PDP CRISIS: Tukur fights back

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61795

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N150

MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013

Suspected mastermind of Thisday, Sun bombing arrested —P.10

PDP CRISIS:

BY HENRY UMORU

Tukur fights back •To announce Onwe Ag Sec today •Why PDP govs are annoyed with Tukur •Party appeals Oyinlola’s sack AREPO... YESTERDAY

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BUJA — THE embattled Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, who was boxed into a corner last week by the governors on the party’s platform, has decided to flex his muscles with the elevation of the party’s Deputy National Secretary, Solomon Onwe, to the office of National Secretary.

Besides, the warring sides in the leadership crisis rocking the party will this morning try to seize opportunities created by President Goodluck Jonathan’s intervention last week.

Tukur, who was last week saved from the fury of the

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Nigeria risks decline in foreign aid in 2013 •P. 17 —Experts DELE SOBOWALE •P.36

LES LEBA •P.40

Mr & Mrs

Scene of the pipeline explosion at Arepo, Ogun State, weekend. (INSET BOTTOM): Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and other officials during the inspection of the site of the explosion, yesterday. Photo: Wunmi Akinola.

....Police won't victimise anybody — IG

Arepo fire: Amosun blames NNPC officials

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POCKET CARTOON

ARMED FORCES REMEMBRANCE: From left: President Goodluck Jonathan; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh at the inter-denominational church service to mark the 2013 Armed Forces Remembrance Day, in Abuja, yesterday.

Continues from page 1 party’s governors by President Jonathan, it was learnt last night, is today set to maximize his gain from the court judgment that ousted the National Secretary, Col. Olagunsoye Oyinlola (rtd.) by installing a national secretary.

Supporters of Tukur, including some party elders, were yesterday, also whipping up sentiments, claiming that the push against Tukur by the governors was an attempt by them to cage President Jonathan ahead of the 2015 presidential election.

Tukur fights back The governors, meanwhile, were, weekend, perfecting their response to the legal problems generated by the court judgment against Oyinlola, who is perceived to be a supporter of the governors.

One of the strategies of the governors, it was learnt, is to press home what they claim as Tukur ’s uncaring attitude towards many state chapters of the party. The governors, it was also learnt, would show that the national chairman did not sympathise with many state

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

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IFE shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage —Anais Nin. Take courage and expand your life.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

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ET go of your need to win: Ego loves to divide us up into winners and losers. The pursuit of winning is a sure-fire means to avoid conscious contact with intention. Why? Because ultimately, winning is impossible all of the time. Someone out there will be faster, luckier, younger, stronger, and smarter— and back you’ll go to feeling insignificant.

— Wayne Dyer You’re not your winnings or your victories. You may enjoy competing, and have fun in a world where winning is everything, but you don’t have to be there in your thoughts.

There are no losers in a world where we all share the same energy source. All you can say on a given day is that you performed at a certain level in comparison to the levels of others on that day. Let go of needing to win by not agreeing that the opposite of winning is losing.That’s ego’s fear.

If your body isn’t performing in a winning fashion on this day, it simply doesn’t matter when you aren’t identifying exclusively with your ego. Be the observer, noticing and enjoying it all without needing to win a trophy. Be at peace, and match up with the energy of intention. And ironically, although you’ll hardly notice it, more of those victories will show up in your life as you pursue them less.

chapters of the party affected by the flood disaster that recently affected many states in the country.

The crisis in the PDP broke out last October after the National Working Committee, NWC, dissolved the executive committee of the Adamawa State chapter of the party led by Alhaji Umaru Kugama.

The dissolution of the Kugama executive backed by Governor Murtala Nyako was seen as a deliberate act

by Tukur to weaken the governor, an action other PDP governors saw as an affront which could also be used against them in future.

Despite the insistence of the NWC that it would not rescind the decision, the same body, last week, disowned the dissolution after the governors assembled in Abuja with a threat to dissolve the NWC. Tukur had described the reversal by the NWC members who did not consult him prior to the reversal by the 10 NWC members as treachery.

The crisis in the party, however, took a new dimension last Friday after a court in Abuja sacked Oyinlola as the national secretary of the body on the ground that he was not validly nominated by the SouthWest zone of the party.

Apparently aiming to cash in on the misfortune that befell Oyinlola, Vanguard learnt yesterday that

Tukur was now set to name Oyinlola’s deputy, Onwe, as the national secretary of the party today.

Party appeals Oyinlola’s sack today The party’s National Legal Adviser, Victor Kwon, meantime, said last night that the party would be appealing the judgment of Justice Abdul Kafarati that voided Oyinlola’s election at the March 24, 2012 national convention.

Kwon, who described Kafarati’s judgment as a surprise to the party, said the party would lodge the appeal today and also file for a stay of execution today.

Kwon in a statement had said “the appeal will be filed Monday. We will also file an application for stay of execution same Monday. ”We are surprised at the decision in the light of the evidence presented to the court that the national secretary position was zoned to members of the party from the SouthWest geopolitical zone of the country and not to the South-West zonal chapter/congress and that the March 21, 2012 South-West zonal congress did not nominate Oyinlola for the position, and also that he stood the election at the national convention alongside other members of the party from the zone without any mention of the South-West zonal congress in issue.”

Why PDP govs are annoyed with Tukur The PDP governors who had last week reached accommodation with Tukur following the intervention of the president, it was learnt, said their reaction to the national chairman’s action in Adamawa should serve as a final warning. They were understood to have threatened to move against the national chairman should he again stir instability in affairs of the state chapters that are normally at the beck and call of PDP governors.

Tukur’s failure to visit flood-ravaged states It was also learnt that the governors complained to President Jonathan that they were not happy with Tukur following his failure to visit their states as chairman of the PDP, or even to sympathise with those whose states were devastated by flood late last year.

According to the source, the governors particularly demanded that Tukur must show high level of transparency by carrying along other critical stakeholders in the party including governors, members of the NWC and other elders of the party.

PDP elders reject reinstatement of Kugama-led executive However, PDP elders and stakeholders at a press conference in Abuja, yesterday, under the aegis of the Adamawa PDP Elders also rejected the reinstatement of the Kugama-led executive

by the PDP leadership through the Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja, last Tuesday.

Speaking through a former gubernatorial aspirant in the state, Dr. Umar Ardo, the elders described the action of the 10 PDP NWC members who restored the Kugama executive as undemocratic, unacceptable, and rubbish. They stressed that the leadership of the PDP had lowered the standards of administration with the action of the 10 officials who they dubbed the “gang of 10.”

The elders who urged the president to stand firm in his decision to restore sanity to the party, stressed that they would defy the committee and continue their work of building the party in Adamawa since Gov. Nyako also defied the NWC of the party after it set up the Amb. Umar Damagunled caretaker committee.

The elders regretted that Jonathan has failed to realise the move by the governors, just as they urged him to act quickly and save the party from what they termed the tyranny of governors before the situation becomes too late.

It is all about 2015 — Ardo Ardo said the governors were using the Adamawa crisis to test their might as well as see how far they could go in the plot to destabilize the party ahead of their own selfish agenda for the 2015 general elections.

He said: "It is all about 2015. Anybody that tells you anything to the contrary is not sincere.

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6—Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013

Toxic ship: FG fines owners $1m

BY GODFREY BIVBERE

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HE Federal Government has slammed a fine of $1 million on owners of the ship, M.V Marevia, that brought in two containers of toxic materials.

Meanwhile, the Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, has written to the State Security Service, SSS, informing the Service of the need to take action against importers of the offensive cargo, (names with held).

Disclosing this to Vanguard, Director General of NESREA, Dr. Ngeri Benebo, said the Minister has directed that the owners of the vessel pay a fine of $1 million to serve as a deterrent to others.

Benebo said her agency had written to SSS to take action when it got intelligence report that some suspected deadly consignments were on their way to the country.

She informed that NESREA wrote again to the security outfit last Friday when it was confirmed that the cargo actually contained toxic waste.

She explained that the agency got the information through its international network before the vessel left its port of origin on December 21, 2012, adding that they monitored the ship's movement until it got to Nigeria on the 5th of this month.

Benebo pointed out that after the examination, it was confirmed that the consignments were all used items and, adding that the items did not meet the international procedure for the exportation of used electronic items from one country to another.

According to her,, for any used item to be exported, there must be a certificate to show that the items were still useful.

It must be in line with the internationally accepted mode of packaging for export which states that such items must be well packaged with all the accessories in place, she said.

She said that the cards of such items must be in place.

This is not the case with the consignments that were brought into the country, she added.

She said that the problem of e-waste was of great concern globally, noting that it was the reason why NESREA was fighting such incidence.

Insecurity, corruption bane of Africa's underdevelopment — Obasanjo zNo, you 're the cause of corruption in Nigeria— Bakare

BY DAPO AKINREFON, WITH AGENCY REPORT

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ORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo has identified corruption, insecurity and infrastructure decay as major problems confronting the African continent.

Obasanjo said this at the inauguration of newly-established Africa Institute, Valparaiso University, Indiana, USA. The former president spoke as the convener of the Save Nigeria group, even as SNG, Pastor Tunde Bakare, yesterday accused him of allegedly returning the country to the path of corruption.

Pastor Bakare spoke at the first anniversary of the Occupy Nigeria protest in a message entitled: “Corruption and the soul of Nigeria”, at the Latter Rain Assembly, in Lagos.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, the institute would serve as a cultural exchange between it and Nigeria in particular and Africa at large.

Obasanjo expressed worry that almost every country in Africa had one form of security problem or the other, pointing out that insecurity would not allow development to thrive.

On the security challenges facing Nigeria, the former president said government must properly identify remote causes of activities of the Boko Haram sect.

He stressed the need for more attention to be placed on improvement of infrastructure within the continent. He said human development should not be such that individuals were allowed to leave the continent and be servicing other lands.

The former president, however, called on Nigerians living abroad to return home where their knowledge would be utilised.

Obasanjo said: “We must develop people and retain them. We must encourage most of them that are in Diaspora, to move back home".

On corruption, the former Nigerian leader said corruption was very serious and should not be undermined, adding that it was virtually in every aspect of life.

He siad: “If you pretend that there is no corruption, the world already knows there is corruption.”

Commending efforts of some African leaders in carrying out reforms that had made the continent an emerging economy in the 21st century, Obasanjo said Western economists earlier ruled out Africa as a living continent about 10 years ago.

He explained that some of the economists had even described

ARMED FORCES REMEMBRANCE DAY—From left: President Goodluck Jonathan; Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan and Primate of Nigeria, (Anglican Communion), Most Revd. Nicholas Okoh at the inter-denominational church service for the 2013 Armed Forces Remembrance Day in Abuja, yesterday.

the 21st century as the best for Africa.

Economic reforms As part of his reforms while in office, Obasanjo disclosed that when he took over in 1999, the country owed close to $35 billion.

He also said the country was spending about $3 billion annually to service debts, noting that “I decided that we should seek debts relief.”

He added that “I also decided that we would go for deep reforms. Our creditors took us very serious and granted us debts relief. The reserve of $3.7 billion that I met in 1999 grew to well over $45 billion by the time I left office. After we paid over $12 billion, we cleared the debts. Nigeria was not the only country moving in that direction.”

Obasanjo commended the university for honouring him, saying that the establishment of the institute was quite timely in view of global development.

Earlier, President of the university, Dr. Mark Heckler, said the exemplary leadership of Obasanjo in Africa and Nigeria was a driving force for the choice of honouring him.

Heckler said the university was established in 1859, stressing that the establishment of the Africa Institute was a dream fulfilled.

Similarly, the Nigeria’s Ambassador to the USA, Prof. Ade Adefuye, also commended the University “for giving honour to whom honour is due”.

Obasanjo, responsible for corruption in Nigeria —Bakare Meanwhile, Bakare has said that Obasanjo should be blamed for the corruption status of Nigeria.

While criticising Obasanjo for allegedly derailing Nigeria at the critical juncture of the nation’s life, Bakare said the former president should be held responsible for the alarming level corruption has attained in the country.

He said: “Nigerians wanted a better Nigeria. We wanted a chance to start all over again. We lost that chance when former president Olusegun Obasanjo assumed office. Today, the old man conveniently assumes the stance of a statesman. He goes up and down telling everybody Nigeria will go up in flames. That the man he planted in power has allowed corruption to go unchecked under his clueless watch. What he expediently forgets is his role in facilitating our arrival at the sticky junction we presently find ourselves.”

“Obasanjo”, he noted “was one person who derailed Nigeria at a critical juncture in her life.

In 1999, Nigerians were full of enthusiasm as they watched the military return to the barracks. We were excited because it was the dawn of a new beginning.”

Speaking further, the clergyman said “we wanted a different and better country, one with a defined national character and the possibility of creating a sense of self-pride, we so badly needed

after so many traumatizing years under the military. It never happened.

Obasanjo squandered that enthusiasm and returned the country to a path of corruption, prebendalism, primordial sentiments and even administrative bullying”.

The fiery televangelist, who said that corruption has been institutionalized in the country said “I do not find it necessary to highlight in numerical details the countless corrupt practices that have found home in Nigeria, nor do I even want to attempt to capture their effects. They are all around us, clear as a sun-filled sky.”

He said “from infrastructural deficits to a social collapse, from a lack of ambition to a collective sense of despondency, to a lack of adaisical attitude and a general inuredness that makes us all look away from even the most outrageously corrupt acts, we are no longer strangers to the results of corruption even though it is doubtful that we will fully comprehend its entire effect on our country for a long time to come.”

Speaking on the first anniversary of the Occupy Nigeria Protest, he stated the need for Nigerians not to be taken for granted by leaders in positions of authority.

His words: “The Occupy Nigeria protests revived the enthusiasm in Nigerians and showed us that when we are ready, we can always have our country back. For now, we appear to be more of a makeshift country simply existing without ideas, vision and goals.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013—7

NNPC officials aiding, abetting vandals at Arepo — Amosun z3 more bodies recovered; pipeline vandalisation, a big business—DPR

Group calls for disbandment of Governors' forum

BY SONI DANIEL

BY CLARA NWACHUKWU, GODWIN ORITSE, DAUD OLATUNJI, EVELYN USMAN, KUNLE KALEJAYE, MONSOOR OLOWOOPEJO

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GUN State Governor, Sen ator Ibikunle Amosun, yesterday, accused officials of National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, of conniving with vandals to wreak havoc on the country’s economy through pipeline vandalism. He said this following the fire at the corporation’s pipeline at Arepo village in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of the state, which claimed unsuspecting number of lives.

Meanwhile, the Arepo explosion has disrupted fuel supply to South-Western states, an official of Pipelines and Product Marketing Company, PPMC, has said. The pipeline supplies fuel from Atlas Cove jetty in Lagos to other South-Western states.

Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, has, meantime, described the Arepo pipeline vandalism as big business for youths in communities close to the pipelines, because vandalisation had gone unchecked for over a decade, adding that explosions would occur as long as the security operatives and managements of NNPC/PPMC refuse to tackle the issue headlong.

Meanwhile, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, yesterday, said it had begun evacuation of dead bodies from Arepo village, scene of the pipeline explosion, adding that three additional bodied had been recovered.

It would be recalled that the death of over 50 suspected vandals occurred following a fire which was sparked off by some vandals, who stormed the creeks by boat to siphon fuel from NNPC pipeline.

Speaking when he visited scene of the explosion, Amosun told newsmen that, he was disappointed with the attitude of NNPC officials, who he said deliberately abandoned the multibillion naira project for it to be damaged by hoodlums.

“It shows that we are our own problem in this nation. We are our own enemies, because, this is clearly a failure of governance. We have NNPC there, I have to say it and I am saying it w i t h every sense of responsibility that, NNPC by their inaction is aiding and abetting the vandals.

WEDDING—From right: Speaker House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal; former Minister of Works, Senator Sanusi Daggash and Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekeweremadu at wedding of daughter of former Minister of State for Defence, Mrs. Fidelia Njeze at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama, Abuja. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

“I want to believe that they are part of this pipeline vandalism with their inaction. Because, you can’t have somebody there as Group Managing Director and they allow this to happen.

“Even the security people here are risking their lives. Look at the canoe NNPC is using at this age and time. Even when they say the place is combustible, they can use solar power canoe. If they agree, I will get all these place cleared before the end of March.

“Look at where they said the security watchtower is. Who will stay there to watch anything? This is not good for us as a nation, we are our own enemies. Public property are not looked after. We should do the right thing. This is a multi billion naira investment.

“How can we not spend a small amount to maintain it? That is why I said NNPC with their inaction are part of this problem. I want to believe that they are the people aiding and abetting these vandals.

How can some vandals put everybody in this nation into problem?

Just look at dead bodies littering the place?

"There is no access to go there and these are the people with sophisticated weapons. I even understand that it was the same spot where NNPC engineers were killed, so which officer will want t o risk his life? If, we have this type of investment, of course it will do us good. We have started erecting the platform. They will put CCTV there and there will be control room. “ If they want to stop vandalism in Ogun State, I don’t know of any other state, they should come and we will discuss because I don’t

want Ogun State to be on the front pages of newspapers for wrong reasons. I will write again to the appropriate authorities and I have been doing that.

"This is not good for us as a nation. Every time, they will say that vandals have done this and that, what have they (NNPC) done.

Some people will be in Abuja blowing big grammars, very ineffective” Amosun said.

A top management staff of DPR who spoke to Vanguard on telephone, yesterday, said, “Arepo pipelines is a big business because, some village live off the pipelines and have no other job, so vandalism will continue.

“Arepo has been happening for years, not one, not two, even over 10 years and since then, the security agencies are not helping neither is PPMC the owners of the pipelines in checkmating the havoc.”

Members of NNPC Group Public Affairs Department contacted

by Vanguard said they were in a meeting.

“We were lucky this time around because a lot of people could have died in the explosions. This is because when the first explosion happened, people in the area ran away, and the nearest depot also shut down, so that by the time the second explosion happened, which was more deadly, there was hardly anybody around.”

NEMA’s Public Relations Officer, South West, Mr Ibrahim Farinoye, told Vanguard on phone that, so far, three additional bodies have been evacuated from the area, adding that search for bodies would continue today.

He said the agency will employ

the service of the people in the area that know the terrain in the search effort.

"So far, three additional bodies have been evacuated. We are going there tomorrow (today) to continue the search and remove anything we found there.”

Asked to comment on the figure published by national dailies, Farinoye said it could not be established until the exercise was c o n c l u d e d .

BUJA—APPARENT LY angered by the overbearing influence of the Governors’ Forum, the Nigerian Renewal Group, consisting of professional men and women of the Peoples Democratic Party, yesterday called for the disbandment of the forum.

The group noted with concern that the actions of the governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, had become a source of trouble and embarrassment to the n a t i o n .

In a statement jointly signed by the President and Secretary of the the group, Alhaji Mansur Usman and Ms Adejoke Olagoke, pointed out that the governors had abandoned the primary purpose for which they were elected to pursue ulterior motives, which are not in the interest of the party and the nation.

Jonathan reassures on Nigeria's unity

BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI

Residents flay security agencies Meanwhile, Chairman of the Journalist Estate Residents Association in Arepo village, Mr Gbayode Somuyiwa, has said that he suspected unholy alliance between some security operatives and vandals, who siphon petroleum products from NNPC p i p e l i n e s .

Somuyiwa alleged that security personnel attached to the place had failed to safeguard the place against activities of the hoodlums.

He described the situation as a major concern to the residents of the area, who are mostly journalists and urged the Federal Government to intervene, adding that the government needed to go beyond talks to employing more technology in monitoring the areas.

Spokesman for PPMC, Mr Nasir Imodagbe, when contacted by Vanguard, said the vandalisation of Arepo pipeline had disrupted operations of the company, adding that officials of the firm were already on ground to arrest the situation. He added that the effects of the vandals' activities were minimal as PPMC plans to resume operation soon.

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BUJA—PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday declared that Nigeria will remain a united country contrary to the wish of some that the country disintegrates.

Speaking at the Interdenominational Service to mark this years’ Armed Forces Remembrance Day, Jonathan said, “In 2014, we are going to celebrate our nation’s centenary. It will only take two mad people to stay together for 100 years and say they want to separate. How is it feasible at that age?’’

According to him, “the best gift Nigerians can give to the Armed Forces and the sister organizations is for us in our daily utterances and activities emphasise the need for us to live in peace, love ourselves and u n i t e .

"My conviction, I believe that that of everybody here is that Nigeria will continue to remain a united nation".

8—Vanguard , MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013

ACN demands electronic voting in Nigeria

Covenant University reconsiders expelled students

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

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BY JIMOH BABATUNDE

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AGOS — The authorities of the Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, might have commuted the expulsion of its 200 students.

The university authorities were last week asked by the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria to come forward with all records of the processes that led to the expulsion.

But Vanguard learnt yesterday from a reliable source in National Human Rights Commission that the university authorities, which will be meeting with the Commission on Friday in Abuja, has denied expelling the students, but said they were suspended.

The lawyer to the University, Dele Adesina (SAN) when contacted

by Vanguard last night on phone denied any knowledge of the commuttal of expulsion to suspension.

It will be recalled that Vanguard had earlier reported the expulsion of 126 students of the university for not attending the ‘departure service’, meant to sign off from the school at the end or the semester on November 30.

Relief camp opened for fire victims

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AGOS — LAGOS State Emergency management Agency, LASEMA, has opened a relief camp for victims of the recent fire incident in Ebute Meta area of Lagos, an official said.

The General Manager of LASEMA, Dr Femi OkeOsanyintolu, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, that 1,005 persons had entered the camp opened in compliance with the directive of Governor Babatunde Fashola.

Fashola had on Thursday given the directive after visiting Oko Oba in Ebute Meta, where fire gutted some sawmills and residential buildings.

*Former President Olusegun Obasanjo (Middle), Mr. Mark Heckler, President of Valparaiso University, Indiana, USA, (left), and Prof. Ade Adefuye, Nigeria Ambassador to the U.S., during the inauguration of newly established Africa Institute, at Valparaiso University.

AGOS —The Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, has said it is time for the Intdependent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to introduce electronic voting in the country to ensure the integrity of its elections.

ACN said that the introduction of electronic voting would enable Nigerians take over the elections instead of the judiciary which now determins winners of elections. National Publicity Secretary of the ACN, Alhaji Lai Mohammed made this known in a statement in Lagos yesterday.

According to Moham-

2015: No zoning, we shall select best guber candidate —ACN

BY DAPO AKINREFON

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AGOS— L A G O S State chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Mr. Henry Ajomale, has said the party has no intention of zoning the governorship seat in 2015, but it would select the best candidate to be the party’s flagbearer.

In an interview with Vanguard, Mr. Ajomale said the party did not believe in zoning political offices, saying, “For us, it is not a question of zoning; it is a question of getting the best material anywhere we can get it, not minding the zone.

We want the best and only the best is good for Lagos.

"We want someone who will improve on the achieve-ments so far. I don’t believe in zoning, I believe we must get the best material that can carry on with the legacies that has been established by the two giants (Tinubu and Fashola).

"The legacies they are leaving behind must be improved upon and not getting someone who will spoil it by zoning.

We must get the best hand from anywhere in Lagos State.”

While refuting claims that the party does not practise internal democracy, he said, “in our case, two systems are allowed. You can conduct your primaries by consensus and you can do open primaries. In some

cases, when you do open primaries, you still have maiming and death trailing the way because of our people who want to win at all cost.

"Can we afford to lose the lives of our members because we want to conduct elections?

“It also has a cultural innovation that you allow the people in each community to decide who will be their representative. It is allowed by law.

So, that is the most internal democracy that I think we are practising, allowing the people to choose who they want.

"They know themselves in that area. Which one is the best form of democracy, the one you al-

low the people to choose their representatives or the one hijacked by the money-bags? Which one is most important? The system will use the two methods but many people will not know.”

He noted that in choosing its candidate, the party intended to adopt certain methods that would help leaders select

the best.

According to him, “to us, that is the best form of internal democracy that I understand where you allow the people in the community to decide who represents them and not money-bags that throw their weight around, who will not be answerable to the community.

med, ‘’with electronic voting, the overall cost of elections will be far less; there will be stability in the polity, the atmosphere of war usually associated with elections will disappear and the involvement of the security agencies will be deemphasised.’’

The statement read, ‘’Though Section 52 (2) of the Electoral Act bans the use of electronic voting for the time being, the National Assembly should move quickly to amend that part of the law, while the Federal Government should provide INEC with all the resources needed to make electronic voting a reality. ‘’We assure INEC of our full support towards using electronic voting in 2015. We also appeal to all other political parties, Civil Society Organisations and indeed all Nigerians to join us in pushing for a system that will eliminate the role of thugs and sideline vote thieves during our elections, in addition to making our elections free, fair and credible.

The party added that even Ghana, did not wait for troubles associated with electoral malfeasance to break out before embracing electronic voting during its last general elections in December.

No great changes in Judiciary in 2013 — SANs

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

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WO Senior Advo cates of Nigeria, SANs, including constitutional lawyer, Professor

Itse Sagay, SAN, have said nothing extra-ordinary has taken place in the nation’s judiciary that will bring about positive changes in 2013.

Prof. Sagay argued: “We will just continue the way it has been, I do not see any major difference simply because we are in 2013. The New Year is of no significance. There may be a new Chief Jus-

tice of Nigeria, CJN, but I am yet to see that she has any revolutionary programme.

Another Senior Advocate, Mr. Abiodun Owonikoko, SAN, however, lamented the delay in delivery of justice, stressing that this New Year, lawyers expected to see a judiciary that would restore the people’s confidence.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013—9

'2015 polls to be freer, fairer'

Why I can't rejoin PDP — Ladoja

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

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BY OLA AJAYI

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BADAN — THE hope of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to lure former Governor of Oyo State and National leader of the Accord Party, AP, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, back into its fold appeared bleak as Ladoja has described PDP as a party of deceit.

Ladoja spoke at Ajaawa, Ogo-Oluwa Local Government Area of Oyo state where he received hundreds of defectors to AP, said with the happenings in the local and national leadership of the party, said it would be unwise to pitch tent with a deceitful party.

Ladoja said: “I have not seen a party that prides in bribery like the PDP. That is why most internal wrangling within the party is far from being resolved” Ladoja who has intensified campaign to widen the acceptability of his party, said: “We must provide the better alternative to our people through the Accord Party.

They thought we were playing when we started but now they are even celebrating us.

"They said we were only interested in sending Akala away from office but we are a focused party.”

Ladoja claimed PDP had been changed to ‘People Deceiving People, 'PDP’ and boasted that his party would record victory in future polls in the state.

He added that the political realignment was a pointer that his party Accord is certain of victory.

From left: MadamMichelle Bachelet, Under Secretary General and Executive Director, UN Women; Dr. Grace Ongile, UN Women country representative; Ms. Evelyn Oputu, Managing Director of Bank of Industry; Ms Aruma Oteh, Director General, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, and Toga Mcintosh, Deputy President, ECOWAS Commission, at an interactive session with private sector organisations, in Abuja, weekend. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

PDP accuses ACN of destroying South-West public service No, we're trying to clear the rot —ACN

BY OLA AJAYI

I

BADAN — THE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the South-West, has accused the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, of destroying the public service in the region by allegedly using political bitterness to sack workers employed by PDP government.

The party, through its spokesperson, Mr. Kayode Babade said, “they are sacking public servants because they were appointed or promoted by past governments, pretending not to know that government is a continuum.”

But responding, the ACN through its Zonal Director of Publicity, Mr. Ayo Afolabi, said the PDP was only crying wolves where none existed.

Contrary to the claims of the PDP, ACN said, it was the party that actually destroyed the legacy left by Simeon Adebo and the rest. ”The ACN is trying to clear the rot left by the PDP. Before we came on board, civil service had become a rubber stamp of their bosses, not being able to give professional advice as required of them.

You can see the morale brought in by the ACN. Eight years of PDP in the South West was a waste. We have been training and retraining the civil service with a view to returning it to the era of sanity that the likes of Simeon Adebo

introduced into the civil service”.

However, PDP argued that the way and manner appointments were allegedly being made into the service, “is dangerous for the maintenance of the culture of seniority and professionalism in the service.”

PDP claimed laid down public service rules were being jettisoned with junior officers being promoted above their seniors, non-career civil servants being appointed Permanent Secretaries and Directors General and attempts being made to

appoint a serving judge in Lagos State as Chief Judge of another state.

According to a statement by party, it faulted Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State for appointing a civil servant who has 38 doctors as seniors and had only spent 16 years as Permanent Secretary, saying; “If these governors are not cautioned, we will soon get to a level where a clerical officer will be appointed Permanent Secretary and someone just appointed as judge appointed as Chief Judge.”

Alaafin extends olive branch to Yoruba monarchs

BY OLA AJAYI

I

BADAN — ALAAFIN of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, weekend, extended an olive branch to other Yoruba monarchs, saying, he was ready to attend any meeting with prominent royal fathers that would lead to enthronement of peace among them.

The Alaafin, who spoke during the visit of Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom in Ilaje Local Government area of Ondo State, Oba Fredrick Obateru Akinruntan, Okoro Ajiga 1 to commiserate with him over the fire that gutted his palace, equally explained why he had appeared so controversial

to some people.

According to him: “It is only a person that is having something to hide that will not want to hold meetings. I’m ready, for the sake of our people, because where two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.”

