Argentine, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, is new Pope

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61838

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ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

No apologies over pardon for Alamieyeseigha, others •P. 8 — Presidency

Opposition parties vow to stick with merger name •P. 9

Argentine, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, is new Pope

BY HUGO ODIOGOR, SAM EYOBOKA, CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, UDUMA KALU, WITH AGENCY REPORTS

Takes name of Francis It seems my brother Cardinals 'went to the end Emerges after 5th ballot world' to find a new L First South American Pontiff of thePope — Francis

AGOS — AT exactly 8.23pm, yesterday, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio,, emerged from the famed St Peters balcony waving to the multitude of Continues on Page 5

The world salutes Pope Francis

•P.25

COLUMNISTS:

•P. 13

Is'haq Modibbo Kawu•P.17

How the world received him

OCHEREOME NNANNA•P.19

THE HUB •P.19

•P. 15

Mr & Mrs

Origin of the Jesuits and the Franciscan Orders •P. 15

Pope Francis.

C M Y K

2 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013—5

POCKET CARTOON

From left: Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State; Mrs Anena Jemitola, Commissioner for Arts and Culture and Dr Aihanuwa Eregie, Commissioner for Health at the swearing in of the two commissioners, in Benin City, yesterday.

Argentine is new Pope Continues from page 1 Catholics that had gathered at the headquarters of the church as the new Pope.

He will be known as Pope Francis. He emerged after the fifth ballot in the second day of the conclave of Cardinals.

The 76-year-old Mario Bergoglio, runner up to Pope Benedict XVI eight years ago, is the son of Italian immigrants to Argentina. He is the first South American to be Pope.

The Pope’s appearance was preceded at 7. 06 pm by white smoke which appeared in the chimney above the Sistine chapel in the Vatican, signifying that the Roman Catholic

Church had a new Pope.

The smoke appeared after five rounds of voting.

French Proto-Deacon Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran announced the name of the new Pope.

Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio took name of Francis after accepting his election as 266th head of Roman Catholic church, the cardinal said. He is named after the legendary Catholic saint, Francis of Assisi. He’s also the first Pope from Jesuit order.

Pope Francis’ first words in his presentation was; "It seems my brother cardinals 'went to the end of the world' to find a new pope.”

The announcement of the Argentine was a big surprise. He was not

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

Those who don’t learn from history will definitely repeat history, and end up being history.

TAKE HEART

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BY ELLA RANDLE

E can make our minds so like still water that others gather about us that they may see, it may be, their own images, and so live for a moment with a clearer, perhaps even with a fiercer life because of our quiet— W. B. Yeats.

Where do we learn thoughtfulness? In silence.

And where do we practise patience? In silence.

Silence practised in the quiet is something apart, but silence means that we should consider every word and every action we do; that is the first lesson to learn.

What gives power over words? What gives the power that can be attained by silence? The answer is: it is will-power which gives the control over words; it is silence which gives one the power of silence. It is restlessness when a person speaks too much.

The more words are used to express an idea, the less powerful they become. It is a great pity that man so often thinks of saving pennies and never thinks of sparing words. It is like saving pebbles and throwing away pearls.

And now, coming to the more scientific explanation of silence. There is a certain amount of energy spent by words; and breath, which has to bring new life in the body, is hindered in its regular rhythm when man speaks all the time.

among the favourites with pundits tipping him at 251.

He was announced to the crowd waiting in St Peter’s Square from the vast balcony that runs across the front of St Peter’s basilica. In 2005, Pope Francis predecessor, Benedict XVI, was elected on the second day after four rounds of voting.

The new pope was greeted by cheers during his address: “I’d ask you to pray to God so that he can bless me,” Pope Francis said, leading a silent prayer, followed by a loud cheer from the crowd.

The crowd grew silent as Bergoglio, 76, recited the Lord’s Prayer and a Hail Mary. “Let us pray for the whole world,” he told the crowd.

“I ask you a favour: Before the bishop blesses the people, I want to ask you to ask the Lord to bless the bishop,” the new pope said, according to a translation by NBC News.

“Please, pray in silence for me.”

Bergoglio’s papacy is one of firsts. He is the first Jesuit, first South American pope. He also is the first to take the Pope name of Francis, for the saint devoted to the poor.

He said the world should set off on a path of love and fraternity and asked the faithful to pray to God for him. Pope Francis prayed for Benedict and hoped the Father in Heaven will bless him. He thanked the crowd for the welcome, adding: “Good night and I wish you a peaceful rest.”

He left the balcony to rapturous cheers.

First South American Pope

Bergoglio is the first ever from the Americas and the first from outside Europe in more than a millennium.

He chose the name Pope Francis. After announcing ‘’Habemus Papum” — "We have a Pope!” — a cardinal standing on the balcony of St. Peter ’s Basilica, yesterday, revealed the identity of the new pontiff, using his Latin name.

Bergoglio has spent nearly his entire career at home in Argentina, overseeing churches and shoe-leather priests. The Archbishop of Buenos Aires reportedly got the second-most votes after Joseph Ratzinger in the 2005 papal election, and he has long specialized in the kind of pastoral work that some say is an essential skill for the next pope.

"In a lifetime of teaching and leading priests in Latin America, which has the largest share of the world’s Catholics, Bergoglio has shown a keen political sensibility as well as the kind of self-effacing humility that fellow cardinals value highly.

Bergoglio is known for modernizing an Argentine church that had been among the most conservative in Latin America.

His opposition to gay marriage Bergoglio has clashed with Argentina government over his opposition to gay marriage and distribution of contraceptives. He says gay marriage is a Satanic plot to “seriously damage the family” and that ‘father of lies’ (Devil) is at work .

New Pope Bergoglio has taught importance of

respecting gay people, but strongly opposed same-sex marriage in Argentina.

Pope Francis opposed marriage equality in Argentina and called same-sex marriage a “scheme to destroy God’s plan. He is said not be a fan of the President of Argentina based on their ideological differences.

This is a tradition that has gone on for centuries but last night was a little different: among the millions watching was the former pope, Benedict XVI, the first pontiff in 598 years to watch his successor being appointed.

Moment of celebration for 1.2 bn Catholics Although for over an hour, as is customary, the identity of the new pope was not immediately made known, it was a moment of celebration for the 1.2 billion Catholics all over the world.

And the crowd in St Peter’s Square was waiting expectantly for him to appear on the huge balcony that runs across the front of St Peter ’s basilica.

The fumata bianca – the white smoke signal that marks the successful conclusion of a papal conclave – arrived after five ballots on the second day of voting. The smoke that poured out of the comignolo, the copper and steel chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, was greeted with cries of delight and applause.

There was a split second of disbelief as the smoke appeared and then an American voice shouting ‘White smoke’. There were whoops of delight as people surged forward and people strained away from the screens to the tiny rooftop chimney where the colour was unmistakebly white. Umbrellas were crushed underfoot as everyone surged forward.

Soon afterwards, the bells of St Peter’s rang out,

confirming that a new Pope had taken over the spiritual leadership of the world’s 1.2 billion baptised Catholics with shouts of “long live the pope!”

The Swiss Guard then began to troop into the square ahead of the presentation of the new pope, in their traditional uniform and helmets and draped in blue cloaks as they stood at attention for the new head of the Holy See.

Inside the Sistine Chapel Inside the Sistine Chapel, after the final vote was cast, the most junior of the cardinals, James Harvey, a former prefect of the papal household, called in the secretary of the college of cardinals, Monsignor Lorenzo Baldisseri, and the master of papal liturgical ceremonies, Monsignor Guido Marini, to witness the new pope’s acceptance of one of the most daunting jobs on earth. The most senior of the electors, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, approached the Popeto-be and – in accordance with time-honoured tradition – asked him, in Latin: “Do you accept your canonical election as supreme pontiff?”

Having obtained his consent, he will have asked him: “By what name do you wish to be called?” The master of ceremonies, acting as a notary, will then have summoned two of his staff to act as witnesses, and prepared the document that certifies the new pope’s acceptance.

Newly elected popes are taken to be robed in the socalled Room of Tears, its name an indication of the reluctance with which most approach the task for which they have been chosen. The last holder of the office, Benedict XVI, introduced a change into the ritual that allows for the new pope to pray before he is announced to the world.

6 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

3 arraigned over alleged murder in Borno

BY NDAHI MARAMA

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AIDUGURI – THREE men, Haruna Goni Usman, Jabo Mallam Kansulum and Salleh Mallam Ali were, yesterday, arraigned before a Maiduguri high court by the Borno State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Mr Kaka Shehu Lawan for allegedly killing one Bulama Jolti in his farm in Bama local government area of the state.

According to the charge sheet, the three men from Zinda village conspired to allegedly beat the deceased and used a knife to stab him.

They also cut his body into pieces with a spear as a result of which he died on the spot.

They were said to have committed the offence in October, 2012.

The trio were arraigned on two-count charge of conspiracy, murder and culpable homicide punishable with death under section 97(1) and 221(b) of the penal code law of Borno State.

66-yr-old, his 3 sons docked for theft

BY EMMA AMAIZE

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ARRI—NINE gunmen, suspected to be members of a kidnap gang, in an audacious rescue operation, yesterday, in Warri, Delta State, ambushed a Nigeria Prisons Service, NPS, Hilux van, and shot dead three warders.

The gangsters, also successfully freed two kidnap suspects, identified as Rufus and Frank, while one of the inmates being transported lost his life in the emancipation mission.

Two of the critically wounded warders were rushed to the Central Hospital, Warri after the 45minute encounter. The names of the five warders that escorted the inmates were Lawrence Edore, Ochei Ifeanyi, driver, Enemo, Efe Onakpoya and Oyibo.

There was confusion as people ran helter-skelter following the gunshots.

Vigilant youths of Okere community, Warri South Local Government Area, re-arrested three of the inmates and handed them over to prisons officials.

Our source said the gunmen waylaid a prisons’ van conveying suspects to court at about 8.30 am, yesterday, on Esisi Road, Warri and opened fire on the warders. Esisi is a popular street in Warri The gunmen, operating in a Lexus Sports Utility Vehicle, SUV, and one Toyota Camry car, monitored the prisons officials, as they left the premises.

According to our source, “the warders had left Okere area and were heading towards the “A” Police Division area, where the court is located when the gunmen struck.

“All the warders were shot, but two died on the spot, while one

Terrorists' alleged hideout in Sokoto demolished by the security forces yesterday

Kidnap gang kills 3 prison warders in Warri As Police gun down fleeing kidnapper, comb bush for others died later. Two of the inmates, believed to be notorious kidnappers escaped while youths in the area stopped three others from escaping”.

Meantime, Police in Delta State chased the nine-man kidnap gang, which shot dead three Prison warders and rescued two of their members, yesterday, in Warri to Kokori/Okpara Island in Ethiope -East Local Government Area and shot one of them dead.

A senior police officer told Van-

guard at about 3.30 pm yesterday, “I can confirm to you that one of the suspected kidnappers who shot dead three warders and rescued two of their members in Warri, today (Wednesday), has been shot dead by the police.

“As I speak to you, joint teams of the police, army and vigilance group from the Kokori/Okpara Island are combing the bush for the kidnap syndicate. We are marching on foot in search of them because they are on foot too.

“They abandoned their vehicle and fled into the bush and the youths, who know the area are taking both the police and army deep into the forest. We are hunting for them, there is no retreat, no surrender, we are going to get them”.

His words: “Kidnapping has reduced in Delta State in recent time and our aim is to reduced it drastically and wipe it out if possible. We cannot allow them to go far with this crime”.

BY ONOZURE DANIA

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AGOS—A 66-year-old man, Sikiru Aregbesola and three of his sons, were yesterday arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court over alleged theft of N11.7 million valuables.

The sons are Muniru Aregbesola, 31; Muftau Aregbesola, 37; and Rasheed Aregbesola, 36. They are facing a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing.

Sikiru, who is a carpenter with his sons, resides at 9, Raimi Street, Ojodu, Berger, area of Lagos State.

The police prosecutor, Inspector Okoi Edet, told the court that the defendants stole two 40 feet containers valued at N900, 000, two generating set valued at N800, 000 and iron rods worth N10 million, property of Mr Olaitan Okunloye.

Edet said the offence was committed on December 30, 2012 at NEPA installation along Obafemi Awolowo Way, Ikeja.

However, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the offence.

Security forces raid terrorists' den, kill 4, demolish hideout

BY ABDALAH EL-KUREBE

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OKOTO —MEN and offic ers of the Military, Police and Department of State Security in Sokoto, yesterday, struck at an estate at Bado village, killing un-

specified number of people they described as “adversaries.”

Led by the trio of Brigade Commander, Brigadier-General Mohammed Ibrahim; Commissioner of Police, Shuaibu Gambo and Director of Department of Security Service, Jibrin Danmallam,

the operation was as a result of a five-day surveillance on the estate.

Vanguard gathered that the operation, which started at 12am, Tuesday night ended by 6am, yesterday.

Briefing newsmen after the

Police parade 2-month old baby, teenager, others for robbery

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA—THERE was a mild drama, yesterday, at the Ogun State Police Command, at Eleweran, Abeokuta, when a two-month old baby, Oyinkansola Adeosun, was paraded alongside her mother, Fausat Adeosun for alleged involvement in robbery and death of no fewer than five people.

Two other members of the same family; Tobi Adeosun,15, and Iyabode Adeosun were also paraded for allegedly aiding and abetting their brother, Ismail Adeo-

sun, 26, who had been declared wanted by the police for his alleged involvement in the cases.

The State Police Commissioner, Ikemefuna Okoye, who paraded 30 suspects for various crimes said the four suspects were arrested by the police on Monday when his men stormed Ago-Ika, Abeokuta residence of the suspects where a locally made gun was recovered.

The commissioner, however, said investigation had commenced, saying that as soon as it was concluded the suspects would be charged to court.

The commissioner said: “This woman has been keeping gun for her husband and his 15-yearold brother is the armourer of the gang.

“One Tobi is the armourer of the gang and Ismail’s wife has been keeping her husband’s arms and ammunition before luck ran out on them”.

Speaking with newsmen, one of the suspects, Tobi Adeosun said it was his brother , Ismail that committed the offence, before they arrested all the family members including the two month old baby.

house was brought down, Brigadier-General Ibrahim said the operation started on Wednesday, where a team of Army, Police and Department of Security Services, as well as Air Force, embarked on the assault.

Ibrahim said: “On a tip off from intelligence services, we were able to track down the location of the threat and quickly carried out a raid. No sooner than the operation took place the Soldiers came under direct fire, including heavy firing from Rocket Propelled Grenades, RPG”.

According to Ibrahim, the security operatives combed the area “and in the process, four of the adversaries were killed and the following were recovered: one sub-machine guns, three service rifles, three empty magazines, two revolver gun, two pistols, two empty magazines of pistols, two AK47 assault rifles, four cartridges, 400 RPG tubes, seven additional tubes, one RPG charger, 122 (5.62mm) ammunition calibre, 445 (7.62) special ammunition and 13 pistol RAM 9mm.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013 — 7

Policeman, banker killed in bullion van robbery attempt Robbers met van empty

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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KURE – A policeman and a bank official were reportedly killed in a shoot out between policemen and robbers who ambushed a bullion van along the Okitipupa -Igbokoda expressway in Ondo State on Tuesday.

But police authorities denied the death of the any of the four policemen that accompanied the bullion van to offload cash at one of the first generation banks in the Southern part of the state.

It was, however, gathered that the timing by the robbers was wrong as the vehicle had offloaded the cash and was returning to base.

Police PRO, Wole Ogodo, confirmed, however, that one bank official died in the cross fire while some policemen equally sustained injuries.

Vanguard gathered that the corpses of the banker, Stephen Adu, and that of the policeman, whose rank and name could not be ascertained have been deposited at the Specialist hospital in Akure Ogodo also said some of the robbers were equally wounded during the gun battle.

But sources said the robbers am-

bushed the bullion van and in the process a gun battle ensued between the four policemen in the van and the robbers numbering about 15.

Vanguard learnt that the robbers were, however, unable to break into the bullion van because the policemen were shooting from the van and stood their ground which was not expected by the robbers.

Sources said the robbers later fled into the bush while they reportedly carried their members that were injured.

Traffic on the busy road was disrupted for over two hours as motorists made u- turns so as not to run into the cross fire.

By the time police reinforcement could come the robbers had reportedly disappeared into the bush.

Contacted the Police PRO, Ogodo confirmed the attack.

Ogodo said the robbers were unable to overpower the policemen that accompanied the cash moving van.

He added that they had to run into the bush because they did not expect that the policemen could confront them.

Ogodo said some policemen were wounded in the cross fire.

A scene of an accident involving a saloon car loaded with foodstuff which lost control and hit an SUV, causing the SUV to somersault on third Mainland Bridge, Lagos, yesterday.

....Robbers kill man for not having money

BY EVELYN USMAN

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AGOS—ROBBERS on Tues day morning, stormed Fagbayide street in Odogunyan area of Ikorodu, Lagos, where they killed a 33-year-old man who had no money to offer them. Many other residents were also injured.

According to reports, residents of 4, Olu Fagbayide street, told Vanguard that the robbers numbering five, stormed the building at about 1.30am, where they carried out a room-to room operation, dispossessing victims of cash, telephone sets and other valuables.

One of the tenants, as gathered, was hit with the butt of a gun after telling the invaders that he had no money. But when they threatened to shoot him, his wife, said to have hidden under the bed, reportedly rushed out and gave the robbers N15,000 .

Deceased Nnamdi

However, when they got to 33year-old Kingsley Nnamdi’s apartment, he reportedly pleaded with them to spare his life, explaining that he had been laid off from work. But his plea fell on deaf ears as one of the bandits was said to have shot him in the

chest, on the ground that he was wasting their time.

Yet, as the dying father of two begged to be rushed to the hospital, the robbers went about ransacking his apartment but found nothing .

Reports said policemen from

Sagamu road division visited the scene when they were alerted. But the robbers had fled.

Nnamdi as gathered, was rushed to Ikorodu General Hospital, from where he was referred to another hospital, where he was confirmed dead.

Students allegedly beat man to death

BY TONY EDIKE

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NUGU—A security staff of the Institute of Management and Technology, IMT, Enugu identified as Mr. Festus Ugwu, has been allegedly beaten to death by some students who disagreed during their departmental election.

Ugwu and some security staff assigned to maintain order in the school during the students' election were reportedly attacked by some students while trying to intervene in the disagreement among the students.

Sources said the security man, who was seriously beaten up, sustained injuries on the head prompting the school authorities to rush him to a hospital. he was, however, confirmed dead by doctors on duty before help could come his way.

Confirming the incident, the State Police Public Relations Of-

ficer, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, said the state police command had

commenced investigations into the unfortunate incident.

Fire razes Gov Amosun residence in Abeokuta

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA – A mid-day fire outbreak, yesterday, gutted a section of Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State’s private residence at Ibara Housing Estate, Abeokuta .

The governor’s elder brother’s wife, Alhaja Abidoyin Amosun, was said to be in the house during the outbreak.

The woman was reported to have run out of the affected room when the incident occurred allegedly crying for help from neighbours.

The fire which razed the room and affected the adjourning kitchen of the bungalow was re-

ported to have destroyed some valuables, including clothes, shoes and electrical appliances worth several millions of naira.

An eyewitness told Vanguard that the inferno may have been caused by power surge.

The source further said the fire started around 1:00 pm and lasted for about 30 minutes before the men of Ogun State fire service arrived the scene.

Alhaji Amosun, who confirmed the incident later conducted newsmen round the affected section of house where it was observed that the governor wife's bedroom and an adjoining kitchen were seriously burnt, as charred remains of some valuables were seen inside the bedroom and the kitchen.

Truck crushes Okada rider to death

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BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

AGOS—IRATE commer cial motorcyclists, popularly called, Okada riders, went on rampage yesterday in Akowonjo area of Alimosho Local Government when one of their colleagues was crushed to death by a fast moving articulated vehicle at Akowonjo roundabout.

The incident which occurred at about 6pm, resulted in traffic gridlock as motorists got stranded for hours.

According to eyewitness, the deceased simply identified as Rahman by his colleagues, who was about 27 years, was trying to evade arrest by the policemen who were on patrol in the area, apparently to enforce restriction of okada on that particular road as specified by the Lagos Traffic Law. The victim was said to be a tailor, who used to run okada business in the evening.

A colleague and an eyewitness, who simply identified himself as Saheed, amidst tears, narrated thus; “He was coming from Shasha end of the road en-route Akowonjo round about after close of work as a tailor when he ran into the policemen on patrol".

Task force destroys 5 illegal refineries in Delta

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ARRI—IN a renewed effort to stem oil theft across the Niger Delta region, members of the National Task Force on Illegal Bunkering and Pipeline Vandalisation, yesterday, destroyed five illegal refineries along the Escravos line in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.

Briefing newsmen on the operation, the team leader, Mr. Frank Gbenekama, disclosed that the illegal refineries were discovered during a routine patrol of the Escravos waterways following a tip-off on activities of pipeline vandals in the area.

According to him, “based on the information made available to us, we decided to embark on a patrol of the Escravos line and in one of the location, we sighted some men on board a boat attempting to mount a valve on a trunk-line conveying crude oil. On approaching the vandals, they took to their heels through the bush, leaving behind their boat and other equipment used for the illegal operations".

8—Vanguard , THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

BY SONI DANIEL, SAMUEL OYADONGHA, ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH, CHARLES KUMOLU & DAPO AKINREFON

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HE state pardon granted former governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and some former military officers found guilty of coup plotting was done in the interest of the country, the presidency declared yesterday, adding that it had no apologies on the issue.

However, while friends, associates and Ijaw stakeholders welcomed the pardon granted the former governor who was convicted for corruption, others in the civil rights community said the action had finally opened the Goodluck Jonathan’s indifference to the fight against corruption.

Alamieyeseigha was convicted following a guilty plea he made on corruption charges brought by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Another pardoned convict found guilty of corruption was erstwhile Managing Director of Bank of the North, Shettima Bulama.

Others pardoned on Tuesday by Council of State were Gen. Shehu Musa Yar‘Adua, Gen. Oladipo Diya, Major Bello Magaji, Mohammed Lima Biu, Major Gen. Abdulkarim Adisa and Major Segun Fadipe.

Mixed reactions While the former military officers' pardon was generally welcomed and even described as belated, the pardon given Alamieyeseigha was generally flayed as a betrayal of the fight against corruption and in bad taste.

Among those that flayed the pardon were Mr. Shehu Sani, who was incarcerated with Yar‘Adua by Sani Abacha for coup plotting; former presidential candidate, Olu Falae; former Second Republic governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Yusuf Ali; Alhaji Balarabe Musa, Zero Corruption Coalition and SocioEconomic Rights and Accountability Project.

Alamieyeseigha’s pardon was, however, applauded by Senator Ehigie Uzamere and many Ijaw elders from the former governor’s home base in Bayelsa.

Giving reasons for the pardon in a television appearance on Channels Television yesterday morning, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said the pardon was taken after a robust process that was finally approved by the National Council of States.

He said the council comprising some of the country’s most distinguished personalities could not have been mistaken in its action.

Okupe, who first confirmed the pardon, said the decision was for the best interest of the country.

Decision makers He said: “The Council of State,

SUMMIT: From left— Mr. Tunji Bello, Commissioner for Environment; Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State; Mrs. Adebola Afun, Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, and Engr. Muyideen Akinsanya, Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services, during Lagos State's 5th climate change summit on the theme Vulnerability and Adaptability to Climate Change in Nigeria: Lagos State Transportation, Housing and Infrastructure in Focus, in Lagos.

PHOTO: Bunmi Azeez.

No apologies over pardon for Alamieyeseigha, others— Presidency an organ of the government which was created by the Nigerian constitution, is made of very eminent Nigerians.

"Its membership includes the serving president, all former presidents, all former Chief Justices of the Federation, the leadership of the National Assembly, which include the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and all serving governors in the country.

“If they take a decision, it is for the interest of the country.

Their decision might not be palatable or acceptable to everybody but that is the leadership of the country and their decision is in the interest of the nation.

"It is a democracy. People are entitled to their views, but government will also act in the interest of the people.

“That is an action that has been taken by the National Council of States and I have no apology for that.

"A man was deposed. He was hounded, tried and jailed. What is wrong with giving pardon to a remorseful sinner?”

"It's smokescreen" His assertion nonetheless, several in the civil rights community continued to criticise the decision.

Sani said: “The pardon given to late Gen. Shehu Musa Yar`Adua as a result of his unlawful and wrongful conviction by the military regime of late Gen. Sani Abacha, of which I was among those wrongly convicted, is long overdue.

"The pardon given to Diya and

others is also long overdue. But it is clear that it is a smokescreen to give credibility to the pardoning of Alamieyeseigha and an attempt to launder him and reintroduce him into the political spectrum of Nigeria.

“It is very unfortunate that this government has been found to be aiding and abetting corruption and profoundly rewarding people that have disgraced themselves and Jonathan has simply deceived the country by mixing those who were unduly incarcerated for their political views with criminals that have enriched themselves while in office.

“If he was desirous of such a pardon, what Jonathan should have simply done was to say that Nigerians should pardon Alamieyeseigha and that he has reformed himself instead of trying to insult our intelligence.”

Olu Falae reacts Presidential candidate of the All Peoples Party, APP, and the Alliance for Democracy, AD, in 1999, Falae, picked holes in the pardon granted Alamieyeseigha and Bulama, but threw his weight behind the one granted Diya, Adisa and others.

Falae said: “I totally support the pardon granted to Diya and Adisa because I myself was jailed for two years by the same tyrannical Abacha regime. So, those pardons are absolutely welcome.

"But in a democratic civilian regime, those who were tried and jailed for stealing public funds should not have been pardoned. Pardon for what?

"If they are not guilty, they should appeal and the court would set them free and that is wisdom. The signal being sent to the public is that stealing is okay, for as long as you have political connection, you will be granted pardon.”

It’s in bad light —Balarabe Musa On his part, Second Republic governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa said the president’s action has portrayed the country in a bad light.

In a telephone chat with Vanguard, Musa said: “It has shown the president and his government in a bad image because they are claiming to be fighting against corruption.

"We have known that they are not sincere in their fight against corruption. How can they pardon persons convicted of corruption and claim they are fighting corruption? With what the president has done, it has shown that he is supporting corruption.”

On his own part, Alhaji Yusuf Ali warned the authorities to stop playing ostrich and politics with issues fundamental to the country’s progress.

He said: “Corruption has eaten deep into every aspect of Nigeria’s system. So granting pardon to them even though they have the constitutional powers to do so, is bad and ill-timed.

"In granting the pardon, the Presidency ought to have taken the holistic view in terms of the nature of the offences.”

SERAP speaks Socio-Economic Rights and

Accountability Project, SERAP, yesterday, called on President Jonathan to “rescind, without further delay, the alleged state pardon granted Alamieyeseigha, and Bulama, as the said pardon is a fundamental breach of the country’s constitution and international anti-corruption obligations.”

The organisation threatened “national and international legal actions to challenge this fragrant abdication of legal and moral responsibility to combat corruption, which can only ensure that high ranking corrupt officials profit from their crime.”

In a statement by SERAP Executive Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, yesterday, the organisation said: “This shows, without doubt, that this government lacks the necessary political will to tackle high-level official corruption and sends a wrong message that corruption pays and those who loot and stash the country’s wealth and resources in foreign banks will enjoy absolute impunity."

"This culture of impunity is responsible for the pervasive and systemic corruption and the associated violations of the basic economic and social rights of millions of Nigerians.

ZCC, too Zero Corruption Coalition, ZCC, in a statement by its National Secretary, Babatunde Oluajo, said: “Granting of state pardon to Alamieyeseigha represents a most dangerous precedent, and a setback for the fight against corruption in Nigeria as it marks the adoption of corruption as an official state policy.”

Vanguard , THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013—9

Ezu River victims murdered, autopsy reveals

BY EMEKA MAMAH

S

NIPPETS from the autopsy report on the 25 corpses dumped inside Ezu River in Amansea, Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State, indicate that the deceased were extra-judicially murdered.

Vanguard gathered from sources in Lagos last night that the pathologists, who carried out the autopsy, discovered some bullet wounds, bruises and other signs that the suspects did not die of natural causes.

The sources said although the results of the autopsy were scanty, it would be correct to assume that those whose corpses were thrown into the river had been in detention or custody.

Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr Lawrence Ikeakor, had said that government made "startling discoveries" from the corpses of three of the victims, whose bodies were initially exhumed, prompting it to order further investigations on the remaining bodies.

Opposition parties vow to stick with merger name APC.

The Constitution

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

A

BUJA—OPPOSITION political parties that merged, seeking to be registered as All Progressives Congress, APC, have vowed not to drop the name of the new party and have consulted a law firm to write the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on the controversy.

A highly-placed member of APC, who spoke to Vanguard on the condition of anonymity, said the chairmen of the four political parties met yesterday at the residence of Chief Tom Ikimi in Abuja to deliberate on the new twist from INEC that a political association, African Peoples Congress, had contacted the commission for registration.

The APC source alleged that information available to the opposition political parties revealed that “some people went to INEC office on Tuesday at 4pm to submit documents for the African Peoples Congress,” but that the Director of Public Affairs with the commission, Emmanuel Unenger, described the allegation as untrue.

The source disclosed that a senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, James Osholi, of James

Osholi and Associates, has been contacted to write to INEC on the choice of the name All Progressives Congress.

Roll call

The meeting was attended

by Chief Tom Ikimi, chairman of the Committee of the merging parties from the ACN; Mallam Ibrahim Shekaru for ANPP; Senator Annie Okonkwo, representing APGA, and Alhaji Hadi Garba for CPC. The source revealed that the Tuesday meeting of representatives of the four merger parties and the Democratic Peoples Party, DPP, after going through the relevant sections of the Electoral Law and the 1999 Constitution as amended, decided to stick to All Progressives Congress,

The source said: “We met yesterday (Tuesday) and resolved that we are going to maintain that name APC despite what INEC in collusion with PDP is doing.

“That letter purportedly written by a law firm on behalf of African Peoples Congress is not what the law said.

Section 78, Sub-section 1 to 6 laid down the procedure which a political association applying to INEC for registration of a political party must comply with.

“Section 222 of the 1999 Constitution also laid down the requirements a political association applying to INEC for the registration of a political party must comply with.

“That letter written by one law firm on behalf of African Peoples Congress is not what is required. So it is surprising and curious that INEC wants to use that to say that some

other political association has applied to use that name because they have met the requirement.

“If you apply and you have made the requirements, INEC will issue you a letter of acknowledgment of your documentation.

“Your documentation must carry the names of the national officers of the association, the headquarters of the association in the FCT, the symbol, manifesto and payment of the administrative fee for the processing of the documentation.

“INEC has not shown that those people have paid the administrative fee. So where did they get evidence that they have paid the administrative fee for the processing of their documentation. “They have not also shown a letter of acknowledgment that they received any document from the political association because when they issue that letter, INEC must reply it within 30 days.”

Senate passes State of the Nation Address Bill the Nation Address and other The bill was introduced about

BY HENRY UMORU & JOSEPH ERUNKE

A

BUJA—SENATE, yesterday, passed the State of the Nation Address Bill.

Named Bill for an Act to Enshrine an Annual State of

Matters Connected Thereto 2013, it will henceforth make it mandatory for the President to appear before the joint session of the National Assembly, NASS, and give account of his stewardship on the first legislative day of July every year.

EFCC nabs Atuche, 2 others over alleged move to reclaim Keystone

BY SONI DANIEL, Regional Editor, North

E

CONOMIC and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, arrested the former Managing Director of defunct Bank PHB, Mr. Francis Atuche, in connection with ongoing investigations into operations of the bank.

He was arrested along with two other employees of Keystone Bank over alleged fraud.

Atuche was removed from the bank in the wake of sweeping bank reforms carried out by the nation’s apex bank, which also culminated in the name change of the bank to Keystone.

Operatives of the anti-graft

agency stormed Atuche’s residence, yesterday, and picked him up to answer for renewed allegation of trying to regain the ownership of the financial institution through the back door.

