How kidnappers got Okonjo-Iweala's mother

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...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61772

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

Award winning story took me three months to investigate •P.50

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—Vanguard's Ishola Balogun

DPO, 13 others killed as JTF, gunmen clash in •P 6 Yobe

How kidnappers got Okonjo-Iweala's mother •Mounted one-week surveillance on parent's palace •Took advantage of porous security •Police, Army, DSS, Customs lay siege to Ogwashi-Uku •Uduaghan, security chiefs relocate to affected town

EMMA AMAIZE, REGIONAL EDITOR, SOUTH-SOUTH, AUSTIN OGWUDA & FESTUS AHON

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SABA — THE gunmen, who abducted Professor Mabel Kamene Titi Okonjo, the 82-year-old mother of the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Continues on page 5

Who shall •PG.17 protect us?

•P.19

Mr & Mrs

KIDNAP—The Palace of the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku where Prof. Okonjo-Iweala's mother was kidnapped. Inset: The abducted Prof. Okonjo (top). Below: Gov. Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State addressing the Okonjo family members (left): Right: Gov. Uduaghan and Prince Onyema Okonjo. Photos: Photos: Emma Amaize.

Why Boko Haram attacks police, security installations — AGF•P.7

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POCKET CARTOON

How kidnappers got Okonjo-Iweala's mother Continues from page 1 reportedly mounted surveillance on the palace for about one week before they kidnapped her, Sunday.

The one-storey building with adjoining apartments for some family members and palace workers is located at an isolated area in OgbeOfu in Ogwashi-Uku, Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State.

Investigations by Vanguard showed that security in the area inhabited by the traditional ruler of Ogwashi-Uku, Obi Chukwuka Okonjo was porous and the kidnappers took advantage of it.

However, being aged people, the king and his wife, never thought there was anything kidnappers would want to do with them.

However, the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, yesterday, temporarily relocated his office from Asaba to the palace, where the queen mother, a retired professor of sociology, University of Nigeria, UNN, Nsukka and an indigene of Obomkpa in Aniocha North Local Government Area was kidnapped, to monitor and coordinate security

interventions for her release.

Vanguard found out when our reporters visited the palace yesterday that men of the Nigeria Police Force, Army, Directorate of State Service, DSS, Customs and other security agencies have taken over the premises and laid siege to other parts of Ogwashi-Uku. Governor Uduaghan, Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, Director of DSS, an Army chief and other top officials of the government held emergency security meeting in the palace to strategize on how to locate the kidnappers.

Onyema Okonjo, blamed security lapses for the kidnap of his mother, Prof. Kanenne Okonjo.

Onyema told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ogwashi-Uku that his mother was kidnapped on Sunday at her residence between 12 noon and 1 p.m. by 10 young men.

How they struck The kidnappers, numbering about 10, were lurking around the palace until the 82-year-old woman and her maid came down to serve soft drinks to workers who were fixing interlocking tiles at the gate.

Eyewitness account said as soon as the woman came down from the main building, towards the gate, the criminals also moved in from the gate to grab and push her into a waiting Golf Volkswagen car.

According to an eye-

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

A ‘thought’ is an opportunity to either take you away from the will of God or take you towards it.

Have the right thought, desire a clear mind.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

S

witness, “the abductors, when they walked into the compound, were heavily armed. They were about 10. They ordered the men whor were fixing the interlocking tiles lie face down. Immediately they saw her (the king’s wife who was coming towards the gate with her maid to serve the work-

TEVE Goodier, a writer, shares insights on the values of adopting an amazing attitude in life in this story. Two women were studying a painting titled: “The Road to Happiness.” The scene was warm and compelling. “Isn’t that beautiful?” One of the women said to her friend.

But the other looked despondent. “Of course it’s beautiful. The only problem is … there is no such road” to happiness.

And I suspect she may be right, in part, anyway.

There is no one path that, if we just follow, we will be sure to arrive at happiness. But that doesn’t mean there are not various roads to greater happiness.

And one path is really quite simple: To stop thinking of happiness as a state of being somewhere in the future. If we can’t be happy now, can we be happy later?

Writer Barbara DeAngelis, in her book REAL MOMENTS says this about happiness: “Although when we say, ‘I want to be happy’ we are usually projecting ourselves into the future, happiness, by definition, can only be found now, in this moment.” Forget about being happy later, she says, happiness right here and right now is all there really is.

She continues: “If you can’t be happy now with what you have and who you are, you will not be happy when you get what you think you want.

Minister of Works, Mr Mike Onolememen (L) with the Minister of State, Amb. Bashir Yuguda at a Public Hearing on urgent need to address the near total collapse of federal roads across the country, yesterday, in Abuja.

ers soft drinks) they bundled her into a waiting vehicle, a Golf car, while another car was parked outside”.

One of them, bracing all odds, went upstairs to collect the woman’s handbag. The eyewitness said another maid, who sighted the kidnapper upstairs hid in the kitchen.

The kidnapper informed his cohorts that there was no one else in the house and they zoomed off.

The police, however, arrested a man who allegedly left the compound few minutes before the incident took place.

The man was said to have informed the house cleaner that he was in the palace to take the queen mother to somewhere in the town.

Okonjo’s son blames security lapse for kidnap of mother One of the children of the Okonjo family, Mr

“There was no security when the kidnappers stormed the compound and nobody could dare people who are armed with guns. They came in two green Golf cars and it all happened very quickly.

“I think there were definitely some lapses in terms of security. It is not what it should have been, the people that were supposed to have been here were not here.

“This gave them the opportunity to do what they wanted to do, but at the end of the day; we really have to be prayerful.

“I think it is really a sad reflection of where we are as a society," Onyema, the sixth in the line of seven children of the Okonjos, said.

He wondered why an octogenarian woman, a grand mother and great grand mother should be kidnapped. Onyema said that his father, Prof.

Chukwuka Okonjo, the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku and Okonjo-Iweala were on their way to OgwashiUku when the incident

happened.

The Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala was being expected to fly in from Abuja yesterday.

We‘re not sleeping on the matter — Police Commissioner Speaking to Vanguard on phone, the Police Commissioner, Mr Ikechukwu Aduba said the police were not sleeping on the matter, adding that this was not the time to trade blames.

He, however, promised that any officer indicted would be punished.

Aduba said that in every case of kidnapping, there was always an insider, adding that investigation was on to unravel the situation and free Kanenne unhurt.

“We have been holding meetings with the governor and we have sent out our men to comb every nook and cranny and I am sure we will get

her out unhurt,” Aduba said.

He described the kidnap as a very sad development, saying that it was one of the police's major problems in the state, but stressed that the police command was equal to the task.

He said he did not believe in talking too much noise, but in action, saying the strategies employed by security agents to track down the kidnappers were not for newspaper publication.

Commissioner Aduba, however, said the command would do its best to secure the release of Prof Kamene Okonjo, adding that the terrain of the state was helping the criminals escape security radar.

The commissioner, nevertheless, said the Command was already mopping up unlawful and illegal arms within and outside the state to ensure crime-free ember months.

He said the police in the state recently burst an inter-state kidnap

Continues on page 9

6—Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

DPO, 13 others killed as JTF, gunmen clash in Yobe

BY NDAHI MARAMA

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AIDUGURI — Gunmen suspected to be terrorists, yesterday, laid ambush to Potiskum town in Yobe State where they killed the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Mr. Mohammed Garba.

The gunmen also set ablaze using Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, a branch of Unity Bank, telecommunication masts belonging to Etisalat, MTN and

zBank, telecom masts, Police station set ablaze Airtel as well as a police station.

Thirteen of the alleged terrorists were also said to have died in the gun duel with members of the Joint Task Force An unconfirmed report also had it that the terrorists attempted to attack the palace of the Emir of Fika, Alhaji Mohammed Idrissa Ibn Abale, which was foiled by the JTF stationed in the palace.

It was gathered that yesterday’s attack and killing took place at about 2 a.m, when some terrorists laid ambush to some military check points, Unity Bank office/branch, police station and telecom masts which resulted in an exchange of gun fire from the JTF, where a DPO, and 13 other suspected terrorists were killed.

Confirming the incident to

newsmen in Damaturu, the state capital, the JTF spokesman, Lt. Eli Lazarus said there was an attack by some Boko Haram terrorists in Potiskum town where a DPO was killed.

He said: “We repelled the attack and succeeded in killing 13 of the suspects. Three dead bodies of the suspects were recovered on the streets of

Potiskum by the JTF, while some of the terrorists succeeded in carrying away 10 of the other dead bodies of their colleagues and escaped through the bush.”

He noted that the JTF had already swung into action in order to arrest the fleeing suspects, even as he stressed that the whole town has been cordoned off with a view to prevent further attacks and killing.

Senate warns govs against fresh debt burden

BY HENRY UMORU & JOSEPH ERUNKE

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Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (middle); Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State (2nd right); his deputy, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomor (right) and others, at the unveiling of the late Bola Ige's statue at the Governor's Office, Osogbo, Osun State, during the visit of Owu Development Foundation led by Obasanjo to Aregbesola, yesterday.

BUJA — THE Senate, yesterday, warned state governors against creating debt burden for future generations, just as it urged them to stop what it described as excessive borrowing.

The Senate is, however, worried that most of the states were not seeking foreign loans for projects and programmes that would have direct impact on the lives of their people.

Speaking when Commissioners of Finance appeared before the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, chairman of the Committee, Senator Ehigie Uzamere (ACN, Edo South) said: “It is very sad the way we are going in this country especially in terms of borrowing. Our children yet unborn must not suffer from

NBA directs AGF to compile list of detained terrorists zAsks SSS to handover suspects in its custody to police

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

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BUJA — THE Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, yesterday, directed the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Mohammed Adoke, SAN, to compile names of all persons in detention on terror related activities, insisting that such detainees should be accorded their rights.

Speaking at an event in Abuja, yesterday, to mark the International Human Rights Day, the legal body, through its National President, Chief Okey Wali, SAN, said: “Our country must at all times be a country founded on the rule of law and due process. We, therefore, urge all security agencies holding persons in their custody to transfer such suspects to the Nigeria Police Force for prosecution.

“We believe that it is lame excuse to pretend that these categories of persons are being detained in anticipation of an

amendment to the Terrorism Act. Such an amendment, if passed, can never take a retrospective effect. We, therefore, believe that a more creative approach should be adopted in dealing with some of these complicated issues.”

Contending that “no provision of the law or the Constitution gives the State Security Service, the military or the police the right to detain suspects ad infinitum,” the NBA said: “Nothing, therefore, justifies the detention of insurgents by agencies not empowered to detain them.

“Nothing justifies the refusal of the said agencies to hand over the insurgents to the Nigeria Police Force. And nothing justifies the NPF in joining other security agencies in detaining insurgents without trial. Nothing justifies the holding of persons suspected of having committed a criminal offence without trial.

“After all, section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides that every person who is charged with

a criminal offence shall be presumed to be innocent until he is proved guilty.

“We also want to reiterate that Nigeria has an obligation to investigate allegations of extrajudicial executions by security agencies. There is nothing shameful about acknowledging mistakes and indiscretions and pledging to make amends. Denying cases of extra-judicial executions and unlawful detentions in the face of overwhelming evidence can only diminish our prestige and respect in the comity of nations.

“There is no doubt that extrajudicial execution by the Nigeria Police amounts to a disregard of the duty to organise the apparatus of the state in such a manner as to guarantee the rights recognised in the African Charter.

"It is also our view that by carrying out or tolerating actions directed toward effecting extralegal executions, by not investigating them adequately or diligently, and by not punishing

those responsible, the state violates the duty to respect the rights recognised in the African Charter and to ensure their free and full exercise, by the alleged victim and by his next of kin, and for society as a whole to know what happened.

“We, therefore, call on the Federal Government to investigate all the allegations of extra-judicial executions and torture levelled against the various branches of the security agencies. Impunity will persist so long as cases of this nature are not investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice.

Meanwhile, describing the issue of awaiting trial inmates and prison congestion as a sore point in the criminal justice system in the country, NBA, advised Magistrates and Judges of the lower courts to be more reasonable and rational in imposing bail conditions, noting that “some bail conditions are so stringent and are imposed in order not to be met.”

what they don’t know anything about. When we approve these loans, our committee will visit the states to see what the governors are doing with the loans.”

Also in his contribution, a member of the committee, Senator Gbenga Obadara (ACN, Ogun Central) who charged the states to align their borrowing plans with the needs of the masses, said: “There is no reason for any state to overborrow. The governors must think of people that will pay the debt in 10 years’ time.

“We, as lawmakers, find it difficult to see the states in debt trap. We have states seeking $100 million. Their debt will continue to pile up. One per cent of loan interest today will become very huge in 10 years’ time. “ We should shun reckless borrowing as much as possible.

Our committee, therefore, advises state governors to cut their cloths according to their sizes.”

Earlier, the Ondo State Commissioner for Finance, Mr Yele Ogundipe, had submitted a request of $50 million for health programmes and another $27.9 million for youth employment.

Also, the Enugu State Commissioner for Finance, Mr Ralph Nnaji, submitted a request of $50 million loan for watershed management project, $40 million for youth empowerment, $18 million and $40 million for energy project.

Against the backdrop that only eight out of the 36 state finance commissioners appeared before the committee, the Senators advised the Commissioner of Finance in Ebonyi State and Chairman of State Finance Commissioners, Mr Timothy Oddah, to inform his members to come forward with their borrowing presentations for immediate treatment.

The money the states are asking for would come from the World Bank for execution of some basic projects among which include fight against erosion, provision of water and provision of jobs, among others.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012 — 7

Ghana 2012: Opposition NPP may go to court, meets today zMahama promises accelerated devt zObservers affirm polls outcome, urge caution

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, ACCRA & BEN AGANDE

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Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State (2nd right) showing the new Governor's Office to (from left) Governors Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State; Ibrahim Dakwambo of Gombe State; Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State and Deji of Akureland, Oba Adebiyi Adeshiba during their vist to Government House, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Why Boko Haram attacks police, security installations —AGF zAccuses police of extra-judicial killings, shoddy prosecution

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

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BUJA — THE Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Adoke, SAN, yesterday, said there was palpable evidence that the escalation in the spate of attacks by the Boko Haram group on Police and security installations “is a probable reaction to the extra-judicial execution of the leader of the sect, Mohammad Yusuf, while in Police custody in 2009.”

The AGF who spoke at the national dialogue on “Torture, Extrajudicial Killings And National Security: Human Rights Implications” organised by the National Human Right Commission, NHRC, further decried report that the reckless use of arms by security agents had resulted in 7,198 extrajudicial deaths in four years across the country, adding that “more recently, the chairman of the NHRC opined that this approximated to the summary execution of well over 2, 500 detainees.”

He noted: “Although these figures have been stoutly disputed by the police, even the most charitable defenders of the Force cannot deny that some dishonourable officers indeed have taken the law into their hands in the most barbaric fashion by killing suspects and innocent citizens.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the constitutional

derogation to the right to life which sanctions the use of force to curb an escapee is no blank cheque to carry out extra-judicial killings. The provision can only be invoked where death arises as a result of the use, to such extent and in such circumstances as are permitted by law, of such force as is reasonably necessary to effect a lawful arrest or to prevent the escape of a person lawfully detained.

Why extra-judicial killings are on the rise “Several factors have been advanced to rationalize the rising wave of police brutality and extrajudicial killings. Such reasons include the conditions of service of the Police, especially the poor salary, living condition in the barracks and low selfesteem. All of these combine, it is often argued, to make the Policeman an angry man with arms thus putting him on edge and frequently on the lookout for illicit and corrupt enrichment.

“Nonetheless, government cannot afford to ignore this dangerous trend by which lives of innocent citizens are endangered or snuffed out by those whose constitutional duty it is to secure the lives and property of the citizenry.

Most of these challenges appear to have been significantly tackled by the recommendations of the

Presidential Committee on the Re-organization of the Nigeria Police which recently submitted its report.

“It is instructive that among other recommendations, the report highlighted the need to embark on a continuous weeding out of bad and unscrupulous elements who on account of arbitrariness and opaqueness in recruitment exercise had found their way into the force.

Terror attacks affect core values of democracy “Terrorist attacks such as the October 1, 2010 Independence anniversary bomb explosion by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, where 12 people were reportedly killed and the spate of suicide killings by the Boko Haram group are direct attacks on the core values of democratic governance, namely the rule of law, the protection and dignity of human beings; mutual respect between people of different faiths and cultures; and peaceful resolution of conflict.

“However, in the fight against terrorism, we cannot compromise on these core values. In other words, we should not perpetuate a cycle of violence and brutality in the quest to stamp out the evil of terrorism and

extremism.

“As I see it, terrorism is in itself a direct attack on human rights and the rule of law. If we sacrifice them in our response, we are handing a victory to the terrorists. I, therefore, believe that the following issues are germane to a democratic response to the threat of terrorism, namely the protection of individuals and communities; the stabilization of existing conflicts and discontents; the countering of harmful and extremist ideologies; the deployment of adequate response to the economic and social insecurities that contribute to the growth of terrorism.”

Meantime, recalling that Nigerians were justifiably outraged by the extrajudicial killings of four students of the University of Port Harcourt on October 5, by a mob of vigilante and locals at Aluu community in Rivers State, the AGF, maintained that such incident “is also symptomatic of the weakness of the country’s security and justice systems.”

He said:“There is no doubt that the rule of law has taken flight in a society which condones a situation where citizens take the law into their hands and summarily try and execute suspected felons. The apparent slow pace of the criminal justice system particularly the corruption that permeates the system has been identified as the main reason why citizens take laws into their hands."

CCRA —FOR the first time since Ghana returned to electoral democracy in 1992, the courts may wade in to affirm the winner of the 2012 presidential elections.

The opposition New Patriotic Party, NPP, is protesting the Electoral Commission’s declaration of the National Democratic Congress, NDC, candidate, President John Dramani Mahama as winner of the polls and is bent on challenging the matter in court.

This came as NDC supporters from all parts of the country thronged the Nkrumah Circle, Accra, where President Mahama delivered a victory speech, thanking Ghanaians for their confidence in him and promising to improve their lot and accelerate socioinfrastructural development.

3 candidates accept defeat

Meanwhile, three of the remaining six presidential candidates, Mr. Akwasi Addai of the United Front Party, UFP; Hassan Ayariga of the People’s National Convention, PNC; and Jacob Osei Yeboah, an independent have conceded defeat to President Mahama, saying that Ghanaians had spoken.

Announcing the result, Sunday night, EC Chairman, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, said the NDC candidate polled 5,574,761 or 50.70 per cent of the valid votes to win the hotly and tightly contested election.

His closest challenger, Nana Dankwa AkufoAddo of the NPP polled 5,248,898 votes (47.74 per cent).

NPP alleged discrepancies

Before the announcement, the NPP had called on the EC to suspend the

exercise until it had verified alleged discrepancies in the results and counts from the biometric verification machines.

According to the NPP, which left power four years ago after being on the saddle for eight years, it has uncovered systematic ‘substantial discrepancies’ in results from various collation centres and official figures from the electoral umpire.

Chairman of the party, Mr. Jake Otanka ObetsebiLamptey said: “Considering the closeness of the polls, this error is very significant and goes to the heart of the credibility of the results. Indeed, we have enough concrete evidence to show that the 2012 presidential election was won by our candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo.”

CODEO, local observers affirm polls outcome

Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), which conducted a Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) during the polls, at a briefing in Accra by its joint leaders, Professor Miranda Greenstreet and Justice V. Crabbe, said the official results announced by the electoral commission accurately reflected the ballots cast by voters at all the designated polling stations.

Jonathan congratulates Mahama

Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan has congratulated President Mahama on his victory in last weekend’s presidential elections in Ghana.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, in a statement, yesterday, said President Jonathan welcomed President Mahama’s success in securing his people’s mandate for a full term in office, following his assumption of Presidential powers after the death of his predecessor in July 2012, as an endorsement by the Ghanaian electorate of his leadership and his party’s action plan for further socioeconomic development and continued consolidation of democracy in the country.

8—Vanguard , TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

Corruption: Jonathan’s govt not to blame for Transparency International rating—Presidency zSays ACN claims, pure political mischief

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BUJA—THE Presi dency said yesterday that the current rating of the Transparency International was not the fault of the present administration but due to decades of endemic corruption in our polity.

Faulting claim by the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, which placed the blame for rating of Nigeria as the 35th most corrupt nation, at the door step of the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe said such claim “is preposterous and lacking in credibility, and can only be best described as pure political mischief.

He said, “Lai Mohammed knows they, in the Action Congress, live in glass houses and should not throw stones because his party is home to some of the most notoriously corrupt

Nigerians ever. He should not throw stones just to score cheap political points.

His party has no moral leg it can stand to pontificate about corruption.

According to Okupe, “Ni-

gerians are not fools and cannot be fooled for too long that there is endemic corruption within the rank and file of his party. It is an undeniable fact that corruption is a major challenge to the

nation and its people, and everyone agrees it is endemic and has been with us for over three decades.

“Few days ago we spelt out details of commendable efforts of this administration

From right: Rev. Chris Okotie of the Household of God, host of the GRACE 2012 programme; Amb. Moses Ihonde, representing former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon; Mrs. Victoria Audu, widow of the late former Vice Chancellor, ABU, Prof Ishaya Audu, the posthumous KARIS 2012 award winner at the ceremony, in Lagos.

in fighting corruption and also confirming the demonstrable political will of this administration to take up this onerous challenge.

Critics of this administration appear to be deliberately undiscerning, confusing incidences of corrupt practices unraveled by this administration and legal steps being taken by the administration as being corrupt practice of the same administration.

Part of this mischief and attempt to bring opprobrium on this administration was the assertion by President of the Campaign for Democracy, CD, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin. She said N5 trillion was stolen under Jonathan, and that “the non-implementation of the Farouk Lawan report as well as the Nuhu Ribadu Presidential Task Force findings has completely killed the fight against corruption in Nigeria.”

The above calls to question her respect for facts because it is a fact that the Lawan report has been handed over to the EFCC, and there are ongoing prosecution deriving from this, while the President just set up a White Paper committee on the Ribadu report.

How do you implement a report without a white Paper?.

We reiterate that the conclusion that N5 trillion was stolen under President’s Jonathan’s watch is gross misinformation and absolute falsehood. Nowhere in the Ribadu was that conclusion reached. It never happened, and it is wholesomely untrue.

“We want to state categorically, for the umpteenth time that it was this administration that exposed the oil subsidy scam, pension scam, and also set up the Nuhu Ribadu committee to look into the rot in the oil sector.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012—9

said he was aware that the police was on top of the matter, adding that it was the responsibility of government to ensure safety of lives and property of its citizenry.

He said, “Government is not resting on its oars to fight kidnapping and other crimes in the state to a standstill.”

Obi of Obomkpa calls for her immediate release

IBADAN FIRE—A section of Feleye spare parts market, Ibadan, Oyo State which was gutted by midnight fire yesterday destroying goods worth millions of Naira. Photo: Dare Fasube.

How kidnappers got Okonjo-Iweala's mother Continues from page 5 gang operating between Anambra and Delta states and arrested about 100 criminals, including suspected kidnappers, adding that the gunmen, who kidnapped Prof Kamene Okonjo would be tracked down.

First impression The first impression of any visitor to the OgbeOfu palace is that the one-storey building is in an isolated location.

There is practically no neigbour to ask questions about what happened in the palace, except for those working or residing within the palace.

In addition, the fence surrounding the compound is low and easy to scale for intruders, which was exactly what the daredevil kidnappers took advantage of.

Security agents cordon palace Shortly after Vanguard arrived yesterday morning and took photo-

graphs of the palace and the workers, who oblivious of what happened, were fixing interlocking tiles in the compound, the security agents arrived to cordon off the palace.

They prevented visitors from entering the palace soon after and even some community vigilante men that came with a vehicle, were prevented from driving into the compound.

Uduaghan, security chiefs relocate to OgwashiUku An aide to the governor told Vanguard at about 12.45 pm: “Yes, the governor came visiting to the place. He came with the Police Commissioner and other heads of security agencies in the state.

They are all here putting heads together, you know what happened, it is embarrassing and we also heard from one of the children that the Minister was likely to come.

“We are not so sure, but the governor and others are monitoring the situation, they are strategizing on how to get the kidnappers, but

one thing is ruled out, the boys are not going to get any ransom if that is what they thought”, he added.

Kidnappers yet to contact family A dependable source who confided in Vanguard, yesterday, said: “The kidnappers want money. As at this (yesterday) morning, they have not made any contact with the family on ransom, but I am sure that they know that security agents are on them.”

How they carried our surveillance According to him: “The kidnappers worked with some insiders from Ogwashi-Uku, who carried out surveillance activity on the palace with motorcycles, pretending to be motor cycle (Okada) riders and passersby, unknown to the occupants that they were planning to kidnap somebody in the house”.

The mood in the palace, OgwashiUku

Family members and workers who were sighted in the palace, yesterday, wore sad faces, but in OgwashiUku town, it was business as usual, as people went about their normal businesses.

The distance of the isolated residential apartment from other buildings in the town would have contributed in the apathy of some persons, as Vanguard did not see much of sympathizers from the community when it visited.

Speaker condemns kidnap Reacting to the kidnap, the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon Victor Ochei, condemned the action of the hostage takers.

The House recently passed a bill stipulating death sentence for kidnappers, but it is awaiting the assent of Governor Uduaghan to be passed into law.

Ochei described the development as sad and urged the captors to release the octogenarian wife of Prof Chukwuka Okonjo, the traditional ruler of Ogwashi-Uku kingdom unscathed.

The Speaker, however,

The traditional ruler of Obomkpa community, Obi Jonathan Nsuebo II, in his reaction to the kidnap of a daughter of the town, Professor Kamene Okonjo, pleaded with the kidnappers release her immediately and without conditions.

In a message on behalf of himself and the people of Obomkpa, the monarch described the kidnap of Prof. Mrs. Mabel Kamene Titi Okonjo as shocking and commended Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan for giving a marching order to security agencies to ensure the release of the kidnapped queen of Ogwashi Uku. He said the people of Obomkpa from where the Queen hails were saddened about the development and were studying it closely.

He warned that no harm should come upon the queen, explaining that Obomkpa community stood with the people of Ogwashi Uku in this trying period.

Obi Nsuebo II prayed that this ugly moment passed quickly so that the queen could return safely to join her people in this festive period.

In another development, the president general of Obomkpa Progressive Union, Prince Emeka Dibia said the Obomkpa people at home and in Diaspora were keenly watching the development and appealed to the kidnappers of Prof. Mrs. Okonjo to retrace their steps and free her without further delay.

He recalled that kidnapping is a serious criminal offence and expressed surprise that anyone could think of putting an 82 –year- old woman through the ordeal of losing her freedom.

Delta leaders condemn kidnap

A group, The Peoples Movement, yesterday, condemned the kidnap describing it as barbaric and unreasonable.

The organization in a statement signed by the Director of Communications, Mrs. Ibifuro Tatua said they were disgusted at the “Gestapo like manner in which the kidnappers went about the incident.

It called on the kidnappers to release the minister ’s mother immediately and urged the police and other security agents to track the kidnappers.

NDYM issues 2week ultimatum to kidnappers In addition, the leadership of the Niger Delta Youth Movement, NDYM, yesterday, issued two weeks ultimatum to those behind her kidnap and asked them to release her unhurt.

NDYM in a statement signed by its national president and national secretary, Messrs Godspower Odenema and Moses OmoIkirodah respectively said: “It is with the highest indignation that the National Executive Council and the entire members of the Niger Delta Youth Movement, NDYM, in the nine states of the Niger Delta, condemn the kidnap of the mother of the Federal Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Nigerian Economy, Professor Kamene Okonjo.

“The National Executive Council of NDYM, at the end of a crucial emergency meeting, today, (Monday) in Ughelli, Delta State, directed all NDYM structures in all the communities in Delta state to commence the process of searching all buildings and hide-outs with a view to helping the security agencies to arrest these hoodlums and secure the release of Mama Kamene Okonjo.

“All strange movements and persons of questionable characters must be reported to security agencies. This is very bad and it is the worst way of paying Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala back for the very good works she is doing for Nigeria. We therefore give these faceless criminals two weeks to release this great woman,” the group stated.

10—Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

LUTH resident doctors begin indefinite strike

Ladipo traders protest leader’s detention

...We are still discussing with doctors — CMD

AGOS— Members of the Traders Associa tion of Aguiyi Ironsi Complex , Ladipo, in Mushin area of Lagos, yesterday, protested the continued detention of their president, Jonathan Okoli, in prison custody, at the premises of Igbosere High court, Lagos, blaming the Police for not carrying out a proper investigation.

Their president was reportedly arrested on May 5, 2012 and transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department(SCID), Yaba where he reportedly spent 11 days before he was charged to court .

Efforts to grant him bail according to the traders had proved abortive, an action they described as a calculated attempt to infringe on Okoli’s human rights.

The traders' problem was further compounded, yesterday, as the case could not be heard. This was because the Directorate of the Public Prosecution (DPP) had reportedly not advised the court on what to do. It's advice according to the association’s lawyer, Barrister Clement Onwura, was expected this Friday.

The news of adjournment of the case to next Monday, sparked off tension as the traders staged a peaceful protest in front of the court.

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

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AGOS —Two days after resident doctors at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, suspended its three days warning strike over what they described as ‘outrageous tax deduction,' the aggrieved doctors yesterday embarked on an indefinite strike, pending the resolution of the tax issues.

Confirming the development, the President of LUTH – ARD, Dr. Olatunji Adenekan said the doctors embarked on an indefinite strike after a congress meeting weekend to review the financial burden occasioned by the new tax law pending the resolution of the tax issues.

Speaking, Secretary of the LUTH- ARD, Dr. Kehinde Okunade, also told Vanguard in a telephone interview that there will be an emergency meeting of the association tomorrow to review the action.

Okunade, who however, lamented the working conditions at LUTH, said: “Despite that the condition of service here is too poor, there is no light in the wards, no water, blood bank not functioning properly and all they can do is implement a new tax law that some of us now pay N30, 000 as tax.”

Reacting to the development, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Akin Osibogun said the management of the hospitals were already discussing with the leadership of the Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, on the issues at stake.

In a telephone chat with Vanguard, Osibogun said: “We are happy that the doctors are now familiar with the tax. We are appealing to them to come back to duty posts."

BY EVELYN USMAN

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From left: Sunday Adewole, Bishop of Jebba, Rt. Rev. the Vicar, St. James Anglican Church, Amuwo-Odofin; Rev. Olufemi Familoni, Bishop,Diocese of Lagos West; Dr. Peter Awelewa Adebiyi, the Vicar's wife, Modupe Familoni with her son, Sunday Adewole Oluwapelumi and Justice Babasola Ogunade, Chancellor, Diocese of Lagos West, during the dedication of St. James's Church building and hall, at Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos.

Lagos spends N12 bn on LASU infrastructure

BY MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

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AGOS— Governor Baba tunde Fashola of Lagos State yesterday disclosed that the state government had spent about N12 billion, to revive the dilapidated infrastructure in the Lagos State University, LASU. Fashola also said that the state government has budgeted the sum of N1.2 billion on bursaries and schol-

arships for 2013 academic year, saying “the government was committed to widening access to education in the state.”

The governor who disclosed this at the inauguration ceremony of the new 12member who constituted the institution Governing Council at the Lagos House, Alausa, explained that the funds represent the two-year expenditure of the government in transforming the university into a world-class citadel of

Lagos generates electricity from waste — LAWMA boss LAGOS— The Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, has begun electricity generation from refuse under its waste to energy programme, an official has said.

The Managing Director of the L AWMA, Mr. Ola Oresanya, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria yesterday in Lagos.

“We have waste to energy where we generate electricity from our wastes at one of our markets, Ikosi market. Then we have recycling plants all over that we’ve established.

Right now, for plastic recycling centres, we have four centres up and running. The tyre shredding plant is also going on to manufacture rubbers from used tyres and apart from that we have several other things that are really going on in that regard.”

Oresanya said the waste to energy project would be expanded to cover more markets in 2013.

He also highlighted the activities of the authority in the out-going year, saying that the

year had been eventful for the authority.

“Our core area or new ground has been in the area of recycling that we are pushing and that has been our core focus for the development of Lagos and I think that is one key area where we’ve been creative.

“We’ve been able to evolve new strategies to make people recycle in Lagos; to change the perception of people and not to see wastes as waste, so that they will see it as resource and that (buying-back), we’ve been able to do through the

introduction of recycling banks all over the city. We have the buying-back programme where people bring wastes and we pay them for bringing the wastes.

“That includes assorted materials like pure water sachets. Right now, you bring it we pay N30 per kilogramme – paper, pet (broken) bottles and many other things like that.

We have the wastes to food programme where we encourage children to bring recycle materials and we exchange that for food packs during holiday.”

learning.

Some of the infrastructure projects embarked upon by the government include a sevenstorey Senate Building, four storey central library; a twin Faculty of Law lecture theatere, new School of Transport Complex; Faculty of Management Sciences Complex, Faculty of Sciences Complex, Students’ Union Arcade, refurbishment of 3-in1 building and others.

He emphasised that the state government had taken a number of steps lately to transform the institution, saying “part of it was the upward review of tuition fee at the university in 2011.”