The monarch and Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade have been at daggers’ drawn for ages over the control of Yorubaland and this has resulted in verbal outbursts and heated arguments on the origin of Oyo and Ife. Oba Adeyemi gave kudos to Olugbo for his mediatory role and his resolve to ensure that Yoruba Obas live in unity and oneness.

SOGBO — INDEP- indent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Commissioner in charge of Ekiti State, Alhaji Halilu Pai, has said 2015 general elections will be freer, fairer and more transparent than previous elections conducted by the commission.

Alhaji Pai, spoke weekend, while delivering a lecture entitled: “Catch Them Young For Democratic Governance,” at a reception organised by the management, pupils and students of The Wings School, Iwo Osun State, for him.

He insisted that the commission would ensure that the representative leaders emerged in 2015 through transparency electoral process.

Owners of 'arrested' goats fined N10, 000

BY GNENGA OLARINOYE

O

SOGBO — Osun State Waste Management Agency, OWMA, has ordered the owners of the five goats arrested by the agency in Dele-Yesa area of Osogbo, last Tuesday, to pay a sum of N10,000 each for fine to the coffers of the state government.

Director of Environmental Management and Sanitation in the agency, Mr. Henry Ogunbanwo, said any of the owners of the goats, who failed to pay the fine within seven days would lose their animals.

Ogunbanwo noted that the agency was acting in accordance with the provisions of the article 101 of the 2002 laws of Osun State which prohibits rearing of animals in residential areas, stressing that the agency had the backing of the court.

The director explained that a court of competent jurisdiction had empowered the agency to arrest any animal roaming around residential areas within the state.

10—Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013

Okogie cautions FG over deplorable state of affairs

By SAM EYOBOKA

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ORRIED that the current deplorable state of affairs in the country could lead to an avoidable catastrophe, Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Anthony Cardinal Okogie, yesterday, sounded a note of warning to the country’s leaders to urgently rise to the challenge of addressing the situation and save the nation from imminent collapse.

The cleric who gave thumbs down for the political class in the immediate past year, said the nation’s leaders have failed to provide the masses with the basic needs of life. The trend, he said, was responsible for the alarming rate of kidnapping, high level of corruption and unparalleled state of insecurity in every part of the country for the better past of last year.

Okogie frowned at what he called dearth of purposeful leadership both at the federal and state levels of government and carpeted the nation’s politicians for allowing themselves to be enmeshed in the intrigues and jostle for power over the 2015 election instead of devoting time to provide quality leadership for which they were elected.

Uduaghan's aide loses mum

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RS. Esther Obor evwori, mother of Chief Sheriff Oborevwori, Senior Special Assistant on Security Matters to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, has passed on, aged 79.

A devout Christian, late Mrs. Oborevwori is survived by many children and other relations.

A statement by the family said burial arrangements will be announced later.

Late Mrs. Oborevwori

Oshiomhole’s S-Court victory confirms people's support—Edo govt

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—EDO State Government, weekend, said Governor Adams Oshiomhole's Supreme Court victory, Friday, had further re-confirmed the overwhelming support he received from the people of the state during the July 14, 2012 governorship election.

Chief of Staff to the Gover-

nor, Mr. Patrick Obahiagbon, who spoke to Vanguard, said the declaration by the Supreme Court that the educational qualification of the governor was a pre-election matter, was an indication that the governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Gen. Charles Airhiavbere, engaged in a “legal macabre dance” when he decided to contest the result of the election in court.

Obahiagbon said: “It did not take much even for a casual legal observer to come to the irrefutable conclusion that the said case instituted by Airhiavbere had no merit and that was why, in the first instance, the Edo State PDP distanced itself from such vacuous exercise that had all the trappings of a distractive legal matter.

“It is audible to the deaf and visible to the blind that with

the Supreme Court victory of the governor, the so called case before the Edo State election tribunal is already technically dead and now only waiting for a befitting burial ceremony and as soon as it is finally buried, when the election tribunal delivers judgment, the people of Edo State are on stand by to herald our governor into Government House with another triumphal entry redolent of the people’s governor and a democratic mahatma.”

Fight breaks out in London train over ‘Smelly Nigerian’ abuse

VISIT: President Jacob Zuma of South Africa flanked by former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu (left) and Chief Sam Nkire, National Chairman of Progressive Peoples Alliance, PPA, during a recent visit to South Africa to congratulate Zuma on the occasion of the 101th anniversary of his party, African National Congress, ANC.

Delta DPP members lambast chieftain over comments

U

BY FESTUS AHON

GHELLI—MEM BERS of Democratic People’s Party, DPP, in Ughelli North Local Government Area, Delta State, yesterday, expressed dismay over reports credited to a chieftain of the party in the state, Chief Henry Olori, that they were not competent to speak for the party.

The party members under the aegis of DPP Ward 2/6 Akpodiete unit, said they had never at anytime spoken for the party but for members of the unit, who were allegedly being neglected by Senator Pius Ewherido; the member representing Ughelli North/Ughelli South/Udu constituency at the House of Representatives, Chief Austin Ogbaburhon and the member representing Ughelli North constituency II in Delta State House of Assembly, Mr. Edoja Akpodiete.

Chairman of the unit, Mr. Robinson Agofure; Vice Chairman, Mr. E. Ochuko

and Elder A. Okenah, in a statement, noted that as a respected leader in the party, they expected Olori to act as a peacemaker instead of speaking in that manner.

They said: “If he feels that some persons have been empowered by the Senator, such empowerment did not get to us.”

Noting that the area comprised Akpodiete, Edoge and Eraye units, they said: “Before the 2011 general elections, they came to solicit our support and promised that after one year in office, they would empower us. After winning the election, we have not been seeing them, so we decided to visit the senator on the issue.”

A FIGHT broke out in a London bus when a white female passenger called a black male teenager ‘smelly Nigerian'.

The nameless boy is also said to be a mixed race.

The woman allegedly called the boy ‘smelly Nigerian’ after he accidentally stepped on her toe. The footage of the fight which has gone viral on the web has dominated the internet since last week.

It shows the boy trying to hit the woman on the Tube after her racist remark.

The mobile phone footage posted on YouTube is entitled ‘Racist Woman On London Train Gets What She Deserves!’ It begins a short way into their argument - after the 19year-old aspiring recording artist had apparently stepped on the woman’s shoe.

Their expletive-littered argument then descended into violence, with the teenager lunging at the woman after accusing her of having hit him with a bottle.

JTF arrests suspected mastermind of Thisday, Sun bombing Coordinator of most of the suicide

By NDAHI MARAMA

M

AIDUGURI—BARELY 24 hours after a top suspected Boko Haram terrorist was arrested in the house of a former National Assembly Lawmaker, in Abuja, the Joint Task Force, JTF, "Operation Restore Order," said, yesterday, it has also arrested one Mohammed Zangina, a high profile Boko Haram Commander and Shura Committee member who reportedly co-ordinated the bombings of Thisday and The Sun newspapers last year at the Government Reserved Area,GRA, Maiduguri.

In a statement in Maiduguri by

the JTF spokesman, Lt Col. Sagir Musa the JTF said, the suspect was in Maiduguri to plan several deadly attacks against civilians and security personnel any moment from yesterday.

Meanwhile, all major roads leading to churches and other strategic locations were cordoned off for several hours by JTF operatives, yesterday, resulting in traffic gridlocks for hours during and after Sunday services.

The JTF, however, said Mohammed Zangina a.k.a Mallam Abdullahi or Alhaji Musa, was the leader of North Central and

attacksandbombingsinAbuja,Kaduna, Kano, Jos and Potiskum.

Sagir further insisted that Zangina was a key member of the Shura Committee of the Boko Haram who was among those declared wanted withabountyofN25millionplacedon himbytheJTFon November23,2012.

Sagiraddedthathesurvivedseveral security manhunts on his hideouts in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Jos and PotiskumtownofDamaturu,theYobeState capital which has remained centre of attacks and killings. The spokesman said Zangina's arrest was effected by JTF troops following a special operation conducted in GRA, Maiduguri.

Vanguard, MONDAY MONDAY,, JANUARY 14, 2013—11

Mega party to provide alternative platform — Oyegun B

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

ENIN—FORMER governor of Edo State and chieftain of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, yesterday, said that the purpose of opposition political parties coming together to form a mega party was not solely to remove the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from office but to create a credible alternative platform for Nigerian electorate.

Oyegun, who spoke with Vanguard in an interview in Benin, also denied the assertion by a former Lagos State Police Commissioner, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, that Southern leaders were beating the drum of the dismembering of the country and advised the North to look inward in finding a solution to the problem of Boko Haram.

He said: “The formation of a mega party is not for the sole aim of contesting the 2015 presidential election because that would be interpreted to mean that our sole purpose is to remove PDP. We pray that happens, but the core of our coming together is to present to the Nigerian electorate an alter-

Learn to accept defeat, politicians urged

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

B

ENIN—VANGUARD for a Better Edo, VFBE, has advised the nation’s politicians to learn to accept defeat in a free and fair election and stop looking for frivolities to subvert the will of the people.

Commending the Supreme Court, which on Friday set aside the ruling of the Appeal Court, which ordered Edo State Election Petitions Tribunal to hear afresh the case of non-qualification of Governor Adams Oshiomhole for the July 14, 2012 Edo State gubernatorial election, VFBE, called on the judiciary to dispense with the election petition as soon as possible in the interest of Edo people.

VFBE, in a statement by its National Coordinator and Director of Grassroots Mobilisation, Mr. Donatus Ossai and Bernard Efosa, respectively, advised politicians to learn to accept defeat in a free and fair election.

native; an alternative with a credible message; an alternative that identifies with their pains and aspirations.

“As at today, no matter how we abuse PDP, or how aware we are of the mis-governance of the country, Nigerians have no credible alternative to PDP. They are the only ones that seem to have given themselves a seemingly image of a national party

with a national spread.

“We are trying to construct for the benefit of the Nigerian people, an alternative that will also have a national image and a national spread. To re-emphasise what I said earlier, we want a party that identifies with the people, with the hope and aspirations of the Nigerian people. We will make that very clear in the message we have when the right time

comes. ”We are making reasonable progress, treading very cautiously and slowly. We are not unaware that there are problems, interests and intrigues within each group, but the message we have for everybody and for ourselves is that whatever interest we have within the party, the interest of the people and the Nigerian nation is clearly more important. That is the premise from which we are approaching it.”

DONATION: Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State (middle); Mr. Bisi Onasanya, GMD, First Bank of Nigeria Plc (right) and Mr. U.K. Eke, Executive Director, Public Sector, during the donation of five operational vehicles by First Bank to the state government at the Government House, Umuahia.

Organised labour, key to Oshiomhole’s success —Imuekhemhe

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—IMMEDIATE past Secretary to Edo State Government, SSG, Dr. Simon Imuekhemhe, weekend, said that one of the secrets behind the success of the administration of Governor Adams Oshiomhole in the state was the cordial relationship that exists between organised labour in the state and the government.

Imuekhemhe, also former Head of Service, HOS, said

from his years of experience in the civil service, it will be difficult for any government to work successfully without the corporation of labour.

He spoke when he was honoured by the state chapters of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and Trade Union Congress, TUC. Appreciating the honour bestowed on him by the unions despite the several disagreements he had with them when he was SSG, Imuekhemhe said: “Those disagreements helped us bring out the best in all of us and shaped governance in the

state.

“Labour is really a critical aspect of governance because they see everybody in government as their enemy or their oppressor.

So, for the TUC, the central organised labour in Edo State, to single me out for the award, is an experience I will cherish for life because they represent the views of the workers and to a large extent, the views of the general public and it gives me a sense of satisfaction that during my service year, I served the people of the state and the principals who gave me the opportunity to serve creditably.”

Why Reyenieju should run again in 2015 —Coalition Ebisanine and others, noted that

BY DANIEL GUMM

W

ARRI—A COALITION of political stakeholders, comprising of all ethnic nationalities in Warri Federal Constituency, has called on Mr. Daniel Reyenieju to recontest the constituency seat in the 2015 general elections.

Reyenieju represents the three Warri local government areas at the National Assembly.

The coalition, under the aegis of Eager Network for De-

velopment of Warri, ENDOW, made up of groups in Warri Federal Constituency, in a statement, noted that Reyenieju’s continuous networking with serving federal lawmakers from other geo-political zones in the country towards ensuring that the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB was passed into law, “is one of several efforts he is making towards providing a better deal for oil producing communities,” as well as ensuring equity in the petroleum sector.

The statement by Mr. Ernest

Reyenieju’s easy accessibility by people of his constituency, experience as a lawmaker, as well as his views on burning national issues, were further testament of his “impeccable qualities” needed for representation at the national level, “especially against the backdrop of the high stake politicking expected to intensify in 2015.”

They vowed to mobilise support for Reyenieju should he heed their call to re-contest the Warri Federal Constituency seat in 2015.

Delta House flays alleged poor performance of contractors

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI—DELTA State House of Assembly Committee on Finance and Appropriations has expressed worry over what it called the near zero performances of the three contractors handling the EffurunEku Road dualization project.

The House Committee, led by its chairman, Mr. Daniel Mayuku, was at the project site as part of its investigation tour of selected projects embarked upon by the state government, weekend.

Mayuku said the Effurun-Eku Road dualization project was awarded to the three contractors since 2010 with adequate mobilization, adding that sector ‘A’ of the project was awarded to GOMENE Construction Company for N3.6 billion with N1 billion paid as mobilisation to the contractor by the state government.

He said, sector ‘B’ was awarded to DEUX Construction company and mobilised also with about N1 billion, while the sector C was awarded to PALMYRA Construction company and N530 million paid out of the total cost of N2.4 billion contract sum.

Ekiyor, Patani LG chair buries dad

W

ARRI—THE re mains of Dr. Thompson Ekiyor, father of the Transition Committee chairman of Patani Local Government Area, Delta State and former National President of Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Dr. Chris Ekiyor, were laid to rest, weekend, in Patani.

Until his death, the deceased was the pioneer chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Patani council; chairman of National Union of Road Transport Workers; chairman, Traditional Medicine Council of Nigeria, Patani branch and Assistant Secretary, Kabowei Traditional Council.

He was buried at the family residence on 3, Kandudu Avenue, Ekise Quarters, Patani town.

12—Vanguard , MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013

Imo inaugurates 3 panels to probe Ohakim

BY CHIDI NKWOPA

O

level of jobs done, detect any payments in excess of work done, including kick backs in cash or kind given to or received by individuals or organisations.

Onumajulu’s panel was asked to identify all types of employees in the local government system, including temporary, casual, permanent staff, the method of recruitment of staff, staff structure, and staff strength of each local government in the state.

