Ansaru releases videoof slain hostages

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 61836

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013

Striking judiciary workers lock out CJN, — P. 8 judges

2015: 16 PDP govs meet to strategise —P. 14

Ansaru releases video of slain hostages

zPressure on FG to accept Boko Haram as FTO zFG not yet fully briefed — Maku zIt portrays Nigeria as unsafe country —Activists

BY HUGO ODIOGOR, UDUMA KALU, BEN AGANDE, ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH & GODFREY BIVBERE WITH AGENCY REPORTS

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AGOS — A VIDEO of the seven slain foreign hostages was released, yesterday, by Islamist group, Ansaru, forcing the international community to mount pressure on Nigeria to accept the classification of Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation, FTO. Nigeria has shunned pleas

by Western countries led by United States of America, to accept the classification of Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation, FTO. Continues on Page 5

COLUMNISTS

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Mr & Mrs

CONDOLENCE VISIT: From left: Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar; Mrs. Oby Asadu, widow of the murdered Kwara State Commissioner of Police and Minister of Police Affairs, Capt. Caleb Olubolade during a condolence visit to the Asadus, in Enugu, yesterday. PHOTO: HILL EZEUGWU.

Jonathan sacks Demuren, —P. 14 NCAA boss

Conclave for new Pope —P. 8 begins today

2 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH12, 2013

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POCKET CARTOON

WOMEN'S DAY: From left: Wife of Ekiti State Head of Service, Mrs. Kehinde Famosanya; wife of

Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Modupe Owolabi; Commissioner for Women Affairs, Social Development and Gender Empowerment, Mrs. Fola Richie-Adewusi; and wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, during the 2013 International Women's Day celebration, in Ado-Ekiti.

Ansaru releases video of slain hostages Continues from Page 1

Interior Minister, Comrade Abba Moro, however, said there were hopes that the hostages reportedly killed,weekend, were still alive. His Information counterpart, Mr Labaran Maku, on his part, said he had not been fully briefed on the situation.

Meanwhile, the images of the slain hostages in a video released on YouTube showed some of the corpses of the seven hostages. According to the Associated Press, ”the images matched the still images of hostages released by the group when they claimed the killings.”

Interior Minister, Abba Moro, told the BBC’s Hausa language radio service that “those nations said it was 'likely' that their citizens had

died in the attack. We hope they’re alive.”

But some of the European countries affected, namely Greece, Italy, Britain have confirmed the death of their nationals just as diplomats said on Sunday that the hostages had been killed.

The hostages, one each from Italy, Britain and Greece and four from Lebanon, were working for a Lebanese firm, Setraco.

In the video, a gunman stands on a sand, holding a rifle near what appears to be dead bodies. A later shot in the video showed three male corpses, one of whom appeared to have been killed by a gunshot wound to the head from a highpowered weapon.

The video had no sound.

An accompanying caption for the video in Arabic calls it: ”The killing of seven

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

Whatever we focus on will continue to get bigger.

Problems just have a knack of getting more complex as we worry and fret over them.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

D

O not think that love in order to be genuine has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies. — Mother Teresa.

There is a saying that sometimes beautiful things come into our lives out of nowhere. We can’t always understand them, but we have to trust in them. I know you want to question everything, but sometimes it pays to just have a little faith.

Elisabeth Gilbert sums it beautifully: “There’s a reason we refer to 'leaps of faith' — because the decision to consent to any notion of divinity is a mighty jump from the rational over to the unknowable. Faith is walking face-first and fullspeed into the unknown. If we truly knew all the answers in advance as to the meaning of life and the nature of God and the destiny of Souls, our belief would not be a leap of faith and it would not be a courageous act of humanity.”

None of us knows what might happen even the next minute, yet still we go forward. Because we trust. Because we have faith.

Christian hostages in Nigeria.” A second caption in Arabic and English stated: “In the name of Allah Most Beneficent Most Merciful,” Reuters reported.

Ansaru fighters kidnapped the foreigners February 16, from a camp of the construction company, Setraco at Jama’are, a town 200 kilometres north of Bauchi, the capital of Bauchi State.

In the attack, gunmen first assaulted a local prison and burned police trucks, authorities said. Then the attackers blew up a back fence at the construction company’s compound and took over, killing a guard in the process, witnesses and police said.

Why hostages were killed Ansaru, in a statement Saturday, had claimed that it had killed the seven foreigners taken hostage from a Lebanese construction site in Bauchi in mid-February. The video also showed a series of close-ups of their faces lit up by a torch, according to a Reuters report.

“British and Nigerian security forces killed some Muslims in their attempt to rescue the Christian hostages, therefore we killed the Christians,” Ansaru said in the statement.

The United States has over the years maintained that Boko Haram and its affiliates are terrorist organisations which must be marked down for special attention but the Federal Government has opposed such move on grounds that it will endanger the lives of other Nigerians who would be marked down for special treatment.

Diplomatic sources told Vanguard, yesterday, that the Federal Government’s resistance to classification

of Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation, FTO, is ridiculous because “the group’s link with AlQaeda is not in doubt, its mode of operation is not different from that of other terrorist groups in Asia and the Middle East. Now the abduction and killing of foreigners have upped the ante. What will be your government’s argument for arguing that Boko Haram should not be classified as FTO.” According to a source, "what is clear is that foreigners have become the target of this terror politics in Nigeria.

“What the terrorist groups are trying to do is to tell the world that if they are displaced in Mali, they can safely operate in Nigeria, knowing that the Federal Government is not united in the war against terrorism. There are enemies within the government, which is making it difficult for foreign countries to trust Nigeria with intelligence.”

Collapse of physical boundary between Nigeria and Mali Prof. John Amoda, an expert in international relations, told Vanguard that what took place in Bauchi has collapsed the physical boundary between Nigeria and Mali. He said the terrorists are setting up Nigeria for a possible clash with members of the UN Security Council.

Amoda said: “Strategically, the capture of French nationals in Cameroon and transporting them to Nigeria has turned Nigeria into another Northern Mali as the Al-Qaeda Jihalists that planned the action had put the country in a position as a safe haven

for the Jihadists and could be attacked in the same way as it has done in Northern Mali. This is a situation that will compromise Nigeria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Western govts confirm death of hostages The western governments confirmed the death of the hostages, but denied carrying out any rescue operations. Sources said the aim of Ansaru is to incite foreign countries against Nigeria by embarking on economic jihad, which will see them attack economic infrastructure and business ventures that have foreign workers.

We've not been fully briefed — Maku Meanwhile, days after governments of western countries confirmed the murder of their nationals by the terrorist group, Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, appears to be groping in the dark as he claimed ignorance on the true position of things.

The minister told State House correspondents, yesterday, that he did not have information on the true position of the alleged murder of the hostages.

The Information Minister, who curtly told State House correspondents that “I don’t have the full brief to brief you,” and walked away, declined to comment on the listing of Nigeria as a terrorist state by France over the incident.

It portrays Nigeria

as unsafe country —Activists

Outrage has also greeted the alleged killing of seven expatriate hostages as human rights activists argued that this is an evidence that the country lacks adequate security and a sign that little is being done by the government to safeguard lives and property of the citizenry.

In his reaction to the

killing, Lagos lawyer and rights activist, Mr. Bamidele Aturu, said: “The killing is an evidence that the Federal Government and the security agencies are clueless and do not know how to respond to the issue of emergency. Life has suddenly become so cheap and there is a lot of incompetence on the part of the authorities. It is only God that can save us.

"So, Nigerians should mount pressure on government to perform and provide adequate security for the people. This is because if there is no security, democracy is meaningless. Democracy flourishes where there is peace and security.

“Generally, people see Nigeria as an obscene place to do business.

Definitely, this will affect business and have effect on the economy of the country. Nigerians should make up their minds and see what can be done on the present situation."

The country is not safe for foreigners —Odumakin Mr. Yinka Odumakin said: “The killing has shown that the country is an unsafe place for a foreigner to come to. It shows that it is a jungle, where life is short and brutish. It is also an indictment on our security outfits that they cannot rescue those people, who were butchered by the merchants of death. I don’t know the amount of propaganda and campaign that the government can do to convince the world that the country is safe.

"The killing is unfortunate and it is a big challenge to the government of this country.

It is time for the government to gather its act together and improve on the security not to turn the country to a pariah state."

In his reaction, Senator John Shagaya said if it is true that the seven foreigners were actually killed in the country, the nation’s drive for direct foreign investment would be greatly affected.

6—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013

NDLEA arrests grandmother with cocaine

BY LAWANI MIKAIRU & DANIEL ETEGHE

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ATIONAL Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, yesterday arrested a 53-yearold grandmother with 1.00 kilogramme of cocaine at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja.

The suspect, Mrs. Giwa Ayoka Sikirat, who concealed the drug in her hair while trying to board an Ethiopian airline Flight ET 910 to Pakistan enroute Addis Ababa and Dubai, was apprehended during the screening of passengers at the airport.

Speaking on the arrest, NDLEA Abuja Airport Commander, Mr Hamisu Lawan, said the suspect was arrested for attempting to smuggle the drug to Pakistan during a routine check at the airport.

“There was no prior information on Sikirat as the drug was detected when a female officer carried out a body frisk on her during outward screening of passengers.

She was smuggling the drug to Pakistan. We also arrested one 59-year-old suspected accomplice, Joseph Umunna, an indigene of Anambra State, who brought Sikirat to the airport.

“Preliminary investigation shows that Joseph Umunna was assigned to take her to the airport and ensure that she successfully boarded her flight.

The drug was concealed in her hair in Lagos before she was taken to Abuja. Both suspects will soon be charged to court in line with the NDLEA Act for unlawful exportation and conspiracy to export 1kg of cocaine” Chairman of NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade while condemning the arrest said that it was morally bankrupt for a 53-yearold mother to smuggle drugs, saying “I commend our officers for detecting the drug hidden in the suspect’s hair. It is sad for a 53-year-old mother to smuggle drugs. This shows that she is morally bankrupt and lacks the courage to inculcate discipline in her children.”

Father, son electrocuted in Abeokuta

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA—TRAGEDY struck, on Sunday, when a police officer, Sunday Joseph and his 17-year-old adopted son, Moses were electrocuted at a construction site in front of the governor’s house at Oke-Igbein, Abeokuta, the state capital.

An eyewitness told Vanguard that the boy who lived in the Police Barracks at Oke-Igbein, was an orphan who lost his father in a robbery attack .

The source explained that Moses had gone to the construction site to scavenge for iron rods from the rubble and died on his way back home when the rods he gathered suddenly touched a high tension cable which shocked him to death.

Vanguard further gathered that in a bid to rescue him, Joseph, who was reported to have been taking care of him since the death of his father lost his life too.

He was reported to have been called by one of the witnesses at the scene of the incident. According to the witness, he was shocked when he saw the boy’s body on the ground and made for the lifeless body which was still in contact with the life wire.

According to the finding, Joseph reportedly rushed to rescue of the boy and got entrapped as he touched the boy’s body which led to his death too.

The eyewitness stated that Joseph arrived the scene in a Volkswagen Golf with number plate Lagos FB 359 APP and had been earlier prevented by his friends who had besieged the scene. He suddenly disengaged his hands and got trapped in the high tension cable.

Attempt to rush him to the hospital failed as his car which was the only available car at the scene couldn’t start due to the security mechanism fixed in it leading to his death few minutes later.

The remains of the two victims were said to have been taken to the morgue at the State Hospital in Ijaye, Abeokuta.

Vanguard, however, gathered that the Secretary to Ogun State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa led some government officials to the house of the deceased where he reportedly promised government’s assistance to the family.

Also, a government delegation headed by a Senior Special Assistant to Ogun State Governor, Patrick Akinduro visited the family on Monday to condole with them. Akinduro assured of government’s readiness to assist the family members on the burial arrangement, adding that the government should be informed when they are ready for the burial.

When contacted, the Public Affairs Manager of PHCN in Abe-

okuta Districts, Richard Oyewole, said that investigation would be conducted on the matter.

He said: “I have contacted some of our field officers, and like you are aware, yesterday was Sunday and normally if the construction companies are to work on any area, they will request for

outage. But as we speak, there was no outage permit granted by our company.

“We are still investigating and we are going to make announcement later on the issue. We don’t grant outages on frivolities, normally, our line supposed to be on 24 hours unless there is a fault

or an accident and what we can do is to isolate that area to prevent life being lost because any outage will put a lot of people into darkness”.

Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi could not be reached as at the time of filing the report.

Demolition of illegal structures along petroleum pipeline at Fagba bus/stop, Iju Water Works road, Agege, Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Akeem Salau.

Cult war: Lagos CP reads riot act to students ...decries non-compliance on ban of okada by uniformed men

BY EVELYN USMAN & UJU MBANUSI

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AGOS State Commissioner of Police, Mr Umar Manko, yesterday, warned students of tertiary institutions in the state to abstain from cultism, threatening that the command would not tolerate any unrest caused by cult members.

This was just as he disclosed that the enforcement of the restriction on motorcycles as stipulated in the new Lagos State Traffic Law, was still witnessing hiccups, mainly from uniformed men comprising both the Police and Military.

He advised students of the Lagos State University Ojo, where three persons have so far been reportedly killed in a cult war, to go about their legal activities, assuring them of police protection.

The CP who gave the warning while briefing newsmen on the command’s arrest of three members of a robbery gang who attempted to rob a bank in Ajao estate and another gang which he said specialises in snatching vehicles from different parts of the country, restated the command’s resolve to face cultism.

Investigation into the killings at LASU according to him, was still ongoing.

Part of the investigation, he

said, included verifying how the late Damino Damoche’s phone was allegedly found.

He explained that one of the security men in LASU, took the phone to the Police, on the ground that it was brought by a woman who said her son found it somewhere around the school premises.

On the enforcement of restriction on motorcycles, Manko said, “After our security meeting last Wednesday, I did say the problem we were having was the non compliance by Police, Military

and other people in uniforms.

“And I said that this law has no exception. Everybody must comply. If you want to ride a motorcycle and you think you can take advantage of being in police uniform and you go to where the law says you should not go , it is illegal and we are going to treat our colleagues in uniform just like we have been treating other citizens.

“The law did not say people in uniform; be it Army, Navy, Police or any of the uniformed services should ride okada on restricted routes".

NSCDC destroys illegal crude refinery in Ondo

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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KURE – THE Ondo com mand of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, said yesterday, that it has destroyed an illegal crude oil refinery in Irele Council Area of the state.

A statement signed by the agency’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Kayode Balogun, said the facility was located at Iju-Osun village in Irele which is a creek beside river Siloko that links Ondo and Edo states.

Balogun said the action was made possible because of a tipoff by some residents of the area.

According to him: “The illegal crude oil was being refined at the sea shore and later deposited in Iju-Osun for evacuation by vehicles to various places through Irele and Ore road.

“About eight flying boats were seen ready to off load, while some were on the sea already loaded.

“All the items seen at the scene were destroyed.”

Balogun added that a suspect, Mr. Joshua Oluwatosin was arrested with three flying boat engine one pumping machine, generator, motor cycle, and 20 kegs of 30 litres each of adulterated diesel".

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013—7

Man arraigned for allegedly stealing property worth N7m

BY ONOZURE DANIA

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Judiciary workers embarked on strike to demand for their entitlements from government. The Court of Appeal, Abuja under lock and keys, yesterday. Pix: Gbemiga Olamikan.

Ex-cop to die by hanging for killing colleague

BY ANAYO OKOLI

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MUAHIA—AN Umuahia High Court, presided over by Justice Agwu Umah Kalu, has sentenced a former police officer, Corporal Umaru Mohammed to death by hanging over the killing of another police man.

Corporal Umaru Mohammed, who was attached to the Abia State Government House had on July 19, 2011, shot and killed Corporal Clement Amaechi, who was also attached to the Government House.

The incident happened at late Amaechi’s official residence, 19B, Okpara Avenue, GRA, Umuahia.

Handing down the judgment, Justice Agwu Umah Kalu said that the prosecution had proved beyond doubt that the gunshots fired by Umaru Mohammed at close range killed the deceased.

According to him, the offence was punishable under section 319, Cap 1 of the criminal code as applicable to Abia State.

Justice Kalu said that the accused deserved no sympathy and ordered that he be hanged on the neck until he dies, saying that it would serve as a deterrent to those who may want to embark on such

senseless ventures.

When the incident happened, the police subjected Umaru Mo-

hammed to orderly room trial, found him guilty and he was dismissed which made way for the

Lagos govt vs Christ Embassy: Legal battle begins over land

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

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AGOS—JUSTICE Samuel Candide-Johnson of a Lagos High court, will today, begin hearing on an interlocutory application praying him to restrain the Lagos State government from interfering with the Believers Love World (Christ Embassy), landed property situated at Oyeleke Street, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

In the substantive case before the court, the church had been contesting ownership of the parcel of land with the Executors of the estate of Chief R.A Randle, which is also laying claim to the ownership of the property.

The executors of the estate of Chief Randle are claiming that the area occupied by the church is part of the estate of the deceased, but the church is claim-

ing the ownership of the land, which according to it was acquired from Neimeth Pharmacy with registered titles.

However, as the controversy and the litigation were on-going, the state government revoked the title of the church through a letter dated February 15, 2013 signed by the state governor, Babatunde Fashola, SAN, asking the church to vacate the said land within seven days for public use.

To forestall the taking over of the property before the determination of its main suit, the church is praying the court through an interlocutory injunction to stop the government from going further with its action.

At today’s proceedings, the high court is expected to listen to arguments of parties on why the government should not go ahead to acquire the landed property.

Tension as policeman allegedly shoots student

BY PETER DURU

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AKURDI – THERE was palpable tension at Ijegwu community in Obi local government area of Benue State following the alleged shooting of a student by a police officer, weekend, after a heated argument.

Vanguard gathered from an eyewitness that the victim, Augustine Ajom, a student, allegedly engaged the police officer, who was armed with an AK 47 rifle, in a heated argument over a missing phone when the policeman allegedly shot him.

According to our source at Obarike-Ito, headquarters of Obi local government area, the police officer was part of a team dispatched to Oju on a special assignment from the Otukpo Area Command when the unfortunate

High court to try him after the matter was remitted from the Magistrate Court.

incident occurred.

Vanguard gathered that the shooting of the student elicited angry reaction from members of Ijegwu community who went haywire and manhandled one of the

policemen.

The angry villagers allegedly went further to set ablaze the Volkswagen Golf car which was used for the special mission by the policemen.

Man docked for loan default

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ADUNA – A 37-year-old man, Idris Saidu, has appeared before the Kaduna Sharia Court II, Magajin Gari over alledged refusal to settle an eightyear-old loan of 150,000.

Saidu was dragged to the court by one Abubakar Mohammed of Sabon Gari area of the city, for alleged breach of trust.

Mohammed told the court that he gave the accused person the loan “to carry out a business transaction with a promise to pay back within a short period”.

According to the complainant, Saidu has refused to pay in spite of entreaties and the intervention of elders.

He urged the court to assist him in recovering the money, saying he would present witnesses to support his claim.

Saidu, however, pleaded not guilty, saying that he had never collected any money from the complainant.

His cousel, Mr Hamis BaniHashim applied for the bail of his client, as it was a bailable offence.

Brought as defendants in the suit are Mrs Titilola Awosusi, Alhaja Omolara Ademosu, Mr Abayomi Willoughby (Executrices and executor of the estate of late Chief R.A Randle for themselves and other beneficiaries of the estate of late Chief R.A Randle) and Lagos State Government.

Man bags 9 months jail for stealing phones

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AGOS – AN Oshodi Magis trates’ Court in Lagos, yesterday, sentenced a 20-year-old unemployed man, Azeez Adams, to nine months imprisonment for stealing two Blackberry phones.

The Magistrate, Mr Akeem Fashola, sentenced Adams after he pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and stealing.

Adams, of no fixed address, blamed his action on the devil and pleaded for leniency.

The magistrate gave him an option of paying a fine of N60,000.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Cpl. Kehinde Olatunde, had told the court that the accused and others at large committed the offence on March 5, at 9.30p.m., at Oshodi.

He said that the accused and others conspired to steal a N64,000 Blackberry Touch phone belonging to one Miss Oloruntimilehin Olayinka, and a N25,000 Blackberry Bold phone, property of one Mr Emmanuel Adebiyi “Olayinka and Adebiyi were receiving calls at the bus stop when the accused snatched their phones and crossed to the other side of the road.

“The accused was pursued and when he discovered this, he quickly passed the two phones to his colleagues, who escaped with them, while he was arrested,” the prosecutor said.

AGOS—A 49-year-old man, Henry Okojie and three others, were arraigned yesterday, before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court, for allegedly stealing a company’s property valued at N7million.

Henry Okojie, 49, Oladokun Olarewaju, 45, Moses Orodele and others now at large, who were arraigned before Magistrate Sule Hamzat, are facing a two count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

The police prosecutor, Inspector Iranus Nnamonu, told the court that Okojie, Olarewaju, Orodele and others now at large committed the said offence sometime in January, at the company’s Ikorodu road office.

According to Nnamonu, the offence committed is punishable under sections 409 and285 of the criminal laws of Lagos state of Nigeria 2011.

However when the charge was read to the defendants they pleaded not guilty.

Landlord arraigned for alleged threat to kill tenant

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AGOS—A landlord, Ti tus Omosuyi, who allegedly threatened to kill his tenant, was yesterday docked before an Apapa Senior Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

Omosuyi, 57, of 14 Ora St., Olodi-Apapa, Lagos, is standing trial on a two-count charge bothering on breach of the peace and threat to life. He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecutor, Cpl. John Iberedem, told the court that the landlord had between Febuary 6 and 10, 2013, allegedly threatened to kill his tenant, Mr Clement Anyanwu and his wife, Chioma.

“Omosuyi pointed his finger at the couple and threatened that they would soon die and that their son that was sick would also die and their corpses would be carried to their home town in no distant time,” Iberedem said.

He alleged that the accused committed the offences at 14 Orah St., Olodi-Apapa, Lagos.

Iberedem said the action of the accused contravened Sections 166 (D&I) and 170 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos, 2011.

8—Vanguard , TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013

Nigerians' taste for foreign goods falls

BY OMOH GABRIEL

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IGERIANS’ penchant for foreign goods and services fell by 43 percent in 2012, according to figures released by National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, yesterday.

The figures showed a sharp decrease in the value of imports from N9.8926 trillion in 2011 to N 5.6249 trillion in 2012, a decrease of 43.1 percent.

NBS, in an online statement said there was an increase of 15.5 percent in the value of exports from N19.4404 trillion in 2011 to N 22.4463 trillion in 2012.

The statement said: “The increase in the value of exports contributed immensely to the visible trade balance of N16.8214 trillion recorded in 2012.

This was a contrast to the visible trade balance of N 9.5477 trillion recorded in 2011.

“The crude oil component of total trade increased by N1.596.0 trillion or 11 percent, over the level recorded in 2011.

The structure of Nigeria’s export is still determined by crude oil export. The contribution of crude oil to the value of total domestic export trade amounted to N15.5319 trillion or 69.2 percent in 2012.

“Summary of Nigeria’s export by section revealed that the highest export product of Nigeria in 2012 was mineral products, which accounted for N18.868 trillion or 84.1 percent.

“Other products that contributed immensely to Nigeria’s export includes plastic, rubber and articles, prepared foodstuffs, beverages, spirits and vinegar, tobacco, whose values stood at N1.5999 trillion or 7.1 percent and N764.2 billion or 3.0 percent of the total exports of Nigeria during the period under review.

“Details of Nigeria’s exports to various continents of the world showed that European countries are the highest consumer of Nigeria’s export.”

Striking judiciary workers lock out CJN, judges over pay

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA, IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI, ABDALLAH ELKUREBE

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HE Supreme Court, Abuja, and the various divisions of the Federal High Court across the country were, yesterday, shut down by striking judicial workers under the aegis of Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JASUN. At the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mariam Mukhtar and other Justices of the Supreme Court, were locked out of their offices by the striking workers.

Activities were also paralysed at all the federal courts in Abuja in protest of what the workers described as “inhumane working conditions.”

Similarly, Federal High Court divisions in Delta, Lagos and Sokoto states, among others, were also shut by the striking workers.

In Abuja, the striking work-

ers stormed the Appeal and Federal High Courts in their numbers, brandishing several placards. They blocked the entrance gates to both courts.

Army interferes

Meanwhile, armed military men were positioned at the entrance to the Aso Rock Villa, where the Supreme Court is situated, just as antiriot police squads manned sentry within the various courts that were besieged by the protesters, yesterday.

Meantime, efforts to pacify the aggrieved workers to allow the judges to access their offices, yesterday, proved abortive, a situation that culminated in the CJN directing the Chief Registrar of the apex court to quickly conduct a holistic investigation into the root cause of the crisis.

It’s fight to finish — Labour

Speaking to Vanguard yesterday, National Chairman

of JASUN, Mr. Marwan Adamu, said the association’s action was sequel to Federal Government’s failure to issue a circular for the implementation of Consolidated Judicial Salary Structure, CONJUSS, which was approved for judiciary workers since 2009.

He noted that a 21-day ultimatum issued by the union had since elapsed without any feedback from the government despite several correspondences between the two sides.

He said: “We the judiciary workers have resolved to fight to the finish this time around.”

He lamented that their demand for a document from the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission for the implementation of CONJUSS has been stalled since 2009.

Adamu further blamed the office of the Secretary to the Federal Government and the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission for

failing to release the said document, which he said would have prevented what happened, yesterday.

He noted that the strike was previously suspended in 2008, following which an agreement for the consolidated salary structure was reached in 2009, saying “ we resolved that this time around, it will be indefinite till our demands are met.”

Placards

Some of the placards carried by the protesting workers, read: Without internal justice in judiciary there can’t be justice in Nigeria, It is now or never, The judiciary workers are asking for an improved welfare package, The judiciary is one of the three arms of government therefore we deserve to be fully autonomous, among others.

Meantime, Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Mr. Sunday Olorundahunsi, in a statement, appealed to the striking workers to sheathe their sword and go back to work.

VISIT: From left— Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State; Mohammed Abubakar, Police IG, and Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade (rtd.), Minister of Police Affairs, during a courtesy visit to the Governor in Enugu, yesterday.

Conclave for new Pope begins today C ATHOLIC Cardinals will commence the process of electing a new Pope today when they go into seclusion in the conclave with no frontrunner in view.

No fewer than 115 cardinalelectors from 48 countries will file into the Michelangelofrescoed Sistine Chapel at 4.30pm today and will hold an initial vote shortly afterward.

There are indications that the conclave will be short as the 266th Pope is expected to

emerge on Thursday. Vatican watchers say Italy’s Angelo Scola and Brazil’s Odilo Scherer are in pole position.

But a host of other candidates from around the world have also been mentioned, leaving the secretive contest wide open.

Stunned by the abdication last month of Pope Benedict, the red-hatted cardinals have met repeatedly this past week, sketching out the qualities of the person needed to face the

huge challenge of leading the scandal-plagued church.

No one in the modern era has won the necessary twothirds majority on the first ballot, and the cardinal-electors will hold up to four ballots a day thereafter: two in the morning and two in the afternoon until they elect a new pontiff.

The average length of the last nine conclaves was roughly three days and none went on for more than five

days.

Father Rosica said: “There is a dynamic that takes over once they’re in the Sistine Chapel.

The first vote kind of lays out the names. We will have a pope by the end of the week.”

In preparation for the election, workers hung up crimson curtains on the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, ready for the moment when the new pope makes his first appearance before crowds gathered in the vast cobbled piazza below.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013 — 9

‘Mandela's memory fading'

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EXECUTIVE: From left— Mr. John Inegbedion, Commissioner for Finance; Princess Ekiuwa Inneh, Head of Service; Governor Adams Oshiomhole and Dr. Pius Odubu, Deputy Governor, at the inaugural sitting of Edo State Executive Council in the second tenure of the administration of Governor Oshiomhole, yesterday.

Jonathan's visit worsened Boko Haram insurgency in N-East— ACN

BY EMEKA MAMAH

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CTION Congress of Nigeria, ACN, yesterday, described President Goodluck Jonathan’s speech during his "belated visit to Borno and Yobe states last week," as "tactless," saying it had worsened the Boko Haram insurgency in the north-east geo-political zone.

ACN said this in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed in Lagos, yesterday.

Boko Haram Islamist sect has killed and maimed hundreds of innocent people, especially in the two states, since its campaign to install an Islamic state in Nigeria began over three years ago.

Mohammed said: “The President unwisely stayed away from the beleaguered part of the country for too long. Last week’s visit only succeeded in inflicting additional pain and insults on the victims of the insurgency, who could have needed a little dose of succour and empathy from their leader.

"There is no doubt that there has been an upsurge in attacks and killings since the President’s visit, with the clashes between the JTF and the insurgents leaving many dead.

“Drive-by shootings in Kano are claiming the lives of innocent people and the killing of foreign hostages who were abducted last month in Bauchi.

"If this upsurge can be used as a barometer to measure the success or otherwise of the President’s visit, then one can only reach one conclusion: the visit is a total failure."

On amnesty

On the President’s argument that amnesty cannot be granted to ghosts, ACN stressed that Jonathan missed the mark.

It said: “If the President claims that Boko Haram mem-

bers are ghosts, who then are the members of Boko Haram that the JTF regularly claims to have arrested or killed?

Does it mean the 52 Boko Haram members that the JTF claimed to have killed in its latest press release dated March 9, 2013, are actually ghosts?

"What about the Boko Haram members that are being tried in court? Could the

government have been trying ghosts? And what about those Boko Haram members who were declared wanted last year? Are they also ghosts?

“Also, the government’s spokesmen have said publicly that the government is talking with Boko Haram through back-channels. So the Jonathan administration has indeed been talking to

ghosts?

“Mr. President, there is nowhere in the world where insurgents have erected a headquarters building and put up a sign to say: we are insurgents, come and get us.

“By their nature, insurgents do not engage in a march past, displaying their weapons. That is why intermediaries are used to reach out to them.’’

ICPC probes civil service for ghost workers

BY SONI DANIEL, Regional Editor, North & CALEB ANYASINA

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BUJA—ALARMED by the revelation that no fewer than 45,000 ghost workers are being paid with public funds, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, has deployed its crack detectives to comb ministries, department and agencies, MDAs, to fish out those who are perpetrating the massive fraud.