Fashola explained that the step was taken by the state government to salvage the institution from falling standards and infrastructure decay.

He said the government could no longer sacrifice quality tertiary education for cheap tuition,, adding the decision was in the best interest of LASU and the students.

He promised that his administration would ensure that the university competes favourably with its peers in delivering sound education.

5 women, 4 men arraigned over alleged prostitution

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AGOS — The police in Lagos yesterday, arraigned five women suspected to be commercial sex workers and four men, accused of patronising them.

The defendants were charged with prostitution, unlawful gathering, breach of peace and loitering before an Ojokoro Magistrates’ Court.

They are: Emeka Chukwuma, 28; Paul Okon, 26; Fabian Sunday, 26; Shedrach John, 30 and Angel

David, 27.

Others are: Destiny Moses, 30; Chinyere Mbadiwe, 27; Gift Okon, 29, and Edith David, 27.

All of the defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the four-count charge.

Magistrate K.O. Ogundare granted each of them bail in the sum of N100, 000 and a surety each.

The prosecutor, Insp. Clara Olagbaiye, said that the defendants committed the of-

fences on Nov. 4 at the Wisdon Bar Hotel, Ikotun/Igando Rd. at 8.30p.m.

“The nine of them gathered unlawfully and conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause breach of peace, “ she said.

She said that the women were loitering and soliciting for sex, while the men were some of their customers.

The court adjourned the case till Jan. 11.

Vanguard, TUESDAY TUESDAY,, DECEMBER 11, 2012—11

Ewherido presents car to winner of Urhobo Language Competition

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HE Senator repre senting Delta Central Senatorial District, Senator Pius Ewherido, weekend, presented a brand new Kia Cerrato to Miss Sagbodje Eguono, winner of the Urhobo Language Competition he initiated and sponsored. The event concluded the 2012 annual Urhobo Day celebration in Delta State.

Making the presentation during the Urhobo Day general thanksgiving service at the Urhobo Cultural Centre in Uvwiamuge-Agbarho, Senator Ewherido said the competition was designed to encourage the writing and speaking of Urhobo among the younger generation so as to arrest the gradual decline in appreciation of the language among the Urhobo speaking people of the State.

President General of Urhobo Progress Union, Gen. Patrick Aziza (rtd), described the competition as a tonic for the revival of the Urhobo language and culture.

The winner, Miss Eguono, 24, from Agbarha-Otor, is a graduate of Microbiology from the University of Port-Harcourt.

Madam Omogbai passes on

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ADAM Sabain ah Abeke Omogbai, matriarch of the Peter Omogbai Family of Aghohenlokhua Quarters, Uzebba-Iuleha, Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State is dead, aged 87.

Burial rites will commence on December 14, with a Christian/Social Wake at her residence, 1, Omogbai Street, Uzebba-Iuleha. Interment will take place on December 15.

She is survived by Mr. Sunday Ajakaiye, Mrs. Margaret Dupe Okotie; Mrs. Charity Omomon Bangbose and Mr. Brian Ajayi Jatto.

Fresh erosion threatens East-West Road

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

Y

ENAGOA—SEVERE erosion is now threatening to cut off the ailing East-West Road, close to Okosi Bridge, in Bayelsa State.

The road, which straddles the states of the Niger Delta, has been a source of grave concern to users in recent times.

Unabated erosion which, over the last couple of years had troubled the road, was further exacerbated by the recent flood.

Already, the Okosi River has washed away half of the road leading to the bridge across the river, thereby exposing motorists plying the route, especially at night, to grave danger.

Although the construction firm handling the road project, Setraco, had heaped truck loads of rocks on the failed portion

to commence repair work, nothing tangible had been done.

Motorists plying the route, yesterday, expressed concern over the severe and unabated erosion ravaging the troubled area.

A road marshal who spoke

anonymously regretted the poor condition of the road, which according to him, is vital to the socio-economic activities of the diverse people of the region, adding, “its total collapse will surely cut off Bayelsa from the rest of the country.”Urging travellers to

PRESENTATION: From left: President General of Urhobo Progress Union, Gen. Patrick Newton Aziza (rtd) ; Senator Pius Ewherido and Miss Eguono Sagbodje, winner of the Urhobo Language Competition, during the presentation of the keys of a Kia Cerato to the winner in Delta State.

Property Tax Law: Bini youths, Edo House Majority Leader at loggerheads

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—SOME protest ing Bini youths and the Majority Leader of Edo State House of Assembly, Mr. Philip Shuaibu, yesterday, engaged themselves in a war of words over the signing into law of the Property Tax bill by Governor Adams Oshiomhole, last Friday.

The youths, who described the law as anti-people and obnoxious, asked the Majority Leader of the state House of Assembly to tender apology to the Esama of Benin Kingdom, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, over his comment that people like the Esama, who own big houses and property in the state were expected to pay the property

tax.

But reacting, Shuaibu, who described the protest as unnecessary and sponsored by persons who failed to “even remit their PAYE,” said: “I have no apology because I have not insulted Chief Igbinedion. I only made an example that people like him will pay the tenement rate. It is even sad that those protesting don’t even know much about the bill.

“So they should stop calling my name and insulting my person. The bill was an executive one and it was my duty as the Majority Leader to push it on the floor of the House. My fellow lawmakers welcomed it because they have seen that it will help the state government improve its internally generated revenue due to the dwindling allocation from the Federation Ac-

count. So, this protest is sponsored by selfish individuals but we must do what is best for our people.”

However, the youths who stormed both the Government House and the House of Assembly complex, in a statement by Mr. Felix Omodamwen, said “Edo South people cannot be at the receiving end of different types of taxes from the state government.

“As prelude to the diabolical passage of the tenement bill, patriotic members of the state House of Assembly from Oredo and Ikpoba Okhai were stripped of their privileges as Chairmen of Committees, because of their discontentment to the obnoxious bill. We will resist this law and we ask Shuaibu to tender apology to Esama of Benin over his unguarded comments on television.”

Warri residents protest abandonment of collapsed bridge

BY EMMA ARUBI

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ARRI—RESIDENTS and business owners on the Ajamimogha Link Road Bridge in Warri, Delta State, which collapsed 10 years ago, yesterday, protested the abandonment of the project, saying that the completion of the collapsed bridge project would ease the current traffic jam that has become the lot of motorist in

be cautious while crossing the failed portion, he appealed to relevant authorities to prevail on the construction firm to hasten the repairs on the road as erosion had washed away the bridge’s embankments following the recent flood.

the area.

The bridge allegedly collapsed during the tenure of former Governor James Ibori and up till date, no meaningful effort had been made to complete the project awarded for its re-construction by the Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan administration.

The link road with the collapsed bridge leads to major roads in Warri, making vehicular movement very hec-

tic, as motorist now have no choice but go through the gridlock, especially on the General Hospital/Police Station Road, Okere Market, Okumagba Avenue, Airport Road and Warri Sapele Road.

Mr. Edema Okis, who led the protest, told Vanguard that with the absence of commercial motorcycles in the town, the traffic situation had become chaotic, adding that if the bridge had been completed, the traffic would have been more tolerable as most motorists would use the Ajamimogha Link Road as an easy outlet to their various destinations.

Actor lambasts Shell over oil pollution

BY INNOCENT

ANABA

A

CCLAIMED ac tor, Hakeem KaeKazim, has berated Shell Petroleum Development Corporation, following new independent report, that the company was facing growing legal liabilities for its actions in the Niger Delta.

The report was published by specialists at the University of Essex, England, United Kingdom.

It was noted that over the last six decades, many communities in Niger Delta have seen their livelihoods devastated by oil pollution.

The potential liabilities range from sizeable damages for failures to take adequate steps to prevent and clean up oil spills, through liabilities under USA and European stock exchange rules.

He said: “Shell cannot keep ducking the issue.

They have a direct responsibility to clean up the mess in the Niger Delta and the net is closing on them.”

12—Vanguard, TUESDAY TUESDAY,, DECEMBER 11, 2012

C-River decries FG’s funding of security agencies

Soyinka blames collapse of cultural values on dictatorship

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

C

A L A B A R — AC T ING Governor of Cross River State, Mr. Efiok Cobham, has decried the inadequate funding of security agencies by the Federal Government to protect lives and property in the country, saying that the failure was responsible for the clamour for the establishment of state police.

Cobham, who expressed worry over the security situation in the country at the commissioning of 25 special anti-crime operations vehicles donated by Cross River State Government to the Nigeria Police, weekend, said if the Federal Government should live up to its responsibility, the security problems in the country would reduce.

Delta spends N1.5bn on scholarsips annually —Uduaghan

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI—DEL TA State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, weekend, said the state government spends close to N1.5 billion annually on scholarships for students of the state origin.

Speaking at the presentation of cheques to beneficiaries of the 2012 1st Class Graduates and Law School Students in Asaba, Uduaghan said the various scholarship schemes were part of the human capital development efforts of his administration geared towards realising the policy of ‘Delta Beyond Oil.’ Saying that education was one of the major sustainable means of building a state beyond oil, he said the scholarship scheme entailed bursary awards for undergraduates of the state origin in tertiary institutions, law students in Nigeria law schools, 1st class graduates and doctorate decree students.

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ORT HARCOURT—NO BEL laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, yesterday, linked the collapse of cultural values in the country to the emergence of political dictatorship.

Speaking in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at a colloquium for this year’s Rivers State carnival, CANIRIV, Soyinka charged artists and intellectuals to do more to sustain the country’s cultural values.

He said any culture not thoroughly protected could be corrupted by a weak political system, adding that this could result to dictatorship.

He said: “Are there any lessons from all these? Before the advent of General Sani Abacha, many Nigerians were fond of saying ‘no it can never happen in Nigeria, the glorification of a human being, Nigeria has gone far beyond that, too critical to allow it.’ I am

afraid we did witness an example of this.

“It just shows that one can never be too careful. One can never be too watchful

ATIONAL Asso ciation of Nigerian Students, NANS, has rejected the Edo State tenement bill recently passed by the state House of Assembly, describing it as anti-people.

A statement by the

Vice President of NANS, Mr. Ehimemenn Morino, called on the state governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole not to assent to the bill as its passage into law would bring untold hardship to students.

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because it is they, who create the spectacles that glorify the individual rather than enhance the condition of the commune.”

CARNIRIV: From left: Rivers State Deputy Governor, Mr. Tele Ikuru; Nobel Laureate and Keynote Speaker, Prof. Wole Soyinka and Rivers State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr. Nabs Imegbu, during the CARNIRIV colloquium at River State House of Assembly in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday.

NANS rejects Edo’s tenement bill

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because sooner or later, what begins as a small power issue becomes a grand, immovable, supreme entity through the collaboration of artists and intellectuals

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012 —13

New Head of Service assumes duty in Imo

FG decries students’ poor performance in external exams zAs WAEC records 39% performance

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WERRI—THE New Head of Service in Imo State, Mrs. Nkechi S. Onumajulu, has assumed duty as she took over from her predecessor, Mr. Evans Uzokwe.

Performing the hand over ceremony, the former Head of Service gave special thanks to Governor Rochas Okorcha for giving him the opportunity to serve the state, The New Head of Service, Mrs. Nkechi S. Onumajulu, thanked Governor Okorocha for finding her worthy and prayed that God should continue to guide and protect him to continue the good works he was doing in lmo State and assured that she will always work closely and effectively to deliver and serve the people of Imo State.

NAFDAC to close Kano drugs market

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

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AG O S— NATION AL Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, said yesterday it would shut down open drug market in Kano State before the end of this year.

This is coming on the heels of recent destruction of N1 million worth of fake and sub-standard drugs in the drug market in Kano drug market by the agency.

These came as the agency released a new guidelines and guidance documents for the registration of biopharmaceuticals (Biosimilars) in the country.

Biosimilars are complex drugs used in the treatment and management of terminal diseases, including complex cases of cancer, hepatitis, leukemia, among others.

Disclosing this at a dissemination workshop on the guidelines and guidance for the registration of Biosimilars in Lagos, Director General of NAFDAC, Dr Paul Orhii, affirmed that the Kano market had been a haven for the circulation of fake and counterfeit drugs.

BY FAVOUR

NNABUGWU

BUJA—FEDERAL Gov ernment yesterday expressed concern over students’ poor performance in external examinations.

Government’s concern stemmed from students’ poor performances in this year ’s West Africa Examination Council, WAEC, National Examination Council, NECO, and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB. Minister of Education, Prof Ruqayyatu Rufa’i, who stated government’s disappointment at the opening ceremony of the 2012 National Conference on Examinations in Abuja, however, admitted that there was marginal improvement in the 2012 WAEC examinations, with just 39 per cent having a credit pass in five subjects, including English and Mathematics.

She regretted that the performance of candidates in public exams had over the years showed steady decline in the number of candidates who obtained five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics.

Rufa’I said this had become more worrisome, given that this was the basic entry requirement for transition to higher education.

She added that while 30.9 per cent of candidates obtained five credits and above in WAEC in 2011,

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of students, saying “we all know that States have greater role to play in turning round the massive failure in our examinations, especially when viewed from the fact that basic and secondary education are controlled by the states.”

MEETING: From left: Mr. Ladi Balogun, Group Managing Director, First City Monument Bank, FCMB, Plc; Mr. Jonathan Long, Chairman; Mrs. Olajumoke Bakare, Company Secretary and Otunba Subomi Balogun, Founder, during the company’s Extraordinary General Meeting, in Lagos. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

Okorocha tasks Igbo on leadership BY

only 8.06 per cent had same in NECO, although the performance improved marginally to 31.58% in NECO in 2012.

The minister particularly tasked state governments to do more in addressing the problem of poor performance

BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

AGOS—GOVERNOR Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has charged Igbos to assume leadership roles, saying cries of states not doing well could be traceable to absence of leadership This came as security operatives attached to the governor damaged the camera of Vanguard’s photojournalist, Mr. Biodun Ogunleye, while stopping him from taking shots of the governor.

Okorocha, who spoke at an interactive meeting with the Igbo community in Lagos, said the challenge facing the country was that of leadership.

He said: “Today, states are crying of not doing well because of absence of leadership. There is cry all over the nation because of leadership problem. Seek ye first leadership and every other thing in government will be added unto you.”

He pointed out that with the right leadership, things will go well for Nigeria, explaining that if a football team was not doing well, the coach needed to be fired for a better coach to come in and help the team win its matches.

“So Ndigbo, we must rise to the issue of leadership. Blessed are the Igbos among generations of Nigeria, rise up and take your rightful place on the surface of earth. I think it is high time we start a new song.

“The old song of marginalization, the most persecuted, the most hated, should be an old song, let us sing a new song,” the governor added.

In defining an Igboman, Okorocha said that an they are special creature from God, who was not created the same time others were created; but was created particularly on a Sunday, when God was at rest. God took his time to create an Igboman.

14—Vanguard , TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

Ghana election: ECOWAS Mission rules out sabotage

BY VICTORIA OJEME

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BUJA—THE ECOWAS Election Observation Mission, EOM, has ruled out sabotage in the malfunctioning of the Biometric Verification Machines in some polling units during last week’s Ghana presidential elections won by incumbent President, Mr John Mahama, of the National Democratic Party A preliminary statement on the election, by EOM led by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and made available to journalists in Abuja, yesterday, insisted that the resultant delays, extension of voting time, as well as disenfranchisement of voters due to malfunctioning of the newly introduced Biometric Verification Machine did not significantly affect the out come of the election held on Friday December 7 and Saturday December 8, 2012.

The statement, however, advised Ghana Election Commission to provide back-up BVM or suitable identification procedure in case of failure of the BVM in future elections.

The ECOWAS, EOM also canvassed use of BVM at lesser elections to enable electoral officials get proper understanding and efficient use of the machine, newly introduced for use in the just concluded elections.

According to the statement; “ECOWAS Observation Mission notes the delays caused by the late delivery/non-delivery of electoral materials and the malfunctioning of the Biometric Verification Machines in some cases.

Maitama Sule blames nation’s woes on tribalism, religion

BY PROVIDENCE

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AGOS—ELDER states man and Dan-Masanin Kano, Alhaji Yusuf MaitamaSule, has identified tribalism and religion as the main problems of Nigeria.

Maitama Sule stated this during the 3rd Annual CEO’s Dinner/Awards’ nite organised by Academy for Entrepreneurial Studies, AES, Excellence Club in Lagos.

He said: “No religion of God says you should pressurize or force somebody to embrace it, and all religion teache peace and love, the essence of every religion is love,” he said.

Maitama Sule, former Nigerian representative to the United Nations and the United Nations Special Committee against Aparthied, said “all these things that are happening in the country will by the grace of God come to an end one day.

“As we overcame all the crisis in the first Republic, so shall we overcome the crisis in the present Nigeria.

“Therefore, I have a dream that Nigeria will soon be

“I have a dream that we will come to love one another because the problem in Nigeria is lack of love, our problem is tribalism and religion.. Islam and Christian faith teach the same moral values.”

Manager, Public Relations, Etisalat Nigeria, Ms. Chineze Amanfo (2nd left); presenting a 10-million-naira endowment cheque for Etisalat Most Innovative Reporter of the Year Category to Chairman, Nigeria Media Merit Awards, NMMA, Mr. Vincent Maduka (left); Mr. Yemi Akeju (2nd right) and Mr. Femi Segun, at the 22nd NMMA in Lagos.

Petroleum Support Fund: EFCC arraigns Nadabo Energy MD over alleged theft

BY BARTHOLOMEW

MADUKWE AG O S — E C O N O M I C and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, arraigned Abubakar Ali Peters and Nadabo Energy Limited before Justice C. A. Balogun of Lagos High Court, Igbosere, on a two- count charge of fraudulently obtaining money from the Federal Government through petroleum Support Fund.

The accused were said to have obtained N1,464, 961, 978. 24 (One Billion, Four Hundred and Sixty-Four Million, Nine Hundred and Sixty One Thousand, Nine Hundred and Seventy Eight Naira, Twenty-Four Kobo) from Federal Government of Nigeria by falsely claiming that the sum represented subsidy accruing to them.

According to the Acting Head, Media & Publicity of the antigraft agency, Wilson Uwujaren, “the offence is contrary to section 1 (2) and (3) of the Ad-

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PUBLIC NOTICE:

EZIMO TOWN ASSOCIATION Notice is hereby given to the general public that the above named association has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part C of the Companies/Association andAllied MattersAct.1990.

The TrusteesAre: 1. Osondu Ogbu -President 2. Okoli Innocent-Secretary 3. MamaAnthony -Financial Secretary 4. Odoh Casmir -Treasurer Aims and objectives: 1. To promote and project our image and cultural heritage; 2. To foster unity and love among members; 3. To cater for the welfare of members; 4. To foster and promote developmental projects in the town; and 5. To work with other neighbouring Town unions within local, zonal and state levels for mutual, cultural and developmental co-operation.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Zone 5, Wuse, Abuja, within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: Osondu Ogbu (President) Ezimo Town Association, Lagos branch 08030689895 117b Pink Street, Jakande Estate, Isolo

C M Y K

OBUH

great; I have a dream that Nigeria will be a united country, a prosperous country that will take her proper place in the comity of nations and will lead the rest of Africa, inspire Africans all over the world.

vanced Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”

Count one of the two count charge read: “That you Nadabo Energy Limited, and Abubakar Ali Peter, between February and April 2012, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, conspired to commit an offence to wit: obtaining the sum of N1, 464, 961, 978. 24.

(One Billion, Four Hundred and Sixty-Four Million, Nine Hundred and Sixty One Thousand, Nine Hundred and Seventy Eight Naira, TwentyFour Kobo) from Federal Government of Nigeria by falsely claiming that the sum represented subsidy accruing to you under the Petroleum support Fund for the importation by you of liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) which Nadabo Energy claimed to have imported into Nigeria through MT American Ex-

press Ex MT St. Venessa and financed through Form M No: MF878037 which representation you knew to be false”.

However, the accused pleaded not guilty to the two-count

charge when it was read to him. The Prosecution counsel, Ben Ubi, asked the court to give a trial date as the Commission was ready to proceed with the case.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012—15

N1.4trn appropriated for roads in 12yrs — Reps

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

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BUJA—MEMBERS of the House Committee on Works, yesterday, disclosed that between 1999 and 2012, the National Assembly appropriated about N1. 414 trillion for the road sector alone.

Meanwhile, Works Minister, Mr. Mike Onolememen, attributed the poor state of roads in the country to inadequate fund releases from the appropriate quarters.

Speaking at a four-day stakeholders public hearing on the need to address the near total collapse of federal roads across the country, Chairman of Works Committee, Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi, said: “The truth must be told. The state of our roads is alarming.

“Statistics show that from 1999 till date, about N1.414 trillion has been appropriated to the road sector. Yet, out of about 34,400 km of federal road network, only about 35 percent is paved and substantial percentage of it in varying degree of distress and or potholesridden.

State of emergency

“In a country of about 160 million people with an approximate land area of 910,768sq km, in which over 90 percent of the passengers and freight movement are done by road due to almost non-functional water-ways and rail transportation, the situation assumes even a status of national emergency.

“The debilitating effects on the national economic growth and loss of lives and property arising from road accidents,

armed banditry arising from the poor state of our road network evoke a sense of national outrage and mourning.

“The Federal Road Safety Commission statistics for Accidents in the first half of 2012 puts the figure at 1,936 fatalities and substantial part of it attributable to the poor state of our roads.

“In addressing the critical national emergency before us, the committee looks forward to the stakeholders to examine all myriad of issues and factors as comprehensive and extensive as possible.”

Issues

He listed such issues to include the need for appropriate legal and institutional framework for road infrastructure, funding options (government budgeting), its adequacy or lack of it, multilateral borrowing, augmentations, variations and delays in pay-

ment of earned certificates; private sector investment in the road sector through PPP, amongst others.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, who was represented by the Minority Whip, Samson Osagie, noted that the state of roads in the country was horrendous, stressing that there was urgent need to fix them.

Onolememen’s revelation

Onolememen, in his presentation, also noted that poor releases of funds had in many ways affected road development in Nigeria.

He explained that the finance for road projects had been through fluctuating budgetary provisions which had proven inadequate to fund the projects.

He said: “For example, the amount being owed on Interim Certificate for the Lagos-Otta highway

is about N1.74 billion, yet only N742.5 million was provided in the 2012 appropriation. This often leads to delays and abandonment of road projects across the country.

“From past experience, budget provisions are not fully released. In 2011, out of a budgetary provision of N130 billion for highway projects, only N88.7 billion was released with a shortfall of N41.3 billion. In 2012, out of a total budgetary provision of N143 billion, only N110 billion was released.

“The average budget of about N100 billion for road development is grossly inadequate for the nation’s 35,000 km of federal road network and for a country that budgets N300 billion and N150 billion for its central bank and deposit insurance corporation, respectively.

Solution

“What is needed is

about N500 billion yearly in the next four years to fix the country’s ailing road infrastructure and bring it in sync with road infrastructure development in other thriving nations in the world.

“The ministry is, therefore, recommending alternative ways of funding highway infrastructure by the Federal Government.”

According to him, this include adoption of annuity contracts for key arterial routes; borrowing from multilateral agencies and pension fund for key highways infrastructure and floating of road bonds for highway projects.

Other ways are viability gap funding (through the proposed road fund), implementation of the 5 percent fuel surcharge; user-related charges (tolling, heavy-user charges for haulage companies) and conventional PPP finance for road infrastructure.

16—Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

VICE PRESIDENT NAMADI SAMBO'S DAUGHTERS WED The wedding Fathia of Vice President Namadi Sambo's daughters, Huwaila and Aisha Mohammed Sambo, held at Sultan Bello Mosque in Kaduna State, Saturday. PHOTOS: Olu Ajayi.

From left— Vice President Namadi Sambo; Anyim Pius Anyim, and Governor Ibrahim Yakowa of Kaduna State.

Anyim Pius Anyim, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (middle), leading a Federal Government delegation to the wedding.

Some traditional rulers at the wedding.

From left— Former Heads of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.), Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd.), former Inspector-General of Police, Gambo Jimeta; Vice President Namadi Sambo; Governor Ibrahim Yakowa of Kaduna State and others.

Dignitaries measuring kolanuts at the wedding.

Dr. Alfred Torkura, Tor Tiv (left) and Elias Ekoyi Obekpa, Ochi Idoma.

Former Governor of Oyo State, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala (left), Governor Yakowa (middle) and Vice President Sambo (right) and others.

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Dignitaries at the wedding.

Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State (left) and other dignitaries.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012—17

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Gra-gra for nothing

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hile the two main gates were said to be “heavily manned” it turned out that the usual gra-gra we see at the gates of such establishments was a mere show as the porous borders offered intruders easy access! It is not as if the Command was not aware of this security lapse; yet they rather chose to do nothing about it. Even in these days of heightened security challenge, the unfenced borders of the College was not manned by any guard, it would appear. And in the very usual Nigerian way of doing things, the fencing of the borders had been “in the pipeline” for several years. That College was not built yesterday. And one would not be surprised that the fencing has been featuring in previous budgets of the College or the Ministry of Defence since it was said that it was being handled by “a higher authority”. All told, incidents such as the Jaji bombing have a tendency to dent the confidence of citizens in the ability of the nation to defend and protect them.

As if the Jaji bombing was not bad

BY DELE AKINOLA

I

HAVE just commenced my thank-you tour to the great nations of the world.

As the newly elected first executive president of the world’s newest democratic republic, I am naturally expected to observe this important diplomatic ritual. I must step on the soils of nations in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas .

But there is one giant country I would be most pleased to just fly over. It is not that Nigeria is not among the great nations of the world. On the contrary, the country is not only great but it is teeming, gracefully, with good people. My problem has to do with fear. No, I am not afraid of Boko Haram. Faceless, mindless demons of mass-killing terrorists operate all over the world. Even massively-protected American citizens run for cover at the mere C M Y K

Who shall protect us? reportedly arrested by the Army and Police.

The Commandant of the Command and Staff College, Air Vice Marshal I.A Kure and the Infantry Corps Commander, Major General M.D Isa were relieved of their commands. It is unfortunate that this was not seen as strictly professional measures that had nothing to do Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim: with religion or ethnicity.

This, Sets up board of inquiry enough, 24 hours after, gunmen struck at the Headquarters of the usually dreaded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, in Abuja! Two police officers were killed in the incident and 30 people held in custody reportedly escaped, although 25 were re-arrested through what Police spokesman, Mr. Frank Mba, called “tactical and coordinated effort”, whatever that bragging meant! Reports say that following the shooting, there was “a massive security cordon” at the detention centre, just as in movies where the police arrive with sirens and blinding dome lights long after the hero had battled the evil forces alone and won! But here the would-be heroes, two police officers, were killed by the evil forces! The question on every lip now is, where next will they strike?

While we wondered how gunmen could burst into the Command and Staff College and bomb a church and walk up to the SARS Headquarters in the Federal Capital and shoot up the place, speculations of insider collaboration began to make the rounds! Does that corroborate President Jonathan’s lamentation sometime back that Boko Haram had infiltrated his government? Some soldiers and police officers were

however, would be mere cosmetic unless their negligence was established and future lapse

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FTER leading a delegation of African National Congress, ANC, to visit President Goodluck Jonathan, the National Chairman of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, AlhajiBamangaTukur, told State House correspondents that his party was worried about the growing insecurity in the country. He should be worried! We, the ordinary citizens, are also worried. But when he says “growing insecurity ” it gives the impression that the phenomenon is a problem that is just in its infancy.

Truth is that Nigerian has known violence since independence.

Violence in the country has become a growth industry, always with escalating audacity.

On Sunday 25 November 2012, St. Andrews Anglican Church right inside the bowels of elite military base, the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna State, was bombed. As the nation tried to tally the death toll, which as at that time stood at 15, we were told that the borders of the Military College was not fenced and therefore porous! This explanation was given apparently to debunk an earlier speculation about how the bombers fooled the security at the gate to gain entry to the Military College. It was reported that the College was surrounded by “several villages” through which arms and ammunition are sometimes smuggled in and out of the military facility” (Thisday Tuesday 27 November 2012).

Why are policemen on sentry duty in their stations mere sitting ducks for armed intruders, yet they would easily beat up photographers armed with only cameras?

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prevented.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim, shortly after visiting the Armed Forces Command and Staff College was quoted as describing the bombing incident as “sad and least expected in such military environment”. He was further quoted as saying: “Perhaps with the lesson now, we could not afford to take

OPINION Why I won’t come near Nigeria shout of ‘9 /11’ by a five-year old kid playing in company with his peers.

My fear has nothing to do with crime and drug networks. Parallel governments that go by such frightening appellations as Gulf cartel, Los Zetas cartel , Cali cartel, Los Rastrojos cartel and Medellin cartel operate far away from the country of my interest. Take a trip to the Indian Ocean high seas, especially off the coast of Somalia if you think Nigerian pirates and kidnappers are world champions. Look beyond the shores of Nigeria if you are concerned about five-star performances from the most digitally sophisticated armed robbers on stage. My concern revolves specifically around fear of Nigerian cows, fear of the red carpet and

fear of the unknown.

Have no illusion about it: There are cows in my own country as well. In fact, the cows in my country far outnumber the people. My problem is Nigerian cows are not ordinary; they are sacred. Sacred cows, my home Ministry of Agriculture had warned, do not produce milk for people’s consumption; they milk the people dry.

Now dignitaries who are likely to welcome me at the Nigerian airport include governors (past and present), ministers, legislators, traditional rulers, politicians, military officers and even the cabal.

Among them, there are too many sacred cows for comfort. And I am afraid, very afraid. Even Super Eagles’ Chief Coach,

anything for granted”. Now, that is exactly the problem I have with our security behaviour. So, after the Police Headquarters bombing, we did not learn any lesson? We continued to take things for granted? After the bombing of the UN building for which we are sentimentally going to spend our N5 billion rebuilding, it seemed that we did not learn any lessons? We continued to take things for granted?

Every page of the newspapers these days is littered with gory stories of Nigerian killed by gunmen, including armed robbers. We are yet to learn any lesson? We are still taking things for granted! Police stations have been routinely attacked by gunmen who killed police officers and carted away caches of arms, yet we are clueless about stemming that. Does it mean that since all these years, the security has not established any pattern in the operation of the gunmen? Does it mean that the security has not been able to enter the heads of the gunmen to figure out and pre-empt their strikes? I said it before that if the United States of America were to be Nigeria, Al Qaeda would still be blowing up important places, and may be even bomb the White House!

Responses not cosmetic

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he Chief of Defence Staff set up a board of enquiry to investigate the Jaji bombing. The Minister of Federal Capital Territory was reported to have summoned an emergency security council meeting over the attack on SARS Headquarter. One hopes that these responses are not just cosmetic, with the sole intention to make the public believe that something serious is being done. The authorities should get to the roots of why we seem not to be proactive in dealing with insecurity in the country. Why has it been impossible for security agencies to secure even their own premises? If armed soldiers and policemen cannot protect themselves and their premises against attacks, why should we, the idle civilians, have confidence that they can protect us? Why are policemen on sentry duty in their stations mere sitting ducks for armed intruders, yet they would easily beat up photographers armed with only cameras? Our entire understanding of security and behaviour in times like this must be thoroughly reviewed.

With these attacks and our apparent inability to put effective counter measures in place, no one should be left in doubt as to how deep the rot in the nation is! The power behind every violent crime is not ideology but the guns! We must go after illegal arms now!

Stephen Keshi, is afraid of sacred cows.

Then, imagine the dicey situation that my presidential jet managed to outmanouvre the menace of the grazing cows terrorising Nigerian airports. The authorities would lay a red carpet for me to glamourise my reception. There is hardly anything I dread more than the Nigerian carpet. Just anything in Nigeria can be swept under the carpet. Indeed, too many unresolved volatile issues in the country are know to have taken comfortable shelter under this internationally notorious national monument.

The reports of probes into earth-shaking scams like the $12 billion Gulf War oil windfall and Independent Power Project have all been swept under the carpet.

Continues tomorrow pg18 *Mr. Ogbu, a medical doctor, wrote from Owerri, Imo State.

18 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012 AFTER the 3rd May 2012 murder of the former Private Secretary to the Governor of Edo State, Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde, police arrested one of his closest friends, Reverend David Ugolor, as the allegedly sponsor of the assassination.

Why would Ugolor kill his friend? More importantly, operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, paraded a group of youth, different from the police’s, arrested with implicating evidence, and some of them made statements that pointed to the possibility of their involvement in the murder.

After seven months of severe travails Ugolor was discharged and acquitted of robbery and murder by a Benin Chief Magistrate’s Court on 29th November 2012. A magistrate court still handles murder and robbery cases in 2012 Nigeria?

Two different groups of suspects by two different law enforcement agencies increase the confusion. How can the killers of Oyerinde be found in the confusion?

Oyerinde’s murder appears politicallymotivated. And will it join the long list of unresolved murders?

Many are awaiting the result of President Goodluck Jonathan’s order to IG Mohammed Abubakar to find the killers. Abubakar was also

BY ADEWALE KUPOLUYI Continued from Monday viewpoint

I

ALWAYS said this about the militancy in the Delta while fully condemning it: The truth remains that militants tapped into a groundswell of frustration.

In addressing that problem, we have gone to an extreme now where the levels of poverty in the North are recreating the same conditions and results we saw in the Niger Delta”.

