PDP Govs move against 37 defector Reps

...towards a better life for the people

**

VOL. 25: NO. 62119

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

POOR POWER SUPPLY:

We're handicapped, say NERC, operators 8

DSS operatives quiz The Sun Editor 58

PDP Govs move against 37 defector Reps

BY HENRY UMORU

A

—Ask House to declare their seats vacant •Urge confab delegates to ensure unity of Nigeria

JOBLESS GRADUATE ATTEMPTS SUICIDE

BUJA—GOVER NORS elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, urged the leadership of the House of Representatives to, as a matter of urgency, declare vacant the seats of the 37 federal lawmakers who dumped the PDP for the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, if they

Continues on page 5

Seven policemen killed as gunmen attack station, court in Jigawa 9 Mr & Mrs SUICIDE ATTEMPT: A Police officer here pleads with Mr Sunday Omotayo (lying down), a graduate of Mechanical Engineering from Ekiti State University who attempted suicide on Government House Road, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State over his failure to secure a job, yesterday. Photo: NAN.

COLUMNISTS:

National Conference 2014... •P.17

Sit-tight defecting lawmakers •P.19

Wanted: Amnesty for Edo teachers •P.19

Senate passes N4.7 trn 2014 budget 8

2 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 — 3

4 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014—5

POCKET CARTOON

VISIT—From left: Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State in a chat with PDP National Chairman, Adamu Muazu as the Emir of Dutse, His Highhess Alhaji Nuhu Mohammed Sanusi watches at his palace after the PDP governors' meeting in Jigawa State.

PDP Govs move against 37 defector Reps Continues from page 1 fail to return to PDP. The PDP Governors who met in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, Tuesday night, under the aegis of PDP Governors Forum, also urged delegates at the on-going National Conference to work towards the unity and interest of Nigeria, just as they hailed President Goodluck Jonathan for convening the conference.

A communique signed and read by the Chairman, PDP Governors’ Forum and Governor,

Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Akpabio, said: *The PDP governors commended the judiciary for its judgment and resolved that members who defected to APC should respect the rule of law. *That the APC should not play politics with the judiciary. *That any member who does not return to the party should lose his seat. *The PDP Governors congratulated Senator Iyiola Omisore and Chief Ayo Fayose on their victory during the primaries in their states.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Y

OU can’t make positive choices for the rest of your life without an environment that makes those choices easy, natural, and enjoyable.

So protect your spirit and self from contamination by limiting your time with negative people and the environments they inhabit — Mack And Angel Hack When other people invite you to act like victims, when they whine and moan about the unfairness of life, for example, and ask you to agree, to offer condolences, and to participate in their grievances, WALK AWAY. When you join in that game of negativity you always lose. Even when you’re alone, create a positive mental space for yourself. Make it a point to give up all the thoughts that make you feel bad, or even just a few of them that have been troubling you, and see how doing that changes your life. You don’t need negative thoughts. They are all lies. They solve nothing. All they have ever given you is a false self that suffers for no reason.

*The PDP Governors promise to work with them assiduously and urge other aspirants to support the two candidates. *That the next PDP Governors meeting will be held in Bauchi on the 8th &9th May, 2014. *The PDP Governors commend President Goodluck Jonathan on the on-going Confab.

*The PDP Governor also advised that the delegates at the Confab should work on the unity and interest of Nigeria.”

It will be recalled that a Federal High Court in Abuja had asked the 37 former members of PDP to resign their seats at the House of Representatives for defecting to the opposition APC.

The court also perpetually restrained the legislators from effecting any leadership change in the assembly.

The court was delivering judgment in a matter brought by PDP asking that the legislators should not be allowed to take part in the activities of the assembly.

The presiding judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola who held that the lawmakers no longer had any business, morally and legally in the assembly, asked them to resign from their seats as members of the House of Representatives, having defected to another political party while their tenure was yet to expire.

The judge in his judgment said: “Having perused the arguments of counsel and the constitutional provisions, it is clear and unambiguous that the defendants were sponsored by the PDP and won the election on its platform. It is also the court’s opinion that their tenure has not expired and there is no division in the PDP.”

NNPC shuns Senate probe on leased, chartered aircraft ....Senate demands source of aircraft purchase, kerosene importation

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

A

BUJA—THE Ni gerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Tuesday, stayed away from the meeting convened by the Senate Committee on Petroleum, Downstream, to get details of leased and chartered aircraft as well as details of kerosene importation in the country.

A source close to the Committee who had accused the NNPC management of exhibiting arrogance and hiding things from the public told Vanguard that every effort by the Senator Magnus Abe-led Com-

mittee on Petroleum Resources, Downstream, to get details of the NNPC’s use of public funds had been rebuffed by the oil Corporation since October 2013.

The Source stated that the latest correspondence between the committee and the NNPC Group Managing Director, Andrew Yakubu, was on April 4 and that at the scheduled meeting neither the management nor their representatives showed up for the meeting.

The meeting, the source claimed, was originally planned for 2:45 pm in the Senate, Tuesday, but nobody from the NNPC was in attendance “and there was no

correspondence either.”

The source said that with the development, the senate committee was left with no other option than to probe the corporation, adding that details of the committee’s correspondence, which would form the crux of the investigation included detailed record of the volumes and sales of all crude oil and products.

Also to be investigated were detailed record of the volumes of crude oil received as part of the crude swap arrangement by local refineries including quantity used locally and quantity swapped; details of kerosene importation and distribution and details of the implementation and dis-

tribution.

The committee will also probe details of the number and management of aircraft in the corporation’s fleet; both chartered and purchased; details of funds expended on aircraft purchases, hiring and maintenance in the last two years; contract papers on the lease or purchase of aircraft, issues surrounding the Turn Around Maintenance and or rehabilitation of refineries and supply and distribution of petroleum products and ancillary issues.

The April 4, 2014 letter that was sent to the GMD read thus: “I am directed to refer you to the committee’s several letters of invitation to meet with the committee and requests to furnish the committee with information relating to the activities of your corporation since October, 2013.

“I am to draw your attention to the fact that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, statutorily empowers the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and by extension, its committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) to oversight the activities of the NNPC and its subsidiary refinery companies.

“I am to further express the committee’s dissatisfaction with the conduct of the management of the NNPC, especially its seeming disrespect and disregard of the committee’s invitations and requests for information and data relating to the activities of the Corporation and its refinery companies.

“Also, in view of the inability and or unpreparedness of your officials to adequately respond to questions at the committee’s meeting of Tuesday and Wednesday, 1st and 2nd April, 2014, the committee resolved to further invite the Group Managing Director (PPMC), the Group Executive Director (R&P), and the Managing Directors of all the nation’s refineries to a meeting on Tuesday, April 8.”

6—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

IBORI: Massive protest against London court in Warri

W

ARRI— SCORES of youths, women and men at the early hours of yesterday embarked on fresh protest on the streets of Warri, Delta State demanding the release of Chief James Onanefe Ibori by the London court on the case which commenced yesterday to April 11, 2014, saying that the court should release Ibori since it lacks evidence against him.

The protesters numbering over 5000 carried placards with various inscription including,"Judge Pitts release Ibori for us for lack of evidence", "We want our son back", "You cannot keep our Ibori there when you lack evidence", "Our son is innocent."

The protesters also said the decision of the London court goes against the grain of legal procedures and ominous because it reinforces the belief in some quarters that Ibori had been allegedly targeted for jail by hook or crook by the United Kingdom authorities for reasons yet unknown.

One of the protesters, Chief Gabriel Efeduku, a media analyst said: "The decision goes against the grain of legal procedures and ominous because it reinforces the belief in some quarters that Ibori had been targeted for jail by hook or crook by the British authorities for reason yet unknown particularly because the procedure being adopted by the British court smacks of working from answer to question."

Lagos shuts illegal orphanage, rescues 5 children

BY MONSURU OLOWOOPEJO

L

AGOS — THE Lagos State government has shut an illegal orphanage at Alagbado in Agbado-Okeodo Local Council Development Area, LCDA and rescued five children from the home.

Vanguard gathered that the orphanage, Stream of Mercy and Love for Humanity Centre, located at Ilapo village, Alagbado was never registered with the state government before it commenced operation about two years ago.

Sources said that officials of the Office of Youth and Social Development, OYSD, stormed the area last Thursday, arresting the caregiver found in the orphanage and shut the premises.

Vanguard learnt that the officials rescued five children who were between the ages of one and eight years. Also, Mrs. Glory Ebenezer, the owner of the orphanage was said to be away at the time of closure.

Vanguard learnt that the caregiver was later released after the husband to the owner of the orphanage showed up at the office of the state Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit, Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.

The owner's husband, who was formally detained, was later released on bail as the offence is said to be bailable.

The orphanage, our correspondent gathered, had approached the state government for registration on December 23, 2013, but was turned down since it did not allegedly meet the requirement for registration.

A state government officials alleged that the orphanage had been operating three years before it sought for registration, an act the government declared illegal as one could not operate an orphanage without being registered.

The rescued children.

Special Adviser to the state Governor on Youth and Social Development, Dr. Dolapo Badru, said the state government had carried out surveillance on the orphanage and discovered that it was not registered and operating illegally, saying this was what informed the closure.

Badru said: "We got there and rescued the children and locked up the place and we are going to prosecute them. We want to know how they came about the children and their history. It is illegal to keep children when they are not yours without informing the government."

He said that this was not the first time the government would be prosecuting people with illegal orphanage and that government would not relent in getting rid of illegal orphanages in Lagos State.

According to him, "some of them think that because they are registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, they don't need to register with us when they operate orphanage homes.

2 jailed 24 days for contempt

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

O

SOGBO — AN Osogbo magistrate's court has sentenced two friends, Lanre Areola (30) and Lukman Obasanjo (30), to 24 days imprisonment for contempt of court.

The Police prosecutor, Inspector Solomon Oladele, while presenting the fact of the case before the court said the convicts who had earlier been charged for an alleged theft and conspiracy in a case number MOS/ 496/ 2014 failed to appear in court when their case was called at the last trial.

Oladele said the accused failed to appear in court to answer the case against them, when their charge was called, thereby underestimating the court.

He said the accused did not give concrete reason for their absence in court.

Oladele said the offence contravened Section 133 (9) of the Criminal Code Cap 34, Vol.11, Laws of Osun, 2003.

The accused pleaded guilty to the offence of contempt levelled against them.

The presiding magistrate, Mr Olusola Aluko, sentenced the accused base on

self-admittance and fact presented to the court by the Police prosecutor.

Magistrate Aluko ordered that Lanre should serve a jail term of 14 days or a fine of N2,500, while Lukman was also slammed with 10 days imprisonment or a fine of N2,000.

He said the convicts should be imprisoned because of the gravity of the offence, adding that the punishment would serve as a deterrent to other persons who had gained pleasure in absenting themselves from the court, while having case to answer.

Some of them even say they have a calling from God to operate orphanages. They should desist from such act when not registered.

"If they have calling from God to operate an orphanage, they should come to the government and we will give them the requirement to operate. There must be regulation in this sense as intended operators must have the infrastructure in place. It is like when you want to operate a school, you must register."

The Special Adviser noted that it was not impossible that some illegal orphanages sell babies as they were not being monitored by government, but noted that

The caregiver. those fully accredited to operate were credible and did not engage in sharp practices.

Badru said the children rescued had been kept in government's custody while the owner of the orphanage would be arraigned in court soon.

Police beat up NSCDC officer at N-Assembly

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

A

BUJA— POLICEMEN at the security gate of the National Assembly, NASS, yesterday manhandled an officer of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, over his alleged refusal to submit himself for security checks at the entrance of the complex.

Trouble started when the NSCDC officer who drove a Toyota Camry without number plate tried to drive into the National Assembly but was stopped at the MOPOL gate of the complex.

An eye witness told Vanguard that the Civil Defence officer had identified himself as a staff of NSCDC but when asked to provide his identification card he was unable to do so.

Consequently, Police made efforts to stop him claiming that he could pose security threat.

But the Civil Defence officer struggled to drive in and even

caused traffic hold up. In the process a truck belonging to Julius Berger hit a car which was driving into the complex.

Unluckily for him, attempts to beat the second Police post met with stiff resistance and in his desperate efforts to have his way, Policemen numbering over five descended on him.

His car was impounded while he was dragged inside the complex.

Court orders

BY DAYO JOHNSON

A

KURE — A high court sit ting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, yesterday, ordered the retrial of a case involving an alleged fake doctor, Joseph Fimusanmi who had earlier been set free by a Chief Magistrate Court.

Famusanmi allegedly secured an employment with the state Specialist Hospital Akure as a medical doctor with a forged cer-

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 —7

Final year NOUN student crushed to death in Makurdi

BY PETER DURU

M

Youth protest against high electricity bills and frequent power outage in Aladja community of Delta State, yesterday. Photo: Akpokona Omafuaire

HIV patients protest neglect by Taraba govt

BY JOHN MKOM

J

ALINGO — NO fewer than 250 people living with HIV, yesterday, took to the streets in Jalingo, Taraba State capital, protesting the alleged inability of the state government to come to their aid.

They later proceeded to the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Jalingo where they pleaded with the resident doctors, currently on indefinite strike to re-open the Medical Clinic 2 where they were usually treated, for their sake.

Speaking to newsmen at the FMC, the coordinator of the patients, Mr. Johnson Abraham, said the neglect of the patients by state government had led to further spread of the disease in the state.

Johnson said the HIV rate in the state had risen from 5.8 to 10.5 per cent in a short period between 2007 and 2013.

He lamented that the people living with the disease in the state were not accessing the prescribed drugs because of the nonchalant attitude of the state government towards their plight.

He said: "We are over 3000 people that are taking the drugs

in this hospital. Each time we come for treatment, health officials would select just 30 to attend to, sometimes 20. We are not accessing the drugs, we are the being discouraged.

‘’The doctors are on strike and there is no way the Clinic 2 will be opened for us to be treated.

Mind you, the disease has not gone on strike with the doctors.

Pastor caught burying charm, escapes lynching

BY ANAYO OKOLI

U

MUAHIA — BUT for the timely intervention of operatives of the Abia State Vigilante Service, 20year-old Blessing Okechukwu, who claims to be a Pastor would have been lynched by angry villagers of Umudinkwa community in Ubakala, Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State.

Blessing Okechukwu, from Mgboko in Obingwa Council area, who claims to superintend over a church, Divine Church, located in his native Mgboko, had gone on a deliverance mission to a family in Umudinkwa but his mission turned sour when he tried to play smart to confuse and convince the family but was caught in the act.

He went to the family to remove an "evil charm" he claimed was buried in one corner of the Agomuo compound, but ended up inserting

a "charm" into the hole he and his "prophets" were digging to uproot the alleged charm discovered in the family.

According to the villagers, who descended on the fake pastor before the vigilante operatives saved him, in the course of digging the hole, Okechukwu smartly brought from his pocket, a padlock wrapped in a piece of cloth and threw it into the hole with a view to bringing it out as the buried charm they were searching for.

But nemesis caught up with him as unknown to him, a member of the family, Mr Chinedu Agomuo, an engineer, was keenly watching and following the digging process while other members of the family were carried away by the fake pastor and his team's prayers.

Immediately, he inserted the

retrial of discharged fake doctor tificate.

He got the appointment on May 13, 2012, shortly after completing his National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, programme in the same hospital.

The accused person was said to have been suspected by his colleagues following suspicions of his competence as a medical doctor in examining of patient.

Consequently, doctors, through the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN, took up the

It is still with us. We are appealing to the management of the hospital to resolve whatever is their problem and return to work to save lives."

matter after a thorough investigation.

During investigation, the association discovered that the accused persons name was not in the medical doctors record in Nigeria.

The accused was dragged before a magistrate court and he pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge.

He did not defend himself but entered a no-case submission to which the trial magistrate upheld.

But not satisfied with the verdict of the magistrate court, the associa-

tion proceeded to the high court.

After several months of legal tussle at the high court the presiding judge, who is also the chief judge of the state, Justice Olasehinde Kumuyi, in his ruling said it was clearly seen that the lower court ignored cogent and credible evidence adduced before it and went on to concern itself with irrelevant matters such as whether the accused was employed as a civil servant.

wrapped object, which turned out to be a padlock, with which he would have convinced the family members that somebody somewhere has locked and buried their destiny, the family member interrupted and confronted him.

Realizing that his game was up, he admitted and brought out the wrapped padlock he buried.

According to Agomuo, if not for his vigilance, the young man would have succeeded in creating crisis in the family because he could have accused any member of the family of being behind the buried charm, thereby inciting the family members against each other.

Why I did it —Suspect

In an interview, young Okechukwu admitted committing the offence. He said he did that so that he would be able to convince the family members because, according to him, people will believe more when they see. So if he had succeeded in burying and uprooting the wrapped padlock, the family would have believed him and regard him as a great man of God. He, however, added that in the two years of the existence of his church which he claimed to be registered, he has not been involved in such act.

AKURDI — A final year student of the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, Makurdi Study Centre, was yesterday crushed to death by a truck in front of the institution.

The victim who was identified as Moses Nnadever, was a student of Information Technology. He was said to be on his way to attend lectures when he met his untimely death.

Vanguard gathered from an eyewitness that the deceased was being conveyed to school on a commercial motorcycle when the truck driver lost control of the vehicle and ran into the motorcycle, killing the student on the spot while the bike rider sustained serious injuries and was rushed to a public hospital.

Angered by the mishap, students of the school wasted no time in rushing to the scene of the accident, barricaded the ever busy Makurdi-Aliade road and threatened to burn the ill-fated truck.

However, it took the intervention of the police who immediately arrived the scene and dispersed the aggrieved students with tear gas canisters.

“At that point, the enraged students started throwing stones at the policemen and insisted that the driver of the tanker who ran into the Nigeria Prisons office close to the school, be brought out and handed over to them.”

The incident which caused serious gridlock on the major highway, almost disrupted ongoing examinations in the school while staff of the institution appealed to the students to desist from taking law into their hands.

Contacted, the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Superintendent Daniel Ezeala, confirmed the incident, adding that the remains of the deceased had been deposited at a mortuary.

8—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

A

BUJA— THE Senate, yesterday, passed the 2014 Appropriation Bill of N4,695,190,000,000 into law and advised the executive to implement the budget as passed.

Out of the total budget passed for the 2014 fiscal year, which is N52,230 billion higher than the initial amount of N4,642,960,000,000 proposed

by President Goodluck Jonathan, N2,454,887,566,702 was for recurrent expenditure, N1,119,614,631,407 for capital expenditure, N408,687,801,891 for statutory transfer and N712 billion for debt service.

Also in the budget is N268,370 billion, which is for the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme, SURE-P, a component of the budget, which did not form part of the aggregate budget figure of N4,642,960,000,000 as proposed by the executive, which was however captured in the final compilation of the Bill.

The Joint Senate Committee on Appropriation stated that in preparing the details of the 2014 Appropriation Bill, the Committee adopted a benchmark price of $77.50 per barrel of crude oil, the executive proposal of crude oil production of 2.3883 million barrels per day, and an exchange rate of N160 to US$1.

Education gets largest share

A breakdown of the budget indicated that education got the highest figure of N373,532,095,037, closely followed by defence, which got N314,347,339,871, while Police Formation and Commands was allocated N295,561,812,085.

Before the consideration and passage of the budget, the opposition party senators, comprising mainly the All Progressives Congress, APC, had voted against its consideration, but the Senate President David Mark ruled against their opposition.

The clause by clause consideration of the bill during the plenary was going smoothly until they got to the N7 billion earmarked for the ongoing National Conference.

APC Senators attempted to frustrate the approval of the budget for the conference, but it took the maturity and tact of Senator Mark for the clause to pass through.

Senator Ahmed Lawan from Yobe had informed the Senate that during the debate on the budget, senators condemned the N2 billion allocated to the North-East for capital expenditure, where it was agreed that something be done to increase the amount, yet it is still the same in the passed budget.

However, Senator Mark

ECONOMIC SUMMIT: From left— Former President of Georgia, Mr. Mikheil Saakashvili; Director, Food Sector for Sealed Air Africa, Mr. Alex Munyao and Executive Director, Operations, Bank of Industry, Mr. Mohammed Alkali, at a session on Harnessing Electricity to Grow Agriculture, Transportation & Housing, at the Lagos Economic Summit in Lagos.

Senate passes N4.7trn Appropriation Bill zApproves N7bn confab vote, as education gets lion share appealed to him that something would be done to address the imbalance.

It will be recalled that President Jonathan had on December 19, 2013, through the Cocoordinating Minister of

the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala, laid before both chambers of the National Assembly the 2014 Appropriation Bill, containing the estimates of revenue and expenditure of the federation

for the 2014 fiscal year.

The Senate subsequently debated the general principles of the Bill and read it the second time on January 23 after which it was referred to the Committees on

Appropriations and Finance for further legislative action.

They jointly referred the schedules of the bill to the appropriate Standing Committees on money bills in line with Order 92(4) (a) of the Senate Standing Order.

EPILEPTIC POWER: We're helpless— NERC, operators

BY MICHAEL EBOH

O

PERATORS in the Nigerian power sector, yesterday, declared that the current epileptic power situation in the country cannot be addressed within the next couple of months, as they are currently handicapped and faced with a lot of challenges.

The operators, who spoke at the Seventh Lagos Economic Summit, tagged, Ehingbeti 2014, in Lagos, advised Nigerians to exercise patience, saying that fixing the decay in the power sector will not happen overnight.

They further stated that Nigerians should not expect stable supply of power across the country in the short term, due to challenges of power generation, infrastructure, revenue collection, appropriate pricing and gas supply, among others.

However, Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC,

represented by its General Secretary, Mr. Issa Aremu, warned that until the problem in the sector is resolved, any attempt to bring about an increase in electricity tariffs will be seen as criminal and will be sternly resisted.

According to him, tariffs should be commensurate with service delivery, saying, “it is stealing if you increase tariffs without improved service.”

He said Nigerians are looking for improved service delivery and will like to see what they are paying for before tariff increase is considered.

He advised the Federal Government, new owners of the power assets and other stakeholders to see trade unions as partners and not mere advisers, as they are totally committed to the development of the power sector, due to its role in driving industrialisation.

He advocated further training for workers in the power companies and also

advised that workers should be allowed to be part owners of the privatised companies, as this will further increase their committed to the sector.

NERC

Also speaking, Dr. Sam Amadi, Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, represented by Mr. Eyo Ekpo, Commissioner, Rates and Market Competition, NERC, called for patience from Nigerians.

He assured that the problems bedeviling the sector will soon be addressed.

On her own part, Mrs. Funke Osibodu, Chief Executive Officer, Benin Electricity Distribution Company, said operators are aware that Nigerians are fed up with the power situation and wants a change.

She, however, noted that what is lacking is the fact that a vast majority of Nigerians do not have the

information that the change that is expected will require more from everyone.

According to her, fixing the problems in the power sector is a long haul and it will take a long time for operators to achieve their goals.

She said: “Nigerians should be made aware that infrastructure is not power.

The government and some politicians will donate transformers to a community and they will think their power problems are over.

“We should know that transformer is not power.

Power has to be generated first before the transformer and other equipment can distribute.”

In his own view, Mr. Anil Sardana, Managing Director, Tata Power, who was speaking via a live webcast from India, said the reforms in the Nigerian power sector will not succeed unless there is a direct support and oversight from the government.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 —9

Yes, Nigeria in danger of Ebola attack—FG

BY BEN AGANDE

A

BUJA— AFTER Several weeks of denial, the Federal Government, yesterday, admitted that Nigeria was in imminent danger of Ebola virus attack, which has been ravaging countries in East and, recently, West Africa.

Minister of Health, Onyebuch Chuckwu, said: “Yes, Ebola is a real threat. It is true that we have not been able to report a single case of Ebola.

“But mind you Ebola is not the only threat, it is an added threat because West Africa never had a single case of Ebola until this year. It was more in Central Africa.

“Nigeria is in danger. But we have recently said that in addition to the leaflets that we are producing for Lassa and other homoragic fever, we will now emphasise Ebola fever.

“As I speak to you, we have already approved jingles to be produced in various languages for Nigerian

Centre for Disease Control to be aired on Radio, TV and newspaper adverts.

“We are working with religious bodies, communities, traditional rulers and the media, just like we are doing for polio, which is most important in this venture. You will help us to play your role by educating Nigerians.

According to him “Ebola has been moving eastward towards Nigeria and we are already facing danger from Central African Republic;

even with what is happening in Congo. People are also migrating to Chad and Cameroon.”

He then called on Nigerians to improve on personal hygienes, saying “the first thing I do after returning from work is to wash my hands. The second thing is that before you eat wash your hands again.

“The fruits must be washed.

Those things we eat from must be washed. We will soon review our adverts for things like anti-malaria.”

FOR UDOCHI: From left— Prof. Pat Utomi, CEO, Centre for Values in Leadership; Prof. Sylvester Monye, Special Adviser to the President on Performance Monitoring; Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, and Govenor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, at the burial of late Mrs. Janet Udochi in Benin, Edo State.

Gunmen attack police station, bank, court, kill 7 policemen, 1 guard

BY TINA AKANNAM

D

UTSE—GUNMEN, yesterday, attacked a police station, a bank and a Sharia Court. They killed seven policemen and one security guard in Gwaram town, Gwaram Local Government Area of Jigawa State.

The Assistant InspectorGeneral of Police, AIG, Zone 1, Mr. Tambari Muhammed, who confirmed the attack while speaking with newsmen in Dutse, said four mobile policemen, three conventional policemen and one civilian guard were killed in the attack.

According to him, about 200 attackers entered the town in motorcycles and cars at 1am. The AIG described the situation as unfortunate in a state that had been

enjoying peace, adding that from available information, the gunmen used explosives to attack the bank, police station and court.

He added that they abandoned the car, which had Bauchi State number plate, and took another from

Gwaram Local Government secretariat.

Muhammed said: “From our findings, they used locally-manufactured bombs in the attack. They also attacked the local government chairman’s house under construction

and destroyed the glass doors and windows in the local government secretariat.”

He assured that the situation had been brought under control because more troops had been deployed to the area. He also said that no arrest had been made.

APO KILLINGS:

Report didn't indict AGF, says NHRC

T

HE Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, Professor Bem Angwe said, yesterday, that the commission’s report on the killings of some squatters in Gudu/Apo District of Abuja did not indict the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), as being insinuated.

According to him, the office of the AGF acted as Judge Advocate to the commission during the public inquiry into the killings.

Angwe made the clarification in a letter to the AGF against the backdrop of ripples generated by the report.

The letter said: “May I humbly bring to the attention of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice that the commission delivered its decision on the above complaint on the 7th day of April, 2014 and following which I personally certified a copy of the final decision of the Commission and caused same to be forwarded to your chambers.

“I wish to state here clearly that at no point was the conduct of the Attorney-General of the Federation in question or even mentioned in the proceedings before the commission.

“Any publication that the commission indicted the Attorney-General of the Federation is not only untrue, but also a clear departure from the decision of the commission which was pronounced publicly.”

President can't initiate constitution amendment— SENATE

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

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BUJA—BARELY one week after the Senate had proposed that the President should have the constitutional power to initiate amendment of the constitution, the Red Chambers yesterday made a U-turn and struck out the name of the President from

initiating amendment.

The Deputy Senate President and Chairman, Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendment, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who had made the controversial proposal that had attracted criticisms from the public, told the Senate that he had withdrawn the section from the ongoing amendment.

Senator Ekweremadu also

called for the suspension of the planned voting clause of the constitutional amendment because the number of senators in attendance was below the constitutionally required number of senators in such exercise.

Ekweremadu announced the withdrawal of the name of the President in the process of constitutional amendment as was contained

in Section 9 of the constitution, which had initially given President Goodluck Jonathan power to initiate the amendment of a new constitution.

The Senate President, David Mark, agreed with his Deputy that the number of senators who attended the plenary was below the required 73, which is the two-third of the entire figure of 109.

10— Vanguard , THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

2015: Mimiko campaigns for Jonathan's re-election

BY OLA AJAYI

I

B A DAN—ONDO State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, yesterday openly campaigned for President Goodluck Jonathan’s reelection in 2015.

The governor did this in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, at the commissioning of a new state secretariat of his party, the Labour Party, LP, at OkeAdo area of the city.

While singing in Yoruba, he warned his party members not to venture into joining the gang-up against President Jonathan.

According to him, the only true progressive party in the country and Ondo State as at today was his party, where the lowest tuition fees were paid in the state-owned university.

He advised residents and eligible voters in the South West, including Oyo State to embrace Labour Party for their own good.

...Obanikoro lauds President's policies

BY DOTUN IBIWOYE

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AGOS —THE Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musliu Obanikoro, has said President Goodluck Jonathan’s policies are centered on Nigeria’s unity and development.

Obanikoro, who spoke at the inaugural meeting of the Grassroot Development Initiative, GDI, at the Peoples Democratic Party’s, PDP, Secretariat, GRA Ikeja, Lagos, said “those who understand Nigeria will know that Jonathan represents equity and justice. He stands for what Nigeria stands for. His policies are always centered towards one Nigeria. So, if Jonathan is an embodiment of these good things, it is necessary for us to embrace him wholly without any sentiment.

“Some of us are looking at Jonathan as someone from the South-South, it goes beyond that. Jonathan represents one Nigeria.

President Jonathan got over 1.3 million votes from Lagos during the 2011 general elections.''

Fuel subsidy regime not sustainable — LCCI

BY NAOMI UZOR

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AGOS—THE Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, yesterday, said given the magnitude of resources committed to funding fuel subsidy, it was clear the subsidy regime was not

sustainable.

At its first quarterly briefing on the economy, President of LCCI, Alhaji Remi Bello, said though the chamber appreciated the enormity and dimensions of the potential short term impacts of subsidy removal on the economy and the citizens, it was clear that

the subsidy regime was unsustainable.

Bello said a review of the subsidy regime would result in increased private investment in the downstream oil sector with a corresponding impact on the creation of quality jobs, reduction in the pressures on foreign reserves, a huge

chunk of which currently being used to fund fuel importation, and better fiscal space to ensure macroeconomic stability with a resultant positive effect on the economy.

The LCCI President also noted that current debt profile of the Federal Government was not

$90m loan: Lagos to challenge suit by civil group

BY INNOCENT ANABA

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A G O S — GOVERNOR Babatunde Fashola of Lagos, yesterday, told a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, that he intended to file a preliminary objection challenging the suit by a civil society group, seeking to compel him to release information relating to how government spent the $90 million loan obtained for improving public schools in the state.

Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, at the resumed hearing in the matter, before Justice Saliu Saidu, hinted of the state government’s intention to challenge the suit, in addition to a counter-affidavit he earlier filed in opposition to the suit.

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP instituted the suit against Fashola, and Ipaye, had prayed the court to compel the governor to disclose how the loan allegedly obtained from the World Bank for education in the state was spent.

SERAP had argued that it resorted to suing the

governor and the Attorney-General after the government refused to honour its letter dated December 1, 2013, requesting for the information brought in pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 2011.

But Ipaye had, in a counter-affidavit, opposed the suit, arguing that the FoI Act was not applicable to Lagos State because the law was a federal legislation.

At the hearing, he asked for an adjournment to enable him to file the objection within seven days.

SERAP’s counsel, Mr. Adetokunbo Mumuni, did not oppose the application for an adjournment.

The trial judge adjourned the matter till June 4 and ordered that the court would hear both the preliminary objection and the substantive application together at its next sitting.

Ipaye, who is the second defendant in the suit, argued in the defendants’ counter-affidavit that since the FoI Act was a federal legislation, it was only applicable in relation to public records of government of the

Lekki - Ikoyi Bridge: Court rules on stay of judgement application April 14 to whether there existed

BY INNOCENT ANABA

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AGOS—A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, adjourned till April 14, the hearing on an application for stay of its judgment on the Lekki-Ikoyi Bridge by the Attorney General of Lagos State, Mr. Ade Ipaye.

It will be recalled that Lagos lawyer and activist, Mr. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, had on November 26, 2012, filed a suit against the Lagos State Government, LASG, challenging its collection of toll on the Lekki-Ikoyi Bridge.

Adegboruwa had sought a determination of court as

any law in Nigeria, authorizing the collection of such tolls, tax or fee, from citizens and urged the court to declare that the imposition of such tariff on road users, was an illegal form of taxation and inconsistent with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, Ipaye, and the LASG are respondents in the suit.

Trial judge, Justice Saliu Saidu, had in his judgment in the suit, held that the imposition of such toll was unlawful, since there was no law in existence, authorizing its collection.

federation and not of the states.

The state government argued that the power to make laws on public records had been concurrently shared between the National Assembly and the states Houses of Assembly in their respective sphere of jurisdiction, adding that the FoI Act was not applicable to the records of states in the federation in so far the states had not enacted same as laws through their respective Houses of Assembly.

SERAP is however, asking the court to compel the Lagos State

Government to release to it is information relating to how the government spent the $90m loan it allegedly obtained from the World Bank to improve education in the state’s public secondary schools.

It is also seeking for an order of mandamus, compelling Governor Fashola “to rescind the suspension of anyone, including principals of any of the schools for blowing the whistle or allowing journalists to cover the decayed infrastructure across primary and secondary schools in Lagos State.”

sustainable, taking into account that current debt servicing was about 20 per cent of total revenue of government.

He noted that the use of global benchmark of debt to Gross Domestic Product, GDP, ratio might not be applicable to the Nigerian economy because agriculture, a major component of the GDP, was not a major revenue generating activity.

“If we discount the agriculture component of the GDP in the ratio analysis, the ratio will be much higher than the set threshold. The rebased GDP should not be an excuse to increase borrowing. That only about N1.1 trillion is earmarked for capital project while N712 billion is earmarked for debt servicing in the 2014 budget raises issues of prioritisation of resource allocation. Payment of contractors arrears is often relegated to the background when the issue of the nation’s debt is being discussed.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014—11

One shot dead, 15 injured at Ondo APC congresses DAYO JOHNSON

A

KURE—THE factional crisis rocking the All Progressive Congress, APC, Ondo State deepened yesterday as one Bosun Adegorola was shot dead and 15 others seriously injured during the ward congresses across the state.

Sporadic gun shots rent the air across the state as factions of the party engaged themselves in supremacy battle for the party.

No fewer than three persons have been arrested by the police for alleged breakdown of law and order in the state and detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department, CID. The deceased was shot on the head at Ajipowo area ward 2 Akure, the state capital when some members of another faction invaded the area and complained about the conduct of the primaries.

An argument reportedly ensued as gunshots rent the air and the victim was shot on the head while several others were injured.

Police spokesman, Wole Ogodo, who confirmed the death of the deceased and the arrest of

the party members, said the deceased was shot on the head during a scuffle at the ward congress in Akure.

This came as a faction of the party pulled out of congresses alleging marginalisation.

Yesterday congresses across the state were allegedly marred with irregularities as party members engaged themselves in free- forall while in some areas the

exercise failed to hold as at 5pm.

At Oshodi/Isolo ward 10 a member of the House representatives was accused of hijacking the party and forcefully installing one of his stooges as a member of the executive.

Sporadic gunshot rent the air at Owode/imuagun ward 11 aborting the election there.

The faction that pulled out include a member, Board of Trustees of the defunct All Nigerian Peoples’ Party, ANPP, Captain Demola Ariyo, and its

state chairman, Yemisi Aladesaye, State Chairman of defunct Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Olalekan Obolo and its governorship candidate Soji Ehinlanwo.

But reacting, interim State Secretary of the Party, Prince Olu Adegboro, described the faction as jokers, adding that no amount of sabotage from any quarters would halt the congresses in the wards from going on as scheduled.

MEDIA BRIEFING: From left—The Finance Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc, NB, Mr Jasper C. Hamakar; Human Resource Director, Mr Victor Famuyibo; Managing Director, Mr. Nicolaas A. Vervelde and Sales Director, Mr. Hubert Eze during the Nigerian Breweries Plc 68th Pre-Annual General Meeting media briefing in Lagos. Photo By Diran Oshe

Yorubaland has no tie with PDP — Aregbesola O

SOGBO—GOVERNOR Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has said that the tenure of conservative politicians has never favoured Yoruba people since the

inception of Nigeria.

He held that the various conservative political platforms that preceded the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have

Ndukwe earns ITU honour for global IT contribution

C

HAIRMAN of Openmedia Group, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe has been recognised by the International Telecommunications Union, ITU, for his contribution to global information technologies and the work of the ITU. The recognition was conveyed to Ndukwe in a letter signed by ITU Secretary-General, Dr. Hamadoun I. Toure.

In the letter, Toure underscored the leading role Ndukwe has played at home and abroad, for his immense contribution in the global sphere of information and technology.

The ITU is a specialised agency of the United Nations created to encourage international cooperation in all forms of telecommunication and the recognition of Ndukwe by the ITU therefore speaks volume of his landmark achievement in Nigeria’s telecoms industry, particularly for organising a hitch-free GSM license auctioning in 2001, an event that ushered in the muchcherished telecommunications

revolution in Nigeria.

In his acceptance speech, Ndukwe noted that the recognition was a further call to the development of ICT in Africa and greater service to humanity.

He pledged to devote effort to broadband development in Africa given its importance to the continent’s socio-economic development. He disclosed that “we have recently founded a new project, the Broadband Rights Advocacy Network - Africa. This is to preserve the rights of everyone in Africa to broadband Access”, noting that “in Nigeria, we are lucky that President Goodluck Jonathan and the Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson are strong advocates of pervasive Broadband development in Nigeria”.

He pledged to “continue to serve the nation & the ITU in the drive to make digital natives of everyone in Africa”.

Ndukwe holds the national honour of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, OFR.

always been associated with agony, oppression, corruption and under-development.

These were Aregbesola’s observations at the Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo, during his investiture as the life Patron of the Nigeria Union of Tailors, NUT, and endorsement for second term in office.

Tailors in the state form a critical section of the informal sector of the state economy that enjoy massive patronage and empowerment through the various initiatives such as provision of uniforms for members of the Osun Youths

Empowerment Scheme, OYES. The provision of school uniforms for about 750,000 pupils of public schools in Osun has also culminated in the birth of a modern garment factor, the Omoluabi Garment Factor, Osogbo, which has employed about 3,000 tailors in the state.

According to him, “I thank God that our people recognised the bold steps we are taking as a government. It is beyond human wisdom. I always laugh at them whenever they say their seven and a half years in office was a mistake, and that they want to correct it now. It is not by mistake, it is in their character.”

Osun LP suspends guber aspirant

T

HE Labour Party, LP, in Osun State has suspended a governorship aspirant and former Secretary to the State Government, SSG in the state, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade.

Akinbade has also been banned from parading himself as an aspirant in the party as he is not yet a full member.

These desicions of the party were made known by its Caretaker Chairman, Chief Daniel Bankole Afilaka.

This development follows a court ruling that nullified the congress conducted by the now declared illegal Transition Committee headed by Mr

Muideen Arogundade.

Announcing the suspension, Afilaka said, “Alhaji Fatai Akinbade is hereby suspended from the LP pending when he regularises his membership card with the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee on or before the Thursday 10th of April 2014.

“He is hereby barred from parading himself as a gubernatorial aspirant under the LP till further notice. It should be noted that Alhaji Akinbade is not yet a bonafide member of Labour Party till he regularises his membership status in our great party.”

Kalu makes case for Fayemi’s second term

BY GBENGAARIYIBI

A

DO EKITI– FORMER governor of Abia state, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu has commended Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi for fulfilling the electoral promises he made to the people of the state Kalu spoke in Ado Ekiti yesterday shortly after paying a courtesy visit to Fayemi.

He enjoined the people of the state to support the second term bid of Dr. Fayemi, saying he had performed wonderfully well.

According to him, Fayemi had been able to deliver on the promises he made to the people.

Kalu, who said he was on tour of the country to preach national unity, noted that Fayemi has provided the people access to good roads, quality education and health among others in his developmental agenda.

Orji said he was impressed by the diligence and commitment with which Fayemi delivered the dividends of democracy to the people.

‘Ogun has surpassed 35% women affirmation'

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

A

BEOKUTA—THE wife of the governor of Ogun State, Mrs. Olufunsho Amosun yesterday, said her husband’s administration had surpassed the 35 percent affirmation for women holding political and public appointments in the state.

This came as Senator Remi Tinubu challenged Nigerian women to fight for their rights.

Both Amosun and Tinubu spoke at the first Ogun State National Women Conference of the Spouses of Ogun State Government Functionaries Association at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta.

According to Amosun’s wife, the women currently in political and public offices in the state occupied prominent positions which could not be relegated in the scheme of things in the state.

12—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

Ibori: We want a fresh trial — Prosecution It has no precedent in law — Defence

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HE CONFISCATION hearing against the former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, reopened yesterday at a London Crown Court with the British Crown Prosecution lead counsel, Sasha Wass, calling for the re-trial of the entire case.

Wass informed the court that the crown prosecution would be seeking a total re-trial of the case which ended in December when Judge Anthony Pitts asked for more evidence to enable him make an appropriate decision.

Ibori’s lead counsel, Mr. Ivan Krolic QC, however, objected to the prosecution’s request to start the case afresh, saying, “that is the position of the Crown Prosecution which we don’t accept. The function of the court in confiscation hearing is to consider which individual has benefitted from proceeds of crime and to what amount.”

The points of law, Krolic said, “Your Honour has no jurisdiction to abort the earlier proceeding; we say the court should not continue to act where it has no jurisdiction.”

According to him, the dictate of the law was that a case that was due for ruling should be allowed

to be concluded whether or not a party in the case had done their duties well or not and since it was not the duty of the court to aid any party in a suit or re-start a case when convinced that one side in a suit has not adduced enough evidence to prove its point.

Wass had last year, said in court that Ibori’s lawyers had confused them by changing their submissions and this “surprised and confused the prosecution,” thereby preventing the prosecution from knowing where the case was leading.

He then prayed the court to adjourn in December to enable it present more evidence to help the court in reaching its decision.

However, Krolic had replied

that “the suggestion by the Crown that they were taken by surprise in my respectful submission is nonsense.

"The Crown could not have been surprised... I can’t cross-examine the court, but if the court was surprised, it should not have been.”

Krolic then recounted the rigorous process the entire proceedings had gone through, including the cross-examination of prosecution witness, saying that the court was ready for judgement before the case was suddenly and surprisingly adjourned in December.

Just to prove his case that the Crown prosecution was fully aware of where the case was going as well as the stance of the defence.

“What we say is this, your Ho-

nour quite clearly indicated on October 7, last year, that the Crown has in your Honour’s view not done enough because they simply relied on Ibori’s guilty plea and statements and had not provided you with any evidence to prove their case.”

On the fresh application for confiscation proceeding, Krolic faulted it, saying, “the Crown then applied to have the proceedings adjourned as to enable them put more witnesses before the court from Africa and possibly other pieces of evidence that were never mentioned before in court or in any papers and the court granted that application.

"We say that the prosecution having closed its case, should not be entitled to restart the same case.

A'Court okays Igbinedion's trial over money laundering charges

BY SONI DANIEL

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HE Court of Appeal sitting in Benin, Edo State, yesterday, held that the former Edo State governor, Mr. Lucky Igbinedion, has a case

to answer over charges of money laundering preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The appellate court had set aside a Federal High Court ruling, which barred EFCC from preferring fresh charges against Igbinedion, after he had entered into a plea bargain.

Justice Adamu Hobon, then of the Federal High Court, Benin, had in 2012 dismissed a fresh charge of money laundering filed against the former governor on the ground that the new charge amounted to double jeopardy after he had been convicted.

However, the appellate court ruled that the former governor should return to the Federal High Court to face trial for money laundering, misappropriation of fund and abuse of office.

The EFCC had approached the appellate court and prayed it to set aside the lower court's judgment, arguing that there was no agreement between Igbinedion and EFCC that he would not face trial on fresh allegations and revelations of financial improprieties.

Delta sets up c'ttee on herdsmen, aliens

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI & AKPOKONA OMAFUAIRE

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ARRI— THE Delta State Government has constituted a task force to check the menace posed by strangers, particularly armed herdsmen in the state.

Briefing newsmen after a security meeting in Warri, yesterday, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan said the committee had become imperative, following incidents of strange elements terrorising natives and destroying property in the state.

He said: “Delta is hospitable. There are cattle rearers born and living here, some as old as me.

“In the past, conflicts between these persons and the locals bothered on missing animals or destruction of farmlands by indiscriminate grazing. These problems were settled easily.

“In the last one year, the situation has changed.

People are disappearing, women being raped.

Three weeks ago, we called on traditional rulers to be vigilant. The situation has not improved.”

EDO APC WARD CONGRESS FALLOUT: Aggrieved members set to defect zWe won't allow blackmail, opposition simulated violence— APC

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM & GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

B

ENIN— THOU SANDS of members of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State, led by the Eson of Benin Kingdom, Chief Amos Osunbor, yesterday, protested Tuesday ’s ward congress in the state and warned that they may seek an alternative party if the exercise was not cancelled.

Meanwhile, APC, through its state Publicity Secretary, Mr. Godwin Erhahon, said the party was ready to entertain

genuine complaints, but would not succumb to blackmail with the aggrieved members’ threat to pull out from the party.

Among the protesters were Nosa Adams, Mrs Evelyn Igbafe and three members of the state House of Assembly, who called for the dissolution of the committee sent from Abuja to handle the congress.

They said: “The committee members became invisible when we were asked to send names.

Due to their absence, no material was on ground to record the results.

“As if the whole exercise was designed to fail,

they sponsored violence, armed thugs beat up and unleashed mayhem on fellow party members.

“We call for the immediate cancellation of the purported congress and dissolution of the committee in charge of the exercise.”

However, the state chairman of the party, Chief Osaro Idah, who described the exercise as a huge success, regretted that “after the congress, our opponents, who are not members of APC, started shooting in some areas to destabilise the process and create the impression that there was chaos.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 — 13

14—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

Adoke withdraws N10.2bn libel suit against Melaye against a former House of Representatives member, Mr. Dino Melaye, who accused him of aiding and abetting corruption.

Melaye and his group, Anti-Corruption Network, ACN, had in a petition written to President Goodluck

Jonathan, last year, called for the sack of the AGF, insisting that they had ABUJA — THE Attorney Gen-eral enough evidence to prove that he was of the Federation and Minister of Jusnot only corrupt, but also aiding cortice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN, rupt persons and individuals to escape yesterday, applied to withdraw the justice.

N10.2 billion libel suit he instituted The group accused Adoke of thwarting the trial of so many multinational companies that perpetuated corruption in Nigeria, including the Halliburton and Seimens fraud cases, even when their parent countries had already found them culpable.

Specifically, Melaye and his group, in their sevenpronged allegation, insisted that the AGF had a case to answer regarding the N150 billion recovered from convicted former Managing Director of the LAUNCH: From left, Mr. Dharnesh Jordhan, Mrs. Iquo Ukoh, Commercial Service defunct Oceanic Bank Plc, Director, and Dr. Sam Adenekan, Corporate/Communication Affairs Manager, all Mrs. Cecilia Ibru, the $180 of Nestle Nigeria Plc, at the launch of Nestle Maggi Chicken Seasoning for consummillion Halliburton scaners, in Ikeja Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Joe Akintola, (Photo Editor) dal, and the return of the

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

Vaswani Brothers to Nigeria after an alleged N2.5 billion tax evasion.

They alleged in the petition to President Jonathan that it was the AGF that raised a memo that brought the Vaswani Brothers back to Nigeria after they were for a second time in April 2009, deported for tax fraud, adding that Adoke, deliberately refused to refile the N10billion money laundering charge initially preferred against a former Managing Director of the defunct Intercontinental Bank Plc, Mr. Erastus Akingbola, after it was dismissed by Justice Naron Archibong of the Federal High Court in Lagos who was recently sacked by the National Judicial Council, NJC. However, irked by the al-

Monetisation policy: NCC retirees, pensioners sue BPE, NCP

BY TONY EDIKE

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NUGU — Disengaged staff and pensioners of defunct Nigerian Coal Corporation, NCC, have dragged the Bureau of Public Enterprise, Vice Chairman, National Council on Privatisation and Nigerian Coal Corporation before

an industrial court sitting in Enugu over the alleged breach of 2003 monetisation policy of the Federal Government.

In the suit No: NICN/EN/07/2014 instituted by their counsel, Sir O.A.U. Onyema, the NCC retirees stated that it was wrong for BPE to sell their residential quarters to oth-

er people against Federal Government’s policy on sales of government quarters, which stipulated that genuine worker/occupier should have first choice of refusal.

They noted that the non-offer of the NCC’s houses to the disengaged staff and retirees of the corporation, which is the

3rd defendant, at monetised prices since monetisation commenced in 2003 as earlier directed by the defendants in the year 2007 and subsequently in 2009, was a perversion of justice.

The matter is slated for mention today before Justice A. Ibrahim of Enugu Industrial Court.

legations, Adoke, dragged Melaye and the registered trustees of ACN before an Abuja High Court, asking for the sum of N10.2 billion from the defendants for attempting to tarnish his image.

The AGF told the court that the defendants defamed his character through their choice of words in their petition to President Jonathan, saying their words conveyed the impression that he was a dishonourable person, who associated with criminals and economic saboteurs.

He said because of the false and defamatory publication, his hard-earned reputation, character and achievements had been severely tarnished.

To show his seriousness, the AGF, engaged five Senior Advocates of Nigeria that appeared for him on the first day the matter was called up by presiding Justice Goodluck Olasimbo.

Nevertheless, at the resumed hearing on the case, yesterday, the AGF announced his decision to withdraw the case without giving any reason for the action.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014—15

2015: Adamawa, Borno, Yobe states task FG '.Don't allow criminality to defeat constitutional democracy'

BY NDAHI MARAMA

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AIDUGURI — THE three North East states of the country, Adamawa, Borno and Yobe currently under a State of Emergency, yesterday, asked the Federal Government not to contemplate extension of the emergency rule and that the government should also not exclude the three states from the 2015 general elections.

Governors of the three states, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa, Kashim Shettima of Borno and Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe, arrived

at this decision at the end of their meeting in Maiduguri, Borno state capital.

The governors, who issued a joint statement through their spokesmen, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to "take a cue from Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission which courageously held the country’s presidential and provincial election, last Saturday, despite strong threats by the Taliban."

The governors said: "Afghanistan and its good people were celebrated worldwide for liberating themselves from the scourge of

fear and thereby sending a strong signal that no amount of threat would stop them from choosing their leaders through democratic processes. This is the kind of courage expected of genuine patriots.

“Our Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, should, please, learn from the landmark election in Afghanistan, weekend, during which election officials took the bold step of conducting election in spite of threats by the Taliban.

"The Central Government in Afghanistan provided adequate security for the conduct of the

polls. It was also reported that there was a 53 per cent voter turn-out and it went on peacefully in most places.

"We know the unfortunate insurgency affecting this country has a similar attribute to the Taliban doctrine in Afghanistan even though ours is now assuming a very complicated character.

"The INEC should as a matter of counter insurgency approach, ensure that no part of Nigeria is excluded from the 2015 elections on account threats.

"Suspending elections on account of threats by insurgents and other sundry social miscreants would amount to succumbing to criminality against democracy."

RMAFC charges states, LGAs to explore alternative revenue sources

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

T

HE REVENUE Mobilisation Allocation and

Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, has charged states and local governments to exploit alternative sources of revenue in order to help them depend less on money from oil.

RMAFC Chairman, Mr. Elias Mbam, said it was imperative for the states and local governments to map out other source of generating revenues, such as focusing more attention on the development of natural resources as agriculture, solid minerals and tourism in their domain.

Mbam, who gave the challenge in his office in Abuja when he received in audience a high-powered delegation from Kaduna State government, led by the Governor, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, yesterday, said the commission would do all within its powers to assist all the states in the federation in exploring other avenues that would pave way for increased revenue and reduce over-dependence on oil revenue.

He also said that if all the natural resources such as mine, agriculture and tourism were developed, it would give room for establishment of manufacturing companies that would reduce unemployment in their various domain, while the Federal Government would be able to concentrate on provision of social amenities and necessary infrastructure needed by the citizens.

Earlier, the Governor who was represented by Madami Garba Madami, the state Commissioner for Economic Planning, said the state was endowed with a total cultivable land area of about 2.5 million hectares.

He explained that the state, with a population of 6,066,562 people according to 2006 Census, and an annual growth rate of 3.2 per cent, was the third most populous state in the country after Kano and Lagos states.

16 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 — 17

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AST Monday, it was my turn to respond to President Goodluck Jonathan’s address at the opening ceremony of the National Conference, 2014. As was set out by the conference leadership, every delegate was expected to say something about Jonathan’s speech. The great handicap was that each one of us was assigned just three minutes for a statement. Not enough time to open full hearts about the Nigerian condition. While many delegates spent time praising the speech, quite a significant number of delegates have also touched on some of the issues that necessitated the conference in the first place. Nigerians are obviously hurting, for a variety of often, disparate and conflicting, even adversarial reasons. I knew that three minutes won’t be enough to state all that occurred to me, but I chose to write out my thought, while I then summarised the script.

What you read here is the script that I wrote as my thought, and which I spoke to Goodluck Jonathan’s speech of March 17th, 2014.

Nigeria matters. We are the only African country with all attributes to become a great power: size and population; arable land and water; oil and solid minerals; diverse tourist potentials and very resourceful people, with incredible self-assuredness. Yet, we face serious problems: a deformed political structure and an economy that has not worked, especially since the mid 1980s, with the implementation of

National conference, 2014: Speaking to the presidential address ECONOMIC; how to re-industrialise to create jobs for millions of young people.

We will not create those jobs if we do not critically interrogate the philosophy of governance. Nigeria’s bizarre form of capitalism is NOT working. Rev. Fr. George Ehusani of the Catholic Secretariat, did a study of ethnoreligious crises in Nigeria, between 1999 and 2007, and showed that most of them occurred between 12noon and six pm. Those are the hours people would normally be at work. And most of those involved are young people. The

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The most central problems we face are ECONOMIC; how to re-industrialise to create jobs for millions of young people. We will not create those jobs if we do not critically interrogate the philosophy of governance

imperialist Structural Adjustment Policies (SAP) and neoliberal policies.

They have led to de-industrialisation; and the transfer of public assets into the hands of private cronies, in controversial privatisation policies.

Consequently, we have managed to create one of the most unjust societies in the world today. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says 115million Nigerians live in poverty and 64% of our urban population lives in slums. Yet, those who now control Nigeria’s wealth have spent over $6billion purchasing private jets. Nigeria’s rich oligarchy consumes more champagne than their Russian counterparts.

CRONY CAPITALISM is ruining our country. It is at the base of ethno-regional and religious rivalries, that many of the old people here assume to be the most important contradictions facing us.

Extreme wealth lives side by side with mind-boggling poverty, deprivation and hopelessness. The World Bank recently said that two thirds of the extremely poor people of the world live in China, India, NIGERIA, Bangladesh and DR Congo! Since 1999, a new phenomenon emerged in Nigeria, where those who have ruled our states, after eight years, have become richer than the states they governed!

Today, Nigeria is a country of young people: 45% is under 15; 63% of the population is under the age of 25; while 75% is under 35. Instructively, those aged 65 and above, are only 3% of our population. The young; urban and rural working people; women; and the physically challenged, and how we treat them, will determine Nigeria’s future.

23.9% of Nigerians are unemployed, but youth unemployment was at 54% by 2012, according to the National Baseline Youth Survey Report. In May 2012, a former minister of Youth Development announced that 67million young Nigerians were unemployed, while 80 percent of that number do not have university degrees, and are almost unemployable. Alarmingly, 1.8 million graduates enter the job market annually.

The most central problems we face are

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preponderance of membership of Boko Haram is young Nigerians! Nigerians must be put to work! Faulty as the 1999

Constitution might be, let us make JUSTICIABLE Chapter II, the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy. Many of the elite groups at this National Conference have retreated into ethnic, regional and religious identities; there is scare mongering and unbridled efforts at delegitimisation of our dear countr y, including ill-concealed secessionist agendas; but the Nigerian people don’t really hate themselves. Elite groups manipulate them into postures of hatred in their rivalries for power and privileges.

Nigeria matters

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will like to return to where I started from; Nigeria matters. Our country has responsibilities to its people and the African continent. One out of every 5 Africans is a Nigerian; 20% of Africa is Nigeria and 47% of West Africa is our dear country. But neoliberal capitalism will sink us into an abyss. It has created a few billionaires, yes. But the majority of our people are in despair all over

Nigeria. We must build a caring and inclusive country, not the Hobbesian state of nature, where life is nasty, brutish and short, as we have today in Nigeria.

Finally, people have asked for “restructuring” of Nigeria. My suggestion is that we should return to the 12 states structure of General Yakubu Gowon, between 1967 and 1975.

There were six states in the North and six in the South. That offers a balanced basis for real development. We should then significantly reduce the exclusive legislative list and devolve more resources and responsibilities to the states. In that setting, we can conveniently have well-organised state police forces and even local police forces too, while the Nigeria Police Force will be in charge of cross border and federal crimes. We can also remove the friction around what Southern Nigerian groups agitate for as ‘Resource Control’ by giving oil producing states 50% derivation on ON-SHORE oil while the entire country owns revenues accruing from offshore oil fields. A corollary of these developments is to bring the state back into the development process. The ‘religion’ like devotion to privatisation and market forces is doing far more damage to our country, than people have bothered to study. We must also introduce a Development Planning regime to take control of the development process.

Nigeria must deliberately overthrow the Washington Consensus and bring Nigeria’s working people, patriotic intellectuals, business people dedicated to patriotic endeavours and well-trained and patriotically bureaucrats, to drive the development process. At the moment, our economic process is driven by agents of imperialism; and they owe more allegiance to the Washington Institutions than to our country. Wasn’t one of them alleged to have made 60 Billion Naira from negotiating the cancellation of Nigerian debts under Obasanjo? Surely, those are not the types that should be piloting Nigeria’s economic process.

Fulbe nomads: From negative profiling to ethnic cleansing

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HE killing of innocent Fulbe nomads near Keana, Nasarawa state last week, by Nigerian soldiers, was an almost predictable tragedy. The Nigerian state has been priming to kill Fulbe nomads, to satisfy the yearnings of groups of the Nigerian elite, from different parts of the country. This was the ambition of even the ruling circles in states like Benue and Plateau, at the heart of conflicts between nomadic groups and farming communities in recent years. In a place like Plateau state, urban-based political conflicts were deliberately taken to Fulbe nomads in the rural areas; and in many instances, Fulbe nomads’ cattle were rustled. Nomads fight back with a ferocity that surprises their adversaries. Farming groups have children in elite circles and they control a tendentious Nigerian media that has systematically, negatively profiled nomads over the years.

The Nigerian media has not covered itself in glory in reportage of conflicts between farmers and nomadic Fulbe communities. When I worked in DAILY TRUST, the profiling of Fulbe people was an issue we regularly debated and to its credit, DAILY TRUST improved its reportage. But that is not the position with most of the Southern Nigerian media. THE NATION newspaper, for example, always seemed to have a deliberate agenda to negatively profile the Fulbe in its reportage.

It seems unable or unwilling to see the danger of its consistent profiling. Two Mondays ago, I spoke with Sam Omatseye, the Chairman of THE NATION’s Editorial Board about the reportage of the Fulbe. It just doesn’t change with THE NATION. So a few days after the massacre of innocent Fulbe nomads in Nasarawa which shocked people around the country, and ought to have made reportage more nuanced; on April 6, THE NATION ON SUNDAY reported on its page 5: “FULANI HERDSMEN KILL SIX, WOUND 14 IN TARABA”. That sounded definitive, until you read the first paragraph of the story: “Six people lay dead yesterday in three Tiv and Jukun villages in Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State following an attack THAT BORE SEMBLANCE WITH PREVIOUS ONES BY FULANI HERDSMEN” (capital mine!). There was no definitive

report of an attack by Fulbe nomads, but just that what happened “BORE SEMBLANCE WITH PREVIOUS ONES BY FULBE NOMADS”, so THE NATION CONCLUDED Fulbe Nomads were responsible for the new atrocity! But that is irresponsible journalism!

Journalism’s responsibility is to report the FACTS; journalism should NOT extrapolate a trend into reportage. But THE NATION did! Almost like it was pursuing an agenda against Fulbe nomads.

Genocide in Rwanda This issue is very important, because the genocide in Rwanda, which happened 20 years ago this month, was preceded by a systematic profiling of the Tutsi; and the media, this time the radio, helped prepared the condition which facilitated the massacre of one million people! In the tragic killings in Benue, it is strange that up till this moment, not a single person has been arrested and brought for prosecution. This much was admitted by Gabriel Suswam, the Benue state governor, in the interview he gave to SUNDAY TRUST recently. It is equally instructive that Chief Paul Unongo also stated that people apprehended attacking some Tiv communities were discovered not to be Fulbe!

