CHIBOK GIRLS’ ABDUCTION: 30 days after, parents identify 77 girls in video

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 62143

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

Nyako, others fault Jonathan's request for extension of >8 emergency rule in N-East

External reserves stand at $37bn — CBN

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CHIBOK GIRLS’ ABDUCTION:

30 days after, parents identify 77 girls in video

BY EMMA UJAH, SAM EYOBOKA, ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH & NDAHI MARAMA

•MURIC, APC condemn conversion of girls to Islam •US deploys surveillance planes to search for girls M •It's declaration of war on Christianity — CAN

AIDUGURI— S E V E N T YSEVEN of the more than 200 schoolgirls abducted from Government Girls Continues on page 5

Names of identified girls in video

COLUMNISTS:

1. Agnes Gafane 2. Saraya Stober 3. Hauwa Bitrus 4. Hajara Isa 5. Naomi Philemon 6. Hauwa Abdu 7. Magaret Yama 8. Shitta Abdu 9. Jummai Muta 10. Ladi Paul 11. Roda Peter 12. Filo Dauda 13. Godiya Bitrus 14.Saratu Tauji 15. Ross Daniel 16.Hauwa Ali 17. Hajara Isa 18.Luba Afga 19.Naomi Luka 20. Saraya Emos Ali 21. Bilkisu Abdullahi 22. Mairama Ali 23. Maryam Ali Maiyanga 24. Deborah Abbas 25. Kabu Mala Some of the escapee students and parents after watching the Boko Haram video in Borno State 26. Halima Ali Government House, yesterday. Photo: Ndahi Marama.

27. Yana Bukar 28. Solomi Pugu 29. Lydia Emmar 30. Luba Sanda 31. Saraya Samuel Continues on page 5

DERIVATION: Confab committee >53 recommends retention of status quo

C M Y K

Our presidents and ambitious spouses... •P.19

Planning towards the •P.24 next 100 years

Mr & Mrs

2—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

C M Y K

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014— —3

C M Y K

4—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

C M Y K

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014—5

POCKET CARTOON

PROTEST—Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima (left) addressing Women for Justice and Peace and other civil society groups during a protest on Bring Back Our Girls held in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

30 days after, parents identify 77 girls in video Continues from page 1 Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State by Boko Haram terrorists, a month ago, have been identified from the video released Monday by the sect. This came as the United States disclosed that it is flying manned surveillance missions over Nigeria in an effort to pinpoint the location of the abducted schoolgirls.

The International Criminal Court, ICC, on its part described the ab-

duction of the schoolgirls as a crime against humanity. The alleged conversion of the schoolgirls into Islam by the sect has also been condemned by Islamic groups and the All Progressives Congress, APC describing it as unacceptable. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said the forceful conversion is a call for war.

Following release of the video by sect leader, Mallam Abubakar Shekau showing scores of the girls wearing

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

The Bible is filled with stories of little people, limited people, lack-lustre people, and, in some cases, low-life people who penetrated the barriers beyond which they thought they couldn’t go, and God used them to do amazing things. And He can do that for you too.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

A

RE you going to allow the world around you to change while you remain stagnant? Make this the time you throw away old habits that have hindered your happiness and success and finally allow your greatest self to flourish — Steve Maraboli Writer Brian Tracy says: “The potential of the average person is like a huge ocean unsailed, a new continent unexplored, a world of possibilities waiting to be released and channelled toward some great good.” But I wonder ... do they know it? Do average people know what great potential and exquisite beauty is hidden within? Do they see all they can become? All that is possible for them? Or do they only see the rough and uncut marble? How great a tragedy it is to live a life and never emerge from the rock; never even realize how magnificent is the person unrevealed inside.

What will it take for you to break free of the stone and take the shape of your destiny? Remember, you always have a choice to live your dreams and be happy.

hijabs and reciting the Holy Q ’uran, Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima ordered mass production of the video to be shown to the parents of the abducted girls for identification.

After the identification exercises, which Governor Shettima said, yesterday, was on-going, he confirmed that 77 of the girls have been identified in the video. Addressing the #BringBackOurGirls campaigners at the Borno State Governor ’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja, where he released the names of the girls, he announced that he would not relent in the efforts to rescue the girls

until they were all safely re-united with their respective families.

According to him, the process of identification was still on-going and, therefore, expressed optimism that more of the abducted students could be identified.

He said: “Fifty-four (names of other 23 girls were released later) of the girls in the video have been identified by their names at an exercise that involved some parents of the girls, fellow students that included escapees from abduction, some teachers, security men and some officials of the Borno State Government led by the Chief of Staff to the Government House, Abubakar Kyari. The parents and students were conveyed to the Government House in Maiduguri for an open identification exercise.”

Identification exercise

Shettima said the figures of those identified by their names were rising as the exercise went on at the Government House in Maiduguri as he was briefed every 30 minutes. Initially, while he was addressing the BBOG group, 36 names had been identified but before his press briefing an hour later, the number had risen to 54, which he informed journalists.

Shettima had on Monday directed the identification exercise to be conducted. Chairman of Chibok Local Government and other government officials were made to mass-produce the video and play before parents of the abducted girls, other students, especially those who escaped from captivity, teachers and manageContinues from page 1 ment of the school as well as other community 32. Comfort Habila members in Chibok. But 33. Rejoice Shanki after the exercise in 34. Gloria Yaga Chibok, Governor 35. Mary Nkeki Shettima directed an36. Moda Baba other round of verifica37. Hauwa Isuwa tion exercise to be con38. Patience Jacob ducted at the Govern39. Ladi Jajel ment House in order to 40. Abigel Bukar cross check findings so 41. Fanta Lawan 42. Zainabu Yaga as not to mislead the 43. Aisha Lawan Zanna public (See names of 44. Dokas Yakubu identified girls).

45. Kabu Mala The second exercise 46. Maryama Bashir confirmed the prelimi47. Hauwa M. Maina nary exercise in Chibok.

48. Mary G. Dauda The disclosure gave 49. Susana Yakubu credence to claims that 50. Maryam Abbas Boko Haram had been 51. Laraba John abducting both girls and 52. Hanatu Nuhu 53. Naomi Bukar women in the areas at54. Rifkatu Galang tacked by the sect in the

Names of identified girls in video

last four years before the Chibok incident that gave rise to international outcry, probably due to the large number involved.

The names are currently being crosschecked with school records as well as names published some days back to ensure accuracy.

The exercise continues at Government House and it is hoped that more names will be established by parents, students and teachers as well as management of the affected school.

Conversion of Christians to Islam unacceptable — APC The All Progressives Congress (APC) has strongly condemned the reported conversion to Islam, of Christians among the over 200 schoolgirls abducted, describing the development as totally unacceptable and downright unconstitutional.

In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, after an emergency meeting to deliberate on the Boko Haram issue, the party also described as utterly barbaric the action of the girls’ abductors in forcing them to make statements against their personal convictions.

It reminded the abductors that Nigeria is a secular state and that the country ’s constitution recognizes the rights of the citizens to any religion of their choice, hence it is patently wrong and unconscionable to force any citizen to convert from one religion to another.

"This whole abduction saga has hit at the very soul of our nation. But just when we felt we had all witnessed the worst atrocity by the primitive, brutal group called Boko Haram, we are confronted with a totally re-

pulsive scene of teenage girls, literally with guns to their heads, being forced to say they had converted to Islam.

"This is appalling, distasteful and unacceptable under any circumstance and we condemn it with all the strength we can muster," APC said.

The party urged the government to critically study the latest video by Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau to see what other measures can be added to the ongoing international efforts to find and rescue the girls.

"We have consistently said some form of negotiation cannot and should not be ruled out to pry our nation from the grip of these terrorists and ensure the safety and security of our citizens.

"In this regard, we consider as prudent the government’s reaction that ‘all options are on the table’ to safely reunite our girls with their families," it said.

Conversion has no basis in Islam —MURIC The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) described the alleged conversion of the abducted school girls by Boko Haram insurgents as an act that has no basis in Islam.

In a statement issued by the Executive Director of the organisation, Professor Is-haq Akintola, MURIC stated that such conversion does not hold water in Islam because a nonMuslim can only be converted on his or her own free will.

MURIC which cautioned the Federal Government not to enter into any deal with the rebel group in exchange for the girls with their detained fellows, urged the Continues on page 61

6—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

Man cries out over missing wife in Ogun

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

A

BEOKUTA— A 34-year-old man, Samuel Edibo has cried out over the sudden disappearance of his wife, Blessing, a mother of five, three weeks ago.

Edibo who hails from Kogi State but resides at Odolameso in Ijebu-Mushin in Ijebu North-East Local Government Area of Ogun State, explained that his wife went to settle her N50 kerosene debt on the same street and never came back home.

Edibo, who works with a private security firm and is also a farmer, said the disappearance of Blessing, 30, was revealed to him while he was on night duty.

According to him, "on April 23, 2014, I was at work when my brother called me that they have been looking for my wife since the previous day.

“She told them she wanted to give someone N50 for kerosene she bought earlier and she did not come back home.

“Police have arrested three people in connection with the disappearance of my wife."

Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the incident, saying the command has swung into action to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of the woman.

He also explained that one suspect has been arrested and that the State Investigation Bureau has taken over the matter.

Grandmother saved from lynching over false kidnap alarm •Baby discovered to be her grandchild

BY EVELYN USMAN

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AGOS—A 50-year-old grandmother escaped death by the whiskers yesterday, in the densely populated Ajegunle area of Lagos, after she was attacked by a mob that thought she stole a day-old baby.

The woman, whose identity could not be immediately ascertained, was reportedly seen cuddling the day-old-baby whom she wrapped in a cloth.

Some curious persons were said to have raised alarm that she kidnapped the baby which made the mob surround her.

She reportedly tried in vain to explain that the baby was

her grand-child and that the mother was still recuperating in the hospital, as the mob descended on her.

An eyewitness, who identified herself as Ubani Amara, said: "When they asked her at first where she got the baby from, she ignored the question.

"That gave room for suspicion that she could have kidnapped the baby because of the spate of kidnappings in Lagos. Again, she looked too old to give birth.

"A man among the crowd was the first to hit her, followed by slaps. That was when she said the baby belongs to her daughter. Nobody believed the claim be-

cause they expected to see the mother with her.

"The mob even tried to take the baby from her but the woman held tight to him, causing the baby to start bleeding from the cord."

The swift arrival of policemen from Ajegunle division saved the woman from being lynched.

Preliminary investigation, according to sources at the division, revealed that the child was indeed the woman's grandchild.

Sources disclosed that the medical doctor at an undisclosed private hospital around Aiyetoro where the grandmother claimed her child was, was invited to ascertain the

Fake woman soldier arrested in Ondo •Following tip-off by her lover

BY DAYO JOHNSON

A

KURE — A middle aged woman, Angela Omieh, who posed as a soldier to extort money from people has been arrested by men of the 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Akure, Ondo State.

Recovered from her were military uniform, police extract, sworn affidavit for loss of her military identity card, military kits, two pairs of camouflage, camouflage T shirt and shorts, a pair of desert boots, one jungle hat and three handsets.

Parading the suspect, the Public Relations Officer of the Artillery Brigade, Captain Ademola Adegoke, said she was arrested following a tip-off by her lover.

Adegoke said that the suspect resides in Mile 3, Diobu, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

According to him, the suspect had earlier claimed to be a soldier attached to the 149 Battal-

Angela Omieh, the suspect. ion but was deployed to the Joint Task Force, Warri for military duty.

Adegoke told newsmen that the suspect’s boyfriend, Mr. Collins Jegede, reported to the soldiers

An accident scene at Odota area of Ilorin, Kwara State capital. The accident occurred when the two taxi drivers were struggling over a passenger, yesterday. Photo: NAN.

how he met the suspect on social network dressed in military outfit.

He added that they became lovers and she paid him a visit in January 2014 dressed in full military uniform.

But while the lover boy reciprocated the visit, he was surprised that the suspect, instead of allowing him stay with her at 149 Battalion, Ojo Military Baracks, where she claimed to work and resides, lodged him in a hotel at Sango Ijaye axis of Lagos State.

Jegede became suspicious and when the suspect made another visit on April 17, 2014 she was handed over to the officer in charge of a military checkpoint at Owo following suspicions that she was a fake soldier.

I was pushed into it to survive—Suspect Answering questions from newsmen, the suspect confirmed she is a fake soldier and was pushed into the gambit to survive.

The suspect confirmed that she bought the military uniforms from the Army depot in Zaria following the death of her father in 2011.

She said she attended the Military School in Zaria, Kaduna State and opted out when she got injured.

According to her, “I could not continue when my father died and I decided to buy the military outfits with which I travelled to Cotonou for businesses."

However, she explained that she started using the military outfits this year.

When asked if she attended any military school to qualify her as a military officer, she said she decided to use the military uniform to extort in order to survive after the death of her father.

The suspect is to be handed over to the police for prosecution.

claim.

According to the source, "when the doctor arrived, he confirmed that the biological mother was still in the hospital, explaining she developed some complications after birth. The doctor said she also could not breast feed the baby and advised the grandmother to take the baby home in order to give him proper bath and water, while the mother was being treated.

"The doctor said the baby was delivered around 8.45 a.m. and that any attempt by his mother to breast feed him could lead to her death because she has lost so much blood and was weak and pale."

2 drunks arraigned for stabbing man

BY ONOZURE DANIA

L

AGOS— TWO drunkards, Anayochi Nwagwu, 25 and Chinazo Nzeku, 22, who stabbed one Peter Idoko on his right hand with a broken bottle, were yesterday arraigned before an Ikeja magistrate’s court.

The defendants, who were docked before Magistrate Abimbola Komolafe, are facing a four-count charge of conspiracy, assault, breach of peace and stealing, preferred against them by the police.

The prosecutor, ASP Eranus Nnamonu, said the defendants and others at large committed the offences on May 11, 2014, at about 8 p.m.

He said the incident took place at 29, Moyoagoro Street in Ogba area of Lagos State.

Nnamonu said the defendants used a broken bottle to stabbed one Peter Idoko on his right hand at Carol Inn Hotel in Ogba.

He also claimed that they damaged some plastic chairs, 50 litres of diesel and a stove worth N50,000, all property of Carol Inn Hotel.

According to the prosecutor, the offences contravened Sections 409 and 171 and punishable under Sections 166 (1) and 348 (a) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.

Earlier, the defendants had pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

The magistrate granted them bail in the sum of N100,000 each with two responsible sureties each in like sum.

She adjourned the case till June 26 for mention.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014—7

Man, 51, arrested with 3.870kg drug at MMIA •I wanted to use proceeds to pay debt — Suspect

BY EVELYN USMAN & DANIEL ETEGHE

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AGOS — ATTEMPT by a 51-year-old man to smuggle 3.870kg of suspected Methamphetamine to Nairobi, Kenya has been foiled following his arrest by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA. The suspect, Odeyemi Ademola Ayodeji, was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos during outward screening of passengers on a Kenyan Airways flight.

During investigation, Ayodeji disclosed that he expected to realise N2.4 million had he succeeded in the illicit deal, adding that he attempted to carry the drug to generate money to clear his debts.

He further stated that his inability to cater for his family forced one of his wives to leave for her parents' home.

According to the Osun Stateborn suspect, "I am owing people. I couldn’t sleep because of debts. I have two wives. But the

M

The drugs money realised."

Odeyemi Ayodeji, the suspect. first one left to live with her parents because of my condition. " I would have made a profit of $15,000 (N2.4 million) had I succeeded in selling the drug in Nairobi. I intended paying my debts and start a business with the

How he was arrested

Explaining how he was arrested, the agency's Airport Commander, Hamza Umar, stated that the drug was found inside the luggage of the suspect.

He said: "The drug was packed in a white transparent polythene

and hidden inside his bag containing soup ingredients like pepper, melon and crayfish.

"Methamphetamine often called ice or meth is a crystal-like powdered substance that sometimes comes in large rock-like chunks. It is odourless, bitter and dissolves easily in water or alcohol."

Taxi drivers protest high levies in Calabar

BY EMMA UNA

C

ALABAR — HUNDREDS of taxi drivers operating in Calabar, the Cross River State capital protested, yesterday, the high taxes imposed on them daily by the Calabar Municipality and Calabar South Local Governments Areas.

The taxi drivers who refused to ply the roads in the morning congregated at the Botanical Garden along Mary Slessor Avenue as early as 7 a.m from where they drove in a convoy to Senator Liyel Imoke's office but were prevented by security men from gaining access to the place.

Mr Bassey Effanga, Chairman of Urban Taxi Drivers Union, told Vanguard that the protest was occasioned by the high levies imposed on his members daily by officials of the two local governments in the state capital, Calabar Municipality and Calabar South Local Government Area.

"Everyday, drivers are forced to pay N350 to officials of these two local government areas and the Department of Public Transportation but most of these drivers operate with old cars while others ply the road with cars procured on hire purchase and they often find it difficult to realize amounts they have to remit to owners of the cars."

He said apart from the high levies, the two local government areas had instituted task forces to stop taxis from picking passengers along the road except at designated parks.

Special Adviser to Senator Liyel

How 2 teenage students escaped ritual murder in Gboko

The protesting taxi drivers in Calabar, yesterday Imoke on Public Transportation, Mr Edem Ekong, who addressed the protesting drivers appealed to them to be peaceful and that he had scheduled a meeting with the chairmen of the two local government areas to warn them against arbitrary taxes on taxi operators.

He said: "The approved levy for every taxi driver is N200 which is split among the two local government areas and the DOPT. The DOPT takes N100 while the local government areas take N50 each and any other charge is not accepted."

He told the taxi drivers to return to work and pay only the approved sum of N200 as levies and that anyone who demands more than that should be reported to him.

Hit-and-run driver docked for killing 2, injuring 4

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

A

BEOKUTA — An alleged hit-and-run driver, Adegbesan Muritala, was yesterday, docked at a magistrate's court sitting in Isabo, Abeokuta, Ogun State for killing two persons and injuring four others.

Muritala was accused of driving recklessly, thereby hitting

six people with his truck, with number plate, LSR 979 XH, killing two of them instantly along Abeokuta-Ibadan expressway in Agbetu village in Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The prosecutor, Banji Sangotokun, told the court that the offence was contrary to and punishable under Section 325 of the Criminal Code

Laws of Ogun State of Nigeria, 2006.

Counsel to the acussed, Fadhilat Lawal, prayed court to grant her client bail in liberal terms.

Chief Magistrate, Anthony Araba granted the accused bail in the sum of N100,000 with one surety in like sum.

The case was adjourned till July 7, 2014 for mention.

BY PETER DURU

AKURDI — A 13-yearold Junior Secondary II student of Government Secondary School Gboko, Dooyum Moar, and another female student of Gkoko High School, narrowly escaped being beheaded by a ritualist after being kidnapped by a commercial vehicle operator in Makurdi.

Vanguard gathered from an elated father of one of the victims, Mr. Ephraim Maor, that he had on Monday morning taken his son to the Wurukum motor park in Makurdi, where he boarded a vehicle to Gboko to resume school.

He said: “I had put him in the commercial vehicle which had other passengers and was heading to Gboko, a trip that was less than 80 kilometres from Makurdi.

“I gathered from my son that when they were less than five kilometres to Gboko town, at Yandev, the driver said his vehicle developed a fault.

“He said, at that point, most of the passengers opted to board other vehicles, but the driver urged my son and another female student of Gboko High School to wait for another vehicle he contacted to take them to their destination.

“Few minutes later, a Toyota Hilux van came and the two of them were asked to board the vehicle, but on getting to their destination, the driver of the van refused to stop. The occupants of the van tied up the children and blindfolded them.

“My son said they were taken to a forest in Gboko where the kids were tied to the ground and presented before an aged woman in a shrine who wanted to behead them for rituals, but later changed her mind.

“At this time, my son said they were crying and begging for mercy, then the woman handed a machete to one of the kidnappers, instructing that they should be killed on their way back.

“However, by divine intervention, the kidnappers did not kill them as instructed, but dumped them at Apir on the outskirts of Makurdi, where a good Samaritan picked them up."

The elated father said he had already reported the matter to the police while the second victim was handed over to the police in Makurdi, where her parents picked her up.

8—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

BY SONI DANIEL, Regional Editor, North, EMMAN OVUAKPORIE & JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

G

OVERNOR Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State has again opposed the move by President Goodluck Jonathan to further extend the state of emergency currently in force in his state and two others in the North-East.

Nyako’s opposition followed Jonathan’s request to the National Assembly to grant him power to further elongate emergency rule for six more months. Jonathan’s request, dated May 2, 2014, was read to members yesterday.

Reacting to the request, Nyako described the action as illadvised and a wrong step in quelling rising insurgency in the North-East.

According to the governor, who made his position known through his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Ahmed Sajoh, there is no need for the imposition of emergency rule in the state, as it has not mitigated the level of attacks by terrorists.

The governor pointed out that there had been even more attacks in the state since the declaration of emergency rule

by President Jonathan last year than when there was no emergency in the area.

He said: “We still hold our position that there was no need to declare a state of emergency in Adamawa in the first place, because the level of attacks in the state has even increased with the imposition of emergency rule.

‘Nothing changed’

“As far as we are concerned, the state of emergency has not changed anything and we advise the government to adopt a new approach in tackling the insurgency rather than the business as usual tactics that do not add up.”

Governor Nyako, last month described the Presidency’s fight against rising terrorism in the north-east as genocide against the people of the region.

President Jonathan had to summon an enlarged security meeting, during which Nyako virtually dominated discussions.

Although the government claimed later that Nyako was made to recant his position, the governor came out subsequently to declare that he was not scolded over his letter to northern governors.

Similarly, two senators from Borno State have also rejected the request of President Goodluck Jonathan to the Senate for the extension of the emergency rule imposed in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.

Senator Mohammed Ndume (APC, Borno South), said the state of emergency had not

FESTAC: From left— Minister for Land, Housing and Urban Development, Mrs. Akon Eyakenyi; Managing Director, Federal Housing Authority, FHA, Mr. Teve Gemade; and the Permanent Secretary, Land, Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Ezekiel Oyemomi, during the Minister's visit to Festac Town Federal Housing in Lagos.

Nyako, others fault Jonathan's request for extension of emergency rule in N-East served the purpose for which it was declared about one year ago.

The Senator, who was one of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, member that defected to the APC, said: “We are not in support of extending it because it has not served the purpose for which it was declared one year ago.

“The President asked for powers to enable him tackle the security challenges in the three states, but unfortunately instead of improving in the first six months, things got bad.

“After the second extension, which the President specially said he needed to finish up the war against the insurgents, again things got worse.

“More people were killed and displaced and the insurgents grew stronger.

The constitution

“So we begin to wonder if they are asking for the extension so that the things will get worse. I think it is time to re-evaluate the whole thing and come up with a better alternative approach.

“We must emphasise on deployment of more troops in the implementation of provisions of Section 14(2b) of the 1999 Constitution, which states that the security and welfare of the citizen shall be the primary purpose of government instead of Section 305.

Deployment of troops does not necessarily require state of emergency.”

On his part, Senator Ahmed Zanna (PDP, Borno Central), vehemently opposed the extension, saying that the emergency

zAs Reps debate on it today rule did not stop the terrorist activities in the states involved.

He said: “I vehemently oppose the extension. There is no need for it because even without an emergency they can deploy troops and operate. We have given them one good year and two chances and they refused to do anything.

“There is no emergency in the troubled areas in the last one year. Except if there’s a political undertone, it should not be extended.”

Also reacting to President Jonathan’s letter on the extension of the emergency rule, Senator Ahmed Lawan representing Yobe North, stated that what the three states needed was not extension of the imposed emergency rule, but the motivation of the military personnel.

‘What FG should do’

He said: “The state of emergency had been operated for 12 months now and will end on the May 19. I think that should be the end.

That is not to say that the military operation in the North-East should cease.

“Instead, Federal Government should deploy more military personnel and modern equipment to the affected states.

“What is crucial, essential and imperative, is not the state of emergency but the enablement of the military, especially those in the battle front, to have state-of-the-art technology and weapons.

“They should be motivated so that we can have results.

The government does not

need to declare another state of emergency before they continue. They are already there.

“The obsolete arms and ammunition should be withdrawn from them and be replaced with modern ones.

“The National Assembly has always expressed willingness to support further funding for the military operation.

“The Senate President, David Mark, who spoke on our behalf last week, told President Goodluck Jonathan that the senate was prepared to approve supplementary budget to further equip the military and boost the morale of the soldiers.

“Therefore, I am completely opposed to the extension of the state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, but I support further funding for the military operation in the area.

The President’s letter

President Jonathan, yesterday, wrote the Senate seeking for approval to extend the emergency rule imposed on Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states over security challenges.

In the letter, read by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu who presided over the plenary, said the extension was as a result of what he described as daunting security situation in the three states.

He noted that the security situation that necessitated the state of emergency in the three states was yet to abate as there had been persistent and deadly attacks unleashed

in the states by the Boko Haram terrorist group.

Relying on Section 305 of the Nigerian Constitution as amended, the President declared the extension of proclamation for further term of six months.

According to him, “by virtue of the provisions of Section 305 (6) (c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the p r o c l a m a t i o n aforementioned would have elapsed after six months from the date of approval of the National Assembly.

“However, while substantial progress had been made to contain the situation and restore normalcy in the affected states, the security situation that necessitated the proclamation of a state of emergency was yet to abate.

“The security situation in the three states remains daunting, albeit to varying degrees, in the face of persistent attacks by members of the Boko Haram sect on civilian and military targets with alarming casualty rates.

“In view of the forgoing, I most respectfully request distinguished Senators to consider and approve by resolution, the extension of the proclamation of the state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states by a further term of six months from the date of expiration of the current term.”

The President’s letter, which was also forwarded to the House of Representatives, will be debated today as announced by the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014 —9

External reserves stand at $37bn, — CBN zSays no legal framework for savings from oil, gas export

BY HENRY UMORU

A

BUJA—CENTRAL Bank of Nigeria, CBN, disclosed yesterday that the nation’s external reserve stands at $37 billion, just as it warned that if Nigeria must have effective monetary policy and economic growth, there was the need for the country to have savings, either in form of Excess Crude Account, ECA, or Sovereign Wealth Fund, SWF. Speaking yesterday in Abuja when she appeared before the Committee on Economy, Trade and Investment at the ongoing national conference, Acting Governor of CBN, Dr. Sarah Alade, told the delegates that an efficient national savings strategy was an imperative to creating price stability that will drive sustainable national growth and decrease upward pressure on domestic prices.

Alade, who noted that though the country has money in reserve, it could not be compared to what it was making from oil.

She said: “We still have about $37 billion in reserve but we could have more than that at a time when oil is doing well.

“We can save more than what we have saved and that is why we are saying that we should cultivate the habit. It should be part of our constitution that a certain percentage of whatever we earn must be saved so that we can build up the excess crude account again.

‘China has $3trn'

“China, today, has more than three trillion dollars reserves and other oil producing countries have savings, while some of them do not even put the oil money as part of their budget.

“They only use it when they have shortages, but we rely solely on that and we don’t even make any attempt to save.”

The CBN governor, who told the committee that there was presently no legal framework for savings from oil and gas exports, stressed that there was the need for the creation of Sovereign Wealth Fund, SWF, to be supported by a constitutional provision as was the case with other oilproducing countries.

Alade, who noted that CBN has the mandate to deliver price stability to achieve sustainable growth, said: “Critical to achieving price stability is an efficient national savings strategy.

“There is a minimum national savings and investment requirement that guarantees price stability and sustainable growth.

“The cost of managing

liquidity has been on the increase because of low national savings, particularly the absence of fiscal buffers.

“The CBN increases rates to control money supply and inflation. This leads to increased portfolio capital inflows which by extension, builds up external reserves.”

According to her, the liquidity created by activities of government and lack of

national savings impacted on interest rate levels, efforts to build external reserves and realisation of the price stability objective.

“The lack of national savings from crude oil exports erodes national fiscal buffers and expose the country to major devastating shocks,” she added.

She stressed that the consequences of not having

its own savings was a rise in interest rate.

She said if interest rate was not as high as it is, people will be able to borrow at a cheaper rate and grow the economy better, adding that though the country has stable exchange rate, low inflation of about 7.8 percent and a robust growth at about seven percent of Gross Domestic Product, it could do better.

VISIT: From left— Divisional Managing Director, Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, Dr. Nino Ozara; General Manager, Zenith Bank Plc, Mrs. Nonye Ayeni; Managing Director-Designate, Mr. Peter Amangbo and Managing Director, HFMP, Mr. Lanre Jaiyeola, during the bank’s courtesy visit to Honeywell in Lagos.

Divestment from Mainstreet Bank following due process — AMCON

BY INNOCENT ANABA

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SSETS Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, yesterday, said it was following due process in its plan to divest Federal Government’s stake in the nationalised Mainstreet Bank Limited.

The corporation spoke in a statement by its Chief Communication Officer, Kayode Lambo, reacting to a media report.

It said: “With regards to the ongoing divestment exercise of Mainstreet Bank, interested bidders were only invited to submit their expressions of interest within nine days, May 7 to 16, of the publication of the Invitation for Expression of Interest, EOI, in the acquisition of AMCON’s shareholding in the bank.

“Be informed that fairness and transparency are central to the divestment process being implemented by AMCON. “To this end, reputable world class firms (Barclays/Afrinvest

consortium and Banwo & Ighodalo) have been selected as financial and legal advisers, respectively, to work with AMCON in ensuring a seamless divestment process.

“Additionally, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Governordesignate is fully briefed on the issue and will be critical in granting regulatory approval for the eventual acquirer.

“The number of days required to submit an expression of interest is more than adequate for any serious buyer to respond with this required basic information of the entity interested to be admitted into the process and their reasons and basis for the interest.

“At this stage, bidders are neither required to conduct any due diligence on Mainstreet Bank nor are they required to provide any indication of valuation or pricing.

“The information requested from bidders are simple and basic details

about their company history, experience, ownership and other general information that will enable the advisers send further information to eligible investors.

“The sale of a bank is a standardised practice all over the world and at a later stage, qualified bidders will have the opportunity to submit offers under a Request for Proposal, RFP, and thereafter conduct a due diligence exercise on the bank.

“The due diligence exercise is expected to take a longer time.

“The current EOI phase is an initial stage in which basic information is required from the intending bidders for the simple reason of knowing the entities that are interested in.

“The intended bidders are not required to make offers at this stage. The whole divestment process, which will be done in stages, is expected to take a minimum of four months.”

Bankers’ c'ttee awards N12.7bn refund to customers

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE & KAYODE AMOLEGBE

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HE Bankers Committee’s subcommittee on ethics and professionalism has awarded N12.7 billion as refunds to banks’ customers.

Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, CIBN, Dr. Uju Ogubunka, disclosed this at the presentation of the new Code of Conduct in the Nigerian Banking Industry.

Ogubunka, who is also the Secretary of the subcommittee, said that since inception in 2001, the sub-committee had received 1,504 petitions/ cases with claims of N227.7 billion and $414.8 million out of which it had resolved 1,350 with N12.7 billion and $16.5 million awarded/refunded to petitioners/customers by banks.

He said in 2013, “the ethics and professionalism division received 113 petitions/ cases with petitioners’ claims amounting to about N185.4 billion in the year under review.

“Ninety-eight cases have been fully resolved for the year 2013 with the total amount of about N2.7 billion awarded to petitioners as refunds.”

The sub-committee on Ethics and Professionalism was established on December 19.

The establishment of the sub-committee was in response to the growing concerns about unethical and unprofessional practices in the Nigerian banking and finance industry.

Among other things, the mandate of the subcommittee was to identify practices and conducts considered unethical in the industry and develop an acceptable code of ethics and professionalism.

10— Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

Don't use Chibok girls as political pawns, UPN tells FG

NASU lauds Jonathan over successful WEFA BYVICTORAHIUMA-YOUNG

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BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH & ONOZURE DANIA

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AGOS—THE Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN, yesterday called on the FederalGovernment to explore all means possible to secure the release of the abducted school children' including negotiating with the insurgents.

Speaking at a briefing, UPN's national chairman, Dr. Frederick Fasehun at the party's secretariat in Lagos, said the children should not be used as pawns in international politics. According to him, the condition given by the sect leader, Abubakar Shekau, that he would only release the girls upon the release of his soldiers was a welcome one.

He said; “at this point in time, government should bend over backwards and do everything needful to secure the release of the girls.”

Bamaiyi: Court refuses Ajudua bail

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

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AGOS—FOR the second time, Lagos lawyer, Mr. Fred Ajudua was yesterday denied bail by an Ikeja High Court over allegation that he defrauded former Chief of Army Staff, Ishaya Bamaiyi of $8.4 million.

Presently, he is been tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, who accused him of collecting the money from Bamaiyi while they were both in custody at Kirikiri Prison in Lagos.

EFCC alleged Ajudua and others still at large defrauded Bamaiyi through false claims that the money was meant for professional fees charged

by Chief Afe Babalola to handle Bamaiyi’s case in court and facilitate his release from prison.

Ruling on the application, Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye, held that there was no special circumstance warranting the court to grant him bail and adjourned the matter till 30th June, 1st and 4th July.

AGM: From left—David Ifezulike, Chairman, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Mr. Dharnesh Gordhon, Managing Director, Mr. Bode Ayeku, Conpany Secretary and Mrs. Iquo Ukoh, Marketing Service Director, during the 45th Nestle Annual General Meeting, in Lagos.

Chibok: NLC, TUC, Tinubu, APC women lead protests

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI & MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

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AGOS—FOR the second day running commercial activities in the Central Business District, CBD, of Lagos, including Governor Babatunde Fashola’s Office, at Alausa, were pralaysed yesterday as leaders of Lagos State councils of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, and thousands of women of the All Progressives Congress, APC, demanding immediate rescue of female students of the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State abducted by the Boko Haram sect.

The APC women, led by wife of former Governor of Lagos State, Senator Oluremi Tinubu and the APC woman leader in Lagos, Mrs. Kemi Nelson, converged at the Archbishop Vinning Memorial Cathedral in Ikeja, GRA, where the protest march took off.

NLC and TUC leaders, who stormed the governor’s office around 9 am, demanded more concerted efforts by the Federal Government and security agencies to rescue the girls unharmed and presented a letter to Governor Fashola for onward delivery to President Goodluck Jonathan.

They appealed to all wellmeaning Nigerians, including religious leaders and the international community, to continue to put pressure on Boko Haram to release the girls unconditionally.

The letter read in part, “We call on Mr. President and our allies to spare no effort to ensure that the Chibok Girls are brought back to their families and the nation hail and alive. We know that they would have to undergo medical and psychological treatment to heal the horrors they may have been subjected to.”

On their part, APC women in protest, marched through

Computer Village, Allen Avenue and terminated their protest at the State House, Alausa, where they delivered a position letter of the APC Women Wing for onward transmission to President Goodluck Jonathan.

The protesters, who wore red Tshirts with the inscription, ‘Bring Chibok Girls Back Now and Alive’, “Rescue our Chibok girls now”, also chanted songs, urging the Federal Government to expedite action in rescuing the abducted girls.

Speaking, Senator Tinubu said the abduction of the girls had exposed the ineptitude of the government to tackle the many problems of insecurity and unemployment facing the nation.

Nelson also called on the Federal Government to verify the authenticity of the latest video posted by Boko Haram, which shows about hundred of the missing girls wearing full Hijab for intelligence purpose towards the release of the girls.

ON-ACADEMIC Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, has lauded President Goodluck Jonathan on the successful hosting of the 25th World Economic Forum, WEF, on Africa 2014, saying it has been adjudged to be the most successful WEF on Africa so far hosted.

NASU in a statement by its General Secretary, Prince Peters Adayemi, said “The regional/ global leaders and the more than 1,000 people who participated in the Forum from over 70 countries of the world despite all the security challenges the nation is passing through is a testimony of the confidence leaders of the world have in Nigeria and indeed Africa.

The statement the world leaders have made to us by their coming to Nigeria at this critical time of our history as a nation is that we should believe and have faith in our nation couple with the doggedness of our people to face and overcome any challenge that will come our way as a nation.

“We are sure that Mr. President will for some time continue to receive accolades and praises from well meaning Nigerians, as well as some regional and global political and economic players.

We wish to remind Mr. President that while he has every right and reason to bask in the euphoria of a successful hosting of the Forum, and the confidence world leaders have reposed in our country, he and members of his administration should bear in mind that the whole issue was not only about the successful hosting of the Forum” NASU called “on Mr. President and key functionaries of his administration, to concentrate on how Nigeria and Nigerians can reap the reward of the successful hosting of the Forum, by putting together ideas that were generated and recommendations that were proffered at the Forum.

We are trying to resolve LASU fees issue – LASG

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

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AGOS—AS protests continue to trail the hike in tuition fees of Lagos State University, LASU, the state government, yesterday, said the matter was not foreclosed as efforts at amicable resolution were on.

Commissioner for Education Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, speaking in Alausa, insisted that; “We will soon take definite pronouncement on the lingering crisis in the interest of all, we have not foreclosed discussion on the matter. I have it on authority as I was in the meeting that the governor held with these students.

They were saying the school fees were too high and we told them to go back and come with a programme of payment that they think would be suitable for them.

“According to the governor, they brought that in a couple of days ago and he is yet to present it to the executive council.”

On achievements recorded in the state education sector, Oladunjoye said the state government had paid N508. 6 million as examination fees for West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) of 47,000 Senior Secondary School students, who sat for 2014 West African School Certificate Examination

in the state.

She said, “Government’s policy on education has always been the improvement of our students’ performance in their studies, particularly in mathematics, English and Science students hence the introduction of Saturday coaching.”

LASU lecturers’ threat Also speaking on the strike threat by the LASU lecturers, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Education, Otunba Fatai Olukoga, said LASU lecturers were not threatening strike because of school fees.

According to him: ”Let me say

that the lecturers are only using this as gimmicks not to have lectures in the school.

"On the issue of promotion they are talking about there is no vacancy, so there is no promotion.

Nowhere in the world will you be promoted where there is no vacancy.

"It is not possible to promote without vacancies. To be promoted, you must be tested, both written and interviews. It is after passing the test that you can be promoted. For instance, if you are moving from level 15 to 16 and there are ten vacancies but we have 15 people coming, the best ten will be promoted and the rest will have to wait till next time.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014—11

Aregbesola moves to probe assault on Adeleke

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

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SOGBO—THE political situation in Osun State ahead of the forthcoming gubernatorial election, has taken a dangerous twist as Governor Rauf Aregbesola yesterday set up a four-man commission of inquiry to probe the recent attack on the first executive governor of the state and governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Isiaka Adeleke.

Adeleke, a former Chairman, Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was allegedly attacked few days to the PDP governorship primary election at the Ideal Nest Hotel, Osogbo, where he had gone to attend a stakeholder meeting of the party.

The former governor, who reported the incident to the Police and the Public Complaints Commission, alleged that he was punched several times by the Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Jelili Adesiyan in the presence of Senator Iyiola Omisore.

