EFCC grills Soludo, ex-CBN gov, others

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61794

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ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

FG orders return of toxic ship to London

•PG 6

Political parties 'll lose identities to the mega party —Shekarau —P.10

Enebeli for •P.8 burial today

TOXIC—The e-waste-laden ship at the Tin-Can Port, Lagos yesterday. Inset: Some of the ship's content s being examined, yesterday.

EFCC grills Soludo, ex-CBN gov, others •Over printing of polymer currency notes •To be charged to court with other officials

HOMOSEXUALITY: Anglican bishops —P.16 threaten to break away from Church of England C M Y K

OYERINDE: Oshiomhole wants DIG, CP sacked ....Police won't victimise anybody — IG — P.7

BY SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL EDITOR, NORTH

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BUJA—FORMER Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Governor, Prof Charles Soludo, was yesterday arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Continues on page 5

Man docked for biting off journalist's ear —P.10

07059197616

LEAPING INTO THE DARK: The fears of 2014 and 2015 •P.47

DONU KOGBARA: •P. 17

Mr & Mrs

2 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

C M Y K

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013 — 3

C M Y K

4 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

C M Y K

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013—5

POCKET CARTOON

Soludo, others to be charged to court

POLICE CODE OF CONDUCT—Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar (R), presenting Dansanda Magazine to Vice President Namadi Sambo at the launch of Code of Conduct for officers and men of The Nigeria Police Force in Abuja, yesterday. With them is the Minister of Police Affairs, Retired Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade. Photo: NAN.

EFCC grills Soludo, ex-CBN gov, others Continues from page 1 Commission, EFCC. He was picked up from his Abuja residence, a source in EFCC confirmed to Vanguard.

There were strong indi-

cations last night that the ex-CBN Governor might be detained by the commission overnight.

Vanguard gathered that Soludo’s arrest was in connection with the controversial contract he awarded to an Australian firm for the printing

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

T

HE tilt of the wings decides life or death. Very instructive! Also to the extent that where you tilt your wings is likely to determine your direction and focus. Downward-Downcast; Upward-Up look, Upbeat. Set your wings in the direction of heaven, and may the One who sits enthroned there make the storm of your life propel you to higher realms of success.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

I

N suggesting ways on how to overcome con stricting values of the ego, Wayne Dyer wrote: “Your reputation is not located in you. It resides in the minds of others. Therefore, you have no control over it at all. If you speak to 30 people, you will have 30 reputations. Connecting to intention means listening to your heart and conducting yourself based on what your inner voice tells you is your purpose here.”

If you’re overly concerned with how you’re going to be perceived by everyone, then you’ve disconnected yourself from intention and allowed the opinions of others to guide you.

This is your ego at work. It’s an illusion that stands between you and the power of intention.

There’s nothing you can’t do, unless you disconnect from the power source and become convinced that your purpose is to prove to others how masterful and superior you are and spend your energy attempting to win a giant reputation among other egos.

Do what you do because your inner voice always connected to and grateful to your Source-so directs you. Stay on purpose, detach from outcome, and take responsibility for what does reside in you - Your character.

of polymer currency notes while he was governor of the CBN between 2006 and 2008.

He is in our custody — EFCC source EFCC source said: “We have Soludo in our custody and it is part of an ongoing investigation over his involvement in the award of contract and printing of polymer banknotes when he was the governor of the CBN.” The source said that no fewer than 12 other senior CBN and Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company officials, suspected to have been involved in the currency scam during Soludo’s tenure, had also been arrested and taken into the custody of the anti-graft agency.

Late President Umaru Yar ‘Adua with the former CBN governor launched the new N5, N10 and N50 polymer notes on September 30, 2009 at the Presidential Villa.

The circulation of the new bank notes coincided with Nigeria’s 49th Independence day celebration.

But there had been allegations of shady deals between some CBN officials and Securency International Pty of Aus-

tralia.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) had already probed the alleged N750million offered by Securency to win the contract.

Although the contract for the printing of N5, N10, N50 notes were awarded in April 2009, the bribery scandal involving Securency was allegedly perpetrated in 2006.

It was gathered that the commission had concluded arrangements to charge Soludo and the other suspects to court.

The source said: “As soon as the Commission concludes its ongoing investigations and we have enough evidence, Soludo and others will be charged to court to face prosecution.”

EFCC’s Acting Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the arrest of Soludo and others by the agents of the commission but refused to give details.

Vanguard, however, gathered authoritatively that Soludo’s arrest followed a strong petition

by a human rights group in May 2012, calling on the Commission to investigate the controversial contract awarded by the former CBN boss for the printing of polymer banknotes.

The group had alleged wrongdoing by Soludo and other Nigerian officials in the purported banknote printing and alerted the security agencies to arrest and prosecute all those involved in the multi-million Naira contract.

The petition had drawn the attention of the anti-corruption agencies to the fact that the firm that reportedly got the job from Soludo admitted paying some N750 million in bribes to some officials of the CBN between 2006 and 2008 in order to secure the contract to make polymer notes for Nigeria.

Nwabueze, Ibru, Akinrinade, others task Jonathan on corruption

BY DAPO AKINREFON

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AGOS—THE Patri ots, a group of eminent persons, yesterday, criticised President Goodluck Jonathan for the way he is handling high profile corruption cases in the country.

The group blamed the president for “failure to punish appropriately and promptly the few persons in high positions found guilty of corruption following due process of prosecution.”

The group also lamented the accelerating descent of the country towards becoming a failed state insisting that the president must convene a National Conference to address problems affecting the na-

tion.

Addressing newsmen in Lagos, yesterday, members of the group led by Professor Ben Nwabueze, Olorogun Felix Ibru, Gen Alani Akinrinade (rtd), Sir Olaniwu Ajayi, Chief Philip Asiodu, Otunba Bola Kuforiji-Olubi, Engr Chris Okoye, Chief Solomon Asemota, Sen Ben Obi, Mr Michael Orabator and Chief Ayo Adebanjo expressed worry over the alarming height corruption has attained in the country.

Prof Nwabueze noted the challenges threatening the country to include “all pervasive corruption, exhibition of insatiable greed and the pursuit of self-enrichment on the part of mem-

bers of the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary; the payment of outrageously inflated remuneration in salaries and allowances to political office holders in total disregard for our very low per-capita national income and of international norms and in the context of increasing pauperization of the people with 70 per cent of Nigerians living below the poverty line.”

He said to attain the positive revolution needed in the country “a president imbued with a revolutionary ardour for national transformation can in a matter of weeks begin to make the people notice a change in the purpose and pace of government.”

6—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

BY GODFREY BIVBERE & LAIDE AKINBOADE WITH AGENCY REPORT

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BUJA — THE Federal Government, yesterday, vowed to sanction heavily the e-waste ship that was arrested on Wednesday. I t also ordered that the toxic wastes laden containers on board the ship, MV Marivia Monrovia, be shipped back to the port of origin in the U.K. This came after security operatives at the Tin-Can Island Port concluded examination on the two offensive containers bearing the e-wastes.

Director-General of the National Environmental Standard and Regulatory Agency, NESRA, Dr. Ngeri Benebo, said sending the consignment back to the port of origin was in conformity with the provisions of Har mful Wastes Act, promulgated after the Koko waste saga.

“We are sending the ewastes back to the port of origin,” the director general said, adding that the agency was going to work according to Nigerian laws on the matter and do exactly what the laws said.

Benebo promised that the vessel owners would be heavily sanctioned in line with the laws of the land

How captain tried to deceive security agencies “The captain wanted to deceive Nigerians. When he realised that there was a red alert on the containers, he lied that the containers were not destined for Nigeria and that they were meant for another country, which was completely false.

“I conferred with the Comptroller General of Customs, who said that once it is manifested as Nigeria, the containers must be dropped and inspected in Nigeria.”

She said the inspection of the containers, as directed by the comptroller-general, was carried out by officials of the NPA, NIMASA, the Customs Service and other security agencies. Benebo said it was discovered that the containers were meant to be disposed off in Nigeria.

According to her, Nigeria will never be used as a dumping ground and "we will resist any attempt by any country to make Nigeria dumping ground.”

Benebo said her agency acted on a tip-off to track down the toxic contents.

Ship discharges other containers

When Vanguard got to

Berth Four of the port where the ship was anchored, M.V. Marevia was seen discharging its cargo while the two deadly containers were isolated from other containers.

On the outcome of their examination, the officials of the NESREA, who conducted the test on the items in the container kept sealed lips.

An NPA official said they did not know the outcome of the test as they were only there to observe what the NESREA team was doing.

The NPA official said NESREA team used their equipment to test the items and refused to disclose their findings.

From left: President Goodluck Jonathan; Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and Items in the containers Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State at the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governors'

In the two 40-footer containers were used fridges, used television sets, used micro-wave ovens, etc considered hazardous.

Public Relations Officer of Tin-Can Island Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Chris Osunkwo, said, yesterday, that they were unable to do the examination because all the agencies were not on ground.

Osunkwo said there was so much confusion as to the actual content of the containers but stressed that true details could only be got after the examination.

Several calls to the head of NESREA team at press time did not yield results, as she seemed to be ending a call each time her phone rang.

She also did not respond to text messages.

Assistant General Manager (AGM) in charge of Public Affairs of the NPA, Ileya Musa, said after the examination, what was discovered were used electronics and directed Vanguard to NESREA for details.

meeting with President Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday.

FG orders return of toxic ship to London zOrders re-shipping of offensive containers to country of origin zSecurity operatives conclude examination, keep mum also.

Past waste dumping incidents This is not the first attempt to dump toxic wastes in Nigeria. The first attempt was in 1988 when a shipment of over 3,500 tonnes of toxic wastes from Italy was imported to Koko Port, a coastal community in the old Bendel State, now Delta State.

Also, in October 2010, a vessel, MV Vera D, carrying three containers laden with toxic black and white television sets, was detained at the Tin-Can Port, Lagos. The toxicladen containers were sent back to the port of origin in the US. In December 2012, NESREA impounded four containers of used electronics described as “e-wastes” in Apapa Port.

I 'll continue to empower women —Jonathan

BY BEN AGANDE

ANLCA reacts Reacting to the development, National President of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu, said the incident is likely to trigger calls for a return of security agencies after they had been sent away so that goods could be cleared easily.

Shittu explained that these agencies including NESREA should relate with their international counterparts on intelligence gathering to ensure that such goods do not leave their ports of origin in the first place.

He advised that should any vessel flouts the directive, the crew should be arrested and prosecuted, adding that any shipping company that aids the importation of such cargoes should be charged

In April 2010, the NCS arrested and detained a Maersk Line vessel, MV Nashiville, laden with toxic wastes (lead batteries classified as Basel code A1180 and broken televisions).

In June 2010, NCS also arrested and detained a ship, MV Gumel, in Lagos port for bringing eight containers with materials suspected to be toxic wastes.

A

BUJA — PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan pledged, yesterday that until the expiration of his tenure, he would continue to work towards the economic and political empowerment of Nigerian women.

He said his administration would do more to ensure that women were given greater access to elective offices and opportunity for wealth creation.

Speaking at a meeting, and upon commendation by the United Nations UnderSecretary and Executive Director of UN Women, Ms. Michelle Bachelet, for appointing women to very important positions in the Federal Government, President Jonathan said he was determined to take

women empowerment a step further by encouraging more women to contest in future elections in the country.

“We have done very well in terms of appointments and placement of women in positions of authority and we are still working on achieving a greater representation of women in elective offices. Let me assure you that we are committed to facilitating more successes by women in our next elections,” President Jonathan told Ms. Bachelet who is on an official visit to Nigeria.

Jonathan also assured Bachelet, who was the first female President of Chile, that the Federal Government remained fully committed to ensuring that Nigeria attains the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, by 2015.

Reaffirming his personal commitment to the accelerated reduction of maternal and infant mortality, the President said he had directed that a comprehensive status report on Nigeria’s current standing on the achievement of the MDGs be produced with a view to identifying urgent actions that need to be taken to move the country rapidly towards their attainment.

Bachelet who was in the company of Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Prof. Joy Ogwu, recommended and endorsed the establishment of a Sovereign Wealth Fund by Nigeria, she related that from experience as a former President of her country, she had learnt that savings and investments made under such funds were very crucial for countries that rely on extractive industries.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013—7

By KINGSLEY OMONOBI

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BUJA — GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State and the Police were, yesterday, locked in a battle of words over the alleged shabby investigation into the murder of his private secretary, Olaitan Oyerinde.

While the governor called for the sack of the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Force Criminal Investigations Department, Peter Gana, for a shoddy job, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, said it was only the court that could determine the case, as it was already before the court.

The governor, who spoke while delivering a keynote address at the inauguration of a ‘Code of Conduct for officers and men of Nigeria Police, noted that the Deputy Commissioner of Police who was sent to investigate the case should ordinarily not be wearing a police uniform.

He called on President Goodluck Jonathan to intervene in the matter, and condemned the AIG for arresting and detaining an innocent human rights activist, rather than going after the culprits who were eventually arrested by the State Security Service, SSS.

Mr IG, I am aggrieved His words: “Mr. IG, I must say I am aggrieved. I am aggrieved over the murder of my private secretary and the way the investigation was trivialized. I am saying this knowing that the Vice President is here representing Mr. President.

“My secretary was murdered in cold blood and you dispatched a DIG to supervise that investigation. A DIG is a sufficiently senior officer, next in rank to the IGP. “They came to Benin and did what Fela (Ransome-Kuti) would have called police magic. In the end, they went for a civil rights activist and charged him with the offence of murder.”

The governor alleged that the DIG conspired with other officers involved in the investigation to shield the killers of Oyerinde, noting that for this ignoble act, they were no longer fit to wear police uniform.

“The DIG Force CID has a case to answer... in which case he cannot wear his police uniform.

He must be dismissed. The Deputy Commissioner of Police that he used, who claimed that they have done a thorough job, has no business wearing police uniform.

“The weapon that was used for the murder was used for armed robbery earlier, recovered by the police and under police custody at the time my secretary was

murdered.

“So, the man who murdered my secretary was in police custody, the gun used was in police custody and these are the findings of the police.

“The only conclusion that can be reached is that the police ordered the murder of my private secretary. The officer wrote this in black and white.

“I ask you (IG) to read it. He wrote that he has done a thorough job under a very skillful DIG in charge of Force CID and the sky is their limit.

And I am asking the Vice President to report to the President that if they do not find the killers of Olaitan, he can’t expect the people of Edo State and all those who know Olaitan, to have confidence in the security agencies.

“I feel terrible that as a governor, I can’t get justice. If I can't get justice, then an average Nigerian cannot expect justice and we can’t have justice if we can’t tell the truth.”

Culture of impunity Oshiomhole lamented that one of the problems of the Nigerian state, including the police, was the culture of impunity where people did things wrongly and got away with it.

He said: “This country cannot be reduced to a banana republic,” adding that when stick and carrot were appropriately applied, the message of discipline would be clear to all.

“One of the problems of the Nigerian state, including the police, and even in the civil service, is the culture of impunity that people do things and get away it.”

The governor explained that “sometime ago, in Edo State; let me be specific, a policeman manned an illegal road block contrary to the orders of the IG. “Members of the public complained and the fact of illegal roadblock was established. It was discovered that a soldier was recruited

From left: Minister of Women Affairs, Zenabi Maina; former Chilean President and Executive Director of United Nations, UN, Women, Mrs. Michelle Bachelet and Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal during a visit of UN women to National Assembly, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

OYERINDE: Oshiomole calls for DIG, CP's sack zPolice 'll not victimize any Nigerian during my tenure —IG illegally by an ASP to man this illegal road block and was extorting money.

“In my view, that borders on armed robbery because the man carries arms; without the arms, he cannot subdue the road user to part with his money.

“If you take money with the aid of arms, you are an armed robber. Having arrested the soldier, the army proceeded to do what a responsible force should do, dismissed the soldier.

“But IG, you will be shocked to know and this is not an incident of 10 years ago, that your men in Benin, decided to shield this officer and recently, I learnt that one of them was even promoted.

“While the military dismissed the soldier, the police promoted their own.

How can you have discipline in such an environment? I will plead that you order the dismissal of those policemen today.

“When we begin to apply the stick and carrot appropriately, the message of discipline will be clear.

“The SSS paraded those who killed Olaitan, and I believed that they are the ones who killed him but the DIG from Force CID, working with another junior officer, conspired to shield the actual murderers, parading an innocent civil rights activist, detained for two months without trial in clear

disobedience of court order.”

Police 'll not victimise any Nigerian—IG However, the Inspector General of Police, while commenting on the issue, told the governor that the Police under his leadership would not be allowed to victimize any Nigerian, promising that the observations of the governor would be looked into.

He added that the final arbiter of the matter was the court of law, saying though the matter was investigated, it was the court that would determine the case.

“The case is before a trial judge.

It is not the duty of the Police to try the case. But I assure you we will do what is right in the matter,” Abubakar said.

AFC secures N8bn loan to fund infrastructure devt

BY MICHAEL EBOH

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AGOS — NIGERIANBASED Africa Finance Corporation, AFC, has secured a N8 billion (US$50 million) bilateral loan facility from Rand Merchant Bank, RMB, to finance critical infrastructural projects in Nigeria and across the African continent.

According to a statement by the AFC, the facility will further enhance its medium term funding programme Commenting on the deal, Mr. Andrew Alli, President and Chief Executive Officer, AFC, said the African-led financial institution was continuously leveraging its

balance sheet to fund further investments in the development of critical infrastructure in the power, natural resources, transport, heavy industry and telecommunications sectors across Africa.

He said: “This bilateral facility further consolidates AFC’s international borrowing strategy, and demonstrates the institution’s growing capacity to raise finance competitively, for infrastructure projects within Africa.”

Also, Rob Hamer, Co-Head, RMB Investment Banking, said: “By concluding this mutually beneficial US dollar term loan facility to AFC, RMB has

successfully implemented its strategy to expand its services into Africa and become a leading financier of African infrastructure, trade and development banks. ”RMB looks forward to an ongoing partnership and cooperation with AFC across the African continent.”

AFC was established in 2007 to improve African economies by proactively developing and financing infrastructure, industrial and financial assets.

Alli said AFC was involved as a developer and financier of various infrastructure projects, adding that the additional borrowing in the international loan markets adds to the

financing that AFC has already completed with development finance and other commercial institutions and consolidates its position as a destination for cross border financing in Africa.

RMB, on the other hand, is the investment banking arm of FirstRand Bank Limited.

The FirstRand Group is the largest listed banking group (by market capitalisation) on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, having geographical footprint across 35 African countries, the UK, India, China, and the Middle East and offers advisory, funding, trading, private wealth management and principal investing solutions.

8—Vanguard , FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

Defence minister seeks FG's support for HIV vulnerable children

BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI

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CTING Minister of De fence, Erelu Olusola Obada yesterday regretted that the HIV epidemic has made many children orphans, pointing out that such vulnerable children must be protected and catered for by the government.

Inaugurating Board of Trustees for Ministry of Defence and United States Department of Defence HIV programme orphanage vulnerable children, she said, “the HIV epidemic is having a devastating impact on the social, economic, demographic structure of our nation with its full impact being on individuals and families.

“It has therefore become a major challenge to enlarge the current safety net in providing support to these unfortunate and vulnerable children and create an enabling environment which protects the rights of OVC and ensures that they can attain their maximum potential in life”.

Reps to promote bill on violence against women

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BUJA—HOUSE of Rep resentatives is currently working on a bill to promote equal opportunity and eliminate discrimination and violence against women.

This was disclosed yesterday by the Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal during a visit by Mrs Michelle Machelet, UN Under Secretary- General for entity, gender equality and empowerment of w o m e n .

He further said that the ongoing constitution amendment would address issues relating to women, especially as it has to do with elective p o s i t i o n s .

The speaker enjoined women groups to sensitise the public on women participation in politics.

He lauded the contributions of women to development in the past years.

He also stressed that the House as an institution has always been gender sensit i v e .

PIB, subsidy probe, Dana crash, others top senate's agenda on resumption

BY HENRY UMORU & JOSEPH ERUNKE

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BUJA—THE controversial Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, subsidy probe, report on Dana crash and allied aircraft, among others will form issues to be deliberated on when the Senate resumes on Tuesday, January 15.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Solomon Ita Enang, told newsmen yesterday that other issues that will come up are the 2013 budget for the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, National Minimum Standards Establishment of Institutions Act Bill, 2012, Federal Universities of Agriculture Act (Amendment) Bill 2012; University of Lagos Act (amendment) Bill 2012.

Others are Federal Universities of “Technology Act (“amendment) Bill, 2012, Public Procurement Act No. 14 2004 Amendment Bill, 2012, Crimes Against Humanity, War Crimes, Genocide and Related Offences Bill, 2012, Nigeria Police Reform Trust Fund Bill, 2012, National Economic Intelligence Committee Act (Repeal) Bill 2012, FCT Appropriation Bill as well as NDDC 2013 Appropriation.”

On achievements of the Senate during last session, Senator

Enang said 163, including 25 executive bills were presented and considered by the Senate.

He, however, said 32 bills scaled second reading and were referred to relevant committees while five were passed, including 2013 Appropriation Bill, Na-

tional Automotive Council Act (Repeal) and Re-enactment Bill 2012, Terrorism Act (Amendment) Bill 2012, as well as Prisons Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2012.

Enang, who declined comment on insinuations that the Senate

was under pressure to kill the Bill, however maintained that it would be considered as soon as the Senate reconvenes, adding, “You will see it in the notice paper when we publish it. A bill sees the light of day when it is listed on the floor of the Senate to be considered.

From left: All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, Women's Leader, Hajia Ramatu Tijjani; National Vice Chairman, South West, Alhaji Yemi Sanusi and Chairman, Committee on National Rebuilding and Inter-Party Contact on ANPP merger plan, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau at a meeting in Ibadan, yesterday.

Nollywood veteran actor, Enebeli Elebuwa, for burial today which required extensive hospital stays in the country before he was finally flown to India, where he gave up the ghost.

His remains arrived at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, on December 15, 2012 and was received by the children and few members of the family.

Elebuwa was well known for the role he played as Andrew in a campaign by the Federal Government in the 1980s to discourage Nigerians from fleeing the country.

BY BENJAMIN NJOKU

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HE remains of late Nollywood actor, Enebeli Elebuwa who died last December, in New Delhi, India, will be laid to rest today at the Victoria Court Cemetery, Ajah, Lagos.

Elebuwa’s final journey began on Wednesday with a candle light procession and Night of Tribute, organised by the Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN, at the celebrity hangout, O’jez, National Stadium, Surulere.

At the candle light procession, which kicked off from Masha roundabout, in Surulere and terminated at the National Stadium, Elebuwa’s colleagues in the movie industry paid their last respect to him.

A wake-keep was held in his honour yesterday at NTA Channel 10 ground, Tejuosho, Yaba. It was attended by the cream of society.

The Requiem Mass holds this morning at St Michael’s Catholic Church, while internment follows immediately at Victoria Court Cemetery, Ajah.

There will be thanksgiving service at Michael’s Catholic Church, Lafiaji, Lagos.

Elebuwa died after suffering from several health challenges

Auto crash: Kano Police grant bail to Gov Sule Lamido's eldest son

BY ABDULSALAM MOHAMMED

K

ANO—KANO police com mand has released on bail, Aminu Sule, the eldest son of Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido detained in connection with fatal auto crash that claimed the life of a middle-aged man in Kano on Wednesday.

The release by the police came on the heel of unconfirmed report that the parents of the victim of the auto-crash has been coarse to drop legal procedure against Aminu Sule amidst juicy promis-

es to settle out of court.

Aminu Sule's SUV spot car was alleged to have crushed to death a middle-aged man along BUK road by Rumfa College Kano around on Wednesday evening and was arrested on the scene by security agents.

Aminu Sule detention by the police in Kano came barely a month after operatives of Economic and Finance Crime Commission, EFCC, arrested him at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport over an alleged money laundering.

The Police Public Relation Officer, Kano police command, ASP Magaji Musa Majia told newsmen in Kano that the case has been referred to the Director of Public Prosecution for appropriate action, adding that “investigation is on-going to establish a case against him”.

ASP Magaji Musa Majia stated that “we are holding onto Aminu Sule SUV spot car to facilitate our investigation”, maintaining that the police is doing its best to allow the rule of law take its full course on the matter.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013—9

Driver killed

by LASTMA officials buried

BY ONOZURE DANIA

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Eight newly appointed Ekiti State Permanent Secretaries taking Oath of Office, at the Adetiloye Hall, Ado-Ekiti, yesterday.

Fashola blames MRS fire disaster on FG ...wants tank farms out of residential areas

BY MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

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AGOS — Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, yesterday, blamed the Federal Government for the fire disaster at MRS tank farm, Tin Can Island, Lagos on Wednesday, saying, “the disaster shows that the country ’s oil and port management are still in their

amateur stage.”

This came as the governor called on the Federal Government to immediately remove all tank farms sited in residential areas across the state.

It will be recalled that a petrol barge belonging to the company caught fire and exploded injuring over four persons in the process.

Fashola, who spoke after

inspecting the extent of damage caused by the fire at the farm, said: “It is important also to understand that there are different levels of responsibility here.

"The whole of the maritime safety, fuel management, fuel importation, port management and all of that are clearly responsibilities that do not belong to our government.

Court revokes bail granted Speaker's PA

BY INNOCENT ANABA

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AGOS —A Lagos State High Court sitting in Igbosere, yesterday, revoked the bail granted the Personal Assistant to Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Oyebode Atoyebi, by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Ayotunde Phillips.

Trial judge, Justice D.O Oluwayemi also ordered that he be remanded in the custody of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The remand order followed the delay in the arraignment of Atoyebi and two others arrested by EFCC over a N1.5billion scam.

EFCC took Mr. Olayinka Sanni, a former manager with Intercontinental Bank Plc (now Access Bank); Mr. Oyebode Atoyebi and a company, Sidaw Ventures before Justice Oluwayemi for arraignment on an eight count charge of conspiracy, stealing and forgery amounting to about N1.5billion.

But the arraignment could not go on because of the

denial of ownership of Sidaw Ventures by Sanni and Atoyebi.

EFCC counsel, at the hearing in the matter, told the court that the denial of ownership of Sidaw Ventures

by Sanni and Atoyebi should be looked into because it was the instrument used by them to steal the money necessitating their arraignment.

The Commission drew the

attention of the court to the fact that the photograph and telephone number of Sanni were on the mandate of the account of Sidaw Ventures.

Counsel to Atoyebi, objected to the issue raised by EFCC, contending that it was premature.

He argued that the defendants should be arraigned, despite the denial of the ownership of Sidaw Ventures.

"They belong to the central government and I want to think that we can do better than this amateurish standard.”

He lamented that the place was not designed for fuel discharge, “but we have converted it through the issuance of all sorts of permits by regulatory agencies, Directorate of Petroleum Resources, DPR, Pipeline Products Marketing Company, PPMC, and all of those people.

"All of these were part of the private jetties when the Tin Can Island was built up to Ibafo. And because the old Apapa became inadequate, the central government decided to convert it. This clearly shows that there was no plan for the future.

“Now we are doing it right in the middle of a residential area which is hazardous to the health of the residents."