But constantly, we read reports in newspapers of attacks by “Fulani nomads”. In the heightened hysteria against Fulbe nomads, even a governor suggested that the Federal Government should cleanse them from states in North Central Nigeria. In that respect, the Niger State Government forcibly removed Fulbe nomads and deported them to Kaduna state a few weeks ago. The killings in Nasarawa portend serious danger for Fulbe nomads and the fact that Fulbe people were separated from other ethnic groups before being killed in cold blood by the Nigerian Army, is a new departure in the criminal behaviour by agents of the Nigerian state! I do not condone criminal acts carried out by Fulbe nomads or other groups and individuals, but it is unacceptable to profile an entire people as Nigerian elite groups, especially those in power and in the media, are doing to Fulbe nomads!

18 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

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UEUES for petrol still dot many Ni gerian cities and villages. This is to tell government that importation would never solve the country’s challenges with fuel.

Groups that once challenged governments over the matter have long gone to other affairs, seeing how selective governments remain about matters on which they heed advice.

Nobody bothers government any longer about the domestic refineries,which are oscillating between public and private ownership. In moments of apparent concern or fitful wakefulness, government announces privatisation or sale of refineries. After predictable public outbursts rejecting the proposal, our listening government relents. A long bout of silence ensures.

What appears uttermost in the minds of Nigerians is getting affordable fuel for their vehicles and to run their power generators, without which they are guaranteed darkness. Many parts, these days, go for weeks without electricity. Where it is available, it is at most epileptic. The concentration on getting through each day has taken Nigerians where their governments want - loss of focus on monumental national issues.

Refineries Are Best Abroad It was in the midst of this that President Goodluck Jonathan during a visit to Namibia, signed an agreement for a refinery in Walvis Bay. A consortium of Nigerian businesses is building the refinery that would depend on crude from Nigeria for its operations.

We find the President’s official involvement in the venture absurd. Our refineries in Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Warri are not working. Government’s coffers are replete with files of failed turnaround maintenance of the refineries, and 18 licences for private refineries issued in 2008. Sixteen of the licencees set up tank farms for fuel importation.

In May 2011, government signed MOU with a Chinese firm that proposed to build three refineries in Bayelsa, Kogi and Lagos States. A year after, some American investors signed agreements with government to build six modular refineries within 30 months at $4.5 billion each. None of these projects took off and government seems indifferent. At a time of rising unemployment, why would our President lead Nigerian businesses to build a refinery elsewhere?

Why did he encourage them to invest abroad when a refinery with its ancillary industries can galvanise the development of small and medium businesses, creating jobs across sectors?

Nigeria has done a lot for Namibia, the former South-West Africa. Our contributions to its liberation from colonialism, as well as that of South Africa, Angola, Mozambique and Zimbabwe are well known.

Further assistance to Namibia cannot be to our detriment. A better option would have been to build the refinery in Nigeria and export the finished product to Namibia.

When the President makes a show of divesting Nigeria, we are in for more troubles than is obvious.

OPINION

BY MOSHOOD ISAH

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N the early hours of Sunday, March 30, 2014, while going through twitter for usual updates, the news of gunshots at the Department of State Services, DSS, headquarters close to the state house went viral. Even though the news of gunshots and bombing are now usual in the country, attacking the headquarters of the state security service is awkwardly audacious. The news immediately gained ground, leading to unease in and around the city of Abuja, as people scampered for safety.

Rumours began to spread like wildfire about what could possibly be the problem around the seat of power.

Some even went as far as speculating that, perhaps, there was a mutiny. Various speculations escalated the tension until the DSS released a statement via its spokesperson, Marilyn Ogar which apparently doused the fear in the minds of citizens.

It is no more news that the attempted jail break by detained suspected insurgents was foiled by the combined effort of the State Security Service and other security personnel. According to Mrs Ogar, at 07.15 hours, the Service suspect handler went to the detention facility within the Headquarters to feed the suspects. One of the suspects attempted to disarm him by hitting him at the back of his head with his handC M Y K

The attempted jail breakers nemesis cuff. His attempt to escape drew the attention of other guards at the facility that fired some shots to warn and deter others.” The gunshots apparently attracted attention around the areas and soldiers were on hand to provide support to the state security agents.

All thanks to the security framework put in place to promote interagency cooperation. Thus, once there is any challenge in any military formation or security agency, the new framework will trigger alarm for rapid response by other sister agencies. This may not necessarily mean that the SSS aren’t capable of curbing the attacks, but soldiers merely responded to this alarm that fateful Sunday by coming to the DSS headquarters. This is the technical or security justification for soldiers’ intervention. In the end, the marauders were re-arrested and scores who refused to surrender were subdued. There is the need to cut some slacks for the combined security agents even though some of the operatives were scathed.

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T is also good news to hear that innocent passers-by who were arrested around the State House and environs are beginning to regain their

freedom. This is coming from reliable reports that there were indications that some suspects around the DSS headquarters who were arrested in Abuja that Sunday have been released based on the service’s respect for human rights. This also serves as clarion call to the security service and all other security agents to as much as possible refrain from extra-judicial arrests and killings which they have been criticized for over the years. This is especially since the emergence of insurgency in some parts of the country. This will, at least, douse the artificial phobia an average Nigerian has for uniformed personnel in the country.

The security might have had it a bit easier to contain the recent attempted jail break, but there is no doubt that; another attempt by terrorists to escape will be more coordinated. Thus, it is left for the state security service to be more alert and take proactive measures to curtail any funny movement by detainees. I still remember the days when I used to read that criminals are transferred from one prison to another around the nation. In some cases, criminals may not even know where they are, a situation that made any

escape attempt impossible. I wonder what really happened to such practice in the nation. Criminals of such calibre should be kept far away from the seat of power to eschew the kind of drama that happened that Sunday.

Better still, there should be a special detention centre where arrested insurgents would be detained pending other developments.

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ore so and more importantly, I expect that suspected terrorists should be tried in a law court as soon as possible, rather than detaining them for God knows how long. The fact that a criminal is arrested and detained for more than 48 hours without trial may be a violation of his human rights. There may perhaps be some exceptions when it comes to dealing with cases of terrorism, but be that as it may, an arrested insurgent should be handicapped as much as possible in order to avert any form of treachery. The only good news from the narration is that no suspected terrorists escaped from justice.

•Moshood Isah, wrote from Sapele Street, Abuja

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014— 19

, House of Representatives to obey the rulings of a court of competent jurisdiction. On Monday, March 31, 2014, an Abuja High Court presided over by Justice Adeniyi Ademola, ruled that the members of the House of Representatives elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who announced their defection to the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, should resign and stop participating in the business of the House.

Justice Ademola hinged his decision on Section 68-1(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, which states as follows: “A member of the Senate or of the House of Representatives shall vacate his seat in the House of which he is a member if:…being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected;

which he was previously a member…”.

Justice Adeniyi, in his judgement, merely repeated an earlier verdict of another Abuja High Court Judge, Elvis Chukwu on October 18, 2013, declaring that, as there was no division in the PDP, the intending defectors must be ready to vacate their seats, as doing so is mandatory under the Constitution. But the defecting Reps had tried to evade the consequences of their free choice by going to court to obtain injunctions to prevent the declaration of their seats vacant until this substantive case has been disposed of.

Following the verdict of Justice Ademola, the APC caucus in the House of Reps came out of a crisis meeting and made the shocking declaration that they would not obey the court’s decision. They were swiftly backed by the National Secretariat of the APC, with the Interim National

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Publicity Secretary of the Party, Lai Mohammed, asking the Chief Justice of Nigeria to sanction Justice Ademola for “bringing the Bench into disrepute”.

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he defection of the 37 former PDP House members to the APC was not the first time it would be happening under this renascent democracy. In fact, there are also cases of members of the APC crossing over to the PDP without giving up their seats as the constitution demands. Many commentators supporting the actions of the defectors from all sides are quick to point out that the PDP has been a beneficiary of many defections from the opposition parties since 1999, wondering why they are now crying wolf and seeking a constitutional pound of flesh because they are now at the receiving end of the stick.

Wanted: Amnesty for Edo teachers IRCUMSTANCES around us could C change from time to time but the history of those circumstances, once properly

captured, remains more permanent.

History reminds us that the circumstances around the Edo teachers have been changing most rapidly.

It is only a thorough understanding of the changing situations of the Edo teachers that would show that the current imbroglio between Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s administration and the Edo teachers is absolutely unnecessary. They both want the best for the State but they only differ in their approaches to this ideal.

In the beginning, the teaching profession attracted the best brains. Only the best went to the teachers training colleges and this was to show up later as most of the country’s ruling elites virtually came through this noble profession.

At that time, schools were held in the highest esteem and they were seemingly personalised. School heads were given free hands to do whatever was necessary to keep their schools on top; and in helping their schools to maintain the best academic records, including issues of recruitment and the filling of urgent vacancies. My younger brother, Solomon, as a student in Pilgrim Baptist Grammar School, Ewohimi, had passed through S.O. Ayobahan who was a senior tutor at the institution. By early 1970s Ayobahan was the Principal of Edo Boys High School, now Adolo College, Benin City. Four of us were yet living in this cranky room at Rasaq Balogun Street, Surulere, when Solo obtained his advanced level GCE papers. As soon as news of this achievement got to Ayobahan, he personally came to Lagos to remove Solo to teach Geography at Edo Boys. That

was how Solo left his Ministry of Communications job to become a tutor – a big name that he paraded so jealously.

From Ambrose Folorunsho Alli to Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole: The Edo teachers had a peculiar history in these two regimes. Professor Alli was a scholar par excellence. He could test positive for education, anytime. But unfortunately, he became the Governor of then Bendel State in 1979, at a time when there was a dearth of teachers in our schools. It was not unusual to see big schools with many students; but with only one or two teachers.

Alli needed teachers to prosecute the Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN, education policy which was the party’s topmost cardinal programme. And the teachers were also needed to rescue the educational system, which was at the verge of imminent collapse. Overnight, teachers training colleges sprang up everywhere and, of course, the conditions for admission into them were liberalised. People were granted permission to go to teachers colleges on leave of absence, with or without pay. The popular American belief that, it is permissible, sometimes, for people to tell small lies on their ages and on their income tax returns, came to the fore.

Under the circumstance, nobody was asking or looking for the best. We looked the other way if people presented certificates that did not appear quite straight. Women abandoned their market stalls and headed for teachers colleges. Where a woman who had been selling pepper for 15 years at Uwa Market was being offered an opportunity to return to school she quickly reached for her cosmetics box, increased her pancake powdering to 500 grams and headed for the nearest court registry to adjust her age accordingly, unknown to her

That is neither here nor there. The question before us is this: What should a member of the Senate or House of Representatives elected on a party platform do if he decides to cross over to another party when his tenure has not ended and there is no division in the party on which he was elected? What is the position of the law that guides the practice of our democracy? The only realm of our Republic’s estate (Judiciary) that is empowered to provide answers to these questions has spoken. Both Justices Chukwu and Ademola have affirmed, in separate judgements, that there is no division in the PDP. People say it is obvious there is a division in the ruling party. What is obvious to the naked eye has been proved otherwise in the eyes of the law.

Till date, the declared position of the law is that there is no division in the PDP, and therefore any defection based on a purported division in the party is an adventure in which the legislators involved risk losing their seats in accordance with Section 68 1(g) of the Constitution.

We must begin to understand the constitutional system we are operating. It is a system that gives a commanding role to the political parties. Even though the political parties have not been able to stamp their authorities on members, especially those elected on their platforms, the truth is that no president, governor or legislator can become one unless a political party gives him the ticket to vie.

The importance of the political parties in the political fortunes of its elected members were not known until the shocking Supreme Court verdict in 2007, which declared that the electorate vote for political parties, not individual

that some day, somebody would come to demand for her primary six certificate, which when taken seriously, would indicate that she obtained that Primary Six Certificate when she was not yet conceived! That’s where we are now.

It is instructive that most of these teachers

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Sit-tight defecting lawmakers UR democracy is being provided that his membership of the threatened by blatant refusal latter political party is not as a result O of the 37 defecting members of the of division in the political party of

It is illogical, nonsensical and fraudulent for a person who got elected to any office to abandon the political party that sponsored him and move over to another party and yet keep his seat

Edo teachers are engaged in a fight they can hardly win; it is not yet too late in the day to change their strategy and appeal to their governor for amnesty

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came on a rescue mission and they truly rescued our education system from collapse.

The moment they went into the training colleges, they became useful right from the stage of teaching practice. On a moral high ground, it might seem unfair to treat them as expendable items towards their exit point. Their gallant gamble must not end in the dust!

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here is, however, an admixture of these “interventionist teachers” and those employed under the candle light. As we speak, dubious elements in the system might be busy, at the hinterland, hawking teachers appointment letters, perhaps unknown to headquarters. Teachers employed under the scheme are quickly regularised between board dissolutions and reconstitution. Add to this, the embarrassment occasioned by the system. In a recent exercise, it was discovered that the younger ones were even the worst culprits in

candidates. It was that logic that necessitated the transfer of the mandate the people gave to Sir Celestine Omehia to Chibuike Amaechi to become the Governor of Rivers State. The argument was that since it was Amaechi that won the governorship primaries or obtained the ticket of the PDP, Omehia who never contested in the primaries was not the candidate for the PDP. It is the logo of the party that we see when we go to vote for candidates, and since we cannot contest elections without being sponsored by political parties, it is illogical, nonsensical and fraudulent for a person who got elected to any office to abandon the political party that sponsored him and move over to another party and yet keep his seat. That is not the constitutional injunction.

Section 68-1(g) is crystal clear and unambiguous.

It is an act of gross political betrayal and prostitution for people to cross carpet and keep their seats under this constitution, and such transgressors must be punished by their seats being taken away from them if they fail to resign honourably. If we continue to allow this it will fuel political instability and encourage politicians to obtain their mandates from their people through false pretences, an electoral deceit. Anyone who truly desires to move to another political platform is free to do so. But he must resign and obey the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Those who refuse to obey the law should be left in the hands of law enforcement agencies to do their jobs and protect the sanctity of the law and courts of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

lying about their ages. Understandably, people who have been looking for jobs for upwards of 15 years and now stand the chance of getting one, after paying heavily, also stand the chance of cutting down on their ages so that they could work for sometime to recoup their investment and get near pension-attracting before retirement.

All these put a lot of strains on Governor Oshiomhole. Who wants to be the Governor of a state where a teacher cannot spell “teacher”? What future is such a Governor leaving for the children? Since when did an employer lose the right to regulate his employees’ condition of service, including occasional assessment tests for such employees if the employer so desired?

Edo teachers are engaged in a fight they can hardly win. Jaw-jaw is better than warwar. Anyone who knows how his behind is should be the best judge of how to bend down.

Dialogue is the mother of peace. It is not yet too late in the day for Edo teachers to change their strategy and appeal to their Governor for amnesty.

Yes, you supported the Governor during the elections but you did not support him to come and destroy the education system. If anything, you wanted an improved education system.

After the amnesty programme, which would ease out the teachers gracefully, the Edo State Government should sanitize its system and ensure that henceforth, only good teachers are employed to teach our children. The teaching profession should return to its glorious past instead of being an all comers affair.

20 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

Tohon, Badagry: The gathering storm •As descendants want restoration of princely status

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

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*Prince Adeoye Sottin, Spokesman of the family

He explained: “We are ready to take over our heritage. His (Gogan Sotin) first son, Zakran, took over from him and this has

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ADAGRY, a coastal town and local government area in Lagos State, was a major slave post and market during the better forgotten slave trade era. Situated between Metropolitan Lagos and the border with Benin at Seme, it remains today one of Nigeria’s most treasured historic sites and tourist destinations. Indeed it has grown in popularity over the years given the belief in many quarters that it represents Nigeria’s most enduring place to re-create and connect with history. Hence, its traditional ruler, the Akran of Badagry Aholu Wheno Menu-Toyi 1 is widely held in high esteem as a royal father of relevance and repute, with his influence spanning over Badagry town and 70 adjourning villages and districts spread across the mainland and islands in South West Nigeria Badagry is also reputed for the peace that prevails there, especially as it has little or no history of restiveness arising from heated disputes among its people. But there are presently indication that this state of affairs may soon be put to test over the current quest by the descendants of one Prince Sotin to have their royal and princely status restored to them.

According to these great grand children of the late Prince Gogan Sottin, their progenitor, Prince Sotin together with his family members and faithful servants settled in Badagry over 500 years ago after migrating from Dahomey; that was in 1598.

They subsequently founded and settled at a place which came to be known as the Tohon, which later attracted other settlers from elsewhere. Over time, Tohon increased in size and popularity, with the Sotin family members living peacefully with their settler tenants. But in spite of this development and the leadership which Sotin exercised to sustain this, the family was not accorded its royal status.

Speaking on behalf of the descendants, Prince Adeoye Sotin averred that the time had come for them to claim their rightful heritage, adding that “there was no doubt that those who settled in these parts of the vast land were traditional tenants to Gogan Sotin.”

According to him, the late Gogan Sottin established the title of chiefdom as well as a palace to justify his princely status. He said: “Gogan Sotin put in place the title of Chief. Panko is part of the settlements. Those who were settling in those settlements were traditional tenants to Gogan.”

We are ready to take over our heritage; we don’t want this lineage and cultural heritage to die; we want to recover the landed property for posterity sake

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been on like that over time. We don’t want this lineage and cultural heritage to die. We want to recover the landed property for posterity sake.”

Adeoye argued that the descendants of the Sotin family lineage had been in an undisputed possession of the landed property. He said: “We are calling for the restoration of his (Sotin’s) princely status as a royal blood.”

He added that Gogan Sotin’s noble upbringing, his love for the poor and service to humanity, informed his decision to permit the Panko people (with whom he and his people had affinity) to peacefully settle on a section of the South-agricultural land, which he said Tohon people gave to other settlers on the the land.

Adeoye Sotin noted that the use of farm labour (for bush clearing, crop planting, harvesting, palm kernel nuts cracking and oil pro-

*Prince Christopher Sonayon Sottin, Secretary to the family

cessing) became apparent for the Tohon people as well as the people from Age, Dahomey (from Ipokia or Poka) who were employed on Tohon land and were allowed to settle in their respective locations till today as customary tenants of the Tohon people.

Adeoye’s position was also corroborated by Prince Christopher Sonayon Sotin, the secretary to the family, who said there was no doubt about the lineage of their progenitors. According to him, the family decided to take the gauntlet to save the family’s cultural heritage as inherited from their forefathers.

Tracing the history of this heritage, he said that when Prince Sotin and his entourage arrived Badagry in 1598, they were re-

ceived by one High Chief Boe who happens to be his cousin. Later, Prince Sotin, accompanied by his cousin, went in search of the promise land revealed to him through divination.

As they got to a vast forest after passing through sandy soil and crossing a swampy that opened to a serene river, they stopped and examined the sandy soil and nodded in confirmation that it was the ‘Promised Land’ revealed by divination.

After discussing the matter with his majesty, the Akran, approval was granted High Chief Boe with the Akran subsequently announced that henceforth the vast forest had been absolutely granted to him (Sottin) for his personal use and posterity.

The land comprises extensive forest spreading from the swamp(now known as Agelaso) to eastward to Asisavilopo close to the Gezeland, northward to another swamp opening up to today’s Erikiti(border line) and westward stretching to the swamp overlooking the river now known as Yewa river and south westerly linking another swamp Tozunkanme. Prince Sottin farmed and planted vegetables, coconuts and herbs and also occasionally hunt exclusively on the forest until his death in 1752.

Upon his demise, his son, High Chief Gogan Sottin after departed Port-novo to Tohon land through the guidance of Sumbu Mobee, a successor to High Chief Boe, the original owner of the vast forest, he exclaimed — “Oto shie osu hon na tukla de mimo dogbon jiwheyewhe siho dahli to aholu mikpon si to hogbonu” , which was later contracted to Tosuhon and later to Tohon that is used till today. The customary tenants on the land are Panko, Agadangba, Seje and Agbovipe. It occupied the vast area of land engaged in farming, hunting and practicing Christianity with Thomas Freeman, a Missionary he hosted and built the first Methodist Church and primary school respectively.

The name Boe is a contraction of the Egun name Obodemahuse meaning “there is no drug or medicament (for healing purposes) beyond or above the Almighty God.”

Environmental abuse unacceptable — Utuama

BY AUGUSTINA ANYAEGBU

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ELTA State Deputy Governor, Prof Amos Utuama, has warned that the state government is determined to put an end to all forms of environmental abuse going on in the state. He stated this when he led members of the Special Ad-hoc Committee on Sanitation to two royal fathers of Uvwie and Udu as part of the sensitization efforts by the committee.

The 21-member high powered committee made up of members of the state executive council has already swung into action by visiting three local government areas of Uvwie, Udu and Warri South. Speaking at the palace of the Ovie of Uvwie, HRM Emmanuel Sideso, Abe 1, Utuama who is the chairman of the committee, lamented the degree of filth in the three local government areas. He warned that the committee would clinically execute its terms of reference without fear or favour. He enjoined the royal father to assist the committee in achieving its objectives and goals by passing the message across to all his subjects.

“The mandate of the committee is to clear these three local governments of all forms of filth and

environmental abuse, including indiscriminate dumping of refuse, conversion of walkways to markets and stalls and reckless parking of cars by drivers who pick passengers without consideration for other road users. The Enerhen Junction which government spent huge sums of money on as part of its urban renewal and beautification programme has been so bastardised that you can hardly recognise it again. This is unacceptable and government is determined to tackle this environmental abuse head on,” he said.

Utuama said the committee will set what he called “minimum acceptable environmental standard” in the three council areas and make others to take a cue from them.

“The committee is poised to set a minimum acceptable environmental standard in these three council areas and then other local government areas will follow. We will inculcate in the people, proper waste disposal habits and of course, we will have law enforcers who will ensure compliance through appropriate fines. We will tell them that it is in their interest and interest of all to properly dispose waste. This will make our cities clean, more beautiful and more ornamented”.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 — 21

From left: Mr Banji Adeniji Adeniyi, Chief Financial Officer, GTBank Plc; Mr Muyiwa Teriba, Head of Investor Relations Group; Mr Segun Agbaje, MD and Mrs Lola Odedina, GM, Communication and External Affairs during the GTB 2014 Business Editors' Forum, in Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.

External reserves rise by $169m as dollar sales drop by 24%

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

T

he nation’s external reserves rose by $169 million in the first week of this month, marking the first significant gain of the year.

The increase however might have been facilitated by 24 percent decline in foreign exchange sales by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) within the same period. These developments indicate that the apex bank has begin to rebuild the reserves by reducing weekly dollar sales.

According data obtained from the website of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), external reserves rose to $37.972 billion on Monday April 7th, from $37.803 billion on March 31st.

Analysis of dollar sales at the official foreign exchange auction sessions held on Wednesday 2nd and Monday 7th of April show that total sales dropped to $590 million from $780 million in the last two sessions held in March.

It would be recalled that the external reserves experienced steady decline from in the first

quarter of the year. From $43.61 billion as at December 31 st 2013, the reserves consistently declined to $37.803 billion as at March 31st, representing 13 percent decline. In January the

reserves fell by 1.4 percent to $42.99 billion. It fell again by 7.1 percent to $40.12 billion in February. And in March it fell by 5.8 percent. The decline was occasioned by increased dollar sales by CBN

to defend the exchange rate of the naira. For this purpose, the apex bank sold $9.58 billion in the first quarter of the year through the bi-weekly foreign exchange auctions.

This represented 41 percent

increase when compared with $6.78 billion sold in the fourth quarter of 2013.

CBN Acting Governor, Dr. (Mrs.) Sarah Alade however said that the increased demand for foreign exchange that prompted the huge dollar sales have subsided, and that efforts will now be focused on building up the external reserves.

In her personal statement at the last Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, she said, “Like in other emerging markets, the naira exchange rate has witnessed increased pressure, but some level of stability has returned to the market. As at March 21, 2014, foreign exchange reserves stood at $37.83 billion, as foreign investors repatriate their investments in the face of improved investment climate in the US. “Most emerging market economies have witnessed capital reversal in the last couple of months in the face of sustained tapering from the United States. Nigeria is no exception albeit with less depreciation in the currency when compared to other emerging market currencies.

Given these trends; it is important that efforts are intensified at rebuilding the fiscal buffers to forestall the downside risk to the domestic economy through foreign reserve depletion. This is already starting to happen as Government increased the Excess Crude account by $1.0 billion this month and plans to be building up more buffers in the months to come.”

Terminal operators decry diversion of rice laden vessels

BY GODWIN ORITSE

T

HE Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) has decried the continuous diversion of ships laden with rice to the ports of neighbouring countries.

Chairman of STOAN, Princess (Dr.) Vicky Haastrup, said in Lagos that no fewer than 150 shiploads of rice have been diverted to the ports in Benin Republic, Cameroon, Accra and Togo in the first quarter of this year.

She said Nigeria lost about 600,000 metric tonnes of rice between January and March 2014 to the neighbouring ports due to the 110 per cent policy slammed on the commodity by the Federal Government early 2013.

“This is becoming rather unfortunate, our economy is bleeding seriously because of this policy.

“The loss to other countries, as a result of the high tariff on rice was over N300 billion last year while in the first quarter of this year alone, both government and private operators have

lost at least N80 billion.

10.35 184.95 “Even the Federal Government through Minister of Finance and Coor2,967.00 +50.00 dinating Minister of the Economy, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, admitted the 17.28 0.1 shortcoming of this policy.

“The truth is that the policy has done more harm than good to our economy 106.65 +0.50 and government should waste no further time before reversing it,” Haastrup 101.06 +0.85 stated.

According to her, revenues affected by the 110 per cent rice policy include CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL SELLING DOLLAR 154.74 155.24 155.74 those of the Nigeria Customs Service, POUNDS 256.3578 257.1861 258.0145 terminal operators, dock workers and EURO 212.1176 212.803 the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

213.4884 Haastrup also disagreed with those who FRANC 173.2423 173.8021 174.3618 blame Customs for the high rate of smugYEN 1.4895 1.4943 1.4991 CFA 0.3059 0.3159 0.3259 gling of rice into Nigeria.

WAUA 237.9741 238.7431 239.512 “It is totally wrong to blame Customs.

RENMINBI 24.9057 24.9867 25.0676 Customs is doing its very best under the RIYA 41.2585 41.3918 41.5251 circumstance to check smuggling of rice into KRONA 28.4067 28.4985 28.5903 SDR 238.3305 239.1006 239.8707 the country and that can be seen from the numerous seizures they make every day.

CBN Exchange rate as at 09/04/2014

22 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

External reserves rise by $169m as dollar sales drop by 24%

BRIEFS

Lead Securities unveils online platform for stocks trading

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

I

Mr. Shina Atilola, Group Head, Strategy & Communications, Sterling Bank Plc; Mr. Femi Olubanjo, Guest; Mrs. Ronke Olubanjo, MD, DGV Academy, Ibadan and Guest Speaker and Mr. Kayode Ebatimehin, COO, Bluebird Communications at the 2014 ‘Get Ready for Work’ Concert organized by Sterling Bank Plc, in Ibadan.

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

T

he nation’s external reserves rose by $169 million in the first week of this month, marking the first significant gain of the year.

The increase however might have been facilitated by 24 percent decline in foreign exchange sales by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) within the same period. These developments indicate that the apex bank has begin to rebuild the reserves by reducing weekly dollar sales.

According data obtained from the website of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), external reserves rose to $37.972 billion on Monday April 7th, from $37.803 billion on March 31st.

Analysis of dollar sales at the official foreign exchange auction sessions held on Wednesday 2nd and Monday 7th of April show that total sales dropped to $590 million from $780 million in the last two sessions held in March.

It would be recalled that the external reserves experienced steady decline from in the first quarter of the year. From $43.61 billion as at December 31 st 2013, the reserves consistently declined to $37.803 billion as at March 31st, representing 13 percent decline. In January the reserves fell by 1.4 percent to $42.99 billion. It fell again by 7.1 percent to $40.12 billion in February. And in March it fell by 5.8 percent. The decline was occasioned by increased dollar sales by CBN to defend the exchange rate of the naira.

For this purpose, the apex

bank sold $9.58 billion in the first quarter of the year through the bi-weekly foreign exchange auctions. This represented 41 percent increase when compared with $6.78 billion sold in the fourth quarter of 2013.

CBN Acting Governor, Dr. (Mrs.) Sarah Alade however said that the increased demand for foreign exchange that prompted the huge dollar sales have subsided, and that efforts will now be focused on building up the external reserves.

In her personal statement at the last Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting,

she said, “Like in other emerging markets, the naira exchange rate has witnessed increased pressure, but some level of stability has returned to the market. As at March 21, 2014, foreign exchange reserves stood at $37.83 billion, as foreign investors repatriate their investments in the face of improved investment climate in the US. “Most emerging market economies have witnessed capital reversal in the last couple of months in the face of sustained tapering from the United States. Nigeria is no exception albeit with less depreciation in the currency

when compared to other emerging market currencies. Given these trends; it is important that efforts are intensified at rebuilding the fiscal buffers to forestall the downside risk to the domestic economy through foreign reserve depletion. This is already starting to happen as Government increased the Excess Crude account by $1.0 billion this month and plans to be building up more buffers in the months to come.”

Unified Payments boosts cashless policy with Payarena I

N apparent bid to facilitate the ongoing cashless policy of the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN), Unified Payment Services Limited, formerly Valucard has introduced a new electronic payment platform called Payarena.

Payarena offers customers access to value added services which include purchase of airtime (Virtual Top Up, Prepaid PINs, Blackberry subscriptions, Data bundle plans etc.) for all telcos in Nigeria; payment of bills to major service providers such as PHCN, DSTV, GOTV, Swift Networks etc. It also offers payment collections platform for public institutions for collections of taxes, levies; corporate organizations and religious institutions for collection of tithes and offerings etc.

Payarena is also poised to offer funds transfer services in a manner that has not been offered in the industry.

The platform accepts multiple card schemes such as Visa, MasterCard,

UnionPay and carefully designed to accommodate all other local and international card or payment options including contactless payment solution. It is accessible on multiple channels including Web via www.payarena.com, over 40,000 Point of Sale (POS) terminals and ATMs all over the country.

