Cease fire, Jonathan tells Agagu, Ondo govt

...towards a better life for the people

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

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VOL. 25: NO. 61990

N150

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013

Baraje's nPDP suffers PHCN Assets: What next after privatization of defeat against Tukur-led PDP PHCN assets?

28 — By Atedo N.A. Peterside 15 in court, INEC CRASH LATEST:

Cease fire, Jonathan tells Agagu, Ondo govt •Says FG has ordered thorough investigation into cause of crash •Feyi Agagu, Femi Akinsanya flown out

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE & DAYO JOHNSON

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KURE – PRESI DENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, called for cease fire on the part of the Ondo State government and the family of former Governor Olusegun Agagu on the blame game over who hired the ill fated aircraft.

The President spoke through Culture and Tourism Minister, Edem Duke, who led a Federal Government delegation Continues on page 5

COLUMNISTS: •P.17 OVERSIGHT: President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice-President Namadi Sambo with members of the House of Representatives Committee on Special Duties after their oversight function visit to the State House yesterday.

•P.47

ASUU STRIKE: FG commences ‘no 8 work, no pay'

Lar prepared for death, says aide •More tributes pour in

US govt shutdown'll affect Nigeria unless....

—Okonjo Iweala, IMF boss C M Y K

Mr & Mrs

8

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Delta kidnappers to die by hanging

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2— Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013

C M Y K

Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013—3

C M Y K

4— Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013

C M Y K

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POCKET CARTOON

L-r: Benin National Oder Chancel, Mrs Koubourath Osseni, Nigerian Ambassador to Benin Republic, Mr. Lawrence Obisakin, and Alhaji Aliko Dangote during Dangote’s decoration as Grand Commernder of the National Order of The Republic of Benin, by the President of Benin Republic, Dr. Boni Yayi

Cease fire, Jonathan tells Agagu, Ondo govt Continues from page 1 on a condolence visit to Chief Olu Falae over the death of his son, Deji, in the plane that crashed a week ago.

The plane was conveying the remains of the former Governor Olusegun Agagu to Ondo State for burial when it crashed and killed 16 passengers.

Deji until his death was Culture and Tourism Commissioner in Ondo State.

The Federal Government delegation include the Communication Tech-

nology Minister, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, Director-General of Technology Corps, Dr. Pius Osunyikanmi, and Director, Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, George Uffot.

President Jonathan asked the government and the family of the deceased to stop dissipating energy on who hired the crashed aircraft during the preparation to give Dr Agagu a befitting burial.

He said: “We should stop dissipating energy by passing blames now. An

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

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OMPASSION also brings us into the terri tory of mystery encouraging us not just to see beauty, but perhaps also to look for the face of God in the moment of challenges, in the face of a stranger, in the face of another being — Krista Tippett Krista Tippett also says that compassion can be synonymous with empathy. It can be joined with the harder work of forgiveness and reconciliation, but it can also express itself in the simple act of presence.

It’s linked to practical virtues like generosity and hospitality and just being there, just showing up. I think that compassion also is often linked to beauty - and by that I mean a willingness to see beauty and goodness in others.

I’m not sure if I can show you what tolerance looks like, she says, but I can show you what compassion looks like - because it is visible. When we see it, we recognize it and it changes the way we think about what is doable, what is possible. It is so important when we’re communicating big ideas - but especially a big spiritual idea like compassion - to root it as we present it to others in space and time and matter.

Leo Buscaglia sums it beautifully: “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

occurrence like this is not what we pray to see again in this country. This is not a loss only to Ondo State but to the whole country.

What we should be concerned about now is how to develop the aviation industry and ensure such a bad occurrence does not repeat itself.”

FG orders thorough investigation

The president said the Federal Government has ordered a thorough investigation into the cause(s) of the plane crash and this will help to improve the quality of services in the industry. On Deji (Falae), President Jonathan said words were inadequate to describe the “monumental loss of this bright light whom providence took away,” adding that he was leadership material.

The President who expressed his condolence, that of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, and that of the country, prayed that God will grant them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss of “this star”.

He said,“As a leader, a bridge-builder in this country, the sacrifice is heavy but we want you to bear it with magnanimity; God knows best."

Responding, Chief Falae who spoke through his eldest son, Dapo, said though Deji lived a short life but his life impacted his generation. He said “We are humbled and proud that Deji lived a fulfilled life going by the outpouring of testimonies of his character, humility and generosity by colleagues, friends and sup-

porters."

Feyi Agagu, Akinsanya flown out Meanwhile, following his discharge from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Feyi Agagu, son of the late former Governor of Ondo State, may have been flown abroad for further treatment. Feyi is believed to have been flown out on Wednesday night to an undisclosed hospital in London alongside Femi Akinsanya.

Strong indications had emerged earlier in the week that the duo were likely to be discharged after series of requests for

discharge for further treatment abroad.

It was gathered that the LASUTH management eventually granted the discharge after certifying them fit to travel.

Prior to their discharge, the duo, who survived the October 3 Associated Airlines plane crash, were being observed at the private BT Complex Ward of the health institution.

Although hospital authorities kept sealed lips over the development, it was reliably gathered that the Agagu family might have requested for the discharge and taken the decision to fly them abroad for better health management, but was keeping it close to its chest in view of the series of controversies trailing the plane crash.

Efforts to get a confirmation about the discharge from the hospital management were unfruitful as no official position was de-

clared. Sources confirmed that Feyi and Akinsanya had been in relatively stable condition up till Wednesday.

A doctor who pleaded anonymity however expressed shock at the news that Feyi and Femi had been flown abroad.

“I saw Feyi on Wednesday and I’m shocked at the news that he might have been taken abroad.

Feyi’s condition was the most stable. As far as I’m concerned, he had no cause to be have been flown abroad for further treatment except perhaps just to go and rest.”

Earlier, it was gathered that five survivors of the crash were receiving treatment at three hospitals in the state. A senior medical personnel at LASUTH told Vanguard : “There are three survivors at LASUTH, one at Gbagada General Hospital and one at the Air Force Hoispital, Ikeja. All of them are in fairly stable condition,” he noted.

2013 Christian Pilgrimage: NCPC inspects carrier aircraft

BY VICTORIA OJEME

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BUJA—Chairman of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, NCPC, Most Revd. Nicholas Okoh, has led technical experts to Istanbul, Turkey to inspect the approved aircraft that will fly intending pilgrims to Israel, Rome and Greece for the 2013 Christian Pilgrimage operations.

Also security operatives deployed to accompany pilgrims for this year’s Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem, in Israel have been urged to ensure the achievement of their mandate.

A statement in Abuja said, members of the inspection team inspected the two aifrcraft, Airbus A330 - 300 with 387 passenger capacity seats, with 12 Business class each with eight toilets, man-

ufactured in February and November, 1996.

According to the statement, “the aircraft also have entailment systems which are in perfect condition; they are very clean with eight exit points. Members of the inspection team equally visited the Food Centre which is called SANCLA where they worked on the menu being prepared for intending pilgrims. The members were satisfied with the arrangements on ground at the food centre; they made their observations and ensure that the foods are well packaged by the Airline.”

Other members of the inspection team to Istanbul include the Executive Secretary, Mr. John Kennedy Opara, Senate Committee Chairman on Foreign Affairs, Senator Matthew

Nwagu, Hon. Matthew Omegwara and Hon. Emmanuel. The inspection team also includes three technical officials of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA. Atlasjet of Turkey was selected as the official airline for the 2013 Christian Pilgrimage operations having successfully emerged through open bidding process and having been approved by the President following the recommendations of the NCPC. The Atlasjet Airline had earlier in the year signed the Air Carrier Agreement with the Commission following their selection to airlift Nigerian Pilgrims to the Holy Land this year. The airlift of intending pilgrims to the Holy Land will commence on October 19, 2013.

6—Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013

Man, 25, remanded in prison for abduction

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ARARABA ( N A S A R AWA STATE)— A Grade 1 Area Court in Aso Pada in Mararaba, Nasarawa State has ordered one David Monday, 25, to be remanded in Keffi Prison on charges of abduction and attempted rape.

The presiding officer, Mr. Albert Maga, gave the order after the Police Prosecutor, Mr. Friday Adaji, prayed the court to order that Monday be remanded till October 24.

Maga then adjourned the case to October 24 for hearing.

Earlier, Adaji told the court that one Esther Patrick of Aso in Mararaba, lodged a complaint against the accused on October 3 at the ‘A’ Division Police Station, Mararaba.

Driver docked over N12m theft

BY ONOZURE DANIA

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AGOS— A 36-yearold driver, Abayomi Omojowo, was yesterday arraigned before an Ikeja magistrate’s court over alleged robbery of valuables worth N12 million.

Omojowo, who resides at 10, Akinde Street in Igando area of Lagos, is facing a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and robbery, preferred against him by the police.

Police Prosecutor, Inspector Roman Unuigbe, said the defendant and others at large, conspired to commit the alleged offence at 12.30a.m on July 4, at Iyana-Ipaja, Lagos.

Magistrate Olufunke Sule-Hamzat granted the defendant bail in the sum of N200,000, with two sureties in like sum, and adjourned the case till November 11.

Delta magistrate's kidnappers to die by hanging

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

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SABA— AN Asaba High Court, yesterday, sentenced two persons to death by hanging, having found them guilty of kidnapping and robbing a female magistrate at gunpoint on Boxing Day two years ago.

The convicted persons, Saidu Haruna and Raphael Egwuba, who claimed to be phone technicians and welder at Osubi, respectively, were arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping and armed robbery on charge no A/37C/2012.

Prosecution told the court that the female magistrate was, on December 26, 2011, driving into her compound at noon, when the armed men abducted her.

She was eventually taken to a bush where they dispossessed her of valuables, including an ATM card, which the convicts used to withdraw an undisclosed amount before they were caught.

“I hold that prosecution has proved ingredients of counts one, two and three against the accused beyond reasonable doubt.

“For count three (armed robbery), I hereby sentence the accused persons for execution by hanging on the neck until they be dead. May God have mercy on their souls.”

Nursing mother, another remanded

Meantime, an Asaba chief

magistrate’s court presided over by Chief Magistrate S. C. Okebu, has remanded two persons, including a nursing mother, who were arrested in Asaba for allegedly operating a patent medicine store without license, in prison custody.

The two accused persons, Mrs Juliet Ekhomu and one Mr. Emeka Oburah, upon arraignment before the court, were ordered to be remanded and prosecution asked to duplicate file and send to the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, for necessary legal advice.

Prosecution told the court that the “offence was contrary

to Section 2 (1)(b) and punishable under Section 3(1)(b) of the counterfeit and fake drugs and unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, Cap C34, Volume 4, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”

Some of the drugs allegedly seized and recovered from their respective shops in Asaba, included several bottles and packets of high profile antibiotics: Zinat suspension, augmentin tablets and suspension, Zitromax, Ampiclox, Amoxil, Erythromycin, Misopresol and Ciprofloxacilin amongst others.

Trial

During trial, prosecution called two witnesses, including the victim (female magistrate), to prove its case and also tendered some exhibits before the court, including the magistrate’s Blackberry phone, which eventually helped in tracking the convicts.

Identification parades were also conducted at the office of the Department of State Services, DSS, and in the open court, where the victim identified them.

The trial judge (identity withheld) in passing the sentence yesterday, said: “I disbelieve the evidence of the first and second accused persons as their testimonies were full of contradictions and meant to cover their tracks.

“From the totality of the evidence before this court, I hold that the first and second accused persons were involved in the kidnapping and robbing of one Onoriode Yvonne Asheshe of her Honda Pilot SUV, ATM card, jewelries and BlackBerry phone, while armed with a gun.

GIRL-CHILD EDUCATION: Pupils at the launch of 2013/2014 state wide enrolment drive campaign on girl-ch Area, Bauchi State, yesterday. INSET: Alhaji Abdullahi Dabo, Executive Chairman, Bauchi State Universa

senting school bag and books to Khadija Sani, during the launch. NAN PHOTOS.

Suspected cow thieves kill family of 9

BY MARIE-THERESE NANLONG

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OS — NINE members of a family were allegedly killed in the early hours of yesterday in Kukek village of Barkin Kogi, Foron District in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Suspected Fulani cow rustlers were said to have attempted to steal cows belonging to one Baba Tsok Gwom, the victim, whose entire family members were wiped out.

According to a source in the village, the suspected Fulani

men killed the family of nine with guns and machetes.

The source said the rustlers were about leaving with the cows when the villagers saw them and mobilised to attack.

12 of the Fulani men were said to have been killed.

Meanwhile, the state’s Commissioner for Information, Yiljap Abraham and the Interim Administrator of Barkin Ladi Local Government, Mr. Habila Dung, said they heard about the attack, but could not give details as they were on their way to the scene.

Dung said: “I received a distress call about the attack and I have immediately alerted security agents. I am also on my way to the scene and will talk to you when I am back.”

However, Special Task Force, STF, and the State Police Command did not confirm the story because STF’s spokesman, Captain Salisu Mustapha was said to be away.

Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Felicia Anselm, said the Police are in the village to see things for themselves before giving the true picture.

Vanguard , FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013—7

Plumber excretes 57 wraps of cocaine

BY DANIEL ETEGHE

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AGOS— OPERATIVES of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, yesterday, arrested a 29-yearold plumber, Mr. Ogu Okechukwu, for unlawful importation of 945 grammes of cocaine at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos.

The suspect was apprehended during the inward screening of passengers on an Etihad flight from Abu Dhabi on arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport with 57 wraps of cocaine

zI was promised N300,000— Suspect he allegedly rought in from Brazil.

Speaking on the arrest, NDLEA Airport Commander, Hamza Umar, said the suspect ingested a total of 57 wraps of cocaine hidden in male condoms.

He said “The suspect, Ogu Okechukwu, excreted 57 wraps of powdery cocaine packed inside male condoms and sealed with cello-tape. It is a dangerous practice because many drug traffickers

have died as a result of leakage in such wraps of narcotics.”

He further noted that the case was under investigation.

Okechukwu, an indigene of Imo State, said that he was lured into drug trafficking because of his inability to pay his rent of 150,000 naira.

Okechukwu told investigators: “I am a plumber. I am married with two children and my wife just delivered our second baby. My problem was

how to pay my rent of 150,000 naira.

“While looking for money, I was introduced to drug trafficking. They promised me 300,000 naira if only I will bring the drug from Brazil.

My travel expenses were sponsored.

“While in Brazil, I was given 100 wraps of drugs to swallow but I could only take 57 because it was my first time and it was not easy to ingest.

I feel very bad.”

Enugu demolishes Mountain of Fire & Miracles' church building

BY TONY EDIKE

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NUGU— THE Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, MFM, a popular church in Enugu was, yesterday, demolished by Enugu State Government.

The large worship centre, located at the foot of the Zik Avenue Bridge in Enugu State capital, was demolished after it was said to be sitting illegally on two plots of about 2,000 square metres.

The pastors and members of the church, who were said to have been praying for God’s intervention in the matter since the government declared its intention to demolish the building last year, watched helplessly as four bulldozers reduced the one-storey structure to rubble.

They rushed into the building and moved the church property to one side of the auditorium, pleading with the officials of Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, ECTDA, who were supervising the demolition, to spare the property.

Law enforcement agents, comprising men of the Police Mo-

bile Force and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, prevented some youths of the church from stopping ECTDA officials from demolishing the structure. No arrests were made.

In court

Estate agent docked for N.2m fraud

Enugu government had declared the building illegal, saying it was built along the Asata stream, allegedly violating the state's town planning laws.

However, the church had dragged the state government to court and obtained an injunction restraining government from demolishing the building.

But while the matter was in court, government allocated another land to the church with a directive to the church leaders to relocate without delay.

The alternative allocation was situated at Emeka Ebilla Avenue off Agbani Road, but the church was said to be reluctant in relocating the popular worship centre, insisting that government must pay compensation to enable it erect another building at the new location.

Government, however, declined and reportedly gave the church some months to vacate the building, which was thereafter marked for demolition.

L

Why we can’t relocate— Pastor

hild education in Alkaleri Local Government

al Basic Education Board, SUBEB, pre-

AGOS—THE police, yester day in Lagos, arraigned a 57-year-old man, Ade Adetela, before an Abule-Egba magistrate’s court on a one-count charge of defrauding an accommodation seeker of N210,000.

Adetela, an estate agent resident at 4, Oluwalogbon St., Abule Oko-Olaogun in Ogun State, allegedly committed the offence on July 12 at Oko-Oba Road, Agege.

The prosecutor, Inspector Rachael Williams, told the court that the accused collected the money from one Mrs Grace Ojile to secure accommodation for her.

She said: “The accused ran away and was caught when he was about duping another person.”

Williams said that the alleged offence contravened Section 312 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

According to the law, a person found guilty of fraud can be jailed for 15 years. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Following the plea, Magistrate Tajudeen Elias granted him bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties, and adjourned the case till November 13.

A pastor of the church, Kennedy Udogaranya, said that the church and officials of the state's Ministry of Lands had engaged in dialogue over the issue, but they were surprised to see government officials with bulldozers yesterday.

He said that the church could not gain access to the new land allocated to them because of the dispute between Ngwo and Amechi people over the land.

He explained that the church had informed the government of the difficulties in

relocating to the place and officially requested for time to enable the two communities settle their differences over ownership of the land.

The pastor said that the haste with which the government demolished the building had given the impression that government had other motives for the demolition.

Udogaranya said even though government had given them an alternative location, they should not be evicted in a hurry as the church would not conduct services on an undeveloped plot.

Government reacts

A statement by the Commissioner for Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, Mr. Ikechukwu Ugwuegede, yesterday, said government demolished the structure because “it was illegal and unapproved as an application for approval was considered and rejected in March 2012.”

He said that the reasons for the rejection of the application included “overbuilding of the property, with more than 100 percent built upon, encroaching into stream and road reserves, construction outside the purpose of the property as the area was designated for commercial development and not for institutional use.

“There was evidence of structural instability. There was evidence of failure of some of the reinforced concrete elements at the northern end of the basement area of the structure.”

“No responsible government will stand and permit a predictable catastrophe to befall its people .”

He said government had already identified other structures “which must be brought down to prevent any unsafe condition or illegal structure from remaining.”

Butcher rapes 11-yr-old girl

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BUJA— AN Upper Area Court in Mararaba, Nasarawa State, yesterday, sentenced a 27-year-old butcher, Mu’azu Lawali, to four years imprisonment for raping a minor.

The presiding officer, Mr. Vincent Gwehemba, did not give the convict an option of fine.

The convict, who lives in Angwan Ganda Masaka, was arraigned for having unlawful carnal knowledge of an 11-year-old girl.

The prosecutor, Inspector Joseph Ahua, told the court that the matter was reported by the victim’s parents at Masaka Police Station on October 4.

Ahua said the convict confessed to committing the offence, which contravened Section 283 of the Penal Code.

“Whoever has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 14 years and shall also be liable to fine,” the Penal Code reads.

The accused, however, pleaded guilty to the charge.

60-yr-old arraigned for vandalising church

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AGOS— A 60-yearold man, Fatai Olaiya, yesterday, appeared before a Somolu magistrate’s court, Lagos, for alleged malicious damage of a church building.

Olaiya, who resides at 16, Oluwafere Street, Bariga, was arraigned on a two-count charge of malicious damage and breach of public peace.

The prosecutor, ASP Akinlabi Adegoke, told the court that Olaiya, on September 13, mobilised eight unidentified men who vandalised The Pillar of God Church at 2, Mabinuori Street, Bariga.

He said: “They employed various equipment and broke down the walls, smashed the windows and then proceeded to vandalize all the musical instruments belonging to the church, valued at N2.9 million.”

8—Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013

FG stops salaries of striking lecturers

BY LAIDE AKINBOADE

A

BUJA—AS the ongoing strike by Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, enters the fourth month, there are strong indications that the Federal Government has commenced the implementation of the “No Work, No Pay” rule.

Vanguard gathered from a reliable source at the National Universities Commission, NUC, that the government has passed a directive to the various universities governing councils to stop payment of salaries of the striking lecturers.

The ASUU Zonal Chairman in Abuja, Mr Clement Chup confirmed this yesterday after a zonal conference of ASUU, University of Abuja chapter, which took place at the Gwagwalada campus to review the nationwide strike.

He said his colleagues were yet to receive their September salaries.

According to him, “we have resorted to other welfare strategies to cope with the effect of the strike, particularly to contain the various attempts by government to break the resolve of the union. The Federal Government has through the National Universities Commission, directed universities to stop the payment of our salaries effective September this year and since then our salaries have not been paid.

“Part of the welfare strategy, involved distributing food items, giving out soft loans and cash advances to members."

He urged members of the public to ignore the rumour that the strike has been called off. He said: “Nigerians should disregard rumours making the rounds that the three months old strike has been called off ”, adding that “the strike continues until the government demonstrates a positive inclination towards implementing the 2009 agreements and the 2012 Memorandum of Understanding signed by both parties."

US shutdown 'll affect Nigeria unless..., say Okonjo-Iweala, IMF boss

BY OMOH GABRIEL & EMMA UJAH, WASHINGTON, D.C

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ASHINGTON, US—THE political logjam in the United States which has forced partial government shutdown over refusal of the legislature to review the debt ceiling of the Barack Obama government will directly affect Nigeria's economy, unless the crisis is resolved immediately.

Co-ordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as well as the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Ms Christine Lagarde, gave the warning at separate briefings at the on-going annual meetings of the World Bank and the IMF, in Washington, D.C., the United States.

“The present situation in the US creates uncertainties for people in the developing and emerging markets; that is why we look forward to a swift resolution of the issue of the debt ceiling.

“If not resolved it could upset the market, we could see higher interest rates, it could directly affect Nigerian bonds — as you know we do not have only the 500 million Euro bond we floated two years ago but also the highly successful Euro Bond we floated recently about three, four months ago”.

The minister said that the present administration was working hard to ensure that the growth which the nation’s economy has recorded was converted into better living standards for ordinary people.

According to her, the Federal Government is massively investing in infrastructure facilities, especially electricity which she identified as Nigerian’s most critical development impediment, among both the rich and the poor.

She said: “We are utilizing the funds freed from petroleum subsidy to create social safety nets in the area of maternal and infant health, which has won a commonwealth award for its initiative."

Also speaking on implications of the US shutdown for the Nigerian economy, Ms. Lagarde said, “there will be negative consequences for the US economy and there will be very negative consequences outside of the US economy. And the IMF does not take a stand and does not make a recommendation as to how politically this matter can be resolved.

“This is not for the IMF to say. We don’t take political views, we only look at the economic consequences of measures decided anywhere in the world. When it affects the largest economy in the world, we are bound to not only look at the immediate domestic consequnecs but we also have to look at what happens elsewhere, and we have to engage in a dialogue with members to see how they can best prepare for that.

“What I can tell you is that the transmission channels elsewhere including in Nigeria would include

the trade channel, because the US economy would have to balance its budget and would cetrainly reduce its economic activities starting from the third quarter onwards.

“I can tell you that the second

channel which is probably going to be much more active is the financial channel. If that matter is not resolved, we are likely to see volatility, uncertainty and consequences on the rest of the world.

“As far as Nigeria is concerned, clearly we would have to look into how it would affect the price of oil, for instance, because Nigeria is an oil consuming and exporting country.”

SIGNING—From left: Mr Remi Oni, Head Client Coverage Wholesale Banking, Standard Chartered Bank; Mr John Obi, Executive Director, Corporate Banking, Fidelity Bank Plc and Mr Herbert Wigwe, MD Access Bank Plc, during signing of an MOU with Total E&P Nigeria Limited at the Presidential Hotel, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke.

Reps in Aso Rock on oversight duty

BY BEN AGANDE

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BUJA—MEMBERS of the House of Representatives committee on Special duties yesterday visited the Presidential Villa to carry out oversight function on the performance of the 2013 budget.

The 20- member committee met with President Goodluck Jonathan before inspecting some on-going projects in the Villa after which they expressed satisfaction with the pace of work that are ongoing.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati who spoke with newsmen after the inspection said the visit will help bridge communication gap between the legislature and the executive arm of government.

Chairman of the committee, Nadu Karibo said the committee was impressed with the extent of work on-going at the Presidential Villa.

According to him, “what really impressed me was the extension work going on at the State House Medical Centre and I was surprised. My initial impression was that State House Medical Centre was only for the President and the State House Staff but I observed that those who are not even State House staff have access

to medical facilities there; it is really impressive.

“We also observed that a new site is being developed, probably to cater for the upsurge in the people going there for treatment. I was really impressed with the fact that outsiders have access to the facilities there.

“We are very happy that the President will open his doors and allow members to come freely and do oversight, I think this is unprecedented, it is not a usual everyday thing. So I am really impressed that the President opened his doors to let us look at what we wanted to see,” he said.

He said the impression that the House of Representatives was always at loggerheads with the executive was not entirely correct because what the legislature tries to do is ensure that laws are implemented as passed.

“The problem with Nigerians is that they believe if you don’t quarrel with the executive, you are not doing your work well and any little disagreement, any little misunderstanding between both arms which is very usual in politics is often overblown. It is not out of place for the a House of Representatives to ask questions when necessary, otherwise the relationship between the executive and the legislature is very cordial."

Eid-el-Kabir: FG declares Tuesday, Wednesday public holidays

BY VICTORIA OJEME

A

BUJA—THE Federal Government has declared Tuesday, 15th and Wednesday, 16th October, as public holidays to mark Eid-el-Kabir celebratrion.

Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, in a statement made available to newsmen congratulated Muslims and enjoined them and Nigerians to

join hands with President Goodluck Jonathan in his ‘sustained efforts to raise Nigeria to the next level of development’.

The statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Mrs. Fatima Bamidele, further urged Nigerians to use the occasion to pray for peace and unity across the nation. The minister wished all Nigerians, ‘a most rewarding and peaceful celebration’.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013—9

COMMISERATE—From left: Professor Adebiyi Daramola, Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Akure; Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko and his wife, Olukemi, during a visit by FUTA delegation to commiserate with the Ondo State Government over the unfortunate plane crash that claimed lives of some officials of the State.

FG fights to recover N39bn Abacha loot from Liechtenstein

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IGERIA has embarked on an international campaign to press Liechtenstein into returning $185 million (N38.85 billion) of ill-gotten gains linked to the late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha which is still being held in the tiny principality nearly 14 years after recovery proceedings began.

The Nigerian government first requested assistance from Liechtenstein in returning the assets in 2000, two years after Gen Abacha’s sudden death.

Criminal investigations and subsequent forfeiture proceedings established that the funds originated from bribes paid by Germany’s Ferrostaal AG to companies whose ultimate beneficiary was Gen Abacha. They related to a grossly inflated contract for the construction of an aluminium smelter.

Liechstenstein’s constitutional court ordered the confiscation of the funds in 2012 and in March 2013, dismissed a final appeal against the order by companies linked to the Abacha family, clearing the way for restitution of the funds.

But the Liechtenstein government has declined to accept written guarantees from Nigeria that it will compensate the principality in the unlikely event that it should incur any liabilities in a further suit that has been filed by the Abachalinked companies at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. This could delay the return of the funds for several more years.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Co-ordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister

of Finance and former Managing Director of the World Bank, described the delays as “outrageous” and accused the Liechtenstein government of being uncooperative. She told the Financial Times she plans to appeal for support for Nigeria’s claims at this week’s International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings.

Okonjo-Iweala aid: “This is about funds that were stolen by a corrupt dictator.

We have spent nearly 14 years trying to get them back and we are pleading with the Liechtenstein authorities not to aid and abet the continuation of that corruption.”

Liechtenstein officials defend the delay as the result of the case in Strasbourg which would, if the court accepts to hear it, address the plaintiffs’ rights to a fair hearing under Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The European court cannot overrule Liechtenstein court rulings restoring the funds but officials in the principality

fear they could be laid open to compensation claims from the Abacha-linked companies.

Robert Wallner, Liechtenstein's AttorneyGeneral said: “Unfortunately, now we are in a situation where we have a final judgment, we have the assets and the government wants to return those assets to Nigeria, but four entities have filed a case at the ECHR. “Even though their chances of winning are low we lawyers know we can never be sure of the outcome.”

