PDP behind killings inBorno — State Govt

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61751

Oil well: Seven states to refund N17.5bn to •P.11 Rivers

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N150

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012

Oyo ex-gov. Lam Adesina, dies at 73, buried •P 50

PDP behind killings in Borno — State Govt •Claims only ANPP chieftains killed so far •Says Jonathan, Sambo, Mark, others yet to visit Borno •We won't play politics with lives — PDP

BY HENRY UMORU

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BUJA—THE Borno State Government has pointed accusing fingers at the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP as being behind the problem of Boko Haram in the state, alleging that Continues on Page 5

Power Intervention Fund: CBN introduces sanctions •P.17 Nigeria: Background to economic •P.26 reforms —Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

•P.32 DELE SOBOWALE

Mr & Mrs

ECOWAS—President Goodluck Jonathan (3rd right) and other leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) during their Extraordinary Session in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: State House.

RIBADU REPORT: C M Y K

Jonathan won't protect evil doers — Presidency •Pgs.5&52

2 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012 — 3

4 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012—5

POCKET CARTOON

PDP behind killings in Borno — State Govt Continues from page 1 all those killed so far were members and chieftains of All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP. The state government said ANPP officials were killed in the guise of Boko Haram attacks, just as it expressed dismay that President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Namadi Sambo, Senate President David Mark, ministers and other top government officials had never visited the state since the activities of Boko Haram started because Borno State was controlled by an opposition party.

Meanwhile, the PDP national leadership has called on opposition political parties to come out and tell Nigerians if they were causing violence in the country because they want the party (PDP) out of power.

Reacting to the accusations by the Borno State Government, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, warned the opposition against playing politics with lives.

He said: “PDP has always refrained from playing politics with issues concerning loss of lives. We believe that every Nigerian irrespective of political affiliation, religion, ethnicity has right to life.

“We want the opposi-

tion to publicly tell us if they want us to quit on account of violence in the North. They should be bold enough to tell us and the world whether they are causing violence because they want PDP out of power,” he added.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja, weekend, Borno State Commissioner for Information, Home Affairs, and Culture, Inuwa Bwala, expressed fears over the proposed dialogue between Federal Government and Boko Haram, arguing that it was difficult to tell if the demand for dialogue was actually from Boko Haram or from other people who want to use the Islamic sect as an alibi.

It will be recalled that since the activities of the sect started, many have been killed, property worth billions of Naira destroyed.

Bwala, who noted that some people have been sponsoring assassinations and wreaking havoc in the state using Boko Haram as cover up, said, “greater number of some of these things is political and that is why greater number of people killed are from ANPP, including Thursday ’s killing of somebody, who converted from PDP to ANPP. General Mamma Shuwa is a member

LIFEWORDS

J

BY PASTOR ITUAH

OSEPH took nothing to Egypt. He knew nobody there but he took over the situation of his life.

His secret was God’s divine favour in his life, which he used for influence and affluence –Bushell. You can become what you are supposed to become wherever you are.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Courage doesn’t always roar, sometimes it’s the quiet voice at the end of the day whispering ‘I will try again tomorrow — Mary Anne Radmacher

T

HERE may be days when you get up in the morning and things aren’t the way you had hoped they would be. That’s when you have to tell yourself that things will get better. There are times when people disappoint you and let you down.

But those are the times when you must remind yourself to trust your own judgments and opinions, to keep your life focused on believing in yourself.

There will be challenges to face and changes to make in your life, and it is up to you to accept them.

Constantly keep yourself headed in the right direction for you. It may not be easy at times, but in those times of struggle, you will find a stronger sense of who you are. So when the days come that are filled with frustration and unexpected responsibilities, remember to believe in yourself and all you want your life to be. Because the challenges and changes will only help you to find the goals that you know are meant to come true for you.

ANPP, I can continue to give names. All of them are from the ANPP. All these people being killed are from the ANPP, there is no single PDP member that has been killed till date.

“Even if it were a coincidence, we strongly believe that this thing has serious political undertones. Politicians find in Boko Haram perfect alibi to commit all sorts of crimes. Armed robbers find Boko Haram a perfect alibi to loot and attack banks. Businessmen, who have disagreement with their business partners find Boko Haram a perfect alibi to unleash terror on their business partners. To the effect that you cannot clearly define in this configuration, which one is a Boko Haram and which one is not.

“Having known ab-initio that the hostility against Borno State Government and against ANPP in Borno was to either undermine us or even dislodge us, we are not surprised that very often, some people go to the press to cause mischief. We want to call on such people to stop playing politics with this serious issue that we found ourselves in Borno State and come on board and give us solid solution on how we can resolve these things. Our doors are open.

“Even this demand for ceasefire, as much as we are very enthusiastic towards it, as much as it sounds very good, we still have our suspicions because he who comes to equity, must do so with clean hands. You have stated your terms, allowed the Federal Government or whoever it is to produce who they feel will adequately represent them, because the mention of names as possible negotiators will have far reaching implications and because of fear of such implications, that is why some of them are opting out.

“I agree that those who have been named so far as possible negotiators are very credible Nigerians, but then, one cannot tell that this demand is actually from Boko Haram or from some other people who want to use Boko Haram as an alibi, because Boko Haram has a modus operadi, one of which in the background of any of

their conferences, you see a display of Arabic inscriptions, which is what they believe in.

And part of their principal demand, which had been for the implementation of Sharia in some states, even across the federation is missing in the last conference for ceasefire. Boko Haram openly addressed in Hausa, but both the last two addresses were in English. Sometimes when we begin to read in between lines, you find it very difficult to understand which one is really coming from the real Boko Haram or whether it is from other sources, so doubt has already been cast on that one.

“As a government, we believe in dialogue, whoever comes to us for dialogue, so be it, even if it is coming from those who are not actually Boko Haram, of course we will embrace it because we don’t want our people to be killed any further.”

On refusal of Jonathan, Sambo, Mark and others to visit Borno State, Bwala said: “I want to be fair to the President, Vice President, Senate President, the Speaker and all other Federal Government officials for failing to come to Borno State. I will never justify their actions because Borno is part and parcel of Nigeria. Incidents of less intensity had happened in other places and they were there and had assisted them. Because the problem persists in Borno State, that does not distort the fact that we are part and parcel

of Nigeria; we are entitled to privileges to every Nigerian no matter the situation.

“If as a child they think it's our own behaviour that is causing this problem, you do not throw away the baby with the bath water. Mr. President would have shown concern even for political reasons to visit us and so our impression is that we are being given this treatment because we are in an opposition political party, otherwise we expect the President or at least the Vice President to have gone there and shown sympathy with the plight of our people.

“For even the Senate President and the Speaker, all Northerners, as I speak to you except for different missions, we have not received a Federal Government official from level of a minister to assess the situation and advise the government on what needs to be done in the Borno situation and so, we feel sad that our President has not visited us, but we are hoping that someday, he will find reason to come over.

Some of ANPP chieftains that have been killed include Awana Ngala, Chairman ANPP and cousin to Ali Sheriff; Alhaji Modu Gubio, ANPP gubernatorial candidate also a cousin to Ali Sheriff; Alhaji Goni Sheriff, younger brother to Sen. Ali Sheriff; Alhaji Lawan Yarayi, former Chairman Kukawa Local Government Area; Alhaji Lawan Kabu, former Chairman Damboa Local Government Area and Alhaji Kadiri Kaza, former Chairman Mongumo Local Government Area.

Others include Alhaji B.K also former Chairman Monguno council; Hajiya Bayayi, female Councilor Maiduguri Metropolitan; Audu Ali (Datti) Councilor Mai Sandari Maiduguri Metropolitan; Alhaji Mustapha Fulawa, a close friend of Sheriff; Alhaji Bukar Goni Kolo, a close friend of Sheriff; Engr. Isa Ngaram, General Manager Borno Housing Corporation; Mrs Zannah Gana, Commissioner for Justice; Gen. Mamman Shuwa, ANPP Board of Trustees, and party elder.

Ribadu Report: Jonathan won't protect evil doers — Presidency OKEY NDIRIBE, BEN AGANDE, EMMAN OVIOKPARE & HENRY UMORU

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BUJA—PRESI DENT Goodluck Jonathan is not footdragging on the implementation of the report of the Nuhu Ribadu- Petroleum Revenue Task Force because of any vested interest and will deal with the evil doers wherever they are found, his spokesman Dr

Reuben Abati said yesterday.

His assertion nonetheless, some members of the House of Representatives, yesterday, chided presidential aides in the vanguard of attempts to discredit the report, saying that the efforts would amount to nullity.

While the House members condemned the onslaught against Mallam Ribadu and his report, senators were,

yesterday, evasive on the controversy that had dogged the report since it was submitted penultimate weekend.

The report of the Ribadu led committee had slammed current practices in the oil sector, alleging multiple corruption schemes and leakages costing the country billions of naira.

The Ribadu report had also slammed the

Continues on page 52

6—Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012

We 're not thinking of 2015 —PDP

BY HENRY UMORU

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BUJA—NATIONAL Leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said it was neither thinking of nor distracted by the politics of 2015.

The party also said it was not broke, adding that PDP believed in allinclusive government, as it would discourage a winner-takes-all situation.

Speaking with journalists, PDP National Organising Secretary, Mr. Abubakar Mustapha, who noted that the party was concentrating on providing dividends of democracy to the people through its elected members, cautioned its members with political ambitions to hold on until the party takes a decision.

He said: “PDP as a party and government at the centre is not thinking of 2015 yet. What the party and indeed the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan are concerned with is how to deliver on good governance.

Jonathan tasks ECOWAS leaders on collective vision

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, in Abuja, called on ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government to defend the collective vision of a peaceful, stable and economically-prosperous region.

He said in a welcome address to the body's summit that leaders could not turn a blind eye to potentially destabilising situations in member states of Mali and Guinea Bissau.

He said:“You will agree with me that recent events in these two countries are a negation of our organisation’s vision and our resolve to elevate democracy and constitutional order as the organising principles of governance in our subregion problems.

“Guinea Bissau and Mali need our help to stabilise.”

THANKSGIVING: From left— Winnie Oshiomhole, daughter of Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edos State; Mr. Valene Ebe, Akwa Ibom State Deputy Governor; Governor Adams Oshiomhole; Most Rev. Augustine Obiora Akubeze, Archbishop of Benin City; Mr. Pius Odubu, Edo State Deputy Governor; Gen. Yakubu Gowon, former Head of State, and Rev. Fr. Andrew Obiyan (behind), at Governor Oshiomhole's thanksgiving service to mark the end of his first tenure and to usher in the second, organised

by Edo State Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, at St. Paul's Catholic Church, Benin, yesterday.

Gunmen raid Bauchi police station, kill lawmaker's father

BY NADAHI MARAMA

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AUCHI—GUNMEN killed a policeman and wounded another in a raid on a police station in Bauchi State, a police officer said, yesterday.

The gunmen launched the attack late Saturday in the town of Itas, about 200 kilometres (130 miles) from the state capital Bauchi, hurling explosives into the police station and opening fire on policemen, leading to an hour-long shootout.

An officer, who asked not to be named, said: “The gunmen threw explosives into the police station, setting it on fire” and killing a police Inspector.

Another policeman was wounded in the shootout and two nearby police homes were burnt.

Police attacked

Bauchi State Police Commissioner, Mr. Mohammed Ladan, confirmed the attack but said he had no details yet.

It was not clear who was behind the incident, but Boko Haram has been blamed for series of attacks on police stations and banks in the area although criminal gangs have also carried out similar raids under the guise of the sect.

On Friday, gunmen

killed three policemen and set ablaze three churches and a school in the town of Bonny Yadi in the volatile nearby state of Yobe, a military spokesman said.

Lawmaker's father

Meanwhile, in Borno State violence continued with the Saturday targeting of traditional and religious leaders, and top government officials, as gunmen, suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect attacked the palace of a district head of Kangar, Alhaji Lawan Kangare.

He was shot dead in the presence of his wives and children. Kangare is the father of Mr. Isa Kangare, representing Guzamala/Kukawa/ Abadam/Mobbar Federal Constituency in the National Assembly.

The Kangare district palace in Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno State is 242 kilometres North of Maiduguri, the state capital.

A resident of Kangare said the gunmen came in five unmarked vehicles and motorcycles at 7pm on Saturday, chanting “God is great” and started firing sporadically for 20 minutes to scare local residents.

He said they fired several shots on the head

and chest of the District Head before his wives and children then fled towards Damasak the council headquarters of Mobbar Local Government Area.

The eyewitness said: “We were caught unawares after the Magreb prayers at the palace, when some gunmen on motorcycles and vehicles, stormed our district head’s house and killed him before his wives and children.

“What have we done to these people to warrant the killing of our local leader?”

He said the assassination of the district head was politically-motivated, as no any other person was killed on that Saturday night.

He said the police and military outposts and places of worships were also not attacked or set ablaze by the gunmen.

The remains of Lawan Kangare have already been buried at Kangare/ Gudumbali, yesterday, according to Islamic rites, amidst tight security.

Bomb blast in Borno

Violence of attacks and killings continued in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, yesterday, when a bomb blast hit the Gambouru Cattle Market at 9.16am.

Yesterday ’s blast,

according to an eyewitness, and a butcher, Yakubu Isa, recorded no casualty, as the police rushed to the scene immediately.

Besides the blast, gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram members, launched another attack in Gwange ward on Saturday, killing a fridge repairer at his workshop at 3.15pm.

The attacks and killing, according to one of the Gwange residents, lasted for 15 minutes with sporadic gunshots in the ward, before men of the Joint Task Force, JTF, rushed to the scene to repel the gunmen.

The affected area, he said, had been condoned off by soldiers to prevent further attacks and killings.

JTF reacts

Speaking on the blast, a JTF spokesman, in telephone chat, yesterday, said: “There was a blast this (yesterday) morning at the Kashuwan Shanu (cattle market) area of Maiduguri.

“The blast went off without causing any casualty. Our men are patrolling the Gambouru ward and its environs to protect people’s lives and property. The area has since been condoned off to prevent further attacks by suspected terrorists.”

SERAP threatens court action over Ribadu report

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

S

OCIO-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, yesterday, said the reaction of the Federal Government to the report of the Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force, led by Mallam Nuhu Ribadu was a demonstration that the government was not ready to honour the country’s international anticorruption obligations.

In a statement by its Executive Director, Mr. Tokunbo Mumuni, SERAP said rather than concentrating on the fundamental principles highlighted in the report, the government was making nonsense of the report of a task force it set up.

To this end, SERAP called on the Federal Government to immediately publish the report and punish those indicted or risk a legal action.

SERAP said: “Does the government disagree with the fact that Shell is yet to pay into the Federation Account a total of N137.572 billion ($946.878 million) made from gas sales from the Bonga oil field?

“Or that the Federation Account has been shortchanged of revenues to the tune of $29 billion over a 10year period?”

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012—7

Tukur to PDP govs: Surpass your predecessors in achievements

BY HENRY UMORU

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BUJA — N A T I O N A L Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has warned that if Nigeria as a country must develop and meet its set targets, governors elected on the platform of the party must exceed their predecessors in

their achievements.

The PDP national chairman charged PDP governors and all elected officials to ensure that they continue in the provision of education, food production, security, among others for the people.

Speaking when he received Governor Abdulfataih Ahmed of Kwara State, in Abuja,

weekend, Tukur, who likened this to a family setting, said every father wants his child to achieve more than what he achieved and every child also aspires to be greater than the father.

He noted that the current NWC had made up its mind to surpass the achievements of the previous administrations, adding that, that is what

every political office holder should aspire to.

Tukur said: “We have come to do better than the previous teams. We expect every governor to do better than his predecessor as that is the only way the country could improve and grow.”

Tukur, who commended the Kwara State governor for sustaining the agriculture revolution in the state, noted that agriculture

remained one of the key interests of his led NWC, adding: “You are making good use of the land, water and the people.”

Earlier in his address, Gov. Ahmed, who was at the PDP Legacy House with the party's state working committee, congratulated the Tukur-led NWC, adding: “There is no substitute for experience.

We are happy to identify

with you. We thank God for making you the chairman of the party.