AGOS — THE remains of 54 year old commercial bus driver Isaac Popoola, allegedly killed by officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, at Brown Busstop in Oshodi area of Lagos, was yesterday buried amid lamentation by sympathisers.

Late Popoola was killed on December 24, 2012, around 6.30 a.m.

Popoola, owner and driver of a bus with registration number XL166 SMK, was allegedly beaten to death by seven LASTMA officials, including Adesanya Olatunde and Ogunride Oludele.

Though Adesanya Olatunde, has since been arrested, Oludele who was said to be offduty at the time of the incident, is still at large.

Speaking at the burial ceremony, the first son of the late danfo driver, Ibunkunoluwa Popoola, said since the incident, the family had not received emissary, call or condolence from Lagos State government or its agencies.

According to him, “I feel very bad and I describe the incident as ungodly. If the governor is very busy and can’t come, he would have at least, sent somebody to come and pay us a condolence visit, to show my father last respects. I feel very disappointed and I feel disgraced as a Nigerian."

Funeral

Ebute-Metta: Burnt structures need new building approvals —Fashola

BY MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

L AGOS

— L AGOS State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, SAN, yesterday said owners of structures razed in Market Street, Ebutte-Metta, Yaba Local Government would not be allowed to rebuild their structures until they got genuine building approvals.

Night fire had on Tuesday razed over 50 structures and displaced about 3, 500

residents of the area.

The governor, after inspecting the damage caused by the Tuesday inferno, said “This is the beginning of our separation plan which is to demarcate the traders from the residents.

“It is time for everyone to begin to move their property away from this place and relocate to the new accommodation provided by the government in Ikosi axis of the state. We have also

included over 3,000 houses along with the new location.

"All these would be delivered very soon. The place is well constructed with all the necessary amenities.

We cannot allow you to rebuild here until we clear this place out. And no one would be allowed to rebuild his stall without acquiring a genuine town planning approval from the state Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.”

Late Disu Okelola CHIEF DISU Okelola, aged 90, will be laid to rest Saturday, January 12, 2013.

According to Leadi Disu, son, the final burial ceremony, would start at 10a.m., same day, at the family residence, Okelola House, Akinmorin/wemi Akinsola, Ondo State

10—Vanguard , FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

Lawyer arraigned for murder

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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KURE —POLICE in Ondo State yesterday docked a legal practitioner, Busayo Oroyo, before a Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Akure over alleged murder of a 25 years old man, Orioye Oyetakin.

Oroyo was alleged to have conspired with other persons now at large to kill Oyetakin, who is the son of the Olikan of Etikan-elect, Adeleke Oyetakin.

He was charged with a three-count charge that "he alongside others on December 27, 2012 conspired to commit felony to wit murder of Oyetakin in Ode-Etikan, Ilaje Local Government Area of the state."

Man docked for biting off journalist's ear

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA—THE Ogun Police, yesterday, arraigned a 50-year-old man, Alao Akala before an Abeokuta Magistrates’ Court for allegedly biting off the left ear of a journalist, Saheed Ganiyu.

Ganiyu's ear was bitten off when he was investigating the background of late political god-father of Kwara

politics, Dr. Olusola Saraki.

Another journalist, Rasaki Olayiwola was also reportedly hit on the head with a camcorder stand by the accused.

Police Prosecutor, Sunday Eiagbejiale told the court that the accused committed the offence on January 3, 2013 at Ago-Ika in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Eiagbejiale told Magistrate Matins Akinyemi that the

accused attacked the two journalists who were carrying out their lawful duties without just cause.

He said “ Akala attacked the journalists when they were on a research mission into the background and origin of late Saraki who was reported to have claimed to be from Abeokuta.

"Akala bit off Ganiyu’s left ear, causing grievous harm and hit Olayiwola on the

head with a camcorder stand. `"It will interest this court to know that the journalists were in Abeokuta from Ilorin to research the claim that Chief Olusola Saraki was from this town.

"As an indigene, I was giving them the lowdown of how the late Saraki was related to Abeokuta, when the accused came mid-way into the interview, broke the camera and turned the venue upside down.”

The prosecutor added that the

Fayemi defends dissolution of cabinet

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

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DO EKITI — G O V E R N O R Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, yesterday defended Wednesday’s sack of his commissioners and special advisers, saying the motive was to review and re-invigorate his administration for the greater task ahead Fayemi who spoke in Ado Ekiti during the swearing-in ceremony of newly appointed permanent secretaries, used the opportunity to clear the air on the wrong notion that something was wrong with the government The governor who likened the dissolution to the strategic approach of a coach in a football match, said the coach, at half-time can choose to reorganise the team, bring in some substitutes to replace those who appear to be tired and change the positions of some players for better result The newly sworn-in Permanent Secretaries include popular broadcaster, Mr. Kola Ajumobi, Dr. Joseph Adeyemo, Mr. Bamidele Agbede, Dr. Olufolakemi Olomojobi, Mr. Olusesan Alabi, Engr.

Abegunde Ebenezer, Mr. Owoseeni Adeyemi, and Mrs. Olufunke Falodun.

Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Ogun State Governor, (left), being decorated with the 2013 Armed Forces Remembrance Day emblem by the Ogun State Chairman of the Nigerian Legion, Comrade Samuel Olaosebikan, at the Arcade Memorial Ground, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, yesterday. With them(middle) is the Commandant, 32 Field Artillery Brigade, Alamala, Col. E.E. John.

accused also “maliciously damaged” the journalists’ camcorder valued at N300,000.

The prosecutor said the offence contravened Sections 355, 335 and 451 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun, 2006.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of assault and unlawful damage.

Akala, who was not represented by any counsel, pleaded that he thougth the journalists were prospective buyers invited to inspect his family property where the incident took place.

Magistrate Akinyemi granted bail to the accused in the sum of N140,000 with two sureties in like sum and adjourned further hearing to March 3.

Political parties 'll lose identities to the mega party —Shekarau OLA AJAYI

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BADAN —THE presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, in the 2011 elections, Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau, has said parties in the on-going merger talks will lose their identities and assume a new name.

He expressed optimism that the talks among the Congress for Progressive Change, Action Congress of Nigeria, Action Congress of Nigeria and ANPP would be successful at the end of the day.

Alhaji Shekarau spoke, yesterday in Ibadan, during a meeting with members of the party in the South-West.

He argued that unlike in the past when merger talks failed, there were assurances that this one would work.

The former Governor of Kano State said a new constitution would be drafted which the parties would use.

He explained many Nigerians that the talks were not against the ruling

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, saying, “This idea is not about merging to dislodge the PDP, but to provide good governance. We just don’t want to dislodge the PDP; it is about its policies and programmes.”

He alluded to the tenure of ormer President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, saying,

he introduced the National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy, NEEDS, and forced states to adopt it but it was shelved by Yar'Adu’a and he started Seven-point Agenda.

“Again, Jonathan, who is also a PDP member jettisoned that and introduced the

Transformation Agenda.

"The merger is about dislodging people who do not understand Nigeria, people who are inconsistent and people who run disjointed programmes and policies. So, it is going to be a new party, new programmes and a new identity. It is a serious matter. We will agree on a common focus.”

Shekarau said.

Fire disaster: Amosun condoles Alaafin, others

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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B E O K U T A — G O V E R N O R Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, yesterday condoled with the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, over Tuesday inferno that gutted his palace.

He equally commiserated with the residents of Plank Village in Ebute-Metta, Lagos, where a ravaging fire displaced over 3,000 persons and other victims of fire disasters across the country.

In a release by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mrs. Funmi Wakama, Governor Amosun described

the fire incidents as "unfortunate and lamentable."

He said “the fire incident at the palace of the Alaafin of Oyo is most unfortunate.

Valuable property, including cultural artifacts were destroyed. I am with my brother governor, Abiola Ajimobi and the people of Oyo State in lamenting this tragedy.

"But, we still have to thank God that nobody was injured and no life was lost in the inferno.”

Amosun expressed the Yoruba belief that from the ashes of the current palace, a monument would emerge.

While sympathising with residents of Plank Village and other victims of fire disasters across the country, the governor called for vigilance and respect for town planning laws in erecting structures for private or commercial purposes.

“Citizens should also be wary of bush burning during this harmattan period to avoid untoward consequences,” the governor said.

He called on disasters’ management agencies such as the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to bring succour to the affected Nigerians without delay.

Vanguard, FRIDAY FRIDAY,, JANUARY 11, 2013—11

Nigeria’ll soon get broke —Ozekhome zCalls for scrapping of House of Reps

BY JIMITOTAONOYUME

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BUJA—A SEN IOR Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Ozekhome, has predicted that the country may soon get broke and witness crisis going by the way a huge percentage of the national budget was spent on the National Assembly.

Chief Ozekhome, in an interview during the two-day summit on national security jointly organised by Vanguard Newspapers and the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja, noted that less than one per cent of the populace go home with the larger part of the entire wealth meant for the over 160 million Nigerians.

He said that the country does not need a bicameral legislature as it had become too expensive to the detriment of the masses, adding that there was no need to have the House of Representatives.

“Less than one percent of the populace is eating the entire wealth meant for over 156. 5 million people and that is why Nigeria is not de-

52 new oil-producing communities emerge in Delta

BY EMMA AMAIZE

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ARRI—NO fewer than 52 new oil-producing communities in Ika and Aniocha Local Government Areas in Delta North Senatorial District of Delta State have visited the leadership of Oil and Gas Producing Communities of Nigeria in Warri to identify with the organistion.

The delegation was received by a prominent SouthSouth leader, Chief F. Okpozo and former chairman of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Chief Wellington Okirika, who expressed appreciation to the oil communities for the visit.

The delegation was led by 10 traditional rulers, chiefs, women and youths from the communities, including, Akumazi, Umunede, Uteokpu, Ute-erume, Ute-Ogbeje, Ekuku-Agbor, Nsukwa, Olodu, Ewuru, Idumuesah and Ejeme.

Spokesperson for the delegation, Mr. Okafor Wallace, commended Okpozo and Okirika for their commitment.

veloping. When you use 85 percent of your national budget on recurrent expenditure rather than on capital project, and most of the money is channelled to massage the egos of people in power? “What is the business of a minister moving around in a convey of12 to 15 cars? In America, they are called Secretaries, and they drive themselves.

“Here in Nigeria, when a Senator is moving, he goes with siren and no fewer than 15 vehi-

cles. That is why I continue to recommend that Nigeria is saddled with bicameral legislature that is not necessary. We need a unicameral legislature.

“In National Assembly, we don’t have business with the House of Representatives of 360 members. We have 109 senators, what are they doing? I believe that two to three representatives from a state should be adopted because a lot of the national budget goes down the drain in maintaining the National Assem-

bly with each legislature taking home nothing less than N10 to N15 million every month.

“Multiply that by 109 and 360, that is about 469. So you find out that we are always spending more than our budget and that is why we are getting to a stage, where we may be broke, the synopsis and the prognosis are that Nigeria may be broke and when Nigeria is broke, there will be trouble because it will affect not only Nigeria but the entire West African and African regions.”

Traders carrying their tables out from Slaughter Market in Trans-Amadi, after they were banned from selling along the road in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke.

Airhiavbere vs Oshiomhole: Edo guber petition tribunal reserves judgment

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—EDO State Gov ernorship Election Petition Tribunal, yesterday, concluded hearing in the petition by Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate in the July 14, 2012, governorship election, Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (rtd), against the re-election of Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

Airhiavbere had approached the tribunal, challenging the educational qualification of Oshiomhole and alleging irregularities in the July 14, 2012 gover-

norship poll.

Adopting their written addresses, counsel to Oshiomhole, Mr. Adeniyi Akintola, SAN, argued that “it is crystal clear now that the petitioner had abandoned his claim as nothing was said about corruption or malpractices, which were the basis of his petition in their adopted of written address. Even the conclusion did not contain any corruption and non-compliance with the Electoral Act and they threw their eggs in one basket by bringing in only certificate qualification, which is to be decided by the

Supreme Court.”

But countering his contention, counsel to Airhiavbere, Mr. Efe Akpofure, SAN, disagreed, noting that the Court of Appeal had already made the issue of Oshiomhole’s certificate as part of issues to be determined by the tribunal, adding that their adopted written address contain details of their petition.

However, chairman of the tribunal, Justice Muazu Pindiga, after the adoption of written addresses reserved ruling till a later date.

Kidnapping: Delta Police caution okada riders in Sapele

BY GODWIN OGHRE

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APELE—THE Police in Sapele, Delta State, yesterday, cautioned motorcycle riders, commonly called Okada, who were taking advantage of non-banning of Okada in the area to perpetrate criminal activities, particularly kidnapping, that henceforth, the force will double its crime detecting techniques, with a view to fishing out all criminals pretending to be Okada riders in the area.

The Divisional Police Office of Sapele Police Divisional Headquarters, Mr. Kenneth Akubue, who gave the warning in Sapele, on the rising cases of kidnappings by motorcycle riders in the area, said henceforth, the force will begin thorough check and verify genuine Okada riders in the area with a view to fishing out the criminals among them.

Akubue lamented cases where school children, whose parents had requested certain commercial motor cyclists to

take them to school or different destinations, were diverted and kidnapped by unscrupulous motor bike riders, for the purpose of ransom or for rituals.

He said: “The trend must stop, the police will try its best to ensure that school children are safe in this area. Persons who kidnap children using motor cycles must stop and we will ensure that no stone is left unturned to restore sanity to Sapele and its environs.”

DESOPADEC set up to create jobs —Obiuwevbi

BY FESTUS AHON

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GHELLI—COM MISSIONER representing Ughelli North/ Ethiope East Local Government Areas on the board of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Commission, DESOPADEC, Chief Ominimini Obiuwevbi, yesterday, said it was the responsibility of the commission to create jobs for the unemployed youths through the industrialization of oil bearing communities.

Obiuwevbi, who spoke when the National Union of Urhobo Students and Women’s wing of Host Communities, Oil and Gas, HOSTCOM, Delta Central, paid him a courtesy visit, expressed the resolve of the commission to make life more meaningful for oil producing communities.

Saying that the commission was committed to the welfare of women in the state, he urged the women not to relent in their support for the administration of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan.

Micro-finance bank nets N11.5m profit

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HE Central Bank of Nigeria’s revitalisation of micro-finance banks nationwide is gradually yielding result as the Aniocha Micro-finance Bank Limited in Issele-Uku, Delta State, recently announced a profit before taxation of N11.5 million for the 2011 fiscal year.

The Company Secretary, Mr. Cyprian Echemunor, who made this disclosure on behalf of the board chairman during the bank’s Annual General Meeting, AGM, at Issele-Uku, said that in the year under-review, the bank recorded a net operating income of N38,968,439 compared with N33.3 million obtained in the preceding year.

According to him, a breakdown of the figure shows an increase of 16 per cent, while the operating expenses fell marginally from N24,170,411.00, a decrease of 5.0 per cent.

12—Vanguard, FRIDAY FRIDAY,, JANUARY 11, 2013

Uduaghan vows to pull down buildings without valid permit

NPHCDA distributes 33m vaccines to 36 states

By PROVIDENCE OBUH

M

ORE than 33 million doses of vaccines and 20 million units of injection materials are now being distributed to the 36 states of the federation and FCT, Abuja, by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, the Executive Director of the agency Dr. Ado Muhammad has said.

NPHCDA’s Assistant Director in charge of Media, Mr Saadu Salahu who made this known in statement yesterday, said this was in fullfilment of President Goodluck Jonathan’s commitment for a sustained routine immunization for an improved maternal and child health delivery in the country.

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

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SABA—HENCE FORTH, any building commenced in any part of Delta State without a valid building permit from relevant organs of government will be pulled down without notice, the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has warned.

The order, according to him, takes immediate effect.

The governor similarly warned that any government official found wanting in the issuance of building permit would be sanctioned, adding that issuance of Certificate of Occupancy, C of O, should not exceed two months.

Governor Uduaghan, during the State Economic Dashboard meeting, said these were part of measures to sanitize the system, lamenting that indiscriminate erection of buildings without valid

Don’t pay 13% derivation directly to oil communities, families warn

BY EMMA AMAIZE

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A R R I — A S S O CIATION of Families of Oil and Gas Producing Communities, ASFOGAPCOM, yesterday, in Warri, Delta State, warned that in order to avoid crisis, neither the 13 per cent derivation fund nor the proposed 10 per cent, advocated for oilbearing communities in the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, should be paid directly to the host communities, without the landowners.

Addressing reporters in Ekpan, on issues affecting oil and gas landowners in the Niger Delta, President of the group, Mr. Joseph Abinogun, said: “Recently, some groups have been agitating for the

permits was responsible for the uncontrolled urbanization, flooding and sanitation challenges faced in most towns and cities across the

A

FEDERAL High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, dismissed the suit by Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria, NPAN, contending powers of Advertisers Practitioners Council of Nigeria, APCON, as captured in Articles 21 and 137(a) of the Nigerian Code of Advertising Practice and Sales Promotion, seeking to vet the advertisement of media houses. Dismissing the suit, trial judge, Justice Musa Kurya, said that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter, adding “the plaintiff failed to bring this action properly.

The respondents/applicants preliminary objection succeeds. The court lacks jurisdiction to entertain this ac-

pulled down. An approval must be obtained from the Ministry of Lands before the construction of any building is commenced.”

STAFF OF OFFICE: Delta State Deputy Governor, Prof. Amos Utuama (left), presenting the staff of office to the traditional ruler of Agbarho Kingdom in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, His Royal Majesty Adjerhore Onome Okpalefe III, at the Osuivie Palace in Agbarho.

stoppage of payment of the 13 per cent derivation fund to governments of oil producing states on the ground that the fund was exclusively meant for oil and gas producing communities and should be paid to them only. “For pecuniary reasons, community leaders in the region are already salivating in anticipation of the billions of naira that would accrue to host communities from the 10 per cent Petroleum Host Community, PHC, fund by the Federal Government. This has further fuelled avarice of many community leaders who now consider oil and gas landowners a threat to their ambition and an opposition that must be crushed or muffled at all costs.

Court dismisses NPAN suit over advert rights ••NPAN to appeal

By BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

state.

He said: “Beginning from now, if a building is started without a building approval or permit, the building will be

tion and it is hereby dismissed.”

Justice Kurya pointed out that the action should not have come in a representative capacity without the plaintiff obtaining leave of court.

Addressing newsmen after the judgment, the counsel for the plaintiff, Mr. AbdulKareem Labi-Lawal, said the ruling would be contested on appeal.

He said: “We are going to the draft the notice of appeal. This ruling by the judge will be tested on appeal.

We are definitely going to contest it.”

Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, who is the second defendant in the suit failed to enter any legal appearance within 30 days of being served the processes.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013—13

APGA crisis deepens as stakeholders insist on Umeh’s removal O

BY ENYIM ENYIM

NITSHA—THE ongoing reconciliation of factions in the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, yesterday took a dramatic twist as the chairman of Governor Peter Obi Campaign Organization, Chief Sylvester Nwobu- Alor, declared that there would be no reconciliation unless the national chairman of the party, Chief Victor Umeh, vacated his seat as demanded by stakeholders.

Alor, who was reacting to some newspapers reports credited to one Adams that the factions in the party had reconciled their differences, said no reconciliation ever took place nor existed. ” I have seen reports in some newspapers on reconciliation in the party, it does not exist. The fact of the case is that the entire stakeholders decided that the party should be restructured. And because the person responsible for the downward trend in the party has been identified, that is Chief Victor Umeh. “The totality of the membership of APGA decided that Umeh should vacate his seat as national chairman to allow for effective restructuring of the party. ”It is, therefore, not true that there is crisis in the party. What we are

Firm sued over alleged trade name infringement

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BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

ENIN CITY—THE Inter national Project Management Professionals, IPMP has dragged the management of Project Management Professional Institute before the Federal High Court in Benin, over alleged infringement of her trade name.

In the writ of summons and statement of claim, signed by Counsel to IPMP, Mr. Eniye Ewean, the plaintiff is asking the court to stop the defendants from carrying out project management training in the name and style of Project Management Professional Institute and also to pay the sum of N10 million as damages.

They alleged that the Defendants have been using the unincorporated name of ProjectManagementProfessionalInstitute, PMPI, which is a similar name to the plaintiff’s own to mislead the National Youth ServiceCorps,NYSC, andthegeneralpublic into believing that they were carrying out project management training in the name of Project Management Institute, PMI, and that they are one and same entity as Education Provider.

But defendants in their counter claims before the court, denied impersonating the plaintiff or infringing on her trade name, adding that they only in June 2011 registered the business name of Barde PMPI Consulting under part B of the Company and Allied Matters Act as an enterprise to enable them do project management training.

PresidingJudge,JusticeA.M.Limanfixed January 31, 2013 as date for hearing of the motion for interlocutory injunction.

C M Y K

asking for is that the national chairman should vacate his office so that we could restructure the party and that will not amount to crisis.

“As far as the stakeholders are concerned, there is no option to the total reorganization and restructuring of the party. There-

fore, the issue of reconciliation does not arise because there is nothing to reconcile.”

Alor said the suits filed in courts were instituted in three courts by the stakeholders praying the courts to remove the national chairman whose tenure had expired in 2010 and was removed

constitutionally but refused to leave office.

According to him, Mr Adams or any other person has no locus to withdraw a matter they did not institute.

He called on party members to ignore such claims in the media, insisting that there was no reconciliation whatsoever.

President Goodluck Jonathan (2nd left),leader of delegation, Ndigbo Lagos, Prof. Anya O. Anya (2nd right) and others, after a parley between the President and Ndigbo Lagos in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

NHRC invites Covenant varsity over expulsion of 200 students

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BY JIMOHBABATUNDE

AGOS—THE Covenant Uni versity authorities have been invited by the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria following the expulsion of about 200 students recently.

The students were expelled over what the University’s authority described as “disregard of paramount core values.”

The National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria is asking the university to come forward with all record of the processes that led to the expulsion of the students in a meeting billed for Abuja next week.

Vanguard investigation revealed that about 126 students were expelled for not attending the ‘departure service’, meant to sign off from the school after the end of the Semester and Matriculation of students on November 30.

Five other students were thrown out for smoking while unconfirmed source said additional 60 got the same fate for violating other rules bordering on the University’s “core values”. A few others were given four weeks suspension for failure to sign the head count that was conducted a couple of weeks earlier.

A letter of expulsion signed by the Registrar, Ntia Ubong, a copy which was made available to Vanguard last week stated that the affected students contravened Chapter 1, section 30, page 40 of the 2010-2014 Student Handbook.

It was gathered that the massive expulsion was predicated on the anger of the Chancellor, Bishop David Oyedepo, who was said to have been infuriated after seeing students loitering around when they were supposed to be at the Chapel for the Departure Service.

2013 will yield fruits in Abia —Gov Orji

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BUJA—GOVERNOR Theodore Orji of Abia State has said that the toils and struggles to get Abia out of the woods will start yielding fruits this year.

According to him, there is a time to plant and a time to get yields.

The governor’s Special Adviser on Public Communication, Mr. Ben Onyechere, in a statement yesterday in Abuja, said: ‘This year is going to produce many ripe fruits in Abia, whether our detractors like it or not. My government inherited a decapitated economy and bad blood created by the past administration.

“In the past year, our detrac-

tors had mischievously tried in vain attempts to cast aspersions on the state’s ability to reverse the trend of spell left by their sponsor but rather than pay attention to their nefarious vituperations, we dug in to our promises to reinvent Abia State by laying foundation of land mark projects since

castles are not built in the air or media houses.

“Though it is not possible to do everything at the same time ,we will make sure that projects which are started under our watch shall not be abandoned as much as we have vowed not to fritter state funds or borrow frivolously.”

A’Court dismisses Ukachukwu’s petition against Uba

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WERRI—THE Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri, Imo State,yesterday, dismissed Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu’s application, seeking to be declared the duly nominated candidate of People’s Democratic Party, PDP, for Anambra South senatorial zone election, which was won by Senator Andy Uba. Ukachukwu, who is plaintiff in the suit, has as respondents, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and Uba. The Appeal Court held that Justice J. Umar, then judge of the Federal High Court sitting in Umuahia, Abia State, was wrong to have transmitted the application to the Court of Appeal.

The appellate court further held that Ukachukwu had no grounds of appeal on the real issue in question and subsequently refused to exercise its power under section 15 of the Court of Appeal Act to decide on who was the duly nominated candidate of PDP.

Police: Uduaghan, Okolugbo commended

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chairmanship as pirant for Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, Prosper Esegbue, has commended Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State and Sir Ken Okolugbo, Commissioner of DESOPADEC on the recent donation of Hilux vehicles to the Delta State Police Command.

He said: “By this gesture, we are convinced of the visionary leadership and ability to alleviate the suffering of the masses and strengthen security within the local government area in conformity with the three-point agenda of the Uduaghan administration.”

Oteh: Stop personalising national issues, Rotimi Williams cautions NASS refrain from personalising is- her altercation with one of their

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BY ONOZURE DANIA

AGOS—AS the embattled Director-General of SEC, Arunma Oteh and National Assembly continue to fight over the issue of sacking Oteh, a call has been made to the lawmakers to

sues of national interest.

A Lagos-based lawyer, Ladi Rotimi-Williams SAN, who made this call in an interview yesterday, said that from all indications, it appeared that the lawmakers were bent on taking their pound of flesh on Oteh over

own, Herman Hembe.

He said It will be recalled that the House of Representatives had recommended the sack of Oteh to the President over her role in the capital market crisis, a call the President ignored.

14—Vanguard , FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

FG spent N49bn on women in 4yrs —Minister

BY VICTORIA OJEME

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BUJA—THE Minis ter of State for Foreign Affairs I, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, yesterday disclosed that the Federal Government spent N49 billion to provide education, health and economic empowerment for Nigerian women in the last four years.

Onwuliri made this known in Abuja yesterday when she received the Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, Ms. Michelle Bachelet, in audience.

The Minister informed her guest that the current administration of President Goodluck Jonathan was committed to gender equity, adding that key positions in the cabinet and national polity were occupied by womenwhohavedistinguished themselves and proven themselves worthy of their appointments.

NAFDAC probes UNIBEN professor’s HIV/AIDS cure claims

BY VICTORIA OJEME

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BUJA—DIRECTOR-Gen eral of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, yesterday, warned Nigerians not to patronize the drugs announced by Professor Isaiah Ibeh of University of Benin, UNIBEN, as cure for HIV/AIDS. He said the drug was not subjected to standard scientific protocols before announcement, and needed to be sanctioned.

Disassociating NAFDAC from the announcement, he said the product was never brought to his agency for vetting and neither was it subjected to any known institutional scrutiny.

He said: “We have started with disassociating ourselves from the so called cure. We will decide the appropriate sanction. We have invited him for further investigation.

“If our laws don’t have appropriate punishment for such persons who don’t follow scientific protocols in making such pronouncement, we will review the law and ensure that such do not occur again.

“The agency wishes to state that this herbal drug which is claimed to have undergone a series of suc-

cessful tests has never been presented to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control for evaluation of efficacy and safety.

”This bogus claim of efficacy without following the appropriate procedure for drug evaluation is capable of misleading the public, especially

those that have HIV/AIDs infection as there is no known official or scientifically proven cure for HIV/AIDS infection to date.”