“For the very first time, Visa, MasterCard and UnionPay cardholders can now enjoy Value added services on a single platform” said Babatunde Okeniyi, Director, Marketing and Sales for Unified Payments.

To access the service on the web, a cardholder visits www.payarena.com.

Payarena is also available on the Point of Sale (POS) terminal and on the ATM. “With Payarena, holders of different card brands and various other payment options are now well taken care of with regards to value-added services that come with electronic payments even as his brings a further boost to the cashless economy policy driven by the CBN(CBN).”

n a bid to provide investors and stockbrokers a secure and efficient electronic channel of buying and selling shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, Lead Securities & Investment Limited, a broker dealer subsidiary of LeadCapital Plc, has launched an online realtime trading platform.

The online portal, LeadTrader, provides investors the comfort and convenience of executing their trades online via a range of devices such as desktop, laptops, tablets and other mobile devices.

Speaking at the launch of the online portal in Lagos, chairman, Lead Securities & Investment, Mr. Abimbola Olashore, said LeadTrader conformed in all respect with the global best solutions for online, real-time trading of securities utilised by retail and institutional investors in advanced economies.

He explained that orders submitted via LeadTrader pass through a FIX compatible Order Management System, OMS, where appropriate compliance checks are in place to prevent erroneous orders going into the NSE’s trading engine.

He added that with LeadTrader, retail and institutional investors would have the privilege of sending mandates to their brokers to buy and sell shares via the use of emails and letters.

“LeadTrader is integrated with the payment switch that allows investors to add funds to their brokerage account using Credit/ Debit cards,” he said.

Sterling Bank to suppor supportt entrepreneurship among youths

T

o checkmate the rising trend of unemployment in the country, Sterling Bank Plc has reiterated its continued support to youths who are poised to develop their entrepreneurship skills and become employers of labour.

Mr. Shina Atilola, the Group Head, Strategy & Communications who represented the Chief Financial Officer of the Bank, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman at the 2014 ‘Get Ready for Work’ Concert organized by the Bank at Ibadan explained that such support will be in terms of soft loans and grants.

Atilola noted that with the alarming increase in unemployment rate in the country, “our youths must begin to change their mindset about being employed in the banking, oil or telecommunications sectors and now begin to think of how they will become self-employed and even employers of labour thereby contributing meaningfully to the economic growth of the country.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014—23

BRIEFS Mathematics Competition (NASSMAC) 14 years ago and it is still ongoing.

Archival data showed that every year an average of 35-40,000 students sit for the exams across the country.

“If you aggregate the number of students who sits for the exams and the winners that emerges every year, that gives you a glimpse of the multiplier effects From right: Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga and UNIDO on the students, the schools and Director General, Li Yong during his visit to Nigeria, in Abuja. the nation.

“What has been the success story of NASSMAC from when we started?

VANGUARD learnt that at the last count, one of the boys authored

BY FRANKLIN ALLI Legal and Public Relations, Promasi- a mathematic textbook, another recently dor, recalled that there was a time in graduated with 5.0 gpa from a university HE Millennium Development Nigeria when the generality of the pop- in Russia; of recent, in America, one of Goals (MDGs) is expiring next st ulace can’t afford evaporated milk, pow- them and an America chap set up an Apps year. At the dawn of the 21 century, dered milk because they are expensive, for Financial Analysis platform. specifically in September 2000, NigeIn the sphere of environmental sustain“but when we came in, we said how we ria and 188 other member countries of ability, Promasidor has also gone green can provide nutrition to everybody?

United Nations assembled at UN in its operations.

And we found out that the best way to Headquarters in New York and agreed According to United Nations Industrial do that is to bulk- break and make milk on a number of initiatives to free peoDevelopment Organisation, UNIDO, affordable such that a man who is a daily ple from extreme poverty.

“Green Industries “are manufacturing conpaid worker can buy it.

They also promised to provide unicerns that have invested in technology that “ At that time the cost of 450g milk sell versal primary education; reduce child doesn’t harm the environment. for between N500 to N600 which is equal mortality; improve maternal health and A visit to Promasidor’s factory at Isolo in to daily wage. But a bricklayer, mason combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and othLagos showed that the company has made or farmer can’t afford to spend that on a er diseases as well as ensure environsignificant changes in its operating envican milk but at least he can buy a satchmental protection, all by the target date ronment; it now uses wind power plant to el of milk for N5, buy three or four for of 2015. This pledge turned into the power its operations and enhance elecN20 for himself and his family to drink eight Millennium Development Goals. tricity in the host community. tea or pap.”

Right now the international develop“We have disconnected from the public “We don’t just provide affordable and ment community is taking stock of the power grid because we now use only gas. nutritious milk; we are one of the few progress recoded so far by member We have migrated from using diesel to companies who actually started fortificountries and is pondering over what happens after 2015.

We have disconnected from the public power grid Locally, how have corporate organisations in Nigeria helped the governbecause we now use only gas. We have migrated from ments (federal, states and local) to meet using diesel to gas; you know what this means for the the MDGs targets? Investigations conducted by Vanguard, revealed that Proenvironment masidor Nigeria Limited , which manufacturers dairy products such as Cowcation of milk with vitamins A, B, C and gas; you know what this mean for the bell and Loya milk, is one of the comK which add nourishment to the body. environment; our gas emission is envipanies in the country that have tailored Being a food company, our products ronmental friendly and our gas emission its corporate social responsibility to suit have been able to at least take care of is at o percent level.

MDGs targets. poverty and hunger by making our In line with that we are wind –driven, The company ’s areas of in products affordable to Nigerians and in- and we no longer use the regular air contervention in the MDGs are goals 1, 2, directly reduces hunger ; it is also re- ditioners that we put on the wall. The 4, 5 and 7. At the Global Forum for Food ducing diseases because taking the vi- regular air cons emit gases that deplete and Agriculture, the Food and Agricultamins fortifications once you are no the ozone layers. That is why if you reture Organisation (FAO) highlighted longer malnourished your body has pro- member, air-conditions in those days the positive role sustainable food systection against diseases,” he said. have iron-like radiators at the back. In tems can play in the fight against hunSimilarly, the 2013/14 Education for Europe, they have banned it because the ger. Every day, 840 million people go All Global Monitoring Report shows why gas they used in filling it depletes the hungry. “We need to produce nutritious education is pivotal for development in ozone layers. It is not environmental food for all people today while also proa rapidly changing world. friendly gas, our own is water –cool; the tecting the capacity of future generaThe report highlighted the water passes through the chillers which tions to feed them,” said Helena Semeneed to promote quality education by in turns bring out very cool air through do, FAO Deputy Director-General. investing wisely in students and teach- the process. Also our forklifts are not In line with this, a delve into Promasiers. What has Promasidor done in this powered by petroleum, they are powered dor’s archive confirmed that the comregard? Findings further revealed that by gas; likewise, waste products from our pany has consistently made significant its largest CSR initiative is in the edu- factory go through waste treatment contribution in this area by manufaccation sector of the economy. plants; the water that we actually disturing quality and nutritious food prodIn a bid to encourage learning and to charge into the central drain is cleaner ucts and making them available to Niimprove students’ performance in math- than the drain. This ensure pollution gerians at affordable prices. ematics, the company introduced the free environment,” Enahoro disclosed.

Andrew Enahoro, Head Cowbell National Secondary Schools

Meeting MDG targets through corporate social responsibility T

,

Oputu, MD BoI speaks at Hayford Alile’s lecture

T

he Managing Director of Bank of Industry, Ms. Evelyn Oputu is to address the 2014 Hayford Alile Foundation annual lecture entitled ‘Innovating for Market Distinctiveness.’

The event is coming up on 24th of April at the Julius Berger Hall, University of Lagos.

According to the foundation’s Executive Secretary, Mrs. Bawo Kujore, this year ’s ceremony which will be chaired by Mr. Fola Adeola, Founder/Chairman of Fate Foundation, promises to be exciting as well as enriching as it coincides with the 74th Birthday of Apostle Hayford Alile.

She noted that since inception the Hayford Alile Foundation has sponsored two National Lectures as well as a total of 12 people to the Aspiring Entrepreneurs’ Program at the Fate Foundation. Scholarships have also been given to three indigent students of the University of Benin who are graduating top of their classes this year.

“We envision that the foundation will become an international Foundation in Africa and become a sustainably educational, entrepreneurial development platform,” she concluded.

Weco, partners Cisco on provision of hardware solution

W

ECO Systems International, an innovative and a leading systems integration company in the country has concluded arrangement to partner with Cisco Systems, worldwide leader in networking to introduce a hardware solution called Unified Access Solution.

The hardware solution is for organizations that are interested in productivity and systems security. To this extent, both organizations would be organizing a workshop with the theme “Severe the cable not the service”.

The workshop has been slated for Thursday, April 10, 2014 at the Victoria Crown Plaza Hotel. Victoria Island, Lagos.

According to Mr. Tunde Ogunbiyi, Solutions Manager,Mobility Solutions of Weco Systems International. “This new Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) implementation will enhance and harden company’s existing security infrastructure. This new security strategy is to provide granular management of end users’ device access into your network and its enterprise resources. The security systems will provide better users’ devices tracking, visibility, controlled access, user/device profiling and devices posture assessment”.

He went further to say that “Our mobility solutions deliver a complete portfolio of mobile services and applications that provide rich voice, video, data and mobile communications.

Our secured wireless network solutions will facilitate services such as network access, Mobility for workforce, Unified Communications/IP Telephony, video services and much more.

,

24 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

BFIEFS

Importers shift patronage to ports of neighbouring countries

BY GODWIN ORITSE

T

HE delay in getting the newly Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) by importers from the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) may put the Nigerian economy at risk as importers have began to move em-mass to ports of neighbouring countries.

The move by importers to patronize the ports of other countries in the West Coast is born out of the fact that they (importers) are losing billions of naira in the payment of demurrage on their cargoes.

Some of the Customs brokers and importers who spoke to Vanguard expressed frustration at the delay they experience in their efforts to get PAAR to take delivery of the goods from the ports.

Commenting on the development, President

of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Prince Olayiwola Shittu concurred that there is a problem with PAAR system but added that with time the problem will be resolved.

He explained that the

gains of the newly introduced cargo clearance system is the stoppage of the one percent Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (CISS) to scanning service providers.

The CISS fee which ran into billions of Naira is

now being paid into the Federation account.

Another agent, Mr. Vincent Kekereogor told Vanguard that about 40 of his client’s containers are currently stocked at the A. P. Moller Terminal due to the delay in getting PAAR to take

their delivery.

He was of the opinion that another era of port congestion will be experienced if urgent steps are not taken to address the problem facing clearance of cargoes from the ports.

The ill-fated boat that claimed the lives of eight people last Wednesday being recovered by officials of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA).

Council calls for sanction on terminal operators EMPTY CONTAINER STORAGE:

BY GODFREY BIVBERE

T

HE National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, NCMDLCA, has called on the relevant government agencies to sanction terminal operators for using the ports as storage for their empty containers.

National Secretary of the Council, Uchu Block, who spoke to Vanguard on the issue of congestion at the port, explained that lack of regulation of the activities of the terminal operators has led them to behave as if they are above the law.

Block noted that the same terminal operators who charge importers and their agents so much for leaving their containers longer than three working days after the arrival of the ship conveying the cargo, turn around to use the terminal to store empty containers until are ready for shipment out of the country.

He called on the relevant regulatory agency to mandate the terminal operators to ensure that every ship that berths at their terminal takes onboard empty containers to free the ports of the impending congestion.

He pointed out that in the past, accusing fingers have been pointed at Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, for the introduction of Pre-Arrival Assessment Report, PAAR, which is said to have failed,and importers and their agents who are said to be using the ports for storage of their consignments. Although he agreed that the action of the Customs PAAR and importers using the ports may be true, he averred that the action of the terminal operators contributes more to the problem of congestion at the ports.

PAAR: Customs places 114 companies on fast-track to reinforce platform

BY IFEYINWA OBI

D

ETERMINED to consolidate on the observed success of the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR), the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has admitted 114 companies into the Fast Track concession platform created in the enhanced PAAR System.

Fast Track is a special

preference given to manufacturers to enable them take delivery of their consignment without going through the full clearing process at the ports.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Dikko Inde Abdullahi who stated this in Abuja, noted that the approval which took effect from

last week, was meant to encourage beneficiary companies towards enhanced compliance, in the conduct of International trade in Nigeria. The beneficiaries admitted into the scheme included local manufacturing companies, multinationals, auto mobile companies, telecom operators and super-market retail outlets.

Customs seizes 15,485 bags of rice in one year

BY IFEYINWA OBI

A

total of 15,485 bags of 50kg rice with a duty paid value of approximately 173million naira have been seized by the Oyo /Osun Area Command of Customs in the past one year as a result of intensified heat on illegal importation of rice into the states.

Making this disclosure in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Oyo/Osun Area Comptroller of Customs, Richard Oteri, said that several unscrupulous Nigerians have resolved to make smuggling their tasks in life despite its attendant risks to the lives of individuals and the economy of the country.

Oteri added that the command was poised to make the business unprofitable as possible for those who refuse to heed repeated warning on smuggling.

Boat mishap: LASWA meets loggers on navigational channels

BY GODWIN ORITSE

F

ORMER Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman and farmer, Chief Audu Ogbe, has advocated a high import duty on champagne, saying that Nigeria spends over N9 billion to import the product.

Speaking at a breakfast meeting organised by Quintessential Diamond Limited, a company that deals in agro-products in Abuja, Ogbe pushed for special banks funded by the treasury and targeting industrial, and agricultural growth at one digit interest rate.

He said if this was not done, the economy might head for trouble, recalling that when a few years ago he warned the Kano State Government against militant activity, he was accused of raising false alarm.

“With the current interest rate, you can’t manufacture. The next thing is, we have got to create special development banks.

We had them before – NIDB, NBCI. They were there focusing on industrial growth. Some of these reforms have deformed this country’s growth. And those banks should charge one digit interest rate.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 — 25

Osun: ‘Reclassification not about building schools'

Rivers inducts Exams Ethics to boost exams colnduct

Pg. 30

Unemployment: ‘Start business concept now'

Pg. 28

Pg. 26

Some of the 2014 batch 'A' corps members entertaining audience with kungfu during the terminal parade/closing ceremony of Orientation Course held at Iyana-Ipaja, Llagos. Photo: Dayo Adesulu

Don advocates gender policies in varsities

BY DAYO JOHNSON

A

UNIVERSITY TEACHER and Direc tor, Centre for Gender and Development Studies, Ekiti State University (EKSU), AdoEkiti, Professor Olabisi Aina has called for the introduction of gender policies in Nigerian universities.

This according to her, will enable them of address what she termed masculinisation of the academic. Aina, in a lecture titled Women in the Nigerian University System: Achievements, Challenges and Prospects delivered at the 2014 Iju Public Affairs Forum organized by Professor Ladipo Adamolekun, a professor of Public Administration and a World Bank Consultant.

She pointed out that there is a wide gender gap within the Nigerian academic environment. Aina who lamented the development provided some gender statistics that show low women involvement in teaching and administration in the 128 universities of the country.

She traced the persistence of

gender inequality in the country’s Ivory Towers to the extension of patriarchy and other gender stereotypes in the larger society to the academia that has remained male-centric.

Also she fingered the failure of governments at various levels to pay attention to gender priorities in education budgets

to institutional and environmental factors.

She pointed out that “These environmental factors could be seen in gender-unfriendly teaching and learning environment and gender-based violence within the university system which she called on operators of the system to address.

Aina therefore proposes gender mainstreaming “as a tool for institutional and social transformation in the university system”. She explained that each university should invest in its structural transformation to support gender equality and that individual academics should abandon traditional val-

ue orientations that support gender inequality.

She therefore urges “promotion of a gender-friendly, inclusive and secure teaching and learning environment, bridging gender gap in student’s admission and staff recruitment and promoting increasing parContinues on page 26

ASUP, COEASU STRIKES:

Isn't the President’s intervention belated?

AFTER polytechnic students have lost an entire academic session to the 171 day strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, and Colleges of Education have been shut for nearly four months, President Goodluck Jonathan is reported to have intervened into the situation. While some stakeholders observe this development with caution, some others say it is a little too late.

W

BY LAJU ARENYEKA

E have not met the President directly —ASUP Boss The ASUP President, Mr. Chibuzor Asomugha, speaking to Vanguard Learning said that the union has not met directly with the President on the mat-

ter. He said: “We have not been directly involved with the President at any of the meetings. All we know about the President’s intervention is the much we have been able to glean from second person reports. We were made to understand that consequent on the Nigerian Labour Congress’, NLC, letter to

the President, His Excellency had directed the Minister of Labour to take up the matter with a view to finally resolving the outstanding dispute. That intervention led to a meeting between the Minister of Labour, ASUP and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Unions, COEASU, with the NLC President in attendance. Our understanding is that the positions taken at that meeting would be taken for the President’s assent as a prelude to implementation. We were also made to understand that there was another meeting at which the President asked the Secretary Continues on page 26

26 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

Isn't the President’s intervention belated?

Continues from page 25 General of the Federation and the Supervising Minister of Education to execute certain specific actions that will hopefully, address the outstanding issues in dispute.”

No evidence of President’s intervention —COEASU Boss “Where is the evidence?” was the response given by the COEASU Chairman, Mr. Asagha Okoro when our reporter asked him about the President’s intervention.

When the Government wanted to intervene into the ASUU situation, he called ASUU and the Federal Ministry of Education to a meeting. But in the case of Polytechnics and Colleges of Education, it is just being rumoured by people.

There has been no call for any meeting not even from the minister of education. Colleges of education have been on strike for nearly four months, it is such a shame that nothing has been done. We cannot keep paying lip service and call ourselves an egalitarian society,

son Ezeibe said that the president’s intervention is long overdue. “It is not really an exciting development,” he said, “apart from a short suspension, this strike has been on since last April. The President’s intervention is long overdue. However, it is better late than never. It took the President’s intervention to resolve the situation when the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, was on strike. Hopefully, he will also be able to resolve the situation with ASUP. This strike has not in any way benefitted anyone. We were giving the government warnings about the situation at hand two years before we embarked on the strike. Any responsible government should react quickly when trade unions raised issues, instead of waiting for the unions to go on strike for a long time.”

End the HND-BSc dichotomy once and for all —NAPS On its part, the National As-

,

What we are most concerned about is the disparity between the HND and B.Sc certificates. Even if the strike is called off, if nothing is done about the situation, it will not benefit us in anyway

when the under privileged are neglected. It is because the elite in society have no stake in Colleges of Education and Polytechnics, that is why this issue has gone on for so long. We have decided that if nothing is done soon, we will mobilize lecturers, students, market women and society leaders to picket the ministries of education, finance and labour in Abuja.”

It is not an exciting development —ASUP Zone D Meanwhile, the coordinator of ASUP Zone D, Mr. Ander-

,

sociation of Polytechnic Students believes that the only reward that can be given to Poly students after such a long strike, is to put an end to the dichotomy between the Higher National Diploma, HND and the Bachelors Degree.

The Senate President of the Association, Mr. Adeyemi Lukman said: “The students are the ones at a loss. What we are most concerned about is the disparity between the HND and B.Sc certificates. Even if the strike is called off, if nothing is done about the situation, it will not benefit us in anyway.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo made efforts to re-

Don advocates gender policies in varsities Continues from page 25 ticipation of women in decisionmaking at all levels.” The university don however admitted that the university education has recorded significant achievements for Nigerian women.

According to her “‘today, educated Nigerian women are making strides in various professions, including non-traditional female professions such as engineering, aviation indus-

try, extractive industry, architecture, computer science among others.

“More Nigerian women are also movig into board rooms, taking vital business decisions alongside their male counterparts because of their educational qualifications.

She added that “expectedly, this number will continue to increase with the high wave of women now yearning for university education.”

GRADUATION: The Osun State University penultimate weekend held its third convocation for the award of degrees, diplomas and certificates at its main campus in Osogbo. Above, one of the graduands, Miss Aderinsola Adekoya (middle) is here congratulated by her dad, Mr Adekunle Adekoya, General Editor of Vanguard, while her mum, Mrs Ayorinde Adekoya looks on. solve the situation, but it was short lived. We are calling on President Jonathan to do something about the situation as soon as possible. Last week, we held a protest in Kaduna where we threatened to storm the national conference if the government did not listen to our plea. That threat still holds if the situation is not resolved by Friday.”

Mass protests will bring solution —ERC Meanwhile, the Education Rights Campaign has called on all stakeholders in ASUP and COEASU to embark on weeks of mass protests to force the government’s hand. “No one can convince us that Nigeria is too poor to settle the grievance of COEASU and ASUP,” said Mr. Hassan Soweto, coordinator of the ERC. These prolonged strikes simply show the irresponsibility of our leaders who have no regard for the ordinary Nigerian.”

It would be recalled that ASUP embarked on a strike in April 2013, barely three months before the six-month strike by ASUU which was called off in December. ASUP suspended the strike in July 2013 as a result of Government’s promise to fulfill four of the 13 issues in the contentious 2009 agreement between both parties.

These four issues include release of the White paper on Visitation to Federal Polytechnics, the completion of the constitution of the governing councils for federal polytechnics, the migration of the lower cadre on CONTISS 15 salary scale, and the commencement of the Needs Assessment of Nigerian Polytechnics.

The union suspended the strike, and gave Government a one month time frame to resolve these issues. But it was not until ASUP resumed its strike in January that the Federal Government commenced Needs As-

sessment and completed the constitution of the governing councils for federal polytechnics. ASUP is now insisting that all 13 issues must be attended to before the polytechnic lecturers will go back to school.

COEASU on the other hand, is fighting for the first issue which is the non- implementation of Peculiar Academic Allowance to the tune of N5.6bn, migration of the lower cadre to the Compcass 15, imposition of integrated IPPIS, inadequate finding of the teaching practice, non- accreditation of NCE programmes, non-release of Whitepaper on Visitation Panel Reports 2011, non-implementation of CONPCASS in some states, non-institution of dual mode which allows colleges of education the autonomy to award degrees in core education courses to run concurrently with the NCE programmes among others.”

Unemployment: ‘Start business concept now'

BY CHRISTOPHER NJOKU

S

TUDENTS of LoralInter national School, Festac Town, Lagos, have been advised to imbibe the idea of business, even at their early age, to promote entrepreneurship in future. This was disclosed by Dr. Ramon Mukaila, the guest speaker at the recent Business and Technology week held at the school.

Ramon assured the students that they can stand on their own and make contributions to the society to better the country, irrespective of their field of study.

He advised them to emulate successful entrepreneurs in the country. He said, “the major problem of Nigeria today is

unemployment, and entrepreneurship is one of the strategies which the government plans to use in solving this problem. If you are technology conscious, then you have the opportunity to make more profit.

"Technology is what we need to better our standard of living.

While business is anything you do to make profit, you can enhance your business by the use of modern day technology, because today, businesses depend highly on technology, technology has come to enhance businesses.”

According to the Head of Business Department of the school, Mrs. Macaulay Oluranti, the two-day programme included debate, quiz compe-

tition, football match, carnival and exhibition of students’ ability in technology and business.

She explained that business and technology week is an extra-curricular event jointly organised by two departments in the school.

“This is an annual event, with an objective to exhibit and showcase the intellectual, innovative and commercial acumen of our students. At present, the communication and technology era is the only period that encompasses all fields of human endeavor, Students should know that whichever field they find themselves in, they are there to make profit, and not a loss especially if they are doing business,” she said.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 — 27

WASSCE:

Odubela cautions principals against imposition of penalties heads and parents to ensure that all students were allowed to write the final year examination under conducive environments. “Let me appeal to parents as a major stakeholder in the education industry to cooperate with the State Government towards ensuring the success of the exercise (examination). This they can do by ensuring they create time for their children to revise what they have been taught in the school and reduce the rate with which they send them on errand. A lot of resources have been committed to the conduct of the examination by the State Government”.

The Commissioner observed.

Schools visited by the Commissioner and his entourage, included the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Alhaji Ambali Ishola, were Kobape Community High School, Owode High School, Ositelu Memorial College, Ogere, Ogere Community High School, Akesan Community Grammar School, Iperu all in Obafemi Owode and Ikenne Local Government Areas of the State.

BY DAYO ADESULU

T

HE Ogun State Commis sioner for Education, Science and Technology, Barrister Segun Odubela has enjoined principals of public secondary schools in the State not to prevent any student from writing the on-going West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE) under any circumstances. In addition, they were admonished to ensure that their students get settled in the examination halls at least 30 minutes before the commencement of the exercise.

The Commissioner gave the admonition while monitoring the ongoing WASCE at Obafemi Owode and Ikenne Local Government Areas of the State.

Barrister Odubela who expressed dissatisfaction on sighting some students who were supposed to be in the examination hall outside the school compound for improper dressing directed the school principal to allow them to write their papers.

Furthermore, the Commissioner cautioned the school

NUC approves JABU Law programme

T

HE National Universi ties Commission, NUC, has given the first entrepreneurial university in Nigeria, Joseph Ayo Babalola University, its approval to run a College of Law. The NUC team, which visited the institution to ascertain its level of preparedness for the commencement of the programmes in Law, gave its mandate to the University via a mail sent to the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Sola Fajana.

Professor Sola Fajana said all hands have being on deck awaiting the approval of the

(a) Lexis

programme. He added that concerted efforts have been made to ensure that the University is constantly in line with the provisions laid down by the regulatory body.

The National Universities Commission, NUC, gave its approval for two programmes in the University, Law (LLB) and Public Administration (B.Sc.).

The regulatory body admonished the University Management to provide adequate human and material resources for the development and growth of the approved programmes.

Differences between British English (BrE) an American English (AmE)

BrE

AmE

mortuary

morgue

lift

elevator

petrol

gasoline

flat

apartment

car park

parking lot

drink driving

drunk driving

sport

sports

full stop

period

Students of Avi-Cenna participating in one of the relay races during the school's inter-house sports competition in Lagos.

NGO launches leadership summit for Nigerian, American students

A

NON-governmental or ganization, Legacy Empowerment and Aid Foundation, has launched a special global leadership summit for young Nigerian and American students to sharpen their innate abilities.

According to a statement by the Coordinator of Global Youth Leadership Summit, Dr. Remi Duyile, the event “is a foremost Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) leadership development programme designed to inspire young students specifically from Nigeria as well as the United States of America to sharpen their innate abilities through visit to fresh environments that are different from their place of origin, with the belief that such visits will structure their fertile minds.”

She said the 14-day (July 25 to August 8, 2014) intensive leadership programme will provide a safe and structured outof-classroom learning experience for the participants. The curriculum offers scholars confidence, independence, expertise and most importantly, global competitiveness for the next generation of young leaders.

“The participants from Ni-

geria will interact with US policy makers, universities, educationists, scientists, renowned entrepreneurs, community activists and historical sights that will impact positively on the thought processes of each participant. They will have top public figures with in-

spiring stories to share which will give them opportunity to strike mentoring relationships with these figures.”

Duyile said the programme is designed for young adults between ages 13 and 18 years, but exception could be granted for those outside the range.

Loral Idol: Nnaji Chinyere emerge winner

BY ESTHER ONYEGBULA

N

NAJI Chinyere has emerged winner of the second edition of Loral Idol musical contest, organised by the school’s management to discover and nurture raw musical talent. Thrilling audience and participants with her unique and scintillating voice while rendering Whitney Houston songs titled I will always love you and the Greatest love of all time, Miss Nnaji proved beyond doubt that she has a lot to offer when it comes to music.

Ezinne Uzuegbunam, Senior Principal Loral International School, said that taking after the popular Nigeria idol presently being aired; Loral idol is a platform that recognizes and cele-

brates music talents among students.

"We know that Nigerian youths are dynamic and music remains a good part of the culture of the youth, this is why Loral has a wide variety of tremendous cocurricular programmes for balanced development and identifying the brightest music talents among our students, who have inherent signing abilities and raw talents that need to be refined and nurtured," she added. The contestants were judged by their, diction, audibility, comportment on stage, pitch and rhythm management. Defeating several contestants to win the coveted prize, Nnaji Chinyere received a brand new tenor saxophone.

(b) Past Simple /Past Participles The following verbs have two acceptable forms of the past simple / past participle in both British and American English:

Verb

Past simple/ participle

Spell

spelt or spelled

Dream

dreamt or dreamed

Learn

learnt or learned

Burn

burnt or burned

Spill

split or spilled

Spell

spelt or spelled

Spoil

spoilt or spoiled

Note, however, that the irregular form (the first form of the two) is generally more common in British English and the regular form is more common to American English.

28 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10 , 2014

Rivers inducts Exam Ethics Marshals to boost examination conduct

BY DAYOADESULU

R

IVERS State Government (RSG) has Inaugurated its Exam Ethics Marshals in the State.

The Inauguration took place during the induction ceremony of the Marshals at the Alfred Diete Spiff Civic Centre in Port Harcourt.

The Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dame Alice Lawrence-Nemi during the induction ceremony said the State is committed to the promotion of best practices and integrity during the conduct of both internal and Cross section of Exams Marshals during their induction in Rivers State. external examinations. The Commissioner stated that the every external examination in the State is not only building schools trenchment of ethics, integrity State. but is also raising a new breed of and best practices’’. ‘’Change is ‘’Examination misconduct is future leaders in character and inevitable to the socio-economic one of the canker worms that have learning through the introduction development of any nation and eaten deep into the fabrics of the of ethics, integrity and best prac- that change can only come from Nigerian society. It cuts across all us. tices.

Today is a special day in the levels of our education system. history of Rivers State Ministry The Ministry has embarked on Best of Education as we induct an a crusade of curbing the menace. practices army of Exam Marshals that will First we shut down many mirapreach the good news of hones- cles centres in the State and also ‘’As a State that is very com- ty, Integrity and best practices to we insisted that right candidates mitted to the promotion of best all and sundry in the State’’, she should be registered for the West African Senior Secondary Certifpractices and integrity in the con- stated. duct of our examination, and in The Commissioner also said icate Examination WASSCE. line with our Mission Statement that the Ministry of Education Since then, the State has recordof providing qualitative and has introduced many avenues to ed great improvement in the resound education in the State, we curb the menace of examination sults of our students in external are now resolved to go even fur- malpractices in the State. Accord- examination especially in WAEC ther in stamping out the scourge ing to her, examination malprac- examination’’, she said.

