GOVERNANCE: Respect your age, Jonathan blasts Akande

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 61944

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

Oil firms lie over crude production — Tompolo, Ex-militant Leader

COURTESY VISIT

L-R: Dr Eugene Juwah, Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, and Mr. Emeka Mba, Director General, National B r o a d c a s t i n g Commission,NBC, during a courtesy visit to NCC in Abuja.

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GOVERNANCE:

GUEST COLUMNIST: Deportation of dissidents

Respect your age, Jonathan blasts Akande •P.42

FEMI FALANA, SAN

BY BEN AGANDE

•Says attack on him narrow, personal •Charges APC leaders to settle party problems first •Insists he has right to contest in 2015

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BUJA—PRESI DENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, admonished Interim Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande, to stop being illmannered and hypocritiContinues on page 5

•P.17

COLUMNISTS:

DELE SOBOWALE •P.34

LES LEBA •P.40

OCHEREOME NNANNA•P.48

Mr & Mrs

DURBAR—Some horsemen displaying during the continuation of Durbar to mark the Eid-el-fitr celebration in Bauchi and Zaria, Kaduna State, weekend. Photos: NAN.

VISA POLICY: Nigeria's brigade leaders denied entry into UK 12 C M Y K

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POCKET CARTOON

APC LAUNCH—From left: Chief Michael Koleoso, former Alliance for Democracy (AD) National Chairman; Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State; former Deputy Governor, Iyiola Oladokun and Chief Akin Oke, Chairman of defunct ACN in Oyo State at the launching of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ibadan, Oyo State, yesterday. Photo: Dare Fasube.

Respect your age, Jonathan blasts Akande Continues from page 1 cal. He said the APC chieftain should respect his age and Nigeria.

The President was responding to comments attributed to Akande, weekend, that he was a “kindergarten” leader who treated national is-

sues with levity.

In a statement by Dr Reuben Abati, President Jonathan's Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, entitled: “President Jonathan to Akande: Respect the truth, your age and Nigeria,” the president said it was sad that Akande was denigrating

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

There is a seed of greatness in every individual, it takes patience to discover this seed; to plant and nurture it into greatness require great patience.

Mixed with sacrifice and discipline it becomes truly outstanding.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, make them — Bernard Shaw

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WO men fell on hard times. Try as they might, they couldn’t find work. They heard that a museum was willing to pay $50 apiece for live rattlesnakes so, in desperation, they decided to catch snakes.

Outfitted with a net and basket, they hiked to a remote area renowned for its large snake population. But as they scaled a steep ledge, rock gave way and they tumbled down a slippery bank into a deep pit crawling with rattlesnakes.

One of the men quickly sized up the situation and shouted to his friend, “Look! We’re rich! We’re rich!”

I find this story hilarious but it is a very good principle to illustrate the intensity of seeing only the possibilities in all situations. Maybe the feller in the snake pit didn’t fully appreciate his predicament. But in most situations, I believe there is a sunny side.

Steve Goodier puts it beautifully: “I’ve learned that my greatest power may well be my power to choose my outlook.” As Abraham Lincoln wisely said, “most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” The truth is, I can choose to view tough times as growing times, I can choose to see life challenges as seasoning for unfoldment, and I can choose to focus on whatever good there is to be found in living.

the exalted office of the President of Nigeria.

Noting that he was yet to declare whether or not he would seek re-election, which he was constitutionally entitled to, he asked Akande and leaders of the APC to resolve their internal leadership problems arising from alleged ambitions of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and General Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd) instead of denigrating the president.

The statement The statement read: “We have noted with dismay the continuation of efforts by leaders of the opposition to promote themselves and their party through the irresponsible denigration of President Goodluck Jonathan and the exalted office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The interim National Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande sank to a new low in this regard, yesterday, when he rudely and falsely described President Jonathan as a “kindergarten” leader who treats national issues with levity.

“Chief Bisi Akande has every right to embark on a flight of fancy about the APC beating the PDP in the 2015 general elections, but he does no justice to his age and status when he resorts to propagating falsehood,

wilfully insulting the President of his country, impugning his integrity and desecrating the very office which his party wishes to take over in 2015 by fair or foul means. We urge Chief Akande and his fellowtravellers to remember that there are laws against libel and defamation of character in this country even if there are no legal impediments to indecorous, hypocritical and unpatriotic vituperation.

“It is certainly rude, ill-mannered, uncharitable and hypocritical for Chief Akande to falsely and cavalierly allege that a President who toils tirelessly every day of the week, evolving and implementing workable solutions to Nigeria’s problems, is handling national issues with levity.

“Also, nothing else but gross ignorance and lack of consideration could have led Chief Akande to refer to a President who, having served as deputy governor, governor, vice president and president, has far more experience of governance at the highest level than him and his preferred “candidates”, as a kindergarten leader.

“By his very unguarded and intemperate outburst yesterday (Sunday), Chief Akande exhibited not only an unbecoming lack of respect for the person and office of the President of his country, but also a

complete disregard for the patriotic feelings of the millions of Nigerians who voted for President Jonathan and who continue to appreciate his sincere efforts to positively transform the nation.

"It is very sad and unfortunate that unbridled ambition for the office they constantly impugn and denigrate has blinded Chief Akande and his ilk to the visible accomplishments of the Jonathan Presidency.

"Certainly, nothing else but a manic and unscrupulous quest for power could have led them to make such accusations against a President who, among other significant achievements, has been praised for his handling of the insurgency in some parts of Northern Nigeria where he has used a combination of diplomacy and targeted military force to contain the security threat.

"Nothing else but the relentless pursuit of narrow personal and sectional interests could lead them to make such claims about a President under whose leadership Nigeria’s economy has been promoted from a low income economy to a middle income economy by the World Bank and whose leadership has seen the Gross Domestic Product of Nigeria increase at an annual rate of over six per cent since he took office.

“Finally, though President Jonathan has not indicated whether or not he is interested in a second term, Chief Akande, who has taken stock of his party and seen that they have no electable presidential material is already trying to be clever by half by claiming the President is statute-barred from contesting in 2015, saying it will amount to a “third term”.

What the Constitution says “If this is the winning strategy of the APC, Chief Akande has every reason to panic because the issue of eligibility for election into the office of the President has been settled by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended which provides as follows; 137. (1) A person shall not be qualified for election to the office of President if (b) he has been elected to such office at any two previous elections; "President Goodluck Jonathan has been elected into office on only one previous occasion and is therefore not statute-barred from running.

“It is clear that the APC is seeking to bait the Presidency to respond to it to achieve two purposes. The first purpose is to get their name into the press and gain name recognition for their party. How pathetic. The second and more important reason is to divert the attention of the public from the festering feud between Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Tinubu over the overriding ambition of the two men which is threatening to tear the new contraption which is mistakenly referred to by the gullible as a party.

"To the discerning, it is only a matter of time before ambition sinks the APC boat. It is only 2013 and already the big masquerades in the party are using undemocratic words like “must”, “nobody can stop” and other military terms in discussing their presidential ticket.

“Our advice to the APC is this: treat your party like a democratic association and don’t mistake it for the Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) that someone used to force his way to power.”

6—Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

Body of drowned teenager not recovered —NEMA

By EVELYN USMAN

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AGOS — THE National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, yesterday said the body of the teenager who drowned last Friday at the Bar Beach, Lagos, was yet to be recovered.

This is just as the identity of the teenager who was reportedly swept by ocean surge was as at yesterday still unknown. Enquiries at the Bar Beach police division and others around the vicinity revealed that no one had come to complain of any missing person or identified the drowned teenager.

The teenager, a male, was sent to an early grave after some fun seekers celebrating the Eid-el-fitri at the beach suddenly raised alarm on noticing that the boy’s life was in danger. The victim, as gathered, was swimming when all of a sudden, the wave became boisterous and swept him deeper into the ocean.

Attempt by three life guards to rescue the drowning teenager failed as they could not go further following the intense wave of the surging ocean.

NEMA’s South West zone, Ibrahim Farinloye, told Vanguard on phone, yesterday, that the teenager’s body was yet to be recovered.

Three killed in Bayelsa boat mishaps

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

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ENAGOA — THREE persons were reportedly killed, week end, in separate boat mishaps along the creeks of Sagbama and Ekeremor Local Government Areas of Bayelsa State.

While two persons, among them half brother to the late former National Security Adviser identified as Felix Azazi, lost their lives along the waterways of Ekeremor council area, a woman also reportedly lost her life in the Forcados river close to Agbere in Sagbama Local Government Area.

It was gathered that the Ekeremor council area boat mishap occurred at 7.30pm, Friday.

The deceased persons, it was learnt, were heading to Ojobo in Delta State for a wake keep when the boat in which they were travelling capsized while trying to overtake another boat.

The ill-fated speedboat which met its waterloo in front of the Mobile police jetty at Ekeremor was said to have sailed from Tuomo in Delta State.

The other deceased person which identity could not be ascertained, Vanguard learnt, is of Urhobo extraction.

The deceased Urhobo man, a landlord in Warri, according sources, was said to have embarked on the trip for the wake keep to identify with his tenant alongside his wife when tragedy struck.

His wife was, however, lucky as she escaped with five others.

Meantime, the Forcados river boat mishap was said to have occurred at about 8pm also on Friday when a speedboat collided with a wooden boat, killing a woman some distance away from Agbere in Sagbama council area.

The deceased woman whose identity could not be ascertained was said to have sailed from Oshikwenike in the council area when she met her untimely death.

6 policemen detained over driver’s death

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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KURE — SIX policemen have been detained in Ondo State over the killing of a driver of an unregistered truck, Friday Igbenidion, weekend, along the Ore/Benin Expressway.

The suspects were on patrol duty along Ore/Benin expressway when the deceased was reportedly killed.

Vanguard gathered that the Police authorities ordered the arrest of all its men in that area to unravel the person behind the killing of Friday and to know the motive behind the killing.

Confirming the death and arrest of the policemen, the state police image maker, Wole Ogodo, said: “The command received information at about 1 pm on August 9, 2013 that a driver with an unregistered truck was shot and killed close to a police pin down point on Ore/Benin Road.

“Following the report, we have arrested the crew members to the police patrol vehicles along the route. They have been detained and subjected to interrogation."

Suspected pipeline vandals arrested by a team of Nigerian Army and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, at Ogere Remo, weekend. Photo: WUMI AKINOLA.

Driver who impregnated widow, daughter burnt to death

BY CHINENYEH OZOR

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SUKKA — THE university town of Nsukka in Enugu State has witnessed yet another brutal death as a tipper driver who allegedly impregnated a widow and her daughter has reportedly been burnt to death by son of the widow, Sunday Ugwoke.

Vanguard gathered that the tipper driver, Sylvester Ezema, attached to Ferguson Nig. Limited hailed from Akpa Edem, Nsukka Local Government Area, Enugu State and shared a common fence boundary with his widowed lover, Mrs. Ugwoke.

Report said he had been having amorous dealings with the woman's daughther too, unknown to the widow before he died a few days ago.

According to report, Sylvester was allegedly burnt to death by Sunday, who had warned him to leave his mother alone and stop

making love with her in his late father’s bedroom, which is adjacent to his room, a warning the deceased allegedly turned down and continued with his amorous act.

Vanguard gathered that Sylvester defied all the warnings

by Sunday, saying the widow was a family friend and as such

8 arrested for killing elephant in Ogun

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA — EIGHT persons, including the alleged killer of an elephant in a forest reserve popularly called Elephants Forest in a border area between J1 and J3 in Ijebu-Igbo, Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State have been arrested.

Flood unearths corpses in Kano cemetery

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ANO — NO fewer than 20 corpses were unearthed at the Yan Kaba Cemetery in Kano metropolis following flood which occurred after a heavy rainfall.

The flood occurred on Friday night after a down pour in the city.

A resident of the area, Malam Audullahi Musa, told the News Agency of Nigeria, Saturday, in Kano that the corpses were discovered outside the cemetery in the morning by the residents of the area.

“At the moment, there are 20 corpses awaiting reburial at the cemetery,” he told NAN. Musa called on people of the area to come out and assist to rebury the corpses, to avoid pos-

nobody would suspect them.

Having defied his warning, Sunday, armed with grinded pepper and petrol and allegedly ambushed the lover boy. As Sylvester stepped out of the house, Sunday was said to have poured the grinded pepper and petrol on Sylvester and allegedlt set him ablaze.

sible outbreak of diseases.

Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation Board, Alhaji Ali Bashir, confirmed the incident in an interview, saying the flood affected some houses in the metropolis.

Bashir said the agency had deployed some officials to the area to ascertain the situation.

Meantime, the flood has killed one person and destroyed 434 houses. Bashir said the deceased died after he fell in Katsaiki River at Darmanawa in Kumbotso Local Government Area of the state.

He said of the affected houses, 408 were destroyed in Kano metropolis while the remaining 26 houses were located in DawakinTofa local government area.

The state Commissioner for Forestry, Ayo Olubori, who disclosed this to newsmen in Abeokuta, yesteray, said he had to pass a night in the jungle after a three-hour journey within the forest before the suspects were arrested, describing the crime as a very serious one.

Olubori said the elephant was killed at the wee hours of Thursday by a man (name withheld) after he encroached in to the forest exclusively reserved for elephants in the state and was later joined by some villagers to dismember it.

According to Olubori, the killer and his accomplices had been taken to a police station in Ijebu-Igbo for interrogation.

He said: “The suspected killer of the wild animal was arrested on the spot at 1 am after a threehour journey into the forest reserve. The animal is an endangered specie, we have them in limited number and if care is not taken, they may go into extinction.

“Preliminary report of the investigation has shown that the suspect was sent by some prominent people in the society to get them elephant tusks which cost N25 million each. He confessed to the crime."

Vanguard , MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013— 7

Clearly, it gave oil bunkerers the battle of their lives. Some of them are weeping till date.

Are the oil companies in particular telling the whole truth about sharp increase in oil theft?

The oil companies may not be telling the truth. They may be using this strategy to deceive the government since the actual amount of crude oil produced daily in the country is not known.

Who are those responsible for the theft and how do they operate?

LAUNCH: From left— High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo; Mr. Ezenwo Wike, Minister of State, Education, and HRM Pere Godwin Bebenimibo, Ogeh Gbaran III, Aketekpe of Gbaramatu Kingdom, at the launch of Tompolo Foundation in Effurun, Delta State.

Oil firms lie over crude production — Tompolo, Ex-militant Leader zSays his one-year contract expired in Feb 2012 zOffers solutions to oil theft

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X-MILITANT leader and founder of the non-operational Movement for the Emancipation of Niger-Delta, MEND, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, has accused oil multinationals of telling lies and deceiving the Federal Government on the actual quantity of crude oil they produce daily.

Tompolo, who spoke to Vanguard through the Executive Secretary of Tompolo Foundation, Warri, Mr. Paul Bebenimibo, weekend, however, offered the Federal Government tips on how to tackle oil bandits in the Niger-Delta region.

He advised government, among other things, to increase shadowing activities in the oil-bearing states and restore its abandoned surveillance contracts in Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers states.

Contrary to the thinking that he has a running multi-billion contract with the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, on protection of crude oil pipelines in Delta State, he said the contract awarded to Oil Facility Surveillance Limited, OFSL, which he is the chair, was only for one year, and that it expired since February 2012.

Excerpts: The Federal Government awarded a contract to Oil Facility Surveillance Limited, OFSL, which you are a principal owner, to secure oil pipelines, yet oil theft is escalating in Niger-Delta. What is wrong?

The Federal Government truly awarded a contract to Oil Facility Surveillance Limited, OFSL, a security company of which High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, is the chairman of the board of directors, including some prominent Itsekiri youths in February 2011.

The contract was for a oneyear pilot scheme that covers only Delta State and that it is to say the contract expired February 2012, over a year ago.

The operations of OFSL in Delta State was successful within the one year the contract lasted, which many stakeholders in the oil industry, including the present Group Managing Director, GMD of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mr. Andrew Yakubu, attested

to during one of his television interviews with journalists.

How much was this contract? We were told it was about N3.6 billion?

The contract sum is between OFSL and the Presidency, represented by NNPC. We would not like to disclose the contract sum because it is a security issue.

However, due process was followed in the award of the contract and invoice was usually sent to NNPC with evidence of work done each month before payment was made. About 5,000 workers were engaged.

You also have another multi-billion naira contract with the Federal Government through NIMASA, to secure the coastal borders.

What is really the worth of this contract and the scope?

