Tukur dares govs,replaces Oyinlola

...towards a better life for the people

**

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

VOL. 25: NO. 61796

TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013

We 're cause of our problems in the North — Sultan •Pg.8

Bayelsa Speaker's 78-yr-old mother kidnapped •P.11

Tukur dares govs, replaces Oyinlola •Oyinlola goes, you go, govs tell Tukur •Oyinlola fights back, heads to Appeal Court •My appointment not justiciable, he says

BY HENRY UMORU & IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

A

BUJA—THE battle in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP hardened, yesterday, after the National Chairman of the party Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, planted his only loyalist in the National Working Committee, NWC, Solomon Onwe as acting national secretary. The governors, who are opposed to Tukur in a riposte, vowed that any action injurious to the continuation in office

Continues on page 4

Appreciating Hakeem Baba-Ahmed's north: •P.19 The goal of peace

When two stars fell from the firmament •PG.17

Mr & Mrs

RECONCILIATION—From left: Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan; Bishop of Sokoto, Most Rev. Mathew Kukah and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar III, at a meeting of the Northern States Committee on Reconciliation in Kaduna, yesterday. Photo: Olu Ajayi.

OCCUPY NIGERIA ANNIVERSARY:

2013 budget now with the It 'll take Nigeria 70 years to Presidency — Senate •P.6 pay N6.6trn debt — Boyo •P.7 C M Y K

2 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANAUARY 15, 2013

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANAUARY 15, 2013— 3

C M Y K

4—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013

POCKET CARTOON

CONTRACT—Deputy Director, Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Mrs Pat Odogwu (R), handing over the contract paper of the re-awarded Zik Mausoleum to Commercial Manager, Bouygues Construction Nigeria Ltd, Mr Benneth Osuala in Onitsha, yesterday, while Owelle Chukwuma Azikiwe, son of the First President of Nigeria, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe watches. Photo: NAN.

Tukur dares govs, replaces Oyinlola Tukur ’s exit from office.

Continues from page 1 of Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola as national secretary would also mean

Tukur citing provisions of the PDP Constitution said he had appointed the Deputy National Secretary, Onwe as acting

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

I shall pass through this world but once. Any good thing I can, do let me do it now; let me not differ, let me not neglect it, for I shall never pass through this world again.

TAKE HEART

I

BY ELLA RANDLE

NNER peace is what we each create in our lit tle bubble of the world. Each bubble is linked to every other bubble. And our little bubble of peace can spread. It can spread right across the world —Mary Jacsch Sometimes all it takes is a shift in perspective and there is a major gain in positive outlook and attitude towards life and this makes all the difference in living beautifully. So when we let go of being right, we can rightly grant others their beingness and still retain our own individuality.

It’s so easy to slip into a thought-pattern of ‘us’ and ‘them’. This estrangement is the root cause of much disagreement among people. Just think of ridicule, bullying, and ostracism, meanness and enslavement, it all starts with the thought of ‘us’ and ‘them’.

Let go of grudges: you hold a grudge? Maybe it’s time to let it go. Do you want to hold onto your grudge for another day, another week, another year, another decade, or even for the rest of your life?

Grudges eat away at the soul and poison relationships.

The good news is that you can let them go. All you need to do is to notice each time a grudge and its poisonous story arises in the mind. Then say to yourself with compassion, “I let go of that story,” and bend your mind toward something else.

national secretary with full powers.

The development nonetheless, the substantive National Secretary, Oyinlola, who was sacked by an Abuja High Court last Friday took his case to the Court of Appeal for the reversal of the judgment.

Oyinlola is a loyalist of the PDP governors who are pitched in battle with Tukur over several issues including the PDP structure in Adamawa State.

The removal of Oyinlola was seen as a setback for the governors who remarkably, got the NWC last week to reverse the dissolution of the Adamawa State executive of the party.

Oyinlola was not at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja yesterday, a place he had regularly operated from since he was appointed the scribe of the ruling party last March.

An aide of Oyinlola was, however, spotted at the national secretariat yesterday ferrying some files away.

He was also not present at the brief meeting of the NWC that was chaired by Tukur.

Tukur appoints Onwe as scribe

It was in the course of the emergency meeting, that the Deputy National Secretary, Onwe was asked by Tukur to immediately step into the shoes of Oyinlola in an acting capacity to avoid any vacancy that could be created.

The meeting which was to deliberate on very salient issues as gathered could not agree on any decision due to the inability of those present to form a quorum. Only the decision on Onwe to take over as the acting national secretary was resolved, it was learnt.

Present at the meeting were the National Chairman, Tukur; Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja; Deputy National Secretary, Onwe; National Auditor, Bode Mustapha; National Organising Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha; National Treasurer, Bala Bawa Kaoje; and National Financial Secretary, Elder Bolaji Akpan Anani.

The Youth leader, Garba Umar Chiza; National Legal Adviser, Victor Kwon; National Woman Leader, Amb. Kema Chikwe were said not to be at the meeting, so also is the National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh who

is out of the country.

Following the meeting Tukur issued a statement saying thus: "Pursuant to the powers conferred on the National Chairman by Chapter V Section 35 (1), 35 (1)(b) as well as section 36(2) of the constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party, (as amended), the Deputy National Secretary of the PDP, Barr. Solomon Onwe is hereby directed to assume duties as the Acting National Secretary of the PDP. "Barr. Onwe shall by this directive conduct all correspondences of the party, issue notices of meetings of the National Convention, the National Executive Committee, the National Caucus and the National Working Committee as stipulated in the Constitution of our great Party.

"This directive takes immediate effect and is hereby communicated to all the levels and offices of the Party."

Vanguard also gathered that members of the NWC and the governors elected on the platform of the party will meet on Thursday as part of moves to end the lingering crisis in the party.

Following the meeting of the NWC and the governors, those present are expected to shift base to the Presidential Villa where they will meet with President Goodluck Jonathan.

Oyinlola goes, Tukur goes — Govs Tukur’s action was met with outrage in the camp of the governors last night. A source privy to one of the governors marshalling support for Oyinlola vowed that the governors were resolved that Tukur would go if

Oyinlola goes.

Oyinlola heads to Appeal Court Meanwhile, Oyinlola, yesterday, told the appellate court in Abuja that Justice Abdul Kafarati who ordered him out of office erred in law when he assumed jurisdiction over a dispute he said bothered on intra-party affair.

He argued that not only did Justice Karafati overreach his powers, but went ahead and sacked him from office “against the weight of evidence.”

According to him, “the learned trial Justice erred in Law when he overruled the preliminary objection to the jurisdiction of the court and assumed jurisdiction and delivered Judgment.”

It will be recalled that Oyinlola was ordered to vacate his office after the high court held that there was merit in a suit that was entered against him by chieftains of the PDP in Ogun State.

The state chapter of the party led by its Chairman and Secretary, Chief Adebayo Dayo and Semiu Sodipo, had in their suit, alleged that Oyinlola emerged as the national scribe of the party through a kangaroo process they said was perfected by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former National Vice Chairman, PDP South West, Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo.

They argued that in view of two separate judgments of a Federal High Court in Lagos that nullified the South West Zonal congress that produced Oyinlola as candidate, his continued stay in office was illegal, null and void since his Continues on page 5

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013—5

The court ruling

NEW YEAR PARTY—President Goodluck Jonathan (L) in handshake with the Counsellor, Embassy of The Holy See, Vatican, Monsignor John Kallarackal, during a New Year party for members of the Diplomatic Corps at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday.

Tukur dares govs, replaces Oyinlola as PDP scribe Continues from page 4 candidacy was annulled ab-initio, contending that “something cannot be built on nothing.”

Consequently, the plaintiffs had through their counsel, Dr. Amaechi Nwaiwu, SAN, asked the court to determine: “Whether the candidacy of Oyinlola as a nominee of the South West Zonal Chapter of the PDP and his consequent election to the office of National Secretary at the National Convention in March 2012 were not invalid, null and void by reason of the order and judgment of the Federal High Court made respectively on April 27, 2012 in suit no FHC/L/CS/282/2012 and May 2, 2012 in suit no FHC/L/CS/347/2012 nullifying the South West zonal congress of March 2012 from which Oyinlola emerged or ought to have emerged.”

Besides asking the court to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to delete Oyinlola’s name from its records and replace same with another candidate that will emerge from a fresh

zonal congress to be ordered by the court, the plaintiffs, further sought “a declaration that the candidacy of Oyinlola as a nominee of the South West Zonal chapter of the PDP and his consequent election to the office of National Secretary in March 2012 were invalid, null and void by reason of the order Federal High Court made on the April 27, 2012 in suit no FHC/L/CS/282/2012 nullifying the South West zonal congress of the PDP conducted in March 2012 from which Oyinlola emerged or ought to have emerged.

My appointment not justiciable — Oyinlola Meanwhile, Oyinlola, in the Appeal he filed yesterday, insisted that the subject matter of his suit was purely a domestic affair of the PDP which he said was clearly non-justiciable.

It was his contention that the plaintiffs failed to maximize the internal remedies provided by the

party for adjudication of disputes, adding that the crux of the matter was such that neither the Federal High Court nor indeed any Court of Law, has jurisdiction over the subject matter of the suit.

Besides, he submitted that the trial Judge erred in law when the court disregarded the Ruling of the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal in CA/35/12 delivered on June 25, 2012, and held that the entire action does not constitute an abuse of court process.

Consequently, he asked for an order reversing the Judgment of trial Justice Kafarati and substituting thereto an order striking out and or dismissing the entire action with substantial cost.

The plaintiffs had in an affidavit that was deposed to by one Miss.

Abimbola Okuwoga, an assistant in the chambers of Nwaiwu, SAN, informed the trial court that Oyinlola was foisted on the party by ex-President Obasanjo.

They said he was unanimously elected upon understanding that he was the nominee of the South West.

They said: “However, the South West Congress

conducted on March 21, 2012 was nullified by the order and judgment of the Federal High Court on April 27 and another on May 2, 2012 on the ground that it violated a Federal High Court order of February 16, 2012.

“That the failure to properly nominate Oyinlola at the said congress was fatal to his candidacy.”

They maintained that despite the order and judgments of the Federal High Court, PDP refused to comply with the various prohibitory and mandatory orders of courts of competent jurisdiction by allowing Oyinlola to remain in office, an action they said was capable of making the judiciary a subject of ridicule.

However, Oyinlola and the PDP had in separate preliminary objections urged the court to dismiss the suit on grounds that it bothered on internal affairs of a political party, even as they challenged the locus-standi of the plaintiffs to institute the action.

Arguing that the suit did not disclose any reasonable cause of action, Oyinlola, further challenged the jurisdiction of the high court to entertain the matter.

In his judgment, Justice Kafarati, held that Oyinola was not fit to continue in office as the National Secretary of the PDP, saying his action amounted to a criminal conduct capable of attracting prison sentence for being a flagrant disobedience to subsisting court orders.

According to Justice Kafarati, the 3rd defendant (Oyinlola) could not have emerged as the nominee of the PDP in view of the two pending court orders restraining the South West zone of the party from conducting the congress where he purportedly emerged.

The judge who relied on the provision of section 251(R) of the 1999 Constitution to insist that he has jurisdiction to adjudicate on the matter, noted that an order of a court must be obeyed whether valid or not, adding that any action taken by Oyinola as the National Secretary of the PDP amounted to nullity.

Dismissing the contention of the defendants that the subject matter of the suit bothered on internal affairs of a political party, Justice Kafarati, said the suit did not arise from an activity of the PDP but aimed at enforcing a valid court order.

He said: “It is my opinion that the plaintiffs have the locus-standi to institute this action and I hold that the suit disclosed a reasonable cause of action. Therefore, the two preliminary objections filed by the 2nd and 3rd defendants are hereby dismissed.

The election of the 3rd defendant was in breach of valid court orders. All the three questions raised by the plaintiffs are hereby answered in the affirmative and reliefs 4 and 5 are granted as prayed.”

Specifically, the plaintiffs had in reliefs 4 and 5, sought for “a declaration that the 1st Defendant cannot in the circumstances of the ineligibility of the 3rd defendant for the office of National Secretary of the 2nd defendant and his acts of criminal contempt continue to recognize and deal with the 3rd defendant as the national secretary of the 2nd defendant.

As well as, “An order committing the 3rd de-

fendant to prison for such period as the court may see fit in the circumstances of his commission of criminal contempt consisting of three letters written by the 3rd defendant (the fist dated the 3rd of June threatening the 1st plaintiff in suit No. FHC/l/CS/347/ 2012 for commencing the suit and two others respectively dated 12th and 25th of June 2012 in a bid to over-rule an order of the Federal High Court in suit No FHC/L/ CS/1248/2012 (nullifying the South West Zonal Congress of the PDP of 1st March 2012) and the judgment of the same court in suit No FHC/L/ CS/347/2012 which barred the PDP from acting in Ogun State except through its Ogun State Executive Committee consisting of the plaintiffs) in willful interference with the administration of justice and subversion of the judicial process.”

No order to arrest Oyinlola Though the court granted the order for committal of Oyinlola to prison, however, there was no express order for his arrest, though lead counsel to the plaintiffs, Dr Nwaiwu, SAN, disclosed to Vanguard that his client may likely return to court to seek an enforcement of the order granted against the embattled ex-governor.

Among the questions posed for the determination of the high court included: “Whether the candidacy of Oyinlola as a nominee of the South West Zonal Chapter of the PDP and his consequent election to the office of National Secretary at the National Convention in March 2012 were not invalid, null and void by reason that he was not a valid nominee of the South West zone.

As well as, “Whether the candidacy of Oyinlola as a nominee of the South West Zonal Chapter of the PDP and his consequent election to the office of National Secretary at the National Convention in March 2012 were not invalid, null and void in the combined circumstances of the said order and judgment of the Federal High Court.”

6—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013

TOXIC WASTE:

Govt detains ship over $1m fine

BY GODFREY BIVBERE

L

AGOS — THE vessel that brought two container load of toxic materials into the country last week, MV Marevia, is still anchored at the TinCan Port, Apapa, Lagos, due to the inability of owners of the vessel to pay the $1 million fine slammed on them by the Nigerian government.

When Vanguard visited the port, yesterday, the vessel was still anchored there and an official of Tin-can Island Container Terminal, TICT, said there was no clearance yet for the ship to sail.

This was also collaborated by the Public Relations Officer of the Tincan Island Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mr Chris Osunkwo, who noted that the vessel had not embarked on its return journey because the owners have not paid the fine.

He explained that the difference in cost between the old products and new ones was not much, saying the cost of the entire consignments in the two containers was nothing compared to the fine the owners of the vessel are to cough out.

Another source told Vanguard that there was need to ban the importation of used electronic products completely, noting that the same principle applies in Ghana where the Ghanaian government slams a far higher duty on imported used cars to encourage the importation of new cars.

The source explained that the decision was responsible for newer cars on major roads in Ghana currently.

The source called on the management of National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA, to push a bill to the National Assembly for the ban on used electronic products as a way of safeguarding the health of Nigerians.

A

BY HENRY UMORU

BUJA — THE controversy trailing the whereabout of the 2013 budget passed by the National Assembly last year has been put to rest as the Senate, yesterday, washed its hands off it, saying the appropriation bill was currently with the Presidency.

The Senate also advised those working for the President, including the Director General, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Ms Arunma Oteh, to do their jobs in a way that would not bring bad blood between the presidency and the National Assembly as "there is no individual more important to the country than the rest."

Addressing newsmen in Abuja, Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Publicity, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP, Abia South) said: “The Senate has passed the 2013 budget, any other thing that is going on now is the normal course of the bureaucracy involved and I do not think that there would be any problem with that.

"The important thing to note is that the 2013 budget was passed on December 20, last year by a concurrence of both Houses and that officially, is the passage of the budget by the Parliament.”

On whether the budget had been sent to President Goodluck Jonathan for accent, Abaribe said: "I will assume that such had been done because after you have passed the budget, what is left is simply mechanical, you get a clean copy and send it. I am assuming that it must have been passed" (on to the presidency).

On the possibility of its implemention this month On the possibility of the budget being implemented from this month, he said: “I do not think that it is late. This is January 14 and if the accent is done this January, the budget will start to operate. I would want us not to focus on this question of whether there is some lagging behind. ”I do not think that such a thing is significant for it to mean that the operation of the budget will not start from January. We worked assiduously to deliver to Nigerians what we had promised to do. ”This is in line also with the President’s (desire), when he delivered his budget address in the National Assembly, for us to keep to schedule. We had kept to our schedule and I think that Nigerians will not find us lagging behind in any way with regards to that. ”There are few agencies of government, who over time, their budgets usually come late.

The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, is one but if you also recollect, we passed a resolution on the floor of the Senate that we will no longer

BRIEFING: Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State (right) briefing newsmen after a closed-door meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan at the State House, Abuja, yesterday.

Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

2013 budget now with Presidency — Senate zSays normal bureaucracy affecting implementation zDeclares fresh war on Oteh, Maina entertain government agencies of that nature; their budgets coming very late and we asked NDDC to also submit its 2013 budget, which had been done and for which we know that consideration must be expediciously done so that every government agency will work along the same time frame on the federal budget. ”That is our intention and I do not know of any other agency which budget is late because we have NDDC, Nigerian Communication Commission, NCC and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, budgets."

Senate not helpless on Maina On the Senator Aloysius Etokled Committee on Establishment, State and Local Government Administration's invitation to the Inspector General of Police, following the inability of the police to arrest Mr Abdulrasheed Maina over the poor management of pension funds, Abaribe said the Senate would pursue the matter to its logical conclusion.

He said: ”It is necessary for Nigerians to know that a committee of the National Assembly in either House is a representative of that House.

That means if a committee of the Senate is operating or summoning anybody, it is not just that committee, it is the whole Senate. That means whatever sanctions that are going to come are not just from that committee but the whole Senate.

"So, if a committee says we have already discussed with our leadership and this is the step we are going to take,then, you have to assume that such is a step approved by the Senate. ”But when committees seek further powers, they bring it to the floor of the Senate, then, we can all vote on it but the rule is that every committee is a representation of the Senate as a whole. ”On the matter of Maina, let me state unequivocally that the Senate cannot be said to be helpless on the matter. On the contrary, the Senate will and I want to underline that word, the Senate will pursue the matter to its logical conclusion."

Warns against creating conflict between Jonathan, NASS On delay in signing the budget of SEC,Abaribe said: “If in the opinion of House of Representatives, something needed to be done and urgently done, we can only advise and urge the President to take a very good look at the position of the House of Representatives.

Beyond that, we also feel in the Senate that anybody that works for Mr. President should as much as possible, not put Mr. President at loggerheads with the Parliament. It doesn’t happen and I think that is the position that should be taken by anybody who loves this country. ”I don’t think there is any individual that is far more important to the country than the rest of us. The Parliament— the

House of Representatives and the Senate — are the representatives of the people and whenever we collectively take a position, we assume that such position is in the best interest of the country. We have never taken a position here that was not in the best interest of the country and I think that should lay to rest, that matter."

On Lagos Govt's proposed loan Abaribe also commented on the Lagos State government’s proposed loan, saying: “For any proposition to pass through the Nigerian legislature, it has to have the concurrence of both Houses and if the Lagos State government had come to make a presentation to the House of Representatives and subsequently the Senate, the Senate will take it, then, it will be taken at the plenary and we will look at it as the case may be. ”So, if anybody says that if Lagos does not get a loan, then Nigeria will suffer an economic crisis, that is stretching matters.

What we say is make your case and if it is as good as everybody will see it, then, there would be no reason for the parliament not to assist and grant whatever requests that were made. ”But if you have a problem within the executive because this is a problem between the state and federal executive, then, both must come to make their cases to us to see whether we will approve or not but I will not want this matter to be seen as a Nigeria breaking up matter. I don’t think it has reached that stage.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013—7

BY DAPO AKINREFON & NKIRUKA NNOROM

L

AGOS — EMOTIONS ran high, yesterday, as foremost Economist, Mr Henry Boyo, lamented the country’s huge debt profile estimated at N6.6 trillion, fearing that it might take about three generations to pay the debt.

Speaking at a roundtable dialogue to mark the first anniversary of Occupy Nigeria protest with the theme: "Nigeria’s fiscal and monetary crisis: The way forward," in Lagos, Boyo said: “It will take the Federal Government a little over 70 years to be able to repay its official debt which presently stands at N6.6 trillion.”

Boyo, who disagreed with officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, over inflation rate, management of excess liquidity and other monetary policies affecting the economy, accused the CBN of not taking necessary steps to galvanise the economy.

He spoke as the apex bank countered that it was doing all within its power to regulate the economy.

Boyo listed high interest rates, depreciating naira, high rate of smuggling and capital flight, low capacity utilization, low employment and inadequate power as factors responsible for the dwindling state of the economy.

He said: “We have a total of N6.6 trillion as debt and you must know that they will be paid by our generations yet unborn. No economy can grow with these factors. All these factors I have mentioned are triggered by poor framework and responsible for the state of our economy. The CBN is also not doing anything to galvanise the economy.”

Inflation will be reduced —CBN Officials from the CBN led by its Director of Research, Mr Charles Mordi; Director of Financial Market, Mr Emma Ukeje and Director of Communications, Mr Ugochukwu Okorafo, in their defence, said the apex bank had been in the forefront of ensuring that the inflation rate in the country was reduced to its barest minimum.

Mordi said the apex bank recognised that inflation could be damaging to the economy, adding: “CBN has shown initiative to reduce it to the barest minimum. What people don’t understand is that you don’t suddenly reduce inflation from 12 per cent to, say, two, three per cent. Reducing inflation takes

a gradual process.

“What people should know is that you do not just move from a high inflation regime to a low inflation regime, it is a gradual process. Bringing down interest rate cannot be done overnight.”

Responding to Boyo’s presentation, Mordi said the CBN was not in disagreement over the issue of achieving a single digit interest and inflation rate regime in the country.

He stated that as a result of the desire to see that objectivity comes to pass, the CBN has introduced several intervention packages in various sectors.

He, however, said it would be difficult to achieve single digit inflation and interest rates and also have a strong naira, adding that interest rate is a function of demand and supply.

He maintained that attaining a single digit interest rate and inflation rate at the same time having strong naira was a wide dream, saying that one has to be used to balance the remaining two.

He said: “We have always insisted that a low interest rate regime is desirable; that is why we are working hard to ensure that loans are given to agricultural sector at single digit interest rate.

“CBN was the first to recognize that high inflation rate was damaging to any economy. That was why in 2007 we recommended to the Federal Government to dollarize the state governments' allocation, but this met with opposition from the Attorney General who said that it was unconstitutional.

“For developed economies, two to three per cent inflation rate is the norm, but for an emerging economy which Nigeria is one, this is not the norm.”

Blame FG for dwindling economy — Sobowale On his part, Dr Dele Sobowale, who spoke on Nigeria’s fiscal crisis, blamed the Federal Government of being responsible for the dwindling fortunes of the economy, saying: “The economy of Nigeria will get nowhere until we muscle the big thieves.”

Faulting the method the three tiers of government share monthly allocation revenue, he said “there is no country in the world where all three tiers of government share money, especially their monthly allocation. When there was true federalism, each region developed at its own pace and remit certain percentage of its revenue at the centre. We must

SNG HOLDS ANNIVERSARY—From right: Pastor Tunde Bakare, Convener of Save Nigeria Group; Mr Henry Olujimi Boyo, Guest Speaker; Mr Charles Mordi, Director Research Dept, Central Bank of Nigeria and Mr Yinka Odumakin, during a dialogue to mark first anniversary of Save Nigeria Group, in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

OCCUPY NIGERIA ANNIVERSARY:

It ’ll take Nigeria 70 yrs to pay N6.6trn debt — Boyo zDisagrees with CBN on inflation rate, economy zInflation will be reduced —CBN zWe dare FG to increase fuel price —Bakare understand that fiscal policy remains the bedrock of any economy.”

We dare FG to increase fuel price— Bakare

Earlier in his welcome address, convener of the Save Nigeria Group, Pastor Tunde Bakare, dared the Federal Government to increase the pump price of fuel, saying the Occupy Nigeria protest on the increase of fuel still haunts government.

Bakare said the protest, held in January 2012, had shown that Nigerians would no longer be taken for granted.

His words: “In the period after the protests, many have asked the question: What did we gain from standing under the sun for days listening to address after address and singing song after song?

Quite a lot, actually. First, we were able to shed the toga of docility that encouraged the rulers of Nigeria to assume they could act on every whim and go scot-free.

"They had concluded that Nigerians live from hand to mouth each day and, as such,

would be too distracted by the hunger pangs of subsistence living to engage in a protracted battle to crush oppression. That myth was shattered forever at Ojota, as it took illegal military occupation to stop the protests from continuing the following week.

"We are cur renttly challenging that violation of the right to peaceful assembly guaranteed by our Constitution at the Federal High Court. In addition, the government has not had the courage to officially raise the pump price post-Occupy Nigeria because the ghost of the protest still haunts them.”

Protest exposed ‘underbelly of corruption’ He said though the protest did not lead to uprising in the countr y, it succeeded in exposing the “underbelly of corruption as did the Farouk Lawan and Ribadu committees which were offshoots. Occupy Nigeria has given us enough literature on the big business of corruption

that has turned a country with one of the largest oil deposits in the world to one that depends on expensive and low quality imported petroleum products for its domestic consumption.”

He said: “Our movement did not bring about change on the scale of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya et al. The subsidy thieves are still kings with all the perks of office, and corruption in the industry continues unabated as our people now pay more than the official pump price in many filling stations. In spite of all these, we must not despise the compact that was laid and upon which we must continue to stand.

“Nigeria cannot make progress for as long as we disregard the rule of law, promote inequity and lock political institutions that allow the people to elect their representatives and reject them if need be. We have another prime opportunity to rededicate ourselves to the noble goal of saving Nigeria, changing Nigeria, and making Nigeria great in our lifetime.”

8—Vanguard , TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013

FCDA, commercial bus drivers on warpath over transport policy

We 're cause of our problems in the North — Sultan zAs Onaiyekan blames insecurity on poverty

BY LUKA BINNIYAT

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU, LAIDE AKINBOADE, CALEB AYANSINA, SAMUEL MOSES & BENSON DAVID

A

BUJA—THE Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, and transporters operating at the nation’s capital, Abuja, are at logger heads over refusal of the FCTA to allow owners of Mini-Bus Town Service vehicles bring commuters into the city centre.

The commercial drivers under the umbrella of Self Employed Commercial Drivers Association, SECDA, have however, planned to stage a peaceful demonstration at the National Assembly and office of the Minister of FCT today in a bid to find out if the new transport policy has the approval of both the lawmakers and the minister.

Already, the FCT administration had provided designated points where commuters would be dropped to join SURE-P buses provided by FCT for the city centre.

It was gathered that commuters coming from Nasarawa/Keffi road in the mini bus town service vehicles are expected to be dropped off under Nyanya Bridge while those coming from Kubwa would now have Berger bus stop as the terminal point.

In an interview with the Head of Public Relations to the FCT Transport Secretariat, Mrs. Stella Ojeme, she said that the FCTA had already provided 78 capacity buses for the Nasarawa/Keffi axis and 15 buses for the Kubwa route, adding that Kubwa had only 15 because the ‘araba’ buses were allowed to ply the road.

On whether there was a notice before the implementation of the new policy, she said: “We gave them notice.

We distributed flyers and the announcement has been on the radio since December 1, 2012 and if you tune on your radio today to WAZOBIA FM and Aso radio they have been doing the adverts since December 1, everyday.

"Nobody can say he did not hear about it. Anybody that says he did not hear this has lied. It is either they would have seen the flyers or they would have heard it on the radio".

K

ADUNA—THE Sultan of Sokoto and President, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, Dr. Sa’ad Abubakar III, yesterday said that the present security and developmental challenges facing Northern Nigeria was self inflicted by northerners themselves.

The Sultan spoke at the Northern Nigeria Governors Peace and Reconciliation Committee meeting in Kaduna, blaming northerners for inflicting heavy pains on themselves.

His words, “Let us sit and talk freely and articulate positions that will bring us out of the quagmire we put ourselves. It is important that religious and traditional rulers from our various states sit together, so that each and everyone of us will talk freely for us to articulate a position as the way out of this problem we find ourselves. We northerners have put ourselves in a quagmire, because whatever that is happening in the North is our own doing. This was because we did not do what we are supposed to do. And since we know that, we have to solve our problems ourselves. So, I think, it is not a bad idea that the committee was set up.

Sultan, Onaiyekan sue for peaceful co-existence “We wrote a memo of about nine pages or thereabout covering various issues affecting the country and the north in particular to the then Acting President and now President. Goodluck Jonathan, through the Nigeria Inter Religious Council, NIREC, where we suggested solutions to the problems.’’

In his own remarks, the Catholic Bishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, attributed the security challenges facing the North and the country in general to high level of poverty in the country and the region in particular.

Onaiyekan further said that another aspect of the problem was associated with religion, saying that, bad image of the country has spread to the outside world and there was need for the stakeholders to address the issue with a view to putting a permanent end to the problems.

Bad governance He stressed that, Christianity and Islam in Nigeria should not be seen as an accident of history, but God’s design that cannot be changed by anyone.

According to him, the main problem in the country was bad governance and once that is addressed headlong, all other problems would be tackled too.

Kukah hails Sultan, Onaiyekan

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Mathew Kukah, in his remarks lauded the participation of both Sultan Abubakar and Cardinal Onaiyekan saying, “With the Sultan and our amiable Cardinal as members of

this committee, we should have the confidence that all sides will be well represented and every view honestly put down with suggested solutions. We also hope that the government would play its own parts when this assignment is finished.”

From left: Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, Sultan of Sokoto, Sa'ad Abubakar, Chairman, Northern State Committee on Reconciliation, Amb. Zakeri Ibrahim and Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Garbai el-Kanemi, at the Northern State Committee on Reconciliation meeting in Kaduna yesterday. Photo: Olu Ajayi.

Arepo: Amosun should emulate other govs to protect pipelines — NNPC zAnother explosion averted in Lagos

BY VICTOR AHIUMAYOUNG & MONSOOR OLOWOPEJO HE Nigerian National Petro leum Corporation, NNPC, yesterday expressed shock over alleged claim by Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State that its officials were colluding with vandals to destroy pipelines in Arepo, saying that, "engaging in a blame game, when every responsible Nigerian citizen is wondering about Arepo which is in his domain,’’ was unhelpful.

In a statement signed by the NNPC spokesperson, Ms Tunmini Green regretted the renewed attack on Arepo 2B pipelines which it said "has become such an attractive spot for oil thieves and pipeline vandals.”

According to the NNPC, the pipelines were vandalised barely a month after they were fixed following an earlier attack even as another explosion was averted in Lagos State at Ibowon com-

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munity, Epe Local Government Area by men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC. However, Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, yesterday condemned activities of oil vandals, which led to the recent pipeline fire in Arepo, Ogun State, that claimed several lives among other carnage.

The NNPC statement read in part, “It is sad that the Governor of Ogun State who should know the importance of national assets like pipelines and do everything in his power to protect them is engaging in a blame game when every responsible Nigerian citizen is wondering why Arepo has become such an attractive spot for oil thieves and pipeline vandals.

Governor Amosun should emulate his Abia State counterpart who has mobilized security to protect the pipelines in his domain to sustain product supply

to the state rather than engage in unnecessary rhetoric.”

Meanwhile, the Group Managing Director, NNPC, Mr. Andrew Yakubu, led a management team to inspect the vandalised pipeline yesterday, where he emphasized the need to curb the menace of pipeline vandalism and its attendant losses to the e c o n o m y .

Yakubu who was at the site of the incident said the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, had repaired the vandalised pipeline to the level that it can commence operation immediately, adding that the NNPC was exploring lasting measures that would deter the vandals.

