How APC 'll save Nigeria — Tinubu

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61902

JUNE 12 @ 20: Election that cannot be replicated •Pgs.40-44

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

MILE TWO-APAPA TRAFFIC CHAOS: Unending tales of woes by motorists, commuters 5 54&5 •Pgs.

How APC 'll save Nigeria — Tinubu •Confusion as party fails to unveil national officers •To set up social security system for persons above 60 •To serve free meal daily in primary, secondary schools

•FG serving Nigerians "salad of corruption" — Tinubu

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR & GABRIEL EWEPU

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AGOS—ACTION Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, yesterday, unfolded plans by the fledgling All Progressive Congress, APC to salvage the country, saying that President Goodluck Jonathan was serving the country a salad of corruption and leading the country on Continues on Page 5

COLUMNISTS: ROTIMI FASAN

These ugly Lagos BRT buses •P.19 OGAGA IFOWODO Nigeria as a social club •P.19

DEAR BUNMI •P. 58

Mr & Mrs

JUNE 12—National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) marked the 19th Anniversary of Late Chief M K O Abiola's 1994 Epetedo Declaration as President-Elect at Epetedo Multipurpose Hall, Lagos, yesterday. Rear Admiral Ndubisi Kanu, Chairman of NADECO (C) unveilling late Abiola's statue while Baba Omojola (4th right); Mr Kayode Opeifa, Lagos State Commissioner for Transport, (3rd right) and others watch. Photo: Shola Oyelese.

Boko Haram insurgency displaces over 6,000 people — UN —P.16 C M Y K

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POCKET CARTOON

MERGER—APC briefing: From left: Representative of CPC, Garba Gadi; Chief Tomi Ikimi of ACN and former Governor of Kano Sate, Ibrahim Shekarau of ANPP; addressing newsmen on the registration of merger party, All Progressives Congress, APC, in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

How APC'll save Nigeria — Tinubu Continues from Page 1 the path of retrogression.

In a speech he delivered at the British

House of Commons, Tinubu said he and other leaders of the APC would sacrifice personal political ambition to

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

Time and circumstances decide who we meet in life; our hearts decide who we want to retain, and people’s behaviour determines whether we want them to remain or not.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

You were given life; it is your duty (and also your entitlement as a human being) to find something beautiful within life, no matter how slight — Elizabeth Gilbert

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HENEVER I ponder on the writings of Tom Stoppard, especially excerpts from the Coast of Utopia, I find some of his insights about life and living a refreshing take on the subject. For instance, he says that because a child grows up, we think a child’s purpose is just to grow up. But a child’s purpose is to be a child. Nature doesn’t disdain what lives only for a day. It pours the whole of itself into each moment.

We don’t value the lily less for not being made of flint and built to last. Life’s bounty is in its flow.

And here is another meaningful poetical excerpt that emphasised this point “Where is the song when it’s been sung? The dance when it’s been danced?

It’s only we humans who want to own the future.

We persuade ourselves that the universe is modestly employed in unfolding our destination. We note the haphazard chaos of history by the day, by the hour, but there is something wrong with the picture. Where is the unity, the meaning, of nature’s highest creation? Surely those millions of little streams of accident and wilfulness have their correction in the vast underground river which, without a doubt, is carrying us to the place where we’re expected! But there is no such place, that’s why it’s called utopia. Sarah Dessen sums it beautifully: “What you have to decide... is how you want your life to be.”

ensure democracy survives despite what he claimed was the present disregard of the present leadership for the ballot as demonstrated in the recent Nigeria Governors Forum election where he said the loser was made to claim victory.

APC to tackle poverty Tinubu in a paper delivered to the British African Diaspora Conference, said the APC government would in its first four years pursue an aggressive plan to lift at least 20 per cent of Nigerians living in poverty out of that level. As part of the plans to eliminate poverty, he said the APC would introduce the first national social security scheme under which Nigerians above 60 years would be entitled to monthly handouts from the Federal Government.

Tinubu’s assertions nonetheless, the parties involved in the formation of the APC, yesterday, failed to unveil the national officers of the party, fueling speculations of continuing division among the legacy parties.

Tinubu had in his entourage to London, Prof.

Yemi Osinbajo, Minori-

ty Leader of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; Senator Gbenga Ashafa, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji; Jumoke Okoya-Thomas among others.

Claiming lack of foresight by the current leadership, Tinubu said the gathering of progressives in the APC would use the power of the ballot to oust the Jonathan administration in the coming general election.

“I do not support the Jonathan government but I oppose anyone seeking its premature, illegal end. Let this government end at the appointed time. But let it end through the ballot box. Then I shall say good riddance.”

APC’s plans for government “The Central focus of our efforts in the coming years must be the implementation of the most extensive and aggressive plan to lift as many Nigerians out of poverty as possible. Our desire is to be able to move at least 20% of our people out of poverty (defined as earning less than a dollar a day) in

the first four years of our administration.”

He said that besides fast-tracking the construction of Independent Power Plants, IPPs, in designated industrial zones, the APC government would also initiate “the construction of Trans- State highways, such as the speed train that will connect the nation's zones and move people, fuel, farm produce and goods, cost-efficiently across the country.”

National Social Security Scheme “First, we intend to establish a partly contributory National Social Security Scheme. Some categories of the poor and vulnerable will benefit with or without contribution. We believe that every Nigerian above the age of 60 who is not under a pension scheme and also qualifies as poor by a “Means Test” must be given a monthly stipend. Widows and the disabled proved by a “Means Test” to be poor must also be provided a monthly stipend whenever they are unemployed. They become disentitled when they are employed.

“An important component of state intervention to redress poverty is the one meal a day programme for primary and secondary school pupils.

The Federal government through supplemental funding will support States in providing Primary and Secondary school pupils with at least one meal a day.

The immediate twin derivatives of this programme is the design to confront the extremely high incidence of malnutrition and other hunger-induced medical conditions amongst poor children as well as elim-

inating the recruiting grounds for illegal activities. Also, the programme will stimulate demand thereby boosting local businesses in poultry, bakery and juice and packing industries.

This will employ millions of graduates and non-graduates. Then, we can start to talk truly about the dividends of not just democracy but of impactful leadership.

Lamenting alleged lack of democratic norms in the present leadership, he said: “In Nigeria, the tenets of basic arithmetic have little application concerning elections. Votes do not count, they are concocted. Elections are not necessarily won by the candidate with the highest votes. Elections are won by the candidate of the powerful and mighty.

Consequently, a group comprising all the nations’ governors could not even conduct a simple 35-person election without a disputed outcome.

“This little episode would be laughable if it were an isolated incident. However, it is emblematic of a larger, more troubling pattern that portends calamity if not arrested. With this recent experience, I fear the length of those in power would go and the means they would employ to manipulate results when the battleground is the entire nation and the stakes are the general elections in 2015. The NGF debacle symbolizes a disdain for democracy and the popular will. If we are to save Nigeria, we must rescue the electoral process from its abusers.”

He also pledged the APC’s commitment to the introduction of electronic voting which he said has been well accepted and practised in many African countries.

Continues on Page 13

6 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

EFCC nabs 5 Bauchi Scholarship Board staff for alleged fraud

BY SUZAN EDEH

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AUCHI — FIVE staff of the Bauchi State Scholarship Board alleged to have been involved in fraudulent activities in the payment of students scholarship allowances are now helping officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in the investigations to determine their role in the saga.

Permanent Secretary of the Board, Alhaji Yusuf Yarima, disclosed this in Bauchi, yesterday.

According to him,“there were situations whereby some of the banks we are dealing with caught these fraudsters trying to cash cheques not approved by the board and as a result, the cashiers alerted the management of the board and the matter was subsequently reported to the police.”

Yarima, however, declined to give names of the affected staff.

He said as a result of the situation, the board had to open new accounts with other banks in order not to jeopardize the work of the committee as it also puts in place measures to forestall any reccurrence.

Ex-teacher appeals over entitlement delay, 9 years after

BY EMMA ARUBI

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ARRI— A FORMER teacher with the Delta State government has appealed to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan to come to his rescue following failure by the relevant education authorities to pay him his final entitlement after over nine years of formally withdrawing his service.

The ex-teacher (names withheld), who served his notice of withdrawal of service in August 2009 and had his salary stopped accordingly also alleged that his service was reactivated and transferred to another school and a salary account opened in his name by an unknown person where they have been collecting the cash fraudulently without government's notice.

He disclosed to Vanguard exclusively that all efforts to get his legal entitlement and even petition to security agents yielded no fruit, adding that he is suffering while some persons in the education sector are ripping off the state government.

Debris of a three-storey building at 353, Challenge Road, off Amu Street, Mushin, Lagos State, that collapsed yesterday.

Report has it that some occupants of the building were still trapped at press time. PHOTO: NAN.

82-yr-old grand father, grand daughter die in mysterious fire

BY BOSE ADELAJA

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AGOS — RESIDENTS of Bai ley Street, Agbado crossing, Ogun State, were, Monday, thrown into mourning following the death of a grand father and his 12-year-old grand daughter in tragic circumstances.

The octogenarian Pa Samuel Adeola and his grand daughter, Mariam Adeola, died in their four-room apartment when the girl was preparing food at the corridor.

According to a neighbour who pleaded anonymity, the duo were occupants of number18 of the street for years until they were burnt to death on that fateful day.

Pa Samuel was said to be recuperating from an undisclosed illness while his grand daughter was catering for him. He was said to be on his sick bed while Mariam was at the corridor making his meal.

Tragedy, however, struck when the stove she was using suddenly exploded.

According to an eye witness, “hardly had the girl lit the stove than it exploded and thick smoke enveloped the house. In her innocence, she rushed to inform her grand father not knowing both would be trapped in the room.

“Before the aged father and his grand daughter could run for help, the fire escalated thereby trapping them."'

A resident, Mr. Nuru Ahmed, said their shout for help, however, attracted neighbours who rushed to save the situation but it was too late as both were roasted to death before the neighbours’ arrival.

When sympathisers could not save the situation, fire fighters were invited from Ogun and Lagos States but the situation had gone out of hand.

Confirming the incident, Direc-

tor, Lagos State Fire Services, Mr. Razaq Fadipe, said the incident was aggravated by Mariam’s inability to shout for help as soon as she noticed the fire. He urged teenagers to be at alert and seek

help whenever the situation arises.

He urged kerosene users to purchase the product from recognised centres to avoid the risk associated with contaminated kerosene.

Suspected fraudster, Ajudua reappears in court, remanded

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

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AGOS — EIGHT years after he absented himself from trial over alleged swindling of two Dutch, Mr. Remy Cina and Pierre Vijgen, of about $1.69 million, an Ibusa-born lawyer and businessman, Mr. Fred Ajudua, was yesterday ordered to be remanded in prison by Justice Joseph Oyewole of an Ikeja High Court.

Justice Oyewole’s order was sequel to the sudden reappearance of the lawyer in court after the trial judge had in January 2006 issued a bench warrant directing the police to arrest and bring him to court, due to his continued absence from trial.

He is expected to remain in prison till June 24, 2013 when his bail application will be heard.

Ajudua was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in 2003 alongside one Charles Orie for allegedly defrauding the two Dutch businessmen of about $1.69 million between July 1999 and September 2000.

Shortly after his trial started before Justice Oyewole, moments the first trial Judge, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun was moved

to the Court of Appeal, he applied to be treated in India for some ailments, which was granted by the court.

Therefrom, he had surgery but never returned to court, as he claimed to be moving from one hospital to another.

When the case came up yesterday, Ajudua eventually appeared before Justice Oyewole who ordered that he be remanded since he had revoked his earlier bail.

The judge held: “This case has been held up as the agents of the Federal Government of Nigeria have been unable to execute the warrant of arrest issued on January 24, 2005.

“The first defendant is hereby ordered to be remanded in prison. The Superintendent of Prisons shall ensure that the accused is given unrestricted access to medical treatment including being taken to LUTH as an outpatient when occasions demand.”

The EFCC lawyer, Mr. Wemimo Ogunde, SAN, had opposed the application ealier made by Ajudua’s counsel, Mr. Olalekan Ojo, seeking the reversal of the order of Ajudua’s arrest since he was present.

Justice Oyewole, however, re-

versed the order of arrest, due to his appearance in court, saying since the accused person’s bail had been revoked, he still needed to convince the court if he was worthy of being released on bail.

Okorocha’s

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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WERRI— SPECIAL Adviser to Imo State Governor on Project Monitoring, Prince Macdonald Akano, has been arrested and detained by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Vanguard investigation revealed that Akano might have been arrested in connection with the N458 million bribe saga which members of Imo State House of Assembly relied on to sack the former Deputy Governor, Sir Jude Agbaso.

It was also gathered that “the detained Governor Rochas Okorocha’s SA, the second highest shareholder in JPROS International, is now telling the operatives what he knows

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 — 7

BY ENYIM ENYIM

25-year-old woman docked over alleged robbery with toy gun

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NITSHA — MARKET women in Eke Awka market in the Anambra State capital, yesterday, took to the streets in protest against imposition of tax on them by the state government.

The protesters who later marched to the state House of Assembly said they were asked to pay a minimum tax of N3,000 each, a development that did not go down well with them.

Some of the women who spoke to Vanguard said there was nothing to justify the imposition of tax on market women as it was the same reason that sparked off the 1929 Aba Women’s Riot. The women said the tolls and other market tickets given to them were enough.

Consequently, the Anambra State government made good its threat to shut down markets and commercial outfits in the state over non payment of the new tax, with Eke Awka main market as the first casualty.

Traders who came to the market as early as 7am were surprised to find police and other security agents barricading the gate to the market and also refusing anyone entry, claiming to be acting on the order of the state government.

At 8:30 am when all the traders including consumers have all arrived the market, trouble started, with some of the traders mobiliz-

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

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The shut Eke Awka market, yesterday.

Awka market women protest tax imposition ing themselves to Arthur Eze Avenue, the road leading to the market and barricading it, denying motorists the right of passage.

It was, however, learnt that the Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr Robert Okonkwo, who addressed traders in the market said only women who owned shops in the market were expected to pay the tax, adding that hawkers, roadside traders and others were exempted from paying the

Slain student: Edo halts action on Judicial panel

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ENIN CITY— THE Edo State Government has halted action on the setting up of a panel of enquiry into the killing of Mr. Ibrahim Momodu, a 500 level laboratory science student of the University of Benin.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, the government’s decision is premised on the fact that events have overtaken the governor’s promise to set up the panel as the case file on the late Momodu has since been submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions by the Police for advice

and further action.

According to the statement, “it will, therefore, amount to a duplication of efforts by government to set up another panel of enquiry since the Director of Public Prosecutions is a government functionary in the state Ministry of Justice.

“Government is, therefore, of the view that it is sufficient at this point to wait for the outcome of the investigation and advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions before any other step is taken by government.”

aide arrested, detained about the N458 million that was eventually found in two foreign accounts belonging to the company’s Managing Director, Mr. Joseph Dina, who allegedly gave Agbaso the bribe money.”

Confirming the arrest and detention of Akano in a telephone interview, Commissioner for Information, Strategy, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Chinedu Offor, expressed regret that the anti-graft agency had been keeping the governor’s aide for about 10 days without trial.

“The state government is alarmed over the arrest and continued detention of Prince Macdonald Akano by one of the Federal Government anti-graft agencies for over 10 days without trial”, Mr. Offor said.

Answering a question, the commissioner confirmed that Akano

was arrested in connection with the N458 million bribery saga that led to the removal of the former deputy governor by the legislature.

Offor said: “The state government is concerned about the continued detention without trial of Prince Akano and, therefore, calls for his immediate release if no case is established against him.”

The commissioner insisted that if Akano committed any crime, he should be tried, stressing that “government is insisting that if there is absolutely no crime established against this top government official of Imo State, he should be released immediately.”

Offor described Akano’s continued detention without trial as “an infringement on his fundamental human right.

tax.

Meantime, it was gathered that the market women are planning

to protest naked to the Government House, Awka as a way to attracting government attention to their plight.

Church protests citing motor park on premises

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BADAN— A PENTECOSTAL Church, Gospel Faith Mission International, GOFAMINT, has urged the Oyo State Government to intervene towards resolving the problems arising from the citing of a motor park at the entrance of the worship centre by members of the Ojoo Unit of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, in Ibadan.

In an appeal letter signed by the General Secretary of the church, Pastor Ezekiel Ade Ojo and the Legal Officer, Sam Adegbite, which was sent to Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State and the Chief Controller of Federal Ministry of Works in Ibadan, the church said members of the NURTW forcefully occupied the entrance of the church premises overlooking the Ibadan/Ilorin main highway in Ibadan on Tuesday, May 14, 2013 and turned the place into their park.

According to the church, the union came in with the support of some staff of the Akinyele Local Government Area in Ibadan and Oyo State “YES O” Corps members and destroyed the gate, the fence and other valuable property put on to protect the church premises before they moved in.

AGOS—A 25-year-old woman, Esther Obianuju Ihedime, was yesterday brought before a Lagos High Court, Igbosere, over alleged attempt to rob one Miss Rukayat Abdulsalat of her valuables while armed with a toy gun.

The accused, said to have no particular occupation, was arraigned before Justice Christopher Balogun on a two-count charge of conspiracy and attempted robbery, but she pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to her.

According to the charge sheet, the offences were committed around 2.45 p.m on November 2, 2012, at 159a, Akerele Extension, Surulere, Lagos, which contravened sections 296 and 298 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State.

Counsel to the defendant, Mr Spurgeon Ataene, urged the court to admit his client to bail pending the determination of the case, noting that a bail application had been filed on behalf of the defendant.

Nautical Science student drowns in boat mishap

BY EMMA ARUBI

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ARRI— A Nautical Science student of the Delta State School of Marine Technology, DESOMATEC, Mr. George Nikomotseaghan, Monday morning, died in the Burutu river on his way to school.

His death occurred when the boat he was travelling in allegedly capsized along the river and

has still not been found.

The missing student was a National Diploma I student of the school.

Details of what led to the boat mishap are still unknown even as security sources confirmed the detention of the boat driver, simply identified as Mr. February by the authorities of the Marine Unit of the Nigeria Police headed by Mr. Preston Udueyin who declined comment on the issue.

A fuel tanker with number plate XT-395-LND that fell at Mile 2 under bridge along LagosBadagry Expressway due to bad portion of the road, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN.

8—Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

Flood Relief C'ttee threatens to publicise names of prominent defaulters zSays defaulters enjoy tax relief P

RESIDENTIAL Flood Relief and Rehabilitation Committee, co-chaired by business mogul, Aliko Dangote and front-line lawyer, Olisa Agbakoba, yesterday, threatened to publish the names of prominent Nigerians that made pledges before President Goodluck Jonathan during the special appeal fund launch for victims of 2012 flood disaster, but have failed to redeem the pledges six months after.

A statement by Dangote and Agbakoba in Lagos said some of those who pledged but were yet to redeem it had gone ahead to enjoy the tax incentives attached to their pledges.

The committee has, therefore, read the riot act to the pledge defaulters threatening to go public with their names should they fail to remit their pledge on or before June 30.

It advised the defaulters to maintain their honour and integrity by redeeming their pledges, vowing to expose those who have not turned in their pledges by publishing their names in the national dailies in the next three weeks.

The statement

The statement entitled Public Notice: Redemption of Pledges, read: “The Presidential Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation expresses its profound gratitude and appreciation to all who answered the clarion call to be our brothers’ keepers through their generous donations and pledges at its Fund Raising Dinner in November 2012 for the relief and rehabilitation of flood victims in Nigeria.

“As we proceed to the implementation stage of the planned rehabilitation projects, we hereby call on all those who have not redeemed their pledges to please do so on or before June 30 as a mark of honour and integrity as names of defaulters will be announced in all national dailies and social media blogs.

“Once again, we thank you and look forward to receiving the proceeds of all pledges made.”

The pledge

It will be recalled that the 34man committee, targeting N100 billion, held a fund raising dinner at the Presidential Villa during which donations and pledges made by prominent Nigerians amounted to N11.35 billion.

Dangote and the Federal Government made highest donation of N2.5 billion each, while Jim Ovia, Chairman of Visafone and Tony Elumelu pledged N1 billion each.

Minister of Petroleum,

Diezani Alison-Madueke and her Telecommunication counterpart, Omobola Johnson, had pledged to mobilise the indigenous oil companies and telecommunications firms, which were

invited but were absent at the dinner, to respond to the donation.

Tax relief for donors

To motivate and encourage bountiful donation, President Jonathan had announced tax incentives for all corporate organisations that would donate into the flood relief fund

meant to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians, who were affected by the floods.

Miffed at the continuous refusal to redeem the pledges, even when the committee was about to move to the next stage of its assignment, which is to implement the rehabilitation of the victims, it decided to make the open appeal.

Law dons advocate abolishment of death penalty

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

A MEETING: Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Chairman, Dangote Group (right) and Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, after a closed-door meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan at the State House, Abuja, Monday. PHOTO: Abayomi Adeshida.

FG faults foreign airlines' claim of mkt forces on fare disparity

BY KENNETH EHIGIATOR

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EDERAL Government, yesterday, faulted foreign airlines’ claims that their fares were determined by market forces of demand and supply, saying such variables should not apply only to Nigeria.

Government, which assured the travelling public that it would not relent in its efforts to ensure that an unfair air fare regime was dismantled, also lamented the docility of stakeholders in the industry on the issue.

Aviation Minister, Mrs. Stella Oduah, had been in running battles with the foreign carriers over their high fare regime in Nigeria, much higher than those charged in other countries on the West coast.

She had, last year, issued a 30-month ultimatum to the airlines to adjust their fares or face ban in the country, before the Senate intervened to see how it could interface with the airlines to do the right thing.

The fight against the unfair price regime intensified when

it was revealed that Nigerians travelling on first and business class tickets paid twice more than their Ghanaian counterparts for same class cabins and at even lesser distance.

Disparity in fares

Nigerians pay over $10,000 for a first class ticket to London on British Airways, flying for less than six hours, while their Ghanaian counterparts pay a little above $4,000 for same destination, but flying for seven hours.

However, speaking with Vanguard on the issue yesterday, Special Adviser to the Minister of Aviation, Mr. Joe Obi, said the issue remained a priority to the government, stressing that government had never bought and would not buy the airlines’ contention that their fares were founded on forces of demand and supply.

Mr. Obi said: “The Minister is still on it, working behind the scenes to resolve the fare imbalance imbroglio.

“It is, however, laughable to

suggest that the Minister has been compromised. Compromised by who? As the Minister has stated several times, she does not have a price and is certainly not among the crowd of past Ministers of Aviation whom you claim were compromised."

Stakeholders in the industry have often argued that Nigeria could not fix price for what it had no control over.

Others blamed Nigerians for paying the exorbitant fares for status conferral, others attributed it to the inability of local airlines in the country to compete favourably with their foreign counterparts, suggesting that government urgently establish a national carrier, which the Aviation Ministry is currently working on.

Both houses of the National Assembly have repeatedly prevailed on the airlines to dismantle their unfair price regime considering the free access they have to routes from the country and enjoyment of multiple entries, which their home governments hardly grant to foreign carriers.

BUJA—A team of law professors, led by the Director-General of Nigeria Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, NIALS, Prof. Epiphany Azinge(SAN), yesterday, advised members of the House of Representatives to abolish death penalty from Nigerian laws.

The law experts gave the advice when they paid a working visit to the Speaker of the House, Aminu Tambuwal.

The law academics also urged the parliament to legislate for the justiciability of Chapter two of the 1999 Constitution to ensure that all the rights enshrined in the chapter for the citizenry are guaranteed.

Azinge, who made the presentation on behalf of the law teachers, said: “We, the Nigeria Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, NIALS, seek an abrogation of the death penalty in all our laws.

“It is a matter of despair to hear that people still clamour for death penalty in the states.”

In his response, Tambuwal told the visiting law experts that the House was already in the process of abrogating some “archaic laws” and had “ restructured the Committee on Justice” to carry out the assignment.

He appealed to Azinge and his team to assist the Committee in the task of amending these laws and abrogating a few others.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 — 9

Enugu Disco affirms ownership of Aba electric firms

I SPACE COUNCIL: President Goodluck Jonathan (4th right); Vice President Namadi Sambo (4th left); Dr. Shamsudeen Usman, National Planning Minister (right); Dr. Ruqayatu Rufai, Education Minister (2nd right) and others, after the inauguration of the National Space Council at the State House, Abuja. PHOTO: Abayomi Adeshida.

Partner Nigeria on anti-terrorism war, UN urges W/African countries

BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI

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BUJA—SPECIAL Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for West Africa, Mr. Said Djinnit, has called on countries in the West African sub-region to join Nigeria in her determination to rid the region of the menace of terrorism.

He said that it was only by wiping out terrorism that peace, stability and development could take place.

Djinnit, who is also Chairman, Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission, spoke during a visit to the Minister of State for Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada, in Abuja.

He said: “The threat of extremism or terrorism is affecting all our countries in West Africa and Africa in general, hence there is need for all to work together as a team.”

Djinnit explained that the visit was to see how he (Djinnit) could work closely with ECOWAS and leaders of the sub-region towards combining efforts to stabilise the region and create conditions for lasting peace.

He said: “There should be a multinational effort to checkmate the canker worm. Though Nigeria is making its effort, but we need to mobilise the entire region to work together to address the root cause of the problem.

“We should address the concern and challenge in a coordinated manner within the framework of the existing plan of action with ECOWAS, African Union and the UN.” Emphasising that the challenge facing Nigeria in the fight against terrorism was immense, Djinnit said it was the responsibility of the state to ensure the safety of the citizens of the country, adding that this

should be done by taking into account the issue of human rights which he believed the government was aware of.

Commends Nigeria on piracy war

He commended Nigeria for the role it had been playing in the Gulf of Guinea in the fight against piracy and praised the harmony existing between Nigeria and Cameroon as a result of existing agreements and security arrangements between both countries.

He said: “I encourage both countries to work closely in addressing common security

threats at their common borders, especially in the context of the growing pressure by the extremist and terrorist groups in the bordering Sahel region, which has affected Nigeria and other countries.”

Minister reacts

Responding, Erelu Obada said the relationship that existed between Nigeria and Cameroon dated back to 1960s and this was anchored on affinities and shared destiny.

She disclosed that there are more than four million Nigerians living in Cameroon, which makes it the biggest

host of Nigerians in diaspora.

The minister listed the areas of cooperation between both countries to include exchange of information and experiences on security investigations, surveys, studies and research to prevent acts of trans-border insecurity and the conduct of border control operations.

On the joint policing of the Nigeria/Cameroon border, Obada said Nigeria had constituted her team for the implementation phase, adding that Cameroon was expected to forward names of her team towards its implementation.

... as court adjourns hearing on UN House bombing to Oct 8

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

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BUJA—ABUJA Division of the Federal High Court, yesterday, fixed October 9 to commence hearing on the terrorism charge that was entered against four alleged masterminds of the suicide bomb attack that destroyed the United Nations, UN, headquarters in Abuja on August 20, 2011.

The accused persons, Salisu Mohammed, Inusa Mukailu, Danzumi Haruna and Abdulsalami Adamu, were said to have perfected the terrorist act which killed 23 persons and wounded 75 others.

Among those affected by the explosion were UN staff, visitors and workers of private businesses within the building.

Meantime, Justice Gladys

Olotu, yesterday, adjourned the case till October 9 and 10, following the inability of the prosecuting team, led by the Federal Ministry of Justice, to produce requisite exhibits before the court.

Though the accused persons, who are answering to a four-counts terrorism charge, were arrested in September 2012 and charged before an Abuja Magistrates court, they were subsequently re-arraigned before the High Court on May 7, this year.

According to the government, the offence they allegedly committed ran contrary to Section 96(a) of the Penal Code Law. They were specifically alleged to have knowingly facilitated the activities of persons engaged in an act of terrorism.

Besides, the accused persons were alleged to have de-

liberately and maliciously committed an act that seriously damaged an international organisation, thereby resulting to the contravention of the Terrorism Prevention Act, 2011.

The Federal Government maintained that the accused persons were involved in the release of dangerous substances that caused explosion endangering 23 lives at the UN building, an offence contrary to the provisions of the Terrorism Prevention Act, 2011.

However, the accused persons have since pleaded not guilty to the charge.

They insisted that they could not understand English Language, a situation that led the court to invite an interpreter to translate the charge to them in Hausa language.

N T E R S TAT E Electrics, winner of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, Enugu Disco, has said that the lease agreement of April 28, 2005, that purportedly granted the Aba Power Limited and Geometrics Power Aba Limited the power to distribute electricity within the areas specified in the lease (the ring-fenced islands) was made at a time they did not possess an electricity distribution licence, contrary to the provisions of Section 62(1) and (5) of the EPSR Act. In a counter-affidavit deposed to by Engr.

Onochie Anyaoku, on behalf of Interstate Electrics against the originating summons filed by Aba Power Limited and Geometrics Power Aba Limited, Interstate also said “the plaintiffs only obtained an electricity distribution licence on December 7, 2006, when by the provisions of Clause 4.1.1(a) of the purported lease agreement, the plaintiff was supposed to commence electricity distribution within the ringfenced islands not later than 12 calendar months from April 28, 2005."

The company further stated that “the purported lease agreement of April 28 was made after NEPA had ceased to exist sequel to the repeal of the NEPA Act (as amended) by Section 99 of the EPSR Act and that the purported Supplemental Agreement dated August 31, 2006 was not executed by the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, and the Ministry of Finance Incorporated, the two shareholders and owners of Enugu Disco, as provided under Section 9 of the EPSR Act. Anyaoku also claimed “that the transaction between BPE and the party seeking to be joined is the sale and purchase of 60 percent shares in Enugu Disco, and not the sale of Enugu Disco’s distribution equipment or other assets.

“All the assets of Enugu Disco, including those within the ring-fenced islands at Aba and Ariaria, belong to Enugu Disco."

10 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

June 12 is the true Democracy Day — Sen. Ashafa

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

A

S LAGOS residents join other Nigerians today to mark the 20th anniversary of June 12, 1993 presidential election, widely acclaimed to have been won by late Chief MKO Abiola, the lawmaker representing Lagos East Senatorial District, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, has described the day as the true democracy day in Nigerian history.

According to Ashafa, through his media officer, Mr. Babatunde Adegunju, the significant contributions of late Abiola to the enthronement of democracy in the country could not be over-emphasised.

We 'll re-build Trinity auto-parts market —Fashola

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI, MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO & UJU MBANUSI

L

AGOS — GOVERNOR Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, yesterday, assured traders of the burnt Trinity auto spare parts market in Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area, that his administration would rebuild the market.

This came as traders recounted how hoodlums under the guise of assisting the fire servicemen and sympathisers, broke into their shops and looted their goods.

It will be recalled that the Sunday afternoon fire razed about 150 shops destroying goods worth over N500 million.

Fashola who was greeted at the burnt market by placards carrying traders with various inscriptions, appealed to the government for assistance to re-build their burnt shops.

The governor while promising that the state government would assist in rebuilding the market into a

more organised, safer market, said “the re-building process would be a synergy between the traders and the government.”

The governor who was conducted round the market by the Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr. Wale Ahmed, and the chairman of Zone E plaza, Mr. Mike Ekeobi, said “Those who still have goods within the market should quickly remove them now.

We will move our experts here to take the drawing and commence construction work immediately.”

He appealed to all market and warehouse operators in the state to insure their businesses to avoid total loss whenever such unforeseen disasters occurred.

He stressed: that “it is only the building that can return but the goods will not. I use this opportunity to appeal to all markets and warehouses owners in the state to insure their businesses, and goods.

"This is what insurance is meant to do for us. If there were insurance in place, the people would have been talking to the insurance companies instead of the government.”

Speaking, the owner of the plaza, M r s .