Enrico Monfrini, a Swiss lawyer working with the Nigerian government, has traced $2.4 billion of assets linked to Gen Abacha, most of which were channelled through European banks.

Nigeria has recovered $1.3 billion, the largest tranche of which – $500 million – came from Switzerland in 2005. A further $1.1 billion – in France, the UK, Luxembourg and the Channel island of Jersey – is still tied up in legal proceedings.

Bukar for swearing-in as FCT CJ

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

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BUJA—THE Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar, will today, swear-in Justice Ibrahim Bukar as the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory.

According to a statement that was issued by media aide to the CJN, Mr Ahuraka Isah, yesterday, the event will take place at the Supreme Court.

The swearing in, “is

sequel to Justice Bukar’s appointment by President Goodluck Jonathan, as the Chief Judge of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council, NJC, under the Chairmanship of Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar."

Justice Bukar who has been in the office in acting capacity, took over from the erstwhile CJ, Justice Hassan Lawal who relinquished the position to become an Emir in Katsina State.

10—Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013

Fashola eulogises outgoing HOS

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OVERNOR B A B AT U N D E Fashola of Lagos State, yesterday, said hard work was the only ticket to attaining greater heights in life.

Fashola said this in Ikeja at a ‘Pens Down’ ceremony for Mr. Adesegun Ogunlewe, who just retired as the Head of Service of the state.

He said that Ogunlewe made remarkable input into the various policies and transformation that had changed the face of civil service in the state.

Assembly tasks govt on Epe IbejuLekki Road dualisation

BY EBUN SESSOU

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HE LAGOS State House of Assembly has called on the state government to include the dualisation of the Epe Ibeju-Lekki expressway in its 2014 budget to reduce the incessant road accidents on the expressway.

The call was made during matter of urgent public importance on the floor of the House when a member representing Epe constituency 1, Abiodun Tobun, disclosed that persistent motor accidents that took place on a daily basis on this road were alarming and it had become necessary for the state government to look into the matter.

According to him, “the number of accidents recorded on the axis occasioned by the narrowing of Epe-Berger Bridge, itinerant hawkers, unabated activities of sand miners and various on-going construction projects in the area is unquantified.”

Lagos govt never closed our church – The Lord’s Chosen zClosure continues until they comply – Lagos Govt

BY SAM EYOBOKA

LAGOS — LORD’S Cho-sen Charismatic Revival Ministries, yesterday, denied stories that the Lagos State Government had closed the church headquarters located in the Amuwo Odofin Industrial Estate, for violating environmental laws of the state, saying the church has not been closed by any government.

A statement by the church’s Director of Public Relations/ Press, Pastor Louis Chidi stated that the church and all her activities were running as usual, confirming, however, that officials of the Office of Drainage Services in the Lagos State Ministry of Environment actually gave notice about a particular facility that did not observe a certain requirement on the canal.

The full statement: “Our attention has been drawn to the news being circulated that our church has been closed by the Lagos State Ministry of Environment. We wish to state the fact for the interest of our members and general public.

“First the church has not been closed by any government. The church and all her activities are running as usual.

“The fact is that officials of Lagos State Government from the Office of Drainage Services in the Ministry of Environment gave notice about a particular facility that did not observe the required set back from the canal.

“They therefore asked that the facility should not be used until necessary amendment is made. We have since complied and the facility reverted to the former status. Please take note that the church did not stop functioning because of this as there are many other facilities within the church premises.

“The second observation

ALLEGED N270M FRAUD: Ajudua’s

trial adjourned to Nov 6

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

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AGOS HIGH Court sitting in Igbosere, yesterday, adjourned to November 6, the ongoing trial of Lagos businessman, Fred Ajudua, who is accused of defrauding two Dutch businessmen, Remy Cina and Pierre Vijgen to the tune of US$1.69 million (N270 million) The adjournment, according to the trial judge, Justice Joseph Oyewole, is to enable

litigants address the court on decisions reached by parties to the case.

Ajudua is standing trial alongside his associate, Charles Orie.

Ajudua’s counsel, Charles Edosomwan (SAN) had informed the court during the last two sittings that consultations had been on between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the defence team, saying certain agreements had also been reached.

The Lord’s Chosen Church headquarters after the sealing raised was the issue of street market that sprang up at the bus stop. We also want to state that the church never encouraged street trading within the estate or along its road because on many occasions it has caused traffic obstruction to those coming into the church premises.

“The church authority has also repeatedly warned those traders to stop desecrating the holy ground and several other efforts made to stop the illegal market were to no avail as most of them claimed to be paying rent and taxes to the ‘authority.’

“Meanwhile, officials of the task force section of the min-

istry have already dispersed the street traders.

“We wish to state emphatically that The Lord’s Chosen Church is a law-abiding ministry and will remain so in all her activities by the grace of God. The church was never closed, and above all, the cordial relationship existing between the state government and the church remains intact.

“We will continue to support and pray for the government of the state, her citizens and indeed the entire country,” he stated.

Meanwhile, spokesman for the Lagos State Ministry of Environment, Mr. Fola Adeyemi, yesterday, stated

that the state government’s closure of the church will continue until its authorities fully comply with the environmental breaches.

The headquarters of the Lord’s Chosen and Charismatic Revival Church, Ijesha, Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Lagos, were sealed off by the Lagos State Government over environmental nuisance.

Officials of the Ministry of the Environment shut the church in the morning of on October 6, 2013, and prevented worshippers from having their Sunday service usually attended by thousands of faithful.

Lagos debunks rumours of bad beef from Oko-Oba abattoir

BY MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

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AGOS — WORRIED by the rumour that meat from the Oko-Oba abattoir located in Iju-Isaga axis of the state is unsafe for consumption due to the unhygienic environment; the Lagos State Government, yesterday, debunked the report, saying “the allegations were baseless.”

Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Mr. Gbolahan Lawal in a statement, yesterday, said it was alleged that 4,000 cattle, 10,000 sheep and goats as well as 500 pigs and 10 cam-

els slaughtered daily across the state could lead to outbreak of epidemic in Lagos.

Lawal, who described the allegation as unfounded and capable of misinforming the general public, explained that there were qualified veterinary doctors and animal health workers at the various slaughter slabs across the state ensuring that the animals slaughtered for consumption were of good health and safe for consumption.

Lawal said only certified wholesome meat was allowed to be circulated in the state, urging the residents to patronise only the approved slaughter slabs.

According to him; “Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is a responsive appendage of the State Government who has not relented in its effort to bring wholesome meat to its citizenry.

“We are very much concerned about the implication of consuming unwholesome meat. We cannot toy with the lives of over 18 million Lagosians and that is why as part of our pro-active measures put in place, the ministry recently clamped down on illegal abattoirs in the state in order to avert incidence of diseased infected animals and this exercise will continue,”.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013—11

Nigerian elderly have highest depression rate — Experts

BY OLA AJAYI

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BADAN — ELDERLY persons in Nigeria are among those with the highest rates of depression in the world as a result of non-payment of pensions and other related factors.

This was revealed by the President, African Association of Psychiatry and Allied Professions, Richard Uwakwe, yesterday, in Ibadan.

Chairman, Faculty of Psychiatry, National Post-graduate Medical College, Nnamdi Azikwe University, Anambra State, making allusion to a recent global survey of the wellbeing of older persons by HelpAge International, London, said Nigeria was rated HOMAGE: Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (left) and his Deputy, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori, paying homage to the royal father, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Siju85th in a list of 91 nations.

He described as mere politi- wade, during governor's appearance at the public assessment, tagged Gbangbadekun, at cal statements the claims by some Enuwa Square, in front of the palace, Ile-Ife, yesterday. state governors that they were providing free health services for children under five years and aged people from the age of 65.

While speaking with newsmen in Ibadan, yesterday, he lamented that the number of current psychiatrists in the country was less than the number required.

Corroborating the survey, Professor Oye Guruje, said actions on the matter.

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE the survey carried out in CAN also advised Aregbesola 2001, about 10million of Nito take the interest of all religerians had mental disorSOGBO — OSUN State chapter of the Christian Assogions into consideration while ders. ciation of Nigeria, CAN, has given a seven-day ulmaking policies, saying that he The mental disorders acwas voted into office by both cording to him include, cog- timatum to the state government to reverse the merger of nitive problems, anxiety dis- schools and return them to their original owners.

Christians and Muslims.

The state government had, last week, commenced the orders, stress related disorThe letter reads: “We observe ders, sexual dysfunction, merger of public primary and secondary schools in the state that the foundation of Christian sleep disorders, suicide, in- under its schools reclassification programme. faith is being seriously threatCAN in a letter addressed to the state Governor, Mr'. Rauf tellectual disabilities and ened by some policies of the state Aregbesola and signed by its state chairman, Rev. Elisha many others. government, especially in the Ogundiya, urged Aregbesola to education sector, which the revert the new education policy church is strongly averse to and in the interest of peace and it is not ready to compromise.” tranquility in the state.

Reacting, to CAN threat, the Also, CAN called for a reverse Director of Publicity, Research on the changing of single sex and Strategy of the All schools to mixed schools, saying Progressives Congress, APC, in that would help to preserve the the state, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi religious character of the schools. said: “You don’t reverse a policy The body said failure of the state that will bring up decent, brilgovernment to reverse to the staliant and successful students in tus quo on the state education systhe schools.” tem would make it take further He appealed to CAN and other

SCHOOLS MERGER: CAN gives

Aregbesola 7-day ultimatum

zWe can’t reverse a policy meant to produce brilliant students – APC

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PUBLIC NOTICE

THE HOUSE OF DESTINY FAMILY CHURCH INT’L This is to inform the general public that the above-named ministry has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, No. 1 of 1990.

The Board of Trustees Are: 1) PASTOR OGIDIGBO GAGA 2) PASTOR OTUNLA EZEKIEL 3) PASTOR IGBINOBARO WILSON 4) PASTOR ESHABUKO OGHENEFEJIRO SHIELAR 5) PASTOR OGHENEKPAROBO THEOPHILUS. Aim And Objective: To preach the complete gospel of the Lord Jesus, for the liberation of mankind.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: TRUSTEES.

interest groups in the state to be tolerant with the state government on the new education policy in the state, stressing that “if there is any government with human f e e l i n g s , Aregbesola’s government has demonstrated in many ways that Osun State is a reference point in human development index.”

NEMA distributes materials to rainstorm victims in Ondo

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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KURE — RELIEF came the way of victims of recent rainstorm in some Communities in Akoko area of Ondo state as the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, yesterday donated relief materials worth millions of naira to alleviate their sufferings.

The Senator representing Ondo North senatorial district, Senator Ajayi Boroffice facilitated the donation following a request he made to the agency.

DEMOLITION:

Ogun pays property owners

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OT FEWER than 75 per cent of individuals and corporate bodies whose properties were demolished as a result of the on-going road construction across Ogun State have been duly paid compensations by the state government.

Special Adviser/Director General of the State Bureau of Lands and Survey, Mr. Adewale Osinowo disclosed this while addressing members of the State House of Assembly Committee on Lands and Housing during their budget performance monitoring visit to the agency.

Ex-deputy gov accuses govts of neglecting rural areas

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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MEMBER of the National Assembly, representing Ogun East senatorial district, Senator Sefiu Kaka has accused the Amosun government of neglecting the rural areas in the country.

Senator Kaka who was a former Deputy Governor in the state, therefore called on the governments at all levels to salvage the situation.

12—Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013

Revenue sharing formula should reflect true federalism —Dickson

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

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ENAGOA—BAYEL SA State governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, yesterday, called for the review of the country’s revenue sharing formula to reflect true federalism.

According to the governor, the current 13 per cent derivation has become increasingly inadequate to surmount the huge developmental challenges confronting oil producing areas.

Dickson, while declaring open a two-day South-South public hearing on the review of the nation’s revenue allocation formula in Yenagoa, organised by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, also called on the National Assembly to expedite action on the Petroleum Industry Bill.

This, according to the governor, would address the current disparity in revenue allocation formula especially to the oil producing states and communities in the Niger Delta.

Represented by the Secretary to State Government, Prof. Edmund Allison-Oguru, Governor Dickson, said: “You will all agree with me that before the discovery of crude oil in commercial quantities in Oloibiri in the present day Bayelsa State in 1956,

cocoa, groundnut, cotton and other agricultural produce were the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy.

“The regions producing these agricultural produce were given 100 per cent derivation formula and as time progressed, it was revised to 50 per cent and later to 30 per cent but after the discovery of oil, these agricultural produce were relegated to the background.

“It, therefore, behoves on RMAFC to revisit the era of 100 per cent, 50 per cent or 30 per cent derivation formula to reflect true federalism. It is a well known fact that the exploration of oil in the Niger Delta region has not only exploited

the people but has also made the area toxic and polluted the environment, a situation that has adversely affected the agrarian and subsistence lifestyle of the people.

“The current 13 per cent derivation has become increasingly inadequate to surmount the huge developmental challenges confronting the area. That is why it has become imperative for the National Assembly to expedite action on the Petroleum Industry Bill, which I believe, when passed into law, will adequately address the lopsided revenue allocation formula, especially to the oil producing states and communities of the Niger Delta.”

Amnesty: Include more persons in Phase III, ex-militant leaders beg FG

BY FESTUS AHON

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GHELLI—NATIONAL Chairman of Presidential Amnesty, Phase III, Mr. Wise Onobruchere, has appealed to the Federal Government to include more persons in the programme, insisting that many of their followers were yet to be included in the amnesty programme.

Onobruchere, also National Chairman of Youth Reconciliation and Empowerment Organisation, said: “These persons

have been verified and cleared by the documentation agents, Inter Agency Task Force, IATF, as genuine and qualified ex-militants in the Niger Delta region.

“They have renounced militancy in all its ramifications unconditionally and in accordance with the conditions of the amnesty programme.”

According to him, the third phase of the programme was the only phase that followed due process and yet, its members were being denied benefitting from same.

No campaign of calumny can frustrate Jonathan —A-Ibom Speaker

BY TONY NYONG

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YO—SPEAKER of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Mr. Samuel Ikon, has said that no campaign of calumny against President Goodluck Jonathan could deter progressive-minded persons, who desire audacious and strategic development, from supporting the President’ administration.

Ikon, who fielded questions from journalists in Uyo, on the state of the nation, observed that in the last two months, the country had noticed salvos of mis-

chievous propaganda fired from attack machines sponsored by rancorous persons and their cronies, aimed at tarnishing the good image of the President.

He said that since the propaganda warfare was malicious and devoid of constructive criticisms, which had left the unsuspecting public neither deceived nor persuaded by its perpetrators, Nigerians should rise in unison to declare unequivocal and unflinching support for President Jonathan.

Ikon said: “We in Akwa Ibom State, having an abiding faith and

strong confidence in the leadership of Nigeria and the unity of the nation, have strongly thrown our weight behind the President‘s recent constitution of an Advisory Council on National Conference.

“No level, shade or twist in any campaign of calumny can cause patriots and progressive minded persons, who desire audacious, strategic, sustainable, positive and durable developments in Nigeria, to support the current campaigns of calumny unleashed by politicians and cronies fighting to frustrate good governance in the country.“

Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013—13

Delta Beyond Oil: DBIR seeks help from UK

Amaechi tasks youth corps members on job creation

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OVERNOR Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State has advised the 3,431 members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, who served in the state to strive to be self-employed.

Amaechi gave the advice in Port Harcourt, yesterday, at the passing out ceremony of the 2012 Batch ‘C’ corps members.

He said: “As you are now faced with the task of seeking gainful employment, I advise you to nurture and apply yourselves to the practical lessons of selfemployment.”

Amaechi urged them to utilise the skills they acquired during the skills acquisition and entrepreneurial development programme.

The governor, however, said 22 members would face disciplinary measures for gross misconduct, saying it was in accordance with the NYSC by-laws.

Delta guber hopeful visits Isokoland

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HIEF Godswill Obielum, a governorship hopeful in Delta State, has extended his on-going state consultations with political and community leaders to Isokoland.

During his consultation tour to Isokoland, he visited some political and community leaders in the area where he unveiled his ambition to contest the gubernatorial election come 2015.

He told the leaders that he will carry Isoko ethnic nationality along in terms of development, and also promised to continue with the good work of the incumbent governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, if elected.

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Meeting: From left: Minister of Education, Mr. Nyeson Wike; Executive Secretary, National University Commission, NUC, Professor Julius Okojie; Acting Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (Tetfund) Mallam Aliyu Na’iya and Chairman, Board of Trustees, TETFUND, Dr. Musa Babayo, during theinister’s meeting with Pro-Chancellors/ Vice Chancellors of federal ans state universities, in Abuja. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

By-election: DPP chieftain, supporters decamp to PDP

BY EMMA AMAIZE ARRI—DEMOCRATIC Peoples Party, DPP, chieftain, Mr. Austin Ogbaburon, representing Udu/Ughelli federal constituency, in the House of Representatives, yesterday, led hundreds of his supporters to decamp to Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. His exit is seen as a major blow to DPP, led by Chief Great Ogboru, who, few days ago, lost his three-time deputy, Ogbueshi Fidelis Tilije, to a rival party.

The move is seen by analysts as a significant boost to the chances of PDP in tomorrow’s by-election.

Ogbaburon, addressing his supporters and Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, in his home at Orhuworun, said that they had retraced their way to PDP and were ready to ensure that PDP takes the Senate ticket in the election.

He said: “We, who were in DPP and all other small parties, have today crossed over to PDP. We are tired of being in the opposition. We have seen that President Goodluck Jonathan is listening to us, the Urhobo people, and we have better chances with a PDP Senator in Abuja.”

He assured that PDP would win the election on Saturday,

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adding, “We are going to win by a wide margin.”

Meantime, Governor Uduaghan has prayed for peaceful poll on Saturday.

Speaking while accepting the former members, led by Ogbaburon, Uduaghan prayed for peace in the state, explaining that all those who were proph-

esying anarchy following the election would be disappointed.

The governor, who praised the political success of PDP in Ughelli/Udu federal constituency, said that the former DPP chieftain and House Representative member, Ogbaburon, has only found his way back home.

Delta senatorial by-election: Police warn against violence

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ELTA State Police Command, yesterday, warned politicians in the state to desist from any act of violence during the bye-election in Delta Central senatorial district, tomorrow.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, gave the warning in Asaba while addressing newsmen.

Aduba said that the command would not hesitate to clamp down on any person found breaching the peace during the election.

The police commissioner said that the command had put adequate measures in place to ensure security of lives and property during the election.

He said that information had reached the command that some people were planning to

disrupt the election, warning that anybody caught causing trouble during the poll would not be spared.

Aduba said that the police command was collaborating with other security agencies in the state to checkmate any plan to disrupt the election.

Aduba further warned policemen to steer clear from politicians and top government officials, adding that any policeman caught hovering around such people, would be severely punished.

“Politics is not a do-or-die affair. So, during the election security men will be mounted at every polling station. Politicians in the state should be good ambassadors by playing the game according to the rules,” he added.

ELTA State Board of Internal Revenue, DBIR, has visited the British High Commission in Nigeria, to solicit support from the United Kingdom government towards the realisation of Delta Beyond Oil campaign of the state government.

Chairman of DBIR, Mr. Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, who led members of the board on the courtesy visit to the British Deputy High Commissioner, Peter Carter, in Lagos, said that Delta State had witnessed tremendous development in every sector in the past few years.

Thomas said that the desire by the current administration to continue the developmental strides it had recorded in the past few years, necessitated the visit, particularly now that the state was vigorously pursuing the diversification of its economy through the “Delta Beyond Oil” initiative.

Speaking during the visit, he said: “Thank you for granting us this opportunity to brief you about Delta State, Delta Beyond Oil initiative and to dispel rumours you may have heard about Delta State as being an unsafe haven. Though we may have our challenges, I am confident that they are not peculiar to Delta State or Nigeria. I assure you that the administration of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has taken steps to address the issues and they are yielding positive results.

“Permit me to inform that the state has gone through several transformations in all areas of his electoral promises to Deltans, particularly in the areas of peace and security, human capital development and Infrastructural development. Testimonies of this transformation abound,” he said.

14—Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013

Customs mourns victims of Lagos air crash

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BY IFEYINWA OBI

A G O S — C O M PTROLLER-GENERAL, CG, of Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, Dikko Inde Abdullahi, has commiserated with the immediate families of the former Governor of Ondo State; Olusegun Agagu, the victims of the air mishap, the government and people of Ondo State over the crash of the Associated Airline’s plane carrying the body of the former Governor.

A statement by the Deputy Public Relations Officer of NSC, Assistant comptroller Joseph Attah said the CG was grieved over the incident and pains inflicted on the victims including the families of the former governor, the people and government of Ondo State and the nation at large.

“The families have lost their dear ones, we have lost credible country men whose contributions are needed especially at this time when the nation is building bridges of unity and economic development for total transformation into the great nation of our dream” he said.

ASTPA promotes Igbo culture with festival

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BUJA—THE Anambra State Towns People Association, ASTPA, Abuja branch will Saturday, October 12, hold its bi-annual cultural festival to promote Igbo culture and traditional heritage.

The president of the union, Mr. Emeka Mbagha who announced this to newsmen in Abuja, said the event became necessary in view of the imminent extinction of Igbo language and culture.

His words: “The essence of this festival is to restore the glory of Igbo culture and values, because we are realizing that there is the tendency that Igbo culture and values are not being promoted by Anambrarians and Igbos in general.

“We therefore, felt that time has come for us to reinvigorate our Igbo culture and values because a man is not a man except, when he is identified with his culture.”

Flood wreaks havoc in Owerri

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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WERRI—SEVERAL families have been rendered homeless and property worth millions of Naira destroyed by ravaging flood that followed a torrential rain in parts of Imo State yesterday.

The downpour, which started at about 2 am and lasted for about four hours, flooded several parts of Owerri municipality.

The story was the same in Egbu, particularly Umuayalu village, Owerri North local council area, parts of World Bank Housing Estate, Onitsha Road Industrial Area and other adjoining communities.

Several families residing in buildings along Ibeme Street, near the Relief Market, Owerri, were seen scooping water from their houses and trying to salvage whatever they could from the ruins.

Some vehicles were submerged in most of the places visited by Vanguard and no effort was made by owners to tow them to safety at press time.

Vanguard recalls that Chukwuma Nwaoha Road, Dick Tiger Street and many other

streets in Amakohia and Akwakuma areas could not be accessed in vehicles as a result of the flood.

Lamenting her plight when Vanguard visited 4 Ibeme Street, Owerri, Dr. Onynye Nwachukwu, a veterinary doctor, said she could not immediately quantify the loss occasioned by the rampaging flood. ”You can see that the entire

ground floor is flooded.

Where do I start counting our loss? Is it from the veterinary drugs, poultry and animal feeds or personal effects? The damage is colossal”, Dr. Nwachukwu lamented.

According to her, residents of the street had been trying to help themselves in the past, stressing that they had even constructed a culvert

and taken other measures aimed at reducing the effects of the flood. ”We are always working on this road. We have also taken other measures aimed at checking the devastating effect of flood. You can see that many families now have to wade through the flood before getting into their homes”, Nwachukwu lamented.

SIGNING: From left: Ms. Evelyn Oputu, Managing Director, Bank of Industry, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, Minister of Trade and Investment and Vice Minister, Industry and Development, Brazil, Mr. Ricardo Schaefer, during the signing of memorandum of understanding between the two ministries on the promotion of trade and investment in Abuja, yesterday.

Makinde to Mbang: Prelate election was not manipulated

BY SAM EYOBOKA

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AGOS—Former Prelate of Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence, Sunday Ola Makinde has debunked claims by his predecessor that the election of his successor and former Archbishop of Enugu, Most Rev. Samuel Chukwuma Uche was manipulated, saying the exercise took place in full compliance with the provisions of the prevailing Constitution of the church.

Prelate-emeritus, His Eminence Sunday Mbang, who argued that the election of the new prelate was not credible, free and fair as the Electoral College disregarded the church’s constitution on matters affecting nomination and screening of candidates, described the election as an ecclesiastical fraud.

He also protested the translation of bishops and archbishops at the emergency electoral committee of the emergency conference as lacking legal backing and therefore were null and void and of no effect.

But presenting the new prelate, His Eminence, Samuel Uche to the media at a ceremony at the Archbishop Soremekun Memorial Hall, Lagos, Makinde argued that the election was unanimously ratified by the first emergency conference of the Methodist Church Nigeria held on September 1, noting that the Conference Connexional Council, which is the highest organ of the church, the Registered Trustees and the three Conference legal advisers which

met on October 4, commended the process and outcome as free, fair, transparent and credible.

“The election was absolutely devoid of manipulation and fraud of any kind, be it ecclesiastical, executive recklessness, or otherwise. In this wise, the church has continued to set the pace for society to follow,” he explained, without any direct reference to the protest by Prelate-emeritus, His Eminence Sunday Mbang.

According to Makinde, Dr. Samuel Uche was as at the time of his election, Archbishop of Enugu where he had served since 2009, contending that he had earlier served with distinction in various capacities and once served

as chairman of the Kano State chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria.

It was on that note that Most Rev. Makinde formally presented the new prelate, His Eminence Samuel Uche, who was formerly invested the third prelate and the eighth head of the Methodist Church Nigeria on Sunday before an impressive gathering of Methodist people and friends from sister churches.

Makinde commended the Media for the support they gave to him in the last seven years when he presided over the affairs of the church, noting that the cordial relationship he enjoyed with the media actually

started in those dark days of Abacha regime when he was CAN chairman of Abuja.

He then appealed to the media to extend the same support and cooperation to the new head of the Methodist Church.

Answering questions, the new Prelate corroborated Makinde’s explanation, saying that his election was devoid of rancour and in accordance with the church’s constitution. He also called on the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities to yield grounds and resolve the protracted industrial action in the interest of Nigerian students.

Obi of Onitsha urges subjects to hook up to Glo

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NITSHA—THE OBI of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, has commended telecommunications company, Globacom for its partnership in making the yearly Ofala festival a huge success.

The monarch urged Onitsha people and those from the adjoining towns and villages to hook up to the Glo network and reciprocate the good gestures the network had over the years extended to them through its sponsorship of Ofala Festival.

The monarch, who made the call in Onitsha, yesterday, at

the Royal Banquet organized in his honour by the telecommunications outfit in commemoration of the 2013 Ofala Festival Celebrations, noted that it was proper for the Onitsha people to make Globacom their choice network, stressing that the company had through its partnership redefined the Ofala festival.

He said it was a great pleasure for the people of Onitsha to have had Globacom as a partner in the Ofala Festival in the last three years.

“It is a great pleasure not only for the Agbogidi but the entire people of Onitsha to

have Globacom as a partner in the Ofala Festival. The royal banquet we are having today is a way Globacom has deviced to appreciate all of you for the warm reception you have given it since it came into Ofala three years ago. Even as we wine and dine together today, it is important for us to have it at the back of our minds that this is a great synergy between the Onitsha Kingdom and Globacom Limited. The best way we can reciprocate Globacom’s gesture, therefore, is for the entire Onitsha people to make the network their network of choice”, the monarch said.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013 —15

PDP crisis: INEC rejects Baraje's faction, sticks with Tukur zPresidency excited by INEC's decision against nPDP

BY SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL EDITOR, NORTH, HENRY UMORU & ONOZURE DANIA BUJA—THE fledging leadership of the Abubakar Baraje-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party suffered major setbacks, yesterday, with the rejection of its list of officials as the authentic leaders of the party by Independent National Electoral Commission as well as defeat at a Lagos High Court in its suit against the Bamanga Tukur-led faction of the

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party.

INEC said it would not withdraw the recognition it accorded the Bamanga Tukur group since it was privy to the processes that led to his emergence as the National Chairman of the party as well as other officials of his group.

INEC's clarification

INEC’s clarification followed a letter written by the National Secretary of the New Peoples

Democratic Party, nPDP, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, asking the commission to recognise Baraje and members of his National Working Committee as the valid leaders of the party.

