Agagu Plane Crash: Senate summons Aviation Minister, others

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 61988

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

Lagos Govt shuts Stella Oduah, Fani-Kayode in verbal Lord's Chosen war over aviation crisis Church HQTRS 4

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AGAGU PLANE CRASH:

Senate summons Aviation Minister, others •Laments state of aviation industry

BY OKEY NDIRIBE, JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU & JOSEPH ERUNKE

•Plane was under repairs; test flight— Adeyemi A •Kabo Airline suspends pilot; FG to float national carrier •Ondo denies hiring crashed plane •P.11

BUJA — THE Sen ate, yesterday, summoned the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, DirectorGeneral of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, and the Managing Director of Nigeria

Continues on Page 5

COLUMNISTS:

OGAGA •P.19 IFOWODO

ROTIMI FASAN •P.19 DEAR BUNMI •P.53

Mr & Mrs

LYNCHED

—One of the three Nigerians accused of kidnapping a child is protected by security forces, yesterday, in Bissau, shortly before being lynched by a mob which managed to grab him from a police car as officers stood by powerless. Two other Nigerians were lynched for the same reason, yesterday. AFP PHOTO. See story on Page 4.

I CAN'T FEED MY QUADRUPLETS — DRIVER C M Y

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2— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

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4—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

Mob lynches 3 Nigerians accused of kidnapping in Guinea Bissau

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UINEA BISSAU— THREE Nigerians accused of kidnapping a child were lynched to death yesterday by an angry mob of young rioters in Bissau, according to a hospital source.

The trio was killed after the disappearance of a young boy in the capital of Guinea-Bissau.

A rumour quickly spread across the city that the child had been taken by a group of Nigerians, prompting an angry crowd to gather which security forces were unable to control.

An AFP journalist saw two of the Nigerian bodies in the morgue.

Hundreds of angry rioters, mostly young and armed with stones and bottles, managed to grab one of the suspected kidnappers from a police car as officers stood powerless, according to the AFP journalist.

“Death to Nigerians!

Enough is enough, stop!

The Nigerians must leave,” chanted the crowd.

Police fired warning shots and tear gas in an effort to disperse the mob, but they were unsuccessful.

The police called for reinforcements and soldiers from the Economic Community of West African States currently in the country were deployed in the town and managed to restore some sense of calm in the afternoon.

Nigeria’s embassy in Bissau, where many Nigerians sought refuge, was surrounded by security forces for protection.

Many shop-owners in the city closed because of the violence.

The latest abduction came at a tense time in Bissau, as in the past fortnight several kidnappings have been reported to the police.

Abductions are currently an explosive topic, among the general population and on radio shows in GuineaBissau, prompting a number of rumours about who has been responsible for the disappearances.

The authorities have enforced a travel ban on unaccompanied children and any adults travelling with infants who they cannot prove as relations are immediately arrested.

Fani-Kayode, Stella Oduah in 'war of words' over aviation management zShe is unnecessarily petty over issues, says Fani-Kayode zHe is ignorant — Stella Odua, Aviation Minister

BY SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL EDITOR, NORTH & OKEY NDIRIBE

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ORMER Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, yesterday, took up the incumbent, Stella Oduah, describing her as being unnecessarily petty in the handling of issues relating to the industry.

Fani-Kayode, who was responding to remarks made by Oduah against him, said that the incumbent Aviation minister and not him was the one who should bury her head in shame over the shambolic handling of the industry since her appointment.

Oduah had yesterday in Abuja dismissed Mr. Fani-Kayode over his ignorance, adding that his comments on the aviation sector conveyed the impression that he was under an unnatural influence.

She spoke in response to a reporter’s question during the opening ceremony of the African Regional Conference of Civil Aviation Navigation Organisation, CANSO, in Abuja.

She further stated that working with CANSO over the years had been fulfilling and enriching.

Said she: “The nation has had its fair share of challenges in the aviation sector but has adopted an attitude of refusing to relent in moving forward as a key strategy for improvement in the sector.”

According to her: “Aviation which is one of the drivers of the economy has ensured that we achieve double digit economic growth."

However, Fani- Kayode said that the remarks by the minister against him were uncalled for, malicious and petty.

“She reportedly said that I should bow my head in shame, suggested that I was "speaking out of context’’ in my essay where I called for her resignation and that I spoke under some "influence of something or other."

His words: “My advice and counsel to her is to grow up and stop being petty. She is meant to talk like someone who befits her office and not like a market woman.

“I do not like joining issues with women publicly which is why I was very gentle with her in my essay though I made my point. But this particular woman is endangering the lives of our people with her incompetence and insensitivity and we cannot just keep quiet.

“This is a woman under whose watch almost 200 people have been killed as Aviation Minister and instead of focusing on how to save lives her obsession has become smearing and abusing Femi Fani-Kayode.

“This is a woman who only yesterday told Nigerians that 'accidents are

LECTURE—Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State and guest lecturer (middle), Mr. Olalekan Odugbemi, Director, Institute of Security Studies (left) and Mrs. Florence Ikanone, Delta State Director of DSS, during a lecture by the Governor at the Institute in Abuja.

inevitable' and that they were 'acts of God.' This is a woman who thinks more about how her headscarf looks, her jewellery and the jewellery of others more than she does about protecting Nigerian air travellers.

“If anyone should bury her head in shame it is her and not me. After just under 200 of our fellow citizens have been killed under her watch instead of abusing her critics and those of us that have expressed our concern and offered our advise she should be seeking repentance from God and tendering her resignation.

“She should be attempting to encourage the Nigerian people and assuage their fears rather than indulging in petty and cheap sideshots and a futile press war.

“Instead of comforting the families of those that were lost she is opening her mouth and abusing me. What a shame.

Under her tenure we have beautiful terminals but deadly and blood-soaked skies. Our skies have become a death trap because she really doesn’t care.

“My advice to her is to shut up, get serious and focus on doing her job rather than attempting to smear me with her filthy lies and malicious innuendos.

“I raised some serious issues in that essay that was clearly

above her education level and I avoided personal insults.

“That is what civilised people do. She should learn from that and address the issues that were raised rather than spend her time trying to kill the messenger. When someone says that God is the author of fatal crashes you know that it is not the same God that we worship as that person.

“It is the devil that causes accidents and kills people and not God. You can say that a fatal accident is an act of God only if the devil is your god.

“When I speak and write I am under the influence of one thing and one thing alone- the Spirit of the Living God who sees through her and who knows her for what she is.

“She is the one that is under the influence of one thing or the other and not me. She is the one whose hands are filled with blood. She is the one that must bury her head in shame and noone else. I will pray for her because she needs it and I will pray for Nigeria too. May God deliver us from these people,” Fani-Kayode added.

Earlier, the Aviation Minister, Mrs Stella Oduah had stated that the transformation agenda of the present administration was anchored on a road map for the aviation industry.

Said she: “The thrust of this road map is safety, safety and security."

She further said that an important aspect of the strategy for developing the nation’s aviation sector is infrastructural development."

According to her, the Federal Government through the Nigeria Air Space Management Agency, NAMA, had embarked on the reorganisation of the sector.

She cited the execution of the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria, TRACON, project under NAMA as one of the achievements of the present administration.

"The completion of the project has resulted in other benefits like radio coverage of the nation’s airspace.

NAMA has put all these in place with the assistance of the Federal Government.”

She, however, said that her ministry would continue to partner with the nation’s political leadership to achieve its goals.

In his own speech at the occasion, the Managing Director of NAMA, Nnamdi Udo showered praises on the Federal Government for transforming the nation’s air traffic navigation services, adding that given the technology Nigeria had put in place, the nation had keyed into the role of making aviation in the Africa region a seamless process.

In his own remarks on the occasion, CANSO DirectorGeneral Mr Jeff Poole outlined the organisation’s vision to improve aviation safety and achieve seamless airspace across Africa.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013 — 5

POCKET CARTOON

APAPA-OSHODI TRAFFIC—Vehicles wade through the ApapaOshodi Expressway, Lagos, yesterday as the traffic chaos on the highway continues as a result of construction work on the road. Photo: Diran Oshe.

Plane crash: Senate summons Aviation Minister, others Continues from Page 1

Airspace Management Agency, NAMA to appear before it on an undisclosed date to brief senators on the situation of the aviation sector and the resurgence of crashes in the national airspace.

This followed the crash of Associated Airlines' aircraft in Lagos which claimed 15 lives; the loss of the tyres of Kabo Air aircraft when it made emergency landing in Sokoto and the suspension of Dana Air, all of which occurred within

one week.

A senator, Smart Adeyemi has also alleged that the crashed Associated Airlines' plane was on a test flight as it was under repairs after being grounded for some time.

The Senate while inviting the minister and the chief executives of the aviation sector, in a resolution condemned the resurgence of plane crashes in Nigeria and inability of relevant agencies to unearth the causes of the incidents.

Senate also mandated

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

When it comes to identifying a real leader…the proof of leadership is found in the followers. Dear Leader, who are your followers?

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

life is yours. Take the power to choose T what you want to do and do it well. Take the power to love what you want in life and love it honHIS

estly. Take the power to walk in the forest and be a part of nature. Take the power to control your own life. No one else can do it for you. Take the power to make your life happy —Susan Polis Schultz

You can move forward fearlessly on the path of your dreams, without anxiety or reservation in everything you do. So, today, boldly take one step in the direction of your dreams. Do so with complete confidence that there is always divine intervention; when you have done your part in creating, life blesses all your efforts and makes the difference. Learn to listen to the voice from within and the guidance and helpful suggestion that are open to you. If you learn to be still and to just be, you’ll always find an answer.

Doreen Virtues says, that our inner self, the soul is wise beyond limits, you can directly be in connection with the universal sources, which accesses all knowledge. Therefore, your wisdom comes from the same place as any genius, so even if you do not know a thing, you can always tap into the information that you seek. Just quiet your mind, ask and listen, the answers will come to you.

its committee on aviation to, as a matter of urgency, investigate the causes of the crash and ascertain the level of compliance by relevant agencies with the recent resolution of the Senate on the Dana air crash and air safety.

It further mandated the committee on aviation to investigate and identify lapses in the operation of laws and regulations guiding the aviation industry by the ministry and all its agencies with a view to correcting and streamlining same in order to avert further disasters.

Senate noted the unfortunate crash of the associated Airlines' propeller airplane EMB190 bound for Akure with the remains of a former governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Agagu and 20 passengers on board on Thursday October 3, 2013, and regretted that Nigeria had witnessed seven fatal air mishaps and averted crashes within the last two and half years which it said was unprecedented in the history of plane crashes in the country.

The resolution to summon the aviation minister and chief executives of the aviation parastatals was as a result of the motion sponsored by Senator Hope Uzodimma (PDP, Imo West).

Senator Uzodimma chronicled the number of air disasters that had claimed the lives of Nigerians as a result of

negligence by those saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that the air space was safe.

According to him, Allied Airlines (cargo aircraft) crashed on June 2, 2012 in Accra, Ghana killing about 10 people on the ground; Dana crash of June 3, last year, claimed the lives of 153 people on board, while the Nigeria Police helicopter that crashed on March 23, last year, killed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, DIG John Haruna and three other officers on board.

He also said that the Odenegene Air Services (OAS Helicopter) crashed on a flight to Akure in 2012, killing all on board and the Augusta 109 Helicopter that crashed in Bayelsa State killing the former National Security Adviser, NSA, General Andrew Azazi; the Kaduna State Governor, Sir Patrick Yakowa; two naval pilots and two aides to the governor.

Senate worried over plane crashes The Senate said it was worried that resurgence of plane crashes in the country since 2011 was suggestive of a deepseated system problem that must be unravelled and resolved in order to avert further, unnecessary loss of lives.

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu who presided over the plenary commended members for the passion expressed while contributing to the motion, stressing that it was a pity the country had lost many lives as a result of air mishaps and that every life must count.

Ekweremadu said that one of the problems in the aviation sector was the issue of safety standards and that the problem of the sector was from those saddled with the responsibility to enforce standards, adding that the Senate would make sure that every regulation was enforced.

Contributing to the motion, Senator Ali Ndume, PDP, Borno South said going by the contributions of the senators, what they were doing was lamentation and that they were not elected to lament, adding that resolutions taken by the senate were not implemented.

He said: “Last time we said that Dana operations should be withdrawn, they said no.

Only last week, they said Dana has been suspended. We should ensure compliance after motions have been passed.”

Crashed plane on test flight — Senator Adeyemi But Senator Smart Adeyemi, PDP, Kogi West said that the problem with the aviation sector was as a result of corruption and that the Associated Aircraft that crashed was on test flight, based on what people told him during his investigations.

Adeyemi said that the plane departed Lagos for Akure on test flight and that it was under repairs before then and was supposed to carry only engineers for the flight test and not passengers.

He said that the government, especially the Ministry of Aviation had tried on facilities at the nation’s airport but that corruption was the main cause of the problems facing the sector. He insisted that it was pertinent to know the owner of the crashed airline and those managing it.

He further said that the airports were good but had the problems of technical regulators which he said was neck-deep in corruption.

Senator Ita Enag, PDP, Akwa Ibom North East called for thorough investigations into the matter and said that laws on aviation in the country were not enforced and that the minister had concentrated more on infrastructure and aesthetics while professionalism and suitability of the aircraft had been neglected.

He said that there was about 909 pages of rec-

ommendations on aviation safety but nothing had been done to implement them even as he said that in other countries professionalism and retraining of professionals were taken seriously which was not the same thing in Nigeria.

“We must go back and overhaul the system of monitoring and regulating the sector. We must make sure in our oversight functions that those saddled with responsibilities execute them efficiently,” he stated.

Senator Abiye Sekibo, PDP, Rivers East said that what was needed was beyond windowdressing and urged the Committee on Aviation to find out the air-worthiness of aircraft flying in the country, adding, “each time you board an aircraft, you know that you are in a coffin and you thank God if you make it.”

Senator Olubunmi Adetumbi, APC Ekiti North said that the provision of a good physical infrastructure was a good thing but did not constitute reform of aviation as the reform has to do with the people that manage aviation and the processes, adding that what the country was suffering from was a failure of regulation.

Kabo Airline suspends pilot Meanwhile, Kabo Airline has suspended its pilot who did an emergency landing at the Sokoto Airport last Friday which resulted in loss of the plane’s tyres.

This was disclosed yesterday in Abuja by the Managing Director of of Nigeria Airspace Management Agency Authority (NAMA) Mr. Nnamdi Udoh during an interactive session between the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah and newsmen.

6—Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

Man, 35, accused of raping 9-yr-old

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BADAN—AN Ibadan High Court, yesterday, remanded a 35-year-old man, Segun Majeed, in prison over alleged rape.

The prosecutor, Mrs Olumide Ojo, told the court that the defendant allegedly raped a nineyear-old girl on May 29, 2012, at the Army Barracks Primary School, Iwo Road, Ibadan.

She told the court that she was yet to respond to the application filed by defence counsel, Mr. Olaniji Olabinjo.

Ojo said she had just been served, that the court should give her time to respond.

Justice Mashud Abas ordered that the defendant be taken back to prison and adjourned the case till tomorrow.

9 dead, 6 injured in Katsina road crash

K

ATSINA—KATSINA State Command of Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, yesterday, confirmed the death of nine persons in a motor accident in Batagarawa Local Government Area of the state.

Alhaji Habu Dauda, the FRSC Sector Commander, told newsmen in Katsina that the incident occurred at 11a.m, Monday, at the entrance gate of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University, on KatsinaDutsinma Road.

He said the accident involved a bus with plate number AA 479 JH, whose driver lost control while trying to avoid collision with another vehicle coming out of the university.

MARCH AGAINST RAPE: A rally on rape awareness, organised by Child Protection Network, CPN, Gombe State Chapter, in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, and Gombe State Ministry of Women Affairs, held in Gombe, yesterday. NAN PHOTO.

Osun monarch acquitted of NYSC member's rape charge

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

O

SOGBO—ALOWA of Ilowa-Ijesa in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State, Oba Adebukola Alli, who had been standing trial over alleged rape of a former National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, member, Miss Helen Okpara for the past three years, yesterday, left the court premises a free man as Justice Oyejide Falola of an Osun State High Court sitting in Ikirun discharged and acquitted him.

Justice Falola, in his judgment, held that the complainant failed to show to the court bruises as evidence that she was raped, noting that the prosecutor also failed to show to the court her torn clothes as she had claimed in her submissions before the court.

Also, Justice Falola expressed displeasure on the attitude of the traditional ruler, saying that

he had denigrated royalty by sleeping with a corps member serving in his domain.

The controversial case in which the ex-corps member had alleged that the monarch raped her at his private residence in Osogbo, had suffered long adjournment at both the Magistrate’s and High courts before it was eventually determined yesterday.

Accused, no exhibits

Okpara, a 23-year-old excorps member, who served at the monarch’s domain between 2010 and 2011, had alleged that the monarch forcefully had canal knowledge of her when he cunningly took her to his private residence located at Rasco area, Osogbo.

Delivering his judgment, Justice Falola said Miss Okpara failed to tender enough exhibits to convince the court beyond reasonable doubt that she was raped by Oba Alli.

He submitted that a case of rape can only be established

investigation of the matter, stressing that police failed to conduct proper and objective investigations into the matter.

Judge blasts police, monarch

According to him, the monarch had, through his action, taken royalty into the dunghill and brought disgrace to his family and the community he rules.

However, Falola noted that social and moral behaviours are not punishable under the laws of the land, and thereby declared that the monarch should be discharged and acquitted.

Reacting to the judgment, state counsel, Mr. Femi Adedokun, who also represented Okpara, said the state government would, upon advise by Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, appeal against the judgment.

Counsel to the monarch, Mr. Taofeeq Tewogbade, described the judgment as “God’s judgment, which came at the appointed time.”

SALLAH: Lagos detains rams, as Nigerians

O

SALLAH: Rams at Zango Market, Tudun Wada, Kaduna, yesterday. NAN PHOTO.

with exhibits, which include the used bed sheet, the victim’s pants and a medical report which indicates forceful penetration, adding that the prosecutor failed to tender all these.

Citing the case of Corporal Nicholas versus the Nigerian Army, Justice Falola, in his over one hour judgment, stressed that a case of rape must be proved with injuries sustained on the private part and other parts of the body.

He said the court was not convinced that Miss Okpara sustained any injury on any part of her body and that the court was able to establish that both the monarch and the complainant had been having sexual relationship before a misunderstanding ensued between them.

Justice Falola said that from all evidences before the court, Miss Okpara was well known to everybody at both the palace and the private residence of the monarch.

He blamed the police for poor

FFICIALS of Lagos State Environment and Special Offences Enforcement Unit have confiscated dozens of rams on display for sale in a prohibited area of the state.

The task force had chased the ram sellers, who converged at Ijora-Olopa area, and carted their rams to an unknown detention centre.

The owners of the rams claimed they were unaware that the place was prohibited and also claimed they were not

forewarned.

The ram sellers, with seven days left to the Eid-el-Kabir festival, have appealed to Governor Babatunde Fashola to release the rams. They made the appeal, yesterday, in an interview in Lagos.

Meanwhile, some Nigerians in border communities of Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State are buying rams from Benin Republic barely a week to this year’s Eidel-Kabir.

According to reports, scores of people were seen carrying rams on motorcycles and vehicles into the country through the various routes linking Nigeria with Benin Republic.

Mr. Azeez Kora, a resident, said yesterday in Kosubosu that the price of ram in Paraque, a neighbouring town in Benin, was lower than what obtained in Nigeria.

He said: “The difference is too much. After the whole expenses from Paraque to

Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013—7

Driver's wife delivered of quadruplets zAlready had 3 boys, earns N30,000 monthly

BY ESTHER ONYEGBULA & RACHEAL OLAYIWOLA

A

Lagos driver, Kehinde Tijani, and his wife Grace, were recently blessed with a set of quadruplets at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi-Araba, Lagos, on October 1. They already have three sons before the new additions.

Ironically, what should bring joy is gradually becoming a source of worry for this couple, as Kehinde, a driver and Grace, a small-time caterer, were already living from hand to mouth before the four extra mouths put them at crossroads.

The family presently resides

in a tiny, rented one-room apartment at Ajangbandi in Okokomaiko, Lagos.

They expressed gratitude to God for the gift of children, but are saddened and fearful of an uncertain future occasioned by poverty and hardship.

Kehinde, who hails from Oyo State, said they need financial assistance to take care of his wife and children.

‘I need help’

He said: “I need help. I am a driver. I started driving someone last year and my monthly salary is so meager I can hardly feed three children not to talk of seven.

“I need help please. I want

the government and other people, who can, to come to my aid.

I don’t have money, I don’t have a house. I need about N1 million to take care of the medical bills of the children and their mother.

“My wife had two Caesarian Sections and since the birth of the babies last week they have been in an incubator. Also, with the arrival of the quadruplets, we need better accommodation for the children.”

I was told I had fibroid— Mother

Grace said: “When I discovered that I wasn’t feeling too well, I went to a private hospital, where they asked me to undergo scan.

“After the scan, they told me that I had fibroid. Then I came to LUTH and after several tests and a scan, it was revealed that I was pregnant with five babies.

“On hearing the news, I got really scared and depressed because of our hard condition.

Later, I had a partial miscarriage of one of the fetus because

of the fear and depression.

“I have been in the hospital since July. That was three months before I delivered, because of my health conditions.

All through this period, my husband had to struggle to make ends meet.

“Things have been difficult as he only earns N30,000 monthly, and we had three children before the arrival of these four.”

Grace from Delta state, said she has no history of multiple birth in her family.

She said: “I have been married for 10 years now. It is only my husband who is a twin. How can I take care of four babies at the same time?

“Please help us. The babies, three girls and a boy, have been placed in the incubator.

“The first baby girl weighed about 1.65kg, the second girl, 1.50kg, third girl 1.6Kg. The only boy tipped the scales at 1.45kg.”

At press time, the doctor that took the delivery was unavailable to speak on the babies chances of survival, but the spokesperson for LUTH, Mrs Hope Nwawolo, noted that the babies are in good health and medically stable.

Robbers kill 3 policemen in Lagos

BY ONOZURE DANIA

L

AGOS—NO fewer that three policemen were shot dead and one injured yesterday by suspected armed robbers in Lagos.

It was gathered that the robbers were operating on two motorcycles, popularly known as Okada, when they spotted a police patrol vehicle on routine duty and rained bullets on it, killing three policemen and injuring one other.

It was gathered that the policemen were attached to Area ‘C’ Command, Surulere.

A police source at Ijora Olopa area said one fully loaded pump action gun was recovered at the scene, while the corpses of the dead robber and policemen were taken to a mortuary.

State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar Manko, confirmed the incident.

Lagos gas plant fire injures three staff

BY UJU MBANUSI

UNDER WATER: Flooded Olajuwon Street, Tejuosho, Lagos, after a downpour yesterday. NAN PHOTO.

L

AGOS—THREE people were severely burnt during

Policeman, victim, 2 kidnappers killed in rescue operation council boss. mand, Mr. Etim Dickson, yesBYTONY NYONG

U

YO—ONE-time Chairman of Ikot Ekpene Local Government Council, Mr. Usen Ekene, a police corporal, and two kidnappers were killed during a rescue operation, which lasted many hours.

Ekene was kidnapped three weeks ago at Nyara Enyin Ntonguno in Ikot Ekpene. The kidnappers reportedly demanded N50 million as ransom from the family of the former

An indigene of the area, Mr. Richard Okon, said that when the villagers spotted the kidnappers’ den, they informed the police, who mobilised to free Ekene.

Okon said: “We did not know that the incident would result to loss of lives. The joint patrol team that tried to rescue Ekene from his abductors did their best, though they could not save him.”

Police Public Relations Officer, Akwa Ibom State Police Com-

terday in Uyo, confirmed the incident.

Dickson said Ekene, a police corporal and two suspected abductors died. He added that one other member of the joint patrol team, sustained serious injury.

Dickson said: “It is a big blow to the force. These are some of the things we suffer during rescue operation.

“You know this issue of rescuing people in a joint operation is not all that simple.”

import same from Benin Republic Kosubosu, the difference is still reasonable and worthwhile.”

He said that the rams that were being sold for between N45,000 and N50,000 in Nigeria were bought for between N30,000 and N35,000 across the border.

The Ram Sellers Association in Gure in Baruten Local Government Area, said its members were recording low sales following the importation of the rams from the neighbouring country.

Malam Salihu Kafinta, Chair-

man of the association, said that aside the scarcity of rams, customers were complaining of lack of money.

According to him, traders that used to come from far and near to patronise the Gure ram market were not seen this year.

In Lagos, Mr. Muhammed Mudi, leader of the ram sellers, expressed shock over the rams’ seizure, saying the situation was embarrassing.

Mudi said they were not expecting the officials since they

had approached an official of the Ministry of Agriculture, who gave them permission.

Reacting, Mr. Olaide Agboola, Chief Superintendent of Police, who led the team, said the State Ministry of Agriculture had designated some locations for sale of rams in the state.

Agboola said that he had sent some officers to Ijora on Sunday, who gave the ram sellers 24-hour deadline to vacate the place.

a fire outbreak at the premises of Second Coming Nigeria Limited Gas Plant, on LekkiEpe Expressway, Sangotedo, Ajah.

Newsmen were denied access into the building, while the entire premises was evacuated except for men of the Fire Service.

Information made available to Vanguard through the Public Relations Officer of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Mr. Ibrahim Fariloye, revealed that the incident occurred at 5:30a.m. due to the activities of suspected vandals.

He said they scaled the fence of the gas plant from behind the building and attempted to steal gas products from one of the tankers within the premises, but in the process the tanker caught fire.

It was gathered that the incident, which recorded no

casualties, left three of the company staff severely burnt, and receiving treatments at the Gbagada General Hospital.

He said: “We got an alert at 5:30a.m. that some people broke in from behind the building, and tried to vandalise a tanker that had gas inside.

“In the process, we don’t know what might have happened, but fire just broke out.

“Three staff of the company, who were badly burnt, are currently receiving treatment at the Gbagada General Hospital.

“Journalists were not allowed into the premises because of the risk involved. We don’t want to expose anybody to further risks. ““Apart from the tanker that the vandals attempted to steal gas from, which caught fire, no other company property was damaged. The entire staff have been evacuated.”

PARKED: An accident on Airport Road in Abuja, yesterday. NAN PHOTO.

8—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

National dialogue: Awolowo Foundation hails Jonathan zSays there should be 'no-go' areas

BY WILLIAM JIMOH

T

HE Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, OAF, has commended President Goodluck Jonathan over his decision to organise a national dialogue, stating however, that there should be no ‘no-go’ areas in the course of this national discourse.

The Foundation also stated that the conference should address true federalism as established by the founding fathers, with emphasis on granting the federating units room to develop competitively at their own pace.

The Foundation in a communique issued at the end of its executive leadership seminar on the national conference, also stated that the fact that people are not restricted will enhance frankness of discussions, as well as greater acceptability and respectability of the conference outcome.

The communique signed

by Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, and Dr Olatokunbo AwolowoDosumu, chairman and convener respectively, also stated that the present state structure should be reconfigured to more manageable and sustainable units, while the outcome of the conference should address and lay appropriate emphasis on the needs and aspirations of the Nigerian people.

Other members of the OAF are: Mr. Femi Adesina, Professor Ayandiji Daniel Aina, Professor Princewill Alozie, Professor Bolaji Aluko, Dr. Chris Asoluka, Professor Bukar Bukarambe, Mrs. Ayo Obe, Professor Ayo Olukotun, Dr Tunde Oseni, Professor Akin Oyebode, Professor Itse Sagay and Alhaji Yerima Shettima.

The group also gave other recommendations which include, “that the conference delegates should not be more than 400 members constituted 90 per cent by electoral colleges from ward, local government, state and zonal levels on the basis of non-partisan.

Jonathan promises special intervention fund to establish more hospitals

BY BEN AGANDE

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BUJA—PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, pledged that the Federal Government will fully explore the option of creating a special intervention fund that will facilitate rapid establishment of more centres of medical excellence across the country.

Speaking at an audience with a delegation from the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, President Jonathan described the recommendation of a special fund that will give low interest loans for the establishment of state-of-the-art medical facilities as a creative idea that will receive appropriate consideration from government.

He reiterated that his administration was “committed to working with professionals and the private sector to establish better medical facilities in the country and reduce the number of Nigerians who have to go abroad annually for medical reasons."

He said because of the importance his administration attached to the medical and educational sectors, he was determined to positively resolve issues that currently lead to labour disputes and strikes in both sectors.

The President said: “I believe that we must manage both sectors in such a way that people will not think of going on strike again. We will continue to proactively evolve measures that will help us to permanently overcome the problems that lead to strikes by health and education professionals.”

President Jonathan assured Dr. Enabulele and other members of the NMA delegation that his administration will take necessary action to ensure that the right conditions are created for Nigerian medical professionals to stay at home and avail Nigerians of their acknowledged skills and expertise instead of migrating to other countries.

The President said his government was determined to correct the anomaly of Nigeria being so strong in terms of human capacity in medicine, with about 25,000 Nigerian medical consultants currently practising in the United States alone, as confirmed to him by President Barack Obama; and yet being unable to treat many of its sick people in its own hospitals.

He said: “There is clearly a missing link somewhere and we will do everything possible to fix it. We will continue to work with professional bodies and stakeholders to come up with policies and actions that will help us overcome current challenges in our medical sector.

“We will work with the National Assembly to ensure the quick passage of the National Health Bill. We will take prompt action to reconstitute the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria. We will also consider recommendations for the establishment of the Office of SurgeonGeneral of the Federation.

“I believe that we must always do what is best for our country. We will review all the other issues you have

raised and act accordingly.

When things are done properly, issues of welfare and remuneration in the health sector will disappear.”

Dr. Enabulele had earlier

assured President Jonathan of the NMA’s support for his administration’s agenda for national transformation and proposed national dialogue.

The NMA President,

however, called for the urgent reconstitution of the main regulatory body in the health sector, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, which was dissolved in 2011.

DECORATION—From left: Dr. Osahon Enabulele, Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, President; Professor Umaru Shehu, Chairman, NMA BoT; and President Goodluck Jonathan, at the decoration of President Jonathan with the NMA insignia, during a visit to the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Photo: State House.