Atuche was accused of trying to smuggle in forged board resolutions into Keystone Bank apparently to give him an upper hand in the ownership.

EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, who confirmed Atuche’s arrest, said two other men had been detained along with the former banker for aiding and abetting crime.

The two men, whose names were given as Nnosiri Joachim and Uguru Onyike, are said to be staff of Central Sharing System Centre of Keystone.

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six years ago in the sixth Assembly of the Senate (2008) and a year later (2009) in the House of Representatives.

When signed into law by the President, the bill, besides making it mandatory for the President to address NASS, also gives the two chambers of the Assembly the right, through a two-thirds majority vote, to issue summons in an event the President fails, neglects, or refuses to render account of his stewardship within the time stipulated in Section 1 of the Act. The passage followed a clause by clause consideration of the report of the Senator Dahiru Kuta-led Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs on the bill.

The Senate said the passage was in line with “making the President accountable to the Nigerian people as represented by the National Assembly by rendering account for his stewardship to the nation.”

It was also aimed at allowing inputs from members of NASS towards good governance of the nation.

LOSS OF DOCUMENT TO TERMITES The general public and the Federal Housing Authority should be informed that I, Mr. Oyebade Fasugba of 4th Avenue, Block 10, Flat 4, Festac Town, lost my house Documents, Allocation letter and Receipts to termites.

That termites ate the document in my box and was destroyed.

I hereby needed Replacement.

PUBLIC NOTICE

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Call: 081-1600-8682

10—Vanguard, THURESDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

NGO effects release of 3,000 awaiting trial inmates

BY EVELYN USMAN

L

AGOS—A NONGOVERNMENTAL Organisation, NGO, “Stephen and Solomon Foundation,” yesterday in Lagos, said it had effected the release of no fewer than 3,000 awaiting trial inmates between April 2012 and February 2013.

The NGO which offers free legal aid to indigent inmates awaiting trial across prisons in the country, during an exhibition by inmates at the Female Security Prisons, Kirikiri, blamed the increasing number of awaiting trial inmates in prisons formations across the country for prisons’ congestion.

Founder of the organisation, Chief Gabriel Giwa-Amu, also blamed the Police for the high cases of awaiting trial inmates, lamenting that most of them were taken to court by the police without proper investigation and without the inmates having any understanding of the charges against them.

Problems with housing sector,

by Sterling Homes MD

L

A G O S — MANAG ING Director, Sterling Homes, Mr. Kunle Adeyemi, has listed problems facing the real estate sector in Nigeria, to be among others, the high cost of building materials.

At a briefing in Lagos, he said this was the reason why Sterling homes entered into the real estate market to provide affordable shelter for individuals at all levels of the population pyramid.

He said: “Sterling Homes had been in the ever increasing business of real estate helping their clients to acquire, build houses and find buyers or renters who are exclusively interested in affordable properties. With a full service and high-energy sales team, we provide sales and rentals of homes and properties in Lagos and Ogun States axis of the country.”

Adeyemi however, listed hundreds of Sterling homes various property and homes in Lekki, IkoroduandMowe-Ofadaareas endowedwithgoodfacilities.

Passengers stranded at Lagos airport as unions ground flight operations L

BY DANIEL ETEGHE

AGOS—MORE than one hundred of Aero Contractors’ passengers were, yesterday, stranded at the Domestic Wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, MMA2, as officials of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSSAN, and the National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE, grounded all flight operations of the airline for alleged insensitivity to staff welfare and anti-union activities.

The unions had earlier given the management of the Airline a 21-day ultimatum to sack the Director of Human Resources and Corporate Services, over what they described as anti-union activities or face industrial action, threatening that if no action was taken by the management, both the unions and workers of Aero Contractors would down tools from March 13, 2013.

Vanguard was at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Domestic Terminal 2, MMA2, and gathered that the stranded passengers were left at the departure hall of the airport’s terminal without being attended to by the airline’s officials as they could no longer catch their flights to their various destinations due to the industrial action embarked upon by both the unions and the workers.

According to a statement signed by both unions, management of Aero Contractors had commenced alleged attacks on the unions by

formally writing a petition to the Commissioner of Police, Airport Command under the title “Threat to lives and breach of Security” where the Management alleged that all the unions leaders were terrorists and were planning to bomb aircraft and unleash violence on the travelling publics.

The Unions noted that the management also instituted a case against them before the National Industrial Court, restraining the unions from embarking on strike on the said March 13, 2013.

They, however, emphasized that no court could force the workers

to work when the workplace was unconducive to work in, stressing that the workers could not be working while the management takes pleasure in eating up their sweat.

The unions, however, stressed that they would not compromise until the demands of the striking workers were acceded to by the management of Aero Contractors Airlines.

The situation latter took a twist as most of the stranded passengers took a protest to the headquarters of Aero Contractors, threatening to institute a class

action against the airline in the court of law.

Reacting to the plight of the passengers, the management of Aero Contractors in a statement said: “Aero Management wishes to apologise for the inconvenience suffered by our highly esteemed customers due to an abrupt industrial action by our staff which has led to grounding of all our scheduled operations.

“We are engaging with the unions to find a quick and amicable resolution. Further details will be given in due course.”

REOPENED: Business activities commenced at Ladipo Market, Mushin, Lagos, yesterday.

The market was closed down over environmental offences by Governor Babatunde Fashola.

Photo Akeem Salau.

Climate change: Lagos shops for N27bn to protect shorelines

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI & MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

L

AGOS—GOVERNOR Babatunde Fashola of Lagos, yesterday, said the State needed N27 billion for the protection of shorelines in the next three years as part of measures to find a lasting solution to the frequent ocean surge in the state.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the fifth Climate Change Summit, in Lagos, with the theme: “Vulnerability and Adaptability to Climate Change in Nigeria with particular focus on Transportation, Housing and Infrastructural Sectors of Lagos State,” in Lagos, Governor Fashola noted that the challenge of climate change “is the biggest war of our time as it has caused more devastations than wars.”

Recalling the Kuramo ocean surge last year, the governor said the state was taken unawares by the surge as there was no budget towards mitigating the effects and consequences of the surge in the

2012 fiscal budget of the government.

Fashola said: “In the implementation of last year ’s budget, we did not conceive that the uncompleted part of the Eko Atlantic City would be overrun by the ocean surge.

The Kuramo surge late last year came and took away walls of property from the end of Ahmadu Bello Way right down to Alpha Beach.

We didn’t budget for that, we didn’t see it coming, but what did we do? In the last quar-

ter of the year, we called all the departments together that everybody must contribute some capital votes so that we can start an urgent protection of all of the property on the road, from Oniru Beach right down to Alpha Beach.”

Police foil robbery attempt, kill one at airport

BY DANIEL ETEGHE

L

AGOS—POLICE yesterday foiled an attempted robbery attack at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos as one of the robbers was shot dead during an exchange of gunfire between the police and the robbers.

An eyewitness who was at the airport at the time of the incident around 8:00 pm told Vanguard that the armed robbers numbering over 10 came into the airport through terminal zero and proceeded straight into the arrival and departure halls of

the terminal.

The source further noted that on entering the terminal, the armed robbers ordered all the users of the airport to lie down while those who refused to comply were shot. A protocol officer of Addax Oil Company identified as Chike, who was one of those shot by the robbers was reportedly taken to a hospital in an ambulance after the armed robbers had left the airport.

When contacted, the General Manager Corporate Communications, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. Yakubu Dati, who confirmed the incident in a

text message sent to our correspondent said that the robbery attack took place at Ikeja near the perimeter fence of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.

According to him: “There was an exchange of fire, which resulted in the death of one of the robbers. The level of casualty is being ascertained. The situation has since been brought under control by the swift intervention of joint security forces.”

“They were apparently attempting to rob a bureau-dechange near the airport. Normal operations and flight have not been affected by the incident,” Dati affirmed.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013 — 11

Atiku hails formation of APC Wants President, govs barred from using state resources for election campaigns

I

BY OLA AJAYI

BADAN—FORMER Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, yesterday,threw his weight behind the formation of All Progressives Congress, APC, saying it would form a strong and principled political opposition in the country.

This came as he advocated the banning of the President and Governors from using state resources to campaign for elections.

The former Vice-President was at a lecture organised by the Department of Political Science, University of Ibadan to mark its 50th anniversary.

While throwing his weight behind a two-party system, he said: “I am pleased that progress is being made in that regard with the recent emergence of the All Progressives Congress, APC. It is also the only guarantee of a viable alternative to the ruling party, which is critical for keeping the ruling party from taking the electorate for granted.”

While calling for a ban for the use of state funds by the President and governors for election, he said: “Where such use is unavoidable such as the use by the President of the Presidential aircraft, the cost must be borne by the incumbent’s party.

This is how it is done in real

democracies.”

Atiku also decried alleged rise of dictatorship of the executive and godfatherism in the nation’s polity.

He lamented the absence of internal democracy which he said was badly managed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and other political parties and canvassed for genuine electoral reform that would

engender internal democracy in the country.

The former Vice President contended that “the reforms will not only seek to bring about direct changes in the way parties conduct their affairs, but change the electoral system in a manner that will leave the political parties little choice but to promote internal democracy as a survival strategy.”

He said there should be effective monitoring of parties to ensure conformity with electoral laws, noting that this “might include time-bound intrusive legislative changes empowering the INEC to intrusively monitor parties for the next 15 or 20 years to ensure that they obey the laws of the land, including their own constitutions and guidelines.”

MEETING: From left: Olootu Leye Ashaye, General Secretary, Yoruba Conflicts Resolution Committe; Elegushi of Ikateland, Oba Saheed Elegushi; Ajobu of Araromi-Obu,Oba Aderemi Adelola; Olugbo of Ugboland, Oba Obateru Akinruntan, and Owa of Ogbagi-Akoko, Oba Victor Adetona, at the committee’s meeting in Lagos.

Welfare: Education Ministry, labour settle rift

BY VICTORAHIUMA-YOUNG

A

BUJA—THE Federal Min istry of Education, FME, and the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, have resolved the industrial dispute between them over the welfare of staff among others which prompted the association to issue a 21-day strike notice to FME. At a meeting between leaders of ASCSN and officials of FME headed by the Minister of Education, Professor Rukayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i, in Abuja, both parties after extensive discussion of the issues in dispute agreed among others that “the Permanent Secretary of Education, PSE, should Provide a quarterly schedule of meeting between the Ministry and the National Leadership of ASCSN which would be chaired by the PSE if the Minister is unavoidably absent.

On the stagnation of officers who are due for promotion in the Ministry, the meeting agreed that the Ministry should expedite action on its current effort to create additional vacancies through the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, OHCSF; On the nonplacement of staff after promotion and the nonpayment of promotion arrears, it was agreed that the Task Force put in place to address

the issues should conclude its assignment latest by the end of April 2013.

“On the nonpayment of allowances to officers who attended the mandatory Training for Officers on Gl.14-16 organized by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, OHCSF, in 2010, it was agreed that the Ministry’s record showing the list of those who attended be brought to the attention of the PSE with a

view to liaising with the Budget Office of the Federation, BOF, for payment.

“On the nonpayment of first 28 days allowance to officers posted since 2008, the meeting agreed that the list should be compiled with a view to liaising with the Budget Office of the Federation for payment; On the need to strengthen the Quality Assurance functions of the Federal Inspectorate Services, FIS, it was agreed

that, FIS, should be adequately funded while a meeting of the, FIS, Zonal/State Co-ordinating Inspectors be held with the PSE to address their challenges; On the issue of posting of Union officers before the expiration of their tenure, the meeting agreed that the Ministry should revisit the posting while officers posted without personal request or on compassionate grounds should be paid their entitlements.

....As NASU vows to continue strike

BY AMAKAABAYOMI

L

AGOS—THE Re search and Projects Trade Group Council of the NonAcademic Staff Unions of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, has said the union will step up the on-going strike following Federal Government’s refusal to honour the agreement reached with the union.

At an emergency meeting at NASU’s liaison office in Ibadan, the group, made up of NASU, Academic Staff Union of Research Institutes, ASURI and Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teach-

ing Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutes, SSATHURIAI, expressed disappointment over government’s position on the plight of the research & allied institution’s workers as the agreement reached with government to resolve issues within six weeks from 27th August, 2012, hasn’t been complied with.

They said: “We appreciate the efforts of the Minister of Labour & Productivity, Emeka Wogu, and Minister of State for Agriculture & Rural Development, Alhaji Bukar Tijani, in ensuring that the memo on our demands is forwarded to the

office of President.

“Since government has decided not to honour the agreement entered into, the Council-in-session unanimously agreed to step up the on-going strike action and make it tighter, and the directive to states not to grant management any concession still stand.”

Part of the agreement entered into by both parties includes the immediate payment of the 12 months arrears; implementation of the 65 years retirement age; improved funding of research institutes; approval of earned allowances; and establishment of NARICOM, among others.

FG approves new FESTAC Town in Lagos

L

AGOS—THE Federal Government, yesterday, approved the development of phase II of FESTAC town in Lagos under a public-private partnership arrangement.

Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms. Ama Pepple, made this known while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting which was presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan.

She said the proposed Phase II FESTAC project, which would yield N25.7 billion to the Federal Government, would involve the development of the remaining 1,126 hectares of land out of the 2,000 hectares acquired for ‘FESTAC 77’.

She noted that only a portion of the land initially acquired was developed while the remaining was abandoned due to lack of funds, adding that this prompted the ministry to move to develop the phase II through the new arrangement.

The minister said: “Council approved that we can concession the area we call FESTAC phase II to a company called New FESTAC Property Development Company. The area involved, is a 1,126 hectares.

“And we estimate that when it is completely reclaimed, sand-filled, because it’s swampy; it’s a swampy area, we will be able to create at least 7,000 plots and then the new area, the FESTAC phase II will be like a new city with houses, shopping malls, schools, police station, health centres, you know the normal things you expect in a new city.”

Pepple said the Council approved that the remaining portion of land should be developed after reclamation was done by the private company to fasttrack the project.

“This is a way of developing the economy without dipping hands into government purse,” she said.

Pepple also explained that the concession of the project, granted to four companies, would span over a 30-year period with three years moratorium. She said that government would be generating an annual ground rent of N150 million from the FESTAC II project when completed.

12—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

Focus on industrial devt, Good Governance team tells Akpabio

BY TONY NYONG

U

YO—THE Good Governance team that visited Akwa Ibom State has advised the state government to direct its attention to the establishment of ventures that would facilitate the emergence of an industrial sector in the state.

The team which ended its tour with a Town Hall meeting at the State Banquet Hall, said though much had been done in the area of infrastructure, it was time to focus on building an industrial base in the state.

The team, led by Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, noted that Akwa Ibom State is a civil service state, adding that steps should be taken to create industrial clusters that will provide jobs to thousands of unemployed youths in the state.

2015: Delta North leaders yet to pick candidate —CDPFGG

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI—CONCERNED Delta Professionals For Good Governance, CDPFGG, yesterday, said Delta North leaders were yet to decide on who to present for the forthcoming 2015 governorship election in Delta State.

Reacting to media reports credited to chairman of Delta Focus Group, DFG, Chief Joshua Egun-Okoh, secretary of CDPFGG, Mr Lee Onwochei, said: “Delta Focus Group has no locus-standi to decide who goes for what in Delta North. Delta North indigenes know their leaders.

“Delta North has responsible and reliable opinion leaders, political and traditional rulers, who direct the affairs of the people. The said DFG does not fall into any of the above categories.”

Odi: Court dismisses FG's application to stay N37.6bn judgment

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

P

ORT HARCOURT— JUSTICE Lambo Akambi of a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday, described as frivolous and lacking in merit, the application by the Federal Government seeking to stay execution of the N37.6 billion judgment awarded the people of Odi community in Bayelsa State, pending the determination of an appeal against the judgment.

Ruling on the application, Justice Akambi said it would be unfair to grant the request of the Federal Government since it took the people of Odi about 10 years to secure judgment in the issue.

The judge said the Federal Government had not advance convincing reasons on why its application should be granted, adding that the government had capacity to pay the compensation awarded the community.

According to Justice Akambi, any legal hurdle to delay payment of the compensa-

tion will amount to robbing the people of justice.

The trio of Mr. Lawal Rabana SAN, Chief Lucius Nwosu, SAN and Mr. Ifedayo Adedipe SAN, counsel to Odi community, had opposed the application by the Federal Government to the stay of execution of the judgment.

Rabana, had urged the court to disregard the Federal Government’s application.

The Federal Government, through its counsel, Mr. Michael Nomeh, pleaded with the court to stay execution of the N37.6 billion judgment, awarded the people of

PRESENTATION: Delta State Deputy Governor, Prof. Amos Utuama (middle), former Deputy Governor of the State, Chief Benjamin Elue (left) and Delta State PDP Chairman, Chief Peter Nwaoboshi, during the presentation of staff of office to the Ugoani of Okpanam, His Royal Majesty, Obi Michael Mbanefo Ogbolu.

Jonathan lauded over visit to Yobe, Borno

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

B

E N I N — N AT I O N A L Coordinator of Jubilee Democratic Emancipation Group, JUDEG, Dr. Dele Oluwatade, has commended President Goodluck Jonathan on his recent visit to the northern states of Yobe and Borno, against the backdrop of the insurgent activities of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, saying that the visit had demonstrated that he loves the country.

He said: “The President's visit to Yobe and Borno States, has shown that he is a strong man who loves this

country more than his life.

“In actual fact, it will not take more than one missile to bring down any plane. I must say that throughout his stay there, my mind was not at rest because I know what fanatics in that area can do. So, we must congratulate our President for being bold enough, for demonstrating that he loves this country by going to the war zone.”

Oluwatade, who spoke with Vanguard, yesterday, in Benin, Edo State, commended the president for his firm position that he will not grant amnesty to ghost fighters.

“I think he should be congratulated also for stating clearly

that it is not possible to grant amnesty to ghost fighters.

This is a challenge from the President that he was ready to grant amnesty; but the fighters must show their faces. Who is their leader? Who is their father? How many people are in they commanding? That is when we can start talking.

“For now, they are murderers that have been let loose, so, I think the president should be congratulated for that clear answer and I think our president, within the international community, has come greatly of age in terms of performance.”

Edo LG polls: Orbih’s condemnation of ACN primaries laughable —Idahosa

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM ENIN—POLITICAL Adviser to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Chief Charles Idahosa, has described as laughable, allegation by Edo State Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, that the leadership of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in the state, led by the governor, imposed chairmanship and councillorship candidates on members ahead of the local government elec-

B

Odi community until appeal on the matter was determined.

Nomeh argued that if the money was paid ahead of determination of the appeal, it will be difficult to get it back from the people in the event that the outcome of the appeal was not in tandem with the earlier court pronouncement.

tions, rather than conduct primaries.

Idahosa, who described the PDP chairman as “a confused man,” said: “The PDP leadership is unqualified to condemn the non-conduct of primaries in ACN. In any case, the state governor does not have any responsibility for the conduct of primaries. It is the responsibility of the party structure and leaders to do so.

“In my local government area for instance, primaries were conducted at Ehor, the council

headquarters, all delegates were assembled including the candidates. The process was peaceful and transparent. It was covered by the press and adequately reported. This process was replicated across the state. In any case, nomination by consensus is constitutional and valid. The ACN consensus process is structured, standardised and eminently superior to that of the PDP consensus that produced the recent Board of Trustees Chairman in Abuja.”

Reyenieju gets kudos over election into Commonwealth association

BY DANIEL GUMM

W

ARRI— THE election of Mr. Daniel Reyenieju, as Vice-Chairman, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, African Region, has been hailed by a grassroots political mobilising group, Warri People for Good Governance, WPGG, led by Mr. Cyril Egbejule.

Reyenieju represents Warri Federal constituency in the House of Representatives.

Egbejule, in a statement in Warri, Delta State, commended Reyenieju’s mission statement of “ensuring that the cartographic space known in law as the Warri Federal constituency and all those who live within, enjoy good, robust and consultative legislative representations in the House Representatives and equally benefit from the oversight functions of every federal legislator.”

He said WPGG has seen that “Reyenieju had carried out his promises in accordance with his mission statement. With this, our confidence in him has been vindicated, so, we call for his continuity in office, come 2015."

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013—13

The world salutes Pope Francis

BY SAM EYOBOKA

W

HITE smoke poured from the roof of the Sistine Chapel, Wednesday night, and the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica pealed, signaling that the 115 cardinals had chosen a new pope to lead the troubled Roman Catholic Church after only five ballots. With a puff of white smoke from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel at exactly 7.07 p.m. (Vatican and Nigerian time), thousands of rain-soaked faithful at the St. Peter’s Basilica and all over the world rose in excitement.

The decision by 115 cardinal electors came sooner than many faithful expected because of the large number of possible frontrunners identified before the vote to replace Pope Benedict, who resigned in February. The new Pope, the 266th pontiff in the church’s 2,000-year history, faces a daunting array of problems, including sex abuse scandals, infighting within the Vatican bureaucracy and the growing spread of secularism.

In Lagos, several Catholic faithful including the Lagos Archdiocesan director of Social Communications, Rev. Monsignor Gabriel Osu, reacted excitedly, saying repeatedly: “we thank God we have a Pope. We are anxiously waiting for the revelation of his personality. It’s a very happy development that they were able to elect a Pope within two days of the Conclave.”

The Vanguard newsroom erupted in ecstasy as soon as the white smoke started billowing through the chimney of the Sistine as Catholics and non Catholics jumped excitedly in celebration of the revelation because it ended a long pe-

Pope Francis

is a possible date. He spoke before white smoke signalled news of a new pope, and it was unclear if he expected a decision on Wednesday. Lombardi also said in the same interview that the new pope would likely celebrate Mass with cardinals today.

The date of a papal installation typically begins with cardinals visit to the grottos of St. Peter’s Basilica, where the first pope, St. Peter, is said to be buried.

There, the new pope is expected to say, “I leave from where the apostle arrived” before a procession to the square and an installation Mass (the Mass lasted two hours for Benedict’s installation in 2005).

At the installation Mass, Francis is expected to receive the Fisherman’s Ring made for his papacy (the one Benedict wore was given up when he retired on February 28 and purposefully damaged

by Vatican authorities per tradition) as well as the pallium, the woolen stole It’s unclear when the installation that’s a symbol of his Mass will happen, but Vatican authority.

When Benedict spokesman, Fr. Frederico Lombardi, was elected, 12 said earlier on Wednesday that Tues- church representatives knelt in front of day, March 19, the feast of St. Johim at the installation: three cardinals, seph, is a possible date one bishop, a priest,

,

riod of anxiety. Unknown to them, the white smoke marked the beginning of another round of anxiety because the process of producing a new Pope is not complete until he is properly dressed and comes to the balcony which marks his official revelation to the world.

Thousands of faithful have poured into the Vatican with anticipation of the emergence of a new Pope to inherit the reigns of authority left behind by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI who abdicated his office on February 28 due to agerelation health complications. Jorge Mario Bergoglio, (born December 17, 1936) elected on March 13, 2013 has assumed the regnal name of Francis.

Prior to his election, he served as an Argentine cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church.

He has served as the Archbishop of Buenos Aires since 1998. He was elevated to the cardinalate in 2001.

Francis, whose papacy is effective immediately, will be formally installed in the coming days. It’s unclear when the installation Mass will happen, but Vatican spokesman, Fr. Frederico Lombardi, said earlier on Wednesday that Tuesday, March 19, the feast of St. Joseph,

,

a deacon, a married couple, a nun and man from a religious order, and two young people who have had their confirmations - a key sacrament of the faith.

A similar group is expected to kneel in front of Francis as a symbolic pledge of obedience.

After the Mass, the new pope customarily is driven around St. Peter’s Square to greet groups of priests and lay people from around the world who have come to see him. In the days after, he is expected to visit the three main Roman basilicas aside from St. Peter ’s: St. Paul’s, St. John Lateran’s and St. Mary Major’s. The first visit is usually to St. Paul - outside the Vatican City walls.

For his first few weeks as pope, Francis will live in a temporary apartment away from the official papal residence.

Vatican spokesman Lombardi previously showed reporters a video of new pope’s short-term home, which has a study, a sitting area and a carving of Jesus Christ’s face on the headboard of the bed. Francis will stay there while the official papal apartment is renovated. The apartment was sealed after Benedict’s resignation and church rules say it can’t be reopened for any reason until there is a new pope.

14 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

Anambra House passes N110.9bn budget for 2013

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

A

WKA — Anambra State House of Assembly has passed the state’s 2013 budget of N110.94 billion.

The amount represents a slight increase of N60 million or 0.054 per cent of the N110.89 billion presented to the House for approval by Governor Peter Obi in December last year.

The approved amount is made up of N39.995 billion for recurrent expenditure and N70.955 billion for capital expenditure.

The additional N60 million was an increase made by the finance and appropriation committee on the projected share of the state’s federation account from N54 billion to N54.06 billion.

The lawmakers also increased the capital expenditure of the House of Assembly from N710.50 million to N770.500 million and allocation for constituency projects from N300 million to N360 million The House similarly removed the N50 million emergency funds allocated to Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board, ASUBEB, thereby reducing the capital expenditure of the Ministry of Education from N10.224

million to N10.173 million.

It also reduced the capital expenditure estimate for Environmental Health/Pollution control from N263 million to N21.5 million and increased the allocation for the promotion of preservation of arts, Igbo language and culture from N20 million to N70 million, thus increasing the capital budget of the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism from N888.617 million to N938.617 million.

Another landmark capital allocation increase was for the State Independent Electoral Commission, ANSIEC, from N298 million to N498 million, specifically to ensure that the commission conducted local government election this year.

ECOLOGICAL FUND: From left: Chief Emeka Eze, Igwe of Oko, Chairman, Presidential Team on South East Ecological Project; Prof. Laz Ekwueme and Dr. Peter Obi, Anambra State Governor, during the inspection of ecological projects of South-East, at Oko, Anambra State.

10 of 27 Imo lawmakers sign notice to impeach Dep Gov

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

O

WERRI — ONLY 10 of the 27 members of Imo State House of Assembly have reportedly signed the petition for the impeachment of Imo State Deputy Governor, Sir Jude Agbaso.

Vanguard investigations revealed that the signatories, who are mainly

loyalists of all Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, includes Adaku Ihuoma, Donatus Ozoemena, Ikechukwu Amuka, Mike Ndubuaku, Emeka Nwafor, Luke Chukwu, Acho Ihim, Eudora Igwe, Victor Mere and Victor Ndunagu.

According to the petitioners, “the ground for the said petition is solely on the fact that the Deputy Governor, Sir Jude Agbaso, has committed gross

misconduct by allowing his personal/ pecuniary interest to affect the lawful performance of his duties as Deputy Governor and Commissioner for Works.”

The lawmakers equally alleged that this act not only contributed to the economic adversity of the state but also made it possible for the state to lose money directly under his watch.

Meanwhile, the lawmakers have

Placards carrying youths urge Okorocha to emulate Obi

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

A

WKA — SOME placards carrying youths who said they were from the Catholic Diocese of Orlu in Imo State, yesterday, at the border town of Uli in Anambra State, called on Governor Peter Obi to prevail on his colleague in Imo State to support churches in the reconstruction of schools as he was doing in Anambra.

Though Uli is in Anambra State, the Catholic Church in the area belongs to Orlu Diocese in Imo State and some schools there were among those returned to their original missionary owners by Governor Obi. Some of the placards carried by the youths read: “Gov Rochas repair our schools as Gov Obi is doing in Anambra”, “Gov Rochas, please, collaborate with the Church as your brother is doing in Anambra State,” and “Obi tell your brother governor to follow your footsteps.”

Obi said though his administration had returned the schools to their original owners, he would continue to assist

those schools.

Speaking on the occasion, Bishop Ukwuoma, who was accompanied

by Bishop emeritus of the Diocese, Most Rev. Gregory Ochiagha, the traditional ruler of Uli, Igwe Damian Onyekaonwu and other prominent members of the town, thanked Governor Obi for building a promising future for the children of the state.

passed a motion authorising the Sergeant-atArms to serve the impeachment notice with particulars of misconduct on Agbaso through substituted means.

The House authorised that the notice be pasted on the gate of his official residence and door of his office at Government House, Owerri.

It was also gathered that the impeachment notice was crafted pursuant to Section 188(1) 1999 Constitution, as amended.

48 illegal schools shut in Enugu

BY TONY EDIKE

E

NUGU—ENUGU State government, yesterday, ordered the closure of 48 private schools in Awgu Local Government Area for allegedly operating below standard and without approval.

State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Simon Ortuanya, who announced the closure of the schools during an inspection tour of private and public schools, lamented that the affected schools were not conducive for learning.

Ortuanya directed proprietors of the shut

schools to immediately stop their operations or face the wrath of the government, saying the government could not fold its arms and allow unscrupulous elements to sabotage ongoing efforts to raise the standard of education.

Also speaking during the tour, Mrs. Sylvia Onwubuemeli, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, said routine inspection tour of schools was part of efforts to ensure that the schools operated according to the standard set by the government.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013—15

Jubillation greets his emergence

How the world received new Pope

By HUGO ODIOGOR, SAM EYOBOKA, CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, UDUMA KALU with Agency reports

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

F

A

T exactly 7.06pm yesterday evening, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio,, emerged from the famed St Peters balcony waving to the multititude of Catholics that had gathered at the headquarters of the church as the new Pope. He will be known as Pope Francis 1. He emerged after the fifth ballot in the second day of the conclave of Cardinals The 75 year old Mario Bergoglio, runner up to Pope Benedict XV1 eight years ago is the son of Italian immigrants to Argentina. He is the first non European to be Pope.

However, the Pope from South America. He is to be addressed as Pope Francis 1, and he is the first non European Pope to emerge from a region where like Africa, there is growth in the Catholic faith.

Biodata and name: Pope Francis 1 is a South American, the first nonEuropean in centuries, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He chose the name Pope Francis I, which has has a lot of meaning for Catholics - Francis of Assisi was credited with reforming the Catholic Church in the 13th century through humility, simplicity, and works of charity. Pope Francis 1 was born in Buenos Aires in December 1936, which makes him 75 at the moment, ordained as a Jesuit, and was made Bishop of Buenos Aires in 1992. He was elevated to Cardinal by John Paul II in 2001.

Challenges before the New Pope: The Cardinals made up their mind after the fifth rounds of voting to finally elect the new Pope who is coming into office at a time when Catholic conservatism is facing challenges from secularism and a near schism caused by the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and revelations of mismanagement, petty bickering, infighting and corruption in the Holy See bureaucracy were exposed by the leaks of papal documents last year, have divided the College of Cardinals into camps seeking a radical reform of the Holy See’s governance and those defending the status quo.

Pope Francis 1 on his presentation to the world yesterday

Origin of the Jesuits

J

ESUITS, member of Society of Jesus (S.J.), a Roman Catholic order of religious men, founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola, noted for its educational, missionary, and charitable works, once regarded by many as the principal agent of the Counter-Reformation and later a leading force in modernizing the church. The Jesuits have always been a controversial group regarded by some as a society to be feared and condemned and by others as the most laudable and esteemed religious order in the Catholic Church.

The order grew out of the activity of Ignatius, a Spanish soldier who experienced a religious conversion during a period of convalescence from a wound received in battle. After a period of intense prayer, he composed the Spiritual Exercises, a guidebook to convert the heart and mind to a closer following of Christ.

On August 15, 1534, at Paris, six young men who had met him at the University of Paris and made a retreat according to the Spiritual Exercises joined him in binding themselves by vows to poverty, chastity, and a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. If this last promise did not prove possible, as it did not, they vowed to accept any apostolic work requested by the pope. In 1539 Ignatius drafted the first outline of the order ’s organization, which Pope Paul III approved on September 27, 1540. The society introduced several innovations in the form of the religious life. Among these were the discontinuance of many

medieval practices - such as regular penances or fasts obligatory on all, a common uniform, and the choral recitation of the liturgical office - in the interest of greater mobility and adaptability. Other innovations included a highly centralized form of authority with life tenure for the head of the order; probation lasting many years before final vows; gradation of members; and lack of a female branch.

