THREAT TO DUMP JONATHAN IN 2015: Northern govsbluffing —M-Belt groups

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 61861

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

N150

Multiple explosions rock America ge a P ck •Ba

SUSPECTED KIDNAPPERS OF OKONJO-IWEALA'S MOTHER

Don't dare us, Northern youths warn MEND •P.8

7 feared dead as rainstorm wreaks havoc in Onitsha —P.7 SUSPECTS—Suspected kidnappers of 82-year-old Prof. Kamene Okonjo, mother of Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala paraded, yesterday, at the Lagos Police Command Headquarters, GRA, Ikeja. Inset: Mastermind Victor Chiejine Onochie, 32 . Story on Page 6.

THREAT TO DUMP JONATHAN IN 2015:

Northern govs bluffing —M-Belt groups •Say they're not on same page with them •Jonathan 'll win at least 10 Northern states

SUBSIDY SCAM: How oil dealers used 'dead' vessel to dupe Nigeria of N1.5bn •P.8

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR AGOS—THE threat by some Northern governors to undermine a possible bid

by President Goodluck Jonathan for a second term, came under attack, Continues on Page 5

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COLUMNISTS:

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Mr & Mrs

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POCKET CARTOON

US EXPLOSION: A woman is loaded into an ambulance after she was injured by one of two bombs that exploded during the 117th Boston Marathon near Copley Square yesterday, in Boston, Massachusetts. Photo: AFP. More on Back page.

Northern govs bluffing — Middle Belt groups

THREAT TO DUMP JONATHAN: Continues from Page 1 yesterday, as some stakeholders from the North openly confronted them, describing the threat as a bluff.

It emerged, yesterday, that a sizeable proportion of Northern senators, and other political

stakeholders, notably from the Middle Belt region, were not on the same page with some of the Northern governors in their alleged opposition to a possible bid by Jonathan for the presidency in 2015.

The National Youth

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

Good persuaders listen twice as much as they talk.

Listen and Learn.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

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OU may believe that you are responsible for what you do, but not for what you think. The truth is that you are responsible for what you think, because it is only at this level that you can exercise choice. What you do comes from what you think —Marianne Williamson “Antoine de Saint-Exupery in one of his writings gave an insightful anecdote that is really profound: “People have forgotten this truth,” the fox said. “But you mustn’t forget it. You become responsible forever for what you’ve tamed. You’re responsible for your rose.”

This saying reminded me of Anais Nin correlating a person’s destiny to be same as a person’s character, and that this trait can be altered. The knowledge that we are responsible for our actions and attitudes does not need to be discouraging, because it also means that we are free to change this destiny. One is not in bondage to the past, which has shaped our feelings, to race, inheritance, and background. All this can be altered if we have the courage to examine how it formed us. We can alter the chemistry provided we have the courage to dissect the elements.

There is a famous saying that “freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry his own weight, this is a frightening prospect.”

Leader of the Middle Belt Forum, Jonathan Asake told Vanguard, yesterday, that the threat against the president by the Northern governors was a bluff. He chided them for allowing the activities of insurgents to portray Dr. Jonathan as an incompetent leader.

The United Middle Belt Congress speaking in the same vein also dissociated itself from the threat by the Northern governors and vowed that the people of the Middle Belt would not allow themselves to be railroaded by the Hausa Fulani in deciding on the 2015 Presidency.

Jonathan should increase his outreach Their assertions nonetheless, the Mass Mobilization for Transformation (MMT), a group sympathetic to Jonathan, yesterday, called on the president to increase his outreach to both friends and foes across the country. The National Coordinator of the group, Comrade Joseph Ambakederimo told Vanguard that the president should show himself as a man for all, through friendly visits to the governors to win

their support.

Calling the bluff of the Northern governors' threat against Jonathan, a Northern senator who prefers to remain anonymous told Vanguard, yesterday, that those writing off the president for the 2015 contest are doing so at their own peril. While predicting that the president would win at least 10 of the 19 Northern states, he said that the power of incumbency and other rolling plans by the administration, notably ongoing electricity generation and distribution plans could act as a game changer.

“He will win a minimum of 10 states that I know. Election is not the way you people see it and I can tell you that within a month, the administration can do some things that can change the mind of the electorate. One month policy can change it all,” the second-term Northern senator told Vanguard.

“I believe that between now and the end of the year the dynamics will change; there are so many factors that will come into play,” he affirmed.

Asked if the group was on the same page with those Northern governors against a Jonathan

bid for the 2015 presidency, the Northern leader said thus: “How can we be on the same page with them?

Because I know that they are doing it for selfish purposes. The reason they are agitating is not for my interest. Because it is all obvious that they have conspired to cause the insecurity just to reach the final conclusion. So, it is not done in good faith,” Asake, a former member of the House of Representatives told Vanguard yesterday.

He said: “If from day one, they had showed that Jonathan did not have the ability or was incapable of being president and had mobilized in that direction, then they would have had our support, but they have actually played the ostrich,” Asake said.

Governance is corporate “They allowed the atrocities to go on and did nothing about it to give the impression that it is Jonathan that has failed the people, not knowing that governance is supposed to be corporate; everybody is supposed to be a part of it, not only one man is to be blamed. So, if Jonathan is disqualified, then all of them are disqualified too.”

President-General of the Middle Belt Youth Congress, UMBYC, Abuka Onalo Omo-Baba said the Middle Belt would sustain its independent political course towards 2015, independent of the core North.

He said: "We have insisted that we are Middle Belt Youth people and we will remain Middle Belt. Nobody is going to give us a name other than the name we

have chosen for ourselves. We did not give Arewa, we did not give Odua, we did not give Ndigbo, our own name is Middle Belt and if our governors do not feel that after their tenure as governors in the Middle Belt that their own colleagues in Kano and Sokoto have more right to the presidency, then they are mistaken.

“It is a very, very serious mistake because when they say power shift to the North, none of the governors past or present from the Middle Belt can present themselves. They will either point to their colleagues in Sokoto, Kebbi or Bauchi. So, they have continued to enslave the Middle Belt people and that is why the United Middle Belt Congress, says no.

“It is in the interest of our governors that we are fighting; it is in the interest of the Middle Belt people that we are fighting. We are equal but being made to be subservient to the Hausa Fulani and we say no to that and that it is time for the Middle Belt to claim its identity.

"So the threat of the Northern governors is a bluff to us. We do not have any regard for the Northern governors, we don’t have any regard for them,” he said.

Ambakederimo, leader of the pro-Jonathan MMT was, however, conciliatory. He said the president should go out and build bridges with all major stakeholders.

“The president ought to at this time be going out to make friends and build bridges. I do not know why, up till now, he is yet to make a state visit to Port-Harcourt, because he must see Amaechi as a friend and win him over. He must go out to make friends,” Ambakederimo said.

6—Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

44 persons remanded in Delta prison over rape, others

BY FESTUS AHON

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GHELLI — AT least 44 persons have been remanded in Okere prisons, Warri, over the terror unleashed on some persons and the rape of 20 women, including a young daughter of a cleric in Agbarha-Otor, Ughelli North Local Government Area, Delta State during the aborted ‘Ekene’ festival.

A Police patrol van was also burnt by the hooligans who took advantage of the festival which holds once in 15 years to carry out unholy acts, which brought the famous ‘Ekene’ festival to an abrupt end.

The Chief Magistrate in charge of the Agbarha-Otor Magistrate Court 1, Mrs Ikomi, said the 44 suspects be remanded in prison custody till May 9, 2013 when the matter will come up for hearing.

At press time, the burnt police van was still lying in front of the palace of the AgbarhaOtor monarch.

Those who fled the community in the wake of the crisis have started returning to the hitherto peaceful community in their numbers.

Two sent to prison over robbery

BY ONOZURE DANIA

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AGOS— A 29-year-oldman, Kunle Alagbala, Olusegun Oyelakin and others now at large were, yesterday, remanded in prison custody by Magistrate Oshodi Makanju, of an Ikeja Magistrate Court for being in possession of a gun with which they robbed.

Alagbala, who is a student and Oyelakin, a drop out are facing a three-count charge of conspiracy, robbery and unlawful possession of a gun.

They were arraigned before Magistrate Oshodi Makanju.

The police prosecutor, Samson Ekikere, told the court that the defendants and others still at large committed the offence on March 18, 2013 at about 6 a.m at Obada Estate, Badagry expressway, Lagos.

He said the defendants, armed with a gun and other dangerous weapons, robbed one Alhaja Tawakalit Ismaila of her belongings, a Nokia phone and iron weight lift, all valued at N80,000.

BY IFEANYI OKOLIE & UJU MBANUSI

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AGOS — THE Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP, Umar Manko, yesterday, at the police command in Ikeja, announced the arrest of eight members of a notorious kidnap gang that abducted the mother of Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala, last December.

Also arrested were four suspects said to be members of a robbery gang that specialized in attacking and killing policemen within the state.

The suspects

An articulated truck with number plate LND 379 XB involved in an accident at Jakande busstop along Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, yesterday. Photo: Joe Akintola,Photo Editor.

The CP who gave the identities of the robbery suspects as Kazeem Adebola, Yunusa Lateef, Ibrahim Akanbi and Olawale Kosoko, said they were arrested with five AK47 rifles and 31 magazines all fully loaded neatly packed and concealed in a specially constructed compartment in a Honda Civic Coupe car with number plate FST 592 BC, after they attacked residents of Victoria Garden City, VGC, Lagos.

Parading the suspects, the state police boss said: ”On April 2, 2013, Lagos State Police Command arrested one Chiejine Onochie, 32, and Chukwuma Okoh, 31, in connection with the kidnap and killing of a 72-year-old woman, Regina Obi, after collecting N2 million ransom.

“The suspects, according to him, confessed that they gave out the information on the kidnap of the minister’s mother in Delta State.

“The special anti-robbery squad of the command was directed to go after the ring leader of the gang identified as Jideofor Ogbue, also known as Marvelous.

“Three SARS teams were then deployed to Delta, Edo and Rivers States. Eventually, Marvelous, 22, the ring leader was arrested in his hide-out in Port Harcourt and was used to arrest five other members of his gang, identified as Michael Ojeabulu, 23; Endurance Oke, 22; Ibrahim Abubakar, 28; Buhari Amajola, 27; Hassan Husseini, 29, in Delta, Enugu and Edo States.

"All suspects confessed to the kidnapping of the minister’s mother and the collection of N13 million ransom.

“They also confessed to many other kidnappings within the South-South and South-Eastern part of the country. But before their arrest, the suspects had concluded plans to kidnap the Commissioner of Commerce for Anambra State.”

How we kidnapped Okonjo-Iweala’s mother — Palace guard

How we kidnapped minister’s mother Chiejine Onochie, a 32-yearold native of Ogwashi-Uku in Delta State, who claimed to be

Suspects were to disguise as NYSC members As Police parade 8 suspects

“Some time in August 2012, I met one Chukwuma Okoh in a room next to my girlfriend’s at the polytechnic hostel and we became friends. He told me that he was a fresh graduate of accounting from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, in Edo State.

nic, Mrs. Edna Nneka Mogekwu. He asked about her security details and how she was moving about on the campus, I told him that the woman was very free and she did not move about with police or security men.

“Then he told me that he wanted her kidnapped and that was one reason why he was around the campus. I pleaded with him not to do it because the woman is my aunty and she was the one who gave me the job I was doing. I also explained to him that the woman was not so rich that he shouldn’t do her any harm.

“But he refused and insisted that he was going to kidnap her.

So after some days, I called him and told him that I was from the Okonjo family and that I could deliver the mother of the Minister of Finance to them. He was shocked and I took him to the palace and showed him around before taking him to his bus stop where he boarded a bus back home.

“I decided to give them Mama Okonjo because I knew her daughter works for the government and if we succeeded in kidnapping her, the Federal Government would assist in paying the ransom. So, few days later, which was in December, he called me and said he wanted me and members of his gang to meet, so we could plan how to kidnap Mama.

Wanted to kidnap Ogwashi-Uku poly rector

Suspects were to disguise as corps members

“I liked his life style and we started hanging out together.

After a couple of weeks, he started asking me questions about the rector of the polytech-

“I went and told them that they would have to disguise as corps members in search of where to work. With that I told them that they could enter into the palace

related to the Okonjos, in his interview with Vanguard narrated how he masterminded the kidnap of Okonjo-Iweala's mum.

According to him, “my mother is a member of the Okonjo family and she is from the palace where I was working as a Palace Boy before I got a job at the Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku as a security guard.

,

I decided to give them Mama Okonjo because I knew her daughter works for the government and if we succeeded in kidnapping her, the Federal Government would assist in paying the ransom

,

and probably see their target. We all agreed on that plan but on the day they were supposed to strike, there was a renovation going on in the compound and the whole place was rowdy, so they couldn’t kidnap her.

"On the Sunday of that week, that was December 10, 2012, they asked me to go to the palace and check how the place was. I did and told them that construction was still on but it was minimal.

So after few hours I got a call from a member of my family, asking me to rush down to palace, that Mama had been kidnapped.

When I got there the whole place was in disarray.

"They told me how it happened and I joined them in the search and no one suspected I had a hand in it. I called Chukwuma and asked how she was faring and he said she was okay and that they had made their demands for ransom. About five days later I got news from the palace that a ransom had been paid but the kidnappers refused to release Mama. I then called Chukwuma and asked what was happening and he said Marvelous who he said was the leader of the gang said the money they collected wasn’t enough and they needed more money. I told him that wasn’t our agreement that he should do all he could to get her released.

“In the evening of that day, Mama was released and I called Chukwuma and asked for my share of the ransom. He told me that Marvelous was angry with both of us for pressurising them to free Mama and vowed not to give us a dime. I was shocked. I tried reaching Marvelous but his line was switched off. I and Chukwuma were devastated and we accepted our fate.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013—7

7 feared dead as rainstorm wreaks havoc in Onitsha

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

A

WKA — SEVEN persons were feared dead and goods worth millions of naira destroyed in the commercial city of Onitsha during a down pour.

Those who died included two men said to be driving in a Toyota Camry car towards Asaba in Delta State, as well as a Keke NAPEP operator and his passengers. A crane was used to recover the Toyota car and the two occupants.

The identities of the victims have not been established, but they were said to be carried by the ravaging flood at the slum area of Okpoko junction, near the Upper Iweka road in Onitsha.

Two other corpses were also seen at a spot near the Kate bus stop in the area.

It was gathered that corpses of the occupants of the Camry car were recovered yesterday, but the Keke NAPEP operator and his passengers were yet to be found, though the tricycle had been recovered.

Mostly affected were the Onitsha Electronics International Market and Enamelware Market which are adjacent the Head Bridge-Upper Iweka expressway on the Okpoko end of the road where many warehouses were

submerged.

Traders at the market were seen salvaging their goods washed away by the flood yesterday with some of them claiming that everything they had in their shops went with the flood.

The Public Relations Officer of the traders’ association, Mr. Innocent Ezemenari, said it was

difficult to quantify the loss immediately, even as he said that it ran into millions of Naira.

According to him, most of the people affected were young traders who had just been settled by their masters, while others were those who got their goods on credit.

While calling on President

Goodluck Jonathan, Governor Peter Obi and people of goodwill to come to their aid Ezemenari urged the Federal Ministry of Works to extend the drainage system along the Upper Iweka-Head Bridge axis to the River Niger to allow free flow of water during the rain.

An over loaded articulated vehicle on Kano-Babura-Babban-Mutum Federal highway in Dutse, yesterday. Photo: NAN.

NNPC GMD to Yero: My brother shouldn't die in vain He was killed by robbers — Police

BY LUKA BINNIYAT

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ADUNA — GROUP Man aging Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Engr. Andrew Yakubu, yesterday, lamented the state of insecurity in parts of Kaduna State, and called on Governor Mukhtar Yero not to allow the murder of his brother, Mr. Yohanna Yakubu and others killed by unknown gunmen in the state go in vain.

Mr. Yohanna Andrew (47) worked at the power section of the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company, KRPC, before he was killed, Saturday morning, near Idon village, in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State by unknown assailants.

Said Yakubu: “On behalf of our family, I wish to thank you for your thoughtful visit to us during this sad period.

“Yohana was a nice, humble and simple man who had made his contribution to his society and is gone in a manner that we cannot challenge God for.

“He was so humble, that even when I was heading the refinery here, very few people knew we were related. He chose to live a simple, modest life and cared very much for others.

“I have been informed about your effort in securing the state,

and I thank you for that. But may the death of Yohana be the last of such. Let no one, no family undergo what we are experiencing.

His death and that of others should create a new drive for securing the state.

On his part, Governor Yero described the incident as very unfortunate, noting: “I want to express our deep condolence on behalf of the people of Kaduna

state to you and your family. As people of faith, we cannot question the wish of God on how we came and how we will return to him.

He was killed by robbers —Police Meantime, the Police in Kaduna State, yesterday, confirmed the killing of Mr Yohanna Yakubu.

Police Public Relations Officer in Kaduna State, Aminu Lawan, who confirmed the death, told the News Agency of Nigeria, on telephone that the said Yakubu died in a robbery attack.

Lawan said the late Yakubu was killed in a robbery attack while travelling on the Kachia-Zango Kataf road in Kaduna and not assassinated, as was being speculated by a section of the media.

6 die, four injured in Enugu auto crash

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BY TONY EDIKE

NUGU — SIX persons were confirmed dead while four others sustained injuries in an auto crash near the old toll-gate at 9th Mile Corner along EnuguOnitsha expressway, Sunday evening.

The accident involved an articulated truck and a commuter Toyota Hiace bus which collided on the single lane being used by motorists on account of the rehabilitation work on the road.

An eyewitness said the truck with number plate XC 288 ASB and the Toyota Hiace bus with number plate XA 725 AGW belonging to one of the popular mass transit companies collided when the truck’s driver was trying to avoid a pothole.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed the accident, said the corpse of the six victims had been

deposited in a mortuary while the injured persons were rushed to nearby hospital for medical assistance.

Borno widows urge Boko Haram to embrace amnesty

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AIDUGURI —WID OWS in Borno, yesterday, appealed to members of the Boko Haram sect to take advantage of the proposed Federal Government amnesty programme and drop their arms.

A cross section of the widows affected by activities of the sect made the appeal in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria, in Maiduguri.

Hajiya Yagunsu Umar, a mother of five, who lost her husband in 2011, said the Boko Haram violent campaign had negatively affected women in the state.

“My husband was killed in September 2011 shortly after returning from the mosque in the evening in Gwange, Layin Tanki, Maiduguri. I had to move to my brother’s house in Ruwan-Zafi,” Umar said.

She added that her brother was also killed two weeks after she moved into his house, adding: “My brother Alhaji Modu Ibrahim, a big-time groundnut oil dealer, was also shot at his shop in Gamboru market."

Malama Falmata Ibrahim, another widow, corroborated her claim, saying the Boko Haram crisis had impacted negatively on the family.

She said: “Women have suffered most in the ongoing Boko Haram crisis; we have lost our husbands, parents, children and even fiances. We are appealing to the sect to please take advantage of the planned amnesty and initiate talks with the government.”

Malama Hassana Aliyu, also a widow, who lost her husband in 2010, called on the sect to eschew anger and embrace peace and dialogue with the government.

Another widow, Madam Caro Mamza, also urged the government not to relent on its ongoing effort at resolving the Boko Haram issue.

Rape: Osun monarch gets judgment date

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

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SOGBO —AFTER about two years of legal fireworks on the alleged rape of a former member of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, by a traditional ruler in Osun State, Alowa of Ilowa-Ijesha, Oba Adebukola Alli, an Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo has reserved judgment in the case till June 4, 2013.

Oba Alli has since 2011 been standing trial for allegedly rap-

ing Helen Okpara, a former NYSC member while observing her mandatory one year service in his domain.

At the close of the case, yesterday, Justice Oyejide Falola fixed the date for judgment after adopting the submissions of all the parties involved.

The monarch had during the trial, insisted that Helen Okpara was his lover and that the victim willingly consented to the sexual intercourse that happened on the day in question.

But the ex-corps member denied the monarch’s submission, stressing that the traditional ruler forcefully made love to her on the fateful day at Rasco Alli Hotel Osogbo, owned by the monarch.

At yesterday's sitting, counsel to the accused, Mr. E.A Gbadegesin announced the adoption of his written address filed on April 6, and the Director, Public Prosecution, DPP, who is also the prosecutor confirmed his submission.

8—Vanguard , TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

BY SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL EDITOR, NORTH

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HOCKING details emerged, yesterday, of how four smart Nigerian oil dealers conspired and fleeced the nation of N1.5 billion in the name of supplying premium motor spirit (petrol) to the country.

The four suspects, Alhaji Saminu Rabiu, Jubril Rowaye, Alminur Resources Limited and Brila Energy, reportedly claimed to have used a vessel that had long been put out of circulation to ‘supply’ petrol to Nigeria under the scandalous fuel subsidy administration that made the nation to lose close to N2.3trillion in revenue in 2011.

But when the case against the four suspects opened, yesterday, at the Abuja High Court, an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission operative, confronted them with evidence that the so called ‘vessel’, which they claimed to have used in ‘supplying’ the fuel to Nigeria, was not in existence at the time they claimed it was used for transporting fuel to Nigeria.

Tolu Olanubi told the court that the vessel, MT KRITI, had ceased to exist since 2010 A prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Alhaji Saminu Rabiu, Jubril Rowaye, Alminnur Resources Limited and Brila Energy Limited who were alleged to be involved in a N1.5billion subsidy scam, Tolu Olanubi on Monday April 15,

BY SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL EDITOR, NORTH, EMMA AMAIZE & EMMA UJAH

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NGERED by last Sunday’s threat by the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, MEND, to commence bombing of mosques and killing of Muslim clerics as from May 31 over the terror campaign and killing of Christians by the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, northern youths yesterday, promised to deal a deadly blow on the militants should they carry out its devilish plan even as former agitators and clerics in the NigerDelta differed on planned attack.

Although the Arewa youths did not specify their mode of retaliation, they warned MEND not to arrogate to itself the monopoly of violence.

The northern youths’ warning was handed down by the National President of the Arewa Youths Forum, Alhaji Ibrahim Gambo Gujungu in Abuja.

Gujungu made it clear that the threat by MEND would not in any way deter northerners and other Nigerians from fighting back should they attempt to make real their threat.

The AYF leader said,”the most recent threat by MEND is indeed, unfortunate, callous and counter productive, especially coming at a time when patriotic

Subsidy scam: How oil dealers used 'dead' vessel to dupe Nigeria of N1.5bn 2013 told the court that MT KRITI, the vessel allegedly used by the accused persons in shipping Premium Motor Spirit to Nigeria in June 2011 had ceased to exist since April 2010.

Olanubi, who was led in evi-

dence by EFCC counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, told the court that, in the course of the investigation, a relationship was established between the EFCC and Lloyd’s List Intelligence, an organisation that provides infor-

mation on vessels, ownership of vessels, movement and location of vessels, to establish that there was no such vessel in the world at the time of the said supply.

She said the EFCC sub-

2012 HAJJ REPORT—President Goodluck Jonathan (right) receiving the 2012 hajj report from the leader of Federal Government delegation, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saa'ad Abubarka at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: State House.

scribed to the website of Lloyd’s List Intelligence where it was discovered that MT KRITI, which was purportedly used to ship Premium Motor Spirit on June 14, 2011 had ceased to exist and declared “Status: Dead.”

She also told the court that the last place of location of the vessel was Gadani Beach in Pakistan. “It is not possible for the vessel to have sailed into Nigeria on June 14, 2011 since it was reported dead on April 17, 2010”, Olanubi told the court.

She also told the court that the vessel had changed its name from KRITI to AKIT before it ceased to exist and demonstrated to the court with the aid of a projector attached to the Internet how she arrived at the facts.

However, Ajibola Oloyede, counsel to the 2nd and 4th defendants, challenged the admissibility of the document, saying it was generated through a computer.

He alleged that the documents did not meet the procedure of tendering such documents as stated in the Evidence Act. “It is not for the witness to say it was printed from the computer, the document printed should have all the information of how it was produced,” the defence argued.

Don't dare us, Northern youths warn MEND Say you don't have monopoly of violence Nigerians are making strident effort and sacrifices to resolve the current security challenge.

“MEND, as usual, is putting spanners in the works for unpatriotic selfish economic benefits. It is painful that these elements are threatening more violence despite the colossal amount being paid their leadership and the training of Niger Delta youths abroad by the Federal Government to the obvious disadvantage of other Nigerian youths outside the region.

“MEND and its members are hereby warned that they do not have monopoly of ideas, strength or ability. The youths of the north and other Nigerians are united and shall face them to truncate any of their threats which are aimed at separating Nigerians along religious or ethnic divides for their selfish economic goals.

“It is very sad and mind boggling to note that instead of supporting and ensuring that President Jonathan succeeds in finding a lasting solution to the present security challenge in

the north, MEND has reopened another insecurity theatre in the Niger Delta to cause distraction and make him fail.

“The obvious disrespect, which MEND shows to President Jonathan as not being among those they respect enough to intervene in the ongoing debacle, is food for thought, to say the least,” Gujungu noted.

Some ex-leaders of the militant group contacted by Vanguard, yesterday, opted to keep sealed lips with one of them, saying, “You know our position on this matter. As far as we concerned, MEND is dead, those threatening anything in the name of MEND are paper tigers.”

However, the spokesperson of the defunct Niger-Delta Liberation Force, NDLF, “Captain” Mark Anthony, threw his weight behind the planned action by MEND, while a prominent activist, Mr. Augustine Ogedengbe, cautioned against retaliatory attacks by any group from the region.

In the words of “Captain” An-

thony, “If MEND can carry out their threat, it will be a welcome development, the Christians Boko Haram roasted with bombs in hundreds are human beings. While we were in the creek, we made preparations to pay Boko Haram in their own coin, but Niger-Delta politicians pleaded with us never to carry out operations in the land.