The Federal Government, through NIMASA, awarded a public private partnership,

PPP, contract to Global West Vessel Specialist Limited, GWVSL, and not to Chief Government Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo.

Tompolo is not on the board of GWVSL. He was only approached by the management of the company to help it in carrying out its operations because of his vast knowledge of the coastal areas. The scope of the job is the area of the Nigerian territorial waters where shipping activities take place. One cannot give the worth of the contract because it is based on Nocure, no-pay.

What are the terms and value of this contract with Global West Vessel Specialist Limited? It is all over the place that you have collected over $103.4 million (about N15 billion).

Well, you have heard the truth and the whole truth from me now. Nevertheless, I know that in the contract terms, GWVSL is to provide a platform (made up of sea-going security vessels, technology for tracking ships, and so on).

No dime was given to

GWVSL. It is what comes out of the operations that will be shared between the Federal Government/ NIMASA and GWVSL. If there is no increase in the revenue of NIMASA, then GWVSL will not get any money. That is the meaning of no-cure, no-pay.

From the reports by the oil companies and government officials, oil bunkering across the boarders has increased. Why is your company unable to live up to expectation?

For the avoidance of doubt, I want to say that there is no contract now. OFSL fought crude oil bunkerers to a standstill during its operations in Delta State.

The identity of those responsible for the theft of crude oil can only be unraveled through a high-powered investigation because it is a business for the rich.

How can government checkmate them?

The government can effectively check illegal crude oil activities by renewing the surveillance of oil facilities contract in Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers states, as well as expand the job to other oil-bearing states.

Performance can be measured by regular meetings with stakeholders, while the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, must wake up and live up to expectation.

For the one year the contract lasted, there were threats to OFSL workers. What were the problems the company faced at the time?

You are correct. For the one year the contract lasted in Delta State, there were threats to the lives of operators of OFSL, inadequate salary for workers.

NNPC only approved N30,000 for ordinary workers and N36,000 for supervisors against the proposed amount of N100,000 for ordinary workers and N120,000 for supervisors by the OFSL. Even at that, OFSL was paying its proposed amount because no one working in a coastal area like ours will accept such paltry amount of money for one month. To do otherwise would be to the detriment of the company.

There were no storage facilities for impounded crude oil, as well as the refined products.

‘

The identity of those responsible for the theft of crude oil can only be unraveled through a high-powered investigation because it is a business for the rich

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8—Vanguard , MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

Presidency faults AfDB's report on poverty in Nigeria

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BUJA—THE Presidency, weekend, in Abuja faulted the African Development Bank, AfDB’s report on Nigeria’s poverty reduction efforts.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, told newsmen that the report was “devoid of truth and political.”

Abati said that it was inconceivable that AfDB’s report came barely a month after the UN gave an award to Nigeria for its efforts at reducing poverty significantly in the country.

He recalled that the Food and Agricultural Organisation, FAO, a UN body, at its 38th Session in Rome in late June gave an award to Nigeria as one of the nations that made significant progress in reducing hunger.

The Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, represented President Goodluck Jonathan and received the award on behalf of the Federal Government.

Adeshina presented the award to the President during a Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting.

Abati said that such a negative report from AfDB some weeks after the FAO award was “suspicious and laced with falsehood and political.”

Constitution review: State Houses of Assembly mobilise for autonomy

BY SONI DANIEL, Regional Editor, North

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BUJA—AS the National Assembly fine-tunes its review of the Constitution, Speakers of the 36 states' Houses of Assembly have begun serious mobilisation towards getting independence from their respective governors.

However, the state governors, it was also gathered, were not comfortable with granting autonomy to their Houses of Assembly.

A governor told one of our correspondents that they were not in support of autonomy for the respective Houses, just as they did not support the removal of immunity from the President and governors.

Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Mr. Eugene Odo, in an interview with our correspondent in Abuja, said they were ready to back independence for the assemblies.

Odo, who also heads the Constitution Review Committee of the Conference of Nigerian Speakers, said that the speak-

ers had resolved to ensure the independence of the respective Houses of Assembly to be able to serve their constituents better.

Odo said: “The autonomy of the legislature is very paramount. We have always wanted autonomy but unfortunately we lost it during the last amendment. Those of us in the South-East did very well, as we all voted for autonomy except for one state.

“I know that the SouthSouth did not do much, so we lost all the states in the SouthSouth. The South-West did very well but the North did not do well.

“This time we are regrouping to make sure that we pass the resolution in favour of granting autonomy to the state Houses of Assembly.

Advantages of autonomy

“The whole essence of autonomy is not to fight the executive but to strengthen the polity and the economy.

“It equally assists in making sure that what is budgeted for the legislature is properly released to them. By so doing, proper oversight and good governance are guaranteed.

“You can imagine state legislators going on oversight function and applying to the executive to get funds, which they will use to prosecute the oversight function. I do not think that is what the doctrine of Separation of Power teaches.

“The doctrine tries to give each arm of government a level of independence to enable it to do its duty.

“Of course, the separation of power is not water tight, but then it has to guarantee some level of independence as not to inhibit the proper functioning of each of the arms of government. That is the main reason why we want autonomy for the state legislature.”

On Jonathan’s performance Asked to assess the perform-

ance of President Goodluck Jonathan in the last two years, Odo said that Jonathan had done well, but added that the problems he inherited from his predecessors were still hindering the progress of the nation.

The Speaker said: “Mr. President has really done very well.

Most of these problems in the country today were not caused by him. These problems have been there even when Mr. President had not dreamt of entering politics.

“But since he is our major trustee, we have to urge him to do more. I believe Mr. President has done well. And I am particularly impressed by the aggressive road maintenance across the country.

“He has equally done very well in the area of sanitising the economy itself. I am aware that so many companies are now coming in to encourage mass production of rice in this country.

“At least, we should be proud that this is what we produce and this is what we have been able to offer from this country.”

VISIT: From left— General Yakubu Gowon (rtd.), Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, Chief Fred Sohwo and Patrick Origho, when Gowon visited Delta State, weekend. PHOTO: Akpokona Omafuaire.

Lamido blasts Okupe, Gulak over comments on Northern govs zSays poor Nigerians 're in hell

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, Political Editor

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OVERNOR Sule Lamido of Jigawa State has berated presidential aides, Doyin Okupe and Ahmed Gulak on their recent outbursts against him and four other governors just as he has dismissed the recently registered All Progressive Congress, APC, as a panacea to the nation’s problems.

Governor Lamido, in an interview, said he was in agreement with President Goodluck Jonathan that Nigeria cannot

break as he said that members of the elite class in the country were united in preserving their advantages over the masses irrespective of tribe and religion.

Lamido also expressed disappointment with statements credited to former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mohammed Abba-Gana, that there was no presidential material in the north.

Lamido, who attended the same Barewa College with Abba-Gana, said that the education Abba-Gana had, prepared him for the presidency.

Defending recent visits to some of the country’s elderstatesmen, he said the governors acted in the interest of the nation and in their determination to salvage the country’s democracy.

He said: “A situation where a hired hand like Doyin Okupe, a wage earner that speaks only to justify his pay, will malign me that I am irrelevant.

“He became an aide after the election. These people who are now talking and abusing us are personal aides, who became what they are when the mandate was achieved.

“They were nowhere when

the whole thing was being worked out. It means there was an election before they were able to serve as aides.

“There is nothing like honour in that because they are just hired hands. If tomorrow you have another President, they go to him.”

‘Why Nigeria can't break'

Agreeing with President Jonathan that Nigeria cannot break, he said: “It is too weak to break. Who will break it? The ordinary person in Jigawa or the ordinary person in Sokoto or the ordinary person in Bayelsa?

“Is it the Ibo vulcaniser or the Yoruba woman that is selling kerosene by the roadside or the Okada man in Delta?

“They don’t have the capacity to unite because they are burdened by poverty. We have taken away from them their dignity, their self esteem, their pride and self worth so that they cannot even organise.

“Up there, we (elite) unite, we sing and so we will never allow Nigeria to break because once it breaks, we will lose.

“But the common man loses nothing. What is he losing? He is already living in hell; he cannot lose anything more than this hell.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013—9

NGF: Amaechi loyalists shun Jang’s meeting

BY HENRY UMORU

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VISITT: From left, wife of the governor of Niger State, Hajiya Jummai Babangida Aliyu; Governor Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu, governor of Lagos State, Raji Fashola, and his wife, Abimbola Fashola, during a condolence visit on Governor Fashola over the death of his father, Ibrahim Fashola, at Lagos House, Marina.

12 soldiers, 7 police killed in uprising M

AIDUGURI — THE commander of the Military Joint Task Force, JTF, fighting North Eastern

Nigeria’s Islamic uprising has admited that 12 soldiers and seven police officers were killed in recent attacks.

The military had earlier said only two soldiers and one police officer were killed when suspected members of

2015: We’re unaware of Jonathan’s offer to Al-Mustapha to join party —PDP SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL EDITOR, NORTH &, HENRY UMORU

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EOPLES DEMOCRATIC Party, PDP, has said it is unaware of any offer by President Goodluck Jonathan, to erstwhile Chief Security Officer, CSO, to the late Sani Abacha, Major Al-Mustapha, to join the party.

An online publication reported that the President had indeed wooed AlMustapha, freed by an Appeal Court last month of complicity in the murder of Kudirat Abiola, wife of late MKO Abiola, to join PDP with a view to using his new-found

popularity to win political those banding the story did so support for his re-election in for ulterior purpose, saying “We 2015. are not aware of any such The medium said, however, invitation.” that it was not clear if the Army But the National President of Major would accept the offer the Arewa Youths Consultative as he did not give an immediate Forum, Alhaji Shettima Yerima, response. said there was nothing wrong It was further reported by the for the former CSO to seek medium that Al Mustapha higher office in the land if he opted to report to some left the army. influential northern political leaders before making his position known to the Presidency.

But the PDP yesterday denied

BY GODFREY BIVBERE any talks between the President and the former Abacha’s CSO. The National Publicity AGOS — Global West Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Tony Vessel Specialist Limited, Caesar Okeke, said there was has refuted insinuations in the no such invitation and that maritime industry that it re-

the Boko Haram terrorist network attacked a military base and police outpost near Nigeria’s border with Cameroon on August 4.

Maj. Gen. Jah Ewansiah made the admission Saturday when he spoke to the Borno State governor and journalists present.

He said despite the losses, the task force “is resolute and committed to ensure that peace is completely restored in Borno State, even if it means losing our lives.”

Thousands more troops were sent into North Eastern Nigeria after a state of emergency was declared mid-May.

Firm denies receiving N486m from NIMASA monthly

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ceives N486 million monthly from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, for the provision of platforms to combat crimes on the nation’s waterways.

Managing Director of the company, Winfred Itima, told Vanguard in Lagos that what the company received was based on the revenue collected by NIMASA from its intelligence reports, monitoring activities in addition to the provision of platforms.

According to him, there was no specific amount paid to his company monthly because the contract stipulated that the company would only be paid if NIMASA surpassed its set revenue benchmark.

BUJA_GOVERNORS loyal to Rivers State governor, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi in the Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, crisis, yesterday for the third time shunned the meeting summoned by the faction led by Jonah Jang of Plateau State.

Yesterday ’s meeting of Jonah Jang led faction, which took place at the new secretariat at 2 Nana Close, off Erie Crescent, Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja, followed the one it held on June 17 which attracted 18 state governors.

Sunday meeting was attended by ten governors and five Deputies. In attendance were governors Martin Elechi of Ebonyi; Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta; Gabriel Suswam of Benue; Godswill Akpabio of AkwaIbom; Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo; Ibrahim Shema of Katsina; Jonah Jang of Plateau; Theordore Orji of Abia; Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa and Acting governor of Taraba, Garba Umar.

The deputy governors present were Yomi Awoniyi of kogi; Nuhu Bajoga Audu of Kaduna; Efiok Cobham of Cross River; Anambra state deputy and that of Gombe. Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State and Isa Yuguda of Bauchi who belong to this faction were absent.

While the meeting was still going on, Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State told Journalists that the meeting was summoned to find a way of reconciling Amaechi led NGF and that of Jang to enable them continue to work in the interest of Nigerians.

He said, “We believe in bringing all the governors back to the fold so that we will continue to impact positively on Nigerians.”

Akpabio also explained that the meeting would discuss peer review and the forthcoming National Convention of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as well as the Anambra State election.

Also speaking while the meeting was still in progress, Katsina State governor, Ibrahim Shema, disclosed that the meeting would also deliberate on the ongoing constitutional review, just as Gabriel Suswam of Benue said the issue of strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities was also slated for discussion.

10—Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

We have not endorsed Amosun — APC chieftain

MEETING: Ogun State Gover nor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun(2nd right); Ogun State Deputy Governor,Prince Segun Adesegun(2nd left); Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Suraj Ishola Adekumbi (1st left), and Chairman, All Progressives Congress, APC, Ogun State Chapter, Alhaji Tajudeen Bello (1st right), during the valedictory meeting of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Ogun State Chapter, in Abeokuta, yesterday.

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA — A Chieftain of the newly registered All Progressives Congress in Ogun State, Wale Okuniyi, has clismissed as false the controversy trailing the purported endorsement of the state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun for second term in office.

Okunniyi, who was a governorship candidate of the defunct Congress Progressive Change in the state in 2011 elections, maintained that the newly formed party was yet to name its governorship candidate for the coming general elections.

Ondo oil producing area counsels FG over NDDC board

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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KURE — STAKEHOLDERS in the oil producing areas of Ondo State, weekend, enjoined President Goodluck Jonathan to follow the Act establishing the Niger Delta D e v e l o p m e n t Commission, NDDC, in the appointment of the new board of the commission.

They noted that the state has been short changed in the past in the appointment of the Managing Director and the Executive Directors of the intervention agency and that they were ready to take any of the positions in the new board.

Spokesperson for the communities, who was a former Special Assistant to the President on youth matters, Kolade Akinjo, said that successive governments had not applied the provisions of the NDDC Act in the appointment of the Managing Director and the Executive Directors.

Fayemi, PDP chieftain bicker over scholarship award zFayemi’s claim is false —Adeyeye zStop exhibiting ignorance —Fayemi

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

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HE CAMPAIGN organisation of Afenifere chieftain and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, has dismissed as false the claim by the state governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi that he gave personal scholarship to six Ekiti students to study abroad.

The organisation, Prince Adebayo Adeyeye Movement, PAAM, said that Fayemi’s claim was not only false, but cheap and childish advertisement of a failed government.

PAAM said in a statement by its Director General, Hon. Bisi Kolawole that, “What we are simply demanding from

Fayemi is names of 20 Ekiti students that he helped with as cheap as payment for JAMB forms between 2005 and 2010.”

However, in a swift reaction, th e governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Olayinka Oyebode alleged that Adeyeye has laboured to create false impression in the minds of people through illogical reasoning.

According to Oyebode; “The Governor’s decision to award full scholarships to these exceptionally brilliant students is to assist them in their quests for greatness and to encourage countless others to dare to be excellent in learning and character.

“And this is without prejudice to the activities of the scholarship board, which

apparently cannot take care of every student that applied for it.

“Governor Fayemi, who is impressed by the exceptional performances of these six graduates chose to personally sponsor their post graduate studies in their chosen foreign universities including Harvard, Oxford and the University of Technology, Tinajin, China.

“It is rather amusing for anyone to compare the gesture of the Governor to the N500,000 Adeyeye claimed Mr. Segun Oni’s administration paid as scholarship to Ph.D students.”

But Kolawole fired back, asking: “Was he (Fayemi) giving such scholarships when he was going about with his Non-Governmental

ASUU wants NUC investigated

BY OLA AJAYI

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BADAN — THE Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, said Professor Julius Okojie led National Universities Commission, NUC, should be probed over alleged fraudulent practices on university accreditation in the country.

The union making this demand, through its National Treasurer, Dr. Ademola Aremu and Chairman, University of Ibadan Chapter, Dr. Olusegun Ajiboye, argued that the Act establishing the NUC and the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, must be reviewed.

They wondered how Prof.

Okojie could still declare that all was well despite the perceived rot in the university system.

“NUC to us in ASUU has outlived its usefulness. When government gives

appointment, they know the kind of people they take and most of the time they are people who can compromise anything.

“Very recently, the Rivers State University of Technology conducted an examination under some fraudulent situations when academic staff were on strike and NUC came out to say the examination was conducted under normal conditions.

“The fraud going in NUC over accreditation of courses in Nigerian universities must stop. If JAMB is working well, there will be no need for post JAMB and that is why we are saying the laws that established JAMB should also be reviewed.”