Fresh setback for Petroleum Industry Bill ...public hearing put off over Hajj

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU & JOSEPH ERUNKE

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BUJA—THE controversial Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, has again suffered setback in the Senate as the planned public hearing had been put on hold as a result of the ongoing Hajj by the Muslim lawmakers.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum, (Upstream) Senator Emmanuel Paulker, who confirmed the abrupt postponement of the public hearing in Abuja, said it was “due to circumstances beyond our control.”

Paulker said there was no cause for alarm as everything would be done to ensure passage of the bill, assuring that “at the end of the day, national interest will prevail and the PIB will see the light of the day in the life of this National Assembly.”

He also explained that opposition against the bill was only against some clauses in the bill, noting that International Oil Companies, IOCs, were only opposed to the fiscal regime of the bill while some northern governors were opposed to 10 per cent equity

participation of the host communities.

The Committee Chairman added that stakeholders had agreed that the laws surrounding oil and gas sector were obsolete and needed to be reviewed.

He said: “In the first outing that we had we slated two days for our public hearing, but we lost a colleague. We started hearing on the first day but the second day was the burial of Senator Pius Ewherido. We now agreed in a smaller committee of chairmen and vice chairmen that there was need for us to create room for those that never attended the hearing to attend.

Unfortunately, we scheduled it for October 9, but here again a lot of our colleagues went for the Hajj.

“The PIB is a very important bill, so important that we cannot exclude a good majority of members of the joint committee who are going on Hajj. It will not be fair for those who left for Hajj to come back and hear that we have gone ahead with the public hearing. So it is not correct to say that the PIB has suffered many postponements.”

Commenting on the controversy surrounding the bill,

Paulker said that the PIB was very important to every Nigerian and all the sectors of the economy, adding, “Oil is the main stay of our economy.

We are looking forward to a day that the economy would be diversified. There is so much reliance on oil.

“As long as the economy rests on oil and there is an Act that is coming to repeal all laws surrounding this single all important commodity, every serious minded Nigerian would be interested.”

Giving explanations for reason behind the recent postponement of the public hearing, he said he received calls that “if we hold the public hearing on October 9, it will not be possible for them to appear for the public hearing.

“One thing I will assure Nigerians is that everything humanly possible will be done to ensure that the PIB will see the light of the day.

“As soon as we have this last outing of the public hearing we will retreat to our committee level. We can decide to lock up ourselves for a week or two to filter the bill so that we can forward it to plenary.”

Paulker also allayed the fears of many that it was the National Assembly that would kill the bill, saying that “those are assumptions.”

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10—Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

Adeboye, OrelopeAdefulire exhort public servants to be diligent

Oba Akinloye empowers 2,322 youths

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

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BY OLAYINKA LATONA

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HE GENERAL Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye and Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke OrelopeAdefulire, have called on public servants to perform their responsibilities diligently with the fear of God to enhance service delivery.

Adeboye and Orelope-Adefulire spoke during a special prayer for civil servants at the National Headquarters of the church in EbuteMeta, Lagos.

While Adeboye urged civil servants to serve with the fear of God for the benefits of Nigerians, Mrs. Orelope-Adefulire urged Lagos state civil servants to remain dedicated to their duties to help government achieve its goals.

Minister condemns inappropriate irrigation system

BY DOTUN IBIWOYE

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INISTER OF En vironment, Darius Dickson Ishaku, has said inappropriate irrigation systems in different parts of the country have depleted water supply and damaged the environment.

Speaking at the induction and conferment of fellows and patrons of the Chartered Institute of Loan and Risk Management of Nigeria in Lagos, Ishaku insisted that companies operating in Nigeria were required to comply with existing environmental laws and regulations to ensure sustainable development.

Represented by Mr Kevin Ihebinike from the ministry, the minister lamented that the current technology was very expensive and prevented many people from either doing the risk assessment at all or doing an incomplete job.

SYMPOSIUM: From left, Mr. Chike Ubani, Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association, Ikeja Branch; Mr. Toyin Ayinde, Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Lagos State; Mr. Chike Ogbechie, representing Dr. Tunji Olaopa, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Youth Development and Mr. Gbenga Adefaye, GM, Publications and Editor-in-Chief, Vanguard Newspapers, both discussants, during the valedictory symposium in honour of Mr. Adesegun Ogunlewe, Head of Service Lagos State, entitled: ‘Public Service as an Instrument for Good Governance and Desired Change, at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez

HE OJOMU of Ajiran Land, Oba Tijani Akinloye has empowered no fewer than 2,322 youths on skills acquisition ahead of the celebration of his 20 years on the throne in two weeks time.

Akinloye, who ascended the throne of Ajiran Land in EtIOsa area of Lagos State on 23 October, 1993, said when he was installed, about 300,000 people were living in the area, but currently the population had grown to over one million following rapid development brought to the area through his intervention.

Lagos shuts Lord’s Chosen Church hqtrs

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

L

AGOS — LAGOS State Government has shut the Headquarters of the Lord’s Chosen and Charismatic Revival Church at Ijesha, Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, over alleged gross environmental abuse and erection of structures on Odo Asimawu Drainage Channel, System 6c.

The government said the

church would only be reopened if certain conditions handed down to the authorities of the church were met.

It was gathered the government officials led by the Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, had earlier visited the church between Sunday and Monday for inspection where the church authorites were said to have been given notice of impending action.

During the inspection, the Commissioner was said to have discovered, among others, massive illegal trading under the Ijesha fly-over on the expressway and largescale environmental degradation from the activities of the traders close to the church.

The church through its Public Relations Officer, PRO, Mr. Chidi Louis, confirmed the closure and said efforts

Adefaye, others urge Confab committee to fashion out effective public service

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI & MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

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AGOS — Barely 24 hours after President Goodluck Jonathan inaugurated the 13man Presidential Advisory Committee, PAC, on National Dialogue,Editor-in-Chief and General Manager Publications, Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Gbenga Adefaye, Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Ikeja Branch and other eminent Nigerians, yesterday, urged PAC leadership to consider in its recommendation the issue of effective public service delivery in the country.

PAC is headed by Senator Femi Okuroumu.

They spoke at the valedictory symposium in honour of the out-going Head of Service, HoS, of Lagos State, Mr. Adesegun Ogunlewe, Ikeja, with the theme: ‘Public Service as an Instrument for Good Governance and Desired Change.’

The event chaired by Mrs. Iyabo Odulate-Yusuf, former HoS of Ogun State, had four

discussants, Mr. Adefaye, Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Lagos State, Mr. Toyin Ayinde, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Youths Development, Dr. Tunji Olaopa, represented by Mr. Chike Ogbechie and Chairman of NBA, Ikeja Branch, Mr. Monday Ubani.

They were of the opinion that effectiveness of the civil service was tantamount to the development of the country, saying, “the civil servants are the salt of the country.”

According to Adefaye: “The thinking of every citizen daily is on the government whenever they experience any hardship or otherwise. Especially in Lagos, when there is traffic, the residents speak about the seat of power, Alausa. The most important people in the seat of power are the civil servants.

“Public office-holders change daily but civil servants do not change. They are the permanent provider of the government service in the country.

“Civil servants are faceless in provision of public service and one must ask what manner of services are provided by these public servants.

“They engage in poverty re-

duction, public provisioning, inclusiveness and engagement of the public. The expectation of the public is of economic modality and institution performance.

We, as citizens love to be involved and engage in actions that affect us are taken.”

Olaopa in his remarks said: “I do not think that the civil service in the country is living up to the desired expectation. But there is every room for improvement and with the reform agenda that various governments are implementing the civil service will very soon be the salt of the nation.”

“We are advocates of an improved public service. Any initiative that will bring the required reform to the civil service is very good. We will want it to be one of the agenda of the national conference, to reposition the public service into a world class standard.”

Similarly, Ubani said: “Government is about service and if any government cannot render service, they have no reason to govern the country. When the government assumes office, the citizens have to transfer their sovereignty to people who are expected to serve our safety and welfare service.”

were being made to meet the conditions set by the government.

Giving reasons for the shut- down, Bello said “inspection round the premises revealed that the church does not dispose solid waste generated properly, while as a matter of fact, it openly burns waste generated inside the church premises, thereby exposing the lives of its worshipers to serious health hazard.

“A further investigation also revealed that a substantial part of the one-kilometre church auditorium was built on the Odo Asimawu drainage channel, thereby impeding the flow of storm water, as well as inhibiting effective performance of the channel.

“It was also discovered that the church built all its toilets on the canal and deliberately discharged the raw human waste into the canal.

“The church does not have proper sanitary system and they discharged their wastes into the canal. Most of their members trade on the expressway and we do not want that,” the Commissioner said.

According to the Commissioner, to prevent an outbreak of epidemic, as well as protect the lives of its worshippers and environs, the government was left with no option but to seal up the church.

While commending the cooperation and non resistance of the church authorities, the commissioner observed their willingness to comply, but stated that the state government would only unseal the auditorium until all the environmental nuisances were abated

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013—11

Communities want oil derivation funds paid to them

BY OLA AJAYI

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BADAN — THE people of oil and gas producing communities in Nigeria have asked the Federal Government to stop the statutory 13 per cent derivation funds being given to their state governors.

They said this at a twoday public sensitisation programme on the review of the Revenue Allocation Formula, South-West zone, at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, yesterday.

They asked the government to remit the funds directly to the communities affected by the oil exploration.

Oni’s aide cautions over political violence

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HE EKITI State Police Command has been urged to detach itself from the All Progressives Congress, APC, government in the state and face the task of maintaining law and order without bias in support or against any individual or group.

This was contained in a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti by former governor, Chief Segun Oni’s Media Aide, Mr. Lere Olayinka, in commemoration of the one year of his arrest, detention and trial for alleged publication of seditious articles against the state governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

CONDOLENCE: Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko (left), with the leaders of Afenifere, Pa Olanihun Ajayi (right), Pa Ayo Adebanjo (2nd right), and others, during their condolence visit to the Governor, at the Government House, Akure, yesterday.

AGAGU: Ondo denies hiring crashed plane ....Falae says, I submit to the will of God

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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KURE — THE Ondo State Government, yesterday, clarified that it did not hire the aircraft of Associated Airline, which crashed last Thursday in Lagos, while conveying the body of former Governor of the state, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, to Akure for the commencement of the burial rites.

The state government made the clarification on a day Chief Olu Falae, whose first son, Deji, was one of the 15 persons who died in the crash, said he has submitted to the will of God who cannot be questioned.

Ondo State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kayode Akinmade in a statement in Akure, said the clarification would not have been necessary at the time the state and families were still mourning those who lost their lives in the crash, but for inaccurate media reports.

The statement reads: ”It explained that its determination to give the former Governor a befitting state burial made it set up a burial committee, which

Peter Obe to be buried Oct 25

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HE FUNERAL arrangements for the late Mr. Peter Obe has been announced by the family.

According to a statement signed by Femi Obe, there will be Service of Songs on Monday, October 21, 2013 at Calabar Hall, Ajao Road, Off Ogunlana Drive, Surulere, Lagos.

A Christian wake-keep will hold on October 24, 2013 at Peter Obe’s Compound, Off Akure- Owo Expressway, Igbara Oke, Ondo State Funeral Service will be held on Friday, October 25, 2013, at at St Paul’s Anglican Church, Igbara Oke, while reception follows immediately at Premier Holiday Resort, Igbara Oke.

met regularly with the family of the deceased to arrive at a burial programme agreeable to the family.

“At one of the meetings, the statement said, the issue of the transportation of the body from Lagos to Akure was discussed.

“The committee deferred to the family’s insistence that the body be moved to Akure by air.

“The family thereafter introduced Mr. Tunji Okusanya (now deceased) of MIC Funerals as the official undertaker, who would make necessary arrangements regarding the movement of the body and the funeral.”

“Thereafter”, the statement further explained, the MIC boss forwarded the names of various airlines through an email message to the Committee, namely, Aero Contractor; OAS Helicopters; Chachangi; Arik; Dana; and IRS as the Airline operators that have been contacted.

“It was indicated in his message that IRS was not available for conveying human remains; Dana aircraft had gone for maintenance; and Arik does not fly the Akure route.

“He, therefore, suggested Chachangi as “the best offer.”

The government further indicated that “it was neither the wish nor the prerogative of government to indicate any preference for a particular airline.

“The interface with MIC at the instance of the family, was necessary for facilitation of payment," insisting that, “at no time was Associated Airline mentioned.

The statement emphasised that “this is definitely not the time for this as we are still mourning, adding that, ït is pathetic losing any soul in the course of paying homage to our former Governor, particularly government officials and other

bread winners of their families, including the Managing Director of MIC, his son, and other workers of his company.

“The government thanked the Federal Government for ordering a thorough investigation into the crash in order to prevent recurrence of such tragedies, imploring the team of investigators to leave no stone unturned in the course of their investigation.

Further, the government said it “wishes to place on record its appreciation of the active and timely involvement of the Lagos State Government through its emergency agency as well as federal emergency agencies.

“We thank the management and staff of the Lagos State Teaching Hospital LASUTH, and other medical facilities who came to the rescue of the survivors.”

The state government also “sincerely thanked those who have shared in our pain by identifying with us at this time.

“We implore you to pray for the repose of those who lost their lives in the ill-fated crash and also continue to pray for all the bereaved families.”

Meanwhile, Chief Olu Falae, yesterday, summed up the event of his son’s death last week by saying he has submitted to the will of God who cannot be questioned.

The former Secretary to the Federal Government said this in Akure when leaders of the Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere paid him a condolence visit over the death of Deji, his son.

Deji, who until his death in the plane crash that was conveying the remains of former Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Agagu to Akure from Lagos was the state Culture and Tourism Commissioner.

Chief Falae said: My wife and

I have surrendered to the will of God who cannot be questioned.

“We pray that in due time the pain will go down, but it will definitely not disappear “We will not because of this unfortunate incident renege in our service to this country, our church or any other place where our services would be needed.

“I as a person cannot but continue to serve; I have made up my mind to be of service to humanity no matter what comes my way."

He said that few days ago he could not utter a word because of the tragic incident, but that “today, I can stand up on my feet to address you leaders of Afenifere because the Holy Spirit has comforted me and my wife."

Speaking about his son, Chief Falae said he was proud of him because all the family values instilled in him from his youth were exhibited going by the testimonies from the governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, his fellow commissioners and friends.

According to him, "Deji lived a fulfilled life. He was transparent and responsible. He distinguished himself in all areas.

“He augmented his salary to take care of his supporters. What he collected as Commissioner's salary was not up to what he collected in his former place of work, so he augmented it to empower his numerous supporters.

"He was humble, honest, transparent and exhibited integrity. He did not build a house of his own but he helped most of his supporters to build their own houses.

Earlier, the leader of the Afenifere, Chief Olanihun Ajayi, extolled the virtues of Deji. "He was one of us and we looked forward to him as one of the Yoruba future leaders, but God knows best.

“We know and understand the impact and the pains his death has caused the family, but we will urge you to remain strong in the service of God and humanity,"Ajayi said.

12—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

By-election: Plans to cause commotion uncovered —Uduaghan

BY EMMA AMAIZE

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ARRI—GOVERNOR of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, yesterday, said that there were alarming security reports that certain persons plan to cause a breach of the peace before, during and after the Delta Central senatorial by-election, scheduled for October 12.

He has, therefore, warned that anyone found wanting, irrespective of political leanings, would be decisively dealt with.

Uduaghan, at a meeting with political office holders from Delta Central senatorial district and other Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, stakeholders in Government House Annex, Warri, charged the candidates for the election and their supporters to shun hostilities and play by the rules.

Also, Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, the apex socio-cultural group of the Urhobo ethnic nationality in Delta State, has urged Urhobo people to vote for the senatorial candidate of their choice in the byelection.

UPU’s message to the people was conveyed by the President-General, Major-General Patrick Aziza (rtd), when the union invited the senatorial candidates of the parties separately to a meeting, weekend.

Continuing, Uduaghan said,

“I am appealing to all political parties not to breach the peace by causing insecurity during the election on Saturday. Security reports show that certain persons are planning to disturb the peace and we must not give them the opportunity to do that.

“This administration has a responsibility to ensure a

peaceful election and we will do all within our power to make sure that Saturday ’s election is conducted in a peaceful atmosphere.”

He charged trouble makers to steer clear of the state diring the by-election in Delta Central senatorial district, adding, “We will not shirk in our duty in this regard.”

COCKTAIL: Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson (middle), his Deputy, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah rtd (left) and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Konbowei Benson, during a cocktail organised by the State Governor in honour of the Speaker and members of the State House of Assembly at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Yenagoa. Photo by Lucky Francis

....As CPP forms coalition with DPP

BY GODWIN OGHRE

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APELE—THE Citizen Popular Party, CPP, Delta Central senatorial district chapter in Sapele, Sapele Local Government Area of the state, says it had formed a coalition with Democratic Peoples Party, DPP, with a view to ensuring that DPP wins in Saturday’s by-election.

CPP candidate, who was to represent the party at the byelection, Rev. Felix Ekpokpobe, had openly declared that he and his supporters will turn in their votes for the DPP candidate, Chief Ede Dafinone.

He said that his decision was based on what he described as “the good record of humanitarian service which Chief Dafinone has rendered to the people of the area through human capital development, infrastructural projects and youth empowerment.”

The CPP stalwart said: “I have come to assure the DPP

He also condemned the mayhem unleashed by some persons recently when the PDP campaign train, including the senatorial candidate, Chief Emmanuel Aguariavwodo, visited the Ovie of Agbon, Ukori I, in Kokori, even though security men were immediately drafted to the community.

and its candidate, Chief Dafinone, that DPP will win the bye-election and Chief Dafinone will, thereafter, become the next senator representing the area in the Senate.

“I am to also announce that I have decided to step down my candidacy and to assure you that instead, my teaming followers and I, will turn in our votes for DPP at the elec-

tion.”

Rev Ekpokpobe said that Chief Dafinone was the most reliable, resourceful and credible personality of all the candidates jostling for the position, and urged the people of the area to support Chief Dafinone in the by-election.

Also, over 5,000 motor cycle riders popularly known as Okada, thronged the venue

of DPP campaign in Sapele to pledge their support for Chief Dafinone. Their leader, Onos Obogaliemu, told Vanguard that the Okada operators came to pledge their solidarity to him, following what he described as “Dafinone’s love and empowerment of the youths of Urhobo nation in the area of free education in tertiary schools and in the area of vocational training in different trades for the less privileged people of the area.”

Edo IRS Board probes alleged N70m fraud by staff

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM ENIN—AUTHORITIES of Edo State Board of Internal Revenue, IRS, are investigating some staff of the board, alleged to be involved in fraudulent activities to the tune of over N70 million in their motor licensing office located on Airport Road, Benin City.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Board, Chief Useni Elamah, has lamented that the Internally Generated Revenue of the state has dropped to N1.3 billion due to failure of the Fed-

B

eral Government to pay allocation to states as at when due.

Elamah also described as shocking, the sudden death of the Permanent Secretary, Board of Internal Revenue, Mr. Sunday Okundia.

Elamah, in a statement in Benin City, said: “Elder Okundia was a quintessential civil servant, who diligently served Edo State and brought to bear on any assignment, integrity, professionalism, and value for taxpayers’ money.

“His drive to professionalise the operations of Edo State

Internal Revenue Service led to the setting up of the Staff Training School of which he was the Head/Principal Resource Person. The late Okundia was a man of character, humility and had passion to serve God.” Vanguard learnt that following the alleged fraud that rocked the Airport Road office of the Board, the authorities had ordered all Motor Licensing Officers in the three senatorial districts of the state to present their transactions to auditors with a view to checking the fraudulent activities of some staff.

DSS opens detention facility in Delta

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HE Department of State Services, DSS, in Delta State now has a new detention facility meant to enhance its operations.

The modern complex, designed for high profile suspects, was built and handed over to the security outfit by Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. Speaking at the commissioning of the facility in Asaba, yesterday, Mrs. Florence OghreIkanone, the State Director of Security, Delta State Command, said that the DSS and the NDDC share a common objective in the quest to develop the Niger Delta and Nigeria at large through the provision of security and enabling environment for people of all works of life to enjoy the fruits of their labour.

The DSS director said that the new complex would go a long way in enhancing the operational capability of the security service, as well as boost the morale of its officers.

Rivers dockworkers protest failed welfare agreement with NPA, NIMASA

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BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

ORT HARCOURT— DAYS after Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, retirees blocked the Port Harcourt Port, Rivers State, in protest over unpaid pension, dockworkers under the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, yesterday, staged another protest in Port Harcourt over their employers’ failure to honour workers’ welfare agreement.

The dockworkers issued two weeks ultimatum to their employers to implement the welfare agreement, which they claimed was reached and signed by NPA and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA.

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14 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

Enugu sacks 138 school principals over age falsification

BY TONY EDIKE NUGU—ONE hundred and thirty-eight Chief Supervising Principals, CSPs, recently appointed by Enugu State Government for various schools in the 17 local government areas of the state have been compulsorily retired for allegedly falsifying their ages.

The list of those retired was released yesterday and pasted on the notice board of state Post Primary School Management Board, PPSMB. Some of them were said to have spent between five years and above after attaining their official retirement age due to falsification of records.

Vanguard gathered that most of those elevated to chief supervising principals by the PPSMB on the directive of the state Ministry of Education, were so reluctant accepting their new positions and postings because of the huge income they expected to rake in from new students’ admission this term.

But the PPSMB insisted that they must comply with the di-

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rective and compelled them to update their records but in doing so, the affected persons falsified their ages in order to spend more years in service even when they were due to retire soon.

Some of the appointed Principals had alleged that they parted with huge sums of

money to influence their appointments and having allegedly greased the palms of the officials in-charge went ahead to falsify their documents to enable them remain in service fraudulently.

But following discreet investigations into their claims particularly as it affects their date

of birth and years spent in service, it was discovered that the affected persons falsified their ages.

Sources said that more of the identified culprits would be sent packing as the 138 CSPs published are in the first batch.

Obi of Onitsha frowns at APC’s rally on Ofala day

BY VINCENT UJUMADU WKA—THE Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, yesterday, frowned at the decision of All Progressives Congress, APC, to hold its governorship flag off on the day he was rounding up his annual Ofala festival.

According to the monarch, it was very disrespectful for a political party, in spite of almost one year notice for the Ofala, to fix its rally the same day and out of annoyance, struck his symbol of tradition three times to express his feel-

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ings.

Igwe Achebe had earlier debunked the insinuation in some quarters that he resigned as the chairman of the state Traditional Rulers Council on account of differences with Governor Obi, insisting that having been in the position for over five years, it was time for others to serve in the same capacity.

He said that he enjoyed good and harmonious relationship with Governor Obi, who, he said, accorded him due respect punctuated by reciprocity, adding that he was behind him in

the quest for Anambra North to produce the next governor in the spirit of equity and fairness.

In his speech, Obi expressed surprise that a true Igbo son, who is supposed to understand, would allow his party to fix a rally in Onitsha the same day the Obi of Onitsha was performing Ofala festival.

The monarch called on the people of the state to continue to respect traditional institution, adding that no politician would try such a thing in APC- controlled state.

Orji swears in 24 new Commissioners

BY ANAYO OKOLI

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M UA H I A — A B I A State Governor, Chief Theodore Orji, yesterday, swore in 24 new commissioners with a warning that they should either perform or be shown the way out.

Orji said a lot was expected from them especially as “ we are on our point of exit.”

The Governor dissolved his cabinet about three months ago but later renominated most of them.

However, most of the new commissioners had it tough passing through their screening by the state House of Assembly following petitions against them.

Governor Orji who, at the ceremony, also swore in 10 new Permanent Secretaries, further said: “We are going to place our searchlight on every one of you to ensure that we do the right thing.”

He also warned them against sycophancy, saying that if any of them misbehaved he would not hesitate to sack such a person.

Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013 —15

11 govs float Progressive Governors' Forum zName Salihu Mohammed as pioneer DG

BY SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL

A

EDITOR, NORTH

BUJA—STILL struggling to effect a change in the Nigerian polity, 11 governors on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, have floated a separate forum known as Progressive Governors’ Forum, PGF. The governors have also set up a functional secretariat to coordinate their activities just like the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF and the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum.

The PGF’s secretariat is located on No. 79 Nelson Mandela Street, a stone throw from both the NGF and the Akwa Ibom Governor’s Lodge, which serves as the meeting point for the PDPGF. Already, the PGF has named Salihu Mohammed Lukman as its Director General and given him the mandate to coordinate the day-to-day administration of the office.

Vanguard investigation showed that the PGF, which is still fully involved in the NGF, wants to chart a new path on good governance and create a new image for the progressive states.

Investigation also revealed that while the running operations of the PGF would be coordinated by the Asokoro secretariat, the governors meetings would be

rotated among the eleven states.

A source close to the NGF confirmed that despite setting up a distinct entity for themselves, the progressive governors would still be very active in the affairs of the NGF. “The goal of the PGF is to mobilise all APC state governments

to facilitate accelerated human capital development through undertaking policies and programmes to improve the quality of life of citizens, eradicate poverty and create jobs in the country,” the governors stated as their main goal.

One of the objectives of the PGF

according to a document obtained by Vanguard last night, is to organise all the APC governors to commit themselves to specific policy actions in their states aimed at promoting democratic programmes of the party in line with the provisions of its constitution and manifesto.

VISIT: First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan (right) being welcomed by Nigerian women on her arrival in Seoul, yesterday.

Baraje-led PDP to Jonathan: Sack Wike now A

BY HENRY UMORU

BUJA—THE Abubakar Kawu Baraje-led new Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, urged President Goodluck Jonathan to as a matter of urgency sack the Minister of State, Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike against the backdrop that the ministry was too strategic for him to handle.

In a statement, the Barajeled PDP national Publicity Secretary, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze said: “We are at a loss as to how a supposedly serious government should continue to retain him as a Minister of the very strategic Ministry of Education in a country teeming with accomplished educationists and administrators if not for undemocratic motorpark democracy he specializes on.

“In any case, we are not overly surprised by Wike’s tirade because he is capable of saying or doing anything, no matter how outrageous.

“Let us reiterate that should he ever make another derogatory statement about the Baraje-led PDP, we will teach him some lessons on how to

talk as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and he should note that New PDP is not Rivers State.

“The fact remains that to say that Wike is a disaster as a Minister is to state the obvious. We advise him to minimize the damage which he is doing to the Jonathan administration by concentrating on his work instead of busying himself making enemies for the President whom he pretends to be loyally serving but whose down-

fall he is secretly plotting.

“Instead of President Jonathan addressing enemies within his cabinet he is busy persecuting and embarrassing his true friends and political associates that matter in his political calculations!

“We have read with dismay the statement credited to the Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, that Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State and the New Peoples Democratic

Party are behind the prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU. “We would have ordinarily ignored Wike’s outburst as the ranting of a confused and clueless minister but have decided to reply so as to set the record straight. We challenge Wike to produce evidence to back up his allegation or bury his head in shame forever."

Why carbotage fund failed, by ex-NIMASA boss

BY GODWIN ORITSE

A

BUJA—FORMER Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Mr. Temisan Omatseye has said the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund, CVFF, project failed because of the guidelines in disbursing the fund.

Speaking before the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the status of the fund in Abuja, Omatseye stated that NIMASA as agency does not have the wherewithal to administer or

disburse the fund and suggested that the CVFF be handed over to a competent fund management company.

He explained that the long period of time it takes to access the CVFF is a far cry from what is obtainable.

“We need to release the fund from NIMASA and hand it over to people who can manage it, the banks are giving facilities for 8.5 per cent and it takes three to six months to start and access these facilities. While NIMASA’s CVFF attracts only 5.5 per cent, it takes three years

to access because of its guidelines” he said.

Reacting to verdict of the former Director General, Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee Mr. Christopher Eta urged the management of the agency to work out modalities to change the guidelines.

Eta noted that it was easier to change the guidelines than to change the law. The fund, it was gathered currently stands at N30 billion including the interest accruable.

Stakeholders lament high cost of broadband in Africa

BY PRINCE OSUAGWU

A

B U J A —

STAKEHOLDERS at the ongoing Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation, CTO Forum in Abuja yesterday, lamented the high cost of broadband in Africa, warning that it may mar the universal access targets in the continent.

Chief among the stakeholders who expressed this fear was Nigeria's Funke Opeke, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of MainOne. Opeke said that until there is a downward drive in the cost of broadband, universal access to internet in Africa may suffer setback.

For Nigeria, particularly, where the cost of broadband is high, she said the need was urgent.

She said this, as her company MainOne, yesterday, at the forum, joined a diverse group of private and public sector players who launched an Alliance for Affordable Internet, A4AI. The coalition plans to lead policy and regulatory reform and spur action to drive down artificially high internet prices in developing countries and Nigeria's telecommunications services company joined the group.

By advocating for open competitive and innovative broadband markets, MainOne and over 30 other members of A4AI aims to help internet access prices fall to below 5 per cent of monthly income worldwide, a target set by the UN Broadband Commission.

A4AI was unveiled in Abuja yesterday, at the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation’s Annual Forum in Abuja which was witnessed by communications ministers, policy makers and industry leaders from around the globe.

A4AI is made up of over 30 members from across boundaries of geography, industry, and organisation type and include governments, companies, and civil society organisations from both developed and developing countries.

Members share a belief that policy reform, underpinned by robust research and genuine knowledgesharing, is one of the best ways to unlock rapid gains in internet penetration rates.

C M Y K

16 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

Christians, Muslims in Kwara bicker over alleged lopsided appointments

BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI

I

LORIN—CHRISTIANS and Muslims are now trading blames over alleged lopsided appointments based on religious considerations in Kwara State.

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, was first to complain over alleged marginali-

sation by the state government, alleging that most of the appointments were based on religious considerations.

The state chairman of CAN, Rev. James Folaranmi, had alleged that Christians in the state were being marginalised as the Chief of Staff, the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, and Head of the state Civil Service, among other top officials, were

all Muslims.

Apart from this, Folaranmi said that all the state-owned tertiary institutions were being headed by Muslims even as the chairman and other members of Teaching Service Commission were all Muslims as well.

NSCIA reacts But their Muslim counterparts, under the

aegis of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, in the state, in a sharp reaction, yesterday, advised the state’s chapter of CAN to refrain from mixing political interests with religion.

The NSCIA, in the statement by its Coordinator, Alhaji Is-haq Salahudeen, asked CAN to face its ecclesiastic duties rather than dabbling into “provocative partisan politicking.”