Chinyere Mogbo, who spoke amidst tears, said “I was helpless as I watched my 15-year old plaza burn. I wish I could turn back the hand of the clock.”

According to Mogbo, a widow, “I came here on Sunday when I received the call that my plaza has caught by fire. But I could not come closer to the building because it was still burning and all I could do was to watch the building burn.

"Since the disaster, I feel bad whenever I see it because it is the only source of income left behind by my late husband who died in

2011. This place was converted from a park into a plaza in 1998 by my late husband.”

While appealing to the state

government, she said: “I want them to come to my aid. Since I lost my husband, I have been suffering.”

From right: Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State; Mr. Abayomi Awobokun, Chief Executive Officer of Oando Marketing Plc; Engr.

Taofeeq Tijani, Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources and Mr. Bambo Ademiluyi, Managing Director, Quaint Agencies Limited, during the launch of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, LPG, Eko Gas, by Lagos State Government in collaboration with Oando Plc, at Surulere, Lagos. Photo: Bunmi Azeez

...shuns Oshodi-Apapa traf fic gridlock

H

OWEVER, AF TER in-specting the burnt market, Fashola sped off ignoring the traffic gridlock along Oshodi-Apapa, expressway, at Berger Yard area.

Anxious motorists and bystanders who watched the governor ’s convoy pass, waved frantically to call his

attention to the chaotic traffic in the area, but to no avail as the governor ’s convoy sped off.

Meanwhile, recounting how hoodlums took advantage of the fire outbreak to loot shops, some of the traders told Vanguard that they had lost everything they had to the fire.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 — 11

Soyinka leads Africa’s best to Ethiopian award

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ROFESSOR WOLE Soyinka will be leading some of Africa’s best to present the winners of this year’s Future Awards.

According to Mfon Ekpo, Chief Operating Officer of The Future Project, "Prof. Wole Soyinka, who has supported our work over the past decade, will be leading some of Africa’s best to present the winners of this year’s awards."

Recognising the importance of the awards, Prof. Soyinka noted that “It inspires From left: Prof. Itse Sagay, SAN; Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Governor of Osun State; Mr. the youthful generation and Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, MD/CEO, CMC Connect and Prof. Francis Fagbohun, Obafemi e v e n t o m o r e Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, at National Discourse: 'Local Government Autonomy, How seasoned achievers in the Autonomous?" at Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos. yesterday. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele society.”

For the first time, in the history of the awards, the edition, which is hosted in partnerBY GBENGA OLARInance the strategic imThe PDP chairman said actualise its democratic ship with the youth NOYE portance of June 12, 1993 it is absurd to try and credentials manifested office of the African poll to the nation's fledg- bring Chief MKO Abiola in the installation of an Union CommisSOGBO — THE ling democracy would be to ridicule because he is elected government on sion, based in Adruling Action Con- an exercise in futility be- one of those who laid May 29, 1999. dis Ababa, EthioACN claimed that June pia, is calling for gress of Nigeria in Osun cause that election gave their lives to ensure that State and the main oppo- birth to the current de- Nigeria enjoys democ- 12, 1993 election was a nominations of inpan - Nigerian victory spiring young Niracy. sition party, Peoples mocracy in Nigeria.

“Without June 12, 1993 The ACN Director of over military dictator- gerians between Democratic Party, PDP, have engaged them- presidential election, Publicity, Research and ship, adding that at- the ages of 18 and selves in war of words won by late Chief MKO Strategy, Mr. Kunle tempt to demonise the 31, for different catover the celebration of Abiola but annulled by Oyatomi, a lawyer, had event, orchestrated by egories.

June 12, 1993 presiden- the then military govern- in a statement, said that those who benefited from The awards’ bigtial election believed to ment, the so-called May what happened about the its annulment could not gest prize, Young have been won by 29, 1999 would have been June 12, 1993 election stop the import of that Person of the Year, was that the attempt to election which essen- will be AfricaBashorun Mashood impossible.

“And anyone who destroy it failed, and a tially was the triumph of based.

Abiola.

The ACN, yesterday, in thinks June 12 is dead is determined struggle to democracy.

Osogbo, said any at- himself brain dead. This tempt by politicians or is what the adversaries individuals to discounte- of June 12 should be told in clear terms,” the ACN said.

But the PDP, in a statement by its chairman, the Area Command Controller, RiAlhaji Ganiyu Olaoluwa

BY OLA AJAYI chard Oteri, the trailer load of froadvised Governor Rauf zen poultry products was arrested Aregbesola not to bring on old Abeokuta-Bakatari Road BADAN— ABOUT 20,000 carthe name of the actons of contaminated frozen tur- through intelligence gathering. claimed winner of June “On Saturday 8, June, 2013, 12 presidential election key have been intercepted by men into the controversy, by of Nigeria Customs, Oyo/Osun Com- 19,750 cartons of turkey were concealed with 530 iron rods and naming the Ido Osun mand.

The banned items were being con- plates. The market value is put at Airport after the late veyed in an articulated truck with N98.6m.” business mogul.

He warned people in Oyo and number plate LAGOS APP 770 XE Osun to “desist from buying and to an undisclosed destination.

According to the Deputy Control- eating frozen poultry products beler, Administration, Bumba Usman cause they are hazardous to health Mohammed, who spoke on behalf of and hinder growth.

Osun ACN, PDP disagree over June 12 O

Customs intercepts 20, 000 cartons of poultry products

I

Ondo bans farmers’ associations about the proliferation of farmers' associations and groups in the state KURE — IN a bid to sanitise which he said, is not only counterthe activities of farmers in productive but constantly resulted Ondo State, the government, yester- to acrimony and chaos. day, proscribed associations and conAccording to him, the associations gresses of all categories of farmers. were proscribed so that government A Senior Special Assistant to Gov- could assist the farmers to form a ernor Olusegun Mimiko on Union single virile and formidable associaMatters, Mr. Dayo Fadahunsi, said tion that will unify all farmers’ this in Akure at the inauguration of groups in the state for prompt disthe Technical Committee on Re-Or- semination of ideas, input and inganisation of Farmers in the state. formation on agricultural activities Fadahunsi expressed concern in the state.

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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Ondo police read riot act to restive youths

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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KURE — POLICE authorities in Ondo State, yesterday, raised alarm over criminal activities of some miscreants across the state, warning that it would deal decisively with anyone caught disrupting the peace in the state.

A statement issued by the command’s spokesman, Wole Ogodo in Akure, said that complaints from the members of the public necessitated the warning.

Vanguard gathered that some of the miscreants have been arrested by the police and are in detention.

Ogodo warned the restive youths against criminal activities capable of disrupting the peace of the state.

Amosun lauds late Owu monarch, 10 years after

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GUN STATE governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has lauded the contributions of the late Architect Olawale Adisa Odeleye, the former Olowu of Owu, to the development of Nigeria.

Dr. Odeleye, an exPresident of the Commonwealth Association of Architects, was the first Nigerian and indeed African to obtain a doctorate degree in architecture.

Speaking yesterday at the African Church Cathedral, Totoro, Abeokuta during the 10th Year Remembrance Service for the late monarch, Amosun described Adeleye as “a scholar, an achiever par excellence, a highly cerebral leader and an epitome of courage.”

As an architect, Amosun said Adeleye was involved in the planning, design and development of landmark projects all over Nigeria, including the New Surulere, FESTAC Town and 1004 Housing Estate on Victoria Island, Lagos, among others.

Odeleye became the 12th Olowu of Owu in Au

12 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 —13

Amaechi assures on Trans Kalabari road

Ubah not qualified to judge Obi —Gov’s aide

As Obio Akpor Caretaker C’ttee/Police suit suffers setback

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BY JIMITOTAONOYUME

ORT HARCOURT—GOVERNOR Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State, has promised to deliver the Trans Kalabari road project before the end of his administration.

Meantime, the suit by Obio Akpor Caretaker Committee before a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, asking the Police to vacate the council secretariat suffered a setback, yesterday, as the judge, Justice Ngajiwa, sent the case file back to the Administrative Judge for reassignment.

This was consequent upon two different motions by counsel to Inspector General of Police, Mr. Donald Demwigie, SAN and counsel to the Felix Obuah led faction of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Dike Udenna.

The Caretaker Committee of Obio Akpor council is in the suit, praying the court to order the Police to vacate the council premises, so that workers could resume at the secretariat.

build a world class referral General Hospital in Degema, when the people provide a land for the project.

“I will finish the projects I have started in the Kalabari area. My administration will complete the Trans-Kalabari Road that will terminate at Bakana.”

He said that he will also build a primary healthcare centre in Bille and a model secondary school in Buguma

and Akuku-Toru, when the people provide the land for the projects.

Kalabari support Earlier, representative of the Amanyanabo of Kalabari Kingdom, His Majesty, King Prof T. Princewill, on behalf of all Kalabari people, expressed their support for the governor and pledged to stand by him in his current travails.

“For us as Kalabari people, this

is a good time to show our solidarity with our son, brother, friend and governor, Chibuike Amaechi. The Kalabari people as an ethnic nationality will continue to work with you. We pledge our loyalty and unflinching support to your administration.”

They praised Governor Amaechi for his laudable achievements so far in the Kalabari area and the state generally. They congratulated him on his re-election as the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.

A referral hospital for Degema Meanwhile, Governor Amaechi, when the Kalabari people paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Port Harcourt, said he will also

BIRTHDAY: From left: Delta State Deputy Governor, Prof. Amos Utuama, SAN, wife of National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Hajiya Fatima Bamanga Tukur and her husband, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, when his wife celebrated her 50th birthday in Abuja.

A

WKA—SENIOR Special Assistant to Governor Peter Obi on Media and Publicity, Mr Obienyem, has called on Nigerians to ignore Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah’s assessment of Obi’s performance as below average as reported in some newspapers, saying that Ubah was incompetent to pass judgment on Obi. Obienyem said that it was wrong for Ubah to consign the achievements of Governor Obi to the pages of the newspapers while not naming one project Obi claimed to have done that cannot be sited in any part of the state. “Today, for example, the governor inspected the on going Iyiowa-Odekpe Raod, Obodoukwu Road at Okpoko and the three big bridges on Atani- Ozubulu Road. These projects among many others are there for everybody to see.

If Ubah is sure of what he was saying, I challenge him to name just one project Obi claimed he executed that he did not do.”

How APC’ll save Nigeria — Tinubu Continues from Page 5

Alleging that the present leadership is retrogressive and serving the country the salad of corruption, he said: “This current Nigerian government is a retrogressive one. Much of what they claim as growth is but the harsh redistribution of wealth from the bottom to the top. The bottom gets squeezed while the top expands. They are serving us the salad of corruption. They consume our today and squander the nation’s tomorrow.

For 14 years, the PDPled government cannot

turn anything around. A new leadership is required to put a stop to this.

“Our people live in dire straits. But this government would rather waste the money than spend it on the public benefit. They do not believe the people are worth it. The money is more important. They claim to be hoarding it for that mythical rainy day, when most Nigerians are drowning in poverty. If that is not troubled waters, I don’t know what new calamity will make this government ever recognize the need to build the new

bridges needed for the people to cross over into prosperity.

“I have said this before and I shall say it again. These leaders would rather save the money and spend the people. We progressives would rather spend the money to save the people.”

Tinubu said that based on the situation on ground, he and other leaders of the APC would make sacrifice to save the nation.

“It is for this reason- to save the nation from the stranglehold of permanent poverty and poor

governance - that the members of the progressive opposition political parties have decided to put aside personal ambition (including my own ambition) to form a new party, the All Progressives Congress, APC. We do this because Nigeria has entered a critical state of economic depression.”

Confusion as party fails to appoint national officers Meanwhile, confusion yesterday, set in to the midst of the APC, following failure of the leaders of the fledgling party to unveil the national officers, fuelling speculations of unresolved disagreement among the merging parties over the positions.

Vanguard learnt that the three parties- ACN, Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, and All Nigeria Peoples

Party, ANPP, had converged on Abuja with a view to naming the officers to man its key national offices, only to have a change of mind afterwards.

Sources said disagreement among the parties led to the postponement of the unveiling of the new officers but Tom Ikimi, the ACN Merger Committee Chairman, said the postponement was to allow for further consultations.

Ikimi denied that there was disagreement within the APC about the would-be national officers as speculated, boasting that they had what he called “a successful meeting.”

“There is no disagreement in APC about the issue of interim management officers, and we had a successful meeting this afternoon, and so one of our decisions is to consult further.

“The names have been worked out and we need to consult further with our various parties in order to agree with those

names on the list.

“The plan, hope and commitment of the merger committee are that the new party will be broad-based, open and truly belong to all its members equally.

He also said they were working assiduously to ensure that the party is registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as the final document for registration would be signed by the ACN, ANPP, and CPC. “The final document for registration in accordance with INEC regulations has to be signed by only the three merging parties that have done their conventions. It has to be signed by their national chairmen, secretaries and treasurers.”

Meanwhile, Ikimi stated, yesterday, that the merging parties last Friday submitted their registration documents to INEC in accordance with the provisions of the law.

14 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

Community frowns at siting of abattoir in domain

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

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WKA—TENSION is mounting in the sleepy community of Umunya in Oyi local government area of Anambra State, following the siting of an abattoir in the town.

The residents of the area, who are complaining of the attendant hazards of having such a venture very close to people’s homes, said they were surprised that promoters of the abattoir went ahead with it, despite the stop work order by Anambra State government..

The state Ministry of Agriculture had, in a letter, dated May 13, 2013, and addressed to Ichie Ikem Nnaemeka of Ajakpani village, Umunya and Ikechukwu Ikwunne of Achalla Isuani in Awka North local government area, who were apparently those that facilitated the siting of the abattoir in the area, directed that work should stop forthwith.

The letter, which was signed

by Dr. D. I. Obele for the Commissioner read: “I am directed to issue a stop order work for the on-going construction of an illegal slaughter house at the Odumodu junction, Umunya".

“I also wish to state that the butchers have not been authorized by the Anambra State government to construct any slaughter house at that Odumodu T- junction because of its nearness to the Enugu–Onitsha expressway.

Umeifekwem for burial tomorrow

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HE family of Umeifekwem of Ifite Village, Aguluzigbo in Anaocha Local Government Area Anambra State has announced the burial arrangement for their mother, grandmother and wife, Mrs Nneora Comfort Umeifekem, aged 68.

Her body would lie in state at her residence, Ifite Village, Aguluzigbo, after which burial service would take place at St Mark’s Church, Anglican Communion, Aguluzigbo tomorrow, June 13, 2013.

She is survived by many children and grand children.

Late Mrs Umeifekwem

2015: Prepare to hand over to APC, Okorocha tells PDP

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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WERRI—IMO State gov ernor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, has warned the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to start preparing its handover notes now as the newly formed All Progressives Congress, APC, would wrestle power from it in 2015.

Okorocha read the riot act when he played host to leaders of the merging political parties from Enugu and Ebonyi states at Government House, Owerri.

Okorocha said: “APC is a child of circumstance, following the desire of Nigerians to reap dividend of democracy. APC is a product of yearning for a change that will bring about true democ-

Igbo group apologises to police over alleged killing of MASSOB members

BY OKONKWO EZE

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NITSHA— FORMER members of Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, under the aegis of Concerned Igbo Citizens, CIC, yesterday, tendered an apology to Anambra State police command for accusing its men of killing some MASSOB members and dumping their corpses into Ezu river bridge.

In a statement jointly signed

by National Coordinator, Chief Okechukwu Nnogu, and National Secretary, Comrade Sunny Okpaleke, the group also petitioned the National Assembly Committees on Police Affairs asking it to disregard MASSOB’s claims that their members were killed and dumped in Ezu river.

The group contended that after taking a critical look at the issues, it discovered that there was not even a single member of MASSOB whose body was among the corpses floating in Ezu river, neither was any MASSOB member missing.

The group said: “As former MASSOB members, we know MASSOB information propaganda and antics. .

“As former foundational members of MASSOB in Onitsha, these four names listed by MASSOB are members, under MASSOB Onitsha Region 5, (Onitsha North), headed by one Vincent Iloh as the regional administrator, while the late Philip Nwankpa was an area administrator living at Ugwuagba Obosi".

racy in the country.

“PDP has failed the people of the South East and Nigerians”, pointing out that this, largely informed the mission of providing a credible platform that will form an alternative and acceptable administration.

“APC is neither an alliance nor a coalition. It is rather a merger that is borne out of genuine concern of progressive Nigerians, who are committed to take the country to the next level”.

He was particularly irked that PDP had continued to deny Ndigbo its rightful place, stressing that it was sheer marginalization that no Igboman was occupying any of the principal positions as President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker, House of Representatives and Chairman of PDP. He added that, “Ndigbo should therefore be resolute, focused and courageous. I assure you that APC would be registered despite the palpable plot

by some PDP forces to thwart the registration”.

Earlier in his speech, the lead-

er of Enugu delegation, General Joseph Okoloagu (rtd), said they were in Imo to solicit his support.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 — 15

Presidency vs Ribadu: It's Abati who is hypocrite — Junaid Mohammed

BY SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL EDITOR, NORTH

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BUJA—SECOND Republic lawmaker, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, yesterday, took up issues with the Presidency for calling the former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, boss, Nuhu Ribadu, an ingrate and a hypocrite, following his claim that Nigerian under Jonathan was a sinking ship.

Mohammed, who spoke in an exclusive interview with Vanguard, noted with dismay the disposition of the Presidency to pour invectives on Nigerians who dared the administration.

The politician said rather than vilify Ribadu for pointing out its shortcomings, the Presidency should be grateful to him for easing Diepreye Alamieyeseigha from office in 2005 and paving the way for Jonathan as acting governor, who eventually became governor and Vice President of Nigeria.

Mohammed, who expressed disappointment with the way the Presidency was desperately trying to distort history, stated that there would have been no Jonathan’s Presidency without the risk taken

by Ribadu to ease out Alamieyeseigha using the EFCC as a platform.

He said: “It is actually President Jonathan, who should show a debt of gratitude to Ribadu because if he had not moved against Alamieyeseigha in 2005 using the EFCC as an attack dog, Jonathan would not have been where he is today.

“Whether what Ribadu did was right or wrong under the law, Jonathan benefitted from his action and I say this without any prejudice to what former President Obasanjo wanted to use the antigraft agency for during the 2007 election.

“In the circumstance in which we have found ourselves, Reuben Abati and his master, Jonathan should do their homework well and try to understand the implications of not paying adequate gratitude to those who helped them to where they are today.”

The Kano politician also vilified the Presidency for trying to make a mockery of the benevolence, which it extended to Ribadu following a desperate move by agents of the previous administration to persecute the former EFCC boss.

According to him, Jonathan did not do anything new or extraordinary by restoring his police rank and paving the way for him to return from self exile after taking over as President.

Mohammed said: “There is nothing anyone could do to deny Ribadu of his citizenship of Nigeria, especially as he was not found guilty of any offence either within or outside Nigeria and knowing very well that he was merely be-

ing persecuted by the former regime.

“To me, if Ribadu was on the run, he did so to save his dear life, which was being seriously threatened by the forces in the country. Jonathan recalled him and restored him to his rank because he knew very well that the persecution of Ribadu was illegal, unconstitutional and detestable".

While calling on Presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati, to be more careful in descending on Nigerians for airing their views on issues affecting the nation, Mohammed wondered why Abati had chosen to use uncouth language to disparage Nigerians for talking about their President and their country.

He added that, “Abati’s use of language in the name of the

President is most unbecoming and a disgrace to Nigerians and Nigeria.""

Ribadu got into trouble with the Villa following a lecture he gave in Kaduna, weekend, during which he described the nation under President Jonathan as a sinking ship.

The Presidency fired back, describing Ribadu as an ingrate and a hypocrite.

INSPECTION—Sector Commander, FRSC Kaduna State Command, Mr Olu Mike Olagunju with the Deputy Corps Marshal, Motor Vehicle Administration, Abuja, Mr Danjuma Garba, during inspection of quarter guard in Kaduna, yesterday. Photo: Olu Ajayi.

Sustainable energy, key to Nigeria's development — ECN DG

BY EMMANUEL ELEBEKE

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BUJA—THE Director Gen eral of Energy Commission of Nigeria, ECN, Prof. Eli Bala, said yesterday that the vision of President Goodluck Jonathan to transform Nigeria’s economy must be backed and supported

by Sustainable Energy for All, SE4ALL, for it to achieve results.

Prof. Bala stated this during a one-day multi-sectoral development partners forum on Sustainable Energy for All, SE4AL, organised by the Energy Commission of Nigeria, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, in Abuja.

He said the initiative of sustainable energy would make no sense, if not viewed within the context of development, hence the need to link it to the transformation agenda of the Federal Government.

He noted that nations worldwide were now pushing for sustainable development, which was driven by energy sources, technology and best practices that

were sustainable.

He insisted that it must be used to back up the ongoing developmental policies of government to actualize the vision of the Federal Government to transform Nigeria into a major player in global economy.

It would be recalled that the

United Nation Secretary General, Ban ki Moon in 2011, announced the Sustainable Energy for All initiative, which was aimed at identifying and mobilizing action on the three interlinked objectives to be attained by 2030 to support development, and reduction of poverty.

Rep begs court to set aside N6m judgment fine

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

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BUJA—CHAIRMAN of House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta, Mr. Nicholas Mutu, has approached an Abuja High Court, begging it to set aside judgment which ordered him to pay N6 million to Realvine Connections Limited.

Alleging that the judgment was obtained by fraud, the lawmaker, in his motion to set aside the order which was issued against him by Justice A.O Otaluka, said he was never a party to the suit that culminated in the court verdict.

Mutu, through his lawyer Mr. Abubakar Animiokhali, maintained that he was not aware of the pendency of the suit against him, saying he was not served the court processes.

He said he only got to know about the suit after he saw a photocopy of the suit dated February 1, 2013, on which was handwritten “undefended list”, dropped outside the fence of his compound.

Consequently, he urged the court to annul the proceeding, saying he had concluded plans to report the counsel to the company, Dr Lawrence Arinze, to the Legal Practitioners Ethics and Disciplinary Committee.

The lawmaker, in his affidavit, further averred that a hand written date he saw on the paper that was dumped outside his compound had indicated that the case was billed for hearing on May 14.

He said his colleague had appeared in court for the matter on that date and discovered that the suit was not listed on the schedule for that day and upon inquiry, was informed by the court clerk that the suit came up for hearing on May 9 and that judgment was delivered against him that same day.

....We 'll leverage on Turkish expertise in thermal, hydro energy — Power Minister BY `NOEL ONOJA

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BUJA—THE Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo, has said Nigeria, in its quest for new energy mix strategy, would leverage on Turkish expertise in thermal and hydro power sources.

Nebo, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Dr. Godknows Igali, said Nigeria offered the best environment for business not only in power but also heavy equipment, machinery and construction.

While receiving in audience the Bereket Energi Group, led by its

Deputy Chairman, Ali Yagli, and its Nigerian partner, Oral Energy Limited, the minister commended the group for the confidence it had in the Nigeria’s economy.

He added that the group would not regret its decision as there were unequal potentials in terms of returns on investment.

The minister described their visit as best timed, against the backdrop of the shift in emphasis on hydro renewable power, such as wind, solar and coal-to-power, with enormous coal reserves that stretched from Enugu-KogiBenue and Nasarawa states.

He said Nigeria would har-

ness these potentials to the fullest, as the nation’s coal had been described as one of the highest quality.

On the company’s request for more participation in Nigeria’s power market, the minister assured it that other renewable sources of power as solar and wind were also available for exploration.

Responding on behalf of the Group, Tukur Modibo, who represented Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, Chairman of Oral Energy Ltd, said Bereket Energi of Turkey had been a dependable ally in the on-going privatization of the power sector.

16—Vanguard, WEDNEESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

NADECO’S 19TH ANNIVERSARY OF MKO ABIOLA’S EPETEDO DECLARATION IN LAGOS, YESTERDAY

From left: Chief Ayo Opadokun, General Secretary, National Democratic Coalition, NADECO; Rear Admiral Ndubisi Kanu, Chairman, NADECO and Mr. Kayode Opeifa, Lagos State Commissioner for Transportion and others, at NADECO’s 19th anniversary to mark late Chief MKO Abiola’s 1994 Epetedo Declaration as the President-elect, at Epetedo Multipupose Hall in Lagos. Photos: Shola Oyelese.

From left: Mrs. Titilayo Alade; Mr. Egwuatu Ogene and Col. Tony Nyiam (rtd).

Chief Fred Agbeyegbe, Colloquium lecturer and Mrs. Dupe Onitiri Abiola, wife of late Chief MKO Abiola.

Baba Omojola (right) and Dr. Keziah Awosika.

Dr. Kolawole Lucas (left) and Chief Tokunbo Ajasin.

ALLEGED SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF PREGNANT WOMAN:

Husband wants Prof’s appointment terminated D

BY TINAAKANNAM

UTSE—THE husband of the pregnant woman, Mrs, Bushira Isyaku, who was allegedly sexually harassed by Professor Festus David Kolo of Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria, Malam Muhammad Isyaku, has asked the university to terminate the appointment of the don.

A Chief Magistrate Court in Kiyawa Local Government Area of Jigawa State sentenced Professor Kolo of the Faculty of Education at Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria to two months imprisonment last week for knowingly enticing a married woman who was a student in his department contrary to Section 389 of the penal code law.

Principal State Counsel, Mustapha Adamu, who read the First Information Report, said that on May 21, one Muhammad Ghali of Takur Quarters Dutse “reported you, Prof. Festus David Kolo of ABU, knowing fully well that Mrs Bushra Ghali Muhammed is his wife, and you have been making advances towards her, inciting her, calling her often, sending her love SMS messages C M Y K

using your phone...”

Adamu further said: “You, Prof.

Kolo, was caught red handed by the police at Dan Musa Guest House, Room 109 with Ghali’s wife after he reported the case to

the police and after several warnings and pleas by the husband.’’

Malam Isyaku who spoke in an interview with Vanguard

yesterday said that the two-month imprisonment for the 66- year professor was too mild.

He argued that since the court had found him guilty of commit-

ting the offence and sentenced him, he should face dismissal from the university because of the integrity of the institution.

How to make LGs functional, by Aregbesola, Sagay, Among those who proffered Nigeria Bar Association, Ikeja They spoke at the second ediothers solutions to the decay in the branch). tion of the National Public Dis-

L

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

AGOS—ONE thought dominated the comments of discussants on how to make local councils in Nigeria effective at a forum in Lagos yesterday: There is so much rot in the councils and decisive actions are needed to make them deliver democracy dividends.

However, the discussants were divided on how to ensure effective governance at the grassroots.

While some asked the National Assembly to remove the Local Councils as a tier of government and tie them to the states in line with the dictates of classical federalism, others said the councils should be allowed to operate as currently enshrined in the 1999 constitution.

councils were Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; legal icon, Professor Itse Sagay, SAN; Professor Francis Oluyemi Fagbohun; and Mr. Onyekachi Ubani (Chairman,

This came as Aregbesola attributed his inability to conduct council polls in Osun State to pending litigations, assuring that once the legal fisticuffs were resolved he would hold the polls.

course organised by CMC Connect in association with O’Ken Ventures, at MUSON Centre, Lagos. It was themed: “Local Government Authority: How Autonomous?”

Boko Haram insurgency displaces over 6,000 forces are continuing from time people —UN agency to time, and that planes are reg-

T

HE UN High Commis sioner for Refugees, UNHCR, yesterday, said that antiinsurgency operations and general insecurity had uprooted over 6,000 people in north-eastern Nigeria.

This is contained in a report presented in New York by the UNHCR spokesperson, Mr. Adrian Edwards.

According to the agency’s re-

port, more than 6,000 of those affected have fled to neighbouring Niger republic for safety.

“Those that have spoken to UNCHR say they fled for fear of being caught in the government-led crackdown on insurgents linked to the Boko Haram sect, particularly in the Baga area of northern Nigeria, close to the Niger border,” Edwards said in the report.

He stated that “refugees reported that air strikes by government

ularly flying over the states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa where the state of emergency has been in force since May 14.

“People arriving in Niger also mentioned the increasing presence of roving armed bandits in several states in Nigeria. The people also spoke of rising commodity prices coupled with pre-existing food insecurity which is also becoming a major concern for the populations of the affected states.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013— —17

18 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 THE furores in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, over its governors’ conducts and the possibilities of no primaries for the 2015 elections are part of the politics of convenience that the party has been playing exceptionally well since 1999.

Only three years ago, PDP at a forum promised to assist women vying for political offices in the 2011 elections. Between official promises of giving them automatic tickets (even for seats with incumbent) and the moderated version that they would be provided funds to contest against others, nothing was done. PDP kept vacillating on an official position on primaries that hardly anyone understood how they were conducted.

Matters are a bit more complicated for 2015.

Only seven of the PDP’s 23 governors are eligible for re-election. Of the number only three of the elections are due in 2015, the other five would be in 2016. Governors who have served out their terms are seeking opportunities in the Senate. The party’s automatic ticket for incumbents therefore has no meaning for 20 of PDP’s governors.

PDP’s importance in the conduct of its affairs

Always Politics Of Convenience lies in the fact that it has overwhelmingly dominated Nigeria’s politics since 1999. Its main interest is in stabilising its hold on power. PDP is impulsive, undecided, with a high inclination to play above the law, in what it calls “family affair.”

Primaries are dictated by the Electoral Act. Every party should hold them. Primaries entrench firm democratic behaviours in parties.

The poor examples of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in the selection of its candidates have found followership in most of the political parties.

Why would candidates not be interested in contesting primaries? Why would they rather

frighten others out of the process?

Many party members have invested their lives waiting for opportunities to vie for elective offices. If the parties do not make these positions open, they constrict opportunities and leave their members with few options than the crises across the parties.

It is time the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, stepped into the organisation of the parties, and effect its constitutional obligations in ensuring that the parties are run democratically.

Hopes are lean that there would be primaries.

If they hold, they would be in constituencies the parties want to punish the office holders, or where there is nobody strong enough to hijack the office. Without primaries, Nigeria’s few gains in democracy would soon be gone.

We can still have democratic governments, but they will be worse than dictatorships.

The culture of most parties imposing candidates on their members is the type of politics that would not be helpful in 2015. The parties should conduct primaries at all levels, for all offices. The democracies they claim to imitate do so.

OPINION

BY GAB AJUWA

Y

ES, it stands out like a sore thumb-and really it is a sore thumb whose exquisite pain throbs and refuses, in all its cabuncular virulence, to go – that is June 12 for you. It comes just like any other date in the nation’s politically seismic calendar, once in a year, but just that once it opens up a can of writhing ghostworms which stink to the high heavens, and remind us poignantly of our incompatibility with, and aversion to, honesty, decency and indeed law and order, as a nation. Yes, our military ignoramuses, claiming to be geniuses, have succeeded in snuffing life out of Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola of blessed memory, the kindest and most generous Nigerian that ever walked this earth , but they have failed woefully to erase what he symbolised.

As we are faced inevitably with the stark reality of our corporate failure and antipathy to stand up for noble endeavours, let our moral castration debouch into instropection and stocktaking, at least of our darkening political landscape and indeed the active inertia of the littoral mafia holding the nation captive audience to its ethnocentric drumbeats and vocal monody.

First and foremost , why do we as a nation continue to use mediocres for sensitive national assignments when there are competent technocrats whose skill would assure excellence and continuity? For instance, in all the elections Nigeria has had the fortune or misfortune of organising, none has equalled that of Professor

June 12: How democratic is our democracy?

Humprey Nwosu in being free and fair. But when there was the need for another, one would have thought that he would be the automatic choice. However, President Goodluck Jonathan did an about-turn, having understudied his mentor, the sassy General, and appointed just another professor, not the particular one who has had a track-record. That simply translated to intellectual mediocrity of the first water.

