ria Money, Mr. Manuel Villena, described the Nigerian market as the largest in Africa.

This fact, he said, informed the decision of the company to come into the country.

MasterCard is partnering with the government to develop a robust national identity card that will serve multiple purposes to boost the cashless initiative.

She said, “There is need for the agency banking to spread to rural areas of the country in order to attract majority of the people in the informal sector to the banking system.

“MasterCard is committed to the cashless Nigeria initiative and supporting financial inclusion by optimising payment systems in Africa, and we strongly believe that it is the best way to go if the country wants to play big in whatever businesses in the global space.

“According to the Central Bank of Nigeria, trillions of naira currently exchange hands daily in banking halls across Nigeria, at MasterCard; our vision is to drive that number down significantly by encouraging and enabling the migration to electronic forms of payments. There is need to create awareness for the cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria , especially as it relates to the creation of a central switch for mobile money and agent banking in Nigeria.”

The importance of this, she said is the fact that cards and e-payment systems have now taken centre stage in the economies of most African countries, with banks and other financial institutions consistently looking for solutions and value added services for the benefits of the market.

According to her “ The Sub Saharan African market, being a late entrant into the e-payment world, is seeking to leverage this opportunity to leapfrog technology, thereby ensuring it enjoys the benefits of security, speed and convenience of e-payment transactions.

FCMB extends anniversary promo

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irst City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited has announced an extension of its 30th anniversary promo till September this year.

Tagged ‘’FCMB 30th Anniversary Promo Re-loaded’, the second phase of the promotion will run from May 7th to September 30th , 2014 across the 26 zones and three regions of the Bank nationwide during which various exciting prizes, including three Hyundai IX35 Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs), cash and other gifts, will be won by qualified customers. The qualified customers will be rewarded through electronic selection of winners

at the monthly zonal and regional draws in June, July and August, while the grand finale draws will take place in October. The extension of the promo, according to the Bank, is to further thank its current and potential customers for their loyalty over the years.

The Bank explained that the promo is targeted at all segments of the society across all age groups. These include professionals, market men and women, artisans, students, workers among others who have adopted and are enjoying the benefits of FCMB’s banking products and services.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014 — 23

Cutix Cables: Linking local innovation to national acclaim STORIES BY FRANKLIN ALLI

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utix power cable plant, in Otolo, Nnewi, Anambra state is home to Nigeria’s fastest expanding cable manufacturing company.

Growing from the dreams of Engr. Ajulu Uzodike, Cutix Plc, which he started after returning from a stint with Raychem Corporation in the United States, has grown too big to be ignored, not just by its local community but the entire country.

The company’s major products are bare stranded aluminium conductors and PVC insulated aluminium cables used in overhead power transmission and distribution; PVC insulated and sheathed round copper for household and other electronic equipment to power supply systems, and automotive wire and cable used in motor vehicles, among others.

According to the Chairman of the company, Mr. David Ifezulike, who spoke during the commissioning of Cutix’s new plant, recently, “the story of Cutix Plc cannot be told without recalling the vision and foresight of our founder, Dr. Engr. Ajulu Uzodike. He conceived the idea for the company after leaving Raychem Corporation, a major international manufacturer of aircraft and military wires and accessories, to set up an indigenous firm to manufacture electrical cables and switchgear assemblies.

“Adtec Ltd., a venture capital and management firm, was

•Cutix N1 billion power cable factory at Otolo, Nnewi, Anambra State. issue which made Cutix the first private company from the eastern part of Nigeria to be quoted on The Nigerian Stock Exchange, was concluded on August 12, 1987.

“Cutix started production with one extrusion line in 1984 with staff strength of 20, and by 1985 it added a second line. By 1986, Cutix added several wire-processing lines to be at par with leading cable makers in Nigeria and elsewhere in the world. All machines were specified, installed and commissioned by Cutix staff.

“The company also incorporated as much locally fabricated parts as it could without lowering overall quality and efficiency. In 1992, the company went ahead to become the first manufacturer to acquire a plastic compounding line. In 1999, the first machine

Anybody who latches on to power now is a man of foresight, because Nigeria is generating just 4,000 MW of power while South Africa that has a third of our population is generating 40,000 MW

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formed in 1978, while Cutix Plc was incorporated on November 4, 1982 as the cable division of Adtec Ltd. By mid1983 some friends and relations of the founder and foundation staff handling the projects were invited to invest in the projects initiated by Adtec Ltd. After the private placement, 18 founding shareholders emerged as the new owners of Cutix Ltd. The start- up capital was N400, 000.”

Ifezulike said, the company went to the capital market, through the Second Tier Security Market, to raise funds, noting that the public

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built by staff of Cutix was successfully put to service. The present staff strength of the company is 186,” Ifezulike added.

In recognition of its policy and commitment to quality of goods delivery and corporate uprightness, the company was adjudged the Best New Factory Award from Anambra state government in 1987.

Cables produced by Cutix Plc are rated as one of the best in the Nigerian market by external assessors.

Confirming this, Ifezulike stated: “for her quality products, Cutix Plc has consistently won the NIS Quality Cer-

tificate Award of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria SON every year in the following gold categories – since 2003.

Recently, the company’s quality management system was certified by the SON as conforming to the ISO 9001: 2000 standards. For the high quality of her business practices, Cutix plc has also won the Annual President’s Merit Award of the Nigerian stock exchange for corporate Excellence – a record seven times.”

Some of the new product to be added to the existing range include PVC/SWA/ PVC; XLPE/SWA/PVC; XLPE/SWA/PE, all for underground installation for low voltage; XLPE/CWB/ SWA/PVC for interference free control signals, and above 100ACSR for long span high tension transmission.

Minister of Power and Steel, Chinedu Nebo, was full of praise for the company during the commissioning ceremony; while not hiding his admiration for the indus-

trial spirit of Nnewi people, he promised a better deal in terms of provision of power to the area to boost productivity.

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ccording to him anybody who latches on to power now is a man of foresight, because Nigeria is generating just 4,000 MW of power while South Africa that has a third of our population is generating 40,000 MW. In his remark, the founder of Cutix Plc, Obiajulu Uzodike, urged the minister to work on getting the local content policy for the power industry passed ‘in spirit and in letter.’ He made a case for Nigerians to support local businesses.

However, in an interview with Managing Director Cutix Plc., Ifeanyi Uzodike, he lamented that power has been a major challenge for the company, noting that stable power could drastically reduce the cost of doing business.

Uzodike, who is the President of Cable Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (CA-

MAN, said: “Our major challenge is the fact that there is no power and we have to depend on our power to carry out the installations here. “If you get to the factory you’ll see we are running on a 1000KVA generator at the new plant and another 1000KVA at the old site.

There is unstable public power; we have to burn diesel and also buy new power generating sets. We have bought new generators that would be delivered soon, even. All these are money we could have pumped into other productive areas, but because of lack of public power, we have to generate independently.”

A lingering cause for concern to the company is the influx of substandard, cheaper cables into the Nigerian market.

“Actually, some business men who want to cut corners would go to China and ask them to produce cables to specifications that are below international standards, with the hope of making more profit. When these goods get into the country through the ports, customs officials at the ports turn a blind-eye, and allow the goods entry.”

Another pain in the neck for the business is poor implementation of Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) recently introduced in the country by the Nigerian Customs.

Industry actors assert that while PAAR is a policy introduced to assure that consignments coming into the country are valued in accordance with the tariff regime of the federal government under the relevant HS code, men of the Nigerian Customs seem to abuse the provision of the HS code and carry out arbitrary valuation of goods coming into the country without reference to the HS code thereby, adding unnecessary burden on manufacturers in the country.

Environmental organisations seek probe of fertilizer price disparity

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NVIROMENTAL organisations in the country have called on the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, to probe the re-bagging and price disparity of NPK fertiliser being sold to tobacco farmers nationwide.

The organisations are Environmental Rights Action/ Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center (CISLAC); Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance and Tobacco Control Nigeria (Tobaccoctrl).

Briefing the press in Lagos, Akinbode Oluwafemi, Director, corporate Accountability ERA/FoEN, said findings by these

organisations during their monitoring visit to tobacco farms in Oyo state, South West Nigeria, showed that, “The NPK fertiliser which the Ministry of Agriculture sells for N5, 600 per bag is being re-bagged and sold to farmers in the tobacco growing communities for N7, 100 and above per bag.”

“In the light of these findings, we are demanding that the Ministry of Agriculture investigate the re-bagging of the commodity and price disparity between the official price of fertiliser from the ministry and the prices that the commodity is supplied to the farmers.

24 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

N25bn required to remove abandoned shipwrecks — LASG

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI, GODWIN ORITSE and MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

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AGOS State Government has said that it requires about N25billion to effectively remove over 200 abandoned ship wrecks and vessels along the state coastline and waterways.

Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Prince Adesegun Oniru disclosed this at the ministerial press briefing on activities of his ministry in the last one year, as well as marking the seventh anniversary in office of Governor Babatunde Fashola’s administration.

Oniru, lamented that wrecked ships, pose serious danger to navigation on the water ways as well as the health of residents, because of the toxic nature resulting from the decay of the wreckage.

According to him: “There are over 200 shipwrecks and abandoned vessels currently lying on the state’s coastline including lagoons,” adding that the vessels were responsible for some of the environmental issue, especially degradation of the coastlines.

He said: “There are also security concerns as these wrecks can serve as hideout for hoodlums to carry out their nefarious activities.

The commissioner stressed: “The removal of these shipwrecks and abandoned vessels lying on our coastline and waterways is not a small task and it

will cost nothing less than N25billion to effectively remove the wrecks from the state’s coastline.”

He said it was not the responsibility of the state government to cough out the required amount, lamenting that efforts to get the federal government to aid the protection of coastlines had yielded little or no result.

Oniru, however revealed that government is currently working on a law aimed at finding and prosecuting owners of abandoned vessel on its coastline.

He explained: “Our ministry is working with the Ministry of Justice to put legislation together.

You cannot anchor a vessel out in the Atlantic and whenever there is a strong wind or surge

and the anchor snaps and it’s at the mercy of the Atlantic, then they leave it there and disappear.

When the legislation is put in place, this would be a thing of the past.

“Once the legislation is ready, it would be brought to the executive and once it is passed the bill will be passed to the House of Assembly to look at it and pass into law,” Oniru added.

Meanwhile, the state government has shut down and is currently prosecuting nine illegal sand dredging companies, just as 33 persons have also been arrested for violating the land dredging law in the state.

Oniru explained that the state

in 2007 restructured sand dredging activities and outlawed indiscriminate dredging, saying; “and since then, anyone who wants to dredge must seek approval from the state government before dredging.”

He added “Part of the restructure was that the state government spelt out three categories to specify which aspect one intends to invest. And since then, we have issued about 100 permits for the three categories.”

Also speaking, Managing Director of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Mr. Yinka Marinho, said aside shipwrecks, logs could also trigger boat mishaps.

INSPECTION: From left: Perm Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transport, Engr Nebolisa Emodi; Managing Director, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Hajia Maryam Ciroma; Gov. Idris Wada of Kogi State; Director, Maritime Services Transport Ministry, Alhaji Suleiman Nagogo; Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar and Chairman, InterBau Ltd during the minister’s tour of Lokoja River.

New tyre policy: Importers decry duty rate on importation STORIES BY GODWIN ORITSE

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HE Association of Tyre Marketers has decried the newly introduced policy on tyre importation into the country saying that “there is no existing local tyre manufacturing plants operating in Nigeria”.

The group also noted that all existing manufacturing firms have either closed down or moved out of the country, leaving behind their import and marketing outlets. In a statement, the President of the group, Alhaji Issa Kanbi Mohammed, said that the concession rate of five per cent to local manufacturers of tyre as against the 20 per cent Duty payment and five per cent VAT has a disadvantage of 15 per cent import duty payment and five per cent VAT for importers.

He said this will eventually create extreme monopoly to non existing Local Manufacturers at the disadvantage of other stakeholders in the Tyre value chain.

Mohammed explained that im-

portation of tryes at the rate of five per cent import duty rate by nonexisting local manufacturers, will only encourage massive importation by the privilege few that are close to government with the ploy that they operate tyre manufacturing plant, a development that will rubbish the policy as there is no existing tyre plant in the country.

The policy of 5% (per cent) duty for Local Manufacturing Assembly plant, will enable very few that have access to government to stock pile their warehouses at the detriment of other stakeholders in the Tyre value chain, without any commitment to revive the tyre industry.

The group’s president suggested that for the development ,growth and sustainability of the Tyre industry in Nigeria, government should as a matter of urgency set up Joint Project Committee made up of various stakeholders in the tyre value Chain to oversee the initiatives that will bring about such development: He said “There is the need to

revisit the type of equipment and energy in setting up or revitalising any of the existing plants, as tyre production requires considerable amount of electricity and heat.

“The implementation of energy efficiency measure and modernisation of technology equipment, establishment of high-efficiency of equipment and optimisation of technological process, which will consequently reduce the electricity and heat consumption in Tyre production “The government developmental plan needs to address waiver incentive for the components used in the production of Tyre, which is based on global revival scheme that will encourage investing in Tyre industry.

“The development program for expansion of new rubber plantation is imperative, as natural/ synthetic Rubber constitute 45% percent of the overall raw materials for the production of tyres.

Master mariners seek review of NIMASA’s NSDP training programme

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IX years after the Nigerian Maritime Administration Safety Agency (NIMASA) launched the Nigerian Seafarers’ Development Programme (NSDP), Association of Master Mariners has called for review of the programme. It said “ it has failed to meet the yearning of the maritime sector for qualified seafarers”.

President of the association, Capt. Ade Olopoenia during a press briefing in Lagos, last week demanded a total review of the scheme by the government as it has not yielded fruits.

He pointed out that the association is concerned that there is lack of adequate manpower to take over from the aging crop of master mariners in the maritime sector.

Olopoenia further noted that the problem of the NSDP cadets is similar to that of their counterparts at the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron, which according to him has to do with lack of sea time on board vessels.

Capt. Olopoenia who noted with concern that the NSDP has been running for six years now, said that “NIMASA has been running this Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme for years now, after almost seven years, how many of those being trained have turned into officers?

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014 — 25

From left: Professor Oye Bamidele, former VC, University of Education, Ikere-Ekiti and University of Science and Technology, Ifaki-Ekiti, Prof. Eyisi Joy Chinwe, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Anambra State, Consul General, Hon. Habib Baba Habu, Managing Director, Executive Trainers Limited, Mrs Ajoke Ogunsan and the Chairman ETL, Dr Ayo Ogunsan, during a courtesy visit to the Nigeria Embassy in New York, USA.

UTME 2014: Govt, parents blame abysmal performance on poor reading habits

BY CALEB AYANSINA

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EDERAL Government, parents and guardians have attributed the poor performance of students in the

ASUP Strike: Ambassador urges govt to engage in productive dialogue Pg. 28

recent Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result released by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to their poor reading habit.

They, however, noted that authorities should share the blame as the result was also a reflection of the country’s education system.

They stated this at the official launching of ‘Readers 100 Project’ of B & B Livres Publishers aimed at promoting

the reading culture in Nigeria, which took place in a book shop in Abuja, with the National Libraries of Nigeria, Nigerian National Commission for UNESCO, the Federal Ministry of Education among other notable organisations in attendance.

Social network The Secretary-General of Nigerian National Commission

for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Mrs Anene-Maidoh bemoaned a situation where reading was only accorded attention during examinations, saying students spend more time on social network than reading.

Represented by her Sector Secretary, Mrs Oguah Florence, the SecretaryGeneral also blamed parents and guardians for the students’

Abducted Chibok Girls:

Why the fight for girl-child education in the North must continue Are Nigerian private universities in trouble? (1) Pg. 29

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Working with clay strengthens fine motor skills Pg. 30

BY BOLUWAJI OBAHOPO & LAJU ARENYEKA

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HE horrors of over 234 girls kidnapped from their hostel in Chibok three weeks ago cannot be put into words. Every second gone confirms the worst fears of parents. Even the far removed person on the streets worries about the security of his children. But no fear can be as real as that of the girls themselves; if it were possible they would

most likely exchange their years of learning just to be home with their families. Chilling nights and torturous days cover the country like a blanket, and Nigerians are getting to the point where all that matters is safety.

Stuck on the lower rungs of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Nigerian children, especially those in the North-East, are now being forced to choose between living a life resigned to ignorance and living at all. Terrorists, who fight against Western education,

now feed on the undeniable truth that the average parent would rather have a living, breathing, uneducated child than a kidnapped or dead one. This is a double tragedy, as more girls may join the country’s estimated 10.5 million children who are out of school, six million of whom are girls.

Speaking to CNN recently, an unidentified female student from the north said: “If this goes on, many parents will no longer let their girls go to school.

abysmal performance, noting that some children are left at the mercy of housemaids.

“The poor performance of our students has been blamed on their poor reading habit. The crucial role of parents as the first level of contact with the children is on the verge of collapse, as many parents hardly spend time with their children and wards at home to groom them academically, spiritually, morally and socially.

Continues on page 26 Schools around many of the communities are difficult to find, so many times children go farther from home to get good schools.

But with the current insecurity, many parents are afraid and might refuse to let their children go to school. When this happens, the girls’ dreams are crushed.

Many girls from the North have dreams; it’s not every young girl that wants to be married off at a young age. They want to be lawyers, doctors…only about two percent just want to be married.”

Amy Oyekunle of the Kudirat Initiative for National Development, KIND, said: “Before now, the North has had really poor indices with regards to girl education and retention in schools.

There is a great probability that Continues on page 26

26 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

UTME2014: Govt, parents blame abysmal performance on poor reading habits Continues from page 25 “The foundational orientation, as critical as it is, is usually lacking or left in the care of house helps, who may also require attention.

“I wish to stress the need for parents, religious bodies, the media, NGOs and Civil Society organisations, to actively participate in the nascent crusade to restore the reading culture in the Nigerian society to build a democratic and cohesive society,” she urged.

In his remarks, the Initiator of the Project and Author of If I Rule the World, Mr. Femi Oluwafemi said the project was designed to promote reading as alternative to highly promoted consumerist entertainment.

According to him, the project is 100 different ways of promoting reading. It will encourage book clubs in schools, saying that browsing entertains while reading engages the mind.

He said the project would work with libraries, education-

al institutions, governments, public and private organisations to promote and encourage the culture of reading in Nigeria.

Also speaking, the President of Abuja Literary Society (ALS), Sir Victor Anoliefo said Readers 100 Project was essentially initiated to lay emphasis on an ability of mind to give a good idea, adding that, the power of book is the foundation of knowledge.

Why the fight for girl-child education in the North must continue UNESCO, in a 2014 report, said that at the current rate, it will be 2086 before access is reached for poor, rural African girls.

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, “the number of schools, facilities and teachers available for basic education remain inadequate for the eligible number of children and youths.

In the North particularly, the gender gap remains particularly wide and the proportion of girls to boys in school ranges from 1 girl to 2 boys to 1 to 3 in some states. Another cause of low enrolment, especially in the North, is cultural bias.

Most parents do not send their children, especially girls, to school and prefer to send them to Qur’anic schools rather than formal schools.

Even when children enrol in schools, many do not complete the primary cycle. According to current data, 30% of pupils drop out of primary school and only 54% transit to Junior Secondary Schools. Reasons for this low completion rate include child labour, economic hardship and early marriage for girls.”

A study conducted by the UNESCO found that school children in Nigeria, particularly those in the northern provinces, are at a disadvantage in their education, with 37 per cent of primary-age girls in the rural north-east not attending school, and 30 percent of boys not attending school; according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index, Nigeria is ranked 106 out of 136 counIt is not true that the Islamic religion tries based on women’s ecoforbids girl-child education. If I have a nomic participation, educational attainment, and politimeeting with the Taliban, I will tell them cal empowerment. These that Islamic religion promotes girl- child challenges may be considered as child’s play when education compared to the recent inseruling elite cannot win this war because their curity virus plaguing not just the education sector, unjust system and policies gave rise to Boko but the nation as a whole. So why fight for eduHaram. Only the people united and organised cation? Why risk the lives of children? No one can win the war against terrorism and save public can answer that better than a girl like Nobel Prize education.” nominee, Malala Yousafzai, a young Pakistani Before now, various challenges have made activist who survived a gunshot to the head, simeducation of girls in Northern Nigeria a herculean ply because she was fighting for her right to be task. Child marriage, which gained widespread educated. At the age of 10 , she told journalists in condemnation on social media last year, is one of an interview: “How dare the Taliban take away such. “Child marriage, from available statistics, my right to be educated? It is not true that the ultimately hampers the efforts of these young ad- Islamic religion forbids girl-child education. If I olescents from acquiring an education, as sooner have a meeting with the Taliban, I will tell them than later, they find it difficult to combine the on- that Islamic religion promotes girl- child education.” erous responsibilities of being a wife and mother, Yousafzai, who is currently lending her voice to with schooling,” says Maryam Wais, chairperson the BringBackOurGirls online campaign, underof the Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative (IWEI). stands that the benefits of women’s education go The IWEI boss, in an earlier interview with Van- beyond higher productivity for 50 per cent of the guard, spoke on the dire consequences of early population. More educated women also tend to be marriage on education: “They drop out, if they healthier, participate more in the formal labour have not been removed for the purpose of mar- market, earn more income, and provide better riage, in the first place. Consequently, 70.8% of health care and education to their children, all of young women aged 20-29 in the North-West zone which eventually improve the well-being of all inare unable to read or write.” dividuals and lift households out of poverty.

Continues from page 25 this will further worsen these indicators. This current wave of insecurity has a deteriorating effect on education, it is like we are going five steps backwards after having gone one step forward.

In this day and age, the importance of education cannot be overemphasized. Investing in education, especially girl- child education is the smartest investment anyone can make. There are so many challenges, especially the heartbreaking situation of these missing girls. But these girls must be found and we must continue the fight for girls to be educated in the northern region.”

The National Coordinator of the Education Rights Campaign, ERC, Mr. Hassan Soweto, told Vanguard Learning: "The incident will no doubt drastically affect school attendance. Ordinarily, school enrolment in the North is low. This will plummet further. While pupils are afraid of going to school, their teachers too will be scared of staying at their duty posts.

The implication is that public education may be annihilated in the North in the foreseeable future and that is one of the principal objective of Boko Haram. For the sake of the Chibok girls; for the sake of other Nigerians who are daily victims and for the sake of public education, we must win the war against Boko Haram. But the capitalist

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Dangote recruits 200 graduates of Technical Colleges

BY DAYO ADESULU

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N compliance with the agreement reached between the Dangote conglomerates and Lagos State to encourage youths in the industrial drive of the economy, Dangote is set to employ 200 graduates of Technical Colleges in Lagos.

The recruits, most of whom are in their final year in Government Technical Colleges across Lagos, wrote the National Business and Technical E x a m i n a t i o n s Board(NABTEB) exams last weekend at the Government Technical College, Ikorodu and Agidingbi centres.

Speaking with journalists at Ikeja, the Executive Secretary, Lagos State Technical and Vocational Examinations Board (LASTVEB), Engr Olawumi Gasper said: “What we are doing today with the Lagos State Government and Dangote group is to recruit our students of technical colleges first in accordance with the agreement with Governor Raji Fashola to encourage the youths in the industrial drive of the economy.

This is the first step.”

According to him, Lagos

State Government went into an agreement with the Dangote conglomerates who requested for the young ones to take up responsibility in the technical, maintenance services.

His words: “About 250 students are writing this exam and we are sure of 80 per cent of them being employed by the company. The result will be out this May after which they will be employed and that is the beginning of a career path for them. ”Once the students are considered for employment, they will be sponsored by the same company on 18 months training to Dangote Academy, Obajana in Kogi State and Osogbo in Osun State to brush them up.

‘They will be remunerated based on their areas of specialisation such as instrumentation and automation, this is a big opportunity for them.

“Dangote is just one out of so many industries that are demanding for the graduates of technical colleges because they believe in their skills, we are now being saddled with the responsibility of producing more of them to meet industrial demand.”

Ministry to promote Igbo language, culture

BY IKENNA ASOMBA

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HE Anambra State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Kate Omenugha, has expressed her ministry’s commitment to promote the Igbo language and culture.

Receiving members of Otu Suwakwa Igbo Initiative in her Awka office, Omenugha stated that language and culture collectively form the identity of a people, without which there is no bearing for a race.

The Commissioner, who encouraged parents to always speak Igbo language to their children, noted that “knowledge of one’s mother tongue should be the springboard for the understanding of other languages and subjects. In our commitment to promote the Igbo language and culture, my ministry would soon appoint an Igbo language Desk Officer, to co-ordinate activities for the promotion of Igbo language and culture.

Earlier, the Chairman of the group, Prof. Pita Ejiofor, had informed the Commissioner that they were in her office to congratulate her on her well deserved appointment, noting that the group had no doubt in her ability to bring about the needed transformation in the state’s education sector.

Prof Ejiofor, however, appealed to the Commissioner to use her good offices to ensure the state’s law on the promotion of Igbo language and culture is implemented at all levels of education in the state.

Meantime, the commissioner said the Anambra State Government condemns the continued detention of 234 female students of Government Girls College, Chibok, Borno State, abducted April 14, by the Boko Haram terrorists, describing it as inimical to national development.

