Confidence in judiciarynose-diving — CJN

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61856

25 killed in ethnic militia clash in P.10 • Plateau

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TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

KILLING OF 12 COPS: Dickson, IG vow to bring perpetrators to book •P. 12

Confidence in judiciary nose-diving — CJN

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

•I have heard the aphorism a couple of times that in the court, the rich get bail while the poor get jailed•

IRON LADY, THATCHER DIES @ 87

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BUJA—THE Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, yesterday, expressed concern over the quality of judgments emanating from various courts in the country, insisting that public confidence and trust in the judiciary has nosedived.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2013

Continues on Page 5

COLUMNISTS:

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Mr & Mrs

File photo of former British Prime Minister Baroness Margaret Thatcher who died yesterday at 87. Photo: AFP. More on Pg.41

Police grill, detain four Leadership journalists— P.8

2 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013 — 3

4 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013—5

POCKET CARTOON

CANDLELIGHT FOR JUSTUS ESIRI: L-r: Edmund Enaibe, Kenny Adams, Chioma Akpotha and Kate Henshaw, at the Candle Light organised by NollyWood Stakeholders for late Justus Esiri at the National Stadium in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye

Confidence in judiciary nose-diving — CJN Continues from Page 1

refresher course for judicial officers, organized

by the National Judicial Institute, NJI, in Abuja, the CJN noted that “a

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

Expectations are the root of all heartache —Williams Shakespeare Manage your expectations and you will expect what you manage.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Stop trying to buy happiness. Many of the things we desire are expensive. But the truth is, the things that really satisfy us are totally free – love, laughter and working on our passions — Maria Robinson ESSONS and blessings on the journey of life from which we can apply ourselves in finding inner peace and joy. Maria Robinson says it aptly that, we should stop looking to others for happiness. If you’re not happy with who you are on the inside, you won’t be happy in a long-term relationship with anyone else either. You have to create stability in your own life first before you can share it with someone else.

Stop trying to compete against everyone else.Don’t worry about what others are doing better than you.

Concentrate on beating your own records every day.

Success is a battle between YOU and YOURSELF only. being jealous of others.Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own. Ask yourself this: “What’s something I have that everyone wants?”

Stop complaining and feeling sorry for yourself.Life’s curveballs are thrown for a reason – to shift your path in a direction that is meant for you. You may not see or understand everything the moment it happens, and it may be tough. But reflect back on those negative curveballs thrown at you in the past. You’ll often see that eventually they led you to a better place, person, state of mind, or situation. So smile! Let everyone know that today you are a lot stronger than you were yesterday, and you will be.

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public uproar or placardcarrying scenario against the judgment of a court of record is not to the credit of the judiciary as an arm of government.” She added that “ where therefore a judge is found to be complicit in the writing and delivery of a judgment, the National Judicial Council, NJC, as the constitutional regulatory body, will not hesitate to wield the big stick.”

Judgments must be unambiguous According to the CJN: “A judge should write in a simple and unambiguous manner such that it leaves no one in doubt as to what the judgment has addressed. A judgment should meet the justice of the matter or controversies between the contending parties.

It is certainly not good for a judgment to be capable of more than one interpretation otherwise why was the judge called upon to intervene in the first place?

“I have noted earlier that for the Institute to devote this course to addressing issues of judgment writing and judg-

ment delivery could not have come at a more auspicious time than now. The National Judicial Council through its Performance Evaluation Committee is concerned about both the quality of the output of judges in terms of the monthly returns they file.

“Aside from this, let us not deceive ourselves, the public confidence and trust in our work as judicial officers are beginning to nosedive.

This is borne out partly from judgments emanating from our courts which the public or a section of it feels is rather unconscionable.

Agreed, judges are not spirits, they are human beings. They are members of the society. What this portends is that the judgment we write and deliver must be a reflection of adequate considerations of the facts as presented by the parties, available evidence properly led to support the facts and the state of the law on the subject of adjudication.

“Again, I concede that as judges we are accorded some semblance of discretion particularly in criminal cases. I must, however, hasten to add that the exercise of any discretion in adjudica-

tion must be judicially, judiciously and reasonably exercised. A judge must not put himself in a position where the exercise of his discretion is deemed to be unreasonable in the estimation and assessment of a reasonable member of the society.

“Of course, a public uproar or placard-carrying scenario against the judgment of a court of record is not to the credit of the judiciary as an arm of government. I have heard the aphorism a couple of times that in the court, the rich get bail while the poor get jailed. To what extent have we as judges turned justice away from the highest bidder?

NJC to wield the big stick “Where, therefore, a judge is found to be complicit in the writing and delivery of a judgment, the National Judicial Council, as the constitutional regulatory body will not hesitate to wield the big stick. But beyond the intervention of the National Judicial Council, I urge you all to remember at all times that you are representatives of God in your courts, that as you sit in judgment over others, you are also standing at judgment and that, one day, we shall all stand before God to be judged.”

In his welcome address, the administrator of NJI, Justice Umaru Eri, said the workshop was designed to create an avenue for Judges and Kadis from different jurisdictions to cross fertilize ideas on grey areas of law and to enrich and consolidate their experiences.

“It is therefore instructive to note that the Re-

fresher Course is aimed at providing the Judges and Kadis the opportunity to develop and update their intellects to reposition themselves for optimum performance of their duties at the temple of justice.

“The theme of this Workshop, to wit: Towards a Culture of Better Judgment Writing and Judgment Delivery is both apt and timely.

This is so, more importantly, considering the glaring fact that the sustenance of peace in Nigerian society depends, to a great extent, on what the Judges do in the courts.

“Therefore, the need to develop a mode or style of judgment writing and delivery cannot be overemphasized; bearing in mind that the country and indeed, the citizens have reposed a great trust in the Nigerian Judiciary, spanning the pre-military and military era, and, therefore, we cannot afford to fail them now.

“The judgment we write and deliver deals with the tension between the desire for people to take justice into their hands, exact revenge in self-help, as opposed to the processes of the law which in my opinion, is determined by fair trial and fair judgment.

“I cannot but urge you to refrain from any conduct that may compromise your exalted positions and the integrity of the Judiciary. We must eschew corruption in all its ramifications and deliver judgments without fear or favour. None of our actions, both on the Bench and outside the Court room should have the inkling of the cankerworm.

“Your judgments must, therefore, be seen as always coming from credible Bench, composed of credible personalities,” he stated.

6—Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

3 arraigned for alleged N4m fraud

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE & MICHAEL NWOPOKE

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AGOS — TWO men and a woman were, yesterday, arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate Court in Lagos, for obtaining N4 million from one Mr Federick Akinsulire, with the pretext of selling a house situated at Block A, Plot 7, Diamond Estate along Isheri road, in Lagos, to him.

The defendants, Joy Thelma, 34; Gbolahan Shodipo, 40; and Taiwo Ogundare, 36, who claimed to be estate agents are standing trial on a three-count charge of conspiracy, fraud and stealing.

According to the prosecutor, Inspector Stephen Molo, “the trio, who reside in Ikotun area of Lagos, committed the offences on January 10.”

The prosecutor told the court that they conspired to defraud Akinsulire, who is the Managing Director of Freehide Facility Management Company, of N4 million.

However, the Magistrate, Mrs F. O. Aigbokaevo granted them bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties each in like sum and adjourned the case to April 24, for mention.

Bank manager docked over alleged theft of N3.3m

BY ONOZURE DANIA

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AGOS— A 41-YEAROLD manager of a second generation bank, Victor Ogunyemi, was yesterday arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court, for allegedly stealing N3.3 million, property of one Peter Ojimba.

Ogunyemi, who was arraigned before Magistrate Osusami, is facing a threecount charge of stealing, fraud and pretence.

Ogunyemi, who is the manager of the Coker Orile branch of the bank, was said to have issued a cheque for N3.3 million in favour of one Peter Ojimba as a term of settlement.

The police prosecutor, Inspector Benson Umueri, told the court that Ogunyemi issued the said cheque of N3.3 million which was presented to the bank on November 30, 2012, which was dishonoured on the grounds of lack of funds in his account.

Kidnappers demand N50m ransom for 90-yr-old woman

BY EMMA AMAIZE & AKPOKONA OMAFUAIRE

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GHELLI —THE five-man kidnap gang that stormed Oviri-Olomu community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, last week, and kidnapped 90-year-old Mrs. Egbeshire Otovwievwie is demanding N50 million ransom for her release.

The nonagenarian is the mother of a top official of the National Union of Petroleum, Energy and Natural Gas, NUPENG, and staff of the Nigeria Gas Company, NGC. A dependable source told Vanguard: “The kidnappers called the woman's son on Sunday and demanded that N50 million be paid before the woman will be released.”

Vanguard was not able to reach the victim’s son for comments, but there was palpable tension in Olomu kingdom over the incident.

Meantime, the community’s vigilance group and youths have mounted round the clock surveillance in Olomu and environs since the incident, while a manhunt was on for the kidnappers.

The abductors, who took the community youths unawares, went to Mrs. Otovwievwie’s residence on Esie Street, Oviri Olomu, in a Toyota

Camry car at about 12.30 a.m, last Friday, and whisked her away.

The Olomu monarch, Ovie R. L. Ogbon, Ogoni-Oghoro I,

yesterday, appealed to the kidnappers to immediately and unconditionally, release the great grandmother.

An articulated vehicle loaded with tubers of yam fell over a car on Akwanga-Keffi road, Sunday. PHOTO: NAN.

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GHELLI—SOLDIERS, yesterday, laid siege to Okpara community in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State and allegedly killed two persons, including Phillip Ekeh, who won silver medal for Delta State at the last National Sports Festival, held in Lagos.

Vanguard gathered that eight other persons were injured in the raid said to have been carried out by the Joint Military Task Force.

There was confusion in the community because of the incident, but it was not clear why soldiers invaded the community.

A source, however, hinted that youths purportedly killed two soldiers, last Friday, and the JTF was in search of the killers.

However, Vanguard could not corroborate the information on alleged killing of soldiers from military sources, yesterday.

The Ekeh family and sympathizers marched to the Ethiope East Local Government Council, yesterday, to protest the killing of the sportsman.

Speaking to reporters at Isiokolo after the protest, elder brother of one of the deceased persons, Mr. Equity Ekeh alleged that the Okpara community had been under military siege.

He said his younger brother, Philip Ekeh, was shot few metres away from their family house while he was returning from an outing, adding that he was a cy-

clist in the Delta State Sports Council.

According to him, the deceased, who was resident in Asaba came home for the

weekend, only for him to be killed.

His words, “The 10 were shot at different spots in the community, their motorcycles are

still lying at the spots where they were shot. Of the 10, two died and my own younger brother happened to be one of them.”

Olukoya splashes N40m on first class graduates

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AGOS — IN continuation of his desire to reward academic excellence, the General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, MFM, Dr. Daniel Olukoya, weekend, splashed N40 million on members of the church who graduated with first class honours degree from different universities across the country.

The event which is third in the series made the 77 graduates smile home with N 500,000 each.

The previous first class graduates went home with a car each, but this time around, Dr. Olukoya settled for cash, against the background of the number of graduates, which rose from 15 last year to 77 this year.

Besides, the graduates will have the opportunity of using the monetary gifts to pursue their higher degree programmes.

The breakdown of the graduates showed that University of Lagos (UNILAG) top the list with 12 graduates which cut across various disciplines, followed by University of Ibadan with nine of such graduates while one is from

Central University College, Accra, Ghana.

Speaking at the occasion, Pastor Shade Olukoya, who presented the award praised the graduates for dedication to their academic work and serving God at the same time.

According to her, the award was put in place to reward members of MFM who are dedicated to their academic work while also creating time to serve the Almighty God.

Her words; “this is a reward for hard work, dedication to duty and above all, service to God and mankind”.

The programme which took place at the Prayer City along Lagos-Ibadan Express way during the Power-Must-ChangeHands programme attracted people from different aspects of life. On hand to present the cash gift to the graduates was Prof.

Akin Osibogun, Chief Medical Director, University of Lagos Teaching Hospital.

Pastor Shade Olukoya and Prof. Akin Osibogun presenting cheque to Miss Ojemekele Osebhahiemen at the award ceremony.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013 — 7

New born babies sale syndicate smashed in Delta

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

Thunder kills 2 traders, SABA — A SYNDICATE 3 goats in Asaba market

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which specializes in luring pregnant teenage girls eager to deliver their babies under cover and thereafter selling the newborns to ritualists and childless couples has been smashed in Asaba, Delta State capital.

Already, a middle-aged woman (names withheld) who hails from one of the eastern states of the country alleged to be running an illegal maternity centre at a camp in Oduke, in the outskirts of the town, has been arrested, while a nurse and a medical doctor attached to the home are presently on the run.

Vanguard gathered that police have intensified manhunt for the runaway medical doctor and nurse involved in the deal.

It was also gathered that upon delivery of such babies depending on the sex of the child, they are sold for between N400,000 and N500,000 each.

Police sources confirmed the story, saying the suspect would be arraigned in court.

Also two traders and no fewer than three goats were struck dead by thunder at Niger Bridge Head

market in Asaba, weekend.

The incident which took place on Friday evening threw the market into pandemonium as traders and buyers ran for dear lives following the deafening thunder

accompanied by lighting.

Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in charge of the police station by the Bridge Head, Mr. Ngozi Ezeabata, confirmed the death of the traders.

Members, Conference of Local Government Ex-Political Office Holders in Ogun, protesting alleged non-payment of their severance allowances and packages in Abeokuta, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN.

200 ex-political appointees protest over unpaid N2.3bn severance allowances

BY DAUD OLATUUNJI

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BEOKUTA —FORMER political appointees under former Governor Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State, yesterday, protested alleged refusal of the incumbent government in the state to pay their severance allowances running into N2.3 billion.

The protesters numbering about 200 stormed the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta, appealing to the current government to show mercy on them.

The protesters carried placards with various inscriptions such as ‘Ogun State is the only state yet to pay’; ‘Our members are dying’; ‘It is your responsibility, act fast, give us our entitlements’; ‘Enough of your pranks, please pay up now’.

Addressing the press on behalf of the ex-political appointees, the leader of the protesters, Farouk Akintunde, said the affected peo-

ple were about 600 and were past chairmen, vice chairmen, secretaries to the local governments, supervisors, special advisers, consultants and legislators, who served between 2007 and 2010 under Daniel’s

administration.

Akintunde lamented that the development had led to the death of about 12 of them because of their inability to access fund.

However, the state Ministry of

Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in its reaction through a letter signed by G. O Olubiyi for Permanent Secretary urged all the local governments chairmen to pay all outstanding benefits of former officials.

Hoodlums vandalise 100 vehicles, injure residents in Lagos

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BY EVELYN USMAN

AGOS— THUGS went on the rampage in Akoka area of Lagos, Sunday night, shooting sporadically, and in the process several people were injured with over 100 vehicles vandalized.

The thugs numbering over 60, as gathered, were suspected members of a cult group on a reprisal attack, following alleged murder of one of their own two weeks ago.

Their suspected member simply

identified as Skooll, was reportedly killed at Solanke Street, during a rally on Good Friday.

Trouble, as gathered, started for the residents after they were attacked Sunday night, by the hoodlums who pretended to be having a procession in honour of their late member.

The attack snowballed into a violence, yesterday, as the armed hoodlums reportedly unleashed mayhem on unsuspecting and defenseless residents.

Shops were reportedly looted and vehicles vandalized. Streets affected included Odunlade, Okalawon,Popoola and others around the area. They were said to have held residents of 10, Okalanwon street hostage, demanding for one Azeez.

Residents were said to have alerted the local government chairman, Gbolahan Bagostowe who arrived the area and assured them he would bring the perpetrators to book.

Fuel subsidy: EFCC seeks additional proof of evidence

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

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AGOS — ECONOMIC and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, before an Ikeja High Court requested to file an additional proof of evidence against an oil marketer, Rowaye Jubril and his company, Brila Energy Ltd, to show how they swindled the Federal Govern-

ment of the N963.7 million fuel subsidy fund.

In an application made before Justice Lateefa Okunnu at the resumed hearing of their case, the EFCC counsel, Mr Seidu Atteh said this would enable the prosecution prove his case against the defendants.

He is expected to file the processes for the additional witness and serve on the additional par-

ties before the next adjourned date.

The branch manager of Inspectorate Marine Services Limited, Chidi Onyejekwe, who investigated the alleged fraud of the imported product had in his testimony said the oil marketer forged some documents to obtain the N963.7 million subsidy payment from the government.

The witness led in evidence

by EFCC counsel said the inspectorate, has a system of keeping records in connection to the importation of the petroleum products, but there was no evidence that Brila Energy Ltd’s transact such business with them.

Onyejekwe also stated that his signatures never appeared in any of the documents issued to the marketer.

Daughters engage their father in fisticuff

BY BOSE ADELAJA

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AGOS — TRAGEDY was averted, yesterday, in Ikorodu area of Lagos when two girls engaged their father in a fisticuff.

Although no life was lost in the incident which lasted for over an hour but the children (names withheld) were hospitalised while their father also sustained slight injury.

Problem started around 10 a.m when the children, ages 20 and 15, whose parents had been separated for 14 years, allegedly laid ambushed for their father who was driving in Gberigbe area of the town.

According to an eye witness, the children who had earlier complained of lack of care allegedly swooped on their father after intercepting his car. In the process, they demanded a ransom which the man was unable to provide and this infuriated the children who allegedly invited him for a showdown.

In the process, the father invited one of his friends and both of them overpowered the girls.

Sympathisers later arrived the scene and brokered peace and reported the incident at a nearby police division.

Slain CP Asadu for burial Friday

BY EMEKA MAMAH

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AGOS — ASSASSINATED Kwara State former Commissioner of Police, Chinwike Asadu, will be buried on Friday in his home town, Oniyi-Nsukka, Enugu State.

He will be buried after a funeral mass at St Victor’s Parish, of the Catholic Church, Onuiyi by 10 am.

A programme signed by the late Commissioner’s younger brother, Chief Ejike Asadu, stated: "The burial/funeral ceremony of my late brother, CP Chinwike Asadu comes up on Friday, April 12. The wake keep takes place on Thursday, April 11, at his residence at 1, Asadu Street, Onuiyi, Nsukka."

Asadu, was shot dead by unknown gunmen on the night of Saturday, March 2, near his home in Enugu State.

The late Police Commissioner, who visited his home, was driving into his private residence when the assailants who were said to have laid an ambush around his residence attacked him and his aides about 100 metres away from his house.

8—Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

Nigeria to delay GDP rebasing till 2013 — NBS

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HE rebasing of Niger ia’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP, which is expected to increase the estimated size of Africa’s second largest economy by around 40 percent, is likely to be delayed until next year, the National Bureau of Statistics said yesterday.

The recalculation will enable Nigeria to join the ranks of middle-income countries and put it much closer in size to South Africa, the continent’s most developed economy. It will also make it an even bigger attraction for foreign investors seeking a slice of Africa’s fast growth rates.

But several deadlines to implement the changes have been missed, with the latest being the fourth quarter of this year.

“It is unlikely that even the target of the last quarter (this year) we will make it. I underestimated how much work needs to be done. I think everyone understands that this is very crucial and has to be done properly,” Director General of the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, Yemi Kale said.

Most governments overhaul gross domestic product calculations about every five years to reflect changes in output and consumption, such as mobile phones and the Internet. Nigeria has not done so since 1990.

The rebasing is expected to add about 40 percent to Nigeria’s GDP, which would boost the economy of Africa’s top oil producer from roughly $250 billion to around $350 billion.

That brings it very close to South Africa’s currently $385 billion economy.

And, with a growth rate of over six percent a year, compared with three percent in South Africa, Nigeria may eventually overtake its rival to seize the top spot.

Some economists warned that a sharp increase in the size of Nigeria’s economy will mean slower growth.

“You’d expect that the bigger the economy, the slower the growth but I don’t think it is as easy as that,” Kale said.

“Regardless of what our GDP is, we are still going to be small enough to produce even sharper growth rates.”

Sectors like telecommunications, construction, hotels and entertainment should get a greater weighting after rebasing but agriculture, which currently makes up around 40 percent of GDP and 60 percent of jobs, is likely to decrease in influence.

Presidency's story: Police grill, detain 4 Leadership Newspaper's journalists

BY SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL EDITOR, NORTH

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BUJA—The police, yester day, detained four journalists of Leadership Newspaper, after grilling them extensively for several hours at the Force Headquarters over a story which the paper ran last week.

Leadership Newspaper had last week published a story with a banner headline: “Outrage trails presidential directive on Tinubu, APC”, alleging that the Presidency was set to stall the emergence of the opposition party among other decisions aimed at inflicting pains in the nation.

The report, which apparently angered and embarrassed the Presidency, triggered several denials by top aides to Mr. President, who ordered the police to fish out the writers and ascertain the sources of their information.

Acting on the presidential directive, the police invited the journalists, who authored the story to report to its office yesterday and answer questions on the issue.

However, the invitation took a different dimension when four journalists from the tabloid arrived the Louis Edet House and went to the seventh floor to meet the Deputy Inspector General of Police, who was assigned to interrogate them.

Although the quartet of Chinyere Fred-Adegbulugbe, Chuks Ohuegbe, Tony Amokeodo and Chibuzor Ukaibe arrived the office of DIG Gama at around 9.45 am yesterday, they were not allowed to leave after being made to write their statements at 12pm.

The four journalists were later grilled by three senior police officers, who insisted that the writers must reveal the sources of their information in the Presidency and how the stories got to them.

They would neither allow the journalists to leave nor do any other thing. After taking the statements from them, the police officers simply told them that they would hear from them.

At the time of this report, the four had been with the police for eight hours.

Vanguard learnt that the journalists’ interrogators were upset when the writers insisted that they would not disclose the source of their information, as it was against the ethics of their profession to do so.

“We told the police that we received the documents we used for the stories in the course of our duties and that we had no intention to betray our sourc-

es,” one of the journalists said.

The defiance of the journalists was said to have infuriated the police, who left them in the office. It was not clear as at the time of this report when the four journalists would be freed.

In a letter dated April 7, 2013, marked CR:3000/X/FHQ/ABJ/ VOL.49/34 and signed by one Danlami Mohammed, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP, the police authorities summoned the trio of Leadership Newspaper's Group News Editor, Tony Amokeodo and two correspondents, Chibuzor Ukaibe and Taiwo OgunmolaOmilani, to report to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police ‘D’ Department.

The letter was addressed to the chairman, Leadership Group Limited.

The letter reads in part: “This office is investigating the circumstances leading to your Front Page publication entitled, “Outrage Trails Presidential Directive On Tinubu, APC” and a sub-title captioned ‘Bromide of the Presidential Directive.’

“Based on our fact finding efforts, you are hereby requested to release the above mentioned reporters to interview the Deputy Inspector General of Police ‘D’ Department, FCID, on Monday, April 8, 2013 at 1000hours.”

In the said presidential directive, dated March 26, 2013, and published by Leadership Newspaper, Jonathan was alleged to have hinted at plans to target the business interests of the ACN national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and to frustrate the merger of the op-

position parties at all costs.

The President was said to have also indicated in the controversial directive that petrol prices would be increased from the present N97 per litre to between N130 and N140, but that public opinion should first be gauged on the matter.

When the Presidency denied issuing such a directive, the paper went ahead to publish the ‘directive’ and insisted that it stood by its earlier report, an action that upset the Presidency the more.

The arrest, interrogation and detention of journalists was a regular feature of the military regimes in Nigeria and it was considered outlawed with the return to the democratic government until the latest attempt to resurrect the repressive method.

DEDICATION—From left: Pastor Paul Adefarasin; Pastor Ituah Ighodalo; his wife, Ibidun and Ven. Gbenga Fagbemi at a special thanksgiving and dedication of Trinity House auditorium in Victoria Island, Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye.

....Editors fault detention, call for their release

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HE Nigerian Guild of Edi tors, NGE, yesterday faulted the detention of four journalists of Leadership Newspaper by the police over a story published by the paper on the presidency and called for their immediate release.

A statement issued, yesterday, signed by president of the Guild, Mr Femi Adesina said, “The Nigerian Guild of Editors received with deep disturbance and grave consternation news of the detention of four journalists working with Leadership Newspapers yesterday.

Mrs. Chinyere Fred-Adegbulugbe, Mr Tony Amokeodo, Mr. Chibuzor Ukaibe and Mr Chuks Ohueghe, were held at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, after honouring an invitation by the police over a report by the newspaper last week, which

turned out contentious. The presidency had faulted the report, in which the newspaper claimed (accompanied by the alleged bromide of an official document) that there was an official directive to deal with certain political figures in the country, who were opposed, in one way or the other, to the government of the day.

"Leadership Newspaper, however, responded to the rebuttal, saying it stood by its story".

According to the Guild “when such a development occurs, as it will inevitably happen in a vibrant and virile polity like ours, we expect the security to scrupulously investigate the issues at stake, while being mindful of the fact that we run a democracy, with freedom of the press enshrined in our Constitution.

“No government that lays

claim to democratic credentials can afford to be at loggerheads with the Press, which is a worthy ally in any robust democracy. Yes, Leadership Newspaper and its staff can be investigated for any tendentious report, but this can, and should be done without the scaremongering tactic of clamping the journalists into detention after inviting them to Force Headquarters, where they had reported without any form of resistance.

“After due investigation, if a case is established against the newspaper house, let the judiciary adjudicate. The law has not empowered any agency of government to determine guilt in any form. Only the courts can.

We, therefore, demand that the journalists be released, as they will in no way stand in the path of dutiful investigation by the security agencies”.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013—9

VISIT— From left: Prof. Duro Oni, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Management Service, Unilag; Mr. Bosun Jeje, Commissoner for Housing; Prof. Babajide Alo, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics and Research; Mr. Oluwarotimi Sodimu, Registrar; Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State; Prof. Rahmon Adisa Bello, Vice Chancellor of University of Lagos; Otunba Fatai Olukoga, Special Adviser on Education to Governor; Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Deputy Gvernor and Mr. Tunji Bello, Commissoner for Enviroment, during a visit by the management team of UNILAG to Gov Fashola at Lagos House, Ikeja. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

Corruption: Tambuwal cautions on pardon

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BUJA—HOUSE of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, yesterday, cautioned “state actors” not to misapply the law in granting pardons to persons involved in corruption and security related cases.

According to News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports, Tambuwal gave the advice at the opening of a two-day national conference on corruption and national security organised by the Institute for Anti-Corruption Studies, University of Abuja.

He said for the nation to succeed in the fight against corruption “state actors” must have a “better understanding of the law”.

Tambuwal said: “A situation whereby you misapply the law even to grant pardon or whatever it is, we need to really look at that because if you don’t understand the law you may tend to misapply the law.

"So there is the need for us at the high places to increase our capacity of understanding our legal system and the laws that relate to issues of security and fight against corruption for us to apply them in the best interest of the citizenry.”

