Chibok Girls Abduction: Boko Haram to go in 90 days

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Boko Haram attacks to end in 3 months – Northern govs portance of working together across geo-political zones, political party lines, and ethnicreligious affinities to defeat our common enemies – poverty and corruption, which, unfortunately, continue to undermine our efforts in taking our rightful place as the giant of Africa. We can no longer remain the sleeping giant. And the time for a paradigm shift is certainly now. ”We are under no illusions that achieving this will be easy, especially in a fast changing information age. We also believe that progress in any form comes with a price. Expectedly, as life gets better, it certainly gets tougher, with emerging challenges and pressures that sometimes threaten to uproot communities and families from their established ways of life. We, however, believe we have a shared responsibility and morality as Governors of the Northern States to pursue programmes and policies that promote social justice, peace and security, which is the fundamental essence of governance.”

The meeting, which had in attendance the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, James Ent Whistle, the Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, Prof. Adewale Ibidapo Adefuye, some governors, deputy governors, key investors from Nigeria and the United States, was aimed at “creating opportunities for economic prosperity and security in the northern states and the nation in a period of unprecedented insecurity challenges.”

BY HENRY UMORU & DAUDU OLATUNJI, WITH AGENCY REPORTS

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OKO Haram should be eliminated at the maximum of three months”.

With these words, northern governors expressed their expectation from the Federal Government and the international community that the insurgency spearheaded by the Boko Haram Islamist group should end within three months.

The governors spoke on a day the US First Lady, Michelle Obama, said her family was “outraged and heartbroken” over the more than 200 girls abducted by Boko Haram in Chibok, Borno State on April 14.

Also, yesterday, a senior US official said Washington was considering a Nigerian request for surveillance aircraft to join the search for the abducted girls.

The UN Security Council expressed outrage over the kidnapping, saying it would consider “appropriate measures” against Boko Haram.

The US is seeking to have UN sanctions imposed on the Islamist group.

These developments came on the heels of the arrival in Nigeria, on Friday, of a small number of the US and British experts to assist in the efforts to rescue the abducted girls.

Emerging challenges overnor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, who is also the Chairman of Northern State Governors Forum (NSGF), said, yesterday, that with the efforts against Boko Haram, insurgency by the Islamist group should end within three months.

Aliyu, speaking at the end of the NSGF and the Nigeria Embassy Washington DC, USA Investment Forum, held at Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja, said, “Boko Haram should be eliminated at the maximum of three months.

That is the expectation of the northern states from the Federal Government and the international community.”

According to him, all hands ought to be on deck to end the Boko Haram insurgency.

The governor’s words: “The current challenges facing our country demonstrates the im-

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Jonathan begs Nigerians eanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, begged Nigerians to join him in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency.

Jonathan stated this at a luncheon party to mark the 80th birthday of the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, held at Otunba Dipo Dina International Stadium, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.

The President, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Gen. John Arogbofa (rtd). disclosed that his absence was as a result of the insecurity problems facing the country.

In his key note address, Jonathan said: “We all know that the nation is facing some challenges today and these are challenges we are all wor-

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L-R: National Vice Chairman, South-West, All Progressive Congress, APC, Otunba Niyi Adebayo; Sen. Oluremi Tinubu; Deputy Governor, Ekiti State, Prof. Modupe Adelabu; wife of Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; National Leader, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Governor Kayode Fayemi; National Chairman, APC, Chief Bisi Akande; a former Governor of Ogun State, Aremo Segun Osoba; Governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Secretary to Edo State Government, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere; and National Publicity Secretary, APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, during a Fund Raising Dinner, hosted by "Friends of JKF" in Lagos... on Friday. ried about, that concerns everyone of us and, because of that, it has not been possible for Mr President to come because there are visitors from outside the country with whom he has to share some views on how this problem can be resolved.

“I want to plead with all of us that these are challenges that we are all faced with, they are challenges that all of us should gather together to resolve”.

Mrs Obama’s unusual broadcast S First Lady Michelle Obama, yesterday, said the mass kidnap of the Chibok girls was part of a wider pattern of threats and intimidation facing girls around the world who pursue education.

She said she and her husband Barack Obama were “outraged and heartbroken” over the abduction.

She was speaking instead of her husband in the weekly presidential address.

Mrs Obama, who was speaking ahead of Mother’s Day in the US today, said the girls reminded her and her husband of their own daughters.

“What happened in Nigeria was not an isolated incident. It’s a story we see every day as girls around the world risk their lives to pursue their ambitions,” she said.

She cited the Pakistani schoolgirl and campaigner Malala Yousafzai, who was shot and wounded by the Taliban for speaking out for girls’ education.

“The courage and hope embodied by Malala and girls like her around the world should serve as a call to action,” Mrs Obama said.

It is unusual for a US first lady to make outspoken foreign policy remarks, but Mrs Obama has campaigned for the girls’ release.

Michelle Obama has often appeared alongside her husband during the weekly address, which is broadcast on radio with a video version available online. This is the first time she has delivered the speech alone.

Earlier last week, she tweeted a picture of herself in the White House holding a sign with the message “#BringBackOurGirls”.

UNSC moves against Boko Haram

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n a related development, UN Security Council expressed outrage over the Chibok abduction, saying it would consider “appropriate measures” against Boko Haram.

The US is seeking to have UN sanctions imposed on the group.

A small number of US and British experts arrived in Nigeria, on Friday, to assist on rescue efforts.

A senior US official said Washington was also considering a Nigerian request for surveillance aircraft.

British High Commissioner Andrew Pocock said drones could help gather intelligence but urged caution.

He told the BBC’s Today programme: “The eye in the sky, even if it were able to be focused on the spot, isn’t a panacea.”

Traditional hunters armed with bows and arrows and oldfashioned shotguns were, yesterday, said to be ready to enter the forest where the girls are thought to be held.

Locals said 400 to 500 men had gathered but their departure was not imminent - they still hoped the army will step up its efforts.

An Amnesty International report had, on Friday, alleged that after Nigerian commanders were informed of the pending attack by Boko Haram to kidnap the Chibok girls, they were unable to raise enough troops to respond.

The commanders left a contingent of between 15 and 17 soldiers and a handful of police officers in Chibok to fend off the militants, the group reported.

“When it was clear these girls

had been abducted, no reinforcements were sent to the town,” Makmid Kamara, a researcher with Amnesty International, said.

The report was based on the reports of more than a dozen people, including two senior Nigerian military officials, who gave varying, but consistent accounts, Kamara said.

But Nigeria’s defense ministry disputed the findings, saying the first word received was of an ongoing attack at Chibok.

The troops “did not receive four hours forewarning about the attacks,” according to a statement released by Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, a ministry spokesman. “Rather, they received information of an ongoing attack on Chibok from troops on patrol” who saw the attack and took on the militants.

Borno State Sen. Ahmed Zannah said the military sent reinforcements, but not until the militants were already in Chibok.

‘Don’t negotiate’ n the meantime, a group, United Alliance, yesterday, warned President Jonathan against negotiating with Boko Haram. The group said “any attempt to do this would mean legitimizing the sect’s actions and will box the government into a dangerous corner”.

In a statement by its northern co-ordinator, Mallam Bashir Ado, the group said those canvassing the position to negotiate with the sect are enemies of the country.

“We are closely monitoring developments in our dear country especially as it affects the activities of the terrorist

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group, Boko Haram and the position of some people that President Jonathan should negotiate with the terrorists,” the group said.

“Our position on this is clear and we strongly advise Mr President not to allow himself to be persuaded into taking such a panicky measure as the activities of this sect shall soon come to an end especially with assistance of the entire world.

“The apostles of the position are the enemies of Nigeria who ordinarily would not see anything wrong with negotiating with criminals”.

Insisting that the abducted Chibok girls must be released unconditionally, the group said masters of the terrorist group could not find their voice until recently when it became obvious that the game was up for them with the offer of assistance by the nation’s foreign friends,” United Alliance . “ The masters of these criminals kept mum and have been giving surport to their activities but suddenly found the voice to speak out because Americans are coming to unveil them.

“It’s too much of a coincidence that former head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) whom the sect had earlier mentioned to mediate with the government on its behalf is speaking against the group and its actions now that it is almost evident that the Americans are poised to unearth some hidden things about the group and its sponsors”.

Chibok girls: DHQ denies arrest

BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI

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HE Defence Head quarters (DHQ) dis closed, yesterday, that contrary to media reports, no suspects had been arrested in connection with the abducted Chibok girls as foreign troops were yet to be deployed for the operation.

A statement by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade, said, “There has been no arrest or operation by any foreign mili-

tary or security allies in the ongoing efforts to rescue the abducted girls or the conduct of the ongoing counter terrorist campaign in Nigeria as reported by national dailies today and currently being circulated online.

“Contrary to the reports and the pictures being circulated to illustrate the claims, there has been no incident or record as reported.

“The pictures being circulated to illustrate the claims in the story are not related to the situation in

Nigeria as they were taken from scenes in other countries.

“Indeed, no troops of the American Marines have so far been deployed in any part of Nigeria as is being circulated in certain media”.

“International coalition is quite appropriate in handling terrorism being a trans-border and global crime. “The public will be duly briefed on the areas of collaboration with allied forces in the mission to bring back our girls as the need arises”.

PAGE 6—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 11, 2014

•The Celebrant, Oba (Dr) Sikiru Kayode Adetona responding to the toast at his 80th birthday celebration held at the Dipo Dina Stadium, Ijebu Ode while Governor Ibikunle Amosun , his wife Olufunso, Globacom Chairman, Dr. Mike Adenuga, Jr. (GCON) and former Head of State, Major General Mohammadu Buhari listen.?

MultiChoice promises uninterrupted World Cup broadcast during the rainy season in

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AY-TV giant, MultiChoice Nigeria, has assured Nigerians of uninterrupted broadcast of the 2014 World Cup, which kicks off in Brazil next month.

MultiChoice, which recently announced that SuperSport on its DStv platform has secured screening rights to all the matches of the World Cup, is confident of screening the matches in excellent sound and picture quality.

Speaking in Lagos, Martin Mabutho, General Manager, Marketing, said the company is committed to continually deliver thrilling content

in the best picture and sound quality available.

He assured subscribers that all the World Cup matches will be screened live on its DStv and GOtv platforms, and will also be available on the SuperSport HD channels.

Mabutho allayed concerns that subscribers will experience signal interruption during the World Cup, stating instances in the past when the signal remained intact during the games.

“We are the pioneer digital pay television operator in Nigeria and have been in business for over 20 years. In those years, we have screened up to five World Cups

excellent picture and sound quality. The World Cup falls within the rainy season and although rain fades do happen if there is torrential downpour accompanied by high winds, we have never e n c o u n t e r e d unaccountable signal loss during these times. I don’t expect this World Cup to be any different,” he said.

Speaking in a similar vein, Managing Director of the company, Mr. John Ugbe, explained how to maximise transmission strength and reduce the chances of losing signal on a continuous basis. “It is worth mentioning that transmission works better when the signal strength

programmed on the decoder from the satellite dish is at full functional capacity. It is important to have a DStv technician check on that every few months. It is a simple matter of an authorised technician checking the settings on the decoder, and also the positioning of the satellite dish to check that all is intact,” Ugbe advised.

In addition, Mabutho advised subscribers on how they can maximise the World Cup experience. “Some of the matches will be aired when you are in the office, or in traffic going to or from work. In these situations, our DStv mobile packages are always handy to ensure no action is missed during the World Cup. Walka 7 allows you to watch in traffic and no additional subscription is required for active premium subscribers. We also have other pocketsized devices like the iDrifta, which works with smartphones (android and iOs) and tablets. The Explora, with its two terabytes memory, gives viewers the opportunity to record all the games on the decoder and keep them for good. You can also access all the games that have been stacked through the Catch Up feature on the Explora decoder. Furthermore, Supersport will repeat some of the matches to ensure that as many subscribers as possible catch them all,” he explained.

Fashola to Lagosians: Reject messages of fear

BY ADEOLA ADENUGA

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O V E R N O R Babatunde Fashola has charged Lagos State residents to resolve not to be voluntary purveyors of messages of fear that can cause panic.

The governor, who spoke in an interview with newsmen at the end of the 11 th Executive Legislative Parley held at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Festac, added that residents must resolve that any message likely to cause panic must not be forwarded to other people but security agencies so that the link through which panic can spread will be broken.

“Don’t help to transfer those kinds of viral messages. They do not help the public, if there are any such messages you are aware of, send it to us and don’t pass it on to your friend because your friend cannot do anything about it. We can, if it occurs”, he said.

“So we must stop passing those kind of messages of fear and be assured that security agencies are working round the clock. We will check everything that we see. I have told the Policemen and all other

law enforcement agencies that nothing that is suspicious must be left to any chance. We must check and double check.

“There may be inconvenience to some citizens but I assure you

that I have told the officers not to take undue advantage or any advantage of the need to enforce for an improved vigilance and security checks”.

The governor also appealed for restraint,

patience and tolerance by residents, maintaining that all the measures are in the entire public interest, assuring: “Other than that, carry on with your life, your state is safe”.

2015: Abaribe takes guber quest to Abia North, Central

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O actualize his 2015 governorship ambition, Senator Enyinna Abaribe has begun the tour of the three senatorial zones to consult key stakeholders in Abia State.

He started the tour with a visit to Ohafia headquarters of Abia North and a second one at Umuahia, Abia Central.

After the zones, the senator will visit the local councils, wards and organizations.

Speaking at the two fora, Abaribe (PDP, Abia South), who is the chairman Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, said beyond power coming to the Ukwa Ngwa of Abia South, the state must consider the candidate’s training, experience and exposure in matters of governance as Abia

cannot afford the drawback of handing over power to a neophyte who would spend the first four years learning the ropes.

Recounting how he joined politics after a brilliant career that saw him at various times as a university don, businessman, corporate executive and politician, Abaribe said that he is the most qualified contender for the exalted post to date.

“I have been well honed by time and experience,” he said adding that his vision is to help Abia State create wealth with the ingenuity of the people and not to rely on the federal allocation.

I am presenting myself to you as the most qualified candidate. A governor must be an all-rounded person,” he said.

Debunking rumours that he is not in good terms with the governor he described Governor Theodore Orji as a friend with whom he enjoys a cordial relationship, noting that it was the governor that paid him the arrears of his entitlements which was withheld by the former governor, Orji Kalu. He also recalled how Governor Orji brought peace to Abia State by bringing all the political gladiators in the state together and described the governor as a man who has laid the foundation for the state with his legacy projects.

Abaribe lauded the governor for shunning sycophants and upholding the law of natural justice by insisting that equity must be done by power shifting to the Ukwa Ngwa.

WEF: Boko Haram poses no danger to investment —Tukur

BY HENRY UMORU

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former National Chairman of the Peoples Demo cratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, said, yesterday, that the succesful hosting of the World Economic Forum, WEF, was an indication that the activities of members of Boko Haram sect in some parts of the country were not a threat to business in Nigeria.

Tukur, who is the President of African Business Roundtable, in a congratulatory message to President Goodluck Jonathan for successfully playing host to the world, described the summit in Nigeria as a right step towards plac-

ing Nigeria in the world economic map, adding that it was a good move towards emancipating the people of Nigeria from what he termed any economic bondage or set-back. According to Tukur in a statement signed by his Special Assistant, Media, Prince Oliver Okpala, with Jonathan hosting the summit, he has given Nigeria the opportunity to showcase her economic potentialities to the world as a haven for investment and industrialization. “He prayed and hoped that more of such summits, seminars and conferences will be hosted by Nigeria as the giant of Africa’s economic development.”

Onuesoke hails US, UK, France over Boko Haram

BY EPHRAIM OSEJI

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HE involvement of the United States of America, United Kingdom, France and other countries in the fight against Boko Haram and the efforts to rescue abducted Chibok school girls had been described as a welcome development by Chief Sunny Onuesoke, a former Delta State governorship aspirant and Country Director of the Network for Good Gov-

ernance (N4GG) Speaking to newsmen at Abuja International Airport while on his way to Calabar, Cross River State for a crucial meeting of (N4GG), pointed out that the involvement of world leaders in the fight against Boko Haram would bring an end to terrorism in Nigeria.

He noted that the group is an arm of Islamic Jihad for the elimination of those they believe are infidels.

Jonathan condoles with FCT Minister

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RESIDENT Good luck Jonathan, yesterday, described the mother of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, Senator Bala Mohammed, the late Hajiya Aisha Jummare Mohammed, as one who lived her life in the service of humanity and an embodiment of motherhood.

Speaking yesterday in

Bauchi on behalf of Jonathan when he led the government and people of Nigeria to attend the Fidau prayer and to officially condole with Mohammed over the death of his mother, Vice President Namadi Sambo prayed for the repose of her soul and those she left behind the fortitude the bear the irreparable loss.

Shodipo Fayemi passes on

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R John Adedeji Shodipo Fayemi is dead, aged 63. He is survived by his wife, children and grand childern. A former assistant production manager with the defunct Daily Times, he joined the company in 1974 as a paste up artist.

Fayemi died after a brief illness in his house in Ikorodu, Lagos.

•Fayemi

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 11, 2014 — PAGE 7

SCANDALOUS Over four million ghost voters deregistered

BY JIDE AJANI

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ONSEQUENT upon further investigations by Sunday Vanguard regarding Professor Attahiru Jega’s Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, move against fraud in future elections with the full complement of the Advance Automatic Finger Identification System, AAFIS, exercise, it can be revealed that another 3,600,397 names have been deleted from the Voter Register, VR, in 10 states of the federation.

The states are Kebbi, Zamfara, Taraba, Gombe, Benue, Kogi, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Enugu and Abia.

Last week, Sunday Vanguard published the deletion of 504,818 names from the register in respect of Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states.

The total names deleted from the Voter Register in the 13 states are 4,105,215.

The latest figures between 2011 and now are as follows: Kebbi -1,638,308 but now 1,306,405 Zamfara - 2,045,131 but now 1,130,245

…. In 13 states

Taraba - 1,357,551 but now 1 , 1 8 4 , 9 5 0 Gombe - 1,318,377 but now 988,043 Benue - 2,390,884 but now 1,657,266 Kogi - 1,358,049 but now 1 , 2 3 4 , 0 7 4 Bayelsa - 640,372 but now 5 0 3 , 8 3 7 Akwa Ibom - 1,656,595 but now 1,443,227 Enugu - 1,374,583 but now 1,005,585 Abia - 1,536,264 but now 1,252,085 Sunday Vanguard has also learnt that the distribution of the Permanent Voter Card, PVC, for these states would commence on May 23 to May 25; while the Continued Voter Registration, CVR, is expected to hold between May 28 and June 1.

It would be recalled that 108,529 voters were deleted from the voter register (VR) for Ekiti State.

The governorship election in the state holds on June 21.

In addition, the governorship election in Osun State, which holds on August 9, would

witness the use of a Voter Register that has lost some 98,824 voters.

Sunday Vanguard discovered that the AAFIS programme of INEC - a process which is on-going - is designed to weed out spurious and frivolous names in the register.

In fact, Anambra State, which reportedly had 2,011,746, in 2011, has now dropped to 1,714,290. What this means is that 297,456 names have been removed from the VR by virtue of the detection of irregular or double registration or the absence of fingerprints, a basic hallmark of the biometric registration.

The in-house clean up, if carried through effectively, is seen by analysts as commendable.

It is a process that sifts multiple registration of prospective voters, deletes them and registers only one, to consummate the one man-one-vote phenomenon.

2 siblings killed as FRSC chases tricycle into ditch

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA,Yenagoa

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RAGEDY struck on Friday at the Swali suburb of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital when a Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) patrol van, allegedly pursuing a tricycle, popularly known as ‘Keke NAPEP’, caused a crash that led to the death of two pupils.

The Keke driver and another victim, it was learnt, are receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa.

The accident, it was learnt, occurred at 4.30pm along the busy Swali Market Road when the victims were returning from school in the tricycle.

Eyewitnesses told Sunday Vanguard that trouble started when an attempt by a FRSC patrol team to stop the Keke driver for alleged traffic violation went awry.

The patrol vehicle was said to have given the tricycle a hot chase causing the latter to lose control and somersaulted when it ran into a ditch and flung the victims on the road.

One of the victims

reportedly died on the spot while the second lost the struggle to live in hospital.

The deceased pupils, according to eyewitnesses, were of the same parents, while the third, said to be their cousin, was seriously injured.

The officials the FRSC officials, according to eyewitnesses, fled the scene, a development that sparked peaceful protest from Keke NAPEP operators in the area.

The aggrieved commercial tricyclists took over the stretch of Swali Road to Imgbi

junction in protest, calling for the prosecution of the officers involved in the process that led to the tragic accident.

Contacted, the state FRSC Sector, Commander, Mr. Vincent Jack, said though he was not in town, he was informed of the unfortunate incident promising to get to the root of the matter.

But the state police public relations officer, Mr. Alex Akhigbe, confirmed the tragic incident saying the matter is under investigation.

From left;Mrs Adeola Boderin,Assistant Customer Marketing Manager,Unilever Nigeria;Alhaja Oyindamola Salami, winner of a brand new Hyundai i10 car,Mr Taofiq Ositade,Field Sales Manager,Unilever Nigeria Ibadan;Mrs Oyinade Ladapo,Brand Manager,Royco Unilever Nigeria And Princess Nnaji,Assistant Customer Marketing Manager Unilever Nigeria, at the Unilever Nigeria Prize Award Presentation for the ongoing savoury Knorr & Royco sustenance offer for retailers held at Bodija Market, Ibadan.PHOTO BY AKEEM SALAU

•From left: Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, Director, Planning, Research &Strategy, Ministry of Aviation; Engr. Saleh Dunoma, Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria; Mr Alex Osakwe, Director of Project Monitoring, Ministry of Aviation; Dr. Jamila Shu’ara, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Aviation and Dr. Samuel Ortom, Supervising Minister of Aviation , inspecting projects at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, last week.

No development without peace — Jonathan

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

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R E S I D E N T Goodluck Jonathan has said the flag off of Africa’s first marine university in Okerenkoko, Warri South West Local Government Area, Delta State is a proof that there can be no development without peace.

The President was addressing stakeholders at the palace arena of the paramount ruler of Gbaramatu Kingdom, yesterday, before proceeding to perform the flag off of the

NBA presidency: I am not against Mid-West Bar — Agbakoba

BY INNOCENT ANABA

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former President of Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Dr Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, yesterday, said he was not against the Mid-West Bar of the association fielding a presidential candidate in the association’s July election.

He had earlier said, in support of retaining the zoning formula in the association’s national election, it was the turn of the South-West to the

exclusion of the Mid-West Bar to produce the next president of the association in the election of the NBA. Agbakoba, in a statement, clarifying his position, said: “The real issue for me is how we can resolve the Midwest issue so they are adequately accommodated in the NBA zoning arrangements. ”I read some reactions to my letter on zoning. I have been misrepresented when some claim that I am

aware that the Midwest is part of the West. It is true that discussions on how to incorporate the Midwest into the West reached advanced stage. But I know that the discussions have not concluded. ”I agree that the Midwest is entitled to present a candidate for President. But I also feel bound to preserve our zoning arrangements.

My credentials will show that I have always supported our zoning arrangements”.

university at Kurutie as well as ground breaking for the maritime shipyard/dockyard at Okerenkoko.

“Everybody wants development, but the fact remains that there can’t be any development without peace. The last time I visited here (Gbaramatu) to see the people after the troubles before amnesty, nobody was smiling. I could not smile and the people I had come to see now could not smile”, he said.

“Today, we have come to open a marine university and everyone is smiling and happy. Without peace, the atmosphere would not have supported this.

Nobody would have thought of this. So I thank the Gbaramatu people, the people of the Niger Delta for embracing peace to create the enabling environment and the supervising Ministry of Transport and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, for leading the justification for the projects”.

The President, however, lowered the colour of the event by appealing against excessive cultural celebrations, dances and display in honour of the missing Chibok girls, saying it was only reasonable to

have the event low keyed as the “world joins Nigeria is ensuring that our innocent children being held by those who don’t wish the nation well are released alive.”

Earlier in his address, the Minister for Transport, Sen. Idris Umar, noted that the marine university and shipyard/dockyard, complementing each other are, beyond spreading national development, located in Gbaramatu based on the community’s comparative advantage of affinity and proximity to shipping routes as well as the presence of abundant hydrocarbon resources in the locality.

The Director General of NIMASA, Ziakede Patrick Akpobolokemi, said the university would take off immediately on temporary structures located at Kurutie while simultaneous construction of the permanent site and that of the ship yard/dockyard go on at Okerenkoko.

Host Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and his Anambra Statecounterpart, Dr. Willie Obiano, were in the entourage of Jonathan during the visit.

PAGE 8—SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014, PAGE 9

America to the rescue an air cover, the Federal Government, after seeking expert advice, has begun preliminary work for establishing a Nigerian Air Force.” Two important phrases are fundamental to our understanding of the irony of our current situation: first is the first president’s clear position that sovereignty confers on a nation the responsibility for its own defences, and second, that a defence of that sovereignty means the creation and mobilization of a defence system that would “ensure internal security and serve as a deterrent to external aggression.”

Before a president assumes power in Nigeria, he swears an oath of allegiance to the Republic of Nigeria that binds him to these commitments and the duty to defend Nigeria’s sovereign power with his life. Last week, President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration accepted the offer of the United States and the UK Governments, to send military operators in “aid” to Nigeria to smoke out the Boko Haram abductors of the girls from Chibok. Jonathan’s action quickly ignited the discussion fora by Nigerians on-line, as well as in various Nigerian living rooms, about the implica-

The simple life; the exodus

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HE greatest cities around the world are a buzz of commercial activities, money is the air that feeds the frenzy of life in NewYork, London, Shanghai, Paris, Tokyo and my own dear Lagos. Everyone is in a hurry, time is money and these cities don't sleep, neither do the people who live in them. None of them can boast of clean air not to talk of a good quality of life. In the developed world, cities are not necessarily where you live they are just where you work. A good transportation system means that people can live in the suburbs and just commute to the city. I do business with an american of Lebanese origin in New York and I was invited for dinner with the family once and was surprised to learn she lived 2 hours away by train in the suburbs. I was staying in a hotel right in the city centre and was not prepared to go on what I felt would be a tiring excursion so I declined. She later explained to me that she and

her husband had taken the decision to pack up their family and move to the suburbs where there were bigger houses at cheaper prices, better school districts and less crime. She credits the move for saving her family as she says most of the fights ended when they left the crazy life of the city for the simple life of the suburbs. The lure of the simple life is the same the world over.

My son attends a school not too far from home, we pay about a 1,000 Naira daily as toll on the most expensive bridge in Lagos and I am certainly not amused. My husband and I regularly reminisce about days past when we could just walk to school and back; simpler days that still exist outside the city. By our calculation we would spend an equivalent of a £1,000 on the toll alone in any given year and I am one of those who support the court action against the state for charging a toll on a bridge built with tax payer's mon-

tions of ceding Nigeria’s territorial space to a foreign military power to operate freely. Sovereign nations do not permit that kind of intrusion.

Many Nigerians are furious that President Jonathan has used the excuse of Boko Haram to allow his handlers to “invade” Nigeria and begin a process of dismantling and recolonizing Nigeria. They do not see American or UK charity or goodwill, they see something more subtly danger-

inviting foreign armies to operate freely in Nigeria and intervene in Nigeria’s internal security operations, Jonathan has abjured the oath of his office to defend Nigeria’s sovereignty with his life. The president apparently said on Thursday, at the opening of the World Economic Forum in Abuja: “By God’s Grace we will conquer the terrorists.”

Often times decisions made by technocrats and politicians without consultation tend to be disastrous.

The major reason is that those in government don't always have a true and clear picture of situations that affect the masses. One major problem most Nigerian cities face is over crowding and over population. Lagos State claims that almost 3,000 people come looking for greener pastures in the state daily.

ropolitan cities around the world; just a place to work, not a place to live. The ease of transportation will inevitably fuel the exodus of people from cities to the country I took a poll of young people since my manager dropped her bombshell and I found that most of them have been forced out of the city by high rent. Outside the city, accommodation is cheaper and bigger, schools are cheaper for their chil-

and even if they wanted to they could not stay because the costs of daily living was too high. I have not built a home outside the city yet but I am not altogether sure I would like to live out my retirement in any city.

The very rich any where in the world maintain a presence in the city but their palatial homes are in the countryside and I pray to follow suit. I end the simple life series with the theme song of another Television series. "Cheers" was an american sitcom in the early 90s or maybe late 80s and it was centred around a bar, patronised by people who felt lost in the city of Boston. They always met up in the evening to eat, drink and spend time together, they were a community of misfits and found the home they were missing in each other.

There is a deep sense felt by Africans of disrespect of Africa and Africans

by Western powers who generally only offer left-handed charity to a “dark continent” riddled by disease and war

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ous: the United States government’s use of the Boko Haram insurgency as coverage or excuse to establish its long-thought military operations called “Africom” which had been opposed by other presidents in office in Nigeria before Jonathan.

They see a US military presence smuggled through the back door as dangerous to Nigeria’s long term inter-

ey. Education in the city is not necessarily better than in the country side; I actually think you stand a better chance of getting good education in the countryside. Please note I don't refer to remote villages where there are only few teachers with questionable certificates and qualifications. I write of the new towns emerging as a direct result of development of individuals and corporations who are creating saner communities. I have a couple of friends who were bankers and created one such community just outside Lagos.

They approached a particular village, bought hectares of land and resold at a profit. They sold to like minds and almost 10 years later it is a beautiful haven.

They have schools now, taught by over qualified exbankers and other executives who would rather teach and earn half their former salaries than face the gruelling commute to the city centre on a daily basis. They have supermarkets, little cottage factories and the villagers have been completely incorporated into the rapidly developing town. My one regret is that I didn't invest in what I had considered an evil forest way back then.

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S I write this, I have right here before me, the full text of the speech made to Nigerians by Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, first president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, on Republic Day, October 1, 1963, titled, “Bravely Struggling Against Odds.” Dr. Azikiwe was crisp and presidential in that speech. But I quote the more relevant part directly: “The achievement of independence brought many responsibilities with it, not least of which was that Nigeria as a sovereign nation, should become responsible for its own defences.

The policy of the Federal Government in this regard, has been to build a defence system for the country which would not only ensure internal security, but would also serve as a deterrent to external aggression.

In pursuance of this policy, the Nigerian Army is being re-organised to bring it up to operational standards, and it is being expanded and re-equipped with modern weapons. New war ships are being acquired by the Nigerian Navy, and construction work on shore facilities at both Apapa and Calabar are proceeding steadily. In view of the fact that in the modern world, no country can consider its defences complete without

out, nor did he seek the intervention and help from the US and the UK to flush out the armed Chadian rebels that began to terrorize Nigerians in 1980. He simply issued the orders and General Buhari mobilized the 3 Division from Jos as GOC, and flushed them out, pursuing them deep, deep into Chad, and securing the borders and internal peace of Nigeria. So, what is different today? Does Nigeria no longer have an effective National Defense system? If the Nigerian government would now depend on foreign military powers to flush out a rag-tag group like the Boko Haram, what happens if it is faced by an external military force engaged in war against it?

What is the meaning of Nigeria’s sovereignty? Meanwhile, our American friends should know the implications of their current engagement with Nigeria: soon, the talk will be, however untrue, how America secretly funded Boko Haram as an excuse to establish a military presence in Nigeria. Such an image will unite Nigerians far more than the issues of terrorism.

The trouble with most of these interventions is that Africans have a deep suspicion of the West based on their history with the West.

There is a deep sense felt by Africans of disrespect of Africa and Africans by Western powers who generally only offer left-handed charity to a “dark continent” riddled by disease and war.

The framework for this intervention rests clearly on this premise, and the US ought to stop a little and rethink this engagement. It might be counter-productive.

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But God has nothing to do with this menace, or with how Nigeria deals with its internal problems. Unless

by God, the president means the US and the UK governments who have come to the rescue. Self-respecting nations defend themselves. They do not wait for God or for some foreign power to do it for them – unless of course, you’re a banana republic.

These are the issues that Jonathan will now have to deal with going forward. Of course, Jonathan has his defenders: a friend of mine, once himself a newspaper columnist wrote very tersely to me: “There isn’t a thing wrong in foreign powers coming to help. It is not the same thing as deploying US troops in our backyard” Dr. Doyin Okupe came on record also to say, “Nigeria will accept help from anywhere.” But of course, he works for the Jonathan administration, and I put these statements down to either naïveté or deadly cynicism.

It is the same kind of cynicism that roused key leaders of North, when they met with the President, to reject any use of foreign troops on “Northern soil.” First, there is no “northern soil” – it is all Nigerian territory.

Secondly, when the governors of what used to be the “northern region” flew to meet with the US government in Washington, they implicitly accepted foreign intervention. There are no saints in this situation, only reality. And the reality is quite simple: when the Maitasine movement, deadlier, far better organized, and more widespread, attacked in 1980, President Shagari did not invite the Americans to flush them

ests in Africa, particularly in Central West Africa. A great criticism often levelled against the president aside from his weakness is a lack of faith in Nigeria, and that this lack of faith makes it impossible for him to see beyond his narrow interests and to see the bigger picture.

This decision by President’s Goodluck Jonathan is possibly going to haunt him: it is going be the greatest single factor that will now shape the debates on his presidency, and finally hobble it because it provides the greatest example to his critics of his inability to govern; his neophyte sense of the meaning of his own powers as President and Commander-in-Chief of Nigeria’s so-called, and apparently non-existent Armed Forces; and the fact as it is increasingly felt and widely circulated in Nigeria that by

Often times decisions made by technocrats and politicians without consultation tend to be disastrous. The major reason is that those in government don't always have a true and clear picture of situations that affect the masses

That may not be the case for much longer as Lagos State has taxed most people and even companies back to their home states; draconian enforcement agents like KAI and LASTMA don't make Lagos attractive to residents. Right now people actually prefer to live in border towns of Lagos State and pay less tax their than live in Lagos.

Besides with big companies moving production out of Lagos, the job trail will no longer lead to the city. With the construction of new roads and, in a few years interstate trains, Lagos will become like all other met-

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dren, food is cheaper for the entire family and life is easier; not so congested, not so hectic. The pattern I discovered to be common amongst the couples is that one person either starts a business in their locality while the other does the commute to the city. I took another poll of the older, more successful generation and discover the same exodus is taking place. Most people built their homes outside the city because land was cheaper while they stayed in rented accommodation when they were still working. Retirement meant they no longer had ties to the city

Cheers theme song....

Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got.

Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.

Wouldn't you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go Where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came.

You wanna be where you can see, our troubles are all the same You wanna be where everybody knows Your name.

PAGE 10—SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014

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mental billions of naira which had flowed into their treasuries since 2004. But, like all inheritors of great wealth, almost without exception, the governors of the Niger Delta had been spending, and some had been squandering, the wealth flowing into their coffers without thought to sustainability or replenishment. Jets have been bought; palatial governors’ mansions had been built as if the wealth was perpetually assured. By assuming that 13% derivation is secured, they are making the same mistake which Attah himself made in 1999 – before reality, which is the greatest enemy of illusions, woke him up with a rude shock.

In Attah’s inaugural address, on May 29, 1999, to the people of Akwa Ibom, titled COME LET US BUILD TOGETHER, he announced, with confidence, as follows.

“The onshore/offshore oil dichotomy issue has been constitutionally resolved by the 1994/95 Constitution.

OMPADEC has been retained and is expected to be community based for effective participation of the affected communities. Besides, the revenue sharing formula, which I helped to

Bring Back Our Girls!

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead HREE weeks and counting and we are no closer to securing the missing girls' safe return. Instead, there have been more hand wringing, posturing, mumblings and dribbling from the government and one unelected individual.

In the meantime, the families of the missing are undergoing a prolonged untold agony and with yet daily insults are piled to their agony and pain by some uncouth, despotic , deranged and disturbed unofficial and official people. #BringBankourgirls campaign, has drawn and captured the worlds imagination and the compassionate Nigerians home and abroad are matching up and down in unison .The world has taken notice of the extent in the breakdown of law and order in Nigeria.

I watched CNN, with Wole Soyinka who, speak so passionately and eloquently about the present tragedy in Nigeria and the prolonged menace of BH. He is right. Something should have been done so long ago instead; this gov-

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ernment has kowtowed, pleaded and bargained with this mad and murderous group for far too long.

During that time thousands of lives have been destroyed with sections of the country living in perpetual fear and dread.

The leader of the mad and dammed, Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau has gone on record for all to see, ranting vile tirades that he did abduct the girls and now threatened to "sell" the abducted school girls. The Boko Haram leader said of the Chibok kidnapping. "I abducted your girls," he taunted with a chilling smile. "There is a market for selling humans. Allah says I should sell. He commands me to sell."

The ease with which this monster makes his audacious pronouncements is horrific and alarming that such rag tag army have held the people of Nigeria for so long to ransom. The Chairman of the forum and Governor of Niger, Dr Babangida Aliyu, spoke to the U.S. officials that the April 14 abduction happened in a part of the country "where up till today we still beg parents to bring their children to school".