The NNPC chief also said the corporation was working on a tripartite collaboration on security with the Ogun State government and other state governments, the police and other security agents, where the NNPC had the right of way for the pipelines and oth-

Vanguard , TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013—9

Recruitment of 500 engineers:

Power Ministry's planned use of consultants faulted .'It's a waste of public fund'

BY VICTOR AHIUMAYOUNG

LAGOS —ORGANISED Labour in the power sector, yesterday, condemned alleged plan by the Power Ministry to draw about N109,321,451.87, from the accounts of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, to recruit about 500 engineers for PHCN through consultants.

Under the umbrella of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, in a statement issued in Lagos, said such recruitment meant for Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, was an aberration to standard practice as TCN, PHCN have Human Resource Department (HR) in charge of recruitments.

NUEE in the statement through its General Secretary, Comrade Joe Ajaero, said: “We have been inundated of an unholy intent of the Power Ministry to commit waste of tax payer’s money in the name of wanting to recruit engineers for the Transmission Company of Nigeria, PHCN. "It is regrettable to state that the Power Ministry has concluded arrangements to draw about N109,321,451.87 only from PHCN accounts to recruit about 500 engineers for PHCN through consultants.

“This action, to state the least, is an aberration to standard practice as TCN, PHCN has full compliments of Human Resource Department (HR) incharge of recruitments. Besides, what has gone wrong with the Power Ministry’s vote for the year? When has it become the responsibility of PHCN to fund projects undertaken by the Power Ministry, when the Ministry has in its

kitty approved and allocated votes for its operations?

"Why would the Ministry tinker with the scarce resources of an ailing department with overwhelming challenges of effective, efficient and constant Electric Power Supply to the populace, even when some of the challenges are avoidable given sound financial footing?

“We believe the Ministry has

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Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, yesterday, adjourned till today, to rule on the request by former Managing Director of Bank PHB (now Keystone Bank), Francis Atuche and others to recall witnesses in the on-going trial of allegations of stealing N18.2 billion belonging to the bank.

The prosecution witnesses, Elizabeth Ebi and Diamond Uju and directors of some of the companies that were alleged to have taken part in the N18.2 billion loans transaction during Atuche’s era had in their testimonies

doubtedly excelling.

"All the PHCN zonal offices in the Federation are well equipped with HR personnel who would carry out the responsibility with less cost.

"In our view, out-sourcing such responsibilities can be entertained when there is dearth of adequate qualified personnel and manpower, but in this instance, everything is in place."

Ola and Ayo Nursery and Primary School, Anthony Village, Lagos, at the school's morning assembly on Monday, as Lagos schools resumed academic activities . Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.

E-voting: INEC can’t be trusted —Adebanjo, CPC, ANPP

BY GBENGA OKE

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ONGRESS FOR Progressive Change, CPC, All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, and elder statesman, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, yesterday opposed calls by the Action Congress

Court to rule on Atuche's witnesses today

BY ONOZURE DANIA

no business to recruit for PHCN rather the Human Resource (HR) Department of the company can be encouraged and made to carry out its duties without extraneous manipulations and concerns.

The statement continues: "After all, who had been recruiting for PHCN before now? There are seasoned and competent personnel who over the years have been un-

denied knowledge of the loans, which Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC described as ‘hoax’ loans.

The defendants had argued that recalling the witnesses was crucial in determining their case that the witnesses did not only have a relationship with the bank, but actually demanded for the loans, the subject of the trial.

Responding,EFCC urged the court to reject the application because the defendants had the opportunity to cross-examine the witnesses but chose not to or never bothered.

of Nigeria, ACN, for the use of e-voting in the 2015 elections, saying the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, cannot be trusted on e-voting.

National Publicity Secretary of ACN, Alhaji Lai Mohammed had stated through a statement that electronic voting would bring down the cost of elections, stabilise the polity, eliminate the atmosphere of war usually associated with elections and erase the fear introduced into the voting process with the involvement of security agencies.

Opposing the move, Adebanjo said he doubted the ability of INEC to faithfully utilise the system, saying, “It has been a case of deception by the electoral umpire in Nigeria and the people calling for electronic voting have basis for it, but the unfortunate thing is the doubt on the minds of Nigerians whether the process will be free and fair.

There is nothing wrong in calling for an electronic voting system in 2015, but

whether the process will be fair is the problem. If it could be ascertained that the process will be devoid of any rancour, there is nothing wrong with it.”

Similarly, CPC said the idea of electronic voting in 2015 was a low-burner.

The party through its National Publicity Secretary, Rotimi Fashakin, said INEC did not have the capacity to conduct election through electronic voting system and could not be trusted.

His words: “INEC does not have the capacity to use the electronic voting system because the same umpire in the past had huge resources and refused to function as expected while the umpire cannot boast of credible voters register."

For ANPP, its National Publicity Secretary, Emma Eneukwu,said: “Our party has not taken a position on the issue for now, but we will soon take a position when the working committee and the national leadership of the party meet.”

Dana crash: Lagos Judiciary to fast track full compensation

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AGOS— THERE are indications that the Lagos State Judiciary is to fast track the legal requirements for payment of full compensation to the families that lost their loved ones in the Dana air crash of June 3, 2012.

It will be recalled that no fewer than 153 people were killed in the Dana air crash, which occurred in Iju-Ishaga area of Lagos, while full compensation is yet to be paid to the affected families.

Vanguard, gathered, yesterday, that the Lagos State Judiciary and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, were working out measures to fast track the process of issuing letters of administration as well as any application for guardianship.

A senior Lagos State judiciary official, who pleaded anonymity, told Vanguard that the whole process would be facilitated by the Probate Registry of the state judiciary.

Ejigbo LCDA flags off 4 major road projects

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

L

AGOS — EJIGBO Local Council Development Area, LCDA, has flagged off the construction of four major roads in the council area, estimated to gulp N220 million.

The chairman of the council,Kehinde Bamigbetan, while flagging off the road projects, with members of Community D e v e l o p m e n t Association and residents , said it was in fulfillment of his promise to the people of Ejigbo that road development would be given serious attention.

The roads are: Jubril Olabisi in Aigbaka ward,Nurudeen Obe in Fadu ward,Rainbow Avenue in Ailegun ward and Double Star Road in Oke-Afa ward.

10—Vanguard , TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013

YCE commiserates with Alaafin over fire incident

BY FRANKLIN ALLI

YORUBA Council of Elders, YCE, yesterday, commiserated with the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, the government and people of Oyo State, over the fire incident that engulfed the palace of the Alaafin, describing the incident as unfortunate.

In a solidarity statement, YCE through its Secretary General, Chief Idowu Sofola, expressed gratitude to God that no life was lost in the incident.

According to the statement, “The damage to invaluable property, particularly historical artifacts, many of which are irreplaceable is a pointer to the extent of the damage by the fire."

It then pointed out the need for greater alertness and consciousness on the part of all Nigerians particularly during the harmattan season.

Body of drowned fisherman recovered

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

O

S O G B O —

S Y M PAT H I S E R S yesterday in Osogbo, Osun State, wept profusely as the body of a middle aged man who got drowned while on a fishing expedition in Osun river along Gbongan/Ibadan Road on Friday was recovered.

The yet-to-be-identified man in his late 20s, it was gathered was a resident of Osogbo and lived close to the river.

The corpse of the man could not be removed from the river easily as it took the combined efforts of men of the Osun State Fire Service and those of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, time before they could recover his corpse.

It was gathered that the deceased had gone to the river alongside two friends to fish as usual but eventually met his untimely death.

Obasanjo working for Amosun’s second term — Ogun PDP Chieftain

BY DAUD OLATUNJU

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deprive them of a better future. But if anyone is being deceitful it is Obasanjo, who pretends to be a leader of the PDP in the daytime but in the night is neck-deep in the reelection strategy of Governor Ibikunle Amosun of the ACN, who is his kinsman from Owu Kingdom.

"That is why he does not hesitate to shower encomiums on Amosun whenever the opportunity presents itself. The gameplan is to weaken PDP for

Amosun to have a smooth sail by making it appear that he is performing, especially when such praises are coming from the supposed leader of the opposition.

“In respect of a better future for Ogun State people, I know that 99.9 per cent of Ogun State people are of the opinion that Obasanjo’s dominance of the national and local politics in the past five decades has made no impact on their lives."

He continued: "Obasanjo is

a classic example of a man to whom much has been given but little or nothing has been returned. Although we have not held public office, our people can attest to the little we have done in impacting their lives and empowering them.

"I am not a money-bag politician.

I am a hard-working businessman who loves my people and passionate about the PDP. "But, if sharing your God- given resources with the less privileged qualifies me to be a money-bag, then I plead guilty."

B E O K U TA — FACTIONAL leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ogun State, Buruji Kashamu, yesterday accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of working for the re-election of the state Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun in 2015.

Kashamu who was reacting to Obasanjo’s comments recently on the activities of money-bag politicians in the state, described the statements as unbecoming of a former president of the country, claiming that those Obasanjo derogatorily labeled as money-bag politicians bankrolled his political activities in the past.

Obasanjo had last week advised some PDP members from Ogun West Senatorial District who visited him in his Hilltop Mansion in the state capital, against allowing themselves to be swayed by money-bag politicians.

In a statement, Kashamu described Obasanjo’s comment as laughable, saying that it was shocking and surprising that former president could now denounce the same people who, he said, provided the Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, Agricultural Resources Minister (left) and Dr. Reuben Abati, the Presifunds for his election, re- ential Spokesman, during the press conference on the proposed farmers' cellphone project, election and long political at the State House, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida battles against the former governor of the state Otunba Gbenga Daniel.

Describing Obasanjo as a “gerontocratic” politician masquerading as elder RELATE OF the Daniel, the former Governor of Ogun State. statesman, Kashamu said, Methodist Church of Nigeria, Dr. Ola Dr. Makinde described 2012 as a very “Was it not money-bag Makinde, has said there is no basis for religious difficult year for the country given the spate politicians that bankrolled his war in Nigeria because the two major religions of accidents, flooding, air mishaps and the elections the first and second in the country abhor violence, killings and Boko Haram insurgency which led to terms? Was it not the same compulsion in the process of propagating their needless loss of many lives and heightened people he hobnobbed with tenets. insecurity in the country. when it was convenient for The Prelate said this during his homily him to wrest the party structure from the immediate at the Abraham Tabernacle, Sagamu past administration in the venue of the seventh edition of the state? Was it not the same set Annual New Year Thanksgiving Service of people that he used to organised by the Asiwaju Onigbagbo work for his candidate in the Okunrin of Remoland, Otunba Gbenga

Boko Haram agenda not Islamic —Makinde, Methodist Prelate

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governorship election?

This is the sort of inconsistency that P r e s i d e n t i a l Spokesman Reuben Abati recently noted concerning Obasanjo.

“It was not in Obasanjo’s place to set the parameters for such because he has continually shown his bias for imposition, door-die politics, injustice and illegalities – the very issues at the roots of the Ogun PDP crisis.

"Obasanjo told his guests that some money-bags want to

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013—11

Demolition: Community begs Uduaghan for compensation

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UNDREDS of peo ple in Lotiebiri, an Ijaw quarters at Miller Waterside in Ogbe-Ijoh, Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, demolished by the state government late last year, h a v e a p pealed to the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, to hasten the compensation promised by government.

Chairman of the community, Mr. Bossman Azazi, said though the amount promised by the governor fell short of their estimated damages, the community had no choice but to accept the amount announced by the governor, saying it was a good gesture.

He also wants the state governor to help facilitate the payment as most of them were still homeless.

He said: “If you look at the report, our valuation stated N800 million but the government came up with N500 million as compensation to Lotiebiri community, which we accept in good faith, but right now, we are hungry and are begging the government to facilitate the payment, so that we can relocate.”

Yalaju passes on

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R. Edward Yalaju of Warri Kingdom, Delta State, is dead, aged 59.

The late Yalaju who worked with the Delta State Ministry of Health, died on December 8, 2012.

He attended Children’s Home School, Ibadan, Government College, Ughelli; Federal School of Science, Lagos; University of Ibadan; and University of Benin. He is survived by his aged mother and three children and numerous relations.

He will be buried in Warri on Friday, January 18, 2013.

Late Dr. Yalaju

Bayelsa Speaker’s mother kidnapped

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

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ENAGOA—GUN MEN, in the early hours of yesterday, invaded the riverside Korokorosei community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State and kidnapped the aged mother of Mr. Kombowei Benson, Speaker of the state House of Assembly.

The incident, the latest in the series of high profile kidnapping in the blighted Niger Delta, it was learnt, threw the entire community into confusion.

The 78 years old woman, Mrs. Betinah Benson, was whisked away from her country home at 12.30am according to community sources.

The Speaker, Mr. Benson, could not be reached at press time for comment but one of his close aides, told Vanguard that the gunmen

Mrs. Betinah Benson

stormed the riverside community in two speedboats when most of the natives had retired to bed.

On arriving the village, the source said, the gunmen started shooting sporadically into the air to scare away villagers that might resist their operation.

The gunmen were said to have made straight for the residence of their target and took her away

to their waiting speedboats before disappearing with the aged woman into the creeks in one of the speedboats.

Though no contact had been established with the kidnappers at press time, Media Assistant to the Speaker, Mr. Piriye Kiyaramo, said the incident had been reported to the police.

INSPECTION: From left: Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State; Chairman, Technical Committee, Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Mr. Chris Green, and NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, during an inspection of the new stadium in Port Harcourt.

Police kill 3 notorious bandits in Delta ... foil cult clash

BY EMMA AMAIZE &

GODWIN OGHRE

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ARRI—POLICE in Warri, Delta State, weekend, shot dead three suspected armed robbers in a gun duel, while two others, including the gang leader and driver, escaped with bullet wounds.

This came as the police also foiled what could have led to a bloody clash between cult groups in the town, as a fourman cult gang is currently in the custody of the Nigerian Army, Koko Barracks, after the gang set ablaze the house of a rival’s father. Although the cultists were said to have been fully armed with shot guns, they did not kill any one as they took to their heels with the early arrival of policemen to the scene.

One of the suspected cultists was said to have led three others to burn the property of their rival’s father after smashing the door of one of the apartments which they set ablaze.

On the killed robbers, the

When contacted, Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Fidelis Odunna, confirmed the incident, saying the command had dispatched detectives and intelligence operatives to the riverside community with a view to tracking down the perpetrators of the crime.

bandits, who caused panic in Warri, had robbed a woman of her SUV at Enerhen Junction, but ran out of luck at Airport Road, when police patrol teams, acting on a tip–off from a good Samaritan accosted them.

Mr. Hussaini Rabiu, Assistant Commissioner of Police, who confirmed the death of the bandits, told reporters in Warri, that they

had been on the wanted list of the police.

He said: “After receiving a text message from a good Samaritan, I forwarded same to our patrol teams, which swung into action immediately. Our counter force engaged the robbers in a shootout on Airport Road. These notorious boys have been on our wanted list."

ANPP chieftain hails INEC's deregistration of parties

BY JIMITOTA

ONOYUME

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ORT HARCOURT—A FORMER governorship candidate of All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, in Edo State, Chief Solomon Edebiri, has lauded the decision of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to deregister some political parties.

Speaking, yesterday, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Edebiri, who is also a member of Board of Trustees of ANPP, said so long as the electoral body acted within the

confines of the Electoral Act, its action was in order.

He said there was need to prune down political parties in the country to what he termed a ‘reasonable level.’

He advised the Federal Government to create jobs for the youths, stressing that it would go a long way to address the security challenges in the country.

He said: “There is so much unemployment in the country to the extent that people are no longer free to walk the streets for fear of being kidnapped."

Delta flags off N1.4bn road project

BY FESTUS AHON

U

G H E L L I — D E LT A State Government has flagged off the construction of the 12 kilometre Oginibo/ Obi/Ayagha/Erhuwaren/Agbowhiame Road in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state estimated at N1.4 billion.

Speaking during the flag off ceremony, Senior Special Assistant on Protocol to the Governor, Mr. Reuben Uzezi, said the project, when completed, will improve the socio-economic lives of the people of the areas, adding that the project was in fulfillment of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s 2011 electioneering campaign promises.

He said: “During the 2011 electioneering campaign, I appealed to our governor, Dr. Uduaghan, that the people of Oginibo/Obi/Ayagha/Erhuwaren/Agbowhiame communities have agreed to vote for him, if the road that runs through the four communities can be tarred after the governor ’s victory and he accepted."

12—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013

Judges’ kidnap: Challenge to independence of judiciary —Delta deputy gov

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

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SABA—DELTA State deputy governor, Prof.

Amos Utuama, SAN, has said that the recent kidnap attempts on judges in the state were not only a direct attack on lives of the judges but should be seen as a challenge to the independence of the judiciary, “that undermines the essential values of our democracy.”

Utuama, while receiving the Asaba branch Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mr. Osayenim Chukwuma, in his office, weekend, described the decision of NBA Warri branch to deny legal representation to kidnap suspects as commendable.

He said the denial of legal representation to kidnap suspects was clearly a protest against a threat to the administration of justice in the state and urged every one in the state to join hands with the state government to stamp out the menace of kidnapping from the state.

He said: “We must protest anything that challenges the administration of justice.

Government is living up to its bidding. Wherever and whenever anybody’s liberty is under threat, government will not fold its hands and watch helplessly. It is our

collective responsibility to deal with insecurity because intelligence has revealed that the perpetrators are not strangers but insiders.

“Ninety percent of cases are not accidental, but were planned and executed with the connivance of insiders. We

BUDGET: Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State (left) and Mr. Bassey Akpan, Commissioner for Finance, during the signing of the state’s 2013 budget.

Former Edo AG cries for justice over imprisonment

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—ONE year af ter he was sent to prison by Justice Adamu Hobon, then judge of a Federal High Court in Benin, Edo State, immediate past Attorney- General and Commissioner for Justice in Edo State, Dr. Osagie Obayuwana, has written a fresh petition to the Chief Justice of the Federation, lamenting that he was yet to get justice from the National Judicial Council.

It will be recalled that Obayuwana spent four days in Benin prison early last year after Justice Hobon imprisoned him over alleged contempt of court. Consequently, Obayuwana, who described the action of the judge as abuse of judicial powers for an alleged “contempt of court,” which did not take place facie curiae, regretted that NJC was yet to treat his petition despite all efforts to get the attention of the body to the unlawful treatment meted out to him as the then Attorney General of the state by Justice Hobon.

Obayuwana in the pe-

must, therefore, be defensive.”

He called on NBA, other civil society organisations and individuals to partner the Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan-led administration to deal with all forms of insecurity and violent crimes in the state.

tition, explained: “I brought the attention of NJC to acts of forgery and doctoring of court records proceedings signed by the judge, which portrayed the existence of a charge against me, even before the contempt proceedings were in contemplation.

“My petition was received by NJC as confirmed by a copy sent to me from the letter by NJC

directing Justice Hobon to react to my petition.

Since then, there had been no further development to my knowledge.

“My Lord, it is almost one year since that petition was lodged with NJC. While I can appreciate that many issues of national importance may have commanded the attention of NJC, it nevertheless is my humble plea that I deserve justice.”

No sanction for Airhiavbere, says Edo PDP

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DO State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has said that its preoccupation now was to reorganise and reposition the party to meet the future challenges and the aspirations of Edo people.

Reacting to an interview purportedly granted by one Aisulimhen Ighodaro that, the party’s governorship candidate in the July 14, 2012 governorship election in the state, General Charles Airhiavbere (rtd) will face sanction for challenging the result of the election and the academic qualifica-

tions of Governor Adams Oshiomhole at the election tribunal, the party’s state Director of Publicity and Strategy, Mr. Okharedia Ihimekpen, called on the public to disregard such statements and insinuations as they were the handiwork of political opponents.

Ihimekpen said Ighodaro was not known to PDP, adding that the party had no plan to sanction Airhiavbere for any reason.

He queried: “So how can an unknown person be a stakeholder of the party?”

Cobham raises alarm over illegal bunkering in C-River

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

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ALABAR—ACT ING Governor of Cross River State, Mr. Efiok Cobham, has raised alarm over the increasing cases of illegal bunkering activities in the state and appealed for more surveillance by the Nigerian Army and Navy to curb the menace.

Speaking, yesterday, when he received the outgoing General Officer Commanding, 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu, MajorGeneral Oluwaseun Oshinowo, he lamented that the high rate of illegal bunkering in the state was worrisome as it was not only sabotaging the economy of the state, but also affecting the development of the state and country at large.

Vanguard , TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013 —13

Obi accused of plot to destablise APGA O

BY ENYIM ENYIM

N I T S H A — STAKEHOLDERS of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, yesterday, alleged that Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State was plotting to collapse the party at the end of his second tenure.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Chief Onwuka Ukwa, who was reacting to newspaper report credited to the chairman of Governor Peter Obi Campaign Organisation, Chief Sylvester Nwobu-Alor, that no reconciliation of aggrieved factions had taken place in the party, described as unfortunate the governor ’s grand design to destabilise APGA that gave him the platform to govern Anambra State for two tenures.

He said: ”Governor Peter Obi’s insistence through Nwobu Alor to generate fresh crisis in APGA when we have 11 months to the governorship election in the state is looking like a clear confirmation of this widely held view.

“APGA as a party, has given so much to Governor Obi, his government and family. The party has given the governor solid 10 years of support but all the party got back is treacherous abandon-

Crisis: Ohanaeze gets 5-man reconciliation c’ttee

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pressure group, Njiko Igbo, has set up a five-man committee to resolve the crisis in apex Igbo cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, over election of its leadership.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo had been embroiled in a crisis that trailed last weekend’s election of leaders of the organisation, result of which some contestants rejected.

Njiko Igbo, in a statement signed

by National Chairman, Senator Sylvester Anyanwu, and Director of Operations, National and Diaspora, Senator Emmanuel Onwe, said the committee set up janjuary 13, 2013, and made up of five prominent Igbo persons, was set up to settle the dispute to the satisfaction of all parties involved in the crisis.

The group noted that current developments within Ohanaeze Ndigbo had resulted in a great sense of unease among all concerned Igbo citizens.

It noted that the role of the apex Igbo group in the affairs of Igbo people could not be under-estimated He said: “Ndigbo cannot, therefore, afford a crisis of confidence to undermine the organisation and cripple it from performing its vital functions.”

It called on all parties to halt all hostilities and await the outcome of its peace initiative.

ment by the governor.”

Ukwa described as false insinuations by Nwobu-Alor that no reconciliation had and would take place in the party unless the national chairman of the party, Chief Victor Umeh, vacated his seat.

He said: “ I do not want to take up any personal issue with any one. As a party elder pioneering this peace and reconciliation that has taken place in our party, I am begging members to allow peace to reign for us to assist Governor Peter Obi to hand

over to another APGA governor.

“We cannot win election fighting. For those who have continued to call for the removal of the national chairman, Chief Victor Umeh, we have passed that stage.”

From left: United States Consul General to Nigeria, Mr. Jeffrey Hawkins; Chairperson, United Way Nigeria, Mrs. Joke Coker and Vice President for Africa, United Way Worldwide, Mrs. Janet Butler, at the re-launch of United Way Nigeria in Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.

Reactions trail priests’ protest over bishop-elect

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

O

WERRI—ANGRY reac tions have started trailing last weekend’s peaceful protest by some priests of the Catholic Diocese of Ahiara, Mbaise, over the appointment of a bishopelect, Monsignor Ebere Peter Okpalaeke, who was moved from Awka Catholic Diocese.

Some priests from Mbaise, who spoke at different fora, on strict grounds of anonymity, complained that their brother priests were “dragging the issue to a grotesque level.”

An elderly priest said he was

particularly pained that the issue was already bringing bad press to the church, adding that this was not what anybody should wish for now.

“My dear brother, I am particularly pained that this is attracting very bad press to the Catholic Church and to us as Catholic priests. This is not the best we can wish the Church now,” the elderly priest said.

A much younger priest said: “Granted that Mbaise produces the largest number of priests and religious in Nigeria, I do not think the best we can add to this testimonial is engaging in unholy

politics.”

Vanguard recalls that the priests stated in their six-page press statement that they rejected the appointment of Monsignor Okpalaeke.

“In unequivocal terms, we restate our resolve to resist any attempt to forcefully impose him on us as the bishop of our beloved diocese,” the priests stated.

Meanwhile, Vanguard gathered that Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, His Grace, Dr. Anthony J. V. Obinna, is set to intervene in the matter.

Ex-lawmaker sues EFCC over alleged rights’ violation the tune of N281 million. tion of the Federal Republic

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

A

BUJA—A former member of the House of Representatives, Napoleon Gbinije, has dragged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, before an Abuja High Court over alleged breach of his fundamental human right.

The EFCC had on January 8, 9 and 10 declared Gbinije wanted through press releases and advertorials in newspapers and radio over alleged breach of trust and illegal diversion of funds to

Gbinije, who represented Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency of Delta State between 2003 and 2007, had approached the court through his counsel, Kehinde Ogunwumiju of Chief Afe Babalola Chambers, seeking a declaration that the actions of the respondent, culminating in the threatened imminent arrest and indefinite detention of the Applicant by the respondent, were unconstitutional, illegal and amounts to a violation and/or likely violation of his Fundamental Rights to personal liberty as guaranteed by the Constitu-

of Nigeria 1999 (As amended).

He, therefore, prayed the court for an order of injunction restraining the respondent, by itself, agents, officers, servants, privies or anybody howsoever described, from arresting, detaining or in any manner interfering with the fundamental rights of the Applicant to personal liberty as enshrined in Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as altered) without following the due process of law.

Abductors kill Imo Dep gov’s aide O

WERRI—DIREC TOR of Protocol to Imo State Deputy Gov ernor, Mr. Laz Anyanwu, who was kidnapped last Friday, has been killed by his abductors.

The kidnappers, who stabbed him in several parts of his body, reportedly dumped his body at Orobo in Mbaitolu Local Government Area of the state.

The corpse was found yesterday morning where it was dumped by his abductors Chief Press Secretary to the deputy governor confirmed the story of Anyanwu’s killing last night but failed to give details.

Jonathan orders treatment of 66,000 VVF patients

C

BY TONY EDIKE

ALABAR—THERE is a glimmer of hope for the over 200,000 women suffering from Vesico-Vagina Fistula, VVF, in Nigeria as President Goodluck Jonathan has instructed the Federal Ministry of Health to ensure that about 66,000 women representing one-third of the sufferers are successfully treated this year.

Programme Manager of United States of America International Development, USAID, Fistula Care Project, Iyeme Efem, announced this, yesterday in Calabar at a one-day Media Roundtable on National Strategic Framework on Elimination of Fistula.

The President had in his 2013 budget speech, said: “The Ministry of Health, in addition to scaling up its ongoing “Save a Million Lives” initiative, plans to give back health and hope to one-third of the pool of young girls and women who have been waiting a long time for VVF repairs through surgery and economic rehabilitation. In addition, we are up-scaling routine immunisation.”

14—Vanguard , TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013

We ‘ll resist any attempt to remove Okorocha —Imo APGA O

W E R R I — I M O chapter of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, has vowed to resist any attempt by any individual or group to remove Governor Rochas Okorocha from office.

In a statement by the state Chairman, Mr Marshal Okafor-Anyanwu, in Owerri, the party warned against any further attempt to either distract the governor or tarnish his image.

It noted that the arrest of Mr Chike Okafor, the state’s Commissioner for Finance, and Mr. George Eche, its Accountant General, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was meant to discredit the governor.

The party alleged that the EFCC that hurriedly swooped on the functionaries had footdragged in arresting a former governor of the state in spite of available records that the said loan was secured to fund his failed re-election bid.

It also said some serving politicians in the state were enemies of the APGA-led gov-

ernment.

The party enumerated the achievements of Okorocha in his two years in office to include free education at all levels, construction of 27

new general hospitals, 305 model schools and more than 1000 kilometres of urban and rural roads.

The party pointed out that the governor had paid all

loans collected by the past administration, including the N6.4 billion obtained from one of the first generation banks.

From left: Dr. Leo Erhunmwunse, Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre, Asaba; Mr. Nathan Sunday, representative of Dr. Stella Okoli, CEO, Emzor Pharmacetical Industries, and Bishop Ken Ebulum, at the commissioning of new drug store, at FMC, Asaba, yesterday. Photo: Nath Onojake.

Multichoice to beam Obama’s inauguration live on DStv

P

REPARATIONS are in full swing by DSTV to give live coverage to President Barack Obama’s second term inauguration in Washington on Monday, January 21.

Multichoice said in a statement yesterday, that DStv audiences had the opportunity to watch the inauguration ceremony and related festivities on news platforms; BBC News, CNN, Sky News, CNBC News and Euro News among others.

The statement said the live transmission of the event would include reviews of the hotly contested US Presidential debates that took place between Barack Obama and Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, which led to Barack Obama subsequently winning the elections.

Don blames high maternal mortality rate on weak health system

BY PETER OKUTU

A

BAKALIKI—A don and Coordinator, Health Policy and Health Systems Research Project of Ebonyi State University, EBSU, Consultancy Services Limited, Dr. Chigozie Uneke, has blamed the high rate of maternal and child mortality on the weak health care

system in the country.

He noted that the system was weak because of the formulation of health policies not evidencebased and lack of strong effective collaboration between researchers and policy makers in the health sector.

Uneke, who stated this during the graduation cer-

emony of 18 selected health policy makers in Ebonyi State that passed through a three-month executive training certificate programme to strengthen their capacity to translate research evidence into policy, identified Nigeria as one of the countries with the weakest healthcare systems in the world.

Good Governance tour resumes in S-East tomorrow citizens to obtain first-hand BYEMMANUEL

A

ELEBEKE

BUJA—THE Na tional Good Governance Tour is to resume tomorrow, Wednesday , January 16, 2013 with the tour of projects in the South-East geo-political zone.

In a statement, Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, said the first port of call would be Abia followed by Imo, Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi states.

According to the statement, the tour of the South-East Geo-political Zone, which is expected to be rounded off on February 1, 2013, and proceed to the South-South geopolitical zone from February 7-26, 2013.

Maku said the tour’s

main objective was to entrench good governance by providing a platform for members of the team and

information about government policies, programmes and projects at the three tiers of government.

Okonkwo lauds Umeh on APGA’s reconciliation

L

AGOS—AGAINST the backdrop of recent gains towards comprehensive unity in All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, being engineered by the National Chairman of the party, Chief Victor Umeh, the president of C21, Senator Annie Okonkwo, has lauded the moves as a clear initiative dictated by necessity.

Senator Okonkwo who spoke in Lagos, yesterday, said: “It is my belief that as this reconciliation process has started and is gathering momentum; its drivers captained by the

national chairman would pilot it to a cruising level with wings wide enough for everybody’s accommodation.

“Reconciliation is the best tunic for renewal, recovery and growth, and our chairman being a general tested in the political war front should be lionized for the peace he has earned and eager to increase.

“That way, APGA which I have said earlier in the South East political inheritance from our late leader, Ikemba Ojukwu will prove cynics wrong that they are a party fixated in crisis.”

Vanguard , TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013—15

No going back on cell phones for farmers — Minister zSays purchase of phones tied to distribution of fertilisers to farmers

BY BEN AGANDE

A

BUJA—DESPITE criti cisms that have trailed the proposed purchase of cell phones for farmers in the country, the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Akinwunmi Adeshina, yesterday reiterated that there was no going back on the policy as government was committed to enhancing the performance of Nigerian farmers.

Addressing newsmen, the minister said government would not commit itself to direct purchase of the cell phones for farmers but would only subsidise the phones through a partnership that would involve telephone service operators, Ministry of Communications Technology and other stakeholders.

