Okonjo-Iweala to spend N1.1bn on confabs, food by Vanguard Media Limited

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VOL. 25: NO. 61731

N150

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

FLOOD: Four farmers commit suicide in Kogi ...kills fisherman, sacks 200 orphans •Pgs. 8&9 in Delta

Gunmen kill 20 in Kaduna village •P. 6

FINANCIAL VANGUARD

Concerns over monetary policy implications of Budget 2013

•Pgs 17-40

...towards a better life for the people

BUDGET 2013:

Okonjo-Iweala to spend N1.1bn on confabs, food BY SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL EDITOR, NORTH & HENRY UMORU

BUJA— THE Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, plans to spend N1,098,296,979 on sitting allowances and honorarium and another N43,515,655 on refreshment and meals next year. The Office of the Continues on Page 5

Mr & Mrs

FLOOD: Flood victims in Okwagbe, Delta State being evacuated from their community, yesterday. (INSET): Prof. J. P. Clark assessing his late great grand-father, Bekederemo's compound, in Kiagbodo, Delta State, submerged by flood.

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POCKET CARTOON

Okonjo-Iweala to spend N1.1bn on confabs, food Continues from page 1 Minister also estimates that it would expend N43,381,673 million on cleaning and fumigation, just as it planned that security services would gulp a total of N36,829,446 million. These figures are contained in details of the 2013 budget, which President Goodluck Jonathan presented to the National Assembly last Thursday. The Ministry of Finance, which has a total allocation of N14,759,952, 110, will also spend N6,056,366,976 on p e r s o n n e l , N5,429,969,154 as overhead cost; N11,486,336,130 as total recurrent and N3,273,615,980 for capital. According to the budget breakdown, the Ministry of Finance plans to spend N153, 922, 307 on local travels, N170, 922, 307 on international travels while N68,613,133 will be for local training and N68,883,133 on international training.

N64,768,973 to fuel generators In the same vein, the ministry is to spend N64,768,973 on the fuelling of its generators though it has set aside another sum of N38,205,019 for the

payment of electricity bills. Over one billion naira has also been set aside by the same ministry for the procurement of security equipment and N400 million for the repairs and rehabilitation of office buildings, which were not specified in the budget. The ministry also intends to spend N462 more than million on research and development and another N111 million on the acquisition of computer software within the financial year.

NSA will utilise N25.4bn A further breakdown of the appropriation document indicates that the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA will utilise N25.4 billion, while N40 billion is appropriated to the National Intelligence Agency, NIA. Similarly, the Directorate of State Security Service, SSS, will expend N43. 2 billion while the Presidential Air Fleet will make use of N7.5 billion within the fiscal year. In the same breadth, the government proposes to spend N520,540,876 for the implementation of the controversial Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, which is still pending in the National Assembly. It

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

HE only limit to our realisation of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith. Limit your doubts and develop your future.

TAKE HEART BY ELLA RANDLE

When the world says, “give up”, hope whispers, try it one more time —African proverb

N June 1985, two British mountaineers Joe Simpson and Simon Yates made the first-ever climb of the West Face of the 21,000 foot snow-covered Siula Grande mountain in Peru. It was an exceptionally tough assault - but nothing compared to what was to come. Early in the descent, Simpson fell and smashed his right knee. Yates could have abandoned him but managed to find a way of lowering him down the mountain in a series of difficult drops blinded by snow and cold. Then Simpson fell into a crevasse and Yates eventually had no choice but to cut the rope, utterly convinced that his friend was now dead. The survival of Yates himself was extraordinary. That Simpson somehow found a way of climbing out of the crevasse after 12 hours and then literally crawled and dragged himself six miles back to camp, going three days and nights without food or drink, and losing three stone would be the stuff of heroic fiction if it was not so true. Indeed, six operations and two years later, he was even back climbing. All because, against all the odds, he tried.

was reworked and sent back to the lawmakers by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison Madueke, early this year after the previous version was not assented to by the Executive. Within the year, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources plans to hire a sevenseater helicopter for the sum of N200 million to inspect and monitor offshore terminals in the country. It also plans to use another N200 million, within the period, to acquire gas flaredown monitoring and pipeline surveillance facilities to be used in the Niger Delta, where oil exploration takes place daily.

SGF to spend N17,256,704 on refreshment The office of the Secretary to the Federal Government will also spend N17,256,704 for refreshments and meals

within the year. In the budget breakdown, office of the Head of Service of the federation will next year spend N30,000,000 to purchase fire fighting equipment while teaching and learning equipment will gulp N13,000,000. The office has a total allocation of N7,713,308, 382, with N2,509,000,000 voted for capital expenditure, while recurrent has N5,204,308,603 and total overhead is put at N1,529,324,603. Ministry of Foreign Affairs also plans to spend N70,201,724,387 with N22,978,212,832 going for personnel, N23,516,908, 685 for overhead, recurrent N46,495,121,517 and capital N23,706,602,870. Also, the country ’s embassy in London will spend N1,282,632,245; Ottawa N4,379, 185,951; W a s h i n g t o n , N91,138,564; Madrib, N490,765,796; Tehran N243,348,683; and TelAviv(CP) N21,343,418.

Killings of worshippers in Kaduna, reprisal attack —Defence Hqtrs BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI

BUJA— AGAINST the backdrop of weekend’s killing of about 20 Muslim worshippers by unknown gunmen in Dogo Dawa area of Kaduna State and claims by the CNN and Aljazeera network’s report alleging that the killings were the handiwork of the military, the Defence Headquarters,

Excess Crude Account to be built to $10bn — Okonjo-Iweala

BUJA — COORDINATING Minister for the Economy and Minister for Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said in Tokyo, yesterday, that Nigeria’s Excess Crude Account would be built up to $10 billion by early 2013. Okonjo-Iweala made this known while briefing newsmen on the Nigerian economy at the Annual Meeting of the World Bank and the IMF. She said: “I strongly feel and I have shared with the governors, with Mr. President and vicepresident who fully support that the Excess Crude Account must be built up to $10 billion. We should strive to do that in the next few months and we keep that as buffer.” According to her, if the account is built up to $10 billion and it is not touched for a while, it will serve as buffer, noting that there was the need to increase the nation’s external reserve, considering the population of the country. The minister noted: “Our reserves are not

huge, we are just building backup; it’s not my place, it is the monetary policy that manages it, but I have discussed with the CBN governor that we need to build up our reserve to $50 billion, if we can. That will be the desires of the fiscal authorities. So I don’t consider us with the size of the economy and population we have. Look at Algeria, their reserve is nearly $200 billion, for a country much smaller than Nigeria.” On infrastructure, she noted that the country needed about $10 billion yearly to tackle its infrastructural challenges adding that Nigeria would draw from the World Bank’s loan offer with a go-ahead from the National Assembly. She noted that Nigeria would not draw from the international monetary resources at the moment to tackle the infrastructure challenges. “We are trying to put our borrowing to really direct it to infrastructure,

as you know we have gone to other sources, the Word Bank is helping us with power, so is the African Development Bank. “Those are very concessional resources. The problem we have right now is that the meetings from the World Bank; they are indicating that if we do not pass through external borrowing plan, where we have 1.2 billion dollars, that has been approved.They are very sympathetic to us, they will like Nigeria to use that money but if the money stays there and it’s not approved for use, they will have to move it and give it to other countries.” Okonjo-Iweala noted that the loan to be taken would be given at zero interest rate, a 40-year repayment period and 10 years of moratorium and only 0.7 per cent commitment charge. She said that the money would be used for power, water and health care among others, adding that Nigeria could only benefit from the loan, if the National Assembly approved.

last night, clarified that the killings emanated from reprisal attacks. A statement signed by Director of Defence Information, Col. Mohammed Yerima, reads: “The attention of the Defence Headquarters has been drawn to the unsubstantiated claims by CNN and Aljazeera alleging that the Nigerian military carried out an early morning attack on Muslim worshippers in a mosque at Dogo Dawa, a village near Birnin Gwari in Kaduna State, where 20 people were allegedly killed by unknown gunmen. “This is contrary to reports by other local and international media organisations, who reported that the attack was carried out by unknown gunmen. “Investigation revealed that the killing was a reprisal attack by a gang of armed robbers who lost some of their members after a recent raid of their hideout through the combined effort of the villagers and the vigilante group in that community. “The Defence Headquarters wishes to state categorically in the interest of the larger society that no member of the Nigerian Armed Forces was involved in the said attack which occurred in the early hours of Sunday, October 14, 2012. “We wish to reassure the general public of our readiness to offer assistance to the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies whose primary responsibility is the maintenance of law and order in the society. “We are committed to the defence and protection of our country’s hard earned democracy and more importantly, the Nigerian Armed Forces belong to the Nigerian people."

6—Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

Oil price benchmark: Okonjo-Iweala begs N-Assembly to approve $75 ...asks Nigerians to trust her team; says it's not a popularity contest BY OMOH GABRIEL & EMMA UJAH, REPORTING FROM JAPAN

OKYO, JAPAN—THE Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has urged the National Assembly to see reason with the executive and allow the $75 per barrel of crude oil benchmark stand rather than increasing it to $80 as suggested by some legislators. Fielding questions from newsmen at the just concluded World Bank/International Monetary Fund meetings in Tokyo, Japan, she stated that oil price benchmark is not a popularity contest and that the legislature and Nigerians should trust her team in managing the nation’s economy. She disclosed that the original proposal of the executive was $72 per barrel but that it had to be increased to accommodate the two concerns of the legislators, cutting deficit and increasing spending. Her words: "We have been meeting with the Chairmen of the Finance and Appropriations Committees of the Senate and the House and our job is to present all the logical reasons why this is the right thing to do for the economy. This is not a sentiment.

Logical reasoning “Benchmark pricing is not a thing you just sit down and concoct. They are based on some fundamental economic analysis. And we actually have a model which we use in trying to project Nigeria’s benchmark price, over the past three years. It is not that we sit in one room, close the door and then say this is the benchmark. We have an approach because if you do it in an arbitrary fashion, that means at any point in time, you don’t have a basis to defend why it is this number as opposed to the other number. “We understand the issues that they want to reduce the deficit. They want to spend more. Actually the figure should have been $72 per barrel and to give the country to spend more, we had to adjust the model a little bit and came to $75 per

VISIT—From left: Minister of State for Education, Mr Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and Imo State Education Commissioner, Prof. Adaobi Obasi during the minister's visit to the state to start the Federal Government's programme for out of school children in the South-East.

barrel and accommodate their concern. “I think there are two issues here. First, we have to listen to those who will be impacted and you also have to listen to the basic professional reasons why this should not be done. Managing the economy is not a popularity contest. There is a bit of reason to it. That is why we went to school to study it. “Some people think that you can just wake up from sleep and say this is how to manage the economy. That is why the economy is going in the wrong direction. The only reason why many African economies are growing today is because those African countries did the right thing, in terms of economic policies in the last 10 years and now they are reaping the reward. “I hope the business community that has been calling me, saying no, we must not go to $80 per barrel. It is not me. The CBN governor is managing the exchange rate. I know that one thing Nigerians care so much about is the value of the Naira and the governor of the CBN who manages the exchange rate has indicated what will happen to the economy if we are to go that way".

Excess crude account The minister said she has a presidential mandate to build the Excess Crude Account to $10 billion in the

next few months to give a reasonable buffer for the nation. Dr, Okonjo-Iweala said the lesson to take away from this year‘s IMF/World Bank

meeting, where Nigeria‘s economic policies which yielded the high growth rate was commended, is that the nation must continue its prudent resources

management policy and build buffer since the uncertainty in the global economy has persisted. She said that a situation where even developed

economies are passing through a lot of difficulties is enough to make Nigeria to be more careful with her resources, and even be more prudent.

