AS DEADLINE EXPIRES IN 48 HOURS: Imoke asks FG to push appeal on Bakassi

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 61726

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

ACHEBE ON AWO:

Police recover Igbo, Yoruba leaders bodies of murdered in verbal warfare•P. 8 NNPC engineers •P. 9

N150

Bakassi: Nigeria should collaborate with Southern Cameroon to create •P. 50 new state —Falana

AS DEADLINE EXPIRES IN 48 HOURS:

Imoke asks FG to push appeal on Bakassi •OBJ rejected UN’s plan to keep Bakassi for 20 years •We have solid case to present —Bakassi people •Committee could not sit last night

BY HUGO ODIOGOR, SONI DANIEL, INNOCENT ANABA, JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU & UDUMA KALU WITH AGENCY REPORTS

AGOS—CROSS River State Governor, Liyel Imoke, yesterday, made a desperate plea to the Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, SAN, to push the directive from President Goodluck Jonathan by challenging the International Court of

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Mr & Mrs DELTA, BEYELSA IN FLOOD TROUBLE: Some of the submerged houses in Patani and Isoko areas of Delta and Bayelsa States, yesterday.

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POCKET CARTOON

Imoke asks FG to push appeal on Bakassi Continues from Page 1 Justice, ICJ, judgment ceding of Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon.

Imoke made the appeal first as intrigue and personality clash stalled the meeting of the committee that was supposed to meet last night.

The Cross River State Governor said the issue of Bakassi was not about oil wells but about Nigeria’s territorial integrity and national security. He said since Bakassi was part of Nigeria, it was the duty of the Federal Government to protect Nigeria’s territory.

President Goodluck Jonathan had constituted a 10-man committee to look into the ceding of Bakassi with a view to appealing against the ICJ judgment before the expiration date of October 10, 2012, with Adoke heading the committee.

It was, however, alleged that the Attorney General was foot-dragging towards implementing the directives of the President despite the fact that there was no time to waste as the 10-year window of opportunity to appeal against the judgment expires on Wednesday.

The composition of the committee with persons who have either shown lack of interest in the appeal for the revision and those whose knowledge of the Bakassi case is limited, was already a source of discord, but the spanner in the works of the committee was thrown by the Attorney

General of the Federation, Adoke, who said the committee was to study the directives given

by Jonathan to find a way round the Bakassi quagmire.

The divided House A source close to the committee said the House became divided as representatives of the Cross River State Government, House of Representatives and the Senate strongly saw the action of the AGF as a deliberate attempt to stall the effort to beat the deadline of October 10, 2012.

Sources said the meeting became heated as the AGF and the representatives of the Cross River State Government became embroiled in emotional verbal attacks while the meeting was adjourned to enable tempers calm down. The source said the AGF promised to reconvene the meeting at 9.p.m. on Saturday but at press time, no meeting had been convened.

Vanguard learnt that the story that the committee sat to consider the fresh fact was part of the blatant lies which a section of the media was fed with to divide the focus of Nigerians.

Said a source: “Can you imagine that people like Professor Walter Ofonagoro was not invited by the Federal Government, rather, it was Justice B.U. Njemanze, the Chief

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

Y

ESTERDAY was for learning; tomorrow will be for growing, a consequence of what I do today. Face life with the conviction that this day will never return, that it may be the last opportunity you’ll have to contribute all you have.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

“BEAUTY shouldn’t be about changing yourself to achieve an ideal or be more socially acceptable.

Real beauty, the interesting, truly pleasing kind, is about honouring the beauty within you and without you. It’s about knowing that someone else’s definition of pretty has no hold over you.”

—Golda Poretsky.

Sasha Azevedo gave a beautiful insight on the perception of beauty: “You’re a beautiful person on the inside, and nothing in the world can change that about you.”

Limiting and developmental issues like jealousy is the result of one’s lack of self-confidence, selfworth, and self-acceptance. “The Lesson: If you can’t accept yourself, then certainly no one else will.”

Sometimes event and situations make us worry and we put attention on the very things we want to avoid, but the beauty of knowing that we can open the door to receive abundantly from life lies in the attention too.

Create a beautiful mental picture of your dreams and goals. Do this constantly and work towards fulfilling them. Learn to let go. Dreams do come true. Yes, they do!

Judge of Imo State, who invited Prof. Ofonagoro, but he was not allowed to make a presentation."

Senator Ewah Bassey Henshaw told Vanguard: “What is playing out in Abuja is part of the grand design by forces that want to hand Bakassi over to Cameroon. President Goodluck Jonathan won the heart of Nigerians and Bakassi people when he ordered that there should be an appeal for a review in compliance with Article 61.

It is not the duty of Nigerians to say whether the US, France, UK, or any other country for that matter should be happy with the moves being made by Nigeria. It is an issue that concerns the lives of Nigerians and that should be paramount in the minds of every Nigerian.”

Mr. Maurice Ekong said: “We have told the world that we have a solid case, we have told the world that we have engaged a high profile international lawyer in the past two months, is it not fair that the AGF hears us out?

Why are they always excluding the people of Bakassi from the meetings where their fate is determined? What does the AGF stand to gain if he frustrates our case? We did not just wake up to start this case, we have been on it but the Federal Government turned a blind eye. What they are trying to do now is to create the impression that we have no fresh fact, but we have a solid case to present.”

Govt officials in a fix Meanwhile, top Presidential and Cross River State Government officials were in a fix as at last night, when it dawned on them that no action had been taken by the committee towards filing any brief with the ICJ. As the deadline ran out, some officials from the state are reported to have tried desperately to seek the assistance of the Senate President, David Mark and a Principal officer to the President to prevail on the a senior minister to take necessary action on the matter.

The delegation from Cross River State, which was led by a Senator and some prominent leaders, were, however disappointed as they were unable to meet Mark and some senior Presidential officials to brief them on what was going on.

Mark was said to have expressed serious reservation over the way and manner the matter had been handled despite the presidential directive last Wednesday and was unwilling to say anything until it resurfaces in the National Assembly.

A source said that a top aide of the President, who

was contacted by the delegation from Cross River State, regretted that there was nothing he could do since the man who was saddled the job had turned back his back on it, there was nothing the Presidency could do about the review of the case.

Another source who has been following up on the Bakassi matter lamented: “We went to see the Senate President with the hope that he could talk to some of these recalcitrant government officials to have a rethink on their despicable disposition towards the issue, but we could not meet with him.

“On the other hand, a principal aide to Mr. President told us that he was left in a state of confusion since the main person who was given the task of handling the matter appears to be singing a different tone.

AGF can't go against President's directive —Nwaosu Meanwhile, a member of the inner bar, Chief Lucius Nwaosu, SAN, has said the Attorney General of the Federation was not in a position to go against a directive of the President.

According to him, “He (AGF) is the mouth piece of the government that appointed him. He cannot on his own go against the direct order of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

"My take is actually, if the government appeals, it will give us time to look at the matter properly. I think it will be a great disservice not to take the matter to appeal, particularly as presiding Justice was said to be a French man in a case where French colony is a plaintiff. It is like asking a father to fine a son."

Activist calls for AGF's sack As the controversy continues to swell round the AGF, a social critic and human right activist, Comrade Okoi ObonoObla, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to relieve the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Adoke, of his position over his alleged stance on the Bakassi matter.

Infuriated by the development, ObonoObla, an Abuja-based human rights activist, said it was treason for any government official to go contrary to the presidential directive which was on the protection of the territorial integrity of the country.

Also commenting on the alleged efforts of the government official to frustrate appealing against

ICJ ruling, Chairman of Cakebird Development Corperation, Dr. Chinedu Jideofo-Ogbuagu, warned any government official to consider the security implications of not revisiting the ICJ ruling.

OBJ rejected UN’s plan to keep Bakassi for 20 years Report, yesterday, further confirmed that former President Olusegun Obasanjo shunned a proposal by the former Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr Koffi Annan, that Nigeria should administer Bakassi for 20 years before handing it over to Cameroon.

According to a report published by online medium, yesterday, on a secret US diplomatic cable dated Thursday, March 23, 2006, originating from the US embassy in Abuja, an emissary of the then UN Secretary General, Mr Koffi Annan, was said to have visited the US Mission in Nigeria to discuss the proposal placed before Chief Obasanjo to convince him to withdraw Nigerian soldiers from the territory.

Annan’s emissaries to the meeting were his Executive Director for Political Affairs, Carlos Lopes, and his Special Representative for West Africa, Ahmedou OuldAbdullah. Both officials met with the embassy’s then Acting Political Counselor, who stood in for Ambassador Robin Sanders.

A dispatch to Washington on the meeting detailed Annan’s effort to get Nigeria to hand over the territory to Cameroon after administering it for about 20 years. Annan’s representatives expressed hope that US discussions with the parties on Bakassi would complement the Secretary-General’s endeavours especially as it concerned impressing “upon President Obasanjo and his aides that the Nigerians must withdraw their military completely from Bakassi.”

Obasanjo rejected the plan and went ahead to

sign the Green Tree Agreement to give Bakassi to Cameroon.

According to another cable dated January 28, 2005, President Chirac’s advisor on African Affairs, Michel de Bonnecorse, told then US Ambassador Marquardt at a Paris consultation that there was need to persuade Obasanjo to comply with the ICJ ruling on Bakassi.

The cable said: “Bonnecorse said that at the Francophonie summit in Ouagadougou, Obasanjo had tried to enlist Chirac’s support for proposals which would leave Nigeria in control of the peninsula. Chirac, according to Bonnecorse, relayed the proposal to Cameroonian President Biya who, 15 days later, responded that the Nigerian proposals were unacceptable.

“Bonnecorse said that Biya was trying to avoid reopening negotiations over the Bakassi settlement, which Nigeria had tried to organise at Ouagadougou, under Algerian auspices.

“Bonnecorse noted that Obasanjo had told Chirac that his position was not based on petroleum interests, but on the concerns of the Nigerians living in Bakassi about being transferred to Cameroonian rule.

Bonnecorse added that Obasanjo greatly exaggerated the number of Nigerians in the region as one million, whereas there were in fact only several thousand there.

“Bonnecorse also openly questioned Obasanjo’s denial of interest in petroleum. Bonnecorse said that the situation should become clearer next week, following Annan’s separate meetings with Obasanjo and Biya, but Obasanjo needed to understand that the issue was getting serious.

“As President of the African Union and with Nigeria advancing its candidacy for a permanent UNSC seat, Nigeria needed to resolve the Bakassi issue in accordance with the ICJ’s ruling.”

See another report on Page 15

6 — Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

CAN condemns Mubi massacre ...asks FG to fish out perpetrators

BY SAM EYOBOKA

HRISTIAN Associa tion of Nigeria, CAN, has condemned recent killing of over 40 students of the Federal Polytechnic, Mubi, Adamawa State University and the School of Health Technology, in Adamawa State as the chairman of CAN in North East zone, the Rev. Shuaibu Byal has disagreed with the Senate recommendation of capital punishment for terrorist acts.

A statement signed by the National Secretary of CAN, Rev. Musa Asake, said after a study of the various reports on the issue coupled with the latest information that there is currently a stampede of students and lecturers who have taken advantage of the free period preceding the curfew imposed by the state government to flee the institutions, CAN vehemently condemns the barbaric act, suspected to have been perpetrated by members of the Boko Haram sect.

It commiserates with families who lost their loved ones, students and authorities of the affected institutions.

“CAN rejects the theory of election dispute as responsible for the massacre of over 40 students, considering the manner it was reportedly carried out. It believes that the reason is

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phoney and that such a theory, arrived at in haste, can only serve to shield the real culprits and cover up their motives.”

Continuing, he said: “We are, however, consoled by the directive of the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan that security agencies should promptly arrest the killers of the students. But CAN is of the view that the Federal Government should go beyond this directive and ensure that those caught are made to face the full weight of the laws.

It is unacceptable to CAN that students whose parents have spent fortunes on their education would be cut down by some elements in the society whose trademark is blood and sorrow.

"The Association was happy that some arrests had been made by the Police, and called on the Nigeria Police Force to ensure that those arrested are the real culprits so that the innocent would not suffer for the sins of villains like the gunmen.

It added: “The Police should not arrest those fleeing in the name of making a breakthrough. Security agencies must fish out the gunmen and there should be no cover up,” stressing that CAN believes in the oneness of Nigeria in accordance with her secular status and would, therefore, kick against any divisive actions of groups or individuals".

FLOODING—From left: Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Ada Oduah; SA, Legal, Ministry of Aviation, Mac Jacob; Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State and Minister of Environment, Mrs. Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafia during a visit to Ogbaru Local Govt. Area of Anambra State ravaged by flood.

Government agencies express fear over powers granted NHRC We 'll protect Nigerians, not hound them — NHRC

BY SONI DANIEL, ASSISTANT EDITOR

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BUJA—ENORMOUS powers granted the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, by the Federal Government, are now a subject of fear to most government agencies and departments with human rights abuse records, Vanguard investigation has indicated.

Dangote donates N430m to flood victims, women in Kogi FRICA’S foremost industrialist and president of the Dangote conglomerate, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, weekend announced a donation of N430 million to victims of flood disaster and women empowerment in Kogi State.

Kogi State hosts one of Dangote’s cement factories believed to be one of the largest in the world.

The state also hosts Dangote Academy of Learning and Development where young local talents are trained to boost the manpower needs of the nation’s industries.

At a ceremony attended by top government functionaries in the Kogi State capital Lokoja, Al-

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haji Aliko Dangote said the contribution given through his Dangote Foundation, was meant to complement effort of the government in providing relief materials to victims of flood disaster and resettling them as soon as possible.

He said N50 million worth of foodstuff and relief materials would be donated, while N150 million would be given in cash.

He also said N230 million would be distributed to women to boost economic activities in the state.

In a similar donation, last year, the Dangote Foundation gave out N600 million for the economic empowerment of

women in Kano State.

In his speech titled: Lending a helping hand, Dangote said he was seriously touched by the pain and grief the victims were passing through, saying it had led to loss of lives, property and may lead to spread of diseases and epidemics.

“Obviously, the government alone cannot shoulder this onerous responsibility of bringing relief to the victims.

The private sector and public-spirited individuals should join hands with the government to assist the victims of this national disaster that has ravaged about 21 states of the federation,” he said.

Many of the agencies, it was learnt, are afraid that the Presidency had been stampeded by human rights groups to empower the NHRC with so much power that could make the commission to be too powerful to control.

It was learnt that the MDAs were uncomfortable with what some of them describe as ‘new unlimited powers’ being given the NHRC by the new Act signed into law by the President recently.

A top government functionary, who is familiar with the new powers vested on the agency, pointed to the stoppage of the move by the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, from the demolition of Mpape slum by the NHRC. The source said: “We are certain the human rights commission is likely to descend on more institutions and individuals in government given the new unrestricted powers at its disposal.

“It must have been emboldened by its recent fight to stall the demolition of the Mpape shanty by the FCTA.” The source, who works in one of the parastatals, expressed the fear that the wide powers granted the NHRC could be abused if not curtailed by the government.

Abuse of powers

Under the new Act, which President Goodluck Jonathan recently assented to, the NHRC has been granted full autonomy by the Federal Government, as is the case with similar institutions in other countries of the world.

The Act empowers the commission to draw its revenue directly from the Consolidated Revenue Fund and will no longer take orders from any other arm of government.

But the NHRC has dismissed the fear by some MDAs over its powers as unnecessary, pointing out that the powers were intended to strengthen the administration of justice and not to trample on the very people and institutions it was meant to protect.

Administration of justice The Director of NHRC’s Public Affairs and Communication, Muhammad Ladan, told Vanguard in an interview yesterday that the commission’s power would never be used against the interest of Nigerians.

According to Ladan, the commission sought the amendment of its 2004 Establishment Act principally to be able to protect the rights of the Nigerian people and could therefore not turn round to work against their interest.

Section 6 (2) of the new Act, which Vanguard sighted last night states: “Whenever it appears to the chairman of the NHRC upon information and after such inquiry as he shall think necessary, that there is a reasonable cause to suspect that in any place there is an evidence of the commission of any offence, he may by written order direct an officer of the commission to obtain a court order to enter into the premises to obtain evidence for prosecution.

“The commission can summon and interrogate any person, body or authority to appear before it for the purpose of a public enquiry aimed at the resolution of the complaint of human rights violation.

“The commission can compel any person, body or authority who, in its opinion, has any information relating to any matter under its investigation to furnish it with any information or produce any document or other evidence which is in his or her custody and which evidence relates to any matter being investigated.

It is an offence for anyone to obstruct or do anything to prevent any member of the council or an employee of the commission from the lawful exercise of any of the functions conferred on the commission by the law.

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Achebe on Awo: Igbo, Yoruba leaders in 'verbal warfare' Achebe understated the fact — General Madiebo, others He is living in the past — Fashehun, others

BY OKEY NDIRIBE, GBENGA ARIYIBI & CHARLES KUMOLU ONTROVERSY sur rounding the new book written by Prof. Chinua Achebe deepened yesterday with South West and South East leaders drawing sharp divisions over the aptness of claims in the book that Chief Obafemi Awolowo implemented genocidal policies against Ibos during the Biafran war.