She however charged the Marof examination misconduct in tice is one of the canker worms shals to live up to the expectaRivers State. that have eaten deep into the fabThe State Government is not rics of the Nigerian society. She tions of the oath they took, statonly building schools but we are stated that the State has clamped ing the Ministry will punish any also committed to raising a new down on many miracle centres Marshal that is guilty of examibreed of future leaders in char- and also has insisted on the reg- nation malpractice. acter and learning through en- istration of right candidates for

Kogi signs MoU with College of Agriculture, Kabba to develop Agriculture

By BOLUWAJI OBAHOPO

L

OKOJA - Kogi State Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, with the College of Agriculture, Kabba; an affiliParticipants at the Effective Human Resources Techate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; niques Course at Peacock College, UK towards its Agricultural Transformation Agenda.

The agreement which is a achieving its Agricultural ployable avenue to the counmanagement services agreeTransformation Agenda. try; but expressed that the ment on Agriculture TransforHe described Agriculture as State government is still resomation for young farmers and the flagship of the present ad- lute to create jobs for teaming building of their entrepre- ministration’s programme, as- youths of the State through it. neurial skills covers the areas suring that the governor, In his address, the Provost of production, training and Capt. Idris Wada is resolute in of the institution, Dr. other related matters. ensuring that the state become Oloniruha Akin, said the The Deputy Governor of the “the food basket” of the na- management service agreeState, Mr. Yomi Awoniyi who tion. ment will cover the areas of signed the MOU on behalf of He lamented the dearth of seedling production, training the State Government assured capable hands and competent the youths for self-reliance in that the State will leverage on professionals in the field of areas like poultry, piggery, the expertise and personnel Agriculture; a development he and catfish production. available at the College of Agdisclosed is affecting the agriculture Kabba, towards ricultural sector of been em-

General Murtala College gets Multichoice resource centres

M

ultiChoice, Nigeria’s leading provider of premium pay entertainment, has added 10 resource centres to its existing number, bringing the total to 29 states across the federation. The announcement was made during the commemorative commissioning ceremony of 10 new MultiChoice Resource Centres (MRC) in Yola, Adamawa State, held at General Murtala Mohammed College, Yola, on Thursday, April 3.

Beneficiaries of the audio-visual learning aid in Adamawa State are: Capital Government Day Secondary School, Government Girls Secondary School, General Murtala Mohammed College, Doubeli Government Day Secondary School, School for Arabic Islamic Studies, Government Boys Boarding Secondary School. Others are Government Day Secondary School and Government Day Secondary School, Government Science Technical College and Aliyu Musdafa College.

Caroline Oghuma, Public Relations Manager, DStv who represented the Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria, Mr John Ugbe at the ceremony, said: “The launch of MultiChoice Resource Centres in Yola is happening almost 10 years after the inaugural launch of the project in Abuja in 2004 to commemorate what was then MultiChoice’s 10th anniversary of the resource center in Nigeria. The resource centre initiative is our corporate social responsibility project that has grown from only four centres at inception to 294 schools in 29 states of the federation.”

Oghuma added that MultiChoice’s strong conviction that the technological, economic, social and political advancement of any country has a direct correlation with its level of educational development and that the future of a country is intrinsically linked to the quality of education that the youth are exposed to, is the belief that underpins the company’s roll-out of the audio-visual learning aids across the country.

She further said that MultiChoice plans to have the resource centres in all the states of the federation .

West Junior Network gives tips for academic excellence

By TARE YOUDEOWEI

A

T the recently conclud ed Learning with Celebrities Conference 2014, geared towards bridging the gap between celebrities and proteges, students of University of Lagos, Yaba College of Technology and Caleb Secondary School were instructed on achieving excellence, making productive choices, taking charge of their lives, using time wisely, hard work, to mention a few.

On excellence, Gbenga Ademujimi, Ambassador United Nations World Youth Council said; "We need to internalise the idea of excellence. Excellence is when a man or woman acts on themselves more than others do.

Excellence can only be appraised by the labour of a life time, it is not to be purchased at a lower price. Excellence always serves. On that note, the one time participant from Nigeria at the Common Wealth British Education Council, admonished the students to help their struggling colleagues with the quote "living is giving, giving is living.

Mrs Omotunde Adebowale Daniel, also known as Lolo 1 of Wazobia fm, spoke extensively on time usage and making choices. The law degree holder and broadcaster for 10 years shared the story of her rise to success. Some of you are really privileged, you just do

not know it. The things that some of you know now, I learnt after I left university. If I had prioritized right while I was in school, I probably would have been on radio for longer than I have now. That is where many of you are now, choose wisely as you are currently at the precipice of choice.

The mother of four who likes to share knowledge harped on the need for a skill or handwork to back educational qualifications. I make my daughter spend two weeks of her holiday learning how to make hair, my house help goes to catering school as she studies for her JAMB and WAEC because I don't want them to go through what I went through.

I missed it, I wish I had a skill or handwork. It is good because it is not solely about degrees these days, improve on your skills, talents and handworks. You are at the precipice of choice, this is the time to put your head in the right place because outside the school walls is not for children. Emphasizing the need for education, staying in school and graduating with good grades, Lolo 1 opined that everything has a season.

Referring to athletes and entertainers who developed injuries or are no longer in vogue; if they are educated, they can better plan their careers and retirement.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 — 29

RESEARCH

Researchers find key protein link in cancer growth

BY EBELE ORAKPO with Agency Reports

M

ALIGNANT neoplasia, popularly called cancer, is said to kill about 10,000 Nigerians yearly. Whether this is true or not is not the issue. The fact still remains that many die from various types of cancer annually but the good news is that succour is coming the way of sufferers through the work of some biophysicists at Rice University, USA-based Center for Theoretical Biological Physics (CTBP).

The researchers have uncovered a previously unknown binding interface between two key proteins involved in a cell’s decision to survive or die. Using computer analysis of experimental data, CTBP researchers discovered that the way B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and Nuclear Assembly Factor 1 Ribonucleoprotein (NAF-1) interact, is a major determinant in the cell processes of autophagy and ap-

the heart of the strongest binding domain, meaning that Bcl-2 interaction affects NAF-1 activity,” the report said.

“The ability to block a specific binding site or to enhance a desired interaction is critical to drug design,” said José Onuchic, professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University. The scientists believe that this discovery could lead to new medications. “The binding interface can be interrogated for medicinal purposes using medicines that bind either protein, as certain binding sites of the proteins can send a cell toward apoptosis or survival. Knowing which binding site causes what fate is critical for drug design,” he said, adding: “In our early work, we have shown the link between NEET proteins and cancer.

Now we can understand the molecular details of how these interactions are governed. It has been shown that NAF-1

,

The researchers have uncovered a previously unknown binding interface between two key proteins involved in a cell’s decision to survive or die

optosis (life and death).

As experts have discovered, cancer involves unregulated cell growth which means that cells divide and grow uncontrollably. They no longer obey the laws as it were. They just keep growing and forming malignant tumors , which most times, invade other parts of the body and eventually lead to death.

According to the report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Bcl-2 regulates cell death (apoptosis ), by either inducing (pro-apoptotic) it or inhibiting it (anti-apoptotic).

Any damage to the Bcl-2 gene has been identified as a cause of a number of cancers . NAF1 on the other hand, a member of the NEET family that binds toxic clusters of iron and sulfur, was shown to be a key player in regulating autophagy.

Cellular components Autophagy helps maintain a balance between manufacture of cellular components and break down of cellular constituents.

“NAF-1 binds to two regions of Bcl-2, and Bcl-2 binds to the NAF-1 groove between the beta cap and iron-sulfur cluster binding domains, which is C M Y K

,

is up-regulated in cancer cells, which leads us to believe that cancer may hijack control over the expression of this protein. This affects the cell’s system of checks and balances. Understanding NAF-1 gives us a better idea of how to approach treatment,” he said. The researchers found that NAF-1 binds to two specific regions of the protein Bcl-2 and that Bcl-2 binds to the NAF-1 groove formed between the beta cap and iron-sulfur cluster binding domains; the strongest coupling is at the cluster binding domain and some contacts of interest are at the top of the beta-cap domain.

Iron-sulfur cluster Since the iron-sulfur cluster is the functional entity involved in NAF-1 activity, these findings clearly indicate that Bcl-2 interaction with NAF-1 affects its activity, Onuchic said.

The researchers performed functional studies of cluster transfer and other full-length protein interactions with a spectrometer sensitive to hydrogen/deuterium exchange using a combination of experimental and theoretical methods. They combined their results with a computer-based

process created at CTBP called direct coupling analysis (DCA).

Said Patricia Jennings, colead author and professor of chemistry and biochemistry at

CTBP affiliate based at the University of California, San Diego: “Each of the three techniques not only confirmed the results of the other methods but also provided unique insights in their own right,” noting that the combined techniques are applicable to biomolecular interactions in general.

“DCA helps us efficiently filter through massive amounts of data and does not require high-resolution structural studies, although those are desirable,” she said. “Peptide array is powerful for localizing fragments that bind with high affinity, and hydrogen/ deuterium exchange studies allow us to monitor parts of the intact protein that are not seen in structural studies and are not amenable to DCA analysis. “Together, the techniques provide an exquisite synergy,” she said.

Other members of the team are Rachel Nechushtai, professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Assaf Friedler, a professor at the Hebrew University Institute of Chemistry; and Ron Mittler, a professor of biological sciences at the University of North Texas, Denton. The team had in a previous research identified NAF-1 as one of two prime suspects in the proliferation of breast cancer.

Exams Ethics Marshal International allays teachers’ fears on pension

BY DAYO ADESULU

F

OUNDING Chairman, Exam Ethics Marshal International, Mr Ike Onyechere, has stated that if all schools conform to the Pension Reform Act, it would enhance ethical practices in the education sector.

Speaking with journalists at the first Pension Fund Administration Summit for education ministries, agencies and institutions held at Airport Hotel, Lagos, Onyechere said, “This summit is very relevant to the education system because in our 18 years experience of promoting best practices in education, one of our findings is that people want to make hay while the sun shines, but do not feel secure, and engage in sharp practices.”

He pointed out that such problems are rampant in public and private schools which do not operate the pension scheme. According to him, if we can get schools and institutions to open Retirement Savings Account for their workers, fraud will stop.

Continuing, the Chairman added that it will provide an opportunity for aggrieved

workers of educational institutions to air their grievances on irregularities with their pension contributions.

The summit had in attendance representatives of the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Yaba College of Education, Yaba; Alvan Ikoku College of Education Owerri, Federal Inspectorate Service, Nigerain Army School of Medical Sciences, Nigerian Army School of Nursing and Midwifery, Yaba, to mentioned a few.

Imperative lessons Meanwhile, the Managing Director, Premium Pension Limited, Mr Wilson Ideva, while speaking on; Global Best Practices in Pension Fund Administration: Imperative Lessons of Past, Present and Future Challenges for Nigeria urged participants to seek advice in investing the lump sum they get on retirement, which runs into millions.

He discouraged them from engaging in what he described as white elephant projects. He said: “We have an obligation to advice you on what to do with

your money. Retirement money is not for white elephant projects or to gamble. It is not for projects with poor feasibility like buying jeeps or building mansions. It is for projects that can bring daily returns to support your needs in retirement.”

However, at questions and answers time, some of the participants complained about incomplete remittance of their monthly contributions and difficulties in changing Pension Funds Administrators. Some of the participants disclosed that there were gaps reflected in their contributions which according to them will on retirement reduce the final sum they would receive.

Nevertheless, Mr Muhammad Sanni Muhammad, who spoke on Understanding the Offences Penalties and Enforcement Procedure under the Pension Reform Act of 2004, assured the participants that they would not be cheated of their retirement benefits.

He maintained that the Pension Act provides for the protection of contributors from sharp practices and can check loss if well implemented.

30 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

Osun: Reclassification's not about building schools — Oyetundan OTUNBA Lai Oyetundan is the chairman Osun State Schools Infrastructure Development Committee. In this interview, he speaks on the controversy trailing the policy and the impact it has made so far. Excerpts:

BY DAPO AKINREFON

W

OULD you say the re classification programme has addressed the perceived ills in the education sector in Osun state?

The reclassification is one of the series of policy options adopted by the government to address perceived ills. There are so many aspects to the ills. To a group of people who needed quality education, what we had was non existent, the system had been left to rot and the result of course, reflected the rot. We were not getting satisfactory results.

Results from internal and external exams, indicated less than three percent pass rate. That cannot be acceptable and could not have been ignored by any responsible government. What to do therefore, depends on policy options adopted by the government to revamp the sector.

What we call reclassification is a matter of a way to address the

pupils report in the morning for their schooling.

What we have done with the reclassification is to reclassify the students into three broad age groups, which are the elementary group, middle school and the final year of secondary education.

That is the totality of reclassification. How does that age grouping affect anybody? It does not offend anybody because it has scientific background and rationale.

Do you really need reclassification to reform the sector?

Do we really need to do anything at all? Should we have left it the way it was and continue to do the maintenance approach that we said had not been yielding the same result? Don’t forget that reclassification is just one of several things we are doing but it underlines a broad scope of the measures we have taken.

The research and consultations left us with very little options than a very drastic approach to do what we are doing. We are

Oyetundan not just building schools. We first of all addressed the needs of the pupils, who have become disinterested in schooling.

They had become disillusioned and their moral had gone so far down that going to school was not just as important as we took it in our time. We had to motivate the students. Again, you must realize the environment which we are operating.

So, you cannot look at what we are doing in isolation but through a spectrum of a responsible government and a leadership that has demonstrated keen interest in the welfare of the man on the street. The children’s needs were addressed, we gave

them uniforms free of charge. We also fed them which cost the state government N2 billion annually.

These were actions taken.

In looking at what we are doing, it is a sectoral approach that is meant to remove those clips in the smoothness of the system. If the student is motivated and is prepared to learn, if the teacher is motivated and he or she is prepared to teach, what of the environment? The environment we had, was a scandal. When teachers leave school by 2 pm, the environment is taken over by the undesirables. It was totally unacceptable.

So we needed to do something about the environment too, so that all the ingredients and elements of the system will be addressed.

That is the rational behind it.

So far would you say the impact has been felt?

We must understand the depth of what has been happening and it does not just happen over night because the rot we are talking about did not just happen over night, it was a negative decline over time. What this government has done is to address the society and not just education.

Already, performance has gone up from less than five per cent to well over 45 percent in just two years of addressing the education sector but it is bound to improve further. The objective of what we are doing is to transform our school

system to conform with modern thinking and rank among the best in class and international best practices.

How far has the State government gone in dialoging with or convincing those opposed to this school reclassification programme?

Change is always accompanied with some elements of opposition even from those who will benefit from the change because of the latent fear of what change portends.

We recognise this and apart from those with vested interest, is there any rational for anybody to oppose the reclassification programme? Let us be fair to ourselves, there is really no opposition to reclassification.

The churches are not opposed to it, the mosques are not opposed to it, the teachers are not opposed to it and our people are not opposed to it.

But there are those who must have something to flog for their own selfish political reasons. We know they exist but I am more concerned about the larger society that has adopted it.

The change we are looking at is a systemic change, it does not stay in one place because we will continue to tinker with the system all the time. We have said that we want our system to conform with modern thinking.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 — 31

C M Y K

32 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

Vanguard, THURSD AY, APRIL 10, 2014 — 33 THURSDA YOUR LUCK TODAY

LEISURE

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139

GEMINI; Both your mood and element of luck are as friendly as you would want them to be. Thus success may come the harder way today. Protect your finances.

CANCER; Many will look up to you both for practical assistance and leadership direction thus, you must not ballup under pressure. Try to reason with your spouse.

LEO; Diplomacy may become very important today as development within your working arena calls for both maturity and cleverness. Be family minded today.

VIRGO; No matter how helpful friends were yesterday it is important you don’t dance to discordant tunes from any quarter today; gamble not with matters-of-the-heart.

LIBRA; Many people are under pressure today but, if you do away with sentiment and give priority attention to money making, your finances will be better for your efforts. Don’t allow misunderstanding within your family circle go out of hands.

By Richard Eromosele

W

HEN you come across someone whether on one on one basis or as a group, always take something away from such interaction. Deliberately provoke healthy discussions. And from

...

Meeting New People — 3 such discussion form your own idea of the person, the association, community, state or nation.

Having formed your own idea of such a per-

TERROR MUDA

son, community etc appreciate the circumstance surrounding your findings. This is how individuals grow.

Do not confine yourself to meeting only the

in “Never say goodbye”

people you knew. Strive everyday to meet new people. For new people can trigger new ideas in your heart.

Expand your world.

Meet new people. Generate new ideas. Get a better way of doing that thing today.

By Lanre Kehinde

SCORPIO; To be on the safer side it is imperative you respect the law and it’s enforcement agents. Some people are trying to deceive you for an obvious reason.

SAGITTARIUS; Early part of the day may bring you good opportunity but for you not to lose it you must exhibit maturity. Protect both your money and source of income.

CAPRICORN; Others will step on your nerves yet it not the best for you to over-react today. It is good to prove reliable but your secrets must remain intact.

AQUARIUS; This may not be the best of days as there will be a few challenges within your working arena. If you rely on luck today, you would be disappointed.

PISCES; You will need to watch what you tell others, especially those friends you don’t know too well. Be more loving but refuse to gamble with love

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Pretty Lunatic’

By Andy Akman

ARIES; If care is not taken what you have gained yesterday may be lost due to your care-free attitude within your base of operation. Avoid deceit today.

TAURUS; You would fare better if you prepare your mind for possible confrontation from unexpected quarters. Don’t promise more than you can actually deliver.

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING Send yyour our dat th ttoo the As tr ological datee and place of bir birth Astr trological Counselling, PP.M.B .M.B 1100 00 7, Apapa, Lagos 007,

Who do you think I am?

Dear Joshua, I have been following your write-ups for a long time you can not believe and to be sincere you are good. Now I wan you to analyse my star and tell me my horoscopic personality. More in to your pen.

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

Dayo, Jos.

Dear Dayo, What you will find here under will prove useful if you take them seriously and utilise them ANALYSIS OF YOUR HOROSCOPE DATA/PLANETARY PLACEMENT Spiritual Neptune as the only Planet at home when you were born pointed to you as a person with great deal of spiritual energy you can tap at will, especially if you are conscious of it’s presence in your inner-self. But then, with majority of (five) planets placed in the Cardinal Zodiacal constellations you are equally an ambitious person who will desire worldly honour and prominence, and luckily for you, you were endowed with abilities to achieve your ambition.

Prominence of Mutable quality and Air Element in this chart are indications of a person with higher pitch of intelligence who can adapt to so many situations without being stressed unnecessarily. And GREAT LEADERSHIP QUALITY is present here. Although you are a Lady, with nothingless than SEVENTY PERCENT of PUSH-FULL INFLUENCE in your Horoscope you can unexpectedly become aggressive, especially when issue of freedom is to the fore. Beside 70% of PUSH-FULL INFLUENCE in you, mighty Sun (an indicator of your inner-self) with Uranus (a great freedom lover) conjoined in SAGITTARIUS ( another freedom loving Star Sign) all these are pointers to greater love of freedom in your deeper-inner-self. And whoever is trying to curtail such unnecessarily may unexpectedly court trouble, because you will resist such.

With your natal Sun (your conscious self) and Moon/Stellium (your emotional state/ sub-conscious self) placed in Sagittarius and Libra respectively, you are mainly a Sagittarian and partly Libran and that is to say basic characteristics of the two Star signs are highly pronounced in your inner-self.

HOME & ABROAD

By Lawrence Akapa

34—Vanguard, THURSDAY,

APRIL 10, 2014

PenCom steps up efforts at easing pains of pensioners

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

T

HE NationalPen sion Commis sion, PenCom, has begun a nationwide interactive meeting with participating retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, to get feedback on their pension issues in retirement with a view to seeking ways of making life more comfortable for them.

Acting Director-General of the commission, Mrs. Chinelo AnohuAmazu, who spoke at

zBegins interactive meetings with retirees nationwide the Retirees’ Forum in Lagos, declared that retirees’ benefits were remitted seamlessly on due dates to individuals’ bank accounts without any hassles.

The forum which began in Lagos will later move to other parts of the country.

She recalled that one of the salient objectives of the Pension Reform Act, PRA, 2004 was that every person who worked in either the public or private

sectors of the federation as well as the Federal Capital Territory received his/ her retirement benefits as and when due.

According to her, “Section 15 of the PRA 2004 empowers the Commission to regulate, supervise and ensure effective administration of pension matters. In line with its mandate, the Commission has sought to establish a uniform set of rules, regulations and standards for the administration and

payments of retirement benefits to retirees. Pursuant to this obligation, the Commission prepared and released the regulation on the administration of retirement and terminal benefits which served as the basis for RSA holders to commence retirement under the CPS in July 2007. It is noteworthy that contributors have continued to retire seamlessly such that as at the end of February, 2014, 84,097 retirees are receiving their

monthly pensions by programmed withdrawal through their various Pension Fund Administrators, PFAs. “Similarly, the Commission collaborated with the National Insurance Commission, NAICOM, to issue the Regulation on Annuity in 2010, thus allowing RSA holders to retire by annuity through the purchase of annuity contracts from Life Insurance Companies. Presently, there are 8,479 retirees

who are receiving monthly pensions through annuity. Therefore, there is a clear imperative for the Commission to facilitate adequate sensitization and public enlightenment in order to create awareness on these regulations which also encapsulate the retirees’ rights and privileges.

Mrs Anohu-Amazu explained that “this forum is to serve as a platform for the Commission to engage all existing retirees under the CPS in order to get feedback on their pension issues in retirement with a view to seeking ways of making life more comfortable for them within the ambit of the law. In line with its consultative supervisory approach, the Commission engages relevant stakeholders for input into its regulations and guidelines. It is our hope that your feedback and suggestions would guide us in identifying areas of possible changes and improvements to our regulations. We also expect you to utilize the opportunity provided by this for clarifications on any grey areas directly from the Commission. In addition, the forum will afford various retirees in the zone a common platform on retirement benefit issues.

“You would, without doubt, agree that the Contributory Pension Scheme has eliminated one of the major challenges associated with the old Defined Benefit, Pay-As-You-Go scheme, in the area of irregular payment of monthly pension benefits.

“It is indeed gratifying that as opposed to uncertainties encountered in receiving monthly pensions, today these benefits are remitted seamlessly on due dates to individual retirees’ bank accounts without any unnecessary hassles. Notwithstanding, the Commission remains committed to institute further Measures aimed at improving the retirement benefit administration processes to enhance the comfort of our senior citizens who have given much to the collective progress of our dear nation. We are therefore, looking forward to fruitful deliberations at this Forum. We would be glad to share in your experiences on retirement benefit payments processes.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014—35

36—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

Confab: There is reason for hope — Orbih CHIEF Fred Orbih (SAN), in this interview, calls for the adoption of a parliamentary system of government and part-time for legislators. He also says that those in authority should learn quickly from the recent deaths at the Nigeria Immigration Service recruitment exercise, saying that Boko-Haram will be a child’s place if the timebomb arising from youth unemployment explodes.

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

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IS expectations from the on-going National Conference There is reason to hope for the best. I am not a pessimist by nature. Besides, one has to take a look at the structure that has been put in place for this conference.

What was expected to be very challenging just came out very smoothly and when the government came out with the formula of how delegates would emerge, I was a little bit skeptical because I guessed that there will be lots of argument, rancour, bitterness, indecision and controversies but that was the smoothest part of the exercise and that actually took many people by surprise because one was thinking that since the delegates were not going to emerge by election there would be problem.

Now that the hurdle has been

scaled, the conference has been inaugurated and it is on.

We also have to look at the caliber of persons, we all know Hon. Justice Kutigi, former Chief Justice of Nigeria, he is a man of impeccable integrity and in fact, I will describe him as integrity personified.

His level of self discipline is also very high and when he was on the Bench, when he presides, you don’t need to be told who is in control. So, there is reason to hope and when you are hoping, you hope for the best.

On discordant tunes between the North and the South over the issue of resource control If these issues between the North and the South; between Christians and Muslims or between the different ethnic nationalities that make up Nigeria were not there, then, there would have been no need for the conference.

That is why the conference was convoked and all these

•Orbih: We are far from true federalism issues would be discussed and decisions will be taken. At the end of the day, you are going to find out that if maturity prevails, it will be give and take.

I don’t see the North getting all that it wants and I don’t see

the South getting all that it intends to get from the conference. At the end of the day, what is important is what is good for Nigeria in order to move forward.

On issues he wants the conference to look into

Akpabio’s Town Hall meetings and participatory democracy

BY ANIEKAN UMANAH

T

O underscore his belief in the ideals of participatory democracy, Governor Godswill Akpabio on Wednesday March 3, 2014, commenced a tour of the 10 federal constituencies in Akwa Ibom State. For the Governor, there can be no better way to espouse participatory democracy other than creating platforms for hearty interactions through town hall meetings.

Specifically, the town hall meetings provide platforms for the people not just to listen to the Governor and members of his cabinet on the progress so far made by the administration in making life better for the people.

Also, it is a rear opportunity for the people to give their candid assessment of the programmes and policies of government and offer suggestions on how to achieve better results in the last lap of the administration.

Holding at a time when many out-going governors who are currently serving their second term of office are bugged by the lame duck syndrome, showing little concern for the future of their people, Governor Akpabio’s

federal constituency briefings and town hall meetings came with a basket full of goodies for the people.

With over 500 people-oriented projects in the rural areas slated for commissioning in the course of the federal constituency tour, Akwa Ibom people are yet to see the best of the Akpabio administration. Executed under the Inter-ministerial Direct Labour Coordinating Committee for 2013 fiscal year, the multibillion naira projects, which include classroom blocks, health centres, water and electrification further demonstrate the untiring efforts of Chief Akpabio at improving the socio-economic wellbeing of the people.

Given the testimonies and accolades from the town hall meetings, it is evident that Governor Akpabio has earned greater confidence and support from the people. In all the constituencies, the people were unanimous in their verdicts: for subjecting himself to open and uncensored interactions with the people, Akpabio is a model in participatory democracy.

Therefore, opinion leaders have generously poured encomiums

•Akpabio on a man whose uncommon commitments to good governance has re-written their socio-economic stories.

It is worthy to note that so far, the people of Akwa Ibom have expressed delight at the uncommon approach employed by the administration to brief the people on the progress made by government. Much more, they have opportunity to contribute to the process of governance. It has been mutually benefiting because the people are talking and their governor is listening.

As such, he has assured that at the end of the town hall meetings in the 10 constituencies, the will of the people shall prevail, even in the political space.

Speaking in Eket, where he commenced the town hall meetings, Governor Akpabio explained that “town hall meeting is part of democratic tradition, where elders come together to discuss with the government on issues.

He emphasised that the town hall meeting was to pave way for interaction between the people and the State government to know the way forward by creating harmony and access to the vision of the government, for the people to table issues or ideas they want the government to consider.

Dressed in resplendent attires and uniforms, the people, at various project commissioning points, danced and sang to express appreciation to God for giving Chief Godswill Akpabio to Akwa Ibom. For the people of Eket Federal Constituency, comprising Eket, Esit-Eket, ONNA and Ibeno local government areas, the commencement of work on the Eket-Ibeno dual carriageway is

They are so many. When you put a square peg in a round hole or you put a round peg in a square hole, you are bound to have problems. We say we are practicing federalism and we are not prepared to keep to the tenets of what is known as federalism. Those are the things that need to be looked into. For instance, can we continue with the present security structure of the country? As far as the Police are concerned, has it worked?

Some people are advocating that we should have State Police or even Community Police, Local government Police and I believe that at the end of the day, we have to fashion out what is good for the country.

Another issue is fiscal federalism. Some are saying we should have it as we had in the First Republic where we had 50 per cent derivation to the area producing the revenue. Others are saying, no, 50 per cent is too much, that it should be 25 per cent. This issue should be looked into.

Then, the structure of governance itself, are we going to continue with this overly expensive Presidential system of government or are we going back to the Parliamentary system of government? We have to look at the advantages and disadvantages of each Continues on page 37

a major intervention that deserves to be applauded. Added to almost 200 rural projects in the four local government areas, the people have more than enough reasons to shout for joy. But much more, one of their own, Barrister Bassey Dan Abia was recently appointed Managing Director of the NDDC, by President Goodluck Jonathan, on the recommendation of Governor Akpabio. Mr. President would soon be in the constituency to commission the Gas Processing Plant in Esit-Eket, with a 65km gas pipeline from the plant to Uyo, the state capital.

In view of these, a former Minister of Lands & Housing and one time member of the House of Representatives, Chief Ndueso Essien, minced no word in saying that the Akpabio government has done a lot for Eket Federal constituency.

Essien was not alone in acknowledging the benevolence of the administration, as speaker after speaker, including traditional rulers, women and youth leaders, commended his sense of fairness and justice. * Aniekan Umanah is the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information & Communications

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 —37

We’re not in Abuja to break up Nigeria — Nwosu-Iheme

Dearth of toilet tissue paper hits conference

•Igbo marginalisation must be addressed

D

CHIEF Uzoma Nwosu-Iheme, a delegate representing Imo State in the ongoing National Conference in this interview, expresses optimism that the confab would pull Nigeria out of the doldrums. He also spoke on other issues.

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

D

O you think the confab holds the magic wand to pull the country out of the doldrums?

When President Goodluck Jonathan muted the idea of the national conference in his October 1, 2013 address to the nation, not a few country men and women were skeptical about it. The widespread skepticism and apathy stemmed from previous exercises that came to naught.

I think the circumstances of the present conference and the ones before it are quite different.

The level of consciousness of Nigerians is very high today and the credit goes to democracy. I am quite convinced we have reached the height where no one will find it easy to take us for a ride. Furthermore, I see President Jonathan being sincere with the current national conference.

Colossal implications I do not visualize him trivializing with the outcome. If he does, this might have colossal implications for him and for the future of our dear country. I sincerely think he is committed to the dream of building a better nation on the fertile grounds of the conference. Against this background, I personally have a feeling that the current national conference will help in moving this country forward.

Does it mean we are less populated, less educated or more developed than the other zones with more states?

Someone needs to convince us with strong reasons why we deserve the least number of states. Is this not sheer marginalization on display? Do we deserve to be treated as secondclass citizens in a country where we played front line role to liberate from the shackles of colonialism?

This is grossly unacceptable.