Prudent management policy Her words: “What we saw here from these meetings, the analysis of both the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, as well as the assessment of the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors is that the global economy is still faced with a lot of uncertainties. “You (journalists) heard it yourselves. There is a lot of uncertainties globally and that is the reality. We are not the ones saying to make it look gloomy. There is still uncertainty, there is still fragility. Even in the US where there appears to be a little hope because employment figures have gone up a little bit, there is still a fragility because of the slow recovery. The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, said there is no guarantee that oil price will remain high throughout the year. “Oil price was at $141 per barrel and it came down to under $40 per barrel. Anybody that says it cannot happen is just talking rubbish".

Bandits kill 20 in Kaduna village No one killed in mosque, say Kaduna govt, police BY LUKA BINNIYAT

ADUNA—NO fewer than 20 people were yesterday killed by suspected bandits at Dogon Dawa village, Birnin Gwari Local Government area of Kaduna State. At least, 18 others were said to have escaped with various degrees of injuries. A source said those killed were cornered in a mosque but Kaduna State government and the state police command said in a swift reaction that nobody was killed in a mosque. The police, however, said 12 persons were killed in the attack but gave no details. Among those killed were a man and his two children, while his wife’s hand was crudely amputated by the bandits. The incident was said to have occurred when the gunmen, said to have been responsible for series of robbery operations in the area in the past, struck. The bandits were said to

have visited their anger on the community for allegedly killing some of their members. A source told Vanguard that the bandits had formed a camp near Dogon Dawa, about 90 minutes drive from Kaduna town. Said the source: “They were chased out by the Zamfara State government three months ago and came to settle in a bush near our village. They have been involved in many robbery incidents here. “About two months ago, two of the bandits were caught and beaten to death and their camp was sacked. We rejoiced that they have left, only for them to return around 5am yesterday.” He said on their arrival at the village, the bandits went to a house whose owner they suspected to be responsible for identifying their members and killed him and two of his children, while one of the wife’s hand was chopped off. According to him, 17 people who were just coming

from early morning prayers were killed by the gang. Another source told Vanguard that in the wake of the insecurity faced by the villagers, a committee was formed to find ways of solving it. “The criminals must have fled the village when they discovered that they no longer had a base there. But this morning, they came back and went to the house of the man they suspected to be responsible for identifying them, killed him and two of his children and cut the hand of his wife. “They also killed 17 other people in the village. Those people they killed were just coming from the early morning prayers. “I can confirm to you that it was not a robbery operation, but it was the criminals themselves that came for a reprisal attack because the people have been identifying them. “The criminals had earlier sent messages that they were coming to attack the village, but their threat was

not taken seriously.” However, when contacted on telephone, Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Adenaike, said he would address the press on the matter, but could not do so at the time of this report. He, however, said: “I heard some villagers arrested armed robbers, then some robbers came back today (Sunday) and killed 12 people in a reprisal attack, while the villagers killed two of them. “The rumour going on that 20 people were killed while coming from mosque is not true, but I will get back to you when I get full details.” Also, Kaduna State governor, Mr Patrick Yakowa, speaking through his media aide, Mr. Reuben Buhari, said: the reported incident at Dogon Dawa did not take place in a mosque as reported by some news channels. “That is far from the truth. The police would soon give a correct detail of what happened.”

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8—Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

THE RAGE OF FLOOD Globalisation of floods: The start of hundred years of change in Nigeria BY DELE SOBOWALE

“Climate change is more threatening than people realize”- Dr Kim, CNN, October 12, 2012. NOTHER CLIMA TOLOGIST has gone further by stating that climate change and the advent of perennial floods are already reshaping civilization as we know it and very few countries will emerge intact from the impact of climate change. Nigeria is no exception. Countries with long coastal regions and many rivers, which hitherto had benefitted from water provided by rivers, seas and oceans will be the hardest hit. It was in the 1980s that globalisation of markets became the mantra of the leading thinkers in management studies. “In today’s market you don’t have to go abroad to experience international competition. Sooner or later, the world comes to you”. “Harvard Business Review, March-April, 2002”. (VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS p75). That explains why no sooner than a new product is released in America, Japan, China, etc, and it is available in Nigerian markets. Unfortunately, it is not products, services and ideas that are being globalised; the miseries of climate change brought about mainly by the economic and social activities in the leading economies, USA, China, Japan, Europe, Russia, Brazil, and Asian Tigers are being visited on rich and poor countries alike. Nigerians and other African countries, which account for less than three per cent of global output of goods will pay a disproportionate share of the penalties of globalization of floods. The devastating floods Nigeria is experiencing in 2012 is not a one-off event; neither did it start a few years ago. The events leading to this year’s catastrophy began hundreds of years ago and will probably escalate in in-

tensity for several decades beyond this year. Without realizing it, 2012 marks the end of economic, social and perhaps political life as we know it in Nigeria. President Jonathan’s provision of N17.2 billion to the states most directly involved, as well as the administrators of the national response, is a step in the right direction. But, in reality, it amounts to pissing in the desert in order to provide water for irrigation systems. It does not even pay for the enormous challenges facing researchers who must very rapidly provide the master plan for our future survival as a nation under siege of water. The announcement by Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the co-chairman of the Fund Raising Committee, that the committee will aim for NI00 billion is a step in the right direction – as long as it is realized by all the governments of Nigeria that this is only a small step in a journey of one hundred years or more. One hundred billion naira does not even begin to address the fundamental problems which perpetual flooding might throw at this nation. To make matters worse, we are not even in total control of our fate. Many parts of Nigeria would have been flooded even without the release of water from two dams. The first was the Cameroonian dam which devasted further states along River Benue; the second was the dam in Guinea which added to the waters of the Niger and swelled its banks beyond areas hitherto reached by that river. The two dams are still there and they have been constructed for maximum levels of rainfall far less than what we now experience in the region. So next year, if the rainfall is as heavy as what we now experience, the dams waters will be released again and our territory will be inundated once more. It is difficult to imagine how N17.2 billion or even N100 billion will solve the enormous problems we will have to face henceforth.

Kiagbodo: Burial site of Bekederemo, Fuludu and Clark, Prof. JP Clark's ancestors under water. For once, President Jonathan enjoys my sympathies because he is confronted with this monster problem, relentless and ruinous floods, which no other leader had ever had to manage and which no leader worldwide was prepared to face so suddenly. At the same time, he can take comfort in the fact that the Chinese had long defined a “crisis” as a mixture of problems and opportunities. The problems are here quite alright, in gargantuan

dimensions; but, there is also a glimmer of hope that Goodluck Jonathan might have been provided with the opportunity to reshape Nigeria in a way no other leader has ever had to do. If Jonathan rises to the occasion, posterity will write his name in gold – irrespective of what the present generation of Nigerians say about his performance. If he fails; our civilsation, as we know it, might never recover from the calamity that will follow.

Four farmers commit suicide over flood disaster in Kogi BY LAIDE AKINBOADE

BUJA—FOUR farmers in Kogi State have committed suicide as a result of losses they incurred due to flood just as thousands of others have been displaced. President Goodluck Jonathan who disclosed this yesterday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital while undertaking a tour of the areas affected by flood encouraged the Internally Displaced People, IDPs, in Bayelsa State not to give up hope, assuring that the Federal Government was committed to rehabilitating them. He stated this in one of IDPs

camps at Samson Siasia stadium, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. Speaking in Yenagoa, President Jonathan said, “In Kogi State, four farmers committed suicide because they borrowed money from the bank to buy seeds and flood came and destroyed it. So because they were scared they committed suicide. I was also in a place in Kogi, where a storey building was under water. “People that are not in IDP

Bekederemo Hall: The historic hall where Bekederemo met with officials of the Royal Niger Company in the 19th century.

are the people always struggling for relief materials. This flood is all over the world, Asia, Europe, I know that Nigeria flooding is bad. And when we have such disaster food is not the problem, do not make food your priority. “If you eat once, thank God, I know that none of you would die of hunger here. Before the middle of November, the water would have receded."

53 babies born in Kogi, Enugu IDPs camps BY TONY EDIKE

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P.S. Welcome to a new series of articles, starting soon, which will be titled FLOODWATCH. It will be based on real site visits to flooded areas in many states of Nigeria. The government has a job to do; so do the media. Together the first and fourth estates of the realm must educate Nigerians about the novel challenge to our national survival. For once, we cannot start by blaming President Jonathan; even his people at Otuoke are victims.

NUGU—FIFTY-THREE new babies have been delivered by flood victims in the various refugee camps in Idah and Uzo-Uwani local government area of Kogi and Enugu States respectively within the last three weeks, Chairman of Ibaji local government area of Kogi State, Mr. Dave Ogwu, disclosed this yesterday. Ogwu, whose riverine council had been completely submerged by the flood which had forced the inhabitants into refugee camps, expressed regrets that 20 persons have so far died in the refugee camps due to illness caused by poor hygiene and old age, saying

unless the condition of the camps were urgently improved upon the mortality rate could increase. The council chairman told Vanguard on telephone that the camps where the flood victims from his council are residing were not conducive for human habitation but since they had no alternative they have remained there, adding that apart from food shortage, drugs were not readily available for the sick ones. He said that his council had deployed a lot of resources to take care of majority of the victims in Idah and its environs just as those in Enugu State had received a little assistance from the council.

Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012—9

THE RAGE OF FLOOD

Flood kills fisherman, sacks 200 orphans in Delta

...Delta deputy speaker donates to flood victims BY EMMA AMAIZE, AUSTIN OGWUDA & FESTUS AHON

ARRI—THE ravag ing flood sweeping through Delta State, yesterday, killed a 53-year-old fisherman, Mr. Adepere Wilfred in Bobougbene community, Burutu Local Government Area of the state and sacked 200 inmates from their orphanage home at Irri in Isoko South Local Government Area of the state. Twelve pregnant women and 10 children, however, escaped death when the boat they were escaping from the surging ocean in Ayakaromo community capsized. They were rescued by fishermen. In Adepere’s case, he was said to have run into a violent flood, which overturned his boat and he died before help could come to him. A youth leader, Mr M.

Enaibo, lamented that flood had destroyed the entire community and pleaded with the state government to come to the rescue of the victims. It was learnt, however, that the affected orphans had been transferred to a relief camp at Oleh and a politician in the area, who facilitated the evacuation of the orphans, bought a generating set to provide power in the town hall where they are quartered. Reacting to complaints that

internally displaced persons were abandoned and not properly catered for, state Commissioner for Special Duties, Mrs. Erezi Eseivo, said that living condition of IDPs in various camps in the state had improved. Meanwhile, deputy speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr Basil Ganagana, yesterday, donated relief materials to flood victims from Patani Local Government Area.

UN 'll assist Delta, Anambra flood victms, says Oma Djebah

SABA—SPECIAL Adviser to Delta State Governor, Foreign Affairs, Mr. Oma Djeba, weekend, said, that the United Nations would assist flood victims in Delta and Anambra states. Djeba at Okwagbe in a chat with newsmen moments after he

donated food items to victims at Okwagbe camp, Ughelli South council, described the flood situation in the area as very alarming. He assured that the state government was making efforts to collaborate with international and non-governmental organisations

Mr. Oma Djebah, Senior Adviser to Delta State Governor on Foreign Relations and Acting Chairman, Ughelli South Local Government Area, Mr A. Agbeyeke, at Okwagbe, home-town of Mr Djebah during an inspection of communities submerged by flood in Delta State. to address the challenges posed by the flood disaster in the state in line with the three approaches recommended by the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan.

He said: “The governor had written to United Nations and UN has replied, and only two states, Delta and Anambra States were listed to benefit from the UN’s assistance.”