Omenugha, who wondered how any reasonable person could conspire to abduct school children who were under tutelage to become useful to the society said: “The Anambra State Government led by Chief Willie Obiano is visibly sad by the ugly development and has since put machineries in motion for the protection of lives and properties in the state. The government commiserates with the Federal Government and parents of the abducted girls, and as a government committed to children’s welfare, we could imagine the pains they are going through at the moment.”

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014 — 27

Equality between two institutions is pivotal to international MoU — Prof Pandit Kavita Pandit is a profes-sor of Geography from University of Georgia, Athens, USA. She delivered the convocation lecture at Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Otto/Ijanikin last week on The Internalisation of Higher Education: Opportunities and Challenges. In this interview with journalists, she gave suggestions on how governments can encourage their nationals in diaspora to contribute directly or indirectly to the home front among several issues. Excerpts.

By DAYO ADESULU

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HAT should local insti tutions look out for before partnering with international institutions?

I think for any university in Nigeria wanting to partner institutions abroad, the very first thing is to be clear on the need for such partnership. I think many universities are just deciding that 'okay let us partner with that university; let us sign an MoU'; but I think that is wrong. You have to begin by having a clear idea of what you want.

A key factor which must be emphasized is equality between the two institutions; the collaboration is not going to work if one is superior to the other. For instance, in the University of Georgia, we teach some African languages. It is in our interest to have specialists in those languages. So what I’m saying generally is that African institutions should look out for what is good for them, and the partnership must not be lopsided. However, there are ram-

in terms of your interactions with African students?

Many of my students, when they get admitted into the University of Georgia, although they are very intelligent in terms of scores and exams; but they have not travelled worldwide. Some of them have not even travelled round the United States. They have seen some movies about India or China and so have a very limited vision of people’s countries. Sometimes I would call it stereotypes. When I came, some of them asked me; ‘Did you grow up with snakes and tigers? And I tell them I grew up in a big metropolitan city. Sometimes I tell them I know more about the world than they do.

It shows how limited their knowledge is; and that is the point at which I believe, real learning starts. So it gave me the challenge like, maybe I should go (back to Nigeria) and learn more maybe when next I am talking to an African student, I might ask them different questions.

How would you rate Nigerian scholars overseas?

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Nigeria is a great country and one of her major resources is the people

pant cases of Nigerian students being maligned or maltreated either by students of their host institutions or worse still, hostcountries.

It is not only about campuses but the society at large. Around the world, when economic condition declines, then you look for scapegoats. ‘Oh these people are taking away our jobs,’ they are taking away our culture.’ I think this is to some extent a global phenomenon. I also think sometimes the phenomenon comes out of lack of education. It is people who sometimes don’t have that respect. They are scared, they think you are different from them; and then there is an attack.

Again, internationalisation is to make people behave as if they have a lot in common. Though there is need for government to punish those who perpetrate these crimes; what I think is the lasting solution is for us as educators to push these people to realising that they have a lot in common than their differences.

What has been your experience

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Nigeria is a great country and one of her major resources is the people. Nigerian students come to the US, say University of Georgia where I teach for example, they are such good materials and you can easily tell the preparations is outstanding.

I can say some of our best faculty are Nigerian-born. We have a Nigerian from AOCOED who is now working at the Institute of African Studies at the university. We also have another Nigerian who was formerly a director of African Studies and very committed.

How many years have you been in America?

This is my 25th year in America.

How often does the Indian government relate with their nationals?

Unfortunately, the Indian government has not been very good at that. Most of the connections that happened were by the Diaspora itself. In fact, what is really interesting to see is lots of revolt migration happening; of

Ekweremadu charges UNN space centre to devise scientific means to check insurgency

BY CHINENYEH OZOR

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*Professor Kavita Pandit...African institutions should look out for what is good for them, and the partnership must not be lopsided.

Indians who have been successful in the west being back in India. It is not because of government programme. Lots of Indians of my age are returning because their parents are getting older, and want to be with them.

Some of the parents say they don’t want their children growing up in a material-seeking environment, but to learn Indian values. Sometimes, government can do things; but sometimes it happens through social norms.

What have you given back to your home country?

After I finished my Master's degree from Ohio State University, I decided to go back to contribute my own quota to my home country. If you look at my resume, there was a one year I went to India and I was working in a nonprofit agency and that was in rural India, in the Northern Mountains.

Economic development Economic development, people working in UNICEF-funding project and all that, and I said, ‘this is the project I want to do’.

But along the line, something funny happened: I found out that by fate, I was not contributing as much as I ought. I just realised something was not fitting.

So I realised at that time that my contributions may have to be different for my home country than I’d thought it would be as in working in rural India. So I decided that instead of me giving back directly, I would like to give back by educating students about India in the West, by talking about the West and different cultures around the world and by helping them clear these stereotypes. Western students often have very limited vision or knowledge about foreign coun-

tries. Overall, my own vision is to contribute to my home country and developing countries as a whole through education in the West.

How can national identity be defined through international engagement considering cultural imperialism?

Absolutely! The generally accepted idea is that when you go abroad, you lose your culture, become westernised and forget your root. I can give you my example and examples of others.

It is very true that my English speaking is fluent and I learnt some American accent; but I would say I learnt more about my home country after I went abroad than I knew when I was growing up.

When you are growing up your country, a lot of things you take for granted. You don’t interrogate them, you don’t think about them. I grew up in a small Arasian community. We celebrate festivals, it was very automatic.

But once I went to America, people for example would ask me “Why in India do they worship cows?’ And I would begin to rack my head because I never thought about it even though I had lots experiences with that back in India. So I began to read about the religion.

People would ask me questions about Indian government and I would say I do not know why they just grew up with that. And I began to discover more about my own national identity up to when I went abroad and this is very true of many international students. they grow up in small communities, take it for granted but when they go out back represent your nation, it behooves on you to learn more about your national identity.

SUKKA: Nigeria’s Depu ty Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu has charged university of Nigeria, Nsukka centre for basic space science and other scientists in country to proffer solution to the worsening insecurity in the country.

Speaking at the permanent site of the space science in Nsukka, Senator Ekweremadu challenged scientists to develop devices that could be used to track insurgents.

Ekweremadu, who was at the Centre for Basic Space Science on a one-day official visit, earlier paid courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

He expressed condolences to victims of bomb blast in Nyanya Abuja, and hoped for quick release of over 200 secondary school students abducted by the Boko Haram sect in Chibok, Borno State.

He said, “I believe science can proffer solutions to security challenges in this country. ”I challenge scientists in this country to come up with a device that can track terrorists in their hideouts so that killing of innocent Nigerians would stop”. ”I committed some of my constituency projects fund to CBSS so as to help in development of science space technology”, he added.

While announcing the donation of a transformer to Ebulumiri host community to UNN centre for basic space science, he stated that every part of Nigeria was his constituency. ”Even though I am from Enugu State, I consider every part of Nigeria as my constituency, so we shall continue to make our own contribution as much as we can to make life better for Nigerians. ”It is embarrassing that you are close to Nsukka town but you don’t have light, water and road; every community deserves all necessities of life”.

Also speaking at the Princess Alexandria Auditorium of the UNN at a public presentation of a book entitled “Braving the Stars”, a biography on Prof.

Pius Nwankwo Okeke, Ekweremadu described him as “a man who has made significant mark in the subject of Physics and Space Science and Technology in Nigeria and Africa”. ”I have followed with keen interest his ambition to ensure that Nigeria and Africa are fully involved in the efforts to develop Space Science Technology the world map.

28 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

8 get scholarship as THAF calls for innovative education

THE Hayford Alile Foundation THAF,at its fourth national entreprenaurial lecture called for an innovative educational system, based on this year’s theme; Innovating for Market Distinctiveness.

The lecture organised to mark the 74th birthday of THAF’s chairman, Apostle Hayford Alile also witnessed the award of scholarships and grants to students as well as entrepreneurs, which is part of the foundation’s stride in advancing education and entrepreneurial development in Africa.

Speaking at the event, Apostle Alile, pointed some problems besetting the distinctiveness of the nation’s educational sector to be; Incompetent teachers, lack of attention to reading, weak foundation, educationist being unrewarded amongst others.

On the issue of incompetent teachers, Apostle Alile regretably noted that students who show ignorance are products of teachers who lack knowledge themselves. As is widely said that one cannot give what he or she does not possess. He buttressed this point by citing the case of some Edo state teachers found guilty of not knowing how to spell their names, as he stated; “teachers who dont know

how to spell their names, cannot teach students to spell their names.”

Speaking on lack of attention to reading, he posited that some youth give less attention to their studies while giving more attention to surfing the internet in seeking entertainment.

The problem of students not performing well or not being thoroughly bred, can be traced to the faulty foundation they were moulded with; in terms of the primary or secondary schools they attended having poor curricula. As he added;”let’s not build on a sandy foundation but let’s build on a solid rock.”

To promote creativity in our educational system and create more employment, he recommended that trade and vocational sujects be incorporated in the school system, while using Ghana as a reference point.

He made a call to revisiting the report written by a former education minister-Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, inorder for things to work correctly.

Lastly, he suggested that; “aged headmistresses and headmasters should be encouraged to establish their own schools, so as to pass on knowledge and help them to have something to fall back to.”The guest speaker, Ms Evelyn Oputu, CEO of Bank of industry BOI on how to be innovative, pointed that; “ it is hard to teach innovation in our culture.

ASUP Strike: Ambassador asksgovt to engage in productive dialogue DAYO JOHNSON

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HE seven-month-old strike action embarked upon by staff of Polytechnics and Colleges of Education in the country has been described as not only regrettable but unfortunate.

Chairman, Governing Council of Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo in Ondo State, Ambassador John Musa Jen said this while speaking to Vanguard Learning.

Jen said the worrisome development was discussed at a retreat held in Kaduna recently which the Education Minister, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike attended.

According to him the Chairmen of colleges of Education are uncomfortable with the lingering strike action. He appealed to both parties to consider the interest of the education of the students who have been out of school in the last seven months.

Speaking on the upgrading of colleges of Education to a full fledged University of Education, the chairman said all stakeholders are been carried along to realise this proposal.

According to him the National Assembly and state governments are working on this intention to

become a reality.

Jen said 50th anniversary and 33rd special convocation ceremony of the College is scheduled to commence on May 7 this year.

According to him the ceremony covers 5147 graduands in the NCE, Degree and Sandwich Programmes from 2010 to 2012.

He pointed out that 1,622 are for NCE while 3,459 are Degrees.

Four made first class, 416 second class upper, 1,831 second class lower, 1,106 third class while 102 made pass all totalling 3459.

He said that ten projects include the Vocation and education complex, Centre for Education technology, Counselling Laboratory, Early Childhood complex, Blocks of Staff Offices, Multi-Media Micro Laboratory, a 500- twin lecture theatre to accomodate 1000 students, Fine and Applied Art studio and Home Economics textile Laboratory.

Those to be awarded College Fellowships include Minister of Communication Technologuy Omobola Johnson, Founder of Afe Babalola University Ado Ekiti (ABUA) Aare Afe Babalola, Director General National Teachers Institute NTI, Kaduna, Dr Aminu Ladan Sharehu and Chairman Pacesetters Group oF schools Abuja, Kenneth Imansuangbon.

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BY LAJU ARENYEKA

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has said that the Federal Government is handling the prolonged strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, and the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union, COEASU. President Jonathan who made this known during the Presidential media chat last weekend said that the “Polytechnics are being handled.” He however criticized the unions for expecting to be paid when they have been on strike for so long. “It is quite interesting that people will be on strike for six months and expect to be paid for those six months, he said, “there is a pro-

vision in the constitution that says that if people go on strike for a day, they should not be paid for that day. You will forgo your salary for that one day because you want to communicate with the public and the Government about your concerns. That is the provision of the law. The law is there, it is not Jonathan that made that law. We have similar laws in the parliament, if your consistency wants you to cross carpets you have to forgo your seat. All these are happening because our democracy is quite young, as we continue to progress, things will stabil i z e . ” ASUP has been on strike for nearly seven months, and COEASU for three months.

SUCCESS RECIPE WITH UDEME ARCHIBONG successrecipe2009@gmail.com 08035095243

ally conquered the mountain; he conquered himself.

Everyone got problems. That is great! Problems or defeat is the soil in which opportunities grow.

Therefore, we can safely say, opportunity abounds because problems exists. There are different kinds of problems that human beings are faced with-financial, emotional, mental, moral, physical; and business or professional problems. It is worthy to note that no problem leaves you the same way it met you; you become a bigger and better person if you grow through and above the problems of life. However, if you don’t grow through life’s problems you will groan through.

Problems are life’s warning signals that something is wrong and needs to be put right; problems are feedback mechanism informing you to change your course of action.

To effectively handle any problem you must become aware of the roots of your problems.

Adequate knowledge and understanding of the problem must be gained. It is vital to study and analyze every dimension of the problem.

For instance, if you are faced with a problem that involves a misunderstanding with another person, you must first start with yourself.

Ask yourself; How did I create the condition or the results evident in my life? What was I

Growing above the mountain of defeat

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HAT is common to kings and also common to the peasants?

What is common to the rich and also to the poor? What is common to both young and old irrespective of the gender; status; ethnicity and race? The common denominator among human beings is “Defeat”. Everyone got problems. The good news is that every problem has within it the seed of greater or corresponding advantage. In fact, life’s vault of valuables is wrapped up with problems.

Does the name Sir Edmund Hillary ring a bell to you? Yes! He was the first person in the world to ascend the peak of Mount Everest. Was he born a genius to be strong, daring, adventurous and fearless? Farfetched! It may interest you to know that Edmund’s teachers told him bluntly that he was physically unfit, thin, weak, and too often sick.

However, at the age of sixteen after skiing for the first time, he told himself: “I must

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BY CHINYERE ABIAZIEM & MUSBAUDEEN SHEKONI

We are handling ASUP, COESU strikes—Jonathan

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The good news is that every problem has within it the seed of greater or corresponding advantage. In fact, life’s vault of valuables is wrapped up with problems

climb something”. But reality stared him in the face; he had to overcome an unfit and thin physical constitution and weak and sickly body. He began the odious task of spending his free time hiking, jogging and climbing mountains. He broke three ribs in one fall, was gored by a frightened yak during another climb, and suffered infected leech bites, massive blisters, and frozen nose drips on various climbs.

Mount Everest which is the world’s highest peak is a difficult ordeal in itself; the condition atop the mountain comprises of deadly winds, waist-deep snow, bitter cold, limited visibility and thin air in so much that oxygen masks are required. In 1952, Edmund Hillary had experienced a failed attempt in climbing Mount Everest.

After the incident, Edmund said, “You’ve beat me the first time but I will beat you this time because you’ve grown all that you had to grow but I’m still growing”. And in 1953, Edmund Hillary succeeded in climbing Mount Everest. Actually, Edmund never re-

thinking? What were my beliefs? What did I say or not say? What did I do or not do to create that result? How did I get the other person to act that way? What do I need to do differently next time to get the result I want?

Study the problem until you are completely knowledgeable.

Think through your problems. The greatest mistake you can ever make when confronted with a problem is to react emotionally. You must balance emotions with reason; organize your thoughts; think straight and clean thoughts and maintain mental calmness. Think hard and think through because the answers to your problems could be found within and without your mind. Seek Divine help; pray through.

Seek expert counsel if necessary.

Believe that you will overcome the problems; believe that you can solve them. Believe and expect to conquer negative feelings; emotions; passions; prejudices; beliefs; habits and mountain of defeat.

You can if you think you can.

Vanguard, THURSD AY, MAY 8, 2014 — 29 THURSDA

30 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

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rs. Esther Dokyoung is the Founder of Helping Hands for Women and Youth, a non-governmental organisation working in collaboration with government agencies to promote art, sexuality education and human rights. In this chat with Vanguard Learning in Abuja, the Industrial Design graduate with a master’s degree specializing in Ceramics from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, speaks on her research work in the area of clay therapy. Excerpts:

Working with clay strengthens fine motor skills – ESTHER DOKYOUNG

BY EBELE ORAKPO

•Some of the clay beads The beginning: CCORDING to Mrs Dokyoung, an entrepreneur and researcher who has worked with several special schools: “I have been working in the area of clay therapy and eco-friendly production using waste materials - what you call junk art - combining it with clay since1997. I have been producing clay beads and I am passionate about it because we have abundance of clay in Nigeria. As a final year student, I saw a material on clay beads.

Although we were not taught, I was interested so on my own, I started experimenting. I had to work with some girls that were into prostitution, to help them turn their lives around and I was looking for materials that I could use without spending a dime. I thought of clay and thought of making key holders, wall decorations and so on and then, I stumbled on the idea of making beads using clay. Clay beads have been century-long in use but it is just like it fizzled out over time.

In Nigeria, the Igbo Ukwu and Nok Art had clay beads on the

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•Mrs. Esther Dokyoung the touch of hands, clay gives you results that you will not get from plastacine; the touch in the hands is so nice. I know clay is dirty but there is an interesting part of clay that makes it superb as far as therapy is concerned. I am not so knowledgeable in medical science but the little psychology I know has shown that fine motor skills are actually strengthened as you keep working with clay.

Anything that will make you to twist, rub and squeeze the hands, will help the fine motor skills and also improve cognition.

So for people who have accident, high blood pressure or diabetes and need to do a lot of exercise, clay is one material that you can just fetch and put in the hands and keep squeezing.

It’s so soft that when you squeeze it, it will not be like a ball. A ball has air within so that

I am not so knowledgeable in medical science but the little psychology I know has shown that fine motor skills are actually strengthened as you keep working with clay sculptures but then, making them into jewellery, was more among the Red Indians, the Maya people, Chinese and Singaporeans but Nigerians did not really have a strong history of clay bead-making. So as a lover of beads, I asked myself, how can we have natural beads, not those ones manufactured in factories?

That was how I got interested in developing and designing my own personal beads for the purpose of boosting tourism,” she said.

Clay therapy: Dokyoung said that in the process of working with clay, she discovered the therapeutic property of clay.“The malleability of clay is so fantastic that with C M Y K

when you squeeze, the air goes in and then it bounces back up but in clay, the air particles are so little so when you squeeze, you still have a strong feel because it is compact and that is what helps a lot of people. I felt that if these things are working outside the country, why not in Nigeria? That was what actually motivated me to look at clay therapy as an area of interest.”

Mathematical Bin: “I realised that clay being a material that is quite accessible and associated with children, could be useful also for counting so I designed what is called the Clay Mathematical Bin consisting of clay beads in a container so when the children

want to do their arithmetic (addition and subtraction), they use them instead of using dirty can covers. In the process, they play with the beads because when you make the round ones, they roll. In the process of counting, the beads roll and the children play.”

Special needs children: “The impact of play on education cannot be overemphasized as it helps the child to learn faster and slowly with stability so I felt

that just designing the clay mathematical bin and keeping it all by itself, will not do. I asked myself: Who are the population that need this material most? I realised it is the special needs people; those who have difficulty in learning could benefit most from using the clay beads.

The clay beads should, however, not be small because sometimes they see them as biscuits as the colours are attractive especially when they have embossed designs, so we make bigger clay beads for them so that swallowing would be difficult. I did a study with special needs children, children with mental retardation, autism, and cerebral palsy and I realised that even those that could

not paint and could not even write a word, were able to do so.

There was spontaneity in their work; instantly trying to put a string through the beads without me showing them anything.

They just saw the beads and they felt they needed to string and put them on. It was something exciting to me.

“Secondly, they were able to count, even those that could not say 1, 2, 3; could turn the beads into the container as they saw other children doing. The other thing was that they turned the Mathematical Bin to a musical instrument, shaking the container, making some sounds etc. So fired clay beads could be useful in helping them to learn.”

Clay for play: “Many caregivers want to teach their wards how to make clay beads but they lack the knowledge so I designed a manual – Clay for Play- with the same concept of promoting play while learning. I pray that before this year ends, the material will be published and made available to schools, hospitals and caregivers because I know there are many special needs people hiding in homes so it will help caregivers.

AUN, US College collaborate on peace journalism

By EBELE ORAKPO

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tudents of the American University of Nigeria and Earlham College in Indiana, USA, are participating in a joint course on Peace Journalism for the 2014 spring semester. The course is a project of the Global Liberal Arts Alliance (GLAA), an organisation of 25 colleges and universities in 13 countries, dedicated to strengthening liberal arts and science education through the exchange of experience and the development of mutually beneficial programs.

A release made available to Vanguard L earning and signedby Mr. Daniel Okereke, AUN's spokesperson, stated that the collaboration which is first of its kind for AUN, will see AUN’s writing for the Mass Media students working in collaboration with Peace Journalism students at Earlham College, to cover stories on minority rights and youth disenfranchisement in Nigeria and the US. "The final written projects, which the students will jointly produce, will serve as their

examinations for the semester and will be published online," said the release, adding: "The stories, which are focused principally on youth disenfranchisement and insurgency, as well as on minority rights, will reflect elements of Peace Journalism from the Earlham end and news storytelling from the AUN students."

“The goal of the project is to create international reporting groups to work on stories about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights or violence by young people,” said Dr. Judi Hetrick, professor of the Peace Journalism class at Earlham, expressing her excitement about the collaboration and noted that via Facebook, students can meet and share interests from their homes.

GLAA, founded by The Great Lakes Colleges Association with funding from the Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation seeks to, through this collaboration, to draw on the tools of social media to expand the class-

room and enable international collaboration between students across borders.

The joint project, expected to pioneer several other joint projects between universities globally under the umbrella of the GLAA, has the backing of AUN's President Margee Ensign, Academic VicePresident (Provost) Charles Reith, and Dean, Idorenyin Akpan.

For Dr. Jacob Udo-Udo Jacob, the professor in charge of the AUN class, AUN is a “light bearer in a region blighted by insecurity, underdevelopment, and a large unemployed and disenfranchised youth population.”

He said the collaboration will inspire students to think more broadly, and to see journalism as a tool for conflict transformation as well as development.

Describing the project as a “most creative work,” Senior Program Officer of the Great Lakes Colleges Association, Joyce Budai, congratulated Dr. Jacob, Dr. Hetrick and the participating students.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014 — 31

Stakeholders insist on vocational skills as solution to unemployment

BY IKENNA ASOMBA

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HE tragic stampede that marred the March 15, recruitment of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), may have come and gone, even buried under the carpet, but the memories of how over one million Nigerian youths scrambled for just 4, 500 job placements, will indeed continue to reverberate in the minds of many concerned Nigerians.

In the unfortunate incident, no fewer than 19 unsuspecting young and energetic youths among whom are graduates of Colleges of Education, Polytechnics and Universities lost their lives, with many others injured at the recruitment that held in the stadia of major city centres such as Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, Ilorin, Benin, Kano, Port-Harcourt, Benue, Calabar, Gombe, Kano, Borno, Sokoto among others.

Eventhough the NIS authorities placed a flat fee of N1, 000 to discourage a rowdy exercise, this played little or no role to discouraging the army of unemployed youths who thronged the various stadia, to participate in the test.

Just recently, at the inaugural housing stakeholders’ implementation summit, the Coordi-

nating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, puts the number of unemployed Nigerians at 18.9 million, comprising 5.3 million unemployed people and a pool of under-employed people (those working but the job is not full time) of 13.6 million.

Against this backdrop, stakeholders who spoke to Vanguard Learning, have reiterated the urgent need for Nigerian youths, whether graduates or not, to embrace vocational skills as the way out for ending a recurrence of the tragic NIS stampede in the country.

Speaking at the 30th Anniversary/24th Graduation of the 2011/ 2012 set of Victory Institute of Catering and Hotel Management (VICHM), Ikeja, Lagos, where 31 students graduated with Diploma, the Managing Proprietor and Director of Studies, Dr. Christian Olaniyan said that with unemployment becoming a canker-worm of the nation’s economy, acquiring vocational skills is a way out.

He said: “We all know that unemployment is now the biggest canker-worm of our economy, which has the multiplier effect of

several anti-social vices like armed robbery, kidnapping and terrorism. But with a vocational and entrepreneurial institution like ours, unemployment is reduced in our society. The products of this institution are never found roaming the unemployment market, as most of them are today seen in paid hospitality establishments like hotels, hospitals, airways and restaurants.

With most of them also standing on their own as employers of labour, it’s therefore imperative for youths to embrace the acquisition of vocational skills as a necessity of life.”

Favour Inyang, a graduate of Catering and Hotel Management said: “I believe that acquiring tertiary education is not everything.

One must not go to a university before you make it in life, but you just need to take a bold step to start up something doing. We have so many graduates today, who are roaming the unemployment market hopelessly. As for me, I am yet to acquire a university education, but just less than a month after graduation, I’m already working with the vocational skill which I have acquired in catering and hotel management.”

Daniel Apori conferred with GLIMA in Ghana

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R Daniel Apori has been conferred with the Global Leader of Integrity Merit Award (GLIMA) for honesty, educational development, transparency and accountability in leadership. This was disclosed recently by Proven Integrity Communication Networks Limited, Publisher of Integrity International Magazine at Accra ,Ghana.

The event attracted accomplished professionals across the African Continent and beyond.

Head, African Operations Dr. Daniel Apori of Integrity International said that those expected at the event included heads sustainable economic and of State, top governmental social political development functionaries, envoys, busi- in Africa, promote excellence ness personalities, through selfless service that educationists, eminent Afri- will stimulate economic can statesmen, religious growth and development in leaders, traditional leaders African and also to create and State Governors among awareness on the essence of honesty, educational develothers.