I hasten to add that I am not entirely accrediting Nwosu, either. Yes it is true that he organised a perfectly credible and by that fact laudable election, but he tainted his integrity with cowardice, for he did not stand up to the one who brazenly nullified the election. Intellectuals are supposed to evince both integrity and boldness.

Another culpable culprit frustrating credibility and transparency in our elections, and indeed our entire democratic socialisation, is the Ota General who stood history and logic on their heads by foisting on us May 29 instead of June 12 just because he was too petty to give credit to whom it was due. Let us all call this man’s bluff and right the wrongs which he has personally initiated in our polity. Does it show sociopsychological intelligence that we have allowed a discredited powerbroker to superimpose his own absurd petty vindictiveness over a national apprehension and reality? Could someone convince me that the day Nigeria initiated this

bastardized and corrupt democracy is more important than when the whole nation put sentiments aside and voted massively for progress? If the answer is an emphatic no, let us make bold to reclaim our integrity and corporate intelligence. How could we have apotheosized this petty jealousy over rectitude and documented history? That is the millionaire question.

A

nd what, if we may ask, is the Nigerian Legislature doing to sanitise our undemocratic propensities and sustain the rule of law? Pretty little or nothing at all, if you ask me. The fact is that our National Assembly is tarred and speckled by the sinuous serpents of not only sun-burnt ignorance but also caterwauling greed, selfishness and opportunism.

When our ‘’wise men” are not busy legislating heaven-bound allowances, bonuses and perks for themselves and recycling same for their generations yet unborn, they are browbeating the nation, demanding that the detail of their remunerations be cloaked in mustysmelling secrecy. It is an open secret that their paypackets are so fat that they are believably richer than Arab oil sheiks.

As a result, the lard of fat has so shrouded them that when ‘’Lord” Jonathan brought the emergency rule bill which invested him with absolute power, none of them was alert enough to decode the gambit. And all these

in a ‘’democratic” dispensation.

When it was a time for them to pass into law jail terms for corruption they dissimulated, can you imagine?

And the Judiciary? The much-vaunted hope of the common man. Not particularly better either. if a particular High Court judge could say that padding the voters register with fictitious names was a pre-election issue-even if it is illegal and proved- and another merely fined a high –ranking thief of N22 billion less than a million naira, the point is already made.

And the President himself? What has he done, or not done to redress the wrongs of yester years? Again, pretty little or nothing.

In fact , the man has ‘’ported”, to use a new technical cant. If you had been taken in by his ‘’fresh breath” symbolism at the beginning, you have been gulled and I blame you. If there is any symbolism relevant to what his government has done to the ordinary Nigerian, I can swear to an affidavit , that it is that of a ‘’browning twig”.

To be sure, the harmless avuncular mannext-door image of the past has given way to that of a tyrant of the typical banana republic, replete with attack dogs and sycophants in the manner of Napoleon in Arthur Blair’s Animal Farm. That is the dramatic sublime irony. *Mr. Ajuwa, a journalist, wrote from Lagos.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013— —19

, M

ERE five years separate 2008 from 2013 and that could seem a long time. In the life of a transport system that is meant to cater for millions of commuters weekly if not daily, five years is quite short.

But that is for how long the Bus Rapid Transit has existed in Lagos and it’s already looking like what should be a marathon race is fast turning into a very short sprint given how the management of the BRT system appears to have deteriorated in just five years.

Perhaps long used to very terrible transport system and the regular sight of the BRT buses, Lagosians cannot easily notice the very poor state of many of the buses. It, however, takes a visitor to the State or someone who has been away from the city for a while to see the rising problem of the BRT system in Lagos.

This was my experience recently after a short absence from Lagos. The sight of the

BRT buses I saw was, to put it mildly, shocking. Yet this couldn’t have been the intention of the Lagos State government when the BRT buses were introduced five years ago. Many applauded the foresight that gave birth to the system that was in a sense meant to gradually phase out the molue on Lagos roads and bring sanity to mass transportation. While many may still go around Lagos on the BRT lines I doubt if the experience is now any different from riding in the battered molue that are still to be seen in Lagos. If anything, the deteriorated state of the BRT buses has certainly increased the number of molue-cadre buses in the state even if most of them are now in the blue or red colours of the BRT buses.

When the BRT buses began operation in 2008 Nigerians in Lagos had no doubt that the Fashola administration had

,

found what seemed then a decent way to temporarily address the problem of mass transportation in Lagos. The BRT system could only be a temporary solution in the face of the increasing population of Lagos. There is no way a government could seriously believe that the provision of thousands of buses could take care of the transportation needs of millions of people that daily commute in and around Lagos. This was the problem the metroline project that has remained a pipedream in more than three decades was meant to address.

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ut the politics surrounding the actualisation of this project has proven more potent than the desire of those that should make the dream a reality. This was the context in which the BRT system looked like a decent but temporary way to take care of the transport

Nigeria as a social club

A

S the battle for control of the Nigerian Governors Forum continues, we are reminded once again of how our pretence at nationhood reduces governance to absurdity.

Depending on your disposition, we are currently being entertained or embarrassed by the fight for greater access to the main banquet hall where the national cake (actually, petro-dollars) is shared. If you consider this a gross exaggeration of the face-off between Governor Chibuike R. Amaechi and Governor Jonah Jang (as captain of President Goodluck Jonathan’s forces), then recall just one telling fact: So agitated by Amaechi’s election as chairman of the NGF was the Commander-in-Chief that he could not rouse himself to address the 50 th anniversary summit of the African Union.

I do not believe the wicked rumourmongers who claim that prior to his speech the President had been driven to have one too many by the news.

Suffice it to say that since then, his Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has decided that its umbrella is not big enough to cover the President and an enemy-governor, causing it to push the latter into the rain. Moreover, Jang has accused his victorious opponent of rigging and proclaimed himself the duly elected winner, even though he secured only 16 of the 36 votes. With a straight face, Jang revealed to us that God is a democrat made in the image of the PDP. Which, naturally, makes God disapprove of only unsuccessful election riggers.

“God is a democrat [who] does not support rigging but if you rig and succeed, that means God approves of it,” Jang said. It goes without saying that C M Y K

winners of free and fair elections are approved by Satan.

But what is the connection between a do-or-die battle by 36 governors to choose their chairman and the bloodsport called elections in our country? First, the well-considered thought by the anti-Amaechi excellencies of smashing the ballot box to prevent voting, as Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, has disclosed. Then, ask: Why would the Commander-in-Chief care so much who leads a voluntary association as to play the good old politics of divide-and-rule?

Answer: Because power is all that matters in Nigeria. And the C-in-C knows something about the clout of the NGF, being a former club member. If, despite his dismal record of nongovernance, Jonathan is to “win” the second term that he so plainly covets, then all of the PDP governors must swear a blood-oath to implement Verdict 2015.

Unfortunately, the NGF under Amaechi had become a “strange” instrument “used to oppress . . . the president,” according to Senator Jubril Aminu; a “formidable group of power wielders seeking to control governments at all levels,” according to PDP enforcer Tony Anenih, also known as Mr Fix-It. Something had to be done.

Funny, isn’t it, that a social club — no different from, say, the Police Officers Wives Association, the Nigerian Guild of Editors, or the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, except in the matter of power and trillion-naira budgets — should give the President sleepless nights? And even funnier that governors belonging to six political parties should have been such happy bedfellows until now? Funny,

needs of Lagos. But the stopgap nature of the BRT measure is now clear in the deplorable state of the entire system which is visible in the rundown look of the majority of the BRT buses.

Five years ago anyone could move around in Lagos in the BRT buses except those who perceive themselves too wealthy to share in any form of mass transit system. The buses were clean both inside and outside. The seats might look hard but they were decent enough and commuters could expect a ride in one without the aggravation associated with commuting in a molue or danfo. Middle class workersbankers, teachers, civil servants etc, could be seen in their ties and jackets in these buses. There were neither itinerant preachers nor food or drug vendors to bother passengers. The buses were not littered with waste or remains of stale foods and snacks nor were 49-sitting and 99-standing people, ‘shuffering-and-smiling’ Fela-style, crammed together like sardines in the buses. The drivers and conductors were courteous and went about their duty with dignity. Indeed some of the buses were airconditioned and you could expect a decent ride in relative comfort.

This is a far cry from the dingy BRT buses one sees in Lagos today. The buses look very dirty both inside and outside. The internal walls look grimy and coated in dark colours that are in fact accumulated dirt that has caked over time. With the constant battles reported

because we ought to a s s u m e ideological differences among the parties. But not funny because in a country where states exist as appendages of the Federal Government attached to the petro-dollar super pipeline that runs from the Niger

,

These ugly Lagos BRT buses

The picture of the BRT buses in Lagos today is not in any way inviting; it is an indicting statement of our lack of a culture of maintenance or criminal neglect of public property

In the absence of any genuine sense of patriotism and public service, our so-called leaders see Nigeria as no more than an elite social club; which is why elections are a joke to them

,

Delta swamps to Abuja and from there to every state government house, all ideological differences turn to vapour.

And the governors could form a country club for the primary purpose of lobbying for an ever greater flow of petro-dollars into their coffers.

W

hich is why, with only one exception, they agreed with Jonathan to remove, for the thousandth time, a corruption subsidy on oil products if a great proportion of the moneys to be realised would come to them. Why, top of the NGF’s list of 14 achievements since 1999 is that it was “instrumental in facilitating the release of excess crude funds . . . to the states in

between passengers and conductors and/or drivers of the buses and other road users, there is no doubt that area boys, even if only in attitude and mentality, had eased off the touted OND/HND and degree holders that were initially recruited to drive and conduct the buses. The buses are extremely dirty from the outside with many of them parading torn and jagged panels that are a clear danger to the clothes and bodies of passengers and other commuters. With the rains around, things can only get and are getting worse for the buses and people who have to use them. The picture of the BRT buses in Lagos today is not in any way inviting. It is an indicting statement of our lack of a culture of maintenance for it could be asked how things could have been allowed to happen this way in just five years. Is it that the BRT initiative has been an unprofitable proposition all along or the managers and founders have simply succumbed to the Nigerian malaise of irresponsible and criminal neglect of what they perceive to be public property?

What is the Lagos State government doing to halt the obvious slide of the BRT system into ignominy? Surely, operators of the iconic molue must be looking on in amused silence at the collapse of a system that was touted to replace it. But millions of Lagosians daily going about their business would want to know how the richest state government in the country proposes to ease their transportation pain.

2008” and that “the funds have been distributed several times since then to augment the income accruable to states.”

The rest of the achievements are in the areas of study committees, seminars, working tours, etc., mostly with international agencies. Incidentally, nothing about regional co-operation for economic integration and development, say along the lines of joint rail and road transport authorities, technology parks and trade zones, or environmental protection.

If you still question my analogy, then perhaps you did not hear Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State declare that it is the turn of the North to rule the NGF. Sound familiar? In Yuguda’s opinion, the contentious NGF election was unnecessary; similarly, Anenih wants to abolish primaries so the PDP can have Jonathan as its consensus candidate. “You can see,” said Yuguda, “that the need for election did not arise in the first place given the fact that we the governors of the North, who are in the majority, had chosen a consensus candidate before the election.”

In the absence of any genuine sense of patriotism and public service, our so-called leaders see Nigeria as no more than an elite social club. Which is why elections are a joke to them. Mimiko might disagree, but in the end, his camp smashed the ballot box by scorning the outcome of an election in which it participated.

20— Vanguard ,

WEDNESDAY WEDNESDAY,, JUNE 12 , 2013

Debate of the masses

Police massacre: Another view

BY EBELE ORAKPO

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*Scene of bomb explosion courtesy of Boko Haram

INCREASING CASES OF MASS MURDER:

Security operatives cry out ••as NEMA, Military offer help-lines

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N recent times, sev eral disasters have been recorded in different parts of the country, ranging from buildings collapse, fire outbreak, flooding, plane crash and detonation of Improvised Explosive Devices IEDs, which have resulted in serious casualties.

A typical example is the Kano bomb blast of January 2012 which claimed the life of Channels TV reporter, 31-year-old Enenchie Akogwu, who was on official assignment. Another example is the December 25, 2011 bomb blast at a Catholic Church in Bauchi State which claimed many lives, including children.

The culprit in most cases were members of the dreaded Islamic extremist sect popularly called Boko Haram who delight in using the IEDs in their orgy of mass killing of innocent Nigerians. Research has it that components of IEDs are readily available and can be easily packed inside small containers which makes detection difficult. They can be hidden in toys or cans and planted in strategic places like meeting venues, churches, town halls, hotels, cinema houses, motor parks or garages, while the executioners stay at a safe distance to detonate the object without being hurt.

To pre-empt such acts of mass murder,the South-West zone of National Emergency Management Authority NEMA, recently gathered security operatives and emergency bodies together to brainstorm on appropriate response at the scene of disasters especially where IEDs are

involved. The event which took place simultaneously in Lagos and Ogun drew participants from the Nigerian Navy, the Nigeria Police Force, the Airforce,the Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigerian Red Cross, Nigeria Security and Civil defence Corps, federal and state fire services and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agencies, to mention just a few.

According to NEMA’s SouthWest coordinator, Iyiola Akande, disaster in Nigeria has reached an alarming level, saying this

hammed, called for collaboration of stakeholders at the scene of a disaster. ‘’We need the support of one another, especially in crowd control without which we shall find it difficult to rescue victims,’’ he said and urged the general public to call the helpline 122 in case of road accidents.

Head of Operation Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, who represented his boss, called for identification of local disaster management involving local governSafety of lives should be para- ment chairmen and community mount at the scene of disasters; development asso overlapping of duties must be sociations and committees before handled with maturity the arrival of emergency bodies at emergency scenes. disturbing reality prompted the Also contributing, Chief workshop whic was designed to Maritime Safety Officer Search share and harness experiences and Rescue, NIMASA, Olaniyan from stakeholders on how they Taiwo said his organisationNIhave been responding to various MASA does not have the “does disasters, including mass casualnot have the wherewithal to hanty with a view to improving redle disaster alone; so, we work in sponse mechanism. Also, it was synergy with other emergency used to address major challenges bodies like NEMA, LASEMA and faced in the field and proffer soluoil companies”. tion.

Fire Officer 1 of the Lagos State Brigadier General A. Oyebade Fire Services, Olukotun Afeez, of the Nigerian Army Cantonment called for mutual understanding Ikeja, urged the general public to among stakeholders, adding: send text messages to ‘’Safety of lives should be 08160251041 or 08055002266 in paramount at the scene of case of IEDs and similar occurdisasters; so overlapping of duties rences. must be handled with maturity.

NEMA South-West Information Superiority and rivalry among us Officer, Ibrahim Farinloye, said has posed a major challenge to the within the past few years, the smooth operation at the scene of a agency has been able to prevent disaster. ‘’ cases that would have led to mass Head of Operation, Ikeja Unit casualties or fatal incidents’’.

Command of FRSC, Abdulahi Mo-

‘

‘

BY BOSE ADELAJA

IGERIA is in trouble indeed!” declared Ahmed in the Lagos-bound commuter bus.

“Na today? Nigeria has been in trouble for God knows how long. It’s just that it is getting worse,” said John.

“It has never been this bad. Imagine a country where law enforcement agents are no longer safe, so what happens to the common man?” Luka asked, referring to the massacre of 103 policemen in Nasarawa State.

“But it’s their fault! It’s failure of intelligence,” said Ahmed.

“How could you say a thing like that? Please show some respect to the departed,” noted Mary.

“Yes, but the truth must be told. We cannot continue to live in denial,” insisted Ahmed.

“Although failure of intelligence could be blamed but not entirely in the case of the Nasarawa massacre,” said Luka.

“The law enforcement agents should have seen it coming,” said Ahmed.

Asked John: “How do you mean?”

Replied Ahmed: “Sometime ago, some soldiers were drafted to the place to deal with those guys once and for all, but do you know what happened?”

“How are we supposed to know when we were not there? Tell us,” quipped Mary.

Continued Ahmed: “The soldiers could not handle them even with all their sophisticated weapons.”

“How? The bad guys overpowered them?” asked John.

“What happened was that as the soldiers were shooting, the guys were practically catching the bullets with bare hands as they advanced towards the soldiers until they got to them, disarmed them and one of them used a gun taken from a soldier to shoot the soldier in the arm. The guns were released to the soldiers

after much pleas,” replied Ahmed.

“Hmm, that’s serious juju,” commented Mary.

“Abeg, abeg, abeg! Tales by moonlight. Go tell it to the marines!” Luka sneered.

“Hold it Luka! It’s not tales by moonlight. It could have happened. I remember a lawyer also blaming the police for being the cause of the calamity that befell them because they failed to nip it in the bud,” said Markus.

“The lawyer said he was on his way to Benue State via Nasarawa State and at one point, he noticed a police checkpoint with armed policemen. A few metres away, some criminals were burning down houses and the police pretended not to see. It was like they had an agreement with the guys that they could go on with their nefarious activities so long as they don’t block the road or harm travellers.

The man said he was shocked to the bones.”

“You mean this?” asked John. Said Deji: “In that case, if we believe in African juju, there was nothing the police could have done. That was juju warfare, not gun. They made a very wise decision.

May be they heard the tales of woe by the soldiers and decided to respect themselves.” ”Exactly!

They shouldn’t have gone in the first place knowing they were not equipped for such battle,” said Ahmed.

“You know what? I don’t believe this story. If they see correct weapons, they will surrender,” said Luka, to which Mary replied thus: “Your skepticism does not change the fact. It’s just like arguing that there is no heaven or hell.”

“There are so many such groups in this country and the earlier the intelligence officers get to work, the better for us all,” stated Ahmed.

“But my question is; since this group is so fortified, why don’t they fight the Boko Haram guys?” asked Deji.

“Na the same papa born them,” replied Mary.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 — 21

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HE Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has chided banks in the country, blaming them for frustrating the successful disbursement of the N450 billion intervention fund of the Nigeria IncentiveBased Risk-Sharing System for Agricultural Lending, NIRSAL, programme. The programme is being promoted by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the Nigeria Agribusiness Group, Adesina said that research carried out by the Ministry and stakeholders revealed that NIRSAL was yet to function properly and discharge its duty due to the high interest rate pegged on it by banks appointed to disburse the funds to farmers.

According to him, the high interest rate has continued to defeat the purpose of the establishment of the fund, which includes serving as credit risk guarantee and interest drawback fund programme to stimulate agricultural financing and trigger the nation’s agricultural industrialisation process. He, however, noted that foreign organsations have increased their support for Nigeria, saying that global financial institutions have endorsed the establishment of staple crop processing zones in the country, which according to him would attract private sector investment in the industry.

According to Adesina, the development partners rallied around Nigeria’s agricultural

From left: Mr Bart Van Aerie, Chief Executive Officer, Prins Auto Gas West Africa Limited; Alhaji Sani Dangote, Vice President, Dangote Group and Engineer Saidu Muhammed, Managing Director, Nigeria Gas Company at a ceremony to unveil Prinsautogas/Saga’s Vehicles Compressed Natural Gas Conversion, in Lagos. PHOTO: LAMIDI BAMIDELE.

Banks frustrating disbursement of N450bn NIRSAL fund — Adesina

By MICHAEL EBOH transformation efforts with commitments, totaling $2 billion.

Adesina further stated that the private sector support for the agricultural transformation agenda in Nigeria hass tre-

mendously increased within the last 18 months, adding that the sector was able to attract $8 billion worth of private sector investment commitments into the agriculture sector, from local and multinational companies. lso speaking, Mr Rich ard Hargrave, Manag-

A

ing Director, Dizengoff West Africa Limited, said that Nigeria’s agricultural sector may not grow the way it should due to lack of funds for farmers.

Hargrave said it would be impossible for any farmer to survive with high interest rate, adding that because farming is a capital intensive

Four banks get buy rating from institutional investors

By PETER EGWUATU

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new report on Nigeria Banks released by Citi Bank has advised portfolio investors who want to buy shares in Nigeria banks to buy Access Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Zenith Bank PLC and First Bank.

Citibank in its update of financial forecasts and investment cases of Nigerian banks stated “We resume coverage of Access Bank with a Buy rating and Top Pick of N15 per share from N14. With an expected total return of 40 per cent and strongest potential earnings growth over the forecast period, Access Bank is the top pick in our universe of Nigerian banks.”

On Earnings forecast, it said, “To reflect the consolidation of Intercontinental Bank and its 2012 and first quarter 2013 results, we adjust our 2013, 2014 and 2015

Earning Per Share, EPS forecasts.

Although they appear “lower ”, when compared to our previous EPS estimates, which were based on a share count of 17.9billion versus the current share count of N22.9billion, this results is an increase of 63 per cent (to N1.92/share), 43 per cent (to N2.27/share) and 46 per cent (to N2.75/share). Our 2013, 2014 and 2015 EPS forecasts are 6 per cent, 4 per cent and 14 per cent ahead.

“Earnings revisions — we reduced our 2013, 2014 and 2015 EPS forecasts for First Bank by 5 per cent (to N2.70), 9 per cent (to N3.41) and 10 per cent (toN4.18). The downward revisions to our forecasts are reflective of the group’s 2012 results, which missed our forecasts by 9 per cent.

Our 2013 forecasts are now 2 per cent below, while our 2014 and 215 forecasts are still 10 per cent and 14 per cent ahead.

We lower our target price for First Bank to N22 per share from N24 per share to reflect our earnings cuts. At our revised fair value estimates of N22 per share.”

On investment case, it stated, “We view First Bank as an attractive long-term play on Nigeria because of its large pool of savings deposits.

At FY12, First Bank’s Savings deposits N549billion) represented 27 per cent of system savings deposits. Note that First Bank’s 20112 asset share was 15 per cent of total. Savings deposits are important not only because they are relatively cheap, but because they are almost entirely retail. Whereas time deposits are primarily corporate and demand deposits are a mix between government, retail and corporate deposits, savings deposits are retail. With this large quota of retail customers, we believe that First Bank is best positioned to deliver on Nigeria’s retail potential.”

While assessing UBA, Citibank said, “We raise our 2013, 2014 and 2015 EPS forecasts by 31 per cent, 18 per cent and 20 per cent.

business, funds has been one of the biggest challenges to farmers and until this was resolved Nigeria could not prosper in food sufficiency.

He said the passion and zeal shown by the Minister of Agriculture Dr Adesina to revive the agricultural sector was highly commendable but that much would not come out of it without the private sector driving the process.

128.65

1.7

2,363.00

-1.00

16.4

-0.03

104.08

-0.48

95.86

-0.17

CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL DOLLAR POUNDS EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA RENMINBI RIYA KRONA SDR

154.75 240.466 204.5176 164.9787 1.5652 0.2863 230.8667 25.2286 41.2623 27.4253 234.3225

155.25 241.243 205.1784 165.5117 1.5702 0.2963 231.6127 25.3105 41.3956 27.5139 235.0796

SELLING 155.75 242.0199 205.8392 166.0448 1.5753 0.3063 232.3586 25.3925 41.5289 27.6025 235.8367

CBN Exchange rate as at 11/06/2013

22—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

BY RITA OBODOECHINA

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unning your business without insuring it is like skydiving without a parachute. working hard is not the only way to protect your business. You also need to come up with solid management and It, planning, especially to therefore, provide simply make protection sense to against secure a good anything that can ruin business your insurance operation. policy in “Anything” order to could be earthquake, secure your fire, theft, investment employee’s against dishonesty and other hazards. number of when you calamities have a good can lead to business you business closure.In certainly will view of the do everything foregoing, it to protec it therefore simply make sense to secure a good business insurance policy in order to secure your investment against hazards.

When you have a business, you certainly will do everything you can

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P

C M Y K

Find a broker who has experience working with your type of business, as he/ she will better understand the risks you face

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•With insurance policy, your business is secured to protect it. You not only want it to develop and survive; you also want to make sure that nothing wrong or bad is happening to it that is why your business is your livelihood so why put

your financial future at risk by not properly insuring your business?

There many reasons why you need insurance policy. This coverage will protect you against income loss that

Pension assets hit N3.4trn RESIDENT, Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria (PenOp), Mr. Dave Uduanu, has said that the value of pension cash saved under the Contributory Pension Scheme is now N3.4 trillion.

Uduanu who said this during the association’s Annual General Meeting in Lagos, noted that the subscribers’ base of the contributory pension scheme is 5.3 million, which is less than seven per cent of the working population.

He said:”Pension operators are working tirelessly with the National Pension Commission (PenCom) to attract more subscribers as less than seven per cent of the working population has embraced the scheme”.

Managing Director Leadway Pensions Limited Mrs.Ronke Adedeji, said it is still complex for a subscriber to move base from one pension fund administrator to another. She said a lot of work has been done to support PenCom to

,

Running your business without insurance is risky

ensure a smooth transfer process.

He said the need for biometrics is crucial to the success of the transfer window, adding that in the absence of national data base in the country, it becomes difficult to get the accurate information on who is moving from one PFA to another.

She said, “On the face value, it always appears very simple. People always say, ‘I want to change my Pension Fund Administrator (PFA) and move from A to B,’ but it is complex from the perspective that when you are moving an account from one PFA to another, certain processes need to take place and the major one is the identification process.

“We want to make sure that when you are transferring account from one entity to the other, you are transferring correctly and that you are not transferring somebody else’s account simply because they have common names.

“As such, the identification process to ensure that the transfer is secure and correct has to take place. In

Nigeria, we really haven’t sorted out identification, but in more developed parts of the world, identification is quite simple and straightforward. So, a major criterion for us is biometrics. There are various initiatives going on regarding biometrics.”

The pension fund assets grew to N3tr by December 31, 2012.

•Mr. Dave Uduanu

may make you close off your business; it will cover your assets loss that can happen through employee’s dishonesty, theft, or uneventful natural disasters.

What should you do when buying the right item Make sure you understand the different kinds and types of the insurance, Be sure that you know their differences and each benefit you can gain and If you don’t have a clue about this, hire professional expert, He/she should be able to help you learn about different types of business insurance and which one is the most ideal type for you.

Review the business plan and the insurance coverage thoroughly. It is an important step that you need to consider if you want to choose the perfect insurance planning.

You can contact a broker or independent agent, or various insurance companies, a qualified agent or broker will help you evaluate your unique risk and guide you to a policy or policies that are right for your business.

Find a broker who has experience working with your type of business, as He/ she will better understand the risks you face.

The bottom line Insurance is a critical part of your financial life that you cannot afford to ignore, by insuring your business you are simply protecting the financial health of the business.

Insurance can secure you and your resources in many different ways, it can save you from the losses you may have to incur during any damage to the business, therefore, getting insurance for your business should be one of your top main concerns.

If your business is important to you and your family, take the extra few minutes to make informed choices about the coverage needed to protect it and whatever the risks you face, business insurance can provide protection tailored to protect you from them.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 —23

Home insurance keeps your mind at rest

By RITA OBODOECHINA

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•Home insurance helps you ease your mind regarding some risks your home may encounter.

ou have saved and buy your first house, and you are excited. Of course, you should be happy , buying a new house is just the beginning of a new adventure in your life and that of your family.

Now that you have finally gotten a place you can call your own, what would you want to do now, protect your home?

There is nothing more important than to protect your home and assets because you never know what kind of accident or trouble that may occur.

Home sweet home is a true expression when your home owner’s insurance policy is in place, disasters, natural or man made, often serve as a rude reminder about buying insurance covers.

When your home, or apartment has been damaged or destroyed, you may face an additional loss because of the building laws and ordinances governing the repair, reconstruction, or demolition of your home.

Home insurance helps you ease your mind regarding some risks your home may encounter. For example, if you have a strong home insurance policy, you are protected against thefts, damages, natural disasters and other things and your home structure is also protected by having such an insurance coverage.

Some people think they do not have to insure their home, but it is advisable that you do it , this is because costs in the home repair section can be extremely high these days and In the long run, the cost of the insurance may be seen as a small one in comparison to the risks an average owner takes if

their home is uninsured.

For example, if you have valuable belongings, you may lose a lot of money if they are stolen, but if you have a proper insurance plan, these risks are unexistent because you will get your money back in the unwanted event of a thief breaking into your home.

Home insurance mainly represent one of the easiest ways of protecting your home with small money. The misconception that home insurance is extremely expensive makes a lot of people leave their homes uninsured, in reality, the costs depends on some factors you can influence.

Home insurance is very important because it is an inexpensive way of protecting your home and your belongings, you can insure your garage, your home, your belongings and a lot of other things that will help you get a good night sleep.

What you should do

As home insurance is a part of our lives, we should fully understand it in order to save some money on its costs.

Talk to your agent and make sure your policy offers adequate coverage, the safest bet is full coverage which is available from most reputable insurance companies To protect your investment from disasters, you should update your insurance regularly to include improvements, major purchases and increased rebuilding cost. Buying adequate insurance cover for your house, particularly if you have a home loan or keep valuable items at home, is the only solution to keep such unpredictable events from ruining your financial stability.

Remember that home insurance is not an obligation, it is a requirement.

Lawyers to partner insurers, pension operators on development

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stressed the need for more partnership between the lawyers and the operators for the benefits of all stakeholders.

The Council of Nigerian Bar Association’ Section of Business Law under the chairmanship of Mr. Gbenga Oyebode MFR , established

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he Nigerian Bar Association, Section of Business Law, has said it is partnering with insurance and pension operators on how they can boost their contributions to the nation’s economy.

In a statement from the NBA\SBL committee on insurance and pensions, the section said it would work closely with the operators during its 7th annual conference which will hold in Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos from June 17 to 19, 2013.

The committee noted that the conference is very important to insurance and pensions because this is the first time there will be a breakout session on insurance in the NBA/SBL annual conference.

The lawyers added that during the breakout session the regulatory authorities of both insurance and pension industries; the National Insurance Commission and the National Pension Commission, together with other legal and pension and insurance experts will share perspectives on the role of insurance and pensions in an emerging economy.

While stressing the role of insurance and pension to the development of the Nigerian economy, the committee

pensions in Nigeria were derived and managed from insurance point of view and they are still closely linked.

Insurance and pension related matters are present in every facet of Nigeria’s commercial, industrial and private lives.

The primary objectives of the committee are to advocate and promote the delivery of qualitative service to the public by the practitioners of insurance and pension businesses in Nigeria

the Insurance Committee of the section of Business Law in December 2012.

The council appointed a former Managing Director, Cornerstone Insurance Plc, Mr. Dominic Ichaba as the committee’s chairman.

Ichaba, who has vast experience in insurance and pensions is currently a partner with PAC Solicitors.

The insurance and pensions industries have a close connection worldwide, Prior to the Pensions Reform Act 2004, issues relating to

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Lawyers and other practitioners in many different fields encounter insurance and pension issues.

Lawyers and other professionals alike can therefore benefit from this Committee either through direct membership of the Committee (open only to lawyers) and/or vide the committee’s enlightenment and advocacy programmes as the time goes on.

The specific objectives of this Committee are quite similar to the

overall objectives of the SBL. The primary objectives of the committee are to advocate and promote the delivery of qualitative service to the public by the practitioners of insurance and pension businesses in Nigeria.

It aims to promote and provide Continuing Legal Education (CLE) to members of the Committee and other interested stakeholders toward deepening the knowledge base of insurance and pension businesses in Nigeria.

It also aims to collaborate and partner with relevant stakeholders (NAICOM, PENCOM, NHIS, NIA, CIIN, NCRIB, PENOP, Insurance companies, PFAs, PFCs) to assist and organize enlightenment programmes for the Committee’s members, legislative bodies and parastatals towards ensuring effective legal and regulatory framework, best practice in service delivery and greater penetration of insurance and pension businesses in Nigeria.

SEND YOUR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS TO insuranceandyou@yahoo.com

24 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

Unclaimed dividends From left: Managing Director/CEO, NASD Plc, Mr. Bola Ajomale; ViceChairman, NASD, Mr. Chike Nwanze and Managing Director/CEO, Central Securities Clearing System, CSCS, Kyari Buka during the agreement signing ceremony with NASD, CSCS and settlement banks, in Lagos.