100,000 displaced in Rivers BY JIMITOTAONOYUME

Side view of Bekederemo hall, Kiagbodo.

Kiagbodo: Compound and burial site of Ogein, Prof. JP Clark's Great-great-grandfather.

JP Clark tasks govt on flood victims' rehabilitation BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

ARRI—RENOWNED Poet, Prof JP Clark has asked government at all levels to ensure that relief materials get to victims of the raging flood disaster in the country, lamenting that so far, the response was slow. Clark, who just returned from his flooded home town of Kiagbodo, Delta State, yesterday, cried that so far no help had come to victims of the area and surrounding communities ravaged by the flood. The only government official, whom he said visited the area was the secretary to the local council, who came on the directives of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan. Consequently, he urged that the N17.6 billion the Federal Government released last week for victims should get to those it was meant for. Lamenting that this year’s flood was unusual, he feared that an epochal event, which might alter permanently the landscape of Niger Delta was in the offing. Picking holes in claims that disaster arose from climate change, Prof Clark urged the government to take the issue C M Y K

up with Cameroon following reports that the release of water from Lagdo Dam, in Cameroon contributed immensely to flood. His reason: ‘’There has never been flood of this magnitude in the history of the people. The rhythm has never been seen or had from oral and recorded history of our people.’’He also lamented that the bulk of Ijawland in Delta State including Kiagbodo and his ancestral land especillay those of his Great-great-great grand-father, Ogein; great-greatgrand father Bekederemo; Greatgrand father, Fuludu and father, Clark had been flooded, noting that a multi-million naira library project being built in his honour at the University of Lagos – JP Clark centre was under threat. How? His library containing over 5000 books, which he plans to donate to the centre is about to be swept away. His words: ‘’It is devastating. I can now understand what the Noah story is about. My place is completely taken over by flood. The river has risen. Last night (Saturday) it was 11 feet, five inches. This morning (Sunday) it was 12 feet 1 inch. It rises by 8

inches’ overnight. If it goes on like like that, in one week, my place, my house and library will totally be submerged. Across the river to my town Kiagbodo, from the waterside beginning with my great-great grand father great hall where he received Royal Niger Company in those days in the early 19th century is completely flooded.

Approaching Kiagbodo "I went by boat into the hall and from there moved across to the great compound of the Bekederemo, which the British compared with that of the Oba of Benin in those days. Now all the roads in Kiagbodo are cut off, you can only approach Kiagbodo through the water. My fear is that there is an epochal event taking place right now which we might not be aware of. It is comparable to a tsunami. But Tsunami is a one to three day occurrence. The flood comes, washes off the shore and then goes back but this one, it seems is going to be a permanent phenomenon in our lives. I wanted to ask the President, what

is the cause of this phenomenal rise of the Niger River and Benue River? Last year, the press reported there is a dam called Lagdo, either it has broken or they deliberately released water from Cameroon. I ask, we have given this people part of our body, because we have given them Bakassi, are now allowing them to come and drown us? "People are left helpless. As I left today (Sunday), no elected member of Delta State Government, the state House of Assembly, House of Reps and Senate has come to Kiagbodo. The only person, who came last Thursday was the secretary to the local council. He said Governor Uduaghan asked them to go inspect their various local council areas and he happens to come from my place. That was last Thursday. By the time I left today (Sunday) there was no government presence in Kiagbodo. You can multiply that for all the various communities on River Niger basin, who have been bearing this for years. It is just the degree and because it has happened in some other places that is why it became a national problem."

ORT HARCOURT—NO fewer than 100,000 persons have so far been displaced by flood in Ekpeye Kingdom, Rivers State. Lamenting the situation, weekend, in Ahoada East Local Government Area, the traditional ruler of the kingdom, Eze Robinson Robinson, said more than half of the land in the kingdom had been submerged by the flood. The monarch, who spoke when Total E & P presented relief materials to his palace for distributions to victims of the disaster, expressed gratitude to the oil company. Appealing for drugs and foams from the firm for victims of the disaster, the traditional ruler assured that the people would continue to reciprocate the gesture by ensuring that they sustain the conducive environment for the firm to operate. Meantime, governors of states ravaged by flood disaster, have been urged to appoint credible persons into committees they set up to distribute relief materials to victims of the disaster. He said he was not surprised at the kind gesture of the oil company because the firm had continued to implement its own part of the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, it entered into with the kingdom.

10—Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

Vanguard Newspapers comes to motorists' rescue, fixes terrible portions of Oshodi-Apapa Expressway

Bad portion of the Berger Under Bridge, Bus-stop, on the Oshodi-Apapa ExpresswayWednesday before the intervention of Vanguard Media Ltd. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi

Another bad portion at Berger Under Bridge Bus-stop, Oshodi-Apapa Expressway before the intervention of Vanguard Media Ltd. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi

Vanguard Newspapers staff fixing a bad portion of Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, at Berger Under Bridge, Bus-stop, weekend. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye

Vanguard Newspapers staff fixing another bad portion of the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, at Berger Under Bridge, Bus-stop, weekend. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye

ECOWAS Court, NHRC meet to tackle rights violations in Nigeria By Soni Daniel

S RIGHTS abuses continue across the country, the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, has approached the ECOWAS Court of Justice for partnership to be able to protect the rights of Nigerians. The NHRC is said to have expressed serious concern over rising cases of the violation of the rights of the citizens by individuals and organisations despite the avalanche of laws protecting Nigerians from such breaches. The Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Prof. Bem Angwe, is said to have led a strong delegation of the Federal Government agency to meet with the President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja, Hon. Justice Awa Nana Daboya, during which the issue of rights violation was examined C M Y K

and measures to contain it, proffered. At the meeting in Abuja, Justice Awa Nana Daboya, stated that the promotion with protection of human rights remains a serious issue in the West African subregion, which the court was addressing and promised to work with the NHRC to check the situation.

Amosun warns suspended Obas against insubordination BY DAUD OLATUNJI

B E O K U TA — OGUN State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun weekend read a riot act to the two warring Obas who threw caution into the wind recently, saying they remain suspended. Amosun’s statement came on the heels of

alleged manner the two Obas who were said to be still parading themselves as Obas. Speaking on the fate of the warring Obas during a media parley held over the weekend, Amosun said the two Obas "remain suspended". It would be recalled that, the Olu of Itori, Oba Fatai Akamo and

Baale Lapenleke, Oba Adisa Akinremi were reported to have engaged each other in fisticuffs over traditional matters at Itori Divisional Office of Nigeria Police in Ewekoro Local Government penultimate Tuesday which prompted their interrogation by the police. The governor who did

Appeal tribunal dismisses Oyo ACN candidate’s petition BY OLA AJAYI

BADAN — THE National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petitions Appeal Tribunal in Ibadan has dismissed the appeal filed by the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, candidate, Lanre Agoro against his opponent, Mr. Jimoh Afees of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The ACN candidate had challenged the

judgment of a lower tribunal which confirmed the election of Jimoh Afees as the member representing Irepo/ Olorunsogo/Orelope Federal Constituency. While upholding the result of the election in a unanimous judgment on Friday, Honourable Justice Chidi Uwa, dismissed the appeal of the ACN candidate for lack of merit and awarded N30,000 cost against him. The lower tribunal had

on April 16, 2011 nullified the election that first elected the ACN candidate into the legislative arm and ordered a re-run election which also had to be conducted twice in February and the PDP candidate was confirmed as the winner. Dissatisfied with the result, the ACN candidate challenged the result at the lower tribunal but lost. Reacting to the judgement, Afees said

the judgment was the end of the road for the ACN. He said, “Our people spoke two times through the polls but the opposition chose not to heed the voices of reason. Now, the Judiciary, which is the bastion of hope for the common man, has spoken resoundingly in our favour. "The game is up for those trying to snatch a mandate that does not belong to them.”

not disclose the recommendation of the sole panelist, however, said that he has got the report from the panel set up to try the two warring monarchs. According to Amosun the two Obas remain suspended because it has been established that they fought. Also, speaking on the alleged deduction of local government funds by his administration, Amosun challenged anybody who has the facts about the claim to come out. He explained that, the issue was one of the issues that he does not want to be discussing because it angers him and as well makes him go emotional. However, he said, he does not only stay away from the local governments' funds, he also adds a sum of N400 million every month to their allocation.

Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012—11

Rep on rescue mission in Delta

member of House of Representatives, Mr. Nicholas Mutu, weekend, embarked on a rescue mission in coastal communities in Bomadi/Patani federal constituency of Delta State, which are facing untold hardship occasioned by flood. He also donated relief materials worth N10 million. Mutu said he embarked on the rescue mission to identify with his people residing in their ancestral homes, adding that he had to educate the people to take precautionary steps to stay alive in their abodes. Mutu, represented by SUMMIT: From right: Mr. Malik Fal, Managing Director, Omidyar Network Africa; Mr. Hakeem Belo-Osagie, Chairman, EMTS and Mr. Paul Harris, Director, FirstRand, South Africa, at the Entrepreneurship in Africa Summit, held in Accra, Ghana.

UNIPORT Four: VC confirms Tekena as student BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

ORT HARCOURT—VICE Chancellor of University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Prof. Joseph Ajienka, has confirmed that Tekena Erikena, who was killed alongside three others at Omuokiri-Aluu community, penultimate Friday, was a student of the university. He said, weekend, that the university later found out that he registered for a certificate programme. The Vice Chancellor said initially, the university could only confirm three of the four killed as students of the university, adding that effort was later made to ascertain if the late Tekena, who did

a basic programme with the university, was later admitted to any formal programme. The others killed were Ugona Obuzor, year II Geology student; Biringa Lordson, year II Theatre Arts student and Mike Toku, year II Civil Engineering student. Vanguard gathered that Dr. Andrew Efemini, Head of Department of Philosophy in the University, has been removed from office. Sources at the university said Dr. Efemini was removed for allegedly identifying with the students in last Tuesday’s protest over the killing of their colleagues. Centre for Environment Human Rights and Development, CEHRD, has condemned his re-

moval and called on the university to immediately reinstate the lecturer as Head of Department. CEHRD, in a statement by Stephen Obodoekwe, called on government to bring killers of the four students to book. He said: “We consider the arbitrary removal of the respected social justice crusader as unjust and condemnable as it is a direct attack on freedom of association and expression, as well as an attack on academic freedom. We condemn the removal without reservations. It is unimaginable that anybody could be victimized, punished or reprimanded for protesting the callous and barbaric killing of four students of the university, a barbaric act, which had

....As NANS blames killings on inadequate hostels BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

ENIN—NATIONAL Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, weekend, attributed the killing of four students of University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to inadequate hostel facilities on the campus, insisting that this had been responsible for violence on campuses of Nigerian Universities. NANS, in a statement

by the Zone B Coordinator, Mr. Obasi Chinonso, said over 75 per cent of university students in the country were living off campus. He denied allegation that students burnt four houses at Aluu in Rivers State, during a protest against the killing of the students last week. He said: “During the protest which lasted 12 hours, the leadership of NANS in the zone ensured that it was not hijacked by hoodlums.

None of our students was involved in the burning of houses. The arson was committed by the indigenes of Aluu to gain sympathy from the public.” The students called on the Federal Government and management of the University of Port Harcourt to provide more hostel facilities on campus to avoid a reoccurrence and put a stop to a situation where majority of its students reside off campus.

been and is still being greeted by public condemnations and outcries.”