While Odua Peoples Congress, OPC founder Dr. Fredrick Fasheun accused Achebe of living in the past, a number of South West leaders berated Achebe as a frustrated man bent on pouring out his bitterness against a nationalist.

The denunciations against Achebe were, however, sharply rebutted by a number of South East leaders, including the commander of the army of the Biafran Republic, Gen. Alex Madiebo (rtd.,) who said Achebe understated the hostility of Awolowo to the Ibo nation during the civil war.

While erstwhile governor of Enugu State and former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo said Achebe’s assertions were correct, another former governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju expressed concern that the acrimony could jeopardise on-going efforts to unify the people of the South.

In his new book, “There was a Country” Achebe alleged among others that Awolowo’s desperation for power “drove him into a frenzy to go to every length to achieve his dreams. In the Biafran case it meant hatching up a diabolical policy to reduce the numbers of his enemies significantly through starvation, eliminating over two million people, mainly members of future generations.”

The claim has been met with sharp denunciations

by Awoists and Yoruba leaders.

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Achebe living in the past — Fashehun Continuing the rebuttal Dr. Fasheun yesterday said: “Chinua Achebe is a frus-

south.

According to him: ”The three southern geo-political zones of South-East, SouthWest and South-South have just resolved to come into a new political alignment for the future. And it is now that the devil is creeping in to dislodge the political programme of the South. The implication is that our friends and brothers in the South-West may now begin to develop cold feet and go into opposition again just because of one book by Chinua Achebe. Since I wouldn’t want anything that would jeopardize this new spirit of cooperation in the South, I pray to God that all groups or persons who feel aggrieved by Achebe’s new book should have a change of heart to avert this brewing misunderstanding in order to enable Nigeria move forward. This is necessary in order to prevent another rift that may snowball into a fresh round of crisis of confidence.”

Ezeife calls for caution

FUND RAISING—From right: Mrs Abimbola Fashola, First Lady of Lagos State; Rev Sam Ogedengbe, representing Governor Raji Fashola of Lagos State; Pastor Gabriel Adebayo, Pastor in-charge, Yaba Baptist church; Mr Remi Olowude OON, Chief Launcher and Pastor Wale Adefarasin, Special Guest during the Yaba Baptist Church N500 million fundraising for the multi-purpose building at the church yesterday. Photo by Lamidi Bamidele.

trated person. He feels that attacking noble people like Awolowo is right. Awolowo has a reputable place in Nigeria’s history. The trio of Awolowo, Sardauna and Zik were leaders who did well for this country, hence their quality legacies should not be smeared in anyway. Achebe is living in the past.”

“Ibos no longer care about such lamentation, what the Ibos are interested in is how they can be more relevant in the mainstream of Nigerian politics. So, Achebe’s attack on Awolowo is not in the best interest of the political aspirations of the Ibos in today’s Nigeria. What he has done is to distort history.”

emerged as the first winner of the highest literary award, Nobel Prize in literature.

“It was on record that Awolowo checkmated Ojukwu from invading Yorubaland in his expansionist ambition when he was matching his troops to Lagos. He met his waterloo at the battle of Ore.” The attacks nonetheless, support for Achebe came from the South East with Gen. Madiebo, Chief of Staff, Biafran Army, who claimed that the assertions made against Awolowo were understated.

Achebe has only said the truth— Gen. Madiebo

ernor of Enugu State and former National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo expressed a similar view.

He said: “What Achebe wrote in his new book is a fact. Those who witnessed what happened during the civil war can attest to the historical fact that Achebe recorded in his book. As the Minister of Finance and Vice-Chairman of the Federal Executive Council under the military regime headed by Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd.), Awolowo implemented those policies during the Nigeria civil war and immediately after.

What Achebe wrote was a fact—Nwodo

Achebe, not happy “What Chinua Achebe “Despite the fact that I that a Yorubaman has written in his new book had a lot of respect for him emerged Nobel prize concerning the role the late as one of the nation’s foreChief Obafemi Awolowo winner — Afuye Also reacting, an avowed Awoist who is also the Commissioner for Information in Ekiti State, Mr Funminiyi Afuye said that as an Awoist he detested the insinuations by Achebe on Chief Awolowo in his book He said: “With due respect to the erudite professor it appears Achebe has not been able to come out from a deep frustration of the fact that a Yorubaman

played during the civil war is the truth. However, the truth is always bitter. In fact, Achebe was even diplomatic. If I am to write on the same subject I would say more than Achebe did.

“Those who are attacking Achebe over what he wrote are expressing their own views; I am neither condemning them nor am I praising them.”

In his comments on the controversy, one time Gov-

most nationalists who fought for Nigeria's independence, we cannot forget that those policies were injurious to the Igbos. Those policies were a violation of the fundamental human rights of our people.”

“My response to those who have attacked Achebe for stating the truth is that any country that cannot look at its history and learn lessons from it cannot survive.

"The people of every nation have to learn from their

history in order to avoid mistakes of the past. It is because Nigerians have refused to learn from history that we find ourselves where we are today in this country.”

Go to court if you don't like what Achebe wrote –Mbadinuju In his comments, former Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju said: “Nobody can question or doubt the credentials and scholarship of Chinua Achebe, especially when it comes to his special area of political literature. He has been adjudged as number one in the world. It seems to me that what Achebe did amounted to an exercise of his constitutional right of freedom of expression which cannot be abridged but can only be subjected to libel or defamation of character, which is actionable in court.”

He continued: “ Anybody who doesn’t like what Achebe has written could go to court and file an action against Achebe for libel".

Mbadinuju further expressed hope that the ongoing debate would not hamper the new spirit of cooperation prevailing in the

Another former Governor of Anambra State Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife on his part chose to be very cautious.

He said: “Although, we shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, this does not mean that historical facts cease from being facts or must not be mentioned. Facts are facts but their emotional or subjective interpretation may depend on the perspective of the user. I hope the Igbo and Yoruba are not anxious to go back into their situation of parallel lines and parallel slaves in Nigerian politics. Awolowo didn’t join the war against Nigeria, but he didn’t start the war against the Eastern region. He eventually joined Gowon.”

In his reaction, Dr. Sam Nkire, National Chairman Progressive Peoples Alliance, PPA, said though he had put all that happened behind him during those dark days behind the policies exhibited wickedness.

He said: "Although, I was a teenager during and after the civil war, I was old enough to father a child. Those Federal Government policies against Biafrans which were ascribed to Chief Awolowo at that time came to be as uncharitable and wicked. However, 42 years after the war, my attitude now is to consign all that to history.”

“I recommend the book to every patriotic Nigerian and not just students of history. Achebe must not be crucified for saying the truth."

Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012—9

Police recover bodies of murdered NNPC engineers

BY EVELYN USMAN AGOS—THE Inspec tor-General of Police Special Task Force on Anti-Pipeline vandalism has recovered the bodies of three staff of Pipelines and Product Marketing Company, PPMC, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, who were killed by pipeline vandals at Arepo, Ogun State, last month.

One of the bodies which were in their decomposing states was identified as that of the Deputy Manager incharge of Pipelines Right of Way, PROW. They were recovered in two shallow graves around the creeks where the vandals buried them.

The slain staff comprising engineers and technicians , met their unprepared end on September 8, 2012, after they had gone to put out the raging fire from a burst NNPC pipeline. They reportedly succeeded in putting out the fire which raged for three days and were about effecting repairs on the damaged part when the vandals stormed the scene.

The vandals as gathered, opened fire on them, killing three of them at the spot while others managed to escape with bullet wounds.

Not yet done, the vandals thereafter, absconded with the copses of their victims.

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Six suspects as gathered, were arrested during investigation by the Task Force, where one of the suspects identified as Imerepamu Joel told the operatives that he knew where bodies of the dead staff were buried.

Head of the Task Force, Mr Friday Ibadin, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, disclosed that it took the policemen six hours to sail to the spot.

Forty heavily armed policemen on speed boats and a patrol helicopter according to him were involved in the search.

Ibadin who spoke in Lagos at the weekend, said: “We found in a decomposing state, bulletridden bodies of the three victims. We learnt that

the body of the local security guard employed

by NNPC, Taye aka Dead Man, was cut into pieces and disposed off.

“Shortly after the incident, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, reconstituted the dissolved Anti vandal team. It became important to get to the root of the incident that led to the death of these officials. And in the cause of investigation, about six suspects were arrested. We gathered from the confession of one of the suspects, Imerepamu Ijebu Joel, that he knew where the NNPC staffers were buried.

“Initially, he took our team to a spot and after

several hours, the bodies were not found. At night, the Ijaw boys attempted to dig one spot but were stopped by the police who were on guard. And two days later he opened up and agreed to take us to the real spot.

“It took six hours of sailing to get to the spot. We had 40 heavily armed men, and we took along a pathologist, a coroner, and the medical team from NNPC that eventually identified the bodies.

They took us to a place where they claimed they bury non natives. With the assistance of one John Bosco, Peter Opidi, and the suspect, Imerepamu Ijebu Joel, we were shown two shallow graves. It was there that we discovered the bodies and they have been deposited at a mortuary.”

AKONI AGOS—THE Lagos State Government has said that private vehicles, irrespective of the state’s number-plate they carry are free to move on Lagos roads.

It however, explained that only vehicles operating as commercial public transport will have to obtain the state’s number- plate before being allowed to operate in and on Lagos roads.

Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Kayode Opeifa, gave the explanation while reacting to a recent report that

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BY OLAYINKA LATONA AGOS—THE General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, yesterday, commended the recent kind gesture of the Lagos Chief Judge, Justice Ayotunde Philips when she released over 200 inmates from Kirikiri Prisons.

Making the remarks during a special prayer session for lawyers, particularly those still in active service and all judicial workers from across the country at the RCCG national headquarters, at Ebute-Meta in

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Lagos, Adeboye said the chief judge’s exercise was a step to de-congest prisons as well as an avenue for innocent inmates awaiting trial to regain their freedom.

Lamenting that some of the freed inmates had stayed for over 12 years in custody awaiting trial, Pastor Adeboye used the occasion to call on the Federal Government to sort out better ways of rehabilitating prisoners and arrest delay in justice dispensation, saying Nigerian prison system harden majority of the prisoners instead of making them better citizens.

House C'ttee condemns NDLEA's poor funding

BY ALBERT AKPOR AGOS—THE House of Representatives committee on drugs, narcotics and financial crimes at the weekend, expressed dismay over poor funding of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA. The committee observed that most of the anti-narcotic agency ’s activities have suffered frustration due to inad-

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equate funding by the Federal Government.

Chairman of the committee, Mr. Jagaba Adams Jagaba who made this observation while on an oversight visit to the agency’s formations across the country said except the Federal Government gives priority attention especially, in the area of funding, the agency was on the brinks of extinction.

Orthopaedic institute needs N20m annually —Mgt

BY CHIOMA OBINNA AGOS—NOT less than N20 million is needed annually to sustain the newly completed Federal College of Orthopaedic Technology, FECOT, the Management of National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi Lagos, NOHIL has said.

Disclosing this in Lagos, the Chief Medical Director of NOHIL, Dr. Wahab Yinusa who decried the dearth of pro-

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DONATION: From left: Kogi State Governor, Captain Idris Wada; President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Executive Director, Dangote Foundation, Halima Dangote, during the donation of N430 million to the Kogi State flood victims in Lokoja, weekend.

Lagos govt clarifies permitted car number-plates

BY OLASUNKANMI

Adeboye commends Lagos CJ for freeing 233 prisoners

vehicles with other states’ number-plates have been banned from plying Lagos roads.

He said that there had never been any time that the state government made such pronouncement adding that number plate is unified all over the federation.

Opeifa, said the measure to have commercial vehicles registered in the state is necessary to enable government have adequate information about such vehicles as well as to further ensure the safety and security of lives of the people in the state.

Regulation 41 sub sec-

tion 1 of the Road Traffic Law stipulates that; “No person shall operate or cause to be operated a commercial vehicle without having obtained a commercial vehicle operator licence from the Lagos State Government.”

He added that every licence issued for shall bear a distinct number which shall be painted conspicuously on the front and rear part of the vehicle or in any other manner as may be prescribed by the Ministry of Transportation.

The commissioner said that for emphasis, the

position of the state government is that any commercial vehicle used for public transportation purpose within Lagos must obtain a permit from the state government. In addition, the owner of such vehicle must have the vehicle registered in Lagos State.

According to Opeifa, Regulation 43 sub section 1 of the Law, said that a vehicle shall not be used or operated for commercial purposes unless the vehicle is registered as a commercial vehicle with the Lagos State Motor Vehicle Administration Agency, MVAA.

fessional Prosthetists and Orthotists said the college if well funded would fill the gap presently being witnessed in the area of medical rehabilitation in the country.

Prosthetists are medical professionals who assess, design and fabricate as well as see to the fitting of artificial limbs Orthotists provide assistive devices and braces for patients with musculoskeletal deficits.

Lagos inugurates 13-man Primary Health Board

BY CHIOMA OBINNA AGOS—THE Lagos State Government, weekend, inaugurated a 13-Man Primary Healthcare Board to address challenges of delivering and accessing quality healthcare at the grassroots level.

The Board which has Dr. Babatunde Sagoe as Chairman would also ensure the attainment of the State Executive Council set-out policy objectives for Primary Health Care, PHC, revi-

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talisation in the state.

Inaugurating the Board, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris who observed that the state’s population was more in the grassroots urged the Board to immediately address the challenges of health Responding, the Chairman of the Board, Dr. Babatunde Sagoe commended the state in its efforts to work in line with the global concession to strengthen health care systems at the grassroots level.

10—Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

Teachers warn against possible education collapse

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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Pastor Enoch Adeboye (right) praying for the Judges and Lawyers during the church's Special Prayer for members of the Bar and the Bench at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Throne of Grace Parish, Lagos Province 1, Ebute Metta, Lagos, weekend. Photo:Lamidi Bamidele.

KURE — SECONdary school teachers under the auspices of Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools, ASUSS, have raised the alarm over the possible collapse of the education sector because of attitude of the political class.

The union also said the problem is compounded by dearth of teachers in public schools.

Its National President of the union, Mr. Charles Osaruyi, who

said this during the celebration of World Teachers Day in Akure, said the acute shortage of teachers was dangerous to the development of education in the country.

Osaruyi said: “There is an acute shortage of teachers viz-a-vis the large number of enrolment in our public schools today and this undoubtedly was occasioned by the mass renovation of schools in most states of the federation”

Aregbesola tasks Nigerians on Ilaro Christian monarch to be represented during traditional festivals religious harmony

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DHERENTS OF religions in Nigeria have been called upon to live in peace and harmony with one another.

Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State made this call yesterday at the 42nd Adult Harvest and Thanks Giving Service of the Celestial Church of Christ, Osun Provincial Headquarters, Osogbo.

Aregbesola, who was the special guest of honour at the event, said all religions preach

oneness of God but with many ways of worship.

He wondered why there should be crisis among the people in the worship of God in a society where everybody has constitutional guarantee to practise religion of their choices.

“There should be no crisis among Muslims and Christians as they worship the same God. “All religions preach good deeds, good character and good neighbourliness,” Aregbesola said.

Health workers canvass funds for AIDS treatment

BY OLA AJAYI

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BADAN — HEALTH workers in the Oyo State local governments have called for immediate release of counterpart funding for the management of HIV/ AIDS across the state.

The call was made by the health officials at a three-day workshop at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife weekend.

According to a communique made available in Ibadan, the health workers asked the relevant authorities to ensure that the release of the fund for effective management of the deadly disease is made mandatory.

To reduce the scourge of the deadly virus, they also called on stakeholders to step up efforts in the campaign.

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA — THE Olu of Ilaro and paramont ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle has cleared the air over alleged mixing of his Christian faith with traditional worship.

There has been a disquiet over the planned participation of the paramount ruler, who was an Area Pastor of Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, in Lagos before

becoming the Olu of Ilaro in this year ’s Egungun,Gelede display billed for the coming Oronna Ilaro festival.

The festival, according to the programme brochure, would feature tributes to Oronna and other deities in Ilaro, Egungun dance parade and Gelede display, among others.

Addressing a press conference weekend, the monarch who was represented by chairman of the festival,

Chief Kayode Odunaro said the Oba's Christian faith is unshakable.

"Our Oba is a Christian and would delegate his chiefs to some of the festivals," he said.

Odunaro, Chairman of Oronna Ilaro Festival Central Planning Committee, however stated that an application has been sent to UNESCO’s office on the need to enlist Ilaro which is the headquarters of Yewaland as part of tourist centres in Nigeria.