Biafra: Kalu pleads for Okigbo, Ojukwu’s brother

L

AGOS—FORMER Abia State governor Dr.Orji Uzor Kalu, yesterday urged President Goodluck Jonathan to recognise those who fought and died on the Biafran side at this year’s Armed Forces Remembrance day.

Kalu said: ”Since we all agree it was a war of unity, I would like those who died fighting for Biafra to also be remembered.

“I know of the great poet, Major Chris Ifekandu Okigbo, Lt.Tom Bigger, Chief Emeka Ojukwu’s half-brother, Col. Chude Sokei,Head of the Biafra Air Force,Major Hannibal Okpani Nkama, one of Nigeria’s best cadets, and of course, Corporal Nwafor, the gunner.

“What is good for the goose is also good for the gander.Chief Ojukwu received his pension from the Federal Government and was given a hero’s burial in death. So as we honour the dead,let recognition go to men who fought on both sides.”

Okigbo, a contemporary of

Prof.Wole Soyinka at the University of Ibadan died at Opi, near Nsukka, while trying to blow up an armoured car with

grenade in 1967, shortly after Bigger died alongside Maj. Kaduna Nzeogwu in the same Nsukka sector.

Chime will soon return —PDP

BY TONY EDIKE NUGU—ENUGU State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, gave the assurance that Governor Sullivan Chime, who had spent 112 days on vacation overseas, would soon return to the state, saying the current dusts being raised about his whereabout was uncalled for.

In a press statement signed by the state Chairman of the party, Mr. Vita Abba, the party noted that despite the absence of Governor Chime from the state, activities of the government had not suffered in any way.

According to the party,

E

developmental projects initiated by the governor and those commenced by the State Executive Council under the leadership of the Acting Governor, Sunday Onyebuchi, have been on course.

The party’s statement came just as the Save Enugu Group, which wrote the Acting Governor on Wednesday asking him to give a “categorical explanation on Governor Chime’s long absence” and send a delegation overseas to ascertain his true condition, yesterday, appealed to Enugu State Development Association (ESDA), an organization for elders and founding fathers of the state, to wade into the imbroglio arising from the alleged absconding of the governor.

Vanguard , FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013—15

$15m Ibori money: Court fixes Jan 28 for ruling zAs Delta govt accuses FG of stalling hearing

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

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BUJA——A Federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday, adjourned till January 28, to decide whether the Federal Government should be allowed to file further affidavit in support of its bid to inherit $15billion allegedly offered as bribe by former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, in 2007. Trial judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, adjourned for ruling.

Meanwhile, Delta State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Chief Charles Ajuyah, SAN, has accused the Federal Government of deliberately stalling hearing in the substantive issues pertaining to the bribe money.

Insisting that Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, lied before the court when it alleged that Delta State Government had on two occasions, transferred N50million to a foreign account operated by Ibori in London, Ajuyah said it was already late for the Federal Government to file further affidavit.

EFCC had through its counsel, on December 11, 2012, adduced reasons why the money should not be handed over to Delta State Government, which it accused of complicity in money laundering.

The commission told the court that it garnered sufficient evidence that Delta State Government, between 2008 and 2009, illegally transferred over N100

million to London, with a view to helping Ibori wriggle out of money laundering case.

Denying the allegations, Chief Ajuyah, argued that the state had the sole right to take possession of the disowned bribe money.

Refuting the allegation of money laundering, Ajuyah argued that the only money paid to the convicted ex-governor was his pension, an action he said had the

backing of the laws guiding the state’s policies.

At the resumed sitting, yesterday, he prayed the court to discard the fresh application dated December 10, 2012, which EFCC brought and proceed with hearing the matter on its merit.

It will be recalled that while the Federal Government was seeking to take possession of the money, Delta State Government on the

other hand, had argued that the money was allegedly offered to the anti-graft agency during the period Ibori held sway as governor of the state.

The money was allegedly offered to persuade the EFCC under its former chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to abort further investigations into allegations of corruption against the former Governor.

World Bank increases Nigeria's share holding by 119

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BUJA — THE Federal Gov ernment has said the World Bank has increased Nigeria’s share holding in the bank by additional 119, a development that is expected to increase the nation’s voice in the affairs of the bank.

Minister of State Finance, Yerima Ngama, who spoke to newsmen said the development had ranked Nigeria among the league of nations whose opinions would become relevant as major decisions are taken in the bank.

Ngama said with Nigeria’s current shares at the bank put at about 1100, it represented a positive sign of strong confidence in Nigeria’s economic policies under the President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda and was expected to, among other things, further drive foreign Direct Investment in 2013.

He said: “This is certificate of good health which will attract investors into this country. If out of

118 countries, Nigeria is among the best 16.

“Our own peers are Argentina, Brazil China, India, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Korea, Kuwait Mexico, Poland, Russia Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Ukraine and Venezuela “From the 16, only two countries are from Africa. Nigeria and South Africa.”

Ngama noted that the development which was coming under the bank’s “voice reform programme” followed people complaints about the marginalisation of the continent by the bank.

“Complains that World Bank group is dominated by the West, led the bank to come up with its voice reformed programme by setting up a committee which selected 180 countries out of which the final 16, including Nigeria, finally emerged as a benefiting nation.

“This selection was based on

clear cut criteria, including strength of economy, rate of growth of the economy; contributions of the country to global economic architecture and based on these criteria, Nigeria was among the 16 countries that were selected.

“The rate at which we are implementing the transformation agenda, Nigeria will emerge one of the top 20 economies of the world” “The way we measure the growth of the economy is basically through productivity. We can use the market base exchange rate or we can use the PPP exchange rate.”

He said “the PPP exchange rate gives a better comparison across countries and that is what the World Bank is using.”

He added that a look at PPP exchange rate showed that Nigeria is far in excess of $450 billion.

23-yr-old man arraigned for raping 6-yrold girl

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OS—ONE Salisu Mo hammed, 23, of Nasarawa Gwong, yesterday, appeared before an Upper Area Court at KasuwarNama, Jos, for raping a 6year-old girl. The Police Prosecutor, Mr Gokwat Ibrahim, said the father of the victim (names withheld) reported the matter to Nasarawa Gwong police station on Dec. 24, 2012, same day the offence was committed.

He said the accused was facing a one-count charge of rape. He added that the accused, who resides in the same compound with the girl, had invited her to his room where he raped her.

“The cry of the minor attracted neighbours who forced the door open and caught the accused committing the act.”

The prosecutor said the police had concluded investigation and were only waiting for the medical report from the hospital. He urged the court to suspend jugdement on the matter, pending report from the hospital where the girl had been taken for treatment.

“We want to tender the report before the court as an exhibit, “ he added.

The accused person pleaded guilty to the charge and begged the court for leniency, saying he was a first time offender.

FIRE DISASTER IN EBUTE-METTA AND AJEGUNLE

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State addressing leaders and members of Oko-Baba community, scene of fire disaster, yesterday. Pix: Bunmi Azeez.

Two buildings razed by fire at Ashakpo Street, Ajegunle. Pix: Biodun Ogunleye.

Scene of fire incident.

Youths trying to put out the fire.

The Oko Baba sawmill completely razed by fire.

Pix: Diran Oshe

Land owner, Mr Femi Osibanjo (left); and sympathisers at the scene of fire.

16—Vanguard , FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

Kaduna govt appoints SSG

Insecurity not caused by religion, ethnicity —Cleric

K

ADUNA—KADUNA State governor, Alhaji Mukhtar Yero has appointed Alhaji Ishaq Dan’Mahawayi as the new Secretary to the State Government, SSG. Dan’Mahawayi takes over from Alhaji Samaila Yakawada, who was appointed SSG by late Governor Patrick Yakowa, who died in a helicopter crash in Bayelsa last month.

A government statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Home Affairs, Alhaji Saidu Adamu, yesterday also announced the appointment of four new aides for the governor.

According to Adamu, Yero also appointed Alhaji Yahaya Abdullahi as chief of s t a f f .

Abdullahi replaces Mr Aboki Galadima who also served Yakowa in same cap a c i t y .

BY LUKA BINNIYAT

K A scene of accident involving three cars and two trailers at Coker bus stop, along Mile 2 Oshodi Express Road, yesterday. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

Homosexuality: Anglican bishops threaten to break way from Church of England

BY CALEB AYANSINA

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BUJA— THE Church of Ni geria, Anglican Communion, has threatened to break away from the Church of England over decision of the latter to drop opposition to gay bishops in civil partn e r s h i p s .

The announcement, from the Church’s House of Bishops, would allow gay clergy to become bishops if they promised to be celibate. The move did not go down well with conservative evangelical Anglicans.

Arising from its 2013 annual retreat, at Ibru Centre, Agbarha Otor, Delta State, the Bishops of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) heard with dismay news of the recent action of the Church of England House of B i s h o p s .

The Primate, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), the Most Revd Nicholas Okoh, said: “The decision to permit homosexual clergy in civil partnerships to now be considered for the episcopacy is one step removed from the moral precipice that we have already witnessed in The Episcopal Church (USA) and the Anglican

Rotary flags off malaria campaign

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OTARY International District 9110, has flagged off campaign against malaria in Nigeria with a mobile campaign towards its “Roll Back Malaria” programme that would go round Lagos and Ogun States to enlighten the masses.

Acoording to the District Governor, Dr Kamorudeen Omotosho, malaria is one of the highest health challenges facing Nigerrians.

He called on every Nigerian to join hands in working towards its prevention, treatment and eradication, a message he believed the mobile advertisement would help in reaching out to a wider audience in high profile locations.

Church of Canada.

"When the Church of England failed to exercise its legal and moral right to opt out of the civil partnerships legislation in 2005 warnings were given in England and around the Anglican Communion that this was a first step towards the recognition and institutionalization of behaviour contrary to the plain teaching of scripture and reaffirmed for all Anglicans by the 1998 Lambeth Conference in its Resolution 1.10.

"Sadly those warnings were ignored and we now face the next step in a process that could very well shatter whatever hopes we had for healing and reconciliation within our beloved Communi o n .

"We are also grieved by the timing of this decision coming only days before the retirement of Archbishop Rowan Williams and before Dr. Justin Welby becomes the new Archbishop of Canterbury.

"We urge the House of Bishops to reconsider their decision so as to allow for a full, prayerful and sober reflection on the call on all clergies, especially bishops, to live holy lives and not encourage what are, at best, morally am-

biguous partnerships that make it impossible for a bishop to be a wholesome example to the flock.

Especially, since the supposed assurances of celibacy, while perhaps well intentioned, are both unworkable and unenforceable. ”As a House of Bishops, while we acknowledge that we all fall short of God’s call to holiness, we dare not compromise the clear teaching of our Lord on faithfulness within Holy Matrimony and chastity outside of it. ”Sadly we must also declare that, if the Church of England continues in this contrary direction we must further separate ourselves from it and we are prepared to take the same actions as those prompted by the decisions of The Episcopal Church (USA) and the Anglican Church of Canada 10 years ago. ”In all of this we continue to give thanks for the mercy of God newly revealed to us in this season of The Epiphany and we are filled with gratitude for the millions of faithful Anglicans within the GAFCON/FCA community who have not ‘bowed the knee’ to the contemporary idols of secularism and moral exped i e n c y " .

By Bartholomew Madukwe

PEOPLE SPEAK

08102479985

ADUNA—RADICAL Islamic leader, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky has disagreed with those who attributed insecurity in Nigeria to multi-ethnic groups or religion, saying that nobody applied to God to create him/her into a particlar tribe or r a c e .

This was contained in a message to organizers of Christian/ Muslim alternative to conflict inaugurated in Kaduna, Kaduna State y e s t e r d a y .

Zakzaky said: “Let’s look at racism as an example, if you say your own colour is the best, what did you do to choose your own colour which you say is better than the other person?

"Different religions and ethnic groups are blessings. They are not problems at all. What do you think that the other person had done to have the other colour which you think is bad?

Similarly, if you think another ethnic group is bad, what have you done to belong to where you are. Did you submit application to God that you want to be among a particular group, and the other person did not submit such application?

“Some people think that in Nigeria we have a lot of problems, and that one of the problems is that we have so many ethnic groups. We have also so many religions.I do not think these are problems, " he added.

(nwamad@yahoo.com)

Nigerians' New Year messages (4)

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VERY form of corrup tion in Nigeria should be completely obliterated. Nigerians in every facet of life should strive to be honest, credible and do everything that will take Nigeria to greater heights. Then the country will be a better place to live in. Mr. Ayo Adesanmi.

I

wish Nigeria a pros perous new year. I still have hope in our leaders and as such pray earnestly for them, that God in His infinite mercy should see them through by leading Nigeria to the promise land.

Mr. Godwin Udoh

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IGERIA should start facing the reality of its national life and eschew corruption.

We need to be real. We do not need rebranding, but re-orientation of our attitude towards life generally, to make a better Nigeria.

Mr. Offor Ozioko.

M

Y expectation is that this year, there will be more discipline within the legal profession. Judges and lawyers should exhibit high level of discipline and integrity. More importantly, let the government meet to its promises. Mr. Mumuney Qudus.

M

Y New Year mes sage is that there should not be any increase in transportation fares. Let government also increase salary of civil servants and ensure that there will not be any collapsed building in 2013.

Mrs Ayoola Modupe.

P

OWER should be given utmost priority, so as to have a developed Nigeria. Foreign investors would only come when there is improved power to work with. Furthermore, let our roads be fixed properly.

Pastor Kolawole Shotayo.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013 — 17

A

CCORDING to a report that was recently published in the Washington Post newspaper, Nigeria is the worst country in the entire world to be born in.

The report, based on a study conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), examined 80 countries and used a scoring system comprising 11 variables to determine “which country will provide the best opportunities for a healthy, safe and prosperous life in the years ahead.”

The study incorporates hard data on aspects such as economic opportunity, health standards and political freedoms, plus subjective “quality of life” surveys and economic forecasts for 2030, the year in which an infant born

•Map of the world

No way!

Boko Haram menace and many other dysfunctions, including the fact that it is riddled with various forms of

,

I am completely shocked by the EIU’s verdict because there are so many places that are so much worse than Nigeria – either overall or in at least one or two important ways!

today will eventually enter adulthood. Even gender equality, job security (as measured by unemployment statistics), violent crime rates and climate are taken into account.

I used to be a Copy Editor at the EIU’s London office when I was younger and I developed a deep affection for the organisation - which was widely respected - then. But everyone makes mistakes from time to time and the authors of this study have definitely gotten it wrong on the Nigerian front.

I am rapidly losing faith in Nigeria and spend most of my time in the UK nowadays. But even I think that it is strange and ridiculous for anyone to describe Nigeria as the worst country to be born in!

OK so Nigeria is nowhere near Paradise, thanks to the

,

oppression. Furthermore, nothing works well enough in Nigeria. Then there’s the constant, never-punished sexual harassment of women by men

who have the power to make or break them; and the paralysing cronyism, rigged elections, chronic corruption, awful schools, deadly hospitals; and so on.

But - trust me! - Nigeria is like heaven on earth compared to some of the alternative locations I have found myself in over the years. Nigeria is, for example, considerably less grim than Poland, considerably less frustrating than The Gambia and considerably less boring than Belgium!

And I don’t suppose that being born in war-torn Syria

•Goodluck Jonathan...presiding over worst country to be born on earth?

- totally agrees with me.

“I am completely shocked by the EIU’s verdict because there are so many places that are so much worse than Nigeria – either overall or in at least one or two impor•Nigeria...worst place on earth to be born? tant ways!” he exclaimed is much fun right now. Or when, thinking that my reacthat being born in the freez- tion might be clouded by paing cold wasteland known as triotism, I asked him to offer Siberia is ever going to be a an objective opinion. barrel of laughs. Or that beAh well. Never mind. It’ll be ing born in Afghanistan is the interesting to hear from Vanbest thing that can happen to guard readers whether they a girl at a time when Islamic would have chosen to be born extremists are targeting Af- Nigerian. I don’t think I ghan females who dare to would have, to be honest. seek education. Or that all of What about you? the parents of the 20 American children who were murdered by a gun-toting madResponses to: man last month will breathe a donzol2002@yahoo.co.uk sigh of relief and say “We are so glad that our kids were or to 0802 747 6458 (texts only). PLEASE KINDLY born in a country where any NOTE THAT UNLESS YOU trigger-happy lout can buy a SPECIFICALLY REQUEST rifle.”

ANONYMITY, YOUR John, an English journalist COMMENTS MAY BE friend - who has criss-crossed PUBLISHED IN the globe in the line of duty VANGUARD, WITH YOUR for four decades and visited NAMES AND NUMBERS Nigeria and every key coun- OR EMAIL ADDRESSES try on every single continent ATTACHED.

18 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013 THE Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, is a towering representation of impunity with which government agencies act. Something needs to be done about NNPC, and quickly too, to make the point that no individual or organisation is above the law.

Probably worse than the NNPC’s conduct is the tepidity with which the National Assembly approaches issues of NNPC’s gross abhorrence to lawful conduct in its finances. How long would the National Assembly keep displaying its helplessness over an organisation that decidedly throws the country off gear at will?

NNPC is yet to resolve its debt to the Federation Account which the Executive Secretary, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed told a House of Representatives investigation, stood at N862 billion between 2004 and 2008. NNPC disputes the figures.

She said the debt was through deductions from the proceeds of domestic crude oil accruing to the Federation Account that were neither authorised nor legalised.

Chairman of Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, FMFAC,

Something Needs to be Done About NNPC Mr Elias Mbam confirmed N450 billion debt to the Federation Account by the NNPC. While these remain unresolved, NNPC without approval from the National Assembly borrowed $1.5 billion to clear its debt to foreign fuel traders. When did NNPC accumulate the debts? Why did NNPC not seek the approval of the National Assembly?

Chairman, Senate Committee on Media, Information, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said, “Under the law, no government agency can borrow money without the approval of the National Assembly. We have to know before it was done first; but then the question to ask under the circumstance is: what happened to

the N161 billion supplementary appropriation approved by the National Assembly for government to take care of the shortfall in the fuel subsidy budget?”

What has the National Assembly done about previous NNPC breaking of the law?

How can lawlessness be permitted in such an important organisation?

“It was our only option and it was purely a commercial decision and I don’t think we require the National Assembly’s approval to go ahead with it. It was purely a management decision to ensure steady supply of petrol and to save our face among our foreign partners,” an NNPC official said.

The National Assembly should do more than asking the same questions as ordinary Nigerians. It should punish those who violate specific provisions of the law which the Fiscal Responsibility Act ably captures.

It is important that the National Assembly contests NNPC’s fiscal irresponsibility in court.

It is no longer enough to complain about NNPC and other government agencies whose fiscal indiscipline makes Nigerians poorer. The National Assembly should not accept this latest defiance of our laws.

OPINION

BY NKIRUKA ONYENECHEREM

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T could be recall that Abia State was no go-area between 2009/2010 especially during Yuletide and New Year seasons.

Going to the state then was a security risk due to kidnapping, assassination and other vices that scared people including indigenes away from returning to the state for such occasions. Even when such occasions became inevitable, it is mostly organised in secrecy to avoid the attention of the kidnappers that held sway in the state. Saying that the state was then under siege, is stating the obvious.

While some of the vices in the state then such as armed robbery and theft could be attributed to abject poverty and unemployment among the youths, others like assassination and kidnapping were politically-motivated by enemies of the state government, who had vowed before then that they would make the state ungovernable for the state governor for daring to do things rights in the state.

But when the state government in collaboration with the relevant security agencies brought the situation under control by flushing out criminals, the state governor, Chief Theodore Orji initiated a short-term approach to poverty alleviation especially among the unemployed youths in the state who are more vulnerable to crimes, while the government continues to work on the long- term policy on poverty alleviation. One of such long term approach is the revival of moribund

The tripartite approach to poverty alleviation in Abia industries which would lead to employment opportunities as well as foreign investors.

So in the short run, from the 17 council areas in the state, 30 unemployed youths were selected from each council area by the government and placed on a monthly stipend of N15, 000 as a social security.

Some were trained on vocational skills, while others were awarded scholarship for postgraduate studies both at home and abroad.

With the ban on commercial motorcycle popularly known as Okada as a means of transportation in the state to curtail criminal activities, the state government provided tricycles popularly known as Keke Napep at subsidised rate without stringent conditions for the people to use as alternative means of transportation.

Those who were not beneficiaries of the subsidized tricycles were allowed to buy theirs. It could be recall that in most states where commercial motorcycles were banned as means of transportation, the riders are still at loggerhead with the government, because they were being compelled by the government to buy cars and tricycles at exorbitant rates and under stringent conditions from government. But this was not the case in Abia as government was mindful of the level of

poverty among the people and adopted the approach as a means of reducing it.

Complementing the efforts of the state government in this direction is the Ochendo Youth Foundation, a nongovernmental organisation with the objectives of empowering and rehabilitating youths in the state. The organization which is led by its Coordinator and first son of the state governor, Engr. Chinedum Orji had in the last one year given out more than 60 vehicles, 352 tricycles, 300 sewing machines and other gift items free to several Abia youths from various council areas in the state. This feat was made possible by the passionate drive of the foundation that is hinged on youth empowerment in collaboration with some political office holders, public-spirited individuals, and agencies that bought into the vision of the foundation in the state.

T

hat is why in the state today, especially in the commercial city of Aba, youths who were before now tagged miscreants or public nuisance are adding value to the society, because they are engaged in one form of gainful activity or the other. Even some of them known to be kidnap suspects or armed robbers

previously, are now tricycle riders and bus drivers. As it is, the Foundation has promised to do more this year because the youths were highly appreciative of the organisation's gesture by providing them with a means of livelihood.

In fulfillment of the popular saying that behind any successful man, there is a woman, the wife of Governor Orji, Mrs. Mercy Odochi Orji had through her Family Empowerment Programme (FEP) project targeted at bringing succour to the less privileged touched and is still touching the lives of the downtrodden in the state especially helpless widows and widowers.

Several food items, drugs, wheel chairs and clutches have been donated to the physically challenged through her organisation. Since 2010 till date, she has provided shelter for many widows in the state.

In the state capital Umuahia, the first lady through her pet project constructed ultra modern Skills Acquisition centre, where young Abia state natives were trained in different vocations.

Obviously this tripod approach to poverty alleviation in the state for a while now by Governor Orji’s government, his son and wife has gone a long way in stemming the tide of crimes in the state since 2010. Little wonder the Christmas and New Year celebrations across were without tales of kidnapping or armed robbery.

*Mrs. Onyenecherem, a retired civil servant, wrote from Aba, Abia State

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013 — 19

"These arguments we have are a mark of our liberty. We can never forget that as we speak, people in distant nations are risking their lives right now just for a chance to argue about the issues that matter, the chance to cast their ballots as we did today” Barack Obama.

6th November 2012

H

E supported the Arab Spring that toppled the governments in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. He hunted down Osama bin Laden in a daredevil operation that caught the Pakistanis napping in Abbotabad close to a high security military facility and ended a decade long war in Iraq and Afghanistan that severely reduced the capacity of Al Qaeda to inflict harm on the American homeland. The Taliban is on the run and Iran treads a cautious path in its quest for nuclear weapons. He took America out of the biggest recession in history since the Great Depression soon after he assumed office in 2008. By a thunderous affirmation, Americans gave him leave to lead for another four years.

The first black president of the

,

Lions. In 1982, the French had managed to convince Ahidjo who had ruled Cameroon since independence to resign on account of a prostrate “cancer ” and hand over power to his prime minister of seven years, Biya whom had by now earned the trust of the old man.

W

hen the “cancer” failed to kill Ahidjo after a year as predicted by the French doctors, he staged a comeback which proved to be his undoing. Biya sentenced him to death in absentia after surviving the second coup attempt in 1984. It also provided him the opportunity of purging the government of all Ahidjo loyalists while

The Indian gang rape

BY ADEWALE KUPOLUYI

T

HE recent case of gang rape in India brings to the fore the highest level of cruelty, wickedness of man against humanity, violence against women as well as the failure of the State to protect its citizens from abuse and danger.

On that fateful day, a gang of men had attacked an Indian woman who later died from her horrific injuries aboard a private bus carrying six men on a drunken joy ride.

The attackers allegedly repeatedly raped the young woman and brutalised her with an iron rod as they murmured, 'maar do ise' (meaning ‘kill her ’). The victim was said to have tried as hard as she could to fight-off her attackers by biting and kicking the men as they raped her on a bus in Delhi.

The trainee physiotherapist was flown to the Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore, almost two weeks after the incident where she died. Her body has since been cremated.

This woman, though unnamed, has become a symbol of all that Indian women had suffered for so long with no respite, which has energised them to demand greater protection for women from sexual violence with series of mass demonstrations, candle-lit vigils, street protests with placards, chants and road blocks.

This assault has increased the call for speedy trial of the five men charged for the alleged murder as Indian rape cases could drag on in courts for years, with hearings repeatedly postponed, which rape survivors say prolong their ordeals.

Just like the story of the Bandit Queen, Phoolan Devi, who was also publicly gangraped and allegedly held captive for three weeks by higher-caste Hindus.

To avenge the trauma, she became a bandit and was eventually able to exact

C M Y K

some measure of revenge against her gang-rapists. At the end, Devi served eleven years in jail and was thereafter, elected into the Parliament from Utter Pradesh, the same region where the latest victim came from.

Rape, a form of Gender Base Violence (GBV) against women, according to the Beijing Declaration, is defined as violence against women that results into or is likely to lead to physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life.

In 1995, and for the first time in history, the United Nations-convened the Hague Tribunal which attempted to prosecute rape as a war crime – which was accorded such – but could still not stop the rape atrocities in Iran, Afghanistan, Guatemala, Kosovo, Congo, Rwanda and Sudan.

For now, India imposes death penalty only in the ‘rarest of rare cases’, although, it recently executed a man convicted in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

Again, public sexual harassment of girls and women is commonly known as ‘eveteasing’ and these still happen in countries like Pakistan and Algeria whereby roving gangs of up to one thousand men often fall upon any girl or woman they can find - whether she is veiled or unveiled - and summarily considered as ‘infidels’ or ‘prostitutes’.

The assault has globally assumed wide proportions and dubbed as a ploy at ‘gender cleansing’ – going by what happened in Bangladesh in 1971 - when the Pakistani army allegedly raped between 200,000 and 400,000 girls and women.

Hindus and Sikhs in India are said to embark on honour-killing as they commit gruesome murders mainly of young

,

BY MICHAEL OBERABOR

United States with African roots in Kogelo, Western Kenya from whence his father descended is a shining example of democratic leadership. In contrast to Obama’s America, Africa parades a sorrowful and pitiable array of despots and autocrats masquerading as democratic redeemers while impoverishing their peoples and setting back the hands of the clock of development across the continent bringing with it disease, poverty, illiteracy and vast insecurity.