“Now, my hands are tied as Federal Government has granted me amnesty and my group, NDLF, and I have sworn to an oath never to engage in violence. I am now a toothless bulldog and cannot bite,” he said.

Rev Usifo, who opposed the plan by MEND to take up the gauntlet for Christians said, “They should not burn mosques and kill Muslim clerics, I am not in support of that.

But I want to say that Christians should arm themselves and also seek the services of security agencies to guard their churches. In a situation where people come to attack them and burn their churches, they

should defend themselves”.

Activist, Mr. Ogedengbe, said he would want MEND and any other group claiming to represent Niger-Delta to be mindful of the fact that Boko Haram was fashioned to frustrate the Federal Government, headed by a Niger-Deltan and carrying out reprisal action could precipitate more bloodbaths.

Nigeria is heading for disintegration unless ——Southern Mandate Meanwhile, the Southern Mandate has warned that sponsors of the sect must halt their activities forthwith, or else the insurgency will plunge Nigeria into disintegration.

The group said in a statement issued in Abuja, yesterday, that the sustained explosions were targeted at discrediting the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

“We foresee that there are no two ways about it –the consequence of Boko Haram’s present activities is the disintegration of our dear country in the near future".

Vanguard , TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013—9

PDP 'll win 2015 polls — Anenih First meeting with Obasanjo after 6 years, says he is my leader

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA—CHAIRMAN Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Tony Anenih declared yesterday that the party would do what it knows how to do best to win the next general election in 2015.

Chief Anenih, who spoke to newsmen after he held a closed door meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, described Obasanjo as his leader despite their differences.

It was the first meeting between the two since 2007 when the former President replaced Anenih as chairman of the PDP BoT. Anenih, who arrived Obasanjo Hilltop residence in Abeokuta at 12:pm was accompanied by Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, his counterpart in Katsina State, who is also the Chairman South West Reconciliatory Committee, Ibrahim Shema, former governors of Kaduna, Nasarawa and Ekiti states; Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Adamu Abdulahi and Segun Oni respectively.

Also in the attendance were members of Board of Trustee from Lagos and Oyo states, Mrs Aduke Maina and Shuaib Oyedokun and former Chairman of the party in the state, Oladipo Odujinrin.

Anenih, however, kept mum on what transpired at the meeting but said the public should wait for the result of the meeting .

Speaking on the chances of the PDP in 2015 election, the BoT Chairman who is known as 'Mr Fix it' said “why not, we take it one after the other. PDP is a party to beat, when the time comes, I assure we will do what we know how to do best”.

When asked about the purpose of his visit to Obasanjo, Anenih said “I am here to see my leader, I am here to pay my respect and indeed I am here with my colleagues, some members of the board of trustees of our party to discuss some issues that affect the corporate existence of this country, issues about the insecurity of

the country and about the party itself, PDP, the biggest party in Africa. Those are the reasons we are here. My colleagues are all here, we are about eight of us.

“As you see, we are all smiling, don’t you see me smiling?

And my leader too is smiling.

So we are quite happy about the outcome. For now, it is not for public consumption.

When pressed further whether they discussed the problems of the party in Ogun State, the South West zone and at the national level, Anenih said “ I said we discussed issues that affect the party itself. Wait for the results".

On the problem of Boko Haram insurgency, the BoT Chair-

man said “you want us to discuss the issue of amnesty in public here? That is a security matter".

Anenih, however, reacted to the declaration by Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun that the PDP is dead in the state, saying, “let me tell you, almost all of us here are members of PDP in Ogun, the leader of the party and former president is here, so you cannot say that PDP is dead in Ogun State.

Meanwhile, the State executive members of the party were disappointed when Chief Tony Anenih refused to address them at the party secretariat, Kuto, Abeokuta.

The Bayo Dayo-led executive

members and other supporters of the party had gathered at the party secretariat close to Obasanjo Hiltop residence waiting for the delegation to come and address them, but, Anenih and his entourage just drove past the party secretariat.

The PDP in Ogun State had been enmeshed in crisis since 2011 which led to three factions before the National Working Committee of the party waded in and recognized the Bayo Dayo-led executive.

Vanguard, however, gathered that the Tony Anenih-led delegation decided not to get involved in the crisis of the party in the state so as not to give a wrong impression.

PDP BOT VISITS OBJ—From left: Chief Tony Anenih, PDP BOT Chairman; Chief Olusegun Obasanjo; Senator Walid Jubril; Senator Ahmed Markafi (back roll); Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State and others during a visit to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo at his Hill top residence, Ibara, Abeokuta, yesterday. Photo: Wunmi Akinola.

30 foreign investors eye acquisition of 10 power plants

BY EDIRI EJOH, WITH AGENCY REPORT

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HE Federal Government, yesterday, said at least 30 investors have indicated interest

in acquiring 10 power plants that it plans to sell.

Speaking in an interview, Mr. James Olotu, Chief Executive Officer, Niger Delta Power Holding Company of Nigeria, said the different organisations from all over the world were presently interested in the acquisition of the power companies.

Olotu said the Federal Government was considering selling off about 80 per cent of its shares in thermal power plants located across the country.

Jointly owned by the federal, state and local governments, the power companies were set up from 2004 as a special intervention to boost gas-fueled electricity output.

With combined installed capacity at more than 5,000 megawatts, they include the 850-

megawatt Alaoji Generation Company near the southeastern city of Aba, the 754-megawatt Olorunsogo Generation Company in the southwest and the 634megawatt Calabar Generation Company on the southeastern coast.

Nigeria sold as much as 60 percent stakes in 10 electricity distribution and five power generators that were part of the former state monopoly on February 22 under a plan to increase output with private investment.

Blackouts are a daily occurrence in Nigeria, where electricity demand is almost double the supply of about 5,000 megawatts.

According to the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, buyers included Siemens AG (SIE), Korea Electric Power Corporation and Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc.

NCAA grounds British Airways aircraft over engine failure

BY LAWANI MIKAIRU & DANIEL ETEGHE

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IGERIAN Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, yesterday, grounded a British Airways flight which was scheduled to depart Abuja by 8.14am to London Heathrow after the aircraft developed a snag in one of its engines before take-off from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Speaking to newsmen, the Acting Director General of the NCAA, Dr. Joyce Nkemakonam said that the aircraft had a snag and was subsequently grounded by the agency.

He said: “The aircraft had a snag and the airline notified NCAA and it was subsequently grounded”.

Investigation conducted by Vanguard revealed that the aircraft door had been shut and modalities to commence flight set in motion when it was announced that one of the engines was not operational. After several futile attempts to restart the aircraft, there was a loud noise from the right engine while smoke was also noticed as the passengers were asked to disembark from the plane, according to sources.

Vanguard further learnt that after several attempts the pilot and engineers were given the option of working on the problem within 40 minutes or abort the flight and reschedule.

The aircraft was later seen being towed to the tarmac and the flight cancelled.

When contacted, the Country Manager of British Airways, Mr. Kola Olayinka said that the airline’s Abuja-London flight was stopped due to operational reasons.

Mr. Olayinka further pointed out that the parts to fix the snag were being flown from London and will be arriving the country this night.

He said: "British Airways confirms that its Abuja-London flight was stopped due to operational reasons. At the moment, the parts to fix the problem are being flown from London tonight, and the flight will operate tomorrow to new timings.”

“All British Airways passengers have been looked after according to our Operational Standard Procedures. British Airways flight 083 scheduled to depart London tonight is operating normally.” he affirmed.

10—Vanguard , TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

EFCC opposes Nnamani's application for foreign medical trip

CONDOLENCE:

From left— Mr. Gbenga Adefaye, Editor-in-Chief/GM Publication, Vanguard Newspapers; Senator Gbenga Obadara (Ogun Central); Senator Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central) and Senator Babafemi Ojudu (Ekiti Central), during a condolence visit to Governor Kayode Fayemi in AdoEkiti.

BY INNOCENT ANABA

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AGOS—ECONOMIC and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has opposed an application by former governor of Enugu State, Chimaroke Nnamani, before a Federal High Court in Lagos, seeking to travel for urgent medical treatment in the United States.

EFCC argued that the ailment for which Nnamani sought to travel abroad could be treated in Nigeria.

Nnamani is facing trial, alongside others, for allegedly defrauding his state to the tune of N4.5 billion.

The ex-governor had filed the application through his lawyer, arguing that there was an urgent need for him to be allowed to travel on health ground.

Nnamani had, in an affidavit, averred that he was diagnosed with ‘hypercloclesterolemnia and a high level serum Prostrate Surface Antigen, SPA, sometime in 2008, for which he went to USA several times for treatment.’

June 18 for hearing on suit against Google

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

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USTICE Adedayo Oyebanji of Lagos High Court, Igbosere, yesterday, fixed June 18 for hearing of a preliminary objection filed by Google internet service provider, in a N500 million libel suit filed by one Mr. Nicholas Okoye.

Okoye, Chairman of Anabel Group of Companies, is accusing Google of improper editorial censorship over alleged libelous publication.

Other defendants in the suit are Mrs Ladun Liadi, a blog operator, and Google Nigeria as first and third defendants.

However, Google had filed a motion, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the suit.

Lagos goes tough on illegal school levies

BY AMAKA ABAYOMI

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AGOS State Government has warned head teachers in its schools to desist from collecting illegal levies and fees from students and pupils or face severe consequences.

Speaking at an interactive session with representatives of Head-teachers and Parents’ Forum of public primary schools in the state, Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, and the Chairperson, State Universal Basic Education Board, Mrs. Gbolahan Daodu, said such levies negated the education policy thrust of the state.

She said: “Though the calls have reduced, a lot of parents still call and send text messages complaining of one levy or the other that their wards are forced to pay.

“One mother called and was crying that her two children were being beaten daily because of their failure to pay the N500 each, being demanded by the school.”

Stressing that defaulting schools would have themselves to blame, Mrs Daodu charged head teachers to always discuss with schools’ Parents Forum and SUBEB on any project they wanted to embark on for assistance.

On the forthcoming JSS1 placement, billed for April 20, Daodu declared that only candidates with 50 percent pass would be admitted into JSS1, while admission into JSS2 and SS2 would no longer be accepted.

She noted that it was no longer business as usual for those involved in admission racketeering, warning that any child that failed to sit for and

pass the placement exams would not be admitted into

any public junior secondary school in the state.

NUJ to shut media houses over unpaid salaries

BY LAWANI MIKAIRU & DANIEL ETEGHE

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AGOS—NIGERIA Union of Journalists, NUJ, yesterday, said from tomorrow operations of media houses defaulting in the payment of salaries to members would be parlaysed.

NUJ’s President, Mohammed Garba, who spoke in Lagos, said unless affected media houses assured on when they would pay the salaries and arrears, they would not be spared.

Briefing aviation correspondents at the domestic terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, Garba said: “If at the end of the two weeks, there is no communications or commit-

ments from them, we are going to take a very serious action against them.”

He was accompanied by Mr. Liman Shuaib, NUJ National Secretary, and Mr. Deji Elumoye, Chairman, Lagos State council of NUJ. Garba explained that the two weeks ultimatum given to defaulting media organisations would expire on April 17.

He said: “Besides the turning of the sod of Lagos Council of NUJ guest house slated for tomorrow, the picketing of defaulting media houses is the main reason we are in Lagos.

“We will be meeting with the President, Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, to discuss some things."

Fashola to lift ban on religious activities in schools

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI & MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

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AGOS State government is considering lifting the ban placed on religious activities in primary schools in the state, even as Governor Babatunde Fashola said the citizens must cooperate with security agencies for effective security.

Fashola, who disclosed this, yesterday, during a courtesy visit by members of the Anglican Communion, Diocese of Lagos West, led by the outgoing Bishop, Rt. Rev. Peter Adebiyi, argued that every major city in the world had its own black spot.

He said: “I assure you that we will do something on the ban placed on religious studies in our public schools."

... to sanction employers without LASDRI-certified drivers ernment had given enough gos State Traffic Laws and

BY OLASUNKNAMI AKONI

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AGOS State Govern ment, yesterday, said it was an offence for professional drivers, especially those employed by corporate organisations to drive without the state’s Driver’s Institute, LASDRI, re-certification licence.

Offenders would be liable to sanction according to La-

could pay fines ranging from N50,000 to N250,000.

Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. K ayode Opeifa, who spoke at the flag-off of 2013 Vehicle Inspection Service, VIS, safety campaign week, slated to run from April 15 to 19, said from April 22 the traffic law enforcement agents would embark on arrest of any professional driver without LASDRI licence.

Opeifa lamented that gov-

period of grace for organisations to comply with the law, but most of them denied their drivers the opportunity to attend trainings meant to upgrade their driving skills and further ensure safety on the road.

He said: “We are focusing on voluntary compliance. For over six months we have been sensitising the public on driver’s documentation exercise.

We will commence enforcement after the VIS week, precisely on April 22."

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013—11

Nigeria earns N599bn from crude, FG overspends by N178bn

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

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ENTRAL Bank of Nigeria, CBN, yesterday, said the country earned N599 billion from crude oil in January, while Federal Government overspent its budget by N178 billion in the same month.

The apex bank disclosed this in its economic report for January released yesterday, which shows that total federal revenue in January was 4.1 percent below the budget estimate.

The report said: “Federallycollected revenue (gross)in January 2013, at N774.8 billion, was below the provisional monthly budget estimate by 4.1 percent, but exceeded the receipt at end December 2012 by 1.8 percent.

“The decline relative to provisional monthly budget estimate was attributed to the fall in non-oil revenue during the review period.

“At N599.0 billion, oil receipts (gross), which constituted 77.3 percent of the total revenue, exceeded the provisional budget estimate and receipts in the preceding month by 8.3 and 2.2 percent, respectively.

“The rise in oil receipts relative to the proportionate monthly budget estimate was attributed to increase in prices of crude oil in the international market during the review period.

“Relative to the level in the corresponding period of 2012, gross oil receipts, however, fell by 33.5 percent non-oil receipts (gross), at N175.8 billion or 22.7 percent of the total, was 31.0 and 13.8 per cent lower than the provisional monthly budget estimate and the receipts in the corresponding period of 2012.

“Relative to the preceding month, non-oil receipts rose marginally by 0.2 percent. The decline relative to the monthly

BY DAUD OLATUNJI budget estimate reflected, largely the low receipts from corporate tax and independent revenue of the Federal Government.

“Of the federally-collected revenue (gross), N462.43 billion (after all deductions and transfers) was transferred to the Federation Account for distribution among the three tiers of government and the 13.0% Derivation Fund.

“Federal Government received N217.42 billion, while the state and local governments received N110.28 billion and N85.02 billion, respectively. The balance of N49.71 billion was credited to the 13.0% Derivation Fund for sharing by the oil-producing states.

“From the VAT Pool Account, the Federal Government received N8.29billion,

O

SOGBO—GOVERNOR Rauf Aregbesola of Osun

Tinubu, Saraki, Adefaye visit Fayemi

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

S

ENATOR Oluremi Tinubu, Senator Bukola Saraki, former governor of Kwara State, and immediate past President of Nigerian Guild of Editors and Editor-

State, yesterday, has urged Muslims in the country to prove to the contrary the belief that Islam was a religion

‘Sack NASENI DG'

BY EMMANUEL ELEBEKE

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CADEMIC Staff Union of National Research Institutions, ASURI, has demanded for the immediate removal of the acting Director-General of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, NASENI, Dr. Mohammed Haruna, that his appointment was a gross violation of law setting up NASENI. ASURI accused the Minister of

while the state and local governments received N27.62 billion and N19.33 billion, respectively.

“Overall, the total allocation to the three tiers of government from the Federation and VAT Pool Accounts in the month amounted to N560.83 billion. This was lower than the provisional monthly budget estimate of N570.57 billion by 1.7 percent.

LUNCHEON: From left— Amb. Olugbenga Ashiru, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Amb. Omotayo Ogunsulire, President, Association of Retired Ambassadors of Nigeria, ARAN; and Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, at the luncheon in honour of Amb. Ashiru by ARAN in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: Diran Oshe.

in- Chief of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Gbenga Adefaye, were in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, yesterday, on condolence visit to Governor Kayode Fayemi over the death of his Deputy, Mrs. Funmilayo Olayinka.

Prove critics wrong, Aregbesola urges Muslims

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

Ogun monarch beaten up

Science and Technology of compromise, alleging that Haruna had six other senior directors ahead of him.

At a briefing in Abuja, Secretary-General of the union, Theo Ndubuaku, said the continued retention of Haruna amounted to gross illegality and total disregard to the law, contrary to extant regulations of research and development institutions condition of service in the country.

of terror and mindless killings among other negative tendencies.

The governor spoke while receiving an Islamic organisation, Jama’atu IzalatilBid’ah wa Iqamatis Sunnah (Organisation Propagating true tenets of the Prophet ), which paid him a courtesy visit in Osogbo.

Aregbesola said: “Islam rejects force, compulsion, killing and maiming and violence in all its forms. Islam encourages piety, good relation, nice character, a combination of which attracts people to Islam.

"The absence of all these qualities brings hatred."

This came as the government raised alarm over illegal solicitation of funds by some unscrupulous individuals purportedly for the burial of the late Deputy Governor.

Adefaye extolled the virtue of the late Deputy Governor, describing her as a courageous fighter, who assisted in no small measure to draw development to the state.

In the condolence register, he wrote “Good woman, great fighter, rest in peace.”

Meanwhile, the state government has warned individuals involved in the illegal solicitation of funds, purportedly for the burial of late Deputy Governor, to stop.

It will be recalled that a popular youth leader in AdoEkiti (names withheld) had last week send out letters inviting people to contribute N25,000 each for the burial of Mrs Olayinka.

A statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Ganiyu Owolabi, said government had not authorised anybody or group of persons to solicit for funds.

A

B E O K U TA — THERE was confusion, yesterday, in AdoOdo, Ado-Odo Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State when the town’s monarch, Oba Lateef Adeniran, was assaulted publicly by unknown villagers.

He was said to have been beaten and stripped naked, his palace reportedly destroyed, while his wives and children escaped being lynched by the whiskers.

The hoodlums, said to be protesting the validation of his appointment by a Supreme Court judgment delivered in January 12, 2009, attacked him on his way to Ilaro.

According to a source, when the rioters stormed the Oba’s palace, he was out. But some of them were said to have seen him on his way to Ilaro, and forced his Sports Utility Vehicle, SUV, to stop, and dragged him out of the vehicle.

The Oba is said to be receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital in Abeokuta, for the injuries he sustained.

CNPP lauds Amosun on devt projects

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ONFERENCE of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, in Ogun State have commended Governor Ibikunle Amosun for his efforts in embarking on giant development projects in the state within his two years in office.

Chairman of Ogun CNPP, Otunba Owolabi Odebudo, while speaking after leading his exco members on the inspection of Ilo-Awela Road near Sango-Ota toll gate, enjoined every opposition parties to appreciate the good job ACN administration in the state is doing to bring dividends of democracy to the people.

Odebudo noted the N260 million pedestrian bridge project just concluded in Abeokuta being unnecessarily criticised by an opposition party, as a laudable project.

12—Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

Akpabio flays illegal detention, murder of A-Ibom natives in diaspora

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O V E R N O R Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, has expressed worry over constant harassment, illegal detention and killing of Akwa Ibom indigenes in diaspora.

Akpabio, when executive members of Akwa Ibom community in Lagos, led by its President, Elijah Ifot, paid him a courtesy visit at Governor’s Lodge, Uyo, said he was worried by news of illegal detention of a 19-year-old Akwa Ibom girl for four years without trial for alleged theft of handset and killing of a three-year-old Akwa Ibom child in Lagos.

The governor stressed the need to partner the body in addressing crucial issues affecting indigenes and touching the lives of Akwa Ibom people living in Lagos.

Rivers releases purchase agreement for two helicopters

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

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ORT HARCOURT— RIVERS State Government, yesterday, released details of the agreement for the purchase of its two helicopters that had attracted serious media attention lately.

Briefing newsmen in Port Harcourt, Commissioner for Information and Communications in the state, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, said it was important that the Helicopter Purchase Agreement was released to the public, so that the media could follow up on any area requiring clarification.

She said that media organisations were free to contact Africair Inc, a Florida, US, corporation, the state government entered into the agreement with for the purchase of the helicopters.

According to the Helicopter Purchase Agreement, the two Bell 412EP helicopters were purchased at $28.414 million.

The agreement also states that the helicopters were

Court sacks Rivers PDP exco loyal to Amaechi

BY HENRY UMORU

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BUJA—AN Abuja High Court, yesterday, sacked the Chief Godspower Akeh-led Rivers State executive of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which is loyal to Governor Chibuike Amaechi.

Trial judge, Justice Ishaq Bello, in his ruling, approved the election of the faction loyal to the Minister of State for Education, Nyson Wike, and led by Felix Obuah, as well as members of his factional executive.

The court earlier held that it had jurisdiction to entertain the suit. The court upheld the deposition of

Chairman of Edo State PDP, Mr. Dan Orbih, who had averred that the result which Chief Akeh was parading never came from the congress he conducted in Rivers State.

It will be recalled that Obuah had challenged the election of Akeh, who was purportedly elected chairman of Rivers State chapter of PDP in February 2011.

The suit was before Justice Adamu Talba, who gave the controversial judgment in the Director of the Police Pension Fund and following his suspension, the case was re-assigned to Justice Bello, who ruled in favour of the Wike’s faction of PDP, led by Obuah.

manufactured by Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc. The agreement indicates that the purchase price covered “freight and ferry charges, disassembly, crating, reassembly and insurance from the place of delivery to the Helicopters' final destination, which shall be the seller's responsibility.

“The purchase price include a

Bell transition training course for two pilots per helicopter; a Bell field maintenance training course for one engineer and a Bell electrical training course for one engineer per helicopter at no additional charge.”

Fielding questions from newsmen, the commissioner explained that the helicopters

were paid for by the state and Federal Governments, adding that they were acquired to tackle security challenges in the state, including bringing illegal bunkering operations to a halt. She added that the state House of Assembly gave approval to the state government to pay its share of the purchase price.

VISIT: Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State (right), Mr Solomon Ogba, President, Athletics Federation of Nigeria (left) and Chief Mike Itemuagbor, Honorary Adviser to Governor Oshiomhole on Sports, during a courtesy visit to the governor in his office, yesterday.

Fugar mayhem: I'll sign killers' execution —Oshiomhole ...calls for Police co-operation

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BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

ENIN—GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, who visited the families of those killed last week in the Fugar mayhem, has vowed to sign the death warrant of those who will be convicted over the killings.

A farmer with three wives and 30 children, aged 72, Oboareyi Ivharve and Joachim Omedemeh, were shot dead, while four cars and five houses were burnt, during the clash between Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, youths in Fugar, Etsako Central Local Government Area of the state.

A visibly angry Oshiomhole, who inspected the damages and visited families of the deceased, described the killings as senseless and expressed the readiness of his administration to co-operate with police with a view to fishing out the killers.

He said, “I condemn in

the strongest term possible, those who are responsible for the killings and I will encourage the police to handle the investigation very professionally. We need to get the people who are involved in these killings

and they must be brought to justice.

“No man has a right to take the life of another for any reason, except as confirmed by a court. So I condemn these killings which were absolutely unnecessary.

“Those who are responsible for these killings, when found and they brought to justice, if they are condemned, I will sign their execution, because I believe we need to clean up the political system."

....As group tasks Akhigbe on statesmanship

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

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ENIN—A GROUP, Democracy in Action, has described as unfortunate, a statement credited to former Chief of General Staff in the Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar administration, Admiral Okhai Akhigbe, on the crisis in Fugar, Estako Central Local Government Area of Edo State, during which two people lost their lives.

Admiral Akhigbe was alleged to have blamed the incident on Edo politicians based in Abuja and the state police command.

The group, in a statement in Benin, yesterday, by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Dada Ay-

okhai, appealed to Admiral Akhigbe to act as a statesman by not taking sides in the crisis.

We're striving for quality education —Uduaghan

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ELTA State gover nor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has said his administration will not discriminate between public and private educational institutions in the quest of ensuring quality education for Deltans.

Speaking during the first convocation of Western Delta University, Oghara, Delta State, the governor said his administration was committed to

ensuring quality education in both public and private educational institutions in the state in line with the human capital development agenda of his administration.

He said proper monitoring of schools was being carried out by government officials while incentives were also, being provided by federal and state agencies to ensure that infrastructure were provided for the institutions.

Vanguard , TUESDAY TUESDAY,, APRIL 16 , 2013 —13

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Vanguard , TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013 —15

EFCC detains, releases former NSPMC boss

BY SONI DANIEL, Regional Editor, North

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BUJA — Former Managing Director of Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, NSPMC, Ehi Okomoyon, has been arrested and quizzed by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in Abuja.

Vanguard learnt from a reliable source that Okomoyon, who resigned following the curious disappearance of N1000 fresh bank notes amounting to N2.1 billion from the fortified premises, was picked up on Sunday to answer questions in connection with the missing money and bribery scandal arising from the polymer notes contract awarded by former CBN governor.

A source said the man would remain with the security agents until he had given satisfactory answers to issues posed to him.

A source, who pleaded for anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter, said: “It is true that Okomoyon was arrested in Abuja for interrogation in

connection with several issues at the NSPMC. ”I cannot say if he will be released today or next because the operatives feel they should interact more with him following the statement made by him.”

Nigerian officials allegedly

received bribes in a printing contract for bank notes by Securency, a note-printing firm partly owned by the Reserve Bank of Australia.

Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof.

Chukwuma Soludo, was also quizzed by EFCC in January

in connection with the scam.

EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the arrest of Okomoyon.

At the time of going to press, Vanguard gathered that he had been released

From left: Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd) and Chief Tony Anenih, at the chieftaincy installation of Gen. T.Y. Danjuma (rtd) as Jiji of Karu by HRH, Dr. Luka Panya Baba, Esu of Karu, Nasarawa State.