They are also charged to investigate salary padding, pay-

ment of ghost workers, illegal employment of temporary, casual and permanent staff or employees, as well as identify persons involved in illegal recruitment, salary padding, payment made to ghost workers and prescribe appropriate sanctions.

The Justice Chikeka panel was asked to ascertain whether all the autonomous communities in Imo State were originally qualified to be given autonomous status, in accordance with the law that was in force when each autonomous communities

was created.

They were also charged to ascertain the level of involvements of the traditional rulers in acts/ misconducts and make recommendations to the government based on their findings.

Responding on behalf of the chairmen and members of the commissions, Justice Onumajulu, thanked the governor for finding them worthy to serve in the commissions and assured that they would do their best to carry out the assignment.

WERRI—IMO State gover nor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, has inaugurated three judicial panels of inquiry to look into all contracts awarded by the Ikedi Ohakim administration, the local government system, as well as autonomous communities and traditional rulers.

While the retired Chief Judge of Imo State, Justice Paul Onumajulu, was asked to probe the local government system, Justices Goddy Anunihu and T. E. C. Chikeka were charged with the responsibility of probing the autonomous communities and traditional rulers.

Although Okorocha explained that the essence of inaugurating the commissions was not to witchhunt anybody in the state but to establish and bring back the lost glories of the state and traditional institution, observers, however, insisted that the current development might be connected with the growing altercation between the governor and loyalists of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state.

Justice Anunihu was asked to identify all contracts awarded by or on behalf of Imo State government or its parastatals and agencies between May 30, 2007, and May 29, 2011, and ascertain the extent of work done.

The panel is also to ascertain the

Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi (left) and Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, during the reception organized by Ndigbo Lagos for Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in Lagos.

Chime in London hospital for heart treatment

Parents lament high fees in Abia private schools

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OVERNOR Sullivan Chime of Enugu State is currently undergoing treatment for a heart disease in a London hospital.

The governor, who had been missing from the state since September 2012, applied for accumulated leave that ought to have lasted only one and a half months.

Agency reports said the condition of the governor, whose medical sojourn started in India, had remained dire.

The prolonged absence of the Governor has left the state under the complete control of his Chief of Staff, Mrs. Ifeoma Nwobodo.

Before becoming governor, Mr. Chime was Enugu State’s Attorney-General in the government of now-indicted former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani.

Enugu indigenes are fearful about what laid ahead for the state, and many prominent church leaders who hail from the same area as the governor have gone silent.

A few days ago, a pro-democracy association of Enugu State citizens which calls itself the Save Enugu Group, called on Acting Governor Onyebuchi to make a “categorical explanation” on the condition and whereabouts of Governor Chime.

TheActinggovernorhasyettorespond.

U

BY ANAYO OKOLI

MUAHIA—PARENTS and guardians in Abia State are currently bemoaning the high rate of fees in private schools in the state, and called on the government to place a ceiling on how much the institutions could charge.

They also lamented that despite the regular, indiscriminate upward review of fees, private schools had no corresponding facilities to show for the high fees.

The parents and guardians also accused proprietors of the schools of effecting increase in fees without recourse to the Par-

ents/Teachers Associations.

Beside the high fees, the parents noted that most of the projects in the schools were executed by PTAs, wondering what the high fees were meant.

Parents, who spoke to Vanguard in Aba and Umuahia, were unanimous in condemning the indiscriminate increase in fees and called on the government to properly monitor private schools in the state.

“We are fed up with the practice in these private schools over the way they increase fees in the schools. They now do it at will, at times every term, some times

two or three times a term.

“They now make sure that they effect an increase every term. This is in addition to other sundry fees they charge. It is too much.

“I blame the government that allowed the public schools to degenerate to what they are today. Thank God that Governor Orji has handed over some schools to the original missionary owners.

“We just hope that the churches would revive them and not also place emphasis on monetary gains like the private operators.”

Thugs destroyed my shops, not community market —Community leader

W

ARRI—A PROMINENT community leader in Warri South Local Government, Prince Agindotan Yonwuren, has refuted media report which claimed he sold part of Ugbuwangue community market to an unnamed politician, stressing that the shops destroyed by hired thugs were his personal property which he was renovating after it was gutted by fire in 2007.

Prince Yonwuren, who was angry by the report he described

as contrived, explained that he only sublet part of his land already having shops to Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, when he was approached by the commission that they wanted to build a shopping complex.

Describing the actions of the “weapon carrying thugs and their internal sponsors as motivated by envy,” Prince Yonwuren said members of his family were still being threatened by the invaders.

The PDP chieftain noted that there was nothing like community land in Ugbuwangue, declaring that all lands were family owned.

He averred that it was in a bid not to frustrate the state government’s peace and security agenda that he reported the destruction of his shops to the police, just as he said some of the properties stolen by the invaders had been recovered by the police who made some arrest.

CD lauds S-East Govs, others on security

BY ANAYO OKOLI

U

MUAHIA—CAM PAIGN for Democracy, CD, has commended South East governors and security agencies in the zone for maintaining a crime free Christian and New Year celebrations.

CD, in a statement signed by the zonal chairman and secretary, Mr. Uzor A. Uzor and Dr. Jerry Chukwuokolo, said the governors in the zone did their best to maintain security during the period.

“CD would want to appreciate in particular the Nigerian Army, State Security Services, SSS, Police, Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, as well as FRSC,” the statement said.

The group said the state governors needed to be appreciated for their roles in motivating and providing logistics for security personnel, which enabled them to work effectively in fighting criminals.

Ex-Rep backs calls for new constitution

BY ONOZURE DANIA

L

AGOS—AS the Na tional Assembly plans to amend the 1999 constitution, a former member of the House of Representatives, Dino Melaye, has thrown his weight behind a brand new constitution that will meet the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians.

Melaye, who is the Executive Secretary of AntiCorruption Network, in an interview over the weekend, said a brand new constitution subjected to a referendum was the best constitution the people of Nigeria needed.

To achieve this, Melaye said the constitution must be preceded by a national discourse.

He said there was need for a national discourse, stressing that a constitution could not become legitimate until it was open to a referendum.

According to him, without a referendum, there is no constitution.

Melaye described the 1999 constitution as a product of lies, arguing that the constitution could not be said to reflect the wishes of Nigerians.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013— 13

C M Y K

14—Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013

Jonathan not committed to anti-graft war —APGA, PPA

BY CHRIS OCHAYI

A

From left: Former Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd); Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, and Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), during the first graduation ceremony of the Abdulsalami Abubakar Institute For Peace and Sustainable Development Studies in Minna.

BUJA—THE All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and Progressive Peoples Alliance, PPA, have re-affirmed the position of The Patriots that the Federal Government was not committed to the war against corruption.

While APGA’s National Director of Publicity, Mr. Ifeanacho Oguejiofor, said the government was in a lull over corruption and

Tukur fights back, to announce Onwe acting sec Continues from page 5 They want to impose one of them as the presidential candidate of the party in 2015 and that is why they are defying what the people and the president want.”

They have also threatened not to recognize the Gov. Sule Lamido-led committee on “Adamawa Crisis and Resolution,” even as they described the

committee as “mysterious.” They said they did not know who established it, the terms of reference as well as the composition of the Committee.

Ardo who explained that they only saw an advert on the pages of newspapers asking members to submit memoranda to the committee, stressed that they did not know who set up the committee and what it was supposed to

do.

According to them, if the committee remains mysterious, they, as elders, will not recognize it and will work only with the newly elected executive committee of the party led

by Joel Madaki.

He noted: “If it is the president, let us see a statement from the presidency. If it is from the National Working Committee of the party let’s see a statement from the national chairman of

the party saying so. But if it is from the Oyinlola gang of 10, then there’s no way we can recognize it and as far as we are concerned, it is dead on arrival.

“There ought to be a letter from the presidency saying so if it is actually from the president and if it is from the party then there should be a statement from the national working committee but we cannot just wake up and see a committee from the blues asking us to submit memoranda.

Late Gov Yakowa’s brother dies at 51

BY LUKA BINNIYAT

K

ADUNA—TRAGEDY has again struck at the family of the former Governor of Kaduna State, late Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, as his only surving brother, Adamu Yakowa, 51, died at about 8.30pm on Saturday.

Family sources told Vanguard, that Adamu died at the Kafanchan General Hospital on Saturday. He reportedly took ill shortly after the demise of his brother, Patrick, in a helicopter crash last December at Bayelsa State.

A member of the family, Mr. Shagari Borgo who confirmed the death said late Adamu retired from the Kaduna Vehicle Inspection Office as a senior staff.

Late Adamu was decribed as a gentle and peace loving. Left to mourn him are his widow and five children.

Meanwhile, the 30day prayer for late Governor Yakowa would be held at St. John’s Catholic Church, Unguwan Rimi GRA, in Kaduna metroplois, according to the Parish C M Y K

Priest of the Church, Rev, Father Celestine Katung.

“We will be marking the

30-day memorial prayers of our dear late brother and Governor.

Next Sunday will mark the 30 days of his passing away,” the priest said.

that it needed to take urgent steps against graft in the country, PPA’s National Secretary, Peter Ameh, lamented that President Goodluck Jonathan’s failure to fight corruption had proven to Nigerians that he lacked the political will to fight graft.

Oguejiofor warned that corruption would sink the country, if adequate measures were not put in place to fight it.

He said: ”The party considers corruption as the greatest obstacle to the development and transformation of Nigeria generally. ”APGA sees corruption as not only in the misappropriation and embezzlement of public funds by government officials and

their cohorts, but in the manner and the general attitude to life of an average Nigerian, where indiscipline is a way of life and the order of the day and being encouraged by those in and outside the government. ”Therefore, for Nigeria to really develop, this government of President Goodluck Jonathan should develop the strong muscles and sharp teeth to fight corruption in every facet of our life.

Speaking further, National Secretary of PPA, Mr. Peter Ameh, said: “We have had to bear as a nation of people; and had argued that this government has not shown the will to fight corruption.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013—15

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16 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013 INMATES having babies in prison is a global phenomenon defying solutions.

Authorities of Port Harcourt Prisons are denying warders were responsible for the pregnancies. In the United States, where some prison officials have been convicted for their roles in sexual abuse of prisoners, more than 25 per cent of inmates get pregnant while serving their term.

Arguments of an official of Port Harcourt Prisons, that in all cases the women arrived pregnant, are unattainable. They are too dumbfounding that they leave no room for important prison reforms. What can be done about pregnant prisoners? How can general prison conditions be improved? Do we ever worry that children born in prison without adequate care could become criminals?

More concern in other places centre on better treatment for children born in prison.

There are no easy solutions. Even in USA where six States - California, Connecticut, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York and Washington – permit “conjugal visits” to aid family bonding, the visits have partly been blamed for the pregnancies, there are no firm

Fat e Of Pregnant ate Prisoners plans for the children. Do we punish children too for their mothers’ offences?

Current conditions in Nigerian prisons are deplorable. The food is poor; the quantity is not enough for healthy living, worse for pregnant inmates. The hygiene levels are abysmally low. It is almost unthinkable that children are born in these settings.

Prisoners, most of them poor, cater for the children until relations take them, or they are put up for adoption. What is their future?

With the generally unacceptable conditions in which Nigerians live, it is easier to ignore prisoners and their plight. They are part of

society. If the laws were a little more stringent, more Nigerians, the mighty moreso, could be in jail.

The point is validly made that prisoners – some of who are awaiting trial for years, and who may eventually be released for lack of evidence to prosecute them – have rights.

The fact that nobody cares about their rights do not mean they do not exist.

The USA for years lived in denial of the abuses in its prisons. Women were shackled while giving birth, more than 1.5 million children were born in jail over 25 years, sexual abuses were nobody’s concern until some years back when the reforms began.

Prison officers are being jailed for abuses; some prisons are building nurseries for the children.

We cannot address abuses in prisons without admitting them. There would be no seriousness without punishing offending officials and setting new standards for conduct. Fears of the truth would delay the reforms that fate of pregnant prisoners deserves. We have a major prison challenge in our hands, we cannot pretend otherwise.

OPINION

BY JOHN OSHIMIRI

I

HOLD an alternative view to Senator Emmanuel Onwe’s elegant piece entitled: “Igbos Cannot Produce a President with Five States published on January 8, 2013. It is my considered verdict, not opinion that a president of Igbo extraction cannot emerge in 2015. It’s glaringly obvious that the political conditions necessary for such a grand achievement are absent at the moment. The vice presidency is the only feasible route through which an Igbo person could ascend the presidency by or before 2023. And that is my contention in this essay.

Stereotypes and Myths

Take a quick quiz: If the sum of N5,000 were to be offered to each of its natives in exchange for one of its own holding the office of the president of Nigeria for four years or more, which of the following ethnic groups would be the most likely to accept the cash: (A)The Yoruba (B) The Hausa (C) The Kanuri (D) The Ijaw (E) The Igbo?

Your choice is exactly in accord with that made by hundreds of random people across Nigeria. This predictability illustrates the nature of stereotype - the bedrock upon which the deep-seated anti-Igbo prejudice in Nigeria rests. What’s more, the lie has been peddled sufficiently as to become an acknowledged “truth”. As an Igbo man, I resent this malicious defamation to an unmitigated degree.

The myth of self-centredness and money addiction among the Igbos in their political transactions has become deeply etched in the consciousness of Nigerians. This fallacy C M Y K

Igbo VP 2015: The pathway to Igbo presidency does not rest on any tangible evidence for its sustenance. It’s an ugly generalisation that does not apply to the vast majority of upright, proud and patriotic Igbos. This is not to deny the odious roles played by a few Igbo political pimps, anchored on personal greed and self-centredness, in sabotaging the collective interest – but such is hardly a peculiarity of Ndigbo.

Stereotypes, like taboos, are meant to be broken and reversed.

The Igbo moment to demonstrate true character and to showcase the battle spirit of solidarity and self-sacrifice which saw us through a turbulent history is once again upon us. There cannot be any logical reason why the Igbos would hesitate to push till the last drop of their political sweat for the vice presidency (the only realistic and winnable battle to wage in the 2015 electoral cycle), which will potentially lead to the presidency in 2023, unless we have already been sold out by the greedy few who have persistently besmirched the Igbo reputation. And if this is the case, are the Igbos prepared to put up with such a state of affairs?

No one should be in any doubt that the political battles raging in the country right now, and which will rage for at least another generation, represent the struggles to assert group identity and legitimacy, expressed through the mechanics of politics.