Wars are rife and strife looms with attendant apparent endemic corruption and outright pillaging and plundering of the people’s resources. There is no end in sight to the cycle of insecurity and underdevelopment across the continent. Lest one is accused of crying wolf where there is none, take a look at these few examples: While Obama was making his acceptance speech, Paul Biya was celebrating his thirtieth year on the Cameroonian throne with his police firing at protesters. He is 79 years old and surreptitiously succeeded another dictator Ahmadu Ahidjo. He goes by the moniker- lion man- after his country ’s once successful football team, the Indomitable

,

Africa’s departing masquerades

Africa parades a sorrowful and pitiable array of despots and autocrats masquerading as democratic redeemers while impoverishing their peoples and setting back the hands of the clock of development across the continent

consolidating his grip and iron fist on power. When Ahidjo died in exile in Senegal, Biya never allowed his body to be returned to the Cameroon for proper burial.

He has won re-election four times after being forced to embrace democracy in 1992.

An aloof and absentee president, he has never met most of his ministers and remains abroad for up to four months in a year. He pays the army well and it has remained loyal. He won the oil-rich Bakassi peninsular from Nigeria through the International Court of Justice, securing another gold mine.

His second wife, the country’s First Lady, Chantal is known as “Queen of Hearts” and they both have a lion and lioness named after them in Mvog Beti zoo, Yaoundé. All his political opponents are either in jail or have been hounded into exile. Earlier in life, he had wanted to become a Catholic priest.

Jose Eduardo dos Santos is 80 years old and has ruled Angola for 33 years. Following the death of Augustinho Neto, Angola’s first president in 1979, dos Santos assumed office as president and commander of the MPLA and has remained there ever since.

Forced to conduct elections in 1992, he could not muster the required 51 percent for an outright victory and was forced into a second round against his major opponent, Jonas Savimbi of UNITA. Dos Santos put paid to any hopes Savimbi had through the infamous

An unfounded belief that is common to South Africans is that sexual intercourse with a virgin will cure a man of HIV/AIDS; no wonder, the country is known to have the highest number of HIVpositive citizens in the world

,

women and young men, usually for daring to date or marry outside of their own caste or for choosing a spouse who is too closely related to them in terms of caste.

Like Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs also perpetrate torturous elimination of those who violate this taboo. Recently, an Indian father in Utter Pradesh publicly beheaded his daughter for dating the ‘ wrong’ man inasmuch there have been series of ‘retaliatory’ gang rapes.

To stem this tide, government has been calling for stronger laws against these cases of intimate, familial, human sacrifice - which are often ordered by the religious councils - to settle one religious or cultural score or the other.

A

ccording to the American Medical Association (1995), sexual violence, and rape in particular, is considered the most under-reported violent crime and contrary to myth, rapes are perpetrated by someone familiar to the victim: neighbours, family members, co-workers, on dates, in college dormitories, in one’s own building. The stranger rape is less common - except where gang-rape is involved.

Halloween Day Massacre of 1992 where thousands of UNITA loyalists were rounded up systemically in one night and executed leading to the resumption of the civil war that pitted Savimbi’s UNITA against dos Santos MPLA. When Savimbi was killed in 2002, dos Santos put his body on display for two days. A trained petroleum engineer, dos Santos has managed Angola’s rich oil resources as his personal fiefdom. Luanda, the country’s capital is one of the most expensive places on earth amidst rundown schools and hospitals as well as other infrastructure. His daughter Isabel is the bag man and one of his sons last month was appointed to manage Angola’s sovereign investments for future generations. He has manipulated elections four times and has no intention of leaving the presidential palace. He escaped an assassination attempt in 2010 and revolt against him amongst young Angolans grows in social media circles.

After presiding over Uganda for close to 27 years, 78-year old Yoweri Museveni believes there is no other good enough to occupy that position. His supporters credit him with bringing relative stability to a once restive country characterised by endless public looting, rebellion and a civil war.

Continues On Monday pg 17

*Dr. Oberabor, a medical officer, wrote from Warri, Delta State.

The most common reasons given by victims for not reporting rapes are the belief that it is a personal or private matter, and that for fear of reprisal from the assailant as estimates from research suggest that between 75 and 95 per cent of rape crimes are never reported to the police in many countries.

In the same vein, advocacy groups have argued for the preservation of the victim's privacy during the legal process; it is standard practice among mainstream American media not to divulge the names of alleged rape victims in news reports, although this practice is becoming increasingly controversial due to well publicised cases of false rape accusations.

In India, rape victims cannot be named in any circumstances under section 228-A of its Penal Code.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation reports over the years consistently put the number of "unfounded" rape accusations around 8 per cent.

The FBI’s largest study, published in 2005, was based on 2,643 sexual assault cases and found 3 per cent of false reports while one in three of the 4,000 women questioned by the Community of Information, Empowerment and Transparency said they had been raped in the past year.

South Africa has some of the highest incidences of child and baby rape in the world in which school-children are said to be involved in 'jack rolling' (gang rape).

The humanitarian news organisation, IRIN claims that an estimated 500,000 rapes are committed annually in South Africa as more than 67,000 cases of rape and sexual assaults against children were reported in 2000 alone.

An unfounded belief that is common to South Africans is that sexual intercourse with a virgin will cure a man of HIV/AIDS; no wonder, the country is known to have the highest number of HIV-positive citizens in the world!

Continues on Mondayviewpoints *Mr. Kupoluyi wrote from Federal Varsity of Agric., Abeokuta, Ogun State.

20—Vanguard , FRIDAY FRIDAY,, JANUARY 11, 2013

dents recorded in the state was for the drivers to effect a behaviour change through using the passengers as supervisors of those drivers. He said: “We discovered that payment of fines

, *Road traffic officials at an accident scene. INSET: Mr. Ayo Sangofadeji, Corps Commander of TRACE in Ogun

SCARY STATISTICS OF ROAD ACCIDENTS:

Ogun responds with TRACE

By DAUD OLATUNJI, Abeokuta

L

AST December, most mo torists and commuters in Ogun State were thrown into panic mode, no thanks to the numerous road crashes with attendant loss of lives witnessed during the period. To worsen the fear of travellers in the Gateway State, a truck rammed into some students who were crossing the road in Itori on their way back home after school hours.

Another shocking tragic incident resulted from a bus which plunged into a river leading to the drowning of 22 women who were on their way to a burial ceremony.

The fear arising from these incidents was heightened when the Federal Road Safety Corps released the statistics of death in eleven months on Ogun and Lagos roads which was scary.

According to the Zonal Commanding Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps, RS2, Lagos and Ogun states, Mr. Ademola Lawal, 1,341 accidents occurred in the two states between January and November 2012.

But Vanguard Metro was informed that the road crashes with the attendant scary statistics of deaths recorded would have been worse if the state Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, TRACE, had not been in place to take proactive action to prevent more deaths during the festive period of Christmas and the New Year. The Corps Commander, Mr. Ayo Sangofadeji

disclosed that in the event, over 105 erring drivers were arrested and enrolled in a day school of orientation.

Sangofadeji stated this in Abeokuta during an orientation and enlightenment programme organised for drivers and union leaders in the State. Speaking shortly after he supervised the

conduct of motorists plying OkeMosan /Governor’s Office road, Sangofadeji said that TRACE resolved to introduce orientation school as part of punitive measures against any erring driver, apart from payment of fines, so as to curb incessant accidents on the roads.

He recommended that part of the solutions to incessant acci-

The fear arising from these incidents was heightened when the Federal Road Safety Corps released statistics of death in 11 months on Ogun and Lagos roads

,

by offending drivers was not enough to make them have behavioural change needed for safe motoring culture. Many drivers we arrested have been taken to a school where they were given proper orientation.

It is not only payment of fines that we introduced, we educate erring drivers when they were caught for contravening traffic laws.

“When you come into the system of resolution in 2013, we want part of that resolution to be the call of safety so that we can achieve so many things in 2013 and of course, if we can

avoid carelessness that result into untimely death on our roads then we can achieve those things in the years ahead”.

Speaking on the impression in some quarters that December is a monster month when many lives are lost, the Special Assistant to Governor Ibikunle Amosun on Transport, Mr Bimbo Aknisanwo said: “That’s definitely not true. The most important thing we celebrate in December is the birth of Christ and if Christians believe that Christ was sent to this world to redeem mankind then December cannot be a bad month.

“Accidents in December are self-created. A lot of activities happen in December. People are usually in a hurry, they want to go to three parties, whereas, they are ought to go to just one. A whole lot of government offices and even private sectors nowadays are shut down after a particular date. And so there is lot of travelling over the period. You have many more people on the road all at the same time.

So, the road is congested.

“What that tells you is that you have to give yourself enough time to set out so that you don’t start rushing. It also means that you need to reduce your speed.

When you have the road free, that is when you can say you want to drive 100km/h. When there are more vehicles on the road, there is nothing wrong in you reducing your speed to 60km/h. And so it’s when people rush around the place, throwing caution to wind that translate into an accident”.

Carnival Calabar 2013: A queen and her mouth-watering prizes

D

ELECTABLE Sophia Dijeh (Miss Hope Waddell) has emerged the sixth Miss Carnival Calabar Queen on Saturday, December 22, 2012 and carted away mouth-watering prizes. The beauty queen was pronounced the winner of the prestigious Miss Carnival Calabar Pageant 2013 after performing series of impeccable acts before the judges and the entire gathering.

The 20-year-old Anambra State indigene and student of Theatre and Media studies, University of Calabar, has been declared the face of MACA (Mothers Against Child Abandonment) an initiative of the wife of the State Governor, Mrs Obioma Liyel Imoke and will also serve as Ambassador for tourism, Cross River State. The event which took place at the highly reputable Venetian Arena, Murtala Mohammed way was filled to the brim as distinguished guests from all over the country converged to witness the historical event and were in no doubt thrilled with the fantastic performance of the contestants.

Enuma Chigbo of Minds of Creation and one of the creative directors of the Carnival Calabar Queen Pageant commended the judges and also promised that the pageant

will continue to impact the lives of young girls and children around the country.

“I think the judges did an excellent job.

Sophia is a very talented young lady with a lot of potential, and undoubtedly will play her role as MACA ambassador very well. I believe Her Excellency, the Wife of the Cross River State Governor should be very proud of how her MACA initiative has impacted on these young girls and the society as a whole.

“Through MACA, apart from the obvi-

ous fact that abandoned babies have been saved, young girls have been given a chance to maximize their potential. I’ve seen this happen with all the Carnival Queens to date and I have no doubt that Sophia will take the already impeccable standards they have raised to even greater heights,” she said.

Sophia was awarded lots of prizes including a brand new car, 2million Naira, one year fabric supply from Vlisco , one year makeup supply and accommodation in the Government lodge. Speaking to the press at the event, the newly crowned queen promised to ensure that the rate of teen pregnancy will be drastically reduced in her time with the help of the creative crew behind the Miss Carnival Calabar Beauty Pageant. “

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013 — 21

BY EMMANUEL ELEBEKE

T

HE Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE has condemned the poor utilization of Nigeria made technology goods and infrastructure.

The National President of the association, Engr.

Mustafa Shehu stated this, Wednesday, when the leadership of the association visited the headquarters of the Nigerian Communications Satellite, NigComSat, Abuja.

The NSE boss said it was only wise for government and private companies in the country to make use of locally made technology facilities to advance the course of Nigerian growth.

Shehu was overwhelmed by the magnitude of facility at the company, saying: “Nigeria must learn to maximize the capacity of her technological potentials , especially at the NigComsat to avert the continued loss of $500 million to foreign Satellites, which are patronized by Nigerian government and private companies.”

The NSE President argued that if given the right patronage, Nigerian can lead Africa in Satellite services and also compete favourably at the global market, adding that the facility if well utilized could provide millions of jobs for the unemployed graduates in Nigeria.

He stressed the need for introduction of legislation that would confer an

From left: Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State; Secretary, Ayedaade Local Government, Evang. Nathaniel Arabambi; Director of Works, Engr. Tijani Sikiru and Head of Administration, Mr.Tinubu Tayo, during the symbolic presentation of cheques to contractors on construction/rehabilitation of roads in the local government areas in the state, at the state secretariat, Osogbo.

NSE bemoans loss of $500m to foreign satellites advantage to locally manufactured infrastructure and technological services above their foreign competitors to enable Nigerian actualize its Vision 20 2020 dreams .

“I am impressed with what I have seen in NigComSat.

The federal government has invested a lot of money to come up with this IT infrastructure. For me, it is only wise for the government and every company in the country to make use of these facilities for the development of this country, otherwise we

may end up having another company where billions of naira are being spent and facilities not utilized like in the case of Ajaokuta Steel company.

“Today, many people are being employed here and with the capacity they have,

New oil producing communities join league of oil producing communities 148.5

0.35

2,230.00

+15.00

18.7

0.03

111.44

-0.50

92.86

-0.29

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

154.77 248.0963 202.0058 167.0661 1.7696 0.287 234.4921 24.8562 41.2687 27.0728 237.1231

155.27 248.8978 202.6584 167.6058 1.7753 0.297 235.2496 24.9369 41.402 27.1603 237.8892

SELLING 155.77 249.6993 203.311 168.1455 1.781 0.307 236.0072 25.0177 41.5353 27.2478 238.6552

CBN Exchange rate as at10 /01/2013

BY EMMANUEL ELEBEKE

N

EW oil producing communities in Ika and Aniocha Local Government Councils of Delta North Senatorial District of Delta State have joined the league of oil producing Communities in Nigeria.

This was disclosed during a delegation of 10 Traditional Rulers, their chiefs, women and youths of Akumazi, Umunede, Ute-okpu, Ute-erume, UteOgbeje, Ekuku-Agbor, Nsukwa, Olodu, Ewuru, Idumuesah and Ejeme visited the leadership of the oil and gas producing communities of Nigeria, Senator F.S. Okpozo and Dr. Wellington Okirika to express their appreciation and thanks for the purposeful leadership that these two great leaders have offered in the struggle for direct payment of 13% Derivation Fund to oil and gas producing communities of Nigeria at the Warri residence of the league leader.

Speaking at the ceremony, the spoke person for the delegation Hon. Okafor Wallace said that they have followed very closely the agitation and advocacy of the oil and gas communities for direct payment of 13 per cent Derivation Fund to oil and gas communities.

He said that the 13 per cent Derivation Fund is a constitutional matter that must be implemented to full benefit of the people of the oil and gas communities and expressed gratitude for the efforts so far by the leadership of LOPCN . They however, pledged to join the struggle for the direct payment of 13 per cent Derivation Fund to oil and gas producing communities.

Responding, Dr. Wellington Okirika, said that 13 per cent Derivation Fund is not manner from Heaven, people fought for it by the oil and gas producing communities during the 1994/95 constitutional conference.

they can employ much more number of graduates, engineers, technologies, scientists, accountants etc. My take is that government must begin to look inwards to leverage the potentials we have here. In addition, Nigeria needs a legislation to protect its technology. It has become necessary, so that every active person in Nigeria can get employed and earn a good living,” he added.

In his speech, Managing Director of NigComSat, Mr. Ahmed Rufai said it was regrettable that Nigeria is the only African country that has her own Satellite but failed to utilise its potentials for competitive advantage.

Quoting the 2012 global competitive index report, Rufai said Nigerian had declined from 86 to 115 in global ranking between 2006 to 2012, which he said could continue if government fail to address the cause by focusing on its strong areas in the global competitiveness.

“Our global competitive index is going down. The more competitive we are the more we can soar in the global competitiveness. Between 2006 and 2012, Nigeria has declined from 86 to 115 in the global ranking, which means we need to do more.

22—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

Ecobank mulls listing shares outside Africa

By CHINEDU IBEABUCHI, with agency report

E

COBANK Transnational Incorporated (ETI) said it plans to list its shares on an exchange outside Africa where it believes would provide the bank with the best alternative to raise capital.

The bank is also considering selling bonds and shares as countries around the continent raise minimum capital requirements, its chief executive officer, Thierry Tanoh, said.

The company, which is listed in Nigeria, Ghana, and Ivory Coast, is still considering whether it needs more funds and how much it may require, Tanoh said in his first interview since taking the position on January 1.

He replaced Arnold Ekpe, who first took over running the Togo-based company in 1996 and ended his second stint last year.

“We’re starting to see in a lot of countries requirements by central banks to raise minimum capital requirements,” he said in Lusaka, Zambia’s capital. “If this continues quite aggressively we might have to look at raising additional resources.”

In January last year, Zambia upped capital requirements for international banks to $100 million from $2.5 million, while Zimbabwe gave banks a deadline last September to boost reserves 10-fold to $100 million. Kenya, Ghana and

Gambia have also boosted requirements in the last two years.

Ecobank may sell shares

through a private placement and sell bonds if it decides it needs additional funds, said Tanoh, who has worked for the

From left: Em Ekong, Director AACBE; Mr. Fola Kudehindu, Executive Chairman, ACCCE; Mr. Chuka Umunna, Shadow Business Secretary and Mr. Adebola Akindele, GMD, Courteville Business Solutions (CBS) at the African Caribbean Business Expo (AACBE) organised in London by CBS.

Forte Oil forecasts N891.64m in Q1 2013, analysts doubt projection

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM

B

ARRING any unforeseen circumstance, Forte Oil Plc, said it hopes to deliver a profit after tax of N891.64

million for the first quarter st ended 31 March, 2013.

This represents significant 192.93 percent increase over N304.39 million posted in the comparable period of 2012.

Emerging market – Stocks stall; Egypt pound shrugs off Qatar aid

E

International Finance Corp. as vice president in charge of Africa, Latin America and Western Europe.

“It could be a combination of both equity and tier-two capital,” he said.

Ecobank, which has operations in 33 African nations including the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe, is coordinating the exercise at group level, and may raise money at the parent or subsidiary level, he added..

Ecobank shares gained 8.4 percent in Lagos over the past year, the second-worst performance on an index of the 10 biggest banks traded in Nigeria. The stock rose 1.3 percent to N11.65 Wednesday on the NSE. The lender, which was founded in 1985, might consider listing on an exchange outside the continent “ where there is liquidity, and there’s a very strong understanding of your market,” said Tanoh “We have an ambition to be listed in places where our stock is properly priced, and which would provide us with the best alternative to raise capital,” he said, declining to be more specific.

Ecobank has an agreement with Johannesburg-based Nedbank Group Ltd. (NED) that allows the two companies to buy 20 percent stakes in each other.

MERGING markets stocks hovered near their lowest levels in a week on Wednesday while the Egyptian pound slipped to a record low despite news of a $2.5 billion loan lifeline from Qatar.

The MSCI emerging markets index has lost half its U.S. budget deal-inspired gains and has fallen nearly two percent from 9-1/ 2 month highs set last week.

European shares rose to new 22-month highs after aluminium firm Alcoa gave the U.S. earnings season a strong start but investors will want to see this sustained across countries and sectors before being convinced of an economic uptick.

Shares in India and South Korea were weaker on concern that fourth-quarter earnings could disappoint while mainland Chinese equities closed flat.

The Egyptian pound traded at a record low, with the central bank saying the cut-off price at Wednesday’s dollar auction was 0.47 percent weaker than Tuesday’s level.

But $2.5 billion in aid from energy exporter

Qatar helped Egyptian credit default swaps trade at their lowest levels in almost a week.

Cairo stocks rose 1.2 percent, extending gains as investors view the currency depreciation as a longer-term positive for the economy.

“Given the reserves of the GCC at over $1 trillion and the importance of stability in Egypt to Gulf monarchs, it would be surprising to see Egypt run out of dollars,” said Emad Mostaque, a strategist at Noah Capital Markets. In emerging Europe, Turkish stocks dipped below Tuesday’s record high and South African stocks also held below recent record peaks. Moscow fell 0.5 percent.

Bond investors were focused on Poland, where the central bank is expected to cut interest rates for a third straight month by 25 basis points. Poor recent economic data has however prompted some analysts to predict a 50 bps cut.

The zloty fell 0.2 percent against the euro.

“Expectations for any surprises to be on the downside would be logical given the rapid slowdown in both the economy and inflation,” SEB analysts said in a note.

According to the company’s financial forecast filed with the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, Forte Oil hopes to achieve the stated figure after parting with N251.49 million in taxation. This amounts to 171.70 percent increase over N92.56 million paid the previous year.

The company also said it is targeting profit before tax of N1.143 billion, as against N396.95 million delivered in the same period of 2012, which represents 187.91 percent increase.

The revenue for the period is expected to grow to N76.391 billion, as against N24.732 billion in 2012, representing 208.87 percent increase. While the cost of sales is projected to increase to N69.33 billion, distribution for the period, administration and other expenses is expected to grow to N3.040 billion.

This represents 212.44 percent and 39.4 respectively percent increase over the figure achieved in 2012 The basic earnings per share of the equity which is a measure of returns attributable to an Ordinary Share of 50 kobo is expected to grow to 41kobo,

compared to 13kobo posted in the same period of 2012 However, analysts at Proshare said they doubt the possibility of the company either achieving or surpassing its projections for the first quarter. The analysts said they arrived at the conclusion after reviewing the forecast against the previous results.

They specifically said in their review that Forte Oil has 37 percent negative chances of achieving or exceeding i t s PAT forecast and a 17 percent positive chance of delivering on its turnover projections for the period in view. “More importantly, absence of forecast figures between the periods of Q1’11 to Q1’12 may have impacted the believability index significantly. This weights fall within the ‘most believable’ forecast range for quoted companies in the sector,” they said Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Forte Oil, Femi Otedola, had told shareholders during the last Annual General Meeting that the company had finally reached a turning point and was clearly moving northward.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013 — 23

C M Y K

24—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

Winners emerge in Ecobank’s 4th grand draws

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

G

OVERNOR, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi in this interview highlights outstanding issues in the power sector reforms and the agricultural sector, two sectors, which have received the attention of the Bankers Committee in recent times.

C M Y K

M

Lamido Sanusi, CBN Goveronor

Privatisation proceeds should be dedicated to power transmission —Sanusi need to be addressed. We need to improve the engagement with the federal ministry of agriculture and our resolve was to integrate our silos so that all stakeholders can get more value chains to operate. We shall continue with the work which we have started on the modernisation of the payment system, governance, competency, training and financing.

How does your intervention in the agric sector affect the rural farmers?

The whole idea of the intervention in the agric sector through NIRSAL is to address some of those things that have affected the growth of the sector. One of those things that we have tried to do is to work with state governments and put those farmers into cooperatives so that they are able to raise silos as a cooperative.

As a cooperative, they are able to get training, extension services, buy seeds and negotiate for fertilizers.

Then, you go to Kagawa, which is 40 kilometres from Kano, you will see how we and the state government have put together, tomato farmers to get improved varieties and seeds. Now, we are looking at setting up a processing plant, which will produce tomato and process it onsite. They are producing twice a year now, instead of once with irrigation. We give them seeds, fertilizers and they are able to access financing. But we must remember that agriculture

and lending to the real sector is a journey and not a destination. Two years ago, we set a target of getting bank lending to 10 per cent of the loan book of banks by 2017. As at that time, 2011, we were at 1.5 per cent. But today, we are at 3.58 per cent. So, as we continue to implement these reforms, we should get to our target by

,

What is the focus of the Bankers’ Committee in 2013?

Our focus in 2013 remains the implementation of the financial inclusion strategy, continuation of the agricultural lending programme, moving towards the gas to power plan, privatisation of power sector, issues around policies and principles. We still have a long way to go, but we are proud of the work we have done in the last four years. I do hope that this industry will produce the generation of central bank and bank chief executive officers that played a catalyst role in the development of the economy.

The Bankers’ Committee has said that our focus would be on financial inclusion across the country. But there will be a special focus on Bornu state on financial inclusion. The Bankers’ Committee will partner with the government of Bornu towards financial inclusion in that state. Now, with the conclusion of the power privatisation there are a number of issues.

The first is advising the government on funding of power transmission.

One thing that is clear to us and what we are going to advocate is that all the proceeds from the sale of power assets should actually be dedicated to improvement in power transmission system. Because there is a huge financial requirement for power transmission development and if $2.3 billion is dedicated to that, it covers a significant part of that cost. Now the announcement of that kind of decision to be taken by the Presidency and the National Assembly and not the Bankers’ Committee, would create the confidence that private investors require to invest in the integrated plant because they know that the big risk in the power value chain now is transmission.

A lot of funding is required.

So fixing transmission is one, ensuring that we have funding for capital expenditure for generating plants that have just been set up is also key. The committee is working on financing and advising the sector. On the agricultural sector, we will continue with our engagements with the state governments and continue to address the value chain process.

There are outstanding issues and they

BY PETER EGWUATU

As we begin to move to a low inflation environment, rates of interest would continue to drop and make it easier for banks to p r o v i d e financing for the real sector

,

2017.

What is the Bankers’ Committee doing to ensure that lending rate is reduced to support the growth of SMEs and what would be the contribution of the committee to assist the flood victims?

As far as the committee is concerned, remember that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) only survive or thrive in an environment that is conducive.

If you want vibrant SMEs that can borrow from banks, we must fix the power problem, we must fix the agricultural value chain problem. Banks cannot continue to lend to SMEs that are not profitable because they have to continue to run on the generators and buy diesel, with bad roads and insecurity.

So the environment has to be fixed and that would encourage banks to lend to SMEs. That is why we said there should be focus on power and we should get the reforms ongoing. A lot of work has been done on the power reform and the funds from the banks.

Take funding for example, the reform would not have happened if the central bank did not provide the funding for the advisory role. So, the central bank paid for all the work that was done to privatise power by the Bureau of Public Enterprises. The objective is to get the power reforms completed, and if that is done, then power supply would improve, cost of production would come down, industrial capacity would increase and SMEs would be able to borrow and service their debt. On the rate of interest rate, it is not a Bankers’ Committee issue.

Rates of interest are reflective of rates of inflation, therefore there is need to have stability in the system.

As we begin to move to a low inflation environment, rates of interest would continue to drop and make it easier for banks to provide financing for the real sector.

ORE winners emerged in Ecobank Plc grand draws promo, yesterday, as Margaret Omisakin of Ile-Ife Branch was drawn as the star prize winner of a brand new Nissan Sedan, through an electronic device witnessed by Prince Jeminiwa Emmanuel, Acting Director Regulatory & Monetary, National Lottery Regulatory Commission and other regulatory bodies in the lottery sector.

The promo was the 4th draw as well as the grand draw of the Win Big Promo which was held in Lagos. The three previous draws were held in Lagos (October), Port Harcourt (November) and Abuja (December).

Winners in other categories at the 4 th draws include: Luqman Amolegbe and Okeke Sunday, both customers from Olojo and Alaba International Market branches respectively.

They won 2.5KVA generators each. Winners of two 32 LCD television sets were Adeniyi Peter and Dr. Aikhondare, while Akingbade Remi (Ejigbo) and Otubanjo Adegboyega (Ahmadu Bello, V.I.) Out of a massive 1,519,340 customers eligible for the draws, Green James Rose (King Jaja, Bonny) won the SUV Jeep Grand prize. Both Dr. Onyo Uwomano and Mshela Vincent Audu from Abuja won 32 LCD TV each, while Ikwubor Godwin (PortHarcourt) and Wellington Precious (Mission Rd, Bonny) won 2.5kva generators each. Two Blackberry phones were won

by Anthonia Okafor (Garki) and Adeniyekun Adekun Adebayo and Esther (Ibadan Lebanon).

Addressing customers and guests at the event, Funwa Akinmade, Head of Domestic Products wished everyone a happy new and stated that “Ecobank, over the past four months has kept faith with customers, ensuring they have a good holiday season by reaping the benefits of a diligent savings culture.” Adding that “It has been wonderful to hear the pleasure and happiness in customers’ voice as they are informed of their winnings!”