NSE: Shareholders vow to reawaken accountability, integrity

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM

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HE era of praising singing shareholding may be coming to an end, as an emergent shareholder group, Association of Avid Shareholders, has vowed to hold managers of quoted companies and regulators of capital market to highest level of accountability and integrity.

Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the association in Lagos, the President, Mr. Abayomi Obabolujo, said that the association would explore every available means to achieve the set objective. He noted that the association would among other things: Institute court action against non-performing executives of quoted companies with a view to either relieve them of the job or to put them on their toes; sponsor bills to the National Assembly, NASS, on issues neglected in the market and will as well engage fiercely with companies in their annual general meetings on gray areas in their financial statements that were previously ignored.

According to him, the regulators of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, have failed the investors, “if not, why will Nigeria Bottling Company, NBC,

delist from the stock market without anybody doing something about it. At the GSK’s last annual general meeting, they informed shareholders that the core investors want to buy 80 percent stake in the company. If the core investors succeed in securing the 80 percent stake, tomorrow, they will tell us that they want to delist, and nothing will be done about it.” “On issues like this, we will go to court; we know we might lose eventually, but we would have created a bad image about the company,” he enthused.

Obabolujo stated that the fast rate of recovery witnessed in the market in last couple of months requires pro-active measures to ensure that the past does not repeat itself in the same direction.

Listing some of their concerns, he said, “Quoted companies consistently release poor results with no one blinking an eye; good companies declare low or no dividend with no one asking questions, where as managers of such companies keep paying themselves salaries and allowances, there are myriads of primary market activities without anyone asking questions on what happened to the initial funds raised by the companies, and private placements without being listed and no one is talking.”

Chams’ profitability rises by 107% to N87m

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

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HAMS Plc recorded 107 per cent growth in profitability to N87.5 million for the operating year ended 2012 from a net loss of N1.24 billion the previous year.

The information and communication technology company attributed the feat to the impact of restructuring programme announced in 2011. The restructuring enhanced internal efficiency and cost management prompting increased market share for the company.

According to Demola Aladekomo, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive, “The results are proof of our unwavering commitment towards refocusing and consolidating the group’s businesses during the year.

After recording a resilient year in 2011, we are delighted by the significant growth achieved in our revenues and profitability respectively in 2012.

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The fundamentals of our business remain solid and we are confident we have the right strategies in place to ensure continuous future growth and profitability.”

He said, “This performance is as a result of our continued commitment to providing customers with competitive and high quality services. We will continue to leverage our best-in-class technology solutions, well trained and experienced personnel and the expertise of our global affiliates as we strive to be the leading end-to-end technology solutions provider to the public and private sectors of the economy in Nigeria.”

The audited results of the company for 2012 financial year show that turnover rose by about 60 percent to N2.84 billion in 2012 as against N1.78 billion recorded in 2011. This was driven by the group’s identity management solutions business, which recorded 249.3 percent increase from N700 million to N2.45 billion.

IVIDENDS are declared from the profits made by a company on the recommendations of the company’s directors. The recommended dividends are approved for each financial year at the company ’s Annual General Meeting, AGM, following the end of the financial year. However, the company’s directors may declare an interim dividend, which is paid to the shareholders during the financial year.

Before the introduction of e-divided payment, dividend warrants were issued to shareholders. The dividend warrants should be paid into a bank account within 15 months after their issue otherwise the warrants are declared as unclaimed and the corresponding funds returned to the company. Dividends which remain unclaimed for over 12 years stand forfeited and the corresponding funds are transferred to the company ’s general reserve. These dividends are no longer recoverable or actionable by the shareholders in accordance with the Companies and Allied Matters Act, CAMA. Recently, the Securities and Exchange Commission SEC issued a directive that henceforth companies should pay dividends as e-dividends and that warrants should no longer be issued. SEC has however postponed the implementation of its directive given the concerns expressed by investors that the reasons why dividends remain unclaimed should be addressed before such a measure is put into operation.

SEC is in the best position to lead a campaign that would make shareholders aware of their unclaimed dividends. In the first place, SEC should publish in the newspapers a list of all companies and the amounts each company is holding as unclaimed dividends. The list will show which companies have substantial unclaimed amounts and SEC should engage each of these companies on a case-by-case basis such that shareholders would be encouraged to come for their unclaimed dividends. Recently, Resort Savings and Loans Plc showed a good example by placing a newspaper advertisement asking their shareholders with unclaimed dividends to contact the corporate head office, the Registrars, and/or any of their branches. The advertisement has the contact addresses and telephone numbers of the branches and the head office; the office address, contact telephone numbers and the web address of the Registrars were also given.

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he previous week, we discussed the non-delivery of company annual reports and accounts and the difficulties that companies may have in reaching their shareholders. We suggested that companies should consider the act of reaching their shareholders an important social responsibility. Dividends warrants should ordinarily be posted as standard one-page letters at the minimum postage charge of N50 for a

letter. The letter conveying a dividend warrant is far smaller than an annual report that runs into several pages. Dividends warrants however have a value and Registrars are reluctant to send warrants by post when the warrants exceed a certain amount.

Although SEC has issued a directive that all dividend warrants should be sent by post, this directive is not being carried out and neither SEC nor the shareholders are any wiser. It is the shareholder who complains to the Registrar that he/she has not received his/her warrant that is asked to come forward for the warrant.

Shareholders have to be made aware that there are dividends that they may not have received. For example, there was a period when Nigerian Breweries, NB, Plc declared 2 interim dividends and one final dividend for the same

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In the first place, SEC should publish in the newspapers a list of all companies and the amounts each company is holding as unclaimed dividends

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financial year. A shareholder who received 2 of these dividends may not be aware that there is a third dividend. NB Plc has delivered good dividends to shareholders in the past few years and the share price has had a substantial increase in the same period. NB Plc is a very strong brand in Nigeria and it is engaged in promotions through adventure, music, dance, acting and family shows throughout the year. NB Plc therefore has the resources and the ingenuity to device a unique promotion that will make their shareholder comes forward for their unclaimed dividends.

The 2012 annual report and accounts of NB Plc gives unclaimed dividends as amounting to N4.2billion. Over a 12-year period, this would give an average of N350million a year.

This is a staggering amount to be written back into the general reserve of the company. The company’s shareholding structure also shows that the core investors and nominees hold about 70 percent of the shares and these categories of shareholders would have received their dividends.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 — 25

DIARY

Select ICT events  Monetising OTT Services. Holds June 17-19, 2013 in London, UK.

Digital Services World Congress.

Holds 18-19 June 2013 in London, UK. Mobile Wallet and Retail Innovation. Holds 18-19 June 2013 in London, UK M2M and Internet of Things. Holds 18-19 June 2013 in London, UK. Digital Services Africa 2013. Holds 25-26 June 2013 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Preview

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New inventions shaping life and living

Tagging intruders with DNA

The DNA fog tagging system from Applied DNA Sciences can mark an intruder without their knowledge, making it easier for police to identify them later.

DNA marking is already in use, with the most common use being to mark persons of interest at riots. The new system is a bit more general, and is meant to help stop and identify an intruder.

Called DNA Fog, the device will fill a room with smoke and DNA-loaded droplets when triggered by a break-in. More than just confuse the intruder, the DNA will mark them for later identification if they are caught.

The DNA sequence can be altered, so each building or business can have their own unique code, if desired.

Qualcomm'll not rest until every Nigerian owns smartphone — Dadson

BY PRINCE OSUAGWU

A

FTER sponsoring the training of about 30 application developers at the just concluded Mobile Web West Africa (MWWA 2013) in Lagos.Senior Director Business Development West Africa at Qualcomm, Mr Alex Dadson granted Hi-Tech Interview in his Victoria Island Lagos office to talk in details, reasons behind that gesture.

At the end of the interview, we were able to discover that Qualcomm has the plan to ensure that every Nigerian owns a smartphone, since that is what is driving developments across the world.

Here are the details: Qualcomm is a major player in Nigeria, how do you help in the growth of the economy?

We are essentially a technology enabler for the wireless industry. All around the world, what we do is generate ideas around how wireless or mobility can impart people’s life. And with these ideas we develop technology which becomes our popular chipsets that are acceptable by all the Original Equipment Manufacturers, OEMs. This chipsets are used for high-end chipset and also entry level chipsets. The unique nature of our chipsets is such that the same application you can run on high-end devices can also run on low end devices and sometimes with some limitations but in general you can run the app across the entire family of chipsets that we have. The long and short

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N.I.G.F. 2013.

Holds June 18, 2013 in Abuja, Nigeria.

EDITED by Adekunle Adekoya

BY EMEKA AGINAM

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•Mr Alex Dadson of it is that at Qualcomm we enable technology for the wireless ecosystem as our technology is used by network operators, Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and application developers.

There are competitions in these areas you have just described. What stands you out, really?

We are not looking at what others are doing. In any case we do not think anybody is a competitor particularly if the effort is geared towards enriching the mobile ecosystem. At Qualcomm, we are constantly innovating along the features that are embodied by our Chipsets.

We have very advanced graphics processing unit in our chipsets with solid computational unit, good connecting technology in

Today, we have $100 smartphones, you can get a smartphone that sells for N12,000 That is because we are building our chipsets in a way they can aid cost acquisition of mobile devices without sacrificing capability

I N Back to S NCC's draft new PCs feature I wiretap law HP's Intel's new, low-power D Haswell processors E C M Y K

85% firms not exploiting big data advantage, says CPN

form of modem, excellent radios that talk to 3G and 4G networks and these are all innovations that enable the end users have great experience with their mobile devices and enjoy online mobile content and applications running on their mobile devices.

One other thing we also do is look at the challenges and critical needs in the market we operate and then with our technology we provide the needed solution to make life easier for people. So whatever we discover to be a major problem in a place, just like as power is now a problem in Nigeria and other emerging markets, we innovate in the area of power management in phones that have our chipsets.

So what technology can take care of this identified problem in Nigeria, for instance?

We have a technology called the Asynchronous multi- process technology.

It improves and optimizes the phone battery by monitoring how the various chords in the chipsets of the phone are operating and making sure the applications draw mini-

GITEX 2013: FG to benefit from FDI

mal power thereby extending the battery life.

Again, there is another innovation, the Augmented Reality (AR) technology. This is a computer based application which actually augments your reality. A phone with Augmented Reality app has the ability to scan and recognize images and then overlay on the screen extra information about the reality you are observing.

For example, if you want to know the outside temperature, you could simply point your phone to an outside window and then you certainly will see the actual temperature of the environment on your phone.AR is exciting and the potential of the AR app in this market is incredible. We have demonstrated the use of the AR app in one edition of the Genevive magazine which was augmented with an AR app. In that edition of the magazine, if you open a particular page and see an article, your smart phone recognizes an artiste and plays content related to the artiste.

This is one of such practical applications of AR

Continues on page 27

Y 2015, it is expected that more than 85 percent of fortune 500 organizations will fail to effectively exploit big data for competitive advantage, the former Registrar of the Computer Professional Registration Council of Nigeria, Prof Adenike Oshofisan has predicted.

Prof. Oshofisan stated this in her address last week in Kwara State at the induction ceremony for 2012/2013 conputer science graduates, the Computer, Library and Science Department of the Kwara State University, Malete, Ilorin conducted by CPN. According to her, big data will be the next frontier for innovation, production and competition, saying that the use of big data will become a key basis of competition and growth for individual firms.

The former CPN boss who spoke on a number of emerging technologies including cloud computing, social networks, mobile devices, cyber attacks and big date said that current trends in smart devices and growing internet connectivity were creating increases in the volume of data available.

“Collecting and analyzing the data is not enough. It must be presented in a timely fashion so that decisions are made as direct consequences that have a materail impact on productivity or efficiency of the organization. Most organizations are ill prepared to address both the technical and management challenges posed by big data as a direct result. Few will able to effectively explore this trend for competitive

Continues on page 29

Humanity and mobility systems – Imperatives for future of public transportation system

26— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

A

Back to NCC's draft wiretap law poem now known as First They Came...I reproduce it hereunder:

First they came for the communists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.

Then they came for the socialists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t

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HE last is yet to be heard of NCC’s draft wiretap law, officially called The Draft Lawful Interception of Communications Regulations (2013), which the telecoms regulator, the NCC has on its website.

An organization, JACITAD, recently organized a discussion forum on the draft regulations, and some five-star discussants were on hand to dissect the issue. They include ALTON President, Gbenga Adbayo, ATCON President, Lanre Ajayi, and former FCT minister, Nasir el-Rufai. My attention is on the revelations made by el-Rufai at that forum.

Before that however, elRufai raised some questions, viz: (1) What are the constitutional provisions regarding privacy or otherwise of physical and electronic communications between citizens?

(2) Under what conditions does the constitution and laws allow the violation of such privacy, if any?

(3) When the Legislature passed the NCA, did it reasonably intend to give the NCC the powers to regulate the interception of private communications, thus enabling the infringement of fundamental rights without specific legislation via an Act of National Assembly?

(4) Do the provisions of sections 70, 72, 146-148 of the NCA, without more, adequately grant the NCC the legitimacy to issue and enact the regulations under consideration?

(5) Assuming the Constitution and the NCA enables the NCC to issue the regulations, are they fit for the purpose of protecting the privacy of the citizen while enabling access to law enforcement agents in the public interest?

(6) If not, what additions, modifications or omissions are necessary to achieve the desirable balance?

These are mind-boggling questions, and all of us have a duty to seek answers to them. You may not feel concerned as an average citizen, but mark it— you are somehow affected or will somehow be affected. If not, remember Martin Niemoeller, the Lutheran pastor in Nazi Germany, who wrote a

Under what conditions does the constitution and laws allow the violation of such privacy, if any?

speak out because I wasn’t a Catholic.

Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.

Interesting, eh? Well, Mallam el-Rufai then landed a bombshell; he alleged that “the unlawful interception of communications have been going on for years.” He further asked at the JACITAD forum: “Why has the Federal Government committed between $40-$61 million off-budget to monitor our emails, instant messaging and social media activities?”

True? False?

Every Nigerian who own at least a cell pbone is potentially under fire from this draft wiretap regulation, and if el-Rufai is correct, and he should know certain things, then not a few people would have had their private communications breached in the last few years, legally(?) or illegally.

Where are we going?

Maybe we are at that busstop but can’t recognize it yet.

S the battle for the PC market hots up among original equipment manufacturers , global PC maker, Hewlett-Packard, HP, last week unveiled army of computers that wold use Intel’s nextgeneration microprocessors, code-named Haswell, for better processing without an increase in power consumption.

The Haswell processors were built in a 22nanometer manufacturing process that enables both faster processor speeds and low power consumption, mainly by combining graphics and processor functions on a single chip.

Among the new offerings are a bunch of thinner, lighter, and faster touchscreen laptop computers. They include the HP Envy TouchSmart 14 Ultrabook, with a 3,200-by-1,800 full high-definition touchscreen display, better battery life, Intel’s Haswell, and a 10-point multitouch screen.

Similarly, the HP Envy TouchSmart 15 notebook (pictured right) also has a full touchscreen with Beats Audio and will be available on June 5 for $530.

Accordingly, the HP Envy 17 notebook

HP's new PCs feature Intel's new, low-power Haswell processors

computer will come with a 17.3-inch screen, an Intel processor and Nvidia graphics. It has 2TBs of hard disk space, Beats audio, and a fullHD display. It will start selling on June 5 at $700.

HP is also launching new versions of its mainstream consumer Pavilion-branded computers. The HP Pavilion TouchSmart notebook is a thin laptop with a capacitive touch-

screen and 10-finger gesture support. It will sell for $400 starting on June 26.

The HP Pavilion 15 notebook will have a 15.6-inch display, a 1terabyte hard drive, and an optical drive, and it will come in a variety of colors. It will sell on June 5 starting at $430.

As for desktops, HP is introducing a cool new all-in-one PC dubbed the HP Envy Rove 20.

The device has a 20-

inch touchscreen that you can fix at a variety of angles. You can also lay the device flat. It also comes with a built-in battery that can last for three hours while unplugged. In other words, it’s a giant touchscreen tablet running Windows 8.

The machine uses Intel integrated graphics and Haswell processors. It has an in-plane switching (IPS) panel with wide viewing angles and 10-finger multitouch. It has Beats Audio and comes installed with software including EA Monopoly, Fingertapps Jigsaw Wars Puzzle, Fingertapps Musical Instruments, and Disney Fairies. It will debut in July. — Emeka Aginam, with agency report.

GITEX 2013: FG to benefit from FDI O RGANIZERS of the Gulf Information Technology exhibition 2013 slated to hold in Dubai promises to attract a superlative global audience in the knowledge economy by establishing a Nigerian Pavilion with prospects of boosting foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow into the country.

This will be made possible through the consulting expertise of Mr. Akande Ojo of Pinnacle International Consulting of Iowa, USA. Pinnacle Consulting is an international consultancy focused on promoting investment in Nigeria as well as providing international business opportunities for Nigerianbased companies with the aim of creating Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and increasing the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Nigeria. Pinnacle is in synergy with the Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC) to expose Nigerian companies to the international business community by creating a Nigerian pavilion at the GITEX Technology Week 2013.

The one week event will give participants the opportunity of networking with 25,000+ C-level executives from key progressing industries and

•Mr. Philip Obioha, Chief Operation Officer, CWG (middle) flanked by Mrs Olapeju Ayo-Fisher, Head, Human Resources/Admin, CWG (left) and Emmanuel Effiong, Senior Technical Consultant/Academy Manager, CWG (right) with some students during the graduation ceremony, in Lagos. becoming part of gamechanging ICT trends such as Big Data, Cloud Security, Financial Technology and Digital Strategies. At GITEX, even the highest expectations of first time exhibitors and long-term supporters of the show are surpassed.

From tangible deals conducted onsite to new partnerships and future business leads, exhibitor feedback has reinforced GITEX as one of the most influential ICT exhibitions in the world.

Meanwhile, the projected total spend in ICT for 2013 amounts to $3.7 trillion, a 4.2 percent increase from 2012 spending of $3.6 trillion. Africa as an emerging market in

ICT - and Nigeria in particular is expected to benefit from this technology market accruals.

Two key opportunities Nigerian companies should be taking advantage, the organizers said, will include the ConneXions matchmaking portal.

However, over 13,000 appointments were made using this tool that allows exhibitors to connect with pre-registered visitors and fellow exhibitors before the event.

Already considered as the Middle East, Africa and South Asia’s (MEASA) largest and most specialized ICT event which now occupies over 78,000 sqm of space, and saw Infocomm and ITU (Inter-

national Telecommunication Union) colocate with Pinnacle on 2013. Highlights of the exhibition will include: Over 25,000 visitors came from Africa Over 20,000 C-Level visitors at the event last year US$ 1.2million was the average value per order placed during the event 139,530 trade visitors from 144 countries 3,576 companies exhibited from 54 countries  1,500 delegates attending the six industryfocused summits, workshops, conferences, and panel debates Two per cent of the exhibitors met their ROI expectations

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 — 27

Main One moves into manufacturing

BY PRINCE OSUAGWU

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AIN One, West Af rica’s leading wholesale communications Services Company, recently announced its strategic entry into the nation’s manufacturing sector with bespoke connectivity offerings target-

ed at FMCGs, manufacturing companies and other businesses resident in the Ikeja, Agbara and Apapa industrial locations in Lagos and its environs.

Main One said its expansion into the manufacturing industry is driven by the sector’s growing demand for reliable

connectivity solutions, increased need for virtual private networks between company branches, as well as increased security challenges faced by conglomerates, a trend that affords huge market opportunities.

At a breakfast seminar organized for Heads of IT

and IT Managers in Agbara Industrial Estate, Ogun State, and Ikeja and Apapa business zones, Main One showcased the value that its world-class broadband solutions and innovative product offerings brings to manufacturing concerns in driving down

T

Humanity and mobility systems: Imperatives for future of public transportation systems (1) bility which is intricately linked to shelter/residence and other associated form of livelihood such as place of work, education, market, entertainment, etc.

Indeed, mobility is central to human success, happiness, misfortune and so on. Therefore, it is pertinent to ask, what is the future of transport? What are the current challenges and how do we collectively overcome them?

Origin, concept, forms of mobility According to Wikipedia, Mobilities is a contemporary paradigm in the social sciences that explores the movement of people,

ation of identities and the microgeographies of everyday life." (Cresswell, 2010, 551) The mobility turn arose as a response to the way in which the social sciences had traditionally been static, seeing movement as a black box and ignoring or trivializing, "the importance of the systematic movements of people for work and family life, for leisure and pleasure, and for politics and protest" (Sheller and Urry, 2006, 208). Mobilities emerged as a critique of contradictory orientations toward both sedentarism and deterritorialisation in social science. People had

,

,

ECHNOLOGY and creative imagination are currently pushing the limits for innovative ideas to reality – in search of realizing the core objective for human existence by creating an efficient and safe transportation model for securing the environment and future of humanity.

Mobility is and remains the absolute gift of creation. And since creation, humanity has been mobile from point A to B and from point B to many points. The first form, origin and main engine of human mobility is the legs. This form and system of mobility remains one of the most significant aspects of human existence.

The essence of mobility is productivity for the enhancement of human value. However, as the world population grows to astronomical proportions, humanity must find new innovative ways to fulfill the mobile aspiration in creation. This brings us to the notion of “space and technology”. The future requires us to conquer space with imaginative innovation, technological efficiency and sustainable creativity for human safety.

The theme of today’s eWorld Forum is: “Imperatives for a Truly Digital Citizen and ICTs and Improving Road Safety ”, which is the primary focus of the WTISD celebrations for this year. Road traffic safety has become a global concern not only for public health and injury prevention but also to improve efficiencies in traffic management as a means of combating the effects of climate change.

ITU has been leading worldwide efforts in developing state-of-the-art ICT standards for Intelligent Transport Systems and driver safety that utilize a combination of computers, communications, positioning and automation technologies, including in-car radars for collision avoidance.

Today, transportation is an enhance model of mo-

What will be the next iteration of the ‘modern city’? And how can Nigeria become a match-maker for that evolution?

ideas and things, as well as the broader social implications of those movements. A mobility "turn" (or transformation) in the social sciences began in the 1990s in response to the increasing realization of the historic and contemporary importance of movement on individuals and society. This turn has been driven by generally increased levels of mobility and new forms of mobility where bodies combine with information and different patterns of mobility. The mobilities paradigm incorporates new ways of theorizing about how these mobilities lie, "at the center of constellations of power, the cre-

often been seen as static entities tied to specific places, or as nomadic and placeless in frenetic and globalized existence.

Mobilities looks at movements and the forces that drive, constrain and are produced by those movements.

Development, growth of cities – The new paradigm

The growth of cities has historically been driven by productive endeavors such as industrial advancements - new technology techniques, increased transport capability, and business expansion. As our cities get over-populated, we re-

sponded by building more homes and expanding our transport networks to widen the geographical reach of our economic centres. Traveling to work areas become over-stretched, and it is now common for someone to live over an hour, or even two to four hours, from where they work.

This comes with inevitable costs to the environment and personal wellbeing, not to mention the impact on congestion.

So we are now taking a step back. We’re looking at the shape of the world we’ve created, and we’re considering ‘what next’?

What will be the next iteration of the ‘modern city’? And how can Nigeria become a match-maker for that evolution? People cannot keep travelling further and further, and they most certainly cannot do so while confined by the working hours that tradition and habit, so often dictate.

Humanity, mobility and environmental impact

Recognising the fact that ‘Mobilities’ is indeed a relatively new body of knowledge as revealed by Sociologist, I have taken liberty to extensively explore the information content and Data sourced from Wikipedia as follows: “The contemporary paradigm under the moniker "mobilities" appears to originate with the work of sociologist John Urry. In his book, "Sociology beyond Societies: Mobilities for the Twenty-First Century," Urry (2000, 1) presents a, "manifesto for a sociology that examines the diverse mobilities of peoples, objects, images, information and wastes;

costs and increasing productivity and output .

According to the company ’s Head, Enterprise Sales, Olubunmi Ogun, “high capacity and reliable connectivity solutions are essential for any successful business in Nigeria today. This is the reason we have sought to distribute more of our capacity inland in order for our enterprise customers to have better access to our superior connectivity solutions” Ms. Ogun added that the session was in line with Main One’s commitment to assisting enterprises in their stride for growth, and expediting

and of the complex interdependencies between, and social consequences of, these diverse mobilities."

This is consistent with the aims and scope of the eponymous journal, Mobilities, which, "examines both the large-scale movements of people, objects, capital, and information across the world, as well as more local processes of daily transportation, movement through public and private spaces, and the travel of material things in everyday life" (Taylor and Francis, 2011).

In 2006, Mimi Sheller and John Urry published an oft-cited paper that examined the mobilities paradigm as it was just emerging, exploring its motivations, theoretical underpinnings, and methodologies. Sheller and Urry specifically focused on automobility as a powerful socio-technical system that, "impacts not only on local public spaces and opportunities for coming together, but also on the formation of gendered subjectivities, familial and social networks, spatially segregated urban neighborhoods, national images and aspirations to modernity, and global relations ranging from transnational migration to terrorism and oil wars" (Sheller and Urry, 2006, 209).

Mobilities can be viewed as an extension of the "spatial turn" in the arts and sciences in the 1980s, in which scholars began, "to interpret space and the spatiality of human life with the same critical insight and interpretive power as have traditionally been given to time and history (the historicality of human life) on one hand, and to social relations and society (the sociality of human life) on the other" (Sheller and Urry, 2006, 216; Engel and Nugent, 2010, 1; Soja, 1999 / 2005, 261).  TO BE CONTINUED. Uwaje, President of

ISPON, delivered this as a paper at the eWorld Forum which held in Lagos penultimate week.

the speed of broadband penetration across Nigeria.

“Our product offering now includes high speed and highly secure lease circuits based on Metro Ethernet technology for creating virtual networks between two or more customer locations”, she said.

'Qualcomm ‘ll not rest until every Nigerian owns smartphone' Continues from Page 25 which makes the readers have unique experience with the magazine. It was on the use of this innovation we are training the 30 Nigerian app developers.

Once they are through with the training, they should be able to build commercial applications in the Nigeria market with the Augmented Reality.

Qualcomm is now synonymous with Snapdragon. What is this thing about Snapdragon?

Snap Dragon is essentially our chip set brand.

Like I said, we come up with various chip set with very esoteric name and we decided to make our chip set a bit more digestible by the mass market so we came up with this snapdragon brand which really encompasses a family of processors used in the mass market devices and other high end products.

Devices like Samsung S4 uses our snapdragon processor. QUALCOMM is committed to the research and development to infuse even more technology into our processed base and to let them know how well differentiated this chip sets are from the competition. I think the message is now catching in Nigeria. We want everyone to buy smart phones because it contains the QUALCOMM chip set and we will not rest in our oars until we are sure that every Nigerian has a smartphone.

Today we have $100 smartphones, you can get a smartphone that sells for N12,000 That is because we are building our chipsets in a way they can aid cost acquisition of mobile devices without sacrificing capability. So some of this $100 dollar smartphones are just as capable as the higher branded devices. They are all running similar versions of Andriod and they have gigabyte processes in them, they have very capable modem in them and they can really be used very effectively by major segment of the society.

28 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

Excitement as thousands storm MTN's Project Fame in Benin

BY LAJA THOMAS

A

N atmosphere of excitement and fun-fair was created at the audition venue for the sixth season of the MTN Project Fame West Africa, in Benin, weekend, as over 20,000 youths converged on the Constantial Hotel, in Benin City, Edo State.

A female Sociology student from the University of Benin, Augusta Ukwah said "the MTN Project Fame holds a wider appeal to youths here, having seen hitherto little known young Nigerians like Iyanya, Chidimma and Praize take advantage of the plat-

form, through the technical support of the music reality show ’s faculty members and judges to achieve their dreams of becoming music stars."

Also, members of the Red Cross Society, Ugbowo Detachment of the University Of Benin, seized the moment at the audition venue with an unusual buzz of drumming and singing to the delight of participants. Some of them said they chose to identify with a project that is empowering Nigerian youths with big dreams of stardom, in a distinct way that gives hope to young people across the country and the sub-region.

Music being the passion of Nigerian youths, the massive turn-out, at the centre, attests to the projection by authorities in the music industry that the industry is set for a boom. Meanwhile, the same effect was recorded at the Abuja venue of audition where thousands of youth also gather to get an opportunity to showcase their music talents.

The MTN Project Fame West Africa is Africa’s most enduring musical reality TV show, having produced about 10 musicians who have become household names in different West African countries.

Johnson, Ndukwe lead talks at NIGF 2013 C

HAIRMAN, Open media Communications Ltd, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe has been named the chairman of the 2013 Nigeria Internet Governance Forum (NIGF), scheduled to hold in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.

This is coming as the Honourable Minister of Communication Te c h n o l o g y, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, has been slated to declare the forum officially open as a special guest.

The convener and president of Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA), Mrs. Mary Uduma, made these disclosures and said that the second of the forum comes up on Tuesday, June 18, 2013 at the Shehu Musa Yar ’Adua Centre, Central Business District in the FCT, with the theme: ‘Internet Governance for Empowerment, National Integration & Security through Multi-stakeholders’ Engagement.’

Dr. Ndukwe, she recalled was the former chief executive of the Nigerian Communications Commission

(NCC) and was chosen because of his selfless contributions towards development of broadband in the country.

J u s t a s C o m m Te c h Minister, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, has been confirmed as a special guest and would officially open the forum for the Nigeria Internet community.

According to her, the objective of NIGF 2013, includes but not limited to taking full advantage of the multi-stakeholder ’s nature of the forum to share productive ideas, best practices and experiences that can be harnessed to addressing critical national challenges.

Also, she said, that the forum would provide common platform for local stakeholder ’s input towards global Internet Governance Forum (IGF 2013).

In addition, Mrs. Uduma said that forum would facilitate the engagement opportunity for NIGF multi-stakeholder platform for the empowerment of Nigeria youth.

She pointed out that the outcome of NIGF 2013 is expected to facilitate emergence of

viable alternative opportunities that best address the nation’s most critical national and Internet issues, while simultaneously promoting the nation’s position at the global IGF taking place from 22 to 25 October 2013 in Bali, Indonesia.

She further said that the Local Multi-stakeholders Advisory Group (LMAG) of the Nigeria Internet Governance Forum, comprising the Ministry of Communication Technology (MCT), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), NCC, and Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA) in collaboration with other local stakeholders have advanced processes for the successful hosting of the forthcoming 2nd edition of Nigeria Internet Governance Forum 2013 (NIGF 2013).

Some of the highlights for NIGF 2013, among others, she said, will include Digital Inclusion and Integration, Building Trust, Confidence and Assurance on the Internet, Pand olicy and Regulatory Model for the Internet.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013—29

Blue Gate wins best UPS, Stabilizers of 2012 award

BY EMEKA AGINAM

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LUE Gate Uninter ruptible Power Supply (UPS) and Stabilizers promoted by Tripplesea Limited a subsidiary of Tripplesea Group have won the best UPS and Stabilizer of the year 2012 award.

According to the organizers was as result of the company ’s products reliability, ruggedness, energy efficiency and after sales support they provide in electronic appliances.

The award was presented at the weekend at the 2012 African Top Dealers Award organized by African Brands Review.

Presenting the award, the Director, Investigation and Enforcement of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, (NAFDAC) Mrs. T.A Arilesere told the capacity audience that Blue Gate products which have continued to serve as an alternative power solutions in the Nigerian mass market

85% firms not exploiting big data 80 advantage Continues from pg 25 advantage,” she said.

She explained that big data is a collection of data sets so large and complex that it becomes difficult to process using on-hand management tools or traditional data processing applications.