Special obedience Particular emphasis was laid upon the virtue of obedience, including special obedience to the pope. Emphasis was also placed upon flexibility, a condition that allowed Jesuits to become involved in a great variety of ministries in all parts of the world.

The society grew rapidly, and it quickly assumed a prominent role in the Counter-Reformation defense and revival of Catholicism. Almost from the beginning, education and scholarship became the principal work. The early Jesuits, however, also produced preachers and catechists who devoted themselves to the care of the young, the sick, prisoners, prostitutes, and soldiers; and they were often called upon to undertake the controversial task of confessor to many of the royal and ruling families of Europe.

The society entered the foreign mission field within months of its founding as Ignatius sent Francis Xavier, his most gifted companion, and three others to the East.

OR several hours, yesterday, an expectant crowd at St Peter’s Square and the world anxiously fixed their gaze at the chimney of the Sistine Chapel waiting for the billowing of a white smoke that will indicate that the successor of Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI has been elected.

They were not disappointed.

At exactly 7.06 p.m, a thick white smoke, which billowed for about five minutes poured out of the chimney and threw the crowd into rapturous celebration. A 13day wait for the 266th pope of the world’s 1.2 Catholic Church had ended. Following the white smoke, bells rang repeatedly as the crowd, which had been keeping vigil in St. Peter's Square since Tuesday cheered.

Around the city, there was a surge of people running down the streets to join the crowd at the square.

Waving flags of different countries, the jubilant crowd

thereafter shifted their gaze to the Vatican Balcony, to catch a glimpse of the New Pope. Everyone pulled as close as possible to get a better view of the balcony. As they wait the crowd sang as the papal band played the Vatican National anthem. The world endured about one hour, six minutes of anxious wait before Proto-Deacon Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran of France appeared at the balcony to announce in Latin: “Habemus Papam!(We have a New Pope).

Three minutes later, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 76, of Argentina was announced as the new pontiff. And at exactly 8.23 p.m, Cardinal Bergoglio, who will superintend the church as Pope Francis was unveiled. His unveiling from the time the white smoke appeared at the Sistine chapel chimney was one hour 17 minutes. Longer than the 45 minutes his predecessor, Benedict XVI to appear in the balcony in 2005. Pope Francis, the first South American pope was elected after five sessions of voting over three days.

The Franciscan order

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RANCISCANS are those people and groups (religious orders) who adhere to the teachings and spiritual disciplines of Saint Francis of Assisi. The term is usually applied to members who also adhere to the Roman Catholic Church. However, other denominations also have members who self describe as Franciscan. They include Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran.

The most prominent group is the Order of Friars Minor, commonly called simply the “Franciscans.” They seek to follow most directly the manner of life that Saint Francis led. This Order is a mendicant religious order of men tracing their origin to Francis of Assisi. It comprises three separate groups, each considered a religious order in its own right. These are the Observants, most commonly simply called “Franciscan friars,” the Capuchins, and the Conventual Franciscans. They all live according to a body of regulations known as “The Rule of St. Francis”.

The official Latin name of the Orders of Friars Minor is the Ordo Fratrum Minorum. St. Francis thus referred to his followers as “Fraticelli”, meaning “Little Brothers”. Franciscan brothers are informally called friars or the Minorites. The modern organization of the Friars Minor now comprises three separate branches: the ‘Friars Minor’ (OFM); the ‘Friars Minor

Conventual’ (OFM Conv), and the ‘Friars Minor Capuchin’ (OFM Cap). The women who comprise the “Second” Order of the movement are most commonly called Poor Clares in English-speaking countries. The order is called the “Order of St. Clare” (O.S.C.).

The Franciscan Third Order, the Third Order of Saint Francis or Third Order of Penance, has many men and women members, whether in religious communities under the traditional religious vows, or trying to live the ideals of the movement in their daily lives outside of religious institutes. The Fransican Order is also sometimes referred to as the Seraphic Order.

Beginning of the brotherhood: A sermon which Francis heard in 1209 on Mt 10:9 made such an impression on him that he decided to devote himself wholly to a life of apostolic poverty. Clad in a rough garment, barefoot, and, after the Evangelical precept, without staff or scrip, he began to preach repentance.

He was soon joined by a prominent fellow townsman, Bernardo di Quintavalle, who contributed all that he had to the work, and by other companions, who are said to have reached the number of eleven within a year. The brothers lived in the deserted lazarhouse of Rivo Torto near Assisi; but they spent much of their time traveling through the mountainous districts of Umbria, always cheerful and full of songs, yet making a deep impression on their hearers by their earnest exhortations.

16—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

How to grab your clients

By EFE ALEXANDRA OMORDIA

(Warning; the following writeup is symbolic in nature. Any attempt to take it in its literal sense may be detrimental to your hard won reputation)

N

EXT to a private jet, sex is the best thing that ever hit the planet. Forget the raunchy novels, the long lines in front of the cinema when it’s adult night and the slimy watery exchange of bodily fluids, there is nothing quite like making love. It’s the stuff romantic movies are made of. It’s the stuff that makes the world go round and that certainly includes any business entity.

The problem with most people is that they view their clients just as a lion views its prey. They are ready for the kill and they make no bones about their desire but then they get disappointed when they fail to connect with their clients. Who on earth, I ask, would feel comfortable in a lion’s den?

So right now based on the challenging business environment where more and more businesses are becoming relics, I will do you a great favor by giving you steps on how to get really intimate with your clients. For how else can you engage them in a lifelong love affair if not through intimacy?

Step one (foreplay) 1. Know your client: sounds silly I know but how many of us really take that time to get to really know a potential client? The reason most marriages are in trouble today is that the couples involved didn’t take that time to get to really know each other. They

were more concerned with superficial considerations. They did not engage in a soul search. As a client service officer, marketing officer, owner of a growing business etc., you have to take the time out to understand what makes your client tick. Take the time out to study and research on potential clients. It varies. The way and manner in which the knowledge would be sought will depend largely upon the kind of climate your business operates within. It could be something as mundane as learning how to properly pronounce the name of your client or something as complex as finding out their likes and dislikes through constant communication.

The bottom line is that each client should feel as if he or she is the most important person in the world.

Constant communication 2. Communicate with your client; it goes beyond mere talking.

There has to be a connection, a bonding. So that means more of listening and less talking. Don’t be in a hurry to sell your product, ideas etc. Become a confidant.

Listen to your client as they talk about seemingly inconsequential things. You have to realize that if they don’t get whatever it is out of their system, they may not be in the mood to talk business.

Granted some clients/customers can really get on one’s nerves with personal details but that’s a small price to pay if you intend to maintain a long-term relationship. If necessary gently and diplomatically stir the conversation to the topic at hand. Don’t act like a teenage boy with over active hormones who only has one thing in

his mind when he is with a female. Easy does it! Don’t rush it!

Take it slow!

3. Look at your client: one of the most effective ways of getting your partner in the mood is to really look at him or her. Not look down but revere. Two Face Idibia, the popular musician sang a song in which he emphasized the role of the eye as the window to the soul. Here are one or two lines of the song for you to ponder upon; I see happiness, I see joy and sorrow in the eye… it’s all in the eye. The eye is where it begins and where it ends. When you engage in a conversation with a client, he doesn’t just listen to your words but also subconsciously observes your expression. Something inside him wants to figure out if you mean what you say and when your eye is not speaking the same language with your mouth, he can tell and it makes him uncomfortable. So when you are in the work environment, put any thought aside that will put you in a bad mood. Let positive thoughts assail your senses and when you convey that to your client. He becomes yours for life.

Affirmative expressions 4. Choose your words carefully; stories abound of individuals who get turned off just at the point of making love by something the other party said. So in dealing with your clients, you really have to carefully choose your words.

Communicate with positive and affirmative expressions. Even if you have to decline a request do so in an extremely polite manner.

When you act that way, the client will not see it as a rejection. As you engage in the conversation

make the client see possibilities not barriers. Make the client see new vistas just by associating with you and your organization. Use words that build not words that destroy.

Step two (the main act) 1. Understand your client rhythm: by this time you are in for the kill but don’t get cocky about it, be the nice and considerate person that you have always been. Taking a relationship for granted is the best way to end it. At this stage your relationship with your client should be in steady footing but still be in tune with the rhythm. Always seek

,

HEAR TCORE HEART STRA TEGIES STRATEGIES

butt covered. If you have to take insurance do so, if you need proper referrals get it. If you start seeing any signs that things won’t be healthy for the growth of your business or for your own personal safety, investigate and if it is an authentic fear, disengage as quickly as possible 4. Be a true professional; this is not the time to fumble. You should know exactly what to do and how to do it. No time for false starts or unfulfilled desires Step three (after the act) 1. Give your client something to talk about; if you were that good, you definitely would be talked about. I am not against advertising in the print or electronic media but they are people

Make the client see new vistas just by associating with you and your organization. Use words that build not words that destroy

ways in which the relationship will be fresh, exciting and relevant. Seek ways in which you can help your client grow. Always be on the look-out for new opportunities.

2. Always seek to reach orgasm after orgasm; this involves a lot of creativity and insight. Just when your client thinks that it cannot get any better, spring up another pleasant surprise. Oprah Winfrey is an individual who best typifies this trait. In the defunct Oprah Winfrey Show, the producers always had something up their sleeve. There was always something to look forward to. Just when one thought that it wouldn’t get better, something much better would usually come along. So keep the pleasant surprises coming 3. Use protection; as much as you seek a permanent relationship, make sure that you got your

,

who have never advertised their businesses in that manner but who are doing so well. If a customer can convince others about your business through the results he or she is getting, you will never lack. There is a young man I know who is involved in laundry business. Due to his great skills, he is always booked. Infact he doesn’t want any more customers so don’t ask me for his number.

2. Feel good; it is one thing to satisfy your customer and it is another thing to feel fulfilled as you engage in the exchange. The more you take pleasure in what you do, the more you will enjoy the process and what is life if not to live it abundantly?

Efe Alexandra Omordia is a Work Attitude Expert/Lifestyle Cheerleading Consultant. (efeomordia@yahoo.co.uk) 08162528362

Niger CPC wants SIEC replaced by INEC at LG elections

BY WOLE MOSADOMI

M

INNA — CHAIR MAN, Niger State Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Alhaji Umaru Shuaibu has called for the scrapping of state Independent Electoral Commission, SIEC, to

enable the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, take over the conduct of local government elections in the country.

CPC said SIECs lacked transparency and acceptability, pointing out that abolishing them would promote peace as

well as the growth of democracy.

Shuaibu who spoke in an interview with Vanguard in Minna, said the SIECs had proved to be stooges to their respective state governors and therefore had no other alternative than to dance to their

tunes.

“I don’t believe in state Electoral Commission. I believe that local government elections should be conducted by INEC,” he added.

According to him, despite the anomalies recorded against INEC in the previous elections,

Bauchi students'll do all national exams in spite of ASUSS strike, govt vows

BY SUZAN EDEH

B

AUCHI — THE Bauchi State government, yesterday, assured that secondary school students will still sit for this year ’s WAEC, NABTEB, NECO and JAMB examinations irrespective of the on-going strike by members of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools, ASUSS, which has led to the detention of 11 of the teachers for about two weeks now.

State Commissioner for

Education, Alhaji Ibrahim Aminu gave the assurance in Bauchi while speaking with newsmen.

Aminu said, ‘’public secondary schools in the state will still write the NECO, WAEC, NABTEB and JAMB examinations in spite of the continued strike by secondary teachers and their threat to boycott the public examinations.

“We are aware of the plans by the striking teachers to steer clear of the NECO, WAEC, NABTEB and JAMB

examination halls, but the state government is not distrubed because it has made adequate prepartions to cover any shortfall during the examinations.

"There is no cause for alarm.

The government has made plans to replace the striking teachers. There are people who are looking for their jobs; so if they are not willing, there are teachers who we will recruit to do the work.”

According to Aminu, the state government was not also bothered about ASUSS’s strike

because it had completed plans to replace the striking teachers.

Aminu further said the ASUSS was not a recognised trade union since it was not legally registered and was not affiliated to the Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT. He explained that the government would further provide adequate security to all interested teachers who refused to join the indefinite industrial action by the ASUSS over suspension of payment of allowances.

it was still better than SIECs and should therefore, be allowed to conduct the local government elections.

“By all standards, INEC is better than SIEC. Tell me how we are going to be fair when the chairmen of electoral body and their staff are appointed by the government in power, which is the ruling party.

No doubt, there is rigging at the national level too but it is not as glaring as it is at the state level. So, INEC should be made to conduct local government elections for transparency and acceptability,” Shuaibu added.

On 2015 elections, the CPC chairman assured that it would not be business as usual for any intending rigger or their collaborators adding that the electorate were now wiser on how to defend their votes.

“Let me tell you, that more than ever before we are going to defend our votes because that is our life and that is the only option left for us; otherwise we will not survive."

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013— 17 lost a major opportunity, not only to win the hearts and mind of the people that have been caught up in the insurgency and counter-insurgency, and as Prof. Nur Alkali said, almost all of who have lost a relation to the crisis. The stridently bellicose posture adopted by the President was so out of place on the occasion.

“To be frank, Mr. President, but for dialogue, you wouldn’t have become the President of this country today…Mr. President, sometimes we wonder whether you are running a military government, a democracy or something called diarchy. We can hardly put our finger on what type of government you are running” - Alhaji Shettima Ali Monguno, Elder Statesman FTER running out of a stock of ridiculous excuses, President Goodluck Jonathan finally plucked the courage to visit Borno and Yobe states, last week. As if to underline the various strands of prejudice which have informed official security thinking since the commencement of the Boko Haram insurgency, three thousand policemen were deployed to secure the presidential visit, commanded by the IGP himself! The entire atmosphere surrounding the visit showed that we have a President reluctantly visiting a major region of his country, rocked by an insurgency that he clearly has refused to understand and which he approaches with a subjective mindset that makes it difficult to move meaningfully forward. In truth, it seemed clear that if the President had his way, he would not have visited those states at all. But the pressures to visit overwhelmed President Jonathan and while it lasted, it seemed with hindsight, it was better that he never went in the first place.

Stripped of the more perfunctory gestures of commissioning a few projects, the most substantial event of the visit was the town hall meeting with the Borno Elders. In the days before the visit, the leading traditional ruler in Northern Nigeria, Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, had called on the Federal Government to declare a total amnesty to all combatants, “without thinking twice”.

The Sultan had told his audience at the meeting of the Jama’atuNasrilIslam that “if the amnesty is declared, majority of those young men who have been running will come out and embrace that amnesty”. This call for amnesty was strongly canvassed by Borno Elders too, and speaking through the renowned intellectual, Prof. Nur Alkali, they argued that there was no better time than now, to declare an amnesty. “Mr. President,

President Jonathan's missed Borno opportunity even if it is one person who came forward to call for peace, he should be received with open arms and reintegrated into society. The journey of a thousand mile begins with the first step”.

P

rof. Nur Alkali spoke passionately and clearly about the collateral loss of lives in the wake of the JTF’s counter-insurgency tactics, stating that: “When the militants kill one security officer, a whole ward is put on fire and dead bodies have to litter the streets”. In the main, those who spoke at the gathering were people who have made contributions to the development of Nigeria and who in the period since 2009, have chronicled the massive loss of lives and property in the wake of the insurgency and the state’s counter-insurgency. It was in response to the various appeals, that we saw a bellicose President Jonathan, adopt that insensitive posture of telling the gathered elders that they were playing to the gallery. Jonathan told Borno that the troops were not going to be removed, but “if the elders agree to come and sign an agreement with

me that I should withdraw the JTF, but anybody that is killed [SIC] in Borno State, I will hold them responsible.

Come and sign a document and

,

A

I

For as long as Jonathan refuses to think out of the box to find a far more peaceful route out of the impasse we are inside, we will not need crystal balls to see that we are being led to perdition in the long term

,

guarantee the life and safety of life and property of individuals”. With that insensitive posture, Jonathan Goodluck

Presidential pardon for Alams

A

FEW days after refusing all entreaties to work for peace and reconciliation in Borno, President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Council of States, granted state pardon to DiepreiyeAlamieyeisegha.

The former governor had been convicted for stealing state funds. To pull wool on the eyes of Nigerians,

El Commandante Hugo Chavez

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WAS completing last week’s column in the wee hours of Tuesday night/ Wednesday morning, when I noticed the scroll on SKY NEWS that the Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez, had finally succumbed to the cancer he had battled in the past two years. I felt so sad that I could not even muster the effort to write a short tribute to the man, the fighter and revolutionary. In the week since he died, I have read tons of tributes to Chavez, but it is clear to me that he made a major contribution to re-igniting progressive politics, not only in Latin America but all around the world. He spoke of building 21st century Socialism in an age of neo-liberal triumphalism; his example led to the roll back of that reactionary capitalist ideological baggage in many parts of Latin America. He instituted social programmes which benefitted the working people and the poor in his native Venezuela, while maintaining an internationalist outlook which saw

DiepreiyeAlamieyeisegha: Pardoned

The late President Hugo Chavez the development of anti-imperialist links around the world. Hugo Chavez showed what was still possible in the context of the developments of our world, emphasising that power can be wielded in the interest of the mass of the people. May his example endure through the years. Hasta la victoria siempre!

the former MD of the defunct Bank of the North, Shettima Bulama was added to the pardon list. This is class justice at a most sickening level as well as a crudely ethnic one. I think Jonathan should just stop deceiving Nigerians that he is fighting against corruption.

In fact, somebody made a suggestion, that as part of the constitution review process, President Jonathan should move an amendment making corruption and fraud a Fundamental Objective and Directive Principle of State Policy. That way all those who have stolen Nigeria can then freely enjoy their loot without let or hindrance. Mister President, what about opening the gates of all prisons and allowing every imprisoned thief to go home? That will certainly be in the spirit of your “Transformation Agenda”.

t is becoming worrisomely clear that we are not likely to see the end of the insurgency soon. The reason is simply that the South-South group running the Nigerian federal administration today is hopelessly lost in the mindset that make it impossible to find a peaceful resolution. The “They-versus-Us” attitude is so strongly internalised, that it has become almost impossible for them to think out of the box of the prejudice that is of their own making. It is also located within that mindset that the President pitiably attempted to sound tough in a setting which demanded empathy and wisdom, not the gungho. Jonathan did not offer the longsuffering people of Borno and Yobe any hope, beyond the promise that the JTF will not be removed. He could not even be gracious enough to promise to investigate widely reported cases of extra-judicial killings or the collective punishment of communities. When he stated that his administration will not negotiate with ghosts, he probably did not see the irony of the unending announcements by the JTF of killings of militants and arrests of commanders of the Boko Haram group. Were these ghosts? It might also be appropriate to remind the President that he had stated in the past that there were members of Boko Haram in the government he leads; certainly, those in the Jonathan administration cannot be ghosts and the PDP chieftains arraigned in court as Boko Haram financiers cannot also be ghosts!

President Goodluck Jonathan lost the opportunity to make the grand gesture for peace and the turning of the sod of the foundation of reconciliation in Borno and Northern Nigeria in general. It was almost like telling the people in their homesteads that they do not matter and in a place like Borno where elders are revered, it is significant that he more or less spat at the gray hairs of the elderly. Maybe, the difference in culture was always brought to the fore; but if Jonathan wants to be a successful president of Nigeria, he must be schooled in the complexity of this country. He was amongst the Niger Delta elite that financed the Niger Delta militancy, most of the past decade in Nigeria. But these elite went scot free, because one of the clauses of the amnesty that Umaru Yar ’Adua offered in the Niger Delta, was a pardon for all those who financed the insurgency. It is this group that now controls the levers of power in Nigeria today. Unfortunately, they have assumed that Boko Haram was set up against their accession to power and that centrally has conditioned their attitude and misunderstanding of the complex religious, ideological and socioeconomic roots of the Boko Haram insurgency. For as long as Jonathan refuses to think out of the box to find a far more peaceful route out of the impasse we are inside, we will not need crystal balls to see that we are being led to perdition in the long term.

What tomorrow holds is very frightening, using the realities of today. Last week in Borno, President Jonathan just lost the opportunity to make a positive difference.

18 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013 AT 20, Nigeria’s home video industry, Nollywood, has assumed enough importance to receive presidential attention. Way before it turned 20; Nollywood had defined Nigeria internationally, through its daily offerings that are seen all over the word.

Its dominance of African satellite television stations has sent Nigerian cultural messages, even if unintended, to many audiences.

Criticisms of Nollywood still abound. Its messages are unclear, production is below standards and the stories are often repetitive, and present Nigerians in eerie lights.

Still a lot of credit has to be given to those who have pushed through the crushing barriers to entrepreneurship to establish an industry that receives critical applauses from home and abroad. A lot of work lies ahead for it to be profitable and keep employing the thousands that live on its value chains.

President Goodluck Jonathan’s affinity with Nollywood centred on celebrity endorsements during his 2011 campaign, but he has sustained it by financial support for the industry, first two years ago when he announced a $200 million facility the Bank of Industry managed.

BY UCHE NNADOZIE

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HE restoration of the Abuja master plan became a sing-song during the Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s tenure as FCT Minister.

During the period, several buildings worth billions of naira were demolished for the simple reason of restoring the Abuja master plan and maintaining environmental cleanliness and sanity in the federal capital Abuja. Gladly, the Senator Bala Mohammed administration has the same vision to make Abuja an international investors’ destination.

Unfortunately, this vision may remain a pipe dream with the activities of some touts who want to frustrate the minister’s efforts by turning Utako market axis into a vehicle loading bay.

As we all know, one way of ensuring the sanctity of a city’s master plan as well as maintaining its environmental standard is to consign motor vehicle operators and their passengers within the precincts of well organised motor parks, otherwise with the high volume of human and vehicular traffic involved, our streets and cities will be turned into one huge jungle. These unwholesome activities peak up from 6am daily along Berger Junction-Utako Market towards Jabi Park.

Of recent, we have started noticing the rate at which small intra and inter-city vehicles have been unleashed on the Jabi-Berger junction axis of the federal capital, especially along Utako market stretching up to ABC Transport and beyond. Surprisingly, these

Beyond Project Nollywood Complaints were rife about the stiff conditions for accessing it. March 4, at Nollywood’s 20th anniversary, the President announced Project Nollywood, which, “will include capacity development fund and funds to support the industry’s infrastructure. The scheme which will be launched in the first week of April (2013) will be managed by the Ministry of Finance in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.” It is a N3 billion facility.

It is heart-warming that the state has taken note of an industry that in the past 20 years has shot to the third place behind United States’ Hollywood and India’s Bollywood.

Nigerian movies have captured the fancies of

audiences across the Afro-Caribbean continents and the world at large, creating celebrities and giving the world something positive about Nigeria.

Nollywood needs intellectual bearings, the type the Nollywood Centre at the School of Media and Communication of the Pan-African University, Lagos, is providing. The work to be done is so much that collaboration of the various schools offering courses in the performing arts would be required for monumental changes in Nollywood.

A purposeful administration of the fund would improve professionalism, good taste, socio-cultural correctness, scripting, quality, creativeness and depth in issues Nigerian movies treat.

Equally important is the extension of similar facility to arts, music and fashion, the other vital flanks of entertainment, through which Nigeria is gaining universal recognition. They too are bedevilled with issues that are hampering their growth.

If these pieces are sewn together, entertainment could play leading roles in job creation and the positioning of Nigeria as the cultural gateway to Africa and the Black World at large.

OPINION Turning Abuja streets into motor parks transporters have the effrontery to load right in front of the police station, and one begins to wonder if the authorities are in the know of the apparent desecration of our environment. Today, it is common to behold buses loading passengers on the road, and the first question that comes to mind is why the relevant government agencies like Abuja Environmental Protection Board, Abuja Municipal Area Council, Vehicles Inspection Officials and the Police will stand by and watch Abuja roads being turned into loading bay. To worsen the situation is that the VIOs always play hide and seek when it comes to implementing the rule regarding these violators of the rules guiding loading and off-loading of vehicles.

For heaven’s sake, why would the road workers abandon the designated motor parks and turn public places like roads and walkways into loading bay. From Utako market, running down to ABC towards Jabi park is a scenery unfit to be mentioned as a district in Abuja due to the untidy cluster of vehicles loading passengers. They also litter the road/streets with pure water sachets and other rubbish.

It is important to point out that regardless of the environmental hazard which such activity constitutes to the public, there is also the convenience for passengers. A situation where you lack toilet facilities, human beings under nature’s pressure will be forced

to defecate and urinate in any available space. Therefore, to site all the activities related to motor transport in designated areas such as motor parks is not only desirous but a compelling necessity.

Furthermore, such unwholesome practice is totally inconsistent with a new federal capital like Abuja which plays host to several international organisations. Obviously, such indecent sight will project Nigeria very negatively, as some international visitors or tourists in the course of their city tours take photographs which they relay back home. It is better imagined what negative impact such images will have on our foreign investments drive as a nation.

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t is even more worrisome that after about one year some Turkish investors were announced to have agreed to partner with the FCTA administration to upgrade the Jabi park facilities to international standard, up till this moment there is no sign of any new development. The razzmatazz of the purported agreement with a Turkish firm to redesign and rebuild Jabi park into a modern park has only but remained on the pages of newspapers the announcement was carried.

Rather, what has been noticed is that major roads have been turned into motor parks.

In the bid to comprehend the decision to permit what may be considered “chaos” on Abuja streets, the question that readily comes

to mind is what has been the role of the Police, Abuja Environmental Protection Board and the VIOs in all these. From all indications, the tell-tale signs appear as though integrity has been compromised at the altar of pecuniary gains by those whose responsibility it is to enforce traffic and environmental rules. Regrettably, most of the people found near the Utako market loading vehicles will readily flaunt their AMAC permits to any inquisitive “intruder”.

Through this medium, a passionate call is being made on the FCT administration to immediately restore order and sanity along the Jabi-Berger junction axis, as the present chaotic use of city roads and pedestrian walkways for loading and off-loading of passengers by transporters is quite unbefitting of Abuja’s status as a federal capital.

Another disturbing trend is that alcohol sellers have now found these areas convenient for the sale of their products. The temptation for drivers to avail themselves of available drinks to assuage their taste without minding the grave implication to the safety of passengers is high. The negative effect of this is unimaginable when we consider the broader safety implications for drivers who convey human beings to long distances. *Mr. Nnadozie, a journalist, wrote from Lagos.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013—19

, Why Sultan Abubakar is wrong (2)

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ANY commentators are not pleased with President Goodluck Jonathan over his Borno/Yobe outing last week.

Some said he should have outlined his agenda for saving the North East from terrorists, including development agenda.

There were those (including, predictably, the opposition political parties) who described the visit as a “ wasted opportunity”. I have slightly different views.

There were only two things I regretted about the state visit.

Number one was that the President had to wait for the governors of the merger-bound political parties to storm Borno State before he made what some call his “forced” visit. By keeping away from the theatre of terror he gave the impression that that part of Nigeria was unsafe for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Commander-inChief of its Armed Forces to visit.

He allowed the opposition governors to lead while he followed. That was unfortunate.

The second was that he sat in the Town Hall meeting with suspected Boko Haram sponsors who should be behind bars: former Governor Nmodu Sheriff, Senator Ali Ndume and others yet to be unmasked. Nothing has been done by this regime to teach any prominent figure the lesson that it does not pay to finance the levying of war against this nation; nothing is there to deter those still intending to do so. That is why more political figures, including one “Honourable” Husseini Dei Dei, a former Federal Capital Territory, FCT, chairmanship candidate, are still allegedly financing bomb factories and procuring heavy ordnance for the terrorists.

But as for the President’s assertion that he would not negotiate with faceless people, that is less than what the terrorists deserve. Mine is, we should not negotiate at all. Of course, there cannot be any talk of withdrawing soldiers from the trouble spots when the job for which they were mobilised is yet

These people are not interested in amnesty, dialogue or negotiation; if you make an offer some will accept it for the bonanza that it is, but the terror will continue

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to be completed successfully.

Needless to say! Finally, I also believe that the leaders of Borno and Yobe in particular, and the North in general, will have to bear the main burden of getting the terrorists to rethink.

After all, they created the conditions for mass poverty and incubated the terror cells for political self-aggrandisement. So long as they remain unwilling to turn a new leaf and help in restoring normalcy, there is little a president can do. Even if the Federal Government will play some role in rehab, it can only take place when the North’s “civil war” ends. It is left for the North and their leaders to decide when they are tired of fighting themselves and enlisting the services of foreign terror legionnaires to destroy their homeland and its economy.

Going back to the assertion of Sultan Sa’adu Abubakar that a total amnesty should be declared for the terrorists “without thinking twice”, I hold the view that the call is not viable. In other words, it will produce more harm than good. In the first place, and as I

have noted before, the terrorists are not a group of Nigerians fighting against injustice. Nigeria has not done anything to the North or North East that it has not done ten times worse to Eastern Nigeria (South East and South-South). If there is “injustice”, it was foisted on the Talakawa (downtrodden) by the Northern Oligarchy. Leaders like Mallam Aminu Kano spent their lives fighting through political means to liberate the impoverished masses from the Oligarchy. They lost the fight.

Boko Haram and others are part of a global movement to impose a brand of Islam which vows to eliminate Christians, Jews and moderate Moslems. It found a breeding ground around the Sahel/Sahara Desert zones of Africa. The terrorists are no longer just the Mohammed Yusuf enclave of local Islamists which the Yar’Adua regime busted in 2009. Since that victory, the Arab Spring took place. Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi was killed, while his followers were scattered in the four winds.

The Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghrib (AQIM) ballooned in size and joined the Tuareg rebels in Northern Mali to seize power or create their own nation out of Mali. The intervention of the French and Nigeria-led ECOWAS troops drove out the Islamists from Mali and many of them headed towards Nigeria.

The groups have multiplied and now consist of Malians, Nigeriens, Chadians, Somalis, Sudanese and of course, Nigerians. Granting the terrorists “total” amnesty means we will start feeding these evil, mostly

foreign enemies of the nation with post-amnesty bounties? People will be crawling from all over the Sahel to line up for hand outs every month? Those we have managed to put behind bars will have to be released to join the dole line: a veritable reward for killing Nigerians and destroying property? Then they will regroup?

There is one fact that the Sultan and many Northern Muslim leaders are running away from: THE TERRORISTS ARE AFTER THE OLIGARCHY PRESIDED OVER BY THE SULTAN! They want to overthrow the Northern Oligarchy. Two top Northern Emirs – Ado Bayero of Kano and the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Umar Ibn Garbai, escaped assassination by whiskers on separate occasions. The terrorists want to put an end to an order where government goodies are only for the elites while the poor are trampled underfoot or simply left to their own devices. They are fighting with hopes of establishing a new Islamic rule that will make the common Muslim the primary target of governance and welfare.

But being driven by foreign interests and made unpopular by their mindless campaigns of mass murder and destruction they were not able to focus their mission to make it politically correct or acceptable.

These people are not interested in amnesty, dialogue or negotiation. If you make an offer some will accept it for the bonanza that it is, but the terror will continue. They are fighting to win or be defeated. Since they cannot win they must be defeated. Let us resolve to do so. Now.

Chief Sam Odighi Udinyiwe Igbe, MON -A cultural icon, a purist ODAY, this Column is taking time off from politics and all the associated issues of corruption, to treat our esteemed audience to the profile of a great personality who, if we were asked, would be the Column’s nominee to lead the crusade against corruption, injustice and other social vices in which Nigeria is totally immersed.

Chief Sam Odighi Udinyiwe Igbe, mon, you are a humanist, administrator, educationist, a philanthropist extraordinaire, a Gestapo, an uncompromising purist, incorruptible crusader against social misconduct, a cultural icon and social critic. You are the Iyase (Traditional Prime Minister) of Benin Kingdom. In essence, you are the chief of chiefs and the leader of leaders.

You were born on September 13, 1929.

You had your primary education at the erstwhile CMS School, Benin City. In all respects and by all known standards, you have distinguished yourself in several ways and you are destined to make bigger history than you have already made.