•Iheme: Nigerians can no longer The only reason I can be taken for a ride make out for this is that we are still being The Southeast geo-political punished for the civil war that zone has the least number of they said produced “no victor and states and local government no vanquished.” We do not need areas, hence, it attracts the least anyone to remind us that we are from the federation account. the vanquished and are being Do you see the conference subjected to marginalization on addressing this? this ground. But we are no longer When I addressed the confab ready to stomach this in my maiden speech, I intimidation. We are demanding categorically stated that my for equity, justice and fair mandate at the conference is to treatment in the country where raise the issue concerning the we are major stakeholders. structure of the country. I pointed We must have at least one more out clearly that I have not come state. Again, look at the arbitrary to the conference to discuss and unjustifiable manner the foreign policy or pursue military created local government mundane issues. As a areas when they called the shots representative from the South- in this country. We shall seek to East, I am embittered that the correct these structural zone is considered good to have imbalances and anomalies only five states when some zones during this conference. have seven.

On whether the conference

would address the problems of poverty, unemployment, insecurity and corruption confronting the nation today From the robust and impressive GDP rolled out recently which gives the country away as parading the strongest economy in Africa, we might think all is well. However, there are several teething problems confronting our nation and these are traceable to the present structure we are operating.

Ironically, many people ascribe our untoward situations and challenges to poor governance.

I am vehemently opposed to such views, as I have consistently regarded the structure of our country as the very source of our innumerable collective challenges. For me, once we are able to address the problem of the structure of our country, all other ills pervading the system will cease to exist.

Sincerely speaking, there is nothing that holds the key to unlock the fortunes of our great country other than the restructuring of the current system of federalism we have in place.

What do you think is the best way to maximize the eventual benefits of this confab?

I have earlier said that there will certainly be a difference between this conference and the ones before it. One thing is very clear. The convener, President Goodluck Jonathan appears to be very serious and committed to its success.

There is reason for hope — Orbih Continued from page 36 system and luckily, we have practiced both, so, if we have a sense of history, we should be able state which is better for the country.

We also have to look at whether we need a unicameral or bicameral legislature; do we need two chambers in the National Assembly for instance with all the attendant extravagance and high cost of maintaining legislators?

Do we need full time or parttime legislators? If it is parttime legislators, you will not be paying all these stupendous allowances they receive in the National Assembly; give them sitting allowances as they received in the First Republic and if you do that, anybody

who does not have viable means of livelihood will not vie for political position.

Then, you look at the structure of the federation itself. Do we go back to the Regions, either four regions or six regions as we have in the present six geo-political zones or for the sake of equity, eight regions whereby the Mid-West that was a region as far back as 1963 will now take its pride of place again?

Are going to do away with the 36 States structure so that it will be cheaper to run government and you have money for development of the country? Do we continue with dual citizenship or this perennial problem of indigenes and settlers?

If a man has lived in a state say for 10 or 20 years, paying all his taxes there and contributing to the economic development of that state, why should he not have a full status of a citizen of that state?

Particular location Or do we as Nkrumah did in Ghana do away with state of origin in all government forms and application forms so that all you need to prove is that you are a Nigerian and you will be entitled to full rights and benefits of any Nigerian in that particular location? These are issues that the conference has to examine.

What lessons do you think

that Nigeria should learn from the recent death of about 16 young people at the NIS recruitment exercise?

There are many lessons to be learnt, but my first take on this is that it is unfortunate. We are going through the process of people dying unnecessarily to learn this lesson.

May we truly learn this lesson so that this type of thing will never recur in Nigeria. From what happened, it is clear that this country is sitting on a time bomb on the issue of youth unemployment and there is urgent need, on the part of the government, to arrest that situation because if that bomb is allowed to detonate, Boko Haram insurgency will be a child’s place.

BY LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU

ELEGATES at the on going national conference in Abuja can’t stop being funny.

From complaints of inadequate food supply to recognition of titles and honors as prefaces to their names in the official minutes and records, the complaints took another dimension yesterday with a former Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Mrs. Virgy Etiaba leading the complaints of lack of tissue papers in the toilets. Hardly had the opening formalities begun than Etiaba raised an observation call.

Granted, she told the conference that there were no tissue papers in the rest rooms.

“I have observed that there are no tissue papers in the toilets. I observed that yesterday. It is not enough to tell the world how much that is being expended on us,” she said. Responding, the chairman of the conference, Justice Idris Kutigi apologized and promised to perfect the situation. He said: “Honestly, I am very sorry to hear this from delegates. Before, I do anything, I must apologize.

Definitely, we shall take steps to make sure that we improve.

Please, we feel very sorry indeed.”

Professor Eddy Erhagbe, an Edo State delegate, who was embarrassed by the complaints before television cameras, pleaded that such complaints should be subtly made behind the scene. He recommended an executive session to enable delegates ventilate their feelings on issues that bother them.

No medical facilities Similarly, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, a delegate from Kano called the attention of the conference to lack of medical facility for delegates, hinting that the clinic in the venue which belongs to the National Judicial Institute (NJI) does not attend to the delegates.

“I know as at today there is no functional clinic for delegates. In the event of medical emergence, there is no clinic,” he said. The complaint, however, got the attention of Justice Kutigi, who said, “If anybody needs any medical attention, they will help us. We sat down with the SGF and we agreed that the staff clinic should cooperate.

Payment slips On hiccups trailing issuance of payment slips to delegates, Kutigi promised that every anomaly would be corrected to enable delegates have slip for every payment made into their accounts.

38 — VANGUARD, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

National Confab: A waste of time, resources —Daudu, SAN divide and rule to achieve their wealth pursuit at the expense of the people.

The existence of this kind of conference is a manifestation of the parasitic existence our leaders have always craved for and relished. Consequently, our problems are well known and the solution achievable without the convoking of a conference. Indeed, conferences of this nature and in the circumstances Nigeria finds itself are usually an avenue to entrench those ills that have plagued the nation.

This is because all those in attendance have benefitted from the skewed system as it is and they are very unlikely to commit class suicide and advocate a real change to the system. What Nigeria needs is a nation that is run according to the due process of law, i.e. the rule of law. Our leaders must recognise that they are the problems of this great nation and until we start punishing transgressors and corrupt personalities, no matter how highly placed we cannot make any progress. The problems are therefore, not with (a) principles of revenue allocation, zoning and allocation of political positions, federal character, adoption or non adoption of state religion, among others, the problem is simple but deadly. It is corruption.

BY INNOCENT ANABA

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R Joseph Daudu, SAN is a former President of the Nigeria Bar Association. He is known for baring his mind on an issue, no matter whose ox is gored. In this interview, he spoke extensively on the on-going national conference, the crisis in the Rivers State Judiciary over the appointment of a Chief Judge for the state and other issues.

Excerpt: What is your view on the on-going national conference?

The on- going conference is in my view and with respect to its organisers and attendees a farce, it will end up as an appalling fiasco. The conference was conceptualized initially as a Sovereign Conference then as a National Conference and finally as just ‘Conference’. These terminologies have different constitutional and political connotations. With the coming into effect of the 1999 Constitution, all political, legislative and judicial authority took its root from that hallowed document. Some may have argued that the constitution was not sufficiently autochthonous and that it told a lie against itself referring to the preamble which declared that the constitution was bequeathed to the nation by the People, when it was bequeathed by the military, yet the same critics took benefit from the constitution in the guise of high political offices, etc.

Thus it is my humble view that any political change must come at this point of time from or within the framework of the said constitution. It borders on treason and political adventurism to seek political change outside the 4 walls of the 1999 constitution. However, the constitution provides for freedom of expression and association, so it is permissible for people to come together and review or chart a way forward for the nation.

Joseph Daudu, SAN ment the supposed proposals of this talk shop? The answers to these questions are obvious. No one will account or implement. This is indeed constitutional irresponsibility and that is why the National Assembly is carrying on unperturbed with its own process of constitutional amendment. The scenario can be likened to squabbles by the wives of a rich permissive polygamist.

,

S

o any group of people can meet to discuss the direction of the nation or even discuss our problems. But the real question is what is the business of government in organising a constitutional conference which people expect will lead to a positive change for the nation?

Is it part of its remit under the constitution it has sworn to uphold to propose change outside the ambit or contemplation of the constitution? Is the conference anticipated by the current or proposed Appropriation Acts? Where is the money for the conference coming from? And who will account to the nation at the end of the day or imple-

conference now eclipsing the shortsighted objectives of government; the latter may well have begun to regret ever dabbling into this venture. In my humble view the conference is unnecessary and it is a colossal waste of precious time and resources.

Do you think the conference will address the fundamental issues confronting the country?

Our leaders must recognise that they are the problems of this great nation and until we start punishing transgressors and corrupt personalities, no matter how highly placed we cannot make any progress

The truth is that government and governance is seen by a majority of Nigerians as a wayward cash cow to be milked mercilessly for the benefit of a few so-called political gladiators and their chosen acolytes. That is how this conference is envisioned. Government was initially opposed to the idea, but as it has not performed as projected or expected, a school of thought is of the view that it wishes to place the conference as part of its achievements.

Finally, with the squabbles within the

Attempted Jailbreak at DSS Office: The truth needs be told — P.48

,

The question is what are these fundamental issues bedevilling Nigeria? Traditionally, they are thought to be tribalism (i.e. ethnicity) corruption and indiscipline. Since independence the nation has generally produced corrupt leaders, who hid under the cover of ethnicity and sectarianism to promote their private agenda of wealth accumulation propelled by greed and indiscipline. Thus, in order to advance their unfortunate agenda, our leaders use the cloak and dagger tactics of

F

ight it and you would have removed from our system the cankerworm eating the fabric of this nation. Understandably, over 90 percent of our leaders do not want a real fight against corruption. Inevitably, they will be fighting themselves. In answer to the question, the conference is a waste of time. We have already elected people into political and legislative offices to do the same work the delegates to this conference have been called upon to do. It is an unwarranted abdication of constitutional responsibility by the government in power. The question to ask is if Nigeria were a country without resources, will we be engaging in the unwarranted luxury of this jamboree?

We would not and as our leaders have no sense of duty and accountability, they can do as the like with tax payers’ money. Once again, the conference is still born and will end as a colossal failure.

How do you suggest the outcome/ recommendations of the confab be treated?

There is no lawful way for the recommendations of the conference to be implemented. Some people say that they might resort to a referendum while some say that it will be sent to the National Assembly for implementation

Continues on Page 46

Governors can’t appoint, remove CJ without NJC recommendation — Supreme Court— P.47

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

— 39

National Confab: A waste of time, resources as part of the constitution amendment process.

Either way, it will still amount to a waste of time and energy. Indeed, in order to understand this dilemma or conundrum, let us pose a practical problem which even the elected legislators have shied away from dealing with. Nigeria is a country just about the size of Texas in the United States of America; the latter is one of the 50 States in the USA. It has only one executive and legislature i.e. one Governor, a bicameral legislative house, a few Commissioners called Secretaries and a judicature. Nigeria on the other hand has a Federal Government headed by the President, a battery of ministers, heads of parastatals, a federal capital territory and all its governmental apparatus.

T

he centre also has the National Assembly consisting 96 senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives and an unwieldy judiciary. The 36 States have their governors, each with its host of Commissioners, there are 36 state legislations, speakers, 36 Chief Judges and other paraphernalia of government. There are also 449 local government councils each with its expensive bureaucracy. The cost of governance alone prevents government from engaging in befitting infrastructural development projects. However, sentiment picked up from the conference is that some people may be advocating for more states and by extension an increase in the recurrent

EDITORIAL TEAM Innocent Anaba ( Head) Wahab Abdulah Ikechukwu Nnochiri

be telling us. What government should be doing is to solve the problem. With the level of resources at its disposal it is unacceptable that government should just throw up its hand in dejection and despair mouthing what every Nigerian already knows.

We voted the government in power to provide peace, order and good government for Nigerians and in Nigeria. Their failure to do so and their defence of internal sabotage are unacceptable f course the amount and it shows that they itself is outrageous failed to address the problem holistically. The and shows a total lack of preparation on the part of problem can be effectively government in the organi- resolved by concerted government action using sation of conference. By the template of both paying a flat rate, the peaceful and strong arm delegate from the FCT and the ones from Borno, tactics.

You have maintained Adamawa, Lagos and Port that corruption on the Harcourt are each paid bench needed to be the same amount as it is seriously addressed. But assumed albeit erronewe have cases where ously that their expenses forcefully retired or and inconveniences are sacked judges have the same. This decision blamed their plight on on its own represent all their alleged refusal to that is wrong with Nido the bidding of some geria. This has encapsuinfluential persons, be lated our laziness, assumption that we are rich, they former judicial corruption and unfairness. officers or politicians or both. What does this Finally, coming at a time portend for the judiciary that the incumbent head of the federal executive is when most often, such allegations are never possibly seeking reinvestigated? election and noting that Any interference with the said conference has judicial officers, particuaggregated serious larly with their ability to political influence peddeliver justice timeously dlers, some may rightly and in a free and fair conclude that it is part of manner is a breach of the the re-election strategy.

How can we effectively independence of the resolve the Boko-Haram judiciary and of the rule of issue, with accusation by law. The truth is that the judiciary is a part of the the Presidency that the Nigerian superstructure, insurgency is being which is visibly riddled sponsored? with corruption. It i.e.

Of course, even a judiciary cannot therefore, toddler knows that such an enterprise can only be claim that it is insulated from the corruption that sponsored by agents of pervades the larger enemies of Nigeria society or that only a few whether local or international or both. That is not of its members are in what government should Continues on page 48 confidence in the exercise. It is also evidence that there is no party consensus on the matter of the cational conference.

The whole exercise is dead on arrival.

What is your reaction to the N4million paid each delegate to the confab, following complaints by some Nigerians that the sum is outrageous?

No one knows the rationale for paying each delegate the whopping sum of N4 million even by Abuja standards.

Continued from page 45

The National Conference in session expenditure of the cost of governance. In reality, the sensible thing to do in the circumstances is to contract the states into eight manageable and economically viable regions. The vehicle for development should then be the Local Government Councils. Now back to the question, can conference take such an earth shaking decision as described above and cause it to be implemented. The answer is No. This example should answer your question.

Do subscribe to it being subjected to referendum or given to the National Assembly?

The answer in view of the foregoing will be neither here nor there.

There is so much distrust about the whole process that it does not really matter which process or procedure the powers that be would wish to adopt as it relates to implementation. The truth is that the attention of the political gladiators is now firmly focussed on the 2015 general elections and there will hardly be time to consider let alone implement the recommendations of the conference.

Indeed, the National Assembly has sent out its own clear signals that it is proceeding with the ongoing amendment to the constitution, which will also not work in view of the clear divide in the political landscape. The present conference is neither backed up nor supported by any legislation, therefore, there is no carefully articulated procedure for implementation. The previous exercises on the other hand i.e. the Lancaster House Conference in London of 1957 and 1958 (where meetings where

the Federal Constitution for an independent Nigeria was prepared) the 1977 and 1988 Constituent Assemblies and the 1999 Constitutional Conference were all constitutional talk-shops hinged on resolving all the problems caused by Nigeria’s diversity and our inability to be fair and dispassionate in dealings with one another. These conferences to the credit of their organisers had carefully articulated and legally defined implementation procedure.

operates within the strict confines of the rules of good governance and the rule of law, it if punishes kleptocrats and looters of the treasury, if it implements even 50 percent of the rolling development plan then there will be no need for Conferences such as this.

With the on-going confab, is the National Assembly right to still go ahead with the proposed constitutional amendment?

Though the confab has no value whatsoever, it ought to, at least be a onsequently, even if product of political party we find a formula policy and consensus. and write it down on how The Peoples Democratic to live peacefully together Party, PDP, is in power at as a multi-ethnic and the centre and in most of religious society, can we the 36 states. It has the ensure proper implemen- leadership of both houses tation? Thus the problem in the National Assembly. has never been the Even if there is no constiabsence of laws and tutional framework for the checks/balances to keep so called CONFAB and it us focussed; the problem is being run on the basis has always been in our of our collective constitupenchant to cut corners, to tional right of freedom of fail to be bound by expression; there ought to existing rules of the be party unity on the game. These tools cannot matter. The desire of the be written down or National Assembly to implemented without self- proceed with constitudiscipline and the collectional amendment is a tive resolve to be fair and clear attempt to pre-empt incorruptible, especially the outcome of the conferamong our leaders. If the ence and it amounts to a current administration legislative vote of no-

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40 — VANGUARD, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

Governors can’t appoint, remove CJ without NJC recommendation — Supreme Court AAT THE SUPREME COURT OF NIGERIA 1. HON.JUSTICE RALIAT ELELU-HABEEB (CHIEF JUDGE OF KWARA STATE) 2. NATIONAL JUDICIAL COUNCIL VS 1. THE HON. ATTORNEY-GENERAL OF THE FEDERATION 2. THE HON. ATTORNEY-GENERAL OF KWARA STATE 3. THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY OF KWARA STATE (PANEL OF JUSTICES) MAHMUD MOHAMMED JSC (PRESIDED AND READ THE LEAD JUDGMENT) WALTER SAMUELNKANU ONNOGHEN JSC CHRISTOPHER MIT CHELL CHUKWUMA-ENEH JSC

Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar

MUHAMMAD SAIFULLAH MUNTAKA-COOMASSIE JSC OLUFUNLOLA OYELOLA ADEKEYE JSC MARY UKAEGO PETER-ODILI JSC OLUKAYODEARIWOOLA JSC violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, in so far as it relates to, connected with the plaintiff in exercise of her functions in the office of the Chief Judge of Kwara State and therefore null and void.

3. an order setting aside, nullifying and putting away the decision of the 3rd and 4th defendants (Kwara State House of Assembly contained in the 3rd defendant’s letter dated 4 May 2009 and any other steps taken thereon in so far as it relates to the office of the plaintiff, as the Chief Judge of Kwara State, the same being inconsistent with sections 153.197.271(2; of the 3rd Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.

4. An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants particularly the 2nd defendant and the Government of Kwara State by themselves, through their officers, privies or any other persons deriving power, command, authority, instruction or directives from any of the defendants from acting or relying on. or continuing to rely on. etc. implement, give effect to or do anything to the prejudice of the plaintiff based on the decision contained in the letter dated 4 May 2009 in so far as the decision is related to the office of the plaintiff as the Chief Judge of Kwara State.

5. An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from acting on the decision arising from and connected with the 3rd defendant’s letter dated 4 May 2009 and from taking any action, act, decision,

conclusion, directive, command and such other deeds geared towards the

implement, or finally putting into effect, the conclusions and decision of

,

MOHAMMED JSC (Delivering the Lead judgment on February 17, 2012): The action that gave rise to the present appeal number SC.281/2010 was brought by originating summons filed on 6 May 2009 at the Federal High Court, Ilorin by Honourable Justice Raliat EleluHabeeb. as me plaintiff against the National Judicial Council, the Hon. Attorney-General of the Federation, the Honourable Attorney-General of Kwara State and the House of Assembly of Kwara State as defendants. The originating summons submitted two questions for determination followed by a request of 5 distinct reliefs from the trial court. The questions for determination are: 1. “Whether by the combined interpretation of section 153( 1 )(I) Paragraph 21 (a) of the 3rd Schedule and section 271 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1 999. The 3rd defendant had the power to initiate or carry out any exercise of disciplinary control and or proceedings on the plaintiff in the exercise of powers, duties and obligation as occupier of the office of the Chief Judge of Kwara State.

2. Whether the letter of 3rd defendant dated 4 May 2009 inviting the plaintiff to disciplinary proceeding in matters relating to, connected with, and arising from me exercise of her functions as the Chief Judge of Kwara State does not amount to exercising the powers of the 1st defendant under section 153, 3rd Schedule, part 1, Paragraph 21 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. 1999.

While the reliefs sought are as follows: 1. “Declaration that by a combined interpretation of sections 4, 1 53. 292 and paragraphs 20- 2 1 or the 3rd Schedule, part 1 of the Constitution, it is only the 1st defendant that has the exclusive power and authority to query, command, order or inquire into any complaint against the plaintiff arising from or connected with the performance of her functions as a judicial officer and in her office as the Chief Judge of Kwara State or recommend to me Governor tier removal as Chief Judge of Kwara State.

2. A declaration that the letter of the Kwara State House of Assembly dated 4 May 2009 is in breach and

It is observed that all the defendants/respondents to the plaintiffs originating summons except the 1st defendant/respondent raised objections to the competence of the trial Federal High Court to adjudicate on the matter having.

,

office of the plaintiff or doing anything which may have the effect of enforcing, continuing to give effect to,

the Kwara State House of Assembly.”Although there were preliminary objections raised by the 2nd and 3rd

respondents to the competence of the plaintiff’s action on various grounds touching on the jurisdiction of the trial court to entertain and determine the action, the learned trial mage decided to hear the preliminary objections together with the substantive action.

It is observed that all the defendants/respondents to the plaintiffs originating summons except the 1st defendant/respondent raised objections to the competence of the trial Federal High Court to adjudicate on the matter having regard to the fact that the complaint Of the plaintiff was against the executive and legislative decisions of the Kwara State Government with no allegation against the Federal Government or any of its agencies. After

hearing the parties on the preliminary objections and the plaintiff’s claims on the merit on the various affidavits, further Affidavits, counter-affidavits filed by the parties in support of their respective stand on the issues raised in the preliminary objections and the originating Summons, the learned trial judge in the judgment of the that court delivered on 23 July 2009, overruled the preliminary objections by dismissing them in holding mat taking into consideration that the case of the plaintiff involves the interpretation of the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, that court was conferred with jurisdiction to hear and Determine the action.

To be continued

Adekoya Advocates ‘Hall of Fame’ for Lawyers Following the death of foremost lawyers Chief G. O. K. Ajayi, SAN and Chief Theodore Ezeobi, SAN, Mrs. Funke Adekoya, SAN, has called for the setting up of a Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Hall of Fame to immortalise eminent lawyers widely acknowledged to have contributed to the development of the legal profession in Nigeria.

Adekoya said that such edifice will serve as an inspiration to young to tow the path of honour by emulating these role models and pioneers.

Adekoya said that the Hall of Fame will boost efforts at restoring professional ethics and values among Nigerian lawyers, adding that this has become urgent in view of rising cases of professional misconduct

among some legal practitioners.

Also speaking on the recent murder of two lawyers in Delta State by gunmen, the chartered arbitrator condemned in strong terms the killings, describing same as “dastardly and highly worrisome.”

Supporting the call by the NBA for a full investigation into the killings, she said the incident raises questions as to the security of lawyers in the discharge of their lawful duties to their clients.

She urged the Inspector-General of Police not to leave any stone unturned in speedily bringing to justice the perpetrators of the heinous act.

Adekoya noted that in view of the peculiar

dangers lawyers face in highly volatile environments prone to terrorism and kidnapping, additional measures must be taken to protect Nigerian lawyers to ensure that they practice their profession without any hindrance.

It will be recalled that two lawyers Dafiogho Egwuono and Samuel Ekwaghanju, were killed recently in Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State.

The lawyers had filed a Writ of Habeas Corpus praying for an order of the court compelling the police to produce two suspects, Ogaga Enueme and Efe Edhike, arrested since February in connection with various cases of kidnapping and armed

robberies.

One of those allegedly kidnapped by the suspects is the son of the Secretary to the State Government. The court had directed the Nigerian Police to arraign the suspects on or before April 2.

However, the Delta State Police Commissioner, Mr Ikechukwu Aduba, had said what on March 27, while the police were taking the suspects to court for arraignment, the escort team ran into an ambush wherein the suspects “suffered fatal gunshots” while the police later received information that the corpses of the two lawyers pursuing the case were seen on the same day at Oil Well 4 near Onwhe flow station, Ozoro.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014—41

42 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

Chinua Achebe resurrects at Otuoke O

NE year after literary icon, Prof. Chinua Achebe died, his soul resurrected last week when the train for the global celebration of his book, Arrow of God at 50 landed at Otuoke, the hometown of President Goodluck Jonathan in Bayelsa State. This was after a successful hosting of the first leg at the University of Ibadan, where he first began his literary odyssey.

As was expected judging by the acclaim, the book has received all over the world, the entire staff and students of the Federal University, Otuoke; representatives of the Bayelsa State government, royal fathers, among others, converged on the new Conference Centre of the university to have a taste of the book.

The event which is the first national event to be hosted by the new Federal University, Otuoke, did not take them by surprise as all arrangements were put in place to ensure a success of the celebration.

The event started with a cocktail organised by the university authorities in honour of those who had arrived in Otuoke for the

people have for the contributions of the late Professor Achebe to the development of African literature and culture.

According to Dr Okediran, a former president of the Association of Nigerian Authors * Participants during the school quiz competition for Arrow of God (ANA) , the event, celebration in Otuoke however, is not only to celebrate Professor copies of Arrow of God among was awarded a cash prize of Achebe, but to also re-awaken students of secondary schools, N40,000 and a dictionary.

Amechi Divine Favour of the the reading culture in Nigeria. and came up with a quiz competition, where cash prizes Federal Government Girls’ It shows how much respect the university and books would be awarded to College, Imiringi, came second, the winners. and was awarded a cash prize of community and the entire Otuoke people “Apart from this, we are also N20,000 and a dictionary while have for the contributions of the late engaging our scholars in the area Ugo Inekurogha of the Saint of literary development, whereby Jude’s Secondary School, Professor Achebe to the development of they would link what happened Amarata, came third, and went African literature and culture in the book, Arrow of God, to the home with N10,000 and a Committee of the Arrow of “It is so unfortunate that our present situation in the country,” dictionary. The other seven The high points of the day was contestants were also presented God@50 celebrations, Dr Wale young people today prefer visual Okediran, who expressed entertainment to reading, and the quiz competition where 10 with copies of the dictionary.

There were also cultural appreciation for the seriousness that is why we are using this students who emerged after the screening of 35 secondary school performances by the university the staff and students of the occasion of the Arrow of God@50 Federal University, Otuoke put to encourage reading among students, tested their brains on cultural troupe, and the Glorious Dancers of Amassoma while into the event said that it shows young people, especially the book.

At the end, Aniso Teddy of the students of the Federal how much respect the university secondary school students.”

Ayama Montessori Secondary University, Otuoke later community and the entire Otuoke “In doing this, we distributed School, Tombia, came first, and presented a stage performance of Arrow of God to wide acclaim. event. At the cocktail, the Vice Chancellor of the new university, Professor Mobolaji Aluko, said he was so glad that the university was hosting the event celebrating the late Professor Chinua Achebe’s book, Arrow of God@50, said that the literary icon was a genius who exposed the African culture to the world through his books.

Professor Aluko said the event was a huge advantage to the university, considering the stature of the late Achebe in the global literary circles. At the event, the chairman of National Organising

,

BY JAPHET ALAKAM

,

Understanding the study of plants

BY IMOH UKPONG

acid wetlands and on tropical TERIDOLOGY is the study trees. Chapter of ferns and often includes Two of the book the study of all plants grouped deals with the into the Division Pteridophyta. botanical clasFerns are referred to as Pteridosification of phytes and are the first group of ferns. The clasplants that colonized the land. sification relies Ferns and their allies are particon previous ularly interesting since they seem works such as to ‘bridge the gap’ between the Alston (1959), lower plants and the higher Mickel (1974) plants. Dr. Margaret Bassey’s inand the most terest in ferns started long ago. recent literaSomewhere in the book she tells ture – Smith us how, as a secondary school and others student in the 1970s, she used to Introductory Pteridology ; (2006). collect Lycopodium, a fern allie. Margaret Bassey;Modern Chapter But in 2010 when she revisited Business Press Ltd, Uyo; PP. Three presents those habitats, the plants had all 96 fern ecology, disappeared. This shows that in the interactions some areas ferns and their allies are en- between ferns and their non-living endangered. Therefore, this book is impor- vironment. Ferns have been shown to tant and timely. The author is a teacher control the regeneration potential of forand she has written on a rather difficult ests throughout the world. This is intheme with the simplicity which students teresting considering the size of these of botany, researchers, horticulturists will plants. find endearing to read.

Chapter Four deals with fern morpholIn Chapter One, Dr Bassey gives us ogy and anatomy. Here, the author tells the definition of Pteridology and the gen- us about the external structure of fernsesis of ferns. Ferns are vascular crypto- how they look like e.g. the roots, the leaf gams that reproduce asexually by the etc. She also highlights the internal strucproduction of spores, which means that ture – i.e. what you’ll see if you cut fern plants are sporophytes. Ferns are through the leaves, stem and roots. She found growing in moist shady forests, has included coloured pictures from her crevices in rocks sheltered from the sun, personal investigations among the Adi-

P

antaceae. The chapter tells us how ferns are propagated, their dispersal mechanism and germination. Chapter Five discusses the asexual reproduction structures. The key words in the introductory paragraph of the chapter are discussed one after the other: the sori, the sporangium, the fern spore, spore dispersal mechanism and spore germination.

Chapter Six discusses the life cycle of common fern allies such as Lycopodium and Selaginella. Their spores may germinate in a few days or in 3 to 8years.

She has also described the life cycles of common Eusporangiate and homosporous as well as heterosporous leptosporangiates.

General environment Chapter Seven describes the ferns of Akwa Ibom State where the author has lived and worked. The chapter looks at Akwa Ibom State’s physical land area, the climate and general environment, and the ferns found therein. The author has provided a key to the identification of common genera of ferns and fern allies which is a very reasonable and logical way to conclude a rare venture of this nature. In other words, Dr. Bassey has invited us into her world of ferns to see if we can pronounce the botanical names contained here. This Continues on page 43

Cultural performances After the quiz competition, Professor Akachi AdimoraEzeigbo of the University of Lagos, delivered her keynote lecture, Leadership and Abuse of Power in Achebe’s Arrow of God, where she highlighted how the main character in the book, Ezeulu, misuses his power as the Chief Priest of the Ulu god.

“Therefore, true leadership and proper uses of power are important for the development of any society,” Professor Ezeigbo said, while explaining that pride and vengeance are the cause of Ezeulu’s fall.

Professor Diri I. Teilanyo of the University of Benin discussed the topic, Rhetoric and Political Rivalry: Arrow of God and Present Day Nigeria, while Dr Chris Onyema discussed, EcoTrauma, Dis-location and Environmental Rights Discourse in Achebe’s Arrow of God. Earlier in his address, the Bayelsa State Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Professor Edmond AllisonOguru, thanked the Arrow of God@50 Committee for considering Otuoke as one of the eight host cities for the 50th celebration of the late Professor Achebe’s second book.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 — 43

Kosi... little girl's string on Western hegemony FOUR-pane painting on transparent plexi glass by award wining Nigerian-born, Canadian artist, Kosisochukwu Nnebe, has literally lit up the Canada Montreal art scene.