The commission believes the outcome of its investigation will enable it to pick out MDAs to return illegal funds to the government coffers.

Chairman of the ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, gave the indication in an exclusive interview with Vanguard yesterday.

The finding would also aid the anti-graft agency in fishing out those aiding and abetting the crime against the general interest and economic progress of Nigeria.

The chairman said the investigation was to establish the different agencies where the ghost workers were used in ripping off the nation and bring the culprits to book to

serve as a deterrent to others.

Minister of State for Finance, Yerima Ngama, who revealed the existence of ghost workers in the Federal Government’s payroll, pointed out that no fewer than 251 MDAs were involved in the scam, which had cost the nation over N100 billion.

Ngama said the discovery was made possible with the introduction of Integrated Payroll and Personal Information system and that the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had briefed the Federal Executive Council, FEC, on the ugly development.

Nta told Vanguard: “We have to sanitise Nigeria for our future generations. We have already issued instructions to our staff to check and confirm the agencies where the ghost workers are and report back.

“We needed to do that so that we could pinpoint where monies could be returned to the government.

But we have to follow what the law says in prosecuting and convicting corrupt persons.”

Nta regretted, however, that while Nigerians were eager to see corrupt Nigerians punished, the average Nigerian was not ready to report and give information on corrupt practices being perpetrated under his or her nose.

OHANNESBURG— A close friend and long-time lawyer of former President Nelson Mandela of South Africa, Mr. George Bizos, has said the memory of the 94-year-old political icon was fading.

He told newsmen in Johannesburg, yesterday, after visiting Mandela that “he was doing okay’’ but that his memory was not what it used to be.

Bizos said Mandela seemed to have forgotten that some of their mutual friends had died.

“Unfortunately, he sometimes forgets that one or two of them had passed on and his face is blank when you tell him that Walter Sisulu and some others are no longer with us,” he said.

Bizos said Mandela was aware of current political events but didn’t comment on them.

Bizos said: “If he was asked ‘What do you think about this or that issue?

His inevitable response was ‘Go ask my President’. He never wanted to second-guess his successor.”

Mandela was released from a Pretoria hospital on Sunday after undergoing a routine test and medical check up over the weekend. He was said to be recovering at home in Houghton, Johannesburg.

N384bn PHCN severance pay not released

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

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NDICATIONS emerged, yesterday, that Federal Government has not release the controversial N384 billion for the payment of the terminal benefits of workers of Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, as announced.

Disagreement also came up between government and organised labour over plans to inaugurate the technical committee on workers’ terminal benefits and the rationalisation committee to determine workers to be retrenched.

Vanguard gathered, however, that government representatives at a meeting yes-

terday with the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, and the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, SSAEAC, denied ever making such an announcement.

They were said to have told the union leaders that what was available was N45 billion.

Labour had, on March 1, threatened to begin industrial action after March 15, if the government failed to withdraw the controversial N384 bilion and also resolve nine other pending issues with them.

Minster of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo, reportedly "shocked the labour leaders by informing them that the meeting for the inauguration of both committees would be held today.”

10—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013

Lagos gets new Auditor-General

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BY EBUN SESSOU

AGOS—LAGOS State House of Assembly, yesterday, confirmed the appointment of Deile Helen as new Auditor-General of the State.

The confirmation which was done on the floor of the House, was sequel to a letter by Governor Babatunde Fashola to the House last week.

During the confirmation, Deile said she would work closely with the House Committee on Public Account (State) to improve on the audit system of the State, stating that she would ensure transparency and accountability in the day to day running of her office.

The new Auditor-General is a member of Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria and also Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.

Police wade into Ondo NURTW leadership crisis

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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KURE —POLICE authorities in Ondo State, yesterday, waded into the leadership crisis within the state chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW. This came as the State Chairman of the union, Chief Oladutele Obayoriade, insisted there was no crisis or fighting among members of the union.

The two factions were summoned to the Criminal Investigation Department, CID, of the command and asked to write statements.

Confirming this, the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Wole Ogodo, said the factions were invited by the command and were not arrested.

Ogodo explained that the factions were warned not to engage in any violent act.

He said they were also advised to continue to maintain peace and tranquility among their members.

However, Chief Obayoriade said the claim by his deputy, Omobomi Ajisafe, that he was beaten was not true.

Fashola orders reopening of Ladipo market

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

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AGOS—TWO weeks after the popular Ladipo Auto Spare Parts Market, Mushin Local Government, was shut over violation of the State Environmental law, the Lagos State Government, yesterday, ordered the re-opening of the market for normal operations with conditions.

It will be recalled that Governor Babatunde Fashola, alongside his Imo State counterpart, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, last Thursday visited the closed market, where Okoroacha appealed on behalf of the traders for the re-opening of the market.

ment relocating them from the present location. The traders shall patronise Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, appointed Private Sector Participant, PSP, operators and pay service charges promptly. Also, LACEC is empowered to ensure compliance by all the traders in the market and all purported allocations and permits around the canal setbacks are hereby nullified.”

The agreement was signed by Mr. Ikechukwu Animalu, President LACEC, Pastor Steve Paul,

Secretary of Ladipo Central Executive Auto Dealers’ Association, Chairman, Mushin Local Government, Mr. Babatunde Adepitan and Commissioner for the Environment, Tunji Bello represented by Mr. Muyideen Akinsanya, Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services, Lagos State government.

Expression joy

of

Chairman of Ladipo Main Market, Mr. Kingsley

Ikechukwu, when contacted, expressed joy over the action of the government, saying “It has brought a huge relief to us. We will not be opening the market until tomorrow (today). What we will be doing now is to contact other traders on the new development, for them to come and commence business tomorrow (today). ”We really thank the government for the gesture. We will abide by the terms of the agreement signed.”

Conditions for r e o p e n i n g However, the reopening was announced by the Ministry of the Environment after a tripartite meeting in Alausa, which had in attendance, the Chairman, Mushin Local Government, Mr. Babatunde Adepitan, and the Traders’ Association.

According to him, the market had been opened with the following conditions: Non-conversion of the drainage Right of Way (RoW) into trading points and mechanic workshops, non-conversion of the access roads in the market for trading activities, non-conversion of the shops in the market for residential purposes, no dumping of wastes and vehicle parts into the canal, maintenance of the general cleanliness of the market environment at all times and Ladipo Central Executive Committee, LACEC, shall be empowered to ensure same.

Agreement

The agreement for the re-opening of the market, noted that in response to the appeal for reopening the market by the concerned stakeholders, the state government, Mushin Local Government and the Traders’ Association agreed on the following: “There shall be proper security arrangement in the market which shall be acceptable to the government and which cost shall be borne by the traders; There shall be nonencroachment on the drainage Right of Way (RoW).The canal shall be properly fenced and no dumping of refuse into the canal.

“There shall be no illegal trading activities in and around the market environment. That Aguiyi Ironsi International Trade Centre shall remain closed until a resolution is reached with Mushin Local Government.”

“All statutory revenues, and fees shall be payable to Mushin Local Government and other relevant Government Agencies regularly.

No mechanic workshop shall operate on any access roads leading to the market. Only one – side parking shall be operated by the traders. Failure to adhere to the stipulated conditions and agreement shall resort to the Govern-

VISIT: Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State (right) and Director, Industrial Development Centre, Federal Minisry of Industries, Osogbo, Mr. Ajoyo Adedeji, during the Governor’s inspection visit to the Centre in Osogbo, yesterday.

Reps insist NNPC must pay FG N142.7bn debt

BY OKEY NDIRIBE & EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

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AGOS—THE House of Representatives yesterday declared that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, was indebted to the Federal Government to the tune of N142.7 billion.

However, the House Committee on Finance believed the oil corporation had not shown any intention of paying the debt.

This revelation was made yesterday, by the Chairman of the House Committee on Finance Mr. Abdulmumin Jibrin during an investigative hearing.

Jibrin further stated that the said amount was the corporation’s internally generated revenue, IGR, between 2009 and July 2012 that was supposed to have been remitted to the Consolidated Revenue Fund, CRF, as demanded by the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007.

The Committee gave the Group Managing Director, GMD, of NNPC Andrew Yakubu till next Tuesday, 19 March to appear before it or risk a warrant of arrest being issued against him for the second time.

The Committee also summoned the Chief Executive of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Company as well as all the 16 subsidiaries of the oil corporation to appear before it, in connection with their finances.

While giving details of how the country was shortchanged by the NNPC and its 16 subsidiaries, Jibrin said

the oil corporation was initially hostile to a technical committee set up by the House to examine its finances.

He said: “Our biggest challenge has been the NNPC, but as a Committee, we have resolved that whatever we have to do within the confines of the law, NNPC must be made to pay the money.”

Lagos to close down Isolo mortuary March 26

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

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AGOS—LAGOS State Government, yesterday, said Isolo General Hospital’s mortuary would be shut down from March 26, 2013 in the interest of public health.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who announced this, urged members of the public to make arrangement to claim bodies of deceased family members or relatives kept at the morgue before commencement of closure date.

According to him, any members of the public who still required accommodation for their loved ones, could make ar-

rangements to transfer them to Gbagada General Hospital mortuary or the General Hospital Lagos mortuary.

He said mortuaries at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Lagos Island General Hospital, Ikorodu General Hospital and Epe General Hospital remained open for use by members of the public.

The commissioner however, explained that the recently renovated mortuary in Mainland General Hospital had now been designated a Social Responsibility Centre and would henceforth receive and accommodate only some categories of bodies.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013 —11

Akinjide accuses Oyo ACN of stealing PDP’s programme

BY OLA AJAYI

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BADAN—AS battle for the control of Oyo State in 2015 rages between the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN and Peoples Democratic Party, a chieftain of PDP, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide, has accused the ruling party of stealing some of its programme.

Akinjide, who is the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, FTC, in a statement through the party’s Publicity Secretary, Mr. Lukuman Agboluaje, yesterday, claimed that Governor Abiola Ajimobi led administration was “copying my good programme of buying tractors for farmers in the state.”

Last year, Oloye Akinjide purchased some tractors for farmers in the state to increase their productivity and provide more food for the people of the state.

The six tractors were donated to farmers in the three Senatorial Districts in Oyo state at a ceremony in Ibadan, the state capital in July 2012.

She claimed Governor Abiola Ajimobi inaugurated the state`s tractors programme only in February this year.

Oloye Akinjide said: “The Oyo state government is copy-

ing my good example of buying tractors for the local government areas. I am happy to have shown the way to good governance which the state government is following.”

Oloye Akinjide further ex-

plained that she gave the tractors free to farmers in the three Senatorial Districts in fulfilment of “my promise to make life better for the people of Oyo state.”

In addition to the tractors,

Oloye Akinjide assured that farmers in the state would receive fertilizers from the federal government.

According to her, “the present federal administration in the country is committed to improving the living standard of every Nigerian”.

VISIT: Mr. Rasheed Odupeyin, Comptroller of Immigration Services, Lagos State Command (left) and Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, during the Immigration’s boss visit to the Governor in Lagos. Photo: Bunmi Azeez

Retirement age: Tertiary institution teachers commence strike in Osun

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

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SOGBO—ACADEMIC ac tivities at the four tertiary institutions owned by Osun State Government were yesterday, grounded as the teachers yesterday began an indefinite strike.

The affected institutions are Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Osun State College of Technology, OSCOTECH, Esa-Oke, Osun State College of Education, Ila-Orangun and that of Ilesa.

The teachers had earlier embarked on two-day a week warning strike for three consecutive weeks b efore declaration of total strike.

The lecturers are demanding among other things, the elongation of service of academic staff from 60 years to 65 years which they claimed most tertiary institutions in the country were already complying with it.

But Governor Rauf Aregbesola has described this demand as unreasonable in an economy where over 60 per cent of Nigerian youths are unemployed, saying only the state lawmakers can make such change through a legislation.

The aggrieved teachers are

also demanding remittances of their contributory pension, alleging that since February 2012 when the scheme was adopted in the state, their 7.5 per cent contribution had not been remitted by the state government despite deducting same from their salaries.

The lecturers are also complaining of the 20 per cent tax deducted from their salaries,

noting that what the state government was deducting was huge.

The Public Relations Officer, PRO, of the Council of Academic Staff Union of Tertiary Institutions in Osun State, Mr. Dotun Omisore, confirmed the strike, saying “there is no going back on the action.”

Speaking on the development, Commissioner for Infor-

Court orders creation of 8 new constituencies in Oyo Assembly

BY OLA AJAYI BADAN—A Federal High Court in Ibadan has ordered that eight constituencies should be added to the 32 seats of the Oyo State House of Assembly bringing the number of seats to 40.

Justice Abimbola ObasekiAdejumo who gave the order, said the restoration of the constituencies and that election into the constituencies should be held within the next 90 days.

The Attorney General of the state had instituted a suit against the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, asking the court to add the eight constituencies.

The eight constituencies which the court ordered to be

I

restored are Ibadan North 3, Ibarapa South West 3, Ibarapa Central 4, Irepo, Itesiwaju, Oyo East, Saki East and Surulere.

In the suit marked FHC/IB/ CS/39/2012, the court held that by virtue of the mandatory provisions of Sections 91 and 112 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, Oyo House of Assembly’s constituencies were inadequate.

Mr. Babatunde Aiku, SAN, who represented the state government had prayed the court to restore the constituencies.

The court held that by those provisions of the constitution, the House was to consist of three or four times the number of seats the state has in the House of Representatives.

mation, Sunday Akere, said there was industrial dispute between the union and the government and pleaded with the teachers to exercise patience in the interest of the students and people of the state.

Non-payment of staff salaries: Journalists commend lawmakers on Bill

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AGOS—NIGERIA Un ion of Journalists, NUJ, Lagos State Council, has commended the House of Representatives, for initiating a bill to criminalize late and non-payment of staff salaries by employers in the country.

House of Representatives, in the bill that has passed the second reading, proposed that employers, who fail to pay staff salaries as at when due, must be meant to face the wrath of law, just as underpayment of wages, pension as well as other emoluments would attract sanctions.

The penalties as stipulated in the bill would, among other things, include loss of 10 to 20 per cent of the value of the delayed salary by the company.

Lagos NUJ gave the commendation against the backdrop of reported cases of non-payment of staff salaries by many companies including media houses in the country.

In a Communiqué issued by the Chairman of the Council, Deji GbolahanElumoye and Secretary, Sylva Emeka-Okereke, after the March 2013 Congress ofLagosNUJ,inIkeja,Lagos,the CouncilurgedtheHouseofRepresentatives to ensure that the bill was not truncated by those at the corridors of power.

12—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013

Uduaghan lauds Clark over role in wedding anniversary

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ELTA State gover nor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has expressed gratitude to elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, for attending his 25th marriage anniversary. During a thank you visit to the elder statesman in Abuja, the governor said Clark had demonstrated that he is father indeed.

He said he was overwhelmed by the caliber of personalities that were with Clark to receive him and his entourage. He noted that the personalities included the sons of both Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, first President of Nigeria and Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Belewa, late Prime Minister, as well as other politicians. Uduaghan thanked the other political zones for their immense support for President Goodluck Jonathan.

Governor Uduaghan was accompanied by National Assembly members from the state, the Commissioner, Multi-lateral Relations, Abuja Office, Hon. Gloria Okolugbo, and other personalities from Delta State.

Maritime workers threaten show down with FG

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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ENIN—CRISIS is brewing in the nation’s maritime sector, as the leadership of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, yesterday, threatened to ground activities in the seaports, if the Federal Government implements its plans to further privatise what it described as the pilotage services of Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA. The union also threatened to resist attempts by the government to replace tally clerks at the seaports, who they said play a vital role in monitoring and identifying cargoes brought into the country with cargo surveyors.

President General of MWUN, Mr. Tony Nted, issued the warning in Benin City, Edo State, when he declared open, the delegates conference of the NPA and Dockworkers branches of MWUN. He accused NPA management of conniving with officials of Bureau of Public En-

treprise, BPE, to defraud the country, saying, “Concession is one of the best things that happened to Nigeria but I also consider the human factor, as so many people in NPA lost their jobs. Many dockworkers lost their jobs too.

“The promise was that in the next one or two years, employment will be created but I can

tell you now that since the concession, and as I speak, not even one person has been employed. Instead, people are losing their jobs and today, the only part of the NPA that is remaining, the pilotage services, they want to concession it. When they come, they will say it will create more jobs after concession, but we

VISIT: Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State (right) and elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, during a thank you visit by the governor, in Abuja.

Ogomudia didn’t sponsor crisis, Delta community insists

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HE people of Uzere in Delta State have denied media reports, alleging that the crisis rocking the community was political and sponsored by former Chief of Defence Staff, General Alexander Ogomudia(rtd).

The community, in a statement by its President-General, Chief Emeakpor Owhe, said the reports were spurious, unfounded and should be disregarded.

He said Uzere people’s protest of November 29, 2011 was purely over the demand of the people for a Memorandum of Understanding with Shell Petroleum Development Company, alleging that the embattled king had

all know that the reverse has always been the case.

"If the BPE comes to the ports again, we will resist them because we all have a stake in this country. This country does not belong to those in Abuja, neither does it belong to those at the helms of affairs at NPA,” he said.

continued to thwart their efforts because he was a contractor to one of the oil companies.

“We are happy that Delta State Government has seen through the antics of the embattled king as he has lost touch with his people and as such, his claims should be disregarded,” Owhe said.

He explained that the recent crisis in Uzere was over the arrest of some persons who went to illegally fish in one of the community’s lakes, but that the

police in Oleh, compromised and released the suspects, but went round to arrest the complainants, charged them for attempted murder and detained them at Kwale prisons.

He alleged that supporters of a prominent person in the community, thereafter, imported mercenaries to the community, who killed an Uzere youth and the spontaneous reaction that followed was the rampage that trailed the recent crisis.

N-Delta ex-militants issue 7-day ultimatum to FG

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

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ENAGOA—FORMER militants in the Niger Delta, who were not registered in the extended Federal Government amnesty programme, yesterday, gave a seven-day ultimatum to be absorbed in the programme, warning that they would no longer guarantee the security of oil installations if the government failed to register them.

The aggrieved ex-militants, in a statement in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, by ‘General’ Inami David, said they deserved to be documented and registered, having surrendered their arms.

He noted that their expectations were dashed by the Federal Government team which carried out

the verification and documentation exercise.

He said the team that carried out the exercise at the Sector 2 Command Headquarters of the Joint Task Force in Yenagoa, was biased.

He accused its members of placing some camps ahead of others.

He said: “We the aggrieved persons in the just concluded verification and documentation exercise are giving the Federal Government seven days to contact us and include us in the amnesty programme.

“Unless this happens, we will have no option but to resort to other means to get our grievances addressed, which will be of dire consequences to the Federal Government.”

NBA goes tough over bar practising fees

BY INNOCENT ANABA

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IGERIAN Bar Association, NBA, yesterday, called on Nigerian lawyers to pay their Bar Practising Fees before March 31, 2013 as contained in the Rules of Professional Conduct, RPC. Section 3 (2) (a) (ii) RPC provides: “any member, who fails or neglects to pay the prescribed Annual Practising fees before the end of March in each year shall, as long as he or she remains in default, have no right to; (a) of audience in court. (b) to prepare, authenticate or sign any legal document, including Memorandum and Articles of Association. “(111) A failure or neglect to pay the Annual Practising fees, as and when due, shall be deemed to be an act of professional misconduct.”

But, following the upward review of the current fees by the Attorney-General of the Federation, who is the chairman of the General Council of the Bar, some lawyers in Lagos, went to court to challenge the increment. However, due to the intervention of NBA President, Mr. Okey Wali, SAN, the original fees announced by the Bar Council was reduced by 50 per cent, following which NBA called on lawyers to pay the fees to beat the March 31 deadline.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH12, 2013 — 13

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14—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013

Minister advises N/A on 'vexed issue' of zoning

BY ENYIM ENYIM

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NITSHA — FORMER Mnister

of Water Transport, Prince John Emeka, has called on the National Assembly to make a legislation that would put to rest the vexed issue of power rotation and zoning of political offices in the country.

Speaking at a thank you get-together for his supporters during the last senatorial election, Emeka said it was high time power rotation and zoning were entrenched in the constitution of the land as obtained in some developing and developed countries. ”I have always advocated for power rotation, for zoning of political offices to be entrenched in the constitution.

16 governors meet to strengthen PDP

BY EMMANUELAZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR & HENRY UMORU

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IXTEEN GOVERNORS of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, were last night making strategies on how they would lift the fortunes of the party.

The governors who were meeting in the Akwa Ibom Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, it was learnt, were also set to discuss an ad-hoc report of the Governor Ibrahim Shema led ad-hoc committee prospecting for the resolution of the crisis in the Southwest region of the country.

Chairman of the party's Board of Trustees, BoT, Chief Tony Anenih, the Secretary of the BoT, Senator Wahid Jibrin and Senator Jim Nwobodo sauntered into the meeting at about 9.25 p.m. about one hour after it commenced.

One of the PDP governors and a strong enthusiast of the

Godswill Akpabio led group told Vanguard that contrary to media reports the chairmanship of the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF, would not be an issue at yesterday’s meeting which was on-going as at press time.

“The PDP Governors Forum was basically set up to put our house in order, to reunite the PDP and reach out to other political parties that may want to join the PDP, and we will also act as an advisory body to the National Working Committee of our great party. There is nothing wrong if you put your house in order,” he said.

On why the forum was set up at this time, the governor said: “The need has now arisen.

When we started in 1999, we were the dominant party in the entire country and there was no need for PDP governors forum but today, our numbers have depleted because the opposition got stronger and stronger and so if we don’t come together we may end up becoming a minority

party in 2015 and that is why we want to come together and build PDP so that even within the Nigerian Governors Forum we can also canvass issues that will benefit our party because the rest also have their own associations.”

“I don’t see any political problem into what is going on now; it is just the need for the stability of the country.

"For me what is uppermost in the minds of the PDP governors is that we are lucky and privileged to be mandated by Nigerians to control the Federal Government and we must collectively come together and look at the programmes of the party, gain the confidence of Nigerians who voted us massively into office and to further consolidate the PDP Governors Forum as a forum that can stabilise the block of the PDP,” the

Jonathan sacks Demuren, NCAA boss

BY OKEY NDIRIBE

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RESIDENT GOODLUCK Jonathan, yesterday, sacked the DirectorGeneral of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Dr. Harold Demuren.

This was contained in a statement issued yesterday evening by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim.

According to Mr. Sam Nwaobasi, Special Adviser on Media to the SGF: “Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has approved the removal of Dr. Harold Olusegun Demuren from office as the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) with effect from 12th March, 2013.

“This is consequent to a careful consideration of Dr. Demuren’s unsatisfactory response to the numerous concerns of stakeholders in the aviation sector. “ Mr. President wishes him well in his future endeavours.”

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From left: Mr. Kunle Ogunba, SAN, Principal Partner, Kunle Ogunba & Associates; Mr. Tony Elumelu, Chairman, Heir Holdings and Mr. Rasheed Olaoluwa, CEO, UBA Capital, during a surprise 50th birthday dinner party, in honor of Olaoluwa, at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, weekend.

Obi insists on conducting APGA congresses

BY ENYIM ENYIM

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NITSHA — Ahead of the appeal filed by ousted national chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance, Chief Victor Umeh contesting his sack by Enugu High Court, the Governor Peter Obi-led faction of the party Saturday in Awka resolved to conduct ward, local government and state congresses and national convention to elect a new national chairman on April 30.

Enugu High Court recently sacked Umeh on account that the national convention that returned him as national

chairman by voice vote at a convention held in Awka was illegal.

This is coming on the heels of a pronouncement by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, that Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State had no constitutional powers, as entrenched in APGA constitution, to conduct ward, local government and state congresses as well as national convention.

According to INEC, it is only the national chairman that has the power to carry out such an exercise.

Rising from a crucial meeting of the South East and South South geo- political zones, leaders and stakeholders of the

party said the decision to hold the congress and convention next month was to enable APGA prepare and replace an APGA governor at Awka Government House in the scheduled November 16, 2013, governorship election.

Speaking on the occasion, chairman of the APGA Stakeholders Forum, Chief Sylvester Nwobu-Alor, urged the interim national leadership of the party, led

by Mr. Maxi Okwu, to accommodate all aggrieved members in the ongoing restructuring and reorganisation of the party.

governor said last night.

The PDP-GF, the governor who spoke on the condition of anonymity yesterday, said, could in the near future also use their position to canvass for the abolition of the two term provision in the constitution of the NGF. “We don’t want to break the Governors Forum but let us go back to the original agreement, of two-two years and then we can then agree to amend the constitution so that future governors will not have this kind of disagreement over chairmanship of the forum,” the governor told Vanguard last night ahead of scheduled meeting.

“All the things that they are writing in the papers are all sponsored and we don’t have to answer them,” the governor added.

Governors present at the meeting which was on-going as at last night were: governors from Bayelsa, Delta, Kwara, Cross River, Kaduna, Gombe, Taraba and Akwa Ibom, who is the host.

Deputy governors from Plateau, Adamawa, Kaduna, Kogi, Benue, Abia, Ebonyi and Bauchi were also present at the meeting.

Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur has dismissed reports of a rift between the party and the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF, saying there was no crisis between the two sides.

‘Violence kills more women than road accidents, malaria’

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R E S I D E N T , SOROPTIMIST International of Nigeria, Mrs.Funlola BuraimohAdemuyewo, has bemoaned the increasing spate of violence against women, calling for the need for a more gender-sensitive society where more women and girls can achieve their individual and collective potentials.

Speaking in commemoration of this year’s International Women’s Day, Funlola lamented that violence had killed and disabled as many women between the ages of 15 and 44 as cancer, and that its toll on women’s health surpassed that of traffic accidents and malaria combined.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH12, 2013 — 15

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16—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013

Reveal PDP sponsors of new APC, CNPP tasks INEC

Reps query CBN, others over missing N7.935bn

BY OKEY NDIRIBE & EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

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BUJA — THE House of Representatives yesterday queried the

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) over discrepancies

in the remittance of N7.935 billion generated by the Nigerian Customs Service to the Federation Account in 2007.

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN

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AGOS — The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP, yesterday, challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to make public the promoters of the African Peoples Congress, APC, saying the new party was an initiative of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The CNPP in a statement made available to Vanguard said the PDP’s bid was to frustrate the merger plans of the country’s leading political parties who had chosen to coalesce into the All Progressive Congress, APC. The CNPP in the statement issued by its spokesman, Mr. Osita Okechukwu thus charged INEC to reveal the sponsors of the new party and to "resist the temptation of Peoples Democratic Party {PDP}’s covert move to register the African Peoples Congress; for prior to 6 February 2013 when the All Progressives Congress {APC} was formed, there was no such application in INEC.”

Gov. Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, in a warm handshake with Alhaji Ado Bayero, the Emir of Kano, when the former paid a sympathy visit to the Emir, at his palace, in Kano.

Unscrupulous capital market operators to face the law — Okonjo-Iweala EMMA UJAH, Abuja Bureau Chief

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HE FEDERAl Government has taken steps to create a greater investor-confidence in the capital market by ensuring that operators who take advantage of investors were brought to book.

The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala who inaugurated the 10member Tribunal of the Investment and Securities Tribunal in Abuja, yesterday,

declared that the capital market had nose-dived in recent times and needed an impetus to re-invigorate it.

Her words, “We know that IST is very critical for the smooth running of the investment sector. The stock market has gone down and we will need to do a lot to give people courage and also the confidence to actually invest and the only way that can be done is to ensure that whenever there is any disagreement or dispute, there is a place they

can run to and get justice”.

The minister described the Chairman of the tribunal, Dr. Ngozi Chianakwalam as a seasoned lawyer and experienced public servant with the requisite wherewithal to raise the stake of the nation’s capital market.

According to her, President Goodluck Jonathan approved the appointment of the members based on their capacity to deliver on the organisation’s mandate.

These queries were issued

by Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of the House, Solomon Adeola Olamilekan, during an investigative hearing.

The committee also queried the five month delay in the remittance of the sum of N14.210 billion being import duties collected and lodged into CBN branch in Port Harcourt by the Customs Area Command same year.

The revenue was said to have been collected in August 2006 but was not transferred to the Federation Account until January 2007.

Olamilekan further said audit examination of the records maintained for the Federation Account at the Nigeria Customs Service revealed that the total amount generated and remitted by the service for the year 2007 was N233.430 billion, while total amount received by FAAC from NCS was N241.366 billion, resulting in a discrepancy of N7.935 billion.

According to him, “ this implies that the actual amount of revenue generated and remitted by the NCS was less than the amount presented to FAAC for sharing. “ Olamilekan further directed the acting chairman of the FIRS, Alhaji Mashi, deputy governor of CBN (operations), Tunde Lemo, AGF, Jonah Otunla, to work with a sub-committee led by Pally Iriase to reconcile the differences and report back on Wednesday.

FIRS acting chairman had earlier told the committee that both the FIRS and CBN had reconciled on the N582 million difference and discovered that it was only N261 million that resulted from a double entry error.

13 political parties to contest March 16, FCT council elections

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU & ALICE FESTUS

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BUJA — THIRTEEN political parties with 46 chairmanship candidates will be contesting the local government elections in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, sched-

uled for March 16, 2013.

Head of Public Affairs/ Political Parties Monitoring of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, FCT, Mr.

Okezie Nwankwo who disclosed this to Vanguard Monday, said that already preparations have been made for a hitch-free and fair elections coming up this weekend.

Nwankwo said elections will be held at 639 polling units in the 62 electoral wards in the six local government areas that make up the FCT The Commission, he said, has created 3,054 voting points for professional efficiency, adding that only 300 people will vote in each voting point.

“We have 639 polling units and we have created what we call Voting Points which total about 3,054 and the idea is that where you have concentration of people, we map out a system where only 300 people will vote in a voting point,” he explained.

He said the Commission had held many meetings with various stakeholders including leaders of the political parties and their candidates, security agencies, the media and civil society organisations so as to have a free, fair and credible election.