On the strike embarked upon by the academic union, Dr. Aremu said: “On the part of government, they are talking about re-negotiation and we are saying we cannot

be talking about renegotiation when we have not implemented the agreement on ground.

“It took us three years of struggle to get the government to enter into one agreement with us in 2009.”

Organisation, NGO, business?

“The reality they are trying to runaway from is that their claim that the scholarship he gave to six Ekiti students to study abroad was from his purse was total falsehood and even a five year old child can never believe it.

“And in their bid to defend this falsehood, they have exposed to the public that when Adeyeye was Chairman of Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board,SUBEB, the board’s fund was used to execute projects, hundreds of which were ongoing before Fayemi came to power.

“Isn’t it even interesting that in the warped opinion of Fayemi and his men, the responsibility of completing SUBEB projects that were ongoing before October 15, 2010 should be that of Segun Oni and Adeyeye?

“Instead of false generosity, we think Fayemi and his men should rather tell the public how a governor, whose monthly salary is less than N700,000 could have sponsored scholarship worth close to N50 million from his pocket?”

Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013—11

Runaway kidnap kingpin resurfaces in hometown

Gowon advocates good leadership for national unity, devt ...commends Urhobo for support during Nigerian civil war

BY FESTUS AHON & GODWIN OGHRE

BY EMMA AMAIZE

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ARRI—THE most wanted kidnapper in Delta State, Kelvin, who fled his hometown, Kokori in Ethiope-East Local Government Area of the state in the wake of the manhunt for him by the police, some months ago, has reinforced and returned to Kokori, it was gathered.

Vanguard learnt that notwithstanding the chase for him, the kidnap kingpin, whose family house in Kokori had been set ablaze, returned to Kokori, in the last few weeks, armed to the teeth.

He reportedly, abducted a military officer and held him incommunicado in his stronghold, prompting the military to deploy a team of military personnel, led by a Captain to Kokori, on a rescue mission.

Our source said that the military team discovered to their chagrin that Kelvin was under the protection of over 200 youth and could do nothing but to request for the release of the abducted officer.

I never said Delta DPP was dead —Kokori

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

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ORMER General Secretary of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, Cheif Frank Kokori, has dismissed reports that he allegedly said that Democratic Peoples Party, DPP, was dead in Delta State, describing the report as a misrepresentation of facts.

Kokori, in a chat with Vanguard, said he was quoted out of context, adding that he only said he had opted out of DPP for All Progressive Congress, APC. He said: ‘’In a media report of July 5, 2013, I was quoted as saying that DPP is dead in Delta State. That was not what I said. I only said I had opted out of the party to join forces with APC.”

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GHELLI—FORMER Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), weekend, charged religious leaders in the country to always speak the truth. He admonished those in government to improve the country’s quality of leadership.

Gowon insisted that it was the only way to achieve national unity and development, noting that the church must reinforce the teaching of moral instruction from the cradle.

In another development, Gowon has commended the Urhobo for their support during the Nigerian civil war.

He said, after being conferred with the chieftaincy title of Ekue’ Nigeria egbe re’ovie’ of Ughelli Kingdom, Ughelli North Local Government Area, Delta State, that the Urhobo were very close to him when he was military Head of State.

Speaking during the second Synod of the Anglican Com-

munion, Sapele Diocese, Delta State, with the theme, The Covenant Keeping God, Gowon said unless Nigerian leaders imbibe the doctrine and principles of God, the country would not experience economic, social and political development.

He said: “Obedience and re-

spect for the dignity of fellow humans was the practice in the Bible era when theocracy was the order of the day, when priests and judges ruled based on instructions and laws received directly from God.” At the conferment award and flanked by former Minister of State for Education,

Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi and others in his entourage, Gowon said that the Urhobo contributed greatly to keeping Nigeria one during the Nigerian civil war, noting that keeping the country one was not his personal achievement but a collective achievement of all Nigerians.

Chief Imam of Auchi, Edo State, Prof. Z.I Oseni, leading prayers during the Eid-el-fitri celebration.

Royal father, subject petition IG over alleged illegal detention

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

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ENIN—THE Enogie of Evbuovbioba community in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State, Edwin Izevbokun, and one of his subjects, Matthew Iyoha, have petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Muhammed Abubakar, over their alleged illegal arrest and dentention by police officers from the Homicide Section of the Nigeria Police Headquarters, Abuja.

They were alleged to have been arrested over allegation that they were preventing the leaders of the Community Development Association, from taking over the running of the community.

In the petition through their counsel, Afolabi Olayiwola, the petitioners claimed that the matter of who should take over the running of the affairs of the community was already before an Edo State High Court for adjudication, noting that their arrest by the police from Abuja was illegal.

Insisting that the self-acclaimed chairman of the Community Development Associa-

tion, who brought the policemen from the Homicide Section of the Force Headquarters, Abuja, was using the police to stall the matter already in the court, the petitioners pleaded with the Inspector General to look into the conduct of the police officers from Abuja, who were being used to harass and intimidate them.

“We were shocked when Lucky Enababor brought police officers from the Federal Homicide, Abuja, to arrest the suspects on the ground that they

were threatening him and his executive from taking over the affairs of the community when the matter is already in court to his knowledge.

“Mr. Iyoha was arrested on August 6, as he was going out in his car and thinking that the people were kidnappers, he abandoned his car and went to Evbuotubu Police Station and it was there the policemen from Abuja arrested him.

“The case of the second suspect, HRH Edwin Izevbokun was so pathetic as he is over

70 years with a failing health and we don’t want him to die in Police custody in Abuja,” the petition said.

“This is not the first time Lucky Enababor is using the Police to harass members of the community as he had tried to use the Edo State Police Command to harass members of the community and we forwarded a petition to the Commissioner of Police, Edo State. We also informed the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 5, about the illegal act.”

Abe condemns alleged arrest of Amaechi’s loyalists Senator Abe, who described loyal to Governor Amaechi

BY HENRY UMORU

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B U J A — S E N AT O R Magnus Abe, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Rivers South-East, has condemned alleged arbitrary arrest and detention of some members of the PDP loyal to Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State.

He called on the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, to carry out a proper investigation into the manner the Amaechi supporters were arrested.

the manner Charles Ahamefule and Leo Anyanwu were literarily kidnapped from Rivers State to Abuja and remanded in Kuje Prison, Abuja, as unacceptable, said he was worried about the country’s constitution, adding that the constitution must be protected by President Goodluck Jonathan and other Nigerians.

It will be recalled that Charles Ahamefule, Chairman, PDP in Omuma Local Government Area and Leo Anyanwu, Assistant Secretary of Chief Godspower Ake-led PDP, the executive which is

and sacked by an Abuja High Court and replaced by Chief Felix Obuah, were arrested in Rivers State and taken to Abuja ,where they are being detained in Kuje Prison, on the alleged instigation of the Obuah’s faction, which is loyal to Minister of State, Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike.

Speaking to journalists after paying a visit to the detained PDP members at Kuje Prison, weekend, Abe, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum, Downstream, described them as political prisoners.

12—Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

Oguebego declares Anambra PDP weekend rally illegal

BY ENYIM ENYIM

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NITSHA—THE long drawn crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Anambra State may not have been over as the state chairman recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Chief Ejike Oguebego, yesterday, described the PDP rally organised last Friday by a factional chairman, Chief Ken Emeakayi, as illegal and unconstitutional.

This came as Labour Party, LP, started sensitisation campaign ahead of the local government election scheduled for October 5 this year.

Chief Oguebego’s outburst is coming barely 24 hours after the PDP faction led by Emeakayi, held a rally at Ekwueme Square, Awka, where the national deputy chairnan of the party affirmed that he was the state chairman.

Speaking with newsmen, Oguebego said Emeakayi had no locus standi to organize such rally in the name of the party when he was not the chairman of the party in the state.

....As state gets sickle cell screening centre for babies

BY VINCENT UJU-

MADU

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W K A — G OV E R NOR Peter Obi of Anambra State has flagged off the sickle cell screening centre for new born babies at Anambra State University Teaching Hospital, Awka.

The facility was installed by the Nigeria New Born Screening Initiative, a nongovernmental organisation, NGO, in collaboration with the state government.

Obi said during the ceremony that his administration would continue to provide every child in the state the opportunity to survive and attain full potentials in life.

The governor assured that the state government would give the programme total support, explaining that health remained a critical component of the vision of his administration.

VISA POLICY: Nigeria’s brigade leaders denied entry into UK

BY UDUMA KALU WITH

AGENCY REPORT AGOS—ALTHOUGH No vember is still far for Britain’s £3000 visa bond to take off, Britain has started denying many Africans entry into their country.

A report in London’s The Guardian and Kenya’s Daily Nation last weekend reported that 47 Boys Brigade leaders were denied entry into the Great Britain last weekend.

Only eight applicants from the continent were allowed to join the festivities.

The report said the African youth leaders were denied entry into Britain for an international conference because of a clampdown by the UK Border Agency, UKBA. It noted that “Tough new guidelines issued by the UK Home Office mean that all African delegates for a special conference of Boys’ Brigade young leaders next week were refused entry to the country.”

The UK Home Office, it said, will not comment on what it terms as “individual cases” but it said that “the ruling is part of a growing pattern of restrictions which make it harder for Africans to enter the UK.” Most of the 49 out of the 120 visitors denied entry were fully funded by the charity and many had significant leadership roles, including a Girls’ Brigade president from Rwanda and the national secretary of Boys’ Brigade Kenya.

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The Nigerian Boys Brigades are members of a Christian youth group that are championed by Britain’s royal family. They were invited to a prestigious global event to recognise civic leadership.

But the handpicked teenagers and their two dedicated leaders were

day, thousands of Africans are turned away from Britain, wrecking carefully laid plans to trade, visit relatives, attend conferences, see the sights or simply enjoy some shopping.

“They lose costly visa fees of up to £772 and go elsewhere; we lose goodwill alongside muchneeded business in key sectors,” the report said.

BURIAL: From left: Mr. Segun Famoriyo, Head, Internal Control Group; Mr. Sunday Salako, National President, ASSBIFI and First Deputy President, TUC; Mr. Anogwi Anyanwu, Executive Director, Operations &IT and Mr. Bolaji Shenjobi, Executive Director, Lagos &West, all of Mainstreet Bank, during the burial of Mr. Salako's mother in Lagos.

2014: I’ve not endorsed any candidate —OBI

BY VINCENT UJUMADU WKA—GOVERNOR Peter Obi of Anambra State has debunked the allegation that he has endorsed a particular candidate among the governorship aspirants in All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, for the forthcoming gubernatorial election.

Obi, who spoke through the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Chief Joe-Martins Uzodike, described as mischievous the idea of associating him with endorsing a candidate for governor when he had been preaching against it.

According to him, sponsoring anybody is dangerously close to godfatherism.

He said the only thing Governor Obi had continued to do in his usual spirit of fairness and equity, was to insist that Anambra North should produce the next governor and had urged them to come out with best candidates for the job.

The governor said: “For the governorship election, a number of aspirants from Anambra North have come out, with competitive advantages to rival the best from other zones.

“We have the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Oseloka Obaze, an international civil servant; we have Dr. Chike Obidigbo, a renowned industrialist; we have Mr. Tony Nnaecheta, who was an ex managing director of a bank; we have Chief Willie Obiano, who was an executive director in a bank, among others.

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barred from Britain.

Arastus Mbamoh, national secretary of the Boys’ Brigade in Nigeria, said: “We are not happy at all. It is very annoying and highly disappointing for everyone.”

“This is the flipside of UK’s toxic immigration debate, with those vile ‘go home’ posters and racist talk of ‘bongo bongo land’. Each

Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013 — 13

FG reiterates commitment to end inadequate power supply zTo remove government’s control of the power sector

BY HENRY UMORU BUJA—PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday, reiterated his total commitment and focus towards the improvement of the nation’s overall economy, especially the power sector.

The President also assured Nigerians that he will not rest on his oars regarding the promise he made to Nigerians on the provision of uninterrupted power supply as a key component of the Transformation Agenda.

In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, the President said with some of the hydro dams becoming fully operational in September this year, most Nigerian cities will have more hours of power supply from the national grid.

According to him, that will improve social and economic activities, increase industrial productions as well as create jobs for young Nigerians.

He said the federal government had concluded plans to remove its control of the power sector, adding, “the good news, however, is that government’s control with

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its attendant low productivity and the cumbersomeness of the civil service bureaucracy are being totally removed from the power sector and the new owners of the divested assets will be able to utilise the present installed capacities more efficiently and add more power to the five thousand megawatts, even before they add more infrastructure to the power plants.

Okupe, who noted that the Federal Government acknowledged improved approval rating by NOI, Nigeria’s leading opinion poll, said: “The NOI polls, Nigeria’s leading opinion poll and research organisation recently released its governance polls for the month of July 2013. ”The summary of the survey carried out by the organisation shows that 53 per cent of Nigerians sampled in the exercise expressed satisfaction with the President’s performance,with majority of respondents attributing the high approval rating to improvement in power supply across the country. ”The organisation’s findings which have been published by a few Media outfits indicate that more respondents from the North Central,North East,South East and

South South Geo political zones experienced varying degrees of improvement in power supply compared to what obtained in previous months. ” While we acknowledge the positive indicators in NOI’s survey with regards to the approval rating of Mr President’s performance by majority of Nigerians, we

wish to assure that the President will not rest on his oars regarding the promise he made to Nigerians on provision of uninterrupted power supply as a key component of the Transformation Agenda. ”The present power improvement noticed and acknowledged in some parts of the country is due partly to measures put in place by government to reduce points

of leakages and transmission failure as well as improve transmission capacity of power infrastructure. ”It is expected that by the time most of the hydro power dams which are currently being rehabilitated also resume operations by the end of September 2013, most Nigerian cities will have more hours of power supply from the National grid.”

15,000 women for Abuja peace rally

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BUJA—OVER 15,000 Nigerian women cutting across diverse socio-economic backgrounds will on Thursday converge on Abuja for a mega rally and award ceremony to advance the cause of peace and women empowerment in the country.

The rally, which would be graced by Vice President Namadi Sambo, and First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, is being organised by the National Council of Women Societies, NCWS, in collaboration with the office of the First Lady of the Federation.

The mass rally and carnival would take stock of the gains re-

corded so far in the empowerment of Nigerian women and the quest for peace in the country.

National President of the NCWS, Mrs. Nkechi Mba, said in a statement in Abuja yesterday, that the event, which has the theme: “Celebration of Nigerian Women for Peace and Empowerment,” would go down as the first of its kind in the country.

According to her, the event will feature performances by popular artistes, including Onyeka Onwenu, Yinka Ayefele, Iyanya and Sani Danja.

She said those expected to be conferred with awards were eminent public officers who have con-

tributed to empowerment of women and peace enhancement.

Mrs. Mba enjoined Nigerian women to come out “en-masse to take stock, celebrate and honour those who have demonstrated commitment to their cause as women, as agents of peace, unity and development in the country.

She explained that the carnival float by women from all spectra across the states of the federation and the FCT would start at 7am from the Old Parade Ground, Central Area through designated routes in the federal capital city centre and terminate at the Eagle Square, Abuja for the mass rally.

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14—Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

Akanbi makes case for less privileged

BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI

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LORIN — PIONEER C h a i r m a n of Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Justice Mustapha Akanbi (rtd), weekend in Ilorin, called on wealthy individuals in Nigeria to cater for the less-privileged Nigerians.

Justice Akanbi made the call during the unveiling of Kwara Citizenship Development Initiative, KCDI, at its Flower Garden, GRA, Ilorin office.

Akanbi explained that people who have should be ready to give back to the society, saying that is the essence of life.

He applauded the initiative of the NGO which is to start giving empowerment to widows, orphans and the indigent to make life meaningful to them.

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Aviation ministry not afraid of probe —Oduah

BY OKEY NDIRIBE

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BUJA — THE Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, has declared the readiness of her ministry to face any probe over recently awarded contracts and completed projects.

This was disclosed, weekend, by the minister’s Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Joe Obi, while speaking to Vanguard.

Obi said: “The ministry is not afraid of any probe because it has nothing to hide. All the contracts in the aviation sector were awarded and executed very transparently. “ He was responding to a recent call by the Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON, urging the Senate to probe the ministry.

According to him, “We know we are answerable to the National Assembly which also includes the Senate. If they invite us to explain how contracts in the sector were awarded or executed, we would gladly do so. But of course, the important thing to know is that we are not afraid of any probe. We have no skeletons in our cupboard.”