According to the NS-

CIA, “It is believed that CAN, Kwara State chapter, was reacting to the primary nomination of candidates for chairmanship and councillorship election scheduled for this month in the state. The forthcoming local government election does not concern any religious body.

How come CAN is protesting nomination of candidates within a political party when it is not a political group?”

FG drops charges against 15 Russian sailors

T

HE Federal Government, yesterday, withdrew charges before a Federal High Court Lagos, against 15 Russian sailors, charged with unlawful importation of arms to Nigeria.

The Russians are: Zhelyazkov Andrey, Savchenko Sergel, Lopatin Alexey, Baranovskly Nikolay, Llia Shubov, Dimitry Bannyrh, Alexander Tsarikov and Kononov Sergel.

Others are Chichkanov Vasily, Varlygin Igor, Komilov Alexander, Mishin Pavel, Korotchenko Andrey, Vorobev Mikhail, Stepan Oleksiuk and their vessel, MV Myre Seadiver.

The accused were charged on four-counts bordering on unlawful importation of firearms to Nigeria, as well as nondisclosure of content of vessel.

When the case was mentioned, the prosecutor, Mrs. Usman Hajara, informed the court of an amended charge before it.

She told the court that charges had been dropped against all previous accused adding that the amended charge now reflected the names of a Nigerian, Stanley Chineye and his company, Maritime Services Ltd.

APOLOGY

O

N October 5, 2013, Saturday Vanguard reported that Mr. Bernard Okumagba, Professor Sam Oyovbaire, Hon. Fred Majemite and other Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftains were in the palace of the Ovie of Agbon Kingdom in Kokori town, Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, as part of the entourage of the PDP, Delta Central senatorial campaign committee, during the shootout between kidnap kingpin, Kelvin’s boys and security agents.

We have since discovered that Mr. Bernard Okumagba was nowhere near the palace on the said date. Mr. Okumagba said he was in Lagos.

We regret the error and sincerely apologize to Mr. Okumagba.

—Editor

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013 — 17

18 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2013 HEN staff of the National Aviation Management Agency, NAMA, withdrew their services to protest failure of negotiations between their union and NAMA management on new salary scales the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission approved for them, last May 20, it was the third major disruption of air transport services in two months.

Earlier interruptions were either caused when the authorities grounded airlines or by another set of workers with grouses against their employers. Services were skeletal during the recent case. Top NAMA management staff handled flight operations at major airports, but some foreign-originated flights were diverted to neighbouring countries.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has been on strike for more than three months. The resolution is not in sight as each party holds firmly to its position. There are few considerations about how academic activities scheduled for the strike period, would be managed.

As if in a relay race, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, was ending its

W

A country mostly on strike own three-month strike, when ASUU’s began. Before them, the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, went on strike and ASSU had a sympathy strike with them.

NUT is threatening to pay back the ASUU favour with a sympathy strike that would cripple primary and secondary schools.

The National Association of Resident Doctors is on strike because of implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS. Matters relating to emolument of doctors in public service have been consistently contentious in the past few years with doctors been on long drawn strikes to make their point.

Lives of patients are at risk when doctors strike. Governments have used the issue of saving lives as blackmail in their dealing

with the doctors. Endangered patients are at the mercy of the warring parties or if they have the resources, they seek relief elsewhere.

Other unions are on strikes that do not enjoy the prominence of unions in education and health. They are equally disruptive.

Strikes are legitimate instruments for advancing worker's rights. We, however, caution that they should be used sparingly and remain the last option. There have been too many strikes from the unions, creating the impression that all they do is strike. It is obvious now that most of the strikes failed to resolve the issues.

During strikes, unions and their employers take their rivalry to those they serve. The unions engaged in scare mongering, while the managements provide skeletal services, depending on the sectors.

Governments need to live up to their responsibilities to their staff. Unions, on the other hand, should explore ways of resolving matters without embarking on strikes which are disruptive, and in the case of doctors, cost lives.

OPINION

BY KEN ETETE

E

VERYWHERE in Lagos, amidst lack of infrastructural maintenance, posh suburbs are springing up by the day. The real estate market in Nigeria and Lagos in particular, is booming. Some don’t even allow the erratic nature of PHCN to deter them; these estates boast of independent power generation. Many of these so-called estates are actually just a street off the main road, gated off with very obvious restrictions to commercial motor bikes (Okada) and other means of public transportation.

Even taxis are forbidden from entering most of them.

Many of these new estates, particularly in Lekki and its environs, are surrounded by huge slums. The hawkers and sellers that peddle their wares on the sides of the main road or “express” as they are popularly called, live close by or in these slums.

These growing slums and a growing rate of unemployment are a constant reminder of the need for us to open our eyes to the increasing levels of poverty around us and the mounting insecurity we’re all faced with.

Many who live in these ‘’special streets” live in high-walled buildings, often laced with electric or dangerously spiked fences. The question is:“Do our high walls protect us from the criminal intent of the many who are deprived and desperate? If these high walls have protected us so far, is there any guarantee that they’ll continue to protect us from harm?

The average Nigerian is poor,surviving C M Y K

Will your high walls protect you and your family? on well below a dollar a day. Except he is lifted out of poverty, the chances are that he’ll regenerate poverty down his lineage.

The desperate poor who have given up on society’s ability to create economic opportunities take laws into their hands. They break down our high walls in many ways: They make us reinforce our homes till some of them look like lion cages and they make us pay dearly for armed security guards in our homes and offices;they break into our homes; accost us armed at ATMs or kidnap kith and kin for ransom; they make us unable to allow our children play freely on the streets like we did growing up and they make us buy cars with tinted windows and drive overly self-conscious. They break into our freedom to be and steal our ability to trust and be trusted.

S

o, why are we more passionate about erecting high walls than tackling the unfortunate factors that are making them our way of life? What are we doing individually and collectively to help reduce the growing levels of poverty we see all around us? Do we see poverty as a collective responsibility to be reduced by little sacrifices and sustainable societal contributions or do we see it as a government problem and continue to rely on our high walls? For those of us who own or manage businesses, what can we do to keep

growing our businesses and their potential to employ more people, even at low or no skill levels? What can we do at the individual and community levels to help millions to own and manage their own small businesses that can in turn employ two or three more persons? How can our spiritual centres help the poor in their congregation to create wealth? Can our spiritual centres get more involved in large scale farming, bakery, manufacturing, etc, and employ millions of the poor idling in our streets?

We love our children and want the best for them but many of us do not consider Nigeria “the best”. So we send them to school in other countries - the U.K, the U.S, and Canada. However, as their systems become saturated with Nigerian students and professionals (it is said 70 per cent of Blacks in the UK are Nigerian), these countries are beginning to push back with visa bonds and other stringent immigration restrictions. So, many of our children currently studying abroad will have no choice but to return home as some are already doing. They would return to the high walls and the vulnerabilities we have been too delusional to face and tackle.

We have reached that level in the sociopolitical climate of Nigeria where we need to look around us and really “give back” to the community. Nigerians are a giving

people and there’s no doubt that the extended family system has checked the tendency for the majority of the very poor to take on extreme measures to alleviate their poverty. However, we tend to prefer giving handouts as a quick fix rather than empowering people to find a sustainable means of earning an income. The latter is where communal effort has a significant role to play. Most companies only practice Corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility, CSER, as a public relations stunt or when there is something in it for them. The ‘sustainability’ component of CSR is often neglected and with the poverty levels in Nigeria, this is to our detriment. CSR is one good way to break down high walls. High walls have shifted from signifying ‘privacy’ as they did decades ago to ‘fear’ .

There is no place like home. The more we can make our society less dependent on high walls, the better for us all. The ball is in our court; if we do not develop and make Nigeria better, no one else will.

*Mr Etete, the CEO, Century Energy Group, wrote from Lagos

—19 Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013—

, F

OR the third time in as many years the national Independence Day celebrations usually marked with pomp and ceremony were held in the relatively safe confines of Aso Rock Villa.

Eagles Square, venue of the event in Abuja since the movement to the Federal Capital, is now a no-go area for such matters even though the states still manage to hold relatively public celebrations at parade grounds and parks.

The usual excuse these days for Abuja’s bashfulness with the National Day celebrations is that the state of the nation demands a low-key event or the government is simply not interested in any elaborate celebrations. But Nigerians know the real reason is the fear of attack by mainly Islamic insurgents whose respect for life is non-existent and have thus made it brutally short and nasty. This last October 1 celebration was Nigeria’s 53rd and in the days leading up to it, the country ’s security agencies were put on high alert after nearly 80 students of a school of agriculture were murdered in cold-blood by the cowardly zealots of Islam in

Yobe State.

Thereafter, Nigerians waited anxiously for the next combustion by the renegades and their ilk not knowing where they might strike. But what followed days after was the crash of an Associated Airlines plane right in the vicinity of that same Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos where stowaways all but hibernate these days in wait for the next plane to board away from the farce that life is fast becoming in Nigeria. The crashed plane had been conveying the corpse (?), family members and pall bearers of the remains of the former governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Agagu, for final rites for the deceased governor in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

It was, as Fela would have stated it, a classical case of deadi bodi geti aksident. It demonstrates the danger in which we live in this country where nothing is safe, nothing even walking on the ground.

Just anything can happen!

It was in the last week of September that the world rose with one voice to condemn the slaughter that was perpetrated

by Al-Shabab at the Westgate

,

mall in Nairobi. About 70 persons, including celebrated Ghanaian poet, Kofi Awonoor, were killed in the four-day siege. Nigeria joined to condemn the attack even when we all knew that far worse massacres had been perpetrated by the Islamic infidels in the north of Nigeria.

And as if to demonstrate their capacity to wreak havoc as and when they desire, the cowards locked innocent students of the School of Agriculture in their hostels in the dead of night and proceeded to unleash the most unspeakable horror on them. It was a repeat of what they had done to school pupils only many weeks before on a slightly lower scale.

U

nderstandably President Jonathan is depressed about the mindless murders or so he has been reported to say.

There is also no way anyone can claim he is the cause of our many wahala. But he is the president and the buck stops at his desk. The most he can

Salvaging Nigeria: Only a Sovereign National Conference will suffice!

O

VER lunch at the Ocean View restaurant on a humidJuly afternoon in Lagos, my good friend YinkaOdumakinsought to add a little spice to our dismal discussion of “Project Nigeria”: he had it on good authority, he said, that President Goodluck Jonathan would soon surprise and confound the forces arrayed against him by acceding to the call for a national conference. It was not a matter of “if but when", he said. Thus, when Senate President David Mark spoke last month of the urgent need for a national conference, I heard the voice of Jacob but saw the hands of Essau. Retired Brigadier Mark, leader of the Babangida Boys, life-time public servant reputed to be wealthy — a reputation he may have confirmed now that he is about to build and name a university after himself in his hometown of Otupko.Mark, who until now had been vociferous in dismissing a Sovereign National Conference, SNC, as “not workable under the 1999 Constitution,”who to me is a poster-boy of everything lamentable about Nigeria.

But as the old saying counsels, one must not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

And soon enough Jonathan would announce in his Independence Day speech anAdvisory Committee to prepare the grounds for a talkfest. If there was any doubt that Mark had been flying a kite for Jonathan, it was promptly erased. Both men have studiously avoided the all-important word “sovereign” in every reference to national conference.

Indeed, Jonathan seems unsure what to call it, so he has settled for “National Dialogue or Conference.”Perhaps the advisory C M Y K

committee to be chaired by Dr Femi Okurounmu,an SNC stalwart,will help the President decide but we should be clear: what well-meaning Nigerians have been demanding as far back as 1989, when progressives began to suspect a “hidden agenda” in Babangida’s never-ending transition programme and worry seriously about Nigeria,is not an ordinary conference.

“What is in a name?” some might ask, and adapting Shakespeare add that a “conference of the people by any other name called sounds as sweet.” Yet if the tragic fate that Shakespeare assigns Juliet despite her magical thinking that things and what we call them are two essentially different things is anything to go by, then we must insist on the proper name for this conference. After all, it matters that Satan and Archangel Lucifer do not mean the same thing though they refer to the same being. Against the guns and bombs speaking the language of bloody violence and dismemberment, words offer us the only peacefulweapon for winning the battle for Nigeria and we must choose them carefully.This is even more important given that power tends to accede to the people’s demand only when sure of turning it into a means of perpetuating the status quo under a different name. It shouldn’t be forgotten that, first Abacha, and then Obasanjo, convened constitutional conferences.Mark’s Senate may be eager now to back a national conference, but how willing will it be to abide by the people’s earnest wishes and desires? This is the same Senate, we must remember, that twice voted down Okurounmu’s bills for an act to convene an SNC; a Senate that was denounc-

expect is the cooperation of Nigerians, not wring his hand in frustration or hang his head in self-pity. It is at times like this that leaders show they are made of sterner stuff. Thus, he must tell Nigerians what he is doing, now that efforts of the committee he set up to mediate peace between the Islamists snuffing life out of Nigerians and his government has failed.

Neither he nor the rest of us can afford to fold our hands in despair or fear now. He must take the battle to the killers who have shown again and again that they understand nothing but the language of force.

At 53 Nigeria is a country held hostage by its own people- from the country ’s rulers and politicians, armed bandits and kidnappers to university teachers, resident doctors and all what-not.

Nigeria is being assailed from all angles. These are indeed trying times for President Jonathan as for any Nigerian.

Which probably explains the determination of many to celebrate the last independence in their different ways in spite of the national acknowledgment that there is nothing worth celebrating. Everything is in disarray and nothing seems to shock us any more. We move from one cycle of doom to another and our case only gets more and more complicated.

The few solutions that have been proffered are yet to get the attention of our rulers. The President doesn’t think corruption is as bad in Nigeria as people make out. He does not think that he runs a bloated government in which hired hands of advisers and presidential aides have legions

ingproponents of an SNC as anarchists just last year.

Opponents of a sovereign conference fall into two broad camps. The first c o n s i s t s principally of federal legislators tortured by the dangerous illusion that the sovereign will of the people resides in the National Assembly. Thus, for them an SNC would tantamount to a divided sover-

,

A country held hostage

At 53 Nigeria is a country held hostage by its own people- from the country’s rulers and politicians, armed bandits and kidnappers to university teachers

Let all who fear the unfettered will of the people to self-determinationbe informed: a sovereign national conference means no more than that it be autonomous

,

eignty. Then there is the camp of entrenched interests tied inextricably to the perpetuation of Nigeria as a structurally deformed polity, the bastion of reaction served by every government in power from independence till now. Lacking any convincing argument against the most feasible option for correcting “the mistake of 1914,” as Ahmadu Bello summed up Nigeria,they brandish the bogey of disintegration. To them, Nigeria is inseparable from their narrow, selfish interests.

of aides. This much he made plain in his last chat with the media.

Obviously, the President has been working at crosspurposes with people in his government. He does not appear to have been listening, for example, to Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, CBN governor, and others in the know that have cautioned against the huge waste on recurrent expenses such as salaries and allowances of politicians. He thinks infrastructural deficit ranks higher than corruption on the scale of problems facing Nigeria. But while the Sagamu-Benin expressway may be pothole-riddled and unusable , leading to huge travelling costs, the politician or minister who awarded a multi-billion Naira contract for repairs of that road to a nonexistent company is guilty of nothing but corruption. This should explain to the President the connection between the obvious deficit in infrastructure and corruption and why the latter should rank higher on our scale of national problems.

But without putting the blame at his doorstep, Jonathan must realise he has the responsibility to put things right. He cannot be cavalierly dismissive of criticism or make light of them in the manner he seems to be doing in his last media chat without showing himself grossly unworthy of the years he has so far spent as president to say nothing of his being worthy of more years as he obviously desires even if he is loathe to admitting it just yet.

To the first group, the answer is a lesson in civics: Sovereignty belongs to the people, as acknowledged even byAbacha’smilitarily imposed 1999 Constitution: “Sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria from whom government. . . derives all its powers and authority.” Government is only a means of exercising the sovereign will of the people, which means that presidents and legislators are their agents. An agent enjoys only a delegated or limited version of the principal’s full power and authority. In any case, it is the people who establish parliaments and elect legislators, and not the other way round. To members of the second camp, we need only point out that Nigeria is already crumbling, though perhaps unbeknownst to them since they are too busy looting and raping her.

Well, then, let all who fear the unfettered will of the people to self-determinationbe informed: a sovereign national conference means no more than that it be autonomous, and that the constitution to embodyits decisions be subject not to the whims and caprices of the President, or the National Assembly, but only to ratification by the people through a referendum. If Jonathan deems this goaltoo high, then perhaps he had better not raise false hopes. To salvage Nigeria, only an SNC will suffice.That is Jonathan’s test of sincerity.

20 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013 — 21

Stakeholders task govt on sustainable urban development

By WILLIAM JIMOH

S

Ms. Arunma Oteh, Director General, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC (left) and Dr. Suleyman Ndanusa, Board Chairman, SEC, at the opening ceremony of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) conference workshop held in Luxembourg.

Adesina seeks more EU investment in Nigeria’s Agribusiness

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

T

he Minister of Agriculture and Urban Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has urged the EU member states to pay more attention to investing in agribusiness in Nigeria,

114.35

-0.05

2,697.00

+86.00

18.62

0.14

109.39 -0.07 103.09 CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL DOLLAR POUNDS EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA RENMINBI RIYA KRONA SDR

154.73 248.6821 209.9686 171.1426 1.5971 0.3017 237.1949 25.2694 41.2638 28.144 234.6935

155.23 249.4857 210.6471 171.6956 1.6023 0.3117 237.9614 25.3515 41.3971 28.2349 235.4518

-0.75 SELLING 155.73 250.2893 211.3256 172.2486 1.6075 0.3217 238.7279 25.4336 41.5305 28.3259 236.21

CBN Exchange rate as at 08/10/2013

rather than focusing on granting Aids to the country to develop the sector.

Adesina made the remark at the 2nd EU-Nigeria Business Forum, tagged, “Forging Partnership in Africa’s Economic Powerhouse”, in Lagos.

He also called on the EU countries to look at the possibility of forging more partnerships with local farmers, saying that doing that would develop the value chain, as well as grow the economy.

He noted that Nigeria was well positioned to benefit from EU partnership due to its proximity to Europe compared to other African countries.

Adesina asserted that the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme, one of the critical components of the Federal Government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) has saved the nation N25 billion ($156million) in 2012, adding that before the introduction of the scheme, Nigeria loses as much as N25 billion yearly.

He noted that 1.5 million farmers were reached with the programme in 2012, while 7.5 million were impacted within the first one year.

In 2013, an additional 3.5 million farmers are proposed to be reached, he added. Lamenting neglect of agriculture sector by successive

governments, the minister said, “With slowing oil sector growth, there is an urgent need to diversify Nigeria economy away from oil.

We used to be number one palm oil producing country; Nigeria was also a big global commodity market in the 60s.

“It is not as if we don’t have the opportunity, we do. We also have the resources. We have 4 million hectares of uncultivated land and we have not achieved up to 10 percent utilisation.”

He noted that due to challenges in embarking on agribusiness in Nigeria, the federal government has decided to set up Staple Crop Processing Zones, a kind of cluster that would give farmers the privilege of enjoying infrastructural development from the government.

He said that the federal government plans to set up 12 of such zones before the end of the year, while two are already operational.

“We are unleashing a rice revolution to become self-sufficient in 2015. Nigeria should not be importing rice, we should be exporting. I believe that we are well on track in becoming self-sufficient in rice production,” he added.

takeholders in the architecture, interior design industry, have tasked government at all levels to intensify efforts at developing sustainable policy that will drive urban development while solving climate change problems in the country.

The stakeholders stated this during the 2 nd annual Interior Designers Excellent Awards (IDEA) 2013 conference in Lagos, tagged; ‘Nigeria’s Commitment to Sustainable Urban Development’.

According to them, “ without a systematic long term sustainable policy, the dream of achieving a sustainable urban development in the country may be a mirage.

In his keynote address, former President, International Union of Architects, IUA, and the first Secretary, Nigerian Institute of Architects, NIA, Architect Femi Majekodunmi, stated that for the country to achieve a sustainable urban development, there is need to “ review laws aimed at creating sustainable environment and the awareness of the advantages of sustainability, as well as the use of alternative means of energy.”

Also speaking, Arc. Ibrahim Haruna, NIA President, condemned the ‘fire brigade’ approach by the government to solving immediate problems with attempt to arrest shanty development with little or no consideration for the future.

He said, “Because planning has a long gestation period, urban planning in Nigeria is the most vulnerable in the hand of politicians, most of whose myopic vision is hardly beyond their second term ambition.

“The attitude of some governments of not wanting to continue with inherited projects completely discontent sustainable value of development, the result is the prevalent of so many abandoned projects. Continuing, Haruna noted that, there is a need for all to yearn for sustainable policy first as a stepping-stone to sustainable development.

“Urban development is not limited to government intervention only. Private developers also contribute their quota in the area of housing, commercial and other sector of the built environment.

Reflecting on the theme, Arc Jumoke Adenowo of AD Consulting Limited, stated that it is important that the leadership of the country place priorities on the structure of urban centers, adding, “if we are really committed to this project, then we will see our cities as living organisms that need to be catered for so that they don’t become our deadliest creation.”

22 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

FBN Capital highlights benefits, challenges of project financing

BY PETER EGWUATU

F

ollowing the conclusion of the first phase of privatisation in the power sector, FBN Capital Limited has emphasised that more funds will be needed to achieve desired result in the second phase of the privatisation exercise , even as there are benefits and challenges in project financing.

Mr. Kayode Akinkugbe, Managing Director, FBN Capital disclosed this yesterday, stating that multibillion government projects will require private sector involvement, therefore creating need for Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) as obligator financial vehicles.

He also said that Nigeria’s potential can be unlocked through sustained infrastructure growth and development, even as the nation continues to seek the transformation of the pow.er sector through public private partnership initiatives.

Speaking at the first FBN Capital Project and Infrastructure Finance Conference in Lagos on Tuesday,

Akinkugbe said the current power sector privatisation initiatives will go a long way towards closing the gap of substantial funding required

for Nigeria Independent Power Project (NIPP) and other Green Field power plants. “Major investments in transmission lines are

needed to match planned increase in Generating Companies and Distribution c o m p a n i e s (GENCOs)capacities,” he

From left: Patrick Fay, Irish Ambassador to Nigeria; HRH Oba Dr Olurotimi Fagbenro; the Oloke Odan of Oke-Odan; Rotimi Adebari, the first elected black African Mayor in Ireland and Victor Oladokun, 3D Global Leadership, at the recently launched Irish Mayor Liqueur in Abuja.

Old Mutual seeks partnership to deepen market

By ANGELA OKPE

O

ld Mutual Nigeria has an nounced its readiness to partner with existing insurance companies and regulatory authorities to broaden and deepen the insurance market in Nigeria.

Speaking during a chat with newsmen in Lagos, Mr. Offong Ambah, Chief Executive Officer, Old Mutual, said the Nigeria economy is developing at a fast rate, offering significant growth opportunities and as such, his company is willing to take the opportunity to be part of it.

According to him, the company plans to drive the partnership with existing insurance companies and the regulators through the introduction of innovative products, financial education and reaching out to the underserved and unserved segment of the market.

“A critical part of this, is tackling the skepticism of many Nigerians regarding insurance which we are addressing through the prompt settlement of claims and excellent service delivery amongst others,” he noted.

He said Old Mutual provides

life assurance, asset management, banking and general insurance to more than 14 million customers in Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe.

He noted that the company is in Nigeria as part of its overall strategy to build a franchise in the West Africa region, adding that group prides itself in its rich heritage, industry defining milestones and success in all its businesses.

The CEO said in line with its overall expansion strategy in East and West Africa, the country has achieved another milestone with the roll out of old Mutual Nigeria Assurance Company following its full acquisition of majority stake in Oceanic Life from Ecobank.

He said, “We believe that the prospect for growth in Africa is strong due to the growing political stability and improved governance, a growing population with strong consumer demand. More workers entering the formal economy for the first time and an emerging middle class keen to protect their wealth and assets. There is also a strong domestic GDP growth in a number of countries and an under penetrated financial services sector.”

According to Him, the roll out of Old Mutual Nigeria forms part of the strategic priorities of the Old Mutual group in its expansion drive in West Africa.

He added that Old Mutual Nigeria provides a range of insurance solutions tailored to meet its customer’s needs. Its current product offerings are Group.

added.

“Project finance is an avenue for transferring risk.

Additional expansion funding can be raised with ease, subject to the project achieving steady state post completion” he said, highlighting the benefits and challenges of the two fundseeking options investors are faced with.

“Project financing vehicles can be credit enhanced via a rating which can exceed that of the actual sponsors” he said, adding that it also ensures and forces extreme financial and project management discipline.

Another edge this option has over corporate financing is that once the project completion is achieved, it can be used as a template for rolling out other projects.

Akinkugbe said FBN Capital was delighted to host the inaugural conference in keeping with its commitment to provide a platform for fostering conversations that would drive development in Nigeria, particularly infrastructure growth.

The event which was attended by local and foreign high level executives across key industries, regional financiers, consultants and advisors, as well as government agencies explored the role of project and credit risk assessment in unravelling the nation’s growth potential by highlighting considerations integral to project finance through a series of panel discussions.

Mayor Liqueur to strengthen ties between Nigeria, Ireland

T

HE introduction of Irish Mayor Liqueur into Nigeria market will further strengthen the ties between Nigeria and Ireland, said, Mr. Rotimi Adebari , the first elected Black African Mayor in Ireland.

Irish Mayor Cream Liqueur, a premium product blended from pure Irish Cream and the finest Irish whiskey was recently unveiled at the Irish Ambassador ’s residence in Abuja. The product is blended and bottled in Abbeyleix, County Laois, one of Ireland’s foremost Heritage towns.

Speaking at the launch of Irish Mayor cream liqueur, the Irish Ambassador to Nigeria, Patrick Fay said Ireland has at least a thousand year history in the production of Spirits (distilled alcohol) and

a world reputation for excellence in the production of whiskey.

Irish Mayor cream liqueur is created by Rotimi Adebari, the first elected Black African Mayor in Ireland to showcase Irish welcoming nature.

Presenting the product, Rotimi said Irish Mayor captures everything that makes Ireland such a special and loved place in the hearts and minds of anyone who has ever come to its shores. He described Irish Mayor as a special drink for proud occasions.

Speaking at the event, His Royal Highness, Oba Doctor Olurotimi Fagbenro, the Oloke Odan of Oke-Odan said the introduction of Irish Mayor into Nigeria market will further strengthen the ties between Nigeria and Ireland.

The unveiling of Irish Mayor cream liqueur was performed

by Victor Oladokun, a former TV presenter with CBS news and now the Director 3D Global Leadership. Victor commended the smoothness of Irish Mayor and its impressive packaging.

D e e Fay, w i f e o f I r i s h Ambassador described Irish Mayor as a beautiful and gorgeous liqueur that is best served chilled. She shared her delightful experience of using Irish M a y o r i n c o f fee and ice cream.

The launch of Irish Mayor cream liqueur was attended by diplomats, captains of industries, traditional ruler and people from all works of life.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013—23

IMF cuts global outlook, warns of US default threat

BY PRINCEWILL EKWUJURU

T

HE International Monetary Fund, IMF, cut its global outlook for this year and next as capital outflows further weaken emerging markets, and warned that a U.S. government default could “seriously damage” the world economy.

Growth worldwide will be 2.9 percent this year and 3.6 percent next year, the IMF said in a report released yesterday in Washington, compared with July predictions of 3.1 percent for 2013 and 3.8 percent for 2014. It sees emerging economies growing 4.5 percent this year, 0.5 percentage point less than three months ago, as projections were reduced for China, Mexico, India and Russia.

“Advanced economies are gradually strengthening” while “growth in emergingmarket economies has slowed,” IMF chief economist wrote in a foreword to the World Economic Outlook report. “This confluence is leading to tensions, with emergingmarket economies facing the dual challenges of slowing growth and tighter global financial conditions.”

The IMF’s forecasts factor in a short U.S. government shutdown and an agreement on the nation’s debt-limit before an Oct. 17 deadline. A stalemate that causes a default “could seriously damage the global economy,” the fund said.

President Barack Obama reiterated yesterday that he won’t negotiate with

F

From left: Managing Director, Fina Trust Micro Finance Bank, Mr. Deji Popoola; Chairman of the bank, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo and a Director of the bank, Mr. Kunle Adeoye during a thanksgiving service in commemoration of the bank’s fourth year anniversary at Fine Trust Micro Finance Bank Corporate Head Office in Lagos.

Republicans over the partial shutdown and the U.S. debt limit as Senate Democrats began preparing for a test vote on a clean debt-ceiling bill.

Many U.S. government services have been shuttered

for more than a week and the country is nine days away from running out of its ability to stay under a $16.7 trillion cap on borrowing.

“The effects of any failure

C

USTOMERS of Guaranty Trust Bank have applauded the bank over its efforts of using cashless initiative as a tool to reduce clutter at its banking halls around the nation.

Some of the customers that bared their minds on the development, attributed the success in reducing clutter at its banking halls to not only increased focus on cashless banking, but greater emphasizes on Social Media, a well organised team of hard, smart and fast workers, as well as improving overall customer service delivery experience.

They stated that the adoption of the policies has reduced the ‘wait time’ by over 15 minutes.

A customer of GTBank, Emeka said, “In 2009, my ex-

to repay the debt would be felt right away, leading to potentially major disruptions in financial markets, both in the U.S. and abroad,” Blanchard said during a press conference.

Dangote to chair World Economic Forum meeting ...Appointed to UN Committee

P

RESIDENT of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote has been appointed to cochair the next year ’s annual meeting of World Economic For um in Davos-Kloster,

Switzerland.

The Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, Prof. Klaus Schwab in a letter inviting the business mogul to co-chair the sitting,

GTBank leverages cashless policy to reduce clutter

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM

FinaTrust customers express confidence in micro finance banking system

employer joined me with a GTBank account.

All employees were opened mandatory salary accounts with GTBank and Zenith Bank. I stuck closer to the GTBank account although I do occasionally use my Zenith account to much benefit.

GTbank, however, enjoys the larger patronage by far of my banking needs”, says the young businessman.

According to the ex-banker turned techpreneur, “A lot of Nigerians seem to have GTBank accounts and this has been a big hassle especially on the mainland where GTBanks are quite heavily utilised by Nigerians from all walks of life. Oftentimes, when the volume of traffic in GTBank compared to neighbouring bank is 75:3. That’s 25 is to one. This is made especially more painful when you have

to conduct a transaction that requires interaction with a teller, customer service rep or marketer and not just an ATM machine.”