Olanrewaju mourns ex-deputy gov, Nwike

BY BASHIR ADEFAKA

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O R M E R MINISTER of Communications and Chairman, Assets Sharing Committee on States’ Boundaries, Major-General Tajudeen Olanrewaju,(rtd) has described the killing by kidnappers, of former Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chudi Nwike, as unfortunate and saddening.

Describing the death of Nwike as condemnable, Olanrewaju said the former deputy governor had been a very amiable person who had always been patriotic in his ways of doing things. ”It was evident from the way Nwike behaved, that he was always carrying the attitude of a true Nigerian. He was completely a detribalised person. He was a good man and I will miss him seriously,” the former minister said.

16—Vanguard , TUESDAY TUESDAY,, APRIL 16 , 2013

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013—17

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for investments without protecting the local industries, World Trade Organisation or not. The other day, I bought a bunch of bananas only to discover that it was imported from Camerouns! Bananas?

I

Reviving the Steel sector making in roads into Nigerian market today.

In fairness, the Federal Government recognised the centrality of steel in the nation's development and tried to address our need. It set up the Ajeokuta Steel Mill as well as several Steel Rolling Mills across the country. But politics ruined that effort. First, some of the Steel Mills were wrongly sited purely for political reasons. Secondly, most of the Rolling Mills were producing rods instead of flats.

That was understandable given the boom in the construction industry in the seventies which occasioned the infamous cement armada! Thirdly, because the Mills were government companies, choice of management toed the line of political patronage and soon the companies were run aground! Even to sell these Mills off to private hands for better management have been fraught with politics and corruption!

When the President commissions the Wempco Mills on Thursday, Nigeria would be taking a significant step towards creating impetus for our steel industry and local contents. Nigeria's annual demand for cold rolled steel flat sheets today is estimated at 1.2 million tonnes, unfortunately, mostly imported.

The Wempco production capacity, I understand, is 700,000 metric tonnes per annum with additional expansion capacity for 300,000 tonnes per annum.

With necessary encouragement, Wempco and other companies in the steel sector can reduce our imports and even make Nigeria a major exporter of various steel products in the long run.

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t will be recalled that, in the '70s, many industries thrived in the country through incentives such as refunds and duty draw back on raw materials used to produce goods for export. Nigerian industries were also protected through fiscal measures that imposed high import duties and

BY ERIC TENIOLA Continued from yesterday's pg. 17

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N the Global Peace Index compiled by Mr. Jeremy Nester,he listed only 10 countries in the present world today as safest countries. They are Slovenia, Finland, Canada, Japan, Sweden, Austria, Iceland, Norway,Denmark and New Zealand.

According to him, “attitudes and demographics determines the safety of a country,the index include the number of homicides per 100,000 people,the potential for being the target of a terrorist attack, level of hostility to foreigners,educational attainment and unemployment rates and several other factors.

Of course, nobody can predict the future, and by definition travel involves some inherent risk. These include both statistically improbable occurrences like plane going down in the Andes Mountains, to more likely events like being pick-pocked on a crowded bus.

Travelling to the world’s safest nations does not guarantee an incident-free trip however. In travel as in life,there are no guarantees”.

Unfortunately, today and very unfortunate indeed, Nigeria is listed among the 20 dangerous countries in the world by the Global Peace Index (GPI).

The listing raises a concern whether this country C M Y K

absolute prohibition (trade) on goods produced in Nigeria and low or outright exempt on duty on essential raw materials. Excise duties were annually structured to encourage local production.

Tax reliefs were also extended to pioneer industries. The Customs had all the incentives to tackle smuggling and concealment, before some smart Alec brought pre-shipment inspection that ceded Customs job to foreigners whose companies are in competition with our local manufacturers! With the above incentives, industries boomed in Nigeria. Although some foreigners abused some of the incentives, yet our industries were waxing strong and providing the needed jobs. But in 1973, following the post Yom Kippur war oil boom, we removed all restrictions on

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OR any Nigerian enthusiastic about our groping our way back unto the road to industrialisation, the two pieces of news I read recently must be heartwarming. Last week, a company in Lagos, African Foundries Limited claimed that it would begin to export steel products on 27 April 2013. This week, on Thursday 18 April 2013, President Goodluck Jonathan, GCFR, is going to Commission Wempco Steel Mills Ltd located at KM 8, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. What makes Wempco's 5Stand Tandem Cold Rolled Steel Mill important is that it is going to produce flat sheets!

Let us take our minds back to the '70s and early '80s. Ikeja and Iganmu areas of Lagos boasted of several steel foundries and steel end user factories. I remember some companies that produced refrigerators and air conditioners in this country. We had vehicle Assembly plants that were able to fabricate some of their parts locally.

Others factories were fabricating steel chairs and steel cabinets. Today those foundries and factories are shop front churches. The same is true of many Textile and shoe factories. The products of those factories are today being imported, a great drain on the nation's foreign exchange.

The Wempco Mills which President Jonathan will commission on Thursday is a game changer in Nigeria's industrialisation, because it is going to produce flat sheets. We all know that steel is at the root of industrial revolution.

We only need to look around our homes and appreciate the numerous household products that are made of steel, especially flat steel, from refrigerators, air conditioners, computers, printers, standing and ceiling fans, enamelware to aerosol cans. Look outside and see the oil tank farms, oil pipelines, ship and auto bodies, tubes, pressure vessels and roofing sheets to appreciate the importance of steel in our lives. It is for this that at a time, the development level of countries was measured by their consumption of steel. Major developed countries like USA, Germany, Japan, Britain and France are still heavy consumers of steel.

The world's steel production stood at 790 million metric tonnes in 1999-2000 and 50 per cent of this was produced in developing world. But regrettably, Nigeria was not there! India at the same period produced 1,686,700 metric tonnes and is 100 per cent self-sufficient in Cold Rolled Flat Sheets, satisfying over 50 per cent of India's requirement in the auto sector. It is not surprising that Tata Steel of India progressed from being a major steel producer to a major auto maker in India with their vehicle products

President Jonathan's trip to Wempco Mill Ltd on Thursday must not be purely ceremonial. He must go beyond the tape cutting ritual to have a private audience with the company and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, to understand and address their problems

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imports, opened our borders for dumping and the factories began to die while we watched the Excess Crude Account! Even today, Nigeria is still a dumping ground for goods we can produce here. It is mere hypocrisy to cry

f you consider the number of end users that will utilise Wempco's flat sheets and the jobs that will be created for engineers, electricians by fabricators and makers of the end user products I enumerated above, as well as artisansmechanics, painters and drivers-we will be looking at almost 50,000 direct jobs and limitless other job opportunities. But the company, like many others, is likely to have the usual Nigerian fiscal mismatch of its raw materials attracting the same rate of duty as similar finished imported products. I can bet that because of attendant deficit, it may have even invested a huge sum in providing power, water and bad roads, not to talk of insecurity. These items often increase cost of production and make goods uncompetitive in Nigerian against imported ones. And that is inimical to our Made-in-Nigeria drive. So the Federal Government has a duty to jealously protect investments that provide jobs in the country. That is its primary responsibility because no government can provide all the jobs needed by its teeming unemployed.

This must be emphasised because notwithstanding that Nigeria has enormous gas reserves and even flairs enough to sustain some African countries, yet, one of the major challenges dogging our power sector is inadequate of gas supply! Nigeria is blessed with abundant iron ore, coal and gas. Ordinarily, there should be no reason for us not to be a major player in the steel sector, except, as I said earlier, bad politics and government's policy of inconsistency and instability. This is the time to begin to understand the needs of manufacturing industries in Nigeria and systematically solve them. Last week, the Minister of National Planning, Dr ShamsudeenUsman said that the Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government is a medium term development strategy to speed up Nigeria's march towards becoming one of the 20 largest economies in the world by 2020. He said the strategy is anchored on job creation and laying a foundation for robust economy (Sunday Sun 14 April 2013). President Jonathan's trip to Wempco Mill Ltd on Thursday must not be purely ceremonial. He must go beyond the tape cutting ritual to have a private audience with the company and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN to understand and address their problems.

OPINION Countries that cease to exist (2) can break up or not. In short can Nigeria glass ceiling be shattered? The answer is that it can but it is not desirable. I do not want to contemplate a situation where Nigerians will part ways.

It is true we are facing serious challenges like other nations, but divorce is not the best solution to a troubled marriage. I want to believe that no matter what we are passing through at the moment, we shall overcome.We shall survive. For, the best comes out of us when we are down.

And why should this country break up and for what?

We should not even contemplate it at all. We have been together for long and we shall continue to be together. And there is no easy way to part. Let us think of the on-going war in Afghanistan, Syria, to teach us a lesson.

Let us also think of what is going on in Burundi,Congo, East Timor and the Central African Republic.

This brings to mind to the pre-civil war meeting that took place,when our military rulers had to proceed to Aburi to solve a crisis on 4th and 5th January, 1967.

Aburi by the way is a town North-East of Accra,the capital of Ghana. From Accra to Aburi will take 45

minutes drive and it will be less when the dual carriage road from TettehQuarshire circle to Adenta Barrier is completed by next year.

At Aburi, the Nigeria military rulers including Yakubu Gowon, Robert Adeyinka Adebayo,David Ejoor, OdumegwuOjukwu, J.E. Wey, Mobolaji Johnson, and TimothyOmo Bare all assembled. After much discussion in Aburi, the deputy inspector General of Police at that time Omo Bare, stood up and told the meeting that” We cannot sit here…. and divide up Nigeria, because the way things are now moving is towards regionalisation of everything, and I do not think it is safe or that we are right to divide up Nigeria at this table”.

No leader, tribe or group of people has the right to break up this country. And the present political class must be reminded that they cannot escape if Nigeria degenerates further into a major crisis.

This country must be saved. Nigeria must not go the way of Troy or Champagne.

Concluded *Mr. Teniola, a former director at the presidency wrote from Lagos.

18 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013 IGERIA is under threats from immigrants. Unlike the thinking in most quarters, the challenge is not only from illegal immigrants. Most of those who pass for legal immigrants have little business, if any, in the country.

The Nigeria Immigration Service, which should manage these issues, is at the centre of expatriate quota abuses, the platform on which thousands of expatriates live in Nigeria legally. Expatriate quota is a cesspool of fraud through which expatriates flood the country to take up positions that Nigerians should occupy.

No society can develop without external expertise. Nigeria needs high doses of expertise in certain areas to develop. Those who can provide it are welcome. However, dubious officials of the Service have for years exploited expatriate quotas as business. Their activities account for unqualified expatriates taking jobs off Nigerians.

Immigrants seen as the real threats are those who cross the borders without documents. They also enter Nigeria without any reason, but in most instances they constitute

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Threat of immigrants high security risks. They arrive without skills, work mostly as security guards and are open to recruitment as criminals. They live in uncompleted buildings and set up their own communities where they are the law. As they settle, they invite more relations, who are seeking safety from the ravages of the deserts.

The porous borders are not the main reasons for the number of immigrants in Nigeria, many of whom are technically not illegal.

Under the ECOWAS protocol on free movement of persons, nationals of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo can live in Nigeria for 90 days. They can come and go as they will. Even nationals of Mauri-

tania which withdrew from ECOWAS in 2001 can assume nationality of any of these countries and benefit from the free movements.

With the ECOWAS protocol, migration is a major security challenge and the feeble efforts to address them through deportations cannot work. Those deported can return in weeks. Porous border routes are used mostly for smuggling not movement of people.

Once anyone has a passport of any ECOWAS country, he does not need a reason to migrate to Nigeria.

The challenge should be tackled from various angles but an oft-neglected one is climate change. Nigeria should lead in addressing climate change in ECOWAS. As desert encroachment hits harder, inhabitants of the Sahara, which runs across the entire ECOWAS northern belt, would naturally migrate southwards to areas, where life has more prospects. Nigeria is the major target.

It is in our collective interest, for national survival, to proactively manage immigration.

To do that, we have to think beyond border post management.

OPINION

BY CHUKWUDI ENEKWECHI

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S the flurry of political activities start to gather momemtum in Anambra state in readiness for the 2014 governorship election, several gladiators from the serious minded to the charlatans have started creating awareness, even though subtly on their aspirations. Some even want their faces seen on the streets of the state just for effect, while some choose to use the opportunity to massage their ego.

Yes, a cursory look at the posters and billboards colouring Anambra landscape presently will indeed show that but for their democratic right of expression, most of the aspirants have no business parading themselves as potential governors of our dear state.

Yet, I concede that they retain the freedom to aspire, and I hope that’s where it ends, for it will be catastrophic if a square peg is put in a round hole in the Anambra governorship race.

Nonetheless, it is still consoling that the state has intellectuals who can provide the required leadership for the people, and the one towering above them all is Professor Chukwuma Soludo, former Central Bank of Nigeria governor. Out of the pack, Soludo was the only one who as far back as four

Soludo as Anambra solution years ago developed a blue fruit on how to take Anambra state to her destined position as a leading Nigerian state.

In his first attempt to lead his people he espoused the Dubai- Taiwan initiative-a model fashioned after the flourishing economies of Asia and the Middle East. Lest we forget, these are societies that utilised their human capital and available resources to put their countries on the World map within a specific time frame. Of course, this was made possible through the ingenuity and patriotism of their committed leaders.

Going by his antecedents and pedigree, both as Nigeria’s apex bank boss and World class consultant Prof. Soludo has given a good account of himself as one man who has the wherewithal to transform institutions, and Anambra would be blessed to have him as the next governor. Obviously, his professional background as an economist places him high above other aspirants in the race for Anambra governorship seat, after all, Anambra state is all about economy.

I foresee a declaration for the governorship race by Prof. Soludo as an event that will translate into an unstoppable political movement never witnessed in the annals of the state's history. Let the truth be told, as the Igbos begin their search for future political leaders after the demise of Chief Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu, personages like Prof. Soludo will naturally fill the gap. I say this with all sense of responsibility, considering the charisma which this unassuming “Ijele’’ exudes and commands.

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o matter what anybody says, Soludo is a man after Anambrarians’ and indeed Nigerians’ heart. He is an embodiment of the age long cherished values of discipline, hard work, commitment, patriotism and sense of duty for which our past heroes like Chief Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, Prof. Chinua Achebe, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Dr. Alex Ekwueme Mazi Mbonu Ojike, Eze Akanu Ibiam among others were and are known for.

Therefore as the clock chimes for Anambrarians to make a choice of

their new governor, all hands must be on deck, as the late Dr. Chuba Okadigbo would say, to choose a leader with ascertainable and proven pedigree, and not those who see Anambra governorship seat as a means to attain vainglory. Furthermore, going

by Anambra’s past experiences in maladministration, we must as a people seize the opportunity which this coming race offers by ensuring that we are not beclouded by mundane and pecuniary considerations, rather we must ensure that sobriety and utmost sense of responsibility and concern for our future should dictate the direction we swing our political pendulum.

A cursory look at the pack will indeed show that apart from Soludo and a handful of other aspirants, the rest are grandstanding and merely expressing their freedom of association and expression, but we must as a people be vigilant to restrict their aspiration to mere wish, else, we risk plunging our generation and generations yet unborn to a bottomless abyss, and end up in self pity.

*Mr. Enekwechi, ajournalist, wrote from Abuja.

Vanguard, TUESDAY,APRIL 16, 2013— 19

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F we understand how we became a country we would approach issues of insecurity quite differently. Nigeria, a province of the British Empire, September 30, 1960 became a country a day later, on October 1, 1960. This statement raises two questions of classification. What kind of empire was the British Empire? What kind of country was Nigeria, that went to sleep the preceding night a province of an Empire and woke up the next morning a country? The second question is informed by the first. The British Empire was a capitalist empire secured by the imperial state. As an empire it consisted of the imperial centre and its provinces. As a capitalist empire it protected a capitalist economy consisting of provinces constituted as its sectors. The British Empire was not a feudalist empire consisting of the British overlord coordinating subordinated kingdoms with their own economies and distinct societies.

When independence, negotiated aforehead, came on October 1, 1960, what was declared independent was a province of a capitalist empire and a sector of its economy. As a province it had no ruling class, no state, no autonomous economy, no nationality. On October 1, 1960 this province became a country that had need for what it lacked as a part or province of a global British Empire; it had need for a state, a sovereign class, a nation building economy that formed and shaped the Nigerian nationality.

The government of this province renamed a country was vested in an elite of politicians organized for elections on platform of political parties. This briefly is the structural beginnings of contemporary Nigeria. What the country lacked at independence, namely: a ruling class, a state, an autonomous economy, a nationality, are elements of what we popularly describe as Project Nigeria or The Nigerian Project.

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These elements are abstracted from the attributes of the Empire out of which a province was excised. Of these elements, the principal and necessary structure is the state. The state secures externally the autonomy of the society in an environment of hegemonic and imperialist parties and it secures internally the class that rules the society. States are made, not inherited. They are made by parties organised for rule over society, national or imperial.

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he prominent fact in our postindependence politics is the decision of the political parties to use control of the inherited government of the colony of Nigeria as the means for creating the state. Electoral parties through this strategy of state creation were transformed into state creation parties and the colonial government was adapted as the agency for partisan rivalry over state creation. We need to understand the implications of this

Achebe: The Novelist as Class teacher (2) Continued from yesterday's Viewpoint pg

BY TONY ELUEMUNOR

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O him, arts must be in the service of the society and that should continue until we could take for granted what the West now takes for granted (a push-button life of leisure); until then, “Arts for Arts Sake” would remain a “deodorized dog shit” to quote his exact words.

As though Achebe was keeping his house in order before embracing more global engagements, he packed much into the 1980/81 session. Thus, he organised the Okochi (dry season in Igbo language) Festival to which he invited story tellers from the villages, in an attempt to make the university recognise the real oral literature.

The vernacular recitals took place during the full moon and in the open-air Princess Alexandra Building – its roof was destroyed by bombs during the 1967-1970 Nigerian Civil War and the university decided to keep it that way was as a war relic.

Achebe later told me in Upstate New York, USA, over a decade later that the final duty he did before leaving Nigeria was to organise the Association of Nigerian Authors in 1981. Emeka Atamah and I, served as the only members of the conference’s secretariat.

Its special guest was, yes, Ngugi. For Ngugi’s address as a Special Guest of Honour, the hall was jam-packed. I remember the last question he answered: “In what way should established writers help aspiring ones”? He said in every way possible; that he was helped too by one Nigerian who helped in getting a manuscript to his publishers. Then Ngugi looked up before announcing that the C M Y K

novelist was Achebe and the manuscript became Weep Not Child. As the clapping died down, he concluded: “So I must pay homage to my literary father”. And he went to shake Achebe’s outstretched hands.

So, was Ngugi his favourite African novelist? He shook his head left and right and left again when I asked him that question in the US, where he lived and died after the 1990 car accident that rendered him wheelchair-bound. He said that if there was a book he never got tired of reading, it was Kane’s Ambiguous Adventure. Why? He said the book was a philosophical dialogue between Africa and the West. “Look Tony, it is there in the book that many Africans, often the brightest and the best that we send to the West to understand the Western ways and so help us in the fight for the world’s resources are often conquered by the ‘itinerary itself’.

It is written there that many of such people never really return to Africa and end up neither Whites nor Blacks but hybrids filled with shame”. “Tony,” he continued, “many now in the US, will never return to Africa, neither will their children. Who can quantify that loss to Africa?”.

Achebe himself never returned, he died there … but did he bother about such things?

On my second visit to him at Bard College, Annandale on Hudson, Upstate New York, he told me that he was still in a hospital bed in London (after his 1990 car accident) thinking how he would have to remodel his house in Ogidi, South-East Nigeria so that he would be able to function at all there, when a visitor was ushered in. He was the President of an American College. He asked if Achebe would be ready to move in as part of the faculty once he was ready to leave the hospital. Achebe said yes for he did not want the incapacitation to end his productive life.

decision. To do so we must begin with the 1959 Transition Elections which elected into office candidates put forward by parties recognised by the colonial authorities. The government they were to administer was the British Government in the colony of Nigeria. This government had the colonial security forces and law enforcement organs to ensure the stability and legitimacy of British rule in the Province of Nigeria.

State creation in this context necessarily entrenched ethnic partisanship in the contestations for power on the basis of electoral control of government. It also transformed elections from a means of competition for the administration of government enjoying the legitimacy of all electoral parties into a process consummating ownership of the society and the sovereignty of the party with elected majority. Under the British rule of Nigeria, electoral competition was to determine which parties would govern, not which parties would possess and rule Nigeria. Nigeria was not made a province of the British Empire through elections.

It was thus made through conquest, pacification and secured control. The decision of the Nigeria Independence electoral parties to use control of government for state creation goals has transformed Who Governs Politics subject to constitutional electoral provisions into Who Rules Politics subject to the strategies of war. Electoral politics has become the process of transforming office holders into rulers and electorally dominant parties into state making parties.

Nigeria has thus been administered through this Janusfaced system, one face the face of the elected, the other face the face of rulers, and neither of the faces is

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From empire to country: Framework for security planning in Nigeria

What the country lacked at independence, namely: a ruling class, a state, an autonomous economy, a nationality, are elements of what we popularly describe as Project Nigeria or The Nigerian Project

Achebe later told me in Upstate New York, USA, over a decade later that the final duty he did before leaving Nigeria was to organise the Association of Nigerian Authors in 1981

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On getting to the US, the purpose built (for him) “Achebe House” was ready, overlooking the Catskill Mountain that reminded one of the Nsukka hills, beside Achebe’s former University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He told me he could use his wheel chair to navigate all through the house and the entire campus. But would the situation be the same in Nigeria? He answered the question in an Acheberesque way: “Nigeria is a sorry story”. I did not fail to note the understatement once again.

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ne question many have asked is if Achebe was worried that he never won a Nobel Prize in Literature. I asked him that question and he said, understatedly once again, “I do not lose sleep over that.”

For a while I feared that Achebe could actually reject the prize to poke his nose against the West as he twice rejected national awards from Nigeria –for failure of leadership. But now, such would ever remain part of the great unknowns of history; why he was not thought fit for the prize and if he would have accepted it. Yet it remains a fact that in 1986, African writers were invited for a seminar in Sweden of all places.

Achebe not only turned it down, he published an article saying that the place to discuss

a mask, they are faces of Siamese twins.

Elections are, thus, structurally incapable of resolving issues of Who Rules Nigeria for they have been corrupted by being transformed from the means of resolving legislative disagreements in the administration of government receiving universal support of the electoral parties into the process of capturing power by reducing rivals into subjugated rivals. The British had prepared postIndependence Nigeria for liberal democratic politics in the assumed context of a state and class ordered society, in which electoral parties were organisations proffering rival legislatives programmes for governance. This was the plan for the Province of the British Colony of Nigeria September 30, 1960.

The reality facing the 1959 electoral parties in the politically transformed society on October 1, 1960 was, however, quite different.

These 1959 electoral parties were in 1960 faced with the imperative of securing post-colonial Nigeria externally and instituting a secured rulership party or rulership parties internally. Defence pacts could not and still cannot perform these two functions because defence of a sovereign cannot be outsourced nor sovereignty exercised by proxies. By 1959 governance Politics that was factional intraparty politics a day before had been transformed into a interparty rulership politics a day after!

From this perspective we can appreciate why Africa’s postcolonial politics has been Janusfaced and why elections including the recently concluded presidential elections in Kenya are inherently statemaking contestation affair.

Continues next week.

African literature was in Africa or a foreign place where African literature was taken seriously. Chinweizu(of The West and the Rest of Us book fame), the polyvalent scholar who studied Maths and Philosophy at Massachusetts Institute of Technology before taking a PhD in History and branching off into American Economy and writing literary criticism books, etc, then alerted the world that Achebe had by that act written himself out of the Nobel Prize.

That year, an African, a Nigerian, Wole Soyinka, became a Nobel laureate.

Yes, could he have lived only on his earnings from his novels? He said an emphatic yes to that. Did critics bother him?

No, he replied: “They almost all say nice things about me – and then you have to realize that there are some lunatics out there. You have to learn to notice the serious, weigh what they have to say for no one is perfect. But some are just lunatics”.

As Achebe’s former student, the question I have faced the most is this: “How did he teach his books?” My unvarying answer has been this: “I wish I knew”. But Achebe never taught his books. Prof. Emmanuel Obiechina taught my class Things Fall Apart, Arrow of God, etc. But sitting with Achebe years later in the US, he answered my questions easily: Things Fall Apart did not render an idealised picture of the Igbo of that era. You could almost say that it was a harsh, even wicked, society. But, and he smiled, as you supplied the rest: we were not just savages and the White man, acting on God’s behalf came to save us – which he had stated before as one of his reasons for writing Things Fall Apart. The truth must lie somewhere in between, but until the lion begins to tell its own stories, the story will always be told by the hunter. And Achebe led a gigantic eruption of stories from the African point of view.

Concluded *Mr. Eluemunor, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Lagos.

20—Vanguard , TUESDAY TUESDAY,, APRIL 16 , 2013

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013 — 21

Over-dependence on oil revenue killing northern economy — Sagay

BY MICHAEL EBOH

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SENIOR Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Professor Itse Sagay has chided the Northern states and politicians from the region over their clamour for a review

of the sharing formula for the country’s oil earnings.

Prof. Sagay said with the over dependence of the Northern region on proceeds from oil revenue, they have given up the entitlement of their whole region to productivity, self-sufficiency and eco-

nomic independence.

“It would appear that for the short term gratification provided by Niger Delta Oil proceeds, these Northern Politicians are prepared to surrender their freedom and independence to what has clearly become a severe ad-

diction,” he said.

Sagay, who was speaking on a paper, titled, ‘Good governance and enforcement of law and order at the Management Day Lecture of the Nigerian Institute of Management, NIM, in Lagos,’ said, “This is why I feel sad whenever Northern Politicians, Governors and their intellectual elite demand an equal share with the Niger Delta States, of the oil and gas proceeds of the latter.”