“We are happy we are part of PDP. PDP has done very well in the last years given the fact that it is a party hurriedly put together. From 1999 till date, PDP has done well given where the country is coming from. Against all odds, we are moving forward.”

Jombo-Ofo: SAN warns against discrimination in judiciary

By BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

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AGOS — A SENIOR Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Mr Lanre Ogunlesi, yesterday, warned against discrimination in the judiciary, noting that it was wrong for the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mariam Aloma Murktar, to decline swearing-in Justice Ifeoma Jombo-Ofo for the reason that she is not from Abia State.

Ogunlesi said that such judicial discrimination was currently in Lagos State judiciary system, whereby only an indigene of the state can get judicial appointment or be elevated as a judge in the state.

He explained that there was an outcry against such discrimination in Lagos State, adding: “If somebody has worked his or her whole live in Lagos State and paid tax in the same state, why do you now say that such person cannot be elevated as a judge in Lagos State.

“And you know that the CJN is a lady, she is head

of the National Judicial Council, NJC, that actually approved the appointment of Justice Jumbo-Ofo, so why has she now declined to swear her in.”

Warning that the issue should not be viewed from the perspective of the judiciary alone because it would also affect the civil service, Ogunlesi said such development would not encourage marriage institution or inter marriage.

He noted that matter would affect the judiciary, saying “even in America, you can change your state and adopt another state.

The decision of the CJN is wrong. Now, nobody would want to marry from another state if she sees that there is no future for her there.”

Ogunlesi explained there was no law stopping Justice Jumbo-Ofo from serving in the state of her husband, stressing that even the Constitution encourages it because such law applies mainly to men and does not work in abstract situation, as it must be applied to the facts on ground.

From left: Minister of State for Education, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike; Director General, National Teachers Institute, NTI, Dr. Ladan Sharehu and Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State, during presentation of Excellence Award to the Governor at the NTI 2nd Joint National graduation ceremony in Kaduna, weekend.

Oil subsidy scam: EFCC arraigns five more suspects

BY SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL EDITOR, NORTH

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BUJA — POWERFUL cartel reaping off the fortune of the nation in the oil sector, appears to be

Crude theft: Nigeria’s oil production slumps ...As SPDC shuts Imo River trunk-line

BY YEMIE ADEOYE

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AGOS — FOLLOWING incessant sabotage on crude oil lines by suspected oil thieves, the country’s crude oil production has dropped by 25,000 barrels per day after Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, said it shut, weekend, its Imo River Trunkline Eastern operations.

This came on the heels of discovery of several suspected crude theft points on the facility; hence production of some 25,000

barrels of oil per day had been deferred.

Shell spokesman, Mr Tony Okonedo, in a statement, yesterday, said the company shut in the producing stations and isolated the line on October 31, on discovering the first set of leaking points, as an additional leak from the remaining oil in the pipeline occurred about eight days later, when unknown persons installed more crude theft connections, some of which had failed.

Some six crude theft points had so far been confirmed on the 12-inch

trunkline, of which three had been repaired. There had been 26 spills in the Imo River area so far this year; 25 were alleged due to sabotage, spilling nearly 3000 barrels into the environment.

Also speaking on the development, Shell’s Vice President for HSE and Corporate Affairs, SubSaharan Africa, Mr Tony Attah, said: “Ground visits showed that the oil had impacted rivers and other water bodies though we have managed to deploy containment booms and are now starting to recover spilled crude."

losing the fight to halt their prosecution, as Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, will today arraign five more of suspects over the looting of over N5.4 billion under the guise of fuel supply.

Vanguard gathered, yesterday, that the suspects, who are to be tried before Justice Lateefa Okunnu of the Lagos High Court, comprise one oil company and four persons, who were allegedly implicated in the oil scam.

The company to be tried this time by the EFCC is Nasaman Oil Services Limited, while the individuals are Mamman Nasir Ali, Christian Taylor, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo and Olabisi Abdul-Afeez, who is said to be at large.

They are all accused of obtaining N5.46 billion from the Federal Government by falsely

claiming that the sum represented subsidy accruing to them under the Petroleum Support Fund for the importation of 61,049,937.00 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS. One of the 13-count charges being slammed on the suspects read: That “Nasaman Oil Services Ltd, Mamman Nasir Ali, Christian Taylor, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo and Olabisi Abdul-Afeez (still at large) between 2010 and 2012 in Lagos within the Ikeja Judicial Division with intent to defraud conspired to obtain the sum of N2.23bn from the Federal Government by falsely claiming that the sum represented subsidy accruing to Nasaman Oil Services Ltd under the PSF for the importation of 30,524,968.50 litres of PMS, which Nasaman Oils Services Ltd purported to have purchased from SEATAC

Petroleum Ltd of British Virgin Islands and imported into Nigeria through MT Liquid Fortune Ex Mt Overseas Lima, which representation you know to be false.

Last week, an anticorruption agency protested at the Finance Ministry premises in Abuja, condemning the payment of N2.7 billion to an unregistered company, Pinnacle Contractors, for the purported supply of petroleum products to Nigeria.

The group believes the callous payments of huge funds to spurious groups in the name of subsidy must have been done with the active connivance of top government officials.

But the Ministry fired back at the group, saying that it was sponsored by oil marketers trying to stop their trial.

8 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12,

2012

NUC hails new UNILAG VC

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AGOS —THE N a t i o n a l U n i v e r s i t i e s Commission (NUC) yesterday described the appointment of Prof.

Rahamon Bello, as the 11th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos as a welcome development.

The Governing Council at its special meeting held on Nov.10, unanimously adopted the report of the

selection board that Bello be appointed as the new vice-chancellor of the university.

The appointment, which is to take effect from Nov. 12, is for a period of five years.

Bello, a professor of Chemical Engineering, had been acting as vicechancellor of the university, since May 12, following the death Professor Adetokumbo Sofoluwe.

A focused PDP‘ll win Lagos in 2015 – Salis

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AGOS —A chieftain of the Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Owolabi Salis, a lawyer, has said it was possible to dislodge the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN in the state in 2015, if PDP had

unity of purpose and focus.

Speaking to party faithful while donating 30 cows to the Lagos PDP during the recent Sallah celebration, Salis said this was what the party needed to realize its dream of building a greater Lagos from 2015.

Terrorism: Cleric warns against reprisal attacks LAGOS—THE use of weapons as solution to the incessant bomb attacks on harmless Nigerians in some northern parts of the country has been described as baseless in proffering a lasting solution to terrorism in the country.

This is just as Christians in the bomb torn areas have been advised not to resort to reprisal but rather, forgive the assailants, as

a demonstration of the mandate of the Almighty God to love one’s enemies.

This was the position of the Director of Chaplain Services of the Nigerian Army, Colonel Dawuk Danfulani, weekend, at the occasion of the 2012 Chaplain Protestant Annual Training Week, Retreat and Seminar with the theme ‘End Time Happenings and Contemporary Challenges: Way Out’, in Lagos.

Lagos hosts 2nd youth energy programme

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AGOS —LAGOS State government has concluded arrangement to host a career breakfast for the pioneering candidates of the Youth Energy Career Programme, YECP, slated for this Thursday, November 16, 2012.

According to a

statement from the Office of the General Manager, Lagos State Electricity Board, LSEB, Mrs. Damilola Ogunbiyi, the YECP is one of the many state energy initiatives being implemented through the Lagos State Electricity Board (LSEB).

From left: James Abiodun Faleke, member, House of Representatives, Ikeja Federal Constituency; Hon. Lola Akande, member, Lagos House of Assembly, Ikeja II and Olorunfemi Kolawole, President, National Association of Nigerian Students, during public hearing on constitution amendment by James Abiodun Faleke, at Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, weekend. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi

LASTMA bars junior officers from arresting traffic offenders

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI AND MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

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AGOS —AS part of measures to curb reported excesses on enforcement of the state’s traffic laws, the Lagos State Traffic

Management Authority, LASTMA, has ordered junior officers in its rank to stop arresting erring motor-cycle riders and motorists in the state forthwith.

The action is taken in a bid to checmate aggressive enforcement

Police Inspector killed, corporal injured in Lagos robbery

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AGOS —ROBBRS numbering over 15 at the early hours of yesterday, stormed Benson Akinyele Street in Oke-Afa area of Lagos, killing a Police Inspector attached to Ejigbo division, during a gun duel.

The robbers were said to have laid ambush for the policemen and shot a Corporal simply identified as Joseph.

Report said the robbers armed with sophisticated arms, stormed the area at about 2 a.m , held the night guards manning the major gate leading to adjourning streets

hostage before going about their robbery business.

While some of them succeeded in entering a building on the street, others positioned themselves outside apparently to wade off intruders.

Just then, policemen from Ejigbo division were alerted, following which two teams of AntiRobbery policemen were drafted to the scene in two Police patrol vans.

But unknown to them the robbers had laid ambush.

Report said as the policemen in the white

Lam Adesina, a dogged fighter – Fashola

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AGOS- GOVERNOR Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, paid glowing tribute to late former governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Lam Adesina, describing him as a dogged progressive fighter.

In a condolence message through his

Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Hakeem Bello, Fashola, also described him as loyal disciple of late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, a consummate administrator who was thoroughly grounded in Yoruba dialectics.

According to him:

of the state’s traffic law by LASTMA. On the barring of junior LASTMA officers from enforcement of road traffic law, the General Manager of L ASTMA, Engr.

Babatunde Edu, gave the order in his address at a public forum on the Law,

“Alhaji Lam Adeshina was an honest, shrewd and pragmatic politician who took his time to make up his mind on any issue but once convinced about the rightness he became difficult to dissuade.

“He recognized the need to groom younger

generation and never found wanting in promoting the interest of the youth. He was a fighter, who never shied away from a good cause, especially, when it came to Yoruba cause.

Fashola prayed for the bereaved family to be able to bear the loss.

patrol van alighted, the robbers opened fire, taking them unawares.

Although the policemen were said to have replied the robbers fire for fire, their targets reportedly hid themselves inside a drainage and were no easy targets.

The Inspector in the first patrol van identified simply as Innocent, was said to be the first to be gunned down, followed

by Corporal Joseph who, however, did not die.

Residents of the area were gripped with trepidation following the resounding gun-shots said to have lasted about 20 minutes.

It was gathered that when a re-inforcement arrived the scene, the robbers had fled with their loot, leaving Inspector Innocent in the pool of his blood, dead.

His remains were removed by his colleagues and deposited at the Isolo mortuary while Corporal James was rushed to an undisclosed hospital

organised by the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA, at the weekend.

Accordig to Edu, the move was a spontaneous measure to respond to the complaints against aggressive law enforcement by junior officers.

He urged the public to report any junior officers who victimise or harass them, saying they have been stripped of the power to arrest.

While urging members of the public not to take laws into their hands when unlawfully arrested, Edu said the officers are to render assistance to the motorists in ensuring traffic laws are voluntarily complied with.

He charged members of the public to take note of the names of such officers, insisting that junior officers have been warned not to arrest again following the complaints of aggressive enforcement.

He said: “You can easily identify the junior officer with black epaulet on their shoulders; they cannot arrest, only the senior ones with red epaulets on their uniforms can arrest.

We have stopped the juniors from arresting motorists and Okada riders except during a joint operation. That is the extent we have gone in checkmating aggressive enforcement of the law”

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012 — 9

Demolition: Ogun to pay N10 billion compensation

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

A

Cross-section of Oyo indigenes at Ibadan venue of the constitution review. Photo: Dare Fasube

ONDO GUBER:

PDP, PDC want Mimiko’s victory upturned at Tribunal A

World Bank official cautions Ekiti project beneficiaries

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

BY DAYO JOHNSON

KURE — THE P e o p l e s Democratic Party, PDP and its candidate in the October 20 governorship election in Ondo State, Chief Olusola Oke has challenged the victory of Governor Olusegun Mimiko as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, at the Election Petition Tribunal.

Also, the Peoples Democratic Change, PDC and its candidate, Victor Oluwafemi Adetusin had approached the tribunal claiming that the absence of its party logo on the ballot papers made him to lose many votes to the LP candidate whose party's logo was similar to its party.

In all four political parties and their candidates have within the weekend challenged the return of Mimiko as the winner of the October 20 gubernatorial election.

Last Friday both the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN and the Accord Party, AP, had earlier filed their petitions challenging the results as declared by INEC. The PDC candidate, Adetusin alleged in the petition that the INEC, which is one of the respondents deliberately

B E O K U TA — OGUN State government on Sunday disclosed that it had earmarked N10 billion as compensation for the owners of houses and shops to be demolished for the construction of roads across the state.

The state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun who monitored the demolition exercise promised to pay adequate compensation for the loss of property.

Addressing the property owners at Panseke area of the town, Governor Amosun who was flanked by other top government officials in the state said he was

and wrongfully, omitted its party’s logo, which was similar to that of the LP and which made many voters who ordinarily, would have voted for him to wrongly vote for the LP candidate Dr. Mimiko.

Adetusin in the 34-page petition filed by his counsels led by Yinka Orokoto, said those votes credited for the LP candidate are his votes and should be counted for him.

The petitioner therefore sought an order of the tribunal annulling the election and the return of the Mimiko as the winner of the election.

He also sought an order of the tribunal to conduct fresh election in all the polling units, wards and local government areas of the state at the time that the tribunal decides.

The respondents in Oke’s petition are Mimiko, the LP, INEC, the Resident Electoral Commission for Ondo State, Mr. Akin Orebiyi and the Returning Officer for the Ondo State Governorship Election, Professor Biyi Daramola.

Oke, who deposed to 1,480-paragraph statement on oath contained in 248-page petition, averred that the election of Mimiko was invalid by reason of

corrupt practices and non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act. The candidate said that the Mimiko, who is the first respondent, was not duly elected by majority of the lawful votes cast at the election just as alleged that the election in most polling units and wards in 15 out of 18 local government areas in the state, where election took place at all was marred with violence, intimidation, harassment, ballot box

stuffing and snatching.

The local government areas mentioned are: Ese-Odo, Irele, Odigbo, Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo, Ondo West and Ondo East .

Others are: Akure South, Akure North, Idanre, Ifedore, Ose, Owo Akoko North East, Akoko South Est and Akoko North West.

Based on several allegations contained in the petition and leveled against the return of Mimiko by the INEC, Oke some reliefs from the tribunal.

elated at the level of compliance by the people.

He added that the government will also extend helping hands to shop owners to assist theme relocate to other areas.

“The compensation, to be paid all over the state is in excess of N10 billion, but it depends on the house and how the demolition affects it because, it is only the fence that was affected in some places.

“The government will build modern shopping malls across the places affected and those affected by the demolition will be the first to benefit upon completion.

A

DO EKITI — An official of the World Bank initiative, Fadama Project 3, has cautioned farmers and other beneficiaries of the project against mismanaging their counterpart funds, as the best reward awaits those who make the best use of the resources at their disposals Speaking to some of the beneficiaries of the project while on a visit to some of the establishments last week, the Project Manager of Fadama 3, Mr Samuel Fatoba told

them to always be prudent and resource oriented in any of the projects embarked upon.

He said Fadama usually provide a seed money which is usually about 70 per cent of the cost of the project,while the beneficiaries who are usually in group use to provide about 30 per cent of the cost of the project.

Some of the places visited during the tour included a fish pond with 15,000 fishes in Ado Ekiti, piggery farm at Ikere, Victory Palm Kernel Cake/Palm Kernel Oil Processing Industry at Usi Ekiti in Ido/Osi LGA, among others.

Why we are at Tribunal – ACN

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HE ACTION Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Ondo State has said they are in court as part of their commitment to deepen Nigeria's democratic experiences It also said their action would help build the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as an enduring institution which is truly independent and committed to executing its mandate with a high sense of responsibility and to prevent colossal rigging in the 2015 elections.

In a statement by Idowu Ajanaku, the Director of Media,

Publicity and Strategy of the ACN, Ondo State, the party declared that the gubernatorial election in the state contrary to the widespread information was marred by serious irregularities and malpractice.

“It is a fact that officials of the Labour Party were arrested during the elections with thumbprinted ballot papers; there were violence against the opposition before and during the election which significantly altered the results.