He made a valid point that '`for the abduction to happen in a school environ-

ment means that if we do not do anything, we will be taken fifty years back, because many parents would be discouraged to send their children to school. This is the sad fact.

Instead, education has always been the key to riding society of intolerance and ignorance and this government has failed on many levels. They have diced with peoples' lives and have played Russian roulette with the lives of our people.

They have done so for so long and they should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. But, they have no conscience and know no shame.

Where are our armed forces? And where is the chief of armed forces?

Where are the task forces and advance planning?

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“For every folly of their princes, the Greeks feel the lash.” Horace, 65-8 BC. OON, for the cur rent folly of their governors, Nig er Deltans might feel lashes of hunger and deprivation – if care is not taken. This is not a partisan matter. Governors of APC, Labour Party and PDP are implicated.

I pray that, one day, indigenes of the oil producing Niger Delta states will not open their newspapers, or go online, to read an article with the heading above.

Collectively and individually, the governors of the oil producing states in the Niger Delta are, deliberately, or inadvertently, working to give back all the gains which former Governor Victor Attah single-handedly made by fighting for Resource Control during his tenure of office. It was Attah who made it possible for thirteen per cent derivation, without recourse to onshore/offshore dichotomy, to be applied.

Granted, his state, Akwa Ibom, had been the greatest beneficiary of the political solutions worked out at the time. But, every single oil producing state in Nigeria today owes Attah a monument for the incre-

storm is building up which threatens to bring a halt to all the big money the oil producing states are receiving. Akwa Ibom State will receive next to nothing.

But, before the explaining the nature of the gathering tempest in the Niger Delta, let me point to a previous evidence that the governors of Niger Delta had been mostly derelict in their duties to their people with regard to the sustainability of revenues. Let me repeat; this is not a partisan matter. Millions of people are at risk and they will not “give a damn” which political party got them into a

jam.

Back in 2008/9 when the first Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB I, was first presented, it was clear that the biggest beneficiaries of the bill would be Niger Delta people. The “North” was generally opposed to it and the South West was mostly indifferent. So, the contest, regarding PIB I, was between the Niger Delta and the North. While the North

the Niger Delta abandoned the fight that would have benefited their people for ages.

PIB I went down in defeat in 2011. PIB II had been with the NASS for almost two and a half years. And, it is still bottled up in committees of the NASS. Meanwhile, none of the governors of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, or Ondo States

has anybody following the progress of the bill. Collectively, they have ignored it.

I had talked to an influential indigene of the Niger Delta urging him to call the governors to act in concert to save PIB II – to no avail.

Last week, one of my colleagues called one of the governors hoping to get them to cooperate and work in the interest of the entire people of the Niger Delta.

The answer my colleague received was as shocking as it was revealing of why the Niger Delta states might soon find themselves gasping for breath once again.

The governor would not work with another governor because they are “political enemies”. Are the people political enemies also?

The 13% derivation, for which Attah fought gallantly, and secured, might disappear and for such incredible and selfish political and personal reasons. The governors Niger Deltans had elected in 2011 are letting them down disgracefully. Fortunately there is still a way out on PIB II. It does not require much money to salvage the situation. Even one governor, or concerned indigene, can fund it. I know that better than anyone. But, if they fail on that one, the people should start to take cover.

The worst is about to happen…Where, for God sake, is another Attah?

There must be one there somewhere….

V i s i t : www.delesobowale.com or Visit: www.facebook.com/biolasobowale

fared no better. She had accused everyone including the parent of the missing girls, of trying to destroy her husband's rule.

Can someone tell this woman to put a cork in it and that she has no mandate to rule and beside ,an elected official can be unelected and removed with due process. They have shown that they cannot and do not know what to do and all they are concerned about is saving their own skin.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron told the British Parliament that the kidnapping was "an act of pure evil". He pointed out that people in Nigeria are angry at the government's response. "There are extreme Islamists around our world who are against education,

like the safe return of the girls. The world has cotton on that; we as Nigerians must garner this support and pressure this government to do something and something quickly. If anything, the abduction of these young girls serves as a catalyst to call to action for all well-meaning Nigerians.

Now that the government has agreed to receive help from varying quarters.

United States, Britain, China and a host of other nations have stepped up to assist. Britain is sending a small team of advisers possibly including some military officers - to help with planning and coordination. However, they will not take part in operations on the ground.

The US is flying out a group including experts in intelligence, law enforcement and hostage negotiations, with fewer than 10 military troops going. The West has offered help to the Nigerian authorities; the US in the form of specialist negotiators, police and military advice, while the UK already has training teams on the ground and counter-terrorist officers from Mi6 and Special Forces.

The U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James Entwistle, had later told reporters that he held discussions earlier on Wednesday afternoon with some Nigeria security officials on what the "U.S. team might look like". Although he is unable to share the details, he had said that the US are putting a team together to form what the Nigerian Security officials have told them. The ambassa-

dor said the team would be in Nigeria shortly and did not provide further details on the composition of the inter-agency team offered by the U.S. government.

The U.S. offer will include the creation of a "coordination cell" to provide intelligence, investigations and hostage negotiation expertise, the U.S. State Department said. The UK, France, China and the US are among the countries lending their support. We can only hope that the girls return safe and that the reign of terror of BH is consigned to the past.

I have scanned the social networks and here are some notable people sharing their support for the missing girls.

Michelle Obama has gone on record to publicly support the #BringBackOurGirls campaign.

Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl who survived a shooting by Taliban insurgents, has gone on record saying that the world must not stay silent over the abduction.

She told the BBC that "if we remain silent then this will spread; this will happen more and more and more".

Maya Angelou, respected American writer and civil right activist wrote: "Each one of these girls is our daughter, our sister, our niece, our aunt and our mother. The future of Nigeria and Africa and New York and Europe and the United States etcetera, etcetera, is threatened by the robbing of these young women's future. We must have our darlings back so that we can help them to heal from this horror".

The 13% derivation, for which Attah fought gallantly, and secured, might disappear and for such incredible and selfish political and personal reasons.

The governors Niger Deltans had elected in 2011 are letting them down disgracefully

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We are watching a runaway train and we cannot remain silent, not while these young girls are missing.

Nigeria is not working and we know it and the world now knows it

Juno went on air to say that his government is working hard to release the girls and that he was happy and Nigerians were happy that there was no report that the girl were harmed!

Can someone tell Juno that these girls were forcefully, and aggressively abducted by murdering maunders, these girls did not go willingly. I cannot begin to fathom the rationale of this man and motley crew. This is case of the blind leading the blind. His other half

took up the challenge and fought PIB I with everything they had, mostly their numbers in the National Assembly, the Niger Delta left the battle to the Presidency, the Ministry of Petroleum and the International Oil Companies. I was also involved and I knew the bill would fail. Even, when President Jonathan went on a State visit to Turkey in February 2011 and promised the Turkish Head of State that he would sign the PIB before May 2011, I wrote on these pages that it would not happen. There was only one reason for my certainty – all the governments of

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“How the oil was lost by Niger Delta governors” (1)

fashion out, at the national Conference, though not meeting our target of 30 per cent derivation, promises to place more money at the disposal of the state administrators.” And for a while it seemed as if Attah was on sure grounds. Then the unexpected happened. Details of what occurred will be provided in a book soon to be released on the eight years of Attah as governor.

Suffice to say that the unexpected was a suit by the Federal Government of Nigeria against the states wanting the Supreme Court to determine the outward boundary of littoral states – including Akwa Ibom.

The Supreme Court judgment stripped Akwa Ibom of most of its right to derivation from oil wells on its shores. Suddenly the State was gasping for breath. It was down on its knees and was saved from going flat on its back by the political solution which gave the oil producing states thirteen per cent derivation – without offshore/onshore dichotomy. It was that victory which made it possible for Akwa Ibom to become the first state in the Niger Delta to have N1 trillion to spend in 2007-2011 alone.

That was about five times what Attah had to spend in the previous eight years.

Why am I focusing on Akwa Ibom more than any other state in the Niger Delta? The answer is simple; it is also the most vulnerable to any future changes in the allocation formula because virtually all the oil in its territory is situated offshore.

And right now a thunder-

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against progress, against equality and we must fight them and take them on wherever they are. They say that those the gods wish to destroy they, first make mad. We are watching the unraveling of this in real time.

We are watching a runaway train and we cannot remain silent, not while these young girls are missing. Nigeria is not working and we know it and the world now knows it.

Enough said. We would

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014, PAGE 11

Who is misleading our President?

Instead, the President’s men preferred to dismiss every critic as an agent of the opposition thereby inadvertently projecting the said opposition as more popular.

other primitive events that would also not be postponed by government because supposed friends push for it. One such event was the Kano rally where

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GAINST the back drop of his massive victory at the 2011 Presidential elections, it is difficult to dispute the obvious popularity of President Goodluck Jonathan among Nigerians. Recently however, it is also getting clearer that those opposed to him are increasing.

Whereas the latter can be described as political opponents with some of them stretching opposition to enemity, it appears intriguing that some of his supporters are more of enemies than friends. The visit to the Presidential Villa last Tuesday of a delegation of the North East Forum for Unity and Development led by elder statesman, Adamu Ciroma to hold talks with the President is one event which throws light on the subject. From the timing of the meeting and its confidentiality, any analyst could easily have deduced that the visit had to do with the unending insecurity in the region especially the abduction of hundreds of young girls from their school in Chibok, Borno State.

Somewhere along the line, the media claiming to have stumbled on the so called secret address of the leader of the delegation let the cat out of the bag. According to the report, the delegation allegedly described as callous, government’s handling of the security challenge. This rather sharp criticism should ordinarily not have been seen as enemy action but in Nigeria such postures are so seen. Others that may be sim ilarly indicted would include Senator Ahmed Zannah who told the international media during the week that government did nothing about the information he personally gave on the movements of the Chibok abductors.

The same fate awaits another law maker, Abdulrahman Terah who similarly blamed government for the death of over 200 citizens in Gamboru village last Monday.

When added to protests in different parts of the country demanding better efforts to rescue the abducted girls, it becomes clear that there is anger in the land. Rather than appreciating the reactions to the precarious development, the ‘friends’ of Jonathan would hold on to the usual theory of describing the protesters as sympathizers, fronts and agents of the opposition political parties. In earnest though, a real friend of the President would have spent quality time helping him to aggregate the bitterness of people especially as visibly displayed on the social media.

If Jonathan is not too sure of his enemies, the first to qualify are those who prodded him to attend the Kano rally hours after visiting victims of the first Nyanya bomb blast. The President as we saw on television at the location of the blast was naturally shaken and transparently sobre

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A little effort to check out the critics would have also revealed the hollowness of the agency theory otherwise distinguished statesmen like Kofi Anan; former Secretary General of the United Nations would be ridiculously indicted. Anan had told the BBC that Africa’s response to Chibok was slow just as he expected the Nigeria Government to “have shared a bit more with its own population”.

Anan and many other critics are in reality not the enemies of our President; his real enemies are members of the highly placed “Praise Singers of Aso Villa” who tell the President what they think would please him.

They deprive him of knowing the reality on the ground as they shield him from several dimensions of a subject. This powerful association has a few notorious permanent members who are always around either promoting issues like the third term agenda during the Obasanjo administration or preventing the President from interfacing with his Vice during the era of the late President Yar ’Adua. Painfully, those in the group seem to believe that any planned government event is immutable. It cannot even be shifted to a more auspicious time.

To them, shelving an event in honour of people’s sensitivity is a sign of weakness.

As a result, rescheduling the recently held World Economic Forum would in their view mean that Boko Haram was winning the terror war in Nigeria. So the conference was held and it was reportedly well attended ostensibly making Abuja the Davos of Africa.

But anyone who cared to monitor any international media network would have seen that the item which dominated the world was the slogan-“Bring back our girls”-a slogan also publicly displayed by the American first lady herself.

Whereas to use the international nature of the forum to justify the need to go on with it is tolerable, there are

former Governor Ibrahim Shekarau, declared for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

If Jonathan is not too sure of his enemies, the first to qualify are those who prodded him to attend the Kano rally hours after visiting victims of the first Nyanya bomb blast. The President as we saw on television at the location of the blast was naturally shaken and transparently sobre. He should have been allowed to consummate his mourning. Knowing fully well that a rally in Nigeria usually takes the format of dancing and rejoicing, rather than political education, the President’s handlers owe him ample apologies for the height of their indiscretion. But for their undue pressure, it is unlikely that Jonathan would have allowed himself to be transformed overnight from mourning to rejoicing.

Worse still, the President was at the end of the day, the only one put under intense criticism for the event. In any case, did Shekarau decamp to the PDP because some new political philosophies suddenly emerged that made him and the PDP compatible? If not, was it expedient for the President to attend the rally and personally receive what one analyst described as an artificial decampee?

Our premise is that it is time for President Jonathan to rid himself of mercenaries purporting to be his supporters.

Luckily, the new posture of securing the assistance of the United States, Britain, France and China is mitigating the hitherto adverse public opinion on the vexed issue of security. This is because the President is beginning to convince some people that ‘bringing back our girls’ which is natu rally the nation’s current priority will be so handled from now on. This will be hard to achieve if the President is not circumspect.

Page 12, SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014

•A vehicle attacked by a mob over new robbery tactic.

The other members of the gang escaped leaving the driver to his fate.

The shouts for help by the woman drew the attention of passersby who pounced on the driver and subjected him to serious beating.

He was lynched by a mob.

In another experience, one Mr Joseph Fernadez said he boarded a green taxi around 7 o’clock on a Monday night, on his way to Dutse. According to him, as he was about to enter, the taxi man switched on the inner light.

He said when they got to a deserted road somewhere in Galadima, suddenly, there was a high volume of music inside the car, and, before he knew it, someone came from the back seat and put a knife to his neck threatening to waste him if he made any noise. He was robbed of his wrist watch, phones and documents.

They then threw him out of the vehicle.

He recalled that there was nobody at the back seat when the taxi man switched on the inner light and thus concluded that the man that attacked him definitely emerged from the boot.

“I guess Abuja green taxi booths are linked to the back seat”, he said.

Mr Bernard Eneki, Treasurer of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, in Jikwoyi/Karshi Park at Nyanya, told Sunday Vanguard, in an interview, that the union impound vehicles that load in unauthorized areas without entering the park because most of those that engage in criminal activities do not enter the park; they drive pass to pick passengers on the road.

On what the union is doing about the ‘One Chance’ menace, he said, “We have our Marshals that load vehicles to various routes, like this one you see here is loading to Karshi and we know all our members here.

“If a passenger forgets any property like phone in the vehicle he or she can come to the park and tell us where he or she boarded the vehicle, from, and we will trace the number because all the vehicles loading from here to Karshi have specific numbers, so if you misplace anything in any of the vehicles we will located the vehicle and return your property to you”.

At Wuse/Berger Park, Mr Akande Sunday, a member of the Union of Painted Abuja Taxi, PAT, said painted taxis belong to a number of unions, aside the national union, NURTW, while he explained the colour type at the top of the taxi clearly states which union a taxi belongs to.

“You can differentiate the taxis with the colour on the top of the taxi to know which company a taxi is registered involved a middle-aged woman who under. For instance, mine is painted blue came out from a bank along Ahmadu which is under PAT and this other one Bello Way, Garki after withdrawing (pointing to another taxi), you can see money. She boarded an unpainted is painted orange which is under Volkswagen Golf cab unknowing NURTW”, he said. that four other passengers already “Majority of the robberies that are seated in the cab were members of being carried out by cabs are mainly by the driver ’s gang. Luck, however, unpainted vehicles because there is ran out on the driver and his gang nothing to identify them. For example, when a taxi sighted the Volkswagen private vehicles are into the business of car and discreetly followed the cab carrying passengers; if such operators behind having sensed that the commit crimes, they go scout free mission of the four men in the cab because no one can really identify or when they picked up the victim was trace them”. suspicious.

In an interview with the FCT Police While the criminal and his gang Public Relations Officer, Hyelhira were busy robbing their victim, the Daniel, on what the police were doing taxi driver behind rammed his car to curb ‘One Chance’, she said they into theirs thereby forcing them to were sensitizing FCT residents on the stop. That was after they had need to be vigilant, careful and avoid snatched N57,000 cash from the unpainted taxis. woman’s handbag.

One Chance robbers hit Abuja!

R

OBBERS in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) now use taxis to dispossess passengers of their money and other valuables.

In fact, the activities of the robbers who pretend to be cab drivers in the city centre are assuming a frightening dimension.

The robbers operate mostly at night.

They operate by carrying a passenger and driving to a lonely road. Then another member of the gang hiding inside the boot of the car comes out from behind the passenger’s seat and points a sharp object to the passenger’s head or neck. The driver and his cohort will then snatch the belongings of the passenger and push him out of the moving vehicle leaving him with serious injuries.

There are two kinds of taxis that ply Abuja roads. The first is charter which picks a single passenger a group to a destination without stopping to pick any more passengers and these are the regular ones that carry a maximum of five passengers usually at a park or bus stop. The second kind of taxis stop and pick passengers intermittently along the way at various bus stops.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that the new robbery tactic in Abuja, called ‘One Chance’, started with unpainted taxis but now, the painted green and white taxis have joined in the nefarious act. Residents say they are

no longer safe and it is really disturbing because it keeps happening everyday. Many of those who have been attacked are women.

The ugly development has brought safety and security issues to the front burner amongst Abuja residents.

This reporter was waiting for a taxi at Area 3 and standing beside her was a woman who waved down a taxi. Immediately the green and white taxi got to her, the fat woman demanded in Pidgin English, ‘Open your boot make l see wetin dey inside’. I promptly drew the woman’s attention before the taxi could zoom off to explain her action and, as if she was waiting to spit it out, she narrated, “My dear, my eye don see something with these taxis in Abuja.

Just last week, I boarded a taxi from Berger where I have a shop to go to my house in Gwarinpa. I observed that the driver took me through an unfamiliar route; it didn’t occur to me that he had a bad motive because I thought he was avoiding traffic only for him to stop on a lonely road not far from Gwarinpa and said he wanted to take a tool in the boot to check a fault in the cab. Before I could say driver ‘hurry up’, he came into the cab with one other man from God knows where who pointed a dagger at me, dispossessed me of my bag and everything I had in it, then they threw me out of the cab and zoomed off. It was terrible”.

Another ‘One Chance’ incident

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BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

Majority of the robberies that are being carried out by cabs are mainly by unpainted vehicles because there is nothing to identify them

,,

SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014, PAGE 13

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Our case against immunity for president, govs – Bode George

By LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU

C

hief Olabode Ibiyinka George, a former National Vice-Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), South-West, is a member of the Committee on Politics and Governance at the ongoing National Conference in Abuja. In this interview, he speaks on why the conference committee is disposed to stripping the president and governors of immunity from prosecution while in office. Excerpts: There were discordant tunes on whether the National Conference would eventually hold when the idea was mooted, but now it is here. Do you think there was justification for the controversy?

People didn’t think it would fly.

But we are all wiser and much calmer. And I believe this time, we are genuinely and honestly addressing ourselves. We’ve had a few experiences; in 1946, the constitutional conference was handled by the British. The one in 1954 was also handed by the British. The subsequent ones were handled by the military and I believe that we are much wiser than before. I don’t agree with those who say we don’t have a Constitution because the one that is operating came from the military and not the people. At least we have a Constitution. If we are going to make amendments or suggestions or talk as Nigerians, I am enjoying it. I have listened to a lot of comments from so many people. But the point is that people now know that there can’t be winner takes all. As brothers and sisters, there should be no fixation, no preconceived ideas. The debate is very robust now, genuine and honest and, with the experiences we had in the past, everybody realizes the indivisibility of this country. We are talking seriously as brothers. It gladdens my mind and I am happy to be part of this.

The first few days of the conference appeared like the delegates would have said “to your tents o Israel...”

It was a turbulent period. The first day when the speech of Mr. President was being discussed, people were saying 75 percent, consensus, others came up with two third majority; that’s the situation everywhere in the world.

I think it was going to tear the conference apart; people were all entrenched in their very deep trenches, ready to shoot. But we later realized it is better to jawjaw than to war-war. A professor of mathematics from the North came up with the idea that we should adopt a mid course and that sent a lot of signal into those who came with fixed ideas that, in this scenario, you can’t win it all. You must shift from your position in the interest of the future of the children of this country.

And since that was settled, it became clear to everybody that this is the first time we are having a C M Y K

Chief Olabode George serious, honest national discourse. From that time, people try to achieve consensus. I don’t think we have even gotten to the point where we say, ‘let’s go into division’. We would convince ourselves after robust, passionate debate. People talk about the passion from their local areas and others become reasonable and say, ‘Ok, on this note, we will able to convince our people. You have shifted a bit, we will also shift a bit’. That is the spirit we have been trying to imbibe since 1914.

Many issues have continued to come up from the committees. Do you see the conference agreeing to of all that?

On our side, we looked at Section 308 of the Constitution on immunity clause that guarantees that anybody in office, if he has a case before, once he gets into office, cannot be prosecuted for criminal and civil cases. The debate was quite interesting. It was robust. People went into memory lane. People looked at the environment because we have experiences of the nuisance that we have witnessed. People have become weary to say, ‘listen, why should Mr. A be a different Nigerian before the law?’

Human rights imply that everybody is equal before the law and once you come to us to ask us to vote for you, you are telling us ‘trust me to manage the resources of this country for our benefit’. If that is the case, you cannot say you are now above the law; anybody who is coming to equity must come with clean

But at the end of the debate, even those who had written copiously on the issue of retaining that particular clause yielded hands. Some people said to avoid frivolous cases, let us differentiate between criminal offences and civil cases. We said no. We were all convinced. We didn’t go into division. At the end, the memo that was presented was to say, ‘Ok, let’s just expunge the criminal part of it, if you commit a criminal offence.

Whether you are the president or a governor, you should be charged. We even said there should criminal libel in own statute like they do in America.

But at the end of the debate, even those who had written copiously on the issue of retaining that particular clause yielded. They were convinced by better argument and that is the spirit. What we are saying is let us have a society where we would discuss and debate. Let the better position be.

Even if you have issues that you think that on your tribal basis could be affecting you, explain the pains to other Nigerians and we will support you; that is the essence of democracy; the essence of being able to live together under one roof which is Nigeria.

Local government system has finally been expunged as part of the federating units by your committee. What informed that

position?

I subscribe completely to the fact that it should never be part.

The states should decide the local governments they want. The local government should never be part of the parameters at the national level for consideration in the disbursement of national revenue. Let the states decide. If they want to have one million local governments, that is their business. We look at them as an entity. We look at the population.

Whatever is their due would be given to them. I subscribe to that and the day it will come to plenary session, I will support and vote for it.

Resource control is yet another issue. It has been so contentious that northern delegates are asking for a reduction from the current 13 percent to five percent.

I think that will be turning the hand of the clock backwards. I don’t think that should be the spirit we are looking at. There are many states which have minerals that are being tapped.

Let’s also have a go at that so that they can have more revenue. By the time we listen to the committee on devolution of powers, I think this particular area will be quite interesting. I

have my preconceived belief on this issue. But I want to listen to their suggestion and then make up my mind. But to say we will reduce it, I will not support that.

Another issue is the type of government suitable for Nigeria. Many people want us to do away with the presidential system and the committee responsible for that has presented what it called a modified presidential system. What do you think?

I want to draw our minds to our natural environment, the culture in Africa. A British man with his parliamentary system follows his culture. When you watch the Prime Minister’s question and answer time in England, the leader of the opposition will get up and say, Mr. Speaker, the Right Honourable Prime Minister has just goofed, he is not telling the truth. I don’t think he is familiar with the truth, and he shouldn’t be silly’. It is their language. You hear them in their natural language. They don’t get offended. They tolerate the brickbats and all of that, it is natural because that is the way they grow up. But in an African setting, for a younger person to tell an old man, ‘don’t be silly’, is an insult. It is not acceptable.

So, the level of tolerance here is so different and because we don’t talk in our language, if it was in our language that we talk, maybe you will weave in the cultural aspects of addressing the older person rather than speaking in English. So, if you look at it purely on that, that is one major area where I do not support the parliamentary system. It doesn’t make sense to me as an African to have a divided alleyway. You cross the line and you are talking, arguing. It is not in our system. Secondly, before the incursion of the Europeans into our own system, we had a system of government where in every community, you have a leader whether you call him Oba, Obi, Amaghinabo or an Emir or Sultan, there is somebody you call the first among equals. And in his palace, he will have leaders, representing each family in that community as his advisers. That is our natural way of governing which is akin to the presidential system. You don’t have a set of people on one side and another on the other side arguing. They will call you to the palace to defend yourself and of course you know the kind of language to use. If you use the language that is not palatable, that is not culturally acceptable in that community, they banish you. So, the natural environment for the presidential system is Africa.

One of the reasons the parliamentary system failed here was the level of intolerance. But in the presidential system, the president contests and gets the mandate of everybody who wants to vote and we say, yes, ‘ we accept you to be the leader of our nation’. People said it is expensive to run. Why is it expensive? We put a lot of premium on salaries and the number of the constituencies. We can increase and also decrease the number of the constituencies and merge some. It is within our purview and when this thing is based on population, not on local government, then

Continues on page 15

PAGE 14—SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014

INTRIGUING EXPERIENCES

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

S

enator Victor Ndoma-Egba is the Senate Leader. He repre sents the Cross River Central Senatorial District and served as Commissioner in the state at the age of 23 immediately after his NYSC. In this interview, Ndoma-Egba says he is a traditional person when food is concerned. He also speaks on the on-going National Conference, the botched proposal to constitutionally empower the President to initiate amendment of Constitution and other issues.

Excerpts: How do you as the Senate Leader combine parliamentary work and family life?

My work ends in the office. When I finish for the day, no matter how late, the work ends; when I get home, the period I am at home is for my family.

How do you re-wind?

I am an avid lawn tennis player. I play tennis as often as I can. I am a veracious reader. I was brought up to read ten pages of anything every day, that was the tradition at home, you must read something, no matter what it is, ten pages minimum and I am fascinated by books because they contain ideas, as you read you are forever learning.

It is lawn tennis and reading most of the time and music.

How much time do you devote to your family?

As much time that I can afford and don’t forget that I am a home person, not the kind of person you find in night club or parties. If I am not in the office, I am at home except I go to play tennis or I go to church.

What kind of food do you like to eat?

I eat pounded yam everyday of the week except Sundays. I take rest from pounded yam on Sundays. When it comes to food, I am a very traditional person, I eat traditional Nigerian foods.

INSIDE THE HOME OF THE SENA TE LEADER SENATE

What kind of drink, wine, alcohol do you like to take?

I have an eye for Cognac and occasionally beer.

Recently, the Senate Committee on Constitution Review came up with the proposal that the President should be constitutionally empowered to initiate the process of constitutional amendment and, in what looked like a somersault, the committee struck out the proposal. Do you think the proposal was necessary?

Let me start by saying Nigerians have all questioned the origin of the 1999 Constitution, they say its origin is suspect or dubious because it claims that we the people met to give ourselves that Constitution. Nobody appears to recall when the Nigerian people met to give themselves the Constitution, they say that it is a military position. But we seem to have ratified the Constitution by our conduct, by accepting elections held under it, by accepting the authority of those elected under the constitution by accepting the judgements of courts created under the Constitution, by observing the laws passed, by the parliament created by that Constitution, by submitting to the authorities of all the institutions and powers created by that Constitution; so we cannot continue to go back to question its origin.

But that is not to say the clamour for a new constitution given to the country by the people themselves has abated.

That clamour has been there and manifested the in calls for a sovereign national conference. While I don’t oppose any opportunity to speak, I have a C M Y K

I am a traditional person — Ndoma Egba

*’Why Nigeria cannot have new Constitution’

I am a home person, not the kind of person you find in night club or parties. If I am not in the office, I am at home except I go to play tennis or I go to church very strong reservation about the labelling of that opportunity sovereign. Yes, sovereignty belongs to the Nigerian people, but the sovereignty has been expressed in our constitution.

So what will now make the conference sovereign? What will be the attributes of this sovereignty? All the arguments are headed in one direction and that is to provide the basis for the Nigerian people giving themselves a new constitution.

Now, the parliament out of the three arms of government is the most sensitive to public opinion because we are the one in constant touch with our people and we were elected directly by the people. So we started considering the clamour for a new Constitution or at worst to begin to look at the possibilities

that some day it might come to a point where a new constitution might be necessary so why don’t we prepare for that eventuality because the current Constitution does not make any provision for a new constitution; it makes provision for amendment. As far back as August last year when I represented the Senate President at the NBA conference in Calabar, he said the Senate was contemplating an amendment to the 1999 Constitution to introduce provisions for the making of a new constitution. But the suspicion that that proposal has anything to do with the National Conference is unfounded because, at that time, nobody was contemplating the conference.

Up till now the Senate has not passed the PIB. What is

responsible for the delay and when is it going to be passed?

You will recall that the bill was listed some weeks ago, but the chairman of the Joint Committee on Petroleum, Gas, Finance and Judiciary looking into it, Senator Paulker, said they were still trying to dot the i’s and cross the t’s. It is a very technical bill, I must concede that point; that is why the referral to the joint committee. You have the physical issues that relate to the revenue of the federation; that is why the Committee on Finance is there. You also have issues relating to gas; that is why the Committee on Gas is there and then of course you have the legal terms of the bill. So you have to marry the disparate components of the bill and weld it into one sensible legislation that is satisfactory to very keen stakeholders in the industry because every player in that industry has a very clear perception of what the bill should be like. It is a bill that is important but requires utmost care in passing.

There is the allegation that some oil companies who don’t feel comfortable with the bill tried to influence some members of the National Assembly, and that that is why the bill is being delayed.

You will hear all sorts of gossips; you will hear even the most

outrageous thing about us on bills. I am in the leadership of the Senate and I don’t recall anybody talking to me about it, so I don’t know who they tried to influence.

Some senators have come out in the open to criticize the National Conference. Some said they don’t believe in it; others believe the country does not need it. What is your position?

Do you think the country needs the conference?

Nigerians have clamoured for an opportunity to discuss the terms of our federalism, our history, our present and our future.

Now the Constitution guarantees freedom of association, the Constitution also guarantees freedom of speech, so in exercising these two freedoms, the conference has been put together by Mr. President to advise him on the way forward for Nigeria. The conference will submit its report to its principal and the principal will now decide what to do with the report.

But as for whether or not Nigerians must meet and discuss I think we should encourage every opportunity for Nigerians to meet whether it is a formal opportunity or an informal opportunity as long as the association or the meeting is legitimate and is discussing national interest.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014, PAGE 15

INTRIGUING EXPERIENCES

... Not fulfilled inspite of N7billion projects

*One of Ndoma-Egba’s projects

BY EMMANUEL UNA

S

ENATOR Victor Ndoma Egba, Senate Leader, unveiled the projects facilitated by him to the six local government areas that constitute his Central Senatorial District of Cross River State..The tour of the projects silenced his critics who claimed he has done little or nothing to improve the lives of his constituents, The tour lasted five days.He was joined by his supporters as he went round Yakkur,

Abi, Obubra, Ikom Boki and Etung local government areas.

Beginning from Idomi in Yakkur Local Government Area, located a few kilomretres away from the Ugep –Calabar highway, the Senate Leader inspected a water project worth N99 million. Also in Yakkur, at the Ugep Community Secondary School is a library complex which has been put to use since 2012 and has sitting capacity for 70 students.

At Mkpani, five projects are going on to meet the water needs of

the people. Pipes are to be laid across the community to take the water to every household.

Speaking at the Mkpani water project site, Ndoma-Egba said he is passionate about providing potable water for the people because clean water helps to improve the health of the people.In Abi, the home local government of Liyel Imoke, the Senate Leader inspected six projects including the N89 million 1.45 kilometre Usumutong drainage and erosion control site with plans to asphalt and extend the project to cover the entire community. In Ebo, the N35million water project there has been completed and is supplying potable water to the over three thousand inhabitants while in Ediba, a component of the erosion control at Usmutong is in progress and is expected to channel water from the water logged portions of the riverine community to the Ediba river .

In Ikom, is located the 200-bed Specialist Hospital being built at a cost of 1.2 billion naira.

The project is one of the six sited in each of the six geopolitical zones of the country. It is 60 percent completed. The Edor water project lifts treated water from the Cross River through a 28kilometre distance with high lift pumps and delivers to over eight communities of Adun, Ntansele, Njimeto, Edor Army Barracks and Edor itself. Fitted with a 22 000 cubic metres storage capacity, and costing the Federal Government 457 million naira, the project is a standard water

scheme found in any part of the world. The tour took the Senate Leader and his team to Obubra where the Apiapum Water and Erosion Control project is sited, four classroom block at Yala Nkum Primary School and the Iyamoyong road project.In Boki, one of the largest local government areas in the state which borders Cameroon, is located an irrigation project, one of the biggest in the country. According to Ndoma Egba, the project was sited in the area out of the agrarian nature of the people The irrigation project, he said, has a dam and flood control component with capacity for 4.2 million cubic water annually. Costing the Federal Government N747.999 million, the construction of the inlet and outlet structure along with the intake tower are in rapid progress and it is expected that the target completion period of 2014 would be met. In cocoa producing Etung Local Government Area, the Senate Leader attracted a water channelisation project for the Etomi Bendeghe Ekiem and Ajassor villages. The Tran African highway which passes through Enugu- Abakaliki – Mbuk – Mfum road terminates there. The road project completed in 2013, has significantly affected several communities along the 240 kilometres stretch. Explaining the benefits accruable to the people from the road, NdomaEgba said apart from affording the pleasure of a smooth drive, the economic fortunes of the people in the northern and central part of the state have significantly been

transformed as they can easily transport their economic crops to the several markets in the area.. To contribute to the schools he graduated from, the University of Lagos and the University of Calabar, he attracted three storey edifices to serve as law faculties for the two schools. At a cost of N359 million, the project in the University of Calabar where the Senate Leader did his L LM, 70 percent of the work has been done.

Speaking on the projects, The Senate Leader said outside the Trans Africa highway, the AjassorOkoroba- road projects, he has in the past twelve years attracted over N7billion projects to the state. “These projects will touch the lives of the people whether they are farmer, fishermen, civil servants or businessmen. Inspite of all these, I will be fulfilled when the dream of attracting a tertiary institution to the Central Senatorial District is accomplished”, he stated.Baring his mind on the projects, one of Ndoma-Egba’s supporters, Hon Jones Tangban , an erstwhile member of the House of Representatives and the Director General of Victory Chapter 4, said: “In the past, Senator NdomaEgba has been acting in accordance with the injunction of the Bible in Matthew Chapter 6 which says what your right hand does, let your left hand not know, but so long with that injunction now. He is moving to Matthew chapter 28 verse 18 where Jesus enjoined his disciples to go and tell the world about him.”

‘Our case against immunity for president, govs’ Continued from page 13 we have to redo delineation for the constituencies because you are representing the people, not land. If you are representing the people, the population of this country is known, not land mass.

The people are to be represented and so representation at the national level would be the same.

The Senate is on equal basis.

Three per state; no matter how small your state is, you get it.

That is what obtains in America.

They don’t look at the number of local governments or municipalities that you have. The number of population determines how many representatives you will have. So, let us come back and do it the way civilized people do it so that there is no cheating. If you are coming to equity, come with clean hands. Let’s us all be fair to ourselves. Let us be equitable in the distribution of resources. There wouldn’t be any fight.

Do you see this conference solving many of Nigeria’s problems?

The hood doesn’t make the monk. But at least the hood shows that you are still a monk.

Now, when we get to this point

that this will be the guiding principles, the laws by which we will exist and co-live as Nigerians, that’s the starting point. But because it is not a Sovereign National Conference, it will be subjected to the National Assembly because a lot of people don’t even understand the difference.

I have heard many people talk that once we finish here, the president will just sign it and we have a new Constitution. It doesn’t work like that. It is not a Sovereign National Conference where the nation probably has collapsed and we are going to redraft the Constitution. This is a National Conference meaning a time to talk, a time for stock taking, a time to look at the way we have co-existed, a time to look at ourselves and find out why are we not where we should be? This is a talk shop. It is nothing more than that. But out of that talk shop, facts have come out, suggestions have come out about how we can live as Nigerians and no body will be left behind. People now are saying that even the educational curricula is not as it should be. Why should this nation not teach history. Who took that decision for God’s sake? How can you not know where you are coming from?

Chief Olabode George Where would you know where you are going? Those are issues that have come up. The issue of indegeneship and non-indegeneship, the issue of land tenure, the issue of immunity clause in our statute book; those are serious issues. But by the time we finish,

some people are saying that we should go for referendum. If you go for referendum, it is either yes or no. How are you going to capture all the issues? But I believe that by the time we finish, whatever decisions we arrive at would still be a book and in that book, there will be some parts of

it that will go as policies to be executed by government. There are some that would be legal in outlook which would go to the National Assembly for the lawmakers to look at them passionately and see this is good thinking.