Ipada said the aims in- opment, transparency and accluded to sensitize African countability as a basis for promotleadership, promote ing integrity in leadership.

C M Y K

32 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

Education requires qualified managers says Nemvas Int’l

BY MUSBAUDEEN SHEKONI

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GAINST the trend of dis mal failure in public and private education sectors, Nemvas International Limited, has tasked stakeholders to conceive of education as a big project that requires expertise of qualified and certified project managers to manage..

Nemvas, at a seminar held at the Nicon Hotels &Apartment, VGC-Lagos to unveil its various consultancy services that include project management training and certification, educational consultancy services and strategic business development solution, comprehensively touched on the importance of professional project managers globally and specifically in Nigeria, saying the world currently needs an approximately 32.6 million employees with project management skill between now and 2016 according to the survey carried out by the Project Management Institute

(PMI).

The institute believes that project failure which it said is a common phenomenon in Nigeria ranging from small, medium to major projects at the government, private and individual levels is a resultant effect of poor project management and poor maintenance culture for commissioned projects.

Speaking at the occasion, Mazi Nnamdi, Chairman of Nemvas International Limited, who lectured on the purpose of project management training and certification, educational programmes, said that Nemvas is advocating for, maintained that the company’s initiative is an innovation to improve the society by making project management nearer home and also going back to the basics of education, leadership and development to make it a continuous part of the country’s development processes both in working life and in academic life.

He said that, “Need to help people get the necessary training and certification for project management which is what we think the society needs to deliver all projects that we very badly need to improve our education, economy and infrastructure both at the state, local government and federal levels has manifested in every facets of the economy.”

Mazi said Nemvas is “Getting people to know that they need to have the concept, the planning, the execution and the sustenance in the educational sector because, project management applies in every facet of our lives. So, when people understand that education is a project from nursery, to primary, and to higher levels of education then they would look at the indices that are required to execute and sustain it and that is the reason why we are creating the awareness for the available platform for people to understand what it means to run a project.”

Silversand Hall Schools berths at Pinnock Beach

Are Nigerian private universities in trouble?

"Private varsities attract 2% of UTME candidates" PUNCH, April 29, 2014.

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HE report, by Charles Abbah, continued by providing the startling figures. According to him, "only 18,667 of the over 1.6 million candidates who applied for this year's Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination are seeking admission to the nation's private universities." Given almost 50 private universities in the country today, that means that the average for the private universities comes to 374 students seeking admission.

Without being told, it is quite obvious that some faculties in some of these universities might not have a single 100 level student to teach when the new academic year opens in September/October. Several questions arise from these facts alone and they will be addressed presently. But, first, let us examine more of the alarming figures which Abbah presented.

"The Obong University, Obong, Ntak, Akwa Ibom State, and the Southwestern University, Okun Owa, Ogun State, have the least number of applicants with four [4] candidates seeking placement in each of the institutions". Even if these universities charge N2 million per student, how on earth does one operate a university with only four level 100 students? In my travels throughout Nigeria, visiting universities, including a brief and unofficial stop at Obong U n i v e r s i t y, I c a n n o t r e c a l l s e e i n g a Vi c e Chancellor's quarters which could be maintained at less than N10 million per annum.

Visiting universities

From right: Barr. Ima-Mariam Nike Agunbiade, Executive Director, Silversands Hall Schools, Mrs Augusta Adebayo and Mr Charles Eden at a media chat.

By TARE YOUDEOWEI

P

OISED to provide a wellrounded learning experience for the child, Silversands Hall School after two years of shouldering the responsibility of educating the Nigerian child with the primary purpose of positioning them for global relevance and for helping them meet the demands of the 21st Century in the primary sessions, has officially opened its secondary section at Pinnock Beach Estate, Lekki.

This was disclosed by the Executive Director, Barr. ImaMariam Nike Agunbiade while taking the media round the school recently. According to her, “we at Silversands Hall School recognise education as a tool, not just for acquiring knowledge but for harnessing and utilising opportunities that

C M Y K

life always brings, to maximum advantage.”

The seasoned educationist and author stated that they have been running creche, nursery and elementary sections for years and based on the successes recorded, they have started the secondary section and it will kick off in September.

They also have the Beaconfield College, a sixth pre-degree foundation college located at Eleganza Garden, Lekki and the Modern Montessori International where teachers at all levels of the educational system are trained.

She explained some of the areas of focus in Silversands which include; to teach the child how to learn even in non-educational settings, to develop the child to adapt the application of knowledge acquired to prepared and unprepared empirical occurrences, to guide the child into the

unpredictable but exciting world of entreprenership, provide and maintain a healthy, safe and secure learning environment for the child, to deploy the appropriate curriculum that will support the holistic development of each individual child.

She posited that these goals are possible particularly because the school is overseen by a dynamic and inspiring board of governors who are seasoned and distinguished individuals in areas of academics, business and professional fields chaired by Chief Duro Onabolu.

Our use of the Nigerian and British, Montessori and American curricula has allowed for a·wellrounded and thorough learning experience for the child. Indeed, the experience is as exciting for the child as it is for the teacher, because the multi-sensory approach plunges both teacher and learner into an achievement-proned experience.

The one at ELIZADE would certainly cost more. So, when the operation of the VC's office consumes the entire revenue from four students in level 100, what sort of contributions can be expected from levels 200 and above to prevent the university from becoming a heavy drain on the resources of one person? More to the point, how long can this continue? We will return to this point later.

For all we know, the four students might spread over four different disciplines. So, we can imagine the lecturers entering classrooms only to be confronted with one student each. Worse still, they might be headed for one or two courses. Even the idea of four students in a class is too funny to contemplate. Then, the question arises, what do you do with lecturers in the Faculty of Science when there are no science students to teach? Yet, this is the stark reality which is staring most of the proprietors of private universities in the face this coming October.

"If gold rusts, what then would iron do?"

Geoffrey Chaucer,1342-1400.

(VANGUARD BOOK OF QOUTATIONS p 78).

Just in case you think that Obong and Southwestern are to be pitied, because they are not well-known, or their proprietors are not rich and famous, then take a look at the table below.

These are some of the heavyweights in the sector.

Bell University Obasanjo 232 American University Atiku 280 Igbinedion University Igbinedion 658 Continues next week Visit: www.delesobowale.com www.facebook.com/biolasobowale

or

Visit:

Vanguard, THURSD AY, MAY 8, 2014 — 33 THURSDA

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C M Y K

— V anguard, THURSD AY, MAY 8, 2014 THURSDA Vanguard

Vanguard, THURSD AY, MAY 8, 2014 — 35 THURSDA

36—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

O N Monday, April 14, 2014 over 200 young female stu dents of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State were abducted by Boko Haram members, sending shock waves across the globe. It is believed that the gunmen took the girls to the Sambisa forest near the Cameroonian border. Ever since, it has been a litany of tales regarding the fate of the kidnapped girls. It suffices to state that the tales indicate grave violations of international and domestic laws as well as an affront on the rights of the abducted girls.

The Child Rights Act sets out the rights of the child as right to survival and development; right to name, freedom of association and peaceful assembly; freedom of thought, conscience and religion; right to private and family life; right to freedom of movement; right to freedom from discrimination; right to dignity of the child; right to leisure, recreation and cultural activities; right to health and health services; right to parental care, protection and maintenance, and right of a child to free, compulsory and universal primary education, among others.

Forced marriages Most of these rights are undoubtly guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

In line with the above rights as guaranteed by the CRA and consistent with the tales relating to the abducted girls, it is safe to say that not only are several of these rights being denied the girls, several crimes are also being committed against them. These include rape, forced marriages, forced labour, false imprisonment, child trafficking, kidnapping, and perhaps murders, to name a few. For starters, 16-year-old Comfort Bulus who was reported to have escaped from the Sambisa camp said that some of the girls were raped and forced to convert to Islam. Those who refused had their throats cut. This is a clear violation of their right to life as well as the right to freedom of thought, conscience and

Cross section of Women for Peace and Justice Coalition, inconjuction with Market Men and Women Association of Nigeria, held a peaceful protest “Bring Back Our Girls in Chibok Borno State” to Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

Chibok Girls: Gender violence and human rights violation

By FUNKE ADEKOYA, SAN

contravenes the provisions of subsection (1) of this section commits an offence and is liable on conviction (a) where the child is unlawfully removed or taken out of Federal Republic of Nigeria (i) with intention to return the child to Nigeria, to imprisonment for a term of fifteen years; or (ii) with no intention to return the child to Nigeria, to imprisonment for a term of There are also accounts to the twenty years; b) where the effect that some of the girls are child is unlawfully removed either being married off to the in- or taken out of the State in the father, mother, surgents, or are being given out in which guardian or such other person who has lawful care of marriages for a fee to other the child is ordinarily resinationals dent, to imprisonment for a term of ten years; or (c) in r e l i g i o n . any case, to imprisonment for a term of Specifically, the Child Rights Act makes seven years.”

The Act also prohibits child marriage copious provisions on abduction of children. Section 27 of the Act states that (section 21), child labour (section 28), “(1) No person shall remove or take a and unlawful sexual intercourse with a child out of the custody or protection of child (section 31). Apart from the core his father or mother, guardian or such issue of terrorism which traverses the other person having lawful care or entire gamut of the debacle, it is charge of the child against the will of imperative to situate the crisis in its the father, mother, guardian or other proper legal context. In line with person.” It adds that “(2) A person who accounts reportedly narrated by some of

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CONSTITUTION: The task before the national conference

the girls who escaped the kidnapping, they are being subjected to rape by the insurgents. Indeed, some stated that it was these grievous acts that made them to risk their lives by daring to escape.

It is also reported that the girls were being subjected to doing domestic chores such as cooking and washing plates for the insurgents. There are also accounts to the effect that some of the girls are either being married off to the insurgents, or are being given out in marriages for a fee to other nationals.

Human trafficking Indeed, Boko Haram has threatened to sell the girls. Aside from the fact that this connotes forced marriage, some human rights groups have rightly observed that this borders on sex slavery and human trafficking. There are strong indications that these forced marriages had been going on for sometime now.

Hajiya Fatima Zanna, founder of the Purple Heart Foundation, a non-governmental organisation based in Borno State, said recently that in Gwange Ward, Bama town and other parts of the state, terrorists usually storm family compounds to abduct the girls they wanted.

Page 38

They would then throw either N2000 or N3000 into the affected compound as the ‘bride price’ for each girl that was taken captive.

While Section 35 (1) of the 1999 Constitution provides that “Every person shall be entitled to his personal liberty” and sets out the parameters under which such right can be derogated from, the kidnapping of the Chibok girls apparently does not come under any of the stated exceptions. Their constitutional rights have therefore been breached.

Further, Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution provides that “The privacy of citizens, their homes, correspondence, telephone conversations and telegraphic communications is hereby guaranteed and protected.” This right is presently under threat as it relates to the kidnapped girls. It also bears no repeating that their right to freedom of movement has been abrogated by the insurgents while their being subjected to menial chores deprives them of the right to dignity of human persons. It also amounts to forced labour.

However, the right to education has come under the severest of attacks with the kidnapping of the Chibok girls, leading to a fractured education system. It has been reported that “either out of school or in school, minors under the state of emergency have become terrified of the pervading insecurity. There are plans to fortify the schools when they eventually reopen, the abduction of Chibok girls has ensured that the children are scared of the classroom.” Indeed, that is the goal of the insurgents.

This state of siege is bound to adversely

Continues on Page 37

Agbakoba’s letter on zoning and the NBA 2014 election Page 37

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014 — 37

Their right to freedom of movement has been abrogated by the insurgents while their being subjected to menial chores deprives them of the right to dignity of human persons

Continues frompage 36 impact the growth and development of these school girls, especially the girls who are routinely married off at a very tender age. It also exposes them to all manner of developmental hardships when compared with their peers. Only recently, Lagos State Deputy Governor stated that more women in the state “have access to education, work and political participation.

More girls are now going to school, with primary enrolment rates approaching 90 percent.

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Maternal mortality This has positive implica tion for other aspects of their lives, and is in fact good for all of us, including male gender.”

She further observed that maternal mortality has declined by 50 percent, adding that “educated women and girls now make informed decisions about their health and lives. They claim their rights and contribute more fully to their families and communities.” Juxtaposed against the plight of the Chibok girls, the grim picture is thrown into bold relief.

Amnesty International records that in October last year, about 70 teachers and more than 100 school children lost their lives in Borno State due to insurgency attacks. Over 800 classrooms were burnt down.

In Yobe State, 209 schools have been destroyed. There were reports that after killing over 40 male students at a school, the insurgents warned the female survivors to go and get married and ditch their quest for western education. UNICEF said recently that it was “deeply concerned about the persistent trend of attacks on schools in N i g e r i a .

Most recently, unidentified gunmen killed 53 children be-

EDITORIAL TEAM Dayo Benson (Editor) Innocent Anaba ( Head) Wahab Abdulah Ikechukwu Nnochiri

,

Chibok Girls: Gender violence and human rights

Ondo State women protesting the abduction of students of Government Girls College, Chibok, at the Governor's Office, in Akure, on Monday. tween 13 and 17 years old at the Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, Yobe State, in February.”

The growing incidence of gender-based violence no doubt constitutes a serious threat to

gender development and equality globally. Women’s rights are constantly under assault thereby undermining gender rights, equality and development. It is estimated that one in three women is subject to violence over the

course of her lifetime, even as gender mutilation and child marriages persist. This is coupled with the vicissitudes of Nigerian customary law which generally tends to subjugate the girl-child. It behoves on govern-

ment to provide adequate security especially in the North East zone of the country to enable children return to schools, even as efforts must be made to rescue the Chibok girls and reunite them with their families. To do otherwise is to hand the initiative to the insurgents. Concerted efforts should also be made by government towards targeting the MDGs to enhance the quality of life particularly in the North East.

•Mrs. Adekoya (SAN) is a respected lawyer and former NBA 1st Vice President/National Treasurer

Agbakoba’s letter on zoning and the NBA 2014 election O

UR attention have been drawn to the letter dated 28th April, 2014 purportedly written by Dr. Olisa Agbakoba S.A.N. (past president) of the Nigerian Bar Association.

We would not want to believe that the letter under reference was indeed written by Dr. Olisa Agbakoba S.A.N. Our disbelief stems from the fact that at a meeting held in March, 2012 to address the legitimate demands and aspiration of the Midwest Bar Forum for the NBA presidential slot, Dr. Agbakoba submitted a written position wherein he clearly stated that for the purpose of the zoning of the NBA presidency, both the Midwest Bar Forum and Egbe Amofin belong to the WEST. The meeting was presided over by Mr. J.B. Daudu, SAN (the then president of the NBA) and the prominent and respected leaders that attended included Chief T.J.Okpoko SAN, and Chief Bamidele Aiku SAN, who represented the Midwest Bar Forum and the Egbe Amofin respectively.

In fact, it is unthinkable that a man of his status would turn around to take a contrary position because of his support for a particular candidate and /or the exigencies of the present election.

It is important to note that there is no SOUTH WEST in the informal zoning configuaration of the NBA as far as the office of the presidency is concerned. For the avoidance of doubt, the three recognized zones are NORTH, EAST and WEST (i.e Egbe Amofin and Midwest) In the unlikely event that the letter under reference was indeed written by Dr. Olisa Agbakoba SAN, there is need to remind him that a decision has already be taken by the leaders and elders of the Bar at the aforesaid meeting in Abuja, in March, 2012 . At the meeting, the NBA 2014 presidency was zoned to the WEST thus; leaving

the door open for any member of the Midwest Bar Forum or Egbe Amofin to contest the election. The South-West-(Egbe Amofin) and the Midwest Bar Forum have since moved beyond Dr. Agbakoba (SAN)’s partisan position. Both parties have already agreed that they belong to the WEST. However, the unresolved issue is as to which of the two fora in the WEST will field a candidate in 2014. Efforts to resolve the question of precedence on the basis of fairness and propriety have not yielded dividend. On that note, the parties concerned have agreed to meet at Phillipi, i.e at the

polls for the NBA to choose between the contesting WESTERN (Midwest and Egbe Amofin) candidates. Dr. Agbakoba therefore has every right to vote for his candidate on Election Day but he has no right to peddle untruth and cry louder than the bereaved.

Finally, a leaf must be borrowed from the East where in the last election, candidates from different parts of the zone contested the election. That in our view represents the true spirit of democracy.

•By Ferdinand Orbih SAN, Chief Orbih is Chairman, Midwest Bar Forum.

38 — VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

Law Pavilion trains Lagos State Justice Ministry Directors

L

CONSTITUTION:

The task before the national conference Concurrent List. The State may exercise power on the Concurrent List only if the Federal Government has not already ‘covHIS year, Nigeria celebrated 100 ered the field’ in any of the 30 items. In years of existence as a political enti- effect all the other 801 Governments are in ty. Also this year, the President convened combination weaker than the Federal Gova National Conference to deliberate and ernment.

Thus under the present Constitution, Nifind solution to Nigeria’s Constitutional problems. These are actually problems geria is a federation of excessively strong confronting Nigeria since it came into ex- Federal Government where the States istence in 1914.The root of the problem actually exercise power at the pleasure of is that Nigeria is a plural, diverse and Federal Government.Another feature of Nidivided state. We have 3 major fault geria’s Centralized Federation is the lines, which are ethnicity, religion and excessive Revenue Power of the Federal language. In its 100 years of existence, Government. Presently the Federal GovNigeria has never confronted the chal- ernment collects 97% of revenue accruing lenges posed by these 3 major fault lines, to Nigeria. This is one of the most extreme by enacting a genuine Peoples’ Consti- cases of Centralised Revenue Power, sectution. Peoples’ Constitution is about an ond only to Venezuela’s 98%.

A balanced Federal System is not attainagreed framework for co-existence able under the present Constitution. Thereamong our diverse ethnic nationalities. fore, there is urgent need to remodel our Unity is our key challenge. And FederCentralized Federation to a Balanced Fedalism is the only known political system eration, by massively devolving powers to the States and also create a Fiscal Federalism is crucial for balance between the Revenue Powers of the Federal and the functioning of the Federal State Governments.This is the system. In fact it is one of the key task before the National Confeatures of Balanced Federalism ference. The National Assembly also has the task of creating the legal framework for the that accommodates divisions and diver- adoption of the outcome of the National sity. Even our colonial masters recog- Conference. nized this. Macpherson prescribed FedHow to Devolve and Share Power beeralism. Zik, Awo, etc. also advocated Fed- tween Federal Government andthe States eralism.

The powers that need to be devolved or Remodelling Nigeria’s Centralized shared between Federal and State GovernFederalism to a Balanced Federalism ment are Technical and Political in nature.

Nigeria is one of the 28 countries in Technical Powers are those that seem more the world that practise different models relevant to the States than the Federal Govof federalism. The problem with Nigeri- ernment in which the States will be more an model is that power is too centralised. efficient than the Federal Government. For Nigeria consists of 802 Governments Example, States are better able to manage made up of 774 Local Governments, 36 the following items than the Federal GovState Governments, and 1 Federal Gov- ernment: agriculture, micro finance banks, ernment. Exercise of Legislative Power solemnization of marriages, regulation of between Federal and State Government labour and industrial relations at state levis divided into Exclusive and Concur- el including prescription of minimum wage rent Legislative Lists. The Federal for the state, incorporation of business enGovernment exercises power over 68 items terprises with state objects, taxes on income on the Exclusive List and 30 items on the and profits within the State other than InBy DR OLISA AGBAKOBA, SAN & CHINEDU NNEKE

T

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come and Profits of Companies, trade within states.On the other hand, Political Powers, such as police, election, judiciary, etc. may be more difficult to deal with; as it is perceived to mean exercise of political control.

As a result, the concept of shared or joint power will help to resolve Political Powers.For instance, it is possible to introduce municipal policing for States, while streamlining the present Nigeria Police Force in a shared power scheme between Federal and State Governments.

Massive devolution A massive devolution and sharing of powers, as prescribed, will result into a new list of Legislative powers divided into, (1) Federal Legislative Lists, for powers exclusive to the Federal Government, (2) State Legislative Lists, for powers exclusive to States, (3) Concurrent or Shared powers between Federal and State Governments, and (4) Residual powers for States.

How to attain Fiscal Federalism and balanced Revenue Sharing Fiscal Federalism is crucial for the functioning of the Federal system. In fact it is one of the key features of Balanced Federalism. It is therefore very important to create a balance between the Federal and State Governments in Revenue generation, sharing and spending.

The General principle is to rebase the Revenue Power by (1) Transferring ownership of certain resources to States, (2) Re-allocating some taxation to States; and (3) Re-allocating money to States as a result of major re-allocation of power from Federal to State Governments.

For example (1) review of Land Administration within the framework of the Land Use Act, but with ownership returning to original owners, and (2) review of Tax Administration so VAT, for example is State and not Federal Tax.

Dr. Olisa Agbakoba SAN and Chinedu Nneke are of Olisa Agbakoba & Associates, Lagos

aw Pavilion has organised a training for Directors at the Lagos State Ministry of Justice The essence of the 3-Day training was to Maximise the use of the LawPavilion software. It was also meant to enhance the efficiency and productivity of Counsels by use of the LawPavilion software application.

The training which held between 28th to 30th April was one of the after sales service offered by the company.

The recently introduced Case Manager which is a revolutionary software that organises and streamline the complex workflow of the Legal professional was also demonstrated to participants.

According to its Head of Training, Lekan Shogbehin, “the Law Pavilion 6.0 also features an upgrade of the 360 Degrees software application; which now allows instant viewing of status of each case. Before this introduction, the 360 Degree technology was on a separate tab and each search had to be done on this tab to get a 360 degree search.”

Shogbehin noted that with Law Pavilion 6.0 latest upgrade, every case search instantly reveals the status of the individual, adding “ you can also buy judgments per year, the essence of this is to make it more affordable, so that more people can have access to it.”

Explaining further on case management, he said: “Now You can input a case, and upon your search for a particular case, every information related to the case in question, will be accessible in one click - this includes all documents attached to the case, every application made in court on this case, list of parties involved in the case and every other useful information and data on the matter.

Another advantage of this latest case management system is the fact that it gives flexibility.

Traditionally, you have to be in the office to access the above info or files. This is no longer the case, as you can now have access to them anywhere in the world once they have been digitised and uploaded online.

This is what the case management is about and this is what we are introducing to the Ministry of Justice, because they are a very big ministry with quite a lot of information and a software like this is what they need to manage their case file load.

There have been incidents of missed cases, missed judgments, incomplete matters, and untraceable judgments, etc. The new case manager will help them track and follow cases, so as to be able to establish the true position of a case at any given time.”

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014 — 39 YOUR LUCK TODAY

LEISURE

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 LIBRA; If you back your financial plans with concrete and positive actions things’ll go according to your desire.

If you fail to realise importance of your spouse you would work your way into avoidable trouble; aren’t you tired of crisis?

SCORPIO; Your intelligence, competence and level of concentration may today bring you envy, which you don’t deserve within your working arena in a negative form but.

SAGITTARIUS; The Moon highlights your Solar second house of money which is good but, if you try to buy true love with money, you’ll be disappointed CAPRICORN; The. Moon in your Star sign’ll gives you new confidence and with new supports from the powersthat-be, it’s like you are now un-stop-able. But be cautious, especially with the veterans within your base of operation AQUARIUS; Better days are ahead of you but, you will today need to do away with non-productive argument and/ or agreement. Try to be more diplomatic now.

By Richard Eromosele

I

T is not un common these days especially during time of religious observance to say in this ‘season of

expected to dwell in love permanently.

Love hate? The truth is therefore should that we (man) are not be season to products of love. man.

We were conceived in love and Think about it! by nature we are

Season of love? love.’ My question is, is there a particular season of love? If there is, won’t there also be a season of

TERROR MUDA

in “Never say goodbye”

By Lanre Kehinde

PISCES; If what you’re doing today ’ll depend on tomorrow’s event it’s better you’re more careful now. Even things may not go according to your personal plans today.

Yet it’s important you plan both your immediate and far future carefully now ARIES; If you take to aggression, your ego would be deflated by your superior colleagues, but your being cooperative in a civilised way’ll prevent trouble TAURUS; Those willing to put you to shame one way or the other’ll be disappointed with the turn of things today.

It’s good to secure support of your spouse.

GEMINI; You’ve had enough of fun in the recent times and it’s now time you settle down for hard work in order to prevent avoidable trouble. Be patient please.

CANCER; Your concentration level and determination are the pillars of your success today. Yet you’ll need to respect your senior colleagues and protect your image

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Pretty Lunatic’

By Andy Akman

LEO; It’s true you’re willing to work harder but you just have to drop both aggression and mental arrogance to allow things to roll accordingly. Then, you’re accident prone within your working arena. Respect the law and its agents today.

VIRGO; Serious thought may be giving to matters of the heart but it’s better you tarry a while. Joint ventures of short duration today may be an invitation to avoidable trouble

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING Send yyour our dat th ttoo the As tr ological datee and place of bir birth Astr trological Counselling, PP.M.B .M.B 1100 00 7, Apapa, Lagos 007,

Success for me?

Dear Joshua, I am interested in your Astrological counselling. Kindly tell me everything about myself, especially my finance and career; would I be rich eventually, if yes what should I do to make it happen quickly.