According to him, the decision by government to subsidise the purchase of cell phones for farmers is tied to the distribution of fertilizers directly to the farmers without the involvement of third parties who had allegedly been ripping them off.

He said: “Government policy must always be based on evidence and well analyzed data.

We carried out an analysis of our GES work based on a large sample of 426,000 farmers from various local government areas in 13 states.

“We found that 71 percent of farmers sampled did not have cell phones. This shows that many of our farmers in rural areas are quite poor and are excluded from the benefits of the mobile phone revolution going on in Nigeria.

“These farmers cannot access the GES scheme without cellphones and we must find a way to include them. They must not be left behind.”

The minister said the ministry planned to make phones available to farmers on a gradual basis, pointing out that government would not be involved in direct purchase of phones.

“Of course, we cannot get 10 million phones to all farmers who do not have phones this year. Our plan is a gradual scale up. We intend to get about 2 million phones to farmers who do not have phones this year".

“How will these phones be paid for and how will they be distributed? We ended four decades of corruption in the fertilizer and seed sector by ending direct procurement and distribution of these in-

puts by the government.

“We also ended the ineffective and corrupt direct procurement and distribution of tractors by government. It will therefore be inconsistent for government to now start direct procurement and distribution of phones.

“There will be no direct procurement of phones by the Federal

Government. We are also not going to give anyone contracts to import phones from China or anywhere else. Let me also state loud and clear.

“The Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Communications Technology are partnering together to implement this policy,” he emphasised.

NSCDC arrests 3 suspects over employment fraud

BY VICTORIA OJEME

A

BUJA—THE Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corp, NSCDC, has arrested a threeman syndicate who impersonated the Commandant General’s aides claiming to be staff of the Corps.

The gang comprises Mr. Wilfred Ahatuamen, who is the principal suspect, that claimed to be an aide to the Commandant General, and his girl friend, Miss Grace Benedict, who also claimed to be the Commandant General’s Secretary, and Ikechukwu John who is one of the accomplices.

The said syndicate collected

N280,000.00 from one Mr. Bojor Bobori under the false pretence of offering him a job in the agency.

The victim was meant to pay the balance of N20,000 after securing an appointment letter from the NSCDC. The Corps said it was on the basis of the present development that it decided to partner with the EFCC and ICPC to clamp down on internet scammers and impersonators defrauding applicants of their hard earned money.

The Corps had earlier arrested over 560 suspects, of which 135 suspects had been successfully prosecuted.

NURTW members clash leaves 8 injured in Abuja

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

A

BUJA—OVER eight persons yesterday escaped death but suffered various degrees of injuries from machete cuts as members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, branch 2, clashed at Federal Housing Authority FHA Bus stop at Lugbe, Abuja.

Eyewitnesses said the fight ensued among the union members, following alleged encroachment of Lugbe bus stop branch by the Branch 2 team from Pyakasa, a community along Yar’Adua express way.

But for the intervention of Zone 5 and 8 Lugbe police stations, led

by Superintendent Elisha Lafet, which quelled the crises that lasted over 15 minutes, the situation would have degenerated.

Vanguard gathered that loyalists of Pyakasa and Jabi Park leadership were engaged in fierce argument over who should control the park.

FAILED PORTION AT IYANA-IPAJA, ALONG LAGOS-ABEOKUTA EXPRESS ROAD

A big pothole at Iyana Ipaja, along Lagos-Abeokuta express road, which makes commuting difficult for motorists. Pix by Diran Oshe.

Motorists wade through the bad spot

Yet another set of motorists struggling to pass the bad portion

Another failed portion of the road

Yet another failed portion of the road

16—Vanguard , TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013

Police arrest man for attempting to defraud Kano govt

N30m scam: Court orders remand of Kaduna Dep Speaker in EFCC custody

K

ANO—KANO State Police Command has arrested a staff of the state School of Entrepreneurship, (name witheld), over alleged attempt to defraud the state government of N300.8 million.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Public Relations officer, PPRO, of the command, Mr Magaji Majiya, in Kano on Monday.

According to the statement, the suspect forged the letter-headed paper of the Ministry of Works and Housing and awarded a contract.

It said that the contract was for the construction of classroom blocks at Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education to a construction company (name withheld) for the above-mentioned amount.

BY SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL EDITOR, NORTH

T VISIT: From left: World Bank Vice President, Africa Region, Makhtar Diop; Director, In-

ternational Economic Relations Department, Federal Ministry of Finance, Haruna Mohammed and Country Director, World Bank, Marie Francoise Marie-nelly during their arrival in Abuja, Sunday.

Gunmen kill 2 policemen at Kano checkpoint

BY ABDULSALAM MOHAMMED

K

ANO—TWO policemen at a checkpoint, yesterday, lost their lives during an exchange of fire with unknown gunmen in Kano State.

An eyewitness said the incident occured around 4pm when the gunmen in a tricycle attacked the checkpoint located at Ring road by Tishama junction.

The source explained that the attack triggered pandemonium in the vicinity resulting to a number of people sustaining various degrees of injury.

Narrating the incident, the source who pleaded anonymity said, “I saw what looked like lifeless bodies of two policemen on the ground during the gun duel that lasted 10 m i n u t e s . ” The state Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris confirmed that the attakers came on tricycles from various directions and

Foundation holds inauguration

M

ARIUS Uchena Ash ibuogwu Foundation, MUAF, will on January 19, 2013, hold its inuagration. The event which is scheduled to hold at Ibis Hotel Lagos, will also include presentation of the articles and objectives of MAUF. A statement by the Director of MAUF, Mrs. Marrena Samuel, said the foundation was primarily established in honour of late Dr. Marius Ashibuogwu.

opened fire on the police personnel on duty.

Idris also said two policemen died in the ensuing gun battle, adding that most of the gunmen escaped with bullet wounds.

He, however, said that the Joint Military Task Force, JTF, had responded with the intention to track down the fleeing gunmen, and asked residents of the area to be vigillant and report any suspicious character to the security

agents even as he noted that “effective policing of the community required the contribution of a l l ” .

Meanwhile, JTF operatives have cordoned off the area and were seen screening vehicules as well as monitoring movements of people with the hope of establishing a lead that would help them in unravelling those involved in the killing of the policemen.

Kastina govt distributes 3,860 grains to teachers

K

ATSINA—KATSINA State Government yesterday distributed 3,860 bags of grains and N10,000 as allowances to teachers of 70 ‘Almajiri’ Quranic schools under its feeding and skills acquisition programme for ‘Almaj i r i s . ’ The Senior Special Assistant, SSA, to Governor Shema on ‘Almajiri’ Affairs, Alhaji Lawal Gam-

barawa, said the programme was a pilot one, aimed at preventing the pupils from street begging and making them self-reliant.

Gambarawa, who was represented by a member of the implementation committee, Alhaji Muhammad Zango, said at Safana that the state was divided into three senatorial zones for easy d i s t r i b u t i o n .

By Bartholomew Madukwe

PEOPLE SPEAK

08102479985

HE Federal High Court in Kaduna yesterday ordered that the Deputy Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Dr. Mato Dogara, be remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over his involvement in the alleged fraudulent conversion of state funds amounting to N30 million.

Similarly, the court presided over by Justice Marcel Awokulehin, ordered six other suspects to be remanded in prison custody pending the hearing of their bail application.

Dogara, was arraigned alongside six other suspects, who were slammed with six count charges by the anti-graft agency The other suspects were: Kabiru Tahir Malali (interim Chairman Lere Local Government), Ahmed Yahaya (former director, finance, Lere Local Government), Billy Graham Amos (former director, works, Lere Local Government), Yusha’u Aboki (former director, personnel management, Lere local Government), Mrs. Hannatu Iliya (Head of Health, Lere Local Government), and Eric Alhassan (former acting chairman, Lere Local Gove r n m e n t ) .

(nwamad@yahoo.com)

AFCON 2013: THE CHANCES OF SUPER EAGLES (1)

T

HIS is a better oppor tunity for Super Eagles to bring back the confidence Nigerians had on them. Since it is almost a new set of players, I think they will do well in the competition.

I just wish the team good luck.

Mrs. Ifeoma Anyambuba— Student.

I

wish Super Eagles a successful outing at the Nations' Cup. However, I want to advise Mikel to play well as one of the senior players in the team. Let all the players concentrate and play the way they play in their various clubs.

Mr. Ikechukwu Ogu— Businessman.

O

F course! They will not just go far, but they will return with the trophy. If there is any country that has prepared for this AFCON 2013, I would choose to say that Keshi and his boys (Nigeria) has really prepared. So let us expect better result. Mr. Timileyin Jaiyeola—Clearing Agent.

S

UPER Eagles has all it takes to emerge winner of the Nations Cup. The only thing is for them to be serious with their matches.

But with what I saw in their preparation, I give them 80 per cent because they have improved.

Mr. Kazeem Aremu— Businessman.

W

ELL, Keshi has re ally worked on the team and that gives me confidence that Super Eagles will go far in AFCON 2013. I think the players are more committed than ever because they have seen that it is no longer business as usual.

Mr. Okechukwu Nene— Student.

I

am optimistic that Su per Eagles will make Nigeria proud in the 2013 AFCON. Everybody in the team really worked hard to get this far. Now is the time for them to seal their hardwork by emerging champion in the competition.

Mrs. Chinwe Ekwe— business person.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013—17

I

When two stars fell from the firmament A Change agent

A

The late Deacon Ayo Ositelu. service of songs in his honour at his Katampe Estate, Abuja, residence, on Thursday 10 January, I heard several things said in tributes to him. They all reflected the complexities of the quintessential Victor Ogundipe. He was as warm as he could be hot! He may have been an eccentric to some people, but that is the nature of great minds and Victor was one! But among other things, Victor was committed to truth and could be very strong willed about his beliefs. He was a perfectionist and could be seen as difficult. But all perfectionists I know are difficult to please, for to keep order, as we are finding out in our nation today, is difficult. He was confident and could be called arrogant or brash because of that. But is it not the lot of the mediocre to call the competent arrogant? He was uncompromisingly honest about himself and never pretended and could be seen as naive in a world where corruption has become a national culture. Victor was an exciting personality who was comfortable with ideas and could light up a room with his presence. Did he make some mistakes? He could have.

Why not? After all he was human.

nything Victor did in all of his careers, he did differently. When he became Corporate Affairs Manager for banks, he altered the concept and content of the job from that of a mere press relations officer who issued rejoinders and rebuttals to that of a corporate executive who spoke banking policies and finance to the publics of the banks with authority and depth. That again opened doors to Business and Financial reporters as sought-after Corporate Affairs managers in the banking and financial sector. There are many who trod the path cut by Victor.

,

WAS on the phone with my wife as I was flipping through the pages of a newspaper; half taking in the stories in the paper and half listening to my wife who kept saying huh, huh, huh, did you hear what I said? Then suddenly, I let off a scream! Oh no! What was that? My wife, obviously panicked, asked from the other end. Victor is dead! Who is Victor? She asked. Victor Ogundipe! I said breathlessly. Who is that? She asked again. How do you begin to explain Victor over a telephone? He was one of our best; I shall explain him in details when I come to Lagos. I told her.

Really, when I screamed, it was not out of surprise that Victor was dead, for we shall all die, and dying in Nigeria today has become everybody’s daily portion! I screamed more out of anguish than surprise.

Victor Akinloye Ogundipe’s death was announced in an obscure two by four in the newspaper! That can really be annoying given that the media are so preoccupied with knaves and nonentities catapulted to public notoriety by politics and sustained by promiscuous thievery! We journalists have proved to be proverbial shoemakers whose wives are badly shod! We hardly celebrate our own stars when they fall from the firmament, except when assassinated! Well, just as my wife asked who Victor was, not many journalists today would know him.

Many who knew him would vaguely remember him. After all, Victor had been quiet for a long time. He made a cameo appearance in the Vanguard a while ago and quietly disappeared again.

Some of us did not know he had taken ill.

Victor Ogundipe (1954-2012) was indeed one of our best! He was a pathfinder in financial journalism. As editor of Financial Punch he redefined financial reporting and analysis.

Discussing business was no longer an arcane, pedantic outpouring full of technical jargons. He brought his personal panache to the business pages of Punch. He took economic analysis out of the realm of myth. It was out of that new light shone on the business pages that existing business newspapers repositioned themselves as readable journals and exclusive business journals and magazines grew.

It was also because of Victor ’s pioneering efforts that more journalists realised that business desks were not exclusively for economics and we could turn political science graduates like Aloy Nduka to one of the best business reporters of his time.

Many people knew Victor from different perspectives. Apart from being a consummate professional, Victor was many things to many people. At the

Deacon Ositelu was to sports journalism what Victor Ogundipe was to financial journalism;we should worry as the few good men among us are passing when Nigeria is poised to completely fall into the hands of the nihilistic and ferociously predatory generation

,

Victor, as a change agent carried the burden of all change agents. When Victor went to Commerce Bank, I believe he met his greatest challenges there. The intrigues, cloak-anddagger and betrayals that saw venerable Gamaliel Onosode resign

OPINION

BY EJIKE ANYADUBA

I

T may seem self-deprecating to call Anambra a difficult State. Many may be loath to do so. But those with knowledge of its history, especially its recent past, will not mind it, if, once in a while, it is referred to as such. It will neither be necessary attempting a narrative of the incidence that lent it such categorisation, nor will it avail much recounting her losses in the process. All the same the experience is unworthy to relive. All those shanghaied into visiting the State with violence have since abseiled the mount of ignorance to realise their folly.

Ahead of 2014, the State brims with optimism.

Hoardings, festooned with campaign posters of contestants, are churning out messages of hope to the people. Even as the identity of all those gunning for the office is yet to be made public, the atmosphere can still be called convivial. The tendency to presume upon a peaceful election runs very high. Evident in the State is a pervading note of peace made possible by the Peter Obi government.

C M Y K

from the board in protest later consumed the bank and some of its directors. It was during that testy period that Victor came to me at Thisweek magazine on Ogunlana Drive, looking battle weary and told me that from then on, he was not going to fight any battle that is likely to consume him.

Unfortunately, there were many more battles to fight! Nigeria has since become far worse than Victor left it to return to America! As I said in tribute to him at the service of songs, were Victor to be alive and in active journalism today, the National Assembly would be issuing a warrant of arrest for him every day! Victor was daring and pulled no punches.

Nigerians have come to accept that it is impossible to be honest, professionally competent, self-assured and committed to truth and survive in this country.

These virtues seem impossible today once you lack self-confidence and selfdiscipline and have no role model or people around you who inspire you.

Victor was lucky like many of us who grew up surrounded and inspired by the best this country could produce.

And Victor was only 58 when he passed on. Nigeria lost one of its best!

Ositolu left The Arena

I

ncidentally, as I left Lagos for Abuja on Wednesday 9 January to attend Victor ’s funeral rites, another media star left the ARENA of vintage sports journalism. The news broke that we have lost yet another of our best in sports journalism, Deacon Ayo Ositelu. Deacon Ositelu was to sports journalism what Victor Ogundipe was to financial journalism. Like Victor, he too, was of the Punch stable.

Nobody, except Chuka Momah, understood and wrote about lawn tennis as Ayo Ositelu did. To read his column, The Arena, was to watch a tennis match live! Ayo’s passion for the sport was effervescent. His commitment to good writing was unmistakable. He had style and panache. His suave and pious dignity flowed into The Arena.

Deacon Ositelu went into government as Chairman of Ejigbo Local Government Development Area and proved that journalists can deliver as well as they write. I followed his tenure as Ejigbo LGDA Chairman with keen interest. He left a shoe which another journalist, Kehinde Bamigbetan, is wearing admirably. As a journalist and politician Ositolu led by transparent example. We should worry as the few good men among us are passing when Nigeria is poised to completely fall into the hands of the nihilistic and ferociously predatory generation. I am worried. Think of it.

Anambra 2014 and the need for caution However, there are those who necessarily disagree with this notion. They argue that the current peace in the State derived essentially from the ruins of July 10, 2003, the day the lid of political shenanigans in the State blew open. Those who peddle this view, among whom a former Commissioner for Information in the State, think that political violence died a natural death after that date. An encounter with him during a radio programme to mark Anambra @ 20 Celebration in 2011 showed him as intolerant of contrary view. But like others of his ilk, he failed to realise that it takes more than a confrontation to destroy the ogre of political violence in the State. He seemed to also ignore the fact that the monster of political impudence is endemic in the State, and can be resurgent under a weak leader.

Convincing opposition in the State that god fatherism is a function of political behaviour, and therefore, incapable of being expunged in a fell swoop, is as hard as proving to them that staving

off a relapse is a tribute to Governor Peter Obi’s efforts.

I have also come to realise that obfuscation of fact is an aspect of political expediency. It sometimes makes well-intentioned folks go wild and woolly.

So it is no news to hear that Governor has frittered the chance to develop the State or that the climate of peace in the State is a bequest of an earlier administration. It has become trite listening to opposition consistently deny that Obi's administration developed sectors hitherto untouched by previous governments in the State.

But to take for granted the existing peace in the State and claim it is a function of July 10, 2003 resistance is to deny the man and everything his administration has done.

Continues on pg 18

*Mr. Anyaduba, a public affairs commentator, wrote from Abatete, Anambra State.

18 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013

T

HE Petroleum Products Marketing Company Limited should have many suits on its neck for the danger it poses to lives by not securing pipelines it uses in transporting products to different parts of the country.

PPMC’s insensitivity when one of its numerous pipelines catches fire manifests in its concerns about ensuring supply of fuels rather than loss of lives, and a lasting solution to the incidents of pipeline vandalism. PPMC is perpetually repairing pipelines — a business that runs on the wheels of vandalisation.

For little thieves who set off fire in Arepo, Ogun State, last week, four months after they burst the pipelines, causing a fire that was more devastating than the current one, PPMC has ceded territories with pipelines to criminals. PPMC appears disinterested in protecting its pipelines.

Mr. Nasir Imodagbe, speaking from Abuja, 724 kilometres away, blamed local authorities for not providing security. He spoke as if he did not know security was the responsibility of the Federal Government, the owner of PPMC.

The fire always

“We expect that the state government should brace for the challenge. The state government and local authorities should assist in securing the pipeline. The Inspector-General of Police has set up a special task force on anti-pipeline vandalism. Local authorities need to work with the police to secure the pipelines,” Mr. Imodagbe said.

Are local authorities to protect the pipelines? Do we have state police? Are non-PPMC personnel supposed to be seen anywhere near the facilities? Did Imodagbe hear the Ogun State Commissioner of Police saying inadequate facilities made access to the pipelines impossible? Does Mr. Imodagbe understand how official security works in Nigeria?

His hurry in addressing the availability

of petroleum products rather than fires that are claiming lives, destroying the environment paints bigger pictures of why it is impossible to take every decision about Nigeria from Abuja.

If Imodagbe was near Arepo, his anger would have been better directed and his thinking clearer.

“What is the state government doing? We know what the situation was in Aba. The state government took charge and today the Aba depot is working. We have had challenges in other communities such as Benin and we know the assistance we received from those places. Now, why is it always Arepo?”

The comparison with Abia State does not absolve PPMC and the Federal Government of responsibility for failing to protect lives and vital national assets.

Arepo is not the only place where pipeline fires occur regularly — Arepo is by the busiest road in Nigeria, the Lagos-Ibadan, a journalists’ estate is beside it, so it gets a lot of publicity.

PPMC should stop giving excuses: there are technologies to monitor pipelines, they work elsewhere.

OPINION

BY EJIKE ANYADUBA Continued from pg 17

A

S the State prepares to go to the poll to usher in his successor, it is necessary that the people should guard against the mistakes of the past. If truth be told, the factors that engendered past political violence have not disappeared.

Pretending they have will only mean one thing - unwillingness to guard against possible relapse.

It takes a permissive society and one that honours no scruple in doing things to allow political profiteers take centre stage again. People may be tempted to presume upon the peace and therefore become indifferent to what happens in the run up to the election. That Obi was able to stanch the blood of hate through subtle leadership is not a guarantee his successor will do same, especially if he/ she emerges via fraudulent process. It is a measure of the Governor ’s prudence, accommodating spirit, as well as service to the people, that there has been no violent eruption.

March 17, 2014 is without doubt a day of promise. What happens before and after then depends on how well the

Anambra 2014 and the need for caution(2) people are prepared to protect the new order. How well they value it and what sacrifices they are ready to make.

Opportunistic succession, fuelled by money politics is not known to oil the works of governance. So far, there is nothing to suggest there won’t be interference. What may be uncertain is to what extent the people will indulge it. If money, without which good effort sometimes comes in vain, is to play any role, it must be in the context of electing a popular candidate. If however, it is allowed to play the infernal nuisance, as was wont, the existing peace will be lost. There is no better way to depict the nuisance value of opportunistic succession than a study of a previous administration in the State. It is possible those who are quick to shrug off the existing peace as Obi’s handiwork will never be able to tell the difference if there is a relapse.

Clearly this is no easy task, especially in a State as politically fractious as Anambra – where it will seem Igbo republican spirit is concentrated the

most. But if, with the improved electoral system, votes are now declared as cast, there may be hope. Even if error occurs as a result of human frailty, a collective decision to do what is right will nip evil in the bud. What this means is that people must ensure that jobbers who plumb the depths of political depravity do not have a say in who takes office early next year. Money influence must be played down to the extent that neither a pliant politician nor a swashbuckler is allowed office. Neither is good for the State and will upend the existing peace. As the former may necessarily encourage political profiteering, the latter may gamble away the future of the State.

S

o the would-be successor to Obi must not only show evidence of commitment to the Anambra project, but should be possessed of political will.

He should be able to carry development to every nook and cranny of the State. There must be evidence of vision as to what he intends to do with

power and not just to hobnob with godfathers, stake holders, moneybags et al. This set of people has been known to be part of the problem of the State.

On the part of the people they must be awake. However clever a rat, it can only nibble the food of a man in deep slumber. It hardly dares the one who is wide awake. It takes either indifference or collusion for the kind of violence unleashed on the State in the past to happen at all. Recidivists will try to reoffend with just a wisp of a chance, but a collective resolve will thwart it. Since politics in the State is volatile, the fragile peace should be guarded jealously. The fight will not be easy, but as Alexander Pope, the English poet once said: “Our business in the field of fight is not to question, but to prove our might”. The might of the people, if deployed successfully this time will make everybody proud to say it is well with Anambra State.

Concluded *Mr. Anyaduba, a public affairs commentator, wrote from Abatete, Anambra State.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANAUARY 15, 2013— 19

, Appreciating Hakeem Baba-Ahmed's north: The goal of peace AKEEMBABA-AHMED approaches issues of Nigerian political ethos with the energy and perspicacity of Chidi Amuta and I read him for his reading of politics in Nigeria. In his North: The goals of power, he attempts analysis of the political North in a way politics that should encourage politicians in the South to engineer a Political South.

This comment is made because the issues he addresses should be those that the PDP as the political behemoth should address for a Nigeria yet to be envisaged by the party. What is it that interests me in Hakeem Baba-Ahmed’s exposition of the ongoing efforts by stakeholders of the Political North is the spectrum of outcomes that contextualises his analysis of the current move in the Political North to address matters of concern to those involve in what Hakeem conceptualises as a project, for a “politically regenerated North”.

To produce such a North, Hakeem is willing to begin with the option of a politically regenerated north outside of Nigeria.

“Many of its educated and political elite think the option of a North, or parts of it outside Nigeria is not as

,

frightening as they used to fear”.

In the same vein, he rules out the option for such regeneration of a unified North doing the Politics of interest aggregation and articulation goal? Most who think in regionalist merely for office holding. terms assume that regionalist “Many Nigerians outside the organisation of political power in North also recognise that a weak and Nigeria is the explicit organisation severely crippled and divided North of Nigerian Federalism. Hakeem is a liability to itself and an even asks why should a region organise bigger liability to Nigeria. You for power in the first place? cannot fix Nigeria with a bleeding North; and you cannot fix the North hat does the North want when it plays the game according to power for? Is it just to have a the rules others play it”.

Nigerian from the North in the Villa, Between these two poles of a or are there specific and practical Political North outside of Nigeria “advantages in having a Northerner and a Fixed North playing the same. as the next Nigerian President? How “Our turn next to be in control of the will the rest of the nation benefit from country” politics, Hakeem Baba- having a Northerner in the Villa as Ahmed attempts to provide content opposed to a Nigerian from any other to the current manifesto of part of the Nation?” His question is Transformational Politics. In doing almost heretical from the so, Hakeem asks questions which all perspective of Nigerian Federalists political parties should ask but do committed to zonal distribution of not ask fundamentally and explicitly. the patronage of office. Hakeem He asks “why does the North want asks the non-obvious question- what power?" This question implies a is the ethical or ideological content paradigm postulation of the content of Nigerian Regionalism, and what of Regionalism in Nigeria. Why advantage accrues to Nigeria from should a regional block be the diversity of its regionalism. organised? Why should power be its He asks a second question

W

Igbo VP 2015: The pathway to Igbo presidency (2) Continues from yesterday's pg 18

BY JOHN OSHIMIRI

T

HEY want to eat their cake and have it – scream for Igbo presidency in 2015 until they froth in the mouth, knowing this to be unrealistic, knowingly being deceptive - selling us down the drain in the dark but, simultaneously, presenting themselves as champions of the Great Igbo cause during the day.

Those who are only tactically gunning for the presidency while really intending to settle for the vice presidency should be advised to desist. Such negative signalling is neither sufficient to meet the intensity of the debate nor the scale of our demand. Our battle line is boldly drawn. It’s pointless, therefore, to beat about the bush.

A Narrow Path to the Vice Presidency

President Goodluck Jonathan is a far more calculating and aggressive politician than prevailing wisdom concedes. If he does his math and arrives at the conclusion that he will be less than likely to have the required numbers during the PDP primaries, he might not willingly plunge into a predictable humiliation. The numbers are, of course, the governors and the governors are the numbers.

In such a circumstance, the President will unquestionably impose his own candidate – most likely a northern Muslim (almost certainly his Vice President, Alhaji Namadi Sambo – although the VP’s detractors deny his northern patrimony and allege that he is actually “Nnamdi from Edo State”!). This scenario will favour the Igbos to a degree. A northern candidate will certainly be deputised by an Igbo man or woman. However, politicians being what they are, and Jonathan being a consummate politician, the instinct to gamble even against unfavourable C M Y K

mathematical odds, might overwhelm him.

The starting point for the Igbo debate must be a recognition of the inescapable reality that if Jonathan gambles and wins, a potential Igbo presidency will be deferred to 2027. If he gambles (with the Igbos in lock-step with him) and loses, an Igbo presidency will be deferred to 2039. Either way, the Igbos will lose out.

First and last, let Igbos engage in this debate in the open.

The Joker in the Pack

The South-West is playing at the top of its political game right now, to the admiration of all serious students of politics with any gift of depth. The unfolding Buhari/Tinubu entente cordiale has riveted the nation, as the platform of the West-North political solidarity firms up.

The West is fielding its first-eleven but in two opposing teams at the same time.

Proportionately, six stars are fielded in ACN/ CPC and five in PDP, with world class talents on the reserve bench in the Labour Party – all three parties hold executive power at either state or federal level. It is a game they can afford to play to great regional benefit and they know it.

The East is stuck in a monogamous marriage of convenience with Jonathan. An entirely barren marriage from the Igbo perspective, thriving on the life blood of sentimentality – but sentimentality as a political strategy is bereft of rationale and thought and, therefore, doomed.

If a Yoruba man becomes a vice president in 2015 and a president again in 2023, Nigerians, who are witness to current events, will be entitled to disregard the inevitable uproar that will rise from the East. You cannot reap where you have not sown.

Binary Coalition for Peace and Harmony

A non-binary coalition of purely southern Nigeria or purely northern Nigeria as a strategy to maintain central power in perpetuity, or at

,

H

Indeed it is clear from Hakeem’s interrogation of political development in the North that he would have preferred it to be the case if the stakeholders of the Political North were assembled to Fix Nigeria

consequent from the first. “Secondly, is the grievance of the North essentially about losing power or having a leadership which does not appreciate and address the interests of North?” The first part of this question describes the present officeholding politics and its zero-sum outcome. Loss of office-holding is a devastating loss in Nigerian politics.

Incumbency constitutes a stranglehold on government at the three levels of governance and government has command and control of the Nigerian Economy.

This fact is most salient for incumbency of the Federal Executive Branch- It can be enough justification for the Political North to be brought into being to restore Northern control of the Federal Executive Branch. In the Vanguard Tuesday January 8, 2013 report on its Conference Hall on the Review of the Constitution, a participant describes the almost depostic power of the Nigerian Executive President.

“A situation where the President becomes the most powerful President in the world, he is the one that gives oil blocs, he is the one that does almost everything, he can turn a man into a woman and there are no checks, there are no balances. The President decides who becomes Speaker of the House and the Senate President so that he will get a compliant House. He does what he wants to do and nobody will challenge him”.

Although the point is made with some exaggeration, he captures in his description of the President, the logic of executive power both at the centre and at the state level. Being out of office is thus being out of power and vice versa. The North regaining power should be in itself sufficient motive for engineering a structure through which power could return to the Political North.

While this is how politics is currently played, Hakeem demands more of

the leadership and followership of the Political North. A regenerated political North should be about a North defined in terms of collective interests and value, it should be a vision of a North in the service of the Northern Populace.

The energy being mobilised should it Hakeem asks “be directed at putting one of several claimants from the North in office? Is the goal of Northern political unity to have Buhari, or Atiku or Muazu Babangida or Sule Lamido or half a dozen others whose ambitions are yet to be made public become president or is more about issues, platforms and a vision of a North outside its desperately limiting challenges? Does it include consideration for the emergence of new leadership unencumbered by a past and present loyalties to structures and institutions that have crippled the growth and development of the Nigerian state?”

Hakeem Baba-Ahmed asks questions about the Political North that should be asked about a Political Nigeria. Indeed it is clear from Hakeem’s interrogation of political development in the North that he would have preferred it to be the case if the stakeholders of the Political North were assembled to Fix Nigeria. This judgment is expressed in his own words.

“The worst card the North can play is one which makes the case of a northern leader only because he is from the North. Zoning or any other arrangement which bestows advantages on ethnic groups or religion is antithetical to the search for leadership which should command respect and allegiance across the land”. Above is the lucid expression of what Nigerian populace deserve from its leaders and should be the raison d’etre of a politically regenerated Nigeria.

least until demographics compel a recalibration, is a recipe for a national disaster.

Similarly, it would be catastrophic the day Nigerians consciously cleaved purely around religious faith as a political strategy to win federal power. For, whichever faith triumphed, the heart of its policies and style of governance would be inhabited by inflexible theology. It would portend many ills among which would be the cessation of secularity in our national life and the curtailment of our freedoms and liberties on a scale that would recall totalitarian theocracy.

At its level of political maturity, our pluralistic society can best thrive in conditions of peace and tolerance if we cultivate, in a deliberate fashion, a cross-cultural, cross-religious and across-the-Niger coalitions in the running of the central administration. Once we attain a higher level of political sophistication and social maturity, such that a civilised and liberal-minded middle class reaches a critical mass, meritocracy and ideas-driven politics will naturally assert themselves and gain currency as the norm. We are far from being there.

PDP maintains the reins of power. If that is the case, let the discussion be in the open so that the generality of Igbo people will weigh the implications and come to an informed and consensual resolution. This is too important an issue to Igbo people to be handled in the dark rooms by a few individuals on the basis of selfish personal bargains.

We are a people who have been condemned, with the connivance of some amongst us, to the political wilderness for over 40 years. The way out of our wretched ignominy is not to choose to follow a Moses called from a different land to lead us to our destiny. Our resolve must be to find and follow a Moses called from within our own Israel.