The painting entitled “M(other)nity” seeks to re-define the complexity of the modern black woman as opposed to the prevalent simplistic portrayal of black women in the mainstream media.

Her exhibition at the famous Montreal Museum of Fine Arts was part of the exhibition of the works of eight African-Canadian artists under the auspices of the Michaelle Jean Foundation to mark the Black History Month celebrations in Canada. It was the first ever group exhibition by black Canadian artists at the Museum, and the first by a Nigerian.

Commenting specifically on Kosi’s work, Honorable Michaelle Jean, who was the immediate past Governor General of Canada, commended the message behind the painting, and described Kosi as “an intelligent, gifted and dynamic artist.”

Visual counter argument

ademic and leadership platforms. Some of her most notable awards include the 2011 Community Youth Leadership Award by the Black History Organization, Ottawa; Toyota Earth Day Essay Award, 2010; the Scholastic Gold Key Award in poetry, 2008; and the admission in 2013 into the Golden Key International Honors Society for being amongst the top 15% of high performing students from top-ranked Universities in the world.

The founder of ‘Coloured Conversation’, an online platform for the discussion of race

It is a visual counter argument against the current narratives in the North American media, which portrays black women as the single-dimensional, hyper sexualized figures

stream media.

Speaking about the exhibition, Kosi said, “My project, m(other)nity, is a redefiniton of the concept of modernity by the other. I wanted to examine the concept, the manner in which it intersects with race and gender and re-interpret my position within it.

M(other)nity aims to challenge a concept that is in many ways a hegemonic cultural device and invites each individual to redefine and reposition themselves within this modern world.”

A naturally talented artist with no formal art training, Kosi has in the past garnered awards across varied art, ac-

,

and gender issues through art collaboration, Kosi has also been invited to exhibit her works in California in October by the California Black Arts Alliance and the Silicon Valley Arts Council.

While earnestly pursuing the conclusion of her double major academic pursuit in Economics and International Development Studies at McGill University, Kosi believes that black people, especially black women should take up the mantle of defining themselves, and should never surrender to the destructive narratives of a hostile world.

Speaking in a similar manner, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Canada, praised Kosi for projecting Nigeria in a positive light. Chief Maduekwe, who spoke at a private dinner he hosted for the artist in his residence, urged her to become a rallying point for other similarly gifted young Nigerians in Canada so that they would project a more positive image of the country through their creative works.

Kosisochukwu described her painting as “a visual counter argument against the current narratives in the North Amer* Kosisochukwu putting finishing touches to one of her works ican media, which portrays black women as the single-dimensional, hyper sexualized figures depicted in rap music videos.” She further Continues from page 42 argued through her three-part ward English. If the author had exhibition, which had video book has two main strong her way, she could have simand written components, “that points: it is copiously illustrat- plified the botanical names. black women are complex ed for the benefit of the reader The weak point is that we could multi-dimensional beings who who may never make fern col- have seen some more ethnocomprised of mothers, scien- lection a hobby. Also, the book botanical details, but the book tists, industry leaders, stu- is written in simple straight for- deals with only the introductodents, artists and musicians.” ry aspect of the study of ferns.

Understanding the study of plants

Help keep the Nigerian Artists alive

A

RTISTS have been saved quire the full works for the show by their knack. The knack to go on, sales can be made for survival, plays ‘shadow’ to from home video consumption every true artist. Each one with and export, we can then talk of an original true autobiography profit and propaganda, enterof himself and his circumstanc- tainment or enjoyment.

We still have the key problem es of survival nevertheless to solve, and that is, the prob‘’saved by the bell”, though quite a few of them missed the lem of ‘recognition’ which banquet and will never hear should come from ‘representathe bell. Stage and screen tion’, especially now we are shares the belief that they have basquing in the euphoria of headed for Heaven’s Gate, ‘dancing democracy’.

The Nigerian artist have come where all true artistes belong of age, but needs to wash his whatever religion, class or hands clean to dine with the imcreed.

It is yet another year and the presarios that sell and buy the entertainment industry still products.

If the actor makes a mark on hangs on there. ‘Take five’! For the international screen, Nigeresillence! Haba! That individual capacity to ‘hang on there’ ria artists need the sophisticakeeps the collective force of the tion. It is therefore necessary for industry ‘hanging on’, only by the government to show more their knack and now by the interest in the affair of the Nigrace of His Excellency, we gerian performing artists. It is not enough to pay cultural ofhave survived.

Lately, some pillars have ficers salaries to warm their seats crumbled beneath the swamp and attend meetings to discuss ‘dwellers cottages’ and the en- matters that have nothing to do tire family has been shaken with the advancement of the enwith the fear of sinking into the tertainment industry. mire. The EnterThe Nigerian professional tainment industry hangs on there artist has to be writer, even without properformer, promoter and fessional management for artistes. investor to survive The Nigerian professional artist has to be writer, Today, we rejoice for producperformer, promoter and inves- ing a Miss World. We were tor to survive. Then he has to be deafened by the thunderous appart of the marketing team. plause for Mr. Ben MurrayWe praise the music wind of Bruce who singlehandedly kept the industry PMAN which has the flag of ‘Beauty Pageantry’ managed to secure a way of get- flying, as though it was a famiting their rights paid and have ly crest. No guidelines, no morwrestled their way into keeping al or financial support from the one voice for representation. government but he was hangI hope PMAN are now strong ing on there until we got the enough to remember their he- crown. roes, dead or alive. I recall with Congratulations Nigeria and regret the case of late Ambrose well done Ben for your ‘knack’.

Campbell who made several The year is moving on and SOS calls all the way from U.S.A we keep on keeping on like true asking for support for return to artistes. To make footprint in the his fatherland. sand of our time, we need to I wonder why the actors forum move! Not move out of the nahas been a disaster. The stage tional theatre nor move the nalights went off altogether, and tion’s entertainment capital from performers were bumping into Lagos, but move towards the inone another groping in the dark, ternational art market. each presenting a candidate for To achieve this, Nigeria needs leadership. Elections were can- a ministry for art. Art is the salecelled, postponed and finally able commodity, assessable policed to conclude. product, fit for the stalls of inThe industry is still in the tun- ternational market of art, where nel moving towards the direc- skill is paid for in hard currention it faced groping without a cy, and the culture of the peotouch. ple beckon audience in their What we need is commercial- thousands and remunerations ism, and that will require pro- commiserating. fessionalism, management, advertising and promotion. We re-

,

A

Kosi’s current exhibition, which opened in February and ended in March, is her second major art exhibition in Montreal in two years. In February 2013, also as part of the annual Black History Month, she held a solo art exhibition, ‘Kosi’s Vernisage’ to the acclaim of the art-loving Montreal society. Her current and previous works have been broadcast on local television channels and re-blogged across various Internet portals, reigniting the discussion of the deprecating portrayal of the black female body in main-

,

BY NDUKA OTIONO

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44—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

Aladja community residents protest high electricity tariff

NPA blames poor performance on mkt forces, govt policies

BY EMMA AMAIZE & AKPOKONA OMAFUAIRE

W

ARRI— THERE was apprehension in Aladja community, Udu Local Government Area of Delta State, yesterday, as youths protesting high electricity tariff and constant power outage crippled business activities in the area.

The irate youths, who chanted war songs, marched from the Aladja Grammar School Road, through to Ada-Ode Junction and crossed to Ubuvu and Ekiagbon, armed with tree branches and other objects.

One of the protesters, Ese Damijo, told Vanguard “ we are protesting because we are tired of the oppression being suffered by electricity consumers in the hands of Aladja Electricity Committee.”

Another protester, Kesiena Kpeku, said: “What we are experiencing in Aladja is abnormal. We pay light bills that can be equated to that of highly-

BY IFEYINWA OBI

T

HE Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, has blamed the poor showing of the country’s ports in 2013 on market forces and the Federal Government’s policies on importation of cement, rice among other commodities.

NPA in its performance statistics by its Assistant General Manager, Public Affairs, Mr. Musa Iliya said that its “recent research revealed that, generally, each port is being shaped by market forces dictated by the commodity demand and by the particular port user.

“The decline experienced in some products can be linked to general economic factor. In dry bulk, for instance, there is ban on the importation of cement.”

industrialised area, yet we have no company here.

“We are host community to Delta Steel Company, DSC, and are supposed to enjoy free power. Now that we pay for it, we do not even see at

all. This is injustice and we are saying it should stop. The leadership of the community should wade into this matter.”

It was gathered that residents pay up to N2,000

2015 GUBER: Okrika, Ogu-Bolo PDP endorse Wike as opposition swells

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

P

ORT HARCOURT— BARELY 48 hours after the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, pledged to support the Supervising Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Okrika, Rivers State, have called on Wike to contest the state governorship election.

PDP Okrika, Ogu-Bolo, Phalga chapters in a statement, yesterday by the factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr. Evans Bipi and 26 others, called on Wike to pick the governorship form of PDP when it is on sale,

assuring that the people of Okrika, Ogu-Bolo and Port Harcourt City Local Government Area are behind him.

It said that their support for Wike was because of what they described as his sterling leadership qualities and “unalloyed loyalty to the President Goodluck Jonathan and his unflinching support to our mother, sister and daughter, the first lady, Mrs Jonathan.”

HE Directorate of Public Prosecution, DPP, of Lagos State Ministry of Justice, has exonerated seven persons, among them, an Estate Consultant and Chairman of Otofen Property Limited, Mr. Femi Bakare.

The seven persons were charged to court last year for alleged threat to life, attempted murder and forcible entry.

The advice by the Deputy

Director, DPP, Mr. Adegboyega Bajulaye, read: “I am directed to acknowledge receipt of your letter, reference no: CB/3960/LS/XS/D4?vol.1/53 dated March 1, 2013 and the accompanying duplicate case file forwarded to this office for legal advice.

“After careful consideration of the facts contained in the duplicate

case file, it is the opinion of this office that there is no prima facie case established against the suspects, Femi Bakare (m), Toyin Eleku (f), Kamoli Eleku (m), Segun Eleku (m), Tajudeen Eleku (m), Akeem Otunla (m) and Shamsudeem Otunla (m).

“Fact in the duplicate case file reveals that there are allegation and counterallegation of crime by the

T

HE proposed Delta State Polytechnic,

complainant, HRM Elemoro and the suspects, all which flows from the dispute between the parties relating to the ownership of land.

“Parties should, however, be advised to maintain the peace and obey the order of the High Court.

“In the light of the above, this office hereby, recommends non prosecution of the suspects.”

Bomadi, is set to kick off by September, said Prof. Hope Eghagha, the state Commissioner of Higher Education.

He said that by bringing tertiary education closer the riverine communities in the southern part of the state, the government was committed to ensuring that the polytechnic kicks off at the temporary site.

While inspecting the Polytechnic project site in Bomadi, Eghagha said that when the institution come on stream, it will boost socioeconomic development and enhance cultural exchange.

By Bartholomew Madukwe

PEOPLE SPEAK

08102479985

Meanwhile, the rumoured gubernatorial bid of Wike is already tearing the PDP apart in the state with some chieftains of the party from the riverine area of the state vowing to fight against his emergence as governor.

They argued that since Governor Rotimi Amaechi was from the upland area of the state, it will be unfair to allow Wike, who is also from the same upland area with the governor, to succeed him.

Bomadi Poly kicks off

Lagos DPP exonerate 7 of alleged attempted murder

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per apartment monthly, and are angry that the community ’s electricity committee regularly collect the money even though there are hardly power supply in the area.

(nwamad@yahoo.com)

About United States' corruption verdict on Nigeria

N

IGERIA cannot go any further than this in the next 40 to 50 years unless corruption is completely eliminated.

Any change, whether growth or development that Nigerians are dreaming of, must be determined by a steady power supply.— Ms. Rafiatu Raji, Worker.

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IGERIA is corrupt.

It is so because we were taught by the W e s t e r n e r s .

U n f o r t u n a t e l y, Nigerians have surpassed the teachers.

The only solution will be to get a no-nonsense President and others will sit up.— Mr. Martins Ifeanyi, Student.

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WO-party system is good for Nigeria.

We just need to tackle the faulty lines upon which our democracy is laid. It is because we have too many parties contesting elections that corruption is speedily increasing.— Mr. Enyinna Okpani, Communicator.

N

IGERIA needs to diversify its economy and not put all the money in one basket, which is oil. Nigeria needs to diversify its interests and attention and invest its money in producing other things.— Ms. Stacy H e r b e r t , Businesswoman.

N

IGERIA is one of the wealthiest countries in the Africa, yet over 80% of Nigerian still live below two dollars a day? People pay PHCN for light that one never sees. Bad roads have sent many to their early grave.

Corruption is everywhere.— Mr. Izutech Iloh, Sculptor.

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IGERIA and her leaders are the epitome of corruption.

Nigerians are born corrupt and General/ Pastor Oladipo Diya said it long ago. Corruption has driven most Nigerian women in the USA to divorce their husbands.— Ms. Okereke Bukola, Secretary.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 —45

PENGASSAN partners NCDMB on local content policy

‘Gbaramatu people are not trouble makers’

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

W

Y

ENAGOA—PETROLEUM and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, as part of its efforts to make positive impact in the ongoing reforms in the petroleum industry, has said it would collaborate with Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board, NCDMB, to ensure total compliance with the provisions of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development, NOGICD Act, by oil companies in the country.

PENGASSAN in a paper delivered by its President, Mr Babatunde Ogun, at a roundtable organised by NCDMB PENGASSAN branch in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, said the association would act as whistle blower where there are abuses of expatriate quota or contravention and circumvention of provisions of the NOGICD Act to guarantee compliance with the Act. Represented by the union General Secretary, Mr Bayo Olowoshile, Ogun said PENGASSAN views the collaboration as a statutory and key obligation, as it champion and build strong advocacy on matters of interest to its members, labour and the wider society at large.

He said: “Since the main objectives of the act is to create more jobs in the country while preventing export of jobs to other countries and development of the manufacturing sector of the economy, it is imperative for the two parties to regularly communicate and interface with each other in cases of reported abuse and circumvention of the NOGICD Act provisions, including the application of whistle-blowing mechanism where necessary by the union.”

From left: Mr Anzoumana Gbane, General Sales Agent, Arik Air; Mr Trevor Henry, Vice President, Global Sales and Distribution and Mrs Gladys Nzele-Ngu, Ticket Reservation Manager, Arik Air, Cotonou during the inaugural flight to Cotonou, Benin Republic.

2015: Why we are backing Jonathan —Ogbemudia

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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ENIN CITY — FORMER governor of the old Bendel State, Dr Samuel Ogbemudia, has said South-South leaders were backing the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan because of their conviction that he will make Nigeria a better place before leaving office in 2019.

According to him, “Jonathan is competent and has tried very hard and I acknowledged the fact that he has a lot in his brain.

But what many Nigerians are

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GHELLI—AHEAD of the 2015 general elections, a group, Delta Interest Group, DIG, has urged Prince Sylvester Ekuo-Akpodiete to vie for the House of Representatives seat for Ughelli North/Ughelli South/ Udu federal constituency.

the names of those we are investigating. We are working on about seven names. And I don’t care whether the person is All Progressives Congress, APC, or Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP. “I want to repeat it that I am for Benin agenda, for a Benin man to come after governor Adams Oshiomhole. But having looked at things on the ground and assessed first the performance of people in the last decade, I am convinced that what the people want is performance and not where the person hails from.”

PAAR: Customs records increased generation, transmission

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AGOS — WITH the geometric progression of daily generation and transmission of the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report, PAAR, the Nigeria Customs Service, NSC, appears to have broken all the barriers, which hitherto threatened the new customs’ clearing procedure at inception.

Available statistics show that from a daily generation and transmission of 250 PAAR at inception in December, the service, bracing all odds, is now

Group backs Ekuo-Akpodiete for House of Reps seat

BY FESTUS AHON

praying for is for him to have committed advisors, friends, well-wishers, those who will tell him the truth, not those who will tell him that he can turn a man to a woman.

"For me, I believe that he has done well and what he has done is enough to convince Nigerians to give him a fresh mandate.

“My immediate work which I am doing is to see Jonathan back on the saddle and at the state level to see a competent hand at Osadebey Avenue and that is why I am keeping behind closed doors the names of those who have approached me and

Coordinator of the group, Mr. Humphrey Omohwovo, at a meeting in Ughelli, lamented that the constituency had lacked good representation since 1999, noting: “Ekuo-Akpodiete is equipped with the requisite experience to deliver the dividends of democracy to the constituents.”

doing between 1700 to 1800 generation and transmission of PAAR per day.

Mr Ibrahim Yusuf, the ASYCUDA Project Manager, Apapa Port Command, Lagos, said: “We started this PAAR with 250 transmissions per day in December, but Controller General of Customs, said that was too small and ordered that we should increase it to two shifts, morning and evening.

With two shifts, we transmitted 500 per day. He was still not satisfied with this, despite the backlog of 99,000 Form ‘M’ left behind by the service providers.

“He said we should increase this to three shifts to be able us meet up with the challenge.

With three shifts, we transmitted 850 PAAR a day.

“The CGC was still not satisfied and he asked that officers with wide knowledge of classification and valuation be gathered across the customs formations in the country. They

are made to work together with a crop of young and talented officers, who are computer wizards, and with this, we now produce between 1700 to 1800 PAAR per day.”

On his part, Area Comptroller of Apapa Customs, Mr Charles Edike, said: “This performance has, therefore, destroyed the myth and falsehood being peddled against the new initiative by those ‘rented crowd’ whose sponsors are frazzled by the transparent nature of the new clearing procedure.

“To underscore the fact that the programme has overcome its initial hiccups that are normal with such innovative idea, the Apapa command, which is the heart of the service and the fulcrum of the implementation of PAAR, has continued to record a progressive performance in generation and transmission of the clearing document.”

ARRI — A PROMINENT citizen of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, Mr Timi Oluba, has said that the people of the kingdom were law-abiding citizens, known for their peaceful nature, and therefore, cannot be troublemakers as being insinuated by a prominent indigene.

Also, another prominent son of the kingdom, Kingsley Otuaro, warned troublemakers in Gbaramatu Kingdom to desist from stoking the dispute between ex-militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo and Chief Mosco Johnny.

Oluba, in statement, said it was wrong to have referred to the people of Gbaramatu as troublemakers, adding: “The utterance is capable of frustrating the ongoing process to reconcile Tompolo, Johnny and others in detention.

“It is the interest of Tompolo and Johnny, including Chief Mosco Johnny and others in detention to reconcile their differences as brothers, as such utterance is not in anybody's interest."

PDP leaders urged to brief constituents on Uduaghan's strides

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FFURUN—ELDERS and leaders of Udu, Ughelli North and Ughelli South federal constituency have been advised to always inform their people of the positive things Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan is doing for the state.

A chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Simon Mudi, gave the advice at his Effurun residence, while playing host to elders and leaders of Udu, Ughelli North and Ughelli South federal sonstituency.

He said the people at the grassroots will only be abreast of government strides if elders and leaders brief them accordingly.

46— Vanguard , THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

FAAN/A.I.C face-off: CP detains Chief Akande over airport land

BY DANIEL ETEGHE

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HE battle between the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, and A.I.C Hotels Limited, owned by business mogul, Chief Harry Akande, over a parcel of land at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, yesterday took another twist as the Commissioner of Police, Airport Command, Mr. Waheed Salau, arrested and detained the General Manager of the company, Chief Niyi Akande.

Disclosing this development to newsmen in Lagos, Personal Assistant to Chief Harry Akande, Mr. Gbenga Akinyemi, said that the Commissioner of Police had earlier invited Chief Niyi Akande and himself to his office only to arrest and whisk Chief Akande away to an unknown destination.

But Assistant Commissioner Police in the command, Mr. Chuks Enwonwu, in a swift reaction, said claims of arrest of Chief Niyi Akande were mere speculation.

NSE sets up panel to probe cause of 3-storey building collapse

BY CHINENYE OZOR

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SUKKA—THE Nigeria Society of Engineers,NSE, Enugu State chapter, has inaugurated a 9-man committee to ascertain the cause of a 3-storey building collapse at No 222 Enugu Road, Nsukka, Enugu State.

Chairman of the state chapter of NSE, Engr.

Ezekesili Onah, while inaugurating the committee in Enugu yesterday, disclosed that the entire Prevention Investigation and Failure Analysis Committee, Engineering Regulation and Monitoring, constituted membership of the committee.

He said the committee would carry out on-the-spot inspection of the site of the collapsed building, conduct thorough investigation necessary to establish causes of the collapse.

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ABIA HEALTH WORKERS CRISIS: VP expelled

BY ANAYO OKOLI

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MUAHIA—THE crisis rocking Abia State chapter of Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria, MHWUN, deepened yesterday with THE expulsion of its former Vice Chairman from Abia, Mr. Christopher Uche Ezekiel.

Uche Ezekiel was expelled for alleged anti-union activities. The letter expelling him was endorsed by the Secretary General of

MHWUN, Mr. Marcus Omokhuale.

The Secretary of Abia chapter of MHWUN, Mr. Omini Ojah, who announced this at a news briefing in Umuahia yesterday, said the union had no leadership tussle in the state.

Ojah, who spoke on behalf of the state executives, led by Chief Uchenna Obigwe, explained that the expulsion of Uche Ezekiel was a decision reached by the National Executive Council of the union

in Abuja on April 3, 2014. ”The NEC acted on the report from Abia to the effect that on February 12, 2014, Ezekiel declared himself as the state caretaker committee chairman of MHWUN while there is an incumbent state chairman headed

by Comrade Uchenna Obigwe.

“After exhaustive consideration of the report and recommendation of the Establishment and Disciplinary Committee, the NEC in session

invoked Rule 27(i) (C) of the union’s constitution and expelled Ezekiel’', he said.

According to him, as an expelled member, Ezekiel shall forfeit all the rights and privileges of MHWUN except otherwise decided by the NEC. He advised the employer of the expelled member, Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Aba, to stop further deduction of his check-off dues to the coffers of the union.

Ojah urged the public to disregard insinuations that Abia chapter of the union was having leadership crisis., The secretary also frowned on the development where the union’s check-off dues were allegedly transferred to the purported caretaker committee led by Ezekiel without recourse to the Trade Union Act’s provisions.

Court fixes May 7 for ruling in suit against PDP INTERACTIVE SESSION: From left—Dr. Mrs. Uju Okeke, Commissioner for Education, Anambra State; Governor Willie Obiano and Oseloka Obaze, Secretary to the State Government during the interactive session between Governor Obiano and proprietors of private nursery and primary schools in Anambra State at the Government House, Awka... Tuesday.

Confirmation of Obiano’s commissioners, advisers to be based on zoning — Anambra Assembly

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BY ENYIM ENYIM

NITSHA—THE confirmation of the 19 commissioners-nominees and 10 special advisers presented to Anambra State House of Assembly Tuesday by Governor Willie Obiano would be based on equity among the three senatorial zones, the House Committee on Screening, has said.

Speaking to Vanguard, a member of the committee, Chugbo Enwezor, said the committee would screen the nominees and ensure that there was political balancing of the three senatorial zones before their confirmation by the lawmakers.

“The committee of which I am a member would screen and see whether the political balancing of the three senatorial zones were taken care of. But I think the governor must have taken note of this requirement,”he said.

He said the essence of it was to avoid lopsidedness in political appointments in the state as had been witnessed in the past, adding that from the list of the nominees, the governor seemed to have taken care of issue of political position balancing.

On the two commissioners who were retained by the governor, Enwezor said there was nothing wrong if they were retained, saying the fact that they served

under the immediate government of Mr Peter Obi did not pose disability for them not to be reappointed by the present administration.

He said: “ Their reappointment means that the new governor has seen them to be worthy of the appointment. They are known to me and they deserve it, having played a key role in the Peter Obi government.”

On insinuations in some

quarters that there was a plot by some members of the House of Assembly to impeach the speaker, Princess Chinwe Nwebili, on account that she came from the same senatorial zone as the governor, Enwezor described it as a mere rumour being peddled by mischief makers.

According to him, the lawmakers have never at any time contemplated such a plan and will never hatch such plot.

Imo govt disburses N200m to proprietors of mission schools

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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WERRI—IMO State government has released N200m to proprietors of mission schools operating in the state.

The government explained that the gesture was principally aimed at ensuring qualitative teaching and learning in schools owned by missionaries.

Governor Rochas Okorocha, who announced this in Owerri, enjoined the proprietors of mission schools to immediately visit the Ministry of Education to collect their cheques.

Okorocha, who equally promised to assist the mission schools to achieve their mandate, urged the management of the schools to complement the efforts

of government by contributing their quota to the development of the state.

He said the N200m would be shared to individual schools or to the missions according to the number of schools they owned.

Similarly, all the government functionaries contacted soon after the announcement for clarification refused to be drawn into the issue.

One of them, who spoke on strict anonymity said: “You heard what the governor said. The school proprietors should contact the Ministry of Education for clarification and possible collection of their money”.

Vanguard gathered that this is the second tranche of the fund, as the first batch had been released earlier.

BY ONOZURE DANIA

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AGOS—A Lagos High Court, sitting in Ikeja, Tuesday fixed May 7, 2014, for ruling on a suit instituted against the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, by a lawyer, Debo Adeleke, over alleged failure of the party to pay him N10.55 million professional fees.

Adeleke, in the suit filed before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye, claimed that he handled cases for PDP at the Lagos State Local Government Elections Petitions Tribunal between November 2011 and August 2012.

He also claimed that the party had only paid him N1.45 million out of the N12 million fees they agreed to handle the cases.

The complainant, who is the Principal Partner at Maritime, Commercial and Immigration Law Chambers, stated that the N12 million fees it charged the party covered the seven cases his law firm handled for the party at the elections petitions tribunal.

The PDP had instituted the petitions against the then ruling Action Congress of Nigeria and Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission as well as the ACN candidates, who were declared winner in the various local government elections held on October 20, 2011.

The counsel to PDP, Chukwuma Nmesirionye, at the hearing of the suit, urged the court to dismiss the suit on the grounds that the lawyer was not instructed to take up the cases by its national leadership.

He said: “Article 22(2) of the party’s constitution is clear. It states that the party shall only have legal relationship with any person only through its national officers.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014—47

VISIT: From left, Chief Bunmi Olaopa, Chairman, PMGMAN; Dr. Paul Orhii, DG, NAFDAC; Mr. Abbas Sambo, Deputy MD, Swiss Pharma, and Ms Seun Omobo,WHO Representative, during NAFDAC team's courtesy visit to Swipha Ltd on WHO certification, in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye

RALLY: From left, Chief Medical Director, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Kolawole Ogundipe; governor 's wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; and his deputy, Prof. Modupe Adelabu, during a cancer awareness rally and distribution of breast self-examination kits, organised by the state, in memory of the late Deputy Governor, Mrs. Funmi Olayinka, in Ado-Ekiti.

RALLY: Kwara State governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, acknowledging cheers OPENING: From left, President, National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Babatunde from National Association of Nigeria Students, NANS, Kwara State Branch, Adejumo; Chief Judge of Imo State, Justice Benjamin Njemanze; Deputy Speaker, House of during NANS Unity Rally for the governor, at Government House, Ilorin, Reps, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, and the first daughter of late Eze B.S.C. Nzenwa, Justice Mary yesterday.

Odili of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, during the official opening of H.R.H Eze B.S.C Nzenwa Memorial Bar Centre, Aboh Mbaise, Imo State.

LAUNCH: From left, Senior Head of Sales, Doyin Instant Noodles, Mr. Duru Nnamdi; Head of Sales, Mr. Godfrey Ogbitebu; Finance Controller, Mr. Stephen Daramola, and Group Audit Manager, Mr. Frank Oludare, at the launch of Doyin Instant Noodles, in Lagos,

VISIT: From left, Mrs. Rose Samayiu, PDP Woman Leader, Ward B, Amuwo Odofin Local Government; Mrs. Adedoyin Okupe, wife of late Prince Babatunde Okupe, PDP Leader, Lagos State, and Dr. Segun Ogundimu, 2015 governorship aspirant, Lagos State, during the condolence visit to the Okupes on behalf of Lagos State PDP, in Amowo Odofin, Lagos.

LECTURE: From Left, Mrs. Margaret Adeleke, Past President, Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered); Prof. Cornelius Ogunsanwo, former Nigerian Ambassador to Belgium and Luxemburg and Guest Speaker, and Dr. Nelson Uwaga, President and Chairman of Council, at NIM Centenary Management Day Lecture 2014, entitled, 'Defining Nigeria's Nationhood at 100 years: The Viewpoint of Management,' at Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA. Photo: Oscar Ochiogu

INDUCTION: From left, Group Managing Director, Computer Warehouse Group, Mr. Austin Okere, receiving the certificate of induction from the President, Institute of Information management, Dr. Oyedokun Oyewole, at the Institute of Information Management Induction ceremony, in Lagos.

AWARD: From left, Rev. Ogbodo Haastrup, Dr. Austeen Eugene, Mr. Monday Ashamah, Otunba Kayode Adeshina, Deputy Vice President, African Institute of Enterprise Development & Management, AIEDM; Dr. Raphael James, DG, Centre For Research, Information Management and Media Development, CRIMMD; Dr. Emmanuel Yomi Ogunmola, AIEDM's President, and Mr. Amah Amaonye, during investiture of Dr. James, DG, CRIMMD, with African Leaders of Industry and Commerce award by AIEDM, at Lagos Chambers of Commerce & Industry, LCCI, Conference and Exhibition Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

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48 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

Yero mourns Sarkin Chawai Tukura

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ADUNA State Gover nor, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, yesterday, expressed shock over the death of two prominent indigenes of the state, including the member of the state House of Assembly, representing Kauru/ Chawai Constituency, Hon. Shaibu Tukura and His Royal Highness, the Sarkin Chawai, Alhaji Mohammad Danlami Yahaya.

In two separate condolence messages sent to families of the deceased, Yero said the two people contributed positively towards the development of the state, adding that they died at a time their services were mostly needed.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Director General, Media and Publicity, to the governor, Ahmed Maiyaki in Kaduna yesterday.