The speaker, who described corruption and insecurity as key challenges facing the nation, regretted that government agencies working in these sectors had faced serious budget cuts in recent years.

According to him, “there is the need for the government to properly fund the

security agencies for them to have proper training to face the challenges of insecurity, especially terrorism, which is a new phenomenon around here.

“There is also the need for our anti-corruption agencies not only to be independent in paper but also to have adequate funding and the requisite financial muscle to face the uphill task in the fight against corruption.”

He challenged the conference, largely made up personalities from the academia and the civil society, to study the funding pattern of the anti-corruption agencies over the years.

He said Nigeria anti-corruption agencies were “seriously under-funded” when compared with their peers from other countries.

The speaker said attempts by the National Assembly to address the anomaly in the budget had often been misconstrued by some sections of the public as “padding of the budget and meddlesome”.

He said; “I have not blamed anyone for the poor funding and I am not exonerating the National Assembly from that lack of funding for anti-corruption agencies.

“But we need the support of every Nigerian to understand that when the National Assembly says a particular funding being proposed by the executive to any agency of government is inadequate, we will make efforts to provide for such critical agencies.

“However in most cases, we have been accused of padding the budget as if it is not our constitutional responsibility to do that.

“So I am using this platform to appeal that Nigerians should understand the role of the legislature in the budgeting process.

“We are not meddlers, we are not being meddlesome when we say certain provisions being proposed by the executive arm of government should be enhanced for that agency of government to function effectively,” he said.

The speaker also called for a critical overhaul of the legal and justice system in the country to boost the fight against corruption and insecurity.

He said the National Assembly would not hesitate to review and enact laws that would aid the fight against corruption.

He also called for a re-orientation of the populace on the consequences of getting involved in corruption.

Speaking at the event, Mr Dino Melaye, anti-corruption campaigner and former member House of Representatives said the current fight against corruption must move beyond rhetoric to action.

He said: “Nigerians must graduate from workshops, colloquiums, symposiums and seminars like this to relating all we have discussed (on corruption) to action.

“Nigerians must come out of their cocoon to begin to agitate for change because in an unjust society, silence is a crime".

10—Vanguard , TUEDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

Tribunal: Victims blame firecrackers explosion on govt

BY MONSUR OLOOWOPEJO

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AGOS—DISPLACED residents and owners of structures in Ojo-Giwa and Okoya Street, Lagos Island Council, yesterday, at the Tribunal of Enquiry, blamed Federal and state government agencies for the Boxing Day firecracker explosion of 2012, which claimed one life, injured 40, destroyed 10 houses and seven cars.

They told the tribunal sitting at City Hall, Lagos, that the best the government could do for the victims was to compensate them for the loss suffered.

It will be recalled that Fashola inaugurated the tribunal in February to ascertain the causes of the explosion and establish a legal framework for the importation, sale, and distribution of fireworks in the state.

Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Sunday Ishola (rtd) had announced last week that witnesses to the tragedy would be allowed to appear before the tribunal from yesterday and that the tribunal would sit on weekdays commencing at 10am daily.

Speaking at the hearing, Mr. Idris Hamzat, said: “The government know the number of those to whom they issued licence to import firecracker.

“Rather than be proactive in enforcing the laws by monitoring the importers, government agencies left the importers unchecked. And they imported all sorts of explosions into the state.”

Ondo is broke, says PDP They 're seeking relevance— Govt

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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EOPLES Democratic Party, PDP, in Ondo State and the state government, yesterday, traded words over the financial condition of the state.

While PDP claimed the state was broke and could not pay workers salaries, among other obligations to its workers, the state government dismissed the allegation, describing it as a “wicked propaganda and lack of initiative by PDP to remain visible.”

However, Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in the state, Mrs. Bosede Daramola, insisted the state did not owe workers salaries.

She said March salaries were paid even before the Easter festivity.

PDP’s Director of Publicity, Ayo Fadaka, in a statement Akure, said the government, in an attempt to shield the fact of its insolvency, had embarked on a subterfuge that it was trying to unmask the existence of ghost workers in its

workforce.

According to the statement, “the Mimiko administration has grossly mismanaged the finances of the state to the level that it can no longer fulfill its financial obligations.

“Specifically, primary school teachers are being

owed salaries of over two months, while all the workers are currently being owed their March salaries.”

However, Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Olurotimi, challenged PDP to come public with the identities of the workers being owed salaries, saying the allegation was “a deliberate act to misinform the public about the

CONDOLENCE: From left— Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State; Oba Rufus Aladesanmi, Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, and Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, during the monarch's condolence visit on the death of Governor Fayemi's Deputy, Mrs Olufunmilayo Olayinka, at the Government House, Ado-Ekiti.

25 killed in ethnic militia clash in Plateau

BY TAYE OBATERU

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OS—About 25 people are believed to have been killed at Zango village in Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State as ethnic militia engaged in fresh hostilities.

The killings which is believed to be a continuation of hostilities between the Tarok and the Fulani left several casualties on both sides.

It was learn that armed militia invaded Wase town yesterday afternoon but were repelled by the town’s vigilante members who pursued and killed many of them. ”Shortly after we completed Zuhur prayers we heard gunshots being fired into our community and everybody started running, but we were able to chase the militants away and burnt their camps

good tidings in the Sunshine State.

“The opposition party is suffering from ignorance in the rudiments of governance.

"They are just blabbing to keep themselves busy and give the people the impression that they still exist. No amount of blackmail will distract the government as intended by the opposition.”

around the area. ”Five of our youths were killed and we brought back their corpses while I saw over 20 corpses that do not belong to us”, Safi Sambo, a youth leader from Wase was quoted as saying.

A Tarok traditional ruler, Jessey Pyenkwam, was also quoted as confirming that much of Zango, a Tarok settlement, had been razed.

According to him, “It’s sad

that this crisis has taken this turn; it is even more sad that it is being seen as a Tarok-Fulani confrontation because both communities need each other.”

Spokesman of the Special Task Force, STF, in the state Captain Salisu Mustapha confirmed that there had been attacks around Wase but could not give the exact number of those killed.

Fashola blames country's woes on leaders' poor education

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OVERNOR Babatun de Fashola of Lagos State, yesterday, blamed poor quality education of Nigeria’s leaders for the nation’s woes.

This came as Lagos government dismissed any plan

to take over the burnt popular Alade Market, Allen, Ikeja, saying “it would only enumerate and investigate the cause of it with a view to forestalling future occurrence.” Fashola, who spoke during a visit by the management of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, led by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Rahman Bello, at the state house, Alausa, said: “The disconnection between our educational curricula from our evolving needs is responsible for the poor performance of the country ’s economy. “The performance of the nation’s economy is a function of the quality of education those managing it received."

Nollywood honours Esiri

BY BENJAMIN NJOKU & FLORENCE AMAGIYA

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AGOS—EMOTION ran high, yesterday, when practitioners in the movie industry gathered to pay their last respect to Justus Esiri, who died on the February 17.

The event was a candle light procession in honour, which took place at Ojez at the National Stadium complex, Surulere.

In attendance were some of the prominent nollywood stars, Ini Edo, Rita Dominic, Kate Henshaw, Segun Arinze, Olu Jacobs and his wife, Joke Silver, Julius Agwu, Oke Bakassi, Fidelis Duke, Ernest Obi, Ifeanyi Dike, amongst others.

Speaking on behalf of the bereaved family, pop singer and second son of the deceased, Dr. Sid, described his father as a perfectionist and enigma of sort.

According to him, there will be service of songs holding today at the Catholic Church at Murtala Mohammed international airport. Thereafter, the body would be flown to Warri for second and final phase of the funeral arrangement.

Friday, April 12, the body will proceed to Abraka for another commendation mass/lying in state at the polo turf in Abraka.

Vanguard , TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013—11

Oluremi Tinubu mourns Olayinka, cancer scourge S

ENATOR Oluremi Tinubu, representing Lagos Central, yesterday, said words were inadequate to express the grief and shock the death of the Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Mrs. Funmilayo Olayinka, caused her.

In a statement issued from her constituency office in Yaba, Lagos State, Senator Tinubu described the late Deputy Governor as a sister who never compromised her deep commitment to progressive ideals.

Recalling the hope spurred by Mrs. Olayinka’s demonstration of strength and prayerful disposition during her last visit to the late Deputy Governor, Senator Tinubu said her demise was a big loss to the generality of the womenfolk in Nigeria.

She said: “It was very unpleasant news that fills one with a heavy heart. My heart goes to her aged parents, husband and children as well as the Ekiti State Governor, First Lady, the people of Ekiti State and many others who feel the grief of this irreparable loss.

“She led a productive and focused life. Her advocacy for women’s rights, social justice and genuine development marked her out as a true progressive. Beyond that, she was such a sweet, gentle

soul who ardently believed that we can reform our society for the common good.

“I believe that her gentle soul is now resting in the bosom of the Lord. May God strengthen all those she left behind.”

Aged 52, Mrs. Funmilayo Olayinka succumbed in the battle against cancer at St. Nicholas Hospital in Lagos on Saturday evening.

Senator Tinubu has been working with others towards rallying against the increasing prevalence of cancer among Nigerian women.

At the Breast Cancer Symposium organised by the Breast

Cancer Association of Nigeria, BRECAN, in Ibadan last October, Tinubu counselled government, NGOs and other stakeholders to devote more effort towards sensitising women against the increasing rate of cancer across Nigeria.

She said: “From available statistics, in 2008 breast cancer accounted for the death of about 458,503 women worldwide.

This figure has been on the increase ever since.

“It has also been reported that survival rate for the people diagnosed with breast cancer in developing countries, including Nigeria, is very poor com-

pared to countries in the developed world.

“In Nigeria, breast cancer is the leading cause of death amongst women aged 35-55 years. It affects at least 116 out of 100,000 women in a year.

“The effect is more devastating if we consider the significant roles women play in the society as wives, mothers, breadwinners and contributors to our national economic growth. The cost of the death of one woman as a result of breast cancer goes beyond the immediate expenses on treatment, which is quite expensive.

“Over the years in Nigeria, breast cancer awareness has

been on the rise, but the efforts made are still not enough since our women in the rural communities are yet to be educated on the importance of this preventable fatal occurrence if detected early enough.

“Medically, as we have been informed, breast cancer as a disease cannot be totally eliminated, at least, until more is known about the genetic component of it, which will give us the right clues for intervention at the molecular level.

“The key to reducing this terrible disease and its effects on our people is early detection through regular screening.”

PDP plotting with labour to rig 2014 election— Osun ACN

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CTION Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in Osun State, has alleged that Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, in the state has concluded plans to rig the election of 2014, using organised labour to create chaos before and after the election process, as allegedly done in 2003.

The party claimed authoritative information leaked to it

from the meeting of PDP leaders in Osogbo, weekend, gave graphic details of how the plans to tamper with names on the voters’ list in each polling station; effect mass transfer of security personnel from the state perceived to be sympathetic to ACN; and orchestrate a massive ballot box snatching, while labour would be mobilised to go on strike be-

fore, and until the end of the election process.

A statement by Mr. Kunle Oyatomi, Director, ACN’s Directorate of Publicity, Research and Strategy, said: “PDP is alleged to be planning to set aside huge sum of money to influence labour to go on strike just before the election to sabotage the electoral process and create the chaos required to effect rigging.

“The grand design of this plan anchors on collaboration with criminal elements in Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Abuja headquarters, and the exercise of federal power over the Nigeria Police to destabilise the tight security network that has been put in place by the current state Command in conjunction with the state government.”

12—Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

Accident: Court orders haulage firm to produce driver

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

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ENIN—AN Ekiadolor Magistrate Court in Edo State, has ordered the management of Mbonny Technical Services, a Port Harcourtbased haulage company, to produce one of its staff, Osinachi Alaribe, now at large, over alleged reckless driving that led to a motor accident that claimed several lives and destroyed property worth millions of naira.

The Magistrate, Mrs Franca Oghoator, at the hearing of the matter, yesterday, described the refusal of the company to produce the accused person as contempt of court.

She said: “There cannot be settlement except parties are ready to shift grounds and I do not see that happening here because both sides are not talking, from my observation.

“They asked for N2.5 million and you say you are only going to offer N1 million. That is not an agreement.”

Marine, Fisheries cadets laud NIMASA on training programme

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ARINE/FISHERIES Cadets Association has lauded Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, for approving the resuscitation of cadets’ training programme in the country.

The association’s president, Mr. Ben Okotete, said the training programme in marine and fishery was initiated by a past military administration through the then Nigerian Maritime Authority, NMA, to train Nigerians in the ratio of 60 per cent for the Niger Delta indigenes and 40 per cent for those from other parts of the country.

He said the distribution was to compensate the Niger Delta region for the removal of the fishing facility at Koko, Delta State.

Killing of 12 cops: Dickson, IG vow to bring perpetrators to book …as fear grips ex-militant leaders in Bayelsa

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

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ENAGOA—FOLLOWING the killing of 12 policemen by gunmen at Azuzuama community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, weekend, Governor Seriake Dickson, has vowed to collaborate with security agencies to ensure the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of the dastardly act.

Dickson, in a statement in Yenagoa, said his government would do everything possible to bring the culprits to book, adding that steps were already being taken to comb all parts of the state to apprehend them.

Similarly, the Inspector General of Police, has ordered a massive manhunt for the killers, noting that the Nigerian Police Force will stop at nothing to ensure that the killers were not only found, but brought to book.

Force Spokesman, Mr. Frank Mba, said the IG described as “most unfortunate, the unprovoked killing of the 12 police officers, who were murdered while on legitimate assignment,” regretting that “the death of these gallant officers is yet a reminder of the dangers and challenges Police officers are exposed to in the performance of their patriotic duties."

Meantime, fear has gripped the ranks of ex-militant leaders in Bayelsa State, following the killing of 12 policemen by ex-militants, over alleged disagreement with their leader, Kile Selky Torughedi, aka ‘Young Shall Grow.’

It was gathered, yesterday, that known ex-militant leaders, including Eris Paul, popularly known as Ogunboss, Ebikabowei Victor-Ben, known as Boyloaf, Pastor Reuben Wilson, known as General Pastor, and many others, have increased the number of armed security around them to forestall any attack.

Dickson, meantime, said government cannot fold its arms and watch people take the law into their hands for whatever reason, adding that government will not relent until acts of criminality and lawlessness were completely eliminated in the state.

He said: “We will not rest on our oars as we will make the state very uncomfortable for criminals and perpetrators of other related offences to operate.

“For the umpteenth time,

government is warning the youths and their collaborators, who take delight in kidnapping, maiming and taking the lives of innocent and law abiding citizens, to turn a new leaf or have themselves to blame, because nobody will be spared.”

He renewed his call on parents and guardians to prevail on their children and wards to desist from acts that could jeopardise government’s efforts at achieving enduring peace and accelerated development of the state’s economy.

He noted that government’s tough stance and zero tolerance for acts of criminality and lawlessness were still in force, as every offender will be made to

face the full wrath of the law.

Fear grips ex-militants Pastor Reuben Wilson, who spoke on the development, said the killing of the policemen was a dastardly act and condemnable, noting that the killing could happen to any ex-militant leader in the state due to the alleged involvement of some leaders in the monthly deductions from the allowances of their followers.

He said the media should dismiss the claim of responsibility for the killing by Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND.

He said: “Our lives are in danger whenever we visit our areas. Anything can still happen to any of the leaders. But I don’t think I have any problem with my boys.

“We, as freedom fighters in Bayelsa, are saddened that such incident happened in Bayelsa State. We want to state that the purported MEND claim is false. MEND is not involved and the amnesty office is not involved.

This is pure misunderstanding between a leader and his boys. The killing is an attempt to rubbish the amnesty programme of the Federal Government.”

From left: Mr. Thierry Tanoh, Group Chief Executive Officer, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated; Mr. Oscar Onyema, DG, The Nigerian Stock Exchange; Ms Laurence Do-Rego, Group Executive Director, Finance/Risk and Mr. Jibril Aku, MD, Ecobank, at the Ecobank Transnational Incorporated facts behind the figure, on the floor of The Nigerian Stock Exchange, Lagos, on yesterday. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.

Oshiomhole laments loss of lives on BeninLagos road ...calls on FG to speed up rehabilitation

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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ENIN—GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has decried the wanton loss of lives and property on the Benin-Ore Road, calling on the Federal Government to speed up rehabilitation work on the road to stem the carnage.

Condoling with families of victims of last Saturday's mishap on the road, the governor appealed to motorists and other road users to obey traffic rules and regulations and exercise patience on the road.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Peter Okhiria, Oshiomhole said with little caution, the unnecessary loss of lives on the road could be averted.

Pleading with the Federal Government to hasten the pace of work on the road, Oshiomhole said: “I urge the Federal Government to quicken the pace of resurfacing and rehabilitating the road to stem the carnage and unnecessary loss of lives. It is sad that we lose people on the road daily.

“Motorists should also obey traffic laws and maintain the

approved speed limits to get to their destinations alive. I commiserate with the families of those who lost their loved ones in the unfortunate accident and I pray God to grant them the fortitude to bear the sad and avoidable loss.”

In another development, the governor said elected local government officials will henceforth contribute their quota to complement the efforts of the state government in developing the state, saying the days when councils were seen as drain pipes were over.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013—13

Okwu emerges APGA national chairman •As Umeh gets restored by Appeal Court

BY TONY EDIKE & VINCENT UJUMADU

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WKA — THE All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, yesterday, held its national convention at the Women Development Centre, Awka with the former interim national chairman of the party, Chief Maxi Okwu from the South East geo –political zone emerging the new national chairman, while Dr. Sadic Maidoya from the North West was elected the new national secretary.

Okwu polled 764 votes to defeat Chief Joe Martins Uzodike who scored 91 votes. Also, Chief Chris Uche was elected the deputy national chairman (South) with 870 votes, while Alhaji Sadiq Masala was elected deputy national chairman (North) with 713 votes.

This was even as the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu, yesterday, vacated an order which restrained the former national Chairman of the party, APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, from parading himself in that capacity by the Enugu State High Court on February 10.

Reacting to the news of the Court of Appeal ruling grating Chief Victor Umeh’s application for stay of execution, Chief Maxi Okwu, who took oath of office with other elected officers of the party in Awka, described the Court of Appeal ruling as ridiculous.

He added that one cannot abort a child that had already been born as the national convention had been concluded before the Appeal Court sitting.

He said: “I do not know what the Justices of the Court of Appeal considered, but it is an elementary law that injunctions do not work against completed acts.

"How can a relief granted around 12:30 p.m. affect an act completed by 08:30a.m?” he asked, pointing out that the convention which took place in Awka began at about 12.40a.m. on Monday and ended by 8.30 a.m., before the Appeal Court started sitting. However, the three-man panel of justices including Justices Paul Galinje, Chairman; F. A. Kwasami and Tom Yakubu unanimously ruled that since the appellant (Umeh) duly appealed against the decision of the lower court presided by the Chief Judge of Enugu

State, Justice Innocent Umezulike, challenging his jurisdiction and accusing him of bias, the status quo ought to be maintained pending the determination of the appeal. At the convention earlier, five national vice chairmen were also elected and they were Dr. Elijah Onwuka for South East, Alhaji Tijani Idris for North West, Alhaji Abubakar Adamu for North East, Mr.

Joseph Tondo for North Central and Mr. Raymond Ugba Murphy for South South.

All the positions as provided by the APGA constitutions were also filled which had Mazi Larry Nwosu as the returning officer.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Ozoemena Onyali administered the oath of office on the new officials.

L-r: Mr. Mideno Bayagbon, Editor, Vanguard Newspaper; Mrs. Rita Alapinni, Mr. Ladi Alapinni and Mrs. Christie Bayagbon, at Vanguard Personality of the Year 2012 award, in Lagos, weekend. Photo: Joe Akintola, Photo editor. More photos on pgs 38, 39

14 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013 — 15

16 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013—17

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translated into 50 different languages because it was the gregarious Igbo scattered in those 50 countries of the world that bought off all the 10 million copies!

That is what is left of the Nigerian intellectuals!

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Those Achebe left stranded astonished by Ofeimun’s obsessive swipes at Achebe needs to recall that more than being Chief Awolowo’s clerk, taking on the foremost poet J.P Clark in his book, The Poet Lied, gained him some undeserved attention. Yet, I doubt if any of Ofeimun’s books has ever sold 5,000 copies even in Ekpoma or elsewhere in the world! I will be glad to be corrected.

W

hile trying to drag Achebe to his level, Ofeimun took liberty with facts, or believed that savaging Achebe

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NE of the most profound interventions during the controversy provoked by ethnic jingoists following the publication of Prof. Chinua Achebe’s valedictory commentary on Nigeria, There Was A Country, was made by the Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN. While others jumped into the fray even without reading the book, Governor Fashola reminded everybody that his generation has moved on from the era of national madness that formed the basis of Achebe’s book. He also said that both Awolowo, whose unflattering mention in the book produced a herd of wannabe Awo defenders, and Emeka Odimegwu Ojukwu, have decided to move on too. On Thursday 21 March, 2013, Prof. Achebe himself moved on. But there are some people Achebe left stranded in their ethnic hate.

The Igbo say that if, while having your bath, a mad man carries your clothes and dashes off and you run after him naked, what the world would see are two mad men. Achebe’s death seems to have provided a peg for some cowards, ethnic jingoists and literary revisionists on ethnic revenge mission to attempt a futile denigration of Achebe and his legacy.

Some of us have deliberately refrained from swallowing the bait to join such ethnic militants and literary insurgents in reducing the debate to ethnic brickbat. But some of these cowards have sustained their literary intifada since There Was A Country, masked with what is neither a critique nor obituary but clearly an exhibition of what Jonathan Raban, called a “massive personal disintegration”. In any case, such foibles were well foretold by Achebe whose attitude was that an author has no control over the interpretation people choose to give a literary work or what they choose to do with it, including the bizarre and the ridiculous.

In his triumphalism, Odia Ofeimun gloated: “For me, especially after the publication of There Was A Country, nothing could be more painful than a man dying just when you were learning to argue and debate with him” It is clear that everything Ofeimun has to say, even when he has nothing worthwhile to say, about Achebe, flows from his angst over There Was A Country. And he believes that putting words into someone’s mouth, imputing your own motive, or visiting other people’s failings on someone and proceeding to abuse the person on those accounts is how to “argue” and “debate” with him? Ofeimun is stranded in arguing and debating with himself! And he seems rather narcissistically obsessed with his imagined place as a repository of Nigerian political history. He believes he is the enfant terrible of Nigerian literature who takes on the high and mighty. Anybody

Who does not know that the internet has today become a meeting place for the unserious and fellows feeding gluttonously on carrion? It is shocking that BabaAhmed could hold Achebe responsible for such putrid offerings in the internet while posing as an unjustly injured Awusa

,

permitted literary recklessness. In his eight-page masturbation in The News (Vol. 39 No 19 of 12 November 2012) titled: Achebe’s Lies, he drifted, drooled and pranced all over the pages on virtually every political issue in Nigeria that had nothing to do with Achebe or There Was A Country. When he was eventually pinned down to specifics with this question: “Let’s

have the facts he [Achebe] misrepresented”, Odia mentioned just one point which he himself admitted as “simple typographical errors” and veered off wildly like a car driven by a drunk.

Ofeimun said he read Things Fall Apart at age 13. But it was not until Achebe published There Was A Country that Ofeimun made the earth-shaking discovery that TFA is an undeserving literary work! And without exhausting the subject at hand, Ofeimun, as usual, drifted into history according to his own whims.

Whereas “Five Majors”, as Nigerians have always known, planned the coup of 15 January 1966, Ofeimun emphatically asserts: “Look, five Igbo majors carried out a coup”! (The News Vol. 40, No 13 of 8 April 2013) So, for the purpose of transferring the sins of the soldiers to Achebe and the Igbo, Major Adewal eAdemoyega, one of the famous Five Majors, is Igbo! No! The poet simply lied!

O

feimun’s insinuation, echoed by one Ibrahim Bello-Kano, is that Achebe was lucky that TFA was ever published because of an unknown publisher “who wanted to move into this new era of African literature” and because Achebe was the editor of African Writers Series. Bello-Kano parroted the same nonsense that “the timing, 1960-1966 was fortunate because there was, then, a large literate international English-speaking reading public eager to get access to the new African writing, not to speak of publishers such as Heinemann, which was looking to cash in on it all”. So the logic of these revisionists is that Achebe had to wait for that opportunistic moment to write TFA or that without such opportunistic timing Achebe would not have written TFA? Were there no other writers that wrote at that opportunistic moment? What happened to those writers touted by Bello-Kano as more deserving, in his estimation, than Achebe to be called “Fathers of African literature”?

I suspect that next time, Ofeimun and Bello-Kano will tell us that TFA was

ike Ofeimun, Bello-Kano was simply out, not to do any scholarly criticism of Achebe’s Anthills of the Savannah. He would have done so since 1987 when the book was published. He was out to vent his pique and petulance. Most of the issues he inelegantly dredged up about Anthills are not even original. At least, Ofeimun can be credited as saying immediately the book was published that the plot was thin and I took Achebe up on that during my interaction with him at Nsukka in 1987.

He simply said he achieved what he set out to do with the book. It was obvious that Bello-Kano pique which he had to cowardly express only after Achebe’s death is due to how Achebe represented the North in the book. The intellectual challenge faced by the stone-thrower was to prove that such representations were false. He did not do that, except to resort to childish abuses. That they are unpalatable truths do not change the reality.

Then there was my fellow columnist in this paper, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed who did himself unexpected injury by going to the internet to dredge up the grime that goes on in that cesspool where cowards hide their identity and holding them out as Achebe’s People! (Vanguard Wednesday 3 April 2013) Haba! The Igbo say that once you wander into the bush, you are likely to get a faecal welcome. Who does not know that the internet has today become a meeting place for the unserious and fellows feeding gluttonously on carrion?

It is shocking that Baba-Ahmed could hold Achebe responsible for such putrid offerings in the internet while posing as an unjustly injured Awusa. Oh please!

Another unfortunate culture in the media is for hangers on to provoke needless controversy and attribute them to innocent people and start a war on their behalf. That was how we came to the Ashiwaju and Ogbuefi of African literature controversy immediately Prof. Wole Soyinka won the Nobel Prize. Neither Soyinka nor Achebe had ever indulged in such silly comparison. Both would be irritated by such inanities as my friend Sam Omatseye attempted to re-enact lately (The Nation Monday 1 April 2013). Omatseye, as far as I know, is not a member of the Nobel Academy! Thank goodness that Soyinka and J.P Clark quickly issued their tribute to Achebe as soon as he died. A day late would have given sensation mongers room for some mischief that could provoke needless controversy!

OPINION

BY HAMISU ABDULMUMIN

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan recently returned to what many Nigerians believed was a settled issue. Speaking at the Nigeria Summit 2013 in Lagos, he had unveiled a platform of economic development for the country which he said was predicated on full removal of fuel subsidy. His earlier attempt to remove fuel subsidy on January 1, 2012 led to widespread protests in the country, forcing the government to partially reverse itself.