President Jonathan is the last man standing from the Class of 1999. An already extraordinary personal history might be eclipsed by the one that beckons, but which might be ominous for the future prospects of the Nigerian people. By 2015, Jonathan will have been Deputy Governor for six and half years, Governor for one and half years, Vice President for three years and President for five years. He will have exercised executive power at both the state and federal levels for a consecutive period of 16 years - a record of individual domination of power without a historical parallel since independent Nigeria was proclaimed in 1960. If he prevails in the impending political hotwire of 2015, he will, by 2019, have done so for 20 years. He will have passed, by some distance, the stage at which, by historical evidence, the absolute corruptive influence of power amongst African leaders begins to manifest, followed by the onset of the demi-god impulse and paralysis in the arena of policy delivery. His power and influence over the events of 2015 will be nearly determinative because he will draw on an unprecedented wealth of iterative experience of the PDP-type politics. But this knowledge should not make cowards of us.

Igbo support for Jonathan in 2015 will translate to acceptance of the deferral of Igbo presidency to 2027 – on the assumption that

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

The way out of our wretched ignominy is not to choose to follow a Moses called from a different land to lead us to our destiny. Our resolve must be to find and follow a Moses called from within our own Israel

,

A Moses from Our Own Israel

20—Vanguard , TUESDAY TUESDAY,, JANUARY 15, 2013

and property worth millions of Naira were destroyed.

Eye witnesses account said the Lagos State Fire Service arrived the scene late and could not put out the fire as there was insufficient water to combat the inferno. A helpless and speechless Chimezie burst into tears just starring at his labour for years go up in flames. “Wwhere do I start from”,he asked no one in particular. In another monologue he revealed: “Majority of these goods were supplied on credit...’’

Final year law student

Sympathisers at the scene of the Ajegunle fire.

AJEGUNLE INFERNO:

Victims recount their ordeal

BY BOSE ADELAJA

A

PHARMACIST Mr. Chimezie Ojinkieme, started the year on a happy note having stocked his pharmacy with supplies from various pharmaceutical companies. In year 2004, this graduate of Imo State University acquired a warehouse at No 6 Mba Street, Achapo area of Ajegunle, Lagos State for stock piling of products. Since then, his business has grown to the tune of over N15M.

Precautionary measure But Tuesday January 8, 2013 is a date he would live to remember. The day started on a bright note with business going on as usual until disaster struck. At 3.15pm that fateful day, he heard shouts of ‘’Doctor ’’, as he is fondly called, ‘’fire! Fire!, within the neighbourhood. He rushed out to see what the shout was about but saw no fire from any where.

So, taking C M Y K

precautionary measure, he reached to the electricity

Photo: Biodun Ogunleye

metre and switched it off to avert any incident but he was minutes too late.

Just as he went back to his shop, he perceived the odour of smoke and immediately dashed out again to trace its source. As he looked around, he noticed thick smoke emanating from a neigbouring house where electronic products are sold. He quickly mobilised people to put off the

NEMA on fires in Lagos and South-West

W

ITHIN the last 24 hours, teams from the National Emergency Management Agency, Fire-fighters and other response agencies, have been able to respond to different fire incidents in the country within the available resources.

In a statement signed by NEMA’s Head of Public Relations, Mr. Yushau Shuaib, it stated that in most cases the agencies in a well coordinated collaboration utilised the services of trained volunteers to assist on the seeming overwhelming incident of fire outbreaks in the New Year.

NEMA had in December 2012 warned of likely outbreak of fire incidents in the New Year from mishandling of inflammable that could be triggered by the current weather condition (Harmattan/Dry Season) among others In the last 20 hours for instance two major fire incidents have been

fire as the owner was not around. Sympathisers tried to force the door open but were not successful and the fire went wild and engulfed the building thereafter extended to two other neighbouring buildings one of which was the popular ‘’Latest Richmoore Pharmacy’’ in Achapo owned

by Chimezie. Within seconds, the three buildings housing over 10 families were razed

But Chimezie was not the only one with a sad tale to tell.

His sibling Clementino Ojinkieme, a final year Law student of Imo State University also lost all her document, a sum of N30,000 and a cheque of N100,000 being a bursary award from Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State.

In an emotion laden voice, she said: ‘’Chimezie is our bread winner. I came home for the Yuletide and was planning to return to school when the inferno started. We have lost everything to the fire. Who will come to our aid now”?!

Other victims of the inferno include the owner of Peetee Transport, Mr.Jerry Samuel, who also lost property worth about N400,000 and a Daily Need dealer Chikwem Samuel, who also lost properry whose monetary worth could not be quantified.

Also, no fewer than 10 families have been rendered homeless by the inferno.

CALABAR CARNIVAL 2013

recorded in Lagos: Fire razed the Ebute Metta neighborhood and a vessel ( s h i p ) carrying petroleum product exploded and burnt at the Tincan Island Port.

For further Miss Sophia Dijeh, winner of the Calabar Carnival Queen(CCQ) m e d i a 2012-3 being accompanied to the star prize, a brand new car. inquiries and updates, especially on disaster and +2348160581814 or Information emergency issues in the South-West Officer, Ibrahim Farinloye: axis comprising Lagos, Oyo, Ondo, +2348067715203. For distress call in Ekiti, Ogun and Osun States, NEMA the case of other disasters, NEMA Call says the public should contact: The Ccentre could be reached 24/7 Zonal Cordinator South-West 0800CALLNEMA or 080022556362 NEMA, Mr. Iyiola Akande

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013 — 21

Labour accuses FG of refusing to commission NIPP projects

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

O

RGANISED labour in the na tion’s Power sector has accused the Federal Government of refusing to commission the completed National Integrated Power Projects (NIPPs), thus denying Nigerians from benefitting from the projects.

Under the umbrella of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, labour claimed the government has refused to commission many completed NIPP projects, with the hope of transferring them to the private individuals after privatization.

General Secretary of NUEE, Comrade Joe Ajaero in an interview with Vanguard also alleged that the government had similar, plan for several NIPP and Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN equipment abandoned in the ports for years without bringing them to upgrade and boost the power situation in the country.

He said “We do not have any reason not have better power supply as at today. Why did I say that? Already, over 11 billion Dollars have been spent under the National Integrated Power Project, NIPP, and NIPP as at today ought to have put into the field almost 4000 or 5000 megawatts.

Some of the plants are ready, but they have not commissioned them.

So, the plot they are adopting is that in 2013, when the private sector takes over, they will commission all those projects and will be telling you

From left: The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Sanisi Lamido Sanusi; Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adeshina and Managing Director , Access Bank Plc, Mr Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede at the meeting between the Bankers’ Committee and Minister of Agric, recently. that it is because of the private sector.

But the 11 billion Dollars was taken from the Federation account to build those plants. The question is, why have they not commissioned those plants?

So, when Nigerians see additional 4000 or so, they will say it is the magic of the new investors. But the truth is that the new investors if they take over in 2013, cannot build plants for the

Stakeholders, DBIR task CBN on surveillance on banks zAs Diamond Bank, Union Bank refute blame

BY PETER EGWUATU

S

TAKEHOLDERS in the financial sector and Delta State Board of Internal Revenue (DBIR) have warned the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to improve its surveillance on banks in order to avert irregularities in the banking sector especially as the nation transcend to a cashless economy.

The warning is coming after the DBIR indicted Diamond Bank Plc and Union Bank Nigeria Plc over unethical banking procedures.

During investigation by Vanguard on the matter, a source within Union Bank said, “ DSIR is aware that Union Bank did everything within the transfer of procedures to remit the funds in question. What was credited to the Board of the DSIR may have been informed by lack of the fact at that time. We believe that the Board is now informed that Union Bank did what was expected within the circumstances and time frame of remittance advice” Meanwhile, for Diamond Bank, it was gathered from source close to the

bank that the issue between Diamond Bank and DSIR had been resolved.

However, details of how it was resolved were not disclosed as Vanguard was informed that the Head of Corporate Affairs of the Bank and the Managing Director who are supposed to comment on the issue were on leave and out of the country respectively.

It will be recalled that DBIR, blacklisted Union Bank and Diamond Bank from the list of Internal Generated Revenue (IGR) collecting banks in Delta State for alleged unethical banking procedures.

Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, Executive Chairman of the Board said in his office in Asaba that the action was due to media reports of alleged N1.1billion missing from DBIR accounts.

According to him, an investigation was instituted and the findings implicated the two collecting banks for the State’s internally generated revenue (IGR), adding that “The Delta State Board of Internal Revenue wishes to inform the general public that, the board has black-listed Union bank and Diamond bank as IGR collecting banks for Delta state.

He alleged that the blacklisted banks had failed to remit N1.1billion tax revenue paid into its accounts several days after a multinational oil giant, Chevron Nigeria Limited, paid the money through the servicing banks.

“Hence forth all our accounts in Union bank and Diamond bank are hereby closed and all other business transactions terminated “We advise tax payers to use any of the board’s numerous accounts in other banks.”Any tax payer who deals with these two banks, does that at his own risk.”

He explained that the action became necessary after the two banks deliberately delayed release of fund paid by a tax paying organization. “Our preliminary investigation revealed that the said fund was not only delayed beyond the stipulated time as proscribed by the law, but also fell far below international best practice.” He therefore called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to urgently investigate this issue to ascertain whether the conduct of these banks were in line with international best banking practices.

next three or four years. So, there is already a ploy to keep a large volume of reserve of power preparatory to bringing them on stream when the private sector takes over. The same thing applies to abandoned equipment at the ports.”

“There are lot of equipment belonging to PHCN and NIPP at the ports that are not cleared as we speak. The plan is for them to bring the equipment in after privatization for the new investors.

149.0

1.65

2,267.00

+47.00

18.9

0.05

111.40

+0.09

93.10

+0.10

CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL

SELLING

154.77 155.27 249.3499 250.1555 205.1322 205.7949 168.7602 169.3054 1.7429 1.7485 0.2904 0.3004 236.0165 236.7789 24.8953 24.9762 41.2676 41.4009 27.4873 27.5761 236.7826 237.5476

155.77 250.961 206.4576 169.8506 1.7542 0.3104 237.5414 25.0571 41.5342 27.6649 238.3125

DOLLAR POUNDS EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA RENMINBI RIYA KRONA SDR

CBN Exchange rate as at 14/01/2013

22 — Vanguard, TUESDAY,JANUARY 15, 2013

Secrecy, the Government and the Nigerian People have always been fascinated the grant of a relief, concession Igovernment, by the actions and inactions of or some other thing for which be it at the federal the power to decide lies with From left: Managing Director/CEO, UBA Capital Plc, Mr. Rasheed Olaoluwa; CEO, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Mr. Oscar Onyema; Managing Director/ CEO, Africa Prudential Registrars Plc, Mr. Peter Ashade; and Executive Director, NSE, Mr. Jalo Waziri, during the official listing of the shares of Africa Prudential Registrars Plc and UBA Capital Plc and the ringing of closing bell at the Nigerian Stock Exchange, in Lagos, on Friday.

Enhanced oversight function will check market infractions R

EGULATORS of the Nigeria capital market need to improve on their oversight functions to check market infractions, Head of Markets, Sterling Capital, Sewa Wusu has said.

Speaking at the weekend during the Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FCAN) Roundtable on the Economy held in Lagos, he said that there is also urgent need for application of more riskbased supervision as such would entrench corporate governance and deal with market infractions.

He said that despite pessimism that sufficed in the early part of last year, the Nigerian market closed with a return of 35.45 per cent while market capitalisation rose by 37.37 per cent from N6.532 trillion at the beginning of the year to N8.974 trillion.

Wusu explained that the performance was an improvement over the lull experienced in 2011 when market witnessed a negative return of 17.42 per cent but regretted that at the global arena, not all markets have recovered when compared to their 2008 levels when markets were at their peak.

He said that foreign participation accounted for over 65 per cent of total volumes of trades within the year in Nigeria, while advocating for improved domestic participation to build enhanced market confidence. This, he said

C M Y K

can be achieved by collective investment schemes, increasing equity allocation of Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) and creating a pool of special fund at compelling rates for market makers.

“Given the level of performance in 2012, the capital market is expected to witness another impressive

performance this year.

Performance will be driven more by strong macroeconomic environment, good corporate performance and companies’ fundamentals. Expected monetary policy easing in 2013 should induce investment switch to favour stock market even as bond issuance by sub nationals would continue,” he said.

IOSCO moves to tighten policy on financial benchmarks

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM

T

HE International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) has commenced public consultations with a view to developing appropriate policies that will aid in curbing financial benchmark manipulation by member stock exchanges.

The move, according to a statement from the organisation, was in an effort to strengthen the credibility and integrity of benchmarks used across financial markets.

The consultation report discusses concerns regarding the potential inaccuracy or manipulation of benchmarks and identifies benchmarkrelated policy issues across securities and derivatives and other financial sectors including the appropriate level of regulatory oversight of

the process of Benchmark standards that should apply to methodologies for benchmark calculation; credible governance structures to address conflict of interests in the benchmark setting process within the reporting financial institutions as well as in the oversight bodies, as well as the appropriate level of transparency and openness in the benchmarking process.

“The Consultation also considers issues that market participants might confront when seeking to make transition to a new or different Benchmark,” the statement said, adding “There should be sufficient data used to construct a credible benchmark. In cases where there is insufficient data, regulatory authorities should consider the possibility of transitioning away from a benchmark.”

level, the state level, or the local level. My father, the late Chief J. L. Omigbodun, was involved in governance at the local level in the 1950s as a part-time chairman of the Osogbo District Council. I often wondered then why persons, who called to see Chief Omigbodun at home about district council matters, felt that their business was so important that he should break his afternoon sleep to see his visitors. I am a lot wiser now.

When I started to have contact with government, I discovered that documents generated in the course of government business are kept in files marked confidential, secret and other terminologies that are meant to imply superiority to secret. A declaration that something is a secret would imply that the knowledge of that thing is limited to a few people. The appearance given that government business is conducted in secret has led to a situation in which government officials are not eager to disclose details of government programmes meant for the people’s benefit. Levels of secrecy may be useful for ready identification of persons who may see the documents in the government’s files. Government may also believe that there is a need to protect the record of the process by which decisions are made.

However, once government has taken a decision, government should inform the public of the decision and of the progress government is making in implementing the decision.

Each Wednesday, at the conclusion of the meeting of the Federal Executive Council, information is given at a press conference on the contracts and policies approved at the meeting. It would be a refreshing addition to this press conference if the public is informed of the status of contracts and policies approved when the meeting was held 52 Wednesdays ago. Such details as the nature of and amount spent on work done, probable completion date and amount required for completion of a contract would adequately inform the public. Government should engage the public by explaining its policies even if there would be people who are not in agreement with certain policies. There is often the need to mobilize the public in support of certain policies. Government can have secrets in a war against terrorism but the question will arise as to whether government can have any secrets in a war against malaria, a disease which kills many people each year.

Sometimes one writes to a government ministry/agency asking for a policy decision, or

the government ministry/ agency. The head of the ministry/agency sends the letter down the hierarchy of his/ her organisation and if one is fortunate, the letter returns by the same route to the head with recommendations on which a decision can be based. The process of getting the letter back to the head may usually involve follow-up visits by the initiator of the letter to the organisation.

In some instances, officials down the hierarchy may not send the letter back to the head. This is a troubling aspect as most heads are reputed to be hardworking and it should be possible for procedures to be put in place which will ensure that letters which require a decision to be taken by the head are sent back to the head.

There was once in Lagos State a Chief Judge, Justice Christopher Segun, who held firmly to his oath of office to do justice to all manner of men/ women equally without fear or favour. His handling of correspondence to his office was exemplary.

Each correspondence was entered in a register and his comments were also entered in the register such that on a subsequent visit to the Chief Judge’s office, the person who initiated the correspondence can read the comments in the register. I will recommend Justice Segun’s approach to all heads of government ministries/agencies.

Currently each minister, permanent secretary or director of a department at the federal level has a contract of performance with the President and Commander-in-Chief and these contracts probably cover the delivery by each ministry/ agency of the projects and programmes in the government’s budget. The presidential media chat held in November 2012 had demonstrated that the Nigerian people can readily identify projects and programmes that the government would find it has to execute.

Ministers, permanent secretaries and directors are the initiators of projects and programmes in the government’s budget. They should look beyond their contracts of performance and should engage the Nigerian people such that projects and programmes in the government’s budget better reflect the needs and aspirations of the Nigerian people.

DR. AKINTOLA OMIGBODUN omigbodunaa@yahoo.com

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANAUARY 15, 2013— 23

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24—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013

Experts move for single lending rate for Nigeria

BY PETER EGWUATU

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INANCIAL experts have called for a single lending rate to be able to attract the real sector of the economy in the year 2013.

Professor Akpan Ekpo, Director General, West African Institute of Financial and E c o n o m i c Management(WAIFEM) who made the call during the Finance Correspondents Round Table Discussion for the economy at the weekend in Lagos, said, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) should make the lending rate to be a single digit to be able to attract the real sector.”

According to him, “ Most banks in Nigeria are declaring huge profit and that means that they are making excessive profit. So if the lending rate is reduced the banks will readjust and make normal profit by lending to the real sector. I agree with the CBN that other things like infrastructure need to be put in place as well to make the real sector productive. But the reduction of lending rate will go a long way to reducing the cost of production.”

Corroborating the call for a single lending rate , Mr. Bismark Rewane, Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, said that lower interest rates may not always boost spending and could result into liquidity trap for the economy.

According to him, “ A declining interest rate environment is expected in 2013 even as interest rate will continue to be market driven.

“Interest rates to be influenced by the Central Bank of

Nigeria’s adjustments of the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) which is likely to be reduced from current level of 12 per cent per annum. But complete removal of fuel subsidy will stall interest rate reduction

due to inflationary threats.”

Furthermore, while commenting on the economy, Rewane, said, “Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rebasing is expected to take place this year and as such

From left: David Otukpe of Diamond Bank Plc; Francis Onyeagwara, past winner of N100,000 monthly salary for life; Frances Oraukwu and another staff both of Diamond Bank at the five-year-end of Diamond SavingsXtra Reward Scheme, in Lekki , Lagos.

Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund’s ‘Aa(f)’ rating reaffirmed

BY WILLIAM JIMOH

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OR the second year in a row, Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund which is managed by Stanbic IBTC Asset Management has been rated a safe investment vehicle with minimal exposure to downside risk, an

indication of the safety of funds it manages on behalf of its clients. Agusto and Co, who rated the risk associated with investing in the Fund, assigned Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund ‘Aa(f)’, same as they did last year. ”Based on our review of the Fund’s portfolio holdings

Diamond Bank boosts entrepreneurship development in Nigeria

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N continuation of its support for Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria, Diamond Bank in partnership with the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan African University is set to unveil the five successful entrepreneurs for the final phase of the ‘Building Entrepreneurs Today’ series (BET 2). This is the second edition of the capacity building initiative.

According to Mrs. Ayona Trimnell, Head, Corporate Communications of Diamond Bank, Building Entrepreneurs Today is a programme that teaches budding entrepreneurs various skills for running profitable businesses.

The unveiling ceremony will hold at Terra Kouture on Wednesday, January 16, 2013 in Lagos.

The BET programme is in three phases. In

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would alter the base year to 2008 from 1990. It will also add N400 billion to the GDP. The GDP is currently estimated at $273.8 billion. He said that by carrying out the exercise, Nigeria will be

emulating Malaysia and South Africa which rebased their GDPs from 2000 to 2005 each and Ghana- from 1993 to 2006.

He said rebasing the GDP would make the rich richer, and poor poorer while the country’s growth trajectory will decline.

The GDP is the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country, calculated using product, income and expenditure approaches. According to Rewane, real GDP is one that is adjusted for inflation while nominal GDP is the value of goods and services based on current market prices.

He further explained that Gross National Product (GNP) measures the value of goods and services produced by a country’s citizens regardless of their location while Gross National Income (GNI) is GDP plus income receipts minus income payments from the rest of the world.

He said that Nigeria’s real GDP growth could decline from seven per cent to five per cent in 2013 adding that fiscal deficit as a percentage of GDP is usually at a threshold of three per cent. Applying this principle, maximum deficit for 2013 would have been N1.3 trillion while the rebasing will allow for a deficit of N900 billion or 1.5 per cent.

the first stage, from a host of applicants, fifty entrepreneurs are selected to undergo a thirty day intensive Entrepreneurial Management Training. In phase two, fifteen top entrepreneurs emerged and embarked on a Business Development Support programme.

In the just concluded final stage, 5 entrepreneurs will be selected for the Next Level Award where they shall be presented with N3million each as seed money for their business and a nine months Support Service provision by the bank.

“Diamond Bank has always demonstrated its commitment to help entrepreneurs develop capacity to run profitable businesses. The BET programme has proved to be a very successful means to achieving this.

over the past 12 months, and our meeting with principal officers of Stanbic IBTC Asset Management, the Agusto & Co rating committee has affirmed the Fund risk rating of ‘Aa(f)’ assigned to Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund (the Fund). The rating is valid until November 2013,” stated the rating agency. In assigning Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund with ‘Aa(f)’, the rating agency also stated that the fund has “minimal to low exposure to downside risk (impairment to the net asset value) in the medium term”.

Amongst the factors considered in giving the Fund this positive rating were; the relatively conservative exposure to credit, interest rate and liquidity risks; a robust investment guideline; a diversified investor base; no currency exposure; a highly experienced and capable management team and a dynamic investment process, which the rating agency described as well established with a strong track record.

Mr. Olumide Oyetan, CEO of Stanbic IBTC Asset

Management, manager of the Fund, said the positive rating is an affirmation of the company’s well established and highly regarded track record in consistently ensuring that investors’ funds are protected and also earn competitive returns.

“To have been rated very highly in two consecutive years is a reflection of the extent we go to ensure that investors’ funds keep earning attractive returns while the principal is not exposed to unnecessary risks,” said Mr. Oyetan.

Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited, a subsidiary of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, a member of Standard Bank Group, and Nigeria’s leading fund manager, with assets under management of over N100 billion.

“The rating highlights Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc’s long term strategic objective of being the leading financial solutions provider in all the market segments in which it operates through its various subsidiaries”, said Mrs. Sola David-Borha, CEO of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013—25

MRS EXPLOSION:

FG may consider relocation of tank farms

BY GODWIN ORITSE

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Oredo gas plant

Chinese firm to set up $7.5bn refinery in C-River

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

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ALABAR —A Chinese firm, Sino Arab Energy, SAE, in partnership with a local firm, Osabo Refining and Petrochemical Industry Limited, have concluded plans to build a refinery in Akabuyo, Local Government Area of Cross River State.

Agreement s for the construction of the refinery which is expected to refine 107,000 barrel of crude per day have been signed by the partnering firms, and is valued at about $7.5billion.

Speaking on the project, Hon Etim Effiong Okon, who is a member of the management team of Osabo Refining, said the process for the procurement of requisite licenses to establish and operate the refinery had fully commenced, while Akwa Esuk Eyamba, the community where the refinery will be located had donated 500 hectares of land for the refinery.

Okon, who represents Akpabuyo constituency in the state House of Assembly, also said the project partners will engage in the acquisition, exploration and development of oil blocks in the future, to complement refining operations.

He further revealed that the partners will also engage in the development of independent power plant, C M Y K

and the production of natural gas and oil; and real estate within the Niger Delta region as well as the West African Continental shelf.

According to the lawmaker, the refinery is expected to be completed within five years, with the first phase slated to commence in 2014, while the feedstock for the refinery would come from the several Niger Delta basin oil wells.

“Other areas of activities include but not limited to gathering and the treatment of gas, establishment of industries and cogeneration,” he said.

Okon said the refinery would be built with stringent

specification to meet international standard and its “product base will include Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, Kerosine, jet fuel, diesel,.

Gasoline, automotive gas oil, AGOP, low pour fuel oil, LPFOP, High pour fuel oil, HPFO, boat fuel, motor oil, lubricants, liquefied petroleum gas, LPG.” He said that over 10,000 jobs would be generated when the projects are completed and fully operational, adding that these will significantly improve the lives and socioeconomic well being of not only people in Cross River State, but the entire Niger Delta region and beyond.

HE Federal Government may consider the relocation of tank farms from the port area of Apapa, following last week’s explosion at the storage facility belonging to the MRS Oil and Gas Company in Apapa Lagos.

Disclosing this in Lagos at the weekend during a visit to the MRS depot, the Transport Minister, Senator Idris Umar, said that stakeholders in both the maritime and oil and gas sectors have been complaining about the presence of these facilities in Apapa.

He said a Committee has been set up to look into the remote and immediate causes of the fire that led the explosion, adding that the Committee has two weeks to submit its report.

The Minister stated that besides trying to know the cause of the fire, what is more important is the lessons to be learnt from the experience.

“A Committee has been set to they are look at the situation in all its ramifications including off-course the location these tank farms around here.

“It is a matter of concern, people have expressed a lot of concern, we are going to look at it, definitely, it has to be addressed,” he said.

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xplaining what happened to the minister, Group Executive Director, MRS , Amina Maina, said that the vessel was empty when the fire started, adding that firm had enough time to evacuate everybody from the premises before the explosion occurred.

“By the time the explosion occurred everybody was out of the compound so there was no serious casualty except for about three or four who had scratches on their bodies,” she stated.

Maina further explained that the loading bay had an automatic shutting system, adding that the system shut itself when the fire alarm was raised, and that the 22,000 metric tonne barge which was shattered by the explosion actually belonged to MRS. The MRS management said it had stopped operations pending when it will run a test on all its equipment and facilities and certify them okay.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has said that the damaged barge has automatically become a wreck and will be treated as such.

Subsidy scam: Local shippers decry lack of patronage … Bemoan lull in business

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BY GODWIN ORITSE

ndigenous Ship Owners Association (ISAN) has decried the lull in coastal shipping business, following the refusal of oil marketers to imports petroleum products occasioned by the petroleum subsidy scam.

Speaking to Vanguard in Lagos recently, the Secretary of ISAN, Capt Niyi Labinjo, said that since marketers stopped importing fuel their vessels have remained idle pending when the entire issue will be resolved.

Labinjo disclosed that even the Petroleum Product Marketing Company (PPMC), has refused to patronise local shipping companies to move its petroleum their products.

He maintained that PPMC, the marketing arm of the Nigerian national Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, only engaged foreign shipping companies to move its products within the nation’s coastal waters, a practice, he argued, is against the Coastal Shipping Act, otherwise known as the Cabotage Act, adding that most of the jobs meant for Nigerians were given out to foreigners.

He noted that the local shipping industry is currently at its lowest ebb, adding that any further move to frustrate indigenous operators will lead to total collapse of that sector.

Explaining further, the ISAN scribe said that members had made

representation to successive governments, with a view to reversing the situation to no avail, adding that as a result, government was losing a minimum of N2.1trillion annually, and this can be proven with records and statistics.

His words, “After the oil subsidy ‘wahala’ (crises) last year, say since March of last year, many oil traders have not been importing because of government’s restriction on payment of subsidy. So what happened is that suddenly the patronage of Nigerian ships dropped, so since March last year, many of us have not had jobs; go round all the shipping firms we are all groaning.

26—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013

The realistic case for fiscal regime under the PIB

arbitration costs related to cases against the tax authorities or the Federal Government except awarded to the company during the legal or arbitration process will not be tax deductible. Also excluded from the deductions are costs incurred in organising or managing any partnership, joint venture or other arrangement between or among companies, gas flaring charges, insurance costs payable to an affiliate of the company, any signature or production bonuses and costs of obtaining and maintenance of a performance bond under a PSC.

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Diezani

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HE hue and cry over the fiscal regime proposed by the PIB before the National Assembly is nothing new when it comes to petroleum development. Although host government and investors may have the common intent of creating maximum economic rent - their other goals may be far apart.

The host governments’ aim is to maximise economic rent for their country over time, while achieving other development and socioeconomic objectives.

Investors’ aim on the other hand, is to ensure optimal return on investment consistent with the risk profile and corporations’ strategic objectives. To reconcile these often conflicting objectives, more and more countries rely on transparent institutional arrangements and flexible, neutral fiscal regimes In designing a fiscal system, the host government needs to take into consideration its relative position in relation to other countries. The following question becomes crucial: What is the effect of the fiscal regime on oil/gas output?

Does it discourage the development of marginal fields? Does it influence the pace of development? Does it favour early abandonment? Is it insensitive to oil/gas price and cost variation? In other words, how flexible, neutral and stable is the fiscal regime?

The host government’s preeminent objective should be to enact a flexible fiscal regime that favours both parties’ mutual interests by providing an equitable arrangement for both the C M Y K

Mark highly profitable and the less profitable discoveries.

Realistically, host countries should look to extricate maximum value from their natural resources - highest take whilst not totally discouraging potential investors.

Presently, companies carrying on petroleum operations in Nigeria are presumed to be in the upstream regime and taxed under the Petroleum Profits Tax Act (PPTA) 2004 (as amended). While other companies (including those engaged in downstream petroleum operations) are subject to company’s income tax pursuant to the Companies Income Tax Act (CITA). The current rate of petroleum profits tax is 50% for operations in the deep offshore and inland basin and 85% for operations onshore and in shallow waters.

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n an attempt to enact a flexible and neutral fiscal regime that favours stakeholders, the proposed PIB include provisions for companies engaged in upstream petroleum operation to pay Companies Income Tax (CIT) at 30%, and also introduced the Nigerian Hydrocarbon Tax (NHT) at either 50% for onshore and shallow area of not more than 200 metres depth or 25% for bitumen, frontier acreages or deep water areas. Where petroleum operations fall in geographical areas that are subject to different tax rates, NHT shall be levied on the proportionate parts of the profits arising from such

operations.

Furthermore, Section 118 of the PIB proposes the establishment of the Petroleum Host Community Fund – requiring a detailed and transparent financial distribution system to ensure that host communities benefit directly from petroleum activities. It provides for direct financial transfer of 10% net profit – adjusted profit less NHT and CIT, derived from upstream petroleum operations in onshore areas and shallow waters areas to the communities and littoral states. Contributions made to the Fund will be available as credit against fiscal rent obligations being royalty, NHT and CIT, although no order of offset is provided for.

The Bill allows for deductions for tax purposes expenses wholly, exclusively, necessarily and reasonably

incurred for the purpose of upstream petroleum operations. Deductions allowed include funds set aside for decommissioning, abandonment expenditure, and interest upon any loans, including intercompany loans as long as the tax authorities are satisfied that the interest payable is on capital used in upstream petroleum operations except interest incurred under a Production Sharing Contract (PSC).

Section 306 of the PIB, like most global fiscal regimes excludes some categories of tax deductions - general, administrative and overhead expenses incurred outside Nigeria in excess of 1% of capital expenditure and 20% of any expenses incurred except for goods or services not available in Nigeria in the required quantity or quality.

Furthermore, legal and

s regards gas operations, taxing stimulus available to upstream gas operations is limited to tax holiday under the Companies Income Tax Act, which allows for gas supply exclusively for domestic market. Dividend distribution by upstream companies will not be affected by the withholding provision of the bill provided such profits have been subject to NHT and CIT. Nigeria’s fiscal regime in comparison to its competitors and peers still remained attractive. The PIB introduces a more balanced and fair cost based incentives regime in place of the production-based regime -government revenues come from production and not cost.

Based on ranking by government take and attractiveness to investments, the proposed (PIB) fiscal regime appears to be in the median percentile. In other words, fewer governments appear to take a smaller share of the rent than what the bill is proposing. The global international average for CIT is 35%, while Nigeria’s is 30%.

Also, the international average for government equity for PSC is 75% - Saudi Arabia 100% Angola 78%, Norway 78% Ghana 80% more than what the PIB is also proposing.