Also speaking on cyber

attack, she that as IT delivery methods meet the demand for the use of cloud services and employee owned devices, new software vulnerabilities will be introduced and innovative attack paths will be developed by financially motivated attackers.

and the rest of the African sub-region have the state-of-art technology equipment to support the country ’s power surge problems.

As a leader in power surge arrest and alternative power solutions, she said that Blue Gate has set the standard in the ICT industry for quality, innovation and support, add-

ing that the products have really come to become a market leader in the Nigerian UPS and Stabilizer markets.

“Blue Gate products are specially designed to support African hardware market. I am not surprised that they won the award for the best UPS and Stabilizer of 2012.The brand has been making waves in the Ni-

gerian market and beyond. It has the state of art technology to compete with International brands like American Power Conversion (APC) and Liebert. I urge Nigerians to patronize Blue Gate products as a result of its high quality and good after-sales services.

“Tripplesea products, certified by the Stand-

Lagos partners Mobile Monday Nigeria on innovation

I

N its capacity building efforts, the Lagos State Government, through the Lagos State Innovation Council and State Ministry of Science & Technology, has partnered with Mobile Monday Nigeria by providing the facilities required for its monthly forum which normally takes place on the last Monday of every month.

Mobile Monday (MoMo) Nigeria, is part of a global community of mobile industry

visionaries, developers and influential leaders fostering agnostic cooperation and crossborder business development through live networking events to demonstrate products, share ideas & best practices and discuss trends from both local and global markets.

With this, the Commissioner for Science & Technology, Mr. Biyi Mabadeje, granted approval for the use of the multi-million

Naira e-learning centre on odunlami street , Lagos island.

The centre has over 20 million digital books available to lagos state teachers and students as well as capability to hold distance learning courses and exams an telepresence facilities.

This is seen by many as a strong show of support for the capacity building effort in building industry ecosystem by the Mobile Monday Nigeria team in the state.

ards Organization of Nigeria (SON) have high qualities which were designed to suit the Nigerian environment” she said. Earlier in his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of African Brand Review, Joseph Ayodele , the organizers of the award told the gathering that celebrating best products and dealers was the whole essence of the award.

He said, “Celebrating best products and dealers in Nigeria is our priority. We identify with these companies and their unique selling points. Celebrating the high performance of African dealers, associations, regulatory agencies, among others are the objectives of this award “From our findings, Tripplesea Limited warranty and after sale support to end- users are fast, and easy to access.

After sales support is key to the survival of a brand".

30 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

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35% IMPORT DUTY ON CRUDE PALM OIL:

Implications for manufacturing sector THE Federal government last year announced a 35 percent import duty on crude palm oil coming into the country, a measure she said would stem arbitrary importation of the product at very cheap rate. In this write-up, NKIRUKA NNOROM weighs the pros and cons of the decision and concludes that it is already taking a toll on the manufacturing sector.

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Areas of concern One of the reasons cited for the introduction of the import duty was growth of the palm oil producing companies, and in extension, the industry in the country. But, the question is if the decision has achieved the objective of increasing output in the country. Available statistics prove otherwise.

Presently, Nigeria produces a meagre 750,000 MT to 800,000 MT of (Crude Palm Oil) CPO every year as against the requirement of approximate 1.9-2.1million MT per annum, which leaves industries in the food sector with no choice, than to rely heavily on imports from other countries.

Industry watchers have said the total Oil Palm Plantation in Niger Delta area is over 1.4-1.8 million hectares, while the wild grove plantation is over 1.1 million hectares, small plantations (Less than 1000 hectares size) is 260,000 hectares, and organised plantation is less than 100,000 hectares.

A thorough look at yield lev-

•Palmoil palm producing companies in the country do little or nothing to ensure that they meet the growing demands of the manufacturing Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, Minister, Agriculture & s e c t o r, Rural Development. which r e l y els sourced from Index Mun- heavily on CPO’s for their di, MPOC, Oil World, goods.

A look at the ownership Study on Nigerian requirements show that these plan- structure of the oil producing tations cumulatively provide companies show that foreign around 800,000 MT of CPO. stakeholders control majority This clearly shows a shortage of their stake; in the case of Okomu Oil, 59.27 percent of palm oil in the country.

For example, a 2012 data shares in the company is from Index Mundi indicates owned by Socfinaf S.A., a Luxthat 70 percent of the Palm Oil embourg based company and Imports into West African 40.73 percent by Nigerian inCountries are into Benin and dividuals and institutional Nigeria (470,000 MT and shareholders.

The company declared a 450,000 MT respectively).

Sources claim that maximum high dividend of N6 billion in of the import into Benin is 2011 and N8.4billion in 2012 routed into Nigeria. 2012 con- along with a bonus split of one sumption numbers confirms new share for every one share same as Benin exports close held coupled with plans to double production capacity to to 390,000 MT of palm oil.

60tonnes per hour without completely re-investing profDeodorized its for fresh pieces of land to palm oil produce more FFB, a develA critical look at the noodles opment that sent mixed sigindustry, for instance shows nals to the Nigerian public on that, on an average, it con- the seriousness to overcome sumes approximately 72,000 the shortage experienced in MT of refined bleached and the vegetable oil market.

Another leading oil palm deodorized palm oil (RBDproducing company, Presco PO), which it does not have access to from the local palm Plc, also issued out dividends oil companies in the worth N1billion each declared country.Leading companies in in 2011 and 2012. Sa siat nv, the palm oil industry cannot a Belgium registered compafulfill the basic requirements ny is a major shareholder with for the noodles industry itself 60 percent holding while 40 as there is an estimated short- percent is shared amongst age of palm oil amounting to others.

This however might not be 500,000 MT per. annum.

To complicate matters the oil unconnected with the lack of

will to shore up oil palm produce by ensuring there is a strategic re-investment in oil palm produce, as Average CPO output in the last three years amount to a paltry 15,000MT p.a. which hardly meets, growing demand of manufacturers. The dividend paid out, no doubt displays the business intent of the concerned stakeholders interest in developing the palm oil market.

For instance Okomu Oil Palm Plc produces in the range of 30,000 MT per annum which is just 13 percent of their installed production capacity.

Worried about the shortage, and the heavy reliance on imported CPO, some stakeholders in the noodles industry have decided to be proactive and have announced strategic plans, which will see them invest in large farms, producing

,

AST year, the Federal Government announced the introduction of 35 percent import duty on crude palm oil, CPO, into the country. Explaining the rationale for the action, the Minister of Agriculture & Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, said the move would disallow uncontrolled importation of crude palm into the country, adding that it was necessary to encourage local investment.He insisted that the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme’s Rule of Country of Origin provision would no longer be allowed to be exploited to bring crude palm oil into the country.

Since then, there has been argument back and forth over the rightness and wrongness of the action. As it is, manufacturers, especially in the food sector, are beginning to feel the crunch of the decision as the sector is hit by lack of crude palm, one of the necessary ingredients for the production of their goods.

According to Tajudeen Olufade, an industry analyst “Looking at the sector critically, you would find that the noodles industry has provided jobs to more than 683,000 Nigerians in the entire value chain and has also created a measurable self sustenance method for many who are part of the developing economy.

The industry per se has created many millionaires who have benefited from sheer hard work and dedication in the noodles market. Food security controls, reduction in food inflation and generation of jobs are the hall marks of the noodle industry in Nigeria.

All this has no doubt ensured a more vibrant economy for Nigeria; industries like this should no doubt be encouraged for the good of all”.

Another industry analyst, Kolapo Oluwo, also opined

Looking at the sector critically, you would find that the noodles industry has provided jobs to more than 683,000 Nigerians in the entire value chain and has also created a measurable self sustenance method for many who are part of the developing economy

locally thereby meeting the ever growing demands.

Stakeholders’ fears: Key players in the sector believe that it would have been a welcome development if the federal government had taken steps to address the problem of scarcity of palm produce before going ahead to impose the import duty. They are of the opinion that the government’s stance without fulfillment of vegetable oil demand by the companies in the palm oil sector is curtailing the growth of multiple industries like biscuits, vegetable oil market, margarines, cereals, crisps, sweets and baked products, washing powder and cosmetics.

,

that, the possibility of raising the stakes and taking trade, services, job creation and economy to greater heights lies heavily on stakeholders taking strategic action to nip the problem of shortage of palm produce in the bud by investing in the oil palm producing sector, at the same time appealing to government to remove the import duties on commodities, which will create free markets, revolutionize the Nigerian economy, rationalize food markets and strengthen the Naira against foreign exchanges thereby providing enormous economic benefits for millions of Nigerians.

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igeria could be the first qualifiers for the final round of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers in Africa if they win in Namibia today.

Maximum points for the Super Eagles would give them an unassailable Group F lead if secondplace Malawi do not win at home against bottom side Kenya the same day.

Reigning African champions Nigeria enter matchday 5 with

eight points, Malawi have six, Namibia four and Kenya two and only the group winners advance to the two-leg play-offs.

Windhoek is the latest stop in a hectic period for the ‘Eagles’, who arrived in south-west Africa after a training camp in Germany, a draw with Mexico in the United States and a World Cup win in Kenya last Wednesday.

After Namibia, they jet across the Atlantic once more to face Tahiti, Uruguay and Spain in the Confederations Cup, with two further fixtures in the

...As new Namibian coach plans to down Eagles

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he man, who replaced Roger Palmgren as coach of Namibia, Ricardo Mannetti is drumming up support as he prepares to lead the Brave Warriors out today to face African champions, the Super eagles of Nigeria.

Palmgren resigned on Sunday and Mannetti has now been placed in temporary charge of the Brave Warriors.

Mannetti has quickly set heart to purpose as he held his first training session with the players on Monday.

“The situation remains the same. We are playing Nigeria and the players are aware of that. I played for this team before and I know what is at stake and have spoken to the players as well.

First of all, it is pride you play for, secondly you play for the national team jersey, your family and the nation and that will be at the forefront of their thoughts,” Mannetti told

namibiasport.com.na.

Stating further that the players are all united for the cause, he called on the supporters to rally round the team when they face Nigeria’s superstars on today at the Sam Nujuoma stadium, Windhoek.

“Coaches come and go but the national team remains and the players are committed to running out there (on Wednesday night) and performing to the best of their abilities.

“We need the support from the nation as we go into this crucial game.

The only thing that has changed is Roger (Palmgren) leaving, but the situation remains the same, we have to win this game and for that we need all the support we can get,” he said.

Mannetti then revealed that there would be no wholesale changes in tactics ahead of today’s game against the Super Eagles.

“We have been working with these

World Cup dress-rehearsal if they secure a top-two Group B finish.

The World Cup Group F fixtures were brought forward 72 hours because of the two-week tournament in Brazil, with Africa staging a further 18 matches between Friday and Sunday.

Coach Stephen Keshi gambled on a bold threeman attack against Kenya and succeeded, although Nigeria had to wait 81 minutes before 20-year-old Russia-based Ahmed Musa lobbed the only goal.

The ‘Eagles’ started with nine of the team that defeated Burkina Faso 10 in Soweto last February to win the Cup of Nations while injuries ruled out Chelsea midfielder Victor Moses and Turkey-based striker Ikechukwu Uche.

In came Musa and fellow striker Nnamdi Oduamadi and both played significant roles in a victory that confirmed Nigeria as favourites to make the final 10 of the African qualifying competition.

“The 4-3-3 system in Kenya worked well for us so there is no need to change,” Keshi told reporters in Windhoek.

“Our focus is on defeating Namibia and not the Confederations Cup.” Swede Roger Palmgren quit as Namibia coach on Monday after saying he and his family received unspecified death threats and assistants Ricardo Mannetti and Ronnie Kanalelo take his place.

Namibia have been hindered by a blunt attack with only one goal in four group games and the continued absence of injured South Africa-based striker Henrico Botes and Rudolf Bester is a blow.

Akwa slammed for

A

players for about two weeks now and there is no need to introduce any new ideas that can confuse players, we are sticking to our plan to get victory against Nigeria,” he concluded.

kwa United have been slammed after fans assaulted match officials and led to the abandonment of the clash against Warri Wolves.

Akwa United have been banished from Uyo to Rojenny Stadium Oba for the rest of the season.

And they are to pay the sum of 200,000 Naira to each of the assaulted match officials.

Top league official Salihu Abubakar said: “Decisions have been taken over Akwa United following their fans assault on match officials during their game against Warri Wolves.

“Akwa United have been banished from Uyo to Rojenny Stadium for the rest of the season and that will start with their Week 18 game against Kwara United.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 — 39

We need good replacements for Emenike, Moses – Iroha

Nasarawa to pick points in Owerri N

asarawa United captain, Baba Idris, has emphatically stated that their mission to Owerri is to pick points off Heartland in their Week 18 clash at the Dan Anyiam Stadium.

Idris, is of the opinion that given fair officiating, he is sure that the team will pick at least a point off their hosts.

“We are not going for a jamboree in Owerri, we are going there for business and we want to grab points there,” he stated.

“The team has resolved to go all out to get the maximum points at stake. If the officiating is fair, then I am sure we can do that. Heartland are formidable at home, but I’m confident I and my teammates can do the business there.”

The 20-year-old centre-back also called on the League Management Company (LMC) to check the excesses of fans as security is a necessary precursor for fairness and entertainment.

“I must commend the LMC for what they are doing, teams are now picking more away points than previous seasons, but the issue of security has to be addressed so that teams playing away can feel they have an equal opportunity to play and gain points,” said Idris.

The former Plateau United defender also revealed that their ambition is to nick a continental slot at the end of

BY SOLOMON NWOKE

E

X-INTERNATIONAL, Coach Benedict Iroha has called on coach Stephen Keshi to look for good replacements for the sidelined Super Eagles attacking pearls, Emmanuel Emenike and Victor Moses in today’s Brazil 2014 World Cup qualifier against Namibia in Windhoek.

The former Super Eagles defender was speaking on the backdrop of Eagles’ missed chances in the last match against the Harambee Stars of Kenya in Nairobi last Wednesday. He said the victory over Kenya was a big boost for Nigeria, but said the attacking force of the team was missing.

“Our victory over Kenya was a big boost for us, but it is not over yet until we get the ticket to Brazil; we are almost one leg to Brazil. Namibia is a good side and playing them in their home is not going to be a mean task.

Eagles have improved gong by their away record, I don’t think they have lost any match.

“I just hope they put the same energy they applied against Kenya in this match against Namibia so that we can get something out of it “We still miss Emmanuel Emenike in the attack, we need his strength to jack up the team like in the days of Daniel Amokachi. We also missed the striking skill and speed of the Chelsea star, Victor Moses. I hope he recovers quick that will help us a lot. They really have to wrap up qualification for the next round in Windhoek before the last group game here in Nigeria”, Iroha said.

Iroha, who played alongside Keshi in the Super Eagles under Coach Clemens Westerhof said he does not really care much about the Confederations Cup in Brazil this month, but the main World Cup which is the highest football tournament in the universe.. He said the tournament can only serve as a preparatory ground for the team.

He said, “I don’t really care much

about the Confederation Cup; we just have to play for pride. My concern is World Cup. The Confederation Cup is for the players to have experience and for the coaching crew to fine tune their strategies.

If we do well at the Confederation, that’s a plus; but come June 12, our victory over Namibia is assured”.

Garcia, Woods reconcile with a hand shake S

ergio Garcia approached Tiger Woods at the driving range at Merion Golf Club on Monday, and after a brief exchange shook hands with the world number one, to make

up, after their recent unpleasantness.

The meeting during practise for the U.S. Open was the first between the

abandoned match “The game was originally scheduled for Wednesday, but has been shifted to Thursday due to short notice.

“They will also pay each of the assaulted match officials 200,000 Naira. They will also pay for the damaged advert board at the stadium.”

Abubakar further said that the assaulted match officials could go to court to sue those who assaulted them and that more sanctions may still be placed on Akwa United.

He said “The referees have been told they can seek legal action for the assault, that is a personal thing. We may take more sanctions on Akwa United if need be.”

the season, so as to get back to Africa after having a taste of continental football in 2007.

“We want to get back into Africa, that’s our main objective this season.

I’ll be satisfied if we can achieve that, our fans surely deserve it. The Nasarawa state government has promised to help us actualise this dream, and we are sure we can do it.” he concluded.

longtime adversaries, since Garcia made a “fried chicken” reference directed at Woods last month at a European Tour awards dinner.

Garcia has since apologised and Woods told reporters it was time to move on.

Tensions between the two flared last month at the Players Championship, when Garcia suggested Woods showed poor sportsmanship by pulling a club from his bag; as the Spaniard was about to hit a shot.

Woods’s move sparked cheers from the galleries and Garcia sliced his shot into the woods.

The two later exchanged verbal jabs through the media over the incident, revealing animosity simmering between them over the years.

Bad feelings escalated with Garcia’s ill-advised attempt at humour when he was jokingly asked if he would be having dinner with Woods during the U.S. Open week.

He replied: “We’ll have him ‘round every night.

We will serve fried chicken.”

Woods responded to the reference, viewed as a racial stereotype, on Twitter by saying Garcia’s words were “ wrong, hurtful and inappropriate.”

TABLE Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Team Kano Pillars Kwara United Heartland Bayelsa United Enyimba Dolphins Nasarawa United Gombe United Rangers Sunshine Stars Warri Wolves Akwa United

P 18 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 14 17 17 17

W 10 8 8 8 7 7 7 8 7 7 6 7

D 3 4 2 2 4 4 4 1 3 3 6 2

L 5 5 7 7 6 6 6 8 4 7 5 8

GF 23 19 25 18 13 15 15 16 23 19 21 19

GA 19 11 15 21 9 14 18 22 12 13 18 21

GD 4 8 10 -3 4 1 -3 -6 11 6 3 -2

Pts 33 28 26 26 25 25 25 25 24 24 24 23

TODAY’S MATCHES Akwa Utd vs Warri Wolves El Kanemi vs Rangers Pillars vs Lobi Stars Sharks vs Enyimba Wikki vs Dolphins 3SC vs Kaduna Utd

40—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

June 12 @ 20: Election that cannot be replicated

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR

A

NYONE who is up to 30 years and lived in Nigeria in 1993 would be familiar with the above song.

It was the first stanza of the late Chief Moshood Kasimawo Olawale Abiola’s ‘Hope 93’ campaign jingle for the June 12, 1993 presidential elections entitled: “Farewell to Poverty.”

Twenty years after that historic election, adjudged the freest and fairest polls ever held in the world’s largest Black nation, the song is still fresh in the minds of many people who witnessed the electrifying campaigns and turbo-charged electoral atmosphere that characterized the elections.

Before the June 12, 1993 election, Nigeria had conducted several elections and even after that, elections have been held but no one seems to remember the campaign jingles of the other elections. Even that of 2011 is almost forgotten, a mere two years after.

This is a measure of the impact of the 1993 elections on the Nigerian political firmament and landscape.

Standing on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Abiola beat his National Republican Convention (NRC) challenger, Alhaji Bashir Othman Tofa with 2.25 million votes in a keenly contested race.

However, the General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida regime that conducted the exercise annulled the election. The Professor Humphrey Nwosu-led National Electoral Commission (NEC) was still announcing the results when the annulment order came.

The order set the polity on fire and paved the way for a sixyear pro-democracy struggle that culminated in the return of civil rule to the country in 1999.

T

HE June 12 elections recorded a number of firsts in the annals of electioneering in the country.

It was the first time only two candidates ran the presidential race. It was also the first time that presidential candidates participated in a live television debate. It was an election that broke ethnic and religious barriers. How? A Muslim-Muslim ticket C M Y K

Nigerians on the march again…

On the march again!

Looking for Mr. President…

Mr. President!

M.K.Ooooooo…

Is our man ooh!

of their choice was said to have led to intimidation of voters and consequent low turnout at the polls. There were also allegations of vote buying through Naira burger, where voters who queued behind some candidates were given ‘ refreshment’ in the form of N50 note sandwiched in a loaf of bread.

B

ut for all its worth, a host of local and international observers were unanimous that in spite of the alleged flaws, June 12 remained the most credible election ever because every vote counted.

Asked if June 12 could be repeated in the country, pioneer chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos and now a chieftain of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Chief Olorunfunmi Basorun, said it might be difficult.

Why? Only two parties and candidates contested the June 12 election, voters queued behind the party/candidate of their choice. Today, there are over 40 parties and the elite will remain opposed to the crude electoral system of queuing behind a candidate.

June 12, 1993 to June 12, 2013: A litany of events

*June 12, 1993: Nigeria holds freest and fairest election ever. *June 23, 1993:Babangida annuls election. *August 26, 1993: Babangida steps aside and hands over to Chief Ernest Shonekan, Abiola’s tribesman, *November 17,1993: Late General Sani Abacha, shoves Shonekan aside and takes over. *May 15, 1994:Pro-democracy and human rights activists establish the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) to fight for the restoration of June 12 and Abiola’s mandate. depicted by Abiola and his running mate, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe defeated a Muslim-Christian ticket of Tofa and Dr Sylvester Ugoh.

Compared with other elections, some critics argue that the epochal June 12 election had its share of flaws.

For instance, Senator Francis Arthur Nzeribe, the leader of the Association for Better

Nigeria (ABN), who led a maverick campaign for the cancellation of the election, said most Nigerians did not want the polls to hold.

Speaking before the election, he said that 25 million voters or 65 per cent of the 39 million registered voters had promised him that they would not vote.

Indeed, at the polls only

14,396,917 votes were recorded, an indication that about 25 million voters did not take part as Nzeribe claimed.

Abiola, according the results announced by Nwosu in June 2008 (fifteen years after the poll) polled 8,323,305 votes while Tofa had 6,073,612 votes.

Asking voters to queue behind the candidate or party

*June 11,1999:Abiola declares self president and Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces at Epetedo, Lagos. *June 23, 1994:Abiola arrested and detained. *1995: Activists intensify campaign, many flee into Continues on page 41

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 —41

Personalities that shaped June 12

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

I

NDEED, the making of June 12 as a political memorial and the source of ceaseless national debates was a direct fall out of the actions of some principal characters and notably:. Gen Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), Chief M.K.O Abiola, Alhaji Bashir Torfa, Alhaji Babagana Kingibe, Chief Sylvester Ugo, Chief Tony Anenih, Chief Tom Ikimi and Chief Ernest Shonekan.

Others are; Chief Frank OvieKokori, Paschal Bafyau, Sen Athour Nzeribe, Justice Bassey Ikpeme, Justice Dahiru Saleh, Abimbola Davies, Prof Omo Omoruyi, late Gen Sani Abacha among others.

Gen Ibrahim Babangida For students of history, the name Gen Babangida (rtd), has been a recurring feature of any discourse on June 12.

This is primarily informed by his position as the President and Commander in chief of the Armed Forces, on whose desk the buck stopped.

As head of the Armed Forces Ruling Council - the highest decision making organ of the military junta, IBB as he is generally called, claimed he annulled the polls in the “interest of the state.”

In his June 26, 1993 broadcast to the nation, IBB said, “In the circumstance, the administration had no option than to respond appropriately to the unfortunate experience of terminating the presidential election. Our actions are in full conformity with the original objectives of the transition to civil programme.’’

He was generally acclaimed to have conceived the freest and fairest election in Nigeria history but ironically annulled the same.

Chief M.K.O Abiola Chief Moshood Abiola was believed to have won the June 12 presidential election and was declared so fifteen years after by the chief electoral umpire, Prof.

Humphrey Nwosu in June 2008.

That was also ten years after Abiola’s death.

Abiola, a business mogul became the presidential candidate of the defunct Social Democratic Party, SDP having emerged after a fiercely contested primary on March 27, 1993 in Jos, that had Babagana Kingibe and Atiku Abubakar as his fellow candidates.

One of richest Nigerians at that time and with great influence in the military rulers of that time, it was easy for analysts to describe Abiola as the frontline candidate.

His colourful campaigns across the country easily proved it.

With the slogan ‘Hope 93’, he easily tapped from his extensive goodwill arising from his legendary philanthropy across the country. Abiola was known

Babangida: Annuled the election

*Abiola: Election winner

*Abacha: Usurped power

*Nzeribe: Maverick one

*Anenih: Where did he stand?

*Shonekan: Led interim govt

to have been conferred with chieftaincy titles from many places across the ethnic and religious divides.

It was no surprise to many Nigerians that he eventually overwhelmingly won the polls by 58 percent. But his decision to reject the annulment was the

beginning of what is now known as the June 12 crisis.

Indeed, it is believed that had Abiola accepted the annulment, that June 12 would have become like one of the several others political reversals that characterized the transition programme of the Babangida

regime.

That the election would have passed for any other national event. But by insisting on his mandate, the man, who abandoned the comfort that his money could guarantee to seek public service, largely made the event a watershed in the nation’s

history.

Even though his July 7, 2008 death at the point of freedom to a large extent brought to an end the struggle for his mandate, many issues thrown up by the issue have remained unanswered.

Alhaji Bashir Tofa Alhaji Bashir Tofa was a largely unknown political figure at the point of his nomination as the candidate of the National Republican Convention for the June 12 presidential elections.

The Kano based businessman was, however, known as a very wealthy man who had connections to the then ruling military class.

His money, connections and political clout were, however, no match to Abiola who easily defeated him in his home in Kano.

Suggestions that Tofa would play the good loser by conceding defeat failed and he as such played into the hands of those in the military who did not want the election to be upheld.

He has continued to defend the annulment telling reporters in Kano last week that the agitation for the mandate was nonsense and the whole brouhaha about June 12 as a fiction.”People who have nothing to offer this country or have nothing better to say can go on talking about June 12 because they have nothing else to say to help this country move Continues on page 42

June 12 @ 20: Election that cannot be replicated Continues from page 40

exile. *June 4, 1996:Kudirat Abiola, killed in Lagos by government agents over June 12 struggle. *June 8, 1998: Abacha dies in office. *July 7, 1998:Abiola dies in detention. *July1998:Abdulsalami Abubakar unveils 10-month transition programme. *December 5, 1998:Local council elections held nationwide for nine provisional political parties. *December 1998:Three parties, Alliance for Democracy (AD), All Peoples Party (APP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) given final registration. *February 1999:General Olusegun Obasanjo of PDP beats Chief Olu Falae of AD/ APP in presidential elections. *1999-2007: Obasanjo refuses to immortalize Abiola.

*June 13, 2008:Nwosu declares Abiola winner of the June 12 polls. *May 29, 2012:Jonathan names UNILAG after Abiola. *June 25, 2012: Court restrains FG from renaming UNILAG after Abiola. *February 22, 2013:President Goodluck Jonathan retains the name of UNILAG.

Unsung heroes of June 12

ANYTIME the June 12, 1993 presidential election is mentioned, attention is immediately shifted to late business tycoon and politician, Chief M.K.O Abiola, who won the election and was denied his mandate and he later died in detention. So also is Abiola’s wife, Kudirat, who was killed by government agents over the issue.

Following the crusade for the revalidation of June 12, which later led to the return of democracy in 1999, some eminent Nigerians and activists, who waged the crusade through the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Joint Action

Council of Nigeria (JACON) among others have also been praised.

When the government’s arsenals were unleashed on them, some of them were killed, some went into exile and some escaped or survived assassination attempts on their lives. A host of them were arrested and detained.

Those who were killed included Pa Alfred Rewane, Suliat Adedeji, Bisoye Tejuoso, Kudirat Abiola, Bagauda Kaltho (bombed) and Toyin Onagoruwa.

The likes of late Pa Abraham Adesanya and Alex Ibru survived gun attacks.

Those who threaded the thorny narrow road to exile included late Pa Anthony Enahoro, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Dan Suleiman, Olawale Oshun, etc. Many including the incumbent chairman of NADECO, Rear Admiral Ndubisi Kanu, NADECO Secretary, Chief Ayo Opadokun were also detained and their business interests attacked.

A pillar of support also came from late Gani Fawehinmi (SAN), Ebitu Ukiwe, Wole Soyinka, Segun Osoba,

Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Balarabe Musa, Anya O Anya, Guy Ikokwu, Frank Kokori among numerous others. These are the sung heroes of June 12. Behind these men and women, are people, whose roles in the struggle have been glossed over ever since.

They include men, women and youths, who defied odds to vote but were denied their choice via annulment.

Several were killed by state agents either covertly or in the protests that accompanied the annulment. Many died in auto accidents while fleeing the hotbeds of the protests.

Paying tribute to heroes of the struggle recently, Tinubu said: “We can never forget Pa Alfred Rewane, a man who in his late septuagenarian years showed that it was not about age, but about honour and courage.

Deploying his personal material resources at every point that they were needed, and providing strategic and ideological barricades to the onslaught of terror and treason, Pa Rewane was in the very core of the vanguard that insisted that this land shall be free.

42—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

BY GBENGA OKE

A

S a major actor in the election what would you say happened?

I was not just a player but the Director General of the campaign and I organised the primary election and the general elections. I also worked very closely with the party structure of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) that time. What simply happened was that we had the benefit of two party system introduced by the government of General Ibrahim Babangida and I must say that two party system is very vital in forging a viable democracy in any country. I am not talking about judicial, legalistic party system but a dominant two party system.

In June 1993, we had a twoparty system which enabled us to have two major players but that was really a legislated twoparty system where the law only allowed SDP and NRC. Our campaign machinery, ‘Hope 93’ campaigned all over the country and we had a lot of advantages.

Firstly, our candidate, Chief MKO Abiola was a well known figure, he was known everywhere and he had touched several lives before the campaigns. He was a philanthropist, he donated to building of mosques and churches across Nigeria, he built clinics, schools and was instrumental to various fund raisers for different communities. We found that throughout the campaign, the

The military underrated Abiola's popularity — Sen Zwingina, Campaign Manager DR Jonathan Silas Zwingina, an accomplished academician, administrator, politician and senator was Director-General of MKO Abiola’s campaign organisation, Hope "93. In this interview he opens up on the events of 20 years ago and the conspiracies that shadowed the annulment of the presidential election of June 12, 1993. goodwill was enormous but I will say the military underrated that impact.

The feeling the military had was that Chief Abiola and Bashir Tofa were going to play the classic Northern/Southern candidate where Northerners will not vote for a Southern candidate and Southerners will not vote a Northern candidate, there will be a stalemate and the military will go on.

As it turned out, Chief Abiola did not only win landslide but had 25percent in 28 of the 30 states including Kano where Chief Abiola beat Bashir Tofa who is from Kano. To show that the military never wanted a conclusive election, the release of results was interfered with by agencies of the military, some concoction of judicial process was in place where a judge in the mid-night gave a court order even when the decree setting up NEC said it should not respect court order and Professor Humphrey Nwosu had disregarded

•Zwingina: Nwosu should have announced the results several court orders because the decree did not allow the courts to interfere with the electoral process. Yet that court order, which was secured at midnight was expected to be respected against the law of the land.

So it was said that the results had not been released but truthfully, the results were

released. The release of the results was a process because all the states had the result, the only thing remaining was the final copy which was to be read by returning officer of the nation.

Although Professor Nwosu has explained what happened, I feel he could have announced that result and perhaps faced

Personalities that shaped June 12 held Abiola hostage for five years.

forward,” Tofa said last week.

Chief Tony Anenih After Kingibe exited the office of national chairman of the SDP, the lot fell on Chief Tony Anenih, who fifteen or so years ago retired from the police and entered into business and politics. Anenih was anointed chairman of the SDP with the blessing of Yar‘adua being that he was also a member of the Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM one of the strongest blocs within the SDP. Though Anenih led his party to victory in the June 12 election, but not long after the results were annulled, Anenih was seen to have abandoned the cause of the party.

While political leaders and rights activists were agitating for revalidation, Anenih reportedly looked the other way, and according to some sources turned into a strategist for the military regime that detained the flag bearer of his party.