To Those Who Have

T

he North has held central power for 38 years. Yet, its leadership is furiously agitating and planning and forging formidable alliances across the country in a push for power shift in 2015. The West has held central power for 12 years. Yet, its leadership is everywhere articulating, advocating and laying the foundations for strategic alliances to secure power shift in 2015. The South-South has held central power for two years (five years by 2015). Yet, its leadership has been the most strident and energised in its push for the retention of central power in 2015. The East held central power for six months some 46 years ago. Its ambition for prime power will best be served by power shift in 2015 and crippled by the retention of the status quo. Yet, the Igbos appear to be bereft of ideas, save for the belated efforts of groups such as Njiko Igbo and C21. And even those efforts are headed in the wrong direction, with all due respect to the cerebral Dr Onwe.

The Igbos played second fiddle to prime power in this nation just nine years after the Civil War, occupying the Vice Presidency from 1979 - 1983. It took 29 years after the war for the Igbos to play third fiddle, occupying the post of Senate President from 1999 – 2007. Over 40 years after the war, we have hurried ourselves to the fifth fiddle and hastening down to complete irrelevance. We

fought a gallant war of live ammunition and mortar, spilled blood and treasure but ultimately surrendered with our heads held high. Now, in peace time, we are surrendering the war of strategic ideas, argument and persuasion and human mobilisation without as much as a whimper. Haba!

Edmund Burke it was who said that “Our patience will achieve more than our force.”

Well, we have tried both: War for three years and patience for 43 years. Head or tail, we’ve lost. The Igbos are constructing their own political wheelchair, as they set about crippling themselves. We cannot reach our destiny by remaining quadriplegic houseboys.

Here, again, we are faced with a historical opportunity to mark our place in this land, and rid our psyche of the debilitating trauma of being cast as outsiders in a nation-family in which we played an outsize role to bring into being.

Fantasy and Realpolitik

The colourful fantasy of an Igbo presidency in 2015 or even before 2023 is resistant to hard evidence. It ignores the peculiarities of Nigerian realpolitik. It feeds on the propaganda of the few who feed fat on the status quo to the detriment of Ndigbo. At the head of this jaundiced politics are elements equivalent to the saboteurs of the Civil War era.

Continues tomorrow on the Viewpoint pg

*Dr. Oshimiri, a political analyst, wrote from Boston, USA.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013—41

I

Gov.Sullivan Chime of Enugu State: Out of circulation.

Enugu State without a helmsman back? Let’s address that later.

The framers of the constitution made it clear in Section 189 that a governor or deputy who has suffered permanent physical or mental incapacitation is no longer eligible to hold onto the office. They intended that the health status of a governor and deputy governor be made transparently public. This is logical, since these executive officers are occupying their offices through the people’s mandate and hold their offices in trust for the people.

This principle informs the constant public dissemination of information concerning any ailing elected or ranking appointed public official in advanced democracies, such as we recently saw in the case of Mrs. Hillary Clinton, the American Secretary of State.

Public disclosure In fact, our constitution is so obvious about public disclosure of the health issues of the aforementioned elected executive officers that in Section 189 the Executive Council appointed by a Governor has the power to determine, through two-thirds of the votes of all members, that the Governor or Deputy Governor “is incapable of discharging the functions of his office”.

Once they so determine, a medical panel appointed by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly will verify this claim. Once the panel is convinced that the Governor or Deputy “suffers from such infirmity of body or mind as renders him permanently incapable of discharging the functions of his office, a notice thereof signed by the Speaker of the House of Assembly shall be published in the official Gazette of the Government of the State”. Thereafter,

BY MICHAEL OBERABOR

Continues from Fridayviewpoints

H

E played a controversial role in the overthrow of Milton Obote in 1971 whom he served as chief of intelligence. But when the blood thirsty renegade, Idi Amin seized power, Museveni together with Obote fled into exile. He was to appropriate power to himself in 1986 after a long bush war which once again exposed his cunning. He conducted the first elections in 1996 and is today serving his fourth term in office. His main opponent in the 2011 election, Besigye lives in exile..

But the biggest clown is the nonagenarian, Robert Mugabe, a former rebel leader who alongside his comrades fought against white minority rule and achieved the independence of the former Rhodesia but has remained at the helm of affairs since 1980. He has supervised the political and economic collapse of Zimbabwe and blames successive Western governments for the country’s misfortune. This is the most illegitimate ruler the world over. He had broken every political and economic rule before being forced into a power sharing deal with arch rival and foe Morgan Tsvangirai in 2008.

His story will continue to be told for generations after he is gone. While the citizens live in penury, he lives in royal splendour and opulence.

We still have 80-year old Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in Equatorial Guinea. This is Africa’s longest

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to the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Eugene Odoh, that he was going away on accumulated leave without telling the truth that he was going on medical vacation. He duly appointed his Deputy, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi, as Acting Governor but limited his approval of funds to N500,000. Commissioners and other officials brazenly ignore him. They opt, instead, to run to the beck and call of the real acting “governor”, Mrs. Ifeoma Nwobodo, Chime’s Chief of Staff.

The Enugu 'cabal'

Mrs. Nwobodo and Speaker Odoh are working hand-in-gloves to keep the “the Governor or Deputy shall cease to hold roost exactly as Chime ordered it to be kept office from the date of publication of the for him. Odoh, being from Nsukka Zone (where the governorship is headed come medical report…” “ Where these steps are not taken the 2015) hopes to benefit from Chime’s constitution is violated. Unfortunately, that generosity ahead of other contestants. He was what happened during the case of the also knows that allowing Deputy Governor late President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua and Onyebuchi assume full powers as Governor might knock him out of now those of Chime, Suntai and Imoke.

In Enugu, the Governor and his kitchen contention.

And so, for Chime and his “cabal”, the smooth running and continued good governance of the state must wait until (and if) he returns to office.

I wish Chime does recover quickly and return to his duty post because most people agree that he has upgraded the capital city to modern standards. But if he is no longer able to carry on, the constitution must be implemented to ensure smooth continuation of good governance.

My recommendations are as follows.

Since most people now think Governor Chime has become incapacitated, he must present himself here in Nigeria for a medical panel examination to determine his physical and mental capacity to continue. If he fails to do so by early February, the House of Assembly must impeach him for gross misconduct. If the Speaker tries to block it, the Speaker must be removed.

The Deputy Governor, Sunday Onyebuchi, must be sworn-in to conclude the remaining term of the Chime/ Onyebuchi tenure. Thereafter, he must step down and allow power to shift to Nsukka Zone, in line with the Enugu charter of equity. He must not contemplate running, since Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani cabinet have mounted a convoluted has taken his zone’s turn. After Nsukka, manipulation of the law and processes to the race should be free for all. shield the ailing governor’s real health Enugu State is bigger than any situation from the public. The Governor individual. appeared to obey the law by transmitting

,

AM back after a hectic vacation.

Officially, I am still on leave but the conversation on this forum must restart.

So, welcome to 2013, the year that President Goodluck Jonathan promised us heaven on earth. May we live to see his promises come true.

Let us start the new year by examining an issue that is at the root of our democratic governance. It is a serial abuse of our constitutional order. It is spreading and being taken to ridiculous ends at the state level.

More and more state governors are falling sick and disappearing from public view for prolonged periods without the people being told their whereabouts and exactly what is happening to them. Today, three governors – Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State, Liyel Imoke of Cross River State and Sullivan Chime of Enugu State – are out of circulation due to health challenges.

The Chime case stands out. His frail health profile has been a matter of public concern since his earliest days in power.

He has not been seen or heard from for four long, unbroken months. When he was leaving in September 2012 he told the House of Assembly that he was proceeding on “accumulated annual leave”. But when President Jonathan, as the leader of Chime’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP) addressed the Board of Trustees (BOT) in November and summed the state of the nation, he had informed them that Chime was “very sick” and might not be back to office before February 2013. If Chime tarries till then, he would have left his state without effective governance for six long months!

And that would be a great disservice to the people of Enugu State and a grave violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999. Now, what if by early February the governor is still not yet

My recommendations are as follows. Since most people now think Governor Chime has become incapacitated, he must present himself here in Nigeria for a medical panel examination to determine his physical and mental capacity to continue. If he fails to do so by early February the House of Assembly must impeach him for gross misconduct

OPINION Africa’s departing masquerades (2) serving ruler. For the past 33 years, he has ruled the country like his personal estate after overthrowing his uncle, the maximum ruler Macias Nguema. A country with some of the largest reserves of oil and gas has its citizens living like paupers with no functional institutions and very little infrastructure. In 2003, he took possession of the state treasury in order to “prevent corrupt civil servants from being tempted into looting state funds”. By the following year, he declared himself the “country’s god” and had power over “all men and things” and was in “permanent contact with the Almighty and can decide to kill without anyone calling him to account and without going to hell”.

He has lined up his first son, Teodorin, wanted in France for money laundering, to succeed him. Then there are those two jesters who inherited states from their fathers: Faure Gnasingbe-Eyadema’s son- in Togo and Ali Bongo in Gabon. They follow the footsteps of their fathers, absolute and maximum rulers accountable to no one.

There is the monarch Mswati in Swaziland who cannot differentiate state from his estate 25 years after inheriting his father’s throne. His grandiose and opulent lifestyle is

,

unmatched. And the list goes on and on.

Lest he falls asleep in the presidential palace, rebels have vowed to chase out Central Africa’s Francoise Bozize, another despot surrounded by goons. He is presently on his knees begging to be allowed to complete his term in office: A ploy to consolidate him in power and rule endlessly.

The masquerade occupies a conspicuous position in African culture and tradition. It is at the departure gate that its violent and destructive streak is unleashed on the people. There is a pervasive gene of impunity and lack of accountability that runs through African leaders. This has resulted in sub-Saharan Africa remaining plagued with disease, illiteracy, poverty, wars and famine. Nigeria is not left out. African leaders admire Obama. They want to be seen and photographed with him. Obama is 51 and has been handed another term in an election devoid of rigging and not marred by irregularities. African leaders have a lot to learn from this man of uncommon courage.

His inspirational speech on acceptance is a beacon of hope to all men of good will. Nothing lasts forever and the wanton pilfering and looting of resources in the continent by its leaders forebodes an uncertain future.

Concluded

*Dr. Oberabor, a medical officer, wrote from Warri, Delta State.

42—Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013

•Tukur: PDP National Chairman

•Amaechi: Chairman Governors' Forum

Now who can stop the PDP governors?

S

ENATOR Jibril Aminu’s frustrations after failing to bring Governor Murtala Nyako under control could not be hidden at the press conference penultimate Sunday in Yola, the Adamawa State capital. Blurting out his anger over how governors had ganged up to bolster Nyako, a man who only few years ago was his political disciple, Prof Aminu said: “We are talking of terrorists in Nigeria; the main terrorists are members of the Governors’ Forum. They are terrorizing ministers, senators and state assembly members. In fact, everybody in the country is under the threat of the Governors’ Forum.It is not good for democracy and must be removed for the system to grow,” he said.

His denunciation of the

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Governors’ Forum which arguably, has taken over from the Senate to become the country’s most exclusive club resonates in many quarters. And largely among many who may have fallen victim to the increasingly assertive powers of Nigeria’s 36 governors.

While Senator Aminu could openly protest what many consider as the overbearing influence of the governors, many others with similar observations, however, are not so bold. Notably among those still cowed are members of the National Assembly, senior officials of the PDP, state legislators, and many presidential aides who are often on the wrong side of some of the actions and aspirations of the governors.

Just before he became the PDP’s gubernatorial candidate in 2007, Nyako was at Senator

Aminu’s beck and call. He was one of the regular political disciples of Aminu that flocked around the former senator ahead of Aminu’s pronouncement on who would fly the PDP gubernatorial ticket. But once Nyako emerged governor in May 2007, such subservience to Aminu disappeared as the governor bared his fangs.

All over the country the ‘overbearing’ influence of the governors is clearly evident. But only few would dare go the extent of Senator Aminu in describing governors as power terrorists. But in reality, they bear terror to many around them. And no other political party in the country bears the scars of the governors’ influence like the PDP. The latest proof of that sway was seen in last week’s macabre dance by the PDP's National Working Committee when the

party unashamedly disowned its recent actions in Adamawa State.

The most intriguing display of the power-show of the governors

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BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR

from the party leadership.

Last October, the NWC through its spokesman, Chief Olisa Metuh had justified the dissolution of the Adamawa State executive thus: “Elders, leaders and stakeholders of the party have been petitioning on issues, bordering on zoning, lopsidedness, irregularities that has to do with the composition of the state executive committee; it isn’t the national chairman that has been doing that.

“What is the issue is the serial breaches of the constitution of the party and that’s what the NWC is addressing. The Adamawa State executive disregarded, disobeyed an order of the NWC, not an order of the national chairman.”

One of the breaches and irregularities was the notable fact that the state party chairman, Alhaji Mijinyawa Kugama comes from the same local government and ward with Governor Nyako.

Another reason given by Metuh was what was claimed to be the insubordination of the state executive to the decisions of the NWC on the submission of names of candidates for the local government election.

In both cases, the national chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur was believed to be on the disadvantage in the local politics of Adamawa. The dissolution was obviously to correct the disadvantages and put the national chairman at an advantage over and against the governor ahead of the 2015 gubernatorial election where Tukur’s son, Awal is largely speculated to be interested in contesting.

The Adamawa chairman, Kugama is known to be an unflinching loyalist of Nyako.

Both men are from the same local government area in the state. So, what he lost in Adamawa, Tukur was believed to be using his reaches in the NWC to win back, a development that stirred the governors.

The macabre dance in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party,PDP arising from the dissolution of the Adamawa State executive of the party confirms the stranglehold of the governors on the polity. The question now is can they be stopped?

was displayed in the way and manner the governors compelled the national leadership of the party to reverse the suspension of the state executive committee of the Adamawa State chapter of the party. It was a decision firmed in power survival as the NWC members panicked as the governors moved with vengeance to get a pound of flesh

,

Particularly instructive was the determination of the governors to resolve the dispute in the favour of their colleague. As one governor in the front of the battle for Nyako said: “Today it is Nyako, tomorrow it could be me,” and hence the governors’ decision to mobilise themselves

Continued on page 43

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013—43

Now who can stop the PDP governors?

Continues from page 42

• President Jonathan: Pressured to fix the umbrella registration. The e-registration of party members and its automated base is one which governors had in the past shot down. Their fear it is claimed, is that such a scheme would remove the party from their hands as it would transmit power directly to the people.

The same scheme was shot down during the regime of Dr. Okwesileze Nwodo when the governors even compelled the president to abort the project after the president had personally flagged off the scheme.

The governors are also expected to now start preparing themselves for the 2015 project after their first thirst of blood.

That the governors allowed President Jonathan to have his way in foisting Tukur as the

•Nyako: Under the protection of his colleagues confided that he knows where the The same scheme was shot down during the power of the party is and that it rests with the governors. So given regime of Dr. Okwesileze Nwodo when the his own personal agenda of governors even compelled the president to reverting power to the north it is not surprising that he is abort the project after the president had positioning himself for a possible personally flagged off the scheme alliance that would be to the realisation of a common goal with national chairman was according candidacy in 2015 and in return most of the second term to one party insider a tactical the president would help him put governors, many of whom do not his son as governor of Adamawa, want to leave President Jonathan move by the governors.

