$3M SUBSIDY BRIBERY SCANDALLawan Farouk on hisown — REPS

...towards a better life for the people

** MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012

VOL. 25: NO. 61641

5 killed as gunmen attack two churches in Jos, Maiduguri •Pg. 6

N150

KIDNAP OF OBODO: Police suspect 'insider's job' •Pg. 56

$3M SUBSIDY BRIBERY SCANDAL

Lawan Farouk on his own — REPS

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, EMMA UJAH, OKEY NDIRIBE & EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

A G O S — EMBIT TERED members of the House of Representatives, yesterday, distanced themselves from Lawan Farouk, chairman of the

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•I'm not guilty, accusation long expected — Lawan

DANA CRASH: US probe team arrives

House committee that probed fuel subisdy, over alleged $3 million bribe scam and are asking him to bear his cross alone.

Lawan Farouk, however, has vehemently denied the allegation.

The latest allegation notwithstanding, the House members, it was learnt yesterday, were determined to keep the issues emanating from the investigations in focus and are set to trigger what sources described as option B aimed at prosecuting beneficiaries

Continues on Page 5

AIR CRASH:

Widower sues Boeing •Pg.7

•Pg.7

Mr & Mrs

Customs, operators frustrate presidential order •P. 17 JOS CHURCH ATTACK—Images of the bomb explosion at The Christ Chosen Church of God ,Rukuba Jos, yesterday. Photos: Taye Obateru/NAN. C M Y K

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Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012—5

Lawan Farouk on his own — Reps Continues from Page 1 of the illegal subsidy claims.

Meanwhile, Rep. Farouk Lawan, who is at the centre of the allegations, yesterday, denied collecting the bribe, saying that the accusation was long expected. At a press briefing yesterday night, Lawan, a four term member of the House of Representatives and Chairman of Integrity Group which forced out former Speaker Patricia Etteh from office in 2007, said that it was because of the pressures on him that he ran away from his residence for five days while preparing the report of the subsidy committee. Lawan is the chairman of the ad-hoc committee.

It has also emerged that Lawan had wanted to present the money on the floor of the House last Wednesday but was dissuaded by angry members who warned that it would defile the template of uprightness that the new leadership of the House has sought to portray.

The House member at the centre of the allegation had allegedly collected $600,000 as part payment of the $3 million bribe from an interested party in the investigations.

Members who spoke to Vanguard, yesterday, expressed their disappointment on the action of the House official describing his recent explanations as “actions after the act.”

Especially scandalized it was learnt was Speaker Aminu Tambuwal who it was learnt has now faced the embarrassment of having the clean image he has otherwise cultivated tainted by the evolving development.

“The speaker is very disappointed but it is not as if he was totally surprised by the development and you know that is why some of his officials have continuously kept this man (suspect) at bay,” a close associate of the speaker told Vanguard yesterday.

Noting that it was the action of one man which cannot taint the image of the House, a key player in the House told Vanguard that the issue was for the indicted official to settle with the anti-corruption agencies.

“As for us this is an issue between him and the anti-corruption agencies, it is not for the House as there is no way that it can be proved that the House is connected to this mess,” the member told Vanguard.

Irrespective of the bribery allegation, Vanguard learnt of the determination of the House to press on with its charge against illegal beneficiaries of the subsidy scam with the instigation of a private prosecution of the alleged scammers.

“We are waiting for the executive to initiate action on the report but you know with their contradicting actions, it is now clear that nothing

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Letting go means to come to the realization that some people are a part of your history, but not a part of your destiny— Steve Maraboli.

E’VE all heard the saying: “If you love some thing enough, let it go. If it comes back to you, it’s yours forever. If it doesn’t, it was never really yours to begin with.” As cliché as it might sound, it still holds true. I am learning that the most selfless act of love one person can show another person is to let them go. The inclination is always to plead for the other person to change their mind, forgive you, love you more, want you more, need you more to show them why they can’t live without you...to prove to them that if they give you just one more chance, you’ll get it right this time. It’s human nature. But if the person you love most in the world is struggling to break free...ready to move on...slipping through your fingers...regardless of how much it breaks your heart, shouldn’t you wish them the best and let them fly?

Letting go is not for the faint of heart. It’s the hardest thing most of us will ever have to learn how to do...but still, we must do it. Because true love, real love, unselfish love...demands nothing less.

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can come out from them, so we will activate our option B,” one member said.

Option B it was learnt would involve the House raising a team to instigate the private prosecution of those indicted by the report of the committee, the member said on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Also giving the determination of the House to wash its hands clean off the bribery allegation, another key player in the House told Vanguard yesterday that members were generally agreed that Lawan should be treated the same way as Rep. Herman Hembe, the embattled chairman of the House Committee on Capital Markets. Hembe is now facing prosecution in the hands of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC following allegations that he collected money to travel for a training workshop abroad but did not go.

“Just as Hembe we will leave Farouk to sort out his problems as it is not a problem for the House.”

It was further gathered that just before the House proceeded on break last week that Lawan had sought to table the alleged bribe on the table of the House as bribe offered him by interested stakeholders in the downstream sector but was rebuffed by House officials.

“Yes it is true but that was after the act. Why did he wait for weeks before telling anyone about the money,” one source in the House said yesterday as it was revealed that the effort to table the money became an option following suspicion that the deal had leaked.

“Even if one of us is guilty let the person bear his cross, let it not rub off on the house because if this is allowed to happen, it would bear damaging consequences for other investigations the House is now focusing on,” the House official said.

Meanwhile, the House leadership it was learnt is leaning towards the constitution of a special investigative committee to unravel the mystery sorrounding the alleged scam.

The inclination of the House leadership, it was

learnt was upon pressures from members of the Lawan led ad-hoc committee who were embittered that they had been smeared with the bribe allegation and wanted an open investigation to clear their names.

A principal officer in the House who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that following the series of agitations by members of the Committee, the House leadership would meet this week to take a position on how best to address the matter.

According to him: “The truth is that most members of the committee now feel very bad. How would you react to a situation where only one member of the committee was alleged to be involved in bribery and corruption case and the whole members of the House are being dragged into it? Our colleagues are demanding that the matter be brought into the open and treated with the urgency it deserves.

This is what we are going to consider and I can assure you that as usual the House will on its own conduct an independent investigation into the matter to determine the truth. I can also tell you that we will not hesitate

POCKET CARTOON

to take appropriate action in line with our rules against whoever is found to be guilty in the investigation.”

Another member who also spoke off record called on the leadership to act fast to save the image of the House pointing out that the situation should be handled in such a way that would not create the impression that some members are bigger than others.

“What some of us are saying is that the House has only one rule and that rule must apply to all members equally and fairly too irrespective of whoever is involved” He said.

House spokesman, Zakari Mohammed while dissociating the House

from the alleged bribe had at the weekend pledged the determination of the House not to cover up the corrupt deeds of anyone.

“While we await investigation into these weighty accusations, we wish to state without equivocation that this Honourable House will never take side with corruption and we will always stand on the side of the rule of law.

“The reason we inaugurated the ad hoc committee to look into the controversial subsidy regime in the first place was to expose corruption in the sector, as such, we cannot, for whatever reason, support any underhand dealing from any quarter".

I'm not guilty — Lawan EACTING to the development yesterday, Rep. Lawan in a prepared statement said: "My attention has been drawn to several newspapers and internet stories alleging that a prominent member of the House Adhoc Committee on Petroleum Subsidy demanded and received the sum of $600,000.00 as bribe from an oil marketer.

"I wish to categorically deny that I or any member of the committee demanded and received any bribe from anybody in connection with the fuel subsidy probe and I believe this is evident from the thorough and indepth manner the investigation was carried out and the all encompassing recommendations produced therefrom as approved by the whole House.

"The general public is hereby reminded that during and after the investigations we have severally raised alarm on pressures on us from different quarters. In

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particular I wish to refer to the front page publication in Leadership Weekend newspaper of 28th April 2012 captioned “Marketers offered subsidy committee plane load of dollars” where we alerted the public that a marketer promised to fly in a jet loaded with US Dollars which he “intended to share to both the House Leadership and members of the Adhoc Committee to influence the outcome of the report.

"This clarification is necessary in order to clear all the insinuations being bandied about and more importantly to enable the Government concentrate on the implementation of the report.

"The present mudslinging is not unexpected in view of the calibre of people whose actions and inactions were found wanting in the report. I am aware that in their desperation to discredit the report and divert the

THE VICTIMS:

attention of the public from the real issues of large scale fraud in high places established in our report, a video footage displaying a caricature of my person allegedly having a dealing with a marketer reminiscent of the military era when dignitaries were invited to the Villa to watch a video clip of a phanthom coup involving Chief Olusegu Obasanjo is already in circulation.

"I wish to assure all Nigerians that the sanctity of our report remains unassailable and it will be in the best interest of the country if the relevant authorities faithfully and conscientiously implement the resolutions of the House.

No amount of redherring and cheap blackmail will affect our resolve to continue to act in the best interest of the country with all available information at our disposal . No doubt, the last has not been heard."

Continues on Page 10

6 — VANGUARD, MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012

Lagos moves to restrict container traffic on Lagos roads

BY GODWIN ORITSE

AGOS — THE Lagos State government has moved to introduce a new law that will restrict the movement of articulated trucks within the metropolis.

“A bill for a law to repeal and re-enact the road traffic law and to make provisions for road traffic and vehicle inspection in Lagos State,” which was subjected to a public hearing last Thursday by the state House of Assembly seeks to outlaw movement of container laden trucks in the state between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Specifically, the Bill states: “No trailers other than petrol tankers and long vehicles used in conveying passengers shall enter into or travel within the metropolis of Lagos between the hours of 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.”

A copy of the draft bill which was sighted by our correspondent also includes punishments for violators, even as it seeks to outlaw operations of commercial motorcycles in certain parts of the city.

But reacting to the new law, the factional national president, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, Mr Lucky Amiwero, who was at the public hearing told the lawmakers that restricting movement of container carriers to regulated time period would hinder free flow of cargoes from the ports

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to the consignees and that this could precipitate congestion in the ports.

According to the licenced customs agent who was the only stakeholder at the public hearing, “the provisions as contained in section 3-(1) must take into cognizance the supply chain mechanism that may obstruct the clearance of goods from the ports at the restricted time from 6 a.m. to 7p.m.”

He suggested to the lawmakers that rather than restrict movement of containers, government should embark on proper delineation of routes and direct that trailers and container carriers be restricted to certain routes.

Amiwero, however, urged the legislators to make it mandatory for the state government to use part of the proceeds from the controversial "wharf landing fees" to construct trailer parks and holding bays.

Besides Amiwero, President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Agents (ANLCA), Alhaji Olayowola Shittu, said he was not aware of the development, adding that a meeting of the port decongestion committee was billed for Wednesday and the issue would surely be tabled for discussion.

He, however, stated that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA)had opposed a similar move by the State to restrict the movement of empty containers in the past

From right: President Goodluck Jonathan, Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State; his wife, Martha and Madam Eunice Jonathan, mother of the President during a church service at St. Stephen's Anglican Church in Otueke, Bayelsa State, yesterday. Photo: State House.

5 killed as gunmen, suicide bomber attack churches in Borno, Plateau

BY TAYE OBATERU& NDAHI MARAMA

OS— GUNMEN, yes terday, attacked two churches in Jos and Biu town in Borno State, killing five people and injuring several others.

In Jos, a suicide bomb attack on a church left the suicide bomber and two others dead.

Several others have been hospitalised at the Plateau Specialist Hospital and Bingham University Teaching Hospital as a result of injuries from the blast. Others had gunshot wounds.

A yet to be ascertained number were also lynched by an irate mob protesting the bomb attack at Christ Chosen Church located along Rukuba

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6000 Nigerians in foreign jails over drug offences

BY OKEY NDIRIBE & EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

BUJ A — DIRECTORGENERAL, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Mr Femi Ajayi, weekend, said over 6,000 Nigerians were serving various jail terms across the globe for drug related offences.

Ajayi told the Abike Dabiri-Erewa-led House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora Matters in Abuja that Nigeria had more of its nationals in prisons outside the country than any other African country.

Ajayi who listed some of the countries as Iran 4,000, Brazil 500, Thailand 500,

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Malaysia 300, said the list was more than that “but that was what we have for now.”

He said the bulk of those caught for drug related offences outside the country were from the South-East with majority coming from Anambra State.

"I don’t know what we can do about the large number of our brothers from the South-East who indulge in this illicit business. Can you believe that of the 500 Nigerians in Thailand prisons, 480 of them are from the South-East and 450 from it are from Anambra State?”

Ajayi further said the agency had been facing many challenges hindering

the optimal performance of its duties as an enforcement agency on drug related matters.

He listed these challenges to include poor funding, lack of necessary equipment, uncooperative attitude of some collaborative agencies, lack of capacity building for staff and difficulty in tracking down drug barons.

“For instance in 2011, our capital budget was N84.5 million but only N61 million was released. Our overheads also reduced from N630 million in 2011 to N600 million despite the fact that our staff strength increased from 3,200 to 5,300,” he said.

Road.

The suicide bomber, according to eye witnesses, drove a Volkswagen Vento car with number plate Bauchi AJ413BAU into the church premises at about 11a.m and rushed out of the car shortly after which there was a huge explosion which brought down the church building.

It was learnt that nobody died in the church as a result of the blast because only a few people who stayed back for a meeting were still in the church at the time of the incident.

The bomber was said to have diverted to the church which is not fenced after attempts to gain entry into some of the bigger churches in the area failed because of the security barricades in place.

It was alleged that like what happened during the attack on the COCIN Headquarters Church, the suicide bomber drove closely behind a military van before turning off the Rukuba Barracks Road into the church which is several metres away from the major road.

Reprisal attack Following the blast, irate youths took over the road attacking commercial motorcyclists and others in apparent reprisals. Unconfirmed report said at least seven people were said to have been killed in such attacks.

However, our correspondent sighted about four charred bodies of those believed to have been victims of reprisals in different places. The irate mob har-

assed security men and journalists preventing them from going to the venue.

The windshield of the NTA crew which was heading for the scene was smashed as the mob expressed anti-government and anti-security forces sentiments.

The state Police Commissioner, Mr. Emmanuel Ayeni, while confirming the incident said only the suicide bomber died at the church while the two others died from the riot that broke out in the aftermath of the blast. The suicide bomber was said to have been torn apart by the blast.

He said four vehicles and a motorcycle were damaged in the blast but regretted that the reaction by angry youth slowed down rescue operations.

It's saddening —Plateau govt The Plateau State government has, meanwhile, described the blast as saddening despite efforts put in place to prevent such attacks.

It said the incident coming after a period of calm in the state was an indication that the security measures put in place were working and appealed to the people to remain calm and not to do anything capable of heightening the tension.

The Commissioner for Information, Mr. Abraham Yiljap, spoke on behalf of the state government.

The police commissioner confirmed that 41 people were injured.

Contrary to initial claims, some of the church members receiving treatment at the Bingham University Teaching Hospital told journalists that they had just finished prayers and the sermon was about to commence when the car drove into the premises at top speed and rammed into one of the pillars.

Gunmen kill 2 in Biu church attack In Biu Local Government Area of Borno State, gunmen attacked EYN Church in Tabra ward where they killed two worshippers, while others were seriously injured and were taken to Gombe State where they are receiving treatment at the Gombe Medical Centre Our correspondent gathered the incident occurred at exactly 9 a.m. when the gunmen opened fire on the congregation before they fled without being arrested.

A Pastor in the church who did not want his name in print said: “I am also a pastor in Biu and I called my colleagues who confirmed that, some gunmen attacked EYN Church during Sunday Service this morning (yesterday), shooting sporadically, which led to the killing of two worshippers and injuring many who were rushed to Gombe Medical Centre for treatment.”