Ambassador Babagana Kingibe Ambassador Kingibe was the chairman of the SDP, the party on which Abiola contested the election few months before the presidential primaries. With immense influence upon the SDP governors, he easily became a major factor in the run up to the SDP primaries which Abiola eventually won. The governors were nevertheless determined to foist him on the ticket as Abiola’s running mate, a decision Abiola took at the expense of Atiku Abubakar who was a loyalist of the powerful Shehu Musa Yar‘adua.

Following the annulment, Kingibe initially stood with Abiola but confidence in him among the pro-June 12 agitators gradually ebbed following his acceptance to serve in the Sani Abacha administration. A kanuri man like Abacha, some believe that he betrayed Abiola with his continued service in the government that detained and

Chief Tom Ikimi Ikimi, was the national chairman of the NRC who led his

party to defeat in the June 12 1993 election.

Like his party’s presidential

,

Continues from page 41

to social justice.

Senator Arthur Nzeribe

In his June 26, 1993 broadcast to the nation, IBB said, “In the circumstance, the administration had no option than to respond appropriately to the unfortunate experience of terminating the presidential election

candidate, Tofa, he refused to concede victory and echoed the words of the military to justify the annulment of the results.

In his capacity as NRC chairman, Ikimi was allegedly a member of the committee that prepared the plan which produced the Interim National Government, ING. He also served in Abacha’s administration as Foreign Affairs Minister.

Chief Ernest Shonekan Chief Ernest Shonekan was a respected figure in the business community who through his successful stewardship of UAC, one of Nigeria’s leading blue

,

chip companies at that time had carved a name for himself. He was appointed by Babangida to head the transition cabinet at the beginning of 1993 and with the annulment he stayed on as chairman of what was named as an Interim National Government, ING which was supposed to arrange for another presidential election.

His ING was eventually declared illegal paving the way for Abacha to bare his fangs and assume full control of the country in November 1993.

His acceptance to head the 32man ING at the expense of his kinsman, Abiola infuriated many, who dismissed him as an obstacle

some consequences. The nation could have a democratic challenge but the excuse that the results were inconclusive would not have been given. I believe he could have announced without waiting till some years later to announce the results in his book because the results were known to everybody.

Later as it turned out, some sections of the military wanted the results released and wanted the mandate realised.

We were involved in several discussions and I always accompanied Chief Abiola to some of the discussions. There were also some sections of the military that did not want the mandate realised and of course, they were deceptive.

While talking with us, they were really behind the scene plotting the total subjugation of that mandate. As it turned out, the military had to annul that election because in reality, they Continues on page 44

Arthur Nzeribe had carved a dubious reputation as a spoiler through his Association for Better Nigeria, ABN. He had navigated the courts with several court actions aimed at stopping the election and with one Abimbola Davies and the mysterious Dr. Atkins raised fears among many Nigerians.

His action in obtaining a midnight court injunction on June 10 stopping the election in a court presided over by the late Justice Bassey Ikpeme was one of the reasons given for the annulment.

Justice Bassey Ikpeme Ikpeme made a ruling a few hours to June 12, 1993 to stop the elections from holding. This ruling is believed to have contravened Decree No. 13 of 1993, which does not recognise the jurisdiction of the court on the matter.

Justice Dahiru Saleh An Abuja High Court, presided

by Justice Dahiru Saleh ordered National Electoral Commission, NEC, to stop further announcements of election returns and subsequently declared the entire poll illegal on Continues on page 43

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 — 43

Annulment was payment for Abiola’s evil deeds—Sen Owie Former member of the House of Representatives, former Senate Chief Whip and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP says the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election was a divine recompense for Abiola’s alleged past political misdeeds

W

HAT is your perspective on the June 12, 1993 election?

When people talk about June 12, June 12, June 12 has no meaning. June 12 is the repayment of evil for MKO Abiola. Whatever you sow, you reap. I said about four years ago that if Abiola had been president he would have been dead.

You think so?

Yes, let me tell you. Before anyone can say that the annulment was evil they should answer four questions.

Number one, who was that politician that brought what was called the Maroko land deal to limelight? Who was that politician who used the Maroko land deal as an albatross on the neck of Chief Obafemi Awolowo? Who is that Nigerian or group of Nigerians who went to Obasanjo and connived with him and removed the Electoral College act from the decree of 1978?

Who is that politician or group of politicians that aided the military to take over the government of President Shehu Shagari in 1983 after the NPN convention? Who is that politician? Who is that politician that aided the military in disqualifying all the major candidates of SDP and NRC? I say if they can answer it and the answer is negative for MKO Abiola, then the annulment of June 12 is evil. But if the answer is yes and is MKO Abiola, the annulment of June 12 was the best thing that happened because you cant plant mango and reap yam.

In 1979 I was in the UPN as a member of the House of Representatives and there was a provision in the transition decree of 1978/79 which made provision for Electoral College if the presidential election became inconclusive, and it really was inconclusive, because Shagari did not get two-third of the 19 states. So, we were preparing for Electoral College. NPP, GNPP, PRP and UPN we had majority in the National Assembly which constituted the Electoral College.

The late Mallam Aminu Kano of PRP, Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim of GNPP, Nnamdi Azikiwe of NPP and Awolowo of UPN had met and we had all met. But three days to the Electoral

College Obasanjo removed the clause on Electoral College; he removed the goal post within the run of play.

The Electoral College was removed after the election when we were getting ready for it and that was why Awolowo had no other option and he had to go to court and the judgment gave rise to the issue of 12 2/3!

A human being cannot be half, he is either full or… and that is why Justice Sowemimo said that that judgment cannot be quoted in future.

Abiola and Obasanjo were involved as Egbas to remove that clause. Concord brought the headline “Maroko land: Awolowo where is your sincerity”. We were in Minna when it was published. Look it deflated the old man, it scattered him, in fact, he was no longer himself and he started battling how to explain.

Now NPN went for their national convention in Kano and Umaru Dikko, he is alive, he said the presidential candidate of the NPN is not for sale. MKO Abiola wanted the presidential ticket he didn’t get it and he then came and aligned with the military people who now came in.

And IBB came and set up two political parties, Shehu Yar‘adua, Adamu Ciroma and other major contenders in SDP and NRC, overnight the military disqualified all of them, aided and abetted by MKO Abiola. Because if Yar‘adua were (involved) there was no way MKO would have won. He was not even in contention until the disqualification of these major contenders.

That is why I said that June 12 was a repayment for evil that was done against other people.

But how do you see the June 12 election in terms of electoral conduct and fairness?

The June 12 election because it was an open ballot and had only two parties which cut across tribal lines was one of the fairest elections ever held in this country.

June 12 showed what a good government can do in an election. If IBB and Aikhomu wanted to tamper with the election, they could have tampered with the election, but they didn’t. It was a free and fair election but what I am telling you is that the annulment that came later was the hand of Esau and the voice

The annulment served Abiola right, quote me!

You cannot be destroying other people and expect to have victory

,

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR

of Jacob.

,

What do you mean?

What happened was a repayment for evil.

But was that justified on the nation?

Yes! What I am saying is that it was God’s own work, it was God’s own work.

For Abiola’s alleged sin of…

All the sins!

But did that justify the derailment of the collective hope of Nigerians?

What is the collective hope of Nigerians?

Democracy Was the Buhari coup against Shagari justified? Was that the collective will of Nigerians?

That is debatable because many Nigerians welcomed the coup just as majority of

•Owei: Annulment was reward for Abiola's evils Nigerians were against the annulment of June 12.

It is because you are a pressman. Do you know how many people in my village that were not interested and were happy with the annulment, even though some of us were not happy.

You, were you happy with the annulment?

The annulment served Abiola right, quote me! You cannot be destroying other people and expect to have victory. There is a parable that all those who destroy other people will end up having destruction at the hour of their victory. MKO should not have expected anything less. Tell me, was it justified for Shehu Musa Yar‘adua and Falae in the SDP to be disqualified? What did they do? Was it justified for Adamu Ciroma and co in the NRC to be disqualified? What did they do? They were all disqualified in both parties so that MKO Abiola who was a friend of the military could emerge as the strongest candidate.

It was no secret that he paraded himself as a friend of the military. That man could not have expected to become president of Nigeria when he had ruined many people.

The truth is that God does not come down to do some of these things Himself. He uses human beings as instruments and that is why when a man is looking for elective or appointive position, maybe as LGA chairman, governor, minister or president, he is looking for an aspect of the divinity of God. It is out of that divinity that the man in charge of affairs takes, compassion, service to the people, ability to manage everybody, forgiveness.

Unfortunately, the moment you get that position and you do not utilise it, not generally, just some part of it…if you watch when Christ cured the ten lepers only one came back to say thank you, but he said where are the other nine? And if you read Hipppolytus he said that as soon as Christ asked where are the nine that the leprosy returned to the nine and they died of leprosy.

Personalities that shaped June 12 Continues from page 42

the ground that it was held in contravention of a subsisting court order. Defending his action in 2008, Saleh said both the late Ikpeme, who first ordered NEC not to conduct the elections, and himself were only doing their job.

Sani Abacha Gen Sani Abacha came to national limelight as the announcer of the military coup that ousted President Shehu Shagari from office in 1983.

Following that he became a permanent fixture in the military political chess game who bided his time till November 17, 1993 to acquire maximum power.

It was claimed by some that Abacha and Abiola reached an agreement for a military intervention that would eventually lead to the transfer of power to him.

Even if true, Abacha apparently did not have any interest in honouring it as his regime exploited the June 12 crisis, by dismantling all democratic institutions and suppressing agitations for actualisation of the mandate. His regime brought a reign of near bestiality that had never been seen in the country as the government used all instruments of power to sustain Abacha in office. opponents were thrown into detention or forced into exile, and some were killed.

Abacha held on to power until

he died in office on June 8, 1998.

Prof. Humphrey Nwosu Prof. Humphrey Nwosu was the charismatic chairman of the election monitoring agency, National Electoral Commission, NEC. His supervision of the elections leading to the National Assembly and state legislative houses and the governorship elections were hailed as a large success. Even though the presidential election was also largely successful, Nwosu’s failure to speak up in defence of the election conducted by him even if he was reportedly under military coercion led many to lower impression of his earlier actions.

44 —

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR

A

RE you satisfied with the present political situation in the country?

Let me state briefly here that when the June 12 election, a free and fair election was annulled; an election that Nigerians let off religious sentiment, left everything and voted their conscience, when you can say bribery and intimidation wasn’t the case, when young men and women counted votes one-by-one. I wish we could play back what happened in those days before the election was annulled.

What was your experience like in the struggle?

Many things have been spoken and narrated before about my experiences in that period. I want to appeal to you, let’s shift our attention from our experiences in NADECO, let’s shift to motivation; what really pushed us into the struggle and what is the position of those things in Nigeria today.

But Nigerians still want to know?

Anyway at the beginning, I was picked at home one morning by a group of policemen led by someone who later became DIG in this country and before he died in a crash we later became friends. Together with one retired ACP who was a CSP then. I was led to the Force

June 12: I wish we could play it back again — Kanu, NADECO Chairman The new chairman of NADECO, the major group that canvassed the actualisation of the June 12, 1993 mandate, Rear Admiral Ndubusi Kanu (rtd), a former Military Governor of Lagos and Imo States in an interview reviews the struggle. Excerpts: Headquarters. While there, I was told I was carrying arms and ammunition and then, they brought a paper for me to write statement.

They also brought a paper allegedly prepared by me as NADECO’s Chairman of Action Committee where I had allegedly recommended massive arms and ammunition importation. I made it clear that if I prepared the paper brought to me, they won’t see it in the first place.

They also made remarks about Dr. Beko Kuti and some other members of NADECO until the wee hours of the following day. Later, I learnt they were looking for cars and I asked what for?

They said we were travelling to my hometown. It was around 4am that early morning. I said ‘No, I am not travelling anywhere,’ and that whatever they want to do to me, they should do it there. I said ‘I am not going.’ I even told them that they take me back to my house because I won’t stay at the Force

•Kanu Headquarters.

In the morning, they were all around. We took off to the airport. Four plain cloth policemen were with me. We flew to Port Harcourt, from there we drove to my

hometown and to my house.

While there, they said I should come inside and join them in searching but I declined.

One of them threatened me that what happens if they

The Military underestimated Abiola’s popularity — Sen Zwingina never had plans to have a conclusive elections which is unfortunate.

How do you react that some of those around Abiola betrayed him?

I get surprised when people talk about betrayals because we have this penchant for people to become doctrinaire, create doctrine and begin to assign those who departed from it or not. Those who are shouting betrayals were actually the traitors because they never even voted in the election.

About those who took part in Abacha’s government that was a collective decision we reached in Chief Abiola’s house because I was the one writing the minutes. It was a collective decision that in order to steer the ship of the new government in the direction of realising June 12 and handing power back to Chief MKO Abiola, we needed to play a role.

In the company of Chief Abiola, we met and agreed to make a list of those who will participate in the government.

They did not betray Abiola; it was a collective decision and it was part of that decision that I

was pencilled down as a Minister but the government in looking for seniority chose Alhaji Bamanga Tukur to represent Adamawa and I was now nominated as a Commissioner. It was not my personal decision, all those ministers including Alhaji Jakande, he never wanted to be Minister, he actually nominated Professor Agbalajobi. Chief Abiola had to personally beg Lateef Jakande to join the government. The same thing happened to other ministers from the South-West.

After that, we put the list together and approached the government with it.

At that time, the impression we were given was that the government will last for only six months and after six months, a process will be put in place to return the mandate to Chief Abiola.

The question Chief Abiola always put up to those who refused to join the government was, if you don’t join the government, who is there to speak for me? He kept asking them and they could not answer. As a result of that, they will say, ‘for your sake, we will go there to enable us raise the voice for June 12 when we are

having meetings with government.’ That was the atmosphere that time and to the best of my recollection and to my records, there was nobody who on his own walked away and became part of the Abacha government out of his own selfish ambition.

Although, I know a few

be done and that was why Dr Onagoruwa accepted to be Attorney General. He was a very strong supporter of June 12. We felt if he is there and the law needs to be re-arranged to recognise June 12, he will play a prominent role on behalf of June 12 and that was why he was encouraged to accept.

While talking with us, they were really behind the scene plotting the total subjugation of that mandate.

,

Continues from page 42

leaders were eager to join they did not walk away on their own, instead they convinced the whole group to take that decision. It may have been a wrong decision but we took it based on the impression that we needed to cooperate with government in order for government to cooperate with us in realising the mandate after about six months.

If you remember, it was as if in six months something will

,

These are some of the things that happened that time but later on, few writers, journalists and human rights groups, who are uninformed and in fact not major players began to redirect and redesign who is a traitor and who is true to the cause. Later, other elements that were not even part of June 12 who fell out with Abacha were all seen as proponents of June 12.

The people who fell out with

plant something capable of putting me in serious trouble, I said that will be between them and their conscience. I remained at my balcony while they conducted their search of the whole house. I overheard one of them saying this man has nothing to hide and that is where it ended and I was flown back to Lagos.

There was so much harassment meted out at me thereafter purposely to break me down. I don’t want to go into all that. But at a time, I decided to send message to Abacha. Admiral Akhigbe was by then the Naval Chief. The message I sent then was that I shouldn’t be subjected to unnecessary harassment after serving my country well defending her territorial integrity.

What motivated you to join NADECO when it was formed?

I don’t mind telling anybody who cares that I am a well trained Naval Officer. I don’t mind taking on any Admiral anywhere in the world, any day, any time. Where I was trained in India; there was an inscription on the dome there.

It was, “Safety, Honour and Welfare of your country come first, always and every time.

The Safety, Honour and Welfare of the men you command come next. Your own safety and welfare come last.”

Abacha were totally different from the June 12 struggle, they fell out either for personal reasons or for political reasons that are not related to June 12 and some of them eventually became the apostles of June 12.

So there are misconceptions that need to be corrected.

Lessons to be drawn from the 1993 elections The lesson Nigeria should learn is that up till now, there is a sceptre of that election hanging over our democracy because we look back and think that somewhere along the line, we did not get things right.

If we had gotten it right in 1993, we would have been far away from where we are now especially the culture of impunity because that annulment was the height of impunity where few individuals in government will take a pen and cancel what millions of Nigerians had agreed on. I think we need to learn not to over-ride the will of the people.

The second lesson we should learn from that election is that we should not think we can deceive the people all the time, we cannot deceive all the people all the time, we may deceive some people but certainly not all of them all the time.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 — 45

46—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

Ochei tasks colleagues on stock-taking

Orbih replies Ize-Iyamu: You contributed to failure of Igbinedion's govt

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

S

B

PEAKER of Delta State House of Assembly, Mr. Victor Ochei, has challenged his colleagues in the House to reflect on their successes and challenges in the last legislative year towards improving on their legislative goals.

Speaking at a two-day retreat for the lawmakers in Lagos, Ochei said it was incumbent on the lawmakers to reflect on the past, so that they could, in conjunction with other arms of government, deliver good governance to the citizenry.

He said: “The task of lawmaking in a complex state like ours (Delta) requires that we must take time from our busy lawmaking and exercise of oversight functions schedules to occasionally look back, with the sole aim of improving and also set goals and agenda for ourselves.”

Ochei, in a statement by his Press Secretary, Mr. Nkem Osu, said that the retreat would provide the legislators with improved zeal in the new legislative year and in fashioning out ways of surmounting issues confronting the state.

ENIN—EDO State Chairman of Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, yesterday, took a swipe at the National Vice Chairman (South-South) of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who had said that the crises within PDP and a godfather led to the failure of the administration of former governor, Lucky Igbinedion.

Orbih said Ize-Iyamu was the principal actor in parties that contributed to the failing of the said administration.

Describing his allegation as baseless and mischievous, he said Ize-Iyamu’s statement as the former Secretary to the State Government, SSG, to Lucky Igbinedion’s administration, had exposed the kind of people who were the nucleus of that government.

Speaking with newsmen in Benin yesterday, Orbih insisted that for a man who was the SSG to say that the party then in power did not have a manifesto showed how shallow those who were at the centre of that administration were.

He noted that since 1999, when PDP was voted into office, it always had a constitution and a manifesto that were subjected to amendments over the years, but regretted that for

a Principal Officer of that government to say otherwise was very unfortunate.

On The Godfather

On the allegation that a godfather contributed to the failure of Igbinedion’s government, he said: “I want to state that looking at the profile of that government from 1999 up to the time they left office, there was no office or position created by that government which was supposed to be occupied by a godfather.

“So they cannot blame their successes or failure on an im-

aginary godfather because they did not create any position to be occupied by a godfather.

“But the lesson we must learn from the unguarded statement from Pastor IzeIyamu is that in whatever we do, we should do it with the fear of God and with the interest of the people at heart.

They have served and they are out of office.

‘Apologies needed’

“What I could pick out from his statement is that on his own, he has publicly admit-

... as Oshiomhole pledges support for youths

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, yesterday, said his government will give adequate support to groups and individuals involved in keeping the youths occupied positively as this would reduce the crime rate in the country.

Speaking during a courtesy visit by a United States-based group, Access to Success, Oshiomhole said that part of the problem in the country was unemployment.

He said: “Part of the problem in Nigeria today, like you have in America, is the problem of youth unemployment and be-

cause the youths are idle, some of them resort to crime and other activities which are quite dysfunctional.

“Anything that will keep them

W

ARRI—A group, Delta Elite for Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has criticised the recommendation of the Senate Committee on Constitution

Amendment, seeking to stop President Jonathan and 13 other first-term governors from re-contesting the 2015 general polls.

National Coordinator of the group, Mr. Hope Agadaigho,

in Warri, Delta State, said: “We are throwing our weight behind President Jonathan to contest the 2015 polls, notwithstanding the recommendation of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendment.

W

ARRI—A POLITICAL pressure group in Delta State, Delta Democratic Platform, DDP, yesterday, passed a vote of confidence on Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Mr. Victor Ochei, for his developmental strides in the House within two years in office and also endorsed him

“The recommendation that seeks to bar Jonathan and 13 other first term governors from re-contesting the 2015 polls is void ab initio. No antic put in place to stop Jonathan in 2015 will succeed."

for the 2015 gubernatorial race.

DDP, which commended the Speaker for his good leadership of the House, described him as a unique political leader, who within two years had transformed the legislative system, an indication that he “will take Delta State to greater heights if he becomes the governor of the state in 2015.”

Chairman of the group, Mr. Paul Okotie, in a statement, called on all Deltans to support Ochei for “his good leadership experience as lawmaker.”

He urged all ethnic groups in the state to key into project in the interest of the state rather than selfish interest.

By Bartholomew Madukwe

PEOPLE SPEAK

08102479985

busy, and encourage them to recognise that there is a future, and seeing people like you, they will believe that they also can overcome the poverty trap.”

DPP endorses Ochei for 2015 Delta guber

Delta Elite opposes move to stop Jonathan, 13 govs

BY EMMA AMAIZE

ted that they failed as a government. What ought to have followed that admittance is an apology and not to look for innocent people to blame for their failures.

“It is a mark of statesmanship for people to own up to their failures. He ought to have admitted that as Secretary to the State Government, it was not Lucky Igbinedion.

“It was a collective responsibility of all the adults in that government. Also, I don’t want people to single out Lucky Igbinedion as the one that failed. They all failed.”

(nwamad@yahoo.com)

On President Jonathan's mid-term report

T

IME will not permit one to be expansive. But there are several disappointments with this administration, chief of which is the Boko Haram insurgency in the North. That issue ought to have been decisively dealt with much earlier.— Mr. Tani Molajo (SAN), Lawyer.

C M Y K

P

RESIDENT Jonathan may have earned pass mark in some areas. But there are areas that he needs to work on to have a better score. One of such areas is making life better for the average Nigerian by guaranteeing employment.— Mrs. Ifeoma Anyabuba, Trader.

F

ROM the economic perspective, political point of view and other sectors such as road, water supply and electricity, there is no improvement. The epileptic power supply has worsened in the last few months.— Mr. Olumide Adefila (Esq.),— Lawyer.

W

ELL, I don’t think Nigerians need any scorecard to know that unemployment rate went up in this administration. The President should forget about scoring himself and do what we, who voted him in, expect him to do.— Mr. Mustapha Yusuf, Carpenter.

I

am really disappointed in this administration because I voted for Jonathan. To the best of my knowledge, there has not been any remarkable improvement in the life of the citizenry. The situation has been as it was.— Mr. Oladimeji Olaleye, Lawyer.

I

N recent times, power supply has become terrible.

When there is light, people can come up with business and thrive. In fact, if that alone can be achieved by this administration, for me, it is a pass mark for the administration.— Mr. Chukwudi Madueke, Model.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 —47

Ikwerre rallies support for Amaechi Says he must complete his tenure

P

BY JIMITOTAONOYUME

ORT HARCOURT— IKWERRE peolple in Rivers State, have reaffirmed their support for Governor Chibuike Amaechi, saying he should be allowed to complete his tenure.

President General, Ogbakor Ikwerre Cultural Organisation, Worldwide, Professor Augustine Onyeozu, at a programme organised by Ikwerre ethnic nationality in Port Harcourt, said the ethnic nationality will not allow the governor to be humiliated out of office.

He said: “Today, they are calling Amaechi a bad man so that they can bring him down. As Ikwerre people, we don’t take sides in anything bad, but we will not fold our hands and watch while an innocent man is humiliated and brought down for nothing. Even if Amaechi is not an Ikwerre man, we will not allow him to be humiliated.

“We are saying, please, whoever he has offended, the person should allow him to finish his tenure.”

Also, the member representing Ikwerre-Emohua in the House of Representatives, Chief Andrew Uchendu, said Ikwerres were worried about the incessant at-

tacks on the governor, just as he pledged the loyalty of the people to the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

“We are troubled by the unwarranted attacks on our governor, Mr. Amaechi and we want to ask; what has he done that cannot be discussed?” he

quarried.

Hundreds of Ikwerre men, women and youths turned up for the programme to identify with the governor.

Meantime, De Norsemen Kclub of Nigeria, has warned politicians in Rivers State not to drag the name of the Kclub into the politi-

cal crisis rocking Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the state.

In a statement in Port Harcourt by the De Guv’nor, Rivers State chapter, Mr. Raph Zabbey, he said that they were aware that some persons were already parading themselves as members of the De Norsemen Kclub and taking sides in the political crisis rocking PDP in the state.

VISIT: From left: Mr. Sesan Sobowale, Corporate Relations Director; Mr. Seni Adetu, MD/ CE, both of Guinness Nigeria Plc.; Mr. Olusegun Aganga, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, and Mr. Mike Onuoha, Head, Public Policy, Guinness Nigeria Plc., during a visit to the Minister by the management of Guinness Nigeria.

Sacked Bayelsa teachers want Dickson’s intervention

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

YENAGOA—NO fewer than 300 teachers in Bayelsa State, sacked by the State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, have called on state governor, Mr Seriake Dickson to reconsider their plight with a view to rectifying what they described as their illegal disengagement.

The aggrieved teachers, it was learnt, were employed by the former SUBEB board under the administration of former Governor Timpre Sylva.

But their problem was said to have started shortly after the inauguration of a new board under the current administration of Governor Dickson.

The new board through its Executive Secretary, Mr. Walton Liverpool, had claimed that the employment of the teachers did not follow due process.

According to the teachers, the

board did not only stop their salaries but also demanded that their employment should undergo fresh verification.

The aggrieved teachers in a statement in Yenagoa, said they had earlier gone through series of verifications by a team led by Chief B. Izagara.

“The team recommended that we should be retained as teachers in the state while more teach-

ers of science background be employed. The governor adopted the recommendation and approved that our salaries be paid,” they said.

They, however, noted with sadness that instead of the board complying with the directive, they were issued fresh employment letters and placed on three months probation.

“To our utmost surprise, the

Group to Jonathan: Declare state of emergency on constant attacks of a particular Ijaw occupied NPA area of Warri

BY ETOP EKANEM

W

ARRI—IJAW People Congress, IPC, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to declare a state of emergency on old Nigerian Port Authority, NPA, area of Warri, Delta State, where only

the Ijaws occupy.

National President of IPC Mr Ekanpou Enewaridideke, said that the state of emergency should be chiefly restricted to the old NPA area inhabited by the Ijaw, so that the Federal Government can directly take over the security of the area and save the Ijaw from the

DESOPADEC won’t pay for shoddy jobs —Obuiwevbi

U

BY FESTUS AHON

GHELLI—THE Commissioner representing Ethiope East and Ughelli North Local Government Areas on the board of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Chief Ominimini Obuiwevbi, has said that the commission would only pay for projects executed to specification.

Obuiwevbi during an inspec-

same Liverpool came on air to announce our suspension from work after working for three months. He claimed that our reengagement was done in error. This was the same re-engagement he publicised in the media as having followed due process. It is painful that our arrears of salaries before our employment, which was suspended had not been paid.”

tion tour of the 100 seater lecture theatre project being executed at Delta State University, Abraka and the just completed solar powered water scheme at OrhiaAbraka community, Ethiope East council, restated that the commission will not accept jobs poorly executed.

According to him, “the commission will ensure that projects are awarded to only competent contractors.

Projects that are not executed to specification have been cancelled.”

Charging youths of oil bearing communities across the state to stop harassing and demanding money from contractors working in their areas, he said; “ when you disturb contractors and demand money from them, you are unnecessarily slowing down the project.”

Ijaw chief.

Enewaridideke said: “The old NPA area of Warri is chiefly inhabited by the Ijaws in Warri and this old NPA area was on lease to the colonial masters in 1906 but the lease expired in 2005.The expiration of the lease means automatic return of the ownership to the Ogbe-Ijoh people of Warri South-West Local Government Area, but surprisingly, one Ijaw chief has been constantly terrorising the Ijaw people in the area on the spurious claim that he had bought the whole of old NPA from the Federal Government.

“We call on the chief to stop the demolition of the houses of the Ijaw without authorisation either from the court or Ministry of Land and Survey. Nobody is above the law. The chief should stop terrorising the Ijaw inhabitants in old NPA with claims of landlordship, claims which the courts in the area had repeatedly rejected.”

Women hail Akpabio over law

BY JOSEPHINE IGBINOVIA

L

AGOS—WORLD’S largest service organisation for women, Soroptimist International, has commended the governor of Akwa-Ibom State, Chief Godswill Akpabio, for the passage of the Abolishment of Harmful Traditional Practices into law.

National President of the group, Mrs. Funmilola Buraimoh-Ademuyewo, in Lagos, regretted that the age-long traditional practice had contributed adversely to the dehumanisation of women and girls in the state and Nigeria at large.

She said: “Widows in the state will no longer have to drink the bath water of their dead husbands and the shaving of the head of widows is now unlawful in the state. We hope other governors will take a cue from Governor Akpabio by taking a legal stand against these awful practices.”

Ijaw leader slams NEF over Jonathan

B

OMADI—ONE of the founding fathers of Ijaw National Congress, INC, Chief Gilbert PereSinclair, has slammed the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, for saying that President Jonathan Goodluck was incompetent.

Sinclair, who spoke in Bomadi, Delta State, described the position of NEF as a clear indication that the North sees the presidency as their birthright and the rightful people to govern the country.

He noted that NEF as a group of northern elders, was suppose to serve as an advisory body to those in authority, lamenting that they were towing a path of disunity.

He noted that from 1960 till date, the North has provided three quarter of the leadership in the country, adding that the dysfunction of governance was caused by the north.

He faulted NEF for trying to mislead Nigerians about the developmental strides of President Goodluck, stressing that no president has been able to accomplish what Jonathan had achieved in his two years in office.

48—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

From left: Fraser Johnston, General Manager, Protea Hotel, Benin City, sponsor of the 'We Play to Win' event, Benin City 2013; Archbishop Margaret Idahosa; Laurie Idahosa of Benson Idahosa University and Hon. John Osagie Inegbedion, Commissioner for Finance, Edo State, during the presentation of awards to participants, after a training workshop organised by 'We Play to Win,' an NGO, in Benin City, Edo State.

From left: Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Professor Modupe Adelabu and Osun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori, during a Sunday church service, at the Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries, in Lagos.

From left:President, Otunba Tunwase Foundation/Group Managing Director, First City Monument Bank Plc, Mr. Ladi Balogun; Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Isaac Adewole; Founder, Otunba Tunwase National Paediatric Centre, OTNPC, Dr. Michael Olasubomi Balogun, and Provost, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Prof. Olusegun Akinyinka, at the signing of Deed of Total Gift of Otunba Tunwase National Paediatric Centre to College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.

From left: Mr. Ayo Adeniran, Brand Manager, Bacardi International; Hon. Olanpenjo Olanrewaju, Vice Chairman, Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA; Mr. Amodu Razaq, Council Manager, Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA; and Ms. Bekeme Masade, Executive Director, CSR-in-Action, at the launch of 'Spirit for Life,' a premier recycling initiative organised by Bacardi International and CSR-in-Action, in Lagos, to promote the recycling culture in Nigeria.

From left: Enobong Uwah, Commissioner for Environment & Mineral Resources; Valerie Ebe, Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State; Oladotun Isiaka, Deputy GM, Operations, Mobil Producing Nigeria and Cecilia Udoessien, Head of Civil Service, Akwa Ibom From left: Director of Communications, General Electric (GE) AfState, during the launch of ExxonMobil-sponsored Ibom Programme on Environ- rica, Patricia Obozuwa; Global Supply Chain Leader, GE Africa, mental Awareness, IPEA, in Uyo Phil Griffith and Communications Coordinator, GE Nigeria, Yewande Sobamowo, at an interactive session with editors, at Zen Garden Chinese Restaurant, GRA, Ikeja, in Lagos.

From left: Mayo Okunola,General Manager, DSTV and Felix Awogu, General Manager, SuperSport, at the SuperSport press briefing on Confederation Cup. Photo: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor.