The same Sanusi, thereafter, facilitated the donation of N100 million to victims of the Boko Haram menace in Kano. This attracted bitter criticisms from most Nigerians, most especially, law makers. CBN claimed that it was not the first time that it will be assisting victims of disasters.

This singular action spurred torrents of criticism against him and led to the call for a review of the autonomy granted the apex bank in the CBN Act. Moving into another round of controversy, Sanusi, at a lecture he delivered titled, “The Economy in Perspective: Consolidating the Gains of the Banking Sector Reforms”, had described the Nigerian stock market as a ‘casino’, where fraudulent business transactions are perpetrated to the detriment of the citizenry.

He said politicians, particularly public office holders, were accomplices in the shady deals in which depositors of banks and investors in the stock market were being

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Will David Ugolor Get Justice? asked to re-open investigation of other such cases. The long – though inexhaustive list: · Garba Bello, official of the State Security Service, murdered in Kano in 2010 with his wife, three children. · Abdulahi Muazu, Head of EFCC’s Forensic Unit killed in his Kaduna home in 2010. · Chief Funso William, a Lagos State governorship aspirant was murdered in 2007. · Chief James Bola Ige was assassinated as the Attorney General of the Federation in December 2001 in Ibadan. · Chief Marshall Harry of the All Nigerian Peoples Party was murdered in 2003. · Chief Aminosoari Dikibo, a PDP chieftain,

killed in 2003. · Chief Andrew Agom, former Managing Director of Nigeria Airways, a PDP chieftain, was shot dead. · Ogun State AC governorship candidate Dipo Dina killed. · Dr. Ayo Daramola, PDP gubernatorial aspirant in Ekiti State killed. · Out-spoken pilot Jerry Agbeyegbe was shot dead on a Lagos bridge. · Mr. Barnabas Igwe, chairman of Onitsha NBA and his wife Abigail were killed. · Mr. Victor Nwankwo, a publisher, was killed. · Hajiya Abubakar Rimi was killed in Kano. · Dele Giwa, a journalist, was letter-bombed in 1986. · Omololu Falobi, journalist, was killed in 2006. · 22 December 2006, Chairman of the Editorial Board of Thisday, Godwin Agbroko, was shot dead on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway. · In 1996, Bagauda Kaltho, a reporter with The News, disappeared in the custody of security agencies who later announced he killed himself. · Bayo Otu of The Guardian killed in 2009.

We call for justice for Oyerinde, Ugolor and other victims of these unfortunate incidents.

OPINION Sanusi again! (2) systematically manipulated.

Sanusi had summarily blamed politicians for the failure of Nigerian banks when he said: “A stock market is a very funny casino.

Don‘t entrust your money with gamblers.

CBN rules and regulations around the banks cannot be compromised. We are not just doing the sanctioning; we are combing the banks for excellence. The banks must stop creating the impression that they have values when in the actual sense they are dying”.

Sanusi also incurred the wrath of the National Assembly at the 7th convocation lecture of the Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, when he said 25 per cent of the country’s overheads were being spent on the federal legislators alone.

“If you look at the budget, the bulk of government’s revenue expenditure is on overheads. That is a big problem; 25 per cent of overheads of the Federal Government go to the National Assembly. We need power.

We need infrastructure. So we need to start looking at the structure of expenditure and make it more consistent with the development initiative of the country,” he had stated.

After his ‘provocative’ statement, the Senate invited the CBN boss to appear before its Committee on Appropriation to defend the allegation and, to perhaps, ruffle him.

At the end, the Senator Iyiola Omisore-led committee was proved wrong. After being grilled by the senators for more than four hours, Sanusi stood his ground.

“By my upbringing, if I’m wrong, I don’t need to be told to come and say I’m wrong and I would apologise. By my nature, if I am not convinced that I’m wrong, I do not apologise and this is really where the point is,” he told the angry committee members.

That was the end of the matter.

Recently, Sanusi said the nation does not need 109 senators and 360 House of Representatives members because, according to him, they are a drain to the national purse.

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he CBN governor was embroiled in a plagiarism saga, as alleged by a United States-based Nigerian academic, Dr. Victor Dike, an Adjunct Professor at the School of Engineering and Technology, National University, Sacramento.

Sanusi’s other controversial issues included his support for the funding for Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON and the introduction of Islamic Banking. It is interesting that despite the furore and antagonism generated, he still went ahead with the introduction.He said he had no apology over his stand on Islamic Banking.

Sooner than later, the CBN announced a comprehensive review of the structure of the nation’s currency that would have led to the introduction of N5,000 bill as the highest Naira denomination.

Despite nationwide criticisms, Sanusi was hell bent on implementing the unpopular policy until the Presidency had to put a halt to the move.

No doubt, the latest call by Sanusi is certainly not going to be in the interest of the nation in the sense that the financial burden of maintaining the civil service is meager when compared with the resources going down the drain on the political class and hence, the wide criticism.

In another twist, Sanusi has lashed out on those calling for his sack over his purported statement that the federal government should reduce its work force.

At the end of the 13th session of the Honorary International Investors council meeting, Sanusi said that those calling for his sack “are shying away from the reality of the time”.

He said he was misquoted and was never talking about the sack of civil servants but a mere reduction in the size of political appointees who take 70 percent of government revenue leaving a mere 30 per cent for the 160 million Nigerians. Again, that is Sanusi for you!

Concluded

*Mr. Kupoluyi wrote from Federal University of Agric., Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012— 19

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The one and only responsibility of the Christian is to preach the gospel. His responsibility does not include compelling those to whom the gospel is preached to believe the Gospel

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HE title of the essay implies that both religions, Christianity and Islam are anti-ecumenist, and depend on the growth of their adherents on convertion of non-believers. The issue therefore is not whether these two religions should proselytize, but in what manner. The Bible does not advocate judgmental evangelisation. Christ sent his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations of salvation, not to condemn the world (John 3:17).

The God who sent Jesus into this world and the Jesus who came to do the will of the God who sent Him, have no ambition to rule this world but to ‘establish the kingdom of God; a kingdom not of “This World”. The context of the Christian Gospel is thus that of Redemption- for Jesus has ‘given himself a ransom for

Obi's

all”. The call of Christ’s disciples is to pray for rulers and those in authority. So Paul recommends to Christ’s disciples “that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercession and giving of thanks be made for all men.

For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time” (1 Timothy 2:1-6).

The God who is to be preached to all as “our saviour” wants all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth”.

epistemic

BY FRANCISA EBELECHUKWU

Continued from Monday pg. 17

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OST subjects that expose students to classic were removed. The study of subjects like Civics were merged with social studies.

No school today teaches etiquette, and attention is no longer paid to morals and manners. Today as Governor Obi has taken steps to return Anambra schools back to those who are in a better position to manage them (the missionaries) he deserves commendation. Today, all primary and secondary schools hitherto owned by missionaries have been returned to them. What is worth noting is that in returning these schools he did not abandon the basic responsibilities of government unlike what obtains in other states. He has continued to pay the salaries of teaching and nonteaching staff. As part of returning primary schools, he mapped out N6 billion for rebuilding of the schools.

Out of this he has almost given N2billion. This sum is not based on projection as the Governor told us, it is already in the bank. In fact, we understand he told the missionaries that once the first installment is exhausted, they should request for other installments. The result of this is that Anambra schools are undergoing profound transformation.

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People need to be saved only when they are imperiled, when they are in dire danger.

Being saved is not the sum total of God’s concern for man.

He desires that we all live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty; and that all mankind come to the knowledge of the truth. The truth is that “there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus”. The peculiar truth about this man Christ Jesus is that “He gave himself a ransom for all”. He did not give himself a ransom for Jews only.

H

e gave himself a ransom for both Jews and Gentiles when they did not know this truth. God wants mankind to know that this Jesus offered himself a ransom for all. This man’s job as mediator demanded that he

credentials(2) Same applies to secondary schools. As I write, the Governor is visiting all the secondary schools returned to the missionaries, and N10 million out of the N20 million budgeted for each for the first phase of the rehabilitation has already been given out.

If what has been published in the newspaper is anything to go by, it would be observed that Bishops of the affected schools are falling over themselves in joy and are expressing it through their positive commentaries.

First, when he visited St. Charles College, Onitsha, the Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha, Most Reverend Valerian Okeke described Governor Obi as the number one education and youth-friendly governor. He said Governor Obi was the best the State had ever had. At St. John of God Secondary School, Awka, the Catholic Bishop of Awka, Most Reverend Paulinus Ezeokafor was almost short of words to describe the Governor. He marveled that the Governor could, even in the December of his government, when he should be concerned about what the future holds for him politically, still work assiduously for the good of the State. He prayed God to give Anambra State another Peter Obi or someone close.

At Dennis Memorial Grammar School, Onitsha, the Anglican Bishop on the Niger, Most Reverend Owen

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Unlike Judaism, Christianity and Islam are evangelistic

offer himself, not that he be offered as a ransom for all- all includes all races, all classes, or all adherents of all religions, including idolators; all were ransomed “ while we were yet sinners… In due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:8, 6). Christ died for sinners “ when we were enemies; we were reconciled to God by the death of the Son” (Romans 5:10). This giving of himself as a ransom was not a ‘quid pro quo” bargain; it was all one sided offer, total and complete on God and Christ’s side.

The one and only responsibility of the Christian is to preach the gospel. His responsibility does not include compelling those to whom the gospel is preached to believe the Gospel. Preaching the gospel is a command; receiving the gospel is a matter of choice. Jews of the Levitical Faith rejected this Gospel.

Nevertheless this is the Lord’s Commission to his Jewish disciples: “Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46-47).

The command implies that all are in need of the Gospel and a Christian is under command to preach the Gospel to all without exception. We could preach the Gospel with a superiority complex. This is disrespect to those preached to. Such disrespect is informed

It is not just enough for the Minister of Education to paint the gory picture of education in Nigeria, something urgent must be done to correct the anomaly.

Anambra example beckons as a light out of this dark tunnel

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Nwokolo, said that though there were other states that returned schools to the missionaries but none has done as much as the Governor. Through provision of funds and commitment, he said, the schools are returning to their past glory. Also short of words he merely assured the Governor that the Church will continue to pray for him.

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t Girls’ Secondary School, Abagana, which the Governor visited on a Sunday, the Anglican Bishop of Awka, Most Reverend Alex Ibezim merely asked Anambra people to be grateful to God for the gift of Governor Obi. At Maria Regina Secondary School, Nnewi, the Catholic Bishop of Nnewi, Most Reverend Hilary Odili Okeke said that in Governor Peter Obi, Anambra State has

by ignorance of God’s grace by which all can been saved and remain saved. Paul the great evangelist of the Gospel cautions against arrogant and prideful obedience. In preaching the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, Paul warns: “Give none offence, neither to the Jews nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God, Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved” (1 Corinthians 10:32-33). The same Paul explains how he could serve God without making enemies of those God has already redeemed by his grace and his grace alone.

“For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; to them that are without the law, as without the law, (being not without the law to God, but under the law to Christ) that I might gain them that are without the law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak. I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel’s sake that I might be partaker thereof with you” (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). Paul was no ecumenist yet he was a good ambassador of the Gospel of reconciliation in his approach to those of different faiths.

witnessed what it means to a Christian and in fact to be at the helm of affairs.

Referring to Peter Obi the day the schools were handed over to the missions, the Anglican Bishop of the Province on the Niger, Bishop Christian Efobi went biblical: “ when the righteous one is on the throne the people rejoice.”

What could be made out from the foregoing is the fact that education has taken its pride of place in Anambra State and the results are visible.

Statistics released by NECO showed that Anambra State came first in its exams. So did the statistics released

by WAEC which showed that Anambra recorded 300 percent improvement in the performance and with measures being taken to ensure that the progress is sustained.

Just as Napoleon Bonaparte once said that if nations want peace they should avoid the pinpricks that precedes cannon shots, everything on earth has its own condition. Most countries that want to be great and be reckoned with in the comity of nations take education seriously as one of the conditions for that greatness. It is not just enough for the Minister of Education to paint the gory picture of education in Nigeria, something urgent must be done to correct the anomaly. And until such is done the Anambra example beckons as a light out of this dark tunnel.

Concluded *Mrs. Ebelechukwu, wrote from Anambra State University, Uli, Anambra State.

20—Vanguard , TUESDAY TUESDAY,, DECEMBER 11, 2012

barricaded the two entrances to the community. Two days before this, a member of the Arowolo family brought a letter of judgement asking us to vacate the land,’’ he said.

Going down memory lane, Zanu said: “Suddenly there was sporadic shooting by the policemen, but nobody was killed. However, as soon as the Police left, the hoodlums came back to unleash terror on us.

At the end of the day, Freeman was found dead, while Ganiyu Dosu, Taye, Clement Iwegbe and one other person went missing. As I rushed to rescue my son, I was also hit by a stray bullet (he tried to undress and showed VM the scar). Many of us spent thousands of Naira on treatment and the case was incidented at Igbogbo Division which arrested four suspects,’’ he said.

Lagos community cries out against invasions by hoodlums •Wants justice for those killed during attacks STORIES BY BOSE ADELAJA

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ITI Vechenu, a Primary 4 pupil of Saint John Nursery and Primary School, Abule-Egun, Oreta, Lagos was under medication and fast asleep when the unfortunate happened in her community. Her mother was preparing meal outside, while other members of the family were busy with their businesses when sporadic gunshots rented the air.

Titi ran for her dear life, seeking for safety. But she was not that lucky or did not run fast enough. She was later found dead in a swamp. She was not

ing and one kidnapped.

That was on Thursday November 30, 2011 in Ago-Egun, Oreta in IgbogboBayeku Local Council Development Area.

Last Friday, the memory of that tragic incident took centre stage in the community as residents •Freeman and Titi before their death organised an event in honour of Freeman and Titi. Activities closed as the hoodlums, who for the day included a walk also recently invaded the comround the community, with munity killing one person in the process, have been sending threat messages to them.

Also, they are pained by the fact that the four suspects arrested in connection with the crime are yet to be prosecuted in the court of law. Although the case was transferred to the Force Headquarters in Abuja, prayers offered for the repose residents said the suspects are highly connected and have of the souls of the departed.

During Vanguard Metro’s since regained their freedom. ‘’They have been walking freevisit to the town, residents of the community, who are most- ly as if nothing has ly fishermen, claimed they no happened,’’chorused Samuel Igodo and Zak Etuse. longer sleep with their eyes

They are pained by the fact that the four suspects arrested in connection with the crime are highly connected and yet to be prosecuted

,

the only victim: Twenty-sixyear-old Freeman Zaanu was felled by the invaders’ bullets.

That was not all. By the time the dust settled, some of the residents were found to be seriously injured, four were miss-

,

Case transferred to Abuja

In an emotion-laden voice, Freeman’s father, 51-year-old Simon Zanu, a native of Badagry, said his son was shot severally while trying to escape from the hoodlums. ‘’My son was shot on the chest and waist as we were trying to escape the scene and he died on the spot.

Time was noon and some of us were repairing our nets, when suddenly, we saw some hoodlums aided by some policemen. The strangers came in two yellow buses and two Jeeps(four-wheel vehicles) without number plates. The policemen alighted first and

Promasidor donates to flood victims in Delta, Anambra states

A

S part of its corpo rate social responsibilities, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, makers of quality food products, has donated relief materials to flood victims in Delta and Anambra states.

The donations include dairy, beverage and food enhancement products to ease the trauma of the disaster on the victims who have been living at the mercy of donors.

Promasidor representatives, led by Divisional Sales Manager - East, Halliday Chimezie supported by the company’s Business Development Manager, Segun Koleosho, made the C M Y K

donations to the victims at a camp in Asaba Delta State.

Koleosho said the company had received letters from prominent Nigerians urging it to assist the displaced people and the company responded immediately because it is a service to humanity.

The Delta State Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr Tony Nwaka, who welcomed the team to the camp and formally received the products on behalf of the victims in their presence expressed his deep gratitude and appreciation to Promasidor for its wonderful humanitarian gesture. He also

called on other corporate bodies to emulate the company and do the needful. “These people really need help as some escaped to the camp with only one cloth,” he said.

During the visit, one of the victims, Mrs. Helen Otobo from Oko – Amakmo area of the state, who has been in the camp with her family for more than two months, expressed gratitude to the company and the government even as she expressed fears over the safety of the house they left behind.

She said though her own house is made of brick unlike others made of mud that were

damaged completely, she still fears the foundation could have been weakened and thereby become dangerous to live in.

She implored Promasidor and other corporate bodies to continue their good gesture to flood victims.

For Kenneth Odo, it was one sad experience beginning with his destroyed mud house to his ejection from other transit camps because they were over populated. He said his family and himself now live totally at the mercy of the donors and would want Promasidor to do more to relieve them of their ordeal.

Some of the residents, Teejay Iwegbe, Joy Nwakpa, Patience Zuulu lamented the fact that the case was not thoroughly handled by the Police. ‘’The case was initially transferred to the Criminal Investigations Department, Panti before it was later transferred to Abuja and handled by one ASP A.K. Igodo and Inspector Julius Monday.

Community lament injustice ‘’However, we were sidelined while the case was on and the suspects were granted bail.

One year has gone and they are yet to be prosecuted. We have tried every means; demanded for justice but our voice is not heard,’’ he said.

Recent visit by hoodlums ‘’Although Titi and Freeman have been sent to their early graves, the hoodlums are still terrorising the community. During their recent visit, a Yoruba boy was killed and his corpse was deposited in the mortuary,’’ said Iwegbe.

Baale speaks Reacting to the development, the Baale-in-waiting, Adesina Solumade, said the crisis was unconnected with the fact that perpetrators misinterpreted a land judgment. ‘’They misinterpreted the judgement and that was the beginning of problems in Abule-Egun.

The Abule-Egun settlement is owned by the Solumades who are the descendants of Adekefun royal family of Oreta. The family founded Oreta, Bayeku, Ofin and Oropodi. In those days, the journey of the Arowolos to Oreta began when they suffered accommodation problem and came to Oreta for succour,’’ he added.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012 — 21

Nigeria’s wine industry under threat from foreign brands •125,000 workers risk sack

BY FRANKLIN ALLI

T

HE local wines and spirits in dustry with a combined 125,000 workers, contributing N40 billion corporate taxes and Valued Added Tax, VAT, per annum and accounting for N2.17 trillion market capitalizations on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, is now under threat of closure from smuggled foreign brands.

Are Fatai Odusile, Executive Secretary of the Distillers and Blenders Association sub group of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, who raised the alarm, said unless the Federal Government takes a decisive action against the development, companies in the sector will soon go the way of Afprint, Enpee Indus-

tries, Kaduna Textile Limited; Berec, Dunlop and Michelin.

He disclosed that at the last counts, there were over 450 brands of foreign wines and spirits circulating in the market, adding that these products are illegally smuggled into the country from regions and countries like South Africa, Asia, India, and Europe Odusile, pointed out that Nigerian manufacturers are not afraid of competition but craved a level playing field for all, adding that the development, if unchecked and curbed immediately, might lead to the collapse of indigenous companies producing wines and spirits with its attendant negative impact on Nigerian economy.

Tunde Abdulraham, Chairman of FOBTOB, called on the Federal Government to urgently abrogate the legislation that allows unrestricted importation of alcoholic beverages, wines and spirits, while insisting that any interested investor should be encouraged to come and set up manufacturing facilities in the country instead of taking shortcut that are economically and socially dangerous to the country.

He urged government and other stakeholders to heed the cries of local manufacturers of wines and spirits in order to avert the looming crisis. He recalled that similar events led to the death of several promising sectors in the country such as batteries and tyres.

BO1 to generate 2000 jobs in

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

T

HE Bank of Industry (BOI) , week end, said it would generate 200,000 jobs in Bayelsa State.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the bank, Ms.Evelyn Oputu disclosed this when the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson presented the state N1billion counterpart funding contribution draft for the development of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises.

The BOI, she said had approved 12 projects worth N72 million for the development of Small and Medium Scale businesses in the state.

She, therefore, assured the state government that the confidence reposed in the bank would not be misplaced, adding that she foresees a positive synergy between the bank and the government.

Responding, the state governor, Seriake Dickson said the N1 billion equity contributions would be utilized for the purpose of building entrepreneurial skills with emphasis on the training of youths and women.

According to the governor, the empowerment programme is geared towards creating capacity, wealth and job opportunities that would make beneficiaries self-sustaining rather than depend on government and other individuals for their livelihood.

Dickson expressed concern that Bayelsans do not play active role in the local economy and expressed the hope that the partnership between government and BOI would translate into the improvement of the quality of lives of the people and reverse the trend.

He said the development has resulted into a draw back on the capacity of the people to be self-reliant as every young man or woman has an entitlement mentality and rely solely on government.

From left: Managing Director, Skylogistics GTA, Mr. Olufemi Adefope; Commercial Manager, East and West Africa, Delta Air Lines, Mr. Bobby Bryan; and Station Manager, Delta Air Lines, Mr. Peter Otueh, during the fifth anniversary of Delta Air Lines in Nigeria, in Lagos.

Nigeria seeks $1.5bn loan from China for rice, cassava

N

IGERIA is holding talks with the Export-Import Bank of China for a $1.5 billion loan to boost processing of rice and cassava in Africa’s most populous country, Agriculture Minister Akinwunmi Adesina said.

According Bloomberg News, the loan is being sought on “concessionary terms at a 2 per cent interest rate with a repayment period of 20 years,” Adesina said in an interview in Abuja “We want to reduce our import dependency.”

Part of the loan will fund the procurement of 100 large- scale rice mills, with a combined capacity to process 2.1 million metric tons of

rice a year, from Chinese companies, Adesina said. The rest will be devoted to expanding capacity for processing cassava into flour to substitute wheat flour and reduce imports, he said.

Nigeria, which has more than 160 million people, spends $10 billion annually importing rice, wheat, sugar and fish, according to the Agriculture Ministry. While the country grew enough food to feed itself in the 1960s, it is now the world’s largest importer of rice and sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest importer of wheat and sugar.

The government will provide “single-digit interest rates for all agriculture loans” from next year, Adesina said. At least 10 million

mobile phones will be distributed to farmers in 2013 to provide weather and market information as well as extension services on the use of inputs including seeds and fertilizer, he said. Nigeria’s annual inflation rate rose to 11.7 percent in October.

The government’s strategy is to help small-scale farmers, who produce most of the country’s food, with access to credit and improved farming methods while encouraging private investments in large-scale farming. At least $8 billion worth of investment commitments in agriculture were secured by President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration this year, Adesina said.

140.1

-0.35

2,490.00

-1.00

19.18

-0.18

106.83 -0.20 85.96 CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL DOLLAR STERLING EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA RENMINBI RIYA KRONA SDR

154.76 247.9719 200.1047 1165.501 1.8791 0.2894 237.2954 24.563 41.266 26.8233 238.0673

155.26 248.7731 200.7512 166.0357 1.8851 0.2994 238.062 24.6428 41.3994 26.91 238.8365

-0.30 SELLING 155.76 249.5742 201.3977 166.5704 1.8912 0.3094 238.8287 24.7226 41.5327 26.9967 239.6056

CBN Exchange rate as at 10/12/2012

22 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

The Nigerian capital market and the small investor (3)

T From left: Executive Director, Business Development, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Haruna Jalo-Waziri; Managing Director, Presco Plc, Mr. Uday Pilani and Chief Executive Officer, NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema at the Facts Behind the Figures presentation of Presco Plc at the exchange.

ASHON commneds FG, Finance Minsiter over N22.6bn debt forgiveness

BY NKIRUKANNOROM

T

HE Association of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria, ASHON, has applauded the federal government and Ministry of Finance on the N22.6 billion forbearance package granted 84 stockbrokers indebted to Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON. In a statement to Vanguard, the association’s Chairman, Mr. Emeka Mmadubuike, said, “The Association wishes to publicly register her appreciation, on behalf of the entire Stockbroking community and indeed the capital market, to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, and the Honorable Minister of Finance and coordinating Minister of the Economy Dr (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo Iweala acceding to our request and granting the forbearance.

“We wish to also appreciate the Governor of the Central Bank , Sanusi Lamido, The Managing Director of AMCON, Mustafa Chike Obi, The Director General of SEC , Ms Arunma Oteh , the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Oscar Onyema and also the members of the Ministerial Committee on resuscitation of the Capital Market chaired by the Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Kingsley Moghalu, as well as our colleagues from Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers and Association of Issuing Houses of Nigeria for their respective roles in getting this request through.”

He said he was confident that with the move, the capital market would begin to play its pivotal role as the engine room for the transformation of our nation’s economy, while appealing to the government to continue to look for other ways to resuscitate the capital market to enable it compliment the various reform programmes of government and to become an integral component for the growth and development of the economy.

According to him, the association over the last three years has solicited for the forbearance on the margin accounts of some of its members with banks, which was taken over by AMCON. “Our request was based on the premise that for margin accounts where parties made contributions, no party looses more than the contribution it had made. The ‘debt’ on the margin accounts came about from the fact that banks failed to exercise the margin calls as required by the arrangement in the face of falling share prices.

Profit rises, but Nigeria still a concern —PZ Cussons

BY NKIRUKANNOROM with Agency reports

M

AKER of Imperial Leather soaps, PZ Cussons Plc, said it is targeting a higher first-half profit, but was concerned about business in its key Nigerian market.

The British soap and shampoo maker said profit was likely to be about 10 percent higher, driven by an improvement in the profitability of its Australian business and a strong performance in the United Kingdom.

Revenue during the six months to Nov. 30 was broadly flat due to difficult trading conditions in its key Nigerian market.

The company said continued social unrest in the north, severe floods and the removal of a fuel subsidy earlier this year impacted sales in Nigeria.

However, it said margins had improved, helped by lower raw material costs. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has been rocked by unrelenting violent religious clashes and the removal of an $8 billion fuel subsidy in January that led to an eight-day national strike.

HE regulatory powers of the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, under the Investments and Securities Act, ISA, 2007 are still evolving and it has been observed that there are inadequacies and gaps in this law. During 2010, the Federal Government set up a committee for the review of ISA 2007. Regrettably, this committee was not allowed to complete its work. One significant issue that has been raised in the last few years is the conversion of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, from a company limited by guarantee to a public limited company, a process that is described as demutualisation.

Given that the NSE started its life as the Lagos Stock Exchange in 1961 with an Act of Parliament, demutualisation should now also be by an Act of the National Assembly. ISA 2007 should be revised such that it would specify the process of demutualisation, what selfregulation would entail for a public limited company and the limits, if any, on individual shareholding in the public limited company.

Dispute resolution provisions of ISA 2007 have given rise to complaints, especially in respect of disputes between capital market operators and their clients. Such disputes are to be taken first to SEC and a decision of SEC on a dispute can be taken on appeal to the Investments and Securities Tribunal, IST. Investors have complained that decisions may not be forthcoming from SEC and at a forum organised by IST in December 2008, the Chairman of IST remarked that IST might consider “no decision” from the SEC as a “decision” and then proceed with an appeal.

I

n my view, it would be prefera ble to return to the 1999 version of ISA which allowed disputes between capital market operators and their clients to be taken directly to the IST. There have also been instances in which SEC has been described as having the roles of complainant/accuser, prosecutor and judge in a matter. The process of dispute resolution at SEC should therefore be restructured such that there is a body in permanent session with procedure rules similar to those of IST and which body will adjudicate disputes separate from the investigatory role of SEC. The decisions of this body can be taken on appeal to the IST. There have been suggestions that certain companies in the telecommunications sector and the oil industry must be made to offer their shares on the NSE. Will these com-

panies want to raise funds on the NSE rather than by way of syndicated bank loans? Are these companies so profitable that there would be a benefit to investors in the companies? We should recall that a few years ago, a major oil company indicated that it had overstated its crude oil assets leading to a drop in its share value.

Why is it that companies that have raised funds on the NSE lately have done it by way of rights issues? I recall that at the Annual General Meeting of UAC of Nigeria Plc held in Ibadan in May 2005, one of the shareholders raised issues as to the performance of the company based on such criteria as earnings per employee, etc. The Chairman at that meeting did not quite provide the answers required but rather suggested that such a shareholder would be an asset on a board committee. The regulators can assist shareholders in bringing about improved performance in companies by ensuring that such issues are addressed.

The question also arises that we may have a good law but how do we get the regulator to do his/her work or what options should be available when we find that the regulator is not doing his/her work.

O

ur experience with the Nigerian Constitution is a pointer in the direction we should go. When the 1979 constitution was being drafted, it was proposed that the constitution should make it compulsory for government to provide schools, hospitals, roads, housing, water supply, power supply and other social infrastructure for the population. This proposal was dropped and replaced with provisions that indicate that government is advised to provide these facilities. It was argued that the compulsory provision would invite too much litigation against government. Unhappily, we have a situation today in which all government is required to do is get a budget passed from one year to the next but government does not have to achieve anything for the people. A revised ISA should therefore allow individuals to bring action before IST to compel the regulator to do his/her work. Also, the Companies and Allied Matters Act should be amended to allow individual shareholders to bring action to compel the directors of a company to pay back misapplied moneys when directors act in a manner that has been expressly forbidden by statute.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012—23

Mobile money: CBN investigates GSM company for contraventions

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

T

HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has commenced investigations into the operations of one of the biggest GSM telecommunications firm in the country for breaching the guidelines on mobile money.

CBN Governor, Mallam Lamido Sanusi disclosed this at the 18th Nigeria Economic Summit held in Abuja last week. “I am aware of a very big telecoms company that is violating our guidelines

and it is working with two banks, and we know the banks and we are investigating and we are going to act”, he said.

Sanusi said the discovery further justify why the apex bank decided to adopt a bank-led model for mobile money services in Nigeria, as against that of a telco-led model being clamoured by telecommunications firms.

Sanusi said, “The Central Bank by law has the authority to regulate the payment system. We do not have regulatory authority over telecoms com-

panies, we regulate banks.

It makes sense when you are starting something like this, to have it led by institutions you regulate and watch the behaviour of telecoms companies, and build relationship and confidence before you began to hand it over to some other form of models. We have never said this is the final model, we have seen Safaricom in Kenya. It has got strength and it has got fundamental weaknesses from a regulatory and monetary point of view.

“You cannot, have people parting with

money, huge amount of money and these are poor people, and the thing with financial inclusion is that, it is like capital market, getting people to come back and invest is a problem now. The moment you get all these mobile money and something happens that you don’t have control over, it destroys the confidence of people in that entire process, it will not happen again in the next five years or next decade”.

Recently, Globacom’s Director, Telebanking Unit, Tunde Kuponiyi criticized the current mobile money

framework, saying it is not friendly to telecoms companies who provide the mobile payment platform.

He said that though there was a lot that telecoms companies could contribute in a cashless economy, their current mandate was limiting.

Ho noted that since the

mobile payments business is ninety percent dependent on the mobile industry, it was unfair that the mobile networks are prevented from advertising their various mobile payment products which are the foundation on which the bank products operate.

FIRS, Remita, Paga, others win FT awards

F

OR introducing Tax Identification Number (TIN), a unique se-

quential number of predetermined digits electronically generated to all corporate and individual taxpayers in the country, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) have been adjudged as the best MDA with creative use of technology to enhance its services in 2012.

Also, Paga, Nigeria’s leading money transfer service launched in February 2011 was adjudged the best independent mobile money carrier in the country. The hugely successful mobile money service that has recorded over 319,330 users won Best Use of IT in MobilePayment (Independent) category at the Nigerian Financial Technology Awards organised by financial technology magazine.

Meanwhile, FIRS emerged the winner of the Best Use of IT in Government & Public Transactions at The Nigerian Financial Technology Awards, organised by financial technology magazine last week. The awards category goes to any MDA with innovative approach to e-transactions. In a press statement by the organisers of FT Awards and publishers of financial technology magazine, eMaginations, Mr. Sola Fanawopo, Editor-inchief of the publication the awards said FIRS won the awards “for introducing robust Tax Identification Number for taxpayers in Nigeria.”

Paga, Nigeria’s leading money transfer service launched in February 2011 was adjudged the best independent mobile money carrier in the country. The hugely successful mobile money service that has recorded over 319,330 users won Best Use of IT in MobilePayment (Independent) category at the Nigerian Financial Technology Awards organised by financialtechnology magazine. The award goes to an independent operator with the best use of mobile platform for provision of financial services.

24—Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

BRIEF Navy thwarts attempt to steal seized oil vessel

By EMMA AMAIZE

W

From left: General Manager, Human Resources, Eland Oil and Gas, Mr. Gafar Olagunju; Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Leslie Blair; Technical Manager, Mr. Peter van der Gren; and CEO Evolve Communications, Mr. Tunde Renner, at an interactive session with journalists in Lagos..

Eland to invest $190m in Nigerian asset … Targets 50k bpd production for OML 40

By CLARA NWACHUKWU

L

ONDON Exchange-listed Eland Oil and Gas, said it plans to invest about $190million into developing its Oil Mining Lease, OML 40 asset in Nigeria, while hoping to increase crude production from the asset from current 3000 barrels per day, bpd, to 50,000bpd over the next three years.

Output projection is based on the belief that the oil block holds reserves of up to 500million barrels, the company said. It added that only about 50 million barrels or 10 percent of the proven reserves have so far been taken out of the block.