Obi also dismissed fears that the nation might lose its US Federal Aviation Administration’s, FAA, category one certification, arguing that

this was not possible because the nation had sustained and even exceeded the minimum requirements laid down for attainment of that status.

Responding to another question on the review of the nation’s aviation policy as it pertained to the Aviation Act of 2006, he said: “As good as the 2006 Aviation Act is, it is inadequate to cope with modern developments in the sector where technology changes by the minute. A lot of developments have taken place since that Act was enacted in 2006.

“We cannot be seen to be oblivious of the current trends. So, we have to make our laws to address some of the emerging challenges in the sector. This is the whole essence of the civil aviation policy that has just been reviewed. ”Policies are not made to suit the preferences and idiosyncrasies of individuals and groups.

They are made to serve the interest of the sector and the nation. Those who are complaining about the new aviation policy are just crying wolf where there is none.

“They are hiding behind the little finger to protect their own individual and group interests to the detriment of the sector and the nation. The civil aviation policy is a product of rigorous consultation and work which was put together by experts. They cannot dismiss what was done by experts after a lot of consultations.”

On the call for the scrapping of the ministry, he said the Federal Government would not be blackmailed into doing what was not right, adding that government knew what it was doing.

He said it was not in the place of

APC registration excites Plateau politicians

BY TAYE OBATERU

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OS— THE registration of the All Progressive Congress, APC, is exciting to politicians in Plateau State, saying it has potential to provide an alternative platform to the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP. Vanguard’s findings revealed that top politicians within and outside the PDP are desirous of a strong oppo-

sition party to check what some of them see as “overconfidence” of the ruling party.

A staunch PDP member who preferred anonymity told Vanguard that certain arbitrariness noticeable in the ruling party would be checked if there was an alternative platform that could challenge it.

According to him, “the general feeling among many is that no party is strong enough to challenge the PDP. Except for a few instances where strong people in

the PDP left to other parties to contest against the PDP, there is really no party strong enough to face the PDP in the state. ”But this will change if we have another strong party that can also present formidable candidates on its platform. This will enhance the emergence of credible candidates from both parties.”

Vanguard learnt that such politicians see the new party as having the potential of serving as a strong electoral platform against the PDP in future elections.

Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013 —15

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16 — Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST12, 2013 HOW will Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State address the parlous result of the State’s primary schools audit? The solutions would be more challenging than the report.

Anyone who is aware of the neglect of primary school education would have expected the report which reflects a nationwide decay. Many States give no thought to the morass in primary school education. Their officials could be among those expressing surprise about Edo State schools.

Summaries of the findings are • Only 1,304 or 9 per cent of the State’s 14,484 teachers have accurate records • 91 per cent 0r 13, 180 teachers have various forms of discrepancies in their records • 1,379 teachers were employed without primary school certificates • Some teachers got primary school certificates only about two years ago • In some cases, they obtained the certificates while teaching in the same schools • 789 teachers had primary school certificates before the age of 8 or 9 Years of consigning primary school education to the “unimportant matters list” has resulted

So w Nothing, R eap Sow Reap Nothing in what Edo State discovered. It is not a recent phenomenon. Governments in Ekiti, Kaduna, Kwara and Ogun had the same results when they put a searchlight on their primary schools.

In one State, primary school teachers could not pass the same tests they administered on their pupils. Others had cases of certificate forgery as is evident in Edo State. More commonly, the pay rolls were inflated, and had names of teachers who died years back.

A lethargic nation momentarily mulled these deficiencies in its future and turned to more interesting matters like oil revenue allocation and quotas to fill juicy federal appointments. We missed the point then, as we are about to do it again in Edo State, the issue is national.

Education – you can wonder what is - is not important to the Nigerian state. The distracted attention it gets is the evidence.

Our individual solution to the problem has been to patronise private schools which, for many reasons, cannot provide the answers to the mass education of our peoples.

Education is under the control of the same syndicates that control many aspects of government operations. Organised criminal groups have taken over education; governments’ actions fail to tackle this dimension.

Who are issuing the fake certificates? Who are falsifying employment documents? How do unqualified teachers get into the system? Why are governments paying for more teachers than they employed?

Urgent measures are required to manage the issues. The current concerns about higher education, without a care about primary and secondary education, are duplicitous. We have invested minimally in education, we cannot reap differently.

When punishments for frauds are effected, education would be a big beneficiary.

OPINION

BY BOBSON GBINIJE

B

“

ELIEVE, every man has his secret sorrows, which the world know not. And often times we call men God when he is only sad” --(Henry Long Fellow).

Man’s quest for joy, bliss and happiness takes protean venturesomeness and can be likened to the sphygmic temperaments of artifacts, relics and museum scoundrels and thieves standing before sphragistic detectives. They exude grotesque disposition. Hence, the comedian tries to create a balance through comedy.

A comedy within the context of usage is any literary work, including, but not limited to a drama, play, motion picture, television, radio, oratorical dexterity, verbal phosphorescence and entertainment, etc, characterised by a humorous treatment of characters, situations, and having a happy ending. A comedian is, therefore, anyone who applies these afore – mentioned tools to create humor, joy and laughter.

Comedy is as old as man and comedians are always with us. In our world suffused, bemused and impregnated by Neanderthal bellicosity, scorching poverty, sanguinary proclivities, leadership inertia, chauvinism, tribal jingoism, religious extremism, mindboggling hatred, saber rattling, genocide, psychotic corruption, horrendous rapes, ritual murders, ludibrastic cluelessness, planlessness and lovelessness, etc. We can water down our feelings through comic relief characters and comedians who use satires, sarcasms, allegories, lampoonery, pantomimes, onomatopoeias, recondite gesticulations with religious, political,

Comedy th Comedy,, comedians and Nigeria's rebir rebirth tribal, socio – economic connotations and undertones to laugh at ourselves.

The great literary masterpieces and mythologies from Homer's Illiad, Odyssey; Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, A Man of the People, The Trouble with Nigeria; Soyinka’s Interpreters, Bacchae of Euripides and The Man Died, The Kings’ Horsemen; Dickens’ Great Expectations, Marten Chuzzlewit, Nickolas Nicke, David Copperfield; Shakespeare’s Corolinus, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Merchant of Venice, Tempest; Chaucer’s John Milton’s Plays; Sheridan’s The Rivals-A Comedy and others too numerous to mention had a tincture of comedy that didactically said something about ourselves and society, precipitating laughter.

We are in a world cocooned in cerebral dwarfishness, pusillanimous tergiversation and spiritual darkness because of our lost values, inability to speak truth to power and normative social standards. We use comedy and comedians to humourise our situation, to ameliorate our emotional erebus and political torpsy–turvydom. However, comedians must heed the admonitions of statesman Abraham Lincoln that “with maice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right , let us strive on to finish the work we are in”.

The comedian and his jokes are tools for societal change, political renaissance, cultural revolution, psychological therapy,

attitudinal reorientations, propagandistic elan and religious rebirth, because he can hide real happenings to galvanise the leadership and the citizenry into action for societal change.

A comedian once said that President Kwame Osagyfo Nkrumah once visited Nigeria and as he drove in a convoy with Abubakar Tafawa Balewa he saw a man urinating by the road side. He castigated Nigerians for being dirty litter louts.

Abubakar Tafawa Balewa felt chagrined, despondent and crestfallen.

He quickly organised a reciprocal visit to Ghana. As he drove in a convoy with President Nkrumah he sighted a man defecating by the road side. He quickly called Nkrumah’s attention to it. President Nkrumah breaking protocols, asked the convoy to stop. He quickly called for the arrest of the defecating scoundrel and asked him: “Where are you from”? The man quickly retorted “I AM FROM NIGERIA”.

He immediately recalled the words of Mohandas K. Ghandi that: “I can retain neither respect nor affection for a government which has been moving from wrong to wrong in order to defend its immorality”. What a shame! And whither goeth Nigeria?

T

he comedian made this joke and all laughed. But the silent and salient point is to admonish our leaders and Nigerians in general on social courtesies, responsible

waste disposal mannerisms, provision of public toilets and efficient waste management. It is also a truism that the comedian gave a joke which looked harmless, but in a actual fact, if a critic or journalist had written an article on “Nigeria, waste management and leadership inertia”, it would have attracted detention and or verbal or physical flagellation. Comedy is a way of laughing at our all-embracing inadequacies and weaknesses as individuals and as a nation.

We must draw or make a clear-cut dichotomy between comperes, masters of ceremonies and comedians in any social forum. The popular social mistake is the desire of comedians to function as all of these. The popular compere, Collins Adeyemi, in his recent book entitled Director of Ceremony adumbrated on the need for there to be a difference between all of these to make professionalism the watchword in the trade.

The Comedy Guild in Nigeria has become a fertile ground for youths, graduates and those with creative talents. They have become professional in their own rights and a regular feature at private and public occasions. The field is robustly enriched with Warri (Wafi), Sapele (Safa) boys and girls. Indeed, the South-South, South East and the South West are overwhelmingly represented in this field.

Some of the notable of these great comedians are Basket Mouth, I Go Die, Ali Baba, Gandoki and Rocky Feller. *Mr. Gbinije, a social critic, wrote from Warri, Delta State.

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MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013 YOUR LUCK TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 LIBRA: After a few tension soaked days, you’ll have the needed opportunity to look through windows of the world and have your way as well. Magnetic and/or magic days is predicted for lovers today.

SCORPIO: Even if you continue to work under pressure via increased workload, you will have good results to show for your efforts today. Be steadfast.

SAGIT TARIUS: Promise made to genuine personalities should be kept if not because of today but for better tomorrow. Be reasonable and clean.

CAPRICORN: Those of you willing to let go hard feelings at work are for a progressive day to the betterment of your finances. Let go yesterday, move ahead.

AQUARIUS: Once again, you’ll have the needed opportunity to assert yourself to the administration of others. Both love and financial success can be yours with efforts. Reason with your tried and trusted friends.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

N

OW, I do not know what your indulgence is, but whatever it is, I sincerely believe you can have a second look at it, in order to improve on your personal finances.

We are going to do a personal audit together.

First, who are your friends? Do they have positive influence on you

Saving the kobos or they influence you nagatively? Where do you reguarly visit with your friends? Do you smoke? Where and when did you start smoking? Deliberately deconstruct how you start smoking and replace it with something worthwhile e.g. reading.

Put a price on your time.

For example - one hour ’s cost could be one thousand naira. And that means for every hour you stayed outside idling away your time, you have wasted thousands of naira. For every stick of cigarette you smoke take direct record of it and the cost of visiting the doctor. At the

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye”

end of the month weigh the economic and health impact on your life. Do so to other unnecessary expenses in your life, you will discover you can make do without many of them.

Save your kobo and the naira will take care of itself.

Think about it!

By Lanre Kehinde

PISCES: You can make it a successful day with positive approach on your part. You will be in a better position to defuse tension within your working arena.

Try to be more ambitious.

ARIES Yes! You’re not scared a bit even, when opposition and/or competition come your way but, if you give in to diplomatic approach, you’ll fare better today.

TAURUS: Pressure that came your way suddenly will give way unexpectedly, today, to the betterment of your course. The more financially ambitious you are today, the better for you. Be steadfast.

GEMINI: You sincerely believe in intelligent argument or discussion. And if you allow your ability to be diplomatic come to play today, you’ll be better for it. Enjoy your love life.

CANCER: You’ll tend to become both creative and persuasive to the administration of others. Then those who’ve been resisting secret love may slip suddenly and become excited.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

LEO: Even if opposition persists, supports you are getting from the influential people will be enough to see you through. Yet, the more cooperative you are the better.

VIRGO: Your creativity quotient within your working arena will today be enhanced. You’ll be blamed if you keep official issues secrets from your challenges at work.

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING Send yyour our dat th ttoo the As tr ological datee and place of bir birth Astr trological Counselling, PP.M.B .M.B 1100 00 7, Apapa, Lagos 007,

What’s my Horoscope?

Dear Joshua, Kindly tell me how the planets lined up when I was born and the day of the week I was born but don’t publish my date of birth.. Please tell me my full horoscope.

Anonymous, Nigeria.

Dear Anonymous You were born on a Sunday. The Sun was placed in early degree of Scorpio together with many other heavenly bodies. Then with the Moon in Libra when you were born Libra will equally be influential in your characteristics build up but, you are mainly a Scorpio born person YOUR HOROSCOPE DATA Day of Birth = Sunday Sun Sign = Scorpio. Sun in Zero Degree of Scorpio Moon Sign = Libra: Moon in 5th Degree of Libra Mercury in 12th Degree of Scorpio Venus in Zero Degree of Sagittarius Mars in 1st Degree of Aquarius Jupiter in 29th Degree of Cancer Saturn in 10th Degree of Scorpio Uranus in 27th Degree of Cancer Neptune in 25th Degree of Libra Pluto in 26th Degree of Leo North Node in 8th Degree of Capricorn South Node in 8th Degree of Cancer No planet in earth spar sign, one in available, two in fire, three in air, four in cardinal, fixed and water star signs hosted five planets each.

PHYSICAL INFLUENCE = 50% NON-PHYSICAL INFLUENCE =50% PLANET AT HOME = NONE ANALYSIS OF THE HOROSCOPE DATA You are both an intelligent and emotional person. And as there was planet at home when you were born, too many ideas will always struggle for prominent place in your mind, thus decision making is difficult but most times, your intelligence comes to the rescue.

Certainly, you appear to other as a gentle person who can be mistaken for soft fellow but your inner-self is the personality with a steel like will power.

You are the consistent type who may find it difficult to change once you have made up your mind as indicated by distribution of the planets as written out in paragraph two of this exercise.

VIRGINIA

HOME & ABROAD

dadadekola@yahoo.com

By Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 12 12,, 2013— 41

Diagnosed with brain cancer:

Oyinyechi, 14, sends SOS to Gov Peter Obi • Requires N5m for life-saving surgery in India

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

recommended further evaluation and expert care.

The brain stem is the part of the brain that controls breathing, heart rate, and nerves and muscles used in seeing, hearing, walking, talking and eating.

Although brain tumours are the third most common cancers in children, the causes are generally unknown.

Onyinyechi never had previous history of head injury or trauma.

Relating the ordeal to Health & Living, Obiageli stated: "Onyinyechi just woke up one morning complaining of dizziness, a nagging headache and general body weakness. She was hospitalised four days after an initial medical diagnosis of typhoid and malaria. But there wasn't much improvement. She kept complaining of progressive weakness and paralysis on the left side of the body, so she was

O

NYINYECHI MaryColette Okafor, the third of five children born to Aloysious and Grace Okafor of 34, Osho Drive, Olodi-Apapa in Lagos, has sent a distress call to the Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, and all well-meaning Nigerians at home and abroad, for assistance to raise N5 million to undergo an urgent life-saving brain surgery.

As you read this story, Onyinyechi, who hails from Utuh, in Nnewi South LGA of Anambra State, is on admission in Ward D3 of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi Araba, Lagos after diagnosis of a rare and aggressive form of brain tumour known as Brain Stem Glioma.

Making the call to Governor Obi through her paternal aunt, Ms. Obiageli Ulasi, ailing Onyinyechi, who although has been receiving palliative care at LUTH, is yet unable to speak, walk, stand or function normally, is praying the Governor assistance to raise the N5 million in order to have access to adequate treatment and care in an Indian hospital.

“I implore you sir, with due respect and humility, to use your good office as my Governor, my mentor and my father, to enable be get a new lease of life through this surgery,” she remarked.

Until April 27, 2013 when her world turned upside down, Onyinyechi was a healthy and intelligent 14-year-old JSS 2 student of Ajeromi/Ifelodun High School, Lagos.

Today, she has stopped school and no longer attends Church or partakes of other normal activities like her contemporaries. The entire left side of her body is paralysed and she is separated from her family and friends and has become a permanent resident in the hospital.

A medical report from LUTH described Onyinyechi as “a known

taken to another hospital from where she was referred to LUTH where the brain tumour diagnosis was confirmed.

At the moment, the family is barely managing to pay the huge hospital bills. Worse still, Onyinyechi’s father, a trader, is also indisposed.

Onyinyechi's only hope is to be flown abroad for better medical outcome.

"We have contacted Yakoda Hospital in India, which has assessed her case and given us a breakdown of treatment expenses to the tune of N5 million. This would cover surgery, drugs, transportation, and accommodation for six weeks for Onyinyechi and her mother who would accompany her. The hospital is ready to comence treatment but financial constraint is hampering us.”