What do you think about state police?

I will never ever support state police. The police in the hands of some of these governors? I take myself as an example. I was hounded, maltreated, convolutedly conspired against by the state; my state sent me to jail for doing nothing and you are now talking about state police? In the past when I was growing up, we had Native Authority Police. We knew what they did to the political class. We are not yet mature enough to that level (of having state police). Right now, the governor is the chief security officer of the state; if you step out of line, they can come and mark your house for demolition. Thank God they need to get the support of the federal police to do it with court order. Otherwise, many people will be in jail because they may have opposed the governors on policy matters. State police? Not in my generation.

C M Y K

PAGE 16 , SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014

DELE SOBOWALE @ 70 ‘I was detained seven times by the military’ *Says he foresaw capital market crash ECONOMIST, newspaper columnist and public affairs commentator, Dr. Dele Sobowale, was 70 years old last Thursday.

Sometimes pugnacious, Sobowale is, however, almost always persuasive in his writings on politics, the economy and current affairs.

Ahead of his 70th birthday, he sat down to talk on the lessons of life in a session with Sunday Vanguard.

Excerpts:

WHAT has life taught you at 70? ife has taught me several things. As you are aware, I compiled the Van guard Book of Quotations. Before compiling the book, I had to read about 6,000 books. I read documentaries, manuscripts among others. It took me almost 14 years before the book came out. The first thing is that no matter how long you live in this world, you can’t know everything. And you don’t know much of everything. In fact your knowledge is limited. Having that feeling that knowledge is limited should make everyone to always read more and learn more. No matter how much you try, you can never know enough. One should have basic principles that he should be known for, so that, at any point in time, people who know you can vouch for you in your absence or presence. Though establishing that pattern of life takes a lot of time. Either way, one must be consistent in his principles and he must live them. The matter of not taking people at face value is also among the things life has taught me, especially politicians. It does not only apply to Nigerian politicians. It applies to politicians everywhere. Most politicians are not in politics for public service. They are there because of their interests. They are the same all over the world. It is advisable to take everything that a politician tells you with a pinch of salt. Sometimes what they tell you they are going to do is not what they will eventually do. All my life I have always taken public servants and politicians with a pinch of salt, no matter who they are.

The re-basing of Nigeria’s economy put it that Nigeria has the biggest economy in Africa. Is it reflective of the situation in the country?

Re-basing of the economy is something that should have been done a long time ago. Re-basing is something that should be done every five years. The one before the recent one was done in 1975. If it had

L

been done every five years, we would have established that our economy had overtaken that of South Africa long before now. It is the sudden jump that made people to disbelieve it. What it did not do for the Nigerian economy is that it did not make individuals richer. It did not make Nigeria richer than it was intrinsically. The reason is that, in the past, we did not bring in most of our economic activities into our GDP calculations. We do a lot of things in Nigeria which are not done elsewhere. We have a very large invisible trade, which includes prostitution, street trading, drug trafficking. These people make a lot of money. The public officers, who collect bribe, actually collect money that is not declared. We have things like large subsistence farmers, whose consumables were not previously counted as part of our GDP. What it has done for us is that it showed that oil is not necessarily the largest part of our economy. It showed that if only we concentrate in de-

,,

BY DAPO AKINREFON, CHARLES KUMOLU & GBENGA OKE

I inherited children from six families. At the age of 46, I had 37 children to bring up, but that was not my fault. Today, I have, at least, 27 graduates out of all those kids

veloping other aspects of our economy, we will even be much richer than half a trillion. We failed to do that because we are all worshipping oil. We could be better than we are but we are not getting there. I can’t see anything that is being done at the moment to actually move us in the direction that we should be moving.

You write authoritatively on economics and politics. We will like to know how a marketer like you became a celebrated public commentator?

I invited myself into Vanguard. In 1985 and !986, I was receiving all the papers as a marketing manager. I discovered in the business pages that much was not being done. So, I wrote to the editor of Vanguard then and told him that enough was not being done on the business pages.

•Dele Sobowale I later got a letter from him telling me to write three articles. I wrote the articles and forgot about them. After a while, I was called by a friend who told me he read my articles in Vanguard. That same day, Vanguard correspondent in Kano came to tell me that his editor said I should write more articles. I had to write more that I sent to Lagos. I was doing that without knowing where Vanguard was. I did not also know that people were being paid for writing articles. One day I came to Lagos and decided to come to Vanguard office. I met the editor and the publisher differently. Uncle Sam (the publisher) asked why I had been writing for three years without bothering to collect my money. He said cheques were being raised and cancelled. That was how I became part of the Vanguard family after which I later took up appointment in the company.

At 70, when you look back, do you think there were things you would have done differently?

If I knew then when I was growing up what I know now, I would have read history.

Why? If people do not know what happened in the past, they stumble around in the present and are likely to miss their way in the future. Even on my Sunday Vanguard pages, I dwell on things that are economic. For instance, last November, I predicted on the pages of Sunday Vanguard that the capital market was going to experience a crash, it started happening soon thereafter. This will be the third time that I have predicted that the capital market will suffer a loss. Again, why? It is because there are historical precedents to what happens.

When certain things happen, government takes measures that almost invari-

ably will lead to the crash of the capital market. So, when those government policies start changing, I start to look at the trend. Where would this lead us? Invariably, where it will lead us is that the stock market will crash. Some investors will simply take their money out of the market, companies will start to perform badly and once the results come out and the performance is not so good, then the share prices will start falling.

History, allied with economics, enables you to be able to predict certain things that will happen in the future. So, if I had my way, I would have read history; secondly, if the media could be so exciting and powerful, I would have joined early.

I think I started too late.

Does it form part of your regrets at 70?

Yes, because I should have started early and retired early (laughs). But that is the main thing. The other thing I think I would regret most is that I was in Sokoto State until 1990 where I had a rice mill and I was the General Manger of one of the largest rice milling companies. I went into it because the Babangida administration said it was going to ban rice importation.

When I was still grappling with that one, the head of our family died. I had to abandon my rice investment in Sokoto State and came to Lagos as the head of the Sobowale family.

In 1990, I was the only Sobowale of my generation left; infact, I was the head of the family at the age of 46. Nobody was older than myself; I inherited children from six families. At the age of 46, I had 37 children to bring up, but that was not my fault. Today, I have, at least, 27 graduates out of all those kids.

•To be continued next week

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 11, 2014, PAGE 17

Artistes join the crusade for the Chibok 234 S

bb pin: 75E17ABC

This is war! -

Omotola fires N

ince the terrorist group known as Boko Haram stole into Chibok Girls Secondary School, Borno State, Northeast Nigeria, abducting some 234 girls into an unknown location some four weeks ago, the world has been aghast by the development, especially by the Nigeria’s government’s inability to find and return the girls to their parents. This sparked a worldwide campaign tagged “Bring Back Our Girls” which has spread to every facet of the society. The Nigeria’s entertainment community is not left out of the campaign as many top entertainers joined the campaign. Here are some of the passionate ones.

ollywood superstar and mother of four, Omotola Jalade-Ekeine is not exactly a very active person on the social media, particularly the Instagram even when she has hit over one million likes on her Facebook page. The actress, admitted last week she has not been doing much on her Instagram and promised fans to get more involved.

One of her posts since she revived her account was on the ongoing “Bring Back Our Girls” crusade which is trending like wildfire across the social media. In her usual stern manner, Omotola showed how angry she is with the government’s inability to find the over-200 Chibok girls who were abducted by Boko Haram terrorists some weeks ago.

“Good morning friends. I woke up with so much on my mind. Where do I start, there is so much they are not telling you. So much politicking with people’s lives and destinies.

What a wicked world. There is no more time for fake “I belong” behaviours. This is war!

War on our freedom and sanity.

Now is the time to think selfless and act. We are not fighting aliens, humanity is at war with itself! Power, money, fame… Greed. If you won’t fight for yourself, fight for your loved ones!” she broadcasts.

•Omotola •Mercy Johnson

Take this pain away from our hearts

Injustice to one is injustice to all — Mercy Johnson

— Kate Henshaw

eports abound that Nollywood top act, Mercy Johnson, who is heavily pregnant with her second child has been refusing scripts because of R her state. As a mother of one, expecting another, it isn’t out of place to

M

iss Nigeria’s Got Talent, Kate Henshaw is a woman with a big heart. We have seen her taking the soft path rather than the hard one too many times to expect Kate to meet fire for fire. Like her colleagues, Kate joined the fight against Boko Haram last week and implored the government to do anything in its capacity to return the abducted Chibok girls to their parents.

Rather than showing anger and disgust as many have done, Kate’s expression came in form of prayer and it was with God, it seemed, Kate has business.

“God I know you are listening.

You said suffer the little children to come unto me, for theirs is the Kingdom of God. You also said if one strand of their hair is harmed, your wrath will fall.You know the beginning from the end.. You are the only wise God! It could have been my daughter... I know you hear me! Put the enemies to shame as usual! Take this pain away from our hearts! I know you hear me.Thank You.. Amen!” she posted on Instagram C M Y K

•Kate Henshaw

expect the actress to be so laden with emotion as she poured out her heart, concerning the plight of the abducted Chibok girls. Her message was lengthy, emotional and somewhat stirring. Hear her: “Sometimes, our realities remind us of the pain of others. My reality as a mother is that I get to see my daughter every day, while the reality of the mothers of the kidnapped 234 or so Chibok girls is that they don’t even know where their daughters are. I looked at my daughter and tears came to my eyes that some mothers have the privileges of seeing their kids on a daily basis while the mothers of the kidnapped girls can only console themselves with memories All well-meaning Nigerians must come together and help these mothers who have been in pain for more than three weeks and make the memory a reality — the reality of seeing their children again. Let us not for once think that the evil-doers who turn the realities of these mothers to memories cannot do the same to us if they have the opportunities.

This is not a war against select group of people; it is a war against all well-meaning mothers in Nigeria as injustice to one is injustice to all. Let the mothers rise, the men who love them should stand by their right hand and the children who adore them on their left and do all we can in our spheres of influence to ensure that the children come back home safe so that the mothers can smile again.

Can you pray? Increase the tempo of your prayers. Can you fast? Add extra days to it. If what you can do is protest, please do; perhaps you are a soldier and can go to the war front please do not sit still. You are a politician or a voice that Boko Haram can listen to, please speak. We need the girls back!!! They are innocent, they have their future ahead of them, please do not cut it short. I dare say some of them will end up being the solution we desire to restore the lost and battered glory of this nation. Please don’t kill or damage the future all in the name of militancy.

PAGE 18 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 11, 2014

Children are not to settle scores or fight wars

•Ibinabo Fiberesima

— Ibinabo Fiberesima

A

ctors Guild of Nigeria’s president, Ibinabo Fiberesima, has been under fire for sometime now for being too close to President Goodluck Jonathan’s government. While some see it as a good move to further the cause of the guild, others have been accusing her of using her closeness to the President to further her own interests.

Like her or hate her, the fair-skinned actress has never been a silent voice when it comes to matters of national interest that either affect her people or the nation at large. She joined the “Bring Back Our Girls” crusade on a rather subtle note, treading the philosophical path to appeal to the abductors of the Chibok girls.

“Children are not what people use to settle scores or fight wars. Children are gifts to humanity. They bring peace, love and calm .They are angels from God! The girl child is your mother that brought you to this world. Please in God’s name release our children. She is our mother!

Without her we don’t exist! Whoever has those children let them free them unharmed. Nigerians, let’s keep fasting and praying for our Girls” she broadcast through the Blackberry Messenger.

123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 —Genevieve Nnaji 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 ot many people who know Nollywood’s 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 leading lady, Genevieve Nnaji know she can 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 be as mean as vulnerable as she looks. She is a 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 lady of few words but the emotion running wild 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 has turned Genevieve into a talker as it seems the 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 only thing to do now is talking. Genevieve joined 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 the campaign last week, mincing no words to 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 galvanise the government and the security 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 operatives into action. “I’ve always been of the 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 belief that less words and more action speaks 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 greater volumes.

123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 But in this case of no foreseen action, I believe 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 some talking is in order. The abduction of these 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 young girls goes against everything that we as •Genevieve Nnaji 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 Africans fought for, for so many years.

123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 What we, as Nigerians have been faced with and 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 have been fighting over these past years. Not to 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 mention what we, women and mothers still fight against 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 till this very day. Kidnapping, abduction, slavery, child 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 bride and the complete disrespect and disregard for human 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 life and rights is…in my opinion, seems to be getting away here.

123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 Reports say that our babies are being shipped off to 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 neighbouring countries, distributed and married off. How could 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 this be when we have appointed men to protect us? Why are we 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 called giants if we can’t trample over ants?

123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 Enough of these setbacks!! It is time to respond and to act!!

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Wh e called Whyy are w we giants if we can’t trample on ants

N

C M Y K

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Must it be 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 ce comedian and 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 the ordinary Nigerian; who 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 United Nations 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 lives below two dollars a Millennium 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 day,that suffers for the 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 Development Goal 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 injustice of the many wrongs ambassador, Francis Agoda, 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 of our leaders? So many known by his popular name 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 questions but no true 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 ‘I Go Dye’ has always 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 answer? However, I criticised the government for 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 commend our mothers who 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 not doing enough for the 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 have taken to solidarity people, especially the 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 protest all across the country youths, whom he said the 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 that we are proud of 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 government has not carried 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 them,that God have heard along in nation-building.

12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 their cries and the lost girls 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 The outspoken humour 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 shall be home soon”. he merchant joined the crusade 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 broadcast on his Blackberry. last week, but on another 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123

Our security institutions have no ed up tto o nott liv lived expectation — I Go Dye

A

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 11, 2014, PAGE 19

Show biz is characterised by sycophants S — Ruth Kadiri

•Ruth Kadiri

ULTRY Nollywood actress, Ruth Kadiri wasn’t in the most pleasant of moods last week. Though, it isn’t clear what must have been irking the beautiful mind of the actress, but her post on Instagram hinted at a disenchanted person who seems lost in the bling-bling world of make-believe.

“Show biz is characterized by psycophants, a mark pretense embellished by gossips, lies and deceits from the very people whose calls tickle our phones...they wave like a stab! A dagger in their smile!

Enough of the crowd, The chants,the herald. From now on, friend or foe, there’s a thin line between everything” she wrote.

Now, we know Ruth doesn’t like or love anyone as much as she likes or loves herself, this much she has told us often enough. But what could have gotten the UNILAG mass communications graduate’s mind in a twist remains a mystery and she is not talking!

Davido vows to win all awards this year A

FTER clinching the ultimate prize of the African Artiste of the Year at the Ghama Music Awards last weekend, top hip-hop star, Davido has turned into a King Kong of sort, beating his chest he is going to rake in all the music awards in which he is nominated this year.

Davido took to his Instagram and Twitter handle couple of days back to brag, displaying the one he won at the Ghana Awards.

“Winner oh winner!! We worked our ass off!! GMA African Artiste Of The Year! Can’t lie I’m packing All this year , Amen!!

Oooossshhheee Fans!!!” he chanted.

Could Davido win it all this year? With Skelewu and Aye running the airwaves, the crooner may have an ace up his sleeve but is Wizkid listening? Many have said in the past that Wizkid is his worst nemesis. Just how they will play out this year should be interesting to watch!

•Davido

Mercy Aigbe goes bad?

H

OT Benin babe turned Yoruba actress, Mercy Aigbe, married to a hotelier, Lanre Gentry, has taken on different roles at different times in her inspiring career. From the stupid housegirl to the big corporate executive to a street girl, Mercy has got the knowhow to make them all come alive and look real.

We saw what she did as Osas in her comedy flick Osas. Now, Mercy is on set of a new film and what she is trying to bring to life is a female criminal character, who is into all the bad things •Mercy the people of the Aigbe underworld could get into.

C M Y K

•Biodun Okeowo with Alariwo

Biodun Okeowo rocks Alariwo in new video A

LLURING Yoruba actress, Biodun Okeowo has many aliases. Among them are Omo Butty, Her Sexcellency, Hips Don’t Lie and of course, Tolani Oshirin, a name she got from the film that brought her fame. All the names point at two things about the actresstalent and beauty.

While her latest movie Ore seems to be the main talking point about her lately, going by the fact that the movie has been rated as one of the best new films in the market, Biodun astounded her fans by posting a rather suggestive picture of herself and musician, Alariwo of Africa.

But before talks could get funny and running wild, Biodun quickly posted a comment that the picture was from a music video shoot with Alariwo.

“Happy Sunday Fam! Had to redesign this dress for Alariwo’s Video shoot...First Time as a video vixen!” she explained.

Why Aremu Afolayan may be gaining weight A

REMU Afolayan, brother of popular Nollywood actor and director, Kunle Afolayan, is beginning to find his feet in the movie industry, especially, in the Yoruba sector of the industry. Like his brothers, Kunle, and Gabriel Afolayan, now more into music than movies, has got the good looks and most Yoruba directors don’t miss the opportunity to cast him as the handsome dude who always gets the girls in the movies.

But recently, it doesn’t look like Aremu is watching those extra flabs of fat which are creeping up on him and it

appears the actor doesn’t even care as he let us into his culinary style through the Instagram last week.

He is certainly having a ball, isn’t?

PAGE 20— SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 11, 2014

still need a lot of discipline, a lot of schemes that have not been applied like distribution strategy after doing a movie.

As a producer, you should be able to get returns but I think that our distribution system here is not as strong as its supposed to be so we still need to work on that.

Why I dumped acting for movie productions

If you could change one thing in Nollywood, what would it be?

I would stop the piracy stuff. It’s killing the business. I’m talking as a producer because I’m not an artiste.

You would do your work, spend money and then you don’t make as much as you expected because little boys on the streets are pirating your movie. It’s a ripoff. It’s really painful.

– Chinney Eke

B

In terms of movie production, who is your biggest inspiration in Nollywood?

Basically, I’ve never met Emem Isong before. I’ve met her a couple of times in premieres but I don’t know her one on one but I like her spirit. I like the fact that she just gave it a try and there’s no going back for her. She’s doing it big and she’s one of the biggest Nollywood producers in Nigeria. So I saw it, I liked it and I said let me follow her trend. When I see her movies come out day in day out, month in month out, she inspires me to want to work.

BY DAMILOLA SHOLOLA

ehind every great movie is a movie producer at the background supervising and guiding the cast and crew in its creation, seeing the movie project through to its completion. Chinney Eze popularly known as Chinney Love has been credited as one of the youngest starlets to grace the Nollywood movie producing scene. Formerly an actress, the 25 year old plunged into producing with her debut movie ‘The Cartel’. The movie got a lot of buzz bagging 5 nominations at ZAFAA awards as well as 4 nominations at the Best of Nollywood Awards. It featured star Nollywood Actor Mike Ezuronye, Luclay of Big Brother Amplified to name a few. In this exclusive interview with Vanguard, she talks about her career and Nollywood.

W

hen did you start producing movies?

My first movie that I ever produced was in 2012. ‘The Cartel’. It was a cinema movie.

What other movies have you done apart from The Cartel?

I’ve done Maduka Daughters. I’ve done Sisters Quest. There’s a comedy I just did called Okrika and now, I’m working on a movie that I’m supposed to start in 3 weeks’ time but no title yet.

Why did you decide to go into movie production?

Okay, basically I started as an actress. I did a couple of movies. I think I acted over 12 movies first then I thought to myself, I’m a business person. I’m a core business person. Maybe it’s because of where I’m from, Anambra state. So I told myself, why don’t I just go into this part of management. I’ve always liked to manage, I’ve always liked to put things together.

So instead of always being in front of the camera, why don’t I just put things together since I’m good at that. So I tried it, I did my movie. It was a big movie. A movie that had cast from all over Africa when I did it, it came out big, it came out well. I loved every bit of it so I just thought that this is it. This is what I’m doing. So I quit acting How was it like working C M Y K

with the cast & crew of The Cartel?

I loved working on that set.

It was amazing. The Cartel comprised of artistes from all over Africa. I had an artiste from South Africa, from Ghana, from Tanzania then I had a star artiste from Nigeria. These people, I’m not trying to downplay our artistes here, have a kind of discipline when it comes to work ethics. They keep to the core time, there’s nothing like a celebrity thing. If you say 7am, it is 7am, it doesn’t matter how hard or late they worked the previous night. I didn’t have to start battering ‘Oh now come and shoot now’ and stuff like that. They knew their job. They knew it was work so it was quite easy for me. They knew what they came for and they did it well.

Everybody was on point I would say Your new movie is Maduka Daughters?

That’s not the latest.

Maduka daughters is already out. Maduka daughters is a family story and I had to shoot it in the east because of the kind of story I was trying to sell and it was for commercial value. So I looked at a story that would appeal to our commercial people because this Nigeria, 60% of Nigerians live below the poverty line so I just did a story that would appeal to them. Basically it’s a family story. I used artistes like

Michael Godson, he’s raving at the moment now. Artistes like Moyo Lawal, Chinyere Wilfred and Walter Anga

I’ve met Emem Isong a couple of times in premieres but I don’t know her one on one; but I like her spirit. I like the fact that she just gave it a try and there’s no going back for her now

What has been the high point of your career?

You know when you actually do work and you get appreciation for it and people are like ‘Are you the one that did this movie? I love your movie,’ it means people appreciate you. Those are the most amazing moments. When I know that I just did something that people love, that people can associate with and can’t get enough.

To me, that’s the most amazing thing ever. Doing something that appeals to the society.

How do you view Nollywood in general?

We are growing but we still have a long way to go. We

Are you currently in any relationship?

No, I’m single. Right now, I’m just facing my career What qualities do you look out for in a man?

I like guys that are very funny, I like witty guys. Great sense of humor. Aside Godfearing, a funny guy that can make me laugh and I’m fine What’s your main philosophy of life?

Be the best you can be.

Don’t let people dictate to you. Just be the best you can be. Don’t listen to people.

Don’t let negative comments bring you back. Just do what you want to do, do what make you happy and everybody else that does not like it can jump inside the river Which actor/actress are you looking forward to working with in the future?

I would love to work with Majid. I think that’s the only person I want to work with very soon What more should people expect from you?

They should just expect lots and lots of good things. All the movies I’ve done have always had positive comments, so just expect lots of good stuffs. A lot of good movies coming from me. I’ve just started and I’m going to get bigger and better.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014, PAGE 21

OSUN GUBER ELECTION

APC is known for violence

—Towobola, PDP scribe

PDP is a poisoned cup of tea —Oyatomi, APC spokesman

BY DAPO AKINREFON

M

ajor Raphael Towobola (rtd) is the Secretary of the Osun State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP. In this interview, he says the All Progressives Congress, APC, is known for violence. Excerpts: Your party has been accused of planning to cause chaos ahead of the forthcoming governorship elections.

Why should your party be linked with chaos?

From my experience and from what I know of the APC, they always accuse the opposition party of planning to do what they (APC) want to do. That is how they have been, that is their strategy. So, if the APC in Osun says that we want to cause mayhem, that is what they want to do.

The APC are equally chided Vice President Namadi Sambo for saying that elections in Ekiti and Osun a war that must be won?

The Vice President is an elder statesman. For somebody who is the second in command to the commander-in chief and who knows the state of security of this country, he will not make any careless statement.

In addition to his position, you must understand that he is a highly literate person.

By virtue of that, I want to tell you that he was making a metaphorical statement which is meant to sensitize his party members to the political battle ahead and not a violent battle. People should not misinterpret or misconstrue such statement because it is purely a metaphor. He was deliberately misinterpreted.

But following the VP’s statement, a former governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu, threatened that rigging the Ekiti and Osun elections will be resisted. He declared it will be ‘rig and roast’.

How do you see the remarks?

I have every respect for all elder statesmen in Nigeria and so, I am not going to talk to any individual with any disparaging adjective.

The same way our Vice President is literate, I also expect that Asiwaju

Kunle Oyatomi

B

Towobola Tinubu should also be literate. Tinubu should be able to read a metaphor when he sees one. For him to translate the metaphor by the Vice President on electoral war to mean rigging is sad. It is ill-conceived and ill-intended.

The statement like I said remains a metaphor.

It does not mean one wants to rig. For Tinubu to now say ‘ rig and roast’, will mean an incitement to violence.

We must be careful when we make such statements.

When Tinubu made his ‘ rig and roast’ statement, the office of the Vice President was quick to come out to correct the misperception of the Vice President’s statement.

On his part, Tinubu did not correct the misinterpretation of his statement. That means he stands on his statement of violent reaction.

Elders statesmen should not make such statements.

I am not being partial as a PDP member but I am telling you from an intellectual point of view.

Anybody will know that the Vice President’s statement is a metaphor and should be taken as it is.

What informed your party’s decision to call for the redeployment of the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun?

I was at the forum called by the INEC National Chairman where we raised the issue. Some years back, Akeju represented Bola

Tinubu at the launching of a book in Lagos at the NIIA. It was reported that Akeju read Bola Tinubu’s speech and that is a clear indication that he is on Bola Tinubu’s pay roll because that has not been disputed.

For that reason alone, we hold that he cannot be an impartial arbitrar in a contest that involves the PDP and APC, with Tinubu being an APC chieftain. Let me give you further reasons: a brother of ours here, Mr Olaoba Efuntayo, was nominated as Executive Secretary of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission by President Jonathan. A petition was written by the APC that Efuntayo is a known PDP member, the President withdrew his name.

Akeju should be redeployed. What beats my thinking is that APC is defending him, which is a confirmation of the fact that there is a working arrangement between them. With Akeju there, the election may not be free and fair.

What measure is your party taking to ensure that aggrieved members are pacified to ensure your party emerges victorious at the polls on August 9?

I think Alhaji Gani Olaoluwa, the party Chairman is better placed to answer that question because I am also an aggrieved member.

What happened?

It is an internal issue but since you asked what happened, I will tell you.

arrister Kunle Oyatomi is the Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy for the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun State. In this interview, Oyatomi accuses the PDP of plans to cause chaos ahead of the August 9 governorship election in the state. Excerpts: Your party, the APC, has consistently accused the opposition PDP of alleged plans to cause chaos and a state of anarchy in the state. How true is this because the PDP has denied this?

Osun PDP is a poisoned cup of tea. That leadership is notorious. If the Vanguard cares, we suggest it does a comprehensive investigation of the antecedents of that leadership which has been absolutely rejected by the original stakeholders of the PDP in Osun.

The notoriety of the current leadership is over its bent on violence, thuggery and the creation of chaos in most of its interactive engagements with opponents within and outside the PDP structure.

The worst part of it is that they are brazen in delivery of their vandalism. So it is not a secret to any household in Osun that the current PDP leadership is synonymous with these anarchic tendencies. The APC is optimally well resourced in political intelligence gathering. We are not a frivolous party.

Our operatives are responsible individuals and professionals who are above board. There is no reason for us to lie; and all our accusations against the PDP have helped the security agencies to nip several potentially dangerous situations that PDP would have created in the bud.

Also, your party chided Vice President Namadi Sambo over his remarks

that elections in Ekiti and Osun are a war that must be won. Do you still stand by your reaction?

The stakes in Ekiti and Osun are very high indeed.

Our people do not have a history of love for the philosophy behind PDP’s approach to governance. We reject it totally.

Anybody, therefore, who declared that he was prepared to go to war to impose what we don’t like on us in Yorubaland is enemy number one.

So, Vice President Namadi’s statement captures the no-love situation between the PDP and the people of Ekiti and Osun states. This has a critical history in our politics. We had thought that the VP would have known that the South-west is not a people you can threaten with war so that they should accept shit. It will not be allowed. 2003 will never repeat itself in Yorubaland.

A former governor of Lagos State and National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has been criticized for the statement credited to him that anyone who rigs elections in Ekiti and Osun states should be roasted.

What is your take on this?

Does anybody in his or her right mind really wants to rig in either or both of these states? What Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was saying was simply to refer the criminal who plans to rig to remember “Wetie” and the incident in old Ondo State in 1983. Criminal riggers were roasted. Does the PDP want to repeat the criminal rigging of those days? From that party ’s reaction to Asiwaju Tinubu’s statement, one gets the clear impression they already consider themselves as those Tinubu was referring to.

How so easily have the criminals to their intended crime? If the PDP had no intention to rig, why should it bother about those who

would be roasted for rigging in Ekiti and Osun states? Or are they already accessories to the crime?

What is your reaction to PDP ’s call for the redeployment of the Osun REC? Do you think their call is justifiable?

No. First the PDP is not contesting an election against the person of Akeju, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the State of Osun. So we find it odd that the party is putting so much premium over its phantom victory on a particular person. Not a shred of evidence has been produced by the PDP to support its allegations against the REC. What they are doing is simply character assassination- a pastime of ignoble people. If the PDP really has what it takes to win a free and fair election in Osun, it won’t be dissipating energy on character assassination of the REC. Don’t be surprised, sooner or later, if the next set of people the PDP would be calling for their removal would be the state Police Commissioner and the Director of State Security.

When our party was still AC or ACN and was in opposition, we never called for the resignation, removal or redeployment of any of these officers.

The PDP should stop this rubbish and get to the business of convincing the people of Osun why the PDP thinks its rotten piece of cake is what they need as replacement for APC’s delectable sauce of marvelous socio-political and economic life more abundant. The effective choice will be the people’s not a government official’s.

Is it true that the governor made overtures to Prince Oyinlola and Isiaka Adeleke?

Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is a complete gentleman. To visit an ex-governor is not a crime. And when a sitting governor of a rival political party visits a previous one he had defeated in an election, it is a measure of maturity and traditional respect. In age and precedence to occupying the governor’s seat, Oyinlola is senior to Ogbeni Aregbesola.

In traditional Yoruba practice a junior person must give full honour and respect to his senior and elder. That is part of the Omoluabi ethos. Talking about overtures being made to Oyinlola and Adeleke is farfetched. The interaction amongst the three of them is dignified, mature approach to positive engagement between the peoples of different political parties. And the three of them are classical and responsible ambassadors of the Omoluabi culture.

PAGE 22—SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014

All letters bearing writers' names and full addresses should be typed and forwarded to: The Editor, Sunday Vanguard, Kirikiri Canal, P. M. B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. E-mail: sunvanguardmail@yahoo.com

2015: The tasks before PDP Dear Sir,

A

S the 2015 presidential elec tion approaches, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party,PDP, needs new faces to win the forthcoming elections. There is need for someone to play the role of party unifier.

This is the right time to heal the party’s wounds and unite it behind the president for the campaign ahead. All hands must be on deck to settle the rifts in the party.

Government is still struggling to satisfy the people’s desire for the physical well being and material comfort which most nations enjoy. Government should adopt victory of plenty over want, of health over diseases, steady electricity over outrageous blackouts, victory over unemployment, corruption, insecurity, etc. We need a political miracle to change the sagging moral. We don’t have a growth agenda. The production part of our economy has been very challenging, we have the challenge of getting alternative source of energy in order to produce.

Press each of the serving ministers to come up with crisp statements of what they have achieved in their various ministries and targets which should be met preferably within a given time span. This will give us a lift of moral. During the last Boko Haram attack in a motor park outside Abuja

metropolis, many lost their lives.

The atmosphere was tense. Some of them lost their sons, brothers, sisters or other close relatives. When I visited, throng of people were shouting, many with tears streaming down their faces.

Talking to them and seeing the tragic expression on their faces was the worst experience of my life. When he visited, he paced up and down with his fist clenched tightly. The president talked about massive retaliation against the perpetrators of this dastardly act.

As he spoke flash bulbs popped and cameras rolled. The president has endured nobly and silently the agony of the Boko Haram crisis. I had hoped that the Boko Haram issue would have ended by now. “The strain has become endemic. There is no need for rosy predictions. It is dangerous and foolhardy to gloss over the truth.

There is need for magnificent police force, well trained for carrying out their duties bravely and more effectively. We must not appear to be bowing to terrorist demands. The last national security adviser was less talkative and very realistic, he was tough, able and politically astute. We found him easy to get on with.

A former presidential candidate who was contacted on the state of the nation, said he has lost the spirit and zeal essential to survive the ordeal of a long

presidential campaign. He said he is tired of having to ask for support from political and business leaders and even from old friends. A lot of people he said are still hesitating about their support. He said a good candidate

must have five qualities - brain, heart, guts, judgment and experience.

Cletus. Okereke Political Commentator writes in from Anambra State

An appeal to Women League Board Dear Sir,

W

E wish to use your popular medium to appeal to the Women League Board to rescind its decision of forcing clubs to play their scheduled matches in Borno State.

It is no more a hidden fact that the violence being executed by the war lords, Boko Haram does not spare anyone, especially the Christians. It is a truism that the governments in the affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe have not put any structure in place to deter the insurgents attacking any perceived target.

The revelation that WAEC officials advised the governors to move the stu-

dents to the state capitals to no avail showed that there is more to the killing than can be seen from the surface.

The question is why did they not transfer the students to the state capital where there is enough security.

We wish therefore to plead with the so-called Women League Board to rescind their order that the female clubs should honour their matches in their concocted war zones.

We would not want to lose more girls to the terror group. If the menfolk have cancelled matches in perceived terror proned areas, the women should not think otherwise.

Anagbo Temienor (Jnr) writes in from Sapele, Delta State.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 11, 2014, PAGE 23

08112662589

Can you effectively handle a no-strings affair?

A

FTER years of try ing for a baby, Sandra shocked me when she breezed into my office sporting a baby bump. “I can hardly believe this,” I squealed, “you must be ecstatic, and shocked!’

After all the medical trauma she went through, she said she finally got pregnant without really trying.

“How ’s Jola taking all this?” I asked her. Jola, her husband of over 20 years had a couple of kids with another lady who obviously knew her place and never threatened their marriage.

We all knew how much he loved his wife, and now they’re expecting a longed for baby. “After all these years, we never thought it would happen,” she said, ‘It’s a miracle! ‘’In the early years of our marriage, we’d presumed babies would come along some time. When they hadn’t we’d so much resigned to it just being the two of us in a big house - a bit humdrum, but comfortable. As soon as I got pregnant though, Jola didn’t want us to make love so as not to harm the baby.

He was so excited as if he’d never gotten a woman pregnant before. He was like the man I first married happy, loving and full of fun. He discussed the nursery, the

clothes the baby would wear - he even had the latest Mothercare catalogue for both of us to choose items I would buy when I eventually travel out to have the baby.

“In the meantime, I missed sex and I was resigned to getting it after I had the baby when I ran into Cooper. We used to be next-door neighbours until he left his; parents’ house to move to his own place. I was waiting for a cab because. Jola had stopped me from driving. ‘Hello auntie!’ he called from his fancy car, and pulled to a stop beside me. ‘What are you doing wearing high heels in your condition and in this weather?’ I told him I didn’t know it would rain suddenly as I got into his car. I wanted a few things at the shops and he happily took me, supporting me as I tottered on my heels. It was very funny the way he was protective of me. ‘Everyone will think you’re my toy boy!’ I laughed at him.

“When we got home, Jola’s car was not in the drive and Cooper walked me to the house, carrying my shopping. He refused a drink when he’d finished, saying he had to rush. He then bent down to give me

a peck on the cheek, but somehow missed and our lips brushed together briefly. ‘Sorry, auntie’ he said, not looking sorry at all. And I’d felt a long-forgotten thrill from his touch.

Throwing caution to the wind, I kissed him again gently, but this time, purposely, before sending him off to the appointment he said he had.

“I was quite pleased when I saw him at his parents’ house for what he called a short visit. He nipped over as soon as he could because he knew Jola was out. And

the moment I closed the door behind us, we were in each other ’s arms. It was magical - very fulfilling.

The same thing happened a couple of times and by this time, my baby was due. ‘You realise that everything has to return to normal ? now, don’t you,’ I told him gently the last time we made love. ‘Yes’, he said quietly, ‘you’ll always be special, don’t forget that.’

“As you’ve rightly noticed, the baby is due soon and I’m happy I had that interlude with Cooper. As young as he is, he’s a very decent

man and had never gone back on his words.”

Casual sex might explain why friends with benefits are on the increase. These involve purely sexual relationships. You might be inbetween committed relationships knowing you have one or two such friends to fall back on for pure nostrings sex. For years Dolapo had one of such friends. “We were lovers at the university”, she said, ‘but things didn’t work out.

We went with different partners but still remained friends. Years after we left the university, I ran into Albert at a party and he invited me over to show off his bachelor pad. It was very macho and ? after a couple of drinks, we got into a romantic clinch and had sex.

The sex was good and he told me he was in a serious relationship. I told him I was happy for him and genuinely meant it’.

“I even met his girlfriend a couple of times. Not long after, I started a relationship with a new man I really fancied and Albert was the first I told. He was :happy for me,. he said, but I was a bit irritated when he started dropping by my:flat more often. We’d had sex a few times, but that didn’t give

him the liberty to walk in and out of my flat as if he paid the rent. I told him that it would be appreciated if he called first before bounding down my drive as I didn’t want any surprises with my new man.