Emeka noted that he recently praised a staff at the GTBank on Herbert Macaulay Road, Yaba, for the remarkable improvements in customer response witnessed in recent times.

“For instance, one of the smartest things the management did which many customers noticed was it moved its customer service delivery unit to the first floor, freeing up enough real estate on the ground floor for people who need to execute teller transactions to do so seamlessly. I’d say the average wait time has reduced by over 15 minutes.

I breeze in and out of the bank now”, said Emeka.

said the Forum was of the belief that Dangote’s participation at the helm will contribute significantly to the substance of the discussions.

“The discussions aim to stimulate an unparalleled global dialogue among the r e l e v ant leaders from government, business, academia, civil society, and the media.

“In these unprecedented times, I feel that as co-chair, you will contribute significantly to the substance and relevance of the exchanges. You are well positioned to take on this role. Co-chair would in principle consist of your presence and participation in activities to be defined with you…”, the letter read.

Themed “The Reshaping of the Wo r l d : Consequences for Society, Politics, and Business”, the global meeting has been scheduled to hold between January22 and 25, 2014.

In a same vein, Dangote has been appointed to the steering committee of the United Nation SecretaryGeneral’s Global Education First Initiative.

OLLOWING Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN’s closure of 103 micro finance banks, customers of FinaTrust MicroFinance Bank Plc have expressed confidence in the bank, saying it has changed their perception about microfinance banking in Nigeria.

The Chairman of the bank, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, said during the fourth year anniversary thanksgiving service held at the bank’s corporate headquarters in Lagos, said the confidence reposed on the bank by customers is responsible for the bank’s success in the last four years, and it cannot be divorced from God’s backing. “We thank God for building the business on solid ground. God has helped us to recruit some of the best staffs,” he said.

Ituah further said that the vision of the bank is very clear and with the performance of the bank so far in the last four years, the bank is expected to go far adding that despite closure of micro finance banks, Fina Trust has continued to wax stronger.

“There are a whole lots of micro finance banks that started four years ago but many of them are no more. We thank God that we still exist because so many businesses are going down but our customers businesses are doing well,” he said.

CSR: Ecobank gives back to society

S

TAFF of Ecobank Group, at the weekend, engaged in various forms of community services as part of activities to mark maiden Ecobank Day celebrated simultaneously in 34 African countries where the bank has presence.

In Nigeria, the activities include taking part in the renovation/construction of classroom blocks in select schools across the country, donation of educational materials and assisting with cleaning immediate environment of the select schools and communities.

Schools that benefited from the bank’s gesture this Saturday included C&S Primary School, Ikorodu Lagos; Government Secondary School, Kubwa Abuja (FCT) and Eastern Academy, Onitsha, Anambra State.

24 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

AMERC gains more seats on IOSCO Board

BY PETER EGWUATU

T

wo new members have been added to the Africa/Middle East Regional Committee (AMERC) of the International organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) Chaired by the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Nigeria, Ms. Arunma Oteh.

Mr. Obi Adindu, Communication Adviser, SEC, revealed this in statement saying, “The IOSCO rose from its 31st annual meeting and conference in Luxembourg on 15 September 2013, with a resolve to further pursue engagement and advocacy that would ensure increased representation of its members and give the emerging markets in Africa and Middle East increased visibility and stronger voice in the global body.”

The meeting, he said was held on the sidelines of the 38th Annual Conference of IOSCO and was well attended by representatives of member jurisdictions and executives of the IOSCO Secretariat.

According to him, “Critical among issues was an increase in the number

of AMERC representation on the IOSCO Board. The AMERC now has two additional members on the Board, bringing to five the total number of the Committees’ representatives. This is a milestone achievement and a direct result of the unwavering efforts of the AMERC chairperson and the greater advocacy of the Regional Committee on the need for more inclusiveness and balanced representation.”

Other highlights of the meeting, he stated included discussions on progress made on the proposed IOSCO Capacity Development Fund, which replaces the IOSCO Foundation, and is aimed at providing technical assistance, training & education and research support to IOSCO members in general and emerging markets in particular.

Obi revealed that during the meeting, Mauritius signed the regional MoU to join the ranks of other AMERC members, who have since subscribed to the Memorandum. “Malawi qualified as Appendix “A” Signatory to the IOSCO MMoU joining Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dubai, Egypt,Jordan.

Primary School Pupils and Teachers T

he previous week, we highlighted the fact that our children and youth were going through school and eventually drifting into unemployment and poverty. We should therefore ensure that the education they receive would make them useful to themselves and to the society. This would require that at each stage the children are engaged in such a manner that they would develop their potential to the full extent. The questions that arise are what should be the content of a primary school education and what school be the performance expected of the school pupils and their teachers given that we do not expect our children to seek employment on completion of a primary school programme. We expect that under the present arrangements there is a mandatory three-year junior secondary school programme following on the completion of the primary school programme.

We have in place an educational system that specifies 6 years for primary school, 3 years for junior secondary school, 3 years for senior secondary school and four years for the university.

We must therefore ensure that the pupils leaving primary school are able to read and write in the official language, English, and that the pupils comprehend the English language sufficiently to be able to benefit from the junior secondary school programme. The pupils must also have adequate knowledge of arithmetic. The school programme should be a regime of class instruction, homework and regular class tests which would develop and confirm the required competence in the pupils.

Recent policy announcements suggest that as Nigeria is surrounded by countries whose official language is French, Nigerians should study French in schools. The best place to start would be at the primary school level. If Nigerian pupils are required to be proficient in English and French which are both foreign, should we not also require the pupils to be proficient in their parents’ languages? I recall that in the early 1950s, primary school education in Western Nigeria was an 8-year programme in which that first two years of instruction was in the language of my parents. We cannot return to the 8-year programme given that the current 6-year programme is not adequately funded.

However, parents should be encouraged to send their children to pre-school where the languages of instruction should be English as well as the language of the parents. Several years ago, I knew a Nigerian family whose children were born in the United States and the children started their schooling there before they came to live in Northern Nigeria. I was surprised that the children in a single sentence spoken without hesitation would use

words in English, Hausa and Yoruba.

English was the language of instruction in school, the Hausa was picked up from their fellow students and Yoruba from the extended family amongst whom they lived. These children ended up being proficient in the three languages.

I understand that parents want their children to do well in school and that they believe this would be achieved if the children spoke in English all the time. I believe this position does not sufficiently take into consideration the children’s capacity for learning.

One issue that would always remain with us is what to do with the pupils who after all the homework and class drills do not pass their examinations.

Pupils who fail their examinations should be made to repeat the year.

The performance levels of pupils in junior secondary school have been found to drop as they advance from one year into the next. This trend can be reversed if we ensure that the students leaving primary school are well prepared for the junior secondary

,

The questions that arise are what should be the content of a primary school education and what school be the performance expected of the school pupils and their teachers given that we do not expect our children to seek employment on completion of a primary school programme

From left: Managing Director, Rapid Blue Format Limited, Rotimi Pedro; Senior Brand Manager, Malta Guinness, Wole Adedeji; Nigeria’s Got Talent Show, judge, Dan Foster and Nigeria’s Got Talent, host, Andre Blaze, at the press conference to formally announce the commencement of Nigeria Got Talent Season 2, at Victoria Island, Lagos.

Conoil assures shareholders of bright future

N

otwithstanding the growing challenges in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry and the economy in general, the Chairman of Conoil Plc, Dr. Mike Adenuga, has assured shareholders and the investing public that the outlook and future of the company remains bright.

Speaking at the company ’s 43rd annual general meeting at the weekend in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, Adenuga reiterated that the company remained committed to maintaining its leadership position in the downstream petroleum sector by growing its business and creating an enduring value for its shareholders and other stakeholders. ”We are building stronger financial position and creating enduring value for our shareholders. We will constantly develop strategies to sustain our C M Y K

position as the only marketer that always goes the extra mile for our ever growing customers with total commitment to excellent service delivery. ” We firmly believe that such a robust strategy will ensure continued growth and stronger position in our core markets”, Adenuga said.

Adenuga noted that the company recorded revenue of N149.99 billion while operating profit on ordinary activities before taxation and exceptional items stood at N1.15 billion. Adenuga, nonetheless, assured the shareholders that the outlook and future of the company remains bright. ”And as predicted, there are already pointers to the promising fortunes of the foremost oil marketing company and an enhanced shareholders’ value as captured in its 2013 half year unaudited results.

,

school.

In order to ensure that most students complete the primary school programme successfully, there is need for a huge investment in the provision of teachers and classrooms such that there would be adequate number of teachers and classrooms within a 6year period. Also primary school pupils should receive training in safety issues, they should attend a school farm in the last 3 years of the programme and they should be made technologically aware especially as regards the harnessing of solar power.

Nigerian children missed out of the One Laptop per Child programme organised by a non-profit associated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The XO Laptop launched in 2005 is designed to help children teach themselves how to, among other things, programme the computer itself.

The XO laptop is such that the child can teach himself or herself to read and subsequently he or she can read to learn. We should get into this scheme and the recent example of Opon Imo, tablet, introduced in Osun State indicates that we can find new ways to deal with the deficiencies in the school system.

DR. AKINTOLA OMIGBODUN omigbodunaa@yahoo.com

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013—25

DIARY

Select ICT events zDevReach 2013.

Holds 1-2 Oct 2013 in Sofia, Bulgaria.

EDITED by Adekunle Adekoya

zCEATEC Japan 2013. Holds 1-5 Oct 2013 in Tokyo, Japan.

QoS, customer care top talks at NigeriaCom 2013

zEstel Conference 2013. Holds 25 Oct 2013 in Rome, Italy. zGITEX Shopper 2013. Holds 5-12 Oct 2013 in Dubai, UAE

BY EMEKA AGINAM

zCTO Brooadband Forum 2013.

Holds 7-11 Oct 2013 in Abuja, Nigeria.

New inventions shaping life and living

,

Artificial pancreas device system

The MiniMed artificial pancreas from Medtronic is the first system to automatically pause insulin delivery once the patient’s glucose falls below a preset level—ideal for use at night and for inattentive patients.

The MiniMed 530G with Enlite system is equipped with a Threshold Suspend feature that sounds an alarm when the wearer’s glucose levels are dangerously low.

The user then has the option to stop glucose delivery. However, if the patient ignores the alarm, the device will stop the flow of insulin automatically in order to prevent hypoglycemia.

The MiniMed device is enhanced by the Enlite sensor, which can be worn for six days and detects up to 93 percent of hypoglycemic episodes when the threshold alerts are activated.

I N S I D E C M Y K

CTO FORUM: From left: Chairman, Senate Committee on Communications, Mr. Gilbert Nnaji, Executice Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Engr. Eugene Juwah, Prof. Tim Unwin, Secretary General of Common Wealth Telecommunications Organization, CTO and Communications Technology Minister, Mrs. Omobola Johnson during the opening ceremony on Monday in Abuja at the ongoing CTO Forum 2013. Photo by EMEKA AGINAM.

FG sets 2018 target for affordable broadband

BY EMMA ELEBEKE

T

HE Federal gov ernment on Monday said every Nigerian will have access to the internet in 2018.

The Vice President Namadi Sambo disclosed announced this while declaring open this year ’s Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation, CTO Forum with the theme: innovation Through Broadband.

The Vice President, who expressed satisfaction with what he called the positive impact of internet on the country’s economy, said that the dream will be made possible after completion of the five year Broadband Plan.

Sambo, who was represented by the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola

CheckPoint, DataGroupIT harp on security threats

Johnson, said the government is presently collaborating with the private sector to get Nigeria covered with broadband.

According to him, the broadband will increase access to and enhance usage of ICT among the youth.

In his remarks, the Secretary General of CTO Prof Tim Unwin, said the forum is tackling prob-

,

Preview

tage of the Internet is to be gained, especially by the poorest and most marginalized people and communities.

“To do this, we need the combined expertise of companies, governments, regulators and civil society that the CTO is able to convene to deliver effective multistakeholder partnerships” he added Meanwhile, Cisco’s

The coalition is expected to lead policy and regulatory reform and spur action to drive down artificially high internet prices in developing countries

lem of broadband connectivity facing some Commonwealth countries like Nigeria.

Prof Unwin said solving broadband issue is importance if full advan-

Huawei woos buyers at CTO forum with Ascend P6 series

Vice President of Global Technology Policy, Dr Robert Pepper says the broadband working group, otherwise known as Alliance for Affordable Internet, A4AI is per-

Nigeria, a telecoms country?

Hi-Tech, oct 7

fecting plans to drive down the cost of broadband to five per cent.

Dr Robert Pepper disclosed this shortly after moderating the ministerial panel at the launch of the Alliance for Affordable Internet, A4AI .

He explained that the move was part of the group’s advocacy for open, competitive and innovative broadband market.

The coalition is expected to lead policy and regulatory reform and spur action to drive down artificially high internet prices in developing countries.

By reaching this goal, pepper said it will be easier to connect the two-thirds of the world that is presently not connected to the internet, and make universal access a reality.

Pepper who moderated on the topic: What mech Continues on Page 27

For Nigeria top reap the full benefits of telecommunications in the digital economy, issues relating to quality of GSM services, customers care must be given priority attention, participants at the just concluded NigeriaCom conference and exhibition have said.

The NigeriaCom conference and exhibition is part of a series of annual events targeted at bringing together the entire digital ecosystem to discuss opportunities and development in the sector.

The conference with the themed ‘Working Together to Provide Quality Services throughout the Digital Realm’ had in attendance telecommunication industry experts, regulators, activists, customers and other stakeholders.

At the event with Etisalat Nigeria Headline Sponsor and Host Operator Partner.

For one thing, speaker after speaker at the event noted that it was time service providers in the counry’s telecoms market begin to take quality of service and customer care seriously.

For the President of the National Association of Telecommunication Subscribers, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, while contributing as a panelist on the topic ‘Loyalty in the Age of Number Portability,’ MNP presents subscribers with choices and affords operators the chance to woo subscribers with quality services and value offerings.

Accordingly, discussants appeared unanimous that certain factors ranging from restive Continues on Page 32

B r o a d b a n d spectrum not free, says Johnson

26— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

CheckPoint, DataGroupIT harp on security threats

BY EMEKA AGINAM

HOW best to help big,and small medium size organizations in the Nigerian market to combat security threats was the focus of a one_day seminar organized recently by Check Point Software Technologies in partnership with DataGroupIT in Lagos. The seminar aimed at educating the firms on solutions that can avert security threats, among other things afforded the participants the opportunities to get exposed to new trends in security threats, the challenges and effects with the Check Point solution to address the ugly trends which have continued to cause economic harm than good.

Speaking after the forum, Country Manager, DataGroupIT, Victor Ajua lamented the effect of cyber attacks on organizations, warned that there is need for both big, and small medium size organizations to embrace cutting edge technologies by Check Point to combat security threats and attack.

According to him, today’s cyber criminals work at a dizzying pace, developing stealthy new attacks and carefully targeting their victims with customized malware.

Rommy Okonkwo – Check Point Country Manager explained that the effect of cyber attacks is great on organizations, as a result of the fact that it causes downtime to the business on business and when there is downtime, organizations lose time, money and the workforce in some cases are affected and these are the

things that we want to mitigate. He said that focus of the seminar was to enlighten organizations on how best to be proactive to fight modern day security threats. He assured that Check Point is poised to help with cutting solutions that will help organizations combat the cyberattacks.

While advising the need for companies to embrace best-in_class security solutions,-Rommy said that Check Point has local partners in country amongst which are Dimension Data, FPG Group, Business Connexion, Tenece, Resourcery and others through whom Check Point reach the clients across all the verticals; oil and gas, telecommunications, financial sector and Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

“Our solution is a software that can run on any hardware or open system be it HP, Dell, and/or IBM machines without issues.

We do not have issue of interoperability.

“Check Point appliance is a simple single box that is preloaded with all the security gateway blades and customer gets what he or she wants on a click on the gate way blade. It comes with various sizes for different categories of customers, making it cost effective for big and small size customers.”

Also speaking, the Country Manager, Check Point Software Technologies, Rommy Okonkwo, while lamenting on the security threat which is a global issue advised that companies must brace up against modern day security threats most especially, in this era of cyber-war.

Johnson tasks new boards

BY EMMA ELEBEKE

S

UPERVISING min ister of science and technology and the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson on Monday, charged the newly inaugurated boards of Sheda Science and Technology Complex, SHESTCO; Nigerian Institute of Trypanosomiasis Research, NITR; Project Development Institute, PRODA; National Centre for Technology Management, NACETEM; and the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute, NBRRI to xemplify highest standards of integrity in handling the tasks they are saddled with in other to maintain public confidence on government agencies.

The Minister, who gave

the charge, while inaugurating the new boards in Abuja.

“The governing boards of public and independent institutions bear an abiding responsibility to preserve and enhance a legacy of learning, scholarship, and free inquiry that is unique to the institutions or establishment.”

“They occupy position of trust that must be accountable for the public trust that is placed in government agencies, said.

She tasked them to deliver their mandates in line with President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda adding that the President has chosen them based on trust and records of achievements stressing that the ministry will give its “unalloyed support” to ensure that they succeed.

W

ITH no fewer than 20 exhibitors showcasing their solutions and products at the ongoing 2013 edition of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation forum, smart mobile phone maker, Huawei, is showcasing its latest product, the Huawei Ascend P6, the world’s slimmest smartphone measuring 6.18mm.

The smart phone featuring a 1.5GHz quad-core processor and a sleek metallic body has 4.7-inch high definition in-cell display, 5MP frontfacing camera, and outstanding software.

Explaining the product features, the company’s Media Affairs Manager West Africa, Kelvin Li said that P6 series is ultra slim at 6.18mm and weighing just about 120g.

Available in black, white and pink with matching color cases, the product, according to him, features Android 4.2.2 operating system, 2000mAh battery, 4.7-inch HD in-

Huawei woos buyers at CTO forum with Ascend P6 series cell LCD screen technology, and MagicTouch for enhanced screen responsiveness even when wearing gloves.

Interestingly, as the flagship smartphone of the Huawei, the product embodies a cutting edge design for the fashion conscious users.

Balancing fashionable features and userfriendly functions, the product MP rear-facing BSI camera with F2.0 aperture and 4cm macro view also enables 1080P full HD video recording and playback.

For one thing, Huawei unique automated discontinuous reception (ADRX) and quick power control (QPC) battery optimization and power saving technology

improves performance by more than 30%, compared with smartphone batteries of equal size. At the end of 2012, Huawei?s

products and services were e deployed in over 140 countries, serving more than one third of the world?s population.

— EMEKA AGINAM

NITDA spends N900m on postgraduate scholarships

BY EMMA ELEBEKE

T

HE National Infor mation Technology Development Agency, NITDA says it has spend approximately N900 million in capacity building and training of young IT professionals on postgraduate scholarship scheme.

The Acting Director General of the agency, Dr. Ashiru Daura disclosed this in an interview with newsmen.

Meanwhile, it was a dream come through last week for 80 graduates, when Dr. Ashiru Daura presented 80 students with N4 million cheque each for post graduate studies abroad.

Presenting the cheques in Abuja, Dr. Ashiru Daura said that the gesture was in line with the implementation of NITDA’s strategic IT programme, which is an integral part of the transformation agenda of the President.

He said that one of the most important components of any transformation is to train people, so that the society can use them as agents of transformation, saying that the training would aid NITDA to groom young and talented IT professionals that can compliment the transformation agenda of the President.

To achieve this, he said that NITDA decided to introduce the scholar-

Microsoft and ATB Soft: From left: Oga Charles, Technical Pre-sales Consultant, ATB Techsoft Solutions; Motunrayo Idowu-Kuola, Partner Channel Marketing Manager, Microsoft Nigeria; Seun Adaramola, Enterprise and Partner Marketing Manager, Microsoft Nigeria and John Ologbo, Business Development Manager, ATB Techsoft Solutions during the Manage IT Operational Cost Effectively - The Office 365 advantage workshop in Lagos. ship scheme to avail them the opportunity to explore their potentials, who will become leaders of tomorrow. ‘‘We are sponsoring the youth as part of our strategy to build local capacity for the country.

One of the most important components of any transformation is to train people so that you can use them as agents of transformation and we believe that the transformation agenda of the President can only succeed when the youths are empowered with IT, which has become a driving force in the global economy. You were selected out of 4,000 applicants that did aptitude test. For the past three years, we have been do-

ing the same thing without being selective,’’ he said.

According to him, about 250 students have so far benefited from the scheme, in the three years of its existence.

He urged the beneficiaries to be good ambassadors of Nigeria in their various institutions of learning. He also charged them to use their research works to find solutions to Nigerian problems. ‘‘I urge you to be fair and selfless in your studies. As you leave this country, be conscious of Nigeria’s image, think of solutions and remember our problems. Focus on what you left behind and use your

researches to find solutions to our problems and also think of various agenda of the country.

Focus your research towards achieving the transformation agenda of the President. I seize this opportunity to commend the staff and management of NITDA for upholding the culture of transparency and accountability and promise you that NITDA will always be there for you and will monitor your performance,’’ he added.

Responding, one of the students, Vincent Arum thanked NITDA for giving them the opportunity and promised to do the country proud in their various countries of study.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013—27

Broadband spectrum not free, says Johnson

BY PRINCE OSUAGWU

MINISTER of Communications Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson, yesterday dropped the hint that government may not give out spectrum for free to operators interested in broadband roll out.

Omobola at the opening of the 2013 Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation, CTO forum in Abuja, said that it would have been the easiest thing to do in order to facilitate broadband roll out from the shores to the hinterlands but that governments,every where in the world, needed some revenues to keep operations floating.

She therefore argued that although giving out the spectrums for free may facilitate roll out, but that it will also hurt the government with a spill effect to the same sector it was meant to face lift.

She however revealed that government was seeking for a cost balance for the spectrum so that the operators would not pay high price and government revenue generation would

not be jeopardised. This way, according to Johnson, the journey to Nigeria's broadband phenomenon would become a win-win business for stakeholders.

Nigeria's roadmap to broadband development Earlier, Johnson had made a passionate presentation of Nigeria's roadmap to broadband development, in her welcome address, by saying that at the heart of deliberations at the event would be how to make high-speed access to the Internet more pervasive, affordable and safe to the citizens of Nigeria and to a larger extent, the Commonwealth, who make up close to 30% of the World’s population.

"Global Internet penetration rates have continued to increase and almost 40% of the world’s population are now online. However, the numbers of people connected to the Internet are fewer in developing countries than in more industrialised ones.

One of the priority areas of this Forum is to assess the different stages of

broadband development and discover best practice strategies for moving forward; and is a topic that will be instructive in increasing Internet penetration rates in developing countries.

For example, while an increasing number of countries, including Nigeria, have recently developed or are developing National Broadband Plans; countries that had done so earlier such as the United Kingdom, provide important opportunities to learn about the implementation of such plans. These countries provide valuable insights on what works and why; as well as what can be improved upon and what to avoid during implementation" Youth, early adopters of technology For her, Internet penetration is fastest amongst the Youth and this is not surprising because young people, are predominantly early adopters of technology, particularly when it is affordable to them.

She contended that "the youth are also the fastestrising population group

Nigeria, a telecoms country?

THOU shall not live by bread alone! With the advent of the Knowledge economy, it has become a strategic imperative and mandatory obligation for Nigeria to reconsider the centric mission of living by Telecommunication alone!

History of Telecommunications reveals that many thousand years ago, the art of Telecommunication began with the use of smoke signals and drums in Africa, then to the Americas and later parts of Asia – particularly in China. It must be emphasized that this writeup is not intend to understate the significance, value and power of Telecommunication in human endeavor and for Nigeria.

Simply defined, Telecommunication is communication at a distance by technological means and in particular, through electrical signals or C M Y K

electromagnetic waves.

Science and technology of communication at a distance by electronic transmission of impulses such as telegraph, cable, telephone, radio, or television has no doubt redefined the art of living and the humanity enterprise. It is significant to inform that in the 1790s, the first fixed semaphore or telegraphy system emerged in Europe - built

by Claude Chappe, a French Engineer. It took another century when in 1830s the electrical telecommunication systems appeared.

Today, the dominance and eminence of our telecommunications mindset, philosophy, mission and implementation model/s as a centralized and omnipotent national development policy as well as core direction for our national development strategy, remains a

complex ambiguity, worrisome monumental miracle and by extension a global development misnomer. This in any way does not rob the Minister of ComTech her pass mark on efforts of the past 2 years. Meanwhile, while Telecommunications – a subset of communication and a significant segment of Information Technology – is more or less a treated as normal and galvanized

by ITU in many countries of the world, its role and place may have been grossly misunderstood and misrepresented in Nigeria.

This is because it is and remains the only and central focus of our national technology development vision and agenda! This flawed vision has begun to hunt us as a people with a visible embarrassing position at the score sheet of Global ICT e-Readiness Development Lifecycle and performance Index.

28 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013 — 29

28 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013 — 29

30 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

Igiebor: We are ready for Ethiopia

Ogu wary but confident

A

CADEMICA de Coimbra of Portugal and Nigeria midfielder John Ogu is optimistic of a good results in Addid Ababa when the Super Eagles square up against the Walia Antelopes of Ethiopia in a crunch first leg of the final round of the Africa zone of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Ogu, who has arrived the country for the game sure of a decent result in Ethiopia and says nothing will stop the World Cup dreams of millions of Nigerians.

“We ( the players) have resolved to give it our all to make sure the country’s flag flies in Brazil come 2014.

“It’s something we’ve been discussing among ourselves since the draws came out and we know what is at stake.

“We didn’t come this fat to turn back, it’s now or never. All our hard work over the past ten months will only count if we

N

•Ogu beat Ethiopia, and that is what we are aiming for.”Ogu said.

The former Flying Sport Academy player, also affirmed that he is fit and rearing to go, while also hoping Nigerians give them their support as usual.

“It’s true I haven’t been getting enough games at my club, that itself is a combination of a lot of factors, but I can assure Nigerians that I’m fit and rearing to go.

“I’ve done some special training as regards the altitude in Addis Ababa, and we have also spoken about it. Nigerians can be rest assured that we’ll give it our all to make the nation proud.

“Ethiopia are no push overs, so we won’t treat them with kids gloves, for us this is a cup final. It’s make or mar, and we cannot afford to fail Nigerians.” the 25 year old stated.

OSA Igiebor has declared that he and his teammates are ready to plunder Ethiopia when they clash with Nigeria in the first-leg of the World Cup qualifying play-off at Addis Ababa this weekend.

The Real Betis midfielder told Brila FM that Nigeria hold the mental and psychological advantage going into the game against Ethiopia.

“For us we are prepared mentally, (and) psychologically too because we know what it will take to be in Brazil 2014,” Igiebor said.

After making an impressive start to the season, the 22-year-old is hoping to ease his way into the starting line-up, where he expects to partner the duo of Mikel Obi and Ogenyi Onazi, with whom he believes he has forged an understanding.

“The understanding between me, Mike and Onazi is good because we flow a lot but I think that we can still get better and we’ll keep working towards it.”

Gerrard: No-one cares more than the players

S

•Gerrard

C M Y K

TEVEN Gerrard has dis missed as “nonsense” the notion that his international team-mates are not motivated by the prospect of playing for England.

The 33-year-old Liverpool midfielder will be a key player in the Three Lions’ final two 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifiers at home to Montenegro on Friday and Poland next Tuesday.

Back-to-back victories will guarantee Roy Hodgson’s side a place in South America, but anything less could leave England either in the play-offs or eliminated altogether.

When England failed to qualify for UEFA EURO 2008, there were accusations in the

British media that the players did not care, but Gerrard says nothing could be further from the truth.

“It’s nonsense to say that, the England captain told the Daily Mirror. “Nonsense.

“The pain and the agony how long that lasted after we didn’t qualify for EURO 2008 - I wish you could bottle that and show it to people who say those things and doubt how much we care.

“We care. Trust me, we care. No-one cares more than the players. We understand the fans and media are passionate, but that’s certainly the case in the dressing room.

Igiebor

Finke aims to m C

AMEROON appointed Volker Finke as their national team coach in May of this year. Surprisingly, it was the first African coaching position for the German, who has long been considered an expert on the continent’s football. FIFA.com spoke to Finke about his experiences and his expectations for the forthcoming FIFA World Cup™ qualifiers, which see the Indomitable Lions just two matches away from qualifying for Brazil 2014.

Long before it became fashionable to sign African players in the Bundesliga, Finke proved to have a great knowledge of players from the continent and included them in his squads at SC Freiburg, where he spent a remarkable

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013 — 31

Young Bafana face Morocco challenge S

outh Africa will begin preparations for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations when they face the tournament hosts Morocco in an international friendly at the new Agadir Stadium on Friday, 11 October 2013.

With both sides having missed out on the final round of Africa’s 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying competition, this match signals the start of a new cycle building toward a major event – the next AFCON which will be hosted in the North African country in about 15 months.

Bafana Bafana coach Gordon Igesund has named a young squad for the clash, featuring no less than five uncapped players in the 22 (reduced from 23 after Kagisho Dikgacoi pulled out due to injury): Ronwen Williams, Kgosi Ntlhe, Keagan Dolly, Kamohelo Mokotjo, Ayanda Patosi and Sibusiso Vilakazi.

Schweinsteiger pays tribute to Irish spirit

G

ermany midfielder B a s t i a n Schweinsteiger has paid tribute to the fighting spirit of the Irish ahead of his side’s World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland in Cologne on Friday.

Germany would secure their passage to the finals in Brazil with a victory while Ireland need an unlikely success to stand any chance of progressing.

And although Ireland are

make Lions roar 16 seasons.

“I have been to every African Nations Cup I think since 1992, even when I had Bundesliga commitments,” he said when asked about his affinity for Africa despite never having coached outside of Germany except for two seasons in Japan with Urawa Red Diamonds. “It is not really only about having coached somewhere, it is also about how much one has been in Africa, how much one has gotten to know the mentality of African players,” Part of this has been his willingness to go above and beyond what a club coach would consider his duties, meaning he has traveled to Africa with players and learned about their backgrounds.

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almost certain to miss out on the Brazil showpiece - even two wins from the final two matches would give them very little chance of making it into the play-offs for the top eight second placed finishers from the nine groups Schweinsteiger is expecting them to put up a typically robust showing.