Mr. Kelly Penawou, a former Bomadi Local Government Area boss, who spoke at Bomadi, headquarters of the council, donated relief materials to ameliorate the suffering of the people. The flood ravaged benefiting communities from Bomadi council include Bomadi, Kpakiama, Esanma, Ogboinama, Akugbene, Okoloba, Ogo-Eze, Ogriagbene and Kalafiogbene. Those in Patani Loca Government Area were Patani, Aven, Koloware, Agoloma, Angiama, Adobu, Odorubu,Uduophori, Bulu-Apelebiri and Abari.

Group faults claim of marginalisation in Delta

EOPLES Movement, a socio-cultural group in Delta State, has dismissed claims of marginalisation by some ethnic leaders in the state. A statement by the group's Director of Communication, Mrs. Ibituro Tatua, faulted some politicians and community leaders whom she ac-

cused of promoting selfish agenda. On the raging flood disaster in the state, Mrs. Tatua lauded the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, for his quick i n t e r v e n t i o n by providing relief materials to affected communities and setting up temporary camps in the areas.

12—Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

Oshiomhole vows to restore integrity in public schools BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

WALK FOR NATURE: From right: Chief Phillip Asiodu, President, Nigerian Conservation Foundation, NCF; Dr. Taofeek Folami, Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Environment; Mrs. Adebola Afun, Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, and Prince Adegoke Ademiluyi, Council member, NCF, during the 2012 Walk for Nature, organised by Lagos State Ministry of Environment and NCF, in Lagos, weekend. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

ASUU blames FG for low rating of Nigerian varsities BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

ALABAR—ACADEMIC Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has blamed the decay in the university education system in the country on Federal Government's alleged insensitivity, saying that it was responsible for the noninclusion of any of the country ’s universities among the best 400 universities in the world. President of ASUU, Dr. Nasir Isa, made the assertion after the National Executive Council meeting of the union at

Cross River University of Technology, Calabar. Isa said that lack of academic freedom was one of the factors responsible for the country’s poor academic rating as it concerned universities. He said that the major reason for the situation was inadequate funding, as the country’s universities, over the years, had suffered poor funding, adding that budgetary allocations to education sector in the country was poor compared to countries such as Ghana and South Africa, that give priority to the sector with good funding.

Ex-Minister’s arrest: Cargo owner nabbed BY GODWIN ORITSE

HE suspected owner of the allegedly stolen petroleum cargo that was traced to the storage facilities of Integrated Oil and Gas Company, owned by former Minister of Interior, Captain Emmanuel Ihenacho, has been arrested. Speaking with Vanguard on the development, Commander of Maritime Guard Command of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Captain Promise Dappa, said the suspect, Mr. Gbenga Olagoke,

surrendered himself when he got wind of moves to declare him wanted. Dappa added that the suspect was undergoing interrogation at State Security Service, SSS, office in Lagos. He said that the Company and office of the suspect, PDR Ventures, in Lagos, had been visited in the course of investigation. Dappa explained that the transaction was arranged with all the parties involved in August, adding that the agency had kept a tab on them from the time the vessel sailed from Europe.

Besides, he said that conditions of service and remuneration for staff of universities was a contributing factor to the low standard of education, which, he noted, had led to brain drain as Nigerian lecturers moved out in droves to other countries for better conditions of service.

On the crisis at Rivers State University of Science and Technology, the union berated Governor Rotimi Amaechi over alleged imposition of a Vice Chancellor on the university, saying that it violated the union’s agreement with government on appointments.

ENIN—GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, has vowed to restore the integrity of public schools, saying teachers must show commitment to building the future of children. The governor, weekend, at Payne Primary School, Benin City, during the continuation of his onthe-spot assessment of teachers’ attendance in public schools, said: “Government will sack and replace teachers who do not show good attitude to work. We should see the children not just as pupils but as our own children. “We have to make sure that people earn their

pay. No politics in school. If people do not submit to your authority, when you punish the person, find out if the governor will intervene. If you excuse the person, then I will punish you.” He directed the school's headmistress to query a teacher who was absent at a meeting called by the governor with teachers of the school on the excuse that she was in her classroom, insisting that teachers must maintain strict discipline otherwise they would not be able to teach their pupils how to be disciplined. The governor promised that ceiling fans would be installed in the school’s classrooms and ensure that water flows in the school, saying, “that is part of our total renewal programme.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012—13

PRESENTATION: From right— Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State; Mr. Wale Tinubu, Group Chief Executive, Oando Plc; Dr. Olusegun Aganga, Minister of Trade and Investment, and Senator Idris Umar, the Minister for Transport, at the presentation of Oando O-Gas cooking cylinder during the Nigeria Oil and Gas Trade and Investment Forum at Onne, River States.

‘No compromising on budget implementation, $80pb benchmark' BY DAYO JOHNSON

KURE—SPEAKER of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, has said the House will neither treat the issue of the implementation the budget with the President as a “family issue” nor rescind the decision to use $80 per barrel as the benchmark for the 2013 appropriation. He spoke with newsmen in Irun-Akoko, Akoko North-West Local Government Area of Ondo State, during a condolence visit to a member of the House, Gani Dauda over the death of his wife, Sadiat. He said: “The leadership and members of the House were not ready to compromise the interest of the nation because of party politics.” Tambuwal insisted that the interest of the country should be paramount in all the decision made by the National Assembly. Tambuwal said: “There is nothing like family affairs in governance. We are not here on our own. We are there to represent our people and discharge our constitutional responsibility.” Tambuwal said the House was only helping the President by insisting on implementation of the budget. According to him, the lawmakers were not interested in the failure of the

President, hence the stand of the House on the budget. He said: “We don’t want the President to fail. When we say implement budget, we are doing so to enable him succeed. We are not

against the President. “We are only demanding from Mr. President what is right. If he gets it right it is for his own benefit because the credit will go to him. “We are all in government to achieve the same goal.”

Osun First Lady, others visit Speaker over wife's rescue BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

SOGBO—WIFE of the Osun State governor, Alhaja Sherifat Aregbesola, and the Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Abdulrasheed Olabomi, were among indegenes of the state that thronged the Abere, Osogbo residence of the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Najeem Salam, yesterday, to congratulate him on the rescue of his wife, Alhaja Muibat Salam, from the hands of kidnappers. It will be recalled that Alhaja Salam was kidnapped last week Tuesday at Bamagay Square area in Ejigbo, while on her way home after closing from her shop. She was, however, rescued in Ogunmakin village, Ogun State, along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway by a combined team of security men and vigi-

lante group on Saturday. The Speaker had expressed gratitude to men of Ogun State vigilante group, who engaged the kidnappers in a gun battle, and other security operatives that secured her release. Salam, in a statement by his media assistant, Mr. Goke Butika, stated that he was impressed with the support given to his family during the trying period by the state Governor Rauf Aregbesola, traditional rulers, religious leaders, his colleagues at the state Assembly, the media, and the public. He said: “I am grateful to the whistle-blower, the Ogun State vigilante group that engaged the criminals in a gun duel in their hide-out in Ogunmakin village, Lagos-Ibadan expressway, before my wife was rescued after four days in their hide out.”

Abia transition c'ttee honours 8 BY ANAYO OKOLI

MUAHIA—T H E Transition Committee Councillors Forum, Abia State, has honoured eight of the 17 Transition Committee Chairmen in the state. According to the forum, the council committee chairman performed well in the areas of providing services and infrastructures in the rural areas, adding that C M Y K

it selected eight chairmen that utilised their allocations to the benefit of the rural people and in line with the agenda of Governor Theodore Orji. It, however, noted that other chairmen did well during the period of assessment, but that the eight honoured were outstanding. Those honoured were Prince Dan Okoli of Umunneochi council; Dr.

Onyekachi Nwulu of Obingwa council; Okafor Affia, Arochukwu Local Government Area and Mrs. Nnenna Onwuka of Ohafia Council. Others were Chief Armstrong Okoronkwo of Isiala Ngwa North; Michael Ekpe of Ikwuano; Goodluck Amaefula, Aba North Council and Apostle Ikokwu Nwankwo, Chairman of Ukwa West Council.

14 — Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012—15

AMCON denies secrecy in N140.9bn Otedola deal guard that the corporation Representatives never conBY NKIRUKA NNOROM

MEETING: From left— Mr. Pierre-Alain Pacaud, Regional Manager, North & SouthEast Asia; Sophie Le Roy, Deputy Head, Banking & Capital Markets; Marie-Helene Loison, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer, all of Proparco; Mr. Phillips Oduoza, GMD/CEO, UBA Plc; Claude Periou, Director-General, Proparco; and Sola Yomi-Ajayi, Division Head, International Banking, UBA Plc, during a meeting between UBA and Proparco in Tokyo, Japan, weekend.

FERMA gets marching orders on road rehabilitation BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

ENIN—FOLLOWING the directive by the Presidency that all critical Federal Government highways across the country be put in shape by December 2012, the South-South Zone 11 of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA, has awarded over 10 road contracts in the zone comprising Edo, Delta and Ondo states.

Zonal Coordinator, SouthSouth Zone 11 (SS 11) of FERMA, Mr. Jimoh Kajogbola, disclosed this while flagging off newlyawarded contracts for road maintenance in the Zone at Illah, Delta State, along the Benin-Asaba-Onitsha dual carriage way. Some of the roads covered by the contracts are BeninShagamu (OfusuAjabandele); BeninEkpoma-Auchi Road, and Ewu-Uromi-Agbor Road.

SSET Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, yesterday, described as false claims by the House of Representatives that the settlement of about N140.91 billion debt owed the Corporation by oil magnate, Mr. Femi Otedola, was shrouded in secrecy. Mr. Mustapha ChikeObi, Managing Director/ CEO, AMCON, told Van-

had restructured and recovered loans worth about N1 trillion since 2010, when it was inaugurated. Though the AMCON Act permits it to carry out transactions without recourse to anyone, except the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, which regulates its activities, the AMCON chief executive said he was ready to lay bare the details of their transactions with Otedola if asked. He said the House of

sulted him before arriving at its conclusion, adding, “I reject it. I reject that term secret. AMCON had a proper and clear process for restructuring loans. “It is not secret. All the policies were approved by the board and Femi Otedola’s transaction went through a very rigorous and transparent process that we are very proud of and we can defend anywhere. “I reject the expression of secret.”

Ex Yobe gov to Jonathan: Review N-East budget or face insurgency BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

BUJA—FORMER governor of Yobe State, Senator Buka Ibrahim, has warned the Federal Government to expect insurgency worse than that of the Boko Haram in the coming months, if it failed to redress the paltry funds ap-

propriated to the NorthEast in the 2013 budget. The Senator spoke in the wake of the 2013 budget presentation by President Goodluck Jonathan at the National Assembly last Wednesday. He said Federal Government’s allocation to the region was alarming, arguing that it was another form of injustice. He said: “Boko Haram is a product of poverty. It is a product of unhappiness. We are unhappy with Nigeria. Unless something is done to ad-

dress it, Nigeria should expect bigger Boko Haram insurgency, Insha Allah. “Other geo-political zones got N79 billion or N80 billion. But the North-East has only N50 billion; a difference of N30 billion. Go and check the budget figures or ask the Director-General Budget Office.” Asked what the Federal Government should do to avert such a development, he said continuous injustice could only breed continuous insecurity.

“Look, injustice is the basis of all crises in the world. All insecurity comes from injustice. If injustice continues, there will never be peace. “The panacea is for the government to be conscious of the fact that this part of the country that is totally being neglected; this area called an area without security, is also an area to which injustice has been meted out for decades.” “Unless concerted effort is made to balance it up, there is no hope.”