His face narrowed in anger. ‘What new man,’ he sneered. ‘You want to use and dump me as you did when we were at the university?’ I was shocked. I reminded him he was the one who left and I was happy to see the back of him as I wasn’t in love with him. He confessed he called it quits because he thought I would fight to get him back.

“Why?’ l asked him, still puzzled by this change in him. ‘Because I loved you then and I still do.’ I told him not to be silly. He had a steady girlfriend and I was happy with the man I was involved with. He moved towards me, lust in~his eyes, but I was having none of that. I told him to leave my flat. I shouted for my -house help who quickly came in. ‘Jezebel!’ he spat as he left the flat.

Some men are really pompous. Why shouldn’t women have casual sex just like men do?” ?

08052201867(Text Only)

No more pot belly INBOX Good day sir, My name is Donald. How can I get a flat belly with six pack on my belly thanks for your correspondent.

Tel. 234811 ***229

My name is Fatima, my tummy is big and I with it to go down, please what should I do, I ve tried sit ups but they don’t seem to work.

Tel. 234****** 079

T

HE one area of the body that both sexes seem to share a common problem is the stomach.

In the past couple of weeks I have had both men and women stop me on the streets (having seen me on T.V. And in the Vanguard) for tips on how to cut down on the girth.

Well, though women seem to have fat green almost all over their bodC M Y K

ies, the men seem to have it a problem mostly with just their bodies.

Aesthetically admirable as a flat and well-toned stomach may be, it is advisable to exercise every part of the body, thjough the main target be the stomach. To do stomach exercises to the neglect of say, the back muscles, means you’re going to have such a weak and most vulknerable back, you could be counting a lot of back injuries on account that part of the body not strong enough for being under-exercised.

We shall be discussing some postures that will help give everyone a flat belly but these come along with postures to help strengthen the back as well.

Ofcourse, in any programme dealing with fat-loss, it is quite a sensible thing to watch the stuff you eat. The watch word here is moderation especially of fattening food items.

Granted that you’re now going to be mindful of your eating let’s con-

sider some exercises that will help reface your waist line and keep it permanently there.

THE ROCKING Technique: Sitting on your exercise mat with legs outstretched infront of you, draw up the back of each knee. Now, slighty lifting back raise both legs off the floor and thrust them forwards and

* The Bow

draw them backwards without scraping the heels on the floor. Keep this forward and backward motions of te legs continious. In the beginning it will be a bit of a job keeping the rhythm going but practice will make you perfect in its execution.

Benefits: This is a great warm up for the whole

body. It will also help from the lower stomach and the upper parts of the thighs.

Duration: You may practise 2 sets of the times (a forward and a backward thrust making one time).

POSE Technique: Sitting down with feet stretched out in front of you bend the right knee and place the

Yoga classes STARTED at 32 Adetokunbo Ademola, Victoria Island, Lagos, 9.10am on Saturdays

right foot on the left thigh. Now bending down sideways cath the left foot with the left bend to the misde of the foot and the right hand to the out side of the same foot.

Let the left elbow rest on the floor (if you can) and stay in the position for a slow count to 10 or 15.

Change legs and hands and repeat.

Benefits: The 3 o’clock, 9 o’clock posture burn fat arouns the waist and up; the flanks. This posture naturally makes the stomach fuck in and its regular pracise ensures a trim belly.

Leg Raise Technique: Lying flat on your back intertwine the fingers at the back of the neck. Keep the elbows spread out. Take a deep breath and lift both legs and back off the floor so that you’re in contact with the floor with just your buttocks.

Duration: Stay in this position for some 5 to 10 seconds. Lower the body.

Take a brief rest and repeat.

Benefits: The Leg Raise develops the abdominal muscles guaranteeing you against a pot belly.

P AGE 24—SUND AY Vanguard , MA Y 11 , 2014 SUNDA MAY

bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk

08056180152,

SMS only

Is your daughter dating a monster?

W

ITH the spate of violence going on in the country, is it any wonder that teenage girls are vulnerable to rape, violence and manipulation from their so-called boyfriends? Faith, a 42-year old nursing sister had her daughter, Nike, when she was only 20. “Even as a child, you could see the potentials of her being a stunner in her,” she said. “She was 18 and an undergraduate when she met Lawrence, who lived not too far away from us with his parents.

“I’d heard worrying rumours that Lawrence, a computer analyst and dad of two from different women, treated his girlfriend appallingly. He’d even been arrested for battery and spent time in custody before, he was set free. But when we eventually met him, we were impressed, he seemed quiet and polite; and treated Nike like a princess. He assured me he would take care of her.

Whenever she was home, they would go out together. The weekend he couldn’t go with her because one of his children was ill, Nike’s phone rang constantly.

She complained when she got home and I told her to be very wary of men like him.

“When he turned up a few weeks later, he came with us to the birthday party of one of my nieces.

His gaze was cold and he stuck with Nike like a nympet. Yet my daughter insisted everything was fine. Until about a month later when I saw him leaving the house in a huff. ‘We had a horrible row,’ Nike sniffed. ‘He accused me he had proof of ~ flirting with other men on campus.’ How

dare he, I raged. And you know; what my daughter said in his defence? That she must have provoked him. I was beside myself and tried to make her see sense.

She said I should layoff, that she couldn’t handle pressure from me as well.

She looked so heart-broken that I left her alone.

So next time Lawrence came to the house, I cornered him and hissed: ‘Don’t you eve:r hurt her again~ ‘Mummy’s girl, is she?’ he sneered. ‘ “I was shock~d. Was this the same shy, sweet Lawrence who’d charmed me? Oh, how I hated him. As soon as Nike came out of her room, I realised she was under his spell. When Lawrence eventually got a one-room apartment and moved in, Nike started spending the odd weekend at his place.

When I protested, she said she was already 21 and had to grow up sometime. Short of keeping her under house arrest, there was nothing I could do to stop her.

“Only, her boyfriend was so jealous and paranoid, demanding to know her every move. He no longer went on outings with her, but his shadow still hung over her. She started losing her sparkle and I reminded her her bed was always waiting for her. I told her if she continued to stay with Lawrence, he’d destroy her. But she was in love and under his spell.

Whenever she visited, he rang her mobile constantly. One night, I was so enraged I snatched the phone and bellowed: ‘For Christ’s sake, leave my daughter alone.’ My daughter started crying.

It was heart-breaking.

what to do... Recognise you’re being abused. If you change the way you behave because you’re scared of how your partner will react, he’s abusing you. Understand it’s not your fault and you’re not alone. Thousands of women escape abusive relationships to a life free from fear. You ‘can too.

Why couldn’t she see the truth? Why wouldn’t she listen? .

“Then came the day she called they were having a violent row and she wanted to come home.

“Your dad is on his way”, I assured her, praying by the time he got there, Lawrence would have calmed down. But he rang a few minutes later, ‘Nike’s locked me out!’ he sniffed. Thank goodness she was safe. ‘I love her too much’ he carried on, ‘I can’t stand the thought of her with anyone else.’ Alarm bells clanged. ‘Just leave her alone,’ I raged, slamming down the phone.

“It looked like hours before Nike came in with her dad. ‘Lawrence is a lunatic,’ he fumed. He’d arrived to find them in front of the house, with Nike crying and Lawrence shirtless and towering above her. I made a move on him and it was an effort to drag Nike back to the car with me.’

She vowed that was the end of the relationship as

she tended to the bruises on her face and neck.

Thank God, I sighed.

Lawrence had burnt his fingers this time, and it was good riddance. But a few weeks later, the phone woke us in the middle of the night. I answered, heart pounding.

It was Nike, screaming hysterically ~. ‘Lawrence is driving like a maniac!’, she screamed. ‘He’s going to kill me: Now what’?! I heard him ranting in the background. ‘Strap yourself in!’ I told her before the line went dead.

“I tried to ring back, no answer. I was wide awake by now, praying for daybreak when I could go to Lawrence’s flat. But the next call I got was from the police. He had crashed the car and he was arrested for dangerous driving. My daughter was in a private hospital. When I saw her, I nearly fainted. She was bandaged up and her left leg hoist from fracture she got. I wept bitter tears.

The stupid man didn’t

have life-threatening wounds to his body. Why didn’t he die in the accident?”

According to research, one quarter of girls aged 13-17 have experienced intimate partner violence, one in nine has experienced severe physical violence and almost three quarters of girls have experienced emotional abuse. Now the research lists practical things you can do to help a loved one facing abuse: Talk to her.. Her partner may be monitoring calls, texts, e-mails and Facebook messages, so meeting person if you can.

Give her time and don’t judge.

Help her to leave quickly. Offer to keep a spare set of keys, important documents and some cash. Agree a code word.

This can be used if she is in serious danger and need you to call the police. lastly, get advice.

If you are experiencing domestic abuse, here’s

able for him GIRL: "But I don't love you BOY: 1 John 4:8- Whoever does not love,does not know God, because God is love.

GIRL: And how do I know you mean those OUR column to express your loving thoughts in words?

BOY: Mathew 12:34 words to your sweetheart. Don’t be shy. Let it For out of the abundance flow and let him or her know how dearly you feel.

Write now in not more than 75 words to: The Editor, of the heart the mouth Sunday Vanguard, P.M.B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. E.mail: speaks.

GIRL: But how can I be sunlovenotes@yahoo.com Please mark your envelope: sure that you're loyal & “LOVE NOTES" honest?

HOW TO WOO A GIRL IN A BIBLICAL WAY BOY: Mark 13:31 "heaven & earth will pass BOY: Do you have a BOY: Gen 2:18 "The lord away but my words will boyfriend?

God said, it is not good never pass away GIRL: But why me?

GIRL: No, I don't have for a man to be alone, I There are alot of girls out one. wil make a helper suit-

there BOY: Proverbs 31:29 "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.

GIRL: But what is in me that you like?

BOY: Song of Solomon 4:7 "You are altogether beautiful, my darling there is no flaw in you" GIRL: But I'm not all that beautiful, you're exaggerating BOY: Proverbs 31:30 "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised GIRL: What happens if I say yes.

BOY: Genesis 2:24 "Therefore a man shall

leave his father and his mother & cleave to his wife and they shall become one flesh GIRL: How come you know the scriptures this much BOY: Joshua 1:8, This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate on it day & night so that you may be careful to do all that is written in it. For then you make your way prosperous and you will have good success" GIRL: Woow, I can see you really love God BOY: Psalm 34:8 oh, taste and see that lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Y

What The Heck Is That?!

(Humourl A man has been a priest for more than 20 years and decides just once that he must experience sex to find out what he’s given up. He goes to the red light district o{a large town and enters a brothel where he’s told to go to room 7.There, on the bed, is a naked girl waiting for him but when he strips off and she sees the huge size of his manhood, she sits up in alarm. ‘No way mister,’ she says, shaking her head,” something like that could do a girl serious harm.

So the priest goes off and finds another brothel.

He enters room 5 where a girl is waiting, strips off and heads towards the bed. Alas, the girl gets an eyeful of his massive tackle and says quickly: “Whoa, there, big boy. No way are you coming near me with something as big as that!’ Undaunted, the priest finds a third brothel but this time, he tells the girl he’s a bit shy so would she mind if he strips off in the dark. The girl agrees, the man strips off and the action begins. “I’ve never done it with a priest before:’ she remarks. In fact, when I first saw the dog collar, I thought you wanted to talk to me about JEEEEEEEEES CHRIIIIIII15T!”.

GIRL: mmm. Ok, please give me time to think about it BOY: Philipians 4:8 "Finally my brethren, whatsoever that is true, whatsoever is honorable, whatsoever is just, whatsoever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise think about this thing GIRL: oww I love you already BOY: Revelation 22:21 "Amen".

Can a girl say no to such a man? YES or NO?

Chris Onunaku 0 8 0 3 2 9 8 8 8 2 6 / 08184844015.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014, PAGE 25

08116759757 State Commissioner of Police, Foluso Adebanjo, alleging cover up by the police. But a source at the Police Command disclosed that one Shina Aremu, from Akoko Edo, is being investigated over the murder.

The bereaved father narrated the incident to Sunday Vanguard: “On April 5, around 6pm, my son went to the dry cleaner to collect his clothes because the next day was his birthday. When he got to the dry cleaner’s place, he called his friends and bought drinks for them. When they were leaving, his friends said they wanted to take him to the house in their car. After they entered the car, some gunmen shot at the car from behind and the wind screen was shattered. My son opened the door and ran to God is Good Motors area. Others ran too, but the attackers pursued my son and were shooting; he was killed.

“The following morning I did not know about the attack.

had to swear to affidavit before he could be released and buried. On Monday, my uncle went to the police station to do the affidavit.

They promised that in two days we would bury the boy.

Three days after, they said they arrested the people that shot him.

The police told us to go to the state CID in Benin-City to see the people. When we got to Benin, they said one Shino was the one that shot him.

They said a guard at God is Good Motors area saw the said Shino when he shot him.

An officer told us to go home.

On the 10th when I was going back to the state CID, I took my son’s girlfriend who was there when the incident happened. She made a statement because she was there when the incident happened. I also made a statement. The policemen said we should wait for their boss. We waited till about 5pm when a chieftain of the APC came and the policeman told

My son opened the door and ran to God is Good Motors area. Others ran too, but the attackers pursued my son and were shooting; he was killed

BIRTHDAY EVE HORROR

How gunmen shot NYSC member dead

•Bereaved father cries out, alleges cover up

By SIMON EBEGBULEM, Benin City

A

ll is not well with Edo State Police Command and the family of Edeghonghon Aziegbe (a.k.a Eddy) of Ekpoma. Edeghonghon graduated from the Department of Geography, C M Y K

Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, and deployed to Asaba, Delta State for his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) before meeting his untimely death in Ekpoma, last month. Edeghonghon was shot dead by some persons yet to be identified a day to his 30th birthday after he went out with friends for a

drink. Apart from the fact that the family is still shocked over their son’s death, the agony is that the police have refused to release the corpse for burial. The family also lamented what it described as the insincerity of the police to prosecute the suspects. The father of the deceased, Patrick Aziegbe, petitioned the Edo

I called his number. The number did not go; that was Saturday, April 5, his birthday. We were preparing for the birthday on Sunday, the 6th, that is why he went to the dry cleaner to collect his clothes. I called severally, but he did not pick his phone; my wife had to call his girlfriend’s number and that one started crying that they shot them.

Later that day, some body called me from the mortuary at Iruekpen. He called to say he came to work that morning and saw my son in the mortuary. I told him to wait for me and we ran to the mortuary and saw him. We found out that they shot him in about five places”.

Police investigation

A

ziegbe went on: “On Sunday, my uncle went to the police station, I could not go. The police said he should write statement; he did. When he came back, I told him that the way they shot him was so bad I would like to bury him immediately. But the police in Ekpoma said we had to wait till Monday as we

him I was the father of the boy.

He commisserated with me and they went outside. When one of the boys who went with me went out, he saw the boys they arrested talking to the party leader in the cell. I told the IPO that I wanted to go because I don’t drive in the night. We left the police station around 6.30pm. They said they wanted to detain my son’s girl friend but I told them they could not because she was a witness, not a suspect. The police said they will call me but they never did; that is why I wrote the petition”.

He lamented: “My problem now is that the police have refused to release the corpse for burial.”

Contacted, the Edo State Police Commissioner, Adebanjo, said some suspects had been arrested over the matter. “Like I said before, nobody that kills will go free.

We are investigating the matter; that is why it seems things are slow. This is a murder case on which you don’t rush so that you get the real suspects and they are prosecuted”, he said.

PAGE 26 —SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014

08116759757

Gov Imoke and his many gold medalists

BY ADEOLA ADENUGA

T

URN the clock back to seven years and even further down, to when it was a once-upon a state whose sports rating was in the lowest ebb among the comity of sporting states in Nigeria.

Except for Pelican Stars of Calabar whose birth was to once again put Cross River State on a reckoning pedestal not only as a pacesetter in female football, following the eclipse of Rovers of Calabar, but also for its long dominance of the Nigeria female league, not much could be said of the state sport wise.

While other states were busy winning laurels at National Sports Festivals as well as National School Sports Festivals, Cross River ’s participation was not only marginal, it was no more than just making up the number of participating states.

Besides the general apathy of the political leadership which characterised a lukewarm attention to sport development in the state and which in turn occasioned its chequered showing at national sport competitions, there was the absence of a sport policy for the state.

It was in obvious recognition of this policy failing which had gone on for years and unaddressed that compelled Governor Liyel Imoke’s administration to inaugurate, in 2009, a Comprehensive Sports Development Programme as a vehicle to harness the abundant sporting talents in the state.

To ensure that the pro gramme was not held captive by bureaucratic meddlesomeness, an astute sports development consultant, Dr. Bruce Ijirigho, was sourced to oversees the grooming, training and welfare of the athletes.

The vision of the governor led to the discovery that sport could also be another conveyor belt to take Cross River State to its greatness. It was Imoke’s vision that education, when combined with sports, could catapult the youths of the state to lofty heights.

Under the scheme, kids in primary and secondary schools are discovered and offered the platforms of education and sport where they are allowed to hone their sporting skills and at the same time acquire education. Since the inauguration of the programme, it has been one sterling success after another, culminating in three successive years of recognition and award of honours to the state’s athletes who C M Y K

have done the state proud.

So, in what has become the norm in the state, Imoke recently rolled out the drums to once again celebrate the

As a result of Governor Imoke’s well coordinated policy for sports, Cross River is rated as having the best youth programme in boxing in Nigeria today. Tellingly, the dividends have been mind blowing. young men and women who have distinguished themselves as sporting ambassadors of the state.

As a spinoff of the governor’s sports development policy, Cross River State has won the National School Sports Festival in 2011, 2012, 2013 and appears poised to win it again in 2014.

Rendering what could be regarded as scorecards of the programme during the recognition and presentation of cash awards to the athletes, Ijirigho said Cross River State has not only done well at the various National School Sports Festival, but that its fortunes have continued to increase and get better with each successive year since the governor initiated the programme.

His words: “The successes of

Gov Imoke

our athletes go beyond national competitions. Our athletes now take part in international competitions, representing Nigeria all over the world.

For instance, in athletics, 12 athletes from the state team were invited to camp to represent Nigeria at the African Junior Championship in Warri, Delta State last year. Six of them actually participated.

The reason why only six participated was that the remaining six though very good, were considered too young to be in the national junior team.

Out of the six that participated, two of them won three gold medals for Nigeria at the championship. It is also interesting to note that the two athletes who won the three gold medals went beyond the African continent to represent Ni-

L-R: A lay preacher, Methodist Church Nigeria, Mr Tosin Olaniyan, International Director, Lions International, Dame Tope Tychus; and the conference medical adviser, Methodist Church Nigeria, Dr Ola Pudicomme, at the 2014 Annual Synod of the Diocese of Lagos, hosted by Ikorodu Road Lagos Circuit Railway Line, Mushin, Lagos.

geria at the Junior World Athletics Championship in Russia, where Blessing Okon was placed 5th in the 400 metres which was the best Nigerian performance at the championship.”

On further exploits by other state’s ambassadors, Ijirigho said while this feat was achieved, “it is regrettable to announce that our triple jumper, in fact Nigeria’s best youth triple jumper, Edokiye Imeh was not allowed to participate in Russia because he was three months below the actual age allowed for participation.”

To ensure that the state does not rest on its oars, the renowned sports consultants hinted that “this year, five of our athletes have been invited to the national camp in

preparation for the African championship and the world athletics championship that will take place in the United States of America this year.

They are Michelle Otogo, Blessing Okon, Blessing Itioyo, Victoria Akpareka and Imeh Edokiye. They are currently in Sapele preparing for the championship.”

On the performance at the elite level, Ijirigho disclosed to the over one thousand people, including the Deputy Governor, Barrister Efiok Cobham, members of the state executive council, state legislators, as well as past heroes and heroines who had turned out to witness the award presentation by the governor that “at the elite level in athletics, our own Patience Okon represented Nigeria at the World Athletics Championship in 2013 and in the World Indoor Championship in 2014. In that competition, she came sixth in the 4x400 and broke the African record in the process. It was our own Patience who anchored the relay.”

As a result of Governor Imoke’s well coordinated policy for sports, Cross River is rated as having the best youth programme in boxing in Nigeria today. Tellingly, the dividends have been mind blowing. According to the sports consultant, “at the national youth games, eight medals were up for grabs, and out of the eight, Cross River State won three gold, one silver and one bronze medal.”

From the initial vision of repositioning the state in sports by harnessing the abundant raw and energetic talents into medal winning athletes, Imoke has continued to broaden the economic base for the state’s teeming citizenry by deploying sports and education as escalators to achieving greatness.

L-R: A former commissioner for information, Ogun State and chairman of the occasion, Aremo Taiwo Alimi; guest speaker, Mr Babatunde Osilaja; the vice president of Akpesan (Iperu) Club 1954, Mr Adetutu Buraimo; the president and chairman, Equity Assurance, Dr Kessington Adebutu; and the 60th anniversary committee chairman of Akpesan Club, Prof. Labi Somorin, at a seminar held in Iperu-Remo, Ogun State.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014, PAGE 27

08116759757

How to stabilise educational system — AOCOED RECTOR

BY ALADE AROMASHODU

T

HE Provost of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Mr Olalekan Wasiu Bashorun, has urged tertiary institutions to have predictable and stable academic calendars to stabilise the educational system.

Also, about 8,366 students of the college was awarded Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) with two eminent Nigerians, Senator Oluremi Tinubu and Professor Bashir Oderinde, honoured with Fellowship awards at the College 32nd, 33rd and 34th joint convocation for the award of NCE and presentation of prizes held in the college campus in Otto/Ijanikin, Lagos-Badagry Expressway, Lagos State.

The Provost, who spoked at the convocation, stated:”We need to work out a comprehensive arrangement that addresses the issues of funding, relevant curriculum, administration and that truly ensures that education addresses, fundamentally, the needs of our nation.”

He went on: “We need to have graduates that can compete with their colleagues from Japan, China, United States of America, Singapore and indeed from anywhere in the world. “We need to have tertiary institutions that rate properly in global assessments.”

The Provost commended Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola for the payment of four-and- a half months out of the 18 months arrears on the 57 percent salary increase to

L-R: Wasiu Olalekan Bashorun, AOCOED Provost; Prof.

Bashir Oderinde; Senator Oluremi Tinubu and other guests at the joint Convocation of the College.

our institutions, “Our schools are closing down every other day for one reason or the other. Public universities were closed down for over six months on account of ASUU strike”.

Bashorun lauded Senator Tinubu for facilitating the release of fund for the construction of a 1,200 seater multithe AR-CSR™ and the fits these descriptions and can purpose lecture theatre and promoters will present their readily be presented to business initiatives at the CEO Round- leaders for possible investment and table to leading business opportunities leaders, captains of industries, collaborations, then this CEOs and C-suite professionals opportunity is for you.Interested OSOPADEC NOMINEES TO CHEVRON in the private and public sector. individuals are encouraged to Also present at this session will enter for the challenge by be the 2014 Keynote Speaker registering at the event website: and Lead Discussant, Dr. http:///www.ar-csr.com or Donald Kaberuka – President, sending an email to: sss@arDeadline for African Development Bank csr.com.

Group (AfDB) – and Brian submission of entries is 0 chiefs in the oil rich and the secretaries of each of Kuwik, Vice President and Midnight, Central African Ugbo Kingdom in Ilaje the communities before they Africa Regional Head, Accion Time, May 15, 2014 to sss@arInternational amongst leading csr.com. The entries will be council Area of Ondo State were sent for ratification. business leaders and corporate screened by a project team of have endorsed the list of memHe however said the people executives from reputable experts from ThistlePraxis bers of Ilaje Regional Devel- that levelled the allegation of organisations and financial Consulting and only successful opment Council Committee imposition against the Olugcandidates will be notified by submitted by the Ondo State bo were those that lost out in institutions.

“If your innovation or business May 29, 2014.”

Oil Producing Areas Develop- their communities or those ment Commission (OSOPA- that wanted to perpetrate DEC) to Chevron Nigeria themselves on the board of the Limited.

IRDC. This is aside the 230 ‘baales’ Oyetomi, who is also the of the communities who Secretary of the nine-man backed the list forwarded to committee, explained that the the oil giant as their represen- Olugbo could not appear betatives for approval. fore the committee of the state The Chairman of the ‘baales’ House of Assembly on OSOin the kingdom, Chief Andrew PADEC because the summon Oyetomi, said this in Igboko- to the monarch was wrong. da, headquarters of Ilaje local According to him, “the mongovernment area. arch had not gone beyond his Oyetomi said the allegation of power by endorsing the deimposition levelled against mand of the community.” the Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom, He added that only the Oba Fredrick Akinruntan, was governor could query him over baseless. his action.

According to him, the’ Also speaking, the chairman baales’ in the kingdom sub- of the nine-man committee, •Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Osita Nebo, welcomes mitted names of their nomi- High Chief Hosea Iperepolu, Mr. Austin Avuru, CEO of SEPLAT, to the signing ceremony nees to a nine-man committee said some of the agitators lost for the Edo IPP project facilitated by SEPLAT, last week. In which screened them. out in their communities as the middle are: Mr. David Ladipo, and Mr. Godwin Obaseki, Oyatomi said the people cho- their ‘baales’ recommended Chairman, Edo State Economic Management Team. sen for the posts were select- other persons. ed and endorsed by the Baales the AOCOED staff.

He noted further: “We need to take critical look at the issue of industrial conflicts in

Thistle Praxis looking for innovators T

HE economic future of Africa is driven by access to finance by its ever growing population of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

As part of the 2014 edition of the Africa CEO Round-table & Conference on Corporate Sustainability & Responsibility (AR-CSR™) ThistlePraxis Consulting yesterday announced the third edition of the Sustainable Solutions Showcase, an initiative that seeks to promote, expose and connect innovations and inventions of social entrepreneurs with potential investors, partners, clients, customers and collaborators.

“Due to the fact that growing investments and ideas will continue to depend on financial support to actualise and promote innovative dreams, SSS 3.0 will showcase best ideas, goods, services and inventions of various types that are original and creative, ecologically friendly, capable of meeting specific social and economic needs and having potential for enterprise and return on investment,” the organisers said in a statement.

The statement continued: “The entries will be screened by a Project team of experts from Thistle Praxis Consulting, AR-CSR™ conveners and Sponsor organisations.

Products, services or initiatives must be unique, practical and must useful in solving an existing problem, or meeting the needs of the public. The best three entries will be selected to participate at the 4th edition of C M Y K

auditorium that was completed Wednesday, April 23, 2014 and used for the convocation while he stressed that Professor Bashir Oderinde, the second awardee, facilitated the growth of the college to a tertiary institution.

Meanwhile, he urged the graduands to go out and be ambassadors of excellence and integrity, saying the training they had in the college would be a solid foundation for successful lives which they were going to live.

In her acceptance speech, Senator Tinubu recollected how she graduated as an NCE holder from Adeyemi College of Education 34 years ago before proceeding to University of Ife for bachelor ’s degree.

Governor Fashola, who, at the occasion, spoke through Secretary to Lagos State Government, Dr Idiat Oluranti Adebule, stated that the state government would continue to invest in the future of its children.

Ilaje chiefs endorse list, clear Olugbo of imposition

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PAGE 28 — SUNDAY, Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014

Marian Johnson hooks Ebenezer Adeite A Spanish nuptial in Lagos!

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he Adeite and the Johnson families rolled out drums recently in Lagos to have their children Ebenezer Olayiwola Adeite and Marian Olayinka Johnson united in a Holy matrimony. The couple took their nuptial vows at Chapel of Christ the Light, Alausa, Ikeja, before a colourful crowd of family and friends.

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former Commissioner for Information in Ekiti State and one-time governorship aspirant gave his daughter, Oluwabukunmi Sharon Otitoju in marriage to the family of Ramon Gonzalez- Vallinas from Spain. The traditional marriage was a remarkable one as associates of the father, family and friends stormed his Lekki home for the occasion.

The bride, Oluwabukunmi Sharon, was listed by Forbes magazine as one of the 30 most enterprising entrepreneurs in Africa while the groom, Juan Ramon Gonzalez- Vallinas is a lecturer in Pennsylvania, Spain.

From left: Dr. Dolapo Adeite, groom's father; Mrs. Henrietta Johnson, bride's mother; Mr. and Mrs ebenezer Olayiwola, the couple; Mrs. Rolake Adeite, groom's mother and Mr. Bode Johnson, bride's father.

The couple; Juan Ramon Gonzalez- Vallinas and wife, Oluwabukunmi Sharon.

From left; Senator Gbenga Ashafa, Mr and Mrs Ebenezer Olayiwola and Senator Femi Lanlehin.

L-R:Mr. and Mrs. Ebenezer Olayiwola, the new couple; Mrs Morolake Adeite, groom's mother; Pastor (Mrs) Funmi Ayo-Odugbesan and Mrs Afolashade Akinsanya.

Olugbenga Bast os tak es wif e Bastos takes wife

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L- R: Mr Makanjuola Oloniniyi,bride’s father, Mrs Iyabo Bastos,groom’s mother, the couple, Mr David Olugbenga Bastos with his bride, Oladunni Omolola Bastos,Mr Olufemi Bastos groom’s father and Mrs Mojisola Oloniniyi, bride’s mother.

L- R: Mrs Adetayo Taiwo, Mrs Olatunji Adenike and Mrs Ashade Olanike C M Y K

avid Olugbenga Bastos, son of Mr Olufemi Bastos and Oladunni Omolola Oloniniyi, daughter of Mr. Makanjuola O l o n i n i y i , consummated their long romance in a Holy matrimony recently.

The couple exchanged the matrimonial vows at Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, G. R. A., Ikeja, Lagos. Family and friends graced the occasion. Photos by Diran Oshe

L-R: Prof. Babajide Alo, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics & Research, UNILAG and Mr. Keji Balogun, Managing Consultant, Kerem Nig. Ltd

The Bride, Oluwabunkunmi (middle) with parents, Mr, and Mrs Kayode Otitoju.

Juan (Middle) with parents, Mr and Mrs. Plilar Rostes Ramon Gonzalez- Vallinas.

The Ramon Gonzalez- Vallinas family from Spain

SUNDAY, Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014, PAGE 29

Hymns and songs ffor or A desola-Macaula Adesola-Macaula desola-Macaulayy @ 70

W

ith the line “Beloved, we are gathered here this morning in a service of praise and thanksgiving to celebrate the love and protection of God Almighty for our brother...” so began the celebration of 70 th birthday of veteran journalist, Adejumobi Adesola-Macaulay, by the presiding minister of God on th Thursday May 8 at St. Paul’s Church, Breadfruit, Lagos. He was joined by family and friends.

Photos by Akeem Salau

L-R:Revd. Tayo Olutayo; Rev Gabriel Afolabi;Mr Adejumobi Adesola Macaulay, celebrant and his wife, Mrs Olayemi Macaulay with Rtd. Rev Bishop Bako and Rtd. Provost Yinka Omololu.

From right; Mr Adejumobi Adesola Macaulay with wife, Mrs Olayemi Macaulay and children.

Pomp as Asiwaju Onafowokan’s daughter weds

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t was a parade of captains of industry, g o v e r n m e n t functionaries and royal fathers when Asiwaju Solomon Kayode Onafowokan, a seasoned administrator and entrepreneur gave the hand of his daughter, Similola Abidemi in marriage to handsome Bamidele Duro-Oni, son of Prof Duro-Oni, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Management services, UNILAG. Photos by Akeem Salau

L-R:Mrs Jumoke Braithwaite Jumoke Funmi-Adeshina.

L-R: Prof. Duro-Oni,groom's father,Mrs Francesca Duro-Oni, groom's mothe, Mr and Mrs Bamidele Adeleye Duro-Oni, the couple, Asiwaju Solomon Kayode Onafowokan, bride's father and Chief (Mrs) Taiwo Onafowokan, bride's mother

and

Mrs

Mr and Mrs Olusola Ladeinde.

Pastor Solomon Cole celebrates 60

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astor Solomon Cole entertained family and friends recently when he threw a party to cel ebrate his 60th birthday. There was enough to eat and drink.

L-R: Chief (Mrs) Taiwo Onafowokan, bride's mum, the couple, Gov Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and Asiwaju S. K. Onafowokan, bride's father

From Left: Musa Yusuf;Chief Felix Kola Bajomo and Chief Olusegun Osunkeye.

C M Y K

L-R: Sir Remi Omotosho;with Mr Sunny Asemota and Mrs Ireti Asemota.

From Left; Prof K.Odusote; Dr.O Phillips and Prof O.Ibidapo-Obe

Pastor Solomon Cole, cutting his birthday cake with wife

PAGE 30 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 11, 2014

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 11, 2014, PAGE 31

PAGE 32—SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014

GOODLUCK JONATHAN

A President in need of help! *An encounter inside Aso Rock

The President of Nigeria needs help from a wide range of people: His wife, his aides, friends and associates; foreign governments; Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, leaders; opposition politicians; and just about any individual who believes in Nigeria.

But the context of the help is what needs to be properly situated.

The boy who wore no shoes to school and who used to put his books on his head is now the President of Nigeria.

Grace and good luck don’t come any better! That is the lot of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, who hails from the dingy, C M Y K

,

This was to be the fourth meeting between the man Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and this writer.

However, last Sunday’s meeting with the man who is now President brought home some truth. From the preparation for the live broadcast of the PRESIDENTIAL MEDIA CHAT, to the post-event dinner at the President’s residence, one point remained very critical: Nigeria’s President needs help.

Before your imagination runs riot, this report presents the details of the encounter which lasted about three hours and thirty minutes; situating and contrasting it with a similar encounter with former President Olusegun Obasanjo. And after all said and done, you can then make up your mind on the type of help President Jonathan needs.

A pack of sheep led by a lion will most likely defeat a pack of lions led by a sheep —Lebanese adage

sleepy creek community of Otuoke in Bayelsa State.

A simple, very simple man by nature, Jonathan’s life has been one dominated by grace and good luck. The story of his ascendancy is too familiar to be retold here.

But last Sunday, May 4, 2014, the encounter with Jonathan was like none other.

For some 10minutes, apprehension, occasioned by a massive dose of excitement and anxiety, reduced the esteem of this writer as he entered one of the chambers inside Aso Rock Presidential Villa in the company of Funke Fadugba of AIT/Faaji FM; Cyril Stober of NTA; and Bashir Saad of the BBC. The first pleasant surprise was that there was no schooling – that is no government official came to tutor the quartet on what to ask or what not to ask President Jonathan.

Pre-recording formalities done, in came Mr. President in the company of some

,

aides and friends who had come for one appointment or the other.

Jonathan looked cool. After warm handshakes, he took his seat.

Sensing that this writer was already sweating, the President dropped the hint about government’s plan to build a standard studio for recording; with all the necessary facilities and equipment.

Some 20 seconds before7pm, the cameraman signaled that we “would soon be live”.

Stober, the anchor for this edition of the media chat, set the ball rolling with the issue of insecurity, specifically the abducted girls, as agreed by the quartet.

It was at this point that the enormity and reality of the challenges confronting President Jonathan reared their heads like a multi-headed monster. Though he was very emotive, feeling helpless and displaying what can be described as real signs of pain, the verbalization of the emotions left much to be desired.

The President said all he wanted to plead

for is that the parents of the missing girls should help government; that they should cooperate with government; that they should come and volunteer information and tell government where the girls are. He confessed, rather helplessly, that government had no information regarding the location of the girls.

But that response on national television belied a deeper challenge, steeped in frustration that Jonathan was facing.

Sunday Vanguard gathered from Aso Rock insiders that a meeting the day before, between President Jonathan; Governor Shettima of Borno State; CP Lawal Tanko, Police Commissioner in the state; Mrs. Asabe Kwambula, the school principal; Comrade Inuwa Kubo, Education Commissioner; and the DPO for Chibok, Hezekiah; had caused more muddle.

It was discovered by Sunday Vanguard that the four actors from Borno gave different versions of the incident of April 14.

Challenge of capacity A source inside the Villa disclosed that this development threw every effort being mounted from the Presidency into a kilter. “Even Mr. President could not believe what he was hearing from the principal, the education commissioner, the police commissioner

Continues on page 33

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 11, 2013, PAGE 33

Continued from page 32

Reality check At the end of the two-hour session, the coterie of staff and a few friends were all smiles.

‘Mr. President, well done’; ‘Mr. President, that was a good one’; ‘Mr. President, that was great’.

Those were the comments from virtually everyone around.

So, you needed to do a reality check: Were these guys referring to the same media chat that had just ended; a chat that saw Mr. President avoiding some questions and instead launching into a series of expeditions.

But then, you were quickly reminded that by Mr. President’s own standards, this was one of the best performances.

To be fair, not every man is blessed with the magisterial elocution or oratory of Obama; therefore, we cannot hold President Jonathan accountable on that score.

However, we can hold his handlers culpable of dereliction of duty. Was Mr. President not

President Goodluck Jonathan

A President in need of help!

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and the DPO. Those at that briefing listened with mouths opened wide”.

It was this sentiment that President Jonathan re-echoed on national television.