He encouraged old and new customers to open or grow their accounts with Ecobank.”

Accordingly, Mrs. Susie Onwuka Consumer Protection Council, Lagos Office, commended Ecobank for their customer focus as well as ”the transparency of draws.” Adding that, “The Council’s chief concern is that consumers reap the benefits of good investments.”

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013—25

CONTROVERSY!

I’m not dating Pasuma

— Biodun Okeowo C

urvaceous actress, Biodun Okeowo, who hit the lime light in the flick, Tolani Oshirin, is one of the glamor ous actresses rocking the Yoruba movie sector at the moment with her uncommon talent and irresistible sex appeal. Apart from featuring in many films, she has also made her mark as a producer with seven films to her credit. On December 15, 2012 she premiered her much talked about movie, Omo Butty (Pampered Child), where she brought Fuji musician, Wasia Alabi, popularly known as Pasuma to thrill the guests. Unfortunately, her action was misinterpreted, as she is romantically linked to the Fuji star. In this exclusive interview, she opens up on her relationship with Pasuma. She also talks about her career, her lifestyle, marriage and sex .

Enjoy:

By AYO ONIKOYI

H

ow did your journey into the movie industry begin?

I started acting as far back as 2006. I started training with the Ray Eyiwunmi Organisation and since then, I have been on my own.

What made you choose acting as a career?

Acting has been an integral part of my being.I have always loved the practitioners in the movie industry. Even when I was very young, I was part of the drama group in my Church. It was from there, I started sharpening my talent in acting. The Eyiwunmi Organisation later became the platform through which I launched myself into the movie world and so far, I thank God for my humble achievements. Besides, What I studied in school had a bit of theatrical touch. I studied Communication Arts from Lagos State University and I

guess that helped in some ways.

So far, would you say, acting has been good to you?

Yes, acting has been good to me. It has opened doors for me. It has also brought favour to me in some quarters.

They say, there are caucuses in the Yoruba movie industry such as the Odunfa caucus, The Abeokuta crew and the rest. Which one of these groups do you belong to?

Like I said before, I emerged from the Ray Eyiwunmi Organisatiom. But now, I’m a freelance actress.

What movie gave you, your break?

“Tolani Osinrin” gave me my break and I was happy playing a major role for the first time in my own movie.

Continues on page 28

DA TRUTH to storm Nigeria for BOUQUI concert C M Y K

FRA UD ALLEG ATION: Iy an FRAUD ALLEGA Iyan anyya opens up

BY OPEOLUWANI OGUNJIMI

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eigning Afro hip hop act, Iyanya Mbuk who was accused by popular show orga-

You could call them Nigerians…

nizer, Opa Williams of defrauding him to the tune of N1.7 million being payment for the singer’s performance at “Nite of A Thousand Laughs’ shows which held recently in Benin and PortHarcourt, has reacted to the allegation.

Iyanya who was compelled to address the press last Tuesday following the allegation denied the arrest of his Manager. Though, he admitted that the police invited them, he said they didn’t spend close to 1-hour at the police station before they were allowed to go their way.

Opa Williams,the producer of Nigeria’s foremost comedy show, ‘Nite of a Thousand Laughs’ reported Iyanya to the police for allegedly collect-

ing N1.7 million from him being payment for the singer’s performance at ‘Nite of a Thousand Laughs’ shows Continues on page 29

Iyanya Mbuk

26 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

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Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013 — 27

TOP MOVIES OF THE WEEK JACK REACHER

My hips are the sexiest part of my body

DR BELLO BOND 23: SKYFALL HOTEL TRANSLYVANIA RISE OF THE GUARDIAN

Continues from Page 25 Which movie has been most challenging to you and why?

I’ve not been challenged theatrically. But I’m looking forward to having one.

Mo vie sc hedule frfrom om JJANU ANU ARY 1111 – 1177 Movie schedule ANUARY SILVERBIRD CINEMAS, VICTORIA ISLAND Jack Reacher: 11:10am, 1:30pm, 4:00pm, 6:30pm, 9:00pm.

Streets of Calabar: 8:20pm.

Dr Bello: 11:10am, 12:50pm Rise of the Guardian: 11:00am, 2:40pm, 4;35pm Pitch Perfect: 3:40pm The Meeting: 6:30pm.

Twilight Saga: Breaking dawn part2: 6:45pm.

Bond23: Skyfall: 9:05pm

Why are you not featuring in English?

I’m not afraid of delving into the English sector but the thing is, I’ve not been invited or given the opportunity but if the opportunity surfaces I’ll gladly accept. At my level now, you don’t expect me to be begging for a role, do you?

What are the challenges of being an actress and a producer at the same time?

When I talk about films I have featured in, I have lost count but on my own I have produced seven movies. Starting with ‘Tolani Oshirin’, ‘Okanjua’, ‘Oke Irapada’ and others.

Producing one movie in a year, it’s so tasking being an actress and a producer at the same time. Because you have to deal with several different issues at the same time. Combining the two, means one needs to contend with monetary issues and good interpretation of roles,to make the production a successful one.

Which of your movies has been most successful and why?

Oh, it is very hard for me to say because all the films produced by me are good but if I have to really stick my neck out I’ll give it to ‘Ife Nsiere’ (Love is Crazy) but I truly believe my best is yet to come.

I think people love ‘Ife N Siere’ because it deals with contemporary issue of lesbianism.

What inspired your doing ‘Ife Nsiere (Love is Crazy)’ and what is your response to some criticising the film as being a little bit raw?

I got the inspiration to write Ife Nsiere’ because lesbianism has become the order of the day which is fast gaining C M Y K

ground to the detriment of this generation. My aim really is to preach against this Sodomic act and also to tell people that not all that glitters is gold. The movie is not raw. And if viewers believe so, we did it to pass the message clearly and because acting is make-believe, we have to make it real and believable.

I want people to know that there’s no profit in lesbianism.

I want to also fault this common saying that love is crazy; love’s not crazy, neither is it blind. I want people to also know that marriage is meant to be preserved. House wives shouldn’t just jump to conclusion when, maybe, they see lipstick stains on their husband’s clothes and think that he’s had something to do with another woman.

,

What do you consider before taking up a role or accepting a script and have you ever had to reject a script and why?

Yes, first and foremost I look at the storyline. Second, the plot and third, the director.

Yep, I’ve rejected scripts. I reject scripts that are not well baked and perfectly detailed.

That is why I don’t feature in anyhow movies. I’ve made such mistakes in the past and it really affected me. But Glory be to God that brought me back on my feet. So now I don’t just act all movies. I scrutinise scripts very well before taking them on.

Sex is good, and it should only be done between married people because sex is an oath

,

What are you working on now and what is the story?

Presently, I’ve just shot ‘Omo Butty(Pampered Child)’ and it has even been premiered and is making tour of cinemas right now and it is expected to remain a big hit throughout the first part of 2013. I will be going on location soon to shoot another movie to be called ‘Ore (Friends)’. ‘Omo Butty’ is about a spoilt child.

Are you in any relationship and are you considering getting married?

Yes, I am in a very serious relationship leading to marriage in the most quiet way.

What would make you marry a man now, what do you really want in a man after two kids?

Because there’s no glory for a queen who’s got no king. Our

society doesn’t accept an unmarried woman as a responsible woman. God knows his plan for me and what’s the best for me in terms of the type of man to marry. I am a woman and every woman needs a man to be complete.

What’s your idea of sex generally? As a beautiful woman you must be getting so much pressure?

Sex is good, and it should only be done between married people because sex is an oath.

Its not something that should be done with numerous partners or done for the fun of it. It is like marriage, sacred and pure. As for the pressure, may be temptations will come your way but it is left to the woman to control herself and be who she really wants to be without compromising her beliefs.

There is a whisper of a gist that something of a hot romance is brewing between you and Pasuma?

Where did that emanate from?

It is laughable. I laugh because people are it again. Pasuma is a brother, a friend, and a very nice person to me too. Pasuma knows my man very well so where did this unscrupulous rumour emanate from that I’m dating him. Can’t people see closeness in different sexes and see it as platonic only? Local mentality is what I’m seeing in such rumour. Please rumour peddlers should go and find jobs to do.

What is sexiest about Biodun Okeowo?

Well, being sexy means different things to different people. But I think my shape, especially my hips are the sexiest part of my body.

Is it true that most actresses are flirts and this is largely responsible for their not being able to hold on to marriages?

Well, I cant speak for others.

But Biodun Sofuyi Okeowo is not a flirt. That, I can stand tall to say anywhere.

SILVERBIRD CINEMAS, IKEJA Streets of Calabar; 11:05am, 4:50pm Rise of the Guardian: 11;00am, 3;15pm, 5:00pm Arinzo: 1:20pm.

Hotel Transylvania: 1:55pm, 4:05pm.

Here comes the Boom: 2;45pm, 7:55pm, 9:55pm The Meeting: 3:40pm, 6:10pm Bond23: Skyfall: 7:15pm.

Twilight saga Breaking dawn part2: 3;45pm, 7:45pm, 10:00pm.

SILVERBIRD CINEMAS, ABUJA Jack Reacher: 11;00am, 1:30pm, 4:00pm, 6:30pm, 9:00pm.

Streets of Calabar: 1:20pm, 6:00pm, 8:35pm Rise of the Guardian: 12:20pm, 2;20pm, 4:20pm, 6:20pm.

Arinzo: 12:00pm, 1:50pm, 6:35pm.

Inside Story: 1:10pm, 3:10pm, 7:30pm.

A Thousand Words : 12:10pm, 4;10pm, 8:10pm Pitch perfect: 12:40pm, 2:30pm, 7:20pm, 9:20pm Hotel Transylvania: 11:50am, 3:40pm.

Twilight Saga: Breaking dawnpart2: 5:10pm, 9:30pm.

Bond23; Skyfall: 8:00pm The Meeting: 11:30am, 4:05pm, 8:20pm.

Premium Rush: 2:10pm, 6:10pm.

SILVERBIRD CINEMAS CEDDI PLAZA , ABUJA Dr Bello: 12:00pm, 4: 20pm.

Streets of Calabar: 4;00pm, 8:40pm Here comes the Boom: 1:55pm, 6:30pm The Meeting: 11:30pm Bond23Skyfall: 8:30pm.

SILVERBIRD CINEMAS PORT HARCOURT Jack Reacher: 12;40pm, 3:00pm, 5:30pm, 8;00pm Dr Bello: 11;40am, 1;20pm, 3;40pm.

Arinzo: 5:40pm Jab tak hai jaan: 1:00pm, 5:10pm Streets of Calabar: 3:10pm, 8:10pm.

Rise of the Guardian: 11:10am, 4;10pm,6:05pm Inside Story: 11:30am, 1:40pm, 6:20pm.

Hotel Transylvania : 11:15am, 1:00pm.

Pitch Perfect: 2:55pm,8;30pm Premium Rush: 11;00am, 3:40pm.

The Meeting: 5:30pm, 8:05pm.

Bond23 Skyfall: 5:05pm, 8:00pm.

THE TEAM BENJAMIN NJOKU njokujamin@yahoo.com AYO ONIKOYI OPEOLUWANI OGUNJIMI

28 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013 — 29

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30—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

DA TRUTH to storm Nigeria for BOUQUI concert For the very first time in the history of Christian contemporary hip-hop music in Nigeria and Africa at large,here comes the biggest international collaboration of all time.

With a song titled “Celebrate”,the multipleaward winning Nigeria rap queen, BOUQUI features the phenomenal 3-time Stellar award winner, 2-time Grammy and Dove nominee “DA T R U T H ” Apparently, this is surely another set piece of take-over for Bukola Folayan popularly known as BOUQUI. The multi-talented rap artiste who has held firmly to the female rap crown for years has just raised the bar once again with her new single titled, Celebrate.

BOUQUI, having dropped couple of singles from her forthcoming double CD album “Marks Of a General & Eve Of Independence” is on the verge of creating another world record as the first female gospel rapper to release 4 albums and of course a double CD album, remarkable.

The song, ‘Celebrate’ is produced by VC Perez and mixed

by Mix Master J with additional vocals from Studio and C Blaze.

DA T.R.U.T.H, born Emmanuel Lee Lambert Jr. is set to drop his fifth studio album on the 29th of January 2013, with the title, Love Hope War. Fans of BOUQUI are to watch out their idol as she hosts the Love Hope War tour concert in Lagos featuring, DA TRUTH and the best of Nigerian gospel community come February 8, 2013 .

BOUQUI

AMAA ffilm ilm screening winds up in AAbuja buja I

t was a gathering of Nollywood bigwigs in the nation’s seat of power, the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja as the curtains finally fell on this year’s edition of the nationwide screening tour of 2012 African Movie Academy Awards (AMMA) winning movies sponsored by leading telecoms service provider, Airtel Nigeria.

With an exclusive all-stars After Party at the TKlez Lounge, Hotel De Bently, the Abuja film screening provid-

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ed occasion for class entertainment, fun, social networking and reunion for members of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) led by the Chairman of the Abuja Chapter, Chief Onwurah Ifeanyi and the Chapter’s Sole Administrator and veteran actor, Sidney Diala.

At the Silverbird Galleria, Abuja, venue of the screening exercise, Abuja celebrities as well as other select members of the public and followers of Nollywood got the chance to view AMAA 2012 Best Film,

Adesuwa, produced by renowned film Director, Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen, and Man on Ground, written and Directed by Akin Omotosho.

Commenting on the eventful conclusion of the Awards, Chief Marketing Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Olu Akanmu expressed satisfaction over the partnership which he described as significantly natural given the vision and commitment of the operator to bringing smiles to the faces of Africans.

His words, “Although our primary call of duty is to provide borderless mobile telecoms services, we also take pride in empowering Nigerians by lending support to their passions. Our partnership with Nollywood through the sponsorship of AMAA resonates with that commitment and we are delighted that this screening exercise has not only showcased creativity of the Nigerian nay African, but also provided opportunity for Nigerians to mingle live with their screen stars.”

Aity Dennis gear or gearss up ffor UK, US tou tourr G

ospel singer, Aity Den nis, has wrapped up plans for her 2013 tour which kicks-off next month.

A statement from her management revealed that the tour will take her to the United States as well as the United Kingdom. “The response Aity got from her last tour in the US was awesome and due to popular demand, she will be on tour of the US again. This time around, she will also be in the UK as well. We do not want to reveal all the details of her itinerary yet.

Even as we speak, we are also trying to wrap up a South African tour before the end of the first quarter of this year,” the statement reads.

Last year, Aity embarked on her maiden US tour which took her to 10 American cities.

She has seven albums to her credit, including Unstoppable. Her singles, Baraswene and Amkpaidem are currently on rotation and plans are ongoing to shoot more videos from her Unstoppable album.

Married to the General Overseer of Sure Word Assembly, Pastor Dennis Inyang, Aity dumped a promising career in broadcasting to achieve her dreams in music few years ago.

FRA UD ALLEG ATION: Iy an FRAUD ALLEGA Iyan anyya opens up Continues from Page 25 which held in Benin and Port Harcourt few days ago. Unfortunately, the Kukere crooner never showed up at any of the shows.

According to him, the reason they couldn’t make the Benin and Port Harcourt shows was because of the fact that they were stuck in a traffic while on their way to the venue.

“I didn’t intentionally refuse to show up at the show. What happened was that Opa contacted me to perform at the Benin leg of “Night Of A Thousand Laughs.” We agreed for N1.7million but he paid me only N1.5 million, promising to pay the balance of N200,000,00 after the show.

Later, he told me that he wanted us to perform in another show at Port Harcourt but he didn’t pay me for the PortHarcourt show. However, I agreed to perform at both shows out of respect I have for Opa. But I was in Benin for the show. Unfortunately, while on I was on my way to the venue, I got stuck in a traffic. That was when I got a call that the show had already ended. Meanwhile, I was scheduled to close the show.”

However, contrary to reports that he was paid N1.7, the Kukere crooner said, Opa Williams paid him only N1.5 million, promising to pay the balance of N200,000,000 after the show.

When asked if he has refund-

ed the money to Opa Williams, Iyanya answered in the affirmative. “ Yes, I refunded the money through an Access Bank Cheque immediately.”

According to him, “when I couldn’t make it to the shows, Opa showed up with some policemen who took us to the police station. And like I said earlier, we didn’t spend close to 1- hour at the station. All they asked for was a refund. There and then, I issued a cheque to Opa which was cashed immediately. They didn’t detain us. I have since apologised to Opa for missing the shows.”

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013—31

With Laju Arenyeka

You could call them Nigerians …

“We are not Nigerians” Venus and Serena Williams said. It is beginning to seem cliché that Nigerians are quick to speculate about the roots of successful Africans abroad. It doesn’t matter whether they can speak a Nigerian language, or have an American accent; whether they grew up in Lagos or spent their childhood on the streets of London. We crave for a certain affiliation, and hold a strange hope that at least some of the Hollywood stars we see on our television screens, have ancestors who once graced our neighbourhoods. Venus and Serena hurt our feelings, but these stars cannot deny us. Even if they wanted to, like eba to soup, we would attach ourselves to their famous skirts because blood is thicker than water!

Serena and Venus Williams

Hakeem Kae-Kazim W

Hakeem

Sophie Okonedo H

ikipedia refers to this Hotel Rwanda star as an ‘English’ actor (But we know better). Hakeem was born in Lagos in 1962 to Nigerian parents, and was based in South Africa for a while. He is best known for his portrayal of Georges Rutaganda in the 2004 motion picture Hotel Rwanda. He also starred as Colonel Iké Dubaku in season 7 of the Fox television series 24 and the TV film tie-in 24: Redemption. This Hollywood hunk made us proud when he starred in the Nollywood blockbuster Last flight to Abuja.

otel Rwanda had another Nigerian on the cast that would be downright uncharacteristic of us not to claim. Sophie Okonedo received an Academy award nomination for her role in the movie. If she had won it, it wouldn’t have mattered that her Nigerian father left home when since she was five, it would be ours to boast of. Sophie also received a Golden Globe nomination for Tsunami: The Aftermath, and BAFTA nominations for Criminal Justice and Mrs. Mandela. Her other film roles included Aeon Flux, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, Dirty Pretty Things, Skin, and The Secret Life of Bees. Okonedo was born in London, England, the daughter of Joan (née Allman), a pilates teacher, and Henry Okonedo (1939–2009), who worked for the government. Her father was Nigerian, and her mother, an Ashkenazi Jew, was born in the East End, to Yiddish-speaking immigrants from Poland and Russia. She was raised in her mother’s Jewish faith.

Sophie Okonedo

David Oyelowo D

avid Oyelowo, his British wife Jessica and his three beautiful sons are ours to claim. This versatile actor has graced some of the best productions in theatre and television. Oyelowo played the role of MI5 officer Danny Hunter in the British TV drama series Spooks from 2002 to 2004. More recently he starred in A Raisin in the Sun (2011), Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), The Help (2011), Selma (2011) where he played Martin Luther King Jr., Lincoln (2012) and many more. He also starred in Blood and Oil, a controversial production which many believe is not a true represenDavid Oyelowo tation of the happenings of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

Next week, watch out for more Hollywood stars with Nigerian parentage.

You just might find out the actual roots Beyonce, Rihanna and Will Smith.

Besides, who knows the real meaning of ‘L’ in Samuel L Jackson… Lekan?

No promises, just dis n dat!

32—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

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VANGUARD, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013—33 With PRINCE OSUAGWU princeosuagwu@gmail.com

Ericsson laces networked Society with music Sony shows stuff with new waterproof Walkman MP3 player

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A

lthough Ericsson divorced it relationship with device maker Sony, there are indications the telecommunications backbone provider is not finished yet with music and other forms of creating world entertainment.

Now the company has just announced collaboration with world-famous DJ and producer Avicii to show how the Networked Society enables innovation and business transformation.

The Networked Society is Ericsson’s description of a world where real-time connectivity between people, places and things enables new ways of doing business and accessing entertainment.

The entertainment industry has proven success in embracing new models, beginning with digital distribution. This project is a prime example that now takes a further step into creation and production. Ericsson says it will use this project as a proof point in conversations with other industries.

Avicii is a young, progressive artist who has already tested new ground in ways of working and creating music. His fan base grew from nothing to tens of millions on social media alone, with his two recent hit singles on label Universal Music Sweden.

He was recently ranked as the second-most influential under-30 person in music by Forbes magazine.

The project begins with asking Avicii’s fans and producers from all over the world to contribute sound files over the internet. The ‘Avicii x You’ project already kicked off Wednesday. The project will create the world’s first “crowdsourced” hit song, to be released on February 26, 2013.

Avicii says: “I am thrilled to ask my fans to be part of my creative process. We’re taking music production and distribution and probably performance to the next level.”

Meanwhile, Ericsson’s

Chief Marketing Officer Arun Bhikshesvaran said that “by 2018, we believe mobile data traffic will grow about 12-fold from its current levels, driven by entertainment experiences.

In addition, according to our 10 Hot Consumer Trends for 2013, social entertainment, collaboration and creativity in city life and cloud-based services are key ingredients of the evolving Networked Society. We look forward to engaging with our customers and other key stakeholders to realize our vision of the Networked Society,”

emember the Sony Walkman? It made a buzz among Nigerian youths some years back and helped in boosting market shares of the device maker. But this time around, when you see one, you can easily spot it on and dip into the swimming pool. Like they say ‘no shaking’ in Nigerian local parlance, there is nothing to worry about.

The device gives you entertainment under the water and still remains active when you are done swimming. The new waterproof music player combines a pair of ear buds with an MP3 player in a single unit, with no external device required to play tunes.

The new device strips out all the excess cables and devices to leave a much more streamlined player that won’t restrict movements either in water or when jogging or running.

On the surface, the new MP3 player looks like a pair of large ear buds, but the two boxes on the sides actually house the entire player itself. The device has been designed with fitness in mind, making it much more comfortable to work out, jog, or swim while wearing it. With its waterproof construction, swimmers can take the MP3 player in the pool, and other users won’t have to worry about it being damaged from heavy sweat. The two ear buds are also held together with a tension band that wraps around the back of the wearer ’s head.

Sony designed the new Walkman in a way that users can load up to 4GB of music with a Personal Computer and get eight hours of playtime on a full charge. But even at just three minutes charge, the Walkman can play one hour of audio.

According to Sony the ear buds will produce exceptional audio, even while underwater.

For the user, there are easy controls and adjustment of the device’s volume output on the bottom of each side of the earbuds. Through the controls the user can also skip through tracks, pause or play songs. Sony’s Sony promises to make the device available March this year at an appromiate price of US$99.99.

Hyper introduces new line of iUSBport storage options for Wi-Fi devices

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ommon complaint from users of iPhone or iPads, particularly in Nigeria, is the inability to either transfer files, documents from their USBs to the devices or vice versa. This inability is because the devices have always lacked USB ports.

Although Apple provides alternatives with Dropbox, iCloud, and email to solve the problem of managing files many users still prefer external storage.

Perhaps that is why a new technology company, Hyper debuted recently with

iUSBport. The new tech streams USB content to any Wi-Fi enabled device over a local network. It takes only to plug in your favorite USB drive, join its Wi-Fi network, open the free app, and stream your own 1080p movie or any other files for that matter. iUSBport2 is the second iteration of the device. The first iUSBport was originally called CloudFTP and adds a second USB port, microSDXC slot, backlit LCD, and 3,300 mAh battery.

Hyper says that it streams data 50 percent faster than the original.

Hyper also gave iUSBport2 a couple of siblings. iUSBport HD is the largest model, rocking a 2.5-inch hard drive USB 3.0, 5,200 mAh battery, and all the perks of the iUSBport2. iUSBport mini is, naturally, the compact version. Built like a flash drive, you can connect it to an actual flash drive, or if connected to external power, it becomes a USB hard drive. iUSBport2 will retail for US$150, iUSBport HD will be $160, and iUSBport mini will ring up for $70. All three models will launch in Q1 2013.

34—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

State Government, under Ochendo, pays N20,100 to her lowest public servant. It is only the devil that will not see restoration of ‘dignity’ in this vivid expression of humanity.

• I do not intend to mention the numerous legacy projects initiated and being executed by the administration of Governor Orji in the State.

Should I talk of the civil servants’ secretariat complex that is eighty percent completed or the five thousand seat capacity International Conference Centre, also eighty percent completed?

• If Kalu should claim he has not seen the new functional Industrial market before the University of Agriculture, Umudike, would he be justi-

Re: Abia, from God's own to goons' own state ByDON UBANI

W

HEN one is entrusted with the people’s confidence, resources and fortune, one would need the amazing grace of God to discharge one’s responsibilities with utmost care, prudence, transparency and equity.

In 1999, Orji Uzor Kalu was elected Governor of Abia State. His mandate was to impact positively on the people of the State using the commonwealth of the people. But the reverse was the case. The combination of extremity of Kalu’s actions amounted to, not only total disappointment to the people of God’s Own State.

It is this rejection by Abians and, indeed, many other Nigerians that has continued to torment him. Otherwise, why would one of his apologists state his case in a write-up on page 21 of Thisday of Monday, December 31, 2012. In the said write-up, Onwumere, fruitlessly and unethically expressed his grouse over the ‘claim’ by one of Governor T. A. Orji’s aides that the governor has restored the dignity of the Abia person? Kalu, being

pacts very negatively on his or her character and, by clinical extension, his or her ‘dignity’ .

I am saying it for the umpteenth time that during the tenure of Kalu as Governor in Abia State, most Abians suffered violations.

Life support incentives People were compelled to swear to oaths of unjustifiable allegiance to Kalu and his mother. I, personally, was cunningly taken to Umuhuezechi in his Bende Local Government Area of Abia State for this purpose. Today, Governor T. A. Orji has given appointments, contracts and other life-support incentives to many Abians without subjecting any of them to any form of oath-taking. This is restoration of ‘dignity’ .

• For the eight years that Kalu presided over the affairs of Abia State, he never gave any quantifiable consideration to the health of Abians, hence he did not think it necessary to erect even a one-bed clinic. That Governor Orji, a quintessential administrator

When a person’s ‘dignity’ is restored, the person enjoys enhanced positive image

,

conscious of the havoc he wreaked on Abians, would not want to hear of the restoration of the ‘dignity’ of Abia people, hence he has continued to cry wolf where none exists.

I would now say only a few things to justify the claim by the Governor ’s aide on restoration of ‘dignity’ .

• When a person’s ‘dignity’ is restored, the person enjoys enhanced positive image. By virtue of constitutional democracy, every Abian is entitled to certain fundamental human rights such as: • Freedom of thought, • Freedom of association and, • Freedom of worship Any time that fundamental right of an Abian or any other individual is violated or denied, it goes a long way to cause psycho-social depression. This, certainly, affects the individual and, therefore, im-

,

and an accomplished alumnus of Nigeria’s premier University of Ibadan, has been able to build and equip two hundred and fifty health centres spread across the State and two functional diagnostic medical centres in Umuahia and Aba, has definitely tormented Orji Kalu who now perceives the Governor’s performance as a deliberate design to dump him in the dust bin meant for non-performance.

• Abia is an oil producing State, courtesy of Ukwa-West Local Government Area.