“Also, the LP government has been exhibiting behaviour betraying their

mischievousness since after the election by various acts inimical to progress.

“How do you explain unprovoked attacks on traditional leaders? Why would the state government now revive a 15 year obnoxious and moribund law so as to deprive citizens of their means of life-hood in rural areas of Odigbo and other places?

“If Governor Olusegun Mimiko believes that he won the election free and fair why has he not concentrated on how to fulfil the failed promises of the past three and a half years instead of vindictiveness?

“This is why we are in court to show the whole world the true position of what transpired in Ondo State on October 20.

“We are in court just like Mimiko did in 2007 when his mandate was stolen, to make the vote of the people count.

When we finally present our case in court the revelation that the Late Prophet Ayo Babalola and Mike Tyson voted in Ondo State in 2007 will be a child's play.

“Even sprits voted in the last governorship election! It is a fact that INEC officials were arrested with over 10,000 ballot papers..."

10 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012

Another oil spill at Mobil's Qua Iboe field E

KET—MOBIL Pro ducing Nigeria, MPN, has reported an oil spill from its Qua Iboe oil fields, in Akwa Ibom State.

Mr. Idris Musa, Director in charge of oil spills in the National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, told News Agency of Nigeria, yesterday, that the agency had received a report of the incident.

He said: “We received a report from Mobil that there was a spill at their field and we have dispatched our officers from our Uyo office to the spill site to assess the impact.

“They are estimating that the spilled volume is between 50 and 100 barrels, but that is a mere estimate because the investigation would determine precisely the quantity of oil discharged into the environment.”

It will be recalled that two spills had occurred within the Qua Iboe oil fields operated

by Mobil on August 13 and 23, 2012.

Mr. Paul Arinze, the General Manager, Public and Inter-Governmental Affairs, said in a response statement on the incident yesteray, that an investigation was underway.

He said: “Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, MPN, operator of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC/MPN, Joint Venture, confirms that on

November 9, an oil release occurred offshore Akwa Ibom State.

“The source of the leak was identified and the pipeline was isolated and shut down. Emergency response personnel and equipment have been deployed.

“Regulatory and community representatives have been notified.

“MPN also arranged

for representatives of Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR; NOSDRA, Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Environment and local community to overfly the area.”

The oil firm regretted the incident and reiterated its commitment to m a i n t a i n h i g h s a f e t y, health and environmental standards within its operations.

Ogoni remember Sarowiwa ...urge FG to implement UNEP report

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

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ORT HAR COURT—THE Ogoni have again appealed to the Federal Government to commence implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP, report on the area.

It will be recalled that the international body had conducted an assessment of the impact of oil exploration on Ogoniland at the end of which it called for urgent remediation, among other things, to be carried out in the area.

In his address weekend, to mark the anniversary of the execution of Ken Sarowiwa and other Ogoni martyrs, Chairman, Provisional Council of Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, MOSOP, Prof Ben Naanen, said the Federal Government should take steps to begin implementation of the report.

He said: “MOSOP is calling on the Nigerian Government to take immediate steps to implement the UNEP report, the pre-emptive set up of HYPREP notwithstanding.

"The Ogoni people want to see action. It is a major concern that the Federal Government does not seem to have made the required financial provision for the implementation.

“To all intents and purposes, the government appears to have made up its mind to kill the UNEP report through financial starvation and other bureaucratic means.”

Prof. Nanen also called for a judicial inquiry into the murder of Ogoni four, Ken Sarowiwa and others who died with him.

“MOSOP is calling for a judicial inquiry into the killing of the Ogoni 4 at Giokoo in 1994. The Ogoni people are demanding justice for the Ogoni 13 and the other victims of the repression of the 1990s.

Security beef up in Edo as Oshiomhole takes oath of office

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—ALL is set for the inauguration of Governor Adams Oshiomhole for a second term in office at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Be-

nin City, today.

A joint patrol of the Army and mobile policemen cordoned off the entire stadium area.

Meanwhile, National Coordinator of Oshiomhole Peoples Brigade, Athanasius Ugbome, and

Uduaghan mourns Harriman

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

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S A B A — D E LTA State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has described the death of Chief Hope Harriman as a great loss.

A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sunny Ogefere, said the governor received the news of the passing on of Chief Harriman with sadness, noting that he was a na-

tionalist, a consummate industrialist, an iconic estate surveyor, front line politician and a philanthropist.

He said: “He was the pioneer president of Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers. On behalf of my wife, family, government and people of Delta State, I commiserate with the entire Harriman family at this moment of their grief."

a chieftain of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Elder Sunny Uyigue, have expressed optimism that Oshiomhole will perform better in his second term than he did in the first term.

However, political tension heightened in the state as lobbyists intensified efforts to secure political offices for their cronies, following the dissolution of the state Executive Council and all political appointments by the governor last week.

There are indications that the governor may retain the current Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Simon Imuekheme, whose appointment may be announced this week.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012—11

Delta ACN suspends Ogbuagu, two others

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI—DELTA State chapter of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, weekend, slammed an indefinite suspension order on three of its members over alleged unruly behavior and disloyalty to the leadership of the party in the state.

The three persons sus-

pended, according to disciplinary committee of the party, are Mrs. Veronica Ogbuagu, who flew the party’s flag in Okpe/Uvwie/Sapele federal constituency in the April 2011 general election, Acting State Financial Secretary, Mr. Joel Umokoro, and Publicity Secretary of the party in Uvwie Local Government Area, Mr. Okorefe Mudiaga.

Flood: Ex-militants want FG to increase allocations to states

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE DONATION: Dr. Tony Nwaka, Delta State Commissioner for Special Duties (right) receiving relief materials for flood victims in the state from Mr. Emeka Madu, member, OFAAC board of trustees.

Ex-militants urge Uduaghan to sign Anti-terrorism Bill zDon’t sign—FJHD, rights group

BY EMMA AMAIZE

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ARRI—EX-MILI TANTS, under the aegis of Niger Delta Liberation Force, NDLF, have asked Delta State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, to sign into law, the Anti-Terrorism/ Kidnapping Bill, stipulating death sentence for kidnappers and terrorists passed last Wednesday by the state House of Assembly.

The group, in a response by its spokesperson, Mark Anthony, to an electronic mail enquiry

by Vanguard, urged Uduaghan to jettison his opposition to death penalty for capital offences in order to purge the state of evil persons.

However, Warri-based civil rights group, Forum for Justice and Human Rights Defence, FJHD, disagreed with NDLF, saying it stood for total eradication of death penalty from the statute books nationwide.

FJHD said: “We call on the National Assembly and our State Houses of Assembly to immediately abolish the death penalty from our statute books nationwide to allay its boomeranging effects on our larger society.”

NDLF, however, said those opposed to death penalty were talking out of ignorance, as they did not know the battle in the

mind of terrorists, kidnappers and criminals, who knew before committing the crime that it was punishable by death.

His words: “The bill has to be speedily signed into law to curb the menace of terrorism/kidnapping in the nation, particularly kidnapping in the Delta State.”

The spokesperson said the ex-militant group offered, some months ago, when the situation practically got out of control, to assist the state government to fight kidnappers and terrorists because it had experienced sharp shooters in its fold, but

it got no response from government He said since the House of Assembly has provided a leeway for the governor by passing a bill on the subject matter, “Uduaghan must immediately sign the antiterrorism/kidnapping bill into law in the interest of the society.”

According to him, “NDLF, as an organization is not a terrorist organization and had not engaged in kidnapping since its 18 months of armed confrontation with federal military might before our surrendering and subsequent state

Rep lauds public sessions on Constitution review

W

ARRI—THE public sessions on the review of the 1999 Constitution, which were organised by the House of Representatives all over the 360 Federal Constituencies last weekend, have been described as the most ingenious way to ensure a broad-based participation in the review.

This view was expressed by the member representing Warri Federal Constituency, Mr. Daniel Reyenieju, while giving his keynote address in Warri on Saturday.

The event, which took place in the Assembly Hall of Federal Government College, Warri, was

attended by a large number of people cutting across ethnic groups, political divide, including the governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan.

In his remark to his constituents in Warri Federal Constituency, Reyenieju said: "This is the first time we are witnessing such broad and constructive approach, whereby all the 360 Federal Constituencies in Nigeria will be involved in the same day.

"This process may not be totally perfect, but it is no doubt a most ingenious way to ensure both vertical and horizontal participations of the respective constituents."

pardon by Federal Government.”

B

ENIN—A GROUP of ex-militants in the Niger Delta, operating under the umbrella of “Forum for Peace in the Niger Delta,” has appealed to the Federal Government to review upwards the amount of money it allocated to states in the region affected by the recent flood disaster in the country.

The group, which spoke through its President, Reuben Wilson, at a one- day conference on the “Challengings facing Amnesty Programme vis-avis Niger Delta Ex-Militants”, insisted that the fund from the Federal Government was not enough to take care of the problems arising from the flooding and appealed for more assistance to the affected states.

12—Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012

Anenih endows UCH Ibadan Geriatric Centre

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From left; Mr Hadi Birchi, Head, Communication and Public Affairs, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, NDIC, Pastor Biodun Tawede, Chief Babatunde Ruwase, Vice President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, and Oba Fatai Ayinla Ileru, Olu of Mushin, during NDIC day at the Lagos International Trade Fair in Lagos. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

Anxiety mounts in Enugu as Chime prolongs leave E

NUGU—FIFTY days after Governor Sullivan Chime began his annual vacation, anxiety is mounting in Enugu State over his whereabouts.

Many residents of the

coal city who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, at the weekend, expressed worries that the governor was over-staying his welcome abroad, but his aides and party chief-

tains said there was no cause for alarm.

The state’s Commissioner for Information, Mr Chuks Ugwoke, said the governor took his accumulated vacation as he had not taken his an-

nual leave since he became governor in 2007.

Ugwoke explained that the governor handed over to his deputy, Mr Sunday Onyebuchi, who was fully in charge of the state’s administration.

“Activities have been on. There is no activity of government that slowed down because you realise that there is an acting governor who is fully in-charge.

“Work is in progress at the new secretariat and on some ongoing road projects. So also with the rural development, where some communities are being connected to the national grid,” he said.

The commissioner said the governor would return as soon as his vacation was over, pointing out that he had not exceeded the duration of his vacation.

In his own reaction, the Chairman of ACN in the state, Mr Emeka Udeh, said the prolonged absence of the governor was unhealthy for governance.

BADAN—FORMER Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and businessman, Chief Tony Anenih, has endowed the first-ever multi-million naira Geriatric Centre at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan.

Anenih said that his acceptance of the hospital management’s request to endow the centre was predicated on the conviction that “the only life worth living is the life lived in service to God and humanity.”

Chief Medical Director of the UCH, Professor Temitope Alonge, said the management of the hospital unanimously agreed at a meeting in July, this year, on the choice of Anenih as the endower of the Centre.

He said: “At the core management meeting of the hospital held in July 2012, management unanimously agreed on the choice of Chief Tony Anenih, CFR, the Iyasele of Esanland as the most suitable Nigerian to endow this centre, the very first of such in Nigeria.”

NBC gets new MD

L

AGOS—NIGERIAN Bottling Company, NBC, Limited has announced the appointment of Mr. Ben Langat as its new Managing Director.

He succeeds Mr. Segun Ogunsanya who will be taking up a new role outside of the company.

In a statement signed by Adeyanju Olomola, Head Public Affairs and Communications, Langat, who previously held the role of the Director of Finance for the company, and assumed the leadership role at NBC effective November 1.

Langat joined NBC as Director of Finance in June 2009 from Unilever and overtime established himself as a very strong leader for his values, integrity, business acumen and leadership.

He built a strong team and established a high performing business partnership culture further enabling his team to offer optimum support to key functions on their strategic priorities as well as work collaboratively with franchise partners, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited.

CNPP chair cautions PDP

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AGOS—CHAIRMAN of Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP, Lagos Sate, Akinola Obadia, weekend cautioned the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to stop comparing the incomparable with regard to democratic dividends.

Obadia in a rejoinder to the press release by Lagos State Publicity Secretary of PDP, stated that “our PDP political colleagues should watch their words by re-visiting script a second time before attempting publication.”

He explained that there

was no comparison on earth “that an internationally recognised performing Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, get equated with a government that has not made any landmark achievement in three years.”

The CNPP boss pointed out that Nigeria's “epileptic power supplyisstill very, very sick and petrol filling station managers are still openly using calculators to sell fuel at the rate of N110 and N120 per litre without anybody clamping a check on them, for more than four months now and we do not even know when it is going to end.”

CONSTITUTION: Anambra votes equality of states, rotational presidency BYVINCENT UJUMADU

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W

K

A

—

STAKEHOLDERS in Anambra State voted, weekend, for the equality of states and rotation of the presidency among the six geo-political zones in the country.

At its public session on constitutional review held at the Women Development Center, Awka, the stakeholders argued that there was need for the South East geo-political zone that

has five states to have two additional states, while other zones that have six states should have one to bring them at par with the North Central zone that has seven states.

They recommended that the presidency of Nigeria should rotate among the six geo-political zones, while the governorship should rotate among the three senatorial zones.

Another issue that received overwhelming acceptance is the independent candidacy for elective

offices, just as they rejected that Nigerians in the Diaspora should vote during elections in Nigeria.

Apart from Governor Peter Obi who presided at the session, others in attendance include the senator representing Anambra Central senatorial zone, Dr. Chris Ngige, members of the House of Representatives and state assembly, traditional rulers, elders council, labour unions and non governmental organizations.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012 — 13

Celebration of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor's 40 years in ministry at Word of Life Bible Church, Warri, Delta State, weekend. Pix: Henry Unini.

From left: Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, Dr. Mike Murdock, President Goodluck Jonathan, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, his wife, Helen, and children, at the cutting of anniversary cake.

Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and his wife, Helen.

From right: Mr. Victor Ochei, Speaker, Delta State From right: President Gooluck Jonathan, House of Assembly; Mr. Basil Ganagana, Deputy Speaker Gov. Emmanuel Uduaghan and Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, Minister of State, FCT. and Mr. Funkekeme Solomon.

2015: President of Igbo origin achievable, says Ekweremadu

BY TONY EDIKE

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NUGU—DEPUTY Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, said in Enugu, yesterday, that the desire by the people

of South East to produce a president of Igbo origin for Nigeria in 2015, could be realised.

The deputy Senate president recalled that since the Igbo people became part of the country, some of them

had in the past held highprofile positions in the country such as ministers, ambassadors, senate president and even ceremonial president of the nation.

He said there was nothing suggestive of the fact that the Igbo could not produce a president for the country if they remained consistent, build necessary bridges and connections in their quest to give Nigeria a president of South East origin.

Addressing participants at the South East Economic Summit held at the Nike Lake Resort, Enugu, Senator Ekweremadu said the Igbo race had qualified men and women who could do the nation proud and turn around the country’s fortune if given the opportunity. But he stressed the fact that any Igbo person who aspired to be the president should be bold, courageous and consistent about it, although he also pointed out that the Igbo nation only could not make one president.

Ekweremadu said: “I will

like to look at the main issue which we have been discussing, which is the future of Ndigbo in Nigeria.

I think, and I would like to start with a note of optimism, that we have a great future.

"Since we became part of this federation, Igbo men and women have been ministers of various ministries.

They have held positions as ambassadors, they have been senate president, they have been speakers and deputy speakers. I’m not aware of any other position they have not held except the presidency of this country; even that, Zik had been president of Nigeria, though you might say it was ceremonial. ”So if we can achieve all these in all these years, there’s nothing to suggest that we cannot get the executive president of Nigeria. So when we are talking about the future of Ndigbo, what are those challenges? what are those things we are expecting? we will begin to define them."

Cross section of clerics at the event.

Obasanjo, Akinyemi, others for Oritsejafor's lecture tomorrow

BY SAM EYOBOKA

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A R R I —FORTYEIGHT hours after the Presidential visit to Word of Life Bible Church, Warri by President Goodluck Jonathan for the 40th anniversary of the CAN president’s voyage into ministry, former Nigerian president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, is expected in the oil city tomorrow for a similar visit.