Ogun PDP faction threatens court action against CP

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA — THE Dayo Bayoled Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ogun State has threatened to sue the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikemefuna Okoye for his alleged ‘criminal complicity’ in aiding and abetting the take-over of the party secretariat in the state by another faction.

The State Publicity Secretary, Waliu

Oladipupo disclosed this through a statement made available to newsmen in Abeokuta yesterday.

It would be recalled that, a faction loyal to exPresident Olusegun Obasanjo reportedly invaded the party Secretariat located on IBB Boulevard in OkeMosan, Abeokuta .

Dayo-led faction of the party which had been in charge of the party secretariat was

dislodged on Friday with the alleged assistance of policemen in the state.

Reacting to the forceful take-over, Bayo Dayo-led executive accused the state Commissioner of Police of taking side with Obasanjo’s faction.

The party said: “Up till now, the hoodlums, including some wanted criminals, are still within the party Secretariat, having a free rein, shooting into the air intermittently and

Senator’s driver arraigned for manslaughter

BY DAYO JOHNSON

KURE — A private driver of senator representing Ondo North Senatorial District, Ajayi Borroffice, Michael Agunloye, has been arraigned before an Akure Chief Magistrate Court for manslaughter.

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According to him, the explosion in schools without corresponding increase in number of teachers was dangerous for the system.

He noted that aside the renovation of schools in many states for the Federal Government's free and compulsory primary and secondary school education, most states for political reasons without adequate corresponding expansion in facilities in existing schools, build more schools to accommodate the ever increasing students’ population.

“Now a teacher, supervises and marks, on the average, 150-200 students' scripts in a class as against the recommended average of between 35-40 students by UNESCO.” Osaruyi said as a result of lack of interest in teaching profession a time is coming when there would not be teachers in schools.

The chairman of the union, Mr. Dayo Adebiyian also regretted that the failure of the country to develop could be blamed on the failure of the education sector.

Agunloye was accused of killing a 52-year-old nurse, Mrs. Florence Aduni Olusori.

The accused person, who was driving a vehicle in the convoy of the Senator when the incident happened, was accused by the Police of driving dangerously and in the process killing the

woman.

The family of the Olusori had earlier in the year lost their father.

Magistrate A. Fatusin granted him bail with N500.000 and a surety in like sum.

He adjourned the hearing of the case to October 15.

brandishing AK 47 rifles and other ammunition.

“We shudder to think what could have informed the decision of the Commissioner Okoye, who is paid from our commonwealth to keep the peace, to look away in the face of obvious threat to peace, law and order in our dear state “Our position has been further affirmed by several court judgments in Lagos, Abuja and Ilaro. Even the Assistant Commissioner of Police in-charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, in his report to Okoye, confirmed the Bayo Dayo-led Exco as the authentic leadership of the party.

But, attempts to get reaction from the police Commissioner failed as the Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi could not be reached.

Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012—11

Rep weeps over displacement of 5,000 in C-River

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

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ALABAR—MEMBER representing Obubra/Etung constituency of Cross River State in the House of Representatives, Mr. John Enoh, wept openly, weekend, over the havoc wreaked on his people by ravaging flood, which displaced no fewer than 5,000 persons in Eja community, turning them into refugees in their fatherland.

Enoh, who was on an assessment tour of Obu-

WORLD TEACHERS' DAY: From left: Chairman, Nigerian Union of Teachers, Delta State, Mr. Emmanuel Adhe; Delta State Deputy Governor, Prof. Amos Utuama; state Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. William Akporeha and Special Adviser to the Governor on Health Monitoring, Dr. Rukevwe Ugwumba, at the 2012 World Teachers' Day celebration in Asaba, weekend.

Flood: 53,000 displaced, 11 communities submerged in Delta

BY FESTUS AHON

GHELLI—NO fewer than 53,000 residents of 11 communities in Patani Local Government Area of Delta State, have been rendered homeless following the flooding of their homes as a result of the overflow of the River Niger. Their farmlands were also submerged.

Ivrogbor, Umeh, Uzere, Ehwen, Edherie and Igbide, in Isoko South Local Government Area of the state had also been submerged by the flood, rendering over 1,000 homeless. Motorists plying the East-West Road were, weekend, stranded at Umeh Junction of the road, which was submerged by the flood.

Our correspondent who visited the area, yesterday, noted that Patani, Abare, Torou-Angiama, Aven, Koloware, Ogor, Adobor, Bulu-Angiama, Uduophori, Ogolomo and Amatebe with a population of over 60,000 were being deserted. Odorubu and Ebresegha were the only two communities spared out of the 13 communities in Patani Council.

Most mud houses and some brick structures in the affected communities were destroyed. Transporters plying the Pata-

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ni/Ughelli route had a field day as they hiked transport fare from Patani to Ughelli. Farmers were seen with their families in canoes harvesting their premature farm produce.

Former Delta State Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban De-

velopment, Mr. Raymos Guanah, whose house in Patani was also submerged, expressed worry, lamenting that the entire council had been submerged save for two communities.

Guanah at the palace of the Pere of Kabowei Kingdom, HRH L. M.

Erebulu, said he, Dr. Chris Ekiyor, Mr. Brave Enode, and Mr. Dogubo Mologe, whose houses were also submerged, had built a temporary camp at the Patani/Uzere Road that is still under construction, to accommodate displaced persons.

Dickson inaugurates emergency flood management c'ttee

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

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E N A G O A — BAYELSA State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, has inaugurated the State Emergency Response Flood Management Committee charged with the tasks of immediately evacuating flood victims and providing relief materials to all the local government areas in the state.

The committee, which was inaugurated by the

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

ENAGOA—THE Onuebum Road linking Otuoke, home town of President Goodluck Jonathan, in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State to Azikoro, a Yenagoa suburb, has been cut off by flood.

Meantime, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, yesterday, said it had commenced erecting 68 tents in three temporary camps in Yenagoa for persons displaced by flood.

The agency said 24 tents, construction of which were ongoing at the moment, would be erect-

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ed at Igbogene helipad to accommodate displaced persons from six councils of the state who are currently relocating to Yenagoa for shelter.

The three emergency camps, NEMA said, will be located in Igbogene, the Samson Siasia Sport Complex and at Bishop Dimeari Grammar School, all in Yengaoa.

Meanwhile, following collapse of Onuebum Road linking Otuoke, canoe operators are now making brisk business by ferrying stranded commuters from both ends across the flooded section on the payment of N100 per passenger.

The Azikoro-AgburaOnuebu-Otuoke flank is the shortest route to Ogbia town for Bayelsans

residing close to Ekeki surbub to down town Yenagoa.

This reporter, who visited the area, yesterday, noticed several stranded passengers waiting for canoes to be ferried across the large pool of water, which could be mistaken for a community lake.

Some other commuters were seen pleading with taxi drivers to take them back to Yenagoa while others went through Imiringi-Emeyal axis to get to their destinations.

A native of the area, who identified himself as Mr. Ezekiel Azibanator, a lawyer, called on President Jonathan to come to the aide of his kinsmen by providing relief materials to victims of the flood impacted communities.

governor at Government House, Yenagoa, has the deputy governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha Jonah (rtd) as Chairman while Secretary to the State Government, Prof.

Edmund Oguru, is to serve as Secretary.

Dickson said government had designated the Samson Siasia Sports Complex, Yenagoa, as camp for people displaced by the flood and urged the committee to identify high grounds in the local government areas and set up camps.

Senator presents relief materials to flood victims in Delta

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

Flood sacks road linking S Jonathan's hometown …As NEMA erects 68 tents for displaced persons

bra, as part of his constituency visit, could not control his emotion while trying to console the people who were still taking refuge in a primary school and the Roman Catholic Church in Eja, as the flood was yet to recede.

Presenting relief materials to the affected 16 communities of Obubra, the House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Appropriation, said that of all the communities affected by the flood, Eja was the worst hit as the entire community submerged.

ENATOR repre senting Delta North in the National Assembly, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has presented food items and cash to victims of flood disaster in seven communities in Delta North Senatorial District of the state.

Presenting the food

items and cash to the communities, which included Aboh, Omelugboma, Power line, Elemechele, Ogbe Ofun, Okocha/Nnebisi and those taking refuge at Saint Patrick's College relief camp, Okowa described the flood as a national disaster.

He said the donation was to help ameliorate the plight of the victims.

Delta sets up two resettlement centres for Burutu flood victims WO resettlement centres are to be opened by Delta State Government at Ayakoromor and Enekorogha communities in Burutu North axis as part of efforts to rehabilitate flood victims in Burutu Local Government Area of the state.

Member representing Burutu Constituency I in Delta State House of Assembly, Mr. Daniel Yingi, spoke when he led a team on an assessment visit to communities ravaged by flood in his con-

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stituency.

The communities visited by the lawmaker were Ayakoromor, Gbekebor, Okpokunou, Okrika, Degbene, Dunuogusu and Enekorogha among others.

The team had difficulty accessing some of the communities because of the flood, which submerged both primary and secondary schools, farmlands and houses.

Yingi sympathised with the victims and expressed shock at the level of destruction.

12 — Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

Crisis brews in Edo community over ownership of oil well

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM ENIN—CRISIS is brewing in ObagieNunuamen and Orogho communities in Orhiomwon Local Government Area of Edo State, over the ownership of an oil well in Iwevbo.

While chairman of Obagie-Nunuamen community, Mr. Femi Aiwansedo, accused Newcross Petroleum Limited, an oil company operating in the area, of colluding with some elders and chiefs from Orogho to claim the oil well, which according to him, belongs to Obagie community, the people of Orogho Dukedom, led

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VISIT: Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Nsima Ekere (middle); Chairman, Ika Local Government Area, Chief Saviour Enyiekere (left), and the Member representing Ika/Etim Ekpo constituency in the state House of Assembly, Mr. Gabriel Toby, during the Deputy Governor’s visit to Ikot Uko Ika boundary community, weekend.

Suspected assassins kill ex-LG boss in Akwa Ibom

BY TONY NYONG YO—FORMER vice chairman of Nsit Ubium Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Bassey Ekpo, has been killed by suspected assassins.

Vanguard gathered that the 54-year-old father of two, who was killed in the Housing Extension part of Eniong/Ewet Housing Estate in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, was returning home after the day’s business under a heavy down

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pour when his assailants killed him, dragged his body out of the car, and abandoned it in a nearby bush.

The suspected assassins reportedly left the bloodstained vehicle and used the deceased’s phone to inform the wife that her husband had been involved in an accident and that the wife should go to a certain hospital to see him.

Vanguard gathered that as the wife and their two children were about to drive to the said hospital, they

spotted the husband’s car a few metres away from their home.

They immediately made a call to the police, who responded, and after a thorough search around the nearby bush found the lifeless body of the slain politician.

When Vanguard contacted the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Etim, he asked for time to communicate with the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ewet Housing Area where the incident

Murder of UNIPORT students: Chief, 12 others arrested

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

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ORT HAR COURT—A Chief in Omokere Aluu community and 12 others have been arrested in connection with the killing of four students of University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, last Friday over robbery allegation.

The students were burnt in Omokere Aluu by some irate youths for allegedly stealing blackberry phones and laptops.

State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ben Ugwuegbulam, in a statement, said those arrested would be thoroughly quizzed over the incident.

The Police image maker was silent on whether the deceased students were robbery suspects or not, but appealed to their parents and students of the University not to take the laws into

their hands as a result of the killings, and condemned the killing of the students.

He said: “Rivers State Police Command unequivocally condemns the gruesome killing of four UNIPORT students on October 5, by irate mob from Aluu community. The command sympathises with the families of the slain students and also appeals to them not to take the laws into their hands. Students of the university are urged

not to engage in any reprisal attack as such could lead to chaos and anarchy.

“The command has commenced investigation into the incident. Amazing success has been recorded in that regard as 13 persons, including the chief of the community suspected to have been involved in the reprehensible, barbaric act, have been arrested based on credible intelligence and video clips of the killings. Suspects are being interrogated by crack police team.”

took place.

He, however, assured that the assassins would not escape the long arm of the law.

by Chief Aiyeki Okpamen accused Aiwansedo of imposing himself on Obagie community as leader.

Addressing newsmen in Benin, Mr. Aiyeki Okpamen, who spoke for people of Orogho Dukedom, said the Dukedom did not recognise the leadership of Aiwansedo, adding that his current activities, if not checked by the state government, could lead to breakdown of law and order in the communities.

But reacting, Aiwansedo said that based on his election in 2006, he was invited to the palace of Oba of Benin via letter dated October 25, 2007 for a meeting with the royal father scheduled for November 27, 2007.

Investigate abandoned project in Delta, group urges NDDC

BY CHARLES KUMOLU JAW Peoples Con gress, IPC, has called on Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to investigate an abandoned road pavement project in Ayakoro-

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mo area of Delta State.

IPC National President, Mr. Ekanpou Ekewaridideke, in a statement, explained that though the project had long been awarded to a contractor by NDDC, the contractor handling the project did a shoddy job.

Vanguard , MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012—13

Suffocation: Emekuku seven buried the gathering is a do business, thus creating in one grave “Though sad one, it is out of love for problems in families,”

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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From left: Mr. Ben Uwajumogu, Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly; Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly; Chief Leo Stan- Eke, Chairman, Zinox Group and Chairman of the occasion and Ms Lisa Asugha, Special Assistant to the Governor of Imo State in Lagos Liaison Office, at a reception to honour Mr Ben Uwajumogu by Umuihi-Ihinna Consultative Assembly in Lagos, weekend. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.

WERRI—SEVEN of the family of nine who died after burying their mother at Emekuku, Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State, were weekend buried in one long grave.

Speaking during a requiem mass for the departed souls, the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, His Grace, Dr. Anthony J.V. Obinna, described the burial of seven people from the same family as not only strange but also horrible.

The Catholic cleric said.

the deceased persons and for the relatives that we are here. We must remind ourselves of the reality of death.”

He said the false rumour that trailed the death of the Emekuku Nine portrayed lack of faith and unnecessary fear of death.

“Christians must be wise, as well as realize that some opportunistic persons in society cash in on moments of temptation and tension to get what they want.

“There are lots of 419 spiritual people, who use the opportunity of poor faith to

Anambra NULGE donates to flood victims

Robbers invade flood victims' camp in Anambra Two suspects nabbed O As Obi warns against playing politics with flood crisis

BY ENYIM ENYIM

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

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WKA—SOME peo ple suspected to be robbers have invaded the Crowder Memorial Primary School, Onitsha,

where 950 flood victims are camped and carted away some of the food items and cash donated to them.

This came as Anambra State governor, Peter

Obi, yesterday warned against playing politics with the human tragedy that had so far trailed the flooding ravaging parts of the country, and warned those involved to

desist.

The robbery happened as a philanthropist, Mr. Patrick Obianwu, who visited some of the displaced persons weekend, urged Governor Peter Obi to take measures to prevent the outbreak of epidemic in the communities affected by the flood disaster ravaging parts of the state.

It was gathered that two of the robbers who went to steal at the Onitsha camp were apprehended, while others escaped.

Some of the flood victims, who were cursing the robbery suspects when Vanguard visited the camp, wondered why such an inhuman treatment should be meted out to them, especially at this time.

Meanwhile, Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State has warned that it amounted to the worst form of cynicism for some people to be play politics with human tragedy brought about by the unfortunate flooding ravaging parts of the country.

Obi, who spoke through his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Valentine Obienyem, was reacting to a statement credited to an official of Campaign for Democracy, CD, woh insinuated that the governor was making showmanship with the flood issue without doing much.

The warning came as the unfortunate flooding was ravaging more communities in Ihiala local government area of the state.

Obienyem, who spoke in Awka, recalled that Governor Obi had to cancel his trip to Mexico and other engagements because of the flood issue.

Obinna said.

He read out portions of the autopsy report released by the State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Joe ObiNjoku, which confirmed that the nine persons died from suffocation after inhaling carbon monoxide from a generating set.

Meanwhile, the state government has issued clear directives on the use of electric generating sets, pointing out that to avoid a repeat of the ugly incident, families should build generator houses away from living rooms.

N I T S H A — TOUCHED by the plight of the flood victims, the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, in the state, led by its President, Mr Jerry Nnubia, weekend, visited the various refugee camps in Ogbaru, Anambra West and Anambra East Local Government areas and donated 20 bags of rice each to the three local governments.

Nnubia, who described the natural disaster as un-

fortunate, told the people to be calm while efforts were being made by governments at various levels to alleviate their plight.

Meanwhile, the surging flood in some parts of Anambra State has sacked local government and judiciary workers as well as the police in Ogbaru Local Government Area.

Other affected buildings in the area where the flood had continued to wreak havoc included schools, churches, health centres, farmlands and houses.

Kidnapped 4-yr-old girl released ents allegedly paid in Ebonyi N400,000 ransom to the kidBY PETER OKUTU

BAKALIKI— FOUR-year-old little Miss Faith Chukwuka Okorie, of Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, who was penultimate Friday kidnapped by unknown gunmen had been released.