He also revealed that the voters register had been reviewed and nonsensitive materials made available and delivered to the six council areas three weeks to the election.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013—17

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Jonathan and a defective agreement or changes your mind as often as you find someone dumb enough to swap with you, you are often hailed: “Nna, ibukwa politician o!” (Man! You are a hell of a politician!) And this is said as a form of compliment! However, any President or Governor who signs any agreement for one term when the Constitution guarantees him two terms should know he is lying. And anybody or group who buys into that should know they are swallowing lies, hoping they can enforce an obviously bad and unenforceable agreement.

Can President Jonathan sign an agreement to take his own life or to stop breathing? As Alhaji Bashir Othman

President Goodluck Jonathan Curiously El-Rufai never produced any shred of evidence to contradict Obasanjo. In his recently published 627 page book, The Accidental Public Servant, there was no mention of such agreement except that a Camerounian marambout had predicted that Obasanjo would not serve out his first term! The nearest to any agreement was that Northern leaders had reasoned that they had agreed in 1998 to support a Southern president; and that since the Constitution guaranteed Obasanjo two terms, it would be dishonourable to challenge him in 2003 unless Obasanjo decided not to contest. El-Rufai published as appendices all manner of documents, including the lists of members of National Assembly who applied for allocation of houses for themselves and their cronies, yet he did not publish any agreement signed by Obasanjo.

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e all know that Nigerian politics thrives on falsehood and false promises. If you are someone who says one thing at dawn and another at dusk

BY JOE ANATUNE Continued from yesterday's pg 18

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deny Jonathan a ticket for 2015 is the PDP. That is the only body that can extract an agreement from him to serve only a term. Once Jonathan contested in 2011, after all the heat about zoning, the PDP should have assumed that he would contest for a second term. There was no point always stampeding an incumbent out of the contest and creating unnecessary controversy simply because a few elite feel they would die before power gets to them!

An agreement with a group of governors cannot be the basis to ask Jonathan not to contest for the PDP ticket in 2015. The mandate to serve a second term comes from the popular votes of Nigerians, not from any agreement with governors.

HE high sea piracy of the old Western economies, the buccaneer economies typified by American cow boys culture proved to the doubters a fact of life: that the sands heaped by one storm are washed away by another and the wealth stolen by one gang is quickly taken over by another gang and the security of life and property was like the words spoken in the wind. These realities were real and forced a rethink and the birth of a new order and a new nation.

The lesson of the buccaneer culture shows that it is in the best interests of the political and mercantile class that the NQP comes alive, and soon too!

Nigeria’s manufacturing sector suddenly fell into bad times as foreign made goods, mainly of dubious quality, invaded and took over our market places. In the absence of a National Quality Policy, it was each operator on his or her own. Of course, local operators could not stand the storms.

The dreaded AIDS pandemics have ravaged more African nations with poor job opportunities than societies where jobs are more readily available. The internet and events around the world show clearly that the Western world is more depraved than Africa but it is here that AIDS has had its worst impacts. For the Devil finds jobs for idle hands. Crimes, including social perversions such as

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O you know why what goes for Nigerian politics is such a huge joke? We like to be taken for a ride; in fact, we crave to be duped. We dread asking hard questions or putting the politicians to task to substantiate what they tell us. So, people just wake up, make outlandish claims and throw the nation into a needless debate that oftentimes heats up the polity. We gobble at the debate, everybody trying to out-shout the other while the vendor of the frivolous claim scurries away to wait for the next opportunity to make another wild claim. With time, his nuisance acquires for him some high political profile.

Before the President’s courageous, some say belated, trip to Borno and Yobe states last week, the nation was debating what sensation mongers called bombshell unleashed on the polity by the motor-mouth of Niger State, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu. The selfstyled Chief Servant of Niger State had claimed that President Goodluck Jonathan signed an agreement with some governors committing him to a single term in office. The Presidency tackled Dr. Aliyu rather tentatively. I say tentatively because the Presidency should simply have challenged Dr Aliyu to provide concrete evidence by publishing the so-called agreement to rest the matter. And the Governor has so far not substantiated his claim by publishing the agreement for Nigerians to see! So far the matter remains a mere conjecture!

Although we forget ever so easily, this is not the first time those looking for a shortcut to power would tell us about “signed” agreements. When in 2002/ 2003, former Vice President Abubakar Atiku (and the G4) wanted to stop President Olusegun Obasanjo’s second term bid, Nasir El-Rufai told the nation that he and his group of Northern power hotheads walked up to Obasanjo’s (Transcorp) Hilton hotel room (546?) with an agreement for him to sign away his right to second term. His story sounded like how Don Vito Corleone and Luca Brasi, his hitman, got a band leader, Les Halley, to release his godson Johnny Fontane from an enslaving contract at $10,000 instead of $20,000 he was first offered! How? Luca Brasi put a gun on Halley’s head and “persuaded” him: “It is either your signature or your brain on this paper”.

Elsewhere, we have heard of governors swearing oaths at shrines or signing undated resignation letters! Of course, Obasanjo flatly denied signing any agreement, although he admitted that “they” brought him a piece of paper to sign and that he tore it up.

An agreement with a group of governors cannot be the basis to ask Jonathan not to contest for the PDP ticket in 2015; the mandate to serve a second term comes from the popular votes of Nigerians, not from any agreement with governors

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Tofa, the Presidential candidate of the National Republican Convention in 1993, rightly said recently: “If the law allows him [Jonathan] to contest the election, then it is up to the PDP to decide whether he should or not” (Thisday, Thursday, 7 March 2013).

Having scaled the legal hurdle, at least for now, the only body that can give or

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ll this noise about agreement and one term for Jonathan are orchestrated by the elite who try to tie the nation’s political life to their life span. I do not believe that the North or the South East will disappear before Jonathan completes a second term, if he decides to avail himself of his constitutional right. The fortunes of the ordinary people in the North or South East, or even South-South, may not be improved just because the elite from these zones capture power, using the people as cannon fodder. As Segun Ayobolu asked (The Nation Saturday March 9, 2013), in reaction to the current rather ridiculous revanchist frenzy called 'Yoruba marginalization': “A Yoruba man occupied the most important office in the land between 1999 and 2007. Did that improve the fortunes of Yoruba land? Did it reduce the level of poverty in the region? Did it help in upgrading infrastructure?”

People ask similar questions about the past years of Northern rule that left the North worse than it was at independence. And I have said it that the worst thing that would happen to the South-South would be that Jonathan’s eight years in office many not turn the region into paradise!

When the elite want power they create all sorts of shortcuts, including religion, region, zoning and phantom agreements. It is for them alone and has nothing to do with ordinary people of the zones, regions or religions they invoke their names. In this Jonathan’s case, we should invoke the same wisdom the Northern leaders applied to dissuade Atiku from stopping Obasanjo in 2003. Let Jonathan be the one to decide to call up his constitutional right, let the PDP be the one to field him or not and let the Nigerian people be the ones to give or deny him their mandate for a second term!

OPINION

The economics of a National Quality Policy (2) stealing and robberies, prostitution and child abuses, broken homes and delinquency are high prices that Nigeria pays with an import -dependent economy. But it could be worse and is actually worse than these.

Today, the nation’s agriculture and manufacturing sectors, the textiles and fashion and transport groups are devastated by the deluge of foreign products that pour in mainly due to the absence of a national quality and standards policy to checkmate collateral damages brought by the onslaught of unscrupulous international traders.

In the '60s, the United States waged a steel war on Asian nations and the Soviet Union that targeted the US market with cheap steel products. The Asians and the Soviets were shipping steel to America at prices far below the American-made products. From steel, the Asians inched their way into automobile and America was on the verge of losing the overbearing control it had enjoyed on the global markets. Today, the American automobile industry is a shadow of the old but notwithstanding, the US largely and effectively uses NQP to her advantage.

A National Quality Policy transcends quality goods and services regime to lay the solid foundation necessary for the emergence of a nation ready to stand on its feet and contribute its quota in the comity of nations.

Cost efficiency in simple economics means the ability to produce goods and services and deliver them at prices comparative to others in relative terms. But in Nigeria, the distinction between purely economic, political and sociomoral businesses have long been eroded by the overriding culture of the balance sheet: People might invest a few hundred million Naira and become local government chairman so they can access hundreds of millions that they would not necessarily have to account for. The cost of state governance, is astronomical; education is expensive and certainly ignorance is costlier. And all these are reflections of one defect and deficiency: The lack of a National Quality Policy that allows the substandard hold sway!

Essentially, a NQP lays the frameworks and underlining values, objectives and processes and infrastructures by which a nation seeks to inculcate and drive a new culture of excellence in the productive sectors and which operations induce quality consciousness and adherence across boards to impact positively in all areas of national life.

Concluded *Mr. Anatune, a brand strategist, wrote from Lagos.

18 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH12, 2013 SUMMITS, whether in politics or topography, are the peak. When our governments organise summits to tackle issues we expect that they would produce results that will effect changes in the lives of Nigerians.

The latest summit on water was a typical example of how opportunities are stalled because organisers of these events believe that summits, on their own, are solutions. We are lost in summits. We have held them for everything – education, security, health, Niger Delta, and counting. In some cases, with lots of ideas and planning, things could be achieved.

Still on the water summit, it was one, in the series of gatherings that the President has been holding in the past one year. The one for sports last October is in no way related to the success of the Eagles at the 2013 Nations Cup, or other developments in sports.

The experts gather, make all the pronouncements about the importance of water with marked expertise in the management and challenges of water. They spoke of the inadequacies of funding, lamenting that N39 billion in our annual

Government Of Summits budget could not scratch the issue. President Jonathan put the matter beyond redemption with the disclosure that Nigeria needed N350 billion to attend to water. No mention was made of the 11 river basin development authorities that are supposed to help with provision of water. Equally ignored were the hundreds of dams all over the country that are lying in different states of abandonment and decay. Did the summit take action about these government agencies that are consuming the N39 billion annual budget without any productivity?

Who does not know the importance of water?

Why do we have to waste so much time talking

about water and other issues without doing things about them?

Such a summit should have announced an action plan for water, with timelines and sources of the financing. Rather the biggest news from the event was the altercation between Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State and Senate President David Bonaventure Alechenu Mark. Aliyu suggested a legislation that empowers people to sue government for failing to provide water, Mark told him that water was a responsibility of States and local governments.

The confrontation highlighted again the contradictions that blight our federation. If it is true, why does Mark annually preside over the approval of billions of Naira for federal agencies on water? Why was the President, and not governors organising the water submit?

Water is too important to be lost in these controversies, but it is clear that governments that are running away from challenges cannot utilise summits to solve problems unless they understand that at the peak, the only search is for solutions.

OPINION

BY TOCHUKWU EZUKANMA

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NE of the many things that that tireless nonconformist, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, did for Nigerian music was to change it from merely a medium for praising and ingratiating the rich and mouthing romantic platitudes to a medium for mass enlightenment and crusading against bad leadership and social injustice. With his raw and coarse vocals and poignant and defiant lyrics, laced with jazzy melody and heavy percussions, his songs expressed the pains and frustration, and sometimes, hopes and aspirations of the Nigerian masses.

Then, as Fela sang, Nigeria, for the most part, was under military despotism.

Nigerians were dismayed by the military’s heavy-handedness, bungled governance, irresponsible policies, arbitrariness and brutality. His songs reflected the mood of the people, especially their exasperation with the pervading social injustice and the excesses of the military power elite. So, they were censorious, and sometimes, mournful.

In one of his dirges, he sang: Suffer dey African kpakparakpa, and we dey suffer kpakparakpa. In another, he sang about: Everybody run, run, run; everybody scatter, scatter; police dey come, army dey come; somebody nearly died, somebody just died; ten minutes later, police don go away, army don disappear; They leave sorrow, tears and blood.

However, as Nigerians chafed under military dictators, they found consolation in that, by training and orientation, the soldiers were ill-equipped for political

Echoes of Fela’s dirge leadership. Secondly, military rule was an aberration expected to be short lived. So, Nigerians were hopeful. In their optimism, they imagined a post-military rule future.

They expected that an end to the worst form of government, military dictatorship, and the advent of democracy, supposedly, the best form of government, will usher in a new era.

An epoch marked by a curb on corruption (which had taken a disgusting, nauseating twist under military rule), more responsible and benign government policies, confinement of the military to the barracks and an end to police (and other government agents) brutality and an overall conspicuously palpable improvement in the quality of lives of the generality of Nigerians.

After all, history has furnished the incontrovertible evidence that democracy is a fount of political stability, social justice, rule of law, principled distribution of the national wealth and over all societal advancement. In addition, it had improved the standards of political morality, elevated societal ethics and refined the value system in many other countries of the world.

But in the vast scene of confusion and the intractable anomaly that is our beloved country, democracy has disappointed the expectations of the people. Therefore, many years after Fela sang his mournful songs and fourteen years into Nigerian

democracy, official corruption, mass poverty, police brutality, lawlessness, violence, electoral fraud, theft of public funds, etc, remain the defining elements of the Nigerian society.

Suffer still dey Nigeria kpakparakpa, and we still dey suffer kpakparakpa. The level of poverty remains disturbing very high; some estimates have it that 70 percent of Nigerians live below the poverty level. A staggering proportion of Nigerians urban dwellers live in dirty, festering oozing slums in over crowded and decrepit houses. The social structure and the institutions of government remain skewed against the legitimate aspirations of the masses. The Nigerian system continues to pander to the inordinate wealth of an elite few at the economic detriment of the people.

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e still dey run, run, run and still scatter, scatter because police dey come and army dey come. And they still leave sorrow, tears and blood in their wake. Although technically, confined to the barracks, soldiers, still periodically, foray into civilian centres and harass and kill civilians. The Nigerian Police Force remains world renowned for its brutality and extra-judicial killings. The police power is an indispensible tool of governance. And the behaviour of the police is a powerful indicator of the

attitude of the governing towards the governed. The Nigerian police behave as though it is beholden to an occupation power because the Nigerian power elite behave like an occupation power. An occupation power has no emotional and sentimental attachment to the occupied country. Therefore, it is disposed, at the total disregard of the people and the future of the country, to remorselessly exploit the system and ruthlessly loot the public treasury.

Fela’s dirges continue to echo.

Unfortunately, they echo, not as an anachronism which is only relevant as an index of how far Nigeria has progressed over the years (from oppression to freedom, social injustice to social justice, police brutality to police respect for the individual's worth, etc), but as a true expression of the Nigerian reality. As such, his songs continue to strike a profound chord in the minds of their listeners not just because of the splendour of their melody, but also the pertinence of their message.

The problem of the Nigerian democracy is that it was hijacked by an evil oligarchy.

It is this evil oligarchy, unsurpassed its catalogue of lawlessness, contempt for the Nigerian masses, irresponsible and antipeople policies, misappropriation of public funds and extravagant lifestyle, that has made life for the average Nigerian unsurpassed in its poverty, frustration and misery. *Mr. Ezukanma, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Lagos.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013— 19

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S a republican in a Republic of Nigeria I have not harboured kind thoughts on the value of the institutions of traditional rulership. I saw their survival in an empire as a function of the strategies of pacification and policing of populations ultimately ruled by imperial force. After I read AWUJALE- The autobiography of Alaiyeluwa Oba S.K Adetona, Ogbagba II, I began to appreciate not only the importance of their reading of the history of European empire making in their domains but even more so how their precolonial subjects have sustained their political relevance through the colonial period and continue to do so even so in these tumultuous post-colonial transitions. How do we explain the explosion in the growth of monarchical ‘traditions’ and traits in our Republic if we do not reckon with “the subjects” demand for “our own kings”? How do we explain the popularity of tradition titles conferred by “our rulerfather” on their successful and influential sons and daughters?

All these thoughts have been recently articulated by a seemingly little matter of a king’s choice of his queen. ThisDay of

February 17, 2013 carried the story of Victor Efeizomor titled: “Igbodo Community Battles Monarch over Alien wife…". "In Delta State town of Igbodo, the battle line has been drawn between its youthful monarch, Obi Ikechukwu Nkeobikwu Osadume and the rest of the community for his refusal to marry a native.

"This community of Igbodo who, typically Nigerian have not risen with one voice to protect their votes, have in this case done so with vehement viogour to defend the integrity of their tradition as defined by the rules that both the ruled and the rulers have made for the legitimation of the Igbodo Kinship. Victor reports: “Mrs Elizabeth Nwaeze 79… Top on her agenda that day was to attend the emergency meeting at the village square summoned that morning by the traditional prime minster (the Iyase) of Igbodo community. As she approached the venue of the meeting she mumbled to herself: 'We must not allow this to happen! Our ancestors will not take it kindly with us, not in my time'. The previous night, the towncrier had sounded the gong that summoned an emergency general meeting of the village heads,

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market women, the youths as well as members of Igbodo royal family to discuss a 'nauseating' issue they considered an 'abominable and sacrilegious act of our king'. Trouble started when the Obi of Igbodo Kingdom in Ika North East Local Government Area of Delta State, married an Ebonyi-born woman, a development that earned the youthful king (28) the wrath of palace chiefs and a good number of people in the community mostly women. Their grouse? They cannot afford to have a non-Igbodo native as their queen. According to the customs of the Igbodo Kingdom, the first legitimate wife of the monarch must be a native of (the) kingdom to pave the way for the heir to the throne, who must be a native of Igbodo by birth”.

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n this event it has become obvious that Igbodo can be mobilized to see, speak and act as one to defend the integrity of the Igbodo community; it has shown that the Igbodo society is held together by the Igbodo community whose displeasure can remove monarchs from the throne and whose pleasure can assure the Igbodo society of peace and safety. All governments, local, state and

Light in the Power tunnel

BY ABDULLAHI GARBA

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HE Goodluck Jonathan administration has just gained significant confidence of the power sector investment community with the signing of a range of industry and transaction agreements that pave way for successful generation and distribution companies to take control of the new corporate entities unbundled from the PHCN. With this development, in the next 15 days, the 15 bidders that have emerged are expected to make a 25 per cent down payment of the share purchase price and in 90 days to pay the outstanding 75 per cent to complete the transaction in keeping with the terms of the sale and purchase agreements or shareholders’ agreements they signed in Abuja recently.

The process that formally commenced in 1999 with the inauguration of the Electric Power Implementation Committee and development of the National Electric Power Policy two years later had been literally crawling along until President Jonathan gave it a much welcome jolt of commitment and action that brought it to virtual fruition in barely two years. No wonder the atmosphere at the agreement signing event was alive with investor glee amid strong optimism about the timely completion of all the pending processes simultaneous with other aspects of the administration’s acclaimed power

reform agenda, especially attainment of stability and sufficiency in power supply, which are also progressing according to plan.

Highlights of significant achievements recorded in implementing the reforms are hinged on the enactment of the Electricity Power Sector Reform Act of 2005, establishment of the PHCN and identification of 18 successor companies in generation, transmission and distribution categories as well as three agencies relevant to the provisions of the Power Policy and the Power Act, viz--the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, the Nigerian Electricity Liability Management Company, NELMCO and the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trader Plc. It is noteworthy that the transaction and industry documents were developed during interaction with relevant investors and other stakeholders organised to carry them along in defining the transaction structure and process against the background of absence of relevant industry agreements in the nation’s power sector which had been identified as contributory factors to the nagging problems of underperformance and other lapses linked to the hitherto unimpressive record of PHCN successor companies.

The drafting and signing of agreements are regarded as necessary safeguards, especially when the private sector is being

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Mining the cultural wealth in our traditional rulers

Oba Adetona knew from the first day in His Government that there is art of rulership, he must retain the initiative in every power play

federal, have understated the value of 'traditional communities', a mistake which the Igbodo Monarch perhaps now regrets. The Igodo marriage crisis shows that there is 'an art of rulership' and ‘there is art in rulership’. To this latter point an older monarch in the same cultural geography as the Igbodo ruler has the following to say.

"According to him: 'Civilization landed us in this messy situation.

Since we started crowning young men, in their 20’s as kings, we have been experiencing one sort of sacrilegious conduct to the other.

Today, you hear that one of us committed adultery with another person’s wife; tomorrow they pass corruptible judgement on matters of public interest. Usurpation of power, wrongful installation and what have you, are not new things but the way and manner they are being handled these days, and how tradition and custom are being flagrantly abused and flouted call for concern. Imagine what is happening in Igbodo, he continued, where a boy of 28 years is trying to turn back the hand of time. To me, ignorance is the cause.

I am sure he did not know what he became king for. Neither was he properly briefed on what he wanted to become. He didn’t believe in the king he became. He didn’t receive, sing and act it in his heart. How will he understand? My brother, traditional stool has been distorted and is gradually becoming messy in our state (Delta)”.

The import of the above remarks by an older king is his assumption that the Igbodo monarch is ignorant of the importance of the art in rulership. Oba Adetona was only 26 when he became king and instinctively knew that if he did not come into office with appreciation of the diplomacy for managing the ambitions of his palace chiefs, he would be reduced to a nominal ruler. He thus relates his first meeting with his chiefs: “The first meeting was called at the instance of the Chiefs and I obliged them. On the appointed

The enormity of decay of infrastructure that the Jonathan administration has decided to address does not lend itself to a hurried approach which impatient critics demand

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involved in handling the country’s power sector which is of critical strategic impact on the development and progress prospects and aspirations, requiring welldefined relationships, agreed performance targets and other terms and conditions relevant to the smooth execution of the agreements. The process involved several weeks of consultations and interactions being a first-ever feature in the nation’s power sector.

T

he industry agreements now cover gas sale and aggregation, gas transportation, bulk power purchase for thermal and hydro, vesting, transmission use of system, grid connection and ancillary services, while transaction agreements include share sale, shareholder agreement, performance and concession.

The attainment of these world-standard documentation, structure and process as

day, I waited for them in the Aafin.

Being a stickler for punctuality, I was not too pleased that they arrived late. Not only were they late, they sauntered in, coming in ones and twos. When they had finally assembled for the meeting, I greeted them respectfully.

Thereupon they asked me to excuse them so that they could hold a preliminary meeting. They indicated that my meeting with them would be held after they had concluded their preliminary meeting. I obliged them. When they were through with their preliminary meeting, they invited me in for our scheduled meeting.

As soon as I took my seat, I told them that I could no longer hold a meeting with them on that day. I further told them that when next a meeting was called, they were welcome to hold their preliminary meetings before coming to the Aafin and not at our scheduled time. In addition, I warned them not to be late again for our subsequent meetings. Our scheduled meeting was not held. I dismissed them. They were shocked. The Chiefs were enraged at my decison and they left en masse for Chief Odutola’s house where another meeting was held.

They probably decided to deal with me so as to prevent this young Oba from growing wings”.

Oba Adetona knew from the first day in His Government that there was art in rulership and he must retain the initiative in every power play. He understood what a king was. He knew an equally important truth, namely that there is art of rulership and he must learn to rule in the very process of ruling.

“Many days following the coronation, there was a throng of dignitaries, visitors and wellwishers coming to the Aafin to congratulate me. Sooner or later, I knew that work outside the exchange of courtesies would commence in earnest and I realized that I had no training on how to be an Oba".

a precursor of the much-anticipated power sector reform and privatization will go down in history as among most significant outcomes of the Jonathan administration’s bold interventions that broke the jinx seen to be impeding progress in the power sector for several years despite disheartening consequences on investor confidence and delivery of democracy’s dividends to the Nigerian people. It is also a good omen pertaining to the prospects for smooth and successful implementation of other important components of the power sector reform agenda.

Observers recall the repeated assurances by President Jonathan that by the time he is through with implementing his acclaimed Transformation Agenda, there will be more commendations than condemnations of his administration across the land and point out that the record of performance in the power sector is indicative of the justification and accuracy of this presidential prophecy.

It also draws necessary attention to the often forgotten fact that the enormity of decay of infrastructure that the Jonathan administration has decided to address does not lend itself to a hurried approach which impatient critics demand either out of ignorance of the reality on ground or political mischief or both. If only the administration would be free of these and numerous other unwarranted distractions, we could have helped ourselves and our nation tremendously, but even with these nuisances, the administration’s achievements are remarkable.

*Mr. Garba, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Kaduna.

20—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013

SMC hosts Oduwole

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HE School of Media and Communication, PanAfrican University, will tomorrow, host, Zuriel Elis Oduwole, to kick start a project that will galvanise African youths to “dream up, speak up and stand up” for Africa’s emerging renaissance.

Zuriel is a precocious child of Nigerian-Scottish parents who at 10, showed amazing media and communication talent, especially in in-depth interviewing, Head, Communication and Media Enterprise Department, of SMC, Dr. Isah Momoh, said in a statement.

Momoh said: "This talent has resulted in her interviewing world leading personalities, including past and current presidents, especially in Africa where she has interviewed among others, presidents of Mauritius, Cote d’Ivoire, two past presidents of Ghana, Jerry Rawlings and John Kufuor.

"The prodigy also last November interviewed the Williams sisters, the legendary tennis superstars after their World Tennis Association, WTA, tournament in Turkey from where they came to Lagos.

Here, she competed for questions with seasoned reporters from CNN and got complimented for her penetrating questions by

CNBC, Super Sports, Reuters, The Guardian Newspaper, UK, and a host of Nigerian media and personalities at the Lagos Tennis Club. Her interviews have been shown on some African TV stations as well as TV stations in Europe and the USA." She will be accompanied on her second visit to Nigeria by her parents to showcase her talent and to continue to work on her African Leadership Interview Series project, which would provide materials for her up-coming documentary by which she hopes to ginger young Africans, particularly the girl-child, to “Dream up, Speak Up and Stand Up.” Zuriel will speak to an audience of post-graduate students of the Pan-African University School of Media and Communication, and some secondary school students in Lagos.

The School of Media and Communication is partnering with Galatian Media, the PR firm packaging Zuriel, to promote the emergence of globalised African youths who will be in the vanguard of the emerging Africa that will be strategically competitive in the emerging digital media and creative industries-led world economy.

Igwe Ukuta (in traditional regalia) flanked by the Executive Chairman of the local government, Cornelus Onwubuya, top PDP leader in the area and former Commissioner in old Anambra State, Chief Maximus Ukuta (in white Agbada), elders and leaders of Iggah community during the presentation of the new traditional ruler, Igwe Herbert Ukuta, Agbarakata 111, to the local government authorities at the headquarters, Umulokpa.

ITF plans 36 industrial training centres

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BY PETER DURU

HE Industrial Training Fund, ITF, has said that it would soon establish 37 industrial skills training centres in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.

Director General of the ITF, Professor Longmas Wapmuk made this known in Makurdi, Benue State, yesterday.

Wapmuk who spoke at a workshop organized by the fund in conjunction with the Benue State government for protocol and administrative staff of the Benue Government House said: “that the idea of establishing the centres is to promote and en-

courage the acquisition of skills in industry and commerce with the intention of generating a pool of indigenously trained manpower that would be sufficient to meet the needs of the Nigerian economy. ”The establishment of these centres would also align with global training trends in order to enhance the needed skills that would boost micro, small and medium scale enterprises.”

On the benefit of the workshop to the participants, the director general said that it would help the workers boost their capacity to provide protocol services to their principals.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013 — 21

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ASSENGERS of the La gos-Kano intercity train service have lamented the constant delays and stoppages encountered during the course of journey, arising from technical hitches and faulty systems in the refurbished trains being used by Nigeria railways. This is contrary to claims by authorities of the NRC that it is undertaking a transformation of the nation’s rail line sytem.

The Lagos to Kano trip which is supposed to take thirty hours, culminated at thirtynine hours as a result as the rail engine constantly broking down on the way and passengers have had to remain on board while it is changed. Passengers who have traveled on the rail recently decried the persistent technical challenges and said the hiccups have become a regular occurrence.

“This is what we have been seeing in train journeys. Last two weeks, a train derailed at Mokwa causing us to sleep at Jebba because we couldn’t pass while the derailed train was blocking the tracks.” Kolawale, a manufacturer who was traveling to Niger state, lamented when the train broke down at Agege, barely an hour after it departed Lagos.

Some first-time passengers also expressed disappointment with the situation and blamed the railway authority for poor maintenance. “This is my first and I blame myself for entering. Look at this railway people, they load people in thirteen coaches and then do not care about whether they are capable of getting them safely to their destinations.

They didn’t conduct any checks on their engines, no checks at all and here we are.”

Yau who was headed to Kano

FIRS vs. 44 firms: TTribunal ribunal fixes April 10 to hear motion on jurisdiction

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From right Regional Business Executive, Sterling Bank Plc, South South 2, Mr. Emmanuel Ekpenisi; Group Head, Liability Product, Mr John Akingbade; Chief Finance Officer, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman and Grand Prize Winner, Sterling Bank Savers’ Promo, Homa Amadi-NnaP at the presentation of the Grand Prize to the Winner of Sterling Bank Savers Promo, yesterday in Lagos..

Railway: Passengers lament undue delays, technical hitches

By JONAH NWOKPOKU to visit his brother regretted.

The engine broke down at Agege, Ibadan, Offa and Kaduna and in each of these places; more than two hours were spent to fix the problem.

Tijani, a student at Federal University of Technology at Minna blamed the hitches on lack of maintenance and technical know-how on the part of the train’s technical crew.

“There is high level of lack of maintenance. If they can maintain this thing very well, it would solve a huge transportation problem for us but I think the problem is from the

0.05

142.5

2,125.00 +61.00 0

18.76

-0.01

110.07

-1.08

91.23

-0.33

CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL

SELLING

DOLLAR POUNDS EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA RENMINBI RIYA KRONA SDR

155.75 234.4816 202.7865 164.4841 1.6541 0.3085 234.2334 24.9984 41.5289 27.1972 234.98

154.75 232.9761 201.4845 163.428 1.6435 0.2885 232.7295 24.837 41.2623 27.0225 233.4713

155.25 233.7289 202.1355 163.9561 1.6488 0.2985 233.4814 24.9177 41.3956 27.1099 234.2257

CBN Exchange rate as at 11/03/2013

management and lack of technically qualified personnel. This one is not the Federal Government’s fault. All the delays and challenges we encountered are simply as a result of lack of technical knowhow. They have no adequate knowledge about how this works. They need to upgrade their knowledge about it.

How can a train leave Lagos by 12:00 pm yesterday and after twenty six hours, it is just getting to Minna.” He said.

Tijani who main-

tained that he was having his last experience on the train suggested that the only solution is for NRC to retrain their technical staff.

“This is my first time and I cannot come back again. I am highly disappointed. The best thing is for NRC to organize a seminar to upgrade the technical know-how of the technical crew, anything apart from that I don’t know how this thing will be sustained. This one is not the problem of federal government.” He added.