He said that the total dependence on Niger Delta Oil proceeds by the North is ultimately a great misfortune.

Sagay further stated that great export earnings crops with which the northern region was known for in the past have all disappeared, while major industries have all closed shops due to neglect and over-dependence on monthly federal allocations.

“The great export earning crops like groundnuts, cotton, gum arabic and many others have disappeared. Industries like the great textile, leather

and many others have died – all because of monthly hand outs from Abuja,” he noted.

He maintained that the far North could rival Argentina in the production and exportation of chilled beef, adding that developing the beef market in the north could have helped drive the economy of the region.

Sagay said, “But unfortunately, as long as there is oil and gas in the Niger Delta, that sort of major industry initiative which could propel the North into wealth and development will never see the light of day.

“How long will Fulani herdsmen continue to drive cattle on foot from the far North to the South, clashing in conflict with farmers all the way?

“When will their State Governments introduce a life changing detour that will see these men metamorphose into beef industry barons, and their environment into a 21st century modern society.

Nigeria loses billions to substandard, fairly-used printing equipment

BY DOTUN IBIWOYE

From left: President, Association of Foreign Airlines Representatives in Nigeria, Mr. Kingsley Nwokoma; Head Ground Support, Med-View, Alhaji Femi Lawal; Managing Director, MedView Airline, Alhaji Muneer Bankole;Director, SAHCOL, Mr. Kayode Filani and Managing Director, SAHCOL, Mr. Olu Owolabi at the commissioning of their ground service equipment at the company’s warehouse, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

Lagos loses 40% of harvested products yearly

BY MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

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HE Lagos State Govern ment has disclosed that 40 per cent of farm produce, especially vegetable harvested within the state yearly are lost through post-harvest activities.

Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Mr. Gbolahan Lawal, who disclosed this at the inauguration of Eko Farmers Mart, Ajah and Surulere, said “This has contributed to the huge gap between the farm gate price and market price of agricultural produce without guarantee for quality products in the state.”

According to him, a lot of people are involved in bringing the produce from the local producers in the hinterland to markets in the urban centres with each adding their profit margin to the products, adding that transportation difficulty has also

contributed negatively to the landing price of agricultural products.

He said: “Many farmers leave their farm site a day before the market day at about 10:00 pm and this affect the farmers psychologically and their production capacity.”

“In order to ensure that this is mitigated and to ensure that food security and safety needs are achieved, the state government decided to introduce the ‘Eko Farmers Mart.

“These facilities would create the available market for farmers in the state due to the challenge they face in bringing their goods o the market.

With this, the standard of living of the farmers in the state will be improved effectively. ”And this is to ensure that food security is achieved, affordability and availability of agricultural produce, especially at their door step.”

Lawal appealed to all stakeholders in the agriculture sector to concentrate

more on the food supply chain because the chain started from input supply, actual production, delivery and marketing, storage and processing as well as consumption.

He added “Any weakness along the supply chain will affect the whole process. This is why the state government through the ministry of Agriculture is providing the necessary support to all segment of the agricultural value chain.”

Speaking earlier, Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Olajide Basorun, said the state government in partnership with the private sector would be delivering additional three marts in different Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas, LCDA, in the state.

Basorun added that the state government would ensure that the Mart is located in the entire 57 councils in the state.

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Nigeria it is a challenge to some of us because of our peculiar society.”

He also stated that in developed countries, the business of heat transfer is a business of old people and house wives which can be done in the bedroom with just a transfer paper, and a colour printer.

He added, “In developed countries, I was really surprised when I discovered that the business of heat transfer business is a business of old people and house wives. It is what they can do in the bedroom with just a transfer paper, and a colour printer.

IGERIA is losing billions of naira yearly, through the use and purchase of fairly used and substandard printing equipment says, Mr. Afolabi Taiwo, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Tee media.

Speaking in a chat with Vanguard, Taiwo noted that although the printing industry is very lucrative and will drastically reduce unemployment if well developed, Nigerians are still losing lots of money through the use of substandard printers.

According to him, “Our major challenge here is that most of the things that we use here are mostly used -3.0 132.25 products. You will find out that people want to be 2,257.00 -4.00 using old laser printers.

People go to the market 17.97 -0.06 with a small amount of money and they will get the old laser printer but at the end of the day it will 105.30 -2.27 not last and they end up buying equipments con89.10 -2.19 stantly. ‘’In developed coun- CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL SELLING tries, they use more of ink 154.75 155.25 155.75 jet, desk jet and it gives DOLLAR STERLING 237.8353 238.6037 239.3722 you crisp designs. But EURO 202.0107 202.6634 203.3161 back here we want to use FRANC 166.0408 166.5773 167.1137 laser printer because of YEN 1.5597 1.5647 1.5697 0.2905 0.3005 0.3105 cost. Outside having to CFA 232.5413 233.2927 234.044 purchase heat press ma- WAUA RENMINBI 24.9894 25.0706 25.1518 chine, that is the commer- RIYAL 41.2634 41.3967 41.53 cial one. If you need to do KRONA 27.0864 27.1739 27.2614 232.9452 233.6978 234.4505 five pieces of tee shirts, SDR you don’t need to engage anybody. But back here in CBN Exchange rate as at 15/04/2013

22 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

Conflict resolution in the capital market: Where to go

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

I

N the first part of this article, we established that conflict is part of human life, and it occurs in every human activity.

The most important thing is that there are laid down rules or procedures to ensure that whenever they occur, conflicts are quickly resolved. In the capital market, conflicts also occur, between operators and investors, and amongst operators. However, to sustain and enhance investors’ confidence, such conflict must be resolve promptly.

Conflict in the market can be resolved; it is only that most times, the aggrieved parties (shareholders) do not have enough information or are completely ignorant on how to go about settling the issues affecting them.

It is for this reason that Association of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria, ASHON, the umbrella body of stockbroking houses in Nigeria, is working on a

S you cannot do without a stock broker, you cannot do without registrars once you buy the shares of a company.

Some of the inquiries from our readers indicate that a lot of people that bought shares do not know about the existence of registrars or their importance to the profitability of their investment in shares.

For example, a reader complained, “I bought some shares at FirstBank Plc, Access Bank Plc and First City Monument Bank Plc. I bought the shares directly from the banks during their public offers. Since then, no Certificate, no dividend.”

This implies, him or her, just bought shares, but doesn’t know who is responsible for certificate issuance and dividend payment.

Registrars basically are companies that keep and maintain the register of all the shareholders of a company.

They are the ones that issue share certificates to the shareholders of the companies they serve, and they are the ones that distribute bonus shares, and pay dividend to the shareholders, on behalf of the companies they serve.

So, if you buy the shares of a company, your name and the amount of shares purchased

Be acquainted with stock brokers, registrars (2)

,

A

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

Unlike the case of a stock broker, where you can choose your stock broking company, you cannot decide who will be your registrar

will be forwarded to the registrar of the company. The registrar in turn will include your name in its record (register) of the shareholders of the company, and then issue you a certificate, which is posted to you, as evidence of your investment in the company.

Whenever the company, you purchased its shares, wants to pay dividend, it would give the money in bulk to the registrar for onward payment to all its shareholders. The registrar then issues dividend warrants and posts to all the shareholders based on the number of shares they hold. Also, if you want to register your shares with the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS), and thus have your shares in electronic form and have a CSCS account, you will have to submit your share

,

certificate to the stock broker who will send it to the registrar for verification or verify that the share certificates indeed belong to you. Thus, you can see that once you begin to invest in shares, you can’t do without a registrar.

Unfortunately, unlike the case of a stock broker, where you can choose your stock broking company, you cannot decide who will be your registrar, or the registrar of the company you invest. It is the company that makes such decision. So, as you are choosing to invest in a particular company, you have also chosen the services of its registrar. If the registrar is inefficient, with little regard for shareholders, like most of them do, that becomes your lot.

The problem is that all the registrars serve about five

companies each, and hence have to serve hundreds of thousands of shareholders. To make it worse, most of them have archaic processes of attending to shareholders, their location is difficult to access, with little or no parking space, and with tardy and unfriendly staff. Hence, their offices are filled with crowds of shareholders, who end up spending up to four hours sometimes, just to revalidate dividend warrant.

Unfortunately, they have little or no regulation. Nobody seems to regulate them; hence they get away with their inefficiency, inhuman treatment of shareholders and malpractices.

But because of the critical nature of their services, you cannot do without them. Thus, to ensure they serve you and receive your entitlements i.e. share certificates, dividend, bonus shares, you need persistence when you are dealing with a registrar. You must be persistent and dogged in your request until you become a thorn in their flesh, otherwise it may take eternity before they attend to your request.

Complaint Management Framework that will ensure quick resolution of conflicts.

Though, it is yet to be published, the framework would be structured in such a way that aggrieved investor(s) would not be lost as to what to expect at each stage of a conflict management.

The framework provides that first of all, an aggrieved investor will register his complaints through a written notice to the firm concerned, be it a stockbroking house, registrar or any other operator, complaining about infraction or malpractice committed against him/her. On receipt of such letter, the company is expected to officially respond to the complaint via an ‘Acknowledgement Letter ’ within two working days. A copy of the letter is also expected to be forwarded to the trade group depending on the area the firm operates, to keep everybody abreast of happening in the market. The complaint at this stage is expected to be resolved within 10 days.

If at the end of 10days, the firm fails to resolve the conflict or the investor still feels dissatisfied, he (investor) is free to report that matter to the appropriate Trade Group. This could be ASHON, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, CIS, Institute of Capital Market Registrars, ICMR, or any other trade group in the capital market. At this stage, the complaint has 20 days within which it must be resolved.

Unsatisfied with the agreement reached here, the investor is required at this stage to escalate the complaint to the Self Regulatory Organisation, this time, the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE. The NSE, on its part, is expected to look into the grievance/objections raised by the investor and tackle that within 20 working days.

Where the NSE fails to amicably resolve the conflict, then it will be taken to the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC. SEC also has 20 days within which it is expected to settle the matter.

What is your assessment of this proposed Complaint Management Framework? Send your comment to vanguardinvestorsforum @ gmail.com

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013 — 23

COMPLAINTS & INVESTIGATIONS

I

bought I0,000 units of former Oceanic Bank Plc and 5000 of Intercontinental Bank Plc, through Professional Stockbrokers Ltd. These stocks were supposed to be transferred to Ecobank and Access Bank respectively. In my CSCS account, there is nothing. Even my holdings in ETI has reduced and the last bonus declared by First Bank in 2011 is not reflecting in my FBN Holding Plc, and the stockbrokers have been under suspension and have deserted their office. You can see why a lot of people are running away from stocks.(Pro. J.E Etinagbedia)

Investors Forum

Investigation shows that Professional Brokers Limited is now located in Incar Building, 10, Ijora Causeway road, Lagos. You can reach them on +234 1 2668506, 2008507, 8183761, 08033031906, 08023455756 Our advice is that you contact the Registrar of Access Bank (United Securities Limited and they are located at 10, Ojikutu Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Telephone: 01-2714566 or 012714567) and the Registrar of ETI (ESL Registrars Ltd, 16/A Rauf Taylor Close, Off Idego Street, Victoria Island, Lagos ) and the Registrar of First Bank (Contact First Registrars at Plot 2, Abebe Village Road Iganmu or call 234-1-773086, 7743309, 2701078, 2701079)

Is Access Bank giving

Why people are running from stocks — Etinagbedia bonus to selected shareholders?

I submitted Access Bank shares certificate with 60,000 and 12,000 units for verification in 2008 through Eurocomm Securities Limited, Makurdi branch. I want to know if Access Bank only gives bonus shares to selected shareholders because I am yet to get mine.

I’ll appreciate if you‘ll help me find out from them to let me know why the units are yet to be reflected in my CSCS account. I complained severally but got no replies. (Terwase Dennis Goja)

Investors Forum

Please, go to your stockbroker to confirm if indeed there was a transaction on your account. If this is true, demand that the shares be replaced. If the broker

Who did you complain to? The best way to know what is going on is to contact the registrars of Access Bank i.e. United Securities Limited. The contact detail of the company is located in the response for the above complainant.

Fraudulent sale of my shares

I did not ask my broker to sell my shares. So, I was surprised when I received the following transaction alert from CSCS on

Union Homes VER the past few years, Union Homes Savings and Loans has been experiencing downward fortune apparently due to low patronage of mortgage products by the Nigerian public. The company’s audited 2011 financial statement released to the investing public last week showed that Union Homes recorded significant losses in all measurement parameter except for share of profit accruing to the company from associated entities as well as income from investment. Stockbrokers said that the result may be a pointer that the company is grappling with managerial crisis.

The financial statement showed that the company declined from a profit position in 2010 to negative/loss position in 2011 financial year. From a profit after tax position of N6.5billion in 2010, it moved to a loss after tax of N2.39billion in the financial year ended December 31, 2011. The gross earnings for the period dropped by 18.8 percent to N5.86 billion from N7.22billion in 2010.

The balance sheet shrunk by 13.5 percent on total assets, which stood at N42.042 billion in 2011 down from N48.598 billion in 2010, while total liabilities dropped by 4.4 percent to N44.632 billion from N46.7 billion. During the period under review retirement benefit obligations rose by 106.5 percent to N1.850 billion compared with N896 million in the prior year.

Meanwhile, investors who participated in the Union Homes Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) in 2008 may have to wait a bit longer to get returns from their investment. It would be recalled that Union Homes floated a REIT hybrid offering of 970,873,787 units of N50.00 at N51.50 per unit. Currently, the Union Homes REIT which is listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) sells at nominal value of N50.00 per unit, amounting to a loss of N1.50 or three percent on every unit of the REIT purchased at the offer price.

No communication from Oceanic Bank

I bought 5,000 Oceanic Bank shares in 2004. My Account number is 54419. I have written series of letters to the Registrar to no avail. Please, I want to know their contact address, and also why I have not been receiving any communication from them. I also bought the shares of Transcorp during its public offer in 2006. I have NEVER received any dividend from the company. (Victor. J.E. Puegeren)

Investors Forum

For your investments in Transcorp, contact the registrars of the company i.e. Africa Prudential Registrars Plc, 220B, Ikorodu Road, Palmgrove Lagos. Tel +234-1-8401153 +234-1-8931501; Email: info@africaprudentialregistrars.com.

For your investments in Oceanic Bank contact ESL Registrars Ltd, 16/A Rauf Taylor Close, Off Idego Street, Victoria Island, Lagos )

Investors Forum

STOCKS IN THE NEWS

O

March 26th on my share account.

NSE-CSCS DailyTrade 26.3.13: Dear OGBEKHILU SUN. A/C-

34287440 with BYTO: Sell 1,000 NB @ N163.02. Please assist me to investigate ( Sunday .O.)

does not give you a satisfactory response, please report to the Securities and Exchange Commission via P.M.B:315 Garki Abuja Or email sec@sec.gov.ng Or call 234-96330000 , 234-9-6330399

Kyari Bukar, MD/CEO, CSCS

What is the status of Afribank, BAGCO? I wish to know the status of Afribank Plc now Mainstreet Bank Plc and BAGCO PLC, in the Nigeria Stock Market, because I discovered that I can’t locate their names in the Daily Transactions in the Nigerial Stock market (Matthew Ogundele)

Investors Forum

Afribank no longer exists. It was closed by the CBN, and its assets transferred to Mainstreet Bank. The implication is that you and other shareholders of the bank have lost your investment in the bank.

I can’t locate my CSCS Account

I will like you to please advise me. I actually bought some shares some years ago and later got a stock broker who helped me in opening a CSCS account and he gave me a printed document of the account information but after sometime I misplaced the paper so I don’t have information on my shares any longer. I later went to his office and discovered that he’s no longer into stock broking.

When I told him about my lost document he gave me a number that I should call, that it’s for a lady at the stock exchange head office in Lagos, that I should lodge my complaint to her. I have not been able to reach the lady

since. Please advise me on what exactly I can do now because I have not been able to have any infomation on my shares for the past 2 to 3 years and I have not got any dividend since then. (Hamid Mujib, Ilorin)

Investors Forum

The best thing to do is to come to Lagos and visit CSCS. The company is located on 1st Floor, Stock Exchange House, 2/4 Customs Street, Lagos.

When you get there, request for your CSCS Account. If indeed the broker bought the shares and registered them in CSCS, the Company will confirm to you. If you can’t come to the office of CSCS in Lagos you can send a mail to The Managing Director, Central Securities Clearing System Plc, 1st Floor , Stock Exchange House, 2/4 Customs Street, Lagos Lagos, Nigeria, Email Address OR send email to info@cscsnigeriaplc.com.

You can also call: 0702 5768449

I need address of First Registrars

Please I need your help to make enquiries from First Registrars. Please text their GSM numbers to me.

Investors Forum

First Registrars is at Plot 2, Abebe Village Road Iganmu or call 234-1-773086, 7743309, 2701078, 2701079

Investment in Daar Communications, Bank PHB, any hope of refund

I bought 24,000 units of Daar Communications 31/03/08 but till date no dividend. Also I bought 18,000 units of Bank PHB in 2007 but the bank no longer listed on the Stock Exchange. What becomes of my N306,000 investment. Any hope of refund?

Investors Forum

Bank PHB has been closed by the Central Bank of Nigeria, and all investment in the bank is gone. Daar Communications is yet to pay any dividend since it was listed on the stock exchange.

Please how do I sell my ETI shares?

Please I want to sell my ETI shares. How do I go about it?

Investors Forum

You need to first register the shares with the Central Securities Clearing System. To do this, take the share certificate to a stock broker for verification. It may take some time. But once this is done, and the shares are registered in the CSCS Account created for you, then you can ask the stock broker to sell the shares for you.

24— Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

Oil majors, others shun marine safety policy … NNPC, 2 others compliant

BY CLARA NWACHUKWU

F

Nigerian ships risk detention under new enforcement law

BY MICHAEL EBOH

E

On board production vessels like this, marine mishaps are not usual occurrences.

improve the levels of personnel safety for all workers in the Nigerian Oil & Gas Industry, while also reducing the risks associated with man overboard (MOB) incidents, helicopter ditching incidents, marine vessel accidents and platform disasters as well as improving the ability to respond to such incidents in Nigerian waters.

The compliant companies include three of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC subsidiary companies the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, WRPC; Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, PPMC; Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, and two other indigenous companies, Brittania-U Nigeria Limited; and Olivecrest Resource Services Limited.

The industry operators were therefore, directed by the regulator, the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, to implement this safety measures before the end of the New Year, to eliminate further loss of life and enhance safe operations.

However, none of the international oil companies, IOCs, who have huge offshore oil and gas projects in Nigeria, but use such facilities in other countries around the world, and other indigenous oil companies apart from those mentioned above, have so far refused to safeguard the life of their workers at sea.

Although the DPR refused to comment on Vanguard’s findings, but the regulator confirmed that, “The Man overboard incidence is the single largest cause of marine fatalities. Workers in offshore oil and gas and other marine industries face risks of ‘man overboard’.”

It revealed that its analysis of accident statistics between 2005 and 2011, identified that one-third of the fatalities in the offshore industry resulted from the MOB incidents.

It also said the incidence of MOB has cost the industry huge losses running into scores of millions of dollars annually, as “The

,

OUR months after the expiration of the deadline for the compliance of a new marine safety regulation, investigations have revealed that only five companies operating in the industry have fully embraced the new regulation, which expired on January 1, 2013.

The regulation demands that “the maritime survivor locating device shall be incorporated into all existing and new lifejackets used in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry. The device must be rugged, have a fully waterproof construction, complete with strobe light to assist visual homing for use in the harshest of marine environment.”

The regulation is meant to

BRIEF

The Man overboard incidence is the single largest cause of marine fatalities

,

potential cost to an organization experiencing a single man overboard incident without the MLD in use may be as high as $642,000.”

Previous warnings Last June, the DPR in a letter to all exploration and production companies, all service companies, and all downstream companies expressed concern over the poor compliance by industry operators to the new regulation.

The letter dated, June 6, 2012, with Reference No: DPR/SE/7206/Vol.1/3, a copy of which was obtained by Vanguard , read in part, “The Department of Petroleum Resources has observed with dismay a high and unacceptable level of incidence of Man overboard in the Nigerian Oil and Gas industry in the past couple of years,” and directed as follows: · All offshore workers (swamp locations inclusive) shall have capability of response in case of incident of man overboard, through assurance and compulsory use of life jackets at all times while within the marine environment. · All such life jackets in use in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria shall be

equipped with very high frequency (VHF) maritime survivor locating device. · All existing life jackets which do not have incorporated in them marine survivor locating devices, shall be retrofitted with the device should any operative wish to continue with the use of such jackets.

The letter, signed by one D.O. Irrechukwu, on behalf of the DPR director, also directed that the device must be designed to withstand the rough and demanding situation in the offshore environment, and also incorporate a strobe light to assist visual homing for use in the harshest marine environment.

In addition, the device must have in-built capability to use VHF radio to automatically transmit distress alert to multiple receivers up to 10 nautical miles away as well as be able to provide a precise Global Position Satellite, GPS that will help in directing rescue at such a distance.

Need for regulation As a result of the above, the DPR explained that it had to introduce the MOB/MLD policy to help operators and service providers to, “Significantly reduce resulting costs in the areas of legal expenses, reputation and productivity and transit time,” in the face of rising operational costs in the industry.

It added that using the Locator Device will also, “Reduce the likelihood that an MOB event results in a fatality can achieve specific savings in insurance and has the potential to negotiate better ongoing insurance premiums.”

ffective from August 20, 2013, Nigerian ships and vessels are at risk of being detained in other countries and the owners of the ships fined as the International Labour Organisation, ILO, begins the enforcement of the Maritime Labour Convention, MLC, 2006.

Speaking at a two-day seminar on the ILO-MLC 2006 Convention in Lagos, organised by PEM Offshore Limited, and ABS Limited, to sensitise ship owners on the new rule, Mr. Steve Blair, Manager, MSC, disclosed that Nigeria is yet to ratify the convention, which seeks to promote ships’ crew welfare, adding that this will deny ships that fly Nigeria’s flag of any favourable treatment.

He further stated that a number of countries have ratified the convention, with five African countries - Benin Republic, Gabon, Liberia, Morocco and Togo, being member states who have adopted the convention.

He said, “MLC 2006 Ratification was made on August 2012, and we currently have 35 ratifications.

“The MLC 2006 includes a ‘no more favourable treatment’ clause, meaning that member states will be obligated to ensure that the ships that fly the flag of any state that has not ratified the convention do not receive more favourable treatment than the ships that fly the flag of any state that has ratified it.”

He maintained that there will be no hiding place for ships from non-compliant countries, as the law will force many ships registered in states not party to the convention to seek and obtain voluntary MLC certificates.

He described the MLC as the fourth pillar of international maritime, which embodies all up-to-date standards of existing international maritime labour conventions and recommendations, as well as the fundamental principles to be found in other international labour conventions.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013 — 25

PIB: Striving for a robust industry regulation (2)

BY FELIX AYANRUOH

P

ART one of this article reviewed the regulatory framework of the PIB, noting the need for a robust industry regulation as a catalyst for success.

However, you may want to define effective petroleum industry regulation - in the Nigerian context, there is not much of it that’s left.

Whichever criterion you choose to use – independence, transparency, and discretionary, you’ll see an industry in a bad shape.

Oil and gas developments and infrastructures are declining, and investors’ confidence is at an all time low.

The country is in denial about the extent of the rot in the sector, and the effort that would be required to turn things around. It will likely take more than the PIB passage, perhaps a robust regulatory regime, to get the industry back to a level at

which one could fairly say the industry is thriving.

Hydrocarbon governance through regulation - whether of private companies or state owned companies with commercial intent is beneficial especially in industry such as the oil and gas industry. This is an industry with very long asset life-spans that demands predictability and long-term guarantees in relationships, whilst sustaining some flexibility to deal with changes in external circumstance. A long-term focus is sometimes difficult to reconcile with the short term requirements of political patronage. When the petroleum industry is regulated, the transparency created by a fully independent regulator is beyond calculation.

Given the purpose of regulation is the promotion of fair and efficient market and containment of opportunistic behavior, it therefore follows that independence is crucial

to effective regulation. There is no such thing as effective dependent regulation. What is at stake is not so much the need for regulation, but how far precisely does the mandate of regulation go.

Suffice it to state that independent regulation should not be seen as a ubiquitous default governance arrangement, but as an opportunity to improve performance significantly in the industry by learning from precedence of successful regulatory regimes around the world.

Regulatory independence is necessary for credibility and non-opportunistic behavior in the industry. Often, regulators are faced with the dichotomous dilemma of formulating policies to encourage competition on the one hand, and protecting

Oil & People •FELIX AYANRUOH felix.ayanruohlaw@gmail.com

government’s interest on the other. Consequently, a captive free regulator is sacrosanct, especially when the government is a shareholder or joint partner in one or more of the regulated enterprises. In a nutshell, the most crucial feature of an independent regulatory regime is to safeguard market interventions from political and bureaucratic interference (capture), this capture mechanism are equipoise, based on quid pro quo.

Section 8 of the PIB, gave the Minister of Petroleum Resources the overall supervisory role over

regulatory matters affecting the industry. The question, then, is whether this power will affect the independence of these regulatory agencies.

Experience has shown that regulators are always subject to government interference and political pressure, because regulatory decisions are usually political in nature.

The minister’s power to make regulations on the advice of both the Inspectorate and the Agency – as provided for by Section 8 of the PIB’ should not be used as a stratagem of depriving the regulators the means to participate in the policy process to the extent it is needed for proper regulatory oversight.

UNIT AR, PTDF par tner UNITAR, partner on capacity building

BY NOEL ONOJA

T

HE United Nations, through its Agency for Training and Research (UNITAR) has entered into partnership with the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) to provide training, enhanced education and job placement opportunities to the benefit of PTDF scholars.