NPDC commences gas expansion projects to boost power generation

BY KUNLE KALEJAYE O meet Federal Govern ment’s aspiration to boost power generation in the country, the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company Limited (NPDC) has commenced the delivery of 65 million standard cubic feet per day of gas into domestic market from Oredo field in Oil Mining Lease, OML 111.

The 65MMSCF, the company said, is in response to the high demand for natural gas and is capable of generating about 260 megawatts of power into the national grid.

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The Oredo Integrated Gas Handling Facility (IGHF) project is currently being executed by an indigenous contractor, Network Oil & Gas Company Limited.

According to a statement by the firm, the overall project completion is about 65 per cent and is expected to be ready for commissioning in 2013.

The GHF is located in Oredo Field (OML 111) approximately 35 kilometers south of Benin City in Edo State. The Oredo gas project is a 100MMSCFD capacity gas plant with fractionation and LPG dispensing

units.

The statement explained that when the plant is completed by the third quarter of 2013, it will produce 100MMSCFD lean gas (West African Gas Pipeline specification) and 330 tonnes per day of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).

This, according to statement, will increase power generation and LPG utilisation in the country, which will reduce firewood and kerosene consumption, thereby contributing to a cleaner environment.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013—27

Biofuels cause pollution, not as green as thought — Study REUTERS—GREEN schemes to fight climate change by producing more bio-fuels could actually worsen a little-known type of air pollution and cause almost 1,400 premature deaths a year in Europe by 2020, a study showed on Sunday.

The report said trees grown to produce wood fuel - seen as a cleaner alternative to oil and coal released a chemical into the air that, when mixed with other pollutants, could also reduce farmers’ crop yields.

“Growing biofuels is thought to be a good thing because it reduces the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,” said Nick Hewitt, who worked on the study with colleagues from England’s Lancaster University.

“What we’re saying is ‘yes, that’s great, but biofuels could also have a detrimental effect on air quality’,” he added.

The report, in the journal Nature Climate Change, looked into the impact of a European Union scheme to slow climate change by

producing more biofuels.

Hewitt told Reuters there would be a similar impact wherever biofuels were produced in large quantities in areas suffering air pollution, including the United States and China.

Poplar, willow or eucalyptus trees, all used as fast-growing sources of renewable wood fuel, emit high levels of the chemical isoprene as they grow, the study said. Isoprene forms toxic ozone when mixed with other air pollutants in sunlight.

“Large-scale production

of biofuels in Europe would have small but significant effects on human mortality and crop yields,” said Hewitt.

“As far as we know, no one has looked at the air quality of growing biofuel crops before,” he added.

The report estimated that ozone from wood-based energy to meet the European Union’s 2020 goal would cause nearly 1,400 premature deaths a year, costing society $7.1 billion.

The European plan would also reduce the annual value of wheat and

maize production by $1.5 billion since ozone impairs crop growth, the study added.

Lung problems Siting new biofuel plantations far away from polluted population centres would help limit ozone formation, the study suggested. Genetic engineering might be used to reduce isoprene emissions, it said.

Ozone can cause lung problems and is blamed for killing about 22,000 people a year in Europe. Overall air pollution, mainly from

fossil fuels, causes about 500,000 premature deaths in Europe a year, according to the European Environment Agency.

Sunday’s study did not compare the potential damage caused by biofuels to the impact on human health from producing coal, oil or natural gas as part of policies to slow global warming. “We’re not in a position to make that comparison,” Hewitt said.

He noted that the main reason to shift to biofuels was to cut emissions of carbon dioxide, mainly from fossil fuels, that U.N. studies project will become ever more damaging this century.

Tullow drilling in spotlight after mixed 2012

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ullow Oil Plc has a record 49 wells planned this year, and drilling engineers due to deliver news by February are under pressure after a disappointing trading update from the Africa-focused company on Friday.

After a mixed year for one of the industry ’s best performing drillers of recent times, Tullow’s output guidance for 2013 at 86,000-92,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) came in below some analysts’ forecasts, and its 2012 output at 79,200 boepd undershot company guidance.

In addition, parts of the update on drilling in Uganda and Kenya were more cautious than some analysts had hoped from Europe’s largest oil and gas exploration and production company outside the industry ’s integrated giants.

Tullow’s shares, which have tripled since 2007 while peers have flatlined, fell 5.3 percent to 1,160 pence by 1135 GMT. But finance director Ian Springett said the company’s view of its east African assets was unchanged and stressed that exploration, not production, remained Tullow’s driving force, with a record 49 wells to be drilled during the year.

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28—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013

ERHC Energy board accepts director resignation

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BY GODWIN ORITSE

Filling Station

MRS security beats up DPR officer

BY GODWIN ORITSE

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HE Security opera tives of the MRS Oil and Gas Company severely beat up a representative of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) for taking shots with his camera during the explosion that rocked its storage facility last week.

Disclosing this to DPR’s Director, Mr. Osten Olorunisola, the victim, names withheld, told the DPR boss he was mercilessly beaten up by the security engaged by the company for carrying out his official duty.

Olorunisola, who expressed shock at the way one of his officers was man-handled apologised to him and promised that the matter would be investigated.

The victim who recalled his ordeal complained to his boss, “I was called a thief and a tout and all sorts before the security officials of MRS then came to man-handled me and beat me up seriously.”

Another DPR official also noted that the man-handling of one of its staff was not new, adding that the MRS security operatives had been giving the agency officials a lot of problems and that DPR was making moves to curtail the trend.

He said that DPR has written to the management of MRS with a view to discussing and resolving the matter once and for all.

However, an MRS official who volutered an explanation (unidentified), said the DPR staff was seen taking photographs with his mobile phone C M Y K

when everyone was running for safety, when the security officials accosted and cautioned him.

He denied that the officer was not beaten, saying, “Basically nobody was man-handled. The truth of the matter is that in the midst of the stampede and confusion, the representative was taking pictures. Every body’s phones were seized including the Managing Director of Folawiyo, and everybody who came

to support us. So anybody caught taking pictures at that time had his or her phone seized.

“That was what happened with the DPR representative and the security at the gate took over control of the security of the entire premises.”

Speaking on the development, the MRS Group Executive Director, Mrs Amina Maina, said she was not aware that a DPR representative was beaten up by the security officials, and apolo-

gised to the official.

She stated that the visit of the DPR executive director was not best time to resolve the matter, adding that if there were any issues between MRS security operatives and DPR representatives, they need to sit and resolve them.

“We apologise for whatever has happened to the official of DPR, and I think it is as a result of the confusion,” she said.

NIPCO targets petroleum, gas outlets expansion in 2013

BY GODWIN ORITSE

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IPCO Plc, an indige nous joint venture downstream player said it has concluded plans to construct an 75 service station to its already 150 retail outlet across the country for year 2013.

Disclosing this to newsmen in Lagos last week, NIPCO’s Managing Director, Mr. Venkataraman Venkatapathy, said that NIPCO will try to hit its 225 fuel service stations target this year.

He said that besides the constructions of the fuel station, the firm is also making plans to increase the number of its Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG or cooking gas) stations as well.

On LPG, Venkatapathy said that the company started with

one LPG scheme in Jabi in Abuja, adding that before the end of the year the number of NIPCO’s LPG outlets would have increased to about six.

He explained that about three of its LPG plants are running, adding that another three will be completed before the end of the first quarter of the year bringing the total number to six.

Explaining further, he said NIPCO planned to have between 15 to 20 LPG outlets so as to broaden the utilisation of the LPG in Nigeria.

The NIPCO boss stated that Nigerians were beginning to appreciate the use of the gas and that NIPCO was expanding the outlets to ensure that Nigerians had easy to the products.

On if the company has the capacity to handle the antici-

pated demand for CNG, he maintained that everything was in place to ensure that demands are met without hitches.

“We have about 150 outlets running under the banner of NIPCO, we are trying to reach a figure of 200, and 225 by end of this year, and this is how far we want to go with the available support. We initially started with one LPG scheme in Jabi Abuja, after that we put one in Gusau and then one is in Lagos.

“Right now about LPG plans are running, another three more are in the pipeline and would be completed in the next two to three months. Our initial experiment with the LPG scheme in Jabi has been successful, and I think it is the largest filling outlet in Abuja,” he stated

RHC Energy Inc. a publicly traded American company with oil and gas assets in SubSaharan Africa, last week announced the resignation of Mr. Leslie Blair from his position as a non-executive director to concentrate on his position as CEO of the AIMlisted Eland Oil & Gas Plc. The move is also meant to protect against potential conflicts of interest, ERHC said in a statement made available to Vanguard, adding that its board had accepted Blair ’s resignation and has begun the process of identifying a successor.

In a letter to the ERHC board, Blair said, “I sincerely regret having to resign at this exciting time in ERHC’s growth; however, it has become increasingly imperative that I do so to comply with various requirements in regard to my position as CEO of Eland Oil & Gas Plc, and to avoid potential conflicts of interest, particularly in the light of ERHC’s business development plans.”

He also added, “I reaffirm my ongoing support for ERHC’s recently launched rights issue and I commit that I will participate personally, as an existing shareholder in ERHC. The growth of the company in the past three years has been impressive and hard won, and I commend my fellow directors and the company’s management on the exceptional progress made in Chad, Kenya and in the Sao Tome & Principe EEZ.” Blair has been on the ERHC Energy board of directors since 2010, a period during which ERHC has successfully implemented a growth and diversification strategy by adding onshore oil and gas exploration Blocks in the Republics of Kenya and Chad to its asset portfolio.

“ERHC is grateful for Mr. Blair ’s significant contributions to ERHC’s successes during the past 30 months and we wish him good luck in Eland and other endeavors,” said ERHC President/ CEO, Mr. Peter Ntephe, who also serves on the Board of Directors.

In addition to its oil and gas blocks in Kenya and Chad, ERHC holds assets in the Nigeria - Sao Tome & Principe Joint Development Zone (JDZ) and in Sao Tome’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Vanguard , TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013—29

Kia's power to surprise in all-new Quoris

BY THEODORE OPARA

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ITH youthful styling and latest in advanced technologies, Kia cars are turning heads the world over with the power to surprise.” This statement from Kia aptly captures the progress made by Korea’s oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles – Kia. You would be completely convinced about Kia’s power to surprise when you see its new flagship, the Kia Quoris which was launched into the Nigerian market last week.

The Quoris, no doubt has launched Kia fully into the luxury car segment. It boast of features that have never been seen in any Kia model before, and even surpasses most established luxury car models.

At first glance, you would think that the Quoris is a BMW, judging by its front grill. But that is not the only thing they share. The Quoris, like the BMW 5 Series is the epitome of luxury, power and safety. Kia’s Chief Design Offficer, Peter Schreyer and his team set out to design a car that would launch Kia into the next level in the automobile world and they never made mistakes at the end with the Quoris.

The Quoris turned out to be an elengant and prestigious car that is capable of turning heads anywhere, anytime.

A rear-wheel sedan, C M Y K

the Kia Quoris is powered by a 3.8-litre MPI V6 Lambda engine which churns out 294 PS. The engine is also equipped with dual Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT) and a Variable Intake System (VIS). An all new eightspeed automatic transmission with an innovative SBW (Shift By Wire) technology is standard on the Quoris. The advanced technology used in the Kia flagship ensured improved traction, greater roadhandling, enhanced braking stability and enhance turn-in, while the rear wheel technology creates purity of steering response and feel.

According to Kia Motors Nigeria, Chief Commercial Officer, Sandeep Malhotra, Kia adopted a number of intelligent technologies never before, seen on any of their previous models in order to deliver maximum driver and

*The exotic interior of the Kia Quoris passenger comfort and safety.

These include Adaptive Front Light System (AFLS), Parking Guide System (PGS), Anti-lock braking System (ABS), Brake Force Assist System (BAS), Electric Stability Control (ESC), Hill Assist Control (HAC).

Others are Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) and Electronic Brake-Force Distribution (EBD) which monitors the car ’s load, the combined weight of occupants and cargo and adjusts the front/rear distribution of the braking pressure to enable retardation.

Available in three trims, the Quoris boasts exceptionally spacious interior. Nappa premium leather seats in the Quoris tells you how luxurious the sedan is.

Even the driver ’s seat features 16-way adjustment and memory setting for two users while the passenger seat has

10-way adjustment. The rear seat can also be adjusted to suit the passenger ’s choice of sitting position. A special VIP option offers twin heated and ventilated rear seats with a recycling backrest, sliding cushion and lower leg sup-

Continues on page 30

GM consolidates Africa operations •Appoints president, managing director for Africa

G

ENERAL Motors has announced that it is consolidating its Sub-Saharan Africa and North Africa operations into a new unit, GM Africa, with immediate effect.

Mario A. Spangenberg, currently president and managing director of GM North Africa, was appointed pres-

ident and managing director of GM Africa. He will be based at GM Africa’s headquarters in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. With this consolidation, Tarek Atta takes over as managing director of GM Egypt and North Africa, reporting to Spangenberg. Edgar Lourençon, who has served as managing di-

rector of GM South Africa and president of GM Sub-Saharan Africa since November 2009, will assist in the transition and repatriate to South America later this year. He will report to Mark Barnes, GM International Operations vice president, Sales, Marketing and Aftersales, and chief country oper-

ations officer, Africa and Australia.

A statement from General Motors Africa headquarters said, “bringing our operations in Africa together will enable us to take advantage of synergies across the continent,” said Tim Lee, GM vice president, Global Manufacturing, and president, International Op-

erations. “It will put GM in a strong position to expand in a part of the world that has tremendous long-term potential for vehicle sales growth.”

GM does business in more than 50 markets in Africa, and has manufacturing operations in South Africa, Egypt and Kenya.

30 —Vanguard , TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013

Ford Global Week of Caring: Coscharis donates HIV/AIDS kits to General Hospital

BY THEODORE OPARA

C

OSCHARIS Motors, one of Ford Motor company representatives in Nigeria has donated HIV test kits to the General Hospital, Ajegunle, Lagos as part of its Ford Global Week of Caring.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony, the President/CEO, Coscharis Group, Dr. Cosmas Maduka explained that the Ford Global Week of Caring is an initiative of Ford

Motor company to reach out to the less privilege ones in the society.

According to him, during this period, all Ford dealers and employees around the world, are mandated to volunteer their time and talents, to make positive impacts in the community where they work and live.

The Coscharis boss who was represented by Mr. Matthew Aje of the Corporate Affairs Department commended the General Hospital for its activities and efforts in

fighting the HIV/AIDS scourge.

“The dedication and commitment with which you have fought and are still fighting precalent ailments like HIV/AIDS is an open secret. We commend your devotion and will continue to align with your mission in this direction,” he said.

He promised that Coscharis Motors and Ford would continue to support the government and its health institutions and agencies for present and future sustainable

growth. He added that a lot of government establishments had benefitted from the company ’s social investments.

Inviting other corporate organisations to emulate Ford and Coscharis

Motors, Dr. Maduka said. I want to reiterate the fact that Coscharis Motors is not a solely profit-driven company which is why we align with Ford Motor Company on this project.

Our passion and

objective is to significantly contribute to the society by identifying and supporting key specific areas and agencies towards sustainable community development.

Kia's power to surprise in all-new Quoris Continues from page 29 port for the ‘nearside’ seat, together with a front passenger seat that slides forward

when unoccupied.

Intel Atom processor powered infotainment system in the Quoris stands it out. A rich multi-media with premium

sound and high definition displays on dual 9.2-inch monitors mounted in the back of the front seat is provided. The folding centre arrest for the rear seat incorporates a complete set of control for the multi-media centre.

Quoris features a premium audio system from Lexicon by Harman, with 17 speakers and 12channel trunk mounted digital amplifier. The sound system utilises acoustic lens technology to deliver consistent sound quality throughout the cabin.

Speaking to Vanguard Motoring at the launch of the Quoris at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, Mr. Homer Kim, Kia Motor Corporation Regional Manager, Middle East and Africa Operations, who unveiled the new Quoris in Nigeria said their target is to sell at least 100 units of the luxury car in Nigeria. The unveiling was witnessed

by Kia Nigeria dealers like Lanre Shittu Motors and Germaine Auto who were represented by their Chief Executive Officers.

He commended the quality of the car which he described as one of the best in the luxury car segment.“We will take better share of the market with the Quoris which is better speced than its competitors in the segment,” he said. Adding that they were not afraid of competition knowing the quality of car they have produced in the Quoris. Supporting his claims, Kia Nigeria Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Sandeep Malhotra explained that he has no doubt that the new Quoris will rule its class adding the first few units brought into the country has been sold off leaving them with many orders.

The Quoris price starts from about N11 million which he said is worth the value.

Vanguard , TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013 —31

From right: HRH, Obi Gibson Nwosu; HRH, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya, Chairman, Council of Traditional Rulers, South-East; Amb. Raph Uwechu, former President-General, Ohanaeze, Amb. Agubuzo, Dr. Nwachukwu Anakwenze and others, during Ohanaeze 2013 NEC election, held in Enugu. Photo: Hill Ezeugwu

From left: Prof. Ibidapo Obe, former Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos; Doyin Ashiru,CEO, Tricontinental Group; Prof.Toyin Ashiru, Chairman of Vitafoam; Sam Bolarinde, at the reception in honour of Doyin Ashiru, on his recent promotion in Lagos,weekend. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.

L-R: Rotarian Larry Agose, Chairman, Media and PR Committee; Rotarian Charles Chijide; Rotarian (Dr.) Kamoru Omotosho District Governor, Rotary International District 9110, and his wife, Susan, at the launch of the Roll Back Malaria campaign of the district in Lagos.

From right: Chief Pascal Dozie, Chairman of the occasion; Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Coordinating Minister, Economic Monitoring Team and Minister of Finance and Deputy President-General, Nidgbo Lagos, Emeka UgwuOju, during a grand reception and interactive session with the Minister in Lagos.

From right: Chief Reuben Fasoranti, Chief Funke Daniel, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, former Governor of Ogun State; Chief Ayo Adebanjo; Aare Kola Oyefeso and Mr. Shina Kawonise, MD, Compass Newspapers, during the Otunba Gbenga Daniel Annual New Year Thanksgiving Service, held at the Abraham's Tabernacle Church, Sagamu, Ogun State, weekend. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele

Arch-Minister Roland Ogene of the God's Kingdom Mission, (m) leading the procession round the city of Warri, during the Feast of Tabernacles.

Gov. Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, presenting condolence letter to Barr. Godson Okoye, during the funeral service of Hon. Chief John Okoye, in Eziagu Village of Aguluezechukwu in Anambra State.

From left: Sheik Abdulah Al-Zahrani, Deputy Secretary General, Human Relief; Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, Kwara State Governor; Dr. Ali Al-Amry, Secretary General, International Islamic Foundation; Alhaji Saka Onimago, Commissioner for Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, Alaafin of Oyo (right) with Oba Frederick Obateru Akiruntan,Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom during the sympathy visit by Olugbo Education and Human Capital Development and other government officials, during a courtesy visit by the Islamic Foundation to the Governor, at Government to the Alaafin over his burnt palace.

House, Ilorin, weekend.

Photo: Dare Fasube C M Y K

32— Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013

Experts seek multi-faceted approach to housing •Advocate a combination of social housing and sites & service schemes

BY JUDE NJOKU

T

HE widely held view among built environment professionals is that the government has no business in direct housing production. To these experts, the government should only provide the enabling environment and allow individuals and the private sector to go into direct housing production. But with the high cost of funds in the country, the absence of a viable mortgage sector and the housing deficit estimated at over 16 million housing units, these built environment experts seem to be shifting their position. According to them, a crisis situation would require radical and result oriented measures to solve hence government should now play a major role in housing production especially for the vulnerable or weakest link.

Giving further insight into why estate surveyors who have always held the view that the private sector is better equipped to provide housing, are backing the social housing scheme of the Federal Government, the President of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, NIESV, Mr. Emeka Eleh in a recent interview, explained that it will guarantee equitable distribution of housing and ensure that every Nigerian is properly housed.

His words: “We believe that if you are talking of housing for all in this country, there is no way there won’t be a social housing component. The Federal Housing Authority, FHA was meant to provide social housing.

That is not the case anymore because most of the houses are overpriced. You cannot have an equitable society without providing for those who don’t have and that is where social housing comes in. All the government needs is to follow what they have done before. If FHA was meant to provide social housing, then it should allow FHA or grant them the enablement to provide housing at a cost that is manageable” Continuing, the NIESV boss noted that although estate surveyors and valuers believe that housing is better driven by the private sector, they “also appreciate the fact that to enable equitable distribution of these housing to ensure that everybody is housed, there must be an element of social housing that would be encouraged by the government”.

He further buttressed his arguments with examples. “ In England, we have the Council flats, every where, you have all manner of social housing component. If all the local C M Y K

Oba Elegushi Estate built by LSDPC in Lagos government areas which are nearer to the people can say, every year, we will add 100 units, if that had been done in the past ten years, it means that these LGAs would have added 1,000 housing units to their LGAs. Because these LGAs are closer to the people, they would be in a better position to allocate the houses to those who need them on a social basis So, we believe in social housing because it will ultimately lead to a more equitable society where everybody has a home and nobody is under the bridge,” he said.

His predecessor. Mr Bode Adediji also supported government’s direct intervention in housing production. “The people who feel that government should not be seen to be directly involved in production of housing say so because it is on record that the house you and I will build for one Naira, an average government agency will build it for ten Naira - the same market, the same raw materials and the same manpower. However, when you have a crisis of this nature in your hand, I would be the first person to say that let us all forget the past and team up to deliver houses, whether you are a government agency or private because if you look at what it takes to empower the private sector to perform,” he told Vanguard Homes & Property in a previous interview..

“It is only a government that has a vision and the political will to implement that vision that can deliver mass housing. That is the truth. People like us can only participate in a very limited sector of the housing for the upper class and the lower class.

If you are looking for companies that will make great impact on the housing delivery system to the down trodden people, you must begin to think about the economy of scale and the financial system that is long-term in approach , not short term. You have to look at other issues.

Business environment is not like a bed of roses. When you run into a storm, what is your immediate fallback position? In this country today, if anybody engages in mass housing production and he runs into a stormy cloud, he has no fallback position. In other climes, the mortgage insurance backup is there for him, government grant is there for him. In this country, a patriotic company that has the economy of scale, the technical skill to deliver mass housing to the people, if he runs into a technical and financial storm, he has zero backup position,” he posited.

Another Lagos-based estate

surveyor and valuer, Mr Stephen Jagun, however stuck to his guns, insisting that government has no business in direct construction of houses. He called on government to open up farflung areas by providing infrastructures such as roads, water and electricity.

The former Secretary of NIESV in Lagos declared: “If the Government builds more roads to open up places like Ikorodu, Epe, Badagry, Mowe, you will be shocked by the number of houses that will spring up in these areas in the next two years.

In some of these places, people have bought land but are not building because they are looking for who will be the first to create the roads. Look at the areas where the Lagos state government is doing roads, people have bought old houses and are in the process of Continues on page 33

HIGH POINTS •In every society, the weakest link deserve to be looked after or assisted by the government and the best way to do it is to build massive lowincome housing •To ensure equitable distribution of houses, there must be an element of social housing that would be encouraged by the government •Sites and service schemes should be provided to enable individuals and private sector organisations build their own houses

FG restates commitment to construction of Trans Saharan road

T

HE Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to the realization of the Trans Saharan Road which transverses six African countries, namely Algeria, Chad, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Tunisia.

Minister of State for Works, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda stated this when he received in audience the Secretary General of the Trans Saharan Road Liaison Committee, MrAyadi Mohammed.

Ambassador Yuguda explained that the road is a

very big project which when realised would promote culture, trade and unity within the African continent.

He assured of the support and representation of Nigeria in the committee and pledged the willingness of the country to provide the necessary backup for the project.

The Minister said that Nigeria had carried out necessary feasibility study on the road to Chad Republic requiring only a technical session between the two

countries. He added that Nigeria has over 1,000 kilometres of the Trans Saharan Road which spread from Lagos to Kaduna, then Kano through Katsina to Jibiya in Niger State.

The Secretary General of the Trans Sahara Road Liaison Committee, Mr. Ayadi Mohammed had earlier expressed appreciation for the warm reception accorded his team and briefed the Minister on the activities of the committee.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013 —33

REDAN partners NBS, NPC to address housing deficit

BY CHRIS OCHAYI

BY LAIDE AKINBOADE

I

N its effort to abridge the challenge of housing deficit facing the nation, the Real Estate Developer Association of Nigeria, REDAN, is set to collaborate with the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS and National Population Commission, NPC, with a view to obtaining accurate statistics on the housing situation in Nigeria.

President of REDAN, Mr. Olabode Afolayon who disclosed this while speaking with Vanguard Homes & Property in Abuja, said the collaboration between the relevant agencies is a major step towards addressing the multifarious difficulties associated with housing construction and development in Nigeria.

He explained that the process if finalised, will enable REDAN to have an idea of the volume of houses required, the kind of houses required and the location of houses that need to be built as well as those intended to be built in some particular locations within the six geo-political zones.

“Llooking at the sub-sector or the sector in perspective, you will discover that one, we have a deficit even though we can not actually confirm the exact figure because we do not have imperative data.

But now we have decided that the organisation should commence a process through which we can have an idea of the volume of houses required, the kind of houses required

T

A model Housing Estate and the location of houses that needed to be built as well as those intended to be built. I have made attempts to meet up with an opportunity to have a concrete position of the housing structure in Nigeria.

We have started a relationship with National Bureau of Statistics.We have decided to work together; in the next couple of days I will forward to them, a nomination of nine members because we have decided to have a committee in that process.

“We believe that will help every body, investors, even those of us in the sub-sector, because we will not just start building houses that will not be affordable to the people or that will not be functional to the people.

But by and large when you

look at the sector you will discover that there is much to be done and we should not just disturb our selves about deficit, we need to talk about a lot of things like acquisition process for land, technology and all sort of things in respect of housing delivery,” he said..

Continuing, the REDAN boss said: “We visited them recently and we enumerated some of these challenges that as an investor, we need information, that as a people we need information and that as a government we need information to enable us develop our country, our census and our people.

We realised that as an organization saddled with the responsibility of providing statistical information, as a person or as an institution or

as an investor you can work into the National Bureau of Statistics and demand to know the number of houses in so so location or I need to know the income of those group of people living in that location”.

On alleged abuse of lands allocated to developers for mass houses, Mr. Afolayan challenged the authorities to publish names of developers who got land under the mass housing scheme, because his members cannot involved in land racketeering.

Claiming that REDAN members cannot sell lands allocated for mass building to individuals, he said, “let them publish the names of these people who got the land under the mass housing scheme and let us know if they are my members.

FCT unveils plans to resettle 8,000 indigenes T

HE Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide last week, announced plans to resettle nine communities of over 8,000 indigenes in the FCT before June this year.

Out of the 8,000 indigenes, 3,200 are to be resettled with houses and 4,800 are to receive plots of land in Apo in Abuja Municipal Area Council and Galuwyi-Shere in Bwari Area Council.

The Minister, who confirmed this in Abuja while reviewing the performance of the resettlement scheme of the Administration, said three communities of 2,571 households would be resettled in the first quarter of 2013 in the Apo Resettlement Scheme

Why we removed telecoms masts —FCTA

while six communities of 5,172 households would be resettled by the second quarter in Galuwyi-Shere.

She listed the three communities to be resettled in the first quarter as Garki, Apo and Akpajenya while Utako, Maje, Jabi Yakubu, Jabi Samuel, Zhilu and Kpaadna Communities are to be resettled in the second quarter.

“The FCT Administration is committed to resolving the lingering resettlement crisis.

Part of efforts to resolve the crisis was the inauguration of a Ministerial Committee on Facts Finding and the Way Forward on Apo Resettlement Scheme. This has given the original inhabitants confidence and hope of

amicable resolution of the crisis which had lingered over the years.

The Committee has made some useful recommendations to the Administration towards peaceful resolution of the issues militating against the resettlement scheme.

Consequently, about 2,571 households are to move from Garki, Apo and Akpajenya to Apo Resettlement Town in the first quarter of 2013,” she said.

The Minister disclosed that engineering infrastructure works are ongoing in the Phase 2 of Apo Resettlement Scheme and Galuwyi-Shere.

It would be recalled that the Ministerial Committee on Facts Finding and the Way Forward on Apo Resettlement Scheme had recommended

the capturing of resettlement and compensation of the original inhabitants of the FCT in the National Priority Budget of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The Committee, in its report presented to the FCT Minister of State on December 13, 2012, explained that the resettlement and compensation of indigenes could not be satisfactorily funded under the FCT Administration’s statutory budget.

“The Committee found out that the issue of resettlement and compensation is the business of the Federal Government. It involves huge capital resources and also constitutes security problems within the territory.

HE Federal Capital Territory Administration FCTA, last week explained why it directed the Department of Development Control, to remove the telecommunication masts along Airport Road at Kuchingoro in Kukwaba District.

The affected masts which belonged to Airtel Telecom and Helios Towers were allegedly erected without title documents (allocation Papers).

They were also allegedly situated on a plot meant for a Petrol station.

It would be recalled that of the FCTA had on 7th Jan’2013 commenced the removal of Telecommunication Masts along the Airport Road at Kuchingoro in Kukwaba District.

Deputy Director in-charge of Aesthetics and Amenities, Arc. Adamu Abuja, while briefing newsmen said the owner of the petroleum station came to complain that the masts were erected on her plot. The complaint was backed up with relevant Title Documents.

Arc. Abuja stated that the Department wrote to the concerned masts owners to present their title documents or lease agreement.

“Even though Airtel responded, they did not have any of the required documents while Helios Towers did not respond at all,” he said.

They were served notices on the 20th March 2012 to relocate their masts within two weeks.

The final removal notices were served on them on 23rd Nov’ 2012 which elapsed after seven days.

The Deputy Director stressed that more than enough time was given for them to present their documents or remove the masts on their own but non-adherence to any of these necessitated the enforcement move by the Development Control Department.

He therefore called on all Telecom Operators and their facility providers to always obtain necessary documents before commencement of work at any site to avoid such occurrences.

Experts seek multifaceted approach to housing Continues from page 32 rebuilding.

The value of properties in such areas have gone up”.

Jagun who is an apostle of sites and service schemes, posited that although people have bought virtually all the land about ten kilometres after Ajah, they are not building yet, because of the dearth of infrastructure.

34— Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013

LASG to FG: Relocate dangerous facilities to non-residential areas •Ready to resettle residents of Okobaba

•New resettlement centre (inset) Fashola inspecting the centre

T

HE Federal Government should tell its agencies to make medium and long term plans to relocate their facilities which can be injurious to human life from residential areas. The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola made the plea last week when he visited the MRS Products Limited Tank Farm in Apapa which was gutted by fire.

Governor Fashola has also pledged to resettle victims of the fire incident at Okobaba Saw Mill in Ebute Metta. Those rendered homeless by the fire which destroyed houses and shanties would be resettled at the Resettlement Centre while the Government continues with the replanning of the area.

The Governor however warned that nobody should rebuild any structure at Okobaba as long as the work of redesigning and clearing the garbage-filled drainage in the area lasts.

The Governor who recalled the extensive consultations he had with the people in 2008 over the relocation of the village to a new site, disclosed that the new site was almost ready. According to him, no less than 3,000 housing units have been provided for the displaced residents of the area. The new place, he said, offers the people the opportunity to live and do their business in a more decent environment.

While sympathizing with the traders and inhabitants of the Sawmill community who trooped out to receive him, Governor Fashola said he had already done a lot in addressing the problem of developing a new site that is more conducive to their business and living.

At the MRS Tank Farm, Governor Fashola enjoined the Federal Government to step up safety standard

compliance level among its agencies in the Lagos state in the short term.