In a statement by the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Adewale Afolabi, in Osogbo, titled “Instrument Setting up a Commission of Inquiry on Disturbance of Public Peace Pursuant To the Commission of Inquiry Law, Cap. 29, Laws of Osun State, 2002,” the commission was expected to begin sitting today.

Reacting to the setting up of commission of inquiry, PDP governorship candidate in the August 9 election, Senator Omisore, through Prince Diran Odeyemi, Director of Research and Publicity, Omisore Campaign Organisation, said; “We are not surprised by this meddlesome of Governor Aregbesola in pure PDP affair, which was a build-up to our

primary election. Before now, Aregbesola has combed the courts in Osun State in search of issues and matters that could nail Senator Iyiola Omisore without any luck.

“We were also aware of the orchestrated plan to assassinate Senator Isiaka Adeleke few days after the minor misunderstanding at Ideal Next hotel so as to pin it

on Omisore and from there initiate another Bola Ige-like conspiracy theory. This again failed. Several attempts have been made by Aregbesola to draw PDP and our candidate out for a battle, but we refused to join him in his trade. Now that he has set up a panel, we can preempt the outcome. The assignment is to

indict Omisore, whose main offence was emerging as PDP candidate that will challenge Ogbeni Aregbesola in the August 9 election.

"We wonder why Aregbesola is crying more than the bereaved rather than allow whoever is aggrieved to challenge in the law court whatever is regarded as assault during the pre-primary meeting at the hotel premises."

PRESS CONFERENCE: From left—Bishop Dapo Ogunsola, Bishop Albert Oduwole and Bishop Francis Wale Oke, presiding Bishop of the Garden of Victory Church during a press conference in Ibadan by Oke, where he reacted to the purported conversion of the kidnappped Chibok Secondary schoolgirls to Muslim by the Boko Haram sect. Photo by Dare Fasube.

Filani vows to reconcile PDP members in S'West

BY EMMANUELAZIKEN

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HAIRMAN of the reinstated caretaker committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the South west, Chief Ishola Filani, has put total reconciliation at the top of his agenda towards restoring the supremacy of the party in the zone.

Welcoming the court judgment that restored the caretaker committee, Filani

said he would spare no energy in ensuring that he brought all stakeholders onboard to prove that the PDP was the dominant party in the zone.

“We are going to talk to everybody; we are going to make them realise that as far as we are concerned, we do not want anybody to leave our party. We want unity among our leadership, unity amongst the members and

leadership of our party in the six states that form the Southwest geopolitical zone,” Filani told Vanguard in an interview yesterday.

A Federal High Court in Lagos presided over by Justice Okon Abang had ruled on Monday that the Filani led caretaker committee should remain in office pending the organization of a congress to elect a new set of officers for the party in the zone.

Oke begs Oyinlola, others not to leave PDP

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

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SOGBO—FORMER governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Osun State, Oluwole Oke, has advised two former governors of the state, Alhaji Isiaka Adeleke and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and other PDP chieftains against defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, ahead of the August 9 governorship election.

Oke, in a statement by his Director of Media and Publicity, Yemi Giwa, admitted that though PDP was sick, he however reasoned that, “you don’t kill a sick person but rally round him to help him recover from his ailment."

Going philosophical, he said cutting off the head was not the antidote for a chronic headache, saying “you don’t throw away a baby with the bathwater.”

According to him, Oyinlola, Adeleke and Omisore are the emerging leaders, "who should beacon the light and illuminate the dark areas in our great party, with a view to bringing it back to the right path.

“Let me be sincere, APC and other political parties are reaching out to us, but we are mindful of their offers, we are much more disposed to remaining within PDP and assisting in re-building it. I am saying this because we are, so to say, the landlords in PDP and it is unheard of for the landlords to vacate his house for his tenants just because there is a misunderstanding between them.

“This clarification becomes necessary in order to allay the fear of our agitated teeming supporters, particularly the young ones, who keep on wondering about which path they should follow.”

LAUTECH doctors seek intervention over unpaid salaries

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

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S O G B O — STRIKING Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, Teaching Hospital, Ogbomosho resident doctors, have petitioned national leader of All Progressives Congress, APC, and Chancellor of the university, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu over their four months unpaid salaries.

The doctors are also pleading for the intervention of the traditional rulers in the two owner-states of Oyo and Osun for intervention in the four-month-old industrial unrest that has crippled medical activities in the institution.

Under the umbrella of the Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, the doctors vowed to continue the strike until their demands were fully met by the owner states.

ARD, in a release by the President, LAUTECH Teaching Hospital’s chapter, Dr Oloyede Taofeek and Secretary, Dr Oiwoh Sebastine, lamented that members collected salaries last in December.

2015: ‘I won’t lead divided Ogun PDP'

BY SEGUN OLATUNJI

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B E O K U TA — FORMER Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole yesterday said he would not lead a divided Peoples Democratic Party in the 2015 elections in Ogun State.

Apparently reacting to moves by stakeholders of the PDP from the Ogun East Senatorial District to woo him for the forthcoming governorship election, Bankole warned that he would not be willing to be the standard bearer of a divided party.

The Ogun State PDP had been factionalised since after the 2011 elections and Bankole, while addressing party members at a meeting in Ijebu Ode enjoined them to settle their differences to present a united front against the ruling All Progressives Congress in the 2015 poll.

12—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

Edo APC leaders in Etsako dump party

Chibok girls: Judith Amaechi, Rivers PDP in war of words

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

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ENIN—AGGRIEVED members of All Progressives Congress, APC, from the 32 wards of the three Estako local government areas of Edo State, have resigned their membership of the party.

The mass resignation of the party members was sequel to the expiration of the 14 days ultimatum they earlier gave to the state governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, to review the outcome of the party's membership registration and ward/local government congresses which they described as sham.

The APC members resigned their membership of the party at an enlarged meeting which was presided over by the Edo State Deputy Chairman of APC, Alhaji Usman Shagadi, in Auchi, the administrative headquarters of Etsako West Local Government Area of the state.

Others in attendance were the three former council chairmen, Mr.Godwin Eshieshi, Chief Alemho Akhigbe and Evangelist Kassimu Dokpesi as well as the member representing Estako federal constituency in the National Assembly, Mr. Abubakar Momoh.

Former deputy state Chairman of APC, Alhaji Shagadi, who recently resigned his membership of the party as well as his chairmanship of Edo City Transport Service, ECTS, said that they were leaving the party following the 14 days expiration given earlier by the group to Governor Oshiomhole to cancel the outcome of the party's membership registration and congresses.

He said that APC was practically dead in the three Etsako councils with the resignation of the aggrieved members, adding that in the next few days, they would decide their next line of action.

Also speaking on the occasion, former Etsako Central council chairman, Chief Akhigbe, said that the governor rebuffed their entreaties to have a second thought over their grievances and dialogue with them.

VISIT: Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, (left) and Chairman Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON, Board, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha, during a courtesy visit by SON Board members to the governor in Enugu.

Akpabio reassigns Commissioners, Special Advisers C

OMMISSIONERS and Special Advisers in Akwa Ibom State have been reassigned new portfolios in line with the on-going re-invigoration of the machinery of the state government.

Governor Godswill Akpabio, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, approved the re-assignment of portfolios.

Emmanuel, who made the announcement at the Governor’s Office, Uyo, yesterday, said commissioners who retained their portfolios include Ekpenyong Ntekim, Ministry of Justice; Mr. Godwin Afangideh, Agriculture; Mr. Don Etim, Works; Dr. Glory Edet, Women Affairs; Dr. EmemAbasi Bassey, Health; Mr. Emmanuel Enoidem, Special Duties and Mr. Enobong Uwah, Environ-

ment and Mineral Resources.

Others who retained their positions are Mr. Aniekan Umana, Information and Communications; Mr. Eno Akpan, Lands and Town Planning; Mr. Ufort Nkangude, Commerce and Industry; Mr. Iboro Ekanem, Science and Technology and Mr. Ita Udo, Culture and Tourism.

Those changed or newly appointed include Prince Uwem Etuk, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs; Ante Okwong, Economic Development; Ignatius Edet, Rural Development; Adasi Ubulom, Housing and Urban Renewal and Mr. Akan Okon, Finance.

A new Special Adviser for Bureau of Cooperative and Food Sufficiency, Ek-

penyong Enyina, was appointed, while others retained their previous positions.

The new postings take immediate effect.

The state Task Force on Petroleum Monitoring was also re-constituted with Obong Essien Esema as its Chairman.

Members include Sgt. Umar Isa, representative of the Nigerian Army; Mr. Antony Ofuna, representative of the Nigeria Police; Mr. Philip Ibru, representative of the Directorate of State Security; Mrs. Dorothy Umoisong, Office of the Special Services Department; Elder Uwem Edet Akpan, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN and Chief Francis Inyang, major marketers.

Bini youths vow to resist relocation of NPDC to Delta

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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ENIN—THE Benin National Congress, BNC, a sociocultural organisation in Edo State, has vowed to resist any attempt to relocate the Benin City headquarters of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, to Warri, Delta State, by the Federal Government.

The group lamented that Benin youths were being taken for granted because they had always toed the line of peace despite provocations from the Federal Government, adding that they might resort to militancy in their bid to retain the NPDC headquarters in Benin City, noting

that the call for its relocation to Warri by some Warri indigenes was an affront on the Binis.

A statement by Mr. David Ekomwenrenren called on security agencies to investigate those calling for the relocation of NPDC to Warri because “they may as well be behind some nefarious activities aimed at making our state insecure as a basis to pursue their mischievous plan.”

Backing the earlier condemnation of the move by the Benin Forum, the umbrella body of all Binis, BNC vowed to disrupt the activities of oil companies in the state if the Federal Government relocates the company.

ORT HARCOURT— WIFE of Rivers State governor, Mrs. Judith Amaechi and the state chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, were, yesterday, engaged in war of words over the kidnapped female students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State.

While the PDP accused Mrs Amaechi of being insensitive to the plight of the hostages, as she allegedly travelled out of the country at a time some first ladies were meeting over the kidnapped girls, Mrs Amaechi, on her part, said the party was playing politics with the kidnapped children.

Mrs. Amaechi accused the party of being insensitive to the challenges facing the children, adding that its claim that she was not showing concern over the kidnapped issue was wicked and malicious.

“PDP alluding that I have been indifferent to the campaign to free the students is malicious and a figment of the imagination of an illiterate and ignorant writer, who has no respect and protection for minors. I am a mother and understand the excruciating pains of parents."

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014—13

Oshiomhole to politicians: We must fight terrorism

BY BEN AGANDE

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BUJA— G O V E R N O R Adams Oshiomole of Edo State has implored politicians to unite and tackle the security challenges facing the country.

Speaking with State House correspondents after a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Governor Oshiomhole, said that rather than trade blames over the challenges facing the country, it was high time political leaders realised that terrorism should be confronted frontally.

He said: “Nigerians have to wake up to the reality that terrorists are here. May be a few years back, many of us didn’t think it was possible. I thought we enjoyed living so much that no one would wire himself with explosives to take his life just because he wants to take the life of another innocent person.

“On this issue, we must speak as a nation, united in a common voice to denounce terrorism and to work together with the Federal Government to fight terrorism decisively. A terrorist doesn’t consider your age, region or religion.

“As a governor operating in one region of the country that you don’t decree security, there is a time lag between the measures you put in place

and when they begin to come to fruition.”

He advised the media to avoid sensationalism in their reports, saying: “We must not be seen to celebrate criminality because at the end of the day, this is the only country we have. Even in reporting, national interest must be paramount.

“I think on the issue of security, there is no party or commercial interest, but national interest. When we win and secure the country, then we can practise politics.”

On the mass defection of members of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State to Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Oshiomhole said what was happening in the state was a mere disagreement by some members of the party on some issues in APC. “The beauty of democracy is that people can move forward or backward, right or left. Some people have joined us from PDP in the past months, a member of

the House left PDP to join us.

Don’t forget that some people also left to join us.

“But for me, those persons you are referring to know they have not moved to another party, they have only said they have issues with APC and in a democracy, there are bound to be issues from time to time. What is important is to resolve those issues and I believe we will resolve the issues using democratic methods,” he said.

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ENIN—FORMER gov-ernorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2011 gubernatorial election in Edo State, Major General Charles Airhiavbere (rtd), has said that no amount of distraction or intimidation

MMEDIATE past Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, yesterday, visited Issele Uku and Onicha-Ugbo in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, in furtherance of his governorship ambition.

The consultative visits were to discuss with the Obis, prominent citizens and the people of the communities on the need to support him to become

C M Y K

OVERNOR Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State is to be honoured by the National Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ as Governor of the Year, 2013.

A statement by Dupe Olaoye-Osinkolu, Chairperson, and Uchechukwu Akinobi, Secretary, of NAWOJ, Lagos State chapter, said the award was in recognition of the governor ’s outstanding accomplishments in tackling the multi-faceted problems of development in Delta State as well as his commitment to alleviating the plight of the ordinary people.

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PRESS BRIEFING: From right: Otunba Debola Osibogun, 1st. Vice President CIBN; President/ Chairman of Council, CIBN, Dr. Segun Ajibola; 2nd Vice President CIBN andMr Adeleke Adedapo, Chairman Investigating Panel of the Sub- Committee of Ethics and Professionaism, during a press briefing on the New Code of Conduct in Nigerian Banking Industry in Lagos. Photo: Diran Oshe.

from the Boko Haram insurgents or any other group can stop President Goodluck Jonathan from seeking re-election in the 2015 general elections.

General Airhiavbere, who is Chairman and the National Coordinator of the Goodluck to Goodluck (G2G) 2015 project, in Benin, Edo State, yester-

Delta 2015: Orubebe on consultative visits

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G

Delta monarch, dep gov’s wife preach peace

2015 Presidency: No intimidation'll stop Jonathan —Airiavbere

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

Uduaghan bags NAWOJ award

governor of the state in 2015.

He told his hosts that since he began his political career, his actions have been centered on bringing development and impacting positively on communities in his local government area, when he was Chairman of Burutu Local Government Area, and Special Adviser to former Governor James Ibori.

day, when he hosted over 4,500 ex-militants from Ijaw communities in the state, who visited him at the

group’s secretariat in Benin, insisting that President Jonathan needed the sup-

port of every Nigerian to continue the good work he was doing for the country.

He told his visitors, who included some leaders of PDP in the state not to be disturbed by the activities of Boko Haram or other security challenges in the country, as they were just mere distractions.

HE monarch of Agbon Kingdom in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, HRM OgurimeRime, Ukori I, and the wife of the state deputy dovernor, Mrs. Tuwere Utuama, have sued for peace in the kingdom, particularly in Kokori.

The duo urged sons and daughters of the kingdom to work hard to stamp out criminality from the area.

They spoke in Isiokolo when the monarch conferred chieftaincy titles on 35 eminent personalities, with the king lamenting that things had been difficult in the kingdom due to youth restiveness.

The event was witnessed by an array of members of the Agbon Traditional Council and other notable personalities.

14—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

Enugu residents raise security concern over Influx of illegal immigrants

BY TONY EDIKE

E

NUGU—THE cur rent influx of illegal immigrants into Enugu, the state capital is causing panic among the residents who have called on security agencies to monitor the development to avert any insurgency in the area.

The two major settlements for northerners in the state capital known as the New Artisan Market located along Enugu-Port-Harcourt Expressway off Independence Layout and the Garriki cattle Market in Awkunanaw, have been besieged lately by hundreds of young men alleged to have come from Niger, Sudan and Chad Republic.

Among them were some Northerners displaced from their homes in Borno, Yobe, Taraba and Adamawa states

by Boko Haram terrorists.

Sources at the New Artisan market told Vanguard that the market popularly known for the sale of livestock like cow and goats brought down to the East from the north, had been turned to a settlement for the illegal immigrants many of who had no sources of livelihood.

According to a source who preferred anonymity, the young men most of who could neither speak nor understand English language, have continued to arrive the market from the northern states since Boko Haram intensified its violence in some northern states early this year.

Said the source who claims to be a cattle dealer, “What we are seeing here on daily basis calls for serious concern because if any crisis erupts here those of us from the north who had been living in Enugu and doing out legitimate businesses will be liable.

“Most of the young men are from Niger and Chad and they don’t speak English or Hausa and their mission here is not clear, but we have been habouring them because they are Muslims and they join us to worship in the mosque here. But that notwithstanding we are worried because if anything funny happens here our families will be affected.”

Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State (middle), inspecting an on-going road project in Umuahia; with him on the left, is Engr. Obioma of NGAMEC Construction company.

Chibok: Don’t turn it into religious issue, FG warns leaders ...as Interpol issues intern’l red alert CALEB AYANSINA & RETNA TOHOMDET

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BUJA — FEDERAL Gov ernment, yesterday, warned religious bodies to desist from turning the recent abduction of female students in Chibok, Borno State, into religious matter.

Also, the Nigeria Police Force has issued international red alert for the search and arrest of Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche, the alleged suspected mastermind of the Nyanya bomb blast.

The Coordinator of National Information Center on the abduction of Chibok’s abducted girls, Mr Mike Omeri gave the warning, while briefing newsmen on the update on the rescue efforts in Abuja.

Omeri, who is also the Director General of National Orientation Agency, called on the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, and the Jama’atul Nasril Islam, JNI, to ask their members, to stop making inflamtory statements capable of aggravating the situation on ground.

“The federal government appeals to religious bodies, especially the leadership of both JNI and CAN, to restrain their members from being misled by unscrupulous person into reducing the current situation into a religious conflict,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force said it had issued international red alert on one of the masterminds of the Nyanya bomb blast, who is currently on the run.

Speaking in a joint conference in Abuja, the Spokesperson of the force, Frank Mba said the step became imperative following revelations by other suspects in the custody of the security agency.

Mba said, “Interpol red alert is an international request for corporation, is issued by the in-

terpol general secretariat of national bureau of any of member state.

“Interpol red alert of an international warrant of arrest and consequently it mandates security forces of the190 membership to join in the quest and possible arrest in the interpol red alert.

“We therefore believe with these globe present interpol red alert,

interpol will garvernise everything possible world wide to join in the search and possible arrest of Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche.”

The Spokesperson of the Depaqrtment of State Services, DSS, Marilyn Ogar said some suspects in relation to Nyanya bomb blast currently in their custody had made useful statements which would help them.

She said Aminu had been arrested in 2011 over terror related offence, but released on bail to his father, who is a human right activity.

According to her, the sss approached the suspect’s father to produce him, when his name was mentioned by the suspects in their custody, but his father could not.

Nigeria spends N816bn on printing, moving cash yearly — MasterCard PRINCEWILL EKWUJURU with agency report

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ASTERCARD, A USbased financial payment solutions firm has revealed that Nigeria spends an estimated $5.1 billion, about N816 billion yearly on printing and handling cash, an amount which is one per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP figure.

The financial payment firm explained that countries across the globe spend an average of 1 percent of their GDP yearly to fund minting of currency notes and logistics involving handling, processing and shipment.

According to Mrs. Omokehinde Ojomuyide, Vice President, West Africa, MasterCard said: “MasterCard advisers have done studies in many countries and found out that the cost of cash to an economy is about one per cent of the country’s GDP, she was quoted by Nigerian Financial Technology.

Continuing she stated: “The studies show that countries spend between 0.5 to 1.5 per cent of their GDP.” This implies that Africa’s largest economy, following the recently devised GDP figures of $510 billion, spends an average

of $5.1 billion annually of cash logistics, as $5.1 billion represents 1 percent of GDP. The revelation underscores the need to devise strategies of reducing cost of cash, an area where recently implemented cashless policy becomes even more critical.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in January 2012, launched the innovative cashless policy, with Lagos – the country’s commercial hub – its kick off base.

The policy sought to limit the amount of daily cash handling in circulation by increasing charges on daily withdrawals and deposits that exceeded N500,000 ($3,000) for individuals and N3 million ($18,600) for corporate bodies, encouraging individuals to rather patronize electronic forms of payment.

While several socio-economic reasons were listed for the need to reduce cash in circulation including insecurity and the high risk of moving hard currency and maintaining economic stability by controlling inflation, the most critical point of was reducing the cost of minting and circulating adequate cash across the country.

“I believe that is the discussion the CBN had some years ago and started pushing the cashless policy. There is a reason to the cash-

less initiative,” added Ojomuyide.

“And the reason is simple. It is because the government has done the numbers and realised that there is a cost to cash, and it is only when you realise that there is a cost to cash that this conversation that we call cashless can start.

“That is what is motivating their policies. You see them bringing out policies to reduce cash, make PoS work, and if you deposit above X amount, you will get charged.”

Nigeria is set to deepen the cashless initiative’s reach mid2014, with plans to expand offerings nationwide from July.

Early this year, the suspended Central Bank Governor, Mallam Lamido Sanusi, had noted that cost of cash on the apex bank’s balance sheet had dropped from N46 billion ($285 million) in 2009 to N35 billion ($2.16.8 million) as at 2013; sandwiched in-between was the launch of the policy in 2012.

“We have got more money now being transferred through electronic channels,” he said.

Bouyed by the encouraging figures and the significant impact it had on cost of printing and handling, he vowed to further drive down cost below N30 billion ($185.9 million) before his tenure elapsed this year.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014—15

Chibok Schoolgirls: Nigeria 'ready' for negotiations with Boko Haram T

he Nigerian government is ready for talks with the extremist group, Boko Haram, for the release of the 276 girls abducted by the group from a school in Chibok, Borno State.

The special duties minister, Tanimu Turaki, was quoted Tuesday by the BBC as saying the government was set for negotiations in bringing the crisis to an end and that “an issue of this nature can be resolved outside of vio-

lence”.

In a video released on Monday, Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, said his group would release the girls only in exchange for jailed Boko Haram militants.

His offer was immediately rejected

by Nigeria’s Minister of Interior,Abba Moro, who said the group was no position to set conditions for the government.

But Mr. Turaki urged the Islamist group to send in representatives for talks with the government if it was sincere.

Mr. Turaki is the head of a panel set up by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2013 to explore ways of negotiating with Boko Haram.

Late Monday, Mike Omeri, the director general of the National Orientation Agency, also said all options re-

mained open for the government in the effort to rescue the girls.

The girls were kidnapped April 14 from their dormitory late at night.

The United States is leading an international effort to help Nigeria rescue the girls.

The US said Monday it has started flying manned surveillance mission in the northeast to gather intelligence about the location of the girls.

No nation develops without industrial harmony — Ekweremadu

BY JOSEPH ERUNKE

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BUJA — DEPUTY Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu yesterday, said no meaningful development can take place in any nation without industrial harmony.

To this end, he assured that the National Assembly will continue to take all necessary legislative steps to promote industrial harmony in Nigeria, saying it was an important ingredient in fasttracking the country’s transformation agenda.

He spoke in Abuja at the public presentation of a book titled: “National Industrial Court of Nigeria: Law, Practice and Procedure”, written by the Lead Consultant to the Senate Committee on Constitution Review and a Professor of Law, Offornze Amucheazi and Mr. Paul Abba.

He said the desire to promote industrial harmony in the country informed the decision of the National Assembly to effect a Third Amendment to the 1999 constitution, to firmly make the

National Industrial Court a superior court of record exclusively vested with jurisdiction over all labour, employment and ancillary matters.

“We realised that for the Court to function appropriately and effectively, there was the need to confer it with constitu-

tional status as a superior court of record and vest it with exclusive jurisdiction over labour and employment matters.

“The National Assembly believes that industrial harmony is an indispensable ingredient in our quest for national development.

We believe that a labourer deserves not only his or her wages, but also working conditions and environment that maximises his or her potentials for national transformation. And we also believe that employers of labour are also entitled to the services they pay for,” he said.

Terrorism: Produce CCTV images, experts challenge FCT Minister

By EMMA ELEBEKE

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BUJA — CONTRARY to claims by the Minister of Federal capital Territory, Sen. Balla Mohammed that the Close Circuit Television cameras, CCTV installed across the Federal capital Territory were active and functional, security experts have dismissed the claim and challenged him to produce the images of the cameras as prove of his claim.

The experts threw the challenge at a two-day School Security Conference organised by an Abuja Security outfit, Spytech

Security & Guards, with the team : School Security in Insecure Times: A concern for Parents, Teachers and the Community.

They wondered how the security cameras could be working without the security agents neither capturing nor monitoring the movements of the insurgents terrorising the Capital city.

One of the facilitators at the conference, Kabir Adamu, said the claim by the Minister, amidst the recent bomb blast in Nyanya, was a mere claim by the Minister.

While challenging the Minister to produce the images of the

cameras at the scene of the bomb blast incident in Nyanya, Adamu regretted that the country had been brought to its knee because the citizens had refused to ask questions about the images of the cameras.

"How will the common man know that the CCTVs are working? We can only know if 'he shows us clips of what was recorded in Nyanya the days it was bombed. You and I do not know where the command and control is, but I belief they are working, we should demand for their clips and the Minister should be bold to show the clips."

MTN rejects official's devaluation comment

BY PRINCE OSUAGWU

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TN NIGERIA has distanced itself from comments credited to its Chief Financial Officer, Mr Andrew Bing on devaluation of Nigeria’s currency.

Bing was quoted recently in an interview to have made case for further devaluation of the naira to allow for a robust Nigerian economy.

He was also reported to have commented that the regulatory environment was too tough and that the telecom companies are paying too much in terms of fees and taxes which ultimately have to be passed to the subscribers But giving more clarification on the issue General Manager, Corporate Communications Funmi Onajide said that the comments were personal opinions of Mr Bing and do not reflect the position of MTN as a corporate entity.

According to Onajide, “Mr. Bing is not the spokesperson for MTN Nigeria and he expressed his own personal views on the telecommunications industry and the Nigerian economy. They are not the views of MTN Nigeria. We understand that Mr. Bing expressed these views in an informal discussion. MTN Nigeria is committed to the socio-economic growth of Nigeria and we are unwavering in our support for a virile economy and stable society.”

PRESIDENT JONATHAN AT NIMASA GROUND BREAKING...

A cross section of traditional rulers

From left, Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano; President Goodluck Jonathan, Director, General Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, and Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, inspecting the model of NIMASA shipyard, dockyard and Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko, during the ground-breaking of NIMASA Shipyard and Dockyard, at Okerenkoko, in Delta State, weekend. Photos: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor & Akpokona Omafuarie

Cross section of NIMASA officials

From left, Chief Vero Tamgbowe, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo and Patrick Akpobokemi, DG, NIMASA.

16—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

FG to blacklist underperforming miners According to a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Vice PresiHE FEDERAL Government has dent, Media and Publicity, Mallam said that it would soon cancel the Umar Sani, Sambo also commended licences of ‘’underperforming miners’’ the group for its other laudable initiaof solid minerals, particularly coal to tives while promising government’s make room for serious players in the incentive to the private sector in the industry. development of the Nigerian economy The Vice President, Mohammed NaCommenting on solid minerals, Sammadi Sambo made this known when bo assured of government’s incentive the Dangote Group paid him a courte- to the private sector in the development sy visit at State House, Abuja yester- of the sector, adding that arrangements day. had been completed to cancel the liHe commended the President of censes of underperforming miners.

Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote He further said that the aim of adverover his huge investment in sugar pro- tising same was to ‘’attract more seriduction in the country, saying that his ous investors.’’ efforts would go a long way in creating While congratulating the Dangote employment opprtunities for millions of Group on its plan to undertake ConNigerians. crete Road projects which he described as good as it would remove the problems associated with routine maintenance, he further assured of governments readiness to partner the private sector on A Public Private Partnership, Senator Chris Ngige PPP, arrangement espeBY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU urged the Senate to under- cially in the areas of intake legislative action to en- frastructural developBUJA — THE Sen sure the Justice Oputa ment. ate yesterday asked was immortalized by the Earlier, the Chairman the Federal Government to Federal Government. Dangote Group Alhaji immortalize former SuNgige said, “This Senate Dangote had said that preme Court Judge, late should make a strong case the firm had acquired Justice Chukwudifu Opufor him (Oputa) to be im- about 260,000 hectres of ta, 90, who it described as mortalized because this is land to develop sugar moral beacon for the nation. a man who has left indeli- plantations in Adamawa The call for the immortalble foot marks in the annals and Taraba States while ization of Justice Oputa who of history.” plans were under way to died on May 1, 2014 was For the Chairman, Sen- acquire more land in sequel to a motion sponate Committee on Rules Bauchi and Yobe States sored by Senator Hope and Business, Senator Ita for the completion of the Uzodinma representing Enang, Oputa belonged to Kafin Zaki Dam. Orlu Senatorial District of the golden era of the JudiDangote then exImo State on the platform ciary. pressed the readiness of of the Peoples Democratic ’’He was one of the great- Dangote Group to partParty, PDP. est brains of the Nigerian ner government on a Uzodinma stated that the Judiciary. He was a liberal PPP basis to ensure the death of Oputa was a big man in the management realization of the loss to the country saying and running of his family,” projects. that “he was one of NigeEnang said. ria’s finest legal icons who served the country diligently in many capacities even before the attainment of independence.”

According to him, Justice want our girls back; listen

BY ABDULSALAM Oputa’s career “spanned 36 to women’s voice; We will MUHAMMAD years through four regions, continue to be in pain until states and territories until they were released; and his retirement from the SuANO — HUN what were the offences of preme Court in 1989.

DREDS of Christian the Chibok girls?,’’ among He further stated that his women under the auspic- others. exploits in the Supreme es of Kano State chapter of The women criss- crossed Court earned him the sobriquet, “Socrates of the Su- the Christian Association of several streets in Kano as preme Court,” while his Nigeria, CAN, yesterday, they condemned the abducjudgments were a compen- staged a peaceful protest in tion and asked the Boko dium of well researched Kano over the abduction of Haram terrorists to stop perand deep philosophical over 200 school girls by secuting the innocent girls t h i n k i n g . Boko Haram at Govern- for no just cause.

Reading the protest letter Eulogizing the late Justice ment Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno at the state CAN SecretariOputa, Senate Leader, Senat, Kano, Chairperson, ator Victor Ndoma-Egba State on April 14.

The women also prayed Mrs. Ann West, stated that described him as moral for a divine intervention on ‘’as mothers, we are here beacon for the nation, notthe release of the innocent to draw attention to Presiing that, “Apart from being a legal icon, he remained a school girls from their ab- dent Goodluck Jonathan, national moral beacon who ductors. The protesters the Governor of Kano State, can never be forgotten be- wailed as they carried plac- Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso and cause his judgments are in- ards with various inscrip- the global community over tions: ‘’Chibok girls are in- the wicked abduction of delible.”

In his own contribution, nocent release them; We Chibok girls.”

BY EMEKA MAMAH

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Senate urges FG to immortalise Justice Oputa

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Chibok girls: Kano Christian women protest

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C M Y K

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014— —17

18— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014 WHEN 13-year- old Daniel Oikhena squeezed himself into the tyre compartment of an aircraft last year, believing he would end up in America, his action sent a strong message of desperate migration, driven by frustration.

Government officials, who should be shame-faced, for making life in Nigeria hell, celebrated the young boy’s heroism. He could have died like other desperate persons who tried to migrate through irregular circumstances.

Migration is an essential aspect of human existence. Human beings and animals move from hostile to more life sustaining environments. Migration plays pivotal roles in the advancement of civilizations. Recent migrations have sparked off debates in destination countries whose political establishments are sensitive to socio -economic pressures and demographic consequences of migration.

Emigration in Africa, especially

Poor Governance Killing Our People in sub-Saharan Africa, has been tumultuous. While it is a constant feature on the continent, the pattern has changed from forced migrations, as exemplified in slave trade, to voluntary migrations in search of the better life that they believe is abroad.

Political instability, lack of economic opportunities, bad governance, natural disasters, escape from persecution or quest for knowledge and leisure, have over time remained as key precipitating factors for net movement of people from Africa.

Globalisation and promises of a better life are behind new wave of migration. Desperation drives this type of immigration.

About 87 persons perished in the Sahara Desert last year from lack of drinking water. More die, monthly, crossing the Mediterranean in rickety boats.

Dangerous as the routes have been for centuries, human trafficking syndicates extort money from desperate young people with promises to assist them to Europe.

Many of them have been killed and their organs become commodities in the global human organs trade. Those who move southwards notably to Central and Southern Africa either succeed or meet with fatal fate.

It is disheartening that millions of those trapped in this desperation are young people,

whose sweat and blood should build our continent, our future.

They prefer to die in dangerous migration because life in their countries is meaningless.

The fault lies at the doorsteps of governments. Poor leadership and the quality of governance cause desperate migrations.

Even when life in their destinations may not be rosy, promises that they could find opportunities to explore, provides the impetus for the would-be immigrants. They believe the risk is worth taking, a better risk than the wars, strife and limited opportunities at home.

The lessons of the Arab Spring are strong and evident enough for governments to realise that they should promote the common good, through policies that make life meaningful. Where governments fail, people search for survival outside their countries; not minding that the search could cost them their lives.

OPINION

BY TAYO OGUNBIYI

D

EATH is the last crowning glory of every man’s sojourn on earth. The fool will die. The wise will die. The rich will die and the poor will also not escape the deadly and cold grip of death. The deadly thing about death is that it will come when it will come. Some die at birth. Some die in their prime. Some die in their old age. Some die in their sleep while others die bathing. Some die in five star hospitals while others die in miserable dispensaries. Some die unsung while others are celebrated even in death. Some die plotting against death while some are trapped in the cobweb of death for some inexplicable reasons. That is death for you! It (he?) is so ruthless that it gives no room for negotiation between itself and its victims. Except for, perhaps, King Hezekiah in the Holy Bible, whom God gave the luxury of re-negotiating his exit date, death daily moves round the world, with so much pride and arrogance, to pluck from among men whom it wants.

Death meets man everywhere. It is procured by every instrument, and in all chances, and enters through many doors. To some, death come by violence and secret influence while to others it comes by the aspect of a star and the scent of a mist, by the emissions of a cloud and the meeting of a vapour, by the fall of a chariot and the stumbling at a stone.

Others encounter death through a full meal or an empty stomach, by watching at the wine or by watching at prayers, by the sun or the moon, by a heat or a cold, by sleepless nights or sleeping days.

Others are gotten by death through water

For Justice Oputa, Sir Ot edola and Amak a Igw e Otedola Amaka Igwe frozen into the hardness and sharpness of a dagger, or water thawed into the floods of a river, by a hair or a raisin, by violent motion or sitting still.

There is some truth to the old saying that there are only two days in a man’s life of which he could actually determine or do nothing about: the day a man is born and the day a man passes on.

Everyone experiences death. Death and dying are an inevitable part of human existence. Some people know ahead of time when their death will occur. For instance, terminal illnesses, when diagnosed ahead of time, allows its victim to set his or her affairs in order, make relationships right, and say goodbye to loved ones. In this case, every person involved has a chance to gradually adjust and make peace with death, as much as possible. However, not everyone has this chance as many deaths occur suddenly, like the case of Amaka Igwe, Nigerian film maker, Nollywood icon , entrepreneur, prolific producer who recently died in the unripe age of 51 having given so much to the world. A visionary and pioneer of modern Nigerian TV drama and film, she hit national limelight as the writer and producer of award-winning TV soap ‘Checkmate’ and its off shoot ‘Fuji House of Commotion’. Her Nollywood projects include Rattle Snake and Violated – two critically-acclaimed movies that set apart Amaka Igwe Studios in the much-criticised Nollywood industry.

Like it did to Amaka Igwe, the cold hand of death equally caught up with a former Justice of the Supreme Court, justice Chukwudifu, albeit at the prime age of 96.

The late Justice Oputa, one of the few judges with incorruptible reputation in the country was appointed to head a panel constituted to investigate rights abuses during 15 years of military rule between 1976 and 1999 when President Olusegun Obasanjo assumed office as elected president on 29 May, 1999. His death has since been described by legal practitioners and Nigerians across board as a monumental loss not only to the legal profession but to the country at large.

Fondly referred to as ‘Socrates of the Supreme Court’, the late justice Oputa was a gifted orator and prolific writer with over 40 publications in papers, lectures, conferences and seminars. A renowned jurist, cast in the style of Lord Denning, Justice Oputa’s death is, without doubt, a huge loss first to his family, the legal profession and, indeed, the country at large.

Like Amaka Igwe and Justice Oputa, former governor of Lagos State, Sir Michael Otedola, was equally not spared the cold hands of death. Sir Otedola became a victim of the menacing hands of death at the age of 88, having served God and humanity in various capacities and fields. A great entrepreneur and uncommon philanthropist, Sir Otedola touched and transformed several lives

through his many business enterprises and philanthropic activities. He was an unusual politician who abhor violence and deception of any kind. He was such a peaceful man that many have wondered why he plunged into the murky water of Nigerian politics. As Governor of Lagos state, his achievements remain indelible.

Indeed, the centre for excellence that Lagos proudly claims today was his choice when he was invited among other governors to choose a sobriquet for Lagos.

It is also on record that his administration facilitated establishing the Yaba College of Technology campus in Epe, his hometown. An accomplished technocrat, upon leaving office, Otedola continued his career as a writer, a consultant while also holding positions on the boards of several companies.

While praying for the repose of the souls of these eminent and illustrious Nigerians, we would do well to draw vital lessons from their commitment to humanity, selfless services to their fatherland and other such traits that made their sojourn on earth such a memorable one. There is no better time than now for Nigerians to draw inspiration from these departed compatriots in order to build a better, peaceful and united country. *Mr. Ogunbiyi, wrote from Ministry of Information & Statrtegy, Alausa, Lagos.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014— —19

, F

IRST a disclaimer: any comment made here now and at any time in the past pertains to the persons concerned in their public activities as Nigerians. It does not and should not in any way be read as commentary on their roles as individuals in their private capacity. We must at all times be respectful of other peoples’ sensibilities. There is therefore nothing personal in what follows.

The would-be forensic analyst, retired and practicing arm-chair critics, internet, religious and tribal warriors, and others of their ilk are hereby warned not to read this. And should they against this sound piece of advice choose to do so, they must be careful to take their very opaque and convoluted inferences to wherever they belong and not read them into very simple and direct statements of fact. It is one thing after all to be literate. It is an entirely different experience to know HOW to read. And where the fates of hundreds of millions of Nigerians are concerned we should not be too shy as privileged speakers in public spaces to make

our views and opinions known.

Let those who must gripe in protection of their private turfs and interests. That is not a thing to break sweat over.

Yet, the truth is that Nigeria has hardly ever been fortunate in her choice of leaders. The best never make it to the top and those who do are mostly products of factors that are not in any way connected to competence. They are either candidates of ethnic or religious partisans or the accidental choices of powerful blocs of groups and individuals out to pursue their own private agenda. In spite of this, the country has somehow managed to get by. But we are now beyond the period of mere management in leadership. That period of grace is far behind us hence the insistence that those who cannot stand the searing heat of leadership must give way to more competent hands. Our situation calls for very urgent action that can no longer endure the excuses of the past and so we insist on today’s Nigerian leaders being so not by mere claims. They must be seen and felt to be leading.