Without much ado, we shall proceed to highlight a few points about this eminent Chief of the Benin Kingdom, which bespeak him as a man who has distinguished himself in numerous ways: Chief Igbe, it cannot be said that you were born with a golden spoon in your mouth or that you were born into any form of aristocracy. Whatever you are today is by dint of hard work. You understood very early in life that, if the future must be bright, today’s education must be right.

You have long been preparing yourself for a respectable leadership role in the

affairs of your community and the larger society. This is one way of explaining that you have spent a good part of your life for self-development through education and management training. In your iron determination to succeed in life, you were not to be deterred by any obstacle on your way.

After your primary education, you proceeded to the prestigious Edo College, Benin City, where you obtained the Cambridge School Certificate in 1952.

Thereafter, you underwent a pivotal teacher’s training course at St. Andrew’s College, Oyo. From 1952 to 1954, you were a Third Class Clerk in the Colonial Civil Service.

You had a short sojourn in the teaching profession where you were a class teacher.

You were recruited into the Nigeria Police Force in the pioneer set of the Cadet SubInspectors and you were trained at the Nigeria Police College, Ikeja, for 12 months. In 1978, you retired voluntarily from the Police Force as a Commissioner of Police.

Yours has been a life of great productivity and service to humanity. You served on the Board of the erstwhile Midwest Hotels. At various points, you were the chairman of many government boards, including Agbede Warake Farms and Midwest Transport Services Limited (Midwest Line). You were also a Commissioner in the Midwest Public Service Commission.

At the traditional front, you were initiated into the Palace of the Oba of Benin in 1979 as a palace functionary, where you have since progressed by

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T

It is instructive that your involvement in the activities for the development of humanity has been of immense benefit not only to Nigeria but also to the entire human race; you have faithfully served a wide and varied constituency

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promotional appointments to the title of Iyase (The Traditional Prime Minister) of Benin Kingdom. This makes you the Head of the Oba’s Chiefs.

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o say that you are a lover of sports is an understatement. You are, indeed, addicted to sports. In your capacity as a sports addict, you have served as the Secretary of the then Nigerian InterService Games, Chairman of the Nigerian Basketball Association and Member of the Nigerian Football Association. On retirement, you formed the Nigerian Rubber Board Football Club, which later became the Flash Flamingoes Club.

Our High Chief, you are a writer and the author of many good books, including The Nigeria of Our Dream, which is scheduled for presentation to the public in the next few days. You represent everything good to every good person. You are indeed, a jolly good fellow.

It is instructive that your involvement in the activities for the development of humanity has been of immense benefit not only to Nigeria but also to the entire human race. You have faithfully served a wide and varied constituency, always ensuring that justice is applied with universal equality. You have never been found wanting each time you were called upon to contribute your quota to the development of the community and society at large.

Good news: Our merciful God has not finished the good work He has started in your life. He has blessed you with excellent health – at 83, you can easily pass for 60.

God has also blessed you with one wife and seven fantastic children who are making waves across the globe. Today, you are the proud father of a High Court Judge and the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly. Expect more.

In recognition of your immense contributions to the growth and development of the nation as well as your total immersion in the service of humanity, this Column is pleased to confer on you, Chief Sam Odighi Udinyiwe Igbe, "The Award of Excellence", with all the honours, privileges and immunities thereto appertaining, this 14th day of March in the year of our Lord, 2013.

20—Vanguard, THURSD AY, MARCH 14, 2013 THURSDA

Drink coffee without fear of addiction — EXPERTS A

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

S one of the world’s most popular beverage drinks, does coffee really cause addiction? How much do healthcare providers know about coffee?

Does it promote long life and There are often several questions asked about the health effects or otherwise of coffee, and these came up yet again during the Ignite Stakeholders’ Parley last week in Lagos.

A group of academicians who championed the discourse on these and other issues surrounding coffee during the stakeholder’s forum , agreed that coffee is consumed for different reasons.

From hindsight, Ignite - a pan African educational project targeted at enlightening the public on the relationship between coffee and health - has organised series of enlightenment drives about the beverage.

Participants gathered that the Ignite programme which is essentially about knowing coffee and its composition, is designed to help consumers understand its effect on human health.

In response to the question, does coffee really cause addiction? Dr. Kemi Odukoya - Public Health Physician and Lecturer, Department of Community Health and Primary Care, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, says an emphatic NO.

Mechanisms of action

• L-R: Dr. Mrs Kofoworola Odeyemi, Chairman of Association of Public Health Physicians, Lagos State Chapter; Dr. Kemi Odukoya - Public Health Physician and Lecturer, Department of Community Health and Primary Care, CMUL; and Dr. Bartholomew Brai - Nutritionist, NIMR during the Ignite Stakeholders Parley in Lagos last week.

According to her, the term “addiction” implies a compulsive and repeated use of a substance that poses a threat to physical, social and economic health.

“Mechanisms of action of caffeine are very different from that of drug abuse and they do not affect the brain circuit and structure for reward, motivation or addiction.

Further, Odukoya recalled that the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders cites no evidence for caffeine withdrawal and the World Health Organisation, WHO, has stated that there is no evidence whatsoever that caffeine use has even remotely comparable physical and social consequences associated with serious drugs of abuse.

She listed other health benefits

associated with coffee intake to include: lower risk of Alzheimer ’s disease, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, increased mental alertness and i improved short-term memory among others.

“Coffee has numerous health benefits as evidenced by many recent peer reviewed scientific studies. Moderate amounts of coffee consumption may play an important role in maintaining our health,” Odukoya stated.

What makes coffee a healthy beverage? Asked Dr. Bartholomew Brai, a nutritionist, at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, NIMR, Yaba, Lagos. Brai. In his presentation entitled: “Coffee Side of Life” he sateed that coffee is naturally rich in antioxidants, mainly polyphenols from the chlorogenic acid family. “Do you know for a moderate coffee consumer, coffee is the highest source of antioxidants from the diet? He observed. Beneficial health effects of coffee is due to presence of anti-oxidants that protect against oxidation.

“Normal modern life exposes humans to many sources of oxidation. An excess of oxidative stress may induce a deregulation of the metabolism.

“Antioxidants help fight free radicals and may protect our cells and tissues by turning harmful free radicals into neutral species by stimulating the production of our natural antioxidant defenses.

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

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ELLO everybody. New sexual health products have arrived for the month of March and beyond. We will discuss the key ones today and you can see the rest at www.zeevirtualmedia.com under ‘new products’.

The first of these products is the On for Him Testosterone Cream. It is a revolutionary product that increases male sex drive naturally without drugs. It is in cream form and is applied on specific areas of the body just like body cream. Middle aged and older men with diminished sexual desire will benefit from On for Him Testosterone Cream. It is doctor approved with a 98.8 percent success rate.

Another highly anticipated product for men that is finally available is the Exploding Thunder male performance supplement. Exploding Thunder is a classic all natural erection enhancer that strengthens weak erections, revitalises failed erections and enables multiple sexual performances and staying power. It is so strong that one capsule lasts between 48 to 72 hours and works on stimulation to enable men get an erection whenever and wherever.

Still on the subject of libido boosters, we also have the Max for Men Arousal Oil. It is suitable for men with mild erectile dysfunction who don’t like taking tablets.

When applied on the penis, Max for Men Arousal Oil signals the smooth muscles surrounding the blood vessels in the penis to relax, thus allowing dilation of the blood vessels to increase blood flow and assist with increased blood engorgement of the penis, stronger libido and exciting sexual sensations. It is hard to find a reliable arousal cream and this one promises to be a cut above the rest.

If you lack sexual stamina and you are in need of a novelty that just gives performance energy, then the Wonderland Love Potion is perfect. The Wonderland Love Potion is a sexual energy drink that infuses the user with sexual stamina for hours of sexual performance. It also aids sexual arousal but is mainly for performance energy. And for women, we have two new realistic vibrators, two high quality strap ons, two aphrodisiacs and C M Y K

a warming lubricant. Female sexual problems often have to do with a lack of arousal or the lack of sexual enjoyment due to men’s premature ejaculation issues. So for female arousal, we have the Spanish Fly Mints. These come in tablet form that taste a bit like candy and start working within thirty minutes of consumption.

Whereas the Spanish Fly Mints work from within the body to excite and arouse, this next product for women stimulates from the outside. It is the O’My Clitoral Arousal Gel. O my Clitoral Arousal Gel is a very popular stimulating gel for women and assists with the treatment of sexual dysfunctions in women often linked to long term medical diseases, minor ailments, medications and psychosocial difficulties; factors that impact a woman’s ability to achieve orgasm.

Of course, if you are a dissatisfied woman in need of sexual pleasure, you will need more than just aphrodisiacs to solve your problem. The two new realistic vibrators that just arrived complete the equation. They are the X5 Vibrating 7 Inch dildo and Mr Just Right 8 inch Vibrator. So whether you like it big or really big, these two vibrators are super effective in stimulation, pleasuring and the delivery of non-stop orgasms. They are brown like our skin colour and very realistic.

Some women prefer strap-ons to vibrators, especially when they have company. The Crotchless Strap-On and Strap-On Booty Shorts are two new arrivals in this category and they are beautiful, durable, powerful and pleasurable. Of course you need a lubricant for these vibrators and strap-ons and the new ID Moments Warming Lubricant fits the bill. Sometimes the vaginal temperature is just too cold for comfort. At times like these, a lubricant like the ID Moments Warming lubricant is best for intercourse.

And that’s it for today. Adults in need of these novelties and treatments can call us on 08027901621 or 08051924159 or any other number here to order or they can order online at www.zeevirtualmedia.com. We deliver to you wherever you are in Nigeria. For enquiries email us at custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com - Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH14, 2013 — 21

Technology poses risk to soundness of financial system — CBN Director

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

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HE increasing adoption and use of technologies for banking operations poses risk to the safety and soundness of the financial system Director, Banking Supervision, Cen-

tral Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mrs Tokunbo Martins made this assertion in Lagos at the 1st Annual conference on audit and regulatory banking organised by the Audit Committee Institute (ACI).

She said, “Today, information tech-

nology has evidently impacted banking tremendously, even redefining the nature of banking and banking relationships. Banks are truly enjoying all the technological novelities with potential of expanding their products, services, customer base and respond-

WOMEN’S DAY: From Left, Chief Executive officer BestMan Games Limited, Mrs Nimi Akinkugbe, Wife of British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mrs Julie Pocock and Director General, Securities and Exchange Commission, Ms Arunma Oteh at the Securities and Exchange Commission International Women’s Day Seminar held in Abuja. Photo

by Gbemiga Olamikan.

NIMAS ts N30bn ttoo tr ain 5,000 seaf arer ear NIMASAA budge budgets train seafarer arerss in 1100 yyear earss

BY TOJU VINCENT

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HE Nigerian Maritime Administra tion and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on Tuesday, said it is targeting to train over 5,000 seafarers in another ten (10) years following the dimension the National Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) has taken. Disclosing to Vanguard at the send forth party to send another 191 young Nigerian cadets to the Arab Academy for Science Technology and Maritime Transport in Alexandria Egypt, NIMASA’s Director General Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi stated that a few thousands of young Nigerians would have completely gone through the training in the ten years as this would further boost the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Akpobolokemi said that the agency is making a huge budget for the sea time training aspect of the programme adding that the package is a complete one that will not leave this category of Nigerians ill-equipped for the future.

The agency boss also explained that the government is developing maritime institutions along side the NSDP project.

“At the pace we are going, all things being equal, a few thousands of Nigerians would have been trained at the

end of the decade” he added. Speaking in similar vein, the coordinator of the National Seafarers Development Programme, Mrs Irene Macfoy also told Vanguard that over a thousand cadets have been sent abroad for the training adding that some are billed to be going to the Philippines and other parts of the world.

Macfoy explained that the move to embark on this project so as to fill the expected 250,000 vacancies in the seafaring profession by the years 2025, a development being projected by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). She stated that at the end of the decade, plus, minus, about 5,000 Nigerians would have gone through the entire gamut of the programme.

The NSDP coordinator stated that the government through the agency started this project in 2009 with a view to bridging the projected employment gap in the seafaring profession.

“You are aware of the liquidation of the Nigerian National Shipping Line and ever since then there has been a dearth in the human capacity in the maritime sector. NIMASA being the apex maritime regulating agency had to take the bull by the horn by finding a way of filling that vacuum and this was how the National Seafarers Developing Programme was conceived”.

The NSDP was initiated in 2009 by the

then Director General Dr. Ade Dosunmu .

Lagos Govt urged to create clusters for industrialists The Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI) has called on Lagos State Government to create industrial clusters for manufacturers.

Chief Duro Kuteyi, the Vice President of the association in the South West, made the appeal in Lagos. Kuteyi said that industrialists needed clusters to enable them access funds and be of assistance to each other.

“Lack of funds is not the only problem of small business owners. There is the need to have industrial clusters that will enable them utilise machinery and tools without purchasing more.

We desire the assistance of the government in the development of industrial clusters to lessen the hindrances in accessing funds. For instance, there are people who own bakeries and use their machines only twice in a day, while the number of hours the machine is left alone is wasted,” he said.

Mr Segun Kuti-George, the Chairman, Lagos Chapter of NASSI, said that NASSI members were already preparing to establish a cluster. KutiGeorge urged small scale businessmen to enroll for trainings on financial reporting, writing of proposals, among others.

ing to regulation, and above all improve their profitability. However it is important not to lose sight of the fact that technology comes with great risk.

As a leading mind in IT governance industry has repeatedly said, technology makes banking operations and banking errors/crimes equally efficiency. One immediately sees what the issue is: if technology makes errors and crimes equally efficiency, then it means that the entire assets of the banks are at risk. In other words, technology poses risk to the safety of and soundness of the financial institutions, to the public interest, and to the larger economy”.

Tokunbo listed the risks technology poses to banks to include bank computer crimes, indeterminate privacy issues, and complexified reputational risks and cross boarder customer risks.

“Each of the technologies a bank adopts presents unique risks that raise safety and soundness concerns. Take internet banking as an example, the following risks are presented: hacking, web-jacking, spoofing, viruses and unauthorised access. Others are theft of information, denial of service, fraud, slow access to website and rerouted connections. Because the bank is put at risk by these technologies, and because public interest is at risk as technologies are adapted, it behoves the regulator to extend regulatory coverage to the regime of use of these technologies,” she said.

She advised regulators to increase focus on IT systems of organisations under the supervision, stressing that, the age of chasing electronic transactions with manual examination methods are gone.

Explaining the rationale for the conference, Chairman, Audit Committee Institute (ACI), Mr. Christian Ekeigwe, noted that the inevitable increase in the adoption of technologies in banking creates legitimate audit and regulatory concerns about how these technologies amplify and complexify banking operations risks and impact the safety and soundness of banks and other financial institutions. The aim of the conference is to focus attention on the key issues of banking technology risks, how auditors must audit them so assurance, and the proposition that technology risks contributed, insidiously, to the distress in the industry”.

141.55

-1.5

2,162.00 +33.00 0

18.59 110.35

+0.13

93.01

+0.95

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

154.75 230.268 201.3452 163.1868 1.6127 0.2885 232.7295 24.8929 41.2634 26.9914 232.2798

-0.23

155.25 231.012 201.9958 163.714 1.6179 0.2985 233.4814 24.9738 41.3967 27.0786 233.0303

SELLING 155.75 231.756 202.6463 164.2413 1.6231 0.3085 234.2334 25.0547 41.53 27.1659 233.7808

CBN Exchange rate as at 12/03/2013

22 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 201 3

Interlinked Technologies records N15.02m losses in 2012

Stanbic IBTC Bank cards get global security nod

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L-R Udochi Nwaodu, Chief Inspector, UBA; Abiodun Aderoju, Chief Inspector, Sterling Bank; Ayo Ogunsakin, Commissioner of Police, SFU; Boye Ogunmolade, Chief Inspector, Fidelity Bank; and Tosin Obadimu of Fidelity Bank during a courtesy call on the Police Commissioner in charge of Special Fraud Unit, Milverton, Ikoyi, Lagos

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM

I

nterlinked Technologies Plc has reported N15.021 million losses for the year ended 30 th June, 2012, despite 38 per cent decline in cost of sales.

The company’s unaudited 2012 financial statement filed with the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, showed that the loss recorded was 569.6 percent decline from profit position of N3.19 million in 2011.

The profit before tax also slumped to negative position of N13.41 million from a positive region of N2.56 million in equivalent period of 2011, indicating 623.2 percent decrease.

Similarly, the gross earnings for the period slipped by 32.5 percent to N192.503 million the previous N285.17 million in the comparable period of 2011.

However, cost of sales improved slightly to close the year at N121.43 million from N195.91 million, representing 38 percent i m p r o v e m e n t ; administrative expenses also improved marginally by 3.8 percent to N82.52 million from N85.80 million posted in the same period of 2011.

The Managing Director, Mr. Olusegun Layode, had hinted that the company was in a bad shape in the last meeting with shareholders where he said the company could not

increase its selling price due to competitive pressures, even as he added that funding was unavailable to run the company’s operation due to our low rights subscription in the previous year.

He explained that many of the company’s significant customers stepped down on many projects Interlinked Technologies were awarded due to lack of funds. “Our Rights issue was concluded very late due to several

factors beyond our control at that time. Consequently we were unable to utilize the funds we raised. We achieved 25 percent of the funds we set out to raise which is not enough for us to embark on our aggressive growth plans,” he lamented.

The Chairman, Mr. Fabian Nnadozie, had said that the company would continue in its efforts to improve the Business of the coming years.

“So far, we have increased our product base by the introduction of new complimentary products in the Electrical, and Oil industries. Our main objective for this year is to strengthen our product portfolio, increase our customer base, develop our existing markets, open new markets and establish new branch offices in Abuja and Port-Harcourt, while further strengthening our presence in Warri.

We are committed to development Nigeria’s economy — Nestle boss

BY WILLIAM JIMOH

N

estle Nigeria Plc has reiterated its commitment to better the lot of its customers as well as to boost the Nigerian economy.

Speaking during the company ’s courtesy visit to the Nigeria Stock Exchange, NSE, and the bell ringing ceremony on the floor of the NSE, Mr. Martin Woolnough, Managing Director/CEO, Nestle Nigeria Plc, said that the visit was part of the company’s effort to boost investment in the country.

“This visit is another indication of the company’s strong commitment first to investors and to also boost investment in Nigeria, and I think any company which sees investors as its strength need to do this regularly. It also shows our determination to compete with companies that look forward to better the lot of their investors,” said

Woolnough.

He added that the composition of the company’s board of directors has greatly improved the company ’s corporate governance, adding that it is one of the reasons that qualified the company’s inclusion in Pan Af r i c a n I n d ex that strictly complies with international best practices.

Dr. Samuel Adenekan, Manager, Corporate Communication / Public Affair, also affirmed that the recent land mark achievement, where Nestle was included in Pan African Index as a show of its compliance with best practice in Nigeria has already worn investors’ confidence, just as he noted that the company’s investment is over N100 billion in 2012.

“Nestle has already invested over N5.4 billion in ultra-modern distribution center in Abara, Ogun State,” Adenekan said.

he PCI Security Standards Council, a global body charged with ensuring the security of card payment services, has certified Stanbic IBTC’s card payment services as compliant with the Payment Cards Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). What this means is that Stanbic IBTC’s card payment solutions, its debit and credit card services, have met the highest standard of security of customers’ information and transactions on its ebanking platform, which greatly lowers the risk of system compromise.

This certification reflects the institution’s determination to continue to provide value-added services to its clients. Among its many benefits, the certification guarantees seamless operations of the bank’s e-platforms, translating to efficient and secure service delivery to customers. The PCI DSS is the highest compliance level globally in the payments industry. The system essentially identifies all technology and process vulnerabilities that pose risks to the security of cardholder data that is transmitted, processed or stored by a financial services provider.

The certification is further testimony to Stanbic IBTC Bank’s business integrity and the bank’s commitment to security of customer deposits, details and financial privacy based on global best practices, says Stanbic IBTC Bank’s Executive Director, Personal and Business Banking, Obinnia Abajue.

The bank has a reputation as an innovative financial services provider as well as maintaining the highest service quality in every facet of its operations. “At Stanbic IBTC we understand the risks associated with modern banking and that is why we insist on global best practices in our operations and deploy world class cutting-edge technology to ensure that our transactions are protected and our customers better served in a secure, transparent, efficient, and seamless manner. The PCI DSS validation goes to affirm the integrity of our card payment and e-banking systems and speaks to our commitment to protecting customer assets and investments,” Abajue said.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013—23

Shipping: Obasanjo laments low returns on $2bn investment STORIES BY GODFREY BIVBERE ORMER President O l u s e g u n Obasanjo has expressed concern over poor returns accruing from about $2 billion invested by local operators in the shipping industry.

Obasanjo, who expressed his displeasure at the ongoing NIMAREX EXPO taking place in Lagos, said that there is need for government to address the factors hindering such investors from getting commensurate returns from on their investments.

He also wondered why the Cabotage law enacted some years ago has not helped local shipping operators, saying that there is need for a process of implementation of the law to be included.

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He explained that the Cabotage Act is a frame work to restrict shipping operations in the nation’s waterways to local shipowners.

Obasanjo noted that though it is regretful that past efforts to improve the sector has not been successful, it is important that measures are put in place to achieve these objectives.

He pointed out that since import/export business is reliant on sea transportation coupled with the fact that the country enjoys 65 percent cargoes coming to West Africa, it is imperative that the clearing process of goods at the nation’s ports are simplified.

Similarly, he stressed the need for local shipowners to be involved in the carriage of the country ’s sea bound trade. According to him,

Nigeria generates about 70 percent of cargo throughput in West and Central Africa region and therefore concrete efforts most be made to have full advantage of the volume.

He explained that unless efforts are made to bring down the cost of clearing goods from the nation’s ports and clearing time reduced, shippers’ will stop using the nation’s ports while neighbouring countries would benefit from Nigeria’s seeming lack of preparedness.

He observed that the domination of the nation’s shipping business has resulted in loss of billions in freight.

He concluded that the Federal Government and literal states must work together and put measures in place to solve the problem of piracy in the nation’s waterways.

Presidential task force recommends right of first refusal for local ship owners •As operators express doubt over govt sincerity

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HE presidential taskforce on maritime set up by President Goodluck Jonathan to work out means of developing the industry has asked the Federal Government to give the right of first refusal for all shipping jobs in the country to local ship owners.

Meanwhile some operators have expressed fear over government’s sincerity on the implementation of the recommendation of the taskforce.

Disclosing this to Vanguard in Lagos, Managing Director of Molap, Chief Isaac Jolapamo, said the presidential committee made the recommendation to provide direction to government on the way forward for the maritime industry.

According to him, “One of the recommendations of the presidential taskforce on maritime is for Nigerians to be given the right of first refusal option.

That is, if there is a maritime job to be done until Nigerians say they cannot do it” before it can be given to a foreign shipping firm.

Jolapamo, who is also the Chairman of Indigenous Ship-owners Association of

Nigeria (ISAN), expressed worry that it mighty even be difficult for Nigerians to take advantage of that clause if it comes into being.

He said a cabal in the sector has been working at breaking their ranks and making them powerless financially.

“They know that ISAN is becoming too powerful, so they want to break the ranks of ISAN so that even when government is compelled to do so, it will not even work but we are still striving.”

He also called on the Federal Government to reverse its trade policy which presently makes it possible for foreign shipowners to dominate shipping business in the country. He stated that the current Fee on Board (FoB) policy deprives an importer the opportunity of determining who ships his goods.

FoB is a trade term requiring the seller to deliver goods on board a vessel designated by the buyer. The seller fulfills his obligations to deliver when the goods have passed over the ship’s rail.

When used in trade terms, the word “free” means the seller has an obligation to deliver goods to a designed place for

transfer to a carrier.

However, some operators who spoke with Vanguard on the issue, expressed fear that despite benefit which such law would have on the nation’s shipping sector, they are not sure the government would be willing to implement it.

They noted that the same fate that befell other laudable government programmes like Cabotage, will also befall it.

Dir. Gen of NIMASA, Patrick Akpobolokemi (l), presenting a gift to former President Olusegun Obasanjo at the opening ceremony of the on-going NIMAREX Expo in Lagos on Tuesday.

Nigerian ports witnessed increase container, vehicular traffic in 2012—NPA

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HE Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, has disclosed that ports in the country witnessed an increase in container and vehicular traffic in 2012.

Available statistics also show that the volume of empty Container grew during the same period under review. The statistics show that the volume of empty containers stood at 1,575,194 (Ten Equivalent Units) TEUs which showed an increase of 11 percent over the same period of 2011 figure of 1,413,276 TEUs It showed that laden Container throughput stood at 877,737 TEUs, a rise of 7.4% over 2011 figure of 817,246 TEUs while vehicle traffic was 268,026 Units, a growth of 16 percent over 2011 figure of 231,423 Units.

The statistics which was signed by the General Manager in charge Public

NPA MD donates security devices to port police command

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N a bid to demonstrate his commitment to the provision of efficient port service in a safe, secure and customer friendly environment, the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, Mallam Habib Abdullahi has donated some security devices to the Ports Authority Police Command.

Speaking before handing over the devices to the representative of the Ports Police Command, the Managing Director said the Authority appreciates and commend the Police Command for their efforts at combating

security challenges at the nation’s Seaports, and therefore decided to assist them with the devices in order to further encourage them to do more.

The Managing Director was represented by the Assistant General Manager, Security, Western Port, Mr. Sam Asamage.

Receiving the items on behalf of the Port Police Command, Mr. Selem V. Amachree, Assistant Commissioner of Police, NPA Headquarters said, “these decices will help the Police to enhance security at the ports.

Affairs, Capt. Iheanacho Ebubeogu, stated that there was an improvement in Berth occupancy rate which was 44.9 percent in 2012, a rise of 4 percent over 44.5 percent rate of 2011.

In term of safety, there was no record of fire incident in all the ports in the Year under review. This is an evidence of efforts of the Management of NPA in ensuring that the right safety standards are entrenched in all ports activities.

The ever increasing result being posted in this

regard could be attributed to continuous regular capital and maintenance dredging and the 100 percent completion of removal of the discovered critical wrecks in our channels.

The Managing Director NPA, Mallam Habib Abdullahi, has said that with the support of the Federal Government, NPA will remain focused in constantly upgrading and improving port infrastructures in order to attract neighboring countries transact business with NPA.

24—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

We spend N30m monthly on power — MD, Shongai Packaging

Nigeria begins cement export to Ghana after glut

BY FRANKLIN ALLI

BY PRINCEWILL EKWUJURU

Chief Francis Nikam is the Managing Director of Shongai Packaging Industry Limited. In this interview, he discusses the challenges of packaging business in Nigeria, and the company’s backward integration plan.

Excerpt.

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A C H I N E capacity and production level We can make 360 plastic pallets per day; nobody in Nigeria can do this. What others do is single deck plastic pallets. Their machines are not from Germany; our machines are from Germany, which is the world’s best, Krauss Maffei 2300. Shongai Packaging is the only user of that machine in Nigeria. Our machines work 24 hours, the factory is opened 24 hours through out the week: one shift and staff go on off duty.

Divisions We have more that 300 staff in the factory. And the production system is divided into three structures. One, the injection moulding division, the second is plastic pallets moulding and the third division is the container printing.

If you look at the new Heineken crate, when Nigerian Breweries launched the new Heineken bottle, Heineken globally came out with a new bottle, so it has to be the same thing in Nigeria.

As the biggest supplier of Heineken crates, we came up with new crates.. Shongai is proud to be one of the biggest suppliers of Nigerian Breweries for the new Heineken crates.

The next is injection moulding that is part of what we do in containers, happy family, basins, buckets, soap boxes, ornamental bowls, fishing crates, multipurpose crates, laundry basin, baby baths, we have 22 lines of items for domestic, family consumption and for industrial consumption.

Other Businesses The injection moulding business accounts for 12 percent of our business.

The last but not the least, is what we call Nigeria’s indigenous ideas.

We have a research plant set up about three and half years ago, we buy old crates, we wash and crush them, we buy

•Chief Nikam old jar, basins, we buy old things, crush them and granulate them, recycle them and create stronger plastic crates from them. We do backward integration and will soon come up with Nigeria’s biggest recycling plant.

We have one big machine that produces 350 plastic pallets done by no one in Nigeria. We have brand new machines from Germany solely for Nigerian

Breweries Heineken new crates. Not that Nigerian Breweries paid for it, Shongai bought it.

We are looking at keeping our customers happy. So when we deliver the crates to Heineken, Gulder, Star, Malta Gold as breweries are revamping their crates. Shongai is working with them, giving them latest designs, printed nice and clear.

Like I mentioned

earlier, the recycling division is very important, as part of the backward integration plan of every factory and as part of keeping the environment clean and recycling materials, not to waste plastics materials, we buy back used crates, any kind of plastic we have recycling plants. .

From 22 we look forward about 35 to 40 plants this year. In this factory we have 22 machines producing the crates, 4 of them were commissioned in 2012, producing the latest crates for Heineken , German machines no body has them in Nigeria, production of those machines, 2,000 crates a day.

Power situation We supply our own power, we make our own power arrangement, because the kind of production will do does not require power to go off, if that happens all the processes will be disrupted. What we do here is very sensitive. If power goes off it can damage the mould. For this reason, we spend between N27 to N30 million on powers monthly.

Nigeria’s Cocoa export hits 280% annually

ORE than 50 years after, Nigeria’s quest to become a net exporter of scement has come true as the country has commenced exportation of bulk cement to Ghana.

Dangote Cement Plc is leading the pack of Nigerian cement manufacturers in exporting the product to Ghana.

In a statement, Tuesday, the company said 50 of its silo trucks laden with bulk cement from its Plant at Ibese, Ogun State, are now at the Idiroko border town waiting for clearance to proceed to Ghana through Benin and Togo Republics.

“The company will be exporting 5,000 tons of bulk cement from the Ibese Cement plant on a weekly basis to Ghana and at the completion of all logistics, about 50 trucks will be leaving on a daily basis.

“It should be recalled that Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President/CEO recently disclosed that the company would as from

Rice Millers donate 150 operational vehicles to Customs

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

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BY FRANKLIN ALLI

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IGERIA has r e c o r d e d increment in the volume and value of cocoa and cocoa products exported annually in the last seven years (2006 till dates).

While the export volume has risen to 280 percent from 40 percent per annum, the value is currently peaking at $822.8 million last year from $215 million recorded in 2006.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, during the National Sensitization Workshop of the project on Sanitary Phytosanitary Standards Capacity Building in Africa at Chelsea Hotel, Abuja Represented by the Acting Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olakunle Sogboola, the Minister said cocoa is the second largest foreign exchange earner after crude oil and generates over 2 million jobs directly and indirectly along its value chain.

“The global market for

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From left: Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Mobolaji Johnson, Minister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga and CBN Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, during the meeting of the Steering Committee on the Revitalization of Abuja Securities and Commodity Exchange in Abuja.

cocoa is very huge, growing at an average of 3 percent per annum.

Nigeria’s cocoa export has equally grown over the years. Nigeria is the world’s 4 th largest producer and exporter of cocoa. Paradoxically, over 90 percent of the cocoa produced is exported; our domestic consumption of this strategic commodity is barely 3 percent. Given this scenario, not only is increased local c o n s u m p t i o n encouraged, the pursuance of value addition in our export

drive has also become the ultimate goal of substantially reducing the export of raw cocoa and ensuring stable and improved income for our farmers,” he said.

In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Dauda Kigbu, stated that the essence of the workshop was to create awareness about Sanitary PhytoSanitary Standards Capacity building to militate the harmful effects of pesticides in cocoa in order to maintain market access.

end of 2012 begin export of cement to some ECOWAS countries in view of its excess local capacity of more than 20 million metric tons and the huge demand for the product in the subregion.

“The export to Ghana will provide an avenue to sell surplus cement resulting from excess local capacity in Nigeria and at the same time meet high demand for cement in Ghana.

“As part of its strategy of capturing the ECOWAS market, Dangote already has a cement terminal with a bagging capacity of 1.5 million metric tons per annum in Ghana, noting that there are good market opportunities in other neighboring countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone and Cote D Ívoire, which lack limestone, one of the basic raw materials used in the production of cement. The only thing that we need to do is quickly to create that avenue of exporting cement rather than importing cement,” said the statement.