INEC in its letter to the Baraje faction, which was addressed to the National Secretary of the faction, Mr. Olagunsoye Oyinlola, said that it stood by the elections that brought both Tukur and his officials into office and would therefore not rec-

CONDOLENCE VISIT TO LATE SOLOMOM LAR'S FAMILY, YESTERDAY.

From left: Alhaji Abubakar Agege, who was the Director of Protocol to Lar when he was governor, Da Bitrus Pam and former Minister of Aviation, Chief Samuel Mafuyai at the Lar's residence in Jos. Photo: Taye Obateru.

From left: Eldest son of late Solomon Lar, Mr. Gideon Lar, Ambassador Danladi Wuyep and Mrs. Uju Ikeazor, at the Lars residence in Abuja. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

ognise Baraje and his officials.

The letter with reference No. INEC/LEG/ PDP/19/111/245 and dated October 2, 2013, was captioned: Notification of Changes in the leadership of the PDP and request for formal recognition and signed by the Acting Secretary of INEC, Mr. U. F. Usman.

INEC in its reply, which was received by the Baraje faction on October 3, 2013, said, “The commission acknowledges the receipt of your letters dated 1st and 23rd September respectively wherein you requested the commission’s recognition of the Baraje-led faction and newly-elected NWC. “You will recall that the commission monitored the National Convention and Special National Convention of the PDP held on the 24th of March 2012 and 31st of August 2013 at the Eagle Square, Abuja, after notices to the commission.

“A NWC was elected at the two conventions with Alhaji Bamanga Tukur as the National Chairman.

The commission will not withdraw recognition from the leadership of the PDP elected at the conventions duly monitored by the commission.

“Be guided accordingly,” the commission said.

Vanguard learnt that there was jubilation in the Presidency last night following the leakage of the INEC’s letter to its strategists.

At a Lagos High Court, the suit filed by the Alhaji Kawu Baraje’s faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, against the National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and three others was struck out for want of jurisdiction.

The suit

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From left: Chief Joseph Jatao, Amb. Danladi Wuyep, Prince Jama Angbazo and Dr. Joseph Golwa in Abuja. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

The suit was filed by Baraje, Dr. Sam Jaja and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola on September 1, 2013.

The Baraje’s faction had dragged Tukur and his codefendants to court praying for an interlocutory injunction to stop them from parading themselves as PDP National Executive Committee members.

Joined in the suit as defendants were Uche Secondus, Deputy National

Chairman; Dr Kema Chikwe, Women Leader and Olisa Metuh, National Publicity Secretary.

The counsel to the defendants, Mr. Joe KyariGadzama, SAN, and Mr Emeka Etiaba, had in their earlier preliminary notice of objection, asked the court to strike out the suit for want of jurisdiction.

The counsel had argued during the last sitting that the writs of summons did not comply with the mandatory requirements of Section 97 of the Sheriff and Civil Process Act because they were not endorsed.

The plaintiffs’ counsel, Robert Emukpaeruo, had argued that the court had jurisdiction to hear the suit contrary to the objections raised by the defendants.

In her short ruling, Justice Oludotun AdefopeOkojie, held that the Lagos State High Court had no power to assume jurisdiction over a matter which originated outside its jurisdiction.

She said the applicants had averred in their affidavit that the course of action, which was the special convention of the PDP, arose in Abuja and that the PDP had its registered office in Abuja while none of the defendants are resident in Lagos State.

The judge then held that,”with the defendants not resident in Lagos and the subject matter originating in Abuja, the High Court of Lagos State has no power to assume jurisdiction over this suit. I accordingly make an order striking out the suit,” Adefope Okojie said.

No cause for alarm — G7 Govs, Baraje

In its reaction yesterday, the Abubakar Kawu Baraje led new Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said that there was no cause for alarm over the ruling by a Lagos High Court which threw out the suit instituted against the Alhaji Bamanga Tukur led National Working Committee, NWC. In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, the group said, “We wish to assure our teeming members and Nigerians in general that there is no cause to worry. This is because the ruling has nothing to do with the merit of the case but the place of

filing. As advised by His Lordship, we shall hasten to re-file the suit, this time in Abuja, as we are convinced about the merit of our case.

“Finally, we urge all our supporters and members not to despair or exercise any atom of fear and should continue to support the leadership of our great party under the able leadership of Alhaji Abubakar Baraje as we are getting closer to freeing our party from the enclave of undemocratic elements currently holding us to ransom and doing everything within their powers to ruin all that our founding fathers struggled to build.

“With today’s (yesterday) court ruling, we are now very determined to restore PDP to the path of honour particularly now that we have lost our great first National Chairman, Dr. Solomon Lar to the cold hands of death.

Let us reiterate that nothing and we repeat nothing will stop us from implementing the visions of both Dr. Solomon Lar and all the founding fathers of our great party to the letter and keeping all undemocratic elements at bar from leadership of our great party.”

Maku lauds Nigeria’s participation at MIPCOM

BY EMMA ELEBEKE

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BUJA—INFORMA TION Minister Mr Labaran Maku, has said that Nigeria's participation at the just concluded international television industry market and exhibition, otherwise called MIPCOM, which ended yesterday (Thursday) in Cannes, France would pave the way for greater exposure of Nigerian television and film content to the rest of the world.

The Minister spoke at a reception held at the occasion under the auspices of the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, NBC, which led the Nigerian delegation to the Cannes event.

He congratulated Nigerian participants at this year’s MIPCOM, saying that it is the first time that Nigeria has participated at an official delegation level.

Maku commended the Director General of the NBC, Mr. Emeka Mba, for taking the initiative to participate in MIPCOM 2013.

16—Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013

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Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013 —17

Avoidable tragedies

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ONYE Harry, the distinguished, smart and immensely likeable former Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Tennis Federation, died last week in an air ambulance.

He had collapsed a few days earlier after an exercise session and was being flown to Europe to receive medical treatment when he suddenly passed away. May he rest in peace.

The tormenting thought that keeps reverberating through my mind is this: Our dear brother would not have been snatched away so prematurely (he was in his early 50s) if he had fallen ill in a country that has adequate medical facilities.

When I told my friend, Unoma Giese, how much I regretted Tonye’s demise, she sadly opened up about the way in which she lost her mother in 1965.

Unoma’s late father, Professor Norbert Onuora Osamo, studied in Germany and came home with a German wife. A brilliant haematologist (a ward at University of Benin Teaching Hospital has been

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Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, Minister of Health The late Tonye Harry

her young mother ’s probably unnecessary death; and I am similarly traumatised by the manner in which my beloved father left me.

Daddy had a stroke just over a decade ago. Indigenous doctors failed to heal him, not because he was incurable…but because of mundane practical factors, such as the complete absence of an operational brain scanner in Port Harcourt.

Our then Governor, Dr Peter Odili, kindly decided to send him abroad. But he quietly faded away the day before he was due to make the journey to London and I be-

Every single government hospital I have ever visited is far from ideal; most government hospitals are not even merely tolerable and can reasonably be described as filthy, unhygienic, badlyrun jokes

named after him), he and his family were happily based in Ibadan when disaster struck.

Mrs Osamo, who had taken up a position at St Anne’s school, decided to drive to Lagos and had a fatal accident before she reached her destination.

She was only 26 years old; and Unoma, who was only two at the time, is convinced that her mother would have surC M Y K

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vived this car cash if efficient emergency services had been available. But Nigerian ambulances tend to be nothing more than hearses that only show up to carry corpses to mortuaries and burial grounds…rather than wellequipped and adequately manned rapid response vehicles that rush to crisis scenes and save lives.

Unoma is still haunted by

lieve that he would still be here if he had received proper help sooner. The list of avoidable tragedies goes back a long way and will continue to lengthen relentlessly if nothing is done to solve Nigeria’s health crisis.

As I’ve said on numerous occasions on this page, the Nigerian authorities urgently need to stop messing around and confront this persistent demon. Every single government hospital I have ever visited is far from ideal. Some are tolerable, but let’s face it: Tolerable is not good enough within this context.

Life is too precious to be entrusted to institutions that are merely tolerable. And most government hospitals are not even merely tolerable and can reasonably be described as filthy, unhygienic, badly-run jokes.

When my driver, Tunde, got sick in Abuja, I rushed him to the University Teaching Hospital in Gwagalada and was appalled by the conditions I met there.

The place stank to the high heavens and looked like a dingy slum; and the scariest

thing was that the doctors I talked to were not remotely bothered about the fact that they were working in such an insanitary environment.

When I bitterly complained about the dirt and stench, they either came up with feeble excuses or coolly eyed me as if I was an excessively fussy troublemaker. I gained the impression that they regarded my attitude as ridiculously foreign.

Local realities Tunde died shortly after he was admitted; and I wasn’t surprised. He would have had to be particularly robust to emerge from that hellhole alive.

Private clinics are usually better, but still heavily handicapped by local realities.

Since many Nigerian doctors are highly intelligent and aware of how things are done in more civilized parts of the world, one wonders why they don’t possess sufficient professional pride - and compassion for patients who place their trust in them - to firmly

put their feet down and insist on high standards.

Given that quite a few of our political leaders happen to be medics, one is also compelled to frequently wonder why Nigeria is such a disgraceful death trap.

Why are individuals who possess the expertise to know what changes are desperately needed so unwilling to act?

Why do those who have the power to revolutionise our health sector and make it work for everyone drag their feet?

Naija VIPs and their cronies wallow in complacency because they have the funds to flee overseas whenever sickness rears its ugly head. But the Grim Reaper doesn’t care about anyone’s bank balance!

And many of these selfish, short-sighted privileged folks die before they can even board flights.

Even if they don’t give a damn about the masses, they should develop the commonsense to embrace the concept of Enlightened SelfInterest.

Responses to: donzol2002@yahoo.co.uk or to 0802 747 6458 OR 0811 675 9752 (texts only). PLEASE KINDLY NOTE THAT UNLESS YOU REQUEST ANONYMITY, YOUR COMMENTS MAY BE PUBLISHED, WITH YOUR NAMES AND CONTACT DETAILS ATTACHED.

18 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013 NE of the most urgent bills before the National Assembly is one seeking amendments to the 2004 Passport Act. It has gone through the second reading at the House of Representatives and it is a matter of time for the amendments to become law.

What would the law contribute to the wellbeing of Nigerians? The importance of the law is its establishment of privileges it confers on certain classes of Nigerians. The law is to clearly determine, its proposers say, those who should be entitled to bear diplomatic, and official passports.

How important is this? Members of the National Assembly in executing their oversight functions, engage in extensive travels abroad.

They want to change Nigeria to resemble their choice travel destinations. They have largely failed in the past 14 years to reflect lessons from their travels in the Nigeria they build.

Another major reason for their travels is leisure, which is found in parts so far flung that diplomatic passports ease their passages. Similarly, when they venture abroad for medical attention, their status and importance must be flaunted at every stop.

Diplomatic, and official passports are there-

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Passports, privileges, poverty fore important. They are status symbols, they cannot be allowed to stray into too many hands, otherwise, they become ordinary and reduce the status of their users.

Formerly, the executive arm of government issued the documents at its discretion. There are fears that some people, including some members of the National Assembly, may be excluded from the privilege, unless the law clearly confirms their status. Moreover, the House of Representatives has started deciding those who would not get the passports.

The Comptroller Generals of the Fire Service and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, were removed from the list

the House Committee on Interior compiled.

Our concerns are with the importance the National Assembly attaches to laws that extend the privileges of its members while neglecting the issues that result in the poverty that is ravaging the land.

How many laws has it made to facilitate policies that would minimise poverty? How do privileges like these benefit millions of Nigerians who in their lifetime would never need passports, not to mention diplomatic, and official ones?

When the National Assembly moves for its benefit, the urgency is obvious. The rapidity of delivery assumes a national importance disproportionate to the issue. Even at the apogee of abuses visited on similar official privileges, less than half a million Nigerians would have the diplomatic, and official passports at any given time.

The National Assembly can have its passports. It should, however, attend to the worries of most Nigerians — education, employment, food, health, infrastructure, justice, security. Nobody requires diplomatic passports to fix Nigeria.

OPINION

BY MURID MUSA JARIKRE

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HE Sheikh Uthman dan Fodio (1754_1817 AD), founder of the Sokoto Caliphate( may God Most High admit him into Paradise), left behind the following instruction: “Every responsible person must learn enough of this science (Sufism-Islamic Mysticism) to enable him acquire praise– worthy qualities and to keep him from blame–worthy qualities.”

(Please see page 33 of Sheykh Uthman Dan Fodio’s book, Al-Kitab ‘Ulum alMuamala translated by A’isha Abd ar Rahman at-Tarjumana, as Handbook on Islam Iman Ihsan, published by Diwan Press, England.)

Apparently today, many of the Nigerian Muslim elite do not know that the above was the important instruction left behind for them to follow by the Sheikh, Uthman dan Fodio. Consequently, therefore, there is no serious discuss on Sufism(Sufi -Muslim ascetic or self denying mystic), no Sheikhs ( who are the intellectual and spiritual successors of the Sheikh Uthman dan Fodio) to be found to guide the people on Sufism. This situation has serious consequences for society; for the vacuum created is filled by fanatical groups such as Maitatsine and Boko Haram.

He was a Sheikh and a great intellectual The founder of the Sokoto Caliphate Uthman dan Fodio (1754-1817 AD, may God

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Instruction left behind by Caliph Uthman Dan Fodio (1754-1817AD) Most High grant him admission into Paradise) was a Sheikh or Spiritual Guide of the Qadiriyah Order of Sufis (Sufi-Muslim ascetic or self denying mystic).

The Qaddirriyya Order was founded in Baghdad in the 12th Century AD by the Sheikh Abd- al-Qadir al-Jilani (d. 1166 AD). It became the most popular mystic brotherhood in Asia from whence it spread to other parts of the Islamic world, including the western Sudan.

His mystical experience Related is this passage from Al-Wird (Litany), a work by Uthman dan Fodio: “When I reached the age of forty years, five months and a few nights, God Most High drew me near to Him and I found there, the master of human being and jinn our master Mohammed may the peace and blessings of God Most High be with him, together with his Companions, the Prophets and the Saints; they welcomed me and seated me amongst themselves.

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hen the saviour of human being and jinn, my master Abd al Qadir al Jilani came with a green cloth decorated with the inscription: ‘There is no god but God Most High and Mohammed is the Messenger of God Most High’.

In this vision Uthman dan Fodio was decorated with the cloth. The Sheikh Al Jilani to whom Uthman dan Fodio re-

ferred died in 1166 AD, some 578 years before Uthman dan Fodio was born.

Thus, in the lives of Mystics such as the Caliph Uthman dan Fodio, Divine guidance was sought and was near; at night by dreams and visions and by day by the means of the ‘Divine Voice’ which a reader of the works of the Islamic Mystics will so often come across.

Uthman Dan Fodio as a scholar Uthman dan Fodio was an erudite scholar and a great intellectual, who towered above any of his day. He was a prolific writer and had to his credit over 100 works and 480 poems written over a period of 40 years.

The works of Uthman dan Fodio covered the fields of theology, politics, sociology and economics. (Please see The Intellectual Origin of the Sokoto Jihad by Ahmed Muhammed Kani pages 45-58).

The Shiekh or the spiritual master or guide The Sheikh is a man of ripe experience who had himself journeyed far in the Mystic Path, the Path of self-denial, the path of prayer and of fasting. He is the man who has succeeded in the mortification of the flesh and also expelled from his heart worldly desire so that the light of Divinity

is now resplendent in him. To the Mystics he is the perfect man. He is a saint. He is the great bulwark against the destructive tidal waves of ill-informed fanaticism.(Please see the Mystics of Islam

by Professor Reynold Nicholson, pages 2849).

Why are the Sheikhs so necessary today?

Where there are no true Sheikhs, their very important positions in the Religion of Islam and in society are taken over by fanatical, unnecessarily aggressive and ill formed leaders. Such religious leaders soon gather around them many simpleminded folks who are then imbued with false doctrines and doctrines which preach violence.

In no time such groups inflict themselves on the society as Maitatsine or Boko Haram. The leadership of Islam and the Nigerian Muslim elite have it as a the duty to act on the instruction left behind by the Caliph: to teach Nigerian Muslims about Sufism in order to produce the sheikhs, if God Most High wills, and to ensure that they are right in the centres of where they can influence societal thought , places such as the universities.

*Musa-Jarikre wrote from Sapele, Delta State.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013— —19

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N October 7, 2013, political campaign activities formally started in Anambra State of the South East Nigeria, preparatory to the election next month, for the person who will take over from Governor Peter Obi. Three major political parties' candidates will lock horns in the election: Chief Obiano of APGA, Chief Ngige of APC, and Chief Ifeanyi Uba of Labour Party. Much is yet to be heard of the PDP, which appears bogged down by its own political self-destroying machinations and mischief.

Anambrarians, in particular, and Ndigbo in general will perhaps showcase a better election this time than the show of shame of the past.It is hoped that this will be an election that will see the least of violence, thuggery, ballot box snatching since 1999, because of the decency of the men involved this time, made easier by the clarity of the choice to be made among the candidates. The lines seem pretty clear between the candidates. Voters who are impressed with display of wealth, opulence and all the razzmatazz, will root for the Labour candidate; those who are drawn more by the nostalgia of past performance in delivery of electoral promises will go for the APC can-

didate, while those who want balanced development of their state with a view to the future of Ndigbo in Nigeria, will queue behind the APGA candidate. It would have been sweeter, more exciting, and interesting if we had the erudite and eloquent Prof Charles Soludo in this election. It is unfortunate that he is not in this race.

For many, this is the election that will speak for the known opposition national party, the APC. The absence of the PDP in their full force, as yet, makes victory more taunting to the APC, providing it with a golden opportunity to make credible inroad into the Igbo enclave. Many have argued, and I agree with them, that the personal unreserved apology to Ndigbo, made recently by Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, for the deportation incident was to increase the political fortunes of the APC in this election. It was to give Chief Ngige the latitude he deserved by removing that powerful arsenal from the armoury of the APGA and others. I had personally hoped that the APC will make the miscalculation of riding with the poorly articulated, myopic, and politically damaging reasoning of Chief Femi Fani-Kayode in justifying the deportations. Governor Fashola’s apology to Ndigbo

While many Ndigbo have acquired immense individual economic and political power, the South East largely remains a deprived, denied area in too many a sense in Nigeria

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in person is a display of grace and political maturity, better reasoning, as it pulled the rug from under the feet of their political traducers in Igbo land. The apology took the ball back to the court of Ndigbo, to do what they must in order to develop their areas and give their peoples the correct sense of belonging in the geographical expression we call Nigeria. It has given Chief Ngige, who many admire in Anambra politics and among Ndigbo, the level playing field he deserves to win this election.

Chief Ngige seemingly has no reason not to sweep the polls except for the nagging uncertainty over who the APC presidential flag bearer will be. The APC will do better for Chief Ngige if they will come out with their presidential flag bearer now. Failure to do this will fuel speculations that they will end up with a candidate

Condemning police brutality of Rivers teachers

BY JOHN ENEBELI

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GAINST all odds, the Rivers State government led by Chibuike Rotimi Ameachi, chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, scored another first: offering employment to 13,000 teachers at once! At an envisaged colourful ceremony at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt where the new teachers were to be offered their ‘Letters of Appointment’ on Wednesday, September 25, the police invaded the venue in over 20 Toyota Hilux patrol vans and brutalised the teachers!

They came shooting teargas into the faces and eyes of the harmless and defenceless teachers, flogging, beating and manhandling them – causing a stampede and dispersing them abruptly, with many, including women falling over themselves in their attempt to flee the chaotic scene.

Rather than commend the efforts of the Ameachi-led administration for achieving this no mean feat and contributing meaningfully in reducing unemployment in the country, the police felt otherwise.

Coming at a time of immense state and party-sponsored tribulation against Governor Ameachi, this police assault is one too many! The list of assault could be endless. I therefore write to condemn it and call for the re-deployment of the police Commissioner, Mbu Joseph Mbu from the state.

The last before this latest assault, of course took place on September 20. The police in Rivers State under the control of Commissioner Mbu harassed over 500 youths, aged between 14 and 21, who were on tour of projects in Port Harcourt with Governor Ameachi – an initiative of Rotary International, District 9140 for young future leaders. The armed policemen also

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trailed the young persons every where they went with the governor.

I consider reasons adduced by the police for their action as porous and hollow – one that cannot hold water. According to the Command’s new spokesman, Ahmed Kidaya Muhammed: “The Rivers State government failed to inform the Rivers State Police Command of the event. It was deemed an illegal gathering. Police got an intelligence report that there was going to be a break-down of law and order”.

How can the police deem such activity as the presentation of ‘Appointment Letters’ to newly-recruited teachers “illegal”? The event portrayed nothing sinister as it was neither held in the dead of the night nor at a secret and unaccessible venue. It was held in broad day light at a public venue that is easily accessible; so why acting as if it is a cult meeting or something of sort that is deemed “illegal”?

Talking in terms of seeking police permit or informing police before jobless Nigerians could access their ‘Letters of Appointment’ is as funny as it is astonishing.

Which government – federal, state and local – has ever sought police permit to despatch ‘Appointment Letters’ to Nigerians that are being offered jobs? It is not the first time that the Rivers State government would be inviting this set of applicants and they’ve always gathered without police permit or any untoward occurrence like breakdown of law and order. So why is their gathering at the Liberation Stadium different from their earlier gathering at the invitation of the same government?

Come to think of it, the whole exercise was of public knowledge. Radio and TV stations in the state were awash with the announcement, even dailies carried it nothing clandestine at all! So whatever

at the national level who will be very difficult to market to Ndigbo, and this alone will surely work against Chief Ngige in the next few weeks, whether Chief Rochas Okorocha relocates to Anambra or not, as he has reportedly promised to do, in support of Chief Ngige.

Those who wonder and ponder deeply on what becomes of Ndigbo in Nigeria politics, look beyond 2015, and therefore attach little weight to the impact of the personal wealth and power of the dramatis personae in this election. These people are convinced that Ndigbo should have their own power base in one political party. The atomicity of the PDP culture in recent times, betray the instability in random agglomeration of individuals with just the simple drive to dominate others through economic power rather than effect the deliverance of good governance to the people.

It becomes obvious that currently, ethnic sentiments, and power base associations confer better opportunities for power negotiation at the center. It is the lack of realisation and acceptance of this fact by many Ndigbo that is responsible for their being and remaining the scape goats of the Nigerian political dynamics.

While many Ndigbo have acquired immense individual economic and political power, the South East largely remains a deprived, denied area in too many a sense in our dear country Nigeria. The need to address this imbalance makes it imperative for Ndigbo to think and look be-

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BY CLEMENT UDEGBE

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Anambra governorship elections and Ndigbo

I condemn in strong and unequivocal term this attempt by the police at sending the teachers back to the labour market, an attempt to send society back to the dark ages

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meaning or colouration the police is giving to it is all balderdash! The so-called ‘intelligence report’ that there was going to be a break-down of law and order, which the police lay claim to, is all balderdash and cannot be substantiated. It is the usual witch-hunting of Governor Ameachi! It is the usual discrediting of anything Ameachi does by the police authorities in Rivers State. And this is too bad, too sad!

Even factional chairman of the state PDP, Felix Obuah’s volt-face defence of the police over-zealous action is faulty. Said he:”It’s a ploy by Ameachi to use frustrated youths as protesters against President Jonathan”. Again, this is untrue, nothing could be far from the truth than this. If anything, the exercise is meant to complement the President’s efforts at reducing unemployment rate in the country. Casting aspersion and throwing stones , like Obuah busied himself doing at any given opportunity is to say the least, flabbergasting.

Deliberately misrepresenting facts and misleading the public – which has become the trademark and hallmark of the Obuah-led faction of the PDP in the state tantamount to an invitation to uprising and anarchy in the state.

One wonders when Obuah will refrain

yond 2015 in all their political calculations.

While it may be desirable and attractive to some to aim at becoming a Vice President under the APC, or any other arrangement, it is more permanent, feasible and wiser for Ndigbo to plan for Presidency after 2015, by forming and consolidating a political base within one party at this time. The dwindling fortunes of the Labour Party, in other political zones, make it less attractive to the Igbo man who has also lost so much under the now dead and buried PPA. This election therefore becomes a crucial one for Ndigbo because it will confront the big issues of the direction of Ndigbo politically in the reality of present day Nigeria.

This is why the promise of APGA as the rallying party for Ndigbo becomes a task that should be accomplished by all who think and live Ndigbo, having awakened to the realities of Nigeria political currents. Ndigbo can all relate to Dim Odimegwu Ojukwu, in APGA, draw inspirations from our heros past through AGPA, plan and negotiate a better South Eastern Nigeria under APGA. Ndigbo can resolve to sink their differences and forgive each other as good brothers, under AGPA, and this election offers Ndigbo and Anambrarians these awesome opportunities.

*Mr Udegbe, a legal practitioner, wrote from Lagos.

from toying with the collective will and destiny of Rivers people. His inflammatory statements are attempt at setting Rivers State ablaze so Rivers people should continue to ignore him.

What is even more disturbing in this whole saga is that the police in their quest to disperse the 13,000 teachers, teargassed and humiliated them – including women – and as they ran for their precious lives, many were injured, forcing one of the affected teachers to lament to the Nation newspapers: ”Our forced dispersal is very unfortunate and least expected in a democracy”.

It is interesting though that with all its retrogressive actions against the teachers, the police could not succeed in breaking their spirit, as rather than flee immediately to their houses, they re-grouped directly opposite the stadium’s main gate, discussing their fate and the police brutality on them, up to about 12 noon from about 8.30 a.m when the police descended on them.

All in all, in whose interest is the police action? Is it in the interest of the teachers, masses, state or nation? Certainly not!

Rather it’s in the interest of a few powerful politicians who have become ‘feudal lords’ and who have seen Commissioner Mbu and his men as ready tool of destabilisation in their hands!

No wonder Governor Ameachi described it as “a crude display of federal might, senseless, barbaric, shameful and the height of desperation”. I cannot agree less.

It is therefore condemnable! I condemn it in strong and unequivocal term and urge all well-meaning people and progressive minds to condemn this attempt by the police at sending the teachers back to the labour market, an attempt to send society back to the dark ages when men groped in the dark, in the jungle of life!

Mr. Enebeli, a Rivers State Liaison officer, wrote from Abuja.

20— Vanguard ,

FRIDAY FRIDAY,, OCTOBER 11 , 2013

Debate of the masses

Language wahala: Different strokes for different folks

BY EBELE ORAKPO

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Tears as Imo buries food poison victims I

T was a sorry sight to behold as five white caskets containing the lifeless bodies of Madam Grace Nwosu and her daughters were brought into the sleepy rural community of Egbelu Nguru, Ngor Okpalaeke local council area of Imo State for burial.

The unfortunate victims mysteriously died May 31, this year, after consuming a local but very nutritious delicacy, Ugba (oil bean salad), prepared by the matriarch of the family, Grace Nwosu.

Those interred included Prophetess Nwosu, Chinelo Nwosu (a 400 level student of University of Nigeria, Nsukka), Chidera Nwosu, Njideka Nwosu, Chizitere Nwosu.

The grand-children, Ijeoma and Amaka Frank were buried in their hometown, Mbieri, Mbaitoli Local Government Area of the state.

Many people who were at the scene were simply dumbfounded. Emotions ran very high. Tears flowed freely down the cheeks of people.

Others wailed uncontrollable, while a good number of sympathisers endlessly cursed those they claimed poisoned the oil bean salad, which killed Madam Nwosu and her children.

The confusion in the arena naturally forced members of Cherubim and Seraphim Church, who were conducting the requiem service to temporarily halt proceedings until some sanity was restored. Senior Apostle John Afokalam, who delivered the homily, cursed those who perpetrated the evil act. He further promised that they will never go unpunished, adding that their only saviour would be if they openly confessed their sin to God and before Egbelu Nguru people.

He admitted that the loss was colossal but enjoined the surviving members of the Nwosu family to face the distasteful event with equanimity and faith in God. “Death is not victory to the devil.