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

Lukman, Lagos.

Dear Lukman, There are indications of financial success for you but you can not change what Almighty God Has designed for you talking about the timing (the quickness you talked in your letter) Certainly however no failure for you.

Mercury –the planet of education and Accountancy, together with mighty Sun at positive angle to planets in Virgo (another Accounting Star sign) attracted you to both Accountancy profession and the academic world. Truly you did not make wrong choice of career.

Money will eventually come along this line but it’ll not be as faster as if you take to OIL RELATED BUSINESS. Because Neptune (the planet of OIL) was very comfortable when you were born. It will not be out of place if you have filling stations as time goes by, because you are basically a GAS PERSON. Another money spinning vocation for you include writing either along your line or for film making industry; it is important you exhibit the higher quotient of creativity in your inner-self. Yes your dream of becoming A Professor will come to reality. Politics is another area you are not looking at now but will surely come. Do you say why?

Because Aquarius is equally political.

Venus that was powerfully placed when you were born is all about MONEY. Thus you have special ability to make money.

And as it was at positive angle to disciplined Saturn, you are not giving to serious frivolity. One major challenge here is envy by others but you will eventually overcome. Another source of challenges is your love life which looks not totally balanced. Basically you are a family minded person. You are equally loving and caring. But sometimes your love of freedom get better off you to the resentment of your closer partner(s).Then some other times it is other party’s fault making love-business very interesting. And unless you are more careful and determined you may marry more than once.

HOME & ABROAD

By Lawrence Akapa

40—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

historically documented massacre at a northern Nigerian airport.”, She wrote.

Admitting that Nigeria’s political atmosphere is tensed, Chimamanda opined that Nigeria’s political culture is averse to openness.

Her statements are contained in an article, ‘Hiding From Our Past,’ published in The New Yorker Magazine. She described “the censors’ action as unreasonable and emphasised the need to revisit the past as a prerequisite to moving forward.

Aftermath of Half of a Yellow Sun’s delayed release •Chimamanda explodes

BY PRISCA SAM-DURU

N

IGERIANS who awaited the earlier scheduled release date of the movie adaptation of Chimamanda Adichie’s Award winning book, Half Of A Yellow Sun last April 25th, were not just disappointed with the failure of the highly anticipated film to hit the market but also, were shocked due to rumours that the movie has been banned by the National Film & Video Censors Board.

Although, the movie which was said to have been banned because it is partially based on events that took place during the Biafran War had its premiere last year at the Toronto International Film Festival . It is already showing in Britain and scheduled to open in the United States next month, and screened at Silverbird Cinema on 15th April, Nigerians still await its release with much enthusiasm.

Commenting on the issue, the producer of the film, Mr. Biyi Bandele said officials seemed to be “jittery about its content…That it deals with the Biafran War, (from 1967 to 1970), that it might incite people to violence.”

Continuing he said, “We went out of our way to reassure the government that we were not trying to stir up trouble...The

Upcoming election

* A scene from Half of a Yellow Sun, (INSET) Chimamanda Adichie

some unresolved issues that have to be sorted out in accordance with the law and laid down regulations. The Board, therefore, wishes to re-affirm its determination to continue to execute its mandate.”

Meanwhile,in order to calm the anxious movie lovers, the

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Many of Nigeria’s present problems are, arguably, consequences of a historical culture…The past is present, and we are better off acknowledging it and, hopefully, learning from it

ironies in this are just so many.

It is just surreal.”

Contrary to the rumour, the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) quickly said that there was no iota of truth in the reports.

However, the rumour which began spreading a few hours before the scheduled release date, claimed the Board had banned the producers from releasing the movie for public consumption, a situation that generated mixed reactions from different quarters.

Following the accusation, Caesar O. Kagho, Acting Head, Corporate Affairs, NFVCB in a release said: “We wish to categorically state that there is no truth in the media reports that the Board has banned the film. The management of the Board, under Ms. Patricia Bala, has stated that certain aspects of the film have

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Shareman Media, the Nigerian producers, and FilmOne Distribution, the Nigerian distributors of the feature film said, “The highly anticipated release of Half of a Yellow Sun in Nigeria has been postponed due to delays in obtaining certification from the National Film and Video Censors Board for the public release of the film. Subject to obtaining the certification of the Board, the film is now rescheduled for release on 2 May 2014.” Nigerians are sad that the 2nd of May has come and gone without the movie seeing the light of the day.

The Board however, defended her action as regards directing the producers of the film to expunge or edit some scenes in the film, particularly the steamy and violent scenes saying that it reserved the right to control the quality, and even compel content

owners to remove offensive ideas in any movie before it could be screened anywhere in the country but added that “To correct reports already circulating, we have not banned the movie, we are just doing out duty”, a spokeswoman was quoted to have told the media.

Expressing her disappointed over the unnecessary delay, Award winning author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has condemned the delay on the public viewing of the film

adaptation of her book,’Half Of A Yellow Sun’ by the Nigerian Video Films and Censors Board.

According to her, “...But the Biafran war is still wrapped in a formal silence. There are no major memorials, and it is hardly taught in schools. This week, Nigerian government censors Board delayed the release of the film adaptation of “Half of a Yellow Sun” because, according to them, it might incite violence in the country. An issue in particular is a scene based on a

Agreeing that Nigeria is on the edge, with upcoming elections, religion and ethnicity increasingly politicized; and Boko Haram committing mass murders and abductions, she wrote that Nigerians cannot hide from history.

“Many of Nigeria’s present problems are, arguably, consequences of a historical culture…The past is present, and we are better off acknowledging it and, hopefully, learning from it...It is now up to the State Security Service to make a decision. The distributors, keen to release the film before it is engulfed in piracy, are hoping that the final arbiters of Nigerian security will approve its release.”

Consequent upon the development, it is expected that Half of a Yellow Sun, a 2013 Nigerian drama film directed by Biyi Bandele, a love story, involving two sisters who are caught up in the outbreak of the Nigerian civil war, which stars 2014 Oscar Nominee, Chiwetel Ejiofor, screen divas, Genevieve Nnaji, Onyeka Onwenu, Thandie Newton, Anika Noni Rose, OC Ukeji and John Boyega, among others, would soon see the light of the day.

CORA declares 2014 ‘The Soyinka Year’

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HE Committee For Relevant Art (CORA) has declared 2014 ‘The Soyinka Year’ and proclaimed the theme of this year’s edition of the Lagos Book and Art Festival (LABAF) as Freedom &The Word.

In a release, CORA asserts that these two go well together: Soyinka has worked towards the unshackling of our freedom of expression for all these years and in the year of the 25th anniversary of the Fall of The Berlin Wall; 20th anniversary of South Africa’s democracy and the 15th year of Nigeria’s end to military rule, it is fitting to honour a landmark birthday of a man whose life-long career irrepressibly dotes on concern about human Freedom(s) with a year-long programme that interrogates our quest for freedom, especially through the letters.

Every programme of CORA in 2014, including the Art Stampede, our quarterly conversation on the state of the arts and the administration of culture; the Arthouse Forum, our periodic symposium on interface between the lives/

work of a distinguished culture producer and the social environment, the Booktrek, CORA’s outreach intervention focused on youth education as well as the Lagos Book And Art Festival, an annual feast of celebration of the written word, and our contribution to turning Nigeria’s teeming masses into true human capital, shall reflect this honour.

The Lagos Book and Art Festival 2014, which is the 16th edition, will run from November 14 to 16 at the Freedom Park Lagos.

Pre-Festival events, including the yearly Publishers’ Forum, Workshop for Young Writers and Publishers, as well as finale of the Book Trek, start on Monday November 10 and round up on November 13.

The festival features readings and conversations around books, art and craft displays, children’s art workshops and reading sessions, book exhibitions, live music and theatre performance, capacity building workshops and exhibitions, and critical seminars for different sectors of the creative industries.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014—41

By PRISCA SAM-DURU multiple individuals as they dance through the HE level of moral decadence in any society, world of love. They are led into reading about speaks eloquently of how badly, family values how a perfect marriage goes sour, a once pure have been eroded since only healthy homes can relationship becomes tainted and endless futile make a healthy society. searches for the one. When eventually, a lady is Bothered by the increasing rate of divorce, level of caught in the middle of the couple’s woes, a tragic disharmony in the homes as well as the decaying event occurs that changes the couple’s life forever. system, Nigeria’s Ngozi Omolaiye, based in far “I see a lot of relationships going wrong around away Essex England, launched her debut fiction me and most times, the solutions are near to entitled, Beyond The Distant Clouds which is the people, or lies within them. This inspired me to first out of 5 series of In Your Sokoto, published in write a series of five books with same theme but 2013 by AuthorHouse UK. different characters and stories” Omolaiye said One of the halls at the Lagos Resource Centre, about her new relationship novel, Victoria Island, Lagos, last weekend, was packed “I’m someone who is very passionate about full with gorgeously dressed men and women who relationships and for me, this is a book aimed at added colour to the beautifully decorated hall. And getting people on the right track, to look inwards at first, the scenery which was typical of a and know that the solution to relationship problems flamboyant wedding reception except that there were no high or low tables, made guests walk into the venue unsure they were in the right place.

Of course they were, as the MC, Cordelia Okpei of Metro FM was on hand with adequate information that told guests that Ngozi Omolaiye’s Beyond The Distant Clouds was being presented. The launch surprisingly, turned into a show similar to comedian Julius Agwu’s Crack Ya Ribs, as Cordelia flaunted the funny side of her person, causing frequent eruptions of laughter in the hall. •The author,Ngozi Omolaiye (R) and other guests during The book launch, sponsored by the unveilsing of the book Mansard Insurance Plc, kickstarted with a brief interview with the author which is not far away hence, the In Your Sokoto series. was conducted by Cordelia. Ngozi seized the So, my book is basically saying that what you go opportunity provided by the interview to acquaint looking for in Sokoto, is right here in your sokoto. the audience with the journey that began in 2006 In other words, concerning relationship issues, and birthed her In Your Sokoto series. It was a people should know that the answer is in there.”She said. home coming indeed for the debut writer.

Expressing optimism that her effort would make Excerpts from the book as well as reviews were read prior to the launch proper. While Funke the expected impact, she said, “I hope the book Durodola of Metro FM and Kunle Dada, read will encourage people to look inwards and examine their relationship, not just This is a book aimed at getting people about man and woman but brother, blood relatives.” on the right track, to look inwards and Commenting on the plot and style employed in writing, Ngozi noted know that the solution to relationship that “There is a lot of romance but I problems is not far way made sure I did not deviate from the main thrust of the fiction. This is my chapters 6 and 7 of the book respectively, Bukola humble contribution towards making peaceful Ogunrinde from Classic FM read a review by home and a progressive society, possible.”

Kirkus, a foreign based media. This was followed The event was well attended by Ngozi by few other private reviews of Omolaiye’s debut Omolaiye’s school mates at the Federal work.

“In Beyond the Distant Clouds”, the first in the Government College Calabar, University of Jos, In Your Sokoto series, readers follow the lives of family, friends and former colleagues.

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MiNaija workshop on cultural journalism/music writing holds in May

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HEAD of its launch of Music In Ni geria (MiNaija) - an online magazine in progress, Goethe-Institut Lagos is organizing a workshop for young music journalists.

Young journalists with a strong interest in culture, especially music are encouraged to apply.

Goethe-Institut Lagos will select 8 to 10 Nigerian journalists for the 5-day MiNaija workshop, which will take place daily from May 19 to 23, 2014.

The workshop will be facilitated by Florian Sievers, a journalist with Gemran-based SPEX Magazine and Edward Keazor, Regional Editor (Nigeria) for Music in Africa.

Deadline for submission of application is Friday, May 9, 2014.

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Maduka tasks writers on nation building

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iterary scholar, Prof.

Chidi Maduka, has tasked Nigerian writers on nation building.

Describing the group as agents of change, Maduka, at an award event organized by the Literary Appreciation Society in Port Harcourt, last weekend, in a paper Literature and Nation Building Implication for Writers, said, “A writer is a catalyst for social change. A writer is committed to the liberation of his/her less endowed citizens who are victims of the economic exploitation of the members of the ruling class.”

Maduka, honoured along with four others, said, “The writer,” he noted, “articulates the importance of order in whatever we does in the society. Here lies their role in nation building to point out the importance of discipline in personal lives, interpersonal relationships and the functioning of the social institution.

Help keep the Nigerian artists alive

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RTISTS have been saved by their knack. The knack for survival, plays ‘shadow’ to every true artist. Each one with an original true autobiography of himself and his circumstances of survival nevertheless ‘’saved by the bell”, though quite a few of them missed the banquet and will never hear the bell. Stage and screen shares the belief that they have headed for Heaven’s Gate, where all true artistes belong whatever religion, class or creed.

It is yet another year and the entertainment industry still hangs on there. ‘Take five’! For resillence! Haba! That individual capacity to ‘hang on there’ keeps the collective force of the industry ‘hanging on’, only by their knack and now by the grace of His Excellency, we have survived. Lately, some pillars have crumbled beneath the swamp ‘dwellers cottages’ and the entire family has been shaken with the fear of sinking into the mire.

The Entertainment industry hangs on there even without professional management for artistes. The Nigerian professional artist has to be writer, performer, promoter and investor to survive. Then he has to be part of the marketing team. We praise the music wind of the industry PMAN which has managed to secure a way of getting their rights paid and have wrestled their way into keeping one voice for representation. I hope PMAN are now strong enough to remember their heroes, dead or alive. I recall with regret the case of late Ambrose Campbell who made several SOS calls all the way from U.S.A asking for support for return to his fatherland. I wonder why the actors forum has been a disaster. The stage lights went off altogether, and performers were bumping into one another groping in the dark, each presenting a candidate for leadership. Elections were cancelled, postponed and finally policed to conclude.

The industry is still in the tunnel moving towards the direction it faced groping without a touch. What we need is commercialism, and that will require professionalism, management, advertising and promotion. We require the full works for the show to go on, sales can be made from home video consumption and export, we can then talk of profit and propaganda, entertainment or enjoyment.

We still have the key problem to solve, and that is, the problem of ‘recognition’ which should come from ‘representation’, especially now we are basquing in the euphoria of ‘dancing democracy’.The Nigerian artist have come of age, but needs to wash his hands clean to dine with the impresarios that sell and buy the products. If the actor makes a mark on the international screen, Nigeria artists need the sophistication.

The Nigerian artist have It is therefore necessary for the come of age, but needs to government to show more wash his hands clean with the interest in the impresarios that sell and buy affair of the N i g e r i a n the products performing artists. It is not enough to pay cultural officers salaries to warm their seats and attend meetings to discuss matters that have nothing to do with the advancement of the entertainment industry.

Today, we rejoice for producing a Miss World. We were deafened by the thunderous applause for Mr. Ben Murray-Bruce who singlehandedly kept the flag of ‘Beauty Pageantry’ flying, as though it was a family crest. No guidelines, no moral or financial support from the government but he was hanging on there until we got the crown.

Congratulations Nigeria and well done Ben for your ‘knack’.

The year is moving on and we keep on keeping on like true artistes.

To make footprint in the sand of our time, we need to move! Not move out of the national theatre nor move the nation’s entertainment capital from Lagos, but move towards the international art market. To achieve this, Nigeria needs a ministry for art. Art is the saleable commodity, assessable product, fit for the stalls of international market of art, where skill is paid for in hard currency, and the culture of the people beckon audience in their thousands and remunerations commiserating.

It is yet another year and the Nigerian actor has no stage to produce a live drama with a hope to make profit. At present, there is no auditorium that can make a million naira at N500 (Five Hundred Naira) per head, no auditorium seats up to 2000 people. The producer still has to build set, pay for the hire of hall, pay artistes fees and welfare through rehearsals. The artists still hang on. Improve the float, Nigeria needs to get on.

If privatisation must take over, then it must be so taken over by specialisation. Even, little kids don’t play ‘doctors’ anymore, they play psychiatrist, gynaecologists. Don’t sell the national theatre to a bunch of traders who might want to build stalls for Tokunbo goods, or at best build five star slaughter houses. We are well blessed with cultural endowment, to help keep us cultured.

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For Omolaiye, restoring family values tops priority

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42—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

People're just making noise Edo APC:

— Idah, Interim APC Chairman CHIEF OSARO IDAH is the interim chairman of the All Progressive Party (APC) in Edo State. In this interview conducted before the decision of the Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu led faction to defect, he said that everything was being done by the governor and leaders of the party to reconcile with the aggrieved members. He however said that the defection of the group would not in any way affect the fortunes of the party in future elections. Excerpts:

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

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N allegation that Governor Adams Oshiomhole single-handedly picked APC interim leaders in the state.

That is a blatant lie. Even some of them who were in the first press conference could not have said what they said because they were members of the State interim committee, so, they could not have said that.

It is a blatant lie that the governor handpicked them.

Internal affair The truth is that we all sat down at our national leader’s house where the meeting to set up an interim state committee was held and the list approved.

There has been a lot of misgiving following the outcome of the Ward and local government congresses of the APC in Edo State with some of your aggrieved members threatening to dump the party.

What do you have to say?

In every contest, there must be winners and there must be losers. Let me quote from what former President Olusegun Obasanjo once said that, “If Jesus Christ comes to conduct elections in Nigeria, the losers will protest”; I am not saying that in this game, there was a loser because we are all winners.

As it is right now, it is an internal affair of the party and we are making efforts to appeal to all concerned, that is, those who are aggrieved and those who are not aggrieved, to meanwhile keep their fingers crossed while we make efforts to reconcile all the parties.

What effort is the governor making to reconcile all the factions in the crisis?

Let me not call it a faction; it is just differences between

brothers and I know the governor has gone the extra mile as a true leader that he is to effect reconciliation. He has appealed to everyone that we should not let the house we collectively built to be destroyed as this will not good to anybody.

The governor has done well to reconcile all the parties involved and I hope that at the end of the day, we will also toe the part of peace.

What is your reaction to the seven day ultimatum given to the governor by the aggrieved members of your party which has since expired?

Just as I said earlier, it is a family affair and we are still

Delta 2015:

•Idah: It is a family affair handling it at an internal level.

I hope that at the end of the day, there may be no need for the seven days ultimatum.

What actually went wrong starting with the membership registration exercise to the congresses?

Just as I said earlier, in any contest, the person who does

not have the upper hand will always complain. This is the Nigerian syndrome.

Meanwhile, I will appeal to the Nigerian media to exercise restrains to let us see how much we can reconcile our differences before we can begin to talk.

Do you think that the

defection of the aggrieved members of your party will affect its fortunes in future elections?

Although I am not God, but I can assure you that from the performances of the Comrade Governor and our party, people are just making noise and I don’t think that will give us a sleepless night. And with what is happening to people who are not even known in their wards, not even in their units, and they are defecting!

One of them defected some few days ago and I laughed when I saw the level of exposure that the press gave to him. That is some body that is not even known in his local government. So, I don’t see how their defection will affect the fortunes of the APC. What is the level of preparation for the State Congress of the party slated for this week?

The state congress will hold this week and we look forward to a very harmonious and peaceful congress and the press will be invited to participate as observers to see a true and fair congress being conducted.

I appeal to all APC faithful to remain calm and should be as much as possible to be their brothers’ keepers. Our brothers that are aggrieved should know that we are brothers and we cannot separate ourselves.

Women, youths to constitute 60%

of govt — Oyibode AMB. Chukwuma Oyibode, 46, a real estate consultant and businessman wants to govern Delta State in 2015 on the plank of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Born into the family of late (Engr.) Samson Ogwu of Ezionu Kingdom in Ukwuani Local Government Area and Madam Juliana Emonefe of Urhuokpe in Kokori town of Ethiope East Local Government Area both of Delta State, Oyibode, in this interview speaks on why he is running and the value he would add if elected.

BY INNOCENT ANABA

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T what point did you make up your mind to go for the governorship of Delta State?

Though I have always had the interest and zeal to serve my people since 30 years ago when I was still very young, my political interest started with the advent of the PDP in Nigeria and in Delta State in 1998-1999. Since then I have been active and supporting politicians for political offices such as our late president, Alhaji Musa Yar ’Adua and President Goodluck Jonathan and politicians back home in Delta State.

I have come out because of the divine call from God Almighty to serve my people and my zeal to reach out and impact positively in the life of my people at the grassroots.

You have not held any political office, what gives the confidence that you will get the PDP ticket and eventually the seat given the deep-seated power tussle in the state among the ethnic nationalities?

There is overwhelming support both from my people here in Delta State and at the national level. Everywhere I go, my people see me as a restorer of hope to them. I am a grassroots

•Oyibode man, born and bred here, my parents are both from Delta State.

I have a wide spread support across the three ethnic nationalities in Delta State. So I am recognized and very

acceptable to all in Delta State and beyond. I enjoy a great support from my people at the grassroots and also from the hierarchy of the leadership of our great party, the PDP in Delta State and the national level. They see hope in me and they believe I will deliver because of my legacy.

If by chance you are given the mandate to lead, what will be your focus?

My emphasis is on critical infrastructure. Right from 1999, from the government of Chief James Ibori, he did his very best in his tenure. Today we have our amiable Governor, D r.

Emmanuel Uduaghan, who is still on board and has been trying to improve the infrastructure.

Infrastructure is the critical area of our need in this state. Like we have a lot of roads which are undergoing dualization and renewal, I am going to take that up from where Uduaghan will

Continues on page 43

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014—43

My plans for Cross River — Ibeshi ERSTWHILE National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Emmanuel Ibeshi in this interview reviews affairs in the party and speaks on his quest for the governorship of Cross River State. Excerpts: HY are you still interested in the Cross River State governorship race? Have you not lost touch with the state given your long absence from it?

Let me put the records straight. I have never been out of touch with goings on in the state. So losing touch with the state is completely out of the question.

If being out of touch means not being part of government in any tier since 2001 that I left office as National Publicity Secretary of PDP, you would still be wrong because I have served in various capacities of the party at the national level and also conducted leadership seminars for both the government and the party within and outside Nigeria.

I would even emphasize the fact that being out of effective political office within this period has reinforced my interest in running for governorship given the insight of political and social capital that my wealth of experience within and outside government has garnered over the years.

I will not sleep nor slumber until I lend my contribution to my people on how their livelihood can be improved.

What is your assessment of the outgoing administration of Governor Liyel Imoke?

I believe Senator Imoke is not being given the applause he deserves for what he has done within the past seven years of his administration. He probably will be accorded that praise when out of office.

Then, a comparison on leadership abilities and qualities, which he is using to deftly manage the volatile socio-political economy of the state, will be magnified. You know his style depicts no glamour but his focus and sound judgment gets what he wants done achieved to the letter.

Equivalent capacity Knowing his capacity to be stoic, the challenges he has gone through these past seven years as governor both political, financial and health wise without squealing and managing the ship of state without crash-landing, it can only take a successor with equivalent capacity, less drama and the fear of God to take over the baton and run Cross River State the way it is now.

•Ibeshi Cross River State lost Bakassi Peninsula to the Republic of Cameroun and consequently 76 oil wells to Akwa Ibom State. If you become governor, will you revisit these issues?

Foremost in my mind upon resumption of office is to resettle the displaced indigenes of Bakassi. The issue of Bakassi will always be

Women, youths to constitute 60% of govt — Oyibode

Delta 2015:

Continues from page 42 stop. There must not be any unfinished project because it is useful to us and our economic development and revolution in Delta State.

Secondly, I will concentrate on industrialization to create employment in Delta State. Also, I will concentrate on power and energy. Without power, there will be no meaningful and sustainable development.

As a consultant in the power sector back in Abuja, I will make sure that the power sector in Delta State is addressed and taken to every nook and cranny of Delta State.

We have a paramount issue in the transformation agenda. I have my own plans and programme for the women and youths. Even though they have been

marginalized over the years, we will take steps to address those complains.

For the youths I have a quota for them, 30 per cent of my administration: the work force, and the executive members of my administration will be the youths.

For the women, another 30 per cent will be allocated to women to engage them. We will gradually get to gender equality.

Then, 40 per cent will be for the elders. Everybody will be carried along.

What are your suggestions to end the impunity of corrupt officers and the adverse effects on insecurity, joblessness and hunger?

I do not see any single person that can eradicate corruption completely. There is corruption even in developed countries like the America, Asian among others.

But I strongly believe that government can exercise the will to fight it and reduce it to the barest minimum. There shall be no compromises Insecurity comes when there is joblessness and starvation. A hungry man is an angry man.

There is the tendency for an angry and hungry man to go into crime.

So in my own time, I will make sure that we create cottage industries to make the people especially the youths to be relevant in the society.

With these, we can reduce insecurity to the barest minimum if not totally eradicated. The issue of insecurity and crime will be addressed once there is good governance. People will be sure of their tomorrow, have confidence in their government and be responsible citizens.

a recurrent decimal in the history of Cross River State and Nigeria until the right

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oil wells?

I will access all avenues of financial waste in assumption of office to create savings for the state. Primarily the Imoke administration had focused on infrastructural development, which they did very commendably.

I will add value by concentrating more on human resource development. I have already outlined my economic recovery plan based on agriculture focusing on the creation of staple crop processing zones for export value.

The value chain accruable to this blueprint will yield the shortest gestation period to get our economy straightened up and help the state not to depend wholly on federally generated income.