However, one of the members of the technical crew who preferred anonymity said the

locomotive engines have become old and they expect to do better when new engines arrive. “These engines have tried. We are expecting new engines and when we get them, we shall have a better service.” He said.

The Nigeria Railway st Corporation on the 21 o f December, last year resumed intercity train service following government’s effort to rehabilitate the railway and reduce mass transportation difficulties but poor service delivery coupled with inadequate rolling stocks have been a huge challenge to this effort.

AX Appeal Tribunal has fixed today ,April 10 to hear Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS)’s motion challenging its jurisdiction to entertain request to refund N1.15 billion to 44 firms. NICON Insurance Plc and 43 others sued FIRS for non-refund of N1.15 billion over paid stamp duties between 2002 and 2006.

The appellants include Continental Re-Insurance, Industrial and General Insurance, Royal Exchange Assurance Nig., International Energy Insurance, LASACO Assurance, ADIC Insurance Ltd., and Standard Alliance Assurance Company Ltd. Counsel to the respondent, Mr Bright Igbinosa, had on Feb. 10, filed a Notice of Preliminary Objection to the jurisdiction of the tribunal to entertain the case.

FIRS prayed the tribunal to hear and determine the preliminary objection which strongly contested the jurisdiction of the tribunal.

The appellant’s counsel, Prof.

Taiwo Osipitan (SAN), also filed a counter motion, urging the tribunal to dismiss the application of the respondent for lack of merit. At last week sitting in Abuja, the acting Chairman of the tribunal, Mr Nnamdi Ibegbu (SAN) said, “the case is accordingly adjourned to April 10 for hearing argument on jurisdiction.” “Despite the fact that this matter is now part heard; the issue of jurisdiction can be raised at any stage of the proceedings of a matter, even at the Supreme Court.

Professor Muhammad Yunus to give speech in the African Development Bank’s Eminent Speakers Series

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OBEL Prize-winner, Professor Muham mad Yunus, will give a speech in the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) Eminent Speakers Series on March 12, 2013 in Tunis.

The topic of Prof. Yunus’ speech, the 19th in the series which began in 2005, will be “Building Social Business in Africa: the new kind of capitalism that serves society’s most pressing needs.” The speech will be delivered before a distinguished audience of diplomats, representatives of government and civil society, and AfDB staff.

A Bangladeshi national, Prof. Yunus won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 together with Grameen Bank, the microfinance lending institution that he founded in 1976 and which became an independent bank in 1983. The Nobel Committee said it awarded the joint prize to Prof. Yunus and the Grameen Bank

“for their efforts to create economic and social development from below.” The professor had been championing the cause for micro-credit since 1975, arguing that poverty was an artificial creation that can be wholly eliminated through human endeavour.

In its commendation, the Nobel Committee added that: “Lasting peace cannot be achieved unless large population groups find ways in which to break out of poverty. Micro-credit is one such means. Development from below also serves to advance democracy and social rights.” Prof. Yunus chairs the Yunus Centre, a resource centre for all Grameen Social Business-related activities in Bangladesh and around the world.

The Centre describes social business as companies “created for social benefit rather than private profit.

22— Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013

Buy shares with safe money (single digit) interest rate, and with very convenient repayment terms. The repayments of such loans are deducted from salary or a regular recognised source of income, and are spread over 12 to 24 months period. Also such organisations ensure that what you borrow is not too much such that the repayment leaves you with nothing for regular living expenses. This kind of money is also like savings, but savings in advance. In other words, instead of waiting for 24 months to save N200, 000, you borrow it from the cooperative, say at 9%, and repay over 24 months.

Now whether it is savings, or money borrowed from cooperative and similar organisations, the essential principle is that the money is yours, you don’t need it for a long time, and or you are not under pressure to repay immediately or the repayment is very flexible and generous.

Consequently, you can invest such money and not bother much as to whether the stock market is going up or down today or tomorrow. You have invested safe money for the long term, and you know in the long term, the price of the shares will rise, and you will also earn dividend. So, you are not under pressure or apprehensive of what the market is doing today.

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

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HE second principle of profitable investment in shares has to do with the kind of money used for the investment. Last week, we said that the first principle is to invest long term. Now, if you are going to investment long term, you need to use long term money, or safe money, that is money that is yours and which you don’t have need of for a long time.

There are basically two categories of such money.

The first is savings. It may be money that you have saved or saving for the future, say when you retire, or towards children education or a future project. For example, you may decide to be saving N5000 every month for the future, which comes to N60, 000 in a year. You may invest N40, 000 in shares and the remaining in any other type of investment. Now, as you are investing the N40, 000, you make up your mind to invest it for five to ten years. The most important thing is that, barring any personal crises or emergency, you don’t need this money for a long time.

Hence you are not under pressure to sell the shares you have bought.

Another type of long term money is loans from groups or institutions like cooperatives, which usually come at low

Investors’ Speak

Investors’ rights under CAMA

BY PETER EGWUATU

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IGHT to attend any general meeting of the company; Every shareholder of a company has the right to attend any general meeting declared by the company, according to CAMA. It does not matter the number of unit of shares the person has in the company. A shareholder has the right to query a company for not receiving notice to attend any general meeting.

Right to speak in person or proxy on any resolution proposed at Annual General Meeting (AGM): A shareholder or his/her representative has the right to speak at any general meeting if recognised by the chairman of the meeting. If a shareholder is indisposed to attend any general meeting, he or she can delegate someone else to attend the meeting.

Right to inspect the register of members and right to share

certificate; Shareholders have right to look at the register of members in a company, as well as demand for share certificate when a new share is bought. Though, SEC has been canvassing for the eradication of physical share certificate and is making frantic effort by educating the investing public on the need to embrace electronic recording of shareholding.

Right to transfer shares and right to request for extra-ordinary general meeting: Shareholders have the right to transfer their shares to another person provided appropriate information about the person is provided. In this case, the registrar of the company need to be notified and document filled and signed.

Furthermore, shareholders have the right to call for extra ordinary general meeting if the need arises.

Once a two-third of shareholders members present in a meeting move for extra ordinary general meeting to trash an issue, the board has no choice than to oblige.

Market meltdown hampers investors, registrars’ rapport

BY WILLIAM JIMOH

A

nonymous Registrar: The relationship between shareholders and registrars is a smooth one because they are partners in business and the contribution of the duo means so much to both the company and its shareholders. The meltdown of the Nigerian capital market some years back has to a great extent affected this relationship because now, the number of shareholders patronizing registrars has reduced due to low interest and lack of confidence in both the system and its operations.

Currently, many companies are not declaring dividend, because of this, a lot of investors have even forgotten about their investments. Since they are getting no reward for it, they felt

there is no need giving their time and resources to something which can not give them value for all their efforts and resources.

Jessica Edobor, a shareholder: I use to be a shareholder but I have sold the shares because I was not getting anything from them. The relationship was satisfying then, but I cannot say precisely what it looks like now.

Mutairu Ayinde, a civil servant: The only time I can remember going to a registrar was when I wanted to buy my shares, I have Zenith Bank shares, and since I always get my dividend warrant, I did not border myself about going to see my registrar until recently when I read in the newspaper that it is easier to get my dividend through electronic means.

Another reason for not going is that I did not expect anything better than what I am getting now; the shares have dropped much in value than when I bought them.

For more information, and enquiries about this subject, send email to vanguardinvestorsforum@gmail.com.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013 — 23

Who regulates registrars?

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• Arunma Oteh, SEC DG These are some of the numerous complaints about Registrars in Nigeria, and yet they carry on as if all is well with nobody actually questioning their activities.

Not once has it been heard that the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, which regulates the capital

market, suspended or sanctioned any of them for all these atrocities against innocent shareholders.

Sometimes, you to wonder if they are even regulated at all.

It is time SEC sits up and exercises its supervisory function over the activities of Registrars.

Stocks In The News

Nestle Nig. Plc

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM

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estle Nigeria Plc is one of the investor friendly companies listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Over the years, Nestle has delighted its shareholders with consistent dividend payment.

This has unquestionably occasioned unprecedented rise in the stock price.

The stock price has risen by 138.25 percent in less than three months. Opening the year at N400.00, the stock

F

irst Bank of Nigeria Plc is one old generation bank that has stood the test of time. It survived the wind that recently blew in the banking industry that exposed the rot in the system.

In the month of February, the Bankers Magazine published

by Financial Times of London named First Bank the number one banking brand in Nigeria.

The ranking is its second in two consecutive years. First Bank beat two other competing Nigerian banking brands with a brand value of USD201million.

On the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, First bank has enjoyed an equally

First Registrars, where are my Agip shares

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BY NKIRUKA NNOROM bought shares in A B C Company’s IPO in 2009 and up till now, I have not received my share certificate f r o m X Y Z R e g i s t r a r. M N Company declared dividend in 2010, two years after, I am yet to get my dividend warrant, and I don’t understand what is happening. I tried to find out from the Registrar and they said it was the problem of mail service; perhaps it got lost on transit.

I sent my share certificate through my stockbroker to B Registrar for verification, several months after, nothing has been done about it.

Registrars connive with companies to with-hold share certificates of minority investors to allow big time investors reap from price appreciation before the certificate are eventually sent out to others. The Registrars cover up for companies that declare dividends not backed by cash because they dont want to lose such customer.

COMPLAINTS & INVESTIGATIONS

price rose steadily to close at N836.00 at the close of transactions on Friday, 8th March, 2013.

The company recently announced dividend payment of N18.50, after paying an interim dividend of N1.50 in December 2012.

It also concluded the construction and commissioning of N5.4 billion ultra-modern facility in Agbara Ogun State.

According to analysts, the new distribution centre is very vital to Nestle’s

Investors Forum Thanks Kehinde for trusting us. The following is the response of First Registrars.

Dear Sir, We acknowledge the receipt of your mail and we have commenced our investigation on it immediately.

Meanwhile it will be appreciated if you could do a formal letter with your signature properly signed and scan it to me together with the letter with you. Be rest assured that the issue will be resolved amicably. Thank you

EDC Registrars replies Abraham over ETI Share certificate growth in Nigeria and in West Africa.

The latest financial statement for year ended 30 th December, 2012 showed that the revenue grew by 19 percent to N116.71 billion from N97.96 billion in 2011. Profit after tax grew to N21.14 billion from N16.49 billion, while total assets rose by 14 percent to n88.96 billion, as against N77.77 billion in 2011.

First Bank Plc

rewarding relationship with shareholders, pointing to the confidence reposed on the bank.

It is one out of about seven Nigerian banks that

shall be very grateful if I can be helped out of my present predicament.

In 2003, I purchased 500 units of Agip shares (which later changed to 250 Oando) through City Code Trust, Abuja. The certificate was said to have been sent to me but I did not get it. I was later asked to fill an Indemnity Form which I did and also swore to an affidavit.

I then went to First Registrars which wrote a letter to my Banker, Access Bank, to confirm that I’m their customer. In Access Bank’s reply dated July 29, 2009, the bank confirmed that I am their customer with all my particulars on the letter.

However, in the said letter, a clause was inserted and I quote, “Please note that the above information is given in strict confidence and without liability on the part of the bank or any of its officers”. (Emphasis mine).

The Letter was signed by Muyiwa Oke (Compliance & Internal Control) and Joseph O. Egwuatu (Head, Office & Domestic Subsidiaries Control). Up till now, I still run my account with Access Bank. With the above stated clause, First Registrars refused to release all my entitlements to me even after showing me on their system that my dividend and bonus shares are intact. As a result of that, I have received nothing from First Registrars from 2003 till date for my Agip (which later changed to Oando). You are my last hope of retrieving what rightly belong to me. If need be, I can scan the letter and send for verification. Please help me. (Kehinde Bodunde)

their share price is still within the two digit region. Beginning the year at N8.75, the price rose to N20.00 at the close of trading on 8 th March, 2013. This indicated 133.4 percent growth.

First Bank Plc (FBN) reported 19 percent year-on-year, YoY, growth in turnover to N267.7billion for the nine months to September 2012. Also, Profit before tax and profit after tax each rose 48 percent YoY to N75.7 billion and N66.3 billion respectively within the same period.

G

ood day sir, I purchased ETI public offer in 2008 but have sent my certificate for verification through my stockbroker at Cashcraft since August 2011 and no reply has been given to me since then. Whenever I go to my stockbroker, he kept on telling me that he doesn’t know why it has not been verified. (Abraham Fidelis) Investors Forum Good day Abraham, we visited the registrars of ETI-EDC Registrar, and below is their response: We have been finding it difficult to access internet services, because our internet connection has been down, that is why we were unable to respond to the mail you sent earlier on the subject. On the ETI share certificate verification, there is no COMPLAINTS indication that the share AND certificate in question was INVESTIGATIONS ever brought to us by Do you have any Cashcraft for verification. challenge with your There could be some other investment in the issues; perhaps, there was stock market or with signature irregularity or it any company could be that the certificate (stockbroker, was never brought here at Registrar Company all. We will advise the client etc), write to to go back to Cashcraft vanguardinvestorsforum Securities and request to see @gmail.com a signed CDF form by EDC Registrar if the stockbroker OR send text to is claiming to have brought 08157550673. We it here for verification. will INVESTIGATE

AND REPLY

24— Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12 , 2013

Power: FG seeks alternative funding for meters

BY NOEL ONOJA

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he Federal Government has decided to look for alternative means to fund the metering gap currently being experienced by electricity consumers in the country.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) was recently go ahead with the implementation of the alternative scheme which the Chairman/CEO, Mr Sam Amadi, recommended at a meeting with the Presidential Action Committee on Power (PACP) last week.

The alternative funding scheme is expected to see rapid deployment of electricity meters across the country, as the PACP has agreed with the recommendations made by NERC, and has asked for the immediate implementation of the scheme known as, “Credit Advance Payment for Meter Installation - CAPMI”.

The scheme is designed as an alternative for customers who are willing to advance money to their distribution companies for speedy installation of prepayment meters.

Once meters have been installed under this new scheme, customers are then refunded for the cost of the meter by way of monthly reductions on the fixed charge

element of their electricity bills over time. NERC has developed processes that ensure that the advance payments will be secure, and made in a transparent manner to dedicated bank accounts in selected banks.

One of the top priorities of the Commission is to ensure that the huge number of unmetered customers is reduced

as rapidly as possible, and within the shortest possible time. By doing so, the menace of “crazy billing” and other commercial losses will be greatly curtailed.

In June 2012, NERC announced that customers were no longer required to pay for electricity meters because the new tariff, at the time, had incorporated the cost of the

meter in the fixed charge component of the bill.

Unfortunately, this did not work out as the Commission had expected, and nine months after the announcement, an unacceptable number of Nigerians still remained without meters. This prompted NERC to act quickly in coming up with customer centered alternatives.

The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo; the Managing Director of Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Company, Dr. Sam Agbogun; and the Acting Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, Mr. Benjamin Dikki, at the pre-bid conference for investors interested in the privatisation of Afam Power Plc and Kaduna distribution companies in Abuja last week.

Govt to restore communities affected by spills

BY MICHAEL EBOH

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he Federal Government has announced plans to undertake the restoration of vandalized pipeline sites at Arepo, Ogun State, Diamond Estate, Lagos and other communities where oil spills were recorded either due to activities of vandals or oil exploration.

Speaking during an inspection of vandalized pipeline sites at Arepo and Diamond Estate, Lagos, Mrs. Joy Nunieh-Okunnu, National Coordinator, Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project, HYPREP, said a proper environmental impact assessment, EIA, will be carried out on the affected sites to determine the level of pollution.

Nunieh-Okunnu, who was received at Arepo by officials of the Nigerian Union of Jour-

nalists, Lagos Chapter, led by its President, Mr. Deji Elumoye, and Chairman of the Community Development Association, CDA, at the site, Mr. Gbayode Somuyiwa, said HYPREP will ensure that it restored the affected communities to their former state, making them habitable for human and other living things.

She also stated that the decision to conduct an EIA at Arepo, Diamond Estate and other affected areas is in response to the directives of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, who insisted that both sites should be given urgent attention.

Nunieh-Okunnu said the visit followed a series of petitions by the affected communities to their various state governments and other government agencies.

She said, “We intend to undertake an assessment of the environments at Arepo, Diamond Estate and other sites to determine the level of pollution and environmental degradation. Once it is ascertained that the vandalisation and oil exploration activities have led to the pollution of the environment, we will immediately begin the process of restoration of the communities.

“It is important to note that our duty is to restore the affected communities to a habitable state and not compensation of the communities.”

She solicited the support of the communities, warning that the government will not intervene in any community where the people continually vandalise petroleum products pipeline.

She disclosed that HYPREP is serving as a mediator be-

tween the communities and the government, adding that it is determined to leave a legacy for generations yet unborn.

Also speaking, Mr. Kolapo Abiodun, President, Diamond Estate Residents Association, called for urgent intervention of the government in saving the community from the dangers posed by oil pollution.

According to him, accessing potable water is becoming a serious challenge in the estate, as their various sources of water have been polluted by petroleum products.

“All our wells have been contaminated, they are filled with oil, even some of our boreholes have been contaminated too, making it difficult for us to access potable water,” he stated.

NLNG named NOG company of the year N

igeria LNG Limited, NLNG, has been named the NOG Company of the Year at the just concluded Nigeria Oil and Gas International Conference/Exhibition (NOG), which was announced by the CWC at a dinner marking the end of the event in Abuja.

According to CWC, organizers of the conference, NLNG emerged the Company of the Year, “For ensuring that Nigeria has significant presence in the export market since 1999 with over $10 billion.

NLNG has tripled its capacity: supplying about 22 million tonnes per annum to global markets. The first LNG export project in Nigeria, NLNG successfully aligned the NOC and IOC parties and has continued to modernize the commercial practices to add value and to ensure future progression.”

Responding, the Managing Director, NLNG, Mr. Babs Omotowa, said, “I am delighted by this significant achievement for NLNG, being an award which underlies our mission as a global company in the country helping to build a better Nigeria.”

Although the Group Managing Director (GMD), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Andrew Yakubu, opened this year ’s Conference, the NLNG stand was amongst those visited by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani AlisonMadueke, and the NNPC boss. They were received

by NLNG’s Ag. General Manager, External Relations, Dr. Kudo EresiaEke, who intimated them about the company’s successes and preparedness for growth. Both Mrs. Allison-Madueke and Yakubu acknowledged NLNG’s laudable contributions.

NLNG is a Nigerian Joint Venture company whose shareholders are the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (49%), Shell Gas B.V. (25.6%), Total LNG Nigeria Limited (15%) and ENI International (N.A.) S.a.r.l (10.4%).

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013 — 25

26—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013

Oil & People

PIB Host Community Fund: An Easy Call O

VER the past decades, Nigeria’s petroleum industry has been hurtling toward a crisis. There is forlorn of investments and hence scanty economic and social development in the country, the primary reason is the nonpassage of the PIB. While calls by some questioning Section 118 of the PIB are necessary and crucial, but decisions of this multitude should not be personalized and used as a tool for political brinkmanship.

Section 118 proposes the establishment of the Petroleum Host Community Fund – requiring a detailed and transparent financial distribution system to ensure that host communities benefit directly from petroleum activities. It provides for direct financial transfer of 10% net profit – ad-

justed profit less Nigeria Hydrocarbon Tax (NHT) and Company Income Tax (CIT), derived from upstream petroleum operations in onshore areas and shallow waters areas to the communities and littoral states. Contributions made to the fund will be available as a credit against fiscal rent obligations being royalty, NHT and CIT although no order of offset is provided for.

This is not the time to relive the suffering of these communities but what should be done to help them recover from long sufferings. As rightly observed by Senator Ahmed Lawan, in a statement credited to the highly respected elder statesman, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, accountability of monetary allocations made to this region should be a reminder to all of us that legis-

lative oversight should be put in place to correct these anomalies.

The social and economic development of these communities is very much an economic issue to the nation, as are the legislative mechanisms to improve same.

The issue of sustainable development of these areas is a Human Rights issue; hence the allocation of the 10% is a corporate responsibility issue and not that of derivation. The principle of corporate responsibility for human rights is now a crucial part of international law. The preeminent solution to corporate responsibility is government regulation – binding effect.Government has often encouraged corporate so-

•FELIX AYANRUOH felix.ayanruohlaw@gmail.com

cial responsibility in order to manage an array of governance issues.

However, many governments have chosen to draw corporations into governance issues without actually mandating behavior. The government can also as in this case, provide a policy and institutional framework that stimulates companies to raise their performance beyond minimum legal standard. Government can also use its insignia to exhort and encourage corporate responsibility.

The scope and breadth of human rights is wide and encom-

Tackling the menace of pipeline vandalism

BY CLARA NWACHUKWU

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or years, the oil and gas industry has continued to suffer from pipelines vandalism both in the upstream and downstream operations.

It is estimated that Nigeria loses about $6bilolion yearly from crude oil theft, while losing N165billion to products theft in three years – 2009 to 2012, even as the sub-sector has witnessed relative stability in fuel supply and distribution nationwide in the recent time.

The increase in pipeline vandalism has become a daunting challenge for any administration. This, notwithstanding, the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mr. Andrew Yakubu, is resolute in his drive to sanitize the downstream sub-sector of the industry.

Outlining objectives Right from his inaugural address to staff and NNPC management in July 2012, Yakubu made it clear that the rehabilitation of decaying downstream infrastructure, which include pipelines, PPMC inland depots and jetties will be central to his objectives as the GMD. It is worthy to observe that while the 21 PPMC In-land depots across the country have remained largely under-utilized due to their near moribund state.

As a result, the operations of the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, have been seriously encum-

bered by the activities of pipeline marauders, thus making the task of conveying refined petroleum products across the over 5,000km of vast network of pipelines a living nightmare.

Pipeline breaks To underscore the ravaging menace, Yakubu revealed that pipelines traversing from Atlas Cove, Lagos to Ilorin, Kwara state popularly called System 2B, experienced about 774 break points within three months from August to October 2012, broken down as follows: ·Atlas Cove and Mosimi depot, Ogun state - 181 break points ·Mosimi to Ibadan, Oyo state - 421 points ·Mosimi to Ore, Ondo state - 50 vandalized points ·Ibadan and Ilorin - 122 break points “PIB or no PIB, privatization or no privatization, no industry can survive under this kind of arrangement,” he lamented.

During his visit to Arepo for an on-the-spot assessment of the ruptured System 2B Pipeline on January 14, the NNPC boss unfolded short and long term measures to protect the pipeline.

These included, the immediate mobilization of engineers to site to clamp and fix the ruptured points to restore pumping of petroleum products to avert scarcity; and clearing of the pipeline Right of Way to make the area more accessible and less attractive to vandals.

He also spoke about the provision of platforms for security men to effectively monitor

movements in and around the area, and the deployment of a technology to make the pipeline inaccessible to oil thieves and vandals.

The promise became a reality on February 26, when he again returned to Arepo visited to inspect the ongoing clearance of the System 2B right of way by engineers from the Nigerian Army Engineering Corps.

There, he also announced the deployment of a state-of-the art Horizontal Direct Drilling System, HDD, designed to re-direct the pipelines and ensure restricted access by vandals and hackers.

The engineering firm handling the project ENIKKOM, said the technology also affords it to monitor the pipeline on a regular basis.

In his remarks, the Managing Director, PPMC, Prince Haruna Momoh, said with the 258 tanks in the 21 depots with combined capacity of 2.6 billion litres of petroleum products, the NNPC is ready to constantly wet the nation with products.

On behalf of the Nigerian Army, Brig. Gen. Emeka Okonkwo, promised to re-establish the right of way of the NNPC pipeline from Mosimi to Ibadan within 90 days.

Alternative distribution system The legion of attacks meant that the corporation had to rely more on trucking for the movement of petroleum products from the depots to different parts of the country where they are needed.

The talk of using trucking as

passing. The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights provided for better living conditions for these communities. The PHCF is a social investment that is needed to foster economic development, thriving business venture and lasting benefits to all parties involved.

The National Assembly should heed to the calls of Pa Clark and other stakeholders in the region to hold a hearing on the issue of allocated funds. Additionally, legislative drafting procedure should be used to create a transparent, fair and judicious way of managing the fund.

A an alternative means of moving products, the NNPC noted comes with a massive cost which makes the undertaking not only expensive but far less effective, and with the attendant operational hazards.

Records indicate that with the incessant attacks on the nation’s vast array of pipelines about 70 percent products distribution to the hinterlands is done through trucking, also known as bridging.

This requires massive fleet of up to 1,212 petroleum trucks load out from the depots every day to meet the daily estimated national consumption.

At an average vehicle turnaround of about 8-10 days from the South to the North, a minimum of 10,000 trucks are required to ply the roads daily.

Walking the talk gainst this backdrop, the Yakubu sought the support of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, to take on the gauntlet, and in the nine months of his tenure, the downstream sector has witnessed tremendous activities.

Accordingly, the aggressive facilities rehabilitation programme has witnessed the revamping of the hitherto comatose PPMC Benin Depot, which was re-commissioned; the rehabilitation of the 89.9km Warri-Benin pipeline; re-commissioning of the Aba Depot; and the recovery of the Port Harcourt/Aba pipeline to restore product supply to the depot. Also, the Okrika PPMC Jetty has been rehabilitated and re-commissioned, while rehabilitation and expansion of the Atlas Cove Jetty is still ongoing.

Pledges of support

A

t the re-commissioning of the Benin Depot by the minister, Alison-Madueke noted that the depot had been comatose since 2005. “As an industry, we are extremely satisfied that the transformation agenda of the President in the oil and gas industry is coming to fruition. We are grateful to the Joint Task force for the level of support they have given the petroleum sector especially in the area of pipeline vandalism. It clearly shows how successful we can be as a people if we come together to combat a scourge,” she said.

The Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomole pledged to mobilize resources as well as the people of the state to combat pipeline vandalism which he described as a national menace.

His Abia State counterpart, Dr. Oji Kalu, at the re-commissioning Aba Depot charged the people to be the eyes and ears of government and report every illegal movement around the pipelines to security agents.

He even said he would propose a bill to the State House of Assembly to make pipeline vandalism, oil theft and similar economic crimes capital offences that will attract the death penalty to deter offenders.

Similarly, at commissioning of the minister noted that the economic benefits of the Jetty to Okrika community and the entire nation are immense, as it guarantees the evacuation and distribution of products from the Port Harcourt Refinery to other parts of the country.

The NNPC said the jetty has a number of inbuilt new safety and security features with close circuit television, CCTV for effective surveillance.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013 — 27

28 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013

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dubuisi Njoku, a 45-year old electronics technician at Mende, Maryland, Lagos, was shocked when in November 2012, he was given a bill of N27,000 as his tariff due for electricity consumption for October.

His shock stemmed from the fact that no official of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN Plc came to read the metre in his workshop. He was also surprised because the bill shot up beyond his imagination. Apart from that, power outage has become more regular than supply.

The situation is made worse by the fact that he runs his generator for more than five hours daily at the cost of N15,000 monthly, so as to meet the demands of his customers who constantly harass him whenever the repair of their appliances is delayed.

In a letter to the Business Manager, PHCN office at Ikeja to register his grievance, sent in late November, Njoku stated, “Before October, my monthly bills were not up to N2,500, but recently, by October 2012, to be precise, I was given a bill of N27,000. This, I believe is quite outrageous or better put, a crazy bill.”

He continued, “I hereby enclose photocopies of my past bills, and would even want you to find out how many hours of electricity supplied to me.”

Njoku, who told Vanguard that PHCN acknowledged his letter, said he was told to come back. He did, but was told to drop his phone number. Since then, he has not been contacted.

If Njoku was shocked at the exorbitant PHCN bill, Peter Agbakwuru, a journalist, is sad at the constant outage experienced in his area. A resident of Owolabi Street, behind Chevron Estate, Phase Two, Satellite Town, Lagos, he complained of not having power for some days.

According to him, “For one month, there was no electricity. When we had it last month, it lasted for only 20 minutes.

Moreover, it was even low voltage. It took me three days to iron a shirt. Yet PHCN has increased tariff for power not enjoyed. On what ground should tariff be increased?

PHCN is just ripping off the citizenry. We are paying for what we did not consume.”

Njoku and Ekwujuru are among the residents of Lagos, who complained about the falling power supply in the last five months. Apart from the outage being experienced, they also complained of the exorbitant bills which most times are based on estimates.

Same story everywhere The situation cuts across Lagos. For example, James Akpan, a civil servant also told Vanguard that his area has not been enjoying regular power supply, while the bill had shot up tremendously. “I live at Ijeshatedo, Surulere, Lagos.

Since the ongoing privatization of PHCN, my area has not been having regular electricity supply. The worst of it all is C M Y K

Power supply dims amid high tariff

UNILAG VC calls for diversification of energy source

BY MICHAEL EBOH

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that my bill had gone up tremendously from N2,000 per month to N8,500. It makes no sense. I have even applied for pre-paid metre without success. This is the time for the regulator to look at all these issues and address them,” he said.

Funke Adigun, a restaurateur at Oremeji, Ojodu area said she spends an average of N4,500 weekly to fuel her generators due to the incessant power outage she experiences. “The power situation in my area is appalling. For 30 days now, we have not had 20 minutes of power supply in a day.

I have resorted to using generator, of which I spend N4,500 weekly to fuel,” she said.

For Tunji Adeola, a barber at Onipanu, he had lost some of his customers due to power outage. As a result, he managed to buy a generator. The cost of fuelling it, N5,000 weekly, made him to increase the cost of barbing. “I cut hair at N250 when there is electricity, but with generator, I charge N300. Most of my customers would prefer to wait for PHCN to restore power instead of using generator, thereby leaving few customers to patronize me,” he said.

The story is the same for residents in Idimu, Ogunronbi and Orisunbare areas of Alimosho. In some parts of Festac and Agboju, Vanguard learnt that the constant outage was due to the Amuwo transmission that was gutted by fire in January. Consequently, they receive power from Ojo transmission station.

Situation is better outside Lagos However, outside Lagos, residents in other states said they

have been getting improved power supply. For instance, In Owerri, Imo State, inhabitants have been getting up to 14 hours of power supply. Chidimma Ibegbu, a hair dresser said though she contemplated buying a generator in future as a back-up, electricity in the area had improved.