Speaking with journalists in Lagos last week about 6the company’s plans for the asset, Eland’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Leslie Blair, said the company hoped to re-stream production from the field by the first quarter of 2013.

He said, “We have raised $190million from the London Stock Exchange, LSE, and we are putting everything into the Nigerian asset. In terms of our plans for OML 40, we’ve presented our work programme, as you know, we are in a joint venture NPDC (Nigerian Petroleum Development Company), and they have agreed with us, and we intend to build the OML 40 to 50,000 barrels a day in a full year period.”

He revealed that production on the field will start up with the 3,000bpd it closed with some seven years ago, and later ramped up to 50,000bpd in a few years. He explained that the ambitious production target is based on the suspected high prospects of the oil-rich Niger Delta region.

In Blair’s assessment, “The Niger Delta is a very prospective area, but it’s just underdeveloped. Frankly, it has huge potential, and some people talk about the potential but most people don’t realize the potential it has, and I think that Nigeria needs the revenue and they need it right now.

“Again, the Niger Delta is capable of being developed relatively quickly if a number of new players are introduced into the market and there is an opportunity for new players to come in the Niger Delta because there are hundreds of fields that are yet to be devel-

oped.”

Local content development The Eland boss promised to support Federal Government’s local content policy, saying that his company planned to use indigenous contractors for its projects.

“When I say we are fully aligned with the indigenisation policy, we also have to get the work done and done efficiently, and that means we have to work with the indigenous contractors to build up their own efficiency, so whatever we can do, whether its financial assistance we can give, if it’s the advance payment for

the contractors because one of the issues is that we don’t have access to capital especially if you are a small company in the country.”

He also recalled that a similar policy had occurred in the United Kingdom, UK, a long time ago. “We went through this in the UK, because when oil first started in Scotland, all the oil companies were American, but the British Government said we are going to change this and we did change it. And to today, probably in Scotland, you will not see American companies because the oil in Scotland was fully indigenous.”

PIB: Indigenous operators decry high taxes, royalties

BY KUNLE KALEJAYE

M

ore controversies have continued to tri al the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, currently before the National Assembly, as industry players reiterated that when if passed into law, it would deal a heavy blow to small field operators in the industry by way of harsh taxes and royalties rates.

They believe that the bill will also usher in harsh gas Fiscal Terms, which are not competitive. Operators also alleged that they are short changed in terms of ‘No Access to Assets’ adding that the proposed PIB JV terms are not competitive. According to the Managing Director, CEO of Seplat Petroleum Development Company Limited, Mr. Austin Avuru, the Joint Venture, (JV) oil terms are already one of the highest in the world, with additional risks relating to bunkering and security.

Avuru, who spoke at the just concluded 18th Nigeria Economic Summit, Abuja said the country’s post PIB period will not be a globally attractive fiscal regime and it will make many projects non-viable.

The Seplat boss explained that the bill did not completely address sectoral reforms while

downstream problems will get worse. He noted that issues bedeviling the nations refineries were not mentioned as more uncertainties will trial the Midstream (Gas processing and Distribution.

However the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, urged foreign oil companies in Nigeria to accept higher government revenues from crude production outlined in a PIB. The Fiscal reforms in the proposed PIB would be the most comprehensive in four decades, even as she described the increase in government’s take from oil revenues as small, arguing that they were fair, given sustained higher oil prices.

“The PIB represents the largest overhaul of the government petroleum revenue system in the last four decades,” she said.

She outlined the objectives of the fiscal reforms to include: •To simplify the collection of government revenues, •To capture windfall profits in the case of high oil prices •To collect more revenues from large profitable fields in the deep offshore waters, and •To create Nigerian employment and business opportunities, by encouraging investment in small oil and gas fields.

ARRI- A diversionary tactic by suspected oil thieves to evacuate petroleum products from vessels impounded by security agents for allegedly engaging in oil bunkering in the Niger-Delta has been blocked by the Nigerian Navy.

Some firms purportedly working for the oil bunkerers claimed they had obtained approval from Navy authorities to commence evacuation operation, along the Delta Coastal area. Investigation showed the in carrying out the illicit deal, the bunkerers often present the approval document, supposedly from the Navy to security agents on the waterways.

However, Chief of Training and Operations, CTOPs, Naval Headquarters, Abuja, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogboi, dismissed the claim, saying, the Naval Headquarters had not given approval to any firm to commence the evacuation of petroleum products from wrecked vessels arrested by the military for illegal oil bunkering activities in the Niger Delta region.

His words, “We have not issued approval to any other firm to commence the evacuation of products from and seized vessel in Niger Delta waterways and we do not intend to until the Directorate of Petroleum Resources (DPR) provided answers to very many questions we have asked them concerning this exercise.”

Rear Admiral Ogboi added, “We have been asking DPR to furnish us with detailed information as to the nature of the product in these vessels, estimated quantities, the destination of the evacuated products and hazards posed in the course of the exercise but up till now, we are yet to receive such information.”

According to him, “We cannot, therefore, issue any approval to any company when we are yet to get these details, so it will amount to fraudulent act and mischief for any firm to come up to say the Navy has given it approval to commence evacuation.”

He described such claim as false, baseless and unfounded, and advised security agents to be on their guard to ensure the arrest of any vessel seen on the waterways, claiming to be on evacuation operation based on the approval from the Naval Command.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012 — 25

BRIEF Shell gas centre will move to Singapore

R

OYAL Dutch Shell, the world’s biggest LNG company, will move the headquarters of its integrated gas business to Singapore from Europe as part of its quest to feed Asia’s surging demand for the fuel, the company has said.

The headquarters of the integrated gas business, which includes all Shell’s gas and LNG projects outside of North America, will move to Singapore once it has received approvals from staff councils, Shell upstream director Andrew Brown told reporters at a briefing, according to Reuters.

“It will be the largest object man has ever built that floats,” Brown said of Prelude, a 500 metre long vessel costing over $10 billion, being constructed to supply Asian markets with gas from Australia.

“I think this really demonstrates where we see ... the growth of the gas market.

The growth of the integrated gas business will be Asiabased.”

The company is mulling more mammoth LNG projects akin to the Prelude development, not only in Australia, but also Indonesia and the US, Brown said according to the news wire, and is considering projects which could almost double its current capacity to produce liquefied natural gas (LNG).

LNG, a cooled form of the gas, allows the resource to be shipped far from the rocks in which it is found, often to Asian markets where there is strong demand and it fetches a higher price.

Shell, whose total production is split 50-50 between gas and oil - a balance which Brown said the company would maintain, is the world’s biggest LNG company by annual tonnage, with 22 million tonnes per year currently onstream, putting it ahead of its next biggest rivals Exxon, BP, Total and BG. Forecasting soaring Asian gas demand in the coming decades, Brown said other regions would step up to supply Asian markets with LNG, adding to the current limited number of exporters.

“The next big wave will be North America and East Africa,” he said.

Shell has already positioned itself to play a role in planned projects to turn the US and Canada into exporters of LNG but so far does not have exposure to East Africa, after a failed attempt to buy Mozambique-fo-

EIA projects changes in carbon emission P

ROJECTIONS for U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have generally been lowered in recent editions of the Annual Energy Outlook (AEO), the long-term projections of the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The lowered projections reflect both market and policy developments that have reduced recent and projected growth in energy demand and its expected carbon intensity.

The chart presents projected energy-related CO2 emissions from AEOs issued since 2009 in terms of changes relative to emissions in 2005, a commonly used comparison year, particularly with regard to mitigation targets.

EIA’s AEO reflects laws and regulations in place at the time the analysis was performed. New policies are incorporated in subsequent editions of the AEO as they are put in place.

For example, updated fuel efficiency standards for light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles were incorporated in AEO2012 and AEO2013, tending to lower CO2

Ecuador proposes levy on oil taxes

E

CUADOR believes it has the support of Iran and Qatar for its proposal for OPEC members to pay a small levy on their oil sales to help poor countries fight global warming, the chief climate negotiator from OPEC’s smallest producer said.

With pressure mounting at U.N. climate talks in Doha for rich Gulf OPEC states to do much more, setting aside a few cents on each barrel sold could help appease critics. OPEC collectively exports more than 30 million barrels a day at over $100.

“This is going to be presented as a proposal from Ecuador to the OPEC meeting in Vienna next week,” said Ivonne Baki, Ecuador’s chief negotiator at the talks.

“I think it’s going to work, I believe that it’s going to be agreed,” she said in Doha on Friday.

Baki said that former Qatari energy minister and president of the Doha meeting Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah had reacted “very positively” to the idea and was planning to recommend his successor back it at the Vienna meeting on Dec. 12.

OPEC heavyweight Iran also “accepts” the concept, she said, although there is no talk yet of how

emissions relative to earlier projections.

The CO2 projection in AEO2013 generally falls below that in AEO2012, and remains more than 5 percent below the 2005 level throughout a forecast horizon that for the first time extends to 2040. However, near-term expectations of industrial growth in response to the availability of low-priced natural gas result in somewhat higher projected levels of CO2 emissions at the end of the current decade than in last year ’s outlook.

From 2009 to 2013, key changes in the AEO include: •Downward revisions in the economic growth outlook, which dampens energy demand growth •Lower transportation sector consumption of conventional fuels based on updated fuel economy

standards, increased penetration of alternative fuels, and more modest growth in light-duty vehicle miles traveled •Generally higher energy prices, with the notable exception of natural gas, where recent and projected prices reflect the development of shale gas resources •Slower growth in electricity demand and increased use of low-carbon fuels for generation •Increased use of natural gas Power sector transformation, based on decarbonization of the generation mix, occurs because natural gas and renewables gain market share at the expense of coal, reflecting: •Resource economics— high domestic production of

natural gas at historically low prices, reflecting increased production of shale gas •Regulation—updated state renewable portfolio standards and efficiency standards, and cap-and-trade provisions of California Assembly Bill 32, as well as implementation of federal policies to reduce sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions, the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards and other policies and measures at local, state, and federal levels In addition to publishing the Annual Energy Outlook, EIA also creates a report evaluating how our projections of key energy concepts compare with realized outcomes. The AEO Retrospective Review includes additional analysis of past projections of CO2 emissions and other energy indicators like consumption, production, and prices.

Schneider Electric introduces new circuit breakers

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CHNEIDER Electric, has announced the release of the EasyPact™ CVS range of Class II moulded case circuit breakers (MCCB) for low-voltage applications from 100 to 630 Amps.

The company said the product is designed to meet the requirements of the majority of common protection applications in medium-sized commercial and industrial buildings. The new circuit breakers deliver a level of performance and cost-saving functionality that is unusual in their price range.

Other features of the product include adjustable thresholds and a service breaking capacity rated at 100 per cent of the ultimate breaking capacity enhances the reliability and life cycle of the products while reducing servicing costs. Its compact, modular design and field-installable accessories shared with other offer ranges help to simplify ordering,

stocking and installation.

Around the globe, construction and upgrade budgets have become much tighter. The new EasyPact CVS range of circuit breakers will help panel builders adapt to customers’ budgets while delivering required capabilities and the brand quality of a global leader in energy management and protection,’ said Marcel Hochet, Country president for Schneider Electric Nigeria. ‘The range leverages our expertise in precision design and manufacturing, delivering exceptional value to our customers’.

Schneider Electric has designed the EasyPact CVS range to be simple and safe during installation, operation, and maintenance. The robust circuit breakers are suitable for isolation, guaranteed to the IEC 60947-2 standard, and provide a highly visible and lockable contact position indicator to ensure operator confidence.

Extended current limiting and thermal protection can greatly reduce the stresses on equipment due to short circuits and their associated effects.

Earth leakage protection can be added by installing a Vigi™ CVS option module. In the event of a circuit fault, simple visual indicators help maintenance personnel quickly locate the tripped breaker and take steps to correct the problem.

To ensure a low total cost of ownership, the EasyPact CVS range features a modular design that adapts to changing needs.

Basic accessories and a logical part numbering scheme are shared with the rest of Schneider Electric MCCB family, helping optimize stocking while reducing effort and the potential for ordering errors.

Products in the EasyPact CVS range also feature a compact footprint similar to other Schneider Electric MCCB ranges, which can help reduce switchboard dimensions and installation times.

26—TUESDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 11, 2012

BRIEF

China orders Vietnam to halt oil exploration

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HE Chinese govern ment has demanded that Vietnam immediately halt its unilateral oil exploration in the South China Sea in the latest move by Beijing to defend its sovereignty claim over the prospective disputed waters, according to a report.

The long-standing territorial dispute over the area has escalated over the past week after state oil company PetroVietnam reported that one of its exploration vessels, Binh Minh 02, had its seismic cable severed by a Chinese fishing boat near the Gulf of Tonkin recently.

Vietnam, which summoned the Chinese ambassador to protest the cable cutting, also issued a decree in retaliation stating that it would launch new patrols next month backed by marine police to stop Chinese fishing boats encroaching on its waters in the South China Sea. It followed a statement by Indian Navy Chief Admiral DK Joshi that the country would consider sending warships to protect its interests in the area, where state-run ONGC Videsh is involved in three oil exploration blocks under a joint venture with Petro Vietnam.

Beijing’s Foreign Ministry reiterated on Tuesday that China opposed oil and gas development by other countries in the South China Sea including the Spratly Islands - that is contested by neighbours Vietnam and the Philippines, while Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei also lay claims to parts of it.

China maintains that it has “undisputed” sovereignty over the South China Sea, believed to harbour rich hydrocarbon deposits, and has exclusive rights to develop the area’s energy resources. ‘’We hope that concerned countries respect China’s position and rights,’’ said Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei. The ministry issued a further warning on Thursday ordering Vietnam to stop unilateral exploration, according to Reuters.

Hong said Vietnam had “unreasonably” expelled Chinese fishing boats from waters near China’s southern Hainan province. He also disputed Vietnam’s account of last Friday’s incident, saying it was “inconsistent with the facts”.

Chinese fishing boats were in an area where Vietnam’s claim overlaps with waters of Hainan province, the spokesman added.

By GODWIN ORITSE with agency reports

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OLLOWING sanctions imposed on Iran by European Community, (EU) Iranian oil tankers are contending with longer delays in shipments and some are idled amid increasing pressure on buyers to curb purchases from what was once OPEC’s second-biggest producer.

NITC, the Tehran-based tanker owner, has 42 crude oil carriers and 13 were delayed in transit since Oct. 21, according to data compiled by Richard Hurley, a senior maritime consultant at IHS Fairplay in London who has tracked vessel movements for two decades.

Four NITC ships with cargoes are idling while they await orders and four others have switched off their signals and are presumed to be anchored, the data show.

Iran is reliant on NITC ships

Iran oil export worsens as sanctions hinder trade because EU sanctions imposed in July barred about 95 percent of the global tanker fleet from carrying the nation’s crude. NITC has renamed vessels, switched their flag states and signaled inaccurate information about where they are registered, according to the data from IHS, which maintains the United Nations’ shipping database.

“Iran is finding it harder to place cargoes,” Hurley wrote in an e-mail. “China, while still a major purchaser, seems unwilling to take all the cargoes which are being sent to her and has been letting some ships wait at anchor for several weeks. India, while still a purchaser, is not taking

much.”

Two phone calls and e-mails over two days to Habib-ullah Seyedan, NITC’s commercial director, weren’t answered.

Oil exports from Iran slumped 46 percent this year compared with 2011, according to data from Clarkson Plc (CKN), the world’s largest shipbroker. No NITC vessels delivered cargoes to Turkey since Nov. 22 or to India since Nov. 12, according to data from IHS Fairplay, a unit of Englewood, Colorado-based IHS Inc. (IHS) Banks in countries that fail to cut imports risk losing access to dollars under a U.S. law that took effect June 28. China and India have waivers that expire this month.

The U.S. and 27-nation EU want to curb Iran’s nuclear activities, which they say are aimed at producing weapons, a charge the government in Tehran has denied.

The sanctions are costing Iran about $98.9 million a day in lost oil sales, data compiled by Bloomberg show. The exports once provided about half of government revenue.

Signals from 31 NITC tankers show they are registered in Tanzania-Zanzibar, according to IHS data. A Zanzibar government official said in October that no Iranian ships were registered in the east African territory and the country’s ship registry confirmed the vessels aren’t entitled to fly the flag.

From left: Assistant Editor-in-Chief, News Agency of Nigeria, Mr UzoNwoha; Executive Vice Chairman, Techno Oil Ltd, Mrs Nkechi Obi; Managing Director of Techno Oil, Mr Tony Onyeama and Mr Peterson Babalola of Techno Oil during a media chat to announce the building of an ICT Centre at Ajegunle, Lagos.

Techno oil to discharge 60,000MT of petrol

BY KUNLE KALEJAYE

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HERE are indications that the current fuel scarcity bedeviling the nation may not get into the yuletide season as Techno oil, a major player in the downstream oil sector is expected to discharge 60,000 metric tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS or petrol during the Yuletide Season. This is expected to complement supplies from the Nigerian National Petrol Corporation, NNPC, within the same period.

The company which is currently discharging 10,000MT of petrol from its Kirikiri depot also confirmed that the nation’s most strategic pipeline, system 2b, currently on shut down would be up and running well ahead of the yuletide.

The Executive Vice Chairman of Techno oil, Mrs. Nkechi Obi, disclosed to newsmen that PMS is currently available in the company ’s depot and would be made accessible to the public. “We are currently discharging 10,000 metric tons of

PMS from our allocation and between now and December we will have discharged 60,000MT.” She however pleaded with the Federal Government to expedite payment of subsidy claims to companies that were indicted in the subsidy scam.

It was earlier reported that a total of 24 vessels, out of which 15 are laden with the premium motor spirit (PMS) commonly known as petrol, bearing a combined total of 483,343 metric tonnes (about 638 million litres) were awaiting berth at the Lagos Pilot-

age District (LPD).

According the shipping statistics released by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), out of the number of vessels, four are laden with JET A1 (aviation fuel), two with dual purpose kerosene (DPK), while one each are laden with base oil, ethanol and containers.

It would also be recalled that oil marketers had pointed out that the present fuel scarcity might continue because the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is supplying the product to only six out of the 50 depots in Lagos.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012—27

Political will required to grow power sector — NERC

BY KUNLE KALEJAYE

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HE Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has said that for the power sector to grow to the anticipated level attainable to international standard there must be the political will as well as the required regulatory services.

The commission also stated that the nation required a minimum of 50,000 megawatts of power, while Lagos State required 10,000MW in order to maximize its potential and attract foreign investors.

The Chairman of NERC, Dr

Sam Amadi, dropped the hint at the maiden edition of the Light Up Awards 2012 organised by Project Light Up Nigeria in Lagos, “Presently, we need at least 50,000MW of power supply and Lagos needs about 10000MW of it.

What is needed for the power sector to grow to a level which will be adequate for all is the political will, a regulatory service, which NERC has been able to give them that assurance and an offtaker who is credible, that is why the government create d the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company.”

He stressed that the 4,221MW which is presently produced is still a far cry from what is needed, but argued that the federal government

reform will revolutionise the power sector.

According to him, “The nation did not increase in power in the last two decades because there was no market for electricity and electricity was not seen as a product. Government saw electricity as just a service which must be rendered without making a profit from it and did not charge the adequate amount.

But the irony was that everybody was paying so much more than the market prize.

“The growth of the power sector started with the 2010 reform which has increased power and has made Nigeria a global market for some investors who have seen the potential in

the sector.”

He explained that the annual Light Up Awards will bring about a change and the drive in government and all stakeholders in the sector.

The National Coordinator, Project Light Up, Mr. Frank Ukpabi said steady electricity, which is an important economic index would reduce crime and poverty in the country.

According to him, the project was initiated to encourage electricity generation efforts by of the three tiers of government in a competitive environment.

Governor Babatunde Fashola emerged as the Governor with the best rural electrification projects for 2012; Governor with the best energysaving streetlight projects; and overall Energy Governor of the year. President Goodluck Jonathan was given the award of the President that generated the highest number of electricity megawatts between 1979 and 2012.

Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State emerged as the Governor with the most steady electricity power supply state (highest power generation).

Governor Rabiu Kwakwanso of Kano state emerged as Governor with the best maintained streetlight projects.

Governor Sullivan Chime, Enugu state emerged as the Governor with the highest number of street light projects.

Zenith Bank Plc emerged the company with the highest number of streetlight projects as part of its corporate social responsibility; company with best maintained street light project; and with CSR on streetlight, emerged Streetlight Project Company of the year.

The Chairman, Ojo Local Government Area in Lagos, Mr. Yinka Durosimi, emerged as the Chairman with the best and most successful rural electrification project, and Energy Chairman of the year.

P r e s i d e n t Goodluck Jonathan was given the award of the President that generated the highest number of electricity megawatts between 1979 and 2012.

BRIEF

Youths take over Chevron facility

BY DANIEL GUMM

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ARRI — ANGRY Ijaw youths, weekend, took over Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL’s Gas Pipelines Project after chasing away workers from site.

The youths said their action was necessitated by the recently renewed Global Memorandum of Understanding, GMoU, between Chevron, Egbema/Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation and Delta State Government as well as lack of basic amenities Chevron failed to provide for them.

The angry Ijaw youths, numbering over 500 stormed the 16-inch gas pipelines being constructed for Chevron from the Abiteye Flow-station to Escravos, seized it and chased out the workers.

The youths said they were not comfortable with the GMoU and foot-dragging of Chevron to sandfill Benikrukru community, piling of the community, sweeping of the canals in their community and their stake in the regional development council.

They insisted that their representatives from Benikrukru community, who signed the GMoU never got the approval of the community to do so, adding that besides the GMoU, Chevron failed to provide the community with amenities needed badly.

It will be recalled that at the wake of the signing of the GMoU, members of the Benikrukru community after an emergency meeting on November 13, 2012, sanctioned those who signed the GMoU and threatened to mobilise women and children in the days ahead to cripple the Abiteye Flow-station and other facilities owned by Chevron.

They made good this threat, weekend, when they seized the multi-billion naira gas pipelines project of Chevron being handled by an indigenous firm.

It was learnt that the protesting youths arrived the site with several boats and ordered the workers out from site, though no one was hurt.

28—Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

Role of statecraft in the African Renaissance amidst regime change and ethno-religious insurgency – A West African Case Study Being a paper delivered by Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, at the 2012 Achebe Colloquium on Africa held at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island USA on Friday December 7, 2012 FRICA Rising – That is the head line of last week’s cover of Time Magazine. It is for me an appropriate place to start my discussion on the theme “Governance, Security and Peace in Africa”; and if I might say so at the onset, it is a somewhat misleading if not patronizing headline. I say this because, students of world history will know that the story of our planet is one of the rise and fall of civilization and empires.

Civilizations and empires have thrived and floundered on the basis of the challenges of their time, when they peak or fall; and what men or women do or fail to do. And I propose to discuss this in some fuller detail as I deal with the subject of institutions. But I must emphasize that Greece, which is one of the Europe’s poorest and highly indebted nations today, was once at the zenith of human civilization.

The heart of the Roman Empire which gave the world one of its most enduring legacies of law, was situated in what is modern day Italy and is currently a struggling economy. But we have not heard the last of Italy or Greece. In the way that Germany rose from the ruins of two World Wars to become Europe’s super power house today, we have seen the renaissance of a Ming Dynasty that took almost 5,000 years to re-discover herself in the renaissance of China.

So contrary to a rising Africa, I see the renaissance of a region that once boasted the amazing engineering feats of the Egyptian pyramids when there were no super

B AB ATUNDE F ASHOLA ABA FASHOLA

cranes and a place where Timbuktu in modern day Mali, was once the place to be for science, mathematics and learning. Africa is not rising; it is experiencing a renaissance again. The sustainability will be determined by what men and women do or fail to do. This is the platform from which I propose to address my sub-theme

of “Regime Change, Ethno-Religious Insurgency and Statecraft in the 21st Century with my Chinua Achebe focus on West Africa.

Let me start by submitting that I have read enough history and seen a lot While the healing process and rebuildof conflict in almost five decades on earth ing continues at a pace that encourages to come to the clear conclusion, that all hope, there are scars that will never go conflicts are fuelled by the desire for dom- away. My own country Nigeria faced a inance, territorial control, economic bene- bloody civil war about which I will say a fit for self or allies. I am convinvedd that word or two, Ivory Coast was not spared; in whatever garment these conflicts are neither was Ghana, in the mindless topdressed, whether ethnic or religious, those pling of regime after regime in the 1980s cloaks are only designed to whip up a and several execution of leaders and the sense of identity and support towards a displacement of millions of citizens who cause they often may not understand. became refugees outside their homeland.

Yes, many Ghanaian professionals beest Africa, as the name suggests is came shoemakers, drivers, odd job men a sub region of Africa that has 16 and women in my own country when I (sixteen) countries who are independent was a teenager because their country failed nations. Collectively they have a popula- them. All these are now in the past. The tion of approximately 300,000,000 (three old Gold Coast of Africa is back. The Ashundred million)people whose lands are hanti Dynasty is not rising. It is experiblessed with all types of natural resources encing a renaissance. What lies at the heart such as oil, gas, coffee, cocoa, timber, gold, of all this conflict for me is a difficult questo mention a few and access to water especially the Atlantic Ocean.

It is important to mention this so that there is clarity about abundance of human and natural resources. Some of the oldest and foremost learning insti- tion; and from here I have to be careful tutions such as the Fourah Bay College what I say so that I am not misunderstood. and the many learning centres such as in Before the colonization of Africa in the Old Timbuktu are located in this region. In late 19th Century, many of these nations the last few decades they formed an eco- were several kingdoms with kings and nomic block, the Economic Community of emperors. We must remember that sucWest African States (ECOWAS) for short, cession was by conquest and it is possible almost like the European Union to deep- to rationalize what we have today on that en economic trade. basis. However, it is important to also exBut ironically, this region has until re- plain what I think compounds the probcently made global headlines for the wrong lem. A good idea, whose frontiers are bereasons. Apart from hunger and poverty ing tested to the limit. Liberal Democraexperienced by a people so blessed; and I cy. In my view, there is yet to be a better am not happy to say this, peacekeeping form of organizing the affairs of a multioperations have consumed several millions tude of men than a representative democof dollars as perhaps the only successes racy. that can come out of a region of such vast My worry is whether an idea conceived resources. by men can last forever. Democracy has These are peacekeeping missions to end survived many ages. The Agrarian Age, the mindless slaughter of innocent men, the Industrial Age and it has merged with women and children who have been vic- other philosophies like capitalism and tims of mindless orgies of violence in the moved into the age of information techpursuit of crass and brazen ambition un- nology and now globalization. It faces der the guise of attempted perhaps its biggest threat yet by the efgovernance. Sierra Leone and Liberia once fects of technology and globalization which very free, peaceful and historic settlements both test the limits of freedom. The sucfor their roles in the end of the Trans-At- cess or otherwise of this model of goverlantic slave trade and the redevelopment nance has been the Achilles heel of the of the African human capital through edu- political stability of West Africa. cation, have lost their innocence forever.

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,

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Africa is not rising; it is experiencing a renaissance again. The sustainability will be determined by what men and women do or fail to do

,

It is possible to argue that the African concept of communal existence, sharing and conciliation were shaken to their foundations by the winner takes all that elections produce in a democratic setting. While I may be wrong, and I hope that I am, it is a study that I hope will be undertaken. Those who are products of ancestors who ruled as kings and emperors may seem somewhat perplexed that they cannot share the Court of a successful winner after an election; and must, therefore, accept the economically unrewarding role of opposition, at least until the next elections are called.

Human endeavour and conflict Really and truly, all human endeavor and conflict about a better life, but the irony is that the concept of a better life is itself amorphous and difficult to define. One might wonder for example why the people of the Western economies with all their infrastructure and progress, which are many miles ahead of what you will find in many parts of Africa are still agitating for a better life.

Happily for me, I am able to say that in spite of the difficulties many parts of West Africa are democratizing and with that, political stability is emerging and we are seeing development. Sierra Leone just conducted peaceful elections for the second time after many years of conflict. The evidence of political stability stares every person in face as one witnesses the block by block rebuilding of a once peaceful country whose infrastructure was ravaged by conflict induced by regime change.

The question therefore is this:- In the light of the progress being witnessed in many parts of democratizing West Africa, is democracy the answer or the missing link to unlocking the vast opportunities in West Africa. Yes, democracy will, on the basis of the available evidence of what has been done under it, be critical to achieving the goal. On its own, it will not suffice to solve the problem. In spite of democratic structures in Mali and with only a few months to general elections a few people still ganged up to seize power, with an official statement that they wanted to change things. The question on everyone’s lips was: why not wait for the general elections that were so close; to effect the change by the ballot? The answer may be long in coming.

To be continued

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012 — 29

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32—Vanguard , TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

Land Rover Freelander 2 refreshes for 2013

BY THEODORE OPARA

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HIS is good news for Land Rover customers. The Land Rover Freelander 2 has been given a premium overhaul with improved power, comfort and efficiency. The renowned 4 X 4 maker finally dropped the six cylinder petrol engine, replacing it with a frugal, fast and efficient turbocharged Si4 fourcylinder powertrain. The new lightweight Freelander 2 engine delivers amazing 177KW and an increase of seven per cent on torque to 340Nm, providing a broader spread of torque for relaxed cruising and strong low speed response. This engine is also more eco-friendly as its Co2 emission has been reduced by 14 per cent compared to the outgoing six-cylinder engine.

Presenting the new Land Rover Freelander 2 to auto journalists from across the sub-Saharan Africa in Pretoria last week before a two day test-drive that spanned over 600 kilometres, Rory Beattie, Technical Services Manager Jaguar Land Rover SA and SSA, explained that the Freelander 2 has joined the premium SUV category with even better comfort, convenience and driving enjoyment.

Apart from the new 2.0 litre petrol engine, the new Freelander is also available with two diesel engine both 2.2 litre delivering 110Kw at 420Nm and 140Kw at 420Nm respectively.

Also an all-new 17 inch alloy wheels is now available at the entry-level.

Land Rover engineers have brought their midas touch to bear on the Freelander 2 just as it did with the Range Rover Evoque models.

For instance, the Si4 GTDi powerplant in the newFreelander first appeared in the Range Rover Evogue and is packed with advanced technical features including high pressure direct injection and variable valve timing on both inlet exhaust. Also the Freelander 2’s equipment levels have moved up to pure premium look and feel like the Range Rover models.

Available in HSE and Dynamic versions, the new Freelander looks C M Y K

good to earn Land Rover more share of the Compact SUV market.

The Freelander versions could easily be distinguished by their features. The Dynamic version has gloss black fender vents and grille bars with black grille surround, complemented on the interior with three colour way choices of Sportthemed electric leather seats. The top-of the range version HSE with a grained leather and wood interior as standard is quite tempting. There is the option of 19-inch diamond turned wheels and grand black lacquer finisher and also windsor leather seats with premium carpet mats for extra special touch.

Also three stunning new colours have been added to the Freelander

line up including aintree queen Havana and Mauritus blue. The improvement on the exterior are too many to be mentioned.

Latest Xenon LED technology, the front and rear lamps have been revamped, giving the Freelander 2 a sportier yet purposeful new look, set off with a new signature graphic in the front running lights. The grille and fog lamp bazels now sport a bright finish and there are paint detailing changes to the front grille surround, insert bars and fender vent to harmonise the different elements.

Freelander 2’s interior has been refreshed to the last detail. New features and more convenient equipment option abound inside the car.

Apart from the new instrument cluster, cabin

space and safety have been improved with the introduction of an intelligent electric parking brake which adjusts brake

force according to the slope the vehicle is parked on.

Rear view camera, premium meridian audio system with choice of 380w or 850w with 7-inch colour touch-screen with either 11 of 17 speaker system, equipped with subwoofers for a deep, bass sound and andyssey mult-EQ audio system are some of the features you should expect in the Freelander 2.

In terms of safety, the Freelander 2 is a Land Rover. Intelligent four wheel drive system, in the Freelander responds to changes in grip in 150 milliseconds to adjust torque between front and rear axles. Terrain Response optimises the

electronic systems for conditions and there are four settings, including: General Driving, GrassGravel-Snow, mud and sand. Gradient release control ensures smooth hill start both ascending and descending for absolute safety and drivers confidence on any surface.

When it comes to on-road handling dynamics, Freelander 2 is on top. Antilock Braking system, Electronic Traction Control, Electronic Brake-Force Distribution, Concerning Brake Control, Emergency Brake Assist, Dynamic Stability Control, Roll Stability Control, and Engine Drag Control all add to ensure safety ride in the new Freelander.

Coscharis rewards technicians, service advisers with laptops

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OSCHARIS Motors, representatives of Jaguar Land Rover, BMW, Mini, Ford and several Chinese brands in Nigeria, has rewarded its technicians, parts, and service advisers who distinguished themselves in their various departments, The multi-brand auto dealer recently gave out computers with modems worth hundreds of thousands of naira to the staff who excelled at their recent training programme.

Speaking during the presentation of the awards, the company’s Group Financial Controller, Mr. Godwin Umeaka commended the winners of the competition for their hardwork and dedication to duty.

“We want to appreciate those who have performed well in this competition which is aimed at improving service delivery to the customers. The management is committed to staff development which in-

formed the various trainings we organise for our staff abroad and locally from time to time,”he said.

In addition to oversea trainings, the Group Financial Controller disclosed that in-house training is a regular practice in the company.