“It won’t be easy, the Irish fight non-stop for their country,” said the Bayer n

11/10/13

Matches

10:00pm

Honduras

v

Costa Rica

10:00pm

Ecuador

v

Uruguay

10:00pm

Colombia

v

Chile

10:00pm

Venezuela

v

Paraguay

05::00pm

Croatia

v

Belgium

06:00:pm

Faroe Islands

v

Kazakhstan

04:30:00 pm

Lithuania

v

Latvia

07:45:00 pm

Iceland

v

Cyprus

04:00:00 pm

Armenia

v

Bulgaria

05:00:00 pm

Moldova

v

San Marino

06:30:00 pm

Malta

v

Czech Republic

07:45:00 pm

Wales

v

07:00:00 pm

Herzegovina

v

Liechtenstein

FYR Macedonia

08:00:00 pm

England

v

Montenegro

07:15:00 pm

Denmark

v

Italy

02:30:00 pm

Mexico

v

Panama

07:30:00 am

Netherlands

v

Hungary

7:30pm

Andorra

v

Romania

07:30:00 pm

Albania

v

Switzerland

07:30:00 pm

Luxembourg

v

Russia

07:45:00 pm

Germany

v

Republic of Ireland

07:45:00 pm

Sweden

v

Austria

07:45:00 pm

Slovenia

v

Norway

08:45:00 pm

Portugal

v

Israel

05:00:00 pm

Azerbaijan

v

Northern Ireland

07:00:00 pm

Ukraine

v

Poland

07:30:00 pm

Estonia

v

Turkey

07:45:00 pm

Greece

v

Slovakia

12/10/13 11:36pm 12:00 am

USA Argentina

v

Jamaica

v

Peru

Hughton happy to see Pilkington with Ireland

C

•Lions

HRIS HUGHTON feels that Norwich City winger Anthony Pilkington will benefit from his involvement with the Republic of Ireland. - See more at: http://www.herald.ie/ sport/soccer/hughton-happyto-see-pilkington-withi r e l a n d 29643914.html#sthash.QiC2PWRn.dpuf Pilkington ended a five-year period of absence from the international scene when he made his senior debut in last month’s World Cup qualifier against Sweden, and former

Ireland player Hughton has given his blessing to his linking up with the squad in Dublin ahead of Friday’s clash with Germany. “He has managed to get that opportunity with Ireland and it was long overdue with the injuries he had,” said Hughton.

“He has been in and around it and I think he will certainly benefit from playing at international level. I can only look at what he has done for us and he is a two-footed player who has done well on that left side.”

32—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

FG sets 2018 target for affordable broadband Continues from Page 25

QoS, customer care top talks at NigeriaCom 2013 Continues from Page 25 youths, terrorist activities in some parts of the country and overzealous revenue officials who exercise little restraint in tampering with telecommunications infrastructure in the bid to compel operators to do their bidding were some of the major challenges faced by operators.

While Eugene Juwah, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission would not disagree with other stakeholders on the impact of extraneous factors on the quality of telecommunications services, he did not hide his feelings when he counseled operators to proactively take on the challenges and render quality services to the subscribers.

Juwah, who was represented at the occasion by Inatimi Spiff told the gathering that that action not words win the marketing war, particularly when it comes to MNP. Also speaking, Director,

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Network Engineering, Etisalat Nigeria, Temi Ogunbambi informed the gathering that the network takes quality of service seriously and works tirelessly to ensure that this is maintained across the country knowing that good network was the only way customers can enjoy value for money.

Delivering keynote on the first day of the event titled “Quality of Service on the Network: Challenges and Opportunities for Telecoms Operators in Nigeria,” he pointed out that as a company, Etisalat was passionate about creating sustainable strategies for transforming the quality of service in the industry.

“With Quality of Service (QOS), we are always trying to measure our customer’s satisfaction and ensure that they get value for their money.

“As a company, we realize the importance of offering the best services to our customers and we have continued to receive commendation from cus-

tomers and feedback on areas of improvement. We are aware that there are issues around QOS generally which is why we constantly design various facilities and activities to help measure and resolve them.”, he assured, adding that, “one of our key strategies to drive and measure QOS is our regional customer forum which helps us visit our customers in their various communities, to discuss network issues and evaluate our network performance. With this, we try to understand them, the problems they are facing, their needs and the best way to satisfy them, because we believe QOS can be best measured by involving the customers.”

Similarly, Head of Customer Experience, Etisalat Nigeria, Biola Edun also gave an insight into how Etisalat is winning the QoS and customer service race.

In a paper titled ‘Now you are talking and we are listening,’ she made it clear that customer care

is everybody’s job at Etisalat.

The customer, Edu said was at the heart of each activity at Etisalat. “everybody throughout the company takes personal interest and plays a role in customer satisfaction.

Customer issues are not limited to only customer_facing departments at Etisalat. All hands are on deck to ensure customer satisfaction, from the chief executive officer to our support employees,” Edun said.

Edun explained customer satisfaction and quality of service are very important at Etisalat, adding that strategic investment is made in infrastructure to provide alternative channels in case one fails or is attached by external forces.

“We know for instance that external factors could damage the optic cables that we have invested in, so we proactively make provision for alternative channels so that service is not disrupted in case of impact on our fibre optic

anisms are being employed to respond to technological change – how does this impact on regulation and policy?, said that Cisco is focused on helping businesses and governments drive sustainable growth in Africa by providing network-based technologies that help organizations innovate, drive new business models, increase productivity and create new jobs. ‘‘By advocating for open, competitive and innovative broadband markets, A4AI aims to help access prices fall to below five per cent of monthly income worldwide, a target set by the UN Broadband Commission,’’ he said.

Through its long-term commitment and investment in Africa, he stated that Cisco is helping governments, businesses and citizens build an economically sustainable future through the intelligent application of ICT. He advised government and Nigerian business leaders to encour-

age social and economic transformation by focus on delivering universal broadband access.

“One of the most important steps government and business leaders in Africa can take to encourage social and economic transformation is to focus on delivering universal broadband access. I’m looking forward to a robust discussion on how we can accelerate affordable broadband take-up across the continent, so that Africa can truly benefit from the Internet of Ever ything”, Pepper added.

Dr. Robert Pepper, a member of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Spectrum Management Advisory Committee and the U.S. Department of State’s Advisory Committee on International Communications and Information Policy, leads Cisco’s Global Technology Policy team in areas such as broadband, IPenabled services, wireless, security, privacy and ICT development.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013 —33

FRSC has no power to issue drivers’ licence

BY HUGO ODIOGOR, KUNLE KALEJAYE, VERA ANYAGAFU

M

ODERATOR: You are welcome to Vanguard Conference Hall, which is our public policy platform and interactive forum to engag on issues of public interest.

It is a platform we devote to interface with the public, let the people know what Vanguard is thinking, what the issues are and we also let the public know what we are doing.

Sir, you are welcome to this event.

We are really concerned about road traffic management in Lagos recently because there are a lot of agencies that we see on the road. We will still ask the management to give us the opportunity to bring you back to the table and discuss this issue with you.

We see lot of agencies and enforcement on the road. As at today, the man who was meant to represent road transport

workers says he does not want to be trapped in the traffic because he was here two days ago and he did not find it funny.

So we want to start by saying, what does the VIO do in managing its own responsibilities?

Engr. Toriola:I want to firstly commend you for your effort in finding solution by giving us feedback. Whatever you are doing, you need people to give you feedback whether you are doing it well or not and the areas you need to improve on.

Criticising government When you write and you criticise the government objectively, that will move the state forward. For us, it is a welcome development because we take feedback as a plus to us to improve on our services.

Recently, on August 2, 2012, the Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola, signed a new law in order to

Participants •Engr. Gboyega Toriola (Chief VIO) •Engr. A Adebosin (VIS) •Barrister Ndubisi Chijioke

•Victor Omoregie (Corporate Affairs Mgr.) •Hugo Odiogor (Foreign Affairs Editor) •Vera Anyagafu ( Consular/Immigration) •Kunle Kalejaye(Business Desk) •Bunmi Azeez( Photographer)

have sanity, safety, security and standards in Lagos metropolis.

Our road needs to be safer while the commuters move in and out.

Before you can re-address this, the law also stated clearly the responsibilities of different agencies of government, which are the LASMA, Vehicle Inspection Service, VIS. Before now, we were called VIO, it was the law that changed our name to VIS, that is; Vehicle Inspection Service. LASMA still retains their own name.

The law at the same time specified the duties of each agency. LASMA is to manage traffic, VIS is to ensure that we have road worthy vehicles on the road. That is why you see our men doing periodic or daily check on our roads.

Secondly, we ensure that motorists obtain the necessary particulars. That is what we call road levies, which include the vehicle licence, the hackney permit, the road worthiness and to ensure that the driver is

also competent. That is, they have a valid driving licence.

That is top on our list. From our studies, we have observed that most of the drivers that we have on the road do not have a genuine driver's licence. What they do is that they give somebody money and photograph to do their driving licence for them.

,

Introduction: With the October deadline on phasing out the old drivers licence and plate number for vehicles, agencies of government in Lagos State have found it lucrative to pounce on vehicles on the road to challenge owners or drivers of such cars to produce their driver's licence.

The Vehicle Inspection Officers, VIO, and Nigeria Police especially have in such circumstance declared as “fake”, drivers licences issued by FRSC causing their victims to part with huge sums of money. Vanguard Conference Hall has taken up the issue of Road Traffic Management and Law Enforcement on Lagos State roads. Exercpt:

Participants at the conference: From left-Mrs Vera Anyagafu, Engr. A. Adebosin, Engr.Gboyega Toriola, Hugo Odiogor, Barr. Chijioke Ndubisi and Mr. Victor Omoregie.

Photos: Bunmi Azeez

minimum requirement.

People write about latching that we lash. Latching is not the key word. What you need to do is to hook it. It is when the system body is not effective that is when you lash it with a rope but the ideal thing to do is to hook it.

So, we take these campaigns to them and all these tank

You cannot get a driver’s licence on proxy ;you have to be physically visible in our office to do your test. That is biometrics where we would take all your data like the finger prints, eye test and others You cannot get a driver ’s licence by proxy; you have to be physically present in our office to do your test. That is biometrics where we would take all your data like the finger prints, eye test and others.

Also, we have what is called road worthiness. We are taking the responsibility to their door step, especially companies so that they can at least meet the

,

farms to ensure that their vehicles are road worthy and that they are maintained to the required standard. Like I have said, before issuing driving licence, we do testing. We are the middle men, it an arrangement where you have three agencies involved in one product and what is the

Continues on page 34

34—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

Engr. A Adebosin

Barrister Ndubisi Chijoke

Victor Omoregie

Hugo Odiogor

Govt agencies milk vehicle owners over drivers' licence product? Driver's Licence.

In those days before the era of the former president, Babangida, it was a state affair.

After the creation of FRSC, they said, 'do your normal work, but you must go to the federal level where they will capture your data', because they want to have biodata base of all intending drivers and drivers in the country.

The state MVAA, that is Motor Vehicle Association Agency are the ones that will sell the form to you or you will go to our w e b s i t e www.nigeriadriverlicence.org and apply online for your driver's licence.

You can also verify online whether what we have is genuine or not. From there, you can fill the form and download online but you can come to our office. After concluding your payment, you will come to VIS for your test.

Downloading online You have one very close to you here at Apapa where your will do the test to ensure that you are competent enough to handle the wheel. After you have finished with the VIS, they will now take you to the FRSC to do your biometric for you and capture you so that they can have your data.

When they are through, they will now give you a temporary driving licence. After 60 days, you will now come back to our office to get the product. FRSC only do the biometric alone, they produce for us. It is like you have a product, you give it to someone to produce for you.

The signature on that driver's licence shows the authority of the state government on that driver's licence. I sign on behalf

of the state government.

The state chief VIO in the country signs on behalf of their state government. FRSC produces for the state. It is in line with what I have said earlier that FRSC do the biometric and produce for the state and they return it to the state to give the applicant.

In line with the law, VIS is the issuer of driver’s licence and we also do what is called accident inspection. If your vehicle has an accident on the road, it is the duty of the police to determine the offender, who is at fault.

Vehicle inspection Our role is to determine the cause of the accident. Prior to the accident, was the vehicle road worthy? And before the vehicle goes back to the road, the police will have to call us to inspect the vehicle and confirm that the vehicle has been repaired before it is taken back to the road.

On the driving school issue, we certify them in conjunction with the Lagos State Drivers' Institute. We have what is called LASDRI, if you want to go to a driving school, you must apply to the Lagos State government, then LASDRI in collaboration with VIO will inspect the facility because we have a standard.

We have instructors, who will take you round the facility.

Lagos State has a certification school called LASDRI for professional drivers, those who earn a living from driving. If I drive myself without a driver, am a driver, but once you have a person earning living from driving like commercial bus drivers or your company bus driver, you must go to LASDRI and before they can go to LASDRI, they must have a

driving licence. That is the precondition before they can go to LASDRI. These are the summary of what we do. We have five LASDRI in Lagos State. If you commit a traffic offence, you must go back to LASDRI for further training. The law specified that.

LASDRI has a law that says that before you drive as a professional driver, you must visit LASDRI yearly for further enlightenment or training.

Apart from having a driver's licence, you must visit LASDRI for training and everything. You must go there at least once a year for certification.

LASDRI was set up to change the orientation of drivers, to change the way they drive, having the right attitude. You know that we have a lot of drivers in Lagos Stae, but traffic management is dynamic, it is not static.

You talked about road worthiness, what would you think of the roads in Lagos?

Barrister Ndubisi:The problem that we have is enforcement of the law.

You see, I don’t know the difference between VIO and VIS. They stopped me somewhere to investigate my papers, but their primary duty is to look for vehicles that are not road worthy.

Road worthy VIO, I don’t know if the law has empowered you to do what other government agencies are doing? In that case, there is duplication of roles. That is the problem with this our government. Some government agencies need to be scrapped because their functions are over lapping. The VIO does the same function that the VIS is doing and up till now, the gov-

ernment has not been able to do anything about it.

There are so many cars that don’t need to be on the road and nobody cares about that and it is constituting a big menace to road users, public health, and morality. But who has the function to checkmate all these?

Is it VIO or VIS or whatever?

They are not executing the law.

Apart from some cars not having road worthiness, the roads that we are talking about

,

Continues from page 33

obtainable in other countries like US and UK, but unfortunately, the enforcement and application is very wrong.

How do you enforce the law in a situation where someone is driving and eating? It is not an offence, but they have made it an offence in our law here.

Sometimes, it is very ridiculous but I praise the government for doing that because it has raised our morality to some extent.

The same goes for receiving GSM calls while driving. You are not supposed to receive calls while driving and this has increased our level of awareness of public health and safety, but the enforcement is the issue and at the end of the

The traffic law that was signed by the Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola, is a noble idea and it is what is obtainable in other countries like US and London, but unfortunately the enforcement and application is very wrong

are not car worthy and that is the function of the government.

Government has failed; they have refused to attend to our local roads in Lagos State.

Local government roads are in a very bad shape, if you go round, you will see what am talking about. The cars you buy today, tomorrow, it will be unroad worthy after one year because of the bad roads.

VIO and LASMA must ensure that the cars that are not road worthy should stay out of the roads and it is written in the traffic law, but nobody is applying that in Lagos State and it has caused so many problems like traffic congestion to the point that you cannot come to the office with your car.

By the time you get to Mile 2, you see piles of cars. The point is that we have a problem and that problem is enforcement of our laws and there is no doubt about that.

The traffic law that was signed by the Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola, is a noble idea and it is what is

,

day, it becomes a dead law.

I don’t know why the government wants to be making dead laws without enforcing them. If you truly want to build a great country, any law no matter how it is framed must be enforced to the letter.

Moderator: Unfortunately, for us, two key agencies that ought to be with us, the Police and LASMA one way or the other are not here with us. But each law you make profit the police whether you like it or not. If you say you want to enforce these laws, it becomes an avenue for the police to make money. If you ban the use of tricycle like Lagos State has done, the police will not enforce it in a decent way. Like recently at Ikeja, in an attempt to apprehend a motorcycle, the police caused a very terrible accident and once that happened, the police left the scene.

In a civilised environment, if you park your vehicle where you are not meant to park, the Continues on page 35

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013 —35

Road traffic management, law enforcement in Lagos State is cumbersome Continues from page 34 police will ticket you, then you know what to do is to go and pay for it. Road Safety started in this country at a point where they were ticketing people. If you commit an offence in Lagos, they will ticket you to go and make payment in Maiduguri.

Engr. Toriola: Before you go further, I want to clear the difference between VIO and VIS. I want to tell you that it is the same VIO. The officers in line with the law are called VIO; that is the Vehicle Inspection Officers, while the department is now called Vehicle Inspection Service, VIS. They are the same, it is just that government changed their names.

Vehicle inspection The officers still remain Vehicle Inspection Officers, while the department is now called Vehicle Inspection Service, VIS, as against the VIU in those days that is the Vehicle Inspection Unit.

They are now a department under the Ministry of Transportation, but they are still the same agency.

I think I would just tell you the brief history of the VIO so that you will know where they originate from. VIO is as old as the Nigeria Police; they were in police before. The then

to the states. I must also tell you that we know that enforcement is one of the major problems we have in this country; we need a lot of enlightenment. We have a slogan in our organisation that “Education without enforcement is Entertainment”. A situation where you keep telling people to do certain things without any enforcement, they keep looking at you.

This government has invested so much funds on road constructions, repairs and we have seen some of them. We are also part of the Ministry of Works because we have a committee on whatever we see on the road, we send our report.

We have the Public Works Bureau that we call them Direct Labour and you must have seen some of them on the roads. We know that we have some roads that are bad, but we have to take them one at a time.

Mr. Omorege: Basically, when you talk about road maintenance, this government has not been forthcoming. Most of their road constructions are the ones that can provide revenue for them where they put up toll gates, where they can collect taxes from multinationals that are within the locality.

Where the generality of Nigerians live, which is the inter-lands, are left in total neglect.

Most people work on the Island, but we come from the In-

,

Basically when government does not appreciate what the majority of what people are passing through people just get frustrated. Driving is what people should enjoy

IG in 1963 wrote a memo that the VIO should be moved from the police and let the police handle security issue while VIO takes care of road safety.

The then Executive Council approved it.

We are talking about bad roads. Yes, there are bad roads, but what about the vehicles? Are they road worthy? What about the drivers? Let’s not forget that the drivers are very key. The driver will see that the roads are bad, he will see that the vehicle is faulty and he will put the vehicle on the road. We have seen that most of the fatal accidents that we have in Nigeria or even all over the world are caused by defective vehicles, and it is also caused by the drivers, as a result of BAD driving, but we will continue to educate our people.

VIO was moved from the police to the regions because we use regions in those days.

When the states were created in the 70s, they moved the VIO

,

ter-lands to make a living, but going back home, is always a nightmare, which will take you about eight hours to get back home.

So, basically, in terms of road maintenance, Lagos hasn’t done anything because if you see the so-called roads that they talking about, they are roads that you don’t see anybody on during weekends because people stay at home. Monday to Friday are the days most people come from the interland work in the Island or main-land. The main-land has a lot of fine roads all tarred with street light, gardens and chairs along Marina and I don’t know who stays there.

The construction of those chairs would have been used to constructs a meter of road at Iyanu-Ejigbo or at Ikotun, or Ayobo and these are the places that if you measure the traffic of people that are living there (Inter-lands) and work in the Main-land, it is huge. I think

it is possible to say that you need to repairs those areas that it would be easy for the people living in those areas to come down to main-land and work.

And that is the reason why most people don’t want to follow the law, because if you look at what it takes to drive in Lagos, you

is the issue, your colleague has said it correctly. Fashola has failed. The only place he has favoured the poor is this BRT buses.

He created something for them so that somebody can from Ikotun move down to VI and gets to work by 6am or 7am.

Vera Anyagafu

•Engr. Gboyega Toriola better go back to the inter-states and stay because the cost in terms of physical wear out, not on money, am talking about the individual driver because we all drive, you will know what it is to drive in Lagos.

Expert driver By the time you get home you are already worn out, not because you don’t know how to drive but because of the roads. If it rains, you will not know where the pot-holes are.

You don’t need to be an expert driver to spot pot-holes.

Basically when government does not appreciate what the mInajority of people are In Lagos, a road that you pass through this morning would not be the same when you are passing through it in the evening.

Barrister Ndubisi Chijoke: Just to add to what you have just mentioned the better word to use is that this Lagos State government has become too elitist. You will see a situation where the roads big men are using are better as opposed to the one the downtrodden are using, It is unfortunate!

Fashola in his first term concentrated in repairing all the roads mostly in Ikoyi, VI and Lekki, but come down to the main-land here you will find nothing. He said he was going to do that in his second term and now he has only two years to go and there is nothing. That

having a pregnant woman on an Okada is not safe. What the law is trying to achieve and I have mentioned it several times is safety, security, standard and sanity and they are very important. An okada is a two wheel vehicle even a small stone can cause an accident to it. Consider a pregnant woman cannot adjust within a few seconds when she is on an okada unlike someone that is not pregnant. A 12 year old

Some of the lawyers in my chamber reside at Idimu but with the aid of BRT they are in the office by 6am or 7am, all by the grace of BRT, buses and I praise him for that but he should extend it to other areas because at the end of the day, it is this people that voted them into power not only the rich the majority are the poor.

So when it comes to road, he has succeeded in satisfying the rich. His government is becoming too elitist, things in Lagos has become too elitist that one has to think about what to do.He has good intentions on the road traffic law he signed because he want us to behave like the way other people are behaving in developed worlds but he has failed to understand the circumstance of our own terrain here.

Pregnant woman How can you tell a poor man that has not been able to eat three square meal a day not to carry his Okada with a woman that is pregnant when the woman can pay him the money he needs to feed himself. It is unpracticable but he put it as a law that if you carry a pregnant woman in your bike or a 12 years person it is an offence.

And talk about the enforcement, it is not there and some people have not challenged this in court.

Engr. Toriola: Let me come in here and start from the rare,

child cannot react the way you will react when there is an emergency with an okada.

The law was meant to ensure safety to all those people you have just mentioned. Am not trying to defend government here and there are alternative.

The BRT is meant to be used.

The area that we ban Okada is on the high way, you have travelled abroad and you know that major roads are not meant for two wheel vehicles, we have the express and the high way and we have what is called congested roads and their speed varies.

Everything is about safety and what the government has done in the last eight years is a good idea. If you look at Ikorodu, The government is trying to expand the road to three lanes plus one BRT lane. We know it is an enormous task but we have to start from somewhere.

Talking about people living in the Badagry axis you can see what is going on there even the Agor-Palace road, the government is trying to dualise the road there.

Lots of constructions are currently going on but they cannot be completed in a short years or month. It is a gradual process. We understand what you are going throug, but government is also listening to the cry of the people.

Moderator: one of the things that we seems to get from what is going on is this driver license.

36—Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

CRPP blasts PDP over Edo House

Urhobo Movement, N'Delta youths back Jonathan on nat'l confab

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM & GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

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ENIN—COALITION of Registered Political Parties, CRPP, in Edo State, yesterday, told Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, in the state that it lacked the powers to stop the alleged plans by the state government to sell Edo House in Lagos.

CRPP said that during the over 10 years reign of PDP government in the state, “the same party neglected Edo House in Lagos and turned it to a mere chalet, so they have no moral justification to stop the state government from selling the abandoned property if it so desires.”

It will be recalled that the state PDP had raised alarm over the alleged plans by the state government to sale Edo House in Lagos, vowing to stop same by all legal means.

However, the state government, through the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Prince Kaseem Afegbua, described the PDP threat as the “ranting of an ant.”

He said that PDP administration abandoned the property for a long time, which led to its present dilapidated state.

BY EMMA AMAIZE

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ARRI—URHOBO National Movement, UNM, yesterday, said that Urhobo ethnic nationality in Delta State was ready to participate in the national dialogue being convoked by the Federal Government.

Also, Niger Delta Youths for Positive Change and Progress, NYPCP, in a statement by its President, Mr. Emmanuel Enisuo, described the national dialogue as a welcome development.

UNM, in a statement by its National President, Alhaji Mumakai Unagha, said: “We, the Urhobo people, state that we are fully ready to participate in the conference as we are already consulting with our key players, youths and traditional rulers to chart a common course toward the aspirant of the Urhobo people.

“The only way for Nigeria to move forward is the conference. We can examine where we are coming from and where we are going.”

Tax payment

However, addressing newsmen in Benin, the state chairman of CRPP, Dr. Samson Isibor, backed the state government plans to sell the property.

He lamented that the state government had been paying millions on taxes to the Lagos State Government for a property that had been abandoned.

CRPP admonished PDP to

“allow the state governor to deliver more dividends of democracy to Edo State people rather than distracting him.

“PDP was in government for over 10 years but there was

Delta Central: Gov's aide rally Arewa for Aguariavwodo care, empowerment of date in the October 12 senatoDeltans and non-Deltans rial by-election.

BY FESTUS AHON

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GHELLI—SPECIAL Assistant to Delta State Governor (Special Duties), Alhaji Auwalu Tukur, yesterday, urged members of the Arewa community in the Delta Central senatorial district to vote en masse for the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Emmanuel Aguariavwodo in the October 12 by-election.

Addressing members of the Arewa community in Ughelli, Tukur said that the Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan PDP-led government has done a lot for the state in general and the Arewa community in particular, adding “our governor should be encouraged to do more by voting for PDP in the forthcoming senatorial by-election.”

He listed some of the projects the governor had executed to include “construction of roads, building of model schools and renovation of schools, new hospitals across the state, construction of an airport, free medical

through various programmes.

“The peace and unity the state has been enjoying since the inception of this administration is by the effort of the government. I call on every one to continue to support the government and pray for peace and unity of the state and the country at large.”

Meanwhile, Social Democratic Party, SDP, has adopted the candidate of PDP, Chief Aguariavwodo as its candi-

Y

ENAGOA—GOVERNOR Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has attributed the achievements of his administration to the dedication and cooperation

of all arms of government and other stakeholders in the state.

Speaking at a cocktail party organised by the state government in honour of the Speaker and members of Bayelsa State House of Assembly in Yenagoa,

he noted that the event was an innovation of government, in the new Bayelsa to foster a unity of purpose among all arms of government and enhance service delivery to the people of the state.

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ARRI—CHAIRMAN, Delta State chapter of Grassroots Development Initiative, GDI, Mr. Solomon Debekeme, has called on Deltans to support President Goodluck Jonathan for a second term in office.

Debekeme spoke in Warri shortly after the inauguration of the body in the state by the national president of the group, Mr. Bright Amahaewule.

Dickson, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, noted that such informal events would be a regular feature of his administration to engage all critical sectors of the state.

Amahaewule said: “We want to call on President Jonathan to run for a second term. It is his constitutional right. Nigerians want him.

“Those that are against President Jonathan’s second term cannot hinge their argument on the constitution.”

While thanking Amahaewule, the national leader of GDI and Minister of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, Debekeme also lauded Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan for his achievements in the state.

Debekeme assured that the newly inaugurated executive had started setting up structures in the various local government areas of the state towards achieving the vision of the body, which is to ensure President Jonathan’s re-election in 2015.

By Bartholomew Madukwe

PEOPLE SPEAK

08102479985

State Chairman of the party, Mr. Oke Idawene and his Vice in Delta Central, Chief Andrew Okagbare, in a statement, said: “Rising from an enlarged meeting of all local government executive committees of the eight councils in the Delta Central and state executive members, especially those from the district in Ughelli, the party resolved to deliver Chief Aguariavwodo come Saturday, October 12.”

2015: GDI mobilises for Jonathan

Why we 're succeeding in Bayelsa— Dickson

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

nothing to show for it. They sold government property in Port Harcourt, Central Road duplexes in the Government Reservation Area in Benin, yet they are talking.”

(nwamad@yahoo.com)

On the proposed national conference

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HERE are many agreements that have not seen the light of day. A national conference will give Nigerians the chance to come together and discuss the way forward for the country. Whether we stay together or split should be decided.— Miss Anasthesia Ezeka, Secretary.

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F the conference will provide solution to the problems of Nigeria, then it is fine. And there should be equal representation among all tribes and groups in the country. All voices must be heard without discrimination.— Mr. Lukman Onabiyi, Journalist.

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HERE is need for the conference. It would either make us better than what we are now or tear us apart, so we can develop differently. Any which way it goes, it is still better for the country because there would then be unity.— Mr. Tochi Ekwuogor, Lawyer.

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T is something we need now, because we have so many aggrieved groups. For instance, look at what is happening in the North with the Boko Haram issue. Also, look at kidnappings in the South-South. Nigerians just need to talk.— Mr. Adeleye Adegboye, Lawyer.

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HE conference should hold. And if peradventure it does, the problems confronting the country are tied to corruption. Let them discuss it and how it can be eradicated because it has eaten deep into every fabric of the system.— Mr. Olasunkanmi Falade, Lawyer.

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T will give Nigerians equal opportunity to contribute and make inputs towards the development of their country.

They should ensure that all stakeholders are involved and it should be taken to the grassroots.— Mr. Chukwulobe Michael, Lawyer.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013—37

Delta Central bye-election: ACD candidate promises 2 ministerial appointments for Urhobo

Uduaghan seeks co-operation among security agencies

BY GODWIN OGRE

S

BY EMMA AMAIZE

A

BUJA—GOVERNOR of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has urged the country’s security agencies to work together to check the security challenges confronting the country.

Delivering a lecture on “Contemporary Development Challenges in Delta” at the Executive Intelligence Management Course Six of the Institute of Security Studies, Abuja, he said that security agencies should acknowledged the contributions of one another in any successful operation, especially in the areas of intelligence gathering and provision of logistics.

The governor, who spoke on his experiences in the state, stressed that cooperation among the different security agencies would enable them deal productively with the current security challenges facing the country.

He said “If we must deal with security challenges in the country, security agencies should not claim credit alone for their operations. In whatever happens, acknowledge the role your colleagues (fellow security agents) played. This will encourage cooperation and better performance in security operations.”

He expressed gratitude to the security agencies for working tirelessly to preserve the stability of the country, adding that he was impressed with the patriotism and professionalism with which they carry out their duties.

He said: “That there is stability is not merely because it was wished into existence by anyone. No. We have stability in the society because from your daily efforts in getting your job done, the rest of us can go about our own businesses. I salute you for the fantastic job you are doing to preserve the stability of our great nation, Nigeria.”