His argument against subsidy on prices of petroleum products is that it poses a huge financial burden on the nation’s lean resources, disproportionately benefits the wealthy and diverts resources away from potential investments in critical infrastructure. Jonathan’s plan on the subsidy savings has reversed the trend, taking from the few to the many, and to areas of the economy that would create jobs and empower poor Nigerians.

In doing so, the improved revenue accruing to the government is now being used to service the Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment (SURE) Programme, a vehicle he set up to ameliorate the harsh effects of the increase in petroleum products.

Though the projected per annum savings of N1.3 trillion is no longer realisable following the pegging of fuel price at N97 instead of N141 per litre of petrol

Full deregulation of Oil sector: Let the debate begin which was envisaged, it was however, a rise from the previous price of N65, which still adds to government’s social infrastructure renewal impetus. And so, by declaring that his administration would push for the full deregulation of the nation’s downstream oil industry, Jonathan has, wittingly or unwittingly, triggered an argument over how well he has performed with the improved revenue accruing from the partial deregulation and the projects embarked upon in the past fifteen months.

While every State and Local Government designed their own programmes of utilizing their portions of the savings, President Jonathan determined that the Federal Government’s share would be channelled into a combination of programmes to stimulate the economy and alleviate poverty through critical infrastructure and safety net projects. Among them were the construction of some major roads and bridges in the nation’s six geo-political zones, the completion of rail routes and power sector reforms to improve electricity generation capacity.

There is no doubt that while government personnel have shown gross incompetence and a lack of capacity, inadequate funding has largely been the bane of roads development and maintenance in the country. Many key roads have been stalled by many factors, chief of which was funding, which is why the listing for maintenance/completion of the busy 200-kilometre Abuja-Abaji-Lokoja dual Carriageway, the 295kilometre Benin-Ore-Sagamu dual carriageway, the 317-kilometre Onitsha-Enugu-Port-Harcourt dual carriageway and the 510-kilometre Kano-Maiduguri dual carriageway came as a big relief. With the expected rehabilitation and restoration of abandoned railway infrastructure and the construction of new standard gauge railway lines, the 1,326 kilometres of roads projected for completion under this programme would no doubt engender positive spiral effects all over the country.

Continues on pg 18

*Mr. Abdulmumim, a public affairs commentator, wrote from Kaduna.

18 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013 THE furore over the state pardon granted DSP Alamieyeseigha, the first elected governor of Bayelsa State, confirms the people’s right to make their opinions known, especially in a democracy. Access to the internet and the social media, which is producing many “self publishers”, gave a vast coverage to the pardon.

Governments use state pardons to restore rights of citizens who could have been suspended as a result of crimes against the state as confirmed by the verdicts of courts of competent jurisdiction. Most countries of the world provide for presidential or state pardons under the concept of prerogative of mercy. They are never less controversial even in those jurisdictions.

Section 175 of the Constitution of the 1999 provides for the prerogative of mercy. It stipulates that the President can pardon those who commit certain offences on the advice of the Council of State. Such reprieve might entail partial or total restoration of privileges and rights suspended by virtue of the conviction.

Alamieyeseigha was convicted for stealing and laundering public funds. He was removed from office as governor, tried and jailed. He pleaded guilty and served out his prison term. He also

Pardoning Alamieyeseigha gave up the stolen funds and property seen to be proceeds of the crime. After about eight years, he sought state pardon and the Council of State advised the President to grant him.

State pardons are for sinners not saints. The point is important in the context of those condemningthePresident orAlamieyeseigha.

Many prominent Nigerians who have played leading roles in shaping the destiny of our country were pardoned after ostracism. The list includes Chief Obafemi Awolowo, General Yakubu Gowon, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, and General Olusegun

Obasanjo The sticky point in the Alamieyeseigha pardon, perhaps, is the circumstances surrounding it.

If the President Goodluck Jonathan and Alamieyeseigha were not of the same ethnic stock would the criticisms have been less strident? Would their relationship, being on the same gubernatorial ticket have disqualified Alamieyeseigha from a pardon? Also pardoned is Alhaji Mohammed Bulama, former Bank of the North managing director.

Critics mention the unsolved burden over the pending cases against Alamieyeseigha in England from which he jumped bail. Do we remember Joshua Chibi Dariye, who as Governor of Plateau State jumped bail in England, who is still under prosecution for corruption? He sits in the Senate, making laws, including ones against corruption. There is no outrage about him; maybe he has not been convicted.

Government’s handling of the pardon, from the denials to the confirmation, is possibly the biggest indictment of its management of a decision that has left many wondering where government stands on corruption. It should not have been so.

OPINION

BY HAMISU ABDULMUMIN Continued from pg 17

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ORK on all those roads has received a massive boost following improved funding while the constructions of two major bridges-the Oweto Bridge and the 2nd Niger bridge, both of which span 2 kilometres eachacross the Rivers Niger and Benue is expected to be flagged off anytime from now. The East-West highway which spans a distance of about 338 kilometres across the Niger Delta and which has been executed half-heartedly for nearly a decade, has however not witnessed a similar lift.

When the President proposed to fully deregulate the oil industry from the 2012 fiscal year, there was a major adjunct to that proposal: to sanitise the oil industry by fighting corruption that has become so endemic in the nation’s economic mainstay. If, as many would argue, it is still too early in the day for a holistic assessment, a dispassionate evaluation of the steps so far taken in reforming the oil industry and dismantling the structures that have over the years sustained its cesspool of corruption will lead to the conclusion that he has remained true to his words. And by beaming the searchlight on the oil industry, he has largely proved wrong those cynics who doubted he would have

Full deregulation of Oil sector: Let the debate begin(2) the nerve and political will to go after such entrenched interests.

The probe of oil industry subsidy payments by the National Assembly has revealed corruption of earth-shaking proportions for a country in which citizens go to sleep hungry. Many believe the outcome is still like the tip of a big iceberg. The President’s decision therefore, to establish two Special Task Forces on the Petroleum industry, headed

by Malam Nuhu Ribadu and Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu-two men with strong political and public service pedigree-to determine and verify all petroleum upstream and downstream revenues due and payable to government and to conduct high-level assessment of the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries respectively must, therefore, be understood in the context of the president’s pursuit of transparency and efficiency in the industry.

The most critical of the economic challenges bedeviling the nation, however, is the lack of stable electric power supply. So profound is its crippling effect on national productivity that it has led to mass youth unemployment, collapse of not a few processing concerns and an inclement

environment for the much-touted Direct Foreign Investment. Just as many believe that successive past administrations have groped in the dark in seeking lasting solutions to the power supply challenge, President Jonathan is expected to break the jinx, given the power sector reforms and additional funds to back it up.

T

he power component of SURE programme dedicated specifically to selected power projects is soon expected to deliver the Mambilla hydropower project to provide an additional 2,600MW of electricity. Some of the 17 small and medium hydro-electric power projects with a cumulative capacity of 140.275MW, also being funded through SURE, have already been delivered while others are at advanced stages.

Like it happened when the idea of subsidy withdrawal was first mooted in 2011, reactions to the plan to revisit the issue have been mixed. While many expressed the opinion that it would further conserve needed funds for the country’s critical needs, others have faulted it on the basis of Jonathan’s perceived inability to call the cartel

manipulating the oil industry to order.

The Congress of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP, has been consistent in peddling this biased viewpoint.

That the nation has gained immensely from savings from the 2012 partial subsidy withdrawal is not in question.

Though Nigerians paid nominally morebecause petroleum has a ripple effect on the economy-the drawdown on the positive side of the economy far outweighs the negative. That will always be a good argument for full withdrawal, but whether Nigerians are prepared now or in the near future for higher prices for petroleum products must be considered along with other factors. In any event, the populace needs to continue what it has done tenaciously in the past: highlighting its implications to government, and insisting they are addressed. Has the government not done well with addressing infrastructure decay with the money saved from partial deregulation? If it has, as I believe, why should we vote for deployment of more funds from full deregulation? This is the time to fully debate this issue with a view to building national consensus for or against this policy.

Concluded. *Mr. Abdulmumim, a public affairs commentator, wrote from Kaduna.

Vanguard, TUESDAY,APRIL 9, 2013— 19

,

The symptom of the societal insecurity is the proliferation of groups armed with military weapons and employing the same without restraint for criminal and political purposes

Implications of plans for tackling insecurity in Niger Delta

“

ETER Ishaka’s Sunday Comment in ThisDay, Sunday March 3, 2013 on the above subject is introduced by this summary excerpt: “Instead of creating a special task force to tackle crimes, states in the Niger Delta should empower the Police and other security agencies”.

Peter Ishaka describes the preamnesty security situation in the Niger Delta in the following: “The plan by the six states within the Niger Delta under the aegis of BRACED (Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta) to establish a special force to tackle the upsurge of kidnapping in the region is a dangerous proposal that must be stopped immediately. According to the governors, the force will be made up of a structure set up by the BRACED states and the police with huge budget for the procurement of helicopters, gunboats, patrol vans and for coordinating digital coverage of the entire region. While the idea may sound appealing on its face value, especially given the nature of the challenge it is meant to tackle, it nonetheless represents a potential threat to our national security and stability. To that extent, we call on the governors

of the Niger Delta states to perish the idea. There is no doubt that until a few years ago the Niger Delta region, the hub of Nigeria’s oil and gas production was almost ungovernable. Hostagetaking of foreign oil workers, sabotage of oil pipelines and other petroleum production facilities as well as other vices were the order of the day.

However, with the proclamation of a blanket amnesty programme for the militants by the Federal Government which is already costing Nigeria something in region of N150 billion annually, the crisis in the Niger Delta seemed to have abated considerably. Thus, while stories of kidnapping still abound, they are more common in other parts of the country where they have become a new industry as against, the earlier agitation in the Niger Delta region”.

Peter Ishaka has called attention to a major initiative the implications of which are nationwide. While I agree with him that the decision of the BRACED Governors need to be revisited, the threat posed by the BRACED Niger Delta Security Plan has not been identified. We all agree that the Niger Delta security condition must be addressed as a threat to the

national security but the plan to bring more security to the Niger Delta cannot be seen as a threat to a national security already breached by rampant conditions of nationwide insecurity. The BRACED plan for less insecurity in the Niger Delta cannot be faulted that by a fact that the Niger Delta security crises have become nation-wide.

A

n argument in Peter ’s favour is the proclamation of the Federal Government Amnesty Programme that had purchased a measure of reduction of insecurity in the Niger Delta sub-region.

Peter Ishaka can argue that the Niger Delta insecurity situation is a national insecurity matter to be addressed by the Federal Government and can hang his proposal that the Federal Government empower the police and other security agencies to address the security situation nationwide. It is, however, a nonsequitur to argue that the BRACED states should divert their resources to subsidize the Federal Government that is constitutionally resourced to address the nation’s insecurity wholistically.

Nevertheless I agree with Peter

Still on presidential pardon (2)

BY ADEWALE KUPOLUYI

T

HE government’s position is supported by notable constitutional lawyers, Prof.

Itse Sagay (SAN) and one-time Secretary of Education, Prof. Ben Nwabueze (SAN) as well as the Second Republic AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN), among others.

No matter the dimension of the supportive argument, one thing certain is that the decision may be legally correct, no doubt, but it is grossly morally bankrupt, deficient and totally unacceptable.

Over the years, several presidential pardons had been granted, including those approved by President Shehu Shagari for General Yakubu Gowon for his role in the coup that led to the death of General Murtala Mohammed and Col. Chukuwemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu for his role in the Nigerian Civil War. Similarly, General Abdulsalami Abubakar granted a pardon to General Olusegun Obasanjo for his convictions for treason by the administration of the late General Sani Abacha.

More recently, President Olusegun Obasanjo granted a Presidential pardon to former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Ibrahim Salisu Buhari, for his alleged forgery and perjury.

President Obasanjo also granted pardons to 13 individuals who were convicted alongside himself during the 1995 coup trial.

The twice deported Vaswani brothers –

Sunil, Haresh and Maresh – were granted presidential pardon to return to Nigeria, after being allegedly deported illegally.

Other countries too have had their own story of the good, the bad and the ugly that makes people to ponder whether there is still the need to retain pardon in our statute books.

For instance, in the USA - where the country derives its federal constitution from - there have been a plethora of presidential pardons, including the famous ex-President Richard Nixon, who received a full and total pardon for all his crimes against his country by his successor, President Gerald Ford.

Just before leaving office, President Bill Clinton pardoned 140 individuals, including Marc Rich who was indicted for evading more than $48 million in taxes, and charged with 51 counts of tax fraud, as well as running illegal oil deals with Iran during the 1979-1980 hostage crises, while his partner, Pincus Green, was equally granted a pardon.

Bill Clinton's half-brother, Roger Clinton, was granted a pardon for his conviction for cocaine possession by his brother.

Susan McDougal, Clinton's former business partner during the infamous Whitewater deal, was granted a full pardon by the President for her 1996 convictions of mail fraud, aiding and abetting in misapplication of Small Business Investment Corporation funds, aiding and abetting in making false entries, and engaging in false statements.

Caspar W. Weinberger, Elliott Abrams,

,

P

,

that the BRACED’s decision has security implications for the Nigerian society as a whole and indeed complicates the security condition more than it mitigates it. Why? The BRACED decision calls attention to the failure of the strategy adopted by Nigerian political parties to use control of governments for partisan projects of state creation. The BRACED governors are elected to administer government they temporarily control and to govern within the ambits of the Constitution. No political party in any state is elected to use their incumbency for state creation purposes. It is unconstitutional for elected parties at the three levels of government so to do.

State creation establishes rulers not administrators and that is the problem.

What the BRACED governors are organising is state creation capability irrespective of the policy intent. They are establishing a force armed to fight criminals and clear the Niger Delta of organised crime.

That force can be deployed for war and its danger inheres in that fact. What if the BRACED Niger Delta Police Force is not deployed for war? The possibility that it can alters the balance of power between the BRACED states and the Federal Government, for the Constitution assigns the responsibility for declaring war to the National Assembly.

Defence is item 17 in the Second Schedule, section 4 dealing with Legislative Powers Part 1 Exclusive legislative List.

Defence embraces both external and internal security and the means for effecting these functions. Defence is not a concurrent function both of the state and the Federal Government and the precedent purposed by the BRACED states is a dangerous one. The NorthEast governors may also set about to create a North-East Police Force armed to combat the armed insurgents in their zone.

No matter the dimension of the supportive argument, the decision may be legally correct, no doubt, but it is grossly morally bankrupt, deficient and totally unacceptable

,

Duane R. Clarridge, Alan D. Fiers, Clair George, and Robert C. McFarlane - who were involved in the Iran-Contra scandal involving selling of arms to Iran and using the proceeds as well as drug money to support the contras in Nicaragua - were pardoned by President George W. Bush.

A

rmand Hammer was convicted of making illegal contributions to Richard Nixon's presidential campaign and was pardoned by President Bush.

President Jimmy Carter was known to have pardoned anyone who fled the United States or failed to register in an attempt to avoid the Vietnam Draft.

Peter Yarrow was convicted for "taking immoral and improper liberties" with two minors who had come to his hotel room looking for an autograph, while G. Gordon Liddy was convicted of conspiracy, burglary, and illegal wire-tapping for the role he played in the Watergate scandal.

At the end, he only served four and a half

The worrisome implications of such unilateralisms are fairly obvious. The problem, however, is that such self-help retail capacity building does not deal with the root problem of societal insecurity in Nigeria. The symptom of the societal insecurity is the proliferation of groups armed with military weapons and employing the same without restraint for criminal and political purposes.

The proliferation of armed groups with diverse purposes and objectives in the employment of their militia capability is the indication that Nigeria constitutional society cannot be kept in peaceful order maintainable by the Nigeria Police Force. The military has therefore been saddled with the three internal functions of (1) combating unlawful militias and disbanding them, (2) pacifying these militias, (3) securing the society internally and externally.

These functions appear to be the reversal of the order of peacemaking in the Nigerian society. Indeed, it is the reversal of state making, which begins with contestations among state creation rival political parties to effect the military supremacy of one or coalition of parties.

Effecting this military supremacy entail, (1) the instituting of a monopoly of control of arms and means of war making; (2) a limiting of the use of force for resolving conflicts to agencies of the militarily dominant party; (3) and the subduing of all unlawfully organised groups, irrespective of their purposes; (4) securing this military supremacy externally.

These four functions are the functions of the state instituted in the cause of contestation by rival political parties to establish one or coalition of such parties as the militarily supreme in the society. It is in the course of state making wars that the military wing of state making parties are assigned territory to conquer, hold and control responsibilities.

years out of a 20-year sentence before his sentence was commuted by President Carter.

Mark Felt and Edward Miller were convicted of breaking into Vietnam protesters' homes and offices without warrants during Nixon's Presidency. These two former FBI agents were in the midst of appeals when they were pardoned by President Ronald Reagan.

Ira Gladding had been sentenced to 15 years in prison for mail robbery. He was given a pardon by President Ulysses S. Grant.

Michael Mullen was charged with election fraud and sentenced to one year in jail but was pardoned by President Grover Cleveland.

Charles W. Morse was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in a federal penitentiary for the "misapplication of bank funds to serve his own ends and falsification of books and reports". He was pardoned by President William Howard Taft.

Oscar Collazo was convicted for the attempted murder of President Harry Truman. He was pardoned in 1979 by President Carter.

In all of these, the Nigerian president, may decide still against pardon – especially if such a move has or is likely to be counterproductive or have dire implications on the collective public morale, policy statements, corporate image or national agenda - like the case of Alamieyeseigha.

So far, the barrage of reasons advanced by the Presidency for the pardon has fallen short of logic, sound reasoning and common sense.

Concluded *Mr. Kupoluyi wrote from theFederal Varsity of Agric., Abeokuta, Ogun State.

20 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9 , 2013

*Suspects arrested in connection with the vandalisation of public amenities

*Chukwu Onyekachi

Day of reckoning for vandals

BY PETER OKUTU, ABAKALIKI

C

ALL him a veteran in van dalising installations belonging to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, you will not be wrong. The truth is that middle aged Chukwu Onyekachi from Okofia Village, Ezza East Development Centre in Ezza South local government area of Ebonyi State was for long on top of his game as a vandal until nemesis caught up with him following his arrest by men of the State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC. In a chat with Vanguard Metro, VM, the Commandant

in the state.

She lamented that the illegal activities of vandals were intended to frustrate the effort of federal, state and local government administration towards the provision of power supply and other basic amenities for the benefit of the general populace. She warned youths who engage in such practices to desist from it as anybody caught would face the full wrath of the law.

The suspect, 28, who confessed to have engaged in similar venture in Anambra State before coming to his village, revealed that his operation at Ezza East Development Centre made it the 17th time he had engaged in the vandal-

,

The illegal activities of these vandals were intended to frustrate the effort of government towards the provision of power supply and other basic amenities for the benefit of the general populace

of NSCDC in the state, Ego Echendu, stated that the arrest of Onyekachi in Okofia village of Ezza East Development Centre made it a total of 11 suspects the Command had so far arrested this year at various LGAs across the state. She noted that her men had a daily schedule for the discharge of the assignment as they have been posted strategically to various locations and divisions of the NSCDC to ensure adequate protection and preservation of all Federal property

,

ism of PHCN cables in the country.

Addressing newsmen at the Command Headquarters in Abakaliki, the Corps Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Corps, ASC Emmanuel Nwali, noted that the suspect sustained various degrees of burns on his belly, hands and face resulting from the electrical shock he received while attempting to steal a size 18 bolt from the high tension transmission cable behind Ezza East Development Centre of the

state.

He said: “At about 7: 30 last night, we got a signal from one of our divisions, precisely in Ezza East Development Centre of Ezza South LGA that a young man was caught vandalizing PHCN transmission cable.

“It was as a result of him trying to remove a size 18 bolt from

the transmission cable that made him sustain all those burns; our men tried to save his life by calling PHCN which eventually switched off power supply from the station. From the victim’s confessional statement, we gathered that he has been in the business for a long time, making this last mission his 17th time. The law has

caught up with him and he will face all the charges against him in court. This is one of our core mandate; 24 hours we are alert to make sure that government’s infrastructure are well secured, including PHCN installations”.

Meanwhile, the Coordinator, Ezza East Development Centre, Fidelis Uwa, who was at the NSCDC Command in the state at the time the suspect was arrested, lamented that his Development Centre had suffered so much from the activities of cable vandals. According to Uwa: “If I repair the transformer at the Development Centre today, for example, and they see that there is light today, the next day they will come and vandalize it. Around 7:30 in the night I learnt that somebody came to vandalize our electrical outfit and was electrocuted and was hanging head faced down. He was later rescued and brought to Civil Defence Headquarters in the state, while those that came with him for the operation escaped.

“Our youths should be well tutored to work and earn legitimate money; however the greatest challenge facing the youth is the wrong and dirty films they watch from Nigeria’s so-called home videos. Once they get into the school, their first point of call is for them to join a cult. This is not good for our society and the future of this country,” he stressed.

Don’t avenge colleagues’ death, Abolurin warns

BY BOSE ADELAJA

C

OMMANDANT General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Dr. Ade Abolurin, has warned his members not to avenge the death of their colleagues who were allegedly killed, last week, by policemen in Owutu area of Ikorodu in Lagos State.

Abolurin who gave the warning in Lagos, weekend, during his inspection of the scene of the crime, said his men should see the incident as part of the nation’s building process, saying only God can unravel the situation.

The Commandant General also said the Corps will not entertain any debate or controversy on the issue but will wait for the report of the investigation committee set up by President Goodluck Jonathan to investigate the incident, adding: “It is expedient to make a sacrifice in the cause of building the nation but who will make such a sacrifice is what nobody knows. We remain resolute and determined, we shall seek synergy and live in peace in our community.”

He also urged his men to extend their hand of fellowship to the Nigeria Police, noting: “I want you to know that not every member of the Nigeria Police is bad; it is an institution made up of many people, so when you see them, kindly extend a hand of fellowship to them and

let them know we stand for peace. Let us leave everything to God since the Federal Government has waded into the matter. I believe justice will prevail and by the special grace of God, their blood will not be in vain.”

Also, Abolurin asked vandals in the State to relocate or face the wrath of the law. “In the course of today’s visit, we saw vandals holding meeting on water and we burnt about 100 gallons; an indication that the vandals are not ready to cooperate with security operatives. We hereby declare that all vandals should within seven days pack their load and relocate; those collaborating with them should also be prepared to face the music,” he said.

Victims’ compensation: On compensation for affected victims, Abolurin said: “In the course of our visit, we have seen the enormous responsibility left behind by the victims and I want you to know that the Corps has a comprehensive insurance policy since I came on board. The Corps has always stood firmly on this as we care for both the living and the dead.”

Victims’ family demand justice: Meanwhile, spokesperson for one of the victims Rev. Sam Iboigbe, has urged the Corps to bring the perpetrators of the evil act to book. He said: “The death of Innocent Akhigbe has left his widow devastated as she is still expecting her husband’s return from work. Kindly ensure justice is done.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013 — 21

Congestion imminent at ports as Customs begins enforcement of TIN

By GODWIN ORITSE

A

S the Nigeria Customs S e r v i c e , N C S , commences the enforcement of the use of the Tax Identification Number (TIN) and the Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS), trade portal for the purpose of clearing cargoes at the port, there has been confusion at the port, following the non-preparedness of many importers.

Vanguard gathered that many freight forwarders whose importers do not have the TIN number have been stranded at the port since the commencement of the TIN and consequently could not clear their cargo from the port.

It will be recalled that the Nigeria Custom Service had also recently warned importers and issued a deadline of March 31, 2013, for those who are yet to get the all – important TIN numbers.

Speaking to Vanguard, former Chairman of the PTML chapter of the National Association of Government Association of Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Mr. Ugochukwu Nnadi, said that there is anxiety at the port because the new portal by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) is not ‘accepting’ declarations and customs is finding it difficult.

Nnadi said that this has slowed down the pace at which cargoes are being exited from the port since the commencement of the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). “For most part of yes-

0.95

2,130.00

-11.00

17.69

0.02

104.23

-2.11

92.66

-0.60

154.74 235.6535 200.1252 164.547 1.6082 0.2836 231.2676 24.9491 41.2618 26.8399 238.1139

155.24 236.415 200.7719 165.0787 1.6134 0.2936 232.0149 25.0302 41.3951 26.9266 238.8833

it, but they are insisting that she must have TIN number.

She is a student abroad, how can she be forced to get TIN. The second is a widow whose families in UK are sending a car for her convenience, where will she get TIN” he argued. However, in his reaction, former chairman of the Tin Can Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Mr Kayode Farinto, threw his weight behind government on the issue of TIN registration.

“You cannot use my TIN if I am not the importer. Wealthy Honey has its TIN number and I have my own as an individual. Corporate organisations have their own and individuals have their own. If I am not the importer, I will be stupid to use my TIN for somebody else’s cargo when I don’t even know what is inside the cargo” he explained.

Farinto said that it is the best thing for the Nigerian economy in spite of the teething problems currently being ex-

Moyo Ajekigbe, Chairman, Keystone Bank (left) and Philip Ikeazor, Managing Director/ CEO Keystone Bank, at the Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) training, in Lagos.

140.45

CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL DOLLAR POUNDS EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA RENMINBI RIYA KRONA SDR

terday, the system could not access any declaration at the port, the FIRS portal was not opening and everybody was being asked to produce TIN number” he disclosed.

He said that instead of placing a blanket ban on everyone who do not have TIN, it should be enforced only on corporate bodies and that the VAT should be the basis for any individual transactions.

Speaking further, he said that, “A student from abroad sent in a car and I wanted to clear

SELLING 155.74 237.1764 201.4185 165.6104 1.6186 0.3036 232.7622 25.1113 41.5285 27.0133 239.6527

CBN Exchange rate as at 08/04/2013

NPA, TFC unveil Integrated Port Community Information System

D

AYS of revenue losses are over at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr Michael Goldsmith, the Interim Managing Director of the Trade Facilitation Center (TFC), has said.

Goldsmith made the observation in Lagos during the inauguration ceremony of a project titled “Integrated Port Community Information System (IPCIS)” which the TFC is managing for the NPA. The TFC is a government owned, commercially operated company developed by the NPA in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and supported by the Presidency..

Goldsmith said that the IPCIS would be able to expand revenue generation of the NPA by 30 percent once it was fully implemented. He said that the IPCIS would enhance revenue generation because “it is a technology solution often referred to as the information highway that is “collecting, transferring, analysing, managing and disseminating information” on behalf of

NPA .

“The IPCIS is housed in the National Maritime Center and it facilitates information flow across all people, processes and infrastructure within Nigeria’s maritime domain. The National Maritime Center is operational 24 hours every day of the year providing various services to the maritime community.

“Its capabilities include a Vessel Traffic Management System, Cargo Tracking System, Fleet Management System and Physical Protection System, just to name a few,” the TFC managing director said.