He therefore urged the awardees to always ensure that the knowledge they acquired through the training reflects in their relationship with the customers.

Vanguard , TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012—33

•New 7 Series offers world’s most powerful 6-cylinder diesel engine •Set new performance and efficiency benchmark •Enters Nigeria’s Presidential fleet

New BMW 7 Series, epitome of luxury — Maduka T

HE President/CEO, Coscharis Group, representative of BMW in Nigeria, Dr. Cosmas Maduka has described the new BMW 7 Series as an epitome of luxury. Dr. Maduka who was represented at the unveiling of the new BMW flagship sedan at the prestigious Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, by the General Manager, Mr. Sola Adigun stated that the new 7 Series LCI is "the contemporary luxury experience for the performance elite” and is set to reenforce its position as the most innovative Limousine in the luxury segment.

Disclosing that the model has won its place on the presidential fleet in Nigeria, the Coscharis boss said, “The flagship model series of the BMW fleet embodies sporting elegance, refined powertrain technology and luxurious comfort in equal measure.” And now, by making a clear step up in terms of product stance, the BMW 7 Series Limousine is set to underline its leadership.

BMW has refreshed the new 7 Series with array of new features including new LED headlights, upgraded interior with optimised soundproofing, markedly improved ride comfort, comprehensive selection of optimal equipC M Y K

ment and state of the art safety features.

Also added to the 7 Series model line-up are a new six-cylinder in-line diesel engine the world’s most powerful and the second generation BMW Active Hybrid 7 which sets new performance and efficiency benchmark.

Dr. Maduka however explained that the company is offering the premium product with premium service. “Coscharis Motors shall always endeavor to provide the highest levels

of customers service for this elite brand in line with international quality standard” he stated.

Continuing, he said the company is committed to serve its customers, who

seek innovative and high performance luxury cars like the BMW 7 Series LCI across the country.

According to him, the company has not even scratched the surface of

what it wanted to offer the Nigerian customers in the automobile industry.

“We are not celebrating our successful past as a company but more importantly, we are looking into the future. A future that

starts now with the launch of the new BMW 7 Series LCI and opening of our Lekki office both being part of our drive to incessantly reinvent the company and BMW brand’s portfolio,” he said.

Kojo Motors unveils Toyota Express maintenance K

OJO Motors, one of Toyota Nigeria Limited (TNL) authorised dealers has brought a new innovation to car maintenance in the country that could enable Toyota car owners service their car with as low as N6,000.

According to Mr. Chinedu Oguegbu the Executive Director, Kojo Motors, the innovation, aptly tagged: ‘Kojo Motors Toyota Express Maintenance’ scheme was unveiled after careful study of customers demand for excellent regular maintenance of their cars.

Speaking to journalists on the new scheme, the executive director, said

their research over the years revealed that people tend to believe that maintaining their Toyota cars at authorised dealerships could be expensive but this is what they are out to demystify.

Apart from the numerous advantages acrueable to customer for servicing their cars at any Toyota dealerships, Kojo Motors has gone a step further by offering 30% mouthwatering discount to customers when they book ahead of time to take advantage of Kojo Motors Toyota Express.

According to the executive director, “all the customers needed to do is to book for an appointment online or phone call with

our highly trained technicians on when it would be convenient for them to bring in their cars for quick service at any of their workshops across the country to enable us prepare for them. By this pre-alert, we will prepare for them and less than an hour after arriving the garage, our technicians would have completed the service.

He disclosed that Kojo Motors has presence in Lagos, Abuja, Benin and Port Harcourt while plans are on to set up more centres across the country.

The executive director further explained that all their service centres have been equipped to cope with the huge traffic ex-

pected of the new scheme. “We have the right equipment and personnel to render Toyota quality service to customers at the right price.

“We want to add value to our customers and this is the reason why we are offering this unbeatable quick service scheme to all our Toyota customers at very competitive price,” he stated. He noted that there is no age limit for Toyota cars that would be serviced by the company under the scheme.

The advantage is that the customer saves time, money, and comes for service at his convenience which is his own

appointment time.

The Express Maintenance Scheme entails oil change, brake service, tyre service, wheel alignment and balancing at 30 per cent discount.

“We believe that the customer ’s constraints when it comes to car maintenance include long wait and time investment. This is what we are out to reduce or possibly eliminate.

So if customers are able to pre-alert us, we will plan for their service by getting the right parts and materials before their arrival. And by so doing, we run more efficiently and maximise our time and transfer all the savings to the customers” he said.

•Continues on page 28

34—Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

• Imagining malnutrition is one thing, but beholding a malnourished child is another.

Some of the children at the CMAM centres across the Sahel States. While a few of them have been able to access treatments, thousands of them die due to access to care. Statistics show that total population at risk of malnutrition is put at 18.7 million, children at risk of severe acute malnutrition, 1.1 million and children at risk of moderate acute malnutrition, three million. Photo: UNICEF.

Malnutrition: Great concern, little action in Nigeria

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

M

ALNUTRITION occurs whenever a child is not getting enough food or eating balanced diets. The consequences of malnutrition can be dire, as the United Nations Standing Committee on Nutrition asserts that malnutrition is the largest contributor to noncommunicable diseases in the world. The physiological manifestation of malnutrition at an early age can induce reduced physical and mental development during childhood.

The fifth report on World Nutrition Situation states that stunting affects 147 million preschool children in developing countries, while Nigeria is believed to be home to 10 million of such children.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), domesticated in Nigeria since October 2003, states that access to good nutrition is a fundamental right, particularly for children under five years.

However, imagining malnutrition is one thing, but beholding a malnourished child is another. Anyone who has visited any of the 216 CommunityBased Management of Acute Malnutrition, (CMAM), sites C M Y K

set up by UNICEF in the seven Sahelian States — Gombe, Jigawa, Borno and Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi and Kano — may not forget in a hurry, the sight of the unfortunate Nigerian children affected by Severe Acute Malnutrition, SAM. CMAM is a communitybased approach in treating children with severe acute malnutrition. In the sites, children admitted with SAM are given specialised feeding and therapeutic care to help rehabilitate them. The problem remains a “silent” one. Little or nothing is being done to tackle it even at almost epidemic level in the country despite UNICEF’s alert in 2011 that over one million children will suffer severe acute malnutrition in 2012 in the eight countries in the Sahel region including Northern Nigeria. Without any intervention, SAM has up to 60 percent mortality risk. Statistics show that about 1.1 million children are threatened in the Northern region mostly due to poverty, insecurity and lack of access to portable water.

However, the silent crisis is largely crippling other states of the country even in states like Lagos. Emphasis has been on the fact that good nutrition and

no normal child can grow into a healthy, strong and happy adult without the intake of dietary diversification.

Surveys show prevalence of malnutrition beyond 10 percent known as Global Acute Malnutrition, GAM, in 5-15 percent in all surveys across all states. This is an emergency. So what needs to be done?

UNICEF Nutrition Specialist,D Field Office, Dr. Niyi Oyedokun, says annual CMAM admissions in these

states have increased steadily from 1,701 in 2009 to 18,118 in 2010; 57,185 in 2011 and 83,522 between January and September 2012.

In a presentation at a twoday Media Dialogue on Child Malnutrition in Nigeria held in Kano recently, he posited that essential nutrition actions was needed as well as multi sectoral approach to tackle the problem.

The nutrition expert regretted that there has not been

maximum coverage as it is in seven out of 10 states currently affected. Worse still, sites in the implementing states represent only 11 percent of the total wards, thereby affecting access to the treatment sites and consequently coverage. “From January – July, 2012 only 23 percent of children that could have been reached had access to treatment. In view of this, there is an urgent need to increase the coverage. In re-

Continues on Page 35

LASG, MultiPro partner on maternal, child health

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

N

O less than two million mothers and children at various health care centres across Lagos State have benefited from the health and wellbeing promotion spearheaded

by MultiPro Enterprises Limited, makers of Hypo Super Bleach, in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Health.

At the grand finale of the 2nd round of the 2012 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week event which had in attendance the State’s Deputy Gover-

nor, Mrs. Adejoke OrelopeAdefulure, the importance of Non-Governmental Organisations’ involvement to accelerate the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals 4 & 5 was highlighted.

Earlier, the week-long activities kicked off with the free administration of free doses of the pentavalent vaccine - a new type of immunization vaccine that can help protect against the five preventable childhood diseases including diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, influenza and hepatitis B. “We

have reached out to two million mothers at various health care centres across the state this is in addition to the two million house visits we made in Lagos in the past year preaching about hygienic practices and promoting germ-free home environments and the awareness activities on World Toilet Day on 19th November.

“We truly hope this continues to provide great benefits to the good people of Lagos, and Nigeria, as Hypo stands for

Continues on Page 35

Vanguard, TUESD AY, DECEMBER 11, 2012—35 TUESDA

The dietary connection H

YPOTHETICALLY, over one-third of all cancer deaths may be related to what we eat. Looking at what we call “food” today, I am willing to bet this is a very conservative number. Most modern doctors will tell you that Western medicine has made many great strides over the years. They will probably tell you we have “cured” or wiped out countless deadly diseases our ancestors faced on a daily basis causing huge mortality rates.

For example, the World Health Organization (WHO) certified the eradication of smallpox in December 1979 and also that polio could be a thing of the past in the near future. It sometimes seems as if modern medicine has essentially developed a cure for every symptom that ails us.

There are literally thousands of prescription medications available on the U.S. Market alone according to the National Bureau of Statistics; fifty-nine

Julia Oyefunke Fortune

The Cancer

FIGHTER

juliafortune@hotmail.com

percent of the population has recently used at least one or more of these drugs in the past two weeks.

This same report states that on average, 42 percent of people who take these

Malnutrition: Great concern, little action in Nigeria Continued from Page 34 sponding to a nutritional crisis, it is recommended to use the proven high impact and cost effective interventions referred to as the Essential Nutrition Actions. Focus on the period from pregnancy and through the first two years of a child’s life. When implemented together, contribute about 60 percent reduction in child’s mortality.” he stated.

Regretting that early warning signals were given since 2011, Oyedokun lamented that most of the state governments were not forthcoming in terms of support, appealing to them to show more commitment to the problem.

According to Oyedokun, establishment of a Statutory State Committee on Food and Nutrition as provided in the National nutrition policy is needed but unfortunately, only two states out of the Sahel states have established such committees. He called for dietary diversification for children to include exclusive breastfeeding for six months, complementary feeding for 24 months and con-

sumption of some food nutrients, such as Vitamin A, iodised salt and zinc supplementation.

“The first 1,000 days of a child — from pregnancy to 24 months after delivery – have been identified as the period which presents a unique opportunity to prepare the child for whatever it would become later in life. Oyedokun advocated for multi-sectoral approach.

“There is a need to improve integration of these services with Nutrition in-

terventions such as CMAM to allow for better planning and more efficient use of available resources, allow for provision of continuum of care, avoid parallel programming and increase reach and enhance accountability & better coordination.

He explained that with the community-based approach, most children with SAM without medical complications can be treated as outpatients at accessible, decentralised sites.

LASG, MultiPro partner on maternal health Continued from Page 34 health and hygiene and we take great pride in aiding the Ministry’s and World Health Organization’s efforts by spreading awareness and the benefits of maintaining a healthy & hygienic environment at home amongst women thereby helping to provide a good healthy start to life for thousands of babies” he added.

Highlight of the event was coronation

of Oluwatise Oluwagbemiloke of Alimosho LGA and Saka Mariam of Surulere LGA as the Baby Prince and Baby Princess respectively of the event.

Deputy Director and Head of Department, Family Health and Nutrition, Lagos state Ministry of Health, Dr. Folashade Oludara commended Hypo for the role played in attracting mothers and other participants through the sampling of their product in all the centres covered during the week.

medications also report it’s the only action they have taken to deal with their health.

Sadly few of us think to look to our diet as the central cause of our present state of poor health. And why should we do so if modern medicine supposedly teaches us that all we need to do is use the newest “miracle pill” to fix the situation? What is most disturbing to me however is that so many of the prescription medication advertisements show happy, beautiful people, without a care in the world because they take these pills! We still take these medications without question. This philosophy is so ingrained in us that we never even think to question what these pills may be doing to our bodies.

Unfortunately, the same can hold true for the food we put in our mouths.

The fast-food industry has become a huge multi-billion-dollar industry and, not surprisingly, many adults and children are increasingly classified as overweight or obese. It also doesn’t take a medical expert to make the connection between this fast-food diet and weight, so why are we still filling ourselves full of the garbage we are told is food?

While most people will tell you they understand the health risks associated with obesity such as heart disease and diabetes the truth is, few of us truly appreciate the direct link between what they put in their mouths and all disease - cancer included.

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

H

ELLO everybody and welcome. Today, we will be discussing more new products for the festive season while answering a few questions from our readers as well. Holidays in general are evocative of relaxation, exploration; time spent with family and loved ones.

Of course when you talk about relaxation, you are talking fun times and massages and that is what the following new products offer. To invigorate your relationship this holiday are the movies Erotic Pole Dancing and 4 Hand Massage, accompanied by our new Glow Hemp Seed Massage Oil and Body Dew Pheromone Body Oil. A good massage is transformational and these massage oils are perfect for it. Should you choose to read a book after your massage, then the following erotic thrillers are recommended. They are Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed. All three books detailing the extreme and sometimes dangerous sexual relationship between a business mogul and a curious university female student were written by El James and have remained top of the international best seller list.

Holiday themed lingerie is also available this festive season, starting with the Mistress Santa Claus Costume.

Fishnet costumes are also trending right now such as the Crochet Net Long Sleeve Dress and the Diamond Mesh Halter Dress & G- String. Lovers of wet look spandex lingerie will also fall in love with the Kitten Short Spandex Jumpsuit. These are all unusual and rare lingerie and their pictures can be viewed at www.zeevirtualmedia.com.

And for men, more than anything else, sexual performance is everything. That is why we are introducing the Rock Hard Pump Kit for gaining and maintaining erections and Shane Diesels Rock Solid Erection Cream for maintain erections as well as stopping premature ejaculation. The Rock Hard pump kit contains a pump which can be used for penis enlargement or erection enhancement, a Cockring for the prevention of erection loss and an Anal Probe for prostrate Massage. And for C M Y K

women, we have a brand new super vibrator called the Extreme Tri Twister Rabbit. This super toy has so many functions and has the unique capacity to give the user clitoral orgasms, vaginal orgasms and multiple squirting orgasms. It is a very good.

Next week, we will discuss more new products. Let us now answer a few questions from our readers.

Sir, I need your product that can make my husband perform well in bed. I want something that can make his penis longer, fatter and thicker and I want him to be able to stay at least 25 to 30 minutes in one round and be able to go 5 or 6 rounds when we are playing. I also want a supplement that will give him the stamina to carry out this assignment effectively. I will be expecting your urgent response – Madam K Dear Madam K, this is a big assignment. Your husband will need to combine three different products to be able to perform like that. For his organ enlargement, I recommend Big Bam Boo supplement. It will make him longer and fatter and make his erections stronger as well. For him to last for up to 25 minutes in one round, he will need Prolonging Delay Cream and to give him the energy for six rounds of sex, he will need an energy boosting supplement called Sex Shots. With Sex Shots, men can have sex for hours without being tired. So these three products will get the assignment done – Uche Hello. Please do you have products for oral sex? Jasmine Yes Jasmine. Ask for Frutopia Lubricant. It is new and tastes really nice – Uche Thank you for Xzen 1200. My erections are stronger and I have sex many times in one night - Wale You are welcome Wale. That’s it for today. The names of the people featured here have been changed for their privacy. Adults in need of these treatments/novelties can call 08191978308 or 08027901621 or any other number here to order or they can order online at www.zeevirtualmedia.com.

For enquiries, send your emails to custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com - Uche Edochie.

36—Vanguard, TUESD AY, DECEMBER 11, 2012 TUESDA

LASG, HEWS Foundation make 14 families smile again

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

T

HE joy of the families of two-year-old Bright Joseph and three-year-old Miriam Lateef, as well as 12 others knew no bound last week when their children joined the list of 2,000 children who have benefitted from the free corrective Cleft Lip and Palate surgery of the Lagos State Ministry of Health in collaboration with HEWS Foundation. For Victoria Joseph, it was a dream comes true.

She had kept wondering why his face was not like that of other children in the ward until one of the doctors in the hospital explained to her the problem and the fact that her baby’s case was not hopeless. Stories of each of the parents are the same. Speaking during a visit to the beneficiaries at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris recalled that the programme was initiated in 2006 because of the increasing rate of congenital deformities.

“Realising the gravity of the problems associated with cleft lip and palate; consequences of which include bizarre facial appearance, inability to feed well

from birth leading to malnutrition, ear and chest infections, poor physical and mental development amongst others, the State government came up with the programme tagged: “Operation

Smile” to curb the menace and bring smiles to the faces of the patients”. Idris said the aim of the programme is to rehabilitate and integrate the patients especially young ones back into the society

•Mrs. Victoria Joseph and her son, Bright; one of the 14 beneficiaries of the Lagos State Ministry of Health and HEWS Foundation ‘s free Corrective Cleft Lip and Palate surgery, inset is the State Commissioner for Health.

Shortage of nurses: Experts recommend task shifting

BY CHIOMA OBINNA ITH 136,000 registered out of 240,000 qualified nurses and midwives in the country as at August, 2012, experts have raised alarm over shortage of nurses in Nigerian hospitals and called for what they described as “task shifting” in nursing care.

At the 7th Annual Conference of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, the nurses noted that the acute shortfall of nurses proved to be more acute in resource challenged countries like Nigeria. The iHRIS Qualify data from the Nigerian Nursing Councils reveal there are far fewer nurses and midwives available than expected to provide much-needed health services to Nigerians.

Task shifting is a process of delegation whereby tasks are moved appropriately to less specialised health workers to make better use of workforce and ease bottlenecks in the system.

In a key note address at the conference tagged “Nursing: Task shifting and other Strategies in a Resource Challenged Environment”, Professor Boluwaji Fajemilehin, Department of Nursing Science College of Medicine, University of Lagos, recalled that the World Health Organisation, WHO, in 2006, defined 57 countries facing a critical shortage of health workers— those with fewer than 2.3 doctors, nurses, and midwives per 1,000 population. Against that ratio, Nigeria reported a shortage of nearly 40,000 health workers.

W

while urging parents and guardians who have children with such deformities around them or in their neighborhood to bring them forward for correction free of charge.

“The new data may indicate that Nigeria’s shortage is closer to 144,000—over three times the amount reported in 2006. This would be the seventh highest shortage of the 57 crisis countries.”

He called for a policy frame work that would ensure proper task shifting in nursing and stressed the need for necessary training and retraining that would enable personnel match expectation to engender team work rather than intra-sectoral and in-fighting. To do this, he recommended that strategies need to be developed, not only for training but also deployment, engagement and retention of health workers to ensure that right cadres and numbers are retained at the level where they can improve health outcomes.

Earlier, the Head of Department, LASUTH Nursing, Mrs. Modupe Shode said task shifting has become inevitable as many workers are leaving they health system and the urgent need to ensure quality healthcare services for the people. “Task shifting should be encouraged and implemented alongside other efforts to increase the number of skilled health workers because it represents a rational redistribution of tasks, addresses the global inadequate health personnels.

“It should not be seen as low quality care for resource challenged countries but rather an approach that can contribute to health services that are accessible equitable and of good quality,” she added.

Camosunate wins best malaria drug award

C

AMOSUNATE (ACT) has been named the Best Malaria Drug by the Institute For Government Research and Leadership Technology. Camosunate is one of the flagship brands of Geneith Pharmaceutical Ltd, one of the leading firms in the pharmaceutical sector in Nigeria.

In Nigeria alone, available statistics show that malaria remains the most worrisome cause of maternal and infant mortality accounting for about 11 per cent of maternal deaths, especially in first-time mothers; about 25 per cent of deaths in infants and 30 per cent of deaths in young children.

According to Ambassador Moses Essien, Chief Executive of the

Nigerian online medical community of practice debuts

A

N online medical Commu nity of Practice (CoP) known as Employee Energy Technologies specifically designed for Nigerian medical professionals, has been launched for consultant specialists, students and other medical professionals.

The Chief Executive Officer, EET, Mr. Stanley Agwuh, in a statement stated: “Healthcare experts who use the platform can communicate, share, collaborate and learn medical knowledge by interacting and engaging with leading healthcare experts in Nigeria and with Nigerian medical experts in the Diaspora, including other

healthcare professionals who have similar experiences about Nigerian medicine anywhere globally. “The Nigerian public will benefit immensely as guest to medexperts because they can have access to its Med News aggregator from over 650 top medical websites and blogs in one place. This is huge information for the Nigerian public interested in knowing more about their health.

“Also, the platform at www.medexperts.com can provide the Nigerian public the opportunity to make independent choice when insearch for Nigerian healthcare professionals based on their profile such as

President of HEWS Foundation, Mr. Remi Adeseun noted: “We believe that the biggest way to help is to find others who have the similar capacity to help but need other form of assistance to give succor to the needy and that is why we have chosen to partner the Lagos State government and we are very impressed with the level of preparation and the passion with which they carryout various people-oriented programmes and projects.”

HEWS Foundation first collaborated with the State Ministry of Health on the cleft lip and palate corrective surgery programme in 2011 with two objectives - to reconstruct the deformities of the patient and put smiles back on their faces and that of their parents, while the other is to tell the world that the deformities can be corrected through a simple surgery. “That is why we are appealing to Nigerians for help to contribute and support local charity; it is not the quantum but the spirit and with support from government partners like Lagos, we can do a lot more in the health sector. I want to say that what Lagos State is doing needs to be emulated by other states”, Adeseun said.

education, experience, competencies, peer ratings, and current location.”

He said the online CoP has other vital fea tures and that www.medexperts.com.ng comes loaded with features such as Med TV with over 5000 medical videos in 165 categorized medical specialties for registered members. Registered members can blog, share music, photos, co duct polls, create and manage events, engage in over 2000 different arcade games with online real-time tournament options with friends anywhere in the world and Med Mart for medical devices and equipment, apps the sales by registered community members.”

Institute,Camosunate was adjudged the best in the category due to many positive indicators such as product quality, value creation and efficacy. “We also acknowledged the International standards, compliance with regulatory laws and guidelines, track record and ethical standards associated with Camosunate,” he explained.

Commenting on the award, Chairman and Chief Executive of Geneith Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Mr. Emmanuel Umenwa described the award as a testimony to the company’s commitment to professionalism and ethical standards.

“Camosunate is the leading brand in the anti-malaria drug sector and we are honoured to be recognised as such by a credible and prestigious organization like the Institute For Government Research and Leadership Technology”.

Uwem noted that malaria is one of the major killer diseases in subSahara Africa and Nigeria is key in the effort to rid the continent of the challenge.

He stressed the need for Nigerians to be more concerned about their health and the environment, Yusuf cautioned pregnant and nursing mothers in particular against exposure to mosquitoes. ‘‘Nigerians should be sure of the products they are buying. It is not enough to buy any product because you want to treat malaria.

The Award will be presented at the African Product Forum scheduled for December 2012 in Port Harcourt. .

C M Y K

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012 — 37

Fresh agenda to boost local content in the construction industry

HIGH POINTS *Contracts which are N5 billion Naira and below have been reserved for only indigenous contractors

… As BPP unveils plans to enforce new policy that in spite of the enormous opportunities that abound in this sector, the construction and engineering industry is still being dominated by foreign contractors.

“Substantial part of the major construction and engineering projects in Nigeria is executed by expatriates, thereby creating a huge capital flight.

This obviously should not be the case. No nation can develop solely by relying on the expertise of foreign n a t i o n a l s .

I n d i g e n o u s technology must therefore be developed, especially in construction and complex engineering projects.

Continued reliance on imported technologies and professionals to build most

A road under construction in Akure

By JUDE NJOKU

T

he Construction in dustry is generally re g a r d e d as the barometer for measuring the health of any nation’s economy. When a nation’s construction industry is booming, the economy of that country is believed to be thriving while the reverse is the case when the construction sector is going through a downturn. The Nigerian construction industry since the attainment of independence over 50 years ago, has been dominated by expatriate construction companies and those which wear the garb of indigenous construction companies simply because they have appointed a few Nigerians into their Board of Directors.

Apparently pissed by this ugly development, Nigerian Engineers and other built environment experts and stakeholders have been waging unfruitful battles to redress the trend. The arguments often advanced by the government at the Federal and State levels for preferring foreign contractors, include: alleged incompetence of local contractors, some of who mismanage funds collected for projects and the inability of indigenous firms to buy the construction equipments

required to execute most heavy construction and engineering projects, among many others.

It was therefore a cheery news when the Federal Government last week announced that from 2013, all engineering and construction projects below N5 billion will be handled by Nigerian contractors who possess the requisite capability.

Works Minister, Mr. Mike Onolememen, an Architect, who disclosed this at the justconcluded 45th National Engineering Conference put together by the Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE, stated the gesture is aimed at protecting indigenous entrepreneurs and promoting local content in the

construction sector. He further disclosed that all contractors handling major projects in his ministry had been directed to employ Nigerian engineering personnel.

The policy, Onolememen said, is “a deliberate effort by the Federal Government to help build local capacity and promote local content in the industry.. It is also aimed at reversing the domination of the Nigerian engineering and construction industry by expatriates.” The Minister who noted that over 80 per cent of the capital budget of all tiers of government in Nigeria is expended in the construction and engineering industry regretted

of Nigeria’s infrastructure such as roads, power, energy, water supply and transportation is simply not sustainable in the long run,” he said.

In a similar vein, the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, says it will enforce the new policy from January, 2013. The Director-General of BPP, Engr.

Emeka Eze, told Vanguard Homes & Property, weekend, that the agency will enforce the implementation of the policy through a categorization and classification module that would be deployed from next month.

Engr Eze, a former President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, allayed fears that for-

*Indigenous construction companies are those which are owned 100 percent by Nigerians * BPP will enforce the implementation of the policy through a categorization and classification module that would be deployed from next month. * The protective measures put in place by China, Malaysia, India, South Korea, Singapore are what made them technological powers and exporters of expertise even to Nigeria today

eign companies who pose as indigenous firms because they have Nigerian directors, will benefit from the new policy.

According to him, “indigenous companies are those which are owned 100 percent

by Nigerians”.

Vanguard Homes & Prop erty observes that the Works Minister was merely reechoing the statement credited to President Goodluck Jonathan a few months ago when he received in audience, the NSE President, Engr. Mustafa Balarabe Shehu.

The President had stated that as a matter of deliberate policy, his government is prepared to give jobs to local manufacturers and contractors even if their quotations are 10 to 15 per cent higher than those of expatriates. He said government would use such contractors, especially for jobs that relate to the attainment of Vision 2020.

According to him, the Government decided to encourage local contractors because it realised that foreigners would not be able to develop the country more than Nigerians.

It would be recalled that the Ibrahim Babangida-led military government in 1991, came up with a National Construction Policy which sought to accord more visibility and patronage to indigenous construction industry experts.

Protect your children from domestic accidents

C

hildren are the most likely victims of domestic accidents. You can protect your little ones from falls, burns, poisoning and other household accidents with a few simple precautions.

Check your kitchen

A quarter of domestic accidents occur in the kitchen. And it is children between one and four years old who are most vulnerable. Avoid hazards by adopting these good habits: *Your cupboards and kitchen furniture should be securely fastened to the wall or floor. *The oven door should have a protective

heat shield. If yours does not, you can fit a special grill that will do the job. *Pan handles ought to be turned towards the inside of the stove. *Cooker dials should be either out of reach or resistant to being moved by tiny hands. *Power outlets should be a safe distance from water sources and have no visible wire. *Dangerous items (such as knives, scissors, cleaning products, plastic bags, lighters, etc.) must be kept out of reach of small hands.

The bathroom Second in the league of dangerous

rooms is the bathroom. The risks here can be serious, and include burns, drowning or electrocution.

Stay aware when bathing your child: *Pre-test the water temperature or fit your taps with a thermostat. *Do not leave the room once your toddler is in the bath. A child can drown in 10 cm of water. *Keep electrical items away from the bath tub. *Store such things as hairdryers, radios, razors, etc. in a cupboard when not in use.

•Cosmetics and fragrances can be toxic to children and should be kept out of reach.

38 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

MATERIALS WATCH Cement Dangote cement per bag of 50kg ---N1,800.00 Burham Cement per bag of 50kg ---N1,800.00 Elephant cement per bag of 50kg ---N1,800.00 Sandcrete Blocks 6 inches vibrated per block---N130 9 inches vibrated per block---N150 6 inches hand mould per block---N80 9 inches hand mould per block---N90 Sand Soft per tipper load ---N13,000 Sharp double tipper load---N23,000 Gravel double tipper load---N25,000 Gravel single tipper load---N18,000 Granite per tipper load----N120,000 Reinforcement 8 mm (153) pieces per ton ---N125,000 10 mm (153) pieces per ton---N136,000 12 mm (93) pieces per ton---N161,000 16 mm (93) pieces per ton---N172,000 20 mm (53) pieces per ton---N122,000

Emerald Court before commissioning

UACN dr aw velopment draw awss cur curttains on de development of AAbuja buja Emer ald Cour Emerald Courtt

BY JUDE NJOKU

P

roperty development heavyweight, Messrs, UACN Development & Property Development Company Plc last week, added to its Abuja property portfolio,with the commissioning of another ultra-modern estate. The estate which was christened Emerald Court sits on a 19676.770 square metres plot (1.9 hectares) of land in the FCT. Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Anthony Ozodinobi, an Engineer, explained that Government’s thirst for improving infrastructure provision as a basic tool for the provision of housing, propelled it to initiate the land swap programme to provide the needed infrastructure for more districts in the FCT. He disclosed that an altruistic National Housing Policy which seeks to solve the housing problems in the country, has been domesticated by the present administration for social transformation.

In order to arrest the increasing gap in the supply and demand for housing especially in Abuja, the Minister tasked the government and all its agencies as well as the private sector to set up the machinery to provide more affordable housing to homeless Nigerians.

Advocating a total overhaul of the housing delivery system in Nigeria, Senator Mohammed, stressed the need for stakeholders in both the public and private sectors to establish a proactive synergy which will key into the government’s transformation agenda as it relates to the housing sector.

Also speaking at the occasion, UACN’s Managing Director, Mr. Hakeem Ogunniran said Emerald Court was completed in 14 months. He expressed the willingness of UPDC to partner with the government in the quest to provide housing for the citizenry.

Mr. Ogunniran who decried the cost

of sourcing lands for housing projects in the country, prayed the FCT Minister to consider allocating sizeable expanses to the company to build more houses in the FCT In his own remarks, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Housing and Habitat Hon. Aminu Usman enjoined stakeholders especially in the finance sector to collaborate with the government to provide shelter to the teeming Nigerian masses.

Emerald Court is a 44 unit low-density estate located on about 19,000 square metre land in Gudu – Abuja. The estate comprises 14 units of four-bedroom semi-detached houses with boys quarters, 22 units of four-bedroom terraces with boys quarters, and eight units of three bedroom flats maid‘s r o o m .

To ensure the comfort of residents, it said some facilities had also been

provided on the estate.

T h e y include: swimming pool, gym r o o m , c h i l d r e n‘ s playground, s e w a g e treatment p l a n t , borehole and w a t e r treatment p l a n t , burglar a l a r m system, and public power supply and standby generator

Woods Timber (hard) 1x1x12---N1,000 Timber (hard) 2x2x12---N800 Timber (hard) 2x4x12---N700 Softwood 2x2x12---N260 2x3x12---N300 Plywood 3x3x8---N3,500 2x4x8---N2,400 Roofing Sheets Corrugated iron sheets per bundle---N10,000 Asbestos (Super) 4x8 per piece---N1,600 Asbestos (Solo) 4x6 per piece---N1,500 Wall tiles (ceramic) 6 x 6 per square metre----------N1,200 20 x 20 (China) per square metre----------N1,100 20 x 25 (China) per square metre---....N1,400 Floor tiles (ceramic) 14 x 14 (Spain) per square metre------------N1,800 14 x 14 (Brazil) per square metre------------N1,420 13 x 13 (Spain) per square metre---------N1, 550 45 x 45 (Spain) per square metre------------N1,900 40 x 40 (Marble Spain) per square metre--N3,800 30 x 30 (Marble Spain) per square metre----N2,000 Plumbing Materials Galvanised conduit pipes per length 20 mm diameter -----------------N170 25 mm diameter---------------N170 PVC conduit pipes 20 mm diameter per length -------N120 25 mm diameter per length------N130 Source-----------Cement tiles and building materials market along Lagos/Abeokuta Expressway.

Nigeria, other ation ttoo otherss adopt Rabat declar declaration halve slum dweller dwellerss bbyy 2020

BY JUDE NJOKU (with Agency reports) “If you set your targets high, it will spur you to act better than if they were low. If you are a high jumper each time they raise the bar you have to jump higher to get over it. It is a challenge that motivates you to perform better”.

That was how Nigeria’s Minister of Housing & Urban Development, Ms Amal Pepple sentimentally captured the need to stem the growth of slums.

She made the remark in Morocco as Nigeria joined other countries to adopt the Rabat Declaration on Making Slums History. The declaration was unanimously adopted by country delegations at the closing of the international conference which ended in Rabat, Morocco last week. The ambitious target is to halve the number of slum dwellers by 2020.