A member of the church in Biu, said: “Yes, gunmen attacked our church today. Two people were confirmed dead while several others were injured. I am very happy and thank God that I was some few metres away to the church when I heard the gunshots and I had to make a u-turn.”

VANGUARD, MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012—7

Relatives of victims meet Fashola, weigh options for release of bodies 69 bodies already identified

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

AGOS —FAMILIES of last Sunday's DANA Airplane crash at Iju-Ishaga, Lagos may have to wait a little longer to enable the government carry out proper identification of the victims.

Governor Babatunde Fashola made this known yesterday after about two hours closed door meeting with the families of the victims held at the Lagos House, Ikeja.

Also at the meeting were the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris; the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ade Ipaye, and Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr. Wale Ahmed as well as religious leaders in the state.

Though most of the families who attended the meeting declined to make any comment, one of the family members who did not want his name mentioned told Vanguard that government officials announced at the meeting that about 69 bodies had already been identified but yet to be released to family

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Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State (middle); Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Chris Obohand (right) and Mr. Tamir Ezer of Onida Development Ltd inspecting the site plan of the ongoing state Fish Farm project at Buguma, during the governor's inspection of the site, weekend.

DANA AIR CRASH:

US investigators arrive I warned Dana of pending danger — Akpabio AGOS — OFFICIALS from the United States of America, US, National Transportation Safety Board have arrived in Nigeria to help investigate the June 3 crash of a Dana Airlines Ltd. aircraft. The US officials will work alongside Nigeria’s Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB. Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB, spokesman, Tunji Oketunbi, said: “They (US investigators) are working with us to gather materials and evidence. They will be with us throughout the investigation.”

The Dana Airlines flight from Abuja crashed into the heavily populated IjuIshaga area of Lagos on June 3 as it approached the Murtala Muhammed International Airport. The Boeing Co. (BA) (BA) MD83 plane plunged into residential houses bursting into flames and killing 153 people on board and 10 on the ground.

The crash-proof recorders on the jet, known as black boxes, were sent to the U.S. last week for analysis, Oketunbi said.

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I warned Dana of pending danger —Akpabio Meanwhile, Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State said, yesterday, that he had earlier lodged

a complaint with the management of Dana Air before the unfortunate plane crashed at Iju-Ishaga, Lagos on June 3.

Akpabio told reporters at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, that he intimated the management of the complaints he received about a faulty aircraft being used by the airline.

He said: “When I received complaints from most Dana Air users in my state, complaining of what people may call near misses or crashes, like non-operational landing gear and all sorts of problems I told the management why experimenting with the lives of Nigerians. I warned the management to recall what happened to ADC airline.

“This was the way ADC started and all of a sudden, they were putting faulty aircraft in the air. At the end, so many lives were lost and unfortunately, you cannot replace lives.”

He said he warned Dana to ensure adequate maintenance or suspend its flight to enable a thorough check of the aircraft in its fleet, adding: “But unfortunately, that is all in the past now. The warning probably was not heeded by the management of Dana and a situation has already occurred.

“May the souls of those

who died rest in perfect peace. I pray that we will use the outcome of the investigation to better the aviation industry.”

Proper monitoring of airlines The governor noted that government must ensure proper monitoring of airlines operating in the country to ensure they were airworthy.

He also urged the Federal Government to think of how the country would have a befitting national carrier that would be the first choice to fly.

He said: “A country with 160 million people without a national carrier is unthinkable, because almost half of the population have no access to airplanes.

“It is because of the gap that people are trying to fill as a result of the absence of a national carrier that we are having mushroom airlines coming on board.

“I think it is something we must sit down and think about again because the situation now is urgent. We must not even delay it.”

Akpabio noted that aviation and transport were part of social services which all level of governments should not ignore, otherwise, the public would continue to be exposed to ex-

tortion and dangers.

He noted: “It took America, Britain and others bailing out private companies for them to survive.

Like the General Motors in America, the government has to bail it out to survive."

“Governments all over

members.

Fashola who briefed newsmen immediately after the meeting that ended late evening, said both parties agreed to work out a process that would ensure proper identification of the recovered bodies.

The governor explained: “They have agreed with the process that we have set up so that we can identify who is who before release of the bodies to various families. So they have indicated that they are going to wait as long as the process last.

“We also set up a relationship team from government that will be communicating specifically with them. They have agreed to constitute some of their members as representatives so that we can have a more coordinated approach to communication sharing and managing information on the release of bodies and those that cannot be identified and generally working through all of these processes.

“It is a very painful and tedious process and I think that this meeting was useful to chart a common course forward.”

Husband of crash victim sues Boeing AGOS — THE husband of a woman killed in last Sunday’s plane crash is suing the plane’s manufacturer, Boeing, and engine maker, United Technologies, saying her death was caused by a “dangerous and defective” aircraft.

David Chukwunonso Allison, who lives in Lagos, is also suing the estate of the American pilot, Peter Waxtan, according to the lawsuit filed on Thursday in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.

Allison’s wife, Joy, was among the 153 people on board who died in the crash in Lagos, Nigeria’s worst in two decades. Waxtan was also killed.

Dana and Aviation Minister Stella Oduah have said the pilot radioed a distress signal to report engine failure minutes before the airliner crashed.

“There was a mayday call for engine failure at 1442

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hours (1342 GMT). We don’t know if it was one or two,” Oscar Wilson, Dana’s director of flight operations told a news conference on Thursday. He said all the planes used by Dana had been tested to ensure they can fly on just one engine, in accordance with international norms.

The lawsuit said: “As a direct ... result of defendants’ design, manufacture, sale, shipment, distribution, maintenance, service, operation, ownership, leasing, and transfer of the subject aircraft and its component parts in a dangerous and defective condition ... Joy Chiedozie Allison was killed.”

It blamed the pilot for failing to “properly execute landing of the subject aircraft,” which it said was the result of “negligence and carelessness.”

Boeing (BA.N) spokesman Doug Alder Jr. said it was standard practice for

the company not to comment on pending litigation.

The Pratt & Whitney unit of US manufacturer United Technologies (UTX.N), which made the engines on the aircraft, said in an emailed statement on Friday: “We are deeply saddened by the lives lost in the recent Dana Airlines incident. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of all those involved in this incident.

“Pratt & Whitney is cooperating fully with investigating authorities, and we are unable to offer any further comment as the investigation is ongoing.”

A note on the door of the pilot’s modest Fort Lauderdale, Florida, home read: “There is no statement at this time. Please respect our privacy.”

A young man who answered the door and asked not to be named also declined comment.

8 —Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012

CHIEF TIMI ALAIBE'S 56TH BIRTHDAY THANKSGIVING AT CHURCH OF ASSUMPTION, FALOMO, IKOYI, LAGOS, YESTERDAY. PIX: BUNMI AZZEZ & LAMIDI BAMIDELE

From right: Chief Timi Alaibe; former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Austin Opara and Presidential Adviser on Niger Delta and Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Kingsley Kuku.

From left: Chief Timi Alaibe, former Special Adviser on Niger Delta to President Jonathan,celebrant, his children, Ebiye, Sunshine and Ebitimi at the event.

From left: Mr. Steve Oronsanye, former Head of Service; General Andrew Owoye Azazi (rtd), National Security Adviser, NSA, and Mr. Gregory Ero.

Mr. Mutiu Sumonu, MD, Shell (left) and Mr. Beniah Elemchukwu Ojum, former ED, Project, NDDC.

SERAP wants AG to prosecute 16 foreign firms over alleged bribery

BY INNOCENT ANABA

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AGOS—SOCIOEconomic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, yesterday, called on the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, SAN, to prosecute 16 foreign companies allegedly involved in bribery in the country.

SERAP said it will seek leave of court for an order of mandamus to compel Mr Adoke to act, if the companies were not prosecuted “ithin 14 days from the receipt its request."

The foreign companies listed in the letter to Mr Adoke are: Halliburton Co; Kellogg Brown & Root LLC (KBR); Technip SA; Snamprogetti Netherlands BV; ENI SpA; JGC Corp; MW Kellogg; Willbros International; Julius Berger Nigeria Plc; Panalpina; Royal Dutch Shell Plc; Pride International; Noble Corp; Tidewater Inc;

Transocean Inc; Shell Nigerian Exploration and Production Co. Ltd; and Siemens AG. The group’s Executive Director, Mr. Adetokunbo Mumuni, in the letter to the AGF, said: “It is wellknown that these foreign companies have been involved in acts of bribery and corruption in Nigeria, and had paid huge compensation in their home countries, where they have been found guilty of such practices.

However, none of these companies have been prosecuted in Nigeria for those acts.

“Yet, the Nigerian people have suffered more the effects of foreign bribery.

Foreign bribery has caused immense damage and devastation to the economy and to institutions of governance, and directly undermined the full and effective enjoyment of internationally recognised human rights, especially

economic, social and cultural rights by the citizens. Nigerians have not benefited from the large number of foreign bribery cases and investigations in OECD Convention countries that include allegations of bribery in Nigeria.

“It is becoming a widely accepted principle that perpetrators of foreign bribery can be prosecuted

in the country as long as the harmful effect of the acts of bribery is felt within the country. This is called the ‘harmful effects’ principle.

“We believe that the lack of prosecution by the Nigerian government of the multinationals for proven foreign bribery constitutes a violationoftheinternationallegal rights of the deprived, and may itself constitute an international wrong."

From left: Msgr. Anthony Obanla, Chancellor Archdiocese of Lagos; Chief Timi Alaibe, his children, Ebiye, Sunshine and Ebitimi.

We're not against NAFDAC —ACPN

BY CHIOMA OBINNA A G O S — ASSOCIATION of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, ACPN, has denied media reports that community pharmacists have formed a drug counterfeiting syndicate in Lagos State.

Briefing journalists in Lagos, National President of the association, Mrs Ejiro Foyibo, said contrary to alleged “highly

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SSANU tasks Jonathan on DANA crash probe

BY VICTOR AHIUMAYOUNG

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A G O S— S E N I O R Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, weekend called on President Goodluck Jonathan to go beyond rhetoric in the handling and investigation of last Sunday’s Dana Airline crash, which killed no fewer than 170 people.

SSANU in a statement by

its President, Mr. Samson Ugwoke, said the Federal Government must place severe sanction on the management of Dana Airline and those found culpable in the process that led to the crash.

He said: “Those who allowed the crash to happen and the regulatory agency should be properly investigated and adequate punishment should be applied in this case.”

He decried the high number of casualties, adding that those involved were the creams of the society, stressing that they include the academics, who had so many things to contribute to the development of Nigeria.

He said from the management of the airline to the respective regulatory authorities in the aviation sector, those involved should not go free.

speculative, frivolous and unfounded" report, community pharmacists support every effort of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, to fight fake and counterfeit drugs in the country.

She said: “Pharmacists are men and women of honour with integrity trusted in their communities where they practice.

"Community Pharmacists have no intention of truncating NAFDAC fight against fake and counterfeit products in the country. It is good to put on record that Community Pharmacists in Nigeria have long history of collaboration with regulatory agencies, such as NAFDAC.” Denying an alleged plan by the pharmacists to sabotage NAFDAC mobile authentication service, she queried what the benefit would be to the pharmacists, who were neither manufacturers nor importers.

9—Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 11, 20125

17,000 candidates fight for 3,000 slots at FUTO

BY DAYO JOHNSON KURE—OVER 17,000 students, weekend, scrambled for the 3,000 available slots at Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, during the post-Universal Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, according to Prof.

Biyi Daramola, Vice-Chancellor of the university.

Daramola said due to the limited space at the university, it could only accommodate between

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LAW: From left— Dr. Wale Babalakin(SAN), Publisher, Nigerian Monthly Law Report, NMLR; Justice Bola Babalakin, his father, a retired judge of the Supreme Court; Lord Robert Carnwath, guest lecturer and Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom; Justice Dahiru Musdapha, Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN); Justice Olayinka Ayoola, retired judge of the Supreme Court, and Justice Alfa Belgore, former CJN, at the maiden edition of the MNLR lecture series, in Abuja.

Ondo PDP to reconcile as monarchs back Mimiko

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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KURE—SOUTH-West progressive caucus of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,basedinOndoState,has expressed its readiness to work with the executive of the party in the zone to resolve the lingering crises across the states in the region.

Speaking with newsmen in Akure the Publicity Secretary of the party, Mike Omogbehin, said the caucus would not work at crossroads with the recognised leadership of the party.

Meantime, ahead of the

governorship election in Ondo State the traditional rulers in the oil producing Ilaje Local Government Area have unanimously endorsed the second term bid of the state governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko.

Olugbo of Ugbo kingdom, Oba Fredrick Akinruntan, who is also the Chairman, Ilaje Council of Obas, said the traditional rulers took the decision after an interactive session with the chairman of the Interim Committee of the local government, Banji Okunomo.

... warns of imminent anarchy in Ekiti EOPLES Democratic Party, PDP, in the SouthWest has warned Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi of the dire consequences of what it described as his continuous reign of terror against members of opposition parties in the state, saying “the governor should not push the people to a level where they would react violently.”

PDP decried yesterday’s invasion of the venue of a

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youths programme in AdoEkiti by thugs allegedly led

by Fayemi’s Special Assistant on Internal Security, Deji Adesokan (Jaruu).

In a statement yesterday, Zonal Publicity Secretary of PDP, Mr. Kayode Babade, said: “It is worrisome that Fayemi’s fear of losing the governorship seat that was purchased for him is driving him to the level of disrupting programmes organised to enlighten youths in Ekiti State.”

Rights group flays Ekiti over teachers' test

BY EBELE ONUORA KITI—A rights group, Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights, CDWR, has condemned the Competence Test Policy being imposed on teachers in Ekiti State, stating that it was a provocative and belittling act.

According to the group, the exercise during which unspecified state officials, who might know nothing about teaching,

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would attempt to verify the suitability of teachers, was not encouraging.

In a bid to determine which training programmes are required and best suited for teachers, Ekiti State government had recently introduced a Teachers Development Needs Assessment, TDNA, policy which subjects all teachers in the state to a compulsory test to be held at different centres, beginning from Monday June 4.

2,500 and 3,000 as approved by the National Universities Commission, NUC. According to him, the university retained the minimum score of 200 for those that took part in the examination because the university wanted to maintain its standard.

Daramola said the examination was arranged in such a way that all candidate were given equal opportunities to prove themselves.

Demolition raises tension in It's politically-motivated— Lawmaker Ogun It's routine work— Govt

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA—CONTROVERSIES, yesterday, continued to trail the demolition of a twobedroom flat belonging to a lawmaker, Khadijat Adeleye-Oladapo, representing Ifo state constituency by officials of Ogun State government.

The lawmaker, who is known for her opposition to Governor Ibikunle Amosun at the Assembly, described the action as an attempt to intimidate her, saying it was politicallymotivated.

However, the state government through the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Yusuph Olaniyonu denied involvement of the governor, describing the development as ‘a normal routine work.’

Vanguard learnt that the embattled lawmaker is a member of a factional group loyal to the former governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba, alleged to be in opposition within the same Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, with the state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

When Vanguard visited the place, the uncompleted building, which was erected behind the official quarters of the embattled lawmaker at the state legislative quarters, Kuto, Abeokuta, had been pulled down.

Eyewitness account An eyewitness, Mr. Samson Onademuren, who is incidentally a member of the House, representing Ijebu NorthEast state constituency, told newsmen that the

government agents threatened to kill him when he attempted to stop them. Onademuren said he could not stop them because they were many and could overpower him.