,

This is more than we can say for our leaders who have been no more than afflictions on the Nigerian people. But we have somehow got by until now when our collective destiny is clearly hanging off a cliff of disaster, no thanks to a crop of leaders who can hardly understand the import of their position to say nothing of knowing what the position demands of them. There has been a progressive decline in the quality of Nigerian leadership which has historically been the turf of average performers. This decline has been quite steep in the last twenty years. Apart from the Sani Abacha affliction the last two administrations of the late Umar Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan have presented Nigerians with the worst leadership challenge.

N

either of these two men came into office prepared for what they met. One was the willful imposition of an overweening predecessor and the other the accidental offshoot of the precedent cavalier politicking. One was a hostage of his immediate environment, a

Chibok girls and conspiracy theories

BY ABBA ADAKOLE

I

AM one of those who have wondered why President Goodluck Jonathan has been unusually slow in taking a decisive action on the ‘kidnap’ of 234 students of the Government Girls' Secondary school, Chibok in Borno state. I was alarmed because the President has usually reacted much more swiftly to those wanton acts of terror since the Boko Haram insurgency took a turn for the worse; he may not have kept his promises to track down the perpetrators of those dastardly acts and bring them to justice, but his words have always been reassuring to Nigerians.

This time, however, those soothing words have been coming a little late—some say sluggishly, prompting criticisms from many quarters. Even Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, who has in recent times strongly condemned the sect’s nihilistic tendencies-- and has been supportive of government’s efforts to neutralise them – has taken swipes at Jonathan, saying he ought to have shown more concern. In all these, however, a few commentators have raised issues with the gaps in the ‘kidnap’ narrative and how they pose an uncommon challenge to a President eager to avoid the pitfalls all terrorists dig for their targets. I am therefore thinking aloud, and many others may also be engaged in this soliloquy.

Since the girls’ abduction, so many questions have been raised, most of which, though commonsensical, remain unanswered. How were 234 teenage girls herded into trucks and driven off with little or no whimper from all around them, including teachers looking after them?

Where did the convoy drive through, undetected and un-apprehended by either law enforcement agents or locals? Why did a predominantly Christian Girls school suddenly decide to register full grown Muslim men to write their WAEC exams?

All said, it is obvious that President Jonathan was as confounded about the surrounding issues in the ‘kidnap’ as many other Nigerians were, and had elected to be careful –call it circumspect, if you like -- in responding to it. Questions continue to be raised about the circumstances under which the incident took place, especially since revelations have emerged that suggest that the ‘kidnap’ might not have happened if the Borno State Government had heeded the advice of the West African Examination Council (WAEC), on ensuring the security of the students considering the prevailing situation in the state.

While answering questions from First Lady, Patience Jonathan, wives of state governors, female legislators at federal and state levels, and leaders of various women organizations at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Head of WAEC’s National Office in Nigeria, Charles Eguridu revealed that his office had made efforts to get Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State to stop the conduct of the Senior School Certificate Examination in unsafe parts of the state. Mr. Eguridu, who had asked for all centres in remote areas in Adamawa, Yobe and Borno to be moved to the states’ capitals, said the Borno governor in particular agreed to do so but eventually reneged. According to him, the governor had convinced WAEC in writing that adequate security measures would be made. That was not to be, hence the kidnap that may break all records in its

,

Of presidents and ambitious spouses: Lessons from Jonathan and Y ar’A dua Yar’A ar’Adua

That a drunken and demented beast would be issuing threats of mass murders and making good his threats, raping and selling girls into slavery is a direct challenge to Jonathan’s presidential powers

pathetic case of abuse done in by deliberate manipulation of his fragile health. The other, no less a hostage of his environment, is both awed and swarmed by the demands of his office and the manipulation of minders. Both are victims of ambitious wives alert to the gains of power but not the wise use of it. And to imagine that these two are the most educated occupiers of Nigeria’s most powerful office! One was the first university-trained Nigerian president. The other is the first with a doctorate degree. Both were former teachers who, regrettably, came into office illprepared and, among their peers, with the scantiest knowledge of the demands of their exalted office.

The very danger posed by such candidates as leaders of a country like Nigeria, indeed, the very danger of making the wrong choice of leader with the wrong people exercising the unconstitutional powers of ‘First Lady’ became chillingly clear when against all reason Turai Yar’Adua held Nigeria literally in its balls in the uncertain months that led to the death of the former president. It showed to what extent power had been privatised in Nigeria and the danger an ambitious ‘First Lady’ without proper grooming could constitute.

We have seen much of this same danger under President Goodluck Jonathan. The latest of this was the fiasco of his wife’s ‘rescue’ effort to bring back the abducted school girls of Chibok. Her tears might have been genuine (who knows?) but the controversy that has trailed her effort should tell her that her interventions are misdirected. Mrs. Jonathan no doubt means well for her husband if not the girls whose kidnap she knows nothing about.

The Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, has more than a passing role to play if efforts to return the girls are to be fruitful

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unprecedented magnitude. The question is, why did the governor mislead officials of the examination body on such an issue that involved security of the teenage students?

Is there a political undertone in the entire saga, considering the huge damage the ‘kidnap’ of the girls will inflict on the President in the run–up to the 2015 election? This appears likely, going by the 'forked tongue' defense put up by officials of Borno state government. Going by the strong rivalry between Governor Shettima’s All Progressives Congress (APC) and the President’s party, the Peoples Democratic Party, it will not be out of place to encourage any action, however criminal, that will harm the ruling PDP’s image in the eyes of Nigerians.

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his is coming at a time prominent Kanuris are putting pressures on their governors in Borno and Yobe to justify their claim that the prevailing state of emergency should not be extended because in their view, it has not been effective in curbing Boko Haram's violence. From available information, the Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima has more than a passing role to play if efforts to return the girls are to be fruitful, and the President said that much after the all-night meeting he held with the governors and their officials last Sunday.

She can hardly be blamed for wanting to protect the office of her husband and by extension her self-appointed office of First Lady. But she has failed for the umpteenth time to realise that the fact of her husband being president does not make her the leader of Nigerian women much less the second in command to her husband as Nigerian leader.

As a Nigerian, she has a warped sense of her position as wife of the president. Pity that her husband doesn’t seem to know how to rein her in.

The President’s wife can no doubt be a good and loving wife to the president or he would not remain her husband. But there must be a way he can take charge of his responsibility without the intrusion of his wife who obviously cannot provide the qualities her husband lacks.

He may be perceived to be a weak president without much to offer to the many problems with which we are faced. But his failure to keep his official duties beyond domestic interference worsens his case. He may not be directly responsible for the terrorist insurgency in the country but his clear lack of initiative and will to fight it at the right time is nothing to be proud of either. It all chalks up as part of proof of his inefficiency and unsuitability for his position as president. It’s a warning for him to either wake up or go home. That a drunken and demented beast would be issuing threats of mass murders and making good his threats, raping and selling girls into slavery is a direct challenge to Jonathan’s presidential powers. But thank God his helplessness is bringing him world attention and help.

But what does that say of him?

What does it make of his ambition to stay on in office beyond 2015?

So, have the girls been hidden in several houses across the state while security operatives go on wild goose chases across the Sambisa forest? Is the news filtering that some of the schoolgirls may have been taken to neighbouring states, especially Cameroon and Chad where they were allegedly forced to marry the militants, meant to divert attention? These are the kinds of questions that may have stymied authorities from decisive action or led to circumspection in responding to the kidnap; and rightly so, perhaps, as recent events have turned out.

This suspicion becomes even stronger when members of the Chibok community, which has been thrown into this unpleasant limelight, have been most unwilling to offer information to assist security agencies that have been digging into the matter.

Those who criticise government for its ‘inaction’ may miss the point if the conflicting numbers and circumstances of the kidnap are also considered. There are conflicting reports about how the abduction took place, the contradictions in number of girls involved and those who have reportedly escaped from custody; yet none of the parents of the freed girls were forth-coming with information of their wards' experiences in captivity. The public protests in the streets of Abuja, commendable as they were, also fell short of public expectation. Since when have grieving mothers abandoned their protest to be hijacked by the like of Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, Femi Falana and others.

The fact that President Jonathan has made no dramatic public show of his alarm over the missing girls does not, in any way, suggest lack of concern. He could jolly well have played into the hands and designs of the terrorists who want to pressure him into making uninformed comments or engage in precipitate action that might turn out more harmful to all concerned. *Mr. Adakole, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Abuja.

20 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

Slain by Police at Festac ...Family of building engineer demands justice

BY BOSE ADELAJA

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OR the Edewors, no amount of consolation can bring back their son, Oyoma Edewor, who would have been 33 years old come June 2004. The family is mourning the death of the building engineer who was felled by bullets on Saturday May 10, 2014, few hours to the introduction ceremony of his younger brother, Moses Edewor (Junior).

The family’s grief is compounded by the fact that the joy of the intending couple has been cut short by the sad development as the introduction ceremony has since been cancelled. According to Moses, the ceremony was planned to be the first of its kind with friends and relatives, both home and abroad, eagerly looking forward to witness a memorable occasion. But tragically all that is left to witness now is Oyoma’s body in the morgue, after being cut short at the prime of his life.

The deceased was said to be coming from Mile 2 when the tragedy occurred. The fourth in the family of 13 was slain around 10pm of that fateful day in the presence of his cousin allegedly by a trigger-happy cop attached to Area E Command.

According to eye witnesses account, the deceased and his cousin were ordered out of his private car, a Fore runner jeep, after which they were stripped half-naked by the policeman before firing the shot which pierced his fore arm and landed on the right side of his abdomen, leading to his death.

Oyoma’s 63 years old mother was speechless and was yet to come to terms with the demise of her son when Vanguard Metro paid a visit to the Edewors last Monday. But the deceased’s cousin, Yinka Tijani, gave

•The late Oyoma Edewor.

Out of fear, the driver of the towing van ignored the order from the policemen and did not stop; but Oyoma, who was apprehensive at that time, made gestures at the driver to obey the policemen but was ignored.

Yinka said the policemen went in pursuit of the towing van whose driver sped off upon sighting them.

However, the duo hijacked a shuttle bus and gave chase; they eventually caught up with them at 3rd Avenue.

One of the policemen was said to have jumped out of the bus and pointed his gun at Oyoma and his companions and this caused a hitch in traffic around the area with residents and road users running helter skelter not knowing the next line of action.

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I got the shock of my life when he told me Oyoma had been shot; my cousin shouted on top of his voice, “help, I am bleeding”; Oyoma later gave up the ghost

a blow-by-blow account of his cousin’s killing, saying the trigger-happy cop was already drunk at the time.

According to him, Oyoma, himself and two others were in the Jeep when one of the tyres went flat following a puncture around Mile 2. This entailed the car having to be towed to their Festac abode. Two of the car ’s occupants alighted and joined the towing vehicle, leaving the deceased and one other person in the car. ‘’On getting to Durba Junction, the vehicles were flagged down by a team of policemen which carried out a search on us but found nothing incriminating. Also in front of Area E Command, we were flagged down by two armed policemen,’’ he said.

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Meanwhile, the driver of the towing van again tried to play a fast one on the policemen by driving against traffic. But the van developed break failure at this point, though the driver was able to manage until it got to Agboju where the vehicle’s wind screen was shattered by the policemen. By this time, Yinka and another occupant of the car had jumped out, leaving only the deceased in the car. Undeterred, the driver continued his journey until he got to Alakija (near a gas station) where the vehicle eventually hit an object and the driver took to his heels; the other occupants were pulled out of the vehicles one after the other, and stripped half naked by their assailants.

Then one of the police men allegedly pulled the trigger of his gun and killed Oyoma. ‘’I called another occupant of the vehicle and got the shock of my life when he told me ‘Oyoma had been shot’. My cousin shouted on top of his voice, ‘help, I am bleeding..’ and I used a piece of cloth to tie his arm. I approached some policemen who mounted a road block at Alakija junction to assist in taking him to the hospital but they went through the motion of calling for emergency and disappeared into thin air.

Oyoma later gave up the ghost. The matter was incidented at Area E Command,’’ said Yinka.

When the culprit, identified as Sergeant Godwin Otene, was eventually apprehended, Vanguard Metro, VM, gathered that he pleaded for mercy, saying he was being controlled by an unknown force.

However, the family said they have petitioned both the Inspector General of Police and the Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola on the issue but there was no response.

Oyoma’s younger brother Moses told VM his family wants justice. ‘’My introduction ceremony would have taken place yesterday, but this is now impossible; all the items bought for the ceremony have all gone to waste and the family has been thrown into mourning. We want the culprit brought to book.

Oyoma was innocent and hard working. How can the Police send him to an early grave and expect us to be quiet over the issue? The IGP must help us, the Governor and the Senate should act fast. Who knows the next victim ? All hands must be on deck for us to get justice,’’ he added.

Abducted schoolgirls: Who’s to blame? (2)

BY EBELE ORAKPO , I heard the soldiers were informed of “EHN the Chibok school attack but failed to act.

Why?” asked Julie.

“The whole thing is sickening. The armed forces have been infiltrated by these demons. They have their members all over the place so that whatever strategy the soldiers plan to adopt, before you say Jack Robinson, the Boko guys have the information. Have you wondered why soldiers would be asked by their commanders to leave a place and just after they leave, the Boko guys will invade the place?” asked John.

“The security agencies should stop playing the one-man-riot squad game and work as a team.

They should learn to share information,” said Dave.

Asked Steve: “By the way, why hasn’t a list of the missing girls been compiled and those that escaped allowed to talk to security agents or even the nation about their experiences? Why hasn’t the Principal of the school been arrested? I know that right after what happened in Yobe, WAEC asked governments in those violence-prone areas to relocate students to safer places to write the exams but it seems the principal defied the order.”

“The principal could not have acted alone. I heard that parents and elders of Chibok appealed to state authorities to allow the students to write the exam in their school as they considered Chibok safer than Maiduguri and Biu where the Governor had planned to relocate them,” said Abdul.

Said Julie: “See how ordinary illiterate Shekau is holding a whole nation to ransom!”

Replied Dave: “Oh, ordinary Shekau ba? Go and catch him now! These are terrorists and not ordinary criminals. Many of us are so uninformed that we just open our mouths and say anything.

Chibok people should share in the blame too because I heard they prevailed on the government to allow the children write the exam in Chibok instead of Maiduguri and Biu as suggested by government.” “ Yes, Maiduguri and Biu have strong military presence and so would have been safer,” said Abdul.

“For once, APC made a good suggestion by asking the Federal Government to establish an office of the Special Anti-Terrorism Coordinator so that this menace will be better handled,” stated Dave.

Said Mercy: “I have said it over and over again, that with the abduction of these girls, Boko will meet their waterloo. Some people are against foreign help. One of them said the US has a sinister motive in coming to help; that they want to take our oil,” said Dave.

“Abeg make we hear word. Your oil that has done nothing for majority of Nigerians but hardship and tears?” retorted Julie, adding: “They are saying that because their children are not among the abducted girls, I am sure they will not mind if the devil himself is invited to help rescue them if their girls were involved.“ “US should take the Boko guys out of Nigeria.

Let them be tried at the World Court because if they are left here, before you know it, they will disappear and the matter will go into voicemail,” said Steve. “They should also help us fish out their sponsors and supporters wherever they may be. They must pay for all the innocent blood they have shed,” he added. ”The criminals are asking Government to release their members in exchange for the girls and the government is saying no. I think they should negotiate for the sake of these girls,” counseled Julie.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014 — 21

FG to re-float national shipping line in six months

BY GODWIN ORITSE

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HE Federal Government has concluded plans to partner with the private sector to refloat the liquidated Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL).

Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA); Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi disclosed this i n Lagos at a “National Workshop on Public- Private Partnership PPP, Strategy for Infrastructural Development and Modernisation in the Nigerian Maritime Sector ”, organised by the agency in collaboration with the Infrastructure Concession Regulation Commission (ICRC).

Akpobolokemi said that President Goodluck Jonathan has tasked NIMASA to ensure that the national carrier is brought back during his regime.

This according to him is in addition to the Dockyard/ Shipyard and Maritime University project in Okerenkoko, Warri in Delta State. The NIMASA boss assured that government is trying to do this by involving a Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative in order to avoid the pitfalls that led to the liquidation of the Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL) ”When the NNSL got liquidated, it was because it was managed by government, so, in the next six months, working with the private sector, we want our shipping line back” ”When this comes on board,

Port concession has attracted significant investment — FG From left: Oscar Onyeama, Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, and Herbert Wigwe, Group Managing Director, Access Bank when the former paid a courtesy visit to Access Bank.

it solves the challenge of securing seatime for cadets, right now we are investing so much in seatime training, but perhaps we may just spend little of this money if we train them locally in addition to wealth creation, it is even a source of capital flight, it is uncalled for, it is a very big setback.

“Therefore we are deter-

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2,889.00

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17.32

0.12

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108.42 +0.53 100.58 +0.59 CURRENCY SELLING

BUYING

US DOLLAR 154.73 POUNDS 261.3235 EURO 213.0942 FRANC 174.4616 YEN 1.5177 CFA 0.3061 WAUA 239.0985 YUAN 24.8043 RIYAL 41.2547 KRONA 28.5411 SDR 239.5375

mined by the grace of God that in the next six months, we want to make sure this national carrier comes back and Mr. President has also told us to work on this national carrier issue to come to stay in his regime” Akpobolokemi stated.

He also tasked Nigerian Shipowners Association

(NISA) to constantly mount pressure on NIMASA on the status of the national carrier project on weekly basis, because according to him, there must be no room for failures.

“We can’t afford to disappoint Nigerians”, he assured.

Also speaking at the forum, Director General of the Infrastructure Concession Regula-

Group demands zero duty on tyre manufacturing equipment HE Association of Nigeria Tyre Marketers has called

182.4

tory Commission (ICRC) Alhaji Aminu Dikko added that the national carrier idea is coming at a time that the dearth of infrastructure development in the country has limited productivity.

According to him, government has always provided infrastructures and funded it, instead of committing private sectors which according to him can easily access loans within and outside Nigeria to facilitate projects. He told the gathering that the ICRC was formed to correct that. “This is coming at a time that the lack of adequate infrastructure is seriously limiting the country’s productivity, growth and competitiveness” he

CENTRAL 155.23 155.73 262.1679 263.0124 213.7828 214.4714 175.0254 175.5891 1.5226 1.5275 0.3161 0.3261 239.8712 240.6438 24.8849 24.9655 41.388 41.5214 28.6334 28.7256 240.3116 241.0856

CBN Exchange rate as at 13/05/2014

on the Federal Government to revive the local tyre manufacturing companies to aid the new automotive policy.

The association’s President, Alhaji Issa Akanbi, said in Lagos that there was need to assist the industry through finance or large rubber plantations Akanbi said the new automotive policy was a welcome development that required all supportive sectors to be vibrant.

He said that if the policy entailed the establishment of local vehicle manufacturing plants, the government’s support in the area of improved tyre production

technology is required.

He noted that as a measure to revive manufacturing firms, importation of key components for tyre production should be duty-free and zero Value Added Tax (VAT).

“There should be zero VAT and duty on imported key components should be waived. This is especially for machines and other equipment as globally adopted for the growth of an industry. Government should introduce energy-efficient measures and ensure the equipment to be used is based on modern technology,” he said.

The association had opposed the government’s five per cent import duty concession on imported tyres by local manufacturers. Akanbi said the protest was to notify the government that there was no tyre manufacturing company in

Nigeria at present.

He said that the concession would only encourage monopoly by those who have the privilege to import and a disadvantage to others who could not.

“At present, there is no company producing tyres in the country as all of them have since relocated to neighbouring countries. The privilege status of importation at a concessionary duty rate of five per cent will only encourage extreme monopoly to the disadvantage of other stakeholders in the trye value-chain.

“This will also encourage massive importation by the privileged few who are close to government under the pretence that they operate tyre manufacturing plants that do not exist,” Akanbi said.

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he Federal Government has said that the concession of ports services to private operators has attracted significant investment through the acquisition of modern terminal equipment and expansion of existing cargo facilities.

Senator Idris Umar, Minister of Transport, stated this in Lagos, at a one-day workshop organised by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC).

The theme of the workshop was, “Public/Private Partnership (PPP): Strategy for Infrastructural Development and Modernisation in The Nigerian Maritime Sector.”

Umar, who was represented by Mr Okua Etta, a Director in the Ministry, said that the significant investment had led to efficiency and growth in shipping and cargo operations.

He said that the government was also involved in the development of sea ports because of the contribution of international trade to the nation’s economy.

The Minister said that government was partnering with the private sector to deliver infrastructure services that would grow the economy. “Because of this, it has become imperative that we develop our trade facilitation infrastructure, to optimise proficiency and promote combativeness in the international market,” he said.

The Minister said that government wants to ensure that it develop key economic infrastructure in general and maritime infrastructure in particular.

22 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

BRIEF Sovereign Trust collaborates with CVL

S

overeign Trust Insurance Plc is set to collaborate with the Centre for Values in Leadership, CVL, in hosting the maiden edition of the Center ’s Road Show tagged ‘Walk The Talk”, geared at entrenching good leadership in the society and promoting positive values.

The event, slated for this Saturday, will bring together distinguished Nigerians who are accomplished role models in their chosen fields. Some of these notable dignitaries expected to take part in the Walk include, Professor Pat Utomi, Mr. Wale Onaolapo, MD/CEO, Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc, Joke Silva, Kate Henshaw and a host of others. The ‘Walk-the Talk’ campaign which literarily means ‘practice what you preach’ is a change movement initiated to preach CVL’s leadership values while reaching out to correct some social, economic and political challenges in our society. The objective of the movement is to equip generations of young Nigerians with values and leadership skills which will make them become effective and value-driven leaders in future.

Feedback driving product deployment — MTN

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HE General Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN, Kola Oyeyemi, has said that the firm’s operation is built round the consumers’ life.

He spoke in reaction to the huge acceptance MTN Xtratime is enjoying.

Oyeyemi said: “The consumer is at the very heart of our operational existence and every single thing we do is primed to enrich and enhance the quality of his life, not just in terms of phone services, but also in terms of how he accesses those services, how he does his business, relates with friends and family and even as in the case of Xtra Time, how he responds to emergencies.

“We do not assume this is what the consumer needs. We ask them and with this feedback we move to research and development. The result is consistent stories of consumer delight.”

Some customers that expressed delight to newsmen over the new product include Andrew Agodo, a businessman; Olabisi Sodeinde, an undergraduate.

From left: Deputy President of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), Mr. Kayode Okunoren; President of the Council, Mr. Ayodapo Shoderu and Mr. Keith Alford, Managing Director of Old Mutual Life Assurance, when the company hosted insurance brokers in Lagos.

SAP, Hartford Green to provide Cloud technology to insurance sector

BY EMEKA AGINAM

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AP Africa in partnership with Hartford Green Consulting, has announced the provision of cloud technology to cater for the needs of the rapidly growing insurance industry in West Africa.

With this partnership, SAP A1 solution will be used as a managed cloud service (MCaaS) go-tomarket model on a customer subscription basis. The SAP A1 or SAP Businesss All-in-One is an SME product specifically designed for

thriving small to medium businesses.

It will be recalled that Hartford Consulting in partnership with SAP Africa and the West African insurance sector, has invested in several technology solutions that will offer insurance sector customers a very powerful and price competitive solution to meet their technology needs and budget constraints.

This offering will also allow them to challenge traditional competitors that have dominated this market segment up until now.

Hartford Green Consulting provides a range of

consulting services to leading private and public institutions in West Africa and is a local implementation partner and SAP VAR (Value Added Reseller). The insurance sector in the region is currently experiencing a boom and requires innovative enterprise application technology solutions to optimally service customers.

According to SAP West Africa Managing Director, Richard Edet, ”West Africa is a price sensitive region when it comes to software purchases. SAP A1 provided as a managed cloud service solution and offered in a licensing model should better meet the needs of the insurance sector customers

than traditional on premise software since it will offer them quicker implementation, quicker time to value and better total cost of ownership.”

Edet commented that the new project supports SAP A1 Enterprise Resource Planning and the core insurance module of the deal includes Policy Management, Commissions Management, Collections and Disbursements, Claims Management, Casualty for Insurance, Investment Management and Fraud Management.

The deal also includes Business Analytics, HCM (Human Capital Management ) and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) solutions and will increase processing efficiencies and customer service while supporting the insurance industry ’s expansion in the region.

Adebayo Akinwunmi, CEO at Hartford Green Consulting commented, “This new SAP A1 model provided as a managed cloud service and available on premise will shorten the insurance sales cycles drastically, as customers can now enrol on a single source solution provider.

Hartford also aims to address the mid to upper end of the insurance market with this subscription-based cloud offering. With a competitive offering Hartford will be able to scale, be more competitive and drastically increase the reach of SAP Africa in the West African geography.”

He also said the new solutions would drive profitable sales of innovative products, support informed business decisions and provide visibility while also reducing operational costs in the region’s insurance sector.

Custodian records N4.33bn profit before tax

By WILLIAM JIMOH

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ustodian and Allied Plc, has recorded N4.33 billion profit before taxation for the 2013 financial year, while its earning and Net Asset per share increased to 60 kobo and 325 kobo respectively, said Chairman, Board of Directors of the company.

Chief Ade Ojo, Chairman Board of Directors of the company who disclosed this while addressing shareholders during the 19th Annual General Meeting, AGM, of the company in Lagos, stated that the top line growth experienced by the company was fueled by 20 per cent increase in gross premium income and 38 per cent rise in fees and

commission income.

Shareholders of the company also unanimously approved a final divided payout off 11 kobo per share in addition to 5 kobo interim paid earlier in respect of the result achieved during the year, making the total divided for the year 16 kobo per share. According to Ojo, “The anticipated cost savings that were envisaged in the merger manifested in noticeable reductions in underwriting expenses (down 15 per cent) and management expenses (down 8 per cent) in spite of the generous redundancy benefits paid to the disengaged staff.”

Speaking, in respect of acquisition of Crusader Nigeria Plc he said, “I am very delighted to report to you today that the acquisition has been successfully

completed, all regulatory approvals, including the Court sanction, received.

“As sanctioned by the Court, the company’s name has been changed to Custodian and Allied Plc, which is an investment holding company with investments in life and non life insurance subsidiaries, pension fund administrator and a trust company. The company has also been rec1assified under the ‘Other Financial Services’ sub sector of the Financial Services Sector of the Nigerian Stock Exchange Official list.

“Custodian shares have since been issued to the erstwhile shareholders of Crusader Nigeria Plc and we have grown from a company with 23,812 shareholders as at December 31st, 2012 to 41,003 as at December 31st, 2013.

On the out look of the company, Ojo noted that the

successful integration of the Crusader operations and the resulting strong entity with enviable results are indications that Custodian is truly ready for the future.

“Our strong balance sheet and financial capacity, expanded and diversified product portfolio, operational efficiency and highly professional team will ensure that the company maintains its leadership position and provides superior return on investment to our loyal shareholders.

Some of the leaders of the shareholders’ associations including Sir Sunny Nwosu, Mr. Nona Awo, expressed satisfaction with the current development in the operation of the company, just as they enjoined the Custodian Board to expand the representation of minority shareholders on the board of the company.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014—23

Local content has expanded opportunities for indigenous firms Caverton Offshore Support Group will list on the Nigerian Stock Exchange on 20 May 2014. Ahead of that, Mr. Aderemi Makanjuola, chairman and founder of the company, spoke to a group of journalists on why he is taking the company public, the company’s growth path, and the prospects of indigenous companies in the oil and gas sector under the local content regime.

Excerpts:

still be required to sit at the table.

So to answer your question, we have no anxieties about any possible takeover. And I say that with the greatest sense of humility. Moreover, going public does two things: it enables you to inject fresh blood into your company and it forces you to observe good corporate governance practices. That was why we engaged the services of KPMG to marshal out various aspects

agate proper corporate governance; and two, that Nigerians can establish companies that will outlive them. So my concern has always been if companies in other places can be in existence for hundreds of years, why not Caverton?

You started out as a banker and you decided to go into a totally different arena. Why did you choose to do that and how did you overcome the initial challenges of being in a

Why did you decide to list the company and why now?

HE decision to go public was signed-off by the board of directors as far back as 2008. We felt that given the significant opportunities in the market and our positioning, the use of debt-financing to fund our growth will be limiting and so we decided to carry out global case studies on companies with similar growth trajectories. We decided that the equity funding route will ultimately give the best return on capital. So the journey to tapping into the Nigerian equity market began with our private placement in 2008 which culminated in the imminent listing. The timing was determined by a combination of the prevailing market conditions and the company ’s current growth stage.

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What do you imply by that?

The company has got to that stage where it needs to access more capital in the sense that more contracts are coming in.

We also need to train more people and ensure that Nigerian engineers and pilots derive greater benefits from the evolving opportunities and that instead of hiring people from abroad and taking out the money, we can help Nigerians to acquire the necessary capacities and hire them.

Most family businesses hardly go public. Is it that you don’t have the fear that others have in terms of losing control?

Not in the slightest. When the company was founded there was a clear vision to establish a legacy business and that has always been the focus. In addition to this we operate in a very niche space within the oil and gas sector which requires a distinctive set of skills in the day-to-day management of such operations. So we pride ourselves as possessing these unique management skills and if a takeover were in the offing, I am pretty certain that the progenitors of the business would

cash flows and the growth feasibility were able to convince leasing companies, technical partners and the banks to commit resources and funds to bring things to fruition.

Your company will be the first indigenous oil and gas services company to be listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

How important is this record to you and what are your thoughts about the future of indigenous companies in this sector of Nigeria economy?

We are proud of our achievements thus far and humbled to be a reference point in such a tasking sector. The year 2010 was a major milestone for us.

This was when we won the single largest contract ever awarded to an indigenous company.

After the euphoria, we realised that this record also thrust an enormous responsibility on us

,

Aderemi: Caverton started out as a Caverton Marine in 1998 operating a fleet of LPG and petroleum tankers as well as supplying equipment to the Nigerian Ports Authority.

of the regulations and rules that will control the company and also put in place a proper corporate governance structure. Also, going public will enable members of the investing public who want to be part of the company to invest and benefit from the growth opportunities and dividends provided by local content policies. It’s more of value added.

You said from the start you had a vision of establishing a legacy business. What do you mean by this?

Yes in the sense that most family-owned businesses mostly die with the founder or flounder after the death of the founder. My intention has always been to ensure that this company proves two things: one, that Nigerians can establish companies that will prop-

different field?

After decades in the banking sector, as with most things, there was a yearning for change. The type of services within the oil and gas sector was a specific area of interest for me. I had a first-hand experience about the dearth of operators’ assets in the service sector and felt that the opportunity that existed could allow for a longer-term business and so the journey began. As with most start-ups, the greatest challenge is proving that you have the competence and capability to sustain the business.

In addition, I had chosen a capital-intensive line of service and so funding the capital expenses was going to be a challenge. But with a lot of determination armed with decades of banking experience I was able to present the business in such a way that the projected

a contract for five years plus two. We were to buy six helicopters to do the operation but it has been increased to seven with a fixed wing to enhance production. Apart from Shell, we also have contracts with Total, Addax, COTCO (ExxonMobil) in Cameroun. These are the major ones that we are concentrating on. We also operate Lagos State government helicopters.

Many people heard about Caverton for the first time when Caverton Helicopters launched the intra-city shuttle in Lagos. Over time the two major companies in the Caverton group have grown tremendously. So what would you call the major milestones and critical success factors of the group?

Unknown to many people, Caverton started out as a Caverton Marine in 1998 op-

The company has got to that stage where it needs to access more capital in the sense that more contracts are coming in. We also need to train more people and ensure that Nigerian engineers and pilots derive greater benefits from the evolving opportunities

as a company.

Essentially, we felt that we were unwittingly made ambassadors for indigenous companies in the sector and that there was a need for us to demonstrate that indigenous companies with commitment and focus could achieve the same result as foreign competitors. In our minds, it simply meant that failure was not an option. So I would say that our listing is a follow up on that burden of responsibility. Just that this time the focus isn’t only on operational excellence and adherence to standards but more about the sustainability of our growth and the institutionalisation of the company.

I think that the oil and gas sector still has tremendous growth opportunities with enough capacity to enable the emergence of other technically sound indigenous companies, and with the right economic policies the possibilities are boundless.

You mentioned that you won the single largest contract awarded to an indigenous company in 2010. What is the value of the contract and with which company?

This was with Shell and the value was $648 million. It was

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erating a fleet of LPG and petroleum tankers as well as supplying equipment to the Nigerian Ports Authority. In 2002, Caverton Helicopters was born and we commenced the intracity shuttle in 2004.

I will say that the major milestones and the critical success factors for the group will be inextricably linked to our commitment to safety and the frequent audits that keep us on our toes. In 2009, we passed the Shell audit which allowed us to qualify technically to tender for contracts and this opened the floodgate of opportunities. This was essentially because the Shell audit is considered one of the most tasking in the oil industry. As such, passing it was a vote of confidence that brought Caverton into reckoning with our peers and other prospective clients. Moreover, Caverton Marine, had been awarded contracts from Shell UK (STASCO) and our vessels MT Ashabi and MT Lolade were engaged in their petroleum transportation activities in West Africa. So they were familiar with our ethos on safety and professionalism.

They were only surprised we were branching into other aspects which they found refreshing.

24—Vanguard,WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

Planning towards the next 100 years I

Nestle shareholders demand bonus shares in 2014 S

OME shareholders of Nestle Nigeria Plc have demanded the issuance of bonus shares by the company, in the 2014 financial year. The shareholders made the demand at the company ’s 45th Annual General Meeting (AGM), held in Lagos.

They said bonus shares to shareholders would increase the company’s market capitalisation on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

According to them, Nestle’s recapitalisation would enhance minority shareholders stake and create activities in the company’s listed shares on the NSE. Mr Sunny Nwosu, National Coordinator, Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria, said that the bonus issue would increase the company’s share capital. Nwosu said that the recapitalisation would increase the company’s number of shares tradable on the NSE. He also urged the company to enhance its support to farmers by bringing them to terms with modern technology.

Mr Timothy Adesiyan, President, Nigeria Shareholders Solidarity Association, commended the company for the impressive results posted for the financial year ended December 31, 2013.

Adesiyan said that the bonus issue would make the company’s shares more available on the NSE. The company declared a total dividend of N20.21 billion in the period under review. The company declared a final dividend of N24 and paid an interim dividend of N1.50 per share, bringing the total dividend to N25.50 per ordinary share of 50 kobo held by investors.

The amount paid as cash dividend showed an increase of 27.5 per cent over the N20 paid the previous year.

Addressing the shareholders at the meeting, Mr. David Ifezulike, Nestle Chairman, attributed the performance to short-term and long-term initiatives embarked upon by the company to ensure sustainable future growth.

Ifezulike said that the company would commission a new ultra-modern water factory in Abaji, near Abuja, in 2015, to stimulate sustainable growth, increase market share and promote healthy hydration. He said that the new facility, with potential for expansion, would cost N4.6 billion.

The chairman said that the new investment underpinned the company’s strong belief in the local market and the resilience of the Nigeria economy.

He said that the company had earlier inaugurated an ultra -modern distribution centre in Agbara, Ogun state, in 2013.

According to him, the new facility which cost N5.42 billion is key to Nestle’s growth in Nigeria. Ifezulike, however, urged the shareholders to embrace the e-dividend and e-bonus platform for quick payment of dividends.

WEFA: Standard Bank to begin expansion into Francophone Africa

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tandard Bank says it plans to use its presence in the Ivory Coast to expand its service offering across the rest of Francophone Africa.

According to the bank, the move was informed by the lender’s believes that the region is about to experience an investment boom as foreign companies are lured by the region’s mineral wealth and economic growth.

The bank opened its Ivory Coast representative office in the capital city of Abidjan in November last year to service its 145 clients with operations in Francophone Africa in sectors ranging from mining, oil and gas, infrastructure, power and energy to fast moving consumer goods.

Standard Bank said at the time that the investment signified a deliberate drive into West Francophone Africa due to Ivory Coast’s membership of the West African Economic and Monetary Union, UEMOA, which includes Benin, Burkina Fasso, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, and Togo. Executive for Client Coverage, Africa, at Standard Bank’s Corporate and Investment Banking unit, Mr. Greg Goeller, said: “It’s fair to say that we’ll be using the Ivory Coast office as a launchpad into the rest of the region.

Francophone West Africa is less wellknown to South Africans but it cannot be ignored due to the economic potential.”

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From left: Mr Kufre Ekanem, Corporate Advisor, Nigerian Brewries Plc; Mr Tokunbo Adodo, Marketing Manager, Star, Goldberg and Mr Walter Drenth, Marketing Director during the media launch of Star Football, in Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.

was priviledged to have my father, the late Chief Julius Omigbodun, live for 100years.

Besides his early years, he spent the last 62 years of his life in Osogbo, Osun State. His experience of living through changes in Osogbo over a 100year period should make one ask what sort of life would be possible for residents of Osogbo and our other communities over the next 100years. He indicated that the earliest homes were roofed with grasses and that several homes were destroyed whenever there was a fire event.

These fire events brought about the use of corrugated iron sheets as roof cover in our homes.

My early years were spent between Ipetu-Ijesha, Ilesha and Osogbo, all in Osun State.

I have some affinity for each of the three towns and I will draw on my experience in the three places in looking ahead. Water for domestic use was not a problem. There were wells in the compounds where we lived and in Ipetu-Ijesha, a river about 2 kilometres away was an additional source of water.

Ready access to potable water shapes the lives of people in our communities.

Osogbo is surrounded by a number of other towns; Ede to the west, Gbongan, OdeOmu, Sekona, Edunabon, Ipetumodu to the southwest, Ile-Ife to the south, Ilesha to the southeast, Ibokun, Imesi-Ile to the east, Ikirun, Iragbiji, Inisa, Okuku to the northeast, Oba to the north, Okinni, Erin-Osun, Ilobu, Ifon to the northwest. The towns to the southwest, west and northwest are supplied potable water from the Oshogbo/Ede Water Supply Scheme, which has two dams on the River Erinle.

There is a dam under construction on the River Osun between Osogbo and Ilesha.

Water from this dam should be used for a regional water supply scheme which would serve Ilesha, Osogbo and the communities to the east and southeast of Osogbo. This dam should also be the anchor for agricultural and industrial development on the OsogboIlesha axis.

The distance from the Steel Rolling Mill on Ikirun Road in the north to the Osun State Government Secretariat in the south is about 16 km while the distance from the Dada Estate on the Old Ede Road/Iwo Road

in the west to the bridge crossing the River Osun on the Ilesha Road is about 19km. One should be looking at the Osogbo metropolitan area as being within an area of 20km by 20km.

Movement within Osogbo is by road in private cars and taxis.

Can a bus transit system be devised for Osogbo?