This blueprint will not only change how business is done but will also affect our educational system which will require retraining our teeming unemployed graduates to fit into required vocational skills these Processing Zones will require and more importantly key into the newly developed Institute Of Management Technology at Ugep conceptualized by

Notwithstanding, I plan to explore other natural resource potentials in the state to fill the loss of the oil wells which will include but not limited to solid minerals, salt deposits and allied natural endowments in the state

thing is done and our brothers and sisters whose ancestral homes have been desecrated and businesses unwittingly terminated by the injustice done on the peninsula.

The Bakassi issue gave rise to the 76 oil wells we lost to our sister state Akwa Ibom. I believe that both issues are related to an extent with the only difference being that one involves international arbitration while the other is national and requires internal persuasive abilities to cause two sister states to be more brotherly and willing to reach out with helping hands towards each other in resolving conflicts occasioned by unforeseen twists of fate.

Notwithstanding, I plan to explore other natural resource potentials in the state to fill the loss of the oil wells which will include but not limited to solid minerals, salt deposits and allied natural endowments in the state.

What measures will your government put in place to shore up the revenue base of the state given the loss of the

,

the Imoke administration.

There will also be opportunities for skills in professional tourism enterprises that will sprout from the identified TOURISM PROFILE computed for all year attraction to Nigerians et all to encourage a holiday or leisure culture because of the packaging and infrastructure provided.

The debt profile of the State Government is on the high side occasioned by loans obtained to execute development projects. Won’t the repayment of these loans affect your programmes as your administration will want to make its own mark too?

Debt profiles have never stopped businesses nor states from running, only bad cash flow projections premised on wrong credit analysis and investment portfolios.

The job of a good manager is to reassess the debt burden, renegotiate with his creditors based on a circumspect credible investment projection convincing and doable in a specific economic clime.

44—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

Back Jonathan against insurgents, S'South students urge northern govs

Seplat named Global Growth Company

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN— STUDENTS of tertiary institutions of South South origin, yesterday, called on former Heads of State in the North to assist President Goodluck Jonathan in finding solution to the security challenges, warning that no amount of intimidation will stop Jonathan from seeking reelection in 2015.

The South South students in the University of Benin, UNIBEN; University of Calabar and Delta State University, Abraka, declared their support for Jonathan’s re-election in 2015, when they hosted members of the Niger Delta Youth for Jonathan in Benin, Edo State, led by its national Coordinator, Prince Ebile Dudu.

Speaking on behalf of the students, the President of the Student Union Government of UNIBEN, Osifo Favour, noted that the entire Niger Delta students and youths

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HE World Economic Forum has named Seplat Petroleum Company Development Company Plc a Global Growth Company, GGC. With this recognition, Seplat joins a vibrant community of the world’s most dynamic, influential and highgrowth companies.

For the recognition, companies are judged on their compliance with set criteria on growth, global corporate citizenship, executive leadership and impact on the competitive landscape of their region or industry.

Commenting on the rationale behind Seplat’s recognition as a Global Growth Company, Mr. David Aikman, Managing Director and Head of the New Champions at the World Economic Forum, said: “When choosing entrants to our community of Global Growth Companies, we assess companies on their business model, annual revenues and growth rates, executive leadership and market position.

“Seplat is a dynamic group with clear potential to shape the future in its relevant business sectors and so is a perfect fit to our GGC community.”

had resolve to work for the reelection of Jonathan due to his performance.

Condemning the abduction of students by the Boko Haram sect in Borno State, he said: “Despite the challenges President Jonathan has

encountered, Nigerians will agree with us that he has done well and deserves a second term.

“While we are calling for the immediate release of the abducted students in Borno State, we call of past military

Delta guber aspirant assures on all-inclusive govt

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

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SABA— THE only female aspirant in the 2015 governorship race in Delta State, Dr. Ngozi Olojeme has promised to run an allinclusive government that will better serve Deltans irrespective of their tribe or religion if elected.

Olojeme, presently the Chairman, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NISTF, said this in a chat with Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Delta North senatorial district executives.

She was

represented by her Personal Assistant, Mr. Mirabelle Michael.

Speaking earlier, Delta North Woman Leader, Mrs Kaiwelie Omoko, thanked Olojeme for her elaborate consultation spearheaded by

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BUJA—FORMER governor of Edo State and Chairman, National Law Reform Commission, NLRC, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, has accused the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, of deliberately publishing falsehood over an unsubstantiated electoral offence.

Osunbor also challenged the commission to make public the alleged electoral offences for which it

recommended his prosecution to the Attorney General of the Federation, accussing the commission of acting out a script to tarnish his image.

He said that the commission, according to media reports, had recom-mended his prosecution over electoral offences to AGF. Osunbor said: “I wrote a letter addressed to Professor Ben Angwe, Executive Secretary to NHRC to verify the authenticity of the reports.

“I gave the Commission one week within which to respond to my enquiry. One week has

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

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ORT HARCOURT— PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has been urged to take the needed steps to crush

elapsed and I have not received any reply from the commission neither has the commission issued any denial of the reports.

“As I said before in my letter, I demanded to know what specific offence or offences I committed and they have failed or refused to answer.

“I am, therefore, left with no option than to conclude that the commission acted recklessly or mischievously to tarnish my name and defame my character. It may even be that they are acting out a script.”

Boko Haram insurgency in the North.

Former president, Ijaw Youth Council, Dr. Chris Ekiyo who spoke to Vanguard on the state of insecurity in the North, expressed worries.

Ekiyo, who is the Chairman, Patani Local Government Area, Delta State, said the President should strengthen the Nigerian army and other security bodies in the country to put an end to the insurgency, adding that the security of lives and property should top government’s efforts.

The council boss said he was convinced that if the military was asked to effectively address the situation, it would achieve appreciable result.

According to him, Nigerian Army had been involved in quelling terrorism in several parts of the world.

By Bartholomew Madukwe

PEOPLE SPEAK

08102479985

Olojeme Vanguard.

The one week tour which took the team to Oshimili South, Aniocha South and Aniocha North is intended to consolidate on Olojeme Grassroots Consultation which began since late 2013.

Ekiyor tasks FG on Boko Haram

Osunbor accuses NHRC of recklessness

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

Heads of State from the North to join President Jonathan in fighting the insurgency.

“We are aware that those opposed to his re-election are using every ploy to stop him, but Jonathan will not succumb to such blackmail.”

(nwamad@yahoo.com)

On the Chibok schoolgirls

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ILL the so-called c o m m i t t e e members go to Sambisa? Why not set up a rescue team? It is already 21 days and still counting. How long do we have to wait to see our girls return to their parents.— Ms. Chimezie Ezembu, Communicator.

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have decided not to personalise this issue by blaming any individual in particular.

Let those in government admit that they have failed the people they swore oaths on holy books, such as the Bible and Quran, to protect.— Mr. Igwe Buchi, Engineer.

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HIS is a northern conspiracy to discredit the President Goodluck Jonathan's government. No single teacher was involved in the kidnap. Teachers could not call police.

School security did not react and nobody was killed.— Mr. Matty Richy, Businessman.

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O R T H E R N comrades should mobilise and go into the forest to look for the girls. I wonder why they are flexing powers at the square. If they cannot go, let them tell the security operatives where to go find the girls.— Mr. Chibuzor Ogbonna, Officer.

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SKING these parents for their children’s photographs is alarming. And for President Jonathan to say he does not know where the Chibok schoolgirls are is, in itself, a scandalous admission.— Mr. Darlington Ehondor, Businessman.

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N the 234 girls r e p o r t e d l y abducted by the insurgents, I really appreciate the efforts of human right activists and Nigerians. People with information that can help the security operatives should please step out.— Mr. Daniel Okoji, Student.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014 — 45

DESOPADEC commissions street lights in Ewreni, Ogor

Delta community lauds Uduaghan, Bomadi LG boss over conflict resolution

BY FESTUS AHON

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GHELLI—DELTA State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, has commissioned solar street light projects in Evwreni and Ogor communities, Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state.

It also commissioned an electricity transformer and a water borehole project in Evwreni and OwevweAgbarha-Otor communities.

Speaking at the commissioning, the member representing Ethiope East and Ughelli North Local Government Areas on the board of the commission, Chief Ominimini Obiuwevbi, said that the commission had adopted a bottom-top policy wherein projects executed are those requested for by the communities.

“What we have done goes to show that we are ready to do more for the people, because the administration of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan is sensitive to the plight of the people."

....Four other projects in Ndokwa

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HE Commissioner representing Ndokwa nation in Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Sir Kenny Okolugbo, has charged the people of Ndokwa to continue to support the PDP-led government of Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan.

He spoke at the commissioning of four new projects in Ndokwa. They include a new market with toilet facilities at Akoku in Ukwuani; a brand new Kia ambulance donated to the Central Hospital, Kwale; 54 tricycles meant for distribution by the commission and a brand new Toyota Hiace bus donated to Ndokwa Neku Union, the umbrella body of the Ndokwa people.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Chris Ominimini, Commissioner representing Uhrobo nation in DESOPADEC, said the donations were part of the human capital development policy of the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan.

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SIGNING OF MOU: From left: Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Chief Olusegun Aganga, and Canadian Minister of International and La Francophonie Affairs, Mr. Christian Paradis, during the signing of MoU between Delta State Government and Skypower, for the generation of 1000MW of electricity in Delta State, held in Abuja, Tuesday.

Murder of Delta vigilante chiefs: Police arrest 6, declare 4 wanted

BY EMMA AMAIZE & AUSTIN OGWUDA ARRI—POLICE in Delta State have arrested six persons in connection with the killing of the chairmen of Udu Central Vigilante Red Bar Security, Prosper Erhinyojare and Godwin Migaga in Udu Local Government Area of the state.

Erhinyojare and Migaga were allegedly killed by assassins last month.

Delta State Police Commissioner, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, in a statement, yesterday, by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Celestina Kalu, gave the name of those arrested as

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David, Rege, Festus and Ojekom, while others are at large.

He said: “Items recovered from them include two AK 47 rifles, 90 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition and two locally made cut to size single barrelled shot-guns.

“The arrested suspects, some of whom had made confessional statements highlighting their functions and degree of involvement in the dastardly act, at the completion of investigation, will be charged to court.

“Investigation has further revealed that the intention of the hoodlums was to instil fear in the populace by brutally kill-

ing the two vigilante chiefs, who had done so much to aid security agencies in their duties of law enforcement.

“The Command and its personnel will not relent until all the culprits indentified are brought to book. We, however, implore the people of Delta State not to be deterred as the Police cannot do without their continuous support, particularly in this perilous time. With their collective input, we have the capacity to contain the criminal elements in our midst most of whom, from evidence at our disposal, drift into Delta State from the sister states.”

Senator blames IOCs, insurers for ineffective cabotage implementation

BY GODFREY BIVBERE, in Houston, Texas ENATOR Ben Ayade, member of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, has blamed the International Oil Companies, IOCs, and insurers of Nigerian owned vessels for the failure of the Cabotage law.

Ayade, who spoke to Vanguard in Houston, Texas, United States, at the ongoing Offshore Technology Conference, OTC, said that despite efforts by the executive and legislative arms of government, the IOCs have frustrated moves to involve indigenous ship owners in the lifting of the country’s crude.

He said that the IOCs were also insisting that all ships to be contracted by them must have been insured abroad because the local insurance companies do not have the capacity to do so.

He said: “The major challenge is that even the vessels that we have, most times the IOCs are very reluctant to contract the Nigerian vessels to do most of their

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jobs.

“As they go further into deep offshore operations, it becomes more difficult for Nigerian operators to run their vessels. They are even reluctant to commit Personal Supply Vessels, PSVs, to Nigerian companies.

“So, the Cabotage Act which was basically intended to make Nigerians to become top players in maritime sector has not achieved its aim because it takes a lot of energy from the National Assembly and indeed the Federal Government of Nigeria to compel the IOCs to contract the Nigerian registered vessels to do this business.

“But above all, the biggest challenge we have is the fact that the insurance premium, the cost of insurance some time cannot be supported by Nigerian operators because most of the major insurers are foreign insurers.

“Most insurers are based in London. If fact Singapore had a similar experience and what they did was to ensure that eve-

ry major vessel in Singapore has insurance in Singapore to domicile that fund in their country.

“I hope we get to that time when Nigerian re-insurers have to ensure that they insure Nigerian operators to ensure that the IOCs use Nigerian vessels. Until we do that by strong deliberate patriotic act, we will continue to lose most of our petrol dollar.

“The cost of producing oil is almost equivalent to the cost of shipping it out for refining and bringing it back. We have reached the point where we must have Nigerian vessels carry our crude.”

He expressed hope that after the amendment of the Cabotage Act, which is expected to give more powers to Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, it will increase the opportunities in terms of employment and revenue for the nation.

OMADI- THE crisis-torn host community to Nigerian Agip Oil Company, Ekameta Federated Community, Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State, has commended the caretaker committee Chairman of the council, Mr. Collins Olorogun, for keying into Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s agenda of peace and security, in ending the over one year intra-communal crisis which tore the community apart.

Ekameta community, was plunged into crisis last year due to leadership tussle between the community’s executive council and the community development committee over the operations of the oil in the community.

Commending Olorogun for resolving the crisis, the community's interim chairman, Mr Victor Ogboye, said that Governor Uduaghan’s appointment of Olorogun as the council Chairman was a blessing to the people of the area.

Non-indigenes endorse Jonathan, Wike for 2015

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ON-INDIGENES in Rivers State, under the aegis of Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party and Grassroots Development Initiative, have endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2015 presidential election.

They also supported the governorship aspiration of the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyeson Wike, in Rivers State.

In a statement by Mr. Adekunle Adekoya and others, the non indigenes in Rivers State, said: "After carefully following the programmes of President Jonathan, we find him to be the best candidate for the presidency come 2015.

“We have also carefully followed the courageous and defensive struggle of Wike to liberate the people of Rivers State from the stronghold of some individuals in the state, hence we support his governorship bid come 2015.”

46— Vanguard , THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

Owners of demolished structures cry foul

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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W E R R I — OWNERS of illegal structures demolished recently by Imo State government in Owerri municipality have expressed disgust over the selective execution of the exercise.

Some of the affected persons, who spoke to Vanguard on the issue, wondered why the governor and his team failed to also demolish the “messy shanties in Ama Hausa.”

Already, some of the affected persons have vowed to remain in the demolished structures since, according to them, selective punishment is sheer injustice.

“I am visibly worried, indeed, shocked, that the governor will willingly destroy the places his brothers and sisters erected to eke out a living.

“My anger, however, boiled over when I noticed that the governor and his team did not touch the messy shanties in Ama Hausa,”, a victim, Emeka Ukata lamented.

Ukata reasoned that Okorocha inherited a clean state capital but sadly left street traders to take over the major roads because he wanted people to see his administration as welfarist and people-oriented.

Senator Ashafa consoles Otedola’s family

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

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AGOS—THE Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Housing, Lands and Urban Development, Senator ‘Gbenga Ashafa, has expressed sadness over the death of the former Lagos State governor, Sir Michael Otedola, describing him as elder statesman of repute.

Ashafa, who represents Lagos East senatorial district, in his condolence message, said Otedola, between the periods of January 1992 and November 1993, was an elder statesman, who served the state with all diligence and commitment while in office.

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South East govs mourn Oputa BYANAYO OKOLI

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MUAHIA—THE five governors of the South East zone have lamented the death of foremost jurist and retired Supreme Court Justice, Chukwudifu Oputa, describing him as an illustrious son of the zone.

The governors said they received the news of Justice Oputa’s death with sadness.

A statement by the Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum and governor of Abia State, Chief Theodore Orji, said: “Though Justice Oputa left the stage at a ripe age of 96, our eyes are still drenched in tears for

losing such an exceptional jurist and statesman. ” We, the Governors of the South-east geo-political zone received with sadness the news of the transition to eternity of our illustrious Son, Justice Chukwudifu Oputa after attaining 96 years of age. ”The eminent jurist had been missing from the public space as he battled with illness. We were with him in prayers, hoping that he would rise up from his sick bed to continue his march to possibly become a centenarian, but the will of the Almighty God has prevailed. ”In the legal firmament, he belonged to the constellation of

the brightest of bright stars. And it takes ages for such stars to appear. ”As a justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Justice Oputa acquitted himself creditably to the admiration and applause of the legal profession. He left behind landmark judgments and judicial pronouncements that will forever illuminate the nation’s judicial system. ”In the continuous quest to build a nation where peace, justice and equity shall reign, Justice Oputa contributed in no small measure.

“He offered his services, wisdom and legal insights to make our father land better when

he presided over the famous Oputa Panel that took far reaching decisions to restore peace and reconcilliation after a turbulent political crisis that shook the very foundation of Nigeria’s nationhood. ”While we mourn the painful exit of Justice Oputa, we also have every cause to celebrate his life and times. He lived a fulfilled life and symbolised the Igbo philosophy of hard work, diligence and thirst for excellence. ”We sympathise and condole with the entire Oputa family over the loss of their cherished patriarch and pray God to grant him eternal rest.”

...Imo to give him state burial

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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REPORT: Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State receiving the report of a 7-man committee on the recent fire outbreak at the Ose-Okwudo market, Onitsha from the committee Chairman, Igwe Rowland Odegbo, at the Government House, Awka...yesterday.

Unemployment in Nigeria, a time bomb waiting to explode — NUPENG “The recent power sector

BY VICTOR AHIUMAYOUNG

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IGERIA Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has expressed concern over the worsening unemployment in the country, blaming it on growing insecurity and high crime wave.

NUPENG, in a statement issued yesterday by its President, Mr. Igwe Achese, warned that the army of unemployed in the country was a time-bomb waiting to explode any moment from now.

According to the union, the Federal Government's statistics that only five million Nigerians are unemployed is a fallacy. He insisted that the figure was over 20 million, considering the turnout of graduates by higher institutions in the country yearly to join the unemployment market and through redundancies, retrenchments and downsizing in the economy on a daily basis.

The union said “The current waves of violence in the North, kidnappings in the South are a result of unemployment in the land. NUPENG is sad that

despite this nagging challenge, Nigeria has been declared as Africa’s largest economy with a rebased Gross Domestic Product of $150bn, which is utter balderdash, in an economy that cannot provide the necessary amenities for its citizenry. The Federal Government must partner with the private sector to open up the economy and this can be achieved through reindustrialisation.

reform has come to naught, as the nation still suffers from severe darkness and is still generatordriven, which is not helping the economy grow. We urge government to make the power sector work so that the reliance on generators will be drastically reduced, so that small-scale or cottage industries can thrive. We want moribund industries to come on stream, which will go a long way to employ our unemployed workers."

W E R R I — MEANWHILE, Imo State government has assured members of the immediate family of the late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa of its preparedness to accord him a state burial.

Governor Rochas Okorocha disclosd this when he paid a visit to the Oguta country home of the late judicial icon with some members of the State Executive Council.

The governor said; “Government will meet with the family members of the late jurist, including his son, Charly Boy, to agree on the burial date and modalities.

“Imo State government celebrated the late Oputa while he was alive and would also celebrate him at death because he was a good ambassador of the state and Nigeria,” Okorocha said.

He described Justice Oputa as “a rare germ with wealth of knowledge and lived a life worthy of emulation through his dedication to duty, discipline, hard work and honesty,which earned him various positions and accolades.”

2015: INEC begins distribution of permanent He advised that all persons to voters’ cards in Abia check the register to ascertain BYANAYO OKOLI

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MUAHIA—AS part of preparations for 2015 general elections, the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, has concluded arrangements to distribute permanent voters cards in Abia State.

Speaking at a news briefing at INEC State Headquarters in Umuahia, the Resident Electoral Commission, Prof.

Jacob Jatau, also disclosed that

continuous voters’ registration would also commence soon.

Specifically, Jatau disclosed that the distribution of the permanent voters’ cards would hold in the state between May 23 and 25, 2014, while the continuous voters’ registration would hold between May 28 and June 1, 2014.

According to the REC, the exercise is important because the permanent voters’ card will be the only one to be used during the 2015 general elections.

their status before the election.

“In Abia State, the permanent voters’ cards, PVC, distribution will take place in all the 2,676 polling units, while the continuous voters’ registration will be in designated centres in each of the 184 registration areas.“In addition, registration of voters will also be done in 145 polling units which recorded either zero or less than 50 registered voters during the 2011 exercise,” Prof. Jatau explained.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014—47

CONFERENCE: From left, General Manager, British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation, BATN, Abimbola Okoya; Head of Department, Mass Communications, University of Lagos, Professor Ralph Akinfeleye; Lagos Business School keynote speaker, Chris Ogbechie; Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Education, representing the state Commissioner for Education, Minabelem West; Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation, Nonny Ugboma, and Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Segun Odubela, at the BusinessDay Annual Giving Back Conference 2014, in Lagos.

DONATION: From left, Managing Director, St. Nicholas Hospital, Dr. Dapo Majekodunmi; member of the Board, Lagos Island Maternity Hospital, LIMH, Mrs. Olarewaju Salvage; Chairman, Board, LIMH, Dr. Abiola Balogun;, and Chairman, Moses Adekoyejo Majekodunmi Foundation, MAMF, Mr. Femi Majekodunmi, during donation of a Laparoscopy machine, (Karl Storz Endoscopy), worth N3.5 million by MAMF to Lagos Island Maternity.

AWARDS: From left, Alhaji Giwa Mohammed, Chairman, Giwa Dynamic Ventures, the 2nd Best Customer of the Year, and Chief Chinedu Ezenyili, Chairman, Chinedu & Sons Inv. Nig. Ltd, receiving Best Customer of the Year award, from Chairman, Dangote Cement Plc, Aliko Dangote, at 2014 Dangote Cement Plc Distributors Awards ceremony, in Lagos. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi

PARTY: From left, Brand Manager, Absolut Vodka, Akintayo Akinseloyin; Marketing Director, Sola Oke, both of Pernod Ricard Nigeria, and MTV Base VJ, Ehizojia Okoeguale, during the Absolut Cocktails Party, at Elegushi Private Beach, in Lagos.

WALK: From left, Special Adviser, Rural Development, Mr. Babatunde Hunpe; Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, Hon. Ibrahim Layode; Special Adviser, Public Health, Dr. Yewande Adesina, and Commissioner, Ministry of Rural Development, Hon. Cornelius Ojelabi, at the flag-off of Ministry of Rural Development Community Health Walk, in Badagry Local Government. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi

MEETING: From left, Pastor John Enelamah, Pastor Yomi Kasali, Pastor Wale Adefarasin, Governing Apostle, and Pastor Abraham Olaleye, council member, Coalition of Nigerian Leaders, at a meeting, in Lagos, on the 'state of the nation.'

PROGRAMME: From left, Juliana Esezobor, Head, Group Human Resources & Admin, Honeywell Group; Samuel Smart, inductee, and Olufeyisayo Soewu, Team Lead, Human Resources & Admin, Honeywell Group, at the induction programme of the 9th Class of Honeywell Excellence Programme, HEP, in Lagos.

FORUM: From left, Mrs. Shade Tayo, Chairman, Parents/Teachers Forum; Mrs. Iretiola Doyle, recieving her award from Olufunke Amba, Director of Vivian Fowler College for Girls, and Mr. B. Cilliers, Principal, Grace School, Gbagada, during Vivian Fowler Memorial College for Girls' World Book Day celebration 2014, at the school premises Oregun, Ikeja. Photo Shola Oyelese

PRESENTATION: From left, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, national chairman, Adamu Muazu; Charles Odedo, Anambra House of Reps member and a returnee to PDP, and Anambra PDP chairman, Ken Emekayi, during the presentation of Odedo to the party's national chairman, in Abuja

48—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

NTI tasks states on teacher training

Chibok: Parents threaten to transfer children to schools in the South

ADUNA — DIRECTORGeneral of the National Teachers Institute, Kaduna, Dr. Aminu Ladan Sharehu, has charged state governments to take teacher training more seriously by investing in their teachers.

He gave the charge at the opening ceremony of Cycle Two, Third Cohort training of science and mathematics teachers under the Strengthening Mathematics and Science Education (SMASE) scheme in Kaduna, yesterday.

Sharehu who urged the states to take a cue from Kogi, FCT and Gombe in their efforts at raising the quality of the teachers, stressed that the two states and the FCT have successfully trained as many as 200 teachers who would in turn train their colleagues in their respective states.

He said in each training, it is expected that it should be cascaded to local level so that the desired objectives of the training would be realised. He described teacher education as a very serious business in the country.

In his remarks, the representative of the Minister of Education, who is the SMASE National Coordinator, Mr. Chiemezie Aguiyi said SMASE was being continued despite the withdrawal of the partner in the project, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in recognition of the impact it has made in the sector across the nation.

AUCHI — FOLLOWING the recent abduction of over 200 girls from Chibok, parents and guardians in Bauchi State have expressed fears over the safety of their female children in boarding schools across the state and threatened to transfer their children to schools in the Eastern or Southern part of the country.

They said the abduction of the girls in Borno State had created fears in their minds, noting that girls were now targets of insurgents.

Some of the parents, who spoke to Vanguard, decried growing spate of abduction and killing of students in the North-Eastern part of the country.

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BY SUZAN EDEH

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The parents, however, called on the Federal Government to beef up security in the respective boarding schools in the North to avert any form of attack.

A civil servant, Mrs. Regina Obed, expressed fear over her two teenage daughters schooling in Federal Government Girls College in Bauchi State, saying she was contemplating transferring them to the southern part of the country to complete their secondary education.