ICE Millers, Importers and Distributors Association of Nigeria (RIMIDAN) has donated 150 operational vehicles to Nigerian Customs for effective patrolling and monitoring of borders in order to curb influx of smuggling into the country.

Donating the vehicles to the Federal Government, the President of RIMIDAN Mr. Tunji Owoeye, said that an estimated 30,000 metric tonnes of rice is being smuggled on a monthly basis into the country.

“A survey in our local markets will attest to this fact as most of the rice products you see on display for sale are smuggled into the country through our land borders. So, by simple summation, 30,000 metric tonnes is smuggled every month.

This means that our government is losing over N3 billion worth of revenue every month.” ”The implication of this is that huge amounts of money invested into rice

by genuine entrepreneurs would go down the drain and investment in the sector will become uninteresting because there are no measures to protect investors’ interest.

In addition, the intention of the federal government regarding empowerment of local producers will be in jeopardy because no economy grows with this kind of counter -action by unscrupulous elements,” he said.

He noted that the Federal Government lost N32 billion to the activities of rice smugglers last year.

This has undermined government policies and programmes directed at boosting local food production.

He hinted that local Rice production in Nigeria which is 1.8 million tons, RIMIDAN contributes about 79-84 percent as well as import to bridge the gap between local production and consumption.

Tunji explained that their donation is borne out of their willingness to support the effort of the government.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013—25

learning@vanguardngr.com

Stakeholders embark on sector reforms

Unilorin mass failure: Students urge authorities to find solution Cross section of principal officers from Nigerian Federal Colleges of Education, Polytechnics and Universities at the just concluded international training organized by HENMUEL TRAINERS Ltd, in collaboration with Mannheim Business School, Germany.

Quality of private varsities’ graduates laudable — NUC boss

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HE Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, NUC, Prof.

Julius Okojie, has said that private universities’ stable academic calendar has justified the quest for the creation of more private varsities in Nigeria, as the quality of graduates they produced yearly speak for them.

“Out of the 1,000 graduates who were successful in the Federal Government Scholarship scheme for further studies, 10 of those scholars are from one private school,” Okojie said.

Okojie, in his speech read by Professor Akaneren Essien at the Caleb University's second convocation ceremony where eight out of 231 graduates made First Class Honours, commended private universities for sustaining stable academic calendar which has redeemed our nation’s image in the comity of nations where their academic calendar is never stable.

“Though the demand for private varsities licenses have continue to increase, their owners have continue to justify their investment and the National Universities Commission,” he said.

Okojie who also charged the university to do more in the area of manpower development in order to assist in driving the much desired economic growth of the country, said private varsities have been C M Y K

contributing to the development of the education sector.

Speaking in the same vein, the Vice Chancellor, Caleb University, Professor Ayodeji Olukoju, said: “Every first class awarded here is earned and comparable with those awarded by credible universities anywhere else in the world. Proof of this claim is that Mr. Eric Tope Bakare, our pioneer best graduating student, validated our first class honours degree by coming first in the entrance

examination into the MSc Chemistry class at the University of Ibadan.

"That four of the eight First Class graduands are females underscores the fact that, at Caleb University, everyone has a fair chance of fulfilling their dreams irrespective of gender or other considerations.

"Indeed, we can claim that this is where focused young minds are nurtured to achieve their full potentials and that the female students also stand the best chance

Nigerian invents the fastest, safest oil spill cleaner

of being their best by studying with us.”

Olukoju who challenged graduand to apply their knowledge to the transformation of the world said: “ As you aspire, you will perspire before you can acquire as it is only the truly outstanding in character and learning – the six-o’-clock people - that will rule the roost.”

The VC disclosed that all the

Continues on page 28

10 varsities to offer Gerontology, Geriatrics studies

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

U

niversities in the country may have to adjust their curriculum to accommodate Gerontology and Geriatrics programmes in order to the deal with the challenges of aged people in the society.

This is coming on the heels of review of universities’ curriculum by the National University Commission, NUC, to accommodate Gerontology and Geriatrics studies that will address the peculiar challenges of older persons in the country.

The Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof. Julius Okojie, at a twoday consultative meeting with

selected varsities on the delivery of post-graduate programmes in Gerontology and Geriatrics in Abuja said the Commission has approved 10 varsities for the pilot phase.

The event, in collaboration with the Dave Omokaro Foundation, is aimed at capacity development for the training of ‘professionals and paraprofessionals to meet the challenges and embrace opportunities that come with the steady rise in absolute numbers of older persons.’

“The central objective of this meeting on the part of the NUC is to formally introduce the ‘ageing studies’ project and engage the relevant varsity faculties in exchange of

information, knowledge and professional experience on key issues."

According to him, these issues include curriculum development, structure of trans-disciplinary and integrated programmes and faculty training.

Others are: international partnerships, funding and strategies for laying the foundation for the emergence of centres of excellence in Gerontology and Geriatrics.

Okojie said the increase in absolute number and percentage of older persons was globally generating increasing demand for Continues on page 28

26—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

BY IGNATIUS CHUKWU

Corps member donates library to school

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TATES of the south-east Nigeria have concluded plans to mount an education support in an attempt to turn around the plank upon which the region’s greatness was built. The Education Summit is expected to hold in Owerri, Imo State, between May 9 and 10, 2013, with top world educationists and leaders ready to help the region reposition its major asset.

Now, as regions begin to ask the right questions about their economies and finding a link between it and education, the south-east has also resolved to carry out a kind of inquest into the collapse of educational advancement in their region.

Some experts from the region said it hurts to hear comedians cast the eastern region in the mould of cash-seekers and not seekers of real knowledge.

Now, the fighting spirit of the south-east governors have been brought out to confront the rot in education, first by coming together at a summit with international experts to brainstorm on the matter. To join at the ‘alter of men’ will be education policy makers (state ministries of education), universities and other tertiary institutions, professional organisations, international organisations and foundations that have worked for the advancement of education in the region.

The region is known for entrepreneurship and private efforts, most of its successful endeavours are often executed in a public private partnership (PPP) concept. This must be why the states saw it fit to allow Praik-Allied Nigeria, a licensee of the famous Applied

BY BASHIR ADEFAKA

A

Contestants of 'My Education Quiz Play,' held in Lagos recently.

Stakeholders embark on sector reforms Scholastics International (ASI) of USA, known for huge works in study technologies, to handle this great task.

The Programmes Director of Praik-Allied, Prince-Iroha Kalu, a corporate strategist, human capital and study technology expert, told Vanguard Learning that the focus of his international partners, ASI, “is to build a functional society by putting learning to practice because if learning is not put into practice, the basis of education is destroyed.”

Kalu said this concept came into Nigeria in 2006 through Praik-Applied Internation-

al to train the master trainers selected from Colleges of Education, universities of education, etc, where the first batch of 99 were certified.

Further training in the USA saw the Ohaofiaborn entrepreneur and investor rise to be the only licensed representative of ASI in Nigeria and sub-Sahara Africa.

The group would use its experience in the colleges of education in Nigeria, and other teacher-retraining programmes in Kano, Katsina, Zaria, Owerri, Rivers, etc where lecturers ensure that the fundamentals are got right to reposition education in the east.

t a time Nigerian government is searching for resourceful young talents who would be involved in the business of co-transforming the nation to greater height, a young lady, Olajumoke Olateju, has proved herself relevant by donating a library to a secondary school in Kwara State where she was posted as a 2012 Batch ‘A’ member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

The school had been in need of such facility for quite sometime and Vanguard Learning gathered that the authorities never had any inkling that such succour could come through a corps member who, before the end of her service year, brought joy to both students and the staff of the school.

Apart from the library, Jumoke purchased and made school uniforms for the less privileged students, paid PTA levy of not less than six students every term, gave them extra lessons after school hours and paid WAEC and NECO fees for some less privileged students.

She also adopted the mother tongue to teach Mathematics in the school to the amazement of her colleagues and students, inspite of the fact that she schooled abroad and came home for the NYSC programme.

School heads to release exam results before holiday

BY DAYO ADESULU

Modern teaching-aids hold the key to Nigeria’s educational development — Minister of Education

BY DAYO ADESULU

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INISTER of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufai, has said that the introduction of modern teaching-aids in classrooms hold the key to Nigeria’s educational development it will enhance teachers' effectiveness and students' responsiveness.

Rufai, in her keynote address delivered by Mrs. Mobolaji Borha at the EduSoft Associates’ maiden workshop on enhancing schools pass rate, said “Modern teaching aids, rather than replacing the teachers, assist them in becoming more effective and students more responsive.

These solutions, according to her, will act as very good support for teachers, regarding lessons and teaching aids.

Solutions such as Abacus and Speed Mathematics, as well as Smartclass and Edumate, have the potential of transforming Nigeria’s educaC M Y K

tion system, making it more responsive to the needs of stakeholders. This was the general consensus of participants at the workshop themed “Implementing best-in-class solutions for enhancing schools pass rate” organised by EduSoft Associates, in partnership with Educomp Solutions Nigeria.

Mrs. Adedoyin Isreal, Head Teacher, Heyday School, FESTAC, Lagos, who is already implementing some of these solutions, during the panel discussion, said, “Abacus and Speed Mathematics as well as some of these other solutions are geared towards enhancing the ability of students to be globally competitive. The solutions do not add or subtract from the approved curricula: they enhance the global competitiveness of our students.”

Mr. Badri Prasad, Director, Operations, EduSoft Associates, said the major objective of the workshop was to facilitate the introduction of solutions that have been adopted in other countries with impressive results, to schools

in Nigeria, starting with Lagos State.

“With schools struggling to enhance the pass rate of their students in general examinations, adopting solutions that complement the general curriculum and importantly, making learning a thing of joy, thereby boosting students’ confidence will go a long way in preparing students for examinations and ultimately for highly rewarding careers.

“We also partnered with Educomp Nigeria to showcase its Smartclass solutions, which is especially important with the rapid growth in information and communications technology in Nigeria, and the role technology plays in bringing hitherto complex subjects and topics to life, engendering greater participation of students in learning,” added Prasad.

Mr. Shantaram Hegdekatte, CEO of Educomp Solutions, Africa, owners of

H

eads of public primary and secondary schools in Ogun State have been advised to always ensure timely compilation of examination marks in order to enable students collect their results before proceeding on vacation.

Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Segun Odubela, gave the admonition while monitoring the conduct of the on-going second term unified examination in the state public secondary schools.

Odubela who expressed satisfaction on the timely arrival of examination materials from the Zonal Education offices (ZEO) in the 20 local government areas to examination centers, said the advice became necessary to afford both students and their parents opportunity to study the document before schools resumes for the next term.

He said it is for this reason that the academic time-table was fashion out in such a way that will give examiners ample opportunity to mark the examination scripts before the end of every term.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013—27

C M Y K

28—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

Unilorin mass failure: Students urge authorities to find solution

any examination that cannot be conducted before 6pm should be postponed rather than putting mental pressure cross section of the on the students by stressing 300 level students of them unnecessarily. the University of Another student who simply Ilorin have appealed to the gave her name as Blessing, school authorities to find a said, ‘’I really wish this was ‘soothing remedy' to the high all a dream, I still can’t believe rate of failure recorded in two that I failed both GNS and of their first semester general GSE because I studied hard courses that were released for the exams. recently.

"I would be glad if the school The courses are History & management can look into Philosophy of Science in this and find a solution to it.

General Studies (GNS 311) The results do not reflect the and Graduate Self preparation and performance Employment (GSE 301), both of the students." of which are computer based A 300 leve Law student who examinations. does not want his name in print The students made the confessed that he had E in GSE appeal at a congress organized and F in GNS, noting that this by the Students’ Union to kind of result would have a discuss the causes and corrosive effect on his grade consequences of the mass failure as well as proffer • Pupils and staff of Loral Int'l Nursery/Primary School, Festac, Lagos with gift items donated to point (GP) and possibly lead to him spending an extra year. possible solutions that could be orphanages and mentally imbalanced homes, as part of Valentine Day celebrations. ‘’All I hope and pray for now taken by the school is for the school leadership to management to remedy the A student of Zoology who it with technical errors. conducting an examination seat and deliberate on how they situation. pleaded anonymity said "on Ogundipe Oluwasegun, a around 11pm and 12 midnight can help majority of us who They lamented that if nothing is done, "it will cause the day of the examination, 500 level Law student as illogical, unreasonable and failed the exams,” he said. many students to have an some technical problems described the idea of inconsiderate, adding that occurred which led to the delay extra year.”

The students opined that the in commencement of the results did not reflect their examination resulting to true performance, saying that majority of us (students) they studied really hard for having our exams around 11 pm and 12 am. the examinations.

BY SIKIRU AKINOLA Olarewaju, stated that this set a new road map to pursue "I got to the CBT centre as Quadlife gathered that over latest ranking reflects the research effort more early as 9 am on the exam day 70 per cent of the students Y the new webometric success of the current vigorously with a view to and did my exam around 12 who took the courses had E under continually impacting ranking released on 6th administration or F in both or either of the am due to the technical faults February, 2013, Obafemi Professor Bamitale Omole positively on the sociodeveloped by the computer courses.

Awolowo University, OAU, who, at his inauguration as economic, political and The students attributed the systems.” moved from being #8 in Vice-Chancellor, promised to technological landscapes of He further stressed that the high rate of failure recorded Nigeria to #1 and from 79 to work assiduously to reposition the society. school management should to the change in software of .

OAU as a leading university The VC, Omole, stated this postponed the No 14 in Africa the CBT and technical faults have at a one-day retreat A release by the Public in Nigeria and Africa. examination rather than developed by the computers Meanwhile, staff of the organized by the Staff taking the risk of conducting Relations Officer of the used for the examinations.

University, Mr. Abiodun varsity have been advised to Training and Development Unit of the institution at the Continues from page 25 Royal Parks Hotel, Iloko-Ijesa, Continues from page 25 Osun State.

In his keynote address titled “Moving This Leviathan: New Paradigm, New Strategies: 50 years of OAU special services. and Beyond”, the VC “I am glad to report that the graduating students will be “Structured and dedicated health and social support enjoined the participants deficiency that cost us full issued their certificates same systems that could guarantee the health care delivery never to dwell too much on accreditation in that day to enable them secure and social security of the ageing population are near past achievements but strive programme has been rectified whatever they deserve at the to beak new grounds in non existent.

Therefore, human capital development with the appointment of a fullappropriate time, such as research. and research are key elements that will help to address time Professor, who also employment and admission He reminded the participants the issue.” doubles as Head of for further studies. not to forget the best practices, Okojie, however, hinted that the number of older Department.”

Speaking on ‘From Imota to ethics and ethos as well as the people over 60 years is expected to increase from about He also pointed out that , in Immortality’ Olukoju noted institutional core values which 600 million in 2000 to over 2 billion in the year 2050 December 2012, the NUC that Caleb University has made our past scientific with Nigeria projected to be among the 11 countries granted Caleb permission to developed from zero per cent achievements possible and with the highest population of older persons. commence postgraduate to 100 per cent. which had made OAU a centre This he said will be greatest and the most rapid in studies with the take-off of the According to him, during of Academic Excellence. developing countries, where the number of older College of Postgraduate the 2012 calendar year, out of He encouraged them to people is expected to triple during the next 40 years.

Studies in March. the 13 programmes presented sustain and deepen their The introduction of the studies was expected to tackle “The University has excellent and efficient service to NUC for accredidation, 12 challenges associated with ageing such as; health care delivery for more outstanding commenced the process of obtained full accreditation, delivery, the systems for advancing health and wellachievements in research, admitting students into the with only one programme being, the provision of enabling and supportive teaching and community MSc programme in accorded interim environment as well as social security concerns. services.

Architecture. accreditation.

BY HAMEED MURITALA

A

OAU takes top spot in webometric ranking

B

Quality of private varsities’ graduates laudable

10 varsities to offer Gerontology...

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013—29

Wonderland Entertainment organizes excursion for 400 students

Problem of Nigeria’s education is delivery not curriculum – Prof. Zuru Prof. Abdullahi Abdu Zuru is the Vice Chancellor, Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero (KSUSTA), and the immediate past National President of Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria, ICCON. In this interview with Abdallah el-Kurebe, he spoke on matters revolving around Nigerian education.

Excerpts:

Y

• Prof. Abdullahi Abdu Zuru those researches are largely around. All we can do is take an inventory of what is available, map out strategic plans and translate these things into national development.

Once this is done, I think that will help. I am opportuned to be in the Vision 2020 drafting group and I am aware that plans have been put in place for this purpose. There is a thinking that we are going to have national scientific parks where they would be gravitating around certain universities. This would be on the basis of what raw materials are available in that varsity.

The real answer has always been you want to bring in some form of relationship between the industry, the academia and the government. Government provides the enabling environment, industry or private sector is the driving engine and the academia spearheads.

This where we incubate ideas, they germinate and translate into products. But you will be asking too much of the academia to live beyond generating ideas, incubating them and all these things to translating them into products.

Once there is working relationship between the three arms, then the progress in economic achievement and development would come in.

The rising profile of varsities against the tidal

wave of inadequate finance asks volumes of questions.

Do you see the justification for more varsities that wouldn’t adequately be funded?

There is no question for justification about additional varsities in Nigeria. We are talking about a population of about 170 million at the present time. Each year, about 1.3 to 1.5 million students sit for JAMB, all wanting to come to the university to system.

The enrollment capacities of Nigerian varsities put together is about 300,000, so

BY AMAKAABAYOMI

I

n its bid to foster education outside the classroom and friendship among students of different schools, Wonderland Entertainment has organized a train excursion for 400 pupils and students of seven schools.

The CEO, Wonderland Entertainment, Mr. Tayo Adeyemo, said the train excursion was also aimed educating the students on the rail mode of transportation, which most of them haven’t experienced.

The train, which took off from the Alajomeji terminal, passed through Ikeja, Oshodi Mushin, Agbado, Iju, Agege terminals before berthing at Ijoko terminal in Ogun State, and then made the return journey to Lagos.

The students, who said they have only seen trains moving but never been in one, expressed their appreciation to Wonderland Entertainment for giving them the opportunity to partake in this once in a life time experience.

The students had lots of fun on the train ride as refreshments were provided

by Cway,

Brunswick Varsity offers entrance scholarships

BY ALADE AROMASHODU

,

ou are 30 years in the teaching and research profession. What have you seen as government’s attitude to Research and Development, especially in the area of adequate funding?

Well, I think it has been positive when we look at the early eighties when we came into the industry. There was a lot of training of young, promising, intellectuals people who were engaged in the industry, some were sent abroad to get the necessary training.

But from the late 80s, things started to plateau and then went into the era of decline.

In the 70s and 80s when the government had positive attitude to research and development, the universities were vibrant, and the most recent book published anywhere in the world was made available in Nigeria within 24 hours then. Sending people abroad was not necessitated by the need but by requirement.

This positive attitude was not tied to any particular national goal. I think this is where the issue is. You can liken it to the difference between a bush and a garden, where the bush is disorderly while the garden is well planned. So, it is the same way you should look at in terms of research and development. If it is tied to a national goal, there are specific target to be achieved.

Then you can say that, I want to produce this number of engineers to take care of this; that number of medical doctors to treat that kind of ailment. If it were to be so, the decline we suffered would not have occurred.

But we seem to have gone into training of researchers, educationists, etc without specific purposes beyond the national development.

How would you advise the government in this direction?

It is never too late as there are a lot of researches that are still on the shelves and the people that were involved in

can effectively manage.

Access means that you want more people to have education so balancing the two is the problem. Then the other challenge is how the universities would be funded.

My belief is that there is the will to fund but the issue is the way we do the funding.

The debate that is going on now is that we believe it is only the government that must do the funding. The government is saying no, funding education is our collective job of the private sector, communities and parents. What we have not been able to do is to achieve a clear-cut way of doing this.

In Nigeria, we are rather debating the need for collective role to do this. I just came back from NEEDS analysis where they looked at the requirements of the varsities. For example, they are looking at populations in some of the varsities.

In Nigeria, the enrollment at ABU Zaria is 49,436; UI has 33,481. UNN has 23,481, but the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, has 316,050.

This is one university in Argentina. The National Autonomous University of Mexico has 314,557; University of South Africa, Pretoria, has 250,000 while Cairo University, Giza, Egypt has 200,000.

The largest university in Nigeria doesn’t have unto 50,000 but in South Africa, a single university has 250,000.

When we come to Open Universities, Indira Gandhi

It is never too late as there are a lot of researches that are still on the shelves and the people that were involved in those researches are largely around.

each year, there are more than 1.2 million prospective students. This tells you that there is the demand for higher education, which we are not able to meet at the moment.

So, the need for addition is necessary. One of the things government is talking about is access to education, especially tertiary; then quality.

Quality requires that you go with a small number that you

,

NOU, India, has 3,500,000; Allama Igbal OU, Pakistan, has 1,121,038; Bangladesh OU, Gazipur, has 600,000 while our National Open University of Nigeria has only 57,759.

That is why I said the need for access is there. There is the argument that one of the things should be to expand the existing ones. But Nigeria in terms of population is a large country.

T

he University of New Brunswick (UNB), Canada, has reiterated its commitment to offer guaranteed entrance scholarships to students applying directly from high school who have an admissions average of 80 per cent or higher.

Based on academic achievements, UNB stated further that more than $3 million will be awarded in undergraduate scholarships, while $1 million to first year student students alone.

Students must present UNB with high grades of B or above.

For students with the WAEC or ‘O’ Level and ‘A’ Level credits, UNB requires grades 1-4. A complete educational history will be required to allow for a comprehensive assessment by the Admission Office.

30—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

Nigerian students and use of slangs

BY LAJU ARENYEKA

J

ust look at those girls coming, those two are ‘Titus,’ as you can see, they are slim. That one is a ‘shark’ because she is loaded, and the other one is ‘Cote’ because she is plump. None of them are really ‘endowed’, we use endowed for a girl that is spotless and perfect to look at.” Lekan Rabiu said, as his friends oohed, aahed nodded in agreement. If it were a normal conversation among four undergraduate guys, there would have been no need for explanation of terms.

But this was a lecture of some kind, and Lekan and his friends were the lecturers of slang 101, the student: A quadlife on a quest to permeate the slang-domof the Nigerian student.

From secondary schools especially with boarding systems, were ‘bunkie’ means ‘bunk mate’ and ‘fap’ means ‘steal’, teachers, parents and outsiders generally, can get lost in the lingua franca of students.

But the slang situation borders beyond lack of understanding by external parties, some scholars believe that the use of slangs adversely affects students’ use of the English language. Martha Nguemo Terna-Abah, a lecturer at the Department Of English And Literacy Studies, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria is one of such.

In her study, “The Prevalence Of Slang Use Among The

Students Of Students of Basic Remedial Studies/Abu Funtua And Its Effects On The Teaching Of English As A Second Language,” she argues that “Slang words and expressions filter into students’ write-ups thereby hampering meaning, hence, effective communication especially when such slang items are the same with those of the Standard English but of different meanings depending on whether they are used as slang or otherwise. These include slang items like dry (uninteresting), blast (defecate) crash (steep) shot

gun (unexpected test) pepper (money) killer (glutton), joint (cigarette containing marijuana) tapping (okay) flash (lies) and many more.”

However, Jibola Olubiyi, Bosun Anyankoha, and Ubaka Moore all undergraduates at the University of Lagos do not believe that the use of slangs affects their command of the English language, especially in writing. When asked about the rationale behind the use of slangs, they gave reasons ranging from the fact that it is an indirect way to make jest of someone, talk about people in a way that they won’t

understand, or simply “make someone vex.” The last objective here must have been accomplished as the use of slangs recently ‘vexed’ one of lecturer out of class. One of them narrated: “The lecturer was teaching and said ‘first of all’, all of a sudden everybody replied ‘go down low ’, it happened twice, so the lecturer got upset and left.”

The song ‘first of all’ by artiste Olamide is not the first set of lyrics to find its way onto students’ vocabulary.

Everyone knows that words like Koko and Kokolette are the fault of Koko master ‘D’banj.’

* Route Administration Officer, Lekki Concession Company (LCC), Abraham Durosawo, surrounded by pupils of Ikota Primary School, Lekki, during LCC's Corporate Social Responsibility campaign on Road Safety Initiative held at the school.

Make the best of NYSC scheme, Jonathan urges corps members

BY DAYO ADESULU

P

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has urged the 2013 batch ‘A’ corps members to endeavour to make the best of NYSC scheme within their service year for them to become important part of history of this laudable programme.

The President who spoke at the swearing-in ceremony of the 2323 participants held at Iyano-Ipaja, the Lagos State NYSC orientation camp said: “The orientation programme is designed to instil in you, the leadership qualities of perseverance, endurance, discipline and peaceful coexistence with fellow compatriots from different socio-cultural and religious backgrounds."

Jonathan who commended the NYSC management for inserting skills acquisition training and other youth empowerment programmes into the orientation time-table

said that since the aim of the initiative is to make the corps members self-reliant, they should all participate in those programmes actively and draw maximum benefits.

He, however, tasked them to maintain discipline and decorum in camp and participate vigorously in all the activities of the orientation programme and throughout their service year.

“You should be the best the country would be proud of and see yourselves as agents of our transformation agenda. You must shun corruption and other vices and instead, embrace intergrity and humility. To be a great leader of tomorrow, you must lay a solid foundation today.”

Reiterating his administration’s unwavering faith in the scheme, the President said he is firmly committed to providing the enabling environment to keep the scheme viable and ensuring the safety and

welfare of the corps members.

On her part, the State Coordinator, NYSC Lagos State, Mrs Adenike Adeyemi, said that the service corps has become a globally recognized platform for participants to gain practical and experiential knowledge before facing the challenges of the real world.

Adeyemi, who charged the corps members to be ready for advocacy programmes of national interest, skill acquisition and entrepreneurship said: “Achievers are not born, they are made, and aligning with

• NYSC

the training modules in the orientation course will assist you achieve the right attitude and guide to winning.”

The national service, according the state coordinator is designed to set corps members on course, produce influencers, high achievers, professionals, hard workers and believers in a great and united nation.

Adeyemi, however lauded Governor Babatunde Fashola for supporting the scheme in Lagos State most importantly the extensive renovation of the orientation camp.

BRIEF Govt urged to recognize young sports talents in schools

BY MUSBAUDEEN SHEKONI

M

r. Onyema Ony enakeya, Principal Early-Life Secondary School, Festac Town, has amplified the relevance of Nigerian government at the various levels to heighten efforts on sports in secondary and primary schools in the country.

The principal, while speaking recently at the school’s inter-house sports competition, now in its 17th edition, noted that Nigerian sports could be raised to a high pedestal given that the young talents in these levels are recruited and groomed, and not neglecting the private schools.

According to him, “Nigerian government is not catching them young and that is a fundamental problem we are having, in those days, we had schools’ sporting activities at local government, state and national levels and from there you have a group of people that are well groomed and of course that is lacking and it’s unfortunate,” he perturbed.

How to minimize JAMB failure —GAPS Academy

BY MUSBAUDEEN SHEKONI

A

gainst the worrying level of students’ failure in both JAMB and WAEC SSCE, GAPS Academy, an education-driven venture recently launched a free interactive, integrated, multimedia pre-university examination preparatory programme tittled: 90-day JAMB UTME Study Boot Camp.

In its recent briefing at Excellence Hotel, Ogba which was tailored to give the half period report on the 28 th January, 2013, launched 90-day JAMB study plan for students taking the 2013 JAMB examinations, Gaps noted that the programme is customized to improve the exam success rate and reduce the incidence of exam malpractice.

In addition, students have been availed 3hours of JAMB tutorials on TV and they, on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays between 5:30-6:00pm can go to NTA channel which is 110 on Startimes and on which they can watch those classes. Beyond that, on Saturdays 12:30-1:30pm, there would be a re-run of those three episodes.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013—31

Doregos Academy honours outstanding staff, students AMA KA ABAYOMI

T

he management of Doregos Private Academy, Ipaja, has rewarded best students and staff of the school, even as it described the 2011/2012 session as one of the best in the history of the 23 year old school.

This was disclosed by the Executive Director of the school, Tokunbo Doregos, at the school’s speech day, when he said the school is driven by culture of excellence and ethics.

“This school prides

itself in its determination to build future ambassadors for the country, and the speech day is to reward excellence and motivate students and staff to increase their productivity.

Among the students honoured were Bruce Gbolahan a JSS 3 student who went home with 25 prizes, including overall best in JSS 2, Folarin Oluwapelumi got 17 prizes including overall best in JSS 1, while Imo Chinedu was adjudged the overall best in JSS 3

and also grabbed 25 prizes.

In the senior class, Adebola Duro-Aina and Obayemi Ruth each got 22 prizes, while Olabisi Fatiha Oyebola was voted the best student.

Other winners are Adenuga Victor- Sport boy; Durojaiye Peter - best behaved boy while the best behaved girl was Abass Olisa Tosin.

In the teachers’ category, the most

punctual teacher was Mrs. Folake Amure, teacher with the best SSCE result (NECO) was Schadu Obaujo, HOD of the year went to Mrs. Wunmi Adebayo, account staff

of the year was Maria Ojibo, administrative staff of the year was Mojisola Shobande, and teacher with the best Cambridge result was Lekan Olambiwonnu.

Group condemns flogging of student putting on hijab

BY IKENNA ASOMBA

F

OLLOWING a recent media report alleging the flogging of a 16-year-old pupil of Kadara Junior Grammar

School, Ebute Meta, Lagos, by the Principal of the school, Mrs. E.C Ukpaka, because she wore hijab, a head scarf worn by female Muslims, on the school premises, a group

under the aegis of Muslim Teachers’ Association (MTA), Surulere, zone has condemned the act, describing it as callous and outright religious persecution.

Speaking on behalf of the group, the Welfare Secretary, Ustaph Sa’eed Adeyemo, said the act is callous and is contrary to Section 38 (1) & (2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which allows for freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

“I feel this is an outright religious persecution because the Nigerian constitution allows for freedom of religion.

Also, the education law, as enshrined in the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, stipulates that no child should be given a religious education aside the religion of his/her parents.

"In order words, the right of every child is

guaranteed under the constitution, which allows individuals to practice their faith as they deem fit.

“That incidence to me is callous, if actually the student was given as many as 43 strokes as reported in the dailies.

"From my understanding of the Nigerian constitution and our statute books, a person is given as many as 24 strokes if the offence is a serious one, not as trivial as the case we read. The person that has been flogged has not done anything wrong, because the wearing of hijab is the right of Muslim females.

“If we consider this, against happenings in the north, it must have led to provocations which might escalate to uncontrollably civil strife.

Then people will say that the Muslims are at it again. I think such principal should be dealt with, perhaps by demoting her, so that it will serve as a lesson to other religious chauvinists.

Adeboye visits Elizade University

BY DAYO JOHNSON

T

HE General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has lauded the founder of Elizade University, Ilara Mokin, Ondo State, Chief Ade Ojo, for his effort to uplift the standard of education in the country.

Pastor Adeboye who paid a visit to the university, prayed and inspected the world class facilities, said that the proprietor of the university has shown that good things can come out of the country.

“Facilities in the university have shown that the standard of education in the country can be improved upon if an individual can single-handedly establish such a world class university.”

Adeboye, however, advised the 64 pioneering students of the institution to have the fear of God in them and to correctly apply the knowledge acquired from the institution, as the correct application of knowledge is wisdom.

While saying that the students should recognize God in all their ways, he noted that God should be made their priority if they ever want to go far in life.

Responding, the founder of the university, Ojo, appealed to the Federal Government to allow private universities some freedom that will improve the standard of education in the country.

32—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

Smart learning hits Nigerian classrooms

BY DAYO ADESULU

S

amsung Electronics West Africa, has deployed its revolutionary smart learning solution, “Smart School,” at Greensprings School, Lagos, the first school to adopt the solution in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa. The Smart School solution is a fully integrated learning platform that empowers teachers to deliver an interactive learning environment to students. It is designed to improve the learning experience of students through the innovative medium of “Samsung Smart Classrooms”. The solution utilizes Samsung E-boards and Samsung devices such as tablets, PCs and other new age technological tools to facilitate learning.