The former president will be chairman at the maiden annual lecture to mark Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor ’s 40 years in ministry which also coincides with the church’s 25th annual convention known as the Jubilee Word Festival. The theme of this year’s annual fiesta is “Empowered to change the impossible.”

The lecture, which will be delivered by professor of political science and former External Affairs Minister, Prof.

Bolaji Akinyemi, is

scheduled for tomorrow and is titled; “The Nigeria of my dream: Towards consolidation of national unity.”

Making the announcement at the close of proceedings yesterday was the celebrant himself, Pastor Oritsejafor, who marked his birthday on Saturday, and debunked insinuations in the media that he was celebrating his 70th birthday anniversary, saying “I am not 70 years as some people would want you to believe.”

He, however, did not disclose his age, saying that he would want to keep that a secret. He confirmed Prof, Oyomere’s earlier statement about the lecture, noting that former President Obasanjo had assured him that he would be come.

According to him, the calibre of person to deliver the lecture and topic of the lecture as well as eminent personalities to discuss it makes him believe that there are people desirous of national unity.

14—Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012

Pray more, Adeboye urges Nigerians

BY CALEB AYANSINA

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BUJA—GENERAL Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, weekend, emphasised the efficacy of prayer of the Saints to resolve every situation, admonishing Nigerians to bring the country and its leadership to God in prayers.

Adeboye, who spoke at the dedication of RCCG House of Grace (Grace

City), Abuja, said only by prayers could the present situation in the country be stabilised.

He said: “I want to encourage you to pray like never before.”

Pastor in charge of the church, Pastor Michael Nzekwe, urged people not to be nominal Christians, but the doer of the word of God. He said: “Let us be a practising Christians. If we can do that, we will see God working mightily for us.”

NLC threatens strike over flogging of Sokoto PHCN staff

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

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BUJA—NIGERIA Labour Congress, NLC, yesterday, threatened to shut down all economic and commercial activities in Sokoto State should Governor Aliyu Wamakko refuse to apologise for allegedly flogging an officer of Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, to a comma in public.

In a statement by NLC’s

President, Mr. Abdulwaheed Omar, the congress argued that the action of the governor was unacceptable in any decent society, uncivilised and an undemocratic behaviour least expected of anyone elected to serve the interests of the entire citizens of the state.

NLC said the action of the governor was a violation of the fundamental human rights of the PHCN worker and also exposed the limit of the governor’s exposure to democratic ideals.

It called on Sokoto State House of Assembly to take urgent steps to save the citizens from suffering the consequences of the gov-

ernor’s action.

It read in part: “Since the governor has opted to ignore the union’s modest request for apology and consequently put the whole state in total blackout, it is clear that his intentions were not just to violate the rights of the PHCN worker but also to inflict deeper hardships on the citizenry.

“By any standards, what the governor did was not just barbaric, irresponsible but coming from a man of his political standing, it also sends a disturbing signal to ordinary citizens who may decide to follow the governor’s example by opting for jungle justice rather than follow le-

gal and constitutional procedures.

“A governor should behave differently from a tout. A street fighter is not fit enough for any public office in a decent country.

“We will invoke our collective slogan of An Injury to One is an Injury to All. “Congress is, therefore, putting every worker in both the public and private sectors in Sokoto State on notice by directing all unions to commence mobilisation towards a solidarity action by the entire workers of the state against this barbaric act by the governor, if he does not accede to the demand of the union to apologise.”

Flood displaced 700,000 in Anambra— Presidential Aide

BY HENRY UMORU

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BUJA—SPECIAL Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Technical Matters, Dr. Akachukwu Nwankpo, has disclosed that 700,000 persons were displaced in the 60 communities which cut across six local government areas in Anambra State.

Nwankpo told newsmen in Abuja that the sta-

tistics were being collated to provide the victims with relief, adding that 120 volunteers had been engaged to reach out to the 60 communities, with two attached to each community to be paid N10,000 monthly.

Worried by the level of flood, which submerged these communities in the state, Nwankpo urged philanthropic individuals and organisations to move in

and assist the flood victims.

Nwankpo, who is mobilising Anambra people through Anambra Responds, said: “The initiative is focused on information, organisation, logistics and accountability.

“The magnitude of destruction is new and unexpected. If you take an aerial view of what happened in Anambra State, you will appreciate the level of devastation.”

Minister advocates distance learning for teachers ing this ceremony. I wish emerging economies like

M

INISTER of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, has declared that open and distance learning remained a critical strategy of addressing the challenge of welltrained teachers in the country.

The minister, who spoke in a keynote address to the second National Teachers’ Institute, NTI, graduation in Kaduna, weekend, noted that the seriousness of the teachers’ deficit was such that urgent steps must be taken to ensure that more Nigerians had access to quality teacher training.

Wike noted that the fact that the NTI had graduated over 58,000 qualified teachers between 2005 and 2011 underscored the importance of open and distance learning to addressing teacher deficit.

He said: “Over 47,000 graduands will be presented with certificates dur-

to put it on record that this is a feat that cannot be easily achieved by any single conventional institution in the country.

“In fact, it is one of the reasons for the advocacy of open and distance learning, particularly in

ours.

“We should, therefore, not only encourage the NTI, but support her in our own different ways to actualise her mandate of training and retrai-ning teachers using distance learning techniques.”

FCTA watches abandoned buildings against criminals

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

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BUJA—FEDERAL Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, has expressed deep concern over criminal activities in abandoned buildings across the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, weekend, at a meeting with his Security Adviser, directed security agencies in FCT to, as a matter of priority,

keep close watch on all abandoned buildings in Abuja.

Mohammed particularly instructed the FCT Command of the Nigeria Police to ensure that abandoned buildings were not used as hideout.

He said: “All security agencies are hereby directed to, as matter of urgency, beam their surveillance on abandoned buildings with a view to cracking down on criminals using such places as havens.”

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BURIAL OF FORMER GOVERNOR LAMIDI ADESINA OF OYO STATE

From left— Governor Ajimobi of Oyo State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Aremo Segun Osoba.

From right— Mr. Dapo Lam Adesina, son; Alhaja Sarat Adesina, widow, and Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, at the burial of late Alhaji Lamidi Adesina, former governor of Oyo State in Ibadan, yesterday. PHOTOS: Dare Fasube.

Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, Speaker, House of Representatives (left) and Gover nor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State.

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Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State (left) and Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State.

Crowd at the burial.

16 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012 SOMETHING in the report of the Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force, PRSTF, must be galling the Presidency. Its unwillingness to state its challenge makes the matter confusing and could make Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, chairman of the PRSTF, a hero.

Apparently, the drama that prefaced the submission of the report was the first indication that government would reject the report. Did President Goodluck Jonathan not ask opposing task force members to tender their views? Have their views been accepted over the entire report? Were the views not meant to be appendages to the report?

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe addressed the report with uncommon bellicosity directed at Mallam Ribadu, who he accused of “negativism”.

Was Okupe aware that two task force members, who stridently disassociated themselves from the report, were appointed into the board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, in the course of the assignment? Is NNPC not among the organisations the task force investigated?

Ribadu’s Ruined Repor eportt Could their loud protests not be related to their straddled position?

If the report was incomplete, should the Presidency not have asked the task force to finish its work? Why does Okupe think, Ribadu’s “claim of an overture to him to compromise the report is perfidious and false”?

Okupe is pouring all the bile on a report that he says government would still issue a white paper. Would the white paper be different from Okupe’s tirade? It is unfortunate that government does not seem to know what it wants.

What did the Ribadu report say that was wrong? If the task force did not complete its

report, was it wrong for that to be stated in the report? Who did this report hurt so badly that government would expend so much effort discrediting it?

Nigerians are no fools. They are aware of the ferocity government deploys to get what it wants. What is baffling is that nobody knows what government wants this time.

Government says it is fighting corruption, a task force it set up gives a detail of areas of corruption, and Okupe, presumably speaking for government, accuses Ribadu, not the entire task force, of being unpatriotic.

Does Okupe realise he cannot go on blaming the task force without noting government must have had its reasons for choosing Ribadu for the assignment? What changed?

Having discredited the report, what would government implement?

Government has wasted another opportunity to rev up the flagging war against corruption. The controversies taint the Ribadu report, rendering it useless.

The oil and gas sector, the mainstay of the economy, should not be treated trivially by those who should protect it from thieves in different disguises.

OPINION

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BY GODWIN ADINDU

HE carved wooden idol of Amadioha in my late grandfather’s bedroom was an attempt to conjure the image and presence of the almighty God. My grandfather and his generation captured and appreciated the overwhelming power of God from the imaginary power of the wooden totem. God was nearer to them in the physical presence of Amadioha. They talked to him directly, worshipped him by incantations and libations. They were pious, sincere and godly and were true to the light they received.

Thus, the wooden carving was just an image of the original. It was a living being bearing the semblance and characteristics of God. My grandfather spoke to it in complete personification of God. He captured the beauty of God, his omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence in the sweet lyrics of the incantations. He observed a sacred liturgy and approached Amadioha with reverence. The wooden image, contrary to the white man’s derogatory notion of Africa, was not an act of savagery but an icon of God captured in Africans’own cultural experience.

Indeed, it is from this background that I enter into an appreciation of the symbolism of the honour conferred on Theodore Orji, governor of Abia State, by the Champion Newspapers group last week in Enugu. Champion Newspapers, in their independent wisdom and judgement, conferred on Governor Orji the award of the Icon of Democracy. The governor is the second recipient of the newspaper’s leadership award, the first being George Obiozor. The award was instituted to recognise Nigerian leaders who have excelled in leadership. For the Chairman of the occasion, Bamanga Tukur, national Chairman of the ruling PDP, “The choice of Ochendo is apt because he has enthroned liberty, freedom and progress which are the cardinal tenets of democracy.”

In the lexicon of my cultural identity, I call Ochendo the “idol” of democracy. By “idol”, I borrow from the African

Why Orji is icon of democracy religious experience to try to convey the idea of symbolism and representation. By the award, Governor Orji comes to represent the very epitome of the noble ideals of democracy. He has been put on the pedestal as a true democrat and as a practical representation of the ideological construct which democracy evokes and which is summarised in that time-honoured simple definition: government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Just as the idol represents the finest of the God and stands as a signifier of God’s presence, Governor Orji is standing today as the signifier of true democracy. He is the practical image, in words and deeds, of the ideal. Democracy is people-centred. It is all about the people. It is a form of representative government. One can only appreciate the honour of the award from the knowledge of the recent political history of Abia State.

Before Governor Orji’s revolution, Abia was a dynasty ruled by one family. During this time, there was class distortion and destruction wherein the elite became an endangered specie while goons became the ruling class.

The question is: Did Abia have democracy? The answer is no. It was a captive era.

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n this mission of democracy, Governor Orji yanked off power from the stranglehold of this dynasty and returned it back to the people. All over the world, the displacement of bad rulers is an onerous and dangerous task; dangerous because it involves a life-and-death struggle. In this case, the governor has been up against an entrenched dynasty, including an army of hangers-on empowered for twelve years and equipped with money and arms. He had to contend with the ferocious anger of these men who found the privilege of power and were not

willing to relinquish it. This class found Governor Orji a threat to their colony.

With power back to the people, Orji is running a true representative government where the people are allowed to decide. In Abia today, it is the communities and constituencies that make nominations for commissioners and other political offices. The advisers and assistants are appointed based on merit, track record and competence.

Today, meritocracy has been restored as against mediocrity.

Democracy also caters for the welfare of the people.

Today, with a paltry N3.5 billion monthly federal allocation, from where the governor pays a monthly salary bill of N2.5 billion, he has been able to build legacy projects, like the world-class conference centre in Umuahia, the new four-storey secretariat complex, the new Government House, the Abia Diagnostic Centre in Umuahia and Aba, the new High Court building, new modern offices for the Broadcasting Corporation of Abia (BCA), and a host of others.

In the area of the minimum wage regime, Abia State under Governor Orji is one of the first five states that started the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure earlier in 2011; ditto for the Consolidated Health Salary Structure for health assistants, health officers, vet officers, agric health officers, nurses and doctors. In the same vein, Abia is also one of the few states that immediately paid ASUU agreed salary structure for universities. Governor Orji also went beyond the Federal Government prescribed N18,000 minimum wage for civil servants and followed the NLC standardised salary regime and has been paying N21,000 since December 2011. *Mr. OAdindu, a social critic, wrote from Aba, Abia State.

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BY EDWIN EKENE

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FTER independence, the aims of political parties were maintaining and protecting the unity and sovereignty of Nigeria as one indivisible and indissoluble nation among others. The political parties that were formed after the ban on political activities was lifted on September 21, 1978, were National Party of Nigeria (NPN), The Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP), Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), Great Nigeria Peoples Party (GNPP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Nigeria Advance Party (NAP).

Before the final return of democracy to Nigeria in 1999, the nation was on the right track to true democracy. Prior to the annulment of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election which was adjudged the freest and fairest election ever conducted in Nigeria, there were only two political parties in existence, and like what is obtained in America where it is either the Republicans or the Democrats, the parties in the third republic were; Social Democratic Party

Justice Jombo-Ofo and the tragedy of Nigeria able to settle, integrate and struggle with fellow countrymen in parts of the country.

They attained political heights similar to what we see in advanced Western countries like the USA, a country we admire so much and emulate in many ways (even if only where it suits us).

America is full of examples of people moving from their states of origin and attaining their dreams and ambitions in their places of residence. The most obvious is President Barack Obama, whose father was born in Africa. Obama hailed from Hawaii, settled in Illinois where he was elected to the US Senate and later twice as president of the United

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HE sad story of Justice Ifeoma Jombo-Ofo brings back to the fore the tragic situation of Nigeria’s negative socio-political development, better known as the “indigene-settler ” syndrome. Nearly one hundred years after its creation and 52 years after independence, Nigeria is still unable to provide for its citizens the canopy of assurance and protection in many ways.

Nigerians continue to be strangers in their country, no better than nationals of other countries resident in Nigeria.

Justice Jombo-Ofo was born in Anambra State. She married in Abia State. Since the state was created 21 years ago she has served the Judiciary “meritoriously” (the words of Governor Theodore Orji, who recommended her to take up Abia State’s slot in the Court of Appeal). But some selfish elements wrote a petition to the Chief Justice of the Federation, Mariam Aloma Mukhtar, pointing out that she was not an indigene of Abia State and therefore should not take up a seat reserved for its indigenes. Based on this, the CJN refused to swear her in.

This story resonated around the world and rocked the worldwide social media.

It showed that Nigeria has been moving backward rather than forward in terms of social and political integration. The struggle for Nigeria’s independence took off on a Pan-Africanists note, where Ghanaian, Sierra Leonean and Nigerian early educated elites, such as Dr James Kwegyir Aggrey, Sir J.E. Casely Hayford, Dr Herbert Macaulay and Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, among others, saw British West Africa and Africa as a whole coming out of colonialism if not as one country but at least united by common bonds of brotherhood and vision.

The movement towards creating a nation where everyone would find fulfillment was alive in most Southern cities such as Lagos, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Aba, Calabar and others, before Barrister Obafemi Awolowo and his group, the Egbe Omo Oduduwa introduced tribalism, which he characterised as “federalism” into the body politic. From the North, Sir Ahmadu Bello introduced a regional party. Thus was defeated our progress towards building a normal nation. We have written several times in the past to show how, in those early days Nigerians were

•Mariam Aloma Mukhtar, Chief Justice of the Federation,

I would have expected CJN Mukhtar to be the first to say “no” to this brazen affront on the rights of a fellow woman to move into the higher Bench

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States. Since we are talking of the case of a woman, let us use the example of Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton. She was born in Illinois, married to Bill Clinton

in Arkansas where she became the First Lady. After her husband’s two terms as president she moved to New York and was elected as a federal senator in 2000.

America’s infinite capacity to give its citizens the space, platform and protection to evolve to the best they can be is the primary reason for their intense patriotic instincts. It is one of the factors that draw people from all over the world to seek the citizenship of the USA. But here in Nigeria we allowed our society to degenerate from the sublime to the subliminal. We proudly proclaim ourselves first of all products of our tribes before being products of our states before being Nigerians. And yet we find it very convenient to leave our places of origin to seek fulfillment in other parts of Nigeria and the world.