Goldsmith said that the IPCIS would be able to capture data of everything that moved around the Nigerian Ports both in the Western and Eastern ports, as well as track ships, manage cargo and container traffic and determine cargo throughput.. He said that the data gathered would help in a number of ways to provide information with which to respond to threats in the waterways.

IILM Islamic finance body to issue sukuk after Saudi pull-out

T

HE International Islamic Liquidity Management Corp (IILM), a body backed by central banks from the Middle East and Asia, has announced plans to issue its first Islamic bonds after an unexpected pull-out by Saudi Arabia from the body. The IILM aims to issue up to $500 million of sukuk in the second quarter of this year, helping to create a liquid cross-border market for Islamic debt - a major step in developing the rapidly growing Islamic finance industry.

“The governing board anticipates that there will be a strong response to the sukuk programme,” IILM chief executive, Rifaat Ahmed Abdel Karim, told reporters weekend at a conference in Qatar. However, prospects for full acceptance of the sukuk by banks internationally have been called into question by the unexplained exit of Saudi Arabia from the IILM just a few days ago.

Last week Wednesday, the Kuala Lumpur-based IILM announced that Saudi Arabia’s central bank had sold its shareholding in the body to Qatar and Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia is no longer listed as a member of the IILM’s governing board.

IILM officials declined to give the reasons for the Saudi decision, while officials from the central banks involved declined to comment or could not be contacted for comment.

So, it is unclear whether the Saudi pull-out was prompted by management frictions at the IILM or by deeper disagreements over policy.

The IILM was founded in 2010 to address a key weakness in Islamic finance: a shortage of highly rated financial instruments that banks and other firms can trade and hold to manage their short-term funds, but the IILM has been grappling since its inception with issues such as finding suitable assets to back its sukuk; Islamic bonds do not pay interest but returns from physical assets. The body delayed its first issue several times and replaced its chief executive in October last year.

The body plans to initially issue as much as $500 million worth of sukuk with maturities of up to one year, but intends eventually to increase the programme to as much as $3 billion.

22 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

S

TOCKBROKERS and Reg istrars are very critical to profitable investment in shares. To invest in shares and not to know about them, or be familiar with them, is very risky. Unfortunately, this is a risk a lot of people that bought shares have been taking.

Stockbrokers are the people licensed to trade in shares in the stock market on behalf of investors. They also act as agents for companies that want to sell shares through public offers or private placement.

They are supposed to be professionals or experts, and are expected to advice and guide people that want to buy shares.

Be acquainted with stock brokers, registrars them to the investor at a higher price. On the other hand, when an investor wants to sell his/her shares, the stockbroker may sell the shares to him/ herself at a price lower than the market price, or sell it at a higher price, and claim to sell it at a lower price. By these and so many other malprac-

,

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

A stockbroker is reliable and efficient to the extent that the investor is knowledgeable about the broker, and is able to monitor his/her transaction with the company.

,

tices, dubious stockbrokers increase cost of investment in shares, or reduce the profit you can make from your shares, and a lot of investors have fallen victims.

Like one of our readers asked two weeks ago, the question on the mind of many existing or intending investors is, “Please kindly advise me on reliable stockbrokers”.

The reality is that it is difficult to ascertain the reliability of any stockbroker. The key is to be close to, and monitor, whichever stockbroker you choose. Before you choose a stockbroker, ask questions, do some search on the internet, visit their office, know the staff, have the phone number of the company and that of some of the key staff. And after choosing a stockbroker, don’t be far from the office. If you ask them to do anything, be it buying or selling shares, or verifying your share certificate, do so with specific instructions and deadlines. Don’t leave anything to chance or their discretion. Monitor movement of share prices on the stock exchange. Don’t use cash for any transaction; pay into the company’s bank account. If a stockbroker gives you any advice, seek the opinion of a third party. The point is, a stockbroker is reliable and efficient to the extent that the investor is knowledgeable about the broker, and is able to monitor his/ her transactions with the company.

You will always need the services of stockbrokers. You may not buy shares through a stockbroker, but you will need one to register your shares with the Central Securities and Clearing System (CSCS). You will also need a stockbroker when you want to sell your shares. So, there is no way you can do without the services of a stockbroker. Without a stockbroker, you can’t register your shares with the CSCS, and without registering your shares with the CSCS, it is almost impossible to sell them, and hence you can’t realise the money you invested in shares, especially when you need funds.

That is why you cannot afford not to know about stockbrokers, or carelessly make the choice of who will be your stockbroker. While there are over 100 licensed stockbrokers, not all of them are efficient or trust worthy. Some are very inefficient, while some are quite dubious.

When a dubious stockbroker collects money from people who want to buy shares, he/she may either not buy the shares on time, and instead be trading with the money, or he may buy the shares in his/her name with the money, and then sell

NOTE

Have you had encounter with a dubious stock broker, please share your experience via email to vanguardinvestorsforum@gmail.com

CAMA remedies for breach of duties by directors

BY PETER EGWUATU

O

NE of the risks of buying the shares of a company is that the company may fail and close shop, as it has happened even to a lot of big and old companies. While the failure of a company may be due to a combination of factors, a lot of time, they are product of improper behaviour or breach of duties by the directors of the company i.e the people appointed by the shareholders to manage the affairs of the company.

The Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) anticipates such improper behaviours or breach of duties by directors of

companies and thus has provisions on how to address or resolve such breaches. Hence, a company and not its shareholders, has numerous options open to it when any of its directors is found wanting. The options are listed below.

Order of Injunction: The company can obtain a Court Injunction against a director either to preempt breach of duty or to stop continuation of breach of duty.

Compensation and or damages: Where the case of breach of duty has been established against a director, the company can demand that the erring director pay compensation as a form of restitution.

Revocation of contract: This is possible where the company is able to show that the alleged contract was ultra vires to its objects and it cannot be ratified to the prior knowledge of the third party. So the company can revoke the contract.

Restoration of the company’s property: A Director may be ordered by the court to restore the company’ property if it is proved that he duped the organisation.

An order for the Director to render an account of the profits made. Summary dismissal of the Director as has been done in some cases could be

remedy for breach of duty.

Who can challenge a breach of duty?

The general company law rule is that it is only the company itself and not its directors or shareholders that can contest a wrong done to the company or ratify an irregular conduct. This can be found in Section 299 of CAMA. There are some exceptions to this rule, which entitles shareholders to commence an action in a Court of Law, as provided for in Section 300 of CAMA. They include: entering into illegal or ultra vires transactions, purport-

ing to do by ordinary resolution any act, which by its Articles/Charter or CAMA is required to be done by special resolution; any act or omission affecting the shareholder’s individual rights as a member of the company, committing fraud on either the company or its minority shareholders; Where a company meeting cannot be called on time to be of practical use in redressing a wrong done to the company or to its minority shareholders; where the directors are likely to derive a profit or benefit, or have profited from the negligence or from their breach of duty.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013 — 23

INVESTORS SPEAK

Investors’ right does not exist in Nigeria

BY WILLIAM JIMOH & HANNAH ISIBOR

T

he Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), the law that governs how companies are managed, and other investment laws in the country conveys some rights on those who invests in these companies, investors who spoke to Vanguard’s Investors’ forum however insist that these rights only exist on paper.

I have lost interest absolutely — Evangelist Avapa

M

any times, I don’t want to talk about anything shares because it has really brought me down financially.

The company I had shares with was sold and they have to divide our share by 25 units making useless of our money.

In all this decision making process, we were only informed and not carried along. So, how are you going to tell me that an investor in this kind of situation has any right? We don’t even

Avapa

know what guided them in making the decision; we just find it in the newspaper.

And just like the Nigerian government doesn’t protect the rights of her ordinary citizens, the regulators are not protecting investor’s rights. The situation in the market for a minority shareholder is a hopeless one because they don’t have the sense of belonging with the leadership of the companies.

Nothing tangible happens at AGM —Olu Gabriel

W

hy I don’t go to their meetings is because they manipulate the process to the extent that they don’t usually come out with the right decision. It is the directors that keep wasting the money.

Though they all keep sending

their annual reports and account statements but not many of them are giving dividend, some of them have not even given it for two, three years.

you have something to say, they will not call you regardless of how many times you may raise your hand. It is those that are their people, who they believe would talk in their favour that I do not attend the AGMs be- would be allowed to talk. cause even when you go and

I have lost interest in the companies’ activities — Anonymous

I

do not think that I am par ticular about any right as an investor. All I know is that I gave them my money and they

no longer send my dividend like before. For the Annual General Meetings, I have stopped attending, though

they send notifications, because to me, it is becoming a waste of time.

Complaints and investigations Bank PHB, Transcorp, no info@africaprudentialregistrars.com dividend, no bonus Where did Aims Asset Mgt I bought 4,000 units of ordi- Abuja move to? nary shares in April 2008 with I made cash investment of one certificate no 256484 of Bank hundred and five thousand PHB. Up to date, no dividend, naira only (N105,000) with Aims no bonus. Also, that of Asset Management Ltd, Abuja Transcorp, I bought 1,000 units Branch Office in November/ Deof the shares. My certificate no cemebr 2008. The office has is 176909 in July, 2007. Since been relocated to a new place then, no dividend, no bonus. and I have lost contact of the Oguche Nathaniel. new office address. May I know the value of my investment now Investors Forum and office Address in Abuja?

Bank PHB is one of the banks Agbo Emmanuel Igoche nationalised by the Central Investors Forum Bank of Nigeria by revoking their licences and transferring Please contact the head office their asset to new banks. Con- of the company at 23, Ajao sequently, the assets of Bank Road, Off Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja, PHB were transferred to Key- or 01- 2120049, 2120051, stone bank. The implication is 2347029523916, 8095988382 that Bank PHB no longer exists and its shareholders have lost their shares in the bank.

Any report from Daar ComFor your investments in munications?

Transcorp, contact the registrars of the company i.e AfriI invested in DAARCOM durcan Prudential Registrars Plc, ing its last public offer and 220B, Ikorodu Road, Palm- shares certificate was issued to grove Lagos. Tel +234-1- me. Since then, I have not re8401153 +234-1-8931501; ceived or seen its Annual report.

E m a i l : What is happening to the com-

pany? S.E Omoregie Investors Forum The company is yet to declare any financial result or dividend since its public offer and subsequent listing on the stock exchange. Maybe, it would do so this year. Meanwhile, it is expedient you register your shares with the Central Securities and Clearing System (CSCS), by taking the certificates to your stockboker for verification.

First Bank, where are my dividends?

I bought shares of First Bank Plc and Access Bank Plc. I bought the shares directly from the banks during their public offers and collected the certificates from both. But since then, Access Bank has given me dividend but First Bank has not. I don’t know what the problem with First Bank is. Lovely.

Investors Forum Contact First Registrars at Plot 2, Abebe Village Road Iganmu or call 234-1-773086, 7743309, 2701078, 2701079.

Investor’s right does not exist in Nigeria — Disu Tajudeen Adebayo

W

hen you talk about in vestors’ right, what is glaring is that we have it only on paper, but in reality, it does not really exist, because like the Central Bank which protects the right and interest of the depositors, so should the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) protect investors’ right, but because of certain challenges the SEC Director- General is facing presently, she is not effective.

The fact is that investors’ right has always been trampled upon as revealed recently, when about three banks were nationalised, which made a lot of investors to lose so much money, and what did SEC do about that? nothing.

And when you talk about the right of the investor in relation to the company where they have shares, if it is as we have in developed countries and like we also have it in CAMA, the investor is entitled to take part in making decisions for the running of the company. He should have access to information regarding the performance or otherwise of the company as contained in its annual report at the end of every year. Voting on company issues at shareholders’ Annual General Meetings (AGMs) and other meetings are some of the shareholders’ right but like I have told you, all these things are affected by the Nigerian factors, they do not work. There is a lot of problem with implementation.

Take shareholders’ voting right for example, you discover that the Board of Directors of companies have already made their decisions before the general meeting; it is just like push over or robberstamp. For instance, if a company said it is giving a dividend of a particular amount, do you think it can be changed at the meeting? But in a developed economy, it can be changed. And talking about the company’s audit and account process, it appears as if the investors are really been represented, but I will tell you that there is nothing the minority shareholder can do in this kind of atmosphere, because it is usually left to three persons that represent them in decision making.

What we often see is that they give us umbrella or something like that to pamper us, but the main issues, which are the decisions that affect their investment, have been taken already.

Another issue is that a lot of power is given to the majority shareholder, that is those that have the largest

Disu Tajudeen Adebayo shares in the company; it is more or less like a dictator.

Conoil and Dangote are owned by those having the largest shares. When somebody owns more than 70 to 75 percent, and he is not ready to let go, what can the minority shareholders do? There is need to tell them not to own more than a particular percent, maybe 40 or 50 percent because that is how it is done in civilized countries. What I am saying is that we need to look into the distribution of shares if investors will ever be able to claim any right.

I will hold the leaders of the shareholders associations responsible for the denial of the investors’ right, because many of the companies bribe and buy them before the meetings.

So, they go there and only act like sycophants. And some of the auditors are also feeding the shareholders with wrong information. Those are the people that should be held responsible at that level.

Before the AGM, the Secretary or the PRO of the company will go and see the leaders of the shareholders’ associations and with this, they will not say the truth. They will just praise sing, ‘you have done well.’ They did the same thing to Union Bank and other banks that were nationalised, who up to the last minute, they were praising. Where are they now? Those leaders are shameless; they will not stop saying they are doing well when their masses are suffering.

You need not be told that a Nigeria investor has no right; you just come to any of their meetings and see how they are being treated when it has to do with their right.

My conclusion is that the regulators and the leaders of the shareholders’ associations are the ones to fight and ensure that the right of ordinary shareholder is protected since that is the reason why they exist, to regulate and to fight, as well as protect the interests of their members.

24 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9 , 2013

are mainly exploration and production companies, which do not engage in refining activities.

They said, “The IOCs in Nigeria are mainly exploration and production companies, and these subsidiaries do not have the capacity to venture into building refineries. In some countries, the IOCs only have their refining subsidiaries and do not venture into oil exploration and production.

By MICHAEL EBOH

O

IL majors under the aegis of the Oil Producers Trade Section, OPTS, of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, have denied claims that they arbitrary fix costs for their projects and deduct the value of the cost from earnings before profits are shared, under the Production Sharing Contract, without any input from the Federal Government.

Speaking during a visit to Vanguard Newspapers Headquarters last week, the oil majors insisted that all their projects, costs, contracts award and a host of others are vetted by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and its subsidiary, National Petroleum Investments Management Services, NAPIMS .

According to the OPTS members, led by Mrs Lola Delano, before the Invitation for Tender or Bids are advertised, they are taken to the NNPC, which vets them and make inputs.

“In the area of costing, when we draw up our costs, the NNPC goes through them, striking out the ones it wants before a final cost is arrived at. In the area of contract awards also, the Nigerian Content Board, then a department in the NNPC, goes through the process with the oil majors to determine if Nigerian companies have the capacity to undertake such projects. It is when they are satisfied that no local company can carry out the project that we are allowed to award it to foreign firms,” they said.

In the past, the oil majors were allowed 100 percent cost recovery from projects before profits were shared, until with the advent of rising project costs, sometimes, considers outrageous, to review cost recovery downwards to about 90 percent.

The operators attributed the rising costs to exchange rate, cost of funds and oil prices at the international oil market and a host of others.

Besides, they noted that some of the projects, especially community related ones, which they felt necessary in other to progress with their operations, but which were not approved by the NNPC, were ultimately not approved for recovery and were therefore, solely borne by the operators.

“We have many of such costs classified as Category D. Once they (NNPC) looked at

Blames FG for gas flaring

•Oil vessel

NNPC approves all our costs — OPTS the costs and they see those for projects that were not approved, they simply cross it out. No amount of argument will convince them to approve for us to recover the costs as long as they did not give the initial approval.

So in the end, we bear all such costs alone,” they bemoaned.

We can’t build refineries

Explaining their inability to build refineries in Nigeria, despite their long years of exploration in the country as well as government’s directive for them to refine half of their production output in-

country to stem fuel shortages, the oil majors defended that this will not be economically wise under a regulated policy.

According to them, regulation, characterised by oil subsidy, is not cost effective, adding that the International Oil Companies, IOCs, operating in Nigeria

With regard to the continuous flaring of gas the oil IOCs maintained that the Federal Government was partly to blame for this by not meeting their part of the obligations.

They said, “We are in Joint Venture, JV partnership with government, as government owns majority stakes in the companies involved in gas flaring. But there are no infrastructures put in place to gather the gas. Besides, government cannot also meet up with its counterpart funding or cash calls for these projects, and so we cannot do it alone.”

They further stated that for gas flaring to end, government must provide the necessary infrastructure needed to contain it, adding that at present, they can only stop flaring if they shut down production, which has its own economic implications.

NIMASA set to implement offshore reception facilities … Introduces new levies T

HE Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) said at a meeting between NIMASA and oil companies operating in Nigerian waters that the implementation of the offshore waste reception facilities would take effect from this month.

It also said that a Sea Protection Levy has been introduced and must be paid by oil companies with loading receiving bays, oil rigs and pipe lines.

The NIMASA Director-General, Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, said that the objective of the regulation was to improve and sustain the marine environment by developing a maritime environmental management system through self-funding.

Akpobolokemi who was represented by the Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Mr Callistus Nwabueze Obiwuzie, noted that implementation of the Sea Protection Levy had commenced.

The agency put the rate payable per

annum for offshore installations by oil companies at N15million, saying that oil wells for exploration would attract N10 million per annum from first day of April every year. It added that pipelines would attract N1, 500 per cubic metre of pipe line volume from high water mark to termination point offshore.

He added that the Federal Government in its commitment to ensure the protection of the marine environment and its resources ratified the Marine Pollution (MARPOL) convention, the major instrument of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) on the prevention of pollution of the marine environment. NIMASA said the move was in line with the IMO’s Marine Environment Management Regulations 52 and 53 on Sea Protection Levy and Offshore Waste Reception Facilities.

The NIMASA Director-General noted that the convention was domesticated in 2012, to prevent degradation and of land and destruction of the ecosystem with attendant economic implications which

oil pollution has caused the nation.

The Head, Maritime Environment Management, Mrs Abiodun Gunwa, explained that the agency introduced the Marine Environment Sea Protection Levy through a marine notice last August.

Gunwa said that the levy must be paid by all commercial operating vessels of 100 gross tonnage and above operating in Nigerian waters, adding that the same was applicable to potential oil polluters, installations and pipelines.

According to her, Nigerian-flagged vessels will pay as follows: *between 100 and 1,000 gross tonnage would pay N500 per tonnage *1,001 and 10,000 gross tonnage, N350 per gross tonnage *10,001and 100,000 gross tonnage, N300 per gross tonnage *100,000 and above, N250 per gross tonnage.

On the other hand, foreign vessels will pay the following levies:

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013 — 25

26—Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

Labour faults divestments

by IOCs

By KUNLE KALEJAYE

O

IL workers have criticized the recent spate of divestments in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry by International Oil Companies, IOCs, claiming that due process was not followed.

The workers argued that the pull out by some multinationals placed Nigerian workers at risks of losing their jobs, which will in turn; increase the level of unemployment in the labour market.

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, insisted that all stakeholders should be carried along before such pull outs are concluded.

In an interview with the Vanguard , PENGASSAN President, Mr. Babatunde Ogun, said, “We are not saying that multinationals should not divest, but that the Federal government should screen the processes to protect workers in the oil industry, and by extension Nigerians. If they are to divest, due process must be followed.”

Ogun chided the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and its subsidiary, National Petroleum Investments Management Services, NAPIMS, for lack of proper supervision of these pull outs.

He, therefore, urged the National Assembly to investigate these divestments, particularly those of the Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, and more recently, the planned pull out of the Brazilian oil major, Petroleo Brasileiro SA, Petrobras, which has commenced moves to sell off its stake in some Nigerian oil blocks valued at N795 billion ($5 billion).

The sale of the oil blocks is expected to bring about an increase in the presence of Asian oil majors in Nigeria, following renewed interests in increasing their portfolios through the acquisition of additional production assets.

The company said that divesting from the Nigerian oil blocks will help it concentrate more on exploration activities in a vast deep sea region off the coast of Brazil known as the subsalt, believed to contain dozens of billions of barrels of high quality oil.

Oil & People

PIB: Striving for robust industry regulation (1)

•FELIX AYANRUOH

T

felix.ayanruohlaw@gmail.com

HE economic development of a country is inseparably linked to its energy sector.

Therefore, in emerging economies such as Nigeria, the regulatory framework pertaining to

petroleum exploration, development, production and distribution constitute an important component of the overall energy policy shaping the commercial environment of the private economic sector.

With the ongoing reform of the petroleum industry, the congruity of its regulatory exactness deserves serious attention.

The PIB, in an attempt to address the variegated problems facing the industry, strive among other things, to enhance oil and gas development by reshaping the regulatory frameworks.

Section 8 of the PIB provides for the replacement of the existing motley of assortment and almost ineffectual regulatory agencies, with new ones – the upstream and downstream regulatory agencies.

Furthermore, sections 13 and 43, propose the establishment of the Upstream Petroleum Inspectorate (the Inspectorate) and the Downstream Petroleum Agency (the Agency) respectively. The Inspectorate will be responsible for all upstream regulatory functions hitherto performed by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) of the

•Oil workers petroleum ministry. On the other hand, the Agency will be responsible for all downstream regulatory function, hitherto performed by the DPR and the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).

The main objectives of both institutions are to ensure the efficient, safe, effective and sustainable infrastructural development of the petroleum industry. These agencies would be established with the functions of ensuring and enforcing policies, laws and regulations relating to all aspects of petroleum operations and also ensuring and enforcing compliance with

Once a law is passed, it seldom includes all the details needed to explain how an individual, business, state or local government or others might follow the law

,

BRIEF

,

the terms of all leases, licenses and permits issued by these bodies.

Each of these agencies would have boards made up of a director general, two directors and representatives, appointed from the ministries of Petroleum Resources and

Communities seeks power to run marginal fields

By EMMA AMAIZE

O

IL-BEARING communities in Delta State have called on the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to make appropriate provisions to enable them acquire and operate marginal oil fields through corporate entities established by the host communities.

President of Izon-Ebe Oil Producing Communities Forum, IOPCF, Mr. Moses Edougha, who made the call in Warri while addressing reporters, also urged the National Assembly to expedite action on the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB. He frowned at the current situation in which the Ministry excluded oil and gas communities from the management of oil blocks.

Edougha alleged that majority of the oil blocs were acquired by Nigerians that were not from oil and gas producing areas and the Niger Delta region.

He lamented, “The stringent conditions for the acquisition of the oil blocs have also alienated the oil producing communities from the management of their God-given wealth, calling on the federal government to review the obnoxious policies.”

On PIB, he asserted, “We want to state that undue delay in the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill is creating mixed reactions from the public.”

“The argument prompted by some lawmakers because of the provision of the Petroleum Host Communities Fund, which goes directly to the host communities, is unnecessary. We call on such lawmakers to direct their energies on productive ventures that will sustain the unity of the nation,” he posited.

He, however, noted that the PIB had passed through second reading and commended the erudite leadership of the National Assembly, while urging them put in more efforts to pass it into law.

Finance. The board will also include representatives from the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), and other persons of high integrity and substantial professional experience.

The members of these boards shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Minister. The boards shall appoint a secretary, who shall be responsible to the director general.

Once a law is passed, it seldom includes all the details needed to explain how an individual, business, state or local government or others might follow the law. The law not specify, for example, the enforcement and monitoring processes of oil and gas health and safety legislation. In order to make the law pragmatic, the law would authorize the regulatory agencies to create regulations in this respect.

Regulations set specific requirements about what is legal and what isn’t. For example, a regulation pursuant to crude oil transportation and shipments would explain the procedure for shipments, and measures that would be taken to adequately protect human health and the environment among others. It would tell industries what is permissible and what is not, as well as the penalty for non-compliance.

Once the regulation becomes effective, the regulatory agency then works to the industry with the law and enforcement.

When developing regulations, the first thing the regulatory agencies do is ask if a regulation is needed at all.

Every regulation is developed under slightly different circumstances, but this is the general process. The agencies research the issues, and if necessary, propose a regulation.

Good oil and gas regulation and striving for efficiency is always worthwhile but the recent energy crisis, including the oil subsidy scandal, has raised the stakes for getting the design of regulatory frameworks right.

To be continued

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013—27

28 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

Engineering body sets up disciplinary unit

By SEBASTINE OBASI

T

HE Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE, has set up a department to prosecute errant industry members in a bid to enforce professionalism on the job.

The Chairman of NSE Egbin Power Station Branch, Mr. Obidiegwu Onuora, stated this at the weekend during an investiture and award of fellowship (FNSE) on the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Egbin, Mr. Mike Uzoigbe.

Onuora explained that the move became necessary, as it had been observed that some quacks and companies have been parading themselves as members of the society, thus forcing the national body of the NSE, under the leadership of its National President, Mr. Mustapha Shehu, to set up a committee to investigate and prosecute them.

According to him, “Only the enforcement of the Engineering Regulation Act can eliminate quackery in engineering practice.” He added that the creation of awareness about the skills of professional engineers and professional practice would help to achieve this goal, as quackery was a serious issue in the area of all professional practice in the country.

“It is not only in engineering that we have quacks operating, they are everywhere; in journalism, in the Judiciary and all other professions, so it will take the collective effort of all to stop them from practicing.

Part of that effort will be the creation of awareness among the people, so that they have information on how and where to get the real professionals,” he said.

Onura also said that there was the need to sensitise people on the disadvantages of using quacks under any guise, which is why the national body is fighting the cause.

H

e noted that the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) was set up as the regulatory body to help in tackling the menace.

C M Y K

“The Engineering Monitoring Regulation (ERM) Committee was saddled to assess engineering works, determine the owners, the contractors, the consultants, ascertain their qualifications and suitability and advise the owners where necessary. A tribunal is also set up by COREN to investigate, try and discipline offenders who go against the engineering standards.”

Speaking on the award

of fellow to the Egbin CEO, Onuora said it is the highest recognition one could get in engineering profession.

“The man truly deserved the award. The CEO is a core professional who has done credible things in ensuring that the Egbin Power Station bounced back from two units to current five units during his time as the driver of the station. In his remarks, Uzoigbe tasked Nigerian engineers to be more focused

and dedicated in their field of operations, saying that Nigeria has the best and more intelligent crop of engineers that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

“The award of fellowship conferment on me is an honour that is well deserved, based on my dedication to effective professionalism and contributions to the development of engineering concept in the country. I feel great, elevated, and honoured, that I am been

recognised in my country by my colleagues in my field of operations,” he said.

Uzoigbe, however, urged engineers to develop themselves in their areas of operations, and to ensure more dedication to achieve recognition. “I have dedicated myself to read materials that concern my professions. By the grace of God what I read has been a major contribution way to my success,” he said.