The victim, who is the daughter of a Primary school teacher in Ebonyi State, Mr. Chukwuka Okorie, and pupil of Federal Government College, Okposi, Nursery School in Ohaozara Local Government Council, was released a week after by her abductors, not until after her par-

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nappers.

Vanguard learnt that Little Miss Faith was picked up by her father at the premises of Sacred Heart Catholic Parish, Onueke, Ezza South Local Government Council of the state at about 8: am and taken to the Divisional Police Headquarters, Obiozara, for documentation.

A source close to the family noted that the little girl was expected to undergo certain medical examination to ascertain her health condition as the Ebonyi State Police Command had been accused of lack of involvement in the rescue operation.

Motorists, commuters stranded on failed Enugu-PH Expressway

BY ANAYO OKOLI

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MUAHIA—HUN DREDS of motorists and commuters were weekend stranded for several hours at the Lokpanta Nta [Cattle Market] portion of the dilapidated EnuguPort Harcourt express road as a result of the deplorable condition of the Federal road.

The road has become almost impassable, to the extent that motorists on both sides of the road have vir-

tually turned to death traps.

Motorists still risk plying the road as there is no alternative from Enugu to Okigwe, Umuahia, Aba and Port Harcourt.

The only other alternative involves going round through Awka, in Anambra State, a journey that will take no less than six hours.

An alternative local village route at Umuchieze in the same Umunneochi council where idle youths collect toll, has also gone bad.

14—Vanguard , MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

Service chiefs: How Boko Haram influenced changes

BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI

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BUJA—INDICATIONS have emerged in Abuja that last Thursday's announcement of new service chiefs followed last minute changes made by President Goodluck Jonathan to avert crisis within the Armed Forces if his original plan had been executed.

The new service chiefs include Vice Admiral Ola Ibrahim, Chief of Defence Staff; Rear Admiral Dele Ezeoba, Chief of Naval Staff; and Air Vice Marshal Alex Badeh, Chief of Air Staff, while Lt. General Azubuike Ihejirika, retained

his position as Chief of Army Staff, COAS. Presidency sources told Vanguard, weekend, that the President did not embark on sweeping retirements in the Armed Forces to prevent the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, from using it to win more converts and strengthen its attack machinery against the Federal Government.

Original plan The initial plan, according to the sources, was that the COAS, who had piloted the Army in an exemplary manner, especially in the face of the security situation in the country, was to become the Chief of Defence

Staff.

One of the GOCs was to be made Chief of Army Staff. The same plan was set down for the Navy and Airforce.

Had the President gone ahead with this initial plan, a sizeable majority of the next line of generals in the Army, Airforce and to a less extent Navy, with Northerners comprising over 50 percent of the personnel, would have been swept away from the Armed Forces, going by the terms and condition of service and seniority factor.

The President was said to have reasoned that retiring so many generals as a result of appointment of jun-

HONOUR: From left— Mrs Abiola Tayo-Oyetibo, Mr. Tayo Oyetibo and Chief Rotimi Jacobs, at a reception hosted by Mr. Oyetibo in honour of Chief Jacobs in Lagos, weekend. PHOTO: Lamidi Bamidele.

Reps blame failure in MDGs on FG

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU OUSE of Representa tives Committee on Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, has lamented the paucity of funds

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from the Federal Government towards achieving MDGs’ targets by 2015.

Chairman, House Committee on MDGs, Hassan Doguwa, who spoke in Abuja weekend blamed the Federal Government for defaulting on the promises it made to use the debt relief gains in servicing the MDG

Senate Leader loses dad

BY HENRY UMORU

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BUJA— SENAT E Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Cross River Central, has lost his father.

According to a statement by the Senate Leader yesterday, his father, Justice Emmanuel Takom NdomaEgba (OFR), a retired Justice of the Court of Appeal, died on Saturday, October 6, in his hometown at Ikom, Cross River State.

The Senator said his father was appointed a judge of the Cross River State C M Y K

High Court and served in the Calabar, Etinan and Obibra divisions.

The statement read in part: “Late Ndoma-Egba established the Eket and Oron judicial divisions where he was the pioneer judge. He was elevated to the Court of Appeal in 1987 and served in Jos, Benin and Port Harcourt from where he retired in 1992.

“After his retirement, he led a quiet life and dedicated himself fully to the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria where he was both an Elder and Trustee.”

projects.

Doguwa, who spoke when he led other members of the committee on an oversight visit to the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, called for concerted efforts from the Federal Government and other stakeholders to achieve the MDGs. He also alleged that government had not been prompt in the release of funds to ministries, departments and agencies to meet the MDGs target.

Dogara said: “Going by the number of the ministries we have visited, I want to be very frank with you and Nigerians that because of the epileptic releases of funds by the Federal Government to agencies, the MDGs are very unlikely to be achieved.

“MDGs, like you know, are capital intensive projects; these are issues to do with medical care, health care delivery, development of education facilities and structures, teachers’ training and fighting killer diseases.”

ior generals as Service Chiefs, with many of them from the North, and at a time when the Boko Haram menace was still ravaging parts of the country, may inadvertently provide highly trained specialists and personnel for Boko Haram.

It will be recalled that Jonathan had recently alleged that there were Boko Haram sympathisers in the military and the Presidency.

Northern factor Already, the North is said to be seething with rage that the position of Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, has continued to elude them.

The chances of former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Umar, who hails from Kano State, of becoming CDS was hampered by his two predecessors, Paul Dike and Oluseyi Petinrin, and becoming CDS had been the stabilising factor for the North in the military hierarchy.

It was learnt that the decision to retain General Ihejirika, apart from the fact that he had taken the Army to the next level and the President wanting him to complete most of the transformational activities going on, was to ensure stability in the army and reorganise it in a manner that internal complaint would be addressed within the next six to nine months.

Expected fall-out If the initial plan had been effected in the Navy and Airforce, no less than 16 Rear Admirals and Air Vice Marshals would have been retired in their prime. The sources disclosed that this was what informed the change of mind in the Presidency.

The Army, Navy and Airforce had been directed to expand the new transformation and innovation departments in their services to create opportunities so that when these generals eventually retire from active services, they would still become useful and vital in research and improvement of operational tactics.

It was also alleged that the Presidency felt some of the personnel may fall prey to wealthy Nigerians and politicians, who may want to cash in on their availability and use their expertise in carrying out ventures that may put the safety, peace and stability of the nation in jeopardy.

Minister signs performance pact with aviation workers VIATION Minister, Princess Stella Oduah, weekend, signed Performance Contract Agreements with the Permanent Secretary and MDs/CEOs of the agencies under the Federal Ministry of Aviation, warning of severe consequences for failure and under-performance.

The ceremony, which held at the Minister’s Conference Room, was witnessed by the Minister of National Planning, Dr. Shamsuddeen Usman, who was represented by the Executive Secretary of the National Planning Commission, NPC, Ntufam Ugbo.

The Minister warned the Permanent Secretary, Ms Anne Ene-Ita; Managing Directors of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, and Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, Mr. George Ureisi and Mazi

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Udoh respectively; DirectorGeneral of the Nigerian Metereological Agency, NIMET, Dr. Anthony Anuforum, and Commissioner, Accident Investigations Bureau, Capt.

Mukthar Usman, that there was zero tolerance for under-performance in the ministry.

She said: “As you are all aware, the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan is a pact for service delivery and accountability in Nigeria.

“In the same vein, the aviation sector transformation programme focuses on becoming a world-class provider of safe, secure and comfortable air transport sector that is self-sustaining and pivotal to the socio-economic growth of Nigeria.

“These objectives cannot be achieved if we do not set our targets and be held accountable for our actions, decisions and promises.”

Jimeta flays northern leaders over Jonathan

BY BEN AGANDE BUJA—FORMER In spector-General of Police, Alhaji Mohammadu Jimeta, yesterday, accused members of the Northern Elders Forum of pulling down pillars of national unity and “sowing seeds of enmity, divisionism and political hypocrisy to distract Nigerians from the truth” about the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

In a statement issued in Abuja, Alhaji Jimeta, who was reacting to statement credited to the Northern Elders Forum that the Jonathan administration was

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worse than that of former President Obasanjo, accused the northern elders of being mischievous and hypocritical, saying “they have all at one time or another contributed to the quagmire we find ourselves today.”

However, in a statement entitled To those who cast stones: comments on the Northern Elders Forum on Nigeria at 52, Jimeta said instead of standing up against tyranny and hypocrisy to find real solutions to the nation’s problems, the Northern Elders “choose the cowardly path of using this blame game as a distraction to create confusion and mistrust.”

Canadian Foreign Minister visits

BY KENNETH EHIGIATOR

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ANADIAN Foreign Minister, John Baird, begins an official visit to Nigeria today, a statement from the Canadian High Commission in Abuja said yesterday.

He is also expected in Austria and France in a visit that would stretch till October 12.

According to the statement, Baird will begin his trip in Abuja, Nigeria, and meet with his Nigerian counterpart, Olugbenga Ashiru, during the inaugural meeting of the Canada-

Nigeria Bi-national Commission.

Both foreign ministers will discuss cooperation on political, economic, security and development matters, even as the canadian foreign minister will meet with members of Nigerian civil society.

In the staement made available to Vanguard, Baird said: “Nigeria and Canada have a relationship that is rife with opportunity when it comes to economic, social and security cooperation. We know that security and prosperity go hand in hand and will discuss ways to expand both.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012—15

Bakassi border issue: Demarche, update Continues from page 5 Classified by Amb. Jackie Sanders 1. (C) Summary: The Secretary-General’s Executive Director for Political Affairs Carlos Lopes and Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for West Africa Ahmedou Ould-Abdullah briefed Acting Polcouns on sensitive efforts underway to resolve the Bakassi border issue. Lopes said SYG Annan remained engaged on the issue and still intended to organise a summit with Presidents Obasanjo and Biya in the second quarter of this year.

Lopes said planning was being directed from the SYG’s office. The SYG was pursuing a proposal which would allow Nigeria to administer a portion of the peninsula for less than the 20 years.

Lopes and Ould-Abdullah expressed hope that U.S. discussions with Nigeria and Cameroon would complement the SYG’s mediation.

They stressed the importance of persuading Nigeria to withdraw all its military forces beyond the demarcated international border. They also hoped the U.S. would accept a role (together with the UK, France and Germany) as a witness or guarantor to an agreement.

2. (C)USUN Acting Polcouns and Poloff, drawing from points in reftel, discussed the Bakassi issue with the SYG’s Executive Director Lopes and SRSG Ould-Abdullah on March 14. Lopes expressed appreciation for USG support and offer of assistance for SYG Annan’s mediation. Lopes gave assurances that

the SYG had not abandoned his mediation.

Although distracted by other priorities in the fall, the SYG had refocused attention on Bakassi in January. Lopes noted that the Nigerians, despite acceptance of the ICJ ruling, continued to delay its implementation.

There was little likelihood that the Nigerians would withdraw soon on their own. The SYG remained committed to mediating what he hoped would lead to a pragmatic solution that Presidents Obasanjo and Biya would find acceptable and would ensure a transfer of sovereignty before Obasanjo left office.

3. (C) Lopes emphasised the sensitivity of the mediation. To ensure secrecy, the SYG had directed that planning for the mediation be confined to a handful of officials led by Lopes in New York and SRSG Ould-Abduallah.

(Note: Department of Political Affairs (DPA) officials confirmed that that information related to Bakassi was closely held, so much sothat Under Secretary-General of Political Affairs Gambari was not kept fully in the loop.)

4. (C) Lopes and Ould-Abdullah said the plan for a phased withdrawal of the Nigerian military from Bakassi by July 2006 that was agreed upon within the framework of the Mixed Commission was positive in that it fulfilled a pledge made by the two sides at the tripartite summit in Geneva. However, Nigeria’s implementation without some additional consideration had always seemed prob-

lematic because the plan was subject to the approval of the two presidents. (The SYG’s approval was also required, but this was a formality.)

Given his prior experiences and political realities in both Nigeria and Cameroon, the SYG was under no illusion that an Obasanjo-Biya agreement was easily achievable.

Nonetheless, he thought it possible. He had directed Lopes and Ould-Abdullah to plan for a tripartite summit, preferably in the second quarter of the year, ie, by the end of June.

No date had been set as yet. However, Lopes said the SYG shared Cameroon’s concern that a further delay, with his own term of office ending and Nigeria’s presidential elections looming, would reduce the chances of a resolution.

5. (C) Lopes did not go into much detail about how he was proceeding with planning other than to describe the process as a classic conflict-resolution exercise. He said there would be no attempt to resurrect what may or may not have been an agreement of the two presidents from their private discussions with the SYG last year. Ould-Abdullah noted that Biya had disavowed the agreement.

Lopes also observed that Cameroon had made crystal clear that it would not accept any payments. Thus, he said a lease-back formula was not viable and was no longer under consideration.

6. (C) That said, Lopes said the SYG’s inclination was still to nudge the two presidents to accept an interim arrangement that would accelerate the withdrawal of the

Nigerian military from Bakassi. Current conceptual planning was on developing a proposal that would allow the Nigerians to administer a portion of Bakassi for a limited period.

In general, he said he was focused on two issues: a transitional arrangement and the status of the Bakassi population. On the former, he said any transition period would have be less than twenty years (a period supposedly discussed by the two presidents last year) and preferably less than ten years. Lopes stated that he was making more headway “in narrowing the gap” on the issue of the status of the villagers. Lopes and OuldAbdullah noted the importance of Nigeria fully withdrawing its military to the international demarcated border, apparently prior to any transitional period.

7. (C) Lopes did not shed much more light on the transitional arrangement under consideration. He did confirm that Cameroon would retain the full right to extract natural resources from Bakassi during any transition period.

8. (C) Lopes and Ould-Abdullah said that if there was a bilateral agreement, it was important to Cameroon that certain “friendly nations”—notably the U.S., UK, France and Germany—would be associated with this Bakassi agreement. Cameroon preferred international “guarantors.” If this was not feasible, Lopes said the countries would be asked to serve as “witnesses.”

16 — Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012 OULD the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, use Ondo State to continue its learning processes? Since INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega came into office two years ago, INEC has promised to be better with every election.

Before the 2011 elections, Jega told a round table in Lagos: “Let me inform you that when the new commission was put in place, there was a retreat at Obudu. The commission’s report was studied by members of the commission and in the report there was indication that there are about 87 ways of rigging elections that were discovered and since that time INEC has been doing everything possible block those loopholes.”

The 2011 elections either did not benefit from INEC’s knowledge, or the malpractices in the elections were not among the 87 that INEC knew. Jega told the same audience: “It is not our skills, knowledge and experience that will make the electoral process successful. Instead, it is our actions that will make or mar the process. Conse-

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Ondo — INEC’s next school quently, it is our resolve in INEC to be guided by transparency, integrity, credibility, impartiality and dedication.”

Debates will trail these promises, but most importantly, the software Jega praised in 2010 has not changed anything. Jega has said: “The significance of the new software is that it will tackle many of the lingering challenges that had questioned the credibility of our voters’ register. The system will no doubt lead to improvements in the accuracy and convenience with which the register can be revised and updated. The new direct data capturing machines is a clear departure from other machines used in the last registration exercise.”

Are the direct data capturing machines still in use? INEC has held one off elections in Adamawa, Anambra, Bayelsa,

Cross River, Delta, Edo, Kogi, Rivers, Sokoto states since then, with the challenges appearing more overwhelming each time.

Last July’s election in Edo State witnessed late arrival of materials in an unprecedented magnitude that affected even Benin City, the state capital. INEC had no explanation for the flaws.

Updating of voters’ register is an assignment INEC has abandoned. It gave up the attempt in Edo State after complaints about compromise of the process.

INEC should use the Ondo State governorship polls on 20 October — just 12 days away — to showcase improvements it has made, following lessons from Edo which shares similar terrain with Ondo.

Free and fair elections would be challenged in Ondo. The opposition is fierce, and the incumbent governor believes he has done enough to be returned. The contest should remain healthy.

Security of voters should be a priority. Violence has no part in democratic decisions and politicians should advise their followers accordingly.

OPINION Continued from Friday

Garlands for Madam First Lady

BY MAGNUS ONYIBE

HE has been ‘ walking the talk’ because under her watch, the Federal Executive Council, FEC, has recorded the highest number of women holding some of the most strategic portfolios ranging from Finance, Petroleum, Education, Aviation, Housing, Communications, Environment and, of course, Women Affairs. Additionally, women are also junior ministers in Defence,the Federal Capital Territory and Foreign Affairs, bringing the total number to 11 female ministers.

The First Lady, Patience Jonathan, does not claim to speak English language like the Queen of England because it is not her mother tongue and she does not pretend to posses the wisdom of Socrates because she was just a school teacher before divine forces propelled her husband to the dizzying heights of Aso Rock where as a good housewife she keeps our President company, but what both her friends and foes can not deny is that she is passionate about the cause of women and proud of her humble beginning.Like every reasonable man and woman, l believe the foregoing lofty ideals are enough to earn garlands for Madam First Lady.