Throughout Kalu’s tenure, every plea made by the people of Ukwa-West for his administration to set up an Oil Producing Areas Development Commission naturally fell on a deaf ear. But no sooner did Chief Theodore Orji become governor than he set up the Abia State Oil Producing Ar-

Map of Abia State

eas Development Commission.

That commission has helped immensely in the development of Abia State, particularly the oil producing areas of the State. Many Traditional Rulers from Ukwa-West had no vehicles but today are proud owners of jeeps that have, for sure, enhanced their status.

Kalu has always been a victim of ignorance and, so, will not realize that an elevation of this magnitude for Traditional Rulers in Ukwa-West would go a long way to give impetus to their ‘dignity’. Does this not justify the governor ’s aide’s claim?

Quantifiable empowerment • Kalu’s eight-year governance of Abia State did not witness any quantifiable empowerment of the Abia youth. His administration only recorded donation of ‘Tokunbo’ motorcycles and wheel-barrows to Abia youths. On the contrary, the Government of Ochendo has motivated Abia youths with more than five hundred cars and more than two thousand tricycles, otherwise known as Keke-Napep.

Beneficiaries of this unparalleled benevolence of the governor have subsequently become self-employed and are living very responsible lives and discharging their social cum community obligations.

For youths that could only dream of motor-cycles and wheel-barrows during the administration of Kalu to have their taste redirected and their

Abia State governor, Theodore Orji

status radically upgraded, Kalu would not perceive any meaningful restoration of ‘dignity’ in this context. What a pity!

• In order to address the problem of youth unemployment and its attendant youth restiveness; a twin problem that was irresponsively unattended to during the era of darkness which Kalu’s Government represented, the Theodore Orji’s Government has offered employment to four thousand and five hundred Abia youths and is encouraging them to acquire useful skills with the money they are paid in order to guarantee a stable future for themselves.

Restoration of dignity Because Kalu would not wish or see anything good in Ochendo’s Government, he would not agree that youths that were hopelessly abandoned by his administration but are now being rehabilitated by Governor Orji have had their ‘dignity’ restored.

• While the Federal Government of Nigeria legislated N18,000 as minimum wage for the Nigerian worker, the Abia

fied to say he has not seen the modern Umuahia market at Ubani-Ibeku, which is just conspicuously along his Ohafia-Umuahia Road? There are too many projects to be mentioned that space and time may not permit here. I, however, challenge Orji Kalu for an open contest on the issue of restoration of ‘dignity’ for Abians by Governor T. A. Orji.

Preposterous claims • To ascertain how uninformed Kalu and his Odimegwu Onwumere are, one has to compare and contrast between their preposterous claims that there is no restoration of ‘dignity’ in Abia and their contradictory questioning of the source of money with which the wife of the governor, who through her Non-Governmental Organisation; HannahMay Foundation, has been touching the lives of the lessprivileged by building a threebedroom bungalow, with provision of water and furniture for such people in the State.

•Chief (Sir) Don Ubani, KSC, JP, Okwubunka of Asa writes from Umuahia

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013 — 35

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36—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

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ASK YOUR IMAM As-salamu alaikum.

What is the significance, if any, when a Muslim had a bad dream at

Tel: 08098097290

email: isholaism@yahoo.co.uk

It's Allah's pleasure to forgive one hundred times a day.”

The reward of repentance is blessings coming down from heaven, blessings coming from the earth, an increase in one’s

“Seek the forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him in repentance, that He may grant you good enjoyment, for a term appointed, and bestow His abounding Grace to every owner of grace

,

O man is infallible.

Errors and sins are undoubtedly part of human nature and no one will be free of it. All of us fall short, commit sins, and make mistakes.

Sometimes we turn to Allah in obedience, and most times we willfully or forgetfully turn away from His ordinances.

Imam Tirmizhi reported: “Every son of Adam sins, and the best of those who sin are those who repent.”

Allah has bestowed His mercy and compassion.

He is Forbearing and does not wield the stick every time we erred. He gives man respite, and He commanded His Prophet (s.a.w) to proclaim His generosity as stated in Suratul Zumar, 39:53 “Say: O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is OftForgiving, Most Merciful. Repentance is meant for all classes of people. Those who disobey Allah and commit sin, those who follow a middle course, and even those who are foremost in good deeds are enjoined to seek Allah’s forgiveness. The doctrine of remenission of sins has no place in Islam and that is why the Prophet (s.a.w) said: “O people, repent to Allah and seek His forgiveness, for I repent

For you who have trampled on the rights of the weak, the orphan, you must as a matter of urgency restore their rights. If you have been unduly unfair to a widow, you need to seek redress, ask for pardon and repent

,

wealth and offspring, blessings in productivity, good physical health and protection from diseases. Allah says of Hood (a.s)

(i.e. the one who helps and serves the needy and deserving, physically and with his wealth, and even with good words)” “And O my people! Ask forgiveness of your Lord

How do I overcome bad dream? night? If the dream involves doing a haram activity and feeling guilty about it in the

dream, even though I don’t do any haram activity in my daily life, what does it portend for me?

Fidau Prayer for late Muritala Olaiwon

Chairman, Ejigbo LCDA, Kehinde Bamigbetan (middle);Vice-Chairman of the council, Alhaji Monsurudeen Bello-Obe (right) and Secretary to the council, Remi Gbadegeshin at the 8-day Fidau for the Supervisor for Agriculture, Social,Youth and Sports Development in the LCDA, late Hon. Muritala Olaiwon.

and then repent to Him, He will send you (from the sky) abundant rain, and add strength to your strength, so do not turn away as Mujrimoon (criminals, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah)” (Hood 11: 3,52) It was narrated from Abu Sa’eed Sa’d ibn Maalik ibn Sinaan alKhudri (r.a) that the Prophet (s.a.w) said: “There was a man among the people who came before him a man who killed 99 people.

Then he asked about the most knowledgeable person on earth, and was directed to a hermit, so he went to him, told him that he had killed 99 people, and asked if he could be forgiven.

The hermit said, ‘No,’ so he killed him, thus completing 100. Then he asked about the most knowledgeable person on earth and was directed to a

Answer: Wa alaikum-Salam, All you need to do is try and forget it. Disregard it and do not bother to talk about it anymore.

This is the way we have been taught by Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w).

What you can do is to seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan, ask Allah to keep the accursed enemy away from you, and God willing, you will again become calm and overcome the shaytan.

The prophet said, ‘’ A good dream is from God. So, if any of you have a dream of what you love, do not speak of it except to someone you love.

And if any of you had a dream of what you dislike, then seek refuge in Allah from its evil, and from the evil of obsession; and spit out thrice and do not tell anyone of it, for in fact it will not harm you’’.

Again, make sure you perform ablution before you go to bed and recite Suratul Ikhlas, Falaq and Nas with Ayatal-Qursiy.

God knows best.

scholar. He told him that he had killed 100 people, and asked whether he could be forgiven. The scholar said, ‘Yes, what could possibly come between you and repentance? He was asked by this scholar to immediately proceed to a town where its people always worship God and shun sin, warning him never to return to his own town full of atrocities. So the man set off, but when he was halfway to the town, the angel of death came to him, and the angels of mercy and the angels of wrath began to argue over him.

The angels of mercy said: ‘He had repented and was seeking Allah.’

The angels of wrath said: ‘He never did any good thing.’ The matter was however resolved by measuring the distance between the two lands (his home town and the town he was going). It was discovered that he was closer to where he

was going and farer from where he was coming.

So, he had the pleasure to follow the angels of mercy.

What is meant by repentance is returning to Allah, giving up sin hating it, and show remorse for having committed the sin.

For you who have trampled on the rights of the weak, the orphan, you must as a matter of urgency restore their rights. If you have been unduly unfair to a widow, you need to seek redress, ask for pardon and repent. If you have used your position and power to amass wealth or property, you must return them, before seeking forgiveness from Allah. As condition necessary for a valid repentance, you must give up the sin, show remorse of having done it, and exhibit a practical resolve never to go back to it.

But the truth again remains, that anyone who repents to Allah from any sin is to be congratulated, because it is as if they have been born anew through their sincere repentance. The reward of repentance is a good life in the shade of faith, contentment, peace of mind and tranquility.

This is usually followed by blessings in this world and in the Hereafter. You will have the purity of heart and closeness to Allah. He is the most forgiving and compassionate.

SISTERS' CORNER

The new hijabite sister BYAMINAT YUSUF

I

T often occurs to me that many of our sisters in Islam are not properly encouraged once they begin to observe the requirements of Hijab. It may be that a sister has been obliged to wear the Hijab without truly pondering over its social benefits.

Perhaps she has reached the age of puberty and her parents have instructed her to wear it. Perhaps she has recently accepted Islam and her close companions have told her of its obligation.

Alternatively, perhaps her husband has commanded her to wear Hijab.

A sister who does not truly know the superiority of Hijab will always remain envious of disbelieving women. Why? Because they observe these misguided disbelievers attempting to look beautiful for all to see. Hence, the Muslim woman then compares herself to that woman which causes her to feel ashamed of her own Hijab.

Therefore, what follows is a reminder for sisters in Islam. It is a reminder of the true status of these socalled beautiful women. It is a reminder of the excellence of the women who wear Hijab.It is well known that the Muslim woman is a creature of modesty.

Again, it is their outer protection from the decadence of this life. They are modest and they are not like those women who show themselves off to the world. How can you compare the world of a woman with hijab with others who flaunt their bodies with tights and mini-skirts, open chests and others. It may be quite difficult for the Muslim woman to go out wearing Hijab in a society that mocks wearing of hijab but the gains are incomparable. However, if you know how uselss and undignified the unbelieving women who flaunt their bodies are before decent men and God, you will crave to wear hijab always and with dignity.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013 — 37

LEISURE

YOUR LUCK TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

PISCES; Unless you are more careful matters-of-theheart may cause avoidable trouble the way your career/business can suffer temporarily.

ARIES; It is important you don’t exhibit aggression unnecessarily. Here is a day when secret love is capable of bringing serious pressure. Try to be very diplomatic.

TAURUS; Your concentration level is not perfect and if you take bad advice from friends you would be misled. The more practical you are the better for you.

GEMINI; Unnecessary aggressive approach on your part along your career/business lines will back-fire more than you imagine. Graceful expression is what you will need.

CANCER; Happenings within your working arena can bring minor provocation but it is just a passing trend. Travelling for love will bring more challenges than expected.

By Richard Eromosele

I

believe you have heard of the word ‘heaven’. My question now is where is heaven? Is it a geographical expression or a spiritual condition?

This was a question thrown at me recently

Where is heaven? in one of my teachings.

My attempt to answer that heaven as above was met by yet another question – which above? Where is above?

The general belief is that heaven is above.

The basis of the Chris-

TERROR MUDA

tian religion is Christ crucifixion and resurrection. If you believe Christ resurrected, then where did He resurrect to? Could He have resurrected from earth to earth? Resurrection connotes moving from a lower plain

in “Never say goodbye”

to a higher plain. If God is in heaven (as indicated by Christ … our Father who art in heaven) and God is above, it therefore means that heaven being the seat of God is above.

Think about it!

By Lanre Kehinde

LEO; Male members of this Star sign will need to watch their libido while female must not ignore their sex-life. Beware of joint ventures with those you don’t know.

VIRGO; It is not compulsory you take to aggressive re-action to those within your base of operation who are not as perfect as you. Protect your spouse.

LIBRA; Watch what you eat and drink today. This is the wrong time to engage in unnecessary heated argument.. Romance at work may bring disappointment.

SCORPIO; Trying to influence matters-of-the-heart with money will not give you the desired result. Any way it is a day you will need to be more careful with money.

SAGITTARIUS; It is important you are more careful while trying to pass judgement on people within your base of operation because you too may be wrong.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

CAPRICORN; Taking a pleasure drive or movement may bring more than anticipated responsibility. Keep away from whatever can not be placed above board today.

AQUARIUS; If you allow friends to force their ideas on you financially or on matters-of-the-heart, you would be the loser. Express yourself gracefully.

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,

Where w as m was myy moon Dear Joshua,

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

Kindly tell me where the Moon was placed when I was born and other things I should know about my star.

Abdullahi, Oyo. Dear Abdullahi, What space can take will be given here-under. Your natal Moon was in Aries.

ANALYSIS OF YOUR HOROSCOPE DATA Preponderance of cardinal quality in your chart is an indication of GREAT LEADERSHIP QUALITY together with innate ability to attain prominence on one hand, on the other hand, exaltation of intellectual related Mercury in Aquarius at positive angle to both lucky Jupiter and Uranus (the planet of genius) in Libra pointed to a person with higher pitch of intelligence.

Action loving Mars as the final dispositor of your horoscope ( that’s most influential planet at home when you were born) will most times induce you to strongly desire importance with likeness for quick results; actually long promise without concrete action will bore you easily. Equally 60 percentage of push-full influence in your chart means that the best for you is to go after your needs and wants.

Combination of all the placement and aspects formed within the planets when you were born are pointers to you as a person with balanced personality with little bias for good spiritual life. And you believe in disciplinarian life style.

Placement of your natal Sun and Moon in compassionate Pisces and self conscious Aries respectively are indications of your being mainly a Piscean and partly an Arian, however as Aries is also your Stellium sign, both basic characteristics of Pisces and Aries are highly pronounced in your inner-self.

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Commen3

by Lawrence Akapa

38 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

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Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013—39

From Left: Dr. Remi Desalu, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Special Duties; Prof. Pat Utomi, Director, Lagos Business School and Dr. Sade Akiode, Director, Choice Dental Clinic, during the opening of Choice Dental Clinic, at 2, Joseph Nahman Close, Victoria Island, Lagos. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

From Left: Mrs. Yanju Olomola, Head Public Affairs and Communication, Nigerian Bottling Company Limited; Mrs. Funmilayo Adesegun, wife of Ogun State Deputy Governor; Mrs. Olufunso Amosun, First Lady of Ogun and Otunba Bimbo Ashiru, Ogun State Commissioner for Commerce, during the official opening of 'Empowerment Kiosks' by Nigerian Bottling Company Limited, for the people of Ogun State, at South/ West Resources Centre, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Ogun State. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi

From Left: Mr. Adeite Turner, Consultant Engineer; Mr. Maxwell Loko, Director and Mr. Joshua Wang, Chief Operating Officer, Star Times (all of NTA Star Tv Network Limited), during a briefing on the unveiling of its New Year package of DVB-T2 Decoder, Mobile Tv Phone and the launch of 'Door to Door Service,' in Abuja.

From Left: Mr.Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, Managing Director, CMC Connect; Senator Ike Nwachukwu, and Prof. Dora Akunliyi, former Information and Communication Minister, during a special colloquium on 'Managing Nigeria's Image,Whose responsibility,' held at Muson Centre,Lagos, to mark Badejo Okusanya's 50th birthday. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

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From left: Mr. Fred Igwe, Rivers State Commissioner for Sports; Dr. Wale Rogers, Perm. Sec., Ministry of Establishment and Sir Promise Dahor, Perm.

Sec., Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, during Rivers State Government 2013 New Year Thanksgiving Service, at the State Secretariat Complex, yesterday in Port Harcourt. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke

Dr. Kamoru Omotosho, District Governor, Rotary International District 9110: (4th left) cutting the tape to commission two classroom blocks donated by Rotary Club of Ikoyi to Orofun – Akodo Secondary School, Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area, Lagos. With him are Mr. Jimmy Evbuomwan, President Rotary Club of Ikoyi (3rd left), Chief Babatunde Mustalim Odunlaja, Bale Epenlemeeje Orofun, (3rd right) and Mrs. B.O Oluderu, School Principal, with other officials.

Mr. Kennedy Uzoka,Deputy Managing Director, UBA Plc, flanked by officials of UBA Academy and matriculating Executive Trainees, during the fifth Matriculation ceremony of the UBA Academy Banking School, in Lagos.

Malam Mohammed Garba, National President of the NUJ, (left), being received by Alhaji Mohammad Yakubu, the District head of Danduye, during his visit to Danduye, Sokoto State, yesterday.

Gov. Owelle Rochas Okorocha, Imo State Governor (right), in a handshake with Ghanaian President John Mahama, during his visit to Ghana.

40—Vanguard, FRIDAY FRIDAY,, JANUARY 11, 2013

Ogun resolves Idi-Emi chieftaincy tussle

BY PEACE ONYEUKWU

A

BEOKUTA—THE Ogun State Government has resolved the Idi-Emi Community Chieftaincy crisis over who becomes the Baale of the Community between Chief Aliu Adesiyan Malomo and Alhaji Abdulraman Alani Darafunjo in Abeokuta North Government Area of the state.

The core factor of the crisis was an alleged imposition of candidate by Omola of Imala, Oba Apostle MA Adegboyega Olabode. Commissioner for Local Government and chieftaincy Affairs Basorun Muyiwa Oladipo called for absolute peace between the concerned parties.

Property mgt: Ayuma c’ttee gets vote of confidence

T

HE families of Senama, Ohorho and Jeroh of Orhuwhorun Kingdom in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State, have passed a vote of confidence on the committee handling its landed property located in Orhuwhorun led by Chief David Ayuma.

In a statement by Pa Saigbe Akperherha, Pa Ebah Otetejohwo, Chief E O Jeroh, JP, and others, the families said the vote of confidence was because of accountability, trust and transparency of the Chief Ayuma-led committee.

They said: “Elders of the families and youths unanimously endorse and pass a vote of confidence on Chief Ayuma- led committee for their accountability, transparency and trust and pray that God will continue to give them wisdom to manage the families property.”

Training

T

OM Associates will hold its annual Trainers’ clinic on Wednesday, January 16, at 8am. The event with the theme “The effectiveness of manpower development professionals-Communicating with and engaging stakeholders, ’’ will take place 5/7, Alade Lawal Street, Anthony Village, Lagos.

Spokesperson for the organisation Abiodun Toki, said the programme is a free meeting which started since 1994.

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VISIT: Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Lady Valerie Ebe (left) and Chairman, Mkpat Enin Local Government Area, Mr. Ephraim Akpan, during a courtesy visit to the Deputy Governor by Mkpat Enin Executive and Legislative Council at Government House, Uyo.

From left: Political Officer in the US Consulate, Lagos, Mr. Ben Lazarus; US Consul General, Lagos, Mr. Jeffery J. Hawkins Jr.; Senator 'Gbenga Ashafa, and former Chairman, LCDA, Mr. Tunde Buraimoh, during the courtesy visit of the consul to Senator Ashafa's Office, at CMD Road, Ikosi-Ketu, Lagos, yesterday.

Education: Lawmaker warns against neglect of infrastructure

BY EGUFEYAFUGBORHIE

P

ORT HARCOURT—AS Rivers State House of Assembly, RVHA, commits the State 2013 Appropriation Bill to Committees’ appraisals, the member representing Obia/ Akpor II, Michael Chinda, has urged the state government to guard against neglect of old educational infrastructure.

At the second reading on the budget bill, Chinda noted that the loud interest of the current administration in establishment of several fresh educational institutions, particularly basic and model secondary schools across the state, was being fulfilled without corresponding revival of existing structures inherited by the government.

He said: “There is no doubt the

new schools are outstanding in terms of standards and quality. But the old schools also belong to the state and are also attended by children of the state.

“The old schools are dying with all concentrations directed in building new ones. We must ensure that 2013 budget addresses the revival of the old schools.”

In other concerns over the 2013

Abia plans relocation of markets

U

BY ANAYO OKOLI

M UA H I A — D E T E R MINED to decongest Umuahia and give it the look of a modern capital city, Abia State government has expressed its determination to relocate all the markets in the heart of the city to nearby surroundings.

To this end, the government has inaugurated a seven-man committee to see to final realisation this year of the Ubani

Ibeku Modern Market where the present Umuahia Main Market will be moved to.

Already, the Timber Market has been moved to Ahiaeke area on the Ikot Ekpene-Umuahia road and the old motor spare parts market has also been moved to Ohiya on the EnuguPort Harcourt Expressway.

Inaugurating the committee at Government House, Umuahia, the Governor Theodore Orji said

the committee was to raise money for the completion of the market as well as allocate shops equitably to traders.

Orji however told the committee that traders who have shops presently at the main market should be considered first during the allocation of shops.

He warned them against allowing those who have money to buy all the shops to the disadvantage of present shop owners.

How we can help develop Nigeria, by ZOOMLION BYEMMANUELELEBEKE

A

BUJA—THE Chinese construction machinery maker, ZOOMLION Limited, has said the company would maximize the vast potential of its heavy industry science and technology to develop Nigeria.

Sales Manager of the com-

pany for Sub-Saharan Africa, Mr. Guo stated this at an exhibition organised by the company in Abuja.

He said that one of the major areas of cooperation between Nigeria and China which had not been exploited is the construction sector, which he said needed to be explored to unravel its numerous benefits to the Nigerian

economy. This he said would be done despite the existence of other Chinese construction firms operating in Nigeria, especially Lagos and Abuja.

Guo said Nigeria and China have vast potential for economic cooperation and integration, which the two countries must pool efforts together to explore.

Grace Spring holds ordination service

W

ARRI—FIRST Sunday in the year 2013 was a special ordination service at the Grace Spring Assembly, Warri.

Shortly before the ordination of Pastors, Deacons and Deaconesses, General Overseer of Holy Ghost Dominion Church, Rev. (Dr.) Great Omasheye, the guest speaker spoke on the topic “Grace to the next level.”

On his part, the host minister, Rev. Emiko Fregene, charged the newly ordained ministers to be obedient, serve God diligently and above all evangelise

the Gospel of Christ to the outside world because “the coming of the Lord is near.”

Also in a chat with Warri Voice after the Service, Rev. Emiko appealed to Nigerians, Delta State in particular not to loose hope in God “as there is going to be a positive change as we keep on praying.”

On the issue of security, Rev. Emiko said: “God will protest his people as it is not the wish of God that his people should perish.”

High point of the service was the ordination ceremony as well as the reshufflement of Church workers as announced by the Rev. Emiko Fregene.

Those ordained include Pastor Christian Kpodu (Ubeji branch Senior Pastor); Pastor Isreal Kikiri (Director of Programmes);PastorOvercomerOdia(Resident Pastor); Pastor David Adekonlu (HeadofEvangelismFellowship);Pastor Stephanie Olowu (Prayer band leader) and Pastor Friday Ibrahim (Assistant Evangelism/Follow-up), while Deacon Christian Nwosu was ordained as the head of Welfare Department.

proposals, Chioma Golden, representing Etche Constituency, called for clear provisions for revival of the ailing Fire Service Department of the state to enhance its readiness when called to duty.

Gbanite urges amnesty for Boko Haram

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAK-

WURU BUJA—A Public Affairs commentator, Mr. Max Gbanite, has advised the Federal Government to grant amnesty to the Boko Haram sect members and buy back their weapons so as to assuage them to drop their arms and the violent approach they have adopted.

Gbanite also said that Boko Haram suspects cannot be successfully prosecuted for terrorist activities unless the 1999 Constitution was amended.

Gbanite stated this, yesterday, while contributing to the Paper on Militancy, Terrorism and Armed Proliferation as a threat to the national security presented by General Charles Omoriegie (rtd), at the two-day summit jointly organised by Vanguard Newspapers and the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja.

He said that the Anti-Terrorist Act does not allow the prosecution of suspected terrorists, adding that it was the duty of the Attorney-General of the Federation and the High Court to ensure that there is the enabling law to prosecute terror suspects.

He said that it was because of the implications of classifying Boko Haram, a terrorist group that the late National Security Adviser, General Andrew Azazi and some government officials travelled to the United States to plead that the sect should not be classified as terroists.

A

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013 — 41

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Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013 — 43

Court backs delay of Chavez’s inauguration S

UPPORTERS of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez won a battle over the country’s leadership on Wednesday, but the political war isn’t over.

Venezuela’s Supreme Court ruled that Chavez will begin a new term, even though health problems will prevent him

from attending an inauguration before the National Assembly.

But several key questions are looming: How long will Chavez be in Cuba for cancer treatment? How dire is his medical situation? Will simmering political tension about who’s running the country boil

over?

Opposition politicians have argued that delaying Chavez’s swearing-in leaves no one in charge of Venezuela once the current term ends.

Chavez allies — including a majority of lawmakers in the country’s congress —

have said he should remain in power while taking the time he needs to recuperate.

The 58-year-old Venezuelan president has been treated for cancer in Cuba for the past month, most recently battling respiratory complications after surgery.

Wednesday’s Supreme Court ruling backs the government’s position that the chain of command in Venezuela stays the same, even as one presidential term ends and a new one starts.

“Despite the 10th of January beginning a new constitutional period, a new swearing-in is not necessary in his position,” said Luisa Estella Morales,

president of the Supreme Court of Justice.

Calling it a “historic moment,” Morales said that the court’s interpretation of the constitution was debated by all the justices.

Morales’ remarks addressed a number of questions that have surged over the country’s leadership and political future, but they left others unanswered.

Obama backs CNN man

A

PETITION signed by more than 100,000 calling for the CNN talkshow host Piers Morgan to be deported has been dismissed by Barack Obama.

Morgan, the former editor of the Daily Mirror, has become a vociferous opponent of America’s gun laws in the wake of the Sandy Hook school massacre.

Since arguing for tighter gun control, gun enthusiasts launched the petition in December 21 accusing him of being “engaged in a hostile attack” against the Second Amendment to the US Constitution, which guarantees the right to bear arms.

US citizens are able to

file petitions on the White House website. If they collect at least 25,000 signatures within 30 days the White House is obliged to issue a response. Jay Carney, the White House spokesman, has now commented on the petition, saying that Morgan would not be deported.

CNN talkshow host Piers Morgan and US President Barack Obama Photo: AP/EPA “Let’s not let arguments over the Constitution’s Second Amendment violate the spirit of its First,” he said.

“President Obama believes that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to bear arms.

Syria denounces UN envoy’s peace talk

S

YRIA yesterday d e n o u n c e d international envoy Lakhdar Brahimi as “flagrantly biased”, casting doubt on how long the U.N.-Arab League mediator can pursue his peace mission.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry was responding to remarks by Brahimi a day earlier in which he ruled out a role for President Bashar alAssad in a transitional government and effectively called for the Baathist leader to quit.

“In Syria...what people are saying is that a family ruling for 40 years is a little bit too long,” Brahimi told the BBC, referring to Assad, who inherited his post from his

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father Hafez al-Assad, who seized power in 1970 and ruled for 30 years.

“President Assad could take the lead in responding to the aspiration of his people rather than resisting it,” the veteran Algerian diplomat said, hinting the Syrian leader should go.

The Foreign Ministry in Damascus said it was very surprised at Brahimi’s comments, which showed “he is flagrantly biased for those who are conspiring against Syria and its people”.

Brahimi has had no more success than his predecessor Kofi Annan in his quest for a political solution to a 21-month-old conflict in which more than 60,000 people have been killed.

44—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11,

2013

VICTOR AKIN OGUNDIPE (1954-2012)

My friend and brother TRIBUTE

By TONY NNACHETA

T

HE news of the passing on, just before Christmas, of Victor Akin Ogundipe (VAO) is a complete shocker. I have hibernated myself on an extended holiday in the Eastern parts and was not even aware he was that ill, hard as I tried to locate him a while ago in the U.S. He was not the type to ambush you because he was such a confident fellow, Victor could not sneak away but yes, he went away rather quietly on 16 December and is being buried today.