The Transmission Company of Nigerian, TCN, has a very important transmission station in Osogbo on the Ikirun Road. With the projected growth in electric power generation and transmission additional 330kV transmission lines would be built to and from Osogbo. Is the land at Ikirun Road adequate for TCN’s requirements or would land be required at another location in Osogbo for a second transmission station? In order to meet the power requirements of this metropolitan area, the state government should put together a consortium to build and operate an Independent Power Plant, IPP, at the site of the old diesel generating plant opposite the waterworks at Ede. This IPP would serve the waterworks at Ede and any new waterworks at the existing dam north of Okinni and in addition provide power to parts of the metropolitan area.

Putting our people to work is key to the prosperity of our

The state government should put together a consortium to build and operate an Independent Power Plant, IPP, at the site of the old diesel generating plant opposite the waterworks at Ede

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communities. A prosperous community would be able to pay for social infrastructure, potable water, roads, schools, public transportation. We need to lead our population towards employment opportunities for reasons of social cohesion. We can also not afford to waste the substantial investment being made on the education of our population if a substantial number of our school leavers are not in employment or engaged in further education. We need new initiatives that would give our school leavers hands on training transforming them into world-class technicianengineers, artisans etc.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014 — 25

DIARY z z Transport Networks for Mobile Operators 2014 13 – 14 May 2014 London. z z Critical Communications World 27-29 May 2014 BITEC, Bangkok, Thailand zCisco Connect Sun City, South Africa Nov. 2 - 4, 2014

Preview

New inventions shaping life and living

Water testing pill is the new innovation

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ondering if it's safe to drink the water from your remote village's well? Typically, the only way of finding out involves sending a sample of that water off to a lab, or using testing agents that must be shipped in and kept on dry ice. Now, however, scientists from Canada's McMaster University have developed simple pills that can do the job – and they were inspired by breath-freshening strips.

PhD student Sana Jahanshahi-Anbuhi, who is one of the team members, first came up with the idea when he saw some of the strips while grocery shopping.

I N S I D E C M Y K

‘ICT, key Nigerian economic driver’

Identity Management Comm i s s i o n NIMC, and the KnowYour-Customer biometric registration

BY PRINCE OSUAGWU

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he role Infor mation and Communica tions Technolo gy plays in the stability of world economies resonated again recently in Nigeria.

In fact participants at the last Annual General Meeting of one of Nigeria’s leading identity management and payments system company, Chams PLC, declared openly that but for ICTs, Nigeria’s economy may have not achieved whatever solid footing it has today.

That also became a reason they called on the federal government to remain consistent in championing programmes and innovations that will keep governance on the threshold of ICT. Most remarkably, some participants commended all level of governments on the ongoing identity assurance programmes being executed in the private and public sectors across Nigeria, saying it will strengthen businesses, ensure future growth and fuel increased profitability in the long term.

It was the Chairman of Chams PLC, Mr Ayo Richards, who stoked the fire when he declared that “Information and

Endless possibilities as HP workstation produces blockbusters films

Communications Technology ICT, has become a key driver of economic activity in Nigeria and other developing markets. However, there is remarkably, a huge gap to fill in t h e identity m a n agement infrastructure and solutions space which is our area of focus. Without filling this yawning gap, the payments transaction industry and economy at large cannot thrive.”

He added that the identity assurance needs of the financial services industry, state governments, tertiary institutions, and specialised government agencies are the catalyst of the rapid growth in the issuance of identity cards and registration of citizens for record-keeping purposes.

“There are many government-driven identity assurance programmes going on in Nigeria currently and they are with biometrics, one of our areas of specialty. We have the national identity programme by National

‘Technology can cure our security ailment’

programme for bank customers, as well as residency and smart identity card programmes being championed by some state governments. As a leading player in the identity assurance space, we are engaged with governments and relevant agencies to provide these identity management products and services. The demand for identity management services will continue to grow due to increasing financial inclusion, ongoing implementation of CBN’s cashlite policy and digitization of commerce, presenting future growth opportunities not only for us as a business but to the aggregate Nigerian economy ” Yet, from discussions at the meeting, there may

still be stunted growth if the federal government does not fix the issue of inadequate and unstable power supply.

Presenting the overall performance of Chams in the 2013 financial year, Group Managing Director of Chams PLC, Mr. Ademola Aladekomo, said that the company would have achieved more had the power situation in the country remained a bit improved.

He said that “In spite of cost pressures and infrastructure challenges, especially in the area of power, Chams improved its 2012 performance by focusing on the core business of identity management and payments solutions in the 2013 financial year. We streamlined our busi-

LAUTECH students qualify for Imagine Cup World semi-finals

Information and Communication Technology ICT, has become a key driver of economic activity in Nigeria and other developing markets. ness operations by investing on non-core functions such as the sales of payment card printers, access control and point of sales terminals in Chams Access Limited, a subsidiary of Chams PLC. “Priorities remain clear for the 2014 financial year, and they include upgrade of our card personalisation bureau to EMV certified standard, strengthening the strategic alliance with our partners in South Africa and Israel, and the achievement of 300 per cent profit growth. We are also determined to complete our ongoing restructuring across Chams Group, while also dedicating our energy towards delivering value to all stakeholders.”

26 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

CBN backs card, ATM expo in Nigeria

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s technology creates endless possibilities which keep fading the lines between Information and Communications Technology, ICT and entertainment, frontline Nigerian IT companies, Task Systems limited and renowned computer makers, Hewlett Parckard, HP, have combined strengths to attempt blotting the line out completely.

At least, participants and guests who would, this morning, attend the endless possibilities event put together by the duo, would get the opportunity to experience how technology and entertainment could shake hands to advance life and living.

The event will feature demonstrations from specialists at Hewlett Packard who will be showcasing how independent filmmakers and leading studios can produce Hollywood Style blockbusters with HP Workstations .

Already, the workstation which HP says is built for Ultimate performance, has been used in the production of successful movies.

Some of these movies includ-

Endless possibilities as HP workstation produces blockbuster films

Blockbuster films by HP Workstation ed ‘Shrek’ ‘Turbo’ ‘Act of morning at the Federal Palace Valour’ ‘Puss in Boots’ ‘Kung Hotel Lagos, would have in Fu Panda 2’ amongst others. attendance, many professionThe event which holds this als in the Nollywood IndusBY PRINCE OSUAGWU

try who have accomplished themselves in the entertainment field.

POS to be deployed for GES scheme o enable farmers access fer tilizers and other farming subsidies, point of sale terminals are to be deployed as additional redemption channel by government under the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme.

Under the scheme, the technology provider of of the initiative, Cellulant Nigeria, informed that , whenever farmers get subsidized farm inputs, the details of the transaction can now be stored in the POS terminals and later transferred to the central database of the scheme managed by Cellulant Nigeria.

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hese POS terminals, give the agro-dealers the capacity to serve as mobile-money agents and enable farmers enjoy various financial services.

GES is a special scheme introduced by the Federal Government under President Goodluck Jonathan’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA), which seeks to increase farmers’ access to subsidized farm inputs such as fertilisers and improved seedlings, through the private sector.

The scheme is designed for small scale farmers and currently over 10million farmers have been captured in the GES database According to Bolaji Akinboro, Chief of Party, Nigeria Team GES (Cellulant), the terminals will provide very

useful addition to the GES scheme as it will help to quickly capture data that could have either been lost or taken a lot of time to reconcile.

He said that both banks and dealers would be involved in the use of the terminals. Already, 3 Nigerian banks and 2 POS terminal providers are supporting the deployment.

Akinboro said that G E S e-wallet is now evolving into the backbone of a payment system for agriculture and Nigerian farmers will be able to access various financial services in addition to the farm inputs they currently get through the scheme.

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ccording to him, “These POS terminals work in an off-line mode and evacuate data back to the GES platform on periodic schedules.

“The POS are issued to agro-dealers at no cost by commercial banks and the

PPARENTLY on its resolve to en trench the cashless culture into the fabrics of the Nigerian economy, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN is pulling Visa International, MasterCard Worldwide among others, to throw weight behind the Card, ATM & Mobile Expo 2014 billed to hold in Lagos, Nigeria, June.

The event according to the organizers is expecting participation of over 50 exhibitors from Nigeria, Ghana, China, UAE, South Africa, Japan, United Kingdom, United States of America, Morocco among others.

Scheduled to hold at the Eko-Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos from the 17th-19th June 2014, the event is also said to be attracting the partnership of major key epayment industries such as, Nigeria Interbank Settlement Systems Plc (NIBSS), National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), National Information Development Agency (NITDA), Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA) in the area of providing more information about the cashless policy as well as the identification management of these institutions to the general public Besides the CBN support, organizers said they have secured Platinum sponsorship of MasterCard Worldwide, Zenith Bank, Secure ID, Diamond Bank Plc, as well as Gold sponsorship of Chams Plc, Silver sponsorship of Altech West Africa and Eco Bank Plc. Other Industry support are also coming from the likes of etranzact International, Globasure Technologies, Secure Card Manufacturing and Union Bank Plc. They have also announced Samsung Electronic West Africa Limited, as Technology partners for this year event.

MainOne raises Africa high in Chicago

BY EMEKA AGINAM

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agrodealers via cellulant are responsible for maintenance and safekeeping of the POS. “These POS terminals allow us to solve the problem of capturing all categories of redemption (farmer with phone/ farmer without phone/no network) as they are happening from the side of the agro-dealer. The agro-dealer himself becomes an additional source of data into the platform via the POS. This allows us to achieve faster reconciliation and problem resolution as we can trace/ compare transactions from farmer phone, register, RC& SL form and now POS data.”

Akinboro added that the terminals will also allow operators of the GES to achieve total information symmetry/equality among the key participants (Banks, Suppliers, FGN, Agrodealer) in the scheme, required for accurate reconciliation.

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n his words; "the Nigerian Government is now implementing what we can refer to as fasttracking financial inclusion”

NNOVATIVE telecom services and network solutions provider, MainOne, is shining the spotlight on Africa at the International Telecommunications Week (ITW) 2014 in Chicago this week.

MainOne is playing a major role, as a prime sponsor of the conference, and is also the sponsor of a panel session focussed on Africa with participants including global telecom companies and regional players from around the continent.

The ITW conference is an annual meeting point for the global wholesale telecommunications community, and is expected to host over 5,000 delegates from about 1,800 companies representing over 150 countries, to interact and discuss the latest market developments and business opportunities.

Speaking ahead of the conference in Lagos, Ms. Opeke said, “We believe that our input at the International Telecoms Week will continue our efforts to enhance broadband Internet penetration in West Africa and especially Nigeria, so that MainOne can continue to lead the data boom that is currently taking place in our region”.

She noted that MainOne has consistently been at the forefront of this development of broadband services, saying, “We remain committed to driving the growth in broadband penetration in Nigeria and West Africa to match the rest of the world.”

In addition, Ms. Opeke will moderate a panel session at the conference to discuss among other things: the impact of new services and technologies on carriers and operators in Africa, Africa’s movement to Cloud services, and how infrastructure sharing models are enhancing broadband penetration, operational efficiency and QoS across Africa.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014 — 27

BY PRINCE OSUAGWU

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t was almost a Nigerian affair, with the green white green flag controlling the airwaves at the Michelangelo Hotels, Johannesburg, South Africa, where frontline card and payment transaction promoters, Intermarc consulting recently hosted the world in Award dinner and ceremony tagged Card and ePayment Africa Awards.

The annual Pan Africa event, according to the organizers, is for African continent to catalyze and inspire innovation in the payment space, to match what is obtainable in continents of Europe and Asia.

The award ceremony focuses on technological advancements and innovation within the ePayment space and provides a platform for all stakeholders in the industry to be recognized, rewarded and celebrated.

Although the dinner hosted top executives of e-payment providers from Ghana, Kenya, Angola, Egypt, South Africa, Morocco, Nigeria, Namibia among many others, it was Nigeria that showed why the African market should rest on its shoulders.

The 19-category awards, had Nigeria carting away three of the topmost awards, with Access Bank emerging as the Best Credit Card Product of the year; First Bank as winner of Best Mobile Technology award; and United Bank for Africa, UBA, emerging as winner of the Best Card Benefits Programme of the Year Receiving their awards, representatives of the banks flaunted the rapid growth of the Nigerian market and said the awards manifested the unstoppable dominance of the market.

Obviously, technology trends such as the mass adoption of smartphones and tablets, increasing availability of

How Nigerian banks scoop Intermarc card, payments award in South Africa open APIs and the rise of cloud computing in Nigeria, have actually laid the foundations for innovation across board in areas such as international money transfer, prepaid, peer-to-peer consumer payments, services for the underbanked, and the mobile money payments concept.

Today, the Nigerian payment sector is a crowded market and has even transcended the financial institutions.

Players from many different industries are swooping in to grab a piece of the pie.

As major banks and financial institutions are offering new services to retain or win new customers, mobile network operators are creating ewallets, tech giants like Google, Amazon among others with little heritage in payments are also entering the space.

The card schemes are pouring seemingly endless money into innovation in a bid to retain their market dominance. This is even as a raft of start-ups – many branding themselves as part of the ‘New Finance’ movement, are try-

ing to persuade consumers and businesses to ditch traditional financial services for their innovative products.

Many industry stakeholders have, however, described the situation as healthy for the economies of emerging markets including that of Nigeria.

For instance, Chief Executive Director with iVeri Payment Technologies South Africa (Pty) Limited, Barry

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s part of its Corporate social responsibility (CSR), LG Electronics, recently donated some unit of its newly launched LG mosquito Away Air conditioners and treated mosquito nets to Ojokoro Primary Health centre.

The General Manager, Air conditioning and Energy solutions, LG Electronics West Africa Operations, Mr. Junhwa Jeong said that through these donations, LG Electronics has shown that it is a brand to reckon with even in the health sector, as it operates with the plight of Nigerians at heart. However, he said, the mosquito air conditioners which were recently launched in the market come with a unique ultrasonic device that repels mosquitoes carrying the malaria parasite.

Junhwa said, the company

He congratulated other winners like Wigroup (PTY) South Africa, that won the Best Alternative Payments Programme award. Arab Bank Morocco Master Card which emerged winner of the Best Prepaid Card Product of the Year, Programme of the Year won by Banco de Fomento (BFA) Angola ,and Industry Personality of the Year won by Ms. Gill Marcus, Governor of Reserved Bank South Africa.

‘Technology can cure our security ailment’

BY EMMANUEL ELEBEKE

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he anxiety over Boko Haram and other relat ed security issues are just because we are not applying relevant technology equipment to solve problems in the country.

That was the view of the Chairman of NITDA board, Dr. Tosin Ajayi, recently at a media parley in Abuja, organised to reposition the agency.

In his opinion, Nigeria is capable of overcoming its present security challenges if the necessary technology equipment are deployed.

He said Information Technology has become the biggest and the most fundamental tool in the world today and that any nation that fails to leverage the power of IT or that is not vast in it in tackling its problems, especially in the area of security is not going to make progress.

LG donates Mosquito Away air conditioners

By RICHARD UDOFIA

Coetzee,who received the Best Mobile Payment Product of the Year award for his company, said that African electronic transaction industry has come of age and can sustain the economies.

He, however, said all that was needed to keep it going was such events that could encourage and celebrate success stories of key stakeholders, just as Intermarc is doing.

has remained competitive, investment driven, and develop progressive products and innovations required to deploy new technologies while improving on sustainability.

He maintained that the newly developed mosquito away air conditioning units as well as the treated nets donated will go a long way in improving health care services in the community, push back the scourge of malaria which has been pronounced to be the biggest killer of pregnant women and children under the age of 5 in Nigeria.

He further stressed that the company is focused on giving back to the community in the area of promoting good service delivery to its customers who defied all odds over the years to patronize their products.

While complimenting their effort, Managing Director, Founani Nigeria Limited, Mr.

Mohammed Fouani said that the gesture was aimed at reaching out to deprived individuals, institutions and communities who have been left in the dark for some time now. He believes that the items donated will go a long way in empowering the health centre as well as the people in that community to enjoy sound health care.

Chairman Ojokoro Local Government, Mr. Olabisi Olabinjo while receiving the donations,called on other corporate organizations and individuals to emulate the kind gesture by LG in curbing malaria epidemic in the country.

Also, a recipient of some of the materials, Mrs. Toyin Jimoh,commended LG and admitted the gifts will help in preventing her children from falling ill at intervals.

As part of its mandate, he revealed that the agency had decided to reposition itself and restrategise to enable it tackle insecurity in the country using the tool of information technology.

“IT has become the biggest and the most fundamental tool in the world today. Any nation that is not leveraging on it or that is not vast in its usage,is not going to make progress.

“It is not something we have a choice about; it is not something we can do without. It is a must for a country like Nigeria, especially considering the prevailing circumstances we are facing now.

He stressed the need for Nigeria to adopt the use of IT in all sectors of the economy, arguing that the 21st century man is set on improving his life through the information technology.

For him,

know-l edge r e mained the most important e l e m e n t of Information Technology, that must be used to equip the Nigerian populace.

“The 21st century man is set

on improving what he is doing, his living, work and security through the use of information technology. However, the most important thing in IT is not the equipment but the knowledge base. From the beginning, mankind has always relied on knowledge to solve his security and health problems. So, if we do not employ IT in tackling our security challenges, we are not going to improve in all sectors. “ T h e biggest asset human bei n g has is h i s brain a n d when h e uses his brain, he uses technology to store it. And that is when he can be able to perform better, even in security.

“So, when we talk about security,it is when we begin to promote IT , data, programming and other processes that are easy to use, that we can say we are making use of the right knowledge.

This is not the time to rely on physical strength but a time to use more of our brain.

What this board has decided to do is to change the structure of NITDA to be able to change the entire system from brawn to brain,” he added.

28 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

ICT expert seeks better service delivery in Nigeria

BY EBUN SESSOU

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anaging Director, Fizzymex Infor mation Technology, Tafa Ipinyomi, has said that the best way to improve system administrative activities is to provide better service delivery to all stakeholders in Information Communication Technology (ICT) across the country.

Speaking with the newsmen in Lagos recently, Ipinyomi said that part of the advantages of the service to be rendered by the company included management of infrastructure and the performance perspective, adding that the service would go a long way in turning around the Information Technology infrastructure across the countr y.

He further stated that Fizzymex has signed a partnership agreement with Orient Technologies Pvt.Ltd, India, a leading IT Infrastructure Solutions,Mobility Solutions and Services Enterprise to promote and market its services to the fast growing Nigerian market.

According to him,under the terms of the agreement,Fizzymexy International Limited will be the vendor ’s Channel Partner for its enterprise solutions such as Network Integration and security solution,data centre solutions and a value added reseller for all other orients products.

The agreement would make available, a host of services devised to meet diverse customer requirements, simple reporting of basic level availability of technology infrastructure to advance system administration activities.

The services to be offered would be tailormade depending upon requirement.

LAUTECH students qualify for Imagine Cup World semi-finals

BY EMEKA AGINAM

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aving won the na tional finals after competing with eight other teams recently, students from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho are currently jostling to fly Nigerian flag at the Imagine Cup world semi-finals.

The team stands the chance to compete in the Finals which will take place in Seattle in July 2014 if they win the semifinals.

Although expectations and anxiety are still high, only two countries from Africa will fly the continent’s flag at the world stage this summer.

However, Adefioye Temidayo, Faleye Benjamin, Oyebisi Jemil and Ibraheem Bello of Team High Rise are the national winners in World Citizenship categor ythis year .

Team High Rise had developed a solution, Catara which serves the purpose of drastically reducing the rate at which cataract causes total blindness.

Team High Rise will join the brightest young minds to represent Africa just like team Code 8,showed how the power of technology can take on Africa’s and the world’s toughest problems.

In previous years, only a few of the very best teams made it all the way to the World Finals and received global recognition for their hard work.

In 2nd place, was Team Eagle from The Federal University of Akure (FUTA), with their solution Enchanter, which created virtual business cards that can be shared using near field communication (NFC). I Team ABU from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, came 3rd with their solution Mayday, which acts as an emergency alert and response application.

For the Nigerian winning team for the world semi-finals, it was a worthwhile experience and a good beginning to face the challenges ahead.

“We are so excited to have won today’s competition – and to have the opportunity to represent Nigeria at the World Semifinals,” Adefioye Temidayo of Team High Rise , said.

According to him, “And we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to compete with students from around the globe who, like us, are passionate about making a difference in the world.”

“Each team that competed in the competition is deserving of the highest recognition for the creativity and imagination applied to some of the world’s

Coscharis Technologies wins SMB award: From right: Mr. Thiery Chamayou, Vice-President, Schneider Electric Middle East and Africa presenting the awards to Sam Ugochukwu of Coscharis Technologies, while Oluwaseun Oloyede, IT Channel Business, Schneider Electric and Ayo Adegboye Vice-President English Speaking West Africa Schneider Electric look on.

biggest challenges.

“We’re proud to honour these young students who we believe truly exemplify the spirit of the Imagine Cup competition, and we’ll be cheering Team High Rise on as they compete on the world stage.

“Imagine Cup is also directly aligned with the Microsoft 4AfrikaInitiative that was launched last year as it drives access to technology, innovation and world-class skills.

“We believe deeply that technology can accelerate growth for Africa, and Africa can also accelerate technology for the world.”

Shina Oyetosho, Direc-

tor, Developer Platform Evangelist for Microsoft Nigeria, said shortly after announcing the results.

For Shina who is very passionate about building tech start-ups for the knowledge economy, “Teams who compete in all three contests will end up with significantly better Imagine Cup projects because they will be prepared to pitch, plan, and build their ideas,” Imagine Cup is a student software competition which centers on the use of imagination, creativity and technology to help solve some of the world’s toughest problems.

Spectranet offers broadband boost with ‘Pay Lite Download Heavy’ launch into the internet to do so at great cost.

However, a pocket of Internet Services Providers, particularly on the retail platform are creating innovative ways of making things easy. Their efforts have also seen many underserved areas connecting to the global village which Atul Ojha, COO Spectranet (m) flanked by Yogendra Sonawane, technology Head, Sales and Marketing (left) and Samson Akejelu, Marketing has reduced Manager at the event. the whole world to. he most intricate largely remained in the This could be a reason irony of Nigeria’s shores and hitting the why the Chief Operating broadband cam- hinterlands, rural plac- Officer, Spectranet, Mr paign is not availability. es have remained a mi- Atul Ojha, was all smiles, at the weekend After all there are about graine.

3 terabytes of broadband This in turn provided a when his company intromade possible by private situation of the rich also duced yet another innoinvestors who landed cry which sees Nigeria vation, Pay Lite, Downunder sea broadband ca- as a country with huge load Heavy, meant to ble into the country from capacity that its citizens keep Nigerian internet abroad. can not access. It also left subscribers remained However, the capacity those who desire to happy online.

BY PRINCE OSUAGWU

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The broadband plan gives users the opportunity and ease to download heavy data with insignificant amounts considering the current costs of bandwidth in the industry.

It supports the splitting of internet time belts into soft payment plans to enable both the rich and the poor get into the net.

The service provider says the innovation targets low income earners, students, house wives, upwardly mobile corporate executives, corporate customers and people with keen interest in downloading movies, music and games.

It gives opportunity for users who need access to work in the day and others who are busy during the day but want to enjoy internet in the night.

This is because, Spectranet says the new service offers night plan with a very lenient access time including offering 24 hours access on night plan, weekend and public holidays.

According to Ojha, “this

is our little way of boosting broadband access and reducing cost in Nigeria. Pay Lite, Download Heavy plans offer great savings when you consider the per GB cost of data download. Keeping in mind to offer value for money the cost per GB download in some of the plans is as low as N100.

We planned to give users a most competitive platform in the market and our idea is to use this platform. ”We are also introducing the night plan which will help heavy data users.

The whole idea is to make our services available to a very large section of the users. We are doing all these not unmindful of the fact that as customer base grows, people are bound to have degradation of services. So we are painstakingly making sure that our network is continually upgraded.

Very soon we will activate our services in Kaduna, Ibadan and Kano.

We are taking pain to go to these areas hoping

that things will get better. We don’t need to leave even volatile areas behind because getting actively on the net could solve most of the problems experienced there” he added.

Ojha said that Spectranet would welcome a healthy competition that can give the Nigerian subscriber a variety of options and keep service providers on their toes.

For him, “the beauty of broadband activities in Nigeria is that there are many options for the subscriber.

Either through GSM platform, WiMAX or 4G LTE, the subscriber can get himself on the internet. But why we are not bothered by competition is because our platform is 4G/ LTE and that is the best option for subscribers. ”Competition among the ISPs is good as long it is healthy. But remember, a healthy competitive industry reflects a healthy regulatory environment” he averred.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014 — 29

30 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014—31

This is the concluding part of this piece. The first part was published penultimate Thursday

32 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

The chase is on for Di María

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he transfer market opens for business just as Europe’s heavyweight football league championships draw to a close. During a World Cup year, some transfers will be rushed through, in fear that a good performance in Brazil might make signing certain players far more expensive. That could be what happens to Di María, who is being chased by some of Europe’s richest clubs.

French sides PSG and Monaco, and Premier League outfits Arsenal and Manchester City are all preparing bids of around 40m for the Argentine.

Although everyone at Real Madrid is currently fully focused on the Champions League final in Lisbon and their only concern is fulfilling their ticket commitments, there are those high up within the club who would be prepared to sell him.

The midfielder is focused on his recovery and Madrid’s upcoming Champions League final. However, it is true that the Argentine international wants to go to the Brazil World Cup without knowing where he will be playing next season. That way, as soon as the final is over, he could push through any potential move.

Di María has had the odd clash with the club’s hierarchy, firstly for the delay revising his contract, something he was promised when he signed, and then for his relegation to the bench in favour of Bale, when the Argentine knew full well he did not deserve to be dropped from Ancelotti’s starting line-up. Therefore, according to sources close to the midfielder, Ángel has in no way ruled out leaving at the end of the season.

Neymar: We’re ready to beat Atlético N

eymar is virtually over his foot injury and hopes to play the big “final” against Atlético despite the Brazilian Federation’s disapproval: “I am getting to the end of my recovery and we’ll see if I can play. I’ve already gone back to training.”

Aguero planning Man City stay

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anchester City striker Sergio Aguero has confirmed that he will not be leaving the club this summer.

The 25-year-old Argentine, whose 28 goals recently helped the Blues clinch the Premier League title, has been linked with Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid.

However, Aguero insists that

he intends to win more silverware with City next year.

“I’m so happy,” he is quoted as saying by Sky Sports News.

“It was an amazing moment to win another title. I’ll be back next year even stronger to win more trophies.”

Aguero joined City from Atletico Madrid in 2011 for around £38m.

The Brazilian is convinced that Barça can beat Atlético in the season’s last game: “We’re totally ready for this. Atlético have a great side, with great players and it will be hard to beat them, but we have no other option but to go out there and win”, he said on an internet chat with fans.

The starlet has had a string of injury problems this season. Pulling a muscle saw him sidelined for a few weeks; he then picked up an injury in his left foot in the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid in April. The player assured that the worst is behind him and promised that he would be 100% for the World Cup. Regarding Brazil 2014, he said: “I was a little nervous about the call-up, but afterwards I was really happy. The penny hasn’t dropped yet; I suppose it will once we’re there. There’s no reason for me to feel nervous or under pressure. I’ll be in my home country, with my family.”

Neymar is considering getting a special new haircut for the World Cup and also plans to rehearse goal celebrations with his Brazil teammates.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014 — 33

er s an d an ch es te r Ci ty pl ay lle gr in i Pe m an ag er M an ue l u Dhabi touched down in Abdly game eir frien yesterday ahead of th ek. we is against Al Ain th t Ko m pa ny an d Ca pt ai n Vi nc en fans to come and Pellegrini are urginging celebrations at join in the title winn ion in Abu Dhabi an open training sess tonight. n th e tit le wi th Th e te am , wh o wo at the weekend, victory over West Ham a Football Club’s will train at Al Jazir ad with the event stadium off Airport RoEntry is free and opening at 6.30pm. UAE are welcome fans from across the tting up close to with the chance of ge t na m es in wo rld so m e of th e bi gg es football. m pa ny, st ar Th es e in cl ud e Ko e and ace striker midfielder Yaya Tour Sergio Aguero. chester City fan Abu Dhabi-based Man ve the English ha o Jamal Saleh said: “T pions coming to Premier League chamafter winning the Abu Dhabi just daysThere are more and title is just fantastic. UAE and it will be more City fans in the to see the players a big thing for us all train in Abu Dhabi. to thank them for “It’s a brilliant way n and hopefully ai winning the title ag m or e to co m e in y an th er e wi ll be m future years.”

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Bayern Munich players pass the time during victory parade *take to drinking, slapping each other

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ith the DFB Pokal final against Borussia Dortmund still to play, Bayern Munich held a victory parade to celebrate their second straight Bundesliga title.

Apparently when you’ve had as many parades as Bayern have, it starts to get a little monotonous. So, inspired by beer, several of the players decided to entertain

Terry extends Chelsea deal by one-year

themselves with a slapping game as they were slowly transported through the streets of Munich.

Naturally, Franck Ribery was the instigator. Along with David Alaba, Mario Mandzukic and a few others, the group played rock-paper-scissors to see who would do the slapping and who would be getting

Cerezo: Barca clash easier for Atletico

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helsea captain John Terry has signed a new oneyear contract extension.

It had been reported that the Chelsea captain was so keen to stay at Stamford Bridge that he was willing to accept a paycut, but the 33-year-old now looks set to secure a deal somewhere close to his current £150,000-a-week wage.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho will have been just as desperate as Terry to hang onto the Blues veteran after one of his best seasons in a blue shirt.

Although Terry was attracting interest from clubs across Europe, the Chelsea board were always confident that the former England captain would sign a new deal.

There had been question marks over the futures of Terry, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole, but Mourinho’s first priority would surely have been to tie the former down for at least another year.

Although doubts still remain over the futures of Lampard and Cole, Chelsea fans can at least count on their captain, leader, legend for another season.

slapped. When Alaba lost, everyone gave him a gentle slap across the face, but Ribery decided to give him a kiss on the cheek instead. The next time Alaba lost, Ribery bit him instead. Because if Luis Suarez isn’t doing it anymore, someone has to.

Later on, Pep Guardiola danced like a penguin...

A

Poyet plans Sunderland future S underland head coach Gus Poyet has continued his summer planning, despite speculation about his future at the Stadium of Light.

Poyet pulled off a dramatic escape with Sunderland this season, steering the club from a desperate position in the dropzone to a 14th place finish.

But the Uruguayan has previously voiced his concerns about problems within the club, sparking speculation about his future.

He has recently been linked with possible vacancies at West

Ham and Southampton, although Poyet has tried to play down these claims by insisting he is busily preparing for another season on Wearside.

“I have been talking to the people at the club, setting up things,” said Poyet. “I have finished the pre-season, everything is set, so I don’t know, I don’t know what I need to say.

“It’s common sense. Yes of course, you talk about different things when you meet, where we are going, what we want to do, how much money do you get what is the idea, blah, blah, blah".

tletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo believes that the upcoming Liga title decider at Barcelona will prove to be an “easier ” test than last weekend’s match against Malaga.

With the Blaugrana having been held at home by Getafe, Diego Simeone’s side would have been crowned Spanish champions had they won at the Vicente Calderon at the weekend, but they had to settle for a 1-1 in the end and now need to avoid defeat in Saturday’s crunch clash at Camp Nou to win the Primera Division.

“It will be easier against Barca than it was versus Malaga,” Cerezo told Ser Catalunya.

“Both us and Barcelona slipped up and now we must settle it in one game.

“At this point, I would say that it’s 50-50 who will win La Liga.

“This league campaign is like the film ‘The Wages of Fear ’, where a train transported nitroglycerin and it could blow up at any minute!”

Atletico currently hold a threepoint lead over Barcelona, but the Catalans will have a superior head-to-head record should they defeat the Rojiblancos, as the Catalans claimed a 0-0 draw at the Calderon earlier in the season.

34—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

Oluchi Orlandi and Caroline Danjuma M

Hilary Clinton

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ormer American Presidential aspirant, First Lady and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton has not been heard of very much around here in recent times, but last week her speech Wednesday night in New York that the Nigerian government had shown irresponsibility in matters relating to girls and boys over the years, caused her to begin to trend in the Nigerian cyberspace.

Clinton, who is a likely presidential candidate in 2016, added her voice to an increasingly widespread outrage that has followed the most fought against kidnap of all time.

She described the action of Boko Haram as “abominable and criminal” which required the “fullest response possible first and foremost from the government of Nigeria.”

The government of Nigeria has been, in my view, somewhat derelict in its responsibility for protecting boys and girls, men and women.

The Daily Mail reports Clinton as saying that during her tenure as the Secretary of States, she was pressured by the Justice Department, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the head of the U.S. military’s Africa Command to add Boko Haram to the state’s official list of terror organisations, a request she refused. In November 2013, the current Secretary of State, John Kerry, granted that request.

Lola Okoye A

lso sending Mothers’ Day greetings to his wife via social media was Peter Okoye, who has just emerged from a deep family crisis with no visible scars The most important thing a Father can do for his children is to love their mother. In reply Lola tweeted: awwww my darling, thank you so much for your unconditional love. I love you so much, my rock!

Thankfully, trouble has abated in paradise.

that the AGN is the “umbrella body” of Nigerian actors and the competence of the president to lead it: it is not surprising that I b i n a b o Fiberisima will display such a lack of knowledge of what advances screen actors professionally in the developed world since she has not functioned consistently as an actor and has less than ten titles to her credit in a career spanning from the late eighties.

Ms Ibinabo Fiberisima should resign as AGN president for her brazen use of a body created to serve the creative interests of a group, to gain political appointment while in office. I enjoin her to follow the respectable road of her named predecessors by joining the PDP and testing the real value of her selfearned popularity as an actress for political appointment.

Ibinabo Fiberesima and Clarion Chukwura-Abiola C larion Chukwura Abiola, veteran actress and classic beauty has been about for weeks, criticizing incumbent Actors’ Guild of Nigeria’s president Ibinabo Fiberisima, who is thought by most to be taking the guild to the next level.

Ironically, the veteran had some credible bones to pick in her own public letter over a month ago, while criticizing the visit of the AGN to Aso Rock.

According to her, Nigerian screen actors are artists not politicians and do not need a national secretariat in the political capital of Nigeria.

Chukwura further questioned the claim C M Y K

other ’s Day last Sunday had celebs tweeting and celebrating motherhood and themselves on cyberspace.

Notable in this regard are Oluchi Orlandi who released photos of herself chilling with her tots, refereeing to them as “little men” (now folks believe she has children).

Also tweeting was Caroline Danjuma, mother of 2 boys who showed up her baby bump for the 3rd. the former actress and entrepreneur sent out a beautiful prayer and message on Mother’s day, referring to herself as being Exceptionally blessed.

Like a good Nigerian woman, she also had a word of prayer for the less fortunate: May God visit every barren woman today, and may testimonies fill the mouth of the mothers of the Chibok girls today. He is an awesome God. Nothing is too difficult for him. Kind prayer from a kind heart.

*Caroline Danjuma

*Oluchi Orlandi

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rending on blogosphere still on the kidnapped girls is Nigeria’s finance minister, Ngozi OkonjoIweala, who slipped up in a rare media gaffe, telling a reporter for an American television station she was tired speaking about the abduction of more than 276 school girls in Chibok, Borno State.

I’m tired of the same stories, the minister said at the World Economic Forum meeting in Abuja.

Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala explained she was not competent to speak on the issue since she was not the government spokesperson but soon realized her mistake and promptly agreed to make some explanations on the government’s effort at dealing with the abductions.

I cannot answer those questions.

I am the minister of finance. I can only tell you about the full commitment of the government and the pledge of the international community as demonstrated by this conference, she responded.

Asked what the government was doing about rescuing the girls, the minister said “everything” was

Ngozi Okonjo Iweala being done.

She then released a transcript of the interview on her Facebook page late Saturday; but the transcript excluded the initial exchange with the journalist.

Dora Akunyili T

o say that the beloved Dora Akunyili has the goodwill of Nigerians is an understatement, but sources have disclosed that Mrs. Akunyili’s condition worsened a few days ago, prompting her hospitalization at an undisclosed hospital in Abuja.

Several blogs have reported that Mrs. Akunyili had been flown to India for a round of medical treatment. However, members of the National Conference said the former minister was hospitalized in Abuja. One of the delegates revealed that Mrs. Akunyili had not been at the confab for several weeks after she made a public address at one of the plenaries at the confab.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014—35

I was scared to become a liability to my man —Eudoka Ahubelem- Nwosu, MD Eudoka’s Place E

udoka Ahubelem-Nwosu is a graduate of Accounting of Lagos State University. She is an associate member of a Chattered Institute of Strategic Management and also had her finishing school with Faith Foundation Business School.

She trained in the art beauty in a top beauty school .While growing up she fell in love with colours and loved all things bright and beautiful. A naturally a creative person who loves to invent things with her hands, she bagged the Exquisite Lady of the Year Award as the make up artist of the year.

Excerpts: What has been your work experience in and out of the industry?

I started working immediately I was through with my SSCE at the age of 16. My father regarded me as an extrovert; I used to tell him I did not just want to end up a liability in a man’s house. So, I became business conscious right from the beginning. I worked with top communication organization as a marketer, the Union Trading Company and later on with a real estate company. I had this notion that if you work early for others, you would work early for yourself.

At what point in time did you decide to go into the beauty enhancement business?

While working for the real estate firm, I got to a stage where I could not find fulfillment in what I did. I wanted to live a life that was purpose driven, and did not want to remain under peoples shadow.

I started asking God lots of questions because I’m a spiritual person. I discovered I had the flair of making people look good so I went ahead to do formal training.

C M Y K

I was making use of the little skin care tips I got from the beauty school which I was able to start my business with. I became partners with a lady who had lots of knowledge about the industry.

The only thing I had going in was theoretical experience but I was able to work with a partner whose father was good in herbs. I was able to branch out on my own after being partners for a period of time.

How long has Eudoka’s place been established for and what is the history behind it?

Officially, it has been in existence for seven years but it was mobile for three years. I used to make my soap and cream and sell it to my classmates so they could buy. After that I was rarely broke because the orders started coming in. I had dreams and plans about what I really wanted even though I was going through financial constraint back then. I knew that with passion and enthusiasm I would get there. I refused to allow anything dampen me, not even the fact that I didn’t

have money. At that particular point in time while I was trusting God for funds, I was able to gather all the experience I needed. I had this aura that drew people to me even as a beauty artist. I used my waiting period to acquire more skill until God provided a place for me when the time came.

What satisfaction do you get at the end of each session?

My clients’ response gives me great satisfaction. Their reactions to the treatments they receive are very important. The outcome of

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BYANINO AGANBI

mouth advertisement. Back then, we were basically working form our car and selling our products.

Now we have our own brands of products we produce instead of buying other peoples own. We also have office space and are looking forward to expanding our line of products.

What are your aspirations?

My aspiration is to be the best in the industry. I want to get to that place that when you think beauty, you think Eudoka’s Place.