Yes, some Nigerians may be offended by her recent elevation to the rank of Permanent Secretary in Bayelsa State civil service, arguing that she does not merit it. Again, it would appear that she has been a victim of poor communication because people are not taking into cognisance the fact that the First Lady was a school teacher in Rivers State from where she

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transferred her service to Bayelsa State about 14 years ago when her husband was elected Deputy Governor, then Governor, later Vice President and now President.

Frankly, it is not impossible for a teacher to attain the rank of Permanent Secretary in 14 years but Patience Jonathan's rise has not been properly documented and articulated hence the public odium it attracted.Being on sabbatical, leave of absence or on secondment is not an anathema in the civil service of our country, so allegations that she has not been at her duty post as a teacher are untenable because as the wife of a Deputy Governor, Governor, Vice President and President in these past 14 years, Madam First Lady has been rendering more strategic service to this nation than as a school teacher.Let's face it, do her critics prefer President Jonathan to suffer the loneliness of a ‘bachelor ’ in Aso Rock to the companionship of a dotting wife? At this critical time of Constitution review by the National Assembly,NASS,the controversies thrown up by her civil service job as opposed to public service duties should be resolved through the creation of well defined constitutional roles for our first ladies.If that happens,Patience Jonathan would have been the catalyst for another landmark accomplishment for the fairer sex in Nigeria.

Strikingly,when Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected to the presidency of USA (1933-1945), Eleanor, his wife, was reluctant in assuming the role of first lady but she proved herself to be a good innovator when she became the first activist-first lady by

calling press conferences and keeping the public up to date on government policies, in particular, "the new deal”. She is also on record to have persuaded her husband to create the National Youth Administration, NYA, which provided financial aid to students and job training to young men and women amongst other great accomplishments.So First Lady, Patience Jonathan is in good company when she proposed that 35 percent of public and civil service jobs should be reserved for women for which l became a victim when my political party barred me from contesting for the House of Representatives seat for Ika federal constituency in Delta State because it was occupied by a lady whom it was alleged the First Lady had instructed the party machinery to ‘deliver ’. The rest they say is history but as our dear energetic First Lady battles exhaustion related illness in a German hospital, she deserves our sympathy not jeers. She would make history again if and when the charismatic Central Bank of Nigeria,CBN governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi makes good his promise to introduce the controversial N5,000 currency notes into the Nigerian financial system with Nigerian heroines-Margaret Ekpo, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti and Gambo Sawaba as mascot, emblem or symbol on the new currency.

Concluded •Mr Onyibe, a former broadcaster and commissioner, wrote from Abuja.

Gambo Jimeta’s home truth for NEF

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Gambo Jimeta’s home truth for NEF

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Gambo Jimeta’s home truth for NEF

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Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012—41

MOHAMMED Gambo Jimeta, former Inspector General of Police, fired a surprising broadside at the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, last week. For describing the Goodluck Jonathan regime as “worse than that of Obasanjo” in its perceived “anti-North” stance, Jimeta described the NEF as choosing the “cowardly path to create confusion and mistrust” among Nigerians. He also reminded those of them who sit in judgement against the President that there are millions of Nigerian fingers pointing at them as the major cause of Nigeria’s problems.

He certainly did not pull punches because he even used the word “hypocritical” in describing their assessment of the regime.

Gambo Jimeta’s home truth for NEF

Out of work former office holders I find it very surprising because Gambo Jimeta has always struck the posture of being among the “Northern Elders”; the club of out-of-work, out-of-favour former office holders and beneficiaries of sectional northern domination of the country who gather from time to time to bleat for power to be returned to the North.

After a spell of silence they suddenly found their voices again following the recent public declaration by former Vice

The political elite of this country have been exemplary in their singular collective lack of patriotism.

Most of them who were produced in the early 1960’s and started working for the federal government as from then are now retired, idle and seriously dependent on government, since they have little or no business or professional acumen. They have drifted into these irritating regional and tribal attention-seeking “forums”, Alhaji Gambo Jimeta such as Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo, South-South People’s I must agree with Gambo Jimeta, Assembly, Middle Belt Forum, Northern without the slightest fear of Elders’ Forum and Arewa Consultative contradiction, that northern elders have Forum. been the most irresponsible of the rest From there they make all manners of of their types. They dominated the affairs of this nation for over forty years, securing the lion’s share out of the oil Jimeta, without the

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I must agree with Gambo slightest fear of contradiction, that northern elders have been the most irresponsible of the rest of their types. They dominated the affairs of this nation for over forty years, securing the lion’s share out of the oil resources of the Niger Delta, occupying choice positions in the armed forces, the state agencies and bureaucracy of the federation; calling the political shots, enthroning and toppling presidents, and still came out of it all leaving the nation in shambles and their native North in much greater shambles

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President Atiku Abubakar, that he would run again for president in 2015. As if on cue, Atiku’s disgruntled personal oracles, Professor Ango Abdullahi and Alhaji Lawal Kaita, have been boasting - once more - that the North would snatch power by force from Jonathan in 2015 for fouling the zoning arrangement of the ruling party.

self-serving demands on the federal government. Usually, when you find some of them, like Alhaji Jimeta, coming out openly against the rest it is because they have secured a favourable spot with the reigning federal government. The moment they lose that spot they drift back to vicious the pack of prebendarians.

Ah, an ‘ethnic beer'!

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COULD not believe my eyes when I started seeing this new beer pandering to the political sensibilities of Igbo people. It is called Hero Lager. It has on its logo the controversial Rising Sun of Biafra, and its promoters boldly advertise it with the greeting: Igbo kwe nu! This beer obviously portrays itself as a beer of Biafra-loving Igbo people; a lager honouring the late hero of Igbo struggle, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

On enquiry, I discovered that a South African company with a prominent Anambra politician as a major investor wants to use Hero Lager to muscle out another local lager, Life, which has recently been acquired by Nigerian Breweries PLC. I see it as a huge gamble when a

commercial product openly delves into politics, especially the politics of Ojukwu and Biafra, as well as the politics of ethnicity. There are other provincial lagers which, like Life, have weathered the storm of the business environment for over thirty years. These include Trophy and “33 Export”, which are very strong in certain parts of the South West, and Champion in Akwa Ibom, yet they wisely avoided politics and selfcircumscription in the market.

The projection that Hero’s marketers have chosen can alienate non-Igbos and anti-Biafrans. So, it had better be a good lager. To be sure, Igbo people will not drink a bad beer even though it greets Igbo kwe nu! and flashes the Biafran Sun.

resources of the Niger Delta, occupying choice positions in the armed forces, the state agencies and bureaucracy of the federation; calling the political shots, enthroning and toppling presidents, and still came out of it all leaving the nation in shambles and their native North in much greater shambles.

They inherited so much from the British colonialists and grabbed much more for themselves when they were in power and yet left the nation and their people with little to show for it other than desperate poverty and Jihadist terrorism. Their failure had nothing to do with their religion or culture, since Islam and Muslims are often progressive forces in many parts of the world, especially the United Arabs Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and even Western Nigeria. It was the anti-national born-to-rule mentality, and the delusion of conquest of the rest of the country that made all the unsavoury difference in Arewa leaders.

They will never be satisfied with any Nigerian president unless he comes from their cultural zone, for then, they will be back on the gravy train of the 1960’s, 1970’s, 1980’s and 1990’s, or so they think.

They should wake up from their selfimposed slumber to the fact that Nigeria has changed. They should join hands with the rest of the country to build one united nation, where true justice and equity will reign. That is the New Nigeria that is unfolding and will endure.

Those still dreaming of a return to Old Nigeria will only die in frustration.

42—Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

HANGE is constant. This truism best describes the political situation in Kwara, a state gradually shedding its political image as the Sarakis’ fiefdom.

Until the 2011 general elections when they nearly lost the governorship seat, the Sarakis were the lone voice in the state politics, dictating the way of life. Opposition parties, their candidates, most time disenchanted lackeys of the Saraki political clan, would contest election, lose and disappear. They would resurface in four years, weakened and discredited. That would leave the Sarakis holding the yam and the knife, caring little about human capital or even infrastructural development and waiting to manipulate their way back to government in future polls.

Today the Sarakis no longer have a field day in Kwara State, their extremism and disregard for public sentiments now being exposed by a consistent, strong and credible opposition led by the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, whose governorship candidate in the 2011 poll, Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN), has remained a strong (and alternative) voice in the state politics.

Kwarans now have opposing views on how their state is run – the absence of which was largely responsible for the way the Sarakis had run the state like a fief-

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dom over the years.

Evidences abound that Kwarans, including many in the government, are happy about this and are latching onto the bravery and outspokenness of the ACN to let out what was clearly a pent-up anger at what they call misrule, oppression and corruption of the past years. The emergent culture of protest outside and within the state civil service – historically unheard of because of the fear of silent suppression, impunities and arbitrary sack from work as in the case of some level 14 civil servants who former Governor Bukola Saraki reportedly asked to sign their letter of resignation before their promotion or cases of court or tribunal rulings that were never respected as in the case of the former governor refusing to honour the ruling of election tribunal and Appeal Court rulings that sacked some PDP lawmakers from Offa and declared the opposition candidates duly elected – underscores the changing political environment in Kwara State.

It is now commonplace to see hitherto shy Kwarans storm the street to protest the impunities of their government: fuel subsidy protest, looting and destruction of PDP secretariat in Ilorin, the motorcyclists’ protest and attack on a top government figure, Bibiire Ajape, the IEDPU’s well-coordinated open opposition to the government’s land policy and

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open protest by Malete communities of the government’s land policy, are a few examples. The people are no longer intimidated by the powers and influence of the Sarakis because attention is now easily turned on them – thanks to the opposition and the social media. his is not to say that they have been defeated. No. But the days of barefaced impunities seem gone. For instance, it is no longer easy (it was the norm before) to lay claim to some blanket achievements. On May 28 when the state government claimed to have tarred over 600kilometres road in one year and were even bold enough to list some of them, the opposition quickly rushed to the media in a detailed advertorial to expose the lies with incontrovertible facts. It was the same thing on twitter, where young Kwarans spent days dismantling what they call the edifice of lie by the state government.

This ultimately leads to the question of 2015. It is interesting that even the Sarakis are now

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52 years after independence, public education remains in shambles

BY HASSAN TAIWO SOWETO HE Education Rights Campaign , ( ERC, uses the occasion of Nigeria’s 52nd independence anniversary to again point attention to the colossal collapse of public education across the country and demand immediate government investment to arrest the decay and revive quality and standard in primary, secondary and tertiary tiers of the educational system.

We also use this occasion to call for the immediate reversal of hiked fees at the Lagos State University, LASU, Ekiti State University, EKSU and the Osun State University, UNIOSUN. We reject all attempts to introduce tuition fee as recommended by the Oronsaye committee report. We call for the provision of free and functional education at all levels.

The only fitting way to mark this independence anniversary is by mass protests and demonstration of the working masses, students and poor against the ruinous policies of successive governments in Nigeria which have turned Nigeria to an under-develo+ping nation 52 years after flag independence. While all socio-economic indices certainly point to reversals in all fields of life, including infrastructures, health, housing, job provision, security, etc, as the nation clocks 52, the condition of public education is indeed very appalling.

Fifty-two years ago, the nation’s education system was at its infancy with very low enrollment and very few schools and universities. However, there were efforts by the government in the First Republic to expand educational access to all nooks and crannies in order to develop the indigenous productive force. The first universities were established around this period. Most notable of this era was the

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free education policy of the government in the old Western Region which opened the doors of education to many, including the children of poor working class and peasant families who would not have had the means to pay fees. Many political office holders from the South West today who now often say that free education is impossible were in fact beneficiaries of this free education policy.

Today the clock of historical progress has been unwound. The impressive advance in public education recorded in the First and Second republics have all been completely unraveled by successive military and civilian governments through neoliberal capitalist policies of education under-funding and commercialisation.

While 52 years ago many an illiterate parents (including farmers and hunters in the wild) were having literate children who were able to educate themselves up to the limit of their abilities, today this whole process has been reversed with the horrific but occurring prospect of completely literate parents now having half-literate and stark illiterate children because of inability to afford the cost of education.

This reality is borne out by the cold harsh statistics of over 12 million children out of school with a huge percentage of this being girls. All of Nigeria’s universities can all admit a little over 200, 000 new entrants annually yet over 1.5 million candidates write UTME annually. This is aside hundreds of thousands who never make it beyond senior secondary school class before privations forces them to go into menial jobs, apprenticeship, crimes and prostitution. These are the lost generations – a generation deprived of knowledge and completely out of tune with the demands of the 21st century and they are lost thanks to over 30 years of unrelenting neo-liberal attacks on public education!

forced to acknowledge the exist- tween Ahmed and Assembly ence of political opposition in Speaker Razaq Atunwa is a sympKwara, despite the initial denials. tom of this rivalry. Another group They now blame everything on the is emerging on the sidelines of the opposition. It is not certain who two above: those routing for the will win the crown. What is former PDP National Chairman, certain, however, is that the Kawu Baraje, as the next goverSarakis would go to the 2015 nor in 2015, an ambition riding election more fragmented, more on bona fide Ilorin indigene’s sendiscredited and therefore less timent sure to truncate in its empowerful to orchestrate the sort bryonic stage the Saraki Jnr ’s of rigging that marred the 2011 emergence as the new godfather. general elections. n case Saraki Jnr used the Contrary to the claims made in PDP structure to sideline commissioned newspaper arti- Ahmed in the 2015 race, and that cles and manipulated video clips is likely if the infighting continon television screens, Kwarans ues, that would combine with still cannot feel the impact of gov- Ahmed’s poor showing to make ernance. They are annoyed even Kwara South a no-go area for the the more by bogus claims in the PDP. So far the expectations of media. It is like committing two the Kwara South elite, especially grievous sins: the sin of poor per- those of Igbomina stock, who formance and the sin of lying ditched their traditional opposiagainst the people. tion to bad governance and alThe opposition has also raised leged Saraki’s oppression, have many instances of corruption, not been met and they could use controversial loans and poor gov- the 2015 to retrace their steps. ernance. Unfortunately for the The coming together of the SaSarakis, their support base (the rakis after the 2011 poll is not in uneducated, old and dying, but any way an added strength for large men and women voting them. It is for many Kwarans, inpublic) is waning by the day and cluding many top former Sarakthe ‘money power’, long relied ite politicians who went to ACPN, upon to sway poor voters, may no a confirmation of deceit and conlonger save them because the spiracy to sustain the Saraki poyouths, now forming the largest litical dynasty. Many of them voting bloc, have learnt to collect with integrity may seek to take money and still vote against their pound of flesh as seen in the them. recent defection to ACN of the inAhmed and Saraki Jnr might fluential Chief Ayeni faction of have parted ways after all. The ACPN. The so-called Saraki/Idi denials notwithstanding, two Ape reconciliation is at best a main camps have already fluke. It has not, will not and canemerged within the PDP: loyalists not address the core issues of the of Saraki Jnr and those grum- dispute. bling about the new godfather ’s arrogance and poor leadership.

The latter believes Ahmed should *Mr Ishaq, a political analyst, assert himself. Who wins is a mat- wrote from Ilorin, Kwara State ter of strategy. The cold war be-

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BY ABDULLAH ISHAQ

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2015: Kwara and its changing political environment

It is now commonplace to see hitherto shy Kwarans storm the street to protest the impunities of their government

The ERC condemns this attempt to completely make education the preserve of the few rich, politicians and treasury looters; education is the inalienable right of all people

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Indeed since the late 1980s and more sharply since the last general elections in April 2011, all political parties in power at Federal and state levels have taken drastic steps to further attacks on the right to affordable and quality public education.

This is on top of the poor conditions of teaching and living infrastructures in primary, secondary and tertiary schools which have in turn seriously reduced the quality and standard of education.

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here is hardly any state in Nigeria today where fees have not been hiked beyond what poor working families can afford. The political party in power does not matter. It is one historical irony of our time that governments formed by the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, which claims to be the descendant of Obafemi Awolowo’s political dynasty, are leading the neo-liberal assault on public education today. In fact, students are worse off and are faced with frightening and unprecedented fee hikes in states where socalled progressive opposition political parties like the ACN are in power.

Fees at LASU, EKSU and UNIOSUN are some of the highest fees in any university in Nigeria today. The fees of some of these universities rival private universities’ and these monstrous fees were hiked by supposedly progressive ACN state governments upholding the legacy

of Obafemi Awolowo! ast year LASU fees were increased by as much as 750% with medical students being charged up to N345, 750!