“When they (governors) were but now both ambitions are behind in office as president in putting him there they knew that turning into far dreams.”

2015.

Remarkably, the governors it could only be for some time Having effortlessly shaken knowing that it would only be a seem to be getting an unsolicited Tukur and asserted their matter of time before Bamanga hand of fellowship ahead of 2015 dominance over the polity, there would bungle and now he has from an unexpected quarter. is no doubt that the governors Former President Olusegun have drawn a battle line with bungled seriously.”

The party source added: Obasanjo has lately been criss- Tukur ’s sponsors in the “Many were expecting that crossing the country reaching out presidential villa. The question Bamanga would help the to many governors. Obasanjo now is ‘who or what can stop the president to actualise his according to sources has governors’?

,

to confront the national leadership. Their threat was to use their influence upon other members of the National Executive Committee, NEC of the party to instigate the dissolution of the NWC either directly or through forcing a national convention.

Remarkably, the governors had following mediations by President Goodluck Jonathan last December offered Tukur a soft landing. That was through the establishment of the Governor Sule Lamido intra-party panel on the Adamawa crisis. The Governor Sule panel it was learnt, was to prescribe the reversal of the dissolution following which the NWC would use the panel’s recommendation as a yardstick so that Tukur would not be seen to have been humiliated.

However, contrary to expectations the national secretariat continued to push for a new executive in Adamawa during the Christmas and New Year holidays with the release of schedules for congresses in the state.

It was an action that stirred the governors to roar. And when they roared last week with a warning to the NWC it was no surprise that majority of the NWC members who had earlier fully backed Tukur turned against him by reversing the dissolution.

Now after retrieving the Adamawa executive for their colleague, the governors are expected to go for issues that directly concern all of them. Their first target would be the renewed attempt by the national leadership of the party to reintroduce the campaign for e-

,

Sokoto not the poorest state

BY NASIR DANLADI BAKO OUR attention has been drawn to the recent NBS report postulating that Sokoto State is the poorest state in Nigeria. This is even further ridiculed with the assertion that it ‘retained’ its position.

With all due respect to Dr Kale and the survey researchers employed to do this project, I am very confident that no researchers were seen in the state doing the very elementary function of scientific sampling or application of questionnaire as is fundamental in surveys of this nature.

Or maybe they employed other forms of research like Quesswork or Extrapolation.

As Information Commissioner, it is extremely difficult or virtually impossible for researchers on sensitive issues like poverty to work in 23 Local governments, 233 wards in Sokoto without me or someone close to me coming across them. Who were the respondents?

I conducted researches myself to earn my Masters Degrees at the prestigious University of Lagos in 1981 so I know a thing or two about surveys.

For the record, Sokoto State Government under Gov Aliyu Wamakko pumped N2billion into the State economy by way of grant to the State Chamber of Commerce.

Today, from one car dealer in 1990, there are more than 30 car dealers. From about 200,000

residents in Sokoto in the 80s, Sokoto town is home to more than two million people. Do people rush or migrate to a poor city?

Education has always taken more than 30 per cent of the State Budget since 2007, enrolment has gone up by more than 30 per cent and more than N2bn is spent on books and teaching aids annually.

Health facilities in all the Local government areas have upgraded health facilities.

To buttress our affirmation of Gov Wamakko’s rural development successes, the Sokoto State NUJ awarded him their highest honour for Rural Development. This is because Gov Wamakko has provided more than 25 motorized and solar boreholes in each of the 23 local governments.

*Wamakko Electricity has reached more than 500 villages since 2007, while more than 800 kilometres of rural roads have brought

government closer to the people.

Farm produce now gets to bigger markets more easily.

16 out of Sokoto’s 23 LGs are in the FADAMA, so agriculture is a major occupation and so all year round Sokoto people both in rural and urban areas have abundant food to eat.

What more is evidence of good living? I use this medium to advice NBS to jettison their Wall Street /IMF parameters and indices and develop a more realistic, pragmatic and home grown index and yardstick for African societies.

Dr Kale should also assist by making his researchers go to the field and not sit in the office or hotel rooms and allocate figures based on guesswork and NEPA - style estimates.

*Mr Bako, is Sokoto State Commissioner for Information C M Y K

44—Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013

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Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013—45

I

N a country where the contributions of distinguished people are appreciated the current “struggle” for the Chairmanship of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the largest political party in Africa would be unnecessary. His Excellency, Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme, former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the founding Chairman of the PDP, first Chairman of the Board of Trustee of the party would be requested, appealed to and even begged to return to the position he towers above every other contender. Alex Ekwueme has many firsts in Nigerian political history and has the distinguished record of making his intellectual endowment available to Nigeria by his proposition of the six political zonal structure in the country which has ensured the political stability of the country till date.

He mobilised the group of 34 eminent Nigerians who risked their lives to stand up against the dictatorship of General Sani Abacha during the era of military rule. He co-led the 28 member NDI/Carter Centre-sponsored observer team to the Liberian Presidential run-off election in

2005.

Most recently he was invited by the ruling party in Nigeria, the PDP to head the Reconciliation Committee in the wake of intraparty discord following the last two presidential elections. The recommendations of the Ekwueme Committee have been used as yardstick for reconciliation in the party and readmitting aggrieved/expelled members of the party.

His unceremonial removal and replacement with Chief Tony Anenih was one of the arbitrary actions of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. However, even the then scheming President has discovered that what goes around comes around as he had since been betrayed and humiliated by the monster he created. Vaulting ambition which overleaps itself and falls on the other. Apologies to William Shakespeare.

Having schemed himself into the position through amendment of the party's constitution, former President Obasanjo found the seat too hot for him and had to throw in the towel.

This is the time for the party to return to sanity and its democratic credentials and hand over the chairmanship of its BOT to a man with the disposition and intellect of Dr. Alex Ekwueme who commands deep respect and

Unless a serious attention is given to tackling corruption, I am afraid the country is lost; this is where Dr. Alex Ekwueme comes in. Since unfortunately Dr. Alex Ekwueme cannot be President of the country again, he will certainly as BOT Chairman of the ruling party give it an honourable image

following in all parts of the country. It was the late sage Chief Obafemi Awolowo who wrote boldly in his sitting room that “only the deep can call to the deep”. Dr. Alex Ekwueme is deep and as he has already done, prescribed solutions to some of Nigeria’s seemingly

The Indian gang rape (2) Continues from Fridayviewpoints

BY ADEWALE KUPOLUYI

M

OST rape research and reporting to date have been limited to male-female forms of rape. In Nigeria, cases of rape have gone up from 12.5 to 84 per cent, as incidents of femalemale rape are beginning to unfold.

Recently, three women were arraigned before a Higher Shari’a Court in Gusau for allegedly raping a 20-year-old man, Abdulrahman Sulaiman and in Ogbadibo Local Government area of Benue State, and a man; Uroko Onoja was allegedly raped to death by his six jealous wives.

However, almost no research has been done on female - female, though women can be charged with rape.

But why do women often get raped? Various reasons have been given, which ranged from the behaviour of women in terms of the indecent ways they dress, low self-esteem in men, drugs and alcohol, hatred of women, and the imagination of men’s hearts.

Another reason could be because most Nigerian states have no specific laws addressing rape, even though the nation has ratified the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (CEDAW), meant to put an end to all types of violence against women.

The Nigerian Constitution, however, does not specifically prohibit rape. In addition, the laws that exist, such as the ones mentioned above, are oftentimes outdated, and not enforced.

However, the definition of rape does not follow the principles underlined by the country’s criminal laws, and does not provide sufficient protection or redress for women and girls who have been raped.

The issue of having to prove that the intercourse was not consensual further contributes to the culture of silence

,

surrounding rape.

A woman who has been raped is also compelled to deal with humiliation by the police, as well as the “embarrassment” resulting from public acknowledgement because when a woman is raped, she and her family are automatically ostracised.

For instance in 2001, Bariya Ibrahim Magazu, a Nigerian teenage single mother was given 100 lashes for adultery. Bariya claimed she had been raped by three men but, in accordance with Sharia law, she was required to show proof that the men who raped her had indeed forced into sex.

Under Sharia law, Bariya’s rape was interpreted as fornication because she was unable to present witnesses who would confirm the veracity of her rape accusations, as fornication, a Hudud offence under Sharia law, can result into punishments as severe as death by stoning.

Sharia law, which applies mainly in the Nigerian northern states, is one example of such customary laws. Under Sharia penal laws, rape is criminalised.

In some instances, a woman’s failure to consent is not considered in criminal proceedings under the Sharia law. Victims are still burdened with proving the issue of consent. Moreover, a woman’s rape accusation can only be backed by eyewitnesses and no circumstantial evidence is accepted.

In fact, the way Sharia law works makes it very challenging to prosecute rape, once again, leaving the perpetrator unpunished and exposing the victim to yet another traumatic experience.

In some cases, Sharia law only levies a monetary punishment against a convicted rapist. For example, a rapist might be obliged to pay the victim the amount she would normally received as marriage payment, or if the rapist cannot be punished, he must pay the victim the amount equal to bride-money.

,

BY DONALD NWANDU

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PDP BoT Chair: Return it to Alex Ekwueme

insurmountable problems. He will do more if given the challenge.

T

he Board of Trustees is the conscience of any organisation. As the founding Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Ekwueme regards the PDP as his baby and has been nurturing it to adulthood. It will be a personal tragedy for him to see the party disintegrate and pulled down by anti-democratic elements that later infiltrated the party, seized its highest echelons and used them for personal vendetta. Now that history has vindicated the just, the founding father of the party should be humbly requested to return to his seat on the party’s Board of Trustee to give the party its respectful direction and befitting image it lost in the past 10 years.

It has been argued that at 80 years of age, the elder statesman is too old to play party politics.

Agreed. But this is a major reason an eminent position as the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the party suits him. Dr. Ekwueme still has the mental alertness, strength of character and courage to attend the meetings of the BOT and direct them appropriately.

Afterall even at party meetings and conventions, Dr. Ekwueme stays throughout the proceedings lasting more than those half his age. It is something of pride to us that we have a man of his age with all his faculties intact, able and willing to continue to contribute the wealth of his knowledge and experience to the progress and development of our great country.

Let all the contenders to the

In reality, rape is a weapon used to oppress women, especially in societies where they are less valued - when women’s value is framed in terms of their sexual purity their status easily becomes more vulnerable

,

Under both legal systems, prosecuting rapists represents an extremely challenging task, spurring the suggestion that rapists should be incarcerated for extended periods of time while some people have even advocated for castration of perpetrators.

H

owever, despite the demand for punishment, laws continue to turn a blind eye to rape but the reality is that rape terribly hurts women.

In order to eliminate rape, we must first understand it better. We must realise that it is not only caused by women’s behaviour.

In reality, rape is a weapon used to oppress women, especially in societies where they are less valued - when women’s value is framed in terms of their sexual purity - their status easily becomes more vulnerable.

In many African cultures, where virginity is what makes women honourable, rape is an easy tool to permanently demean them.

Therefore, societies and cultures that view women and men as equally valuable are less likely to have rampant incidences of rape.The bitter truth is that rape is used to oppress and dehumanise women. Regardless of the governing laws, women in Nigeria—and

position of chair of PDP BOT including Mr. Fix it rise in unison and concede the position of the conscience of the party to His Excellency Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme. None of the present contenders to the position can hold a candle to him. Is it in terms of contribution to the party, principle, commitment, steadfastness and staying put in the party despite all odds?

Mr. Fix it should concentrate his energy to making the Nigerian Ports Authority ’s to which he has returned as Chairman more efficient and organising Ways and Means of returning Edo State which we have lost to Governor Adams Oshiomole’s ACN in the past five years to the PDP, after Oshiomole’s tenure.

A piece of advice to President Jonathan. Your chances of reelection in 2015 hinge on two major factors. One is the power situation in country and the other is reducing endemic corruption in the polity. The power situation is being very effectively handled as the situation has improved drastically. Unless a serious attention is given to tackling corruption, I am afraid the country is lost. This is where Dr. Alex Ekwueme comes in. Since unfortunately Dr. Alex Ekwueme cannot be President of the country again, he will certainly as BOT Chairman of the ruling party give it an honourable image and assist to transform the party and polity towards an anti-corruption environment.

Mr. Nwandu, an architect, wrote from Abuja.

around the world—need to be protected from such a terrible crime. Sadly, the laws in Nigeria appear to further victimise and humiliate women as they fail to bring any justice to them.

In the Indian case, the Congress has already put forward plans for chemical castration and 30-year jail terms for all rapists, as a draft Bill has been put together and will soon be handed to India's chief justice.

All legitimate efforts should be deployed that the five men apprehended and charged for murder were given the deserved punishment, to serve as deterrents to others.

On a final note, girls and women should be wary of the cars and buses they board – to ensure that they did not enter into the trap of miscreants just like the Indian example – who could rape, harm and molest them.

Law enforcement agents should be above board and be up and doing to apprehend criminals whenever they infringe upon the rights of law-abiding citizens by embarking on regular patrols and intelligent gathering – to fish-out perpetrators of rape. The Indian police were blamed for not doing enough to apprehend the culprits.

Unholy practices such as honour-killing and domestic crime against women such as battering and widowhood practices, among others should be put to an end.

The assault has already forced the country’s higher education regulatory body, the Indian University Grants Commission, to review the safety of women in higher education institutions.

In a letter to 568 university vice-chancellors and directors of higher learning institutions, the UGC said institutions should ensure women’s security on campus and recommended that all universities and institutions set up a task force to ensure women’s security and keep it informed of actions taken.

This is a welcome development. Our girls and women must always be cherished and protected!

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

46—Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013

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Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013 — 47

Mali: Libya, Algeria, Tunisia tighten border security *French troops storm rebels

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HE prime ministers of Libya, Algeria and Tunisia agreed on Saturday to enhance security along their common borders in an attempt to fight the flow of arms and drugs and organized crime in the politically turbulent region.

Meeting in the western Libyan border town of Ghadames, Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan and his Algerian and Tunisian counterparts said measures would include setting up joint checkpoints and patrols along the frontiers, which stretch for thousands of kilometers (miles) through mostly

fighters from the war.

Security on Libya’s borders has deteriorated since the 2011 war that ousted Muammar Gaddafi, with its southern

USSIA voiced support at the weekend for international peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi but insisted Syrian President Bashar alAssad’s exit cannot be a precondition for a deal to end the country ’s conflict.

Before now, about 60,000 Syrians have been killed during the 21-month-old revolt and world powers are divided over how to stop the escalating bloodshed.