From the gesticulation of hopelessness that he displayed regarding the insecurity in the country, what was clear was a challenge of capacity.

Even an attempt to help Mr. President place some of the blame where it really belongs – at the door step of leaders in the North, who allowed the Boko Haram insurgency fester and blow out of proportion – he condescended and rationalised this leadership failing, explaining that leaders in the North were dealing with terrorism and not militancy.

On the question of corruption and the NNPC, President Jonathan missed some points. He did not need to attempt to define corruption and its relationship with stealing. He did not also need to drag the legislature into it – by saying he smelt legislative dictatorship in the conduct of the activities of the House of Representatives; he also did not need to attempt to draw a parallel between corruption, inflated pump-head price of petrol and the popular rally of January 2012.

On the issue of governance and politics, President Jonathan said he wasn’t ready to declare whether he would seek re-election or not. He voiced out the same mantra of not wanting to be distracted.

That response was expected any way.

On the need to curtail the excesses of petroleum products’ marketers who are selling beyond the official rate, President Jonathan sounded very distant. There is the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, statutorily mandated to monitor activities in the sector. But Mr. President first embarked on a voyage of disbelief; that he finds it difficult to believe that the claim was true; and that Nigerians were responsible for the serial inhumanity against fellow Nigerians. Then suddenly, Mr. President remembered that there was DPR which, he admitted, should begin to do its job.

Jonathan also responded to questions regarding the need for a sound electoral system. He tackled, quite well, the need to ensure that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, gets good funding to prosecute next year’s general elections.

The National Conference going on in Abuja got a fair share of mention. Tackling the need to provide a legal framework that would ensure that resolutions from the confab found their way into the Constitution, Jonathan assured Nigerians of the genuineness of his intention.

He provided a pan-Nigerian vision which he said should be the abiding mantra. He made it clear that it would be better for Nigerians to buy into the resolutions so long as they are meant for the enthronement of a nation built on fairness and equity.

Patience Jonathan may be a wonderful wife on the inside but each public intervention by her comes with a heavy baggage of collateral mishap, which, in turn, only breeds public opprobrium

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coached properly on how to handle questions?

Was he not prepared on the art of effective response to issues raised?

Whatever you say of President Jonathan, he is a thorough gentleman who appears to mean no harm.

He may be limited as all mortals are.

He may also have been catapulted, by grace, beyond his wildest imaginations as he is wont to admit.

However, President Jonathan has spent enough years on the seat of power to realign the realities of his present situation by

desisting from constantly disappointing some of his admirers.

What one saw last Sunday was the same man whom one had met twice at Government House, Bayelsa, between 2000 and 2004; and the man one met, through the facilitation of now Senator Smart Adeyemi, at Eko Hotel in 2006 - his very early days as governor of Bayelsa State.

Verdant, innocent, unacquainted and untried, four years on the seat of the President and Commander-in-Chief of Nigeria is more than enough time to recreate a man. And whereas an old adage says you cannot teach a man to become left-handed at old age, and while not being totally dismissive of the token transformation of Jonathan the village man to Jonathan the President and Commander-inChief, there is still much work to be done.

And this is where Mr. President’s need for help starts.

He invited the quartet to his residence for dinner.

First was the weight of the dinner chairs!

Only God knows what material was used.

Just pulling out the chair, it felt like the weight of a 25kg bag of rice. One of the guests could not but voice “these chairs are heavy, very heavy”.

And if one had thought the needless effusion of praise about his performance was absurd enough, more was to come at dinner table.

We would need to be charitable here.

Apart from Mr. Vice President, Namadi Sambo; Chief of Staff, Gen. Arogbofa (rtd); Dr. Reuben Abati; and Labaran Maku, Information Minister; the dinner table was filled with jesters.

Some would not even allow Mr. President to finish a sentence before they would interject and complete the sentence for him.

Real help When Jonathan tried to explain the complexities involved in the abduction saga and why he remained disappointed in the way the episode is turning out, some people around the table would not let him finish.

‘Yes, the state government should be blamed Mr. President’; ‘the school principal is not fit to head a school’; ‘Mr. President, this looks like a set up’.

Emotive as the crisis at hand was, some individuals cracked jokes that were at once dry and unproductive. Yet, some of these persons are aides who are very close to the President.

But the real help Jonathan needs must be offered by all well-meaning Nigerians. He remains the leader.

Whatever shambling of issues you may accuse him of, he remains the number one citizen of the country.

Those who are guilty in this regard are legion. His wife for instance! Patience Jonathan may be a wonderful wife on the inside but each public intervention by her comes with a heavy baggage of collateral mishap, which, in turn, only breeds public opprobrium. Giving instances here would be impolite but the social media videos of her intervention did more damage than good – even infusing the abduction issue with some sordid comic relief.

But Jonathan’s friends and close aides are the guiltiest of the lot. They appear to have ring-fenced the man from reality. Those who would have been able to offer good counsel and meaningfully contribute for the success of his administration are either kept at bay or do not enjoy quality time to strategic and serious thinking. What you then have is a mish-mash of ineffectual policy pronouncements. Those who seem to think the disgrace being suffered by the Jonathan Presidency – yes, disgrace – because of the abduction should not glory in it. It is a disgrace for the whole nation.

The party leaders, the former heads of state, the elder statesmen who labored to ensure that Jonathan got his ‘Doctrine of Necessity’ should carry part of the blame of what this Presidency is turning into.

Is it that they offered counsel and were rebuffed?

True, he cannot be held responsible for this insurgency but he can be blamed for the way he handled the abduction of the girls.

Throes of evil True there may have been political undertone in the beginning but when the Presidency is quick to splash the tar of politics on every insurgency, thius belies the fundamental issues which are related purely to a lack of capacity.

There was once the sharia movement in this same country. A President dealt with it and even proclaimed that it would fizzle out.

President Jonathan was on CNN mid last year waxing pontifical that Boko Haram would be forgotten in three months, that he would reappear on CNN to tell the story. Sadly, the story on CNN today is about a nation in the throes of evil occasioned by the insurgency.

Still on this issue of abduction, how did the Defence Ministry come out within 24hours to say all the abducted girls had been rescued?

Was it PR gimmickry? For all of three weeks, the Presidency was asleep. Until the weekend of the media chat, there was no momentum.

In times of national crisis, every nation needs a leader. A leader who means well must be seen to be doing well. In the case of the Jonathan Presidency, from what the naked eyes could see, there appears to be a great disconnect between the desire to accomplish and the capacity to deliver.

Mr. President needs help from all Nigerians because at least, as of today, he is still the President. We have had leaders who were rambunctious, some deceptive, others meek, and yet some clueless and uncoordinated.

How would you describe President Jonathan?

In terms of assistance, mercifully, at the time of going to press, many countries of the world have shown considerable concern about the state of affairs in Nigeria and are sending help.

Nigerians, the elites should help their President in the area of capacity-building.

Watching out Information Minister on CNN, shouting and attempting to use decible to break down their microphone smacks of panic response. Yet, I can bet you, as indecorous as that action may be, there would be some people in the Villa who would say, ‘Well done, Mr. Minister,’ ‘You did well Mr. Minister’.

That is the way we are. But the way we are would not help President Jonathan.

PAGE 34— SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, MA Y 11, 2014 MAY

By VLAMIDIER DUTHIERS, HOLLY YAN and CHELSEA J. CARTER He ventures into the forest looking for his daughters, armed with bow and arrow in case the terrorists surprise him. The odds are stacked against him. No one has found the 276 girls abducted from their school last month by the terror group Boko Haram.

But then again, no one’s really been looking, the father says.

That night of horror he father’s voice shakes as he recalls the night his two daughters were snatched from their dormitory at an all-girls school.

It began with an explosion so loud that it shook buildings in the North-eastern Nigerian village of Chibok, waking the girls’ family.

That was quickly followed by the sound of gunfire echoing into the dark night.

By the time father made it to the Government Girls Secondary School, the militants had already opened fire on security guards and set buildings on fire.

Unarmed, there was nothing the father could do but watch ... and wait. “When I went into the school compound, nobody will ever stand it,” said the father, who is not being identified for fear of reprisals from attackers or government.

“You will see their dresses cut out all over. And the hostel and dormitory, everything was bombed into ashes.

So this man told us they have gone with our daughters. We couldn’t believe him.”

Armed members of Boko Haram attacked the school on April 14, overpowering the guards and herding the girls onto waiting trucks, according to accounts of that night.

The trucks disappeared with the girls into the dense forest bordering Cameroon, a stronghold for the terror group whose name translates presidential spokesman to “Western education is sin” Doyin Okupe said. “We’re not in the local Hausa language.

Americans. We’re not showThat’s where the story gets ing people, you know, but it hazy. does not mean that we are not doing something.”

Mixed messages But the father scoffed at the from government government’s response. here are questions about “We have never seen any just how many girls military man there,” he said. were taken, with varying “Had it been military men reports putting that number who went into the bush to between 230 and 276, derescue our daughters, we pending on who is talking. would have seen them.”

In the days after the attack, the military said all the girls Terrorists fill the void had been released or resoko Haram, on the other cued. But after the girls’ hand, is entrenched in families began asking where the region. their daughters were, the The father believes that military retracted the stateeither supporters or members ment. of Boko Haram live in his This much the father knows village. for sure: His two daughters They know his family, the are among those still in captivity after almost a month. father says. They know about his daughters.

Nigerian officials have The family is so afraid, he defended their response and says, that they have fled their said they are searching. home and taken to sleeping “We’ve done a lot — but we in the bush. are not talking about it,”

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CHIBOK:

Parents sleep in the bush after girls abduction, fear more attacks

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“Life is very dangerous in Chibok right now. Since April 14, to date, we don’t sleep at home,” the father said.

They’re not alone. The father said that starting around 5 or 6 o’clock in the evening, “people will disap-

People will disappear into the bush because there is no security.

We sleep in the bush with all of our little ones

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pear into the bush because there is no security.”

“We sleep in the bush with all of our little ones,” he said.

A violent force, a mother’s plea oko Haram is a ruthless, powerful force.

The group says its goal is to impose stricter enforcement of Sharia law across Africa’s most populous nation, which is split between a majority Muslim North and a mostly Christian South.

Under its version of Sharia law, women should be at home raising children and looking after their husbands, not at school learning to read and write.

A video that surfaced last week showed a man claiming to be the group’s leader saying he will sell the hundreds kidnapped girls.

“I abducted your girls. I will sell them in the market, by Allah,” said a man claiming

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to be Abubakar Shekau.

“There is a market for selling humans. Allah says I should sell. He commands me to sell.

I will sell the girls.. I sell women.”

The mother of the two girls had little response, just tears.

“Most of the women, we mothers, we started crying because we had no one to help us,” she said. “Our daughters (have) been abducted or captured as slaves. Now ... we cannot even eat.”

The mother begs for the girls’ freedom, away from a lifetime of abuse and slavery.

“They don’t know, probably one of them is born a president or doctor or pastor or a lawyer who will be helpful to the country,” she said. “Why would they molest these little ones? Please ... release them.”

•Duthier, Yan and Carter are CNN analysts

SUND AY SUNDA

By Saheed Ahmed

H

e is the face of terror. A ruthless leader with a twisted ideology. And the sadistic architect of a campaign of mayhem and misery.

And yet, very little is known about Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Boko Haram.

He operates in the shadows, leaving his underlings to orchestrate his repulsive mandates. He resurfaces every once in a while in videotaped messages to mock the impotence of the Nigerian military. And he uses his faith to recruit the impressionable and the disenfranchised to his cause.

He is a religious scholar Shekau was born in Shekau village that borders Niger. He studied under a cleric and then attended Borno State College of Legal and Islamic Studies for higher studies on Islam.

That’s why he’s also known as ‘Darul Tawheed,’ which translates to an expert in monotheism, or the oneness of Allah.

Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014, PAGE 35

ABUBAKAR SHEKAU The face of terror

*A ruthless leader with twisted ideology Cameroon and it appears to have informal links with militant Islamist groups in Mali and Niger.

Place of birth: Yobe State

He’s elusive Even his age is unknown — estimates range between 38 and 49.

The U.S. State Department has Shekau’s year of birth listed as 1965, 1969 and 1975.

He’s a loner Analysts describe Shekau as a loner and a master of disguise. He does not speak directly with members, opting to communicate through a few select confidants.

He uses many aliases: Abu Bakr Skikwa, Imam Abu Bakr Shiku and Abu Muhammad Abu Bakr Bin Muhammad Al Shakwi Al Muslimi Bishku among them.

He was an unruly No. 2 Boko Haram was founded

by Mohammed Yusuf, a charismatic, well-educated cleric who drove a Mercedes as part of his push for a pure Islamic state in Nigeria. He wasn’t too effective as a leader and had a hard time keeping his second-incommand in check. Shekau was more radical and had grander designs. ... And merciless as No. 1

•Abubakar Shekau

Mohammed Yusuf was killed in a security crackdown in 2009, along with about 700 of his followers. That left Shekau in charge. He vowed to strike back, and his group has spared no one: government workers, police officers, journalists, villagers, students and churchgoers. Human Rights Watch estimates that in the past five years, more than 3,000 people have been killed.

He’s come back from the dead The Nigerian military has touted Shekau’s death several times, only to retract its claim after he appeared alive and vibrant in propaganda videos.

They almost got him in September 2012 when they raided his home, where he had snuck in for his six-dayold baby’s naming ceremony, according to the International Crisis Group. He managed to get away with a gunshot wound to the leg; his wife and three children were taken by the military.

He uses Islam to recruit

and radicalize The northeast, where Boko Haram has been most active, is economically depressed and among the least educated regions in Nigeria.

Shekau has done a good job of convincing residents that

heavy-handed and frequently untargeted anti-terrorism campaign has just helped create more members to sustain Boko Haram. The country’s own Human Rights Commission last year accused the military of arbitrary

,

He’s a polyglot He speaks several languages fluently: Hausa, Fulani, Kanuri and Arabic. But English isn’t one of them.

After all, he heads a group that rejects all things Western.

Analysts describe Shekau as a loner and a master of disguise. He does not speak directly with members, opting to communicate through a few select confidants.

the powers in Abuja are corrupt and a better system of government would be a strict enforcement of Islamic Sharia law across Nigeria. And his promise, coupled with a weapon and a license to plunder, has been enticing to hundreds of young men. ... and the government’s response isn’t helping The central government’s

,

killings, torture and rape in its campaign against the group.

This makes for fertile territory for Boko Haram.

He’s exporting his brand of terror There’s no firm evidence as yet that Boko Haram has ambitions beyond Nigeria.

But its campaign of terror has spilled into remote parts of

He’s made good on his brutal threat It was in May 2013 that Shekau first announced in a video that Boko Haram would start kidnapping girls. The kidnappings, he said, were retaliation for Nigerian security forces nabbing the wives and children of group members.

The most horrifying instance was last month’s abduction of 276 girls from a girl’s school.

“I abducted your girls,” he taunted with a chilling smile in a new video that surfaced this week. “There is a market for selling humans. Allah says I should sell. He commands me to sell.”

There’s a $7 million bounty on his head Shekau has been on the radar of U.S. officials since he came to power in 2009. Last June, the United States put a bounty on him, offering a reward of up to $7 million for information leading to his location. ... But that’s yet to yield results Here’s why, says CNN’s Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour: “(African warlord) Joseph Kony’s had a bounty for years and years. Even with the ‘Stop Kony’ video that went viral, nothing has happened to get Joseph Kony — even though it’s about the only thing in Africa that the United States has committed some forces and some intelligence to.

“Osama bin Laden was not given up because of the $25 million bounty. And who knows whether this will be the case.”

•Ahmed is a CNN analyst

Vanguard, MA Y 11, 2014 MAY

BY FEMI FANI-KAYODE

N

ow that the operational leadership and visible face of Boko Haram, in the person of the filth called Mr. Abubakar Shekau (aka Darul Tawheed), has finally admitted that they were responsible for the abduction of hundreds of our school girls and that they intend to ‘’sell them in the market like slaves’’, it is pertinent and necessary for us to consider some of the emerging, though uncomfortable, facts.

This will enable us to understand the nature of who and what we are dealing with and allow us to consider what the appropiate response ought to be if we really want to solve the problem. Permit me to share the following facts that have been brought to my attention: 1.

That the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has told us that 90 per cent of the girls that were abducted from their school at Chibok were Christians.

2. That President Goodluck Jonathan himself alluded to this during his last media chat when he said that ‘’the majority ’’ of girls that were abducted were Christians.

3. That the majority of the girls that either ‘’escaped’’ or were released by their abductors were Muslims.

4. That the Governor of Borno State refused to accept the counsel and abide by the directives of WAEC that the exams should not take place in Chibok due to the precarious security situation and instead he insisted that the exams should take place there and that he would guarantee the security of the children.

5. That the Christian Association of Nigeria has formally accused the Governor of Borno State of ‘’conspiracy and collusion’’ and they have urged him to tell us exactly where the girls are and what he knows about the whole incident.

6. That the girls that have been kidnapped are being raped up to 15 times a day by their captors and that those amongst them that have refused to convert to Islam are having their throats cut (read the testimony of one of the girls that ‘’escaped’’ on page 8 of the Vanguard Newspaper, 5th April, 2014).

7. That there was not a single adult in the school grounds watching over the 278 girls that entire night apart from one security man and that there was no electricity, no generator, no principal, no matron, no house master and no house mistress in the grounds with them.

8. That the children were all alone in their dormitories that night in the blistering heat and deepest darkness before the Haramites arrived to burn their school and carried them away into captivity.

9. That the soldiers that were guarding the school in Chibok were redeployed a few hours before Boko Haram launched their attack and abducted the children.

10. That up till now pictures of the abducted girls have not been produced or released by the school authorities or the state government.

11. That this was a predominantly christian School and that Chibok is a predominantly Christian c o m m u n i t y .

In my view, these facts are

THE CHIBOK AFFAIR:

The Emerging And Uncomfortable Facts

relevant and instructive. When one considers them, the picture of what really happened at Chibok on that tragic night, what the real intentions of the abductors and their secret sponsors were and what is really going on now is getting clearer by the day.

Ordinarily, whether the children are Christians, Muslims, pagans or atheists really should not matter because, regardless of their faith, we want them all back and we must fight for them all to be returned to their homes and loved ones.

Frightening dimension However, the fact that 90 per cent of them are Christian adds a sinister and frightening dimension to the whole horrific episode and it is glaring evidence of the fact that Christian girls are now being targetted by the Islamists and that those girls are being ‘’sold in the market’’, being forced to convert to Islam and being turned into sex s l a v e s .

Let me put it on record that I am one of those that believe that the Federal Government has failed woefully in their primary duty to protect the Nigerian people and I have enunciated that position more than anyone else in this nation in numerous essays and contributions over the last three years. However, I honestly believe that, today, the problem has become so serious and pronounced and that the conflict has reached such a critical stage that criticising and lambasting the government alone will not help. The truth is that such an approach has, certainly, not achieved much in the last three years because nothing has changed.

I believe that it is time for us to change tactics in order to achieve better results even though we must not relent in demanding that our President and his security and intelligence agencies do their job properly and provide the necessary security for our people. We also need to understand and appreciate the fact that this matter goes way beyond politics.

It goes way beyond whether you

are for or against President Jonathan.

It goes way beyond whether you are in the APC, PDP, APGA, Labour or UPN. It goes way beyond whether you are a progressive or a conservative. It goes way beyond whether you are a christian or a muslim or whether you are from the north or the south.

The bitter truth is that regardless of wherever you come from, whatever your faith is and whichever side of the political divide you stand, we all have a duty to get to the bottom of this matter, join forces, close ranks, find out what is really going on and bring this nightmare to an end. We must join hands with all men and women of goodwill and, together, we must fight this insidious evil that seeks to envelop our land and overwhelm our people.

To be sure, there is only one thing worse than failing to protect your people and that is when you organise and mobilise some misguided and mentally unstable miscreants to use religion as a political tool and get them to blow up, kill, abduct, rape and maim innocent men, women and children in an attempt to destabilise the country, spark off a religious war, change the status qou, pull down

also interested in furthering the sinister and barbaric agenda of the Taliban, the Al Nusra Front, Al Shabab, Islamic Jihad, Hamas and Al Qaeda whose wish is to destroy the secular state and to establish an Islamic fundamentalist state. They wish to establish a radical new caliphate in the west African sub-region where christianity and moderate Islam is banned, where women are treated like sub-human beings and chattel and which is governed by the strictest form of Islamic Sharia law.

To this end, it is interesting to note that the evil is spreading. A glaring testimony to that sad fact is the fact that an army barracks was attacked by Boko Haram in the Camerouns on 5th April and after killing two army officers they freed all their fellow terrorists and Islamists that had been detained there.

What is going on is dangerous, bloody, vicious, heartless, brutal, deep, dark and sinister and it is a conspiracy of monumental proportions. It is a conspiracy which we have all fallen victim to.

It is a conspiracy that is fuelled by secrecy and strengthened by the reluctance of those that know better and that know the truth to speak out and expose it.

It is a conspiracy that also

,

PAGE 36—SUND AY 36—SUNDA

We also need to understand and appreciate the fact that this matter goes way beyond politics. It goes way beyond whether you are for or against President Jonathan

,

the government, induce a military coup, dismember our country and cow the Nigerian people into submission.

Secret supporters That is what those who are the secret supporters and sponsors of Boko Haram are doing and attempting to achieve. They are

receives massive funding and covert support from various governments and royal families in the Middle East whose support for the salfists is well known and whose wahabbi doctrines and philosophy is exceptionally dangerous. These are the type of people that we are dealing with and these are the times that we are

living in.

It is good news that the international community are set to play a greater role in this fight and that they are ready to assist us in resisting terror and waging war against what is esentially a relentless and vicious global jihad.

However this is not enough. The fight is still primarily for our President and the Nigerian people to lead.

It is left for the President and his team to rise up to the occasion, tell the Nigerian people the bitter truth about all that is going on behind the scenes, remove the kid gloves, get real and fight the Haramists and their sponsors with all that he has got.

If he refuses to do it or if he is cowered into not doing so by the moderate and dovish voices that appear to be around him, he can be rest assured that sooner than later this country will break up and he will go down in history as the last President of a united Nigeria. Worse still, if he is not careful there may well be a military coup which will not be welcome by any right-thinking person and which everyone dreads. We must assist him as best as we can to ensure that this does not happen.

I have little doubt that the President knows who those that are behind Boko Haram are: it is now time for him to exercise his full powers, expose them and deal with them in a brutal and savage manner.

It is time for him to show strength and to lead us into this war against terror boldly. It is time for him to be a Commander-in Chief that we can all be proud of.

It is time for him to use his full power and to detain and interrogate all those that he suspects may be linked to the t e r r o r i s t s .

It is time for him to rise up to the occasion and to crush the evil and the forces of darkness that have challenged our way of life, everything that is dear to us and indeed our very existence.

It is time for him to use every method known to man to vigorously fight the insurgency, including better intelligence gathering and the usage of ‘’black ops’’, ‘’wet boys’’, covert operations and maximum co-operation with various foreign and international intelligence and security agencies.

It is time for him to ruthlessly bomb the notorious and Boko Haram-infested Sambisi forest with nepam and burn it, together with everything and everyone that is in it, to the ground. It is time for him to exercise the right of ‘’hot pursuit’’ and to pursue the Haramites into the Camerouns, Chad, the Niger Republic or anywhere else if and when it is necessary for him to ever do so.

It is time for him to prove to the world that the Nigerian people are not insensitive cowards and that we know how to fight and to protect our own. It is time for him to rise up and to exercise the full powers and authority of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is time for him to do whatever it takes to bring our girls back home and to let us hold our heads up high once again.

•Fani-Kayode is a former Minister of Aviation.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014, PAGE 37

Students and teachers Celebrating without share their views on the Chibok girls’ abduction: Chibok girls?

16 D AYS TTO O CHILDREN’S D AY DA DA

By Anino Aganbi

By FUNMI AJUMOBI

E

very country in the world knows quite well that children are the future and does everything possible to safeguard that future by giving the children adequate care and respect their rights.

Nigeria is a good country with good people. I have never seen anything that unites the country apart from football and our children. Protests and rallies from every part of the country over the kidnapped Chibok girls attest to this.

If Nigerians who do not carrying arms and are not the Commanderin-Chief of the armed forces are protesting every day and some are even ready to go to the so-called Sambisa forest, what then are our armed forces doing? Has Nigeria become the ‘Giant of Africa’ in name only? Frankly speaking, our President did say the truth on television that the country is not well positioned to combat terrorists because we have never faced this kind of problem before. Do we say he is just unfortunate that this thing is happening during his tenure?

We know we are in this situation because past leaders failed to prepare the armed forces for this challenge.

Nevertheless, Boko Haram has been in full operation since the inception of the president. If he had taken adequate action by equipping our forces and seek help from outside the country, the story possibly would have changed. How many people have lost their lives apart from children? What has happened to the defence allocation in the budget? Why is government so indifferent to the safety of its citizens?

Now that the Boko Haram leader has declared that they have sold these children to different countries and Nigerians are asking the president to bring them back, is it not high time everybody works together with the international community that wents to help rather than dancing back to negotiate with Abubakar Shekau like northern elders want to do now. What do we as a nation want to celebrate in the history of Nigeria on May 27, the Children Day?

Government should tighten security

I

t is painful that our leaders have not been able to do anything since the girls were abducted. There is no mother who is happy about what is happening especially when you think about the pains and stress you passed through during delivery and nurturing the child and the child is kidnapped. My prayer is that God would lead us on what to do. The president should lead the efforts to rescue the girls and tighten security across the country.

We cannot continue to live in fear for our lives and those of our children - Miss Adeola Okunola (Head Teacher).

We should be more security conscious

I

believe schools should have good security in place so that students can be safe. Parents and teachers also need to be more security conscious. The Chibok girls should be released.

The president should also tighten security at our borders to deter terrorists - Ibrahim Adeleye

Government should plead with the abductors

I

would like to appeal to government that they should do more on the rescue of the girls. The news we hear every day on this incident is disheartening. Government needs to find the people behind this and plead with them to release the girls. My prayer is that God will not allow something like the abduction happen again. We sympathise with the parents of those involved on what they are going through and we pray that such occurrence will not happen again - Mrs. Adedipe (Teacher)

We pray for divine intervention

I

feel very sad about the Chibok girls. I implore government to put in more effort to rescue the girls. As a nation, we can only pray for divine protection - Mrs. Adegbenro (Teacher)

The abductors are after the president

I

think the president has a lot to do so that these girls can be free. The people who have taken the girls probably do not want President Jonathan to remain in office; so they are doing everything to make his tenure difficult - Daramola Olajumoke

Govt can organize traditionalists to tackle the insurgents

I

think the president needs to find out what the insurgents really want and find a lasting solution to it. Government at all levels should beef up security.

What happened to the Chibok girls should not be allowed to occur again.

Government can organize traditionalists so they can use their charms to counter the insurgents since arms do not seem to be working - Micheal Adedipe

Attacked communities should M i l i t a r y should put in work with government more efforts

I

t is uncalled for that such a thing as abducting girls from schools should be happening in a nation that is the ‘Giant of Africa’. It hurts that a country like this has not been able to find a lasting solution since the girls were taken. The security threat did not begin over night. It has been building up over time but government ignored it hoping the problem would go away. The Federal Government needs to find a lasting solution to this issue aside the CCTV cameras that were mounted. I want to believe that if the attacked communities can work with government since they know the terrain better, something positive can come up -Kolawole Momoh (Principal)

I

feel the military people should put in more efforts to bring the Chibok girls back. The parents of these girls cannot be happy about what has happened. The president needs to employ more security officers to safe guard our schools and the lives of children.- Gloria Anyatowun

Chibok girls must be rescued b 7 --Joe Okei-Odumakin byy Ma Mayy 2 27 P

resident, Women Arise for Change Initiative, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, explained why the Chibok girls ought to be rescued before May 27.

Some northern leaders and two other groups are against the US help, saying they are going to be reaching out to Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau to secure the release of the abducted girls. What is your take on that?

This clearly shows that the northern leaders are not serious about the rescue of the girls. The Federal Government has not been able to rescue the girls despite the much acclaimed military might of Nigeria.

Is it then wrong to seek help outside Nigeria?

If the US can help get Abubakar Shekau who is the leader of Boko Haram, so be it. All efforts have failed, we have seen so many lies and conflicting reports.

Sometimes ago the news was that he had been captured; at another time, they said he had been killed but the men will C M Y K

always come out and do more terrible things.

So, why will anyone or group be against US help to get Shekau? This implies that the northern leaders might not be worried about the insurgency.

On Shekau declaration that he is going to sell the Christians girls and marry off the Muslims among them and nobody can get him.

His declaration is very worrisome and disturbing. I am particularly disturbed by this declaration and I think some very quick action must be taken to stop him from doing it. I believe that if the girls are moved and sold out it might be difficult to rescue and bring them back. So I want efforts intensified from the Nigerian government and the international community.

Children’s Day is around the corner. How do we plan for the celebration without the children?

I do not think we have anything to celebrate for children on their day if the kidnapped girls are not back before then. May 27, 2014 should be a day to call for national action on the security and safety of our children.

Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin

PAGE 38—SUND AY 38—SUNDA

Vanguard, MA Y 11, 2014 MAY

By FUNMI AJUMOBI

M

rs Laila St MatthewDaniel is one of the voices fighting against abuse of women in Nigeria. She is a Life Transformation Strategist and founder of ACTS Generation, an NGO against domestic violence.

She is championing the ‘Bring back the abducted Chibok girls’ campaign held in Lagos. In this interview, she speaks on the abduction.

The abduction of the Chibok girls happened in a state under emergency rule while another eight were kidnapped. What is your take on the situation?

President Jonathan said while inaugurating the Chibok girls rescue committee that, “we must bring back our daughters”. I think he is optimistic that the girls will be rescued.

One is happy to hear that but saying that we are not prepared for this type of terrorist attack shows how unserious we are as a nation.

Remember they said they want to turn this country to an Islamic state. We should note that they attack in different ways. Most times they attack the soft targets and as you face the soft targets, they launch another terrible attack. I am happy that government instead of allowing pride to take the better part of them C M Y K

How ‘Bring Back Our Girls’ campaign went viral -Matthew Daniel

,,

How could this happen in a state under emergency rule?

Terrorists had four hours operation and carted away the girls without help from anybody after which they journeyed into the forest.

Remember the principal was said to be there; and the next minute, they said she was at her daughter’s place. There is discrepancy about the number of the kidnapped students. At times you wonder if we have leaders.

The hatch tag, “Bring Back Our Girls”, was initiated by a South African activist on social media. She was just wondering how, in the 21st century, people could go into schools and cart away students. So she said everybody should begin to say it and, when we had our rally, we decided to use it, and before we knew it, it went viral.

My take is that this is beyond Nigeria. Everybody must work together to bring back the girls and I am happy that the international community including the nonEnglish speaking countries are ready to work with us to bring back the girls

I was thinking Madam Jonathan will mobilize women on the streets and carry placards but instead she said they should not protest

accepted help from outside.

The US anti-terror experts are here already but some northern leaders say they should stay away promising to negotiate with Boko Haram to bring back the girls.

It is too late to do that. What

have they been doing going to four weeks? So, they can negotiotiate and hundreds of lives are lost everytime? The US officials are here and many will come. The incessant killings must stop. I know US is not only going to ameliorate what has happened but will

also find out what is on ground. It is sad that leaders like them could come out at this time to stop help that can end the insurgency in the North. All we want is peace.

What can you say about the boldness of the Boko Haram leader, Shekau, saying he will sell the Christian girls and the Muslims among them, he will marry them out?

That is why we need international help because it is beyond Nigeria. If there is an international market where human beings are sold, then it should be exposed.

We need to continue to pray and also put pressure on our government because we don’t have arms and ammunition but

our voices. We are the voice for those who do not have voices. Some people said the parents of the kidnapped children should be more inspired, How? You know their culture about women. They have been facing this problem for years and nothing has been done. Trust has broken down totally. We don’t know who to trust again. We don’t know who to believe. The parents said they went to Sambisa forest and they didn’t see any soldier on their way? There are so many questions to be asked. We have gotten to the point that nobody should be afraid because people want answers to the challenges posed by terrorism. Our leaders should begin to respect the people and the people themselves should begin to demand for explanation. Why should a protest march be stopped in Kogi State by the police?

Our President too said he cannot negotiate with the people he doesn’t know because nobody has come out to take responsibility for kidnapping the children; shortly after, Shekau released a video. I was thinking Madam Jonathan will mobilize women on the streets and carry placards but instead she said they should not protest.

Shekau got that confidence because he could see that we are toothless bull dogs. He can see that we are busy fighting ourselves as Christians and Muslims. No respect for women. What they think women are for is to make babies. They don’t want them to have education because they know if they do, they will refuse the demonic power the men have over them. They don’t even want their boys to go to school. They don’t want Western education, yet the guns they use, the armoured tank in the video he released are the products of the West; what about their means of communication? Are they not from Western education? It is just more than that We are celebrating Children’s Day on May 27.

We do hope the children will be back before then.

It has never happened in the history of Nigeria that our girls will not be celebrating. So we are hopeful they will be back with everybody working together including the international community. Our girls must come back. The position of Nigeria women is that all these girls should be brought back alive. That is when Nigerians will believe that our government is serious and will gain our confidence again.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014,

NORTH/SOUTH FACE-OFF AT CONFAB

The resource control clash

Disagreement between southern and northern delegates on contentious issues seem to be impeding the work of the 20 committees of the ongoing National Conference in Abuja.

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

T

he presidential caveat was clear, short and simple: do not discuss Nigeria’s break up, not even a mention of it. But on the contrary, the discussions at the on going National Conference in Abuja so far have been dominated by talks that touch on the country.

Perhaps were it not for the elongated plenary session that served as the first phase of the conference, offering delegates time and time again to familiarize and share acquaintances preparatory to the turbulent and controversial national issues that were expected at the committees stage, the conference obviously would have crashed at the second phase, the committee stage.

The import is that the delegates who appear charged, set to grab one another’s throats C M Y K

The South that is pushing for this resource control should also know that it is presently controlling the Presidency of this country over the issues discussed at the committees would have seen themselves more as total strangers and as such spared no tolerance and fine thoughts that could lead to compromise.

Going by what has already played out, and still playing out, a good number of the delegates seem, prior, to their arrival at the conference, resolved to crash the conference.

*Controversial issues

The controversial issues

include resource control, revenue sharing formula, form or type of government suitable for the country, state police, immunity clause, devolution of political power, state creation, removal of local government councils as part of the federating units, true federalism and voting right of Nigerians in diaspora.

20 adhoc committees were raised by the leadership of the conference and, for two weeks now, the committees have continued to dissect the issues with an aim of churning out practicable recommendations

eventually. But it has been a tug of war at the committees, though not all, as members disagree, a development which has clogged progress.

Among the committees are those on agriculture, national security, science and technology, devolution of power, political restructuring and forms of government, diaspora and foreign affairs, socials, judiciary, law and legal matters, religion, et cetera.

While a good number of the committees have turned in their recommendations to the secretariat upon successful deliberations, others are yet to conclude.

*War of words

Essentially, the committees on political restructuring and forms of government, co-chaired by a Senator Ike Nwachukwu and Hon. Mohammed Kumalia, and the committee on devolution of powers, also dco-chaired by a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah and a former Inspector General of Police (IGP), Alhaji Ibrahim Commassie, seemed not to be on high speed. It is worse with the devolution of powers committee which appears to be the melting point of the conference.

The mandate of the devolution of powers committee, amongst other things, is to examine the Second Schedule of the 1999 Constitution which places some social, economic and political items under the federal Exclusive List.

For about one week running,

PAGE 39

the committee could not make any head way. Members were divided along North and South lines over resource control and other matters.

At the time of the disagreement, it was Junaid Mohammed, a Kano State delegate, and Jack Tilley Gyado, from Benue State, who, in the course of their presentations on the issue of pervasive unemployment amid enormous wealth in the country, asked the South to stop agitating for more derivation from the present 13 percent on resource control.

Mohammed said: “I don’t envy this committee simply because the decisions are determined by mindset. As a democrat, I believe fundamentally in the rule of law.

We are not compelled to have a nation. We have the issue of unemployment in the North.

We must have a way of moving the finances of this country in a very equitable manner.

Graduates are being pushed into revolutionary situation because they have no jobs”.

Gyado echoed Mohammed’s sentiment. He said: “The South that is pushing for this resource control should also know that they are presently controlling the Presidency of this country.

They cannot have the Presidency and resource control at the same time. I advise that we should be very slow in asking for more to be given. If Niger Delta states are asking for 100 percent resource control and want to pay taxes to the Federal Government, I believe that the timing for that request is wrong. We all know that we have serious security challenges facing this country.

The monies being distributed to the Niger Delta are enough to make every Niger Delta person a millionaire. It has to be a win-win situation.

I advise for status quo to be maintained on resource control.

Let’s remain where we are now.”