Speaking with Vanguard, Adeleye said she could not understand why the demolition exercise was done on Sunday and after she had left the house, adding that she could not understand why the perpetrators broke through her fence when nobody was at home.

She said: “I don’t see any reason why anybody would come on a Sunday. If they actually want to come and pull down the building, within 24 hours they will have all the laws to back

them up.

“Secondly, there is no gate on my fence; it’s an open place. They did not come through the gate but broke through the fence behind. I don’t know who can authorise that.”

‘She was served an order’ However, Olaniyonu denied the allegation by the lawmaker that Governor Amosun was witch-hunting her ahead of the local government election.

He said: “The governor has nothing to do with it.

It is a normal routine work. She had been served a stop work order three months ago because the building had

contravened the building plan in the legislative quarters.

“She was told to pull the structure down and she said she could not use her money to pull it down. The day the demolition was carried out is not an issue. But has she violated any law? Was she told before it was pulled down?

These are issues. It is a normal routine.”

Olaniyonu added that it was not only her building that was demolished. He said structures belonging to Deputy Speaker, Tola Banjom and one Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, were also demolished, because the government wanted to ensure uniform look for the quarters.

... as Oyo sacks 3,000 workers

BY OLA AJAYI

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BADAN—GOVERNOR Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has laid off about 3,000 workers in the state over alleged forged certificates and falsified ages.

According to the statement by the Special Adviser on Media to the Governor, Dr. Festus Adedayo, the sacked workers had violated terms of agreement they entered into with their employer.

However, the sack was trailed by condemnations from a section of the workers who complained that the management consultancy services contracted by the state government did not do thorough screening as many of the workers were told to come back later only for the government to announce their sack.

Contrary to the claims of the workers, the governor explained that the exercise was imperative to save the integrity of the service. The offences, according to the release, range from falsified age claims, falsified certificates, ghost workers who had no letter of appointment or who were retired but were still on the payroll of government, as well as staff with outstanding disciplinary cases against them.

The government explained that it inherited the staff rationalisation list from the immediate past government, which engaged the services of a management consultancy outfit called Captain Consulting, to do a thorough audit of the records of all public and civil servants in the state and their positions.

After the audit, said the release, the consultancy outfit came up with the list of workers with deficiencies that violated their rules of engagement to Oyo State civil service which it presented to the immediate past government.

Furthermore, the statement said, government secured an indemnity from the consulting firm to further ascertain that due process was followed in the exercise of compiling the list of the affected staff.

The government said after verifying the veracity of the claims of the consulting outfit, many of the workers who were exonerated by the panel had their names removed from the list and were not affected by the current cleansing exercise.

10—Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012

Fertilizer: Dickson orders probe of FAAC, FIRS over deductions

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA E N A G O A — GOVERNOR Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has ordered investigation into the N314m deduction from the monies that accrued to the state from Federation Account Allocation Committee, FAAC and Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, over alleged supply of fertilizer and tax evasion by the last administration in the state.

While N114m was deducted by FAAC for alleged supply of fertilizer to the state government,

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From left: Hon. Oma Djebah, Senior Adviser to the Delta State Governor on Global Relations; Ambassador Eloho Otobo, Director of Strategy at the United Nations, UN; and Ambassador Herman Cohen, former Assistant Secretary of State for Africa during the Clinton Administration at a lecture at the American Policy Forum in New York, weekend.

Bayelsa Assembly reverses Speaker's impeachment

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

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ENAGOA—THE 16member Bayelsa State House of Assembly, weekend, indicated its willingness to reverse the impeachment of the Speaker, Mr Kombowei Benson and return to status quo, following the intervention of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Meantime, Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN’s National Youth Leader, Mr Ebikibina Miriki, has described the impeachment controversy as a huge embarrassment to the people and the legislature in the state.

The decision of the aggrieved Assembly members to reverse themselves on the impeachment of the three months old Speaker, it was learnt, followed a close door meeting between President Jonathan, Governor Seriake Dickson and other leaders of Peoples Democratic Party in the state.

President Jonathan, according to a party source, brokered peace among the aggrieved lawmakers and the Speaker, who was impeached last Monday over allegations of highhandedness and failure to carry members along in the running of the legislature.

Jonathan, who was received by Governor

Dickson at the PortHarcourt International Airport, was immediately flown to his Otuoke hometown in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state.

Though the President's visit was private, it was gathered that his intervention may not be unconnected with the

FG faults Oshiomhole's claim on roads BYEMEKA MAMAH AGOS—The Federal Government has expressed shock over alleged claims by Edo State Governor, Mr Adams Oshiomhole that the AdaOkere-Ukoni-Amedokhian Old Road, which it recently approved for rehabilitation was a non-existent project.

Minister of Works, Mr Mike Onolememen, in a statement in Abuja, yesterday, also said that Oshiomhole had never rehabilitated any federal road in Benin City and

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elsewhere in Edo State, as he had always claimed, adding ‘’If indeed the governor was responsible for the rehabilitation of Dawson Road section, which is part of the full rehabilitation works of Benin-Ore-Shagamu expressway, why has he not asked for claims or refund from the Federal Government for intervening in federal roads like other state governors are currently doing?’’

The Minister said: ‘’We are shocked with disbelief over comments made by Governor

Amaechi, Eze Gbakagbaka condole with DANA crash victims' families

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

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ORT HARCOURT— G O V E R N O R Chibuike Amaechi has commiserated with the widow of Navy Commodore Datoru Abbey Kalio, who was among those that perished in the crashed Dana airline in Lagos State.

Similarly, President Goodluck Jonathan has been commended for setting up a committee

under current that led to the impeachment of the Speaker.

Key members of his political group in the state, Green Movement, were alleged to have sponsored the controversial impeachment in protest against the purported influence of his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan in the emergence of the Speaker.

to investigate the Dana plane crash. King Frank Eke, the Ezegbakagbaka Eze Oha Evo II of Evo Kingdom Rivers State, who lauded the President, lamented the painful deaths as a result of the crash.

King Eke, also National Chairman Christian Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, enjoined the committee to come up with findings that informed the crash to save the

nation a reoccurrence of such painful incident.

He condoled families who lost their lost loved ones in the ill-fated airline.

Governor Amaechi, who was represented by his deputy, Engr Tele Ikiru at the residence of the late Commodore Abbey-Kalio, prayed the almighty God to grant the widow and other members of the family the fortitude to bear the loss.

Oshiomhole during Action Congres of Nigeria, ACN governorship rally at Ugbowo in Benin City, Edo State, on June 9, 2012; that the recently approved road project for rehabilitation;Ada-Okere-UkoniAmedokhian Old Road, by the Federal Executive Council was a non–existent road project. ‘’Oshiomhole went further to addthattheprojectwassmuggled into the budget by the Minister of Works. We are grossly disappointed in such misleading anddeliberatefalsehoodspublicly propagatedbyagovernor,whois expected to be happy over infrastructural developments in his state by Federal Government."

FIRS was paid N200m for purported tax related issues incurred by the immediate past administration in the state.

Dickson, weekend, during his monthly transparency briefing in Yenagoa, said though the state had paid up N314m from the May Federation Allocation, the order for a detailed investigation into the deductions and the authenticity of the claim on the supply of fertilizer was necessary for record

purposes.

The ministries of Agriculture and Finance, the governor said, had been directed to investigate the deductions and submit the report in the next seven days.

He said: “We are paying for fertilizer and I am interested in knowing how many were supplied, the beneficiaries and other issues. On FIRS deduction of N200m, I had directed the CommissionerforFinancetogive me details on this.”

I'm not guilty — Lawan Continues from Page 5 Explaining further, he said: “We knew they were going to fight back. We anticipated they were going to employ all kinds of antics to fight us and that is why the Speaker, on the day we submitted the report – I remember the statement made by the Speaker that they were going to fight back and when they fight they fight dirty.

“So we knew there were no antics that they were not going to employ. And so all along we had anticipated this kind of thing. In fact, when we were doing the investigation, there were several threats, even to our lives. They were things we didn’t come out to say but at a point I had to leave this house. For five days I was not coming to this house. That was when we were about to finish the report.

“And when we went for the Easter break, before the break, I raised a copy of the draft. The pressure became so much and at a point I had to leave this country. I had to leave this because of the pressure from very high persons, from all over. So we knew this thing was going to come. We were only waiting to see from which source”.

A l l e g a t i o n s diversionary, not about me The Chairman said that the allegations was a ploy to divert the attention of the public from the report of the committee in which he said that clear cases of over N1 trillion fraud has been established.

“I want assure you this struggle is not about me.

The whole motive is to divert attention from the report. If they can divert attention from the report to Farouk Lawan, then they would have succeeded.

“We have a report where we have established cases of fraud of over N 1 trillion.

If we had compromised, we couldn’t have done that. All you need is in that report- we were very thorough and detailed.

We indicted everyone that needed to be indicted”.

He added that every approach by those who wanted to compromised his committee was reported to the leadership of the House.

“Every approach that was made, we made sure that we briefed the leadership of the House as well as the relevant committees of the House.”

Asked if he went to Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport to collect money, he said categorically, “I did not go to Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport or elsewhere to collect any money from anybody”.

N730m raised for Oshiomhole's re-election has given water to commucampaign for Governor Oshiomhole in nities that did not have

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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ENIN—FORMER Governor of Kogi State, Prince Abubakar Audu, has advised the people of Edo State to support Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s re-election bid, because his infrastructural development is known throughout the country.

He spoke at a fund-raiser

Benin City, weekend, where N730 million was raised to fund the governor’s second term reelection.

Prince Audu, who was chairman of the occasion, said Oshiomhole needed consistent support in the next four years to enable him complete the projects he had embarked upon.

He said: “Oshiomhole is a man you can trust . He

water, roads, schools, and healthcare to the people across the state. Look at the dualization projects on the streets in Benin City, I could not recognise them and I could not believe it.”

He said Edo people should not allow the dynamic governor to be rigged out because they cannot afford to disappoint the children.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012—11

Why I dumped PDP for ACN of the nation. For almost 10 —Ihonvbere Tinubu, Governor Adams and years, I have been in PDP in Edo

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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From left: Chief Philip Asiodu; Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State and Chief Joseph Akpieyi, President-General Worldwide, Government College Ughelli Old Boys Association, GCUOBA, at the maiden national annual dinner party of GCUOBA in Asaba, weekend. Photo: Nath Onojake.

ENIN CITY— F O R M E R Presidential aide and governorshipaspirantofPeoples Democracy Party, PDP in Edo state, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, weekend, gave reasons why he dumpedPDPforActionCongress of Nigeria, ACN, saying that he wasfedupwiththe“smallcabal” that had held the party hostage for years.

Ihonvbere who was received into the party by National leadership of ACN, Asiwaju Bola

A R R I — D E LTA State Police Command, weekend, shot dead three suspected kidnappers at Sapele and Ozoro and rescued two victims, including a woman from two different kidnap gangs.

One of the victims, Mr. Timiagi Onoriode, was rescued from kidnappers at Sapele while Madam

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Janny Ogbaide regained freedom following police intervention at Ozoro.

Mr Aduba, who spoke to Vanguard on efforts being made to rescue the international football star, abducted, last Saturday in Effurun, near Warri, said the police would not want any action that could jeopardize the life of the footballer; hence a tactical and methodical approach had been adopted for the

rescue mission.

He said: “We are on course, the search is still on, but I cannot be telling you the actions we are going to take on the pages of newspapers because the kidnappers read what your write.”

One AK 47 rifle, two magazines and several rounds of live ammunition were recovered by the police from kidnappers at Sapele.

State and I can assure you that not one of these expectations is present.

“It was a case of a small cabal, manipulating the people, manipulating policies, politics, rigging primaries and often presenting candidates and because they make wrong choices, they compel innocent party members to engage in negative political practices, such as election rigging, snatching ballotboxes,influencingelectoral officers. So wrong choices easily translate into desperate political posture.”

Group warns Chevron against incitement

Police kill 3 kidnappers, rescue W 2 victims in Delta

BY EMMAAMAIZE

Oshiomhole, Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) and others, said PDP had lost the forthcoming governorship election already in the state because the governorship candidate of the party and his runningmatelackedthepedigree that can convince the people of the state to vote for PDP. He said: “For any party to succeed in any democracy, there must be transparency, accountability, fairness, fair play, social justice, mutual respect for each other and the commitment to the constitution of the party

ARRI—NIGER Delta Indigenous Movement for Radical Change, NDIMRC, has warned Chevron Nigeria Limited not to incite the peace-loving people of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State against themselves.

The group vowed to disrupt the existing Global MemorandumofUnderstanding, GMoU, with the Egbema and Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation, EGCDF. It said that any attempt by the Policy, Government and Public Affairs Department of the company to instigate the peaceloving people of Gbaramatu against themselves would be resisted by all means possible, alleging that the action of the company in the past led to the

death of three youths in the kingdom and would not want a repeat of same.

The group claimed that the companywasapplyingdivideand ruletacticinGbaramatuKingdom, sayingthiswasunacceptableand promisedthecompany‘amother of all battle.’

President of the group, Nelly Emmainastatement,frownedat what it described as undue interference of Chevron, especially its Policy, Government

and Public Affairs Department in theaffairsofGbaramatuKingdom and vowed to halt operations of the company in the days ahead.

He said they were not happy with Chevron’s insistence on an imminent Memorandum of Understanding, MoU with Egbema and Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation, EGCDF in Warri North and Warri South-West LocalGovernmentAreasofDelta State.

Ugbede women call for election

BY EMMAARUBI

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ARRI—ITSEKIRI women group, Agura Ugbege Erun Women Forum, has called for a general election into the various positions in Ugbege community executive body, insisting on the adoption of the Engr

Frank Ogbemi-led constitution.

The protesting women in a statement, weekend in Warri, Delta State, said they were fed up with the 14year rule of Dr. Charles Ikomi, during which the oil rich community has no school, electricity, jetty, water and health centre, alleging that Ugbege has almost become too bushy.

Ikomi, has, however, meanwhile handed over power to his deputy to run affairs of the community to appease the people and set up an elders council and Trustee for the community.

Passage

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NKECHINYELU Gwam, 59, is dead. Until her death, she was a Community Mobilization Officer with National Orientation Agency.

Service of songs comes up on Wednesday June 13, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Asaba while a Requiem Mass follows at the same venue the next day.

Interment follows immediately.

She is survived by a widower, Sir Anthony Chukwumah Gwam, five children and other relations.

Late Mrs. Gwam

12—Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012

Police arrest suspected cultist during initiation

BY TONY EDIKE NUGU—THE police in Enugu State, weekend, apprehended a member of an unidentified secret cult during the initiation of new members at Nsukka.

The suspect identified as Christian Ofoma Asadu, according to the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, was arrested for his alleged involvement in cult activities and other crimes within Nsukka area of the state.

He said eight members of his group escaped when the police swooped on them.

"The arrest was made possible through a revelation from members of the public that some group of persons suspected to be members of a yet to be established cult have gathered inside a burrow pit at Isiuja community in Nsukka to carry out their nefarious activities. When

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MEETING—From left: Member, House of Representatives, Ifeanyi Ugwanyi; Ms Nkechi Nwogbo, Governors Theodore Orji of Abia, Peter Obi of Anambra and Sullivan Chime of Enugu with Senators Ayogu Eze and Uche Chukwumerije (behind) during South-East stakeholders meeting in Enugu, yesterday. Photo: Hill Ezeugwu.

2014 guber race: Obi makes case for Anambra North Says he 'll not impose any candidate

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

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WKA—GOVERNOR

Peter Obi has thrown his weight behind Anambra North senatorial zone to produce the next gover-

nor of the state in 2014 when his second tenure expires, saying equity, justice and fairness demand that the

zone be given the chance to produce the next governor. Obi said only zone that has not done so since the creation of the state in 1991.