What is your advice for young

My aspiration is to be the best in the industry. I want to get to that place that when you think beauty, you think Eudoka’s Place.

each treatment given, the way their skins glow after a body or face treatment. Seeing what I have done and the accomplishment that comes out of it.

What has been your major challenge?

Not being able to meet the demands of clients from different part of the country has been a great challenge. Most people call from outside Lagos but because of lack of mobility, it is difficult to travel around the nation. So instead, we just tell them which of our products to buy and follow them up to know if their skins are compatible with the products or if we have to refer them to use something else.

How have you expanded your scope or grown your business from the point you started from?

We have come a long way from when we were using word of

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people coming into the industry?

My advice to them would be that they should have passion for what they want to do. Be focused.

Seek God’s face before you take that decision. You should not just delve into a business and because it does not work out, you move to another. Be persistent in what you do. Seek knowledge like you have never done before and the sky would be your stepping stone.

What other business do you do apart from the beauty industry?

I do teaching, training and seminars on different issues I feel passionate about.

As a married woman, how do you juggle married life with the usual hassle of running a business?

I have a very understanding husband and a wonderful team. I give my husband my itinerary for the day and we work around it.

With God all things are possible.

36—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

Why sex export thrives in Nigeria

BY VERA SAMUEL ANYAGAFU

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GOOD number of Nigerians have come to realize the fact that leaving the shores of the country in search of the so called ‘better life’ in various countries abroad is no guarantee to fame and fortune. It is emotionally wrecking to know that a good number of Nigerians who travelled to several countries of choice abroad have one disappointing story or the other to tell about their trip.

The positive prospects they

had expected appeared a mirage and at the same time unfavourable, thereby, spending their lives in abject squalor in their various countries of abode abroad.

Ngozi, 37 (real names withheld), in a bid to escape the socio-economic problems bedeviling Nigeria, travelled to Europe with high hopes, but was disappointed.

According to Ngozi, “Living abroad is like living in a cage.

We were always in fear of the immigration and police officers, who always, patrol the streets, sending shocking waves down our spine. Life

abroad is generally different from life in Nigeria, as one would not be able to evade certain rules, unlike Nigeria, where it is easily possible to either evade or tamper with several laws.”

Ngozi left Nigeria a virgin and at a very young age. She was determined to come back home completely fulfilled, and with the support of her mother, she arranged with sex export merchants and travelled to Europe in search of what she called ‘ better life’. Upon arrival, she was quickly introduced into the business of prostitution and

few months later, she built her parents a home and made sure her siblings continued their education.

Her achievements within years of the booming-sex business abroad enormously helped her family and entire community. She also bought property in choice areas in town, and owned several commuter vehicles and a car mart where she sold used cars (Tokunbo cars).

Ngozi so cherished her business oversea, because it provided her with the much needed fame and fortune she had craved for. In addition to the flourishing prostitution business, she went into the sex-export trade, and that made her the more rich and famous. Her gorgeously built house in the heart of town was always filled with young girls and mothers who were prepared to damn any consequence to get rich.

Not long she became famous and rich, Ngozi was struck with HIV and subsequently diminished to a

who simply identified herself as Anne, was also involved in Ngozi’s kind of business, but hers was a bit modest.

She has an attractive house in Lagos and in her home town and both houses were estimated to cost over N40 million.

She has retired from the business and is presently trading varieties of lace material at Lekki, Lagos.

According to Anne, “ It is okay to travel out of the country, but you have to be focused. I am a frequent traveler and ever willing to assist girls who strive to achieve their desired dreams in life but I regret everything now.” She also disclosed the recruitment standard, which she said is clear but diabolical, noting that they only recruit girls who are willing to take the oat and follow the rule of the game.

“The oath, forbids the girls from going against the agreement and the majority of the girls who took the oat with me, did so on their own violation, and were never forced to,” Anne said Disclosing the oat’s procedure, she said, “It is prepared with pubic hair, toe and finger nails, blood and so on, gotten from the interested girls. This is done in order to ensure that the girls do not fail in fulfilling their part of the agreement and also to keep the business on,” she added.

Vanguard Consular

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Living abroad is like living in a cage. We were always in fear of the immigration and police officers, ho always, patrol the streets, sending shocking waves down our spine

shadow of her once alluring self. By the time she was diagnosed of the deadly disease, Ngozi ignorantly sold almost everything she had, believing she was poisoned. “Agonised by the harsh and unaccommodating treatment I received on a daily basis from the same people, whom I had labored and sold my flesh for, I almost committed suicide, but was rescued by the word of God”, Ngozi said.

Presently, she is receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital through the support of a good spirited Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) in Lagos.

Another young girl

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Advisory (VCA) authoritatively learnt also that sex export trade is fast increasing in Nigeria and it is important that all responsible authorities begin to take a deeper look into the trade.

Sharing his own views on the booming flesh merchant business, Mr. Ben, (other names with held), pointed out that “ In as much as the business is dirty, it has somehow become a booming trade for the youths. Many of them own nearly 95 per cent of the commuter buses that ply most of our municipal routes.

Their contribution to the economy has successfully helped Nigeria grow and which ever way you try to weigh how legitimate or illegitimate they made their money is inconsequential to me. What is important is that they have been able to reduce crime through the provision of jobs to a large number of the Nigerian youths who roam the streets.”

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014—37

Must our men be promiscuous?

My fiancee’s dating history is disgusting!

Dear Ibrahim, I think you’re better off calling off the wedding. Not because your girl has done anything wrong. Actually, she’s been very brave to tell you the truth and deserves your forgiveness. The reason you should call off the wedding is because you don’t really care about her.

You’re more concerned about what other people might think than about how she got into such a situation when she was young. With your current attitude, if you get married you’d be condemning her to lifetime

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Dear Bunmi, I’ve been with my girlfriend since our university days and we will be getting married soon.

She recently introduced her choice of chief bridesmaid to me and I was aghast. She was a real jet-setter though she didn’t attend the same university as ours. In fact, a few of my friends used to ‘date’ her.

I told my girl outright that she should look for a substitute, but she refused.

She said they were childhood friends and had promised long ago to be each other ’s bridesmaid.

When I told her of the girl’s history, she said she knew. I pumped her further and she confessed she too used to go out with Aristos, which is a sophisticated name for Sugar Daddies.

Of course, she said it was all behind her now, that she regretted what she did and asked for my forgiveness. I know I should put it all behind me, but I can’t. I’m disgusted to say the least.

What happens when we run into one of her Aristos? And how many of them has she had?

Ibrahim, by e-mail.

disapproval.

So give the situation a really serious thought. If you cannot come to terms with her past, then walk away.

This way, you can both find partners who’ll make you happy.

He’s not getting married to her and I’m sure the woman is teaching your son some essential facts about life

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After a year of marriage I want out Dear Bunmi, I got married over a year ago after being with my partner for just six months.

He is over 10 years older and wanted to get married because he wanted a family as soon as possible. But I did not get pregnant even after fertility treatment.

My husband’s sperm count is a bit low but not as low as not to make me pregnant.

The problem now is that I have realised I am no longer in love with him and I think it is wrong to have a baby if there is no love left, though I am desperate to be a mum.

Faith, by e-mail.

Dear Faith, You don’t need to stay with

your husband in a loveless marriage to be a mum— you can divorce and have a baby with someone else.

And you do have every right to want a child, but if you really care for that child, you’ll make sure there’s love, security and peace in the family.

I am assuming you have explored all avenues of making your marriage work before arriving at this sad conclusion. Apologise to your husband and leave since you’re this disillusioned.

Take time to recover and try again to get pregnant— but only when the time is right and you are in a relationship you are proud of.

This cougar’s got her claws into my son!

Dear Bunmi, I’ve just found out from a neighbour who is also a friend that my 23-year-old son is having it with a woman in her 30s, who lives down the road. I feel really let down. I am a single mother and I thought we had a trusting relationship and can’t understand why he’s doing this and keeping it a secret.

I’ve always told him and his younger sister that they shouldn’t hesitate to bring their problems to me no matter how personal. I didn’t

even know he was seeing her let alone sleeping with her— they’d been at it for months now and I’m worried this woman will hurt him after she’s used him.

Nikky, by e-mail.

Dear Nikky, Do you honestly think your son should have asked for your permission to start an intimate relationship? He is a grown man and if he wants to have it with his girlfriend, that’s his business.

I’m sure you can still have a close relationship as long

as you don’t start acting like a jealous, over possessive mother!

Perhaps he has deliberately not told you because he knows you so well and is sure you will disapprove. If I were you I would just let things take their natural course.

He’s not getting married to her and I’m sure the woman is teaching your son some essential facts about life. If and when he’s eventually tossed on the rubbish heap as you feared, your motherly help would be needed.

Dear Bunmi, I get so angry when people, yourself inclusive, say that all men fantasise about sleeping with other women. That women do not want to be this way is normal.

Can you tell me what is normal about a woman going to bed with her husband and, while they are making love, he’s thinking about someone else?

I like to believe that I’m good-looking enough and good enough in bed for my husband to think only about me when we make love. If I ever found out about my man and other women, our relationship would be threatened. It would be as bad as if he slept with another woman behind my back. If a man is sexually fulfilled, why does he need to go elsewhere?

Moyin, by e-mail.

Dear Moyin, Men, in the same way as women, fantasise increasingly about the opposite sex as they enter adolescence. They are aroused by the thoughts that flash through their minds.

This leads to relationships and, eventually, intimacy.

Most sexologist believe that the ability to look forward to

the joy of love-making is part of what distinguishes us from other animals. It gives us enormous pleasure and it helps the human race to thrive.

Like it or not, a man will continue to fantasise about intimacy, frequently or seldom, throughout his life.

Although he will tend to focus on the woman he loves, he cannot and does not control the sexual thoughts that rush into his head. He will remain alert to the attribute of other women.

In comparison, a woman who has found and loves her partner may have few thoughts about sex other than those involving her partner.

It is a known fact that men and women are sexually different and it is inappropriate to expect them to be the same. According to various surveys, some men fantasise freely, others not at all or one partner more than the other.

Accepting and respecting a partner ’s sexual nature, allows some couple’s intimacy to grow and their sex life to become enriched.

You cannot compete with whatever sexual fantasies your husband may have— and you don’t need to. It’s you that he loves.

How can I forgive a mum who abandoned us?

Dear Bunmi, I was starting primary school when my mother abandoned me and my sister to get married to a richer man. Our dad could not cope and we were raised by our auntie who tried her best.

Once in a while, we were told of our mum’s new life and how her husband did not want us in the house. This made me really resentful.

What kind of a mother abandons her own children?

Now that her husband has died, she wants to meet up. I am happily married— so is my sister. None of us invited her to the wedding and I wonder what she now wants.

Is it possible to let her back into my life again?

Angela, by e-mail.

Dear Angela, It is never a simple matter when meeting again with someone who hurt you badly in the past. Think through

your agenda before you make up your mind. Do you want a happy ending? If so, tread softly. You need to have realistic aims. Talk to trusted friends who can help you plan what you want to say and do during the meeting.

Exchange phone calls before you meet face to face.

Get a sense of why she wants to meet you. If you have solid evidence— not just a feeling of anxiety— that your mum has not changed and is going to hurt you all over again, then don’t meet her.

When you eventually meet, let it be at a neutral place and for a short time. Don’t drink any alcohol during the meeting so that emotions do not get out of hand.

Finally, don’t expect everything to be cleared up immediately. Aim for a little progress, then arrange a further meeting with her, so you know you’ll get another chance to make things right.

Share your problems and release your burden. Write now to Dear Bunmi, Vanguard Newspapers, P.M.B 1007, Apapa, Lagos. or bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk

38—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

earlier ruled that there was no need to repeat ward, local government and state congresses in Anambra State, hence upholding the earlier congress.

The Committee was headed by Dr Garba Abari, with Hajia Sadia Farouq and B.D. Lawal as members.

•Okonkwo:

•Ngige:

Anambra: Ngige, Okonkwo battle for the soul of APC

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

A

N end to the raging battle for the soul of Anambra All Progressives Congress (APC) between Senators Chris Ngige and Annie Okonkwo is far from sight with the men leading two separate state executive committees of the party.

A 35-member factional state exco led by Barr Emeka Ibe had emerged from the first congress held in April and is loyal to Ngige. Another faction made up of 31 members, which is led by Mr. Obiorah Samuel Igwedibia is loyal to Okonkwo was elected last weekend.

Igwedibia and 30 other members of the state executive committee were elected at a state congress held at the Women Development centre, Awka, weekend. Prince Otis Robinson chaired the congress committee.

The party conducted ‘fresh’ ward and local government congresses last week following the controversy that trailed the congresses in April.

Senator Okonkwo had complained against the earlier congress held on April 26, claiming that Senator Ngige marginalised his group.

It was based on this complaint that a committee was set up to repeat the primaries, which did not go down well with Ngige.

Secretary of the Anambra Congress Committee, Dr. Ahmed Aminu said all the 1,122 delegates from the 21 local councils and 326 wards in the state, voted.

Apart from the chairman, Igwedibia, who was challenged

by Dr Igwilo Sylvester, the other executive members were elected unopposed.

Ahmed said each of the 326 wards produced five delegates including the council chairman and secretary of the party as well as statutory delegates from the National Assembly. Igwedibia commended all APC members in the state for their cooperation, saying he contested for the seat because APC needs to work assiduously to achieve a party that can compete with any other party. Other officers elected included Deputy Chairman, Rev Achukwu; State Secretary, Nestor Okoro; Publicity Secretary, CT Albert; Legal Adviser, Bar Nwadiuba and Treasurer, Eddy Nwokike among others.

South-East APC disown Igwediba However, at a time Igwedibia and his team are savouring their election, the South-East chapter of the party dissociated itself from

the Anambra repeat congresses.

In a statement by its Spokesman, Osita Okechukwu, the South-East APC picked holes in the congresses it said were conducted by some aggrieved members of the party led by Senator Annie Okonkwo at the Women Development Centre Awka, last Friday.

It upheld the earlier Anambra State APC Congress held on April 26 at the Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka, saying “on the position of the Congress Appeal Report on Anambra State and the Abari Sub-committee we stand.”

Okechukwu accused the organisers of the repeat congress of plotting to de-stabilise APC in Anambra State and scuttle its case before the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Awka.

He appealed to all APC members in Anambra to join

hands with Senator Ngige, who he said remains the leader of the party by virtue of his position as the highest APC political office holder in the state.

Okechukwu maintained that there is no faction in Anambra APC, describing the purported repeat congress as a gathering of disloyal politicians being used by external forces to destabilize the party. “All one can say is that Senator Annie Okonkwo cannot in all honesty say he is a genuine member of the APC, having sabotaged the party during the Anambra State gubernatorial election late last year. “I am worried he may withdraw the APC suit at the tribunal, if by mistake, the leadership hands over the structure of the party to him,” Okechukwu said.

He said that a committee set up by the APC National Congress Supervisory Committee had

Ebonyi 2015: Zoning permutations

BY EMMANUEL UBANI

N

OW that the Fifth Republic is gradually inching towards a successful ending, political permutations, conjectures and assumptions by political pundits and commentators on who succeeds the incumbents at all levels of government are beginning to saturate media space and the air times. The prospective aspirants into various political offices on their part are surreptitiously oiling their campaign machinery and beefing up their war chests preparatory to throwing in their hat into the ring.

The polity is already being

unnecessarily heated up by political gladiators and their foot soldiers by their unwanted utterances and unhealthy debate on the need for one zone or section of the country/State to produce their candidate or for their preferred choice to clinch the coveted seat of the president, governor or legislative position as the case maybe.

In Ebonyi State, the atmosphere is no less chaotic with different interest groups representing the various candidates promoting their candidates or canvassing for the position of the governor to be zoned to their Senatorial District on the guise of justice,

fair play and equity but ostensibly to favour their preferred candidate.

It is instructive to note that the contest for the highest office in the State is amongst the three Senatorial Zones of Ebonyi South, Ebonyi Central and Ebonyi North respectively.

The present Governor Martin Elechi comes from Ebonyi Central just as Senator Igwe Nwagu one of the interested candidates while Senator Chris Nwanko, Engr. Elias Mbam who are both alleged to have interest and former Governor, Dr. Sam Egwu, hail from Ebonyi North. However, Senator Chris Nwanko, Engr. Elias Mbam and Senator Igwe Nwagu are

I remain a committed bonafide member – Okonkwo Responding to these allegations after a stakeholders meeting in Awka recently, Senator Okonkwo, who is deputy national chairman (South), said he is a genuine and committed member of the APC and has no plans of ditching the party he helped to found in the SouthEast.

In spite bickering in the Anambra State chapter, Okonkwo said he has elected to remain in the party because it is the only party that can salvage Nigeria from her multifarious challenges. “After a proper study of what Nigeria is currently facing today as a nation, especially the insecurity and unemployment problems, it is important that we keep sentiments and personal interest aside and save our nation.”

The insinuation of his plan to leave APC arose from his recent suspension by the party to investigate the allegation that he was involved in anti-party activities during the November 16, 2013 Anambra State governorship election.

Considered a front runner in the governorship race, the APC hierarchy favoured Senator Chris Ngige for the party’s ticket, a move that raised dust in the party.

However, Okonkwo said: “After the investigation of the party, they find out I was not involved in anti-party activities, that is to say that APC is a party that stands for truth. All the things they said about me have been investigated.” yet to officially declare their interest but their body language and pressure from their kinsmen are indicative of their interest.

On the other hand, Ebonyi South parades a long list of candidates who have indicated interest in the job. The list includes Engr. Dave Umahi, Deputy Governor of the State, Prof. Chigozie Ogbu, former Deputy Governor, Prof.

Onyebuchi Chukwu Minister of Health, Senator Sunny Ogbuorji, Dr. Paul Okorie, former Commissioner of Environment, and Barr.

Timothy Oda, Commissioner for Finance amongst others.

Each of these candidates have their strong and weak

Continue on page 39

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014—39

2015: Quiet moves of Jonathan’s men

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN

T

HE ambience around the men and women gathered that day at the Presidential Hotel, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State was a contrast to the confusion around most of the country, especially up north.

Presidential politicking it seemed, had been suspended by the mainstream Peoples Democratic Party, PDP some ten days earlier following the upsurge in the activities of the notorious Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

The sect against reasoning had rained two bombs on Nyanya, an outskirt of the Federal Capital Territory and followed it with the widely condemned kidnap of nearly three hundred girls from the Chibok Girls Secondary School, in Borno State.

However, the gathering of major enthusiasts of President Goodluck Jonathan, long planned before the atrocious events up north could not be postponed. Hotel reservations

*L-R: Former Minister of Transport, Dr Abiye Sekibo; National Coordinator of Goodluck2Goodluck2015 Project, Major General Charles Ehigie Airhiavbere (Rtd) and member, Board of Trustees/Patron G2G, Sir Emem Akpabio at the Inaugural Ceremony of the Zonal and States Coordinators of G2G held at the Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt former candidate seems not to have been disheartened and has taken more steps to consolidate

,

This organization hopes to highlight and re-sensitize the people of our great and dear country on the achievements made so far under manifesto of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan

and commitments apparently had been made and hence, the inauguration of the Goodluck To Goodluck 2015 Project, generally known as the G2G Project.

Among the dignitaries present on that day, two were outstanding in their representation of two different political generations: Senator Ameh Ebute, president of the Senate at the peak of the controversy over the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election and Major-General, Charles Ehigie Airhiavbere (rtd.), the PDP candidate in the 2012 gubernatorial election.

Both men, aptly represented what some would have called the old and the new generations.

Whatever generations they represented, both men were at convergence in promoting a common project; to wit, the unfettered re-election of President Jonathan for a second term. Also present that day were former minister of transport, Chief Abiye Sekibo, PDP chieftain in Akwa Ibom, Sir Emem Akpabio among others.

Following his stint in the Nigerian Army, Airhiavbere, had in 2011 returned to join the political fray and eventually emerged as the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP for the 2012 election.

Despite losing the election, the

,

his presence in the political space.

His latest political project is the G2G project for which he is the national chairman/coordinator.

Unveiling his new group penultimate Friday, Airhiavbere was unpretentious about the aim of the group which he said, was framed on their assumption that no one was in a better position to take over the leadership of the country than Dr. Jonathan in

Continues from page 38 points.

Generally, the candidates from North and Central Zones have the advantage of population and political homogeneity. They have always stayed together right from the old Anambra State owing to their common ancestry which is traced to the Ekumenyi Family. It is unlikely that the zones will not work together to present a candidate on behalf of the two zones.

The general position of people from these zones is that it is not yet time for power to go to the South Zone considering the fact that the people of the South are already enjoying other advantages, and more importantly, they have not been very accommodating and fair to the Abakaliki bloc on the positions they held.

May 2015.

“It is our mission to leave Nigerians without any doubt that no-one is better qualified to take over the reins of power in 2015 other than President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan himself; hence the title of our platform – Goodluck To Goodluck (G2G) 2015,” he said as a matter of fact.

Continuing, he said: “This organization hopes to highlight and re-sensitize the people of our great and dear country on the achievements made so far under manifesto of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Telling his audience that Jonathan and some of the events of his era were answers to prayers, he said:”There exists no doubt in my mind that President Goodluck Jonathan was God’s answer to our vision and prayers.

Under his leadership, Nigeria successfully celebrated its 100

years of nationhood (Centenary), its Golden Jubilee (marking 50 years of Independence), and convened the much-requested National Conference, while staying the course on an unprecedented Transformation Agenda – the most successful government program of its kind in Nigeria. It is already yielding tremendous results despite the hiccups and distractions posed by detractors and the destructive wave of terrorism.”

“Until President Goodluck Jonathan came to power, “continuity” was a strange word to Nigerian leaders coming into governance at all levels.

Abandoned/uncompleted projects littered our great country’s landscape - over 3,000 in all, clear evidence of the lack of prudence that has plagued governance at every level in our nation.”

Noting the humility of the president, he said:”The fact that our current President does not

“blow his own trumpet” should not blind us to the reality of his capability and performance as President. Maybe it is time for those of who know what he is doing for our nation to blow the trumpet on his behalf. Judging by his achievements so far, another 4-year term will only ensure that the ongoing process of laying a foundation for a better Nigeria is not interrupted.”

Giving the intentions of the group, he added: “It is our hope that the G2G 2015 Project will serve as a rallying point for interest groups across the country whether or not they are affiliated with the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP). The only qualifying credential would be genuine readiness to work towards the continuity of President Goodluck Jonathan’s mandate beyond 2015, and the re-consolidation of the policies and values that brought greatness and national appeal to our great Party – the PDP.” The guest speaker, Senator Ebute said it was not difficult for him identifying with the project as according to him, it is always a thing of honour to “identify with any cause that borders on national transformation and the promotion of our most cherished democracy.”

Speaking on the topic, “Jonathan-The Game Changer of Our Time,” he said: “President Jonathan’s election in 2011 was a game changer. His land-slide victory in the three geopolitical zones of the South-South, the Southeast and the North-Central and substantial win in the NorthEast and the South West changed the pattern of voting from regional or ethnic voting.”

Another game changer he noted was the philosophy of one man one vote, which he claimed was championed by the president. One feature which he said endeared him to the president is the humility of the president despite the enormous powers available to the Nigerian president.

Ebonyi 2015: Zoning permutations

•Elechi: The South on the other hand, feel strongly that for fairness and justice, it is proper to allow them to produce the next Governor. However, the intrigue amongst their candidates and the differences amongst the constituent Local

Governments of the Zone, in addition to the likely mass support of Abakaliki Block to its candidates will pose a stumbling block for the South to achieve its desire.

People with moderate views in the debate argue that since democracy is a game of numbers, the North and Central Zones will always hold sway in a free and fair elections urging the South to continue to employ dialogue in their engagement with their counterparts from the other zones with a view to achieving consensus and paving way for the emergence of a popular candidate.

It is instructive to note that while people of the state indulge in speculations using

skewed parameters, the indefatigable Governor Elechi has thus far refused to be waylaid or drawn into the fray choosing to concentrate on providing democracy dividends and leaving a solid legacy built on good governance, transparency and accountability.

Interestingly, the governor thus far remains unperturbed by the cacophony of calls for him to anoint a candidate from a particular zone, and is very unlikely that the Akporunkashi would cave in to pressure and do the biddings of those selfish politicians who would want to capture political power at all *Emmanuel Ubani, a Public Affairs Commentator, Onueke, Ebonyi State

40 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014 YOUR LUCK TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 LIBRA; If you back your financial plans with concrete and positive actions things’ll go according to your desire.

If you fail to realise importance of your spouse you would work your way into avoidable trouble; aren’t you tired of crisis?

SCORPIO; Your intelligence, competence and level of concentration may today bring you envy, which you don’t deserve within your working arena in a negative form but.

SAGITTARIUS; The Moon highlights your Solar second house of money which is good but, if you try to buy true love with money, you’ll be disappointed.

CAPRICORN; The. Moon in your Star sign’ll gives you new confidence and with new supports from the powersthat-be, it’s like you are now un-stop-able. But be cautious, especially with the veterans within your base of operation.

AQUARIUS; Better days are ahead of you but, you will today need to do away with non-productive argument and/ or agreement. Try to be more diplomatic now.

LEISURE

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

I

F I ask some of us the problem with Nigeria today, I am sure many of us will answer it is corruption, there are those who will say it is bad

The Nigerian Family — 1 leadership Yet, some of us will answer greed is our major problem.

Whichever you say, you are not too far

TERROR MUDA

from the truth. But there is a common denominator to all of these – the family. It is the family that gives birth to corrupt leaders, it is

in “Never say goodbye”

the family that gives birth to greedy leaders, it is the family that gives birth to criminals, it is the family that gives birth to a corrupt society, it is the family that gives birth to cultist...

By Lanre Kehinde

PISCES; If what you’re doing today ’ll depend on tomorrow’s event it’s better you’re more careful now. Even things may not go according to your personal plans today.

Yet it’s important you plan both your immediate and far future carefully now.

ARIES; If you take to aggression, your ego would be deflated by your superior colleagues, but your being cooperative in a civilised way’ll prevent trouble.

TAURUS; Those willing to put you to shame one way or the other ’ll be disappointed with the turn of things today.

It’s good to secure support of your spouse.

GEMINI; You’ve had enough of fun in the recent times and it’s now time you settle down for hard work in order to prevent avoidable trouble. Be patient please.

CANCER; Your concentration level and determination are the pillars of your success today. Yet you’ll need to respect your senior colleagues and protect your image.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Pretty Lunatic’

By Andy Akman

LEO; It’s true you’re willing to work harder but you just have to drop both aggression and mental arrogance to allow things to roll accordingly. Then, you’re accident prone within your working arena. Respect the law and its agents today.

VIRGO; Serious thought may be giving to matters of the heart but it’s better you tarry a while. Joint ventures of short duration today may be an invitation to avoidable trouble.

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

Success for me?

Dear Joshua, I am interested in your Astrological counselling. Kindly tell me everything about myself, especially my finance and career; would I be rich eventually, if yes what should I do to make it happen quickly.

Godwin, Enugu.

Dear Godwin, There are indications of financial success for you but you can not change what Almighty God Has designed for you talking about the timing (the quickness you talked in your letter) Certainly however no failure for you Mercury –the planet of education and Accountancy, together with mighty Sun at positive angle to planets in Virgo (another Accounting Star sign) attracted you to both Accountancy profession and the academic world. Truly you did not make wrong choice of career.

Money will eventually come along this line but it’ll not be as faster as if you take to OIL RELATED BUSINESS. Because Neptune (the planet of OIL) was very comfortable when you were born. It will not be out of place if you have filling stations as time goes by, because you are basically a GAS PERSON. Another money spinning vocation for you include writing either along your line or for film making industry; it is important you exhibit the higher quotient of creativity in your inner-self. Yes your dream of becoming A Professor will come to reality. Politics is another area you are not looking at now but will surely come. Do you say why? Because Aquarius is equally political Venus that was powerfully placed when you were born is all about MONEY. Thus you have special ability to make money. And as it was at positive angle to disciplined Saturn, you are not giving to serious frivolity. One major challenge here is envy by others but you will eventually overcome.

Another source of challenges is your love life which looks not totally balanced.

Basically you are a family minded person. You are equally loving and caring. But sometimes your love of freedom get better off you to the resentment of your closer partner(s).Then some other times it is other party’s fault making love-business very interesting. And unless you are more careful and determined you may marry more than once.

VIRGINIA

HOME & ABROAD

dadadekola@yahoo.com

By Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014—41

NATIONAL CONFAB:

Key issues before northern delegates (3) This is the third instalment of this presentation. The second part was published in yesterday's edition of Vanguard

A

T any rate, there are no two federal systems that are exactly the same. Rather, federal systems evolved and operate within the context of historical dynamics of the respective human societies operating them .A number of the countries operating federal system are non-classical federations, which adopted the system as an appropriate mechanism to manage political and cultural plurality. It is now being estimated that there are more than 25 countries, with 40 per cent of the World’s population practicing federal systems of government. There are also countries, such as Iraq, that are now regarded as on transition to federalism.

There is no universal definition of federalism or essential principles but there are key features of federalism, which are the existence of a central government sharing power/functions with regional/provincial/sub-national/ territoriai/local governments over the same citizens and each tier of government derives its own legitimacy from citizens under its jurisdiction.

Coordinate federalism As a result, therefore, scholars categorize different modes of federalism, from co-operate federalism to co-ordinate federalism to organicfederalism as a means to distinguish the variety of systems being practiced by different nations. Thus, federalism in reality is a continuum running from alliances and associated states through to centralized government with federal system lying at some point in between.

Fiscal federalism in Nigeria: The Nigerian State was born in

ard Constitution of 1946. Six months before this new Constitution took effect in January 1947 an elaborate study and planning for structure of fiscal arrangement for the Nigerian State was commissioned under Sir Sydney Phillipson with the following terms of reference: •To study comprehensively and make appropriate recommendations regarding the problems of the administrative and financial procedure to be adopted under the new constitution; and, •To examine, in the light of its historical antecedents, the problem offinancial relations between the Nigerian Government and the Native Administration with a view to making recommendations as to the policy and procedure which should determine those relations in the future. •Obviously true fiscal federalism in Nigeria would give full support to the ongoing clamour for the abrogation of the Constitutional provision for the existence of the state/local government joint account.

In undertaking his assignment, Phillipson made a detailed study of the revenue and expenditure profile of the Regions and their Native Administrations, which clearly show the contributions of the Regional Governments to the

,

The North sacrificed its future with no strings attached to reaping any benefits other than building a strong and prosperous Nigeria

October 1914. Nigeria’s mode of fiscal federalism dates back to 1914 through colonial taxation policy and financial arrangement pioneered by the British Colonial Administration, which subsequently financed the development of all natjonal institutions and assets that the nation holds today.

After the splitting of Southern Nigeria into the Western Region and Eastern Region, the ensuring political developments necessitated new constitutional development that provided the Rich-

,

Central Fund as well as to the general government services that created and financed the developments of common national institutions and assets.

Government had the power to enact taxation law but the responsibility for collecting the proceeds of direct tax from individuals residing with the jurisdiction of Native Administrations had been assigned to the individual Native Administrations. The Native Administrations were allowed retaining 50 per cent of what they had collected and passing on the re-

quarters at Enugu and Ibadan respectively. But the system of revenue collection by the central Government and Native administrations in the Provinces continued.

In 1932 the 70 per cent share of direct taxes being retained by the "fully organised" Native Administrations was reduced to 60 per cent. And in 1937 the policy "was rejected on the ground that it led to inequality of development and replaced by a policy of adjusting the apportionment according to the needs of particular Native Administration subject to the general conditions that • the proposal objects of expenditure were such as were proper for Native Administration rather than the Government to undertake and finance; • the previous year's tax had been satisfactorily collected, and •the new expenditure was

the South, contributed in many fold more than the other regions to the central government. The North that contributed up to 87.41 per cent of the total revenue of the amalgamated Nigeria after 1914 (1914-1954) ended up receiving only 9.48 per cent of its contribution in terms of expenditure to it by the central government.

This was a pattern that continued for a long time. In an analysis by Mallam Adamu Fika for a period of forty years (1914-1954), he indicated that the Northern provinces contributed a total of £18,000,000 to the central fund compared with £8,000,000 contributed by the Southern provinces.

This contrasts with the expenditure of about £13,000,000 by the central government in the Southern provinces for the same period on provincial services as against only £6,000,000 in the Northern provinces. In fact, the North subsidised the rest of the country, especially the Eastern provinces almost throughout these forty years, as their (the East’s) contribution to the centre was in deficit to what it actually received.

Nigeria did not start reaping any significant contribution of the oil sector to its national income until after 1973 when the surge in the oil prices internationally as a result of the Middle East crisis produced the first oil boom. Prior to that, the North generously gave the needed fund for the development and educational need of both the eastern, western regions and the Lagos colony and funded the oil exploration in the Niger Delta of Nigeria.

Oil exploration in the Niger Delta

maining 50 per cent to Gove’rnment. While individual Native Administration expended the retained portion of the tax for various financial services including payment of salaries of their staff, the Government was responsible for executing some essentials services in the provinces.

The Table below gives the actual annual revenue contribution from th Native Administrations of Northern and Southern Provinces to the central fund as well as the expenditure incurred by the Central Government on the provincial service in the Northern and Southern Provinces: In 1937/8, government stopped publishing the expenditures separately for Central Government and the Northern and Southern Provinces as the Southern Protectorate was split into the Eastern and Western Regions with head-

on purposes such as Nigeria as a whole could afford. The net effect of this policy was to allow Native Administrations of the Southern Provinces an increased share of tax amounting tyo 28,000 pounds annually.

Central revenue Based on the new policy the derived revenue from the provinces into the central revenue fund extracted from Nigerian Estimates are shown in this paper.

Without a doubt, and right from the beginning, the commitment of the North to the Nigerian nation was clearly much more apparent than that of the South. For example, the North, economically more buoyant at that time due to its expansive agricultural production and solid minerals, and obviously with a larger heart than

The North sacrificed its own development honestly and altruistically in the spirit of building a nation. The North has hence, remained: Left short of funds for its education developed; its well crafted catching up plans have, ever since the collapse of the first republic in 1966, been thwarted by underfunding from the centre and ill defined blanket national educational policies.

Agriculturally stagnated, the complete shift in focus to the development of the petroleum sector deprived the agricultural sector of all forms of support and modernisation. For example, the marketing boards and extension services were jettisoned and nothing was instituted in their place to develop the sector, thus throwing 65 per cent of the population that depended on the sector into wilderness.

Despite that, the sector contributed immensely to the national economy and making huge savings to the national income which could otherwise have gone into the importation of food to feed the nation and raw materials for its industries. The table below shows the contribution of the North in some agricultural produce: Daily Statistics of livestock and produce taken from the North to the South (2012) Produce Lagos P!H Aba Calabar Enugu Onitsha Ibadan: The agricultural sector which actually produced Continues on page 42

42—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

Key issues before northern delegates (3) the resources for the exploration of oil, thereby, remained at subsistence level undermining the capacity of the North to improve the viability of its economy. In fact, the Obasanjo administration made policies that effectively destroyed any prospects for the development and growth of the agricultural sector. For example the following programmes that could have made the difference in the agricultural sector were scrapped. These include: •Gum Arabic development project, •National Accelerated Tree Crops,• Programme Presidential Initiative on Tree Crops, •Commerce, •Green Wall Aforestation National Project. The concentration of all major developmental projects in the South led to the demise of all of the North’s industries. Projects such as electric power supply, communication, access to water ways (ports, without equal attention to development of inland waterways and hinterland ports), and the abandonment of the railway system, all adversely affected the North economically.

nomic development of the entire region. The North sold forward all its groundnut and cotton for a number of years, risking forward delivery contract of three years for all its agricultural produce to prosecute the civil war.

The North supplied more than 80 to 90 per cent of the arms and men that executed the civil war.

The North funded the exploration for oil in the Niger Delta, using Northern resources etc., These sacrifices are seen by the South only through the prism of a desire by the North to be in Nigeria to reap some phantom

ment of senior personnel of federal agencies and establishments, •Establishment of all major electric power projects in the South while the hydro electric projects mainly remained on the drawing board, •Empowerment of youth of the Niger Delta at extreme cost while no similar project being even contemplated for the North which is now being seriously challenged by poverty, unemployment and insecurity,

benefits that the North is imagined to be affixed on achieving.

Unfortunately, the North is only now coming to grip with the disappointment on the lack of will and commitment of the political leadership of southern extraction at the centre to uphold the principles of fairness and equity as demanded by a federal system.

among others, •Engagement of the ex-militants as an armed security outfits at huge contract amounts and great danger to the rest of the country as they have made no pretence of the destruction they would unleash on the country if their aspirations are not met.

Their engagement is also to the detriment of the development of the Nigerian Navy to perform its constitutional role of protecting the integrity of the country.

This lack of commitment com pletely negates the principles upon which the federation is laid.

It has, therefore, become the imperative of the North ‘to demand the practice of federalism in at least it's essential form, which requires the system to be built on the achievement of national strategic objectives of human and economic growth and development, efficiency in resource allocation (towards a balanced development of all of the regions), national integration and political stability, all promoted in a just and equitable manner.

Fiscal federalism and struc-

Unsure ventures Indeed, the North sacrificed its future with no strings attached to reaping any benefits other than building a strong and prosperous Nigeria when even the colonial administration neither could risk resources from the United Kingdom or those available to it at the centre for some of the unsure ventures (especially oil exploration at that time). It is very important to note the other supreme sacrifices the North made to the making ofthe Nigerian Federation: The acceptance by the North in creating 12 States at the first instance, later 19 states, 21 states, 30 states and eventually 36 states in Nigeria plus the FCT even though the population and land mass of the North by far exceeded that of the South.

The North had to abandon its well coordinated strategy of unity in diversity under (constantly seen as a threat by those outside of the North), undermining the tremendous achievements made in that direction for an economically strong North with well educated labour force for nation building.

The consequence of that sacrifice is what we see today in insecurity and communal upheavals undermining every aspect of the life in the North. This sacrifice was done purely to please the South who felt threatened by a unified North. The funding of the civil war was entirely done by the North at great sacrifice to its wellbeing, at the expense of investment in human and eco-

Democratic dispensations Infact, since the current democratic dispensation set in 1999, this expectation for fairness had completely disappeared. Rather, there has been systematic dismantling of the North and jettisoning of justice and fairness and commitment to achieving a balanced federation.

Thus for example: •The abolishing of the onshore/offshore dichotomy on revenue derived from petroleum resources, •The abandoning of the dredging of the Niger river, •The abandoning of the northern gas pipeline project, •The complete disregard to federal character in appoint-

ture of government in Nigeria: While there may be a need to examine the current structure of the federation for its suitability for the achievement of the aspirations of the people (the federating units), we are assuming that the existing structure is ideal for now.

Our focus here is, therefore, only to suggest, in the light of basic tenets of a successful federation what the structure of responsibilities and the requisite fiscal instruments should be to guarantee the North’s position as an equal partner in Nigeria, emphasising that the issue of revenue allocation should not be seen as mere sharing the national pie, but a purposeful and efficient deployment of resources to achieve the strategic national objectives.