Gunmen attack Ghanaian in Maiduguri BY NDAHI MARAMA

AIDUGURI— BARELY 24 hours after the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar ElKanemi, and members of the Borno Elders Forum, BOEF, urged Boko Haram sect to cease fire, gunmen suspected to be members of the Islamist sect have shot a Ghanaian (names withheld). This came as a bomb, yes-

terday, exploded along Bama road in Maiduguri metropolis. There was no casualty. It was gathered that the victim was shot on Saturday at the Dandal WayBabanlayi junction of Maiduguri metropolis at 2.45pm. The Ghanaian , according to an eyewitness, was shot in the arm and then rushed to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, UMTH, by relations and two other persons.

The eyewitness said: “The gunmen came on foot with a gun, and one of them fired at the Ghanaian at his shop, where he repairs fridge on Dandal Way, then fled into Hausari Ward, before men of the Joint Task Force, JTF, rushed to the scene, yesterday (Saturday).” The Ghanaian, according to him, had lived in Maiduguri for over 30 years and had been repairing fridges at the Shehu’s palace for over 20 years.

IGP receives $620,000 subsidy This was sequel to the di- of Representatives, promiscam video rective by the Attorney- nent northern citizens and BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI

BUJA—INSPECTORGeneral of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, has received the video tape of the alleged bribery transaction involving Mr. Farouk Lawal, former Chairman, House of Representatives Probe Panel, from the State Security Service, SSS, and commenced further investigation of the scandal. C M Y K

General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, that the report submitted by the Police Special Task Force probing the $620,000 subsidy bribe scandal, be reinvestigated and grey areas cleared. It was gathered that since the receipt of the video and commencement of investigation to clear grey areas, there had been immense pressure on the IGP by some members of the House

politicians. Accusations that the bribery scam issue was allegedly a set up by the Presidency to rubbish the integrity of the House have also resurfaced. Vanguard gathered that Lawal had continued to report to the police every two days and signs attendance register, though the police are in a fix as to whether to join Femi Otedola, the complainant as a suspect.

16— Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012 JUSTICE U. P. Kekemeke of an Abuja High Court last week delivered a judgment that should halt security agencies that make brutalising people their duty. In awarding N100 million as special damages to Desmond Utonwen, a Senior Correspondent with TheNEWS Magazine, he made the point about the illegality of brutality, contrary to the perception that even if there was such law, security agencies were above it. On 11 December 2009, Utonwen was in Garki, Area 3, Abuja to report a protest. The police, presumably on a mission to quell the protest, brutalised him. They beat him to unconsciousness, bundled him into a police vehicle, where he was detained for many hours without access to medical treatment. He could have bled to death. According to the court, the police violated Utonwen’s right as enshrined in Section 34 (1) of the Constitution which states, “Every individual is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person, and accordingly - (a) no person shall be subject to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment”. It ruled that the treatment was inhuman and

No TTo oP olice Brutality Police degrading. Specific matters Utonwen raised against the police were the forceful collection of one digital camera, one digital recorder, TheNEWS magazine official identity card, cash of N2, 000 from him. Justice Kekemeke said the police’s action amounted to forceful acquisition of the applicant’s property and ran contrary to provisions of the Constitution which awarded the applicant rights to own moveable property. Sections 33 and 44 state, “Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, every citizen of Nigeria shall have the right to acquire and own immovable property anywhere in Nigeria.

No moveable property or any interest in an immovable property shall be taken possession of compulsorily and no right over or interest in any such property shall be acquired compulsorily in any part of Nigeria except in the manner and for the purposes prescribed by a law.” His rights under freedom of the press and expression as captured in Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution were other matters the judgement treated. The judge additionally ruled that the police should immediately return all the items they seized from the journalist. Brutalities are not limited to journalists. During protests, the police attack the people under the guise of keeping the peace. Victims of police brutality include suspects who are beaten under interrogation. They now know they have recourse in these matters. The police have to take this judgement serious, apart from the cost of damages, for more telling situations where people die from police brutality. What compensations can pay for their lives? The police should punish the officers who dehumanised Utonwen as a lesson to others.

OPINION Continued from FridayViewpoints

The desperation against Reform(2)

BY GABRIEL ZOWAM

EW ancillary businesses mushroomed overnight to meet the swelling needs of these expanding banks (in the areas of networking, systems integration, media and branding, security services, etc). Qualitative employment naturally exploded for Nigerian youths, as the expanding banks and their ancillary-service providers snapped up young Nigerians in large numbers! The story was the same in our capital market, where the recapitalisation spurred a spate of public offers, private placements, and daily transactions that drove the market to unprecedented indices, boosting business, industry and employment; and creating wealth for investors. All the earlier apprehensions of labour unions about consolidation became unfounded! Instead, we saw the gradual re-emergence of Nigeria’s middle class! So optimistic did our national outlook become, that Goldman Sachs’ research report for 2007 listed Nigeria among its ‘Next 11’ group of countries expected to catch up to the fastest developing BRIC economies! That reform might also have been very providential, considering what could have become of the Nigerian economy, if the global meltdown that soon followed, had met us with a financial sector driven by fragile, undercapitalised banks!

The lessons

I am sure the people at CBN will say a lot more about the benefits of that consolidation; but the point of highlighting them is to help us see the kind of progress the nation is denied each time our powerful vested interests hound and bring down any officeholder that dares to change things! Remarkably, the scenario is replaying itself with our present officeholders that are trying to reform the system - Aruma Oteh, Bart Nnaji, Okonjo-Iweala, Alison-

Madueke, etc! For example, look at our oil sector, where some of the most transformational clouds of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan are gathering: For the first time, an industry that had operated in the darkness of powerful untouchables, is being fundamentally ripped apart! What many Nigerians don’t realise is that all the unprecedented revelations and debates we are seeing today in that industry are coming because somebody, rather than simply toeing the old line, is daring to change things! In January this year, we almost dramatically deregulated the downstream sector, in an initiative whose impact (had it succeeded) might have liberated the industry from the grip of a few families, and dwarfed even our Soludo and telecoms reforms! Although Nigeria temporarily lost that battle, it was still a very highly significant ministerial initiative! Similarly, the all-important Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, which had clearly forgotten the destination of the 12-year journey it started since 2000 (with President Obasanjo’s “Oil & Gas Reform Implementation Committee”, OGIC), is now suddenly contemplating reality! This means that all those years of regulatory uncertainty, blocking billions of dollars of oil-sector investments, are coming to an end! Again, for the first time in our oil industry history, we now have a “Nigerian Content Development Act”, which has created enormous capacity for massive local participation in that sector.

ll these are happening simultaneously with various other reforms, including the construction of a massive, unprecedented gas distribution infrastructure, which among other things, is bringing reality to the power plants that previous governments had constructed across the country without provision for gas supply (only Nigeria

can do that)! Because the budget for that infrastructure project did not disappear into our private pockets, as with our past turn-around maintenance projects, Nigeria now has suddenly created a massive gas infrastructure including one of the biggest pipeline projects ever in this country, which now gives life to the stranded 700 megawatts power plant at Olorunsogo, Ogun State! Clearly, our oil industry is seeing something more serious than the cosmetics it was used to! Perhaps, the next round of public hearings will finally unearth (for public debate) the identities of the powerful Nigerians that appropriated Nigeria’s oil wells to themselves and their children! I have never met our Petroleum Minister, Mrs Deziani Alison-Madueke, nor any of her assistants; and it is not for me to make her case. But if transformation is what Nigeria desperately needs, Madam Minister has been far more transformational than several of our past petroleum ministers put together! Now, what is she getting in return? Praises? No! Instead, the vested interests are highly alarmed, and fighting back desperately! But Nigeria’s future is rooting for these reformers! That is why Mr. President must continue to boldly support the few members of his cabinet that are daring to change things! The transformation of our nation (and even the legacies of his Presidency) will come from them! He has been commendable on this, including his efforts for Aruma Oteh, whose reforms at SEC, appear to have so much upset the establishment! Concluded

•Mr Zowam, a social critic, wrote from Lagos

Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012 — 41

HOW can I describe the unfolding flood disaster in our country so that people outside the impacted areas can comprehend it as a catastrophe that it is? As news of the devastation of the Benue River in Adamawa, Benue, Kogi and Edo states reached us in Abuja, I began to dread what was going to happen to our people further downstream in the Delta. By the time news came that the Nigerian Immigration Office in Asaba which was more than at least a good two kilometres from the bank of the Niger River had been submerged, I had to pay a visit home. As we flew over AnambraState in our approach to Asaba, I looked out through the window and saw that what used to be pleasant green farmlands of Anambra State had become an apparent marshland of the delta. For miles and miles, we flew over distant settlements below, where the only things peeping out of the water were the coloured roofing sheets of what were previously dwelling homes. At Asaba, I got briefings that the communities of OkoAnala, OkoOgbele, OkoAmakom,Abala and others in the south of Oshimili South Local Government Area had been evacuated and were being camped at displaced persons’ camps in St. Patrick’s College Asaba and ICE, Asaba. In AniochaSouth Local Government Area, where I come from, the people of Olodu, where I had gone to commission a primary health care centre built with support

from UNICEF some years back, had been evacuated and the health centre with all the other dwellings in the settlement was completely submerged. Similarly, neighbouringEwulu community had been impacted but details were scanty. I planned, therefore, to visit the camp in St. Patrick’s and then swing to Olodu, Ewulu and then to Ashaka in Ndokwa which was the camp for the displaced people of Ndokwa East.

n getting to St. Patrick’s I was advised to deliver the relief materials I brought as they had the logistics capability to distribute these to all the camps. I was further advised that the Asaba-Kwale road, which would have been a 45-five minute drive, was impassable as the flood had taken over large sections of the road. To get to Isokofrom Asaba, therefore, I had to make a long detour to Agbor in the west, then swing through Abraka towards Warri before turning off through Isiokolo in Ethiope East to Afiesere in Ughelli North to take me back to Isoko. This took me more than three hours for what used to be a little over an hour drive on the now impassable Asaba-KwaleIsoko route. I managed to reach Ewulu Grammar school where I met the displaced people from that community with their King who narrated how the flood had overtaken the town and destroyed all their fish farms and households and they managed to escape by river craft over what was previously dry land. I saw aged

What has happened and is still unfolding is a disaster of monumental proportions; indeed, this is a catastrophe

people looking dazed and absolutely lacking in comprehension how their world had been turned upside down. The whole community was now cramped into classrooms and struggled to preserve their human dignity in the face of these odds. I commiserated with them, listened attentively to their pleas for water supply, mosquito nets and speed boats to return and see if any more property could still be salvaged from the community, after acknowledging the quick response of the State Government to their appeal for evacuation. Indeed, the State Deputy Governor who is in charge of the emergency team had just left the community before my arrival. At St. Patrick’s, I was taken round to see the displaced persons and shown the efforts of the interministerial committee dealing with the emergency. I was quite impressed by the coordination of efforts of the State Government and the frontline emergency organisations such as NEMA, Red Cross and so on. I could see the tiredness in the eyes of these officers who I commended and