Under the terms of agreements, UNITAR will among other obligations,also facilitate the placement of PTDF scholars in top universities in Norway, to pursue specialised training in Petroleum Engineering, Subsea Engineering, Marine Engineering, Sea Fairing and other petroleum related courses, the PTDF said in a statement.

In a meeting to review the Memorandum of Understanding between PTDF and UNITA R , the Countr y Representative Dr. L ar r y Boms,was quoted as saying that the involvement of the Agency is to shift emphasis from generic training whereby students are sent on training without clear engagement plans upon graduation, which has become agovernance challenge in Nigeria’s education sector.

Boms, emphasising the importance of the International

C M Y K

Oil Companies (IOCs) to the scheme, argued that they must be made to realise that huge resources are being committed to the training of the future employees of the industry, and as such, are expected to contribute.

“We think it is time we boldly involve theindustry to make them understand that we are investing in educating their future employees and so we must bring them in at the planning stage.They must begin to commit resources to the training of their future employees,” he said.

He also pledged the Agency’s commitment to providing resources to train more Nigerian students as the collaboration between the Fund and UNITAR matures.

The Acting Executive Secretar y,PTDF, Mr. JolomiArenyeka, said the Fund’s collaboration with UNITA R represents a significant milestone in its capacity building strategies, whereby concrete benefits are being derived from stakeholders’ participation.

According to him, in its 13 years of existence this is the first time PTDF will be receiving funding assistance in the form of donations and grants outside its regular source of funding, the signature bonuses, which are drying up.

“We have not had funding through signature bonuses for the past three years, and today, we

Member, House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), Muraina Ajibola; Chairman, Isiaka Bawa; and Deputy Chairman, Samson Osagie, during a press briefing on the forthcoming Zonal Public Hearing on PIB in Abuja. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan. have found ourselves in a situation where we have to seek to survive as a Fund. So this collaboration with UNITAR even with the paucity of funds that PTDF has found itself provides a big opportunity to explore other sources of funding in form of donations and grants and this is why this event is so dear to my heart.”

As a way forward,Arenyeka said the Fund will now intensify relationships with donor agencies and other institutions that may wish to partner with it through counterpart funding, adding that the partnership with UNITAR will now serve as a benchmark for future relationships with stakeholders in terms of value added to the Fund’s capacity building programme.

“The experience we have had for the past 13 years with those who claim to collaborate with PTDF as stakeholders have not been very rewarding, as all they do is to send us proposals where full

funding comes from the PTDF. What our present financial predicament dictates to us is that we have to take stock of the reality of our situation and that as we return to buoyancy anytime in the future by God’s grace, we must be able to chart a path where we do not begin to collaborate with stakeholders who basicall y o n l y s e e k o u r f u n d s without bringing anything to the table. The experience with U N I TA R t e l l s u s t h a t t h a t i s achievable and that should be our goal.”

ThePTDF scribe also said the relationship with UNITAR also strives to create a bond between scholars of the Fund and the s p o n s o r i n g i n s titution, which compels them to come back after their training and add value to Nigeria instead of remaining abroad to do menial jobs.

26 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

WAPCo to recommence operation April 30

BY KUNLE KALEJAYE

T

HE West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo), operator of the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) system, said it is set to recommence operations after a prolonged shut down, sequel to a loss of pressure in its pipeline around Lome in Togo six months ago.

The incident, which occurred on 28 of August, 2012, forced WAPCo to suspend all gas deliveries to its onshore stations as a result

of the loss of pressure in its pipeline.

The management of the $1billion West African Gas Pipeline that transports gas from Nigeria to the Republic of Benin, Togo and Ghana, for power generation and other domestic uses said it hoped re-stream the shut down pipeline on April 30, 2013 according to planned activity.

Speaking with newsmen at the company’s premises in Ajido, Badagry area of Lagos State, the station supervisor, Mr. Agboola Olugbenga, said

the system is still undergoing repairs and maintenance ahead of the planned restreaming at the end of the month.

The pipeline runs from Itoki area of Ogun State and goes through Agido near Badagry in Lagos, passing through 33 Nigerian communities, to neighbouring countries.

N-Gas, which is jointlyowned by Shell, Chevron and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), buys gas from oil companies in Nigeria, and

transport the gas to its customers in Benin, Togo and Ghana, through the pipeline.

The International Project Agreement (IPA) signed in May 2003, by WAGPCo and the Government of Benin, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo, with the Secretariat of the ECOWAS as witness, provides that N-Gas be allocated a space in the pipeline that could transport up to 200million standard cubic per day of gas (200mmscf).

Before the August 28

incident in 2012, N-Gas was being allocated 134mmscf space in the 475mmscf capacity pipeline but could only deliver about 60mmscf of gas to the pipeline, leaving the $1billion facility to be suboptimally utilised.

Due to the non-utilisation of the pipeline by N-Gas, subregional ministers, otherwise referred to as the Committee of Ministers of the West African Countries involved in the pipeline project plan to amend the IPA to enable other entities to use the pipeline.

Shareholders in the West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAGPCo), include Chevron, Shell, NNPC, Volta River Authority, BenGaz and Soto Gaz.

DUE PROCESS:: PENGASSAN threatens Petrobras on divestments

BY KUNLE KALEJAYE

T

HE National Executive Council (NEC) of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has threatened to take legal actions against the National Oil Corporation of Brazil, operating under the name of Petrobras Nigeria Limited, also known as Petróleo Brasileiro Nigeria Ltd following its recent N795billion ($5 billion) divestment from Nigeria.

PENGASSAN also condemned the management’s attitude of locking out Nigerian employees under the excuse of furthering the divestment of its stake in some Nigerian oil blocks.

According to statement made available to Vanguard, the General Secretary of PENGASSAN, Comrade Bayo Olowoshile said Petrobras as a corporate entity and its management in Nigeria, must respect due process and rule of law, and ensure that its affiliate in the company is adequately engaged before the planned divestment is finalised.

The statement read in part: “Management of Petrobras must adequately engaged organised labour which is PENGASSAN with the provisions of the extant national and labour laws, and the industry best practices before the plan divestment is finalised and as part of the process of consummating due diligence on Petrobras.

“Such exercise goes a long way to minimize the harrowing incidence of contingent liabilities and hindrances for the Divesting Company, Petrobras, and the investor that would acquire Petrobras assets and portfolios in Nigeria.

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TUESDAY Vanguard, APRIL 16, 2013 — 27

BRIEF Oriental, Afren commission projects in Akwa Ibom

BY EDIRI EJOH

O

RIENTAL Energy Resources, and Afren Nigeria, have commissioned two development projects in AkwaIbomstate as part of their corporate social responsibility programme to enhance credibility in the educational sector of the State.

A statement from the companies identified the projects to include the renovation and provision of equipment for the Chemical & Petroleum Engineering Department’s laboratories and libraries at the University of Uyo, and the graduation of 60 youths from the Oriental and Afren-sponsored youth technical skills acquisition programme.

The statement said the renovation and provision of equipment for the laboratories and libraries in the institution has helped it acquire accreditation from the Nigerian University Commission (NUC), and Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).

It added that the programmeforms part of a 5-year project to transform the Department into Nigeria’s number one Chemical and Petroleum Engineering studycentre.

The partners also explained that the 60 youths that graduated from the skills acquisition centers studied Welding and Fabrication, Aluminum Works Fabrication, Fashion Design, Hair Dressing and Auto Mechanic Repairs and Maintenance.

The students were each provided with a complete set of Starter-Packs of all the equipment needed to practice their respective trade, and a take-off grant of N200,000 each to enable them establish businesses of their own.

Commenting on the development projects, Afren Chairman, Mr. Egbert Imomoh, said, “Together with Oriental, we have set the standard for Marginal Field operations whilst responsibly maintaining the environment in which we operate in and making a profound impact on the lives of the host communities in AkwaIbom State.

“In our effort to leave a lasting legacy in Uyo, we envision this project being implemented in phases, with the ultimate goal of transforming the Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Department of the University of Uyo into the number one destination for Chemical and Petroleum Engineering education in Nigeria.

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Waterwell, American coy partner on specialised services I

NDIGENOUS oil and gas services firm, Waterwell Services Limited, said it is partnering with United States-based, Pollution Control and Waste Disposal Inc. on the provision of a wide range of treatment products for oil and gas operations.

The company told Vanguard that services cover areas such as production, pipeline transmission and gas processing industries.

The company said it also offered technical and support services to improve efficiency of production and drilling and stimulation operations.

Speaking more on the services, Waterwell President, Mr… Peter Oba, said, “Waterwell also provides expertise

and products required to solve numerous process plant, environmental and productivity problems in the oil industry.”

He explained further that such services include full range of synthetic cleaners and heavy duty degreasers for multi-purpose, institutional and industrial cleaning operations. Others are special products that inhibit scale deposits and corrosion by-products.

He said that, “This also involves the applications of N-spec products as pigging aids to achieve the desired increase in pipeline efficiency in transmission of fluids.”

He added that “the effective application of these products will reduce horsepower required for

pumping crude, reduce potential for corrosion failure, and improve the quality of data collected during pipeline integrity studies.

He further said that in the event of paraffin issues, Waterwell will carry out pour point tests to determine a fit-forpurpose product.

Speaking further on the company’s capabilities, Oba said the 24-year old company is recently involved in a series of demulsifier and water clarifier plant trials, most of which have been successful, as it has the expertise to resolve difficult emulsion problems.

He explained that the partnership with the US Pollution Control has yielded some dividends, following the successful construction of a chemical blending plant and laboratory with state-of-the-art equipment for the control of custom formulated products in Warri, Delta State.

In its over two decades of operations, Oba noted that Waterwell has not only grown indigenous capacity through its well-trained personnel, but also entered into alliance with a number of foreign and indigenous companies operating the industry.

He said, “The company is also into technical and sole manufacturers’ representative relationship with a number of Nigerian and foreign companies” among the foreign affiliates are: ESP Petrochemicals Inc, Boysenblue/Celtic International Inc, Gotco International Inc, OFI Testing Equipment Inc, and Biosystems Technology Inc, all located in the United States.

He maintained that Water well has grown to become reputed for “providing quality services, reliable and effective materials, equipment spare parts and consumables as dictated by services and requirements.”

Waterwell plant

Community tackles PHCN ‘crazy bills’, disconnections

BY WINIFRED IMONLUAMEN

T

HE spate of ‘crazy bills’ and illegal disconnections imposed by officials of Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, in the country has developed a new twist as some communities in Lagos have fashioned out ways to address the menace.

Community leaders in Lagos for instance believe that healthy co-operation and mutual understanding between them and the power officials would help in addressing the incidence of crazy billing and indiscriminate disconnections.

In an interview with the Vanguard, the Chairman, Festac Town Resident Association, FTRA Community 1, Dr. Alex Edo, said that there has been harmonious work relationship between the community and PHCN officials.

“We have been able to work harmoniously with PHCN here in Festac especially since 2012, when we discovered that we were not getting the results that we ought to have.

“Members of the executive have been able to make PHCN issues our top priority. The first step we took was to stop PHGN from issuing coded bills or crazy bills because we have worked with them since 2012, and we are seriously making sure that the huddles between PHCN and the consumers will not up, “Also when a consumer is becoming cunning and doesn’t want to pay his/ her bill, we also swing into action to ensure that they pay their bill “And where PHCN of course is

issuing any crazy bill we also complain to them to regularize it, reverse it. That has worked successfully for us since January 2013 till date I can tell you we have had less than five cases of crazy bills.

Edo blamed the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, the industry regulator for poor regulation, and criticised the failed process for free installations of pre-paid meters to customers across the country.

Recall that NERC amended its earlier directive that electricity consumers should not pay for pre-paid meters, citing g unforeseen circumstances for the sudden turn around.

NERC explained that customers who were yet to get the pre-paid meters, and who were still receiving ‘crazy estimated bills’ were at liberty to pay for meters to enable them control their electricity consumption.

28—Vanguard , TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

By Theodore Opara

T

OYOTA Nigeria Lim ited, TNL, has unveiled the all new Toyota RAV4 into the market.

The new RAV4 is the forth generation of the Toyota’s compact sport utility vehicle which debuted in 1994.

Speaking at the official unveiling at the Eko Hotel on Thursday, the chairman Toyota Nigeria Limited, Chief Michael Ade Ojo said that the need to surpass the expectations of their customers led to the introduction of the all-new generation RAV4.

“The Toyota RAV4 as you are all aware is not new to both local and international markets. It debuted about two decades ago.

Therefore, it is a key Toyota model which evolved from the rich heritage of Toyota’s unmatched superior quality engineering.”

Continuing, he said, there was no gain-saying the fact that the rich history of this model already imbues it with treasure house of attributes, peculiar only to all its siblings in our model line up.

“From its upgraded, trendier exterior, to its spacious interior design, the latest model of RAV4 will readily arouse in its freaks a driving pleasure, unparalleled in its class. Indeed, it is a remarkable package of safety, comfort and performance in equal proportion” he said, adding that the all new RAV4 will not only fulfill your mid SUV expectations, it will avail you value for your hard earned money.”

“Needless to say that the drive to surpass the expectations of our esteemed customers at all

TNL unveils all-new RAV4

•Says it’ll fulfill mid size SUV expectations

times is what stimulates us to continually push the borderlines of technology to the benefit of all stakeholders in the industry, hence, our gathering at this historic moment to usher in another trailblazer, the all new generation RAV4, tonight,” he said.

According to Chief Ade Ojo their ultimate goal is to increase the options available to their customers in the SUV segment and generally stimulate healthy competition in the market place.

He explained that

LAMATA beefs up BRT lanes monitoring with 4 pickups

I

since the last quarter of 2011, TNL, has continued to introduce very exciting models into the

From left: Chairman, Toyota Nigeria Limited, Chief Michael Ade Ojo; Mrs Chioma Madubiko, GM Legal Dangote Group and MD/CEO, Toyota Nigeria Limited, Mr. C.K Thampy, during the unveiling of the all-new Toyota RAV4, at Eko Hotel, Lagos.

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market including the Toyota Fortuner (fabric and leather seats), the all new Avanza as well as the Hilux pick-up automatic transmission.

“Permit me to quickly cast your minds back to the last quarter of 2011, when we expanded our model portfolio by introducing the Toyota Fortuner fabric seat option into the market. We did not stop their, we closely followed this up in the second quarter of 2012 with the unveiling of the all new Toyota Avanza to meet the demand of multi-purpose vehicle segment. In realisation of the customers fervor that greeted this series of introductions, we took a step further by making the leather seat variant of the fortuner available,

complementing it with hilux automatic transmission which instantly became the king on the cake in the pick-up segment,” he said.

He disclosed that since these models were released into the market, they have become the latest brides in their respective segments.

The TNL boss further noted that the introduction of series of state-ofthe-art models at the regular intervals was a key part of their corporate philosophy in Toyota Nigeria, adding that this tradition of excellence was informed by their resolve as a responsive and proactive orgnisation to meet their customers’ cravings for products and services that match current trends both in global and local market.

N renewed efforts to enforce the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) regulations, the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has beefed up monitoring and enforcement capacity of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit, otherwise known as Task Force, with four patrol vans.

Dr. Dayo Mobereola, Managing Director of LAMATA while presenting the patrol vans to the Task Force Chairman, Mr. Bayo Suleiman, a Chief Superintendent of Police, said the Authority had noticed series of violation of the BRT lanes along the Mile 12 – CMS corridor, hence the need to ensure compliance with the law governing the operations of the BRT system.

“We have now solicited the assistance of the special task force to help us with enforcement along the corridor. For that reason, we are giving them these vehicles to assist them to patrol day and night to ensure that there is Zero tolerance for violation on that BRT corridor,“ Dr. Mobereola said.

Vanguard , TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013—29

Suzuki Swift Dzire for the trendy S

WIFT Dzire, the latest addition to Suzuki vehicle line up in Nigeria has all it takes to be a market leader in its segment. Aptly described as the irresistible car by Suzuki, the Dzire has an uncommon design that keeps you guessing whether it is a hatchback or a saloon.

But the Dzire has both attributes it could pass for both because it has both attributes, depending on what the occasion demands.

Powered by a 1.2 litre petrol engine, the Suzuki swift Dzire comes with either a five speed manual transmission or four speed automatic transmission.

The Dzire is a 2WD vehicle. Its engine is a four cylinder multiple injection with 16 valves and maximum output of 63 KW @16000 rpm.

W

Suzuki swift Dzire is available with rack and pinion steering which makes it interesting to drive. The suspension too is the Macpherson strut with coil spring in front and torsion beam with coil spring at the rear which ensures comfort ride at all times. Engineered to lead its class, the Swift Dzire, like the Suzuki Alto has one of the most fuel effi-

passengers and a driver in comfort with each having a clear view of the road ahead as a result of the seat configuration.

Dzire delivers class leading ride comfort. With minimum turning radius of 4.8m, and minimum ground clearance of 170mm you can imagine what Dzire can offer. The brakes include ventilated disc at the front and lead-

ing and trailing drum at the rear which make stopping shorter at every touch on the brake pedal.

Inside, the Dzire is loaded with array of modern features including power steering, electric windows, central door locking, remote control door locks, air conditioner, etc.

Others are cupholders, bottle holders, USB socket, remote fuel lead open-

er, assist grips, among other. Safety feature in the Dzire are countless. SRS dual front airbags, seatbelts, child-proof rear door locks, side impact door beams, ABS with EBD function, shift lock (automatic transmission), highmount stop lamp, immobiliser are some of the safety features of the car.

Large turnout of commercial vehicles expected at 8th Lagos Motor show D

ETERMINED to keep pace with the growing demand for durable and efficient commercial vehicles and trucks by logistics and business entrepreneurs

in the country, manufacturers and distributors of commercial vehicles have affirmed their readiness to delight patrons and prospective customers with the best of buses

and trucks at the forthcoming Lagos International Motor Show, holding at the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos from May 10-16, 2013.

Some of the categories

Ford Focus is best selling car

ITH final 2012 Polk global market reg istration data just reporting, Ford Fo cus is officially the world’s best-selling passenger car, with the Ford F-Series pickup coming in third and Ford Fiesta coming in as the best-selling subcompact.

According to the automotive data and trends forecasting leader, sales of the compact Focus totaled 1,020,410 cars worldwide. Market gains for Focus were driven by consumer demand in China and the United States. China registrations were up 51 percent last year, with the market responsible for just more than one out of four Focus vehicles sold globally according to Polk data. United State Focus sales were up 40 percent in 2012, also contributing to the car’s global growth.

In addition to holding the title of world’s bestselling vehicle overall, Polk data also confirm the Ford Fiesta earned the top spot as the best-selling subcompact car globally, with 723,130 registrations last year.

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cient engines in its class which is also quite and fast.

The 42 litres fuel tank capacity of the Dzire takes you beyond the limit.

Though the Dzire may look compact from the outside the spacious and well laid interior speak volume of Suzuki engineers ingenuity in creativity. The luggage capacity of the car is about 300 litres while the spacious cabin take four

Together, registrations of Ford’s small cars – Fiesta and Focus – totaled 1,743,540 vehicles in 2012, according to Polk.

“Focus and Fiesta represent the culmination of our One Ford global product strategy,” said Jim Farley, Ford executive vice president, global marketing, sales and service and Lincoln. “Our global products are resonating with consumers – especially in the bestselling, most competitive segments – with their unique combination of fuel efficiency, high quality, rich content and fun-to-drive personalities. Through One Ford, we’re able to bring economies of scale and fantastic value to customers all around the world.”

Global new vehicle registrations for F-Series totaled 785,630 trucks last year, putting it in the No. 3 spot among all vehicles sold worldwide. F-Series has been America’s best-selling pickup for 36 straight years.

“Since its launch in China in late March of last year, Focus sales continue to strengthen, with the car now ranking as the best-selling passenger car in China in 2012 for the first time ever,” Farley said.

of commercial vehicles expected at the event include: Light and Heavy Duty Trucks, Tractor Heads, Tippers, Trailers Heads, Tankers, Cargo Trucks, Garbage Trucks, Buses and Pick-Ups. Leventis Motors, distributor of Volkswagen and Eicher brands, National Trucks Manufacturers (NTM), the nation•fs largest commercial vehicle manufacturer and, First Automobile Workshop, distributor of FAW Trucks and buses, have all signed up for the event.

They have all promised to continually create and consistently provide relevant, affordable, and dependable vehicles to the Nigeria and ECOWAS markets .

These truck distributors in Nigeria while announcing their readiness to storm the fair with their wide ranges of heavy and light duty trucks, revealed their determination to unveil the best of vehicles world

to visitors at the fair.

We will delight our existing and potential customers with the best of modern trucks as well showcase variants of our tropicalised trucks at the fair ground, says one of the distributors.

From the lubricant section, Mobil, Oando, Coin Ventures and Lubcon Limited will be exhibiting the best in engine oils and transmission fluids. International Energy Insurance [IEI] will lead the financial sectors while Rosabon Nigeria Limited will showcase the best in Fleet Management and the Chief Regulator of automotive sector in the country the National Automotive Council [NAC] will lead the government sector at the event.

According to the Organisers of the event over 50 Original Equipment Manufacturers [OEM] of automobile spare parts from Turkey, China, India, Germany and South Korea have booked space at the event which is fast becoming the fastest growing auto fair in Africa.

30—Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

N14 billion Golf Estate set to boost upscale housing in Port-Harcourt

By KINGSLEY ADEGBOYE popu P ORT-Harcourt, larly called the ‘Garden City’ because of its ambience, is set to witness a major breakthrough in the provision of upscale housing. A 750-unit estate will soon be released into the property market, courtesy of a partnership between the Rivers State Government and Messrs TAF Nigeria Homes Limited.

Christened Golf Estate apparently due to the inclusion of a 25-hectares golf course, this mixed development is sited on a 38- hectares parcel of land located along Peter Odili Road in the Trans Amadi area of the city. Golf Estate consists of two, three, four and five-bedroom Apartments, Town Houses and Villas.

Conducting newsmen round the site for the N14.1 billion estate, the Managing Director of TAF Nigeria Homes, Mr. Mustapha Njie explained that actual construction work started early last month (March). The project, he further explained, comprises 608 units of Apartments, 62 Town or Terrace Houses and 31 Villas. Facilities being provided include a golf course and Club House which has a swimming pool, tennis court and a restaurant.

Golf estate according to Mr. Njie, will also have a shopping mall. “Facilities such as network of roads, power supply, water supply, central sewage treatment plant, central drainage system, central reservoir, central CCTV and others will be provided in the estate. There will also be a management outfit for the management of the estate which will be handled by TAF,” he said.

Mr. Njie gave further details

about the ownership structure of the estate. “The project is a joint venture between Rivers State and TAF Nigeria Homes.

The State Government will take 20 per cent share of the project’s proceeds while TAF has 80 per cent. In terms of equity contribution, the State government provided just the land.

Every other thing in the estate is being provided by TAF Nigeria Limited. These include finance, construction and man-

agement of the estate,” he said.

The TAF Homes boss dis closed that the estate will be developed in two phases. The first phase comprises all villa houses, all town houses and 12 blocks of apartments. This translates to approximately 200 units of two, three and four-bedroom apartments.

On when the project would be completed, Mr. Njie said: “Everything that will make the estate functional will be ready

by June next year. We started the project last year. When we started selling off the plan, people had doubts, but today, we have been proven right because people can see what is on ground. We are proud to say that all our Town and Villa Houses were sold out within a month. At the moment, we don’t have any Town or Villa House to sell. We only have apartments to sell”.

He commended the compa-

Mortgate for intending buyers •TOP & BELOW: Golf estate

FCMB partners Isolo LCDA to set up climate change unit

F

By JUDE NJOKU

IRST City Monument Bank FCMB Plc, in collaboration with the Isolo Local Council Development Area, has i naugurated a special Climate Change Unit and Green Brigade in the area.

Speaking at the ceremony, FCMB’s Executive Director, Mr.Olufemi Bakre said the immediate and future dangers posed by climate change, informed the decision of the bank to partner with Isolo LCDA towards the realisation of the laudable objectives of establishing a Climate Change Unit and inaugurating a Special Green Brigade”. “We believe that these would go a long way to adequately enlighten and educate the public on environmental C M Y K

ny’s clients for the confidence they reposed on them. Golf Estate is being financed by a consortium of banks. They include First Bank Plc, Access Bank Plc, Aso Savings and Loans and Zenith Bank plc.

“These are all our development partners in the project. We also owe our thanks to the Rivers State Government and the local community for their cooperation with us on this project,” he said.

The TAF Homes CEO praised the industry of the local contractors engaged by his firm to handle the construction of the estate. “ There is no foreign element on this project. The contractors on this project are small and medium scale contractors who were hired locally. All the equipment being used by the contractors such as mixers and block making machines for the construction of the estate were purchased by us for them. We did this to help them build their capacity. We equally have a centre within the estate for the training of engineers and contractors, thus assisting them to increase their capacity building.

This is to ensure quality control through out the project,” he said.

and waste management issues so as to combat these problems,” he said.

To practically demonstrate FCMB’s commitment to these initiatives, staff of the bank on April 9, 2013 turned out en-mass to clean Aswani Market and its environs.

This exercise, which will the bank said would be extended to other markets and areas in Lagos, is under the auspices of the bank’s “Committed to Green” (C2G) initiative. “Committed to Green” (C2G) has since 2009, become another platform FCMB uses to express its deep interest in environmental sustainability in all its host communities nationwide.

C h a i rman of Isolo LCDA, Mr. Shamsedeen Abiodun Olaleye who described the LCDA as one of the few in

the country that has embraced climate change, explained that the inauguration of the Climate Change Unit and Green Brigade would facilitate the Council’s alignment with the global green movement. He informed the gathering that in a bid to ensure a flood-free rainy season, the Council has assisted 89 streets in the area to clear their drainage channels. Olaleye noted that due to the impact of climate change and global warming, “it has become necessary for the LCDA to inaugurate a unit which will assist the public in both mitigating and adapting to the threat of Climate Change”. The unit, he said, will work towards emission reduction, with the initial priority on waste management and sanitation.