Mrs Obed said: “Ever since I heard of the abduction of the school girls at Chibok in Borno State, I have been worried over my two daughters who are in the boarding school here in Bauchi.

One of them is in JSS 3 while the elder is in SSS 2.”

Alhaji Sanusi Ahmed, a busi-

nessman based in Bauchi, said he had a 16-year-old daughter who is in SSS1, stressing he had not had rest of mind since the Chibok incident in Borno State.

He said: “I have not had rest of mind because of my daughter who is in the boarding school.

You cannot predict the movements of these insurgents because they can turn their searchlights on any of the states in the north and abduct more girls,” Reacting to the apprehension of parents over the safety of their female children, the Principal of Government Girls Arabic College, Alkaleri, Bauchi State, Hajiya Safiya Ahmed Shall, said the authorities of the school had put in place security measures to forestall any attack in the female hostels.

PDP, DPP youths clash in court over council poll result in Plateau

BY MARIE-THERESE NANLONG

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OS— TAROK youths from Langtang North Local Government Area of Plateau State, who are supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Democratic Peoples Party, DPP, yesterday, clashed at the premises of the state high court in Jos over a pending local government election case.

The case is between the PDP’s candidate in last February local

government election, Mr. Nanmwa Kumzhi, and Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission, PLASIEC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as respondents.

While the case was ongoing in the court, the angry youths, who were arguing among themselves and distracting the court’s proceedings, were asked to step outside.

Shortly after they moved outside, the anger was renewed, leading to a free-for-all. But for the timely intervention of security men, the situation would have degenerated.

It would be recalled that N a n m w a Kumzhi, shortly after the local government election, d r a g g e d

PLASIEC and his party, the PDP, before the Plateau State High Court sitting in West of Mines seeking the declaration of the Jat ward result of the elections which caused the delay in declaring the winner for the Langtang North chairmanship seat.

However, when the case came up, counsel to DPP, Sunday Obende, approached the court seeking relief to join as a party to the case.

The presiding judge, Justice S. Gang, in his preliminary ruling into the matter, struck out the application and counter-motion seeking the amendment of originating summon to allow the counsel continue with further hearing.

Counsel to the PDP, Mr. Sunday Oyewole, opposed the application and the motion on notice, saying the defendants were not part of the election and should not be allowed as they were not qualified to be a party in the case.

However, the case was adjourned till May 23, 2014.

Corruption: EFCC orders Borno commissioners to produce projects' reports

BY NDAHI MARAMA

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AIDUGURI — THE Economic and Finan cial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has asked indicted commissioners and top government officials in Borno State to produce reports and video clips of projects they executed over the years.

They had earlier been questioned by the anti-graft agency, following petitions written against them by some persons in the state.

Our sources in the various ministries and government cycles revealed that one of the commissioners was asked to cough out N5 billion allegedly found in his possession.

Also, a top government official said to have been in the habit of collecting N12 million every Monday in the past couple of months to run his office was ordered to cough out N200 million he allegedly obtained through corrupt means.

Ekiti 2014: Vote with your conscience, NGO urges electorate

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AGOS— A Non-Govern mental Organisation, Rights Monitoring Group, RMG, has called on the electorate in Ekiti State to vote with their conscience and not to be swayed by monetary enticement from politicians.

The President, RMG, Comrade Olufemi Aduwo, told airport journalists at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos that for the state not to lose its progress track, the electorate should eschew political affiliation in deciding who to vote for in the forthcoming election.

Aduwo alleged that some money bags without enterprises had started camping in the state, strategising on how to rig the forthcoming election and urged the electorate to be vigilant.

He emphasised that it is “pertinent for the electorate to vote for the best candidate with track records, trusted, the one with a noble character and virtue as well as the most brazenly determined to genuinely change the fortune of the state.”

He said, “They should know that they are the ultimate authority to decide who would govern them and manage their commonwealth very effectively. This becomes necessary in order that the state may not lose the track of its ever respected progressive inclinations to politics."

ICM promos reward customers

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HE double prone ap proach promos, Easter Bunny and 50th Consumer promo embarked upon by Ikeja City Mall, ICM, during the Easter celebration climaxed with winners emerging.

The promo backed by tenant stores at the mall provided the promo gifts for the winners.

Both promos are interwoven. 10 lucky winners emerged from the whole exercise with six shoppers selected for the Easter Bunny promo while four for the 50th consumer promo.

Speaking, Eniola Ositelu, Marketing Manager, ICM, said the major difference between both promos is that for the Easter Bunny, receipts were deposited in the drop boxes by shoppers at the 3 entrances of the mall while for the 50th consumer promo, receipts are submitted to the Marketing Manager of the mall.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014 —49

50— Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014—51

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM AFRICA

Six Nigerian firms make WEFA 16 Global Growth Companies

BY OMOH GABRIEL

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IX Nigeria companies were among the 16 companies The World Economic Forum has announced as its Global Growth Companies (GGCs) in Africa. WEFA said it made the selection consisting of 16 of the Africa’s most dynamic and high-growth companies.

These companies it said in a statement are considered trailblazers, shapers and innovators that are committed to improving the state of the world.

The selected companies are: Nation Media Group (Kenya); Bidco Oil Refineries Ltd (Kenya); GML (Mauritius); Nagode Group (Nigeria); UAC of Nigeria Plc (Nigeria); Computer Warehouse Group (Nigeria); Interswitch Limited (Nigeria); Notore Chemical Industries Ltd (Nigeria); Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc (Nigeria); Growthpoint Properties (South Africa); Capitec Bank Holdings Ltd (South Africa); Webber Wentzel (South Africa); KZN Oils (South Africa); Net1 UEPS Technologies, Inc (South Africa); Tekkie Town (South Africa); and Simba Group (Uganda).

“The World Economic Forum said it is proud to recognize these 16 champions that are at the forefront of driving responsible economic growth, job creation and entrepreneurism in Africa. We look forward to the active and dynamic role they will play at our meeting in Abuja, working with the region’s leaders to foster inclusive, sustainable growth in the region,” said David Aikman, Managing Director and Head of New Champions

at the World Economic Forum.

GGCs are fast-growing companies with the clear potential to become global economic leaders. The 16 nominated African GGCs represent a broad cross section of industrial sectors, but share in common a track record in exceeding industry standards in revenue growth, promotion of innovative business practices and demonstration of leadership in corporate citizenship.

It said that together with the Social Entrepreneurs, Technology Pioneers,

Young Global Leaders, Global Shapers and Young Scientists, the GGCs make up the New Champions, a larger World Economic Forum community of pioneers, disruptors and innovators.

Nomination as a GGC provides companies with an opportunity to join the larger GGC community of over 360 companies worldwide. These companies contribute to the Forum’s meetings, projects and knowledge products, which in turn support them on their path to achieving responsible and sustainable growth.

L-r: Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, Mr. Sunil Bharti Mittal and President of Tanzania, Dr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete at the State House after a session of bilateral talks between the two.

Banks witness low patronage as govt offices remain shut in FCT

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OST commercial banks in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) witnessed low patronage of customers due to the directive of the Federal Government’s to close government offices and schools.

However, most customers were not sure that the banks would be opened for business, following the Federal Government’s directive.

The President Goodluck Jonathan had directed that government offices, schools and private offices with large work force within the FCT be closed from May 7 to May 9.

The president gave the directive to ensure security within the FCT during the ongoing meeting of the World Economic Forum on Africa holding in Abuja.

A NAN correspondent, who visited commercial banks within the FCT, sighted no fewer than 15 customers at the various banks at different transaction units.

Some of the banks visited were First Bank Nig. Plc., Zenith Bank, Guarantee Trust bank, United Bank for Africa, Diamond Bank, Ecobank and Stanbic IBTC Bank within FCT. Among all the banks visited, it was observed that UBA only opened the back entrance to the bank while Stanbic IBTC was

closed to customers.

NAN reports that other banks visited had not more than two to three customers at different transaction points. At the GTB, a customer, Mrs Stella Amedu said she was not aware the bank would open today for operations, saying that she had to call her account officer before coming to the bank.

“I am a business woman and

have some money from my sales of yesterday which I came to deposit at the bank. I had to call my account officer who assured me the bank will be opened that is why I came to the bank,” Amedu said.

At the First Bank in Area 3 which was usually very crowded, it was noticed that only three customers were seen making transactions at the time of the

visit.

A customer at the First Bank, Mr Atsaka Oduen, said he usually patronised the branch and had never seen the banking hall as scanty as it was today.

“I always use this branch for my transaction because it is close to my office. The bank is always very crowded with people and I have never seen it scanty like this before.

AfDB tasks Nigeria, others on inclusive growth

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HE African Development Bank (AfDB) yesterday at the ongoing World Economic Forum in Abuja urged Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa to synergise and drive inclusive growth in the continent.

Prof. Mthuli Ncube, AfDB Chief Economist, made the call as a panelist on the topic, “Driving Competitiveness through Cooperation, integration and Economic growth”.

He said that growth was positive in the region, but the inequalities remained too high.

He said if the three countries could synergise, it would help to reduce the average poverty rate of 48 per cent presently in the region.

According to him, the informal sector of the economy, where the small businesses are high, should be encouraged.

Mr Seyi Bickersteth, Chairman, KMPG global Africa practice, said efforts must be geared towards improving intra-African trade currently at 12 per cent.

“For us to have a positive growth, we need to integrate, get rid of the guys at the boarders to reduce cost and time of business and movement,” he said.

He said that boarder check remained a major hindrance to free movement of goods in the region, adding that energy issues were another problem that should be tackled to help businesses that would create jobs and reduce inequality indicators.

Bickersteth said the adoption of privatisation of the energy sector by the Nigerian government was a step in the right direction, adding that private sector participation was critical to drive the sector.

Business leaders, heads of govts, investors arrive Abuja

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OME world business lead ers, heads of governments and international investors from Africa, Asia, Europe, U.S. on Wednesday arrived Abuja, Nigeria’s capital for the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa. The delegations from Asia are from Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and India.

Other countries include U.S. Britain, Germany, France, Belgium, Canada, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Namibia, DRC Congo, Rwanda, Ghana and Senegal. Some of the delegates expressed optimism that the economic forum would assist in deepening the continent’s business frontiers. Dr Robbin Mayer, an

investment analyst from South Africa said that the forum would help him to understand the Nigerian economy better.

“As analyst, my mission and that of my colleagues is to use the ongoing economic forum on Africa hosted by Nigerian to understudy the financial and government economic policy thrust.

Policy thrust We are also seeking to build operational bridges with our colleagues in Nigeria and see a way of creating synergy for wealth creation.”

Mr David Samuya, a Kenyan small and medium scale

operator, said that he was attending the forum to expand his knowledge on the Nigerian emerging Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

“Our hope is that Nigeria will use the forum to share its successes and challenges in growing SMEs,” Samuya said. He also said that the forum would provide his team the opportunity to see beyond the negative image of Nigeria. I must say that am amazed at the achievement of Nigeria from what I have red so far on the Nigerian economy and the drivers of the economy,” Samuya added.

Dr Clement Jones, a U.S. private investor said that WEF on Africa provided him oppor-

tunity to combine tourism and business. This is my first visit to Africa and am happy that Nigeria is providing the platform for me to understand Africa and the emerging economies’ potential,” Jones said.

Jones also commended the Federal Government for rebasing Nigerian Gross Domestic Product (GDP), stressing that “the data is the tonic that kindled my interest in attending the forum”. Meanwhile, Federal Government’s closure of government offices and schools on Wednesday impacted positively on the vehicular traffic in and around Abuja.

C M Y K

52 — V anguard ,THURSDAY, MAY 8 , 2014 Vanguard anguard,THURSDAY, NEWS ON BRIEFS

UN nuclear inspectors head to Iran

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Putin calls for referendum in Ukraine’s Donetsk region R

USSIAN President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that he wants a delay in a referendum on whether certain eastern Ukrainian residents want sovereignty from Kiev and that presidential elections scheduled for this month are “a step in the right direction.”

But he added that the planned May 25 presidential vote Kiev wants to hold would “not solve anything unless all of Ukraine’s people first understand how their rights will be guaranteed” once the election has taken place.

The comments, according to a transcript published by the Kremlin, came after Putin met with the chairman of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe on Wednesday.

Separatists in Ukraine’s Donetsk region have scheduled a referendum for Sunday. Putin called for the delay “in order to give this dialogue the conditions it needs to have a chance.”

He added that direct talks between Kiev authorities and representatives of the pro-Russian sympathizers in southeast Ukraine were key to settling the escalating crisis.

In March, voters in Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula approved a controversial referendum to secede from Ukraine and

Hunt for MH370 to get deeper, broader

A Pro-Russians will consider Putin’s call to postpone the referenda at a meeting yesterday join Russia, which subse- sia has moved its troops nest echoed that.

“There is not evidence quently annexed the from the Ukrainian borCrimea region. That der, a NATO military of- to date that there has event highlighted the tur- ficial said Wednesday on been a meaningful and transparent withdrawal of moil rocking Ukraine. condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, NATO has White House deputy Russian forces from the “no indication” that Rus- press secretary Josh Ear- Ukrainian border,” he told reporters.

Thai court has ordered Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and several cabinet ministers to step down.

The Constitutional Court ruled that Ms Yingluck acted illegally when she transferred her national security head.

The ruling follows months of political deadlock. Anti-

Syria conflict: Rebels leave Homs

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OUTH Africans are voting in general elections as the country marks 20 years since the end of white-minority rule.

The African National Congress (ANC) is tipped to win, returning President Jacob Zuma for a second five-year term.

These are the first elections since the death in December of Nelson Mandela, the country’s first black president.

government protesters have been trying to oust Ms Yingluck since November 2013.

The remaining cabinet members have nominated the commerce minister to replace Ms Yingluck.

“The cabinet has agreed to appoint Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan to act as caretak-

Ms Yingluck’s supporters believe the courts are biased against her C M Y K

FTER 61 days without tangible evidence, of ficials from Malaysia, China and Australia will hunker down Wednesday to plot the next steps in the hunt for MH370.

Their tasks: Review all the information gathered so far and figure out what tools will be needed in the next stage of the search — a deeper, broader probe of the Indian Ocean.

Two things are certain: This new phase will be expensive and even more difficult.

Australia estimates it will cost $60 million, with the breakdown of who’s going to pay for what yet to be determined.

But perhaps the greatest challenge now will be scouring unchartered territory. A key element of the new phase will be a detailed mapping of the ocean floor.

S/Africa vote in post Nelson Mandela elections

The ANC’s campaign has drawn heavily on the outpouring of grief over the death last year of Mr Mandela Correspondents say voting has begun smoothly with long

Thailand court ousts PM Yingluck

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NITED Nations inspectors are heading to Iran Sunday to visit a uranium mine in Yazd and a uranium-thickening plant in Ardakan, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported. It’s the seventh such trip in recent months.

The inspection comes as a May 15 deadline looms for Iran to meet international requirements regarding its nuclear program. Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency agreed in February on seven measures Tehran must take, as the United States, France, Russia, Germany, China, and the United Kingdom hope to broker a final agreement with Iran on May 13 in Vienna, Austria. Behrouz Kamalvandi, Iran’s atomic department spokesman, says his country has already taken six of those steps, Iran’s official news agency IRNA reported Sunday.

er prime minister,” Deputy Prime Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana said.

Ms Yingluck had been accused of abuse of power in improperly transferring Thawil Pliensri, her national security chief appointed by the opposition-led administration, in 2011.

Appearing in court on Tuesday, she had rejected the suggestion that her party had benefited from the move.

But the court ruled against her, saying a relative had gained from the transfer.

“The prime minister’s status has ended, Yingluck can no longer stay in her position acting as caretaker prime minister,” a judge said in a statement.

queues and there is an air of excitement, especially amongst first-time voters.

The ANC is expected to win more than 60% of the vote, although opinion polls show there is disaffection with the country’s leadership.

But it is not clear whether this will translate into a significant swing for the opposition.

Those born after the end of apartheid in 1994 are casting their first national ballots, although only a third of those entitled to do so have registered to vote.

Lehlohonolo Mafausu, 18, told the BBC she was very excited to be voting for the first time.

“Many people sacrificed their lives for me to get this chance,” she said in Diepsloot, a township north of Johan-

UNDREDS of rebels have been evacuated from their last stronghold in the central Syrian city of Homs.

Two convoys of buses have so far left the Old City and taken fighters to rebel-held territory to the north.

The withdrawal is part of a deal that will also see rebels release dozens of captives and ease two sieges.

It marks the end of three years of resistance in the central city, once dubbed the “capital of the revolution” against President Bashar al-Assad.

Much of Homs fell to the opposition in 2011, but over the past two years government forces have gradually regained control by subjecting areas once home to tens of thousands to continuous siege and bombardment.

The damage to buildings in the Old City, particularly those in the Warsha district, is substantial.

Rescued Afghan vows to cross Channel again

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N Afghan man who was rescued by French coastguards from a makeshift raft off Calais says he will try to cross the Channel again until he reaches Britain.

Asif Hussainkhil, 23, was picked up on Monday as he tried to make the 21-mile (34 km) journey on a boat made from six wooden planks and a crutch.

He told journalists he had tried to get to the UK several times, but each time was discovered by police.

Calais is home to hundreds of illegal migrants hoping to reach England.

Every day, many of the refugees converge on the Calais ferry port desperate to stow away on lorries bound for the UK. Others, like Mr Hussainkhil, use makeshift rafts to paddle across the Channel.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014 — 53

Change your milk!

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HE decision to make VeggieVictory in Lagos Island Nigeria's 1st restaurant with a strict Vegan menu was absolutely on purpose. We are not using any diary products.

Our milk, yogurt, cheese and ice-cream are plant-based, from soy beans to be precise.

Sometimes we also produce milk from tiger nuts.

Indeed there are many alternatives to diary and all are very delicious and healthier than diary milk: Soy beans, almonds, rice, oats and others.

Everywhere in the world and also in Africa people are becoming vegetarians and vegans at an ever increasing rate, and this is more than a trend.

This is due to recent health statistics that show alarmingly high rates of heart disease, diabetes and other food related illnesses in the our communities. People are also skipping dairy, fish, eggs, and honey also.

There have been many changes to what people eat in Africa that is making it less healthy than the food of our ancestors.

Many have become conscious of not just what they eat but also the idea towards food as medicine. More and more people have started replacing chemical laden western foods with healthier indigenous options.

Hakeem Jimo’s

Ve ggie Victory

veggienaija@gmail.com

• Milk include bloating, weight gain, cramping and swelling. Contrary to our heritage, Western countries with their predominantly European heritage have low frequencies of lactose intolerance because of an extensive

cultural history of dairying. Drinking milk for our bodies is like fueling a car with bad fuel. You are slowing the engine down and make it work harder, live shorter. Many soy milk products are now in the market.

There is also a local production. Try it for yourself and your family!

Hakeem Jimo is founder of VeggieVictory, Nigeria's 1st Vegan & Vegetarian Restaurant

Vets advocate animal protection laws

BY VICTOR AHIUMA_YOUNG

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• Milk So what about the vegans? Vegans do not eat the meat of any animal nor do they consume any animal products including honey and milk.

Although it is not well public knowledge, 90 percent of all Africans are lactose intolerant: even 99 percent among Yoruba and Ibo are lactose intolerant. The symptoms of lactose intolerance,

IGERIAN Veterinary Medical Association, NVMA, Delta State Chapter, has called on the State House of Assembly to enact laws that will give legal right to people to institute legal actions for and on behalf of animals treated with cruelty.

Making the call during the 2014 World Veterinary Day Celebration in Asaba, the Association advocated stiffer penalties for quackery in veterinary practice.

The Chairman, Dr Augustine Ojogbo, said the Constitution "holds that any person guilty of an offence of cruelty to animals is liable to imprisonment for six months or a fine or both."

He lamented that despite the backing of the constitution and various animal rights laws, there was a dearth of information on successful prosecution relating to cruelty against animals.

"It is an offence of cruelty to animals for any person who beats, kicks, ill-treats, over-rides, over-drives, over-loads,

tortures, infuriates or terrifies any animal or causes or procures or being the owner, permits any animal to be so used willfully without any reasonable excuse, administers any poisonous or injurious drug or substance to any animal."

The Association claimed the extensive methods of farming exemplified by cattle herdsmen was an abuse and cruelty.

"The indiscriminate use of antibiotic/ prescription drugs by quacks is cruelty to animals and is responsible for antibiotic and anthelminthic resistance, including outbreak of diseases in animals."

They commended Delta State government for promotion of animal welfare and prevention of cruelty to animals, promulgation of Private Veterinary Clinic Law 2006, construction of abattoirs across the state and the recent inauguration of Delta State Regulation of Private Veterinary Establishments Committee in line with the Veterinary Council of Nigeria.

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

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She will also need an arousal gel like the Liquid Sex G C M Y K

Spot Gel and a good but affordable vibrator such as the Erotic Stud vibrator. A combination of all of these novelties will take care of her problem. The vibrator in particular will enable you to keep stimulating her after you have ejaculated until she climaxes. It takes the average woman twenty minutes of constant clitoral stimulation to climax and with a vibrator, you can stimulate her long enough to have not one but multiple orgasms in one sexual session – Uche My wife and I are in our late forties and we are healthy.

The only problem is that we hardly have sex since after having three children. Our whole life is about our work and family. I want to have fun again – Chukwuka The problem married people have is that very often, they are so involved in child related things and their daily work such that it deprives them of any kind of romantic investment. Couples must make time for themselves, no matter what, otherwise, their relationships will fail. So both of you need something that will enable you focus on romance and sex two or three times a week and nothing does that better than adult movies. A holiday getaway also helps but it is expensive and you cannot travel every other week, just so that you can have a great sex life. So get a feature film like Die Hard XXX or The Simpsons XXX . Adult films are such effective aphrodisiacs that they make anybody want to have intercourse. Five minutes into watching any of these movies, you will both want to tear each other’s clothes off. I guarantee you – Uche Please how can I get Exploding Thunder? I have heard so much about it from my friends and they say it is very good for weak erections and second round – Isa Isa call the numbers below or order online at www.zeevirtualmedia.com - Uche Adults in need of these treatments/novelties can call 08171912551 or 08027901621 for help or visit www.zeevirtualmedia.com. Zee Virtual Media delivers all over Nigeria. For enquiries email us at custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com- Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

54 — V anguard ,THURSDAY, MAY 8 , 2014 Vanguard anguard,THURSDAY,

ABDUCTED GIRLS: VIEWS FROM ABROAD

The outrage, emotion, confusion •It’s a heartbreaking situation — Obama •Abduction act of pure evil — Cameron •Govt in a state of denial — Soyinka FROM a nationwide outcry, the outrage against the abduction of over two hundred teenage secondary school girls in Borno State, has become global. At the same time, the utterances of some eminent Nigerians have continued to generate mixed feelings, leading to an atmosphere of confusion as the search for the girls continues WE don’t know the location of the girls —President Jonathan

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F this thing had happened in another state and security personnel were moved, the whole world would have seen a lot of mobilization. Security personnel are already on ground. All the information given to us, we have searched the places, we have used helicopter to search the surfaces.

We promise that wherever these girls are, we will surely get them out. The good thing is that there is no story that any of the girls have been hurt, injured or dead. I really sympathize with the parents and guardians of these girls.

We believe that wherever these girls are, we will get them out.

What we request is maximum cooperation from the parents and the guardians of these girls. Up till this time, they have not been able to come out clearly to give the police the identity of the girls that are to return. The police have records of 44 of them, while the principal mentioned to me on Saturday night that 53 have returned but the police have record of 44.

I recently set up a committee to go to Borno State, we

•Jonathan we appreciate the concern shown by Nigerians and globally. We see what they are doing in terms of protest, which is quite healthy.”

It’s a heartbreaking situation—President Barack Obama “We’ve already sent in a team to Nigeria. They’ve accepted our help through a combination of military, law enforcement, and other agencies who are going in, trying to identify where in fact these girls might be and provide them help. It’s a heartbreaking situation, outrageous situation. This may be the event that helps to mobilize the entire international community to finally do something against this horrendous organization that’s perpetrated such a terrible crime.’’

Abduction act of pure evil — Cameron "This is not just a Nigerian

,

From the body language of the the President’s wife and some of her close associates there was high possibility that the First Lady’s demand for the governor’s wife to be at the meeting on Sunday was to humiliate her will provide the security. We are pleading that the parents should cooperate with government, we will need the identities, including their photographs. We are also talking to neighboring countries so that wherever they take those girls to, we will surely get them back if we get the maximum cooperation from the parents and guardians.

Let me reassure Nigerians that we will get the girls out,

,

issue, it is a global issue.There are extreme Islamists around our world who are against education, against progress, against equality and we must fight them and take them on wherever they are.’’

Govt in a state of denial —Soyinka ‘’This is a government which is not only in denial mentally, but in denial about

•Obama

certain obvious steps to take.

It’s one of those rather childlike situations that if you shut your eyes, if you don’t exhibit the tactile evidence of the missing humanity here, that somehow the problem will go away. It is not just a Nigerian problem. I’m calling for the international community, the United Nations – this is a problem. This is a global problem. And a foothold is being very deeply entrenched in West Africa.’’

We’ll sell your girls into slavery —Shekau "I abducted a girl at a Western education school and you are disturbed. I said Western education should end. Western education should end.