Notes: •Average total allocation to each of the six states of the South-South = N2,956,165,677,283 = 300 per cent of National average,•Average total allocation to each of the19 states of the North = N554,065,542,595, = 50 per cent of National average, •Average total allocation to each of the 11 states of the South-East and South-West = N799,315,065,208 = 80 per cent

failed to live by the principles of fairness, justice, equitable development and distribution of resource between federating units as required in the practice of federal system of government. The current status neither does ensure political stability nor creating a strong nation worthy of the pride of its citizens. This trend should not continue if we must avoid a country with disparate regions in terms of development; in fact a situation where the North can easily be subsumed by the South as an appendage of dependent people, with no future of its own.

This must be avoided. We, therefore, seek the modification of the revenue sharing formula reflecting the Supreme Court Decision of 2002, abrogating the existence of special funds accruing to the Federal Government and on onshore/offshore dichotomy, and taking into account some critical indices included in the RAF laws but hitherto not given the prominence they deserved. Our proposed revenue sharing formula is as presented below: Proposed Revenue Allocation Formula (RAF). Vertical Revenue Allocation Formula (sharing formula between the three tiers

We, therefore, seek the modification of the revenue sharing formula reflecting the Supreme Court Decision of 2002, abrogating the existence of special funds accruing to the Federal Government and on onshore/offshore dichotomy

,

Continues from page 41

of National average, •National supposed average for 36 states = N1, 029,352,919,175.

Coast guard contract with the ex-militants (Tompolo and others); in 2012 alone, the NNPC is reported to have made payments to companies owned by ex-militants to the tune of N6.2 billion (US$43.7m) ostensively for the protection of petroleum pipeline networks in the creeks and swamps of the Niger Delta. Yet oil theft had been unprecedented forcing a huge drop in revenue accrued to the Federal Government; Shell had to declare a “force majeure” on crude oil export from Nigeria on March 26, 2014.

The details above clearly shows that the revenue allocation formula in place since 1999 has

,

of government). FGN - 26 per cent (Federal Government Exclusive 20 per cent. (Six per cent to be distributed to following arms, to draw at first line charge) as follows: Judiciary -1.5 per cent, Legislature -1.5 per cent, INEC/ Political Parties -2.0 per cent, Police Force -1.0 per cent. This is to ensure the independence of these key organs to discharge their constitutional responsibilities unhindered.

To correspond to the reduced revenue due to the Federal Government, there should be reduction in its responsibility in primary health care, primary schools, rural roads, secondary health care, secondary school education, inter states roads. At the same time, Federal GovernContinues on page 43

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014—43 bones and horns and other taxes on the animal head counts contributed to the economy. This “industry" has the capacity for development into diary production which importation is currently gulping billions of naira annually. Special allocation for development of grazing lands and development of modern animal rearing system, therefore, is necessary, and a special allocation in the revenue formula is therefore required.

Deforestation, soil erosion and degradation in the North as a result of clearing of lands for farming to meet the large food demands of the country. This has become a huge environmental challenge for the North that needs special and urgent attention.

The North has remained an open space and the preferred region for settlements for all citizens, exerting pressure on the land gradually diminishing a valuable resource of the North in terms of alternative more productive activities (e.g. modern farming).

Therefore, there should be equity in show of concern, and commitment to the operation of sound federal system in the country. To achieve this, the North needs to demand for: Ministry for the Niger Delta development and the NDDC should be scrapped as clearly it negates the principles of justice as it serves only the interest of one region.

Key issues before northern delegates (3) Continues from page 42

ment should erase any responsibility for the funding of the NDDC and scrap the Ministry for Niger Delta, the component C of the SURE-P and all other miscellaneous programmes it has introduced.

States - 39 per cent, (36 per cent exclusive to the states), while the remaining three per cent to be distributed as follows: States Judiciary- 2.0 per cent; and States Legislature -1.0 per cent, both to draw at first line charge from States Allocation. With reduction of responsibility in SIEC (to be merged with INEC), States should take the full responsibility for the funding of secondary education, secondary healthcare, inter-states roads maintenance and linkages to LGAs. .

Local governments are the closest to the people and should be adequately empowered to reach the citizens. This can be done by making the local governments a multi tier system with ward council, districts council and local government council. Section 162 of the Constitution on Joint Accounts should be abolished. The supervisory powers of states over local government should also be abolished.

Exploration and development of oil

Supervisory powers of states The Local Governments legislature/Area Council Legislature to be fully funded from their 35 per cent allocation above, and also the LGAs/ACs to be fully responsible for primary health care, primary schools and rural roads for development as much of the peoples expectation lies at the lower levels of government being much c1oser to the people.

Above will surely guarantee even and speedy development as much as possible, aid effective and efficient utilization of our resources to the target populations with cost effectiveness and proper supervision by the respective level of governments who are really the closest to the people and which is all that government is all about.

The Horizontal Revenue Allocation Formula: Sharing by the states and local governments/ Area councils among themselves.

This involved the sharing of the revenue due to the states and the LGAs/ACs from the Federation

Account using some agreed, approved indices of Revenue Allocation in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as follows: Our support for this revenue sharing formula is based on the real advantage the North has in terms of population and land mass. We based our support on the commitment to the imperatives of good governance by the Northern Governors for the progress and continued relevance of the North in the Nigerian federation.

New Horizontal Revenue Allocation Formula States LGAs/ACs Equality of States /LGAs 35% 35% Population 30% 30% Population Density 2% 2% Land Mass 20% 20% Terrain 5% 5% Revenue Generation effort 4% 4% Social Development Factor i). School enrolment 1% 1% ii). Hospital Beds 1% 1% iii). Potable Water Supply 1% 1% iv). Rural Roads 1% 1% Total 100% 100%

In recommending this, we are very much aware of the erosion of the revenue accruable to the centre by the incursion of certain policies like the 13 percent derivation allocation to the oil producing states from all the oil collections, in addition to the creation of the NDDC and the Federal Ministry for Niger Delta, which collectively take a big chunk of what is accruable to the national account for subsequent sharing to all parts of the country (including the Niger Delta States) and the centre (see the table below).

Revenue allocation If this is not corrected, it is a sure road to destruction of the federalism that is being practiced, as there is no justice or equity in play, and it is rife with the threats of political, social and economic instability and imbalance in the system that, in the long run will be a burden to the people. Not too removed from the issues of revenue allocation are the prob-

lem of environmental degradation and other ecological challenges.

States in the oil producing areas have been receiving allocations supposedly for the amelioration of the plight of communities from the degradations and hazards caused to their environment by the oil exploration and exploitation.

On the other hand, there are quite a number of environmental challenges facing the North today for which nothing is being received. For example: Extensive animal rearing principally for food have famished most grazing lands in the North forcing large scale migration of herdsmen elsewhere with its inherent challenges metamorphosing now into national security issue. Meat production is for the benefit of all Nigerians.

The North has remained the major supplier of this essential food item to the whole country, conserving foreign exchange for the nation (as indicated earlier in table) apart from the earnings from export of hides and skin)

There should be an agency for the exploration and development of oil and gas in the North. The provision in the proposed Petroleum Industry Bill that relegates the responsibility for management of the oil exploration function in areas other than the Niger Delta to a department in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, directly under the authority of the Minister must not be allowed.

The dredging of the Niger and Benue rivers should be priority projects. The North should demand for the completion in minimum time of the project to enhance the capacity of the North and indeed all Nigerians to partake in business, commercial and agricultural activities. Such infrastructural development will add to the prospects of Nigeria as an investment haven to the much needed foreign direct investors.

The North should demand the implementation of the Hydro Power projects across it. The various plans for the construction of about six other hydro power projects on the Benue and other rivers that have the potential for an estimated 40,000 mega watts of electricity production (now in our archives) should be dusted for immediate implementation. In particular, the Mambila/Benue hydro project should be given immediate attention. These are resources that must be developed in the North to achieve the regional economic balance and stability that can contribute to the nation with a potential for much wider economic impact than oil.

To be concluded

44—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

Tension as Uduaghan advises cabinet members with political ambition to resign

First Bank financier of new Tejuosho market— DEFENDANT

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

A

SABA— THERE is growing tension among the members of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s cabinet, following the directive by the governor to those wishing to contest elections in 2015 to resign and avoid distraction and divided loyalty.

However, since he gave the directive about a month ago, none of the cabinet members have tendered their resignation despite the fact that some of them are warming up for 2015, either to contest governorship or Assembly seats.

State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chike Ogeah, who spoke on the development, said: “Whoever is ready to leave is welcome to do so. But so far no one seems to have taken that final step to leave.

“When any letter of resignation is tendered and received by the governor from any cabinet member, the media will be immediately notified. This is my solemn promise to you.”

Meanwhile, the state Chairman of Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM, Chief Frank Igwebuike, has said that “Delta PDM governorship candidate will emerge through consensus arrangement to avoid rancour.

“Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, with over 25 guber aspirants in Delta must end in crisis and when two elephants fight, it is the hunter that grains.

“In this instance, PDM

BY ONUZURE DANIA

A

Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has been told that First Bank Plc is the sole financier of the new Tejuosho ultramodern market in Lagos.

A defendant and Lagos State Governmentappointed developer of the market, Stormberg Engineering Company, made the assertion, while arguing an application to stay further proceeding in the suit by Access Bank Plc. Counsel to Stormberg Plc, Vincent Nwana, while moving the application, contended that the denial of First Bank, the sole financier of the project and Stormberg hearing granting Access Bank’s counsel the receivership of the market had occasioned gross injustice to his client.

The case is before Justice Okon Abang.

The matter has been adjourned to May 19 for further hearing.

Nwana had argued that the grounds of appeal in the matter were grounds of law which required no leave as provided under Section 241 (1) of the Constitution, adding that one of the grounds of his client’s appeal at the Appeal Court, Lagos was the refusal to admit a vital document, which is the forensic audit report of Stormberg’s account domiciled with the plaintiff/respondent.

z Crisis in PDP, APC our gain— DELTA PDM CHAIR will gain putting into consideration that in PDP, a particular zone feels that it is its turn to produce the

governor for 2015.

“What happens if that zone does not get the PDP ticket?

All Progressive Congress,

NANS condemns Chibok schoolgirls kidnap

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI—THE National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has condemned the abduction of over 200 students of Federal Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State by the Boko Haram Islamist sect.

NANS, Zone B, in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Pedro Obi, said: “This is not the best of

time for us as a people and we must as a matter of urgent public importance, separate politics from the activities of Boko Haram, if we must make a headway in the fight against these blood suckers.

“This is the time for Nigerians of all class to form a concerted synergy and rally round President Goodluck Jonathan and support the Federal Government’s efforts at

rescuing the abducted girls from the hands of Boko Haram sect.

“Terrorists cannot succeed when the people are united.

“The entire Nigerian students in South-South and South-East join Nigerian students all over the world, particularly Borno State students in prayers.

“We call on them in this trying moment to be more united as we fight this deadly monster in our society.”

FCT director accused of defrauding 2 brothers

BY EVELYN USMAN & KINGSLEY NDIMELE

T

HERE were indications, yesterday, that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, might invite a Director in the office of the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, for questioning over his alleged involvement in the sale of a non-existing plot of land to two brothers at N6.5 million.

This followed a petition to the commission by two brothers, Austine Obele and Antony Obele, alleging that the Director (names withheld) as at the time of the purported sale, was the Deputy Director in the Federal Capital Development Authority,

FCDA. The petition by the principal consultant, Conquerors Legal Suits, Chinyere Monago, alleged that the Director made several misrepresentations to the complainants, part of which was his claim of ownership of the parcel of land located at Plot 1039C in Kaura District.

The petition read: “Based on his respectable position, our clients believed all he said and parted with the said sum and were in turn given the purported document of plot no. 1039C in Kaura district with file number MFCT/LA/MISC/17346, which he claimed to have secured for himself using the name of M/s Sulman and Associates.

“Our search at the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja, revealed that the said Sulman and associates is nonexistent.

“Unfortunately, while in the process of perfecting the title to the said plot of land, our clients discovered, to their surprise, that the said parcel of land was just a charade and non-existent, as the same parcel of land was indeed allocated to another company as plot 1039 Kaura district, Abuja.

“This unfortunate discovery is certainly indicative of fraud and illegality in the transaction.”

Efforts, according to the victims, to get the Director to remedy the anomaly proved abortive.

By Bartholomew Madukwe

PEOPLE SPEAK

08102479985

APC, is currently factionalised, while PDM is united. Your guess is as good as mine.”

(nwamad@yahoo.com)

On the Chibok schoolgirls

T

HE sponsors of Boko Haram are part of the government.

That is why they are relaxed and do not respond appropriately.

I do not believe that the girls are in the forest. It is the duty of government to make finding the girls priority— Miss Ulioyo Maku, Lawyer.

T

HE Chibok girls’ disappearance is pure fallacy. Furthermore, I do not believe that Boko Haram exists.

This Islamist sect is just a group that is mapped out for political nuisance. And it is like they are suceeding. It is all propaganda.— Mrs Tiwa Shittu, Lawyer.

I

am surprised that people are doubting that these girls are missing.

It is embarrassing that in spite of the evidence everywhere, some are insinuating that it’s a conspiracy to rubbish Jonathan’s administration.— Mr. Akintunde Esan, Blogger.

T

HE parents/guardian of the missing Chibok girls should be calm since the government is seriously on the matter and have gone as far as involving other countries to see that the girls are found. Let us give them the benefit of doubt and pray.— Mr. Taiwo Kazeem, Lawyer.

N

I G E R I A government is not serious because the people behind Boko Haram are equally in the government. People bringing them arms are in the government.

There is no way they can fight themselves.— Mr. Sylvester Emuka, Lawyer.

A

RE the Chibok girls really missing? If so, why didn’t they get their pictures? Why was WAEC unable to produce the data of the missing girls? Even the parents of the girls have not come on air to speak or have they been bought over?— Miss Faith Ume, Lawyer.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014 — 45

Emerhor initiates reconciliation moves in Delta APC

Delta sets up Institute of Continuing Education in Oporoza

D

ELTA Progressives Change Forum, DPCF, led by Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, which won majority positions in the state party executive council, including Chairman, Secretary and other key positions in the just concluded Delta State congresses of All Progressives Congress, APC, has reached out to aggrieved stakeholders, who lost out in the election.

This was disclosed by the forum’s state Co-ordinator, Dr. Cyril Ogodo, in a chat with newsmen in Asaba, yesterday.

Ogodo, who said that the group won as much as 21 local government chairmanship positions out of the 25 councils in the state, noted that the victory of the group was as a result of its cohesion and being the only group that cut across the three senatorial districts of the state.

Explaining the success of the forum at the congresses, Ogodo noted that the leader, Olorogun Emerhor, being the party’s Delta Central senatorial standard bearer in the October 12, 2013 by-elections, had gained wide acceptance in the state and was regarded as the defacto APC leader in the state.

He said “In Delta North, the only interim national officer from the state, Sir Olisa Akamukali, is said to have sympathy for DPCF, which contributed immensely to the group sweeping the positions from the district."

Princess Ogbe for burial

T

HE burial ceremo nies for late Princess Christy Ogbe of Ugbuwangue will begin in Warri tomorrow, with lying-in-state at Church of Anglican Communion, Okere Road, Warri, Delta State.

A statement by the family said interment and thanksgiving service will follow thereafter.

Late Princess Ogbe

BY AKPOKONA OMAFUAIRE

W

PRESENTATION: Co-ordinator, Ijaw Monitoring Group, Comrade Joseph Evah (right) assisted by the President of Ijaw Women Leadership Forum, South-West, Chief Pat Ngene (left), on behalf of Niger Deltans in Lagos, receiving N30 million draft from Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, for a revolving loan scheme for small and medium scale businesses, during the governor’s visit to Niger Deltans at Ajegunle, Lagos. Photo by Lucky Francis.

Reduction of 13% derivation, call for war —N-Delta youth leaders

BY EMMA AMAIZE

W

ARRI—NIGER DELTA youth leaders, yesterday, described the recent call by a Northern leader, Mr. Junaid Muhammed, for a reduction of the current 13 per cent derivation to five per cent, scrapping of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, and Ministry of Niger Delta, as an invitation to war.

The youth leaders, Austin Ozobo, National President of Ijaw Peoples Development Initiative, IPDI; Musa Biayeibo, President of Niger Delta Youths For Positive Change, NDYPC;

Ebi Wayas, President, National Association of Izon-Ebe Law Students, NAILS, and Jude Asiayei, President, Coastal Heritage and Economic Watch, CHEW, spoke to newsmen in Warri, Delta State.

According to Ozobo, “Except the demand for resource control is approved, there is going to be another oil crisis in the Niger Delta region.

“The Niger Delta will not accept or tolerate such abuses from the North any longer because our region has been feeding the North for a very long time, and the North should be grateful to the peo-

ple of Niger Delta.

“No level of intimidation from the North will deter the region from its stand on the issues of resource control and creation of more states in Niger Delta region.

“Remediation for Niger Delta environment that has been despoiled by oil exploration and exploitation can only come through resource control since the government at all levels have failed the region. The North should, therefore, sheath its sword over its stand on resource control to avoid war and disintegration in the country.”

Bayelsa govt drums support for newly crowned monarch

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

Y

E N A G OA — B AY E L S A State deputy governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha Jonah (rtd), has called on the people of Opokuma clan to support the new paramount ruler, His Royal Majesty, King Okpoitari Diongoli.

Speaking at Opokuma town in Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Area of the state, during the coronation of King Diongoli, the deputy governor said that the people of Opokuma were lucky to have a king who is educated and exposed.

Congratulating King Diongoli on his election and coronation, he implored him to lev-

erage on his robust background to attract development to the clan.

He also called on youths of Opokuma clan to be law abiding and build their capacities so that they can compete effectively with their peers in other parts of the state and the country.

In his acceptance speech, King Diongoli, thanked the people of Opokuma for the confidence reposed in him by choosing him to ascend the throne of his fore-fathers, promising that he will not disappoint them.

He said he was going to run an all inclusive government, devoid of bitterness and discrimination, assuring that he will serve as a voice to the

voiceless, a father to the fatherless and a husband to the widows in the entire Opokuma clan.

King Diongoli assured that he will interface with government and other corporate bodies to raise the standard of living of his people, noting that the annual Onde Fiya Sii kou festival shall be re-branded to attract corporate sponsors to make it a global brand.

Earlier in his remarks, the chairman of the occasion, Sir Lambert Eradiri, described King Diongoli as a shining light to his generation and beyond and prayed that God should imbue him with the wisdom of Solomon as he leads his people.

A R R I — D E LTA State Government has set up an Institute of Continuing Education in Oporoza, Warri SouthWest Local Government Area of the state.

Mr. Edjo Abraham, Director, Institute of Continuing Education Board, yesterday in Oporoza, when members of the Board inspected the temporary site, where the institute is to take off, called on stakeholders to cooperate with the state government, adding that the board will recruit indigeneous teachers to encourage teaching and learning in the institute.

He appealed to the people of Oporoza to make the community conducive for the smooth running of the institute.

Delta govt urged to repair MbiriUmunede Road

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

T

RADITIONAL rulers in Ika North- East Local Government Area of Delta State have appealed to the Federal and Delta State Governments to urgently rehabilitate the Mbiri-Umunede Road which is currently inaccessible.

In a communiqué at the end of an emergency meeting of the traditional rulers at Owa-Oyibu, under the aegies of Ika North-East Traditional Rulers Committee, the royal fathers decried the deplorable state of the road, saying that Mbiri community has been cut off from other communities in Ika North-East Local Council because of the bad road.

The communiqué by the first Vice Chairman of Delta State Traditional Rulers Council and Obi of Owa, Dr. Emmanuel Efeizomor II and Obi of Umunede, Ezeagwu Ezewenali, explained that the bad state of the road has made it practically impossible to transport farm produce from the community to urban centers in the state.

46— Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

News of lion's escape from zoo causes pandemonium in Owerri

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

O

WERRI—THERE was pandamonium in Owerri, Imo State yesterday morning when news of the alleged escape of a hungry lion from the Nekede Zoo spread like wild fire.

While most residents of community quickly closed shop and ran into the safety of their homes, some parents were seen racing to schools to pick their children.

Few weeks earlier, the State House of Assembly had set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate an allegation that a lion in the same zoo had killed and eaten another lion.

It was not clear at press time if the House Committee had completed its investigation before the the early morning alarm.

When contacted on his mobile phone, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Andrew Enwerem, confirmed that the Police Command got wind of the alarm and quickly responded appropriately.

“The Command received this distress call and quickly reacted appropriately by alerting members of the public, however, after proper investigation, it was discovered that it was a false alarm,” he said.

Group urges Jonathan to immortalise Ralph Uwechue

BY ANAYO OKOLI

U

MUAHIA—THE Ohanaeze Youth Council, OYC, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to immortalise the former President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Ambassador Ralph Uwechue by naming a Federal Government institution or monument after him in appreciation of his contributions to the unity of the country.

The group said that immortalising late Uwechue would encourage other leaders across the country to work for the peace, unity and progress of the country.

Anambra Assembly condemns abduction of Chibok schoolgirls

BY ENYIM ENYIM

O

N I T S H A — ANAMBRA State House of Assembly yesterday condemned the kidnap of over 200 students of Chibok girls secondary school by the Boko Haram sect just it praised President Goodluck Jonathan for intensified effort to track down the group.

In a motion sponsored by Tony Muonagor, the lawmakers also urged the Federal Government to sustain its efforts in a bid to rescue the students.

“Be it therefore resolved by this Honourable House that the activities of the Boko Haram sect is condemned in its entirety.

“The Federal Government is urged to sustain efforts towards expeditiously rescuing these school girls alive.

“The government is hereby urged to effectively tackle and end the menace of terrorism in Nigeria.”

Supporting the motion, the member representing Anambra West Constituency, Victor Okoye appealed to the Federal

CONFERENCE: Group Managing Director, Lexcel Group,Mr. Anil Ahluwalia(left) with the Chairman of the group, Mr. Olajide Rosiji; (second right) jointly presenting best performance trophy to the Managing Director of Grand Oak Ltd, Mr. Akshay Kumar; (second left),while Sales Operation Manager, Mr. Dele Akinloye watches on during the first quarter performance review conference of all the subsidiaries in the group held at Zen Garden,Isaac John St, Ikeja GRA, Lagos.

Government to increase the funds allocated for security to ensure that the matter was

tackled headlong.

“I thank Mr President for accepting the offer of

international communities to help Nigeria out of this heart-rending problem,” the Assemblyman said

Police arrest child trafficking syndicate members in Enugu

E

BY TONY EDIKE

NUGU—THE Enugu State Police command, yesterday, arrested members of an alleged child trafficking syndicate who sold a three-month-old baby girl to a childless couple at N430,000.

The police said the 22-year-old mother of the child identified as one Chinelo Ituma from Mgbo, in Ebonyi State but residing at New Artisan Market Enugu had earlier sold her baby which she got out of wedlock to one Maria Asomba from Ubahu Okija in Anambra State for N150,000 when she could not take care of the baby.

The State Police Spokesman, Ebere Amaraizu who confirmed the arrest of the alleged child traffickers, said that Asomba who bought the baby from the mother, resold her to one Esther Obi a native of Nise in Awka South but residing at Woliwo area of Onitsha.

He said that Esther had earlier collected N430,000 from one Nkechi Uzochukwu from Ezsegbogu Aboh Mbaise in Imo State with a promise to deliver a baby to her.

Esther was said to have bought the baby from her mother at N150,000 and resold her to the desperate buyer, Nkechi Uzochukwu at N430,000.

Uzochukwu had been married for about 10 years without any child and decided to buy one

apparently to overcome the long agony of childlessness which was said to have threatened her marriage.

But the secret deal was said to have been blown open when the neighbours of the young mother

of the baby (Chinelo Ituma) reportedly raised an alarm over the disappearance of the baby and reported the matter to the police.

Amaraizu, who said that operatives of the command have

already commenced investigations into the activities of the syndicate, said that Chinelo had confessed that she sold her child because as a single mother who had no job, she could not effectively cater for her.

Obiano begins construction of 1,000 housing units for workers

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N a bid to fulfil his Workers’ Day promise to improve the welfare and conditions of service of civil servants in Anambra State, Governor Willie Obiano, Monday, signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with Rockland Development Ltd for the construction of 1,000 housing units for workers in the state.

The development is coming on the heels of the recent handingover of four 38-seater buses to the Head of Service, Mr. Chidi Ezeoke, to ease the transportation problems of workers commuting to Awka from various locations in the state.

Speaking during the ceremony, Obiano said the move was a practical demonstration of his administration’s interest to improve the lot of the workers.

The governor was represented on the occasion by the Head of Service, Mr. Chidi Ezeoke.

He charged the private developer to keep to the terms of the agreement and ensure that the housing units were completed on schedule.

Earlier in his remarks, the

Managing Director of the company, Mr. Obi Eneh thanked the state government for the

confidence reposed in his firm and promised to deliver the job on schedule.

Coscharis Technologies wins SMB award for Nigeria, W/Africa

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HE American Power Conversion, APC, by Schneider Electric for Middle East and Africa at its distributor’s conference held in Athens recently, has awarded Coscharis Technologies Limited Small Medium Business, SMB, for Nigeria and West Africa.

SMB is a Small Medium Business, which focus on taking care of homes, businesses and networking.

Coscharis won the award, according to APC by Schneider Electric after it met the quarterly target and for its prompt reporting, ordering through the right channel, sale out within the specified period, after sales service delivery and distributing through the right channel.

The objective of conference was to reward qualified distributors in

different categories within the distribution channel.

Accordingly, the award was a clear indication that Coscharis Technologies has stepped up further from its local rung to international recognition.

The Vice-President of American Power Conversion, APC, by Schneider Electric for Middle East and Africa, Mr. Thiery Chamayou during the presentation of the awards, said it was unprecedented, adding that in meeting the set target by OEM, Coscharis Technologies Limited did not only met its target but also exceeded it.

Similarly, Mr. Sam Ugochukwu of Coscharis Technologies Limited also won the award of Product Manager for the entire English Speaking Africa countries and Middle East.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014—47

TRAINING: Some senior staff of Ecobank with children, after a training session on imbibing a savings culture as part of the Bank’s 2014 May Banking Month, in Lagos.

SUMMIT: Mr. Sunil Bharti, Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises/Co-Chair, World Economic Forum on Africa 2014 (left), and Mr. Austin Okere, Founder and Group Chief Executive Officer, CWG Plc, at the SMEs summit, held alongside the just concluded World Economic Forum on Africa, WEFA, n Abuja, last week.

INSTALLATION: From left, Rev. Joshua Adeniji (Chief Host), and Mr. Bhadmus Olalere, Vanguard member of staff, during their 2014 Convention, weekend, with his installation and that of other members as Deacons of Christ Apostolic Church, Ago Irapada, in Ibadan.

VISIT: Senator Ike Ekweremandu, admiring a magazine of the Uncommon Transformation, and Governor Akpabio, during the senator's visit to Akwa Ibom State.

AWARENESS: From left, Alhaji Bukar Isa, the Managing Director of Greenview Development Nigeria Ltd, GDNL; Captain J.A. Oyewumi, the Managing Director, Dangote Ports Operations; Engr.Abdulahi Sule, Deputy Group Managing Director of Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, and Usen Udoh, Group Human Resource Officer, Dangote Group, during the safety awareness week organised by GDNL, a subsidiary of Dangote Group.

VISIT: From left, Chairman, Momas Electricity Meters Manufacturing Company Limited, Engr. Kola Balogun; Chief Financial Officer, Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, Mr. Aigbe Olotu, and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Abiodun Ajifowobaje, during the courtesy visit by Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, IKEDC, to MEMMCOL, in Mowe, Ogun State.

EXERCISE: Mr. Irabor Okosun, Chief Executive Officer, 3ra'fique Communications (middle); Miss Bimpe Adeyemo, Brand Manager, Good Knight Insecticide (2nd left), and other representatives, during the pre-Malaria Football Match Initiative Testing Exercise, in Lagos.

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PRESENTATION: From left, Chairman, Zone 10 New Asaba Noble Lions Club, Mr. Monday Onyeme; Chairman, Board of Directors, Standard Foundation School, Kaduna, Professor Innocent Tenebe, and proprietress of the school, Mrs. Rabi Tenebe, during the presentation of books by New Asaba Noble Lions Club, to Standard Foundation School, Kaduna.

Photo: Olu Ajayi

LAUNCH: From left, Mr. Joe Hudson, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Lafarge WAPCO Nigeia Plc; Mr. Gbenga Opesanwo, Special Adviser, to Ogun State Governor on Transportation; Mr. Olusegun Ashekeme, representing Minister of Transport, and Mr. John Meheux, Zonal Commander FRSC, in Charge of Ogun and Lagos, during the launch of Lafarge Drivers Academy, entitled, ' Training Minds Changing Culture,' at Conference Hall, Staff quarters, in Lagos. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi

48—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

Bauchi distributes items to fire disaster victims

BY SUZAN EDEH

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AUCHI — BAUCHI State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, has donated relief materials to victims of the recent fire disaster in Alkaleri Local Government Area of the state.

Distributing the items to the beneficiaries, the Local Government Caretaker Committee Chairman, Mr Yohana Usman said SEMA was concerned about the wave of fire incidences in the state and warned residents of the area to always be cautious of fire when cooking and using electrical appliances to avoid a recur of such tragedy.

His words: “There is great intensity of heat this time. The weather is hotter than usual.

And you know we have three elements that constitute fire which are oxygen, combustibility and heat. During the wet season, we do not have heat.

As such, there are limited cases of inferno."

NDF lauds Int'l community over moves to rescue Chibok schoolgirls

BY EMEKA MAMAH

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BUJA — NORTHERN del egates at the ongoing National Conference, under the aegis of Northern Delegates Forum, NDF, has commended the international community for joining Nigeria in her efforts to rescue over 200 female students of Chibok, Borno State abducted by Boko Haram terrorists about three weeks ago.

Spokesman of the NDF, Mr Anthony Sani, who made this known pooh-poohed claims by some Nigerians that the involvement of foreign countries in search for the missing girls amounted to their meddling into the nation’s internal affairs.

He said there was no need to politicise the matter of security challenges or even disagreement

in view of the fact that the overriding interest now was to rescue the girls.

In a statement in Abuja, yesterday, Sani said: ‘’When one reads that there is disagreement among some Nigerians about the involvement of foreigners in Nigeria’s search for the abducted girls, it is upsetting.

"Upsetting because there is no basis for the disagreement, considering the over-riding urgent need to rescue the girls which our efforts alone have not yielded the desired result, and the fact that terrorism transcends national boundaries.

"The NDF, therefore, welcomes the offer of other countries to join the Nigerian government’s effort to rescue the abducted girls.

There is no room for national pride being hurt in this matter.

After all, Nigeria has been helping other countries to sort out their security challenges.

"More over, it does not matter whether the cat is black, white, brown or it is spotted, as long as it can catch the rat.

"And that was why when foreign missions visited Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, in the past, the forum appealed to them to come to the aid of Nigeria in the campaigns against the insurgence through sharing of intelligence, training, employment of counter terrorism strategies and operations of security personnel.

The NDF, therefore, wishes to appeal to our leaders at all level (be they political, religious and community leaders) and all public spirited individuals and groups with patriotic courage not to bring matter of security challenges into the political cockpit."

Accident: FRSC, VIO, others canvass driving academy

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BY IKENNA ASOMBA

AGOS — Traffic regulators in Ogun State, yesterday, canvassed urgent need for organisations to establish driving academies that will continuously train motorists on adhering to road safety measures to curtail incessant carnage on roads across the country.

Speaking at the launch of Lafarge Cement Nigeria Plc Drivers’ Academy, in Abeokuta, the state capital, the regulators drawn from the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC; Vehicles Inspection Office, VIO; Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, TRACE, Ogun State; National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW; Federal Ministry of Transportation and the Ogun State Ministry of Transportation said the call became imperative as 90 per cent of road carnage recorded monthly were caused by reckless driving by untrained drivers.

Mr. John Mells, the FRSC Zonal Commander in charge of Ogun and Lagos States said: “For you to be a five-star accident, you must avoid road accidents. Whether you are right or wrong, you must avoid road carnage because it is a minus for you, whether you have a right of way or not."

From left: Anthony Anuforom, Director General, Nigerian Meteorological Agency; Mr Benedict Adeyileka, Acting Director General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and Mr Saleh Dunoma, Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, during the wedding ceremony between Mr Solomon Terna Iorshe and Miss Sewuese Ortom, daughter of the Supervising Minister of Aviation, at Aper Aku Stadium, Makurdi.

Zamfara Assembly denies rift with state govt

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USAU — THE Zamfara House of Assembly, yesterday, denied any rift between it and the state government.

The Chairman, House Committee on Information, Alhaji Tukur Jekada, said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Gusau that speculations on the matter were mere fabrications.

NAN reports that rumours were rife in the state of “serious stand off” between the two arms of government.

“There is no truth in these speculations, and I will say it is mere rumour and diversionary as we have no problem with the executive arm of government in the state.

“The assembly is not sitting at the moment because members have gone on special duties to their various constituencies.

“The lawmakers returned from recess on March 31, they immediately proceeded to their respective constituencies to monitor the distribution of Hajj seats to intending pilgrims of 2014,” he said

Similarly, the Minority Leader of the House, Malam Ahmad Dole said “the allegation is the handiwork of detractors and enemies of democracy”.

Dole advised the people to dis-

countenance the rumours, assuring that the assembly would continue to encourage the governor to provide quality leadership in the state.

Why Oduah’ll always be recognised — Anya

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AGOS — The President General of Ogbako Ndigbo, Lagos, Professor Anya O. Anya, weekend, explained why the former Aviation Minister, Princes Stella Oduah, is being honoured by different organisations and groups after she has left office.

Anya, who spoke while Oduah was honoured in Lagos by Ndigbo, said Oduah’s determination to turn the aviation sector around marked her out as a patriotic Nigerian who deserves to be honoured.

He also described her as “a pride of Ndigbo, a rare woman of substance, an achiever that has brought international recognition to Ndigbo in concrete terms by facilitating the building of an international airport at Enugu, South-East Region.”

According to Anya, Ndigbo regard this singular feat as a great achievement because of how long it took to be realised and the rapid economic growth it will engender to the region.

The award, according to the organisers, was in recognition of her immense contribution in transforming the aviation sector into world-class standard.

Others honoured along with Oduah were eight other illustrious sons of Ndigbo who have also made impact in their fields of endeavour.

They include the immediate past governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi; immediate past Chief of Army Staff, General Azubuike Ihejirika; former Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Dele Ezeoba and former Minister of Power, Professor Barth Nnaji.

Others were former Executive Secretary of Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Reginald Chika Stanley; former Managing Director/CEO of Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr. Reginald Ihejiahi, former Managing Director of Nigeria Liquidfied Natural Gas (NLNG), Chima Ibeneche among others.

AIG warns personnel against extra judicial killings

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IRNIN KEBBI — THE Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 10, Bala Hassan, has warned police personnel in the zone against extra judicial killings.

Hassan gave the warning, yesterday, in Birnin Kebbi while addressing officers and men of Kebbi Police Command.

He said: “It is mandatory for the police to uphold that the law prohibits officers and men to assault suspects, to extract confessional statements or killing of an armed robber who pleaded guilty.

“The court is the only authority assigned to give sentences, punishments on crimi-

nals and I must stress that the easiest way for policemen to lose their jobs is to be guilty of any form of extra judicial killings.

“I, therefore, advise you to conduct exhaustive investigation and report to the court for judgment.”

Bala commended the Kebbi command of the police for the low crime rate in the state and urged the personnel to sustain the trend.

He also urged them to re-dedicate themselves to duty, shun bribery and corruption, and be diligent in the conduct of their duties.

The DIG advised police personnel under the command to take advantage of the courses

offered by the Open University of Nigeria to upgrade their educational qualifications.

In a remark, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Benjamin Onwuka, said the 4,425 policemen currently serving in the state were inadequate for effective policing.

Onwuka commended the cordial relationship existing between the command, the state government and the public, which had aided them in their duties.

He, however, requested for more patrol vehicles and communication gadgets, fencing of divisional police stations, and provision of more office accommodation for efficient performance.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014— —49

50—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

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Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014 —51

Scientists advocate baby’s stem cell storage

BY GABRIEL OLAWALE

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team of scientists from Smart Cells International, United Kingdom, has urged Nigerians to embrace the practice of preserving their children’s stem cells at birth.

Speaking in Lagos, Chief Executive Officer, Cytogene Services Ltd, Dr. Diana Hamzeh said preservation of umbilical blood could preserve stem cells that have proved to be a potential source in restoring and giving a new life for possible treatment of life – threatening diseases such as bone marrow transplant in the future to patients who have little or no hope.

The event - the 2nd Annual Medical Seminar organised in partnership with Cytogene Services Ltd., Hamzeh said: “As a mother, you can store your baby’s stem cells immediately you put to bed.

The trouble is that cord blood has to be prepared and frozen soon after birth of your baby and storing child’s stem cells at birth is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Hamzeh noted that stem cells have recorded success over cancers, genetic diseases such as sickle cell anemia, and irreversible tissue damage.

“Blood from your baby’s umbilical cord contains stem cells. Stem cells are the building blocks of other cells in your baby’s body. Stem cells can develop into blood cells which fight infection, carry oxygen around the body and help with blood clotting. These same blood cells are the ones which are affected in diseases such as leukaemia and other conditions of the blood, such as sickle cell anaemia.

“Storing a child’s stem cell would be a great advantage for such child in case of any complication and the chances of it being a match for your other children is relatively high,” she observed.

Metabolic and immune system disorders such as leukemia, high risk solid tumours, traumatic brain injury, autism, cerebral palsy, sight restoration among others can be treated with stem cells which can develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. They are unspecialised cells capable of renewing themselves through cell division,

sometimes after long periods of inactivity.

Under certain physiologic or experimental conditions, they can be induced to become tissue- or organspecific cells with special functions.

Head of Human Dermatology and Coordinator of Stem Cell Transplant Unit, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH, Dr. Godwin Bazuaye regretted that if the practice of preserving stem cell had been embraced for long in Nigeria, the issue of people searching for a match during bone marrow transplant would have been a thing of the past.

Urology Fellowships for Nigerian doctors

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OWARDS improving skills of Nigerian medical doctors, Mansard Insurance Plc is annually funding postgraduate Fellowships in General Urology at the Pan-African Urological Surgeons Association’s Initiative for Urological Training in Africa, PIUTA, Ibadan Centre, University of Ibadan and University College Hospital, Ibadan.

Presenting the cheque to the Association at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan, the CEO, Mansard Health Limited, Mr. Tope Adeniyi, reiterated commitment to promotion of overall wellbeing of the customer base and the larger society via aiding the delivery of quality, affordable and technology-driven healthcare solutions.