Because many could not afford it, admission in 2011/2012 session fell by about 30%! Indeed in this year ’s post-UTME, students seeking admission to LASU sharply dropped. Most alarming was the over 2000 students who merited admission having passed post-UTME, aside other requirements, but had to forfeit their admissions because they could not afford the fees!Now on top of all these, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP -led Federal Government is planning to introduce tuition fees! Few months ago, a Federal Government committee headed by Mr. Stephen Oronsaye identified “the tuition-free policy of government for undergraduates in federal universities, the over-dependency on government funding by universities …, as among the factors responsible for the sharp decline in the quality of standards in tertiary education”. The committee therefore proposed introduction of tuition fees of between N450, 000 and N525, 000!

The ERC condemns this attempt to completely make education the preserve of the few rich, politicians and treasury looters.

Education is the inalienable right of all people and it is the duty and responsibility of the government to ensure none of its citizens are denied access to quality education on the basis of inability to pay. All the Oronsaye committee has achieved with its report on education is to put the blame of the collapse of public education on the victim: students and their poor working class parents. Meanwhile it is government neo-liberal education policies coupled with over 30 years of underfunding that is responsible for the collapse of quality and standard in public education.

The ERC warns that by introducing tuition fee, the already bad condition of public education will take a sharp turn for the worse.

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*Mr Soweto is the National Coordinator, Education Rights Campaign, ERC.

Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012—43

12 DAYS TO GO

Watch your utterances, Mimiko cautions Tinubu

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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OVERNOR Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State has called on the National Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Senator Bola Tinubu to embrace decorum in all his public outings, noting that those whose track records are in the public domain must tread cautiously.

Mimiko, who spoke at Okitipupa at the Labour Party,LP, Mega Rally said that the people of the state would not be part of a phoney and deceitful integration as being preached by the leadership of the ACN. He further state that he had placed the state on the path of sustainable development.

His words:’’In Ondo State, the ACN is not on ground and they will meet their political waterloo here. Please, ask them what are they doing in Osun that we have not done better? In any of their States,

Ondo State is better managed than them They talked about integration, if they want to integrate the South West, is it going to be in one person’s pockets? If that is integration, then Ondo State will never be a part of such a phoney and deceitful integration.’’

In addition, Mimiko said, ‘’I salute Babtunde Fashola, whatever anybody may say, he has shown a flash of brilliance in governance. But the 8 years before Fashola, what did they do in Lagos?

They used 8 years to build just one Millennium School; we in Ondo State, in just three and a half years, have built world class mega schools all over the state.’’

Continuing, he said, ‘’What I know is that those who say they want to capture Ondo State will lose their deposits in Ondo State on October 20, they will meet their political waterloo. I also know that in Ondo State, we are a proud people with a proud heritage.’

ACN accuses LP of importing thugs

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KEREDOLU Campaign Organization (ACO) has called on the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State to investigate the alleged importation of thugs to the state by a chieftain of the Labour Party,LP. It also claimed that the thugs were moved into the state in batches, adding that they were being camped at a government owned hotel.

A statement by Director Media and Publicity of ACO

Mr. Idowu Ajanakub said the thugs numbering over 300 were brought for the purpose of rigging the October 20 election.

His words: ‘’ACO hereby call on the commissioner of police and other security agents to take note and investigate urgently because ACN members will not fold their arms and be molested by some thugs imported by a chieftain of LP from the eastern part of the country. ‘’

Oke promises employment

BY GBENGA OKE

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HE People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) candidate at the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State, Chief Olusola Oke has said that if elected governor of the state, he would create wealth for the poor masses and uplift the people out of abject poverty by generating employment.

He also argued that the present administration in the state has not done enough in tackling the menace of un-employment just as he lampooned the Mimiko administration for abandoning all projects of the previous administration led by Dr. Olusegun Agagu.

Speaking in Lagos at the weekend, Oke promised that if voted into power, he will lift the people out of poverty by generating employment, creating wealth, as well as enabling agricultural and industrial revolutions.

His words, “People are poor

because of government policies which do not create alternative employer of labour, alternative generators of wealth for the people of the state”.

“The projects that were meant to open up the economy of Ondo State, to open up the coastal resources, the forest resources and bring about sustainable development, were all abandoned by the Mimiko administration and the government encourages cosmetic projects like building bus stops, building markets, building fountain and megaschools which have not impacted on the lives of the masses”.

Explaining how he would generate employment, Oke said he would save a lot of money by doing away with most of the 800 advisers of the incumbent governor most of whom he described as sit-at-home income earners and use the resources to employ graduates in identified areas of need in Ministries and Parastatals.

•L-r: Senator Bolu Kunlere, Ondo Southern Senatorial District; Labour Party State Chairman, Chief Olu Ogidan; Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko; former Minister of Power, Dr. Olu Agunloye and Speaker Ondo House of Assembly, Mr Samuel Adesina during the Labour Party Mega rally in the Southern Senatorial District of the State in Okitipupa …weekend

ACN mocks Bakare’s endorsement of Mimiko

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HE reported endorsement of Dr. Segun Mimiko by Pastor Tunde Bakare is being mocked by the ACN which yesterday noted that the pastor and prophet is noted more for his many failed predictions.

“Pastor Bakare is notorious for being on the losing side.

He supported Gen. Muhammad Buhari in the last presidential election and pushed the much loved man with his ambition to become vice president until their party lost woefully,” the Director of Publicity of the Akeredolu Campaign Organisation, Idowu Ajanaku said in a

statement.

“The man seems derailed and confused; he is a dead wood politician whose pastoral calling has been completely muddled up with partisan politics.”

“Nobody will take him serious, a man who has abused respected men of God in the land like Pastor Adeboye of the Redeemed Church of God, Pastor Oyedepo of Winners and Pastor Olukoya of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries.”

“How many of his predictions have come to pass. He predicted that

Obasanjo will not become president in 1999 but the man ended up spending eight years in office. He is a political irritant who has no structure in south-west.”

“Bakare is not an indigene of Ondo State so he does no know where the shoe pinches, Ondo indigenes are clamoring for change in the manner they came out to attend ACN rallies.

If ACN could win in Ogun where Bakare hails from and could also win in Ikeja where he resides, then ACN will win regardless of his endorsement in Ondo.”

You’re inciting violence, Mimiko tells ACN

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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HE Mimiko Campaign Organisation,MCO, has described the threat by Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) that it would in conjunction with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) resort to self help unless the Director of the State Security Services in Ondo State is redeployed, as an invitation to a state of anarchy.

It also dismissed the statement as reckless and dangerous, noting that it was a justification of strident cries in the past that the two leading opposition parties were working against the interest of the state.

ACN had at the weekend through the Director of Media of the Akeredolu Campaign

Organisation (ACO) Mr Idowu Ajanaku, called for the removal of the SSS boss in the state accusing her of bias.

A statement by the Director of Publicity and Media Relations of MCO, Mr Kolawole Olabisi said the threat by the parties must be treated with grave concern by security agents.

According to him, ‘’What the ACN and the PDP are doing is to work together and to cause so much violence to intimidate the electorate not to come out especially in areas they see as impregnable to their nefarious plans to rig.

This had been the antics of the ACN in particular and it is merely angling for the redeployment of security officers who are in their payroll to Ondo State.

It has happened in all the States they are controlling.’’

Olabisi further said, ‘’The statement is nothing but inciting and a clear declaration of a state of anarchy by these desperados who cannot win a ward in a freeand fair election in the State unless through subterfuge.’’

Continuing he said, ‘’We urge the security operatives not to take this startling but equally frightening revelation lightly for it was a rare confession that could only have been divinely inspired from those who want to turn Ondo State into a cauldron of violence. It must not be allowed to be swept under the carpet. ” C M Y K

44—Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

British govt handed over Bakassi to Nigeria at independence Prof Walter Ofonagoro here asserts that Gowon and Ahidjo negotiated behind closed doors to alienate Bakassi to Cameroun and that no one had the opportunity to examine or comment on the initial agreement they reached Continues from Friday

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Results of the voting in plebiscite districts in southern Camerouns

call that on May 16, 1981, Cameroonian Gendarmes fired on Nigerian soldiers patrolling the Creeks around Akwa Yafe River.

They shot and killed five Nigerian soldiers, including an officer, and fled into the creeks in their boats. Nigerians were incensed and demanded urgent reprisals.

The Nigerian military were anxious to go in there and avenge the death of their fellow soldiers.

President Shehu Shagari gave President Ahidjo seven days ultimatum to find the culprits and impose appropriate sanctions.

Immediate apology Additionally, Nigeria demanded an immediate apology, reparations, and compensation for the family of the bereaved President Ahidjo, ordinarily a very obstinate man, bluntly refused. He insisted that “the incident occurred in Rio del Rey, in Cameroon’s territoried waters.” That was revealing. He repeated that explanation in writing, in several exchanges with President Shagari.

His patience exhausted, President Shagari decided to mobilize the troops for an invasion of Cameroons to teach them a lesson, because they had been testing the patience of Nigeria in several incidents of harassment of Nigerian fishermen in Nigerian fishing ports of Bakassi. An experienced General was directed to prepare his invasion plans for the approval of the National Defence Council, which he did.

The troops massed at designated locations at the borders. All that was needed was for the President to designate the D-Day, and the troops will move into Cameroon. Both Nations were that close to war. President Shagari was, however, restrained from issuing the necessary order because the area in question had barely come out of the civil war, eleven years earlier.

He did not want another war in the same location, so close, in time, to the last one. Fortunately, wise counsel prevailed. Edem Kodjo,

Secretary-General of the OAU reported that the French had sent word that French Intelligence had reported massive war preparations on the Nigerian side of the border. The OAU President, Daniel Arap Moi of Kenya, Siaka Stevens of Sierra Leone and several other African heads of state intervened and urged restraint.

Eventually, the French Government intervened and directed the President of Cameroons to back down. He did, and paid the required compensation, promised to punish the culprits, and issued the apology demanded, on July 20, 1981.

One would have thought that the Nigerian defence team could have contacted President Shagari, for a briefing on that incident.

They could have contacted and discussed with each of our former presidents, and garnered material of great evidential value from such interaction, since the former presidents are alive and well, and by constitutional right, members of the National Council of State.

Nigeria is fortunate in being one of the few African nations today, none of whose former rulers is living in exile. Surprisingly, our lawyers at The Hague failed to exploit the evidential value of that incident even though that was the flash point in our mutual relations for a very long time.

Exchange of letters That exchange of letters showed that Ahidjo was aware that the boundary was at Rio del Rey. The two countries have never disputed the validity of the Rio del Rey Boundary at Bakassi Peninsula since 1960, when they both became independent of their respective colonial rulers. The two countries had enjoyed years of peace, without incident, before the incident in 1981. Also, there was the flash point in 1993/94 when the Cameroonian Army decided to engage the Nigerian Armed Forces over Bakassi. The Nigerian Army chased them out of Bakassi completely, and only

restrained itself from crossing into east Bakassi, east of the Rio del Rey, to avoid being accused of committing aggression in a neighbour’s territory.

Surprisingly, Cameroon rushed to the UN Security Council, the UN and the OAU, accused Nigeria of invading her territory, and filed proceedings against Nigeria at the ICJ. Cameroon was not even a member of the ICJ since her independence in 1960. She became a member of the ICJ just to be able to file this case. Nigeria could have made “good faith” an issue in this dispute, since under Articles 74 and 83 of the rules of the UN Conference on Law of the Seas (UNCLOS), negotiating in “good faith” was incumbent on all parties in a dispute over maritime boundaries.

Cameroon always capitalized on mistakes made in the course of negotiations, each time an erContinues on page 45

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uprooted from their homes, and expropriated of their landed propN 1890, when Britain and erty with arbitrary impunity.

Germany decided on the Rio In the Colony and Protectorate del Rey Boundary, the Germans of Nigeria, things were different. had wanted Bakassi to be given When the Colonial Government to them, mainly to enable them wanted land from the land owndevelop commercial shrimp fishers of Lagos, for use as crown ing industry there. The place is land, they negotiated treaties of apparently crawling with shrimps lease or sale with the native land and crayfish. On that occasion, the owners, and paid them for their British Foreign Office turned land. In the Protectorate of Southdown the request. But a British ern Nigeria, when the British Foreign Office official, Mr. Government wanted the land of Trench, was anxious to please: Diobu chiefs for the building of “The few square miles of bog, and the new town, Railway terminal, one or two Negro villages that and seaport of Port Harcourt; and would be added to German territhe European Quarters, the Cotory by giving up the present lonial Government purchased a frontier, are quite secondary and huge area of land from the Diobu /or subordinate….. These protectchiefs in 1913. On that occasion, ed subjects easily rebuild their the Diobu chiefs retained the serhomes.” vices of Herbert Macaulay, an exSir Claude Macdonald, the perienced land surveyor, and latCommissioner and Consul-Gener, father of the Nigerian nation, eral of Niger Coast Protectorate, to help them with their negotiaalso described Bakassi thus: “The tions. Lagos was a colony, Diobu ground in dispute is a strip of diswas in a Protectorate. mal swamp…..peopled by a few In German Cameroon, it was miserable fisher folk.” different. The Germans went for That was in the nineteenth cenlarge plantations, timber concestury, at the height of social darsions, plantations of palm fruits winism, racism and the patronizand kernels, and commercial agriculture. So they seized huge areas of land from the natives, and turned them into plantation labourers.

The policy of each colonial power regarding land, varied with its economic objectives.

One does not expect, therefore, that the same British Government that would lease, or buy land from British “protected subjects” in Diobu, would be exPROF WALTER OFONAGORO propriating another set of British subjects, in ing liberalism of Victorian En- the same Protectorate, the same gland. The world has changed a year. The 1st World War changed great deal in the last 120 years, all of that, and the British Govand we are now in the 21st Cen- ernment never handed over tury. Arrangements such as these Bakassi to any one until 1960, to uproot people from their an- when they handed it over to Nicestral homes, and their own land, geria at Independence. are no longer the order of the day.

It was mainly in colonies of set- Killing of five tlement like Colonial America, Nigerian soldiers Colonial South Africa, Colonial Kenya High Lands, Rhodesia Let us return briefly to the Ni(North and South), and Namib- gerian legal defence team at The ia, that “Natives” were arbitrarily Hague. Many Nigerians will re-

The Nigerian Army chased them out of Bakassi completely, and only restrained itself from crossing into east Bakassi, east of the Rio del Rey, to avoid being accused of committing aggression in a neighbour’s territory

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Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012—45

Results of the voting in plebiscite districts in southern Camerouns

British govt handed over Bakassi to Nigeria at independence

Bakassi and the Nigerian Civil War We must now take a brief look at the Nigerian Civil war, to see what connection, if any, it has had on the instant case. All indications point in that direction, including the posture of our legal team at The Hague. There is a very strong feeling in Nigeria that the cession of Bakassi was intended to compensate Cameroon, for standing behind Nigeria, during the difficult years of the Civil War. It is generally believed, that if Cameroon had not helped Nigeria seal up the Eastern border, the only border Biafra had with the outside world, with the sea border tightly blockaded by the well equipped Nigerian Navy, the story of the civil war which ended on January 12, 1970, could have been different. Justice Elias, then Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, gave a hint of that issue in his famous “Legal Opinion” addressed to his External Affairs counterpart Dr. Okoi Arikpo, on Bakassi, dated September 3, 1970.

In that document, in addition to legal issues raised in them, most of which have been discussed in this paper, he did stress that “Every effort should be exerted on our side to ensure that Nigeria does not show ingratitude to a sister

country that stood by us during the civil war. Accordingly, I strongly urge that these recommendations of the Nigeria – Cameroons Joint Boundary Commission dated August 14, 1970, should be implemented expeditiously. ” Those who argue that the policies that Nigeria adopted in going into the Yaoundé II and Maroua agreements of April 4, 1971 and June 1, 1975, were based on the famous “Elias Legal Opinion” of September 3, 1970, need to think again. The decision to adopt the Anglo-German Treaty of March 11, 1913 as a basis for moving forward in the Nigeria/ Cameroon Boundary negotiations, had already been taken before Dr. Elias was consulted.

In those circumstances, his conclusion was inescapable, but only if one ignores, or somehow manipulates Articles 21 and 25 of that Agreement out of reckoning, because they are the safeguards for the Rio del Rey boundary, the Calabar/Cross River Basin, and the sea roads to Calabar Sea Port.

As we have seen, Article 21 was brushed aside, and it was a mandatory Article; and Article 25 was completely ignored, in order to produce the Ngo/Coker boundary line.

Violation of two articles These were never the intentions of the United Kingdom and Germany in drafting the agreement of March 11, 1913. The violation of these two Articles of the Treaty had disastrous consequences for Nigeria, and the Cross River State. It also meant that the terms of the Treaty of March 11, 1913, as intended by Britain and Germany who negotiated that Treaty were completely, disregarded.

The Treaty of March 11, 1913, could not, therefore, have been the basis for Yaoundé I and II, and Maroua Declarations.

President Shehu Shagari in his autobiographical work, Beckoned

Continues tomorrow

to Serve, also expressed the belief that Bakassi was somehow a gift to Cameroon, from General Gowon, for services rendered in the civil war. He had accompanied General Gowon to the Yaoundé Summit of April 1971, and recalls what transpired: “I was privileged to be in the entourage of General Gowon as a Federal Commissioner on that occasion.