The declaration, according a release

by UN-Habitat, reaffirmed the irreversibility of urbanization and its positive impact in advancing human development and poverty reduction.

It recognizes the need to promote inclusive slum upgrading and prevention strategies that go beyond physical and environmental improvements and ensure that slums are fully integrated into the political, social, cultural, and economic dimensions of cities with a view to reducing urban poverty and inequality.

UN-Habitat noted that through the declaration signatories committed themselves to 10 key actions. These included: formulating, implementing and promoting inclusive urban policies, legislation, and national housing strategies; increasing financial and human resources for slum upgrading and prevention; and

strengthening national entities such as urban forums or habitat committees to facilitate multi-sectoral dialogue with a wide range of stakeholders in preparation for the Habitat III Conference and the new Global Housing Strategy.

The declaration was the culmination of three-days of intensive debates, discussions and negotiations. During the plenary sessions and workshops officials shared experiences with slum upgrading over the past two decades and sought to devise a strategy for revisiting the slum target of the Millennium Development Goals.

The conference closed with the Moroccan Minister of Housing and Urban planning M. Mohammed Nabil Benabdellah expressing gratitude to UN-Habitat for its pivotal role in convening this global conference:

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012 — 39

O

wners and employees of a string of waste disposal companies have been fined more than £200,000 following Britain’s largest investigation into the illegal export of toxic dumped electronics to the developing world.

The eight men, whose firm’s operated across the country, were found to have been at the heart of a lucrative trade which sends tonnes of waste computers and other consumer durables to west Africa and Asia every year to be stripped of valuable metals in grim conditions, often by children.

One of the company owners, Joseph Benson, whose BJ Electronics toured civic waste sites picking up electronic goods to be sent illegally to Nigeria from east London, was convicted following an investigation by The Independent, Sky News and Greenpeace.

The Independent reports that Mr Benson, 52, was said to have sent a broken and therefore unexportable television set to the Nigerian commercial capital, Lagos. He pleaded guilty to breaking waste export laws last November after initially denying any wrongdoing. His fine of £11,000 can only be reported following the conclusion of linked trials last month at Basildon Crown Court in Essex.

The landmark case follows a fouryear investigation by the Environment Agency into the burgeoning trade in “e-waste” which sees thousands of tonnes of defunct products, including computers with confidential information on intact hard drives, being sent from the industrialised world to developing countries. Although there is a lawful trade in functioning second-hand goods, it is illegal under European and international law to export electronic goods which no longer function.

Andy Higham, head of the agency’s national crime team, said: “This confirms the legal position on exporting electronic waste to developing countries. Sending hazardous waste to developing countries is unacceptable and our teams will continue to track down and stop those who risk damaging human health and the environment.”

The investigation centred on a shipping agent, Orient Exports, based in Thurrock, Essex, which was found to have sent a dozen 40ft-long shipping containers filled with hazardous electrical waste destined for Nigeria until they were intercepted at Felixstowe, Tilbury and a Belgian cargo facility.

The contents and other illegal shipments were then traced back to ten firms posing as lawful waste companies which in reality were flouting environmental laws by collecting material for export from civic waste tips and recycling sites. The firms operated across the country, from Sussex and Norfolk, to Birmingham, Leicester, Leeds and the North West.

Some of the seized shipping containers had an initial layer of legitimate working computers behind which was concealed tonnes of broken and discarded material.

Among the 450 tonnes of electronics that the companies, who were not linked or acting together, attempted

ENVIRONMENT WATCH

E-waste dump site

Trade in e-waste: UK court convicts man for exporting hazardous waste to Nigeria ...Nigerian importer also convicted

and this has proved well. NESREA should endeavour to develop partnership and embrace synergy with the appropriate international allies/ agencies in this fight, just like the way NAFDAC and NDLEA does. This will no doubt help in the implementation of Basel Convention Ban Amendment”.

to ship for dumping in Nigeria, Ghana and Pakistan were broken computers and monitors, fridges, televisions, drills and lightbulbs.

A total of 11 company owners and employees tracked down by investigators pleaded guilty to breaking international waste shipment regulations during two separate sets of proceedings.

Electronics were last year fined a total of £50,000.

Environmentalist reacts Reacting to this story, a Lagos-based environmentalist, Mr Leslie Adogame stated that “ the genuine total fight against illegal dumping of ewaste in Nigeria can only be successful when tackled from both ends of an importer and exporting country perspective,

At a sentencing hearing today, the largest fine £112,000 - was handed to Krassimir Vangelov, owner of KSV Sussex and known in the waste trade as “Bulgarian Kris”.

Godwin Ezeemo, owner of Orient Exports, was fined £18,000 and his son Chika, who worked for the company, was given a two year conditional discharge.

The involvement of Mr Benson, who is a Nigerian national, and his company in e-waste export was exposed by The Independent in 2009 after a tracking device was placed inside a television which had been deliberately damaged beyond use.

The television was traced to a market in Lagos next to a dump site where children can be found breaking down computer components loaded with heavy metals and burning the plastic housing from cables. Mr Benson and BJ

UN climat alks ext end KKyyot ot ocol, climatee ttalks extend otoo Pr Prot otocol, promise compensation

U

N climate talks in Doha have closed with a historic shift in principle but few genuine cuts in greenhouse gases.

The summit established for the first time that rich nations should move towards compensating poor nations for losses due to climate change.

Developing nations hailed it as a breakthrough, but condemned the gulf between the science of climate change and political attempts to tackle it. The deal, agreed by nearly 200 nations, extends to 2020 the Kyoto Protocol. It is the only legally-binding plan for combating global warming. The deal covers Europe and Australia, whose share of world greenhouse gas emissions is less than But the conference also cleared the way for the Kyoto protocol to be replaced by a new treaty binding all rich and poor nations together by 2015 to tackle climate change. The final text “encourages” rich nations to mobilise at least $10bn (£6bn) a year up to 2020, when the new

global climate agreement is due to kick in. Final turmoil There was last-minute drama as the talks were thrown into turmoil by the insistence of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus that they should be allowed extra credit for the emissions cuts they made when their industries collapsed.

After a long delay, the chairman lost patience, re-started the meeting and gavelled through the agenda so fast there was no chance for Russia to object.

A cheer exploded into prolonged applause. Russia bitterly objected at what it said was a clear breach of procedure, but the chairman said he would do no more than reflect the Russian view in the final report.

The big players, the US, EU and China accepted the agreement with varying degrees of reservation. But the representative for the small island states at severe risk from climate change was vociferous.

40—Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMNER 11, 2012

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

T

HE Federal Government budget for domestic debt service in 2012 is N559.6 billion (more than the budget allocation to Works, Power, Agriculture and Water Resources combined), leaving less money for infrastructure and other needs.

Remarkably, the states which also have a good chunk of the total external debt overhang are also expending a significant amount of their incomes into servicing maturing debt obligations.

The impact is that both at the federal and state levels, service delivery is increasingly being stifled by commitments made towards servicing the debt obligations.

Remarkably, both the states and the federal authorities are continuing to scour for other loans to add to what many Nigerians believe is full debt profile.

It was based on this that the House Committee on Loans, Aids and Debts Management, headed by Rep. Olayinka Ajayi recently met with governors and their representatives from 12 states.

Out of the 12 invited governors, only Governors Yisa Yuguda of Bauchi and Raji Fashola of Lagos appeared personally while the remaining ten sent proxies.

The first Gov to appear was Yuguda of Bauchi State.

After his session with the committee, Yuguda told journalists that though his administration inherited a

Foreign Debts: Should Nigerians be worried?

THE rising debt profile of Nigeria after the dramatic rescue achieved by the Obasanjo administration has largely remained a major source of concern to many Nigerians.

The debt has continued to rise despite favourable income from crude oil sales and the rising profile of non-oil exports. Now, the House of Representatives has launched an investigation into the issue.

*Yuguda: Defended the loans large chunk of debts, he would do everything within his reach to eliminate debts before he vacates office in 2015.

He said” we try to manage our cash flow because we inherited a lot of domestic debts; debts to unpaid contractors for road projects,

*Fashola: Why Lagos needs more loans and even some of the federal roads which the state took care of.”

Giving a breakdown and history of the loans in the Lagos State debt portfolio, Fashola said the state has so far obtained $600m loans but that only $200m has been released due to what he

Anambra 2014: Obi’s private pact won't work — ACN Chairman CHIEF Amaechi Obidike, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) party Chairman in Anambra State speaks on the party’s readiness ahead of the 2014 gubernatorial election in the state.

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

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HAT are the political currents in Anambra today?

We need to move away from years of constructing a 40 kilometer road from Nkpor to Amawbia in seven years and still have one end looking as if work never took place there. We need to put behind us years of constructing a bridge to link the rural communities in Awka North for six years and leaving the road dusty so long after. We need to see Nnewi and most of Anambra South rise in terms of facilities from the 2005 levels.

We need not continue to be choked by the infrastructural level of Onitsha which has dropped below tolerable limits.

We are thinking of how the next

government in Anambra State can avoid borrowing money from the Islamic Development Bank without informing the State House of Assembly or the people of Anambra State and blowing up the funds.

We hope to see less of a government that plays the showmanship with security issues, while the challenge still stares us in the face. We are looking at a situation where functional Local government areas whose executive and legislature are elected and answerable to the people, who they will convince that they are using their money judiciously to do what they can see and feel.

Does your party believe in the agenda of Anambra North to produce the next governor

of the state?

We are fully aware, because it is in the public domain that Governor Peter Obi in 2010 promised the good Anambra citizens in Anambra North that the next governor of Anambra State would come from their area.

We in the ACN believe that every Anambra citizen including Anambra North senatorial zone can be the governor of the state, if he is competent and the people so affirm with their votes.

But beyond that, it is necessary at this point not to deny Gov. Obi his right to support Willie Obianyo from Aguleri, who is his co-director in Fidelity Bank Plc to be the next governor of Anambra if he chooses. He can campaign for

described has political coloration. At the end of the session, Fashola simply told journalists that “hospitals and road infrastructure do not have political colour as Lagos is a place for all.”

Other Governors invited are yet to show up to defend the loans and debts they obtained Oseloka Obaze of Ogbaru, current secretary to the State Government, who was his school mate in Christ the King College Onitsha. He can pray God that his former Secretary to the state government Chief Paul Odenigbo will get on the saddle. He can even support the campaigns of Mrs Stella Oduah, who he backed to be appointed minister with Anambra slot, even as the wife of a Benin man, but he should not confuse his private pact with his anointed friends and associates with the aspiration of a geographical area in the state, because the greater number of Anambra citizens who hail from the Anambra North Senatorial District, many of whom are our party members have a different vision for the development of their area, which differ from drafting an Obi’s pal to succeed him.

Do you think the party is strong enough to withstand opposition from PDP & APGA? I think the question should be reversed to say ’Is APGA or

on behalf of their citizens.

Govs Godswill Akpabio and Rotimi Amaechi on their part sent their representatives.

It would be recalled that as at the end of March 2012 Nigeria’s debt was N6.8 trillion ($44 billion), according Continues on page 41

*Obidike PDP able to withstand the ACN machinery in the state?’

Don’t forget that the 2010 governorship elections, in spite of the manipulations of the voter register was won on the ground by ACN. The APGA candidate and current incumbent was already crying on television that the election was not free and fair because he noticed the voting pattern Continues on page 41

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012 — 41

There is more to Boko Haram than seen — Bwala, Borno Commissioner for Information Borno State has in recent years been in the throes of crisis. In the midst of the security crisis, Governor Kashim Shettima seems to carry on as usual with the art of governance aiming to deliver democracy dividends to the populace.

The State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Information and Culture, Inuwa Bwala in an interview explains how the governor is carrying about. Excerpts: OW do you think the Federal Government can intervene to ameliorate the insecurity in the state?

I have always maintained that it is wrong to isolate Borno as the worst case scenario in this crisis.

Until we look at it as a national palaver, capable of affecting any part of the country, and where every Nigerian is a potential victim, we will be missing the point.

It may have started from our axis, our people may have been most affected, and it may have lingered on for too long; again the frequency of incidents may be more, but even these indicators are not enough to warrant the often exaggerated reports we receive.

We shall get out of it. We have a sensitive, responsive and responsible Government which shares in the anguish of our people. We see the problem more as our own problem than it is of the people, because we have personal attachments to the people.

At every turn, we have always voiced out our concerns over the loss of innocent souls in the crisis.

We have always come out to sympathize with victims, even as we often provide palliatives to some. His Excellency, the Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima is personally pained with the situation we find ourselves in.

He has often been moved to tears, anytime he reviews the situation. The man has been so emotionally attached to the plight of the people, that he defies his own personal security to visit sites and victims of the crisis.

As Government officials, we know we are also vulnerable, given the fact that it has been people who are in one way or the other related with this government that have fallen victims.

That is why as leaders, we have been appealing to our brothers to sheath the dagger.

We do not have the instruments to otherwise compel a cease fire. We may have been collaborating with

the federal Government, but the reality on ground is such that we have been virtually left to our fate, and knowing the enormity of the situation, we always appeal for peace to prevail. We are worried; we are concerned, because we are affected.

Just when it was thought that it was fading away, the insurgency intensified. How has this affected you?

What many people do not tend to understand is the fact that, there is more to the whole crisis than just an insurgency.

While we cannot deny that we have that ideological problem that has snowballed into violence, greater number of the incidents these few days are purely cases of political intimidation from our opponents.

If you look at the roll call of people affected, you will agree with me that there is a serious political underpin.

We are also aware that armed robbers and other related crimes have often found a good alibi in the Boko Haram situation to wreck havoc on the state. The danger in all

,

H

While some people have hijacked the crisis and converted it into a political tool, we cannot on our part afford the luxury of p l a y i n g politics with the lives of our people

,

these is the possible extinction of our future productive force and the future effect can be better imagined.

As a government, we are conscious of the fact that our citizens are being exposed to unwarranted dangers, whereby we have taken up arms against each other.

While some people have hijacked the crisis and converted it into a political

*Bwala tool, we cannot on our part afford the luxury of playing politics with the lives of our people.

We believe that, in the fullness of time, the truth about the whole thing will come out, and our state and indeed Nigeria will be freed from this entanglement.

While we appreciate the plight of your people, we also need to know how you feel about the reported excesses of members of the JTF? The JTF is a sort of necessary evil, and our people must understand the situation, to the effect that their coming has attendant inconveniences. It has its own structures that can respond to such allegations. They operate on strict orders from the Federal Government, and we are not in a position to

give contrary directives on what they need to do. We have heard of the allegations of excessive use of force in certain situations, but I think it is left for the agency responsible for their actions to explain.

On our part, we have been telling the citizenry to be law abiding and to avoid making troubles. We tell them to tolerate whatever situation we find ourselves in believing that it is temporary.

One fact I would like to point out however is the fact that the situation in Borno is often exaggerated, and the world outside tend to draw conclusions that are very often erroneous. We are trying our best to correct the wrong notions people have about our state, to the effect that we are not a dead end.

Anambra 2014: Obi’s private pact will not work — ACN Chairman Continued from page 40

in the field, before he got together with elements in his party and some turncoats in the PDP to rewrite the results in an Awka Hotel. Of course under Iwu’s INEC, they could get away with that. He stopped protesting when he was declared winner one way or another. The real result is known to many Anambra people already.

But in April 2011, during the National Assembly elections, the parameters had changed, with the result that no APGA senator comes from Anambra.

That is more like a reflection of the true situation on ground.

And that has a lot to do with the procrastination in holding Local Government elections.

The PDP is in a messier situation having been under a spell of sorts since the crème of the party left with its soul to

populate the ACN as foundation members. I do not need to remind you that the 2007 governorship election was rigged in favour of Andy Uba.

If there is one area we are sure the PDP will win the price, it is in having about 100 candidates, only five of which will be the real contenders. The

PDP has to resolve its over 400 court cases across four factions to challenge the close knit structures of the ACN in Anambra.

Foreign Debts: Should Nigerians be worried?

Continued from page 40

to the most recent data from the Debt Management Office (DMO). Out of this amount, N5.96 trillion ($38.3 billion) is domestic debt while N919 billion ($5.9 billion) is external debt.

The country’s current debt to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio, at 17.45 percent, is lower than the international standard threshold for Nigeria’s peer group at 40 percent. In 2005 Nigeria paid off most of the $30 billion external debt it owed the Paris

*Amaechi and London clubs of creditors and in the process reduced its

debt to GDP ratio from 52 percent to less than 7 percent.

The DMO in 2003 also set in motion the process to restructure Nigeria’s domestic debt portfolio, with the objective of lengthening the maturity of the instruments and deepening the government bond market. It has also succeeded in developing a sovereign yield curve for Nigeria, through the issuance of longer tenured Federal Government (FG) bonds, which has reduced the use of ways and means to finance government deficit.

42 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

poor.

“The reality on ground is that majority of the residents of Lekki-Epe corridor are the struggling masses including farmers, fishermen and labourers, pensioners, market women among others”.

The decision to single out this area of Lagos for a Public Private Partnership PPP, and the length of time granted to the concessionaire (Lekki Concession Company Limited, LCC) to recoup their money is faulty.

We are not comfortable with this action and contents of the agreement between the Government and LCC. He said, “It is totally unacceptable. There are over 73 villages along this axis made up of peasants; how does government expect them to cope with the attendant rise in cost of living that will arise from the tolling, he said.”

Second tolling

Tension as toll collection at Lekki second gate starts Govt unveils alternative route

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI AND EBUN SESSOU Residents of the Lekki-Epe axis of Lagos have remained restless expressing disappointment in the state government over plans to commence tolls collection at the just concluded second toll gate located between Chevron and Oluwanisola House, Lekki-Epe Expressway.

In what they view generally as another season of anxiety, anguish and deliberate action by the Lagos State Government to inflict pains on the masses the people are of the opinion that there is no reason why there has to be three toll gates on a road that is less than 40 kilometres.

One of the residents, simply called Mr Deji Adeoye lamented that the action taken by the State Government is not only cruel but an attempt by the government to milk the people dry.

According to him, “Mounting three toll gates on a road of less than 40 kilometers does not make sense and at each toll, every car is mandated to pay the sum of N120.00, a total of N360

“From my own point of view, it is not only senseless but such an attempt does not add value to the lives of the people”, he added.

On the alternative routes, he said, “the first alternative road is good although there were controversies surrounding its existence but the second alternative road is not an alternative road but was just created and the people were given the impres-

sions that it is an alternative road.

“An alternative that does not have good passage. The walkability of it would cause traffic, accidents. This development is not to the advantage of the masses. Adding that the government is just milking the masses dry”.

Charges unlimited Expressing his dissatisfaction with the present administration, he siad, “Those who are on this

BY MRS NIMI AKINKUGBE all the stress and disruption to (Contributed to Lagos Mum your life, the strain and drain blog) on your resources, be careful not to overspend. Here are a t’s that time of year again! few suggestions on how to get Where did 2012 go? For through Christmas without many, the approach to throwing your finances into Christmas has become a time disarray. of too much expectation, and far too much pressure. As the Avoid last minute shopping seasonal blitz with its atten- Are you one of those found in dant flashing lights, piped the shopping mall panic buycarols, colourful ads, draws ing at 9.30pm on Christmas near, you find yourself Eve? Let’s try to change things caught up in the whirlwind this year. Shopping under of activity. Whether you look pressure will lead you to overforward with excitement to spend and you are more likethe shopping and prepara- ly to buy gifts that are not aptions or with some dread at preciated by the recipients.

I

axis pay tolls, tax, land use among several charges in the State. He added that Lagos State Government should go back to the drawing board and consider the interest of the masses”.

Another resident, Mr. Akpan Okon said, Lagos State Government believed that those who are living on this side of Lagos are the rich, it will interest you to know that Lekki-Epe axis houses are both for the highbrow and

However, in anticipation of the second tolling along the axis, the state government last Thursday, inaugurated a 3.6 kilometre dual carriage road to serve as an alternative route for motorists plying the Lekki-Epe Expressway, saying “it was designed in response to complaint made by those who could not afford the toll.”

Meantime, the Lekki Concession Company (LCC), the concessionaire handling the construction of the road, disclosed that it would commence the collection of toll at the 2nd toll plaza by mid-night of Sunday December 16th, this year.

Speaking at the unveiling of the alternative road, the Special Adviser to the state Governor on Public Private Partnership (PPP), Mr. Ayo Gbeleyi assured the residents living along the Lekki-Epe corridor that the Lagos Government would not force toll payment on them.

Aside from facilities designed with the road, he noted that the state government would deploy both security and traffic officers to the road to ensure easy movement of motorist.

Don’t let Christmas c Shop early; if you begin now, you can shop around for more meaningful, appropriate gifts than you would find in a last minute shopping spree.

Accumulating gifts throughout the year eases the pressure and you won’t feel the strain of buying several presents all at once. By the time Christmas arrives, hopefully, you will have only a small amount of shopping left to do. After Christmas sales are also a useful way to prepare for next year, as many items are sold

at much reduced prices in January.

Stick to a budget Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to buy special gifts for all your loved ones? The reality is that funds are limited and the extended family is huge.

In an ideal world, one should have started to set money aside specifically for Christmas over a period of time so that when it is time to shop you have the cash in place.

As we get close to Christmas

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012 — 43

Fashola’s attempt at enforcing traffic law himself

BY GABRIEL ABATAN

T

HE Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, has demonstrated his ability to apprehend traffic law offenders himself especially when the custodian of the law are sometimes, the law breakers.

However, the governor who vowed to leave no stone unturned in his quest to rid the state of lawlessness, has clearly delivered the message that traffic offenders will be brought to justice regardless of their status, even if it means doing it himself. He says no one is above the law.

This was demonstrated in his arrest on July 17, 2012, of two military officers driving on the dedicated Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, lane at the outer Marina on the Island.

The top military officers, Colonel Kayode I. Yusuf and Sergeant Aliu J. Adeomi were

laws of the country. Those officers that I caught are a very bad example for the military and they would be punished according to the law.”

The Nigerian Army susequently fined Col. KayodeYusuf and Staff Sergeant Aliu Adeomi, N25,000 each for violating the Lagos State Bus Route Transport law.

The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 81 Division, Maj.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah, gave the order while instituting the court martial against the army personnel.

According to him, no military personnel is above the law of the land.

He said their action contravened state traffic law and regardless of their apology to

These same policemen were the ones who would arrest motorcycle riders on that same road and impound their motorcycles. Some of them have even turned this to be a business venture by extorting money from them, while they themselves are violators.

Fashola lamented that it was unfortunate that those who ought to be enforcers of the law were the ones breaking it.

He said, “There is a zero tol-

Sub region’s tallest Christmas tree in Oshodi

There is a zero tolerance for lawlessness. There is zero tolerance for breach of our regulations and we are going to do more of this driving an Army Green Peugeot 406 with registration number BO1-150 NA, and a black Toyota Camry, respectively, on the BRT lane in an attempt to beat traffic, while the number one citizen of the State was held up in the heavy traffic.

The governor was reportedly outraged by the actions of these military men who did not subject themselves to the law by abiding to it, but chose to violate it openly.

He said at that occassion, “The highest levels of the military command have continuously expressed their commitment to supporting democracy and to subjecting themselves and their officers to the

the governor, they would pay the N25,000 fine.

As if that did not serve the uniformed men a lesson, the governor yet accosted a policeman recently, on 29th of November 2012, identified as Ebahan Johnson, who violated the new traffic law by riding his commercial motorcycle along the Agege Motor road, Ikeja.

catch you by surprise and before the shopping frenzy gets into full gear, put a simple Christmas budget in place; it will help you determine exactly how much you can afford to spend on Christmas and all its trappings; gifts, decorations, Christmas cards, extra food and drink, new clothes, entertainment, phone calls, charitable donations and travel. Don’t forget to include a little indulgence for yourself.

Add up the total and compare that with what you have available to spend. If it’s more than

you can afford, don’t feel pressured to overspend, just look for areas to trim. Remember, most people are in the same boat. If you are wondering whether you should drop a person or family from your gift list, you can be sure that they are also considering dropping you!

Food is a major Christmas expense. In the run up to Christmas, we tend to buy far too much food, and so much of it will go to waste. Plan your Christmas food requirements now and make a list of all that

Fashola arrests soldier July 16. erance for lawlessness. There going to do more of this”. is zero tolerance for breach of These public disgrace of the our regulations and we are lawless law custodians further cushioned his resolve to wipe the state off indiscipline. Commuters and passers-by at the scenes reportedly commended the governor for his disciplinary measures and good leadership.

•Measures 27x 8 metres

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

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Christmas tree you will need. Prices usually go up significantly from mid November so bulk-buying of things like rice and some of the non-perishable items, which can be shared with friends and family can take some pressure off your finances, in the weeks running up to Christmas.

Avoid borrowing if possible Don’t borrow money just to pay for a great Christmas. Be realistic and spend what you can comfortably afford today without going into debt. It is usually better to pay with cash to purchase toys and other gifts, rather than to borrow as

OR the people residing in Oshodi and environs, it’s going to be a Merry, Merry Christmas.

In the spirit of the yuletide season, the First Lady of Lagos State, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola lit-up a giant Christmas tree on last week at the Heritage Garden, Oshodi.

Lagos.

The Christmas tree was built by the Lagos State Government as part of the effort to light up the city of Lagos this season.

The 27 by 8 metre diameter Tree “is the tallest in the whole of West Africa if not Africa” Fashola. said.

The First Lady used the event to enjoin all to be their brother ’s keeper.

“It is a season of love, let us be our brother ’s keeper, it is a season to share love with people, we need to support one another by extending a hand of help to the needy at this season, that is the reason for this season”, she said.

Also, Commissioner for the the interest cost will make everything so much more expen- Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello sive. remarked that the event It is not very pleasant to have which was meant to light-up someone dampening your en- Lagos State at the Christmas thusiasm and telling you to be season would be replicated careful and control your spending but here is a word in other parts of the state.

“From now on, it is going of caution; many Nigerian families will still be paying for to be Merry Christmas for their Christmas indulgencies everybody, Oshodi may be well into 2013. There is still the beginning, there will be time to get your finances in others, we want to light the some kind of order before the Christmas Tree, this is going festivities begin. Don’t wait to be the first one, it is not until the last minute. going to be the last, before we finish this administration, Mrs Nimi Akinkugbe, is Lagos mums money management I can assure you that we are going to have many Christand financial specialist mas trees in Lagos”, said the Commissioner.

44—Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

A BOOK YOU MUST READ

Ile-Ife: City of 201 gods Jacob K. Olupona, scion of an Anglican priest, winner of Nigerian National Order of Merit Award (NNOM), Professor of African Religious Tradition, African and African American Studies at Harvard University unveils the mysteries of Ile-Ife and the Yoruba history, cosmos and the deities in a new book CITY OF GODS: Ile-Ife in Time, Space and the Imagination, Thursday at NIIA, Lagos. We publish exclusive excerpts of this Yoruba book of identity HE PLACE MOST HALLOWED: THE SACRED CITY OF ILE-IFE ‘ In The Pivot of the Four Quarters, Wheatley indicates that no place in sub-Saharan Africa has such cosmic significance as the Yoruba city of Ile-Ife. Known as the City of 201 (or 401) Gods, IleIfe is the base of the entire Yoruba civilization and culture, and its significance goes far beyond the immediate geographical and national boundaries of Nigeria.

The religious culture of Ile-Ife has influenced the development and growth of new African religious movements as far off as Brazil, the Caribbean, and the United States.

Ile-Ife, a city of about half a million, is situated at the geographical centre of the Yoruba citystates. To the west lies Ibadan, the largest city in sub-Saharan Africa, and to the east lies Ondo, gateway to the eastern Yoruba city-states. Ile-Ife is about two hundred kilometres from Lagos, which was Nigeria’s coastal capital city for over a century.

Pre-eminent sacred place Unlike the political, commercial, and administrative cities of Ibadan and Lagos, contemporary Ile-Ife is a ceremonial city par excellence; like the cities of Banaras, Jerusalem, and Mecca, in the people’s imagination it is the preeminent sacred place, beyond the secular and profane.

I begin with Ile-Ife’s various sacred place names, because epithets vividly show the significance of sacred cities. Stephen Scully argues in his book Homer and the Sacred City that “human centers such as Troy are richly and complexly described through the epithets attached to them.” Citing an earlier study by Paolo Vivante, Scully contends that “city epithets, whenever they occur, bring out the essential aesthetics and contextual quality of place names.” These epithets serve “as a resource of power and a medium of signification in their own right.” They

are “visual and concrete in nature, and thereby evocative of an essential and generic quality” of whatever they qualify.

Ile-Ife’s inhabitants have conferred numerous sacred Yoruba names on their city. It has been called Ife Oodaye, “The Expansive Space Where the World Was Created,” referring to the cosmogonic myth asserting that ritual creation occurred in this very place, and as Ibi Oju Ti Mo Wa (Where the Day Dawns). In Yoruba creation myth, Ile-Ife is conceived of as the place where the sun rises and sets, the center of origin of the universe. Ile-Ife is also called Ife Ooye, the place of survival or the city of life, because, like Noah’s ark, it was a place of refuge from a primordial deluge that destroyed earlier settlements and left survivors to establish a new era. Various oral sources refer to Ile-Ife as the place where the 201 gods came down from heaven to live and interact with humans on earth.

Though Ile-Ife is the city of the source of life, it is, paradoxically, also the city of the dead. The Yoruba believe that those who

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with Ile-Ife. The ancient name for the present-day city of Idanre was Ufeke (Ife on the Mountain).

Legends of Idanre migration argue that their founders, Olofin and his followers, were immigrants from the ancient city of Ile-Ife. The founders claimed that they possessed the ancient crown of Oduduwa and other royal garments. They hid on a mountain, where they were constantly assailed by other Yoruba groups who wanted to seize these royal treasures.

Renewal of kingship

•Ooni with the sacred crown...going to Oke Mogun

the deceased is enjoined to “go on the straight road that leads to Ile-Ife and not stray by the wayside” (Onayo r’ufe ma ya o). IleIfe is regarded as the only stopping place before the dead pass into the underworld, so the rite of passage must ensure that the deceased not tarry on the way to the ancient city. In ancient times,

The unprecedented visit of an Ooni to Lagos was chilling to all the other Yoruba Oba, including the Alaafin of Oyo. Before this visit, it had been taboo for an Ooni to leave the city of lle-lfe. The other Yoruba Oba viewed the announcement of his journey with such great alarm and seriousness that they decided to vacate their palaces and stay outside their city for the duration of his visit until they could confirm his safe return

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die immediately return to Ile-Ife, the starting point for their pilgrimage to the other world. Several years ago, I was in my own hometown, Ute, in Owo District, a town located at the extreme eastern end of the eastern Yoruba territory, to conduct research on death in Yoruba thought. In an important song sung in the Owo tradition during the burial,

it was the practice of those who had lost a loved one to travel to Ile-Ife to see if they could find the deceased person and learn from him or her about the cause of the death so that they could avenge a wrongful death or hear about unfinished business on earth that the deceased wanted living relatives to see completed if possible.

Ile-Ife attained primacy on the basis of its hallowed status as the source for all the crowned cities (ilu-alade). An important Yoruba myth refers to the dispersal of Oduduwa’s sixteen royal children, who went out from IleIfe to found new kingdoms.

Each was assigned a sacred crown, or ade, a symbol of authority. (In 1903 the colonial administration determined that the Ooni of Ife was the most qualified to say who ought to own and wear this crown.) Each was assigned a sacred sword representing the divine power to take possession of new territories. Stories of the origin of several Yoruba kingdoms are filled with anecdotes about the royal princes’ and princesses’ encounters as they conquered aboriginal groups in their newfound lands and ruled with the sacred insignia of office: the crown and the sword.

I should add that in several cities the Ife cosmovision serves as a model for other lesser but equally significant sacred centers in the Yoruba world. A case in point is Idanre, an important city in the eastern Yoruba region of Ondo State, Nigeria, where I have also carried out field research. Idanre's inhabitants lived for a long time on an isolated mountain, Oke-Idanre, and they have always maintained a connection

During the annual Iden, or King’s Festival, the Owa of Idanre dons the ancient crown of Olofin (also regarded as Oduduwa) in the dark of night.

Putting on the ancient crown signifies renewal of his kingship and celebrates his valor and military strength in conquering all intruders who pursued the Idanre to steal his crown. Indeed, Idanre is one of the most revered cities of southwestern Nigeria. Its inhabitants are particularly famous for their control over and use of traditional medicine and the spoken word (ohun), the magical or sacred formulas to make things happen. The Iden Festival that bears the signature of Idanre sacred kingship is similar to the Olojo Festival in IleIfe, the festival of sacred kingship and of Ogun, the god of war, in which the Ooni wears his own sacred are crown. Thus the legend signifies that the lie cosmovision is duplicated by other Yoruba cities whose inhabitants share in Ile-Ife's sacred myth and history.

SYMBOLIC CITY STRUCTURE The structural organization of Ile-Ife and its special religious, political, and spatial form symbolize the sacred cosmology behind the city’s origins. The most important section is the center, the Ooni’s palace, or aafin, often called oke-ile (the high or big house), located on an elevated site, and the five principal quarters that constitute the old city of Ile Ife radiate out from it. Three major roads leading from these sections converge in front of the palace at an intersection called Enu Owa, literally, “Mouth of the King.”