In almost over a generation ago

in the Nigerian Economic policy environment, VAO was a prime frontline participant. Fresh from Morehouse College, Atlanta, he was visible and courageous.

First, on the platform of The Punch newspapers where he pioneered as Economics Editor in the days when Uncle Sam Amuka held sway and much later, in the Corporate Affairs function of three different banking institutions, IBWA (Afribank), First Bank and Commerce Bank.

From The Punch newspapers, Victor altered the concept of business news and financial commentary in the Nigeria Media. His analysis became de rigueur and Nigeria relished a

most innovative business page and compelling analysis in his columns. I hold that he was the first person able to convince subeditors to run his business and economic stories on the front pages and by that feat elevated forever the place of business editors beyond handling companies’ press releases.

By this time, VAO had caught the attention of chieftains in corporate Nigeria and his work with the then Mr. Oladele Olashore at IBWA (later Afribank plc) and together again at First Bank Plc, redefined the work and content of the Corporate Affairs function in the Banking sector and arguably across corporate Nigeria. He was imaginative in

Victor Akin Ogundipe

his presentations and transformed the staid branding and commercials we were used

to. Ultimately his CEO was to win the Man of the Year award and had acquired for Mr. Olashore some awesome visibility that made the military uncomfortable even when they hurriedly opted to replace Mr. Olashore at FBN. Subsequently, every bank was sourcing for a Corporate Affairs Manager in the mould of Victor Ogundipe. He had also influenced the practitioners’ profile, the ultimate compliment.

Ultimate compliment In those days when the Federal Budget was an instrument of policy and almost the only definitive statement from the military Government on the state of the nation, VAO and I looked forward to the advance copies of the budget from the Ministry of Finance and the post budget briefing of the Minister.

He would rush his analysis to his CEO and I would have Amma Ogan and Emeka Izeze, then Editors, awaiting my own copy for The Guardian newspaper. It was full adrenalin time, shared between a mix of accurate deductions, second guessing intended policy and beneficiaries, professionalism and speed. His immeasurable commitment and communication skills, his forte, were in full flow. Year after year, Victor’s CEO and management led the banking sector response to the budget implementation and the subsequent CBN policy statements.

Midway in 1984, while in Graduate School for my MBA, I convinced myself to partner with Victor and Cornelius Tay (now of Forever Living Products) as the pioneer Managing Editor of Econotrack Magazine, the precursor business publications in Nigeria. We worked hard

Continues on page 53 C M Y K

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013 — 45

Tukur

Amaechi

PDP: Intrigues before the umbrella tears THESE may probably not be the best moments for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the self- acclaimed largest party in Africa when viewed from the backdrop of unfolding intrigues in the last couple of weeks.

For the leadership of the party, the last few weeks have been turbulent where the Falcon could no longer hear the Falconer, it was akin to a house divided against itself where members of the National Working Committee, NWC, the body that is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the party and even saddled with the function of acting on behalf of the National Executive Committee, NEC in case of emergency according to section 12.63 of the 2009 amended constitution of PDP can no longer work in the same spirit.

Swallowing back vomit It became obvious that there was a total disconnect between the National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and 10 members of the NWC where decisions were taken and later like one swallowing back his vomit, there was a U-Turn on the decision taken, all for intrigues within the family of the party.

In fact, members of the NWC were no longer singing the same song, the lyrics were no longer the same, the rhymes were no longer there, and if it was a play, there was no longer a plot, the way the journey had started in March 24, 2012 when they were ‘elected’.

Is the honey moon over?

Personal interests cannot be divorced from the entire political quagmire and this is affecting the entire foundation and fabric of the party and before the umbrella tears, it has become imperative

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BY HENRY UMORU

their feelings and where they pitched their tents among the candidates for the position of PDP Chairman.

On many fronts, there were the invisible hands of the leader of the Party, President Goodluck Jonathan, former Chairman of BoT and ex-President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Senate President David Mark and the PDP governors, especially those interested in becoming the President or Vice President of the country after they

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Personal interests cannot be divorced from the entire political quagmire and this is affecting the entire foundation and fabric of the party for Tukur to stoke up his fire and add more intensity to the boiling water. Where the first intrigue reared its head was the aborted election of the Chairman of Board of Trustees, BoT which would have been history if a new chairman had emerged on Tuesday, January 8. Though there was a meeting but there was no chairman. The long arm of 2015 Presidential election hovered round the venue of the meeting and political gladiators could not hide

must have rounded off their tenure.

Politics of BoT chair: In the political circle and mathematics of politics, who becomes the Chairman of PDP BoT cannot be seen as a child’s play, just as that of PDP National Chairman and members of the NWC because they will be there for their godfathers and thank you time when the time comes. That explains why tempers were high weeks before the Tuesday meeting of

BoT. There were maneuvering, intrigues, nocturnal meetings with venues not known to all except the stakeholders.

The 98-member board, constitutionally, is the conscience of the party having being saddled with among others, the responsibility of ensuring highest standards of morality in all the activities of the party and with power to call to order any officer of the party whose conduct falls below the norms.

According to the party’s constitution, the BoT, which is the highest decision-making body of the party comprises men and women of integrity who have contributed critically to the conception and nurturing of the party, and who have sacrificed much for it, and as contained in Section 12.76 of the party’s constitution.

The BoT contenders: Major contestants to the position are former Vice President Alex Ekwueme; former chairman of BoT and returned Chairman, board of Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Chief Tony Anenih; former Senate President Ken Nnamani; former PDP National Chairman, Dr. Ahmadu Ali; former Deputy National Chairman, Shuaibu Oyedokun; Publisher of Champion Newspapers, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu; Senator Onyeabo Obi; Chief Don Etie-

bet; Chief Richard Akinjide and Yekini Adeojo.

The intrigues: Speculations were rife of candidates being endorsed by either President Jonathan ahead of 2015 presidential election especially Chief Anenih as President’s man, or Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as being behind Ali or Oyedokun and Atiku Abubakar pulling his weight behind Nnamani.

Following the inability of stakeholders and candidates to come up with a consensus candidate even on the fixed date for the election, there were fears that there could be a replay of what happened at Eagle Square on March 24 last year where all the aspirants to the chairmanship position were coaxed and cajoled to step down for Tukur.

Weeding out ‘expired’ BoT members When this failed, there was a way forward which has to do with removing the chaff from the grains by removing those whose membership has elapsed. About 50 per cent of those on the board are affected.

Consequently, a committee was then set up to streamline and restructure the members of the board apart from the statutory members. The committee was given three weeks to submit its report. Former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana was nominated as chairman of the committee. Other members are Senator Stella Omu from SouthSouth; Governor Ibrahim Shema from North-West; Shettima Mustapha from North-East; Chief

Continues on page 46

46— Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

Nigeria doesn’t need House of Reps — Ozekhome CHIEF Mike Ozekhome is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and a constitutional Lawyer. He was among prominent Nigerians who participated actively in the just concluded national summit on security jointly organized

by Vanguard Newspapers and the Nigeria Police Force.

In an interview with Vanguard, he described the National Assembly as drain pipe arguing that the country does not need bicameral legislature. Excerpts:

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HAT are your views on the summit?

My views as expressed in this summit today were very strong.

That Nigeria is one of the most corrupt countries in the world.

There is no doubt about that.

Going by the Transparency International Corruption index in 1999, Nigeria actually carried the gold medal, we won the gold cup, by 2000 we won the silver medal, by 2001 we took the little because we took only bronze medal, meaning the most corrupt country in the world, the second corrupt country in the world and the third corrupt country in the world.

Wealthiest state Only two months ago the latest release by the Transparency International, Nigeria came 40th in the world. In fact, I can describe corruption as the 37th state of Nigeria, there are 36 states and FCT and of course corruption is the wealthiest state because other states deal in billions when you see their budgets, some have N40bn, N60bn, N100bn, but corruption in Nigeria has graduated to the trillion mark as we could find from the petroleum subsidy brouhaha.

I remember that some years ago Adolphus Wabara was removed as a Senate President because they alleged that he was involved in a N55 million corruption charge, I remember that Chief SM Afolabi the then minister was removed from office because they said he was involved in N50 million corruption case, but today we don’t even hear of millions, we don’t hear hundreds of millions what we hear are billions.

If an assistant director should be involved in corruption of N8.5 billion, the deputy director was involved in corruption of N4.4 billion and just when I thought I was recovering from the shock, the petroleum subsidy saga

graduated to trillions that makes Nigeria one of the most corrupt countries in the world.

No country can develop if corruption is so strong and so deeply embedded and that is why Foreign Direct Investment is difficult in Nigeria. I was in South Africa last time and we were talking about investment, one of them told me the problem you have in your country is that you cannot say this is how much an investment will cost because along the line bobby traps are set up which will demand more money from you than you even expected, where as in other countries if your business is going to take $1 billion you know already because everything had been programmed in. But in Nigeria you may come to a little

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BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

Ozekhome someone say ‘old boy I dey shame oo’ , right now, nobody knows shame people who are being tried are winning elections or stealing their ways through elections and they are in the national assembly, some are in government house.

Tackling corruption with kid gloves: A former governor could not be indicted here he was

Less than one percent of the populace is eating the entire wealth meant for over 156. 5 million people and that is why Nigeria is not developing

clerk who may make it impossible for that business to go further except you pay some amount, to me no country can develop socially, economically, culturally if corruption is not rooted out, and that is the bane of Nigeria.

With corruption you cannot have good governance, without good governance you cannot have democracy dividends, without democracy dividends, poverty and abject penury are enthroned, with abject penury and poverty enthroned, the people will be angry, with the anger of the people the society becomes ungovernable so it is a vicious circle that goes round like the sun rises and sets.

Fighting corruption through attitudinal change The fundamental way of fighting corruption is through attitudinal change, there must be a total reversion of our societal ethos and values which have been so debased. We no longer have shame don’t you know that in the society of the past you hear

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cleared of 187 charges but by the time he got to Dubai and London he was captured and was proved guilty, meaning that we are fighting corruption with kid gloves, you don’t fight corruption with kid gloves, so there is the need for total over- hauling of our value system. As at 2010, Nigerians were said to be the country in the world that had private jet because they were only 50, so between 2010 and today there are 210 private jets in Nigeria, people are now buying jets like they buy generators.

National Assembly a drain pipe Less than one percent of the populace is eating the entire wealth meant for over 156. 5 million people and that is why Nigeria is not developing. When you use 85 percent of your national budget on recurrent expenditure rather than on capital project how can you develop, because a lot of the money is meant to massage the

egos of people in power. What is the business of a minister going with convoy of 12 to 15 cars? In America you call them Secretaries you will see them driving themselves.

In America Senators drive themselves bent with age some of them Septuagenarians and Octogenarians because they have been there for over 40 years, here you see a Senator moving and they clear the road with siren with about 15 vehicles, all those vehicles have drivers, they all buy fuel and that is why I continue to recommend that Nigeria is saddled with bicameral legislature that is not necessary, we need the unicameral legislature.

In National Assembly we don’t have business with the House of Representatives of 360 members, we have 109 Senators, what are they doing?

I believe that two to three representatives from a state should be adopted because a lot of the national budget goes down the drain in the National Assembly with each legislature taking home 10 to 15 million naira per month multiply that by 109 and 360 that is about 469 so you find out that we are over spending beyond our budget and that is why we are getting to a state where we may be broke, the synopsis and the prognosis are not that Nigeria may be broke and when Nigeria is broke then there will be trouble because it will affect not only Nigeria but the entire West African sub-region, the entire African region and by the law of multiply effect the world.

So Nigeria owes herself, the black man and Africa to get it right, we cannot continue to say we are learning, how long are going to learn, that was why the late MKO Abiola said if it takes a man 20 years to learn madness, how many years will he take to practice it. How long are we going to learn?

Prosecution of those found guilty: Attitudinal change is one, the second one is that you must prosecute arrested offenders; a law is not a law until it is executed, until it is enforced.

If a person is involved in corruption and he knows he will not go scot free, that he can be dealt with and all his ill gotten wealth confiscated then he will be careful, he will no longer go into it but what we are doing is, we give them chieftaincy title, doctorate degree, honorary causa after discussing he will say what is there let me steal after that we can do little bargain, so we are encouraging corruption even in our body language.

PDP: Intrigues before the tears Continues from page 45 Bode George to represent SouthWest and Senator Hope Uzodinma for South-East.

Areas that will be affected as Gana carries out his assignment are those in category (i) which has to do with the 18 elected members, meaning three members from each zone of the country, category (v) which is two female members from each of the six geo-political zones as well as (vi) which is Foundation members and any member of the Party that the BoT deemed fit to appoint as members of the Board, subject to ratification by the Party’s National Convention.

Is the Committee designed as political intrigue to drop some aspirants, if that is the case, Chief Iwuanyanwu belongs to the first category of one of the elected members from the zone, just as

Anenih, Oyedokun and Etiebet belong to the vi group which is Foundation members and any member of the Party that the BoT deemed fit to appoint as members of the Board, subject to ratification by the Party’s National Convention, but there will be no National Convention before the election of a new Chairman.

Ali and Ekwueme belong to category (ii) which is all serving and past national chairmen and national secretaries and that is statutory and Nnamani belongs to category iv which is all serving and past Presidents of the Senate and Speakers of the House of Representatives and this is statutory.

How Mark nailed Ali’s ambition There was yet another political intrigue where Senate President Continues on page 46

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013 — 47

AS many Nigerians do often forget memorable events, it is necessary to remind ourselves that 1st of January 2014, Nigeria will be 100 years old as a nation and in 2015, the life of the present Federal Government would need renewal in another national election. Following the undesirable violence and the loss of innocent lives after the 2011 Presidential election, many are doubtful of the ability of Nigerians to control events in 2015. Some pessimists doubt the existence of Nigeria as one country between the years of 2014 and 2015.

As an incurable optimist, one would rather side with the much criticized current President that this year would witness a faster growth rate in the economy and a realistic political stability, even if current events do portray negative sides.

Return of power As the AREWA politicians are scheming for the return of power to the north in 2015, the opposition parties are forging a united stand to snatch power from the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the States and in the Centre. The main focus is on the determination of some individuals or coalition of parties to remove the present president from power. There is a bit of confusion on the real economic and political policies for the country other than “get the President out syndrome”. We are yet to be told, in some details, what the country would gain from a change of governance at the centre.

However, it must be realized that it is the duty of any recognized Opposition to form an alternative government in the

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LEAPING INTO THE DARK:

The fears of 2014 and 2015 face of the defeat of the ruling party which is adjudged in a free and fair elections to be inefficient and ineffective. The fear of many people is the fact that it might be near impossible to unseat a ruling party even in a fair and free election. The power of incumbency seems real and potent. This, added to other factors which are peculiar to Nigeria could make the defeat of the present Federal Government extremely difficult, if not impossible in 2015. The political anxiety is being heightened by the prospects of an Ibo President in 2015. Thus, the present President is facing many odds in 2015 apart from his performance on the job.

The complexities of the Nigerian situation have pointed out clearly to one conclusion that no person, however brilliant or efficient, might not be able to satisfy in full, the yearnings of ambitious Nigerians. This is just dawning on President Jonathan that no matter what he does, he would still not be able to escape the eagle eyes of incisive critics or the poisoned arrows of

religious and ethnic jingoists.

However, the impression is that the present Federal Government is performing below average and could do better. It is assumed that the problems of the country are too complicated, so defused that a single political party, no matter how endowed, could hardly be expected to successfully tackle them. The ruling party has been in power since 1999 and the country‘s problems have continued to increase rather than decrease.

For example, power supply which is the mainstay of any economic development has defied concrete solution in spite of heavy injection of funds; unemployment has risen to a frightening height to encourage insecurity, armed robberies and kidnappings.

Political uncertainty has encouraged the belief that ethnic hold on power is the surest way to survival, and also, the Boko Haram insurgency has glorified the use of terror as a means of expressing disagreement. Unhappily, this is Nigeria of today.

The problem of the present

leadership is the inability to see the needs for shared responsibilities. The present attitude of the ruling political parties is that of “winners take all” mentality where all political positions and good things of life are shared among party members only irrespective of ability and needs of the nation.

Often, cabinets are not made of tested and creative talents but proven party workers of doubtful ability and integrity. It is no surprise that problems of the country continue to mount and the resolution of the conflict becomes impossible by party leaders, who though may be conscientious, but are mediocres. In such a confused situation, it is hard to expect the emergence of visionary leadership.

However, optimists believe that the country could still be redeemed and that President Jonathan, shorn of foggy party principle of nepotism, could still play a notable role in the preparation for 2014 and in containing the terrifying fears of 2015. The President could make history by becoming the first person to give the country a Peoples Constitution which will return Nigeria to True Federalism. The present 1999 Constitution is, according to many people, a military imposition. Chief Olu Falaiye in his book, The Way Forward for Nigeria noted that, “The Constitution we are supposed to be operating at present is a fraud.

It is called a Federal Constitution but its comments make it abundantly clear that it is more unitary than federal”.

He added, “In a genuine federation, we have different tiers of government, each of which is supreme within the powers and responsibilities allocated to it in the constitution. Each being a

government, it should have the constitutional power and authority to enforce its own laws and other enactment through a Police Force. In order words, if ours were a genuine federation, both the states and local government should have their own police forces for enforcing their own laws or bye laws respectively”.

Apart from that aspect of state police, there are other things embedded in true federalism as opposed to what the country is experiencing now through the present 1999 constitution With a defective political structure, the present leadership would find no respite until the country is restructured to reflect a true federal state. The restructuring exercise is a sure way of taking Nigeria safely into 2014 which is expected to be a year of review of events after 100 years of amalgamation of Northern Protectorate and Southern Protectorate to form a country now called, Nigeria. Though reconstruction might prove unattractive to a leader who enjoys today, it is a desirable exercise to a leader who believes in tomorrow. And that is what Visionary Leadership is all about.

OIL NEWS In United States of America (USA), North Dakota output is estimated between 450,000 to 750,000 barrels per day. North Dakota, Texas, California and Alaska – each produces more than 450,000 barrels per day.

The total amount is enough, combined with other major producers in Texas, California and Alaska to sustain the USA for 200 years. USA has 142 refineries for processing oil with each of its major refineries processing approximately 520,000 barrels per day. Any lesson for Nigeria ?

PDP: Intrigues before the umbrella tears Continues from page 46 David Mark, (Benue North Central) moved a motion re-affirming the substantive Secretary of the board, Senator Walid Jibrin who is also in category (i) of one of the elected members from the zone. His case of returning is clear as he was given another five year term to serve as Secretary and the action became the last straw which nailed the aspiration of Ahmadu Ali. The motion was seconded by former Acting Chairman of the party and immediate past Minister of Defence, Dr. Haliru Bello Mohammed with an overwhelming support from other members of the board.

The political move by Mark became imperative against the backdrop that if Ali becomes the BoT chairman from the same North Central zone with him, his

influence as the political leader of the zone might be diminished, which in turn might affect the role he will play in 2015.

Former President Obasanjo was absent at the Tuesday meeting, which was attended by President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo; Senate President, David Mark; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal; former Vice President Alex Ekwueme and Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

There were also Governors Ibrahim Shema (Katsina) and Sule Lamido (Jigawa State); Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Senator Danjuma Goje, Alhaji Abdulkadir Kure, Senator Muhammadu Magoro; Professor Jerry Gana; Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Chief Francis Arthur Nzeribe, Hajiya Inna Ciroma,

Senator Adolphus Wabara, Senator Joy Emodi, Chief Chris Uba and Chief Ojo Maduekwe, among others.

Also at the meeting were Alhaji Bello Haliru Mohammed; Senator Adolphus Wabara; Senator Barnabas Gemade; Senator Ken Nnamani; Senator Ahmadu Ali; Senator Ibrahim Mantu; Prince Vincent Ogbulafor; Chief Tony Anenih, Mrs. Patricia Etteh; Chief Josephine Anenih; Ambassador Hassan Adamu (Wakili Adamawa).

Others were Chief Jim Nwobodo; Mr. Obong Victor Attah; Richard Akinjide; Chief Olabode George; Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Senator Walid Jibrin, Alhaji Musa Babayo, Dr Dalhatu Sarki Tafida, Mrs. Kema Chikwe, Chief Bode Olajumoke, General David Jemibewon (rtd), Chief Don Etiebet and Chief

Ebenezer Babatope.

PDP governors’ game plan Governors elected on the platform of the party were also not left out in the game play within the leadership of the party Jonathan where they want to continue to have total control of affairs in their states especially being in charge of the state executive that will serve as foot soldiers when the time comes.

The Tukur, Nyako war his bickering came up following Tukur’s running battle with his state governor, Admiral Murtala Nyako (rtd) over who controls the affairs of the PDP in the state, an advantage that will help

determine, who succeeds Nyako. It is being alleged that Tukur is preparing his son, Awwal, for the post and this is not going down well with the governor.

As a prelude to this, the Tukurled NWC last year October dissolved the Adamawa state PDP Executive led by Alhaji Umaru Mijinyawa Kugama that was loyal to the governor and put in Continues on page 48

48 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

it is right now.

Laws to be revisited after impact assessment: However, the laws we make are not written in gold tablets, they are not laws from Heaven. They are our laws, laws for Lagosians, if majority of Lagosians demand for any change in any law, it is for the House to consider, speak to the people, find out what the interest of the greater majority is and follow the dictates of the people.

For now, the law is in place, the review of it and every law of ours is one direction that the House is going to face. We have so many laws we need to revisit. We want to do the impact assessment of our laws and review them based on the results we get from the impact assessment.

Need for cremation law

Ikuforiji

We‘ll review Traffic Law if Lagosians insist —Speaker Ikuforiji

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

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PEAKER of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Honourable Adeyemi Ikuforiji, is arguably one of the longest serving speakers in the country. In a chat with some journalists in his Ikeja, Lagos residence on Tuesday, he reviewed the activities of the House in 2012 and challenges in the New Year, saying the lawmakers would review some of the controversial laws it passed if majority of Lagosians so decide.

Speaking specifically on the controversial Traffic law restricting the operation of commercial motorbike (Okada) in the state and the Cremation law, he said the legislators would hold town hall meetings and conduct impact assessment studies on the laws to see areas that needed amendment. He also spoke on the relationship between Governor Babatunde Fashola and the House, his opposition to creation of more states and why the Federal Government must shun direct control of the local councils.

How the House saw 2012

For us in the Lagos State House of Assembly, 2012 was a challenging year. We resolved at the beginning of the year to give the very best that we can to Lagosians through collaborative engagement with the Executive and the Judiciary. Of course our

governor was very determined to deliver the dividends of democracy to Lagosians. We gave him all the necessary legislative support without which he would not have been able to do much.

A lot of ground was covered because we are conscious of the fact that we still have a long way to go particularly when you consider the fact that Lagos is the real micro Nigeria in Nigeria. We cannot rest on our oars. Last year, we also passed one of the most hotly debated, violently resisted and controversial law of all traffic laws.

Better movement of vehicles We passed the law in the interest of Lagosians as a whole. But we are also the representatives of 20 million Lagosians, whatever the 20 million Lagosians understand to be the best for them and whatever we are convinced to be the best for our people we will always do at all times.

Even though the law to some extent became controversial, we did what we normally do before we pass any bill into law. We advertised it, we gave room to Lagosians to voice their opinions, to give us ideas and we collated the ideas. The truth remains that from our findings, the greater majority of Lagosians want better movement of vehicles and they prefer to have traffic laws in

place that will put in check the tragedies that have been our lot in Lagos for a while.

Of course, we cannot have enough roads; we cannot pull down all the houses to make roads. Though we have to continue to modernize and repair our roads to create room for free flow of traffic, the truth is that indiscipline on our roads remains the greatest headache that we have.

Despite the number of vehicles we have, if we are disciplined like we see in other clime, the traffic flow will be a lot better that what

There are other laws we passed last year. The Cremation law also generated some furore here and there particularly with some religious groups who see cremation as alien to not only our culture but also our religion. But we do know that the law did not say Lagosians that pass away should be cremated. All that the law says is we should give room to people who want their body cremated upon their death to have the opportunity.

Lagos is becoming not just a mega city but a world city. We have people from all parts of the world living with us. We have people from Asia, Middle-East, West and even the South. Some of them already have cremation as part of their normal living. So it will be wrong for us to deny them the opportunity of having such things done.

I am not canvassing for anybody to be cremated. Personally, I don’t want my children to cremate me when I die. For us to be convinced, I took some of my colleagues to places where this thing is being done. You will be surprised; if you were there, it will mean nothing to you after watching. In an hour the whole body becomes powder.

The law does not make it compulsory for everybody to be cremated it is those who choose to and again we also have in Lagos the burden of unclaimed corpses that has become a big problem and constitute health hazard. I used to live in Isolo and my house was very close to the general hospital. The mortuary there is not one that any of us can be proud of as a mortuary in Lagos.

At a stage, the House ordered that the mortuary be evacuated and the corpses given mass burial. Over 600 corpses were taken away, believe me when the House Committee visited mortuary after about 10 days, they have more than 600 corpses unclaimed and it got to the extent that decomposing corpses are thrown up and down.

Outlook for 2013: So for the New Year, we are working towards making sure that the campaign promises of our governor, member and party as a whole is kept and our government will give echo support to our governor for him to be able to realize his ambition and desire in this last two years of his administration. We would continue to follow best practices and continue to expose our members to best practices across the globe to attend workshops, seminars and conferences among others.

On alleged frosty relations between Governor Fashola and the House.

Personally, when the time comes for the story to be told, I am sure that the Lagos state governor is one governor that will score good mark when it comes to the relationship between executive and the legislature. He came in and met me as a speaker and he inaugurated the House. I was returned as speaker after the 2007 and 2011 elections. For him to tolerate even the idea of an independent legislature is noble, none of his colleague across the country is prepared for it, they have not done well along that line.

PDP: Intrigues before the umbrella tears Continues from page 47 place Ambassador Umar Damagun nine-member caretaker committee to oversee the affairs of Adamawa PDP. This did not go well with the governors. They pleaded with Tukur through a delegation led by the Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF and Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. They visited the Wadata Plaza, National Secretariat where they pleaded passionately for their own, requesting that the decision be reversed, but things never changed.

Protecting governors’ interest To guide against being humiliated by having the state excos

sacked anytime in their respective states like in the case of Adamawa, the governors then threatened that if there was no U-turn, they would pass a vote of no confidence on the NWC at the NEC meeting and a caretaker committee put in place.

With this threat, the PDP leadership through the Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Sam Jaja quickly made a U-Turn even in the absence of Tukur and recalled the sacked Adamawa State Executive.

The action was then described

by Tukur as a betrayal of trust on the part of other members of NWC, just as President Jonathan had to summon members of NWC to a meeting on Wednesday at

the Presidential Villa and warned that they must end the bickering and work together as a team.

The triumphant governors rising from a meeting at the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, Wednesday night at 11pm, however endorsed the reinstatement of Alhaji Umaru Mijinyawa Kugama led Adamawa State Executive, and stressed the need for a NEC meeting to be held as at when due.