Although I participated in the bilateral talks, between the Nigerian and Cameroonian delegations, I did not participate in the negotiations on the issue of boundary disputes.

"The two Heads of States decided to discuss the matter between themselves behind closed doors.

Only the Chief Surveyors of Nigeria and the Cameroons were invited into the secret meeting between General Gowon and Ahmadu Ahidjo. At the end of the negotiations, the two leaders at a ceremony, which I, and other officials attended, signed a communiqué and initialed a map which showed the boundary lines agreed by both of them.

"We did not have the opportunity to examine or comment on the initial agreement reached by the two leaders, but we understood that the details were to be worked out later. It was not until 1975 that General Gowon met with his Cameroonian counterpart at Maroua in the Cameroons when the final agreement on what was to be known as the Coker/Ngo line were finally agreed upon. It was clearly understood that the Agreement signed by the two leaders would become law

only after it was ratified by the legislature of each of the two countries.

"In the case of Nigeria, the legislature at that time was the Supreme Military Council, but in Cameroon, the elected legislature took no time in ratifying the Agreement since it was heavily in their favour.

Serious anomalies "The Nigerian Supreme Military Council, however, refused to ratify that agreement because it noticed serious anomalies in the whole exercise which gave away substantial part of what should have been Nigerian territory to Cameroon on the ground that Cameroon already got some oil rigs placed in the territorial waters of the disputed area which they were not prepared to remove.

It is generally believed that General Gowon made this generous concession to the Cameroon in recognition and appreciation of that country’s stand behind Nigeria during the difficult period of the Nigerian civil war. It turned out, however, that an overwhelming number of Nigerians including members of the Supreme Military Council, believed that Nigeria had been over-generous and wished that we ought to have shown our appreciation to Cameroon in some other way, instead of surrendering our rights, and those of future generations to another nation”.

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Continues frompage 44 ror of monumental proportions is made. They have always refused to have any errors corrected, instead, they obstinately persisted in refusing to have such “errors” corrected, until they ultimately profited thereby. Such posture cannot encourage good will and future cordial relations. Surprisingly, the Nigerian defence team never raised such issues at The Hague. They always preferred to play “big brother,” even at the risk of jeopardizing fundamental national interest, such as the security of the territorial interests of the South-South and South-East States of Nigeria. (Italics mine).

Nnanna Ochereome, in his People and Politics column of the Vanguard, published on October 17, 2002, entitled “Why we lost Bakassi Peninsula”, also supports this view, quoting one Okon Bassey of The Chronicle, a Calabarbased, State-Government owned Newspaper, who he had met at Bakassi in April, 1994.

He states that at the start of the crisis between Col. Ojukwu and Col. Gowon, which eventually escalated to the Civil War, Isaac Adaka Boro, who had just been re-absorbed into the Nigerian Army at the time, after the secession of the Biafra, had been in command of the Nigerian Army unit at Bakassi, which guarded the entrance to the Cross River estuary.

The two Heads of States decided to discuss the matter between themselves behind closed doors. Only the Chief Surveyors of Nigeria and the Cameroons were invited into the secret meeting between General Gowon and Ahmadu Ahidjo. At the end of the negotiations, the two leaders at a ceremony, which I, and other officials attended, signed a communiqué and initialed a map which showed the boundary lines agreed by both of them. We did not have the opportunity to examine or comment on the initial agreement reached by the two leaders

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46—Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

•Akinsanya: Giant Killer or what?

•Tinubu: ACN National Leader

•Obanikoro: PDP leader

The little proxy war in Lagos The court verdict on the outcome of last October’s election in Ikoyi/Obalende Development Council Area of Lagos State is a tonic for the long suffering opposition PDP in the state. Is it sustainable?

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USTICE Dolapo Akinsanya’s reputation as a fearless and courageous woman in the judiciary was not achieved recently. She came to national limelight in 1993 when as a judge in the Lagos State judiciary she delivered the judgment that removed the legal framework under which the interim national government contraption of Chief Ernest Shonekan had vainly sought to legitimise itself.

Now retired from the bench, Justice Akinsanya as head of a five man local government election tribunal in Lagos State, again came to fore last Thursday with a judgment on a nationally watched proxy political battle in Lagos.

In its judgment, the Justice Akinsanya led panel overturned the declaration of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN’s Adewale Adeniji as the winner of the local government chairmanship election in Ikoyi/ Obalende development council conducted last October. Even more, the panel in a 4 to 1 decision, declared the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s Babajide Obanikoro as the winner of the election.

The reverberation of the judgment was cause for celebration for the long suffering Lagos PDP which until now had not made any electoral impact in the state since the advent of the Asiwaju Bola Tinubu phenomenon.

What is even being celebrated

by the Lagos PDP is the fact that the national leader of the ACN, Asiwaju Tinubu has his registered home within Ikoyi/ Obalende council area.

“We commend members of the panel for being bold to declare the judgment in favour of PDP in an area where the residence of the national leader of the ACN, Bola Ahmed Tinubu is and our councillor candidate was also declared winner in the ward where former Governor Tinubu resides,” Barrister Taofeek Gani, the PDP’s state publicity secretary told Vanguard at the

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BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR

of last October was the first one that the PDP had participated in since the creation of the 57 local councils by the Tinubu administration. The PDP had before last October boycotted the council polls on the premise that the councils were illegally created. In other national elections, however, the ACN in almost every case overwhelmed the PDP. When the PDP, however, decided to participate in the local government elections last year, only few could have given the party any hope of success despite the internal divisions

The judgment was cause for celebration for the long suffering Lagos PDP which until now had not made any electoral impact in the state since the advent of the Tinubu phenomenon

weekend.

Remarkably, the PDP’s candidate, Babajide, is the son of Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, Nigeria’s current High Commissioner to Ghana and a former Local Government Chairman in the State. Senator Obanikoro was also at one time a commissioner in the Tinubu cabinet before going to the Senate from where he jumped ship to the PDP. After cancellations of alleged illegal votes and other deductions, the Akinsanya led panel declared that Obanikoro won the election by 6780 votes to 6,248 votes attained by his ACN counterpart.

The local government election

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that bedeviled the ACN prior to the polls on account of alleged imposition of candidates.

At the end of polling the PDP claimed to have been cheated out of some chairmanship positions it claimed to have won, notably the princely Ikoyi/ Obalende council and Badagry.

Protests by national and local officers of the party were followed by admonitions from ACN leaders that they should go to court. The outcome of the court battle in the Ikoyi/ Obalende council was Justice Akinsanya’s remarkable verdict. The Lagos ACN was quick to rebut the declaration declaring it an impossibility for

•Lagos state: Is ACN hegemony crumbling? the PDP to ever win in Lagos.

"It is not possible for the PDP to defeat ACN in any council in Lagos . ACN is the most popular party in the state,” the ACN’s Assistant Publicity Secretary, Chief Funso Ologunde declared shortly after the judgment.

In a more comprehensive rebuttal, the ACN through its state publicity secretary, Comrade Joe Igbokwe said the judgment was a vindication of the fact that elections truly took place in the state and the willingness of the ACN to open up the democratic space unlike the trend in PDP controlled states.

“We challenge the PDP and its allies to allow for such credible process in the states they govern. A situation where it is only in Lagos that a different party from the one that controls the state can lay claim to victory and go to the tribunal to have such claim affirmed should worry the PDP, which delights in closing the democratic space in all states it control through fair and foul means and striving to employ all means to control local government councils in states it does not control.”

“We want them to learn immensely from the Lagos State process and give other parties

fair chances of contesting and winning elections in the states they control,” Igbokwe said as he disclosed that the party was still considering an appeal.

Steadfast in support for party “We acknowledge that we may not win it all and that if we eventually lose the case at the appeal, it is no big deal to lose one out of 57 LCDAs. We urge our members to remain form and steadfast in their support for our great party.”

The notice of an appeal was being received with ominous signs in the PDP at the weekend as Taofeek feared the worst.

“The ACN chairman said our victory will not last and that they will get it back. I don’t know what he means because it was a verdict of 4 to 1 and for him to say that the victory will not last it means that they are up to another Salami style at their own level here but we will resist it.”

“The people of Ikoyi/ Obalende have spoken, they voted and their votes must count and the court has also confirmed that we were voted for and that we won. So, if they come up with any thing that will prcepitate violence.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012—47

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48 —

Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

Obama raises more fund, despite debate flop A

•The Broken roof members and in a twinkle of an eye, the suspected burglars were rounded up.

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•The suspects

CAUGHT IN THE ACT!

How Vigilante group rounded-up burglars

By DONALD ARJI & ADA ONWUNALI

HEY were surrepti tious and calculated as they arrived a sparsely populated village of Era in Abule, Iyana-Era of Oto-Awori LGA, of Lagos state. Their mission?

To sneak into one of the buildings and cart away whatever they could lay their hands on. But they were not so smart enough to observe that an eagle-eyed member of a vigilante group in the community was on their trail as they made their moves.

Unfortunately, they were rounded up as soon as they succeeded in forcing their way into the building to commence their nefarious activities. The man behind the arrest of the thieves simply gave his name as Mr. Afolabi Omotosho while the thieves identified themselves as Kunle,23 and Segun, 24. Reports say, the duo were earlier spotted in the community walking aimlessly by a passerby who later noticed that both Kunle and Segun had de-

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toured, sneaked into the compound of a resident popularly called Alhaji and were making frantic efforts to enter into the building through the roof. The passerby promptly alerted members of the neighbourhood watch operating under the aegis of The Vigilante Group of Nigeria VGN, Era zone and got them arrested.

The unnamed passerby told Crime Alert that he suspected movements around the said house and did not like it hence he raised an alarm. The suspects, it was gathered, were aware that the occupants of the house were not around and therefore used the opportunity to get into the house and cart away some valuable properties, but unknown to them, they were being monitored.

Immediately the neighbours noticed that the suspects had entered into the house, they rushed to call the leader of the vigilance group whose office was not far from the crime scene.

He too, alerted other

n an interview, the leader of the Vigilante group Mr.S.A Omotosho, said his office is opposite the crime scene adding that he was on routine patrol of the area when a man and woman ran to him to say that two men had just scaled the fence of a house opposite his office.

“So I quickly, called my boys, we went to the house and noticed that the gate was under lock and key; which invariably means that the owners of the house were not around. I called Alhaji who was the owner of the house to quickly come back from wherever he went; that his house was being burgled by thieves.

I therefore, told my boys to pass through the fence which the suspects used so that we will not alert them.

When we got into the compound, we found out that the thieves used the ceiling to get into the building because the door to the building was padlocked too. I instructed two of my boys to pass through the ceiling to get the boys. When my boys got into the building, they discovered that the thieves were ransacking all the properties for valuables and anything they could steal. Upon noticing that their games were up, they quickly surrendered. When Alhaji came back he was very happy and was full of appreciation.

As at the time of filing this report, the two suspects have been handed over to the police for further investigation.

month before Elec tion Day, President Barack Obama’s campaign and Democrats posted an impressive fundraising haul, easing the party’s concerns that he would face a significant money disadvantage against his well-financed Republican rival in the crucial closing days.

Romney shrugged off a drop in unemployment, an issue at the heart of the race, contending it’s “crystal clear” a jobs crisis endures.

Bolstered by the Democratic National Convention, Obama and his party Saturday reported a combined take of $181 million for September, their best fundraising month of the campaign and just short of their record of $190 million in the 2008 campaign, also in September. Romney’s campaign has not released its report for the month yet.

It was oddly quiet one month out. Obama took time off for a 20th anniversary celebration with his wife, Michelle, postponed from the day of the first presidential debate last week, while Romney devoted time to preparing for the next debate, Oct. 16 in Hempstead, N.Y., before a Saturday evening rally in Apopka, Fla..The latest fundraising report showed

•President Obama Obama and the Democratic National Committee improving on their take of about $114 million in August, when Obama gained a narrow edge in the money race after trailing Romney and Republicans for three straight months. The Romney campaign has refused to release its September fundraising numbers, which are due Oct. 20, or say if they will make them available early as has be-

Romney struggles in polls

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ESPITE Mitt Rom ney ’s strong debate performance no gain has come his way to convince more voters he understands them or is a “good person” even though he has narrowed President Barack Obama’s overall poll lead, according to a Reu-

Venezuelans clamour for Chavez UGO Chavez loy alists blew bugles in a wake up call for voters yesterday as the Venezuelan leader faced the biggest electoral challenge yet to his socialist rule from a young rival tapping into discontent over crime and cronyism.

Henrique Capriles, a centrist state governor, edged toward the stillpopular Chavez in final polls thanks to a vigorous campaign that united the opposition and made him its best chance of ending the president’s 14-year tenure. Chavez has used record oil revenue to support ideological allies around the world while preaching a fiercely antiAmerican line, so the election is being watched eagerly from the United States to Belarus and Iran.

Queues formed at some

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come custom.

Aides have suggested that fundraising suffered in the final weeks of the month as polls found Romney falling behind Obama. Following Romney ’s debate performance, they were privately optimistic the numbers would improve to help fuel a television advertising blitz over the campaign’s final month in as many battleground states as possible.

polling centers long before they opened, and despite a few delays voting was going smoothly.

“The battle has started!” the flamboyant former soldier wrote in an early morning rallying cry on Twitter. “Today we will write another chapter in history.”

Chavez loyalists in poor neighborhoods, where he draws his most fervent following, blew bugles and trumpets in the predawn wake-up call. In the center of Caracas, some red-clad fans shouted “Long live Chavez!” from the back of trucks.

Chavez, 58, staged a remarkable comeback from cancer this year. But he could not match the energy of past campaigns or the pace set by his 40year-old basketball-loving opponent.

ters/Ipsos survey released on Saturday.

Just a month before the November 6 election, the Democratic president is ahead of his Republican challenger on character attributes that can win over undecided voters who have not been swayed on policy points.

Romney gained in a few areas, but not at Obama’s expense despite the incumbent’s lackluster performance in the first presidential debate on Wednesday. On the broad question of who they will vote for in November, Obama kept his slim 2 percentage point lead over Romney among likely voters - 47 to 45 percent - in the online survey.

The gap was unchanged from Friday, when Obama led by 46 to 44 percent in the tracking poll. His lead was 6 percentage points before the two men first went headto-head in Denver.

“We haven’t seen additional gains from Romney. This suggests to me that this is more of a bounce than a permanent shift,” Ipsos pollster Julia Clark said. The poll did not show Obama backers shifting to Romney. Rather, Romney’s small gains on a few of the issues came from people who had been undecided.

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50—Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

Bakassi: Nigeria should collaborate with Southern Cameroon to create new state —Falana self determination to the people are not to be reloWith only two days left for Nigeria to take a decision to either file its brief or not before the International Court of Justice, ICJ, to contest the ownership of Bakassi peninsula and the seize-less debates trailing government’s action in releasing the area to Cameroon, a Lagos lawyer and social critic, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, has raised some fresh facts which he expects the country to consider to settle the imbroglio facing the oil rich Bakassi region.

By ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

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S the action of the Sen ate asking the Federal Government to contest ICJ judgment justified?

The Senate or the National Assembly has woken up too late. Judgment was delivered ten years ago, the

Green Tree Agreement was signed in 2006, Bakassi was handed over to Cameroon in 2008. As far as the international community is concerned the dispute has been resolved. Why has the Senate allowed the matter to get this far before passing a resolution? In 2006, I filed an action on behalf

of Bakassi people who challenged the cession. The case was struck out due to lack of diligent prosecution.

Our clients abandoned the case. The people of Southern Cameroon also filed a suit at the Federal High Court. An order was made in their favour. From there they took their case for

African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights in Banjul, Gambia. I met them at the African Human Rights Court in Arusha, Tanzania in March this year. The advice of the experts that Nigeria should collaborate with the people of Southern Cameroon to reclaim Bakassi has been ignored. The legal gamble at the Hague cost Nigeria $300 million.

But the Bakassi people were deceived by the ruling class to believe that resettlement was the best option. By the terms of the Green Tree Agreement the

cated but to remain in the island in perpetuity without any harassment or intimidation. But intimidation has been going on without any challenge on the part of the Nigerian Government.

However, the sum of N2.5 billion was collected and cornered for the resettlement. Since the Island was ceded the FGN has continued to pay the statutory allocations of Bakassi LG to the Cross River State Joint LG Account on a monthly basis.

Is it advisable to appeal against the ICJ ruling?

The “fresh evidence” for the review of the ICJ ruling is emanating from Prof Walter Ofonagoro and Alhaji Baba Gana Kingibe who were ministers under the Abacha junta. Why was the evidence not made available to the lawyers when the case was pending at the Hague?

Owing to the crass negligence of the FGN the evidence being paraded now was not produced and tendered during the proceedings of the ICJ. Yet by virtue of Article 61 of the ICJ Statute a review based on negligence of a party to a suit is not permitted! How do we convince the ICJ to set aside its ruling in view of the official irresponsibility?