What hypocrisy!

The Justice Jombo-Ofo case is very intolerable when we consider the sacrifices that women make. It is the lot of women to leave their families at maturity and relocate to strange new families, and sometimes strange new lands and cultures in order to move mankind forward. It is cruel and wicked, after she has made such sacrifices, to deny her the right to grow in her new dispensation. Justice Jombo-Ofo, like other women in her situation, brought out her God-given talents to serve her husband’s community and state with all her strength. While she fought her way from the bottom up, helping to build the state in which she was married nobody raised any objection. But now that she has come to a point of self-actualisation “ some evil-minded people want to stop her and reap where they did not sow.

The pitiable part of this story is that a fellow woman and head of the Judiciary is the stumbling block on her path. I remember very well when Mukhtar was sworn-in as the Chief Justice of Nigeria in July this year, how the entire nation, particularly women, rejoiced. The Senior Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Affairs, Senator Joy Emodi, led a group of women to celebrate the first female CJN. I would have expected CJN Mukhtar to be the first to say “no” to this brazen affront on the rights of a fellow woman to move into the higher Bench.

Meanwhile, all the men concerned have thrown their weights behind his woman – Governor Orji, President Goodluck Jonathan and the Nigerian Senate with its presiding officer, David Mark, as the chief advocate. People say that women are often the greatest enemies to other women. CJN Mukhtar’s intransigence has given credence to this notion, even if it is not always true. She has climbed to the top and kicked away the ladder.

We must proceed, in this constitution amendment exercise, to elevate the citizenship rights of Nigerians above ethnic and indigenous considerations.

Demographic mobility is one of the greatest factors in national development and individual actualisation.

Justice Jombo-Ofo must be sworn-in as a judge of the Court of Appeal.

OPINION Reducing the number of political parties (SDP) and National Republican Convention (NRC). Hence, comparing the 1993 general elections with just two parties to the 2003 and 2007 multi-party elections, even a crawling child will spot the difference! After the healthy competition among the three political parties--- Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All People Party (APP) and the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in 1999, the performance of some of these political parties in subsequent elections were not encouraging. The impression one got was that some of these parties were more interested in the handout they receive from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), than compete ting for office with other vibrant parties.

Furthermore, no political party can win election without first of all, building or erecting national structures, because the constitution forbids regional association in form of political party. Section 222(e) of the constitution as amended reads: “No association by whatever name called

shall function as a political party unless; the name of the association, its symbol or logo does not contain any ethnic or religious connotation or give the appearance that the activities of the association are confined to a part only of the geographical area of Nigeria”.

There are some political parties that don’t even have offices in some States, let alone the 774 Local Government Councils in Nigeria. The funny thing about the existence of some of these political parties is that, after election, there will be the first to head for the courts on grounds that their party logo did not appear on INEC ballot papers.

The 2011 Presidential election exposed the weaknesses of some these parties.

Imagine, a nation where there are 63 political parties, only 20 participated in the presidential election. What happened to the remaining 43 parties?

Out of the 20 political parties that contested the presidential election, only four got meaningful votes. The four are;

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with about 58.9 percent votes, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), with about 31.9 percent votes, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), with about 5.4 percent votes and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), with about 2.4 percent votes.

The remaining 16 parties got between 0.2 percent and 0.02 percent.

Reducing the number of our political parties will help the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in monitoring and providing adequate logistics for subsequent polls in the country. It will bring down the expenses often uncured by INEC during and after elections. The goodwill that, the 2011 general elections brought to us as a nation will be improved on in 2015 and future elections thereby, giving Nigeria, the passport to stand side-by-side with other great democracies of the world. *Mr. Ekene , a social critic, wrote from Enugu.

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RSIS, if one must reiterate, remains inescapable and inevitable in any human sociopolitical activity; it’s somewhat a natural phenomenon with some dickers of functionality attached to it. Even Billy Dudley (1978:3) in his work Instability and political order: Politics and crisis in Nigeria, opined and acquiesced that: “Crisis should rather be seen as a necessary condition in the creation of political order and is intimately bound up with the process of modernization and political development.”

Furthermore, any crisis must essentially be an issue of discourse, with an accompanying and vital healing process that is anchored on the singular act of forgiveness, ‘Give and take’, that is.

Therefore, the legion of litigations and judicial proceedings currently playing out on this APGA discord do not give this only credible Igbo political platform any chance of survival and advancement, if not quickly and maturedly dispensed with. A great deal of time, talent and treasure truly was deployed in nurturing and lifting APGA to the present height and acceptance amongst the Igbos and other progressives, and

these efforts shall not be allowed to suddenly and unreasonably become futile, floppy and forlorn.

Going by the recent postulations and pontifications as pertaining to this current discontent in (he party, it has been revealed that the personages, pedigree and the penchant and the attendant personality cult of the troika of Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, Governor Peter Obi and Chief Nwobu Alor provided and, in fact, practically supplied the needed fillip and followership that transformed APGA lo its enviable brand. Not in the least forgetting however, the pioneering purvey and polishing of Chief Chiekwas Okorie before the bubble burst.

It’s a fact too that the person of Chief Victor Umeh made a late entrance and strolled into prominence and influence under the auspices of the above mentioned pioneers.

Obviously, the untackled and unattended allegations of corrupt management, misappropriation and diversion of party funds and machinery leveled against the leadership of Umeh glaringly stirred this hornet's nest and then the cacophony of clashes ensued.

Without sounding repetitive of the core issues involved and already in the public-domain, I submit that laying claim to a statutory right of office and

The exit route to this macabre dance and charade in today’s APGA is simply easy and within reach; let the embattled chairman step out so as to reposition and restructure it

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tenure ship even with a dangling plethora of unquashed allegations of ineptitude, malappropriation and anti-party activities, which are at the core of such an office is simply bizarre, balderdash and in fact a bunkum!

Unlawful and criminal acts quake, shake and erode the legitimacy and occupancy of any given office or position.

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he cases of Dr. Chris Ngige and Dr. Andy Uba of the Anambra elections of the yore are instructive in this instance. Even when they purportedly won the elections and were duly sworn in, they were afterwards derobed and stripped of all the gubernatorial privileges and powers. Cases abound of similar descent into ignominy because the legitimacy and foundations ab initio were fraught with faults and facades. Also, all the PDP’s

Will the 2013 budget lift education out of decadence?

BY HASSAN SOWETO

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N October 10, 2012, President Goodluck Jonathan presented the 2013 budget proposal to a joint session of the National Assembly. A total sum of N426.53 billion was proposed as allocation to the education sector. This is 8.7percent of the budget but only a small portion of it; a mere N60 billion (14 percent) is for capital projects as the rest is for overhead.

What this means is that Nigeria is so far away from meeting the UNESCO recommendation of 26 percent.

For us in the Education Rights Campaign, ERC, this allocation is too little to resolve the multitude of problems afflicting the education sector which ranges from lack of basic teaching and learning infrastructures, collapsing school buildings, inadequate teaching and non-teaching staff, inadequate number of schools to accommodate increasing numbers of applicants, an underpaid workforce, brain drain, mass failure, over 40 percent illiteracy rate, etc.

We therefore call on the National Assembly to increase the 2013 budgetary allocation to education to 26 percent of the total budget as recommended by UNESCO. This should not be the end but rather the starting point of government’s efforts to provide free and universal public education at all levels as enshrined in the Constitution.

We must note that since the

presentation of the budget, several individuals and groups, most of whom are mere habitual government praise singers, have gone to town claiming that the budget proposal accords the education sector the highest share of allocations and that this is evidence of government’s commitment to repositioning public education in Nigeria. To start with, this is a malicious lie! In the same budget, about 12 percent is to go to debt servicing!

Chief among the motley crew of praise-singers is the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS- a platform which used to be at the forefront of the campaign for adequate funding of education. In a recent press statement signed by its President, Dauda Muhammed, the association was full of praises and adoration for the Federal Government.

According to the NANS: “The present commitment of the President Jonathan administration can be seen as a step in the right direction towards the attainment of our age-long agitation for the actualization of the 26 percent minimum allocation to education as recommended by UNESCO”(Daily Trust, 12/10/12).

The ERC disagrees with this kind of uncritical and highly jaundiced view of the 2013 budget proposal. This statement shows how completely degenerate and increasingly progovernment the national leadership of NANS has become over the years.

In any case, the ERC does not

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BY JOHN OKATTA

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APGA saga: Matters arising

chairmen and by extension other parties chairmen accused of corruption and inefficiency never survived their tenures under any guise.

Nevertheless, the exit route to this macabre dance and charade in today ’s APGA is simply easy and within reach.

Let the embattled chairman, Umeh, who happens to be at the centre of the myriads of the accusations, for the sake of self survival and the party ’s progress, step out from the reins of power in APGA so as to reposition and restructure it entirely. Of course, he can convoke a special congress in agreement with the stake holders; if he likes, he can install his surrogates where possible. But let him hasten up to leave the stage now so as to repolish his dented dignity and integrity.

The case of Prof. Barth Nnaji (former Minister of Power and Energy) is quite illuminating and illustrative of how decency and decorum should be show cased. When he was maligned and nearly messed up, he elected to jettison the plum powerful power portfolio and its perquisites thereto, to protect his hard-won dignity and reputation and to also move the Ministry forward.

That was a show of selflessness and a path of a purpose-driven personality. Same applies to Messers Jack Warner and Bin Hamman of the FIFA Fame.

They resigned amidst corruption allegations, with their integrity not marred, whilst keeping the organisation afloat and undiminished. Therefore, Umeh should take a cue from

The ERC does not believe the 2013 budget reflects any commitment whatsoever on the part of government towards improving the fortunes of the education sector

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believe the 2013 budget reflects any commitment whatsoever on the part of government towards improving the fortunes of the education sector.

Instead, considering the 2013 budget proposal whose size is a whopping N4.92 trillion is about 5 percent bigger than the 2012 budget, this allocation to education reflects completely the opposite.

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llocation to education only increased marginally from 8.43 percent last year to 8.7 percent in the 2013 budget. Meanwhile, the President in his budget speech admitted that the 2013 appropriation bill is 5 percent bigger than the 2012 budget. Of course, by the time the National Assembly finishes work on it which is really about inflating its own perks of office, the budget should be expected to be way bigger than this and the percentage allocation to education will drop further.

Indeed at this rate, NANS’ hope that the 2013 budget proposal is “a step in the right direction towards the attainment of our age-long agitation

the cited eases above and disentangle this twist revolving around him so as to keep the APGA flag flying if his avowed and clichéd attachment to APGA is genuine. Becoming litigious, egocentric and mischievously egotistic can only worsen this debacle. And in this regard, one condemns strongly his attack and ridicule of the interactive discourse initiated

by Dr. Tim Menakaya and other party elders recently on the way forward.

Ruefully too, providing the opportunity for Chief Chekwas Okorie to laugh condescendingly and unendingly at this demeaning and distracting display of desperation on account of the recalcitrance of one individual, is not the appealing approach to remember his forced exit and stepping out from APGA where he (Chekwas) too toed a similar path. If Umeh does the needful now, quickly and quietly too, only then would the memories of our revered Ikemba Ojukwu, the Ezeigbo Gburugburu be kept alive. In addition, the philanthropic, magnanimous and generous backbone of Gov. Peter Obi, including his massive goodwill outlay and solid PR would always be guaranteed, whilst freely and intimately tapping from the elderly compass and reservoir of the pragmatic and pro-active and quintessential Nwobu Alor.

*Mr. Okatta, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Obosi, Anambra State.

for the actualization of the 26 percent minimum allocation to education as recommended by UNESCO” will most certainly never be realised either now or in the foreseeable future.

As experience has shown, as fiscal outlays (budget size) increases so also does the share of the education sector and other key sectors that directly impacts on the lives of ordinary Nigerians decrease. This is because the priority allocation in budgets often goes to security, debt servicing and the perks of office of the Presidency, National Assembly members and the government bureaucracy. For instance, in the same budget, a sum of N1.12 billion is apportioned as money to purchase two new helicopters for the Presidential air fleet, N1.5 billion for the ‘welfare’ of the Presidency and N5.5 billion for past heads of state and their deputies.

However, another point which government praise singers have overlooked in their haste to label President Jonathan as educationfriendly is the fact that the Federal Government recently established about nine new Federal universities which are being built right from the scratch.

Against this background, allocation to education should naturally be expected to double or triple over last year’s with a huge portion voted for capital projects.

Unfortunately this is not the case which means government is expecting to pay for the building of infrastructures in the new universities by charging sky-rocketing fees. Already fees have been hiked in some federal and state universities with many students facing the bleak prospect of dropping out.

Continues tomorrow on the viewpoint pg *Mr. Soweto, a social critic, wrote from Lagos.

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understand why we must draw a critical balance between what goes to wages and what goes to healthcare, education, water supply, environment, it is a matter of communication. He doesn’t understand in the short run, it is your lot to persuade him and I think in a sense after the first one or two years, we had greater understanding.

I let them know that if we give you good wages and you buy a car and the roads are bad, where do you drive it? So, there are challenges.

So, it is about having a balanced policy with regards to direct and indirect compensation.

Direct in terms of wages, indirect in terms of access to healthcare, to good roads, to water supply, to electricity etc.

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•Oshiomhole: I am a militant in government

EDO: THE NEXT FOUR YEARS

I'm not experimenting with public funds — Oshiomhole G

OVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole was his bouncy self penultimate Saturday evening in the Presidential Guest House, Benin as he prepared for the interaction with a team of visiting journalists. It was a fitting time for the Comrade Governor to reflect on the journey of the last four years and peep into what the next four years portend for the historic legacy he has clearly established.

Oshiomhole’s first term has clearly reconnected the people of the Heartbeat State with government given the infrastructural impact of the administration in the last four years. At the twilight of his first term Oshiomhole still carried on with an enthusiasm quite unusual for one with a second term in his pocket. The Comrade Governor was, however, to explain that to him winning election for the second term was not the end of what friends and foe have come to regard as the Oshiomhole phenomenon.He spoke on his plans, politics and philosophy of government among other issues. Excerpts:

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR HOW did you feel when some workers took exception to your move to collect taxes?

For me, we had to re-educate the people that it is in the interest of the poor that taxes are paid.

For every one naira you pay, someone else is going to pay one million naira. But the good news

is that what then accrues from the process will be put to public use in a way that is not valuefree, but one that is deliberately skewed to deliver the greatest good to the greatest number.

Initially, they went on strike largely because they misunderstood what mine involvement in politics represents. First, I believe that a

worker must earn his wage. We don’t pay salary out of pity, we pay salary because they have been earned. So, if you don’t work I am not going to excuse you because even in the world of labour, workers in their wisdom have had cause to hire and fire their own leaders who they believe did not perform optimally. So, if you don’t work

and we sack you, there is no contradiction.

I said to workers that when I was in the NLC that a worker mustn’t see himself just as a wage taker, he is first and foremost a citizen and what determines his quality of life is not the factor of pay. As important as it is, it is the overall way in which the polity and the economy is managed or if you like, mismanaged.

You have eight hours to spend at work and you have 16 hours to spend outside work, so if the world outside the workplace is not properly looked after, your wage level will not determine your overall quality of life which means that the state or the worker must be interested with what government does with regards to healthcare, water supply, power supply, etc.

So, when you ask workers to

id you get to understand these issues as governor or did you know them as a unionist?

Even when I was in the NLC I was always clear that wages are important, but wages alone do not determine the quality of living, it is wages taken together with other factors. So, I have always understood that. But let me say that the logic of organising remains valid, namely that for every kobo that accrues to government, there are competing interests. Who gets what is often a function of who is able to exert power. In Nigeria of today, some people would say that given the paucity of funds why do we pay a minimum wage of N18,000. Good argument.

But someone would also say, if you cant pay N18,000 why should a governor be travelling with 10 vehicles in a convoy?

Why is it that we can afford to fly some people overseas for malaria treatment? So, there is no question in my mind. I remain convinced that even the best kind hearted governor needs to be reminded not to forget the social purpose of governance.