Alhaji Usman Farouk, another northern delegate, said the conference must look towards ensuring that the country does not amend the portion of the Constitution which approved 13 percent derivation to mineral producing areas.

He said: “Resource control is against the spirit of the 1999 Constitution. These mineral resources are natural and we must see it that the mineral in Zamfara State belongs to the person in the Niger Delta and the one deposited in the Niger Delta is for the person in Zamfara.”

The three delegates position did not go down well with the

Continues on page 40

PAGE 40 — SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014

Continued from page 39 southern delegates and so, attracted reactions from the devolution of powers committee’s co- chairman, Attah; Chief Ayo Adebango; Asara Asara and Ankio Briggs.

Attah said: “The Constitution was drafted by Nigerians and so we will discuss.”

Adebanjo pointed out:”If we really want to keep this country together, we must address the inequalities among some sections of the country. It was the military that gave us the present 13 percent derivation formula. How did they arrive at that?

“If we want peace, we should discuss that and if we are serious to be together. This is the last chance for Nigeria to remain together. Those who hold the property of this country should be in control of their resources.”

Asara stressed: “My people are ready for anything. We want total control of our resources. If derivation formula was up to 50 percent during the groundnut pyramid era, why the difference now?”

At this point, the northern delegates became more agitated. Their anger was fueled by Briggs submission.

Briggs, prompting her to say, “Who do you think you are?

How many heads have you that you think if you abuse me, I won’t retaliate?”

Penultimate Tuesday was another time the committee couldn’t reach a compromise and hence another round of altercation between the two regions.

This time, it was the turn of Chief Adeniyi Akintola, a delegate from Oyo State, and another delegate and a former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, who engaged themselves in war of words.

Akintola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), had raised a point of order expressing dissatisfaction with the proceedings of the committee.

He threatened to prevail on his kinsmen to stage a walk out on the committee if issues were not resolved.

“Where is the power devolution? We said state police, you brought in INEC, you brought it in and you expect me to append my signature to it. No Yoruba man will append his signature to anything done here. I can tell you that. I think the best option is to walk out, “ Akintola said.

Akintola’s outburst drew the ire of Mantu who asked the SAN to go home if he was no longer prepared to participate in the deliberations of the committee.

“Those of us who attach a lot

NORTH/SOUTH FACE-OFF AT CONFAB

The resource control war! of importance to this exercise, we have not absented ourselves for even one day. We know that we are here for something very important. I did not miss any of the plenary sessions even for one minute. I was there from the beginning to the end. When we were on the resolution committee, i made sure I was there even though i had other important things to do. The problem we are always having here is that some people will not be around when we take decisions and they will come back later to draw us back”, Mantu said.

The former Deputy Senate President’s submission aggravated the already tense mood of the house with him and Akintola engaging in hot words.

“We cannot sit here, come up with some very good decisions and somebody would just want to draw us back by saying he wants to walk out. If you want to walk out, you can walk out. Nobody forced you to come here. You came here on your own volition. You were not brought here in handcuffs and if you feel you can no longer cope and want to walk out you are free”, Mantu fumed.

“Concurrent List means that the state and federal governments can share powers on certain items. If you feel that the state can do better on any issue, then it can set up its own institution to carry out the responsibility but the Federal Government will not stop the state from doing anything on the shared list. I think we should adopt the position we have taken and move on. If anybody is not comfortable with the decision, then he can abstain

when we come to passing the final resolutions”.

At this point, the co-chairmen of the committee, Attah and Coomassie, calmed down frayed nerves, saying the committee still had more work to do.

The committee decided that the items in the Exclusive List

members from the parliament.

In the committee on politics and governance, removal of immunity clause took the center stage just as the establishment of state police failed to fly in the committee on national security.

In the diaspora committee, it is the voting right and the

This is the last chance for Nigeria to remain together. Those who hold the property of this country should be in control of their resources especially item 39, “mines and minerals, including oil fields, oil mining, geological surveys and natural gas,” should remain in the Exclusive List with a new provision that the states where such minerals are domiciled should be involved in the exploration.

overall welfare of Nigerians resident abroad that dominated talks.

In the committee on religion, state sponsored pilgrimages and the teaching of Christian or Islamic studies in primary and secondary schools may become a thing of the past.

*Political restructuring and forms of government

North kicks In the meantime, the North appears not to be in support of some of the recommendations of the National Conference committees.

A booklet circulated at the National Judicial Institute, NJI, venue of the conference, stating the position of the North on some of the national sensitive issues vehemently rejected the continued existence of the Niger-Delta Development Commission(NDDC), the Ministry of Niger Delta and the Amnesty Programme for Niger-Delta ex-militants and the Component C of the SUREP programme, the HYPADEC. It also asked for the drastic

The committee on political restructuring and forms of government, co-chaired by Nwachukwu and Kumalia, penultimate week, voted for additional state for the Southeast to bring it at par with other geo-political zones. It also expunged local governments as federating units. Another big decision it took was modified presidential system of government for the country. The new system which is a hybrid of the parliamentary and presidential systems of government shall see the President choosing his cabinet

reduction of oil derivation from the current 13 percent to three percent.

Besides, the North rejected additional state for the Southeast.

The book entitled, “Key issues before the northern delegates to the 2014 National Conference”, maintained that the North produces 80 percent of the Nigerian population leaving the South with 20 percent, stressing that northern Nigeria was the back bone and strength of Nigeria.

“The North rejects the frequent assertions by the South on the population figures of the North and state clearly that the rate of population growth attributed to the North over the years is extremely understated”, it stated.

*Onshore/offshore dichotomy

The book added, “The North recommends the rejection of claim to oil resources by oil producing areas that led to the cancellation of the onshore/ offshore oil dichotomy which action gave way a national resource to littoral state, seriously eroding revenue available for the distribution to all part of the country. The north demands a reversal to status quo ante.

“The North recommends that all institution and programmes established for the benefit of a few states be abolished. These include the Niger-Delta D e v e l o p m e n t Commission(NDDC), the ministry of Niger Delta and the Anmesty Programme for the Niger-Delta ex-militants and the Component C of the SUREP programme, the HYPADEC. “Derivation which is now 13% should be reduced to 5% and must be limited only to on the onshore.

“The demand for resource control is indeed also oblivious of other relevant facts: the Nigerian Constitution gave the ownership of all mineral resources found in any part of the country to the federal government of Nigeria.

The history of revenue sharing between the Regions and the centre was 50:50, but limited to revenue derived from activities that involved human effort. All mineral resources had belonged to the centre, and this new adventure on resource control is totally new concept, and alien to the practice in the Nigerian.”

On the local government system, the book said, “The North recommends a multi-tier local government system that brings the people closer to the government and increases their level of involvement in governance.”

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014,

PAGE 41

Opponents of resource control have nothing to fear — Bozimo • Says confab committees’ performance below expectation

By OLAYINKA AJAYI

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hief Gordon Bozimo is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). In this interview, he speaks on the ongoing National Conference among other issues.

How do you assess the debate on state police?

The moment you talk about true federalism, then, there must be state police. There is no federal unit anywhere in this world that does not have state police. State police does not mean that the federal police presence in the state is totally gone because there are federal laws and there are state laws.

In the US, there are federal offences and the Federal Bureau for Investigation (FBI) comes in. The fear being expressed is that governors may use the state police for political reasons, but the question is this: what is the percentage of practising politicians to the rest of the country? The police system is meant for security of lives and property. So, if the poor man in my village is murdered, we all know that the state police would have been in a better position to fish out the murderer, but because a governor may misuse the system, should the poor man be deprived of justice?

Politicians are politicians; the citizenry is different from politicians. Laws are made for the entire citizenry, not for politicians. Therefore in principle, state police cannot be faulted under a federal system.

Now, it is left to them in the confab to look at how to safeguard the state police from being abused by a governor. I believe the answer is a strong judiciary which would provide that check and balance. Today, even when EFCC wants to arrest someone, the person runs to court and gets an interim injunction. So what stops a person at a state level to run to the courts to stop arbitrary arrest?

The judiciary committee of the confab should look at these areas because both the executive and legislative arms of government can only be

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checkmated by the judiciary.

Only the judiciary can check the actions of the executive who enjoy immunity. So the committee should look at the safeguards that can be put in place to check arbitrary arrest and abuse of the state police.

But funding remains a key issue in the matter of state police….

Of course, that comes in. The recommendations from the confab cannot all be implemented in one day; therefore, because state police has serious financial implications, it is those states that are ready now that can start the processes of state police.

Those that are not yet ready would still go ahead with the federal police until they are capable. So nobody would force anyone; some states cannot afford it.

Discussions surrounding the debate on resource control and

own.” That is not it. True federalism is concomitant with resource control. Devolution of powers is concomitant with resource control; power cannot be devolved and the federating units would not have the capacity to carry out their functions. It is not possible. The moment we talk of devolution of powers, we talk of true federalism, then control of resources within the territory of that federating unit is what gives it the autonomy. There can be no autonomy without capacity; a nation cannot be truly independent if there are no resources. Since the whole country is agreed on devolution of powers, I would expect that when it is taken from that prism, that we are devolving powers, then each of the states should be able to carry out the new concurrent list we are drawing up. Therefore, more resources must go to them; so, already, it means control of resources. Then we

Laws are made for the entire citizenry, not for politicians. Therefore in principle, state police cannot be faulted under a federal system fiscal federalism remain a heated and sensitive issue.

What are your views on these issues?

So far, the issues pertaining to resource control have not been properly highlighted. The essence of this confab is to find solutions to some of the very serious problems we are encountering. Yes, security is number one, but resource control shares the same position because between the egg and the chicken, which comes first?

If resource control is not properly addressed, we would still have security problems in the future. I am of the opinion that a lot of people do not understand what resource control really means. I do not think those asking for resource control are saying “look, tomorrow morning, we are coming to collect everything that you have; food, water, everything, and you are on your

talk of the percentage that will accrue to a state from a resource within its territory; today oil constitutes about 80 percent of our resources. Therefore, it would not be wise to say that after the confab, all that 80 percent should go straight to oil producing states. That way, the country would collapse, and we need to have a country to be able to enjoy the resources. It should therefore be a graduated thing; we can give ourselves 15 years. 50 percent in the first five years, 75 percent in the next five, by the next five which would be 15 years from today, it should be 100 percent. This gives enough room for states to adjust. For example, Ondo State has a lot of bitumen, but it is not exploring it. I can assure that within two years of resource control, Ondo State would be exporting bitumen. So, resource control should not be seen as some people being greedy and

* Bozimo wanting to eat alone, no! I am expecting that delegates from the Niger Delta would take time to engage others to let them understand, and have confidence that we are not trying to make them suffer. All of us would pay some price for the future so that the country would move forward. We cannot say Nigeria should continue with what we are practicing now; that is recipe for chaos.

The agitation against resource control is premised on the fact that some states are less endowed with natural resources and may not be able to fulfill their obligations to their citizens. Would you say the fears are justified?

That is why I say a graduated method; there is no part of this country, where proper commercial agriculture cannot survive. We are a blessed country; we are only being lazy.

Resource does not mean from under the ground, also more than two third of the states have mineral deposits, but oil has made everybody lazy. That is why there is fear in the region that suffers the pollution, that in the future when the oil is finished, we cannot go fishing or farming anymore; our ecosystem would have been destroyed. At that time, others would develop their resources, and what do we do? So it is a catch 22 situation. While they are feeling that bad, they should also see it from our own perspective; we need this money now to develop for the future. With the graduated system, they should also now look inwards instead of looking towards Abuja. And of course not all federating units must be equal. After all, California, at a time, was bigger than a lot of countries, but there are also small states like Arkansas. So, in Nigeria, all the states must not be equal in whatever respect; it is not possible; that would be utopian. Every state

has something either under the ground or on top of the soil.

Let’s till the ground; and, that would even reduce unemployment.

With computerization of everything now, even the oil companies no longer need many human beings. Oil would not employ our unemployed youths; it is heavily subsidized and heavily funded agriculture that would employ the teeming population.

The money the Niger Delta gets from oil should be pumped into agriculture, and fisheries; else, there would be no jobs for the youths. How many graduates would AGIP or Shell employ? They are saturated already.

One of the committees has recommended additional states for the South-east. Do you think that should be on the main agenda?

It is a very good thing; but, I do not know if the confab is the right forum for that, because in one breath, we are talking about fiscal federalism or true federalism: once you say fiscal federalism, whatever state you create must produce and fund itself. When state creation was fashionable was when everything was in Abuja: so if you create more states, you get more from the central purse; the same way with Local Governments.

For instance, a place like Kano has over 40 LGAs now; once we agree on fiscal federalism, the Kano state government has to fund its 44 LGAs; so it may have to merge some.

That also applies to state creation. If you say you want 10 states, you can go ahead, so long as it is true federalism and fiscal federalism. Left to me, it is not the appropriate forum to bring that issue up. If they are saying they deserve another state, and pricking the conscience of the nation, nobody would argue with that, but they will get a new state under new realities.

PAGE 42—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 11, 2014 Email: vanguardwoman@gmail.com

CHIBOK GIRLS’ DELAYED RESCUE

Nigerian govern average Nigerian

*Says next set of Nigerian leaders already messed up *Corruption, root of nation’s disaster *How parents have failed

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wenty-seven days after the abduction of over 200 girls in Chibok, Bornu State, and the subsequent kidnap of eleven girls in the same state, the Nigerian government has come under heavy criticism due to its failure to secure the girls’ release.

In this interview with Feminista, Pastor(Mrs.)Ruth Nick Essien, President, Female Ministers Forum; Founding Pastor, Fruitful Family Int’l Bible Church and also Founding President, Women After Revival Ministries, bares her mind on the thunderous phenomenon that has attracted worldwide attention.

Pastor Essien

Ruth

BY JOSEPHINE IGBINOVIA

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hat do you think of the recent twist to the insurgent in North-East Nigeria; that’s the kidnap of schoolgirls?

I’m going to give answers to that question as a woman, mother and as a pastor. As a woman, first and foremost, we know clearly that these girls are going to be beaten and raped; and most of them are virgins. Definitely, that’s going to affect them because if we want to have better women, we must make sure the girl child is well-trained, emotionally balanced, healthy and educated. So, these people are going to release to us horrible women in future.

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Initially, when Boko Haram came up, people kept quiet because it was political and was meeting their desires and needs.

Now, everyone is panicking because it has touched us all As a mother, this is not something that any mother should even imagine. My biological daughters are not among them but I must tell you that for weeks, I’ve been very sad. When I close my eyes, it’s like I’m seeing them screaming while being raped.

I’m praying to God seriously about it because it is very disturbing. What if one of those girls is the only child or daughter of the parents?

We’re not even sure all of them are alive! As a pastor, I want to tell everyone that this is the opportunity for God to uncover these people because I’m sure even their founding sponsors are no longer in support of their actions. They now have other means of getting money and have become bosses of their own,

and not of those who actually introduced them for political purpose. If truly their god says these girls should not go to school, did that god also say they should forcefully marry them?

The Federal Government is presently being castigated for failing to intervene timely though it claims to have been working round the clock. Do you think government has actually intervened in a shrewd and timely manner?

In as much as I do not have any dealings or business directly with government, I’m somebody that calls a spade a spade. We’re all saying government did not do this and that but do we agree that there are many things that happen individually in our

different homes that we handle wrongly? That’s just a small family; not to talk about a whole country. I’m not taking side with government.

Yes, we say they could have acted timely but how do they act timely if they do not have adequate information and equipment? These people work with information and that’s why they have been able to successfully carryout series of bombing! Let us just pray for God’s wisdom. Again, talking about government; most of their children are outside this country. It has to affect somebody directly for that person to stand up radically. How many of their daughters are amongst these children?

But they do have an

obligation to protect the lives of every citizen of this country…

A typical African man has the obligation to take care of his wife and children but how many of them do so? If the wife just manages to secure a small job, that’s the end of feeding allowance! They ’ll say “Are you not working?” It’s this same set of people that are shouting in the press that government is not doing anything. The problem with us as Nigerians is that we fail to see that we are all government and are supposed to work together on this matter. Initially, when Boko Haram came up, people kept quiet because it was political and was meeting their desires and needs. Now, everyone is panicking because it has touched us all.

Some are even using it to become very popular, writing petitions here and there and shouting “Release our girls, release our girls” even when they do not mean it. Why is it that it’s the abduction of the girls that we’re crying about?

What about the bombings that have killed so many Christians? Did we make any noise? Or didn’t we have innocent girls as well as pregnant women that died in those bomb blasts? I am not seeing this development as a separate entity but as one with the killings of the past. Again, how can government help?

We know that the government is corrupt and that there are informants, right inside government, who always work the success of the administration.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 11, 2014, PAGE 43 Email: vanguardwoman@gmail.com

ment prototype of the — Pastor Ruth Essien Now, what are you saying the solutions are?

We must go back to the subject of corruptioncorruption of the mind, emotions, spirit and whatever you can think of. I can bet you that if a party takes over from this party, they’re not going to do any better because it is still going to be run by human beings from this same country.

I do not know which party will tell me they’re coming as a party that isn’t corrupt. The fact is that corruption is the root of Nigerian government’s inability to rescue those abducted girls till date. I say this because there are many who have information about where these girls are but are willing to keep quiet for one reason or the other. One step however will be to carryout investigations on companies selling those sophisticated ammunitions and armored cars, and trace the buyers and shipments. That way, a lot of culprits will be revealed.

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ut are you excusing the Federal Government?

If anyone wants to condemn government, let him first go on the internet and read on terrorism. It’s a terrible thing because you don’t know who is financing them and they themselves might not even know their real sponsors.

Besides, can you honestly tell me how the average Nigerian on the street behaves?

As we’re condemning government, do you know how many Nigerian women are being violated domestically? How many girls are being sexually abused by their fathers everyday? It is not just to make noise about government. We’re all Nigerians and are not going to buy leaders from Cotonou or Ghana. Our leaders come right from this same society and the society has always been corrupt. The market woman takes advantage of increase in food prices and adds money to goods she bought ever before the increase. She will tell you “they’ve added money”. We didn’t buy leaders from anywhere; these were leaders produced from our individual homes and who sucked the breasts of Nigerian mothers who watched their children misbehaved until they grew

up and became leaders? Who are Boko Harams? Are they not children born by women from this same society? We say they’re from Chad but we’re just deceiving ourselves. This country needs help and as a women advocate, I urge every woman to go back home and begin to train the next set of leaders; these ones have disappointed us and we have agreed, but who are we going to replace them with?

Meanwhile, our next sets of leaders are already in our houses, messed up. Nigeria was celebrating its centenary and alcohol companies were telling us how they make billions in Nigeria. Every nook and cranny of our country has beer parlours with long cars parked by young men on a regular basis. These are the people that will rule us tomorrow. So, let all those men and women complaining about government go back home and do their work because we’re already grooming our next set of leaders and already, they ’re drunkards, drug addicts, gays, wife beaters, criminals and many more. The church is also guilty because it has complicated issues with prosperity messages that lack balance.

The United States government is coming in along aside some other world leaders; what do you expect?

Their success will still need the cooperation of Nigerians.

Anyway, didn’t the US go to Iraq? We’ve seen all the success they had; haven’t we? They ’ve been in Afghanistan for how many years now and we’ve seen their success indeed. Is terrorism something you wish for? As you are moving, they are expanding! Talking about training the next leaders, Boko Haram is training the next set of people that will go and detonate bombs.

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ack to government, you sound like it has lived up to expectations…

Nigerian government has always been failing its people and this administration too, I must say, has failed in the areas of water and infrastructure. But when it comes to terrorism, I can

for the first time, I went to Ilorin by air. We know how airports have been down for 30 years without changes. The Ilorin airport was inside thick bush, covered with bushes, until this administration revived it through Stella Oduah. That’s why we need more women in government.

That saved me a lot of hours and fatigue and it was done in two years. What about the local and international airports in Lagos? I’m a pilot’s wife, so, I’ve been around airports for decades. It took this administration to revive these airports. Even the light we’re complaining about, it is a bit better than previous administrations.

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Pastor Ruth Essien

Our next sets of leaders are already in our houses, messed up...they ’re drunkards, drug addicts, gays, wife beaters, criminals.

Every nook and cranny of our country has beer parlours with long cars parked by young men on a regular basis excuse President Jonathan.

On electricity, everybody knows that there are certain people in this country that do not want electricity to be stagnant because they have to keep selling their generator and fuel. This is in spite of whatever effort or fault of President Jonathan, directly or indirectly. Who will buy generator if there’s electricity?

And do you remember people own these businesses? Some us of are just trying to politicize all these issues even when we know the truth.

Are you telling me that opposition parties fighting to come into power are also not being sponsored by fuel lifters

and generator producers and sellers? Will they now make light work and allow their sponsors loose money? And you know the cost of vying for election in this country which always puts political leaders at the mercy of business moguls. As far as I’m concer ned anyway, this government has tried and you can quote me any day.

Why do you say so?

The previous government did not do better. As a person, I’ve gained from this government. How? For eight years, I went to Ilorin to preach in a particular church and I went by road. Last December,

ow, let’s talk about the sort of challenge our notoriously porous borders will pose to addressing the present unrest in the country…

Who told you our security agents do not know those that come into Nigeria daily? They know. Have you traveled the borders lately? I went to preach in Port Novo and the Republic of Benin, and it took us five hours to cross five meters. Why? Corruption.

The moment the security agents at the Nigerian border saw our personalities, they started demanding all kinds of things. Meanwhile, all kinds of funny people on foot, okada and vehicles were just passing freely. But by the time we crossed to the other countries, we didn’t spend up to ten minutes at their borders. Seme border that should have been structured long time ago has been left undone to aid this same corruption because computerizing access to the border would have stalled certain corrupt practices. So, what are we saying? You’ll see building materials abandoned around the borders because some people are in the system working seriously against the competition of the borders. Is it Jonathan that is manning those borders or fellow Nigerians like us? I believe we must begin to change as individuals if we must change this country. Is it drivers’ license and the cumbersome process of securing it as a result of corruption?

Have you seen the publicized video in which Shekau vows to kill all Christians?

I have but that’s not possible. This incident is also an awakening for Christians who have left the place of prayer and have turned the altar of God into a place for buying and selling. It is high time we started doing the right thing.

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PAGE 44, SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 11, 2014

•Dr. Pius Odubu

•Gov Adams Oshiomhole

•Pastor Ize Iyamu

Unease in Edo APC as core group quits We are not bothered — Party

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM, BENIN-CITY

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OLLOWING the expira tion of the seven-day ul timatum issued to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State by the group of the All Progressives Congress (APC) loyal to the former Vice Chairman, South- south of the defunct ACN, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, members of the group, last Monday resigned from the APC en-masse. Before then, the former ANPP governorship candidate in the state, Chief Solomon Edebiri, also resigned from the party, citing alleged dictatorial tendencies of the leadership of the party as reason for his defection. The mass defection of the Ize-Iyamu’s group members, who are expected to declare for the PDP soonest, did not come as a surprise to many after the group condemned the ward and local government congresses describing them as a sham. But many in the governor ’s camp believed that they were complaining because they lost the congresses. Leaders of the group, led

by Ize-Iyamu, Prince Tony Omoaghe; the member representing Etsako Federal constituency, Abubakar Momoh; and Alhaji Usman Shagadi; went to Abuja after issuing the ultimatum asking the governor to cancel the congresses and the party’s registration, to see President Goodluck Jonathan and the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih. And before they went to Abuja, Oshiomhole visited the residence of Ize-Iyamu to plead with him and his followers not to leave the party.

When they came back from Abuja, they also met with the governor, but according them, it became clear that their de-

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mands were not being met. It would be recalled however that Oshiomhole tried to avoid this sort of crisis when he insisted that leaders should have consensus candidates across the 18 local governments of Edo. His doctrine of consensus succeeded in Edo North and Central districts but was punctured in Edo South where Ize-Iyamu and the deputy governor, Dr Pius Odubu, hail from. In Orhiomwon Local Government where Ize Iyamu and Odubu hail from, the governor advised that they should share the ten wards in order to avoid full blown primaries but the former was said to have preferred, but full blown congresses and that eventually led to the congresses that held in the seven local governments in Edo South.

After the first ward congress, the Ize-Iyamu group cried foul, asserting that it was done without due process. After reviewing the exercise, Oshiomhole cancelled it and ordered a fresh exercise. After the second exercise, the group also condemned it and threatened to pull out.

When the group returned from Abuja, some loyalists of the governor regarded their action as anti-party and commenced moves to expel them.

But Sunday Vanguard learnt that Oshiomhole truncated the move, preferring rather to continue his appeal to them not to leave. Ize-Iyamu explained that: “Yes, we went to Abuja to see the President but we did not go to negotiate anything.

We told the President that we were still discussing with the governor and we believe that he will listen to our complaints. The meeting was brief because we did not go for negotiation; so people who are talking about anti-party were

talking rubbish”. Members of the group, including Mrs Evelyn Omokhodion, Osaitin Edosanwan, Fidelis Ogbejele, Frank Erewele, also resigned their appointments with the state government, after a former member of the Federal House of Representatives, West Ehigie-Idahosa, moved a motion which announced their official disengagement from the party. In a communique read by Omoaghe, it alleged that no attempt was made by the governor to “redress the flawed membership registration exercise and the congresses.” He added, “Nothing has been heard from the appeal panel set up to deal with complaints arising from the sham congresses. There must be an end to the governor ’s naked show of power which we daily witness in the affairs of the party and indeed in the governance of the whole state.

As democrats, we would decide our next line of action in a few days”. But the APC, through the state interim Chairman, Chief Osaro Idah, accused Ize-Iyamu of having a “pathological fixation” on becoming the governor of the state, no matter what it took.

He added: “Ize-Iyamu’s resignation from the APC will not in any way affect the fortunes of the party, rather, the party will consolidate on its growing stature in the state”.

Meanwhile, Ize-Iyamu, who disclosed that “I slept well the day I resigned my membership of the ACN,” lampooned the APC Chairman, stated, “The problem in Edo North that warranted Alhaji Shagadi, Abubakar Momoh, who is in the House of Reps, to resign, was it Ize-Iyamu’s ambition that caused that? There are fundamental problems in the party. I read they also said

that those of us who left were actually cancer in the party. By this confession, they are trying to say that the party is terminally ill and if they think that the cancer has left because

When the group returned from Abuja, some loyalists of the governor regarded their action as antiparty and commenced moves to expel them we have left, let me tell him that they will now realize that the cancer has not left because when you have cancer which is a terminal illness, what it means is that the party is set to die. In the next few days you will see more people leaving the party. It is regrettable that a party that we laboured to build is going this way. Unfortunately, the governor is being held hostage by people who have no idea on how a party is run and how a party is managed and their utterances have confirmed that. So the press statement is nonsense, it does not address the issues”.

However, those who have been following the politics of Edo since 1999 would be wondering how Ize-Iyamu will be accommodated in the PDP, led

by Anenih, following their quarrel during the administration of Chief Lucky Igbinedi-

on. Ize-Iyamu led members of the Grace Group to dump the PDP when Anenih and the then Governor Igbinedion were battling for the soul of the PDP in the state. Ize Iyamu, a political tactician, would not want to commit political suicide and, as it seems, he must have a political agenda that many may not know. A poser: Could it be that he may have struck a deal with Captain Hosa Okunbor, the Benin born billionaire strongly funding the PDP in the state, ahead the 2015 general elections? IzeIyamu might persuade Okunbor to run for governorship while he becomes the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and after one tenure Captain will leave the scene to concentrate on his business empire while he takes over.

That is if the PDP is able to defeat the Oshiomhole’s APC which will be a difficult task Okunbor enjoys popular support amongst the Benins but will that continue when he enters the political scene?.

Though they would be banking on support from President Jonathan, that may be deflated if Oshiomhole backs the President for second term.

Another poser is whether Anenih and PDP leaders in Edo South will back any move made by Okunbor and Ize-Iyamu. They may also meet a brick wall in Anenih who, Sunday Vanguard learnt, may back the current Minister of Works, Arch.Mike Onolemenmen, for governor. Whatever the situation is, the politics of Edo between now and 2016 will be interesting. Oshiomhole has proved that he is no longer a neophyte in politics and with his dogged loyalists around him, he is surely battle ready to face the task ahead.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014,

Page 45

Delta, Omo-Agege and the 2015 polls

BY OVASA OGAGA

VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF

Permutations ahead of the next general elections

I

F former Secretary to the State Government, Obarisi (Barr.) Ovie Omo-Agege decides to seek the governorship of Delta State in 2015, there will be little political oxygen left for anyone else. I have taken so many factors into consideration to arrive at the conclusion that Omo-Agege, who came second to the two-term incumbent Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan in the PDP primaries in 2007, will become the Delta PDP best-selling candidate, the ultimate game changer as soon as he joins the race.

It has been established beyond doubt that Delta is a PDP state.

To achieve total victory, it will be political naivety of the highest order to discount the fact that the PDP does not just need a candidate to merely win the governorship election, but one whose candidacy would deny the opposition APC the crucial 25% in the presidential election. I make bold to say it is only a candidate of Urhobo extraction that can achieve this for the PDP. First, to achieve comprehensive victory, it will be politically suicidal for the PDP to ignore the

declared position of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), that Urhobo will deliver more than 800,000 votes en bloc for the political party limited to PDP or APC that will field an eminently qualified Urhobo man of their choice to run for the office of governor to execute a pan-Delta agenda. Second, it does not require consulting oracles to know that the APC’s governorship candidate in the 2015 elections will be an Urhobo man, Chief O’tega Emerhor, to take advantage of the clamour by the Urhobo to produce the next governor of the state. Again, it does not require an oracle to discern that the APC is praying that the PDP will shoot itself in the foot and destroy its chances by fielding a non-Urhobo or an Urhobo perceived to be the lackey of Uduaghan. Third, PDP needs someone formidable enough to comprehensively defeat the candidate of Urhobo extraction, the APC will field in the governorship election.

With the earned towering stature of Omo-Agege, his sterling standing in Urhobo land and with the UPU, combined with the unique position of his appeal to all major stakeholders in the politics of the state, he is the man who will achieve the two crucial goals of winning the 2015 governorship election and flattening the APC to the extent that the party will not get the needed 25 per cent of votes in the presidential election.

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VIEWPOINT

There are some who still think that Omo-Agege and Uduaghan will not be able to work together for the greater good of Delta. Their thinking is framed by what they think they know about both men

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Even though Omo-Agege has not declared interest in running for election, there is a rapidly unfolding inevitability of the fact that he is the only one who can secure total victory for the PDP as the party’s governorship candidate. There are some who still think that OmoAgege and Uduaghan will not be able to work together for the greater good of Delta. Their thinking is framed by what they think they know about both men. OmoAgege and Uduaghan, reconciled in 2011. Omo-Agege as a devout Catholic and Uduaghan as a fervent Baptist set worthy examples that reflect the word of God that forgiveness is not complete until it is put into action which they did privately and publicly, working seamlessly together during the senatorial bye election in October

2013 to deliver victory to PDP to the cheered pleasant surprise of supporters of PDP and shock of followers of APC. It is therefore a tested winning combination and partnership that should be repeated to secure victory in 2015. This is why I believe Uduaghan will support and own the process that will eventually endorse Omo-Agege as the governorship candidate of PDP. This will further cement their relationship which Omo-Agege will never sabotage because he is a principled man whose word is his bond and will not under any circumstance work against Uduaghan’s interests and legacies. In fact, only a PDP victory will protect Uduaghan’s interests and only candidate Omo-Agege will make the PDP victory a sure thing.

What Omo-Agege lacked when he was a governorship candidate in 2011 was the support of UPU and Urhobo. As an astute politician, he learnt from that setback and re-strategized to rectify the problem. He is presently the national chairman of the formidable Urhobo Political Congress which enjoys huge following, trust and confidence of Urhobo and UPU, effectively erasing all doubts that he will harness the support of UPU and Urhobo who vote as a group for the PDP to harvest a comprehensive victory.

Just as our economy was recently rebased to become the biggest in Africa, Omo-Agege rebased his

Tukur: The prophet honoured in his home

BY PRINCE OLIVER OKPALA

VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF The implication of the reception for former PDP boss in Adamawa

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T is said that a prophet is with honour except in his own home. This axiom was put to question recently at Yola, Adamawa State when the erstwhile National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, was hosted to a civic reception by the Adamawa State chapter of the PDP. The people of Adamawa turned out in their hundreds of thou-

sands to accord a warm and tumultuous welcome to their highly esteemed son. An unprecedented crowd and sea of heads lined all the roads to welcome.

The rousing reception marked a glorious home-coming, a reunion of sorts and a triumphant entry into Adamawa by one of the greatest sons of the state and also one of the greatest gifts of nature to Nigeria.

The arrangement had been that only the State Executive members of the PDP and eminent stake-holders will be at the airport in Yola to receive Tukur before the reception proper, but the crowd of supporters, party members and admirers of the former PDP National Chairman refused to heed the directive and

Ngige boycotts Anambra APC rescheduled congress

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

T

HE faction of All Progres sives Congress, APC, in Anambra State led by Senator Annie Okonkwo at the weekend held another state congress after the faction led by Senator Chris Ngige conducted a similar exercise last week.

The exercise, held at the Women Development Center, Awka, attracted delegates from all the 21 local government areas of the state, with officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC , led by an assistant director, Mr. Oti Echezona and officials from the national headquarters of the party monitoring.

Except for the position of the state chairman, other offices had only one candidate and were returned after voting.

Mr. Obiorah Igwedibia emerged the state chairman after defeating Dr. Igwilo Sylvester. Other officers who emerged from the congress include Mr. Rey Achukwu (deputy chairman), Nestor Okoro (secretary), Eddy Nwokike (treasurer), Prince Akubue (financial secretary), C. T. Albert (publicity secretary), Romeo Anyisi (organizing secretary) and Mr. Chibuzor Okeke (state youth leader).

Deputy national chairman of APC, Senator Annie Okonkwo told reporters that the success of the exercise was due to the democratic disposition of the party, adding that APC believes in inter nal democracy.

He said: “This kind of congress has never taken place in this state before and it is because APC wants to show good example for others to emulate. Our promise is that we will sustain this for our democracy to take its firm root.”

He believes in republican democracy, participatory democracy, party discipline and internal party democracy. These were the anchor points of his tenure as PDP National Chairman

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VIEWPOINT

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thronged the airport to receive their son and express their appreciation for his many years of selfless service to Adamawa and Nigeria.

All the roads leading to the airport was filled to capacity by gorgeously dressed men and women. The crowd of supporters cut across ages and groups.

At the reception proper, the people of Adamawa paid glowing tribute to their illustrious son. It became apparent that Tukur was deeply attached to his people and his home state, inspite of his many years of sojourn outside Adamawa either as a politician, a public office holder, a business tycoon or in the service of the nation. This event showed in clear terms that he never lost sight of his root.

He loves his people and his people love him. This symbiotic association played out significantly at the reception proper.

political worth and today currently stands shoulder and head above other politicians from Delta Central Senatorial district and beyond.

Some Delta compatriots who think it is their turn to produce the next governor should know that in the absence of any valid zoning arrangement that is acceptable to all, an Anioma PDP gubernatorial candidate cannot achieve the twin goal of winning the governorship and denying APC 25 percent of the votes in the presidential election.In fact, given the prevailing realities, the inconvenient truth is that an Anioma PDP governorship candidate will not win the governorship election and will also deny President Jonathan victory in the presidential election in Delta because of protest votes by Urhobo who will switch en masse to the APC, not the DPP. The question is, will OvieOmoAgege run for the office of governor? Another question: If OmoAgege has not made up his mind to run, will the PDP at the highest level which include the president and state governor wisely prevail upon him to run? If they do, total victory for the PDP in Delta will be taken for granted without taking anything for granted. *Ogaga, Senior Correspondent of Advocate, lives in Warri.

(08087951040– SMS only or ovasaogaga@gmail.com)

From what happened at the ceremony, it goes without saying that Adamawa is a PDP state.

The reception is a window to what the future holds for Governor Murtala Nyako and his cohorts in the APC in Adamawa come 2015.

Tukur is no doubt one of the vanishing species of nationalism in the iron support of the Nigerian project. He is a blessing to Adamawa and Nigeria.

He believes in republican democracy, participatory democracy, party discipline and internal party democracy. These were the anchor points of his tenure as PDP National Chairman.

Tukur is a bridge-builder and an unrepentant democrat who believes in election rather than selection and a thorough disciplinarian. *Okpala is a political analyst

2015: Youths ask Uduehi to contest Delta guber

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OUTHS under the aegis of Delta Progressive Youth Movement, DPYM, have made an appeal to the chairman of the Governing Board of the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education, Dr. Esther Kelicha Uduehi, to contest the 2015 gubernatorial election in Delta State in order to give the people the true leadership they deserved.

Arising from their deliberation in Warri, the group leader, Comrade Prince Uchechukwu Ossai, described the former Special Adviser to erstwhile President Olusegun Obasanjo onLiaison for the House of Representatives as a forthright woman who believes in service for humanity and appealed to Deltans to vote for her when she eventually declares.