Commending Greensprings School for the foresight to embrace the solution, Samsung Electronics West Africa’s Managing Director, Mr. Bravo Kim described the initiative as an important part of Samsung’s drive to aid schools’ transition

towards a purposeful smart learning environment in Nigeria and indeed the entire continent. “The deployment of Samsung’s Smart School solution in Greensprings School represents an important part of our continued effort to deliver the classroom of the future today. This innovative solution frees educators from the confines of standing at a chalkboard or projector and allows them to move about the classroom, conducting interactive lessons and activities

through their touch screen tablet or notebook computer. We’re confident that the school will find it to be a powerful and effective platform for engaging students, elevating learning, and fostering a truly interactive classroom learning environment,” he said.

The Samsung Smart Classroom solution is a three-pronged converged digital education package that provides students and teachers with access to 65-inch interactive E-boards and Samsung tablet devices: the

interactive management solution delivers content to students and allows for the sharing of screens inside the classroom, aiding teachers’ monitoring of student progress; the second component, the learning management system, provides educational materials, such as e-textbooks, timetables and learning apps for users while the third component, the student information system, tracks student attendance, compiles grade history and keeps record of prizes or demerits.

•Victorious Red House of Effortswill School, Ejigbo celebrating atfter their school’s interhouse sports competition

Loral School reaches out to orphans, sick people As part of activities to mark the annual Saint Valentine celebrations and to touch the lives of the less privileged in our society, Loral International Nursery/ Primary School, Festac, Lagos, recently visited

homes for orphans and mentally imbalanced.

The homes visited include: Citadel of Grace Mission International Orphanage, Igando; Pacelli School for the Mentally Imbalanced, Surulere; and God’s

Own Foundation Motherless Home, Tedi village, Ojo. The students who were accompanied by some of their teachers donated food items and clothing materials such as bags of rice, beans, maize and

Don hails Oshiomhole on education transformation in Edo State

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

A

University of Benin Don, Dr. Chukwugozie Maduka of the Department of Philosophy and Religion, Faculty of Arts, has commended the efforts of Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, in transforming the education sector in the state.

The widely traveled scholar who spoke in Benin City, Edo State, said “we have to appreciate the state governor for the total renovation going on in public schools, and there is no state in Nigeria that can boast of better infrastructure in public schools than Edo State.

Dr. Maduka said public schools in the state are free tuition up to the post primary level, and parents who patronize private schools have the issue of ego.

“In fairness, most public schools in Edo State are of standard immeasurable to all private schools except for a few in the class of Auntie Maria, Word of Faith and Igbenedion. The state owned schools are better in terms of infrastructure, have more experienced and qualified teachers, and is tuition free up to the secondary level. But some parents still prefer to put their children in a much expensive private school.

“The first student to have a first class degree in philosophy, now an assistant lecturer, attended a public school, Edokpolor Secondary School. Though there are still some good private schools, but the intention behind establishing private schools have been greatly abused by some people.”

groundnuts, tubers of yam, kegs of cooking oil, and foot wears among many others.

Speaking during the visits, leader of the delegation and head of Co-curricular activities in the school, Mrs. Rose Okoroafor, said Loral has made it an annual ritual to reach out to the less privileged children every Valentine Day. According to her, the main objective of the programme was to give the children a feeling of belonging by putting smiles on their faces.

“We do not limit our help to the same homes every year. we stretch our hands to as many different homes as possible so as to touch many lives.”

Taking delivery of the items, the benefiting homes in their separate speeches commended the school for the gesture and prayed for God’s mercies upon the school.

Self-mastery-the master key to greatness W

hy do kings who held the spectre of authority and power come crumbling down in shame and dishonour? Why do the wealthy who built empires walk the streets as peasants? Why do married couples who walk down the aisle confessing their love for each other eventually get divorced? Why do people who had unique talents and attained the hall of fame end up with a marred reputation and a life full of crisis? Why do people who had the potential of living a long life suddenly are cut off in the midst of their years? Why do vibrant healthy individuals suddenly get caught up with a dilapidating disease? Why are our prisons filled with convicts who had the potential of becoming great in the world?

The questions could go on and on. The answers could be traceable to the lack of selfmastery.

Could you imagine yourself at three hundred feet in the air when both engines of the airplane suddenly stopped. Fortunately, by deft manoeuvring the airplane managed to land; the airplane was severely damaged but nobody was hurt. When the airplane was examined it was discovered that the mechanic who had serviced the plane made a grave mistake; he fuelled the plane with jet fuel rather than gasoline. What could have been your reaction to the mechanic who caused the loss of an expensive plane and could have caused the loss of three lives as well? Well, when Bob Hoover went to meet the mechanic, the young man was in tears for his grievous mistake.

However, Hoover put his arms around the man’s shoulder and said, “To show you I’m sure that you’ll never do this again. I want you to service my F-51 tomorrow.” Wow! That’s an example of self mastery; a remarkable one at that. Bob hoover had adequate self mastery to control his anger; he never criticized neither did he scold the mechanic. Medical scientists have proven that uncontrolled anger releases into the body chemical poisons that cause diseases like cancer and heart disease. Anger produces ulcers and also confers strokes on its victims at a greater rate than those whose life are serene.

Self-mastery or self control is the ability to control or take possession of one’s own mind.

It is the ability to deliberately choose the thoughts that dominate your mind and keep out those thoughts that you don’t want to gain entrance into your mind. It is the ability to master or subdue negative emotions while controlling and directing the positive emotions.

Self mastery is the foremost and highest victory one can ever achieve; whosoever conquers self has nothing else to conquer.

If you can control your thoughts you can control your world; if you can master yourself you can master life in all its frontiers. Most people fail in life because they allow their thoughts, words and deeds to run wild; they permit their mind to absorb the falsehoods and negativity released by other minds.

An individual with self mastery controls his appetites; food, drink and sex and also his spending habits. Self mastery does not accommodate hatred, envy, jealousy, fear, revenge, selfishness greed and pride. Selfmastery is not servile; it is not emotional and mentally dependent on others. A person with self-mastery does not engage in gossip or idle chatter. Self-mastery readily forgives and does not strike back in kind.

Self-mastery is deliberately choosing positive and constructive thoughts that harmonize with your dreams and aspirations and make it your dominating thoughts while shutting out all other contrary or negative suggestions.

However, if you want to possess self-mastery you must have an intense desire for it; the greater the depth of your desire the greater the level of self-mastery you will attain.

Vanguard , THURSDAY THURSDAY,, MARCH 14 , 2013 —33

is that if those things can remain we will see a much more better market much more than it did the other time. But remember that in the capital market we have boom and bust periods. But I am sure we will not see the bubble bust like we have the other time because quoted companies now have strong fundamentals.

In addition to what he has said, the reform you have seen in your stock market has ensured increased corporate governance practices by local companies.

Again that will also shield these companiesfromthekindofshocks that we experience the other time.

Joseph Tegbe cuts in. I think part of the challenges we have had globally is the lack of US investment into China.

Low governance structure

KPMG Global Chairman, Mr Andrew Michael (m) with Seyi Bickersteth and Joseph Tegbe

‘Nigeria should diversify the economy and reduce the risk on one commodity’

BY OMOH GABRIEL, Business Editor

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ET me take you on KPMG’s impression of Nigeria. Most times when global CEOs go into a market they don’t just give a patonthebackofthosemanaging these economies domestically.

What is the biggest ambition that has brought you to this market as a global CEO? Well, it is probably a broader perspective on Africa. We see Africa as its time has come it is going to be the engine of growth of the global economy for the next twenty to thirty years. We actually regard the Nigeria practice as the best practice in Africa so if we can replicate what happens here and leverage the skills that we have across broader Africa then that is a smart business strategy for us to employ. We have been here telling international investors about project Africa and that we can actually tap skills and talent and business models here into other

markets. So what we are doing is more broadly across Africa.

People see Africa as the engine of growth and agriculture is one of the major area of focus because they say Africa is going to provide food for the world so are you looking at investing in agriculture?

Certainly, I think 43 per cent of people here are employed in the agricultural sector and there is going to be a tremendous capacity to be more efficient and productive over time. It is one area we are looking at.

Competitive energy We are also looking at consumer markets,financialservices,energy (downstream), we will also see how we can assist in converting petrochemicals into fertilizer for agriculture. Then you start to look at manufacturing because if you have a fit and competitive energy base then you have the ability to

start to utilise the substantial population that you have here.

Agriculture is just a small part of what we are looking at. We are looking much more broadly at the services and the financial markets in particular.

Youjustmentionedthefinancial system, if you look at the stock market that is just coming up now, does it pose any challenge to the international world or will the current growth continue?

I think part of the growth of any economy is that you have to have access to capital. You are going to be constrained locally if your market is not liquid or if there is no efficient governance and capacity. The pleasing thing today is that in the international markets, there is a great appetite for companies with good exposure in the high growth economies.

The ability to be able to list in London and Singapore for example show that a stock is attractive. Nigerian companies must convince investors in other

exchanges that they have the governance and capacity to attract investments.

Seyi cuts in: Let me just say something else too. I think part of the problem that we had during the last crash was that we had too many foreign investors in the local market and during the global financial crisis a lot of them pulled out to be able to recover their investments in their country. As

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Recently the Global Chairman KPMG Mr Andrew Michael was on a working visit to Nigeria. He had an interactive session with some Nigerian journalists at the KPMG head office on Victoria Island. He was supported by Mr. Seyi Bickersteth ,senior partner, KPMG Nigeria and Joseph Tegbe. Mr. Michael spoke on several issues and the prospect for Nigeria in the global economy.

This is because we had this Chinese back door listing issue where you have many Chinese companies come to the US market and these companies had very low governance structure and the monies they raised were lost by fraud, a situation that led to US investors refusing to invest in China. So investors are looking for economies with the lowest risk of poor governance and transparency and integrity.

I am directing this question to Mr Andrew what is your opinion on the power sector reform in Nigeria, particularly the recent sale of the DICOS and GENCOS? Seyi My own opinion is this, philosophically and fundamentally, I am for a compression of the public sector.

So anything that compresses the public sector and expands the private sector is what I like to see in Nigeria. I think that at the end of the day our salvation is going to lay in that direction. You cansaywhatyouwanttosayabout

The reform you have seen in your stock market has ensured increased corporate governance practices by local companies.

Again that will also shield these companies from the kind of shocks that we experience the other time

Michael explained we have seen a much stronger economy now, so people are feeling much more confident, there isn’t a need to cover back losses. We have seen them coming back as their economies recover and they are investing again. Also align to that is that we have now a capital market which is transparent, accountable, which retail and institutional investors can believe in. I think the reform that we have made in our capital market in the last two to three years is beginning to have effect on the market. I think the answer to your question

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the private sector, but we know especially with a country like Nigeria that the private sector is much more efficient and effective thanthepublicsector.Sowhatever we can do to privative government assets is okay by me.

I for sure welcome the sale of the power assets. What we have to ensure is that we sell these assets at the right valuation, and that the process for doing it is very transparent.

From what I understand, the process is being handled by someone I have a lot of respect for Continues on page 34

34—Vanguard , THURSDAY THURSDAY,, MARCH 14 , 2013

‘Nigeria should diversify the economy and reduce the risk on one commodity’ KPMG Global Chairman, Mr Andrew Michael (m) with Seyi Bickersteth and Joseph Tegbe

Deregulation and privatisation Still on the power sector reform, there is this impression that the Federal Government set up a body which did a very fantastic job. It disbanded and put it up again even with the new power minister and the private sector is uncomfortable. I will tell you this without going into why this taskforce is been disbanded. We all know how government work, but I have been in functions and interacted with very senior people in government. The conclusion is that deregulation and privatisation is the way forward.

Government has no business in business that is the reality. If we look at it we have priority sectors such as education and health sectors which are major sectors for this country.

The kind of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contribution from those sectors is very minimal so the trust of the reforms is that we change the way we use to do business. The key thing is that

proper due diligence has been done, and liabilities are properly accounted for because all these agitations are coming from unions and pensioners. When this is done and the liabilities are settled properly, there will be no problem.

The reality is that we are generating just 4, 000 megawatts, there is a company that is just being set up in Dubai, where they are getting coal for aluminium smelting from Australia. That company alone requires 6,000 megawatts for operation. Here we aretalkingabout4,000megawatts for the entire country.

It is time to move forward. Let’s face it, there will be vested interest from government, public and private sectors that will not want us to go ahead with the reforms in the power sector. These vested interests are very strong. We have seen them in pension and the petroleum subsidy saga. I think the most important thing for us as a nation is to focus on the goal we want to achieve for the common good. What is good for all of us is to have enough power so that we can generate the middle class that we want to generate and develop the SMEs that should be the focus.

Deliverables in the energy sector Let’s say to government deliver on your promise, deliver the deliverables in the energy sector and let us move ahead.

Government cannot deliver, they have been there for so many years let’s try something else.

Mr. Andrew, given what you must have red about Nigeria and this is your first time of coming.

Can you juxtapose what you have seen with what they have told you?

What I see is a very vibrant economy and a very good class and sophisticated business people. A see a very large population who are very nationalistic and very focused on the direction of the country, I see

unity, and I see huge potential having studied the amount of oil reserves, the agricultural sector and the stability in the banking system and the entrepreneurial ability of some of your large companies. What I have seen so far is very positive. I think you have a brand image that is still negative, there is still this global perception about security and corruption issues, which are largely been addressed. The reality is peoples thinking out there is very different from what is happening here. What strikes me also is the need for investment in infrastructure and some other things that need to be put in place.

International investors There is a need to invest in rail, sea ports and airports to attract more international investors.

From day one I am sure of the need for international standard infrastructures, but having come from India, Indonesia and Mexico, I can tell you that you are at the same level, they are also fighting for investments in these critical sectors.

Mr. Andrew looking at Nigeria which earns 90 per cent of its revenue from oil and the US which was a major buyer of Nigeria’s oil is developing its own energy, very soon it will the energy self sufficient and Europe is facing sovereign debt crisis, if you were to advise Nigeria what will you tell our government to do?

Let me cover the energy sector first. I think the very disruptive force in the energy sector now is the discovery of share gas in the United States, which is basically providing the US with a huge competitive advantage over the rest of the world because it now can produce gas for $4 while in the rest of the world it is $15. Oil costs 15 times more than the shale gas and if you get the US to reduce its import reliance and became an exporter, that changes the

focus on oil in the world economy.

But this will take a long time to happen. There is going to be environmental issues, safety and the US needed to satisfy its local market before it starts to look at the global economy. But over the long term when shale gas is efficiently exploited around the world, you can see a long term adjustment in the oil price downwards. So my advice is to make sure you diversify the economy and to make sure you do not actually put your risk on any particular commodity and use the competitive cost advantage of other economies to drive other sectors of your economy. You do this by making sure that other sectors in your economy are competitive using the advantage you have to access to low cost and efficient amount of oil reserves.

Seyi cuts in: My advice is this, you have a window of opportunity, it is not growing bigger it is narrowing you better make use of that opportunity to diversify the base of your economy. I have

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Continues frompage 33 Mr. Atedo Peterside. The processhas been very transparent, you are not going to satisfy everybody in this particular deal my own opinion is that we move forward. We need to move forward because if we don’t we are going to have a real problem. It has been shown quite clearly that the public sector cannot deliver the amount of megawatt that we need to form and effective industrial base in this country.

We need the resources and the expertise of the private sector.

So on overall bases I will like to say it’s something that I welcome, the process has been fair, valuation from what I understand has been fair. Let’s move on and deliver the power objective that we say we want to deliver.

people with sufficient energy and entrepreneurial skills to develop this country without the hang on of oil that we have now. Oil still will play an important part but use it to develop your infrastructure, educate your people and diversify your economy.

Government has virtually moved away from the airline business and the companies we have in that sector, locally and internationally have huge debt overhang.

From your understanding of that sector, how can we salvage the situation there?

I can tell you that you are not going to solve the problems in aviation with government been a top player, with government buying 30 aircraft and say we are going to have Nigerian airways and so on. We have all gone through this before, when I was growing up I knew that we once had Nigerian Airways. We all knew what happened that that effort. What has to happen is that you have to empower and trust

Oil still will play an important part but use it to develop your infrastructure, educate your people and diversify your economy

always had the opinion that if you take oil out of the equation we will be a much better country.

What happens now is that some guys dig a hole in the ground and tell the Federal Government, you take 60 per cent and we will take 40 per cent and then everybody goes to Abuja and queue up and say where is my own allocation and then they go on and spend. It is not going to work that way. That is not the real world, the real world is to say develop your own economy, concentrate on your competitive advantage and develop your entire value chain. We have

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the private sector so that people can put their money there and make sure that it works. Richard Branson came and made an investment into Virgin Nigeria, the only thing he asked for was let me use MM1 as a regional hub and the Federal Government of Nigeria agreed to this, then we had a change in regime and vested interest decided to frustrate the agreement. They guy walked away and we handed the industry to people who do not have experience in that sector.

What do you expect? The whole

Continues on page 35

Vanguard , THURSDAY THURSDAY,, MARCH 14 , 2013 —35

‘Nigeria should diversify the economy and reduce the risk on one commodity’ Continued from page 34

Responsibility of journalists As journalists you have a responsibility to educate people responsible. I respect a lot of you because of what you write in your columns. We need to clean up the judiciary and I am happy with what has happened in recent time in that area. What I am saying is that the fighting of the vested interest is the responsibility of all of us and you as journalists are also included. It is a battle that we can win if all of us say enough is enough. Just like Michael said, if you go to Indonesia and Malaysia they are facing the same problems. The key issue is how do we ask for accountability?

Let’s go back to the aviation sector. Even the private sector companies in the sector are not effective what is then the solution? Look we’ve got to have a regulator that is effective. Not the one that is on holiday all day.

You must have a regulator that will say I am standing above the frail and I am going to insist on standards. But you and I know what has been happening in that industry.

Back to what Andrew said the business model of operators in the aviation sector is flowed! I use to tell people to tell me they want to go into that sector that it will not work, to go international go for a low cost carrier model and stick to regional and domestic market because your are incapable of competing with international careers. For them it is an ego thing, they want to compete with the likes of Emirates, Itihad, Kattah Airways or even British Airlines. For your information even the big airlines in Europe are suffering.

Concluded

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•Nigerian students protesting in Ukraine

EDUCATION IN UKRAINE:

How Nigerians endure despicable pains

BY VERA SAMUEL ANYAGAFU & PRISCA SAM-DURU

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EWS of the Nigerian student Ola olu Femi studying in Ukraine who bagged life imprisonment for allegedly defending himself against six teenagers who attacked him at the entrance of his apartment, has so far, exposed several despicable tortures that Nigerian students on study courses in different universities in Ukraine have been undergoing in the hands of Ukrainians.

According to reports, Femi was detained for several days by the Ukrainian police who had refused to take his case to court on grounds of a flimsy excuse of unavailability of an interpreter for him, as Nigerian students have difficulties communicating in Ukrainian language, since English is not the official language spoken in Ukraine.

Substandard universities Although, there were references made by the National Universities Commission, NUC, which displayed cases of a situation were most of the students have been sponsored into sub-standard universities in Ukraine, the case herein remains that the Ukrainians are not cordial in their relationship with Nigerian students. A recent report also stated that, Nigerian Ambassador to Ukraine, Ambassador Frank Ngozi Isoh, made a few startling revelations which have raised some doubts about the idea of Nigerians coming to study in Ukraine.

The Ambassador’s revelations came in form of advice to parents to reconsider sending their children to study in Ukraine, except they have to first learn the local language to freely communicate and comprehend their tutors who obviously are not proficient in English language.

Ambassador Frank was quoted to have said that “Nigerians won’t get the best

when it comes to studying in Ukraine with these consular officers and Ambassador the English Language. One thing I will have people they collect money from to like to say about education in this place, issue them visa, because of their diploand this is something we intend to packmatic connection. age in a report to government to see how “It is not enough for our Ambassador this can be propagated back home - I do to advise Nigerian students not to come not think that Nigerians get the best when and study in Ukraine. Students are sufit comes to studying in this place in the fering right now in Ukraine because the English language.”

Nigerian diplomatic hands are tied to To some Nigeria learned fellows, the fraud.” The hapless Nigerian students Ambassador is not dealing with the isfrom all indications, seem ready to ensue the way he should. According to an dure anything that would cost them immigration Lawyer and educationist in heartache in Ukraine because coming Abuja, who refused to have her name home to face unending strike actions that mentioned: “The problem Nigerian stuelongate their years of study in the Nidents are facing in Ukraine is a Nigegerian universities, is no option at all. rian problem. Our foreign minister, the Expressing his view via telephone conAmbassador, as well as the Nigerian govversations, regarding the situation of Niernment must have to find a better way It is not enough for our Ambassato put an end to the harassment Ukrai- dor to advise Nigerian students not nians are meting to to come and study in Ukraine. StuNigerian students dents are suffering right now in on daily basis. “ E v e r y o n e Ukraine because the Nigerian dipshould leave the Ukraine govern- lomatic hands are tied to fraud ment alone and try to solve the problem from the root, which geria students in Ukraine, a Nigeria nais poor standard of education in Nigetional who pleaded anonymity and presria. If the education system is right in ently on study course in Ukraine told the country, why would anyone want his/ Vanguard: “It is important here that our her child to go and study in a country Ambassador to Ukraine and our Foreign like Ukraine and why wouldn’t the govMinister, meet with Ukraine authorities ernment of Ukraine not want to extort and propose ways to achieve a mutual and maltreat Nigerian students?” she bi-national relations. It is also important said. that our government should trace the root According to the barrister, one of the of our slavery in a country like Ukraine reasons Nigerians flood Ukraine to from where we came from, and that is study, is low tuition fees of about $3,000 Nigeria. We are being stripped off our for a course that could cost up to $20,000 pride, rights and privileges all because in the United States or Canada, adding our Ambassador appears not to have the that, “contrary to what a lot of Nigeria capability to face the Ukraine authorities, parents believe, Ukraine embassy hence we can wroth away.” charges as high as US$1,000 to give visa, Every effort made by Vanguard to get including the kick-backs which is over the Ukraine Consular office and or the $250. I am in the system, because I packConsulate press attaché here in Nigeria age some of these documentations for to comment on the matter, has so far students, and I know also that some of proved abortive.

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thing collapsed and we are in a situation where we are in now.

Government going back there will not make it work, if they set up a company now in the next 10 years it is going to fail. What government has to do is to put incentive in place for people to go into the aviation industry, which is not an easy investment to do. They say if you are a billionaire and you want to be a millionaire, go into the aviation industry!

In all your interventions you keep saying vested interest, how do we deal with this interests as a consultant advising the government?

It is not only my responsibility it is the responsibility of all of us.

If you look at the track record of KPMG for instance, you know what we did with pension, the issues that we raised as regards to pension and fuel subsidy. We have done our part not only as a firm but as individual wherever we find ourselves.

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36—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

Ex-militants berate Kuku over alleged non-payment of entitlements

BY EMMA AMAIZE & FESTUS AHON

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GHELLI—Niger Delta former militants of the first phase of the amnesty programme, have berated the Special Adviser to the President on Amnesty, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, over alleged nonpayment of their travelling allowances and special salaries.

Addressing newsmen in Ughelli, Delta State, yesterday, after a meeting of the group, one of the From left: Mr. Michael Hunt, Senior Project Manager, FMC Technologies; Mr. Bello Ahmed, HOD, leaders, Mr. Francis Muturu, explained that they Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB; Mr. John Bwala, Assistant Chief Facilities Engr, NAPIMS; Mr. Malije Okoye, Manager, Engineering and Asset Support, Shell Nigeria returned from the training programme in South Exploration and Production Company and Mr. Spiff Biriya,Capacity Building Officer,NCDMB, during Africa in December last year, alleging that Kuku the graduation ceremony of Offshore Support Skill Acquisition Training Programme, at Shell's Bonga had up till date failed to make available to them the allowances, which he promised to release in the North West. Photo: Oscar Ochiogu first week of January 2013.

He alleged that Kuku, during the last flood that ravaged most communities in the country, Kuku had deducted the sum of N4,000 from the salaries of the 26,000 ex-militants for the purpose of purchasing relief materials for the flood victims.

However, Muturu said there was no evidence that such this issue.”

BY TONY NYONG Technology Science Studies items were bought and given E N A T E The Vice President, who had so far been procured and to the affected persons.

YO — IN an effort to represented the President COMMMITTEE distributed to primary schools Also speaking, Mr Justice ensure that every Jonathan at the event, assured on Education, led by its and libraries as resource Nwogu, said: “At the child, whatever his or her that the current administration Chairman, Senator Uche materials for junior primary. inception of the amnesty in background gets an will continue to tackle the Chukwumerije, paid a The President said the goal 2009, Kuku promised the opportunity to go to school, issue of basic education visit to Federal College of the exercise was to attain a leaders that he will give them President Goodluck Jonathan, headlong to ensure that the of Education (Technical), pupil-to-book ratio of 1-1 in all special salaries and in has approved the goal of education for all and Asaba, on an oversight subjects.

January, he fixed an amount establishment of migrant provision of solid foundation tour of federal Minister of Education, that he will give us but up till schools for children of farmers for other levels of education institutions and agencies Professor Rayyatu Rufai at the date, he has not done in the South South zone. in Delta State. were met. event, said the provision of anything about it. The The programme, to be Provost of the College, He said over 96,363,675 textbooks and instructional situation where the leaders launched soon by the books in Mathematics, Dr. N. Ezoem, who led materials to teachers and and their followers are paid President in Akwa Ibom State, English the management team of Language, students will improve learning the same amount is is to ensure that the gap of 7.5 Basic Science the college to receive the and in schools. unacceptable.” per cent of school children in senators, told them that the zone were given the five schools of the opportunity to go to school. institution had fully Vice President Namadi moved to the permanent Sambo dropped the hint in site. discover their potentials. noted that his administration Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, at the

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA He said final Dickson in a statement by was working assiduously to national flag-off of the movement will be when his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. ENAGOA — discourage youths from distribution of instructional ongoing work at the Daniel Iworiso-Markson, GOVERNOR Seriake engaging in political thuggery materials for primary schools administrative complex Dickson of Bayelsa State, has gave the assurance during an and other social ills with the in the zone. was completed.

“It is my pleasure to inform assured children in the state interactive session with introduction of free and He told the senators children at the Banquet Hall, compulsory education in you that Mr. President had of a brighter future. that since he assumed Government House, Yenagoa. primary and secondary This, according to him, was already approved this office, there had been Represented by schools in addition to the informed by the various exercise in the South-South m e a n i n g f u l Commissioner for Works and programmes being put in place setting up of vocational and within the next six weeks, developments, both in Infrastructure, Mr. Lawrence by government to support and centres to train those who do it will be launched here in infrastructure and human Ewhrudjakpor, the governor encourage youths to fully not have basic education.

Akwa Ibom State to address capital development.

He said the college, which currently runs a degree programme in affiliation with the University of Benin, has

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME and Technology of the various offices of the officials of the commission, been rated as the best in Commission, Alhaji Aliyu commission across the certification among other ORT HARCOURT — Aziz, said the decision for country, noting that close to explained that there was no colleges in the country.

NIGERIAN Identity proper identification of 100 million Nigerians at the correlation between the ID Chukwumerije Management Commission, Nigerians was informed by moment had no proper official programme and the Biblical commended the Provost NIMC, has dismissed fears the need to improve security, identity, while 75 per cent of 666 mark of the beast, noting and the management that the ongoing electronic good governance and other the various documents of that the exercise will not replace the periodic national team for their vision and identification of Nigerians, related issues. identification in circulation census exercise. effort in transforming the was a gradual fulfillment of He said that at the end of were either fake or made by He said the new institution and the Biblical 666 mark of the the registration exercise, the owners themselves. identification number will expressed concern over beast. national identification number Fielding questions from supersede the former national the abandonment of the Speaking at a stakeholders will be issued to individuals. participants at the forum, identity card issued to road construction at the forum in Port Harcourt, Rivers He appealed to Nigerians to Alhaji Aziz and other top Nigerians. permanent site.

State, Director of Information go for registration at the

Senate Committee on education visits Asaba College of Education

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Jonathan to launch migrant schools for farmers' children in South-South U

Gov. Dickson assures Bayelsa children of bright future

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National identity number has no relation with 666 mark of the beast — NIMC

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013—37

2015: Keyamo declares for Delta governorship

BY EMMA AMAIZE

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A R R I — L AG O S lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo, has declared his interest to contest the 2015 governorship elections in Delta State, saying it was time to unshackle the state from what he called the dynasty of thieves.

He spoke in Effurun at a meeting of Delta Forces United, a political platform, which he is using to mobilise Deltans for his ambition.

He said: “My mission is to take Deltans out of the current state of underdevelopment.”

Delta leaders congratulate Dafinone @ 86

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ELTA State Politi cians, Businessmen and Professional Forum, has congratulated Senator David Dafinone on his attainment of 86, praising the renowned accountant and astute politician for making Nigeria, particularly Delta State, proud by his achievements in the accounting profession and politics.

A statement by Chairman of the forum, Mr. Abel Minna, described Senator Dafinone as the most distinguished Deltan alive today.

He said Dafinone’s personality changed the world perception of accountants and political actors in Nigeria.

ICT training for youths

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ROJECT X, organizer of information technology awareness training, has concluded arrangements for the 8th edition of its free human capital development programme for Nigerian youths.

The programme is slated for the University of Lagos. Mr. Fegho Umunubo, Chief Operating Officer of ProjectX, in a statement, said: “It is an information technology awareness training, periodically organised in secondary and tertiary institutions for free."

He said that the training covers the basics of ICT courses.

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Physically challenged prone to torture in police custody —ERT, LEDAP

BY INNOCENT ANABA

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QUAL Rights Trust, ERT, and Legal Defence and Assistance Project, LEDAP, have said that people with disabilities are at a higher risk of torture, including flogging with whips, suspension from the ceiling and beatings with machetes, in police custody than other suspects.

Addressing newsmen in Lagos, following a nationwide research conducted by the two groups in the country, LEDAP’s National Cordinator, Mr. Chinoye Obiagwu and Legal Officer of ERT, Ms Joanna Whiteman, said: “People with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to becoming victims of physical abuse by law enforcement agents.

"We heard testimonies of people with disabilities who were beaten and verbally abused by law enforcement agents who used discriminatory language against them before beating them. People with disabilities are also vulnerable to being abused by members of the public and the police in these cases do not provide protection.”

The study conducted as part of European Union funded project, which interviewed physically challenged persons across the country, with visits to prisons and police detention centres, revealed that there was widespread torture and inhuman treatment against

persons with disability throughout the country.

They noted that the government has a responsibility to protect all people, including those with disabilities, from exploitation, violence and abuse.

“We found that prisons do not provide any special as-

AWARD: From left: Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Ernest Nwapa; Country Director, The Oil and Gas Year, Ioana Ocneriu and Head, Corporate Communications, Oando Plc, Meka Olowola, during the presentation of Company of the Year Award to Oando, at the Oil and Gas Year 2012 Awards in Hilton Hotel.

Rivers hits N9.5bn IGR for February

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OR the first time in the history of Rivers State, the state government has hit an internally generated revenue of N9.591 billion, the highest since the commencement of Governor Chibuike Amaechi’s tax reforms in the state.

The new tax regime being executed by the state government in partnership with Skye Bank has continuously yielded positive results with a monthly average of between N5 billion to N6 bil-

lion, and now N9.5 billion in the month of February, 2013.

Prior to Governor Amaechi’s emergence at the helm of affairs in the state, the Rivers State Internally Generated Revenue had never grown beyond N2.5 billion, sometimes it is well below N2 billion, but Amaechi began the tax sector reform and the figure had gradually increased over the years.

Spokesman of Governor Amaechi, Mr. David Iyofor, in an interview, said Gover-

nor Amaechi was very excited by this development.

He said: “He is very happy with this figure of N9.5 billion for the month of February. Governor Amaechi is happy with what our partners in the tax project, Skye Bank, are doing with the state government in the tax project and has urged them to continue on this path. He believes that the state can do even better than this figure of N9.5 billion and has told them to improve on it.