On availability of mortgage for intending buyers, Mr. Njie disclosed that his firm has an arrangement with Aso Savings and Loans. His words: “We have partnership with Aso Savings and Loans and anyone who is qualified for NHF can buy any of the houses with mortgage arrangement with Aso Savings and Loans. There are other banks that offer mortgage facilities. Interested investors can arrange with such banks or buy directly from us.

In the second phase, we are looking at a staggered payment plan for 25 years”.

Vanguard Homes & Property recalls that Governor Rotimi Amaechi had at the partnership agreement signing ceremony in December 2012, given reasons why the State is partnering with Taf Homes to develop the estate. “Eevery economy that wants to develop must commit to the provision of infrastructure of which housing is a key element. The State government believes that sustained infrastructural development is pivotal for economic growth and employment generation in the state.

Through this project, we are not only providing homes but also creating employment opportunities for various skill sets such as engineers, electricians, builders, construction labourers, and all the people in the distribution chain,” he said.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013 — 31

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32 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

Pepple seeks public-private sector collaboration to reduce housing deficit

By JUDE NJOKU

T

HE nation’s housing deficit currently put at between 16 – 17 million units, can only be reduced through a collaboration between the public and private sectors of the economy. To this end, the Federal Government is lobbying the private sector to support its efforts to provide affordable housing for millions of homeless Nigerians.

Minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms Ama Pepple stressed the need for the collaboration when she inspected the ongoing construction of Metro City Estate.

The estste is being developed

by Messrs UACN Property Development Company, UPDC in the Apo- Dutse area of the Federal Capital Territory.

She explained that President

Goodluck Johnathan is committed to making housing affordable to Nigerians hence the need for the collaboration.

The Minister further disclosed that the Federal Mortgage Bank and other institutions have been strategically empowered to deliver on their mandate.

Welcoming the Minister to the estate, UPDC’s Managing Director, Mr Hakeem Ogunniran commended her support to private estate developers. Describing it (support) as a good omen for the country, Ogunniran stated that Metro City Estate would bridge the housing deficit in the FCT with the addition of 225 luxury homes.

Metro City Estate which is a joint venture between UPDC and African Capital Alliance,.is located in the highbrow Apo - Dutse area of the FCT. It is the largest resi-

dential estate to be done by UPDC Plc. The estate which is sitting on a 11.17 hectares parcel of land, comprises 225 units of five- bedroom de-

tached houses, four- bedroom semi-detached houses, fourbedroom terrace houses, three- bedroom bungalows and two and three- bedroom flats.

The project which was flagged off 15 months ago, would be delivered in the next three months.

Metro City Estate... Still under construction

Why HOMS is yet to take-off in Lagos — Bosun Jeje

By KINGSLEY ADEGBOYE

T

HE Lagos State Government last week, gave reasons for the delay in the take-off of its home ownership mortgage scheme HOMS. The Commissioner for Housing, Mr. Bosun Jeje explained that the government wants to build enough houses for the people before flagging off the full implementation of the mortgage scheme.

Jeje spoke at the commissioning of Ikeja Millennium Housing Estate located at GRA, Ikeja which was renamed Emeka Anyaoku Housing Estate.

The Commissioner said the government is currently working on the modalities for the mortgage scheme which will be officially inaugurated in no distant time. He however noted that there is a mortgage arrangement for the purchase of houses in all the 23 government -owned housing estates so far completed by his ministry.

Explaining that regular structural inC M Y K

tegrity test is carried out in the existing government estates across the state to determine their fitness for habitation, Jeje however pointed out that structures discovered to be defective will be pulled down.

The Commissioner who said the completion of Emeka Anyaoku Estate is another milestone in the state’s avowed commitment to the provision of decent accommodation for the people of Lagos State, added that the estate comprises 76 units of four-bedroom Maisonettes. A further breakdown shows that the estate has 10 blocks, nine of which have eight units of Maisonettes each, while the 10th block comprises seven units.

To make estate functional and self sustaining, he said that complementary infrastructure such as well paved network of roads, car parks, mini water works, electricity and properly landscaped environment have been provided. Jeje explained that for security of lives and safety of prop-

erties of residents and visitors, the estate is protected by a perimeter fence and manned gate houses.

He listed the challenges encountered during the construction of the Emeka Anyaoku estate to include the excavation of the top soil and sand filling of the land to replace the top soil. The Commissioner said this was as a result of the fact that, the parcel of land had for a long time served as a refuse dump which made the top soil to loose with high concentration of degradable materials upon which no enduring structure can be built.

“Therefore, several soil tests were conducted as layers of soil were removed to ascertain the suitability of the land for the housing project before it commenced. Today, I make bold to say the structures you have before you will pass any integrity test and stand the test of time”, Jeje stated.

Russian buyers dominate UK’s property market

F

OREIGN buyers are dominating the prime property market in the UK, especially in the Home Counties. This revelation was contained in a new property index released by one of UK’s foremost estate management firms, Messrs Knight Frank.The firm’s latest prime property index shows that about 55 percent of homes worth £5 million or more were sold to overseas buyers in 2012. This figure is an increase of about 15 percent from the 40 percent in 2011 and 2010. According to the report, one in four homes was bought by a buyer from Russia or CIS, while European buyers accounted for around one in 10 purchases.

According to the index which was published in Property Wire, Home Counties remained the hotspot for super prime country house transactions last year, with 82 percent of all such sales happening in these counties.

This is up from 76 percent in 2011.

‘North Surrey in particular consistently appeals to international buyers who are attracted to prestigious private estates such as St George’s Hill, Wentworth and the Crown Estate in Oxshott,’ Head of Knight Frank’s Country department, Rupert Sweeting said.

According to him, overseas buyers are expected to continue to play a significant role in the super prime market.

‘The combination of the buyers seeing the UK as a safer destination to be based than some of their home countries, as well as tax advantages to purchasing land and the continuing slide of sterling, make the UK an attractive investment destination,’ he explained.

The index shows that overall prime country house prices have risen for the first time in two years, up 0.4 percent in the first three months of 2013, but the market is likely to remain sensitive, especially at the lower end of the prime market.

Prices continue to outperform in key commuter towns.

The average price of prime houses in Oxford have been rising for a year, and are now up nearly five percent, while prices in Esher have been rising moderately for three years, climbing by 20 percent over that period, although values are still around 10 percent lower than their 2008 peak. The firm says that there is evidence that pent up demand is starting to come to the market.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013 — 33

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36—Vanguard , TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

NWC voids dissolution of Kwara ACN c'ttee

Community accuses Agip of oil spill cover up in Bayelsa

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

N

ATIONAL Working Committee of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, has described as null and void, the purported dissolution of the Kwara State Caretaker Committee of the party, and the appointment of one Toyin Ayinla as acting Chairman.

In a statement in Abuja, yesterday, by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Hajia Hauwa Galma, the party said only the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the party can dissolve the duly-constituted caretaker committee in Kwara State.

“The so-called Kwara Stakeholders Forum, which announced the dissolution of the Kwara State Caretaker Committee is not one of the constitutionally-recognised organs of the party and lack powers to dissolve the structure of the party at any level.

“The only recognised organ of the party for the time being in Kwara State remains the Kayode Olawepo-led State Caretaker Committee, and it is the body which relevant security and electoral bodies should deal with until there is further directive to the contrary from NEC of the party,” it said ACN said the statement on behalf of the Kwara Stakeholders, dissolving the properly-constituted State Caretaker committee, was an irresponsible act and an affront to the NEC of the party.

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ORT HARCOURT— LANDOWNERS and farmers in Akala-Olu community, Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, have accused Nigerian Agip Oil Company of maliciously burning their farmlands to destroy evidence of its oil spillage on their land.

The angry villagers, who last week disrupted traffic in protest at the Ahoada axis of the East West Road over the incident, claimed that the action of Agip had aggravated the impact of the oil spill on the affected lands.

Nathan Alaga, an elder in the mainly affected UmuIsogba extended of family of Akala-Olu told Vanguard that a joint inspection of the spill facilitated by the Rivers State Ministry of Environment in March, had established that it was a repeat of 2002 overflow of Waste Pit and Hot Water seepage from nearby Ochie Flow Station operated

by Agip.

He said the intervening

ministry recommended negotiations between the company and the affected landowners to determine compensation for the damaged farmlands, fish ponds and ancestral shrines in the affected area before cleanup and remediation were carried out.

“Without meeting with us, Agip came March 13, and said they want to clean up the spill and the family opposed the action. There and then, Agip officials set the spill site on fire and burnt the entire area.”

Calls to Agip Community Liaison Officer and contacts in the Public Affairs and HSE units of the company were not answered.

... as Ijaw community denies plan to shut down Agip operations

BY EMMA ARUBI

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ARRI—THE leader ship of Letugbene community has denied claims by some indigenes of the community that they intend to shut down the operations of Nigerian Agip Oil Company, following alleged death of three children, who drank polluted water from the firms’ operations.

Chief Gewade Preye and elder Geghapan Jonathan on behalf of the community, also described the alleged deaths of Osiumayin Eniye, 7; Kpegbolo Oyadonbebefa 5;

and Boroyegha, 10, as untrue, saying that the community never intended to shut down Agip operations.

They denied that any per-

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ORUM for Local Govern ment Secretaries of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in the 25 local government areas of the Delta State, has commended the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan for successfully executing his three point development agenda in the state.

This came as the forum warned against the campaign of calumny by gubernatorial aspirants ahead

of the 2015 general elections, saying campaigns should be issue based.

Speaking after the forum’s meeting at Boji Boji Owa in Ika North-East Local Government Area of the state, Chairman of the forum, Mr. John Aleh, said after reviewing the achievements so far recorded by the Uduaghan’s administration in the areas of human and infrastructural development as well as peace and security across the state, members of the forum, impressed

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IGER Delta Regional Development Master Plan if embraced will serve as a compass for holistic development of the region, Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Man-

with the performance index of the governor, re-enacted implicit confidence on him (Uduaghan).

Aleh said the forum had, after a careful assessment with comparative analysis of the implementation of Uduaghan’s three-point agenda, seen that the state had been lifted to a higher pedestal, adding that the forum was also pleased with the way the state chairman of PDP, Chief Peter Nwaoboshi, had been piloting the affairs of the party.

aging Director, Dr. Christian Oboh, has said.

He spoke at a three-day retreat organised by BRACED Commission in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on The imperative of regional infrastructure in the South-South.

Oboh sued for a closer tie between the BRACED states and NDDC to facilitate the development of critical infrastructure towards sustainable growth in the region.

He noted that the Master Plan, initiated by NDDC, was due for review, stressing that the process will involve the nine states in the region and the six BRACED states.

Oboh said the integrated development plan, being driven by the commission, which covers health, education, transportation, and agriculture will guarantee economic and infrastructural development of the region.

By Bartholomew Madukwe

PEOPLE SPEAK

08102479985

son died from drinking polluted water from Agip’s operation in the community, adding that the claims, as published in some national dailies, were false.

NDDC boss advocates regional development

LG secretaries commend Uduaghan

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

Counsel to the protesting family, Mr. Higher King, hinted of court action against Agip for alleged concealing of Umu-Isogba family land lease title on the Ochie Flow Station and denying them benefits while also “underpaying the family in the N5,000 offered yearly on the lease agreement for Agip well head sited in the family land covering 150/150 acres.”

(nwamad@yahoo.com)

On scrapping UTME, NECO

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ECONDARY school dropouts will definitely be affected if NECO is scrapped, which is why I won’t agree to its removal. For JAMB, I think it should also be allowed to stay because it is the first brain test for admission.— Miss Mercy Akinosho, Student.

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OST-UME should be scrapped but UTME should stay because it gives Nigerians the chance to gain admission into higher institutions. As for NECO, let it go. Most of our universities do not even accept it. They still prefer GCE or WAEC.— Mr Ikhile Itua, Student.

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ECO is not really necessary because there is WAEC and GCE. I did NECO but did not use the certificate. On JAMB, I would prefer that it stays because admission into the higher institution must have its own hurdle.— Miss Matilda Ataimewan, Student.

I

F JAMB goes, then illiteracy will be on the increase in Nigeria because writing POST-UME is not as easy as writing UTME. Many will be discouraged.

NECO should also stay since many students combine results to get admission.—Mr. Eyitayo Ayomibo, Student.

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AMB should be scrapped because of its many exam malpractices. Invigilators make money and people in charge of the exam also make money by willfully denying students their right scores.

NECO should stay too.—Miss Eko-Davies Omotoke, Student.

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ET JAMB be scrapped because students who score high mark in JAMB, for whatever reason, end up not doing well in school.

As for NECO, let it stay because the more the chances of writing other exams, the better for students.—Miss Florence Adzigbo, Student.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013—37

Edo NDDC boss dedicates award to Oshiomhole

Onokerhoraye urges FG to fund private universities

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HE member representing Edo State on the Board of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Mr. Henry Okhuarobo, has dedicated the National Catalyst for Positive Change Award presented to him by the Law Students Association, LAWSA, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, to Edo State governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole.

Okhuarobo, who received the award recently in his office in Benin, Edo State, said his decision to dedicate the award to Oshiomhole was in recognition of the governor's ebullient leadership qualities and his numerous developmental strides, which had impacted greatly on the lives of the people of Edo State, particularly the less-privileged.

He described Oshiomhole as a role model and a pathfinder worthy of emulation, noting that NDDC had been able to achieve more in the state because of support and cooperation the commission received from the state governor.

S-South PDP govs urged to close ranks

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

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ORT HARC O U R T — G OVERNORS of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in South-South states, have been urged to work in harmony to deliver the party in the 2015 general elections.

South-South Coordinator of PDP Core Supporters Network, Chief Isaac Wonwu, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, said the governors should sink their differences in the interest of the party.

Commending the efforts of the Chairman, Board of Trustees of PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, to reconcile aggrieved members of the party across the country, he said there was need for governors of the party in the region to reciprocate the gesture by repositioning the party for leadership in 2015.

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BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE ENIN—PRO-CHANCELLOR of Western Delta University, Oghara, Delta State, Prof. Andrew Onokerhoraye, has called on the relevant authorities in the country to amend relevant laws establishing the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, ETF, to enable it contribute to the development of private universities in the country.

The appeal is coming on the heels of the call by the ViceChancellor of the University, Prof. Peter Hugbo, on Nigerian parents to stop sending their children to Ghanaian Universities, insisting that they were not in any way better than Nigerian universities.

Onokerhoraye, a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin, at the First convocation of the university, insisted that private universities have the same mandate to provide skilled manpower to the economy and therefore, were entitled to funds from ETF. He said: “However, public universities are funded by federal and state governments with tax payers’ mon-

ey. Private universities generate their own funds with little or no aid from bodies or individuals, yet we must play by the same rules in terms of infrastructure, admissions, teaching and research as prescribed by National Universities Commission, NUC, and Joint Admissions and Matriculation

Board, JAMB. “Public universities have ready access to intervention from Tertiary Education Trust Fund, while private universities are excluded. Private universities deserve a share of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund. We need to understand the fact that whether federal, state or private

ASARI DOKUBO IN ASO ROCK: Alhaji Asari Dokubo (left), fielding questions from State House Correspondents at the State House, Abuja, yesterday. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida.

Oshiomhole, intriguing example of devt, says Onokerhoraye

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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ENIN—FORMER Vice-Chancellor of University of Benin, UNIBEN, and Pro-Chancellor, Western Delta University, Oghara, Delta State, Professor Andrew Onokerhoraye, has described Edo State governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, as a leader with an intriguing example of developmental projects, which impacted on Edo State within a record time.

Onokerhoraye, during the first convocation of Western Delta University, Oghara, where the Secretary to Edo State Government, Prof. Julius

Ihonvbere, delivered a lecture titled, Private Universities and National Development, poured encomiums on Governor Oshiomhole.

He said: “For a long time, I have not seen anyone who has an intriguing example of developmental projects and who has truly impacted on a state within a record time like the Edo State governor.”

In his lecture, Prof. Ihonvbere, said an educational system that produces “election riggers, intimidators, looters of treasury, bad drivers, disregard for communal values, lazy public servants, kidnappers, inefficient and

ineffective workers, political opportunists, thugs and bad politicians that visit pain on the people and contaminate and undermine institutions of society cannot be regarded as positive education.

“This type of educational system can only produce a lot of literate but not educated citizens. Wise, but not reasonable people, talkers, but not doers and persons that think they are super smart when in reality they have a lot to learn.

We must be careful and watchful so we are not misled by such persons; be they governors, ministers, businesspersons or so-called activists."

We've made progress in achieving MDGs —Uduaghan

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

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SABA—DELTA State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has said that the state government had made tremendous progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, while assuring continued partnership with the Federal Government as well as the state’s directorate of MDGs as it approaches the 2015 countdown.

universities, our goals are the same, that is, to produce educated workforce that will meet Nigeria’s need in the 21st century.”

He stressed the need for the three tiers of government to increase funding for education in the country especially in this era of knowledgebased economy.

The governor, represented by the state Commissioner for Economic Planning, Dr. Kenneth Okpara, at the Millennium Development Goals stakeholders’ interactive meeting in Asaba, weekend, said: “There has been significant progress on access to potable water, primary school enrolment, empowerment of women and ensuring births are attended by skilled workers.”

Also speaking, state Commissioner, Directorate of MDGs, Queen Victoria Ikenchukwu, highlighted some of the projects completed in the state to include 100 medical staff quarters, 50 maternity labour wards for primary health centres, essential obstetrics care equipment, over 104 solar or motorized boreholes, construction of toilets at public primary schools and public places, among others.

Delta okada operators told to be law abiding

BY FESTUS AHON

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GHELLI—CARETAKER Committee Chairman of Ughelli North Local Government Area, Delta State, Chief Friday Akpoyibo, has charged members of the state Commercial Motorcycles and Tricycles Union of Nigeria in the area to be law abiding and discharge their duties diligently without resorting to violence.

Akpoyibo, shortly after he was honoured with an award of excellence for youth empowerment by members of the union at the council’s secretariat, expressed appreciation to the union for the award. He said apart from job creation, the activities of the union were a good source of revenue for the council.

Presenting the award to Akpoyibo, Chairman of the branch, Mr. Augustine Ayonuwe, thanked the council boss for creating job opportunities for the teeming unemployed youths in the area through the sales of okada and tricycle tickets as well as the employment of “young able bodied women to sweep our major roads and thereby keeping Ughelli clean."

38— Vanguard , TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

Gov. Orji replies Apugo, says his govt cannot be intimidated

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OVERNOR THEODORE Orji of Abia State has said nobody could intimidate his government, noting he was not deterred by the onerous task of providing leadership and development of foundation stones everyone in the state craved.

The governor reacted to an insinuation by a Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, Chief B.B. Apugo, that political leaders in Abia State were his (governor ’s) bootlickers.

Orji, who spoke in a statement by his Special Adviser on Public Communications, Mr. Ben Onyechere, in Umuahia, yesterday, said: “It is important to note that government cannot be intimidated by anybody.

“As an elder statesman, what is expected of Apugo is the role of peace-maker and encouragement to the younger generation."

Commission explains projects completion delays in South East

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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WERRI — The Fiscal Responsibility Commission has blamed inadequate budgetary allocation for delayed completion of federal projects in the South East geo-political zone of the country.

Representative of the South East geo-political zone in the commission, Chief Chris Okewulonu, made the appeal in Owerri during a verification tour of some Federal Government projects in the area.

Some of the projects inspected by the government functionaries were the Onitsha-Enugu expressway, Owerri-Port Harcourt dual carriageway and the dredging of the Urashi River in Imo State.

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CNPP scribe asks INEC to probe 'illegal APGA Convention'

BY TONY EDIKE

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NUGU—A chieftain of All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, and Secretary General, Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP, Chief

Willy Ezugwu, has called on Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to urgently investigate the convention held last Monday in Awka by a faction of the party, led

by Governor Peter Obi.

Ezugwu, who made the call in Enugu, weekend, described the convention as an eyesore, saying he was still confused at the role INEC played monitoring the proceedings at the unholy time of 1a.m.

From left: Obinna Abajue, Executive Director, Personal and Business Banking, Stanbic IBTC Bank; Mr. Sola Adepetun of Adepetun Caxton-Martins Agbor & Segun Chambers, and Abiodun Gbadamosi, Head, Customer Channels, at the launch of Stanbic IBTC Bank’s Executive Banking Services, in Lagos.

“We are calling on INEC chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega to investigate the fraudulent conduct of the convention purportedly held by Governor Peter Obi and also the authorisation of the INEC personnel that monitored the proceedings of the 1a.m. to 7a.m. Monday convention “How did INEC itself get entangled because I doubt if Jega himself was given adequate notice or information to be part of such a deal to monitor a convention at that unholy time or is INEC no longer a public institution?” he asked.

Ezugwu wondered why Governor Obi should applaud the illegal convention and why his cohorts should also discredit the Court of Appeal judgment where three judges gave a ruling for stay of execution and ordered the reinstatement of the national chairman and National Working Committee, NWC, of the party.

“I do not see any reason why Governor Obi should support such an illegal convention by applauding it and the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Mr. Joemartins Uzodike disregarding the Monday appeal court judgment by describing it as ‘judgment in futility,” he said.

Boko Haram: Ebonyi PDP youths condemn FG’s amnesty move

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BY PETER OKUTU

BAKALIKI — THE Youth wing of Ebonyi State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,

weekend, condemned the move by the Federal Government to grant amnesty to the Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

According to the youth

Two arraigned for attempted kidnap

BY ONOZURE DANIA

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AGOS — TWO men, Lanre Solabi, 29 and a private driver, Ayomipo Arowolo, 24, who is also a student, were yesterday arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate Court for attempted kidnap of Mrs. Monisola Awosan.

Arowolo, who happened to be the driver of the victim’s husband, Mr. Awosan, was said to have conspired with Solabi and others now at large to kidnap Monisola.

The duo, who are facing a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and attempted kidnap, were arraigned before Magistrate Demi Ajayi.

The police prosecutor,

Inspector Barth Nwaokoye, told the court that the defendants committed the said offence on March 31, 2013, at about 8a.m.

He said the crime was committed at 111, Opebi Road in Ikeja area of Lagos.

According to the prosecutor, the offence committed is contrary to section 409 and punishable under section 405 of the criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.

However, when the charge was read to the defendants, they pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge.

Magistrate Ajayi granted the two defendants bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.

She adjourned the case to May, 13, 2013, for trial.

wing, Boko Haram is causing mayhem in the north allegedly because of the emergence of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as President.

Addressing newsmen in Abakaliki, PDP youth leader in the state, Comrade Chinedu Ogah, described the sect as faceless and ghostlike in their operation.

He stressed that the objective behind the agitation in the Niger Delta was more reasonable and selfless unlike that of Boko Haram involved in the killing of innocent Igbo and Nigerians,

especially in the North.

Ogah, however, argued that if amnesty would ever be granted to the sect by the Federal Government, similar gesture should also be extended to members of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, because of the credibility behind their agitation.

He said: “We are not a party to the call that amnesty should be given to Boko Haram. Who are you giving amnesty to? Are you giving it to ghosts?"

Imo residents rejoice over suspension of ISTMA

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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WERRI — RESI DENTS of Imo State have continued to hail the suspension of activities of Imo State Traffic Management Authority, ISTMA, by Governor Rochas Okorocha.

The state government had last week, announced the suspension of the activities of the establishment, follow-

ing consistent public outcry over the high-handedness and fleecing of motorists by the operators.

Most of the residents lamented that the operatives of ISTMA were not only ruthless and slammed frivolous charges on innocent motorists, but were also irked by the bills they paid which were never covered by government receipts.

Vanguard , TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013 —39

BRIEFING—From left: Mrs Stella Ladipo, Past President Club 1; Mrs Gloriastene Agboola, Governor District 18 Zonta International and Dr (Mrs) Sade Ajasin, President, Zonta Club of Ibadan during a briefing by Zonta International District 18 on the forthcoming conference in Ibadan. Photo: Dare Fasube.

CONDOLENCE—From Left: Lagos Deputy Governor, Mrs Adejoke OrelopeAdefulire; Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Prince Segun Adesegun when the Forum of Deputy Governors paid a condolence visit to Ekiti State Government over the death of the deputy governor, Mrs. Funmi Olayinka.

CONFERMENT—From left: Dr. Oluwole Adetimehin, Special Guest of Honour; Mr Adedoyin Idowu Owolabi, President, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, ICAN; Alhaji Kabir Alkali Mohammed, Vice President and Otunba Femi Deru, 2nd Deputy Vice President at the 11th conferment of fellowship status on some members at the ICAN Centre, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele

SWEARING IN—From left: Tokunbo Mumuni, Executive Director, SERAP, with another member, being sworn in as governing council members of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State.

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LAUNCH—From left: Dr Yewande Adesina, Special Adviser on Health to Lagos State Governor; Mrs Shola Oshodi-John, Vice President, Health Education Work & Shelter Foundation, HEWSF; Dr Jide Idris, Commissioner for Health, Lagos State; Suru Afose, Chairman, House Committe on Health, Lagos State House of Assembly and Dr Femi Olugbile, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, during the launching of Ministry of Health's ser vice charter, in Lagos. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

CONDOLENCE—Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, FUTA, Akure, Professor Adebiyi Daramola signing the condolence register at the Government House Ado Ekiti after leading principal officers of the institution on a condolence visit to the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi.

INDUCTION—From left: Mr Teslim Olatunde Busari, President and Chairman of Council; Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN, Special Guest and Mr Dele Togunde, Registrar/Chief Executive during the 12th induction of ICSAN members in Lagos. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye.

VISIT—From left: Naeem Muhammed; Abdul Malik Ahmad; Joshua Salaam, all of Native Deen group, and CEO, Arabel, Shereefah Andu during American Islamic Musical Group (Native Deen) visit to Arabel Nigeria, in Lagos.