Use of indigenous en-

gineers To promote local content development, Onuora urged the Federal Government to involve indigenous engineers in the execution of projects in the country, seeing as they have excelled in various power projects within and outside the country.

Accordingly, he said the indigenous engineers deserved to be at the vanguard of any engineering projects in Nigeria.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013 — 29

BRIEF Petroleum minister, NERC to parley on workers’ health

ExxonMobil to explore offshore Liberia E

XXON Mobil Corporation has announced that its Liberian affiliate has acquired from Canadian Overseas

Petroleum (Bermuda) Ltd. COPL 80 percent interest in Liberia Block 13 (LB-13), comprising more than 625,000

acres (2,500 square kilometers) offshore Liberia in water depths ranging from 250 to 10,000 feet (75 to 3,000

T

HE Minster of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke, and the Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Mr. Sam Amadi, are among the Federal Government officials expected to sensitise participants at the forthcoming Live Well Initiative, LWI Grand Health Bazaar, GHB 2013, The initiative is focused on the benefits of healthy living among workers in the energy sectors and other sectors in general.

The Chief Executive Officer, LWI, Mrs. Bisi Bright, said in a statement that the event will hold between April 17 and 19, 2013, in Lagos, adding that the programme with the themes, “Sustaining Wealth creation through health solutions and partnership,” is focusing on the oil and gas, real estate and aviation sectors of the economy.

She said the Oil and Gas/ Energy will feature on the first day with the sub-theme, ‘Power and Energy: A Boost to the Ecosystem and Robust Health,” while Property/Real Estate, and Aviation will feature on the second and third day, with the subthemes, “Building in Safety and Safety in Buildings: A Learning continuum’ and ‘Travelers’ medicine and inflight healthcare’ respectively.

She further stated that the Grand Health Bazaar is a cross-cutting, innovative healthcare solution for the corporate sector, delivered on the platform of healthcare, adding that it is a carnival-like exposition for learning, health and commerce al l fused as an entity.

Other guest speakers expected at the event are Mozambique’s Minister of Health, Dr. Alexandre Manguele; Chairman Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Mr Foluso Phillips, Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Skye Bank Plc, Mr kehinde Durosinmi-Etti; Mr. Jimi Agbaje and United Nations World Food Programme, WFP, Ambassador, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde.

Other are Special Adviser, Lands & Housing, Osun State, Dr Isaac Owoade; Chief Executive Officer, Airtel; Frith Hill Real Estates’ Mr Yinka Bakare; Chief Executive Officer,

•High tension pole.

Good governance, technology panacea to oil theft — Summit G OOD governance, de ployment of modern technology and proper funding of security agencies have been identified as panacea to the scourge of oil theft and related vices ravaging the Niger Delta region.

These were part of the highpoints of a summit organised recently by the CLEEN Foundation in collaboration with the BRACED Commission, which recently held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

The partnership between CLEEN Foundation, a nongovernmental organisation and the BRACED Commission, which serves as the secretariat and coordinating office of the South-South states of Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo, Delta also got endorsement from the Ford Foundation, West Africa.

As oil theft has continues to define the entire value chain of oil exploration and exploitation in the country, analysts argued that if it is not checked immediately, it will adversely impact on the overall accruals from oil which will ultimately cripple the economy.

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alli-

son-Madueke, had early in the year urged all stakeholders to brainstorm on the best strategies to battle the trend, which the Managing Director of the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu, estimated cost Nigeria about $6 bil-

lion in revenue annually.

However, the summit maintained that the problem was not intractable, and urged the Federal Government to offer the type of governance that would guarantee the welfare of the citizens in the oil producing communities.

meters).

ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Liberia Limited and COPL received final approval of the transaction from the Liberia national legislature and Liberia President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

The transaction closed April 5.

ExxonMobil is the operator of LB-13. COPL has 20 percent interest in LB-13.

“We appreciate the vote of confidence from the government of Liberia in our capability to help develop the nation’s hydrocarbon resources,” said Steve Greenlee, president of ExxonMobil Exploration Company. “The government of Liberia wants to develop its resources for the benefit of the country and its people. We have the capability and the expertise to help make that happen.”

ExxonMobil plans to open its venture office in Monrovia within 180 days to begin fulfilling the requirements of the production sharing contract, which calls for an exploration well to be drilled within three years.

Liberia Block 13 is 18 miles (30 kilometers) offshore Liberia’s central coast.

Also, the summit urged government to demonstrate the political will to enforce existing laws, promote capacity building, logistics and technological support to its agencies particularly the security and law enforcement agencies.

‘Navy will sustain battle against oil thieves’

By EMMA AMAIZE

F

LAG Officer Command ing, FOC, Warri, Naval Command, Rear Admiral Johnson Olutoyin, weekend, said the Nigerian Navy will continue to protect the nation’s territorial waters and carry on the fight against oil thieves and sea pirates.

He stated this while presenting awards to both serving naval and civilian staffs of the NNS Delta, Naval Base, Warri in Delta State, promising adequate reward to hardworking staffs of the base who have distinguished

themselves in their fields of endeavor.

Oluotyin commended the Commander of the Base, Navy Commodore Mohammeed Garba, for instituting such a befitting award.

Speaking on the occasion, Garba, stressed the need for greater performance in the maritime sector, which he said was one of the nation’s cardinal objective.

According to him, “The maritime sector needs to be secured against the multitude of domestic and regional threat in order to seize the control of our destiny as a nation towards growth and development as

envisioned in the vision 20:2020 and the transformation agenda.”

He re-emphasised the thrust of the strategic guidance, which spells zero tolerance on illegal oil bunkering, crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, piracy and sea robbery activities.

“In essence, efforts on the fight against poaching and smuggling, drug trafficking, violence and marine pollution have been intensified and these will be achieved through importation of technology, innovative operational concept and organisational adaptation,” he said.

30—Vanguard , TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

By Theodore Opara

I

N the second generation of its Gran Turismo, Porsche is introducing the world’s first plug-in hybrid to the luxury class – the Panamera S E-Hybrid with 416 hp of system power. Along with this premiere, two luxurious Executive versions are making their debut – the Panamera 4S and Panamera Turbo with an extended wheelbase . In addition, an entirely new three-litre V6 engine with biturbo charging is launched with the new Panamera S and 4S. The Panamera model range has been further extended and consists now of ten derivatives, offering an even broader range between sportiness and comfort.

New and further developed technologies have enabled fuel savings of up to 56 per cent, while enhancing operating and driving c o m f o r t .

The new Panamera underscores its exceptional positioning

Porsche redefines luxury with world's 1st plug-in hybrid Panamera

convenience The Panamera S E-Hybrid is a systematically advanced development of the parallel full hybrids with a more powerful electric motor, a higher-performance battery that supplies more energy and the ability to charge it externally from the electrical grid. The electric drive produces 95 hp, which is more than double the power of the previous model’s electric motor at 47 hp.

with a more expressive design language based on the company’s latest sports car generations that are marked by tighter lines, more pronounced contours and newly shaped body

elements. In short, the Porsche Panamera is even more efficient, sporty, comfortable and elegant. The new generation Gran Turismo celebrates its world premiere at Auto China

in Shanghai, which opens its gates on the 21st of April 2013.

Panamera S E-Hybrid sets new standards in e f f i c i e n c y , performance and o p e r a t i n g

Vanguard , TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013—31

Coscharis improves Ford spare parts availability T

OWARDS ensuring regular Parts availability in the entire Sub-Sahara Africa, Ford Motor Company has commenced the shipping of Parts to Coscharis Motors and the entire region direct from the Company ’s Parts Distribution Centre for Africa and the Middle East.

Ford’s new Parts Distribution Centre is now a one-stop Shop for Sub-Sahara Africa Dealers, stocking parts from all Ford Production locations around the world.

With this development, Ford Motor Company intends to improve parts availability by expanding service of its Middle East Parts Distribution Centre to dealers in Sub-Sahara Africa, getting parts to customers in the region more quickly than ever before.

According to a statement by the Coscharis marketing Manager, Mr Ifeanyi

Nihe, Ford’s goal for the facility is to help expedite the delivery of parts to dealers throughout Sub-Sahara Africa and improve customer satisfaction in this important region where Sales of Ford vehicles are on the rise.

The Parts Distribution Centre is capable of stocking up to 50,000 unique types of parts or 6 million total pieces from all of Ford’s production locations around the globe.

Order to delivery time from the Parts Distribution Centre to dealers in Sub-Sahara Africa will improve substantially with parts orders now arriving at dealerships in as few as 14 days.

With more parts readily available, the Parts Distribution Centre will improve lead time for special order parts as well, reducing vehicles down-time for customers and fleets.

According to the Ford Customer Service Division Regional

Manager, John Earp, Ford is committed to providing customers throughout Sub-Sahara Africa with exceptional customer service and an improved ownership experience. He said that by providing a onestop resource for parts for Ford clients Ford is

demonstrating its commitment to customers’ service in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The facility has begun servicing 25 SubSaharan Africa countries and with the Sub-Sahara Africa Launch, Ford’s facility now services more than 35 countries

throughout Africa and the Middle East.

Reacting to this development, the Group Managing Director, Coscharis Motors, Mr Josiah Samuel said that this development was a welcome relief to all its Ford customers and applauded Ford Motor

Company for such strategic intent and programme.

Mr Samuel was convinced that this would further support the company’s several other initiatives to improve customer satisfaction level.

Hyundai Nigeria offers free car care clinic Hyundai Motors Nigeria Limited is extending its services and free check-up to a larger number of customers at a free car care clinic.

The weeklong campaign titled ‘Free car care clinic’ which started yesterday, will for the first time allow customers to access Hyundai exceptional after sales service experience at nine different Hyundai Authorised Service Centres across Nigeria.

These centres are located in Lagos; Ijesha and Gbagada while customers outside Lagos can similarly access Hyundai centres in Abuja, Kano, Sokoto, Owerri, Enugu, Port-Harcourt and Calabar.

Head, Sales and Marketing, Hyundai Motors Nigeria Limited, Mr, Jatin Nadkarni said: “We at Hyundai understand the evolving needs and preferences of our

customers and we are very optimistic we will receive an overwhelming response to our ‘Free car care clinic.’”

He said the objective of the campaign is to provide the best of products and services to customers and also enable them to enjoy value-added experience.

A comprehensive maintenance exercise, Hyundai free car care clinic routine maintenance exercise is offered

by Hyundai dealerships worldwide as part of Hyundai Motors Corporation global policy on car care as well as providing new values and experiences to yet more customers through unique ways.

Mr. Nadkarni said the exercise will not only reassure

customers of the dealership commitment to the brand but offer a comprehensive 50 point check-up and a thorough examination of the engine, transmission, electrical system, under-body, AC, exterior, etc.

He added that Hyundai customers can also avail attractive discounts of up to 10 percent on parts, 15 percent on labour, free diagnosis and oil top-up as well as other value added services.

Also as part of this initiative, Hyundai Motors Nigeria Limited is organising a training programme on ‘Do it Yourself’ at the respective service outlets to help customers understand the principles of car care and how best to keep their cars in peak shape.

32—Vanguard , TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

A4, Q5 drive Audi's impressive growth F

OLLOWING the record-breaking year of 2012, AUDI AG has posted a successful start to 2013: In January, the company sold around 111,750 automobiles worldwide, an increase of 16.3 percent and testimony to clear growth in all regions of the world.

The successful midsize model lines A4 and Q5 made a substantial contribution to this growth. Deliveries rose strongly in China at 38.5 percent. In the USA (+7.5 percent) and Europe (+8.6 percent), too, January deliveries topped the figures from the prior-year month.

“Although the general economic situation in certain European countries remains challenging, we’ve managed to achieve a very successful start to the year in all regions of the world,” says Luca de Meo, Member of the Board of Management for Sales and Marketing at AUDI AG. And: “Our popular SUV models and the new A3 family will help to continue our pattern of growth in 2013.”

In January 2013,

Audi Q5 around 37,678 customers in China opted for a model with the four rings – a 38.5 percent increase on a year ago.

In 2012, the Chinese New Year celebrations fell in January, resulting in fewer sales days due to the holidays; in 2013, the New Year celebrations will be held in February. In Audi’s largest sales market, the

locally produced A4 L (+30.0 percent), Q5 (+55.1 percent) and A6 L models proved particularly popular last month. Around 13,657 customers received their keys to the longwheelbase luxury-class sedan (+52.9 percent).

Worldwide, the sales figures for the Audi midsize model lines A4, A5 and Q5 posted strong

growth (around 50,800 units, an increase of 24.6 percent). Together with the A1 Sportback, just introduced about a year ago, and the Q3, this ensured that Audi also managed to sustain growth in markets experiencing economic difficulties, notching up an 8.6 percent increase throughout Europe.

Autosecure unveils Oko puncture-proof tyre sealant

BY JOSEPHINE IGBINOVIA

I

N a bid to bring respite to motorists in the country, a Nigerian firm, Autosecure, has introduced Oko Puncture Free Sealant

Yaxing, ‘the Mercedes Coach’ from China arrives T

RANSIT Support Ser vices Limited, has introduced the Yaxing range of coaches into the Nigerian market. The Yaxing Coaches were presented to leading Transporters in Nigeria like ABC Transport, Chisco Transport, Evergreen Transport etc, at the Ocean View Restaurant Lagos, recently.

Speaking at the presentation, the General Manager in charge of Exports, Yaxing Motor Coaches Company Ltd, China, Mr. Shen Dehua, explained that the company was in partnership with Mer-

cedes Benz in China for many years which informed the similarities of their products.

Although, he maintained that the two companies have both parted ways, the Yaxing products benefitted from the relationship with the world leading truck maker while the relation lasted.

Also speaking at the unveiling, Mr. Stanley Mbanu of Transit Support Services Limited, explained that the company settled for the Yaxing range of products after carefully studying the quality of the vehicles which it discovered to be

at per with European products. The VHC 0500 coach according to him is powered by Cummins, which is known for durability and reliability with availability of parts.

Already, a leading coach operator in the country, the Associated Bus Company (ABC) Transport has acquired nine units of the Yaxing VHC 0500 buses for its operation while placing an order for additional 10 more units.

Mr. Mbano explained that the VHC 0500 coach was developed by Yaxing Benz together with Daimler Benz in China, using international standard and European quality. He said that the vehicle sharesa lot of similarities with Menz coaches.

He further noted that considering the quality of road in Africa, Yaxing will fortify the suspension for the units it is exporting to Africa, especially Nigeria.

“For the African market, the VHC 0500 coach is produced with enhanced suspension, body structure in galvanised steel and chemicals from Germany,” he said.

The Coach also comes with a retarder and disc brakes as standard for enhanced safety.

Maintenance, according to him will not be a problem with the coach. The Cummins engines fitted in Yaxing Benz buses are supported by a network of Cummins dealerships worldwide and the parts are readily available while the cost of maintenance is very low, making the cost per kilometre, the cheapest in the African market,” says Mbanu.

tyres into the market.

Oko Puncture Free Sealant which has been in existence for over four decades in the United Kingdom is produced by Oko Group UK to tackle issues of tyre puncture in the British Armed Forces and related industries.

Chief Executive Officer, Autosecure, Mr.Niyi Idowu, who disclosed this to journalists at a briefing in Lagos recently, said that the company is the exclusive distributor of the sealant in Nigeria.

Idowu said the sealant is made of an aqueous and glycol-based solution containing diverse advanced sealant ingredients that are held in suspension. It also contains strong anti-corrosives to prevent against rust in the wheels or tyre bands, and preservatives to ensure its ability to work in temperature as low as 40 degrees Celsius.

According to him, “Oko stays liquid and coats the inside of the tubes or tyre thread. When a hole is made, Oko immediately fills it and hardens. In other tests where bullets were fired at the tyres, Oko Puncture Proof Tyre Sealant slowed down the rate of deflation, allowing vital time for the vehicle to move out of the danger zone”, Niyi Idowu said while describing the product’s mechanism.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013 — 33 (meaning HIV/AIDS) is it not only the city people that get afflicted with it?”

The Allaramma continued rambling on.

At the end, we bade him goodbye. I made sure I maintained my peace with the Allaramma by visiting and showering him with gifts whenever I went to the village which is on an average of once a month. Our relationship got back to its very cordial level.

Meanwhile, I told my friend and cousin Mallam Abba that I am available and ready to render assistance with regards to Talle’s pregnancy at any time. When the labour pains came to Talle, she bravely bore it for two days before finally succumbing and crying like a baby. Sheik Allaramma gave her a series of his concoctions to no avail. Mallam Abba sent his wife, Talle’s mother to assist and be with her daughter in her most trying

Challenging the decree of God (2) would love to read your contributions on the Nigerian woman and her quest for equality.

As you write, please bear in mind the following questions; Is culture really the main challenge of the Nigerian woman? Is the Nigerian woman properly equipped to turn things around in favour of herself? Our mailing addresses are: Vanguard Media Limited, P.M.B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos and thehumanangle93@yahoo.com After we greeted him, I gave

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M

ARCH 8 was celebrated as the International Women’s Day all around the world. It was another opportunity to appraise the female gender, her journey so far, her challenges and successes, as well as how she can be assisted to take her rightful place in society. Several activities including seminars, symposiums, lectures, walks, demonstrations and protests took place across the globe to reiterate their beliefs and positions on what the place of the woman ought to be while also condemning practices and laws that prevent the woman from achieving her full potentials as human specie. Incidentally, Vanguard was not left behind in the celebration. In collaboration with the Centre for Black African Arts and Civilisation, a Round-Table discussion were women from different walks of life were brought together to discuss the Nigerian woman.

In Nigeria as with many developing parts of the world, culture, tradition and religious beliefs have been identified as the main challenge to female emancipation and equality.

And more than a decade into the Millennium, very little or nothing seem to have changed especially for the woman in remote settings outside the few cities in the country.

The discussion reminded me of a contribution by one of my readers many years back which I titled “the decree of God” The writer narrated a true life story about the ordeal of two young girls who were given out in marriage barely in their teens.

It was not only alarming but depressing to see the level of ignorance and bigotry displayed by the individuals concerned.

I have decided to reproduce the said contribution for two reasons; to reawaken our conscience of the fact that those who have access to education and information are a minute number compared to the overwhelming vast majority in the villages and remote settings.

The second reason is for us to appraise our situation and evaluate how far we have been able to break off from these shackles.

Please bear in mind that a few years back, a former governor and current Senator of this country, married a teenage girl from Egypt under the guise of religious practice. Though the issue raised so much dust across the country and beyond, it has since been swept under the carpet.

Dear reader, have you or anyone you know of had a similar experience? Please do write in and share with us. Also, we

If she had died, I would not have been surprised,you brought her in critical labour, we quickly had to do a caesarean section of her and what did we find? Her womb was torn in two places with the baby outside the womb! .

HI

him a big sum of money as gift so as to further soften his mind towards me and the proposal I had at hand. I began in my most patronising voice by praising the Allaramma and then gradually veered to the subject of advances in medicine. I spoke at length of the benefits of the ante-natal clinics, about the dangers of VVF, about the hazards normally associated with pregnancy in young teenagers and concluded by requesting that he allowed me shoulder the responsibility of his pregnant wife, Talle.

Surprise and disappointment All the time I spoke, the Allarama did not interrupt me. When I finished speaking, he looked at me, then at Talle’s father and addressed him as follows: “Mallam Abba, I am very surprised and disappointed in you. How can you allow yourself to accompany this “city man” to my house to tell me this rubbish? You may be Talle’s father and I respect you for that but right now, I am her husband.

God has put her under my care and protection. Life does not start and end with modern medicine.

I, Sheik Allaramma know a lot about medicine. Our medicine!

We have the medicine to give a woman when she conceives, we have the one to give her as the pregnancy advances and we have the one to ease her delivery.

However, medicine or no medicine, no man can alter what God has decreed for him. You can see we have no hospital in this village but the people are healthier than the city people. Our women give birth without any problem. Take this disease for example, the one we call “o hell! here comes the bastard”

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time. Other elders in the village also assisted by giving Talle their own version of the concoctions. Still, no delivery.

I arrived the village, four days after Talle started experiencing labour pains. I was appraised of the situation. I requested Sheik Allaramma to allow me take her to the hospital in Kaduna. At first, he refused, but his wife’s wailing and crying finally decided for him and he reluctantly allowed us to go. So, accompanied by Talle’s father and mother, we drove to Kaduna. At the hospital, the doctor decided to perform an emergency operation on her. For two days after the operation, Talle hovered between life and death but by the third day she pulled through.

Meanwhile, Allaramma came beaming with smile from ear to ear claiming that he had already seen in his dream that Talle will not die as a result of the operation. He carried the new born baby boy, his 29 th child and performed the applicable Islamic rites by reciting some prayers into the baby’s ears.

Gradually, Talle became better and better and eleven days after the operation she was discharged.

Before we could leave the hospital, we were requested to attend a small conference with the doctor in his office. And so, we crowded the doctor ’s office, myself, Mallam Abba, Talle’s mother, Talle and the Allarama.

The doctor was a smallish looking man with a bald head. I had known him for some time and he had with him a Hausa Nurse. After we were all seated, he surveyed the group in front of him and then began. “I called all of you here today because what I want to say is very important.

The Nurse here will do the translations. I don’t want your brother here (myself) to do it for you because I want you to hear it direct from myself or my staff. Talle

Communicating effectively with men

BY ONOZURE DANIA

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AVE you ever tried to tell a man how you are feeling, only to have him get angry, annoyed or simply shut down and withdraw from you? If so, it’s probably because you are not communicating in a way that the man can actuallyunderstand and make him want to listen to you.

Chances are that you were so caught up in your emotions that you didn’t actually give him the space to listen, think, and respond. This is something you can learn to do so that a man can actually hear you out. Here is what I mean men and women communicate in different ways, but if you can understand where the man is coming from, you could have a whole different experience than most women and actually create a better connection between you and him. That’s right; there is a way that actually works for both of you.

Most people think that they are great communicators.

But they don’t seem to get any results with their communication, guess what? If you aren’t getting some of the results you’re after, then your communication skills stink. Saying exactly what you are thinking and feeling all the time is not a leading trait that makes for a great communicator or even a good one.

Being in touch with your feelings is good. But throwing them out when they come to you, not “filtering” them, and putting no conscious thought behind how the other person will hear and receive your

words is counter productive. Tons of women spend days, weeks, or months analyzing, processing, and discussing a thought or idea that they have about a man or about their relationship. Then after all this, they come to a conclusion and present their thoughts to their guy.

And then what happens?

Most of the time, the woman expects the man to listen and very quickly understand what she’s talking about, what it means about him and their relationship, and how it makes her feel and why.

And how does that work out? If you think about this situation for a second, you will realize a few important things, the man didn’t have the benefit of all the time and discussion/analysis that the woman had The woman is expecting her communication to give him a perfect view and experience of what it’s like to be her The man probably sees things differently and has his own perspective right or wrong the challenge that you, as a woman, have with a man it’s often very difficult to know what’s going on with him because he will rarely, if ever, come out and say exactly how he’s thinking or feeling.

Most men in this situation will simply avoid conversation and connection to try and hide their feelings, hoping that it will all just go away and they won’t have to deal with it.

Good communication is the first step to changing your relationship with a man for the better, what exactly works in a relationship when it comes to women is communicating effectively with a man and creating a deeper connection.

as you see here is a very lucky woman. That she is alive here today is by divine providence. If she had died, I would not have been surprised. You brought her in critical labour, we quickly had to do a caesarean section of her and what did we find? Her womb was torn in two places with the baby outside the womb!

We had to concentrate on saving the mother before we turned our attention on the baby.

Talle here is a very young woman. Her pelvic right now is narrow but it is still growing. It is possible that in a few years time, it will develop to its full opening and she can deliver naturally. For the next three years, I am advising you that Talle should not get pregnant.

Let the scar of the operation heal well. Otherwise if she is pregnant before that time, the womb will tear and possibly tear in mid pregnancy, then she may die. Having stayed in this part of the country for a long time, I am fully conversant with your religious beliefs about family planning and all that.

To be continued

34 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

given back his ticket by bearing witness that he had paid for the goods.

Bolaji was headed to Kaduna from Osogbo. He realised he could not find his ticket immediately he got onboard. He said he didn’t want any embarrassment, so he paid additional one thousand naira. His original ticket was worth one thousand, fifty naira only. In sum, a lot of money was made on the way but whether this money is accounted for remains disputable.

Abandoned trains: Prominent features of all the railway stations from the Iddo terminus all the way to Kano were the abandoned coaches, relics of the once thriving Nigeria railway.

There were carriages, goods wagons, passenger coaches, and some rusty engines abandoned on the platforms. One of the passengers who was most worried with this was Wale Moshood, a graduate of Accountancy, Lagos State University, who joined the train from Lagos to Kano.

Epitome of a grounded economy • Passengers in one of the coaches

Sights and sounds of rail travel (2) P

ASSENGERS ran helterskelter, trying to gain entry through any available nearest entrance. Unfortunately, because the entrance doors were but small spaces, many people who rushed to enter at the same time could not gain access.

Eventually, most passengers found their way in but chances remained that some passengers were left behind especially some elderly passengers who couldn’t run after the train. The train left Minna by 3:00 pm after waiting about thirty minutes.

Its next stop would be at Kaduna and it berthed at that crocodile city by 7:00 pm.

Ayola who sat next to me and headed to Zaria told me she would alight. She said it is uncertain when the train would get to Zaria and he wouldn’t want to get stranded at Zaria since chances are she would not see a motorcycle or a cab if she arrived late. So she handed her ticket to me and alighted. That proved to be a wise decision as the engine went bad again there in Kaduna. We spent another two hours there as the engineers

rallied round to fix the problem.

The engine got fixed around 9:00 pm and eventually got to Zaria by 11:00 pm. We railed into Kano by 2:55 am on Sunday morning, at about thirty nine hours after we left Lagos.

However, when I came down, I realised that the train had grown longer. It had added four more wagons along the way and that may have accounted for the sluggish movement all along.

The ticket checkers: Shortly after we cruised out of Abeokuta, a group of young men came into the coaches and began to demand for tickets from all the passengers. This was to become a tradition until we got to Kano.

Each passenger stretched out his or her ticket to them and they marked it by digging a hole in it with a sharp punching machine.

It was then I realised that every luggage that got into the train was paid for. The size of the luggage was irrelevant.

Those who were not charged for their luggage at the point of entry were charged onboard

and a paper receipt with a hole dug in it was issued. There were a retinue of them and they handled the checks like campaigns.

At every hour, a group of five young men accompanied by at least a Man O War security and a mobile policeman with an AK 47 rifle, surfaced to check the tickets. They could come anytime they wished. There was no designated time for ticket checks. Sometimes they came when everyone was asleep and guess how they woke people up? They slapped you on the head and when you look at them, you simply hear ‘ticket’.

If a passenger had lost a ticket, extra money was paid after negotiations and a paper receipt was issued and in some instances no receipts at all.