So, I am not surprised. I have benefited from union pressure. I have. Because there are also other forces that make demands on your office and how you eventually resolve them will depend on first, who you think you can persuade to give up his rights or who you can manage or contain easier. Something must give. But the difference between me and other governors is that I am not surprised when workers go on strike, I am not hostile to the idea because I recognise the legitimacy of a strike action. But additionally, I also know that when you misuse the weapon, I am supposed to keep you in check because that is a game in which I can be said to be a veteran.

I also think that the worker doesn’t see me as his class enemy so even when we disagree it is like a family disagreement.

Continues on page 47

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012—47

godatherism. My problem was not that we had a bad godfather, it was that we didn’t need godfathers because by their very nature in politics they can only exert negative influence. So, if I saw godfather as something negative, then I cannot plot to liquidate one and replace him with myself. No, that is not it.

I think Edo is now free of godfatherism, the people have taken charge and the difference is clear. We will never return to godfatherism.

EDO: THE NEXT FOUR YEARS

I'm not experimenting with public funds — Oshiomhole

Nigerian governors often slow down in the second term after winning re-election. What is the assurance that you would sustain the momentum that was seen in your first term?

But let me say one thing to you, what I do is out of my conviction, that the people are entitled to get value for the resources that the state or the operators of state appropriate in the name and in the authority of the people. It is my conviction. It is not something that I have done so that I might remain. It is what I

,

That deep seated suspicion, ‘that you know these guys, they don’t trust us, they don’t like us, they are opposed to us’ they don’t look at me in those terms.

Conversely, I don’t see the worker when he is protesting and say, ‘he has ulterior motive, he just wants to discredit me, somebody is using him.’

Because sometimes, when those in government talk like that I used to feel offended when they accuse us that we are being used.

It is as if, if I am not being used, I don’t know I deserve a wage increase. I don’t deserve healthcare? I don’t deserve to have my pension paid as at when due? I need to be told by somebody that I needed to be treated with respect and dignity?

Whereas some others read ulterior motives, I don’t. Even when I do not agree with the method, I also understand that sometimes under certain circumstances, workers could make legitimate mistakes in the terms of the strategies they opt for in their quest to get matters resolved in certain ways.

Whereas some other persons always think that when those things happen that ‘my opponent must be behind it’. So, for me, I am very much at home.

have done because I believe in it. After all, when I was in the NLC, I took risks, including life threatening risks, not so that I might remain because there is no benefit, but because I believed in it.

But if you are an opportunist, then the question will be an issue. But if you act out of conviction, it is not an issue because you get satisfaction everyday that you convince yourself that you have given yourself to your state.

I am aware that there are many governors who didn’t perform and they did more than eight years. Not just eight years, they did more than eight years, precisely because they did not perform. Let me explain.

Because they didn’t perform, they did not win an election, then they rigged themselves back to office, then the court found that they rigged the election and the court nullified the election, they then perfected the rigging and then they were returned to office and then ended up doing another four years plus the rigged period, then they ended up doing more than eight years.

I am accountable not only to Edo people, I am accountable to all Nigerians who were curious and said, ‘lets see what the comrade would do’

,

So in terms of the empirical evidence, people have been rewarded for non-performance in this country. So, there are people

•Oshiomhole: Edo workers trust me

But sometimes it is not deliberate act to become a godfather and most people who were in the PDP under the previous godfather or godfather would see ACN… (Interrupts) I think you point is under the previous godfather because there is no more godfather (laughter).

•Oshiomhole: I am no godfather who believe that the best way to remain in office is not to perform but to accumulate money and then buy over all the controlling instruments, including police, INEC and other security agencies and then you will have your return certificate, written even before the election day!

So, for me what I have done in the first term is not because I needed a second term, but because I believe that was the right thing to do and I am conscious that I am accountable not only to Edo people, I am accountable to all Nigerians who were curious and said, ‘lets see what the comrade would do’ In fact, the American Counsellor General when she visited Edo some years ago, I said to her, one of my policies is that I don’t make experiment with public funds. She asked, what do I mean, I said if I want to build it a road, I wont give it to a contractor who is not known to have performed elsewhere and she said, ironically, you are the newest experiment. By this she meant, the world is watching how an activist will perform as a governor.

So, I am conscious of that. Even in the media, I have friends who have written extensively in my favour when I was in the NLC and opinion was divided whether a “successful” labour leader could also be good in government.

Some pointed at Chiluba in Zambia who apparently wasn’t successful, but there were those who pointed at Lula in Brazil who was very successful. So, if it is possible to be successful, it is also possible to fail but I believe I will

,

Continues from page 46

I think Edo is now free of godfatherism, the people have taken charge and the difference is clear, we will never return to godfatherism

,

be successful because I have deep convictions and I believe that the only honour in public office is to be remembered with what you have been able to accomplish for the vast majority of the people.

So, I have acted purely out of conviction.

When you talk to Edo people and they will tell you that if it is about electoral calculations, I have put resources where the vote that would come from the area is not necessarily commensurate with the amount of resources I have put there and I have worked consciously in places where people didn’t vote for me in 2007 which explains this time around it was easy for me to say and for the people to believe that if you didn’t vote for a man and he worked for you, what happens if you vote for him. So, I have acted out of conviction.

Are you the new godfather in town?

The contest in Edo was not to replace one godfather with another, it was to liquidate

Ok, after four years would you not influence your successor?

You have asked a very interesting question. Should anybody be uninterested about his future? Will that be a positive value or quality to be celebrated?

That I am not interested in my future. Don’t forget that my citizenship of Nigeria and my indegenship of Edo State will not end with my tenure and every indigene of Edo State will always be interested about the future of this state. You don’t have to be a governor to be interested about who becomes a governor because you have vested interest, mainly to be governed by decent human beings who will creatively apply public resources for the good of the majority.

So, I am not apologetic and it will be stupid if I were not to be interested about the future governance of this state. So, obviously, I would be. But not anymore than any roadside mechanic would be or any other person.

To be interested is not intrinsically wrong. I think we need to find a way to define the concept of godfatherism in the context in which we talk about it in Edo State as a system in which one man, or two, three people can sit down and say, you will be the next governor. Why? ‘Because you would listen to me, I will tell you when to wake up and when to go to sleep. By your nature you cannot ask question.’ ‘You, will not be because we cannot manage you. You are likely to ask questions and you will contest issues, we don’t want troublesome people.’ ‘Your allocation has arrived, don’t touch it until I have told you what to do with it.’

These are the issues. If you ask many people around Edo State government, those who are managing commissions, including local governments, they will tell you that they now have freer hands than was ever the case before because I think if you give a man responsibility, he should be able to do it. If you are a tier of government it is up to you how you manage.

48 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012

I

T is so unfortunate that there has been so much ignorant carping and malicious tittle-tattling about the report of the Petroleum Revenue Task Force chaired by Malam Nuhu Ribadu, both failings arising from a deliberate attempt to individualize what was actually group work, a mischievous attempt to politicize one report out of three, and to smuggle into an emergent grand web of conspiracy, elements of blackmail, mischief and outright opportunism.

I should like to dispel the putrefacious stench of the fart that seems to have overtaken the subject by returning all of us to certain basics that have not changed since President Jonathan approved the setting up of committees to inquire into different aspects of the Petroleum Sector and particularly since the reports were presented and accepted. The facts are as follows.

The committees in question and the probe into the Petroleum sector were initiated by President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure transparency and accountability in the extractive industry; the goal was to transform the sector and raise levels of integrity accordingly. Every step that has been taken by this administration in this regard has been in fulfillment of this well-stated principle. This includes the decision to completely deregulate the downstream sector, which has now resulted in the exposure of oily deals in that sector, with consequences for the indicted persons.

It also includes the launch of a concerted fight against crude oil theft and illegal payments of fuel subsidy. Zakari Mohammed of the House of Representatives talks absent-mindedly about “lack of political will” to fight corruption. He certainly doesn’t know what he is talking about. A legislative position should not confer a right to mendacity. He should know, if he had been reading the newspapers, that on the basis of both the report of the House of Representatives and the Aig AigImokhuede committee report on fuel subsidy payments, persons are currently being prosecuted in the law courts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The Federal Government has not done anything to stop or discourage the prosecution of indicted persons. We have made the point, again and again, that in this on-going fight against corruption, there will be no “cover ups”; and no “sacred cows,” and that President Jonathan’s only interest is the people’s interest. This same President has demonstrated the political will to deal with corruption in the country’s electoral process, to both local and global acclaim. He has no reason to make compromises in other areas of national life. Interestingly, many of those who are

Jonathan and the Ribadu report now talking ignorantly about “political will” are beneficiaries of this administration’s commitment to the rule of law and fairplay.

On the specific issue of the Petroleum Revenue Task Force report, the mischief-makers should go back to the statements made by President Jonathan, and subsequently by the Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, on the occasion of the presentation of the report. The President’s position that the work of the Ribadu Committee, and of the two other committees that presented their reports on that occasion, the Idika Kalu committee on Refineries and the Dotun Sulaiman Committee on Governance is useful and enlightening has not changed. AlisonMadueke has further echoed that position more than twice.

The three committees were set up as fact-finding and advisory bodies. That fact was further underscored by the President’s mature response to the altercation that the Ribadu Committee Report generated when he said that those who have issues to raise should be free to make their own independent submissions. This shows a determination to get every possible piece of information and to accommodate all concerns. This shows a will to act. President Jonathan has not dumped any input, rather he welcomes every possible input and he has no private interest in this matter. So for anyone to say that the Ribadu committee was “calculated to fail from the beginning”, is absolutely uncharitable.

Indeed, for the benefit of those playing politics and doing quick business with this matter, the truth is that President Jonathan is already taking steps to address some of the issues raised in the various reports.

When President Jonathan sets up committees to investigate particular issues, he does so, because he wants to address those issues. I had, before now, drawn attention to the fact that the President gave clear directives on the state of the refineries and that at least one meeting had been held since the presentation of the Report on Refineries, to act specifically on the recommendations made.

President Jonathan has directed that he wants the refineries fixed and steps are already being taken; deadlines have been set. That didn’t make the headlines, rather, falsehood hugged the headlines, because these days it pays to fart all over the place, and attract attention.

To set the records straight, here is what happened. After the presentation of the reports by the three committees, the President directed the Minister of Petroleum Resources to take up the recommendations of the Kalu Idika Kalu committee on

•President Goodluck Jonathan

•Malam Nuhu Ribadu

refineries. The committee recommended, in part, that the country’s refineries should be rehabilitated without any further delay. On November 8, the

,

BY REUBEN ABATI

Indeed, for the benefit of those playing politics and doing quick business with this matter, the truth is that President Jonathan is already taking steps to address some of the issues raised in the various reports

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Minister and her team were at the Villa to brief the President about the state of the refineries, their current capacities, and steps that need to be taken to get them to function at optimum capacity.

The President made it clear that the government is committed to getting the refineries to work, so that we would no longer have to import refined petroleum products, which he considers shameful, and by so doing, government would have succeeded in creating jobs and put an end to the hardship that attends importation. The meeting discussed the possibility of ensuring the Turn Around Maintenance of the refineries

by March 2013, and subsequently, the rehabilitation of the facilities. The meeting ended with a directive that the Minister and her team should return with further presentations on the technical details of the agreed plan of action. This is one clear example of prompt action and demonstration of commitment.

President Jonathan has no reason to embarrass anyone who served on any of the three committees. While receiving the reports, these were his words: “…we have seen that the people that have been se-

lected in these committees are people that are known by Nigerians, people that are credible, most especially people that are patriotic and I believe that they put all that into consideration for the interest of the country not for the interest of any individual. You have submitted your reports today. We have to thank you very sincerely and government will surely make use of these reports… because we feel that the oil industry as it is, need to be reformed.” I urge you to note the emphasis on all the reports without exception!

Thereafter, President Jonathan commented on the work of the individual committees. On Dotun Sulaiman committee, he said: “…we feel that our governance and control, (in the oil and gas sector) we need to look at it. And of course quite a number of issues raised by the presenters link up with even the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) issues and I believe it will even help the National Assembly robustly in terms of looking at some aspects of the PIB. So we thank you very sincerely for that.”

On the Kalu Idika Kalu Committee he said: “In the case of the refineries, I really have to thank you because I was listening, trying to see the kind of recommendations you will bring up…Maybe some of you don’t know but those of us who are in politics, they used to “yab” us some years back that in Nigeria we import what we have and export what we don’t have. They say we import what we have because we have crude oil for God’s sake. Ordinarily if it is a country where we placed our focus right, we should be having filling stations all over Africa and all over the world …It is disgraceful that we are importing petroleum products. If in the next ten years this country still imports petroleum products then all of us who have the opportunity to be here, in fact when we die they should write something and put behind us that we did not rule this country well, because we must stop the importation of petroleum products.” Hence, the Presi-

dent held the aforementioned follow-up meeting on refineries.

Now, on the Ribadu Report, President Jonathan said, inter alia: “…Probably not everybody agreed on some of the conclusions but I don’t think we need to bother…what we would say is that any member who has one or two observations should please write it either directly to me through the Chief of Staff or through the Minister of Petroleum Resources…But the issues of finance, if it borders on corrupt practice or outright stealing, definitely it will go to the EFCC for investigation…If there are errors of calculation or misinformation from the relevant agencies of government that are supposed to give the correct figures, that will be filtered out. It will not be used against anybody, because the interest of government to set up these committees is to help us do what is right. It is not to help us do what is wrong. And that is why we have to be careful and do what is right. So I plead with you. But let me assure you that government has no interest in hiding anything…”

Let me cut this short, at this point, by saying that President Goodluck Jonathan has no reason whatsoever, personal or political (since at least one character has said that the furore over the Ribadu Report has something to do with 2015!) to protect wrong-doers in the land. He took on this assignment to make Nigeria better and that is what he is doing everyday: working hard at the Nigerian project and taking every step to transform it for good. The Nigerian people are enjoined to stand on the side of truth and to reject the mischief of all hunters of fortune whose interest is their own ambitions, for in this Ribadu Committee Report matter, personal ambitions are beginning to becloud the facts. President Jonathan will continue to provide leadership. Nobody should drag him into the cheap arena of opportunistic demagoguery.

Dr. Abati is Special Adviser to President Jonathan on Media and Publicity.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012 — 49

BY EMMA AMAIZE, REGIONAL EDITOR SOUTH SOUTH & AUSTIN OGWUDA

A

LARGE-SCALE fraud has been uncovered in the distribution of the first batch of 1,250 tricycles purchased by the Delta State Government to cushion the effect of the restriction on commercial motor bikes, popularly known as Okada in Asaba, Warri and Effurun.

Investigations by Vanguard showed that a cabal within the leadership of the motorcyclists hijacked the tricycles and turned the project into a moneymaking enterprise for themselves and some merchants outside the state, hence the insufficiency of tricycles in the routes approved for them. It was reliably learnt that government subsidized the cost of the tricycles, exclusively reserved for commercial operators up to 65 per cent, from N400,000 to N150,000, but unionists, who were put in charge of allocation of the tricycles to their members, sold them to merchants.

The middlemen bought the tricycles and are selling each at between N380,000 to N400,000 to motorcyclists, who rejected the price, knowing that government gave it out at N150,000.

Vanguard was informed that a particular merchant from outside the state bought 600 of the the tricycles and took them to one of the South-East states, from where he now sells to those who want to buy in Delta State.

Commissioner Igbakpa confirms the rip-off Delta State Commissioner for Transport, Mr. Ben Igbakpa, confirmed the rip-off in an interview with Vanguard at Asaba, but said while investigations were on going, government had purchased another 1,300 tricycles for distribution.

He, however, assured that government would put in place better measures to ensure that the tricycles get to the actual users at the approved subsidized rate.

His words: “But again, the 1,300 new tricycles we have, we are thinking of another way to handle it. We are going to work with a new plan that will not allow it to be interesting to these two categories of aforementioned persons.”

The commissioner noted that an average Okada rider, who needed just N1,000 to N2,000 for one day should, therefore, not mortgage his life for another two to three years, while a man, sitting by the fence, all in the name of a businessman, who believes that Delta State is a fertile ground, would be smiling without working to the bank. We are going to make it uninteresting for them so that

we can move forward.”