40 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

FG's FM radio station takes off in Kebbi

Northern Christian elders berate Unongo

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IRNIN-KEBBI— THE new Federal Government-owned Frequency Modulated, FM, radio station in Kalgo, Kebbi State, has commenced skeletal operations.

General Manager of the station, Alhaji Sahabi Aliyu, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, yesterday in Kalgo that the station would operate on 103 Mega Hatz frequency.

“The station would operate strictly in accordance with the stipulated broadcasting regulations as laid down by the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission, NBC, and the constitutional provision of right to freedom of expression.

“We would strive to promote the social, economic and political development of the state, as well as development journalism to boost peaceful coexistence.”

Aliyu said that the station would broadcast on a daily basis from 10.00 am and close by 6.00 00 pm before commencing a 24-hour operation.

ASUU condemns appointment of varsities' council members

BY PETER DURU

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AKURDI—THE Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has expressed dismay over appointment of “some persons of questionable characters” into the governing councils of federal universities by the government, stressing that such appointments were not in the best interest of the country.

National President of ASUU, Dr. Nasir Isa made this known in Makurdi, yesterday, at the end of the National Executive Council, NEC, meeting of the union.

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BY SAM EYOBOKA

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From left: The Emir of Kazaure, Alhaji Najib Hussainadamu with Yeriman Zazzau, Alhaji Munir Jafaru and the Guest Lecturer, Archbishop of Kaduna Anglican Diocese, Most Rev'd Josiah Idowu Fearon at the Arewa Media Forum Annual Lecture held in Kaduna weekend. Photo: Olu Ajayi.

Gumel Emirate Council denies plans to dethrone Emir

BY ALIYU DANGIDA

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UTSE—GUMEL Emir ate Council in Jigawa State has denied any plans by the state government to dethrone its Emir, Alhaji Mohammed Sani II, as was being speculated in some quart e r s .

The Emir was said to have had some misunderstanding with Governor Sule Lamido, fuelling speculations that he would soon be dethroned.

However, the Secretary to the Emirate Council, Alhaji Murtala Aliyu who debunked the "rumour" told newsmen that the emirate had received visiting auditors from the state audit department as directed by Governor Lamido to verify payments of traditional title holder ’s in the emirate, saying that the auditors were also in Kazaure emirate to conduct similar exercise. He pointed out that the development was not unusual.

Aliyu further explained that such rumour was aimed at causing confusion among the people. He, however, advised the rumour mongers to desist from their nefarious action in the interest of peace and unity of the area.

“The Governor and Emir have been good friends since the Second Republic. I do not think anything will tear them apart now,” he added.

Aliyu further said that the Emir had no hand in the various text messages by some

faceless people calling for thorough investigation of Governor Lamido for alleged sundry misdeeds.

"As a patriotic citizen and leader of masses, he cannot involve himself or his people in such act against any leader,” he emphasized.

Relations between Lamido and the Emir reportedly went sour following a statement credited to the Emir, saying he was opposed to the establishment of the state

university at Kafin-Hausa.

The Emir instead, recommended that Jigawa State College of Education in Gumel should be upgraded to a university.

Shortly after the Emir’s position became public knowledge, the state government froze the accounts of the emirate council and directed auditors to visit the emirate council and verify all the expenses it had carried out thoroughly.

AGOS—CHRIS TIANS elders in the 19 Northern states under the aegis of Northern Christian Elders Forum, NOSCEF and Benue State Youths have berated veteran Benue politician, Chief Paul Unongo for saying that CAN National President was misleading President Goodluck Jonathan on terrorism in some parts of the north.

The groups argued that it was people like Unongo who have suddenly regained their voices over discussions on amnesty for Boko Haram, that were misleading the president.

In a telephone interview with the spokesman of Northern CAN, Elder Sunday Oibe, he asked rhetorically where Unongo had been when fellow Middle Beltans and northerners were being mauled down on daily basis by Fulani fundamentalists, just as Benue State youths also condemned comments credited to Unongo. The said he cannot lay claim to any contribution to the state.

APGA faction scribe slam PDP govs

BY SUZAN EDEH

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AUCHI —NATIONAL Secretary of the Victor Umeh faction of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Alhaji Sani Shinkafi has accused the governors elected on the platform of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of acting as if they were demi-gods instead of serving those who elected them into office.

Shinkafi said that the way the governors were harassing the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has portrayed the PDP governors as having negated the principle of supremacy of the party over the governors.

He also said that the ruling by the Court of Appeal

which vacated the injunction against his own faction of the party has strengthened democracy and boosted the confidence of the people in the Judiciary.

He said in an interview with newsmen in Bauchi that: “Our political party is a party that believes in the principles of the rule of law and that is what the Court of Appeal in Enugu has been able to prove. I can recall vividly when the same scenario happened in 2007 when there was case between Andy Uba and Peter Obi. Obi’s case was pending in the Appeal court over the determination of his real tenure and Uba was sworn in as governor.

On the PDP governors,

Shinkafi noted that the manner they controlled the party, having "become semi-gods in their respective states," was not normal, hence one of the objectives of APGA was the removal of the immunity clause on the governors.

“We are calling for constitutional amendment because of the abuse of powers by governors in this country. Look at how they are controlling and tossing the PDP National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur.

"He is just at their mercy.

This ought not to be so and this is one of the abnormalities our party wants to correct in this country,” he added.

Shinkafi described the emergence of Chief Maxi Okwu as the national chairman of APGA as an unhealthy development for the party.

Vanguard , TUESDAY TUESDAY,, APRIL 16 , 2013 —41

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44 — Vanguard, TUESD AY, APRIL 16, 2013 TUESDA

New Yellow Card will be difficult to fake, says Minister ••appoints designated distribution centres

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• Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu (centre), flanked by Director of Hospital Services, FMOH, Dr. Patience Osinubi (right) and Director of Public Health, Dr. Bridget Okoeguale during the presentation of the Ministry’s score card to the press in Lagos weekend.

Overseas medical trips:

S the new Yellow Card goes into circulation from October 1, 2013, the Federal Ministry of Health, FMOH, has mapped out strategies to begin issuance of the cards, just as series of public enlightenment strategies will help put an end to the perennial fake Yellow Card saga in the country.

Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, weekend in Lagos said the new Yellow Card, which is of international standard, will be difficult to fake as it has been improved with six unique security features that will be difficult to adulterate.

Chukwu, who urged the Nigerian public to take cognisance of advantages of the new card, said with just six months to change the old card, the FMOH had commenced enlightenment campaign beginning with a mass vaccination of Nigerians against yellow fever in May. Noting that the old Yellow Card would no longer be valid by October 1, 2013 even as he claimed that his tenure as Minister of Health has turned around fortunes of Nigeria’s health sector for good.

“In another one to two weeks, the unified stamps for the new Yellow Card will be ready, after which the issuance of the cards will take off.”

“We have designated centres that will be distributing the country to obtain treatment, cards now. It is no longer going we have compiled a to be distributed from any substantial list but it can never centre. It is now the sole be exhaustive because responsibility of the ministry to existing hospitals are do so. If people could travel as far-off as Abuja for visas, introducing new treatments.

"For instance, this year, the they could also do that for University of Nigeria Teaching Yellow Cards. This measure is Hospital, UNTH, reintroduced to prevent further faking of the open heart surgery, and cards.”

Explaining the special carried out a number of surgeries and would continue features of the new Yellow from now on. But last year Card, the Director of Public when we did the compilation, Health, FMOH, Dr. Bridget UNTH had stopped open Okoeguale noted that apart heart surgery, but now they from the six features, there is have reintroduced it, the top also a vaccine number to management committee identify the genuine ones.

“In the new dispensation, it considered it and included it, we just need to keep is no longer business as usual.

We have centralised collection updating," he argued.

Further, Chukwu said the of the cards. You can't even print next stage would be for the it. If you print it, the security ministry to share its findings features are very tight and all with the Head of Service. "If the Embassies will be informed.

“Now we have 22 Port Health he looks at it and decide what Continues on page 45 Continues on page 45

FMOH prepares memo to stop govt sponsored trips for public servants STORIES BY SOLA OGUNDIPE & CHIOMA OBINNA

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MEMO to stop public servants from traveling abroad at the expense of the Federal government for the treatment of ailments that can be satisfactorily tackled in Nigeria, is to be presented to the Federal Executive Council, FEC, this year just as President Goodluck Jonathan, is billed to flag off a stroke awareness campaign in Abuja, as part of measures to tackle the rising burden of stroke,

hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases in the country, Disclosing this during the presentation of his score card to the press, Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, said the Federal Ministry of Health is already compiling a list of health facilities that can handle specific ailments that Nigerians often go abroad to obtain treatment.

Chukwu, who observed that although the list is not exhaustive, and was being regularly updated, however,

Pate, others sign Global Declaration to end polio

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

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INISTER of State for Health, Dr. Mohammad Ali Pate led a delegation of Nigerian scientists to join other experts from more than 80 countries from around the world to endorse a comprehensive new eradication strategy to end polio from the surface of the Earth by 2018.

Members of the delegation that signed the Global Declaration On Ending Polio include former Health Minister, and Co-Chair, Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, International Pediatric Association, Professor Adenike Grange, and President of the Nigerian Academy of Science, Professor Oyewale Tomori.

Nigeria is one of the last three countries in the entire world where the wild polio virus is still circulating. Others are Pakistan and Afghanistan.

With just 223 new cases due to wild poliovirus recorded in 2012 - an historic low and a more than 99 percent decrease from the estimated 350,000 cases in 1988 - and just 16 new cases reported so far in 2013 (as of April 9), it is widely believed that the world has a unique window of opportunity to eradicate polio once and for all.

The declaration’s launch coincided with the 58th anniversary of the announcement of Jonas Salk’s revolutionary vaccine.

Continues on page 46 C M Y K

assured that the memo, which was being carefully composed, would become effective this year, His words: "It is correct to say the Federal government will not sponsor any case that can be satisfactorily handled in Nigeria. We are still at the level of the top management committee of the health ministry. It is a long process, we do not want to send a halfbaked memo to the FEC, so it has to be well thought out and we have to carry people along.

Sponsorship of public servants "It is not enough for the Minister of Health to ask the President-in-Council that we should no longer sponsor public servants for cases that can be handled in Nigeria. We should know where these cases can be handled here.

"The first thing we did was to spend the whole of last year to compile the list of hospitals that can handle specific ailments people often go abroad for treatment. We are compiling the cases that people may need to go outside the

Vanguard, TUESD AY, APRIL 16, 2013 — 45 TUESDA

Nigeria Heart Foundation adopts 5 strategies to attain UN target

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

W

ORRIED about the burden of hypertension in Nigeria, the Nigerian Heart Foundation, NHF, has adopted five out of the nine UN targets to drastically reduce deaths caused by hypertension and its related complications in Nigeria and Africa at large.

The World Health Organisation, WHO, had in 2011 during the World Health Assembly endorsed nine historic targets to reduce premature deaths from non communicable disease, NCDs by 25 per cent by 2025.

Hypertension being the most important causes of premature death is estimated to hit 1.56 billion adults by 2025.

Speaking in Lagos on this year’s World Heart Day with the theme: “Changing the face of Cardio Vascular Diseases, CVDs, in Africa”, Executive Director, NHF, Dr Kingsley Akinroye said the adoption of the evidence – based strategies was part of efforts to ensure that Africa attains the UN 25 per cent reduction in NCDs by 2025.

Akinroye said the five areas of focus are blood pressure, dietary salt intake, tobacco smoking, diabetes and alcohol intake. “We intend to target at least 25 per cent relative reduction in the prevalence of raised blood pressure; dietary salt intake is targeted at reducing intake of salt less than five grams per day and for tobacco smoking tends to be reduced to 40 per cent prevalence of current tobacco

smoking”.

“10 per cent reduction in the prevalence of diabetes while for alcohol will be 10 per cent relative reduction in persons aged 15 and above alcohol per capita consumption.”

Akinroye who is also the Vice President of World Health Federation, WHF, lauded the theme of the Day, adding that NHF identifies with the theme because hypertension has been known as the number one heart disease all over the world.

“We intend to change the face of CVD in Africa by focusing on the country- level to adopt strong evidence – based targets to avert millions of deaths by 2025, in Nigeria and Africa.”

“Hypertension is the leading cause of CVDs worldwide, and people with hypertension are more likely to develop complications of diabetes. It is also called ‘silent killer ’ because it often has no warning signs or symptoms.

•Oke Akpa, MD, SKG Pharma, Olumide Akintayo President, PSN and Lere Baale, Chief Executive, BSN, Lagos during SKG Pharma' workshop to mark the 2013 Trade Partners Conference in Lagos

FMOH prepares memo to FEC Continues frompage 44 is extant, we just need to make sure when the FEC approves, it would not be

Real reason red meat is bad for the heart

A

NEW study has shown what doctors and health experts have been saying for years, that too much red meat, such as fatty steaks and lamb chops, lead to an increased risk of heart disease.

It turns out, it’s not so much the cholesterol or saturated fat that’s to blame, according to the study, published in Nature Medicine. It's a compound found in red meat called carnitine that's linked to clogged arteries. The bacteria in our guts convert carnitine into a harmful chemical called TMAO that can

thicken the arteries.

Though recommendations to cut back on red meat may be nothing new, limiting how much red meat you eat can keep your heart healthier. The study also indicated that it’s not just red meat we need to watch out for: Carnitine is a popular dietary supplement commonly found in weight-loss products and energy drinks.

Overall, the findings reinforces advice to switch to a Mediterranean-style diet for better heart health -- nixing processed food and red meat for

Study shows wearing a bra could hinder breast health

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE OMEN who go braless may actually be better off health wise, if results of a 15year study in France are anything to go by. The brand new study shows that brassieres (bras) provide virtually no benefits to breasts and, on the contrary, may actually be harmful to breasts over time.

Researchers spent all this time studying the breasts of over 330 French women, and concluded that wearing a bra does not prevent sagging or ease back pain as commonly thought and even warned that breasts do get saggier with a bra.

W

•The bra: Endangered?

going against what is extant.

It would be done this year. I assure you."

On the flagging off of the hypertension and stroke

Taking measurements with a caliper, the researchers found that by not wearing a bra, muscles around the breast actually strengthened and raised the nipple 7 mm per year toward the shoulder. However, the scientists did not recommend all women abandon their bras since their muscles had probably already degraded.

According to Jean-Denis Rouillon, a professor at the University of Franche-Comté in Besançon, "Medically, physiologically, anatomically, the breast does not benefit from being deprived of gravity."

In the study conducted at the university's hospital, Rouillon and others measured and examined the breasts of more than 300 women, aged 18 and 35, taking note of how the additional support provided by bras affects the body over time. (It should be noted the study does not mention breast size.)

Overall, they found that women who did not use bras benefited in the long term, as they developing more muscle tissue to provide natural support. Rouillon also noticed that in women who went braless, the nipples gained a higher lift, in relation to the shoulders.

When bras are worn, the restrictive material Continues on page 46

an uptick in fish, fruits and vegetables. Based on this study, that's probably the way to go.

Yellow card

campaign by President Jonathan, Chukwu said he (President) as part of measures to tackle the burden of stroke, hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases in the country, Mr. President will personally show Nigerians the need to reduce the risk factors for hypertension and stroke.

"He will take his blood pressure, weight and height as well as other tests. Federal government will begin to subsidise treatment of stroke, as there is provision in this year's budget because tests for stroke alone can be up to N15,000.

“Government also plans to do training for doctors for the higher indicators of stroke beyond taking the blood pressure, or measuring weight and height so that people can be encouraged to go to hospital for screening and be encouraged they do not have risk factor for stroke.

Continues frompage 44 Services Centres while we have 42 point of entries. And we are now formalising getting additional six so that every state has at least one port health centre. And at least, international airport will have one port health centre.”

Stating that each card will cost N1, 000, she explained that the money will be used to replenish funds for operating the cards and will equally contribute to the revolving fund to ensure the card's sustainability.

For those who genuinely took the yellow fever vaccination as the prerequisite to collect the card, Okoeguale said the vaccine is effective for 10 years and that about 500,000 of the new cards are available to replace the old cards for those who are already planning to go for Hajj or pilgrimage, among others.

Although, there is no way touting of the new cards can be reduced to zero, Okoeguale said it will be very minimal.

Hence, she reasoned that touting in the form of taking the new cards for illegal sales will be difficult, but for people who may be desperate to get it and may be willing to go and pay extra, she advised. "We are saying, you do not have to pay extra to get it because already, it is available."

Already, the FMOH has planned a stakeholder's meeting with officials of various Embassies, the Nigerian Immigration Service and relevant agencies to educate the public about the new Yellow Card.

46 — Vanguard, TUESD AY, APRIL 16, 2013 TUESDA

Toxins and Cancer: Exactly what to (2)

T

HE Canadians also continue to drink chlorinated water despite government statements acknowledging the risk of consuming this water. In particular the Canadian studies show an increased risk of colon and bladder cancer.

More studies considered by the Canadian government report problems with reproductive and developmental health as well.

Even more studies suggest that even showering, bathing or swimming in chlorinated water can increase your risk of certain cancers. Some studies show that up to 66 percent of our exposure to chlorine comes from simply inhaling the steam from a warm shower and the skin’s absorption of this chemical, which rapidly enters our pores that are opened up by the warm water.

Julia Oyefunke Fortune

The Cancer

It is further shown that this steam actually contains up to 50 times the level of chemicals as tap water simply because chlorine, like most other contaminants, tend to vaporize faster and at a lower temperature than water does. Inhaling chlorine gas or chloroform, (which chlorinated water becomes when it vaporizes in the shower,) is an extremely harmful means of exposure to this toxic chemical because it goes directly into our blood stream. One Canadian study found that after an hour of swimming in a chlorinated pool, chloroform concentrations in the swimmers’ blood ranged from 100 to 1,093 parts per billion (ppb.)

Chlorinated water for drinking and

Pate, others

juliafortune@hotmail.com

bathing may be such a serious health problem that more and more researchers are studying this. One study stated that an increased cancer risk in industrialized countries could be attributed to the long term exposure to THMs in water. But cancer may be far from all the diseases we risk by consuming (and using) chlorinated water. In a groundbreaking 1960’s book titled, Coronaries/Cholesterol/Chlorine by Dr. Joseph Price, he concluded that the main cause of heart attack and stroke is simply chlorine. In his own study, Price compared two groups of chickens he raised; one that consumed chlorinated water and one that consumed non-

chlorinated water. h e results told the tale: Upon death and autopsy, the group drinking chlorinated water was found to have some level of heart disease. The other group? No incidence of heart or other related diseases.

Although chlorine in the water we drink and use is found in very low levels, researchers fear that this continual, low level exposure to chlorine is behind many of the modern day health issues. Chlorine is an easy and cost eff ective way to purify water. It seems that we will not soon be likely to see this method replaced to clean our water.

Where else is chlorine found? You may be surprised! Find out next Tuesday!.

Bra, breast health

Continues frompage 44 The declaration calls for full funding and implementation of the Polio Eradication and Endgame Strategic Plan 2013-2018, developed by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).

Speaking at the event, Tomori noted: “Nigeria has made great progress in the fight against polio, but the challenges remaining are strong and require a comprehensive solution.

“By setting out a long-term plan that pursues all of the necessary strategies in unison, the plan builds a framework that we can rely on to ensure that all of the world’s children are protected.”

FIGHTER

• Watch the water you drink.

Continues frompage 45 prevents such tissue from growing, which may actually accelerate sagging, the study concluded.

A 28-year-old woman, who participated in the research, found that she breathes easier without the constraints of a bra. Initially, she was a little reluctant to the idea of running without a bra, but got started and after five minutes, had no trouble at all.

Despite the findings, the researchers said it would be dangerous to advise all women to take off their bras based on the study's sample, which may not be representative of the population.

They cautioned women who have worn bras for a long time -- several decades -- from following the recommendation since they would not benefit from taking off their bras now.

Being braless is still largely seen as the exception rather than the rule and most ladies may not be as ready to throw away their bras just yet.

While going braless is fast becoming politically correct and fashionable, the undergarment industry has continued to come up with increasingly structured and expensive designs, raking up to US$11 billion revenue every year according to Business Week.

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

H

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The Red Vibrating Bullet is affordable, reliable and a must have for all women who want the best out of their love lives. Last but not the least is the 8 inch Dong with Balls, a massive and hyper realistic dong for women capable of sticking to the wall or floor. It feels just like a real, erect penis and is very impressive and effective. That’s it for now. Let us answer a few questions from our readers.

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We deliver to you wherever you are in Nigeria. For enquiries email us at custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com - Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013 — 47

Jonathan congratulat es V enezuela’s A g-President congratulates Venezuela’s Ag-President

BY BEN AGANDE, Abuja

P

RESIDENT G o o d l u c k Jonathan has congratulated Venezuela’s acting President, Mr. Nicholas Maduro on his victory in the country’s election held on Sunday to elect a successor to late President Hugo Chavez who passed- on last m o n t h .

A statement by

Jonathan’s Special Adviser on Media, Reuben Abati quoted him as saying that Nigeria and Venezuela have traditionally enjoyed close and cordial bilateral relations and looked forward to working with Mr. Maduro and his administration to further reinforce and expand existing trade, economic and developmental cooperation between both countries for the

benefit of their people. ”President Jonathan also expects that under Mr. Maduro’s leadership, Nigeria and Venezuela will continue to work together in close collaboration to strengthen the AfricaSouth America Cooperation Forum as a platform for the promotion of economic and political cooperation between the two countries and continents” the president added.

U.N. to send peacekeepers to Mali in July

T

HE U.N. Security Council is considering a draft resolution to approve the creation of a 12,600-strong U.N. peacekeeping force in Mali starting July 1, which would be able to request the support of French troops if needed to combat Islamist extremist threats. Experts from the 15 Security Council members are due to meet tomorrow to discuss the resolution, drafted by France and obtained by Reuters, which would authorize peacekeepers and French troops to use “all necessary means” to protect civilians and stabilize key cities, especially in Mali’s desert north.

The Security Council hopes to adopt the resolution, which may be revised during negotiations, by the end of April.

A senior U.N. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the operation would be the fourth largest U.N. peacekeeping force and cost up to $800 million annually.

France, aided by some 2,000 troops from Chad, began a military offensive in January to drive out Islamist fighters, who had hijacked a revolt by Mali’s Tuareg rebels and seized two-thirds of the West African country.

France has started withdrawing its 4,000strong force and plans to have just 1,000 by the end of the year. Chad said on Sunday it would also withdraw from Mali after

helping the French drive Islamists from northern towns, mountains and deserts.

Paris had said Mali’s north was in danger of becoming a springboard for extremist attacks on the region and the West.

“French forces will be ready to provide support (to the peacekeepers),” said a senior Security Council diplomat, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

“You can’t ask the blue helmets (peacekeepers) to engage in counter terrorism.”

Election:Will Grant in Caracas: ‘’It’s a questionable victory from the opposition’s point of view’’

UN raises alarm over child trafficking

BY VICTORIA OJEME, Abuja

T

HE United Nations r e s i d e n t Coordinator, Mr. Daouda Toure, at the

weekend said between 200,000 and 300,000 are trafficked in West and Central Africa for forced labour and sexual slaves every year. Toure who spoke in Abuja also stated

Japan supports ECOWAS Mission in G/Bissau will be discussed among region, the Government

BY VICTORIA OJEME, Abuja

G

OVERNMENT of Japan recently disbursed the amount of 44,800 USD to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to support the ECOWAS Mission in Guinea Bissau (ECOMIB).

In a statement signed by the Attaché (Economic Cooperation/ECOWAS section), Sayaka Ochida, Embassy of Japan to Nigeria said that the grant will be used for the electrification of the Level 2 Hospital in Guinea Bissau, which caters for ECOWAS personnel in ECOMIB Headquarters and for the local people.

At the Fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V) to be held in Japan in June this year, peace and stability is one of the key themes which

the Heads of States, Ministers and high-level officials of African states and partner countries/ organizations.

The Government of Japan also stresses the importance of deepening regional integration for effectively promoting African development.

In the light of instability of Sahel

of Japan recently also contributed to AFISMA (African-led International Support Mission to Mali) United Nations Trust Fund with emergency grant aid of 6 million US dollars, assisting the Mission’s land mine sweeping activities to prevent social instability and to bring safety to Malians.

that, corruption and money laundering have remain a challenge in the sub-region.

According to him, “,the problem of human trafficking has persisted in the sub-region.

According to the United Nations, around 200,000 to 300,000 children are trafficked each year for forced labor and sexual exploitation in West and Central Africa. In addition, a 2001 survey on child labor in West and Central Africa, about 330,000 children were employed in the cocoa agricultural industry in Cameroon, Cote d’ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria. The UN

envoy noted that incidences of corruption and money laundering are sometimes directly related to human trafficking activities in the region.The UN envoy noted further that girls are more frequently the victims of child trafficking than boys.

He said”An alarming reality is that girls are more frequently the victims of child trafficking than boys.

Corruption and money laundering, which are sometimes directly related to human trafficking activities, remain a challenge in the sub-region.

Boko Haram is serious threat to Nigeria

‘

BY VERA SAMUEL ANYAGAFU

T

HE president of Association of Retired Ambassadors of Nigeria (ARAN), Ambassador Omotayo Ogunsulire has emphasized on the need for Nigeria to deal decisively with the Boko Haram insurgency if the country is serious about making positive changes.

Ogunsulire who was

speaking at a luncheon organized by the association in honor of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, in appreciation of the several commendable performances of the Minister, condemned violent attacks by the sect which have continued to damage Nigeria image abroad. Ambassador Omotayo stated that, “ In international relations,

image is almost everything and it is not good news to hear that Nigeria is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, in league as Chad, Hati, Yemen and Cambodia,” adding that “ The issue of corruption and insecurity as exemplified by Boko Haram, kidnapping, armed robbery and other evils, pose serious threat to the country and urgent solution must be found if

Nigeria is to survive and thrive.”