What is the the way out?

To quickly link up with the people of southern Cameroon who are agitating for

independence. Encourage Bakassi people to fight along with them. That will force the UN to intervene.

At that stage we should demand for plebiscite or referendum for the people of Southern Cameroon including Bakassi to decide their political destiny.

Meanwhile, let Nigeria file a complaint against Cameroon over the violations of the Green Tree Agreement.

Did the Federal Government’s lawyers handle the Bakassi case well?

The Sani Abacha junta disbanded the team of experts who were engaged to handle the case. The experts advised Nigeria not to submit to the jurisdiction of the ICJ. They advised the Government on the best way to reclaim Bakassi from Cameroon.

Some guys who wanted to make money plotted against the experts. They were accused of NADECO tendencies as one of them, Prof Itse Sagay, SAN was accused of being too close to the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN. For that reason the team was dropped.

At that juncture, many people who had not the slightest idea of international law were assembled to handle the case. No doubt, some of the lawyers are competent people but the case was very bad. So we should not have joined issues with Cameroon because we had physical advantage of the territory. Our people were in the island protected by our armed troops.

l-r: Chairman, Marketing & Sponsorship Committee of Eko 2012, Chief Molade Okoya Thomas; Senior Brand, Maltina; Mrs Ngozi Nkwoji, and MD/CEO,Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr Nicolaas Vervelde, during the presentation of N10m cheque in support of the 18th National Sports Festival

L-r: Senator Gbenga Obadara, Prince Ademola Dada, Island club president and Senator Gbenga Ashafa during the independence dinner at Island Club, Onikan, Lagos C M Y K

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52— Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

Vanguard CLASSIFIED IGWE—I, formerly known and addressed as Igwe Amaechi, now wish to be known and addressed as John Amaechi. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

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All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

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General public please take note.

Confirmation of Name

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General public please take note.

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General public please take note.

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This to confirm that the names Tiyoyo Enyohwohwo, and Tiyoyo Enyohwo refer to one and same person as Tiyoyo Enyohwohwo Dennis, I now wish to be known and addressed as Tiyoyo Enyohwohwo Dennis. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

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NFF decamps Flamingos IGERIA Football Federation at the weekend decamped the women Under-17 team, who were sent packing from the FIFA Under-17 Women World Cup in Azerbaijan.

The Flamingos arrived last Friday night and they were advised to go to their respective homes, just as coach Peter Dedevbo disclosed that his players let him down

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in the crucial moment after they were unceremoniously dispatched by France in the quarterfinals.

“We didn’t take our chances and I can’t explain why. These are the same players who were scoring goals but when it mattered most they couldn’t find the back of the net.

“We really regret our ouster’’, said Dedevbo.

Obafemi lifts Levante superb Obafemi Martins strike proved the difference as Levante defeated city rivals Valencia 1-0 in the early La Liga kick off on Sunday.

The pacy Obafemi, who joined last month from Russian club Rubin Kazan, sped on to a long clearance from Levante goalkeeper Gustavo Munua in the 22nd minute at the Estadio Ciutat de Valencia.

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The former Inter Milan and Newcastle forward controlled the bouncing ball on his chest before smashing an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net past Vicente Guaita.

Valencia saw plenty of the ball but were toothless in attack and slipped to a third defeat in seven league outings this season, leaving them in 14th on eight points, two behind Levante who climbed to 11th.

Oscar wants Neymar at Chelsea HELSEA midfield er Oscar is doing his best to convince superstar Neymar to ignore Dani Alves and move to Stamford Bridge.

Alves has been trying to lure Neymar from Santos to Barcelona while Real Madrid are also keen on the 20-year-old Brazil international. Neymar said: ‘Oscar messages me to tell me what a great club Chelsea is and what a great city London is.

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“He and Dani are both very good salesmen for their clubs. ‘When the time is right I will listen to the right offers that my agent has for me.

“It is very simple - if Barcelona are interested you listen, if Real Madrid are interested you listen, if Chelsea are interested you listen.

“There are maybe five clubs in the world that you know you must at least listen to.”

Navy Sailing club marks Nigeria at 52

BY JACOB AJOM T was fun and fanfare as the Navy Sailing Club, Navy Town Lagos, joined the rest of the nation in celebrating Nigeria’s 52nd Independence anniversary.

Typical of their calling, the club treated guests to lots of competition in water sports which included Kayak , rowing and Sailing. There were competitions in the boys, girls, men and women categories.

Kaniko Stephen won the Kayak event in the Boys category. Yakwe Daniel and Auta Saad took second and third positions, respectively. In the girls category, it was Rakiya Momoh, Chika Amechi and Joy Momoh that won first, second and third places.

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Men’s Kayak saw Orugbami Moses, blazing the trail as Izilien Emmanuel and Pere Olubo Timi followed while in the women’s category Japhet Lilian, Omosheyin Esther and Matthew Joy placed first second and third respectively.

In the GP 14, the pair of AB Orji Monday and Ijagwa Friday took the first position followed by Onyekachi Okereke and Joseph Smart while OrUgbami Moses and Matthew Alaba took the rear.

The Guest of Honour for the day was the Flag Officer Commanding the Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Amin Ikioda while the father of the Day was the Flag Officer Commanding Naval Training Command, Rear Adiral Azubuike Ajonu

Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012—53

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54 — Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012 AST Saturday at the Dipo Dina Stadium, Ijebu Ode, Sunshine Stars of Nigeria were involved in what was obviously their biggest continental match ever and the opposition don’t come bigger than Al Ahly of Egypt.

Also mention the fact that this was the Semi final of CAF’s flagship club football competition, the CAF Champions League where the winner earns the right to play in the final of the FIFA Club Cup and all its attendant exposure and benefits. Ask Tout Puissant Mazembe.

Fifteen minutes to kick off, I stood with veteran broadcaster Mitchell Obi lamenting, bemoaning the poor turnout, less than three thousand spectators, in a stadium that seats over 15 thousand… and to think that the gates were thrown open, free of any charge.

And then the match. What a cracker. A six goals classic that can best be described as a good advertisement for African football, if you were not a Nigerian and a Sunshine Stars supporter.

At three goals apiece, the first assumption is that the Nigerians are out, except they play a 4-4 draw or beat the Egyptians with whatever goal margin in the return leg….a mission that is not impossible given Sunshine’s away record!

Before we laugh it away as wishful thinking given the pedigree of the opposition, we are quick to be reminded that Kano Pillars found themselves in a similar position and triumphed. A team that finds itself two goals down against Al Ahly and still claws her way back to end it 3-3 may be a team with character after all Anyway, that is a topic for another discussion, perhaps in two weeks time.

Presently I want to remember that earlier in the year the players of Sunshine Stars found themselves in a position where their SIGN ON FEES had not been paid and decided to go on strike to press for their demands.

Linus Mba and I had the opportunity to address the boys. We told them we will help them fight for the payment of their wages and that they should not lose sight of the bigger picture…the benefits they stood to derive individually should they do well in Africa.

We also gave them the classic example of Dolphins, a club that chose the eve of a continental assignment to strike, refuse to train and when eventually their demands were met, they went to the field and could not play, and were thrown out of Africa in their very first match.

The players of Sunshine accepted the position and went back to work.

You can imagine my surprise and fright when I learnt that over five months after that incident, the players

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CAF Champions League, Sunshine Stars and the tragedy of Nigerian football

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F/Eagles Continued from BP 85th minute winner by Raimi Kola in Dakar to advance to Algeria 2013 on a 4-1 aggregate.

The little West African nation will feature in their second AYC after they hosted the 2005 edition of the competition and Continued from BP is so because some of them have little issues to sort out at their clubs and we expect to have a full house at Tuesday training session”, enthused Head Coach Stephen Keshi.

The national team departs for Calabar on Monday morning and the technical crew has already scheduled a training session for Monday evening at the Abraham Odia Sports Complex inside the University of Calabar.

Officials say there is absolutely no time to

qualified to play in that year’s FIFA U20 World Cup. Gabon will also be in Algeria after they defeated Burkina Faso 20 at home to advance 4-2 on aggregate. Mali also booked their passage to the biennial tournament proper after they dumped Zambia 3-0 in Bamako. The first clash ended in a 2-2 draw.

Enyeama waste ahead of Saturday ’s crunch qualifier against the Lone Star of Liberia.

Arrangements have since been made for all the invited players to find their way to Calabar and as usual the Metropolitan Hotel in the heart of the city will be the camping site for the national team.

Keshi at the weekend, named seven home based players to join the 15 foreign based earlier announced for the encounter on Saturday in the Cross River state capital.

At three goals apiece, the first assumption is that the Nigerians are out, except they play a 4-4 draw or beat the Egyptians with whatever goal margin in the return leg…a mission that is not impossible given Sunshine’s away record!

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had not been paid and they decided to go on strike, two weeks to their all important semi final clash against Al Ahly.

This is it, I said to myself. THIS IS THE END OF THE ROAD. A week to the match, they were paid and they resumed training, but this was definitely not enough.

The damage had been done.

Last Saturday in Ijebu Ode, Nigerians and indeed Africans saw players that were rusty, slow and uncoordinated and before you could say Paul Bassey, they were two goals down…….

Then came panic on the technical bench, hysterical reactions of management, forced substitutions (two by the 41st minute) exposing the team to danger should there be injuries later in the match! Disenchantment all round.

Later in the match, as the players struggled to make amends, injury threatened in the form of incessant muscle pulls…in one instance the mid field live wire

Medrana Tamen was out injured for close to seven minutes and while they were busy treating him, his colleagues played one goal down, one man short!

Let my focus this morning be on a monster that has impacted negatively on the game in this country. The SIGN ON FEES PHENOMENON. The sooner we do away with this fraud induced aspect of our football, the better for all of us.

Those who run football in this country have to come together and review the situation where a player comes into a club, “ negotiates” for sign on fees, gets as much as five million naira and ends the season without kicking a ball even when he must have been paid fifty per cent of that amount before the season starts.

Incidentally, this is a country where 99 per cent of the clubs are owned by government. A club will therefore commit a state to sign an obligation of as much as 300 million naira only to renege when time comes for payment and the resultant blackmail and holding every body to ransom whenever the situation arises.

Perhaps I should not use the word ‘black mail’ because a worker deserves his wages and the moment you agree to pay you just must pay. The coaches who are “partners” in the whole deal sometimes fuel the fire because when the players are paid they are also guaranteed their dues.

I mentioned ‘fraud’ earlier to depict the fact that there are certain players coaches and managers bring into the team, just for the purpose of collecting sign on fees which they control. You can imagine a coach who brings as many as four players into a club, helps them negotiate a cumulative sign on fees of about 16 million and ends up taking more than fifty percent…you can imagine…not mentioning the percentage he gets from their salaries as well, salaries that are paid by the ministry of sports every month without recourse to whether that player has kicked a ball since he joined the club.

The solution is enhanced bonuses. A player can earn as little as one hundred thousand naira, but if that player is guaranteed a winning bonus of say fifty thousand at away and thirty thousand at home you can imagine how much a regular and productive player will make at the end of a month.

I know the efforts made by the Ondo State Football Agency to clear the sign on fees of the players. But this is an Agency that also runs two other clubs and by the time you add up the figures, the amount becomes so outrageous and so distracting to a Governor busy seeking re-election.

The near tragedy of Sunshine Stars should not be allowed to repeat itself even as we get set for the miracle of Cairo. Can someone say AMEN? See you next week.

Forget it, Ahly coach tells Sunshine Continued from BP ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw at the Dipo Dina Stadium in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State at the weekend.

But Ahly assistant coach Mohammed Youssef, has advised Sunshine Stars to forget about a good result in the second leg.

The Egyptians made the only Nigerian club fighting continental battle to pay for their sloppy defending and they led 20 before the break. But Sunshine fought back to level at 2-2, before Ahly came asking questions which Sunshine failed to answer. However, Osasco Precious curled home a free kick six minutes from full time to level scores at 3-3.

“It is not over. We will go to Cairo and get the result that will take us to the final. If we get the kind of officiating that we had here in Cairo, we will get to the final,” stated Sunshine coach, Gbenga Ogunbote.

But his Egyptian

counterpart, Youssef believes all that could be wishful thinking.

“We were close to snatching the victory but a draw is a good result for Ahly. We have another game in Egypt. Our players did their best. We had many scoring chances.

“In the second leg we will do everything to qualify for the final.

Sunshine can forget about it,” said the coach.

Sunshine will bank on the fact that they have posted impressive results in their travels to North Africa, the last being a 21 win over Algeria’s Aso Chlef during the group stages.

“We still have second leg to play. It has happened before and we survived it. We will again

take the battle to Al Ahly in the second leg’’. said Sunshine’s midfielder, Tamen Mendrano.

In the other semi-final match defending champions Esperance of Tunisia drew 0-0 with DR Congo outfit TP Mazembe on Sunday.

The two clubs have shared the last three Champions League titles between themselves, with the Congolese side winning in 2009 and 2010.

MILAN DERBY....AC Milan’s Riccardo Montolivo (R) contests for the ball with Inter’s Diego Alberto Milito during yesterday’s Milan derby at the San Siro Stadium. PHOTO: AFP

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Enyeama, Ejide hit camp today UPER Eagles first choice goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, Israeli based shot stopper, Austin Ejide and Real Betis of Spain midfielder, Nosa Igiebor, are among

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the early birds expected in the Super Eagles camp in Calabar on Monday.

The trio will be joined by the rest of the squad on Tuesday morning as

some of them had late games last night and will link up with the rest of the squad on Tuesday.

“All the players will be here on Tuesday and that Continues on Page 54

F/Eagles pound S/Africa's Amajita 3-1 •Qualify for Algeria 2013 LYING Eagles yesterday thrashed visiting Amajita of South Africa 3-1 in the second leg of the African Youth Championship qualifiers to book a place in next year’s tournament to be hosted in Algeria with a 4-2 aggregate score.

Abudul Jaleel Ajagun scored a brace and Alhaji Jero made it three in the thrilling encounter decided at the Ilorin Township Stadium.

Flying Eagles’ coach John Obuh expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance adding that the hardest task was now to defend the title they won in South Africa in 2011.

In other matches, Benin beat Senegal to qualify, while 2011 second placed Cameroon were eliminated by DR Congo with a 4-2 aggregate score.

Benin recorded a double over Senegal on Saturday courtesy of an Continues on Page 54

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TODAY'S

EL-CLASSICO.... Messi celebrates after scoring against Real Madrid yesterday.

Champions League

Forget it, Ahly coach tells Sunshine El Clasico: Messi 2 Ronaldo 2

BY BEN EFE UNSHINE Stars of Akure are hopeful of upstaging Al Ahly of Egypt in Cairo after the first leg CAF Champions League semi-final tie

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HORSE RIDE.... Ronaldo celebrates his goal with Ramos. Photos: AFP

PUZZLE

YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

Continues on Page 54

Across: 1 Component (4) 4 Project (3) 6 Neat (4) 8 Offhand (6) 9 Confront (6) 10 Pull (3) 12 Confess (5) 14 Sharpen (5) 15 List (5) 18 Harsh (6) 20 Stroll (6) 24 Lament (5) 26 Level (5) 28 Perform (5) 30 Chop (3) 32 Tiny (6) 33 Source (6) 34 Gala (4) 35 Groove (3) 36 Want (4)

HE much-talked about El Clasico match between Barcelona and Real Madrid at the Camp Nou last nigh ended in a 2-2 draw, with the two best players in the world, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo scor-

T

ing two goals each.

Ronaldo fired Real Madrid 1-0 up before Messi levelled scores and went on to score his second of the night only for the Portuguese forward to square things up for the visitors.

Down: 2 Mild (5) 3 Learned (7) 4 Jar (4) 5 Melt (4) 6 Implicit (5) 7 Plunder (7) 11 Lubricate (3) 12 Donkey (3) 13 Sailor (3) 16 Cot (3) 17 Stray (3) 19 Ask (7) 21 Epoch (3) 22 Refer to (7) 23 Newt (3) 25 Freeze (3) 27 Sharp (5) 29 Scold (5) 30 Successor (4) 31 Habit (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS Down: 1, Share 2, Spine 3, Menace 4, Knee 5, Cleaned 6, Solid 9, Let 11, Trickle 13, Adapt 14, Ethic 16, Rot 18, Traitor 21, Dixie 22, Glint 24, Rustler 27, Bar 28, Enigma 29, Boast 32, Sneak 33, Grace 35, Nip 36, Lair e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

Across: 2, Smoke 7, Shape 8, Allot 10, Inlet 12, Eel 13, Arena 15, Erratic 17, Detect 19, Ion 20, Erected 23, Pair 25, Dial 26, Cubicle 30, Sat 31, Ensign 34, Control 37, Inert 38, Ail 39, Range 40, Aspen 41, Match 42, Break

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

Place a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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