Not govt business to buy tricycles for operators Igbakpa, however, said that it was not the business of government, in the real sense, to acquire tricycles for the operators, adding, however, that no fewer than 21,000 persons could be moved at a time in the state with the transport arrangements on ground.

According to him, 605 Toyota Hiace buses purchased by government were being used in the transport sector, some are interstate, including the recently acquired 160 Marcapolo buses and 50 high capacity buses.

His words: “I want to put in on record that Delta State is the only state in Nigeria that has put inplace alternative and supplementary measures for anybody that was in Okada business in Warri, Uvwie and Asaba. Before the restriction, these tricycles have been around since March and I have been preaching the message that definitely it (restriction) is going to come, that we should just expect the restriction in some major cities of the state.”

Giving insight into how the racket was perpetuated, he said: “But again, we are our own evil.

We are the ones bedevilling

I believe that you cannot mortgage your future for peanuts. That is what they have done. I do not know how long N100,000, N150,000 is going to last for them.

It is unfortunate that the masses, the commuters are suffering it ourselves. Government bought tricycles; if you go to the market, you will see what it costs.

However, the governor in his usual magnanimity, not just made provision for an alternative in this transition so that you are not stuck in that as soon as you drop your motorcycle, you pick a tricycle.

“These people came, the tricycles were commissioned, and the governor handed them over to the motorcycle and tricycle union. They were the ones that collected the money. As the Commissioner for Transport, I do not even know the account as I am talking to you. They collected the money and they identified who should benefit from it. They gave it to the people who should benefit.

Policemen enforcing the ban

Okada ban: Massive rip-off in Delta zWhy there is scarcity of tricycles in Asaba, Warri, Effurun zMerchants buy tricycle at N150,000 from govt zSell between N380,000 – N400,000 How they hijacked the allocation According to him, “to the merchant who sells tricycles in Onitsha and Lagos, it seems that there is a good business in it. We sell N200,000 and His Excellency, in his magnanimity, reduced it to N150,000. So after reducing it, these people now bought it and they were selling it for N300,000.

“For the N300,000, you are making already N150,000. I understand the union collects N20,000 for registration and some other dues making it N170,000.

For some persons who are already their members that they know, they paid just N150,000. So if we sell it for N150,000, they are now making N150,000, that is 100 per cent of what they expended.

“Then the businessman who is buying it now sells it for N380,00, N400,000. Therefore, the man again is making huge profit. So in one tricycle that is released, there is a profit of N250,000."

Igbakpa, continued: “I believe that you cannot mortgage your future for peanuts. That is what they have done. I do not know how long N100,000, N150,000 is going to last for them. It is unfortunate that the masses, the commuters are suffering it.

“We responded by deploying our Marcopolo and Toyota Hiace buses. We responded adequately.

However, the first day, we were taken unawares because we believed that these persons actually bought the tricycles and they were going to use them.

Therefore, we expected the tricycles to be on the road that day (November 1). When we discovered that the tricycles were not on the road, we responded the next day.

Rescue mission in Asaba “As I am talking to you, in Asaba, the 15 Marcopolo buses that we have not given to any operator, the Ministry of Transport has to roll them out. We have to make sure they are on the road. As I am talking to you, we have 10 Marcopolo buses in Asaba and 10 Toyota Hiace buses, His Excellency directed that I should roll out.

Extension to Warri “Then in Warri, we have just spread out. Apart from the 25 we have given to the operators in Warri, we have sent another 10 Toyota Hiace buses to be managed by the Ministry of Transport. Therefore, we are making up; you can see for yourself here what we are doing (referring to the newly imported tricycles at the commissioners’ quarters that were being assembled and repainted to Delta State blue and white taxi colors.)

Branding 1,300 new tricycles “We have taken delivery of 1,300 tricycles. They are coming in trickles, but we are working on them and the issue of assembling and changing them into Delta State colours, is going to take some weeks. But, I assure you that in no distant time, they will be out.”

Well-thought policy “There is no policy that is starting that does not have its usual toll on the people or let me put it this way, there is no policy that is fool-proof. Every policy has its own deficiency and you have

Commissioner for Transport, Delta State, Mr. Ben Igbakpa

to cure the deficiency.

Law covers restriction On the legality of the restriction, he said: “In terms of the law, which you are talking about, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 43 of the Road Traffic Law, 2006, and by virtue of all other laws enabling the Executive Council, it has actually gone ahead and done an amendment to that regulation."

We carried out enlightenment “There is nobody in Nigeria that does not know the menace of Okada. Yes, it has its own good side, but the disadvantage outweighs the advantage and we have explained to them. There is nobody in Delta that would say enlightenment was not done on this policy. I was virtually jumping from one media houseto the other just to let people know. I kept explaining and their complaints were taken into consideration before we started.

50—Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012

Oyo ex-gov. Lam Adesina, dies at 73, buried •State govt declares 7-day mourning

BY OLA AJAYI

I

BADAN – THE remains of the former Governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Lamidi Adesina were yesterday interred in his Felele residence according to Islamic rites. He died early yesterday in a private hospital in Lagos having battled fruitlessly with diabetes.

His corpse arrived Ibadan in an Ambulance with number plate LA156A08 at exactly 3.20 pm and was lowered into the grave about one hour later.

At the burial rites were notable politicians from different political parties in the country. Among them are the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honorable Aminu Tambuwal, the National leader of ACN, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande.

Others who attended the ceremony are Governors Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, Babatunde Raji Fashola of

Lagos, Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state.

While conducting the burial rites, the Chief Imam of Ibadan-land, Sheikh Haruna Suara urged the crowd to pray for the dead politician. He encouraged all the sympathizers not to lose heart by the death of the politician adding that he lived a fulfilled life.

When Vanguard visited the Felele residence, the whole street was filled up with hundreds of sympathizers.

In his words, Chief Akande described Lam Adesina as “one of the most courageous leaders Nigeria has ever produced lamenting that he died too early.

His contributions in the circuit of the progressives, he noted, would be greatly missed for several years.

One of the three musketeers and the former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba, also spoke glowingly

about the deceased.

“What you cannot take away from him is his forthrightness and outspokenness, he tells it as it is even in the face of intimidation and threat to his personal safety ”, Osoba stated.

State govt declares 7 days mourning

AS a mark of honour for the political icon, the state government has declared a seven-day mourning for the departed elder statesman and former teacher of Governor Ajimobi.

During the seven days of mourning, all official state functions will be suspended and the national flag flown at half mast.

Governor Ajimobi described Alhaji Adesina as “a dedicated patriot, foremost defender of democracy and human rights, and political war-horse who had always stood on the side of truth”.

Also, Senator Rashidi Ladoja through the Director of the

*Lam Adesina Accord Party in the state, Prince Dotun Oyelade said his death had opened another vista in the politics of oyo state.

According to him, Adesina represented the dwindling specie of those politicians who honestly strived to live the glittering example of the

spartan life bequeathed from Chief Obafemi Awolowo.”His death will create a dangerous void in his political party the ACN and those who will attempt to profit from his absence may be consumed by their opportunism” he stated.

Jonathan, Atiku, ACN, others condole Adesina’s family

BY OUR REPORTERS

P

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has expressed sadness at the death of elder statesman, Alhaji Lam Adesina.

In a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati, president Jonathan extended his “heartfelt condolences to Alhaji Adesina’s family and the Government and people of Oyo State.

“The President joins late Alhaji Adesina’s family, relatives, friends, associates and all who knew him in mourning the renowned educationist and political leader who devoted his entire adult life to working for the progress of his people and the nation.

“President Jonathan believes that Alhaji Adesina’s indefatigability in political struggles as well as his honesty, integrity, sincere commitment and dedication to the service of his people before and during his tenure as governor have ensured that he will be honoured and remembered by present and future generations as an exemplary leader who did his utmost best to improve the lives of his people.

“He prays that God Almighty will receive Alhaji Adesina’s soul and grant him eternal rest.

Nigeria has lost an irrepressible voice of conscience, says ACN The Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, has described the death of former Governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Lam Adesina, as a devastating blow to the party in particular and a big loss to the nation in general, saying Nigeria has lost an irrepressible voice of conscience.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji L ai Mohammed, in a statement, however, prayed God to give the bereaved family the strength to bear the irreplaceable loss.

Adesina was redoubtable democrat —Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said the death of Lam Adesina has robbed Nigeria of a vibrant voice of democracy.

In a tribute to Adesina contained in a statement by his media office in Abuja, the former PDP presidential aspirant noted that despite his age, the late politician was

The President joins late Alhaji Adesina’s family, relatives, friends, associates and all who knew him in mourning the renowned educationist and political leader who devoted his entire adult life to working for the progress of his people and the nation actively engaged in the struggle to protect our democracy from dictatorship.

Driven by a remarkable courage of conviction, he said Adesina was never hesitant to speak the truth to power, despite the potential dangers of official intimidations and harassment.

It’s a huge loss — Aregbesola

On his part, the Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, described as a rude shock the death of the

ACN chieftain In a statement issued by the Director of Communications and Strategy, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, Aregbesola said Adesina’s death would create a huge political vacuum not only in the South-West but also in Nigeria as a whole.

Mimiko mourns Lam Adesina

GOVERNOR Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State yesterday described the death of Ex- Oyo governor as a sad loss to the nation and the clan of progressive politics in particular.

Commiserating with the family of the deceased, Dr Mimiko said no doubt, the death of the former governor has left a vacuum among the progressives in the country adding that the vacuum he left behind may not be easily filled.

He described the deceased as a pragmatic politician whose role in the enthronement of democracy in the country could not be quantified and recalled that Lam was active in the fight against Military dictatorship and played a significant role in bringing about the democratic experience being witnessed in the country now.

It’s big loss to democracy — Fayemi

TO Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Lam Adesina’s death is a “big loss to the Nigerian democracy.”

Fayemi, in a statement yesterday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Yinka Oyebode, described Adesina as “one of the heroes, who fought tooth and nail for the return of democracy in 1999.”

He further described Adesina as a committed Awoist who practised and defended the ideals of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo till he (Adesina) breathed his last.

He was educationist, politician and statesman —Sen Bukola Saraki

Mourning the late Adesina, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki representing Kwara central said “his invaluable contribution as an educationist, politician and statesman will not be easily forgotten”.

According to a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Bamikola Omishore, Saraki said “it was with heavy heart that I received the news of the passing away of Alhaji Lamidi Onaolapo Adesina, former Governor of Oyo State.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012 — 51

52 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012

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Confirmation of Name

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VANGUARD'S LAGOS OFFICE YOU CAN B O O K Y O U R A D V E R T S AT OU R L A G O S I S L A N D O F FI C E — VA N G U A R D MEDIA LIMITED (LAGOS OFFICE) K I O S K 4 8 E A S T P AV I L I O N T B S , L A G O S .

RIBADU REPORT: Jonathan won't protect evil doers — Presidency Continues from page 5 government that Nigeria was the only country apart from war-torn Congo, currently selling its crude on the spot market to oil traders.

Observers had also argued that Nigeria does not know the volume of crude oil sold daily.

The presidency through the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Communications, Dr. Doyin Okupe, last Thursday, faulted the report, alleging that same was poorly prepared and inconclusive.

The criticism had itself generated fears of a possible attempt by the presidency to cover up the issues raised in the report.

Reacting to the criticism that had trailed the submission of the Nuhu Ribadu committee report, Dr Abati said the President was ‘ working hard at the Nigerian Project and taking every step to transform it for good’ as such, he should not be dragged ‘into the cheap arena of opportunistic demagoguery.

“The President’s position that the work of the Ribadu Committee and of the two other committees that presented their reports on that occasion, the Idika Kalu committee on Refineries and the Dotun Sulaiman Committee on Governance is useful and enlightening has not changed. Mrs Daziani Alison-Madueke, Minister for Petroleum had further echoed that position more than twice.

The three committees were set up as fact-finding and advisory bodies. That fact was further underscored by the President’s mature response to the altercation that the Ribadu Committee Report generated when he said that those who have issues to raise should be free to make their own independent submissions.

This shows a determination to get every possible piece of information and to accommodate all concerns. This shows a will to act.

President

Jonathan has not dumped any input, rather he welcomes every possible input and he has no private interest in this matter.

So for anyone to say that the Ribadu committee was “calculated to fail from the beginning,” is absolutely uncharitable".

Mr Daniel Reyenieju, representing Warri Federal Constituency and a member of the Upstream Committee of the Petroleum sector in his reaction to the controversy said: “My position is that the attitude of people in government on this report is unfortunate and may discourage further investigations in this nation.

“This attitude will discourage well meaning Nigerians to be part of a good investigative team in the future. “ Mr Chukwuemeke Nwogbo from Anambra State in his contribution,said “Let’s wait and see. My prediction is that the National Assembly will have the last laugh in this unfolding drama.

Just wait.”

Reacting, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) Mr. Dakuku Peterside, said although, he had not read the Ribadu report, but based on what he heard, there was nothing contained in it that had not been said before.

Said he:” For instance, it is not news that Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has been selling crude oil to itself below the international price or that NNPC fixes the exchange rate that suits her or that the same corporation sells part of its 445,000 barrel of crude oil per day since it refines at below 25 percent of installed capacity.”

He added that corruption was becoming part of our body politic and would persist unless something was done genuinely about it.

“I don’t believe we are serious about fighting corruption,” he added.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012 — 53

Obama wins Florida ttoo amass 332 elect or al vot es elector oral votes W

ITH almost all ballots in Florida counted, U.S. media on Saturday projected President Barack Obama the winner in that state four days after he won Tuesday ’s national election.

Florida brings his total of electoral votes to 332 versus 206 for Republican challenger Mitt Romney.

Florida was the last state where the outcome was in doubt because three counties were still

counting ballots.

Obama had 50.01 percent of the vote in Florida compared with 49.13 percent for Romney, with nearly all ballots counted, according to figures from the Florida Secretary of State’s Office. The president’s lead stood at nearly 74,000 votes.

Meanwhile, CNN had projected that Obama would win Florida. NBC and the Associated Press also were among the

media outlets that called the state for Obama based on the latest tally.

Also in Florida, Tea Party-backed U.S. Representative Allen West, the firebrand Republican lawmaker known for his blistering attacks on Obama and other Democrats, lost his re-election bid, according to the state’s latest vote tally on Saturday.

With the victory in Florida, Obama swept all of the battleground states,

with the exception of North Carolina, which he won narrowly in 2008.

The Democratic Party in Florida had declared victory on Thursday and Republicans tacitly conceded defeat.

Florida was the scene of a historic fight over ballot counting after the 2000 presidential election, when the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately ruled that Republican George W. Bush should be

awarded the state’s electoral votes and the presidency.

The delay in finalizing Florida’s result this year did not affect the national outcome but raised concerns that some of the problems in 2000 had not been resolved 12 years later.

BBC must reform or die, says Trust chairman

B

RITAIN’S BBC could be doomed unless it makes radical changes, the head of its governing trust said

yesterday , after its director general quit to take the blame for the airing of false child sex abuse allegations against a former politician.

Chris Patten, chairman of the BBC Trust, said confidence had to be restored if the publicly funded corporation was to withstand pressure from rivals, especially Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, which would try to take advantage of the turmoil. “If you’re saying, ‘Does the BBC need a thorough structural radical overhaul?’, then absolutely it does, and that is what we will have to do,” Patten, a one-time senior figure in Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative Party and the last British governor of Hong Kong, told BBC television.

“The basis for the BBC’s position in this country is the trust that people have in it,” Patten said. “If the BBC loses that, it’s over.”, he added.

George Entwistle resigned as director general on Saturday, just two months into the job, to take responsibility for the child sex allegation on the flagship news program Newsnight.

The witness in the report, who says he suffered sexual abuse at a care home in the late 1970s, said on Friday he had misidentified the politician, Alistair McAlpine. Newsnight admitted it had not shown the witness a picture of McAlpine, or approached McAlpine for comment before going to air.

Syria bombards rebel area near Turkish border

F

ORCES loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad bombarded the Ras al-Ain area on the border with Turkey yesterday , days after the town fell to rebels during an advance that has sent thousands of refugees fleeing for safety.