Given Ambassador Ashiru’s impeccable pedigree and track record in the Foreign Service, Ogunsulire, noted that Ambassador Ashiru, has shown that he is capable of restoring Nigeria’s image abroad through some of his laudable commitment in the interest of Nigeria i n t e r n a t i o n a l relationship.

48 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

Lagos govt vs Butcher

Meat distribution causes face-off, co

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

B

UTCHERS in Lagos are testing the government’s ability to bite as they have vowed never to comply with the directive to distribute meat, particularly beef, using the approved Eko Meat Vans.

Their grouse is that the number of such vans are too few and may be too expensive to hire since they are contracted to private operators. The development is posing enormous challenge to the administration’s new law to check the way meat is being transported in the state.

Government is so concerned that it has set up a task-force

animal slaughtered; there is a field manager that is mandated to take meat from the abattoir to their destinations,” the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Agriculture and Cooperatives, Dr. Nureni Funsho was quoted as saying.

According to him; “We have about 200 vans to convey meat across Lagos and about 50 per cent of them are already in operation.

“Also, butchers are not allowed to engage in meat transportation anymore. You cannot be a butcher and at the same time be a transporter of meat.”

He said government was ready to ensure that there would

,

Butchers are not allowed to engage in meat transportation anymore. You cannot be a butcher and at the same time be a transporter of meat

,

that will arrest people who use motorcycles, wheelbarrows and other unhygienic means to transport meat in the state. The provision of the new law disallows anyone to convey meat from the abattoir to any part of Lagos State except in Eko Meat Vans, while the services of the vans had been contracted out.

“Whether you slaughter big or small meat, it must be done in the abattoir in compliance with the law. The operators of the meat vans will not reject any

be no more unhygienic meat transportation in the state, as there is a task-force in place to enforce the law.

This move, however, it was gathered, did not go down well with the state’s butchers associations, especially those on the Island.

The butchers, under the Umbrella of Lagos Island Associations, particularly, had taken the state government to court to contest the use of Eko Meat Vans.

Subsequently, the associa-

• Eko M

Low performance as Lagos delivers 2nd of 57 PHCs

BY MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

• PHCs

G

OVERNOR Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, last week, inaugurated the Rauf Aregbesola Model Primary Health Centre, PHC, in Mosan-Okunola area of Alimosho.

The facility was the second to be delivered out of the 57 proposed model PHCs under the state government’s PHC revitalisation programme. The governor had on March 14,delivered the first one at IgaIdunganran area of Lagos Island .

Inaugurating the facility, Fashola said the delivery of the centre pointed to the state

government‘s commitment to the provision of robust healthcare at the grassroots.

The centre is expected to deliver 24-hour service as part of

the present administration’s determination to make qualitative healthcare affordable and accessible to residents.

The model health centres are

different from the traditional PHCs in that they were designed to offer comprehensive health services to patients and other care seekers free of charge.

“Facilities are being upgraded and new ones built across the state in demonstration of our commitment towards improvement of healthcare delivery in the state,” he said at the inauguration. “Some of the services available at the facility include dental care, maternal and neo-natal care, primary and mental care, care for the elderly, cancer and HIV treatment, among others.

“I promised you shortly before the election that we would

establish 57 flagship PHCs, one in each of the 57 Local Government Area and Local Development Areas of the State.

“The first was recently delivered at Ita-Idunganran, we have just delivered the second one today to fulfill the promise. More are still coming in the other areas of the state.

“The idea of the flagship PHCs is to ensure nobody goes out of their local government to access qualitative healthcare. We want qualitative healthcare closer to the people so that they don’t go all the way to congest tertiary facilities,” he explained.

The aim of the PHC, is to

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013 — 49

rs:

ourt case

tions, directed their members to disregard the state government’s earlier directive, pending the determination of the substantive suit in court.

The association even sponsored a paid advertisement on radio, informing their members to go about their normal businesses without any fear of intimidation or arrest by state government’s agents.

A member of the Butchers Association, who preferred anonymity, vowed; “We are resolute in our stand and we are waiting for government to carry out its threat on the use of Eko Meat Vans.

“How many Eko meat vans do they have for the whole of Lagos that they want us to comply with.

“The government should go and put their house in order first before coming out with this frivolous law. We refuse to be intimidated or harassed.”

Approved standards

Meat Vans

At the Agege abattoir, no fewer than 4,000 cows are slaughtered weekly and sold to butchers from different markets scattered across the metropolis When Vanguard visited some of the abattoirs in the state, Agege and Igando, specifically, it was observed that the level of compliance with government approved standards is very poor.

Although beef was seen being transported in meat vans, some people still carried meat on their heads, shoulders, in unwholesome sacks, nylons and dirty carts while some put them on motorcycles, contrary to the new law.

There were no sanitary inspectors on ground to ensure compliance with government’s directive.

To make the matter worse, the entire environment of the abattoir was filthy, while the butchers disposed of wastes and animal by-products in open spaces, indiscriminately.

According to health experts, there are great health risks associated with poor and unhygienic handling of beef and dirty abattoir environment.

In 2008, the Lagos state government introduced Eko Refrigerated Meat Van and customized tricycles to phase out unwholesome means of transporting beef within Lagos Abattoir in Agege, as well as from other abattoirs to markets and final to consumers.

• Unilag Estate

Life remains unbearable at Unilag Estate, Magodo • Residents appeal to Lagos Govt

BY BASHIR ADEFAKA

R

ESIDENTS of Unilag Estate Magodo, Isheri in Ikeja Local Government Area of Lagos State, have called on the Lagos State Government to help alleviate their sufferings.

Residents have suffered from lack of basic amenities, including pipe-borne water, access roads and power supply.

Vanguard’s visit to the estate, Tuesday, revealed that the self-help by the residents had been stretched to the limit and they have reached a the point that except the government steps in especially as the rains start, they will be cut off from the rest of the metropolis.

Unilag Estate, Magodo, is an area where the crème de la crème of the society live and as a result, quality houses are built there.

The residents have constructed quality drainage across the estate community roads. All they need now is for the government to tar the roads and provide other things that, according to them, tax payers and people who comply with government at the time of elections

Is Lagos ready for 275 days of rainfall?

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

R

ESIDENTS of Lagos State have expressed apprehension over the readiness of the state government to combat the challenge of heavy rainfall with attendant severe flooding this year following 2013 prediction by Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NIMET .

The apprehension was based on previous year ’s rainfall that destroyed lives and property in its wake.

It was gathered that, as predicted last year using the “Seasonal Rainfall Predictions, SRP, the pattern of Lagos cum South West states will

not be significantly different from 2012 because some natural phenomena that controlled last year rain are said to still be in force.”

The Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Tunji Bello, revealed that the state will experience between 249 and 275 days of rain this year, expected to start in February and to last till December 17, 2013, with intermittent stoppages between now and August.

According to him: “The magnitude of Lagos seasonal rainfall prediction for this year is that Lagos will experience heavy rainfall with serious intensity just like last year.

“Lagos is expected to record 1722mm with marginal error of

• Gov Fashola between 21 and 179mm. Heavy thunder storm is predicted to occur during the rainy period of June, July, August, September and October.”

He, therefore, urged residents of the state to clear their drainage and avoid any problem that could resilt their water channels since the state is opening the silted drainage statewide.

should enjoy.

One of the community leaders, Mrs Tolani Olanlokun expressed the frustration of the people in a chat with Vanguard. Olanlokun, who is President of Unilag Estate, Magodo Women Association, took Vanguard through the roads to see the progress of work done through self effort. Her words: “All you see here is self effort. The government asked us to do drainage, we have done drainage. They said they would come in April. As at today, we have not seen any sign that they even remember that we exist much less that they will come.

“We do not feel the presence of Lagos State government here, at all.

We generate our own power. We sink boreholes to be able to drink water. If that can be said to be okay, what of the implication of too many boreholes sunk in the same environment?

Generation of power “We were told that Governor Babatunde Fashola would come here for rural electrification, he did not come,” she said.

An eminent Nigerian living within the Environmental Crescent/Social Science Road axis in the estate, names withheld, said: “This is my first time of coming here even to my own house. But I have always participated, through my wife and children, in the transformation effort of the community. Since I moved in here few weeks ago, I have not seen electricity other than what I have been able to get through the use of my generator.

“If you go out there, you will see the drainage being constructed.

They are done through our self effort and not by government. Please, tell the government that their attention is highly needed here.”

When Vanguard walked through major roads in the area from the main gate through Council Crescent, Social Science Road to Environment Crescent, it became evident that the people had raised their arms only waiting to be lifted.

50— Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

Edo: Pulsating heartbeat!

ISSUES surrounding alleged illegal dissolution of successive electoral panels have until now hindered the conduct of local government elections in the Heartbeat State. It all seems resolved as the first council election in six years holds this weekend.

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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EADS of service in the 18 local government areas of Edo State are the major beneficiaries of the war of intrigues among stakeholders that has prevented the conduct of council election since the advent of the Adams Oshiomhole regime in 2008.

Their era, however, is coming to an end as the first council elections in the state since 2007 hold this weekend.

Governor Oshiomhole came to office to meet legal entanglements arising from the dissolution of the Edo State Independent National Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) by his predecessor, Prof. Oshereinmen Osunbor.

Indeed, local government administration ran smoothly in the state under the administration of Governor Lucky Igbinedion when the EDSIEC was led by the late Justice Gabriel Okungbowa.

Osunbor, who succeeded him, however, dissolved the Okungbowa led EDSIEC and appointed a new board led by Justice Anthony Okunega.

Justice Okungbowa and his members, however, went to court after they described their sack as illegal.

The court case nonetheless, the EDSIEC under Justice Okunega went on to conduct elections in the 18 Local Government Councils on December 15, 2007 with the

•Oshiomhole: Set for first LG election chairmen and Councillors belonging to the PDP dumped their party for Oshiomhole’s ACN. It was not surprising then that the governor allowed them to complete their mandatory three year term that ended in December 2010.

Following that, Governor Oshiomhole set up caretaker committees to run the councils pending the outcome of the suits in court.

To further compound the

responded by saying Power to the People.”

Consequently a new EDSIEC leadership led by Dr Solomon Ogoih was inaugurated on February 2012 and tasked to commence preparations for the conduct

constitution of the Okunega led EDSIEC as illegal.

While these legal bottlenecks continued, caretaker committee members ran the councils until Monday October 29, 2012, when members of the state House of Assembly described Caretaker Committees as illegal and tasked the state government to find solution to the legal issues and conduct elections in the 18 Local Government Councils.

The House resolution was adopted by the state government and tenure of the caretaker committees came to an end in the state.

Vanguard learnt that the state government resorted to an out-of-court settlement with the aggrieved members of the former EDSIEC in order to be able to conduct the forthcoming Local Government elections scheduled for this Saturday.

Shortly after the announcement of the date for the election, Oshiomhole who is conducting his first Local Government election as governor of the state stressed the need to run local governments that would be truly accountable and transparent to the people. He

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As Oshiomhole settled down...majority of the Local Government chairmen and Councillors belonging to the PDP dumped their party for Oshiomhole’s ACN

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP sweeping all 18 council chairmanship positions.

The elected chairmen and councillors were barely one year in office, when the Appeal Court sacked Osunbor and the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN’s Oshiomhole was sworn in.

Remarkably, as Oshiomhole settled down and commenced his political revolution, the majority of Local Government

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problem bedevilling the conduct of LGA elections in the state, Oshiomhole sacked the Justice Okunega led EDSIEC after the governor alleged that they were all card carrying members of the PDP. While justifying the sack the governor said “in one event where the EDSIEC chairman was, they shouted PDP and he could not even pretend about it, he immediately

of Local Government election in the state.

But as expected, the dissolved EDSIEC members headed to court to protest their removal which according to them was illegal. But the state government in its defense, argued that the Okunega led EDSIEC was even illegal since there was a pending suit before the court filed by the then Justice Okungbowa led EDSIEC describing the

further hinted that elected chairmen of councils will have to reside in their domains “so that if you don’t work the people will know where to come and get you”.

As campaigns for the election reach a climax, both the PDP in the state and the ruling ACN have been enmeshed in a war of words, as the two parties accuse each other of alleged plans to rig the election.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013 —51

Kwara:

Uphill task for disunited opposition

THE forthcoming local government election in Kwara State should have seen a more formidable challenge from the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, but internal division gives the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP strong sense of optimism.

BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI

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WARANS go to the polls in the next few months for the next round of council polls with the shadow of a divided opposition hanging upon the electorate.

The r uling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP at the state level had in the most recent election contended with the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC and the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP. However, the ACN inevitably posed the most serious challenge to the party winning one of the 16 chairmanship slots in the last council election conducted three years ago.

One notable issue of contention that would have arisen in the event of a competitive electoral space is the operation of state/local government joint account, a scheme the opposition in the state have consistently alleged to be a channel by the state authorities to defraud

•Ahmed: Faces a disunited opposition

election reportedly showed interest in again vying for the same position in 2015.

That, however, was against the inclination of the ACN’s national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed who is regarded as the state leader of the party.

Mohammed it is claimed, is inclined towards seeking a candidate from another senatorial district different from Belgore’s Central district for the purpose of justice and fair play, a development that has now factionalised the party.

Meanwhile, some ACN stakeholders are vowing that nobody other than Belgore would contest the governorship on the platform of the ACN. The stakeholders led by Dr. Saad Omoiya made their stance at a news conference recently.

In the shadow of that development, some members of the state caretaker committee of the party at an emergency meeting removed their chairman, Mr. Kayode Olawepo.

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How ready the commission would conduct an election to alter the dominance of the PDP at the local government level is an issue that many stakeholders are looking out for

the local governments.

Remarkably, the Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed administration has set the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) preparatory for the forthcoming local government polls.

How ready the commission is to conduct an election to alter the dominance of the PDP at the local government level is an issue that many stakeholders are looking out for.

Remarkably, the only local government area won by the opposition in the last council poll, Offa, was lost by the ACN following a court order for a rerun of the poll.

Even before the court order, the Offa/Erinle boundry communal crisis broke out

forcing the government to wield the big stick by removing the council executives in the two affected local governments, Offa and Oyun.

Secretary to the state government, Alhaji Isiaka Gold while announcing the decision attributed it to lapses on the part of the chairmen who he said failed in nipping the insecurity in the bud.

The opposition, however, alleged that the action was a conspiracy to deny the ACN its only foothold in the council areas in the state.

Though it is believed that the forthcoming council elections would be a straight fight between the PDP and ACN, it is remarkable that the later could be entering the fray as a divided house.

So, instead of building on its past achievement, the ACN is today headed towards a crisis that would inevitably endanger its fortunes in the forthcoming local government elections.

The conflict is over positioning for the 2015 gubernatorial election.

So, whereas the ruling PDP which had in the past been accused of imposing candidates at the council level is now said to be departing from bad behaviour, the opposition it is alleged is not reinventing itself.

The PDP leader, Senator Bukola Saraki gave the indication during a recent meeting with party leaders from various levels in the state including state, local government and ward.

The ACN, however, is pitched in an intractable crisis that has defied solution for more than a year now.

The simmering crisis started when Dele Belgore, the party’s candidate in the 2011

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Their action was invariably linked to Olawepo’s alleged opposition to Belgores 2015 gubernatorial ambition.

He was further accused of collaborating with Lai Mohammed to conscript a gubernatorial candidate from outside the party for the 2015 election.

Olawepo has denied the allegation saying that his purported removal from office was the handiwork of a minority group in the party.

According to him 12 local government chairmen of the party are solidly behind him while four of the members of the caretaker committee are also in support of his leadership in the party.

Besides, sources say that the party’s leaders in Lagos may have become dispirited in their pursuit of capturing Kwara on the fact that it may be a mission impossible given that the house of Saraki which was formerly at war is now united behind Senator Bukola Saraki.

52—Vanguard , TUESDAY TUESDAY,, APRIL 16 , 2013

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Vanguard , TUESDAY TUESDAY,, APRIL 16 , 2013 —53

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54— Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

Two fans shot dead in Brazil T

WO football supporters have been shot dead by rival fans in Brazil, according to media in the South

American country.

The incident happened in Brazil’s north east, near the Arena Castelao World Cup stadium in Fortaleza.

Reports by Globo suggest two men who supported Ceara were shot in the head by two Fortaleza fans in a vehicle.

Stop depending on govt funds — Gaiya tells NFF

T

HE chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Sports, Honourable Godfrey Gaiya has advised the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to put their house in order as well as look beyond the Federal Government’s subventions for funding their programmes.

Speaking on the controversies that have enveloped the Football House after the Super Eagles won the last Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, the legislator fumed at the

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situation where the NFF is crying for lack of funds instead of utilizing the advantage of being African champions to woo sponsors to invest in Nigeria football.

Gaiya also wants the NFF not to be overreliant on government subventions which according to him “ will never be enough to fund all the eight national football teams that the NFF caters for in their fiscal budget.”

He, however believes that all these funding problems and others

would be finally put to an end when the NFF bill is passed into law by the National Assembly.

“I believe that the Nigeria Football Federation has every potential to be making substantial money from private sector. But I keep saying that you don’t get sponsors for a bad product. Before Afcon 2013 Nigeria was neither here nor there.

Some small football nations were even rated higher above Nigeria in FIFA rankings then,” Gaiya told Goal.com.

Okpekpe race excites Gov. Oshiomhole

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM, BeninCity

P

RESIDENT of the A t h l e t i c s Federation of Nigeria, Mr Solomon Ogba has said the Okpekpe road race will reposition track and field in the country.

Ogba made the remarks yesterday during a visit to Governor Oshiomhole to intimate him of preparations for the Okpekpe road race holding May 4.

According to Ogba, “ we have decided to bring track and field race back to the traditional home, Bendel, the Okpekpe road race will reposition track and field in the country and the prize money for the event will be one of the highest in the world.

Ogba who commended the state government for

the transformation of the Okpekpe road, venue of the first road race in Nigeria said Edo will also host the Athletics Golden meet on April 28.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole while commending the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN for bringing the world to Okpekpe in Etsako East Local Government Area for the first road race in the country said the race is consistent with the rural development agenda of the state administration He said: “We are excited by the AFN to organize the first road race in this part of the world. For me we have no apologies as some people say we want to showcase the road to Okpekpe is beautiful.

We actually want to show there is life in rural

Nigeria.

“In Edo State we pay attention to the rural communities. We want to show that in Edo state we do not see the rural people as being inferior to the urban people and as much as we are working in the urban areas, they are doing exactly the same thing in our rural areas. We want to show that our rural roads are even better than a lot of our federal roads called federal highway,” he noted.

According to the governor, for those visiting from other countries it will be an opportunity for them to realise that in Nigeria, we do pay attention to those basic infrastructure which our rural communities need and it will be for them to compare our rural roads with the one in their own country.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013 — 55

Continues from BP At least two people were reported dead with over fifty seriously injured as at press time.

A third explosion was reported at the JFK Library and the Boston police are treating it as related Witnesses reportedly heard two booms that sounded like two claps of thunder near the finish line inside the Fairmount Copley Plaza Hotel.

The explosions occurred just before 3 p.m. Video of the scene showed a number of emergency crews in the area tending to victims and blood on the ground near the finish line.

“I saw two explosions.

The first one was beyond the finish line. I heard a loud bang and I saw smoke rising,” Boston Herald reporter Chris Cassidy, who was run-

Marathon ning in the marathon, told the newspaper. “I kept running and I heard behind me a loud bang.

It looked like it was in a trash can or something...There are people who have been hit with debris, people with bloody foreheads.”

A photographer with Fox affiliate WFXT report-

Cricket coach Continues from BP They practically arrived the country unsung, despite the outstanding feat they achieved in far away Gaborone, Botswana, where they were crowned champions of the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 7 at the weekend.

The Nigerian team made

Obienu Continues from BP assistants would dislodge him and ‘’the moment we play a match or two with poor results they would have grounds to sack Keshi but our World Cup dream would have gone.’’

NFF sacked Sylvanus Okpala and said that the only way Valere Houndonou could continue was if Keshi would pay his salary.

They attributed this to lack of resources.

Emeka Inyama, a board member of the Nigeria Football Federation last week regretted that ‘’Keshi could not come for a technical committee meeting but had time to visit Lagos to collect the cars that Chief Mike Adenuga promised him. Keshi traveled for a short vacation after that. Inyama informed that he would be queried on arrival for traveling without permission. ‘’I read pettiness in the whole thing. Let’s not allow pettiness to ruin the road to Brazil 2014. I think it’s time for the Presidency to intervene otherwise 2014 will elude us. It is wrong to sack Keshi’s assistants without his consent. You allow coaches to pick their assistants. Now you are

ed seeing a number of victims with lost limbs.

Before the explosion, Ethiopian runner Lelisa Desisa won the men’s division at this year ’s Boston Marathon on Monday, finishing the 26.2 miles in 2 hours, 10 minutes and 22 seconds.

It’s the first win at Boston for the 23-year-old.

sacking on the grounds that you don’t have the funds. But at the same time you are appointing three people as Technical Directors, so there’s more to it like Paul Bassey said in his column in Vanguard.

What is happening now is a continuation of the feud during and after the Nations Cup. They wanted to sack Keshi but he went on to win the cup and rubbished them thereafter. It must have been painful to the federation as Nigerians started condemning them. So, the target is Keshi otherwise it is totally wrong to sack his assistants. I think that they want Keshi to fail.

But it is Nigeria that will fail and not Keshi.’’

On NFF’s intention to commune a meeting between Keshi, Osaze Odewengie, Joseph Yobo, Obienu said such was uncalled for. ‘’Nobody tells a coach who to invite for matches. That’s why when a coach fails you hold him responsible.

Osaze made a lot of noise but they won the Nations Cup without him. The Yobo I knew would not have publicly condemned his coach.

Let them support Keshi for the interest of our World Cup campaign and stop fighting their own coach.”

up of 14 players dominated a strong field that included teams from Fiji, Ghana, Germany, Vanuatu and host country, Botswana. Apart from winning the tournament, Oladotun Olatunji emerged player of the series while Joshua Ogunlola emerged bowler of the series.

Coach of the victorious team, Obruthe Ogbimi could not conceal his joy at the sight of top officials of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, led by its President, Kwesi Sagoe and the General Manager, George Wiltshire, numerous journalists and wellwishers who were at the airport to receive them.

“I am overjoyed,” the coach said, adding, “we are happy to be world Division Seven champions and happier that we gained promotion to Division 6.

The task now is to sustain the momentum.”

“It wasn’t that easy and this has thrown new challenges at us,” Joshua Ogunlola, bowler of the series told this reporter, as he swaddled his way through the small crowd.

Skipper of the team, Kunle Adegbola said the occasion was momentous, and he did well relishing it. “It has been my best outing because as captain of the team, this is my first championship medal.

The first time I am leading the team to victory,” he said, while thanking members of the team whom he said, “without them, we could not have achieved anything.”.

Player of the series, Oladotun Olatunji who is based in Canada said he was not bothered by the absence of a large crowd to welcome them back home.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

Keshi: Obienu wants Presidency to intervene

BY ONOCHIE ANIBEZE

O

NE time Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Football Association, Nwabufo Obienu has warned that the bad blood between Stephen Keshi and the Nigeria Football Federation may jeopardize Nigeria’s 2014 World Cup qualification.

WINNER: Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia breasts the tape in 2hrs 10 mins and 22 seconds to win the Boston Marathon just before the explosion below.

He wants the Presidency to intervene ‘’otherwise they should forget about Brazil 2014.’’

Obienu recalled the comments of some Board Members since the Nations Cup in South Africa and concluded that ‘’sacking Keshi’s assistants was one way to get back at him.

Obienu said sacking his Continues on Page 55

We must sustain the momentum — National Cricket coach

BY JACOB AJOM

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HERE were no singing parties, no drummers, no dancers and trumpeters; nor were there garlands or flowers hung around their necks when the

triumphant Nigerian national Cricket team arrived the Murtala M o h a m m e d International Airport, Ikeja yesterday.

Continues on Page 55

2 die in Boston Marathon explosion M U L T I P L E casualties were reported after at least two explosions near the finish

PUZZLE

Continues on Page 55

QUICK CROSSWORD

Sudoku TODAY'S

line of the Boston Marathon, according to the Boston Herald.

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Evidence (5) 5 Courage (6) 8 Avoid (5) 10 Smear (6) 11 Join (4) 14 Holding (6) 15 Mess-tin (7) 18 Permit (3) 19 Seize (3) 21 Skilful (4) 23 Performed (5) 24 Nothing (4) 27 Organ (3) 29 Recede (3) 31 Raised (7) 32 Rang (6) 34 Ceremony (4) 35 Different (6) 38 Apply (5) 39 Recover (6) 40 Prickle (5)

DOWN 2 Odd (3) 3 Peculiarity (6) 4 Mist (3) 5 Singlet (4) 6 Inclined (6) 7 Dislike (6) 9 Protection (7) 12 Fish (3) 13 Dumb (4) 16 Spindle (4) 17 Of birth (5) 20 Deprive (7) 22 Destiny (4) 24 Breeze (6) 25 Breed (4) 26 Force (6) 28 Scarcity (6) 30 Wager (3) 33 Judge (4) 36 Skill (3) 37 Wander (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Assail 5, Slow 8, Smite 9, Tie 10, Slip 11, Rank 12, Tread 13, Clinic 16, Lard 18, Evil 20, Bus 22, Sue 23, Dam 24, Zest 25, Tend 28, Tedium 30, Laugh 32, Coil 33, Aide 34, Boo 35, state 36, Myth 37, Street.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 1, Attach 2, Specious 3, Instil 4, Imprudent 5, Strayed 6, Lead 7, Wake 8, Sit 14, Castigate 15, Dim 17, Rue 19, Variable 20, Bed 21, Stealth 26, Deceit 27, Impost 29, Scum 30, List 31, Hie.

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

P

lace a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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