In 2013, the outfit funded training fellowships in Urology, sponsoring four resident doctors of the UCH to the Pan African Urological Surgeons’ Association (PAUSA) conference in Accra, Ghana.

A travel awardee, Dr. Ijeoma Chibuzo won the Best Paper Award entitled:“The UCH Bladder Manikin” - an innovative home-grown model designed by urologists at the UCH to train doctors on how to drain the bladder during emergency.

Ten other s were awarded MANSARDPIUTA Fellowship Research Grants for various studies in Epidemiological/ Translational, basic and clinical science research projects.

On behalf of PIUTA, Professor OlapadeOlaopa said the support and commitment to PIUTA will go a long way breaking new grounds in public health research.

•Pix showing potential uses of Stem cells.

30p to pee: Excessive urination M

Y recent articles reviewed the good, bad, and ugly points in the National Health Bill signed by the Senate in February and also urged Government, corporations and wealthy individuals to take an urgent look at the status of intensive care in Nigeria.

Today’s article is on a much lighter note.

It was early Saturday morning. Two hours after our 777 landed at Heathrow, my friend and I emerged from the Underground into the vast hall of Victoria Station in London.

As I took in the cool air, I was struck by the quiet emptiness of the usually busy and congested commuter station.

“You know,” I said. “I was in here the day the IRA bombed this station over 20 years ago?”

“Really!”My friend said as he rubbed his hands and surveyed the station. “Hope you were not injured.”

“No, I was driving by on the way to work at King’s College Hospital. While in the traffic jam, a policeman saw the stethoscope on my back seat

and asked if I could come in to help.”

My friend was distracted. He was looking around for something. We stood in front of the Information screen.

“Ah,” he sighed and pointed to our right. “There. I need a toilet to pee!” “Again?” That’s three times since we landed.

Our train leaves Platform 12 in 10 minutes.”

He dragged his small bag and headed towards the restrooms while I chose to board the warm train. I waited.

Intermittently, I looked out of the windows for my friend. After six minutes, I opened the doors and peered across the platform and the station. There was no sign of him. We had an important appointment at London Bridge. We must take this train. Two minutes to departure, the Stationmaster marched aside the train, whistle in mouth, flag in hand. I could not see my friend. Sixty seconds...the Stationmaster looked at huge digital station clock.

Thirty seconds.....he raised

his flag. I grabbed my suitcase in an attempt to get off the train.

Suddenly, I saw a man, tie flying, bag swinging, running like if his bank manager was chasing him. My friend, a proud multi-linguist, was yelling in Yoruba, Ibo and Hausa: “Please wait for me!”

The stationmaster, not familiar with the major Nigerian languages, looked unsympathetically at the frantic jogger and blew his whistle. No way, I thought.

I pushed the button and the doors swung open.

I stood between the doors and called: “Come on, you can make it!” He made it. As the whistle echoed through the station, my friend leapt on the 8.49 to London Bridge.

“The toilets were yards away,” I said. “What happened?”

It took him 10 minutes to catch his breath.

“I found that I needed 30 pence to use that toilet. Pay to urinate? Ridiculous!”

“Like most things’” I said. “It has been contracted out to a company. They have to pay staff

doctor@lagospainclinic.com to keep it clean and maintain it.”

He disagreed.” I decided to try the toilet upstairs miles away.

When I got there, the machine needed 50p!” I chuckled. “So you paid?”

“The toilet was out of order!”

He grimaced. “Water was beginning to leak in my trousers. I ran back to the first toilet.”

“So you paid the 30 pence?”

“I would have paid them 30 pounds! I was left with three minutes to run down the stairs, relieve myself, back upstairs and run for the train.

I shook my head. “All for 30p to pee.”

Polyuria Polyuria, excessive urination occurs when you are urinating more than two litres per day.

Many people notice the

symptom at night—nocturnal polyuria.

Common causes include drinking a large amount of liquid, concentrated juices, alcohol and caffeinated drinks (as was my friend’s case).

Certain medications, such as diuretics will increase urine volume. In some cases, there is an underlying cause such as: diabetes, kidney failure, psychogenic polydipsia, a mental disorder causing excessive thirst, sickle cell anaemia. These require direct treatment.

Polyuria not caused by health concerns can be addressed simply by changing behaviour.

Watch your fluid intake. Limit fluids before bedtime, limit caffeinated and alcoholic beverages, understand the side effects of medications.

52 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

C’ttee adopts rotational principle for presidency, governorship •Obasanjo didn’t win election, he was anointed —Okurounmu

BY LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU

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HE Committee on Political Restructuring and Forms of Government, yesterday, recommended that the presidency and governorship should be rotated among the geo-political zones and senatorial zones respectively and the provision should be enshrined in the electoral law and constitution of political parties.

The recommendation came after a robust but heated debate by members. While backing rotation, Senator Femi Okurounmu, from the SouthWest delegate stunned members of his committee, when he claimed that former President Olusegun Obasanjo did not win the 1999 Presidential election.

Okuroumu, who hails from the same Ogun State as Obasanjo, maintained that Obasanjo’s emergence as president was planned and executed by the powers-that-be at the time to assuage growing tension occasioned by the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election presumably won by late Chief Moshood Abiola.

“Obasanjo did not win the election; he was anointed by the powers-that-be to pacify the South-West over the annulment of June 12 election,” he said while backing the rotational principle, advancing that the system would give every zone the opportunity to produce president.

To realise the objective, Okuroumu, who chaired the Presidential Advisory Committee on the conference, suggested that the new principle should be embedded in the Electoral Act and in the constitutions of the various political parties.

Corroborating Okuroumu, another member of the committee representing Federal

*Cross-section of participants at the ongoing National Conference Government, Senator Nimi Amange, said: “Obasanjo was not the best candidate in the 1999 contest, but Nigerians decided to give it to South-West for what happened to Chief Moshood Abiola. Nigeria has never had the best as its president. Our greatest problem is fear and suspicion and that is why we want everything to be in the constitution. If we want zoning, we should zone the presidency to all ethnic nationalities in Nigeria so that all of them will enjoy the presidency.”

Dr. Philips Salawu, former deputy governor of Kogi State also supported the zoning principle and further proposed that the system should be practiced at the centre, states and local government levels.

“The presidency should alternate between North and South among the six geo political zones. It should also be included in the constitution. If you can entrench it in the constitution, the quest for state creation would not be necessary.”

On his part, Ambassador

C’ttee recommends part time legislature, reduction of ministers to 36

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HE Engr. Ebele Okekeled Committee on Public Service has recommended the amendment of the portion of the constitution that requires the president to appoint at least one minister from each state to read “ not more than one minister from each state.” The number of ministers has therefore been reduced from 42 to 36 It also recommended the full implementation of the Integrated Personnel Payroll System (IPPS) to include the military, paramilitary, judiciary C M Y K

and the legislature, adding that legislators at both state and Federal levels should be on part-time basis and their remunerations should be comparable to other arms of government.

On budget reform, the committee recommended that projects should have terminal dates and should not be perpetually on the budget. The Millennium Tower and the Lokoja-Abuja road which have been on-going for about 13 and 8 years respectively were cited as examples.

Lawrence Agubuzu (SouthEast) said that “it should be based on geo-political zones since it has been used to determine our sharing formula.

He said that South East and North East had been marginalized in terms of producing the president and urged delegates to support the South-East zone to produce the president in 2019, saying it would save the country of unnecessary tension.

Also General Jonathan

Temlong (Federal Government) shared the sentiment of rotation, saying it would give all zones the opportunity to occupy the highest political office in Nigeria.

“It has to be institutionalized.

We also ask the parties to include zoning in their constitutions as it affects all levels of government. It should be given legal backing and entrenched in the electoral law,” he said.

Rotation should be left to the parties – Ladan

Senator Ladan (North-West) said that rotation should be left to the parties and should not be a constitutional issue because “it will create a very serious problem if included in the constitution.

We must do something that will be good for the future of this country. A leader must be elected on the basis of acceptability.”

Lending his voice also, Mr. Yinka Odumakin (South-West) said that “there is no part of the country that cannot have a qualified person. The office should rotate among the zones in the country.”

Eventually, the committee, via a majority vote, agreed that the matter should be in the Electoral Act and in the constitution of political parties.

Speaking to Vanguard, Professor Anya O. Anya (Federal Government delegate) said that it was proper to locate the matter in the Electoral Law and the constitution of political parties.

“You cannot divorce the rotational principle from the structure. For example, we are now expecting a unicameral legislature in which the membership will be drawn on two criteria. Those that go there on the basis of equality of all states which will be 50 percent of the membership and those that will go there on the basis of population and then of course at the party level, in selecting their candidates, they should make allowance for minority interests like the physically challenged, the women and the youths. That is where we are.

Labour must resist moves to remove minimum wage from Exclusive List — Oshiomhole

BY HENRY UMORU

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OVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, yesterday, urged the Organised Labour to resist any attempt to remove the present minimum wage structure from the Exclusive list, warning that it would lead to unrest in the country.

He also told labour leaders and members of Civil Society Organisations, CSOs that posterity would judge them if they allowed that to happen, adding that those proposing that decentralisation of National Minimum Wage would quell industrial crisis in the labour sector were wrong because issues and problems of workers

cannot be resolved by abolishing the National Minimum wage.

Speaking yesterday at Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja as a guest of the Committee on Civil Society, Labour and Sports, Governor Oshiomhole, accused members of the Committee on Devolution of Power, which recommended that labour matters be expunged from the Exclusive legislative list and placed on the Concurrent list as being ignorant of the dynamics of the world of work.

The governor, who is the immediate past president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC noted that it was unfortunate that people misconstrue the fact that the Federal Government legislated on National Minimum Wage even when the federating states do not share equal

resources from the federation account. He stressed that the minimum wage of N18,000 that the Federal Government offered to pay workers was a mere benchmark which was also binding on it not to renege on.

He continued: “The national minimum wage law has come to stay. It will be a shame to the labour movement if what we have won 34 years ago under an NPN government will be slowed to fritter away today. I am unable to understand why somebody will suggest that the problem in labour circles is caused by labour issues being on the exclusive list.

There is a huge gap within the ruling class as they do not understand why we are witnessing the current level of strikes in the country.”

•C’ttee backs independent candidacy, ideological parties

BY HENRY UMORU & JOSEPH ERUNKE

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HE Committee on Political Parties and Electoral Matters has unanimously endorsed independent candidacy to encourage willing and qualified Nigerians without party platforms to contest political positions.

As part of its recommendations on Monday,

the committee also made a strong case for the existence of strong, ideological parties to deepen democracy in the country.

Former Senate President and Co- Chairman of the committee, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, said that a two-party system would have been stabilized in the nation’s political history by now if not for successive military interventions which truncated the process.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014—53

BY HENRY UMORU

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HERE was a sharp disagreement, yesterday, between the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and members of the Committee on Political Parties and Electoral Matters on the feasibility of conducting the 2015 general elections and subsequent ones in one day.

While the committee, which has former Senate Presidents Iyorchia Ayu and Ken Nnamani as cochairmen recommended that all the elections should henceforth be conducted same day, the INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega countered that it was not realistic considering logistic challenges.

A member of the committee and former national president of the Nigeria Union Journalists, Mallam Sani Zoro, told reporters that committee has recommended that INEC should conduct elections into all elective offices at the state and federal levels on same day. He said they arrived at the decision after a careful study of staggered elections in the country, adding, “We have agreed that all elections should hold on a single day where feasible. We think the advantage derivable from that exercise is much more than the advantages of having staggered elections. First of all cost will be reduced. Secondly we are also of the opinion that there won’t be voters’ fatigue.”

However, Jega, while

INEC, Delegates disagree on conduct of election same day •President, Govs should vacate office over pending electoral cases –C’tee

*Cross-section of participants at the ongoing National Conference appearing before the committee dismissed the idea of conducting all elections in one day, saying, “ INEC as it is now cannot do election in one day because of logistic challenges and if you conduct elections in one day, the logistics of it is going to be enormous, the cost, and the risk will over weigh the benefit of trying it.”

Jega said that collating the votes and announcement would

take a week, thereby creating tension in the minds of the people, adding, “it will take a week to tabulate and announce results and this will create tension that is why we in INEC we say, let us take a step at a time and keep on improving. We do not support doing election in one day in 2015.”

Speaking further, Zoro who noted that the committee has also recommended that electronic

voting be used in our elections to replace the present manual voting system.

On the demand in some quarters for mid-term election as practiced in the United States of America, the former NUJ president who explained that the committee jettisoned the idea as it might distort INEC’s preparations for the 2015 election, said “We thought if we are to start it now we may

complicate matters because INEC has already come up with a timetable for 2015.

According to him, the committee has also recommended that all elected public office holders must quit office the day they complete their tenure if there was a case challenging their return to the same office in the election tribunal, adding, “I can also tell you that the sub-committee today agreed on something that is so fundamental. That is wherein if the trial of any case that arose as a pre-election matter beyond the stipulated 180 days the incumbent cannot continue to be in office once it is 29 of May, the day that newly elected office holders should be sworn in.

“Once there is a case challenging you in office you have to give way. It is only after the case might have been disposed off that you can be sworn in.

“In other words, there is no office holder that will stay a day more than four years.

Being in office as an incumbent is not an excuse to extend your tenure by one hour any longer.

The Chief Judge or the Speaker of the House or, in the case of the presidency, whoever the constitution stipulates will move in and act until the issues are disposed off.”

Derivation: C’ttee recommends retention of status quo

BY HENRY UMORU, JOSEPH ERUNKE & LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU

A

FTER weeks of disagree ments on resource control and derivation, the National Conference Committee on Devolution of Powers, yesterday, recommended that the status quo be maintained.

This is even as a member of the committee, Ms Ankio Briggs, disagreed, saying the retention of the 13 percent derivation was completely unacceptable to the people of the Niger Delta.

Rising from a seven-hour meeting, the committee said every matter regarding reintroduction of onshore-offshore oil dichotomy, increase or decrease in derivation principle and resource control were resolved in a manner that there was no victor, no vanquished.

As it is now, derivation principle still stands at 13 per cent as contained in the 1999 Constitution for every mineral producing area; while the issue of resource control can only be reviewed upward after amendment of Section 44(3) of the 1999 Constitution.

The section states that “Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, the entire property in and control of

* It’s totally unacceptable to Niger Deltans — Ankio Briggs all minerals, mineral oils and natural gas in, under or upon any land in Nigeria or in, under or upon the territorial waters and the Exclusive Economic Zone of Nigeria shall vest in the Government of the Federation and shall be managed in such manner as may be prescribed by the National Assembly.”

However, barring any change of position when the decision gets to the plenary, the committee resolved that on a monthly basis, 4.5 percent of federal revenue would be set aside for the development of natural resources in all the states of the federation. It is to be called Fund for Solid Mineral Development.

Co-chairman of the Committee, Obong Victor Attah, explained that during the closedoor session, every delegate was given opportunity to state his position on the issues and that at the end, there were contrary positions on all the issues without any party agreeing to shift grounds.

He said while the issue of resource control attracted passionate arguments from a section of the delegates and an equally passionate opposition

from others, it was finally resolved that with the amendment of Item 39 of the Exclusive Legislative List, certain aspects of resource control have been taken care of.

The amendment states that in the mining of the natural minerals in all the states of the federation, while the rights of licensing remains that of the Federal Government with the National Assembly as the legislative body, such mining would be carried out with the active involvement of the states where the mineral resources are found.

Based on this, Attah, a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, informed journalists that when included in the Constitution, the amended item empowers every part of the country to develop and mine its resources in accordance with Federal Government licensing and use the resources to develop the people.

With this, he said every state of the federation would now benefit from the derivation principle instead of believing that anytime derivation benefits are discussed, they are meant for the oil-bearing areas alone.

It was his belief that with such arrangement, it would be easier for every part of the country to

agree unanimously on the need for upward review of the derivation principle because everyone will stand to benefit.

Attah said: “We have concluded deliberations on Exclusive and Concurrent list, fiscal federalism that has components of revenue sharing, resource control and sharing formula. ”Some came to this committee that dichotomy must be introduced, some insisted that payment on derivation must be reduced, while some want the states to own and operate all resources within their areas and only pay taxes to the government. ”We went through all positions and it was unanimously agreed that the last position was not achievable because it is a constitutional issue and amendment must be made before that can be achieved because as it is now all minerals belong to the Federal government. ”Given that understanding, those people agitating for that dropped their position and opted for 50 percent as minimum payment on derivation. This obviously seems like irreconcilable positions. Maturity and patriotism of the members came to play at this point as we recog-

nized that there were so many mineral resources left unexplored which is causing discontent. ”We also recognized that the 13 per cent given to communities with the resources is not enough and some still want government to reduce it because it was felt that with the 13 percent the people are still impoverished because it was not judiciously applied. ”More than anything, we felt that we must try and maintain the equilibrium that we have in this country today. So that there will be no loser or winner. At the end, everyone withdrew their positions and we reached an unanimous decision that a special fund must be set up to enable the country, with the participation of the states to develop the mineral deposits within their areas. ”We recommend that it must be enshrined in the constitution so that nobody can challenge it so that everybody will benefit from the derivation. The final decision was let the status quo remain, and for sake of equilibrium don’t let us go back and re-open old wounds and inflict new ones".

54—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

Fayemi’s turn around is voodoo promise — Fayose

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

T

HE PDP candidate, Ayo Fayose has described the turn around by Governor Kayode Fayemi on the conduct of competency test teachers and the implementation of the 27% teachers allowance as “voodoo, gimmick, deceit and a mere political statement.”

Reacting to the development, Fayose urged the teachers not to fall to these promises which are fake, saying that All Progress Congress (APC) which emerged from Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN ) has no record and reputation of being upright or faithful to promises.

•Fayemi

•Fayose

Speaking through his spokesman, Mr Idowu Adelusi, Fayose told the teachers and people of Ekiti State that returning Fayemi and APC to power. “ is another four years

of hunger, deceit, retrogression, capital flight, reintroduction of political competency, sack and humiliation of teachers, retrenchment of local

government workers and ban of okada operation.”

“Governor Fayemi has equally promised to continue work on dualisation of Ikere road but Fayose told Ikere people to ask Fayemi why did he have to wait until Fayose had said that he would continue with the work.”

Fayose said “this is a deceit of the 21st century and only a fool would believe Fayemi, but Ikere people and Ekiti in general are wiser.”

Fayose urged the people to reject APC totally and vote for him to bring back to the state era of economic boom and progress.

Fayemi draws more support from PDP •Ex Majority Leader defects as Fayemi storms Ikere

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

G

OVERNOR Kayode Fayemi’s campaign yesterday continued the bleeding of the PDP with the defection of another high ranking party official during a frenzy rally in Ikere.

Just a week after the former governor of the state, Engr.

Segun Oni decamped from

the PDP to the APC, a former commissioner in the state, PDP zonal publicity secretary and State PDP Secretary and former majority leader in the State House of Assembly, Mr. Kayode Babade also decamped to the APC. Besides Babade’s defection, the Fayemi campaign was also boosted by the endorsement received from the Hausa

Community in Ikere.

In defecting to the APC, Babade said: “The person we want whom God wants to return office is John Kayode Fayemi. We don’t want a violent person as our governor, we don’t want somebody bearing five names.”

“We don’t want a governor who will be detaining Obas

Ekiti guber: How we’re tackling violence, by Police command

BY ADEDAPO AKINREFON

W

ITH allegations and counter allegations of attacks emanating from the three frontline political parties (APC, PDP and LP), the Ekiti State Police Command says it has adopted measures to address the issue.

Speaking with Vanguard, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Victor Obayemi disclosed that some of the attacks were either genuine, trivial or falsehood.

Obayemi said “if you have been following the sequence of events since the electioneering campaigns started, you will notice that there have been allegations and counter allegations. While some are genuine, some are trivial and some are outright false hood.

We have been having them and we have itemized them into those three categories which are the genuine ones, the trivial ones and the false ones. We have received all sorts of allegations. For the genuine

ones, we take them very seriously and we look into them.”

On steps taken by the Ekiti State Police Command since inception of electioneering campaigns, he said: “I can tell you that since the commencement of this electioneering campaign, we have made a number of arrests and some have been taken to court. I can tell you that a whole lot of people have been arrested, some cases are under investigation and we are still looking for some people who are on the run because they know the police is looking for them. For the trivial ones, we have cautioned the persons involved and warned them very seriously that any case of violence or attacks is against the law and will be taken very seriously. That is how we are dealing with them.”

“For the false alarms that have been raised, we have been warning those raising such that those false alarms are capable of heating up the polity and that they are trying to create

problems where there is none.”

Speaking further, the police image maker said “if you have been following the politics of Ekiti State, you will know that this is the first time in the politics of the state where we have witnessed the least number of violence in the electioneering campaigns. It is not what we are doing, it is what we have done. We have been partnering with politicians and political parties.

It is a carrot and stick approach. We have been talking but where we find people crossing the line, we use the stick according to the dictates of the law.”

Also, he said “We have been able to put a whole lot of strategies in place and some of those strategies have been working perfectly for us. I can assure you that we have a lot of machinery in place, we have a lot of personnel in place and we have put them in motion to forestall law and order in the forthcoming elections in the state.”

inside the booth, who disrespects elders, who mismanages resources.

“We don’t want a governor who beats his wife, we don’t want a governor who beats his father. I want you my people to vote JKF, vote APC. Troop out massively on election day and we will ensure that PDP has no vote in Ikere”.

Addressing the mammoth crowd, Fayemi expressed gratitude for the people of the town for their massive support and solidarity, urging them to come out en masse and vote APC for the good works to continue.

Describing Ikere as the gateway to Ekiti land, Fayemi said the commencement of work on dual Carriageway underlines the importance attached to the town by his administration.

He urged the people of the community not to be intimidated by the opposition’s threat that Ekiti election results will be declared from Abuja, saying such a step won’t work in Ekiti.

“Ikere wants somebody that will represent it well and I am a son of Ikere. Not somebody who will lock Obas inside the booth, not somebody who will kill College if Education students again like before, not somebody who will disrespect elders.

“You have seen what we have done, payment of stipends to the aged, construction of roads, renovation of schools, we have not increased fees in our institutions

Fayose relocates campaign office to hotel

BY ADEDAPO AKINREFON

S

POTLESS Hotel owned by the PDP governorship candidate, Ayodele Fayose is experiencing a new lease of life.

The hotel which in the days of the governorship of Mr. Fayose between 2003 and 2005 enjoyed high patronage from the state government and political allies of the former governor went into near disuse following the removal of Fayose from office.

Until now it had been under lock and key.

But with the election approaching, the hotel is now a beehive of activities as Fayose has practically relocated his campaign office to the hotel.

The hotel has become the campaign’s Situation Room as party executives and supporters daily converge there to strategise on the next line of action.

When Vanguard visited the hotel situated along Onigari GRA, in Ado-Ekiti, party members were gathered in different clusters strategizing.

Bamidele returns to Abuja

BY ADEDAPO AKINREFON

W

ITH the governorship campaign gaining momentum, the respective candidates are mapping out strategies to ensure they emerge victorious at the poll.

The Labour Party standard flag-bearer, Mr Opeyemi Bamidele took time off to attend to pending legislative issues in Abuja.

Opeyemi represents AdoEkiti/Irepodun-Ifelodun federal constituency in the House of Representatives.

Though he contested and won elections on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, he has since jumped ship to the Labour Party where he intends to actualize his governorship ambition.

Vanguard reliably gathered that MOB, as he’s fondly called decided to take a break from the electioneering campaign because he “has not been in Abuja for the last five weeks.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014—55

INSECURITY: CAN prays for national peace

C

HRISTIAN Associa tion of Nigeria (CAN) has concluded plans to hold one-day national prayer for Nigeria tagged 'Recover Nigeria' at the National Christian Centre, Abuja on Friday, a statement said.

The prayer session billed for Abuja between 11.00 a.m. and 1.00 p.m will be led by the CAN national president, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and will be attended by all national officials of CAN and the FCT chapter.

The statement signed by CAN’s General Secretary, Rev. Musa Asake said the decision to pray for peace became necessary following the growing concern about the security situation in the country.

He said all state chapters of the association have been directed to co-ordinate the prayers at designated locations in all states of the federation.

According to the statement, the prayer session will hold simultaneously in churches across the country.

"Due to the current security situation in our country, the CAN president has directed that a national prayer programme tagged 'Recover Nigeria', be held all over the nation.

"All the state chapters of CAN are implored to mobilize Christians from all church groups in their states for this programme and it is expected to run at the same time all over the country.

"This is to enable all Christians to go on their knees and cry out to the Lord to save our nation from the current security challenges," the CAN General Secretary was quoted as saying.

CAN expressed confidence that prayers would help Nigeria overcome current challenges, particularly the reign of terror in parts of the country.

The association urged all Christians to actively participate in the programme as part of its contributions to the fight against insurgency in the country.

SJCCG seeks N2 billion for cathedral

E

MINENT Nigerians including former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), former Minister of Defence, General Theophilus Danjuma (rtd), National President of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, former Director of Wapic Insurance Plc, Dr. Raymond Obieri are expected at the National Christian Centre, Abuja on Saturday for the Saint Joseph Chosen Church of God, SJCCG, fund raising programme.

Others expected at the occasion include insurance guru and chairman of IGI, Mr. Remi Olowude as special guest and the National President of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, Rev. Felix Omobude who is expected to be the guest minister.

A statement signed by the

personal assistant to the Spiritual leader of SJCCG, Pastor Victor Munzuni, said the event is expected to raise funds for the building of an ultra-modern Abuja City Centre Cathedral to serve the spiritual needs of residents in the Federal Capital.

According to him, Gen. Gowon, the initiator of Nigeria Prays will be the chairman of the occasion while the erstwhile Defence minister is expected to be the chief launcher and Pastor Oritsejafor will be guest speaker.

Spiritual leader, Apostle Hayford Alile had earlier told our correspondent that the church would not be perturbed by the security challenges facing the country and would raise N2 billion for a befitting cathedral for Abuja.

The programme is billed for Saturday at 10.00 a.m.

Eckankar urges prayers for peace

E

CKANKAR Nigeria held its 4-day yearly regional semi nar at the National Arts Theater, Lagos with a series of activities like workshops, roundtable discussions, dance drama, song ministration by the youth wing as well as ECK health professionals group meeting, children programme coordinators meeting amongst others, reports OLAYINKA LATONA. The theme of the 4-day event was; "Living the spiritual life" which also became the topic of the Regional ECK Spiritual Aide (RESA) for Nigeria, Ifeatu Areh speech.

Speaking with journalists, the president, Eckankar Nigeria, Prof.

Henry Alapiki called on Nigerians to love one another, eschew violence and give peace a chance in Nigeria.

Prof. Alapiki who is optimistic that Nigeria will soon overcome her current challenges, advised the masses not to relent in praying for peace, stressing that no country can develop in the absence of peace.

CHIBOK: NOSCEF wants public inquiry into Amnesty's report

By SAM EYOBOKA

T

HE Northern States Christian Elders Fo rum (NOSCEF), is saddened by the latest Amnesty International report which claims that military commanders in Damboa and Maiduguri, were aware of an impending attack from armed men as they were seen driving in convoy four hours before the attack on the school took place.

A statement by NOSCEF chairman, Elder Olaiya Philip yesterday demanded an urgent, public and independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the Amnesty International report.

According to the statement, NOSCEF is also saddened and outraged by the extension of the scourge of Boko Haram, to yet another group of defenceless and innocent young girls.

"We demand that the government and military authorities

set up a mechanism to provide the families of the abducted girls with regular updates on the status of the search. Government must also provide adequate resources for the Chibok community to rebuild and must restore security to Borno State and the other areas of NorthEast Nigeria affected by the insurgency," he stated.

NOSCEF maintained that the wide publicity given to the abduction of about 270 girls from their school in Chibok since April 14 has no doubt helped to bring the suffering of millions of Christians and Muslims in North Eastern Nigeria, to the forefront of national and international discourse.

"We must draw attention to the fact that Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Boko Haram restated in his latest video that Christians remain their primary targets. However, we acknowledge that many Muslims,

whether for rejecting the extremist and violent beliefs of Boko Haram or just for cohabiting with Christians, have been targeted, maimed and killed," the statement added.

Stressing that the human life is sacred, NOSCEF said: "Everyone should be free to believe and practice their faith without fear, let or hindrance.

"In Northern Nigeria and across Nigeria, we must hold these beliefs firmly, live by them and use the might of government to protect the sanctity of life and freedom of worship.

Therefore, we are gratified to see the outpouring of condemnation for Boko Haram and public support for the victims and their families, across the divides of faith, ethnicity and nationality.

"We believe that this is as it should be and as it should have been all along," NOSCEF added.

* R U N registrar, Mrs. Bol a t i t o Oloketuyi presenting medal to the overall best male athlete, Mr. Almoruf Yusuf.

RUN ends maiden Olympics

By SAM EYOBOKA

A

S part of its commit ment to discover talents for future sports engagements, the Redeemer's University of Nigeria, RUN owned by the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, recently held its maiden one week long Interlevel Olympics tagged “RUN Inter-level Olympics”.

The programme started on April 24 and ran till Sunday, May 4 at the mini stadium of the Redeemer's High School at the Redemption camp. A total of 320 medals, seven trophies and two crystal awards were given out to winners.

Chairman of the university's Sports Council, Prof. Kayode Adekeye who flagged off the games that featured football, Athletics, table tennis, basket ball, volley ball, taekwondo and indoor games said the event was to encourage students to participate in sporting activities that will help in the development

of sports in the school.

According to him, the aim of the tournament was to discover talents that will represent the school for future events and that there’s urgent need for the school to replace the outgoing students that participated at the last Nigeria Private Universities games (NPUGA).

He noted that “58% of the athletes that participated in the last NPUGA 2013 will graduate before the next edition. Therefore, it is pertinent; if we do not want to fail to plan, then the inter-level Olympic is the answer,” he said.

The games among pre-degree level, 100 level, 200 level, 300 level and 400 level turned out to be a talent hunt indeed.

Addressing the closing ceremony, Prof. Adekeye said talents from the lower levels, 100 level, 200 level and even the pre-degree level were greatly discovered, and these students can be trained over time to make them perfectly fit to win the next

edition of the NPUGA games and other national and international competitions.

"I am happy to announce that at the end of this event, 200 level topped the medals table with 15 gold medals, 13 silver medals and 10 bronze medals followed by 100 level with eight gold medals, seven silver medals and seven bronze medals. With this achievement I believe strongly that the next NPUGA title is coming to Redeemer’s University," he stated.

Trophies, medals, crystals and cash awards were given out to outstanding athletes. The trophies include; Overall best level trophy which went to 200 Level; Male football trophy 200 Level; Female football trophy won by 400 Level; Prof. A. P. Yerima trophy for the Male Basketball (200 level); Prof. A. P. Yerima trophy for the Female Basket ball (400 Level); Prof. J. F. Akingbade trophy for the Male Chess (400 Level) among others.

56 —

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

*Protesting against exclusion in planned sale of SPDC’s OMLs

When Bayelsa riverine community besieged oil facility THE oil workers and men of the Joint Task Force, codenamed Operation Pulo Shield, were weekend alarmed by an armada of boats which stormed the AngloDutch oil giant, Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, facilities in the Nembe Creek.

Members of the task force had thought that the invaders were on a clandestine mission.

A first time visitor to the coastal enclave would have mistaken the large number of boats, all heading in the same direction to be a carnival. The number of placards being displayed on the boats added colour to the assemblage.

But it was not a cultural display or carnival procession as thought by other riverine commuters plying the Nembe-Brass waterway that fateful Saturday.

The placard-carrying occupants of the boats were indigenes of Nembe Bassambiri in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

It was a day the elders, chiefs,

women and youths of the community came together to voice their anger against the SPDC’s divestment plans and proposed sale of its Oil Mining Licenses, OMLs. The protesters who besieged the oil facilities operated by the Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC in the area were angry at the plan by Shell to sell OML 29 located in their domain without consulting them.

Company’s divestment Vanguard Features, VF, learnt that Shell has placed its 45 percent stake in four oil wells, including OML 29, for sale as part of the company ’s divestment. But the aggrieved indigenes, numbering over 100, armed with placards stormed the oil facilities in about 15 speedboats and asked Shell to stop production for three days to address their demands.

Led by a member of the community ’s Oil and Gas Committee, the protesters took over the Nembe-Brass waterways, chanting solidarity

songs as they sailed to SPDC’s major oil platforms in the area to register their grievances. They took their protests to Shell’s Santa Barbara Flow Station, Tora Manifold and Odema Flow Station. The presence of the protesters initially created panic among Shell workers living in houseboats.

The tension, however, thawed after operatives of the Joint Task Force, JTF, deployed to guard the facilities discovered that the protesters were harmless community folks.

Some of the placards displayed by the protesters read: “The land is ours, the oil is ours, Shell cannot divest without us”, “No to Shell OML 29 sale”, “After polluting our land and water, Shell wants to sell our land”.

Other placards read: “No to fraudulent sale of investment”, “No to Shell fraudulent divestment”; “OML 29, OPU Nembe demand justice”; “Do not sell our oil wells to strangers” and “Include our companies in OML divestment plans”.

A member of the NembeBassambiri Council of Chiefs, Chief Bukolo Alfred said

members of the community were angry at the plan of SPDC to sell oil blocks in the area without consulting them.

He said delegates sent by the council of chiefs to dialogue with SPDC on the development

,

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA, YENAGOA

are doing. But we want to say that we are the landlords and we are supposed to be notified on what our tenants are doing,” he said.

Also, the Chairman of OpuNembe Improvement Union, ONIU, Mr. Ebinyo Robert said the community would not allow the company to leave unceremoniously after destroying its environment through pollution and insisted that the company must involve the community in all the processes involved in selling OML 29.

By this demonstration, we are telling the parties to the sale, including the bidders, to desist from going ahead because the land is ours, the water is ours and the oil is ours; if they do, of course, they will have us to contend with

returned disappointed at the “lukewarm” attitude of the company to their plight. ”Our placards have shown that we are not happy with Shell. We are by this protest, giving Shell three days to shut down operation and dialogue with us or we will ensure that these facilities are permanently closed,” he warned.

He noted that although SPDC had contributed to the development of the community, the company was wrong to take a major decision of divesting without consulting its landlords. ”We are not against what they

,

He warned that individu als and companies indicating interest to buy the oil wells should desist or have the community to contend with.

According to him, the communities have nominated three companies to participate in the bidding process.

He said: “The place has been polluted and our environment, our water, our land, have been degraded for a long time. We have not been rehabilitated the way we really wanted it. By this

Continues on page 57

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

When Bayelsa riverine community besieged oil facility

— 57

WEF: How rumours, fear and panic ruled Abuja

Continued from page 56

Peaceful protest Shell, according to him, had made similar mistake in the past by giving some of their oil wells to Kalabari people that caused rift between them, adding: “The company is about making the same mistake again which we are going to resist.”

Also speaking, Mrs. Seyefiekumo Clinton, who represented the Nembe Bassambiri women, said they came out to join in the peaceful protest to make their grievances known to the company.

The Operations Team Lead Santa Barbara Flow Station, Mr. Akpe Emmanuel, welcomed the protesters on behalf of Shell. He thanked them for the peaceful manner in which they conducted the demonstration and promised to pass their grievances across to SPDC. Addressing them, he said: “ I thank you for the manner in which you presented your case.

I really appreciate it on behalf of Shell. Like the community has assigned you to represent them, I am also here on behalf of Shell. I have heard all you have said. It is my duty to pass this message to my principal.”

Suspects with the recovered school bus Abuja City gate: Whither the traffic?

BY OKEY NDIRIBE

T

HE near empty streets of Abuja and the corresponding free-flow of traffic last Wednesday may mislead a first time visitor to believe that the city is a dream land. Indeed, some residents of the Federal Capital Territory had likened the look and atmosphere of the city since midweek to what normally obtains during major festivities when public holidays are declared.

It is believed by observers of the city that the scanty presence of residents was deliberately conceived by the Federal Government for the purpose of enhancing security within Abuja.

The Federal Government had apparently adopted the measure to reassure invitees to the World Economic Forum, WEF, summit which began in the city last Wednesday that “All is well”.The move became necessary following two bomb blasts at Nyanya- a suburb of the FCT- which killed at least 95 persons based on official figures.

Unofficial figures are much higher.

Following the second bomb explosion on May Day which occurred 17 days after the first, the military had thrown additional security cordon around the FCT.

Security cordon More military checkpoints were erected along all the entry points into Abuja from Nassarawa, Kogi and Niger states.

Movement from all the satellite towns into the city also became highly restricted.

These notwithstanding, residents of the city continued to live in fear as rumour spread about another impending bomb attack by terrorists. Indeed, wide-spread fear and panic within FCT caused a pandemonium last week at Nyanya, Karu, Kurudu, Jikwoyi, Gidan Mangoro, Orozo, Karshi and Kubwa The pandemonium occurred when many parents rushed to both public and private schools within the affected communities to withdraw their children following the spread of rumour that a group of school children in a bus had been kidnapped while being driven to Ave Maria school in Kurudu.

However, VF’s investigation revealed that

three gunmen had arrived in the area at about 6 a.m. in Volkswagen-Golf car and parked a few metres away from the The Vine International Kiddies School gate.

They waited until 8am when classes began. The security man further said he could not ascertain their exact mission to the school.

He said that at about 8am, the men approached the school gate, brought out their guns and forced him to lie on the ground. He said while he was on the ground, they forced one of the school bus drivers, who had just conveyed pupils to the premises, to hand over the key of the bus to them.

He further explained that the men drove away the bus with Abuja registration number, XG 246 GWA and engine number R2H1050040875. The security guard identified the guns carried by the men as

,

demonstration, we are telling the parties to the sale, including the bidders, to desist from going ahead because if they do, of course, the land is ours, the water is ours and the oil is ours, they will have us to contend with and they may not like us in the manner in which they will meet us when they come to operate.

So, we are asking the SPDC to stop the flow and all operations for now and ensure that the community is carried along because that is the only way we can have peace here.

We are also saying that the community has nominated three companies, Amot Oil E&P Limited, A-Abas Resources and Isea BMG, to participate in the bidding process.

So, SPDC should involve these companies in the process.” On his part, the Chairman of the Community Development Committee CDC, Comrade John Twomute warned the oil multinational against disrespecting the threeday ultimatum as the aggrieved indigenes are ready to defy deployment of soldiers and shut down the flow stations.

He said: “If Shell goes ahead to sell the oil well without proper consultation then they should be prepared for anything.

Loyola Jesuit College, Gidan Mangoro and Government Secondary School Karshi.

Commenting on the incident, a community leader at Orozo who identified himself as Paul Udenyi said the rumour was actually traceable to a petition that was written to the Minister of Education, Mr Nyesom Wike, by a teacher at the Federal Government Secondary Technical School, Orozo. The teacher had raised alarm over the strange activities of some Fulani herdsmen in the area. Udenyi believes the military checkpoints that have just been mounted at several points along the road were in response to the rising concerns of residents of the area over security.