The group's woman leader, Lady ljeoma Oriaku, expressed delight that after series of consultation and pressure from her people Dr. Uduehi, has expressed interest to contest the 2015 gubernatorial election in Delta State noting that for 16 years the men have ruled the state and should give the woman a chance to give the state a motherly leadership.

War against Boko Haram: Group advises Gov Nyako

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RONT for Ijaw Surviv al a nd Hope,FISH,

says with international help coming Nigeria’s way in the fight against terrorism, it was not late for Adamawa State Governor, Murtala Nyako, to turn around and support the fight.

Director of Operations, FISH, Comrade Solomon Aloba, spoke as America, Britain and China offered to help Nigeria find the

over 200 female students abducted from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State.

Following widely condemned memo to Northern governors where he accused President Goodluck Jonathan of genocide against the North, Aloba said Governor Nyako’s denial of existence of Boko Haram represents a frightening compromise of se-

curity of lives and property that should have attracted impeachment. While urging the abductors to release the female students, Aloba noted: “The security situation in the North has become precarious and it has become imperative for politicians to put politics aside and support the nation’s security apparatus to stop this barbaric activities of Boko Haram”.

PAGE 46—SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 11 , 2014

FALLOUT OF WEFA

The new investments to come, by experts

BY UDEME CLEMENT

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he initiative by the Fed eral Government of Ni geria to host World Economic Forum (WEF) Africa, despite the security challenges in the country, to many experts, is a welcome development. While some analysts said the forum would open new investment opportunities for Nigeria, others stated that Nigeria would benefit greatly from business networking opportunities and inter-change of new skills.

Nigeria stands to benefit from Public, Private Partnership (PPP) initiative: Director General, Lagos Chambers of Commerce, Muda Yusuf: The forum was a welcome development because of the positive impacts it would have on Nigeria’s economy now and in the long-run. These include, networking opportunity for businesses in various sectors of the economy and value in terms of exchange of new investment ideas that would benefit the local economy.

Also, some investors may

President Goodluck Jonathan

want to form partnership with state governments in Nigeria for new investments in their states. The forum was a good initiative because we need foreign investors who should be willing to invest in infrastructure for Nigeria to build a strong economy capable of creating jobs, not just portfolio investors who are only interested in what to get out of Nigeria to build their own countries. Nigeria needs investment in construction, agro-allied industries and other sectors of the economy to promote

The recent rebasing would help Nigeria’s economy greatly, because many investors in other parts of the world have come to realise that Nigeria is the biggest economy in Africa

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inclusive growth.

The recent rebasing would help Nigeria’s economy greatly, because many investors in other parts of the world have come to realise that Nigeria is the biggest economy in Africa. With this, investors would like to partner with local firms in the country.

Economic forum has value for Nigeria in the area of pol-

icy framework: Registrar, International Logistics and Administration, Mr. Mark Iloh: Nigeria would benefit from the economic forum in the area of policy formulation framework needed to rejuvenate the economy. Economic policy strategy is quite imperative, because the economic policy of every nation is the bedrock upon which all other developmental related policies rest upon, be it industrial, production or trade policies.

The summit focused on inclusive growth and good economic policy involves measure put in place by the government to ensure achievement of macroeconomic goals. Such economic goals include price stability, relative full employment, economic growth and external payment balance.

Economic policy, therefore, gives a defined course of action on identified economic problems of the nation. With the re-classification of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which shows a huge increase, but on real terms very low impact on human

development, it is time for policy redirection on those factors that will involve creation of jobs and capacity utilisation for industrial development.

The major components of economic policies, which must be re-directed include fiscal and monetary policies, trade and exchange rate policies as well as human development index. To achieve relative full employment, the policy must focus on industrial development strategy, through the use of Small and Medium Enterprise (SMEs). This would drive restructuring and diversification of the nation’s economy in order to reduce over dependence on oil. Government needs to achieve fiscal and balance of payment viability over time. Measures should be put in place to grow the potential of indigenous companies.

To achieve these objectives, it becomes necessary to adopt a new economic management strategy to encourage SMEs in areas like, reduction of company tax and credit facility for expansion.

Rebasing is no economic gimmickry — Monye, presidential adviser In this interview, the Special Adviser to the President on Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, Professor Sylvester Monye, speaks on the rebasing of the economy; the Presidential Committee on Airport Security which he chairs and other matters.

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S the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Airport Security, what will your committee do differently from other similar committees in the past?

The committee’s mandate is very clear: clear the mess in our airports and stop the unwholesome practice there. The committee was set up by Mr President to bring some sanity to the operations at the airport and make passengers experience an enjoyable one. If you go to any airport any where in the world, you will see how airport businesses are conducted. If you come back to Nigeria, it is a different story. If you are to simplify the mandate of the committee, it is to bring us in line with international best practices.

How are we going to do it differently? The answer is very simple. There are rules. What we will do differently is to enforce the procedure and to ensure that those rules that have been established are fully implemented.

Those who are culpable of these violations are big men in the society. How do you intend to tackle them or clip their wings? How do you bring the airport workers in sync with this new thinking?

First of all, the objective of this new policy is not to clip the wings of anybody and we have absolutely no intention of clipping any body’s wings. What we are doing is to make our airport users comply with the International Civil Aviation Organisation code of conduct and practices. What we are saying is that if you are trav-

elling abroad, it is only passengers that go beyond immigration.

If you are not a passenger, you should not go beyond immigration. If any body wants his aide to go beyond immigration, he should pay for a ticket for him to travel. It is as simple as that. The intention is not to cause any person any discomfort but to comply with the best practices.

Secondly, when you arrive Nigeria, no body should drive to meet you at the aircraft. If you have the strength to travel, you should have the strength to walk to the arrival hall. The objective is to make everybody know that this is what we expect of them.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation has issued circulars to all Nigerians including state governors advising them of this new procedure and seeking their cooperation in the implementation. We are not trying to inconvenience anybody but to provide some order and sanity in our airports. Sometime in our airports, we have more trolley handlers than passengers. This is unacceptable.

However, there is a provision for foreign affairs trained protocol officers who can assist VIPs if they need assistance. We are not unmindful of our peculiar situation. The foreign affairs protocol officers are substitute for the hordes of other protocol officers.

They can wait outside the arrival halls of the airport.

Apart from this, the environment of the airport is also covered in the mandate of our committee. If you go to the Lagos airport between 7pm and 9pm for instance, what you see there is simply obscene. People take the laws into their hands. People block the roads unmindful of other passengers. We will create an avenue for people to drop off or pick their passengers and move on. Nigerians are wonderful people; once you tell them what to do, they will follow it.

Many Nigerians believe that

impact on the performance of another agency. If there is any industrial disharmony in any other agency of government, it is the Ministry of Labour that steps in to resolve it. There must be overlap. What we need to do is to strengthen the working relations between the agencies of government.

The re-basing of the country’s

Professor Sylvester Monye dividends of democracy promised by this administration have remained a mere promise. As the Special Adviser to the President on Project Monitoring and Evaluation, what would you say is responsible for this perception?

I do not agree that the deliverables promised by this administration have not been met. What I can say to you is that for you to measure any performance, either of this administration or any administration, you have to have a performance indicator. If the government said we are going to have Benin-Sagamu Road for instance, has the government done so? If you have all these indicators and they did not meet the deliverables, then you can say the government has not done well. The government should be measured based on its promises and the extent to which these promises have been met.

That is the most objective way of assessing performance.

Has the overlapping roles of government agencies in any way affected their over all performance?

I don’t think so. If you look at government, it is a holistic system that allows you to interface with different agencies. These agencies may have defined roles but you find invariably that the performance of one agency must

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BY BEN AGANDE

Assess us as we are today. By simply telling you who you are today, does that put a dime into your pocket?

It doesn’t make you richer or poorer but you are simply recognized for what you are today and not 24 years ago

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GDP has generated mixed reactions with some Nigerians saying that the fact that Nigeria is the biggest economy in Africa has not affected the well-being of its people. What does this rebasing mean for the ordinary Nigerian?

I am going to use an analogy to explain the rebasing. Rebasing simply means to choose the base year through which the country will be assessed. It was in 1990 that we had our base year taken from, so every assessment of the economy in terms of structure and size was predicated on what was happening in 1990. We did not take into account things that have happened in our econ-

omy over these years. What the rebasing has simply done is to look at the current market price of our products and services at today’s price. That will now tell us the size and structure of our economy. For instance, in 1991, agriculture was contributing 33% to our GDP but with the rebasing, we discovered that it is contributing 22% of the GDP. In 1990, service sector was contributing 26% but with the rebasing, we discovered that it is actually contributing 51%. In 1990, telecommunications was contributing zero percent; with the rebasing, we discovered that it is contributing 80%.

Some 24 years ago, you were probably in the university or preparing to go into the university.

Somebody who knew you 24 years ago knew that you had School Certificate. But in the last 24 years, so many things have happened and yet somebody is still looking at you with the eyes of 24 years ago. What we are saying is that don’t look at us with the 1990 eyes.

Assess us as we are today. By simply telling you who you are today, does that put a dime into your pocket? It doesn’t make you richer or poorer but you are simply recognized for what you are today and not 24 years ago. What we did is to assess us as we are today. People were assessing us as small boys but with the re-basing, we discovered that we are big boys. We thought that we were smaller than South Africa but with the rebasing, we discovered that we are bigger than South Africa. We didn’t know that telecoms was contributing as much as it was contributing. That is the beauty of rebasing. Nigerians should not debate whether it has provided more in our pocket or not. This is not economic gimmickry. It is simply us looking at ourselves as we are today and telling ourselves the truth.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014, PAGE 47

WEFA: ‘The road to economic prosperity’ you imagine that an oil company in Nigeria is now trying to outsource its computer department, a unit of the same company? The situation is terrible and we have been talking to the government about this method of enslavement and nothing is being done to tackle the menace. How can a worker be in an employment of a company for between seven to 10 years still on contract, within basic incentives he ought to benefit from as a permanent staff? You discover that the vacancies filled with contract workers were left by permanent staff. You can see how they enslave Nigerians in their own country.

In the banking industry now casualisation is alarming because most people you see as cashiers and other workers in these new generation banks are all contract staff. So we begin to ask ourselves, where do we go from here?

BY UDEME CLEMENT

Comrade Folorunso Oginni is the Lagos Zonal Chairman, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN). He spoke on the World Economic Forum hosted by Nigeria, the activities of the organised labour, after 100 years of existence, the mono-cultural economic practice in Nigeria, sharp labour practices going on in some companies and the need for the Federal Government to harness un-tapped resources.

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S a stakeholder in a major sector like oil and gas, how do you evaluate the World Economic Forum on forging inclusive growth, creating jobs, hosted by Nigeria?

To start with, government should have addressed the fundamental problems facing Nigeria as a country before hosting the forum to seek influx of foreign investments to the country. This implies nipping security challenges on the bud to ensure relative economic stability, capable of attracting foreign investments.

When Shell and Chevron came to Nigeria nobody begged them to come and invest. These companies came at the time they realised that the economic environment was stable for investment.

When an economy is secured, investors will rush there without government going about begging them. In reality, investments cannot thrive in an economic environment that is not secured for tangible growth. Foreign and local investors will not like to put money where their investments can be consumed by insecurity.

The forum has no bearing with the fundamental challenges facing the nation at the moment.

Aside from security, government must provide basic infrastructure to reduce the cost of doing business in Nigeria. For instance, Dunlop relocated from Nigeria to Ghana, due to high cost of production, arising from lack of power supply. They prefer producing from Ghana and exporting their goods to Nigeria.

Aside from Dunlop, many companies, especially manufacturing firms, closed shop in Nigeria, because of erratic power supply, which is still a major problem militating against economic growth and development in the country now. In some companies, the money spent in buying diesel on daily basis is about half of their overhead cost of production.

The recent rebasing would help Nigeria’s economy greatly, because many investors in other parts of the world have come to realise that Nigeria is the biggest economy in Africa.100 years after the formation of the organised labour in Nigeria, sharp labour practices are still prevalent in the country. Is there any hope for Nigerian workers?

Members of PENGASSAN celebrated the Workers Day without going to the Eagles Square, which is the national arena in Abuja. It was not that we were against anybody, but we wanted government to know that Nigerians are not happy with what is

Comrade Folorunso Oginni happening in the country, like inhuman killings, unemployment and abject poverty. We must come together to fine solution, because if care is not taken, this alarming insecurity can consume the entire nation. I believe there is nothing for workers to celebrate in Nigeria, rather we should agitate and call for fervent prayers for this nation to survive.

President Goodluck Jonathan, even admitted that those girls were actually kidnapped and over 80 per cent of them are Christians. Imagine what these terrorists are up to. They want to instigate serious religious crisis in Nigeria, where North would be against the South, and the South against the North. I worked in the

ernment collect money from its citizens to offer them employment? The exercise was not well co-ordinated and that calls to question the kind of leadership we have in Nigeria. The situation was worst in Lagos than Abuja, because the human traffic that day was terrible. Not that those people came to watch a national football team but for employment, and the resultant effect was lost of innocent lives. The solution is for government to build more refineries across the country in order to create jobs for the citizens.

What is PENGASSAN doing about the prevalent issue of casualisation in the industry?

Casualisation is becoming the

There is problem with our law, and we are calling on our lawmakers to look into the aspect of the law, which gives management the prerogative of hiring and firing workers North and I know that most people in Borno, Yobe and Taraba states are Christians. What they want to prove to us is that Muslims are in control in this country, so they want to Islamise Nigeria. This can cause serious crisis in the entire country if not well tackled.

Recently many people died trying to get the Immigration job, even as experts revealed that unemployment rate stands at 24 per cent and has become a national crisis. What do you think government can do to tackle this challenge?

The situation is laughable and we need to question the government. It was published that the vacancies were not up to 4,000, yet they collected N1,000 from each candidate, and from about 250,000 people. How can gov-

order of the day and our PENGASSAN members had discussed this issue several times.

When you say people must not go on casual and contract employment in the country, the management of such companies will turn around and call it another name, that is outsourcing. They have given it another name to further enslave Nigerians.

What do you mean by outsourcing of workers?

It is another form of enslavement of Nigerian workers. They would look for somebody to give the work. He will go around and employ over 100 workers, and that is the person they company will relate with, instead of the workers. This is still casualisation only being given a new name to exploit Nigerians. Can

What is the way out?

There is problem with our law, and we are calling on our lawmakers to look into the aspect of the law, which gives management the prerogative of hiring and firing workers. They should look at the plight of Nigerian workers. This is imperative because some firms hide under this clause to exploit workers. Today, one employee in Nigeria is responsible for more than 20 dependants, aside from his immediate family, due poverty and unemployment in the country.

I was in Cuba and I realised that this country knows the number of graduates coming out every year. So, government makes provision for them even before they graduate. They do not pay them huge salaries but they provide for them. Go to Cuba and study their economy, you will realise that all their engineering students are employed upon graduation, and they are building houses and roads with their own citizenry. In Nigeria, government is using foreign contraction firms and everything is done by foreigners, while our youths are jobless. Are they saying, we do not have people who can be like Julius Berger in Nigeria? Our government is always ready to award contracts worth billions of Naira to foreign construction firms to the detriment of its citizens.

God has blessed us but we failed to harness the resources we have adequately. For example, if you travel from Lagos through Benin to Akwa Ibom, you will see the vegetation. Most palm trees you see along the road were not planted but germinated and grew as birds ate and dropped the fruits. This shows how productive our soil is.

Some people are of the opinion that Labour Unions have compromised their standard. Do you share this view?

During the time of Jesus Christ, there was Judas and after Christ was crucified, his aim of coming to the earth was accomplished.

There is corruption everywhere and if there are labour leaders who are compromising, that does not stop those who are honest from asking government to do the right thing. Labour leaders must come together and continue to fight for what is right. We must partner to ensure that the nation

survives. My appeal to Nigerians is to vote wisely in 2015 elections.

Now is the time politicians will award contracts they may not finish. Some who had been invisible for over three years are coming out, so that they can get votes and abandon Nigerians again to their fate. Nigerians must come together to close the ranks, leave party politics and look for credible candidates who can deliver.

Some people are saying that Nigeria is too vast for development and the country may break up following prevalent security crisis. What is your view on this?

The vast land area and large population are for our own good.

Diving Nigeria is not an easy task because of the ethnic groups. Today people only mention three ethnic groups like Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo, whereas, the smaller units under these ethnic groups are the major challenge. For instance, a Benin man will tell you that, he is not a Yoruba person, Isekiri man will say, he is not from Urhobo and even Akwa Ibom man can say, he is not Igbo man. So, you see the problem with the ethnic groups under these three entities.

Today people are talking about oil in the Niger Delta, forgetting that oil has been discovered in Lagos, Kogi and other parts of the country. Within the West African coast for instance, Ghana and other countries have found oil.

Niger Delta has oil while the North has tomato, pepper and other things. You can see that the large population is our strength.

The problem is that our leaders are those making us to say this man belongs to the South or this woman belongs to the North. Before now, we had regions, and the Southerners developed their region with money realised from cocoa, while other regions also developed their areas with money generated from groundnut, palm oil and other resources.

Now, oil money has made us to become very lazy. The Chinese are here in Nigeria carrying our timber away and what they bring for us to buy in return are these fabricated chairs and tables. Go to Lagos-Ibadan Express Way, you will see them there cutting trees. Go to Oyo state, you will see that foreigners are also taking away our marbles. They will take the marbles, polish and bring them back for us to buy, calling them Italian marbles, and we are here fighting for oil. Marbles can be used to construct bridges even in the ocean.

Our countries are generating power with hydro-carbon but in Nigeria, everyone is interested in oil while other resources are neglected. Malaysia took away our palm seeds, though they are denying it, but today, Malaysia exports palm oil to other countries in the world. Go to Port Harcourt and see the type of plantain we have there, visit Badagry to see the large quantity of coconut we have them. Nobody is interested in mechanising these things, everyone is talking about oil. America is looking for another source of generating power, they are talking about new technology while Nigeria is lagging behind, fighting for oil money.

PAGE 48—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 11, 2014 sameyoboka@yahoo.com

08023145567 (sms only)

Mega companies must enlist in Stock Market-----Apostle Alile

By SAM EYOBOKA

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IONEER Director-General of the Nigeria Stock Exchange, NSE, Apostle Hayford Alile has restated his appeal to the Federal Government especially the National Assembly to compel all mega companies operating in the country to join the Nigeria Stock Market.

Speaking in an interview at his 74th birthday anniversary service at the St. Joseph Chosen Church of God, Osapa London in Lekki, Lagos, he said: "We need to put a lot of the mega companies that were introduced to this economy in the last 10 to 15 years on the stock market so that they can be subjected to accountability, transparency and so on."

Making particular reference to the telecommunications and hydrocarbons industries, Alile who had been canvassing this over the years, questioned the rationale behind a big player like Shell being quoted in Amsterdam, London and New York stock markets and not quoted in the NSE. "I have asked repeatedly why should Shell be quoted on Amsterdam Stock Market, London Stock Market and New York Stock Market and Shell Nigeria is not quoted on our stock market. The telecoms companies are said to have made a turn over of over N760 billion.

"The arrangement of who owns what, we don’t know. They should be on the Nigeria Stock Market so that other Nigerians can buy into them," he maintained.

Alile also expressed displeasure about some unholy alliances in the oil industry, saying "the hydrocarbon, why a joint venture with the Nigerian government?

There’s no need for it. They should put it on the stock market, through that vehicle, they can pass some of them to the hands of the indigenes and residents of those areas that are polluted.

"At the end of the year, because you are in joint venture with one company, you’ll have to sit down and it will cal-

*Apostle Hayford Alile (c) cutting his 74th birthday cake at the 2014 THAF annual lecture held at Julius Berger Hall, University of Lagos, Akoka. He is flanked by wife, Pastor Pat Alile (r), Managing Director, Bank of Industry, Ms Evelyn Oputu (l) and many other family members.

Photo: AKEEM SALAU. culate for you how much the Nigerian government will subscribe. If you don’t have that, they say use your oil, we will lend you. I pray that we appreciate these new changes, otherwise our children may not be in a position to respect us."

Not wanting to be dragged into the controversy over missing $20 billion, the spiritual leader agreed that NNPC itself can be quoted in the market as a holding company.

"I don’t want to go into the details of the accountability expectations and statements that some money are missing. Those figures are very big. How did the money transfer from NNPC into their joint venture and so on? Somebody signed for them. The cheque books usually have little counterfoils and people wrote on it with which can be traced. I was very excited when the Minister of Finance said they would institute a forensic audit.

"We hope that they can look forward and learn from past experiences. We hope that out of that, public companies

L-R: National co-ordinator, Every Home for Christ Nigeria, Mr. Lanre DaSilva; wife of head of Central Mission, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Mrs. Felicia Uponi; international president, Global Outreach, Mr. Werner Nachtigal; and former national director, Every Home for Christ, Nigeria, Rev. Bisi Orebayo, at the vision casting conference on Global Outreach Day in Lagos.

can get to the stock market.

"The way the stock market is being put together now, there’s improvement, lots of regulation is going on. We hope that the management of the stock market will be very diligent in ensuring that those regulations are strictly adhered to," Alile noted.

Fashola sues for vigilance

By OLAYINKA LATONA

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AGOS State governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), has en joined Nigerians to be vigilant and report any unusual occurrence in their neighbour-hood to security agencies, saying it is only by such collective vigilance that the security of the country and the state could be ensured.

Speaking at the Second Session of the 32nd Synod of the Diocese of Lagos (Anglican Communion) at Our Saviour’s Church, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, Gov. Fashola stressed the need to prevent avoidable loss of lives, adding that the nation would be better for it if Nigerians de-emphasise divisive sentiments.

On the abducted Chibok school girls saga, the governor decried hostage-taking in whatever form, saying it was dehumanising and an act of cowardice.

Noting that what binds us together as a people are more than what divides us, Gov. Fashola said: “Let us emphasize those things that bind us together as a people and play down on such divisive sentiments that divide us”.

In his words: “This is a very difficult moment for me, an individual and for the country. Nobody can lie at ease when we remember that some of us are in danger, some of our children are missing, some mothers and guardians are mourning. I hope there will be sincerity in knowing the number of chilContinued on Page 49

Adeboye, others task youth on right attitude

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AGOS State deputy governor, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire and General Overseer of Redeemed Christian of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, have urged youth in the country to embrace handwork, integrity, and the determina-tion to succeed, saying such qualities will enable them become better citizens and leaders of tomorrow, reports WILLIAM JIMOH. The twosome made the call at the just concluded Season 3 of Lagos SHIFT, a life-transforming and memorable initiative for young people to express themselves with a theme; “Innovation Personified.”

The deputy governor said the theme of this year's event was timely and has the capacity to give the youth direction in life and become agents of change.

According to her, the nation looks up to them for leadership, making it imperative for them to inculcate the right values that will make them become better citizens.

Orelope-Adefulire stressed the need for the youths to do "something different in an unusual way when everybody is looking for ready-made lifestyle. The only way to success is hard work, determination and integrity.

“You must showcase God’s faithfulness and grace by developing your talent," she said, adding "you should not be afraid to fail, if you fail; you have to do it again," she added.

Also speaking, RCCG General Overseer, Pastor Adeboye, represented by his Special Adviser on Administration, Pastor Johnson Odesola, noted that the programme was organized to empower the youths to strive the correct some of the anomalies of this generation through their energy, intelligence and ability.

Adeboye pointed out that the aim was to empower the youth, because they are not just leaders of tomorrow, but they are leaders of today and it is the youths that can correct the anomalies today for a better tomorrow.

"The only way to move forward in life is to maintain your pace. You need to keep adding to your life," he stated.

Participants were thrilled with music by juju legend, King Sunny Ade and Lekan Oyekanmi became the first winner in music category and SHIFT ambassador for 2014. Babadey and The Legion emerged winners in comedy and dance categories respectively.

Admonishing the youth, former Cross River State first lady, Mrs. Onari Duke, stressed the need for them to be focused and innovative to enable them move from being good to being great youths.

“If you have to be great, you have to think like a leader; you are already in that leadership position. Greatness is a matter of choice," she noted, adding “we have identified talents here displaying what God has deposited in them."

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 11, 2014, PAGE 49

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ONCE listened to the testimony of Pas tor E.A. Adeboye of the Redeem-ed Christian Church of God. He stated that his last child, a babyboy, quickly became his favourite child. But one day, the child fell sick.

The more Adeboye prayed, the worse the boy became. In desperation, he asked God: “Why won’t you heal my son?” The Lord replied: “Because he is your son, I won’t heal him.” Therefore, Adeboye quickly changed his line of prayer. He declared that the boy was God’s son and asked God to heal him. When he did this, the boy was healed.

God’s message here is crystal clear: the children we presume to be ours are actually God’s children.

We are just their guardians. This makes it all the more surprising that virtually everyone in Redeemed Church still refers to Adeboye affectionately as “Daddy G.O.” But if Adeboye is not allowed to be father to his biological son, how can he be “Daddy” to other peoples’ children? Surely, everybody in Redeemed knows that Adeboye himself has no other Father but God. Time and again, Adeboye has insisted he should not be called “Daddy,” but his church-members have simply refused to listen.

New Birth Jesus defines parentage strictly from the eternal perspective. As usual, he presents a dichotomy between sons of God and men. Heavenly fatherhood links us to God and makes us sons of righteousness. Earthly father-

nal life relinquish their earthly fathers but do not receive a hundredfold return as with other relatives. We relinquish our earthly fathers in order to have only one Father; our Father in heaven.

DADDY G.O. hood ties us to the devil and makes us slaves of sin. (John 8:32-34). Jesus warns that: “a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.” (John 8:35). This means those who persist in earthly father/son relationships cannot expect to spend eternity with the heavenly Father.

Jesus insists his disciples must have no other Father but God. We must repudiate all earthly fathers of whatever description in preference for the one true heavenly Father.

The kingdom of God is open to sons of God but closed to sons of men.

Jesus says: “Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”

(Matthew 18:3). Sons of men have to be “born again” in order to become children of God. (John 3: 3-5).

The “new birth” has its own kingdom dynamics.

Children of God cannot be children of men simultaneously. Neither can they be fathers of men.

Jesus insists: “that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6). “Men of God” do not inherit the kingdom of God. Jesus’ salvation involves men receiving the power to become children of God.

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(John 1:12). Thus, the bible begins in Genesis with a son of God in the garden, but ends in Revelation with a Son of God on the throne.

Our Father Jesus said to God at the end of his ministry: “I have manifested your name to the men whom you have given me out of the world.” (John 17:6).

“I have declared to them your name.” (John 17: 26). The name Jesus declares to his disciples is "our Father." He reveals that God is no longer classically “God;” distant, foreign and fearsome. He is now “our Father;” close, intimate and loving.

Therefore, Jesus gives us a new directive. He says: “When you pray, say: our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”

(Luke 11:2).

The name we are now required to hallow is "Father." It must be of exclusive application to God and to God alone. Jesus says categorically: “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for one is

gramme, successfully completed the programme in bead & wire work, screen printing, decoration and event management, computer appreciation, catering, hairdressing, chemical products, adult literacy and newly included make-up & head gear.

They were presented with their certificates. Urging the graduands not to despise the days of humble beginning, president, Association of Micro-Entrepreneurs of Nigeria (AMEN), Comrade Prince Saviour Iche said one of the major paths to national development is through skills acquisition.

He urged unemployed graduates to embrace the option, noting that the era of dependence on certificates was gone; "emphasis now is on what one could do with one’s hands."

The highpoint of the occasion was when the duo of 13-year-old Adebowale Fatimah and Oluwaseun Damilola both Junior Secondary School students were called up for their certificates. Fatimah studied beaded jewelry and wire work while Damilola finished from screen printing.

Lagos church graduates 217 at skill acquisition centre ENTRE for Vocational Empow erment and Development (CVED) of Dominion Faith International Church (DFIC), Ipaja, Lagos, Friday graduated another batch of Nigerians after a 3-month skill acquisition programme, reports OLAYINKA LATONA. The 13th ceremony of the centre was watched by several Nigerians drawn from diverse backgrounds who turned up to witness the graduation of Christians and Muslims who attended the tree months intensive training programme.

The Executive Director of CVED project who is also the senior pastor of DFIC, Rev. David Olatona, said the free skill acquisition programme is not just for church members. Rather, he said, it was designed to empower youths and adults of various backgrounds.

A total of 217 students out of over 400 students who enrolled for the pro-

Jesus insists his disciples must repudiate all earthly fathers of whatever description in preference for the one true heavenly Father your Father, he who is in heaven.” (Matthew 23:9).

Since obedience is the key to divine sonship (Matthew 12:48-50); this directive must be strictly adhered to by all believers.

We choose to be sons of the heavenly Father by consciously acting the way God does. Jesus says: “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5: 44-45).

Rejection of men It is like Father, like son.

Jesus told the Jews: “If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham.” (John 8:39). If we do the works of God, then we are God’s children. If we don’t, we are not. Since the Father is merciful to

A living parable all without discrimination, we must also be merciful if we are his children. Jesus says: “If you love those who love you, what reward have you?

Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

(Matthew 5:46-48).

This means we must reject totally the ways of men and no longer be subject to their dictates.

Jesus makes the resulting alienation from earthly fatherhood an absolute requirement for discipleship: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father…he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26).

Jesus only promises eternal life to those prepared to forsake all natural relationships. He says: "No one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields---and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life." (Mark 10:29-30).

Significantly, there is a singular exception in the case of relinquished fathers. The heirs of eter-

Kenneth King, my wife’s “old man,” was in his late-seventies and in poor health. He lived in Guyana and had to undertake dialysis twice a week. This was very expensive and the costs were virtually bankrupting him in his retirement.

My wife and I discussed the matter, wondering how we could raise money on a regular basis to send to him. In Lagos, dialysis costs N30,000 ($250) a session, so the sums involved were too much for our lean resources.

I ended the discussion by telling her: “Look Karen, there is little we can do in this matter. God will provide.” Suddenly the Holy Spirit interjected and said to me: “Femi, don’t say God will provide. Say Our Father will provide.” I immediately relayed this to my wife: “The Holy Spirit says Our Father will provide.”

The next morning, she got an email from Georgetown. The government of Guyana had decided to take over the funding of Kenneth King’s dialysis treatment in appreciation for his past services to the country. Immediately, the Holy Spirit said to me: “Your Father has done it.”

Beloved Christians: stop calling your pastor “Daddy.” You must have no other Father but God.

Fashola sues for vigilance Continued from Pg 48 dren we are looking for.

“These are tough times but from experience I know that tough times do not last but though people do. We should not point accusing fingers at one another but cling to those things that unite us. Other nations have encountered similar situations and they overcame. Similarly, Nigeria will overcome and we must resolve that we want to overcome,” he said.

The governor charged Lagos residents to go out and register so as to enable government develop an accurate data base of residents in the state, explaining that the data generated from the residency registration would enable government to

make projection and provide adequate infrastructures, security and serve the people better Delivering his presidential charge, Diocesan Bishop, Most Rev. Ephraim Ademowo

called on the Federal Government and security agencies to intensify intelligence gathering alongside other tools and weapons of combating the activities of the insurgents in the country.

RCCG holds youth convention

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EGION 13 youths of the Redeemed Chris tian Church of God (RCCG), are expected to gather for this year's Regional Youths Convention scheduled for Friday and Saturday at the regional camp ground, Benin City, Edo State.

The convention earlier billed for April, but was postponed as a result of the Regional Mini-Sports fiesta recently concluded in Benin City is anticipated to attract over 12,000 youths drawn from Edo and Delta states that make up of the region.

Revealing this in an interactive session with journalists in Benin City was the Pastor-in-charge of the region (PICR), Pastor James Dagunduro, who said the youth convention is targeted at fostering unity and friendship in Godly manner among the youths as well as making the work of God progress in the region.

PAGE 50—SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014 japhdave@yahoo.com 08056402376

MTN PFWA has added value to my Art

— Roland Ricketts, MTN Project Fame Season 6 Finalist

Roland Ricketts is a Microbiologist who was one of the six finalists during last year’s edition of MTN Project Fame Season 6. He absolutely loves music and sees the PF Academy as the best music school in West Africa and so has tried several times to get in. Last year, he made it as far as the opening gala but narrowly missed making it into the Academy. This year he is determined to make it and use the opportunity to improve himself.

By JAPHET ALAKAM INTERVIEW Tell us about life since you left the Project Fame Music Academy?

Life hasn’t been the same, but it has been a whole new experience for me and my music since the conclusion of the last season of the Project Fame West Africa. It’s like “welcome to the real world”, which Project Fame prepared me for. It’s been beautiful all the way, and I give God the glory.

The attention that comes along with the fame is one of the things I have found very interesting so far. People now expect so much from me in anything I do. However, I have remained myself, stayed true to my friends and have surrounded myself with people who would always tell me the truth not minding how I feel about it.

You showed quite evidently, during the academy that you would preferably be doing gospel music after the reality show, have you started working on any song or album?

Gospel means good news, gospel is my style and it suits my voice. In a nutshell, gospel is my life and that’s where I find fulfillment.

My decision to do gospel is driven by a passion to see people all around the world influenced by positive music.

It’ll go a long way in making the world a better place for all of us. There is so much negativity around and it’s not helping us, most especially the young ones, myself inclusive.

Our kids need to be told the right words, they need to be inspired, taught how to love each other rightly, they need to see the right images on TV. It makes them better leaders of tomorrow.

“Koledaru” and “Happily Ever After” are the two singles I have released. Koledaru is an inspirational song while “Happily Ever After “ is a wedding song. Everyone can expect the album towards the end of the year.

Apart from your singing talent, you are also a music producer; which of these two similar endeavors are you

passionate about?

Hmmmm; well I am passionate about both. I sing when I have to and I produce when I have to, but with respect to performances I have found myself singing a lot these days.

Funny thing is even when producing, one still has to sing to perhaps direct the artiste or even to get some inspiration as regards the soundtrack and arrangement of a song.

For me they both go hand in hand but I sing most of the time.

Alright, to your family now. We learnt your dad is a pastor – how did you manage his expected dislike for secular reality shows?

•Roland Ricketts My dad and my family members have no issue with reality shows; they would only have an issue with it, if the influence is negative on the society.

In my family, we see the show as a school, an academy, which it really is. Music is an art and art is not one sided. It is beyond

religion, culture and lifestyle.

It’s actually an expression of all those and more, put together.

That’s why we have various genres and various songs for various purposes.

For us, the academy is a school and after school, the graduate chooses what to do with his life. I have chosen

gospel, positive music.

Has there been a change in status, economically and socially, for you and your family since you returned from the music academy?

Definitely; the show has added great value to my art.

Value here, can mean a lot of things ranging from people, money, to knowledge and more, so I’ll say things are better and as time goes on, I expect more positive developments by God’s grace.

You almost made it into the academy, during the 5th season, but you lost it along the way; many youths would have been discouraged.

You still registered for the 6th season and came close to winning the ultimate prize. What inspired that resilience?

It’s about having the passion to fulfill destiny and possessing the required drive to do what it takes in order to be who one wants to be. Anyone who is not ready to pay the price or strive to achieve their dreams should listen to “koledaru” and have a rethink.

God has done his part already; it’s time for us to do ours and He(God) has given us ability to do so.

I’m not where I wanna be yet , but with all I learnt on the show coupled with the experience garnered so far, it’s a matter of my consistency, and I will surely be on my way to the top.

Invasion 1897: Benin Crown Prince in Calabar T

HE Crown Prince of Benin Kingdom, His Royal Highness, Eheneden Eradiauwa recently paid a royal visit to the Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi, all in the bid to reconnect with the storyline of the much talked about Lancelot Imasuen’s new film, “Invasion 1897.”

The visit, which was facilitated by the Benin Royal Dynasty Trust was part of the move to strengthen the agedlong ties between the Efik Kingdom and that of Benin.

The film focuses on the invasion of the Benin Kingdom by the British Empire in 1897, and how they carted away ancient artifacts belonging to the kingdom under the reign of Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi who was deposed and later, died while on exile in Calabar.

Accompanied by some senior palace chiefs and Enogies, including the producer of the film, Imasuen, Prince Eheneden Eradiauwa arrived Calabar amid festivity. He was in Calabar to meet with the Calabar monarch as well as to behold the last known abode

of Oba Ovanrawmen who died while on exile in Calabar.

“I was on the entourage of the Benin Crown Prince who was paying his first royal visit to Obong of Calabar as part of the job of the Benin Royal Dynasty Trust to sustain the cultural heritage of the Benin Kingdom.

He was there to see the last known abode of Oba Ovanrawmen who was exiled to Calabar in 1897. It was a great privilege for me as a film maker

•A royal visit

to be on the entourage of that royal visit to Calabar.The Obong of Calabar received us warmly, and I was privileged to officially present the idea behind the film to him as permitted by the Benin Crown Prince,”Imasuen, who is popularly called D’Guvnor narrated.