Uduaghan, who identified the development challenges of the country as poverty, infrastructure, security, environmental degradation, unemployment and social cohesion, said that his administration has through the “Delta Beyond Oil” initiative, tackled these challenges successfully in the state.

C M Y K

ANNIVERSARY— From left: His Eminence, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu, Obong of Calabar; Mr Ademola Dada, Chairman, Island Club; and Senator Iyiola Omisore, at the opening ceremony of Island Club 70th anniversary in Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau.

Suspected oil thieves escape death in Bayelsa creek zAs damaged pipeline bursts into flames

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

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ENAGOA—PROVIDENCE averted what could have been the tragic death of some suspected oil thieves in the deep swamp of Brass in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, when a pipeline they were tampering with burst and went up in flames.

The near tragic incident, it was learnt, occurred on the ObamaBrass flow line owned by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC. The suspected oil thieves believed to be part of the syndicate involved in illegal

bunkering on the Brass Island were said to have attempted to siphon crude oil from the facility, when it went up in flames ostensibly due to the pressure exerted on it.

The metal object which they used to drill the pipeline reportedly caused a spark and caused inferno in the area.

The suspects were said to have escaped death by the whiskers as they beat a quick retreat into the mangrove swamp.

A security source, who spoke under anonymity, said “the fire was heavy. But

the vandals escaped. They must have sustained injuries because of the way the incident occurred.”

According to him, “they were tampering with the pipeline when it burst into flames. The affected pipeline belonged to Agip. Officials of Agip had mobilised to the site of the incident.

Contacted, the Media Coordinator of the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta codenamed Operation Pulo Shield, Lt. Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, said that the incident occurred at a previously reported breach point on the pipeline.

Jonathan urges cadet seafarers to be good ambassadors, commissions 3 vessels

APELE—THE candidate of Advanced Congress of Democrats, ACD, in Saturday’s Delta Central senatorial bye-election, Mrs Hannah Atata, yesterday, promised to fight for not less than two ministerial positions for the Urhobo nation besides other federal appointments if voted into the senate.

Mrs Atata said that she entered the race to alleviate the pains of the Urhobo people, free them from marginalisation at the federal level and ensure that at least, two ministerial slots were made available to the Urhobos, which she noted was the fifth largest ethnic nation in Nigeria and one of the very few geese that lay the golden egg.

She added that the ethnic group had been short changed for too long in the scheme of things at the federal level despite its immense economic and human resources.

She also pledged to impact positively on the lives of the grassroots by using her position as a senator to attract more innovative developments to Urhobo nation.

Group wants Delta Assembly to pass 2013 DESOPADEC budget

BY FESTUS AHON

BY LAJA THOMAS

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has urged the 655 trainee cadets under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme, NSDP, who are being sent abroad on foreign training programme to be good ambassadors of the country. This brings the number of sponsored cadet seafarers to 2,505.

Represented by the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, the President also flagged off three security and enforcement boats newly acquired by Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA. At the sent-forth of the batch of cadet seafarers, in Apapa, Lagos, yesterday, the President said that the young Nigerians should count themselves privileged and

therefore, exhibit a sense of duty to the country.

He said that: “You should see yourselves as representatives of the country. You must shy away from anything that will bring shame to Nigeria, be disciplined and law abiding and remain diligent in your studies and training, so as to come back after the training as proud Nigerians, worthy seafarers and ambassadors.”

He announced that the Federal Government has commenced the processes for the establishment of the Maritime University at Okerenkoko in Delta State, while NIMASA also had Institutes of Maritime Studies in four Nigerian universities, namely University of Lagos, University of Nigeria, Nsukka;

Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State and Niger Delta University, Bayelsa.

He said that the objective of these Institutes was to contribute to the production of high quality future global maritime leaders and professionals through quality maritime education, training and research.

Director General of NIMASA, Mr Ziakede Akpolobokemi on his part, said that the programme had recorded significant milestones with 15 state governments having embraced the initiative.

He expressed optimism that the NSDP would provide assurances for Nigeria becoming Africa’s hub for the supply of skilled maritime human capital.

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GHELLI—DELTA State House of Assembly has been asked to fast track passage of the 2013 budget of the State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC. Patriots of Democratic Dividends for Deltans, PDDD, which made the call, noted that the delay in the passage of the budget was raising suspicion in the “eyes of the public.”

Secretary of the group, Dr. Johnbull Efen in a statement, said “for the House not to be accused of conniving with DESOPADEC to deliberately delay the passage of the commission’s budgets to divert the attention of the people, the budget should be passed without further delay."

38—Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

Shun cultism, VC warns students

BY PETER OKUTU

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BAKALIKI—THE Vice Chancellor, Federal University Ndufu-Alike, FUNAI, in Ebonyi State, Professor Oye Ibidapo-Obe, yesterday, warned fresh and returning students of the institution to shun cultism, examination malpractices and other social vices capable of terminating their educational pursuit in the institution.

The Vice Chancellor who handed down the warning while declaring open the 2013/2014 Students’ Orientation of all fresh and returning students of the institution at the University auditorium in Ikwo Local Government Area of the State called on the students to uphold good moral values they might have been imbibed at home throughout their period in the university.

The vice chancellor who was represented by the Registrar of the institution, Mr. Gabriel Chukwu, said some students of FUNAI had been suspended from the university for demonstrating acts of cultism and other social vices. He also said that over 300 students were admitted for the 2013/ 2014 academic session.

Passage

D

EACON FRANCIS Obiadibuye Oranyeli of Umungada kindred, Oko Anala in Oshimili South Local Government of Delta State is dead.

In a statement by the Oranyeli family, there will be a Christian wake keep on Thursday, October 10, at Pato Okonkwo Street, off Okpanam Road, Asaba, Delta State. He will be buried the following day, at the same venue.

He is survived by aged mother, widow, children and other relations.

Late Francis Oranyeli C M Y K

Anambra 2013: Stakeholders agree to relocate polling units from shrines, forests A

BY OKEY NDIRIBE

BUJA—AS the November 16 governorship elections in Anambra State draws nearer, the stakeholders in the electoral process have agreed to relocate all polling units from shrines, thick forests and homes of prominent politicians in the state.

This was confirmed, yesterday, in Abuja by the Acting Chairman of Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission, ANSIEC, Mr. Sylvester Okonkwo, while speaking to news men during an interactive session with officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Abuja.

Okonkwo stated that such polling units existed at Onitsha North, Ogbaru and Oyi Local Government Areas of the state, adding that results from such polling units located in inaccessible places were usually used to produce fake results during elections.

According to him, ANSIEC had earlier alerted INEC on the matter and had begun the process of relocating such illegal polling units to areas where they would be accessible to people during elections.

His words: “We observed that about six polling units were set up at the bank of a river in Ontisha North Local Government Area. We insisted that these polling units must be relocated to the prisons quarters for genuine use. Also at Ogbaru Local Government, at Ogbo Efere Market to be precise, there were six polling units there, which INEC established to help traders to register, but we found

out that on election days, even when those markets were locked up for the elections, we still have votes from such places. We do not know who votes in a closed market. So we have decided that those six polling units will be relocated outside the market. “ Apart from this, Okonkwo further said that there is an invicible polling unit in Ogbaru, which people used to call Festac.

He said: “We have looked around and there is no Festac in Anamabra State. We found out that this polling unit was right inside the compound of one political heavy weight in the area. We have brought the polling unit out

to the town. Also there is another one in Oyi Local Government Area. The place is Nteje, where a polling unit was located inside a thick forest, almost two kilometres from the road, where nobody lives. ”I have alerted the INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega and he has agreed that we move all these illegal polling units out of their locations.”

Okonkwo’s Rivers State counterpart, Mrs. Dakoro also said she had uncovered some polling units located in shrines and other hidden places in the state.

However, in a communique’ the Chairman of INEC, Professor

Jega and the Chairman of the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions, FOSIECON, Justice A.F. Adesina after the meeting, both parties resolved as follows, ‘’the need for greater synergy between INEC and SIECs, especially at the state and local government levels, in the implementation of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise and subsequent use of permanent voters’ cards for elections.”

The meeting then commended INEC for bringing innovations to the electoral process as well as improving the integrity of the electoral system.

SUMMIT: Dr. Oba Otudeko, Chairman, Honeywell Group (left) and UN Secretary General, Mr Ban Ki-Moon, at the recently concluded UN Global Compact Leaders Summit 2013.

Ex-Biafran veterans fight over leadership E

BY TONY EDIKE

NUGU—THERE is now uneasy calm within the leadership of the Ex-Biafran War Veteran Welfare Association following the alleged plot to hijack the association by a group of persons.

Following this situation, the National Coordinator of the association, Col. Emmanuel Ossai, has disassociated his group from the proposed plan by a splinter group to march to Abuja over the delay by the Federal Government in the payment of their entitlements.

Ossai who spoke to newsmen in Enugu said that although they had been mounting pressures on the authorities to reintegrate them into the main stream of the Nigerian Army, they had not discussed the issue of protesting in Abuja.

Flanked by Coordinators from Abia, Rivers, Bayelsa, Imo and Enugu, states, Ossai further noted that the splinter group led by Lt. Col. Victor Onah has since been expelled from the association, adding that it ought not to have been

speaking for the association.

According to him, the idea of appealing for reintegration and rehabilitation was not to

confront the authority, recalling how he was instructed by the late Ikemba of Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu

Ojukwu not to be violent against any constituted authority.

Why I initiated youth empowerment in Abia —Orji

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MUAHIA—GOVERNOR Theodore Orji of Abia State, has said that the youth empowerment programme initiated by his administration was an extention of the government’s security device designed to sustain tranquility in a secured environment suitable for engendering and promoting business options and viability.

According to the governor, the youth of every society is the engine room for its socio-economic growth and as such no government can afford to toil with their welfare.

In a statement through his Special Adviser on Public Communication, Mr. Ben Onyechere, the governor said: “It is important to note that part of the reason we are enjoying a relatively peaceful atmosphere in Abia is as a result of our resolve to fruitfully

engage idol hands as well as creating and encouraging employment generating corporations since Abia unavoiddably has become the economic melting point of the South East.

“This programme is not only continous but has come to stay, therefore it is pertinent to assure all Abia youths that as your Governor, I will not relent in my determination to provide tools to keep you busy because you are an integral part of my administration having supported our security projects and protected government instalations in all parts of the state, this measure therefore, comes handy in compensating the gesture of our resourseful youths.

“I want you to bear in mind that I have re-written history of Abia to include the relevance, upliftment and recognition of the

youths such that it will be difficult for anybody to forget you in future. This programme which is rotatory is meant to provide a bedrock in the development of our youths.”

Retreat

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HE VINCENTIAN Re treat Centre, 1, De Paul Close, Ojodu, Ikeja, Lagos, will today, commence its three- day monthly retreat with the theme, You must break forth and break through: Moving forward for expansion. The event will feature stations of the cross, talk, mass and adoration..

The programme will end on Friday, October 10 with a vigil/ mass, starting by 9pm. It will be hosted by the Vincentian Fathers.

Vanguard, WEDNRSDAY, OCTOBER 9 2013 —39 ,

ROUNDTABLE: From left, Mrs. Josephine Effah-Chukwuma, Executive Director, Project Alert; Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, former Minister of Education/Chairman of Programme; Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, President, Women Arise; Mrs. Abiola Akiyode, Executive Director, Women Advocates, during the two-day Roundtable with CSOs and Community Gatekeepers on Gender Based Violence Affecting Young Persons, organised by Women Arise, and Ford Foundation, at Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi

SEND-FORTH: From left, President, Independent Ship Owners Association of Nigeria, Isaac Jolapomo; Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Patrick Akpobolokemi, and Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, at the send-forth ceremony for qualified student cadets of Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme, NSDP, in Lagos.

BRIEFING: Ojonin of Ajiran Land, Oba Tijani Adetunji Akinloye, flanked by Odofin of Ajiran Chief Marshal, Saka (right), and Balogun of Ajiran, and Baba Adinni of Eti-Osa, Chief Yekini Bakare, during the press briefing over his forth-coming commemoration of his 20th coronation anniversary

SEMINAR: President, Junior Chambers International, JCI, Mr. Jide Adeyemi; representative of FRSC Sector Commander for Lagos, Mr. Umweni Godwin; Head, Training, AA Rescue, Mr. Kunle Akinbola, and Chairman, Organising Committee, Mr. Gbenga Olusoga, during the JCI defensive seminar for commercial drivers, at Iyana Ipaja Park, Lagos. Photo: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor

LAUNCH: From left, HRH Mohammed Dayabi,Traditional Head, Filin Dabo Community, Abuja; Master Chidera Akpuchukwu, Oando scholarship awardee; Ms Tokunboh Durosaro, Director, Oando Foundation, and Mr. Celestine Akpuchukwu, father of the awardee, during the launch of Oando Foundation’s Teachers Training, and award of scholarships, in Abuja.

PRESENTATION: From left, Professor Isaac Esema, Coordinator, Institute of Administrative Management of Nigeria, IAMN, (Lagos Island District), presenting honorary Fellow / Grand Life Patron Award of the Institute to Engr. Olusegun Okebiorun, Controller-General, Federal Fire Service, and Mr. Debola Ajeboriogbon, Membership Secretary, International Community Education Association , ICEA, (Nigeria Chapter), in Lagos C M Y K

UNVEILING: From left, Mr. Diran Adenugba, Communications Channel Manager; Mr. David Okeme, Brand Building Director; Mrs. Bolanle Kehinde-Lawal, Category Manager, Savoury, and Miss Abimbola Ogunsemi, Brand Manager, Knorr, all of Unilever, at Unilever Nigeria Plc's unveiling of Knorr Taste Quest Season 2, at the company's headquarters, in Lagos, Photo: Biodun Ogunleye

INVESTITURE: From left, Lion Ben Eboreime, Lion Kayode Adewoyin, being decorated by out-going President, Lion Ladi Fagbenja, during the investiture/ fund raising of Lion Adewoyin as the President of Isheri Platinum Lions Club and launching of Eye Centre, in Isheri, Lagos. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye

CONFERENCE: From left,Regional Director, Regulatory Affairs & Medical Services, Africa, Reckitt Benckiser, Mrs. Soufia Hanna; Head, Regulatory Affairs, Reckitt Benckiser, Mr. Dimeji Agbolade, and Category Lead, Health, Reckitt Benckiser, Mr. Qaiser Sajid, at the International Conference on Medical Regulation of Claims, organised by the Centre for Drug Discovery, Development and Production, CDDDP, University of Ibadan, in conjunction with Reckitt Benckiser, in Ibadan.

40—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

Ex-Benue Speaker lauds Jonathan over national confab

Ukrainian Ambassador tasks Kogi Govt on Ajaokuta steel plant

BY PETER DURU

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OKOJA—THE Ukrainian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Valery Vasyliev has called on the Kogi State Government, the primary stakeholders of the Ajaokuta steel plant, to work towards the revitalisation of the plant.

He said that Ukraine, the biggest exporter of steel, had the experience to turn around the fortunes of the plant.

Mr Eugine Kosic, the President General of Ukrainian National Foreign Economic Corporation, also yesterday, said that the Ajaokuta Steel Company was still intact despite long years of neglect.

Kosic said this when he visited the Kogi Deputy Governor, Mr Yomi Awoniyi, along with the Ukrainian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Valery Vasyliev, in his office in Lokoja .

He said that VAZMASH INPEX LLC had shown interest in the resuscitation of the steel plant since 1998.

Kosic assured that with the combination of world experts in the organisation, the Ajaokuta Steel Company would be a reality soon.

He said that the steel plant was still intact in spite of years of neglect and called for the collaboration of government at all levels to make the project a reality.

Mr Attah Achimugu, the Chief Executive of Reprom Nig. Ltd., said that as the technical partner to the steel plant since 2003, the resuscitation of the plant was assured.

Achimugu, described the plant as a viable project, adding that it was not obsolete as being perceived in some quarters.

Mr Yomi Awoniyi said the country would witness a new dawn whenever the Ajaokuta Steel Plant was revived.

He commended the laudable role played by Reprom Nig. Ltd., towards ensuring the smooth take off of the steel plant.

Awoniyi commended the commitment of 10 per cent equity participation of Reprom Nig. Ltd towards resuscitating the steel plant.

KADUNA—From left: Governor Muhktar Ramalan Yero of Kaduna State with the outgoing Chief Judge of the state, Justice Rahila Cudjoe at the valedictory session in her honour in Kaduna. Photo: Olu Ajayi.

SALLAH: Wamakko orders payment of October salaries to workers S

OKOTO—GOVERNOR Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State, yesterday, directed the Ministry of Finance to begin the payment of October salaries to the state civil servants.

A statement in Sokoto by the Senior Special Assistant to Wamakko on Media, Malam Sani Umar, said the directive was to enable the Muslims to celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir slated for Oct. 15.

It stated that the payment of the salaries should start by Friday.

"The governor has therefore, directed the state Ministry of Finance to ensure that the salaries are paid latest by Friday.

"The measure is meant to assist the civil servants to celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir comfortably with their families.

This was even as some members of Nigerian border communities in Baruten Local Government area of Kwara are buying rams from Benin Republic barely a week ahead of this year’s Eid-el-Kabir.

The Eid-el-Kabir is the annual Muslim festival when rams or other lawful animals are sacrificed.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that scores of people were seen carrying rams on motorcycles and vehicles into the country through the various routes linking Nigeria with Benin Republic.

They attributed the development to the cheaper rams in Benin Republic.

Mr Azeez Kora, a resident, told NAN yesterday in Kosubosu

that the price of ram in Paraque, a neighbouring town in Benin, was lower than what obtained in Nigeria.

“The gap is too much that after the whole expenses from Paraque to Kosubosu, the difference is still reasonable and worthwhile,” he said.

He said that the rams that were being sold for between N45, 000 and N50, 000 in Nigeria were bought for between N30, 000 and N35,000 across the border.

The Ram Sellers Association in Gure in Baruten Local Government area, said its members were recording

low sales following importation of the rams from the neighbouring country.

Malam Salihu Kafinta, the Chairman of the association, told NAN that aside the scarcity of rams, customers were complaining of lack of money.

According to him, traders that used to come from far and near to patronise the Gure ram market were not seen this year.

He also attributed the poor sales to poor harvests by farmers in the area. The association chairman, however, said that he was optimistic of better sales before the Eidel-Kabir festival day.

A K U R D I — F O R M E R Speaker of Benue State House of Assembly, Mr. Terhemen Tarzor has described President Goodluck Jonathan’s proposed national conference as a “much desired veritable platform for all Nigerians to aggregate their views on the challenges facing the country.”

Tarzor who is also a gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, spoke, yesterday, in an interview with newsmen in Makurdi.

He said, “the idea of a conference at this time of our nationhood is apt and timely given the numerous agitations in parts of the country and the need for Nigerians to discuss their problems. ”We must all commend the courage of Mr President in taking the bold step of convening the conference and it is incumbent on all Nigerians to support the President and ensure its success. ”Undoubtedly, the platform will present an oppotunity for all those who claim to be elder statesmen and women in this country to present their views on all issues that pose serious challenges to our nationhood and any of them who shy away from this responsibility will be doing a disservice to himself and this country."

Trovan victims want FG to intervene in dispute with Pfizer K

ANO—THE Trovan Victims Association, Kano, yesterday called on the Federal Government to intervene in the lingering dispute between Pfizer Inc. of America and the victims of the 1996 meningitis clinical trial.

Alhaji Mustapha Maisikeli, the Chairman of the association, made the call in Kano while addressing newsmen on the progress of the case.

He said the association had forwarded its complaints to the Chief of Staff to President Goodluck Jonathan and

members representing Kano State in the National Assembly.

Maisikeli said the association would go back to court in Nigeria and the U.S. if Pfizer failed to honour the agreement entered into after the interventions by government.

“We were given the right by the U.S. Supreme Court to further file a case against Pfizer if it failed in its obligations. An Abuja Court is also going to listen to our case later in November.

"We intend to keep to our pledge of making an out-of-

court settlement as agreed at our various meetings with Kano State Government, our lawyers and that of Pfizer.”

He said that only six of the 200 victims were compensated.

“Out of the 75 million dollars ($75m) released for compensation, the legal fees of 10 million dollars was paid to Kano State Government.

“Arrangement is also being made for the disbursement of 35 million dollars for the construction of a health facility in Kano.

“The issue is that only six victims have been paid out of the 35 million dollars agreed to be given to the victims.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013 — 41

C M Y K

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42 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 9, 2013

Obama describes default as looming 'nuclear bomb' P RESIDENT Barack Obama warned yesterday that Congress would be dropping the equivalent of an economic “nuclear bomb” on the country if it failed to raise the debt ceiling, triggering a first-of-its-kind default.

Obama also pressed Republicans to reopen the government without conditions and get down to “serious negotiations” about getting America’s longterm fiscal affairs in order.

“Let’s stop the excuses,” Obama said during a rare appearance in the White House briefing room.

“Let’s end this shutdown right now.”

The president argued that there are enough votes in the Republican-held House of Representatives to pass a “clean” stopgap

Obama spending measure — one without GOP preconditions. Republican House Speaker John Boehner has denied that and has refused to bring such a measure up for a vote.

Obama also described the consequences of a default as dire, quoting economists as saying it would be “insane” or “catastrophic,” spreading “chaos” in the economy — and pointed to billionaire investor

Warren Buffett’s warning that it would be akin to dropping a “nuclear bomb” on the fragile recovery.

If Republicans reopen the government, then “I will not eliminate any topic of conversation” in broader negotiations about America’s finances, he said.

Obama telephoned Boehner on yesterday around 10:45 a.m. — and that’s pretty much where the agreement ends. Boehner spokesman Brendan Buck tersely described the call this way: “The president called the speaker again today to reiterate that he won’t negotiate on a government funding bill or debt limit increase.”

(Buck’s message was helpfully entitled “news ... or what passes for it.”)

Libya summons US envoy, demands return of Al Libi

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IBYA’S government has summoned US ambassador Deborah Jones to seek clarification over the capture of senior al-Qaeda suspect Nazih Abdul-Hamed al-Ruqai, known by his alias Abu Anas al-Liby, from the capital, Tripoli.

“Justice Minister Salah al-Marghani summoned the ambassador of the US on Monday morning to ask for answers to several questions relating to the case” of Abu Anas alLiby, a ministry statement said on yesterday.

Liby, who was snatched by the US special forces in Tripoli on Saturday, is wanted by the US in connection to the bombing of American embassies in Uganda and Kenya in 1998 that left 224 people dead.

Meanwhile, Libya’s top political authority, the General National Congress, demanded on Tuesday that the United States hand back an alleged Al-Qaeda operative its forces seized from Tripoli in a weekend raid.

A GNC statement read out by spokesman Omar Hmidan stressed “the need for the immediate surrender” of Abu Anas al-Libi and described the US operation as a “flagrant violation of (Libya’s) national sovereignty.”

The text, which was passed by the GNC, also

calls for the “need to allow the Libyan authorities and their families to get in touch with him (Libi) and guarantee them access to a lawyer.”

It is the first official

statement from Libya that clearly condemns the operation in which Libi was snatched from his car by US forces in broad daylight in a Tripoli street on Saturday.

Egypt: Death toll rises as violence rages on

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ONVULSIONS of vi olence followed the fierce clashes that killed dozens of people Sunday in Egypt, when Muslim Brotherhood supporters clashed with their opponents and security forces.By Tuesday, the death toll from Sunday’s violence climbed to 55. That number could continue to rise, as some of the 250 injured could succumb to their wounds.

On top of that, six Egyp-

tian soldiers have died in attacks since Sunday.

In the city of Port Said, a group of attackers shot and killed an Egyptian soldier on Tuesday, according to state-run media.

And on Monday, Islamist militants in the Sinai killed five Egyptian soldiers in the town of Ismailia, state media said. In the village of Al-Tor, they set off a car bomb that killed two people and wounded 48, state media reported.

US launches new $100 bill

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HE United States launches yesterday a new $100 bill that comes with, for the iconic greenback, a new touch of color, as well as special features to foil counterfeiters.

In its first remake since 1996, the $100 banknote, which takes a key role in cash transactions for everyone from small traders to big drug traffickers worldwide, sports the traditional portrait of American Revolutionary War statesman

Benjamin Franklin on the front.On the back, too, it depicts Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776.”It’s our most global banknote. Between a half and two-thirds of them are circulating outside of the United States, and it’s also the most counterfeited of US denominations outside of the United States,” she said.

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013—43

Harvest of defections at APGA flag off I

NGIGE CAMPAIGN FLAG-OFF: L-r: Deputy Governorship candidate of APC in Anambra, Mr Raphael Okeke, former national chairman of defunct ANPP, Chief Ogbonnia Onu, former governor of Lagos and leader of the party, Alhaji Ahmed Tinubu, standard bearer of APC in the state, Sen. Chris Ngige, Governors Rochas Okorocha of Imo and Adams Oshiomhole of Edo during the official flag-off of Ngige campaign for the November 16 governorship election in Anambra in at Onitsha, yesterday.

T was indeed a harvest of decamping for APGA during the flag off of the governorship campaign in Awka. Among those that dumped their former parties for APGA include the former governorship aspirant of LP, Mr. Peter Nwosu.

Nwosu, it would be recalled, fought desperately to dislodge the oil magnet candidate of LP, Chief Ifeanyi Ubah before the primaries and at a point, claimed to be the authentic flag bearer of LP. During the APGA flag off rally in Awka, Nwosu said he had decided to leave LP for APGA with all his supporters because Willy Obiano, according to him, is unarguably the best equipped

Ngige'll end godfatherism in Anambra —APC leaders L

EADER of the All Progres sives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bisi Akande; as well as Governors Rochas Okorocha of Imo, Adams Oshiomhole of Edo and Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, yesterday, in Onitsha, Anambra State separately spoke on the need for the people of the state to vote for Senator Chris Ngige during the November 16, 2014 election.

The flag off of the APC governorship candidate at the centenary stadium, Holy Trinity Cathedral, Onitsha attracted a large number of APC supporters from all the 326 wards in the state, who ceaselessly waved their brooms and danced round the magnificent arena.

Tinubu told the people that APC has brought to Anambra a revolution that is going on in the country, reminding them that the revolution cannot be achieved without their full participation.

According to him, APC treats headache and even rheumatism to get everybody well and on their feet to contribute to the development of the nation, adding that a nation where universities have remained shut for several months was an indication that the government had failed the people and should therefore be changed.

He said that the Anambra election is a test case for Nigerians to begin the expected revolution and urged them to vote for Ngige, who he described as an agent of change.

Governor Oshiomole described Ngige as a good product that does not need to be spent money on to be advertised. He said: “Ngige is a man who is tested and trusted and with the challenges facing Anambra State, there is no need to bring in a trainee to start learning on the job.

“Ngige is trained to save peo-

ple’s lives and not to make money to line his pockets and that was what he did before and he will do it again.”

Oshiomole recalled how, as president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, he led several protests to Anambra State when PDP was in power in the state because the then governor failed to pay workers, adding that all that changed when Ngige assumed office and paid every worker regularly.

Governor Fayemi said the victory of Ngige is important for APC, adding that all the 11 governors of APC are determined to ensure that Ngige emerge victorious in next month’s election.

In his speech, Governor Okorocha said the main reason they were supporting Ngige is because he fought and ended godfatherism in Anambra State and warned the people not to allow godfathers have their way again.

He also stated that Nigerians

were yearning for change from the politics of Baba has said or Abuja has said, adding that Ngige will be a man of his own as his only interest will be to work for the welfare of the people.

Commending the people for turning out in large numbers, Ngige urged them to follow who they know, assuring them that he would reenact the Ngige quality in roads, security and other areas, if they vote for him.

APGA campaign is ‘Operation Osmosis’ — Umeh STORIES BY VINCENT UJUMADU

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ATIONAL Chairman of the All Progressives Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, who was elated at the large turn out of party supporters at the flag off of Willy Obiano governorship campaign described the event as ‘Operation Osmosis’ and commended the people of the state for deciding to rally round APGA to ensure that Igbo do not lose their voice in the country.

According to him, the good thing going for APGA is the marvelous work done by Governor Peter Obi, whom he described as the greatest APGA supporter of all time. He said that having done well to ensure peace and prosperity in the state, there is need to elect another APGA governor to continue the good work.

He also said that other candidates in the election have proved unworthy of being governors of Anambra State by “supporting the deportation of Igbo from Lagos” and “proving incapable of managing their

businesses.”

His words: Obi needs a worthy successor and we are lucky to have found the right person in Willy Obiano. Our people cannot afford to make the mistake of derailing Obi’s legacies by allowing somebody who does not believe in the people to take over the Government House in Awka.

Obi has laid the foundation and we are sure Obiano build skyscrapers on the foundation. If you vote for APGA, you are therefore voting continuity.”

Obiano

candidate in the governorship race.

The former LP aspirant also donated 10 buses and one Armada vehicle which he used for his campaign, as well as his campaign office to APGA. According to him, his decision to pitch tent with APGA was because of what Governor Peter Obi has done in the state since he assumed office in 2006, adding that unlike the situation in the state before then, Obi brought peace and prosperity to Anambra.

Another former governorship aspirant that collapsed his structures into APGA during the flag off was Architect Dan Nwandu of PDP. Before the flag off ceremony, Nwandu had at his Enugwu Ukwu home town, invited, Chief Umeh who received 1500 former members of PDP in the area into APGA.

Historic ceremony Similarly, the former state chairman of PDP, Chief Ivy Obi Okoye joined APGA with all his former officers at the state, local government and ward levels.

In his speech at the Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka during the flag off, Obi Okoye said: “We thank God that we are part of this historic ceremony. Governor Obi has shown that with little resources, a lot could be achieved and that is why we want to be part of this process of continuing the stability in Anambra State.”

Another political party that collapsed its structure to APGA during the flag off was DPP. The party’s former state chairman, Chief Anayo Obiakor said with the development, DPP has joined the campaign train of APGA. He said: “We decided to join APGA because of the way Obi has transformed the state. I am from Awka and no previous governor had done what Obi has done to transform Awka and we believe that Willy Obiano, as governor, will continue from where Obi will stop.

...Former aspirants back Obiano

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part from Professor Chukwuma Soludo who was said to be outside the country, all the former aspirants that participated in the APGA primaries that produced Obiano attended the campaign flag off with their supporters.