In a passionate plea, Obiageli solicited assistance towards raising the required sum. "We are appealing to Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State in particular and all Nigerians to please help save this soul. Let us give Onyinyechi the opportunity and ability to live again," she pleaded.

If you are touched and wish to assist Onyinyechi raise the N5 million, kindly send your donations to Onyinyechi M. Okafor, Fidelity Bank Plc 6150328103, or call 08039097686 and 08028491550 for more details.

What you need to know about total knee replacement

BY VICTORIA OJEME

T Onyinyechi Okafor patient of the Haematology and Oncology Unit of the hospital who presented two months ago with a one month history of headache and inability to use the left side of the body.”

According to the report signed by Professor Edamisan Temiye, a CT scan revealed the brain tumour which is being managed with radiotherapy and dexamethasone. Already, she has had 20 sessions of the radiotherapy, and requires an additional 10. The doctor

HE knee is considered a "hinge" joint because of its ability to bend and straighten like a hinged door. In reality, the knee is much more complex because the bone surfaces actually roll and glide as the knee bends. When the knee fails to function as expected, total knee replacement may become desirable.

Total knee replacement surgery is considered when all other conservative measures have failed to provide successful intervention, and may only be performed to relieve pain, improve joint stability and alignment and correct bone deformity, maximize quality of life and optimize activities of daily living.

A Replacement Specialist, at Primus International Specialty Hospital, Dr Raghvendra Sigh, explains that in a total knee and hip replacement surgery, the painful parts of the damaged knee and hip are replaced with artificial parts called Prosthesis.

“Joint replacement surgery is one of the most successful procedures in orthopedics. A joint Replacement can improve the quality of life tremendously by making the patient free of pain, deformity and physical dependence,” he stated.

Singh, in a chat with Health & Living in Abuja, observed that doctors generally try to delay joint replacement.

“However in patients with advanced joint disease, joint replacement offers relief from pains and a return to normal activities. Due to osteoarthritis, you may develop joint pains that limit your daily activities such as walking, bending and use of stairs. Pain continues even while

Dr. Raghvendra Singh resting day and night. Stiffness in joint limits your ability to move or lift your leg. You will only get temporary relief from anti-inflammatory drugs which have harmful or unpleasant side effects.

“Ageing causes loss of muscle and bone mass. Bones lose calcium and minerals faster and become brittle, making serious injuries such as a hip and knee fracture more likely.”

The most common cause of joint pains is osteoarthritis which is a degenerative joint disorder that occurs as a result of age related wear and tear of joints. Osteoarthritis mainly affects knee and hip joints.

Diseases that can cause joint pains in younger groups are rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and similar conditions.

“Always consult a specialist in case of significant pain in the hip or knee.

Other warning signals include swelling around the joints, stiffness or inability to bend or straighten knees fully, or gradually developing deformity.

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42—Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

THE LAGOS DEPORTATION AND THE LAW:

Deportation of dissidents I

N 1885 the British colonial regime deported King Jaja of Opobo to a remote island in West Indies where he died in 1889. His offence was that he had challenged the imperialist control of the coastal trade. In 1941 Comrade Michael Imoudu, President of the Nigerian Union of Railwaymen was deported from Lagos and banished to his hometown, Auchi in the Benin Province as he was considered “a potential threat to public safety” .

He only returned to Lagos in 1945 following the revocation of sections 57-63 of the General Defence Regulation, 1941 under which he had been detained. There were other nationalist agitators and labour leaders who were deported and banished to prevent them from taking part in the struggle against colonialism. The barbaric practice of deporting Nigerians was resuscitated by the defunct military dictatorship. In particular, the reactionary regimes of Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha resorted to the crude harrassment of political opponents by deportation.

Unending military rule In 1992 the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi SAN, Dr Beko Ransome -Kuti and I were deported from Lagos and detained at Kuje prison for challenging the unending military rule of the Babangida junta. The retired General Zamani Lekwot was deported from Kaduna and detained with us in the prison. The following year we were also repatriated from Lagos and banished to the same prison for leading peaceful rallies in Lagos against the criminal annulment of the June 12 presidential election. In June 1994, the winner of the presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola was deported from Lagos and detained in military custody in Kano, Borno and Abuja.

In 1995, the chairman of the Campaign for Democracy (CD), Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti alerted the world that the secret trial of General Olusegun Obasanjo and others by a Special Military Tribunal had been concluded and that C M Y K

the convicts were being prepared for execution.

For leaking such information to the media the human rights leader was tried in Lagos, jailed for life and deported to Katsina prison. The CD vice chairman, Shehu Sanni was arrested in Kaduna, jailed for life in Lagos and banished to Kirikiri maximum prison in Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola Apapa.

Four Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi journalists viz: Chris Anyanwu, Kunle Ajibade, Charles Mbah and Charles understandable reasons, most origin i.e Akwa Ibom and defending the Igbo beggars out Obi who were convicted for of the hundreds of thousands Ebonyi states. Apart from such of sheer ethnic irredentism being accessories after the fact of poor people who have been official hypocrisy the Peter Obi should be advised to examine the socio-economic of treason i.e the 1995 phantom displaced and dislodged in the regime did not deem it fit to operation “keep Lagos clean” implications of the antiprotest when the Abia State coup, were deported from are of the Yoruba extraction. people’s urbanisation policy government purged its civil Lagos and kept in separate In fact, on April 9,2009, when service of “non-indigenes” in being implemented by the prisons in the northern states. and state In 1996, Chief Fawehinmi the Lagos State government 2012. Many of the victims of the federal deported 129 beggars of Oyo governments in the overall unjust policy who hail from SAN was once again deported from Lagos and detained at the state origin and dumped them Anambra State were left in the interests of the masses.

The Illegality of Internal Bauchi prison while Femi at Molete in Ibadan the Alao lurch.

In June 2011, the Federal Deportation: Since deportation Aborishade and I were Akala regime alleged that the deported from Lagos and held action was aimed at sabotaging Capital Territory government has been resuscitated under the at the Gumel and Mawadashi his government. Just last week, deported 129 beggars to their current political dispensation it prisons (in Jigawa State) some beggars of Osun State respective states of origin. In has become pertinent to respectively. Comrade Frank origin were also deported by May 2013, hundreds of beggars examine the legal implications Kokori who was arrested in the Lagos State government were also removed from the of the forceful deportation of a streets and expelled from group of citizens on account of Lagos was banished to Bama and dumped at Osogbo.

Abuja. Of course, it is common their impecunious status. prisons in Borno state for 4 knowledge that the FCT Although street trading and Disadvantaged years. General Obasanjo authorities has continued to begging have been banned in who was convicted in Lagos citizens demolish residential houses some states, it is submitted, was deported to Yola prison. any fear of It is sad to note that most without following due process without His ex-deputy, General Shehu never took in order to “ restore the contradiction, that there is no Yaradua was deported from Nigerians Kaduna, convicted in Lagos cognisance of the war being and held at various times in waged by state governments The reactionary regimes of Generals Kirikiri, Port Harcourt and against the poor and Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha disadvantaged citizens in the Abakaliki prisons . resorted to the crude harassment of politiLike King Jaja both Chief urban renewal policy until the Abiola and General Yar’Adua much publicised case of the cal opponents by deportation died in suspicious 14 beggars of Anambra State circumstances while they were origin who were deported in in custody. But as deportation Lagos and dumped in Onitsha masterplan of Abuja” which existing law in Nigeria which was distorted through has empowered the federal and of colonial subjects could not be about three weeks ago.

In fact, it was the corruption and abuse of office. state governments to deport justified even under colonial of the The majority of the victims of any group of Nigerian citizens rule it was carried out pursuant condemnation to special regulations. In the deportation by the Governor of such illegal demolitions who to their states of origin.

Accordingly, the forceful same vein, the military dictators Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi are poor have been dislocated removal of beggars from their engaged in deportation of that drew the attention of the and forced out of FCT. abode and Last week, the Rivers State chosen citizens under the preventive elite to the unfortunate repatriation to their states of Government removed 113 detention decrees and the development. However, in origin are illegal and Nigerians from the streets of defence of its action the Lagos Prison Act. Deportation of Poor People: State Government stated that it Port Harcourt and deported unconstitutional as they violate entered into an agreement with them to their states of origin. the fundamental rights of such It is common knowledge that the beautification project of the the Anambra State Government The Akwa Ibom state citizens enshrined in the Babatunde Fashola through its liaison office in government has just contacted Constitution of the Federal Administration has led to the Lagos on the controversial its Lagos counterpart of the Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as planned deportation of two amended. deportation of hundreds of the deportation.

In particular, deportation is Although the Anambra State “mad” Lagosians roaming the jetsam and the flotsam from an afront to the human rights streets of Uyo. government has not denied the Lagos state to their states of Many other state of the beggars to dignity of allegation that it was privy to origin.

The elite and the media have the deportation of the 14 governments are busy their persons (Section 34), personal liberty (Section 35), been celebrating the ban on beggars it is on record that in deporting beggars, mad men freedom of movement (Section and other destitute in the onDecmber 2011 the Peter Obi “Okada” from the major roads and the removal of traders and Administration had deported going beautification of state 41), and right of residence in area boys from the streets. For 29 beggars to their states of capitals. Those who are Continues on page 43

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BY FEMI FALANA

Map of Lagos State

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Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013—43

Deportation of dissidents Continues from page 42 any part of Nigeria (Section 43).

CONFLICTS IN NORTHERN NIGERIA:

13 years of civil rule in perspective Akinlade in this second edition of the discourse, argues that the introduction of Islamic religion in the twelfth century and the conversion of the king of Kano opened a new chapter in the dominance of the north by the Hausas

B

ACKGROUND to conflicts in Northern Nigeria: Northern Nigeria is a conglomeration of over a hundred tribal groups, with the various groups having different accounts of their historical episode as they migrated into the regions, from various places chiefly by the desire for safety during warfare as well as adventure. The various groups also attempted to dominate the other through warfare as typical of every traditional society. The Hausa race, however, was and is still the most populous of the various ethnic groups.

Hausa community was divided into Hausa ‘bokwa’ and Hausa “banza”, under the powerful rulers, who ruled according to custom and tradition, but the introduction of Islamic religion in the region “in the twelfth or thirteen century ”, and its eventual firm root, following fresh band of Muslim Wangara and Fulani traders and scholars, who entered the land from Mali in the fourteenth century, as well the first royal convert which occurred, when Ali Yaji B. Tsamia, the Sarki or king of Kano converted in the fourteenth century, opened a new chapter in the land.

Heavy taxes and injustice Meanwhile, heavy fighting (jihad) broke out in Gudu in 1804 which extended to other Hausa land, as Uthman dan Fodio, a popular and respected Fulani Muslim preacher led Muslim community resisted the attack of “King Yunfa of Gobir, along with other Hausa Kings”.

King Yunfa, a former pupil of Fodio, and his father - his predecessor had earlier enacted against the wearing of veil, turban (head gear), public preaching of Islam unless by Fodio alone, and ordered a return to traditional religion, by all converts. The peasants, already frustrated by heavy taxes and injustice in the land greatly contributed to the fall of Hausa royalty and this made Sharia to come to lime light, as Uthman dan Fodio introduced it in all conquered territories. The Sharia system brought the Hausa states under a federation, with the state capital being in Sokoto and

Gwandu and this brought considerable unity among the Hausas, as the Fulani race also came into prominence.

The Hausa/Fulani community also engaged in “slave-raiding expeditions in the middle belt,” the minority groups and the two groups threatened the existence of one another, but the Hausa/ Fulani community was seen as a great threat. This formed the basis of the hatred between the Hausa/ Fulani and the minority groups.

Therefore, when Christianity was introduced, the minority groups accepted as a means of unity among themselves and resistance to the perceived threat of the Hausas. This partly explains why conflicts appear religious, in the north. The new administration Emirate system soon met its waterloo, as Lugard’s West African Volunteer Force crushed it with its fading legitimacy, occasioned by a return of the elite to the pre-jihad corrupt life style. Although the people put up great resistance, British attack was not without

,

BY AKINLADE, M. T.

Map of Nigeria North, through his Northern People’s Congress, NPC. He reasonably distributed projects and political offices among the ethnic and religious groups. This explains why the slogan of NPC was “one North, one people irrespective of religion, rank or tribe”.

Independent Nigeria was like a period when storm is experienced in a bucket of water as the administration soon met its waterloo, starting with the Action Group Crisis of 1962 and dispute over the 1962/1963 population census. The Northern version of the crisis, was the 1964 wrath of the soldiers and police, experienced by Rafin Gora community in the present day Katsina State, on the directive of the Native Authority, for associating with Northern Element Progressive Union, NEPU, that was sympathetic to Southern political elite.

Dandunni village, also in Katsina suffered the same fate. The Tiv

Although the people put up great resistance, British attack was not without some support as some of the people celebrated

some support as some of the people celebrated, as they sang nasara ka dede ba ka zoba, ko bah au dokin hawainiya ne? which means “white man, you took so long to come, is your horse a chameleon?”

The invasion ceded the sovereignty of the Hausa/Fulani state to Britain. British colonial rule consolidated the already tensed relationship between the minority groups and Hausa/ Fulani group, as they made no attempt to unify or create an understanding between them.

Rather than make them live together, “Sabongiri” strangers quarters were built for nonHausas including Southerners resident in Hausa communities.

This could not afford the people the opportunity of having understanding among themselves. It needs being stressed that, the British indirect rule system worsened the situation. The necessity of politics, however, made Sir Ahmadu Bello to work effortlessly, for the unity of the

,

riot in the present Benue State added to the devastating experience of the period as the riot continued till 1966. The Tiv uprising and military operation that followed in the area, dealt an untold blow on the future unity of the North, which people in the 1980s, 1990s and the 21st Century have come to live with.

The Tiv Crisis, 1964 general election and the Western regional election crisis of 1965, brought law and order to nothingness, as anarchy raged, thereby “paving the way for the ascendancy of the specialist of violence, the military,” who eventually turned the scene to a semi warfare, through coup of January 15, 1966 and counter coup of July 29, 1966. This was followed by crisis in the North, over Aguiyi Ironsi’s unification decree of May 1966 and the September killings as well as eventual civil war between the Federal Government led by a Northern minority and Republic of Biafra.

To be continued

Furthermore, the deportation of beggars and other poor people by the Federal and State Governments is a repudiation of section 15 of the Constitution which has imposed a duty on the State to promote national integration. Since the political objective of the State imposes a duty on the governments to ”secure full residence rights for every citizen in all parts of the Federation” it is illegal to remove poor people from the streets of state capitals without providing them with alternative accommodation. By targetting beggars and the destitute and deporting them to their states of origin the state governments involved are violating Section 42 of the Constitution which has outlawed discrimination on the basis of place of birth or state of origin.

In so far as Article 2 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (Cap A9) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 has specifically banned discriminatory treatment on the ground of “social origin, fortune, birth or other status” it is indefensible to subject any group of citizens to harrassment on account of their economic status.

Urban renewal policy An urban renewal policy that has provision for only the rich cannot be justified under Article 13 of the African Charter which provides that every citizen shall have equal access to the public services of the country.

In the celebrated case of the Minister of Internal Affairs v. Alhaji Shugaba Abdulraham Darma (1982) 3 N.C.L.R. 915 the Court of Appeal upheld the verdict of the Borno State High Court which had held that the deportation of the Respondent (Alhaji Shugaba) from Nigeria to Chad by the Federal Government constituted “a violation of his fundamental rights to personal liberty, privacy and freedom to move freely throughout Nigeria.” In the Director, State Security Service v.

Olisa Agbakoba (1999) 3

NWLR (PT 595) 314 at 356 the Supreme Court reiterated that “It is not in dispute that the Constitution gives to the Nigerian citizen the right to move freely throughout Nigeria and to reside in any part thereof.”

Since deportation has denied the vicctims the fundamental right to move freely and reside in any state of their choice it is illegal and unconstitutional.

Fundamental human rights It is indubitably clear that the fundamental human rights guaranteed by the Constitution and the African Charter Act are not for the exclusive preserve of the bourgeoisie but for the enjoyment of all Nigerian citizens including beggars and other economically marginalised people. To that extent no state government has the power to deport or enter into agreements to repatriate any group of citizens to their states of origin.

The Socio-economic Challenge of Deportation It ought to be made clear to the managers of the neo-colonial state that there is no country which promotes social inequality that has successfully outlawed the poor from existence.

This explains why beggars are found in large numbers on the streets of major cities and in the ghettos of the United States of America – the bastion of capitalism.