Anambra Central had produced two governors namely, Dr. Chris Ngige and the incumbent, Mr. Peter Obi, while Anambra South had produced three in the persons of Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife and Dr. Andy Uba who was in office for only 17 days.

Governor Obi, who gave the pledge at a meeting with stakeholders from Anambra North, however said he would not impose any candidate on the people of Anambra State and urged the zone to present a credible candidate for the race.

He also advised the zone to forge a common front to enable them achieve the goal and expressed the hope that his successor would sustain the tempo of development set by his administration, stressing that he had put the state on the right path for sustainable growth.

Leader of the delegation and a former minister of health, Dr. Tim Menakaya, said Obi had remained a man of his words and that he had continued to fulfill the promises he made to Anambra people.

According to him, the governor had stood with the people of the zone on infrastructural development and assured him that the zone would nominate a credible candidate capable of continuing from where Obi would stop.

the security operatives struck, the said Christian Ofoma Asadu was picked up while the rest of them numbering about eight escaped,” the PPRO said.

He said items recovered from the suspect included one axe, one cutlass, one white gown, one black gown with inscription No. 4, one red gown with inscription No. 1, one black belt and one Nokia torchlight hand set.

The police spokesman noted that the arrested suspect was said to have been released recently from the prison over a case of alleged kidnap of one Dr Obetta Davidson, Director, Osondu Memorial Hospital, saying “the suspect is already helping the police in their investigation.”

Similarly, one Stanley Okoye was also apprehended by the police command over alleged case of car snatching.

Group tasks Ndigbo on unity N Igbo socio-political group, “Committee 21”, has called on Igbos in Nigeria and the diaspora embrace the path of unity to realize their soco-economic and political yearnings in Nigeria.

Speaking through its director of legal services, Mr. Ziggy Azike, the group said “the enormously blessed Igbo Nation must come together, work together, and speak aloud with one voice to fulfill their destiny in their fatherland.”

According to him, “the

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excellence in personal achievements, great strides in industry and commerce which the Igbo are nationally acclaimed, deserve and demand the impetus of sacrificial togetherness to advance “politically and developmentally.

We owe ourselves and our country the courage to defeat this nagging albatross because when the Igbos speak with one voice, and act in concert, Nigeria will yield them their dues, because she will be better for it remarkably.”

Obi saves N13bn for Anambra OVERNOR Obi has said his administration invested over N13 billion since he assumed office.

Obi, who spoke at the synod of Amichi Diocese, at Saint Andrew’s Anglican Church, Ebenator, said

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while other states were borrowing to remain afloat, his government through prudent and transparent management of the state’s meager resources, saved enough to invest in key sectors.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012—13

Court hears human rights case June 28

BY ANAYO OKOLI MUAHIA—THE Fed eral High Court sitting in Umuahia, Abia State, has fixed June 28, 2012, for ruling on an application filed by the Nigerian Army against proceedings in the fundamental human rights matter brought before it by the family of Eze Bernard Enweremadu whose two members are being held by the army for alleged robbery.

Two members of the Enweremadu family, Destiny and Mustard are being held by the Operation Jubilee, the anti-kidnapping outfit in Abia State, for their alleged involvement in robbery.

The family approached

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FUNERAL—From right: Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State; Sullivan Chime of Enugu State; Vice President, Alhaji Namadi Sambo; First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan and Mrs. Clara Chime during the funeral of the father of the Deputy Senate President, Late Igwe Matthias Ekweremadu, at Mpu town, Aninri L.G.A. of Enugu State.

S-East leaders hold parley, set up c'ttee on constitution amendment

BY TONY EDIKE

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NUGU—POLITICAL leaders of the South East zone, yesterday, set up a 30-man committee to harmonize recommendations for constitutional amendm e n t .

Leaders of the zone at the meeting held at Enugu governor’s lodge include Governors Sullivan Chime (Enugu), Martin Elechi, (Ebonyi), Peter Obi (Anambra) and Theordore Oji ( A b i a ) .

Others were Secretary to Government of the Federation, SGF, Anyim Pius Anyim, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, Presidential Adviser, Ben Obi, former Information Minister, Walter Ofonagoro, former Health Minister, Dr Tim Menakaya, former President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr. Dozie Ikedife, former Director General of the National Orientation Agency, NOA, Prof. Elochukwu Amucheazu, Senators, House of Reps members, ministers, religious and traditional rulers.

Imo state governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha was absent at the meeting.

Senator Uche Chukwumerije was unanimously appointed to head the committee which has been mandated to harmonize views of the zone ahead of the constitutional review.

Leader of the South East Governors Forum, Peter Obi, who was reluctant to speak on the outcome of the meeting, told newsmen that

other issues discussed were security and economic development of the South East.

He said: “We discussed economic development of the zone as well as security

of the South East. As you know, security and strategies are not supposed to be made public”.

Also speaking on the parley, Senator Chris Ngige, said several issues includ-

ing state creation, economic development, fiscal federalism among others were discussed, stressing that the committee was expected to go and harmonise the views of the zone.

Flood wreaks havoc in Port Harcourt heavy rainfall week end wreaked havoc at First Avenue, National Cargo and Jackson Close areas in Rumuibekwe, Port Harcourt, Rivers State destroying property and rendering families homeless.

For those whose houses were not overtaken by the flood, movement has been drastically restricted. The flood according to Mr Silas of No 1, Jackson close was causes by lack of drainage.

He, however, called on the appropriate authority to intervene and help alleviate their suffering Four days after the rain, houses were still submerged in water. A resident of one of such houses, Mrs Ada Okorie of No 2, Jackson close whose house was still filled with water when Vanguard got there could not hold back her anguish as she lamented her plight over the past four days. She told Vanguard that she has been scooping water from her duplex over the past four days. She, therefore, appealed to the state government to do something about the flood as she has not been able to go to work

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or do any other thing beside scooping water since the rain started on Saturday.

When asked what the cause of the flood was, most of the residents expressed discordant tunes. Mr Chi-

jioke Ukaegbu of No 19 National Cargo, said it was caused by a blocked shell drainage beside their building as water from the huge drainage could not flow through.

SSANU decries non-implementation of 2009 agreement

BY VICTOR AHIUMAYOUNG ENIOR Staff Associa tion of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, has decried the Federal Government's attitude towards the implementation of the 2009 agreement it reached with the association ahead of its re-negotiation next month, urging government to implement it to avoid another round of industrial unrest in the nation’s tertiary education system.

In a statement at the end of its National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Ilorin, Kwara State, leaders of SSANU, said “NEC-insession observed with great dismay that out of the eleven items in the agreement

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only one (Peculiar Allowance) has been implemented by the Federal Government.

This was in spite of the series of meetings the Federal Government held with SSANU and the Memoranda of Understanding signed after those meetings. NEC-in-session further observed that the inability of the Federal Government to implement the remaining aspects of the agreement is creating restiveness among SSANU members and could place the union on a collision course with the Federal Government if government continues to dilly-dally over the implementation of the agreement.

the court praying that they be produced in court as there are insinuations that suspects may have been killed by the security operatives.

Their lawyer, Chief Mike Ahamba, SAN, had argued that it was wrong for his clients to be kept by soldiers, saying that “soldiers are not police that keep suspects”, insisting that they be brought to court for their bail.

But when the matter came up last Friday, counsel to Army, Mr. Venatius Odo filed a counter application against the application by the Enweremadu family, explaining that it was made because the army noticed a serious issue in law which could inhibit trial of the matter.

14—Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 11, 20125

Telecoms: FG approves new guidelines for right of way

BY EMEKA AGINA HE Federal Govern ment weekend, issued new right of way (RoW) guidelines that will henceforth guide the laying of fibre cables on federal highways as one of the steps to eradicate poor quality of service in the telecoms industry.

Already, an eight-member committee set up by the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson and her counterpart in the Ministry of Works, Mike Onolememen, it was learnt, had submitted new right of way (RoW) guidelines to guide laying of fibre cables on federal highways Vanguard learnt that the committee, made up of four members each from both ministries submitted the report to the two ministers at the Ministry of Works.

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From left: Prof. Cleopas Angaye, DG, National Information Technology Development Agency; Mr. Ibrahim Tizhe, President/Chairman, Council of Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria, CPN; and Dr. Gabriel Obi, former CPN President at the 2012 IT professionals assembly in Abuja.

Dana: Victims' families deserve more than $100,000 — Falana

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH MMEDIATE past presi dent of the West Africa Bar Association, WABA, Mr. Femi Falana yesterday said dependants of the victims of the last Sunday Dana airline crash deserve more than $100,000 being offered them by the airline just as he called on the government to provide an habitable accommodation for those displaced by the air accident.

In a statement in Lagos, Falana said the money being offered by the Dana Airline as first tier payment otherwise known as Special Drawing Right under Article 17 of the Montreal Convention, is not an extra payment but a strict liability amount payable under the convention which has been domesticated in Nigeria.

According to Falana, the family of the deceased in accordance with the law are also “entitled to special and general damages which may not be less than N100 million per passenger depending on the responsibilities borne by each of them in their lifetime.”

The lawyer said such amount of money for loss of expectation of life “is payable by Dana Airline for gross negligence arising from the plane with defective dual engines and the Federal Government for failure to enforce the relevant regulations, failure to provide emergency landing for the plane and the inexplicable delay in providing the fire service

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equipment and medical services and other acts of gross negligence which led to the avoidable death of the passengers and the c r e w . ” Apart from these, he said dependants of the members of the public who were killed at the site of the crash are equally entitled to a greater amount of compensatory damages because the deprivation of the fundamental right to life of such persons is illegal and unconstitutional.

He also said the owners and tenants of the houses that were burnt or touched by the fire that gutted the aircraft are entitled to have them rebuilt or replaced by Dana Airline and the Federal Government.

Querying government’s decision to relocate the victims of the crash who lost their homes to the crash to a refugee camp, Falana said, “I have confirmed that the provision of dehumanising accommodation for them in dormitories at a refugee camp at Agege in the outskirts of Lagos has increased the mental and psychological trauma unleashed on such innocent victims.

“If the accident had occurred in Ikoyi or Victoria Island would the Lagos State Government have taken the victims to a refugee camp at Agege? As the occupants are entitled to have their houses rebuilt they should not be kept in transit camps but in hotels or decent houses whose expenses should be borne by Dana Airline and the Federal Government,” he add-

ed.

He noted that in other countries, passengers whose flights are cancelled are always lodged in hotels by defaulting airlines, add-

ing, “why should the occupants of the houses destroyed by the Dana inferno be turned to beggars or refugees as a result of the avoidable tragedy?”

....My heart goes with death of my last born — Mother of plane crash victim

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA SABA—MOTHER of late Ikechukwu Christopher Okocha who was among those killed during the ill-fated Dana plane crash, Lady Agatha Okocha said she has lost all because “with his death, my heart is gone and I have returned to where I started”.

35-year old graduate of Fishery from the University of Benin (Uniben) was the last child in the family of five children who wedded less than two years ago and blessed with a baby girl.

Lady Okocha, a retired Nurse who battled to speak to newsmen at her16, Ifeiamokolo Osakwe Close off Jesus Saves Road, Asaba home, said her children initially kept the news of her

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son’s death away from her.

According to her, “I have three boys and two girls but this one (Christopher) is my beloved. He knows my heart. When I am annoyed he knows that I am annoyed. My husband who is a retiree from Textile Mill has been sick and since Christopher established his own business after graduation, he has been taking care of us. With his death my heart is gone and I have returned to where I started as if he was now in primary school for me to start training. My daughter inlaw (Christopher’s wife) has been taken to her parents’ house with my grand daughter. Actually I do not know how to express my pains and I do not know how to endure it”.

The new RoW guidelines to be adopted pegs the chargeable RoW access fee for laying of ICTSP ducts and cables at N145.0/linear metre and N20.0/linear metre as annual maintenance access fee, subject to periodic reviews at five year intervals or whenever compelling circumstances demand such reviews.

Accordingly, the new guidelines also stipulate that henceforth applications for granting of RoWs would be treated and concluded within 30 days.

Similarly, the new guidelines mandate infrastructure sharing to reduce incidents of multiple digging up of roads which compromise the integrity of the roads. A contravention of the guidelines will lead to suspension of RoW, revocation of RoW and a fine of a N1million a day.

....As NATCOMS parleys Reps on frequency emission

BY UDO IBUOT HE National Associa tion of Telecommunications Subscribers, NATCOMS, will visit the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal tomorrow, to request the House to engage health organisations, commissions, agencies and the public in consultations through the public hearing to discuss electromagnetic frequency emission (a nonionizing radiation) from telecommunications base stations.

NATCOMS said in Lagos, yesterday, that the House of Representatives, had few days ago passed the second reading of the telecommunications elec-

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tromagnetic frequency emission protection bill.

The bill seeks, among other issues, to declare that EMF emission from telecommunications base stations are harmful to humans.

NATCOMS noted that while the lawmakers were to make laws for the overall benefit of the people, they were expected to do so with decorum, due to diligence and due process in accordance with international best practices.

It said that Nigeria cannot operate in isolation but within the comity of nations that have embraced the modern worldwide technology of Global System for Mobile Communications.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012—15

DANA CRASH

Senate flays multinationals over employment discrimination

BY HENRY UMORU BUJA—THE Senate, weekend, said that cases where international oil companies denied Nigerians employment on the assumption that course contents in Nigerian universities were not rich enough will no longer be acceptable.

Speaking when he led the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs to the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF in Abuja on an oversight function, Senator Dahir u Kuta, PDP, Niger East, expressed displeasure over discrimination against Nigerian graduates seek-

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Lagos State government workers clearing wreckages at the site of Dana airlines crash, yesterday.RIGHT: Onlookers. PHOTO: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor.

Sokoto Assembly loses member

BY ABDALLAH ELKUREBE OKOTO—A Sokoto State lawmaker, representing Sabon Birni North Constituency, Alhaji Haruna Dauda, is dead.

Aged 58, Dauda died in the early hours of yesterday at his residence in

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Sabon Birni town after a brief illness.

The three-time member of Sokoto State House of Assembly, was the Chairman, House Committee on Poverty Reduction.

Survived by four wives, 23 children and many grand children, the deceased has since been buried according to Islamic rites.

FG to probe Kano leather industries

BY ABDULSALAM MUHAMMAD

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ANO—FEDERAL Government, yesterday, said it was determined to probe the circumstances surrounding the closure of local tannery and leather industries in Kano.

Minister of Finance, and Coordinating Minister of Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said this to Kano business community during a town hall meeting organised by the state Entrepreneur Support Committee.

ing employment by multinational oil companies.

Senator Kuta, who described the situation as “sad” urged PTDF management to ensure that Nigerians were fully trained in all aspects of the petroleum industry.

He said: “In March 2010, the President and Commander-in-Chief signed into law the Oil and Gas Content Development Act and we know very well the importance of the Act. “You are supposed to train Nigerians in relevant fields so that gradually, we will begin to take over from the foreigners in the oil industry.

“It is actually disheartening that many of our

NDLEA nabs council official over drug trafficking

BY SUZAN EDEH

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AUCHI—OFFICIALS of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, in Bauchi State, have arrested a serving councillor (names withheld) representing Kwankiyal ward of Darazo Local Government Area of the state, for drug trafficking.

Mr. Julius Parah, the state Commander of the agency, said, weekend, while parading the suspects before newsmen at the agency ’s headquarters in Bauchi, that he was arrested on June

6, at Kwankiyal in Darazo council along with his collaborators (names withheld) with 29 kilogrammes of Cannabis Sativa, popularly called Indian Hemp.