Exorbitant prices The checkers, however, seemed keener on the luggage receipts. Most of the luggages were not paid for at the stations but onboard. And they charged exorbitant prices, most times more than the ticket fare.

Ibrahim was travelling to Zaria. He had some goods contained in a 10kg sack. He paid four hundred naira at Iddo for

the load but was issued no receipts. So, at Osogbo, the ticket checkers came and demanded for his receipt and when he could not provide it they charged him one thousand, eight hundred naira. The Zaria ticket Ibrahim had was worth one thousand, seven hundred naira only. He told them that he didn’t demand for a receipt be-

,

In the first part of this report, JONAH NWOKPOKU noted that not only did the train which moved from Iddo at noon develop faults at Ijoko and Ibadan, but it didn’t wait up to 10 minutes at Jebba although 85 per cent of the passengers were still on the ground

He described it as a monumental waste and an epitome of a grounded economy. “This is not a way forward for Nigeria. I want to say something to the Federal Government. There is a waste of resources going on.

There is money in this country and we can’t see it. We are just a little over one hundred and sixty million and we are suffering, despite the abundant resources at our disposal.

“From where we took off from Lagos to Kano here, I discovered one thing, there are so many abandoned coaches, there are trains that got accident and were pushed into the bush and there are some rails stockpiled along the way and abandoned.

These rail properties are depreciating in quality and they could be very useful to our con-

Most of the luggages were not paid for at the stations but onboard. And they charged exorbitant prices, most times more than the ticket fare

cause he didn’t know he was supposed to be issued with a receipt since that was his first time. But they paid no attention to whatever explanation he gave but seized his ticket and threatened to throw him out at the next station. He caved in and parted with another three hundred naira which they collected and pocketed without issuing him a receipt. It was not over for him yet. When we got to Akere station in Niger state, another group of checkers came again and confronted him. This time they wasted no time in seizing his ticket but the passengers that were around intervened and made sure he was

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struction industry.

“Government is talking about unemployment, let them contract the evacuation of these rail materials to any company; that will provide employment opportunity to the youths because the evacuation would not take anything less than three years.” He said.

Vanguard had recently reported on the abandoned coaches and how people had converted some of the coaches to living apartments thereby threatening the safety of the terminus at Iddo. When the authority of the Nigeria Railway Corporation was contacted on what Continues on page 35

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013 — 35

Sad tales from Nigerians in China

Sights and sounds of rail travel (2) they were doing about the abandoned coaches, the Assistant Public Relations Officer of the corporation, Mr. David Ndanusa, who admitted that some people lived in the coaches noted that NRC is gradually evacuating the coaches through refurbishment.

He also said that those that could not be refurbished will be turned into scraps.

“The refurbishment of coaches is going on now according to how funds are released to us and that is going on stage by stage. Those that cannot be refurbished will be turned to scraps. We are waiting for the availability of funds from the government so that we can move more of them into the workshop for repair.” He had said.

However, with the situation on ground nationwide, it remains to be ascertained if that was an official position as chances are that the authority may be having little or no plans for the abandoned coaches yet.

The uneventful return The return train was to depart from Kano by 9:00 am on Monday. I had decided to return with a first class in order to have balanced view of the entire experience. The first class coaches were just four, containing about two hundred and forty people.

Each contained sixty passengers only.

There were two first class seaters and two first class sleepers.

Cubicles containing beds were built into the sleeper coaches.

It looked quite comfortable. The seaters were supposed to have an air conditioning and television sets. But only one had an air conditioning and another a television set.

There was order in the coaches as there were security men guarding the entrances to

forestall uncoordinated entries that characterized the economy class coaches. But then it still had its shortcomings. The coaches looked unkempt and few minutes after I sat down, I saw a giant oak-coloured bedbug crawling on my black jeans trouser. Other passengers noticed and complained as well but an electrical staff who came there said the job of keeping the trains clean had been contracted out and that NRC is not to blame. The contractors, he noted did not really do a thorough job but only swept it at the end of the journey.

However, it still remained a huge contrast between the economy class coaches. The

,

Continues from page 34

He expressed concerns with the current management, saying the railway may die again if the current management state is not improved upon.

“That time journey by rail used to be fun, there is film and music, whether first class or second class but now it’s only the first class. But with the way the second class is now, they just need to increase management efficiency. They should also try to increase the maintenance of the trains. The congestion is not funny. For instance by the time I travelled last week, when I came, there was no place for me to sit and I had to sit close to the toilet. When I complained, they asked me how I would feel

There were two first class seaters and two first class sleepers. Cubicles containing beds were built into the sleeper coaches. It looked quite comfortable

greatest challenge of the passengers in the first class coach was that the cold air that spewed from the air conditioning was excessive. This revealed the infamous widening gap between the rich and the poor in the nation. The passengers in the two classes of coaches were a world apart. The only thing that connected them was that one locomotive pulled them, outside that, they appeared a thousand miles from each other.

At the period that the passengers in the first class feared that they could catch pneumonia from the cold of AC, the heat emitting from the economy class coaches could bake bread.

Onboard I met so many regular users of the rail around 1980s before it finally packed up. One of them was a forty-five year old business man, Ibrahim Bello. He told me he extensively travelled by rail even as a child but at the moment he said, the services are but a copy of the prototype of what the railway used to be.

• Passengers milling around when the train stopped at Ibadan

,

if I was told that there was no train and honestly it would be somehow if after leaving home to travel, you get to the station only to be told that there is no train. But my suggestion should be that more trains should be provided now that they already know that people want to enter the train. Every week, let two or three trains move; because if this people continue to manage the train like this, stuffing people like this, this thing will not survive,” he said.

Except for an hour delay at Minna where the train made a stop to refuel the engine, there were few delays on that return journey. However, the congestion on the economy class coaches remained the same, if not more. But the train made Lagos about seven o’ clock in the evening on Tuesday; about thirty-four hours after it railed out of Kano. Safely we arrived, but not without being crushingly exhausted.

BY VERA SAMUEL ANYAGAFU

V

citizen or is there any political undertone here? For God sake, there should be a positive action towards understanding the importance of one Nigerian citizen in any foreign country.

We should not be treated like sheep without a shepherd, after all Nigeria is not worse than China in terms of corruption” In furtherance to his narratives, he lamented about the unfair treatment he received from an immigration officer in one of his trips to Europe, not withstanding the positive contributions the teeming population of Nigerians make to the economy of these countries they reside in.

“I just came back from a trip within Europe and as usual, Immigrations spent more time with me when they saw my Nigeria passport.

Imagine having to go through series of questionings from immigrations even on arrival from a domestic flight within that country just because I am a Nigerian. How demeaning. I vividly

ARIOUS narratives about Nigerians resident in different countries abroad show how individuals are constantly subjected to various levels of inhuman treatment while in pursuit of existence. Little wonder some Nigerians are of the opinion that it is time Nigerians in Diaspora began dreaming of actualizing decent lives back in Nigeria.

Recalling some of the awful experiences that a large number of Nigerians, who run businesses in the commercial city of the Republic of China (Guangzhou) go through on daily basis, Tony (other names withheld for security reasons) a China-Nigeria business tycoon stated, “as a matter of fact, on daily basis, Nigerians, particularly men are actually in deep sadness and regret over the continuous unfair treatment they receive from the Chinese.

“As a businessman/investor in China, I believe that Nigerian businessmen in China are undeserving of some of the regulations which are unfavourable to our trade relations with the Chinese government.”

It has also been discovered that China refuses to extend the visas of Nigerians in their country for business and this to a “large extent, cripples our business ventures which is a situation that deserves d i a l o g u e • Mr. Xi Jinping, Chinese President between Nigerian ambassador to China remember the times when the and Chinese visa regulating arrival of a Nigerian to a country like China for authorities,” Tony said.

Issues of unscrupulous instance, is being celebrated, Nigerians: Taking Nigerian he explained, adding that “ If nationals as a case study, Tony you take away Nigerians living noted that though there are some in Guangzhou, China, it will unscrupulous Africans residing have a negative effect on the in China who are causing Chinese economy which problems for the serious and well would take a long time to focused Nigerians in China, it is reverse.”

Searching for greener not enough to place Nigerians under such ridicule which should pastures which may not be only be associated with nefarious greener on the other side, is worth the while, but intending activities.

Nigerians detained in Chinese travellers must be wise in their prisons: A China based Nigerian decision about leaving based university official via Nigeria in pursuit of such telephone conversation with greener pastures.

Responding to the issue of Vanguard Consular Advisory also disclosed that there are over 300 wanting to leave Nigeria at all Nigerians in Guangzhou prison cost, Tony said: “Advancing to on detention due to the expiration China for business related of their visa and is bewildered to matters is tempting but at the affirm that the Nigerian embassy same time can mean putting is not interfering in a case as one's life at risk because you minor as getting the Chinese want to leave Nigeria at all government to extend her cost. I always wonder at times if we actually think before national visa where necessary.

“Why is the embassy of Nigeria embarking on such trips in China not showing any because the money invested concern about the welfare of their in procuring the necessary documents.”

36 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

Clark, Ogbemudia, Fashola, others bag UNIBEN award

C O M M I S SIONING: From

left— Evangelist David Edun (in white); Sir E. K. Gbragada, Transition Committee Chairman, Warri North Local Government; Chief Victor Nana, Olaraja of Koko; and Chief Everette, at the commissioning of vehicles, lock-up shops for fish traders and other projects executed by the Edun-led administration in Koko. INSET: The vehicles.

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—IJAW leader, Chief Edwin Clark, former governor of the old Bendel State, Dr Samuel Ogbemudia and the governor of Lagos State, Mr Babatunde Fashola, were among Nigerians, who bagged the Distinguished University of Benin Personality Award, DUPA, in Benin City, Edo State, weekend.

Others who bagged the award are former Minister of State for Works, Engr.

Chris Ogiemwonyi; Managing Director, Schlumberger Nigeria Limited, Engr.Andrew Olotu; Group Managing Director, Access Bank, Mr Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede; MTN and Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of UNIBEN, Senator Effiong Bob, at the event, said the awardees had contributed immensely to the growth of the university.

Chemical wastes destroy farms in Bomadi

B

OMADI—LIQUID chemical wastes of the construction giant, Levant Construction Company Limited, have destroyed plants and fishes in a neighbourhood pond in Bomadi, headquarters of Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State.

Disclosing this to newsmen, Mr. Tam Coleman, said the company knowingly let out chemical wastes from the company yard through water outlets into his compound, which had killed more than 3,000 fishes in his fish pond, destroyed plants and polluted their only source of potable water with which he and his family survived.

He said that several appeals to the firm to witness what they had caused were ignored by the management, adding that the health of his family had been endangered.

Delta govt officials get 3-month deadline to empower constituents

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

A

SABA—DELTA State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has ordered top government functionaries, political office holders in the state to embark on economic empowerment programmes in their constituencies, within the next three months, noting that his administration was serious with its empowerment programme to better the lives of Deltans.

Uduaghan gave the directive at the inauguration of Victor Ochei Empowerment programme for Aniocha North Local Government Area women at Issele-Uku. He said, “I charge all government officials that have not done any form of empowerment programme to go back home and start same. I give you three months to do this.

“It will help alleviate poverty among our people. I also call on our national and state House of Assembly members to key into this empowerment programme, so that our people will be able to fend

for themselves.”

The governor said that about N121 million had so

far been spent by the state government in Aniocha North council of the state un-

Agitations over amnesty c'ttee unnecessary —UNDEDSS amnesty to Boko Haram.” mobilisation and rehabilitation

BY DAPO AKINREFON

U

NITED Niger Delta En ergy Development Security Strategy, UNDEDSS, has said that the controversy trailing the Amnesty Committee set up by the Federal Government to work out how amnesty could be granted to members of Boko Haram, was unnecessary.

Secretary General of UNDEDSS, Mr. Tony Uranta, who addressed newsmen in Lagos, described the controversy and criticism that had trailed the Amnesty Committee as uncalled for.

“I am amused at the level of criticism over the Federal Government’s decision to set up a committee to work out modalities for a possible

Uranta said that the Federal Government’s step was good, but can only be feasible if the Boko Haram ended hostilities.

“The United Nations has recommended disarmament, de-

HE Chieftaincy tussle over the Odogwu stool in Onicha-Ugbo in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, has taken a new twist as a socio-political group, Concerned Umuoshomi Citizens, has accused the Obi in council led by Obi Victor Chukwumalieze I of partiality in adjudicating over the issue.

The group said it was a miscarriage of justice that must be redressed in the interest of equity and fair play.

It alleged that the contro-

versial title was surreptitiously designed to favour Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, adding that it was not only done in bad faith and against the wishes of the majority of Onicha-Ugbo people but against Umuoshomi quarter that rightly deserve the title at this point in time.

The group questioned why the Obi in council could take such a step, when it was clear that the Ishiekpe Chime community was not in want of who to present for the stool being the rightful and legiti-

phases an integral part of Amnesty-granting which, must be preceded by armistice.

"Terrorism is a global phenomenon and the trend will not cease merely because we are Nigeria.”

FUPRE: Urhobo group faults choice of VC

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI—URHOBO youths, under the aegis of Coalition of Urhobo Youth Organisation, weekend, faulted the appointment of Prof. Alhasan Bitchi, a professor of Pharmacology as acting Vice-Chancellor of Federal University of Petroleum Resources, FUPRE, Effurun,

Onicha-Ugbo boils over Odogwu chieftaincy stool

T

der its Micro Credit Scheme with a total of 6,355 beneficiaries from 619 cluster groups.

mate beneficiary after having gone round the quarters.

It expressed dismay at the turn of event that resulted in the projection and attempted cunning imposition of Dr. Kachikwu as the Odogwu of Onicha-Ugbo, whose grandfather had his turn in recent time past.

The group alleged of underhand dealings to attempt to forcefully take over the title from Umuoshomi people, who had already agreed on Chief Emeke Kogolo as their candidate for the stool.

Delta State.

The youths, meantime, commended President Goodluck Jonathan for constituting the Governing Council for the university.

Speaking to newsmen in Ughelli, spokesman of the group, Mr. Stephen Ohwokirerhuo, expressed hope that the constitution of governing council will facilitate the appointment of a qualified substantive VC. He said: “FUPRE is a specialized university for the training of high cadre manpower for the oil and gas sector, therefore, its VC should be an experienced professor in petroleum and gas related fields in engineering, physical or chemical sciences.

“Currently, the acting VC, Prof. Alhasan Bitchi is Pharmacologist, and we wonder what a Pharmacologist is doing in a petroleum institution.

"We call on the incoming governing council to proceed with the process of selection and appointment of a qualified substantive VC and Registrar for the university."

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013—37

PA JOS AYOMIKE'S 86TH BIRTHDAY IN WARRI PHOTOS: Photos: Akpokona Omafuaire.

Pa and Mrs. JOS Ayomike with children.

From left: Dr. Alex Ideh, Pa Sunday Daje and a guest.

From left: Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Pa JOS Ayomike and his wife, and Chief (Madam) F. E. Rewane.

Chief Nelson Utieyin and Chief Felix Esisi.

From right: Chief Sam Eyengho, Hon. David Tonwe and Mr. Benjamin Come.

OLOROGUN KENNETH GBAGI'S SON'S WEDDING IN WARRI

Mr. & Mrs. Emuoboh Gbagi, new couple, flanked by Olorogun & Mrs. Kenneth Gbagi (groom's parents) and officiating ministers. Photos: Akpokona Omafuaire.

From left: Senator Pius Ewherido, senator representing Delta Central; Elegbete Moses Odibo and Chief Adelabu Bodjor.

New couple, Mr. & Mrs. Emuoboh Gbagi.

Olorogun & Mrs. Kenneth Gbagi

Cross section of traditional rulers.

38 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

VANGUARD PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR AWARD

Chief Yemi Ogunbiyi, CEO, Tanus Communication (left) with Femi Adeshina, President, Guild of Editors, during Vanguard Personality of the Year Award 2012, in Lagos, weekend.

Senator Babajide Omoworare (left) and Senator Kashim Ibrahim-Imam

Photos: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor, Lamidi Bamidele,Akeem Salau & Bunmi Azeez.

Bashorun Dele Momodu and Aremo Olusegun Osoba

From left: Mr. Igwe Gabosky, his wife and Mr. Chuka Ejicham Chief Michael Ade-Ojo, Chairman, Elizade Motors

Omawunmi singing

Prof. John Amoda and his wife

From left: Mr. Olushola Ojo, Ms Alero Asienene and Mr. Mideno Bayagbon, Editor, Vanguard Newspaper

Mr. Richard Okotie and his wife

From left: Mrs. Alero Orimoloye; Ms Titilayo Jolaoso, From right: Mr. Emeka Nwokocha, Advert Manager, Financial Controller and Ms Chioma Gabriel, SaturMr. Wale Fatoki, MD, TSL Logistics Ltd (left) Vanguard;Ms Michelle Etiebet and Ms Nike Etiebet day Editor, both of Vanguard Newspapers and Hon. Dawari George

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013 — 39

VANGUARD PERSONALITY AWARD

From left: Engr. Chika Uchendu JP; Mr Fred Udueme, AGM Brand, Vanguard Newspaper and Mr Peter Arigbe.

L-r: Gordons, comedian with Chioma Isiguzo and Mr Ikeddy Isiguzo,Chairman, Editorial Board Vanguard Newspaper

From left: Mr Jide Ajani, Sunday Editor and Mr Eze Anaba, Deputy Editor, Vanguard Newspaper.

Mr Moses Awe, Mr Olusola Ojo; Miss Elizabeth Edward and Mr Tuoyo Amuka.

From left: Mr Tony Onyima, MD, The Sun Newspaper and Mr Eniola Bello of ThisDay.

From left: Lola Alao, Nollywood actress; Ayo Onikoyi, Vanguard staff and Bukky Wright, Nollywood actress.

Mr .E. Akpaso and his wife.

From left: Mrs Remi Diagbare, Editor, Allure; Mr Paul Adams and Ms Mediline Tador.

Vanguard's Chief Sub Editor, Rev. Udo Ibuot (left) and another guest.

From right: Nike and Michelle Etiebet.

Adekunle Aliyu, Vanguard online staff (right) and Gordons, comedian at the event.

Dr Abel Ubeku and his wife.

Mr. Tunji Olugbodi of Verdant Zeal and Mr. Gbenga Adefaye

40 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

Kebbi honours 6 communities BIRNIN KEBBI— The Kebbi State Community and Social Development Project, KBCSDP, has honoured six communities that have excelled in the execution of community projects in various sectors financed by the Project.

Two local government areas and one desk officer, were also honoured by the agency for their excellent performances, weekend, at the Presidential lodge, Birnin Kebbi.

General Manager of the Agency, Alhaji Usman Abubakar, said that the the KBCSDP approved 105 community development projects comprising 287 micro projects valued at N690million adding that the event was to identify with the best communities and stakeholders in community development projects so as to motivate other communities to put in their best.

He said that Ruttuwan Dikkon Mayala from Koko Besse Local Government emerged as the best community in project execution under the education sector, while Zagne in Zuru Local Government came first under the health sector .

NOA lauds president over Boko Haram

BY PETER DURU

M

AKURDI—Direc tor General of the National Orientation Agency, NOA, Mr. Mike Omeri, has commended President Goodluck Jonathan for setting up a committee to examine the desirability or otherwise of announcing amnesty for Boko Haram Islamic sect members saying it was “the best decision for the country.”

Omeri spoke in an interview with Vanguard in Makurdi. His words, “you must not forget that those who are involved in this are Nigerians and they deserve to be rescued. And those of us who have lost loved ones and property also deserve sympathy and encouragement to move on in life. Suffice it to state here that our security agencies have been doing a lot to contain the insurgence and we must commend them for the courage exhibited in the discharge of their responsibilities. But above all we need to come to a middle point, and if amnesty will solve the problem that we have at hand, so be it."

Chief Afe Babalola,SAN; his wife and other well wishers after he was conferred with the honorary doctorate award at the University of Jos along with two other eminent Nigerians, Alhaji Ahmed Joda and Da Bitrus Pam Kim, weekend

R-l: Former Governor Joshua Dariye of Plateau State; former Governor Aliyu Doma of Nasarawa State; Alhaji Ahmed Joda (3rd left) and others at the 26th convocation of the University of Jos

Jonathan tasks varsities on insecurity

BY TAYE OBATERU

J

OS—President Goodluck Jonathan has urged universities to bring their potentials to bear on solving contemporary problems facing the country such as the recurring insecurity in some parts.

He threw the challenge in a message to the 26th Convocation Ceremony of the University of Jos which also witnessed the conferment of honorary degrees on Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, Alhaji Ahmed Joda and Da Bitrus Pam Kim. Represented by the Minister of Education, Professor Ruqquayat Ahmed Rufai, the president said: “our universities must align with our national goals and aspirations and brace up to the challenges of knowledge based competition. You must strive to be creative in your approach to contemporary problem solving, including the recurring insecurity problems in some parts of the country.”

He said this had become imperative considering that “for most other nations, higher education is today defining the pace of economic advancement, scientific progress, social development and national integration.”

President Jonathan said the administration has demonstrated commitment to improving the education sector through “significant vote” in this year’s budget. "We believe that education is the first step towards

securing the nation’s future; therefore, the Federal Government will continue to build on this in the coming years towards producing the desired results for the benefit of our people”, he said.

Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Hayward Mafuyai highlighted the achievements of the institution in the area of research to include the development of Grewa Gum for the formulation of tablets and the

demonstrating the value of mushroom for the management of sleeping sickness disease, both by the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, among others.

He reiterated the appeal for the release of the take off grant of the university to enable her move her four foundation faculties to the permanent site as well as for a special grant to pay compensation on the Phase II land to check further encroach-

Tukur: President rejects govs' lobby

P

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has rejected intense pressure mounted on him by the Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to dump the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, a presidency source revealed, weekend.

The intense lobby by most of the state governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party to get the national chairman of the party sacked has been traced to the battle between the governors on one hand and the presidency on the other over who flies the party’s presidential flag in the 2015 presidential elections.

The decision of the President to support the embattled chairman, it was gathered, is predicated on the fact that some of the governors in the forefront

of the Bamanga Must Go agitation are equally interested in contesting for the presidency come 2015, hence the agitation is deemed as self serving and not in the overall interest of the party Sources informed that whereas the governors want to seize control of the party, the Chairman of the party thinks the presidency should take absolute control of the party as the governors do in their various states, no matter whose ox is gored.

A party stalwart said: “The governors want Bamanga sacked so that they can take absolute control of the party and its soul so that they can dictate to the President and frustrate his ambition of having a go at the presidency in 2015. After all we know those who are bent on succeeding the President by

CPC'll sweep Taraba in 2015—Ardo

J

ALINGO—THE Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, in Taraba said it would sweep the polls in the state in 2015.

The state Acting Chairman of the party, Alhaji Hassan Ardo, said this on Monday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Jalingo.

Ardo was speaking after the meeting of wards, local governments and state executive members of the party.

ment. The Chancellor, the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe, Aladesanmi III urged the Federal Government to increase the grant to the university in view of the enormous security challenges it is facing. He said although relative peace had returned to the state, staff and students still operate amidst uncertainty and fear.

Over 8,000 graduates received various degrees and certificates on the occasion.

According to him, the meeting discussed the party’s restructuring and merger plans with other political parties to form the All Progressive Congress, APC. He denied the notion that the CPC was tending toward one religion and described it as a political gimmick to cause disaffection in the party.

He added that the notion was also aimed at discouraging people interested in joining the

party to reap some political gains.

Ardo said that the fact that CPC had the likes of Pastor Tunde Bakare and Tony Momoh, holding key positions at the national level, knocked off the notion.

He described his appointment as a call to duty and promised to run an all inclusive administration for every member of the party to contribute to its progress.

hook or crook among the Governors.” According to sources in the party, all was well between the governors and the national chairman of the party until he came up with the idea of the Presidency having full control of all the organs of the party if the President is to succeed with 2015 agenda.

“Initially when information filtered out about the plans of Alhaji Tukur taking control of the national organs of the party for the sake of the president’s ambition, most of the governors considered him as a joker because the National Working Committee and the NEC of the party are populated by nominees of the governors.

Man begs court over harassment

M

AKURDI— A 56-yearold father, Mr Pius Ategba, on Monday prayed a Makurdi Magistrates’ Court to free him from his sons’ harassment and intimidation.

Ategba told the court that James and Justin, a set of twins, were making life difficult for him in his own house, with James threatening to kill him by sword or gun.

“James had threatened to kill me either by sword or gun in my own house. He even asked me to vacate my house; that if I do not, I will one day blame myself for failing to comply with his directive,” he said.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013 — 41

Baroness Margaret Thatcher dies at 87

BY HUGO ODIOGOR, UDUMA KALU, VERA ANYAGFU, BEN AGANDE with Agency report

F

ORMER British Prime Minister Baroness Margaret Thatcher, died yesterday from a stroke at the age of 87.

Thatcher’s spokesman, Tim Bell, said the former prime minister died from a stroke yesterday morning at the Ritz hotel in London.

Flags were flown at halfstaff at Buckingham Palace, Parliament and Downing Street as Queen Elizabeth II authorized Thatcher to have a ceremonial funeral — a step short of a state funeral — to be held at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London with military honors.

Queen Elizabeth II led the other world leaders to pay glowing tribute to Baroness Margaret Thatcher, the former Prime Minister of Britain, who was known as the “Iron Lady” during her 11 years in power.

British Prime Minister David Cameron cut short his trip to Madrid and Paris as he returned to Britain following news of Thatcher’s death.

A statement from the office of the Prime Minister said “ Thatcher would be cremated” but did not provide further details, saying only the arrangements were in line with the wishes of Thatcher’s family.

Cameron said””We’ve lost a great leader, a great prime minister and a great Briton,” Cameron said. “The real thing about Margaret Thatcher is that she didn’t just lead our country, she saved our country.”

Prime Minister David Cameron also expressed sadness, saying “we have lost a great leader, a great prime minister and a great Briton.”

He said “it was with great sadness he had learnt of the death of Margaret Thatcher, his predecessor as Conservative leader and prime minister who ruled

from 1979 to 1990.

Late Margaret Thatcher was Britain’s only woman prime minister, the unyielding, outspoken Thatcher led the Conservatives to three election victories, governing from 1979 to 1990, the longest continuous period in office by a British premier since the early 19th century.

She inspired neo liberal economic revolution in the 1980s with the philosophy to “roll back the state” in political space.

A statement from the Buckingham Palace said Queen Elizabeth expressed her sadness in a private message of sympathy to the family of the late prime minister.

Late Baroness Margaret Thatcher, U.S. President Barack Obama said: “America

has lost a true friend, who strengthened U.S. ties

with Britain and helped win the Cold War”.

Obama led an outpouring of U.S. affection for the “Iron Lady” of British politics who was an important ally to American leaders throughout the 1980s, developing close ties with Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Obama said: “With the passing of Baroness Margaret Thatcher, the world has lost one of the great champions of freedom and liberty, and America has lost a true friend,” Obama said in a statement.