The situation is bound to be worse in the periphery of capitalism like Nigeria where the poverty rate has reached an alarming proportion due to the failure of the State to provide for the welfare and security of the people which is the primary purpose of government.

The Federal and State governments should also be made to realize at all times that beggars are Nigerian citizens who lack money, food and other basic facilities to live decent lives.

The authorities should stop stigmatizing and harassing them and other citizens who have been pushed to a state of penury by the gross mismanagement of the economy by a selfish and short sighted ruling class.

To be concluded C M Y K

44—Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

TIME FOR CHANGE:

New opportunities, partnerships and our energy future N

EW Opportunities, new partnerships and new structures will shape Nigeria’s future as an energy giant: When you change something that has been around for 50 years, however much it needs changing, chances are that this change will not be universally popular. So it is with Nigeria’s gas and petroleum industries. For the best part of 50 years they have rumbled on, in many ways making a hugely important contribution to our nation’s prosperity. But I don’t think anyone would claim that the arrangements under which they have operated were perfect. And as time goes by, these imperfections have become increasingly difficult to deny. Things need to change. The signs are quite clear. If you look at the key performance indicators, most of them are moving the wrong way. For example, the rate of exploration drilling is dropping, even as production rates and national reserves decline.

The effect of all this is not hard to imagine. Nigeria’s earnings from oil and gas are actually declining, and there’s a growing danger that if our production levels and reserves continue to drop, our position at the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) high table could be put in jeopardy.

Current arrangement Of course, 50 years ago when most of the current arrangements were put in place, the world was a very different place. The great oil shocks of the Seventies had not yet hit, and very few of the oil-rich nations had yet seen those riches transformed into real prosperity for their people. In Nigeria, we had only limited experience as an oil producing nation, and like almost everyone else, had absolutely no idea of the vast changes the future would bring for the sector. So, in drawing up the regulations and arrangements that would apply, it was natural that the expertise and experience of the international oil companies C M Y K

should have made an important contribution to the thinking of Government at the time.

And much of the success of our oil industry since then has been due to the expertise and good advice offered.

Of course, it would be naive to expect the oil companies of those days to have encouraged arrangements or regulations that seriously inhibited their own business opportunities, •PetroleumResources Minister, Deziani Alisonand over the Madueke years that followed, great wealth flowed sion, out-dated piping (often from Nigerian oil wells into the far beyond its projected corporate coffers of our busi- lifespan), and maintenance ness partners. But this in itself malpractice by some of these is no bad thing. Today, we re- large firms have led to hunmain equally determined that dreds of spillages – large and our industry partners of the fu- small, each year. According to ture will thrive and prosper. But the World Bank, the number that prosperity has to be based could be in the thousands.

In the Petroleum Industry Bill on fair partnership, mutual re(PIB), we recognise that this spect and social responsibility.

Over the years, it has become constant abuse of the environincreasingly apparent that ment and of local livelihoods these qualities have not always of the farmers and the fisherformed the bedrock of the com- men must stop. As part of our mercial exploitation of our pe- response, we’re introducing a regulator with real teeth that troleum industry. will investigate all damage to the environment, and hold it up Environmental to the light for intense public devastation scrutiny. We need an end to impunity. To do this, the bill But it is not just a matter of breaks up the Nigerian Nacommercial arrangements. tional Petroleum Corporation There has also been a great (NNPC), which currently acts cost suffered by our country and as both regulator and an oil our people in terms of environcorporation – both a player and mental damage. Much has a referee. been said, and arguments have raged over the extent of this PIB damage; the causes, and where the blame lies. But anyone who objectives spends any time in the Niger Under the PIB, the regulator Delta will tell the same story.

The harm done has been griev- will stand alone and will deous. The land, the air and the fend the environment from furwaters of the Delta have been ther devastation, no matter polluted and poisoned over how large or small the offender.

These environmental issues many decades. And for this, the represent the sharp end of the international oil companies stick: any oversight or accident must take a great share of the in the oil industry is felt first, responsibility. Of course, these corporations don’t cause every and felt hardest, by the envispill: sabotage, theft, and ille- ronment. But the PIB doesn’t gal refineries also seriously leave off with these immediate share in the blame. But corro- concerns.

Currently, the revenue

Map of the Niger Delta stream from oil-production is shared, and one of these streams – the Derivation Fund, pours money into local development. But there have been problems of distribution and of fairness. The bill meets this complaint with the introduction of a new, additional measure: the Petroleum Host Community Fund,which splits part of the oil (and gas) revenues between the coastal communities with oil and gas facilities, including pipelines, for the first time giving both local upstream and downstream communities a decent share of their black gold.

Over the coming years, the Fund would start to meet the basic deficiencies we see every day in the most oil-rich areas of Nigeria: bad roads, bad street-lighting, and a lack of

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BY ABIYE MEMBERE

to ensure we can gain and retain the best partner companies for Nigeria.

To guarantee the future of Nigeria’s hydrocarbon supply, the bill also establishes a Frontier Exploration Service to search for and analyse Nigeria’s extensive deposits.

Critics of the bill have argued that it makes no provision for exploring undiscovered Northern reserves.

But the Exploration Service does just that, and in the process of exploring, it’ll make its findings freely available to any member of the public or interested party. Nigeria is interested in extracting oil wherever it finds it, and the Exploration Service will lead the way. It’s good news for the oil corporations, and it’s good news for the North, and ultimately, good news for Nigeria.

So the bill is ambitiously reformist. Undoubtedly, there are open questions and these questions will receive attention. But the PIB draft contains solutions to urgent problems. If Nigeria is to maintain its competitiveness worldwide, and its people are to get their new, fair deal in this oil bargain, Nigerian legislators should be prepared to ruffle the occasional corporate directors’ feathers.

Anyone who spends any time in the Niger Delta will tell the same story. The harm done has been grievous. The land, the air and the waters of the Delta have been polluted and poisoned over many decades clean, safe water.

But naturally, the bill isn’t just about the environment: it’s also about fine-tuning the engine of the industry, and directing the oil industry back toward growth. For example, by parcelling land into smaller blocks like the United Kingdom (UK) does with its North Sea oil and gas, we’re planning to make Nigerian exploration and extraction more competitive, forcing companies to explore their land blocks or risk losing them.

This is urgently needed,as Nigeria discovers fewer and fewer wells each year and reduces its output, countries as small as Ghana are growing from pygmies into real competitors in the international oil markets. Under the PIB, we’ll also be prising open space for smaller companies to operate alongside the international corporations, while cutting back certain taxes

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These companies have been our friends, playing their part in Nigeria’s rocketing growth, and the returns we ask are no greater than those asked by Norway or Indonesia of their own corporations. Indeed, Nigeria and the oil industry have a strong common future, but the terms of engagement must be updated. Through legislation and cooperation, the Government and corporations can clean up this industry, recognising that the old rules aren’t protecting Nigerians against new and difficult circumstances. The economist, John Maynard Keynes, understood the dilemma. As he once quipped, “When the facts change, I change my mind – what do you do, sir?”

•Membere is the Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)

Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013 —45

C M Y K

46 — Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

It's rude for Okupe, an appointee to be insulting govs — Sule Lamido •Forget NGF crisis, when it comes to money govs 're united GOVERNOR Sule Lamido is arguably the most socialist inclined of the country’s 36 governors. In his six years in office as governor of Jigawa State, he has in several ways sought to give the imprint of the Talakawa ideology he inherited from his one time leader, Mallam Aminu Kano on the state. Such policies as the allocation of slots to women and the physically disabled at all levels of government, subsidy on quality medicare and education, and the frantic effort to extend infrastructure to reach the lowest cadre of the citizenry are glimpses of Governor Lamido’s socialist inclinations on ground in Jigawa State. Following the Sallah Durbar marking the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan, the governor sat down for a brief interview touching on the recent effort by him and four other governors to mobilise some of the country’s elder-statesmen to intervene in the crisis in the polity. Of course, he spoke on the conspiracy of the elite class against the Nigerian masses. Excerpts: nobody else’s. You

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, courage to stand up and say. know in the POLITICAL EDITOR It has nothing to do with this Governors Forum so called aspiration for 2015 we don’t discuss at all, it is about the way politics, it is all HAT do you intend to things are being done within about the achieve with your visits the system, the way the economy. to the past leaders? government is being run. It Are you not We are people who are doesn’t matter if it is my own bothered that the normal human beings who are government or any other one real agenda of the concerned about their country, in the country, the way the Governors who believe in their country institutions are being run, the Forum is being regardless of which party they way the parties are being run, lost? come from. If we are going to do they really conform with No, no. The have democracy, democracy the rules of democracy?

Governors Forum has rules therefore we should A situation where a hired is an informal learn to uphold those tenets hand like Doyin Okupe, a thing, nothing like of democracy. wage earner speaks only to an agenda.

If you manipulate it you are justify his pay will malign me What I mean is rocking the entire system. It that I am irrelevant. your coming is not against anybody ’s together to aspirations, we are not against Justifying articulate anybody. But we are being common issues? maligned, we are now being the wages My friend if called a gang of five, we are He became an aide after the tomorrow the issue now being called is about sharing desperadoes. See how we are election. These people who are now talking and abusing money, the being maligned. governors of Akwa But if you look at us, these us are personal aides who Ibom, that of are people who stuck out their became what they are when Lagos, that of necks for this country two the mandate was achieved.

They were nowhere when Zamfara, Bayelsa years ago, all of us! It is will be on the because we have the capacity the whole thing was being same frequency to understand where we are worked out. It means there because they all going that is why we have the was an election before they were able to serve as personal want money. In aides.

•Lamido: Okupe is an appointee, he didnt win election fact, Bayelsa and In their own case, Akwa Ibom need it is an industry, abuse my person but don’t they are not stakeholders. more money because they they are justifying abuse the office l am holding Two, we are going round not have got very difficult terrain. the wages they are because the office is symbolic. because of any personal So, the issue is not about earning, it is for the If you demystify the office, if interest or because we have an persons, but it is about what pay. There is appointees of the president ambition, we are going round do we get as governors from nothing like would be that audacious to honour in that organise people to pellet us Get me very clear, when the issue is because they are with stones unwittingly they about the economy, about getting money just hired hands if are also disrobing the Office tomorrow you have of the President because he is from the federation account, all the another president also our symbol. governors in Nigeria are on the same they go to him. All You can abuse Sule Lamido, frequency of them are so you can abuse Kwankwaso, irrelevant in their you can abuse Wamakko but own constituencies, don’t abuse our office because because we feel that no matter the federation account which they have no idea after I leave office as governor what, a democracy must have is defined as ours. That is all. what we went of Jigawa State, this institution some pattern, some standard.

Today, the Federal It must have clearly defined Government is the custodian, through. Our worry will remain. rules and when the rules are minister of finance controls the is the institution, If appointees of the president ignore our would insult us simply depressed to obtain an money and for us to take from p e r s o n a l i t i e s , because they are justifying advantage, you are also the money we have to go and ignore Sule the pay that they are earning, depressing the country. beg and beg and beg.

How can we as governors Lamido, he may be because they are there for the Get me very clear, when the an irritant it doesn’t pay. They are wage earners, unite and pick our own leader, Continues on page 47 clearly, our own chairman, •Lamido: The president is decent, but.. matter, you can

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Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013—47

Buhari and El-Rufai missing when we fought for democracy — Lamido A few days ago, former FCT minister Mohammed Abba-Gana came out to say that the north is not prepared for 2015 and does not have a presidential material?

You see Abba-Gana is an old boy from Barewa College and he is my senior and we defer to our seniors. Abba-Gana knows the values upon which Barewa was founded and I defer to him and if that is his opinion fine, but to me he could be a material for the presidency.

The preparation he got in that school, the upbringing, he is a material for the presidency. This is my feeling.

Can the PDP under Tukur take the country to that next phase you envisage?

It is part of the process, this metamorphosis. Even a snake before it gets out of the skin to put a new skin there are some pains, they go and hibernate and so, we are going through a very difficult period of metamorphosis.

Continued from page 46 issue is about the economy, about getting money from the federation account, all the governors in Nigeria are on the same frequency. All the governors are on the same wavelength whether it is Jang or Fashola or Giedam or Suswam or Sule Lamido, all of us, when it is about getting money to your state, we are on the same frequency. That is all. So, let us have institutions which are functioning.

Clearly defined and when they are functioning you wont talk about problems in Nigeria for the next one million years.

Not Nigeria of today and when a country is not defined by institutions we will keep on remaining in one spot.

So when it is said that Nigeria cannot break, yes it is too weak to be broken. It is too weak to break. Who will break it? The ordinary person in Jigawa or the ordinary person in Sokoto or the ordinary person in Bayelsa? Is it the Ibo vulcaniser or the Yoruba woman who is selling kerosene by the roadside or the Okada man in Delta?

They don’t have the capacity to unite because they are burdened by poverty. We have taken away from them their dignity, their self esteem, their pride and self worth so that they cannot even organize.

Who did? We the elite.

Up there, we (elite) unite, we sing and so we will never allow Nigeria to break because once it breaks we will lose.

Period of metamorphosis

•Lamido: Abba-Gana was prepared for the presidency Doyin Okupe who is saying all these, that we cannot be president or this boy, Gulak?

In 2011 where were they?

Did they win their constituencies? Doyin there talking and he is from the

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A situation where a hired hand like Doyin Okupe, a wage earner speaks only to justify his pay will malign me that I am irrelevant, he became an aide after the election

But the common man loses nothing. What is he losing? He is already living in hell, he cannot lose anything more than this hell.

When you met the president did you raise the issue of his aides abusing you?

Yes we did.

What did he say?

He said it is wrong.

But they have not stopped?

You see the president as a person is a very decent man but these are people who will try to justify their pay because they are nothing but wage earners.

They are not stakeholders.

Where were they when we were doing the elections?

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Yoruba area which is 99 per cent ACN? Of course to him, he is trying to justify his wage.

So, I will not join issues with wage earners, those who are there for the pay. I will join issues with those who believe in the unity of this country, who believe in building strong institutions and we have been very, very consistent.

It is not about personalities, it is not about interest. It is about operating by rules and regulations, as per the laws, as per the rules and the constitution.

Political parties are also defined by constitution. But when a chairman will suspend a governor for not answering

his telephone? For failing to answer the telephone of your chairman you are suspended.

What are all these?

So, will you now say that PDP is a bigger threat to itself than APC? No, no, no. there is simply no alternative to PDP. It is because those who are in there now do not know the history of the PDP. When it was founded in 1998, it had a very clear mission. At that time we were looking at the country because if you don’t look at history you cant think of tomorrow.

In 1998 we were looking at the country the way it went through between 1983 up till under Abacha, June 12 and others. So, we were trying to put a mechanism which would be able to reconcile Nigeria and Nigerians across the divide caused by the misrule of the military junta.

So, the mission was how do you put in a political party people with a high profile to be seen.

So you needed symbols to be able to restore hope. At that time the issue was what do you put in place as institutions as a mechanism to restore

Nigeria? So, Nigeria has been fully restored and there is no better way to assess this than seeing those who are clamouring to be president.

Those who are talking now in APC, in 1998 could they talk? Could they? All the materials in APC in 1998 could they talk about Nigeria or the Nigerian presidency?

Could they?

Full restoration of Nigeria The El-Rufais, the Buharis, could they? We have to be very, very honest so it means that it is left to the PDP to restore Nigeria. Nigeria is now fully restored that they can now come out to say that I want to be president. Good!

Therefore to us we have been able to accomplish the first phase. The next phase is for the PDP to be able to now sit down and look at Nigeria’s problems and address them.

Human development which is the most difficult thing. The most difficult thing.

So, it is the second phase which is now posing a big problem, but APC is not the alternative.

It is very, very difficult, but there are pains but thank God PDP has the wherewithal, as the name indicates, the people, no matter our difficulties it will be able to overcome its own problems because there are no alternatives. By the time we are going to the brinks, we will say enough is enough, we apply the brakes and this is what PDP is all about.

Talking about institutions, northern governors were last year against state police, but with the developments in Rivers State would you be changing your stance?

Nigeria Police is no different from any other Nigerian institution. I think we should start to build the institutions, the Police is no different from the Governor ’s Office in Jigawa State, or from the presidency or from the National Assembly or from Nigerian banking or even the press.

It is from the same society that we get the leaders, therefore we should be able to make sure that we as people should be able to sit down to say, how do we define ourselves? How do we give ourselves some standards, some set values?

Which means making the effort, first, to do the right thing. The effort first! If the effort is there, off course we can get there.