In Port Harcourt, Rivers State Cheta Nwaiwu, a resident, told Vanguard that since she came to the city in September, 2012, they have been getting at least 13 hours of electricity daily.

In Calabar, Cross River State, Ukutt Inyang, a civil servant said since the beginning of the year, the services of PHCN had improved in many areas of the city.

For Aliyu Garba, a barber on New Extension Road, Kawo, Kaduna, electricity supply has improved in the town. Residents get power supply at night especially from 7.00 pm to 6.00 am. But during the day, there could be outage of two or three hours.

The improvement in electricity supply has also impacted positively on his business be-

,

BY SEBASTINE OBASI AND KUNLE KALEJAYE

Blue line beneficiaries usually get five hours electricity supply during the day and eight hours guaranteed at night, while those on low line get one hour supply during the day and eight hours at night.

,

cause he spends little money on fuel. “I don’t think I burn up to N150 worth of fuel a day.

The electricity situation has greatly improved,” he said.

The story is not different in Ibadan, Abeokuta, Akure and Ilorin, where residents say they experience up to 12 to 15 hours of power supply daily.

Jigawa’s case is different However, in Dutse, Jigawa State, Abubakar Kudu, who lives in Abubakar Rimi Estate, paints a peculiar scenario. In that state capital, there are two kinds of electricity consumers –those on blue line and the others on low line.

The blue line beneficiaries usually get five hours electricity supply during the day and eight hours guaranteed at night, while those on low line get one hour supply during the day and eight hours at night. “There is power as from 8.00pm until 4.00pm when it goes off. That one is guaranteed. But during the day, there is no hope of electricity,” Kudu said.

It’s not so bad In a telephone chat with the Public Affair Manager, Ikeja Distribution Company, Mr. Adeyanju Pekun, insisted that power supply is not as bad as being painted in Lagos.

According to him, “Power supply has increased tremendously. But any area that does not have steady power supply is as a result of local fault that has not been reported, or road construction that has resulted in relocation of electricity poles.

“For instance, Ikorodu is currently undergoing road construction, and this has necessitated PHCN officials to relocate electricity poles from their original positions to new ones.”

or Nigeria to achieve its goal of steady power supply, the country has to pursue the diversification of its power source to include coal, wind, solar and biomass among others, said Professor Rahaman Bello, Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, UNILAG. “In order to enhance energy security and sustainability through the diversification of feedstock for power generation, the use of coal and other renewable energy resources hitherto unused (wind, solar, biomass) have to be fully deployed in partnership with the private sector,” Bello said at the Nigerian Institute of Management, NIM, inaugural ‘Nigeria: Arise and Shine’ annual lecture.

He further stated that Nigeria is far behind its 2013 target of 16,000 Mega Watts of power generation, due to over-reliance on oil, gas and hydro resources for power generation, at the expense of other useful sources such as coal, new and renewable energy sources among others.

Bello also called for the full exploitation of hydroelectric resources in power generation, overhaul and rehabilitation of existing power plants, construction of additional gas supply infrastructure and hastening of the National Integrated Power Projects, NIPP. He said the hydroelectric power, until now, is the second largest source of power in the nation after the gas-fired plants, adding that the completion of ongoing hydroelectric power projects will boost Nigeria’s power generating capacity by 3,300 MW. According to him, the completion of the Zungeru and the Mambilla Hydroelectric power projects, with a capacity of 700MW and 2,600MW respectively, will add a total of 3,300MW to the national grid.

He further stated that priority should be given to the installation of turbines in existing dams to generate electricity, especially as the facilities are near completion.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013 — 29

BY INNOCENT ANABA

A

bout 102 communi ties in Apapa, Ojo and Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Areas of Lagos State, have filed a $26.25million (N4.15billion) suit against Thames Shipping Agency Limited, and owners of two vessels over the pollution of their communities.

Plaintiffs in the case are Chief Anthony Avime, the Bale of Sagbokeji Island, Apapa; Mr Simon Fasinu; and Mr Innocent Avime, representing themselves and consortium of villages and inhabitants that suffered damages as a re-

Pollution: Communities sue vessel owners for N4.15bn sult of oil spill from MT Concept and MT Redifferm.

Defendants are the owners of MT Concept; the owners of MT REDIFFERM; Thame Shipping Agency Limited (agent to owners of the vessels), and International Oil Pollution Compensation, IOPC Fund.

Counsel to the communities, Mr Paul Ogedegbe, is contending in the suit, that the plaintiffs have been in peaceful settlement and habita-

tion of the wide land surrounded by water around the Tincan Island, Apapa waterfront, which have been occupied for decades by various ethnic groups.

The complainants further stated that they have not suffered any ecological and environmental hazards, or any form of environmental degradation since their occupation of the island, which is surrounded by the major ports in Nigeria, the Tincan Island port,

the Apapa Ports complex and the Niger Dock ship yard.

They also noted that several vessels have discharged their goods and had smooth sails from the ports and mid streams without constituting any major environmental hazard to the plaintiffs, whose main source of livelihood is from the Lagoons that were allegedly polluted by the vessels.

According to them, they were surprised

when on March 24, 2009, a ship, MT Concept, laden with 8,500MT of black oil, from the Warri Refinery, belonging to Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, damaged their source of livelihood during transshipment operation midstream to MT REDFFERM, with a capacity of 500MT, which was fully loaded, emptied their content into the waters and surrounding Island, where they habited.

SON endorses more Conoil lubes

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t a n d a r d s Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has certified four of Conoil’s lubricant brands as high performance engine oils that provide maximum benefits to the users of modern vehicles and machinery.

The correct usage of these lubricants ensures prolonged and trouble free vehicle and machine operation.

The lubricants - Golden Super Motor Oil SAE 40; Tro Tro Golden Super Motor Oil SAE 40; Golden Super Diesel SAE 40; and Quatro Heavy Duty Generator Oil 15W40, met the specific requirement of relevant Nigerian industrial standards (NIS) after series of rigorous and extensive tests of their content and production procedures.

Conoil in a statement, described the latest SON certification as an attestation to its relentless effort to adhere to global best practices by producing high quality lubricants comparable to international standards.

The company also said the certification is a recognition of its mission to provide excellent services that meet consumer satisfaction, in line with its objective of becoming the preferred marketer of lubricants in Nigeria and the West Coast.

Explaining the functions of each of the lubes, Conoil said the Golden Super Motor Oil gives adequate engine protection to older petrol engines, with good detergent and adequate viscosity retention with temperature.

Golden Super Diesel engine oil is a top-quality diesel engine oil specially formulated to give reliable all-year-round service in light and medium duty, naturally aspirated engines.

Infused with a comprehensive additive package and good antiwear properties, Quatro Heavy Duty Generator Oil is the ideal choice for generating sets.

30 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013

All-new SsangYong Korando, Actyon, Kyron hit the road

BY THEODORE OPARA

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SANGYONG brand has fully returned to the Nigerian market as Stallion Motors, rolled out the three latest models from the company for a test-drive, over the weekend.

The test drive which began at the Headquarters of Stallion Motors Nigeria Limited, Ajose Adeogun Street, Victoria Island Lagos saw the journalists drove through the Civic Centre along Lekki-Epe Expressway to Falomo, Kingsway Road through Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Onikan to Ahamadu Bello Way, Bar Beach and back to the Head office.

Among the SsangYong models in the test drive were the 104kw (139 hp) Kyron mid –size sport utility vehicle (SUV), the stylish and modern Korando SUV with strong charismatic presence and the new Actyon Sports Pick-up utility truckthat is designed to competitionswith its atypical kerb weight of 1, 944kg (which is approximately 400kg more than several other contenders in its class).

Speaking shortly before the test-drive, Jatin Nadkarni, head, sales and marketing, SsangYong Motors Nigeria, described SsangYong as one of the products of acquisition partnership with Daimler-Benz.

He said SsangYong had in the quest for outstanding engineering prowess brokered quickwitted partnership with Daimler-Benz to use Mercedes Benz knowhow.

The SsangYong Kyron for example is smart and sassy, offering competitive SUV package that is refined to drive though roomy and attractively priced.

“The Seat in arrangement is supportive and comfortable and he come in either the elegant deluxe cloth trim or leather upholstery material.

A peep into the cabin of the Kyronreveals how spaciousthe insideis. The switch-gear inside has a pleasant design, and the big chunky switches give

Ssangyong Korando

another dose of manly strength to match the stylish, tough exterior lines.

However, the rear seat accommodation is practicaland could recline by up to 15 degrees the decently sized boot includes a neat floor storage compartment.

Also handy in the Kryon cruise control, power tilt/ telescoping steering wheel with controls for the audio system as well as electric folding side mirrors, automatic air conditioning a climate function.

An electronic sunroof with an anti-trap blind, front headrests with a battery saver feature and front fully adjustable electric heated seats with memory and lumbar support positions are some of the standard features.

The new Ssangyong flagshop SUV, the Korando is well packaged.

Stylishly designed with modern SUV features and a strong charismatic presence, the SsangYong Korando is supported by an economic petrol or diesel engine that offers great value.

A top of the line suspension system including MacPherson strut front suspension

and multilink rear suspension is incorporated in the Korando to diffuse impact and vibrations and enhance ride quality.

The steering power is alsointelligently assisted in low speed and lightly assisted in high speed to maximise stability and manoeuvrability.

But quite unlike the SUVs, the Actyon Sports Pick-upis uniquely

designed with a rare kerb weight of 1, 944kg, which is approximately 400kg more than several other contenders in its class.

Nadkarni said the dynamism of the Actyon Sports Pick-up is manifest in the structure of the ladder frame chassis which ensures good-off road ability sophisticated Part Time drive systems.

He said the vehicle is built powered by - cylinder 2.3litre petrol engine that generates 149Ps of power and 214Nm of torque at 3500rpm.

And considering the hefty kerb weight, Nadkarni said the Actyon Sports pick-up has a respectable fuel economy 7.8L per 100kms for the five speed manual.

Interestingly, the

Actyon Sports ‘up rides quietly on smooth surfaces when driven sensibly and it stay relatively refined with excellent power from an efficient 2.3litre petrol engine.

Aside Nigeria, SsangYong is sold in 1, 250 sales networks in over 96 countries and are actively entering emerging markets by establishing local bases.

Obasanjo tasks FRSC on road safety management

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ORMER president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has called on the Federal Road Safety Corps to redouble its efforts on road safety management in the country.

Chief Obasanjo who was in FRSC office to personally process his drivers licence stress the need for the citizens to be law abiding.

According to him, nobody is above the law in the collective drive to ensure compliance with traffic rules and regulations in Nigeria.

Speaking after processing his driver’s license at the Abuja national headquarter of the Federal Road Safety

Corps, Chief Obasanjo said “If I have to drive, I must have a valid driver ’s license like others. That informed my visit. We should note that the driver ’s license serves other purposes beyond driving of a vehicle and also useful outside the country such as certification of somebody’s identity” he added.

Similarly, the former President also said “anybody who wants to be law abiding must go through this process because you cannot be bigger than the law, no matter your political position or social status.

You must pass through this process unless you are not ready to be law abiding”.

On the performance of the FRSC in the last 25 years, Chief Obasanjo commended the Corps’ Management and staff for impacting positively on Nigerian road users but stated the need for the agency to redouble its efforts on road safety management. He also advised all Nigerian drivers to pass through the necessary certification process for acquiring the driver’s license in order to reduce the spate of road crashes in the country.

Reacting, the FRSC Corps Marshal and Chief Executive, Osita Chidoka described the visit of Chief Obasanjo to process his driver ’s license as a strong indicator that Nigeria has all it takes to be a law governed country where due process is a must for everybody, regardless of status or fame.

He added that the Corps will remain a performance-driven organization committed to sustained self evaluation in order to raise the bar of its activities to achieve set goals.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013 — 31

Lagos Motor show moves to Federal Palace

BY THEODORE OPARA

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HE Eight edition of the Lagos Motor Fair and second edition of the auto parts Expo will hold at the prestigious Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Announcing the new venue at a press conference in Lagos recently, the Managing Director, BKG Exhibition, organisers of the annual event, Mr. Ifeanyi Agwu said that the change was aimed at giving the best to Nigerians and the participant.

The previous editions of the fair had held at the Tafawa Balewa Square and OceanView Restaurant, Victoria Island, Lagos.

“We are moving to the Federal Palace Hotel where we can exhibit both parts and vehicles in the hotel which is the centre of our target market. We have larger concentration of our target market on the Island,” he said.

The location, according to him is central. “We hope everybody will enjoy the new venue.”

This fair is scheduled to hold from May 10 to 16, while the auto part exhibition which is in its second edition will start on the 13, of May and end on the 16th at the same venue.

The BKG boss however disclosed that the Lagos State gover nor, Mr. Raji Babatunde Fashola will declare the fair open.

According to him, many auto companies have indicated interest to participate at the show while over 50 auto parts makers from across the world will be partaking in the event.

“The response has been good. We are going to have a full house. All the major players have shown interest in the fair and we won’t disappoint in the organisation,” he stated.

Mr. Agwu further explained that, with over 50 foreign spare parts companies coming and the auto manufacturers too, the venue will be the right ground for business transactions and development.

Taking a look at their previous events, the

Managing Director said that improvements have been recorded but added that they have not reached their dream motor show yet.

“We expected it to have grown beyond this level but there are challenges.

We are looking at the future, hoping that one day, we will see the kind of motor show we are dreaming of,” he said.

According to him, last year was good with participation of international spare parts companies and people saw the potentials, adding that with the strength and contributions of their foreign partners, more foreign participants are expected to take part in the event.

Bugatti Veyron, world's fastest car and world most expensive car

TNL pledges projects for development of Nigerian children

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HE Managing Director, Toyota Nigeria Limited (TNL), Mr. Chandrasheker Krishnadas Thampy has said that his company would continue to identify with projects that will give needed boost to the mental growth of the Nigerian child as this would go a long way in securing their future.

Toyota Nigeria Limited, recently held the third edition of its annual Dream Car Art contest for Nigerian children between the ages of ten to fifteen. The award was in three categories. Nine children emerged winners to represent the country in Japan at the global contest. The

children were presented with Lap tops as well as Toyota branded gifts.

Speaking at the award presentation ceremony at Toyota head office in Lekki, Lagos, the Managing Director, while congratulating the children for their exploits at the competition, commended their parents and teachers for guiding and encouraging their wards in the competition which will see them competing with their counterparts from other parts of the world in Japan later in the year.

In his own remark, the Executive Director, Toyota Nigeria Limited, Mr. Kunle Ade Ojo expressed satisfaction with the

performance of the children in this year’s edition of the competition.

“This year’s winning entries have been the best so far produced by Nigeria and I am optimistic that one of them should be able to make Nigeria proud in Japan,” he said.

In the under ten category of the competition, Abdulsalam Abdulbasi emerged winner while Yahaya Hephziba Ikpeme and Bello Odunayo Adejoke came second and third respectively.

I d u s o g i e Osarhuguemen emerge winner in the under 12 category, followed by

Oluyadi Ayomikun Opemipo and IykeOguchukwu Glory Mercy in the second and third positions respectively.

Ulasika Ifeanyi Stanley came top in the Under 15 category while Awurumibe Michael Dubby and Igben Joseph came second and third respectively.

It should be recalled that Toyota (Nigeria) Limited, for the third year running organized the annual Dream Car Art Contest amongst Nigerian children. This aims at availing them with the opportunity to give expression to their budding creative talents with a view to showcasing them on the world.

Over one thousand children enlisted in the contest which took place in three centres including Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt Renowned art teachers and professionals converged in each of the centers to carefully select three winning entries from each category. From the 27 winning entries selected from the three centers, nine winning entries were finally selected using environmental friendliness, futuristic and originality as criteria.

These entries will be forwarded to Japan to represent Nigeria at the global contest.

...splashes N30m on customers, dealers at 9th awards

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HE Management of Toyota Nigeria Limited, TNL, has splashed over N30 million on its customers, and dealers at its just concluded 9th awards ceremony.

The 2012 Toyota awards tagged ‘celebrating loyalty’ was held at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, recently and was well attended by its dealers and fleet customers.

Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Chandrashaker Krishnadas Thampy, Managing Director, Toyota Nigeria Limited

said that the award was to celebrate Toyota customers and its dealers, whose loyalty over the years have remained unshaken, adding that Toyota owes its exploits in the country to the customers and dealers.

According to him, “Toyota customers in Nigeria and across the globe have been responsible for the company ’s current position as the number one selling brand in Nigeria and the world over.”

“Toyota is number one in Nigeria and the world also and the credit goes

to you, our customer,” he said.

The Toyota award was in three categories including Motoring Journalists of the Year Category, Customers Category and Dealers Category.

The Journalist category was won by Vanguard Motoring Editor, Mr. Theodore Opara, while Business Day’s, Mike Ochonma and PM News Daniel Ekugo emerged first and second runners up respectively. The winners in this category went home with iPhone 5 of different categories.

In the customers’ category, First Bank

Nigeria Plc won the Evergreen customer of the Year award and a brand new Toyota Corolla. Peace Mass Transit, won customer of the year award with a brand new RAV4 while Rivers State government and SAAS Synergy Limited emerged first and second runners up and Toyota Corolla and Avanza respectively.

Also rewarded were dealers who stood out during the year. The Dealer of the Year Award went to Elizade Nigeria Limited and a prize of a brand new Toyota RAV4 while R.T Briscoe

Nigeria Plc and Metropolitan Motors emerged first and second runners-up with brand new Toyota Corolla and Avanza as their prizes.

Kojo Motors which opened a state of the arts showroom in Abuja last year as well as introduced a Quick Service Centre across the country received a special recognition award as Dealer with the most significant all round growth in the business in 2012. This award came with a 1 million worth of Toyota spare parts to the company.

32 —

Vanguard Vanguard,,

TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013 YOUR LUCK TODAY

LEISURE

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 LIBRA: Whatever anybody says or does, you will have both your say and way. Venus and Jupiter may tempt some of you to embrace illicit (or secret) romance within your base of operation.

SCORPIO: Venus and Jupiter at positive angles may tempt you to join some of your friends who are already onboard of merry making train. Watch your health.

SAGITTARIUS: Minor financial success you record today can lead to something bigger and good in the near future; as good luck will smile at many and induce love of luxury, merry, making and romantic association. Genuine lovers will need to be on guard against deceit from new admirers.

CAPRICORN: Both financial success and emotional satisfaction are closed to you than before. Those of you travelling because of maters-of-the-heart are in for an exciting romantic day Those ambitious career-wise will succeed after few struggles.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

H

OW many years have you lived in that rented apartment? And why have you not built your own house? Did I hear you say things are hard? As it is with you now so it was with those that own the house you are living

Are you a senior tenant? in now, so it is with those that are just building their own now. Yet, they went ahead to build, even with the hard time.

The truth is that we mistake the tolerance

of the landlord for love and affection.

And the day the landlord and his children insult you, you will remember where you are coming from and where you

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye”

need to head to.

Being a senior tenant is not a compliment.

You can build your own kind of house, whether you are rich, whether you are poor, whether you are educated, and whether you are illiterate, it doesn’t matter...

By Lanre Kehinde

AQUARIUS: Many members of your opposite sex will go out of their ways to attract your romantic interest. This is the wrong time to engage on unnecessary argument. Been your lucky day you are expected to take good advantage today.

PISCES: If you priority is love, much of it would come your way as desired. But here is a better day for more ambitious in the business world. Don’t allow anybody to deceive you over money.

ARIES: Those of you with secret admirers within your working area will have the needed opportunities to make the needed moves. Resist the temptation to deceive others.

TAURUS: Although matters-of-the-heart may give you cause to smile broadly, if care is not taken, you would cause friction that can’t help you r case at work. This is the wrong time for unnecessary scheming within your working arena.

GEMINI: Those of your who are red-blooded for romance may have an exciting and satisfying day. Happenings within your social circles must be taken more seriously.

CANCER: Confrontation may come your way in the circle but the heavens are working favourably for you. Some doses of romance is not too much for you on a day like this.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

LEO: Provided you don’t allow your innate ability to be as diplomatic as necessary desert you, things work favourably for you to the betterment of your finances.

VIRGO: Many of you will be in sentimental mood and exhibit strong romantic desire openly. But then, if care is not taken, you may be carried away to the detriment of your finances. Serious minded lovers are in for happy day.

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,

What’s my Horoscope?

Dear Joshua, I want you to give me my comprehensive horoscope, especially what my special gift is.

Which day of the week was I born? Where were my natal planets and their meanings? Who am I? Segun Lagos.

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

Dear Segun, There is no space for comprehensive horoscope but what you’ll have here -under is answer to your questions/ You were born on a Thursday and your special gift is LEADERSHIP quality.

YOUR HOROSCOPE DATA Day Of Birth: Thursday Sun Sign: Virgo: Sun in 20th Degree of Virgo Moon Sign: PISCES: Moon on 10th Degree of Pisces Mercury in 16th Degree of Libra Venues in 5th Degree of Scorpio Mars in 13th Degree of Cancer Jupiter in 6th Degree of Pisces Saturn in 5th Degree of Aquarius Uranus in 2nd Degree of Virgo Neptune in 11th Degree of Scorpio Pluto in 10th Degree of Virgo North Node in 6th Degree of Leo South Node in 6th Degree of Aquarius Quality and Element Cardinal and air star signs hosted two planets each fixed and earth three each, no planet in fire while mutable and water star signs hosted five planets each.

Push-full influence = 20% Non- push-full element = 80% Final dispositor = Lucky Jupiter General Analysis Just 20 per cent of push-full influence in your chart can deceptively present you to others as a soft (or even timid) person but practical Virgo that hosted nothing less than three heavenly bodies when you were born and Astrological aspects between Mercury (mental focus) and aggressive Mars in you r chart are pointers to the contrary.

Commen3

by Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH, 12, 2013 — 33 hand the baby over to his mother. Just like that! I could not believe it. When I told my sister, she said it was time to confront Kole’s mum and to also tell our parents. It was a messy situation. At the end of the day, I did not want to leave my daughter with my crazy mother-in-law and since my parents insisted I could neither return home nor even bring the child to live with them, I had to stay and remain Kole’s wife.

We have since moved on from that point. As much as I want to be with Kole in America, I cannot bring myself to destroy the relationship he has with his white wife, even though I am not responsible for the love/hate relationship they share.

I am still living with Kole’s mum but we have agreed that I would get a flat of my own where Kole would share with us everytime he comes visiting. I have a little business that I run mainly from my home and car. I sell clothing, shoes, bags and accessories for men and women. Kole sends some and I go abroad to shop

Married but living single(5) have let off my anger by the time he called. He said he could no longer bear to lie to me about his marital status. He did what he did to please his mother as well as save my face.

If he had refused to marry me and my people found out I was pregnant, it would have been very shameful for me. He said he could have walked away like most guys he knew would or even ask me to terminate the pregnancy until we were together in America which he knew would be a lie, but he did not. He saved my face. I could not believe his argument.

Kole then went on to say that he did not love his white wife but at

,

HI! IT is the dream of every wom an to find her own Prince charming, get married and be called Mrs. It is a dream they have harboured in their hearts since they were little. And when that husband comes in a package wrapped with success, the promise of life abroad and access to the good things of life, many women are likely to throw caution to the winds. Unfortunately for some, reality may sometimes be different from dreams and they find themselves trapped in between two worlds, neither married, nor single. We will be taking the story of three women who are trapped in unions with guys who reside outside the country.

Dear readers, if you or anyone you know of have been through a similar experience, please write in and share with us. We also offer our readers an opportunity to share their problems with other readers whose advise will also be published on this column. this is because this column is not only reader participatory, it is also because we believe in the power of numbers, the more, the merrier. So, we are anxiously waiting to read from you. Our adress remains, The Human Angle, Vanguard, P.M.B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos, and our email address: thehumanangle93@yahoo.com Happy reading!

Arike, (30), mother and graduate concludes the story of how she became a single parent living with her in-laws.

I did not go to his mum to ask anything but kept to myself. Funny enough, my mother-in-law did not ask me anything and after a few days, I started thinking she must know something already. She speaks with Kole and her two other boys almost on a daily basis, surely one of them would have said something to her about my discovery.

It was not until the weekend that Kole and I got to speak again.He told me he had deliberately delayed calling me so that I would

He pleaded with me to understand his situation and forgive him, however, should I chose to leave, I should hand the baby over to his mother, just like that!

I could not believe it

the time he married her, he needed the union to get his immigration papers straightened out. Without it, he would not have been able to bring his brothers to America and give them the opportunity of the life they now enjoy.

His mother had resented the idea of a white woman right from the start and had always insisted that the children they have are for his wife, her family and their country, not her own grandchildren.

She would always say that she wants him to have a Nigerian wife and have a family here that she would help him raise. He said his wife had taken off again for almost a month when he came to cool off in Nigeria and met me. He had even assumed that she would not come back because it was the longest she had stayed away from home.

Theirs was an off and on relationship which had seen them moving in and out of each others lives more than can be imagined. He pleaded with me to understand his situation and forgive him. However, should I chose to leave, I should

,

for some by myself. And though I have not set foot in America yet, I have visited Dubai several times, also China and Ghana. This would probably not have happened if I did not marry Kole.

Nike, (40), Business woman is married to Layi, (50), who resides in the USA. She has been living single for almost seven years now. Why? ”It is not that I did not know the true picture of the kind of marriage I will have before I went into it. I knew I will never be allowed to visit the US not alone to live there with him. He made me understand all these when we decided to take the relationship more seriously. And since I accepted then, there is nothing I can do about it now unless he changes his mind. It is not that I have not been trying to pressurise him to do so. But so far, it has not worked.

Layi has been married and divorced twice, each marriage produced a child. He also has a child from one other woman.

To be continued

Friends Searching Males

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State, needs a loving, caring and financially ok, lady, aged 18-22, for a serious relationship.

08136089147, 08051395350 •Adebowale needs a serious girl, aged 20-25, to plan a serious relationship with. 08120751624 •A man needs a mature and God fearing lady to be his wife. 08084308915 •Vpluz from Warri, needs a lady within the South South that he can make happy. Age is no barrier.

08038559635, 08098753659 •Gabriel, 24, needs an employed lady, aged 3035, who can take care of him, for a serious relationship.08038517962 •Steve, 28, a graduate, trustworthy, handsome and HIV free, needs an older lady, who will take care of his finances. 07088526592, 07066739607 •Kevin, 26, fair in complexion, good and romantic, needs a lady for a relationship. 08134647231 •Bobby, 40, tall, handsome and educated, needs a tall, slim and educated lady, aged 22-32, from

Edo North for a wife. 08092542446, 08028396531, 08059360975 •Eyime, 29, native of Edo State, 5.8ft tall, dark in complexion, good looking, businessman, resident in Lagos, needs a God fearing lady, aged 25+ for a serious relationship that will lead to marriage.

08106365336 •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.

Also note that we do not run any match-making agency in or outside the country. Any reader who transacts business with anyone claiming to be our agent does so at his/her own risk.

Henceforth, only messages sent through the numbers readers want to be contacted on will be published.

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!

You can choose the role you play in your relationships

BY ONOZURE DANIA

D

id you know that be coming exclusive with a man is one of a few important steps in building a truly loving, romantic and committed relationship?

What’s more, if you are dating a guy and you haven’t talked about being exclusive or not, you need to assume that what you have is not exclusive?

This is true for men. And until you understand why men are this way and what it means and how to go about talking with your man, the odds are, you will make some big mistakes and he will pull away.

I want to share something with you that has the power to change the way you look at relationships and help you magnetically attract the man you are dating, to where he will be the one asking you for more in your relationship.

Whether or not you are fully conscious of it or have recognized it yet, there are stages to building a real and lasting relationship. Well, it’s time you find out what they are.

One of it and perhaps the first and most important, is courtship. You meet a man and you both connect and are attracted to each other.

While you talk to get to know each other, you don’t actually talk directly about all the things you really want, think and feel about each other.

In fact, more of what is happening is dictated by nonverbal communication than by actual verbal communication. It is at this stage that you determine which of the two roles you will take on as a woman.

In one role, you become the Convincer. You are the one subtly making sure you spend time together, making sure plans come together and pursuing him in one way or another. It can also happen that you don’t become the Convincer, but instead take on the role of the Resistor.

The Resistor resists largely

in part simply because the other person is playing the role of the Convincer.

When one person starts to convince, the natural human response is to begin to resist.

Here’s why this happens.

We have lots of conscious and unconscious social and emotional rules and roles that are wired up inside us from birth.

When you meet someone, whether you are conscious of it or not, both of you take on roles that relate to each other.

A great example is the Leader/Follower roles.

Next time you are in a group setting, whether at work or at a social event, I want you to look for and notice that a leader always develops in a group.

The leader can lead very subtly, but they dictate the way other people talk and behave including how serious or not serious others are. When a leader emerges, there’s a silent and unspoken non-verbal process that takes place where all the others in the group become followers.

Humans don’t have to try and figure out these roles and discuss or decide who will be the leader and if and when others will follow. It just happens in a few split seconds on a very subtle unconscious level.

Well, to connect the dots, the same kind of thing happens between a lady and a man. And it happens without either of you even consciously discussing or deciding upon the roles you are going to play.

One of the most powerful things you can do in your life and in your relationships is to become more conscious and aware of what roles you are playing and how those are affecting you, your life and your relationships.

When you become conscious and you start to choose the roles you want to play, suddenly you have a lot of personal and creative power, especially in your love life.

•Myckross, 25, Photo journalist and student resident in Lagos, needs a lady for serious relationship.

08106141592 •Tony, 47, from Delta state, needs a lady, who is self employed or a nurse, aged 25-32, for a serious relationship that will lead to marriage.

08067791122.

•Saint, 23, a graduate, needs a beautiful girl, aged 16-18, for a relationship.07038015348 •Emmanuel, 33, honest, needs a caring lady, aged 25-30, for a serious relationship that can lead to marriage. 08181869731 •Ever, 34, from Edo State, employed, needs a girl, aged 26-32, who is loving, caring, understanding, employed and ready to settle down soon.