Parah noted that the agency had been achieving results in its fight against drug trafficking and abuse in the state, adding that in May, the command arrested 34 suspects with a total of 15.055 kilogrammes of hemp and Psychotropic substances.

He said 22 of them had been charged to court while others were

referred for counseling.

He said: “One Bukhari Samaila, 25, was arrested on March 13, at Katagatar, Warji Local Government Area with Cannabis Sativa weighing 350 grammes and

was sentenced to six years or an option of fine of N100,000 on first count charge, and another 10 years or an option of fine of N150,000 on the second count of the charge.”

APOLOGY N March 15, 2012, Vanguard published a news story, which the former Chairman, Governing Council of the University of Benin, Sir Gabriel Toby, found offensive and said it portrayed him in bad light.

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We wish to state that it was not our intention to malign his person or bring his reputation into disrepute.

We hereby retract the story in its entirety and apologise to Sir Toby.

Editor.

By Bartholomew Madukwe

PEOPLE SPEAK

08102479985

graduates in the relevant fields such as Geology, Petroleum Engineering, Chemical and Petrochemical Engineering are not seen as worthy of employment by the international oil companies because they feel our course content is not rich enough for them to employ our graduates.

“I believe this is sad and this fund must be able to do a lot to ensure that we are fully trained in relevant fields, particularly as it affects the petroleum industry.

“In compliance with the 2010 Local Content Act, we want to ensure that in a very short time, Nigerians would be able to manage the affairs of the oil industry.”

(nwamad@yahoo.com)

Do you support change of UNILAG's name?

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HIS is a very bad move. UNILAG is a brand name. There is an Act of Government, a Statutory Act of Government that set up UNILAG, which is University of Lagos Act. By changing it, did they send a bill to the National Assembly?— Mr. Deji Sasegbon (SAN), Lawyer.

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HE President is not supposed to wake up one morning and change UNILAG’s name. Such a move should have gone through due process and consultations. This is the second time he is doing it; and I think it is wrong.—Ms. Vivian Eke, Sales Representative.

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RANSFORMATION Agenda. Is this part of it? Heroes of democracy should be honoured, but why change the name of an institution that compete with foreign universities like Harvard, Oxford and others?—Mr. Vitus Ekenomeomin, Business Consultant.

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believe the President meant well in trying to establish an Institute of Democracy named after late MKO Abiola in the University of Lagos. But I think he went too far when he pronounced that UNILAG should now be known as Moshood Abiola U n i v e r s i t y. — P r o f .

Oyelowo Oyewo, Lecturer.

OW can he just erase history overnight? His advisers need to be dragged on the streets. If a polytechnic has already been named after the late Chief MKO Abiola, why erase history? They should have named the new Asaba airport after him.—Mr. Ndika Dumebi, Proletariat.

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am not comfortable with the changing of UNILAG to Moshood Abiola University, MAU. The name UNILAG is okay and easy to pronounce.

What is MAU? They should leave UNILAG as it was; I am not against erecting a monument in Abiola’s honour, though.—Ms. Lilian Nwobi, Stylist.

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16 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012 CIVIL society groups that insist the United States report on corruption in Nigeria said nothing new are right. In the same way, nothing new is being done to curb corruption in Nigeria, not even from the civil society groups, which contentedly fight corruption with words.

The report is a basic American scanning of the global environment, considered among sources of information for reaching decisions in its international relations. Nigeria’s importance to the US is at most tenuous; its demand of Nigeria’s oil and gas gives the country a footnote importance to American leaders.

Oil’s critical place as an energy source is often threatened. Nigeria benefits or suffers with the direction of the threat. The day America finds a better alternative to oil and gas, Nigeria’s diminishing place in American concerns would be final.

It is in these lights that Nigerians must see their relationship with America. There are two possible reasons for America complaining about corruption in Nigeria. Insecurity in Nigeria could spill to its shores, distant, geographically as both countries are and corruption increases cost of obtaining cheap energy

USA Can’t Fight Nigeria’s Corruption and ensures insecurity persists.

Yearly, thousands of Nigerian youth, and the not so young, hang their chances of survival on America. They do almost anything to get there. Immigration measures have woefully failed to stop them and Americans are worried that Nigerians could swarm their country.

The other major concern is that terrorism – as America rates any acts that threaten its own peace – could be exported to it from Nigeria.

Mrs. Hillary Clinton, America’s Secretary of State placed the report before the US Congress.

A part of the report read, “Public officials including the President, Vice President, governors, deputy governors, cabinet ministers and legislators (at both federal and state levels)

must comply with financial disclosure laws, including the requirement to declare their assets before assuming and after leaving office.

Violators risked prosecution, but cases rarely came to conclusion’’.

We have enough laws against corruption. Financial practices that are proactive enough are required to make corrupt practices difficult.

Such laws should also tighten loopholes that deflates efforts at prosecuting suspects.

When former Lagos State Commissioner of Police Abubakar Tsav says, “From local government level to the Presidency, the governments have shown no efforts or political will to fight corruption,” he too is stating the obvious.

As the concern about corruption mounts, it becomes the responsibility of everyone to invent innovative ways to tackle what some consider a professional calling.

Governments unenthusiastically fight corruption but are they different from other Nigerians? The war against corruption will not be won unless we all assume a responsibility to end corruption since governments will not fight corruption.

OPINION

BY MORRISON EGBADIAMUNE N Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s supplementary budget submitted to the Edo State House of Assembly towards the close of 2011, he requested for, among other things, N7.2 billion for debt servicing. This item in the budget corroborates the often repeated claim that Edo State has been saddled with a massive loan indebtedness since the start of Oshiomhole’s tenure as governor.

The alarm over Edo State debt burden was first sounded by the Chairman of the State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Dan Orbih, as far back as February 2010, when he disclosed that since the inception of the Oshiomhole government in November 2008, it had accumulated bank loans worth several billions of naira from several Nigerian banks and other sources.

In 2011, Orbih said that the debt profile of Edo State had climbed to over N60 billion, including loans from the World Bank and other international organisations. The rising indebtedness of Edo State was further echoed by the immediate past Governor of the State, Professor Oserhiemen Osunbor, who put the figure at over N100 billion in 2012, with the serious allegation that only N5 billion of that amount was utilised for state projects (Vanguard of10 January, 2012).

Both Orbih and Osunbor were consistent in raising the alarm on the dangers of these loan obligations; more importantly, they were both concerned about the reckless manner in which the funds were being expended. While these two men (because of their political inclinations) may be accused of a partisan perception of reality, the figures appear to be on their side. First, there is obvious truth in their claim that the State is heavily indebted. Second, the figures for some of the well advertised projects in the State seem to be beyond belief.

One of the most hyped projects since Oshiomhole took over the governance of Edo State is the dualisation of the Airport Road. This project, which is essentially an upgrade of an existing road, is advertised as costing the State as much as N11.1 billion.

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How to mortgage the future of Edo State This is for a road less than 8 kilometres long. It does not require any great mathematical knowledge to know that Oshiomhole is claiming to be building this road at a cost of more than N1.6 billion ($10 million per kilometre).

It is doubtful if in human history, anywhere in the world, a road has cost that much. The same outrageous claim is being made about the rehabilitation of the Ring Road. Here, the sum of N2.1 billion is claimed to have been spent on this project. It is instructive to note that this road is less than 1 kilometre long.

What this means is that the only road that has exceeded Oshiomhole’s world record of $6.5 million spent on the airport road is the Ring Road which, according to the advertised cost, is calculated to be approximately $14 million per kilometre.

There is also the Ring Road-Siluko Road to Textile Junction, a distance of 3.2 kilometres, the contract of which was awarded to Hitech at the sum of N2.8 billion (calculated to be N875 million per kilometre or $5.5 million per kilometre). It should be noted that in comparative terms, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) awards more sophisticated contracts at between N78 and N125 million per kilometre.

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he series of mind-boggling disbursement of resources permeates all the development projects of Oshiomhole’s government. The beautification of King Square, involving the planting of flowers, slim asphalt and other subsidiary works, is estimated to have cost N900 million, approximately $5.6 million dollars. Many commentators on this project have suggested that it should not have cost more than 10 percent of that amount.

Even if we want to be charitable and allow that it would cost 20percent of the amount claimed by Oshiomhole, we would be talking of an exaggerated difference of N720 million.

The same ratio of actual cost to advertised cost is evident, for

example, in the so-called rehabilitation of Idia College, Benin City. The Government claimed to have spent N500 million on that project; where as many observers believe that the sum would have conveniently been spent in rehabilitating 30 secondary schools. Again, even if we were to be charitable, we would find it difficult to accept that more than 20percent of N500 million would have been spent for the project.

These projects present the picture of a pattern of inflated contracts and wasteful expenditure in Edo State. Put differently, it appears that the people of the State are getting only 10-20 per cent of their money’s worth while 80percent or more percent is disappearing into thin air. At that rate, it does not require any soothsayer to know that the State will soon go bankrupt. This would be a double jeopardy as the funds being mismanaged are borrowed. The people of Edo State are facing a situation where their resources are being spent recklessly on projects of marginal value, and a future of indebtedness and insolvency.

Even, if we grant that the opposition tends to exaggerate and will do everything to stigmatise the government in power; it is difficult to disagree with the scenario of doom when one looks at the figures of contract estimates in Edo State. Interestingly, the Oshiomhole government has been tongue-tied in its own defence. No where can one find any defence, vigorous or timid, of the charge of inflated contracts, a fact which, of course, has given room to the blossoming of the belief that Edo State is in the grip of a rampaging oligarchy.

Nothing supports this portrait more than the scandal over the new estate in the governor's country home of Iyamho. As it is now widely known, he is building an estate of gargantuan proportion, spread on over 93 acres of land., containing: an amphitheatre, a sixty-five bedroom mansion, sixteen outhouses, three separate man-made caves, a round-the-entire-perimeter artificial lake, an Olympic-size swimming pool, with a kingsize fountain and Jacuzzi in the centre. *Mr. Egbadiamune, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Benin City, Edo State.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012 —

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42—Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012

HE point to begin the story of my political journey is unarguably my meeting with David Edevbie. I told my wife when I was leaving home for Ikoyi for that meeting that I would get on famously with this man. The basis of that prediction could only have been divine inspiration as I knew practically nothing about him at that point in time beyond the fact that he had been recently appointed Delta State Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning and he was a brother to Matthew Edevbie who was my client as my audit firm was the external auditor of his group of companies.

I got to the venue and as soon as I was announced, this young man, roughly my age bounded down the staircase and received me with a very warm hand shake and introduced himself simply as David, which he had a unique way of pronouncing for emphasis. Then, we began talking. The discussions ranged from our perspectives of life, aspirations and public service. I did not really know that the interview had commenced. The only pointed question that I recall him asking me was whether I knew how to do financial modeling using Excel spreadsheet and I answered in the affirmative. He then told me that he needed a special adviser or assistant to work with him in Asaba and asked me what I thought the nomenclature of the office should be and I thought to myself that an assistant would probably be more appropriate as he would assist in the work and also offer advice, so I told him special assistant. He asked if I had any question for him and I said that I was worried about the relatively low pay for the office and would like to

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be left some free time to attend to my professional practice for supplemental income and that I would always tell him the truth in all circumstances but that it would be his responsibility to decide what to do with my advice.

On the first point, he promised that he would let me have time as much as was possible and on the second point, he affirmed that he needed an honest adviser who would always tell him the truth. It was at this point that he promised to speak with the Governor when he got to Asaba and to revert to me as soon as possible and we parted on a note of conviviality. About two weeks later, my wife called me from home that I had a radio message from Government House Asaba directing me to come to Asaba immediately.

It was on a Wednesday afternoon. I made arrangements for a quick trip to Asaba the following day, packing a few clothes.

When I arrived at the Commissioner’s office in Asaba the next day, he was away to Benin City but was expected back later that day.

I returned the next morning and was in the office before 8 o’clock, shortly before the Commissioner arrived.

This was our second meeting. He introduced me to the secretary who turned out to be an Ijaw woman and the personal assistant, Alfred Ebreneyin, who turned out to be an Itsekiri man. He then showed me my desk and chair and I immediately started work as his Special Assistant or SA for short. Lunch time, he took me to his hotel suite and showed me to the guest room where I was to stay for the next month and half, sharing the accommodation with him.

David Edevbie is an Urhobo man from Delta Central Senatorial District and I am an Anioma man from Delta North Senatorial District and this was 1999. We had not

I tell this story so that fellow Deltans use it to gain a new perspective on our shared destiny and common humanity

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ur relationship over the next four years undeniably became legendary. David never spared his compliments for me but he never shied away from correcting my mistakes and very firmly too. Indeed, I learnt a bit of my bluntness today from David. In due course, people came to me to tell me that I was his brain box and that I did all the work, but I knew better and corrected those I could, informing them that I learnt a lot from David and that he did far more work than they could ever know.

When the cabinet was dissolved at the end of the Governor’s first term, David asked me what I intended to do with my future as we were packing our things in the office and I said to him that I was going back to my accounting practice but that if he was

Anambra ahead of 2014

BY EJIKE ANAYADUBA

N two years time, the office of the Governor of Anambra State will be vacant. By then Governor Peter Obi, now in his second term in office, would have spent eight years. A rare opportunity others before him never had. That is because the State spurned such munificence and consistently yanked off, with some uncanny force, those who tried to exert compliance. Mbadinuju, Ngige, Andy Uba et al had great trouble applying themselves to that goal.

From observation, leading the State for as long as eight years may not be as demanding as leading and satisfying its disparate interests, which are indeed legion.

Those who bear responsibilities of elected office in the State know this much. Few states, if any, can claim to be as politically rumbustious as Anambra. Even states on the nadir of riotous politics hardly provoke the kind of animus witnessed in Anambra politics at some point. The ignominious role played by godfathers in the politics of the State has remained a sore point in her annals.

That phase in the political development of the State has continued to elicit a lot of jibes from Nigerians even as some states have since slipped into the same rot. Edo State, for example, has in the run-up to the July 14 governorship election become a hotbed for political violence. Brutes, probably godfathers, recently infiltrated the fortified ambience of the State Government and wreaked havoc. Reports of violent political deaths ahead of the election show that Edo may in the end surpass states hitherto seen as bywords for violent politics.

The embattled Governor Adams

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worked for more than four months before he informed me that he had told the Governor that if he could not reach him and needed urgent advice on anything concerning finance, that the Governor should speak to his SA, Clem, and that whatever I tell him is what he would have told him anyway. He, therefore, warned me that this was massive responsibility on my shoulders. I was dumbfounded by the vote of confidence and the open manner in which he freely gave it to me and promised to always bear it in mind.

Oshiomhole seems already drenched in battle as he fights from every flank. His earlier claims of successfully sending all godfathers in Edo State down to Anambra have since become mere jokes. The resurgent political violence portrays either of two possibilities. One, either the Governor is losing grip to the godfathers in the State as evident in the attacks, and therefore could not successfully execute his self-imposed charge, or that Anambra has since divested itself of the lures of political violence and therefore unattractive to those he purportedly sent.

Political violence and godfather intervention in politics have remained largely the bane of our political development. Till date, few states, if any, are without one or two incidences. What may vary is the degree. Renascent Anambra was once a manifestation of unrestrained political violence that overlapped two administrations in succession. After the frenzies, the State lost enormous resources, both human and material. A sneak overview of the period showed that considerable benefits accruable to the State were lost.

Apart from extra-judicial killings, there was also unabashed abduction of the then Governor, and large scale destruction of the commonwealth. Anambra was literally in the news for the wrong reasons and has continued, over that one moment of indiscretion, to be a reference point until some couple of years back.