Aregbesola, Okojie, the PDP and UNIOSUN medical students BY OLUREMI OMOWAIYE

T is sheer irresponsibility and gross recklessness to seek to play politics with the lives of our youth and children, for they are the hope and the future of our community. They constitute the pivot for any society willing and aspiring to develop. It was revealed recently that the Federal Government has consistently been sending beneficiaries of federal scholarships to study in Cuba, China, Japan, Morocco, Turkey, Ukraine, Serbia, Romania, Russia and Algeria, among other places. It is then a surprise when the Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission, Professor Julius Amioba Okojie, attacked the Osun State Government for sending some stranded medical students of the state university, UNIOSUN, to Ukraine to complete their studies. Okojie went as far as referring to the host university in Ukraine as substandard. The Government of the State of Osun recently concluded arrangements for 98 medical students of UNIOSUN, Osogbo, who were long overdue for their clinical course to complete their study abroad on the bill of the state government. This was due to the non-availability of a teaching hospital for the university, contrary to the insinuation by apologists of the Peoples Democratic Party that Osun State University Teaching Hospital was cancelled. In fact, UNIOSUN had no teaching hospital. The state government had proposed to upgrade the State Hospital at Asubiaro, Osogbo, to a teaching hospital. If well over N1.5 billion was spent to ensure the accreditation of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital in 2000/2001, the Osun State Government would have had to spend no less than N5 billion now to upgrade the State Hospital to a functional and standard teaching hospital for clinical purposes to

get the required accreditation. Personnel will no doubt pose a great challenge as well. It took the pioneer medical students of LAUTECH 10 years to graduate owning to accreditation challenges. It is therefore laughable for the PDP apologists to think that N850 million will put up a teaching hospital and secure accreditation. It is so sad that the medical students of UNIOSUN were stagnated for about two years as a result of nonavailability of a teaching hospital for the university. All efforts made to get them admitted to tertiary institutions like Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife; University of Ibadan, UI; University of Lagos, UNILAG; Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, for their clinical courses failed. However, to save the situation of the medical students, the Rauf Aregbesola administration in Osun State settled for the overseas option. This was the most reasonable option available. The nobleminded progressive government decided to place all those due for clinical courses, that is, all 300 to 500 level medical students, on scholarship to complete their medical study in the prestigious V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Ukraine. This decision was reported many times in both the electronic and print media. Everyone was told that the scholarship will cost the state government N146 million and not N600 million as being falsely and viciously propagated by PDP. The state government was very transparent about this matter. A total of $7,000 is to be expended on each of the concerned students. This would cover tuition fees, return air tickets and other logistics. The parents of the students would only take care of their wards’ upkeep while undergoing the courses. Karazin Kharkiv National University School of Medicine at the

BY CLEMENT OFUANI

This is catastrophe

encouraged as they were the first line of hope for the displaced people. They cannot afford to be tired or appear hopeless. The same situation but worse was unfolding at St. Michael’s Grammar School, Oleh in Isoko South where the mass of humanity was trying to comprehend what was happening. As we were approaching Isoko, I called one of my associates, an undergraduate student at Delta State University, Oleh Campus to give me a situation report and to meet me at a convenient location so that we could go to the camp together. As we approached the camp, he received a phone call and I heard him tell his caller that he was in my company and that we were going to the refugee camp. I quickly corrected him, that it was displaced persons’ camp and not refugee camp. However, semantics apart, it would appear that his was a more accurate description as our people have become refugees in their land. I guess I was really more frightened about that description and was in a state of denial when I sought to correct his description. By the time, we left St. Michael’s, it was already 5pm and there was no way we could proceed any further to Tuomo. Returning to Asaba through the route we came was really out of the question, so we decided to gamble on the Isoko-Kwale-Asaba road which is being dualised by the State Government. A little after Kwale, we ran into the flood. Only one section of the dualised road was passable even though the water was hitting the bonnet of our SUV. Further down at Ossissa, I took the photograph of the old man paddling his canoe on the other lane of the road with his

Prof Okojie should not put politics above the interest of the nation and the future of our children; we should commend Aregbesola for not allowing sentiments to come to play in this great gesture by the state

moment has about 200 students on English Language training.

he NUC Executive Secretary, Professor Okojie, misfired by referring to V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University as a substandard university. For a man who is in charge of granting licenses regularly to many substandard universities, this is a very interesting charge. If only it were true. It is worth noting that the university in question is one of the oldest and most famous universities in the entire Central and Eastern Europe. It was founded in November 1804 and today remains one of the largest research centres in Ukraine. It covers virtually all spheres of modern fundamental research and incorporates the Research Institutes of Chemistry, Biology, and Astronomy, the Institute of Physics and Engineering, and the Institute of High Technologies. It is the only university in Ukraine that has trained and employed three Nobel laureates. How many of the universities that Okojie superintends have produced Nobel laureates? The university has produced Nobel laureates in medical biology, economics and physics. No single African country has produced a Nobel laureate in biology, economics or physics. Nigeria, with 160 million population, has only produced one Nobel laureate in Literature.

bicycle strapped to the canoe. This was for me, the ultimate metaphor of what was happening. Our road infrastructure in both north and south of the country that we were previously complaining about is being washed away, thus worsening the development challenges facing our nation. The national housing deficit is being compounded by the destruction of homes in different communities across the entire impacted States. The farmlands that used to provide food for our people from Benue State to the yam baskets of the lower Niger have been completely destroyed. Rice farms and fish ponds have been obliterated. The children cannot go to school and the schools that have been turned into camps for displaced persons cannot offer normal instructions under the current circumstances. More crucial is the question whether this is a blip which will disappear to enable us begin picking the pieces of our lives or whether it is a new phenomenon arising from the much talked about global warming. Either way, what has happened and is still unfolding is a disaster of monumental proportions. Indeed, this is a catastrophe. Both the Federal Government and the state governments are completely overwhelmed as meager resources are being stretched beyond limits. We need more media attention on this catastrophe to draw global attention to it and hopefully, international assistance may come as has happened to other nations that have faced similar devastations of nature.

*Mr Ofunai, a public affairs analyst, wrote from IAsaba, Delta State.

Okojie’s “substandard” university has graduated over 130, 000 students and has several times been named the best university among the over 800 degree-awarding institutions in Ukraine. The latest webometic university ranking placed Karazin Kharkiv National University among the best 1, 500 universities in the world. Not one of the universities under Okojie’s supervision is on the list of the best 2, 000 universities in the world. The University of Benin that led other Nigerian universities was ranked 2,485th in the world. Yet, Okojie says that Nigerian universities are better than the universities in Ukraine. It is unfortunate that Okojie, a professor of forestry, who has been at the helm of affairs at the Nigerian universities apex body, the NUC, for seven years has not achieved the feat of moving any Nigerian university into the list of the best 2000 in the world. Yet, he was comfortable to make such derogatory remarks about the effort of the Government of Osun to secure the future of these innocent young ones, a gesture that has attracted the commendations and excitement of the residents of the State of Osun, particularly the parents of the affected students. The President of the UNIOSUN Medical Students, Samuel Oluwatimileyin Owoeye, granted an interview in the Tribune recently expressing profound gratitude to the state government for the kind gesture. Samuel in his word said: “We also thank Governor Rauf Aregbesola for making sure that our future is still secured and our dream of becoming trained medical doctors is realistic. None of us, (the 98 medical students) will ever forget Governor Aregbesola”. Professor Okojie should not put politics above the interest of the nation and the future of our children. We should commend Aregbesola for not allowing sentiments to come to play in this great gesture by the state. A unique factor of the scholarship for these medical students was that it was not restricted to indigenes of Osun alone. *Mr .Omowaiye, an IT consultant, wrote from Osogbo, Osun State.

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*Mark: says he is on same page with Jonathan

OKUPE'S ROAR:

HE night before he presented the 2013 budget proposals to the National Assembly, President Goodluck Jonathan visited the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark in his Apo Mansion where he solicited the cooperation of the senate leadership for an expedited passage of the 2013 budget. It was a remarkable journey for the president given the discord that had developed between the legislature and the presidency over the related issues on budget implementation and execution of the resolutions of the National Assembly. As part of the activities lined up to lighten the evening, the president was joined by the senate president and other members of the senate leadership present such as Senators Ike Ekweremadu, Victor Ndoma-Egba among others, to cut the nation’s independence anniversary cake. However, the central thus of the president’s visit was for a smooth passage of the budget. The president’s plea was positively received despite the earlier faux pas committed by one of the very senior officials in the presidential villa who had at the end of last month on his own caused the announcement of an October 4 date for the budget presentation without consultation with the National

Whose war?

WHEN he was called the President’s Attack Dog, Dr. Doyin Okupe, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs demurred, saying that he would rather be called an Attack Lion. It was as such not surprising that like a lion which fears no creature, that Dr. Okupe, last Thursday launched a vitriolic attack against the two presiding officers of the National Assembly. Can he be caged?

Assembly leadership. When that official announced the date, the House leadership partly in anger moved the House to adjourn on break and as such scuttling the date fixed by the presidential top aide for the budget presentation. So, it was a welcome relief for all last Tuesday when the president drove to Senator Mark’s residence for a confidence building session on the eve of the budget presentation. The visit was, however, not enough to stop what some presidency officials described as the irritating comments notably poured out by Senator Mark and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal that Wednesday. While Mark said the budget remained mere estimates as it is truly, Speaker Tambuwal in the traditional vote of thanks enumerated areas of misgiving in the relationship between the House and the presidency. After citing concerns on the unimpressive performance of the 2012 budget, the failure to inaugurate a board for the Public Procurement Council and other fiscal failures of the administration, Speaker Tambuwal centered in on the

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR

*Tambuwal: Miffed

*Okupe: Mind my roar

The president’s plea was positively received despite the earlier faux pas committed by one of the very senior officials in the presidential villa who...caused the announcement of an October 4 date for the budget presentation without consultation with the National Assembly leadership.

president’s cavalier disregard of resolutions of the National Assembly. “I am compelled however to state that the National Assembly is becoming increasingly concerned about the disregard for its resolutions and public comments by certain functionaries of the Executive on same. I cite the Senate Resolution on the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), the House Resolution on the state of insecurity of the nation, requesting Mr. President to visit and brief the House, the House of Representatives Resolution on the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), the concurrent Resolution of the two Chambers on Bakassi among others. This does not promote cordial relationship between the Executive and Legislature and consequently stability in the polity.” Though the president’s body

movement did not show it, presidency officials reveal that he was not particularly happy over the tone of the remarks particularly given by Speaker Tambuwal. But how that inspired his Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe to attack the two presiding officers of the National Assembly is now a worry for top presidency officials. day after the budget presentation, Dr. Okupe summoned a press conference where he launched against the duo in a point by point dismissal and rebuke of the two presiding officers of the National Assembly. “What was clearly a master presentation was nearly marred by some with the unnecessary remarks by the leadership of the National Assembly,” Okupe, said as he accused the duo of unnecessarily

grandstanding. ‘’That was neither the place nor the occasion for such; after all, Mr. President was the special guest of honour and a distinguished visitor to the hallow chambers of the National Assembly. Normal legislative courtesy demands that such a visitor be allowed to perform his constitutional function without any attempt to rubbish the document that was yet to be discussed even by the members of the National Assembly.” ‘On domestic borrowing as raised by Speaker Tambuwal, the Presidency accused the National Assembly of being responsible on account of alleged hikes in past budgets of the Federal Government. ‘’The truth of the matter is that the speaker may not be aware or he should be aware, he is a third time law maker. It is the activities and actions of previous parliaments who continue to increase budgets that were sent to National Assembly without considering revenue that continuously expanded yearly in deficit, leading to huge national debts. ‘’On the bench mark, that was pure drama. The President submitted the budget. The budget is yet to be passed or yet to be looked into and debated and all that, and here, another arm of government, in a dictatorial manner, authoritatively said that it has decided that the bench mark shall be $80.” On resolutions by the National Assembly demanding the sack of Ms. Bolanle Onagoruwa and Ms Arumah Oteh as Directors-General of the Bureau of

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6 DAYS TO GO

Akeredolu hits at Mimiko’s legacy •Says Mother and Child Hospital is a maternity STORIES BY DAYO JOHNSON

HE Mother and Child Hospital had until now been prided as one of the best credentials for a second term for Governor Segun Mimiko. But not so in the opinion of Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), his ACN rival who yesterday described the Mother and Child Hospital as a glorified

maternity. In a statement by Mr. Idowu Ajanaku, Director of Media, Publicity and Strategy of Akeredolu Campaign Organisation (ACO), Akeredolu said that the Mimiko administration has completely disorganized the health care sector by creating dichotomy in staff welfare packages, building a glorified maternity in Akure called

Mother and Child while neglecting other health facilities in the State. He also faulted other possible credentials of the governor. He also accused Mimiko of abandoning all the Sports projects in the State, like the Akure old and new stadium, Ile-oluji stadium such that the Sunshine Football Club is now playing their matches at Ijebu Ode.