Customs impounds goods worth N200m in Eastern Zone furniture.

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

B

ENIN—EASTERN Zone of the Nigerian Customs Service in Benin, Edo State, yesterday, said it had seized contraband goods with duty paid value of over N200 million.

Deputy Comptroller of Customs (Anti-smuggling Unit) Mr. Hassan Shallangwa, who made the disclosure, added that the seizures were made between the months of January and March, 2013.

sistance to disabled prisoners.

This means that people with disabilities in prisons are suffering even more than other prisoners. For example, mobility devices such as crutches are not permitted, meaning that people are left unable to walk to the toilet facilities.”

He said: “What we have achieved within three months is a clear testimony of what patriotic zeal, supported by purposeful leadership, can achieve for the nation.”

He listed the seized items to include 4,002 cartons of frozen poultry products; 1,766 bales of second hand clothing and 9,540 pairs of ladies foot wears imported against the prohibition law.

Other items include 900 pieces of ladies bags; 900 used tires, used vehicles and

He disclosed that seven suspects, who were arrested in connection with the seized items will be arraigned in court as soon as its legal department concluded all necessary work.

He regretted that unpatriotic Nigerians were still in the habit of importing prohibited items, saying that apart from the health hazard of consuming these frozen chicken with questionable preservation, “its continued importation negatively affects our nation’s quest for a robust agricultural sector.”

Court orders Delta community to swear in Jemijaye as president

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI—A DELTA State High Court sitting in Sapele, has ordered the current executive of Ugborhen community, Sapele Local Government Area of the state, to swear in Mr. Christopher Jemijaye as the Chairman/President of Ugborhen Community within nine days.

Trial judge, Justice E. Emudianohwo, in her judgment in the suit by Jemijaye, against Mr. Boyitie Okokoro (oldest man in Ugborhen Community) and 28 others, held that the plaintiff was duly elected as the Chairman/President of Ugborhen community.

The court ordered that Jemijaye be presented by the Okwikoro quarters of Ugborhen Community to be swornin as the Chairman/President of the community.

The court also restrained the 6th and 23rd defendants, their agents, servants and privies from holding out, presenting and referring to Mr. Osharegiwne as the chairman/ president elect of the community.

38 —Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

100,000 Nigerian babies born yearly are HIV/AIDS carriers

BY VICTORIA OJEME

A

BUJA — REPORT has shown that between 50,000 to 100,000 of babies born in the country yearly are carriers of HIV/AIDS, as Nigeria remains second most HIV/AIDS burdened nation globally.

The report was made available by the National Steering Group of the ‘Global Plan towards the Elimination of New HIV Infections among Children by 2015 and Keeping their Mothers Alive’ at a meeting with the Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, in Abuja, yesterday.

The group was constituted

by President Goodluck Jonathan in April 2012 to help mobilise national leadership for global plan on Eliminating Mother to Child Transmission (eMTCT) implementation and keeping their mothers alive.

It has since been working across states of the federation, seeking to end transmission of the scourge.

In a presentation, entitled “Update on eMTCT in Nigeria,” National Coordinator, HIV/AIDS Division of the Federal Ministry of Health and member of the group, Dr Evelyn Ngige, said global target was to reduce the number of new HIV infections among children by 90 per cent and reduce the number of AIDS-related maternal deaths by 50 per cent.

According to the report, the current population of HIV positive persons in Nigeria is 3.1 million, adding that annual birth in the country was six million, while HIV prevalence remained 4.1 per cent.

According to the report, the population of HIV positive pregnant women annually in the country is 229,480.

“58 per cent women attend Ante Natal Care (ANC) at least once, 45 per cent attend at least four times. 35 per cent of births occur in health facilities; 39 per cent deliveries by skilled birth attendants while HIV babies born annually are between 50,000 – 100, 000,” the report added.

The report also indicated three bottlenecks, including strengthening human resources for health; improving efficiencies in the HIV commodities and supply chain management and improving early infant diagnosis, which it attempted to address.

C M Y K

Father, son disagree over Gov Orji’s performance

BY ANAYO OKOLI

U

MUAHIA — GENERAL Manager of Abia State Environmental Protection Agency, ASEPA, Mr. Ikechukwu Apugo, has faulted his father, Prince Benjamin Apugo, over his recent media attack on Governor Theodore Orji, on the development of the state, saying his father was not objective in his criticism.

Ikechukwu Apugo has, therefore, disassociated himself from his father’s position on Orji’s performance so far.

According to him, his father is on his own on the issue. His elder brother had earlier also disagreed with their father on the issue, saying he was “biased in his assessment of Orji’s performances.”

Prince Apugo, a member of the BoT of the ruling PDP, had last week, said in a media report that Orji was “not performing.”

But his children disagreed, saying his assessment was anchored on “politics of bitterness.”

According to ASEPA boss, “it is only a destructive critic that would not appreciate the numerous landmark achievements of Governor Orji, particularly in the

areas of infrastructure and youth empowerment.”

He argued that the government was being openly applauded, even by members of the opposition.

He said his father had no reason to rate Orji’s performance low because the things he is doing and those he has done are there for everybody to see and verify.

His words: “My father got it all

wrong when he claimed that Orji has not performed. There is no basis for anyone to claim that Orji has not performed when you look at the avalanche of legacy projects across the state courtesy of his administration. ”Since Abia was created over 21 years ago, the state has no befitting Government House but Orji has started building one now.

Very soon the ultra modern workers’ secretariat and the

From right: Mrs. Fatima Jatto, representing Port Manager, Tin-can Island Port; Comrade Aham Ubani, Secretary General; Comrade Anthony Emmanuel Nted, President General and Comrade Onikolease Irabor at the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria delegates conference in Benin. Photo: Barnabas Uzosike.

‘Appointments in Aviation ministry better under Oduah’

BY KENNETH EHIGIATOR

L

AGOS — FORMER General Manager in charge of administration at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Mr. Bitrus Agba, has said that appointments into positions in parastatals under the Ministry of Aviation had never been better balanced than now, noting that cries of marginalisation by some sections of the country were misplaced.

Agba, who spoke in an interview with Vanguard, said: “When the people of the SouthWest allege that they were marginalised by the appointment of the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, I get amused. And when I hear that the appointment she made was dominated by people from the South-East I get bewildered.

“If you check it you will discover that Oduah’s appointments were the most balanced in the industry since 1999 because it gave full representation to every part of the country. But I know why the South West is surprisingly crying marginalisation “In the past they used to dominate every appointment made in the industry. And even now, if you get the list of all the workers in all the aviation

International Conference Centre also built by the governor will be commissioned. This is apart from numerous other projects like the specialist hospitals, the new court complexes, roads, etc “I know my father’s annoyance.

The pattern of politics of most of them is no longer in vogue. They want the governor to go from their house to his office but that is no longer obtainable.”

parastatals, you will find out that they have the highest number of appointments.

“They are alleging ethnic cleansing because other parts of the country have been given opportunity. What I have come to know about Nigeria is that when you enjoy an unjustifiable advantage, you would want it to continue and when there is any effort to address the injustice, those benefitting will start shouting because they see it as a right to cheat others.

“For example, I was privileged to access some documents in the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria when Richard Aisuebeogun was the Managing Director of the Authority. These documents revealed that the former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani Kayode, employed about 30 persons in FAAN. Sixteen of them were made assistant general managers, deputy general managers and general managers, while the rest were absorbed in other ranks.

“These people did not have any aviation experience before they were employed. In fact, most of them came from local government councils and others were just thugs. These 30 people came from Osun and Ogun states.

“When many of them were examined medically prior to their

employment, they failed medical tests; yet they were still absorbed.

Many of them are still there till now.

“That is the way he deployed about the same number of people to the other aviation agencies.

Now, I cannot recall any group from other parts of Nigeria crying ethnic cleansing. I cannot recall the unions raising hell about it.

“I also know that there were efforts to reduce staff in FAAN at that time because of over bloated manpower, as the authority lacked technical personnel but had very high number of administrative personnel because unprofessional people were dumped in the authority.

“I remember that all the efforts made to reduce that number failed because some powerful people were contacted to kill that move. And so the agency lives with that burden till today. The question is why was there no outcry about marginalisation and ethnic cleansing then?

“To me, it was because the people that over the years have seen it as a right to dominate other people made the appointments. They did not even consider federal character; they did not even consider getting few people from other parts of the country; yet there was no deafening outcry."

APC: Igbo group rallies support for merger arrangement

BY LAJA THOMAS

L

AGOS — A PRESSURE group, Igbo-United Political Coalition, Lagos State chapter, has resolved to mobilise the support of Ndigbo in the state for Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in the merger arrangement that had culminated in the newly formed All Progressive Congress, APC. Speaking to newsmen after its general assembly meeting attended by Ndigbo from the 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas at the Igbo community centre, Okota, Lagos, Chairman of the group, Mr. Leo Chioma, said: “Ndigbo in Lagos State are delighted to associate with the ACN in the formation of this progressive-oriented party, APC, for good governance in Nigeria.

“We are embarking on enlightenment of every Ndiigbo at the grassroots on the need to identify with the new political development in Nigeria.

“We also want to assure all Ndigbo in Lagos State of the commitment of Governor BabatundeFashola on the provision of dividends of democracy.”

Vanguard , THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013—39

RETREAT: From right— Mr. Najeem Salam, Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly; Governor Rauf Aregbesola; Mr. Adejare Bello, immediate past Speaker, and Prof. Mojeed Alabi, former Speaker, at a capacity building retreat on 2013 budget organised by the state House of Assembly in Ada, Osun State.

AWARDS: From left— Mr. Chris Hitchings, Chief Executive Officer, DStv Media Sales; Mr. Nico Meyer, President MultiChoice Africa; Mr. Adewunmi Ogunsanya, Chairman MultiChoice Nigeria; Mr. Walter Drenth, Marketing Director, Nigeria Breweries Plc; Mr. Olusegun Aganga, Minister for Trade and Investment; Mrs. Biola Alabi, Managing Director, M-Net Africa; and Mr. John Ugbe, Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria, during the AfricaMagic Viewers’ Choice Awards party in Lagos.

INDUCTION: From left— Mr. Ladi Arowa, Managing Director, Adgenda Media Limited; Mr. Femi Adefowokan, Managing Director, Maximedia Global; Mr. Feyisola Olukoya, Managing Director, Media More, and Mr. Tolu Ogunkoya, President, Media Independent Practitioners’ Association of Nigeria, MIPAN, at the association's induction of media agencies in Lagos.

EXCURSION: Mr. Charles Gerald of Corporate Affairs Department of Vanguard Newspapers (right) and students of Bookman British Academy, Lagos, during their excursion to Vanguard in Lagos. With them is Mrs. Udegbunam Franca, the school's Principal. PHOTO: Bunmi Azeez.

DISCOURSE: From right— Rita Amuchienwa, HP West Africa Supplies Country Manager; Emmanuel Onyeje, General Manager, and Adefolu Majekodunmi, SMS & P Director, both of Microsoft Nigeria, during a round table discourse in commemoration of Microsoft Play it Safe day in Lagos.

STAGE PLAY: From left— Mr. Richard MofeDamijo, Delta State Commissioner for Tourism & Culture; Mr. Zekeri Dokpesi, Brand Manager, Squadron Dark Rum, and Mr. Innocent Oboh, Head of Marketing, Intercontinental Distillers, at the presentation of a two-man stage play, The Bar, at the MUSON Centre, Lagos.

REALITY TV: From left— Mr. Caleb Chuks, Project Facilitator, The Next Scholar TV reality show; Mr. Nedum Ogburuche, Project Manager; Mrs Irina Igoreuna, Quality Manager, and Dr. Mark Igiehon, member, Advisory Board, at a briefing on the reality TV show in Lagos, Tuesday. PHOTO: Lamidi Bamidele.

EMPOWERMENT: From left— Oreoluwa Somolu, Executive Director, Women Technology and Empowerment Centre; Temitope Olaosun, participant; and Osagie Ogunbor, Corporate Affairs Manager, Intel Corporation, at the technolgy and entrepreneurship training for women organised by Intel to mark the International Women's Day. PHOTO: Akeem Salau.

AWARD : Chief Olusegun Osunkeye, Chairman, Lafarge Cement WAPCO Nigeria Plc (left) and Mrs. Ojo Florence, during the presentation of Evergreen Award to Mrs Ojo at the company’s 2012 customers’ award Lagos.

40—Vanguard, THURSDAY THURSDAY,, MARCH 14, 2013

CLO flays arraignment of employment scam beneficiaries

BY EMEKA MAMAH

A

BUJA—THE Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, has condemned what it described as the ‘’criminal arraignment of Nigerian beneficiaries of corrupt employment made by certain ministries and agencies of government in the aftermath of the House of Representatives’ threat to get to the root of employment scam in the country.

This was contained in a statement by the Executive Director of the CLO, Ibuchukwu Ezike in Lagos, yesterday.

CLO’s complaints followed reports that some applicants who reportedly paid between N400,000 and N500,000 to secure employment from some federal ministries and parastatals were being rounded up and charged to various courts in Abuja apparently to frustrate the intended probe of the ‘’bribe for employment’’ scam by the House of Representatives last month.

Yobe suspends restriction of movement in major towns

D

A M AT U R U — YOBE State Government on Tuesday, relaxed the six-month old restriction on movement imposed on six major towns in the state.

A statement by the Special Adviser, Press and Information to the governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Bego, in Damaturu, said people could now move between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m in Damaturu.

The statement also said that residents of Potiskum, Gashua, Giedam, Ngelzarma and Garin-Alkali were free to move between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.

It said the adjustment in the restriction followed improvement in the security situation of the state.

“The decision to adjust the curfew was taken following a meeting between Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam and heads of law enforcement agencies in the state.”

C M Y K

Scores injured as women, soldiers clash in Plateau J

BY TAYE OBATERU

OS—SOME women in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, have clashed with men of the Special Task Force, STF, who are maintaining security in the state injuring six of them in the process. Several of the villagers also sustained injuries in the clash.

However, while the STF is alleging that the women were hostile towards its men, the women have also protested what they called maltreatment and arbitrariness by the soldiers in the course of their duty calling for their withdrawal from their communities.

Vanguard gathered that women at Riyom resisted the soldiers who were on a house-to-house search for arms and ammunition allegedly pelting them with stones and other missiles.

mation but that the women resisted and turned violent, hurling missiles at the soldiers.

He added that the search was conducted successfully in three other neighboring villages but that the women at Rim resisted any search of their houses.

Residents want STF withdrawn

Residents of Riyom and

Barkin-Ladi local government areas which had been target of constant attacks by gunmen have repeatedly called for the withdrawal of the soldiers who they accused of complicity or inaction in the attacks on their communities.

The hostility exhibited towards the soldiers is believed to be in furtherance of the nolove-lost relationship between them.

One of the villagers accused

the soldiers of always coming to dispossess their local security groups of their weapons leaving them vulnerable to attacks by gunmen who the soldiers have allegedly been unable to track down.

But the STF has repeatedly dismissed the allegation as an attempt to rubbish the good work of restoring peace to the state which they have been striving to achieve.

Task force denies alleged maltreatment

Media Officer of the STF, Captain Salisu Mustapha, in a statement on Tuesday, confirmed the clash between the villagers and soldiers but denied any maltreatment of the women as alleged.

According to him, the STF personnel had embarked on a routine search for arms in some villages including Rim following intelligence infor-

ANNIVERSARY: From left: Prof. OBC Nwolize, Head of Political Science Department; Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President, guest lecturer, and Prof. Idowu Olayinka, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics, representing the Vice Chancellor, during the public lecture delivered by Atiku Abubakar as part of activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the Department of Political Sciences, University of Ibadan in Ibadan, yesterday. Photo: Dare Fasube.

Sanusi blames increase in poverty level on unemployment

M

BY PETER DURU

AKURD—GOVER NOR of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mallam Lamido Sanusi has said that over 23.9 per cent of employable Nigerians are currently unemployed.

Lamido said this, yesterday, at the official launch of the North Central Entrepreneurship Development Centre, EDC, in Makurdi. He added that “the rising figure of the unemployed in Nigeria was responsible for the increasing poverty level in the country.”

The CBN Governor said the apex bank woud not hesitate to embark on ventures that would help create employment for the teeming youths of the country in order to check the level of poverty in the country.

He said the EDC programme was initiated to create jobs for youths pointing out that “since its inception in 2008, over 10,000 youths

have benefitted from the scheme.”

Sanusi urged all stakeholders to give necessary support to the project for its sustenance and growth.

In his speech, Governor Gabriel Suswam who appreciated the Federal Govern-

ment for considering Benue State as the training centre for north central states and Abuja called on the people of the geo-political zone to take advantage of the centre.

He assured that his administration would create the enabling environment as well as provide

N1billion to be disbursed to the trainees as financial support.

While lamenting the level of unmployment in the country, Suswam urged governments at all levels to find solution to the manace in the interest of the future generation.

ACN, ANPP, CPC merge into APC in Ilorin

BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI LORIN—THE leadership of the three main opposition parties in Kwara State, namely, Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, All Nigerian Peoples Party, ANPP, and Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, yesterday, merged into All Progressive Congress, APC, in a bid to rescue the state in particular and Nigeria as a country from the ‘’shackles’’ of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2015 elections.

The chairmen of the three parties, ACN, Alhaji Kayode

I

Olawepo, ANPP, Alhaji Taiwo Eleja and CPC, Alhaji Suleiman Buhari, said this in Ilorin during a joint press conference to herald the beginning of APC in the state.

They said that come 2015, the leadership of APC would come together in Kwara State to ensure that, the party controlled the governance in the state.

They said that, the members of the APC would shun all forms of coercion and form a common platform capable of wrestling power from the PDP in the state during the next election.

They also called on the people of Kwara State to join the APC train to form a common front for the political change of the state.

They said that, if the party succeeded in taking over power at the federal and states’ levels the nation would be salvaged for economic and political development.

The APC leaders noted further that the failure of the PDP at both the federal and state levels forced them to come together to bail Nigerians out, come 2015.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013 — 41

I N S I D E

Amnesty: Lawyers express mixed reactions over Sultan’s call — 42

Awa Kalu, SAN a cherished diamond at 60

— 43

Why Criminal and Penal Codes cannot be merged — Kano AG

BY DAYO BENSON Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Umar Malik Kuliya, has been in the saddle in the last one and half years. A former State Counsel in the State Ministry of Justice who began his career 25 years ago is a product of Bayero University. Kuliya who left for the banking sector two years after, later returned to the State Justice Ministry as Commissioner 23 years after.

In this interview, he spoke on the nation’s Criminal Justice System, particularly the inherent peculiarities in both Penal and Criminal Codes, Corruption and Constitution amendments.

Kuliya also spoke on his challenges as well as achievements as Kano State number one law officer which include training and employment of several lawyers and the state government face-off with Outdoor Advertisers Association of Nigeria which has now been resolved.

Excerpts:

T

HE 1999 Constitution is currently being amended by the National Assembly and this has engendered a lot of criticisms.

Some have argued that the problem is not about our Constitution but

•Umar Malik Kuliya are not ripe for that.

Most of the key things that are being proposed for amendment are simply outside our concern, what we need to improve in our society is good governance, transparency and accountability and war against corruption but all these additional

Take the Criminal code for example; you have Bigamy, which says that you cannot marry more than one wife. If you have such law here in the North, almost everyone will be liable

,

implementation. However, others are of the opinion that the nation needs a brand new constitution and not amendment. What is the Kano State Government’s stand?

Our constitution is okay, we don’t need to do any amendment. Kano State position has always being that nothing needs to be amended. The constitutional amendment ab initio was used for other interest being pursued. Starting from the National Assembly for example who needs a new state now? Who needs new local governments now? Who needs even State police? We are saying that we

,

structures are unnecessary burdens on the treasury. So we should concentrate on strengthening the institutions.

Why do you think it has been difficult to fight corruption to a stand still in the country?

That is because people are not punished for corruption. Look at the high profile cases all over our Courts; tell me a single governor who has been convicted out of those that are being investigated, not a single one. For everybody it is business as usual and people steal so much money. From the inception

of the EFCC to date what have they done? Most of the people that are being punished, if you look closely you will find some political undertone. It’s a shame, people steal in Nigeria they are not punished but they are arrested abroad and punished. So how can we say that we are fighting corruption, we should sit up and punish corrupt leaders.

Would you support the move by the EFCC that lawyers should be made to disclose financial transaction by their client when the amount is above certain limits just as it is done in the banking sector?

I will not support this because in our profession there is absolute privilege between a client and his lawyer, and just as you cannot tell a doctor to come and disclose the illness of his patient. How can you tell a lawyer to come and disclose what he has discussed with his client? Certainly no lawyer will do that and it is not done anywhere so it cannot happen in Nigeria. Whatever communications you received from your client is privileged, not even a court can force you to disclose such, so EFCC should concentrate on their investigation of financial crimes and leave lawyers alone.

In view of the recent conviction of

John Yakubu Yusuf of the Police Pension Board, would you support harmonization of the Penal and Criminal Code in Nigeria?

In crimes you cannot harmonize the laws. There are some crimes that are peculiar to some states. Take the Criminal code for example; you have Bigamy, which says that you cannot marry more than one wife. If you have such law here in the North, almost everyone will be liable. That is the beauty of a federal set up; you are free to look at your peculiar circumstances to tackle peculiar problems. If you are in a place where there is so much armed robbery for example what you do is to take care of that.

From the inception of the EFCC to date, what have they done? Look at the high profile cases all over our Courts; tell me a single former governor who has been convicted out of those that are being investigated, not a single one. For everybody it is business as usual and people steal so much money.

What was the physical situation of the Courts in Kano State when you assumed office a year and half ago?

Our courts structures were so woeful and they were built many decades ago, so we had to make it fit for judicial functions. Many of our courts particularly the area courts, one was operating from a garage – very small and unsuitable for courts.

So when we came we decided to put a stop to that. We have constructed 27 new magistrate Courts across the state and 28 other Courts. So under one and a half years we have 53 new Courts, fully furnished and quite conducive to be used as a court. We

Continues on page 42

EDITORIAL TEAM Dayo Benson (Editor) Innocent Anaba Wahab Abdulah Ikechukwu Nnochiri

42—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

Amnesty: Lawyers express mixed reactions over Sultan’s call

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

F

OLLOWING last week demand by the Sultan of Sokoto, A lhaji Muhammed Abubakar, and some Northern leaders, that amnesty be granted to armed groups in the north, some Senior Advocates of Nigeria and lawyer, who spoke with Vanguard Law and Human Rights on the issue, said the daily orgy of violence and killings by armed groups makes nonsense of amnesty, if granted.

According to Prof. Itse Sagay SAN, “honestly, I do not believe in it because if the armed groups have not murdered or destroyed properties, it is a different issue. What happens to the families of those victims who were murdered? Are they to be given the consideration that the killings should be set aside? That is a very important issue.

“Those who have said that there should be total amnesty, can they tell us how many relations, children, parents, wives and daughters that they have lost to bomb blast?

We have to think of the people who have been victims of Boko Haram insurgency.”

Speaking on the same vein, Lagos State Solicitor General Mr Lawal Pedro SAN said: “ won’t you know who you want to give amnesty to before you start giving it? If the Federal Government is to give amnesty to people, such people have to be identified first. For instance, no group has come

out to say ‘ we are the Boko Haram’. So on what basis is the amnesty? Give amnesty to one set of people today and tomorrow another set of people will come up for another amnesty, saying that they are the real group.”

A Human Rights lawyer, Chief Morah Ekwunoh, in his own view, pointed out that granting total amnesty to armed groups does not deserve that greeted the call by a section of the public, particularly the Ohaneze Ndigbo,the Afenifere and the Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN),among others.

While supporting the Presidency on this issue, he said “these bodies, Ohaneze Ndigbo, Afenifere and CAN, also vociferously threatened to frustrate any move to

Prof. Itse Sagay SAN grant any amnesty, on the ground of, inter alia,the Boko Haram sect being faceless.

“With utmost deference to the Presidency and the equally respected bodies in its strong support,solemn examination of the Sultan’s

Mr Lawal Pedro SAN request reveals the imperative of its due consideration and application, only, however, in relation to Boko Haram and its off-shoot, Ansaru, and not to all armed groups in the country.

“The government should leave ego and break eggs for

Nigeria to enjoy the omelet inherent in the suggestions by the Sultan and the Northern elders. Anything to the contrary can only find justification in politics, sentiments and emotions, which should not come in when the blood of thousands of innocent Nigerians are involved.”

Law is the best profession in the world — Olanipekun F ORMER president Nigeria Bar Association Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN, has described the legal profession as the best in the world because lawyers set standards for other professionals to emulate. Chief Olanipekun stated this in Lagos at the office dedication of Pastor Dele Adesina SAN, who was his NBA national secretary. Commenting on the law office edifice situated on Opebi Street in Ikeja , he stated that gone were the days

when lawyers struggle with other people before they could have assess to their offices.

According to him “The legal profession is the best profession in the world. Gone were the days when lawyers struggle amongst tenants and traders to get to their offices, the days when lawyers were poor are over”. He therefore challenged other senior lawyers to emulate Adesina.

Chairman of the occasion and former minister of health, Prince Julius Adeluyi who is

also a lawyer described Adesina’s office complex as “a pride to the legal profession” adding that he (Adesina) had braved all odds to become what he is today.

The occasion which was attended by Lagos state solicitor-general Mr Lawal Pedro SAN, who represented Governor Babatunde Fashola, and his Ekiti state counterpart Dr Kayode Fayemi was represented by the state Attorney -general Mr Wale Fapohunda was also graced

by several senior advocates and other lawyers. Among them were Mrs Funke Adekoya SAN, Mr Rikky Tarfa SAN, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, Mr Kemi Pinherio and Mr Biodun Owonikoko SAN. Speaking on his experience in the legal profession in the last 27years, Mr Adesina recalled the humble beginning of his law chamber in the kitchen of his apartment.

Saying that he got to where he was today because he had a vision which was driven by hard work and determination.

Why Criminal and Penal Codes cannot be merged — Kano AG •Continues from page 41 have renovated other courts across the state. Up till June 2011 when we came into office, some of our courts were still using manual typewriters. so we have put a stop to that and we now use computers, each fitted with printers. Also the welfare of judicial officers is being catered for.

What would you say are the challenges you have faced so far as the state number law officer?

The most important challenge is to change the way people work. Civil service is about service but people take civil service as a place where you go and just sit down and gossip without doing any work. People should do service the way it should be, they should come regularly and perform their functions efficiently particularly when what you do will impact the life of the people, so that suspects don’t languish in prison.

Recently the state government was engaged in a face-off with the Outdoor Adverting Association of Nigeria (OAAN). Would you say the issue involved have been resolved?

We are in the process of resolving the crisis and we are happy that parties are now planning out of court settlement. What brought all this is perhaps our desire to force sanity on the environment because when

we came in we found billboards all over the place.

Second is the revenue drive and third is the quality of the bill boards, some are ramshackle billboards, which turned into an eyesore because they are unfriendly

to the eyes. Billboards should improve the beauty of the place. You would have noticed that we are expanding major Kano roads, so some of the billboards will have to go.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013 —43

Awa Kalu, SAN a cherished diamond at 60

BY SONI AJALA

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HE 18th century English Ballad, George Bernard Shaw wrote; ‘Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I get to hold for a moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before turning it over to future generations’.

A lot of creative ink has been spent in evaluating and sometimes comparing the existence of human beings on planet earth with the chemical bye-product called candle.

Celebrated song writers and singers have held the world spell bound with timeless songs depicting the sojourn of man on earth as a candle in the wind. Thus, the most illustrious of such breath taking songs was the rendition by Sir Elton John, the English pop icon in honour of the deceased Lady Diana, Princess of Wales. Thus, a human life that trudges on and counts 60 years by all stretch of logic and perhaps reason is deserving of clinking the glass. Where however, the life of such a human being in a manner of speaking bestrides his time like a colossus, a celebration of such life is therefore non-negotiable. That is the case of a quintessential gentleman, humanist, consummate teacher, respected scholar, eminent jurist, administrator par excellence, patriot, husband and father, Awa Uma Kalu, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who turns 60 years on March 9, 2013.

Awa Kalu who was born on March 9, 1953 hails from the Ohafia Community in Abia State. His parents were devout Christians of the

•Awa Kalu, SAN member of the unparalleled ‘class of ’78 that boasts of Justices of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and indeed all superior courts of record.

After his compulsory NYSC programme in Sokoto State as Pupil State counsel, he enrolled at the Law Faculty of the University of Lagos for his Masters degree programme in law. Thereafter, he settled down at the University of Lagos as a lecturer before he was head-hunted by the venerated scholar and administrator, Professor M.J.C. Echeruo to transfer his services to the then young Imo (now Abia) State University to work with great scholars like Professor Oye Cukwurah and Professor Osita Eze to establish a veritable law faculty.

As an advocate, Awa Kalu is painstaking.

He leaves no stone unturned. He is meticulous and abides always by the ethics and doctrine of the legal profession

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Presbyterian denomination.

He had his early education at Anglican Grammar School, Umuahia and the famous Methodist College, Uzuakoli.

He proceeded immediately to the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) Ile-Ife to study Law. At Ife, he distinguished himself as an academic numero uno and won several elite awards.

Some of such awards were Olu Ayoola prize as Best Over-all LL.B. part 1. Student; Irvine & Bonner Scholarship as best over-all LL.B. part II student and Justice Madarikan prize as best over-all final year law student. He graduated in 1977 and earned the LL.B (Hons) Degree of the prestigeous University.

Awa Kalu fondly and variously called Papa, Papus and Prof. by his friends and peers maintained the streak of excellence at the Nigerian Law School, where he was admitted and called to the Nigerian Bar in 1978 and is a

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As a foundation staff at the then Imo State University established by the government of the visionary Chief Sam Mbakwe, Awa Kalu worked tirelessly with his colleagues to ensure that the products of the school especially the law faculty measured up to the accepted professional standard. The young law faculty despite its teething take-off challenges strived to give the very best to her students through the uniting and selfless contribution of Awa Kalu and his team of youthful but dynamic professional colleagues. Till date, most students that passed through the institution under the coaching skills of Awa Kalu remain grateful that he painstakingly taught them the nuances of the law of Evidence, Torts, Criminal Law and other law courses that effectively equipped them for legal combat in all spheres of human endeavours. That goes to say that as Awa Kalu marks

his diamond years on earth, his foot print in the sand of time, particularly in the field of law qualifies him to relish and perhaps appropriate the timeless reflection of George Bernard Shaw. Divine truth they say is that ‘man in the inner recess of his soul essence never achieve happiness nor measured by filthy lucre but rather by the quality of generation next that his life impacted positively to the benefit of mankind.

It therefore stands to reason that inspite of the illustrious accomplishment of Awa Kalu, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, his real bench mark as we celebrate his 60 birthday is the galaxy of his ex-students who are dominant figures today in

commanding heights of our national life. As he turns 60, Awa Kalu, SAN deserves a befitting toast for his contribution to legal education, legal scholarship, advocacy and character moulding. Prominent amongst his former students are Senator Anyim Pius Anyim GCON, Secretary to Government of the Federation; Chief Ume Kalu, Attorney-General of Abia State; Mr. J. U.K Igwe, SAN; Elder Paul Ananaba, SAN; Prof. Anselm Chidi Odinkalu, Chairman, Human Rights Commission; Chief Emeka Wogu, Hon. Minister of Labour & Productivity; Hon. Uzo Azubuike of the House of Representatives; Chief Chuka Odom, former Minister of State for FCT; Professor Nnamdi Obiaeriri, Associate Professor Chris Anyanwu, Associate Professor Sam Erugo, Dr. K.U.K. Ekwueme, several judges of various State/Federal High Courts, corporate executives etc.