It would seem from considerable insight that the greatest legacy the Peter Obi administration has bequeathed the State may not be in the number of bridges it constructed, the kilometers of roads built, the various schools

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BY CLEMENT OFUANI

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Tie between Urhobo and Anioma

reappointed and he wanted me, I would still be delighted to serve as his SA. He said he was proceeding to Harvard for an advanced management programme and we promised to keep in touch.

Later on, I was informed by a friend that my name had come up for appointment as a Commissioner in the new administration but that some people were kicking against it on the premise that I should not be in the cabinet with my ‘Oga’ who had been penciled down as Finance Commissioner and I was advised to reach out to him for his views. I told the person that I did not need to speak with David to tell them that he would endorse me but the friend persisted.

So, I placed a call to David in Harvard and his reply was, “Clem, tell them that I will be delighted to have you as my cabinet colleague because you are competent to handle it’. That was the end of that apparent resistance.

In cabinet, we became almost like siamese twins in our views on issues such that once one of us had spoken, you did not need to hear from the other. David protected me like a mother hen by getting more senior political colleagues to accept my seemingly ‘rigid’ positions on certain issues referred to me. On one occasion, my colleagues had been having a go at me and it was not until he intervened by informing them that he too had been a ‘victim’ as I had returned his file rather than endorse it for the Governor ’s approval that they relented with the argument that if I could do that to David, then it was alright.

Even after he had left cabinet and I remained, he continued to protect me. On one occasion, I was informed that the Governor was unhappy with a political stance I had taken and had voiced it out to some people. I called David and asked him to find out from the Governor if he wanted my resignation but he advised me to hold off and later called back to say that my resignation was unnecessary as he had spoken to the Governor. I later got in touch with the Governor to explain my side of the story and he

The possibility of affronting the reclaimed values is an ever present danger in the State if an unserious person takes over as governor

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renovated and equipped, hospitals built and accredited, infrastructure, transportation, judiciary, or its commitment to attaining, among few other states in the country, the MDGs by 2015. No. It is in the ability to rein in on wide scale impunity and instill in the people the need to de-emphasize politics as profit-making business. Some have argued that the issue of political violence was settled in the context of the failed abduction. But I dare say that the flight of impunity goes beyond physical confrontation of the bugbear. It was and still is a function of sustained subtle engagement.

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rguably a state that has been on a string of army of political merchants and upstarts cannot yank off, at a fell swoop, such control. It takes a combination of tact and prowess to hold the predators in check.

To keep the state away from the pervasive course for six years and still counting is a function of complex political/economic strategy. Today, there are no more gladiatorial theatres in the political space of the State, and Anambra has since moved on. There may still be some noticeable disquiet in the land, going by disparaging articles penned by opposition desperate to

told me that all of that was in the past and that I should focus on the future.

My story with David did not end with Delta State Government. When he was appointed Principal Secretary to President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (PSP for short), I went to congratulate him and what he told me in his new office was ‘Clem, this office belongs to us’. This was despite the fact that I was at that point in time, the Economic Adviser to the new Governor of Delta State. He subsequently got in touch with the Governor to inform him that he needed my presence in the Villa and got his blessing which made it easy for me to disengage without acrimony from Delta State government to resume at the Villa as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Policy and the de facto second in command to the PSP. As he did in Delta, it was not too long after that David also told President Yar’Adua when he was going on a short break and that he need not worry as Clem would be available to act for him. The day I went to the President’s office to act for the PSP, I just told Mr. President that I was from David and he asked me to carry on with the job. Our work at the Villa was once again the stuff of legends and probably will be left for my memoirs but suffice it to state that even on David’s departure from the Villa following the demise of President Yar ’Adua, he was instrumental to my remaining behind to serve the new President.

I tell this story today so that fellow Deltans can learn of this incredible bond between an Urhobo man and an Anioma man and perhaps use it to gain a new perspective on our shared destiny and common humanity. It is a story of love and loyalty that defied the artificial political cleavages that some people have fed on in our state to ensure their political relevance and it is a story that can galvanize us to reach to new heights in our march of progress. *Mr. Ofuani, wrote fromAsaba, Delta Sate.

take office in 2014. But Obi has effectively tamed the monster at least in not slaking the desires of political merchants and hangers-on.

Ahead of 2014, however, there is need for certain considerations to be made if the State must continue on the path of peace. To avoid a possible relapse, stakeholders, among them Obi himself, must strive to present to the people, list of credible successors. If the sacrifices made by his administration are not to be made naught, the temperament of the person, as well as the political behavior of the State, must be considered. No longer will desperate politicians be shoe-horned into positions as governors. The pedigree of who takes over from the Governor is very important just to ensure that there is no invasion of error. For consolidation of the current gains, the State must dispense with luxury of lazy political habit. In electing a successor to the office, the people must not abandon conviction in deference to popular clamour. The possibility of affronting the reclaimed values is an ever present danger in the State if an unserious person takes over as governor.

In this part of the world the dividing line between sane and irrational politics is very thin. Recidivistic politicians, those weaned off the succour of political office, will certainly resurge. Since the saying that interest is the only permanent thing in politics, it goes without saying that there will be consistent foraging of the office from politicians. On this note, it is only a focused and determined Governor that can maintain the current trend. The tide of public sentiment alone should not be allowed to determine who takes over, but commitment and character.

Mr. Anyaduba, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Abatete, Anambra State.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012—43

Terror rages in Imo as kidnappers abduct popular Cement merchant

By CHIDI NKWOPARA, Owerri

T

RADERS in the building materials market, Naze, Owerri North Local Council of Imo State, are now living in fear, following the abduction, last Thusday, of one of them, Mazi Bertram Nwosu, by kidnappers.

Crime Alert investigations revealed that Mazi Nwosu, said to hail from one of the communities in Ideato, was trailed to his warehouse by the hoodlums. One of the traders who witnessed the incident said “the hoodlums numbering about four stormed Nwosu’s warehouse located along the Naze/Egbu Road in a red Toyota Camry saloon car.” He added that the stern-looking kidnappers initially pretended to be customers of the cement merchant and when the situation was ripe, they struck.

“They shot severally into the air and people who were

around the vicinity quickly scampered into safety. They really struck when it was safest for them to do so,” the trader said.

A plumbing materials dealer, who also spoke on grounds of anonymity, said: “We are now living in fear, it appears that the hoodlums have remembered us. It is only the quick intervention of law enforcement agencies that will save this ugly situation else, most of us will think of relocating to another state.”

Efforts made to reach the leadership of the traders before going to press failed as the proposed plan to elect a new executive last Wednesday failed before Bertram was kidnapped Thursday. At press time, it was not clear if the hoodlums had established contact with any member of Bertram’s immediate family.

When contacted, the police public relations officers officer, PPRO, Mr. Sam Oodee, de-

By Stories by BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

A

•IGP Abubakar nied knowledge of the crime but quickly added that “most times, family members of kidnap victims fail for personal reasons to report such sordid incidents to the police” and assured that the command has

fine-tuned its operational plans to tackle crimes. He urged the criminals to relocate or turn a new leaf in their own interest.

‘Student’ remanded for allegedly attempting to set Police hqtrs annex ablaze A

N Igbosere Magistrate Court in Lagos State, has remanded a 31-year-old, selfaclaimed final year student of Lagos State University, LASU, Usman Emmanuel, for allegeldy attempting to set the Police Force Headquarters Annex, Obalende, Lagos, on fire.

The presiding Magistrate, Mrs. A.F.O. Botoku, ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison pending legal advice from the Federal Director of Public Prosecutor, FDPP, on the matter. She urged police prosecutor to speed up the process and produce the FDPP’s advice within 30 days.

The accused and others at large were said to have,

through phone calls, demanded N2 million ransom from an Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP, in charge of Intelligence Bureau, Force Headquarters, Lagos, after an alleged threat to kill and set on fire the Force Headquarters building.

Police investigation revealed that the threat by the accused came in November 2011, noting that the plan to set the Force Headquarters building on fire was held back to a later time so that the top police officer can meet with the

•Lagos CP, Umar Manko

accused’s demand and spare the lives of other top police officers and their colleagues in the building.

The accused was nabbed after the demand and threat were allegedly sent to the police boss in 16 text messages. In fishing out the accused, it was gathered that a female undercover police officer tricked him by pretending to have a business deal to strike with him. A team led by DSP Austin Osebose later traced the suspect to a motor park in mainland area

of Lagos.

According to prosecutor, DSP Raymond Odion Akhaine, the offences are contrary to Sections 1 (2) C (ii) of the Terrorism (Prevention Act) and punishable under Sections 2(2, ii) of the Terrorism Act, laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2011.

Emmanuel was charged on a two-count charge of felony to wit, threat to kill and set ablaze the Force Headquarters building. Further hearing into the case has been adjourned to June 15, 2012 for mention.

My husband threatens me with charms ••lady evangelist seeking divorce

A

Truck driver docked for allegedly obstructing Fashola’s convoy

N Ikorodu Customary Court, Lagos has remains pending the outcome of the Famidisso lved a 37-ye ar-old marri age ly Court ,” the Court Presid ent, Mrs. between an evangelist, Olanike Agbaje, Remilekun Adesanya, said. and her husband following an accusation that In the petition filed on April 18, 2012, her husband threatened her with charms.

Olani ke said she was also a victim of The petitioner ’s estranged husband, Samuel battery. The evangelist, who resides in the Agbaje, was said not to have honoured the court Mowo Nla area of Ikorodu, Lagos State had by appearing to defend himself despite being asked for divorce on the groun ds that her served hearing notices on two consecutive husband was troublesome and threatened times, and his marriage blessed with seven her with charms. children was dissolved by the court.

It was gathered that out of the seven “Free divorce is granted to the plaintiff as the children, five are married. Mean while the defendant failed to appear in court throughout court ordered that a copy of the judgment the proceedings. Status quo of the children be served on the defendant.

31-year-old truck driver, Mr. David Abiodun, who allegedly blocked the LekkiEpe Expressway with his truck and consequently obstructed the convoy of the Lagos State governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, has been arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate Court, Lagos.

The driver was said to have knowingly obstructed free flow of traffic at the Ilasan area of Lekki, Eti-Osa, Lagos State while the governor was passing. He was consequently arrested by the police at Ilasan Division and arraigned on a fivecount charge of dangerous and reckless driving without regard to other road users and causing obstruction to the Lagos State governor’s convoy.

During interrogation, it was alleged that Abiodun could not give satisfactory reasons on why he blocked the road. However, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges before Magistrate, Mrs. A. A. Famobiwo. He was granted bail on liberal term in the sum of N20,000 with two sureties in like sum. The sureties must produce evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State government and they must be resident in the state.

Prison custody: Pending the perfection of his bail condition, the accused is to be remanded in Ikoyi prison custody. According to the police, the accused was arrested when he used his Mack 4 truck with number plate XY 33 GGE to block the entire lane on the Lekki-Epe Expressway for unjustifiable reasons and in the process prevented the Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola and his convoy from having easy passage to their destination.

The prosecutor, Inspector Clifford Ogu informed the court that the offence contravened Sections 28(i), 39(3) of the Traffic Act 548, 36 (P), 44 (1) Cap. 172, Vol. 7 of the Road Traffic Law of Lagos State of Nigeria and Section 126 (1) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

•Babatunde Fashola

C M Y K

44 — Vanguard, MONDAY,

JUNE 11, 2012

Ahmed’s articulated governance in Kwara A

CHEMIST turned banker and now, suave politician, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed’s legacy is not likely to be in any of his former or present trades.

In a recent session with a delegation of Vanguard in the Government House, Illorin, the Kwara State governor’s erudition in the matters of agriculture was clearly evident. Speaking with a passion for farming that belied his intellectual inclinations, Governor Ahmed brought to bear an uncommon reasoning that had for long been neglected in the formulation and implementation of policies concerning agriculture.

It was not as if the Vanguard delegation on a business mission had not been forewarned. The team comprising Fred Odueme, Assistant General Manager, Brands and Marketing, Eze Anaba, Deputy Editor, Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor and Demola Akinyemi, Kwara State Correspondent had

been prepared by Dr. Muyideen Akorede, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of what was in the offing. But when Governor Ahmed opened up, the fecundity of his ideas could hardly be faulted.

“Yes, so much have been said, some label it as Saraki’s business, but one thing is clear as crystal, we understand commercial farming in kwara today better than any state in Nigeria.

Commercial farming We know the challenges of setting up commercial farming, we know the huge gap that exists between commercial farming and subsistence farming and we know what we need to do to move our farmers from subsistence farming to commercial farming.

These are lessons we have learnt, and which we are ready to translate into a working tool to drive our subsistence farmers to truly become first set of commercial farmers in the country.”

Governor Ahmed did not speak out of lack of experience. As commissioner for Finance and Economic Development between 2003 and 2009 and subsequently Commissioner for Economic Planning and Development, Ahmed was a central figure *Ahmed: Agriculture is our core competence in the formulation and implementation of the consolidation of the plans first agricultural policies of the Bukola enunciated by the Saraki administration.

Saraki administration.

With the benefits of the policy Governor Saraki had taken now trickling down and opportunity of the gaffes of President Robert Mugabe in benefiting the Kwara economy, Zimbabwe in mistreating the Governor Ahmed has remarkably Caucasian farmers and luring renamed the former Zimbabwean them to set up shop in Kwara farmers as New Nigerian State. Governor Ahmed as part farmers!

Giving an example of the of the inner circle of the Saraki impact of the New Nigerian administration was central to the Farmers, he disclosed how they matter and hence his h a v e b e e n able to raise output p e r hectare in Kwara from the national average of 18 tonnes p e r hectare to an amazing 40 tonnes per hectare.

“Whatever technology has been used by the new Nigerian farmers is currently being transformed to our subsistence farmers to learn on how to grow cassava to commercial levels,” he stated as a matter of justification of his agricultural policy.

That is not talking about the Fulani cow rearers who the governor said make as much as N150,000 on the supply of milk weekly.

It is not as if Governor Ahmed is building his agricultural policies in the air. For example, the

,

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR & DEMOLA AKINYEMI

administration has envisioned a 10 year strategic partnership with WAMCO, makers of Peak milk that would see farmers from the state progressively increase the supply of milk to the company.

In a nutshell he summarized the problems of successive agricultural policies articulated by past administrations including the Operation Feed the Nation, OFN and the Green Revolution, he said:

I want to say categorically today that there is no country today that has developed by being a supplier of raw materials

,

“The first reason is that we have never had a strong agriculture policy in this country, the second reason is that we have not been able to work out a platform to grow an agriculture business in this country and the third one is because you see, we have largely been feeding ourselves through subsistence farming and the lack of attempts to transform this subsistence farming to commercial farming has led to gradual degradation from our human capacity and also the soil capacity to drive an agric business,” Ahmed said.

Noting that successful nations were able to express themselves only through exploiting their core competences, he said: “Our core competence is agriculture and we must begin to see how to genuinely move this forward. I have been a major advocate of agriculture and I have seen different people Continues on page 45

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012 —45

7TH ASSEMBLY:

Senate is living up to expectation — Sen Okowa *Probe Panels: Why FG must take action SENATOR Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa represents Delta North Senatorial District in the Senate. A former Commissioner in Delta State and one time Secretary to the State Government, SSG, the medical doctor turned politician and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spoke to newsmen in Lagos during a recent visit. Excerpts:

BY DAPO AKINREFON

W

HAT is your appraisal of 13 years of democracy in the country?

I think, as a nation, we are moving forward. There is no doubt that we still have challenges at the moment but we are obviously progressing even though at a slow pace. One thing we must thank God for at the moment is that, at the least, as at May 29, we marked 13 years of consistent democracy.