Now that the problem between the NWC members has been ‘resolved’ by President Jonathan, BoT Chairmanship put to a halt until the revalidation of membership of the board was carried out, we wait as events unfold in the PDP.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013 — 49

50—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

Cooking is an art —Chef Ojo On how he became a chef HEN I left high school, I stayed with one of my brothers who was a bachelor then, there I did all the cooking. That was where I developed interest in cooking.

After then I went to a training centre in Ogun state where I studied Catering for three years, after which I wrote the City and Guild of London examination for advance certificate in catering. All this was between 1978 and 1980.

You see there were some leading lights in the sector that we were looking up to then as students. One of such people was the late Elder Alamotu.

When I went for professional attachment in their hotel, Alamotu was involved in the kitchen cooking. I was surprise that a chief could be cooking. He had a Volvo car then too. It was Alamotu that motivated me by telling me that catering was a nice profession.

Alamotu was a good cook in both continental and local dishes; there were also some expatriates who were cooks then too.

After my training , I joined Ogun state hotels where I was for over 12 years , there I worked with expatriate chefs and from there I was sent to Amsterdam for three months training .

On his thoughts on cooking As a cook you are introduced to the food industry, you see cooking is an art. People see cooking as a domestic thing, to me it is more than that, it is a tradition. You need to know about the food preparation, the storage, and the purchasing.

In cooking you take a lot into consideration, because as a chef if you are given ingredi-

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He took interest in cooking while staying with one of his brothers where he did all the cooking. He later went for training in Catering and today, Taiwo Ojo, is the Senior Chef at the Lagos Airport Hotel.

In this interview with JIMOH BABATUNDE, he shares his experience as a chef and revealed that it is important to understand that once one graduates from a culinary school that education just began. ents that are not good, you can’t have good food, so your cooking starts from purchasing, and then storage facility as there are some degrees you store your

food.

In cooking there are things you take into consideration , for you to prepare your vegetable , you need to blanch it, and when you

have to cook your meat, you need to marinade it which means that that the seasoning like onion, garlic and others will enter into the meat to make it tasty.

You see, the recipes are very important in the kitchen, you must know the recipe of what you are cooking. Take for instance your eba, you need water, garri. You need to know the amount of garri and water you need to serve five people. So you must have your weighing scale On advice for young chefs They must have interest in what they are doing. Cooking I always maintained is a profession and they must take it serious. The profession is not a lazy man’s job. It is a strenuous job. They must be prepared to put in hard work and long hours.

We cannot expect them to be a chef; we have to teach them to become a chef. It’s important to understand that once one graduates from a culinary school, their education is just

Calabar carnival: Runsewe commends C/River Govt

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IRECTOR-GENERAL, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Otunba Segun Runsewe, has commended the government and people of Cross River State for the successful hosting of the 2012 carnival.

Runsewe who attended the festival with leading American Travel expert Mr. Paul Cohen and others from Botswana was impressed by the huge turnout of both indigenes and visitors to all the events in the 32 day festival.

During a courtesy call on the acting Governor of the state, Efiok Essien Cobham, Runsewe commended the hard work that went into putting together such a world

C M Y K

class event and promised more support as the event grows internationally.

Runsewe said the invitation of the Brazilian Samba band to the 2012 edition brought about the international flavour to a Nigerian spectacle.

Stressing the importance of tourism in wealth and job creation, Runsewe was all praises for the billions of naira generated over the 32 days, quoting figures of over 4000 rooms occupied during the festival and crime that was at its lowest.

The NTDC boss said he was sure the viewing public for the 2012 edition will surpass that of 500, 000 viewing public recorded in 2011.

beginning.

On the funniest experience The funniest thing about the kitchen is that you cannot please everyone. Some people will appreciate your cooking while others will say what type of food he has cooked?

On his favourite food I love preparing continental food. I love preparing rice in any form On the Airport hotel’s food The food here is one of best in the country. As a chef, I go to other hotels and see what they prepare compared to what we have here. Ours is tastier, well seasoned. Our guests do commend us.

On the country’s food culture It is the same problem we are facing in respect to languages that we are facing with food whereby people don’t want to teach their children their local languages, so also with the food.

Each tribe has a local dish, but the question is how many people teach their children the art of their local dishes.

Tour operator tasks govt on monuments

HIEF Executive Officer, Divine Travel and Tours Bureau, Mr. Olumuyiwa C Salami, during the week called for proper

maintenance and preservation of monuments across the country.

He said that most national monuments were in poor condition, and that this was discouraging tourists from visiting such places.

The chief executive called for a face-lift of national monuments to boost revenue generated from the tourism sector. Salami described the monuments as “testimonials of the glorious past, which can become good sources of income by way of tourist attraction”. He said, “Monuments are historic, cultural, traditional, archaeological, architectural, artistic or symbolic significance and are of national importance. “They are historical antecedents that any country should preserve.” Salami added that the monuments could also serve as research centre.

Vanguard, FRID AY, JANUARY 11, 2013 —51 FRIDA

Scientists worry over safety of paracetamol in infants

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ROFESSOR Pann-Gill Suh and Dr. Jung-Min Kim at the School of Nano-Bioscience and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) identified DJ-1 as a novel mediator of the cross-talk between osteoblasts and endothelial cells by screening molecules secreted from as yet undifferentiated human skeletal cells.

These skeletal cells, also known as mesenchymal stem cells, have the ability to develop into fully fledged bone cells (osteoblasts).

The researchers showed that DJ-1 stimulates the differentiation of the yet undifferentiated skeletal cells into bone cells by activating fibroblasts, cells which in turn ensure connective tissue growth.

Working with rodents, they were able to uncover previously undefined extracellular roles of DJ-1, to promote angiogenesis and osteogenesis, suggesting DJ-1 may have therapeutic potential to stimulate bone regeneration.

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

P

A R A C E TA M O L - B A S E D pain relievers for children and infants have long been linked to dangerous side effects — such as hearing loss and severe liver damage.

Now, Dutch scientists say paracetamol raises the risk of asthma in infants by the time they are in preschool if they were given the pain reliever earlier on.

The more they were given, the

greater their risk. In fact, each time the number of days of paracetamol use doubled, the risk of asthma shot up by 28 per cent.

But other researchers are saying it may be too early to conclude that paracetamol is the cause of the asthma. Calling for more research, they argue there could be other explanations.

But it isn't the first time a link has been established between paracetamol and asthma.

In 2011, a study found that teens who took paracetamol regularly more than doubled their risk of asthma. And earlier that year, pregnant women were warned to avoid paracetamol use because of the asthma risk for their unborn ba-

Scientists find new protein to treat damaged bones

• Paracetamol syrup. bies.

While some experts are downplaying the connection in this most recent study, others call for caution and more research to determine why this link should exist.

Arguments remain that the benefits of paracetamol in bringing down fever outweigh potential side effects.

Paracetamol is a commonly used over-the-counter pain reliever and fever reducer. As a medication, paracetamol is frequently used for the relief of headaches, other minor aches and pains, and is a key ingre-

dient in several cold and flu remedies.

Although, it is usually safe for use at recommended doses, heightened overdoses of paracetamol can cause hazardously lethal liver damage and, in rare cases, a normal dose can do the same.

The risk is increased by alcohol consumption. Paracetamol toxicity is the primary cause of acute liver failure and most drug overdoses Nearly all people can take paracetamol without problems, though there are a few examples where it may be risky.

Nunu wins 2012 Best Custard Award

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UNU Custard is the best custard food product in 2012, says the Institute for Government Research and Leadership Technology, Abuja.

Nunu ready-to-eat custard is a brand of Nutricima Limited.

Presenting the award in Port Harcourt, Chairman of the Institute, Dame Priscilla Kuye, said Nunu Custard "outperformed others" on the 10 parameters of assessment.

The parameters included, "product high quality, value creation and efficacy; product acceptability, track record and competitive edge; passed quality tests and is NAFDAC certified; the product is hygienically processed and made from skimmed fresh milk."

Others included; product conforms with global acceptable quality for a good custard, compliance with professional codes and ethical standards, compliance

FG should invest in eyecare industry — NWAFOR age of 40. Another complex one is astigmatism which is also common among the populace.

Then there are problems with coordinating the two eyes and various eye diseases. These are the concerns of my profession.

D

R Cecil Nwafor, former National Secretary, Nigerian Optometric Association (NOA) is the newly elected President of African Council of Optometry AFCO. Just back from a world optometry meeting in Malaysia, the CEO of International Centre for Vision and Eyehealth, spoke to GBENGA ALIU on the eyecare industry in Nigeria and other related issues. Excerpts: Assessment of Nigeria's policy on eyecare Nigeria has no problem with its laws and policies, the only area of concern is implementation.

As a signatory to many international declarations on health matters, she is a signatory to United Nations, African Union and other agencies particularly the biggest one which is the World Health Organisation (WHO)'s Vision 2020-The Right To Sight and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness which is very much on the ground in Nigeria and all stakeholders are working towards the achievement of the goals and objectives.

How the Nigerian Optometric Association has fared The NOA is a country member of African Council of Optometry where I am President.Over the years, NOA has been very active and relevant in the country's health sector while the members who are highly committed to the practice have provided vision care to millions of Nigerians.

Until 1989, the profession did not have official recognition, which took concerted efforts to secure legislation. Employing optometrists in to public health positions in its various health institutions has improved.

• Dr. Cecil Nwafor.

Personal contributions towards development of optometry in Nigeria Before becoming President AFCO, I served in different capacities locally. Actually it has been a journey guided by professional commitment and focus. As a major contribution to the development of optometry in Nigeria. Consistently over 11 years, we have published Optometry News, a newsletter on Optometry.

Tasks ahead for optometrists in Nigeria The challenges before us are to make a success of World Health Organisation's Vision 2020, the Right To Sight for the Prevention Of Blindness.

Refractive errors is a common condition in the population, which may be short or far sightedness while some find it difficult to read easily at the

Suggestions on the way forward One of our recommendations is that the federal government should invest in the eyecare industry so that services can be extended and affordable.

Since optometrists are primary and first contact eyecare service providers, they should be employed en masse to work in rural communities and health centres located in remote areas of the country so that the rate of blindness will be reduced to the barest.

For instance, if the 774 local governments should employ an optometrist each, it is going to help tremendously as a measure in place. Referral cases are easily identified thereby lessening the burden and improving the efficiency of state general hospitals.

There is also the advantage of cost saving for patients who don't need to go long distances before getting attention. There is also

the need to employ adequate numbers of optometrists in the various secondary and tertiary institutions.

What optometry is all about Optometry is not an urban profession. It is a neccessary service.

Let us give it to the governors because they are now employing optometrists for their various health institutions; we, however, implore them to do more by increasing the quota.

I give kudos to the Lagos State government for its effort to ensure good vision for drivers in the state and for involving optometrists in the project.

What the International Centre for Vision and Eyehealth represents It is primarily concerned with the WHO's Vision2020 programme, to reduce refractive errors and checkmate blindness.

Our other focus is to correct and manage squint; an eye condition known as Strabismus - called 'half past four eyes' in common parlance). Squint may not be the leading cause of visual disability or blindness but our NGO is poised to take care of people living with the condition, offering them solution.

52 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

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Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013 — 53

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C M Y K

Victor Akin Ogundipe (1954-2012) Continues from page 44

together and I felt the human person in Victor.

He was my first firm experiment in inter-ethnic brotherhood and by Jove, he was excellent and became godfather to my Ezinne in 1988.Through him, I became fortunate to meet and work with Lai Mohammed, Late Isaac Aluko-Olokun, Agnes Otsemobor, Ron and Moyo Mgbatogu, Clem Baiye, Jimi Disu, the present Emir of Karshi, HRH Ismaila Mohammed, Udeme Ufot and so many others.

I have just found some 20 copies of his 1988 book, “Corporate Image: the Strategic Imperative in the Nigerian Banking Sector” with the forward written by the venerable Dr Abel Ubeku, OFR, who shocked me when he told me in an 1985 Econotrack Magazine interview,‘...we are the first generation in Industry,’a fact difficult to grasp then. Twenty five years after, where is Industry bequeathed?

Commentators on the book included Biodun Shobanjo, then CEO of Insight Communications, Alhaji S.A.O. Sule, then President Institute of Bankers, Alhaji Abubakar Abdulkadir, then Managing Director of NIDB. The constant thread

is that most of these gentlemen are pathfinders, solid professionals, confident and modest.

They were first generation operators in the niches of the Nigerian corporate sector, standard bearers, where VAO belonged even at a young age. It is a measure of VAO that he had paid his dues very early. I shall deliver these copies to our friend Segun Aina, current President of the Institute of Bankers for distribution at his discretion.

Victor, you have gone ahead. This is such an unpleasant surprise for this season. So many will recall you, suave and self assured, your panache, who revelled in the usage of English as a language, a true conversationalist and one of the most eloquent of our generation. I recall you felt let down by some folks you would not believe could do so, but never mind, God ever knows best and He will rest your kind soul; He will give strength to the family you left.

Farewell my brother and my friend.

•Ogbuefi Tony J.K. Nnachetta is a Visiting Member of the Guardian Editorial Board PS: Organdie will be buried today Friday, January 11, 2013 in Abuja

L-r: Accord Party Leader; Sen. Rasheed Ladoja and party chairman in Oyo State, Arch. Basiru Lawal, welcoming decampees from PDP and ACN into Accord Party in OgoOluwa Local Government of Oyo State at Ajaawa, yesterday.

Photo: Dare Fasube

VANGUARD'S LAGOS OFFICE YOU CAN B O O K Y O U R A D V E RT S AT OU R L A G O S I S L A N D O F FI C E — VA N G U A R D MEDIA LIMITED (LAGOS OFFICE) K I O S K 4 8 E A S T P AV I L I O N T B S , L A G O S .

Engr Christabel Oke Obiuwevbi, Executive Assistant to the Delta State Deputy Governor, during her condolence/ congratulatory visit to the new Ovie Of Agbarha-Otor Kingdom, HRM Richard Oghenevwogaga Ebelle Okorefe1 at the palace in Agbarha-Otor

54 —

Vanguard,FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

AFCON 2013..........AFCON 2013.......AFCON 2013......AFCON 2013

New stars waiting to shine in Africa The 2013 CAF Africa Cup of Nations comes just one year after the last finals because of a switch in the future dates and it means there is a familiar look about many of the players chosen to compete in the tournament in

Thulani Serero

C M Y K

South Africa. But, as is always the case, there will be some new stars to look out for, and this edition promises to unveil potential new heroes for fanatical African fans to enthuse over. FIFA.com profiles the new young stars to look out for at the CAN without a mention of any Nigerian Christian Atsu (Ghana) Ghana have produced more than their fair share of teenage prodigies in recent times and the 20year-old from Porto is the latest off their fabled production line. The winger is already a sensation in Portugal where comparisons are being made with Lionel Messi, perhaps a little prematurely, but flat-

tering nevertheless. He enjoys the left side of the attack and could be the man to watch out for replacing Andre Ayew and possibly cementing a starting line-up berth for the Black Stars. Originally from Kasoa in southern Ghana, he was picked up early by Porto, who have nurtured him through their youth ranks and on loan to Rio Ave last season.

Faouzi Ghoulam (Algeria) The 21-year-old defender has had stellar league campaign with St Etienne this season and is the latest French-born player to be persuaded to Algeria’s cause – after playing at youth level for

France. He was selected to the Algeria squad for the tournament without winning a cap and will go into the finals with little international experience but plenty of exposure to some of the top strikers in France. He will

Ryan Mendes

also be closely watched as the transfer speculation around the left back has been quiet vociferous.

Both his parents come from Algeria and sporting genes run deep in the family because his elder brother Nabil ran for France at the World Cross Country Championships.

Abdelhamid El Kaoutari (Morocco) It is hard to expect 2013 will be better than last year for the 22-year-old defender, who won Ligue 1 with home town club Montpellier and went to the Olympic Games in London with Morocco’s under-23 side. El Kaoutari is a product of the French provincial club, who won a first-ever

French championship last season, and came through their famous youth system to forge a Continues on page 55

Christian Atsu

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013 — 55

Dike devastated to miss AFCON

P

ORTLAND Timber of USA forward Bright Dike has said he is very disappointed to be left out of the Eagles final squad to the AFCON. Dike, who scored a spectacular goal against Catalonia in only his second cap for Nigeria, told MTNFootball.com he would have hoped to be in South Africa with the Eagles.

“I am disappointed not to make the AFCON final list, but I am thankful for the experience and opportunity, I was hoping to be at the tournament, that’s soccer for

•Dike you,” Dike told MTNFootball.com “Now I am looking

Bad advert Continues from BP The former Super Eagles’ handler was reacting to the team’s 0-0 draw against Nations Cup debutant, Cape Verde, in an international friendly match on Wednesday.

NAN recalls that in their first friendly match on Jan. 3 in Spain, the Eagles held the stars studded Catalonian side to a 1-1 draw. The two matches were part of the team’s build up for the 2013 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) scheduled to hold in South Africa from Jan. 19 to Feb. 10. Nigeria is one of the 16 teams participating in the tournament. “ I did not see any excit-

ing moment throughout the ninety minutes of the game and that tells a bad story about African football. “But I hope the technical crew will work on the team and make them improve,” he said. Onigbinde, who is a renowned CAF and FIFA instructor, added that the team’s performance against Catalonia was a fluke and should not be used to assess it.

“The match we played against Catalonia was a fluke. Fluke in the sense that all those stars paraded in the opponent’s side had another match for their club the following day.

“So, they did not come out and play with full zeal.".

New stars

forward to the 2014 World Cup qualifiers and the tournament itself.”

Dike, who is a cousin of Eagles striker Emmanuel Emenike, has thus urged his international team mates to make Nigeria proud at the African soccer fiesta.

“I am urging my mates who made the team to represent Nigeria well.

They should play wholeheartedly so that when the games are done, you are proud of the effort you have given and proud of what you have accomplished,” said Dike.

NOC, NFF mourn Ositelu

T

HE Nigeria Olympic family have expressed deep shock at the death of one of Nigeria’s prolific writer, Deacon Ayo Ositelu. The news of the flamboyant sports writer and columnist brought chilling silence at the secretariat of the NOC. President Sani Ndanusa who is also President of Tennis Federation, a sport that Ositelu loved and wrote glowingly, broke down in tears.

“What? Was he ill? Are you sure?”, Ndanusa

Akanni Continues from BP Verde and he did not hide his feelings when he chatted with our correspondent in a telephone interview yesterday.

“Technically speaking, I believe we have a squad but not a team yet,” Akanni said, when asked of his impression on the 23-man squad named by the chief coach, Stephen Keshi, Wednesday.

Akanni, a former chairman of the Lagos State Football Association said the match against Cape Ve r d e w a s a n a n t i climax, coming on the day the coach released the names of his final squad for the Nations Cup. “The performance of the team against Cape

Verde only justified the belief by some of us that Nigeria was not going to be represented by her best players. Personally, I was not comfortable with the exclusion of players like Osaze, Martins, Obinna Nsofor among others when he announced the preliminary list. He s hould have given them the chance to prove their worth. Even Niyi Adeleye whom everybody is saying would take over from Yobo was ignored.”

Akanni however believes the Super Eagles was made up of “very good players. But I don’t see them winning the trophy.

May be, in a future edition, definitely, not this.”

for the 2013 Nations Cup finals, impressing enough to earn a place in the squad for the tournament in South Africa. Born in France, he has come through the ranks at Atletico Madrid where he played first with the B team before being promoted to the first squad this season where he made his debut in August against Levante, before suffering a fracture that sidelined him for two months. In Spain, he is known simply as ‘Kader’ and is being tipped as a name for the future.

from a groin injury that has stymied his season so far.

He moved to Ajax Amsterdam in mid-2011 after being voted the best player in the South African Premier Soccer League.

But his first season in the Dutch league saw him get limited playing time as he struggled with adaptation, form and injury. The new campaign began brightly however as he got among the goals early only to suffer another setback.

Coach Gordon Igesund is taking a gamble on his fitness but insists Serero is a viable and valuable option, even if operating at “60 per-cent of his potential”. He has eight caps, but only one in a competitive international.

makes U

thundered on phone.

Thereafter, silence followed. “He was a good man. An honest and gentle man. He loved Tennis and gave his all to the sport. May Allah grant him eternal rest”, Ndanusa sobbed.

Secretary General, Hon. Tunde Popoola was equally shocked at his death. “He was a Master in all that he did. We miss him and pray to God to give his family the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss”, Popoola prayed.

Also, The Nigeria Football Federation on Thursday expressed deep grief at the death of seasoned sports analyst, writer and administrator, Deacon Ayo Ositelu.

Ositelu, who needs no introduction as one of the

finest sports journalists of his generation, with special attention to tennis, died in Lagos on Wednesday after a brief illness, three months to his 70th birthday.

Chairman of the NFF Media and Publicity Committee, Chief Emeka Inyama said: “The NFF is shocked to receive news of the passing of one of the best sports journalists and commentators that this country has ever produced, Deacon Ayo Ositelu. He was a marvel in his area and did his job with painstaking attention to details.

“He worked very hard and was meticulous. We mourn him because he was a good man through and through.

Goldashe drum support for Eagles

L

ESS than one week to the kick off of the 29 th Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, soccer exponent and President of Goldashe United All Stars of Port Harcourt, Mr. Fubara Kingsley Hart has pledged to throw the gate of the recreational outfit open to members of the public to avail them the opportunity of watching the Super Eagles matches live on television.

According to the football enthusiast, the gesture which is aimed at rallying support for

the nation’s flag bearer, will also serve as leverage for teeming fans who may not afford the exorbitant fees charged by public viewing centres.

The Goldashe administrator who disclosed this in a chat with sports writers in Port Harcourt expressed satisfaction with the final list of players released by Coach Stephen Keshi ahead of the tournament, urging them not to let the nation down amidst expectations.

Continues from BP place in the starting lineup while still a teenager.

He played at the UEFA U19 Championships in 2009 for France but then switched his allegiance to the country of his parent’s birth and won his first cap 18 months ago.

Ryan Mendes (Cape Verde Islands ) After several seasons impressing with his pace and ability to run at opposing defenders in Ligue 2, Mendes moved in July to Lille and a chance to play in the top flight of French football. It has been a heady time for the winger from the tiny island of Fogo, whose path to club football in Europe came after being spotted in a youth tournaC M Y K

ment. He was just 18 when he played in the event at Le Havre and found himself being chased by scouts and agents. He signed for Le Havre but not before having a talk with a representative of Portugal’s Benfica, who are the best supported side in the Cape Verde. Three seasons at Le Havre made his reputation before Lille coach Rudi Garcia snapped him up. Mendes was the top scorer for the Blue Sharks in AFCON qualifiers.

Abdelkader Oueslati (Tunisia) The 21-year-old winger won his first cap in the decisive qualifying game

Thulani Serero (South Africa ) The diminutive 22-yearold midfielder is just back

No tension Continues from BP in two days I can resume action on the pitch, because I’m feeling very free now”, Ejide said on Wednesday evening after the routine medical tests.

Meanwhile, all the 23 players who made the final cut for the Nations Cup starting later this month in South Africa, were on Thursday taken for a comprehensive medical check-up in Faro, Portugal.

The medicals include scans, chest x-ray, blood tests and general health test for the

players with the medical team headed by Dr Ibrahim Gyaran assisted

by Physiotherapist, Adewale Oladejo being very busy for the better part of the day. The players went for the tests in batches of four and five and there were indications that the health status of the Super Eagles was very good. Head Coach, Stephen Keshi described the exercise as routine and good for the players and the team, even though most of the players have undergone same in their various club sides.

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

H

Keshi lambasts Moses

EAD coach of the Nigeria national team, Stephen Keshi tore into Chelsea forward, Victor Moses following his decision to retaliate after a poor tackle from Cape Verde captain, Nando in Wednesday ’s friendly game between both countries in Faro, Portugal.

The 21-year-old

Eagles friendly:

astonishingly kicked out at the Cape Verde captain following a bad tackle from the Blue Sharks’ most capped player.

Moses was only shown a yellow card for the action with experts arguing that he was lucky not to have been issued a direct red.

‘The big boss’ was not impressed with the

Bad advert for African football — Onigbinde F

ORMER Super Eagles’Head Coach Adegboye Onigbinde has said that the Super Eagles’ performance against Cape Verde, tells a bad story about African football. Onigbinde told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview on Thursday in Abuja that there was a need for the technical crew to improve on the team.

Continues on Page 55

Eagles not a team yet — Akanni

BY JACOB AJOM

forward’s antics and slammed him at the break in the Nigeria changing.

“Keshi was mad at that action and gave Moses what could be likened to the famous Sir Alex Ferguson’s hair dryer treatment for his action,” spokesman of the Super Eagles, Ben Alaiya told supersport.com after the game.

No tension over Ejide •As Eagles undergo medical test

N

IGERIANS who have expressed fears over the thigh strain that Super Eagles goalie Austin Ejide suffered in the friendly against Cape Verde Wednesday have been told that there was no cause for alarm, as the keeper ’s injury was minor.

Officials described the injury as “normal” and the goal tender would be ready for the championship that starts on January 29.

“I have been told that

CONTEST: Nigeria’s forward Emmanuel Emenike (L) vies with Cape Verde’s Platini (R) during the International friendly football match, Algarve Stadium in Faro on Wednesday. The match ended 0-0. Photo: AFP

Continues on Page 55

F

Bright Dike devastated to miss AFCON — P55

ORMER Nigeria international, Waidi Akanni was not impressed by the Super Eagles in their warm up match against Cape

Continues on Page 55 TODAY'S

PUZZLE

YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Horrify (5) 5 Aped (6) 8 Repulse (5) 10 Provisioner (6) 11 One (4) 14 Wearisome (6) 15 Try (7) 18 Marry (3) 19 Curve (3) 21 Deceased (4) 23 Handle (5) 24 Unbearing (4) 27 Finish (3) 29 Tank (3) 31 Harmed (7) 32 Beetle (6) 34 Roster (4) 35 Whole (6) 38 Virtuous (5) 39 Appear (6) 40 Cabin (5)

DOWN 2 Equality (3) 3 Bowman (6) 4 Shelter (3) 5 Cudgel (4) 6 Coupled (6) 7 Determined (6) 9 Make ready (7) 12 Present (3) 13 Season (4) 16 Weary (4) 17 Tend (5) 20 Corpse (7) 22 Competent (4) 24 Dally (6) 25 Declare (4) 26 Approval (6) 28 Kine (6) 30 Bird (3) 33 Halt (4) 36 Catch (3) 37 Decay (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Heaven 5, Last 8, Below 9, Woo 10, Idol 11, Area 12, Giddy 13, Enable 16, Each 18, Nail 20, Elf 22, Got 23, Gun 24, Flee 25, Eyed 28, Define 30, Prone 32, Wait 33, Ewer 34, Ire 35, Peel 37, Kennel.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 1, Hawser 2, Adorable 3, Edible 4, Delighted 5, Loading 6, Awry 7, Trap 8, Bog 14, Eagerness 15, Din 17, Coy 19, Audition 20, Elk 21, Fearful 26, Degree 27, Repeal 29, Swap 30, Pipe 31, Ewe.

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

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

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

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

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