“In the long term, the way forward is to relocate all these facilities from residential areas. The Federal Government should tell its agencies ‘look, for medium and long term let’s plan to relocate, ” he said.

The Governor who said the state is ready to provide the facilities for relocation, noted that already, Lagos has an oil and gas section in its Lekki Free Trade Zone.

According to him, relocating to such an area would make for more efficient production and guarantee safety of life and property. “ We have moved the Federal capital and if we could do that, this will not pose any problem; so that this place can become

what it was before, providing jetties for people to discharge safe cargoes, very simple cargoes and all of that”, the Governor said.

Describing the fire disaster as one tragedy too many, Governor Fashola declared, “It is only pure luck that saved the day; we cannot continue to live by luck and I hope our luck is not running out”.

Gov. Fashola further said: “This place was not designed in the first place for fuel dump. We converted it. All sorts of activities brought here by the regulatory agencies, PPMC and others, were part of the private jetties when the Tin Can Island Ports was still part of here but we just converted it because the old installation in Apapa became inadequate for the people”.

Rising mercury emissions in developing countries — UNEP

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OMMUNITIES in developing countries are facing increasing health and environmental risks linked to exposure to mercury, according to new studies by the United Nations Environment Programme UNEP. Parts of Africa, Asia and South America could see increasing emissions of mercury into the environment, due mainly to the use of the toxic element in small_scale gold mining, and through the burning of coal for electricity generation.

The Global Mercury Assessment 2013 states that emissions of the toxic metal from artisanal gold mining are significantly greater than were reported in 2008. Rising gold prices are driving greater small_mining activity, but new and improved reporting has also provided more accurate estimates of emissions from the sector.

Due to rapid industrialization, Asia is the largest regional emitter of mercury, and accounts for just under half of all global releases.

The UNEP study assesses for the first time at a global level releases of mercury into rivers and lakes. The report says an estimated 260 tonnes of mercury _ previously held in soils _ are being released into rivers and lakes.

Much human exposure to mercury is through the consumption of contaminated fish, making aquatic environments the critical link to human health.

In the past 100 years, man_made emissions have caused the amount of mercury in the top 100 metres of the world’s oceans to double.

Concentrations in deeper waters have increased by up to 25 per cent.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, January, 15, 2013—35 born as she would normally do.

The ‘man of God’ revealed that my motherin-law has a very hideous unforgiving spirit and that she would never let anyone she thinks has offended her go free, no matter how much that person pleads with her, or people plead with her on the person’s behalf. She must have her pound of flesh and ensure that the person suffers.

According to him, it is not her fault, that is the way God created some people and that is why God himself recognises good and evil. He went on to reveal that as he speaks, my mother-in-law is slowly poisoning my husband’s mind against me with the hope that we would eventually quarrel and I will pack out of my matrimonial home.

I was stunned, troubled and relieved all at same time. Stunned because all that he had said about me and my mother-in-law having a disagreement that had involved some other family members was very true.

It was as if he was a member of our family or had witnessed the argument.

Troubled because he seemed to

Deceit, danger all around (4)

Tayo, (23), fresh graduate, says she is convinced she was hynotised.

She concludes her story below: owever, what is also true is that darkness can never overcome light. Evil cannot overcome good. The devil can never defeat God. And since God was on my side, that was why I was able to escape.

What I still find disturbing till today is how they managed to get me off my route. From my house, we were supposed to pass through Orile-Coker to Mile 2 and then on to Festac Town. But I never recalled us getting to Orile, not to talk of Mile 2 or any other place along that route. I just found myself on Ibadan Express Road. I was told we were close to the first Toll Gate and not Berger at all.

Adiza (33), a Civil Servant, lost 40,000 to some fraudsters a while back. She said she was so hooked that she took a bath in a flowing river with ‘a man of God’.

I was caught right in my own home. It was my five year old son that let them into the flat.I had just had a baby of less than 40 days old and was still on Maternity Leave, so I had not started going out.

The man wore a long flowing white robe, like the ones worn by

H

the white garment churches. He had long shaggy dreadlocks like a Prophet. Though, now I know its more like a weed smoking Rasta.

When I saw him in our living room, I greeted him very well as my son had already announced to me in the room that the man was looking for me. To my surprise, he told me he was just passing by but was directed and in fact, forced by the holy spirit to deliver a message to me.

He went on to tell me that he does not usually enter people’s homes without invitation and never does he deliver spiritual messages to strangers. But that as he passed by, he was engulfed by the spirit and even as much as he tried to dismiss it, the spirit hooked him and would not let him go any further.

He said spiritually, it is a curse for

,

HI,As if the stories of kidnap ping and bombing across the country are not enough, the “ember months” including the beginning of a new year are considered precarious whether by design, myth or reality. A lot of weird, incredible stories make the rounds during this period, all of them twisted with violence, spiritual and physical manipulations, loss of property and death. For those who are lucky of a chance to tell the bone chilling stories, life may never be the same as they once knew it. In this series, some of these people will be sharing their experiences with us. The story you are about to read today was recently told by a young lady who claimed she narrowly escaped being kidnapped after she boarded a taxi right in front of her house.

I would have a bath in a flowing river which will help wash away all the evil plans she had mapped out for me,I would also buy a dove bird, white piece of cloth, some crucifix, three guinea fowl eggs and some other stuff

anyone given a message by the spirit not to deliver the message to whom it was meant for. The same went for anyone who delivers a false message in the name of the spirit.

This sort of made me feel comfortable with him. When I think back, perhaps, this was the point that I fell for his tricks.

The ‘man of God’ revealed that I was having serious marital problems such that, if I was not careful and prayerful, could make me lose my home. He said everything was centered around my mother-in-law who hates me with a passion. He said that not quite long ago, we both had a little altercation and that though I believe it is over because the family had waded into the matter and settled it, it was far from over. He told me that it was because my mother-in-law has refused to forgive and forget about the matter that she has refused to come and assist me with the new baby after it was

,

know every little detail about my mother-in-law and her attitude.

Many family members and even her friends know her to be very head strong and uncompromising, so, most people feel it is safer and more peaceful to be her friend rather than incur her anger.

And you can guess why I felt relieved. It was because all the revelations was coming from a ‘man of God’ who is now promising to help me win the battle against my mother-in-law.

He went on to map out how we would go about our mission. I would have a bath in a flowing river which will help wash away all the evil plans she had mapped out for me.

I would also buy a dove bird, white piece of cloth, some crucifix, three Guinea fowl eggs and some other stuff. All these would be used for the prayers which must begin immediately as it was very urgent.

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needs an employed girl, aged 20-26, for a relationship, that will lead to marriage.08033804486 •Adewale, 22, reside in Lagos, needs a God fearing girl in Lagos, for serious relationship aged 18 –23.

08082363018 •Prince, 5.11ft tall, broad chest, handsome with baritone voice and intelligent, needs a lady, for a •Dear readers, please note that neither Vanguard, nor Yetunde Arebi will be liable for any error in the publication of requests on the Lovezone that may result in any form of embarrassment to any member of the public.

Also note that we do not run any match-making agency in or outside the country. Any reader who transacts business with anyone claiming to be our agent does so at his/her own risk.

Henceforth, only messages sent through the numbers readers want to be contacted on will be published.

This notice is necessary in order to serve you better in our refreshingly different style. To get your requests published, just text it to the code number 33055. For further enquiries, call 08026651636. Cheers!

It’s never too late to make things better

BY ONOZURE DANIA

A

RE you in a relationship that has fallen off track? Is there any way to start over and get him back? What you first need to do is to recognise new things about yourself and the mistakes you have been making with a man. It’s very easy to start thinking that things are even worse than you thought they were, and for this to freak you out. But don’t let this stop you from continuing to learn and grow.

There is a funny thing that happens to every one of us in life.Try and develop a new awareness and start seeing your behaviour andinteractions in a new light.

At first, you may feel like kicking yourself. But getting down on yourself and feeling overly frustrated and hopeless doesn’t help. The man you were dating liked you and was attracted to you for some reason. And as much as it might seem like his feelings have changed forever towards you, what you should realise is that you need to make the attraction burn again inside him, the way it was when you first met and he wanted to stay up all night with you talking and being together.

First, you need to identify the patterns in your relationship that are blocking the love and affection you already share for each other and you need to get these patterns out of the way. Then, you need to understand how to re-engage your man with you in your relationship. You will need to do it in an authentic and natural way that will have a lasting effect because a man’s feeling can

change very quickly, whether you want them to or not. You will know this from past experience. But most women don’t handle this reality about men, dating, and relationships very well at all. In fact, lots of women let this completely freak them out and take over their emotions and how they act and talk with a man.

What is behind all these fear. The fear of loss, fear of rejection, fear of abandonment and fear of not being loved, or not being good enough to be loved. Lots of women let these fears take over and run the show as their emotions get the best of them.

Of course, it can be a very frightening idea that all it takes is just a few wrong words or action as a woman and before you know it, the man in your life that you have been sharing so much of yourself with is suddenly not feeling it for you anymore.

The fact that a man’s feelings can change so quickly has two sides to it.If a man’s feelings can quickly change from feeling interested and attracted to a woman, to feeling that he wants to get away from her, it’s also true that a man can quickly change from feeling unattracted and uninterested in a woman to feeling intensely attracted and wanting to spend time with her again. In other words, men’s feelings and their reactions and responses to a woman can change quickly in either direction from good to bad, or from bad to good.The point is,a man’s feelings can change as a result of your behaviour.

relationship in Benin.08027841956 •Marios, 32, resides in Abuja, needs a busty, fat and matured lady, aged 30-60 in either Abuja, Kaduna or Nasarawa for a relationship of sexual satisfaction call 08060676333 •Alhaj, 35, needs a religious Muslim girl, aged 30, for marriage.08087074640, 08138856900, 08170141833 •Adim, employed and from Delta state, needs an employed girl, aged 24, for a serious relationship.08064785343 •A guy, needs a God fearing, tall, slim, lady, who is a graduate and resides in Lagos, aged 25-35, for a sincere relationship that would lead to a marriage.08037874624 •Iyke, 50, a divorcee with kids needs a kindhearted single lady or a widow, aged 37-45 from south east for mariage.07084485277 •Alex, self employed, from Edo state, needs an employed lady that is ready to settle down in Edo state. 08063802368

36— Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013

Governor Babatunde Fashola (middle) listening to the Managing Director, CCECC, Mr. Shihong Bing (right) during the track work commencement ceremony of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (Blue Line) at Orile Iganmu along with other executive members

Why we’re building 1008 flats for Ijora residents — Fashola •Light rail, ferry services to commence soon

A

LTHOUGH Lagos is the smallest state in Nigeria, with an area of 356,861 hectares of which 75,755 hectares are wetlands, it has the highest population, which is over five per cent of the national estimate. The state has a population of 17 million out of a national estimate of 150 million. The UN estimates that at its present growth rate, Lagos will be third largest mega city in the world by 2015 after Tokyo in Japan and Mumbai in India.

Of this population, Metropolitan Lagos, an area covering 37 per cent of the land area of the state is home to over 85 per cent of the population. The rate of population growth is about 600,000 per annum with a population density of about 4,193 persons per sq. km. In the builtup areas of Metropolitan Lagos, the average density is over 20,000 persons per square kilometre.

Governor Babatunde Fashola, last Tuesday, undertook an

extensive tour of projects across the state and disclosed that his administration would launch a capital intensive housing estate of about 1008 flats at Ijora for the teeming populace, even as he said that the first phase of the state’s light rail project, from Iganmu to Marina in Central Lagos, would be completed in June this year.

He said: “People should be able to live close to the train station and walk about a kilometre to their homes. So it is a dream, it is beginning to come together.

This is what we saw and we will deliver it. What we are going to do in Ijora from this year with about 1008 housing units is not consistent with a government that is demolishing. We are builders and not demolishers. We are focused; we know where the target is. We are locked on target and that is why we are all out here as a team from our Local Governments to House of Assembly, members of the House of Representatives. This government is tight, it knows where its goal is and it knows

what its people expect of it and would deliver it.”

Projects inspected by the governor during the tour that lasted the entire day include Iganmu, Alaba and Mile 2 Light Rail stations, on-going projects at the Lagos State University, LASU; Maternal and Child Care Centre, FESTAC; Okota-Ago Palace Road, Ejigbo-Ajao Link

,

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

Rail Station where he also inspected the tracks already laid for the rail and the coach engine positioned as well as flagged off the track laying commencement, Fashola said while the first phase of the project would be ready in June, work on the rail would continue to Okokomaiko even as the expansion of the Lagos Badagry Expressway continues.

He told newsmen: “You know we have the two projects linked together, the road expansion and

Projects inspected by the governor during the tour that lasted the entire day include Iganmu, Alaba and Mile 2 Light Rail stations, on-going projects at the Lagos State University (LASU)

Bridge, network of roads around Jimoh Ajao Street, Igando HOMS and Resettlement Relief Camp, Igando, on-going projects at Alimosho General Hospital (School of Nursing and Hostel among others) and Samuel Jinadu Street in Markaz area of Orile Agege among others.

Iganmu Light Rail project Speaking at the Iganmu Light

,

the Light Rail simultaneously.

And now we are trying to see how we can take the Rail from the National Theatre to Marina.

Hopefully, when that is done, we can heave a sigh of relief.

Though there is still work to be done, but so far so good.

“This is what we do with the money which we borrow; we do not borrow money to pay salaries,

we don’t borrow money to run our overhead. We are investing it in infrastructure. This is the type of transportation that I dream for this country; this is the type of transportation that I dream for this state and not mass transportation by motorcycles.”

He recalled his visit to Ajah Ferry Station recently saying the station links with the Ferry Terminal in Ikorodu as well as the one in Mile 2 adding, “This is what we have been talking about. It may be taking sometime but this is the dream we have, it is manifesting itself more clearly”.

Noting that China opened what is, perhaps, the fastest high speed rail in the world that covers about 300 kilometres per hour, Fashola declared, “Why can’t that happen here? It is really no rocket science, if we can’t invent it, we can buy it and that is what we are doing. We are buying facilities to have it installed here”.

Fashola, who had earlier addressed some residents of Iganmu at the venue on the need to keep the surroundings of the project clear of refuse, stressed the need for them to take ownership of the project, pointing out that no traveler on the train would like to be seeing refuse on the right and left sides of the Light Rail

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013 — 37

when it finally becomes functional.

Also, after inspecting the Mile 2 Jetty, built by first civilian governor of the state, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, Fashola, noted that when he visited the Jetty three years ago “all sorts of things had happened. People had actually built on the property, government property. It was a walk back”.

However, the state government later reclaimed the premises. The boats in the water were left there and they are aluminum boats. “Aluminum boats don’t die; so before the end of this year, those five boats will be back fully retrofitted, with new engines, new seats and new navigation systems. And so we are adding another five boats to our Lagos Ferry Service in addition to the two we got in December. That gives us seven.”

Noting that there are other operators who are running metro ferry plaza, Fashola declared, “if we finish the retrofitting of the Mile 2 boats and Mile 2 Terminal, it means that the old waterway running from this place to Marina is back and available to people of Amuwo Odofin, Mile 2 and all others and this will extend now to Oke-Afa where we are building another jetty in the course of this year.”

What it will translate into is that residents can get down at Mile 2 rail terminus which is about 300 metres from Mile 2 and take the ferry boat to Marina. “This is the inter-modal transportation that have started falling into place”, the governor said.

Lagos-Badagry road expansion On the progress of work on the Lagos-Badagry Road expansion, the governor said what is going on now is soil replacement process as shown by the observed heaps of sands because the soil in the area has become unsuitable having been used as a refuse dump over the years.

He said there is also a pipe network just as there is a need to take care of a gas pipeline and the relocation of electricity cables, explaining that construction workers cannot just go in and remove PHCN cable without getting the PHCN involved. “We are at the stage where we are relocating facilities. That is why to the uninformed, it would appear as if we have stopped work. We have not stopped work; relocation of those facilities is going on.”

The issue of relocation is also on going as compensation is being given to people who had to give up their properties so that the work can get done. He expressed hope that by the time casting and preparation of all the concrete which are going on behind the scene, and the relocation were concluded, the pace of the project would be accelerated.

The governor was not specific on date of completion, which he tied to challenges that are very observable and those that are not very observable but surfaces on the field and have to be solved. He also identified funding as one of the determinants, adding that it was one of the reasons he went to the House of Representatives to appeal for the approval of a second tranch of 200 million dollars out of the 600 million dollars World Bank loan which the government intends to use to partly finance the project.

The new flats built by Fashola at Ijora

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Taskforce dislodges illegal squatters •Displaced Ijora occupants protest

BY MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

H

Orile, Iganmu and Mushin. During the raid 84 miscreants were arrested out of which 30 were under-aged male children who would be transferred to one of the Lagos State Correctional Centres for Boys.

The state government stated that the demolished structures were erected illegally by the occupants, adding that they pose security and environmental threats to the state.

Meanwhile, Governor Babatunde Fashola, while on an inspection tour of projects in the Lagos State University, (LASU), Ojo Local Government, last week lamented that the only issue “still affecting infrastructural development in the institution and other parts of the state is land squatters who have constantly encroached on land and open space

ARD times now await illegal occupants of government property and unauthorized areas in Lagos State, as the state government, weekend, commenced fresh onslaught against all forms of environmental nuisance.

Meanwhile, some of the displaced occupants at Ijora under Bridge, last week, staged a demonstration in protest against their eviction from the place, which they described as their abode and means of livelihood for many decades before the state government bulldozers moved in. They, however, called on the state government to have a rethink on the ejection order and allow them to do their legal businesses with a promise to observe environmental laws of the state.

Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit, raided some areas in the state to dislodge squatters and demolish

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI several shanties erected under the bridge, along the road and AGOS State government-owned on drainage channels. Some of home for physically challenged the areas raided by Taskforce led children, situated at Ketu area is open by its chairman, Superintendent and ready to receive and give attention Bayo Sulaiman, include Oshodi, to children with special cases, the state Deputy Governor, Adejoke OrelopeAdefulire has declared.

The purpose-built centre is designed to take care of the needs of the special children and assist them to achieve full potentials despite their health challenges.

Adefulire, during a tour of the facility, noted that the home would not be able to provide residency for the children in the meantime but assured that adequate medical facilities and personnel have been put in place to assist the children and give them necessary medical advice and services in areas such as

belonging to the state government.”

After raiding Oshodi Bus stop at 5:00 am, the taskforce raided Iganmu under Bridge, behind the light rail system being constructed by the government in the afternoon. At this place, oil bunkerers have turned the premises to depot for selling diesel and petrol. Several drums of diesel were recovered by the Taskforce at the scene. They also destroyed shanties erected by the squatters under the bridge.

Vanguard gathered that the oil bunkerers had fled the area few minutes before the arrival of the Taskforce officials.

Speaking to pressmen after the exercise, the chairman of the Taskforce said that the raid was meant to give Lagosians a crime-free and conducive environment. He said: “At under the bridge in Iganmu, ApapaIganmu Local Council Development Area, (LCDA), government does not want a situation where the volatile diesel and fuel products being traded under the bridge would affect the light rail bridge.”

Sulaiman added that the bridge was being weakened by activities of oil bunkerers, saying “ we have evacuated them from that place before. We are going to monitor that place effectively from now on so that they do not return.”

Lagos special children’s home ready for use

L

physiology, audiology, speech and language development as well as general medicine. She, however, added that the centre would also keep the children when their parents go to work with a view to picking them after working hours.

All the services to be provided by the centre, according to the state government, will be at no cost to the parents while parents were enjoined not to abandon their wards and children at the centre. “Any parent who is found wanting will be arrested and prosecuted according to the provision of the Child Rights Law.” Adefulire warned.

However, the second phase of the centre is under construction and will be completed soon. The centre will have a primary and secondary school as well as a skill acquisition centre to cater for children who desire to acquire some skills.

38—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013

2013: Jonathan’s year of judgement A

S I pondered on the lifetime achievements of Cardinal Rex Jim Lawson, arguably the greatest export of the Ijaw nation and the legend who standardized highlife music in Nigeria, I couldn’t but also reflect on the man Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, a big fan of Rex Lawson and also the greatest Ijaw political entity ever, his presidency - its challenges and opportunities.

Rex Lawson died in a fatal motor accident along the AgborWarri Road on January 16, 1971, at the very young age of 33. He was billed for a concert in Warri, so he had travelled en route from Port Harcourt, through Aba, Onitsha, and Agbor to Warri. His candle burned out long before his strong legend ever will. In that day of his passing away, the EastWest Road had not been conceived by the rulers of the nation, and the people of the Niger Delta were mainly dependent on eastern road trunks, as the Region was cut off from the rest of nation.

Enigma and political will The death of Rex Lawson was shocking, but also the sadness and anger it caused, engendered extraordinary courage in the political leadership of old Rivers State. It took the enigma and political will of the 29 year old Navy Commander Alfred Papapreye Diete-Spiff, military governor of the old Rivers State to dream and begin the EastWest road that we have today. In 1972 when Diete-Spiff started the design of the East-West Road, it was called ‘too ambitious’ and a very tall order, but that is what great leaders do: dream. As I ponder, I tell myself that maybe the East-West road might have saved the Cardinal.

Since then, a lot has changed.

The East-West road has been constructed, reconstructed, and even washed away by unprecedented flood that exposed the extreme vulnerability and alarming environmental sensitivity of the low-lying Niger Delta. But something unprecedented also happened, something that Rex Lawson must have dreamed to see, or even done a song for, if he were alive today: the emergence of his kinsman as president of the Federal Republic C M Y K

of Nigeria.

At age 33, Rex Lawson had redefined music in Nigeria.

Across ethnic lines, his music and fame spread from the creeks of the Delta to the plains of the Savannah, and I hear in those days, one Naira exchanged for one Dollar. Those were good times, and that is what Nigerians want back. In 2013, as President Goodluck Jonathan steps out to tackle the gridlock on Nigeria, the expectations are high. The president himself had said: “Wait till 2013”, so this is indeed the year of judgement.

In this year, Nigerians look forward to tangible and measurable transformation through rapid sustainable development and solid reforms.

Unlike some of the president’s opponents want to amplify, Nigerians do not hate the president: in fact they love him, but they are frustrated at the speed of his delivery of the transformation promise. The president’s calm and steady hand will be tested this year; his look before you leap systematic approach will also be validated in this year of judgement.

Somehow, each time I look at this president, I remember Exodus and the story of the exit of the Israelites from the land of captivity. (Numbers 12:3- Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men who were upon

,

By ROSS ALABO-GEORGE

En

Map of Nigeria

the gravest sores on the Jonathan presidency, like that of Moses, have been inflicted by his own kinsmen in the cabinet. It is time to shake-up that cabinet, and recruit smart visionaries who will bear his armoury and take his bullets; soldiers of transformation.

In 2013, winning the battle against Boko Haram would not be sufficient; the Federal Government must win the war.

The war against Boko Haram has little to do with ignorant arm bearing Almajiris, it has to do with Northern politicians who provide the funding and intellectual cover for Boko Haram. It also has to do with knocking off and the strategic demobilization of evil and desperate forces that undermine education in the North, and blame the woes of the Region on some conspiracy.

It will be to the credit of this administration if they double the existing national power output by the end of 2013

the face of the earth). The Holy Scripture has it that the children of Israel rebelled against Moses because he was ‘slow to deliver’ and they cursed him (his speech disorder made it worse with his critics), then his closest allies in the cabinet - his brother, Aaron, and his sister, Miriam - who were supposed to protect him, grew arrogant and despised him because they knew him. In today’s Nigeria, Moses would have been summarily described as “Clueless”.

In this year, the president’s leadership will be tested. It is a year for gutsy calls. A year to look straight into their eyeballs and damn close allies - even ‘sisters’ and ‘brothers’ - when the corporate interest of the state is at stake. I am of the opinion that

,

I have always believed that the major chasm in the prospects of Northern Nigeria is the failure of parenting. Fathers who send their five-year old children into the dusty cold streets to beg for food should be immolated. Only foolish parents give up on their children, let’s not blame it on poverty: blame it on the lack of will.

But there is an emerging generation in the North that inspires my hope for a greater Nigeria. The drivers of the Arewa Transformation and Empowerment Initiative (ATEI) for the first time are looking beyond superficial factors that beguile the Region; they are drilling into the cultural and psychological gridlock of their people. Their strategic goal is to

President Goodluck Jonathan

emancipate their people from mental slavery – and that is the solution to the Northern problem.

Power is the most crucial driver of the Nigerian economy and potentially the single most important pivot for the first phase of the Nigerian transformation.

It will be to the credit of this administration if they double the existing national power output by the end of 2013. Nigeria against the illusion of popular grandeur is a very poor country.

Recurring characteristic Corruption is a recurring characteristic of very poor nations. I have formed the opinion a long time ago that the only cure for corruption is prosperity. Transforming Nigeria into a prosperous nation means we must industrialize and build a strong middle class. The industrialization of Nigeria depends squarely on the transformation of the power sector. ‘Individual responsibility must match government accountability’. These are the words I heard from a lady on Channels TV last week, and it aptly describes the balance that is so badly needed in our polity.

Public servants do not get corrupt

in office; they all came in already corrupt, as products of a gravely corrupt society. As Nigerians, our orientation must change.

Citizens cannot demand proper stewardship if they do not exercise their civic roles in a responsible way.

The year 2015 will be judged by 2013. The past year was as winter unto us, and the wide spread expectation is that this year, spring will commence. This is the hope of the living as we reminisce the past. Like DieteSpiff, President Jonathan must dream a big dream for the Niger Delta, beyond the urgent completion of East-West Road.

In this year, let the governors of the ‘rich’ Niger Delta states decide to give their people amenities as common as pipeborne water, or isn’t it saddening enough that the water supply situation has not improved in Port Harcourt since exit of DieteSpiff? Isn’t it plain travesty that the people, so blessed, are condemned to drink water polluted by hydrocarbon contaminants at rates over 1000 micrograms per litre as evidenced by the UNEP report on Ogoniland. For those governors who have betrayed the mandate of the masses handed to them, who now govern their states from multibillion naira private jets, God is watching you.

Mandate of the masses If these governors remember nothing else this year, may they kindly remember this line from the Jamaican-American Grammy Award-winning pop singer Shaggy, in his song titled Why Me. He said: “Take heed: never take advantage of the people that you need”.

For our president, transformation does not come easy, especially for a giant like Nigeria that has been asleep for too long. I am sure if Rex Lawson had a chance to play a song for the president, the crooner will play my favourite- a song he wrote like he saw today, like he saw the slackness and greed of our politicians, like he saw the polarization of the nation, like he saw 2013 and was asking the president to do, do and do Enebate o, Omini saki e. (It is dawn, Wake up!). Rest in Peace, the Cardinal.

•Ross Alabo-George writes from Port Harcourt.

Vanguard Vanguard,,

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 CANCER; 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.

LEO; 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 VIRGO; 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.

LIBRA; 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 SCORPIO; 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?

TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013 — 39

LEISURE

YOUR LUCK TODAY

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

I

GUESS for some time now, you have been thinking of doing that new thing. And anytime you think about it, you console yourself by saying, it is not worth it, you don’t

A new thing need it now, it will never work, it has never worked. Haba!

Are you God? How do you know it will not work when you have not tried it? Is there any harm in trying?

TERROR MUDA

My friends go ahead and do that new thing you have never done before today! Learn a new thing, read that new book; learn that new skill, improve your-

in “Never say goodbye”

self. Do not remain in one place or position for too long. Always add value to who and what you are. Where are you now? Are you still where you were last year?

Do a thing today and experience new excitement.

By Lanre Kehinde

SAGITTARIUS; 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.

CAPRICORN; 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 AQUARIUS; The Moon in your Star sign’ll gives you new confidence and with new supports from the powers-thatbe, it’s like you are now un-stop-able. But be cautious, especially with the veterans within your base of operation PISCES; 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.

ARIES; 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.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

TAURUS; 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 GEMINI; 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.

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,

About my Success?

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.

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

David, Ogun.

Dear David, 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 innerself. 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).

Commen3

by Lawrence Akapa

40—Vanguard, TUESDAY TUESDAY,, JANUARY 15, 2013

Akpabio eulogises Monsignor Inyangetor @ 70

U

YO—AKWA Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, weekend, eulogised qualities of a Catholic priest, Rt. Rev. Monsignor Peter Andrew Inyangetor who turned 70.

Akpabio spoke at Rt. Rev. Inyangetor’s 70th birthday thanksgiving mass which coincided with his 40th anniversary of priestly ordination and the launching of late Chief Andrew Akpan Inyangetor Education Foundation at Parish of Assumption, Ukana Iba in Essien Udim Local Government Area.

He said: ‘’Inyangetor is indeed a great man and a great achiever. I was one of the beneficiaries of his assistance in education.

He contributed in making me what I am today. So, I challenge parents to invest in the education of their children. We must not stop the progress of children educationally because they are the future leaders. ”The only reason God created man, was for man to worship Him. So today we are here to worship and thank God for the life of the celebrator and for making him who he is today. “

Inept leadership, bane of Nigeria’s devt — Abayomi

BY ONOZURE DANIA

L

AGOS—HUMAN rights lawyer, Dr. Tunji Abayomi, has said that inept leadership and docile followership were the bane of progress and development in Nigeria.

Abayomi, who is a former governorship aspirant in Ondo State under the platform of Action Congress of Nigeria ACN, said there would only be true change in the country, if there were leaders who were prepared, focussed and had a vision for the country as well as a vibrant followership who could stand up for their rights and make leaders accountable for their actions.

Speaking further, Abayomi highlighted some features expected of a leader to include knowledge, vision, compassion and love for the nation.

C M Y K

MEETING: Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, State Chairman, Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Chief Akin Oke and Mr. Bello Oladeji, during the first Senatorial meeting of Oyo ACN in Ibadan,weekend.

Delta State Deputy Governor, Prof. Amos Utuama, SAN (left) and Bishop of Asaba Diocese Anglican Communion, Rt. Revd Justus Mogekwu, at an Inter-denominational Church Service to mark 2013 Armed Forces Remembrance Day in Asaba.

Ohanaeze election c’ttee scribe disowns Saturday’s poll zInsists on January 19 for fresh election

BY TONY EDIKE

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NUGU—SECRETARY to Ohanaeze Ndigbo Election Committee, Prince Richard Ozobu, has dissociated himself from last Saturday’s election which produced a new executive for the association, insisting that a fresh election would be conducted next Saturday, January 19, 2013. ”As Secretary to the National Electoral Committee of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, established

by Imeobi Ohanaeze, the only organ with inherent powers to do so, as an independent body mandated to organize and con-

duct elections at various levels of Ohanaeze from local government to the national executive level, I hereby inform Ndigbo here and Worldwide that no such elections envisaged by the Ohanaeze Constitution took place,” Ozobu said in a statement issued in Enugu yesterday. called elections.

According to him, as secretary of the committee, he is the only person, by virtue of his office, that has the responsibility to issue notices, after all conditions for any elections had been met.

He said: “For that of Election into National Offices, Notice is mandatory through two National

Daily Newspapers, and such notice would only come after all due process needed to conduct a free and fair election had been accomplished. ”I did not issue any notice for such election. To the Contrary, I issued a well publicised press release that the election for that 12th had been put off to the original date it was scheduled, that is the 19th of January. That date also being the date requested and approve by Imeobi, for the National election.

“The reasons for moving the election from 12th to 19th of January were stated as restated hereunder: late return of completed

Monarch calls for calm over Abiriba killing

BY ANAYO OKOLI

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BIRIBA—THE Enachioken of Abiriba in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State, Eze Kalu Kalu Ogbu, has called for calm from his subjects as security agents continue their investigation into the killing of an Ababased businessman, Chief Iroeke Ukaku.