We never had it before, that means we are moving forward.

Therefore, leaders at the levels of government, parties and whatever, it is time, in my opinion, we must take stock of our successes and challenges and from the lessons learnt from such, we would be able to move this country forward in a much more better way.

In these 13 years, democracy has truly grown but to what extent have we kept faith with democracy ourselves? We must therefore ask: do we really have democracy at the moment that is sustained?

Having said that, do you think the National Assembly has fared better in the last one year?

I think it has been quite

interesting because the legislature itself has been maturing over time and this is the 7th Senate. I do believe that by all standards from what I have seen, a lot have been done by the 7th National Assembly, including the 7th Senate . The Senators have shown a lot of commitment and more of the successes we have seen, I would attribute to quality and experienced leadership that means well for this country and is committed to advancing the frontiers of democracy and good governance.

When you have a leadership that is committed to growth and good governance, it tends to drive all those within the Senate to work towards achieving good governance.

That is what we are doing.

From screening of ministers and other nominees, a lot of bills in the House, some have gone through second reading, a lot of oversight functions are going on in the various committees that were constituted like the one we just completed, which is an oversight function on projects by the NDDC and the Niger Delta Ministry and that is going on.

Beyond that we had to conduct investigations into other areas of

governance.

You are aware of the investigation into the Privatization a n d Commercialization by the BPE and also the ongoing probe in the Aviation Industry, the ongoing probe of the Subsidy Regime by the Senate.

Why we conduct these investigations is not only because of the fact that we want to expose corruption but also because we want to ensure that people are put on their toes, so that they will not just do things the way they were done in the *Sen Okowa: National Assembly is living up past.This is a to expectation new Nigeria , we are talking of Transformation by Mr. President living up to expectation doing and therefore we need to carry what it has to do and I must thank out that Transformation in our the leadership of the National daily attitude, in our work place Assembly for showing the way. and in project execution and Nigerians are pessimistic that supervision. You can give out a despite the various probe Panel project and if you do not sinstituted by the National supervise it well that project will Assembly, nothing has been suffer. achieved. Is there any hope for So we want to stimulate people a difference? into going out to carry out It is important for the President ministerial supervision by the and the executive arm of various agencies. Generally, I government to know that think the National Assembly is Nigerians are watching. In the NASS, we believe that whatever we are doing is in partnership with the Executive arm of government because if you are helping them to expose areas of weakness, it is also instructive parcel of that administration that that they too take quick actions also developed policies which we in order to put things right so that have fine tuned and we are now they can give confidence back to navigating to consolidation.” the NASS and more importantly to the people of Nigeria.

However, we all have to be mindful of the fact that when the Senate or the House of Reps passes a resolution and forward to the presidency, there are processes that are put in place.

It is not what you have today and you take action tomorrow. Some will have to go through administrative processes before the required action is taken.

And some will even require that the president sets up a review committee, and so may even go to the level of a White Paper being done before, even a decision is taken at the Federal Executive Council.

Ahmed’s articulated governance in Kwara Continues from page 44 asking me, are you a graduate of agriculture? And I say No! .But it is crystal clear that we cannot move forward, we cannot get it right without agriculture. We have seen countries that have moved from just low level to high level largely by transforming the way they drive agriculture.”

“For us in Africa, we have over time been major suppliers of agric feed stocks for industrial development and I want to say categorically today that there is no country today that has developed by being a supplier of raw materials. You must begin to see when you have the capacity to develop raw materials to forwardly integrate it, which is when it truly begins to transform to truly GDP that will

sustain growth and development.”

Seeing Governor Ahmed talk about agriculture it is quite possible for one to believe that nothing else is happening in the state.

Are you not foreclosed on other sectors, he was asked?

“This government is a planned government; we have policies on water, roads, energy, education and policy in agriculture. Nobody must move more than 500 meters to access primary health care, nobody must assess potable drinking water beyond 500 meters,” he responded.

“Between you and me, its an articulated governance that we have in Kwara State and this is strongly connected with the smooth transition we had largely because some of us were part and

*Gov Ahmed

We do know that some of the resolutions taken have been acted upon and so I want to believe that those that are left are going through these processes.

But it is important that they take note of the fact that Nigerians are waiting and whatever actions they would take enable Nigerians to pass a judgment whether government is serious or not with the Transformation Agenda that we have. And so all the people given assignment by the President to work on the resolution before a decision is taken must speed up action on them.

What is your position on the proposed constitutional amendment, state creation and the clamour for state Police?

They are both controversial issues and that is why the Constitution Review Committee has asked for Memoranda from all those who are willing. And I believe that being a very proactive NASS, ours is to look at the various memorandum, take public hearing and aggregate the views of our people and then come back to go through those aggregates and take a decision.

Two third support You know that whatever resolution we take at that level is also subject to Two-Third support from all state assemblies including the FCT. Would you say your stay at the Senate has affected positively on your Senatorial District?

At the personal level, I have participated fully in all the activities in the Senate and I have been able to move a bill passed the Second Reading, at the moment I still have three bills waiting for Second Reading because there are lots of Bills out there. But I have also made my own contribution in the various committees that I found myself working in.

And I have been able to use the opportunity afforded to reach out to some ministers for their support for projects in our area.

In particular there is this bridge that has for long been abandoned that connects Edo State Ubiajia, it has been brought back into the budget now, it is about N700million in the budget for the project to come back on stream and I find that interesting.

Though I put in my best but the credit must go to the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala for her intervention in many ways. There are other projects like roads, the AjaokutaAladja Railway, and there are water projects that are in various areas of the district that are captured in the budget.

Besides, we are trying to ensure peace in Delta North PDP so as to work as a united political family. I am sure that soon there will be total reconciliation.

46—Vanguard, MONDAY,

JUNE 11, 2012

'With cassava, wheat in our flour we can tackle diabetes' FOOD fortifications are carried out for so many reasons. Most times, fortifications are done when policy makers observed some gaps either in a particular micro nutrient as relates to deficiencies in the populace in order to remedy the situation. For instance, there are different levels to fill this gaps which includes; supplementation in which the micro nutrient in question is given in the form of capsules or tablets or added in some food for children.

The second option is fortification. In fortifying food, we look at a particular food that is very good and very much available for the majority of the people. Unfortunately, Nigerian has no centrally processed food system like in developed countries. Today in Nigeria you realise that many of our foods are not centrally processed. So, the only foods that are fortified right now are the flour, the wheat flour, and the maize flour in the form of semolina, you also have the vegetable oil, the sugar and then you have the salt that is iodised.

These are centrally processed to some extent; therefore, it is easier to use them as a vehicle for fortification. Recently, something happened in Nigeria which is the biofortification, where cassava that contains yellow flesh was found to contain adequate carotene which is the major source of Vitamin A. Also currently, there was controversy over the safety and benefit of the combination in foods. However, the President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, NSN, Professor Ignatius Onimawo spoke to journalists in Lagos and Vanguard Health Features was there: Excerpts:

C

OMPARING cassava flour and Wheat flour I must say that I was alarmed when I saw it on television, where a motion was moved in the House of Representatives and some information was provided to the extent that cassava was food that will lead to increase in diabetes. There was a lot of information that were given which to my mind should not have been, because in the first instance, the prevalence quoted from that report that the diabetes rate in Nigeria is between 20-30 per cent is completely untrue.

The diabetes rate in Nigeria is less than 10 percent. In fact, we have not done a recent survey; that was just a projected percentage. The last survey was done around 1992 and it was not even a nationwide survey and it put the diabetic rate at 2.5 percent. From 1992 till now, there is projection - that it must have increased up to about 9.5 per cent. So the issue of the 20, 30 percent does not arise. That one is not true.

The other is that the person who was moving that motion said that cassava flour, when added to wheat flour to make bread, increases the rate of diabetes; it is completely untrue because when we talk about

diabetes, there are two things you talk about, which are the glycaemic index and the glycaemic load.

Now, foods with low glycaemic index are foods that diabetics are advised to consume and cassava is not among the high glycaemic index food. In fact, wheat flour has high glacemic index between 70-72, while cassava has a glycaemic index between 46 and 60. That is the range for cassava.

,

B Y CHIOMA OBINNA

• Professor Ignatius Onimawo

white bread is 70 as at now. So when you bring cassava flour into it, and it may bring it down to about 60, thereby giving a better product that will now fall within the range of medium glycaemic index food.

There was a survey that was conducted in Kenya and in that survey, they found that out of over 1,380 people that were surveyed, they got their energy or calorie intake from cassava.

About 86 per cent of that number got their calorie intake from cassava and none of them was diabetic. In the same survey, among those who were diabetic in that community, they found that they rarely took cassava.

They ate other sorts of food. So cassava is not implicated as the causative effects for diabetes; that is the point I am making.

Policy of Government on Cassava floor inclusion in wheat flour My advice is that the policy of government on the inclusion of cassava flour into wheat flour for

There is need to have a committee on nutrition because the whole world has realised that nutrition is development, because if a child is not properly nourished, that child is going to underdevelop

Having that at the back of our minds, it then means that when you mix cassava flour with low glycaemic index with wheat flour that has high glycaemic index, the blend that will come with the glycaemic index will come down.

So in essence, if we are going to attack diabetes, then the mix of cassava flour and wheat flour is even the right step to start with because by the time you combine cassava flour with that wheat flour, the glycaemic index of the overall product will come down, because that of

,

the production of bread is a step in the right direction. And I thought the argument were going to be, maybe the crumb structure of the bread, maybe the weight of the bread - these were going to be issues because of the fact that there was no glutting in cassava flour. But that is not the argument.

Even then, the American government, through the programme we had in Lagos about two weeks ago, has shown that even in such situations where you use a product that does not contain glutting, you should

add about five percent soya beans flour to that particular formulation, then the loaf file improves and therefore the crumb structure of the bread also improves. I think it is another opportunity for government to encourage soya beans producers so that they include five percent soya beans flour along with the 40 per cent of cassava flour to the wheat flour to produce our bread. And that is where we have several advantages.

One, the glycaemic index will be lower because the glycaemic index of soya bean is lower than that of cassava. Soya bean contains a lot of protein and protein will be good in bread. The crumb structure will be fine and the taste will be better, and it will be more nourishing than what we have now.

I want to state that there is need for nutrition education in Nigeria. In fact, is good that the National Assembly member raised this issue and I think, perhaps, he had the interest of Nigerians at heart: he didn’t want Nigerians to become diabetic and, therefore, now that the information has come, it is good that they too be informed about this so that they will be better placed to serve the Nigerian public.

Lawmakers involvement in nutrition issues with specific reference to cassava flour and food fortification.

At this point in time, it is the cassava flour for bread making.

What has happened is the neglect of nutrition by past governments. We have made several attempts in the past for government to again look into the issue of nutrition. I understand that during President Obasanjo’s regime - at about the time he was about going, he made a pronouncement that he had formed the National Nutrition Council which is to be inaugurated thereafter. As we speak now, five years after, that coun-

cil has not been inaugurated and that council was to be a hub that will link to other stakeholders in the area of nutrition. Within the National Assembly there are various subcommittees. There are some on health.

This is the time for them to engage professional associations to have nutrition society, food science society and other societies that are professionally based. There is need for us to have a common ground to look at some of the issues. A lot of researches have been done. Even trying to look at the value chain of these products, for instance, sorghum is one of the crops that the present Minister of Agriculture is looking into. We have done some researches on sorghum where sorghum has been used to produce breakfast cereals that looked like Quaker Oat. It was better nutritionally and the taste was nice.

But they are on the shelf because there is no collaboration between research institutes, universities, the industries and the public. So that gap has been there. And the various sub-committees of the National Assembly, when they have an issue that is so hot, they normally call for a public hearing.

Treating diabetic patients I will advise that they call for public hearing in this kind of matter. They should invite all the professionals, including the medical doctors that are treating diabetic patients. Let them come and let’s discuss this matter so that Nigerian people will be better informed.This is a matter of science; it’s not a matter of conjecture or what a particular person thinks. There is need to have a committee on nutrition because the whole world has realised that nutrition is development, because if a child is not properly nourished, that child is going to under-develop. Our legislators are not aware of this , so it is an opportunity to draw their attention.

Advantages of cassava flour in bread: Cassava has many advantages. We can look at it as a dilution factor. The level of glutting will definitely be reduced; therefore, it will become highly diluted and will have no negative effect on those who suffer from allergy. The impact will be so minimal, so it is a double advantage. Let’s look at the taste, structure and the weight.

Every country has its own bread.

So, Nigerian bread which is cassava and wheat flour is really nice.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012 —

47

48

— Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012 — 49

Gambari decries global aparthied in peace keeping

BY HUGO ODIOGOR

P

ROF Ibrahim Gambari has decried the “global apartheid” in peace keeping where the rich countries of industrialised west pay more than 60% of the budget only for the poor countries to send troops to be killed in conflict regions.

Prof.Gambari, who is the joint Special Representative of the

Africa Union-United Nations Hybrid Operations in Darfur, Western Sudan, said there is an urgent need for Nigeria and other African countries to develop a peace agenda and step up their contributions to global peace keeping fund which is presently dominated by the rich and industrialized countries.

Prof. Gambari was the chairman of a book

presentation at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos at the weekend where he said “a situation where the United States unwillingly cut down its own contribution of peace keeping fund from 25% to 22 % and the European Union contribute N40% not healthy and equitable, because the rich nations just foot the bill for the third world countries to send their troops to go

and die”.

Prof. Gambari praised the author of the book entitled the Curse of Berlin: Africa After the Cold War, Dr Adekeye Adebajo, for brilliantly articulating the historical curse of 1884 and 1885 when the continent of Africa was partitioned in the Berlin conference, by European powers. This process has continued manifest in conflicts inspired by colonialism and neo colonial

manipulations.

He said while the author has tried to chronicle Africa’s burden “ from security, lack of development, lack of democratic governance, corruption and conflicts, there is the need for new African leaders to go back to the drawing board to take a second look at the curse of Berlin and chart a new path for Africa”.

Prof. Gambari said the contemporary issues plaguing Africa issues

plaguing Africa in dude lack of democratic practice, low human development, absence of credible elections.

He said “African leaders should pay attention to eradication of poverty, promotion of peace and development, support for Africa peace initiatives because the industrialized nations are not keep on promoting peace efforts in Africa”.

According to Prof Gambari, “Africans should pursue an agenda for peace and development without which, the continent will continue to be neglected”.

The author of the book Dr. Adebajo who spoke on his motivation for writing the book said he tried to looked at contemporary Africa and its quest for security and Africa’s quest for leadership and Africa’s quest for unity, all of which had remained elusive because of the pervasive impact of Berlin.

Kenya's interior minister die in crash KENYA’S minister for internal security, who once served as the country ’s vice president, and his deputy are among six people who died when a police helicopter crashed near the capital Nairobi, according to Kenyan officials. Minister George Saitoti and his deputy, Orwa Ojode, were killed in the crash, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka said yesterday.

Libya shifts Assembly polls IBYA has postponed its landmark election for a constitutional assembly to July 7 because of technical and logistical issues, the head of the electoral commission said.

“The day of the election will be Saturday, the 7th of next month,” Nuri alAbbar told a news conference yesterday.

The first elections since the fall of the country’s longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi were due to be held on June 19.

L

50

— Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012 —

51

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52 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012

‘Keshi’s work-in-progress’ seek permission from Demola Olajire, the NFF Media officer for using his coinage as the title of my column today.

Saturday evening, when I got Demola’s lengthy and exhaustive report from Blantyre, the phrase stood out, first as excuse for our not getting the maximum three points at stake, then as a commendation for the draw. This may not have been his motive, yet somebody needed to remind us that Keshi was building a team for the future and there was need to give the coach and the team a chance.