According to Yero, ‘’the late Tukura was committed to the well-being of his constituents and the entire people of Kaduna State through effective legislation for common good. Tukura was a distinguished lawmaker, who dedicated his time in the Assembly to making positive contribution to the process of formulating laws.

1,500 Gombe households benefit from cash transfers

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OMBE—NO fewer than 1,500 members of households in Gombe State have benefited from the Conditional Cash Transfer, CCT, scheme under the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs. Alhaji Adamu Audi, Special Adviser to Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo on MDGs said in an interview with newsmen that the beneficiaries were drawn from 114 wards of the state.

Audi said the programme was aimed at eradicating poverty, and had targeted widows, people with disabilities and those living in abject poverty.

He said each household was given N5,000 basic income monthly for 12 months, stressing that this has improved the standard of living of the beneficiaries and helped to develop their human resource potentials.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the Federal Government launched the CCT scheme on May 13, 2013 with N10 billion.

Attempted murder: Kwara House suspends member l LORIN—FOR the third time in less than three years, the Kwara State House of Assembly, yesterday, suspended the member representing Malete/IpaiyeOloru Constituency, Alhaji Iliasu Ibrahim, PDP. The suspension was over an alleged attempted murder of a colleague. Ibrahim was indicted by the House Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Judiciary in its report presented during its plenary.

The indictment was for his refusal to write a letter of apology to Alhaji Yussuf Tanke, APC, after resuming from an earlier three months s u s p e n s i o n .

Speaker of the House, Mr Rasaq Atunwa, announced the fresh suspension of the legislator after the House had adopted the report of the committee on the matter.

W h i l e reading the resolution, Atunwa directed Ibrahim to commence on another t h r e e months suspension without pay f r o m Wednesday.

The House directed Ibrahim to tender a L-r: National chairman, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACHAN, w r i t t e n Alhaji Ahmadu Suleiman with the national president, Southern Kaduna People's Union, apology to SOKAPU, Dr. Ephraim Goje and the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Michael T a n k e Zuokumor at the peace and reconciliation meeting between leaders of the two groups in before the Kaduna. Photo: Olu Ajayi. expiration of the three months member should continue to be of Nigeria, NAN, that the suspension as directed by the on suspension if he refused to House lacked the resolution of the House on write the letter of apology. competence to suspend him.

December 18, 2013. It resolved Reacting to his suspension, Also during the plenary, the further that the suspended Ibrahim told the News Agency House approved the appointment of the most senior civil servant in the Assembly, Alhaji Aliyu Olanipekun as the Deputy disposal indicates that unknown The state Interim Chairman of Clerk of the House. hoodlums burnt down part of the APC, Senator Mohammed The motion for the Buachi Local Government Mohammed told Vanguard on appointment of Olanipekun secretariat of APC at 2am. No life the telephone that, “we are just was moved by the Majority was lost during the fire incident going to the secretariat now. I will Leader, Alhaji Abdulkareem and the value of the property call you back in the next one AbdulGaniyu supported by destroyed is yet to be hour,” but had not called as at majority of members. ascertained.

We have the time of going to the press. commenced investigation."

Arsonists torch APC secretariat

BY SUZAN EDEH

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ARELY six hours to the ward congress of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Bauchi State, unknown arsonists have burnt down the party’s secretariat along Gombe Road in Bauchi, the state capital.

It was learnt that the party secretariat was burnt down at 2 am, yesterday, few hours before the ward congress which was expected to commence by 8am.

However, undeterred, the party still went ahead to conduct the ward congresses despite the incident.

An official of the party who spoke on condition of anonymity blamed the arson on a faction of the party. He alleged that all the office equipment and other materials inside the office were looted by the hoodlums before setting the secretariat on fire. He also alleged that the party was polarised along two chairmanship aspirants in the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state police command, ASP, Mohammed Haruna said “information at our

Zamfara victims threaten revenge

BY SALISU MARADUN

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USAU—VICTIMS of the Fulani herdsmen attack in Unguwar Galadima, Zamfara State, have vowed to revenge should the enemies attempt to harass them henceforth.

Unguwar Galadima was ravished, weekend, when Fulani herdsmen killed more than 200 citizens. Presently, more corpses are being discovered from various locations of the town three days after the attack.

Our correspondent who was in the area for the third time after the episode gathered that no fewer than 26 fresh corpses have been discovered, but noted that these could not be evacuated be-

cause of their state of decomposition.One of the victims, Malam Bello Muazu, told Vanguard that they were suffering as even drinking water was not available. One of them said, “since that fateful day we have not recovered fully. Food is scarce and drinking water, because the only source of water to us has been taken over by these criminals as it is the place they live particularly which is bringing fears to us to go there.”

Bello said despite assurances by the police that they will be protected, the distance between them and the police are several miles away. He noted that after the killings, the suspects also burnt all their houses and grain

stores, the only food they relied on, “so how do you expect us to live and survive here?"

Another victim, Alhaji Surajo Tsoho, 67 years, said,"We have agreed among ourselves that even if we are all going to lose our lives, we must protect ourselves. We will not wait for anybody, including the government or police, because these people are not ready to take care of us.

We are still in fear and our people are scattered all over while a number of them left the whole area along with their families.”

Efforts to see the district head proved abortive as he was said to have moved to an unknown destination.

Oil firm sets shares at N576 per share

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EPLAT Petroleum Devel opment Company Plc, yesterday, announced the pricing of its initial public offering and its intention to publish today.

The offer price has been set at N576 per ordinary share for shares to be listed on the official trading list of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, and 210 pence per ordinary share for shares to be traded on the London Stock

Exchange, LSE’s main market Based on the offer price, the total market capitalisation of Seplat at the commencement of conditional dealings will be approximately £1.14 billion (equivalent to US$1.90 billion) (excluding the exercise of the over-allotment option). The global offer comprises a base offering of 143,284,130 new shares issued by the company, representing 26.4 per cent

of the company’s enlarged issued share capital (excluding the exercise of the over-allotment option) The base offer is expected to raise gross proceeds of approximately £300.9 million (equivalent to US$500 million) while the over-allotment option shall consist of 10,336,183 new shares representing 15 per cent of the final amount allocated to investors out-

side of Nigeria.

As the company stated in its intention to float announcement, the net proceeds of the global offer will primarily be used to acquire and develop new acquisitions, and/or pay down any additional debt raised in connection therewith, of both onshore and shallow offshore acreages, assets and joint venture farm-ins.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 — 49

50 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 — 51

52—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

In Lagos, the indigent benefit from free healthcare

...As Ifo Police undergo free medical check

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ATURDAY March 29th 2014 will forever remain evergreen in the minds of hundreds of residents of Oshodi in Lagos Island area of Lagos State as they received free medical check-up, treatments and drugs from the Arise Women Congress of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Lagos Province 4.

For some residents like Sherifat Bamgbola, a petty trader, it was a day to be remembered for good. “Their gesture towards our community was more effective than any other style of evangelism,” she stated.

Sherifat had planned to visit a hospital because of her sickly feelings before she heard of the free health programme and reluctantly decided to attend.

“The tests run on me and the drugs given to me were more than what I was expecting or even gotten from the hospital if I had gone to the hospital because I do not even have enough money,” she stated.

Sherifat, and other women, children and men were among the residents of Lagos Island who benefited from free screening for cancer, malaria, typhoid, blood sugar, hypertension, tuberculosis and other diseases of the Mobile Clinic Health Initiative of the Arise Women of RCCG, Lagos Province 4.

As early as 7: AM, the community square was already filled to the brim.

But despite the number, everybody

that came was attended to by the team of medical practitioners brought by the group.

In a chat with Good Health Weekly, the convener of the Arise Women, Barrister. Shiju Iluyomade, explained that the initiative was as a result of her strong connection with the womenfolk right from her days as a boarder at Queens College, Lagos, which was later sharpened by her over 19 years experience as a leader of the women ministry.

Iluyomade who is also the Province Pastor’s wife, hinted that the initiative which started last year after the Arise Conference has reached out to over 5,000 people, at six outreaches across

Lagos. Some of the areas reached include Makoko, Ebute-Meta, TBS, Lagos Island, amongst others.

Iluyomade, is of the opinion that the state of health of women in a nation could be use as measurement for the health of the nation as a result of the crucial role they play and thus has channelled the initiative to “primarily look after the wellbeing of women, to be sure that their health is put in the front burner of everything they do.”

The Convener said they are targeting to raise fund for cancer research in the country. she advised Nigerians to cultivate the culture of healthy living as little things they do could prolong their lives and keep them healthy.

•Cross section of caregivers and participants during the free healthcare services organised by Arise Women Medical Outreach and Mobile Clinic of the Redeemed Christain Church of God, Lagos Province 4 recently in Lagos.

BY GABRIEL OLAWALE group of corps members serving in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State held free medical check-s for members of the Ifo Police station recently.

Speaking during the event, the President of the HIV/ AIDS Awareness group Adewole John disclosed that the idea of bringing free health service to the door step of the Police who are tasked with protecting life and properties of the community was due to their busy schedule which usually denied them the opportunity of visiting their General Practitioners.

While noting that the Police due to the nature of their job are prone to some disease such as hypertension also known as silent killers, advised the participants to always ensure regular blood pressure, blood sugar and malaria checks to avert impending dangers pose by these diseases.

He revealed that from the tests conducted so far the percentage of HBP is still at manageable level, urging the government to fashion out programmes that will ensure the Police have medical check-ups at regular intervals.

“From the test we carry out so far, about 60 percent have High Blood Pressure, HBP, while 20 percent have diabetes. But majority of them with diabetes are aware of their condition, so we just advice them on how to live a healthy life and take their medications.”

On his part, the Coordinator of the programme, Dr Anuri Emeh disclosed that the reason for including HIV and AIDS talk was due to the level of ignorance that exists in the country.

“The level of ignorance about the HIV and AIDS is relatively high that is why we took it upon our selves to sensitised them on various ways through which HIV and AIDS can be contacted. Our emphasis is on the danger of unprotected sex and other means through which HIV can be contracted.”

Emeh added that the free distribution and demonstration of how to use condom was to engage them in the process because majority of people do not use condom due to lack of knowledge about how to use it.

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014—53

2015: INEC to commence voters’ registration next month ...to create more polling units

BY LUKA BINNIYAT

T

HE CHAIRMAN of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega has said that INEC would commence the voters’ registration for the 2015

elections next month.

Jega also said that the commission would create new polling units to de-congest overpopulated units across the country.

He spoke during the opening ceremony of INEC/State Independent Electoral Commission,

SIECs, Experience Sharing Conference in conjunction with the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP in Kaduna, yesterday.

His words: “The continuous voters’ registration exercise is to ensure that those who have turned 18 years between 2011

and now are registered before the 2015 general elections.

Also those that, were 18 and above, but were unable to register for one reason or the other will be given opportunity to register.

"We will commence this registration next month, and all hu-

man resources and materials for the exercise are ready.

“This is to ensure that no Nigerian adult is disenfranchised from his exercising his constitutional right to vote and even be voted for.

The conference ends today.

54—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

V anguard Vanguard anguard,, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 — 55

Putin threatens Ukraine with advance payment for gas

R

Ukrainian authorities warn pro-Russian separatists U

KRAINIAN authori ties have warned they are prepared to use force to clear several government buildings seized by proRussian separatists in the east of the country.

Wednesday’s warning came as protesters continued to occupy the headquarters of Ukraine’s Security Service in the eastern city of L u h a n s k .

Hundreds of supporters camped outside and shouting “Putin! Putin!” in support of the Russian President, the Associated Press news agency reported.

Arsen Avakov, the Ukrainian interior minister, said the standoff in Luhansk and the two neighbouring Russian-leaning regions of Donetsk and Kharkiv must be resolved within the next two days.

“I want to repeat that there are two options: political settlement through negotiations and the use of

force,” Avakov told reporters.

“We are ready for both options.”

Avakov was speaking as anti-government protesters in Luhansk erected high barricades along a thoroughfare running in front of the security service premises.

The Security Service had

earlier said that the separatists inside the building, armed with explosives and other weapons, allowed 56 hostages to leave the building during the night. A spokeswoman said there were no other hostages.

But Tetyana Pohukay, a regional police spokeswoman, disputed that statement,

saying there had never been any hostages inside, according to the Interfax news agency.

The Luhansk security services building was among several government offices seized by pro-Moscow groups on Sunday in an escalation of protests against the interim government in power since President Viktor Yanukovich was forced to quit in February after months of protests against his decision to ditch an EU trade pact in favour of closer ties with Moscow.

USSIAN President Vladimir Putin threatened Wednesday to start charging Ukraine in advance for vital natural gas supplies — a move that could sharply hurt his neighbor, which is already on the verge of bankruptcy.It was just the latest way Moscow is putting pressure on Ukraine since its pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych was ousted from power in February after months of street protests.

Meanwhile, NATO’s top military commander in Europe told The Associated Press that countermoves to the Russian military

Netanyahu reduces contacts with Palestinian Authority

I

SRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered a halt to highlevel contacts with the Palestinians on non-security related issues, but exempted his chief peace negotiator from the ban, government officials said on yesterday. One Israeli official called Netanyahu’s order a response to “the Palestinians’ grave violation of their commitments in the framework of the peace talks” — an apparent reference to their signing of 15 interna-

tional conventions last week. The edict came a day after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry suggested that Israel’s announcement on April 1 of plans to build about 700 housing units in East Jerusalem was the immediate cause of peace talks plunging into crisis.

Another official said Israeli cabinet members, directors-general of government ministries and other senior bureaucrats would no longer be allowed to meet their counterparts in

the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited

self-rule in the occupied West Bank.

threat against Ukraine could include sending American troops to alliance nations in Eastern Europe feeling at risk.

U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove told the Associated Press on Wednesday that he wouldn’t “write off involvement by any nation, to include the United States.”

“Essentially what we are looking at is a package of land, air and maritime measures that would build assurance for our easternmost allies,” he said.

Putin, who was chairing a meeting with government ministers in his suburban residence outside Moscow, said asking for advance gas payments “corresponded with the contract” between Ukraine and Russia.

US targets Egypt's militant group — Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis

T

HE United States has designated Egypt’s most active militant group, Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, a foreign terroristorganization,officials said yesterday, making it a crime to support the group.

The Sinai-based group, formed in the wake of the 2011 uprisings in Egypt, has claimed responsibility for

several high-profile attacks, including an assassination attempt on Egypt’s interior minister last year.

The formal designation signals the United States’ willingness to pursue groups responsible for some of the ongoing violence in Egypt, which has seen a string of attacks on security forces by

various factions since the military ousted Islamist President Mohamed Mursi last summer.

Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis is primarily a local group that is not formally linked to al Qaeda, but shares some of its ideology, the U.S. State Department said in a statement.

56—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 —57

58—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

•Delegates at the Conference

DSS operatives detain The Sun editor •As journalists threaten boycott •How to save Nigeria – Ozekhome, Omu, Osoba, others

BY HENRY UMORU, JOSEPH ERUNKE & LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU

W

HILE proceedings were going on yesterday at the National Conference, men of the Department of State Service, DSS waited and picked a deputy editor with The Sun Newspaper, Mr Iheanacho Nwosu. He was detained and interrogated.

Mr. Nwosu, who is one of the accredited journalists covering proceedings at the conference, was picked by DSS operatives at about 2pm yesterday and taken to their office within the National Judicial Institute (NJI), venue of the conference. He was detained for over 30 minutes and eventually released after some journalists besieged the area where he was being detained, and with the intervention of the Assistant Secretary, Media and Communications, Akpandem James.

Balanced structure This came on a day the issues of federalism, balanced structure, corruption, gender, devolution of power and regionalism dominated discourse. Some delegates also reflected on religion, ethnic nationality, indigeneship, true fiscal federalism, among others Nwosu was said to have been picked by the DSS following a story published by Daily Sun yesterday over exchange of blows between an operative of the DSS and a policeman at the venue of the ongoing National Conference.

At the resumed session after break, delegates however condemned the action of the DSS operatives, just as one of the delegates, Niyi Akintola, raised a point of order and warned that in a democratic dispensation, it was wrong for security operatives to infringe on the rights of a journalist who was carrying out his responsibilities. According to him, the era of abuse of human rights must not be revisited. His submission was supported by other delegates who condemned the action of DSS operatives.

Reacting, Deputy Chairman of the conference, Professor Bolaji Adeyemi, warned security agencies to respect the rights of people who are carrying out their duties. Meanwhile, journalists covering the conference have threatened to boycott the coverage of the conference, unless the operatives who unlawfully detained their colleague were brought to book.

Zamfara killings: Delegate accuses police, herdsmen of complicity Senator Saidu Dansadau has alleged that the police authority in Zamfara State collaborated with Fulani herdsmen to carry out last weekend’s killings in the state.

Dansadau, who is a delegate representing Zamfara State at the National Conference, while briefing the media yesterday,displayed gory pictures of the incident, said: “It is the result of the negligent and a nonchalant disposition of the state government and the traditional institution in the area and the vicarious, sometimes

direct complicity of the police.”

Senator Dansadau said the attacks on the farmers have been serial, especially around the clustered villages in the emirate.

How to save Nigeria – Odili, Ozekhome, Omu, Osoba, others

Many delegates had the opportunity of speaking yesterday. A host of them proffered suggestions on how to save the country.

Senator Femi Okunrounmu, who is representing South West geo- political zone, urged delegates to re-launch Nigeria against the backdrop that we have derailed. He also urged his colleagues to ensure that at the end of the exercise, all negative imprints of the military would be removed, adding that if Nigeria must get it right, it must go back to parliamentary system of government as against the present presidential system, which gives much power to the centre.

His words: “The president, in convening this National Conference, has demonstrated uncommon courage and a deep commitment to the harmonious unity of our people. He urges us to re-launch the country, in recognition of the fact that we have derailed. Indeed we have derailed from the trajectory of growth and rectitude and fallen into that of moral and economic decline.

“While our youths are justified in blaming their elders for this malaise, it is useful for them to also know that Nigeria has not

always been this uninspiring.

Our country has not always harboured so many cheats and liars, cultists and ritual killers, rapists and kidnappers, money worshippers and religious bigots.

Our leaders have always been so generally perceived as habitual, violence prone election riggers and self serving treasury looters.

All these vices of today are the cumulative legacies of the misguided policies of successive military rulers and their civilian collaborators since 1966, starting from the truncation of federalism, through the sectionally skewed creation of multiplicity of states beyond the initially justifiable and balanced 12 states of Gowon, to the introduction of the socalled presidential system of government, which now enables a one-man ruler in our states to personalise all state resources and loot the treasury as he pleases with impunity.

Civilians, politicians invited the military— Paul Omu General Paul Omu (rtd), who is representing the South South Geo- political zone defended military incursion into governance, claiming that civilians and politicians always invited the uniform men.

According to him, civilians and politicians started it, adding, “Military has been battered from left and right. I stand to be challenged that all military coups were attracted by politicians and civilians; all wars are started by politicians and civilians and civilians form 90 per cent of military administration.”

Past military leaders, except Abdulsalami must apologise to Nigerians- Peterside In his contribution, a Federal Government delegate, Atedo Peterside, who frowned at instances where religion was brought into politics, however traced the nation’s problems to the destruction of the civil service.

He advised that as a nation, we must stop as a nation refrain from rewarding bad behaviour and former military leaders must apologise to Nigerians and take the back seat except for Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar whom he said was honourable.

Osoba makes case for regional govt Former Governor of Ogun State and a delegate representing the former Governors category, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, noted that there was the need for Nigeria to return to the regional structure of government if we must get it right. He stressed that there is imbalance in the federal system we are operating now. The former governor who wondered why a state like Lagos with over 20million people will have 20 local government councils and Kano state has 44, complained that the imbalance was too obvious to be ignored.

Coups executed by military and civilian contractors Faulting the position of some retired military generals who have alleged that civilians were behind the series of coups that toppled civilian regimes in the country, Osoba told delegates that those coups were executed by civilian contractors with the support of the military.

Oyebode, Ozekhome speak In his contribution, Prof. Akin Oyebode, representing Ekiti State noted that Nigeria was at the moment operating a caricature federation and Nigeria is a feeding bottle nation, adding that Nigerians must do the needful in order not to belong to the past.

Oyebode who told delegates that the military killed federalism, argued that the current constitution was a military document and that the country must draft its new constitution where everyone will be involved, adding, “Nigeria is operating a caricature federation.”

Contributing to President Jonathan’s Speech, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, who is a Federal Government delegate, said religion has become the opium of the masses in Nigeria and an instrument of disunity among Nigerians.

He called for true federalism, devolution of power and true federalism, saying, “Why are we suddenly discriminating against ourselves? What is going in in the North East seems not to be concerning most of us."

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 — 59

60 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

Amuneke warns Eaglets

Ogu still hopeful of World Cup place

A

CADEMICA de Coimbra ace John Ogu has said he could still make the cut to the World Cup even though he has spent most of the season on the bench at his Portuguese club.

The big midfielder has gone through difficult times at his club with very limited play time, something the player agreed has now

narrowed his chances of making the final squad to Brazil 2014.

But he also believes that with what he has shown in the Eagles, coach Keshi could still consider him for the World Cup. “The situation at Academica is frustrating, but if Coach Stephen Keshi still believes in me, he will give me a chance to fight for a place at the World Cup place,” he told AfricanFoootball.com

M

EMBERS of the Nigerian U17 team, the Golden Eaglets, have been warned that only merit would guarantee them a place in the national team.

The warning was handed down to them by ex-Barcelona star, and coach of the team, Emmanuel Amuneke.

“We are not under any obligation to keep any player that would not be useful to us,” warned

•Ogu

Igesund running out of time as South Africa coach

S

OUTH Africa coach Gordon Igesund sought to project an image of ‘business as usual’ this week as he named his squad for two friendlies against Australia and New Zealand next month.

But the 57-year-old faces a personal D-day next week when an inquiry into his conduct is expected to make a recommendation on his immediate future in charge of the national team - and impact on whether he even leads the squad Down Under at all.

•Igesund

KGI All African Junior Golf tourney debuts in Lagos will be staged in Lagos first ever Parent/Child

A

LL is now set for the fun packed 3rd KGI All African Junior Golf Tournament which kicks off April 13 through 17 2014. The event run by Kids Golf International in partnership with the golf section of Ikoyi Club 1938

for the first time as the two previous editions had been held at the IBB Golf and Country Club Abuja.

Players registration begins from 12noon on Saturday 12 April. The official opening ceremony holds at 12noon on Sunday the 13th with

War

Continues from BP “It seemed as if there was war, but honestly I want to assure you today that there is peace and no tension between the federation and coach Stephen Keshi.

“Keshi is an employee of the NFF and we are his employers. We have had a wonderful working relationship since Keshi was employed.”

Inyama, who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria National League (NNL), reiterated that the Federation have no plans to hire a foreign

technical adviser, as they have utmost confidence in the capability of Keshi.

“I want to use this platform to clarify that the Federation does not have any plans whatsoever to hire any other coach for the World Cup,” he assured.

“We have confidence in Stephen Keshi and we will support him to win.

We are focused on the World Cup and in two months’ time, we will go to Brazil and come back with a commendable result,” he added.

tournament to be played in Nigeria to kick off the official practice rounds.

The competitive rounds commence on April 14 and will be rounded off with a match featuring Nigerian players against their International counterparts on day 4, where the Nigerian team is the defending champion having won last year in Abuja.

As things stand there is already overwhelming speculation he will not be in charge past the end of his contract in June, making the matches against Australia in Sydney on 26 May and New Zealand in Auckland on 30 May his final two as coach.

L

EADING Telecom munication company and Premier League sponsor, Globacom, has said that the re-admission of Nembe City of Bayelsa and Giwa FC of Jos to the Nigerian Premier league is a good development that will add to the excitement of the League.

Both clubs were banned by the League Management Company (LMC) from participating in the elite league after they failed to meet the pre-requisite standards for participation. But they got a reprieve a fortnight ago after the LMC stamped their re-entry upon meeting the conditions set for their managements.

Champions League history to overcome such a first-leg deficit when Ba struck three minutes from time after fellow sub Andre Schurrle’s 32nd minute opener.

And Ba hit back at Mourinho who has repeatedly criticised his front men this season and bemoaned his lack of “ real strikers” last week after bagging the key goal.

•Amuneke

Ultimate Warrior dies at 54 T

HE Ultimate Warri or has died at the age of 54, WWE have confirmed.

The former wrestler, whose birth name was

Readmission of Giwa, Nembe’s City to NPL, good development — Glo

Mourinho Continues from BP spirit, even if we are not in the maximum of our potential.

“Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico, Bayern, Manchester United - it doesn’t matter.”

Chelsea trailed French champions PSG 3-1 after the first-leg in Paris last week.

But they became just the third side in

the coach.

“The reason we picked you amongst thousands is because we believe in you but it is now left for you to convince us that you can do the job” The former Nigerian international warned the players that they have an enormous task ahead of them.

He also added that they must take routine training sessions and friendly matches seriously.

Globacom said that the decision is “good for the development of football in Nigeria.”

“With the formal re-absorption of the two clubs in the league, the NPL will now have the full complement of the 20 clubs to guarantee a stiffer? competition among the clubs this season,” Globacom said on Tuesday in a statement in Lagos.

James Brian Hellwig, had appeared at WrestleMania 30 and Monday Night Raw, just before his death on Tuesday.

“WWE is shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one of the most iconic WWE Superstars ever, The Ultimate Warrior,” read a statement from the entertainment organisation.

“Warrior is survived by his wife Dana and his two daughters,” it added.

The cause of his death has not yet been revealed.

Other high profile names have posted messages of condolence on social media sites.

“Saddened to announce the passing of the Ultimate Warrior. Icon and friend.

Pistorius

Continues from BP

a mass of blood and human tissue on the back and upper parts.

Her eyes were closed.

‘It’s time that you look at it,’ Nel thundered indignantly on the first day of his crossexamination.

‘I remember,’ Pistorius said, becoming distraught and turning away from where the photo was shown on a TV screen next to him to audible gasps in the courtroom.

‘I don’t have to look at a picture. I was there.’

Pistorius, his voice rising and starting to sob, said his hands had touched her brain tissue

when he claims he tried to help her after the shooting Mr Nel had set the stage for a rigorous cross-examination by demanding that Pistorius openly say he killed his girlfriend, sharply challenging him when he said he made a ‘mistake.’

Mr Nel shouted: ‘You made a mistake? You killed a person, that’s what you did!

‘You shot and killed her, won’t you take responsibility for that?’

He asked Pistorius to say he ‘shot and killed her ’, but the amputee runner refused, replying merely: ‘I did.’

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 — 61

62 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 — 63

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 RESULTS Bayern Atletico Marid

3 1

Man United Barcelona

1 0

Mourinho hails Chelsea’s ‘special spirit’

J

War is over!

•NFF, Keshi resolve list issue E

MEKA Inyama says that there is no tension between the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi as all previous disagreements have been amicably resolved.

Inyama who is the Chairman of the NFF’s Media and Publicity Committee revealed that the issues that led the Federation to query Keshi have been amicably resolved after the tactician satisfactorily answered to the query.

“There have been very worrying issues between the Federation and the Super Eagles,” Inyama said.

Continues on Page 60

Ultimate Warrior

dies at 54 — Pg.60

OSE Mourinho h a i l e d Chelsea’s special spirit after they sensationally booked their place in the Champions League semi-final.

Demba Ba’s last-gasp goal against his boyhood club Paris Saint Germain sent Mourinho’s heroes through on away goals on a dramatic night at Stamford Bridge.

Blues boss Mourinho said: “A big opponent is waiting for us in the

•Mourinho semi-final, but I think it doesn’t matter who.

“They know we are a team with a special Continues on Page 60

‘You killed a person...take responsibility for that’

A

prosecutor demanded that Oscar Pistorius publicly ‘take responsibility’ for killing his girlfriend while telling him to look at a graphic image of the gunshot wound to Reeva Steenkamp’s head.

Gerrie Nel said Miss Steenkamp’s head ‘exploded’ when it was struck by one of four bullets that the doubleamputee runner fired through a closed toilet door in his home last

Late Ultimate Warrior

•Pistorius year.

The photograph showed a side view of the model’s head, with

Continues on Page 60

QUICK CROSSWORD

Sudoku TODAY'S

PUZZLE

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Jump (4) 4 Prohibit (3) 6 Tart (4) 8 Coin (6) 9 Refer (6) 10 Owned (3) 12 Sickened (5) 14 Decorate (5) 15 Peer (5) 18 Sofa (6) 20 Flask (6) 24 Old-fashioned (5) 26 Higher (5) 28 Command (5) 30 Ocean (3) 32 Disconnect (6) 33 Quiver (6) 34 Employed (4) 35 Silent (3) 36 Ballad (4)

DOWN 2 Boredom (5) 3 Gift (7) 4 Tub (4) 5 Peruse (4) 6 Compact (5) 7 Experience (7) 11 Boring-tool (3) 12 Donkey (3) 13 Rabbit (3) 16 Couch (3) 17 Newt (3) 19 State (7) 21 Shelter (3) 22 Speech (7) 23 Entrap (3) 25 Expert (3) 27 Antelope (5) 29 Diadem (5) 30 Bogus (4) 31 Particle (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Realm 7, Hated 8, Depot Vista 12, Lap 13, Rebut 15, Ensured Asleep 19, God 20, Deleted 23, Sent Dear 26, Dawled 30, Nil 31, Desire Chatted 37, Satin 38, Err 39, Refit Femur 41, Greese 42, Stand.

10, 17, 25, 34, 40,

DOWN: 1, Hades 2, Revue 3, Edited 4, Late 5, Deluded 6, Coped 9, Par 11, Angered 13, Raise 14, Blend 16, Sot 18, Peddler 21, Debit 22, Green 24, Tantrum 27, Wit 28, Design 29, Sheet 32, Sated 33, Rinse 35, Arm 36, Deft.

How to Play Sudoku

P

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

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

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

Printed and Published by VANGUARD MEDIA LIMITED, Vanguard Avenue, Kirikiri Canal, P.M.B.1007, Apapa. Phone: Newsroom: 018773962. Deputy Editor: 01-4548355. Advert Dept Hotline: 014544821; Abuja: 09-2341102, 09-2342704. E-mail: editor@vanguardngr.com, news@vanguardngr.com, letters@vanguardngr.com. Advert:advertproduction@yahoo.com Website: www.vanguardngr.com (ISSN 0794-652X) Editor: MIDENO BAYAGBON. Phone: 01-7742861, All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.