Government aircraft bombed outer districts of Damascus on Saturday after being grounded for a week by stormy

A

*French military prepares a Mirage 2000D fighter plane in N’Djamena, Chad. sparsely-populated desert. They also expressed concern over the crisis in Mali, where an international campaign to crush rebels who seized

the north of the country was gathering pace.

Mali does not share a border with Libya but it has been affected by the spillover of weapons and

French hostage and two French soldiers have been killed during a failed secret service rescue mission in Somalia.

The failure of the overnight helicopter raid in the southern town of Bulo Marer, about 70 miles south of Mogadishu, came as the French military continued a separate

weather, opposition activists in the capital said.

A Russian Foreign Ministry statement following talks on Friday in Geneva with the United States and Brahimi reiterated calls for an end to violence in Syria, but there was no sign of a breakthrough.

Brahimi said the issue of Assad, who the United States, European powers and Gulf-led Arab states insist must step down to end the civil war, appeared to be a sticking point.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said: “As before, we firmly uphold the

•Syria President, Bashar al-Assad thesis that questions about Syria’s future must be decided by the Syrians themselves, without interference from outside or the imposition of prepared recipes for development.”

Russia has been Assad’s most powerful international backer, joining with China to block three Western- and Arab-backed U.N. Security Council resolutions aimed to pressure him or push him from power. Assad can also rely on regional powerhouse Iran.

F

President George Snr TCPalm.com.

The former president, 88, who led a coalition that pushed Iraqi forces out of Kuwait in 1991, was admitted to Methodist Hospital on November 23 for bronchitis and then transferred to intensive care in December after coming down with a persistent fever and other complications. He was moved to a regular

patient room after his condition improved last month.

Bush has lower-body parkinsonism, which causes a loss of balance, and he has used a wheelchair for more than a year.

The 41st president, who

African operation in Mali.

The French defence ministry said the hostage was a member of the secret service, the General Directorate for External Security (DGSE), which directed the operation.

The ministry said the agent, known by his pseudonym Denis Allex, was killed by his captors, members of the Islamist group al-Shabaab, who mounted stiff resistance to the French forces’ operation. Seventeen fighters from the group, which had held Allex hostage for three years, were also killed.

In a bloody day for French forces, the ministry also announced that a combat pilot had been killed after his helicopter was shot down

in the rapidly escalating military intervention in Mali, where France is supporting the government effort to seize back the north of the country from Islamist rebels.

French military officials said on Saturday that air strikes overnight in Mali drove back Islamist rebels from the city of Konna and destroyed a militant command centre.

Despite the announcement of Allex’s death in Paris, a spokesman for alShabaab claimed he remained alive and in their custody and would face trial in two days. The group said it had also captured a wounded French commando.

Neither claim could be independently verified.

Court orders retrial of Mubarak

A

court in Egypt has ordered a retrial for ex-President Hosni Mubarak after accepting an appeal against his life sentence over the deaths of protesters.

Former President Bush leaves hospital soon ORMER President George H.W. Bush, who has been hospitalized in Houston since November, may be released from the facility in the coming days, a family spokesman said on Sunday.

“We are hopeful that the president can be discharged this coming week, but we’re still taking everything one day at a time,” spokesman Jim McGrath said in an email.

Bush’s son, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, said on Saturday that his father was expected to be released from the hospital on Monday, according to

countries for terrorism or use our borders for weapons trade, drugs smuggling or illegal immigration,” Zeidan told reporters.

French hostage killed in failed rescue mission

Russia rejects Assad exit as precondition for Syria deal

R

regions struggling with smuggling, lingering unrest and insecurity.

“We would like to send a message that we will not allow anyone to use our

is also the father of former President George W. Bush, served as a c o n g r e s s m a n , ambassador to the United Nations, envoy to China, CIA director and as vice president for two terms under President Ronald Reagan.

Mubarak, 84, was overthrown in 2011 after mass street protests in the capital Cairo and other cities, and jailed in June.

Ex-Interior Minister Habib al-Adly will also be retried on the same charge.

Mubarak is seen here in court in June

Mubarak, who remains in custody, will also be retried on corruption charges for which he was acquitted in June.

He led Egypt for almost 30 years, surviving six assassination attempts, before the revolt against his rule.

Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood was elected president in June. Judge Ahmed Ali Abdel Rahman announced: “The court has ruled to accept the appeal filed by the defendants... and orders a retrial.”

Top Venezuelan leaders in Cuba to support Chavez

V

ENEZUELA’s three most powerful government figures after President Hugo Chavez were again gathered in Havana yesterday to check on their ailing leader ’s condition and meet with Cuban allies.

Vice-President Nicolas

Maduro, Congress head Diosdado Cabello, and Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez have been shuttling to and from Cuba since the 58-yearold socialist president’s fourth and most serious cancer surgery a month ago.

Chavez, who missed his own inauguration for a new, six-year term last week, has not been seen or heard from in public since the surgery. Many Venezuelans are assuming his momentous 14-year rule of the South American OPEC nation

could be nearing an end.

Though acknowledging the gravity of the situation, officials are trying to stay upbeat on socialist president’s prospects for recovery, and Chavez’s brother on Saturday denied that Chavez was in a coma.

48—Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013

Chime: Merchants of lies and their sundry campaigns S

ILENCE, they say, is sometimes golden. Over the past few months, both the regular and social media have been inundated with stories, rumours, conjectures, speculations and outright lies concerning the absence of

Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State.

In all of this, one fact has remained glaring: The response from the Enugu State Government, particularly Governor Chime’s media team, has been mostly subdued.

Initially, I was inclined to think that either the team was out of

its depths in handling the matter or that it was hiding something. But today, it is clear to me and amillions of other Nigerians that the government was adopting the far more superior strategy of restraint in its approach to the matter than most people are willing to acknowledge.

Enugu State governor, Sullivan Chime

To a discerning mind, the fact that the pattern of media representation of the matter has been so lopsided and often times speculative and incoherent, readily suggests the presence of a smudge campaign, a death wish or something of that nature against the Governor and his government from hostile quarters.

The first time the story broke about the Governor ’s alleged ill health, he was barely one week out of the country after transmitting a letter

,

By ADOL OMEJE

respected one unfortunately even venturing to declare that the Governor was undergoing treatment for a yet to be disclosed ailment in India.

From that point, it seemed that all hell had broken loose. As if previously primed, the full force of the Nigerian media was unleashed against the Governor with all manner of writers and columnists getting involved, on few occasions involving newspaper editorials. Some curiously called for outright declaration of incapacitation or impeachment by the State House of Assembly.

Then came the death rumour.

A simple, anonymous, uncredited, unconfirmed posting on the social media was taken up by the Nigerian press and trumpeted across the

It is now obvious that Chime is neither dead nor dying and we should have our peace and await his return

to the State House of Assembly in which he told the lawmakers that he was proceeding on vacation and was thus handing over the reins of power to his Deputy, Mr Sunday Onyebuchi to act on his behalf until he returned.

A story had then appeared on the front page of a national daily stating that the Governor had taken the trip out of health concerns.

An attempt by the Enugu State Commissioner of Information, Mr Chuks Ugwoke, to clarify the issue was greeted with a barrage of similar stories from other dailies with one of them - a highly

,

world with such panache as would have shamed even Count Dracula, the famed king of vampires. At the end of the day, it turned out to be an embarrassing hoax. But this did not stop the campaign.

Attacks were directed at the Enugu House of Assembly and Enugu people for not taking steps to remove Chime and stories which turned out to be bogus were told in the press about how a cabal had taken over the leadership of the state and restricting the Acting Governor to a figurehead to the extent that his approval limit has been restricted to a mere N500,000. Yet, the writers could not, however, explain how if this was true, it came to be that contractors handling the various projects in the state were receiving their due payments running into hundreds of millions of naira and that civil servants have continued to receive their Continues on page 49

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013—49

Chime: Merchants of lies and their sundry campaigns Continues from page 48

s a l a r i e s .

Many writers with real or pen names, operating on the same suspect thoroughfare, tried albeit in vain to whip up antiChime sentiments among Enugu citizenry, urging them to take up arms against the government until they were intimated of his whereabouts.

Others went to the extreme length of painting a false picture of tension and disquiet in Enugu over Chime’s condition. One of the papers falsely but boldly reported that Chime’s wife and children had flown abroad to be with him on his sickbed.

Consistency and spread The consistency and spread of these stories and articles across the Nigerian media certainly lent much credence to the conspiracy theory and smacked somewhat of desperation among in the rank of their sponsors.

Some writers could barely hide their prejudice and all but gave away the fact of having been suborned to do a job.

Indeed, it was when the press lavishly published a letter purportedly written by a group claiming to go by the name “Save Enugu Group” to the Acting Governor, giving him two weeks to address it on the whereabouts of Governor Chime or face consequences, that a lot of people came to know the identities of the merchants of falsehood.

It has turned out that the promoters of such lies are simply aides and associates of Chime’s old and well known political enemy with huge access to ill-acquired funds. The identities of Chime’s

death wishers and i m p e a c h m e n t campaigners were revealed by their own very hand. What a war there was!

On seeing those names, I couldn’t agree more with Chime’s media aides who had promptly dubbed them“attention seekers” because if they are not, what possibly could they be saving Enugu from? Could it be from the remarkable and widely acclaimed transformation that Chime brought to bear on Enugu State? Or perhaps they wish to save Enugu from themselves ( i.e the so called savers)?

In launching this campaign, these people actually acted like the man who upon consulting a native doctor to kill someone, went to town with the news that the man was already dead or dying even before any such thing happened, consequently and unwittingly alerting that person that someone is after him.

Whatever the case may be, one should ask these characters to drop their campaign of hate. It is now obvious that Chime is neither dead nor dying and we should have our peace and await his return. The advice proffered by Enugu traditional rulers that peace should be allowed to reign should be germane here. As they pointed out, Governor Chime has done so well that any genuine Enugu man should support him and that it “will be bad to give any impression that there is trouble in our state because there is none, moreso as we know that the governor will soon return to his desk.”

•Adol Omeje, an Enugu citizen and a public affairs analyst, wrote from Abuja.

•Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi (right); with elder statesman and president, Yoruba Council of Elders, Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo, (rtd), during a courtesy call on the foremost leader by the Governor, in Lagos... on Saturday.

50—Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013

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Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013—51

C M Y K

52 — Vanguard Vanguard,,

MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013 YOUR LUCK TODAY

LEISURE

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139

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

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

VIRGO: Good luck will smile at many and induce love of luxury merry making and romantic association.

Genuine lovers will need to be on guard against deceit from new admirers.

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

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

ompliment simply C means to praise somebody. It is appre-

ciating someone for the little he has done. It is acknowledging ones exploit. And this could be from the simple to the challenging, from the ordinary to the not so or-

Give compliment dinary. For example, someone can be complimented for his dressing.

Compliments go a long way to encourage an individual. And everybody needs it. Unfortunately, some of us find it too

TERROR MUDA

hard a thing to do.

Recenly, a housewife who is a nurse by profession got the dressing down of her life when she joyfully went to inform her husband about her employment. To which the husband responded “the salary is not even

in “Never say goodbye”

enough to pay the children’s school fees.”

What a husband...?

Give compliment. To compliment does not take away anything from you, rather it makes you bigger, larger and better. Compliments give encouragement, so give compliment to others.

By Lanre Kehinde

SCORPIO: Many members of your opposite sex will go out of their ways to attract your romantic interest. This is the wrong time to engage on unnecessary argument.

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

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

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

PISCES: Those of your who are red-blooded for romance may have an exciting and satisfying day.

Happenings within your social circles must be taken more seriously.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

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

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

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

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

What’s my Horoscope?

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

Dear Joshua, I was born on September 13, 1962. I want you to give me my comprehensive horoscope, especially what my special gift is.

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

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

YOUR HOROSCOPE DATA Date of Birth: Thursday, September 13, 1962 Sun Sign: Virgo: Sun in 20th Degree of Virgo Moon Sign: PISCES: Moon on 10th Degree of Pisces Mercury in 16th Degree of Libra Venues in 5th Degree of Scorpio Mars in 13th Degree of Cancer Jupiter in 6th Degree of Pisces Saturn in 5th Degree of Aquarius Uranus in 2nd Degree of Virgo Neptune in 11th Degree of Scorpio Pluto in 10th Degree of Virgo North Node in 6th Degree of Leo South Node in 6th Degree of Aquarius Quality and Element Cardinal and air star signs hosted two planets each fixed and earth three each, no planet in fire while mutable and water star signs hosted five planets each.

Push-full influence = 20% Non- push-full element = 80% Final dispositor = Lucky Jupiter

Commen3

by Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013 — 53

J

Burying the ghost of Cape Verde

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UST as the clock is ticking down to D day so are the butterflies in Nigerians stomachs flapping uncontrollably(?). The last thing I would have wanted to do is to go back to that match that lowered the expectations of Nigerians as regards our chances at the Nations Cup 2013. The English prefer to allow sleeping dogs lie. Not us. This dog, top dog cannot be allowed to lie. He must be on his feet, biting away!

While that match was on, my phone went wild.

From Uyo to Kano, Maiduguri, anxious Nigerians wanted to find out what was going on.

Within the space of five minutes two television stations (LTV and MITV) invited me for a live discussion on our chances in South Africa.

I did say before the match that during the qualifiers, CAF had appointed me as Security Officer for the decisive second leg encounter between Cameroun and Cape Verde and the former Portuguese colony triumphed not because they had the best players on the day, but because they paraded a very tactical and intelligent team that neutralized all the moves of the anxious Camerounians.

I concluded by saying that Cape Verde was going to give us a good test and that is exactly what happened.

The Cape Verde friendly brought with it a lot of other interesting deductions. Whether the 23 chosen

by Keshi were the best we had, should Osaze not be forgiven, what about Obafemi Martins? What was Obiora and Uzoenyi doing in that team, why did we have to go to cold Faro to train for a competition that was to hold in a hotter climate, how come the team was subjected to a “comprehensive medical treatment” only after the 23 had been chosen and their names forwarded to CAF...lots and lots of questions and as Christian Chukwu said in a radio interview after the match, some of those questions had no answers. He said there was no team list any where in the world that was not likely to generate controversy. He said the players he would have chosen are quite different from the ones Keshi has chosen because coaches differ when it comes to

I can hardly remember that Nations cup we had not come back with at least a bronze ...

,

orientation, tactics and expectations.

I added that the 23 Eagles so selected were some of the best we had presently plus or minus two and that all we needed now was a team and that that team still had two weeks to blend.

I did also say that the Eagles were a tournament team. That I can hardly remember that Nations cup we had not come back with at least a bronze and that I believed this nations cup was not going to be an exception!