48—Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST12, 2013

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Who leads the APC? and admirers as a party that will survive its teething problems as the PDP was able to do. As I noted in an earlier writeup, the APC is still a party of strange bedfellows. Perhaps, the only thing that currently unites its merging components is the common desire to dethrone the PDP. Beyond that, there is little common ground.

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istorically, the merging parties do not belong to a common root. The Northern wing of the APC is basically the old All People’s Party (APP) made up of the General Sani Abacha loyalists and deserters from the PDP, such as Alhaji Aminu Asari. The APP became the All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP) and later split when General Buhari left and formed the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) when some ANPP leaders decided to work with the PDP administration in a quasi-“government of national unity” after the 2007 polls.

These Arewa components of the APC come with the typical northern mindset of pushing for the continuation of the current centralised federalism with the North in charge of the presidency and the South providing the Vice President.

General Buhari also strikes the posture of a man who will fight corruption; an attribute that may not endear him to

many of his fellow leaders when the struggle for the presidential slot heats up.

The South arm of the APC is mainly the former Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) led by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Historically, the Western regional vision of Nigeria’s federalism is based on the Awoist ideology of decentralisation of power. They call it “true federalism”. The Tinubu political

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HERE is no doubt about it – the registration of the All People’s Congress (APC) is very well received and acclaimed. The dominance of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had become worrisome and a threat to our democracy. The nation had already become hostage to a ruling party which, in spite of its many disappointing showings over the past fourteen years, boasted it would be in power for sixty years (though it is not clear to me the calculation used to arrive at that number).

With the coming of the APC, those who wish for change both at the state and federal levels can look forward to a brighter prospect for it. Indeed, going by its current strength vis-à-vis the PDP (11 compared to 23 states) the APC is a greatly handicapped underdog. But based on the novelty of its emergence the euphoria factor is on its side. Its supporters have reason to hope that the flux in the PDP will result in great dividends for the APC. The Interim spokesman for the upstart party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, boasted that by the middle of July, the number of governors populating the APC would have risen to 23. It has not happened. Whether (and when) it will happen, no one can tell.

The PDP is no stranger to internal crisis. In fact, what is happening to it now is a child’s play compared to what it has gone through in the past and emerged stronger. For instance, in 2005, former President Olusegun Obasanjo went as far as ordering a fresh registration of PDP members with a view to keeping a large section of his opponents (supporters of his Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar) out of the party. Governor Orji Uzor Kalu left the Party, formed his own Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA) and used it to win two states in the 2007 elections.

Atiku contested for the presidency on the platform of the Action Congress (AC).

In spite of this, the party continued to maintain its dominance in all elections, which obviously led the main opposition parties to settle for this merger option.

The PDP is an accomplished electionwinning machine, and that is why most of the time, those who run away from it after each crisis find their ways back, sometimes braving great opposition, as Orji Kalu and Atiku Abubakar did. Each time its critics and opponents predict doom for the PDP it comes back stronger due, mainly, to its enormous incumbency and ombudsman advantages.

The APC has an uphill task before it can gain the confidence of its members

By far the most challenging obstacle for the party is the emergence of its leadership. Yes indeed, there was little friction when the interim leaders were agreed by the joint committee of the merging parties. These are just technocrats. The main headache will be when the LEADER of the party is considered. That is the man on whose table the buck comes to a final stop; the man who gives the last order and delivers the casting vote when crucial decisions are taken. Will it be Buhari the leader of the minority CPC or Tinubu, the largest shareholder”? Or will one section produce the leader while the other produces the presidential candidate? Bearing in mind that if the presidential candidate wins and becomes president of Nigeria he will also be the leader of the APC, which of the divides in the party will be willing to give away this prized position?

Of particular interest to Nigerians is the person who will stand as the presidential candidate of the APC in 2013. The party cannot afford to present an unelectable candidate such as

APC has to go out of the box for the fresh, inspirational X-factor candidate for president.

Some of the hot names it might consider are: retired Col. Abubakar Umar, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Gov. Rochas Okorocha and even Gov. Rotimi Amaechi.

But will Tinubu and Buhari be willing to make the unusual sacrifice required?

machine showed they meant business when they created the 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDA’s) in Lagos State, opting to endure the withholding of the federal allocations due to the local councils during the Obasanjo presidency.

The challenge before the APC now is to decide once and for all, whether to go with the Arewa view of centralised federalism for Nigeria or settle for the Western/Awoist model which Tinubu and his followers prefer. Solving that issue will be a major ideological milestone for the APC because it will close the chapter of a discordant root and grease internal bedTinubu and Buhari: Will they make sacrifice? fellowship.

OPINION

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Buhari, who has become stigmatised by his loss of three presidential elections to the PDP. He has not done much to improve on his drag factors that led to those losses, such as his perceived parochialism, religious extremism, lack of reach outside the North and lack of bridges across Nigeria. And yet, it is obvious that Buhari’s main attraction to enter the merger is for him to have a better fighting chance for the presidency.

APC has to go out of the box for the fresh, inspirational X-factor candidate for president. Some of the hot names it might consider are: retired Col. Abubakar Umar, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Gov. Rochas Okorocha and even Gov. Rotimi Amaechi.

But will Tinubu and Buhari be willing to make the unusual sacrifice required?

BY SUNDAY ALIFIA

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ISTORY of Democracy in Nigeria has shown that it has not been easy for opposition parties since the second Republic to form strong mega party to tame activities of the leading party in power. Since 1999 when democracy returned to the country, opposition parties has failed to form a formidable party, and this has given more momentum to the leading party producing a second class leadership which can hardly differentiate between right and wrong.

The opposition started from APP in 1998. It was made of a coalition of associations which received full support under the regime of late General Sani Abacha. PDP under the candidacy of Olusegun Obasanjo won the presidential elections in 1999. APP and AD then formed a coalition to contest the presidential election. Olu falae of the AD became the presidential flag bearer while Umoru Shinkafi of the APP was nominated as running mate. But lost the election.

Governorship elections in 1999, APP won nine governorship seats in the North. Since then, their political sagacity kept deminishing. To resurrect the party from its constant declining, the name of the party was changed to ANPP and in 2003 general elections, Muhammadu Buhari was invited as the party's candidate, late Dr. Chuba Okadigbo as running mate to face Olusegun Obasanjo of the PDP and it became the battle of the generals. General Buhari remained ANPP presidential candidate in 2003 and 2007 elections which returned late Umoru Musa Yar'Adua of the ruling party as the winner. Buhari took his brother to court for election fraud but lost as usual!

General Buhari not satisfied with the support received

APC's registration: Jinx broken? from ANPP, formed his own party and in December 2009, he got INEC's registration and CPC became another force.

Lost presidential elections to Goodluck Jonathan in 2011, winning governorship seat in Nassarawa state.

ACN on the other hand, was a faction of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and by September 9, 1998, AD was registered, won 34 out of 360 seats in the House of Representatives, claimed 6 senatorial seats and 6 states in the west. And the party's downward slop performance continued until the faction ACN strongly came to limelight in 2006 when they succeeded using their emblem broom to sweep the whole south west from the domineering party PDP. Again, ACN not done with their political calculations to dismantle the PDP at the central level, came up with merger solution. But to cross the INEC's hurdle was another brick wall and the pressure continued until history was made few days ago. And by this victory, APC is the name. Nigeria in the history of democracy now have two solid political party competing to share power at the centre level.

Analytically, PDP now controls 23 states, 75 Senators with 204 House members while APC shot up to 11 states, 30 Senators and 135 House of Representatives. The 2015 political atmosphere is now set and very interesting indeed!

It was a jubilation galore across the nation especially among the opposition party members when INEC

pronounced the registration of the mega party. The jinx seems broken, sky looks clearer, but not yet uhuru. A mere merger constituting members from all different political party is not enough. The agitation or desperation to win 2015 presidential election after the merger still not the best way out of our mess. If the new party is out to meet the aspirations of the Nigerian people, there is urgent need to work on their manifestos, modalities to overrun where PDP has failed, internal democracy and politics of imposition, then convince Nigerians that the new party can make the difference. There are still bridges to cross. What do we say about the clash of Interest among party leaders in the past that has led to failure and death of some political parties?

For a successful taming and annihilation of a party that controls the government at the centre, opposition party must unity. Individual or personal interest should not be mentioned at all.

The lingering and heart-breaking issue in the land is no longer the name of your party. It is not the acronyms or how popular the party is across the globe. Nigerians right from the second Republic till date have been victims of big party.

Nigerians are clamouring for quality of leadership and who cares whichever political party produces this qality leadership. *Mr. Alifia, a political analyst,wrote from Ibadan, Oyo State.

Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013—49

Call DLA D-G to order, Delta NLC tells Uduaghan

BY VICTOR

AHIUMA-YOUNG

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ELTA State council of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, yesterday, implored the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, to call the Director General of the state Direct Labour Agency, DLA, to order before he caused industrial unrest in the state.

Chairman of the state NLC, Mr. Williams Akporegha, in a statement, accused the DG of divide and rule aimed at instigating crisis in the agency to weaken the union’s activities.

He said: “We call on Governor Uduaghan, to call the Director General of the state DLA to order before he causes an industrial unrest in the state. We have observed that the DG has been concentrating his energy on divide and rule in the agency to instigate and cause disharmony among workers.”

N-Delta ex-militants flay call for sack of PPMC MD

N

IGER Delta exmilitant ‘generals’ in Bayelsa and Delta States have condemned in strong terms, the call for the removal of the Managing Director of the Pipeline Products Marketing Company, PPMC, Prince Haruna Momoh, by some ex-agitators in the region over the scarcity of kerosene, saying that such a call was selfish and based on personal interest.

The ex-militant generals expressed their displeasure over the call in a statement by former militant, Otungbolo One and eight others at the end of a meeting in Warri, Delta State.

They described the call as unpatriotic, judging from the effort put in place by the PPMC management that had restructured the outfit and enhanced the effective distribution of petroleum products across the country.

APC won’t survive in Edo —Asekhame

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—AS the leadership of the newly registered All Progressive Congress, APC, perfects its merger arrangement in Edo State, a chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state, Mr. Dan Asekhame, has said that APC will not survive in the state due to what he described as the controversial conduct of the local government elections in the state.

Asekhame, a former council chairman in the state, recalled that the former All Nigerian Peoples Party, ANPP, governorship candidate, Mr. Solomon Edebiri and the leadership of the then Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, disagreed over the result of the elections after Edebiri described same as sham and a rape on the country’s democracy.

He described APC in Edo State as a union of strange bed fellows, which according to him, will help in the destruction of the party in the state to the advantage of PDP. But reacting, a chieftain of APC in the state, Odaro Omoregie, described Asekhame’s claim as laughable, saying: “Apart from the pages of newspapers, PDP is nowhere in Edo, so how are they going to match APC? Asekhame is day dreaming.

What I expect him to say is that PDP will disintegrate into different parts and they will finally be buried in 2015 in Edo.” However, Asekhame insist-

ed that “it is obvious that ANPP and ACN cannot work together in Edo State. You remember how Edebiri described ACN leaders as fraudulent over the council elections, so that problem will come up again and that will

lead to the end of APC. I want to encourage those who want come back to PDP because that is the only party in Edo State.

“The APC-led government has disappointed our people.

There is so much hunger in

the state, no employment, so we don’t see APC offering anything new to our people.

And I can tell you that PDP is waiting patiently for the 2015 national and state Assembly elections and it will be bye bye to APC in Edo.”

VISIT: Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State (right), and an official of Primus Super Specialty Hospital, Mr. Nitin Dewan, during a courtesy visit, at the Governor's Office, Uyo.

Delta demolishes caravans, illegal structures in Warri

W

ARRI—DELTA State Ministry of Environment, yesterday, demolished all caravans and illegal structures on Edjeba Road and its environs in Warri.

The operation, led by the Environment Commissioner, Mr. Frank Omare, Vanguard gathered, commenced at 5am, ridding the entire area of caravans and other illegal structures on the road.

Omare said that he had given notice to affected persons long ago but yesterday, made good his promise to bring down all the caravans and illegal structures in the area.

The commissioner, however, gave students of the College of Education, Warri, who staged a peaceful protest, one month grace, within which to move out of their makeshift hostels before the bulldozers send them packing from the area.

Vanguard also gathered that despite the notice given to owners of caravans and other illegal structures on Edjeba Road,

many of them were caught napping when the bulldozers started the demolition exercise, witnessed by the Commissioner for Transport, Mr. Ben Igbakpa and Warri South Transition Committee Chairman, Dr Augustine Uroye.

Many people rushed from churches, when the news got

to them, to salvage their business places, with many complaining that they were not given enough notice to look elsewhere for accommodation. But it turned out to be a good day to some, such as cab drivers, truck owners and pay loaders, who made brisk business evacuating things from business

premises.

Describing the demolition as a huge success, Omare said: “We carry out demolition exercises on regular bases as it is part of the mandate given to us.

Caravans are more than the population in Edjeba community and we are not out to celebrate caravans as they have to go.”

Adeboye shops for fund to build bigger auditorium

BY SAM EYOBOKA & OLAYINKA LATONA

F

OLLOWING the failure of the third auditorium in the Redemption Camp to adequately accommodate the unprecedented crowd that troop in for different programmes of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, the General Overseer of the church, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, weekend, appealed for funds towards the construc-

tion of a bigger one.

Making the announcement before a crowd of worshippers, who had taken over every space in and around the Holy Ghost Arena, including the fields that served as places of relaxation for residents, Pastor Adeboye said: “Obviously, the present auditorium has become too small to accommodate participants.”

He, therefore, called on brethren of the church to join him in building a new audi-

torium to the glory of the Almighty God, adding that the new auditorium would measure about three kilometers by three likometres and should be completed before the next convention in August 2014.

Adeboye, a former lecturer at the University of Lagos and the University of Ilorin, maintained that considering the size of the next auditorium, it would be expensive but with God, nothing shall be impossible.

50 — Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

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Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013 —51

Daegu heartbreak inspired Moscow Bale: Spurs want £100m from Real victory — Mo T

M

O Farah said memories of missing out on gold two years ago in Daegu inspired him to push hard for 10,000m victory at the World Championships.

The double Olympic champion held off the challenge of Ibrahim Jeilan on the final lap to secure the title which eluded him in 2011.

Defending champion Jeilan threatened to overtake the Briton, just as he did in the last 150m in South Korea.

But Farah said: “I was thinking ‘not again, not again, not again’.”

The 30-year-old won in 27 minutes 21.71sec, producing a 54.49sec last lap, to finish ahead of the Ethiopian.

“Two years ago Jeilan did wonderfully and ran a great race,” said Farah after becoming the first Briton to win a 10,000m world title.

“But ever since then something has been missing and after London you just want to get that feeling again.

“It was very exciting. I knew what Jeilan was capable of so it was important I had something left.

“To be honest, with the last lap I could see he was there and I was thinking, ‘God, I’ve got to make this lap worth it’.”

•Mo Farah

Odumosu begins medal chase N

IGERIAN 400m hurdles record holder,Ajoke Muizat Odumosu will begin her chase for a first ever appearance in the finals

Rooney: I will join Chelsea

W

AYNE Rooney has told friends he is confident he will make the move to Chelsea this summer.

The unsettled Manchester United striker is seemingly intent on leaving Old Trafford, and has been the subject of two bids from

•Rooney

Chelsea so far.

While the Red Devils have turned down both offers from Chelsea and remain adamant he is going nowehere, ESPN say the 27-year-old is convinced he will get his move to Stamford Bridge before the end of the transfer window.

Rooney has missed the vast majority of Manchester United’s pre-season through injury, was absent from their Community Shield win over Wigan at Wembley today. He also missed Rio Ferdinand’s testimonal against Sevilla on Friday.

of the quartermile barrier run early this morning at the Luizniki stadium in Moscow.

Odumosu,who ran a new 54.40 seconds Nigerian record at the semifinal stage of the London 2012 Olympics on her way to becoming the first Nigerian woman 400m hurdles runner to make it to the finals of the event at the Olympics will also be aiming to score another first here.

The University of South Alabama,USA graduate is participating in her fourth IAAF World championships and she has never gone beyond the semifinals.She has been drawn in the first lane of a very tough second heat where she will compete for one of the three automatic slots with athletes who have been in better form so far this season than she has been.

OTTENHAM have reportedly drawn up two possible options for Real Madrid in relation to the Spanish side’s interest in attacker Gareth Bale.