As an advocate, Awa Kalu is painstaking. He leaves no stone unturned. He is meticulous and abides always by the ethics and doctrine of the legal profession. He enjoys the respect and admiration of his seniors, mates and juniors alike. In 1989, he was appointed Special Adviser to the Hon. Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice. He had the unique opportunity of serving two Attorneys-General in a stretch, Hon. Prince Bola Ajibola SAN and Hon. Sir. Clement Akpamgbo SAN. It is worthy to note that Awa’s tenure and records of advancement of frontiers of legal education

alongside Prof. Yemi Osinbajo SAN (his co-Special Adviser to the duo of Attorney-General of the Federation at the material time) at the Federal Ministry of Justice is yet to be surpassed in recent time. It is on record that Kalu and Osinbajo revitalized the production of all Nigeria Law Reports; revised the Laws of the Federal 1990; mid-wifed the Company and allied Matters Decree 1990 & the BOFID; pioneered the publication of the journal of the Justice Ministry known as JUSTICE and co-edited numerous books as well as academic publications.

Awa U. Kalu has selflessly served his fatherland diligently and meritoriously. At different times he was Secretary National Committee on Corruption and Economic Crimes; Secretary National Committee on Malpractices in Banks and other Financial Institutions; Member, National Committee on Town Planning Law in Nigeria; Member, Editorial Committee, All Nigeria Law Reports; He was also a member of the Nigerian delegation on the Democratization Process in Ethiopia, 1992; Member, Nigerian Delegation to the 46th and 47th Session of the UN General Assembly 1991 and 1992; Delegate, Human Rights Workshop, Banjul, the Gambia, 1989: he also provided a platform for robust academic and intellectual pursuit vide the publication of Lawyers’ Bi-Annual, a journal of Nigeria and Comparative Law of which he is the Editorin-chief.

•To be continued

Law Pavilion launches electronic report

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

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leading law report centre and law software provider, Law Pavilion, is set to improve law reporting through a new product-Law Pavilion 6.0; a paradigm shifting technologicallydriven solution strategically developed to address all user challenges and technological developments on the existing 5.0 version.

The new software also boasts of additional features including a very robust search engine that will further reduce the problems associated with judicial processes by about 60 percent.

According to the Managing Director of the company, which championing IT revolution in Nigeria’s legal practice, Mr. Ope Olugasa, Law Pavilion 6.0 boasts of additional features including a very robust search engine.

According to him, “We executed a critical study of the judicial process, available infrastructure, limitations and ICT knowledge of the legal industry before we came up with this Nigeria-tailored

approach that provides solutions to the core problems of the legal system in the country. It was the results and stakeholders’ feedback that led to the production of Law Pavilion 6.0,” he said.

Olugasa disclosed further during a chat with journalists in Lagos that, “Law Pavilion 6.0 will totally change the face of justice delivery in Nigeria as we know it today, as it impacts the heart of the lengthy justice delivery system which is the trial itself.

He noted, “We executed a critical study of the judicial process, available infrastructure, limitations and ICT knowledge of the legal industry before we came up with this Nigeria-tailored approach that provides solutions to the core problems of the legal system in the country. It was the results and stakeholders’ feedback that led to the product.” he said.

He said this will helps improve judicial processes and justice delivery in the country as they take cognizance of each state’s legal peculiarities and feedback from existing products. These include Law

Pavilion Plus which is the iPad version, Law Pavilion on personal computers and servers for corporate users, as well as Law Pavilion on black berry and the online version which all “help legal practitioners search for authorities on any subject and get results in seconds rather than the significant and tedious hours spent during manual research. The products place at the finger tips an e-library of over 8,000 e-books of law reports of both the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal from 1970 to date. This translates to a 43 years consolidated index and law digest of over 50,000 issues covering all areas of law and a 48-hour law reporting system with automatic updates among other features,” he added.

The company also plans to launch a book titled, “The Attorney General: Chronicles and Perspectives”, written in honour of Nigeria’s longest serving Attorney General and Minister of justice, Prince Bola Ajibola. Forward of the book was written by former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Salihu Modibbo Alfa Belgore.

44—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

ADAMAWA PDP:

The rainbow coalition against Nyako

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR

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HAT affects one of us affects every other governor,” one of the antagonists in the feud among the governors belonging to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP told Vanguard weeks before the feud came to a climax. It is as such not surprising that given the increasing divide among the governors in their attitude towards the presidency, that virtually all of them are agreed on supporting their embattled colleague in Adamawa State, Admiral Murtala Nyako.

The chairman of the newly formed PDP-Governors Forum,

Chief Godswill Akpabio, in his first declarations after the first meeting of the forum last month had ruled that the Umar Kaugama led executive of the PDP inclined to Gov Nyako should be sustained, at least for some time. “The PDP Governors Forum also looked into the issue of Adamawa State PDP and came to the conclusion that they should allow Governor Sule Lamido’s committee to do its work to report immediately to the party, the NWC and the Presidency.

But in the meantime, we plead that the status quo should be allowed to remain. By the status quo we mean the Kaugama Mijinjwa Committee, the executive in place prior to the

•Nyako dissolution of the state executive”, he added.

Remarkably, the sustenance of the Kaugama executive had been one of the underlining issues that led to the battle of wits between the chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF, Rotimi Amaechi and partisans aligned to the national chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and presidency officials. The Adamawa political conflict

•Tukur exacerbated in 2006 when the then leadership of the PDP in Abuja, conceived the idea of linkmen, who were used to displace existing structures of the party that they were not disposed to. In Adamawa State where former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar together with the then governor, Mr Boni Haruna were in control, a new structure built around Senator Jibril Aminu was

brought up to displace Atiku and his men who eventually found their way to the then Action Congress.

In Adamawa State the tide saw many members of the party executive then under the chairmanship of Mr. Joel Madaki transformed into the leadership of the Action Congress in the state. One of the Continues on page 45

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013—45

The rainbow coalition against Nyako

We need more will than dialogue to tackle insecurity — Rep Daramola •Security architecture of Nigeria is defective HON. Bimbo Daramola, who represents Ekiti North Federal Constituency, Ekiti State in the House of Representatives on the plank of the Action Congress of (ACN) is disturbed by the flickering flames of insecurity in the country and argues that apart from dialogue, the government can tame the menace if it had the will. In this interview, Daramola, who gave reasons he left the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, also averred that state police would help the anti-insecurity crusade. Excerpts:

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

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IS take on whether or not the Federal Government should dialogue with the Boko Haram sect: One thing we cannot run away from is the fact that there must always be an opportunity to discuss.

However, that is not the sole panacea to this trouble. There is a saying that said “cutting off the head is not a cure for headache.”

There may be multi-lateral approaches to dealing with this challenge. Let me give you an example, when the late President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua decided to come up with the Amnesty Programme, did he hold the militants?

What we have in Niger Delta today is the peace of the graveyard. Did you hear how much the Borno State Government will commit to this?

N26 billion! If I have N26 billion, I won’t negotiate with anybody. I will smoke them out. Look at what (Governor Rotimi) Amaechi did, he did not negotiate with criminals in Rivers. Amaechi said the gun you have in your possession makes you a criminal but I control the guys who can legitimately use those weapons and that is the difference which means that whatever I do, I have the backing of the law. So, if you walk the street today with

insecurity: That was the very first motion of the S e v e n t h Assembly of the House of Representatives and I moved it. I remembered that people were like ‘is this man a r a n k i n g member?’

I believe every structure of the authority should live up to expectation and then there are obligations that are expected from us (parliamentarians). •Daramola We must not leave the Nigerian people with the challenges that we met when we came in. I have also spoken on how to do an assessment of every office holder. My salary is not paid by Guinness, MTN or Globacom. My salary is paid from the common wealth of the Nigerian people. So I must reasonably be able to give an adequate, commensurate return on investment to Nigerians.

And what is the return on investment they expect from us?

That will be security, water, all basic infrastructures. If they get anything short of that, we should

Every criminal wants to enjoy the proceeds of crime. No criminal wants to go into criminality and be shot dead

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weapons that means you are a criminal and I can fix you.

In the days of Abacha, when the militants were giving them problem, the guy in charge of JTF, said they were taught in the Nigerian Army 101 ways of killing people and they demonstrated it by shooting at trees and those trees started going down and he now said, you can imagine what we can do to human beings. If I become the president of this country it won’t take me more than six months to fix this problem. It takes a will to do it. Abuja/Lokoja road is taking 12 years; you don’t need second term to build it. Some of those characters terrorising the country at the end of the day report to people. They have major stakeholders that are backing them up. It takes will to solve this problem.

On how we can tackle

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be sacked. Unfortunately, they are stuck with us for four years, whether we give enough returns or not. My people want me to talk about things that are affecting them and that was why I moved the motion titled “Emerging Threat to Internal Security and the Need to Set Up Department of Homeland Security” I believe that our challenges are not particularly very novel.

There is no novelty around the challenges that we have. There must be novelty in terms of leadership. Not the kind of leadership that we use to have.

We must rise up against it. I’m not a security expert but I have looked at the security architecture of Nigeria and it is very defective.

There are holes here and there regardless of the fact that we have the DMI, SSS, police, soldiers and all of that. We still have gaps and as long as those gaps are there,

Continues from page 44 few that didn’t go was the then deputy, Umar Kaugama. With Atiku out of the party, Senator Aminu was able to build a new PDP mostly around some retired military men and acolytes of his. The gubernatorial primary was an especially tough cracker that had frontrunners in the persons of Buba Marwa, Murtala Nyako, Adamu Dahiru Modibo, Senator Jonathan Zwingina among others. In the end, not much of a contest was done as Nyako who was before a chieftain of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP emerged as the candidate. Nyako was favoured not just because Aminu wanted him, but according to some, because of his own personal relationship with President Olusegun Obasanjo, under whom Nyako had served as a military officer.

Nyako had gone further to establish a personal relationship with Obasanjo through a mutual love for farming.

Party's pioneering fathers

criminals will always infiltrate those gaps because when a criminal is ahead of you, he will perpetrate his criminality. The propensity for crime and criminality will continue to be on the rise if we don’t have adequate matching capacity to deal with crime.

On whether creation of state police would help: Though, I agree that management of security has gone beyond direct policing, you can’t beat the power of native intelligence.

That was why America created the department of homeland security with other controls like the police, immigration and all of that. For instance, if you come to Ekiti today, I grew up there; I can tell you where you can find criminals. But if you bring somebody from Cross River, Anambra or Enugu to manage the security of the state, he will need the first year to understand the environment.

And then you come up with the point where you can say that for the fact that I know who the bad guys are I can be a step ahead of them. With that alone you have psychologically dealt with the person. You can also go to the parents and say, your son is running foul of the law and I am going to fix him and that makes the people more comfortable to relate with you.

But you are drawing a blank if you transfer somebody like me to Maiduguri where I don’t know the terrain. Every criminal wants to enjoy the proceeds of crime. No criminal wants to go into criminality and be shot dead.

So if you know their escape routes, you can plug those routes.

Senator Aminu’s control of the party in its wake also led to the reduced influence if not exodus of some of the party’s pioneering fathers in the state.

With Atiku out, many of the other pioneering fathers like former governor Wilbeforce Juta, Bamanga Tukur also lowered their presence as Aminu and Nyako took control in the run up to the election.

Marwa was especially under pressure. After putting much of his own logistics available, including providing his Albarka Airlines to ferry the team to Yola, he lost out and was almost denied an ambassadorship in the intrigues that followed. But following the gubernatorial election, Nyako came to himself and subsequently displaced Aminu and even stopped his one time political benefactor from returning to the senate in 2011.

Nyako’s complete control is now the substance of the battle of wits between him and many of the party’s pioneering leaders who have put aside their past political differences to fight the man on the throne.

It is a rainbow coalition that surprisingly puts Aminu, Atiku, Tukur, Marwa, Zwingina and many others who have been on the receiving end from one another now engaged in fighting a common enemy.

Remarkably, they have found as their linchpin, Tukur who by circumstance of fate was made national chairman leading the battle. Crucial to the case of the anti-Nyako elements is their assertion that the state chairman of the party, Kugama is from the same ward as the governor, a point that they have canvassed to underline

what they claim is the governor’s indifference to other stakeholders.

“The main problem of the Kugama Chairmanship was that Alh. Kugama and Admiral Nyako came from the same ward; which is in violation of the principle of Federal character as well as Zoning adopted by our Party. All attempts by various Stakeholders in the State, by the National Headquarters of our Party and even by INEC to replace Alh. Kugama as Chairman through consensus or a Party Congress, were resisted by Governor Nyako,” the anti-Nyako stakeholders deposed in a summary to the Governor Sule Lamido ad-hoc committee now probing the issue.

The Kugama that is now the issue, remarkably, was at one time with Senator Aminu and had served as deputy chairman to Madaki who was state chairman all through the Haruna years. When Atiku, Haruna and others left, he remained and succeeded as state chairman of the party in 2006 and is today arguably, the longest serving PDP state chairman. His critics are also pushing for his exit on the grounds that he was not elected through a regular congress.

Rescinding its decision

By September last year the stakeholders obviously using the leverage from Tukur were able to push through a resolution of the National Working Committee, NWC of the PDP for the dissolution of the Kugama executive. It was an action that brought out the steel of the governor and his fellow governors who mobilized themselves against the NWC forcing the NWC to rescind its decision last January.

However, by the time the reversal was done, the caretaker committee that was put in place in concert with operatives from the national secretariat had concluded plans for state congresses for a new executive. At the end of the congresses, Mr. Madaki like a cat with nine lives, was returned as the state chairman and was recognized by Tukur as the state chairman during the latter’s homecoming last February. So, in effect, the PDP in Adamawa is now fractured in two with two determined forces desperate to consume one another.

But how Nyako, an outsider at one time came to take over the party from those that were considered themselves as the owners of the party is an issue that underlines the grit and grasp of military politics with which some of Nigeria’s former soldiers are now known for.

46 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

Vanguard,THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013—47

Trade union veterans to present Bill for elderly to NASS

450 NIPOST retirees die awaiting entitlements …many more on sick bed

BY JONAH NWOKPOKU

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O fewer than 450 retirees of the Nigeria Postal Service, NIPOST, have died for lack of money to meet their medical and other needs while waiting for the payment of their pensions among other entitlements in the last five years.

Chairman of the NIPOST branch of the National Union Pensioners, NUP, Mr. Joseph Ogunyakin, who disclosed this while speaking with Pension and You, claimed non-payment of pension arrears and gratuities to NIPOST pensioners had caused extreme economic difficulties and other hardships resulting to the death of over 450 retirees in the last five years.

According to him: “Over 450 NIPOST’s pensioners have died and we don’t know whose turn it will be tomorrow. Some are on sick bed now,

some are even dying. Things are very difficult for us.”

Oguinyakin who spoke at the inauguration of the newly elected chairman of the Lagos chapter of the union, Akindutire Elija, said the plight of NIPOST pensioners had become common knowledge and a shame to the nation, saying “The whole world knows that pensioners of NIPOST are really suffering. There is no doubt about that. I am using this avenue to appeal to the government in power to come to our aid. Two months ago we embarked on a prolong protest, not really that we love protest but we have been pushed to the wall. They should not wait until we all die before they come to help us.”

Speaking, after the inauguration, Elijah said the pensioners were owed more than five years pension arrears and vowed that the union would do

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

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*Joseph Ogunyakin everything within its power to make government pay.

According to him: “Right now we are having sixty-nine months unpaid. We also have some gratuities unpaid. I am going to get the pension arrears paid and at the same time, I am going to ensure that they are paid as at when due. We don’t know why these monies are not paid and that is why we said instead of dying at home let us shout for the whole world to hear us.

Woe betide those inflicting pains on pensioners, Aremu curses

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

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ATIONAL Union of Tex tile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, has heaped curses on individuals and groups directly or indirectly inflicting hardships and pains on the nation’s pensioners.

The union spoke through its General Secretary, Comrade Issa Aremu, while commending the Senate for its stance that the embattled former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, PRTT, Abdulrasheed Maina, accused of complicity in the illegal di- *Managing Director of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF, Alhaji Munir Abubabar and version of billions of pension Comrade Issa Aremu, at an NSITF programme. funds meant for pensioners in the country, was brought to face to anopinion as well as ‘the nation’s comthat safeguard the interests of pensionswer questions. mittee’ for handling public grievancers such as the Senate and its relevant NUTGTWN argued that by insisting es. Activist constant legislative check committees and most importantly Nationthat Maina be made accountable for his on the Executive impunity has truly al Pension Commission, PenCom. alleged deeds, Nigeria’s legislature made Nigeria’s democratic process The presidency must not provide sanchad proven to a useful organ of public come of age.” tuary for some individuals accused of opinion as well as the nation’s commit“The insistence of 107 senators on criminally diverting pension funds and tee for handling public grievances. police enforcement of the warrant of undermining the pension market.” arrest on the renegade Assistant Di“The critical issue is how many penPension rector shows that there is no hiding sioners in the relevant public sector inliabilities place for scavengers of the nation’s stitutions have been paid their pensions pension assets. Woes unto all those and gratuities? Who is responsible for Aremu, a Vice President of Nigeria who criminally inflict pains and agonon-payments?

Labour Congress, NLC, said President ny on retired working men and womThe president must strengthen the new Goodluck Jonathan, had the responsi- en by looting their legitimate claims. contributory pension scheme by protectbility to safeguard the nation’s assets President Goodluck Jonathan has the ing it against invaders looking for funds as well as pay the huge pension liabil- responsibility to safeguard the nation’s for other purposes rather than payment ities of millions of pensioners in the assets as well as pay the huge penof retirees. Let no one touch or divert public sector. sion liabilities of millions of pensionpension asset from its legally sanctioned According to him; “By rightly insist- ers in the public sector. objectives and whoever does must be ing that Maina be made accountable To this extent, the President must brought to justice.” for his deeds, Nigeria’s legislature has strengthen and support institutions proven to be a “useful organ” of public

ATIONAL Association of Trade Union Veterans, has said that it will soon present a Bill to the National Assembly to provide amenities for the elderly in Nigeria.

President of NATUV, Mr Stevenson Oshidipe, while speaking with Journalists in Lagos, explained that the provision of necessary amenities would help the elderly to live longer.

Oshidipe said the bill titled, “Senior Citizen Welfare Bill” would soon be presented to the law makers after it must have been properly scrutinized, noting that it was important to pass the bill because of the deteriorating condition of old people, especially pensioners in Nigeria.

According to him: “We need allowance, good health care facilities and recreational centre as obtained in other parts of the world. In a country like Israel, their government operates a big poultry farm managed by old people with the support of some younger workers. With this kind of project, the old or retired people still have a job and can live well and longer.”

“It is regrettable that governments at all levels have not been fair to the aged and pensioners who have served the country in their younger years. Apart from Ekiti who pays N10, 000 to elderly people in the state, others have failed to take care of the retirees who have laboured for many meritorious years. Core civil servants have not been allowed to eat the fruit of their labour as political appointees have continued to embezzle their money.”

He added that the bill would cover for the elderly and the future of the younger ones.

Similarly, Mr. Jola Ogunlisi, Chairman, Education and Research Committee of the Association, said that some of the content of the bill were that government must provide a means of income for healthy retirees.

Ogunlisi said that some healthy retirees should be used in their area of specialization to help develop the country, saying that the bill also would make local government councils to provide a recreational area for the elderly. He said NATUV was working on getting a complete data of the elderly in Nigeria, the must endeavour to implement the convention it signed on the elderly.

48—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013 Edited by MCPHILIPS NWACHUKWU 08026350360 E-mail: chimeena@yahoo.com

Benin artefacts and reparation •can plan of action end this miserable project? tive effect and that no State would enter into a treaty with retroactive effect. It is not clear to me which side raised the issue of the Convention but the Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation is reported to have pleaded with the visitors and noted that “the hurdles placed on our way by the various Conventions and applicable international laws that govern repatriation of heritage objects”.

Misleading impression

* Plaque of Oba Ozolua with warrior attendants, Benin, Nigeria, Ethnology Museum, Vienna

“There was a dim grandeur about it all, and also these seemed to a fate. Here was this head center of iniquity, spared by us from its suitable end of burning for the sake of holding the new seat of justice where barbarism had held away, given into our hands with the brand of Blood soaked into every corner and ........ fire only could purge it, and here on our last day we were to see its legitimate fate overtake it (1)

BY KWAME OPOKU

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.H. Bacon, the Punitive Expedition’s Intelligence Officer wrote on the burning of the Benin Royal Palace.

We have just read a detailed report from Tajudeen Sowole on the so called Benin Plan of Action for Restitution (2) and would like to make a few comments on some of the issues arising that we did not deal with in our previous article on this subject. (3) The meeting at which this miserable document was prepared on February 19, 2013, happened to be the same date on which the British carried on their nefarious attack on Benin in 1897.

Was this a mere coincidence?

We can only hope that at least a minute’s silence was observed in the honour of all those who lost their lives in one of the most egregious acts of British imperialist aggressions in Africa. (4) We learn from the report that the British Museum was invited but could not attend because of unresolved travel difficulties.

Can anyone believe this? Or were the officials of the venerable museum playing again a game similar to the one they played with the notorious Declaration on the Importance and Value of the Universal Museums which they inspired and engineered for support against Greece but did not eventually sign?(5)

Regarding the 1970 UNESCO CONVENTION (Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property 1970) which the meeting hoped to discuss and review next time, Prof.

Folarin Shyllon, an expert on the Convention, pointed out that the Convention has no retroac-

This suggests to me that some participant must have created the misleading impression that the UNESCO Convention and other rules of International Law place obstacles on the way to restitution.

Nothing could be further from the truth than this myth deliberately and knowingly entertained and spread by some Westerners.

That the UNESCO Convention has no retroactive effect is accepted by all and is indeed common knowledge. This means that the Convention does not affect acts done before its entry into force. It neither approves nor disapproves of past events.

That is all. From this, some Westerners have developed the notion that the looting and other wrongful acts done before the entry into force of the Convention are saved by the Convention and one is prohibited by

* Members of the British Punitive Expedition which invaded Benin in 1897 posing proudly with the Benin artefacts they looted.

the Convention from reclaiming artefacts looted or stolen before 1970. They thus give the Convention a retroactive effect in their favour. But this is surely wrong.

That the Convention does not provide a basis for reclaiming acts done before its entry into force clearly does not mean it prevents or prohibits reclaiming artefacts looted before 1970. The various restitution to Egypt, Greece, Turkey, and Peru show that no international law prevents restitution if States are willing to do so. (6) The Convention itself provides in its article 15 that: “Nothing in this Convention shall prevent States Parties thereto from concluding special agreements among themselves or from continuing to implement

agreements already concluded regarding the restitution of cultural property removed, whatever the reason, from its territory of origin, before the entry into force of this Convention for the States concerned.”

States are thus free to enter into bilateral agreements to effect restitution. They may also bring legal action on the basis of International Law or Municipal Law, independent of the Convention.

We hope that the legal experts at the meeting pointed out some of the difficulties involved in trying to revise a convention and the time it would take to reach an agreement concerning the text of a convention on a subject where there are great divergences of views.

Gospel artist, Bouqui holds concert in Lagos

BY ESTHER ONYEGBULA

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* Bouiqui

ECENTLY Nigeria female gospel artiste Bouqui and two time Grammy Awards nominee Da Truth held a concert tagged “Love Hope War”.

The concert was put together to promote Da T.R.U.T.H’s new album titled “Love, Hope and War.The show was definitely the biggest International concert in the history of Christian contemporary hip hop music in Nigeria and Africa.

The international concert which began in many cities across the United States of America hit Lagos and Abuja penultimate week and would have long moved to Zimbabwe and South Africa.

The event which was held at the University of Lagos Sports Complex, Akoka Yaba, Lagos featured several international gospel artistes like: Jahaziel, mobo awards winner, and

Faithchild, also mobo awards nominee from the UK. Representing Africa on the stage were Abel Chungu Musuka from Zambia, Prince Cjay from South Africa and Zimbabwe’s leading gospel artist, Illceey.

Gospel artists on the local scene were not left out as the likes of Panam Percy Paul, Sammie Okposo, Nikki Laoye, Jahdiel, Eben, Tim Godfrey and the Xtreme crew was all in attendance.

Also on stage at the Unilag Sports Complex were: Nutty Josh, RoofTop MC and The Midnight Crew from Nigeria while Alien Nation and Xplicit Dancers would provide the arena with some ground breaking moves and steps.

Interestingly, the Lagos concert served a double function as it provided a preview of Bouqui’s forthcoming double album titled Marks of a general and Eve of independence.

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Achebe was an encyclopedia of football — Bassey T HREE-TIME former Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Association, P. O. C. Achebe is dead. The former scribe died last Saturday in Atlanta, USA where he was residing temporarily..

Achebe was one of only two Nigerians to have headed the secretariat of the former Nigeria Football Association at three different times.(1971 – 1973, 1975-1976 and 1991-1992). Late Patrick Okpomo was the other.

Reacting to the news, veteran sports journalist and Sports Vanguard col-

umnist, Paul Bassey said the country has lost yet another gem in football administration.

“Achebe was one of the all-time greats. When you talk of Achebe you remember the likes of Okpomos, Orok Oyos, Ikpeazus, etc.,” Bassey said, adding, “those were people who managed football with all their lives as if that was all they lived for. They administered the game with knowledge and professionalism. Achebe would not bend the rules to suit anybody as he was a man of integrity and

Kenyan High Comm.

Continues from BP yesterday, Amolo who arrived Nigeria two weeks ago, described Nigeria as a wonderful country, saying he has a personal taste and love for Nigeria.

Displaying a traditional Nigerian outfit which he got five years ago, Amolo urged Kenyan nationals to embrace Nigeria as their own, even as he called on Nigerians to embrace Kenya as their o w n .

“We are national

partners, we have to work together in all fields. When the Super Eagles were playing in Durban, I was there. And I can tell you: I was one of the Kenyan contingent to AFCON in Johannesburg. We were shouting the loudest when the Super Eagles were playing and scoring.

“I can tell you from what I saw that the other side was supporting Burkina Faso. I will not say who the other side was,” he stated."

Keshi Continues from BP Beijing, China in 2008 although the Nigeria Football Federation has not confirmed it.

“I have not heard about it but Samson is a Nigerian and a qualified coach so I believe he is capable of doing the job if he is given the work to handle the U-23 national team,” Keshi told Goal.com in Abuja on Tuesday.

The architect of Nigeria’s triumph at the Africa Cup of Nations in South last month is already psyched up to

lead the squad against Kenya in their 2014 Fifa World Cup qualifying game.

He disclosed that all the invited Nigeria Professional Football League players are already for the must win encounter.

“All the invited players are already in camp and I am happy that they responded quickly as usual, which is good for team spirit and the work ahead. The response has been great from the players,” Keshi disclosed.

Temile Continues from BP talents, expose them and help them achieve their dreams of playing professional football.That is how I was discovered from Warri.”

The former international said in the event he is appointed to any national team, he would find out if such appointment would help his cause. “I would think twice before

accepting such appointments because the project I want to embark on is my priority.”

Temile insisted he would put in all he has to ensure the programme succeeds as he would engage the assistance of some of his former team mates, some of whom have become coaches like Henry Nwosu, Edema Benson among others.

class. He knew football rules and reguations. He could easily quote CAF and FIFA statutes and refer yu to relevant sections regarding any matter you raised. May his soul rest in Peace.”

On his part, former Super Eagles coach and one time national team captain, Christian Chukwu was lost in words. “You don’t say that!” he exclaimed when asked for his reaction. “Achebe was one of the best secretarygenerals we ever had. Indeed, he was a good man.

Oh my God, what a sad news,” Chukwu who said he was driving managed to say.

The news of Achebe's death was broken by Dan Ikpechukwu, a one-time sports journalist who now resides in Atlanta. "It's a bad moment for us all here in Atlanta," Ikpechukwu said after visiting Achebe's widow. Achebe was 83.

Barca Fan Continues from BP the action, locals are obsessed with La Liga’s two biggest teams. When they face each other in El Clasico, bars and coffee houses are segregated between rival fans and police presence is increased as people celebrate, commiserate and fight long into the night.

According to a report in Baghdad newspaper Al Zaman, carried by Spanish newspaper Sport, passion between rival fans spilled over into violence and murder this week.

On Monday, a Barcelona supporter in Madain — a city a few miles south of Baghdad — supposedly argued with a Real Madrid-supporting friend in a gaming arcade.

The Barca fan then reportedly “slaughtered” his friend with a knife, in full view of several witnesses.

Arabs Today add the chilling detail that the Madrid fan was actually beheaded by his former friend. An Iraqi Interior Ministry source told them: “A fight broke out on Monday night at the Games Hall in Aldjaarh, between two friends, one of whom supported Barcelona and the other who supported Real Madrid.”

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VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

We supported Eagles at Afcon – Kenyan High Comm. to Nigeria

BY VICTORIA OJEME, Abuja

N

EWLY appointed Kenyan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Thomas Amolo,

yesterday, revealed that Kenya was the greatest supporter of Nigeria during the just concluded African Cup of Nations, AFCON 2013 in South Africa..

Speaking during the official opening of the Kenyan Tourist Board/ Kenyan Airways road show held in Abuja

Continues on Page 54

Temile surprises all •Says I’m not interested in Eagles job

BY JACOB AJOM

H

E was a nightmare to opposing defenders and is spoken highly of by his former team mates. At the 1984 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, his quick brace earned Nigeria a face-saving 2-2 draw

against Malawi in a group match. Since hanging his boots a little over a decade ago, Clement Temile has been sojourning in Europe, equipping himself for what he has finally returned home to do – lift Nigerian football to new heights.

Looking trim and

•Temile

agile, Temile said in Lagos yesterday that he decided to come home to contribute his own quota to the development of the game in the country.

“I am back after a long playing career in Cyprus and Israel and ended up as a coach and manager in England. I have got a lot to offer, especially developing the youths,” Temile, who is UEFA A licensed coach said.

He stressed that he was not too keen on any national team appointment, but will rather focus on how to organise youth-related competitions with the aim of identifying talents for clubs and country.

“I want to go to the grassroots and fish out Continues on Page 54

PUZZLE

N

IGERIA coach Stephen Keshi has thrown his weight behind former teammate and predecessor in the national team Samson Siasia to do a good job with the Under-23 national team.

It was reported that the former Super Eagles trainer has been considered to handle the team he once led to the final of the Olympic football tournament in

ONE GOOD TURN... Siasia (l) showing support for Keshi

Continues on Page 54

Barca fan beheads Real fan

O

UTSIDE of Spain, few places in the world can boast more

fervent support of Barcelona and Real Madrid than Iraq.

In Iraqi Kurdistan, some 3,5000 miles from

Continues on Page 54

QUICK CROSSWORD

Sudoku TODAY'S

Keshi backs Siasia for U-23 job

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Agreement (6) 5 Resist (6) 8 Decoration (8) 9 Wander (4) 10 Lettuce (3) 12 Unseeing (5) 15 Spring (3) 17 Hill (3) 18 Decay (3) 19 Chopper (3) 20 Invest (5) 21 Fuss (3) 22 Age (3) 23 Weapon (3) 24 Equality (3) 26 Principle (5) 29 Snoop (3) 33 Knife (4) 34 Debate (8) 35 Hide (6) 36 Respect (6)

DOWN 2 Freight (5) 3 Elliptical (4) 4 Abide (5) 5 Frequently (5) 6 Harbour (4) 7 Rascal (5) 10 Grip (5) 11 Guide (5) 12 Fish (5) 13 Forefinger (5) 14 Vision (5) 15 Impress (5) 16 Torment (5) 25 Garret (5) 27 Anew (5) 28 Fireside (5) 30 Scope (5) 31 Competent (4) 32 Discharge (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Brag 4, Tot 6, Rush 8, Ground 9, Repair 10, Yen 12, Globe 14, Bluff 15, Label 18, Delete 20, Insult 24, Greet 26, Maybe 28, Waive 30, Jet 32, Subdue 33, Induce 34, Fete 35, Toy 36, Mark.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 2, Rural 3, Grumble 4, Tidy 5, Turn 6, Repel 7, Skilful 11, Eye 12, God 13, Eat 16, Beg 17, Lie 19, Erasure 21, New 22, Stardom 23, Tie 25, Rye 27, Budge 29, Vicar 30, Jest 31, Tiny.

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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