Girls, you should go and get married. I will repeat this: Western education should fold up. I abducted your girls.

I will sell them in the market,

by Allah. I will marry off a woman at the age of 12. I will marry off a girl at the age of nine.’’

Nigerian women, don’t demonstrate again —Patience Jonathan "Before all these killings, I called and told the first lady of Borno State to let us come together. She answered me yes, but when the kidnap happened, I called her, she did not answer me. I invited her, she did not turn up even up till today. No woman will fold her arms when her house is on fire. Today my house is on fire. Before last Friday, I called her and she promised to attend the Friday’s meeting here. But to our greatest surprise, she sent her commissioner for women affairs.

•Cameron Also today, she sent her commissioner for women affairs.

She is the mother of Borno State. She is the first mother of these missing girls. I am their grandmother. She is not coming out. All Nigerian women are calling her. If she is not concerned and she says she doesn’t want her people to be safe, then it is left to her.

If you tell us you are not crying, why should I cry more than the bereaved?

If I cry more than the bereaved, the world would ask me a question. If after today, Borno women say we should not help them, then Nigerian women, don’t demonstrate again. If you demonstrate and police do you anything, you are on your won. Borno women are playing game. Nigerian women should not go out for demonstration. Don’t use school children for demonstration again. Borno women are not ready for cooperation.

I am not accusing anybody.

My own is let us stop killings and kidnapping.

Let us say a stop to these.

You want to kill my husband; you want to make me a widow before you go and rest. My God will never make me a widow.’’

Patience Jonathan planned to humiliate me —Borno First Lady ‘’From the body language of the the President’s wife and some of her close associates that there was high possibility that the First Lady’s demand for the governor ’s wife to be at the meeting on Sunday was to humiliate her by accusing her husband to her face in the midst of participants at the meeting and she thought it was better she concentrates on her planned trip

to Chibok on Monday morning. The Governor’s wife regards the First Lady as a mother given her age and position as mother of the nation.

Rather than present herself for a clash in an event her husband, the Governor was disparaged before her at the Sunday meeting, which could have prompted an emotional reaction.’’

We’re close to abductors – Military ‘’The bases we visited are part of the responses to the terrorist offensive and that is an achievement; the military had moved close to where the insurgents are. It shows that the military had taken over the land. The morale of the soldiers was high, and we are expecting to see more successes from the troops,’’ Director of Defense Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade said.

I don’t think the girls were kidnapped—Kema Chikwe “How did it happen? Who saw it happen? Who did not see it happen? Who is behind this?”

I don’t think the Chibok school girls were kidnapped.”

Others: British Foreign Secretary William Hague called the kidnappings “disgusting” while Angelina Jolie, speaking in Paris, condemned the Chibok abductions as “unthinkable cruelty and evil”.

Egypt’s prestigious Islamic institute Al-Azhar, which runs the main Sunni Islamic university in the region, said harming the girls “completely contradicts the teachings of Islam”

V anguard ,THURSDAY, MAY 8 , 2014— 55 anguard,THURSDAY,

ABDUCTED GIRLS: VIEWS FROM ABROAD WASHINGTON POST:

AFP/GETTY IMAGES

8 questions you want answered about Nigeria’s missing schoolgirls

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T’S been three weeks, and hundreds of pupils from Chibok Government Secondary Girls School in Nigeria are still missing, kidnapped by Nigerian terror group Boko Haram. Their plight has sparked protests and global outrage, including a now viral Twitter hashtag, #BringBackOurGirls. As the girls remain hidden by their captors, fears for their health and safety increase. Here’s what you need to know t0 get up to speed.

What happened? On April 15, a convoy of trucks carrying Boko Haram fighters - more about them below - arrived at the school in Chibok, a remote northeastern town in Nigeria. They seized more than 300 girls from the school dormitory, burned its food

supplies and razed the building before racing off with their captives into the bush. Some of the girls escaped, but more than 200 remain in Boko Haram custody. (The school’s principal told the Wall Street Journal that at least 223 girls are still missing, while other reports suggest the number is around 276.) They are believed to be between 16 and 18 years old. On Tuesday, suspected Boko Haram gunmen reportedly captured eight more girls, ages 12 to 15, as well as livestock from another village in northeastern Nigeria.

What is Boko Haram? It’s a Nigerian Islamist militant group that has been operating in the country’s northeast since 2002.

The name Boko Haram means,

literally, “Western education is sinful” in the local Hausa language. In recent years, the group has waged a bloody campaign against schools in the country ’s Muslim-majority northeast in a bid to propagate shariah as the only law of the land. It is rumored to have ties to al-Qaeda, as well as other affiliated outfits in Africa, such as Somalia’s al-Shabab. Through bombings and shooting sprees on a host of civilian and government targets, Boko Haram has claimed hundreds of lives since its insurgency began, centered on the city of Maiduguri, capital of Borno state.

Shekau in another screen grab

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HAT he lacked in oratorical capabilities, he made up for in bellicosity. “I enjoy killing anyone that God commands me to kill,” he said after orchestrating an attack that claimed 180 lives. ”The way I enjoy killing chickens and rams.”

Boko Haram has a similar operational structure to alQaeda. There are individual cells that affiliate under the same name, but operate autonomously. “A lot of those calling themselves leaders in the group do not even have contact with him,” Salkida told the BBC last year. But even with such division, Shekau has maintained control - and

created a mystique - through his brutality and ability to survive. In 2013, the Nigerian military again announced he had likely been killed. But he later surfaced once more in a fresh video, saying he was “protected by Allah.”

“Why is he so violent? I think because Shekau was almost killed,” Martin Ewi, a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, told France 24. ”Imagine coming back from the dead. He knows he doesn’t have a second chance if he’s caught by the security forces...He was in the mouth of the crocodile, now he’s coming back to kill the crocodile.”

NEW YORK TIMES:

Nigeria’s Stolen Girls

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HREE weeks after their horrifying abduction in Nigeria, 276 of the more than 300 girls who were taken from a school by armed militants are still missing, possibly sold into slavery or married off. Nigerian security forces apparently do not know where the girls are and the country’s president, Goodluck Jonathan, has been shockingly slow and inept at addressing this monstrous crime.

On Tuesday, the United Nations Children’s Fund said Boko Haram, the ruthless Islamist group that claimed responsibility for the kidnappings, abducted more young girls from their homes in the same part of the country in the northeast over the weekend.

The group, whose name roughly means “Western education is a sin,” has waged war against Nigeria for five years. Its goal is to destabilize and ultimately overthrow the government. The group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, said in a video released on Monday, “I abducted your girls. I will sell them in the market,

by Allah.”

This is not the first time Boko Haram has attacked students,

killing young men and kidnapping young women. The security situation in Northeast Nigeria has steadily deteriorated. In the first three months of this year, attacks by Boko Haram and reprisals by government security forces have killed at least 1,500 people, more than half of them civilians, according to Amnesty International. Until now, there has been little response to the violence, either in Nigeria or internationally. But the kidnapping of so many young girls, ages 12 to 15, has triggered outrage and ignited a rare antigovernment protest movement in Nigeria.

On Sunday, after weeks of silence, Mr. Jonathan admitted that “this is a trying time for our country,” and he said that Nigerians were justified in their anger against the government and appealed for international help. The reaction of Mr. Jonathan’s wife, Patience, was stunningly callous; according to state news media, she told one of the protest leaders, “You are playing games. Don’t use schoolchildren and women for demonstrations again.”

Members of the Civil Society organisations in the Niger Delta protesting in Port Harcourt over the kidnapping of more than 200 secondary school girls in Chibok Borno State. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke

AL JAZEERA:

Nigeria: A serious test of stability

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S Nigeria takes centre stage hosting the World Economic Forum on Africa, events in recent weeks have tarnished its image as a country that has come of age. In April, as Africa’s most populous nation assumed the presidency of the United Nations Security Council and chairmanship of the African Union’s Peace and Security

Council, news came that Nigeria had also outstripped South Africa to become the continent’s largest economy. Yet, while its role regionally and globally may never have been greater, recent events - most notably the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls by the Islamist armed group Boko Haram - show that Nigeria faces a serious domestic

GUARDIAN OF LONDON:

Nigerian abductions: the stolen daughters

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IGERIA likes to present itself as the face of Africa rising. But its response to the kidnapping has belonged firmly in the other African narrative: hopeless Africa. When historians want to understand how a state functioned at some earlier time, they look for a period of civil crisis. In Britain, outbreaks of the plague provide key benchmarks of the sophistication of administrators. Studying evidence of accountability, the nature of the forces that can be mobilised, the capacity to record

detail and keep and update information, these are all indicators of the health of the underpinnings of a functioning state.

In the past few weeks, civil disaster has struck Malaysia, South Korea and Nigeria. The mystery of the disappearance of flight MH370 with 239 people on board in early March was not just a catastrophe for those on board and their families, and the airline that carried them. It became a national embarrassment for the government and exposed

unsuspected deficiencies in national security. Beijing accused Malaysia of a lack of transparency. The fallout may still frame the debate for the second term of the prime minister, Najib Razak.

In South Korea last week, the prime minister resigned over the loss of the Sewol, which sank with the loss of 300 passengers and crew, mainly schoolchildren.

The surviving crew face criminal charges. There will be an inquiry that may change regulations for ship design and impose new

standards of seamanship. This is the response of a government that wants to show its citizens it feels their pain.

The news from Chibok in the Borno province of north-east Nigeria, where more than 200 schoolgirls are still missing more than a fortnight after they were abducted from their dormitories, tells a more difficult story.

Nigeria is a huge country, the world’s seventh most populous and so diverse it has been dismissed as a mere geographical expression.

test of its stability which also threatens regional peace and security.

More than three weeks after the girls were taken from a secondary school in a village in north-eastern Nigeria, their whereabouts remain unknown and frustration is mounting at the failure of the government to find them. Indeed the only arrests so far made related to the kidnappings have been of two women protesting against the slowness of the government’s response.

The horrific abduction shows the serious nature of violations of international humanitarian and human rights law being committed by Boko Haram. It is imperative that Nigeria acts swiftly and firmly to secure their safe return - with international support if needed - but the process must also demonstrate a commitment to human dignity, human rights, transparency and accountability. To do this Nigeria needs the help of all its friends attending the Abuja World Economic Forum.

56—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

Pension assets safe, PenCom reassures •Says Police still in CPS, now has a PFA STORIES BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG Pen N ATIONAL sion Commission, PenCoM, has dismissed reports that accumulated Pension fund of over N4trillion is under threat because of alleged pull out of Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, by the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, saying such report is not only unfounded, but also a factual error capable of misleading the general public.

The commission insists that beside the fact that the accumulated pension fund is safe, the NPF has not and cannot pull out of the CPS, but only applied to it for a licence to operate as a Pension Fund Administrator, PFA, exclusively for the Nigeria Police personnel for which a provisional approval was given by the commission.

Head, Communication Unit of PenCoM, Mr. Emeka Onuora in a statement said “it is important to note that the Federal Government has never granted any approval to the Nigeria Police to pull out from the Contributory Pension Scheme. On the contrary, the personnel of the Nigeria Police Force are still under the Contributory

A cross section of pensioners at National Pension Commission, PenCom, awareness workshop in Lagos. ingly, after extensive consultations with the Commission, the authorities of the Nigeria Police Force decided to incorporate a limited liability company (NPF Pensions Limited) and apply to the commission for licence to operate as a Pension Fund Administrator

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,

NPF Pensions Limited, which is incorporated as a Private Limited Liability Company, will be managed independently by professionals

Pension Scheme by virtue of Section 1 of the Pension Reform Act 2004. Indeed, the White Paper recently issued by the Federal Government on the Report of the Oronsaye Committee on the Rationalisation of Federal Government Institutions clearly indicated that the Federal Government has accepted the recommendation that, with the exception of the Military which has already been granted exemption, no Federal Government Institution or Force should be exempted from the Contributory Pension Scheme.

“It would be recalled that following the enactment of the Pension Reform (Amendment) Act 2011, which exempted the personnel of the Military and State Security Services from the Contributory Pension Scheme, the Nigeria Police and other Agencies agitated for exemption from the Scheme.

However, the Federal Government decided after careful consideration of the submission made by the Nigeria Police that the Police personnel should remain under the Contributory Pension Scheme and that the Nigeria Police Force should seek administrative solutions to the grievances of their personnel within the framework of the scheme. Accord-

exclusively for the Nigeria Police personnel in order to address their peculiar concerns. Following a rigorous and thorough review of that application, the NPF Pensions Limited was found to have satisfied all the normal stringent A-I-P conditions without any concessions. Consequently, the

Commission granted the NPF Pensions Limited an Approval-inPrinciple for a licence to operate as a PFA.” 18 months for transfer of records: According to the statement, “It is pertinent to note that the NPF Pensions Limited, which is incorporated as a Private Limited Liability Company, will be managed independently by professionals who must be fit and proper persons who have satisfied due diligence requirements and approved by the Commission in line with the Guidelines for Appointment to Board and Top Management Positions of PFAs and PFCs. Furthermore, although the NPF Pensions Limited will be exclusively for police personnel, every police officer will, in line with section 11(2) of the PRA

2004, be at liberty to transfer to another PFA of his/her choice as soon as the transfer window is opened by the Commission.

“In order to ensure the smooth take-off of the NPF Pensions Limited, the Commission has developed an Operational Framework that will guide the reassignment of Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) and transfer of records of all Nigeria Police contributors to the NPF Pensions Limited, which would be spread over an 18 month period.

Accordingly, in its usual consultative approach, the Commission has engaged and would continue to engage other licensed operators and stakeholders regarding the modalities of reassignment of PINs and transfer of records of officers and men of the

Nigeria Police, with a view to ensuring a smooth exercise for the benefit of the pension industry.

The commission added that “it is instructive to note that the issue of threat to pension assets does not arise under the Contributory Pension Scheme because the management and custody of pension assets are respectively undertaken by separate licensed operators, namely the Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) and Pension Fund Custodians (PFCs), under the strict supervision of the Commission.

Accordingly, the NPF Pensions Limited will operate like any other licensed PFA where the pension assets under its management will be held in custody by licensed PFCs under the supervision of the Commission.”

Retirement plans for our workers robust, says NB

N

IGERIAN Breweries, NB, Plc, has said retirement plans for its workers are very robust, aimed at ensuring a comfortable life after retirement.

Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of the NB, Mr.Nicolaas Vervelde, at a briefing in Lagos, ahead of the Company’s Annual General Meeting, AGM, said “a defined contribution plan is a post-employment benefit plan (pension fund) under which the Company pays fixed contributions into a separate entity.

The Company has no legal or constructive obligations to pay further contributions if the fund does not hold sufficient assets to pay all employees the benefits relating to employee service in the current and prior periods. In line with the provisions of the Pension Reform Act 2004, the Company has instituted a defined contribution pension scheme for its permanent staff. “Staff contributions to

the scheme are funded through payroll deductions while the company's contribution is recognised in profit or loss as employee benefit expense in the periods during which services are rendered by employees.

Employees contribute six per cent of their basic salary, transport and housing Allowances to the Fund on a monthly basis. The company's contribution is 11 per cent and nine per cent of each employee's basic salary, transport and housing allowances for non-management and management employees respectively.”

According to him, “the company currently operates two gratuity schemes, a defined benefit scheme and a defined contribution scheme: The company has a defined benefit gratuity scheme for certain employees.

The company's net obligation in respect of defined benefit scheme is calculated by estimating the amount of future benefit that employees have earned in return for their service in the current and prior periods and

that benefit is discounted to determine its present value. In determining the liability for employee benefits under the defined benefit scheme, consideration is given to future increases in salary rates and the company's experience with staff turnover.

“The recognized liability is determined by an independent actuarial valuation every year using the projected unit credit method. Actuarial gains and losses arising from differences between the actual and expected outcome in the valuation of the obligation are recognized fully in other comprehensive income.

The effect of any curtailment is recognized in full in the profit or loss immediately the curtailment occurs. The discount rate is the yield on Federal Government of Nigeria issued bonds that have maturity dates approximating the terms of the company's obligation. Although the scheme is not funded, the company ensures that adequate arrangements are in place to meet its obligations under the scheme.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014—57

BITS Bits Words on placards at May Day rallies

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Social protection "Social protection. “Decent jobs for all. There was also “Police, your pension has been stolen by those who ordered you to shoot us”, displayed by activists. Also on displayed were “Fashola don’t kill the dream of Awolowo.”

For the civil society groups led

by Joint Action Front, JAF, theirs were mostly tution fees crisis in Lagos State University, LASU, “Education is a right; Gov Fashola enjoyed free tuition in UNIBEN, Why N350k now? Save LASU from the capitalist.” We demand: Reversal of fees in LASU, LASPOLY and AOCOED. Implementation of agreements with ASUP,COEASU and SSANIP.” Unemployment benefit for all unemployed., “No privatization! Forward to socialization”” ”Obafunwa want to enslave LASU workers to actualise his selfish ambition.”

MAY DAY: From left: Comrade Emmanuel Ademokun, Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, Edo State; Comrade Didi Adodo, Commissioner for Establishment and Special Duties and Governor Adams Oshiomhole at the 2014 May Day rally to celebrate Workers' Day, in Benin.

Workers, politicians seek cooperation on insecurity Thousands of workers, dressed in colourful T-shirts and caps participated in this year’s May Day marked in all the states. For the first time, issues of insecurity, especially abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls featured prominently at this year’s May Day and the classification of the nation’s economy as the best performing on the continent among other issues, drew comments from union leaders and politicians. This edition of Labour Vanguard keeps the memory of May Day alive.

BY FUNMI KOMOLAFE & VICTOR AHIUMA- YOUNG

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CONOMY: Official claims that Ni geria’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP, is the highest in the continent has not impressed the working class.

According to Chairman of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, Lagos State, Comrade Akeem Kazeem: “ We must clarify that we are not talking of paper statistics of re-basing our GDP while there are no infrastructural backup with the citizens providing all their basic needs like food, housing, shelter, water, electricity, health, education, roads etc. We can no longer afford to tolerate a situation where less than one percent of our population corner the resources of the nation while the majority 99% live in abject poverty”.

NLC Lagos State Chairman, Comrade Idowu Adelakun : “ The federal government claims to have a robust GDP …..

The question is how can a non-producing nation lay claim to being the biggest economy in Africa even as we have been adjudged a nation where over 70% of its population , live below one dollar a day at the current rate of N170 “.

On his part, NLC President, Comrade Abudulwaheed Omar, said: "Comrades, you will recall that of recent, the Gross Domestic Product of Nigeria was rebased, resulting in the economy becoming the largest economy in Africa. While we appreciate the technical basis of the rebasing, the size of the economy serves to highlight the skewed nature of the distribution of income in our country. Wealth and income are increasingly concentrated in a tiny proportion of the citizens. This situation, if unchecked, portends dangers for peace and stability. Government needs to

evolve policies to promote inclusive growth and a more equitable society”.

Trade union movement “The truth is that poverty has united the poor between the North and South and wealth has united the rich across the North and South. You must not allow people to play up this divide; and play brothers against brothers. In fact, in the trade union movement we talk about the working class of the world. “ Education: Whereas the May Day rally in Lagos was disrupted by members of the Joint Action Front who were demanding the reversal of the increased fees for students of Lagos State University ( LASU), Governor Fashola said they could not be acting on behalf of LASU students .

He categorically said, “I have met twice with the students and asked them to go and make a proposal to me. We are talking.”

In Edo state, Governor Adams Oshiomhole said he has no apologies for subjecting teachers to competency test.

He said: “I have a duty to restore the dignity of teachers. I am sure Comrades no matter the bitterness in our minds that in rec-

Insecurity:Fashola, Oshiomhole, workers call for unity This was an issue on which union leaders and politicians seem to have struck a chord. Lagos TUC chairman led workers to observe a minute silence for youths who died in the stampede for Immigration jobs, victims of Boko Haram in Borno State , Abuja, etc.

TUC: “ The emergence of these dangerous and demonic phenomena in Nigeria is a reflection of grievious decadence in our system, personal and collective lives. The Boko We should be united in the fight Haram insurgency in the North-East spreading against Boko Haram. We should fast like wild fire with the be united against terrorism, belatest kidnapping of young female students in cause we need a peaceful state for Chibok, discovery of ritus to do politics ual havens like the Soka , Ibadan incident and other cases of ognition of the fact that our future begins armed and violent crimes are threats today, and that today means investing in to the entire nation and we must all education….We have introduced one pupil, one desk and I am doing these berise to take affirmative actions”. cause proper teaching and learning canGovernor Fashola of Lagos state agreed. He said, there was no need to not take place in an atmosphere that is quarrel on issues that challenge us as not conducive…. . I have a duty to the Edo child and I want you to remember a nation.

“If we agree, the problem cannot that it is the children of the poor that are defeat us”, he said, adding “it may be in government schools”. Oshiomhole said a sign of the inefficiency of the as a product of a public school, he would government in power…. but we should not allow the future of the Edo child to be agree to fight the scourge of insecurity undermined.

Calls were made by trade unions and as Nigerians under one flag,“ the non-governmental organizations for Green-White-Green.”

Governor Adams Oshiomhole who is government to properly fund the Polytechalso the immediate past president of nics and Colleges of Education and put the Nigeria Labour Congress said, an end to the strike which began in “We should be united in the fight October 2013 in the interest of the nation.

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ART of the May Day ral lies, is also an avenue for workers to protest issues of concerns with placards.

At the Onikan Stadium venue of the Lagos May Day celebration, there were several displays of placards in various inscriptions. Among the conspicuous ones were those of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN focus on topical issues in the socio-economic happenings in the country.

Below are some of them: “Stop precarious work, ensure health and safety at work."

"Stop casual and contract work, respect workers right, Union membership is workers right."

"No industries, no job, no development! Re-industrialize Nigeria. Nigerian workers unite against terrorism, rape, abduction and kidnapping."

"Value addition, please stops exportation of raw materials, and industrializes now. Democracy is freedom and people’s welfare, stop the killings; stop violence and kidnapping, protect Nigeria."

"Industrial global union federation affiliates in Nigeria united for decent work. Living wages, Equal pay for work, just and human’s conditions of work, improved health and safety condition. Respect for freedom of association, Respect for collective bargaining, No discrimination work.

against Boko Haram. We should be united against terrorism, because we need a peaceful state for us to do politics.

“Right now, across the country, I only hear the voices of ethnic champions, people who speak for the east, people who speak for the South-South, people who speak for the South-West, speak for the North-East and North-Central among others.

“Where are the spokespersons for Nigeria? Everyone has become an ethnic champion. Even those who have the opportunity to preside at the national level, they have recoiled to their parts of the country. I ask you as workers to build solidarity across the Niger. You must build solidarity across all the primordial sentiment.

“Not even national boundaries will define our relationship. So I ask you to remain dogged in the fight for Nigeria, to remain dogged on issues of national security. They are not issues to be politicized.

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58—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

Fayemi's other side, by Opeyemi Bamidele •Why I'm the rallying point for the oppressed •No one man can determine my destiny MICHAEL Opeyemi Bamidele, erstwhile Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Lagos State, Special Adviser to Governor Ahmed Tinubu and once a darling of the Asiwaju crowd is today on the other side, flying the kite of Labour Party in next month’s gubernatorial election. In words never before expressed, Bamidele gives his account of his struggles in the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN in Ekiti State, his efforts to redress perceived wrongs in the party and his mission. Excerpts:

BY LEKE ADESERI & WAHAB ABDULLAH

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HAT are you telling Ekiti people during your campaigns?

My aspiration in Ekiti at this time is informed by a burning desire for positive change.

At some point we must be ready to stand up for something, and I am at that point in my life. To the glory of God, I have always stood up for something. But it was much easier to join other democratic elements against military dictatorship.

It was also much easier in joining other progressive forces in trying to organise towards a furtherance of our democracy. But today, it is not just the issue of combating just what I called lack of internal democracy within our parties, but also a situation where one is trying to fight for what can strengthen our democratic culture in Ekiti, it has led to a situation where a good number of my traditional allies take a position that definitely defer from mine.

If you notice, I have refused to join issues with people, especially in the media. Because the truth is that many of the people who are speaking against

recognised the need to combat pseudo-democrats and the different kinds of deceptive elements we see in a democracy.

This is not just anybody, but a governor who parades civil rights or pro-democracy activist credentials. And what did we get as a member of the ruling party nothing but booby traps.

The expectation of everybody

Ewi commends Fayemi, says Awo has resurrected in Ekiti

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

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HE Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe has commended Governor Kayode Fayemi comparing his stewardship to the premiership of the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

The monarch made the commendation while receiving Fayemi and his team in his palace, saying the residents of Ado Ekiti will ever by grateful to Fayemi for the wonderful job he has done in the state and in particular in Ado Ekiti.

Oba Adejugbe said what

Traditional rulers

•Bamidele: The journey to democracy has just begun what I am doing today, writing articles in the papers against my moves in Ekiti today ordinarily, are some of the people that if things would have been different would support my course. I try to draw a line of demarcation between personal relationship and my ideological commitment.

As far as I am concerned I

Fayemi has done in his kingdom has brought joy to all sons and daughters of AdoEkiti at home and abroad praying, that Fayemi will realize his dream of taking the state to greater heights.