The Marca claim the White Hart Lane side have demanded •116m (£100m) or •100m and Real Madrid youngster Alvaro Morata, the latter option said to be a less favourable one with the La Liga side.

The Bernabeu outfit are not keen on losing highly rated striker Morata but are also not too keen on offering such a hefty sum for 24 year old Welsh international Gareth Bale, this despite their very genuine interest in the Spurs star.

Re-elected president Florentino Perez has hoped to persuade the North London side to accept a cash plus player deal involving the likes of Angel Di Maria or Fabio Coentrao but this option does not sit well with chairman Daniel Levy, who can probably see the sense in bringing in a young talent like Morata, who could well have good sell on value.

Ukraine’s Natalia Semenova competes in the women’s discus at the world athletics championships despite a broken nose.

Ukraine’s Semenova bows out with broken nose

T

HE unluckiest com petitor at the World Athletics Championships in Moscow has to be Natalia Semenova, who lived up to her billing as Ukraine’s “Iron Lady” by bravely competing in discus qualifying

after suffering concussion and a broken, bloodied nose in a freak accident just before the event began.

The European championship bronze medallist was accidentally hit in the face

by Poland’s Zaneta Glanc,

who had mimed a throw while holding the discus, as she sat in the athletes’ area next to the circle.

“Coach asked me not to compete … but I had to throw to show my husband andparentswatchingonTV."

52 — Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

Vanguard CLASSIFIED AIGBOGUN—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Peggy Aijefoh Aigbogun, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Peggy Aijefoh Izibili.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

L AW S O N — I , formerly known and addressed as Miss K o f o w o r o l a Olubukola Lawson, now wish to be known and addressed as Engr.

(Mrs) Kofoworola O. Ugochukwu.

All former documents remain valid. US Embassy, Globacom, PMI and general public please take note.

A L A D H E — I , formerly known and addressed as Miss Becky Uyouyo Aladhe, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Becky Babatunde Falope. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OKOLIE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Anthonia Okolie, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Anthonia Abolo. All former documents remain valid.

Department of State Services and general public please take note.

N WA N E R I — I , formerly known and addressed as Miss Mercy Obiageli Kelechi Nwaneri, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Mercy Obiageli Kelechi Gabriel Okereke. All former documents remain valid. National Open University, GTB Plc and general public please take note.

SOLANKE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Adewunmi Adetutu Solanke, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adewunmi Adetutu Odusanya. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

O L U WA S E U N — I , formerly known and addressed as Miss Olakitan Oluwaseun Petinrin, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Olakitan PetinrinFatokun. All former documents remain valid.

Nigerian Air Force and general public please take note.

UCHEFUNA—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Uchefuna Ijeoma Prisca Benedeth, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Chukwuka Ijeoma Hillary Benedeth. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

EKRRESA—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Rukevbe Ekrresa, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Rukevbe Daniel Dolor. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Mali votes in presidential election run-off M ANY expect Former Prime Minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who won 40% of the vote in the first round, to defeat ex-Finance Minister Soumaila Cisse.

The election follows more than a year of turmoil which included a coup and a French-led military intervention to oust Islamist rebels from the north.

The victor will oversee more than $4bn (£2.6bn) in

foreign aid promised to rebuild the West African state.

A 12,600-strong United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Mali (Minusma) is currently deploying, as France begins to withdraw its 3,000 troops.

Meanwhile, the UN has stressed the importance of the election to the restoration of constitutional order and the start of

VANGUARD'S LAGOS OFFICE YOU CAN B O O K Y O U R A D V E RT S AT OU R LAGOS ISLAND OFFI C E — VA N G U A R D MEDIA LIMITED (LAGOS OFFICE) KIOSK 4 8 E A S T PAV I L I O N TBS, LAGOS.

Constitutional Court rejected the allegations and the head of the EU election observer mission, Louis Michel, praised the electoral process for its transparency.

Ahead of Sunday ’s second round, for which some 21,000 polling stations opened across Mali at 08:00 GMT, Mr Michel said he had been “positively surprised” by preparations.

Egypt threatens to arrest pro-Morsi protesters

E

GYPTIAN police have given order to arrest any pro-Morsi protesters henceforth.

As pro-Morsi are expected to start more action in support ousted President Mohamed Morsi. The protester were gather in Cairo, security. But government sources said the could trigger more bloodshed.

Wester n and Arab mediators and some senior Egyptian government officials have been trying to persuade the army to avoid using force against the protesters, who at times can number as much as tens of thousands.

“State security troops will be deployed around the sit-ins by dawn as a start of

procedures that will eventually lead to a dispersal,” a senior security source said yesterday , adding that the first step will be to surround the camps.

Army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who toppled Mursi, has come under pressure from hardline military officers to move against the protesters, security sources say.

U

N chief, Ban Ki-moon has said that the Central African Republic (CAR) has suffered a “total breakdown of law and order” since rebels seized power in March.

He urged the UN Security Council to consider

in Iraq

T

HE United States of America, weekend condemned bombings and shootings in Iraq in where more than 60 people were killed.

It said those carrying out the attacks during celebrations marking the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan were enemies of Iraq and the international community.

The state department said the attacks bore the hallmarks of al-Qaeda in Iraq.

This Ramadan in Iraq is thought to have been one of the deadliest in years, with more than 670 people killed.

In a statement, the state department said: “The terrorists who committed these acts are enemies of Islam and a shared enemy of the United States, Iraq, and the

Pro-Mosri protesters at the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque, Cairo

Congolese protest against UN’s in-action over

ADVERT HOTLINE US condemns Eid violence 01- 8737025

national dialogue and reconciliation.

A record 49% of the 6.8 million registered voters cast a ballot in first round on 28 July.

Mr Cisse, who was second among the 27 candidates with 19.7% of the vote, complained that there was widespread fraud, with more than 400,000 ballots declared spoiled.

However, Mali’s

international community.”

It reiterated its offer of a $10m (£6.5m) reward for information leading to the death or capture of the group’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

“He has taken personal credit for a series of terrorist attacks in Iraq since 2011, and most recently claimed credit for the operations against the Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad, the suicide bombing assault on the ministry of justice, among other attacks against Iraqi security forces and Iraqi citizens,” the statement said.

Most of the casualties were in the capital, Baghdad, which was hit by apparently coordinated car bombings near markets, cafes and restaurants.

sanctions or to set up a panel of experts to monitor the situation.

Seleka rebel group leader Michel Djotodia ousted President Francois Bozize in March.

Last month Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said

the country’s health care system had collapsed.

In a report that the Security Council is due to discuss on Wednesday, Mr Ban said infighting among rebel groups had led to widespread abuses.

BRIEFS Ramadan festival: Pope reaches out to Muslims

P

OPE Francis has urged Christians and Muslims to work together to promote mutual respect, particularly by educating new generations of believers.

He greeted Muslims around the world during his Sunday blessing of

pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square in Rome.

He said that “our brothers’’ the Muslims had just concluded their holy month of Ramadan, dedicated to fasting, prayer and alms-giving.

The Pope spoke from his studio window overlooking the square.

Greek deploys police amid riot at migrant camp

G

REEK riot police have been deployed to end a riot at a migrant detention facility north of the capital, Athens.

Detainees threw stones at the police guards, injuring at least 10 of them, and set fire to their bedding in what police called an

“unprovoked” attack.

The rioting began when the detainees were informed that the maximum time they could be held at the facility had been extended from a year to 18 months.

Some 1,500 are kept under guard at the Amygdaleza “closed hospitality centre”.

Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013 —53

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54—Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

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Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013 — 55

Gabon stun Cameroon to qualify for CHAN finals ‘Suárez must say sorry’

G

ABON have booked their place at next year ’s African Nations Championship (CHAN) after beating Cameroon on penalties in their firstround qualifier.

The score was 1-0 to Gabon after 90 minutes of the second leg in Libreville on Saturday, making the tie level 1-1 on aggregate after Cameroon won the first leg in Yaounde.

And the Panthers completed their comeback by winning the penalty shoot-out and clinching their place at the finals of the tournament for locally-based players, which will take place in South Africa.

Cameroon, however, have another chance to qualify as they will now face the Democratic Republic of Congo in the play-offs, with the winner making it to the finals.

There are also two second-round, first-leg ties this weekend, Zimbabwe hosting Zambia in Harare and Mozambique taking on Angola in Maputo.

J

OHN W Henry led from the front when he declared it would be “ludicrous” to sell Luis Suárez to Arsenal but it seems that opinion is not universally held at Liverpool. Ian Ayre, the club’s chief executive,

Keshi, Okoku donate generator to school

BY JOHN EGBOKHAN

E

Okagbare Continues from BP event at the Luzhniki Stadium O k a g b a r e ’ s penultimate jump of 6.99m was only surpassed by the defending champion from America, Brittney Reese, whose second jump of 7.01 was enough to win her the gold.

With one giant leap, Reese again rose to the occasion and became the first woman to win three long jump titles at the world championships.

Despite losing the gold to the American, Okagbare was gracious in celebrating her silver-medal feat, by hugging the champion from America.

Tipped by many athletics buffs, including Mary Onyali to win at least a medal at the world championships, Okagbare was all smiles as she celebrated with the Nigerian flag draped around her to the

spent his Ryanair flight to Dublin being urged to sell the disillusioned and disaffected striker by supporters. On the ground, 1-0 defeat to Celtic merely reinforced the principal owner’s point.

delight of the few Nigerians at the stadium.

Okagbare’s silver earned her $30, 000 from the IAAF. Reese pocketed $60, 000 for her goldmedal win.

Interestingly before the long jump final, Okagbare ran earlier in the day to reach the 100m semifinals, where she is a medal favorite in today’s final. But unlike in the long jump event, Okagbare must dig deep to upstage Olympics champion from Jamaica, Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce, who like Reese is the defending champion.

Remarkably, Reese, gold medallist in 2009 and 2011, had scraped into the final on countback after a below-par showing in Saturday’s qualifying but the American had no intention of losing her crown and, after opening with a foul, leapt 7.01m.

Her jump was the only seven metre jump of the competition

TUSSLE: Arsene Copa of Gabon and Achille Emana of Cameroon in a contest for the ball

X-EAGLES stars, Stephen Keshi, Paul Okoku and Godwin Odiye have donated a generator set to St Paul’s Catholic Primary School, Ebute-Metta, Lagos, to power the computer systems which they gave their Alma Mater last year.

Disclosing this to Sports Vanguard, Okoku said the decision to donate the generator, which the trio pledged when they were presenting the computers, was made because of the poor state of electricity in the country, stressing that the computers when fully put into use, were going to fast track the academic development of the pupils

Pa Fashola was pillar of sports – Tesilim

A

S Lagos Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola and family

converge for the eight day Fidau prayer for their late father, Pa Ibrahim Ademola

Uduaghan congratulates Okagbare

D

R Emmanuel Ewe ta Uduaghan, the Governor of Delta State, has congratulated Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare who won a silver medal in the Long Jump event of the 14th edition of the Athletics World Championships yesterday in Moscow Russia.

It was the first time a Nigerian would win a medal in the Wo r l d Championships since 1999 when Gloria Aloz-

Continues from BP

ie and Francis Obikwelu won silver and bronze in Hurdles and 200.m respectively in Spain. ”I congratulate you for this great honour that you have done for Nigeria. We are proud of you. I wish you luck in your remaining events,” Uduaghan told Blessing in a message he sent to the Nigerian delegation yesterday. He watched the events on television and monitored all Blessing’s jumps.

Bolt

disqualified from the 2011 final won by compatriot Yohan Blake after he false-started.

Meanwhile, Great Britain’s James Dasaolu could only finish last with a time of 10.21 seconds.

Fashola, the Teslim Balogun Sports Development Foundation has extolled the qualities of the late patriarch revealing that he was one of the pillars of sports in the state.

In a statement signed by Kayode Teslim Balogun, president of the foundation and son of the football legend, Teslim Balogun, the foundation stated that the late Pa Fashola not only provided the best possible formal education for his children but also ensured that they were actively involved and committed to sports, “a value which enhanced all round development of his children and which Lagosians and Nigerians are now benefiting from through the works of the governor.”

“It is common knowledge that Governor Fashola is a very skilled and all round sportsman and that quality derives from the kind of education and exposure that he enjoyed from his father.

in the school.

“During our presentation of computers last year September, the Mainland Secretary of Education, Mr. Lawrence Adebisi Adetona, requested for a generator. Instantly, Stephen Keshi was kind to respond on our behalf, with these words, ”we shall get you a generator”.

“I am happy to announce that we have delivered the generator worth N350,000 as promised to the school through the headmistress, Mrs. G.O. Jalekun.

We are committed to putting smiles on the faces the pupils as we gradually redeem all our pledges to the school in the coming months."

Man U Continues from BP The win will give Moyes a big boost heading into the Premier League season opener away to Swansea next Saturday, with Sir Alex Ferguson’s successor having endured some less than inspiring pre-season results ahead of the team’s English title defence.

The Red Devils opened the scoring after just six minutes as Patrice Evra’s delivery found Van Persie just inside the area, and the Dutchman produced a fantastic header to send the ball back across goal and past the flailing Scott Carson before nestling in the back of the net.

United were dealt a blow midway through the first half as Rafael needed to come off injured, with Chris Smalling coming in at centre-back while Phil Jones shifted out to the right.

Vanguard AY, A UGUST 12 , 2013 MONDA AUGUST anguard,, MOND

Van Persie wins Community Shield for Man U

D

AVID Moyes col lected his first piece of silverware as Manchester United manager following the 2-0 victory over Wigan in the Community Shield at Wembley

Robin van Persie opened the scoring early on with a wonderful header before grabbing his brace shortly after the restart with a deflected shot from distance.

Continues on Page 55

PROUD MOMENT!

AIRBORNE!

Blessing Okagbare (left) leaps to 6.99m to win silver in the women’s long jump, which she (right pix) celebrates with gold medalist Brittney Reese of USA and bronze medalist from Serbia, Ivana Spanovic at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Moscow yesterday.

Okagbare jumps to silver, pockets N4.8m B

L E S S I N G Okagbare, the 24 year-old Delta-born athlete, who is leading Nigeria’s medals chase

at the on-going IAAF World Athletics Championships in Moscow, yesterday proved that she was

PUZZLE

U

SAIN Bolt yesterday won the men’s 100m final at the World Athletics Championships in Moscow.

The Jamaican posted a time of 9.78 seconds ahead of America’s Justin Gatlin in second placed.

Bolt’s fellow countryman Nesta Carter clinched the bronze medal.

It was a sweet final for the world record holder and Olympic champion, who was

destined for great things when she jumped to a silver medal win in the Women’s Long Jump

Continues on Page 55

Continues on Page 55

QUICK CROSSWORD

Sudoku TODAY'S

uBolt runs 9.77 secs to win 100m gold

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 3 Fastened (5) 9 Cement (6) 10 Indecent (6) 11 Guide (5) 12 Grit (4) 15 Convey (4) 17 Barren (7) 20 24 hours (3) 21 Apply (5) 23 Gap (4) 25 Note (4) 26 Deal (5) 28 Deed (3) 30 Enclose (7) 33 Remain (4) 35 Decline (4) 36 Tribunal (5) 38 Refutation (6) 39 Elf (6) 40 Spectre (5)

DOWN 1 Wrong (5) 2 Prostrate (5) 3 Weaken (3) 4 Treble (6) 5 Harvest (4) 6 Gear (3) 7 Team (5) 8 Irritable (5) 13 Pull (7) 14 Float (5) 16 Cabal (7) 18 Ooze (5) 19 Curve (3) 22 Toss (5) 24 Attempt (3) 27 Appear (6) 28 Apart (5) 29 Jeer (5) 31 Sortie (5) 32 Intended (5) 34 Unaccompanied (4) 36 Taxi (3) 37 Plaything (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Depute 5, Fabric 9, Olden 10, Peruse 11, Verbal 12, Screw 14, Clod 17, Tar 18, Pile 20, Tuned 22, Hated 23, Conceal 24, Bigot 26, Serum 29, Idly 30, Fur 32, Dare 33, Merit 35, Tablet 36, Praise 37, Scree 38, Relish 39, Nearly.

How to Play Sudoku

DOWN: 1, Depict 2, Pardon 4, Elect 5, Fever 6, Anew 7, Rabbit 8, Called 13, Rancour 15, Lucid 16, Decoy 18, Paled 19, Lemur 21, Dot 22, Has 24, Bitter 25, Global 27, Rapier 28, Merely 30, Fetch 31, Ripen 33, Mess 34, Tree.

TWO WEEKS TO LIVE

P

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

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

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

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