Death is not victory to the perpetrators of evil. It is, however, advisable for evil doers to retrace their steps and turn to God or be prepared to face the full wrath of God,” Senior Apostle Afokalam said.

In a message, the Baba Aladura of the church, Dr. L. A. Onyeleonu, represented by the Secretary, Central Management Committee 8, Dr. Bassey Edem, said the church was

‘

that they will not rest until the cause of the death of their colleague was unearthed and the perpetrators commensurately punished.

Similarly, youths of Egbelu Nguru community lampooned the state government for allegedly abandoning the surviving members of the family in their moment of grief.

They grieved that the state government did not make any financial contribution towards the burial and described it as “very injurious to the administration of Governor Rochas Okorocha”. The Sole Administrator of Ngor Okpala local council area, Mr. Stanislaus Ugo-

Death is not victory to the devil; death is not victory to the perpetrators of evil; it is, however, advisable for evil doers to retrace their steps and turn to God

shocked by the mystery surrounding the death of members of Nwosu family and others. “The church is giving them a national burial to fully demonstrate that death can never be victory over the children of God,” Onyeleonu fumed.

Explaining the delay in burying the deceased members of the Nwosu family, Edem linked it to police investigation, adding that the church only got the go-ahead signal from the Imo police boss, Mr. Mohammed Katsina at about 4pm the previous day and fixed the burial for Saturday, October 5, 2013.

The leadership and members of the National Association of Imo State Students, NAISS, University of Nigerian, Nsukka Chapter, were fully represented at the event. They expressed palpable anger over the loss of their colleague. Speaking to journalists, the President of the body, Comrade Hilary Nwauzoije, vowed

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BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

chukwu Okere, who stood in for the state government, debunked the allegation by the youths. He reminded the youths that when news of the ugly incident spread, the Governor visited members of the family as well as doled out the sum of N5 million for the burial arrangements of the deceased citizens.

The Sole Administrator appealed to people to allow the sleeping dog to lie, stressing that nobody should do anything that would further endanger the lives of the surviving members of Nwosu family. As people made to leave the community, they prayed that such ugly incidents should not befall Imo people again.

They recalled that not too long ago, a family was wiped out in Emekuku, Owerri North Local Government Area of the state. They died from generator fume on the night they buried their mother.

T was as if commuters in the CMS-bound commuter bus this Tuesday morning, unanimously decided to create their own happiness despite the heart-rending news items bombarding them from all directions in the past couple of weeks as they laughed all the way to the final bus-stop.

The conversation started when a commuter by name, Tunji, put a call through to his friend. “Hello Olaniyi (which means glory is in wealth). Bawo ni (How are you)?

Another commuter by name Okey, burst out laughing and as soon as Tunji ended the call, he looked enquiringly at Okey who was still laughing for no apparent reason. “Why are you looking at me like that? I am laughing because of your friend’s name.

I just remembered the incident that happened a long time ago in the Eastern part of the country,” whereupon, he launched into a very funny narrative. “A Yoruba man named Olaniyi found an Igbo lady he wanted to marry and as tradition demands, he went to the girl’s home town to perform the traditional rites. Everything was going on smoothly until some elders of the lady’s family went to her and asked her the name of the bridegroom and she replied ‘Olaniyi’.

You could have heard a pin drop. The silence was so loud. Suddenly, they found their tongues and all chorused ‘tufia.’ One of the elders then asked the perplexed lady if she was crazy. ‘You want to marry a good-for-nothing, a vagabond, someone that will amount to nothing? He whom the gods want to destroy, they first make mad. If you want to commit suicide, count us out’.”

As the laughter was dying down, Steve said: “And bawo ni equally means something different in Hausa. It means ‘there is none’; so when a Yoruba man asks a Hausa man bawo ni, the mischievous ones will reply thus: ‘Ga weni, ga weni, wai ba woni, meaning: ‘Here is one and

here is another and you are saying there is none.”

“Oh, what about the Yoruba guy who went to visit his Igbira friend in Okene. On arrival, the Igbira guy ran and embraced his friend and in his excitement, he decided to call his father to come and share in his joy. He said: “Ota mi de, ada mi da?

The visiting friend took to his heels and the friend could not understand what was wrong with his friend.

In Igbira, it means ‘my friend has arrived, where is my father to help me welcome him’; while in Yoruba, it means, ‘My enemy is here, get me my cutlass.”

“Ha, this one pass Tower of Babel incident oo,” noted Janet. “I heard about an Owerri lady that came on a visit to Lagos and went to an eatery to eat. She asked for garri and soup. She was served soup first because the garri was not ready. By the time the woman came with the garri, the hungry lady had eaten half of the soup and the eatery owner went ballistic. ‘O ni were ni (you must be mad),’ she screamed at the lady. The lady gave her a disarming smile and calmly replied: “O lee akpa ishi mara shi awum onye Owerri? (How did you know I am from Owerri).” It was the turn of the eatery owner to be confused,” said Comfort.

“There is also the story of a Fulani man who went to a Yoruba food seller to ask where he could ease himself. ‘Arniya, ina zan tutu? (Female heathen, where can I defecate?) asked the Fulani man. The woman who did not understand a word of what was said replied: ‘Kilo nje be? (What is that?)’ Smiling happily, the Fulani man said: ‘O hoo, nan ake japa miki shi? (Oh great!

This is where they deposit it for you.),” narrated Mercy. “You can imagine the rest of the story.”

At this point, people were holding their sides as they laughed so hard.

“Oh, I love my country, Naija. God bless Naija and the people,” declared Okey.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013 — 21

CBN sells N132bn in TBs

By PATRICIA NWOSU With Agency Report

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From left: Investment Executive, Financial Institutions, Debt and Structured Finance, CDC Limited, Miss Dalia Aga; Executive Director, South East/Treasury, Skye Bank Plc, Mrs Amaka Onwughalu; and Managing Director, Debt and Structured Finance, CDC Limited, Mr. Holger Rothenbusch, during their visit to Skye Bank Plc .

Manufacturing exporters get N12bn NEXIM funding Managing Director of the Bank, Roberts Orya, who statIGERIAN Export-Import ed this in Abuja, said agriculBank (NEXIM) has stat- ture alone contributes over 40 ed that it has provided N12 bil- per cent to GDP with investment lion in lending to Nigerian ex- opportunities in cash crops like port manufacturers, many of cocoa, rubber, cashew, oil palm, who put the “Proudly Nigeri- gum arabic among others. an” label on their products in “The Nigerian government the West African sub-regional seeks to develop value-chains market and globally. in high potential crops and othThe bank also said that it has er agriculture commodities, infunded agro-processing export cluding tomatoes, soya beans, enterprises to the tune of N6.6 cotton, rice, maize and cassabillion in the period August va. In the area of mineral re2009 to April 2013, sources, Nigeria has over 34 solid minerals in commercial quantities.”

Orya noted that “Nigeria is now more attrac0.45 114.95 tive as an investor destination with an increase 2,725.00 +26.00 in inflow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to 18.63 0.04 $8.9 billion in 2011 from $4.9 billion in 2004 while total merchandise trade increased from $118.93 110.06 +0.38 billion in 2010 to $153.1 103.53 +0.50 billion in 2011.”

Lamenting the insignifCURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL SELLING icant volume of trade between African nations, DOLLAR 154.73 155.23 155.73 the Managing Director POUNDS 248.6821 249.4857 250.2893 said the non-oil sector in EURO 209.9686 210.6471 211.3256 FRANC 166.4336 166.9714 167.5091 Nigeria offers huge inYEN 1.5971 1.6023 1.6075 vestment opportunities, CFA 0.3017 0.3117 0.3217 saying that “Nigeria is a WAUA 237.1949 237.9614 238.7279 major producer of food RENMINBI 25.2694 25.3515 25.4336 and cash crops and the RIYA 41.2558 41.3891 41.5225 KRONA 28.144 28.2349 28.3259 Nigerian government SDR 237.8974 238.6661 239.4349 seeks to develop values chains particularly for CBN Exchange rate as at 10/10/2013 value added products

BY DAN GUMM

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like tomato, soya bean, cotton, rice, Maize, cassava, leather and wood products.”

“With an annual food deficit growth of 3.4% reaching $22bil-

HE Central Bank of Ni geria, CBN, yesterday, sold N31.82 billion ($822.59million) worth of Treasury Bills with maturities ranging from three months and one year with yields broadly flat compared with that of the previous auction.

The CBN sold N20.15 billion worth of 91-day Treasury Bills at 10.8 per cent compared with 10.85 per cent at the previous auction last month.

The CBN also sold N43.49 billion in the 182-day note at 11.64 percent, slightly lower than the 11.69 percent at the last auction, while a total of N68.18 billion of the 364-day debt was sold at 11.74 percent, the same returns as at the Sept. 26 auction.

Investors’ bids reached N250.55 billion compared with N315.48 billion at the previous auction.

lion in 2011 according to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), Nigeria can contribute to food security in Africa,” he said.

Step up fight against child labour —ILO

BY VICTOR AHIUMAYOUNG

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NTERNATIONAL Labour O r g a n i s a t i o n , ILO, has called on world leaders to step up the fight against child labour, saying irrespective of noticeable reduction in recent time, it is still a very large number.

ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, told delegates to the ongoing third Global Conference on Child labour to redouble their efforts so that the international community could reach the target it set for itself to eradicate the worst forms of child labour by 2016.

ILO’s latest global estimates on child labour,released in the run-up to the conference, show that since 2010, the number of child labourers has dropped by one-third to 168 million.

While the fall in numbers is good news, the ILO DG warned that “ it is still a very large number - it is only 27 million fewer than the entire population of Brazil.These children constitute 168 million reasons for our presence here

today.”

The conference will take stock of the progress achieved since the second global conference that took place in The Hague in 2010.

The ILO Director-General cautioned that the current rate of progress was not fast enough, saying “Let us be clear. We will not meet the 2016 target and that is a collective policy failure. We have to do better. Child labour is only a problem of poor or developing economies but affects all countries.”

He urged participants to direct their efforts towards policies and actions that have been successful.

“We are seeing child labour concerns mainstreamed into public policy in multiple, relevant fields. We see greater clarity about the need for better school- to-work transition and skills-matching.

We see a new global consensus on the need to ensure social protection floors for all people. We see greater understanding that decent work for adults and youth of

working age is a necessity if we are to ensure family incomes that do not rely on child labour– and in turn, that child labour undermines decent work and decent wages for adult workers”, said Ryder.

According to the latest global estimates, child labour is predominant in agriculture, both formal and informal, and in other sectors of the informal economy.

The ILO chief highlighted the role of enterprises and trade unions that have been taking up the challenges of the informal economy: trade unionism is growing among informal economy workers and enterprises have been discussing with trade unions how to clean up their value chains, protect and respect human rights at work and remedy the violations.

But Ryder also warned that there is a danger that as the “long march” against child labour appears to be entering its final phase, the international community moves its attention away from the fight against child labour.

22 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013

7-Up spends N2.2bn on debt servicing

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM

7

-Up Bottling Company will spend as much as N681 million in 2013 in pursuing outstanding court cases, even as it spent N2.26 billion in servicing different banks’ loans in the year ended 31stMarch, 2013.

This is contained in the company ’s 2013 Annual Reports and Accounts.

The amount to be spent on litigation, according to information available in the report, is about 1.3 percent increase over N672 million expended in the corresponding period of 2012.

According to the report, “The company is engaged in lawsuits that have arisen in the normal course of business. The contingent liabilities in respect of pending litigation and other claims amounted to N681

million as at March, 2013 (2012: N672 million.)”

The report also revealed that 7-Up has an unsecured loans totaling N25 million with key management personnel as at the end of March, 2013, same as 2012.

Though the company stated in the report that it is not expected to suffer any material loss arising from the claims, shareholders at the 54 th annual general meeting warned against impact of such litigations, saying that it is eroding the company’s earnings.

Speaking on behalf of other shareholders, Mr. Godwin Anono, President, Standard Shareholders Association of Nigeria said that N681 million is as much as annual turnover of some companies in

Nigeria, while calling on the management to look for a way of ending those cases.

He said, “Let’s know the kind of people we are doing business with; we can’t keep wasting our resources on court cases when we need money to grow our business.

It is a whooping amount. We should identify the source of the problem and deal with it immediately.”

The duo of Peter Okoh and Gbadebo Olatokunbo also cautioned the company against over-dependence on bank loans to fund its business, saying that something should be done about the company ’s borrowings.

“The last time we approached the capital market for fund was in 1996.

We cannot continue to work for banks; it is not advisable.

We should look for a way of raising cheap fund,” they said.

Earlier, the chairman, Faysal El-khalil, said that continuing high prices of key manufacturing inputs had significant impact on the operating margins during the year. However, “With the help of aggressive sales and marketing initiatives, we were able to grow the volume significantly in the second half of the year and mitigate the impact of sluggish sales and price roll back in the earlier months,” El-khalil stated.

“I am pleased to report that despite many serious challenges the company faced during the year under review, it has been able to achieve satisfactory results.

This improved performance is a reflection of the capacity investments the company has been making and the operational efficiencies and cost-saving strategies implemented by the management,” he added.

IMF secures financing to sustain World’s pooorest countries

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LECTURE: From left: The Executive Vice- Chairman, Techno Oil Limited, Mrs. Nkechi Obi (MON); Director-General/CEO, Federal Institute of Industrial Research(FIRO), Dr.(Mrs.) Gloria. N. Elemo, at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry Centenary lecture held recently in Lagos.

CSL stockbrokers gets Best Institutional Brokerage Award

By PETER EGWUATU

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SL Stockbrokers Limited, a member of FCMB Group Plc, has emerged the “Best Institutional Brokerage, 2013” at the annual Capital Finance International Awards (CFI.co).

CFI.co, the organisers of the awards ceremony, said that, “Through a very effective combination of local and international experience, CSLS has built a team and a service offering that is highly regarded by domestic and international institutional investors. CSLS has an excellent track record with both liquid and illiquid assets.”

The organisers also stated that C M Y K

the judging panel was particularly impressed with CSLS’ experienced team of traders’ ability to provide real-time information flow to clients during trading hours, thus, providing market insight to assist clients in making timely trading decisions. This medium has been producing very positive results. CFI.co also went on to note that “ with regulated offices in London and strategic partners in New York and South Africa, CSL is providing the level of access to Nigeria that the market needs”.

Receiving the award, Mr.

Gboyega Balogun, the Managing Director of CSLS, said: “This award is a reflection of the consistency and quality of CSLS’ corporate and institutional brokerage business.

CSLS brokers public and private issues on behalf of our corporate clients, to our institutional investor client base.

We have access to ready deals-flow from the corporate and investment banking businesses within the FCMB Group, and subject to a deal’s suitability for our institutional client(s), we can then act as the conduit that brings corporate and institutional investors together.”

he International Monetary Fund (IMF) secured today resources needed to sustain concessional lending to lowincome countries (LICs) at an average annual capacity of about SDR 1.25 billion (about US$1.92 billion) over the longer term, which is broadly in line with current estimated demand for IMF support to the world’s poorest countries.

A critical mass of 151 member countries have committed to provide to the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) their share in the partial distribution of the general reserve of SDR 1.75 billion (about US$2.7 billion) attributed to windfall profits remaining from the partial sale of IMF gold, amounting to over 90 percent of the distribution that was approved in September 2012 (see Press Release No. 12/368). These commitments follow an earlier agreement to use SDR 700 million from a partial reduction of the general reserve attributed to windfall gold profits as part of a strategy to fund the trust.

BRIEFS

Brent steadies above $109 after steep overnight losses

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rent steadied above $109 per barrel on Thursday, following steep overnight losses as data showed U.S. crude stocks rose by the most in a year last week.

Festering uncertainty over the budget standoff in Washington continued to cloud the outlook for demand, although President Barack Obama launched a series of White House meetings with lawmakers to search for a way to end the impasse.

“The key thing at the moment is the supply situation. We saw a steep increase in stocks, which took its toll on prices,” said Ric Spooner, chief market analyst at CMC Markets in Sydney.

“And now macroeconomic concerns building over the U.S. budget crisis are drawing in the same direction, leading to softening oil prices.”

South Africa’s Telkom SA jumps on news of higher H1 earnings

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hares of South Africa’s Telkom SA hit their highest in 20 months after the fixed-line operator said firsthalf earnings likely rose more than 20 percent, the latest sign a turnaround at the struggling company is gaining traction.

Telkom has been battered for years by falling profits thanks to stiff competition from mobile operators MTN Group and Vodacom, which it previously owned.

It was also hurt by an expensive failed attempt to expand into Nigeria and a revolving door of chief executives. CEO Sipho Maseko became the sixth chief executive since 2005 when he took over in April this year.

But Maseko appears to be convincing investors he is getting the company back on track. In June Telkom wrote down the value of its network by 12 billion rand ($1.2 billion).

Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013 — 23

FORUM: Dr Akinwumi Adesina, Minister of Agriculture (middle), in a warm handshake with Mr. Chen Xiaohua, ViceMinister of Agriculture, Peoples Republic of China, while Laurent Thomas, Asst. Director-General, Technical Cooperation Dept, FAO, looks on at the high level forum in Abuja.

FOOD SECURITY:

Africa holds key to global food challenge — Adesina, Agric Minister

BY EBELE ORAKPO

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ational Programme for Food Security (NPFS) under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, in conjunction with the People’s Republic of China and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), convened a high level forum aimed at showcasing the achievements of South-South Cooperation programme in Nigeria and other participating African nations.

According to the organisers, SSC is the mutual sharing and exchange of key development solutions – knowledge, experiences, good practices, policies, technology, know-how and resources, between and among countries in the global south.

In 2003, Nigeria signed a Tripartite Project Agreement (TPA) with China and FAO in support of the NPFS. The forum with the theme: Promoting innovation, linkages and technology adaptation: Achievements of the South-South Cooperation in African Agriculture, held between September 26 and 28, 2013 in Abuja and attracted participants from Benin Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi,

Namibia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Uganda, as well as development partners.

In his address, Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina noted that “China’s agricultural growth is impressive and offers lessons for African countries. China pulled over 400 million people out of poverty within 10 years, largely through transformation of the agricultural sector. China treats agriculture as a matter of national security because

they understand that any nation that cannot feed itself is a danger to its own sovereign existence.”

Also speaking, China’s ViceMinister for Agriculture, Mr. Chen Xiaohua noted that food security is fundamental to human survival and development. “In China, we have a saying that Agriculture is the foundation of a nation, and food is the heaven to its people. We seek to boost grain and agricultural productivity with increased input, improved infrastructure and accelerated advancement in science and technology.” He noted that China has fed 21 per cent of world

population with less than 9 per cent of world cultivated land. As one of the earliest and major participating countries in SSC under the FAO framework, China has sent altogether 998 agricultural experts and technicians to 24 countries in Africa, Asia, South Pacific and the Caribbean. The biggest, longest and most productive SSC project by China is with Nigeria,” he said.

In a communiqué released at the end of the meeting, participants renewed their

*A Nigerian woman learning how to apply Chinese cage fish culture technology, part of the SSC project.

commitment to the SSC initiative as a useful and effective means to improve food security and end hunger in Africa by 2025, as suggested by African Heads of States and Governments in Addis Ababa in July 2013.

They pledged to “ work together on developing cooperative projects, methods and plans, and gradually perfect approaches of implementing effective SSC; continue to share experiences, knowledge, technologies, best practices and capacities in the spirit of solidarity, equal partnership and for mutual benefits in pursuance of our common goals of eradicating hunger and malnutrition, reducing poverty and achieving sustainable development.”

They also pledged to actively explore new areas and modalities of multilateral agricultural SSC, in order to meet the increasing demand from African countries for agricultural development and food security, and constantly improve implementation efficiency and results of the programmes, adding that they will support the Governments of China and other potential and existing provider countries, “to continue and even expand their much valued multi-level support to the SSC framework.“ Adesina commended FAO for its vision in developing, promoting and nurturing SSC to boost agricultural production in developing countries, noting that out of a total of 998 Chinese experts that have been in the SSC programme across Asia, Africa, South Pacific and Caribbean, 686 have been in Nigeria. He also praised Chinese Government’s vision to set up a $30m Trust Fund to support the SSC, noting that the SSC has helped Nigeria in many areas especially in rice production, apiculture, aquaculture, poultry, bamboo production, development of small scale equipment, vegetable production and drip irrigation. “The impact of the SSC is evident in the lives of farmers, communities and private sector firms that have taken advantage of the programme,” he enthused. He appealed for a closer cooperation among participating countries and development partners saying: “Because we now treat agriculture as a business, the SSC should be modified to South-South Agricultural Investment Cooperation.”

He believes that Africa holds the key to solving the problem of global food challenge as close to 60 per cent of the world’s uncultivated arable land is in Africa.Also present at the forum were Mr. Festus Akinnifesi, Chief, SSC and Ms. Louise Setshwaelo, FAO representative in Nigeria.

24 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013

SEMINAR — From left: Chairperson, Small and Medium Enterprises Group of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, Mrs .Victoria Onafowokan Obadina; Chairman, Lagos Chapter of National Association of Small Scale Industrilists, NASSI, Mr. Segun Kuti-George; Vice Chairman, LCCI, Mr. Adams Idufieko; and Director, Planning, Policy, Monitoring and E v a l u a t i o n , SMEDAN,Mr. P. J. Atukpa, at the one-day 2013 annual seminar in Lagos. PHOTO: Daniel Gumm.

Lagos Chamber pr of prof offfer erss solutions ttoo SMEs challenges

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BY DANIEL GUMM

RESIDENT of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, Mr. Goodie Ibru, Wednesday, said that the Small and Medium Enterprises, SMEs sector, has consistently maintained a commendable record as a viable sectoral group in the Lagos Chamber.

He explained said that SMEs, are catalysts of economic growth and have “crucial roles to play in the development process of the economy.”

Ibru, in an opening remarks at the 2013 seminr/luncheon of the SMEs group of LCCI said that in spite of the presumed support by the Nigerian government, SMEs have continued to perform below expectations, adding that however, the sector is constrained by challenges, particularly significant in areas such as inconsistent government policies, multiple taxations, insecurity, lack of planning and technical knowledge, shortage of man power, and management strategy, etc.

Ibru, who was represented by the Vice Chairman of the chamber, Mr. Adams Idufieko said that the LCCI could tackle and find lasting solutions to the challenges of the SMEs by the various training programmes in capacity building it offers to overcome internal obstacles of the SMEs. In her brief welcome remarks, Chairperson, Small and Medium Enterprises Group of the LCCI, Mrs .Victoria Onafowokan Obadina, noted that the background information and opportunies inherent in SMEs, “is one of active and guidance organs of the LCCI, which shared its membership from enterprises and allied businesses.”

Explaining the objectives of the group she stated that it is to “advance and protect the business interests of its members as well as promote commerce and industry within the context of the overall development of the country.”

She said part of the contribution towards the development of the SMEs is organising “interactive session such as this, with aim to address the issues affecting the sector and the economy generally, and proffer solutions to the problems confronting operators within the sector.”

“Most businesses in the SMEs sector are going through a difficult period as a result of external and internal challenges which combine to change the divine fortune of operators, even as she called on government to give SMEs the right support to develop. She added that SMEs themselves have the responsibilities of working to overcome their internal problems.

Implementation of policies will result in market, trade integration

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FRICAN policymakers, government officials and development experts recognize the crucial role of regional integration in the development of African economies. They add that this interaction can be accelerated or reinforced through the creation of a common market for goods and services.

However much more can be done according to African Development Bank background paper titled "Understanding the Barriers To regional Trade Integration in Africa".

"Despite the long history of regional integration on the continent, the level of intra-African trade remains low in comparison with other regions," writes AfDB Economist Kennedy K. Mbekeani in the 23-page report. "Using intra-regional trade share as a measure of regional integration, Europe had the highest degree of market integration followed by Asia and North America in 2009. Africa had the lowest degree of market integration among the 7 regions with only 11.7% of its trade destined within the continent."

Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013 — 25

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I like the good things of life —Timi Dakolo fter he was declared winner of the first season of Idols West Africa in 2007, Timi Dakolo has been soaring high with success after success Currently working on his second album, Dakolo, in this chat with our reporter speaks about the industry, his life, plans, growing up and other issues. Excerpts: What is happening to you?

I am doing fine. I am doing great. I am working on my second album right now. I am supposed to record a new song with Cobhams this week. I am trying to make it a collaboration. I’m already in the process of sorting that out now. I am also building my own studio just for the purpose of recording at my convenience.

Over the years, you have been known for a particular genre of music, why is that so?

It is not that I am particular about one genre but I do Soul, RnB, sometimes, a little bit of Reggae and Rock. I basically sing what I feel.

It is observed that you perform more on events that has Niger Delta appeal, why do you have preference for Niger Delta concerts?

I don’t think so. I go for all kinds of concert. I am a NigerDeltan and Nigerian too. If I’m invited for a cause I solely believe in, I will be there. I believe in oneness, unity, equality, peace. I believe in love, in the real sense of the

I N S I DE:

How has the journey been with you so far?

I won’t complain. I would say it has ups and it has downs. It has times of standstills, it has times of slow paces, fast paces but I am learning everyday.

And you hope to achieve what at the end of the day?

I am the kind of guy that can wind down the window of my car and buy gala if I’m hungry. I don’t think there is anything bad in it. If I like a shirt, no matter how cheap it is, if I like it and it is going to fit me, I care less

,

I want to become a very great musician and to leave a legacy. I want my music to still be here long after I’m gone.

How do you cope with stardom?

I’m just me. Certain times, you can’t do the simpler things. I like the good things of life. I like to go where normal people go. I am the kind of guy that can wind down the window of my car and buy gala if I’m hungry. I don’t think there is anything bad in it. If I like a shirt, no matter how cheap it is, if I like it and it is going to fit me, I care less.

How do you rate the music industry presently?

I think we are not where we ought

Veteran actor Pa Kasumu battles liver, heart diseases, needs help

to be but we are far from where we used to be. There is a lot of money in it now unlike how it was before. We can conquer the world. We have so much talent in this country.

be yet but I know it is going to be great. I hope to realize it sometime next year. I am the guy that takes my time to get there. I would rather slow down to get there than take my time and miss it.

Any collaboration with Omawunmi soon?

Not yet. We should be looking at it now. All things are possible

Do you have any plan to feature any international artistes in any of your songs?

Yes, by the grace of God, I am working towards it. I would love to do a collabo with Tina Turner. I also love Seal, Jay Z.

Tell us about your new album?

It’s just me so far. I am doing some old-school songs. I am doing my normal styles. I am going to feature some rappers in my song. I have not decided how the whole package will

What were those things you did before that you can no longer do again?

I think I have been learning. I have been reading a lot. I may not be reading as I used

Jim Iyke, Nadia Buari continue romance, set for wedding?

Continues on page 29

C M Y K

Continues on page

Four ways to get your gadget stolen

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word. I also believe in good relationship, hardwork.

,

By SAM ANOKAM

Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013 — 31

Synopsis

The Movie R.I.P.D and Alan Poza are releasing on Friday, attached are the art work

I like the good things of life Continues from page to but I am still reading to gather knowledge. You can never know it all. I am learning to play the piano as well as the theory of music. I will not say I am there yet but I think information is everything.

What you know and another man doesn’t know is an advantage over the person.

How was growing up like?

It was sweet but it had its ups and downs too. I particularly remember my time with my grandmother then. How after school, sometimes, I had to help her sell stuffs and all that. I lived with her because my parents were in Ghana , so they brought me to her.

When there was no school fees I did not complain until the money came. There were ups and downs but I think that was what forged me into who I am today. My grandmother used to have a lot of sayings which didn’t make sense to me as a child or teenager then with wild dreams. She believed in hardwork. She never believed in the easy way out of things. She taught me to fight for whatever I want.

What do you miss about your childhood?

I miss the places we used to sit and sing. My cousins would come around and my grandmother would sing Ghanian songs that we initially didn’t understand. After a while, we picked up the songs we didn’t understand.

I miss all those story times. Just because we were with her, she would still tell us stories we have heard before and it would be interesting.

*Timi

What are your vices?