“It is not only depressing but a disservice to the youth and the sport loving people of the State. This has not only alienated the Sunshine Football Club from their numerous supporter who could have given them the much desired support but has also led to loss of revenue that could have accrued to businesses in the state,” the statement deposed.

“For us at ACO, we know that Akeredolu is a man of proven integrity and pedigree who can be trusted by the people of Ondo State. He is another SAN with a SOUND mind ready to replicate the massive sweeping infrastructural development in Lagos which has become a benchmark in sustainable development in sub Sahara Africa.”

Ondo PDP gets support from Action Alliance

ARELY a week to the governorship election in Ondo state, one of the 13 political parties contesting for the election -the Action Alliance (AA) and a political group, the Men and Women Forum yesterday fused into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The party said in Akure that it took the decision” in order to help the governorship candidate of the party, Chief Olusola Oke realise his ambition. The structure of the AA including the State Chairman, Chief Samuel Aladejebi and his governorship candidate, Mr Joshua Adewole collapsed into the PDP. Addressing newsmen after the ceremony, the governorship candidate of the

party Joshua Adewole said he has taken due cognisance of the achievements of the PDP’s administration in the past and discovered that the party has good programmes for the people of the state. “We recall that at a time there was serious planning for development in the state and commensurate actions were deployed to attain it. We also recall that at a time there was clear transparency.” “Our incomes were in the public domain as government will tell citizens how much was accruable from the federal government allocation and they will also be told how it would be spent all that is now history as we don’t know how much money this state has made and how it had been spent.

Akeredolu alleges dirty trick by Mimiko

KEREDOLU Campaign Organisation(ACO) yesterday claimed to have uncovered a plot by the Labour Party (LP) to print the logo of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) on T-shirts to be distributed to thugs to cause mayhem in different parts of the State. “This old trick, is part of the plot by LP to portray ACN as a violent party and to pave a leeway for the security agents to unleash terror and arrest our members,” the ACO claimed in a statement. The campaign claimed to have discovered that the shirts have already been printed awaiting distribution across the state, most especially in areas like Okitipupa, Ondo town, Idanre, Owo, Okeluse, Oka, Ikare amongst others. “ACO is using this opportunity to call on the Inspector General of Police and Ondo Commissioner of Police to note that ACN has

nothing to do with this and it is the antics by LP to give ACN a bad name to hang it. We hereby inform the general public to report any act of violence to the police for immediate action. ACN is a peaceful party; we won in Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ogun, Lagos and Edo without engaging violence.”

*The Olugbo of Ugbo-Ilaje, Oba Frederick Akiruntan and Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko when the Governor paid a courtesy visit to the Olugbo during his re-election campaign tour of the Local Government at the weekend.

MCO berates ACN, PDP for lack of vision

OVERNOR Mimiko fighting a two column battle against two formidable opponents yesterday launched blistering attacks against Rotimi Akeredolu, the ACN candidate and Olusola Oke, the PDP candidate. Noting the actions and inactions of the duo during last week’s gubernatorial debate, the Mimiko campaign organisation in a statement issued by its spokesman,

Kolawole Olabisi said: “Isn’t it also sad that both Oke and Akeredolu who want to govern the State could say that the school pupils in Ondo State don’t need the mega schools which had been dubbed the most 21st Century compliant and first of its kind in Nigeria by the Federal Ministry of Education? Isn’t it also a disservice that that they could say that the Abiye Mother and Child Hospitals are

Sabotage: Ondo PDP in mutual war

ESS than a week to the Ondo State governorship election, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP is apparently engulfed in another crisis following the expulsion of members of a faction of the party at the weekend. The expulsion of the faction led by the former Ambassador to Austria and former secretary to the state government, Prof Olu Agbi it was learnt was to pre-empt the decision of the faction to adopt Dr. Mimiko for

a second term which was fixed for today. But the expelled factional chairman Dr Akin Olowookere in his response described the party action as joke of the year and their expulsion a ruse. Vanguard learnt that a plan by the Agbi faction to publicly adopt Mimiko following their alleged marginalisation in the PDP was leaked to the Hon Ebenezer Alabi state Executive. The Agbi faction had about a month ago declared

unequivocally that they will not support the party ’s governorship candidate Chief Olusola Oke because he was imposed by a cabal. In a statement weekend, the party through its Director of Publicity, Ayo Fadaka said: “This is to inform the general public that the following underlisted people who until now were errant members of the Party are hereby expelled from the Peoples Democratic Party with immediate effect.

unnecessary and should be merged as an arm of a Maternity Centre? Surely they lack vision to understand the deep philosophy behind most of these projects which had brought succour to our people and earned accolades from far and wide and indeed, they don’t deserve the votes of our mothers. These are the shallow thoughts of those who want to govern us, “the statement noted. “At the debate Akeredolu was like a fish out of water, struggling in bad language to attack the good works of Dr Olusegun Mimiko who had in the last three and a half years placed Ondo State on the path of sustainable development. He has shown that he is nothing but the agent of a godfather who knows nothing about Ondo State but could reel off hand information about his real hometown, Ibadan. “Isn’t it a shame that a man who wants to govern a state does not even know the basic information about the state which are in the public domain?", he wondered.

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Eagles ‘ll be given adequate support for Afcon 2013 — Minister BY JACOB AJOM, Calabar

PADMOZI’S HOT SHOTS —— Super Eagles goalscorers(L -R), Ahmed Musa, Efe Ambrose, Victor Moses (two goals), Mikel Obi and Ike Uche pose after collecting $1,000 each from Padmozi Sports Marketing for every goal scored against Liberia in their 6-1 triumph on Saturday. Photo: Sylva Eleanya

We 'll be better in Conakry — Eaglets coach BY JACOB AJOM, Calabar

WO first half goals from Success Isaac and Ihenacho Kelechi and a 68th minute strike by Alhassan Ibrahim gave Nigeria a 3-0 win over Guinea in the first leg of the 2013 Africa U17 championship qualifier . The match which was played in Calabar, Sunday completed a perfect weekend for Nigerian football. Coach Garba Manu praised his players for beating the Guineans. He said that the Nigerian team will be better in the second leg billed for Conakry in a fortnight. The coach said the Eaglets did their best to get the victory as four of his regulars were not available for the match. “We have four of our regular players who are down with injuries and I am sure before the second leg in Conakry they will be fit.”

He said the Guineans gave his boys a good match and promised to work on the strikers in order that chances created could be converted in subsequent matches, “We couldn’t score more than one goal in the second half because of this injury problem. “Twenty minutes to the end of the match our recovery rate became very slow. We intend to work on the fitness of the players and how to shoot on target. You could see

•Maigari

Cameroon, Senegal Continues from BP garded as one of the best teams in Africa. Senegal, another African power house were also dumped from the 2013 Nations Cup. However, they suffered in the hands of African number one team on the FIFA rankings, Cote’ d Ivoire. Senegal were beaten 4-2 in the first leg by C M Y K

the Elephants, but at the Stade Leopold Senghor in Dakar all hopes of a revival were dashed after the Ivorians drew the first blood and captain Didier Drogba scored from the spot to seal a 6-2 aggregate score for the 2012 runners up. The match was not concluded as Senegalese fans turned violent.

we lost so many scoring chances in the first half. The second leg will be a different ball game,” the coach postulated.

HE minister of Sports and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi has said that his commission would give the Nigeria Football Federation and in particular, the Super Eagles all they would require to excel in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa. Mallam Abdullahi spoke with the sporting press in Calabar, just before departing for Abuja Sunday. Speaking on the team’s qualification for the tournament, the minister said he was impressed by the team’s performance on Saturday. “Congratulations to Nigeria because we are all happy particularly for the fact that we were not

Eagles Continues from BP months. Following a 2-2 draw in the first leg in Monrovia last month, the Liberians could afford to dream and set about the countdown for the return leg with a touch of comedy. Having informed the Nigeria Football Federation that they would arrive in a chartered flight on Thursday evening, they accused Nigerian aviation authorities of denying their aircraft landing right, when in fact, they had not concluded arrangement with the airline. After they somehow managed to seal a deal with another airline on Friday, the arrival time kept changing, and eventually the contingent landed in Calabar at midnight and wanted no Nigerian near them. They opted for a different accommodation other than the Channel View Hotel reserved for them, shunned protocol assistance and transportation and generally kept to themselves. Before the match, superstition was in the air as all previous matches involving Nigeria handled by South African centre referee Daniel

Bennett had ended in draws. All that counted for nothing as Scotlandbased defender Efe Ambrose scored in the first minute, and then Ahmed Musa increased the tally eight minutes before half-time. The match was, to all intents and purposes over after Victor Moses swept in a great pass, and further goals by John Mikel Obi (penalty), Ikechukwu Uche and Moses himself only underscored the gulf in class and enriched the Eagles further with Pamodzi, official marketer of NFF, paying $1000 for each goal. An overjoyed Maigari, who was in company with Cross River State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, Minister of Sports/Chairman, National Sports Commission, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, Chairman of Senate Sports Committee, Senator Adamu Gumba, Chairman of House Sports Committee, Hon. Godfrey Gaiya and members of his Executive Committee and Management, simply said: “Words are inadequate to express my delight.

in the last edition of the Nations Cup. All hands are on deck to ensure we get a good team at the end of the day, ”I have been in a meeting with the NFF since morning all to ensure we put our plans for the team’s preparation. On Monday we are meeting again in Abuja to discuss all the logistics and whatever that is required for the team to do well when they get to South A f r i c a . ” The National Sports Commission boss said the team’s preparations would not be hampered by bureaucratic hiccups as all arrangements would be made to ensure there was an uninter-

rupted supply of all that will be required for the team’s preparation. The minister said although the qualification came handsomely, :we would have wished we qualified earlier than when it came. “But now that we have qualified and the tournament proper is not a matter of playing Liberia or any such weaker teams, we want to prepare well and win the tournament. “The boys played very well and showed the kind of commitment we have not seen in a very long time. I think what they need to improve upon is the job of the technical crew.”

Uchegbulam wants NSC to steer clear of Super Eagles

MANZE Uchegbu lam, a former Niger i a Football Association (NFA) Board member, has advised the National Sports Commission (NSC) against interfering with the association’s plan for the 2013 African Nations Cup. He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) the advice became necessary following what happened when the federal government set up a Presidential Task Force (PTF) in 2009. NAN reports that the PTF was set up by the federal government to oversee the Super Eagles’ qualification and participation at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The task force was headed then by Gov. Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, with other eminent Nigerians as members. Uchegbulam who spoke with NAN in Abuja over the telephone on Sunday said the Task Force then, instead of being a guide, became more of a distraction. “It was a distraction to the Eagles and the Nigeria Football Association (NFA). “The Task Force dumped most of the plans developed by the technical crew and the NFA board towards the World Cup in South Africa.

•Uchegbulam “So, this time around, agencies such as the National Sports Commission (NSC) should give the NFA all they need to perform and n o t interfere. “Past experience has shown that the next thing the NSC will do now will be to set up a committee for the Eagles’ participation at the Nations Cup. “But during our own time at the NFA, the Presidential Task Force that was set up interfered with the plans of the FA and that was the confusion that created problems,” Uchegbulam said. The former NFA board member, who is the current Chairman of the Imo State Football Association, warned that any attempt to put pressure on the Eagles to win the trophy could be disastrous. He said personal interests and interference, if not avoided now, could jeopardise Nigeria’s chances of surpassing its past records at the competition.