Nevertheless there have been mixed reactions among residents of the city over the security situation and partial shut down of Abuja. Many residents who spoke to VF said their view were not opposed to the

Rumour spread that terrorists had written letters to several schools located along the road about their planned strike

AK47.The incident attracted security operatives, including soldiers, policemen and men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps who arrived the scene few hours after the attack.

An army officer from the Brigade of Guards, who pleaded anonymity, said that because of increasing cases of crime and bomb attacks in Nyanya, a military unit had been mounted in the area for speedy response to distress calls.

The Commander, Army Headquarters Garrison, N.T. Ndionu; FCT Director, State Security Service, John Okogie and the Commander of the NSCDC, FCT Command visited the school shortly after the attack.

Even before the Kurudu incident, it was learnt that residents of communities located along Nyanya-Karshi Road had been living in fear after rumour spread that terrorists had written letters to several schools located along the road about their planned strike.

Schools alleged to have received such letters included Federal Government Secondary Technical College, Orozo;

,

Federal Government’s decision.

This view was also shared by Dr. Peter Ozo-Esan, the Chief Economist of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC. He explained that the economic cost of the measure should be evaluated side by side with the security benefit, especially given the background of the presence of foreign dignitaries attending the WEF summit.

Said he: “Maybe public schools shouldn’t have been affected by the partial shut down.

But there is nothing wrong with such a decision given our recent security challenges”.

Commenting on the security situation in FCT and the necessity for the partial shut down of the city for three days, the Special Adviser on Media to the FCT Minister, Mr Nosike Ogbuenyi said the Federal Capital could not be reached by the terrorists hence they resorted to attacking the suburbs.

He maintained that what the Federal Government had done was normal and consistent with the practice in other parts of the world hosting important international conferences.

58 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

Edited by: Emma Nnadozie emmadozie@hotmail.com 08023145281, 08111813021

BY ESTHER ONYEGBULA

T

ENSION is high in Adadama town, Abi Local government Area of Cross River State, following the beheading of a 26-year-old Princess Emame Ikor Addu, by a group of people suspected to have come from Ebonyi state last week. The princess, said to be a Youth Corper serving in Anambra State, was said to be returning back to Anambra State when she was attacked by a group of people along Adadama road which leads to Abeomege in Ebonyi State around 5.30 am on May 1st, 2014.

Crime Alert gathered that the unsuspecting princess was on a commercial motorcycle going to Abaomege to board a bus to Abakiliki enroute Anambra when they met a road block. It was learnt that when the motorcyclist got to the road block, he slowed down thinking they were members of a vigilante group in the area.

Vigilante group Eyewitness account said a group of boys wielding dangerous weapons including locallymade guns emerged and accosted them. They reportedly shot the motorcyclist but their bullet did not penetrate. They allegedly pounced on the youth corper and beheaded her with a sharp cutlass after which they took the motorcyclist to an unknown destination.

Some villagers who refused to be named intimated Crime Alert that the following day, when the people of Adadama went on a search mission after discovering that their Princess was gruesomely beheaded, they also discovered the strangled body of

•The late princess and her remains

S-H-O-C-K-I-N-G Female corps member beheaded at dawn in Ebonyi State •Youths in CR state spoil for war the motorcyclist inside a bush where he was also clubbed to death by the assailants. They reported the incident at Abi Local Government police station

where a team of Policemen and military men were swiftly drafted to the spot. It was learnt that they subsequently removed the bodies to Adadama town, where

Three artisans docked over alleged N17.5m theft

By ONOZURE DANIA

T

HREE artisans were, recently, arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate Court for allegedly stealing N17.5 million from a Micro- Finance Bank.

The defendants are; Rahman Oyediran, 60, Gbadegbesin Hammed, 58 and Sabitu Bakare ,65.

They are facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing preferred against them by the police. The defendants who all reside in Ibadan were docked before Magistrate Eniol Fabamwo.

The police prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Samson Ekikere, told the court that the defendants and others

at large conspired among themselves to commit the offence. He said that the incident happened between 28 of September 2012, and 26 of February 2013, at number 8, Ogba Cocoa Industrial Road, Ikeja, at about 10:40am.

The trio, according to him, obtained credit of N17.5million from Bosak Micro- finance Bank on behalf of themselves and their association but went into hiding after collecting the sum, an offence he said was contrary to section 313 (a) (b) and punishable under section 285 of the criminal laws of Lagos state of Nigeria 2011.

However, counsel to the defendants, Didi Owoeye, while pleading with the court to grant them bail in a very liberal term,

told the court that the defendants were artisans who took a loan from the Micro -Finance Bank and along the line, the relationship between both parties were sour thereby prompting the bank to bring them to court.

He also pleaded with the court to grant them bail assuring that they would not jump bail. But the prosecutor objected to the bail application on the grounds that the defendants were based in Ibadan.

After listening to counsels to the parties, Magistrate Fabamwo, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N500,000 each, with two responsible sureties each in like sum. The matter was adjourned to June 9, 2014, for mention.

both the youths and leaders of thought in the town held meetings for hours with a view

to finding out who beheaded the princess.

A youth leader in the area, Edu Samuel Enya, 40, told Crime Alert, “The situation is very, terrible. The girl was ambushed and beheaded by the people of Ebonyi state. The situation has caused us a lot of problems and fear has pervaded the entire town. Our children are no longer going to school for fear of being killed. We reported the matter to the police , SSS and the military men after which we buried her. They have been attacking us with sophisticated weapons and we have nothing to retaliate. We have lost over 30 of our sons and daughters so far and government should come to our rescue. On our part, we have been trying to calm the youths who are battle ready for revenge.”

A reliable source intimated Crime Alert that there has been a lingering crisis between the people of Adadama and Amagwu in Ebonyi state leading to clashes that led to the death of many people from both towns.

It was also learnt that both Ebonyi and Cross Rivers State Governors met over the crisis and later complained to the Federal Government leading to the erection of a police post at the disputed land. Unfortunately, the police post was later destroyed and burnt down by youths suspected to be from Amagwu town.

Since then, the problem has continued to escalate leading to the deployment of soldiers and policemen to the area yet, the crisis continued. Efforts made to speak with the father of the victim and elders in both towns failed as they were all said to have been summoned by police authorities over the ugly incident.

Teenager ed ffor or allegedly eenagerss arrest arrested

T

WO teenagers have been arrested by operatives of the Anambra state Criminal Investigations Department for allegedly kidnapping a three year-old child. The suspected mastermind of the kidnap, Ifeayinwa Okafor, 13, was said to have kidnapped the child two months ago from her school.

Crime Alert gathered that after the incident, parents of the kidnapped girl identified as Nkemdilim Okoye, reportedly made complaints to several police divisions in the state without luck.

When hope of finding little Nkemdilim was dwin-

• Th Vero • The victim with her parents

dling, the parents, as gathered, were contacted by the police after which news of Nkemdilim’s whereabouts was revealed.

The alleged mastermind who was paraded alongside others were said to have lured the little

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014 — 59 Edited by: Emma Nnadozie emmadozie@hotmail.com 08023145281, 08111813021

Alleged bunkering; Illegal fuel dealer burnt, property worth millions destroyed in Lagos

By ESTHER ONYEGBULA

A

MIDDLE-aged fuel dealer identified simply as Friday, was recently burnt to death while properties worth millions of naira were destroyed following a fire outbreak that occurred at their Iba residence in Lagos State.

Crime Alert learnt that the incident occurred after one of the tenants in the building on Princess Eneni Majofodun street, said to be cooking at the corridor, attempted to put out the flame in the stove with water.

•CP, Lagos - Umar-Manko phoned.”

Eyewitness account Eyewitnesses said coincidentally, Friday, was at the same time pouring petrol inside a jerrycan resulting in an inferno. It was gathered that other occupants of the building comprising twelve rooms scampered out of their rooms for safety while some of them managed to salvage some of their belongings.

Friday,whose body was reportedly engulfed by fire, displayed rare bravery as he was said to have ran out of the building and tried to put off the fire but did not succeed.

He was reportedly rushed to an undisclosed hospital where, unfortunately, he was

•The burnt building

pronounced dead.

The story took another dimension when Crime Alert visited the scene. Neighbours who pleaded for strict anonymity alleged that majority of the occupants of the affected building engage in illegal bunkering by siphoning petroleum products from a nearby NNPC pipeline and storing the cans inside the building. One of the witnesses said, “ We foresaw

this coming but no one knew exactly when. Almost all the tenants in the building were engaged in illegal bunkering and they usually store the products in jerrycans which they sell to ready buyers.

On the fateful day, I was alerted by shouts of fire. I had to pack some of my valuables for fear that the fire might spread to our building. We were made to understand that the fire start-

ed after one of the tenants who had finished cooking attempted to switch off the kerosine stove while Friday was turning fuel into a container.

It resulted in an explosion which destroyed everything they have managed to buy with the siphoned product. We were also made to understand that the fuel the deceased was turning into a jerrican was si-

Officials of Fire Service attacked It was gathered that while the fire raged, no one could at first reach the Fedral Fire service. However, when the officials from Ojo station arrived the scene, they got more than they bargained for as some of the residents allegedly attacked them for arriving late.

They blamed the officials for the cause of the extensive damage positing that had they arrived early, the situation would have been contained.

Crime Alert also gathered that but for the timely intervention of the policemen who were on ground, the situation would have degenerated.

P-H-O-T-O-S-P-E-A-K kidnapping 3-yr -old child 3-yr-old

he teenagers with their accomplice, onica Chika

girl with sweet from Afor Igwe Primary school, to Awka, where she resides with her aunt, one Mrs Veronika Chika.

Veronica, who was also arrested for alleged aiding and abating the kidnapping of the girl, claimed she had repeatedly told her niece to return the child to her mother. “She would take the

child out and bring her back, saying she did not find her parents,” Chika stated.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emeka Chukwuemeka who paraded the suspects before journalists, stated that “while other children will be in school, Ifeyinwa would take Nkemdilim to several towns, ostensibly looking for somebody to sell the little girl to. Luck, however, ran out on her when she was caught with the girl at Awkuzu market by the police. The suspects will be charged to court soon.”

•Four police Inspectors attached to Ijanikin division, Lagos State, were among the beneficiaries of IGP MD Abubarkar’s recent promotion . pix from L-R shows: ASP, Supol: Domininic Nwosu, Ubong Iwoketok, Augustine Onabu and Eseme Utuk immediately after the official decoration ceremony.

60 — V anguard Vanguard anguard,, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14 , 2014 NEWS ON BRIEFS

Eight soldiers killed in in east Ukraine ambush

EU sanctions will hurt Ukraine peace efforts, says Russia R

USSIA yesterday said that new European Union sanctions will hinder efforts to defuse the crisis in Ukraine and urged the West to persuade Kiev to hold discussions on the country’s future structure before a May 25 presidential election.

The results of self-rule referendums in the mainly Russian-speaking eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk “should be a clear signal to Kiev of the depth of the crisis” in Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Kremlin has stopped short of endorsing independence for the regions or their absorption into Russia but has said the referendums underscore the need for talks between the proWestern government and separatists from the east.

“Moscow hopes ... the EU and United States will use their influence on the current leadership in Kiev so that issues of state structure and respect for the rights of regions are discussed soon - in any case before the election scheduled for May 25,” it said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested the Ukrainian election, which the government hopes will increase its legitimacy and control, will

SRAEL’s former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has been sentenced to six years in prison for taking bribes, in a corruption case that resulted in the first criminal conviction of a former head of government.

Olmert, 68, had denied wrongdoing in a property deal that took place while he was in his previous post of Jerusalem mayor.

His lawyers were expected to ask the Tel Aviv court that passed the sentence to allow Olmert to remain free until the Supreme Court rules on an appeal against his March 31 conviction, a process that could take months.

The veteran politician was acquitted two years ago of most of the major charges brought against him in separate cases

even Ukrainian sol diers HAVE been killed in an ambush in the eastern Donetsk region, reports say.

A unit was attacked near the town of Kramatorsk by about 30 heavily-armed rebels, the defence ministry said. One rebel is also said to have died.

Correspondents say this is the most serious loss of life for the government in its operation against separatists.

Donetsk is one of two regions declared separate from Ukraine after referendums deemed illegal by Kiev, the US and EU. The defence ministry said an armoured personnel carrier carrying paratroop-

ers was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade and exploded.

More soldiers were killed or injured in a firefight which ensued with the insurgents, who were said to be hiding in bushes.

On Monday, the proRussian separatists who declared independence in Donetsk said that all Ukrainian troops in the region would be viewed as occupying forces and should leave.

Their leader Denis Pushilin called on Russia to “absorb” Donetsk region.

Meanwhile in the neighbouring Luhansk region, separatists said an attempt was made on the life of a rebel leader.

A bodyguard hold his weapon during a rally to mark and celebrate the announcement of the results of the referendum on the status of Luhansk region in Luhansk May 12, 2014. not be legitimate if people in the east are not confident their rights will be protected. The EU imposed sanc-

tions on two Crimean companies and 13 people on Monday in response to Moscow’s annexation of

the Black Sea peninsula from Ukraine and its support for Russian-speaking separatists.

UN calls for tribunal on S/Sudan can plant crops in peace crimes to avoid famine in the

U

N Secretary Gener al Ban Ki-moon has called for a special tribunal for South Sudan, saying there are grounds to believe that crimes against humanity have

Israel ex-PM Ehud Olmert jailed six years for bribery

I

S

involving his links to a US businessman.

Those corruption allegations forced Olmert’s resignation as prime minister in 2008, and his acquittal had appeared to position him for a possible political comeback.

•Ban Ki Moon been committed since widespread violence began five months ago.

The UN chief welcomed on Monday the ceasefire agreement signed by President Salva Kiir last Friday with his former vice president, Riek Machar, and demanded an immediate end to fighting, which flared over the weekend.

He called for “30 days of tranquillity” so farmers

world’s newest nation.

“If the conflict continues, half of South Sudan’s 12 million people will either be displaced internally, refugees abroad, starving or dead by the year’s end,” Ban warned the UN Security Council, the AP news agency reported.

Kiir fired Machar last July and accused him of trying to oust him in a coup in December, which sparked months of ethnic attacks and killings.

Fighting took place between troops loyal to Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, and those loyal to Machar, an ethnic Nuer.

Yemen targets suspected al-Qaeda arms convoy

Y

EMEN’s air force has killed eight people, including suspected alQaeda fighters, in the latest round of a widescale assault on the group’s strongholds.

A military jet targeted a convoy of three trucks in a restive southern region yesterday , suspected of transporting arms and ammunition, including artillery equipment, from Shabwa to Marib governorate.

“A three-truck convoy belonging to al-Qaeda was targeted by the Yemeni air force in Bayhan, a road linking Shabwa and Marib” provinces, an official said.

Three of those killed were truck drivers, while the rest were thought to be al-Qaeda fighters, they said.

The strike comes amid an ongoing offensive by the army in southern cities and towns, which has

led to the killing and capture of dozens of alQaeda suspects.

Troops and allied tribal fighters have seized a string of al-Qaeda-held areas along a 100km stretch of highway snaking through the rugged desert mountains of the south, starting from the Mahfad region.

The campaign, which is backed by the US, is part of a rolling operation against the group in the country.

Separatists in Luhansk declared a “sovereign state” after the referendum

UN Syria envoy, Brahimi to resign

L

AKHDAR Brahimi has announced his resignation from his position as the UN-Arab League envoy for Syria, largely out of frustration at Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s plans to hold an election in June.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in a joint press conference with Brahimi in New York yesterday said the decision would be effective from May 31.

For more than a year, Brahimi has made no se-

•Lakhdar Brahimi cret that he is contemplating stepping down from the post as the UN and Arab League joint special representative on Syria.

Brahimi told reporters a year ago that he thought about resigning every day.

Chad closes border with CAR amid violence

C

HAD’s President Idriss Deby has announced the country’s

•President Deby

Idriss

border with the Central African Republic has been closed pending an end to intercommunal violence there that has killed thousands and forced nearly one million people to flee their homes.

Deby said the 1,000km frontier would remain open to Chadian citizens wishing to return home.

“From today our border with this country is tightly sealed,” Deby said during a visit on Sunday to the town of Daha, 20km from the border.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014—61

CHIBOK GIRLS' ABDUCTION: 30 days after, parents identify 77 girls in video Continues from page 5 military to go back to the drawing board for firm and clear-cut strategies to bring down the insurgents.

On the purported conversion, MURIC stated: “We have no iota of doubt that the girls ‘converted’ under duress. Such ‘conversion’ is null and void under the Shari’ah.

“We reject the purported conversion of the kidnapped girls. It is cowardly, shameful, ridiculous and preposterous. It is sacriledge.”

Quoting copiously from the Holy Quran2:256 which says: “There is no compulsion in religion…”, Akintola said, “Such ‘conversion’ is null and void under the Shari’ah. The Glorious Qur’an is very explicit in this regard.

....It's baseless conversion “The so called conversion is therefore baseless, unfounded and of no validity whatsoever. It exists only in the hallucinated imageries of Shekau’s demented mind,” he added.

MURIC urged the Federal Government to dismiss Shekau’s offer of exchange of Boko Haram prisoners for the kidnapped girls.

“A man who orders the invasion and kidnap of innocent young girls is honour-blind. Shame on Boko Haram! Shekau has no modicum of integrity left in his anatomy. He has no intention of honouring this deal. He is trying to buy time. He is digging in,” he stated.

Besides, MURIC called on all churches and mosques to pray for the downfall of Boko Haram.

“This renegade group is out to defame and distort the true teachings of Islam. Members of Boko Haram are rebellious subjects and enemies of peace.

“We charge the Nigerian Army to go back to the drawing board and evolve more potent strategies for crushing this renegade group. To crush Boko Haram is a task that must be done”, he added.

US deploys surveillance planes to search for Chibok girls The US has disclosed that it is flying manned surveillance missions over Nigeria to try to find the abducted schoolgirls Although Washington did not disclose the type of aircraft it deployed but its officials said “the planes have sophisticated equipment that could listen into a wide range of mobile phone and telecommunications traffic.” These are functions usually associated with security drones.

A senior US administration official said: “With the permission of the Nigerian government, we are flying manned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets over Nigeria and sharing commercial satellite imagery with the Nigerian government.

“We have shared commercial satellite imagery with the Nigerians and with the government’s permission,” said the senior administration official, who declined to be named.

No fewer than 30 US experts, including members of the FBI and defence and state departments, are in Nigeria to help with the search.

Forceful conversion is a declaration of war, says CAN Also, National President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, has expressed outrage over the purported conversion of the abducted schoolgirls by members of Boko Haram, describing the reported forceful conversion as a declaration of war against Christians in the country.

Speaking through CAN’s National Director of Research, Elder Sunday Oibe, in Kaduna, Oritsejafor said the forceful conversion of the girls is tantamount to persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

Reacting to the latest video message by Boko Haram showing the Chibok schoolgirls reciting the Holy Qur’an, the CAN president noted that those girls can not be exchanged for the release of any detained Boko Haram member, as demanded by the sect leaders.

“First, these children are Christians and not Muslims and so they cannot be converted to a religion that is not theirs at gunpoint without conviction. Besides, is that how conversion is being carried out? All the children displayed are Christians and that is the motive behind the abduction,” Oibe said.

“Secondly, it smacks of some form of religious persecution. If not, why are their captors converting them to another religion? And if they say they will use them as a condition to negotiate for their men in detention, our daughters are not criminals and cannot be used in any way to free their criminal fighters.

“Show us where in Nigeria you have seen Christians fighting and throwing bombs in the name of God? We challenge any one to show us where Christians have abducted Muslim children in the name of Christianity. We challenge anyone to prove in Nigeria where Christians have taken arms in the name of protecting Christianity or even carry out acts of genocide on helpless and defenceless Nigerians. As far as we are concerned, it is a war against Christians and Christianity,” he explained.

Crime against humanity — ICC Meanwhile the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, ICC, Fatou Bensouda, has said that the abduction of schoolgirls in Nigeria was a crime against humanity.

Bensouda in a statement, said: “I am deeply troubled and alarmed by disturbing reports of alleged abduction of over 200 schoolgirls in Borno State, Nigeria, and the

most recent reports that more schoolgirls have been abducted. Such acts shock the conscience of humanity and could constitute crimes that fall within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, ICC. “I share the agonising pain of the parents of the abducted girls, as well as their hope that the ongoing national search and rescue efforts will result in the swift and safe return of their children. International assistance should be made readily available to bolster such efforts, as required by the national authorities.

“The troubling phenomenon of targeting females during conflict, this time, in Borno State, cannot be tolerated and must be stopped. No stone should be left unturned to bring those responsible for such atrocious acts to justice either in Nigeria or at the ICC. “I express my solidarity with the families of the abducted girls and the people of Nigeria. The abducted schoolgirls must be released immediately and allowed to return unharmed to their communities and families.”

It will be recalled that the situation in Nigeria has been under preliminary examination by the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC since 2010. In

August 2013, the Office issued a report concluding that [there is a reasonable basis to believe that] Boko Haram has been committing crimes against humanity of murder and persecution since July 2009. Information gathered by the Office indicates that there has been a sharp increase in the frequency and intensity of attacks attributed to Boko Haram since January 2014, including a significant increase in alleged abductions of women and girls and of sexual slavery.

Some of Boko Haram’s alleged crimes would also amount to war crimes, as the Prosecutor has recently concluded that the situation constitutes a non-international armed conflict.

As Nigeria is a State Party to the Rome Statute, the ICC has jurisdiction over war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed on the territory of Nigeria or by its nationals from July 1, 2002 onwards. Having concluded that some of the alleged crimes committed in the Nigeria situation fall within subjectmatter jurisdiction of the ICC, the Office of the Prosecutor is currently assessing relevant national proceedings in conformity with the principle of complementarity.

Under the Rome Statute, the Nigerian authorities have primary responsibility to investigate and prosecute the alleged crimes. Such cases may become admissible before the ICC if there are no relevant investigations or prosecutions in Nigeria, or if the national authorities are unwilling or unable to carry out genuine investigations or prosecutions.

On the night of April 14, 2014, about 276 female students were kidnapped from the Government Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State.

The leader of the Islamic militants, Abubakar Shekau has claimed responsibility for the act of terrorism. Boko Haram, an Islamic Jihadist and Takfiri terrorist organisation based in northeast Nigeria had in a video released Monday, demanded an exchange of the Chibok girls for members of his group in custody of Nigeria’s security agencies.

#BringBackOurGirls In a message sent to Vanguard by Florence Ozor of #BringBackOurGirls campaigners, the group said it would organise a protest today to mark one month of the abduction of the Chibok girls.

The statement further read: "It's 30 days since over 200 girls have been abducted by Boko Haram. We call on Government to do everything in its power to #BringBackOurGirls Alive and NOW."

INEC data machine on sale in markets, Niger Republic —Confab Delegate

BY HENRY UMORU

A

BUJA—A MEM BER of the Committee on Political Parties and Electoral Matters, Mallam Dani Zoro, said yesterday that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC Direct Data Capture Machines, DDCM, are currently on sale in the open market in the country and neighbouring Niger Republic.

Zoro, former National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists,

NUJ, raised the alarm when the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega appeared before the committee.

The delegate, who shocked the INEC chairman when he brought out a battery of the DDCM with INEC logo on it, told committee members which has former Senate Presidents Iyorchia Ayu and Ken Nnamani as cochairmen that he bought the battery in the open market and that the seller assured him that he will get him as many quanti-

ties as he wants if he was ready to pay for them.

According to Zoro, besides Nigerian markets, the INEC machines were also sold in the open market in the neighbouring Niger republic.

Responding, a surprised Jega said he was going to investigate and expose how the batteries got into the open market, adding that some states bought off some DDCM from INEC and he was not in a position to know if the ones being sold in the open market were obtained from the state governments.

62 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY MAY 14, 2014

BRAZIL 2014 WORLD CUP COUNT DOWN.......

Tevez: Fans protest The main debate over England strikers being whether Rickie Lambert or Andy Carroll gets the nod or whether Jermain Defoe is still worthy of a place.

You could forgive Three Lions supporters, then, for looking a little jealously over at Argentina’s striking options.

Isco left out of Spain World Cup squad

S

PAIN coach Vicente del Bosque has announced his 30-man provisional squad for this summer ’s World Cup in Brazil, with Real Madrid’s Alvaro Arbeloa and Isco as two of the most notable absentees.

Isco has struggled to find his best form in the second half of the season after initially impressing at Madrid, which has now cost him his place in Del Bosque’s roster, while Arbeloa has lost his spot to Dani Carvajal.

Amazingly, Juventus star and former Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez is set to be excluded from manager Alejandro Sabella’s squad.

Argentina fans, upset at the probable decision, took to the streets of Buenos Aires with flags and banners in support of Tevez in a last-ditch effort to get him on the plane to Brazil.

Tevez has netted 21 goals for Juventus this season, but has only managed one goal for every five games he plays for his country.

He also failed to make a single appearance in the World Cup qualifying campaign.

Sabella prefers frontmen like Gonzalo Higuain and Tevez’s former club-mate Sergio Aguero with attacking support from Lionel Messi, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Angel Di Maria.

C

Tevez

Falode cries out, urges govt to intervene over son’s murder

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

A

CE sports broadcaster, Aisha Falode yesterday, appealed to Nigerian authorities to immediately intervene in

the alleged murder case of her only son, Oloruntoba, who died under mysterious circumstances in Dubai.

According to Falode, there is a plot by the Dubai Police authority to cover up the alleged

L-R: Area Manager, Standard Chartered Bank, Jamiu Dina; and Adaeze Shonuga, who won Standard Chartered Bank original merchandise, at the Bheerhugz Cafe, Ikeja on Sunday in the final premier league game between Liverpool FC and Newcastle United. Liverpool won 2-1 to finish 2nd on the league table.

C M Y K

Sanchez leads Chile’s provisional squad for World Cup

murder of her 19-year-old son, who was alleged to have fell from the balcony of his 17th floor (Apartment 1703) in Manchester Towers, Dubai Marina, Dubai on Saturday February, 15, 2014.

Until his death, Oloruntoba, popularly called Fray was a student of Audio Production at the SAE Institute in the United Arab Emirate.

At a press conference organised alongside her lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo, Falode said that her personal investigations revealed that Oloruntoba was actually murdered by one Faisal Aldakmary AlNasser, a Saudi national and one Olivia Melaine Richards Evans, a Briton.

She said her personal investigation had revealed that her son was murdered in cold blood.

To this end she was appealing to the authorities to help step into the issue and ensure justice is done.

HILE coach Jorge Sampaoli has named his provisional World Cup squad.

Barcelona’s Alexis Sanchez is the star name included in the 30-man group. Cardiff City’s Gary Medel and Jean Beausejour of Wigan are also in the squad.

Goalkeepers: Claudio Bravo (Real Sociedad), Johnny Herrera (Universidad de Chile), Cristopher Toselli (Universidad Católica), Paulo Garces (O’Higgins).

Defenders: Gonzalo Jara (Nottingham Forest), Marcos Gonzalez (Union Espanola), Enzo Andia (Universidad Catolica), Jose Rojas (Universidad de Chile), Eugenio Mena (Santos), Mauricio Isla (Juventus).

Midfielders: Gary Medel (Cardiff City), Jorge Valdivia (Palmeiras), Felipe Gutierrez (Twente), Rodrigo Millar (Atlas), Jose Pedro Fuenzalida (Colo Colo), Pablo Hernandez (O’Higgins), Matias Fernandez (Fiorentina), Francisco

•Sanchez Silva (Osasuna), Arturo Vidal (Juventus), Charles Aranguiz (Internacional), Marcelo Diaz (Basel), Carlos Carmona (Atalanta), Miiko Albornoz (Malmo).

Forwards: Alexis Sanchez (Barcelona), Esteban Paredes (Colo Colo), Eduardo Vargas (Valencia), Gustavo Canales (Union Espanola), Jean Beausejour (Wigan Athletic), Mauricio Pinilla (Cagliari), Fabian Orellana (Celta)

Drogba Continues from B/P spearheads the so-called ‘golden generation’ who will have a last chance to grab glory in Brazil.

Brothers Yaya and Kolo Toure are joined by fellow Premier League-based stars Cheick Tiote and Wilfried Bony.

Giant forward Lacina Traore has been included despite suffering an injury-ravaged loan spell at Everton.

The 6ft 8in striker made only two appearances for the club; scoring on his debut on 16 February but then kept out with a leg problem until the final day of the campaign when he came off the bench in the 90th minute.

Lamouchi will have until 2 June to decide whether to gamble on Traore and

include him in the final 23man cut.

The Elephants will face Colombia, Greece and Japan in Group C, which appears to be a much easier draw than in their two previous appearances at the tournament.

Unlucky 2006 and 2010 group draws resulted in the West Africans finishing third behind Argentina and the Netherlands in Germany and third behind Brazil and Portugal in South Africa.

Former Chelsea star Drogba, 36, is confident his side will do better this time.

“Competing at the previous two tournaments was very difficult,” said the Galatasaray player. “We have a realistic chance to do better in Brazil and get past the first round.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY MAY 14, 2014 — 63

World Relays: Ohuruogu, Philip in GB squad

•Ohuruogu

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HRISTINE Ohuruogu, the world 400m champion, and Richard Kilty, the world indoor 60m champion, are among those selected for Britain’s 24-strong squad for the inaugural World Relays in the Bahamas next week.

The squad, who will compete in the men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relays, also sees

the return of Asha Philip, Britain’s top women’s sprinter, who was left angered and bemused by her omission from the bronze-winning women’s 4x100m relay team at the world championships last year.There is no place in the men’s 4x100m squad for James Dasaolu, who is behind schedule after injuring his thigh in February, or his training partner Adam Gemili, who is sitting university exams.

Martyn Rooney, who will compete in the men’s 4x400m, believes that all four British teams are capable of making the podium at the event, which begins on 24 May. “The atmosphere will be intense but we are ready,” he said. “In my event the Americans are strong and the Bahamians are doing well but we are in the mix.”

Rooney, who is trained by the men’s 4x100m coach Rana Reider, said the 4x100m squad were

Enyeama Continues from B/P award, promising that he will not fail the country during Mundial 2014 in Brazil.

“Now the leagues are almost over across the world and all of us have a new focus, which is the World Cup, we will go there and enjoy ourselves and also excel for ourselves and country. I can’t wait for the World Cup to start”, he declared.

On his inspiration ahead of the World Cup, Enyeama widely regarded as Africa’s best

Continues from B/P I appeal to my good friend Keshi, to have a change of mind and include Uche in his World Cup team.The boy should be forgiven since he is now remorseful.”

The ex-governor praised the Eagles manager for recalling the duo of Joseph Yobo and Osaze Odemwingie,and prayed that Uche would also get a reprieve.

“Football is a competitive C M Y K

goalkeeper of the modern era declared that it has always been God. “God has always been the greatest supporter I have, He has always been there for me when I needed support and He has continued to inspire me to greater heights. Apart from that the support I get from my family and Nigerians have been massive inspiration for me, I pray that the World Cup will be a crowning glory for me, the team and all Nigerians”.

Uche game,we should not allow personal interest to override national aspirations. I salute Keshi for bringing back Yobo and Osaze. I wish he could extend same to Uche,” Kalu added.

Uche has been in splendid season for Villarreal and many fans are shocked that he was unable to get Keshi’s nod.

The young man whose exclusion was blamed on tactical flaws says there is

confident that they would not be dropping the baton this time.

“They are running very well and pushing each other all the time,” he said. “Having the core of the relay training together they should have a connection and an understanding so I bloody

hope they get the baton round.”

Neil Black stressed that with the top eight teams in both the men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x400m automatically qualifying for the 2015 world championships in Beijing it was important for his squad to perform.

Access Bank-UNICEF charity shield polo tournament opens

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WENTY-four highpowered polo teams from across the globe are gearing up for Africa’s premium polo extravaganza as the annual Access BankUNICEF Charity Shield Polo tournament commences at the Fifth Chukker Lawns of Kangimi Resort in Kaduna from May 20 to June 7, 2014.

The month-long tournament sponsored by Access Bank is in its 7th year running. The Access Bank Charity Shield was inaugurated by Fifth Chukker Polo and Country Club in 2003 as a fund raising platform to support local charity organizations.

Since 2006, however, this effort has been exclusively geared towards UNICEF’s intervention projects for orphans and vulnerable children.

The Access BankUNICEF polo fiesta which has been the biggest sporting attraction in Nigeria and indeed Africa for over a decade, promises to be competitive and exciting, with the introduction of the brand

no love lost between him and the Big Boss.

Another World Cup miss will be an evergreen pain for Uche whose last game for the Eagles was in February 2013.He had also missed the South Africa 2010 Mundial after leading the goals chart in the qualifiers due to injury.

Elder brother Kalu made up for the miss as he scored two goals for the country,leaving something for family and country to keep.

new Fifth Chukker Cup. The annual tournament has established itself as the biggest and greatest attraction, regularly pulling some of the most accomplished players in world, royalty and heavy hitters in politics and industry.

Nigerian Sports Award 2014: Organisers roll out plan

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RGANIZERS of the prestigious annual Nigerian Sports Award, Unmissable Incentives Limited have unfolded the plans and activities for the 2014 edition. The award is instituted to recognizing and rewarding outstanding Nigerian sports men and women for their excellent performances in their respective sporting events.

Speaking at the Press conference to herald the activities for the 2014 edition of the award which is also the third in the series, chairman of the Award Panel, Mr. Ikeddy Isiguzo noted with pride that the award has evolved to be recognized as a symbol of respect and recognition for Nigerian sportsmen and women for their exploits in the world of sports.

Isiguzo further disclosed that the organisers of the award will not relent in their effort to continue to improve on the processes of the award by taking public feedbacks and comments with a view to making the award a legacy within the sports sphere in Nigeria.

Presenting the timelines for the 2014 edition of the award, the General Manager Unmissable Incentives Limited Mr. Kayode Idowu disclosed that entries for nomination from the members of the public for the various categories of the award will open on May 14, 2014 and closes on September 7, 2014 while the main award ceremony will hold on November 13, 2014 at Muson Centre, Lagos.

Ms. Jean Gough, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria(c), Victor Etuokwu, Executive Director, Access Bank Plc(L) and Adam Taylor, Fifth Chukker Tournament Manager at the Access Bank-UNICEF Charity Shield pretournament press conference in Lagos yesterday.

4 Nigerian footballers Continues from B/P opted to jail terms after failing to pay the stated fine.

Two other Nigerians Chikereke Messaiah and Onyekwu Daniel also had to serve six-month jail after each failed to pay fine to the tune of 50,000 Shillings having pleaded guilty of illegal presence in the country. Magistrate Gabriel Mirumbe had no option other than to hand them the jail sentence.

The accused Okoro claimed that he came Tanzania for trials with relegated top flight side of Ashanti United but would

not make a breakthrough.

Okoro claimed that he was supported to gain access into the country by his manager Aishi Shaban who took his passport and $500 before flying to South Africa.

Accused Odia who was a football player with Mwanza-based first division club of Toto Africa said he lost his passport and reported to the police station only to be advised to check with his embassy for assistance.

Reading the facts, prosecutor from immigration department Patrick Ngayomela told

the court that the accused admitted after being arrested that they were to join Ashanti United but their bid failed to materialise.

He added that the accused Odia was in the country since 2012 and he had been playing for Toto Africa but since the team was relegated he has failed to secure another registration.

According to the charge sheet, the accused Okoro and Odia were arrested at Shayo Guest House in Tandika while Messaiah and Daniel were arrested at TIG Church in Chang’ombe surburb.

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

Bring back our Uche, Kalu begs Keshi O

4 Nigerian footballers jailed in Tanzania

UT o f f a v o u r Eagles’ striker Ikechukwu Uche yesterday received a tremendous boost as former Abia state governor Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu made a passionate plea for his inclusion in Stephen Keshi’s squad.

Kalu, who spoke from London through his Special Adviser Kunle Oyewumi said,”as a passionate football fan,

Continues on Page 63

F

OUR Nigerian football players were sentenced to six-months jail by Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s court after pleading guilty of illegal stay in the country.

Kisutu is an administrative ward in the Ilala district of the Dar es Salaam Region of

Tanzania.

Andrew Okoro and Chiku Odia appeared before Magistrate Frank Moshi and after pleading guilty they were each fined 100,000 Shillings or serve a sixmonth jail term. The duo

Enyeama: Eagles 'll soar in Brazil

Continues on Page 63

•Celebrates best African player award

Drogba leads Elephants VORY Coast coach to Brazil Lamouchi has ISabri

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selected a vastly experienced 28-man provisional World Cup squad.

Striker Didier Drogba, capped 99 times,

Continues on Page 62

•Enyeama

More sports on pages 32 & 33

•Drogba

•Uche

UPER Eagles vice captain and Lille Metropole of France shot stopper, Vincent Enyeama, has thanked Nigerians for their support, which he said made it possible for him to be named the best African player in the French Ligue 1 this

season.

Enyeama, who spoke from his France based said he was delighted that he was picked as Africa’s best player in France and has been totally enthralled by the huge support of Nigerians over the

Continues on Page 63

QUICK CROSSWORD

TODAY'S

PUZZLE

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 3 Javelin (5) 9 Guide (6) 10 Discipline (6) 11 Symbol (5) 12 Due (4) 15 Yield (4) 17 Harmed (7) 20 Sailor (3) 21 Quilt (5) 23 Rank (4) 25 Cunning (4) 26 Plunged (5) 28 Finish (3) 30 Disperse (7) 33 Elderly (4) 35 Border (4) 36 Holy man (5) 38 Free (6) 39 Bird (6) 40 Long (5)

DOWN 1 Spate (5) 2 Seraglio (5) 3 Fixed (3) 4 Justified (6) 5 Top (4) 6 Manage (3) 7 Animal (5) 8 Absolute (5) 13 Squandering (7) 14 Old-fashioned (5) 16 Brave (7) 18 Cheated (5) 19 Beverage (3) 22 Family (5) 24 Bone (3) 27 Meal (6) 28 Keen (5) 29 Postpone (5) 31 Confuse (5) 32 God (5) 34 Tardy (4) 36 Agent (3) 37 Brown (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Resist 5, Folded 9, Hover 10, Pillow 11, Taller 12, Peril 14, Sate 17, Red 18, Mere 20, Treat 22, Meter 23, Topical 24, Amber 26, Robin 29, Barn 30, Wad 32, Note 33, Piled 35, Unclad 36, Basket 37, Lemur 38, Dodder 39, Tender.

DOWN: 1, Repast 2, Salute 3, Shop 4, Tower 5, Fetid 6, Oral 7, Dulcet 8, Darker 13, Recital 15, Aroma 16, Eaten 18, Melon 19, Remit 21, Tor 22, Mar 24, Absurd 25, Braced 27, Booked 28, Neater 30, Wider 31, Debut 33, Pale 34, Dare.

How to Play Sudoku

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

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

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

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