Helicopters circled above the town and opposition activists said they had strafed targets near the village of Tal Halaf.

The Arab and Kurdish town of Ras al-Ain fell to the Free Syrian Army on Thursday in fighting that sent 9,000 fleeing in a 24hour period, one of a largest refugee influxes into Turkey of the 19month civil war.

Tank rounds slammed into the western part of the town on Sunday and a Reuters reporter on the Turkish side of the border saw black smoke rising over the area.

Rebels and forces loyal to Assad exchanged artillery fire and some

rounds appeared to land just inside Turkey.

“It’s a disaster over there,” a man shouted to reporters as he crossed into the Turkish town of C e y l a n p i n a r.

Ambulances with sirens wailing ferried wounded people from the Turkish side of the border for treatment at a local clinic.

With winter setting in, over 120,000 Syrians are now sheltering in Turkish camps, deepening alarm in Ankara.

Turkey has already beefed up security on its southeastern border with Syria, in an area of the country where it is also fighting an emboldened insurgency by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Increasingly critical of the failure of world powers to halt the war, Turkey is in discussions with NATO allies over the possible deployment of Patriot surface-to-air missiles to defend against any spillover of violence.

54 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012

RESULTS Chelsea Man City Newcastle Aston Villa Wigan Stoke Southampton Reading Everton Arsenal

GOAL-BOUND......Chelsea’s John Terry (3rd R) scores the opening goal during the match against Liverpool yesterday at Stamford Bridge. It ended 1-1. Photo: AFP

Musa, Ideye on the double N

IGERIA stars Ahmed Musa and Brown Ideye scored a brace each to help their clubs record away wins in Russia and Ukraine, respectively.

Musa opened scoring for CSKA Moscow in the 35th minute and then he put his side 2-1 up in the 51st minute to complete his double in a 3-1 away win at Kuban Krasnodar.

Musa has now scored a total of seven league goals.

In Ukraine, Brown Ideye returned to the Dynamo Kiev starting line-up Saturday with a bang.

Ideye was his team’s hero when his brace

helped them secure an emphatic 5-0 away win over hosts Metalurh Zaporizlya.

Dynamo moved to second spot on the table with 31 points from 15 matches, but are 11 points adrift of runaway leaders Shakhtar Donetsk. Ideye scored his first goal in the 64th minute to give his team a 3-0 lead after receiving a pass from 63rd minute substitute Lukman Haruna.

The former Sochaux front man completed his brace 10 minutes later.

Palermo AC Milan Chievo Genoa Lazio Parma Torino Cagliari Pescara

Serie A 2 Sampdoria 1 Fiorentina 2 Udinese 2 Napoli 3 Roma 0 Siena 1 Bologna 0 Catania 1 Juventus

Athletic Bilbao Valladolid Vallecano Espanyol Zaragoza Malaga

La Liga 2 Sevilla 1 1 Valencia 1 3 Celta Vigo 2 0 Osasuna 3 5 Espanyol 3 1 Sociedad 2

• Mario's car. (inset, Balotelli)

Usain Bolt runs fast food U

Premier League season. The home side’s vulnerability from setpieces proved their undoing in Tuesday’s 2-2

1 1 1 3 2 0 1 0 1 3 0 3 2 4 2 0 0 0 6

T

problem with most themed restaurants is that the quality of the food never quite comes up to the same level as the style. If I ever did it, I would need to go in with the best.

“Gordon Ramsay would be the best. He

UEFA Champions League draw with AFC Ajax and it took Spurs 21 minutes to exploit that weakness again.

is the best chef in the world and he has personality as well.”

The 100m ace returns to the UK in January and intends to set up a meeting with Gordon then.He better get used to being referred to as “big boy”.

HIS is how madcap footballer Mario Balotelli hopes to blend in — by camouflaging his £160,000 luxury car.

Manchester City ’s Italian striker, 22 wrapped his white Bentley Continental GT in dull vinyl, with Armystyle marking.

One City fan said at the club’s Carrington training ground yesterday: “I don’t know if he has done this to try to hide from people but it certainly hasn’t worked.

“Our goalkeeper Joe Hart’s face was a picture as Mario pulled in.

“He must get a ribbing for this.”

Balotelli drove slowly into the car park so he did not hit boss Roberto Mancini, who cycled to training wearing a fluorescent jacket and helmet.

Usain Bolt runs fast food

Cole ready to quit Chelsea for PSG

A

City beat TTott ott enham ottenham

ANCHESTER City rallied from a goal behind to earn a 2-1 victory at home to Tottenham Hotspur and maintain their unbeaten start to the

Liverpool Tottenham West Ham Man Utd West Brom QPR Swansea Norwich Sunderland Fulham

Mario cover his posh car in camouflage

SAIN BOLT may team up with TV chef GORDON RAMSAY. Thankfully for the Jamaican relay team, Gordon won’t be joining them on the track.

Sprint king Usain is keen to launch an athletics-themed restaurant in London with the sweary Scot.

Usain said: “I love food and I love sport – I have a dream of putting the two together. The

M

EPL 1 2 0 2 1 1 1 0 2 3

Cole

SHLEY COLE will be off to Paris SaintGermain at the end of the season — says his mum!

Cole has failed to agree fresh Chelsea terms after being offered only a one-year deal and PSG are set to win the race to sign him.

Manchester United

have also been interested in the England defender, who will be available on a FREE in the summer.

But the 31-year-old’s mum, Sue Cole, has told Facebook pals: “Well looks like his going somwhere better hear than the talk of man u. Not too far on the Euro star x”

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012 — 55

Drogba set for Blues return D

IDIER Drogba is hoping to train with Chelsea ahead of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, and admits the 2014 World Cup will most probably mark his retirement from international football.

The Ivory Coast superstar has been plying his trade with Shanghai Shenhua in China’s top flight since leaving the Blues at the end of last season. The Chinese club’s campaign came to an end last week after they finished a disappointing ninth, and Drogba, who struck the winning penalty for Chelsea in last season’s Champions League final, is hoping to return to Stamford Bridge to maintain his fitness level ahead of Africa’s biggest tournament.

“It will first be necessary that I ask permission to Shanghai and Chelsea also,” he said.

“If everyone agrees, it is possible I will go and train there until the African Cup starts. But that is all it will be.”

The Elephants legend also revealed that, if his country qualify for the World Cup in Brazil, he is likely to bring an end to his long-running international career.

“This Africa Cup of Nations edition will be no doubt my last edition,” Drogba told France Football.

“At a time in life, you have to step aside, and I can confirm that after the 2014 FIFA World Cup, if (Cote d’Ivoire) qualify, it would certainly be the time for me to say goodbye to international football.”

T

Saturday.‘ The LOC is ready to organise another world class race come Saturday.

We have taken care of all logistics and want to assure His Excellency,the executive govermor of Cross River state,senator Liyel Imoke,all Cross Riverians and Nigerians in general that we will organise another successful race that befits the status of excellence we have adorned”,he said.

By JACOB AJOM

G

•Drogba

Obudu ready for Saturday’s race

HE local organising committe for the Obudu international mountain race says it will organise another hitch free competition this weekend when the 8th edition of the race holds at the Obudu Ramch Resort in Obudu,Cross River State. Sir William Archibong,chairman of the committee disclosed at the weekend that his committee has concluded all arrangements for a perfect race on

Klitschko retains titles Continues from B/P nearly five rounds but a huge right hand at the end of the fifth sent the champion reeling into the ropes.

The Ukrainian managed to survive and showed no lasting effects in the sixth before brutally stepping up his punishment of the previously unbeaten Wach.

The scores of 120-107, 120-107 and 119-109 reflected the nearcomplete domination Klitschko enjoyed in his 13th world title defence.

It was the first time Klitschko was fighting someone taller than him in the city where he made his professional debut.

However, the real talking point was how he would fare in his first outing since the passing

of Steward, who died last month aged 68, with aspiring heavyweight contender Johnathon Banks being appointed as Klitschko’s new trainer for the time being.

Klitschko showed his determination to honour Steward by landing several one-two combinations in the first, with the pattern continuing in the second.

The 36-year-old seemed to be in his comfort zone and continued to land the right hand at will in the fourth.

But in the fifth, the challenger brought the crowd to its feet with an overhand right that sent Klitschko into the ropes, although the Ukrainian showed his superior experience by covering up and avoiding any further damage as Wach sloppily went in for the kill.

Sheikh Amda wins Arco table tennis championship BOLAHAN Okuneye was in two finals, but it was Sheikh Amda who stole the limelight at the end of the day. The occasion was the 2 nd Arco Petrochemicals Table Tennis Championship held at the Table Tennis section of Ikoyi Club 1938.

In the Veterans final Gbolahan Okuneye played Tony Owolabi, the chairman of the table tennis section. Okuneye took the first two sets, 11/ 9, 11/6. Just when everybody thought he was coasting home to an easy victory, Owolabi fought back and took the third and fourth sets at 11/5, 10/12. With scores at 2-2, the fifth set provided all the thrills expected of a closely

Eko 2012: Oshiomhole approves N120 million for contingent

E

DO State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has approved the sum of N120 million for the state contingent to the 2012 National Sports Festival slated for Lagos.

This is an improvement to the N100 million approved for the contingent to the 2011 sports festival in Rivers State, where the state finished third.

Confirming the development, the state’s Sports Commissioner, Anita Evbuomwan, said that arrangements were already being made to ensure that the athletes enter camp by Tuesday.

She said: “Yes, the Comrade Governor has approved money for sports festival.

He was magnanimous enough to increase the budget to N120 million which is indeed a plus to what we got last year.

Equatorial Guinea win AWC Continues from B/P yesterday.

It is the second time that the Equatorial Guineans would win the competition while Nigeria remain the alltime winners with six title under their belt.

”Preparations for festival are in top gear, at the moment, I have set up a committee comprising management of the Sports Council, Coaches and Secretaries, athletes and ministry representatives to ensure that we enter camp by Tuesday. ”The facilities we intend to use for camping are

Idia College for the girls, Etete Sports complex for the boys, as well as the Ogbemudia Stadium for special athletes and swimmers. ”We have gone to inspect the facilities and hopefully, things will be put in place before Tuesday so that the athletes can enter camp.”

fought battle. Okuneye won the set 11/3 to carry the day.

The men’s doubles saw the pair of Bola Ayorinde and Seye Oke dismiss the pair of Femi Sokoya and Babatunde Adebanjo 3/1 to earn the crown.

The men’s singles final saw Honourable Gbolahan Okuneye making his second appearance on the night. Buoyed by his victory over Owolabi in the veterans singles, Okuneye was hopeful, he would take home two titles. Amda won the contest 4-2 to win the title.

Representative of the sponsors, Julie Okoigun expressed satisfaction with the standard of the competition, saying, “It has been wonderful and very encouraging to see that Nigerians still engage in recreational activities. For us, as a company we are encouraged that we make Nigerians to live a healthy lifestyle. And that is our joy.”

She said Arco had a long romance with sports and it would be wrong of anybody to say the company was limiting its effort to the table tennis tournament.

“We have sponsored other youth football and tennis tournaments in the past.

Mikel, Moses, Efe, Musa, Apam out Continues from B/P reasons for not being part of the game, but that should not bring fears to Nigerians as capable will execute the match. They however wished that Mikel and Moses informed them earlier than they did.

While Musa, Efe, Apam informed of their unavailability in time Mikel and Moses only contacted the NFF Saturday and said they would not be in USA for the match. Different reasons are being adduced for the withdrawals.

Mikel for instance has family matters to settle bothering on his future as a father, following some domestic accidents.

Eagles sources, however feel that Moses could have

been influenced by Mikel.

“If Moses were still in Wigan he would have honoured the invitation,” a team official said.

“Timberwolves player, Bright Dike, who stars in the MLS for Timberwolves Fc has already been invited to play in his stead and we are sure that he will do well in the encounter, especially as he is based in the United States”, Keshi declared.

For Victor Moses, Sharks FC’s Gomo Onduku, who has been in splendid form at the national camp has been drafted in and was part of the team that travelled Sunday night to Miami, Florida for the encounter against Venezuela. “I have been there before and we

don’t have any grudges against players withdrawing from international friendlies, especially when they are compelled to do that but we want to be told on time so that we can make replacements”, Keshi said Sunday morning.

All other players invited for the encounter have since confirmed their early arrival, even as the team jets out Sunday night via Delta Airlines for the game that comes up on Wednesday night in Florida, USA. NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, is expected to lead the delegation for the friendly, that kickstarts Nigeria’s preparations for the 2013 African Cup of Nations to be hosted in South Africa.

VANGUARD, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012

S-H-A-M-E Falcons crash again!

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N

IGERIA lost the chance to salvage some lost pride after they lost third place at the African Women’s championship to Cameroon on Sunday.

The sorry Falcons fell 10 to a 31st minute strike

by Gaelle Enganamouit to finish their worst-ever AWC in fourth place.

The Lionesses outplayed six-time champions Nigeria to avenge a 2-1 defeat in the group stage of the tournament.

Cameroon also eliminated Nigeria from the 2012 London Olympics qualifiers.

The Falcons are due

back in the country on Sunday with the future of coach Kadiri Ikhana very uncertain.

SUCKER PUNCH: Klitschko (left) barely broke sweat as he dismantled Wach round after round.

VENEZUELA FRIENDLY:

Mikel, Moses, Efe, Musa, Apam out

C

HELSEA super stars, John Mikel Obi, Victor Moses, Ambrose Efe, Ahmed Musa and French based central defender, Onyekachi Apam will not be part of this week’s

Klitschko retains titles

international friendly between Nigeria and Venezuela in Miami, Florida, United States.

Head Coach, Stephen Keshi said Sunday that the players had different Continues on Page 55

W

Equatorial Guinea win AWC

H

OSTS Equatorial Guinea have won the 8th African Women Championship. They defeated South Africa 40 in the final match played in Bata

Continues on Page 55

FINAL: E/Guinea 4 Africa 0

South

THIRD-PLACE: Cameroon 1 Nigeria 0

•Mikel

•Moses

Drogba set ffor or Blues return — P .55 P.55

•Ikhana

TODAY'S

AWC Results

PUZZLE

YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Belt (5) 5 Undergo (6) 8 Brink (5) 10 Worship (6) 11 Heroic (4) 14 Spite (6) 15 Well-liked (7) 18 Moist (3) 19 Faucet (3) 21 Trade (4) 23 Repulse (5) 24 Dressed (4) 27 Clamour (3) 29 Task (3) 31 Discouraged (7) 32 Closed (6) 34 List (4) 35 Customer (6) 38 Released (5) 39 Tower (6) 40 Entice (5)

L A D I M I R Klitschko retained his IBF, IBO, WBO and WBA super world heavyweight titles, although he survived a scare before recording a unanimous points decision over the durable Mariusz Wach in Hamburg.

Klitschko, fighting for the first time without the late revered trainer Manny Steward in his corner, landed at will for

Continues on Page 55

DOWN 2 Fasten (3) 3 Roadway (6) 4 Through (3) 5 Appear (4) 6 Frustrated (6) 7 Disclose (6) 9 Narrated (7) 12 Foot (3) 13 Quote (4) 16 Egg-shaped (4) 17 Swift (5) 20 Punishment (7) 22 Competent (4) 24 Coffin (6) 25 Half open (4) 26 Sorrow (6) 28 Interior (6) 30 Wager (3) 33 Stupid (4) 36 Allow (3) 37 Pinch (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Strife 5, Spar 8, Power 9, Oaf 10, Maim 11, Cell 12, Piety 13, Maraud 16, Saga 18, Obey 20, Leg 22, Rot 23, Nee 24, Hide 25, Eden 28, Deride 30, Fever 32, Afar 33, Vent 34, Nut 35, Rapid 36, Peel 37, Terror.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 1, Stormy 2, Reformed 3, Famous 4, Nominated 5, Section 6, Prey 7, Rile 8, Pip 14, Daredevil 15, Lee 17, God 19, Beginner 20, Lid 21, General 26, Nestle 27, Letter 29, Damp 30, Fare 31, Red.

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

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

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

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

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