I don’t drink, I don’t smoke but I play video games a lot. I play Playstation a lot.

Any regret about life so far?

I honestly don’t have any regret. I take everything as a lesson. The only thing I regret is my grandmother not being here to reap what she has sown in my life. It is painful.

How do you cope with women?

I stay in my house. You can see I’m married. Though it doesn’t matter to some but they are on their own. I am your friend but they can’t get past that. Trust me. There is so much at stake to compromise for so little. We chat, talk but when it becomes uncomfortable, I will tell you my mind. That is what I learnt from my grandmother. Say your mind. Say the truth. It can’t happen.

It is simple.

Do you have any comment on the Nigerian music industry?

We have to get it right. They have to set up a serious body that would protect the rights of the artistes because it is their intellectual property. You need to earn from it, you need to make money from it. We have to have a body that protects us and we have to tackle piracy. I have been in one of COSON’s meetings. I think they should get it right, if they do, the entertainment industry is going to be booming more in this part of the world. It is not booming enough because there is no structure and where there is no structure, things don’t work out. Just like a house where the father does whatever he likes as well as the mother and children. There is no structure.

There is no rule.

Anybody can get away with anything. There is lawlessness.

What kind of books do you read?

I read inspirational books.

I also read novels but not stupid ones.

I don’t read Mills and Booms. I read books of John Grisham, Sydney Sheldon, Mario Puzzo, all those kinds of books. I also read a lot of magazines and newspapers.

I follow Nigerian politics too.

You want to become a politician?

If God wills, I will. I will not call myself a politician, I’d rather say I want to be a leader someday. I want to work with the youths, give them that sense of belonging. If we all see this country as our own, it will work. Why it is like this has to do with the orientation problem. Someone has said it is not what we can get out of this country we should be thinking of but rather what we can give to it . This country has given me opportunity.There is a difference between a politician and a leader.

People follow leaders. People follow you naturally because you have that charisma to carry them along. You have to feel their plights.

Who is your mentor?

I have a truck load. They comprise of people I watch and people I listen to. You can be a mentor to me today by just one word you say. I would think over it and see how it would affect me and my immediate environment. It is not like I have a particular person I am following his lifestyle. That is how it is for me in music. I can have a song for a month.

I will play it in my car, with my phone, when I’m sitting down, just to buy

Synopsis for R.I.P.D. A recently slain cop joins a team of undead police officers working for the Rest in Peace Department and tries to find the man who murdered him.

Synopsis for Alan Poza Alan Poza is a hilarious youth comedy and love drama movie which exposes the emotional adventures of a young, enterprising music industry executive as he searches for his true inner feelings in a sector filled with temptations and emotional uncertainties.

The movie is produced and directed by Charles Novia and stars top Nollywood actors like O.C Ukeje, Beverly Naya and Nobert Young

TOP MOVIES OF THE WEEK TWO GUNS PAIN AND GAIN KEEPING MY MAN BIG WEDDING DARK SKIES

Exhibition Schedule from OCT. 11 — OCT. 17, 2013 SILVERBIRD CINEMAS, VICTORIA ISLAND R.i.p.d. : 1:55pm,6:20pm,8:15pm,10:10pm Alan poza : 11:35am,3:50pm Pain and Gain : 11:30am,3:50pm Dark Skies : 3:30pm,8:10pm Keeping My Man : 1:55pm SILVERBIRD CINEMAS, IKEJA R.i.p.d. : 10:45am,4:40pm,8:30pm Alan poza : 10:30am,5:00pm Pain & Gain : 10:30pm,6:20pm Dark skies : 7:10pm Keeping My Man : 2:50pm The Big Wedding : 7:10pm Grown Ups : 9:00pm 2 Guns : 5:00pm Elysium : 4:30pm Smurfs 2 : 12:50pm SILVERBIRD CINEMAS, SEC R.i.p.d. : 1:00pm,3:00pm,5:00pm,7:00pm,9:00pm Alan poza : 2:25pm,6:55pm Pain & Gain : 2:00pm,6:40pm,9:10pm Dark Skies : 11:50am,1:50pm,3:50pm,7:30pm,9:30pm Keeping My Man : 12:50pm,5:10pm, The Big Wedding : 2:05pm,3:55pm,5:40pm, This Is The End : 11:50am,4:30pm 2 Guns : 2:50pm,7:10pm,9:20pm Phata poster : 5:50pm,8:50pm World War Z : 8:40pm SILVERBIRD CINEMAS CEDDI PLAZA , ABUJA Alan poza : 12:20pm,6:45pm Keeping My Man : 4:50pm,9:00pm 2 Guns : 2:10pm,6:30pm,8:40pm Elysium : 2:35pm SILVERBIRD CINEMAS, PORT HARCOURT R.i.p.d. : 1:00pm,2:25pm,4:40pm,6:45pm,8:50pm Alan poza : 12:00pm,2:10pm,4:20pm,6:35pm,8:50pm Pain & gain : 1:50pm,6:20pm,8:50pm Keeping My Man : 1:30pm,6:00pm,8:25pm The Big Wedding : 12:20pm,2:40pm,9:00pm 2 Guns : 4:30pm,6:40pm SILVERBIRD CINEMAS, UYO Alan poza : 12:15pm,2:30pm,4:45pm,6:55pm Keeping My Man : 12:40pm,2:40pm,4:40pm,6:50pm This Is The End : 12:05pm,2:20pm,4:35pm,7:00pm Grown Ups 2 : 12:00pm,4:25pm Elysium : 11:50am,4:30pm Dead Man Down : 2:05pm,4:30pm Smurfs : 11:45am,1:40pm White House Down : 3:50pm,6;30pm FILM HOUSE CINEMAS, SURULERE Alan poza : 2:45pm,7:00pm Keeping My Man : 1:00pm,9:00pm The Big Wedding : 10:40am,2:40pm,6:50pm FILM HOUSE CINEMAS, IBADAN Alan poza : 2:30pm,4:40pm Dark Skies : 12:10pm,2:10pm,8:15pm Keeping My Man : 11:00am The Big Wedding : 2:15pm Grown Ups 2 : 10:00am FILM HOUSE CINEMAS,CALABAR Alan poza : 4:50pm,6:50pm Keeping My Man : 11:00am This Is The End : 2:15pm,6:35pm,8:45pm

32 —

Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013

KSA, Millie Jackson tango on stage for Jadeite ball

By JULIET EBIRIM

T

he Shell Hall Muson Centre Lagos will come alive with a live concert featuring King Sunny Ade and Millie Jackson. The A-list event, billed for Friday, 1 st of November 2013 is the first of its kind and also first of many platforms from the Jadeite Group to signify the official launch of the luxury brand in Nigeria.

The event which will feature ‘King Sunny Ade’s ‘Through -The -Years Live Concert’ is an exclusive opportunity to see for the first time King Sunny Ade (KSA) performing a live concert, and showcasing his best hits through the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and the 20 th century; a mark celebrating his 50 years on stage.

Also performing alongside KSA is the timeless soulful Diva from the United States, Millie Jackson and her band.

The Jadeite platform, a novelty of two companies - GWIdeas & RockThompson Nigeria is a highly successful international brand reputed for developing and creating platforms that deliver topnotch experience for individuals seeking luxury entertainment. It aims at creating and producing some of the most exclusive and spectacular premium events targeted at high networth individuals and organizations in a

fascinating celebration of luxury and success.

The Jadeite Ball Nigerian version whose maiden edition kicks off this year will be an annual event celebrating successful and outstanding Nigerian individuals and businesses, their perseverance and heritage, in an exclusive and luxurious evening reflecting their best of times.

Speaking on the idea, the CEO of GWIdeas, Mrs. Fola AgangaWilliams said, “We are hoping to make sure that we celebrate the people that made arts and culture what it is today. The fact that we have new, up and coming artists doesn’t mean we have to forget the older ones who they learnt from. We have to celebrate our past. Nigeria is blessed with a lot of arts and cultures. It is also good to be timeless. The younger ones need to understand that to have staying power, consistency is the name of the game. King Sunny

Ade, Ebenezer Obey, Bright Chimezie have that, to mention but few. This is to celebrate them and everybody that has contributed to Nigeria as a whole”.

The event has gained the attention of some of the most firmly established brands present in Nigeria such as LANSON Champagne, the official drink of the

diamond jubilee for Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II of England. Others are Mercedes Benz, Zakaa Luxury Concepts, Beat FM, Classic FM and the Centrespread Group amongst others. The concert’s entertainment will be produced by Edi Lawani, popularly referred to as the Godfather of Showbiz .

Smooth FM brings Chaka Khan, Angelique Kidjo to Nigeria BENJAMIN NJOKU

T

en-time Grammy Award winning singer and song writer Chaka Khan, Grammy Award winning Benin born Angelique Kidjo and our very own Kaline Akinkugbe are expected to grace the stage at the 4th annual Smooth FM Love Music Love Life Luxury concert, holding this

Saturday, at the Expo Center, Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

In line with its aim of becoming the trailblazer for world-class musical entertainment in Lagos, Smooth FM is increasingly recognised for delivering well organised, well-attended and entertaining concerts offering Nigerians a chance to experience world famous, legendary soul and jazz greats perform on Nigerian soil.

Last year, Smooth FM brought international legend and 10-time Grammy Award winning jazz guitarist George Benson to Nigeria for the first time. In 2011, saxophonist Pamela Williams, guitarist Jimmy Dludlu and Asa drove, the crowd wild with their performances and in it’s first year the Love Music Love Life Luxury Concert had an impressive line up that included Angie Stone, Gerald Albright, Richard Bona and Mike Stein.

Star takes Gbenga Adeyinka to Enugu for Win and Shine party Star lager beer, one of Nigeria’s premium beer, manufactured by Nigerian Breweries Plc, recently held Enugu leg of its Star Win and Shine party at the Bush Arena, amidst fun and excitement.

Gbenga Adeyinka, the anchor, treated guests to rib-cracking jokes. Items won by consumers include cash prizes of N100,000, N50,000, LCD TV sets, Blackberry phones, football jerseys and branded carpets.

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Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013 — 33

C M Y K

34—Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013 With PRINCE OSUAGWU princeosuagwu@gmail.com 08050498513

FOUR WAYS TO GET YOUR GADGET STOLEN

VOICE COMMAND:

The new smar smartt competition

BY PRINCE OSUAGWU

Four ways to get your gadget stolen

BY LAJU ARENYEKA It’s very likely that you love your smart phone or tablet. It’s also very likely that somebody else does too. More often than not, a compliment, and a few ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ would suffice.

Unfortunately, some people take it to the next level and would attempt to steal it. Here are four ways you can help them do just that: 1. Unnecessary flashing: Let’s face it, it’s no use buying an expensive gadget if you can’t show it off. But too much of that, and you’re unlikely to own your gadget for much longer.

Avoid bringing out your gadget in rowdy public places such as bus stops, buses and markets.

Even when in driving in traffic, tone it down a little so you don’t lose your car window and device at the same time. If you’re particular about not missing calls, use a headset while on the move.

2. ‘Let me see’ syndrome: So many people have lost their devices to the ‘let me see’ syndrome. This is a scenario where someone you barely know asks to view pictures, videos or apps on your device, and mysteriously disappears with it. If someone you barely know wants to view your device, you would do well to stay close to them.

3. Forever Charging: If you keep charging your device everywhere you go, you are bound to lose it sooner rather than later. Having a low battery is not the end of the world, so don’t be too desperate to charge your phone when your battery is low.

4. Owambe: Parties are a good place to lose your device. It is easy to get so carried away with excitement that you are less careful than usual. A simple way to ensure that your devices come out unscathed from parties is to be device conscious. Another tip is to hold on to only one device throughout the event.

N

igerians by nature are hard working people; after a hard day’s work they feel the need to return to their homes to revitalize their energies. To achieve this, they opt for the entertainment, household and mobile devices provide.

However for most people the challenge most times is how they can operate these contraptions without expending more energy. This brings to the fore voice command technology, a technology that makes it possible for consumers to talk to devices and have them do what they desire.

The thrill of speaking to a device and having it do what you want is beyond description; it is difficult to effectively colour with words the thrill that comes from having a contraption do what we require.

Times are changing and so also is technology. With the advancement in technology, consumers are beginning to demand from technological devices like smartphones, computers, tablets and other electronic gadgets that some level of human interface capabilities.

Today, leading technology companies are becoming increasingly consumer driven, investing in areas like native content to get consumers onboard their platform.

Recently LG electronics announced intention to lead i n this technological advancement, showcasing a plethora of forward-thinking products with voice command and natural language technology, as trump card.

Among them is the LG G2 which offers a glimpse of how voice commands may make consumer ’s lives easier.

Special feature in this device is the VoiceMate which operates in different languages.

VoiceMate supports a wide number of the LG G2’s core features including phone control, search navigation and more. The VoiceMate according to LG, was developed to emphasize the human element of its technology. For instance when asked what it had for lunch, VoiceMate will respond, “I ate 220 volts. It was fresh and exciting.” The optimism remains that VoiceMate will one day be able to control device settings and retain ‘always on’ capabilities able to pick up on voice commands even while the phone is in dormant mode Although, voice command technology has been around for decades, but it has neither been properly advanced nor generally harnessed, despite the fact that it is far less accurate than typing on a keyboard. But thanks to the initiatives by industry leading technology companies and smartphone makers, things are looking up.

Replace damaged galaxy note 3, no questions asked!

BY PRINCE OSUAGWU

Y

ou may not need to entertain too many questions, as is always the case, to replace your damaged phones in Nigeria now. At least Samsung has kicked off the campaign with the kaunch of NoQuestion Asked warranty model for its Nigerian customers who buy the newly released Galaxy Note 3 smartphone.

The device maker has just announced that the new device does not only feature the advanced version of it’s original 24-month accidental damage from handling (ADH) warranty but will allow users receive a replacement device in the

event of screen or liquid damage to their Galaxy Note 3, at no extra charge.

Shortly after unveiling the brand and the Galaxy Gear in Cape Town, South Africa recently, Director of Hand Held Products at Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr. Emmanouil Revmatas, described the premium service as part of Samsung’s efforts at providing its consumers with a worry-free life.

“With the original ADH warranty, our consumers got to take their Samsung Galaxy S4 for no-money and no-questions asked repairs for screen and liquid damage, not once but twice

during the first two years of the life of their device. For the Galaxy Note 3, we have upgraded the service.

With the Samsung Premium warranty, instead of two repair claims, users of the device will now get two instant phone replacements over the 24-month warranty period, at no extra charge.

Disney researchers have discovered a way to fool the nerveendings of users into believing they’re able to feel textures on the surface of a touch screen.

The way this is done is by sending tiny vibrations off the screen’s surface, which fool the nerve-endings in a user ’s fingers into believing they’re touching a

something different in composition to the surface of the touch screen.

Essentially it tricks users into believing they ’re physically interacting with ridges, edges and textures. The developers said that the algorithm that allows for all of this physical interaction could easily be applied to existing touch screen devices.

Virtual images you can touch?

W

ith technology developing at the speed of light, and touch screen fast becoming the order of the day, it seems unusual that no device has been developed to allow users feel the images displayed on it. However, if the Disney Company has its way, this might change sooner than we think.

Disney is developing a tactile touch screen device that allows users to ‘feel’ images displayed on it. According to a recent report,

Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013 —35

36—Vanguard , FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013

Foundation donates to schools

FADAMA: Rivers' agency, community on warpath over land acquisition

BY FESTUS AHON

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

U

GHELLI— AS part of its effort to assist pupils, Ovu Foundation, yesterday, donated over 13,000 notebooks and other writing materials worth thousands of naira to all primary schools in Ovu, Ethiope East Local Government Area, Delta State.

Presenting the items to the Chief Inspector of Education in the area, Mrs. Kehinde Oderhohwo for onward presentation to the primary schools at Urhodo-Ovu Primary School, Ovu, President of the foundation, Dr. Akpofure Rim-Rukeh, said that the decision to donate was to encourage children in the community acquire education.

Saying the education of children of school age was priority to the foundation, Rim-Rukeh said it has been donating books in the past four years to schools in the area.

Rim-Rukeh said: “The foundation is working towards putting up an electronic library at Ovu Junction.”

Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State have vowed to resist, even with their blood, alleged forceful acquisition of

their farmlands by the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency, RSSDA. The communities, yesterday,

office, said government would set up a task force and anyone caught would be dealt with.

Oshiomhole said: “We have stopped the local governments from collecting taxes on traffic related issues. The Local Government Act does not allow them to set up traffic control units, impound vehicles and collect money.

“Traffic control is the exclusive prerogative of the state government and we are trying to create a proper identity for

them so that we do not turn the state to a nightmare for road users.

“We also want to stop them from stopping vehicles that are passing through Edo State.

“They ask motorists to produce their radio and television licences. Signals to cars are not from local governments.

“As a government, we must ensure that we do not behave like thugs in the eyes of our people.”

P Oshiomhole blasts LGs over harassment of motorists ORT HARCOURT— EIGHT communities in

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM & GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

B

ENIN— GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has warned local governments in the state against illegal road blocks for the purpose of extorting motorists and other road users.

The governor, who gave the warning, yesterday, in Benin when he received a delegation of Elders from Ovia North-East Local Government Area in his

Ex-militant leader lauds Jonathan on nat'l confab c'ttee

E

X-MILITANT ‘General’, Mr. Preye Ekpebide, yesterday, commended President Goodluck Jonathan for inaugurating the national dialogue committee, adding that same indicated the President’s resolve to solve the teething problems threatening the corporate existence of the country.

Ekpebide, speaking in Bomadi, Delta State, said: “At this point in time, when every geopolitical zone wants to rule at all cost without resort to the constitutional provisions and the issue of terrorism that have given the nation a bad image, setting up the committee on national dialogue became imperative.”

Anniversary

S

IR Joe and Lady Mary-Ann Chibor will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary tomorrow at Ovak Events Centre, FESTAC Town.

Preye said Jonathan took a bold step in the right direction. He urged those saddled with the responsibility to leave no stone unturned, noting that Nigerians were looking up to them to provide solutions to is-

sues threatening the country’s unity.

Preye thanked the leaders that have been supportive of Jonathan’s administration, adding that nation building was a collective effort.

Okolugbo tasks Ndokwa youths

T

HE Commissioner representing Ndokwa on the board of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Sir Kenny Okolugbo, has called on youths to take advantage of the commission’s various empowerment pro-

grammes.

He spoke during the presentation of tricycles’ keys to youths from different wards in Ndokwa nation. He charged them to use and not sell the tricycles.

Okolugbo urged the youths to encourage the state gov-

ernment by utilising the means of transportation to create employment and improve their standard of living.

He said: “The tricycles will become yours in a year’s time after you would have shown evidence of usage in the locality.”

By Bartholomew Madukwe

PEOPLE SPEAK

08102479985

complained that RSSDA was mapping out the land for farming purposes under the Fadama Project without recourse to an acquisition agreement earlier reached between parties.

At an emergency meeting in Olakwo Village, the landowners said they would not allow the Rivers agency to encroach on their land until acceptable compensations were paid.

Spokesperson for the landlords, Chizoba Ibegbulam, said no amount of force would make them relinquish their land to the government when nothing had been paid to them, following the movement of RSSDA’s equipment into the land.

Ibegbulam said: “We have agreed to fight back. Somebody cannot take our land for free. We know what the government is looking for. They want crisis and we are going to give it to them since they prefer anarchy to dialogue.

“At our last meeting after rejecting the proposed compensation of N50,000 per plot of land, we told government to pay us same way they paid other communities in the neighbouring local government areas also affected by public acquisition.

“Ours will not be different. We are farmers. For God sake, if they want to take our land, let RSSDA pay compensation.”

(nwamad@yahoo.com)

On the proposed national conference

T

HE national confer ence should help us as a country to make necessary adjustments— structurally and politically— that will ensure we remain one in whatever form. Basically, the conference is a good thing for the country.— Miss Ilokoli Augusta, Student.

I

F I may ask, what will happen to all the democratic structures across Nigeria? I am so sure that this is not the first time this country is walking this path. But my fear is that some politicians may hijack the core idea for their selfish interests.— Miss Blessing Ubah, Student.

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ELL, the confer ence could make us revert to our four-region structure: North, West, East and MidWest. It can either decide to remain federal or choose a confederal system. But I think the latter is the beginning of dissolution.— Mr. Martins Ifeanyi, Businessman.

T

HE conference is indeed good, especially if it will bring to an end issues that cause strike in the education sector. Students that are tomorrow’s leader have been disappointed with the ongoing ASUU strike. The end is still unknown.— Miss Chioma Ani, Communicator.

W

HY are we talking about national conference again? OBJ organised a rag-tag “conference.” Abacha too!

IBB is not left out. If previous leaders had done it right, there would be no need to do it again. Let us first define the motive?— Mr. Onwuchekwa Martins, Broadcaster.

T

HE call for national conference is not a call for the working class to take over government. Rather, it is for regions and ethnic nationalities to determine their future. Some people have chose guns to achieve their aim. We chose dialogue.—Miss Blessing Ezeokoye, Student.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013—37

Stallion begins vehicle assembly in Lagos

Dokpesi, Ayankoroma, Aimiuwa, others for 2013 EMMAA award

A

U

GHELLI—PROJECT Officer E-zone Marketing and Event Managers, managers of Edo Movie and Music Academy Awards, EMMAA, Mr Elvis Ogie, yesterday, said that the Managing Director of the African Independent Television, AIT, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, Dr Barclays Ayankoroma and Chief Lugard Aimiuwa among other have been listed for the 2013 EMMAA award.

Ogie, in a statement said that he event is billed for November 21, 2013, adding that the award was in recognition of the recipients’ contribution to the industry.

He said: “The vision behind the EMMAA 2013 is a unique one which aims at recognising and celebrating the potentials, talents and rich human resource in the Edo movie and music industry. No doubt that the industry has contributed in no small way to the Nigerian movie and music industry and this event is being put together to write the names of the numerous talented and deserving individuals in gold."

Youth tasked on gainful employment

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From left: Rivers State Governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, Dr. Ibeanusi and OVATION magazine publisher and columnist, Chief Dele Momodu inside a theatre room of the Dental and Maxillo-facial hospital in Port Harcourt, one of the many new health facilities built by the Amaechi administration, on Wednessday.

Industrial court dismisses Total's suit against ex-staff

BY INNOCENT ANABA

T

HE National Industrial Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, dismissed the preliminary objection

by Total E&P Nigeria Limited, TEPNG, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the N5 billion suit instituted against it by a former staff, Aralu Steve.

Ruling on a preliminary objection by Total, Justice Oyeyoju Oyewunmi said that the claimant’s suit disclosed reasonable cause of action against the oil company.

Justice Oyewunmi said that from the document frontloaded before the court, such as letter of employment proved that there was

a nexus between the claimant and the defendant.

The court also joined Maple Leaf Ventures Limited as the second defendant in the suit, adding that the justice of the case would be defeated without the participation of Maple Venture.

“There are reasonable grounds to join Maple Venture in the suit whose presence is essential to the complete and final adjudication of this suit.

You cannot shave a person’s head in his absence,” Justice Oyewunmi held.

The claimant a laboratory supervisor had in his amended

BY JONAH NWOKPOKU

HE founder, Wealth Academy Global Initiatives, Mr. Mark Idiahi, has stressed the need for youths to be kept busy through gainful employment, saying that this was the only way to curb increasing wave of violence in the society.

He spoke to Vanguard during a four day skills acquisition and empowerment seminar in Lagos.

According to him: “This craze by young people to find jobs need to be curtailed. We need a kind of psychological transition. Imagine someone graduating from school and then sitting back at home because no one has offered him a job. So I figured that if we don’t do something about these young people, they are time bomb because the violence that is prevalent today in the society can be associated with young people that are not gainfully employed.”

statement of claim argued that on December 10, 2008 while carrying out chemical injection monitoring and pumps adjustment at the Obagi Flow Station owned by the defendant, he received a splash from one of the chemical injection.

The claimant stated that prior to the occurrence of the incident, he discovered that the particular pump had malfunction and promptly drew the attention of the defendant to it during the daily Heads of Department's meeting which he attended as the Laboratory Supervisor.

Monarch hails FG for citing EPZ at Ogidigben

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

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ENIN—THE Olaja Orori (Spiritual head) of Ugborodo community in Delta State, Mr. Benson Omadeli, has commended the Federal Government for citing the Ogidigben Export Processing Zone, EPZ, in Ugborodo, West South West Local Government Area of the state.

He said that the citing of the EPZ in the area would speed up the economic development of Warri South council and also complement the activities of the Nigerian Ports Authorities, NPA, Warri.

The community leader in a statement in Benin, yesterday, added that a committee to join the Federal Government to midwife the project had been set up by the community.

He added that members of the committee, headed by Mr. Olire

BABINE – Ereku as approved

by Eghare Ajah, the traditional Prime Minster of the community, had already been

sent to the Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and the Delta State governor, Dr.

UTO manufacturers, Nissan and Stallion Group, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, to jointly launch vehicle assembly in Lagos.

The initiative is in expectation of Federal Government's policy approval of the new Automobile Industrial Policy, designed to encourage development of the auto industry in Nigeria, and will see Nissan become the first major international manufacturer to launch vehicle assembly in the country, following the new legislation.

Nissan President and CEO, Carlos Ghosn, said:”We welcome the proactive measures being taken by the Federal Government to encourage inward investment and job creation driven by local auto manufacturing.

Launching

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ROACTIVE Technologies, an indigenous company focusing on renewable energy and e-payment solutions, has launched a new solar technology equipment called Solar Water Heater, SWH. The protek equipment, which eliminates electricity and fuel bills utilises a proven thermal solar technology to provide constant stream of hot water. The new SHW also retains hot water for up to three days even if there is no sun and available in capacities up to 300 litres.

The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr. Roland Obe during an exhibition in Lagos, said that the new SWH comprises array of solar collectors for solar energy, which heats the water in the collector and insulated tank to store hot water.

2015: Former militant leader drums support for Jonathan

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OMADI—PRESIDENT, Phase II militants under the Amnesty Programme, ‘General ‘John Aki, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to declare his interest for reelection, noting that Niger Delta former-fighters were firmly behind him.

Aki, who addressed newsmen in Bomadi, headquarters of Bomadi Local Government Area, Delta State, noted that the call became necessary due to the unfolding

political drama in the country, adding that the Jonathan Presidency come 2015 was a necessity.

He stressed the need for the North to give Jonathan a breathing space to govern the country, warning that northern political manipulations against Jonathan’s Presidency were calls for disunity and disintegration of the country.

“Jonathan must go for a second tenure like others.

The North should have in mind that they ruled this country since independence. We, former agitators are in support of Jonathan Presidency in 2015 and we will soon go for a procession in Abuja for Jonathan 2015,” he said.

He described the Boko Haram sect as a group of people without a genuine cause, who were out to discredit Jonathan’s government, noting that their actions of homicide had exposed their ulterior motives.

38—Vanguard , FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013

DBIR takes Delta Beyond Oil to British High Commission

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A G O S — D E LTA State Board of Internal Revenue, DBIR, Tuesday, took the Delta Beyond Oil campaign to the British High Commission to solicit support from the United Kingdom government towards the realization of the vision.

Chairman of DBIR, Mr. Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, who led other members of the board on a courtesy visit to the British Deputy High Commissioner, Peter Carter, in Lagos, said Delta State has witnessed tremendous development in every sector within the past few years.

Joel-Onowakpo noted that the strong desire by the present administration to continue the developmental strides it has recorded in the past few years, necessitated the visit particularly now that the state is in pursuit of the diversification of its economy through the Delta Beyond Oil initiative.

He said: “Testimonies of this transformation abound and we use this opportunity to invite you to visit Delta State to see things for yourself. In fact, few months to the end of his tenure, there is no part of his electoral promise that Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has not kept, bearing in mind that, no single administration can meet all the aspiration of its people in a tenure.

“The most important thing is to lay the solid foundation for the future which is what the governor has done.”

Responding, the British Deputy High Commissioner, Peter Carter, said he was excited by the visit of the team from Delta State, saying that “it has revealed practical story of the opportunities and programmes of the state government.”