From left: Mr. Oyeniyi Adebare, one of the winners in the MTN Football Scholar Season 2; Funmi Olaogun, Manager, Master Brand, MTN; Saidat Mohammed-Lawal, Senior Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN; Ekeh Shadrack, another winner, and Chris Drowne, one of the US scouts, at the send-forth dinner for the winners of competition, in Lagos.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 — 49

50—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

June 12 @ 20: NADECO warns FG against conducting 2015 polls •Wants constitutional structures dissolved for SNC •Enemies of June 12 still in power

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

N

ATIONAL Democratic Coalition, NADECO, has called on the Federal Government to provide an acceptable constitution before conducting the 2015 general elections, following the power tussle between the North and the South over which of the regions should produce the next President.

It also stated that the immediate dismantling of constitutional

structures would provide an answer to the country’s myriad of problems.

Chairman of NADECO, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu said this, yesterday, in Lagos at a colloquium convened to review the Epetedo Declaration of June 12, 1993 presidential elections.

His words: “Regarding the elections planned for 2015, NADECO notes with concern the ominous rhetorics in the atmosphere wherein some

elements who, prior to the 2011 elections, promised to make Nigeria ungovernable should power not return to them, are now threatening massive bloodshed should power again fail to return to them; there is a response to them from another bloc, equally threatening catastrophe should power leave them.

“Having identified the unworkable unitary ‘Constitution’ of Nigeria as the source of the many intractable plagues of Nigeria,

and now faced with a situation in which, whoever wins a 2015 presidential election, “blood will flow”, NADECO, with a grave sense of responsibility, raises a question as to the wisdom of embarking on such an election without first working out an acceptable constitutional arrangement, more so since whoever wins that election will govern with the same disputed ‘constitution’, plunging the country further into further abyss, and faster towards anarchy.

“NADECO unequivocally states that the answer to Nigeria’s myraid of problems lie in the immediate peaceful dismantling of the constitutional structures which were erected and operated in negation of the soverignty of the people. The process for that peaceful dismantling is by the

convocation of a Soverign National Conference the same way South Africa did via CODESA to ease out the Aparthied Constitution.

“The alternative for the country Nigeria will be disorderly, yet justifiable retrieval of sovereignties by the Ethnic Nationalities individually or in formations/ groups of their choice and in a manner or manners that they may choose, which may be based on understandable violence.

NADECO positively and pointedly identifies the cankerworm, the monster, which is trying to overwhelm and usurp the soverignty of our people to the detriment of the commonwealth of everyone of us in this country since 1993, to be the cabal of suzerainty which today is palpably in the form of an imposed 1999 constitution.

Enemies of June 12 still in power

“Many who connived with the clique in those debasing and disenfranchising years are in power today, even masquerading as champions of democracy. Such include those who chaired Abiola’s winning party, SDP. There are others in all arms of government and even amongst the progressives who ought to really search their conscience, if the survival, well-being and progress of Nigeria is truly in their agenda.

“NADECO asserts that the violent agitations in Nigeria have their roots in these constitutional grievances and cannot be peacefully addressed otherwise than by a holistic engagement with the issues by a way of a Sovereign National Conference of ethnic nationalities. In refusing to initiate this only plausible non-violent mechanism, opponents of the SNC have pushed the country into a violent, disorderly debate of the same issues.”

Conference must be sovereign

Also speaking on the theme of the event titled: Affirmation of the Peoples Sovereignty, Mr. Fred Agbeyegbe said: “We must turn round to those who now insist that they are the owners of the sovereignty upon which the ethnic nationalities of Nigeria erect their right to a Sovereign National Conference and say to them, first, that that providential prescription is the only reference to the word “Sovereignty” in the 1999 Constitution; second, that it is emphatic that it “belongs to the people of Nigeria”; third: that all the section affords them are “powers and authority”; fourth, that the powers and authority in question are all of their powers and authority.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 — 51

R-l: Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, FCSC, Dns Joan Ayo OON; and the Leader of the Pakistani delegation of Officers from the National School of Public Policy, Lahore, Mrs Seemi Waheed in a tete a tete during the latter’s visit to the Commission in Abuja.

PROMOTION — Newly promoted Assistant Comptroller of Customs, Abdullahi Kirawa, with the ComptrollerGeneral of Customs, Abdullahi Dikko Inde, after the decoration in Abuja

52—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

How can I forgive my fickle husband?

Should I go for this fling?

Dear Bunmi, One of my childhood friends lives in a different state. But we communicate all the time on our mobile. A few months ago, we got chatting and she sent me a picture from her mobile of a friend of hers that wants to come to Lagos for a few weeks. She wants me to show him around.

I’ve since talked with this man a few times and sent a photograph to him from my mobile. Now our talks get more personal and he’s hinting we should get together

when he gets to Lagos.

He’s a very attractive man.

The problem here is that he has a girlfriend he lives with and I am married with a baby.

Should I go for this affair? He has just two weeks to stay in Lagos?

Janet, by e-mail.

Dear Janet, Why don’t you get a grip on your emotions? You have a young family and you know next to nothing about this guy. You’re likely not only to get hurt, but also seriously

upset other people.

Try asking yourself what is missing in your life that means you’re looking for someone new to make you feel special.

Have a heart-to-heart with your husband now. You don’t need to tell him what you’ve been up to— but you do need to tell him you don’t feel loved.

Then get your marriage sorted and stop chatting with strange men! Your family is too young to give up on your marriage.

Intimacy with my ex is humiliating Dear Bunmi, My marriage broke down two years ago and I moved to my parents’ house. The two children of the marriage live with my ex and I see them most weekends and during the holidays.

Most times, my ex refuses to talk to me or even look at me but he manages to make love with me every time I go round to see the kids. He tricks me into thinking he has feelings for me, then turns round and says it means nothing. I feel dirty and used.

He currently has a girlfriend and he uses her to taunt me.

How can I stop all this abuse?

Dupe, by e-mail.

Dear Dupe, Your ex sounds like a very nasty piece of work. You’re the mother of his children and someone he once loved. You deserve respect, not contempt.

Your ex has been using you because you let him do it.

Deep down, you want to believe he still loves you. Well, he doesn’t— this is not the way to treat someone you

have feelings for. He’s robbed you of your self-confidence and you need to hold your head up high and win back your pride.

When next he tells you about his girlfriend, just turn to him and say you don’t have the time as you are busy, then leave.

You also need to get busy.

Find yourself a job if you don’t

have one or be self-employed on a small scale. You need to get out and meet people then you’ll begin to realise that you are worth more than he is.

You also need to have a frank discussion with him about the way he talks to you.

Tell him you won’t tolerate it.

By standing up for yourself, you’ll begin to gain back your confidence.

I hate being on top Dear Bunmi, I enjoy love-making with my boyfriend. But lately, he’s been encouraging me to be on top as it is his favourite position.

The problem is I don’t want to be in charge— it doesn’t feel right and I’ve got no rhythm. What can I do?

Fatima, by e-mail.

Dear Fatima, The ‘battle for bottom’ is a common bedroom farce.

There are lots of reasons some women duck out of tak-

ing turns at the leading role— shyness, laziness, lack of confidence ...

Then there’s the issue of preference. Some women are submissive, which is fine by men who want to dominate.

But other women like a bit of both, so they need to be versatile.

Men are visually-stimulated and your man probably just wants to look at your body.

But just to be sure, next time you’re on top, switch positions and let him know how you like things to be done to you!

I shut my friends out when I’m in love Dear Bunmi, I’ve discovered that when I’m in a relationship with a guy, I always lose myself.

Once I fall in love, everyone and everything else ceases to be important. Invariably, the guy dumps me because I suffocate him and then I have to grovel to get my friends to forgive me for ignoring them.

I’m well aware of doing it and try to stop myself but it doesn’t work. I’m currently single and want to solve this before getting a new boyfriend and start the whole process again.

Precious, by e-mail.

Dear Precious, We all tend to disappear off the face of the earth when we first find someone we think is delicious. That’s normal.

What’s not normal is letting any man kidnap us from our career, friends and family, over and over again.

I think your problem is twofold. First, it sounds like you’re not just looking for a loving relationship but an escape from the life you’re in. If you loved your job, your friends and everything about your life, you wouldn’t be so quick to drop them the minute some guy came along. Look at changes

you can make to your life that will make you happy.

The second issue is that age-old problem psychologist call “abandonment.” Looks like someone you love abandoned you (a partner or a past lover?) or you saw it happen to someone. This may explain why you feel you need to cling so tight.

Now that you have recognised this flaw in your relationship, you need to talk openly about this with trusted friends and ask them to give you a wake-up call whenever they feel you’re once more stepping out of line.

Dear Bunmi, I am a married woman of 43 with four children. I used to be the legal secretary of a company until I was inched out in a bitter board-room brawl. As to be expected, my confidence took a bashing on top of which my savings dwindled.

At first, I had the sympathy of my husband. When he began to complain about the quality of food he was getting, I explained to him that now I wasn’t earning a salary I couldn’t augment the housekeeping he was giving me.

He became cold and distant and sometimes refused food until I found out he was having an affair a couple of streets from us. I confronted him and he was really hurtful, saying he had to eat decent meals once in a while.

Well, as God would have it, some factions broke away from my old company to form a brand new one and I was invited as an executive director.

I was able to raise the money they asked for and the com-

pany is now doing well. My self-confidence is back.

What has gone really is how I feel about my husband.

He has started being nice all over again but I really hate him. I never knew he could be such a fickle man! The kids want me to let by-gone be bygone. But he let me down when I needed him most.

Joke, by e-mail.

Dear Joke, Hurts like yours take a long time to disappear but you must work at it. It was cruel of your husband not to support you when you were down on your luck, but he must have panicked too, thinking of the financial implications of your wage loss.

Why don’t you have things sorted out with him? Tell him how much he hurt you and maybe you might be able to understand why he behaved so badly and with time, you will be able to forgive and forget. Good luck in your new adventure!

Most times, my ex refuses to talk to me or even look at me but he manages to make love with me every time I go round to see the kids Is intimacy okay now I’m pregnant?

Dear Bunmi, After trying for a baby for a couple of years, I’m finally pregnant and my husband is so excited about the news. But he wants us to continue making love as frequently as before.

My doctor sees nothing wrong with it, but I just don’t feel turned on as I used to.

Will this change as my pregnancy advances?

Queeneth, by e-mail.

Dear Queeneth, You bet! At first though, you might feel too sick or paranoid to think about intimacy. But according to a gynaecologist,

after three months, your energy levels and libido can return with a vengeance.

During pregnancy, your body contains higher level of hormones. These can create a heightened feeling of sensuality.

Intimacy during pregnancy can be more stimulating and satisfying then ever— with some women experiencing an orgasm or multiple orgasm for the first time.

As a matter of fact, a lot of men have confessed to having the most fun with a pregnant woman! You might need to experiment with positions, though. Good luck!

Share your problems and release your burden. Write now to Dear Bunmi, Vanguard Newspapers, P.M.B 1007, Apapa, Lagos. or bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 —53

Mali documents reveal al-Qaida possess feared weapon T

HE photocopies of the manual lay in heaps on the floor, in stacks that scaled one wall, like Xeroxed, stapled handouts for a class.

Except that the students in this case were al-Qaida fighters in Mali. And the manual was a detailed guide, with diagrams and photographs, on how to use a weapon that particularly concerns the United States: A surface-to-air missile capable of taking down a commercial airplane.

The 26-page document in Arabic, recovered by The Associated Press in a building that had been occupied by al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb in Timbuktu, strongly suggested the group now possesses the SA-7 surface-to-air missile, known to the Pentagon as the Grail, according to terrorism specialists.

And it confirms that the al-Qaida cell is actively training its fighters to use these weapons, also called man-portable airdefense systems, or MANPADS, which likely came from the arms depots of ex-Libyan strongman Col. Moammar Gadhafi.

“The existence of what apparently constitutes a ‘Dummies Guide to MANPADS’ is strong circumstantial evidence

of al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb having the missiles,” said Atlantic Council analyst Peter Pham, a former adviser to the United States’ military command in Africa and an instructor to U.S. Special Forces. “Why else bother to write the guide if you don’t have the weapons? ... If AQIM not only has the MANPADS, but also fighters who know how to use them effectively,” he added, “then the impact is significant, not only on the current conflict, but on security throughout North and West Africa, and possibly beyond.”

The United States was so worried about this particular weapon

ending up in the hands of terrorists that the State Department set up a task force to track and destroy

URKISH riot police moved yesterday into the central Istanbul square at the heart of 10 days of anti-government protests, firing tear gas and water cannon at hundreds of protesters armed with rocks and fireworks.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan declared he would not yield to the protesters. In a further sign of the effect the crisis has had on financial markets, the central bank said it would intervene if needed to support the lira. “They say the prime minister is rough. So what was going to happen here? Were we going to kneel down in front of these (people)?”

stopped, a U.S. team flew to Libya to secure Gadhafi’s stockpile of thousands of heatseeking, shoulder-fired

French soldier holds the launch tube of an SA-7 surface-to-air missile before its destruction in Timbuktu, northern Mali

Zuma: We are praying for Mandela W HILE the daughter of Nelson Mandela, Zenani Mandela, the South Africa’s ambassador to Argentina arrived hospital yesterday to see her father , South African President Jacob Zuma, said that Mandela was “very serious but stabilized” in hospital, adding that South Africans were praying for his recovery.

Mr Zuma said the doctors were doing a “very good job”, adding that the former president was a

Erdogan said after the action began.

“If you call this roughness, I’m sorry, but this Tayyip Erdogan won’t change.”

Police backed by armored

a Pretoria hospital suffering from a recurrent lung infection.

Relatives, including his ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, visited the ailing former leader on Monday.

The former president has

•Nelson Mandela “good fighter”.

The 94-year-old is spending his fourth day in

vehicles moved soon after dawn into Taksim Square, site of the initial protest against government construction plans 10 days ago which sparked the worst unrest in decades.

Nigeria pushes 6,000 refugees into Niger, says U.N

N

IGERIA’s military offensive against Islamist militants in its northeast has forced more than 6,000 refugees - mostly women, children and the elderly - to flee to neighboring Niger, the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) said

Bombers strike in central Damascus, kill 14

B

OMBERS attacked a Damascus police station yesterday, killing at least 14 people in the heart of the capital as President Bashar alAssad’s army fought rebels in their strongholds in the east and north of Syria. Syrian state media said two suicide bombers struck near a police building in Marjeh Square, on the edge of the old city of Damascus.

Suspected Taliban bomber targets Afghan court, kills 17

Turkish police clash with rioters

T

it as far back as 2006. In the spring of 2011, before the fighting in Tripoli had even

B-R-I-E-F-S

yesterday.

Nigerian forces are engaged in a 4-weekold operation to regain territory from fighters loyal to Islamist group Boko Haram, which they say has enabled them to wrest back control of the country ’s remote northeast.

been in intensive care since he was admitted to the hospital on Saturday for the third time this year.

In December, Mr Mandela spent 18 days undergoing treatment for a lung infection and gallstones.

Russia may consider asylum for U.S. cyber leaker

R

USSIA may consider granting asylum to the American who has exposed top-secret U.S. surveillance programs, if he were to ask for it, President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman said yesterday.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stopped short of saying Moscow would accept Edward Snowden, but pro-Kremlin lawmakers spoke out in favor of the idea, tapping into a lingering Cold War rivalry with the United States and a vein of antiAmerican sentiment Putin has often encouraged.

“Promising Snowden asylum, Moscow takes upon itself the defense of people persecuted for political reasons,” Alexei Pushkov, chairman of the international affairs committee in the lower house of parliament, said on Twitter.

“There will be hysteria in

A

suspected Taliban suicide bomber in a car detonated a bomb close to minibuses taking Supreme Court staff home in the Afghan capital Kabul on Tuesday, killing at least 17 people and wounding almost 40, police said.

It was the second large-scale attack in Kabul claimed by the hardline Islamist group in two days.

WikiLeaks founder solicited U.S secrets

T •Edward Snowden, the United States. They recognize this as their right alone,” he said.

Putin and other Russian officials have often accused the United States of hypocrisy, saying it tries to impose standards of human rights, freedom and democracy on other nations while falling far short of them itself.

“This is an ideological catastrophe for the United States,” Pushkov said, referring to Snowden’s leaks about National Security Agency surveillance programs.

HE founder of the WikiLeaks website, at the center of the trial of a soldier charged with the biggest U.S. leak of classified material, solicited secret military information during a 2009 conference in Berlin, a Marine Corps computer security expert testified yesterday.

France threatens veto of EU-US trade deal

A

cloud is hanging over the upcoming free-trade talks between the European Union and the United States after France said it won’t back any deal that threatens the country’s prestigious film, radio or TV industries.

54 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

Confusion at the Berger Yard bus stop on Oshodi Apapa expressway

Mile Two-Apapa axis traffic chaos:

Unending tales of woe by motorists, commuters L

AST week Wednesday and Friday, the patience, nay endurance, of most motorists and commuters in the Mile Two/ Berger axis of the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway was put to extreme test, no thanks to the siege of motor vehicles that crippled the flow of traffic in the area for several hours. It was a most harrowing and torturing experience for the long-suffering road users as they literally went through hell while the gridlock lasted and they had all but given up hope of any form of relief since their past cries over this recurring ordeal had more or less been ignored by the relevant authorities.

It all began on Monday, worsened on Wednesday and took a turn for the worst on Friday, with the result that many staff of Vanguard Media Limited and other companies in the area who managed to get to their offices earlier

in the day found it difficult driving out at close of work as there was virtually no space for movement. Thus, some of them either trekked long distances in search of commercial transportation or slept in their offices. And from every indication, the ordeal may continue, except there is immediate remedial intervention.

Recounting their tales of woe, many road users described their experiences as a painful climax of the recurring decimal of traffic confusion that has bedevilled the area for some weeks and which they attributed to a combination of on-going road rehabilitation work by construction giant, Julius Berger and several trucks and tankers being parked on the road sides, thus obstructing the free-flow of traffic. Most of these heavy-duty articulated vehicles were originally heading either to the ports in Apapa or the tank farms at Kirikiri before their drivers decided to park them on the road due to heavy traffic around that axis.

Giving vent to their frustration,

some of them said they could not understand why both the Federal and the Lagos State governments have so far failed to address the persistent traffic nightmare in the area given the economic importance of the OshodiApapa Expressway which serves the heavy traffic moving in and out of the nation’s sea ports at Apapa and Tin Can Island to other parts of Lagos and indeed the entire country.

Before now, many users of this road have blamed the development on the menace of container-laden trucks, fuel tankers coupled with bad roads until the Federal Government swooped into action and began rehabilitation of the road which reduced the traffic for some time before it resurfaced recently making movement on the road difficult.

Following this development, many road users had more or less resigned themselves to fate, believing the situation had gone beyond the control of government agencies, especially the Lagos State Traffic Management Au-

thority, LASTMA, which is saddled with this responsibility.

Many road users who spoke with Vanguard Features, VF, blamed the development on the ongoing construction work on the road. Some others blamed it on impatience on the part of motor-

,

By MIKE EBONUGWO, KINGSLEY ADEGBOYE, SUKANMI AKONI & BOSE ADELAJA

section of it will definitely create traffic confusion”.

But as far as Chigozie Egwim is concerned: “There’s nothing wrong in rehabilitating the road since that is what we have been praying for all along. But what I will advise is that such things should be done very early in the morning or late at night when there are few people on the road , and if maintenance must take place during peak hours, alternative routes should be provided for the people”.

For Wasiu Adeleke, a passenger in a commercial bus, government is to blame for failing to stop drivers of trailers and other articulated vehicles from parking illegally on the road. He be-

The construction company handling the rehabilitation of the road is to blame ... because by blocking sections of the road they have succeeded in creating unnecessary traffic obstruction

ists, while others blamed the Petroleum Tanker Drivers, PTD, for the situation.

According to one Peter Esegie: “The construction company handling the rehabilitation of the road is to blame for the problem because by blocking sections of the road they have succeeded in creating unnecessary traffic obstruction for vehicles going either to Apapa or Kirikiri areas. They ought to have known that this is a busy road and that blocking any

,

lieves this is the major cause of the traffic on that road and its poor state. His sentiment is shared by one Mrs. Bisi Ojelabi who attributed the frequent collapse of sections of the road and the recurring traffic gridlock there to the prevalence of these heavy duty trucks which ply that route. She suggested that government should provide alternative routes for trucks so as not to endanger the lives of the people.

Continues on page 57

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY,JUNE 12, 2013 — 55

Mile Two-Apapa axis traffic chaos: Unending tales of woe by motorists, commuters

quality of lives to the people are also to blame. Also the continued reconstruction of roads for four years without recourse to the plight of the people has aggravated traffic along the axis.

According to him, despite huge fund realised from the port concessioning, the Federal Government has failed to plough this into infrastructural development in the area, adding that the illegal activities of tank farm operators had constantly led to indiscriminate parking on the highway.

“The people should ask the Federal Government to explain their role in revenue generation and neglect of the OshodiApapa Expressway degradation without any positive response,” the commissioner said.

He explained that earlier efforts by the state government to intervene on infrastructure upgrade in the axis had been frustrated by the nonchalant attitude of the Federal Government which had failed to play its own part.

Whither LASTMA officials?

On the inadequate presence of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, officials around the traffic gridlock area, Opeifa said he was unaware of the development, saying: “It should not be the case because LASTMA men are suppose to be on ground to manage the traffic accordingly. I will look into it with a view to addressing the situation, because our men work from 6 am to 10 pm everyday, controlling and managing traffic in and around Lagos”.

He also assured that: “LASTMA personnel had been deployed to control and manage the situation effectively in order to reduce the plight of motorists and residents”, adding: “Our

Continues from page 56 The nuisance and inconvenience constituted by trucks on the road is an issue recently addressed by the Deputy Director of the Federal Ministry of Works, Mr. Godwin Eke, who spoke about challenges in dealing with the problem.

According to Eke who is in charge of Section 1 of the highway: “Last month, in collaboration with the Lagos State government, we removed the tankers, but they came back after one week.

Aside the tanker drivers, we started receiving threats from commercial motorcyclists who just come and park in Sunrise area, but the Police helped to remove them”.

Agony on Oshodi Apapa expressway.....when will it end?

He also said that the joint effort of the Ministry and the state government to check the menace of tankers and other trucks on the road is being undermined by the challenge of where to park them when impounded.

But the Secretary, Lagos Zonal Council of Petroleum Tanker Drivers, Comrade Adebayo AtanHILE expressing frustration at the erated, making travelling unbearable da, exonerated his men from the blame, saying development, many commuters for transporters,” he said. they had complied with the state government’s Expansion of drainage lamented that commercial drivers usualdirective to restore sanity on the road. Atanda Mr.Ogini also had this to say: ly take advantage of the situation to inwho blamed the development on the ongoing “Before now, we had suggested to govcrease their fares by 100 percent and construction work on the expressway, urged the above. For instance, a journey from Apa- ernment the need to expand the drainconstruction company to hasten the job in order pa to Oshodi which usually attracts N150 age which I think will take care of eroto ameliorate the suffering of the road users. was increased astronomically to between sion and flooding as well as durability ‘’As far as I am concerned, our men have comof the road. We have told them that it is N300 and N500. plied with the government’s terms but the onA commuter, Mr. Abraham Akinlade, not our responsibility to fix the road. going construction of the road had added to our complained that the recurrent traffic snarl The government is saddled with the woes. The only available space is the service had affected his marital obligation. ‘’I live responsibly of making life bearable for lane which we make use of; the gridlock is not at Orile and work in Okokomaiko, I close the people. Since we pay our taxes regour making and we have tried our best to adfrom work around 5pm but do not get ularly, government should provide inhere to government’s order,’’ he said. home until midnight. As a result, I am frastructural facility to make life easier always tired to satisfy my wife who al- for us. The commuters are complainPetroleum ways turned a deaf to my explanations. ing about increase in fare but this is products She eventually parked out of my home, the only option we have to make up for the number of man hours usually leaving our three kids,’’ he informed.

Urging road users to be patient on the road, lost on the road because the traffic is Another commuter, Mrs Salisu Basirat he said: ‘’As we all know, tankers have to travel taking its toll on road users”. said thus: ‘’Travelling on this road comes to Lagos from all parts of the country to lift peBlame tanker drivers, port conceswith pains, most especially during peak troleum products; this is a big challenge because sion — Opeifa periods, which are either in the morning it is not an easy task. Anytime there is gridlock Lagos State Commissioner for when people are rushing to their various on that road, people see us as the culprit. I think Transportation, Kayode Opeifa, in a places of business, or in the evening the situation will change for the better once the when they are returning home. It is even brief response blamed the gridlock on construction company can begin to work in the the unruly attitude of tanker drivers worse whenever it rains.” night. That road is a business road and any hitch and the inability of various union leadin traffic will bring business to a standstill; we We’re the most affectedNURTW don’t have an alternative to route but we shall The road is the commercial hub of the nation The Lagos State branch of National try our best not constitute a nuisance on the Union of Road T ransport Workers NURTW , which must be maintained regularly; government road’’. also joined the chorus of lamentation as Relief in sight: Relief may yet be on the way has shown little or no concern until it degenerated, it claimed that the gridlock had seriously as the Federal Controller of Works, South West taken a heavy toll on its members.

Speakmaking travelling unbearable for transporters zone, Dipo Fagbinle, an engineer, told VF on ing with Vanguard Features last Saturphone that he would call the engineer in charge day, Deputy Secretary, Mr. Paul Ogini, ers, such as NUPENG, PTD, among of the rehabilitation of the road to create space government is responsive and responsaid: ‘’I can tell you that the traffic situa- others to instill and maintain discipline for easy movement of motorists and other road sible towards providing succour to its tion is no longer a child’s play and it is among their members. users. He appealed to road users to bear with teeming residents, irrespective of affecting our business. On a good day, Opeifa, while speaking with VF on them, adding that what is happening is one of class, religion, ethnicity, geographiwe make a lot of money, especially when the chaotic traffic situation in the area, the challenges usually experienced during urcal location among others. Our men we make several trips. But due to the per- put the blame on indiscriminate parkban development. are presently doing their best possisistent gridlock, most operators go home ing by indisciplined tanker drivers, lack The Federal Government disclosed in August ble to ameliorate the situation.” everyday with almost nothing for the own- of provision of loading bay by tank last year that it had awarded the contract for the It would be recalled that following er of the vehicle.’’ farms, illegal activities of some oil union reconstruction of Phase 2 of Oshodi/Apapa Expersistent traffic gridlock in the area, He therefore appealed to the state and members, delays in issuance of loadpressway to construction giant, Messrs Julius the Federal and state governments, Federal governments to hasten the reha- ing clearance by management of NiBerger Nigeria Plc at the cost of about N15 bilcreated a Joint Military Taskforce to bilitation work on the road and bring suc- gerian Port Authority, NPA, and Tin lion, adding that it was also working to fastmaintain sanity after several illegal cour to Nigerians, especially the transCan Ports as well as on-going rehabiltrack the completion of the rehabilitation of the buildings were destroyed. Similarly, porters. He said the major cause of the itation of a portion along the axis by section 1 of the ever busy expressway. The scope the state government mobilised towgridlock is lack of maintenance of the road, julius Berger which, he said, had reof work is outright reconstruction of the entire ing trucks and forcefully removed adding that government does not need duced the lane to about one due to distretch of the expressway under phase 2 with abandoned vehicles on the axis folto wait till the road is completely bad beversion of the road. asphalt laying and covered drainage system. lowing the expiration of a 72-hour ulfore embarking on rehabilitation. “EveryOn the port concessioning, he said Efforts to reach the Lagos State Commissioner timatum to tanker drivers to vacate the body is aware that the road is the com- this had taken away the normal parkfor Information, Lateef Ibirogba, on the develhighway. Motorists and residents who mercial hub of the nation which must be ing space for tankers, adding that misopment proved abortive as he did not respond heaved a sigh of relief for some days maintained regularly; government has management of the port and careless to text messages or phone calls from VF. after the exercise, were soon faced with shown little or no concern until it degen- attitude as well as disregard for better gridlock as heavy traffic returned.

Commuters, commercial vehicle operators lament W

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56 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

Confronting insecurity in West African waters IF there is one thing the managers of Nigeria’s Maritime Security would want the world to believe, it is the fact that they have been up to their charge in combating acts of terrorism in the high seas and coastal lines, but Foreign Affairs Editor, HUGO ODIOGOR, argues that security personnel are also part of the security breaches on the West African high seas.

T

HE Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Dele J. Ezeoba may have set a target to accomplish the presidential directives •Map of Gulf of Guinea given to him: "to contain the acts of piracy, stealing of crude and armed robbery in the high seas, but the big issues that he must confront are the inovlvement of top level security personnel and their associates in the security breaches on the maritime sector.

While the Chief of Naval Staff can gleefully announce that"there have been growing cases of arrest of ships involved in acts of crude oil theft.

There are the question of transparency in the entire process of enforcement of laws and punishment of offenders who are apprehended for crimes in the Maritime domain.

•President Goodluck Jonathan According to Vice Admiral Ezeoba, "Most of the arrested ships are destroyed by the were arrested and tried in crecy that surNavy", but the owners of the military court. The question rounds the issue vessels are handed over to the therefore is:How has the CNS of security votes, Economic and Financial been tackling the role of secu- the huge embarCommission (EFCC), rity personnel in acts of securi- rassment that thereafter, nothing is heard of ty breaches on the high seas. has hit the govthe matter. In most cases the For Vanguard special report ernment at all culprits are let off the hook and was told that those invovled in levels, it is obvious that NigeriWith the secrecy that surrounds the isans have been serially swindled sue of security votes, the huge embarrassby their leaders. ment that has hit the government at all British High Commissioner levels, it is obvious that Nigerians have to Nigeria Dr. been serially swindled by their leaders Andrew J. Pocock was among •President the at an guest the entire process is recycled. acts of illegality on the high conference on The reason for this sordid affairs seas takes to collusion of seis because majority of those curity personnel who provide Maritime Security and Develinvovled acts of piracy, sea the security cover to the crimi- opment organised by the Lonrobbery, oil theft are well con- nal. It is alleged that some don based Chattam House and nected and wealthy people Naval personnel provide secu- the Nigerian Institute of Interwho are shielded from rity to ships that trans-load national Affairs (NIIA), to tackexposure to public odium. products on the high seas and le problems of coastal security MT African pride: We could sometimes escort them to safe management, piracy, armed recall the case of MT African point. There is also allegations robbery, smuggling of small pride which was arrested with that illegal fishing on Nigeri- arms, oil theft, illegal and uncrude oil suspected to be an waters will not take place reported fishing and other restolen products. Some senior without the knowledge of mem- lated issues were exhaustiveNaval officers were implicat- bers of the Naval force who ly deliberated on. ed in the scandal associated have the statutory responsibilwith the releasing of the ves- ity to protect the country's ter- Endless analysis sel and its consignment. They ritorial watets. With the seBritish Envoy, Dr. Pocock was

,

•Mr. Ban Ki Moon, UN Scribe

Boni Yayi, AU Chairman exasperated with the culture of endless analysis the problems,without concrete actions to tackle the problems The High Commissioner said what is required is action at three different levels namely: The strategic level, tactical level, and governance level.

According to the Envoy, “Nigeria and indeed West African countries do not need new institutions, to deal with the problems of insecurity afflicting their various countries and

the region as a whole” Dr. Pocock said “national governments in the region need to support the existing regional organisations such as the Economic Community of Central African States, the Cult of Guinea Commission and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) while the International Community will support African capacity by advising, training, equipping local security forces and by promoting regional and international capacity building efforts”.

For Pocock, there was the need for the existing institutions at national and regional levels to work together effectively.

At the strategic level, Dr. Pocock spoke of the need to harmonise planning and training for security personnel in the region as well as harmonise the level of political, legal and judicial co-operation.

Tactical level At the tactical level, the High Commissioner spoke of the need for joint exercises among Continues on page 57

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Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 — 57

weaponry.