The monarch said he was not surprised by what Fayemi has done, noting that the governor had articulated his eight-point agenda while canvassing for votes in all nooks and crannies of the state before his assumption of power.

“What you have done in Ado is a big wonder to us. What you have done in Ado has

marveled us. We are all happy with you for what you have done for us in our community.

“You have done a lot for us and your performance in office is making all of us to be happy. We are happy with you for implementing the eightpoint agenda to develop our town and the entire state.

“Indeed, Awolowo has resurrected in Ekiti, you have done what had never been witnessed in the history of our state. Our students are recipients of free laptops and you conducted a special free medical mission to all palaces”.

he did and what did we get? The PDP went to court and stopped the inauguration of the electoral body, which prevented the conduct of the election. Also, the PDP played into his hands, since in the first instance he didn’t want to conduct any council election anyway.

One year after, when the party leadership went to meet the governor and advised him to jettison the electoral body he set up and constitute another one, he did not yield. People were expecting him to set up the state electoral commission that will organise the local government poll, everybody was looking forward towards a well organised local government poll. One year after the party members and its leadership went to meet this governor and said, Mr. Governor dissolve this commission and put credible team there- he refused.

This became an excuse for three and half years, but rather he appointed caretaker committees to run the affairs of the councils, and change them every six month.

is the democratization of the process. Everybody was looking forward for the conduct of the local government elections as one of the earliest things in the life of the administration.

And the booby trap came with the disagreement with members and the leadership of the party, where the governor agrees to go ahead and conduct the council election and he went and picked one of the prominent women leaders, who had played prominent role in his electoral campaign as the State Independent Electoral Commission, SIEC, boss.

Credible retired public servants Of course, a lot of unsuspecting ACN members, felt the governor was on the right way. All Ekiti people were looking forward towards the conduct of the local government poll, but he picked a card carrying member as the chairman of the electoral body.

This is a state that parades a legion of credible retired public servants like permanent secretaries, judges and retired school principals that he could have picked as the umpire to supervise the election. And knowing the implication of what

Rather than being responsible to the people, the caretakers are now responsible to him. So every month they are in the government house to receive ‘the joint allocations’. From there they sign for money they did not collect. When you see this administration buying vehicles for traditional rulers, you will be amazed, because this is not his responsibility, its supposed to be the responsibility of the councils.

The money meant for the cars for the traditional rulers were deducted from the money for the council from source, while the governor invited the traditional rulers and brought camera men and started sharing cars to them, because he needs all these for his media hype.

Today, nothing is happening at the local government level. And our constitution is clear about that.

It states that the local government shall be administered by elected officials. When the issue of second term came up at the first year of this administration, I called some party members and told them this is improper at this time. I said people will continue to support our party only through the administration’s action and performance. And that was the beginning of my issues with the government. I was classified as

Continues on page 59

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014—59

Party, CPC, and others to get people to build this party. The entire executive and members of CPC did not join the affiliation with the national level, they all came to Labour Party. For your information, we did not directly join the labour party, but we formed what we called Ekiti Bibire Coalition, EBC, what Ekiti people will call Omoluabi. This is because we believe that everybody has his own Godgiven talents.

No one man can determine my destiny — Bamidele Continues from page 58 an enemy of the administration, but I wonder, because I do not think that there is anything out of place that I have done.

I felt that as a stakeholder my opinion was supposed to count.

It now became an issue that many people more than they themselves felt, took offence on the situation. By the 2nd year anniversary of this administration, there was a call for the governor’s second term

by His Excellency, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, who all of us regarded as a party leader.

I felt this was too rather early and that we should also allow internal democracy to prevail in this instance. What I felt was that, yes, if the governor needs a second term, he should keep on working and that his performance will justify all these.

Essentially, I insisted that if such a thing will happen there must be state primaries.

The administration took so much offence on this and so many things were said about me and so many things were done

all these there was a meeting presided over by Chief Bisi Akande, the national chairman of the party and we agreed on these issues.

I actually documented what was happening within the party and presented same, and the leadership actually took their position. The position was that, this is not the issue of who become the flag bearer of the party but the lack of internal democracy in our party-and as far as they were concerned they also made it clear that the position of Otunba Niyi Adebayo to give Dr Kayode Fayemi an automatic ticket should not be taken as the position of the party.

They argued that anybody is free to express his opinion on any issue but that cannot be the position of the party. But they said at the meantime, everybody should maintain the status quo and that Dr Fayemi should reinstate the excos removed.

On each of the occasions, he listened to them but refused to carry out the instructions. By December 2012, Otunba Niyi

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I have never for once left my party. And I did not abandoned the ACN. I was never a member of APC, all I did was not to register with APC, it was like I was party-less for three months as a member of the parliament

against me as well.

What was the position of Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu on the matter?

After the complaint, what the governor did was to remove the elected executives at the wards and the local government and replace them with his own people after he called for the dissolution of the excos.

Is that the position of the constitution of the party?

No! what they did was after their purported dissolution they replaced the elected executives with their own. They have their lists. So they removed all the officials including my own ward, where my father was the chairman. The fear was that since I was insisting on internal democracy through the parties executives, they were not comfortable with this. This is because allowing the elected executives to be in office means that the wards excos will vote, the council executive will vote as well as the state executive members.

So they removed your father?

Yes, of course, but the grouse was not about my father but the institution of democracy. So, after

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Adebayo invited party chieftains to his house in Iyin Ekiti in what he described as an end of the year get together.

Meanwhile, I traveled out of the country and on December 30, they pasted my posters everywhere with the Labour Party logo, purporting that I was running for governorship on the platform of the Labour Party.

The excos who attended the meeting sat overnight at Otunba Adebayo’s house while the Governor came with correspondents who were invited to ask questions. The Chief press secretary then had arranged who will ask the first question.

The person happened to be from the state owned government media outfit, who asked the question that in view of the sterling performance of Governor Kayode Fayemi, did he not deserve a second term ticket?

And the Otunba said “yes of course.” Meanwhile, all the leaders there had been showering encomiums on him and started chorusing what Otunba said. That was December 2012, for an election just coming June this year.

Of course, when I read all

Majority leader

•Bamidele: I was classified as an enemy of the administration these in the US, I was surprised.

When I heard that Dr Fayemi was announced as the party’s candidate, I called Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande. They immediately retorted that no, this cannot be, asking how can Otunba Niyi Adebayo be speaking for the national leadership of the party, saying that what Otunba said was his personal expression.

Since then, I have been facing one persecution or the other.

What they did first was to destroy the bill boards I had in different places within the state, wishing the party members the best of the seasons. In fact some of the boards had the picture of the governor on them.

Internally generated revenue From that moment till today, I cannot tell you how many of my bill boards they have destroyed, even as this campaign is going on. All I have been doing is to remain focused. I will not run the council with caretakers and more importantly I will not stay more than four years. In the last 18 months the local governments have been doing nothing, while the government borrowed money here and there. At the end of the day, you ask, what is the capacity of this government to pay this money, what is being done to enhance the internally generated revenue of the state?

By flying the flag of Labour Party some say you have committed political suicide?

When I hear things like that I get amused because we all feel as if God is not having hands in all what we are doing.

Many of the people who are alleging today that I have committed political suicide actually left PDP some years back and some of them left AD to PDP

and AC N and went back to PDP and back in ACN etc.

I have never for once left my party. And I did not abandon the ACN. I was never a member of APC. All I did was not to register with APC, it was like I was party-less for three months as a member of the parliament. I was elected on the platform of AC N and those who owned the party said they were discontinuing with the party.

Certificate of registration So they returned the certificate of registration to INEC, I have no control over that. So, I was a member of parliament for three months without a political party since APC did not finish their registration until February this year. Meanwhile, I don’t know why people said I committed a political suicide. Is it because APC is a national party that controls eleven governors? As a member of ACN there was a time our governor was the only one in this country, I did not abandon the party, and I did not think my fortune will dwindle, I remained committed. It was a psychological thing. We kept organising and under four years we had five governors.

For me, it is about what you believe in. And today, what are we talking about, APC is campaigning in Ekiti, PDP is campaigning in Ekiti, but we are doing two things together in Labour Party, we are building the party as well as campaigning in all the local governments in the state. So, we are strengthening the party as well as campaigning.

All the people that were disenchanted in AC N went with me to Labour Party. He (governor) divided the party himself. We went to PDP, Accord

The question is: “who was in the opposition before? That is why today, we have in Labour Party, the state chairman who was the majority leader in the state House of Assembly. Also, we have the secretary of LP, who was also a leader of the AC N in the state in Labour Party now and a host of them. To me we are building a party in Ekiti, unlike the APC, who relied on media hype, and who has access to the state treasury. I will say those who said I committed political suicide are not God, and they cannot determine my destiny.

On translating his large follower-ship to vote in June?

Go to town and feel the pulse of the people. Governor Fayemi has been isolated by the people, except the media hype, nothing more. All things being equal, I have no doubt that I am going to come out victorious in this election. The mood of the people reflect this and when it comes to defending the vote, it is Ekiti people that will defend their votes and the mandate given to whoever.

My own is that I will continue to make this election and the campaign an issue oriented one through out. So, if it is serving the people, it does not worth shedding peoples blood. I have been a victim once, where one of my supporters was killed in Emure. And as we speak today, his remains are still in the mortuary awaiting the conclusion of police investigation. For me it is also a struggle, which I am offering my self as a rallying point. I am spearheading the struggle against tyranny of incumbency. It is also a struggle to ensure that there is an internal democracy.

What was your relationship with Asiwaju?

When I met our leaders when we formed ACN, including Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, I met them in the course of struggle fighting for internal democracy.

When I first met Asiwaju, it was because some of us organise ourselves with Chief Dapo Sarumi to fight for internal democracy within Social Democratic Party, SDP.

60 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

2014 W/Cup: Con men invade Brazilian Embassy T

HE Nigeria Foot ball Federation (NFF) has urged officials of the Brazilian Embassy to arrest persons who fraudulently present themselves with forged documents as officials of the Federation or as persons or groups known to it.

General-Secretary of the NFF, Barrister Musa Amadu disclosed that the Federation is in possession of a number of such forged letters sent to the Embassy of Brazil by some scammers with intent of securing entry visas into that country for the 2014 Fifa World Cup finals.

“We have been alerted to this scam and we are taking it seriously. Some officials in the Embassy of Brazil informed us about what is going on, and we are in possession of some letters written by these fraudulent individuals, with intention of getting entry visas into Brazil, ostensibly for the FIFA World Cup finals,”

Amadu revealed.

“People go to the embassy with forged letter-

F

T

HE Lagos State Government, hosts of the maiden DAWN Games, says it is not desperate to win the championships.

The DAWN Games — Development Agenda for Western Nigeria — are for students of secondary schools in the SouthWest.

The Games are scheduled to hold in Lagos from May 16 to May 24.

Addressing a news conference on yesterday in Lagos, the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Lateef Ibirogba, said the Games were being hosted to discover talents in the zone.

“The reason for staging the Games is to identify talents, the real winners

Nigerian youths in a Squash racket clinic during.

She also hinted that all states of the Federation had indicated interest in participating in the weeklong event to be staged at the courts of the National Stadium, Abuja and Nicon Hilton Hotels.

“Plans have been concluded for the revival of Squash in Nigeria, in conjunction with the Nigeria Squash Federation, we are bringing all the states in Nigeria to Abuja to compete, vie for honours and win great prizes from June 9.

Osaze Continues from BP support. Even before the recall I dey feel the love.

That means more than the recall to me,” he tweeted on Wednesday morning.

But the forward showed he had lost none

T

HE 2019/2021 Nations Cup inspection team on Tuesday arrived Algeria to continue the inspection of facilities by the six countries that have bid to host the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019 and

We 're not desperate to win DAWN Games, says Ibirogba of the lasting legacies and not age-cheats.

Odeh returns to lift squash revival in Nigeria ORMER Nigeria’s Squash number one player, Friday odeh, has hinted on his impending return to the country, to be part of Squash revival as Beth Ross initiates a Squash tournament from June 9 to bring back the glamour in the game.

According to Ebele Igbokwe-Bertrand, Tournament Director of Abuja Squash Tournament which would begin from June 9, Odeh has agreed to come home from his base in the United States of America, to join in training

headed papers of NFF introducing themselves either as NFF officials or as being known to the Fed-

eration.

“The Nigeria Football Federation has given the Embassy of Brazil the goahead to arrest those persons and hand them over to the appropriate authorities for prosecution.”

Afcon 2019/2021: CAF inspection team arrives Algeria

of his humour, as he joked about Channel TV’s description of his recall.

“Thanks for the congratulations. The return of the prodigal son Channels tv said?

Anyhow una call am I am pleased to be back.”

“We want to be able to support the genuine talents from among our youths, so that when identified, we shall be able to nurture them to stardom."

“We know the talents exist and we want to use the Games to engage the youth of the six states that make up the South-West — Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Oyo and Lagos,” he said.

Ibirogba said that one

the leadership in the zone wished to bequeath was a vibrant younger generation united in their love for sports.

He added:“We also want them to have opportunity of competing while still in school.

“We think that through the arrangement, we can encourage proper growth of sports with the right age groups and in the process, foster integration.”

Neymar Continues from BP m i d f i e l d e r Fernandinho.

The surprise names in Scolari’s selection are Hernanes and Henrique, with Miranda and Lucas Moura among the disappointed parties.

There are seven changes to the side that won the Confederations Cup last summer, with Jádson, Diego Cavalieri and Filipe Luís three of those to be overlooked.

Alexandre Pato, Kaká, Ronaldinho, Lucas Leiva and are some of the other high-profile names to miss out.

Brazil begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia on June 12, before facing Mexico and Cameroon.

The squad in full: Goalkeepers: Júlio

César (Toronto FC), Jéfferson (Botafogo), Victor (Grêmio) Defenders: Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Maicon (Roma), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Maxwell (Paris SaintGermain), David Luiz (Chelsea), Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain), Dante (Bayern Munich), Henrique (Napoli) Midfielders: Luiz Gustavo (Wolfsburg), Paulinho (Tottenham), Ramires (Chelsea), F e r n a n d i n h o (Manchester City), Oscar (Chelsea), Willian (Chelsea), Hernanes (Internazionale), Bernard (Shakhtar Donetsk) Forwards: Fred (Fluminense), Neymar (Barcelona), Hulk (Zenit St Petersburg), Jô (Atlético Mineiro).

Ideye Continues from BP “So disappointed, but life does not end here.

Life goes on,” he tweeted.

Ideye has scored three goals in 17 games for Dynamo Kiev this season in Ukranian top flight league.

He has scored five goals for the Eagles in

23 games and featured at last year’s Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, which Nigeria won.

He was also part of the Nigeria squad to South Africa 2010 as a replacement for injured Mikel Obi, but he won’t now be going to his second World Cup.

•Ibirogba

2021.

The team, was met on arrival at the Algiers airport by Mr Mohammed Raouaraou President of the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) and other members of the Executive committee of FAF. from where they went straight into business inspecting proposed training pitches at the Technical Centre of the Football Federation and the Beni Massous Stadium.

Also inspected was the renovated El Aurassi five star hotel complex and the historic El Adjair Hotel in the centre of Algiers.

The team is scheduled to spend five days in Algeria where in addition to Algiers they will also inspect stadiums, training pitches, hotels, hospitals, transport and communication networks in the other

Van Gaal

Continues from BP

full-time boss at Old Trafford.

United chief executive Ed Woodward had been hoping to confirm his appointment before the end of this week.

But the champions have decided to wait

until the end of the season before announcing Van Gaal as the man to rebuild the fallen giants.

It is understood Van Gaal has agreed a deal worth around £7m-aseason to take charge after the World Cup in Brazil.

Iran Continues from BP Iran are in Group F with Argentina, Bosnia and Nigeria for the opening round of June 12-July 13 tournament in Brazil.

The deadline to announce the final 23man squads for the World Cup is June 2.

Iran will play their first game against Nigeria on June 16.

Goalkeepers - Daniel Davari (Eintracht Braunschweig), Alireza Haghighi (Sporting Covilha, on loan from Rubin Kazan), Rahman Ahmadi (Sepahan), Sousha Makani (Foolad Khuzestan) Defenders - Khosro Heidari (Esteghlal), Hossein Mahini (Persepolis), Steven “Mehrdad” Beitashour (Vancouver Whitecaps), Pejman Montazeri (Umm Salal), Jalal Hosseini (Persepolis), Amir

Sadeghi (Esteghlal), Mohammad Reza Khanzadeh (Zob Ahan), Ahmad Alenemeh (Naft), Hashem Beikzadeh (Esteghlal), Ehsan Hajsafi (Sepahan), Mehrdad Pooladi (Persepolis).

Midfielders - Javad Nekounam (Al Kuwait), Andranik Teymourian (Esteghlal), Reza Haghighi (Persepolis), Ghasem Hadadifar (Zob Ahan), Bakhtiyar Rahmani (Foolad), Alireza Jahanbakhsh (NEC Nijmegen), Ashkan Dejagah (Fulham).

Forwards - Masoud Shojaei (Las Palmas), Mohammad Reza Khalatbari (Persepolis), Mehdi Sharifi (Sepahan), Reza Ghoochannejhad (Charlton), Karim Ansarifard (Persepolis, on loan at Tractor Sazi), Sardar Azmoun (Rubin Kazan).

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014 — 61

S

TEPHEN Keshi’s provisional 30-man list for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil yesterday elicited mixed reactions from some notable stakeholders in Lagos, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The much awaited list was finally released on Tuesday in Abuja, after Keshi had met with the Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA).

Paul Hamilton, a former coach of the Super Eagles, told NAN that he was satisfied with the list and had implicit trust in their ability to perform.

Hamilton, who was also a Chief Coach of the Super Falcons in the early 1990s, said that it was normal for some people to make the list while some would not.

“The list is not an endless one which can take everyone and so what we are seeing is expected.

“Keshi knows what he wants and I am sure he used that in his selection process, I am sure that he has good intentions,” he said.

A former Golden Eaglets Chief Coach, Henry Nwosu, urged Nigerians to support and respect Keshi’s selection.

Nwosu said Keshi is the head coach and the World Cup is a major competition so he would not want to disappoint people.

“He has done a good thing in juggling the players, bringing in some news ones for the World Cup. “Let us all know that he can’t satisfy everyone in his selection and accept it by knowing that he has good intentions,” he said.

Adegboye Onigbinde, a former Super Eagles coach, hailed the decisive manner with which Keshi had gone about the task of selecting the players he needed in the buildup to the World Cup. Onigbinde told NAN that Keshi had done what was expected of him to release a list and urged Nigerians to support him.

“He chose those he believes will execute his plans for the World Cup and I am optimistic of a

Omorodion becomes SA media to Spor ts Minister Lagos SWAN hails him .

•Omorodion

P

Super Eagles celebrate Afcon 2013 victory.

Nigeria World Cup provisional list: Hamilton, Onigbinde, Nwosu react good outing.

“No one does a thing without a plan so let’s give him the chance to carry out his plans,” he said.

Tayo Balogun, a renowned sport analyst, said that Nigeria was in a very tough group which many people did not seem to realise.

Balogun said that Iran

had been preparing so hard for the competition by engaging their players in series of friendly matches to build up for the World Cup. “The Group F where we are alongside Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iran is a very tough one and we need to take serious precautions not to fall.

“We need all the seriousness and commitment before and during the World Cup because it is a major tournament,” Balogun said.

He, however, charged Yobo, who eventually made the provisional list, to use his wealth of experience to mentor his fellow players, especially the younger ones.

“Yobo should use his pedigree to keep the team all through the competition because they need motivation to carry on.

“Motivation is also a vital tool needed by the players to keep going and not to be dampened for what so ever reason,” he said.

Igiebor: I want to be in Laloko charges Keshi to be objective in his final selection Brazil

R

EAL Betis forward Nosa Igiebor has said he hopes to make his World Cup debut in Brazil in June.

Igiebor was named on a 30-man provisional squad

by Coach Stephen Keshi for Brazil 2014.

The skillful midfielder has endured a torrid season during which his club have been relegated from the Spanish La Liga and he has battled various injuries.But he told AfricanFootball.com he wishes to make the most of the chance offered him by coach Stephen Keshi.

“I am very happy by this news. I must say thanks to God almighty first and thank you to the coach,”

BY SOLOMON NWOKE

V

•Igiebor Igiebor said.

“It’s the dream of every player to be at the World Cup and my aim is to make it to Brazil with the Eagles.”

Igiebor was the standout star for Nigeria’s Olympic squad in the qualifying series for the 2012 London games.

ETERAN coach and former technical director of the then Nigeria Football Association (NFA) , Kashimawo Laloko said yesterday that the provisional 30-man list of Super Eagles for 2014 World Cup released Tuesday night by coach Stephen Keshi was laced with ‘nepotism’ Reacting to the list, Coach Laloko was not quite happy as he urged Keshi to be more objective in the selection of his final 23-man squad that will don the country’s co-

lours in Brazil next month saying, only Keshi has the final say in the selection and make the use of the opportunity to ensure Nigeria plays well in the mundial.

Said the Director of Pepsi Football Academy, “Keshi has to be more objective in the selection of of his final list of 23 that will go to Brazil World Cup. His selection of the provisional list was affected by what I call ‘chains of nepotism’. If nobody can tell him, I will tell him.

“This is Keshi’s first opportunity with Nigeria at the World Cup and he still has a bright chance of making a good record.

ATRICK Omorodion, an Assistant Editor with Vanguard Newspapers was yesterday named Special Adviser(Media) to the Sports Minister Tamuno Danagogo.

Until his appointment, Omorodion was in charge of the sports pages of the weekend titles of Vanguard Newspapers. His appointment yesterday sparked off reactions from the sporting family especially from the Sporting Press.

The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, Lagos chapter, described the appointment of Omorodion as special adviser to the Honourable Minister of Sports and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Dr. Tamuno Danagogo, as “ well deserved and a welcome development not only for refreshing communications between the sports ministry and the sporting media but also for the quality of contributions that Omorodion can bring to bear in the ministerial processes of sports management and administration in Nigeria.”

Lagos SWAN in a statement signed by its chairman, Fred Edoreh, shortly after the announcement of the appointment, pointed out that Omorodion is eminently qualified for the assignment being a seasoned and committed sports journalist who has remained passionately and consistently committed to the development and promotion of sports in Nigeria.

62 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014 —63

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

Van Gaal agrees £7m Man U deal

L

OUIS VAN GAAL will not be installed as Manchester United manager this week.

The Dutchman has been lined up to replace David Moyes as the next

Continues on Page 60

Recall: Osaze takes to twitter, again O

S A Z E Odemwingie took to Twitter to comment on his recall to the Nigeria squad after a near two-year absence.

The Stoke striker was named in Stephen Keshi’s 30-man

provisional World Cup squad on Tuesday, and said although he was pleased by the recall, the love from fans meant more.

“This is to thank all my naija fans for the Continues on Page 60

Ideye gutted D

Iran unveil World Cup squad

I

•Osaze

RAN coach Carlos Queiroz has named the following 28man squad for training

camps in Tehran and Austria ahead of the World Cup finals.

Continues on Page 60

•Ideye

YNAMO Kiev striker Brown Ideye said he is devastated as he was excluded from the Super Eagles provisional squad for Brazil 2014 announced by coach Stephen Keshi yesterday.

Continues on Page 60

•Neymar

W/Cup 2014: Neymar leads Brazil

2014 W/Cup: Con men invade Brazilian Embassy — Pg. 60

L

UIZ Felipe Scolari has named the 23 players he hopes will guide Brazil to World Cup glory on home soil this summer.

His squad includes six

Premier League players: Chelsea quartet Ramires, David Luiz, Willian and Oscar, plus Paulinho of Tottenham and Manchester City Continues on Page 60

QUICK CROSSWORD

TODAY'S

PUZZLE

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Scratched (6) 5 Frightened (6) 8 Continual (8) 9 Urn (4) 10 Network (3) 12 Attain (5) 15 Number (3) 17 Wonder (3) 18 Spike (3) 19 Fellow (3) 20 Pungent (5) 21 Stray (3) 22 Sicken (3) 23 Firearm (3) 24 Fish (3) 26 Skirmish (5) 29 Owing (3) 33 Employer (4) 34 Wisdom (8) 35 Stick (6) 36 Swing (6)

DOWN 2 Picked (5) 3 Ascend (4) 4 Hang (5) 5 Garret (5) 6 Rant (4) 7 Outcome (5) 10 Jam (5) 11 Trite (5) 12 Kingdom (5) 13 Month (5) 14 Fence (5) 15 Tendency (5) 16 Courage (5) 25 Relaxed (5) 27 Follow (5) 28 Bordered (5) 30 Before (5) 31 Liberate (4) 32 Scrutinise (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Grab 4, Cab 6, Cost 8, Stigma 9, Astute 10, Nag 12, Sonic 14, Think 15, Lapse 18, Delete 29, Branch 24, Rebut 26, False 28, Tease 30, Off 32, Stolen 33, Loiter 34, Ache 35, Eat 36, Rude.

DOWN: 2, Ratio 3, Beguile 4, Clan 5, Brag 6, Catch 7, Satanic 11, Ass 12, Sad 13, Cat 16, Per 17, Ebb 19, Elastic 21, Rut 22, Atelier 23, Hue 25, Elf 27, Salve 29, Spend 31, Flat.

How to Play Sudoku

P

lace 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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