They function as an orita (crossroads), an imporant phenomenon in Yoruba religious life. Orita are not mere crossroads; they are

Continues on page 45

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012—45

A BOOK YOU MUST READ Continues from page 44

SACRED SPACE AND SOCIAL ORDER: IDENTITY, NATIONALISM, AND PLACE I turn now to the significance of place for nationalism and identity construction in contemporary Yoruba society. One lacuna in the history of religions is the general lack of in-depth analysis of the relationship between religious phenomena and the social order within which these phenomena exist. The danger of overemphasizing the social context of religion at the expense of the phenomenon itself has encouraged many to avoid exploring the possible social consequences of religious behaviour. If historians of religions were to take more seriously Peter Berger’s suggestion for analyzing religious phenomena, that we should view religion in terms of its origin, functions, and intrinsic and substantive value, we would produce a more rounded interpretation of religion that did not privilege one aspect at the expense of the others.

Political dynamics Recently, Roger Friedland and Richard Hecht have contended that there is a strong connection “between the construction of sacred space and the social organization of power” and that “ultimately, an adequate theory of sacred places must take cogni-

Ifa Divination trays. Photo by Bascom

Ile-Ife: City of 201 gods zance of the political dynamics that play a key role in how it is appreciated, controlled, interpreted, and contested.” According to these two authors, “Because they undergird identities and ethical commitments, because they galvanize the deepest emotions and attachments, material and symbolic control over the most central sacred places are sources of enormous social power.” Ile-Ife is a prime example of how this social power shapes notions of identity, nationalism, and place.

I will examine the role of the IleIfe homeland and territorially in the construction of ethnic nationalism, patriotism, and community identity among the Yoruba. By nationalism, I refer not to the contemporary nation-state context (Nigeria) but to the Yoruba nation as a cultural group with a homeland, a language, a religion, and a shared culture.

Three related themes should be considered as a template for understanding how sacred cities function in the context of modern nationalism. First, Ile-Ife, as a hallowed land of religious and cultural traditions, was used to mobilize the Yoruba as a unified patriotic and nationalist group.

Second, symbols of sacred place were used in the development of a homeland of subcultural identities and to galvanize the Yoruba community into a patriotic and national group. Third, the Yoruba mark their boundaries of sacred space in what have been called rituals of “hallowing the land.”

The study of sacred places in Yoruba religious experience may help answer puzzling questions about Yoruba identity and the role the Yoruba religion plays in modern Nigerian politics. Why are the ethnicity and ethnic identity of forty million Yoruba people so strong that their cultural and political lives are difficult for outsiders to penetrate?

Part of the answer lies in the role of place, and particularly the role of Ile-Ife as a centralized sacred place, in “creating a religious, communal, and political

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”ritually potent spaces where sacrifices may be offered to spirits or evil forces (alajo ogun) and messages maybe conveyed to witches, wizards, and spirits of the underworld or heaven. The royal palace is protected by the city’s concentric layout around its center. As one moves from outermost to innermost circles, degrees of power and sacredness increase. Located close to the palace are the sacred precincts that cradle the three most important ritual centers in the city, the grove, the shrine, and the temple.

The grove belongs to Oduduwa, cultural hero and founder of the city; Oke-M’ogun is the shrine and hill of Ogun, warrior god, patron deity of the sacred kingship; and Oke Itase, Ifa hill and temple, is the abode of Araba Agbaye, chief diviner of the universe. Sacred sites of Yoruba cities are determined by the divination process. Each principal city underwent a divination ritual to determine the best site for its origin and growth (odu ti o te llu do). When I asked one of my consultants to name the odu (chapter of the corpus of oral texts on divination) on which Ile-Ife was founded, he exclaimed in surprise, saying that all sixteen principal odu talked about the city’s origin, an indication that this city was greater than any other city in Yoruba territory.

In 1903, a dispute between two Yoruba rulers, the Elepe of Epe in Ijebu Remo and the Akarigbo of Ijebu Remo, was referred to the state legislative council for adjudication.

The Akarigbo protested the Elepe’s wearing a beaded crown, which by tradition could be worn only by an Oba claiming direct descent from Oduduwa, who had been authorized to wear the crown by the Ooni of Ile-Ife

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identity” and mobilizing people politically. A second relevant issue, borrowed from Kunin’s argument, is that a centralized model of sacred place not only constructs identities but also creates boundaries that establish the relationship of “insiders” and “outsiders” to the sacred center.

The Yoruba origin myth discussed above is normally followed by another equally powerful myth: that of the dispersion, migration, and odyssey of the children of Oduduwa, who left the sacred city of Ile-Ife to conquer, inhabit, and establish new dynasties and new cities and towns. With this odyssey, new city-states similar to Ile-Ife, such as Ondo, Owo, Benin, Ado-Ekiti, Ijebu-Ode, Ketu, and Oyo, were

created. In the context of space and land, the migration myth from Ile-Ife “provides for a plan of cosmological relatedness.”’

The Yoruba historian Adeagbo Akinjogbin describes this relationship between the Ile-Ife center and the new city-states as one based on ebi (lineage) ideology: semiautonomous kinship groups with defined territorial boundaries are joined in a sacred pact.

The sociologist Akinsola Akiwowo has described their alliance as being based on what the Yoruba call ajobi (principles of kinship and religious association). Though Ile-Ife provides a unifying myth, an equal element of decentralization of sacred space is evident in Yoruba mythology. Multiplicity of sacred space does not negate our thesis of a centralized sacred space.

The significance of Ile-Ife in Yoruba political life is especially revealed by two incidents: the visit of the Ooni, paramount ruler of Ile-Ife, to Lagos in 1903; and the formation, in the 1940s and 1950s, of a centralized pan-Yoruba cultural and quasi-political association based on the Oduduwa myth, Egbe Omo Oduduwa (Society of the Descendants of Oduduwa) and its political successor, the Action Group Party.

The unprecedented visit of an Ooni to Lagos was chilling to all the other Yoruba Oba, including the Alaafin of Oyo. Before this visit, it had been taboo for an O o n i to leave the city of lle-lfe. The other Yoruba Oba viewed the announcement of his journey with such great alarm and seriousness that they decided to vacate their palaces and stay outside their city for the duration of his visit until they could con firm his safe return. Although the Ooni’s visit can be interpreted as a sign of the capitulation of the traditional center and society of Ile-Ife to the new colonial center in Lagos, the visit also signaled a reinvention of tradition.

Under the British system of indirect rule, the colonial government had created a new city leg-

islative council in charge of the affairs of the new region. In 1903, a dispute between two Yoruba rulers, the Elepe of Epe in Ijebu Remo and the Akarigbo of Ijebu Remo, was referred to the state legislative council for adjudication. The Akarigbo protested the Elepe’s wearing a beaded crown, which by tradition could be worn only by an Oba claiming direct descent from Oduduwa, who had been authorized to wear the crown by the Ooni of Ile-Ife. The reigning Ooni was Adelekan Olubuse I, the grandfather of the incumbent Ooni. At the suggestion of council members, the Ooni was invited to Lagos in February 1903 to rule on the matter.

Hidden behind a screen (since it was forbidden to behold the face of the Ooni), the Ooni answered all the questions the council put to him. He denounced the Elepe, lamenting that if it were the old days, the Ooni would have summoned the Elepe to lle-Ife and had him beheaded.

What happened between the Ooni and the British governor after the meeting must be the subject of another work. In short, the Ooni was entertained by the governor in a private meeting, and upon the Ooni's safe return to Ile-Ife, the Yoruba Oba returned to their palaces. By reinventing the traditional power, the British colonial government was able to wend its way through turbulent issues such as this dispute between the two rulers. IleIfe, the Yoruba place of origin, played a significant role in this process.

TOMORROW The imagined sacred city, findings of Western explorers,the Ile-Ife and ancient kingdom of Benin connection stories

46—Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

When intimacy refuses to bind (7) I, a lot have been

said about sex.

Its ordained by God for procreation and recreation between a man and his wife.

It has been described as the lubricating oil for a healthy,intimate relationship. Sex has also been ascribed some therapeutic and rejuvinating powers.

The more sex a couple has the better for them and their relationship.

However, this is not always the case in many relationships.

Sex, which ought to be freely given and enjoyed between a man and his wife may sometimes turn them into enemies, eventually destroying their otherwise great marriage and relationship.

In this article, our respondents share with us, their stories and how it affected their lives.

Please, feel free to share your experience or that of someone you know with us too. It might be benefitial to someone out there.

Our address remains: The Human Angle, Vanguard, P.M.B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. E-mail address: humananglepage@yahoo.com.

Happy reading!

Deba,(37), self employed graduate has been single for the past five years. His wife left him because he was too “soft”. He shares his story: I guess it was because she had lived abroad for several years and had gotten used to the lifestyle. I must confess that she was my first real girlfriend in every sense of it.

She was the first girl I would sleep overnight together in the same bed with and not have to

sneak in and out or be shy about it.

She lived alone in a little flat, though she told me it was owned by their mother and her other two sisters and kept as a general place where they all can stay whenever they were in

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stay in England. So, I immediately confided in my mother and she accepted to work on my father. That was how the wedding plans began.Kiki and I returned to Nigeria seven months after we met and were married

When Kiki requested for another week after the expiration of the second two weeks, I realized something was seriously wrong, she insisted there was nothing wrong and that she wanted to rest and take care of some medical issues

London.I became so absorbed by everything about her. It was like she was the most beautiful and wonderful woman I had ever laid my eyes on. I wanted to see her everyday and this was easy for me since I was not doing anything in London at the time. And even though Kiki worked, she still had time to squeeze me into her schedule.

I felt honoured and convinced that she was in love with me. Before long, we became inseparable.I was heads over heels in love with her. I could not even think of seeing myself with another woman. I had found love and was not ready to let it go.

Three months after I met Kiki, I started talking about settling down with her.

She made me understand that she had no plans to return to Nigeria, at least, not in the nearest future. She wanted to get married and have her children in England before ever considering coming back. So, it became apparent that if I wanted to be with Kiki, I had to

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in a well attended, lavish, society wedding in Lagos. It was the happiest day of my life. I thought we would just return to London and live happily ever after.

But I was wrong.

Three months after the wedding, Kiki went on a trip with two of her friends to America and did not return with them two weeks later.

She informed me that she had spoken with her boss and had been granted another two weeks off work. So, she was going to visit one of her cousin. However, the information I got after that was that Kiki was staying with her former boyfriend and was having the fun of her life.

Initially, I found it difficult to believe. Especially because the news came from my sister-inlaw, my brother ’s wife who had been opposed to the relationship between Kiki and I right from the beginning.

My brother and his wife also live in London and knew Kiki in the Nigerian circle of friends, though not closely. She had told me that Kiki was not the kind of girl I

could marry right after we met and they realized that I was getting serious about her.

She said she was lose and kept the company of bad girls. But she could not expatiate on what she meant by bad girls.

I concluded that my sister-in-law was just jealous because Kiki was not only younger and more beautiful than herself. She was more outgoing, knew what she wanted and went for it.

A couple of tiny tattoos and few parties cannot make one bad. It wasn’t as if she was doing drugs or in a shady, illegal business. So, what could make her bad? We almost ended up quarreling because my brother joined his wife and wanted to start a campaign about it with our mother.

But my other brothers intervened and they were forced to back off.

Nobody chose his wife for him, so he had no right to condemn mine.

So, coming from them, I did not want to believe it, but when Kiki requested for another week after the expiration of the second two weeks, I realized something was seriously wrong.

She insisted there was nothing wrong and that she wanted to rest and take care of some medical issues.

She told me she had a little gynecological procedure done some years back and wanted to sort it out. But she refused to tell me what it was. I was worried about her job but she also insisted I had nothing to worry about as she had sorted everything out with her boss.

So, how about me?

I was just there living alone in her apartment and had nothing to do until school resumed.

Eventually, Kiki spent three good months before she returned to London. Before then, I knew that the marriage was over. All the sordid details of her escapades in America had been sifting home on a regular basis.

To be continued Asisted by Onozure Dania

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cool, intelligent, ambitious, sensible, outspoken and active girl, from Asaba and environs, for a serious •Dear readers, please note that neither Vanguard, nor Yetunde Arebi will be liable for any error in the publication of requests on the Lovezone that may result in any form of embarrassment to any member of the public.

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This notice is necessary in order to serve you better in our refreshingly different style. To get your requests published, just text it to the code number 33055. For further enquiries, call 08026651636. Cheers!

Jealousy? How to deal with it

BY ONOZURE DANIA

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EALOUSY is one of t h o s e demons that just seems to take everything over when it is felt. even when you know on the inside that your jealousy does not make sense, somehow, it often still rips through and takes you hostage.

Many people even go so far as to call jealousy an innate emotion, as though, no matter what, we will always feel some jealousy sometimes and there’s nothing we can do to help that. Some other people think jealousy is a healthy thing because it means that you care. You know that you are in love, it is said, when you feel tremendous pangs of jealousy about that special love that you share being shared with somebody else.

Without jealousy and other associated negative involuntary emotions, the relationship might as well end, it is said, because then you have no more passionate divine spark. If you don’t ever get jealous, it must mean that you can turn your emotions on and off at a whim and thus no more organic drive exists to feel.

Please,some assumptions need be corrected here. It is obvious, if you look around you that there are people who do not ever really feel jealous.

Such people do not have shallow emotions; rather, they have an inbuilt understanding that channels negative emotions away from feelings of jealousy.

This holds a lot of hope for those other folks who tend to become prisoner to jealousy’s grip, it’s not an inevitable process.

Jealousy may only be a simple word, but does not have such a simple defi-

nition behind it.

There are many reasons we feel jealous and though it is a normal human emotion to feel, it tends to get out of control if we fail to tame it. In order to tame it and control it, you will need to learn where your jealousy is coming from. There is always a cause for jealousy to arise and once you have those causes figured out, controlling it will become easier. When your jealous emotions come out, all you need to know is why you are feeling that way and that is where you need to stop. It will be hard to remember, but you must take a pause every time you feel jealous and ask yourself why you feel that way.

Does it have something to do with your own self esteem, or does the person you are in a relationship with provide you with good reasons to feel this way? Speaking of self esteem, jealousy is a good way of lowering it. So no matter what the reasons may be, it is extremely important for you to conquer it, otherwise it can do great damage to your self esteem.

Once you figure out where your jealousy is coming from, you will then need to discover why it makes you feel jealous.

For instance, if you figured out that it makes you jealous when your boyfriend or girlfriend talks to the opposite sex, then you need to discover why it makes you jealous.Did you have an experience in a previous relationship that now causes you to feel jealous with similar situations, or do you just have a fear of being betrayed? If so, why does that fear exist?

Is your self esteem a little lower than you thought?

As you can see, there is a huge line of questions that need to be asked and answered in order for your jealousy to be conquered and under control.

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Vanguard, TUESDAY , DECEMBER 11, 2012—47

From left: Mr. Ronald Chagoury, Chairman, Eko Atlantic; Sen. Daisy Danjuma, Gen. T.Y. Danjuma, (rtd), Chief Arthur Mbanefo and Mr. Fahd El-Khouri, at the 75th birthday celebration of T.Y. Danjuma, at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. Photos: Oscar Ochiogu.

From left: Mr. Ronald Chagoury, Chairman, Eko Atlantic, Chief Alabo Graham-Douglas and Mr. Gilbert Chagoury, at the 75th birthday celebration of T.Y. Danjuma.

Participants at the International Conference on the Niger Delta, entitled, 'From From left: Gen. T.Y. Danjuma,(rtd), Sen. Daisy Danjuma,HRH, Oba Rilwan Crisis to Chances,' at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Akiolu, Oba of Lagos and Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas, at the 75th birth- South Africa. day celebration of T.Y. Danjuma.

Oluwajuwalo Majekodunmi, son of Rev. Cannon Olusegun Majekodunmi and his wife, Oluwafolakemi, daughter of Mr. Femi Falana, during their wedding at Foursquare Gospel Church, Omole Phase-1, Ikeja, with reception at Yard 128, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

From left: Kola Oyeyemi, General Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN; Wale Goodluck, Corporate Services Executive, MTN; Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, President, National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers, (NATCOMS); Ebube Garricks, MTN Ultimate Wonder, aeroplane winner; Peter Igho, Director General, National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC), at the 2012 MTN Corporate Elite Night, held at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

From left: Dr. Wale Ahmed,Commissioner for Special Duties, Lagos State; Mrs. Adejoke Orelope Adefulire, Deputy Governor; Dr. Jide Idris, Commissioner for Health; Toyin Ayinde, Commissioner for Physical Planning, at the Prof. Amos Utuama, SAN, Delta State Deputy Governor, (left) and Ibrahim 1st Emergency Preparedness Summit for South West and Edo states, at the Shehu Shema, Katsina State Governor, during the wedding ceremony of Lagos State Public Service Staff Development Centre, Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele daughter of Vice President Namadi Sambo in Kaduna.

48—Vanguard , TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

UBA donates books to Ilorin varsity Secondary School

BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI

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LORIN—WORRIED by the downturn in reading culture among Nigerian students, United Bank for Africa, UBA, has donated books to students of University of Ilorin Secondary School to help reverse the trend.

The bank started the initiative last year in Kwara State with donation of books to Thomas Adewumi International School, Oko. Regional Head of the bank (Upper- West), Mr. Femi Ajibade, who chaired the occasion said, the gesture was to give back to the society what the bank feels could enhance the educational advancement of the nation’s students.

Standard Alliance bags award

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AG O S — M A N AG ING Director, Standard Alliance Insurance Plc, Tom Imokhai, will be honoured as Insurer of the year 2012, at the 5th Annual African Leader Par Excellence Award 2012, slated for Thursday ,December 13, at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja .

Briefing newsmen in Lagos, Chairman of the award committee, Dr. Luke Okojie, said the awards is organised by Accolades International in collaboration with International Centre for Comparative Leadership for Africans and Blacks in the Diaspora.

Cleric tasks elders on mentoring

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AGOS—PASTOR in charge of Lagos Province 14 of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Babajide Akiode, has tasked elders in the church on the need to mentor the younger ones saying God will hold the elders accountable.

Speaking at a programme, “Hall of Fame”, in honour of elders who have attained 75 years and above, Pastor Akiode said broken marriages would not be a common occurrence if we have faithful elders who will nurture the youths and bring them up in the way of the Lord.

From right: Mr. Joshua Kempeneer, Project Director, Family Care Assocation, Dame Abimbola Fashola, First Lady of Lagos State/guest of honour, Mrs Ronke Solomon, and Mrs Azeezat Tijani, at the Family Care Children’s Party organised by Family Care Assocation and Lagos State Government in Lagos.

Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

From left: Deputy Marketing Manager, Mr. Owolabi Damilola; Head, Marketing, Vikram Varma and Chief Operations Officer,, all of KFC during the launch of Fish Zinger and Zinger Shrimps in Lagos.

LEDAP task FG on extra-judicial killings

BY INNOCENT ANABA

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AGOS—AS the world marks the World Human Rights Day, yesterday, Legal Defence and Assistance Project, LEDAP, has called on the Federal Government to set up a high level judicial commission of inquiry into extra-judicial executions and summary killings in the country in order to identify and prosecute the perpetrators and provide redress to families of the victims.

It also launched its report on extra judicial executions in Ni-

geria between 2010 and 2011 as part of activities to mark the day.

National Coordinator of LEDAP, Mr Chino Obiagwu, said that the “report titled “Impunity in Nigeria: Report of extra judicial executions, arbitrary and summary killings 2010-2011,’ notes that on the average, six persons were unlawfully killed every day and one out of 56 Nigerians died from gun violence in 2010 and 2011. Despite the high number of killings, only

eight per cent of the cases were prosecuted within the period, resulting in an impunity rate of 92 per cent. Impunity is where people who commit crimes are not punished and thier victims do not get redress or remedy.

“We can use the opportunity of the human rights day to reiterate our earlier call on the Nigerian government to immediately sack the Inspector-General of Police, IG and overhaul the police and other law enforcement authorities in order to re-

duce the high level of insecurity in the country.

“It is clear that the IG does not have the competence and capacity to handle the increasing insecurity and lawlessness in the country. He recently said that there was no law under which to prosecute culprits of unlawful killings, a statement that demonstrated his lack of knowledge of the relevant legal framework and competence to manage the Nigeria’s security system.”

Stop embarrasing Igbo, group tells Bizman to sue firm over Abia PDP

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MUAHIA—A group, Congress for Igbo Renaissance, CIREN, has urged the leadership of Abia State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to stop the constant display of political embarrassment to the Igbo nation.

The group said it was no longer comfortable enduring the routine sour grape, Abia State PDP and their government have been serving the people with annoying indul-

gence.

In a statement, the group’s president, Mr. Steve J.C. Ugwu, said: “We recall that when Gov. Theodore Orji, leader of PDP in Abia State, admitted woeful failure for his first tenure in governance, he blamed being in bondage to his benefactor predecessor.

When Abia State was ravaged and scandalised by kidnappers and criminals, he chastised political opponents as responsible. When our ‘people loved’ governor failed

to impress and was booed and jeered by his own people during Ojukwu’s burial, he sulked at everybody and promptly rejigged his cabinet for being infiltrated.

When Aba and Umuahia residents vented their tortured frustrations, and found a voice in the protests by the lawyers, he could not be bothered less, because by his reckoning he is working miracles everywhere in Abia State, and these band of lawyers were simply blind or hired.”

Flood: Farm owner cries for help

By FESTUS AHON

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GHELLI—AS the Delta State Committee set up to manage and resettle internally displaced persons commences work, the proprietress of Dea-Que Farms, Ovwodokpokpo–Olomu, Mrs. Queen Ofovwe, has appealed to the state government and

members of the committee to assist her, lamenting that her farm worth millions of naira was washed away by the recent flood.

Ofovwe said the flood destroyed her fish ponds, poultry, piggery, sheep and crops, adding that the farm was her major source of living and

provided job to her workers, who are now out of work.

Mrs. Ofovwe, in her 80s, said the farm empowered many of the unemployed youths in the area and appealed to the Federal and state governments to help her to rebuild the farm in order to cushion theeffects caused her and her workers by the flood.

Delta 2015: Group warns against gender discrimination

By GODWIN OGHRE APELE—A social po litical group, The Good Governance Group, G3, has cautioned against gender discrimination, in the 2015 general elections in Delta State.

The group said it was only when women in the state were accorded equal opportunity in

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seeking for elective position in the state that the forthcoming elections can be regarded as just, free and fair and to the expectation of Deltans.

The group, therefore, called on Delta State Independent Electoral Commission, DESIEC, to ensure fair and equal chances in issuing

forms to contestants, which it said, must be made up of men and women.

The group in a statement, by Chief Netwon Oboda, said it was high time the government of Nigeria and those of the 36 states recognised the efforts made by women to development the country.

missing documents

BY NWOPOKE MICHAEL

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AGOS—A 40-year-old businessman, Mr. Nurudeen Oladejobi, has threatened to sue FedEx Courier Service for allegedly misplacing a package (containing original copies of his certificates) meant to be delivered to the Canadian immigration, for him to reunite with his family in Canada.

Speaking to Vanguard, he said: “FEDEX has stolen my life, they have ruined my entire life. They have decided to render my life miserable. On February 20, 2012, the Canadian immigration mailed me, informing me to forward all the originals of the required documents to them through FEDEX, so as to enable me re-unit with my family by regularising his stay in Canada,” Oladejobi lamented amid tears.

He said that what would have been an opportunity for him to re-unit with his family in Canada had been sabotaged by FEDEX, saying that he is married with children, part of whom are staying in Canada with his wife while one (a son) stays with him in Nigeria.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012—49

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50 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

Award winning story took three months to investigate — Ishola

BY JIMOH BABATUNDE

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ATURDAY Vanguard's re porter, Ishola Kemi Balogun, weekend, emerged the Investigative Reporter of the Year.

He won the award at this year’s edition of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award held at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

His story “Police Goes Tough on Mother of Miracle Babies” a series on an acclaimed miracle mother, Precious Ogbonna in Owerri, Imo State, who claimed to have given birth to six babies in nine months, was

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adjudged the best investigative story of the year.

Elated Balogun, who dedicated the award to the Vanguard family, joined the newspaper in 2006 having cut his teeth as a reporter in The Pointer Newspaper in Asaba after graduating from Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State.

After receiving the award from Yomi Jones, former Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Airways, Balogun told reporters that it took him three months to unravel the truth and that in the course of writing the story he travelled to several cities in the

Eastern part of the country.

He said the search for the truth took him to Port Harcourt, Enugu, Owerri and Aba among other cities in Nigeria.

Balogun added that in the course of his investigation he faced challenges like threat to his life apart from the hazard of having to travel to unfamiliar terrains.

Balogun commended the Vanguard management for giving him the support to do the story as the company paid huge sum of money to carry out DNA test on the six babies and the acclaimed mother.

MD/CEO, Airtel Nigeria, Rajan Swaroop (2nd L), Celebrity judges on Nigeria's Got Talent (NGT) Season One, Yibo Koko (L), Kate Henshaw-Nuttal(2nd r) and Dan Foster (r) with NGT Season One Winner, Amarachi Uyanne on stage shortly after the 8 years old received the cheque of N10 Million grand prize at the OMG Studio in Lagos

The story had fetched Balogun other awards since it was published in Vanguard newspaper. He won the celebrity

media award 2011 and a nomination for the Wole Soyinka award for investigative reporting, 2011.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012—51

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52 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

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Vanguard, TUESDAY TUESDAY,, DECEMBER 11, 2012—53

Okotie’s church donates N5m to charity

De-registered party sues INEC ...wants Jega committed to prison for contempt

BY ISHOLA BALOGUN

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HE Household of God Church, Oregun Lagos donated N5 million to its KARIS award winner and four other charitable organisations at its GRACE 2012 programme in Lagos, yesterday, which attracted celebrities and movers and shakers of the society.

Pastor of the church, Rev Chris Okotie handed out N1 million cheque to Mrs Victoria Audu, wife of the posthumous KARIS award winner, late Prof.

Ishaya Audu.

Four other charities, Pachelli School for the Blind And Partially Sighted Children, Stong Tower Mission, Special Cord Injuries Association and the Sunshine Foundation got N1 million each, up from N500,000.

Agric Minister, Adesina among 100 top Africans

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INISTER for Agri culture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesian, has been named by New African magazine as one of the 100 most influential Africans.

In its December edition the magazine listed 100 Africans who it said, “can move markets and sway decisions”, adding that “given there are many more positive trends on the continent than negative, the majority on the list we call Proudly African”.

Adesina, an agricultural economist and first-class graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo Univeristy (formerly University of Ife), was listed for his agricultural policy initiatives in Africa and the silent revolution he has embarked upon since he became Nigeria’s Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development over a year ago.

Since the launch of Nigeria’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda, ATA, the Minister has been receiving encomiums locally and internationally for his patriotism and unique committemt to esure food security and enrich Nigerian farmers.

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

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BUJA——IN a battle for survival, the Hope Democratic Party, HDP, yesterday, went before a Federal High Court in Abuja to challenge the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, de-registering it as a valid political party in Nigeria.

In a motion ex-parte it entered pursuant to Order 28, Rule 1(2) and Order 26, Rules 7 (1) and 8 (1) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2009, the party, sought for an order “compelling the appearance in court of the Chairman of the Respondent body to show cause why he should not be committed to prison for contempt of court.”

The party contended that INEC boss, Prof.

Attahiru Jega, on December 6, issued a “malicious publication/ press release” wherein he listed HPD as one of the 28 de-registered political parties, insisting that the action amounted to a deliberate attempt to ridicule and pre-empt a suit pending before the high court.

Consequently, it also beseeched the high court for an order setting aside the press release or statement issued by INEC, saying

it was “designed to preempt and or ridicule this honourable court and destroy the ‘Res’ of this case.”

Meanwhile, in the pending Motion on Notice dated March 10, 2011, which it earlier filed against INEC, the plaintiff had applied for “an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the defendant, its agents, servants or directors or otherwise from interfering with the 1st plaintiff/ applicant’s right of operation as a registered political party or deregistration of that applicant/plaintiff under any guise pending the hearing and determination of the substantive matter.”

Besides HDP, two chieftains of the party, Chief Samuel Wogu and Ezekiel Don Peters, were also listed as plaintiffs in the suit.

In an eight-paragraph affidavit in support of the exparte application, deposed to by one Vivian Echebiri, the plaintiffs told the court that since last year when the substantive suit was filed, INEC, despite receiving service of the processes and hearing notices, refused to attend or put up any appearances before the court.

It argued that the court “has powers to compel appearances, upturn, set aside and undo what the defendant has attempted to foist on the court and its attempt to challenge the integrity of this honourable court and ridicule the court processes.

“That the plaintiffs case is grounded on the facts that their sponsored candidates, including the 2nd and 3rd plaintiffs on record at the last general election, held in

Edo still ranked higher in human trafficking—NAPTIP

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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ENIN CITY— N AT I O N A L Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and other Related Matters, NAPTIP, yesterday, raised alarm that despite the efforts made to eradicate human trafficking in the country, Edo State was still rated as one of the states where the illicit trade still flourishes.

Executive Director of the anti-human trafficking agency, Mrs Beatrice Jedy-Agba, who was represented

by Director, Public Enlightenment Department, Mrs. Ladun Aiyegbusi, lamented

that perpetrators of the illicit trade now go to rural areas to recruit girls, adding that the situation had become worrisome because majority of the girls are under aged.

She called on all tiers of government to step up with the provision of qualitative education for children to check against the lure of younger Nigerians falling prey to human traffickers.

She said “It is worrisome that Edo State has been identified as a source state for the recruitment of young females for sexual exploitation, just as it had been observed that human traffickers now go deep into the nooks and crannies of our villages, targeting unsuspecting families to source for their victims.”

April, 2011, were unlawfully excluded by the defendant from participating at that election and prevented from winning any seat at the National Assembly.

“That the defendants want to benefit from its own wrong or punish the plaintiffs for its failures. That the subject matter of this suit

will be destroyed, if the defendants are not sanctioned and reversed at this stage, irrespective of the outcome of this suit to uphold the integrity of this court.

“That it will be in the interest of justice to grant this application as the respondent will not be prejudiced if this application is granted,”

they added.

Despite frantic effort by counsel to the party, Chief Ambrose Owuru to move the ex-parte application yesterday, presiding Justice E.S Chukwu, ordered that INEC should be put on notice even as he adjourned hearing on the case till tomorrow.

From left: Sales Operations Manager, North, UAC Foods Ltd, Mr. Bako Austin, Director of Administration, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Alhaji Zanna Mohammed, Regional Manager, Grand Cereals Ltd, Dr. Yomi Okunola and Public Relations Manager, UAC Plc, Mr. Mike Asuquo, during the donation of products to NEMA by UACN in Abuja, yesterday.

Maitama Sule, Nwabueze, others parley on state of the nation ...resolve to mobilise Nigerians

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EADERS of Project Ni geria (National Consensus Group) weekend in Lagos rose from one of their ongoing national consultation on the state of Nigeria with a renewed resolved to mobilize key leaders of thought across the six geo political zones into a major national movement against corruption and insecurity in the country The leaders, who met for two and half hours behind closed doors, said yesterday’s parley was held as a tactical interface between eminent jurist, Prof Ben Nwabueze and Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule; arrowheads of the new political initiative, following an initial consultation hosted by Mallam Adamu Ciroma to explore enduring panacea to the worrying state of the country at the Yar’Adua centre, Abuja on November 20, 2012.

According to Sir Olawale Okunniyi, national scribe of the emergent national movement tagged: Project Nigeria,

the elder statesmen again expressed their deep worry and disappointment at the turn of things in the country and resolved to mobilize Nigerians across board against chronic poverty, rapacious corruption, self inflicted insecurity and instability in the country Okunniyi said the meeting which was a prelude to a major national convergence of Project Nigeria in January 2013 also resolved to consult further with Northern Elders Forum, the Arewa Consultative Forum, Labour and southern leaders among others how best to bring about national consensus on the stability and harmony of the country He said the leaders also restated their faith and support for the Adamu Ciroma-led Committee on National Unity set up in Abuja on November 20, 2012 to help fashion understanding and consensus between the South and the North on the modu openradi of Project

Nigeria and how best to save the country from an imminent collapse “Maitama Sule at the parley restated the support of the Nothern Elders Forum, which he chairs for the initiative to save Nigeria. Some of those who witnessed yesterday ’s meeting of the elderstatesmen are Alhaji Shetimah Yerima, Dr Tunji Abayomi and key leaders of the Arewa Community in Lagos, who came to the venue of the meeting hosted by Prof Ben Nwabueze.

Other leaders of Project Nigeria (National Consensus Group) includes Chief Audu Ogbeh, who chaired the Portharcourt consultation of the group, Dr Tunji Braithwaite, Prof Jubril Aminu, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, Prince Tony Momoh, Prof Pat Utomi, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, Prof Ango Abdullahi, Obong Victor Attah, Prof Kinse Okoko, Senator Felix Ibru as well as key leaders of the Patriots, PRONACO, labour and civil societies among others”

54—Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

Jonathan thanks Nigerians

BY BEN AGANDE

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BUJA—PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has expressed appreciation to Nigerians and other world leaders for their support and solidarity over the death of his younger brother, Chief Meni Jonathan.