Thatcher was closely aligned with Reagan in building up defenses against the Soviet Union, policies that were seen as important to the eventual

breakup of the Soviet bloc and the end of the Cold War. She knew that with strength and resolve we could win the Cold War and extend freedom’s promise,” Obama said.

The last leader of the defunct Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, .described Margaret Thatcher as “a great politician and an exceptional person” who helped end the Cold War. He said “Thatcher was a politician whose word carried great weight,” Gorbachev, who sought to reform the Soviet Union and improved its ties with the West but failed to avert the collapse of the nuclear-armed superpower, said on his website.

Jonathan, eminent Nigerians mourn Iron Lady P

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has joined other world leaders in mourning the death of former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher describing her as one of the world’s greatest leaders.

In a condolence message signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, he said “having already attained a legendary status in her lifetime after positively transforming Britain forever in her eleven and half years as Prime Minister, Baroness Thatcher will, with her passage today formally take her place in history as one the greatest world leaders of our time”.

He noted that “Baroness Thatcher will be eternally honoured for serving her country with immense passion and strong-willed determination as well as for the great transformation that resulted from her economic and social policies which laid the solid basis for the remarkable economic growth that was witnessed in Britain under the Conservative Government that she led.

Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi Former External Affairs Minister, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi said late Baroness Margaret Thatcher was a powerful politician who dominated her national space totally.

He said ”she had a clear vision of what she wanted Britain to be and was totally committed to that vision.

She was passionately devoted to Britain but was either unwilling or unable to concede that others could also be devoted to their countries.

“She restructured Britain by destroying the post-Secon World War social welfare system, replacing it with the everyman for himself system. “Together with Ronald Reagan and working through the World Bank, Thatcherism found its way into the developing countries through the adoption of SAP. Street riots following eonomic collapse are the collateral damage which the world has to endure thanks to Prime Minister Thatcher’s long rule in Britain.” he said.

Chief Emeka Anyaoku Chief Emeka Anyaoku who was Deputy Secretary General of Commonwealth and later the Secretary General

President Jonathan ofthe organisation that was the umbrella body of countries formerly under the British rule told Vanguard that Baroness Thatcher was undoubtedly a great Prime Minister who made great impact on British people and was an outstanding person on the world stage.

Chief Anyaoku who said he worked closely with the late Iron Lady said although her initial policies towards Africa was hostile, but when she understood the issues involved, she worked towards the resolution of the constitutional crisis in former Rhodesia.

According to Chief Anyaoku, Baroness Thatcher played a crucial role in the transition of Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe

into democracy.

She was on the six head of government in the 1979 Lusaka meeting of Commonwealth leaders who produced the package that resulted in the Lancaster House Constitutional Conference which finally led to the independence of Zimbabwe in April 1980.

Chief Arthur Mbanefo Chief Arthur Mbanefo the Odu of Onitsha and former Ambassador to United States said Baroness Margaret Thatcher was a visionary leader and one of the most successful Prime Ministers that Britain has produced.

Chief Nbanefo said Baroness Thatcher wll be remembered for her role in the Falklands Island where she went to war in 1982 with Argentina to recover the Island for Britain.

He said Britain and the world will also remember her for breaking the back of the trade unions in the early 1980s as she embarked on her neoliberal economic policies that brought the British economy on the path of growth.

On her policies on Africa, Ambassador Mbanefo said initially

Baroness Thatcher stuck to the policies that were already laid down on how to deal with the situation in South Africa. “but with time she began to see reasons and joined in formulating policies that eventually led to the independence of Zimbabwe and later Namibia, before the dismantling of the white minority regime in south Africa.

Chief Ebenezer Babatope In his tribute Chief Ebenezer Babatope said the death of Baroness Margaret Thatcher has created a big vacuum in the democratic struggle all over the world.

He said though Thatcher was of the extreme right in the democratic struggle, she was a piece of beauty in her leadership f British people when she was Prime Minister of Britain.

According to Chief Babatope, “She was bold, determined, principled, decisive, and unpretentious in the political leadership she gave her people.

It was no surprise she was known in politics as the Iron Lady. The PDP chieftain said Baroness Margret Thatcher will for long be remembered .

42 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2013—43

Simple lifestyle changes that keep blood pressure under control

• Hypertension is no respecter of age, race or sex. Inset: Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu

1. Lose extra weight and watch your waistline. Carrying too much weight around your waist can put you at greater risk.

2. Exercise regularly: Regular physical activity — at least 30 to 60 minutes most days of the week — can lower your blood pressure by 4 to 9 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).

3. Eat a healthy diet: Eating a diet that is rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products and skimps on saturated fat and cholesterol can lower your blood pressure by up to 14 mm Hg. 4. Reduce salt (sodium) in your diet: Even a small reduction in the sodium in your diet can reduce blood pressure by 2-8 mm Hg. 5. Limit the amount of alcohol you drink: Alcohol can be both good and bad for your health. In small amounts, it can potentially lower your blood pressure by 2-4 mm Hg. But that protective effect is lost if you drink too much alcohol.

6. Avoid tobacco products and secondhand smoke.

7. Reduce your stress: Stress or anxiety can temporarily increase blood pressure.

8. Monitor your blood pressure at home and make regular doctor's appointments.

9. Get support from family and friends. Supportive family and friends can help improve your health.

Hypertension: Why FG must act now

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE & CHIOMA OBINNA

N

IGERIA is one of the many developing countries where health services are focused more on infectious diseases, such as malaria, HIV and polio. However, in recent years, Non-Communicable Ddiseases, NCDs, such as hypertension, cancer, diabetes and stroke are becoming an increasing problem.

Hypertension, in particular, as one of the most prevalent NCDs worldwide, is responsible for an estimated 45 percent of deaths due to heart disease and 51percent of deaths due to stroke.

The prevalence of hypertension varies around the world with the lowest prevalence in rural India (3.4 percent in men and 6.8 percent in women) and the highest prevalence in Poland

(68.9 percent in men and 72.5 percent in women).

Global prevalence of hypertension has been increasing. In 2000, 972 million people were hypertensive with a prevalence rate of 26.4 per cent.

These are projected to increase to 1.54 billion affected individuals and a prevalence rate of 29.2 per cent in 2025.

According to WHO, Africa has the highest prevalence of hypertension estimated at 46 percent of adults aged 25 and above.

In Nigeria, the picture is particularly worrisome. A recent community based study of rural and semi urban population in Enugu, Nigeria put the prevalence of hypertension in Nigeria at 32.8 per cent while a Meta analytical study published recently estimated the country

wide prevalence to be between 12.4 percent and 34.8 percent.

The disturbing reality of this statistics is that between a staggering 20,088,000 and 56,376,000 Nigerian citizens are hypertensive.

From this revelation of the unacceptably overwhelming prevalence of hypertension within the Nigerian populace, it is expected that there should be a prompt and effective response to the menace.

Unfortunately, in Nigeria, the problems caused by hypertension are worsened by the fact that most Nigerians are either not aware of the neccessity for regular blood pressure checks, or are unable to afford the checks.

As Nigeria joined the rest of the world to mark this year's World Health Day, on 7 April, the need to promote more awareness of the

causes and consequences of high blood pressure, as well as how it can be prevented, and to encourage national and local authorities to do more about this growing problem, became more prominent than ever. From hindsight, efforts at the three tiers of government have made little or no impact on the management of the condition which has been described the most common cardiovascular condition in the country.

Worse still, the problem of defining a strategy for its control and prevention confronts the society at present.

In 2012, Nigerians, infected and affected by hypertension, applauded when the National Biotechnology Agency Development Agency, NABDA, announced plans to set up a centre for the study of the genetic

Illegal advertisers of trado-medicine will be jailed — NAFDAC

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

H

ARD times await Traditional Medicine Practitioners, TMP, who flaunt the laws of the land as the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has threatened severe sanctions, including a jail term for illegal advertisers of herbal medicines.

Reading the riot act in Lagos during a stakeholders’ meeting on “Regulation of Herbal Medicines in Nigeria”, Director General of the Agency, Dr. Paul Orhii, said: “Time has come to address the challenges

confronting herbal medicine practice in Nigeria that has given room for unethical practices and exploitation of unsuspecting Nigerians.

“We have to weed out the fake from the legitimate practitioners and that is why we are stepping up enforcement from today, illegal advertisement of herbal medicines will attract severe sanction and even a jail term.

“There is need for sanity in the practice. But we are not going to seat back and watch people take advantage of Nigerians by advertising medicines that has no proven efficacy,” Lamenting the

pharmacological effect of various herbal products, Orhii said: “It is wrong to advertise a herbal medicine if you have not proven that your medicine is effective and safe by working with NAFDAC, Nigerian Institute of Pharmaceuticals Research and Development, (NIPRD) and other universities.

He disclosed that, already, NAFDAC has a pharmarcovigilance report of a pregnant woman who took herbal medicines and gave birth to a child without limbs.

“NAFDAC is not interested in

Continues on page 44

•NAFDAC Director General, Dr. Paul Orhii

and environmental determinants of blood pressure and associated cardiovascular phenotypes specificially amongst Nigerians.

According to the then, NABDA Director General, this was part of efforts to fight and stem the tide of hypertension. Nigerians are anxiously waiting to benefit from the project.

Also, in preparation for the United Nations summit on NonCommunicable Diseases which held in New York, in September 2011, the Federal government had inaugurated a Technical Working Group to come up with patriotic, articulate and cost effective framework for the country.

Effective framework Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu who was also Chairman of the Committee, had listed hypertension as one of the NCDs to be tackled by the committe. Well, the high level UN summit has come and gone, and the committee is yet to make siginificant recommendations about tackling the menance of NCDs. With the current situation, observers are questioning the true position of Nigeri’s policy on hypertension - whether diagnosis, treatment or prevention. It is no secret that many local hospitals even at the tertiary level are lacking in capacity to deal appropriately with diagnosis and treatment of hypertension.

Instances abound of suspected or confirmed hypertensive patients who are unable to access essential care and treatment. For

Continues on page 44

44—Vanguard, TUESD AY, APRIL 9, 2013 TUESDA

Jail term for illegal trado-medicine advertisers Continued from Page 43 your formula. Bring your medicines, and register with us.

We just want to do toxicological studies and make sure that the medicines are safe. Then, carry out efficacy study with NIPRD to make sure that it is effective in curing the condition it is claimed to cure.

“After that, we move on with the approval process. Then, you can go and patent your formula so that nobody will steal your formula. I have been very concerned about proliferation of traditional medicines particularly the herbs, roots and other allied products that have been put down in the public domain through the media with ridiculous and unsubstantiated claims of cure for ailment including serious ailment like HIV/AIDS,” he added.

He regretted that unsuspecting Nigerians rely largely on advertorials adding that, it behoves on us as a scientific developing body to either prove or debunk such claims scientifically so that people are not hoodwinked into spending huge sums of money for treatment that are ineffective

and sometimes may be too dangerous and cause harm.

Orhii, however, noted that herbal supplements can be beneficial to consumers but can also cause serious side effects and potentially dangerous conditions.

Further, he disclosed that a committee has been set up to look at health conditions such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, cancer, asthma, diabetes among others that could be tackled with local herbal medicines.

He regretted that Nigeria with the heaviest burden of malaria and large medicinal plants was yet to develop a medicine that could treat the disease even as the whole world is looking up to Nigeria to develop such medicine.

“We continue to import these anti-malaria drugs from other countries and today, the antimalaria drugs have remained the most counterfeited drugs in Nigeria. We should be making these medicines and selling to other countries. But here we are, spending huge amounts on medicines that we can produce locally.”

• Medical Director, Oral Health Scientific Excellence, Sensitivity and Acid Erosion, GSK, UK, Dr. Steven Mason, Managing Director GSK Consumer Healthcare Nigeria, Mr. Chidi Okoro and Sales Director, GSK, Vaibhav Bhanchawat at the unveil of Sensodyne Rapid Action in Lagos.

Tambuwal leads campaign against Noma disease

BY JEMI EKUNKUNBOR

A

S cases of Noma disease progressively rise to alarming dimensions, Speaker of the House of Representative, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, is flagging off an awareness

Pharmacists caution against high consumption of noodles, paracetamol

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

Calling for improved awareness on the causes S Nigeria joined the rest of the world to and consequences of hypertension in line with mark this year’s WorldHealth Day on April goals of the World Health Day 2013, which is 7, with the theme “High Blood Pressure”, the “greater awareness, healthy behaviours, improved PharmaceuticalSociety of Nigeria, PSN, detection, and enabling environments”, he cautioned against unrestrained consumption of argued that the right systems and services should foods such as noodles which are high in salt be in place to promote universal health coverage content,and drugs such as paracetamol that and support healthy lifestyles within the Nigerian contain sodium, as a way of effectively populace. “Access to good quality medicines, addressing risk factors for raised blood pressure which are effective and inexpensive, is also vital, particularly at the primary care level. Aswith other or hypertension.

Giving the warning in a statement to mark non-communicable diseases,awareness aids early the Day in Lagos, President, PSN, Pharm. detectionwhile self-care helps ensure regular Olumide Akintayo said: “The risk of developing intake of medication, healthy behaviours and high blood pressure can be reduced by reducing better control of the condition. salt intake, eating a balanced diet, avoiding harmful use of alcohol, taking regular Uncontrolled physicalactivity, maintaining a healthy body risk factors weight, and avoiding tobacco use.” Akintayo observed that, just like in advanced countries, “Many can point to examples of joint action – reduction of hypertension in the across sectors – that is effectively addressing risk Nigerianpopulation can only be effected factors for raised blood pressure. In contrast, many through strong public health policies such as developing countries are seeing growing numbers reduction of salt in processed food and widely of people who suffer from heart attacks and strokes available diagnosis and treatment that tackle due to undiagnosed and uncontrolled risk factors hypertension and otherrisk factors together. such as hypertension.

“The risk of developing these His words: “The complications is higher in the Pharmaceutical Society of presence of other Nigeria, PSN, admonishes the cardiovascular risk factors such consuming public on dietary as diabetes. However, high patterns which is critical in blood pressure is both hypertension. Some popular preventable and treatable. diets like some brands of Doing so is far lesscostly, and noodles accountfor 61 percent far safer for patients, than of daily salt requirement in the interventions like cardiac bypass smallest packs. surgery and dialysis that may “Newly promoted brands of be needed when hypertension soluble paracetamol with about is missed and goes untreated.”

450mg ofsodium per tablet On the role of pharmacists in which transcends 2.7g daily hypertension, Akintayo noted when six tabs are taken a day that as the most accessible will be inimical to the health of healthcare professionals in a hypertensives and so call for caution,” Akintayo said.

Continues on page 45 • Pharm. Olumide Akintayo.

A

campaign against the deadly disease on Monday, April 15 in Lagos, as an initiative of the Paul Jegede Foundation, sponsored by Japaul Oil and Maritime Services.

Noma, also known as cancrum oris is an acute gangrenous disease that occurs when the immune system is compromised leading to the destruction of the face, especially the mouth and cheek.

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, GMD/ CEO of Japaul Oil and Maritime Services Plc, Mr Jegede Abiodun Paul said the campaign will help debunk myths surrounding Noma disease.

“We are embarking on this awareness campaign because

the level of ignorance about the disease is too high and a lot of people are dying from it.

“In 2006, a survey showed that over 126,000 Nigerians are infected. You can imagine what the figure would be now. And a lot of people think it’s an act of God, some think it’s ancestral curse or the anger of God. “Yet, the disease can be corrected with antibiotics if detected early or prevented from occurring with the right nutrition.”

Appealing to people with Noma to come forward and receive treatment and not feel stigmatized, he said the Foundation is partnering with doctors from France to give corrective surgeries to patients with the full blown disease.

HBP: Why FG must act now Continued from Page 43 instance, lack of functionally equipped ambulance services has in no small measure put millions of Nigerians in potential danger as emergency rescue and early resuscitation for patients with severe complications of hypertension is a Herculean task.

But for the efforts of some independent groups, individuals and corporate bodies, the response to the management of hypertension would have been even less acknowleged.

However, to tackle the challenges posed by hypertension and its complications, stakeholders are calling for improved awareness on the causes and consequences. National President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Pharm. Olumide Akintayo said: “Greater awareness, healthy behaviours, improved detection, and enabling environments.

He argued that the right systems and services should be in place to promote universal health coverage.

President, Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Dr Osahon Enabulele, says government should, through policy formulation on NCDs and enhanced funding, raise the bar in preventive and promotive health care activities and critical care in various hospitals.

“There should be a deliberate effort at promoting healthy lifestyles in the populace. This should come in the form of modifying designs of residential estates to create walk ways, bicycle tracks and neighbourhood centres with recreation facilities. Government must do more to increase Universal Health Coverage for Nigerians.”

As hypertension management depends mainly on accurate measurement of blood pressure, efforts should be made to sanitise the medical/blood pressure equipment supplies and marketing sector.

Reports show there are more fake blood pressure meters in the market than the genuine. Readings from these malfunctioning equipment have misled not a few with dire consequences. Also, local drug and medical equipment manufacturing should be encouraged to help reduce cost of anti-hypertensive drugs.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013—45

Toxins and Cancer: Exactly What to

A

VOID Drinking Water and Chlorine: The chlorination of water began in the United States in the early 1900’s as a response to serious diseases such as typhoid fever and cholera that were being spread through contaminated water supplies. This treatment of water was very effective in wiping out these deadly diseases. This chlorinating of the water supply continues today with less than two percent of water treatment facilities NOT using chlorine or chlorine products to treat water.

But today we’re beginning to learn that this practice may be taking our health to different thresholds of diseases,

particularly cancers. The U.S. Council of Environmental Quality reported that “Cancer Risk Among People Drinking Chlorinated Water is 93 percent Higher than Among Those Whose Water Does Not Contain Chlorine.”

Chlorine mixed with certain organic matter produces trihalomethanes, and volatile organic chemicals both of which can activate free radicals in the body.

Free radicals have been shown to cause cell damage which in turn can lead to cancer.

Several decades ago research revealed that the above two dangerous chemicals are found in chlorine treated water and not found in the water prior

Julia Oyefunke Fortune

The Cancer FIGHTER juliafortune@hotmail.com to treatment. The EPA, in 1979, issued guidelines for the maximum content of THM’s in water. Unfortunately, this is hard to test for and difficult to enforce.

It’s interesting to note the French lifestyle at this point. The French have been noted to have surprisingly low rates of cancer and heart disease.

One theory is that they consume not only red wine loaded with vital resveratrol, they also consumer bottled

mineral water or ozonated water. You can find non-chlorinated water on just about any grocery store shelf in the civilized world today. Although it may seem financially ridiculous to pay good money for something that flows freely out of our home water taps, taking the facts about drinking chlorinated water into consideration makes buying pure spring water a very wise cancer preventative.

Health experts meet in Lagos

H

EALTH experts from major institutions in Nigeria will this Thursday begin a two-day meeting in Lagos. The meeting which is expected to bring together specialists in developmental delays in children as well as special education will analyse the progress so far recorded in the area of identification and management of children living with Cerebral Palsy in

Nigeria. The venue of the meeting is Peninsula Hotel, Lekki, Lagos.

A statement released by the founder of Benola, a cerebral Palsy initiative, Air Vice Marshal Femi Gbadebo said the experts would work with the group to develop a blue print aimed at guiding and structuring a system of care for children living with Cerebral Palsy and their families in Nigeria.

Noodles and paracetamol Continues frompage 44

• Mrs. Otome Mercy Ekpoke, Founder, Graceland Diabetes Foundation, screening a beneficiary for diabetes during a free diabetes screening programme organised by the Foundation recently in Lagos.

community, pharmacists can verify and improve the patients’ knowledge about necessary lifestyle modifications and use of medicines and improve adherence to therapy. “Pharmaceutical care of hypertensive patients by pharmacists has been demonstrated to significantly improve adherence to antihypertensive therapy thereby

improving blood pressure control.”

Hypertension as a silent, invisible killer that rarely causes symptoms, but increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and one which left uncontrolled, can also cause blindness, irregularities of the heartbeat and heart failure.

Blood pressure measurement of 140/ 90mmHg and above is regarded as high

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46 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

No respite for structures along pipelines, power-lines •Victims blame govt, land-grabbers for their woes •Churches, mosques, estates, schools, markets, others demolished

A

FTER several warnings to owners of structures along pipeline and powerline areas to vacate such settlements, agents of the Federal Government, last week, moved in with bulldozers, cranes and other equipment to pull down the marked structures.

Such buildings were built along the prohibited routes in Lagos state .

As part of efforts to curb the activities of vandals as well as protect lives and properties, President Goodluck Jonathan, approved a multi-billion naira contract for the protection of System 2B oil pipeline network from Mosimi to Ibadan in the South West region within 90 days.

The System 2B pipelines take petroleum products from Atlas Cove to depots in Ejigbo, Lagos state, Mosimi, Ogun state, Ibadan, Oyo state, Ilorin, Kwara state and Ore, Ondo state.

Subsequently, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, in carrying out the executive order, engaged the services of engineers from the Nigerian Army, other security agencies to re-establish the right of way for pipeline networks.

Several buildings and other structures, in their thousands, have been brought down in the on going exercise with several others still awaiting demolition.

Thousands of families, owners

of structures are left to leak their wounds in places like Ayobo, Isheri and Ejigbo areas of the metropolis.

When Vanguard visited the area at the weekend, many buildings, especially makeshift shops, and containerized shops had been turned into rubbles.

An NNPC signpost, already weather beaten, gave an inkling into what is happening several years after its erection. The signpost erected at Pipeline Bus stop, Isheri area of Egbe-Idimu Local Council Development Area, LCDA, like others along the stretch warned thus; “Highly inflammable petroleum pipelines.

No erection of building or any structure. Erection or encroachment on the pipelines right of way is illegal according to FG law and at owner’s risk.”

At the scene of demolition, scores of residents were seen in pensive mood, discussing the

,

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

The exercise which reached the area last Tuesday, after the Easter break, affected a number of

,

Some traders and occupants in these areas are calling on federal government to give them some time to plan for proper relocation

demolition in groups and lamenting their plight.

Some youths displaced from their shops were seen picking up whatever they could savage from the rubbles while some were playing football in the large expanse of reclaimed land.

churches, mosques, particularly, a ultra Modern Proposed Police Association Housing Estate, initiated by the then Inspector General of Police, IG, Sunday Ehindero.

Speaking with Vanguard, a school proprietor, Mr. Adeyemi

Ajayi, whose multi million naira residential building was partially affected along Community Road, Pipeline area, Isheri said; “What government wants to achieve is good but they (government) actually created this problem for the people.

“Governor Babtunde Fashola first started it when Ejigbo pipeline went up in flames after vandals burst the pipeline which claimed several lives. Fashola’s government in reaction to the development ordered demolition of some structures along the oil pipelines.

“Subsequently, some structures were demolished but the space

was left fallow.

“Before long, area boys and miscreants started living in some of the half demolished buildings, why land-grabbers, otherwise known as Omo Onile, (meaning owners of land in Yoruba language), sub let spaces to unsuspecting tenants and traders. “ I bought my own house,13 years ago from a former owner who claimed he bought the land from the original owner 34 years ago.

“The man explained to me that, initially, there was no pipeline in the area, that it was later the federal government came informing Continued on page 47

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013 — 47

•The floating school

Floating school for Makoko slum residents

BY MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

R

ESIDENTS of Makoko/ Iwaya Waterfront in Yaba Local Council Development Area, LCDA, will soon begin to enjoy the luxury of a floating school jointly built by the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP and NLE Works, Nigeria. The three storey floating building is part of the regeneration plan for the coastal community.

According to the builders, the construction of the school is aimed at achieving the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, Goal II, which is to boost univer-

No respite for structures along pipelines, power-lines Continues from page 46 the earlier settlers of it’s intention to lay pipes. “Nobody was warned of the danger. Ignorantly, the settlers agreed only to be harassed much later that they were living close to the pipeline which is prohibited by law.

“Well the government has carried out the exercise and they own the land, I think they should look for a way to resettle some of the victims with valid papers to minimise their loss.”

Powerlines

Meantime, a similar demolition exercise is taking place under powerlines in the state.

Speaking on erection of illegal structures under powerlines, Mr. Adeyanju Pekun, Assistant General Manager, Public Affairs, Ikeja Distribution Company of Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, told Vanguard that the measure became necessary because the rate at which residential buildings are being constructed close to PHCN power lines is alarming especially in Lagos.

Some of these power lines include 133KV used for transmission, while 11KV and 33KV are used for distribution.

Also, several buildings and structures built along Powerline Road, in Idimu-Ikotun to Ejigbo Area have been marked for demolition. Traders and owners of structures have started removing some of their belongings in fear so as not to be caught unawares by the demolition squad. However, some traders and occupants in these areas are calling on federal government to give them some time to plan for proper relocation.

sal primary education.

This came barely eight months after the Lagos State government demolished hundreds of ‘illegal structures in the area.

When Vanguard visited the site of the floating school at the weekend, residents of the community were already heaving a sigh of relief, anticipating that many of their children will now have access to sound education.

Vanguard gathered that the new primary school named ‘Makoko Floating School’, was built on a foundation of 256 plastic drums and powered by solar panels suspended on the roof. Investigation further revealed that, many residents are praying that the design will be approved by governor Babatunde Fashola. Sources also told Vanguard that the floating school cost N993, 750 ($6, 250), because of its size. Mr. John Adugbo, a resident of Makoko, said: “We have been waiting for the project that will aid more children to attend school. Presently, many children don’t have access to good educational facilities.

All we have is a school that was constructed to serve as a palliative measure because of our peculiar challenge of being surrounded by water.”

The founder of NLE, and promoter of the floating school, Mr. Kunle Adeyemi, who spoke to Vanguard from his Netherland office, said: “The desire to construct the school was born out of curiosity after I visited the community and interest in the coastal community, where despite the little income made daily by the breadwinners, they have never stopped developing the infrastructure.”

Explaining the building’s features, Adeyemi said: “The ground floor of the school would serve as an open recreational space for the pupils during the day and at night and weekends, their fathers can converge and hold meetings.” He added that the first floor and the upper floor have classrooms that would serve their primary purpose.

According to him, “the structure will accommodate over 100 students and their teachers and it is an extension of the only existing school in the coastal community.”

Vanguard gathered that the community which has over 100, 000 residents has only one primary school, called ‘Whayinna Nursery and Primary school’ and no secondary. Adeyemi continued “the floating school is an extension of the existing primary school which could only provide sound education service to less than 200 children in the community.”

48 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

•Aerial view of The National Arts Theatre Complex, Iganmu, Lagos.

National Theatre: Settlement experts weigh implications of redevelopment •Complex should have complementary uses like hotels •Master plan should be reviewed to determine its relevance

W

HY did the Federal Gov ernment wait for about 40 years of the existence of the National Arts Theatre before deciding to commence the full implementation of the original master plan of the complex? Is the master-plan upon which the Government is now hinging its decision to build a five-star hotel and shopping mall at the complex still relevant in present day Nigeria?