In the last two months that reminder has come so often that I wonder at what stage we will stop reminding ourselves and get down to business.

Sometimes people give us the impression that football is not played in this country at all. Going by some of the things I read there is this false impression that our play in the domestic league is something else than the round leather game and the actors mere neophytes devoid of the basic rudiments of the game.

I beg to disagree.

I often say that as a Nigeria Premier League Match Commissioner I have watched and seen some great matches, appreciated some naturally gifted and talented footballers and applauded some excellent goals that regrettably could not be captured on camera and ‘frozen’ for posterity.

As a CAF General Coordinator I have seen a lot of clubs in Africa play and come out convinced that despite the lack of matching infrastructure and organizational savvy, our players and clubs rank among the best in the continent!

For those who say that perhaps Keshi has not even selected the best there is in the domestic league, I may agree with them. But for how long are we going to camp and be in trial? Since Keshi and the NFF have decided to make the domestic league the bedrock of our Super Eagles development, when will the Technical Committee organize a meeting between Keshi and his crew with the domestic coaches with a view to guaranteeing that no stone has been left unturned?

It does not take a coach to create a good footballer. He can only dis-

I

cover him, perhaps improve him and use him to build a good team. What is happening to us now is very akin to what used to happen in the past. We will be drawn against the likes of Ethiopia, Benin, Niger, Kenya, yet we struggle to qualify.

The major difference now is that thanks to Keshi, instead of importing twenty four big headed players and waste huge amount of money on transportation, accommodation etc now we are limiting ourselves and wisely too to a maximum of five or six at a time.

With due respect to those who say there are no minnows in football, how could we not qualify and easily too from a group that has Malawi, Namibia and Kenya?

While Nigeria is ranked as the 60th football playing country in the world, Malawi is 107, Kenya 111 and Namibia 134 ( Rwanda is 119 ) FIFA in its review wrote about “GIANTS dropping points on the road” Besides the real fight was not supposed to be here, the real fight commences when all the group leaders qualify and go into the second round.

Back to Malawi. That the Malawians played well, that we missed some chances, managed to go ahead in the 89th, only for the home side to equalize with the last kick of the ball. Now we are all moaning, that we should have won, that Enyeama made a mistake….. a Malawian friend thinks differently, that they were a better side, that the Eagles scored against the run of play and that the god of soccer would have been very unfair if he had allowed Nigeria to win that match.

I wish I can have an independent opinion in a country where we rarely watch our teams live when they play at away.

Enyeama by all accounts is being crucified for what Chief Onigbinde considers “ …two points lost…” yet no one has imagined that if at the 89th minute we were leading 2-0, then the mistake would

have been irrelevant, points wise.

We appreciate the four points so far, points that will help to boost our confidence and gauge our performances till next year March when the qualifiers will resume….by which time there will certainly be no more room for excuses.

Keshi’s work in progress, yes, but with too many distractions along the line. Today the chief coach says, yesterday the technical committee member said, while tomorrow a former player will say…….Wanted, a sign board that will say SILENCE: WORK IN PROGRESS. Then and only then will we be guaranteed quality from the workshop.

Relegation of the Falcons Heard that because the Super Eagles are now to play Rwanda on Saturday instead of Sunday, the Falcons will have no choice but to play same day, perhaps same time against Zimbabwe!

I believe I heard wrongly. For us to play two matches like this same day, then the lesser one (Sorry Aisha)must come first and afford the fans about four hours difference to go back home and watch the other, which incidentally will be aired live. To do otherwise, will be to subject the Falcons match against Zimbabwe to the mercy of empty seats devoid of ambience and the atmosphere needed by the country’s senior women team, and this could smack of neglect and disrespect to women football that has brought us so much glory in the past.

Security... Security...

Security No sooner than the match involving Rangers and ABS ended yesterday in Enugu that fans flowed freely into the field most of them having direct access to the players and the match officials while security personell stood and watched…..security, please security.

See you next week

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012 — 53

We lost concentration, says Keshi S

UPER Eagles play ers were crest fallen following the away draw, they posted against Malawi in their 2014 World Cup qualifiers last Saturday in Blantyre.

The Eagles managed to keep the more business like Malawians at bay before Ruben Gabriel snatched an 89 th minute lead. He had curled home a free kick after hard working winger Christantus Uzoenyi was brought down outside the box.

But the goal was canceled in the dying minute by Malawi after the Eagles failed to clear their lines. The Eagles were heart broken and wore long faces all evening knowing that a win could have made qualification easy.

Eagles coach Stephen Keshi stated that the draw was painful, but he was happy they were not disgraced by the Malawians who had

BLOCKED . . . Malawi’s Joseph Kamwendo (C) is blocked by four Nigerian players as he tries to dribble past during their 2014 World Cup qualifying match at Kamuzu Stadium in Lilongwe The match ended in a 1-1 draw. Photo: AFP boasted before the match that the Nigerians were theirs for the taking.

“We were close to getting three vital away

State.

This simply means that an ant cannot bite you if it was not on your body.

It is against this background that, among other possibilities, the police in Delta are not ruling out “an insider’s job” in the abduction of Obodo.

The Delta Police command is said to be combing all parts of the state to track the kidnappers and release the one time Eagles star who is now on lone to Lecce from Udinese.

Delta State government has shown tremendous concern over the problem and they are said to be working closely with the police for Obodo’s freedom.

Timi Igbikabaro, the spokesman of Delta FA who frowned at the lifestyle of Obodo maintained his position yesterday when he added that “kidnapping of stars started in places like Mexico and the common thing now is for stars to be conscious of their security.”

Timi was reacting to comments that Obodo was not to blame for his abduction “because people should be free to

points, but we somehow lost concentration towards the end, but all in all, I think it was a fair result,” Keshi said.

NFF appeals for Obodo’s release “On behalf of the Niblame when he played for the Senior National Team, Super Eagles. We know that if not for injuries that have blighted his international career, he probably would have been with us here in Malawi for this match.

“The only thing we can do is to appeal passionately to the kidnappers to let him go. He is a young patriot who should not go through this kind of experience.

O

NDO State Govern ment has vowed to terminate the contract it awarded for the rehabilitation of the state’s main stadium in Akure

move around in their cities.”

“While not trying to justify what happened it is still important for stars to be conscious of their status and their movements,” Timi said yesterday, adding “can David Beckham walk the streets of London unaccompanied? Can Lionel Messi or Ronaldo walk the streets of Lisbon unaccompanied? They could be mobbed and that could be a security problem. The commissioner of Police in the state has even said that if stars like Obodo were in town and informed them security would be provided for them. Jay Jay Okocha and Victor Ikpeba are members of the State FA and they visit cities of Delta State regularly but anytime they are coming they inform us and security is usually provided.”

Timi said that Obodo used a customized car with plate number “Obodo 5” to a night club in Warri on Friday and had spent a lot of money to entertain friends, saying that “this must have attracted the kidnappers.”

Timi said that the police have intensified search for the abductors.

should the contractor handling the project renege on the promise to deliver by the end July 2012.

The state’s Commissioner for Youth Development and Sports Alhaji Yekini Olanipekun gave the indication yesterday during an inspection tour of the Stadium project.

According to the Commissioner, all necessary

money required by the contractor to complete work on the stadium have been paid, wondering why it has become impossible for the contractor to deliver in record time.

Olanipekun while registering his worry at the inability of the contractor to deliver, said what he found on ground during the visit was a far cry from the government’s

French Open Continues from BP match referee called the players off court at 16:51 GMT. The players were also off court for 35 minutes during the second set.

With the forecast for the rest of the day looking rather bleak, organisers said they have

contingency plans to continue the match on Monday.

The last time the men’s final was not completed on Sunday was in 1973, when bad weather did not allow for the showpiece match to be completed until Tuesday.

DO State Youth and Sports Commissioner, Hon. Anita Evboumwan has congratulated the state’s female Hock-

E

Continues from BP November 10 at a venue yet to be decided.

“I didn’t listen to the announcement because I thought I had won (verdicts from) all the judges,” Filipino southpaw Pacquiao told reporters after ending an unbeaten run of 15 bouts.

“I respect the decision but 100 percent I believe I won the fight. I don’t even remember if he hurt me one punch. He got me with a couple of jabs but I don’t remember if he hit me a solid punch

expectation adding that the work force was too slow.

Results Continues from BP Dolphin 1 Sharks 0 Wikki 2 Warri Wolves 0 Rangers 1 ABS 0 Enyimba 2 Sunshine Stars 1 Gombe 1 Jigawa 0 Kaduna Utd 2 Akwa 0

in my face.

“I give Bradley credit, maybe three rounds for him because in some rounds I relax. Aside from three rounds, every round I hurt him.”

Pacquiao surrendered his WBO welterweight title after earning one verdict from judge Jerry Roth (115“It will make me a warrior in having this kind of rematch,” Pacquiao said, looking to avenge the loss. “I want to finish him before the whole 12 rounds. I want the rematch.”

the IEI National Hockey League billed slated for Abuja this August.

Evboumwan expressed satisfaction with the performance of the team, even as she commended the team’s chairman, Walter Imoedamhe for his sacrifice towards the team’s success.

As the feat implies that Edo State team will battle with teams from the Savannah Conference (North), for a place in the National Division One, Evbuomwan advised them to make Edo State proud by ensuring that they occupy an enviable place in the National Division.

Bolt Continues from BP world-record holder Asafa Powell was traveling in another car at the time and was on the scene at the time of Bolt’s accident.

Bolt and Powell had

just returned to Jamaica after competing at a Diamond League meet in Norway.

A police spokesman could not be immediately reached regarding the accident.

Spain hold Italy Continues from BP

Pacquiao

geria football family, I urge the abductors to release Christian Obodo from this untoward experience and let us smile again.”

The petite but lionhearted midfielder played for Nigeria at the 2006 African Cup of Nations in Egypt, and was in reckoning of then Coach Samson Siasia during the qualifying campaign for the 2012 African Cup of Nations finals.

Edo Sports Commissioner lauds Hockey Team ey Team for qualifying for

Ondo govt vows to revoke Akure Stadium project

Obodo Continues from BP

HE Nigeria Football Federation has appealed to kidnappers of Nigerian midfielder Christian Obodo to free the player and save the nation’s football family of anguish.

Obodo, who plays his club football for Udinese FC in Italy, was reportedly abducted in Warri, Delta State on Saturday morning, hours before the Super Eagles’ 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil qualifying match against Malawi in Blantyre.

When report of the incident filtered into Blantyre, capital of Malawi on Saturday night, NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari was thunderstruck.

When he recovered, he said: “This is a sad thing. Christian Obodo served this country patriotically and without

T

World Cup qualifiers:

only minutes before the world champions equalised through Cesc Fabregas.

But Chelsea striker Fernando Torres missed two glorious late chances after coming off the bench to replace the goalscorer.

A draw was a fair result as Italy were the better side in the first half and were fearless in taking the game to the world champions.

Both coaches sprung a surprise with their team selections as Vicente Del Bosque opted to go without a striker, playing Fabregas between Andres Iniesta and David Silva.

Italy’s Cesare Prandelli opted for Juventus reserve

Emanuele Giaccherini in the left wing-back position, a role the forward is far from used to playing.

And the surprises continued until after kick-off as Italy were the better side in the first period.

Spain clearly lacked a striker and were guilty of over-playing the ball on several occasions.

Italy kept it tight, dropping into a back five with three in front of them when they didn’t have the ball.

But they showed no fear when claiming possession and attacked with gusto.

Andrea Pirlo had the first sight of goal when his low free-kick was palmed away

by Iker Casillas on 13 minutes.

54

C M Y K

— Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012 —

55

C M Y K

VANGUARD, MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012

Today’s EURO matches

Spain hold Italy French Open final in thrilling draw Rain stops

Nadal-Djokovic

OLDERS Spain were held to a 1-1 HE French Open draw by a dogged and men’s final between determined Italy at the Rafa Nadal and Novak Arena Gdansk here on Sunday in the opening Djokovic was suspended Results Group C match at the due to rain for a second European Champion- time on Sunday.

Kwara 1 Heartland 0 Nadal was leading 63SC 1 Lobi 0 ship.

Raising Stars 1 Tornado Italy took the lead on 4 6-3 2-6 1-2 when the 0 61 minutes through sub- CContinues on Page 53 Pillars w/o Ocean boys stitute Antonio Di Natale CContinues on Page 53 CContinues on Page 53 Donetsk, Group D: France v England 5pm Kiev, Group D: Ukraine v Sweden 7:45pm

H

Pacquiao cries for revenge ANNY Pacquiao who suffered his first career defeat to Timothy Bradley has vowed to avenge the loss of his World Boxing Organization welterweight title last Saturday.

Pacquiao said he was

M

“100 percent” confident he had won the 12round fight at the MGM Grand and, like his American challenger Bradley, eagerly looked forward to a rematch on CContinues on Page 53

T

Obodo: Police suspect ‘insider’s job’ •Intensify search for abductors

BY ONOCHIE ANIBEZE

"A

Manny Pacquiao (R) and Tom Bradley after the controversial fight TODAY'S

PUZZLES

•Kidnapped — Christian Obodo

NT no go bite you if e no dey your body.”

One of the abductors of Christian Obodo was quoted as saying the above while making contact for a N30m ransom after they kidnapped the Udinese of Italy player Saturday in Effurun, near Warri in Delta CContinues on Page 53 YESTERDAY'S

Bolt out-runs death ORLD-RECORD holder and Olympic champion Usain Bolt was involved in a car crash in Jamaica, but he escaped unhurt.

Publicist Carole Beckford says Bolt was returning from a party with friends near dawn Sunday when he was involved in a “fender bender” in Jamaica’s capital. “There were no injuries at all. Bolt is fine and resting at home.”

Radio Jamaica says former 100-meter CContinues on Page 53

W

•Bolt

QUICK CROSSWORD

ANSWERS ACROSS 2 Stop (5) 7 Globe (5) 8 Drain (5) 10 Sickened (5) 12 Beret (3) 13 Liability (5) 15 Determined (7) 17 Wandered (6) 19 Bed (3) 20 Postponed (7) 23 Finished (4) 25 Expensive (4) 26 Ordained (7) 30 Prosecute (3) 31 Pollute (6) 34 Storm (7) 37 Apportion (5) 38 Observe (3) 39 Fur (5) 40 Seat (5) 41 Weird (5) 42 Centre (5)

DOWN 1 Round-up (5) 2 Demand (5) 3 Revised (6) 4 Pip (4) 5 Rehearsed (7) 6 Repulse (5) 9 Lump (3) 11 Rotted (7) 13 Sag (5) 14 Founded (5) 16 Shy (3) 18 Dishearten (7) 21 Demon (5) 22 Salute (5) 24 Veneration (7) 27 Hint (3) 28 Trader (6) 29 Beleaguer (5) 35 Swift (5) 33 Reasoning (5) 35 Males (3) 36 Story (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Pebble 5, Daubed 9, Under 10, Insist 11, Bishop 12, Tepid 14, Ever 17, Rot 18, Pale 20, Total 22, Rider 23, Careful 24, Sewed 26, Beret 29, Prod 30, Wed 32, Dire 33, Hades 35, Indeed 36, Topped 37, Refer 38, Earned 39, Render.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 1, Privet 2, Basket 3, Lust 4, Enter 5, Debit 6, Arid 7, Behead 8, Dapper 13, Powered 15, Voter 16, Raced 18, Pilled 19, Lever 21, Lad 22, Rub 24, Sprite 25, Wonder 27, Ripped 28, Tender 30, Waded 31, Deter 33, Here 34, Sore

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

Place a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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