08135200315 •Paul, 24, needs a girl, aged 18+, for a serious relationship. 08070894990 •A guy, 23, student and resident in Delta state, needs a loving and caring girl, aged 25+, for a serious relationship. 08131210294 Bright, 25, from Delta state, needs a girl, aged 18-

34— Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013

Why Sen Ojudu is afraid of me — Bamidele

•Says he'll contest governorship

THE story of the gruff and grudge contest for the Ekiti Central Senatorial ticket of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN in 2011 was one that stretched the imaginations of the partisans of that party. The struggle for the ticket was a keen contest between three close associates of the ACN national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu: Babafemi Ojudu, Opeyemi Bamidele and Dele Alake. The ACN which had won the reputation of not conducting primaries, had to side-step tradition as it was forced to conduct a primary to nominate a candidate due to the unwavering determination of the three men to get the better over one another.

What happened thereafter is now at the crux of the battle of wits between two of the major candidates, Bamidele and Ojudu. Ojudu has recently claimed that there was a deadlock and he was consequently picked to take the ticket. Bamidele, however, disputes that saying that he won the primaries but was compelled by party officials to surrender the ticket which was handed over to Ojudu.Opeyemi who was compensated with a ticket to the House of Representatives, now feels betrayed that what should have been a show of gratitude from Ojudu is now turning into a character assassination campaign by the senator to damage him. The hurt was overflowing penultimate Friday as Opeyemi during a session with newsmen poured out his feelings on the tribulations and temptations he claims to be passing through in the hands of the senator. Excerpts:

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR

O

Over riding interest Again for the record, I want to say that in the overriding interest of ACN and the appeal made by the national leadership of the party and again as a Christian who believes that it is God who makes kings and princes and he has his own timing for every one of us, I chose to be the good boy of the party, unfortunately a lot of people were assuming that I will always choose to be the good boy.

But in 2011 I chose to be the good boy of the party and

Governorship on Labour platform

•Opeyemi: Senator Ojudu thinks I am after his seat conceded it, not to Babafemi Ojudu, but to the national leadership of the party because I won that mandate and I gave it back to the leadership of the party to hand it over to Babafemi Ojudu.

On speculations he wants to run for the governorship This is what I will say to that, at some time it will be a yes or no question, and I don’t think it is anything that anybody would need to hide, in that regard, but let me say this, I am one man who believes in timing, I am one man who believes in strategy, whatever I want to do there must be a strategy of doing it there also

,

N perceptions about him in Ekiti When you see yourself as a change agent it comes with a lot of risks, a lot of denials but God sees my heart that I mean well for the state, I mean well for democracy and I am not the aggressively ambitious man that some people are trying to portray in different quarters and I am not apologetic for the philosophy that I carry in my own head and my commitment to change and passion and drive for speedy change.

I believe that when we hold ourselves out as people who are capable for delivering on certain aspects of democracy as leaders, I believe that we must be ready to walk our talk at every point and ensure that we do the best that we can.

On Senator Ojudu’s assertion that, he Opeyemi did not win the ACN Ekiti Central Senatorial primary?

For the record I want to say again, that I ran for the senatorial race in Ekiti and for the record I want to say again that by the grace of God and the support of the people I won the primary of the party.

party, given the current political dispensation, given international political best practices and given the much needed desire to have a united front within the party, I don’t think ACN as a party will encourage any kind of imposition.

Relationship with the governor and the party hierarchy?

I am in consultation with the party hierarchy and I meet with the governor from time time….. do I have to visit the Governor?

If I find myself in the state house for instance, it depends on what we called visit.

Whatever takes me there, if the governor calls for a meeting I will attend; if the party calls for meeting I will attend and in the course of it the governor might be there, you know. as much as possible I try to avoid personality…. I try to take personalities out of this issue, so that issues don’t get compounded, so that the whole thing doesn’t look like it is a personality clash.

On when last the governor called him The only meeting that I remember not attending was when I was away in south Africa and the governor met with the National Assembly caucus, this was last month actually.

If you ask me I will say that Senator Ojudu is so paranoid about me and about what I do and to the glory of God what people say about me on the streets of Ekiti because he feels that at the very least, I would go after his senatorial seat in 2015

must be timing for it when I feel it is time for me to make an open declaration, I still believe what am going to be doing next sincerely gentlemen I will.

Whether or not I will or I will not run for governorship in Ekiti, I think I have gone past

,

that, definitely I will. The only thing left to announce is the timing.

On difficulties of challenging a sitting governor and the peculiarity of his party (ACN)?

About the party, I will say this again that I believe ACN as a

This February, and the meeting was in Abuja and of course the governor himself knew I was in South Africa, that is the only meeting that I can remember and everybody knew where I was.

Speculations that he plans to contest the governorship under another platform I am glad you use the word speculation and I think the speculation has become open.

I just said in the course of this interview that some people paid for posters announcing that I was running for governorship on the platform of Labour Party.

They are trying to make it open, again I emphasize that whatever I am running for is going to be under the platform of the ACN, ACN of today, if tomorrow we get registered as APC, on the platform of APC, I am saying that again the leaders of our party are committed to internal d e m o c r a c y .

On differences with Senator Ojudu

Continues on page 35

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013 —35

Delta 2015: With Uduaghan’s performance no force can stop PDP — Odili MR. Paul Odili, Manager, Communications to Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, in this interview picked holes in comments by Mr. Festus Keyamo that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP government in Delta State in the last 13 years had performed below compared with available funds.

Excerpts:

W

HAT is your reaction to Keyamo’s comments that PDP governments have under-achieved in Delta State since 1999?

I have no wish to join issues with Keyamo as such, but serving in this government and aware of so much that has been done, I feel I should correct his poor attempt to ridicule the achievements of the Delta administration and the performance of Governor Uduaghan. I think Barrister Keyamo is a neophyte in politics and from his comments you can tell that he has either lost touch or is not in touch with his community. For too long he has lived in Lagos without realizing how much has changed.

He may have schooled in Delta but the truth is that a lot has changed since he left to sojourn in Lagos. Had he been in contact with the grassroots he would have realised how much transformation has occurred in the state.

He would have seen the sparkling new roads many of which are dualised and new

bridges dotting the landscape of Delta.

Had he been in touch he would have seen the brand new schools some of which are in Uvwie, his local government and the roads and hospitals that have been constructed by the Uduaghan administration in that local government.

Had he been in touch he would have known that thousands of people from his local government has benefited from the free maternal healthcare programme, free under-five healthcare programme, the thousands of people that have benefited from the micro-credit scheme and first class scholarship and other incentives to spur our youths to take to education.

Actually, if I know how to reach him, I would like to send him a pamphlet containing lists of projects and programmes in his local government, which he can verify. His opinion of Uduaghan administration is completely off the mark. I am certain Deltans who are on the ground and even those who are in Diaspora that find time to visit will not agree with him and will have no hesitation

•Uduaghan: Delta is a strongly leaning PDP state commending and appreciating Governor Uduaghan for taking the state on the right path to growth and development. In just six years, the administration built an international airport in Asaba

,

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

model primary and secondary schools with more on the pipeline this year.

You are talking about an administration that has completed and operationalised the Oghara teaching hospital,

Delta is a strongly leaning PDP state and will almost likely produce the next Governor after the current one, having performed creditably well to the satisfaction of the people

and is building another one in Osubi, Warri.

We are talking about an administration that is building a power plant at Ogharaki, a multi-billion naira industrial park in Warri, an ICT park in Asaba. We are talking about an administration that has built and remodeled over 18,000 classrooms and 140 super

,

classified by the Nigeria Medical Association as easily the best teaching hospital in the country.

What is your take on his opposition to Delta North demand for the governorship?

The Delta North political class can agitate for a power-shift and they are doing so through consultation and negotiation.

They have to do so because they cannot by themselves become Governor of the state after 2015 general election without the support of the other senatorial zones. That is politics. Your engage, persuade and you negotiate. He acknowledges that zoning is a PDP internal arrangement, which is true but other parties have also copied it.

But beyond that, Delta is a strongly leaning PDP state and will almost likely produce the next Governor after the current one, having performed creditably well to the satisfaction of the people.

Don’t you think that Keyamo’s Delta Forces United could be a threat to the PDP? The only force in Delta Forces United is only the force in its name. Actually I am confused, is that not the name of a local football club? Anyway, it does not exist on the ground and cannot be a threat. What does not exist is no threat. By the way is Delta Force a political party? If it is not, which party is it in? I really cannot rate an imaginary force.

Do you think Delta State is where it ought to be in terms of development giving the resources at its disposal?

Delta State under Uduaghan is moving to where it should be, to make it competitive in the 21st century society.

The reason we are deemphasizing oil dependence and are investing heavily in education, transportation, healthcare, power and urbanization is to make Delta a destination of choice for investment.

So the administration is fully on course and I am satisfied that the right things are being done.

Deltans in the state and elsewhere share the same views with me and are commending Governor Uduaghan.

Why Ojudu is afraid of me — Bamidele Continues from page 34 If you ask me I will say that Senator Ojudu is so paranoid about me and about what I do and to the glory of God what people say about me on the streets of Ekiti because he feels that at the very least, I would go after his senatorial seat in 2015 and in an attempt to do this, he also has done everything that he can to build an alliance with other people.

And also, early enough he started creating the impression that I was preparing to run for governor.

Ojudu also needed to fuel that kind of rumour to ensure that he got Governor Fayemi and I at logger heads to protect

his own interest.

It is my own opinion that Senator Babafemi Ojudu since April 2010 that he took the membership card of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN that the party has not known peace in Ekiti.

He became a card carrying member of ACN in 2010 and before then, he had interacted very, very closely and very broadly with the PDP.

Campaign rostrum Ask Ekiti people, who was standing next to Chief Ayo Fayose on the campaign rostrum of PDP in 2002 and

•Opeyemi: My brother Ojudu is a footnote in Ekiti 2003 and he was the closest person to Fayose until almost

two years into his administration until they

quarreled.

And as soon as they quarreled he became the chief organizer of the anti-Fayose campaign to get him out of office.

While all of us were campaigning for Dr. Fayemi to be governor of Ekiti State between 2005 and 2007, Senator Ojudu worked for Engr. Segun Oni and I don’t think any of us begrudged him for it.

It would be funny for somebody like him to say that he is endorsing any candidate for a second term, he can only be hurting such a candidate.

And as much as possible, I feel that he is not the issue, and if you ask me with respect to the politics of Ekiti and the rating of the people, my brother is no more than a footnote.

36—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013

2015: Ijaw youths back Jonathan

BY EMMA AMAIZE

W

A R R I — I JAW youths in Delta, Ondo and Edo states, have called on the national president of Ijaw Youths Council, IYC, Mr. Abiye Kuromiema, to commence moves to persuade Ijaw communities to back President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2015 general elections.

They took the decision at a zonal meeting of IYC in Warri, Delta State, weekend, with western zone chairman of the council, Mr Preye Okaba, Kuromiema and others in attendance.

A source said there was complaint at the meeting about the condition of the East-West Road, but Kuromiema insisted the Jonathan administration had outclassed past administrations in his first two years in office.

The youths applauded his move “to facilitate IYC constitution’s review, so that the body could be registered, empower stakeholders at home and abroad to make contributions and put in place a board of trustees to among others, enable the council tap from the wealth of experience of past and prominent leaders.”

Group wades into Uzere crisis

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI—TROU BLED by the communal crisis that had bedeviled the Uzere community, Isoko South Local Government Area, Delta State, the Uzere Peace and Development Movement, UPDM, yesterday, waded into the matter, appealing to the warring parties to sheathe their sword and embrace peace.

Chairman of the group, Mr Israel Afiemo, during a town hall meeting with the people of the community, said the aim of the group was to restore peace to the community.

Noting that the movement was not set up by the government or community leaders, Afiemo, said “it came out as a result of the love we have for the community; we are committed to ensuring that there is lasting peace in the community. The Movement had resolved that the crisis in Uzere Kingdom will be resolved by the people of the kingdom."

Fear grips Bayelsans as early rain pounds communities

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

Y

ENAGOA—FEAR has gripped the people of Bayelsa State, following the early heavy rainfall experienced across the state in the last couple of days, which had left some areas flooded and billboards destroyed.

Nigeria Meteorological Agency, NIMET, had predicted heavy rain this year higher than that of last year, which rendered thousands of families homeless in some states of the federation, including Bayelsa State.

It was observed that the recent rainfall accompanied by strong wind had damaged several billboards in Yenagoa and caused pools of water in some areas fuelling fear among residents of difficult days ahead.

Also the situation was not different at Okoloba, Sabagreia in Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Area of the state which was penultimate Saturday rocked by a devastating landslide, which buried eight buildings.

Some of the natives staying close to the bank of the Nun River, it was learnt during such rainfall were forced to leave their

homes to take refuge upland due to the recent landslide. “We are now at the mercy of the elements. The heavy rainfall being experienced in the last four days is definitely a pointer to tough times ahead. The state government should commence planning on how best to mitigate

the anticipated deluge and its consequences,” Mr John Nengi, a concerned resident told Vanguard.

Meanwhile, Governor Seriake Dickson last week met with the leaders and members of relevant committees, including Post Flood

Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, cuts the tape to commission the newly remodelled Benin Airport flanked by Princess Stella Oduah, Minister of Aviation (right); Senator Hope Uzodinma, Chairman Senate Committee on Aviation (2nd right); Senator Domingo Obende (2nd left) and Mr. George Uriesi, Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) in Benin City

Oshiomhole's score card: Edo ACN chairman blasts Orbih

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN CITY—ACTION Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in Edo State has faulted the comments credited to the chairman of the state Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, that Governor Adams Oshiomhole led government has not constructed any meaningful road in the state, which was why he (Oshiomhole) refused to receive the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, when he was in the state on the Good Governance tour.

State chairman of ACN, Mr Thomas Okosun, who reacted yesterday, said: “I want to believe that the comments are not true but if they are true, may be he just woke up from slumber.

How can Orbih say that we have not constructed roads in Edo State? How can he say that we have not done anything in Edo State? The roads we have constructed is visible to the people of Edo State and that was why they voted for Oshiomhoe and ACN. “Is Orbih going to deny the water project constructed in Ogbona, his village? Will he

deny the roads in Auchi in front of his father’s hotel or the roads that lead to his house in Ogbona all the way to Fugar? Will he deny the roads across the 18 local government areas? Or will he deny the schools in his community? I don’t know who he wants to satisfy, that is why I said I don’t believe he said all that.

“Do we require the Minister of Information and a delegation of 128 people to tell the people of Edo State that Oshiomhoe has worked for the people? Which money was he expecting the governor to spend on the delegation of 128 people?"

Pensioners accuse NLC of betrayal over faceoff with Amaechi

By EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

P

ORT HARCOURT – RIV ERS State Council of Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, has accused the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, of double standards over its face-off with the Rivers State Government.

The lingering face-off is over the perceived refusal of the Rivers State Government to pay pension increases between 2003 and 2007 and non payment of retired primary school teachers' federal share inherited by the states for 12 years running.

Addressing newsmen before

Management Committee and Infrastructure Advisory Committee set up in the aftermath of last year flood with a view to stemming a repeat of the near humanitarian crisis that rocked the state.

the commencement of their three days peaceful hunger protest and prayers by the aggrieved pensioners, to put pressure on the state government to pay them their arrears, pensioners accused the sttate NLC of betraying them.

Chairman, Rivers State Council of NUP, Mr Edward Abibo, said: “Since impressing on the government and being refused our pension entitlement, we have constantly informed the NLC and relied on its strength to intervene in letting us get our money because of our special attachment as a baby of senior citizens to the NLC. “For 12 years, we have been

ignored and left to lose over 10 members so far to the trauma caused by the unpaid arrears, but NLC has not been forthcoming with determined support to fight our course. We know they have a special relationship with the state government and we think they should not have abandoned us like sheeps without shepherd."

On the planned hunger strike slated to commence Wednesday, the pensioners union said that it had alerted the state government, including the Rivers State House of Assembly and other relevant stakeholders, asking them to intervene so that the issues in dispute would be resolved once and for all.

INFERTILITY

Don advocates medical cure

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

B

ENIN— A PROFESSOR of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH, Professor Augustine Orhue, has said that the cure of infertility no longer rested in prayers for miracles, but in medical science through the Assisted Reproductive Technology, ART. Orhue who stated this during an inaugural lecture on infertility and assisted reproduction technology at the University of Benin, weekend, entitled “From Barrenness to Abundance of the Fruit of the Womb: The Role of Medical Science in the Fulfillment of the Divine Injunction,” said that studies and peoples’ experience in the last three decades have shown that the conventional infertility treatment methods, which involves the use of drug and or surgery, did not produce a cure of 60 per cent while treatments through ART resulted in far greater cure.

He said that despite the fear of many that ART treatments were impracticable and a wasteful venture in Nigerian public hospital settings, the pregnancy rate through IVF treatment in Nigerian public hospitals was comparable to that of Europe and America.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013—37

N-Delta monarch blasts Northern leaders over Boko Haram ...says Jonathan can't fish out ghosts

BY EMMA AMAIZE

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ARRI—FORMER National Chairman of Traditional Rulers of Oil Minerals Producing Communities of Nigeria, TROMPCON, the Paramount Ruler of Siembiri Kingdom in Delta State, HRM Charles Ayemi-Botu, yesterday, said Northern leaders, who challenged President Goodluck Jonathan, weekend, to fish out Boko Haram members, who he (President) appropriately described as “ghosts” and “faceless,” were agents of the insurgents.

Speaking to Vanguard in Warri, HRM Ayemi-Botu, said: “No sane Nigerian should be challenging Jonathan to fish them out, except those people are their accomplices and working in tandem with Boko Haram to create unrest and tension in the land.

“When the youths of SouthSouth, the likes of Tompolo, Ateke Tom and Boyloaf were fighting, was it the late President Umaru Yar ’Adua or former President Olusegun Obasanjo that fished them out?

“These people, if they are really fighting a just cause, why are they faceless? They are really ghosts. They said they do

NADESSTU Senate President suspended

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI—MOVED to instill discipline in the association, National Association of Delta State Students, NADESSTU, yesterday, suspended its Senate President, Mr. Johnson Orhe, over alleged gross misconduct.

National President of the association, in the letter of suspension, said: “That you, Orhe, in an attempt to achieve your selfish ends, brought thugs to dispatch the senate meeting and in the process, injured Mr. Akpudje Augustine, the Welfare Director of the association and thereby, contravened section 15, sub-section 1(g), which empowers the president to be a co-signatory to all correspondence of the Association and represent her in all external matters.

“Your accomplices and their allies have been threatening the National President and other executives of the association since your apprehension by the Police. You contravened section 31, (1b) of NADESSTU Constitution, which empowers the President of the Association to nominate the 10 member of NADESSTU Electoral Commission, thereby, usurping the power of the President."

not want western education and yet, they are using English in all their e-mails and utterances, why not use their Arabic language to communicate with others. So, whoever is saying that President Jonathan should fish them

out, is suggesting that they are sponsors of Boko Haram, financing them to heat up the polity simply because a Southerner is ruling.”

He said Boko Haram members were within and living with people in the North and

if the leaders are sincere, they should prevail on them to stop the violence, just as Niger Delta leaders went to the creeks to ask militants, some few years ago, to drop their arms and embrace peace.

j

BURIAL: Delta State Deputy Governor, Prof. Amos Utuama, (middle); Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe (right) and Chief Tunde Smooth, during the burial of Smooth’s mother-in-law, late Mrs. Esther Abgro, in Evwreni, weekend.

ICCON Registrar, Oghifo asks court to halt suspension

BY INNOCENT ANABA

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EGISTRAR of Institute of Chartered Chemist of Nigeria, ICCON, Prince Jay Oghifo, has asked the National Industrial Court, Lagos, to stop the Federal Ministry of Health and the Minister of Health, from going ahead with his purported suspension, pending the determination of the suit, challenging the action of the defendants.

Oghifo is contending that while on leave and to resume on January 28, 2013, he was

suspended by a letter dated January 18, following the report of a panel set up by the Ministry of Health and the Health Minister, both of whom, according to him, have no such powers to set up the panel or suspend him, but acted in abuse of their powers.

Defendants in the suit are Federal Ministry of Health; Minister of Health; ICCON; Prof. Felix Okieimen, President of ICCON and Mr. Sylvester Obinyan, a senior staff in ICCON. He is, meanwhile, asking

the court to declare that his employment is for a fixed term of four years renewable for another four years term and that he cannot be removed and/ or suspended from his position as Registrar of ICCON except in proven cases of gross misconduct.

He also wants the court to, among others, declare that the only body with powers to discipline him including suspension is the Council of the Institute and President of the Institute, who employed the claimant.

Marketers debunk resolution of Warri IPMAN crisis

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

B

ENIN—CONTRARY to media reports that the leadership crisis rocking the Warri Unit of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, had been resolved by the national body of the association, majority of the marketers have dissociated themselves from the purported resolution of the crisis. They are insist-

ing that no amount of pressure would make them support the tenure elongation of the current executive led by Mr. Akpos Edafevwotu.

A national leader of IPMAN, who claimed to be at the meeting led by the Deputy National President of the body, Elder Emeka Okoronkwo and who spoke on the condition of anonymity, insisted that contrary to the media reports, the issue of elongation of the tenure of

the current leadership was never discussed at the meeting.

He said: “What was published about the IPMAN crisis in Warri Unit by the media is not true. Issues discussed by the Elder Okoronkwo-led committee were products distribution among marketers and the need for the leadership of the Warri Unit to work harmoniously.

“It is only the Board of Trustees of IPMAN that can deliberate on the issue of tenure elongation," he insisted.

FG urged to scrap oil blocs

BY DAPO AKINREFON

A

COALITION of ethnic and political pressure groups in the Niger Delta, under the aegis of United Niger Delta Energy Development Security Strategy, UNDEDSS, has called on the Federal Government to revoke all oil blocs given out by previous administrations to ensure equity and fairness in the country.

Speaking with newsmen in Lagos, Secretary General of UNDEDSS, Mr. Tony Uranta, said: “Nigeria should scrap ownership of all oil blocs and begin at zero point to re-allocate them in the spirit of fairness and equity.

“Oil blocs should now be allocated based on federal character principle since the nation is reluctant to give us either total control or make sure the Niger Delta gets what it deserves.”

CAN Bomadi chapter gets new Exco

BY DANIEL GUMM

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ARRI—BOMADI Local Government Capter of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has elected a new executive to pilot the affairs of the body for the next three years. Rev. Peter Adams-Igbudu, of St. Peters Anglican Church, who emerged the chairman of the branch, dedicated his victory to God. He said: “It is an opportunity for me to carry the gospel to the creeks.

During my three-year tenure, the local government will experience massive evangelical missions in the riverine areas of Ijawland.”

Others elected include Francis Okunwei, Vice Chairman; Rev. Liberty Usiayo, Secretary; Apostle Osikoromo, Treasurer; Mrs. Charity Orubedede, Asst. Secretary; Mrs. Ebiwarebo Comfort, Director of State Issues and Welfare and Mr. Christopher Komani, Director, Inter-Religious Affairs.

38 —Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013

Unions carpet bill on concession of public health facilities in Imo

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

O

WERRI — IMO State Joint Health Sector Unions and Associations, JHSUA, has raised an alarm that Imo State government’s proposed bill on concession of public health facilities in the state could encourage stealing of patients’ vital organs without their knowledge and permission by concessionaires, if it insisted on the policy.

Consequently, the union appealed to Governor Rochas Okorocha to take a second and critical look at the Bill.

Chairman of JHSUA, Dr. Darlington Akwukwu, who raised the alarm at a press conference in Owerri, weekend, said “apart from Imo State University Teaching Hospital, Orlu; Specialist Hospital, Owerri and General Hospital, Okigwe, all the other hospitals, health centres and clinics were all concessioned.

“Owners of Imo hospitals are only coming to harvest human organs and embryos as well as collection of egg from our young girls.”

Obi’s wife worried over large number of widows

A

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

WKA — THE large number of widows in Aguata area of Anambra State has become a source of concern for wife of Anambra State governor, Mrs. Margaret Obi, who pleaded that God should touch the well-todo in the society to assist them.

The governor’s wife, who was at St John’s Anglican Church, Oko, in Orumba North Local Government Area to interact with widows in the area, was perplexed when she was informed by the Archbishop of Province of the Niger and Bishop of Aguata Diocese, Most Reverend Christian Efobi, that the number of registered widows in the diocese was 3,225.

The event was the Widow’s Day 2013, of Aguata Diocesan Social Welfare Committee.

Mrs. Obi said if Aguata area alone could have such large number of registered widows, the total number in the state would be staggering.

She donated N500,000, one hundred wrappers and 100 bags of rice to them, lamenting that she did not know that they were so large, even as she promised to give them more support.

ALLEGED N458M BRIBE:

Agbaso tasks security agencies to probe ownership of bank account

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

O

WERRI — IMO State Deputy Governor, Sir Jude Agbaso, has appealed to security agencies in Nigeria to investigate the owner(s) of the bank account(s) into which the alleged N458 million bribe was paid into.

Agbaso, who made the appeal at a press conference in his Emekuku, Owerri North Local Government Area country home, also said he had not resigned and did not have any intention to resign.

According to him, “at no point did I convey to Joseph Dina of JPROS Company, via SMS to pay into any account, any bank, any sum of money. This story is intended to malign my person.

The onus is on the investigating agencies to look at these accounts.

N458 million is not N458,000.”

He insisted that N458b million cannot just vanish like that, adding that the security agencies should not only look for the money but also trace it.

He noted: “The money must be there. If it is not there, they (security agencies) can put a tracer on the money. It can be traced to the last account that it went. If they can forensically check, they can follow the money

into the pocket of who took the money.”

He maintained his innocence, saying: “I never asked for this money. I never received this money and I do not have anything to do with this money. Imo people massively and freely gave me their mandate. I owe them. It is a known fact that the media is

awash with the current stories of the goings on in Imo State.

“At no point in time have I resigned as Deputy Governor of Imo. I never resigned. I do not intend to resign and I will continue to serve the people of Imo State as long as their mandate subsists.

“On the issue that I am being

From left: New Chairman, Investment and Securities Tribunal (IST), Ngozi Udodinm ChianaKwalam; Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Minister of State for Finance, Dr Yerima Ngama, during the swearing-in of IST Chairman, in Abuja. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

18 states for integration into basic HIV/AIDS services

BY VICTORIA OJEME

A

BUJA — THE National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, has said 18 states of the federation were set for integration into basic HIV/AIDS services at the lowest level of health care delivery in the country.

Executive Director of the agency, Dr. Ado Mohammed, who disclosed this in Abuja, weekend, said the states had undergone five trainings and workshops preparatory for the integration.

He listed the states to include Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Edo, and Rivers. Others include Kaduna, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, Plateau and Lagos.

Muhammed said he had to deploy trained workers to the field to provide HIV services as the bulk of Nigerians live in the rural areas, adding that the only contact people in rural areas had with health care services was through the primary health care centres.

He noted that secondary and tertiary health facilities in Nigeria were already saturated and limited in capacity, ensuring that people having access to HIV/

impeached by Imo State House of Assembly, on the allegation by a construction company that I received bribe money to the tune of N458 million, at no point in time did I demand N458 million or any sum of money from any contractor whatsoever and at no time did Joseph Dina of JPROS pay me N458 million as claimed."

AIDS services at the primary health care level was key to national efforts to scale up HIV services.

The NPHCDA Boss explained

that the choice of the 18 states was based on the burden of HIV/AIDS prevalence and the fact that they had sero-prevalence higher than the national average.

Women march against rape

BY ONOZURE DANIA

L

AGOS — As part of activities marking the International Women’s Day, hundreds of women took to the streets in Lagos, weekend, to walk against rape in the society.

The women, whose protest walk came under the aegis of a non governmental organisation, Women Empowerment and Legal Aid WELA, marched to Lagos State House of Assembly, among other places, to vent their anger against the phenomenon.

Speaking during the walk, leader of the NGO, Mrs Funmi Falana, said violence against women in public and domestic life had continued to increase, as cases of rape and spousal murder had also become very rampant in the society.

She noted that a recent visit to Kirikiri prison showed that about 70 per cent of men awaiting trial for alleged murder of their spouses during violence in the

home had been on the increase in recent years.

She said apart from the fact that men outnumbered women in public offices, there was no improvement on the complaint about violence against women in public and domestic settings.

She urged the speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, who was represented by Mrs Funmi Tejuosho, Chairman, House Committee on Finance, to propagate some of the nation’s laws to assist in the proper prosecution.

Meanwhile Tejuosho, who welcomed the NGO, said the House was working tirelessly towards making the issue of rape and violence against women a thing of the past.

She said they had been able to sensitise market women and that they were going to take the law to the nooks and crannies of the country.

Foundation makes case for Nigerian women

BY LAJA THOMAS

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AGOS — MINISTRIES, Departments and Agencies of government have been advised to pay attention to the plight of the Nigerian women.

This advice was given by Amb. Asabe Shehu Yar ‘Ádua, Founder/President Asabe Shehu Yar’Adua Foundation, to mark the International Women’s Day in line with the United Nations convention.

Yar ’ Adua said: “Records indicate that about 20 million Nigerian women get pregnant every year. According to the figure, no fewer than 380 get impregnated every minute, and a corresponding death of 116 per day. It also showed that of the pregnancy figure, at least 190 are unplanned for, while 110 of such experience pregnancy-related complications.

“Therefore, experts explained that the total number of Nigerian women that get pregnant every day is 22,800, while about 547,200 pregnancies occur every month, bringing the total number of pregnancies at 19,972, 800 “But the government and its ministries, departments and agencies, as well as the corporate bodies need to pay greater attention to the plight of women."

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013 — 39

Burial of Chief Ibukunoluwa, father inlaw of Iyasere of Warri Kingdom

Chief Gabriel Mabiaku, the Iyasere of Warri Kingdom and his wife, Chief Toyin Mabiaku, at the burial ceremony of Chief Kolawole James Ibukunoluwa, father inlaw to the Iyasere., at Akure, Ondo State.. Photo: Dare Fasube

Cross section of clergy men that presided over the funeral service.

From left: Chief Roland Adi Omagbemi, Chief Thomas Ereyitomi and Chief Emmanuel Jowo, at the burial ceremony

Mrs. Bosede Kehinde, Mr. Oluwafemi Kolawole and Mrs. Toyin Mabiaku, children of Chief Ibukunoluwa, the deceased.