Will the Federal Government construct more roads into the complex to complement the existing ones or will it be integrated into the Lagos/

Badagry Expressway redevelopment being undertaken by the Lagos State Government?” These were some of the posers raised by settlement experts who spoke to Vanguard Homes & Property on the proposed redevelopment of the National Arts Theatre at Iganmu, Lagos.

Tourism drive News broke last week that the Federal Government, as part of its tourism drive, plans to redevelop the National arts Theatre complex to incorporate a five-star hotel, a shopping mall and a multi-level car park. The pro-

posed redevelopment, according to Ministry of Tourism officials, was contained in the original master plan of the complex which was built by Messrs Technoexportsroy, a Bulgarian construction company.

Built environment experts who reacted to the proposed redevelopment, noted that although it would boost economic activities in the area, the adverse effects should be looked into and steps taken to mitigate them.

A former President of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, NITP, Mr. Wahab Kadiri stressed the need to have a second look at the master plan because the assumptions upon which they

were made, might have changed drastically. “The relocation of the Federal capital from Lagos to Abuja will affect the concept that was there before. What I am say-

,

By JUDE NJOKU & KINGSLEY ADEGBOYE

home that is well-lit. To a burglar, a house with lights on is a house where there is potentially someone home. Since a lot of a thief’s motivation is to be able to steal without getting caught, they will usually avoid burglarizing a house that is well-lit. Leave a few lights on when you leave home for a few hours, in order to help protect your home. If you’re worried about the electrical expense, switch to fluorescent light bulbs, which do not require as much electricity.

Secure your windows

A significant percentage of burglars are able to enter a home through an unlocked first-floor window. Remembering to lock your windows isn’t simply a precaution – it’s a necessity. Get into the habit of checking all of your windows before you leave the house, just as you would check that all of your doors are locked. Try to encourage other family members to follow this behavior as well.

Get a guard dog Ensuring the safety of your family and home can be

,

There is always need for revision of plans because your assumptions would have changed, and the basis for the thinking would have changed

ing in effect is that a bad plan is better than no plan at-all.

However, there is always need for revision of plans because your assumptions would have changed, and the basis for the thinking would have changed,” he said.

How to secure your home BE sure that all copies of your house key are accounted for, and are not stored anywhere near the entrances to your home.

Though it may be tempting to hide a house key under a flowerpot or doormat, remember, criminals are aware of these hiding spots too. If you want to have an accessible extra key, leave it with a trusted family member or neighbor for safekeeping.

Turn on the lights It’s a statistical fact that burglars are much less likely to target a

Kadiri who is a former Rec tor of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun State, advised the government to take the flood-prone terrain of Iganmu into consideration. “Whoever is going to deal with the complex must first of all deal with the problem of drainage in that area because that is the greatest challenge in that area. Nobody can take that place out of Badia and Ijora in terms of their flood problems. The larger environment should also be taken into consideration,” he said.

The former NITP boss called on the Government to make the original master plan available to experts who will study it to ascertain whether its implementation is still necessary today.

In his reaction, the Vice President, Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria, ATOPCON, Mr. Moses Ogunleye stated that although building a five-star hotel and shopping mall will up boost the economic viability of the underutilized complex, he posited that it would compound the traffic problems in the area.

“The National Arts Theatre is a museum. It is an architectural icon and a major land use development in Lagos. A major urban design element such as the National Arts Theatre is what you identify Lagos with. But the facility has been under utilized in the last three decades, may because the Federal capital was moved to Abuja, which is still part of planning and management.

About the plans to add other uses such as hotel and shopping mall to the complex, ordinarily, the development of that nature should

guaranteed with the intelligence of a guard dog. If you’re thinking about purchasing a family dog, you may also want to consider choosing a breed that can also make an effective guard dog. If you’re only looking for a dog that will alert you by barking at intruders, there are many breeds that make good “watchdogs” as well. When choosing a dog that will be good with other family members, you do need to exercise a bit of caution.

have complementary uses such as hotel and shopping mall. In fact, the complex should be part of tourism element of Lagos State because it is a massive facility that needs to be fully utilized. But if they had this plan of building a five-star hotel and a shopping mall within the complex, why did the government wait till about after 40 years of existence of the complex before deciding to commence the full implementation of the original master plan of the complex? May be they will tell you lack of funds was the reason.

The land use scenario around the area must have changed. I am sure that some of the roads that were not taken into consideration during the construction of the complex , will be an issue now because there must be accessibility to the new complex and its environs. A five-star hotel is massive with its other ancillary services.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013 — 49

Lagos boosts housing stock with 76-unit Ikeja Millennium Estate Stories by KINGSLEY ADEGBOYE

L

AGOS State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola will today, commission the Ikeja Millemium Housing Estate. The commissioning is pursuant to the avowed commitment of the state government to provide decent accommodation for Lagos residents in line with the policy direction in which the state identified housing as one of its four cardinal points.

Located in the high brow Muiz Banire Street, GRA Ikeja; the 76-unit four-bedroom maisonettes duplexes stand elegantly to complement the landscape of the neighbourhood. The completion of the estate which is made up of 10 blocks. Nine of them have eight units of maisonettes each, while the 10th block comprises seven units. Ministry of housing officials

described today’s ceremony as yet another milestone in the history of government intervention in bridging housing deficit in the state. A statement from the ministry which was signed by Mr. Segun Ogundeji stated that the tastefully finished estate is a cynosure of all eyes. In a bid to make the estate functional and self sustaining, complimenting infrastructure facilities such as well paved network of roads, car park, mini water works, electricity and properly landscaped environment were provided.

“For security of lives and safety of the properties of residents and visitors to the estate, it is protected by a perimeter fence and manned gate houses. The debut of the estate will surely boost the socio-economic dynamics of the neighbourhood positively”, Ogundeji said.

•Ikeja Millennium Estate to be commissioned today.

Lagos Housing Fair to focus on climate change and housing delivery

A

PPARENTLY worried by the effect of climate change on housing de velopment, this year’s edition of Lagos Housing Fair slated for Lagos between April 29 and May 4. will “direct the nation’s attention to the debilitating effects that climate change could have on all aspects of housing delivery”.

The chairman of the fair organising committee, Mr. Moses Ogunleye said the fair will beam its searchlight on the implication of the climate change phenomenon on housing development.

“Specifically, we intend to direct the nation’s attention to the debilitating effects that climate change could have on all aspects of housing delivery. These include design, land use management, material usage/specification, construction methodology, infrastructure, as well as finance.

Besides, the theme is to refocus on the issue of mitigation plans for housing management in view of the continuous likely negative impact of climate change on the housing sector,” he said. Continuing, he said: “From available records, the climate change phenomenon will impact heavily on the building construction sector. For example, the increased intensity of rainfall could weaken the soil structure of communities in the mangrove swamp and fresh water vegetation areas or along the coast. This could threaten foundation of buildings in Lagos State and the remaining seven other states along the coast.

There may be increase in the incidences of collapse of building during raining season, when the soil is made to absorb more water. Nigeria as a country should be able

to curtail this in order to avert loses”.

The Beachland Resources boss regretted that more spaces are being covered with concrete instead of greens. “Now that governments in Nigeria – Federal and State levels - like other governments in the world have accepted the reality of climate change, then adaptation should be promoted as a good way out. It means that buildings must be designed to more than ever withstand the vagaries of climate change. Design must enhance ventilation and natural lightening in order to reduce energy consumption and so on. It should also follow that material for construction should not only be durable and cost effect but must also be climate proven,” he said.

On how to achieve this in a developing country with a a greater number of the people living below the poverty line, Ogunleye said: “The first attempt is to educate the public on the reality and likely impacts of climate change. In addition, we are of the opinion that we should use the Fair to propagate mitigation strategies from likely damage to housing facilities as a result of climate change. Since the exhibition usually have a cross section of participants, we believe it remains a good platform to highlight issues of mitigation strategies for climate change for developers, manufacturers, researchers, as well as policy makers.

As a way of revitalizing the Nigerian Housing Sector, he assured that the Lagos Housing Fair will continue to focus on contemporary issues in the housing development.

Remembering Thatc her’s Thatcher’s Nigeria visit in 1988

BY UDUMA KALU & PRINCE OSUAGWU

I

T is arguable whether the late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was regarded as a friend of Africa or not.

But obviously her policies towards the continent were viewed with anger and condemnation.

More so, her son, Mark, was jailed for plotting a coup against the government of Equatorial Guinea.

No wonder when she visited Lagos, Nigeria on January 7, 1988, she was greeted with protests.

Although the protest was peaceful, the trade union leaders burned the British flag However, the demonstration in Nigeria was mainly against Britain’s support for apartheid in South Africa.

Thatcher had come from Kenya after three successful days. Nigeria was the final leg of her African tour but she was to meet a critical crowd including the military government, which was in power at the time and the vocal press.

For the first time Thatcher was forced to admit that Britain would do more to help dislodge Apathied in South Africa.

But the quintessential Thacher was as diplomatic as ever in responses to the allegations and protests.

Hear her: “You gave me a full account of Nigeria’s demanding economic recovery programme, for which I expressed full support. And we also discussed a number of wider African and international problems.

I believe— and I hope you will agree— that we have as a result taken an important step in removing any remaining misunderstandings between Nigeria and Britain, and in putting our relations on a thoroughly sound and friendly footing.

One aspect of our relations which is particularly important to us, and, I believe, to you, is the military one. Our links are substantial and long-standing. You and I devoted some time to discussing them today,

•Margaret Thatcher and I told you of our offer to provide financial assistance for Nigeria’s military training needs.

“Over the last two years, we have watched with interest and sympathy your efforts to relaunch Nigeria’s economy on a sounder footing.

On South Africa, she said, “Similar patience and persistence will be needed in tackling one of the most fundamental problems facing this continent and the world, a problem which arouses intense feeling in Britain as well as in Nigeria: that of apartheid in South Africa. I know how strongly I would feel if I were discriminated against because of the colour of my skin, and I therefore understand the anger and the frustration felt by others.

“Apartheid is a repulsive and a detestable system; a deep affront to human dignity

and basic human rights.

In its place we want to see a just society with a non-racial, representative system of government, under which all South Africans enjoy full political rights.

There is no difference between us in wanting to see that achieved. But the idea that the collapse of apartheid can be achieved by a concerted push from outside to destroy the South African economy is, I believe, an illusion.

Punitive pressures would make the problems worse and multiply beyond all recognition the hardships already suffered by black South Africans and their children. Further these pressures would do untold damage to the economies of South Africa’s neighbouring states, and do corresponding harm to the well-being and hopes of their peoples”.

The Iron Lady in quotes

M

ARGARET Thatcher’s famous line “The lady ’s not for turning” has gone down as one of the former prime minister’s mostquoted expressions.

The phrase referred to her refusal to do a U-turn on her economic policy after unemployment rocketed by 500,000 in just one year to hit 2million.

However, that was not the late Iron Lady’s only famous quote as she made a number of pithy remarks during her 87 years on earth.

Here are at least seven of her top quips: 1) Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.

2) If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.

3) I am extraordinarily patient, provided I get my own way in the end.

4) To wear your heart on your sleeve isn’t a very good plan; you should wear it inside, where it functions best.

5) It is not the creation of wealth that is wrong, but the love of money for its own sake.

6) To cure the British disease with socialism was like trying to cure leukaemia with leeches.

7) I’ve got a woman’s ability to stick to a job and get on with it when everyone else walks off and leaves it.

50— Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

PDP crisis:

A final solution?

SINCE the advent of the Bamanga Tukur led executive of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the leadership has yet to take a breather from the spate of mostly self induced crises. Now, what could prove to be the most challenging crisis of legitimacy to face the leadership of the party is unfolding.

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR & HENRY UMORU

F

OR a party that is almost in perpetual crises, fighting one battle after another, the anxiety that swept through the corridors of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP last weekend was demonstrative of the enormity of the trouble at hand.

Not even the resourcefulness of its retooled publicity machinery could douse the anxiety that was gripping the national officers of the party.

More than a year after the party concluded a national convention where it chose its national executive committee, NEC, the alleged illegality and intrigues that shadowed the convention have come round to hit the party at its underbelly.

In the latest controversy to bestir the National Working Committee, NWC, it has emerged that the report of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC into last year ’s convention has condemned as unsatisfactory and against due process, the emergence of 12 of the 16 members of the NEC.

Influence of the governor *Tukur: Leading from crisis to crisis

Latest controversy The only four in the NWC whose elections were found satisfactory going by the INEC report, were the national chairman Bamanga Tukur, Col. Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who remarkably was suspended as national secretary last January, Bode Mustapha who was also removed as national auditor and the national financial secretary Elder Bolaji Anani. The six NWC members whose elections were found to have violated the party’s regulation were the deputy national chairman Dr. Sam Jaja, national organising secretary Abubakar Mustapha, national publicity secretary Chief Olisa Metuh.

Others were the national youth leader Alhaji Garba Chiza, national women leader Kema Chikwe, and national legal adviser Victor Kwom.

Remarkably, it was barely three months ago that Oyinlola was forced out of office in the midst of intrigues instigated by the battle between the camp of the governors in the party and former president Olusegun Obasanjo on one side and the

are the national treasurer, Hon. Bala Ka‘oje and the national youth leader, national youth leader Alhaji Garba Chiza and the national legal adviser, Victor Kwom. The court action aims to remove the trio and by that set the stage for the dissolution of the NWC. The thrust of the action expected against Chiza is that he is more than 60 years and as such cannot be qualified to be addressed as a youth.

Though the party’s constitution is silent on the age stipulation for a national youth leader those against him are hoping to ride on morality that a man 60 years of age cannot be qualified to direct the tendency of the youths in the party. Chiza is presently the subject of a court action instituted by a member of the party Adeyemi Olabode John who alleges that Chiza is 63 and not within the age bracket to be qualified as national youth leader.

*Kaoje: Treasurer is not an accountant presidency and the party’s embattled national chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur on the other. At the centre of the battle between the two forces was the direction of the party and the permutations for positioning ahead of the 2015 presidential elections.

The party, acting in line with a belated and still contentious court order had last January removed Oyinlola from office citing what it claimed was a court decision. That was despite the fact that the court decision was still in contention at appeal and despite the fact that Tukur, himself, could also have been consequentially affected by a strict implementation of the court order. The INEC action was upon the claim that the 12 came to office without election but through the process of affirmation against the provisions of the Electoral Act stipulating

*Chiza: PDP's 60 year old Youth leader

some other unnamed forces to force a crisis in the ruling party.

“We wish to alert Nigerians to a destructive plot by certain reactionary forces who working hand in glove with collaborators in the INEC have manufactured a spurious report, specifically aimed at destroying the credibility of the party’s 2012 National Kwom: National Legal Adviser Convention which brought in the current National Working that the election of party officials Committee (NWC) using judicial should be through the officers of questionable integrity,” democratic process.

Metuh had deposed.

According to the report The INEC report on the PDP published in a national daily convention is coming on top of yesterday, “The mode of election coming intrigues allegedly adopted for single candidates was not in accordance with the mode of election stipulated in paragraph 6.5 (i) of the guidelines for the conduct of the year 2012 congresses and national convention and, therefore, not acceptable to the commission.”

Yesterday, despite apprehension among many spearheaded by some senior officials of the PDP, the administration officials aiming to party ’s national publicity knock off some strategic officials secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh was of the present NWC. dismissive of the INEC report Sources close to the party claim telling reporters that the party that some members of the NWC was not obligated to the electoral are to be targets of court actions body. On Sunday he had alleged aimed at crippling the forces in a press statement a conspiracy against the interest of President by some crooked elements in Goodluck Jonathan.

Among those being targeted INEC working in cahoots with

But besides the matter of age and morality is the fact that Chiza is the candidate of Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State in the NWC and the court action is reportedly aimed at hurting the influence of the governor in the party. Chiza from Niger State was sponsored to the NWC by Aliyu following the exit of the former national youth leader.

Chiza made news after the national convention when it was claimed that he is more than 60 years old. Ka’oje is being dragged to court on the basis that he is not an accountant and as such is not qualified to hold the post of national treasurer.

The move against Ka‘oje is allegedly aimed at also limiting the influence of his governor, Alhaji Aliyu Wammako of Sokoto State who like Governor Aliyu of Niger State is believed not to be supportive of the 2015 ambition of President Jonathan. Kwon is the subject of attack based on allegations that he is less than

...the action expected against Chiza is that he is more than 60 years and as such cannot be qualified to be addressed as a youth.

10 years old in the bar against

the provision of the party’s constitution that the national legal adviser should be at least ten years old in the bar.

The attack against Kwon is, however, surprising given that Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau who sponsored him to the NWC has been known to be at peace with the Jonathan administration.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013 — 51

52—

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

Mission Impossible …....Galatasaray attempt to cancel 3-0 defeat

D

•Drogba

IDIER Drogba and his Galatasaray teammates have a tough task when they try to overturn a 3-0 deficit against Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday.

Drogba, who won the title last season with Chelsea, will take some cheer from his performance in Saturday’s domestic championship game against Mersin Idman Yurdu, when he scored two second-half goals in a 3-1 win.

However, the mood at Galatasaray was soured at that game by coach Fatih Terim’s anger at refereeing decisions in a row which led to him and his two assistants being sent to the stands, over-

shadowing preparations for Tuesday’s return leg in Istanbul.

In Madrid last week, Galatasaray were taught “a good lesson” by the Spanish side, according to Drogba.

“We’re not at their level but I think it’s a lack of experience more than anything else,” Drogba said. “We’re learning, we’re a young team.

There are things that need improving.

“It’s a good lesson, and one we have to show we’ve learned well in the return leg. We wanted to contain Madrid but we could have done it in a different way, with more audacity and aggression.

We could have caused them problems as we had chances but that’s the way it is,” he said.

His avour s Dor tmund Histtor oryy ffa ours Dortmund against Malaga NSC releases schedule for elections into the board of federations

T

•Gotze

B

ORUSSIA Dort mund is counting on history to repeat itself when it welcomes Malaga for the return leg of their Champions League quarterfinal today Dortmund, the only unbeaten side left in the competition, has progressed after each of its previous three scoreless away draws in the first

leg of UEFA competitions, and is confident of finishing the job at its Westfalen Stadium, where it has won all its games this season.

However, Dortmund missed a host of chances to seize an advantage in Spain last Wednesday and should be wary of the threat posed by surprise package Malaga’s blend of youth and experience.

HE National Sports Commission yesterday announced the schedule for elections into the boards of the various non-concessioned sporting Federations.

The elections shall commence with Zonal Elections this month and round off with the national elections in May 2013.

Collection of nomination forms begins April 10 to 15.. Interested aspirants are to pick the nomination forms for free at the national office/ headquarters of the Federation they wish to contest for.

April 16 -17 submission of nomination forms at the national office/ headquarters of their respective federations.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013 — 53

54 —

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

NFF backs Keshi call-ups N

IGERIA Football Federation (NFF) have thrown their weight behind coach Stephen Keshi over his call-ups.

Keshi has come under criticisms by some big players of the Super Eagles following their exclusion from the Eagles last World Cup qualifier against Kenya.

“We appointed Keshi for the Super Eagles job and we have resolved to give him a free hand to pick the players he deems fit to prosecute matches and thus far his selections have produced results,” a top NFF official stated.

The NFF technical committee have been mandated to mediate in a presumed looming dressing room crisis involving coach Keshi and his players.

“We are going to look

at the issues objectively.

A coach is a coach and is in charge of the team and can decide the players who could best play a game for him.”

NFF technical committee chairman Chris Green told MTNFootball.com “However, when players begin to complain and senior players for that matter, there is need for us mediate because the team can only achieve more when they are united. I remember how we resolved the issue of former coach Samson Siasia and Osaze Odemwingie.”

United Continues from BP summer. Aon will provide the club with business expertise in return.

Pa Ojidoh Continues from BP Ojidoh said from his Illah home yesterday.

After recalling, with fear, the recent posturing of the former Lokomotive Moscow attacker against Nigerian football authorities and the national team coaches, Ojidoh said, “ with time bombs already dropped

by Osaze on both the NFF and the coach, if he is called to camp with recently disgruntled players, the bombs will explode and shatter all the unity, peace, love, loyalty and productivity in the Super Eagles camp.”

Osaze’s penchant for face-offs with national team coaches from Shaibu Amodu, Lars Lagerback, Samson Siasia to the present coach, Stephen Keshi has become legendary and Pa Ojidoh does not see this as an attribute that can bring the desired peace and unity in Eagles camp.

“No decent organisation can safely accommodate Osaze’s antisocial propensity.

He needs time, prayer, advice and perhaps therapy to be rehabilitated.”

When Keshi considered recalling him last year Osaze told Keshi on phone that he was not happy that he was substituted during a Nations Cup qualifier in Rwanda and hoped such would not happen again. Keshi told him that if he had his way he would have changed many players that day but that FIFA rules allowed only three changes.

Keshi discussed with his assistants and their general conclusion was that Osaze, having appeared to be giving conditions for his return to Eagles, was not yet ready for the national team service. They left him out and he took to the social media, Twitter where he lambasted both the coach and the Nigeria Football Federation.

Osaze has also been having running battles with his England club, Westbrom.

Recognising the talent in Osaze, Pa Ojidoh said he prayed “God to grant him the serenity to know the things he can’t change. Courage to change those things he can change and the wisdom to know the difference of both.”

Nigeria defeats Ghana in Pepsi ICC World Cricket league

BY JACOB AJOM

N

•Keshi

Mikel

Continues from BP

“My target every season is to win trophies and qualify for the Champions League, nothing has changed. I still want them.

We are in contention for two trophies, Europa and FA Cup, which I believe we can win,” Mikel told MTNFootball.com “We are also third in the league as we want to play Champions League next season. “I am used to winning trophies and I don’t think I won’t win any

NFF seeks Gov Obi’s support

BY JOHN EGBOKHAN

T

HE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has solicited for the support of Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi in the preparation of the Flying Eagles for the forthcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey.

In a letter to this effect, the Secretary-General of NFF, Musa Ahmadu, while appreciating the Governor’s support to the team during their preparations for the recently held African Youth Championship in Algeria, said that the football ruling body now needed his support for the global competition. ” We are grateful to his Excellency and the good people of Anambra State for their contribution in the preparation of the Flying Eagles at the last AYC but as Oliver Twist, we are asking his Ecellency to assist us."

this season.

The Champions League is also a must for us.”

Mikel added: “We know it will be tough, it won’t be easy, but we are on course and in good position to achieve these targets.”

IGERIA beat Ghana by six wickets to record its first victory of the Pepsi-ICC World Cricket League division 7 tournament in Botswana.

Despite losing two early wickets, a patient half-century from Endurance Ofem (56) and a hard-hitting century from Oladotun Olatunji (127), including 15 fours and two sixes, saw Nigeria reach 256 in forty-five overs to record a victory by six wickets.

Stephen Bagabena took two wickets for Ghana, including that of man of the match Olatunji.

Earlier, Nigeria had restricted Ghana to 254 for nine. James Vifah

(41), Simon Ateak (34), Samson Awiah (35) and Obed Harvey (33) created a strong foundation for Ghana, before the middle order crumbled and the side lost quick wickets.

Saheed Akolade was the leading wicket-taker for Nigeria, with three for 43.

Nigeria captain Adekunle Adegbola was pleased with the high standard of the game, saying: “It was a wonderful game from both sides, and a sweet victory for Nigeria.”

A disappointed Peter Ananya, captain of Ghana, believed his side let too many chances slip, saying: “Our fielding was poor.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013 — 55

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

Champions League Fixtures Tuesday, April 9, 2013 B Dortmund v Malaga 7.45 pm Galatasaray v Real Madrid 7.45 pm Wednesday, April 10, 2013 Barcelona v PSG 7.45 pm Juventus v Bayern 7.45 pm

Champions League: Mission impossible

Osaze is a time bomb — Pa Ojidoh warns Keshi

BY JACOB AJOM

V

ETERAN sports administrator, Pa John Ojidoh is not excited by calls for the recall of West Brom of England forward, Peter Osaze Odemwinge to the Super Eagles. The former chairman of defunct

Bendel State Football Association said that such calls were illtimed and would be counter productive.

“Those who want Osaze to be recalled with a charged Yobo are sponsoring terrorism in the national team,” Pa

Continues on Page 54

•Galatasaray attempt to cancel 3-0 defeat P.52

United strike £150m training ground deal

M

•Ferguson

Mikel targets a double with Chelsea

N

I G E R I A international Mikel Obi hopes to help Chelsea win the FA Cup and Europa League this season.

He also wishes to qualify his London club to feature in next season’s Champions League.

Chelsea are currently third on the English Premier League table with 58 points from 31 games.

ON DUTY: Osaze on national assignment

Continues on Page 54

QUICK CROSSWORD

Sudoku TODAY'S

PUZZLE

•Mikel

ANCHESTER United have sold the naming rights of their Carrington training ground to Aon for an estimated £150 million.

The eight-year deal with Aon - the club’s current shirt sponsors starts in July, and the ground will be known as the “Aon Training Complex”.

The agreement will mean the American insurance company also have the right to display its logo on United’s training kit for friendly and competitive domestic fixtures, while they will become the club’s presenting partners for overseas tours, starting with the trip to the Far East this Continues on Page 54

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Fluent (4) 4 Bed (3) 6 Sage (4) 9 Perform (3) 10 Court (8) 11 Side (4) 14 Copy (3) 16 Intone (5) 19 Glue (8) 21 Iron (5) 23 Ensnare (8) 24 Office-worker (5) 27 Gratuity (3) 31 Difficult (4) 33 Briskness (8) 34 Droop (3) 35 Gala (4) 36 Expire (3) 37 Protuberance (4)

DOWN 2 Nobleman (4) 3 Infant (4) 4 Plot (8) 5 Story (4) 6 Observe (5) 7 Freeze (3) 8 Mark (5) 12 Fundamental (5) 13 Push (5) 14 Serpent (3) 15 Occurrence (5) 17 Proverb (5) 18 Levied (5) 20 Guess (8) 22 Undermine (3) 25 Tenure (5) 26 Crest (5) 28 Poet (4) 29 Seize (4) 30 Stalk (4) 32 Rodent (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Barter 5, Berate 8, Disperse 9, Clue 10, Gem 12, Blush 15, Sea 17, Eva 18, Arc 19, Err 20, Satan 21, Ark 22, Ire 23, Dim 24, Mat 26, Dirty 29, Pew 33, Shun 34, Proclaim 35, Frenzy 36, Grotto.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 2, Agile 3, Tape 4, 6, Rock 7, True 10, Gleam Based 13, Utter 14, Handy Askew 25, Abhor 27, Imply Evict 31, Anon 32, Also.

Rural 5, Bless 11, Merit 12, 15, Camp 16, 28, Thong 30,

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

P

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

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

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

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