Those who were present include Mrs. Uche Ekwunife, Prince Chinedu Emeka, Chief Paul Odenigbo, Mr. Oseloka Obaze, Prince Tony Nnacheta, Chief Patrick Obianwu and Mr.

Emeka Nwogbo.

Their supporters wore the uniform of the principals and danced round the arena in solidarity with Obiano.

Also present at the rally were the Chief Emeka Ojukwu jr, the son of the late Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Odumegwu Okukwu; Chief Sylva Nwobu -Alor who led the opposition against Umeh during the feud between the national chairman and Governor Obi; members of the

House of Representatives and State House of Assembly.

Ojukwu jr who spoke at the ceremony said his late father, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu -Ojukwu would be very proud of what is happening in APGA. “My late father handed over the leadership of APGA to Governor Obi and we have seen what he did in eight years and we are here to see him hand the baton to Obiano,” he said.

44—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

BY EMMA AMAIZE & FESTUS AHON

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NTIL he decamped from the Democratic Peoples Party, DPP, to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, last year, Chief Julius Ogboru, the Ekugbere of Abraka Kingdom and elder brother of Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru, DPP governorship candidate in the last election, was popularly known as the ‘Field Marshal’ of the Ogboru Campaign Organization.

That he was one of the pillars of DPP was not in doubt, but what remained uncertain, even in the last few days, is whether his exit from the party, which his younger

Delta Central bye-election: It’s Ogboru vs Ogboru in Ethiope –East DPP members from different parts of the state to declare for the PDP. He said after very wide consultation with his supporters in all the wards in the state, he had to take the decision to cross over to PDP. His words: “Some of you asked if my crossing over will not amount to a betrayal. I say no because I gave my brother all the support he needed in his political aspiration for 14 years. I think it is time to move on.”

He assured that he would deliver the three wards at Abraka

,

Despite the swagger that Julius Ogboru's exit did not really matter, a source said the DPP was feeling the impact

brother, and by extension, the Ogborus, have used to gain acceptance and respectability in the state, will affect the fortunes of the DPP in Delta Central in the October 12 bye- election.

His political strength has not been tested since he dumped DPP following some “irreconcilable political differences” with his brother, Great Ovedje. The ruling PDP is maximizing the opportunity that his departure had created to make inroad in Ethiope-East Local Government Area.

Last week at Eku, Chief Ogboru led about 1,500 former

,

to his new party, even as he thanked the Commissioner for Finance in the state, Chief Ken Okpara, for making the declaration a reality.

Chief Skin Ogboru, a chieftain of PDP in Abraka, said he was happy that his uncle had crossed over to the ruling party.

Delta State Commissioner for Housing, Chief Paulinus Akpeki, and other political leaders, who spoke at the declaration, charged Chief Ogboru to ensure his coming would bring greater success to the PDP. Like the APC senatorial candidate, Olorogun O’tega

one by Julius Ogboru, elder brother of Chief Great Ogboru, along with many people, would not affect his chances of winning the election, Dafinone said: “Julius Ogboru has chosen what he feels he wants to do, which he feels is better for him. Let him decamp with any number of people he claims he has decamped with, that is his own business and that will not affect the party at the election.”

Speaking to Vanguard on whether his departure from DPP would affect the fortunes of DPP in Ethiope East, Chief Julius Ogboru said, “It is a nice question, what I will tell you is that you know that when a vehicle is moving, it is moving with four tyres, but if one of the tyres pulls out, will the movement not be affected? I leave you to find out the answer.

Heartbeat and mass following

•Ogboru: DPP will retain Delta Central Senatorial District Emerhor, who also pulled out of DPP, Chief Julius Ogboru, was said to have reasoned that the DPP was not the political party that would take Deltans anywhere but his younger brother, Great, was not in a hurry to buy his idea.

Despite the swagger that Julius Ogboru's exit did not really

matter, a source said the DPP was feeling the impact. But the party’s senatorial candidate, Chief Ede Dafinone, told Vanguard in Sapele that DPP would not be affected by the departure of Julius Ogboru in the bye-election.

Asked if the series of defections in DPP, particularly the recent

"I do not want to talk much, the result of the poll will speak for itself. It is then the truth will come to light that it is with people that you win election.”

Great Ogboru does not, however, agree with his brother.

He told a tabloid: “I still believe that the bye-election will be won by the DPP. Though, some of our members have gone to the APC and some, who were from the PDP have gone back, but the nucleus, the heartbeat and the mass following or our people and the appeal of the party, have remained undiminished. So I believe that DPP will win.”

Elder Dafinone campaigns for son, Ede, DPP flagbearer

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BY EMMA AMAIZE

ECOND Republic Sen ator and renowned accountant, Chief David Dafinone, has mounted the soap box in

Sapele, Delta State, to campaign for his second son, Chief Ede Dafinone, who is the Democratic Party, DPP, flag bearer for the October 12 senatorial bye election in Delta Central.

The elder statesman, who took the message of Urhobo unity and development to notable politicians and monarchs in Uvwie, Udu, Ughelli, Evwreni, Jesse,

I’ll attract massive federal presence to Delta Central – Emerhor

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HE All Peoples Congress (APC), Delta Central senatorial candidate, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, weekend, said he would attract massive federal presence to the senatorial district.

Emerhor who was speaking with newsmen on why he was in the race said, “simply put, to bring development back home.

It is to take the issues of the senatorial district and highlight them in the National Assembly. If you look at Delta Central we have many issues. These are issues of development, neglect, high unemployment and you can see the crime rate and poverty. All these are associated with the fact that there are no flourishing industries.

“We used to have a flourishing Delta Steel Company that engaged many youths. A lot of industries are moribund and not operating. We have little federal presence in the district. These are the issues a representative needs to take to Abuja. We need to bring visible federal presence to Delta Central and ensure that we

have our fair share in terms of engagement of individuals from this area in the activities of our nation. Therefore, the agenda is proper representation, ensuring that Delta Central is receiving a commensurate attention, patronage and ensuring that government appreciates the worth of the fifth largest ethnic group in the country.”

On how he would tackle the issue of youth unemployment in Delta Central, Emerhor said, “What will bring employment are industries and proper engagements with the federal government; you know the federal government has a lot of existing schemes. There are schemes in agriculture, there are schemes in poverty alleviation and there are others relating to activities of the various ministries.

But you need to bring these opportunities to the attention of the people you represent. You need to provide the channel, you need to be the bridge, and you need to ensure that your senatorial district is having access to what is already available."

Mosogar and Oghara last Tuesday and Wednesday, assured that “Ede’s representation will be effective and filled with integrity and accountability.”

He also addressed prominent Delta Central political and community leaders in Sapele, telling them, “In my family, we do not talk about performance, we are born to perform. We do things

with integrity, honesty, diligence and interest of those we serve.”

His words: “The Senator representing Delta Central must be well educated- vibrant, visionary individual who wants Urhobo unity, someone who is not defective in any area. He must have contact with individuals, groups and organizations.”

Youths endorse Aguariavwodo

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BY EMMA AMAIZE

DU- THOUSANDS of youths from the eight Urhobo local government areas in Delta Central senatorial district, Delta State, under the auspices of Urhobo Youth, Students Leaders and Stakeholders Forum, UYOSLASF, weekend, endorsed Chief Emmanuel Aguariavwodo, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for the October 12 bye-election. Aguariavwodo was endorsed after heated debate and examination of credentials of candidates for the byeelection by the youths at a meeting held in Orhuworhun, Udu, Delta State.

The meeting was convened by Com- •Aguariavwodo

rade Prince Afoke Okporua, an Urhobo youth leader and former Vice President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS. Okporua, who confirmed Aguariavwodo as the choice of the youths said, “we have endorsed Chief Emmanuel Aguariavwodo because of his robust track record. He was a symbol of legislative excellence from 1999-2003.

He performed creditably as the pioneer MD of NDDC. He did well as Chairman of NigerDelta River Basin Authority. He has done well before and we are confident he will make us proud at the red chambers”.

OUR ERROR

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he photograph of Olorogun Fred Okiemute Majemite was wrongly captioned as that of Olorogun Emmanuel Aguariavwodo, the PDP Delta Central Senatorial Candidate, in yesterday’s edition. The error is regretted – Editor

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013—45

We’re not interested in impeaching Jonathan, Tambuwal —Rep Azubuike MR Uzo Azubuike, Chairman of House Representatives Committee on Public Petitions in this interview dismissed the rumoured impeachment moves against President Goodluck Jonathan and the House Speaker Aminu Tambuwal. Azubuike, who is also a member of the Unity Forum,UF, in the House also noted that his group would support President Jonathan should he decide to run for a second term in office.

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

W

HAT is your reaction to comments that your group, Unity Forum, is staying out of media spotlight because of an agenda towards changing the leadership of the House of Representatives and probably, impeach President Goodluck Jonathan?

The rumoured attempt by anybody to effect a change in the leadership of the House of Representatives is one of the most ridiculous rumours that can ever be peddled. Let me say first that before we went on recess, we saw a certain drift in PDP that was affecting the coherence of PDP in the House. We now floated an association that we called the PDP Patriots who took it upon ourselves to ensure sustained support for PDP, for President Goodluck Jonathan, for the programmes of PDP that has formed the government of the federation and at the same time, ensure peace and stability in the

House of Representatives.

We are aware that the leadership we have in the House •Uzo Azubuike today was elected voluntarily by the House and that members of the Jonathan.

House are satisfied with the How did the group leadership of Aminu Waziri metamorphose into the Unity Tambuwal and Emeka Ihedioha, Forum that includes non-PDP with Mulikat Akande as the members?

Leader of PDP in the House and While we were on recess, there the Leader of the House. We saw was a problem in the PDP arising the need to ensure that there is from the last mini convention of stability in the House and the party and some people now stability in the government of the said they are new PDP and we federation and there cannot be felt that if there is a disagreement stability in the government of the within the party, it should not be federation if it does not enjoy the brought into the chambers of the support of the House. Our National Assembly. Party issues objective was to build synergy are not supposed to reflect in the between the party, PDP which we National Assembly and that the belong to and the House of National Assembly should Representatives, so that in that remain one. That was why when in the House, PDP will be this other dimension came that speaking with one voice and that PDP itself was split, we now came we have a ready forum for up with the Unity Forum. Under consultation by the leadership of the Unity Forum, we have three the nation under President beliefs. The Unity Forum is now

wider than PDP, but it was still a transformation of the Patriots. Its formation became necessary when we realised that there are other groups too, working on their own. We felt that if what we all want to achieve is harmony, then we have to bring all the groups together. So, we now brought all those groups together. But that unity has attracted the interests of other people who are not in PDP and we have come up with three tenets. One is to mobilize support for the government and programmes of President Jonathan and ensure that his policies get the support of the House of Representatives.

Secondly, to mobilize support for the leadership of Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Emeka Ihedioha and Mulikat Akande, and thirdly, to mobilize support for the Bamanga Tukur-led PDP. What is your take on allegation that you are probably building so much influence so as to be able to eventually change the leadership of the House?

That is the belief of people who don’t really understand the working of the House. What we believe in is unity and stability and the stability we want to achieve is stability in the Executive and stability in the legislature. So, there is no quarrel to the best of our knowledge, between the leadership of the House and the leadership of Executive that will warrant anybody to either choose

the leadership of the House or leadership of the executive.

The way the House is, if the presiding officer fails to rule according to the dictates of the majority, his impeachment needs no protocols. So, we have come to realise that it is our duty to protect the leadership by ensuring that we always have the number, we are vocal and visible to direct opinion of the House towards the policies and programmes of the government we believe in. So, our coming together to support the executive led by Goodluck Jonathan is by no means in conflict with our position to preserve the leadership we have in the House.

Committed supporter You would have observed that on the day that there was fracas in the chambers, immediately after that fracas, a strong member of this group – the Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Customs, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, a committed supporter of President Jonathan, was the one who moved the motion for a Vote of Confidence on Tambuwal and the House carried it! Not a single person said nay.

How is your group looking at the issue of the new PDP and what are you doing to resolve the crisis?

We believe that the resolution is beyond our group. It is a matter which the leadership of the party and the presidency have been working hard to resolve. You are aware that they have been holding series of meetings and we have confidence that they will be able to resolve it.

2015: Those asking Jonathan not to run should have a rethink—Ray Morphy Ray Morphy is the president, South East-South South Professional Group and publisher of the now rested Summit Newspapers. He has also been a ringside spectator in many of the political developments from 1999 till date. In this interview, he shares his thoughts on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) crisis and controversies over whether or not President Goodluck Jonathan should seek re-election in 2015. Excerpts:

BY GABRIEL EWEPU

I

T is believed by many Nige rians that the crisis in PDP was caused by those who don’t want President Goodluck Jonathan to seek re-election in 2015, do you think the president should forfeit his right to contest the 2015 election?

Those who are asking another person to renounce his constitutional right to run for office are suffering from chronic delusions of superiority. As far as democracy is concerned, it is only the constitution that can stop any Nigerian from seeking elective office. In a constitutional democracy, it is the majority opinion via election that can C M Y K

•Ray Morphy determine who rules not a cabal, club, cult or whatever. I do not know what those who do want Jonathan to contest are calling themselves but I want to

assure you that as a Nigerian, I respect the constitution and not the wishes of a minority gangup. In my view unless the courts say so, Dr Jonathan should consider himself free to run for any office of his choice including the presidency. It is those who are making those calls that should be told to desist in the interest of peace and stability. Do they think that the South-South is not equal to the South-West that had eight years or we are not equal to the North-West that had uncountable years?

Don’t you think that the PDP crisis may affect Jonathan if he runs?

That is left to the electorate to determine, but let me say this; Jonathan will take that election because the odds favour him. For more than 40 years, the country was mismanaged and suddenly some people think that Jonathan or anyone can fix it in the short span of four years, that’s not possible. Jonathan is human and not superhuman and in my view, he

has done fairly well given the challenges and distractions thrown at him and the majority of Nigerians know so. Boko Haram has stolen much of our resources and corruption too. But just like Boko Haram, corruption is tamable and once both are caged, we will begin to see the light in the horizon and changes in our body politic.

Governor Obong Akpabio of Akwa Ibom state is reputed to have become an Abuja politician. It is said that he hardly stays in Uyo, what’s your take on that?

Obong Godswill is my friend and he is one friend I am proud of. Akwa Ibom was carved out of Cross River and most of us were friends before the creation of Akwa Ibom. We still maintain our friendships. As such, I travel to that state often and I can tell you that what that man has done there is nothing short of a miracle. He has taken Akwa Ibom to new heights and has set a standard that no governor in this dispensation can match. He has

funds to do so, I agree but the man is doing a fantastic job.

The APC said it is set to take over the presidency in 2015, do you think the party has what it takes to give the country the leadership it lacks?

When I hear of APC, and their delusion of taking over in 2015, I laugh. First, APC is as undemocratic as they come. It is a party held on the neck by one man and one man only. This same man has used that platform to put virtually every member of his family into public office and has massively privatized public assets in APC states. The APC is not a party, it’s a gang-up and such gangs don’t last. I have a long history in politics and I can tell you that I was a signatory of DPP application to INEC as the founding Director of Administration and Planning of that party. I was invited by my good friend Bafarawa to help him put that party together as a technocrat. DPP was intended as a step-son of PDP and today it is part of APC.

46 —Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

Portable generators: Standby power or standby death?

Who monitors incidents of unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning in Nigeria? A review of medical records of patients receiving diagnosis of unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning shows Nigeria is in dire need of active surveillance for proper generator use. VF findings show that misplacement of portable, gasolinepowered generators, for instance, indoors, in garages, or outdoors near windows, is often responsible for fatal and non-fatal generator fumes exposures.

Public health practitioners are yet to come up with educational campaigns on the safe operation of portable generators and prevention of hazards of carbon monoxide poisoning in the community. Sola Ogundipe reports ECENTLY, a new-wed couple choked to death from generator fumes in their new home on the outskirt of Calabar, Cross River State.

Around the same time, in Ibadan, Oyo State, a 69-yearold man passed away along with seven other members of his family after they were overcome by fumes from a portable generator that was running on the first floor of their home. Reports indicated that the level of fumes inside the home was three times the danger limit.

Prior to this incident, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, two teenagers died from generator fumes poisoning because the generator they were using to power ceiling fans was too close to the room in which they slept.

Much later, in Agege area of Lagos State, a middle aged man who was running a generator in his basement died in his sleep when the generator fumes infiltrated his bedroom.

Separate incidents In yet another incidence somewhere on the Lagos mainland, a 30-year-old man who went to bed with his family while a generator was running in his garage, also died along with them as a result of the close proximity of the device.

In Abuja, between June 2012 and March 2013, four people died in separate incidents as a result of poisoning from generator fumes.

Almost daily, there is one report or the other of a generator-induced death.

Someone is either burned to death while refueling a generator, or electrocuted connecting an appliance to a live generator. But by far the

most common reports have to do with people inhaling generator fumes and choking to death in their sleep right inside their bedrooms.

Over the years, the monumental failure of the antiquated National Electric Power Authority, NEPA, and its equally moribund descendant – the Power Holding Corporation of Nigeria, PHCN, Plc. compelled the average Nigerian to invest in portable generators to provide electrical power more on a substantive rather than standby basis. For millions who have come to learn never to expect power at all, the generator is a life-saver because it has become the mainstay of electricity provision. For most purposes, the standby generator has become the “NEPA”, while the “NEPA” is now standby.

It is on record that Nigerians have acquired more standby generators in their life time than other nationals in the world. Owning a portable gasoline generator in Nigeria today is not only essential, but the norm. Recent statistics from the Centre for Management Development reveal that an estimated 60 million Nigerians invest about N1.6 trillion to purchase and maintain standby generators annually.

The typical portable generator ranges from the cheap and lowly “I beta pass my neighbour” to the high end noiseless series. To most Nigerians, “I beta pass my neighbour” is a life saver.

Affordable and cheap to maintain, there are very few homes in the city, town and even village where the robust little contraption has not found a place.

But those who know better describe it as a potential life taker. Being a 2-stroke design,

“I beta pass my neighbour” has no separate lubrication system, so it uses a petrolengine oil mixture Findings by VF reveal that in a typical “face-me-I-face-you” apartment building in Lagos, there is one or even two “I beta pass my neighbour” per room.

In a building with 20 rooms, up to 10-15 generators could be on at the same time, emitting thick clouds of environmentally unfriendly gases for hours on end.

Standby generators But that is not the end of the story. Nigerians are not only world champions for acquiring the highest number of standby generators, the nation holds the gold medal for recording the highest number of generatorinduced deaths.

Generator fumes comprise a lethal cocktail of poisonous and environmentally unfriendly gases, including carbon monoxide and other noxious products produced from incomplete combustion of hydrocarbon fuels notably petrol (gasoline), diesel or a mixture of petrol and engine oil.

By far the most toxic of these product gases is carbon monoxide which is virtually invisible. You cannot smell it or see it because it is odourless and colourless and becomes fatal with sustained concentrations. VF gathered the carbon monoxide produced during operation of a portable generator can be a serious health hazard. For instance, the exhaust produced by a typical 5.5 kW generator contains as much carbon monoxide as that of six idling cars. When used

indoors or in close proximity to residential dwellings, this exhaust can quickly infiltrate living spaces and incapacitate occupants. Misplacement of portable generators indoors, in garages, or outdoors near windows accounted for most exposures.

In normal use, majority of portable generators are placed outdoors are reportedly located near windows or windowmounted air conditioners.

More often than not, portable generators are placed inside a room or the corridor/balcony inside the home or garage to protect the devices from the weather or to prevent them from being stolen. Findings

,

R

*Standby generator: electricity or death

Haematologist, and Founder/ Chairman, Sickle Cell Foundation of Nigeria, described the incidence as an epidemic. “It is so rampant, and the challenge is how to bring it to the attention of people,” he stated.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention advises using generators at least 20 feet away from homes, since there’s not enough ventilation within garages and basements or near open windows to prevent fatal poisoning. However, some generator manufacturers recommend the use of extension cords to be “as short as possible, preferably less than

The exhaust produced by a typical 5.5 kW generator contains as much carbon monoxide as that of six idling cars; when used indoors, this exhaust can quickly infiltrate living spaces and incapacitate occupants

reveal that majority of fatal poisonings occur overnight.

Health records provide evidence that constant exposure to emissions from generators has proved hazardous to human wellbeing affecting the lungs and causing lasting health problems such as cancer, premature birth, low weight babies and neonatal abnormalities, cerebral palsy, etc., as well as numerous deaths.

“It is a silent epidemic.

Nobody hears anything, nobody feels anything. It just happens,” notes Professor Olu Akinyanju, a member of the World Health Organisation, WHO, Advisory Panel of the Human Genetics Programme.

Akinyanju, a Physician/

,

15 feet long, to prevent voltage drop and possible overheating of wires.” However, the use of short extension cords may result in placement of the generator too close to the home to reduce the likelihood of the entry of carbon monoxide. To reduce fumes entry, the generator should ideally be positioned outside of airflow recirculation region near the open windows.

“The bottom line is that the risk for carbon monoxide poisoning from generators is a major concern and public health officials should take cognisance of this fact. The only safe use of generators is outdoors, well away from any windows that could transmit fumes indoors,” an engineer told VF.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013 — 47

*Once upon a time: Open defecation in Bauchi

Open defecation in Bauchi community: UNICEF to the rescue M

RS.Hawa Haruna, a petty business woman and mother of five had lost two of her children to diarrhoea and cholera diseases. She did not know the cause of their death at the time, hence she attributed it to foul play by members of her husband’s family.

She recalled sadly that her first child died at the age of eight months while the second died when he was 18 months.

“When I lost my children one after the other, my husband’s people thought I was a witch, they called me all sorts of names. Even my parents doubted my innocence but I kept on praying to God to give me another child that will survive,” she said.

Personal hygiene Haruna, who is now seven months pregnant, believes that with the personal hygiene being practised by the community, her child will live a healthy life.

“We now have latrine in all our houses and after defecation, we wash our hands with soap or ash,” she said, adding that she was always falling sick when pregnant due to the unhygienic practices of members of the community.

Hashana is a community in

Warji Local Government Area of Bauchi State, whose new health and personal hygiene status could only be attributed to the Open Defecation Free, ODF, practice. Just like Ms Haruna had come to realise, Mr Ayabu Musa, community leader of Hashana, said that the people did not suffer from diseases like diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid and parasitic worms anymore.Musa added that UNICEF had created awareness on the importance of toilet and that every household has built a latrine to end open defecation.

“We are enjoying it now, but at first it was not easy; you can even eat at these farms around us; before the toilets were built, you will see shit (faeces) everywhere you go.

“Diarrhoea and cholera were common in the community before the introduction of ODF,” he said.

He said with the ODF, house flies were no longer seen around and as a direct result, food items were not being contaminated as before.

Of a truth, many members of the community attest to the fact that they have been liberated from the burden occasioned by the usual practice of community members defecating with reckless abandon.

Towards the sustenance of the current gains, Water Sanitation and Hygiene Committees, WASHCOM,

were set up, which comprised members of the communities as direct beneficiaries of the projects.

Without casting aspersions or trading blames, they lauded UNICEF for its initiative in sensitising them to the importance of having toilets and discouraging open defecation.

Water sanitation and hygiene Mr Alhassan Gololo, the coordinator of Water Sanitation and Hygiene, WASH, in Gamawa Local Government Area said 148 communities had been certified to have attained Open Defecation Free, ODF, Status, while 97 other c o m m u n i t i e s had attained the ODF status but were yet to be certified by the State Task Force Group on Sanitation.

Gololo said that before 2010, 39 per cent of the community had toilets, adding that within three years of DFID/UNICEF Sanitation Hygiene and Water in Nigeria, SHAWN, project, it had recorded additional 32 per cent. He said SHAWN also built toilets in 17 schools in the area.

Lending more credence to this, Mr Elisha Shagori, Secretary WASHCOM, Musunga community, Warji LGA, said the committee used to share themselves to ensure that no child or adult

defecates outside the latrines.

Shagori said that as a way of enforcing the law and bringing the initiative to fruition, a fine of N1,000 was imposed, while the second Saturday of every month was set aside for discussions on keeping the environment clean.

“We even build a public latrine for visitors as they will not enter into the compound

,

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

569 communities had been certified to have attained ODF status.

He said that 387 communities had also attained the ODF status and were awaiting certification from the State Task Force Group on Sanitation.

The CLTS is in a process of engaging community members, ranging from individuals to schools and traditional leaders.

Available statistics indicate that Nigeria, with a population of over 160 million people, has one of the poorest levels of access to improved sanitation in the world.

It is estimated that over 100 million Nigerians lack access to improved sanitation and about 37 million of them practice open defecation.

Although on average about a third of the population have access to improved sanitation; there are wide regional disparities in access across the 36 states in the country, ranging from 8.2 per cent in Bauchi State to 59.6 per cent in Kano State.

Achieving total sanitation This is why the introduction of the CLTS approach, which is aimed at stopping open defecation and achieving total sanitation in communities, is gradually revolutionising the Nigerian WASH sector.

The prospects for positive change in sanitation development, and for moving the country out of the League of Nations with the lowest sanitation coverage, are now high.

In the short time, since its introduction, CLTS is proving effective and shows

,

Before the toilets were built, you will see faeces everywhere you go; diarrhoea and cholera were common in the community before the introduction of ODF

due to our culture. In the past, we did not bother about sanitation, but now, every household uses soap to wash hands after defecation.

“Also, immediately one finishes defecation, he or she covers the toilet; you will not see flies roaming about in the village again. So many sicknesses that we were encountering have gone; you can’t get it again, especially things like cholera and diarrhoea.”

He said the committee ensured that the environment was kept clean with good hygiene practice.

Mr Garba Magaji, General Manager, Bauchi Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, RUWASSA, said for Community-led Total Sanitation, CLTS, approach,

great potential for helping Nigeria to achieve its MDG sanitation targets if the approach can be successfully scaled up across all states in the country.

CLTS is an innovative methodology for mobilising communities to completely eliminate open defecation, OD. CLTS is one of the Community Approaches to Total Sanitation, CATS, being promoted by UNICEF in over 50 countries and has been adopted in Nigeria for scaling up access to sanitation.

The CLTS approach was piloted from 2004 to 2007 in several parts of the country and its outcomes clearly showing the appropriateness and potential for scaling up sanitation delivery.

48 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

Edited by: Emma Nnadozie emmadozie@hotmail.com 08023145281, 08111813021

Controversy trails death of Nigerian mogul in UK ••• as bereaved family, estranged widow trade blames

By EVELYN USMAN

C

ONTROVERSY has begun to trail the death of the Chief Executive Officer of Hasstrup Line, and the now rested Space World Airline, Captain Israel Ademola Hasstrup, 79, who died in the United Kingdom last year under what the bereaved family described as ‘questionable manner.’

Currently, some members of the bereaved family are at daggersdrawn with the deceased’s estranged widow, Ngozi Okorie, whom they alleged have answers to the demise of their breadwinner.

This followed allegation by the late man’s family that the 35-yearold widow attempted to smuggle the corpse of her late husband into the country for burial without their consent. The family claimed they were in the dark over the whole arrangement.

Further more, the family alleged that the widow abducted their son when he travelled to the United Kingdom for treatment and deprived members of his family

The late Ademola Hasstrup, according to the son, later divorced the new wife fifteen years after their marriage. He said the story took a different dimension when, after the demise of the man in far away United Kingdom under inexplicable circumstances last year, the ex-wife took control of the burial ceremony even while members of his family were on the verge of exhuming the body for proper investigation to ascertain the cause of his death.

Narrating the family’s ordeal, the eldest son said “ We have had a very horrible time within the family. It has been a trauma that is almost indescribable following the magnitude of the pain it has caused us . We are at a point where the law enforcement agency has stepped in to address this saga that can be described as ‘Hollywood movie.’ “It began when my late father suffered a stroke as a result of the stress he had been going through since 2001 - 2009. It was due to the stress of being married to a young girl who was giving him

,

The family members, his children inclusive were deceived about the actual date of arrival of the corpse

from seeing him for three years until his demise. The situation would have turned bloody two weeks ago at the interment site in Ilesha, Osun State, if not for the timely intervention of agile policemen who were quickly drafted to the scene. This followed the alleged invasion of the venue by armed thugs hired to apparently wade off any intrusion by members of the bereaved family.

Genesis: Tracing the genesis of the crisis, the eldest son to the deceased, John Hasstrup, 49, told Crime Alert that trouble started between members of the family and the widow following the deceased’s decision to marry the former who was 20 years, after the death of his Ghanaian wife. Then, the deceased whose decision was reportedly kicked against by his family members, was 64 years old.

,

headache. The stress in him even led to the collapse of his airline called Space Airline. After the stroke, she snatched the two children she had for my father on the pretext that she was going for a party. The said marriage between him and Ngozi Okorie was validly dissolved.

Sometime in May 2009, he suffered another stroke at his residence in Rivers State and was flown to UK where he was treated for almost a month . When he was discharged, the doctor informed that our father had suffered a lot of damages and that little or no changes could be done.

He was discharged into the care of Mrs Elizabeth Ngero, nee Hasstrup, one of his grown up children who is married and based in Wiltshire, UK. He was taken to the family residence at

•Late Captain Israel Ademola Hasstrup 15, Langthorn road, Leytonstone, London.

Alleged abduction: “We later arranged to bring him back to Nigeria but that did not materialise because his ex-wife who got wind of my father’s stay in London, came to the house, capitalised on his state of mind and moved him to her residence at 157, Earlham Grove, a property owned by our father which she had taken over before she was divorced. When we got wind of this, we went to the house demanding that we wanted our father back. But she called in the police informing them there were some people at her door threatening her and her husband. The police immediately arrived and asked us to leave the vicinity or we would be arrested. They advised us to go to court to prove that my father had divorced her..

Several attempts made by the children to see our father who was under her custody proved abortive because we were prevented from seeing him by Miss Okorie through the use of London Police.

She abducted her divorced husband in London for three good years without allowing any member of the family, particularly the children to have access to him, until he was eventually murdered.

As if that was not enough, attempt by one of my younger brothers to expose our father’s abduction led to him being set up by hiding ammunition and bullet proof jackets in the family’s house at Port Harcourt where he resides. Police detectives were instigated to conduct a search at

•John Hasstrup

the premises and he was arrested, charged to court and granted bail but on stringent conditions which could not be met , thus he was kept behind bars for almost one year.