54—Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

Experts unite against MSA, a neurological disorder BY CHIOMA OBINNA

ANAGEMENT and massive awareness campaign on Multiple System Atrophy, MSA, took the centre stage in Lagos last week during a Media Sensitisation/Walk aimed at educating Nigerians as well as raising awareness on the disease in the country. Multiple System Atrophy, MSA, is a progressive neurological disorder that affects adult men and women. According to experts, it is caused by degeneration or atrophy of nerve cells in several (or multiple) areas of the brain which can result in problems with movement, balance and automatic functions of the body such as bladder and blood pressure control. Unfortunately, MSA is not a lifestyle disease and there is little anybody can do to prevent it. Until recently MSA was thought to be a very rare disorder. Recent research suggests it affects about 5 people per 100,000. MSA usually starts between the ages of 50-60 years, but it can affect people younger and older. The diagnosis of MSA is still a clinical one and depends on a neurologist recognising a combination of symptoms and signs. Sadly, Nigeria has only one centre where MSA can be diagnosed and treated. To say that MSA management is demanding on the parents and the society at large is an understatement as people affected by this disorder are usually misunderstood by the society and coping with routine social and environmental demands can be challenging. Today, it is estimated that about 5,000 Nigerians are living with the disorder but what matters are efforts at checking the trend. At the event , which was organised by FUNMI FASHINA, FF, Foundation, a non-governmental organisation to raise awareness on the disease in Lagos, a ConsultantNeurologist, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, CMUL, Dr. Njideka Okubodejo, said about 4.6 per 100,000 is suffering from the disease worldwide. Okubodejo noted that majority of people living with MSA may experience physical slowness like those patients living with Parkinson disease. Okubodejo said people diagnosed of the disease for five years may live for another eight years. According to her; “MSA does not appear to be hereditary although current research is examining whether or not there is a genetic predisposition to develop the disease. The importance of environmental factors is not clear and there is still much to understand about the condition. But the good news is that it is not infectious or contagious and has no

C M Y K

• From left: Olumide Olayinka; Njide Okubadejo; Ajibade Fashina and Olukemi Onabanjo, Trustees of the of FUNMI FASHINA, FF, Foundation engaged the creation of awareness, research and supporting victims of Multiple system Atrophy , MSA, recently in Lagos connection with the much commoner neurological disease, multiple sclerosis (MS).” Stating that support services

and care are important to the management of the disease, she regretted that Nigeria has only one centre where the disorder

could be managed. “It is better managed when there is better support facility. Nigeria has only one centre at the Lagos University

Teaching Hospital, LUTH that cares for people with the disease. Managing the disease, she said, is more than having drugs alone

Livewell Initiative, Stanbic IBTC launch EasyHealth By SOLA OGUNDIPE IVEWELL Initiative, a non-profit, communitybased Non-Governmental Organization has launched EasyHealth, a mobile health service powered by Stanbic IBTC Bank. The launch which was part of activities to commemorate the 5th anniversary of Livewell Initiative, was performed by the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Femi Olugbile.

Chief Executive Officer of Livewell Initiative, Mrs. Bisi Bright, said EasyHealth was conceived as a home delivery service designed to make healthcare available to more Nigerians using Stanbic IBTC MobileMoney, which ensures convenient and seamless payment without having to visit a branch of the bank or the company. The platform even guarantees easy transfer of funds for third party payment for health

services in any part of the country. EasyHealth has various payment plans including monthly, quarterly and yearly, while the packages include personal and family. “Stanbic IBTC Bank has consistently shown its commitment to raising public awareness on health issues in Nigeria through its support of similar initiatives in the past. We are proud to be associated with the bank and we look forward to

Rotary conducts free eye screening BY ONOZURE DANIA

HE Rotary Club of Lagos, Palmgrove Estate, is conducting free eye screening and surgeries for about 500 persons in Lagos on October 3, 2012 and in Abeokuta on October 16, 2012. The beneficiaries are to be checked for cataract, pterygium and glaucoma. Immediate past president of the Club, Mr Mukesh Bhatt, said the eye operations are being targeted for indigent persons. He noted thare were so many people, who requires eye glasses or other minor things but the Club was concentrating on those who require surgery which is more expensive, costing N 100,000 -N200,000. "The main idea is to concentrate on serious matters, So we want to help people, who really can not afford surgery and we want to concentrate on bigger things and not smaller things that is why

we are telling the people who need eye glasses that we are not distributing eye glasses." Adding that if they are able to give a restored sight, for preventable blindness in any patient, then they have given the patient, second leas of life and that is very important. “For a second, if you close your eyes you will find out that the whole world is not there, but if you open your eyes you will see the whole world, you will see the difference between having a sight and not having sight.” He said that apart from Lagos, they have done operations in Abeokuta, Kano, Kaduna, Yola and Abakaliki and they are also doing it in Accra. Funding comes from philanthropists and the Indian community in Nigeria. “The main challenges we are facing, is that people are not always aware that such facility is available, so we request the press to create awareness so that those

who have not heard of it, will seize the opportunity to come, so that more people will benefit from the exercise.” Bhatt noted plans for building an

working with them on more projects of this kind in the future”, she said. Home services available through EasyHealth, Bright said, include tests and evaluations, such as checks to determine body mass index, blood pressure, blood and sugar levels, fitness, weighting, stress tests and free counseling. Head of Mobile Banking at Stanbic IBTC Bank, Mr. Yinka Shorungbe, noted that EasyHealth will be available to everyone as the bank’s mobile money solution is accessible by dialing *909# on all the GSM networks in Nigeria guaranteeing access to over 90 million mobile phone users across the country, including rural areas where financial services barely exist.

Halleluya diet debuts in Nigeria

USA-based company, Hallelujah Acres, will next month boost nutritional supplements in the Nigeria market with the launch of its Halleluja Diet. The public presentation of the product will be done by a delegation led by company's President, Dr. Paul Malkmus in a four-week-long programme. Hallelujah Diet is a food- based supplement brand which has proven effective in reversing chronic health conditions where orthodox therapies have failed. The diet which according to the company, is based on the physical nourishment as intended by God in Gen.1:29

,emphasizes eating more of fruits, vegetables and fibres, less of saturated fats and hydrogenated oils, drinking a lot of water, eating, getting more exercise and isolating stress. The product presentation/ launch billed to hold November 15, will take place in the strategic cities of Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Lagos will feature a three-day training programme for prospective health ministers. Health minister are internationally certified practitioners in the Hallelujah Acres Food Ministry trained to consult with clients and recommend recovery diet for various health conditions.

Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012 — 55

C M Y K

VANGUARD, MONDAY, OCT0BER 15, 2012

Nations Cup:

Cameroon, Senegal crash out C

BACK RIDE— Super Eagles Victor Moses enjoys back ride from a Liberian defender in their 6-1 demolition of the Liberians at the weekend. Photo: Sylver Eleanya.

We’ll be better in Conakry — Eaglets coach — P.53 TODAY'S

PUZZLE

FRIDAY'S

ERTAINLY, these are hard days for the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, as the former African champions were knocked of the African Cup of Nations by Cape Verde Islands, a country of 523,000 people and not up to the population of Oshodi Local Government in Nigeria. Cape Verde stopped Cameroon from staging a come back to the tournament they missed in 2012. Despite having captain Samuel Eto’o back in the squad, Cameroon failed to cancel a 2-0 win over the feared five-time champions in the first leg. The Second leg encounter ended in Yaounde 2-1 thus leaving the Camerooni a n s stranded with a 32 aggreg a t e score. Cameroon fans w e r e

ANSWERS

shocked to their marrows when Cape Verde opened scoring in the 12 minute. And midway into the half, the Indomitable Lions responded through Emana, while Idrissou scored the winner for Cameroon on the dot of 90 minute. Camerounians trooped out of the stadium before the final whistle and perhaps it was an end of an era for Cameroon re Continues on Page 53

NFF: Eagles ‘ll target Cup of Nations’ triumph

IGERIA returned to the African Cup of Nations in emphatic fashion when the Super Eagles pounded the visiting Lone Star 61 at the U. J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar on Saturday. And at the final whistle, NFF President Aminu Maigari pledged that the Federation will deploy all resources to ensure the team is well prepared to lift the Cup of Nations trophy in South Africa in four Continues on Page 53

Results AFCON Qualifiers Malawi Botswana Nigeria Uganda Senegal Tunisia Morocco Ethiopia Cameroon Angola Togo Niger

0 1 6 8 0 0 4 2 2 2 2 2

ACROSS 3 Abreast (5) 9 Busy (6) 10 Attacker (6) 11 Senior (5) 12 Wicked (4) 15 Monster (4) 17 Mild (7) 20 Consume (3) 21 Avarice (5) 23 Hut (4) 25 Sand (4) 26 Dismal (5) 28 Drunkard (3) 30 Pamphlet (7) 33 Door-handle (4) 35 Season (4) 36 Tooth (5) 38 Rue (6) 39 Aptitude (6) 40 Seized (5)

Ghana Mali Liberia Zambia Cote d’Ivoire Sierra Leone Mozambique Sudan Cape Verde Zimbabwe Gabon Guinea

1 4 1 9 (P/S) 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

(Ghana 3-0 agg) (Mali 7-1 agg) (Nigeria 8-2 agg) (Zambia 1-1 agg) (Cote d’Ivoire (6-2 agg) (Tunisia 2-2 agg) (Morocco 4-2 agg) (Ethiopia 5-5 agg) (Cape Verde 3-2 agg) (Angola 3-3 agg) (Togo 3-2 agg) (Niger 2-1 agg)

DOWN 1 Tag (5) 2 Soil (5) 3 Hail (3) 4 Appertain (6) 5 District (4) 6 Spoil (3) 7 Proverb (5) 8 Welcome (5) 13 Rendition (7) 14 Dwelt (5) 16 Flustered (7) 18 Test (5) 19 Limb (3) 22 Tendency (5) 24 Arid (3) 27 Discount (6) 28 Border (5) 29 Durable (5) 31 Compare (5) 32 Cogs (5) 34 Roster (4) 36 Encountered (3) 37 Managed (3)

FRIDAY'S SOLUTIONS

How to Play Sudoku

ACROSS: 1, Abrupt 5, Phrase 9, Aisle 10, Resist 11, Adour 12, Slate 14, Soup 17, Ere 18, Snag 20, Spear 22, Ladle 23, Parapet 24, Inset 26, Tenet 29, Near 30, Age 32, Dire 33, Dream 35, Impair 36, Sobbed 37, Eager 38, Treaty 39, Demean.

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 1, Across 2, Rescue 3, Pass 4, Title 5, Plate 6, Here 7, Abound 6, Enrage 13, Arrange 15, Opine 16, Paper 18, Sated 19, Alter 21, Rat 22, Let 24, Insist 25, Sample 27, Nimble 28, Tendon 30, Array 31, Eased 33, Diet 34, More.

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. Printed and Published by VANGUARD MEDIA LIMITED, Vanguard Avenue, Kirikiri Canal, P.M.B.1007, Apapa. Phone: Newsroom: 018773962. Deputy Editor: 01-8944295. Advert Dept: 01-7924470; Hotline: 01-8737028; Abuja: 09-2341102, 09-2342704. E-mail: editor@vanguardngr.com, news@vanguardngr.com, letters@vanguardngr.com. Advert:advertproduction@yahoo.com Website: www.vanguardngr.com (ISSN 0794-652X) Editor: MIDENO BAYAGBON. Phone: 01-7742861, All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.