From left: Engr. Muyideen Akinsanya, Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage; Mr. Tunji Bello, Lagos State Commissioner; Dr. Taofeek Folami, Special Adviser to Governor on Environment and Mrs. Adebola Afun, Permanent Secretary (all of the Lagos State Ministry of Environment), during the press briefing by Lagos State Government on preparation for this year's rain/floodling, at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos. Photo: Kehinde From left: Alhaji Sambo Dasuki, National Security Adviser; Hon. Gbadamosi Emeka Ihedioha, Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives and Elder Godsday Orubebe, Niger Delta Development Minister, during a parley at the Presidential Villa, Abja. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida

From left: Shaibu Mohammed, Secretary General, Rice Millers, Importers and Distributors Association of Nigeria (RiMIDAN); Tahir Musa, Assistant Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service, Head of Operations, Customs Headquarters, Abuja and Mr. Tunji Owoeye, President, RiMIDAN and Chandra Shekhar, Vice President, RiMIDAN, at the donation and official presentation of 150 patrol trucks to the Nigeria Customs Service, in Abuja.

From right: Barr. Okwudili Obiagwu; Prof. Pat Utomi, Chairman of the occasion; his wife, Dr. Ifeoma Utomi; Engr. Nche Nworah, Chief Unveiler of the book; his wife, Mrs. Oby Nworah; Mr. Obiora Okoye, Author/ Senior Manager, CIBN and Mr. Ossy Solomon, Co-author, during the public presentation of the book entitled, ‘Towards Excellence in Life and Destiny,’ In Lagos.

40 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013

Illegal deductions: Why we’re not on strike, by Bauchi NLC boss

B

BY SUZAN EDEH

AUCHI—THE Bauchi State chapter of Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, has given reasons why it has not yet called out its members on strike over illegal deductions of workers allowances for the funding of the Orphans and Vunerable Children, OVC, in the state.

State Chairman of the NLC, Mr. Hasimu Gital, who made this known said it had not carried out its intended strike action over the issue because of the dialogue going on between the government and the NLC. Gital noted that the ultimatum it earlier gave to the government over the matter was not effective as negotiations between the office of the head of service, the state Joint Negotiation Council and labour was still on, with a view of stopping the deduction.

Royal fathers seek more assistance for flood victims

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN CITY— TRADI TIONAL rulers from Illushi kingdom, in Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo State, one of the flood ravaged communities in the state, have appealed to well meaning organizations and individuals to come to the aid of the community, saying that the people are still suffering from the devastation caused by the flood in the area.

His Royal Highness Christopher Ike Kebordih, the Ebije I of Illushi kingdom, who made this appeal while receiving relief materials from the Salvation Army, lamented that the people of the area are still confused as to how to start their normal lives.

He added that they would require serious intervention from well meaning Nigerians before they will be able to commence their normal lives.

Aribisala sues LPPC, Bank over withdrawal of SAN rank

BY INNOCENT ANABA

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AGOS—A senior lawyer, Chief Ajobila Aribisala, whose rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria was recently withdrawn by Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee, has dragged the committee and Fidelity Bank Plc before a Lagos High Court, challenging the committee’s decision to deprive him the use of the rank of SAN. When the matter came up before Justice Adefowope Okogie, counsel to the bank, said the objection filed by the bank should be heard first, but Aribisala’s counsel differed, arguing that it should be taken alongside the substantive suit.

The court, meanwhile, adjourned the matter till April 23, to rule on which application to hear first.

Aribisala in the suit, is praying the court to nullify his suspension from the use of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, with its accompanying privileges, which decision was taken by LPPC on February 26, 2013 despite the pendency of an application dated October 19, 2012 seeking to restrain the committee in that regard, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

He is also asking the court to direct immediate restoration of parties in this suit to the status quo ante bellum as at October

22, 2012 when the defendants were served with the originating processes including the motion on notice dated October 19, 2013 seeking to restrain LPPC pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

Aribisala is asking the court to restrain LPPC from giving any effect to or implementing or con-

tinuing to implement, or carrying out any act or making any form of publicity relating to his alleged suspension from the use of the rank of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria pending the hearing and determination of this suit.

He was suspended from using the rank of SAN following a petition against him by Fidelity Bank.

Aribisala denied overcharging the bank, saying that his bill was in accordance with the provisions of the Legal Practitioners (Remuneration for Legal Practitioner Documentation and other Land Matters) Order.

He said that he made several demands on the bank to pay up his legal fees after helping the bank to perfect its documents in respect of different properties acquired by the bank.

PRESENTATION: President Goodluck Jonathan (middle); Chairman, Presidential Task Team on the 2012 Christian Pilgrimage, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor (2nd right); Vice President Namadi Sambo (2nd left); Primate of All Nigeria, Anglican Communion, His Grace, Bishop Nicholas Okoh (right), and Executive Secretary, Christian Pilgrims Commission, Mr. John Opara, at the presention of Task Team’s report to the President in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

Monarch lauds NHIS on maternal, child healthcare

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BY SUZAN EDEH

AUCHI—THE Emir of Dass in Bauchi State, Alhaji Usman Othman has attributed the improvements recorded in maternal and child health care in the state to the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS. Othman spoke yesterday, in Bauchi when members of the enligthment committee on NHIS led by it’s Chairman, Alhaji Ahmed Sale, paid him a courtesy visit in his palace.

The Emir said: “ Women’s patronage of health facilities in the state has increased in recent times because they now troop to hospitals and clinics to access health care services now available through the NHIS at affordable rates.

Cases of maternal and infant mortality is also reducing as pregnant women who usually delivered at home with the support of traditional birth attendants now seek professional assistance in government health facilities.”

The Emir urged the state

government to extend the NHIS scheme from urban to the rural communities where majority of the people reside, adding that such a move would enable nursing mothers to deliver with ease and reduce complications associated with conveying pregnant women to urban areas.

Earlier,while briefing the Emir about the committee’s assignment, Alhaji Sale said about 70,000 civil servants had been accessing the NHIS facilty in the state, hence the development had assisted in preventing outbreaks of epidemics.

Sale said: “The state govermnet set up the committee on NHIS

eligthenment so that most rural communities which are yet to benefit from the scheme would have access to affordable medical services.

“For the scheme to effectively achieve it’s goals, traditional rulers must mobilize their subjects so that the people can be educated at the grassroots.”

Nigerian Peace Corps moves to recruit 5,000 youths

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BY SUZAN EDEH

AUCHI—THE Bauchi State Command of the Nigerian Peace Corps, NPC, has said that it would recruit more than 5,000 unemployed youths to complement the efforts of other security agencies in the state and ensure lasting peace in the state.

This is coming against the backdrop of increasing cases of criminal activities allegedly occasioned by high rate of youth unemployment in the state.

Speaking in an interview with Vanguard in Bauchi, yesterday, the Commandant of

the NPC, Mr. Patriot Maxwell, said the organisation was established to assist youths to be self reliant by training and providing them with jobs in the areas of security so that they can contribute their quota towards the maintenance of law and order.

Maxwell said that the Bauchi State Government, had through the Local Government Service Commission, LGSC, purchased over 3,000 forms for selected youths from all the 20 local government areas of the state preparatory to the recruitment.

He said: ’’Already, adequate ar-

rangements have been put in place to mobilize them to the training camp at Wailo NYSC parade ground along Maiduguri road after which they would be posted to the 20 local governments in the state. ’’The command has also written to the state government through the state Environmental Sanitation and Protection Agency, BASEPA, to ensure strict compliance in monitoring the monthly sanitation exercise in the state.

This is to provide a platform for NPC personnel to be very active as the exercise would go a long way in boosting the revenue profile of the state.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH12, 2013 — 41

C M Y K

42— Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013

Ago Palace Way remains agony of resident

BY BASHIR ADEFAKA

T

HE terrible condition of Ago Place Way in the Isolo Local Council Development Area of Lagos State has remained unresolved.

The dilapidated situation of the road has caused loss of lives. Three years ago , the government tried to fix it but they did a bad job .In no time, it became a nightmare to ply .

It was worse than the original state.

Ago Palce Way is a long stretch of road that serves many communities. It is an area inhabited by hundreds of thousands of people .

Residential estates, shopping malls and offices along the road are uncountable. Yet, such road is persistently denied the necessary attention it deserves over the years.

Terrible condition When Vanguard visited the area yesterday, the condition of the road was simply terrible.

There were water logs everywhere and one could see the agony on the faces of the road users .

Lorries fall easily on the road and four wheelers get trapped in the gullies.

From Amanata/Ibi-Iwoye Street side through Kasine Gym, Baba Ewe, Century to the last bus stop, the situation was horrible.

At the AP Filling Station, along the road, the sand- filling there seemed to worsen the situation. The palliative was said to have been carried out by an individual, who lives off the road, to prevent water from overflowing into his compound.

According to a source, the

man had insisted that he would not allow the sandfill to be removed until the road was fixed.

Generally, the bad condition of Ago Place Way has inflicted untold hardship on commuters as transporters have hiked their fares by 100 percent from N70 to N100 and when it rains they collect N150 or more at will.

Many motorists avoid the road for the damage it does to their vehicles .

A resident said: “Four years ago, because of bad condition of the road, a container fell on a couple and because of that sad incident, government tried to fix the road using interlocking tiles. But they were washed away by rains. They did a poor job .The residents including transporters in the area have called on the State government to come quickly to their aid as life has become unbearable for them.

Residents are passionately appealing to the Fahola government to quickly intervene and rescue them from the agony that is Ago Road .

They believe that no government would see such a terrible road and ignore it, concluding that the contractor was the problem .

Whatever is the case , Ago residents want their governor or his representative to pay a visit to the road on the ground that no government would see this and not do something about it .

Different faces of Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos

Lagos reopens Ladipo auto spare parts market

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

T

WO weeks after the popu lar Ladipo auto spare parts market, Mushin Local Government Area was shut over violation of the state environmental laws, the Lagos state government, yesterday ordered it’s reopening for normal operations with conditions.

The reopening was announced by the Ministry of the Environment after a tripartite C M Y K

meeting which had in attendance, the Chairman, Mushin Local Government, Mr. Babatunde Adepitan, and the Traders’ Association with conditions which include: Non-conversion of the drainage Right of Way (RoW) into trading points and mechanic workshops; Non-conversion of the access roads in the market for trading activities, non-conversion of the shops in the market for residential purposes, no dumping of wastes and vehicle parts into the canal, main-

taining the general cleanliness of the market at all times and Ladipo Central Executive Committee, LACEC, was empowered to ensure same.

Traders’ union boss reacts The Chairman of the Ladipo Main Market, Mr. Kingsley Ikechukwu, when contacted expressed joy over the action of the government, saying “It has brought a huge relief to us.”

According to Ikechukwu, “We will not be opening the market until tomorrow. (today). What

we will be doing now is to contact other traders on the new development, for them to come and commence business tomorrow (today).

“We really thank the government for the gesture. We will abide by the terms of the agreement signed.”

It would be recalled that Governor Babatunde Fashola, in company of his Imo State counterpart, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, last Thursday visited the market, where Okoroacha appealed onbehalf of the traders

on the need to reopen the market.

But Fashola restated that the market would be re-opened once the identified problems are resolved through a joint effort between the government, traders and their cultural cum political leadership.

The market was shut on the orders of the state government on Monday, February 25, 2013, following flagrant abuse of sanitation laws including indiscriminate dumping of refuse inside drainage channels.

Gover

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013 — 43

Community sacked by flood 5 years ago still helpless •Residents become nomadic occupants, others vacate homes

ts

BY MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

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CTIVITIES in Aiyetoro-Abuletuntun community in Ojokoro Local Council Development Area, LCDA, were halted five-years-ago following a massive flood which sacked the residents.

The worse hit areas are Oluwaseyi and Olaniyi streets; where residents have completely abandoned their homes or go on yearly compulsory vacation, during the rains to allow the floods that usually occupy their community to recede. Since the first remarkable flooding in the community in 2007, activities there have remained at zero level.

A visit to the once busy streets revealed the level of havoc the disaster visited on the community especially the two streets.

Vanguard gathered that unspecified number of lives have been lost to flood within the five years.

While landlords who couldn’t withstand the stress of nomadic occupancy, have totally abandoned their structures; never returning to check their conditions since they left.

It was learnt that some landlords left their structures to squat with relatives or rent houses elsewhere; starting life afresh as tenants.

Some of the abandoned buildings are getting dilapidated, overgrowing with weeds. Others not taken over by weeds have since turned to full time joints for drug addicts and peddlers.

It was also gathered that a few others however who haven’t completely

abandoned their houses acquire chattels to aid their fleeing in times of downpour to avoid the fury of flood.

One of the landlords left in Oluwaseyi street, Mr. Claudius Olaniyi said “Due to the perennial flooding, houses on this street are now deserted.

“Many landlords have abandoned their structures due to the flood which has continuously ravaged the community especially Olaniyi and Oluwaseyi Streets. For instance all the rooms in my house were occupied before the perennial flood. But immediately it started in 2007, all my tenants left and today, 10 out the 12 rooms are empty.”

According to Olaniyi, “I completed my house in 1983 and we never experienced any flood until 2007.

“After the first flood, we embarked on investigation to know the cause and

we discovered that water from various communities was channeled into ours.

Immediately, we constructed walls around the street but our effort became futile, as the raging flood destroyed the walls. The next year (2008), we dug drainage channels around us but they couldn’t solve the problem.

“After that year, we realised that the problem of flood cannot be solved through communal effort but by government intervention. And we began to write letters to the state Governor, Babatunde Fashola and the council chairman for immediate intervention.”

Mr. Mudashiru Olayinka, another landlord, said; “I cannot afford to erect another building. I built this house when I was still working for the Lagos state Government and today, I am retired.. That was the reason why I cannot abandon my house completely.”

One of the affected houses on Oluwaseyi Street, Ojokoro LCDA

CDA, top civil servant tango over land for devt

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

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EMBERS of the New-life Community Development Association, in the Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area, of Lagos state, are currently in confrontation with one of the top state government officials, Chief Jobi Ososanya, resident in the area The disagreement is over the erection of a wall on a piece of land the people said used to be an access road at Olufemi Ogunshola Street in the area.

It was gathered that, the wall

had been erected three times and demolished by members of the community who felt the action was illegal.

In the previous confrontation, it was also alleged that two out of those arrested and jailed by the special court attached to the Taskforce on Environment, Alausa, Ikeja for bringing down the wall later died, apparently, as a result of torture suffered in the hands of security personnel To show their disapproval to the erection of the wall, members of the CDA, mostly youths, lat week marched to the site of the erected wall on Ogunsola Street, bringing it down completely.

clinic as well as a public library on the piece of land adjoining Olufemi Ogunshola street.

“Before then, we had experienced a shocking display of tyranny from one Chief Jobi Ososanya (Chairman Lagos state Civil Services Commission) who expressed a total opposition to the Local Government’s proposed development in the area,” he said.

The Chief was alleged to have claimed ownership of the land which the council planned to develop and in order to halt the move, he erected a fence along

the affected piece of land thereby cutting off Olufemi Ogunshola from other streets and the main road leading to Ogba, Ijaiye He was said to have also employed the services of some military police personnel to forcibly denying access to the property.

Hence, in a petition to Governor and Chairman of Ifako-Ijaiye council, the residents stated that the Chief’s action exposed them to hardship and will undoubtedly lead to environmental and socioeconomic disadvantages if not rectified:

Repeated plea to Ososanya

rnor Fashola C M Y K

According to them, the action became necessary following repeated plea to Ososanya, who claimed the area belonged to him as it was meant to be a Close and not an access road.

The street, Vanguard gathered, was approved by the former Ikeja Local Government Council, on December 20, 1979 and named after Olufemi Ogunsola.

Alhaji Dele Folorunsho, Chairman New-life CDA, explained that the community’s action of 28 February 2013, followed the decision of the Ifako Ijaiye LGA to build its medical

The offensive wall on the land in question

When contacted, Chief Osasanya, maintained that the land belonged to him, and was quick to direct enquiries to the state Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development for clarification.

“I don’t have much to say on this, you need to visit the site, the land in question is wider than the road go to physical planning it’s my land and government told me to go and possess the land.

“You need to go to the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development to find out the true position of things,” he said.

44 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH12, 2013

C M Y K

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013—45

For $8.50, a woman gets 5 years protection from unwanted pregnancy

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

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• The 50 percent price reduction will enable more than 28 million unintended pregnancies between 2013 and 2018, and, ultimately, prevent approximately 280,000 infant and 30,000 maternal deaths.

OR just N1,333 (US$8.50), a woman in Ni geria can now obtain full protection from an unwanted pregnancy by purchasing a reliable, reversible contraceptive implant that provides full protection from an unwanted pregnancy for five years.

This development is made possible through an innovative partnership known as the Jadelle Access Programme, that enables more than 27 million women in Nigeria and at least 49 other countries, have access to an effective, long-acting, reversible contraceptive implant, at less than half the price.

Jadelle (Levonorgestrel), an implant contraceptive device manufactured by Bayer Healthcare AG, has been pre-qualified by the World Health Organisation, WHO, since September 2009, and provides effective contraception for women for up to five years.

The Jadelle Access Programme is in line with the pledge by global leaders at the July 2012 London Summit on Family Planning, to provide additional 120 million women in developing countries with contraceptive access by 2020.

Essentially, it is an agreement signed by Bayer HealthCare AG, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, CHAI, the Governments of Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States and Sweden, and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation, CIFF and the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, to expand access to contraceptives for women in coun-

Psychiatrist seeks effective mental health policy for Nigeria

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

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ON-IMPLEMENTATION of the National Policy on Mental Health in Nigeria may be promoting the culture of negative beliefs about mental health disorders in the country.

A Consultant Psychiatrist/Lecturer, at the Department of Behavioural Medicine, Lagos State University College of Medicine, LASUCOM, Dr. Rotimi Coker, is advocating the integration of mental health into primary care, provision of drugs in primary care clinics and reduction of stigma about mental health disorders.

Coker, who spoke at a workshop organised by Guinness Nigeria Plc in collaboration with Lagos State Ministry of Health on “Responsible Drinking and Mental Health for Health Editors and Nollywood Script Writers", said the National Mental health Policy developed in 1991, identifies the need to ensure equality and social justice.

"Stigma is common irrespective of education. The attitude to mental disorders in the society is so poor that 78 per cent of Nigerians would be upset working with someone with a mental illness while 83 per cent would be ashamed if people knew they had a relative with mental illness" "Culture has not helped the problem

either as interpretation of mental illness depends on the culture of the people.

The society believes that mental illness is caused by witches and supernatural factors and it only means madness."

Regretting the consequences of negative attitude to mental health in the country, he declared that: "The time to break mental health social stigma is now."

Coker said at least 1 out of every 12 Nigerians will have a mental illness in their lifetime and 1-2 of every eight will experience a mental illness, while suicide attempts are on the increase withabout four -fold among persons with anxiety disorder, six fold among persons with substance use disorders and 18 fold among persons with depression.

"The real impact of mental disorders is not because they increase the chances of dying, it is because they cause considerable disability and impairment of role functioning.

He said mental disorders often go untreated even though effective treatments are available, and disclosed that large Nigerian study shows that proportions of persons with mental illness receiving no treatment in the previous 12 months is 90 per cent in all cases and 82 per cent in serious cases.

He traced the unmet need for mental health service in Nigeria on neglect by all tiers of government, community ig-

norance, social stigma, general decay in the health system and inadequate mental healthcare personnel.

Currently, Nigeria has only 130 psychiatrists serving 160 million people and most of these specialists are located in few cities across the country.

Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Femi Olugbile who represented the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris said the state in partnership with other partners like Guinness Nigeria Plc, is synergizing their efforts in spreading the message of drug abuse with special emphasizes on mental health.

tries deemed least likely to meet the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, on maternal and child health by 2015.

Under this agreement, as from January 1, 2013, the cost of the implant has been reduced from N2, 844 (US$18) to N1,333 (US$8.50) per unit, The initiative is also designed to increase availability of quality, life-saving commodities at an optimal price and volume, as recommended by the UN Commission on Life-Saving Commodities.

Freundliche Grüße, spokesperson for Bayer Healthcare AG, told Good Health Weekly that within the Jadelle Access Programme, Nigeria has a high priority and aid organisations have concrete plans to increase the access for Jadelle to women in Nigeria.

“The price of US$8.50 is effective since January 1st 2013. Governments and aid organisations can procure Jadelle at the reduced price of $8.50 effective immediately. Procurement processes and logistics cycles will remain unchanged.

“Any (customer) organisation who wants to (get) purchase Jadelle from us can get Jadelle for a price of US$8.50.

There is no special procurement process needed. This partnership is committed to ensuring that Jadelle reaches the women who need it most. Bayer HealthCare AG and other partners are working with in-country organizations to train more health care providers in counseling and the provision of highquality clinical services. In addition, they are working to improve delivery systems so that a range of family planning options are accessible even in the most remote locations.

“When fully implemented, the Jadelle Access Programme will avert more than 28 million unintended pregnancies between 2013 and 2018, and, ultimately, prevent approximately 280,000 infant and 30,000 maternal deaths. In total, the programme will save an estimated US$250 million in global health costs.

She said to aid in this, large agencies, such as UNFPA and the USAID, as well as non-state providers, are currently communicating the price reduction to their country offices and government partners to encourage implemen

Continues on page 46

Ejigbo LCDA launches tele-medicine services the local government, where a woman lost

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

T

OWARDS boosting primary health care services, the Ejigbo Local Council Development Area has launched a telemedicine initiative. It will allow residents with emergency health problems call toll-free lines from their homes, in anticipation of obtaining quick medical assistance. During the launch in Ailegun primary health centre,Council Chairman, Kehinde Bamigbetanthe explained that the idea first crossed his mind after a particular sad incident occurred last year in

her four day old baby who was diagnosed with jaundice, simply because nobody took cognizance of the fact there was an ambulance available that could be used to convey the child swiftly to the nearest general hospital for further treatment.

Bamigbetan added that the incident informed the initiative knowing that if his administration could provide toll free lines at the six health centres of the council and also allocate another line to the council’s ambulance, residents with emergency health issues could call any of the lines, to pave way for quick response.

46— Vanguard, TUESD AY, MARCH 12, 2013 TUESDA

NMA seeks pro-women legislations

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

O

• Nigeria’s Coordinator, League of Democratic Students and 500-level Civil Engineering student, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, Mr. Okechukwu Morgan (left), presenting ‘Icon of the Nation Building of the Year Award to DG, NIMR, Professor Innocent Ujah in Lagos, recently.

N this year’s International Women's Day, President of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, has called on the National Assembly and other legislative institutions to expedite action on all pro-women legislations currently receiving attention in order to deal with various sources of pain to the Nigerian woman.

Describing the women as a vessel for continuity of life, Osahon said the Bill for an Act to criminalise all forms of violence against women, such as rape and Female Genital Mutilation; promotion of effective Maternal and Child health including Reproductive Health Rights of Women and effective immunisation require urgent action.

He said all discriminatory policies and

Advanced, low-cost cancer tests debut in Nigeria

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BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

OPE has appeared on the horizon for advanced, low-cost cancer diagnosis in Nigeria and South Africa, courtesy of an exclusive licence agreement between Global Health Management Informatics, GHMI - a Houstonbased company focusing on advancing effective and affordable healthcare solutions - and AnalizaDx, a Clevelandbased company developing a pipeline of next-generation cancer diagnostics products.

Under the partnership terms, GHMI in agreement with AnalizaDx is offering its simple blood-based cancer diagnostics and screening tests to enable early and effective treatment while re-

ducing unnecessary procedures Through its network of collaborations with leading hospitals and clinical laboratories, GHMI will begin offering AnalizaDx's PSA/SIA, a next generation prostate cancer test that has demonstrated superior performance in differentiating between prostate cancer and other benign conditions using blood sample. Follow-on tests will target breast, colon, ovarian, and other cancers.

Dr. Arnon Chait, President of AnalizaDx, said the technology platform provides lab-based solutions that could bring definitive answers to millions using blood-based analysis of protein biomarker structure.

Also speaking, Dr. Debo AwosikaOlumo, President/CEO of GHMI stated: "With operations in the US and Africa, we plan to enable smooth transfer of technology and diagnostics products in the near futuer.

"We are pleased to enter into this ground-breaking agreement to allow us to offer a series of advanced low-cost cancer tests throughout the African continent. We believe this partnership will result in many saved lives, while making good use of precious healthcare resources in both developed and emerging markets in Africa," he said.

The partnership is being extended to other parts of Africa and Islands of The Caribbean.

hostilities against women should be discarded while more women-friendly policies be enacted and implemented.

"NMA most remarkably salutes the unrivalled support, unfailing affection and unwavering loyalty of the Nigerian woman exemplified by Nigeria's First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan and other women who have in no mean magnitude demonstrated unequivocal support and faithfulness to their spouses in various positions of authority in Nigeria. "The NMA is also quite appreciative of the nobility and grace of Nigerian medical women, who through sheer hard work and unequalled doggedness combine the arduous task of family upkeep with the doctrinal role of patient care," he added.

For $8.50 Continued from page 44 tation and uptake.

Less than 20 percent of Nigerian women have full access to a reliable contraceptive while just a handful utilise implants. Globally, more than 200 million women and girls in developing countries who do not want to get pregnant lack access to modern contraceptives.

Studies show that of the 600 million women in developing countries who are using modern methods of family planning only 1 to 2 percent use implants, but that a significantly greater proportion would choose implants if they were consistently available and supported by counseling and clinical services. In many programmes where implants are offered today, they are one of the fastest growing methods of choice.

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

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ELLO everybody. New sexual health products have arrived for the month of March and beyond. We will discuss the key ones today and you can see the rest at www.zeevirtualmedia.com under ‘new products’.

The first of these products is the On for Him Testosterone Cream. It is a revolutionary product that increases male sex drive naturally without drugs. It is in cream form and is applied on specific areas of the body just like body cream. Middle aged and older men with diminished sexual desire will benefit from On for Him Testosterone Cream. It is doctor approved with a 98.8 percent success rate.

Another highly anticipated product for men that is finally available is the Exploding Thunder male performance supplement. Exploding Thunder is a classic all natural erection enhancer that strengthens weak erections, revitalises failed erections and enables multiple sexual performances and staying power. It is so strong that one capsule lasts between 48 to 72 hours and works on stimulation to enable men get an erection whenever and wherever.

Still on the subject of libido boosters, we also have the Max for Men Arousal Oil. It is suitable for men with mild erectile dysfunction who don’t like taking tablets.

When applied on the penis, Max for Men Arousal Oil signals the smooth muscles surrounding the blood vessels in the penis to relax, thus allowing dilation of the blood vessels to increase blood flow and assist with increased blood engorgement of the penis, stronger libido and exciting sexual sensations. It is hard to find a reliable arousal cream and this one promises to be a cut above the rest.

If you lack sexual stamina and you are in need of a novelty that just gives performance energy, then the Wonderland Love Potion is perfect. The Wonderland Love Potion is a sexual energy drink that infuses the user with sexual stamina for hours of sexual performance. It also aids sexual arousal but is mainly for performance energy.

And for women, we have two new realistic vibrators, two high quality strap ons, two aphrodisiacs and a warming

lubricant. Female sexual problems often have to do with a lack of arousal or the lack of sexual enjoyment due to men’s premature ejaculation issues. So for female arousal, we have the Spanish Fly Mints. These come in tablet form that taste a bit like candy and start working within thirty minutes of consumption.

Whereas the Spanish Fly Mints work from within the body to excite and arouse, this next product for women stimulates from the outside. It is the O’My Clitoral Arousal Gel. O my Clitoral Arousal Gel is a very popular stimulating gel for women and assists with the treatment of sexual dysfunctions in women often linked to long term medical diseases, minor ailments, medications and psychosocial difficulties; factors that impact a woman’s ability to achieve orgasm.

Of course, if you are a dissatisfied woman in need of sexual pleasure, you will need more than just aphrodisiacs to solve your problem. The two new realistic vibrators that just arrived complete the equation. They are the X5 Vibrating 7 Inch dildo and Mr Just Right 8 inch Vibrator.

So whether you like it big or really big, these two vibrators are super effective in stimulation, pleasuring and the delivery of non-stop orgasms. They are brown like our skin colour and very realistic.

Some women prefer strap-ons to vibrators, especially when they have company. The Crotchless Strap-On and Strap-On Booty Shorts are two new arrivals in this category and they are beautiful, durable, powerful and pleasurable. Of course you need a lubricant for these vibrators and strap-ons and the new ID Moments Warming Lubricant fits the bill. Sometimes the vaginal temperature is just too cold for comfort. At times like these, a lubricant like the ID Moments Warming lubricant is best for intercourse.

And that’s it for today. Adults in need of these novelties and treatments can call us on 08027901621 or 08051924159 or any other number here to order or they can order online at www.zeevirtualmedia.com. We deliver to you wherever you are in Nigeria. For enquiries email us at custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com - Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

Vanguard, TUIESDAY, MARCH 12 , 2013 — 47

ICC drops case against Kenyatta T

HE International Criminal Court (ICC) has dropped charges against Francis Muthaura, a co-accused of Kenya’s presidential election winner Uhuru Kenyatta, the prosecutor has said.

Fatou Bensouda said some witnesses were too scared to testify, while another had recanted his

statement.

Mr Muthaura was accused of fueling violence after the 2007 election.

Lawyers for Mr Kenyatta, who won last week’s elections, said similar charges against him should be dropped.

He is due to be tried later this year.

Mr Muthaura, a former cabinet secretary, was on the same side as Mr Kenyatta during the disputed 2007 election, following which more than 1,000 people were killed and about 600,000 were left homeless.

Mr Kenyatta is accused of organizing attacks on members of ethnic groups seen as

supporting Raila Odinga against President Mwai Kibaki. He denies the charges.

Ms Bensouda stressed that her decision had no relation to Mr Kenyatta’s victory over Mr Odinga in the 4 March election.

“Let me be absolutely clear on one point - this decision applies only to Mr Muthaura,” she said

in a statement. “It does not apply to any other case.”

Ms Bensouda said she had dropped charges against Mr Muthaura for the following reasons: *Several people who may have provided important evidence have died, while others were “too afraid” to testify for the prosecution; *The “disappointing fact” that Kenya’s government had failed to

provide important evidence, and failed to facilitate access to witnesses; and *A key witness against Mr Muthaura had “recanted a crucial part of his evidence” and admitted taking bribes.