Before I start sounding like a Ben Alaiya who while on commentary that day kept on telling us to look out for “the real Eagles whose experience…” will overwhelm Cape Verde, I did agree, and totally too with the fact that the Eagles were quite ordinary that day. And I added that I was pleased it has taken Cape Verde to draw our attention to the deficiencies that were so glaring.

I repeat and for the umpteenth time that the Eagles

have been handed a group that will allow them mature as the competition progresses. Eagles first match is against Burkina Faso. Before that match, Keshi and his colleagues will have the opportunity of watching Zambia face Ethiopia.

After disposing of Burkina Faso, the Eagles will now know how best to play Zambia leading to the final group match against Ethiopia which on paper should guarantee us a quarter final spot.

Yes it may not be that simple, but it can be that simple, and by the time you allow the Eagles to get near the semi final...

In summary, I have set out today to say that despite the poor show against Cape Verde, it is too early, damn too early to write off the Super Eagles of Nigeria.

South Africa is pregnant As a General Coordinator, I am one of the early arrivals in Jo’Burg and the whole country is expectant.

The Nations Cup excitement is in the air and unlike the World Cup, the general belief here is that the Bafana Bafana can repeat the 1996 feat when they hosted and won.

Nigerians here are not that optimistic and the blame goes to the inability to qualify last time around and that Keshi should not be expected to perform miracles in less than twelve months…

Bolarinwa Ajala met me at the airport in Jo’Burg.

He had come to pick his wife who was coming in from Lagos and suddenly ran after me, wanting to know why Taye Taiwo and Osaze were not invited. ( We were so engrossed in discussion that he nearly missed his wife who had cleared Customs and was looking for him frantically ) How best to sign off than to say there is hope yet.

A lot of hope. And in the words of Barrister Chris Green, the ball has left the half of Stephen Keshi.

Yobo and his colleagues must collect the pass and in the process justify the confidence reposed on them.

God help us.

Afcon 2013 Countdown••• Afcon 2013 Countdown •••

Emenike promises more goals D N IGERIA striker Emmanuel Emenike has promised goals at the AFCON after he grabbed the match winner against Sparta Rotterdam on Saturday.

Emenike’s second-half strike against Sparta gave the Eagles their first win in their build-up for the A F C O N .

His other Eagles goal in over a dozen games was against Argentina last year June.

The powerfully-built striker is the arrow head of top Russian club Spartak Moscow after his heroics in Turkey with Karabukspor and he declared he is confident of being among the goals at the AFCON in South A f r i c a . ”It is a dream come true for me to make the AFCON final squad. It is

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CONTEST•••Super Eagles’ forward Brown Ideye (R) vies with Cape Verde’s defender Nando (L) during their friendly match at Algarve Stadium in Faro. Photo: AFP an honour me to my first tournament and I represent Nigeria at such hope to make a big impact a big tournament. This is by scoring goals.”

YNAMO Kiev striker Brown Ideye has said that he hopes to replicate his club form for Eagles at the AFCON to justify his selection.

Ideye, 24, has scored 13 goals for Dynamo Kiev this season, but has struggled to be as prolific with Nigeria since he made his full international debut three years ago.

He has represented Nigeria at U20 level and was a late replacement for injured Mikel Obi on the final squad to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. However, he did not get any minute of game time during the tournament.

The former Sochaux striker said he will raise his game with the Eagles to justify his inclusion on the final AFCON squad. ”I’m happy to be named in Eagles final team,” Ideye said. ”It’s great to be in South

Ideye vows to justify AFCON place team.

Africa with Nigeria. That was my target at the early stage of the qualifiers, and all I have to do now is to do well in South Africa to justify my inclusion in the

“I will have to work harder to be in the starting line-up and prove my worth. I want to get goals for Nigeria as I have been doing at my club.

Ethiopia confident despite challenges an endangered antelope

T

HEy may be small er than the Nigerians, slower than the Zambians and have fewer professional players than most rivals, but Ethiopia are committed to excelling at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

It is the first time the Horn of Africa squad has qualified for the pan-African tournament in 31 years, and though the odds might be stacked against them, the Walias Antelopes – named after

endemic to Ethiopia’s northern mountains – are confident they will defy expectations and proceed to the knock-out stage of the tournament.

“We are going to face a lot of challenges and we have been away from the competition for a long time,” striker Adane Girma told AFP. “But we have good morale, a good mentality and we are very strong, so we can face any kind of challenge.”

54 —

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013

Guardiola snubs Man U, Chelsea, T AC, Bayern for City

P

EP GUARDIOLA will decide to become Manchester City manager in the summer.

Guardiola has opted for City as he is convinced they can become a force to rival his former club Barcelona.

The hottest property in world football will snub interest from Manchester United, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and AC Milan to replace Roberto Mancini at Eastlands at the end of the season.

Only last week Guardiola confirmed he is ready to return to coaching this summer after a year-long sabbatical, although he was coy about where.

He said: “I will return next season but it would show a lack of respect to talk about any team that has a coach.”

However, last night a top source in Spanish football revealed: “It is 100 per cent certain that Guardiola is going to City this summer.

•Guardiola

Rehabilitation work begins at the National Stadium Abuja

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OMPREHENSIVE rehabilitation of the main pitch of the National Stadium Abuja has begun.

Work on the stadium began last week, with the contractors who built the stadium Julius Berger PLC being in charge of the re-

NEW-LOOK MUSA: Eagles'forward, Ahmed Musa with his orange-colourd hair pose with coach Stephen Keshi in Faro camp.

habilitation effort.

It will be recalled that the Honourable Minister of Sports and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi had assured Nigerians In December 2012 of total rehabilitation of the stadium starting this January. The Minister had said then that, “we have concluded arrangements with Julius Berger to bring alive the pitch of the main bowl and training grounds in January, after the holidays.”

As promised, work on the stadium has begun in earnest. The scope of work includes: removal and replacement of the topsoil, planting the approved specie of grass, well watered and nourished until roots are established.

Continues from B/P pray they can carry on to the Nations Cup.” Asked about his expectations from Coach Stephen Keshi and his wards, Umeh who spoke with our correspondent Sunday said that the technical crew have been given all the support to achieve success.

“Preparations have been excellent, they have been given a free hand and there has been no interference from any quarters; we expect he(Keshi) delivers,” C M Y K

Umeh said.

Continuing, the NFF chieftain added, “There is a common parlance that says, ‘to whom much is given much is expected.’

My dream, and surely, I’m speaking the minds of my colleagues on the board, is to see Keshi and the Eagles bring home the trophy. It would not be enough to say I want to see them in the semi final or final. There is no other way of measuring had work than success.

That means it’s the trophy or nothing.”

Aregbesola to Unveill Osun Governor’s Cup THEfaceoffootballinOsun State is set to witness a transformation as the state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola will Tuesday, January 15, unveiltheprogrammeforthe Osun Governor’s Cup competition.The event scheduled to hold at the Local Government Service Commission Hall. Abere, Oshogbo, is one in the series of programmes designed for thedevelopmentofyouthand grassroots sports in the state.

Keshi's Eagles Continues from B/P

Trophy

HREE members of the victorious Team Nigeria to the London 2012 Paralympic Games and their officials of Abia state origin have been rewarded by the state government with a cash sum of N1 million each for winning 3 silver medals during the competition.

Ifeanyi Nnajiofor, Sampson Ulonna and Ikechukwu Obichukwu were among the silver medalists at the London Games in weight lifting.

Presenting the cheques to them at the Government House, Umuahia, Governor Theodore Orji commended them for doing the country and Abia state proud during the games.

According to the Orji, it was gratifying that the paralympians from whom less was expected won laurels when the able bodied athletics could not get anything in the main Olympics.

He praised them for excelling in various competitions they entered

“I think you saw Nigeria the other day against Cape Verde. Do you think it was the best this time?” Renard said.

“I don’t think so.”

The two sides are set for an early Africa Cup of Nations showdown in their penultimate Group C match on January 25 at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.

And Renard reiterated that he was also itching for payback time against the Eagles after the latter ejected them in the 2010 quarterfinals.

“So on January 25

against Nigeria, it will be a different game, it will be a tough game,” the Frenchman said.

“But I can assure you we want to finish top of our group like in 2010 and 2012. It’s not easy, but we want to go as far as possible because this team has fantastic team spirit.”

Meanwhile, Zambia are due to arrive in Nelspruit late on Sunday after they played their final warm-up game against Norway at the weekend.

Chipolopolo drew 0-0 with Norway.

Abia rewards paralympians

BY ANAYO OKOLI.

into for the state and described them as real assets to the state.

Responding, a representative of the Paralympics Board of Nigeria, Mr. Ojo Emma thanked the governor for producing athletes that have done the country proud despite the lean resources of the state.

He used the forum to confer on the governor the award of sports image maker 2012 for his contributions to sports development in Nigeria.

Earlier, the permanent secretary, Ministry of sports, Mr. Ogbonnaya

•Governor Orji Ekwenye said the performance of the Abia paralympians in the games was an indication that the state government’s huge investments in sports was yielding fruits and thanked the governor for his support to the sports ministry.

Results

Continues from B/P Udinese Cagliari Parma Napoli Catania

3 2 1 3 1

Fiorentina Genoa Juventus Palerno Roma

1 1 1 0 0

Heartland Continues from B/P field in the 65th minute, scored the first goal in the 70th minute, while substitute Emeka Ogbuh put the tie beyond Lobi Stars as he scored in the 90th minute. Speaking after the game, Heartland handler, Ndubuisi Nduka, expressed happiness over the victory and commended his players for a brilliant performance.

“I am pleased with the performance of the boys in general and I also commend Lobi players for a job well done,” he said. Meanwhile, Lobi

Stars coach, Ernest Jupiter, has expressed satisfaction with the performance of his players in spite of losing the match. “We missed so many chances, but I am happy with the performance of the boys,” Jupiter said. In another encounter, Kano Pillars beat Enugu Rangers 20 to claim the N750,000 price money for the third place. The pre-season tournament was organised for the four clubs that will represent Nigeria in African clubs competitions during the year.

Osaze

Continues from B/P

a player I was interested in.”

Redknapp added: “There is every chance we have made an offer [for Odemwingie] but I haven’t spoken to him [Beard] today but there is every chance an offer could have gone in.”

Odemwingie, 31, did not play in West Brom’s 3-2 defeat by QPR’s relegation rivals Reading on Saturday.

The results still leave QPR bottom of the Premier League, five points shy of safety.

Livermore, 23, has struggled for first-team action at Spurs, and Redknapp indicated he was going to take him on loan.

He said: “I’m a big fan of Jake’s. He is a good young player and it will be a good experience for him.”

Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas was more hesitant about any deal for Livermore being done.

“There is nothing confirmed yet,” said VillasBoas. “I think when we announce it, it will have to be official from all three parties.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013— 55

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Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013

Results England Man United2 Liverpool Arsenal 0 Man City Spain Real Betis 2 Levante Sociedad 1 Deportivo Italy Torino 3 Siena Lazio 2 Atalanta Continues on Page 54

1 2 0 1 2 0

Afcon 2013

It’s trophy or nothing •NFF gives Keshi condition

BY JACOB AJOM

T

HE Super Eagles continued their build up for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations with a well-deserved 10 win over Dutch Eredisive club, Fc Rotterdam on Saturday.

Coming a few days after an unconvincing 0-0 draw against Nations Cup debutantes, Cape Verde, the victory has already raised hope in some quarters.

First Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Chief Mike Umeh said, “the victory is a morale booster for the team. It shows that the Eagles are consistent. Unlike their Zambian counterparts, the Eagles are yet to lose a match in their friendlies, so far. I just

Continues on Page 54 TODAY'S

Heartland win Super Four

F

EDERATION Cup Champions, Heartland FC of Owerri, on Saturday defeated Lobi stars of Makurdi, 2-0 to win the Super Four tournament in Kano. The first half of the entertaining encounter ended goalless with both sides wasting scoring chances.

Heartland showed strength till the final whistle and it paid off.

Heartland striker, John Owerri, who entered the Continues on Page 54

QPR target Osaze

Q

•Keshi

ROBIN RELIANT — RVP

Keshi’s Eagles don’t impress me •Zambian coach slams Eagles

Z

AMBIA coach Herve Renard has slammed AFCON group rivals Nigeria, saying the current Super Eagles do not impress him.

Defending champions Zambia take on Nigeria on January 25 in

PUZZLE

Nelspruit and Renard has been quick to say he has not been impressed with the Eagles under Stephen Keshi after he watched them labour to a 0-0 draw with Cape Verde on Wednesday.

Continues on Page 54 FRI DAY'S FRIDAY'S

ANSWERS

— Page 54

UEENS Park Rangers boss Harry Redknapp wants to sign West Brom forward Peter Odemwingie and secure a loan deal for Tottenham midfielder Jake Livermore.

Redknapp is also believed to be after Rennes midfielder Yann M’Vila, 22.

“We made an enquiry for Odemwingie,” the R’s boss said after a battling 0-0 draw against his former club Tottenham.

“I don’t know whether [chief executive] Phillip Beard has put an offer in but he was a player we spoke about and he was

Continues on Page 54

ACROSS DOWN 2 Advantage (5) 1 Beverage (5) 7 Frigid (4) 2 Fuss (3) 8 Charm (6) 3 Prosecute (3) 9 Corpulent (5) 4 Golf-peg (3) 11 Fish (3) 5 Queer (3) 13 Donkey (3) 6 Lariat (5) 15 Fat (4) 10 Footwear (4) 16 Cur (3) 11 Charwoman (7) 18 Soon (4) 12 Imagined (7) 19 Swerving (7) 13 Agony (7) 20 Unfortunately (4) 14 Skulked (7) 22 Tunny (4) 16 Postpone (5) 23 Meekness (7) 17 Rasp (5) 25 Level (4) 18 Insect (3) 27 Regret (3) 21 Boy (3) 28 Island (4) 24 Chanted (4) 30 Free (3) 26 Call (5) 29 Supple (5) 31 Concealed (3) 33 Concur (5) 32 Reserved (3) 36 Accident (6) 33 Imitate (3) 34 Knock (3) 37 Resound (4) 35 Fish (3) 38 Eject (5)

FRIDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Appal 5, Copied 8, Repel 10, Grocer 11, Unit 14, Boring 15, Attempt 18, Wed 19, Arc 21, Dead 23, Treat 24, Deaf 27, End 29, Vat 31, Damaged 32, Weevil 34, Rota 35, Entire 38, Moral 39, Emerge 40, Berth.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 2, Par 3, Archer 4, Lee 5, Club 6, Paired 7, Dogged 9, Prepare 12, Now 13, Tide 16, Tire 17, Trend 20, Cadaver 22, Able 24, Dawdle 25, Aver 26, Favour 28, Cattle 30, Tit 33, Lame 36, Nab 37, Rot.

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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