Chief Ukaku was murdered on Friday, January 4, 2013, in his house at Abiriba in Abia State.

The monarch, who described the incident as very unfortunate, said it was bad beginning in the New Year for the people of his community.

Eze Ogbu told his people to feel free to go about their normal businesses and remain calm, assuring them that security men were working hard to apprehend those behind the dastardly

act.

The traditional ruler also urged his people to feel free to approach the security men and offer useful information that could help them in their investigation into the killing of their kinsman and abduction of his two daughters.

Enachioken recalled that the community was engulfed in serious crisis which it over came not long ago, said they would not want to go back to such dark days again.

2013, year of abundance —Anglican Bishop

BY FESTUS AHON GHELLI—BISHOP of the Ughelli Diocese, Anglican communion, Rt Revd Cyril Odutemu has said this year, 2013, shall be a one of abundance for only those that put all their trust in God. Speaking during a three-day prayer convocation of the Diocese tagged ‘Move Forward’ in Ughelli, Delta State, which attracted thousands of persons from across the Diocese and beyond, Odutemu enjoined Christians to go into the year with confidence and hope for better days ahead.

He said: “Even though there will be challenges and obstacles in the New Year; God has given the assurance that his people, who put their trust in him shall

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surely triumph over all their adversaries. God has resolved to put a new song on our lips.”

Also speaking during the prayer convocation, a guest

speaker from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Dr. Israel Omosioni, said: “God is determined to visit his people with the bounty and the best of the land.”

Pope honours 2 Nigerians

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OPE Benedict XVI has hon oured two Nigerians, Chief and Mrs Tony Chukwu at the St Peters Cathedral, Vatican City, Rome in the New Year mass, marking the world peace day.

The event, which involved carrying the Oblata for the year 2013, represent the Catholic world offering the fruit of human labour to God through the Supreme Pontiff and asking God to pour out His blessings on humanity in the year that is just beginning.

Chief Chukwu and his wife were nominated among over than a billion Catholic faithful was a clear sign of God’s grace and favour on them especially with their numerous charitable programmes covering the House of God and the society at large.

This event is of great significance to Nigeria and the whole of Africa. The Oblata is not an ordinary offering as it is first of all, self-offering and those carrying it represent the whole of God’s people at the mass.

appraisal forms by the contestants; incomplete delegate lists as results of state elections were still coming in; non-resolution of many petitions against the conduct of state elections from where national delegate lists are obtained.”

Ozobu declared that the only meaningful exercise in that 12th January assembly in the Ohanaeze Secretariat was the dissolution of the national executive committee announced by the President General, Amb. Ralph Uwechue, adding that a total executive vacuum had been created.

According to him, the only standing authority recognizable in Ohanaeze’s secretariat is the electoral body for which he was fully responsible.

LG boss decries spate of kidnappings

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BY EMMAARUBI

ARRI—TRANSITION Committee Chairman of Ukwani Local Government Area of Delta State, Mr. Ochor Ochor, has condemned the activities of kidnappers at Obiaruku, which he said was becoming too frequent.

Ochor, however, blamed insecurity situation in the council on the nefarious activities of hoodlums from neighbouring communities.

The council boss said this at Obiaruku when the Commissioner representing Ndokwa ethnic nationality on the board of the State oil intervention agency, DESOPADEC, Mr. Kenny Okolugbo presented two Hilux vehicles on behalf of the Commission to Nigeria Police and vigilante group to assist in fighting crimes in the area.

Condemning the spate of kidnappings in the state, Okolugbo who said the donation is in fulfillment of his promise to the people, stressed that incidences of kidnappings in the area has become too worrisome.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013—41

11 killed in fresh herdsmen attacks in Nasarawa

BY ABEL DANIEL

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AFIA—FRESH attacks by the Fulani herdsmen on three villages in the last three days have left no fewer than 11 people dead in Nasarawa State.

Sources told Vanguard that the crisis started at Agwashi village in Ekye Development Area, when an Agatu farmer confronted a Fulani man whose cow had allegedly destroyed his farm crops. The argument which later degenerated into a clash left two Agatu farmers dead.

Equally, a reprisal attack on the Fulani which had reportedly hired some 20 foreign mercenaries with sophisticated weapons compounded the crises as it spread to three other villages.

Vanguard gathered that another crisis involved security agents and youths along Doma road near Lafia town when the youths in Mararaba village blocked the road close to a military check point in an attempt

Chime: Bishop Onaga blasts critics

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HE Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Bishop Callistus Onaga, yesterday, faulted those who have been making uncomplimentary remarks over the absence of the governor of Enugu State, Sullivan Iheanacho Chime, stating that it was wrong for some people to wish another human being dead.

While appealing for patience from the people, he also congratulated the Acting Governor, Sunday Onyebuchi and his team for having effectively and efficiently piloted affairs of the state in the absence of the governor.

Bishop Onaga said: “we miss the fact that Governor Chime is not around. But there are many reasons why a chief executive of a state can travel outside. The important thing is that he complied with the laws of the land.

He’s entitled to his holidays during which he can do other things which he wishes to.

"The present situation is that things are not retarding because he’s not there. So, we’re praying that his being outside would augur well for him and eventually favour the whole state. We’re asking our people to be patient and try to understand that with time, we shall all smile.”

Bishop Onaga, however, took exception to those peddling unfounded rumours and others making statements that were capable of disrupting the prevailing peaceful atmosphere in the state.

to resist further escalation of attack on their community by Fulani herdsmen. However, a military patrol team which got the hints of the blockade moved to the area to avert possible trouble, leading a disagreement which allegedly resulted to the killing of two people as well as the burning down of over 10 houses.

The state Police Commissioner, Mr. Abayom Akeremale, confirmed the crises but said only two people were killed with over 20 others arrested at Mararaba along Doma.

Vanguard learnt that 11 bodies had been recovered and deposited at the Dalhatu Specialist Hospital in Lafia.

L-R: The Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Ita Basey Okon Ewa. and his team being taking round at the site of the proposed SHESTCO Silicon Valley by the DG/CEO SHEDA Science and Technology Complex, Prof. Sunday Thomas during a working visit to the agency yesterday in Abuja.

Photo by Emmanuel Elebeke.

Obasanjo centre to spend N3.7bn on food security

By DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA—FORMER Presi dent Olusegun Obasanjo’s Presidential Library in collaboration with Centre for Human Security, yesterday, said it would spend N3.675 billion on Delta, Ogun states and other countries in Africa to address unemployment and ensure food security.

The organization which also said it would spend the money on 12 projects which include eight different projects at Centre for Human Security and four projects at Institute for Africa Culture and International Understanding, IACIU, within 10 years would employ two million youths in Delta alone.

Addressing newsmen in Abeokuta, yesterday, the Director of CHS, Prof.

Peter Okebukola, said that Ogun and Delta states would gulp N1.8 billion each while N75 million would be spent on African countries within the stipulated period.

Okebukola said OOPL-CHS’s plan to employ two million Deltans had commenced with the Feed Delta Project which, according to him, was the pilot programme of the Centre’s feed Africa Project that is aimed at supporting African governments in the implementation of policies and programmes that will guarantee food se-

curity.

The erstwhile Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission, NUC, who rolled out eight projects lined up to boost Nigeria's economy and Africa as whole said apart from Feed Delta project, others are Feed Ogun project, School farm Competition, Young farmers Club Competition among others that would be piloted in both Delta and Ogun states.

He, however, said the organization would extend the programmes to other African countries and had projected employment for10 million youths by

DESOPADEC Contracts not hijacked by Assembly members —Chairman

By EMMA ARUBI

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ARRI—CHAIRMAN of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Mr. Oritsuwa Kpogho, has said that the Commission’s contracts have not been hijacked by members of the state House of Assembly as being speculated.

He said that due process will be followed in the awards of contracts, noting that the commission will not award any contract that the money was not available.

Speaking in Warri during the opening

Accidents claim 249 in Osun, Borno

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WO hundred and forty nine lives were lost in Osun and Borno states last eyar, the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, has said.

While 70 persons died in 116 auto road crashes in Borno in 2012, Osun Sector Command of the FRSC said on Monday that 178 people were killed in various accidents across the state last year.

His Borno counterpart, Malam Abba Bazza, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri that 433 persons were injured in the accidents that involved 144 vehicles during the period under review. He also said that 689 road traffic offenders were apprehended by the commission in the same period.

year 2020. Okebukola who was flanked by other officials of the organization, said: "We slated Delta as a pilot because the Obasanjo farms Nigeria limited has a footprint in Delta so, we already have an avenue to start the project.

“The Obasanjo Farm Nigeria Limited has one of the biggest mills in Delta. So, we thought that since a partnership already exists we can leverage on Delta for takeoff and that is paying off because we are already there and we already have a footprint to take in one or two steps further in that state.”

The Osun command in a statement in Osogbo noted that the accidents were recorded between January and December 2012. The statement was signed by the Sector Commander, Mr Imoh Etuk.

Etuk said the state recorded 285 road crashes within the period under review involving 1,607 victims and leaving 1,223 persons with various degrees of injury.

He attributed the causes of major accidents in the state to over speeding and violation of traffic laws by motorists.

Etuk added that the command had intensified effort to apprehend and prosecute traffic offenders in the state as part of its effort to reduce road mishaps.

of bids for the commission’s 2012 contracts, which had in attendance, members of Board, management and contractors from the five oil producing ethnic groups in the state, Kpogho said that the bid was a demonstration of its commitment to transparency and fairness.

Noting that the commission was committed to the rapid development of oil producing areas in line with the three point agenda of the state government, he said: “I am glad that this process is being witnessed by our contractors and members of the public.

What we are witnessing is for the award of contracts for 2012. We have a programme that we are following and I want to assure our people again that we will work with the speed of light and perform to the expectation of our people. The projects we are going to award now have been provided for in the 2012 budget and we are not going to award any contract unless we have the money for such project.”

He explained that the commission will carry out development projects that will benefit the people and assured oil producing communities that no one will be left out in the scheme of things, adding “We are going to be firm, transparent and treat all contractors equally and there will be no delay in the award of the contracts as we are going to follow our programme to the letter. The Commission is on course. Any contractor that meets our requirement will be awarded a contract and let me make it clear that nobody has hijacked the process.”

42—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013

CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA:

The Passion of the Patriots •Anya, Utomi, Yakassi, Babatope, Ezeife, others differ

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, DAPO AKINREFON, GBENGA OKE, ABDULSALAM MUHAMMAD, CHRIS OCHAYI, ABDALLAH ELEKUREBE & SUSAN EDEH

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MINENT persons, opposition parties and activists have endorsed the claim that President Goodluck Jonathan and his administration were not properly fighting the war against corruption.

While the opposition rounded against what they alleged to be the administration’s incoherence in the war against graft, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP sympathizers sought for understanding for the president with assertions that the president could not fight it alone.

A group of elder-statesmen known as The Patriots, led by legal icon, Professor Ben Nwabueze (SAN) had last Thursday among other things blamed the president for “failure to punish appropriately and promptly the few persons in high positions found guilty of corruption.”

The group also lamented the accelerating descent of the country towards what they claimed a failed state.

Responding to the claims of the elder-statesmen, the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Progressive Peoples Alliance, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) among others described the administration’s campaign against graft as hollow, hypocritical and wholly ineffectual.

Social critics Prof. Pat Utomi, Chief Ebenezer Babatope and

*Jonathan: On the spot

*Ezeife: Patriots have spoken well

*Yakassai: Government is not fighting graft

*Babatope: Jonathan cannot do it alone

context. I will talk about it later,” he said.

The Patriots ‘re meticulous –

money and transfers it to his personal account, it is beyond stealing or abuse of our commonwealth but the fact remains that corruption has been so legalised in this country now that every politician sees it as a right thing to do in office. We need strong institutions to be able to curb Nigeria’s many problems that are affecting us today.”

FG needs to evolve a proactive strategy – Yakassai Yakasai on his part said the Federal Government needs to evolve a proactive strategy to fight corruption in Nigeria.

“Under the current situation I would like to say without fear of contradiction that the Federal Government has not given the impression that they are fighting the scourge.”

The former Special Adviser to President Shehu Shagari on

,

From the beginning up to now, anytime The Patriots meet, I take them seriously.

Apart from being eminent persons and elders, they don’t talk carelessly, they are always meticulous

Alhaji Tanko Yakassi sharply disagreed on the culpability of the administration in the failed anti-graft war.

Former President of National Economic Summit Group (NESG), Prof Anya O Anya, said the views of The Patriots were not in context and promised to elaborate later.

“Those are the opinion of The Patriots. I am just coming from Enugu. I want to see things in

,

Ezeife To former Governor of Anambra State, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, The Patriots had hit the nail on the head and could not be faulted in their assertions.

“From the beginning up to now, anytime The Patriots meet, I take them seriously.

Apart from being eminent persons and elders, they don’t talk carelessly, they are always

meticulous,” he argued.

Corruption is now legalized - Utomi Endorsing the assertion of the elder-statesmen, Professor Utomi said: “There are no doubts that issues raised at the meeting remain of immense concern on the mind of many Nigerians. The Security situation in this country is embarrassing and there is no professionalism in the way we handle things in this country.”

“The issue of corruption and security is worth reflecting on and it has shown how dysfunctional Nigeria has been. Professor Nwabueze and others were very correct on their stand on Nigeria and it is sad that people behind the insecurity situation in this country walk free today.

“It is not only when someone steals N10 billion pension

National Assembly Matters noted however hinged the near incapacitation of the regime on what he described as “procedural technicalities”, adding that until the law is given a facelift the status quo would remain.

The Octogenarian also advocated the establishment of Special Courts to try corruption cases. “We need to set up special courts and appeal to try cases relating to corruption and sharp practices to relieve the conventional courts and also allow the Apex court to have a final say. We have seen in several instances where the so called big fishes hired the services of high profile lawyers to defend their cases.”

Chief Babatope on his part said: “For me, the opinion of Continues on page 43

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013 — 43

What is the game plan for reviving the ailing industries in the state?

With regards to the revival of ailing industries, the commissioner for commerce and industry who is a member of the Economic Management Team is the one anchoring this initiative because the governor has said that as part of his developmental agenda, what we have to do in terms of improving the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) is to revive the industries, whether it is the textile mill in Asaba or the glass factory in Ughelli.

For this purpose, we divided the industries into different categories because we found out that many of them have peculiar challenges.

DELTA: Why we're paying Ibori pension — Ogeah, •To create 25,000 jobs this year CHIKE Ogeah, Delta State Commissioner for Information, in this interview reviews how the state fared in 2012 and says machinery is in place to tackle youth unemployment through its microcredit scheme and why the state paid former Governor of the state, Chief James Ibori pension.

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HE state paid pension to former governor, Chief James Ibori. What was the rationale behind the payment?

On the payment of pensions to former governors and deputy governors in the state, I have to clarify that monies that were paid to former governor of the state, Chief James Onanefe Ibori were monies that were due to him by law and allowed under the ‘Former Governors and Deputy Governors Pension Rights and Other Benefits Act’, and I think this law was promulgated in 2005.

Section 7 of the law talked about the circumstances of ineligibility for payment of pensions and gratuity to former governors and deputy governors.

It states that “A person who has held the position of governor or deputy governor shall not be eligible to receive pension, gratuity and other benefits provided in this law if (a) he was removed from office as a result of impeachment by

the State House of Assembly or committed suicide while in office.” And we know that none of these circumstances occurred in the case of any of the past governors and deputy governors in the state.

How has the state Economic Management Team fared in evolving a new development agenda for Delta?

,

BY BATHLOMEW MADUKWE

*Ogeah: Delta is on the move distinguished Deltans such as Nduka Obaigbena, publisher of ThisDay newspaper and Evelyn Oputu, managing

I have to clarify that monies that were paid to former governor of the state, Chief James Onanefe Ibori were monies that were due to him by law and allowed under the ‘Former Governors and Deputy Governors Pension Rights and Other Benefits Act

Governor Uduaghan inaugurated an economic advisory team for the state about a year ago, comprising distinguished Deltans who are not even in government. A financial consultant and guru, Mr. Bismark Rewane is the chairman of the Economic Advisory Team and it has other

,

director/chief executive of Bank of Industry (BoI), among others. We come together with these people.

We have commissioners in the state who are part of the team. The whole idea was that it will serve as a think-tank to drive the developmental agenda of the state, and the

areas we were asked to look at include the dependence on oil revenue, infrastructural development of the state, employment, especially youth employment and also to see how we can further realize a secured investment climate, diversify the state’s economic structures, which is being achieved through the Delta Beyond Oil initiative as well as ensure effective use of resources and ways to curb corruption and promote PublicPrivate Partnership (PPP).

This is through partnership with the private sector as well as to improve access to education, water and health, thereby contributing to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at the state level. We are also working towards wealth creation and value addition.

The Patriots' call raises dusts Continues from page 42 top citizens of this country cannot be discarded and there is nothing wrong for them to express their opinion on the state of the nation but I disagree with some of their arguments.”

“Corruption happens everyday in this country, though I do not condone corruption but notwithstanding, as senior citizens, they should be seen to be giving elderly advice and ways this country can move forward. I believe any party can be in government at any time, today it is PDP, but the most important thing for us is to come together to provide solution to the problems of this country.”

Blaming the PDP administration for the failed war against administration, National Secretary of PPA, Mr. Peter Ameh said, “the Federal Government had not shown the will and desire to fight

corruption. This lack of will and desire has given rise to the current disdain for the law, impunity, outright and unbridled theft of our common wealth which have led to increase in poverty level.”

He continued: “Under Jonathan’s watchful eyes, billions of naira was stolen from the fuel subsidy account and the people involved are being treated with kid gloves. The report on capital market and the non-implementation of the Nuhu Ribadu oil panel probe report further exposed the administration as abetting corruption."

Jonathan not committed to win - APGA Asserting that the present administration was not committed to the anti corruption campaign, APGA, speaking through its National Director of Publicity, Mr. Ifeanacho Oguejiofor, called for radical reforms to stem the tide.

It said: "APGA sees corruption

as not only in the misappropriation and embezzlement of public Funds by government officials and their cohorts, but also in the manner and the general attitude to life of an average Nigerian, where indiscipline is a way of life and the order of the day and being encouraged by those in and outside the government without qualms.

For Nigeria to really develop, this government should develop strong muscles and sharp teeth to fight corruption in every facet of life.”

It is a leadership problem Ahmed Ciroman Tangaza Sokoto state Chairman of Labour Party on his part put the problem down to a leadership problem. “President Jonathan has leadership problem on the issue of tackling corruption.

Although he cannot be

everywhere, he is supposed to do more in exerting his constitutional powers on the agencies charged with the responsibilities of tackling corruption.”

Jonathan is too slow – Sidi Alhaji Abba Sidi, Chairman of Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP also flaying the fight against graft said: “President Jonathan is too slow in tackling corruption in this country. Of course, his inaction could be linked to the fact that he has ambition for which he wouldn’t want to step on the toes of some corrupt people whose support he is counting on.”

It is just a song A PDP stalwart in Sokoto, Umar Falke Tambuwal on his part said that the battle could be won only if the administration put more energies into the battle.

“If you are a leader and you want something done or stopped, it must be done or

Peculiar challenges Some have to do with management issues while others are cash flow issues, so we want to take them on an industry to industry basis, and the idea is to see what government can do to revive these industries and use them to create more jobs for our people.

This is why we have resolved that the Economic Management Team will work with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on strategies to revive the industries as well as with the Bank of Industry.

We want to get more Deltans in the private sector and Nigerians generally who can invest and help revamp these industries because as you are aware, government does not intend to take over any of these industries.

stopped if you truly mean it.

There has virtually been no punishment on those that have been found deeply engrossed in corruption to serve as deterrence for those intending to do so. To my understanding, only songs of fight against corruption are sung but active measures are taken by the presidency to tackle corruption,” he said.

Mallam Ali Wakili, a retired comptroller in the Nigerian Customs Service, on his part, described the issue of corruption in the country as systemic, saying that the whole system was affected by the menace.

Wakili said that the problem of corruption was not only found among top government functionaries but also extended to the grassroots.

He recalled how during the subsidy probe in the country, President Jonathan promised that no stone would left unturned in ensuring that anyone found guilty of corruption would be prosecuted.

44 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANAUARY 15, 2013

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Vanguard, TUESD AY, JANUARY 15, 2013— 45 TUESDA

HIV/AIDS: No cure for now for sure STORIES BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

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AST week, the Dean of the School ofBasic Medical Science, University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Professor Isaiah Ibeh, claimed to have developed a possible cure for HIV/AIDS. He had claimed that his discovery , a herbal drug called bioclean II (DXL – Deconcuction X-Liquid), was capable of wiping out HIV or significantly lowering its load within a month.

Following the uproar that greeted the announcement, the National AIDS Control Agency, NACA; the National Agency for Food & Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, as well as the UNIBEN authorities, distanced themselves from the claim. In a dramatic volte-face, Ibeh retracted the claim and tendered an apology to the University authorities.

The incident is the latest in a long line of unverified claims of discoveries of HIV and AIDS cures in Nigeria and beyond.

There is currently no proven cure for AIDS or HIV infection. And this is the whole truth. Anti-retroviral drug treatment suppresses HIV infection and delays illness for many years.

They do not clear the virus completely, they only lower the viral load and help boost the immune system. But this has not stopped wild claims of “HIV cures” or “AIDS cures” from making the rounds. And there have been quite a few claims since the Dr Jeremiah Abalaka AIDS cure saga of March-April 2000.

Danger of false claims Unproven cures for HIV and AIDS have been making the rounds since the early 1980s. In most cases, they have only served to worsen suffering. Fake cures are often preceded by bogus and unverified claims. Peddlers of bogus cures insist their clients avoid all other treatments, including antiretroviral medicines.

By the time a patient realises the “cure” hasn’t worked, their prospects for successful antiretroviral treatment may well have diminished.

False cure claims may cause harm to health. Their inventors often refuse to reveal their recipes. So-called cures have been found to contain poisons and other lethal ingredients. Promotion of false HIV cures undermines HIV prevention. People who believe in a cure are less likely to fear becoming infected and hence less likely to take precautions.

What constitutes a “cure”?

Many researchers believe the best hope for eradicating HIV infection lies in combining antiretroviral treatment with drugs that flush HIV from its hiding places.

But much as most scientific and medical researchers would love to find a cure, the word “cure” itself usually leads to false hopes. There are concerns that persistent talk of a cure for HIV infection or AIDS could lead to false

hopes. hence arguments for development of a vaccine appear stronger.

Researchers are divided on the ultimate attainment of a unversal HIV and AIDS cure. One school of thought does not believe there will ultimately be a cure because the amount of virus can only be kept down.

Another school of thought forsees the u l t i m a t e development of a vaccine that would

• Gambian President Yahya Jammeh administering his secret concoction of boiled herbs on a person living with HIV/AIDS. Jammeh first announced the natural remedy to cure HIV and AIDS in 2007. The World Health Organisation and the UN have described the treatment as alarming mainly because patients are required to cease their anti-retroviral drugs making them more prone to infection.

enable people to be protected from being infected in the first place but say it might take another two-and-a-half decades to get an effective cure in the long term.

A cure for HIV must either remove every single one of the infected cells (known as a sterilising cure or eradication) or control HIV effectively by keeping the virus dormant, after the discontinuation of treatment (known as a functional cure). Therefore, a cure for AIDS is generally taken to mean clearing the body of HIV, which replicates by inserting its genetic code into the CD4 cells. Antiretroviral drugs interfere with this replication process, which is why the drugs are so effective at reducing the amount of HIV in a person’s body to extremely low levels.

During treatment, the concentration of HIV in the blood often falls so low that it cannot be detected by the standard test, known as a viral load test. Unfor-

tunately, not all infected cells behave the same way. Probably the most important problem is posed by “resting” CD4 cells. Once infected with HIV, CD4 cells, instead of producing new copies of the virus, lie dormant for many years or even decades. Current therapies cannot remove HIV’s genetic material from these cells. Even if someone takes antiretroviral drugs for many years they will still have some HIV hiding in various parts of their body. Studies have found that if treatment is removed then HIV can re-establish itself by leaking out of these “viral reservoirs”.

Development process Calling for caution about unsubstantiated claims of HIV cure, Director General of the National AIDS Control Agency, NACA, Professor John Idoko, explained that development of cures have a defined process. “There is a process for developing drugs. Each of the

antiretroviral drugs that you know which are not a cure for HIV takes an average of 10-15 years to develop.

The pipe line starts with identification of the active substance in the laboratory to animal studies to human clinical trials which again go through phases 1, 2 and 3.

“During the clinical trial phases, the drug is tested for safety, efficacy and tolerability and hundreds and thousands of people are involved. Did this happen with this drug?” He queried.

Said Idoko: “The definition of cure as I read is questionable. Who and where else has this research been replicated?

Giving herbs to a few people in the name of clinical trials is not proper procedure. What about the ethics of the research? “Herbs may be able to reduce some symptoms of Opportunistic Infections in patients e.g .cough, diarrhoea.

This does not translate to cure.”

How to spot fake cure claims Who makes the claims?

RY to find some information about the claimants. What are their credentials? Where did they get their qualifications?

What are the claims?

Look at how the product is presented. Is it verified? By who, when and where? Use of sensational terms such as “miracle breakthrough” are suspect. A real scientist would be extremely wary of making wild claims. Watch for evidence of poor scientific understanding; for example, no expert would refer to HIV as “the HIV virus”.

What’s in the cure?

Many inventors won’t reveal what goes into their “cures”. Ask why. Keep in mind that words like “natural” and “herbal” are no guarantee of safety or efficacy.

What evidence do they offer?

To gain the approval of medical authorities, any new treatment must undergo very extensive testing. A proper trial involves a large group of volunteers divided randomly into two sets. Virtually all promoters of “AIDS cures” do not provide data from large-scale, randomised human trials. Instead they rely on anecdotes, personal testimonies, laboratory experiments or small-scale trials with no placebo comparison. This type of evidence is always unreliable. Per-

T

sonal testimonies are notoriously untrustworthy. There is no way of knowing whether the people in question ever existed, let alone whether they were helped by the therapy.

Proving that HIV has been eradicated isn’t easy. Changes in symptoms or weight gain are not sufficient, and neither is a viral load test.

Even if the test can’t detect HIV in the bloodstream (perhaps due to antiretroviral therapy), this doesn’t mean the virus has been cleared from all parts of the body.

Beware of conspiracy theorists Many sellers of fake medicines fall back on conspiracy theories to explain why their products haven’t undergone proper testing. They say that government agencies and the medical profession seek to suppress alternative treatments to safeguard the profits of the pharmaceutical industry. This kind of allegation is a sure sign of a charlatan. In reality, leading scientists investigate all kinds of therapies that can’t be patented.

Do some research Any important medical breakthrough will be reported in peerreviewed journals such as Nature, Science or The Lancet. The mainstream media will pick up the story and leading experts will express their opinions.

46—Vanguard, TUESD AY, JANUARY 15, 2013 TUESDA

Experts seek redefinition of healthcare, research ethics I

• Consultation of healers: Chief Medical Director, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi Araba, Lagos, Professor Akin Oshibogun (left), with the General Overseer, Mountain of Fire and Miracles, MFM, Dr. Daniel Olukoya, during the special prayer programme organised by LUTH to mark the institution’s golden jubilee anniversary recently.

N what isacknowledge as a seismic shift in the ethical foundation of medical research, practice and policy, a prominent group of interdisciplinary healthcare experts, led by bioethicists at Johns Hopkins University, has called for morally obligatory participation in a "learning healthcare system" more in step with the digital age.

In an article contained in the proposal for a new ethical framework, which appear in a special report from The Hastings Center Report, the experts reject the bright-line distinction between medical research and patient care.

They challenge the assump-

Misdiagnosis: Why doctors often remove kidneys in error

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

I

N January 2000, the news was awash with reports of two doctors who mistakenly removed a patient's only working kidney. The septuagenarian underwent what should have been a right nephrectomy at a hospital in South Wales, but it was his left kidney that was removed in error.

On discovering their mistake, the doctors carried out further surgery in an attempt to restore function to the chronically diseased right kidney but failed, and the patient died five weeks later.

Similarly, eight years later in 2008, doctors at a Minnesota, mistakenly removed a cancer patient's only healthy kidney believing it had a cancerous tumour.

The tragic error was only discovered the next day when the pathologist examined the material and found no evidence of any malignancy.

Similar cases bound of errorneous and unnnecessary removal of patients’ kidneys in hospitals.

But a new international study indicates that approximately one of every five individuals with kidney tumours common in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), a genetic disorder, has had a kidney removed, while 40 percent had some kind of surgical procedure performed.

According to the study published in The Lancet , proper diagnosis could have led to treatment that would have made surgery or kidney removal unnecessary.

Essentially, kidney removal, or nephrectomy, is surgery to

remove all or part of a kidney.

"I can't tell you how many times I've heard from patients who say their doctors told them a kidney looks bad, is full of tumorus, isn't working and has to come out," said Dr. John Bissler, a nephrologist and Codirector of the the Tuberous Sclerosis Clinic at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, "But you can do studies on

these patients and find out that they have normal kidney function. The kidney looks bad, but it works. Doctors are unfamiliar with tuberous sclerosis, so when they see tumours, they think it's renal cell carcinoma, perform surgeries trying to help, but before long the kidney is gone.

This approach is unnecessary.

Fortunately, many people come to us from around the world for a second opinion."

In TSC, it is common for tumours to grow on vital organs.

As many as 80 percent of TSC patients have these tumours, called angiomyolipomas, or AMLs. For years, the primary treatment for angiomyolipomas was arterial embolization, which uses a catheter to block the artery and stop blood flow to the tumor.

Embolization, however, can also damage healthy tissue.

tion that participation in clinical research by definition offers patients less potential benefits and puts them at greater overall risk than clinical practice, as well as the assumption that research imposes more irrelevant burdens on patients.

They say in today's healthcare system, the labels "research" and "practice" are poor proxies for what should be central moral concerns, and no longer serve as an effective guideline for what requires ethical oversight.

Specifically, they argue that far too often, doctors do their best but simply don't have the information to tell them which approaches or treatments work best, and patients are suffering for that lack of knowledge.

"We're finding that patients are both underprotected from risks in medical treatment and over-protected from low-risk quality-improvement research, bringing progress to a dangerous stalemate that is costing lives.”

They say healthcare should be moving toward a system in which clinical research and clinical practice are integrated, and every clinical encounter is simultaneously an opportunity to provide needed care to patients and also to learn from that to improve the care provided to future patients.

After weight loss surgery:

Women to wait 12 months before trying for a baby W

OMEN should wait at least 12 months before trying for a baby following weight loss surgery and need further advice and information on reproductive issues, suggests a new evidencebased literature review published in The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, TOG. The review looks at the safety, advantages and limitations of bariatric surgery and multidisciplinary management of patients before, during and aft e r preg-

nancy.

With the prevalence of obesity among women of reproductive age expected to rise from 24.2 percent in 2005 to 28.3 percent in 2015, the number of women undergoing bariatric surgery is increasing.

Obesity increases the risk of obstetric complications, however, pregnancy after bariatric surgery is safer than pregnancy in morbidly obese women, states the review.

“An increasing number of women of child-bearing age

are undergoing bariatric surgery procedures and need information and guidance regarding reproductive issues,” notes Rahat Khan, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, Harlow and co- author of the review.

“In light of current evidence available, pregnancy after bariatric surgery is safer, with fewer complications, than pregnancy in morbidly obese women.

“Increasingly, obstetricians, surgeons and primary care clinicians will be required to address questions posed by their patients re-

garding the safety of pregnancy after weight loss surgery.” A previous study following pregnancies after weight loss surgery concluded that pregnancy is safe with 79.2 percent of participants having no complications during their pregnancy.