According to a statement

by Dr. Reuben Abati, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, President Jonathan returned to Abuja, yesterday, after the burial rites of his younger brother at Otuoke, Bayelsa State, weekend.

The statement read in part: “On behalf of the entire Jonathan family, President Jonathan wishes to convey his immense thanks and appreciation to all Nigerians and friends of the country, who showed sympathy and solidarity with him and members of his family as they mourned and buried the late Chief Meni Jonathan.

“The President wishes to particularly thank former Heads of State, state governors, the entire leadership of the National Assembly, foreign Heads of State and government, diplomatic representatives, members of professional and non-governmental organisations and ordinary Nigerians who either travelled to Otuoke for the burial ceremonies or commiserated with the family in other ways.”

Inner Wheel donates N2m to indigents

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NNER Wheel Club of Lagos has disclosed plans to disburse N2 million to indigent men and women to assist their micro business plans.

Speaking during her installation as the 40th President of the club in Lagos, Mrs. Chidinma Ashimole, said the decision was to assist in the alleviation of poverty in the country.

At the event, renowned jury, Hon. Justice George Oguntade (rtd), said: “The task of poverty alleviation is not a reserve for groups or individuals like the Inner Wheel. It is an assignment for all.”

CSR: Mr. Thabo Mabe, MD, Unilever (middle) and Mrs Bolanle Oladipo, Asst. Head Teacher, Olusosun Primary School, during the presentation of computers to the school at the third Unilever Corporate Social Responsibility Day and launch of Unilever Sustainable Living Plan at the company's premises in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: Biodun Ogunleye.

Atiku: Anenih denies PDM Elders' C'ttee

BY HENRY UMORU

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BUJA—FORMER Chair man, Board of Trustees of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, yesterday, drew the line in his support for the 2015 presidential aspiration of former VicePresident, Atiku Abubakar.

In a statement in Abuja, Anenih dissociated himself from an Elders Committee of the Peoples Democratic Movement, a political platform that is largely connected to Atiku’s 2015 presidential ambition.

The statement followed news report, yesterday, that Anenih had been appointed as Chairman of the Elders Committee of the group.

The denial by Anenih inevitably put to question his solidarity with the mainstream of PDM, who are mostly believed to be behind Atiku.

Anenih said he was also not aware of any such appointment at the meeting PDM held last weekend at the Shehu Yar ’Adua Centre in Abuja, as he was not in attendance.

In a sharp reaction, Mr. Tonye Princewill, Chairman of the media committee of PDM, told Vanguard that there was no such thing as an Elders Committee of PDM to have drawn Anenih’s participation.

A statement by Anenih’s Personal Assistant, Peter Abulu, said: “Chief Anenih was not in Abuja when the meeting was held. If such decision was reached, those who took the decision would have either consulted with him prior to the decision or briefed him after the decision was taken.

“I can tell you authoritatively

that if any such decision was taken, he was not consulted on it; and as this official reaction is being made, Chief Anenih has already contacted those who attended the meeting and

they told him that no such decision was reached.

“I am not aware that we have an elders committee. But I am aware of him (Anenih) as an elder and leader of PDM.”

Jonathan re-instates 3,645 plots in Abuja

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

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BUJA—PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has approved the immediate reinstatement of 3,645 plots hitherto revoked in the Federal Capital Territory.

FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, who made this disclosure in his office, said the plots were those allocated between May 17 and 28, 2007 in FCT but alleged to have been irregularly allocated and were, therefore, recommended for revocation by the Senate.

He said: “This is to inform beneficiaries of land allocations by the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, between May 17 and 28, 2007, that President Goodluck Jonathan has graciously approved the restoration of titles to those whose plots were hitherto alleged to have been irregularly allocated within the above time frame.”

Senator Mohammed recalled that the revocation of the plots arose from a resolution reached by the Senate in 2007, based on the report by the Senate Committee on FCT that investigated the activities of an erstwhile FCT Minister.

He recalled that the Senate had then recommended the withdrawal of 3,645 plots from title holders on ground that they were allocated from May 17 to 29, 2007.

He said: “The reason given by the legislators for passing the revocation resolution was that the Federal Executive Council, FEC, was already dissolved.

“Accordingly, it was however, later discovered and confirmed by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, that the FEC was not dissolved until May 29, 2007, when power was transmitted to the succeeding federal administration.”

Indian hospital slashes fees

BY VICTORIA OJEME

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BUJA—TO cut down on the approximately $400 million spent annually on medicals overseas, the only Indian specialist hospital operating in Nigeria, Primus International Super Specialty Hospital, has announced a downward review of all its charges by 30 percent.

The new charges, according to the hospital, include free consultancy, beginning from yesterday.

The hospital said the decision to crash fees was part of its corporate social responsibility to open its services and state-of-the-art equipment to Nigerian patients, majority of whom could not afford to go abroad for treatment.

Public Relations Officer of the hospital, Alhaji Umaru Jibia, said in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday: “Drugs from our pharmacy will now attract 25 percent downward review, laboratory investigation 30 percent, radiological investigation 30, CT scan and MRI 50, and EGG/ECHO/ Treadmill 30.

“From December 10 to December 30, 2012, we are offering free consultation in addition to the downward review.”

Knights task FG on security

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EDERAL Government has been urged to improve on the security of lives and property in the country, and check the recurrent incidences of terrorism.

This call was made by the Knights of St John International, KSJI, Lagos Grand, at its 4th quarterly Grand Board Meeting.

According to the Grand President, Sir Patrick Igwilo,

“the constitution of our dear country guarantees freedom of movement, association and worship, and it, therefore, behoves on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to uphold the sacred provision of the constitution.

“I, therefore, call on President Goodluck Jonathan to rise up to the challenge and return the country to the path of normalcy.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012—55

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56—Vanguard , TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

Ekiti orders teachers to report at new duty posts

Striking UI workers paralyse varsity activities

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DO-EKITI — The Chairman of Ekiti State Teaching Service Commission, Mr. Bayo Adeniran, has directed all teachers affected by the recent postings to report at their new duty posts with immediate effect.

Adeniran, who frowned at the recalcitrant attitude of some teachers who refused to report at their new schools, said government would sanction anyone who flouted its orders.

He directed all principals to take the attendance of students and teachers before starting each day’s work in order to detect absentees.

Fire razes another Ibadan market

BY OLA AJAYI

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BADAN —FEW weeks after an inferno destroyed property worth millions of naira at Labaowo Market in Ibadan, another fire yesterday gutted some parts of Ifeleye Market in the metropolis leaving goods running into millions in ruins.

The fire, according to the General Chairman of Ifeleye Market, Mr. Olusola Olalere, started around 1a.m. on Monday.

16 de-listed parties in Ogun to join new party

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B E O K U TA — Sixteen of the 28 political parties deregistered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last week, have re-grouped in Ogun State to fuse into a political group with the aim of joining another political party.

Leader of the group and chairman of Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) Ogun State chapter, Otunba Owolabi Odebudo,said it was imperative for the various political parties to form themselves into a bloc in the interest of their teeming supporters.

BY OLA AJAYI

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From left: Venerable Ladipo Eso, brother of the late legal icon, Justice Kayode Eso; Mrs. Aina Eso, his widow; Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti State Governor; Mrs. Funmilayo Eso-Williams and Arch. Olumide Eso, during a condolence visit by the Governor to the family, at Ibadan.

Obasanjo visits Aregbesola, commissions Bola Ige’s bust

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

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SOGBO — Former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday commissioned bust of the late former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige erected at the front gate of the Osun State Governor’s Office, Osogbo.

The Governor ’s Office named “Bola Ige House” was constructed and commissioned by the former governor of the state who is now the National Chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria ACN, Chief Bisi Akande in 2003.

Chief Ige while serving as the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice during Obasanjo

administration was in December 2001 assassinated in his Bodija residence in Ibadan by yet to be identified gunmen.

Chief Obasanjo, who led the delegation of Owu Development Foundation to Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s office, told his host that “You have successfully ambushed me.

“You have flabbergasted me and if I may use the military term, you have successfully ambushed me because I never expected to meet this large number of people. I was only billed to brief you on the development in Owu,” Obasanjo said.

The former president told Governor Aregbesola that he was in government office over the selection process of the new traditional ruler of the town

which has become a matter of litigation between the same family.

Chief Obasanjo said his coming to governor Aregbesola was not to influence the choice of any candidate to the vacant stool but to make acceptable recommendation of a credible candidate.

In his speech, governor Aregbesola who recalled his days at The Polytechnic, Ibadan as a students’ union activist led a protest against Chief Obasanjo during his visit to the institution as Head of State in 1978.

He described Chief Obasanjo as a rare personality, not only in Nigeria but entire black race, saying that it was a rare privilege for somebody to have rule Nigeria as a military and two terms as a president.

BADAN — University of Ibadan was a ghost city yesterday as workers of the institution paralysed all administrative activities.

The staff under the aegis of Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities, Non Academic Staff Union of Universities and National Association of Academic Technologists, prevented both staff and visitors to the institution from gaining entry.

They said the seven-day strike would not be suspended until the Federal Government honours its agreement entered with them three years ago.

Speaking with newsmen, the Chairman of SSANU, UI branch, Wale Akinremi said the strike was embarked upon following alleged insensitivity on the part of the Federal Government.

According to him, the agreement was signed with the various workers unions of the universities in 2009.

Akinremi pointed out that the non implementation of the ‘end’ allowance in the agreement was the genesis of the problem.

The proposed plan of the Federal Government to reduce the non-teaching staff in the universities across the country based on the recent report submitted to the Presidency by a committee set up by the FG was another unacceptable thing to the three unions.

The Chairman of NASU, Cole Olusola Fatoki assured the workers that the union leaders as credible people would not be bought over by anybody.

Amosun suspends LG boss, 11 others over alleged fraud

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA— Ogun State governor Senator Ibikunle Amosun has sacked the Chairman of Ijebu East Local Government, Mr. Dare Ogunde and 11 others for alleged financial mismanagement.

Vanguard gathered that, the

crisis which consumed all the elected officers of the Council had been on for about two weeks over a financial deal between the leader of the legislative arm and the Chairman.

This development,according to Vanguard’s findings led to the removal of the leader by other councilors before it

snowballed to the suspension of all the elected officers.

Although, the government did not state the offence of the suspended council officials, the governor in a tersed statement sent to newsmen, said he was exercising his” power under Sections 39 and 43 of the Ogun State Local Government Law”.

The governor who announced

the suspension of the council, through the Secretary to State Government, Mr. Taiwo Adeoluwa, said those affected remain suspended for 90 days.

The suspended Chairman, his deputy, all councillors and political appointees have been directed to stay away from the council premises during the period of suspension.

S-West PDP urges probe of Osun’s N17.8bn contract

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he South-West chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has called on anticorruption agencies in the country to probe the Osun State Government’s award of a N17.8 billion road contract to SAMMYA Nigeria Limited, a company that was declared bankrupt by an Abuja Federal High Court last November.

In August, this year, the Osun State Government awarded the contract of N17.8 billion for the construction of a dual carriage road from Osogbo to the Kwara State boundary to SAMMYA Nigeria Limited, owned by one Sammy Adigun.

The contract being funded

by Infrastructure Bank Plc

involved the construction of 9.52km dual carriageway from Osogbo to Dagbolu International Market, construction of 20.5km dual carriageway from Osogbo to Ikirun and 16.55km from Ikirun to Ila-Odo in Kwara State.

However, the PDP said in a statement issued yesterday by

its Zonal Publicity Secretary,, Hon. Kayode Babade that SAMMYA Nigeria Limited owed Wema Bank Plc a sum of of N23,348,491.43, as a result of which a Federal High Court, Abuja on November 2, 2011 via SUIT NO:- FCT/HC/CV/968/ 2007 garnished the accounts of the company in 10 Banks.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012 — 57

Man, 71, seeks divorce, alleges deprivation • Another dissolved over husband’s alleged disrespect for in-laws

• Court dissolves 16-year-old marriage Divorce has become a major prayer of estranged couples nation-wide. Diverse reasons, ranging from the sympathetic to the absurd are given whenever "for better for worse" turns sour. Magistrates had particularly tough time, yesterday, deciding divorce cases as exemplified by court cases in Lagos and Ilorin.

BY LEKE ADESERI, South West Regional Editor with Agency Reports

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AGOS – A 71-year-old technician, yesterday begged an Igando Customary Court to dissolve his 15-yearold marriage, alleging that his wife was denying him sex.

The petitioner, Salmon

Kassin, told the court that his wife Mariam, was starving him of sex.

“Anytime I want to make love to her, she refuses and gives me conditions; if I want to force myself to do it, she threatens to stab me with a knife.

“How can my wife be denying me sex? I am not a stick or

a stone, I need this thing but she is not giving it to me,” he said.

Salmon also accused his wife of lack of respect and of going out and coming back at will without informing him about her movements.

“She does not respect me and talks to me as if she is talking to a younger person,” he said.

Salmon said that he no longer loved his wife and was tired of the marriage, urging the court to put an end to it.

The respondent, Mariam, 58, a business woman, told the court that she denied her husband sex because he refused to

• Lagos CJ, Idowu Phillips give her the documents of her property.

“He should give me the documents, I want to claim my property back from him,” she said.

Mariam said that she gave

Court dissolves 16-year-old marriage L

AGOS – An Agege Grade ‘A’ Customary Court in Lagos also yesterday dissolved a 16-year-old marriage over battery, threat to life and fetish acts by the husband.

The court’s president, Mr Emmanuel Sokunle, said that the union of Oluwakemi and Babatunde Akinwunmi had broken down and efforts to bring the respondent, Babatunde, to the court, to defend himself, proved abortive.

“We cannot but dissolve the union because with the evidence given, a life might be lost if the union is not dissolved and judgement given,” he said.

Sokunle ruled that henceforth, the duo should cease to be addressed as husband and wife and should go their separate ways.

“The custody of the children in the union is granted to their mother and the

months pregnant and I lost the baby.

"As if that was not enough, I took in again and he beat me when the pregnancy was seven months old.

“I was in coma for three days and the baby was already dead before it was taken out of my womb,” she had told the court.

Oluwakemi had also accused her husband of drinking to stupor and using charms, claiming that she fled from him to save her life. The mother of two, asked for the custody of the children.

Babatunde was not in court to defend himself.

Meantime, a Grade ‘A’ Customary Court in Agege, Lagos also yesterday dissolved a five-year-old marriage over infidelity and maltreatment of their housemaid by the woman.

The Court’s President, Mr Emman-

I got to know from her text messages that she was having an extra-marital affair with someone; it was also through that message that I got to know that her mother was aware of the relationship respondent shall be paying the sum of N10,000 monthly through the court for the upkeep of the children.

“Oluwakemi is ordered to be bringing the children to this court on every last Friday of the month for their father to show his care. The respondent shall also be responsible for the educational and medical bills of the children, Sokunle said.

According to reports, the wife, 38-yearold Oluwakemi, had filed the suit on Sept. 19, seeking dissolution of the marriage. The trader, who lives at 4, AdeOdu St., Agbado, Lagos, had told the court that she lost two pregnancies as a result of the beating she received from her husband.

"My husband beat me when I was four

uel Sokunle, said that the court could not save the union of Mr Tope Fasanmi and Zainab, due to irreconcilable differences.

“The court tried all it could to settle the matter but the efforts failed. The custody of the only child of the union, remains with the respondent (Zainab). The petitioner shall be paying her N20,000 monthly through the court for the child’s upkeep.

“He shall also be responsible for the education and medical bills of the child,” Sokunle held.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Tope filed for divorce on Sept. 17.

The resident of No. 8, Metal Box Road, Ogba had accused Zainab, 32, of infidelity, insubordination, and maltreat-

ment of their housemaid.

"I got to know from her text messages that she was having an extra-marital affair with someone; it was also through that message that I got to know that her mother was aware of the relationship,” he submitted.

However, Zainab, a trader, who lives at 2 Igbowu St., Mushin, said that Tope sought divorce because she stopped giving him money for his business.“I have been with him through thick and thin, but my husband has not been fair to me; he met me a virgin and no man has ever slept with me except him. “ I don’t have any extra marital affair; instead he does."

Zainab had prayed the court to save the marriage, saying that she still loved Tope.

her husband money to buy land for her, but she did not set her eyes on the documents covering it.

She told the court that she later discovered that it was his, the husband's, name that was on the documents.

The respondent said that she had the contacts of workers who built a one storey building on the land and they could serve as her witnesses.

“Salmon wants to cheat me by divorcing me to claim my property because I do not have any child for him,” she said.

She also said that her husband was owing her N1.8 million and should pay it before the divorce.

The court president, Mr Adewale Eko, blamed the respondent for not having any document with her to prove ownership.

He said that the area in which the house is located would be visited, to make inquiries.

Eko adjourned the case to March 28, 2013 for further hearing.

Another dissolved over husband’s alleged disrespect for in-laws

A

N Ilorin, an Area Court, yesterday, dissolved the four-year-old marriage of a couple over the wife’s claim of disrespect of her parents by her husband.

The housewife and resident of Sango in Ilorin, Falilat Elepo, had told the court that her husband, Ismail Alabi, had no regard for her parents and was fond of addressing them rudely.

She said: “My husband is too proud to show respect to my family members. My husband feels as if he possesses everything on earth.” Elepo cited an instance when her husband deployed abusive language to describe her mother when she tried to resolve a misunderstanding. “ He called my mother a witch and humiliated her in public forgetting the

fact that he has his own mother at home as well.”

She told the court that their marriage was contracted in 2008 and had produced one male child aged three years. The complainant prayed the court to dissolve the marriage, saying she could no longer tolerate the insults.

The defendant, however, did not object to the prayer of the plaintiff. “ I will never allow any external person to interfere in my family affair and this is what my wife’s parents are trying to do.”

He urged the court to grant the prayer of his wife, saying: “Nobody can teach me how to run my family affair.”

The presiding Judge, Mr Ibrahim Abdulquadri, dissolved the marriage and issued a certificate of divorce to the plaintiff.

58 — Vanguard,

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

Mursi orders protesters’ arrest E

GYPTIAN President Mohammed Morsi has ordered the military to maintain security and protect state institutions in the run-up to a controversial referendum on a new constitution, even as the army has also been given the power to arrest civilians.

Mr Morsi has tried to calm public anger by annulling a decree giving him huge powers, but rejected a call to scrap the 15 December constitutional vote.

Meanwhile, opposition leaders has called for protests today against the referendum.

The opposition was “not aiming at toppling the president” but wanted a better constitution, former Foreign Minister Amr Moussa told the BBC. Islamist groups have said they will hold counter demonstrations, raising fears of further bloody clashes on the streets of the Egyptian capital.

In another apparent concession, the president suspended a

The BBC’s Jon Leyne in Cairo says the step will raise fears that Egypt is moving back towards

EU leaders accept Nobel prize amid criticisms

T Egyptian army maintaining security in the run-up to a controversial referendum on the new constitution. big tax increase on the sale of a variety of goods including soft drinks, cigarettes and beer.

The decision was carried in a statement that appeared on Mr

Morsi’s Facebook page in the early hours of Monday, state-owned alAhram newspaper reported. As tension increased before Saturday’s referendum,

ENEZUELA’s ailing President Hugo Chavez flew to Cuba yesterday for cancer surger y, vowing to return quickly despite his unprecedented admission the disease

U

could end his 14-year rule of the South American OPEC nation.

“I leave full of hope.

We are warriors, full of light and faith,” the ever-upbeat Chavez said before boarding the flight to Havana. “I

•Obama recovery.

Extended benefits for the long-term unemployed and a temporary cut to payroll taxes are also scheduled to expire at the same time.

International observers, such as Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, have

warned that there would be ripple effects for the rest of the world if US lawmakers are not able to agree to a deal.

‘Shifting focus’ Obama’s appearance at a car factory outside Detroit is his latest public outreach effort in recent weeks to sell a plan that would increase taxes for the rich while extending Bush-era tax cuts for everyone else.

fighting.

The development indicates the rebels are strengthening their grip on northern areas near the Turkish border. Last month, they captured another large base near Aleppo.

Amateur videos released by activists showed fighters walking inside the base.

The footage also shows

hope to be back soon.”

Chavez pumped a fist in the air as he set off for the latest chapter of a tumultuous rule that has seen a brief coup against him, waves of i n d u s t r y nationalizations, a crippling oil strike and heightened acrimony with the United States.

The 58-year-old socialist leader is facing his fourth operation since mid-2011 for a third bout of an undisclosed form of cancer in the pelvic area. The news sparked a rally in Venezuela bonds on Monday, given many investors’ preference for more a business-friendly government in Caracas.

HE European Union has accepted the Nobel Peace Prize at a ceremony in Oslo’s City Hall, despite criticism from past winners that the bloc is based on “military power ”. A number of Europena leaders were in attendance, including Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, and Francois Hollande, the French president, who were seated beside each other.

The prize was received jointly by European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, European Parliament President Martin Schulz and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

T h e p r i z e was awarded for the stability and democracy

N

ELSON Mandela, the 94-year-old former South African president and revered anti-

rebels driving around in a capturedtankandmanning heavy anti-aircraft machine guns. Meanwhile, the Syrian military carried out an air strike on suburbs of Damascus, the capital, as rebels clashed on the ground with soldiers on yesterday, the Observatory said.

apartheid leader, was to undergo more tests in hospital yesterday after having a good rest on his second night in the facility, the government said.

A statement from the office of President Jacob Zuma, who visited the Nobel Peace laureate on Sunday, gave no details other than to say, “President Mandela had a good night’s rest” and was “in good hands”. It also thanked members of the public for their messages of support.

Defense Minister

brought to the continent more than five decades after two world wars.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who won the prize in 1984 for his campaign against South African apartheid, said it was wrong to recognise the EU as it was an organisation based on “military force”.

Tutu was joined by past winners Mairead Maguire of Northern Ireland and Adolfo Perez Esquivel from Argentina in their opposition to the EU receiving the award.

Arguing the bloc contradicts the values associated with the prize because it relies on military force to ensure security, they demanded that the prize money of $1.2m not be paid this year.

N/Korea delays rocket launch

N

ORTH Korea has extended the window for a widely condemned long-range rocket launch by a week after discovering a “technical deficiency”, the isolated state’s news agency said yesterday.

The launch, viewed by the United States, Japan and South Korea as a test for developing a ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear

Mandela undergoes more tests

Syrian rebels capture Aleppo military base Syrian rebels have captured parts of a large army base in the country’s north, just west of the city of Aleppo, activists say. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the rebels entered the sprawling Sheikh Suleiman base on Sunday afternoon, after weeks of

Mr Morsi ordered the military to maintain security “up to the announcement of the results from the referendum”, AFP news agency reported.

Chavez for surgery in Cuba V

Fiscal cliff: Obama takes plan to Michigan S President Barack Obama is to address Michigan car workers to build support for his plan to raise taxes on the rich and avert a looming “fiscal cliff”.

The visit follows face-toface meetings with Republican House Speaker John Boehner at the White House on Sunday.

After their first private talks since Mr Obama won re-election, both sides said communication lines “remain open”.

Deep spending cuts and tax rises due to take effect on 1 January threaten to derail US economic

military rule.

Under the new presidential decree, the military is asked to coordinate with the police on maintaining security and is also entitled to arrest civilians.

Nosiviwe MapisaNqakula told reporters after paying Mandela a visit in Pretoria’s “1 Military” hospital that he was doing “very, very well”. The military is responsible for the health of sitting and former South African presidents.

Mandela, South Africa’s first black president and a global symbol of resistance to racism and injustice, spent 27 years in apartheid prisons, including 18 years on the windswept Robben Island off the coast of Cape Town.

warhead, had been scheduled for December 10-22 to coincide with the first anniversary of the death of former North Korean ruler Kim Jong-il. “(Engineers) found a technical deficiency in the first-stage control engine module of the rocket carrying the satellite and decided to extend the satellite launch period up to December 29,” the KCNA news agency quoted a space agency spokesman as saying.

North Korea is banned from carrying out any missile or nuclear-related tests by U.N. resolutions imposed in 2006 and 2009 after it conducted nuclear tests. A third rocket launch, in April, ended in failure.

The North insists this launch is aimed merely at putting a weather satellite into orbit. But it is believed to be developing an intercontinental missile with a range of more than 6,700 km which would have the capacity to hit the continental United States.

Vanguard Vanguard,, YOUR LUCK TODAY

LIBRA; Mid-morning till early afternoon period may bring more promises than it can actually deliver; your being clever will see you through. Be very practical.

SCORPIO; Continue to attach necessary importance to your family values. Here is a day when joint ventures can bring you under pressure between 9.46am and 12.43pm.

SAGITTARIUS; Other people will continue to feature in your activities; that is to say you will need to be as cooperative as reason permits. Watch it between 9.46am&12.43pm CAPRICORN; You may be in position to minimise the pressure of yesterday. And you will need to watch your mood from 9.46am to 12.43pm.

— 59

LEISURE

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 VIRGO; Emphasis will continue to be on career related issues. However you will not be wrong if you take mattersof-the-heart more seriously now. Be more loving.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

O

UR elders say ‘a man does not wake up in the morning and start pursuing rabbit’. In other words a man does not start the day with some level of unseriousness.

For a good morning portends a good day.

How is your morning?

If I may ask you, how is your morning like? What are your programme for the day? Or do you just wake up as a matter of course without a well laid out goals for the

TERROR MUDA

day? No objective, no direction, wherever the wind blows you, there you go? Haba!

You can’t afford to live your life this way. You can’t be a victim of anything goes.

in “Never say goodbye”

Define your day. You can do this by charting a programme of action for your day, daily. This you can do a day before the day of execution. Some even plan weeks and months ahead. You can.

Think about it!

By Lanre Kehinde

AQUARIUS; It is important you don’t take things for granted around mid-morning and early afternoon period so that you will not run into avoidable disappointments.

PISCES; If you are in position to control your actions you would fare better if you can wait till after 12,43pm before you make an important move. Be family minded.

ARIES; Your being receptive can enhance your prospects but that is not to say you have to be naïve, especially during mid-morning and early afternoon periods.

TAURUS; Success is boldly printed on your cards and like yesterday if priority attention is given to money the scope of your success will be wider.

GEMINI; Although things may be happening around you, you are the right person to make things happen and give others opportunities.. Be wise.

CANCER; Take note that others may break promises made before early afternoon period; that is to say you should not take anybody for granted before 12.43pm.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

LEO; Although friends are willing to assist you circumstances may not allow complete help as expected. 9.46am to 12.43pm can be a bit sensitive

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

Are they compatible?

Dear Joshua, Kindly analyse horoscopes of two young lovers willing to share the rest of thie lives together. I am concern because one of the is my own son. However I want you to leave out their birth dates.

Dele, Lagos.

Dear Dele, COMPATIBILITY GUIDE What will follow here-under are analyses of their horoscopes , so that they will know each other very well vis-à-vis strong and weak points of each other. By this you will decide if actually what you are looking for is in the relationship.

THE HOROSCOPE DATA/PLANETARY PLACEMENT OF THE LADY SUN SIGN = AQUARIUS; SUN IN 13TH DEGREE OF AQUARIUS. MOON SIGN = CANCER ; MOON IN 3RD DEGREE OF CANCER MERCURY IN IST DEGREE OF AQUARIUS VENUS IN ZERO DEGREE OF ARIES MARS IN 29TH DEGREE OF PISCES JUPITER IN 29TH DEGREE OF CAPRICORN SATURN IN 27TH DEGREE OF SCORPIO. URANUS IN 16TH DEGREE OF SAGITTARIUS. NEPTUNE IN 2ND DEGREE OF CAPRICORN PLUTO IN 4TH DEGREE OF SCORPIO. NORTH NODE IN 23RD DEGREE OF TAURUS. SOUTH NODE IN 23RD DEGREE OF SCORPIO. ANALYSIS OF THE CHART SUMMARY Here is a gentle person who cares so much for both her extended family (especially her mother) and her personal family. She can be highly emotional, although highly intelligent too THE WEAK POINT She can unexpectedly burst into tears whenever she fails to control her husband. And if she does not result to weeping she can many times force this man to turn violent to the detriment of too many things. She in particular will many times become jealous for no reason and can be difficult to manage by this man.

Although she loves freedom, she will want to be in firm control of the man’s freedom. Issues of control and freedom must be clearly defined before final marital rite, or else serious trouble would be the result.

THE HOROSCOPE DATA/PLANETARY PLACEMENT OF THE MAN

VIRGINIA

Commen3

dadadekola@yahoo.com

by Lawrence Akapa

60 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

Curtain draws on Eko 2012 National Sports Festival By Kehinde Gbadamosi

MASCOT . . . Eko 2012 mascot leading the way at the closing ceremony of 18th National Sport Festival on Sunday

THE CHAMPIONS . . . Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan receiving the Over-all winner trophy form captain Miss Bute Izenegu.

SECOND BEST . . . Team Rivers Captain, Mrs Anidi lifts the festival’s runners-up trophy.

AFRO-SHOW . . . Seun Kuti and his band entertaining the spectators with Afro-beat music COLOURFUL . . . Fireworks at the end of festival .

DIGGING IT OUT. . . Seun Kuti’s band dancers thrilling the spectators with their performance C M Y K

GOOD BYE to Eko 2012 !

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012—61

C M Y K

62 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

C M Y K

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012—63

C M Y K

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

Moses, Mikel train in Japan S Eko 2012 National Sports Festival

UPER Eagles duo of John Mikel Obi and Victor Moses both underwent their first training session in Japan on Monday at the home of local side Yokohama F. Marinos FC, ahead of Thursday’s FIFA Club World Cup semi-final against

Monterrey.

The facility was located close enough to allow the players to change into their kit at the hotel - where hundreds of Japanese supporters were camped outside hoping to catch a

Continues on Page 61

Uduaghan recalls Okagbare’s Olympic woes

•Mikel

•wants Nigeria to guarantee furture of athletes

BY HUGO ODIOGOR

A

FTER leading Delta State to win the National Sports Festival in Lagos, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan hoped that Nigerians could make their athletes develop high competitive and

partriotic attide in their fields, saying only such a change could bring out the best from the athletes.

He said that athletes would be more committed and dedicated if they enjoyed adequate be-

Continues on Page 61

President Jonathan scores Lagos high

BY JACOB AJOM

P

RESIDENT G o o d l u c k Jonathan has scored the

TODAY'S

Lagos State Government and the Local Organising Committee Continues on Page 61

PUZZLE

STUNNING DELIVERY; Juan Manuel Marquez unleashes a stunning blow that ended Manny Pacquiao's reign on Saturday.

It’s D day for Baribote

BY JACOB AJOM

W

•Okagbare

YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ILL he survive this? That is the

ACROSS 2 Confess (5) 7 Hurry (5) 8 Put (5) 10 Alternative (5) 12 Tune (3) 13 Unaccompanied (5) 15 Wander (7) 17 Fault (6) 19 Bask (3) 20 Cheated (7) 23 Watched (4) 25 Adroit (4) 26 Withdrew (7) 30 Tin (3) 31 Distant (6) 34 Sagged (7) 37 Quoted (5) 38 Free (3) 39 Sewer (5) 40 Perforated (5) 41 Demise (5) 42 Receded (5)

question on the lips of watchers of Nigerian football as Victor Rumson Baribote, the

re-instated chairman of the Nigeria Premier League board tries to Continues on Page 61

DOWN 1 Wire (5) 2 Expiate (5) 3 Discover (6) 4 Detail (4) 5 Designed (7) 6 Twist (5) 9 Help (3) 11 Saver (7) 13 Viper (5) 14 Tender (5) 16 Sea-bird (3) 18 Coached (7) 21 Storehouse (5) 22 War-horse (5) 24 Deciphered (7) 27 Faucet (3) 28 Determine (6) 29 Mistake (5) 32 Booby-trapped (5) 33 Cogs (5) 35 Lubricate (3) 36 Dull (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 2, Arena 7, Spur 8, Slight 9, Track 11, Fat 13, Rod 15, Iron 16, Tab 18, Mate 19, Cowered 20, Army 22, Nice 23, Eeriest 25, Cant 27, Cat 28, Safe 30, Eft 31, Lad 33, Snoop 36, Refine 37, Aver 38, Trend.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 1, Spear 2, Art 3, Era 4, Ask 5, Pip 6, Shoot 10, Claw 11, Finance 12, Torment 13, Radical 14, Deleted 16, Topic 17, Beast 18, Men 21, Yet 24, Earn 26, After 29, Faced 32, Sin 33, Set 34, One 35, Pad.

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

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

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

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

Printed and Published by VANGUARD MEDIA LIMITED, Vanguard Avenue, Kirikiri Canal, P.M.B.1007, Apapa. Phone: Newsroom: 018773962. Deputy Editor: 01-8944295. Advert Dept: 01-7924470; Hotline: 01-8737028; Abuja: 09-2341102, 09-2342704. E-mail: editor@vanguardngr.com, news@vanguardngr.com, letters@vanguardngr.com. Advert:advertproduction@yahoo.com Website: www.vanguardngr.com (ISSN 0794-652X) Editor: MIDENO BAYAGBON. Phone: 01-7742861, All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.