Secret burial: “In order to perfect the shady deal, my father was secretly brought into the country and buried on September 28, 2013 in Ilesha, Osun State, without the knowledge of the deceased’s family, in order to avoid carrying out autopsy on the corpse as demanded , to ascertain the actual cause of his death. On that very day, I was in court in London to

demand for the release of the corpse for subsequent burial. His body was hidden from members of his family from October 8, 2012, till September 26, 2013 when it was brought home on the order of the London Court . The family members, his children inclusive were deceived about the actual date of arrival of the corpse. Consequently, the funeral ceremony was carried out amidst tight security with hired militants who prevented family members from moving near the corpse as desired at will.

Startling discovery: “During

Police in Enugu arrests two

By CHINENYE OZOR, Nsukka

T

WO suspected leaders of a notorious gang that specializes in sending messages to innocent members of the public with threats to kidnap them if they failed to pay ransome have been arrested by the Police in Enugu State.

The suspects, Emmanuel Ossai and Ejike Onyeke Ignatius were rounded up by operatives of the Anti-kidnap unit of the police following intensive surveillance on them concerning their nefarious activites in the University town of Nsukka and its environs.

Police sources revealled that one of the suspects, Emmanuel Ossai, has been on the wanted list of the police for long and had been sending numerous threat letters to unsuspecting citizens threatening to kidnap them if they failed to pay a certain amount of money which he normally direct them where it should be dropped. Luck, however, ran against him when last week,an intensive surveillance was mounted on him and he ended up in police net. Presently, he is said to be helping the police in their investigations.

The second suspect, Ejike Onyeke Ignatius who is an alleged leader of a very dangerous criminal group, ‘D WATCH GANG’ was also alleged to have been terrorizing members of

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

— 49

Edited by: Emma Nnadozie emmadozie@hotmail.com 08023145281, 08111813021

business the pendency of the abduction, the ex-wife, in collaboration with others, criminally forged the deceased signature and used same to forge some documents for the withdrawal of millions of Naira and Pound sterling from various bank accounts both in Nigeria and the United kingdom. We also discovered that a Power Of Attorney was purportedly signed by our late father before he was murdered, taking advantage of his dementia with its attendant unstable mind and memory loss.

This, further, enhanced her criminal and illegal control of the deceased’s estate, even when he has six other grown up children before his marriage to Miss Okorie. We also discovered that she connived with others in the sale of one of our father’s landed property in Port Harcourt for N450 million.

Illegal withdrawals She has plundered our father’s estate by realising over N1.5 billion proceeds from the sale of his Eastern Bulkcement Company Limited , another N150 million from the sale of his water front property at Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt and several other illegal withdrawals from his accounts,” John Hasstrup alleged.

“We are therefore calling on the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar to investigate the matter with a view to ensuring that justice was done, by ascertaining the cause of his father’s death,”he stated.

Estranged wife reacts: When Crime Alert contacted the woman at the centre of controversy on

R-E-V-E-A-L-E-D: Untold story of phone Monday, she simply asked to be left alone to mourn her husband, adding that the issue was a family matter which she would not want to be in the public domain. However, after much pressure, she referred Crime Alert to her statement at the Force Criminal Investigations Department , INTERPOL section in response to the petition filed against her.

Her statement: In the statement which was discreetly obtained by Crime Alert, she described the allegations against her as ‘false, malicious and baseless’ . Although she admitted in the statement to have been divorced with the deceased, she however, stated that she was never served any court papers in England then.

According to the statement by the mother of two: “Somehow, he still got a decree nisi granted in his favour on July 16, 2007 . The decree nisi was to become absolute in January 2008 except we reconciled, or the validity of the decree nisi was challenged. He also wrote a letter to my father to say he was no longer interested in marrying me.

But he did not demand return of dowry nor did he waive its return as our Mbieri custom demanded. I also initiated divorce proceedings against him in England where I have been living on a permanent basis since 2007.

Because my husband’s decree nisi could not become absolute unless by law, arrangements were made for the welfare and maintenance of myself and our two teenage children, he had to go back to the same court to ask for Ancillary Reliefs and Maintenance Orders.

notorious kidnap suspects the public with threat text messages and demanding of ransom.

He was arrested with two of his cohorts, Agbo Joseph Chukwuebuka and Emmanuel Onah by the operatives when they stormed their hideout at No. 4, Owerri -Ani village, Nsukka in Enugu State.

Recovered from the suspects, is a handset containing the numbers used in their nefarious and illicit dealings and they are now helping the police in their investigations.

Enugu State Police image •The suspect-Ejike Onyeke maker, Ebere Amarizu conIgnatius firmed the arrest and assured that thorough investigations would be carried out to fish out all the members of the gang in no distant time.

how man was stabbed to death in a viewing centre

By UJU MBANUSI

A

DEBOLA Omowale, the 40-year-old man that was allegedly stabbed to death, last weekend, by some military officers in a viewing centre around Lekki beach area in Lagos state could have survived if he had received urgent medical attention after the incident. In fact, it was revealed that the injured man walked to a nearby hospital, clutching his intestines in his hands only to be told by nurses that he would not be treated un- •The deceased Adewale Omow•MD Abubakar, IGP less he produced a police ale report. Crime Alert learnt that after several er people were there, but nobody could talk bepleas for him to receive, at least, first aid treatcause they knew when the case was settled, the ment pending when sympathizers who came soldiers would come back for them. We also learnt to the hospital with him will bring the report, that after he was stabbed, Adebola walked all the the badly injured man reclined to fate and laid way to the hospital, clutching onto his stomach. on a pavement helplessly, waiting for succour.

The distance was like from Jakande to Chisco The late Adebola’s younger brother, Rotimi bus-stop, and because he was breathing as he said that much when he spoke with Crime Alert. walked, his intestine got swollen. It was passers“”On Saturday at about 10pm, I was at home by who saw him, that called our neighbour on when a neighbour came to inform me that somephone, and he in turn came to the house and one called and told him that my elder brother informed us.Back at the hospital, the doctor told was stabbed and was at Ife- Oluwa hospital. I us that he would be transferred to the General called my other brothers and we all rushed to hospital at Marina as soon as possible, because the hospital where we met Adebola lying in the hospital could not afford to keep him for long, front of the hospital, clutching onto his intesowing to the magnitude of the injury. tine that had bulged out. On seeing me, I no“Since my car could not start, I called one of our ticed he regained some strength. Then I rushed family friends and explained the situation to him, into the hospital and asked the nurses why he he rushed to Ife - Oluwa hospital around 12am was not attended to? and we took Adebola to the General hospital at Marina in his car. On getting to the Emergency Unit of the hospital at about 1am, I had to run Police around for the routine procedures of getting him report a card and other required payments. After that, the doctor on duty came and examined him, he As we were at that, I figured out they had asked us if he was still alive, we answered in the requested and were apparently waiting for a affirmative. The doctor talked to him, he respondPolice report before they could commence treated. Then we were ordered to carry him inside the ment. Just then a Police man arrived with a ward, again my brother said no body should touch report and the hospital management requesthim, that he could walk to the ward, he gently ed we carried him in for treatment. As we made lifted him self, got up, walked slowly into the ward to carry him in, Adebola said no body should and laid on the bed. The doctor wrote out some touch him, that he could walk on his own to the drugs that we should buy, I embarked on anothhospital bed, and he did just that. He carefully er round of running around, making payments, lifted him self, clutching onto his stomach, he getting a receipt and going back to get the drugs; walked slowly to the bed and laid on it, before I was given 10 packs of drip with the drugs, which the initial treatment commenced.

I took back to the ward. It was after this that they ”I went to Jakande Police Station and reportcommenced treatments on Adebola. The doctor ed the case. The DCO was around when I got also told us that we need to get some pints of there and she was angry about the incident blood, but that would be as later on. because she knew Adebola in person, as a “I left the hospital at about 1:30am with Papa, matter of fact, he was very popular in this esafter he dropped the sum of N5,000 in respect to tate. She sent some Police officers to accompapurchasing some blood if the need arises, while ny me to the crime scene along Lekki beach one of my brothers stayed behind. I was so exroad. I want to state here that such incidents hausted, that I slept off as soon as I got home and have been happening at that joint and when didn’t hear when my phone rang repeatedly. such things happen, people there would see it Around 5:30 - 6am, I woke up to answer to a but would be scared to report the incidents to knock at the door and was a bit confused when I the Police. It was at the crime scene we heard saw the brother whom we left to be with Adebola that the man who stabbed my brother was a at the hospital, he told me they called my nummilitary man. ber a couple of times but there was no response, ”The owner of that particular bar engaged hence he had to rush home. He said our brother the service of military officers to intimidate peoAdebola gave up the fight to survive around ple in the area, that is why they can not talk.

5:30am,”he stated.

When that incident was happening, some oth-

50— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

C M Y K

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013 — 51

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52— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

C M Y K

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013 —53

He’s so indifferent it hurts

I don’t want this old man again Dear Bunmi, I met my boyfriend when I was 15 and we’ve been together for five years. The problem is, we’re always arguing but I know we love each other.

Unfortunately, I’ve started sleeping with a married friend of my uncle. He’s much older than I am and I don’t know how it happened or why I’m doing it.

He gives me a lot of gifts and money but I don’t love him at

all. All I know is that if his wife, my uncle or my boyfriend finds out about this relationship, there will be a lot of trouble. How do I get out?

Lape, by e-mail.

Dear Lape, You’ll have to be strong and tell your lover the affair is over. Don’t blame yourself too much— he’s behaving badly and you are clearly vulnerable.

Arguments are always up-

setting and although you and your boyfriend love each other, there are pressures upon you— especially from this dirty old man who thinks he can buy your affection with money.

Very few relationships begun at 15 stand the test of time— people change as they grow up.

If there’s someone you can talk to, then ask for their support in making your relationship work.

Should I try and get him back?

Dear Bunmi, I’m still in love with an exboyfriend. We grew up and went to school together for three years. On and off, we were a couple. We broke up two years ago, but ran into each other from time to time.

We’ve seen other people since our break-ups. I’ve had other serious partners but I always find myself comparing them with him. They just don’t seem to match up, so my relationships end.

We broke up because we

‘

When it comes to love, women often call the shots through body language and subtle come-ons. As many men are terrified of rejection, you must be the one to make a move. If you don’t you’ll always regret it, wondering what might have been

’

Can this marriage be saved?

Dear Bunmi, I’ll soon hit 40 and have been married to my husband for 14 years. We have three children. Recently, I found some text messages on his mobile phone from a girlfriend he went out with 20 years ago.

I rang her and she confessed he’d expressed interest in seeing her again. He’d even sent her birthday and Christmas cards.

When I confronted my husband, he denied it though he’s been behaving strangely— staying late at work and telling me he’s seeing friends most evenings. He says his friends are more fun than I am.

We have no love life at the moment and I’ve told him I want us to separate. Do we still have semblance of a marriage or should I go ahead with the separation?

Kate, by e-mail.

C M Y K

Dear Kate, It’s obvious that your husband is lying to you. It sounds as if he’s going through a midlife crisis and is trying to recapture his lost youth. The question is, are you willing to stand by him while he sorts himself out?

You’ve been with this man for 14 years and have three children by him. Isn’t that something worth fighting for?

Your marriage is obviously going through a troubled patch— all marriages have them, even the best ones.

If your husband is prepared to give the relationship another chance, you should allow him the opportunity. You need to really sit down to discuss the effect his behaviour is having on the marriage.

But if he’s really not interested, maybe separation would give him the jolt he needs to come back to his senses.

were young and I took advantage of my boyfriend’s good nature. We split up many times, but I always know he’d have me back. I was selfish and I didn’t consider his feelings. He forgave me every time— until he’d had enough and ended our relationship.

I regret everything I put him through. He was funny, clever, good-looking and always there when I needed him. He was everything I could ever want in a partner.

I’d do anything to turn back the clock.

So when my best friend told me recently that he asked for my mobile number, I couldn’t stop thinking about him.

Should we try again?

Winifred, by e-mail.

Dear Winifred, Not on your life! Now that you’re having a tough time finding the partner you need, you’re idolising your ex, who was very far from right.

This former boyfriend might be the nicest, kindest and most handsome bloke in the world, but you couldn’t sustain a relationship with him.

This wasn’t because you were young. The relationship failed because you didn’t want it to succeed. The breakups allowed you to vent your anger on a man whose embrace you sometimes found stifling and unwelcome.

His always begging for another chance was flattering, walking all over him was a thrill. Eventually, the worm turned.

He may foolishly be tempted to take you back again to have a last fling, if he realises you’d like to undo some of the hurt for which you were so often responsible. But don’t.

We need to walk away from repeatedly and hopelessly broken relationships, not try again and again to fix them!

Dear Bunmi, I am a single mother with a partner that is highly unreliable. In spite of having a young daughter, we don’t see him for days on end. He doesn’t phone to see if we are alright though a lot of his friends see and hear from him regularly.

I haven’t seen him for close to two months now and when he eventually answered my call, he said I should stop pestering him.

Am I crazy for expecting him to keep in touch?

Labo, by e-mail.

Dear Labo, You’re crazy alright for putting up with a man like him.

He’s treating you appallingly.

It’s obvious he doesn’t care for you or want to be with his child.

There’s also the question of where he stays when he’s away from home. Is he playing away? You need to make a decision— either turn this relationship around by asking your man outright what he really wants or walk away and find someone who really cares.

Anything would be better than what you’re going through right now.

I want him as a lover Dear Bunmi, I have this male colleague at work and we are very friendly.

We see and chat with each other every day. We’re both single and so far, the relationship has been purely platonic— except for once or twice that we have kissed when slightly tipsy.

Lately, I’ve been having fantasies about him. I’m not sure he feels the same way and I’m worried an affair might ruin our relationship. How do I make the first move without making a fool of myself.

Doyin, by e-mail.

Dear Doyin, Friendship is believed to be the best possible soil in which love can take root, grow and flourish. By contrast, an affair, which begins like a bolt from the blues, burns out fairly quickly when passion dies and the couple suddenly realises that they have very little to offer each other beyond intimacy.

It is a good thing you bonded well with your male friend and he probably depends as much on your support as you do on his. Someone who knows you

at work knows the real you; the way you react under pressure. And you know him just as well. You are, therefore, lucky to have found someone who is such a soul mate and whom you also find attractive.

When it comes to love, women often call the shots through body language and subtle come-ons. As many men are terrified of rejection, you must be the one to make a move. If you don’t you’ll always regret it, wondering what might have been. And if you keep him at arm’s length, he may one day turn up with a girlfriend.

I’m sure you’ll find this devastating judging by how you now feel about him. So when next you go out together in the evening, stay alert for any signals that his interest in you is not really platonic— and make sure booze is not high on the menu.

Try flirting a little to see if he’s willing to follow your lead. At the end of the evening, you may invite him for a proper drink. If he doesn’t respond as you would like, you won’t have harmed your friendship.

He says he’s had enough Dear Bunmi, My boyfriend of almost a year has walked out on our relationship. It was a rocky one, to say the least and I’d even called things off a few times.

But we always got back together.

This time around, he says he’s had enough of the whole thing. I’ve pleaded with him to give me another chance, but he won’t. I’m absolutely gutted.

Imabong, by e-mail.

Dear Imabong, I won’t be gutted if I were you. I’d be delighted. Your boyfriend has finally decided to call a halt to a problem situation. I say good riddance!

You’ve both been unsure about the relationship from the start. And you’ve made each other very unhappy. You’d be mad to think you have a future together.

I’m sure you are not upset about losing the relationship— what’s there to miss about it?

But you are obviously upset the man is rejecting you. You’ll do anything to get him back and so prove you are not a total failure in love.

Seriously though, you should let him go. There are plenty more men out there, most of whom have a much better chance of making you far happier than your current man has.

Share your problems and release your burden. Write now to Dear Bunmi, Vanguard Newspapers, P.M.B 1007, Apapa, Lagos. or bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk

54 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 9, 2013

Ayew insists Ghana will crush Egypt G

HANA midfielder Andre Ayew believes the Black Stars will blow away Egypt in the crucial 2014 World Cup qualifier if all the players play at their optimum best.

Ghana will host the record African Cup winners in the first leg of the playoff tie in October 15 in Kumasi.

The Black Stars look to record a resounding win in the first leg match to

position itself strongly to qualify for next year ’s World Cup ahead of the return encounter in a month’s time.

But Ghana midfielder Andre Ayew believes the Black Stars will have no problem beating Egypt well in the October 15 clash if all the players called up for the game give off their best.

“It is going to be a difficult game, we all know

what the Egyptians are capable of doing,” the Olympique Marseille forward said upon arrival to join the Black Stars camp on Monday night.

“But we are at home in front of our fans and I believe we will not disappoint.

“We are the favourites against Egypt and if all of us play at our best I don’t think we will have a problem.”

N

•Ayew

Ethiopian maestros ready for Eagles

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RSENAL coach Arsene Wenger challenged British reporters in January to name five members of Ethiopia’s squad ahead of their rare appearance at the African Cup of Nations in South Africa.

“It is maybe the only international competition today where you do not know all the players,” he said in London. “This time in South Africa you will have Ethiopia - if I ask you to name five Ethiopian players, I am sure you will have a problem.”

Such was Ethiopia’s standing in world football African giants turned perpetual strugglers who have slumped into the footballing wilderness since winning the African Nations Cup in 1962.

But the country more renowned for churning out some of the world’s greatest long-distance runners is now making its mark on African football as a force to be reckoned with.

Nine months after their first appearance at a Nations Cup since 1982, the Walyas - named after an antelope endemic to the country - are just two matches away from clinching what would be East Africa’s first-ever spot at a World Cup finals.

They face reigning African champions Nigeria C M Y K

Jonathan to reward Eagles for World Cup ticket IGERIAN Presi dent Goodluck Jonathan will reward the Super Eagles when they qualify for next year ’s World Cup in Brazil, officials said.

Nigeria will face Ethiopia in a first leg World Cup playoff on Sunday and officials said they are confident the African champions will prevail over the Walya Antelopes to reach Brazil 2014 and be received by Mr President.

Director general of the National Sports Commission (NSC) Gbenga Elebeleye informed MTNFootball.com that “a Presidential package” has been planned for the Eagles on qualification. ”We have a special package for the Eagles once they qualify for the World Cup. It’s a Presidential package. And we are already preparing for the package because we know the Eagles will qualify,” stated Gbenga Elegbeleye.

Ideye: Teamwork key to win

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TRIKER Brown Ideye says team BATTLE......Emmanuel Emenike (left) of Nigeria battles for the ball with Ethiopia’s Biyadiglign Elyas work is crucial if the during a match at AFCON 2013 Super Eagles want to get in Addis Ababa on Sunday scheduled for mid- beating the Green Eagles both the crowds and a win in Ethiopia.

“Our target in Ethiopia pundits alike. in the first leg of the playoff November. on home soil. is a clear win,” Ideyetold “Parading a team of all round. The return leg is “We will win in Addis. The Coach Sewnet Bishaw KickOffNigeria.com. home-based players away leg won’t be easy but says his players, buoyed by their exploits at that will send us a long in Ethiopia reminded me in so “But we must play as a January’s tournament, are securing our passage,” he many ways of Barcelona of team. I’m expecting that Spain. Yes they were that we will continue to work undaunted by the told Reuters. good,” said Sunday Oliseh, together and support Seeded among the prospect of facing their a former Nigeria captain each other. weakest teams and more illustrious “Supporting each othfeaturing a home-based who is now a football opponents. er as a team is what we “We are in good shape. starting lineup, the analyst. have always done, and “We earned recognition in unfancied Walyas were We will fight against as long as we keep doSouth Africa but a World drawn against then-holders Nigeria,” he told Reuters after a training session in Zambia, Burkina Faso and Cup appearance would put ing that, we will win.”

Nigeria in the 2013 Nations’ the spotlight on our players,” the capital. said Saladin, who has “The only thing we will Cup. returned to Egyptian top They had goalkeeper do is give one hundred percent effort. If you give Jemal Tassew sent off for a flight side Wadi Degla after that, why wouldn’t you wild kung- fu style lunge in a stint in Belgium with have a one hundred the first half of their opening Lierse.

“This is a golden percent chance of match against Zambia, but qualifying? You are still managed to earn a 1-1 generation whose players have belief in themselves,” draw. equal”.

Losses to Burkina Faso said Hussein Abdulkeni.

Leading striker Saladin Seid, who scored four and Nigeria followed, but “There is a rhythm now that goals in the group stage Ethiopia’s “tika-taka” brand has boosted confidence, that of qualifying, said of passing game and international tournaments •Bishaw Ethiopia were confident of movement drew praise from are within Ethiopia’s reach.” •Ideye

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 9, 2013 — 55

It’s an eye for an eye against Ethiopia — Ladipo Fashola’s wife to flag NFF hails President Jonathan off Pink Ride in Lagos RESIDENT Gener

P

al of the Nigerian Supporters Club, Dr Rafiu Ladipo yesterday warned the Ethiopian Football Federation and its supporters club to desist from carrying out their threats of locking out the Nigerian band of supporters from watching the make or mar first leg World Cup cracker against Nigeria on Sunday.

Ladipo who storms Addis Ababa with 250 members of the Nigerian trumpeters to provide support for the African Champions said that he got information that the Ethiopians would try funny things to frustrate the Eagles including locking out the supporters Club.

“We’re only Supporters who are going to support our team. But if they try to frustrate us, we will reciprocate when they come for the return leg. I believe in an eye for an eye”, Ladipo swore yesterday as he galvanized his band men for the journey to Addis Ababa.

He however said that they would not succumb to the antics of the Ethiopians as they were battle ready to grab the points and come home to make the second leg a formality.

“I thank President Goodluck Jonathan for his unprecedented support to ensure that Nigeria hoists its flag in Brazil for the World Cup. He has been doing uncommon services to support the Eagles and there will be no stopping us from going to Brazil’’, Ladipo said.

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•Moses

Moses ports to Glo

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IGERIAN Inter national and Liverpool Football Club winger, Victor Moses was unveiled yesterday as a brand ambassador of the Telecommunications Company, Globacom. Speaking during the event held at the Mike Adenuga Headquarters of Globacom; the Chief Operating Officer of Globacom, Mr. Mohamed Jameel stated that the footballer had within his short playing career distinguished himself at both the club and National team levels.

He added that the highly talented winger has also been a good inspiration not only to up-coming footballers but also to the younger generation of Nigerians.

The Glo GCOO said that one of the ways in which the company has been promoting indigenous sports as well as arts and culture is through the appointment of enterprising Nigerians in various sectors as brand ambassadors.

Keshi Continues from BP told supersport.com on Tuesday.

The “Big Boss’ as Keshi is fondly called said only “big characters” will be selected to play on Sunday.

“This will be a serious test for us because it is the final hurdle.

Only big characters will be selected to play and concentration and focus must be high.

“Right from the dressing room, the Ethiopians will try to provoke the players and try to make them go crazy.

“Things will not be C M Y K

much different on the pitch because the Ethiopian supporters will try to get our players mad and make them lose their cool.

“We cannot afford to play into their hands because we know what we want to achieve” Keshi said.

Keshi has led the Super Eagles in 31 internationals since taking the reins from Samson Siasia in 2011.

He has yet to lose a competitive fixture to African opposition but that record will be put to a stern examination on Sunday afternoon.

RESIDENT Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR has again received a thunderous applause from the Nigeria Football Federation for his unquantifiable support for the country’s football.

Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, NFF President Aminu Maigari eulogised President Jonathan for his special interest in the Nigeria game, and his fatherly love that has seen the Federal Government more than ever committed to adequate preparation of all the various National Teams for international competitions, followed by ample reward of excellence.

“We are not surprised by our President’s decision to ensure heavy presence of Nigerian supporters in Addis Ababa for the match. This is simply another demonstration of President Jonathan’s fatherly love for, and keen interest in Nigeria football.

“We can go back over the years and recount so many things that our President had done to underscore this special interest and love. We adore him,” Maigari stated, while also applauding the co-operation and understanding of the Minister of Sports and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi at all times.

African champions Nigeria take on Ethiopia’s Walya Antelopes in a 2014 FIFA World Cup final elimination fixture first leg in Addis Ababa on Sunday, with President Jonathan having approved that a crowd of supporters travel there to cheer the Super Eagles to victory.

18 Eagles fight for shirts Continues from BP Gbenga Elegbeleye, who was accompanied by a deputy director, Olu Akoja, Special Assistant and former African, Commonwealth and Olympics tracks queen, Mary Onyali-Omagbemi. Also on hand to witness the trainning session was the AIPS President for Africa and Vice President of Mastersports International, Mitchel Obi. Hordes of sports journalists and fans also witnessed the session.

The roll call of players who trained on Tuesday evening include standin skipper, Vincent Enyeama, Austin Ejide and Chigozie Agbim all goalkeepers. Efe Ambrose, Elderson Echejile, Godfrey Oboabona, Azubuike Egwuekwe, Solomon Kwambe, Benjamin Francis and James Okuosa were the defenders in training. John Mikel Obi leads from the middle that includes Ogenyi Onazi, John Ogu, Sunday Mba and Nnamdi Oduamadi, while strikers where Uchenna Nwofor, Obinna Nsofor and Ahmed Musa.

The training itself was very exciting as fans clapped for every move of the players and wished them well in Sunday’s encounter against Ethiopia. Skipper Vincent Enyeama, while noting that the Ethiopians will be no pushovers promised that he and his teammates will not let the nation down.

Speaking briefly on the game the NSC DG, said he was impressed by the large turnout of players on day one of the trainning of the team, even as Head Coach Stephen Keshi says he expects a full house in Wednesday’s training session. Hon Elegbeleye said he was sure with the spirit of the team he saw on Tuesday that victory will be achieved in Addis Ababa come Sunday.

Team Scribe Dayo Enebi Achor said Shola Ameobi had a slight flight hitch and was expected Wednesday morning, Emmanuel Emenike was expected before dinner on Tuesday, same for Victor Moses and Brown Ideye.

From the look of things in camp it seems that the eggs are well laid ready for hatching by the Super Eagles come Sunday.

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INK Pearl Foundation, the organisers of the Pink Ride Lagos, a cycling show to promote Breast Cancer awareness have announced that the Saturday event will be flagged off by Her Excellency, the wife of Lagos State Governor, Bimbo Fashola.

Interested cyclists are to join professional cyclists who will ride on mapped routes in Lagos that will include Ikeja, Oshodi, Festac, Victoria Island, Ikoyi and Lekki. The event will flag off at 8 am on Saturday while free screening and consultation for Breast Cancer will go on simultaneously.

The organisers are, among other things, using sports for their campaign.

They have enumerated some advantages of sports in checking cancer and why the Pink Ride in Lagos.

The Chief Executive of

•Mrs. Bimbo Fashola the nonprofit organisation, Mrs Orode Okpu said that through Pink Ride in Lagos, they are aiming at the following: 1. Reaching at least 18 million Lagosians with the message of early detection of breast cancer; helping them understand the reality of this killer disease, and the need to be breast aware, and be proactive about it.

2. Providing free breast cancer screening and consultation to at least 500 women in Lagos at 2 select location one on the mainland, and the other on the Island.

3 training sessions Continues from BP for the next three days,” he said. ”We will make do of what time that is available to us and see what we can achieve with what we have. Our aim is to win. No player

has so far called in to request late arrival and thank God they all played over the weekend and good enough they are all in good health and I am just waiting to receive them,” he said.

President Biya Continues from BP He will now fly to France to join the rest of the squad, who are preparing for their 2014 World Cup play- off against Tunisia.

The 32-year-old apparently told his teammates that he was quitting the national team moments after Cameroon beat Libya to progress to the final round of 2014 qualifiers.

Despite the reports of his retirement, the Indomitable Lions’ German coach Volker Finke picked Eto’o for the squad to face Tunisia as the player himself had made no official announcement.

Eto’o has had a turbulent relationship with

the Cameroon football authorities in the past, including leading a player strike in 2011 that led to the cancellation of a friendly against Algeria.

That resulted to a 15 match ban for Eto’o that was eventually reduced to eight months on appeal.

Even after the end of the suspension he refused to play for Cameroon for several months.

It is also not the first time that President Biya has stepped in to prevent a player from retiring, most famously persuading Roger Milla to return and play for Cameroon at the 1990 World Cup in Italy.

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

President Biya begs Eto’o to play on T

It’ll be hell in Addis Ababa — Keshi H

EAD coach of the Nigeria national team, Stephen Keshi has predicted a torrid time for his wards ahead of Sunday ’s 2014 Fifa World Cup playoff against Ethiopia.

The African champions face Ethiopia in the first leg of a two-legged double header at the Ydnekachew Tesema Stadium, Addis Ababa on Sunday and Keshi is asking his players to “expect the worst.”

“I have told my boys to expect the worst in Addis Ababa because the Ethiopians will do all they can to destabilise us,” Keshi exclusively

Continues on Page 55

18 Eagles fight for shirts against Antelopes Eagles in camp Goalkeepers Vincent Enyeama, Austin Ejide, Chigozie Agbim Defenders Efe Ambrose, Elderson Echejile, Godfrey Oboabona, Azubuike Egwuekwe, Solomon Kwambe, Benjamin Francis and James Okuosa Midfielders John Mikel Obi leads from the middle that includes Ogenyi Onazi, John Ogu, Sunday Mba Nnamdi Oduamadi Strikers Uchenna Nwofor, Obinna Nsofor and Ahmed Musa

Continues on Page 55

•Keshi

HE President of Cameroon Paul Biya has persuaded Samuel Eto’o to reconsider retiring from international football.

The Chelsea striker met with representatives of the President in Yaounde to discuss the player ’s international future.

After the meeting Eto’o, agreed to play for Cameroon again.

T

HE Super Eagles had their first training session ahead of the crucial World Cup final round qualifier against Ethiopia on Tuesday evening at the mainbowl of the refurbished Abuja National Stadium with 18 players sweating it out for starter ’s shirts.

The over two hours trainning session was watched by the Director General of the National Sports Commission, Hon

•Eto'o

3 training sessions enough to beat Ethiopia —Keshi OACH Stephen Keshi has said he hopes that three full training sessions in Abuja will be enough to prepare his team for Sunday’s showdown in Addis Ababa. ”Our training began yesterday and and we would train once a day Continues on Page 55

Continues on Page 55

It’s an eye for an eye against Ethiopia — Ladipo (P.55)

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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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