Furthermore, based on the current evidence available, they recommend that patients should not get pregnant for at least 12 months following bariatric surgery.

The first bariatric surgery in in Nigeria was conducted at the Federal Capital Territory in 2011.

Bariatric surger y, is a specialised procedure carried out on patients with challenge of obesity.

It comprises a weight loss process to tackle high blood pressure and other commonly associated ailments.

• Pregnancy after weight loss surgery is safer than pregnancy in morbidly obese women, but the woman must wait at least 12 months.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013 — 47

Dangerous ways acidosis impacts on the body Enzyme disruption NZYMES are organic molecules that work in conjunction with chemical reactions within the body. For the most part, enzymes are proteins.

They are essential to the body's organs as they are responsible for triggering its unique functions.

Like many compounds within the body, enzymes are designed to function in an alkaline atmosphere so when the body begins to become more acidic, these vital enzymes can no longer op-

E

erate properly. They become slow to react or trigger chemical reactions and erratic behaviors, causing the organs to malfunction. The end result is disease and even death in chronic and severe cases.

Tissue irritation We also learned from our school days that all acids are corrosive. When our bodies are essentially acidic, this corrosive acid begins to irritate our tissues.

The body will naturally try to balance itself by eliminating excessive acids

Julia Oyefunke Fortune

The Cancer

FIGHTER

juliafortune@hotmail.com

through the lungs, kidneys and skin.

This can show up as kidney stones and urinary tract infections such as cystitis or urethritis and on the outside, as skin blemishes, acne, hives, eczema and excessive itching as the toxins are pushed out through our sweat glands and pores.

Chronic acidosis can also irritate the

British, Russian scientists develop new treatment to combat deadly chemical agents

E

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

XPERTS at the University of Sheffield, England and ShemyakinOvchinnikov Institute, Moscow, have devloped an enzyme treatment which could neutralise the effects of lethal chemicals known as Organophosphorus agents responsible for death of at least 200,000 persons each year across the world.

Organophosphorus agents are commonly used as pesticides in developing countries and acute poisoning is common because of insufficient control, poor storage, ready availability, and inadequate education amongst farmers.

Most of the deaths poisoning, through occupational exposure, unintentional use and misuse, mostly in developing countries like Nigeria and through de-

liberate terrorist activities.

Organophosphorus agents include compounds like Tabun, which was developed in 1936 by German scientists during World War II, Sarin, Soman, Cyclosarin, VX, and VR. Using a modified human enzyme, scientist Professor Mike Blackburn from the University of Sheffield's Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology collaborated, in a consultancy role, with Professor Alexander Gabibov of the Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute, Moscow, and Professor Patrick Masson of the Département de Toxicologie, Centre de Recherches du Service de Santé des Armées, to create a "bioscavenger" which was found to protect mice against the nerve agent VR and showed no lasting effects.

In studies performed at the Institute

of Bioorganic Chemistry in Pushchino, Russia, a total of eight mice were treated with the new enzyme after being subjected to enough of the VR agent to kill several of the animals about 63 mg per kilogram - and all survived.

"This current publication describes a novel method to generate a bioscavenger for the Russian VR organophosphorus agent with the key property of being long-acting in the bloodstream,” Blackburn stated.

"That has been achieved by a combination of chemical surface modification (polysialylation) and biotechnology of production (through the use of an in vitro CHO-based expression system employing genes encoding butyrylcholinesterase and a prolinerich peptide under special promoter control).

intestines, leading to conditions such as colitis, enteritis and anal burning.

Acidosis can even aff ect the nervous system and cause infl ammatory conditions like arthritis.

Lowered immunity Research shows there is a direct relationship between pH balance and immunity. There are several factors linking an acidic body to lowered immunity. First, when tissues become weakened by chronic acidosis, they become more susceptible to viral and microbial infections.

Acidosis is especially hard on the respiratory system as the lungs must not only work harder to remove excess acid by fl ushing acid out of the body by exhaling CO2 (carbon dioxide,) but also excessive acid can cause lesions in the sensitive mucous membranes allowing microbes to easily infi ltrate and quickly multiply.

Studies also show when acid levels reach between pH 6.0 and 5.5 the body's ability to release white blood cells that typically fi ght off infections and other toxic invaders becomes impaired, allowing these microbes to wreak havoc.

Studies also show a link between acidity and other areas of immune response. In acidic bodies, the ability of the body to release specific anti-inflammatory chemicals such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF,) a protein deigned to induce necrosis (death) in tumour cells, is also impaired.

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

H

ELLO everybody and welcome. Over the years, we have received a lot of questions from our viewers and the top three subjects men inquire about are penis size, erection matters and premature ejaculation.

Just the other day, I got a letter from a reader who wanted to know if the size of a man’s penis really does matter to women and I made him understand that size does matter but if a man is not very big, he can still satisfy a woman if he has the skills. There are women who are small breasted and have narrow waists but are still attractive.

Body types are different. It is a fact that women will always choose a bigger penis and men will always prefer larger breasts but that does not mean that they will not settle for what is available, especially if their partners are good in bed. So let us remember this. We may not be the most beautiful people around. But we can always find ways to conduct ourselves and make our loved ones be okay with what we have to offer.

Size matters but it is not everything. Let us answer more questions from our readers.

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uintuplets mark a year, Nordica pledge hope for childless couples

By Gabriel Olawale As minutes turn hours and months to year, Sofunlayo quintuplets - three females and two males born to the family of Mr. and Mrs. Wale Sofunlayo on December 16, 2011 turn a year.

Overwhelm with the joy of seeing their babies’ clock a year; the couple did not even remember their years of barrenness.

Her Word: “Although these children did not came at expected time and we had almost lost hope, but God later be our hope as will did not remember our years of bareness any more.”

Olayemo, the mother of the babies noted that they already had a male child before God added another five children.

“We already had one boy which was not up to two years before we had the quintuplets. So between three years, God made

Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh and the justiceability of history TRIBUTE

By BOBSON GBINIJE

T

of one major ethnic group, the Igbo or so most historians adjudged it to be. The Great Zik, Dr. Okpara, Mbadiwe, Mbonu Ejike and Nwafor Orizu, etc, all of Igbo extraction, were left untouched. The likes of Abubukar Tafawa Balewa, Ahmadu Bello of the North, Akintola of the West and Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh of the then MidWest Region or today’s Niger Delta were hacked to death in cold blood.

These killings and massacres set the

HEY have stabbed themselves for freedom - jumped into the waves for freedom - fought like very tigers for freedom! But they have been hung, and burned, and shot-and their tyrants have been their historians—Lydia Maria.

Where does t h e pendulum of objectivity swing in respect of the life and times of Chief F e s t u s Okotie-Eboh (OmimiEjoh) who was killed on this day?

Nigeria’s political h i s t o r y attained a remarkably eventful crescendo on January 15, 1966, when Chief Festus OkotieEboh, Chief Akintola, etc., were assassinated in a military pogrom and putsch led by M a j o r Chukwuma K a d u n a Nzeogu.

M a j o r Nzeogu was Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh...meteoric star from Niger delta quoted as saying in a Radio Broadcast that: “…Nigeria will stage for the Nigeria/Biafra civil war. never be the same again …” The why, The moralistic and Victorian where, when, how and the justification grundnorm that precipitated the for the assassination of these crop of Nzeogu-led putsch became rubbished by the July 27, 1966 counterChief Festus Okotie-Eboh was killed with because he was a meteoric star from the coup Aguiyi-Ironsi as minority Mid-West Region, bluntly, the the arrowhead.

This action Niger Delta. He was a victim of the plunged Nigeria despotism of the majority triumvirates into a precipitous political and in the then military institution and a ethnic epicentre. guinea pig in the laboratory of military Truly, Nigeria has never been the politicians same ever since Nigerian politicians and its subsequent the Nzeogu-led coup and the Nigeria/ causative and bandwagon effect on the Biafra civil war. Historians of various Nigerian/Biafra civil war (1967-1970) genre and colours have tried to look at remains a riddle in a conundrum the justicability of history as a basis for superimposed in a riddle. moving Nigeria forward. Any attempt The thematic thrust and the kernel of is treated as an epochal historical the mission of the Nzeogu-led coup was fraudulence, festering sore, nauseating the hook, line and sinker expunging of gesture, parochialisation of history and prebendalistic graft, psychotic the mere intellectualisation of trite corruption, tribalism, nepotistic matters. idiosyncrasies amongst politicians and Chinua Achebe’s attempt to put the a call for the rekindling of national and Nigerian civil war in obverse and reverse patriotic zeitgeist amongst Nigerians. perspective in his book entitled There The revolutionaries’ redoubtable Was a Country: A Personal History of intrepidity became obstructed by the Biafra is now suffering under the same trajectory of political back stabbers, sledge-hammer of jingoistic historians ethnocentric prejudices and the killings and some informed commentators. The and massacres were skewed in favour Continues on page 49

,

48—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013

,

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013—49

Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh and the justiceability of history Continues from page 48 multi-dimensional submissions of Mr. N.U. Akpan in his book entitled The Struggle for Secession, Adewale Ademoyega’s Why We Struck, Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s Ahiara Declaration and Because I am Involved, Ben Gbulie’s Nigeria’s Five Majors and The Fall Of Biafra, Dr. K.O. Mbadiwe’s Rebirth of a Nation, Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s Travails of Democracy and The Rule of Law, Olusegun Obasanjo’s My Command and Not in My Character; and Biafra’s Government Press Enugu Release, Vol. 1-7 entitled, January 15 – Before and After 1966 Nigerian crisis, etc.

All these publications shows that there are protean views on the political schism of January 15, 1966, the assassinations and the subsequent Nigerian/Biafra Civil War (1967-1970). It is a truism that, in the political engineering process of making Nigeria metamorphose into political adulthood, I dare say that the Nzeogu-led coup was imperative at that point-in-time of Nigeria’s political history.

But were the assassinations justified? I say capital NO! Nigeria would have been a different nation today, if all the innumerable coups and killings were calculated at making Nigeria a different and a better nation.

One school of thought posited that the architectonics of the political and power pyramid within the military institution was skewed against politicians in the NCNC, UPGA, UMBC, MDF, NNDP and that of the NNA. Hence, the coup was calculated at eliminating politicians from other parties other than theirs.

Patriotic bent and cerebral soldier But some argued that Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogu was a cosmopolitan citizen, a great revolutionary, disciplinarian and a cerebral soldier. His corevolutionaries were soldiers of the same patriotic bent and ideology.

They would have, therefore, opted for nothing-less than the fight for a corruption-free and a greater Nigerian nation.

But these are parts of the vagaries of history.

These killings over corruption and nationhood compared to the atrocities of present day politicians and our leadership remains unjustifiable. If

corruption was the gravamen of the coups and killings, we have now learnt that our today ’s politicians and bureaucrats are defiant in prebendalistic graft and have upped corruption into an art and a religion. Our nation has now apotheosized mediocrity as our totem of honour and created the fecund field for the rise of Democratic Tyrants.

Hence, the late Alfred Rewane grimly refrained “Yesterday, we yearned for a better tomorrow.

But today, we mourn the loss of a glorious yesterday. How sad!” The killings were unwarranted and an act of bestial military savagery.

As we mark the tragedy of January 15, 1966, we recall with a heavy heart the death of our own Chief Festus Okotie-

Eboh who would have marked his centennial and was killed at the age of 54 years. He remains the lodestone of the Niger Delta as a pioneering Minister of Labour and welfare and later the Minister of Finance. His achievements are still pragmatically tangible in Education, Industrial, Economic vide Central Bank of Nigeria for all to see.

History vindicating the just Not even one dim of pangyrical evocation by way of designating one university, college of education, street, town or airport after Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh has been eventuated. But history will vindicate the just.

I assert with unequivocal clarity, that Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh was killed because he was a meteoric star from the minority Mid-West Region, bluntly, the Niger Delta. He was a victim of the despotism of the majority triumvirates in the then military institution and a guinea pig in the laboratory of military politicians. He was never found guilty of corruption by any court of competent jurisdiction and by any interventionist body of graft.

The military juveniles who carried out the coup and the killings have now been proved wrong and found guilty by the justicability and verdict of history.

But, we take solace in the words of John Donne, essayist

and poet, “Death be not proud, though some have called thee mighty and dreadful. But thou arth not so, for those whom thou thinkest thou dost destroy, die not, poor death. Nor yest can thou kill Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh. One short sleep past he shall wake eternally and death shall be no more.

Death thou shall die”.

The truth and absolute anatomization of the facts of the killings, pogroms and massacres that took place on January 15, 1966 is yet to be exhaustively surgeonised. The ghost of that politically tragic and remarkably eventful day will continue to hunt Nigeria and its leadership until the time of the Nigeria’s political Armageddon and social earthquake.

•CHIEF BOBSON GBINIJE, a social critic, wrote from Warri Delta State.

50 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013

Nigerian troops set ffor or Mali as F rance continues France of e offfensiv ensive

BY BEN AGANDE, Abuja

N

IGERIAN troops will be deployed to Mali where Islamic militants have launched an insurgent attack on the northern part of the country threatening to over run the state capital Bamako.

President Goodluck Jonathan who stated this in Abuja yesterday said Nigerian troops will be deployed before next week to Mali to help restore peace to that country.

He stated this when he hosted members of the diplomatic corps resident in Nigeria to cocktail yesterday evening.

According to him, all hands must be on deck to fight extremism as no country knows when it

will be her turn. ”We are confronted presently with a situation in Mali, let me assure you and the global community that as a nation we will work with other nations to make sure that the problem in Mali is solved. ”Already our technical team are already in Mali so definitely the Nigeria troop will be in Mali before next week. ”Of course we members of ECOWA S are meeting this weekend.

Our expectation is that by next week, most other ECOWAS countries that pledged troops would have sent their own so that our men will be on ground to assist Mali to liberate the country. ”We can no longer surrender any part of the globe to extremism,

•French military conducts raids in Mali because it doesn’t pay and we don’t know the next victim. We must collectively discourage individuals or group of individuals that will take laws in their hands and make the world a place

that is not safe for all of us”.

President Jonathan expressed his appreciation to all the heads of governments that stood by Nigeria during her trying times of

Obama highlights impact of debt cap on economy P

RESIDENT Barack Obama warned Congress yesterday that a refusal to raise the U.S debt ceiling next month would trigger economic chaos.

Obama, at a news conference, said the U.S. economy was poised for a good year as long as Washington politics did not interfere.

He said a Republican refusal to lift the debt ceiling could lead the United States into a debt default, which would

•Obama prevent the U.S. government from being able to provide Social Security benefits to some

seniors and possibly tip the economy into recession.

“It would be a selfinflicted wound on the economy,” Obama said.

Obama argued that he has agreed to plenty of government spending cuts and that it was now time for an overhaul of the tax code to close loopholes and for some modest tinkering with entitlement programs to reach a balanced deficitreduction package.

The United States is due to bump up against

econd FFrenc renc aid Second renchh soldier dies af aftter Somalia rraid

I

SLAMIST militants in Somalia have said a second French soldier was killed during a failed hostage rescue attempt.

Al-Shabab published a photograph allegedly showing the commando, who they said had died of gunshot wounds.

The group also said it would soon reveal its decision about the fate of Dennis Allex, an intelligence agent who the soldiers tried to

rescue on Friday.

Paris has said evidence suggests both both commandos and Mr Allex died during the operation near Mogadishu.

The raid in the town of Bulo Marer came hours after French troops had intervened in the west African state of Mali.

A statement published on Twitter purportedly by al-Shabab’s press office yesterday claimed

that the second soldier to die had been the commander of the French rescue operation.

“The commander was deserted by his comrades after a fierce firefight and subsequently captured by the mujahideen,” it said.

All indications unfortunately lead us to believe that al-Shabab are preparing to organise a disgraceful and macabre display”

its $16.4 trillion borrowing ceiling as early as mid-February. Republicans have said they will insist on spending cuts in exchange for raising the debt limit, but the president has declined to negotiate over the increase.

In addition to the debt ceiling, Washington faces tough deadlines around the end of next month over harsh across-theboard spending cuts that would kick in unless Congress acts and the end of a stopgap government spending bill. The president has argued that any spending cuts continue to be “balanced” - that is, accompanied by measures to raise additional government revenue.

If Congress fails to raise the U.S. debt limit, the Treasury Department will become unable to borrow money to pay for government spending obligations, leading to a debt default that would damage U.S. credit and have wide repercussions in financial markets around the world.

floods, Dana and Helicopter crashes, terrorism attacks, the death of his younger brother and other tragedies. ”I want to thank heads of governments for standing with us at our various challenges and

difficult moments. ”I also want to thank them for the support and goodwill for my administration last year and I look forward to woring for our mutual benefits. ”I am aware that building a strong economy will lead to a stronger country and we are committed to do just that. ”I’m not one to diminish the challenges my country faces and that is why we are strengthening democratic institutions. ”We have our challenges but we will continue to play our international role to restore peace”, he said.

In his speech, the Acting Dean of Diplomatic Corps and Ambassador of Democratic Republic of Congo to Nigeria, Mrs. Olumba Kumba commended Nigeria’s role in restoring world peace.

Syrian war envelops region

T

HE Middle East faces a “staggering” humanitarian crisis caused by the conflict in Syria, an aid agency has said. says.

With more than 600,000 Syrians having fled the country, the International Rescue Committee is calling on the outside world to step up its response.

The US-based group describes the level of rape and sexual violence occurring in the conflict as “horrific”.

In the latest violence, at least 13 people were killed in an air strike on a Damascus suburb, activists said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least eight children aged between six months and nine years old were among those killed in the attack on the rebel-held town of Muadhamiya.

Several people were trapped under the rubble, the UK-based activist group added.

State television blamed “terrorists” for the deaths, saying they had fired a mortar at a civilian building.

The UN estimates that more than 60,000 people have been killed in the uprising, which began in March 2011.

In addition to those who have left the country, at least two million people are thought be internally displaced within Syria. ‘ D r a s t i c a l l y insufficient’ The International Rescue Committee says many refugees are citing rape as the main reason they left Syria and describes it as a major feature of the war. It is often committed in front of family members, it adds.

The agency criticises what is says is an “alarming” lack of medical and psychological support for survivors.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013 — 51

Ron vows to stay at Real until 2015 C

RISTIANO RON ALDO has put a return to Manchester United on ice by vowing to stay at Real Madrid until 2015.

The Portuguese superstar had been linked with an Old Trafford comeback after admitting he was “sad” at the Bernabeu.

Paris Saint Germain were also keeping tabs on the £80million superstar.

But Ronaldo has today put a move away from Spain on hold until his current contract runs out in 2½ years.

He said: “I want to see out my contract at Real Madrid — I’m very clear about that.

“After that, well, I don’t know what’ll happen in the future.”

Boss Jose Mourinho was at Old Trafford yesterday on a spying mission ahead of Real’s Champions League

clash with Manchester United.

And Ronaldo added: “Every Madridista wants that 10th European Cup — we’re more than aware of that.

“Last season we fell just short, which was very frustrating. Fortunately we’ve got the opportunity to set the record straight this year, though the fact we face Manchester United next makes it more difficult.

“It’s not going to be easy and I reckon the odds are about 50-50, but I’m still very confident.”

“No team’s unbeatable, but when we’re at our best we’re a really good side.

“Manchester United have started the English championship race very well and are a long way ahead of the rest, but still, if we play the way we’re capable of, we can beat them.

Eagles Continues from BP Nations Cup in Tunisia(Nigeria’s second after 1980) and also qualified the nation for her first World Cup in USA’94.

The 1994 Super Eagles squad paraded the likes of Skipper Stephen Keshi, Sunday Oliseh, George Finidi, Taribo West, Austin Jay Jay Okocha, Dan Amokachi, Austin Eguavoen, Peter Rufai, Uche Okechukwu, Uche Okafor(late), Rashidi Yekini(late) and Emeka Ezeugo among others.

In a chat with Supersport.com at the team’s camp in Faro, Keshi said, “many Nigerians don’t know how good this team is. I see great potentials in them and they can go places,” adding that “in Emenike I see a player who can be like Rashidi Yekini and Godfrey Obaobona will grow in his position”.

Keshi said although the withdrawal of Shola Ameobi and Danny Shittu would not derail his plans for the tournament, he however, admitted he would surely miss Shola Ameobi. “He would have brought a lot

of good things and experience because when he played with us in Miami for the friendly against Venezuela he was a brilliant influence on the pitch and in the dressing room.”

On the criticisms that trailed the release of the final squad for the tournament, Keshi said.”I just make sure I concentrate on the players and make them understand and buy into what we want to do. Nigeria is a place that you can never satisfy every person so we just make sure we do our best”.

However, Keshi agrees that his team is better prepared, unlike previous tournaments lately, “ we have had no distractions. The NFF have been very supportive and we are just focused on the job at hand” The gaffer said neither he nor his players were under any pressure to perform “I would not put any pressure on my players; my duty is to make them relaxed with high concentration levels so that they can carry out the tactical plans we have during matches.”

Ejide resumes light training •As Eagles tackle Farense

T

RONALDO — To stay in Madrid till 2015

HE bubble in the Super Eagles camp continued on Monday as goalkeeper, Austin Ejide, resumed light training ahead of full fitness return for the Nations Cup in Faro, Portugal on Monday morning.

Super Eagles Media Officer, Ben Alaiya, reports that the light training schedule for the player started on Sunday morning , when he was passed fit to embark on swimming therapy by the national team medics. By early morning training on Monday , Ejide, was fit as a fiddle but still being closely monitored to avoid a relapse by the medical crew.

He was to be seen in training with keeper ’s trainer, Ike Shorunmu and Physiotherapist, Olawale Oladejo. The Medics however said they won’t rush the

I want to win AFCON — Onazi FORMER under 17 star and Lazio midfielder Onazi Ogenyi has declared his readiness to play and win the Africa Cup of Nations trophy.

His words; “As a footballer, the aim is always to go to the top, my dream is to win the AFCON in South Africa.”

He credited his improved status in the game to God saying “thanks to almighty God for his mercies and favour on me because without him, I can do nothing”.

The youthful international is still excited over his experience when the Eagles played Catalonia in a friendly in Spain where he came face to face with the likes of Xavi, Busquet of Barcelona and Sergio Ramos of Real Madrid he said; “they are mobile and full of tricks. If I was not fast and up to it, I would have found it difficult to contain them.”

The Italy-based midfielder is full of hope in the Super Eagles “ with the qualities we have, I see us getting to the finals."

Ogenyi, (l) in action for Nigeria

AFCON 2013: 8m Euro stops Nigerian TVs

T

HE Director General of the Broadcasting Or ganization of Nigeria (BON), Alhaji Abubakar Jijiwa, has said that the rights for AFCON 2013 tournament in South Africa was over priced.

Explaining why Nigerian football lovers may be deprived from watching matches of the forthcoming tournament, Alhaji Jijiwa said although the tournament was already sponsored by a telecoms company; Orange, a France based company was also charging Nigerian broadcasters 8 million Euros..

He said, “Nigerian broadcasters have refused to pay the 8million Euro media rights charged by a French company for Nigerian media to air the matches of the forth coming African Nations Cup matches on terrestrial TV stations.”

Alhaji Jijiwa and a host of other panelists explained the crises behind the media rights issue on Channels TV programme .

Israeli based keeper into action but all was looking very well for him to bounce back in a record time.

Meanwhile, the Super Eagles will play its last training match today against Portuguese second division side, Farense in Faro, Portuguese, before departing Faro, for South Africa on Wednesday. The match earlier scheduled for 12noon Portuguese time, which is 1pm Nigerian time has been pushed forward a bit due to logistics.

African Youth Athletics championships:

LOC for inauguration tomorrow

T

HE government of Delta State yesterday announced the constitution of the Local Organising Committee for the forthcoming African Youth Athletics Championships, Warri 2013.

According to the release, the committee which has the Executive Chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission, Pinnick Amaju as chairman will be inaugurated 11 a.m. tomorrow at the Unity Hall, Government House, Asaba.

Other members of the committee are Mary Onyali-Omagbemi, Commodore Omatseyi Nesiama, Patrick Origho and Victor Onogagamue as members.

Other members of the committee are Dr Ken Anukwueje, Hon Bukola Olapade, Onochie Anibeze, Chairman of Warri South Local Government Area, the Delta State Commissioner of Police and Mrs Maria Wophil as secretary.

•Amaju

52 —

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013

AFCON 2013 update..... AFCON 2013 update...... AFCON 2013 update

Elephants trample on Pharoahs 4-2 G I

VORY Coast complet ed their preparations for the African Cup of Nations with a win as they came back from a goal down to beat Egypt 4-2 in a friendly in Abu Dhabi on Monday night.

Egyptian veteran Mohamed Aboutrika put the Pharaohs in front in the 14th minute but a brace from Arsenal striker Gervinho, a goal from Lacina Traore and a late effort from Didier Ya Konan saw Ivory Coast hand the North Africans their second defeat at the Zayed Sports City Stadium in five days.

Egypt started the better team as the players seemed adamant to erase the humiliating 3-0 defeat

to Ghana only a few days earlier - their biggest ever loss to the Black Stars.

Egypt’s Omar Gaber was causing trouble down the right side from the start and in the eighth minute, the Zamalek midfielder dribbled past the Ivory Coast defence to send in a low cross inside the box which forced Kolo Toure to clear.

Two minutes later Ivorian ‘keeper Copa Barry saved a tame header from Marwan Mohsen, who made contact with a Mohamed Aboutrika long ball but needed a stronger finish.

Essam El Hadary had to make the first save for the Pharaohs in the 14th minute when Toure sent

•Gervinho in a long ball that found Lacina Traore, who did great to get rid of Egypt’s

captain Wael Gomaa but the ‘keeper was in the right place.

HANA coach Kwe si Appiah has expressed satisfaction at his team’s output in the two pre-Africa Cup of Nations friendly matches.

Appiah tested all players named for tournament in the matches against Egypt and Tunisia although there are injury concerns.

The Black Stars have conceded two goals and scored seven with captain Asamoah Gyan emerging top scorer with two goals.

“My ambition was to allow every player to take part in these two games that we played,” Appiah remarked.

“When you ‘re building a team, you don’t concentrate very few players. You are going

Ghana coach thrilled with pre-AFCON form with 23 players and it is important that each and every player takes part in these trial games “Looking at the Egypt and Tunisia games, tactically I’m looking at how we attack, how we defend and at the same time, how we construct our set pieces.”

Ghana will leave Abu Dhabi on Wednesday for Port Elizabeth where they play DR Congo on 20 January, Mali four days later.

Their final Group B match will be against Niger on 28 January.

Australian Open......Australian Open.......Australian Open

Djokovic delivers, ruthless Sharapova eyes 2nd Melbourne title Venus feeling N like her old

OVAK Djokovic served up only flashes of his best tennis on the opening day of the Australian Open but took a comfortable first step on the path he hopes will lead to an unprecedented hat-trick of titles at Melbourne Park in two weeks’ time.

Perhaps keeping energy in reserve for the battles that lie ahead, Djokovic’s workmanlike 6-2 64 7-5 victory over Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu on Monday summed up a day where the year’s first grand slam failed to really fire.

“It was a good performance for a first round,” said the top seed and world No. 1, who will play American Ryan Harrison in the second round.

“There are some few adjustments that I need to make and get a little bit sharper on the court.

But it’s expected in the first match you’re still not a 100 percent on the court.”

While Djokovic only roused himself when nec-

self

V

• Sharapova essary, Maria Sharapova was ruthless as she swept aside any fears about her fitness with a thumping

•Djokovic 6-0 6-0 win over compatriot Olga Puchkova on Rod Laver Arena.

American Venus Will-

iams and China’s Li Na, both former losing finalists, also enjoyed emphatic wins to breeze into the

second round, while inform fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska extended her perfect start to

ENUS Williams has made the dietary leap from steak lover to vegan but admits that in times of weakness she is a “cheagan.”

That’s Venus-talk for a cheating vegan.

“If it’s on your plate, I might get to cheat. If you’re sitting next to me, good luck. You turn your head once and your food might be gone,” Williams said, in good spirits after starting her Australian Open campaign Monday with a quick 6-1, 6-0 win over Galina Voskoboeva.

“I think it’s pretty well known I’m a cheagan, ”the seven-time Grand Slam winner said, laughing. “I’m not perfect, but I try.”

On her website the 32year-old American refers to this phase of her life as “Venus A.D.” — Venus After Diagnosis.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANAUARY 15, 2013— 53

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54 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANAUARY 15, 2013

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANAUARY 15, 2013 — 55

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VANGUARD, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013

Keshi hits back at critics

These Eagles are like ’94 squad

Drop Ejide now!

•NFF member warns Keshi

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FF Technical C o m m i t t e e member Austin Elumelu has called for the immediate replacement of injured goalkeeper, Austin Ejide.

Ejide sustained an injury in Wednesday’s 0-0 draw with Cape Verde in Faro, Portugal and he has been under medical scrutiny ever since. Elumelu feels there is no time for the Israel-based goalkeeper to make a quick recovery.

“Keshi should not take any gamble with Ejide.

We were initially told he will be ok by the weekend but we are hearing reports that he need about two weeks to make full recovery. I don’t think its wise to still have him in the team. He should replace him with Daniel Akpeyi, the goalkeeper on the standby list. Hoping on Ejide’s fitness at this late hour amounts to gambling by Keshi”, Elumelu warned

S

UPER Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi has declared in Faro that the potentials in the present squad he is nurturing for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations could match the all-conquering 1994 squad which he captained to Tunisia.

The ’94 squad won the Continues on Page 51

•Okocha — '94

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•Mikel — 2013

•Rashidi — '94

— P.51 •Yobo — 2013

Why Nigerians won't watch Nations Cup on TV — Jijiwa — Page 51 TODAY'S

PUZZLE

BONE OF CONTENTION — Ejide

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 2 Flashy (5) 7 Species (5) 8 Premium (5) 10 Chosen (5) 12 Males (3) 13 Near (5)15 Ingredient (7) 17 Linger (6) 19 Wonder (3) 20 Omen (7) 23 Pip (4) 25 Snare (4) 26 Evolve (7) 30 Feline (3) 31 Chew (6) 34 Journal (7) 37 Belief (5) 38 Fellow (3) 39 Arouse (5)40 Timepiece (5) 41 Loaded (5) 42 Inlet (5)

•Echiejile — 2013

•Olishe — '94

DOWN 1 Instrument (5) 2 Visitor (5) 3 Slumbering (6) 4 Fruit (4) 5 Remark (7) 6 Droll (5) 9 Born (3) 11 Joy (7) 13 Clutch (5) 14 Lubricated (5) 16 Sheep (3) 18 Favour (7) 21 Clan (5) 22 Rate (5) 24 Propriety (7) 27 Tank (3) 28 Plight (6) 29 Spoon (5) 32 Snap (5) 33 Flat (5) 35 Menagerie (3) 36 Always (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS CROSS: 2, Asset 7, Cold 8, Endear 9, Obese 11, Cod 13, Ass 15, Lard 16, Dog 18, Anon 19, Veering 20, Alas 22, Tuna 23, Modesty 25, Even 27, Rue 28, Isle 30 Rid 31, Hid 33, Agree 36, Mishop 37, Echo 38, Expel.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 1, Cocoa 2, Ado 3, Sue 4, Tee 5, Odd 6, Lasso 10, Shoe 11, Cleaner 12, Dreamed 13, Anguish 14, Sneaked 16, Defer 17, Grate 18, Ant 21, Son 24, Sung 26, Visit 29, Lithe 32, Shy 33, Ape 34, Rap 35, E el.

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

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

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

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

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