“My decision today is based only on the specific facts of the case against Mr Muthaura, and not on any other consideration,” Ms Bensouda added.

Carry citizens along, Gen. Nwachukwu tells FG G

OVERNMENTS at all levels in the country have been urged to work very hard to restore the confidence and trust of the populace in government, politics and politicians.

According to him, the current state of disconnect between government and the people in virtually every African country including Nigeria must be overcome.

General Nwachukwu who is the Chairman of the Governing Council of Nigerian Institute of International Affairs stated this in a speech he gave yesterday at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, John Hopkins University, Washington D.C. United States.

The former Nigerian Minister of External Affairs submitted that Democracy cannot survive in an environment of distrust, suspicion and general apathy. He called for the review of current economic policies which tend to depend on petroleum resources as the major source of government revenue.

According to him “strenuous and determined effort must be made to restore agriculture to its prime position, especially given the fact that about seventy percent (70%) of our population depend on it”.

He spoke in favour of massive investments in agriculture as a major platform for wealth creation for the vast

majority of Nigerians who are so devastated by poverty that they do not have the courage and resources to defend democracy especially when threatened and manipulated by blundering politicians.

General Nwachukwu called for the empowering of women as well as the youth and the rural population which he said should be regarded as investment in democratic consolidation and sustainability.

General Nwachukwu strongly advocated the enthronement and institutionalization of a political culture which emphasizes equity, social justice, fairness, honesty, accountability, integrity, inclusiveness, women and youth empowerment and equality of all before the law regardless of social and political status, or ethnic and religious affiliation. He advised political parties in Nigeria to institutionalize internal democratic practices in their operations, especially the nomination of people to run for political offices.

The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of The John Hopkins University is a world renowned graduate school devoted to the study of international relations.

The African Studies programme at SAIS focuses on key political, economic and social questions in contemporary Africa.

48—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013

Estate surveyors demand special housing intervention fund

By JUDE NJOKU

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ORRIED by the grow ing rate of homelessness in the country, the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers NIESV, has called on the Federal Government to create a housing intervention fund to reduce the housing shortfall estimated at over 16 million units. The housing experts insist that the Federal Government should intervene in this critical sector as it did in other key but troubled sectors of the economy.

The President of the Institution, Mr. Emeka Eleh who spoke ahead of the institution’s 43rd Annual General Conference, AGC which kicks off in Benin City tomorrow, also called for a review of the nation’s mortgage policy.

Lamenting the inability of most Nigerians to access mortgage facilities from banks, Eleh who identified high interest rates as a major challenge of the mortgage banking sector, argued that it will require a special intervention fund from government for mortgage banks to provide low interest facilities to property developers and individuals wishing to own properties. He also make a strong case for the involvement of conventional retail banks in the administration of such intervention fund to ensure wider spread of access to the facility.

“There must be a direct intervention of government in the housing sector as was done to sectors such as banking, aviation and agriculture”, declared Eleh and suggested that such intervention could be in the region of N50b to stimulate the housing industry and create jobs.

He pointed out that government’s intervention in the housing sector will reduce unemployment in the country as the industry support many other subsidiary businesses such as food, water and sand supplies as well as building materials. According to the NIESV’s President, “an average construction site generates huge formal and informal job opportunities ranging from food retailers, sand and water suppliers, building materials and the artisans that work directly at the sites”.

On access to mortgage facilities, Eleh canvassed for the

*Hold AGC in Benin involvement of retail banks in the disbursement of government mortgage funds to take advantage of their spread to reach subscribers all over the country. He said it is important that government sets up a Mortgage Liquidity Company in partnership with the World Bank and International Finance Company to admin-

ister the mortgage funds through commercial retail banks.

“Mortgage Banks as presently structured and constituted cannot stimulate housing development. The retail banks are better placed and structured to make the mortgage system more effective. The intervention funds provided

through Mortgage and Retail Banks will force down interest rates and ordinary Nigerians can access housing funds, he said.

Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to declare the Institution’s AGC open tomorrow at the Best Western Hotel in the Edo State capital.

NIESV Publicity Secretary, Otunba Victor Ayeye disclosed that the conference will be deliberate on ways to actualize the nation’s infrastructural development and economic empowerment. He said over 3000 members of the Institution are expected to attend the conference. Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and Minister of Lands, Ms Ama Pepple are also billed to address the conference.

Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili, the immediate past Vice President (Africa) of the World Bank is expected to deliver the keynote lecture while five other speakers are lined up for the two day conference.

According to Ayeye, “We have a former Minister for Education and member of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Economic team, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili as the lead speaker and the other speakers include Mr Ghali Bello, now Ag DG of ICRC, Mr. Adekunle Oyinloye, the Managing Director of Infrastructure Bank Plc, Dr. Christian Oboh, the Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Dr Doyin Salami of Lagos Business School and Dr. B. J Patunola-Ajayi, the second vicepresident of NIESV”.

Home and Office Exhibition gets new partners

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•A housing estate in Lagos... Are they affordable?

Name change for Intercontinental Homes; raises share capital to N10bn

By KINGSLEY ADEGBOYE

T

HE Board of Directors of Intercontinental Homes Savings and Loans Plc was last week given approval by the primary mortgage institution, PMI’s shareholders to change the name of the mortgage firm to City Trust Mortgage Bank Plc. The shareholders also unanimously mandated the Board to raise the share capital of the PMI from N7 billion to N10 billion. This is to ensure that the mortgage institution has enough funds to run its affairs effectively.

The change of name and in-

crease in share capital which were meant to reflect the new ownership structure of the PMI were some of the key decisions taken at the bank’s 4th Annual General Meeting, AGM held in Lagos last week.

Three new directors - Mr. Etigwe Uwa (SAN), Mr. Uduma Okoro Kalu and Mr. Tamuno Atekebo were also elected at the AGM. New owners had acquired Intercontinental Homes from Access Bank which inherited it, after the bank’s acquisition of the defunct Intercontinental Bank Plc which hitherto owned the mortgage bank.

Access Bank Plc had divested its interest in the mortgage bank in accordance with

the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN’s recent directive that banks quit non-core banking businesses. Following Access Bank’s divestment from Intercontinental Homes, the four directors representing the bank on the mortgage institution’s board resigned and a new board was constituted on January 28 this year.

Reacting to shareholders’ observation that no dividends were declared by the bank for two consecutive years, the Managing Director, Mr. Niyi Akinlusi said the entire mortgage industry had been in transition since the past two years. He attributed this to new rules being issued by the regulatory agencies.

OME and Office Exhibition, the annual event organised by PR Distinction in collaboration with NTA Properties Investment Limited kicks off tomorrow at the Lagos Country Club, in Ikeja GRA. The expo which ends on Friday, has attracted new partners in Messrs Portland Paints and Products, makers of Sandtex decorative paints and 3invest Intelligence, a media firm.

Head Consultant, PR Distinction, Mrs. Alero Edu explained that the fair will showcase latest designs in home furniture, home appliances, interior decorations, house finishing materials, security gadgets, cleaning and safety equipment from various exhibitors.

She further explained that this year’s event will attract more than 3,000 visitors. “Our major targets are government agencies and functionaries, procurement managers, specifiers, high net worth individuals, estate developers, interior decorators, private and public organizations and the general public,” she said.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013 — 49

Federal Roads Authority may replace FERMA

By FAVOUR NNABUGWU

T

HE Federal Government may soon present a Federal Roads Authority Bill to the National Assembly for consideration and passage into law.

The Roads Authority which would be a semi-autonomous road agency, would be responsible for the efficient construction, maintenance and rehabilitation of Federal roads in the country.

Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, an Architect, stated this at a two-day workshop on Road Sector Reform Bill held in Abuja.

“In 1996, when we had a conference in Abuja, it was decided that African continent should reform the administration of the road sector. One of the cardinal recommendations was that a road authority be created that will oversee road development in African countries, just as we have Port Authorities all over the continent,” he said. ”But in our usual manner in this country, some interests crept in when we were carrying out our own reform and we just did it half-heartedly and that led to the creation of FERMA. With all intent and purpose, FERMA was like a stop-gap,” he said.

According to the minister the present administration would, through this road reform, prove that it has the political will to do what is right. “Now we have the political will and we want to do what is right,” he said.

On the imperative of FRA bill, Onolememen added that it would provide for a semi-autonomous road agency that would be responsible for the efficient construction, maintenance and rehabilitation of federal roads and also avail the government with the necessary

framework.

The minister said:” The creation of the FRA is in line with international road management practice. The organisation provides advice to the Minister on road transportation and road infrastructure matters.

It is obvious that any country that needs to grow must be responsive to its infrastructural development needs. Nigeria’s intention of being among the top 20 developed countries by the year 2020 will be a mirage

if the infrastructural potentials of the nation are not harnessed, developed and sustained,” he said, adding that road transportation remains the cornerstone of Nigeria’s economy, accounting for about 95 percent of cargo and passenger traffic. ”There is therefore the need for a sustainable development and maintenance of our country’s road transportation infrastructure as to provide a safe, reliable and free flowing system for motorists and other

road users in order to facilitate economic activities in the country. Best practice around the world indicates that Nigeria cannot overcome its road infrastructure development challenges unless reforms are embarked upon to reposition the road sector and bring it in sync with its peers in the developed and developing nations of the world”.

Also speaking, the Acting Director General of Bureau of Public Enterprises, Mr. Benjamin Dikki, explained that the two bills, would among other things, seek a repeal of the FERMA’s Establishment Act No 7 of 2002 and also improve service delivery in the road sector.

Oshodi-Apapa expressway before Federal intervention

•Il Bagno Bathroom Products

Firm donates toilet facilities to schools A

By KINGSLEY ADEGBOYE

Lagos -based total de sign solution provider firm, Messrs Il Bagno last week unveiled plans to provide toilet facilities to schools in different parts of the country. The company had last year donated toilet facilities to Ikoyi prison.

The Chief Executive Officer of Il Bagno, Mr. Michael Owolabi who made this disclosure in Lagos, stated that apart from providing corporate

social responsibility which is the reason for his company’s action, the firm has no ulterior motive behind the decision to provide toilet facilities to schools and colleges in Nigeria starting from Lagos State.

Urging other corporate bodies to do same in their respective areas of business, Owolabi pointed out that the gesture will go a long way in improving the standards of public infrastructure while enhancing the environment under which the education sub-sector and

other sectors operate in the country. “Last year we donated toilet facilities to Ikoyi prison to improve toilet facilities in the prison. This year, we want to focus on the education sector, starting with Ojodu Primary School, Ojodu, Lagos. We will do it in schools and colleges across the country.

“We urge other corporate bodies in their respective lines of businesses to follow suit in this gesture to generally improve on the state of our public infrastructure. Doing this is only

way we can contribute our quotas to the society. The idea to start with Ojodu Primary School is not for a selfish reason because our clients are major corporate organisations that you cannot find around Ojodu. We will go round in Lagos and other parts of the country.

But our decision to embark on projects anywhere in the country is not influenced by any factor. It is just the we feel we should it”, the Il Bagno boss noted.

Mimiko lauds role of architects in Ondo’s urban renewal programmes

By JUDE NJOKU

T

HE Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko said he deliberately engaged professional architects in his efforts to beautify the state capital because of their (architects) eyes for aesthetics and in order to help correct the disorderliness that once characterised the city.

Dr Mimiko who spoke last week at the quarterly dinner and investiture of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, NIA in Akure, said the urban renewal strategy of his administration was based on his experience while working with renowned architects at the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development when he was the Minister.

Describing architects as wonderful and special people, Mimiko declared: “ They are the best visionaries, while other professionals just actualise their vision. Architects conceptualise something, which is hitherto not in existence, and create it in physical form that will be admired by all. They are not only scientists, but also artists, whose contributions have made very significant contributions to the modest achievements of our administration in the last four years.”

The Governor said his urban renewal programme centred on the mass majority of the people because they desired a cleaner environment to live and to do business in order to avoid any form of disease.

Buttressing the point, the Governor stated that street traders were removed and relocated to modern neighbourhood markets across the state, while other old traditional markets were redesigned into beautiful and neat edifices.

“We are determined to touch and add values to the lives of our people with our programmes and policies as we battle all kinds of generational poverty. That is why we are making aesthetics of our major towns a priority in order to boost the economy of the people in both formal and informal sectors,” he said.

The governor said that in a bid to simplify access to land and building approval without stress, his administration had

50 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH12, 2013

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013—51

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L-r: King Prof. TJT Princewill, Amayanabo of Kalabari welcoming Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, to the Alagba Masquerade Festival in Kalabari, Rivers state: Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke

R - L: Mr. Walter Drenth, Marketing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc; Olu Jacobs, winner of Industry Merit Award; Mrs. Biola Alabi, Managing Director, M-NET Africa; and Mr. John Ugbe, Managing Director, Multichoice Nigeria at the post event press conference of the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA) in Lagos

L-r: Awawu Olumide-Sojinrin, Marketing Lead, Microsoft Nigeria; Aishat Ahmad, Head, High Networth Individuals (HNI), StanbicIBTC; Ugochi Agoreyo, Ayodeji Ajibola and Ijeoma Abazie all Women of WECA, Microsoft Nigeria during a visit to StanbicIBTC as part of activities to mark the International Women’s Day

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52 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH12, 2013

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013—53

NEWS exTRA

Nnaji’s dress.

According to her,”Genevieve’s dress was nice but in my opinion, she shouldn’t have exposed so much.

Even if that was how she felt like dressing, she should have reconsidered because she is a mother.”

W

,

Genevieve is a good dresser and it is quite difficult to imagine her not looking good

By PRISCA SAM-DURU, LAJU ARENYEKA & ANOZIE EGOLE

W

HO says lightning never strikes twice in the same place? Think again. Last week,Stars shone over and over again on the red carpet at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards. Elegant actress and movie diva Omotola Jolade Ekeinde burned brightly in a fiery orange patterned-blue striped floor length dress and then in metallic black of

the same length that seemed to do her more justice than beauty. Mnet MD, Biola Alabi also changed up her dresses, seen in Iconic Invanity, and then later to a strapless gorgeous white dress with gold detailing.

Genevieve also dressed twice. And despite the fact that she lost the best actress award to Ghananian diva Jackie Appiah, she definitely

made more of a profound fashion statement.

While designers who spoke to Vanguard more or less indifferent about the safe but beautiful yellow dress from ‘April by Kunbi’, everyone had something say about ‘the plunge.’ Yep! the pentagon-shaped-leavinglittle-to-the-imagination plunging neckline of the star’s perfectly-tailored-floorlength-with-a-train-to-boot white dress that set social media awash with comments.

For now, no one is sure who exactly designed this

,

dress, but we got other designers to share their views about the popular actress’s new dress sense.

Reacting to Nnaji’s engaging dress posture, fashion designer , Ejiro Amos Tafiri said : “I really liked the dress, it looks classy and I don’t think there was anything wrong with the plunge. If it was Hollywood, no one would mind. It was very Genevieve to me, not out of place at all when it comes to her style.”

Another designer, Trish O had mixed feelings about

hen contacted, another fashion guru, Mai Atafo had not yet seen the much talked about dress. “Did it reveal her boobs?” he asked. When the reporter answered in the affirmative, he replied “Genevieve always thinks out of the box when it comes to style, so if she wore a plunging neckline, then that’s what best defined her at that point in time.” He said.

Another leading designer, Lanre Da’ Silva who was also at the event said she did not see the dress from a close spot,and as she put it, “Genevieve is a good dresser and it is quite difficult to imagine her not looking good.”

“Good dresser” could be a term used to define Jim Iyke, so what exactly happened that led to the shorts and tux. No designer would dare comment, so we tried to find out what the actor had to say in his defence. While at the awards, he tweeted, “At AMVCA, rocked an outfit designed by David Bowler n I.” And when he didn’t get the applause he expected, Jim stayed cool and tweeted, “Never never seen or heard something as insignificant as a pair of shorts provoke so much debate. Damn I’ve horned tish ish to a science.

LMAO!” Thanks for being a good sport Jim, because LYAO we shall!

Still commenting on Genevieve’s fashion statement on AMVCA’s maiden award, Carol Arhere, fashion writer and Public Relation Officer, Daviva company said : “The dress itself was beautiful but for Genevieve, it was too revealing. It is not good for an African woman because of our culture and for her calibre. She should not have put on such revealing dress knowing how many people look up to her as their role model. The areas let open are parts of a woman’s body that should be covered so its a wrong signal to youths who see her as their role model.”

54 —

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013

Iniesta: Barca will beat Milan to make last eight A

NDRES Iniesta in sists Barcelona will overcome their 2-0 deficit against AC Milan to book their place in the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday.

“We will make it through to the next round,” said the Spain midfielder, who could not find a way though a dogged Italian side in the first leg of the last16 tie as Barca slumped to a 2-0 defeat in the San Siro.

“I would put my hand in the fire as many times as I had to for my team. I have absolute confidence that we can do it.

“We have an adverse result, it’s not good, obviously, but our men-

tality and our conviction needs to be that we can turn it around.

“It will be difficult but not impossible. We have to play this match as it if was a final. That’s what our mentality needs to be from the first minute to the last.

“I think the fans are confident that we can turn the tie around.”

Barca would need to score four times against their fellow former Champions League holders if Milan net an away goal, but Iniesta’s Barca team-mate Xavi is not running scared of the task in hand.

“We have to attack and score early,” he said.

“I’m fairly optimistic despite the 2-0 from the away leg.

“It’s the Champions

League, our pride is a bit hurt from the unjust and excessive result from the away leg and from the two defeats to Madrid and we want to recover that sense of winning, of competing, of being a big team.

There’s no better match for that than the one against AC Milan.

“We’ve played our style of football in different ways. The day we faced Spartak, we were losing and we played with three at the back.

“Perhaps Tito Vilanova has something in mind for the match on Tuesday, opening up the pitch or having a fixed centre forward, I don’t know. But we have to attack and score early.”

Andreas Iniesta (l) vies for the ball with Prince Boateng of AC Milan in the first leg at San Siro.

Milan won 2-0

F

RANCK Ribery has been ruled out of the second leg of Bayern Munich’s Champions

League tie with Arsenal on Wednesday with an ankle injury.

The France forward suffered a ligament strain in his left ankle during his side’s 3-2 win over Fortuna Dusseldorf on Saturday.

Midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger and defender Jerome Boateng, who are banned, will also miss the match at the Allianz Arena.

But Arsene Wenger’s side still have a huge task if they are to topple the Bundesliga leaders in the intimidating surroundings of the Allianz Arena.

Jupp Heynckes’ team have won seven of their last eight matches at

C M Y K

keeper and has been ruled out for some weeks, but will not need surgery.

His absence, however, could prove vital as Schalke look to advance after their last-16, firstleg 1-1 draw in Istanbul.

For club bosses, however, victory over Dortmund in Germany’s biggest derby overshadowed the bad news of Huntelaar ’s injury and was exactly

the boost Schalke needed after a bad run.

“That is balm for our soul,” said Schalke sports director Horst Heldt after Saturday’s 21 victory that enabled them to climb back into the Bundesliga top four.

“To deservedly beat the champions does not happen every day and it gives us courage for the tasks ahead,” Heldt told reporters.

Schalke have enjoyed

ANCHESTER, Mar 11: Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has been linked with a move to Bayern Munich in the summer and Germany legend Franz Beckenbauer is open to the transfer saying he would ‘very happy’ to see the England international at the Allianz Arena next season. “I would be very, very happy if Wayne Rooney decided to come to Bayern Munich,” Beckenbauer said. “But is this a rumour or is it true? I don’t know!”

a rollercoaster season that has left the club with only the Champions League title to fight for.

They began well and stayed close to leaders Bayern Munich until late in the year when they imploded, exiting the German Cup and dropping down the table.

Their win on Saturday was their third straight success after a miserable run of one victory in their previous 11 matches.

•Ribery their magnificent home ground, and are favourites to progress to the last eight.

Bayern hold a 3-1 lead from the first leg and are in pole position for a place in the quarterfinals.

Football Rebels premiers on Al Jazeera

Schalke confident despite Huntelaar absence F CHALKE 04 head into Tuesday ’s Champions League clash against Turkey’s Galatasaray fuelled with confidence after beating German champions Borussia Dortmund but will be without key striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

The Dutchman partially tore a ligament in the Ruhr valley derby on Saturday after a collision with his own

M

Ribery out of Arsenal tie

Galatasaray’s Didier Drogba (L) is challenged by and Schalke 04’s Sead Kolasinac (R) (Reuters)

S

Rooney linked with Bayern

ORMER Chelsea and Ivory Coast forward Didier Drogba is the focus of the first episode of Football Rebels, premiering on Al Jazeera on Tuesday, 12 March 2013 at 22:30GMT. Presented and narrated by former Manchester United star Eric Cantona, Football Rebels is a fivepart documentary on five football heroes whose social consciences led them to use their fame and influence to challenge unjust regimes, join opposition

movements and lead the fight for democracy and human rights in their countries.

The first episode explores how Drogba helped the Ivory Coast team qualify for the 2006 world cup and then challenged President Gbagbo to end the civil war in his country.

Episode two looks at how, in 1958, AS Saint Etienne striker Rachid Mekhloufi stealthily left France to join the FLN football team and play for Algerian independence.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013 — 55

AFN resumes camp for Athletics Championship

BY BEN EFE

A

THLETES selected by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria to represent Nigeria at the maiden African Youth Athletics Championships billed for March 27-31 in Warri Delta State, will resume camping today in Port Harcourt Rivers State.

The athletes were selected at the Pastor D. K Olukoya Under-18 Championships held in Lagos last weekend. They will be joined by others who were penciled down at the last Nigeria Schools Sports Festival in Port Harcourt.

Nigeria will be represented by 80 Under-17 junior athletes at the AYC in Warri. According to AFN president, Solomon Ogba the athletes will be camped for two weeks to prepare them adequately for the AYC, which he said Nigeria was not only host-

ing to win, but will also discover junior athletes that will form the nucleus of its grassroots development programme.

He expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the Pastor D.k Olukoya meet. “Everything went well and we were able to achieve our objectives of picking our team.

Though we had the challenge of some of these kids writing their exams, we are working towards presenting a good team for Nigeria at the Youth Championships,” Ogba stated.

Delta emerged tops at the D.K Olukoya Championships. Delta State Sports Council boss, Mr. Pinnick Amaju stated that all the State’s athletes that can win gold for the Nigeria team for the AYC and will awarded scholarships to further their education.

Athletes race at the D.K. Odukoya Junior meet

Pistorius girl met ex-guy before her death

C

OPS investigating Oscar Pistorius’ alleged murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp have been told she met up with an ex-boyfriend two days before her death.

Blade Runner Pistorius called model Reeva twice while she was having a coffee with old flame Warren Lahoud.

Cops have been told that Reeva went out with businessman Warren for five years before meeting the Paralympic idol.

However, prosecutors will argue that the couple were rowing before Pistorius gunned Reeva down in the bathroom of his luxury home in South Africa.

Siasia to coach Olympic team

E

X-NIGERIA coach Samson Siasia has been asked to take

charge of the country’s Olympic team, MTNFootball.com can exclusively reveal.

Siasia was fired in October 2011 after he failed to qualify Nigeria to the 2012 Africa cup of Nations in Gabon and

Equatorial Guinea.

He has since this dismissal not worked even though he has been linked with various coaching jobs, from India to Kenya. ”We have contacted Siasia for the vacant U23 job

Warren told a BBC documentary: “I said, ‘Is everything okay. I mean he’s phoned twice already.’ I asked her that question. She said, ‘There’s nothing wrong.’

“She contacted me and we met up for a quick coffee, and that was it.

We did (exchange text messages), to meet up the previous week.

“She seemed fine. We didn’t really discuss personal relationships, it was more a friendly thing. She didn’t seem unhappy. She told me that she wouldn’t be with anybody that she felt unhappy with, or she wouldn’t allow herself to be with somebody like that.”

but he is yet to get back to us,” a top NFF official stated. ”He was on holidays in the US but we hear he is back so we will be expecting his response because we want to start early so as to avoid the pain of 2011.”

No hard feelings over CAF Elections — Maigari government and good of the NSC, Bolaji Abdul-

N

L-R: Sanni Obafemi;, Gbenga Akinyombo; Joachim Scholtyssek; and Frank Momoh at the 3rd edition of DOAM Charity golf tournament in Lagos at the weekend.

Barca

Continues from BP

upsets of the Champions League season when they travel to Barcelona tonight.

Massimiliano Allegri’s side head into the roundof-16 return leg with a 2-0 aggregate lead after goals from Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari handed Milan victory in last month’s first leg at the San Siro.

Despite their aggregate lead, Milan’s progression into the quarter-finals is by no means assured against a Barcelona team who have not lost at home in

the Champions League in three years and will come out with all guns b l a z i n g .

Milan will not be without confidence having gone undefeated in their last 10 matches with their 20 win away to Genoa on Friday the perfect preparation for Tuesday’s match.

However, they will be without striker Giampaolo Pazzini who suffered a microfracture to his right fibula in the Genoa game after opening the scoring for his side.

FF president Aminu Maigari has said he has no hard feelings after he lost a chance to be on the executive committee after a run-off.

“I wish to start by thanking the federal

quick to point out that Super Eagles players must focus on the task ahead after the long celebrations that followed the Nations Cup triumph. “The players must be aware that every team that is meeting them now works extra hard because they want to be the first to beat the African champions. Kenya will aim to embarrass us here and that is what the Eagles must fight to avoid.”

He said that as African champions, the Eagles must work hard to remain at the top. “They have to

play like champions. They must apply the same zeal and commitment which they exhibited at the Nations Cup.” He believes the Eagles can win the Kenyans but they have to work to earn it. “They must not underrate the visitors,” he warned.

OME athletes and coaches have recounted their experiences after hauling medals at the just-concluded 10th Biennial Police Games in Port Harcourt.

One of the zone two athletes, Mr Malu Williams, said their victory was due to hard work by athletes and their coaches.

Martins claims Continues from BP with Levante and Martins announced via Twitter that he had joined the MLS outfit.

“Wow... Finally, I can now announce that I have just signed for

lahi, NFF executive committee and management, the media and all those who supported the campaign,” Maigari said.

Athletes, coaches recount Police Games experience

S

Okocha Continues from BP

people of Nigeria for backing me all the way in this election. I specially thank the Honourable Minister/Chairman

Sounders FC. A big step to take in my career, it’s a big challenge but I’m ready,” he wrote.

“I look forward to this new era in my career... I also look forward to meet my new team-mates."

Williams said that the games had created grounds for grooming future stars who could win honour for the country in international meets.

He described the performance of the zone as a welcome development.

Mr Oladipupo Taiwo, Force Headquarters Volleyball Coach, said the zone did well in the games, in spite of winning the second place.

Taiwo urged the athletes not to relent in their efforts to promote police games.

He urged the authorities to create sufficient time for training for the athletes to enable them to perform excellently in future games.

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013

Barca in do or die against Milan Today's Matches Barcelona v AC Milan 8:45pm (AC Milan leading 2 - 0 from the 1st Leg) Schalke v Galatasaray (1 - 1 from the 1st Leg)

8:45pm

We must respect Keshi, says Okocha •Kenya out to embarrass Eagles

•Boateng

BY JACOB AJOM

F

ORMER captain of the national team, Austin Jay Jay Okocha has urged Nigerians to respect Coach Stephen Keshi’s choice of players invited for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Kenya in Calabar.

Speaking at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club where he featured in a celebrity match with Nollywood star, Kanayo O Kanayo, Okocha said that nobody knows the team more than the coach and those he invited were the players he feels comfortable with.

“Keshi has invited those he wants for the Kenya match. All I can say is we must respect his decision and support him all the way,” the Atlanta ’96 Olympic winner said.

Okocha was however

Continues on Page 55

•Messi

A

C Milan will be looking to complete one of the Continues on Page 55

Martins claims Seattle deal

O

POLICE GAMES: From left, Gov. Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers IGP Abubakar, Sports Minister Bolaji Abdullahi, Bayelsa Gov. Seriake Dickson during the closing ceremony of the Police Games

Pistorius girl met ex-guy before her death — P55

PUZZLE

Continues on Page 55

QUICK CROSSWORD

Sudoku TODAY'S

bafemi Martins has claimed he has joined Seattle Sounders and left Liga side Levante.

The Spanish club have confirmed that the Nigerian striker triggered the buyout clause from his contract

MON DAY'S MONDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 2 Frighten (5) 7 Range (5) 8 Happen (5) 10 Stroll (5) 12 Managed (3) 13 Penned (5) 15 Magnify (7) 17 Mean (6) 19 Gratuity (3) 20 Tauten (7) 23 Profound (4) 25 Stun (4) 26 Repel (7) 30 Nothing (3) 31 Die (6) 34 Disturb (7) 37 Tended (5) 38 Merriment (3) 38 Boredom (5) 40 Bit (5) 41 Nose (5) 42 Dulcet (5)

DOWN 1 Disdain (5) 2 Flood (5) 3 Glue (6) 4 Anger (4) 5 Grazed (7) 6 Thrust (5) 9 Vehicle (3) 11 Gush (7) 13 Gusty (5) 14 Different (5) 16 Illuminated (3) 18 Impart (7) 21 Bottom (5) 22 Annoyed (5) 24 Atonement (7) 27 Peg (3) 28 Plea (6) 29 Repair (5) 32 Colour (5) 33 Disprove (5) 35 Regret (3) 36 Enough (archaic) (4)

MONDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 2, Place 7, Gaze 8, Gaiety 9, Tempo 11, Cut 13, Fog 15, Herd 16, Dim 18, Ball 19, Serious 20, Mine 22, Sham 23, Brought 25, Sale 27, Rut 28, Boss 30, Ewe 31, Nee 33, After 36, Tremor 37, Also 38, Crazy.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 1, Value 2, Pet 3, Aim 4, Ego 5, Pit 6, Stool 10, Pair 11, Chemise 12, Tremble 13, Fashion 14, Glimpse 16, Demur 17, Might 18, Bus 21, Ere 24, Gulf 26, Award 29, Sense 32, Imp 33, Arc 34, Tea 35, Ray.

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

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

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

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

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