Speaking further, the respected Nollywood director disclosed that, while the film is due to premiere in Benin in

June, the good news is that the Calabar monarch has also promised a great reception for the film in his Kingdom.

The film, according to him, would serve as a uniting force culturally and otherwise for the people of Benin and Calabar.

“Of course, Calabar is designated as one of the venues, where we are going to do a private screening of the movie, before its nationwide release on Ocotober 1. The world premiere of the movie has tentatively been fixed on the first weekend of June in Benin.”

While many corporate and government agencies are busy endorsing the film, the Benin Crown Prince through his pet project, Benin Royal Dynasty Trust has resolved to adopt the film as a means to reopen agitation against the injustice meted to the Benin people during the dark era of British expedition in Africa.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014, PAGE 51 japhdave@yahoo.com 08056402376

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he location was Davos Switzerland, home of the annual World Economic Forum where the world’s political and business leaders have gathered every year for the past 43years to discuss strategies for improving the state of the world. The occasion was Ariya….a night of good cheer hosted by the Nigerian government to give the world a sense of what to expect when they visit Abuja Nigeria May 7-9 to attend the 24th World Economic Forum for Africa taking place in West Africa for the first time in the 24 year history of the regional forum.

The enthralling and scintillating performance of the young cast of Kakadu, Nigeria’s rave musical drama ensemble at the World Economic Forum in Davos was one of such moments for me. The ‘boys’ and the ‘girls’ gave their souls for our country. They seemed to have sang forever during a 2hour performance which saw the high and the mighty let their hair down lost in the moment with the rhythm of Nigerian music.

Kakadu, the musical is a story of Nigeria’s glorious past…..when our people were truly one.

•Ascene from a thrilling perfofance of Kakadu the Musical We lived together in peace and harmony in the true African spirit of being our brother ’s keeper. No one cared about the other’s ethnic origin. It didn’t matter. We lived together. We celebrated together. We mourned together.

We sang and danced together.

“Kakadu is a trailblazer and In our homes, in our commubackstage on why that outing gan to rebuild our councredits goes to the author of nities, we were one people was important for our try…… Depending on the the script, Uche Nwokedi, under one God. country.I encouraged them to generation to which you beSAN and of course his entire Then the story give their best for love of long, this may all seem like crew. This reawakening of changed….and almost remicountry.

They obliged.

It was fantasy……but it is a fact that Theater in Nigeria with the niscent of Adam’s consumpNigeria was a truly peaceful tion of the forbidden apple in country where we lived in the Garden of Eden,we acharmony with one another. quired a new consciousness Tongues and tribes differed and awareness of our ethnic but we stood in brotherhood origins. We went to war. We as our old National anthem killed each other. We forgot our had it. brothers. We forgot our sisters.

The Kakadu act is a throw We even forgot out children. back to the past and an inNothing mattered anymore. spiration for the present and We destroyed our country. the future. The cast and crew heartening that such profiKakadu act and the storm With it went our unity and the of Kakadu are a very young ciency in theater could be disthat it has created is quinteslove we once shared. and talented group of played by the youth, given sentially Nigerian! It may As if in sudden realization Nigerians.I had watched how underdeveloped that astake us forever to get there or of our common humanity and them practice and rehearse pect of the arts is in Nigeria to get it right but then we do, patrimony, the fighting from the previous day. I also today. eventually and then we take stopped. We made up and berecollect addressing them

Kakadu the Musical lifts Nigeria theatre in Davos Switzerland Kakadu, the musical is a story of Nigeria’s glorious past... when our people were truly one, we lived together in peace and harmony in true African spirit

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A Critical Review of Nigeria Must Survive

By DAMIAN OPATA REVIEW

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ublished in 2011 by Life Apostolate Publications, Enugu, Paulinus Ike Ogara’s Nigeria Must Survive is a two hundred and forty page book that addresses the issues of corruption, insecurity, poverty, unemployment, rural underdevelopment, religious intolerance, ethnic rivalries, and bad political leadership in contemporary Nigeria. These problems are commonly perceived as threats to the corporate survival of Nigeria as an entity. The author is optimistic that strong moral family backgrounds, the pooling of collective effort by all Nigerians, the enthronement of strong security measures, building and enhancing empowerment structures for the people, good leadership, effective opposition, the cultivation of love, empathy and compassion by all Nigerians, proper and adequate religious education, and enduring political and spiritual

will on the part of the leaders and the led, could ensure the survival of Nigeria.

Nigeria Must Survive is a book of twenty – nine chapters.

The chapters are arranged thematically, and each chapter is preceded by a summary statement that captures what the chapter is about. The chapters derive from different contexts.

It does even appear that many are articles written on different occasions to address different social problematics in the Nigerian federation. Consequently, each chapter can be read independent of the other.

The chapters divide themselves into two broad thematic categories: themes that address the political, security, and economic challenges in Nigeria generally, and themes that address religious challenges, especially as this concerns the ordained and individual lay persons. In this second category, the individual moral deficits of politicians, members of the clergy, as well of that of the average Nigerian are highlighted. The depiction

of this moral deficit is sometimes done in very ironic ways. Both Christian and Muslim fundamentalism are particularly identified for condemnation.

Although the book is not a theoretical treatise of the Nigeria malaise, the author offers some critical interpretations of the social ills addressed in his book. This is particularly evident in Chapters 7, 17, and 22.

Chapter 7 of this book is titled: “Let My People Go.” The author uses this as a metaphor for the mighty in Nigeria to desist from oppressing the poor, the helpless, the people discriminated against, and the marginalized in society generally.

Chapter 17 of the book is titled: “When Anointing Becomes Annoying.” I wholeheartedly buy the argument that those anointed by God to serve him and humanity in whatever capacity should not use the privilege to annoy others, to suppress others, to intimidate others, and to deny justice to others.

,

Chapter 22 is titled: “We Can Live Together.” This is a very important chapter in the book because it is central to the survivability of Nigeria, the purpose for which the book has been written. The author’s own summary of the chapter is very informative and insightful Nothing could be more beautiful than this; nothing more elevating or inspiring. We really can live as one in Nigeria, even though some people make no pretences about the desirability of our going separate ways. The

Nigeria Must Survive; Paulinus Ogara; Life Apostolate Publications, Enugu, 2011;PP. 240

over. That is the story of our music and film which today constitute such great interest as fields of study for scholars of Music and Theatre. “ “I believe in the high destiny of our country and the talent of our people. The Kakadu story is evidence of the creative genius of our people. Its graphic execution on stage embodies the promise of our nation’s youth. The cast that took our story to the world in Davos hold the key Nigeria’ s future. They are the beautiful ones who give of themselves for the country. To all of them and the millions of others who serve and make Nigeria proud in times and places we may not always know, I salute you all.”

author goes on in this chapter to make a very interesting observation when he says that, “What we suffer in Nigeria is not a mistaken amalgamation.

Rather, we have been mistaken in believing that it cannot work.

The major problem with the author’s argument here is that it is logically possible for someone to believe that the amalgamation of Nigeria is mistaken and still firmly believe that it can work. Its mistakenness is not a necessary or ineradicable impediment to its unworkability.

This is the crux of this book, its epochal ideation. Nothing can be further from this truth if Nigeria must survive, as it must in fact do.

Even if amalgamation was a mistake, it should now undergo a healing transformation through its destabilization and progressive contextual reconstitution. The book, Nigeria Must Survive is an affirmation and renewal of the thorny history of this continuing survival of the Nigerian state which, despite all attempts, continue to be threatened.

Another important contribution of this book is the author’s addition of his voice to the longstanding calls for a national dialogue by whatever name named. He has been doing this since 2011.

PAGE 52—SUNDAY

Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014

Let’s face the truth, young girls are having sex!!

By Yetunde Arebi

W

HETHER through in dividual choice, be cause they marry young or are victims of coercion and sexual violence, girls are having sex, and sadly, without access to contraception or adequate information about sex and sexual health.

According to a report by Marie Stopes, it is estimated that there are over 14 million adolescent girls who want access to contraception, but do not have it. The consequences of this can be devastating. The leading killers of girls aged 15-19 are pregnancy and childbirth; unintended pregnancy causes one in four girls to drop out of school in sub-Saharan Africa; and babies born to adolescent mothers are at higher risk of infant and child mortality among many others.

Though the teaching of Abstinence as the first and only option for young and unmarried girls as safeguard to prevention of premarital sex, has continued to be the focus of many government and non government sponsored advocacy programmes, the truth must be told that not all girls who have pre marital sexual encounters do so by choice.

In Nigeria and many other developing countries, economic survival, early child marriage, rape, incest coercion as well as domestic and sexual violence remains a silent force driving young girls into having sex at an early age or before they are pre-

pared for it.

Saddening also, is the fact that our social and moral values and standards as a society and people have continued to fall over the decades. Other reasons why young girls engage in premarital sex include, peer pressure, love and romance, the need to experiment, the need to feel cool and be accepted. Hormonal changes in the body when puberty sets in may also be another factor. adequate sexuality While and sex education has

thought; i.e, Abstinence and Comprehensive sex education.

While Abstinence focuses on sex only within the marriage boundaries and the need for the young unmarried girl to abstain until marriage and hereafter, stick to that one marriage partner throughout their life time, Comprehensive sex education approach focuses on the mechanics of the human body, the whole reproductive system, contraception, pregnancy through to childbirth, abortion and the whole gamut. And though they

Advancement in technology, education, feminism, sex inequality, poor economy, increased awareness in sex and sexuality as well as value to individuality also make it difficult for young people to marry at an early age. been identified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as tool to improving the lot of women, for sex education to be meaningful and beneficial to the individual, it must also be realistic, practical, and accessible to that individual. Unfortunately, the teaching of sex education has remained a controversial subject between the stakeholders which includes the government, parents, political and religious groups.

The concern bothers on the content of sex education which has been divided into two schools of

do explain to young people, the benefits of delaying having sex until they are emotionally and physically ready, they also ensure that they are taught how to protect themselves from infections and pregnancy when they do decide to have sex.

female friends.08134205216, 08179246552 •Gentle,31, resides in Awka in Anambra State, responsible and employed, needs a female friend who is responsible and employed .08063369246

ing and a loving man that will be the father of her baby for marriage. 08083848441 •Thelly, 28, from Delta State, but resides in Lagos, needs a God fearing man, for a serious relationship.08123315442, 08169530466 •Grace, 25, needs a sexy and fun loving man.08068684663 •Serah, 26, sexy and busty,

he controversy between the T two schools of thought is hinged on the fact that the Com-

prehensive approach offers too much information for the young girl and may encourage her to want to experiment. The raging

arguments over the years have forced researchers to come up with another theory which combines the major elements of the two, now known as Abstinence Plus.

This new school of thought focuses on abstinence as the preferred choice of protection, but young people are also provided with information about contraception and disease prevention so that they can protect themselves when they do become sexually active.

erhaps this would appear to or sex education to be ef P be a more realistic approach F fective therefore, it must given the fact that pure absti- enable young people to acquire nence education fails to reflect modern, industrial societies in which people marry later in life, if at all. The high frequency of breakdown in marriage, means that people are likely to have several sexual partners over their lifetime too.

Though we may not have the necessary statistics readily available in Nigeria, media reports about troubled marriages, domestic violence, divorce, infidelity, rape, abuse, incest, child trafficking and prostitution, and the abduction of young girls for sex slavery, a new dimension added by the Boko Haram insurgents, all indicate that it is not all the time that having sex will be consensual or by choice.

Advancement in technology, education, feminism, sex inequality, poor economy, increased awareness in sex and sexuality as well as value to individuality also make it difficult for young people to marry at an early age.

In addition to all these, age at which people marry has risen, age at which they first have intercourse has been falling, while a diminishing minority of people report that their first sexual partner was also their marriage partner. Furthermore, data on young people's sexual lifestyles and behaviour from countries in developing world such as Nigeria, where HIV infec-

knowledge and skills that they can use to protect and promote their sexual health, as well as enhance the quality of relationship they build and their ability to make informed decisions in their relationships and sexual experiences over their lifetime. By the time our abducted girls are recovered from where ever they might be, one can only imagine the horrors these girls must have been subjected to. Given our culture of silence for fear of stigmatisation, it is imperative that we take all necessary measures in ensuring that they are given the best medical treatment as well as psychological evaluation and counselling to assist in reintegrating them into the society.

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DISCLAIMER!

tion is high also suggest that advice to abstain from sex until marriage may be wildly out of step with accepted social behavioural pattern. Finally, the fallout of the socio-economic problems plaguing the African continent has continued to expose young people to sexual activities for survival reasons, the sugar daddy and mummy relationships and the sex for favour or material gifts attests to this.

Dear readers, sex education, especially for young people, is a subject I hold very close to my heart. More issues under this subject will be revisited on this page in due course. Please feel free to share your views on this or any other topic of your preference. For counselling and answers to your relationship problems, you may also reach me via the email address: inthelovezone@yahoo.com See you next Sunday!

SUNDAY

Tribute

Vanguard , MAY 11, 2014 PAGE 53

Pini Jason: One year after

Continuation of the extracts from the book the late ace columunist, Pini Jason, was writing before he died. The book will soon be out.

Politicians – for the cash only Contrary to their protestations, most politicians first think of themselves, and themselves last! Politics, for many politicians of whatever hue, is about how much money they share at the end of the day. They hardly think that their acts lay the foundation or dig the grave for Nigeria. The attitude is that it does not matter now; get what you can, Nigeria will sort itself out.

Again it seems that the only thing that guarantees political life in Nigeria is access to government, which in itself is a guarantee to enormous wealth with which to enforce a political agenda.

In the First Republic, there were ethics and codes of conduct that bound public office holders and members of their family.

Once in office, there were things members of your family were not allowed to do or engage in. In fact, there were a few things they were simply not expected to do. That is why today, all the children of the First Republic politicians are career people, holding their own, away from the glare of vulgar publicity.

Not pro-people The political class is at war with itself. The politicians are divided into various camps-religious, tribal, conservative, progressive, pro-government, pro-June 12 pro-North, proSouth, pro-Nothing, honest and dishonest. One thing many Nigerian politicians have not aspired to be is pro-people.

Shaping lives As a secondary school boy in 1964, I shook Zik’s hand in the state house, Marina. That night, he was hosting the youths drawn from the registered Youths Clubs in Lagos. I have never forgotten that experience, particularly seeing Zik address people in Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, depending on which language you could speak.

I did not forget that experience and I cannot forget it. The impact of shaking the great man’s hand made me think of greatness. Even now, I have a treasured photograph framed in my house. Again, I was shaking the great man’s hand. This time, it was his 88 birthday celebration at Nsukka in November 1992. My children look at that photograph with reverence, because they too have been told how great Zik is, and I suspect they are influenced by him too. But even more important is that my children are not likely to forget that they are the children of a man who shookhands with a great man. It could also shape their lives.

Wanted: non-hypocritical anti-corruption crusader In Nigeria it has become futile to talk about the level of corruption, particularly when we’ve acquired such a global notoriety as to inspire an international best-seller by Jeffrey

Mandela and the rest of us When Mandela’s voice rang out clear, strong in timbre and resonant in cadence, unapologetic in gratitude and unrepentant in a hinted trade-off, it was more that reaffirmed that ideas which find expression in words cannot be suppressed. Ideas are boundless and unbounded. Mandela came out older but unbent, slimmer but stronger. He was deprived of his freedom but not of his wisdom, denied the love of close ones but suffused with the love of the entire world. Never has the thraldom of one man been the agony of the entire world of both his admirers and adversaries.

Mankind. Destruction. Death Until we invent the means of avoiding wars, we remain uncivilised, notwithstanding our technological advancement.

According to the philosophical view of James Baldwin, destruction and death are what most of mankind has been best at since we have heard of man.

Do we not give our children gifts of guns - instruments of death - on their birthdays, thus unconsciously ritualising birth with death?

The late Pini Archer, called Clean Sweep Ignatius.

But the amazing thing is that those in authority who ought to match their sermons with a determined war against corruption are simply at their hypocritical worst, as if it has been agreed that corruption should become part of our culture. The entire government system is based on patronage, lobbying, favoritism and godfatherism.

And I ask myself, is there no place in history for a non-hypocritical anti-corruption crusader?

Government – for the people The infraction of the law by the executive and its agents goes on everyday and innocent citizens without power or connection suffer every day.

Why does the government pretend to govern when it breaks all laws with impunity? The essence of government is the rule of law, to protect the weak from the powerful and to mitigate the arbitrariness of the powerful.

The purpose of government is, ought to be, and must always be, the wellbeing of the citizens.

Certainly, there can be a thousand and one ways of tackling the problems of our society without the government being drawn into a war of attrition with its own citizens. These solutions make themselves available once those privileged to be appointed to offices understand that the primary purpose of government is to serve the people, the “enemies” inclusive. Indeed the challenge for the Third World is to make governance less bestial and more humane.

With impunity we’ve crossed the barrier of madness and something is bound to give. No nation survives, that is governed the way Nigeria is presently governed Siren of primitiveness Nothing symbolises our primitiveness more than the siren. The siren has become an advertisement jingle for our backwardness.

In sane societies, a siren means the police racing after a criminal or to a place of disaster. The indiscriminate use of sirens in Nigeria might well be in order. This society is criminal. This society is a disaster.

All citizens are equal, but…

It is a little too hypocritical that a Nigerian born on board the British Airways automatically acquires British citizenship and all the rights and privileges appertaining thereto (as

No hiding place for despots The message is loud and clear to the world’s despots, that there is no hiding place for dictators who commit pogrom on any human race for whatever reason, whether it is in Asaba, Katsina-Ala, Kosovo, Bosnia, Kigali, Mogadishu or My Lai. The human race, as God’s children, is one and must be respected.

Moved goalpost? Nah. I worry about stolen goalpost

It is this fear of being called upon to account for their “redemption” role in office that has predicated the transition programmes contrived and manipulated by Africa’s military thelawyers would say) but a Nigerian born in Sokoto, Kaduna, Kano or Bauchi etc will pay a higher school fees in the institutions his parent’s taxes built, just because he is from the South. Even Northerners of different faith are treated as second class citizens in their own states in the North.

Our ways with laws, rules and regulations Every player assumes that the other side is going to cheat, and therefore, schemes to out-cheat the cheat. It is assumed that figures are going to be manipulated. “How then do I make the 200 to read 2000 in my favour?” Deep down, this manner of thinking dominates our general attitude to laws, rules and regulations.

This attitude seems to be at the root of the problems with our systems So many people seem to commit infractions of the law now and seem to get away with it. And believing that our system of reward and sanction has broken down, people have, as it were, asked themselves; why should I be the one stranded here obeying the laws while others are getting away with criminality and getting ahead as well?

It is this fear of being called upon to account for their “redemption” role in office that has predicated the transition programmes contrived and manipulated by Africa’s military saviours. It is either the transition throws up the dictator without his uniforms as in the case of late Sergeant Samuel Doe and Captain Blaise Campaore or the dictator enacts laws to forgive himself of his misdeeds while in office, or he arranges for his loyalists to take over. In such cases, Africa is denied the much vaunted grassroots popular democracy.

The controversy dogging Ghana’s socalled transition concerns the last minute smuggling into the new constitution, of indemnity clauses which protect Rawlings from prosecution for any malfeasance while playing “Junior Jesus” for Ghana. Thus like Napoleon, Rawlings believes that he who “saves” a nation violates no law!

People worry about rules being changed in the middle of the game.

Me, I worry about our waking up one day to discover that someone has stolen the goal post!

To be Continued

PAGE 54 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY11, 2014

Brazil 2014: Enyeama, Emenike, Osaze, Mikel are Keshi’s biggest assets — Bazuaye *Says someone else took his father’s credit for the Atlanta ’96 gold

BY OJIEVA EHIOSUN As Nigerian football fans await the final release of the Super Eagles list for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, former Nigerian International, Baldwin Bazuaye, has affirmed that players like Vincent Enyeama, Osaze Odemwingie, Emmanuel Emenike, Mikel Obi and Ikechukwu Uche will be Keshi’s biggest assets at the competition.

In this interview with Sunday Vanguard sports, the former Lobi Stars FC of Markudi assistant manager and ex- Head coach of the troubled Insurance of Benin, advises Stephen Keshi to be professional in the selection of players for the Mundial, adding that those calling on him to dump experienced players from the list do not mean well for him.

Excerpts:

C

OACH we have less than two months to FIFA World Cup in Brazil, are you comfortable with Super Eagles readiness for the competition?

I would say ‘Yes and No,’ yes in the sense that we have very competent players that can make Nigeria smile at the Mundial if well selected, and if the coaches are allowed to do their job professionally. I say this without any bias. Coaching is the most difficult job to do, especially in this part of the world. It is Hire and Fire. We seat on gun powder ready to explode any time any moment. This is our fifth time at the FIFA World Cup and we did not go to Ghana to pick players, those that have made Nigeria proud at football competitions at the CAF and FIFA levels are from this country. We have never lacked players, but the problem is getting the right ones. Nigeria parades an array of stars in most part of Europe doing very well in their various clubs. So if the players are given shirts according to merit, Nigeria will be the revelation at the World Cup. Nigerians are ready to support the team if only things are done right.

I’m also very confident in this present crop of Super Eagles players because they are very young, energetic and play top flight football in Europe. They are capable of making things happen. In our days as players, we did not get such backing from the Federal Government, let alone being paid in dollars, so the players have every thing going for them. The only angle I want the NFF to improve on is in the area of friendly games. We have not had enough International Grade A friendly matches to get the boys fully ready for the show.

Again the other aspect is the issue of rumor making the round that the NFF might go ahead to get some one else to head the team. Nigeria coaches have all it takes to coach any National side in the world. The present

•Enyeama

•Keshi

•Mikel

•Emenike Eagles technical crew headed by Stephen Okechukwu Keshi has it all, they have proved to us that they can do it looking at their track records in the past two years. So the NFF should jettison that idea and give them the best support ever.

As a football manager, how would you rate Alhaji Aminu Maigari, the NFF president so far?

Without mincing words, the Head of the NFF Alhaji Aminu Maigari, has done favorably well in turning our football around, though they were some crisis at the beginning but thank God they were able to manage it well. And today every football follower in the country is happy with the development going on in our football. I’m particularly happy with the recruitment of ex- Nigerian stars into the Board of the FA. This is the kind of things we want that can help move the game forward in Nigeria. I also want to use this opportunity to appeal to them to also consider some us who are still very young and have some thing to offer to Nigerian Football.

Why have you tipped Vincent Enyeama, Osaze Odemwingie, Emmanuel Emenike and Mikel Obi as players to watch out for at the World Cup? Like I said earlier, Nigeria is a country

•Odemwingie blessed with football talents across the length and breadth of this nation and the problem we have always had is selection. So if the coaches can, for the love of the game, put sentiment aside and pick the best, Nigeria will go far in Brazil. Just take a critical look of the players I mentioned to you now, they are players that have been tested and trusted in their fields, so you do not need a second Prophet Moses to tell you that they need to be on your World Cup list.

Look at Vincent Enyeama, a goalkeeper of high repute, full of experience, skill and all that it takes to wear the national team jersey No I. He was at the South Africa 2010 World Cup, Nigerians saw his exploit. With Enyeama in the post, I’m very confident that Eagles will go far.

Now talk about Peter Osaze Odemwingie, despite having some rough time with his career last season, I make bold to say that among the current crop of present day Super Eagles strikers, Osaze Odemwingie is one of the best if not the best. He is intelligent, committed, devoted and highly a business-like player. Very tactical on the ball and above all, with a high level of experience that any coach needs from a player.

Emmanuel Emenike is anoth-

er striker that has paid his dues, who I know will do very well with the combination of his teammates especially when it comes to scoring goals. Keshi must be very careful in his selection so as not to make mistakes that may ruin the team. Also for the interest of the game and the country, it is time we put the past behind us, no matter what must have transpired between the out-offavour players and the technical crew, there is chance for forgiveness. All over the world, players are extremely difficult people to manage and again you do not judge players by the kind of things they say or do, but by what they can do for you as a coach to win your games in times of difficulties. I have no doubt about the capability of our players, they have what it takes to make us proud at the World Cup. Your father, Willy Bazuaye won the 1996 Olympic Gold medal for Nigeria, what are you doing as a young coach to surpass your father’s records ?

I thank God that my father was able to reach that level of achievement in football as a coach. Not so many people remember him today because this is a country where people forget so easily. My father did his best despite the fact that somebody was there taking the credit, Nigerians know the person that made that dream possible. Today Pa Willy is down but thank God that his children and few other people like Governor Fashola of Lagos state remembered him on his sick bed. Back to your question, I’m really doing my best to surpass my father’s track records in coaching business. I’ve not really had that opportunity to

prove myself at the national level. I have worked as assistant manager in various Glo Premier League clubs and also headed Insurance FC of Benin, but I really want to coach any of the junior national team side. I have what it takes to handle any junior national side. Some of us must be given an opportunity to prove ourselves. I’m praying and waiting for my time, I know one day it will come to pass and my dream of working with the NFF will be achieved.

I understand that Edo state government has not paid you people for the past five years while you were in Insurance as manager, is it true?

I have spent half of my years working for Insurance. I played for them, I captained the team, I have served the team with all that is in me as a coach, and as I speak with you now, I’m still very much ready to work for my state.

Yes they are indebted to many of us not only me and I’m sure that one day they will be touched to pay us our money. We worked for Insurance on empty stomach.

I also have no regret working for my state.

Does that name Bazuaye give you any edge over your contemporaries on this job?

Yes the name Willy Bazuaye is well respected outside the shores of this state, you know that a prophet has no honour in his place. I’m very proud to have come from this family of Willy Bazuaye. Those that know the worth of my father always respect me each time they see me. My father has contributed his own part to the growth of Nigerian football, it is up to me to do my own part too.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 11, 2014, PAGE 55

AYC: Manu Garba’s Flying Eagles face Ngonrongoro test

BY BEN EFE

Anambra athletics family mourn Osita

N

IGERIA’s Under-20 team the Flying Eagles will today in Dar-esSalaam, Tanzania play their first competitive match under coach Manu Garba who won the FIFA under-17 world cup last year in the United Arab Emirate.

Garba, whose team lost 1-0 to their Benin Republic counterparts in their first ever international friendly match, is enthusiastic of making another triumphant run in the Under-20 category, most especially when more than half of his squad are the boys who made the difference in the UAE. But how well they will go on this higher ground remained to be seen when they face a determined Tanzanian team nicked named Ngonrongoro Heroes.

The Tanzanians are prepared to create an upset to make amend for the 2012 loss to the Flying Eagles during the qualification for the 2013 tournament. The Flying Eagles under coach John Obuh beat the Tanzanians home and way to qualify for the AYC on a 3-1 aggregate.

However, coach Garba

A

BAPTISM OF AYC... Manu Garba and his assistant Nduka Ugbade said that his team are in top shape to deny the Tanzanian lads a run for their money.

“We have respect for our opponents. But we are aiming for a win in Tanzania. The team is ready and we have the character to withstand any situation,” said coach Garba.

Yesterday, the Tanzanians who are banking on crowd support to cow the Flying Eagles, made life difficult for the Nigerian

hopefuls as they refused them entry into the venue of the match to train.

They were forced to warm up on a nearby artificial pitch.

The Assistant Coach, Nduka Ugbade, at a news conference on Saturday morning after the training, said that the team would not make the mistake of underrating their hosts.

“There are no longer small teams in the game.

Sunderland defeated

Chelsea in the EPL and little Togo qualified for the 2006 World Cup. “It would therefore be foolish of us to come here believing we can overrun Tanzania, who we are told, like to play football,” Ugbade was quoted as saying.

The assistant coach said that except the incident at the stadium, everything was fine, adding that the team were very much at home in Tanzania.

2014 World Cup: Jaja backs Eagles to go far in Brazil

N

IGERIA Referees Association (NRA) former chairman, Sam Jaja said that Nigeria would do well in the 2014 World Cup, next month in Brazil.

Jaja said in Port Harcourt that the Eagles build up victory and preparation were indications that the team would do well.

“The Super Eagles build up from the Nations Cup victory in South Africa to World Cup qualification is an indication that the team will do well.

“Being part of the team to play in Brazil is a great achievement, but that notwithstanding, I believe that we are going to do better than we

have ever done before,” he said.

Jaja said that one good quality of the present Eagles was the character of the team.

“Coach Stephen Keshi has shown that the Eagles have character and knows what he wants to achieve.

“All we have to do now is to support the team

UPER Eagles defender Kenneth Omeruo has told Chelsea to improve on his contract, otherwise he will take a walk in the summer.

Omeruo finished a success loan spell with Championship side Middlesbrough, with boss Aitor Karanka already confirming his interest in bringing him back next season. The 21-year-old has just 12 months on his current deal with the Blues and must first resolve his future at Stamford Bridge before looking toward the new 2014/15 campaign.

And his representative, Chika Akujobi, has been quoted as saying he wants a better deal offered from Chelsea before he leaves for the

World Cup in Brazil with Nigeria.

“We want them to double the offer, but they said they have a new policy for young players who have yet to break into their first-team and this ensures they do not go overboard with their offers,” he said.

“But Kenneth has already proved himself in the English Championship which is even more forceful and physical than the English Premier League, which is more about tactics.

“Chelsea have to come up and they have to do so soon, before the club go on summer holidays.”

Omeruo made 14 appearance for Boro after becoming Aitor Karanka’s first transfer-window capture in January.

He noted that Okeagu had answered the call of nature and said that the occasion was only a reminder “for us to deal uprightly with our fellow men as death is an unavoidable end”.

According to him, in death, only the memories of our deeds will be left with men.

The catholic cleric, a former staff of the ministry, described Okeagu as a friendly person who had good relationship with those around him.

He prayed for the repose of his soul and for God to grant his family, colleagues and athletes under his tutelage the fortitude to bear the loss.

Some athletes told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the demise of Okeagu was a heavy blow to their journey to stardom.

Ebube Enechi, one of those under his tutelage, said she would miss the coach’s indepth knowledge of the tracks, coaching style and kind advice.

Enechi, who wept profusely, said she would work hard to uphold what he had bequeathed to them.

and pray for them to do well.

“I am optimistic that Keshi has a good team that will do the nation proud at the mundial,” he said According to Jaja, the Eagles have experienced players and have been together since they won the Nations Cup last year in South Africa.

More money or no deal, Omeruo tells Chelsea

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THLETICS enthusiasts and sports fans in Anambra mourned the death of former national 400m hurdles champion and the state’s athletics coach, Osita Okeagu, who died at the age of 36-years last month.

Okeagu died in his Onitsha residence on April 24 after a brief illness and was buried in his home town, Amuwelu Obia-Aku in the Igbo Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State on Friday.

There was an outpouring of emotions at the Anambra State Ministry of Sports, Awka, where he worked when the remains made a brief stopover en route to Enugu.

His remains were received by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Leo Emeka in the company of other officials that included the Director of Sports (Operations), Mr Chidi Mbanefo.

In a sermon at the occasion taken from Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 verses 1 to 8, Rev. Fr. Livinus Udemba, called for courage on the part of all those affected by the death.

KICKING... Nigerian taekwondo champion Chika Chukwumerije

Agoma Martial Arts Festival: Athletes to undergo medical test the five days festival.

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•Omeruo

LL the martial art ists competiting the first Agoma Martial Arts festival May 13-18 will undergo a medical test to ascertain their fitness for the contest.

According to Emmanuel Oghenejobo, organiser of the festival, medical personnel from the Edo State Sports Council will be on hand to perform tests in other to forestall any medical emergency. He said that the medical team which will include medical doctors, physiotherapists and psychologists would carry out their tests prior to the festival’s opening.

“We have passed the information to prospective

competitors that athletes aspiring to take part in the festival should bring their medical fitness certificates along.

“However, we have secured the assistance of a team of doctors to conduct the final check on the athletes to basically confirm the medical reports they will come with.

“In case the doctors give a contrary report to any athlete, such a person will not be allowed to participate in the fight because we cannot allow these athletes to endanger their lives,” he said.

Oghenejobo, coordinator of the festival, urged coaches and athletes alike to be disciplined during

“We expect officials, athletes and spectators to behave well because three foreign countries will be participating in this competition and we must be good ambassadors of our country,” he said.

Oghenejobo recalled that the festival had produced the likes of Chika Chukwumerije, an AllAfrica Games gold medalist and Olympic Games bronze medalist and Martins Obiora, a national champion and Olympian.

He said the festival was aimed at improving the sports in martial arts in the country and at re-directing youths to meaningfully utilise their energies.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 11, 2014

TODAY’S MATCHES Cardiff Fulham Hull Liverpool Man City Norwich Southampton Sunderland Tottenham West Brom

v v v v v v v v v v

Chelsea Crystal Palace Everton Newcastle West Ham Arsenal Man Utd Swansea Aston Villa Stoke

4.00pm 4.00pm 4.00pm 4.00pm 4.00pm 4.00pm 4.00pm 4.00pm 4.00pm 4.00pm

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE 1 2 3 4 5

BRAZIL 2014:

Team Man City Liverpool Chelsea Arsenal Everton

MP 37 37 37 37 37

D +63 +50 +43 +25 +20

P 83 81 79 76 69

Ike Uche, Keshi reconcile

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STRANGED Super Eagles striker, Ikechukwu Uche disclosed that he and coach Stephen Keshi have resolved their differences and he, Uche was now at peace with his omission from the list of Nigerian players for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Uche, who has played 44 times for Nigeria and scored 18 goals said that he has gotten over the issue of been dropped by Keshi from the World Cup, despite all the entreaties made by Nigeria football fans.

“Of course as a professional footballer you’d love to represent your country, but I have never had bad words towards the national coach,” “We spoke two weeks before the squad was announced to clarify certain things that had been written and said in the media.

“Most significantly, it was a very good discussion. It gives me great pleasure that there is no ill will towards anyone.

“I thank the coach for that. I also wish my teammates all the best in Brazil because we are all one family whether you are in the squad or not.” said the Villarreal of Spain striker.

Keshi had claimed that Uche hardly played to instructions and almost sabotaged the team during the 2013 Nations Cup in South Africa adding that such player will find no room in his squad. But this was something Uche disputed.

Uche has scored 12 goals from 28 appearances for his club this season. A feat no other Nigerian

CHASING DEVELOPMENT... Ikechukwu Uche (R) battles with Anthony Annan of Ghana during an International Friendly between Ghana and Nigeria at Vicarage Road on October 11, 2011 in Watford, England. Uche will not be going to the world cup with the Super Eagles, despite fans plea for Keshi to give him a second chance. striker had achieved this season and Nigerian fans criticized Keshi, for not giving the player another chance.

“I thank the fans and those pas-

Aiyenugba: I deserve Eagles’ call up

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UPER Eagles goalkeeper, Dele Aiyenugba, on Saturday said he was not bitter by his exclusion from the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup Eagles squad even as he deserves a call up by the coach.

The former Enyimba FC of Aba goalkeeper described the Super Eagles list as fantastic and expressed his readiness to fly the colours of the country if given the opportunity.

“When you desire something and you don’t get it, you continue to work to get it.

“I deserve a place in the list, but since the coach excludes me, I have to respect his decision.

“I love my country and I will jump at a chance to come back again, the joy of a player is to play for his country,” Aiyenugba said.

He said the Super Eagles had a good chance in the World Cup because; there were many good players in the squad.

Aiyenugba added that no nation was a pushover in the 32 countries to battle for supremacy because; they all fought hard and must be accorded same respect.

“I believe in these guys, they will make it to the next round and progress with determination,” he said.

sionately concerned about my omission. I’m grateful for their support and best wishes. We should all rally round the team

and support them in Brazil. The coach cannot select everyone available to represent Nigeria.

“For me, those picked and those left out are also aware that the country’s success is more important than personal glory.

CROSS WORD PUZZLE 1

ACROSS 1. House of Reps Speaker (8) 5. Assistant (4) 7. Praise (5) 8. Upright (4) 9. Lantern (4) 11. Tradition (6) 13. Lagos masquerade (3) 15. Exclamation (2) 16. Pig’s nose (5) 18. Agent (3) 20. Glitters (6) 24. Forward (5) 25. Nigerian state (6) 27. Boring tool (3) 29. Ghanaian fabric (5) 31. Perform (2) 32. Oshiomhole’s state (3) 34. U.S. currency (6) 36. Vow (4) 38. Musical quality (4) 39. Inclination (5) 40. Eager (4) 41. Damages (8)

DOWN 1. Sample (5) 2. Niger state town (4) 3. Observe (5) 4. Lecture (6) 5. Everyone (3) 6. Use (6) 10. Inquires (4) 12. Carpet (3) 14. Colour (6) 15. Resistance unit (3) 17. Coax (4) 19. Rollicked (6) 21. Hatchet (3) 22. Satisfied (4) 23. Nigerian state (3) 26. Cry of derision (3) 27 . African country (6) 28. Endure (4) 29. Child (3) 30. Spoke (6) 31. Adorn (5) 33. Baking chambers (5) 35. Asterisk (4) 37. Possessed (3)

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SOLUTION on page 5

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