According to the UN, there are 18 floating weaponry in the Red sea. The presence of armourries of the West coast of Africa, where significant drilling activity take place would be a great risk.

But West African countries have not agreed on the use of these guidelines in the cult of Guinea.

ECOWAS Maritime Security Officer Commander Tukur Toro Mohammed said member states of ECOWAS do not share a common position on whether ocean vessels travelling under their international flags, should be allowed to employ armed guards many governments do not share stand on the issue at all.

But the Maritime Security officer in ECOWAS Commander Toro Mohammed informed the audience that member countries of ECOWAS have not deliberated on the IMO proposal.

His counterpart from the Central Africa Economic Community (ECCAS) Commander Loic Moudouma from Gabon attributed the problems in the territorial waters to lack of maritime culture in West Africa and poor appreciation of the wealth in the maritime environment, by those in government.

•Militants rampaging on the high seas.

Insecurity on the high seas troubles ECOWAS nations the security forces in the region, cor-ordinated patrolling and mutual assistance whenever possible.

According to him, ''there should be action on land as well as at sea to tackle the menace of piracy or armed robbery at sea.''

Finally, he said ''the issue of governance security and economic opportunities deserve more attention from political leaders.''

The Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Ezeoba was of the view that the issues raised by the British High Commissioner Dr. Pocock were germane to promoting peace and development in West African.

Enhanced opportunities On his part, the UN Consul General Mr. Jeffery Hawkins listed the economic opportunities and security challenges of the cult of Guinea. According to Hawkins, the Gulf of Guinea is characterised by tremendous opportunities for enhanced economic growth for Nigeria in areas of shipping and commercial fishing industries. “It presents opportunities for increased

and badly needed employments in ports, on board ships, and in companies that provide goods and services needed by those industries. ''Above all, it presents opportunities for foreign investors who look at this massive natural resource endowed country with strong macro-economic fundamentals and rapidly growing population on 170 million people.''

According to Hawkins, the International Maritime Organisation

dation was that vessel owners should engage private companies whose personnel could carry arms or board of vessels, to deal with armed robbery and piracy on the high seas.

The IMO agreed on a combination of four factors namely international naval patrols in the area affected by piracy and armed robbery, to protect merchant shipping and to apprehend pirates.

Armed Guards: Presence of

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Continues from page 56

Part of the IMO’s recommendation is that vessel owners should engage private companies whose personnel could carry arms or board of vessels, to deal with armed robbery and piracy on the high seas

(IMO) recently formed a maritime development task force with the objective of encouraging the transfer of knowledge gained elsewhere in combating Maritime Security and it has published its recommendation which can be implemented by commercial shipping companies, governments and military leaders in the war against Maritime crime, but noted that the recommendation will not be effective without action.

Part of the IMO’s recommen-

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armed guards aboard ocean vessels. Implementation of Best Management Practices by the shipping industries. This entails detailed guidelines on how to protect ocean vessels from attacks.

Sailing faster For example, vessels are expected to travel faster at high risk area, increased method of

vigilance and placement of barbed wires around the vessels. These measures have been used to reduce cases of piracy in the Aden and Indian Ocean especially Somalia pirates.

Over the years, the attitude of government in Europe and the US towards armed guards on vessels in the Indian Ocean has changed, many of these countries have become amenable to the presence of private Maritime Security companies on board commercial vessels.

According to Toro Mohammed, many of Gulf of Guinea states have expressed concern over the presence of the private Maritime Security guards in their territorial waters. There are no legally binding document on the conduct of private maritime companies deploying personnel aboard commercial vessels,'' he said.

According to a Chattam House Research Associate Adjoa Anyimadu, it would be useful for West African countries to take a united stance on the issue of armed guards aboard commercial vessels. The knotty issues centres on the differing positions of littoral states on whether private weaponry is allowed on shore or within territorial waters which could increase incidence of holding

Maritime activities According to him, this is the reason behind the poor funding of maritine security agencies and maritime activities by the government of most West African countries.

Lack of Action: According to Mr. Olujimi Oladimeji who retired from the Navy, the issues being discussed have been discussed over 30 years ago, same old problems, no new solutions.

Oladimeji noted that funds budgeted for security have never being used for such purposes, the Navy, the Airforce and the Army had been left underfunded for years.

The same story had been the lot of other security agencies, the Directorate of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police, the Customs and Immigration services.

Put mildly, the funds that are allocated for national security have ended up in the bank account of public officers and their collaborators in the private sector,'' he said.

For instance all maritime security agencies are located in different ministries and those who manage the funds are merely concerned with conserving their budget at the expense of collaborating with other agencies to tackle common security challenges.

58—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

APCON: Separate court injunctions dog Airtel/Prima Garnet case

BY PRINCEWILL EKWUJURU

T

he court case between Airtel Nigeria / Prima garnet has taken a new dimension following an order of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos mandating the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) to begin the vetting of advertising materials of troubled telecom company, Airtel.

The new ruling obtained from the Federal High Court presided over by Justice M.N. Yunusa runs parallel with that of another order of a Lagos High Court presided over by Justice GN Onyeabor which had ordered that the status quo be maintained in a suite brought before it by Prima Garnet where the advertising agency is claiming breach of contract in its relationship with the telecom company and an

Akinwumi, APCON Chairman

Ogunsanya, Airtel MD

Indian advertising agency, Scanad Nigeria.

Hon Justice M. N. Yunusa gave an order of interim injunction May 24, 2013 compelling APCON to carry out its functions regarding Airtel’s advertising materials and restraining it and its

agents or officers “from refusing to vetting, approving or giving consideration to any advertisement whatsoever ” from Airtel pending hearing of the motion on notice on June 13.

Justice Yunusa also granted Airtel “an order of certiorari

to quash the ruling and proceedings of the Advertising Standards Panel of May 3, 2103”, an order to prevent APCON from effecting the decisions of the Advertising Standards Panel of May 3 as well as an order of mandamus compelling performance of its statutory function.

But before approaching the Federal High Court, Airtel had previously appealed the ruling of the Lagos High Court which had also fixed its ruling on the matter for May 30, 2013. It is therefore not clear if Airtel has abandoned its case at the appeal court in favour of the Federal High Court which in itself, has concurrent and parallel jurisdiction in civil cases.

Lolu Akinwunmi and his Prima Garnet had approached the Lagos High Court to determine if it was right and proper for its partner-agency, Scanad, to set up office in Nigeria when a subsisting partnership agreement stated such should

not happen. While the matter was dragging, Ogilvy Africa, its former partners, terminated the contract, while Airtel also took steps to void its advertising relationship with the agency.

Prima Garnet therefore joined Airtel in the suit and obtained an injunction barring the company from hiring another agency and performing any other activity until the issue has been fully determined by the court.

The court case has generated bad blood between the agency and its former partners. It has also led to a sudden resignation of Airtel’s Chief Marketing Officer, Olu Akanmu, who threw in the towel last week following an alleged violation of an order of court preventing Airtel from publishing adverts that have not been approved by the Advertising Standard Panel (ASP) an arm of APCON responsible to vetting adverts before publication.

The Federal High Court adjourned till June 13, 2013 while the earlier parallel order of the Lags High Court will come up on May 30, 2013.

Pini Jason: His type can't die---Eminent Nigerians T

HE likes of Chief Pini Jason cannot die as philosophers and intellectuals like him are always remembered by history.

This assertion was made during the burial of the late Vanguard columnist recently.

At the ceremony held at the St Andrews Anglican Parish Obizi Ezinihitte Mbaise LGA, Imo state, eminent Nigerians from all walks of life described the late journalist as an intellectual, a believer in friendship, an activist and a great writer.

Jason died on Saturday May 4, 2013 after a surgery operation and was buried a fortnight ago.

Former Governor Ikedi Ohakim, who came with 90 percent of his former cabinet, said, “What can I say that has not been said or written by Pini Jason? He was an intellectual as he knew something about everything- be it history, music, philosophy. He was a believer in friendship. I don’t believe he is dead. His type don’t die, if you doubt me, check history.

When I approached him to be a commissioner, he declined preferring only to be an adviser with a condition that, ‘Any day I advise you and you did not take, off I go’. I remember

him for so many things. Most people joined our government because of him”. Ohakim charged Mbaise people to be prayerful as they have lost three illustrious sons: Prof.

Celestine Onwuliri, former VC FUTO, Dr Aloy Aguwa, former Commissioner of Energy/Environment in Imo State and Jason.

In his homily Ven. Canon Echi

,

BY OKECHUKWU IKONNE

I don’t believe he is dead. His type don’t die, if you doubt me, check history

Widow of late Chief Pini Jason Onyegbadue, Chief (Mrs) Priscilla Obiageli Onyegbadue (M) with daughter, Miss Kelechi Onyegbadue (L) and a relative leading the procession of the last funeral of the late husband at his hometown, Obizi Ezinihitte Mbaise, Imo State.

Nwogu, who led other seven clergy, brought greeting from the Minister of Power Prof.

Chinedu Nebo, also a clergy man. He extolled the late columnist as a fearless, who dared the guns of military dictatorship with his motto: Never be silent.

Never give up.

The Canon said Pini did his bit without minding anyone. He said Jason was a prophet, who remembered yesterday, understand today and imagined the future. He understood Nigeria

very well living only 16 years in the East and the rest 49 in Lagos.

First Imo state governor, Real Admiral Ndubisi Kanu, who represented National Democratic Coalition NADECO, said, “I once called by 3:00am one night as I was reading his piece, not knowing it has been published 10 years ago. I pray that in 10 years time we will not remain where we are today.

Among those present were: Chief Onyema Ugochukwu Former chair NDDC, Sir Jo-

,

nas Odocha , former GGM NNPC, Nnanna Igbokwe Member Ahiazu/Ezinihitte Fed Constituency, Ms Comfort Obi publisher The Source Magazine, Dr Chris Asoluka, Ikedi Isiguzo – Chairman editorial board Vanguard, Mr Chuks Iloegbunam, Mr. Ochereome Nnanna, Emeka Mamah, Sir Emma Ohakim –former chief of staff to Ohakim, Chuma Nzeribe- former Dep Speaker Imo House of Assembly, Chief Kanayo Esinulo, Mr Ikechukwu Amaechi Editor, Daily Independent, Nze Prof. Mark

Odu, Emeka Obasi- publisher Hallmark Newspapers, Chief Licious Nwosu (SAN), Chief Livy Oguike- Former member House of Reps, Enyinnaya Onuegbu- ALGON secretary Imo state, Dr Bede Nzenwa LGA chairman Ezinihitte, Barr Kezie Ogaziechi- former Commissioner of Local Govt /chieftaincy affairs, Barr. Willy Amadi, the Eze cabinet of the traditional ruler of Obizi cabinet which Chief Pini Jason was a member, and PDP members from the USA.

Vanguard Vanguard,,

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 — 59

YOUR LUCK TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139

ARIES: Although there will be challenges here is a day when things will eventually go according to your plans. Don’t take friends for granted.

TAURUS: From now until next few days you will need to be as practical as possible along your career line; this is the wrong time to experiment with new ideas.

GEMINI: You may not be in total control of your mind till around 5.36pm. That is to say you will need practical approach in all you do today.

Be more careful.

CANCER: Continue to be more careful about proposals having to do with joint ventures. Yet that is not to say you can not take good advice. Prepare to work harder.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

M

AN has only one enemy in his life. I guess you want to know who that enemy is? Supposing I ask you to tell me who your enemy is, who would you point your finger to? I am pretty sure your next door neigh-

Never be less bour will be your target.

Supposing I tell you, your answer is far from the truth, what will be your reaction? The truth is that you are your own worst enemy. Even if the whole world is

against you, If you don’t surrender to them, you will maintain your greatness and dignity even in death.

Only two things can happen to a man in life — he is either

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye”

greater or lesser, bigger or smaller, in peace or in pieces, but if he keeps the good fight, remain loyal to his cause, he will never be diminished. Truly, he will be counted among the great.

Think about it!

By Lanre Kehinde

LEO: You stand good chance to extend favourable events of yesterday both at work and on matters-of-the-heart. Watch what you sign before 5.36pm.

VIRGO: Young-at-heart may be willing to give priority attention to sentimental related issues probably because of yesterday’s success.

LIBRA: Refuse to become mentally arrogant or else you would be working against your own interest. Your love life will continue to enjoy favourable aspects.

SCORPIO: Financial success is within your reach, especially if you back your old plans early in the day. The more family minded you are the better for you.

SAGITTARIUS: It is important you don’t allow others to mislead you in the name of giving you good advice before 5.36pm. Those travelling or moving around in search of love may be in for both an exciting and pleasurable day.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

CAPRICORN: You will be in better position to consolidate on progress made yesterday. And it is wrong to take people for granted today.

AQUARIUS: Many people may be disappointed because of broken promises, therefore you will need to prepare your mind accordingly and refuse to take others for granted.

PISCES: You can make it a good day as both career advancement and financial success are closer to you. Secret lovers are in for an exciting 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,

Dear Joshua, I want comprehensive Astrological analysis of my life, especially my love life and what I should expect from social activities around me.

Daniel, Lagos.

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

Dear Daniel, What space can take will be given here-under YOUR LOVE LIFE You were given handsome and magnetic body.

Many planetary placement in Leo particularly the conjunction of magnetic Uranus, sexual Mars and romantic Venus are pointer to very active love life.

Certainly romantic fun with beautiful women can not elude you, but you must always be careful.

Major challenge of your love life is coming from difficult aspect from Jupiter in death related Scorpio to the conjunction of Mars, Uranus and Venus in child bearing Leo, if this is not well managed it can cause avoidable death either of a spouse or a child. But your being spiritual can take good care of this tough challenge of your love life.

YOUR SOCIAL LIFE Here is an incurable LOVER OF TOTAL FREEDOM. But fortunately on one hand Saturn made it very difficult and rough at the initial stage and instilled discipline into your inner-self, but unfortunately on the other hand the same difficult Saturn killed some of rascally useful traits in you capable of making you a big time freedom fighter.

Let me say this here, the truth is as much as some of wicked witches and wizards would like to harm your FAME your natal affiliation to them through your Neptune in Scorpio at positive angle to your natal Sun in homely Cancer will not allow them; then that does not mean you should leave your defence open unnecessarily.

HOME & AWAY

by Lawrence Akapa

60—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

Nigeria in a state of emergency ----Prelate Makinde ••renews call for a sovereign national conference

BY SAM EYOBOKA

P

RELATE Methodist Church Nigeria, His Emi nence Sunday Ola Makinde has identified pitfalls responsible for the social upheavals virtually in every sector of the nation to include lack of social equality, justice and fairness, lack of infrastructural development and stable power supply, adding that the entire nation is a state of emergency.

Others, he said, include lack of job creation which has left unemployment at an all time high and poses as the next time bomb waiting to explode on a possibly uncontrollable scale, lack of

access to quality education and healthcare when education revitalization is so much needed, lack of the much anticipated agricultural revolution, lack of adherence to the principles and ideals of Constitutional Democracy which grants several freedoms including Religious Liberty which has become impossible especially in Northern Nigeria.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the ongoing 31st Council of Bishops in the Methodist Church at Badagry, Lagos, Makinde also identified lack of a determined war on corruption and other dividends of democracy as factors responsible

for the breakdown of law and order in the nation, noting that lack of a people-oriented and people-centered programmes and policies authenticate the fears and concerns being expressed by many.

“Recent events in Nigeria leave no one in doubt that our country is not in the best of shape virtually in every facet, be it sociopolitically, economically, religiously or psychologically.

"We are a nation held at ‘gun point’ by those bent on destroying our collective future and unfortunately, we seem helpless and hopeless. At the present, we are at war with home grown terrorism even as we contend with

a long list of lacks,” he outlined.

Makinde lamented that the nation’s leaders failed to take advantage of the just celebrated 14th Democracy Day, to take stock of how much we have gained from the return of democracy to our land, renewing the call for a sovereign national conference.

According to Makinde, “looking back, can we seriously say the sufferings of men and women, who we can call the souls of our political purity and probity in our country, have been justified? Can we say the labour of our heroes past who worked tirelessly, crusaded assiduously like no other for a fair, honest and just society without poverty, and lived faultlessly for a greater Nigeria have not been in vain?

“Today, there is wide scale institutional corruption and national insecurity. Corruption has assumed a national scourge, devouring the fabric of the country and leading to the collapse of precious and prestigious institutions including industries. Today, nearly every sector of the economy is in comatose. Nothing

Stampede at Agbon empowerment programme

seems to be working and Nigerians are groaning under severe hardship, poverty and darkness.

“There is palpable hunger and anger in the land and something needs to be done urgently. It has become of the essence for the Federal Government and other tiers of government to rise up to the occasion and stem the tide of suffering sweeping through nearly every part of our country.

According to him, the war declared on members of the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Ladda’awatih wal-Jihad also known as Boko Haram including the state of emergency declared in three North Eastern states is in the right direction.

"But I strongly oppose amnesty for a faceless group of people who, through their acts of terror have claimed hundreds of lives, maimed and displaced several others and left properties worth billions of Naira destroyed and wasted,” he stated.

Makinde also lamented that the activities of Nigerians like Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab and Mich-ael Adebolajo, Nigerians abroad have lost their respect, saying “it is now time to hold a “National Conference” where all the ethnic groups in Nigeria will talk and deliberate on what terms we are going to live together as a nation where no man or woman or tribe will be oppressed.

BY SAM EYOBOKA

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ESIDENTS of Isiokolo, the headquarters of Agbon Clan in Ethiope East Local Government took time off their farmland which is the prime vocation of the men, women and children of the community. Isiokolo is the ancestral home of the Okpara, Kokori, Eku, Orhoakpor, Ovu and Igun people with a very long history and various traditions and accounts of origins and migrat-ions.

Despite being one of the heaviest concentrations of graduates, medical doctors, *Mrs. Ofigo Onose (c) receiving the keys to the Word of Life Eagle from Rev. Mike and professors and law- Okah while Pastor Sam Akpoviroro (l) watches with keen interest. yers, Isiokolo appears to be the most backward local governThe man of God had come to disable to solve all our financial ment headquarters in Delta State. tribute some empowerment items problems. God bless Papa Ayo.” A visit round the town revealed to uplift the living standard of the These were the same sentiments that there is yet to be the presence people of Agbon clan. The items shared by all those who left the of any bank---commercial or otherincluded: one tricycle, 10 sewing grounds rejoicing that sunny Satwise. Given that situation, teachmachines, 10 grinding machines, urday afternoon. Not knowing ers, Local Government workers as 10 hair dryers and five electric genwhat else to say they prayed prowell as small scale entrepreneurs erators complete with five barbing fusely for God to uplift the CAN in Isiokolo may have to travel some tools including clippers. president and his immediate distance to other neighbouring Desperate appeals for calm by an biological family. towns before they can have access indigene, Most Rev. Mike Okah One of the recipients, Omato a bank. and head of the Directorate of Pasvuaye Ochuko, an unemployed tors at the Word of Life Bible graduate took his prayer to the Empowerment Church, Pastor Sam Akpoviroro fell fresh dimension, saying that God on deaf ears as the mammoth gospel will promote Papa Oritsejafor to crowd attempted to outsmart each become the first Nigerian presiother for the items available. dent of the World Council of Challenged by this development, At the end of the day, it was lucky Churches, WCC. the president of the Christian AsMrs. Ofigo Onose who went home A local teacher in the communisociation of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor with the star prize, a completely ty who pleaded anonymity sumAyo Oritsejafor had for the past couregistered brand new tricycle while marised the plight of the ple of years been taking his em35 other indigent residents of the community to include total neglect powerment gospel to the commucommunity smiled home with by the several wealthy politicians nity. The latest edition took place different empowerment items. and businessmen from area. recently at the Local Government With tears of joy freely running "You can see that the general cry mini-stadium. down her cheeks, Ofigo, an over on their leaps was a beckon on There was a stampede as resijoyous frail looking farmer protheir elite to extend a hand of feldents attempted to outdo one anfusely thanked the CAN president lowship to them and attempt to other to access the items on display for “driving hunger from our home. transform the place to a befitting to the extent the Police had to fire I will give this Keke to my brother local gover-nment headquarters tear gas to quell the seeming riotand with the proceeds we will be like others in the state," he stated. ous atmosphere.

Celebration as Salvation Army honours members, friends IT was indeed an event filled with pomp and cer emony as 41 members of The Salvation Army, and friends who have distinguished themselves were honoured for their selfless service to the church and the society, reports ETOPEKANEM. At the event which also featured the annual thanksgiving service, the awardees were decorated by the Territorial Commander (National Leader), Commissioner Mfon Akpan at the church's territorial headquarters, Onipanu, Lagos.

According to the Territorial Public Relations Co-ordinator, Mr Ntiense Williams, "the purpose of celebrating some of our very deserving Salvationists, friends and organisations that have worked to make a difference for the people they serve and those who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership, compassion and humility in the delivery of service to the community is to encourage them to do more."

The territorial commander, Commissioner Mfon Akpan in a chat with journalists after the service said: “Even God wants people to be recognized, we did this because it is a way of showing appreciation to members who have excellently proven themselves in the church and their community."

Earlier during the Bible exhortation by the Chief Secretary of The Salvation Army, Nigerian territory, Lt. Colonel Godfrey Payne advised against false hope, and spoke against preaching about wealth at the expense of salvation of mankind. He advised the awardees to justify the confidence reposed on them by doing more for the Lord and humanity.

Cleric tasks youths on trust

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ATHOLIC bishop of Diocese of Ijebu-Ode, Very Rev. Albert Ayinde Fasina has urged young school leavers and other Nigerian youths to be full of faith in God, reports VIVIAN MWAOGU. Fasina said this at the 13th valedictory/graduation ceremony of Christ the King Catholic College, Odolewu-Ijebu, Ijebu-Ode-Epe Road, Ogun State.

A statement issued by the school's management said that the valedictory ceremony started with the holy mass celebrated by the bishop, who doubles as the proprietor of the college.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 — 61

62 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

Obuh confident in F-Eagles ahead of WYC

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IGERIA coach John Obuh insists he has selected the best players for the Fifa Under-20 World Cup in Turkey.

Obuh has retained 16 players from the Flying Eagles squad that finished third at the African Youth Championship (AYC) in Algeria in March.

The six-time African champions have come under severe criticism after they finished in eighth place at last week’s ten-nation Toulon tournament in France.

Despite critics requesting an overhaul, Obuh has named an experienced squad.

The side has three Europe-based players, and the coach says he has

Continues from BP

•Oduamadi strong faith in his team.

“We have to go to the World Cup with mostly the players from the African Youth championship,” underfire Obuh said

Oduamadi Continues from BP fier against Namibia.

Oduamadi’s first was against Kenya, and proved decisive as it helped the Super Eagles snatch a point from the jaws of a near certain defeat in Calabar.

The Varese striker now says he hopes to get more. “I want to score against Namibia on Wednesday,” Oduamadi said. “It felt good to

score against Kenya, especially as it was such an important goal.

“Now I want to do it again if the coaches give me a chance to play and I listen to their instructions.”

The team has been training under floodlights on the artificial turf of the Sam Nujoma Stadium in Windhoek, and will play at 20h00 Nigeria time.

Mikel Continues from BP Star midfielder Mikel has suffered a recurring back injury and only recently nursed a hip injury with Chelsea Doctors maintaining he should avoid playing on the hard surface of an artificial pitch.

Mikel shone in Monday ’s training, along with goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama and Kenneth Omeruo, who is soon to join up at Stamford Bridge.

I n c i d e n t a l l y, Galatasaray-target Mikel has often been knocked for not showing enough commitment to the national team.

Eagles coach Stephen Keshi said that he does not expect any of his players to struggle with playing on astro turf at

Eagles

the Sam Nujoma Stadium in Windhoek.

The former Eagles captain has also stated that he does not expect his team to struggle on the astro turf pitch of the Sam Nujoma Stadium, which is the venue for the game.

“I don’t expect us to have any problems with the pitch. We have trained on astro turf and just decided to use grass . We will train at the match ground again,” he said.

The Eagles on Monday had an hour’s training session in the cold Windhoek weather with temperature going to as low as 6 degrees.

Keshi also declared that his team are battle ready for the Brave Warriors in Namibia.

“I believe in these players, they have proved themselves again and again.

“We got the chance to watch both Portugal and South Korea [in the Toulon tournament] and even played against Portugal in a group game.

“They are both good teams but we hope to be at our best in Turkey.”

With some calling for his dismissal with barely a fortnight to the championship, Obuh is taking the loud criticism

in his stride.

“Football is a very passionate sport and we should expect criticisms whether they are fair or not,” he said. “In France, we tried some of the new players ahead of the World Cup before we finally named a final squad for Turkey.

“Our fans should please give them a chance.”

Nigeria secured bronze at the AYC finals, with a 2-1 win over Mali in their third-place play-off match.

Swansea consider Osaze move

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WANSEA City are considering a move for Nigeria international striker Osaze Odemwingie.

The striker, who turns 32 next month, is expected to leave Albion this summer following his well-publicised bustup with the club. Hull City and Crystal Palace have already been linked with the Nigeria international, with Swansea now entering the frame for him.

coach Continues from BP playing Nigeria and the players are aware of that. I played for this team before and I know what is at stake and have spoken to the players as well,” he said.

“First of all, it is pride you play for, secondly you play for the national team jersey, your family and the nation and that will be at the forefront of their thoughts.

“Coaches come and go but the national team remains and the players are committed to running out there tonight and performing to the best of their abilities.”

He called on the nation to remain positive and rally behind the

team.

“We need the support from the nation as we go into this crucial game.

The only thing that has changed is Roger Palmgren leaving, but the situation remains the same, we have to win this game and for that we need all the support we can get,” he said.

Mannetti emphasised that he is ready for the game against Nigeria and is sticking to the game plan.

“We have been working with these players for about two weeks now and there is no need to introduce any new ideas that can confuse players, we are sticking to our plan to get victory against Nigeria,” he said.

and his wards spent their fifth day in the Namibian capital on Tuesday evening perfecting strategies for the game, which also serves as the team’s final preparatory session before the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup tournament in Brazil.

Six days ago, the travelling Nigerian troupe got the better of their Kenyan hosts in Nairobi, thanks to a late goal by Ahmed Musa.

The Eagles are looking forward to a bigger scoreline as they have been emphasizing on accurate shooting.

Today ’s tie at the artificial turf of the Sam Nujoma Stadium in quiet Windhoek somewhat serves as the return of a 1-0 defeat the Brave Warriors suffered in Calabar a year ago, at the start of the series.

In that match, it took a late goal by Ikechukwu Uche for Nigeria to scoop the maximum points.

In fact, Nigeria’s four goals in this qualifying series have come late in their games. Midfielder Gabriel Reuben scored late in Malawi but there was still time for the Flames to equalize, and against Kenya in Calabar, the match was three minutes into added time before Nnamdi Oduamadi saved the African champions’ blushes with an equalizer.

On Tuesday, NFF President Aminu Maigari told the players that early goals would delight Nigerians against the Brave Warriors.

“It would be great if we can get the goals early and then control the game the way we want. This is your last match before the FIFA Confederations Cup tournament and it would be wonderful if we can go into Brazil on a high.”

Maigari spoke at the Eagles’ Country Club Resort abode as Coach Stephen Keshi and the boys looked forward to another victorious outing.

Since coming into the saddle 20 months ago, Keshi has not lost a

competitive match with Nigeria. The only two losses, narrow indeed, were the 2-3 defeat by Egypt in a friendly in Dubai on April 12, 2012 and a 0-1 loss to Peru in an international friendly in Lima the following month. Both matches were prosecuted by home-based players.

“I am confident that we will achieve our objective of earning three points here. We have been training hard here since arriving on Friday and I believe the boys are itching to go into action.

“We have eight points now and can qualify with a game to spare, but we must work very hard as I don’t think the Namibians are a pushover,” Keshi said.

The Brave Warriors have been hit by the exit of their Swedish Coach, Roger Palmgren, 48 hours to the clash with the African champions.

Football Association officials are nonplussed but have immediately put his assistants in charge.

Malawi’s Flames host Kenya’s Harambee Stars at the Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre same day, with the Eagles guaranteed progress should the hosts fail to win. Malawi have six points with Kenya bottom of the pool on two points.

After Wednesday ’s match, the Super Eagles will fly to Johannesburg on Thursday afternoon to connect a South African Airways flight to Sao Paulo, from where they will travel to Belo Horizonte for their first match of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup tournament, against Tahiti on Monday.

House Committee on Sports, Chairman of NFF Technical Committee, B a r r i s t e r Chris Green, NFF General Secretary, Barrister Musa Amadu and some top Secretariat staff.

A delegation of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club, led by the President General, Dr. Rafiu Oladipo also arrived in Windhoek.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 — 63

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

Mikel defies Doctor’s order to play for Eagles

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HELSEA star Mikel Obi will defy doctor’s orders and play for Nigeria on artificial pitch against hosts Namibia today.

Continues on Page 62

Nigeria Vs Namibia ... 2014 World Cup qualifier

Eagles on the march again!

Kick-off: 8 p.m.

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FRICAN champions, the Super Eagles of Nigeria will be on the march again today as they square up to Namibia’s Brave Warriors in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying m a t c h .

Four-pointer Namibia are still mathematically

in with a chance of earning the lone ticket from Group F into the 10-team African final elimination round, and will give it a fight against the in-form Super Eagles.

Coach Stephen Keshi

•Mikel

Continues on Page 62

Oduamadi targets Namibia goal

We'll upset Eagles — Namibia's new coach

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AMIBIA interim coach Ricardo Mannetti has predicted an upset against African champions Nigeria in a World Cup qualifier today.

Mannetti, who took over as interim head coach on Sunday evening following the

•Keshi

resignation of Roger Palmgren, held his first training session with the players on Monday morning and reckons the mood in the camp is positive as his players gear up to face Nigeria.

“The situation remains the same. We are Continues on Page 62

PUZZLE

UPER Eagles forward Nnamdi Oduamadi hopes to add a second international goal in Wednesday ’s 2014 World Cup quali-

•PREDATOR ....Ahmed Musa

Continues on Page 62

QUICK CROSSWORD

Sudoku TODAY'S

S

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Purloin (5) 5 Outdid (6) 8 Pattern (5) 10 Harm (6) 11 Imitated (4) 14 Determine (6) 15 Tedium (7) 18 Nothing (3) 19 Fasten (3) 21 Aperture (4) 23 Coin (5) 24 Soon (4) 27 Spot (3) 29 Rug (3) 31 Eased (7) 32 Reviser (6) 34 Weary (4) 35 Bird (6) 38 Deposit (5) 39 Means (6) 40 Strayed (5)

DOWN 2 Beverage (3) 3 Astounded (6) 4 Record (3) 5 Clothed (4) 6 Abstract (6) 7 Fault (6) 9 Dedicated (7) 12 Enclosure (5) 13 Herb (4) 16 Sign (4) 17 Lesser (5) 20 Penetrated (7) 22 Exude (4) 24 Scheduled (6) 25 Exclude (4) 26 Race (6) 28 Harm (6) 30 Hill (3) 33 Depend (40 36 Era (3) 37 Sheep (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Demure 5, Stop 8, Sneer 9, Nag 10, Plea 10, Curt 12, Adore 13, Hectic 16, Door 18, Teal 20, Map 22, Nun 23, Eft 24, Zany 25, Stem 28, Deluge 30, Ratio 32, Edam 33, Oral 34, Ire 35, Value 36, Lees 37, Twinge.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 1, Dingling 2, Magician 3, Repaid 4, Unadorned 5, Secrete 6, True 7, Pity 8, Sea 14, Conscious 15, Vat 17, Out 19, Effusion 20, Man 21, Pyjamas 26, Mellow 27, Recede 29, Well 30, Rave 30, Ore.

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

P

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

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

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

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