400m children living in extreme poverty, says report L

BY OMOH GABRIEL

AGOS—THE World Bank new report on extreme poverty has stated that number of people living in extreme poverty around the world has sharply declined over the past three decades.

The bank is worried that the number still includes roughly 400 million children, or one -third of those living in such abysmal conditions.

World Bank analysis released, yesterday, for the first time gives an in-depth profile of the poorest people in the world.

The report found that 721 million fewer people lived in extreme poverty in 2010 defined as those living under $1.25 a day compared to 1981.

But it also concluded that a disproportionate number of children were among them: Children accounted for one in three of those living in extreme poverty around the world in 2010, compared with only one in five of those living above the poverty line.

In low-income countries, the percentages were even worse, with half of all children living in extreme poverty.

World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim in the report said: “We have witnessed an historic movement of people lifting themselves out of poverty over the past three decades, but the number of children living in poverty alone should leave no doubt that there remains much work to do.

“We can reach our goals of end-

ing poverty and boosting shared prosperity, including sharing that prosperity with future generations, but only if we work together with new urgency. Children should not be cruelly condemned to a life without hope, without good education, and without access to quality health care. We must do better for them.”

In his remark in the report

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BUJA—THE Nigerian Postal Service, NIPOST, Wednesday, said it intercepted 45,571 items and scam letters with counterfeit financial instruments worth N13.74 billion in 2012.

Disclosing this in Abuja, during the 2013 World Postal Day Celebration, the Post Master General of the Federation,

It will be recalled that at the April Spring Meeting of the Bank Group and IMF the Governors of the World Bank Group endorsed two global goals: ending extreme poverty by 2030 and promoting shared prosperity by fostering income growth of the bottom 40 per cent of the population in developing countries.

Poverty reduction globally has moved at a faster pace than ex-

CONFERENCE: Mr.Emeka Ugwu-Oju, President, South-East/ South-South Professionals of Nigeria (left) and USA Congress member, Karen Bass, Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Africa, at the recent Congressional Black Caucus Foundation annual conference in Washington DC, USA.

Obi distributes 500 buses to secondary schools

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BY VINCENT UJUMADU

WKA—GOVERNOR Peter Obi of Anambra State, has commenced the distribution of 500 buses to secondary schools in the state with 120 school principals receiving keys of vehicles for their schools.

The governor said at the ceremony, at Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka that the buses were part of fulfilling his promise to spend N40 billion as the final push towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, MDG, by 2015.

Obi announced that his government has equally procured 25,000 computers with complete school

syllables and books installed in them, adding that all the secondary schools in the state would also get money for provision of sick bays and connection to the internet.

The schools, he added, would receive generators, noting that his government was moved to do

Alhaji Bori Baba, said that NIPOST officials were able to intercept the scam mails whose monetary value runs into many billions of naira as a result of physical inspection of documents and postal packets by the company’s officials.

Alhaji Baba, who was represented by the Deputy Post Master General, DPMG, Yashim Isa Bitiyong, said over

these because of the positive result from returning schools to their original missionary owners.

According to him, the fruit of government efforts had already started manifesting in the good performances of Anambra schools in different external examinations.

The governor thanked the Churches for partnering with the state, saying that since government started disbursing money directly to them, they had been able to achieve more than government would have achieved if allowed to spend the money themselves.

Agagu: Igbinedion condoles with Mimiko, Ondo people Ondo State over the plane crash give the family the fortitude to

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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ENIN CITY— Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion has commiserated with the government and people of

NIPOST recovered N13.74bn scam documents in 2012 —Post Master-General

BY EMMANUELELEBEKE

World Bank Chief Economist and Vice President, Kaushik Basu said: “The finding that over 400 million children live in extreme poverty and children are more likely to be poor than adults is disturbing, since this can exacerbate child labour and create inter-generational conflict. Hence, if we want to make a sustainable dent on global poverty, this is where we need to focus our attention.”

“45 milllion mail items were handled by NIPOST last year out of which 10.3 million came from abroad and delivered in Nigeria while 2.4 million items were dispatched abroad” from the country the same year.

According to him, letters posted and delivered in the country last year amounted to 33 million.

that claimed the life of the state Commissioner for Tourism and other prominent indigenes of the state, last week.

He said the incident was shocking and sad for the nation and called for speedy investigation of the cause of the crash involving Association Airline.

His words: “I was really shocked like many other Nigerians because late Dr. Agagu whose corpse was equally in the plane was a great politician whom majority of us feels he does not deserve this type of painful incident. I commiserate with the Ondo State Government, the Falae family and all those who lost their loved ones in that crash.

“We pray that the Almighty God will grant mercy to the souls and

bear the irreparable loss.”

The former Governor who also reacted to reports in the social media linking him to the ownership of the crashed Associated Airline, debunked the reports, describing it as the “handiwork of my detractors.”

He said: “People can be wicked some times. Some of my friends called me to say that people are insinuating in the social media that the crashed Associated Airline belongs to me. This is not true. I want to say that I have no hand or business in the running of Associated Airline.

“I will advise those peddling such rumour to repent and rather dissipate that energy to pray for the souls of those involved in the crash rather than peddling rumours.”

Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11 2013—39 ,

WELCOME: Nigeria's First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan with Benue State Governor's wife, Mrs Suswam, being welcome on arrival to Seoul, Korea, by little flower girl, Miss Felicia Mekekpemi.

FORUM: From left, Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs, Etisalat Nigeria, Ibrahim Dikko; Director, Policy and Competition in charge of International Affairs of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Lolia Emakpore, and the Minister of Communication Technology, Omobola Johnson, at the 12th Annual Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation, CTO, Forum, sponsored by Etisalat, at Transcorp Hilton, in Abuja.

CELEBRATION: From left, Dr. Femi Olugbile, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, representing Dr. Jide Idris, Commissioner for Health; Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, Coordinator, Special Projects Programmes, Ministry of Health; Elder Ebenezer Olasehinde, Senior Citizens Association of Nigeria, and Mrs. Fatimah Bakare, Coordinator, Centre for Mental Health Research and Initiatives, during the 2013 Pan Lagos World Mental Health Day celebration. Photo: Bunmi Azeez

PRESENTATION: From left, Mr. Kola Oyeyemi, GM, Consumer Marketing, MTN; the winner of MTN Songstar, Mr. Habila Bature from Kaduna State University, receiving KIA Motors' car key from Mr. Larry Annetts, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN, during first prize presentation, in Lagos.

MEETING: From left, Mr. Uba Mrohwobor, Dr. Janet Oyubu, Prince Josiah Ntekume Unukpo-Orogun, during All Progressives Congress' meeting with the Urhobo Progress Union, UPU.

AWARDS: Mr. Oje Ivagba, Director of Programmes, and Ms Iyadunni Olumide, Executive Director, both of LEAP Africa, at the Financial Times/Citi Ingenuity Awards forum, in London.

From left, HRH, Hakimin Bamawa, Alhaji Madaeukin Zazzau; Plant Manager, Kaduna Plant, Nigerian Bottling Company Limited, NBC, Mr. Clement Adebayo; Zonal Director, Kaduna State Ministry of Education, Mrs. Felicia Leo; and Vice Chairman, Kaduna South Local Government Council, Ishaya Anfani, at the commissioning of renovated/ equipped block of classrooms and sanitary facility for Demonstration Primary School, Kakuri, Kaduna State, sponsored by NBC. C M Y K

VISIT: Mr. Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, Executive Chairman, Delta State Board of Internal Revenue, DBIR, in a handshake with Peter Carter, British Deputy High Commissioner, during the former's visit to the British High Commissioner, in Lagos.

SCREENING: Founder, LiveWell Initiative, Mrs. Bisi Bright ( right); Ms Titilayo Ojeifo (2nd right), President, Soroptimist International of Lagos Mainland, and others, during a comprehensive screening exercise conducted by both organisations.

40—Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013

I’m not a member of nPDP —Rep Enoh

NYSC sanctions 4 corps members in Niger

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HE National Youth Ser vice Corps, NYSC, in Niger, yesterday, said four corps members of the 2012 batch ‘C’ deployed to the state would be sanctioned for various offences.

Mrs. Justina Andirya, the NYSC coordinator in the state, disclosed this during the passing out parade of 1, 800, batch ‘C’ 2012 corps members deployed to the state.

Andirya said that two corps members would repeat their service year, while the other two would have their service year extended. “Some corps members lost their bearing along the way and failed to conform to the norms and ideals of the NYSC scheme. They will be appropriately sanctioned in accordance with the dictates of the NYSC bye laws.

Two corps members will repeat their service year while another two will have their service year extended in line with the provisions of the NYSC bye laws,” she said.

Andirya said that 10 of the corps members were nominated for merit award, while 19 others got commendation certificates.

Foundation advocates awareness on MSA disease

BY WILLIAM JIMOH

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S part of activities mark ing this year’s world Multiple System Atrophy, MSA, (progressive degeneration of nerve cells in several areas of the brain) a foundation which seeks the improvement of awareness of the condition in Nigeria, Funmi Fashina Foundation, FFF, has called for concerted efforts to deepen MSA awareness among Nigerian doctors.

Addressing participants at the MSA day in Lagos, a member of the board of trustees of the foundation, Ajibade Fashina, said the foundation was embarking on the campaign as part of efforts to better the lot of persons suffering from the disease in the country. He said, “another reason we decided to do this is because during the last seminar we conducted for doctors, it was discovered that a good number of them were hearing about the existence of the disease for the first time. What that tells us is that, probably, they might have mis-diagnosed patients in the past unknown to them; thus the need for creating awareness about the disorder in the country."

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BY EMMANUEL OVUAKPORIE

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From left: President, Nigeria Guild of Editors, Mr. Femi Adesina; Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie and former Executive Director, Nigerian Television Authority, Mr. Edward Amana, at a media workshop on "the dynamics of the education sector" in Abuja, yesterday

NATIONAL CONFAB: Middle Belt lauds President

BY MARIE-THERESE NANLONG

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OS— THE Middle Belt Pro gressive Movement, has commended President Goodluck Jonathan for the planned national conference, saying it will give the minority tribes opportunity to inform Nigerians and others, the sufferings they have been passing through all these years in silence.

Speaking, yesterday, the legal adviser to the group, Nankin Bagudu said the decision was a right step in the right direction because “we know that Nigeria as a nation was founded on a faulty foundation and there are great injustices to the minority tribes in the country.”

Bagudu argued that when late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo canvassed for regional government, people thought he was a tribalist, but today, he had been vindicated.

According to him, “We are glad that this is happening because of the concern the minority tribes have which we believe would be addressed in the conference. Nigeria was founded on a faulty foundation where the majority tribes benefited and stifled the minority. The blood of the Middle Belters kept Nigeria together but its people are made to be second class citizens.”

On his expectations, he said: “The political system is a great injustice to the minority. People

with genuine concern should be given room to express themselves not those who want to appear on the television seeking their self interest. The issue of parliament is just for pleasure but we believe representation in parliament should reflect all the tribes in the country for proper representation.

"The allegation that five per cent of the nation’s income is spent on the National Assembly is alarming, many are advocating for a change and if the majority seeks a change, the National Assembly should be able to make sacrifices and pass the majority’s yearning into law so as to move the nation forward.”

IANSA women seek ban on vision for nuclear weapons

BY SUCCESS UZOKWE

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BUJA - THE Internation al Action Network on Small Arms, IANSA, Women Network-Nigeria, has called for a ban on the new vision for nuclear disarmament, signed at the 67th session of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) last year.

A statement by its Nigerian Coordinator, Ms Mimidoo Achakpa, said the Federal Government had earlier recommended zero tolerance shown by states against chemical and biological weapons which are also weapons of mass destruction, saying FG should comply with the law by extending it to nuclear weapons.

Achakpa said nuclear weapons were the only weapons of mass destruction yet to be prohibited by an international treaty, noting that Nigeria issued a joint statement with 33 other member

states, on the humanitarian dimension of nuclear disarmament in October 2012.

She stated that a ban would not only make it illegal for nations to possess nuclear weapons, but would also eliminate its use.

The coordinator added that majority of African states have signed the treaty of Pelindaba, which declared Africa a nuclear weapon free zone, but Nigeria is yet to do so, urging the govern-

ment to assume its leadership role in Africa.

Her words, “Since the detonation of nuclear weapons is a global threat, we call on the government of Nigeria and all signatories of the treaty of Pelindaba to take a leadership role in moving discussions forward to achieve the start of negotiations for a treaty to outlaw and eliminate nuclear weapons as soon as possible."

Lagos JNC seeks wage increase

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

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AGOS State Joint Negoti ating Council, JNC, has called on Governor Babatunde Fashola to review upward the pay package of the state public servants. This came ahead of a meeting with the state government on the minimum wage increase for state workers.

State JNC chairman, Obafemi Oyenubi, said the meeting was subject to the agreement reached by both the government and labour to review the salary of workers in the state every three years. He said, “it is based on these facts that the union wrote the state government to demand for a meeting to discuss on the increment."

BUJA—CHAIRMAN, House Committee on Appropriation, Mr John Enoh, has denied allegations that he was with the Alhaji Kawu Baraje faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Also, Enoh has vowed to sue a national newspaper over a publication that linked him with the splinter PDP. The daily tabloid had published a story in which he was reported to have held meetings with the splinter group known as the New PDP with a view to helping the faction establish a chapter in his home state, Cross River State.

Enoh described the publication as "malicious and unacceptable”, insisting that he remained a card-carrying member of the main PDP. In a letter from his lawyers, the legislator demanded for a retraction of the said libelous publication, its removal from the newspapers website and a letter of apology to him within seven days, failing which he would seek redress in a law court.

The letter signed by the principal partner of the law firm, Mr Ikechukwu Nwabufo, described the publication as baseless, false and libelous.

Expert lauds FG on PHCN handover

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ANAGING Director of Prince Ades Oke International ventures, Prince Okedele Timothy Adekola, has commended the Federal Government, for the handover of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN to private entrepreneurs.

Adekola who was speaking with newsmen in Lagos said the Federal Government should put in place an effective monitoring mechanism to ensure that no influence from any quarter would sabotage the operations of the private firms in their move to provide regular power to drive Nigeria’s economy.

Adekola also asked the government to ensure that those PHCN workers presently affected by the privatization move were not abandoned, adding that the process of settling all outstanding debts must be taken seriously.

He said there was need for the government to explore the immense opportunities in renewable sources of energy by encouraging small and medium enterprises, willing to contribute to the energy demand of the nation.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013—41

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42—Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013

Solomon Lar started preparing for death two years ago — Aide •Always asked: ‘Where ‘re you going to bury me •We’ll give him state burial – Plateau govt •Governor Jang off to Abuja for consultations on burial plans •More Nigerians pay tributes •PDP opens condolence register

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, TAYE OBATERU, OKECHUKWU NDIRIBE, LUKA BINNIYAT, HENRY UMORU,PETER DURU, SAMUEL AYADONGHA,GBENGA OLARINOYE, JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU & JOSEPH ERUNKE,MARIE-THERESE NANLONG

‘I

N the last two and a half years or thereabout, we’ve been talking about his funeral. He would say ‘Major, Ponsah (a close relation), where are you going to bury me?’ We tried to discourage him from such statements but he would insist saying ‘let’s face the reality of life.’”

With these words, the Executive Secretary of the Solomon Lar Foundation, Mr. Major Adeyi, disclosed how Chief Solomon Daushep Lar, the late elder statesman who died on Wednesday knew his time was near and prepared well for his passage.

Speaking to journalists, yesterday, Adeyi who was one of the closest persons to the late politician, said Lar had been talking about plans for his funeral since over two years ago.

Chief Solomon Daushep Lar died two days ago in a US Hospital. He said, “So this clearly showed that he was prepared for death, he was ready. He would say we should think of the hymns or those to officiate at his funeral.

For an old man to have been talking like this, you would know that he was ready to face death because he believed he had finished his assignment.”

Outpouring of tributes

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The disclosure came as tributes continued to pour in for the late politician just as the Plateau State government said it is making plan to give a befitting state burial to Lar, the first civilian governor of the state and first national chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Governor Jonah Jang disclosed this, yesterday, while addressing PDP stakeholders from his Jos South Local Government, ahead of the forthcoming local government election billed for December 21, 2013. In a statement by Pam Ayuba, his SA Media/Publicity, Jang also announced that a state mourning would be declared when arrangements are concluded for the remains of the late sage to be brought home.

Jang added that President Goodluck Jonathan, National Secretariat of the PDP and other

political associates of the late politician were equally making arrangements to participate in the burial. It was learnt that arrangements were on to fly his body to the country while consultations are said to be on between the Plateau State Government and federal authorities on the burial plans. Meanwhile, encomiums have continued to be poured on the late politicians as several people thronged his Jos residence along Beach Road yesterday to sympathise with his family. Condolence registers have been opened at both his Jos and Abuja residences in which several people extolled his selflessness and positive contributions to the political development of the country.

PDP opens register, shelves ministerial briefing: The National leadership of the PDP has opened a condolence register at the Wadata plaza, National Secretariat for its late pioneer national Chairman, Chief Solomon Daushep Lar. Signing the register, yesterday, PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur said, “the demise of Chief Solomon Lar is a great loss to the PDP family and the entire nation. He was a great leader, an emancipator of the under privilege. He was a light in the political firmament of our great nation.May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.” As a mark of honour for Lar the PDP shelved the planned ministerial briefing by the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson.

Tukur, FCT minister eulogise Lar: Tukur, while briefing Journalists, disclosed that the government and the party will give the late Chief Lar a befitting burial, though he did not say how the party would immortalise its first National Chairman and later, Chairman, board of Trustees, BoT despite pressure from reporters.

The PDP national chairman, who noted that he accompanied the late Lar during the registration of the party, alongside other leaders of the party, said that the leadership and members of the party will strive to promote peace that the late elder statesman stood for and was symbolised by the waving of his white handkerchief.

Northern Governors mourn Lar; say Nigeria has lost a patriot: The Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF), described the death of Lar as a devastating loss to the people of Plateau State in particular and the nation in general. Chairman of the forum and Governor of Niger State, Dr.

Hon. Dr. Omakarh Samson signing condolence register of late Solomon Lar in Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan.

Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu said was a patriot of uncommon courage.

The forum said Chief Lar was a recurrent decimal in the nation’s polity for over five decades: either as a legal practitioner, member of the nation’s first national parliament, state governor, first national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or an elder statesman. The statement described the late Chief Lar as a nationalist who lived a purposeful life of dedication to the cause of the nation’s unity and dedication as well as commitment to the upliftment of the citizenry.

Nigeria has lost a statesman— Gemade: Former National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Barnabas Gemade said, “We have been monitoring his ill-health in the United States. He has been in and out of the hospital. We thought there had been an improvement in his condition, but death has come in a very shocking manner.

We didn’t expect that he would go at this time.

Founding father “As a founding father and the first National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, he made a tremendous contribution to the democracy we have today.

We thought that he would continue to be around to render his services to this party and the nation especially at a time when things have become very complicated. Given the disagreements and challenges we are facing within the ruling party, he should have been around to assist us mediate between the run-away governors and the party."

Governor Yero, ACF mourn: Kaduna State Governor, Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero and the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, praised Lar and urged Nigerians to emulate his virtues. Said Yero: “History would be fair to Lar for his selfless commitment to the

unity of the diverse people in the North as well as national cohesion. The death of Lar is a loss to the entire country and not to his immediate family or the people of Plateau State alone.

“The late Lar was a pillar of Nigeria’s democracy, as a founding father of the Peoples Democratic Party he will be remembered as a pillar of democracy, who made immense sacrifices towards entrenching representative governance in the country. He also played prominent role as an astute politician in stabilising the nation, leading to his emergence as governor in the second republic.”

He was a detribalised Nigerian and political political icon – Dickson: Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State described Lar’s death as most shocking and a painful loss to his immediate family, the government and people of Plateau State and the nation. In a condolence message to the family, government and people of Plateau State, Dickson recalled the pivotal role and selfless sacrifices of Chief Solomon Lar to the enthronement and sustenance of the nation’s democracy, stressing that he always placed national interest above his personal considerations.

Lar never practiced politics of exclusion—Dariye: Former Governor of Plateau State, Senator Joshua Dariye, likened the death of the revered politician to a big iroko tree that has fallen. His words: “Solomon Lar of blessed memory believed in internal democracy, he believes that even if you differ, you must ensure that there is internal democracy. People are no more pursuing ideological purpose that brought us together. People are now pursuing personal, parochial, primordial agenda. This is not what politics is all about, politics is all embracing, all inclusive, not exclusive.

“Indeed our prayer when he took ill was to live long and con-

tinue to contribute to this great country called Nigeria. It is a big iroko tree that has fallen on the Plateau, in Nigeria, in the Middle Belt. If you look back, Solomon Lar joined politics at preindependence in the late 1950s and he witnessed the lowering of the Union Jack."

Another fine patriot gone– Amaechi: Rivers State Governor and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, described the death of the elder statesman and pioneer Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP) as another big tragic loss to the country.

Courageous leader He said, ”Chief Solomon Lar was a true, fine patriot who served his fatherland diligently and wholeheartedly. He was a very courageous Nigerian who spoke against misrule, tyranny and impunity in the country when it was convenient for most politicians to keep quiet; and very dangerous to speak out. He displayed a brand of courage that is rare to find among today’s politicians.”

APGA expresses shock: National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, expressed shock over the death of Chief Lar. He said that Chief Lar had an eventful and successful life, particularly in his career as a politician, saying that the death of the former governor and astute democrat, came at a time Nigeria needed his political sagacity and advice most.

Suswam, Amosun, Orji, IPAC mourn: Governors Gabriel

Suswam (Benue), Theodore Orji (Abia), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun) and the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) also showered tributes on Lar. Suswam described Lar as a pillar of democracy, great patriot and a bridge-builder.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013—43

curity agents accused him of taking hostage. The person was only untied after his gang freed the victim and Kelvin handed him over to security agents.

Cock and bull story: A senior military officer, who was contacted by Vanguard on the incident said, “This is a cock and bull story, Kelvin was a wanted criminal and he remained so until he was arrested, nobody entered into any unspoken arrangement with him, it is all lies.”

Confusion over seized Delta kidnap kingpin: While eyebrows are still raised over what really transpired between Kelvin and security agents in Delta State, there is misapprehension over his celebrated arrest, September 25, by a combined security of the Department of State Service, DSS and Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Parade of linchpin

•Kelvin Oniarah and his gang, the Movement for the Liberation of Urhobo People, LIMUP

By EMMA AMAIZE, Regional Editor, South-South

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ORE than meet the eyes: When Delta kidnap kingpin, Kelvin Oniarah, who was wanted then by both the police and army, stormed his country home, Kokori in Ethiope East Local Government Area on Tuesday, September 17, to issue his 60day ultimatum to government, it is obvious that what transpired was a serious security breach.

Many people suspected that such impunity could not have occurred without the collusion of security operatives on ground, particularly as Kelvin’s new group, Movement for the Liberation of Urhobo People, LIMUP, allegedly fired up to 50 gun shots intermittently into the air.

Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, who doubted the bravado after he was told by the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in the area, said that nothing like that happened, now knows better. Vanguard gathered on good authority that the DPO had been redeployed after the state Command discovered that he misled his boss. Unmistakably, there is more than meet the eyes in the affair as detachment of soldiers and policemen were said to be on ground in the area.

Getting more thorny: However, the matter is getting more complicated with reports that Kelvin had an unwritten agreement with security operatives and was devotedly keeping to his side of the bargain, only for government officials to betray him. What is even more con-

fusing is the information that the Department of State Services, DSS, was holding a wrong person. A source said before his arrest, Kelvin had problem with his boys and his camp was in turmoil because of his decision to stop kidnapping and work with government. Kokori women who protested against the siege to the community by soldiers, during the week, also said they were aware that Kelvin had turned a new leaf to work with government. They reportedly asked why he should be betrayed by those he was working for.

A source told Vanguard, “I am aware that Kelvin had an unrecorded agreement with the security agencies. I do not know exactly which of them for him to co-operate with them and he would be granted amnesty.

Unrecorded deal The people in Kokori know he was working towards amnesty, but it was as if some persons wanted to renege on the agreement and he decided to do something desperately.” But a senior military officer dismissed the existence of such an unrecorded deal when Vanguard mentioned it, saying, “I can tell you, there is no truth in it.”

Sour deal! According to our source, “Kelvin had an understood arrangement that he would be granted official pardon and was working with some security agents to actualize it, but at a stage, he felt that some persons were trying to sabotage it after he had split with his boys. I think he misread the sit-

uation, instead of still remaining in hiding for things to work out, he behaved immaturely and on September 17, issued a 60-day ultimatum to government to grant him amnesty, instead of just pleading for amnesty.

“He was acting with the belief that he already had a deal to be granted amnesty and the matter was extending for a longer period than he expected and the way to quicken the process was for him to do what he did on September 17, as I said earlier, that was where he misfired.”

Police opted out: Hint of Kelvin asking for amnesty was first dropped by the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, who revealed that the linchpin, on the run at the time, phoned him sometime between February and March, this year, begging for official pardon. The negotiation with the police probably did not fly as Mr. Aduba said he back-tracked when Kelvin led an operation that saw the killing of three prison warders in Warri, few days after he spoke with him.

Pact with other security agencies: Our source insisted, however, that the negotiation for amnesty continued with other security agencies and an understanding was reached that Kelvin should hand off kidnapping and help security agents to “destroy” the industry in the state. Protesting Kokori women alluded to the deal, last weekend. They said Kelvin was indeed working with soldiers and gave the name of one of the kidnap victims he helped to res-

cue, some months back.

They said Kelvin rescued Mr. Emmanuel Ighomena, who was reportedly abducted by some kidnappers and handed him over to soldiers before he (Kelvin) issued the 60- day ultimatum to the government. Investigations by Vanguard showed there was lack of synergy among the security agencies in the state on some high profile cases due to allegation that one of the agencies, more often than not, compromised with criminals. Most times, they do not share vital information and do not co-operate when it matters most. The no-love lost was evident during the man-

,

Confusion in security circle, Kelvin’s camp

Spokesperson for DSS, Marilyn Ogar, had in a statement in Abuja, stated, “On September 25, 2013, a combined security team of the Nigerian Army and DSS operatives arrested Kelvin Prosper Oniarah, a notorious terrorist, kidnap kingpin and armed robber, who has been on the wanted list of security agencies.” More than two weeks after the said arrest, the DSS, as typical of it, had not paraded the linchpin, also known as Kelvin Ibruvwe. The failure to parade the kingpin has raised suspicion as to whether Kelvin was the person arrested, but a top government official told Vanguard in Abuja, “There is

Kelvin is not the one that was arrested.

They arrested some of his boys and thought he was the one. If he is the one that was arrested, let the DSS parade him for the world to see

hunt, last year, for the kidnappers of Prof. Kanene Okonjo, mother of the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Split in Kelvin’s camp: It was gathered that Kelvin’s supposed resolution to accept amnesty did not go well with some top members of his group, who decided to continue with the “business” even if he was quitting. As a result, his camp split. According to the source, “somebody was kidnapped in Abraka area after Kelvin entered into the unwritten pact and information filtered in that he was behind it, but he denied, vowing to expose the culprits.

"Kelvin, purportedly, traced the gang to a breakaway faction in his community and seized the ring leader, who he tied to an electric pole in a primary school in the community, insisting that he would not be released until his group freed the person se-

,

no doubt that the person arrested is Kelvin Oniarah.

“What you are hearing is rumour, I have also heard it. I may not know why the DSS has not paraded him as you asked, and which many persons have also expressed concern about, but I think the DSS might still be carrying out some investigations, which could be why he has not been paraded yet.”

Dissenting voice: A security source, however, told Vanguard, “Kelvin is not the one that was arrested. They arrested some of his boys and thought he was the one. If he is the one that was arrested, let the DSS parade him for the world to see.

They said Kelvin has been arrested, that is what they said, let them bring him out for people to see and know if it is him.”

Soldiers deployed to Kokori few days after Kelvin, who declared himself a militant leader, September 17.

44—Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013

What deportation is not (2)

BY VERA SAMUEL ANYAGAFU The first part of this interview was published on Wednesday last week

I

T is apposite that even in the deportation of an alien the appropriate authority cannot act arbitrarily but must follow due process, which often involves ministerial, administrative or judicial Deportation Order, open for the affected alien to challenge in court.

It is thus clear that if the manner of the “deportation”

C M Y K

carried out by the Lagos State Government were even an act of the Federal Government, involving non-Nigerians, it would remain unlawful by reason of its arbitrariness, nonconformance with due process and lack of decency.

No legal authority to deport It is important to redirect the argument about what the Lagos State Government did and not to posit it within the context of deportation. Also, it is important to re-enforce the

case that no state government has the legal authority to deport even an alien from the country and I believe the case here has raised enough dust to require the intervention of the Attorney General of the Federation.

He needs to restate the law and bring it home to other Governors threatening reprisal actions that deportation belongs exclusively to the Federal Government and that no Nigerian can be a subject of deportation in Nigeria.

Limit to powers of

Barr. Eddie Onyeka, Esq

deportation The case of the Federal Minister of Internal Affairs and Others VS Shugaba Abdulrrahaman Darman 1(982) 3NCLLR915 helped to shed light over the limits of even the powers of the F e d e r a l Government in deportation matters and to establish that a Nigerian citizen domiciled in Nigeria cannot possibly be deported from Nigeria. Shugaba Abdurrahaman Darman was a Member of the Great Nigeria Peoples Party [GNPP] and the Majority Leader in the Borno State House of Assembly.

The National Party of Nigeria (NPN) controlled governance at the Federal level, and in purported exercise of powers under the Immigration Act, 1963, the then Federal Minister for Internal Affairs (Bello Maitama Yusuf) issued an Order, published in an Extra-ordinary F e d e r a l Government G a z e t t e classifying Shugaba Darman as a “Prohibited Immigrant” where-upon, Shugaba Darman was deported from Nigeria.

He went to court and sought several reliefs including a declaration that he is a citizen of Nigeria and as such has a fundamental right of immunity from expulsion from Nigeria.

Having ruled in his favour, the court made a

declaration that the ‘Deportation Order ’ was ultra vires and void and that same constituted a violation of his fundamental rights, personal liberty, privacy and freedom of movement in Nigeria.

In the case herein, the power of the Federal Government over deportation is defined and circumscribed by law, therefore, cannot be invoked against Nigerians and is open to judicial challenge.

The State Government by the law is constitutionally barred from matters pertaining to deportation and it will be an arrogation of non-existent powers for state governments to claim that they can deport ‘nonindigence’ to their ‘state of origin’, because attempting such would be illegal and unconstitutional and would epitomize a level of executive recklessness worse than the case in Shugaba’s Saga.

Seeking responsive government intervention Under Chapter II of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), it is stated that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government. Section 15 prohibits discrimination on the grounds of place of origin, sex, religion, status, ethnic or linguistic association and enjoins the government to encourage free mobility of people, goods and services throughout the Federation.

Section 16 enjoins government to provide adequate shelter, unemployment and sick benefits, welfare of the disabled and to manage the economy as best as possible to serve the common good.

The Constitution does not envisage that any Nigerian would become a destitute.

Destitution is a direct result of failure of government and this malaise can only be cured through responsive and responsible government intervention.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013—45

Candidates, deputies to square up in debates, Oct 22, 29, 31

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

T

HE Nigerian Election Debates Group (NEDG) has concluded arrangements to stage issue- based debates for all the candidates that have been cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the November 16, 2013 election.

Altogether, 23 governorship candidates and their running mates are expected to participate in the debates.

Chairman of NEDG, Mr. Taiwo Alimi told reporters in Awka yesterday that 11 Non Governmental Organizations, NGOs, under NEDG, which include Broadcasting Organizations of Nigeria (BON), Nigeria Guild of Editors, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Election Reform Network and Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) are involved in organizing the debates.

According to Alimi, the debates, which will be in two sessions are scheduled for October 22, 2013 for the running mates, while the

•Ngige:APC

•Ubah:LP

•Obiano:APGA

•Ukachukwu:PDP

governorship candidates would have theirs on October 29 and 31.

He said: “The coalition of media and civil society groups seek to set agenda and provide for the people of Anambra State an opportunity to get relevant information about each of the persons aspiring to rule them.

What we are trying to do is to provide a platform at which everybody will have the opportunity of telling the people what they can do”.

Alimi said that those who would take part in the final debate on 31st October would be determined by the outcome of

opinion poll of the registered voters in Anambra State, as conducted by credible researchers He explained that as part of the debate, a non participating audience that would not clap or eulogize any of the candidates would be allowed into the hall,

adding that the idea is to provide a level –playing field for all the candidates.

He said that NEDG had successfully conducted similar debates in Edo and Ondo states and hoped that Anambra governorship candidates would participate effectively.

••Group to screen contenders

BY ENYIM ENYIM

I

N like manner, a sociocultural organization, Igboezue Unity Association of Nigeria yesterday set agenda for the governorship candidates.

National chairman of the group, Chief Pius Uchenna Okoye, in an interview with Vanguard said they would within seven days invite the

candidates for proper screening before they could endorse any of them.

According to him, a qualified candidate of their choice must not be corrupt and must be well educated, adding that Anambra state is not a state for none educated people to govern. He advised the people of Anambra to vote wisely in the forthcoming election in order not to vote in a mediocre.

Why I chose Chikwenze as deputy – Ezeemo

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

T

HE candidate of the Progressives Peoples Alliance, PPA, in the election, Mr. Godwin Ezeemo has said that his choice of Dr. Rahpael Chikwenze as his running mate for the election is because he wanted someone who is as determined as himself to evolve ways of moving Anambra State forward.

Presenting Chikwnze to reporters in Awka, Ezeemo said Anambra is a difficult state to govern and therefore needs people who have the strength of character and the willingness to serve the people.

The PPA running mate, who hails from Aguleri Otu in Anambra East local government area, was until recently a lecturer at the Nwafor Orizu College of

Education. He holds a PhD in Physics.

This came as the South East Development Initiative, SEDI, a group of small –scale businessmen in South East geo–political zone, has donated 10,000 posters and 21 banners to Ezeemo Campaign Organization as part of its partnership programme with the PPA candidate.

National chairman of SEDI, Mr. Harrison Onyemaenu, while presenting the materials with members of his group to the campaign organization in Awka, said the PPA candidate has won the people’s hearts, especially the youths, because of his belief in transparent, free and fair competition, as opposed to some people who prefer to manipulate situations to favour them.

Why Anambra North deserves a chance

BY UCHEM OBI

W

E will all go to the polls on November 16 this year to vote another governor, who will take over from the incumbent Governor Peter Obi. This is a decision that will decide our future in the state. So let us think deeply and vote wisely.

The candidates in this election come from the three senatorial zones in the state. There are candidates from zones which have produced a governor before, produced again and still want to produce again.

However, there is a zone which had never produced a governor before and the zone is hoping and believing that in the spirit of one family, you will support and vote for it’s candidate to become the first governor from the zone, just as the zone had been supporting and voting for candidates from other zones to become governors in the past.

Anambra State is made up of three families namely; Anambra South, Anambra Central and Anambra North. Everything in the state including the office of the governor belongs to all of them and should be equitably enjoyed by all of them. But this has not been so because since the creation of the state in 1992, successive governors of the state have all come from Anambra South and Anambra Central respectively. Anambra State has had six civilian governors and Anambra South has produced

four governors: Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju, Dr. Andy Uba and Mrs. Virgy Etiaba.

Anambra Central has produced two governors in the persons of Dr. Chris Ngige and Mr. Peter Obi. Anambra North, which is the largest of the three families, has not had the opportunity to produce even one governor. This is not fair and this is not how to treat a family member, who has given more for the sustenance, development and enhancement of our common home.

Foremost politician Anambra North, for better understanding, is the Senatorial District of the first president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and foremost politician, Rt. Hon. Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the Owelle of Onisha and the great Zik of Africa. The senatorial zone of this great sage deserves better treatment in the Anambra project than we have given it.

Anambra North is home to River Niger and Omambala River from which the state derived its name. These two rivers and their tributaries have turned the Senatorial District into the food basket of the state. The Senatorial District accounts for over 90 percent of the agricultural and aquatic production of the state.

Anambra State is basking in the

euphoria of joining the league of oil producing states because nature deposited oil in Anambra North. This same Anambra North has one of the largest deposits of natural gas in the country.

The three Senatorial Districts of Anambra are sharing, harvesting and enjoying the natural blessings of Anambra North in the spirit of brotherhood.

It is only equitable in the same spirit of brotherhood, to ask Anambra South and Anambra Central Senatorial Districts to allow Anambra North to share in the joy of producing the next governor of the state, which they have monopolized since the creation of the state.

Anambra North has the largest market in West Africa and this market, outside federal revenue allocation, is the highest revenue earner for the state. How then are we treating this zone as outcast in the Anambra family?

This is injustice, the kind Ndigbo are complaining of in Nigeria. We believe that Ndigbo deserve to produce the next president after President Goodluck Jonathan’s tenure because Nigeria stands on a tripod of Hausa/Fulani, Yoruba and Igbo and Hausa/Fulani and Yoruba have continued to exchange the baton of Nigeria’s presidency between them as if Ndigbo does not exit. * Uchem Obi Esq, director of Media and Publicity, Willie Obiano Equity Campaign Group, wrote from Awka

46—Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013

•Aguariavwodo: PDP

•Emerhor: APC

•Osawata:LP

•Dafinone: DPP

Delta Central by-election: The 9 candidates vying for late Ewherido’s seat

BY EMMA AMAIZE

E

FFURUN-NINE candidates, including two women, will square up, tomorrow, in the Delta Central senatorial district by-election.

The seat became vacant because of the death of Senator Pius Ewherido on June 30.

The women flagbearers are Mrs. Atatagolly Hannah Oritsegbubemi Odibe of Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD) and Mrs. Mercy Imonisa, of Kowa Party, KP. Other candidates are Mr. Alfred J.J. Joseph, Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, ACPN; Omoru-Akposheri Edafe-David, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA; Lucky Ighomuaro Ambrose, Mega Progressive Peoples Party, MPPP; and Chief Andi Kayoma Osawota, Labour Party, LP. Also in the race are Chief Ede Dafione- Democratic Peoples Party, DPP; Mr. Emerhor Germanson Oghenetega – All Progressives Congress, APC and Emmanuel AguariavwodoPeoples Democratic Party, PDP. Speaking during a meeting of stakeholders’ election forum for Delta Central by-election, Delta State Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Dame Gesila Khan, said that the election would be held in 1,263 polling units, 85 registration areas and eight local government areas in the senatorial district.

The eight local government areas are Ughelli North, Ughelli South, Udu, Uvwie, Ethiope East, Ethiope-West,

Okpe and Sapele.

She said: “INEC is not unmindful of the publics’ high expectations. I, therefore, assure the people of Delta Central senatorial district that

the commission will leave no stone unturned to ensure a free, fair and credible election.

A situation where any of the participants would appear to foment trouble and constitute

a cog in the wheel of peace and progress will not augur well for the system.”

According to her, “the issue of electoral violence will also cease to flourish or reduced to

the barest minimum when the political parties, their supporters and politicians in general shun the urge to recruit thugs to unleash terror during elections.”

Blessing in disguise for parties

BY EMMA AMAIZE, REGIONAL EDITOR, SOUTHSOUTH & FESTUS AHON

T

HE postponement of the Delta Central senatorial district by-election to October 12 from the initial October 7 by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has twirled to a good thing for the political parties and their candidates.

Three of the major parties, PDP, DPP and APC are fielding the former Managing Director of the Niger-Delta Development Commission, NDDC, and former House of Representatives member, Chief Emmanuel Aguariavwodo; scion of the Dafinone family, Chief Ede Dafinone; and business mogul, Olorogun O’Tega Emerhor respectively as their senatorial candidates.

The Labour Party, LP, has a former Secretary of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Barrister Andrew Osawota as its senatorial flagbearer.

LP chair, Mr. Emeka Nkwoala, confirmed to Vanguard shortly after he emerged from a meeting in Asaba, where INEC announced the postponement that it was a blessing in disguise for the party, as it would afford it the chance to do more campaign for its candidate.

Chairman of the PDP, Chief Peter Nwaoboshi and his DPP counterpart, Chief Tony Ezeagwu, share the same sentiment even though they separately declared that their parties were prepared for the election, anyday.

Indeed, the postponement of the by-election by seven days helped the parties to resolve the differences among the defeated contenders for the party’s ticket.

Major parties Except for the PDP that resolved its own early with former contenders, Obarisi Ovie OmoAgege, Hon. John Agoda and others bowing to the party’s choice of Aguariavwodo, the other major parties for the byelection were almost going into the race with a divided house.

One of those, who lost in the primaries held in Sapele, Hon Solomon Edojah, was said to have proved difficult, but he had since back-pedaled.

The exceptional conciliation for Aguariavwodo by other aspirants is what has given the party strong hope in the by-election.

The APC has extinguished the burning anger of activist and lawyer, Barrister Festus Keyamo, who pulled out of the party’s primaries following what he

described as a sham registration of members to suit the candidate, Olorogun O’Tega Emerhor.

A bitter row also engulfed DPP as Richard Odibo, Napoleon Gbinijie and Abel Oharume protested the emergence of Chief Ede Dafinone. Some leaders, under the auspices of Urhobo Think Tank, Abuja, urged them to bury the hatchet.

The group, led by Engineer Enunuaye Akporotu thanked the party’s arrowhead, Chief Great Ogboru, for wading into the impasse, saying, “what is at stake in Delta Central is to vote for the right candidate, who will rekindle hope for the progress and development of the Urhobo nation.”

The INEC shifted the byelection because sensitive materials for the exercise were not ready. The parties did not feel

they lost anything in the deal, as long as it did not breach the constitutional provision of 30 days to fill the vacancy, beginning from the date the opening was communicated to the Commission by the Senate.

With the postponement of the by-election to October 12, it is observable that the last date of campaign could now be October 11 and possible run-off, October 16.

On the towering anticipation of a just poll, Delta State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dame Gesila Khan, appealed to political parties to engage in elaborate and extensive voter education campaign, adding that “the parties have a dominant role to play towards achieving the desired free, fair and credible electoral process.”

Group vows to vote PDP

A

POLITICAL Pressure Group in Delta State known as Utuama Women in Politics for Agwariawodo has vowed to vote en mass for the Delta Central Senatorial flag bearer of Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Emmanuel Agwariawodo in tomorrow’s election.

In a statement by its Coordinator, Ambassador

Endurance Orubu, the group said the emergence of Agwariawodo is the best thing that has ever happened to the Urhobo people.

The statement read in part:”The group is fully prepared to make sure we deliver PDP in our various local government areas in this senatorial by-election.”

Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013—47

F

OLLOWING the conversion to the exalted principle of Dialogue, Dr Goodluck Jonathan (like a born-again Christian) has sworn in the members of the Advisory Committee on National Dialogue, which by itself has become popular with majority of Nigerians.

The President has quickly followed his words on October 1, with action within a week, thus re-awakening the forlorn hope of many patriots. The heavy burden is now on the broad shoulders of the Chairman, Senator Okurounmu and his eminent members.

Although the work of the PAC (Presidents‘ Advisory Committee) is to prepare the ground for the real Conference, the proper execution of its mandate which is all embracing (to consult widely) would determine the type of dialogue or ‘Conversation‘ that would subsequently follow. According to the President‘s instruction, no opinion, how little or how great should be avoided and according to Senator Okurounmu, no ‘no-go-area‘ has been given by President Jonathan. It is clear that skeptics who doubted the political intention of Mr. President would have been sadly disappointed by the rapidly changing events.

My candid opinion is that the real test of President Jonathan‘s political moves is the process and progress of the real ‘Conversation‘, the final conclusion and his reaction and that of his government.

Some observers believe, and justifiably so, that if there are more than 300 tribal groups in the country and there are 774 local councils in Nigeria, election of participants could be easy through local government areas, and as people say, each tribe has its own identification. It is even considered easy for the major tribes which the present State structure recognized – Hausa/Fulani; Ibo; Yoruba; Edo etc. Some states are not so structurally lucky.

It stands to reason that any meaningful conversation would touch

The new road to Nigerian unity on the structure of the country and would examine the structure of 36 states in ‘harmonizing‘ the people culturally and economically. Some states call for structural examination – Benue State, with predominantly Tiv majority and restless Idoma minority; Delta State with amalgamation of Ibo, Urhobo, Isoko, Ijaw, Itsekiri, etc with no similar religious or cultural similarities apart from known language differences. It is no surprise that these ethnic differences had affected negatively political and economic considerations in recent past in the country.

Apart from State formation structure which appears clearly deficient, the question of electoral process has also become one of the greatest problems of the country. In local politics, this is manifested in the art of selection rather than election. Under national politics, the ‘ winner-takes-all‘ mentality prevails. The current system recognizes only the political parties and the party which gets to the post first is declared the winner (that successful party will be adorned with power and prestige).

A party with 51 per cent of votes lords it over the country, stepping on the rights of the minority (49 per cent).

It becomes a political tragedy if the

losing minority is also another ethnic group. Could arrangement be made for a form of proportional representation where power (and all that goes with it) is shared proportionally? This and other reasons make Dialogue or Conversation necessary in an atmosphere where some particular interests (tribe) cry or allege marginalization of their people and areas.

Many apologists of the present system argue, but not coherently, that the ‘Federal Character‘ provision in the present constitution should take care of any act of marginalization, if it exists.

The answer is clear in that the ‘federal character‘ clause is noted for its breach rather than in its obeisance by the same people who have got to their positions at the expense of others. Some critics of the present Federal Government may have their reasons in Dr. Jonathan‘s appointments to some strategic positions. It might be due to either ethnic considerations or suave political moves to ensure survival.

Some analysts see the value of ‘Conversation‘ an opportunity to examine the structure of government since Independence in 1960. The post 1960 era saw the glory of robust debates in a parliamentary system of

government – ruling party and active opposition. That lively period also witnessed the glaring evidence of some ambitious politicians in army uniforms.

The nation has also witnessed the rise and the sunset of ‘Heads of State and a military President‘; it has also seen the attempts of former rulers to regain power and the failed attempts.

The beauty of a ‘Dialogue‘ is the attempt to examine the present federal system of government in the past 14 years on the country‘s political and economic plane. We should discuss on the obvious failures of the system that makes President Jonathan a political enemy of some ‘Northern politicians‘ who want power back to the North or why that sturdy and resilient race wants an Ibo President. The most intriguing political position at the moment is the plot to see that President Jonathan does not seek re-election in spite of his laudable Transformation Agenda.

Some believe, and rightly so, that if President Jonathan‘s progressive programmes (embedded in Transformation Agenda) are working, perfectly, he should not be denied his constitutional right. Nigeria should be able to judge by the reality of the situation in 2015 those good and reliable roads constructed (some are under construction); modernized airports (we pray to God for no more crash) and the stability of the economy with full employment and less poverty.

BIAFRA Perhaps the ‘Dialogue‘ or ‘Conversation‘ would provide the golden opportunity for us to know and hear about the glory that once pervaded the Biafra deep blue sky but got missing in the present South-Eastern States with intelligent Ibo leaders and their own regular share of oil money. We either talk now or forever keep our mouths in Lagos shut forever.

C/RIVER: Why we excluded APC from council polls — Otu, CROSIEC chairman SIR Patrick Otu, two-time Chairman Cross-Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC), in this interview with Vanguard speaks on the challenges the commission had in the last local council election, controversies arising from the merger of the APC and its non-participation in the election and how to strengthen SIECs among others.

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

C

HALLENGES CROSIEC faced during the recent local council election The challenges of the election had to do with the terrain of the place, the issue of ad-hoc staff, the issue of registration of the All Progressives Congress, APC and its participation in the election.

Controversies over APC’s non-inclusion The merger of parties had never happened in Nigeria. And what we have today is a novelty. It’s for Nigerians to learn.

When we started the process of election (local governments) on the 18th of March 2013, ACN, ANPP, CPC were all there. They followed us gradually to the point.

In fact, we relied on them.

And the contest was on the way when APC got registered. And even though we were carrying on with the process, our intention was that whether APC comes, they will still allow CPC, ACN, ANPP to continue to the end

before they now got into the alliance. But the moment APC was registered; INEC withdrew the certificates of those parties.

Which meant everything that happened with those parties got terminated midway. And APC was not there when we started on the 18th of March. And the registration of APC came up one month and 21 days to our election. I had printed materials, we had finished everything. In fact, the journey was up for the election because it’s not one and half months to election that you print materials.

That is why you will see ACN, ANPP, and CPC on our ballot papers. And for Cross-Rivers State, we don’t always print our ballot papers in respect of the parties that are doing business in the state. We put all the parties because we don’t want anybody to accuse us of exclusion. So we did that, but by the registration of APC, even INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega came up and referred Nigerians to the Electoral Act, that APC can only participate in elections after 90 days of

•Otu registration. We don’t make the laws. CROSIEC was founded by the law and there is nothing in our laws that cover mergers. We don’t have powers to postpone elections. It’s not only CROSIEC; none of the States Independent Electoral Commissions has powers to postpone the total election programme. When we can postpone is when election is under-way and there’s violence in a particular local government, or if there’s any imminent violence in a ward or a local government we say let us not do it. Even when we did this election, we suspected one ward and we shifted it by one week; that is the law not that because a party has been registered, then the whole

process has to wait. It’s not in our law and we can’t do anything that is outside our law.

Did you hold a stakeholders’ meeting to discuss these issues with all the political parties?

Yes, I held meeting with all the political parties.

And what did they say?

They argued and even the national body of APC wrote to us pleading, asking that we should find a way to accommodate APC. And what did PDP say?

PDP sat there and never argued the matter. They said well, let the commission sit and think of what to do. They said so because they know that there’s no legal ground for that. The process of registering APC started on March 18, they were registered on July 31, and the election was held on September 21.

What is the APC accusing you of?

They alleged that I told people that PDP and the state government were mounting pressure on me not to allow APC to participate. And I said how?

For example, in our law, it’s only a question of security that will make us postpone elections. And it’s not us that will raise the issue.

In 2005, Governor Donald Duke raised the issue and we called stakeholders throughout the state, addressed them that we are postponing elections because of

insecurity, everybody was aware and the election got postponed.

But there’s nothing like that this time around. What they want us to do, the commission can’t take the political decision.

How long have you been the head of CROSIEC? I have been there since 2005 and I’m doing my second term.

So, by 2015 my tenure will elapse.

So you realize that The 1999 AD and APP experience Then, those parties were still there as registered parties in spite of the alliance. But now, the certificates of the merged parties have been withdrawn.

What’s the way forward?

You see, like I said, it’s lawmakers and the court that will determine the issue. And I keep telling them that the commission is a legal entity and whatever the court says, the commission will abide. All the things we are talking are based on the legislation we have on ground.

The question of the government of the state having influence on us is not true.

Cross River State has never had care-taker committee since 1999. If not the only state, it’s one of the few states which have had democracy at the grassroots level since 1999. It’s ACN and ANPP that used to measure up with PDP but because this scenario has led them out of the election that is why the election became a one-party affair.

48 —Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR

CHIEF Solomon Lar who died on Wednesday at 80, was at the point of his demise one of THE longest enduring political faces in the country. He was evidently one of a handful of still active politicians who started jostling from the colonial era. Typical of the exhibitionism that characterised politics in the first republic, Lar till his death, was remembered for his showmanship on the political platform as regularly demonstrated by his all present white handkerchief.

Lar’s longevity on the political platform was in the opinion of many political stakeholders a result of his adept combination of political wax and wits. Many others saw him as a master political bridge builder. It was as such no accident that as at wednesday, he remained one of the few linkages between the first republic politics and the fourth republic.

The zenith of Lar’s political odyssey was his appointment as national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, having before then been the first civilian governor of his native old Plateau State. His appointment as national chairman of the PDP followed the decision of the then protem national chairman, Dr. Alex Ekwueme to contest the presidential ticket of the party in 1998.

National chairman As national chairman of the party, he presided over what has turned out to be the most democratic of all the presidential primaries of the party hosted in his political base, Jos, Plateau State in 1998. That success was also alleged to have turned into a political undoing as the winner of the primaries, Olusegun Obasanjo, just out of jail, reportedly vowed not to work with Lar as national chairman. The flamboyant Lar was said to have angered Obasanjo when he stood up at the convention for almost one hour on the excuse that he would not leave his house and open the convention unless he was heralded into the Jos Township Stadium, venue of the primary election by police outriders!

Following the primary, Obasanjo commenced the process of restructuring the party structure and staff to make it more compliant to his taste, and Lar became a primary target. In November 1999, Obasanjo ensured that a less showy and more compliant chairman in the person of Chief Barnabas Gemade was elected national chairman of the party.

Lar, however, remained active in the party and was shelved to the then powerless Board of Trustees as chairman. His problems with Obasanjo remained on the periphery of the

Lar:The linkman with the past

•Lar power play that characterised the party up till 2006 when Lar openly sided with Obasanjo’s active foe and deputy, Atiku Abaubakr.

Indeed, only few remember today that Lar alongside some other powerful party chieftains were the first to form a parallel national executive of the PDP in 2006 as their rejection of the total seizure of the party structure and system by Obasanjo.

Obasanjo’s response was to use security agencies to shut down the parallel office established by the Lar group, which eventually never got a footing.

While Lar did not leave the PDP, he remained a distant grandee of the party attending party functions whenever his failing health allowed him. He was, nevertheless, compensated with the election of his daughter, Bene Lar into the House of Representatives in 2007.

His national political standing nonetheless, Lar was sometimes flayed at home for his role in backing some of Plateau’s more controversial political personalities. Senator Joshua Dariye, the former governor of the state and Senator Ibrahim Mantu, the immediate past deputy president of the Senate were two of the state’s more divisive political leaders who got foothold in the PDP in 1999 reportedly through Lar. As he grew older, Lar returned to the original political course he started his trade from – Middle Belt activism.

In later years, he became a strident voice for the emancipation of the Middle Belt geopolitical zone.

Lar who was born in April 1933 in Langtang, Plateau State had his primary education at the Sudan United Mission Primary

School in Langtang, and then proceeded to the famous Gindiri Teachers College, Gindiri, Plateau State where he obtained the Higher Elementary Certificate that qualified him to be a teacher.

He commenced his political career in 1959 when he contested and won the councillorship election in the Langtang Native Authority, and the same year, he was also elected into the House of Representatives on the ticket of the United Middle Belt Congress (UMBC). He won reelection in 1964 and became a close associate of the then Prime Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa who he served as a parliamentary secretary whilst at the same time serving as junior minister in the Federal Ministry of Establishment.

Following the military incursion of 1966, Lar took time out to study law at the Ahmadu Bello University and was called to the bar in 1971. He would be remembered for his pioneering role in the establishment of the legal aid system having served as the first national secretary of the Nigerian Legal Aid Association.

He was also vice-chairman of the committee that recommended the establishment of 19 states out

of the then 12 states in 1976. At the return of democratic rule in 1979, Lar was elected governor of Plateau State and was returned to power in 1983 but was forced out by the military putsch of December 31, 1983.

At the advent of the third republic he joined the Social Democratic Party, SDP and backed Chief Moshood Abiola for the 1993 presidential election, and following the annulment, he was one of those appointed by General Sani Abacha to stabilise the government as Minister of Police Affairs. Lar, however, left the government not long after reportedly after seeing through the power grab desperation of General Abacha.

He was to subsequently team up with likeminded democrats in forming the G9 which cascaded to the G34 that formed the nucleus of the PDP in 1998.

Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State one of the nine original founders of the PDP said in a text message yesterday that Lar would be especially missed at this period. “As a member of G9 he left when Nigeria, democracy and especially PDP needed him most.” That was an appropriate epitaph for a bridge builder.

His unfulfilled dream

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

UNTIL his death on Wednesday, Chief Solomon Lar had a goal he could not attain: stemming the raging crises in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

But for ill-health, Lar, who took over from Protem Chairman of the PDP, Dr Alex Ekwueme as national chairman in 1998, wanted the crises to be resolved before the end of last month and was prepared to cut short his medical trip abroad to realise the quest. He did not hit the target before he passed on.

Lar said in a statement early September by the Executive Director of Solomon Lar Foundation, Mr. Adeyi Major: “The PDP cannot be divided. We, as a political class will not fail the country. There must be a way out of this storm. All those who mean well for Nigeria will not want a spilt in the PDP. Nobody will pray for a repeat of the 1966 political disaster again.

“I am making efforts to cut my medical trip short to return to the

Solomon Lar’s words on the marble IN his over 50 years sojourn in politics, Elder statesman, first civilian governor of Plateau State and first National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Solomon Daushep Lar, left his footprints on the sands of time. He made an avalanche of interventions in the series of challenges the nation faced. See excerpts below. this is why he is participating were coming from all over the

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE actively in politics. places, like Kano, Borno, Yola, N Boko Haram When we were put in the and Kaduna to take refuge If we demonstrate our prison in 1984 by the General whenever there were problems patriotism, the few elements Buhari and Idiagbon regime there. So, Jos was a place of disturbing the country will find under the pretext that some of peace where everybody was it difficult to carry out their evil us stole money but I never stole looking forward to coming to acts and their activities will a penny; the military were just because the people did not come to an end. trying to make excuses to discriminate against visitors.

On military incursion into interfere with the political During the administration of politics and his incarceration administration – something Nigeria People’s Party (NPP) in

by General Muhammadu that they don’t have business the 1980’s in the state, all Buhari in 1983 with. people from over the country I have forgiven Buhari. I think On recurring ethno- were trooping in. In the he acted in ignorance because religious violence on the judiciary we had people who I know that he has realised that Plateau were not indigenes of the state. what he did was wrong and This was the state that people We had people from Anambra,

O

Oyo, Bendel, Lagos, Kaduna, Kano, etc, who came to work here. They looked at Plateau as the centre of Nigeria. Plateau was a state of hope for the hopeless. This is where people would come to take refuge. Why is it that suddenly, Plateau will now be the one to take refuge somewhere?

On state police There used to be State Police called ‘Yandoka.’ Yandoka were molesting people. They were agents of oppression.

They were being used by chiefs, by the politicians in those areas. We say never again shall we have anything like the State Police.

Vanguard, FRIDAY OCTOBER 11, 2013 — 49

Al Qaeda: Libyan PM freed by armed gang

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IBYAN prime min ister Ali Zeidan Thursday said that he is ‘fine’ after being freed by militants who kidnapped him from a hotel in Tripoli and demanded that he resign.

The kidnapping was carried out by a militia Thursday in revenge for the government’s role in the capture of a top Al Qaeda suspect by U.S. troops.

But Zeidan was released six hours after he and two of his guards were snatched from the Corinthia Hotel, where he lives, and returned to government headquarters.

After regaining his freedom, the prime minister tweeted: ‘I am fine, thank God. If the aim of the kidnapping operation was for me to present my resignation, then I won’t resign. We are taking small steps, but in the right direction.’

He told his cabinet: ‘We hope this matter will be treated with wisdom and rationality, far from tension,’ he said. ‘There are many things that need dealing with.’

He later appealed for calm in a television

broadcast, saying: ‘I hope this problem will be resolved with reason and wisdom’ and without any ‘escalation’.

Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague ex-

pressed relief at the news, tweeting: ‘I welcome release of Libyan PM. We will work with Libyan gov on ensuring the transition remains on track and insecurity is addressed.’

Shutdown: Obama to consider Republican offer

T

HE White House said Thursday President Barack Obama would be open to a Republican plan for a shortterm debt ceiling hike — but only if no conditions are attached hold him to “ransom.”

White House spokesman Jay Carney also warned Obama would not accept another part of the evolving Republican approach to end a political impasse — negotiations on long-term budget deal before the federal government is reopened.

Fast moving political maneuvering on Thursday led to the first signs that the imbroglio which has sent hundreds of thousands of federal workers home and sparked fears of a debt default, could be drawing to an end game.

House of Representa-

tives Speaker John Boehner, caught between his restive caucus and fears the US could default without a deal to raise the debt ceiling by October 17, made the early running. “Listen, it is time for leadership,” said Boehner, emerging from a meeting with Republican lawmakers to offer a sixweek extension of US borrowing authority.

But the Republican plan would not end the partial shutdown of the US government until Obama enters talks on a long-term budget deal — a step the White House has so far refused to take.

The White House reacted to the debt ceiling offer cautiously, apparently awaiting to ensure that the Republican proposal does not come with conditions attached.

Taylor to serve 50-year jail in UK

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OTORIOUS warlord Charles Taylor is to serve his 50-year jail term in a British prison, ministers announced Thursday.

The former president of

Liberia was convicted by the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) on 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including terrorism, murder, rape and using child

Security Council wants peacekeepers for CAR

T

HE Security Coun cil unanimously adopted a resolution on Thursday urging the United Nations to consider establishing a fullfledged peacekeeping force in virtually lawless Central African Republic.

The landlocked, mineral-rich Central African Republic, or CAR, has slipped into chaos since northern Seleka rebels seized the capital, Bangui, and ousted President Francois Bozize in March. U.N. officials and rights groups say both sides may have committed war crimes.

“Your vote provides a glimmer of hope for the 4.6 million men, women and children in the CAR,” CAR’s U.N. Ambassador Charles Armel Doubane told the council after the vote.

Last month French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius warned that CAR risked becoming a new Somalia if it did not get immediate support.

The resolution adopted

by the 15-member council calls on U.N. Secretary-General Ban Kimoon to submit a report within 30 days that would outline possible international support to a planned African Union peacekeeping mission to CAR known as MISCA.

soldiers.

UK justice minister Jeremy Wright said, ‘The conviction of Charles Taylor is a landmark moment for international justice.’

The controversial decision to send Taylor to Britain could cost the taxpayer up to £80,000-ayear to keep him in a maximum security prison.

Last month Taylor lost his appeal against his convictions, which made him the first former head of state convicted by an international court since Nuremberg trials of Nazi leaders after the Second World War.

UK endorses UN’s IPCC report on climate change

BY VERA SAMUEL ANYAGAFU

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HE United King dom’s government has endorsed United Nations Intergovernmental report on global climate change after the body presented the most comprehensive three volume assessment report of science of climate change ever undertaken.

The report which disclosed the fundamental role in reinforcing the need to respond to changing climate according to Hague, “ will be used by governments around the world to inform their re-

sponse to one of the greatest threats we face.”

He also stated that “The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s latest assessment of the science confirms that climate change is already happening as a result of human activity.

The odds of extreme weather events, which threaten lives and property, have increased. Sea levels are rising, and ice is melting faster than we expected. The IPCC’s report makes clear that unless we act now to reduce carbon emissions, all this will continue to worsen in coming decades."

50— VANGUARD,

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013

Hajj update from Saudi Arabia

Bok o Har am activities ha ought Boko Haram havve br brought Islam tto o disreput e— Oy akhire disrepute —Oy Oyakhire •Urges Muslims not to relent in pursuit of knowledge

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ORMER Military Administrator of Taraba and Oyo States, Dr Amen Oyakhire has lamented the undue castigation of Islam and Muslims as a result of the un-Islamic activities of Boko Haram in the country.

Oyakhire who is also a detective of Scotland Yard Fame, made this known while addressing Muslims on fasting and other acts of worship in Benin recently.

He said: Boko Haramists have continuously come under fire for a catalogue of serious failings. The unIslamic activities of the Sect have brought the impeccable reputation of Islam into tartars. Islamic Tradition has since the emergence of BokoHaram insurgency been seriously vilified and believers castigated. Many citizens have been killed by Boko-Haramist terrorists everywhere including places of worship in Nigeria.

According to him, Boko Haramists are ignorant of Islam. Islam regards life as sacred. They are violent deviants who have hitherto jettisoned or ignored participation in any dialogue with Government. They would eventually do so because they have no reasonable choice. The rational application of integrity and intellect produces peace for mankind.

Peace is not just the absence of social tension but the presence of justice which Islam symbolises. There is no peace for the wicked. Woe to every sinful liar. Peace is fundamentally required for growth and development.

The Islamic scholar advised Muslims never to relent in the pursuit of knowledge as it remains a catalyst that restores human dignity.

True Muslims are commanded to continuously seek knowledge through education, formal and informal, because it is the foundation of wisdom, light and power being a catalyst that restores human dignity.

Education is life. It is a great resource for empowerment.

It produces knowledge for public good. The Holy Quran emphasises knowledge in several verses coupled with the Prophetic proclamation that a scholars ink is more

precious than a Martyr's blood.

It is desirable for people to learn from one another in the same way iron sharpens iron.

True Muslims understand clearly from knowledge and experience and greatly appreciate the inimitable fact that this world is basically held by four invisible pillars: notably, the unusual wisdom of the Learned, the impeccable justice of the Great, the immutable prayers of the Righteous and the impregnable valour of the Brave.

He also urged Muslims to be conscious of their health by eating good and balanced diet in order to be mentally and physically healthy to participate effectively in all acts of ibadah enjoined by Allah.

We live in Nigeria, a country in West Africa, with a growing population of over one hundred and sixty million people who are often prone to diseases, trepidation, hunger and poverty because of under development caused by bad and insincere leaders.

Muslims should eat a variety of healthy meals from the five different food groups, rich in

nutrients and balanced diets to be mentally and physically healthy to participate effectively in fasting and other acts of worships.

Balanced diets help to lower blood pressure such as potassium, calcium and magnesium. They prevent and reduce the occurrence of diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart related problems. Prevalent among the many diseases that often kill Nigerians are cancer, diabetes, hypertension, malaria, typhoid and aids because education and health are not treated as issues of priority by government.

Almighty Allah appreciates the value of good health for mankind and pronounced cure for diseases for His Prophets in six Chapters in the Holy Quran, notably, Q117, 914, 1057, 1782, 2680 and 4144 respectively. Muslims must be very careful with health matters because only the healthy and living can diligently and faithfully worship Allah. The dead does not praise Allah.

Reasonably socialise and be merry, Oyakhire said.

•The 15 lucky winners of MTN Hajj trip

•Osun state pilgrims in Madinah

MTN airlifts 15 customers to hajj

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HE General Manager, MTN Customer care, Hajia Fehintola Mustapha has said that the leading mobile network is poised towards rewarding its subscribers through different promos and giving back to the society.

Leading 15 out of the 17 Muslim lucky winners to Saudi Arabia on Holy pilgrimage, Mustapha stated that the rewarding customers with all-expensepaid Hajj trip to Saudi Arabia was one out of several other promos aimed at giving back to its subscribers who have remained on the nextwork.

Mustapha stated this shortly before the lucky winners were airlifted by Emirate airlines to Saudi Arabia recently.

According to her, all the pilgrims will be staying in a 5-star hotel near haram in Makkah with all estacodes paid.

Fielding questions from

newsmen, she stated that •gMTN is targeted towards enriching people’s lives. In the last Ramadan, we rolled out a promo for the Muslim faithful which entails downloading ‘callers tunes’ with a chance to win an allexpense-paid trip to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj rites including staying in a 5-star hotel near haram in Makkah.

So, 17 of them emerged winners and out of that number two did not show up. S, it is just about rewarding our customers that have stayed on our network for so long and to show that we love them and appreciate them and want them to continue on the network.•h She stated that similar promos are available for the Christian faithful.

The winners who flew to the holy land in Emirate airline lauded MTN for helping them to realise their dreams of going to hajj for the first time.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013—51

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VANGUARD'S LAGOS OFFICE YOU CAN B O O K Y O U R A D V E R T S AT OU R L A G O S I S L A N D O F FI C E — VA N G U A R D MEDIA LIMITED (LAGOS OFFICE) K I O S K 4 8 E A S T P AV I L I O N T B S , LAGOS.

FG to develop herbs, plant medicines —Chukwu

By CHRIS OCHAYI

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BUJA—DETER MINED to meet the health needs of the populace and raise the revenue profile of the country, the Federal Government, yesterday, said it will ensure that herbal and natural medicines are optimally developed to the benefit of mankind.

Health Minister, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu who said this at the flagging off of Herbs, Health Foods and Natural Products Expo otherwise known as HerbFest 2013, in Abuja, said it was time Nigeria followed the footsteps of China, Ghana, India to optimally exploit herbs and natural medicines endowments to the health and economic benefits of Nigerians.

The exhibition which took place at the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, Maitama, Abuja was organised by Bioresources Institute of Nigeria. The event was graced by prominent Nigerians including Presidential adviser on Inter party Affairs, Senator Ben Obi, former governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim and delegations from the United States of America, US, South Africa and Kenya.

Represented by the Director General of National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, NIPRD, Prof.K.S Gamaniel, the minister noted that “the Federal Government is determined to ensure that the nation derives both the health and economic benefits inherent in herbal medicine practice and promote its development.”

He said, “the inauguration of the two committees was necessitated by my strong belief in the potential of herbal medicine to provide additional avenue for the improvement of the health status of Nigeria and on the need to ensure that the nation joins other countries such as Ghana, China and India that have taken giant strides in the development of medicinal plants for the benefits of their citizen”.

In her remarks the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Mrs Rabi S. Jimeta, disclosed that efforts are being made to evolve a means of integrating traditional medicine technologies and practices.

52 — Vanguard, FRIDAY OCTOBER 11, 2013

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08053068728

If I were Keshi... you attack because, at this time, they would have slowed down, especially if they do not score in those early minutes of incessant attacks. Naturally, they cannot continue with the same pace. After those early minutes, their endurance could drop and that’s

,

AGLES can win the match in Addis Ababa on Sunday. A draw is possible.

And they can, as well, lose it. Sometimes, in sports, a better team loses. It happens in both team and individual events. A lot of factors cause this.

You can lose to a weaker team when you underrate them. With all your finesse and techniques, a fighting team, with guts and stupendous will, overpowers you. A team endowed with technical prowess can lose to a team full of determination. A hungrier team can shock a team with superior skills.

A team full of highly technical players but whose fitness is poor can lose to a fitter team. A good team can lose on their bad day; when luck runs away from them.

Surely, you must have watched a match in which players from a team attack consistently, hitting the post three or four times but eventually losing to a side that soaked all the pressure and converted only one chance that came their way. Football is funny.

Weather can make a seemingly good team lose to a side more adaptable to it. A team with high quality players can lose to a team better coached or a team better prepared. I can go on and on to enumerate what can make a favoured team lose to another rated lower.

And it is against this background that I warn and at the same time plead with the Eagles not to underrate Ethiopia on Sunday. It is against this background that I insist on a sound tactical approach to the game.

Against an improved Ethiopia whose passing game can exhaust the Eagles in a weather that may not be conducive to our players it will be suicidal to play total football, the one they call massive attack and massive defence, throughout the 90 minutes of the game.

If I were Stephen Keshi, the Eagles manager, I would, first divide the game into two or three segments and adopt different strategies for each segment. The way you play away matches could be different from home games. And the character, discipline, strength and weaknesses of the opposition determine your own approach.

Against Ethiopia, therefore, it is simply natural that the home team, inspired by the home support, could go full blast on kick off. You could pull strings to contain them and after 20 minutes or there about,

A team endowed with technical prowess can lose to a team full of determination

,

the best time to attack. You could score at this time.

And when you do, you close up the game because they would naturally throw more men in front to equalise. The opponents will now be doing more running and you try to contain them. The way to do this depends on the coach. One attacker can fall deeper and the midfield would be tighter with the defence. It is closing up the game and not necessarily being totally defensive. If it works out, another goal can be created through the counter attack, otherwise in the last ten minutes of the half, when the struggling team would again be dropping in endurance again after their possible incessant attacks, you could open up the game and attack. So you could first close the game, explode after 20 minutes, close the game again and explode in the last ten or five minutes. The score line, however, determines a lot in the way you switch these

strategies. But, having watched Ethiopia, they don’t play the kind of power game that may compel you to try to contain them first. They pass the ball and make short runs that could knock you out of your stride. If their shooting is as good as their passing game, they could beat any team in Africa. Because of their character, Eagles could attack them on the blast of the whistle. I could use power game. Position, power and pace will be my catch words. With direct play that could aggressively take the game to their half I could overpower them and score first. But I must be mindful of the weather and fitness level of my team and will also strictly work out segments in the game- when to close the game and when to attack – otherwise you could score one or two goals first and later concede more. It happens in football.

The Eagles have the players to win the match and their experience should count. They have the support of the government, that of the football federation and the Nigerian people. A good match plan could earn them victory. A poor one can make them lose. Remember how I started. A team with superior players can lose to one highly determined and hungrier. May it not happen to us in Ethiopia.

Amen.

Deborah Nwakaego Okpala goes home

T

HE Quicksilver of Nigerian football, Sylvanus Okpala and his family members will today, in Mkpologwu town in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, commit to mother earth, their beloved mother, Nwakaego Okpala. Governor Peter Obi, who has been supportive of ex Rangers players, will likely attend the burial according to his aide on sports Arthur Egbunam. Ex Rangers players and some teammates in the Green Eagles will also attend the burial. The Nigeria Football Federation will also be represented. Okpala won the Nations Cup as a player in 1980 and as an assistant coach to Keshi early this year in South Africa.

May the soul of his mother rest in peace. Take heart my good friend, fondly called Hafia in Enugu, nicknamed Quick Silver in Eagles by late Ernest Okonkwo and called Oba Benin and Idi Amin by those who followed him from his primary and Secondary school days as a first class footballer.

A win is the only option against Eagles — Ethiopian coach E

THIOPIAN national football team has been in camp since mid- September preparing for a clash with Nigeria in their crucial first leg World Cup playoff that will take place at the Addis Ababa stadium on Sunday 13 October. Cafonline.com spoke with the head Coach Sewnet Bishaw ahead of the match.

What are your expectations for Sunday’s match?

Bishaw: We have never reached the World Cup final before but we believe there is time for Ethiopia to get a place in that global football bonanza. This year we have reached this decisive group of ten where we have only two matches to play to make the World Cup finals. It is a do-or-die situation. I personally believe that on Sunday we don’t have any other option than to win The Nigerians are highly favoured to go through but you sound confident of a win over a strong opponent, why is that?

I know that Nigeria is one of the football power houses of Africa. They have appeared four times at the World Cup finals in 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010. But one must be aware that it’s not always the strong side that wins in the football competition. The results are

determined after 90 minutes. We are the outsiders from the start.

Nigerians didn’t get this big name by one stroke.

Our successive wins in the qualifiers have given us belief and we have risen on the FIFA ranking.

Within Africa we have already begun to gain reputation. So now we target to win over the strong Nigerian side and aim to take our country to the World Cup finals.

The home fans expect your words to be realized.

This is a football match.

We go to the pitch to win.

But this doesn’t mean that the team that really wants success the most will win.

If there is a set- back, we have to accept it. This is football. We will do everything possible to win but if that is not realized our home fans must prepare themselves to accept the result as it is.

Some of the national players had the

Keshi

•Bishaw continental club competition. Due to this they were not together with others. Did this affect you?

Well almost all players have been together since

mid -September. At first we had two times training in a day but now we do only once a day. Their condition is quite good, the spirit is high and they are highly inspired to make history for

their country and themselves.

Your side’s top striker Getaneh Kebede is injured. Do you think he will be ready for Sunday?

Yes, Getaneh had injury problem while playing for his club in South Africa and has been sidelined for some time. After joining the national side this week I didn’t get an assurance from the doctors that he will

be fit to play the coming Sunday. He is a key player for us but if he is not fit we have others equally competent strikers. The good news is that all other players are in good health. Saladin Seid, Shimeles Bekele and Addis Hintsa who are returned from their clubs are in good form. So there is no worry in the absence Getaneh Kebede.

Vanguard, FRIDAY OCTOBER 11, 2013 — 53

No excuses not to beat Ethiopia — Eagles

A

S

UPER Eagles’ standin captain, Vincent Enyeama, has declared that they will have no excuses for not making a positive result in the first leg of their World Cup qualifier playoff tie against Ethiopia on Sunday.

Lille’s number one squashed fears that Ethiopia’s high altitude could have adverse effect on the Eagles. He said that they are training hard to keep their chances high.

Enyeama also said that the Eagles are aware of the stakes involved in the game and that to secure the World Cup qualifier ticket they have to win at the Addis Ababa Stadium on Sunday.

“We just have to keep working hard, it’s the most important game for the year and we really know what’s at stake in Brazil and we have to be there.”

“We just have to win, it’s not going to come on a platter of gold or a bed of roses. We just have to work hard and train hard and we will get the result we want,” he said.

The return leg of the game will be played on November 16 at the UJ Esuene Stadium, Calabar, where the Eagles have never lost a game.

Enyeama

Emenike

FCON champions, Nigeria’s Super Eagles, will flaunt their credentials in Addis Ababa, on Sunday, when they confront Ethiopia, in the first leg of the final round of the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The continent’s premier sports network, SuperSport, will broadcast the titanic clash in the spectacular pictures of High Definition live from 2.30pm CAT on SS3HD and SS3.

All eyes will be on the Super Eagles to maintain their prestige as champions after featuring with the best in the world at the last Fifa Confederations Cup, in Brazil.

It’s another opportunity for Stephen Keshi to

Eagles storm Addis Ababa tomorrow morning

N

I G E R I A’ S delegation to Sunday ’s 2014 FIFA World Cup final elimination fixture, first leg encounter between the Super Eagles and Walya Antelopes of Ethiopia will arrive in Addis Ababa on Saturday morning.

NFF General Secretary, Barrister Musa Amadu disclosed on Thursday that the Boeing 787 Jetliner, which has been chartered for the trip,

Super4 returns!

Three cities are said to have expressed interest to host the Super Four of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) scheduled to hold at the close of the on-going season. The Super Four wil also accommodate an all stakeholders’ talk shop and capacity building aimed at fostering greater consensus.

Salihu Abubakar, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the League Management Company (LMC) declined to reveal the bidding cities but only said, “It is not Lagos, it is not Aba and it is not Kano”.

He then said that the Super Four has been repackaged to bring greater

DStv’s SuperSport showcases Eagles in Addis Ababa

excitement to fans and benefits to potential sponsors.

On the date for the tournament, Abubakar said it will hold one week after the close of the 2013 season. “The four top teams of the Glo Premier League will enjoy a week’s break at the end of the ongoing season and return to a yet to be agreed venue for the Super Four ”, disclosed the LMC official.

One of the innovations of the new Super Four, he further disclosed will be the use of electronic advertising boards on the perimeters. “One of the new things on the plate for the Super Four will be the use of electronic perimeter

will depart the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at 1.40am on Saturday and touch down at the Addis Ababa Airport minutes after 8am, Ethiopian time. Ethiopia is two hours ahead of Nigeria.

The delegation will comprise of 23 players, four coaches, eight backroom staff, Members of the NFF Executive Committee, officials of the National Sports Commission, Members of the National Assembly, NFF Management and some Secretariat Staff, advertising panels which will enhance the ambience at the venue and also deliver quality value to our sponsors”, explained Abubakar.

While pointing out that the Super Four is open to sponsorship, he added that such sponsors will be brands and businesses that are not in competition with the title sponsor of the League.

Irabor

make history as the first Nigerian to qualify two countries for the World Cup after his 2006 feat with Togo.

I n t e r e s t i n g l y, SuperSport’s broadcast will be backed with crisp audio and surround sound capabilities of HD. According to Mr Felix Awogu, General Manager of SuperSport, the company will equally deploy its top talents and crew to ensure perfect production that will complement the expected action on the field.

SuperSport will also produce and broadcast what promises to be the biggest match to be played by the Afcon champions this year, at their fortress, the U.J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar, when both sides converge for the crucial second leg.

It will also be available in SuperSport High Definition.

Chioma Ajunwa marks spor ts show for Makoko students

F

(L-R) Elderson Echiejile and Ahmed Musa of Nigeria line up for the national anthem stakeholders, media representatives and members of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club, all totalling 263 persons.

NFF’s advance party of two persons, in Addis Ababa since Tuesday, has been working assiduously with officials of the Nigeria Embassy in Ethiopia to tidy up all arrangements for the delegation.

On Thursday, the advance party met with officials of the Ethiopian Football Federation to verify reports that the EFF was determined to stop Nigerian supporters from going into the stadium with their drums and trumpets on

match day. EFF officials denied this.

A member of the advance party said on Thursday: “Addis Ababa is quite busy in readiness for the meeting of African Heads of State and Government, and major hotels are fully booked.

But the NFF made arrangements much earlier and all members of the delegation will be catered for.”

Accommodation, transportation, security and match ticket details have been resolved and the NFF expects no hitch as the Eagles confront their 2013 Africa Cup of Nations victims in the Antelopes’ backyard.

EMALE students from Makoko, a slum in Lagos, will today participate in a swimming and basketball clinic that could inspire them to take to sports as a liberation tool from the exigencies of their area and other vices that have not helped the development of many of them.

It is one of the programmes marking the International Day Of The Girl Child in Nigeria today.

The International Day Of The Girl Child is a United Nations observance programme meant to increase their awareness on gender inequality and create more opportunities for girls. And today ’s programme will attempt to do just that for the students of Makoko who will be at the Basketball court of the National Stadium and the Swimming Pool at the nearby Teslim Balogun Stadium for the sports programmes that will include a talk show, film show, basketball and swimming clinics.

54—Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013

C M Y K

Vanguard, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013—55

C M Y K

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013

INCREDIBLE RUN! E

No excuses not to beat Ethiopia — Eagles (P(P.53) .53) INSIDE TODAY'S CENTRE-SPREAD

Eagles storm Addis Ababa tomorrow morning DStv’s SuperSport showcases Eagles in Addis Ababa Super4 returns!

THIOPIA qualified for the play-offs ahead of South Africa in their group despite having to forfeit three points for fielding an ineligible player against Botswana.

They won all three of their home matches in the group, including a 2-1 victory over Bafana Bafana, as part of an incredible home record where they have won ten and drawn three of their past 13 matches in Addis Ababa, with victories in each of their last eight. Nigeria struggled to score despite going unbeaten in their group, netting just seven in six games, and drew two of three away matches at Malawi and Namibia.

Nigerian fan

Ethiopian fan

•Full fixtures in today's Sports Vanguard

•Details Inside Mba

QUICK CROSSWORD

Sudoku TODAY'S

PUZZLE

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Neat (4) 4 Merriment (3) 6 Chop (4) 8 Harmony (6) 9 Negligent (6) 10 Barrier (3) 12 Expect (5) 14 Unfasten (5) 15 Lead (5) 18 Profession (6) 20 Climb (6) 24 Maxim (5) 26 Portion (5) 28 Boat (5) 30 Moist (3) 32 Mendicant (6) 33 Fly (6) 34 Enthusiasm (4) 35 Child (3) 36 Fete (4)

DOWN 2 Renovate (5) 3 Projectile (7) 4 Loving (4) 5 Standard (4) 6 Mortal (5) 7 Pad (7) 11 Donkey (3) 12 Curve (3) 13 Golf-peg (3) 16 Weapon (3) 17 Headgear (3) 19 Attain (7) 21 Pen (3) 22 Layer (7) 23 Spot (3) 25 Poem (3) 27 Correct (5) 29 Inn (5) 30 Summons (4) 31 Bitter (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 2, Scorn 7, Youth 8, Stain 10, Rapid 12, Art 13, Until 15, Deduced 17, Reaper 19, Nun 20, Tussock 23, Eyed 25, Howl 26, Default 30, Law 31, Yellow 34, Nominal 37, Learn 38, Tug 39, Yield 40, Sight 41, Egret 42, Store.

How to Play Sudoku

DOWN: 1, Borne 2, Strip 3, Charlet 4, Raid 5, Staunch 6, Sited 9, Arc 11, Densely 13, Urged 14, Taped 16, Duo 18, Runaway 21, Koala 22, Clown 27, Delight 27, Fan 28, Teller 29, Motif 32, Ledge 33, Order 35, Mug 36, List.

TWO WEEKS TO LIVE

P

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

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

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

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