FUEL STRIKE THREAT: Indicted marketersresort to blackmail — FG

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 61689

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

2012 OLYMPICS: Jonathan orders total overhaul of sports sector •SEE BACK PAGE

Suicide bomber, two gunmen killed in Borno, Yobe Pg.5

FUEL STRIKE THREAT:

Indicted marketers resort to blackmail — FG •Why govt withdrew charges against four subsidy fraud suspects •Says claims of indicted oil firms won't be paid until...

BY OKEY NDIRIBE & SONI DANIEL

A

BUJA—THE Fed eral Government, yesterday, accused petroleum marketers who were indicted by the Aig-Imoukhuede Committee on Subsidy Payments of hoarding fuel to put pressure on the authorities to withdraw the charges against them.

The petroleum marketers had earlier issued a seven-day ultimatum to the government to pay all outstanding claims on petroleum subsidy or they will shut down filling stations nation wide.

The government also clarified that its recent withdrawal of charges

NUC confronts rot in private universities •P.34

A struggle for the soul of Nigeria —P. 17

OCHEREOME NNANNA

Continues on Page 5

Mr & Mrs

—Pg.19

THE HUB —Pg.19

VP SAMBO WITH LEADERS OF OIC—From left: Vice President Mohammed Namadi

Sambo with other world leaders of Organization of Islamic Conference during a summit in Makaah, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

SPECIAL REPORT: 100 yrs of trade unionism in Nigeria ....The Owei Lakemfa book serial on

Pages 38&39

Gunmen abduct ESUT VC, three police —P.13 guards shot

2 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012 — 3

4 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

Vanguard, THURSD AY, A UGUST 16, 2012—5 THURSDA AUGUST

POCKET CARTOON

Fuel strike threat: Indicted marketers resort to blackmail — FG Continues from Page 1 against four of the subsidy fraud suspects did not amount to discharge and acquittal. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, said yesterday that it withdrew the cases based on fresh evidence with a view to consolidating and preferring new charges against the affected firms.

According to EFCC Spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, “the withdrawal of the charges against Pinnacle Oil and Gas Plc and others was deliberate. In the face of fresh evidence, the commission felt the need to firm up the charges, fully convinced that it is better to consolidate the charges ahead of formal arraignment than to start making amendments thereafter,” he explained.

Meantime, accusing petroleum marketers of blackmail yesterday, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in a statement issued by her Senior Special Assistant Mr Paul Nwabuikwu said “it is clear that the strike was

instigated mainly by marketers who were indicted by the AigImoukhuede Committee which investigated fuel subsidy payments. Their obvious intention is to blackmail the Federal Government in order to escape sanctions for the crimes they have committed.”

The minister then urged Nigerians not to be deceived by their antics. Responding to the claim by some marketers that they have embarked on strike because the Federal Government had failed to pay them for fuel imports she stated that: “The true position is that the Federal Government has been meeting its obligations to oil marketers in respect of all legitimate claims.”

According to her: “Between April and May, 2012, Batches D/12 and E/12 involving 14 oil marketers with a claim of N17 billion were fully settled through the issuance of Sovereign Debt Notes and other relevant documentation.”

She further stated that since her directive to continue payments of all verified claims, N25.6 billion worth of claims have been fully settled

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

N

EVER trust negotiation to luck. Enter every session armed with knowledge of the enemy’s strengths and weaknesses; knowing his secrets makes you strong.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Follow your bliss. If you do follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while waiting for you, and the life you ought to be living is the one you are living.

When you can see that, you begin to meet people who are in the field of your bliss, and they open the doors to you. I say, follow your bliss and don’t be afraid, and doors will open where you didn’t know they were going to be — Joseph Campbell

S

TEPHEN Covey, author of the 7 habits of Highly Effective People, left a legacy that will be remembered for generations. He based his research on a character-based approach to personal growth, and I appreciated his distinction between correct principles and personal values.

The focus on character development encourages individuals to reflect on what kind of persons they may want to become, what uplifting character traits to imbibe on the way to achieving a successful life.

Covey left behind a fabulous legacy of contribution, influencing many individuals and businesses to think about creating mission statements, being responsible to all stakeholders, and putting first things first in their lives.

with the issuance of Sovereign Debt Notes.

Said she: “In all, between April and August this year, in respect of 2012 PMS claims, Sovereign Debt Notes amounting to N42.666 billion have been issued to 31 oil marketers.”

The Minister further explained that the claims by marketers who have been recommended for further investigation by the AigImoukhuede Presidential Committee have not

been paid adding that payments or sanctions to this category of marketers will be determined by the outcome of investigations.

According to her: “Such tactics will not succeed because the Federal Government is determined to ensure that persons and organisations which did the wrong things do not get away with wrong actions and wrong behaviour.

“As we have communicated severally in the last few months, payment of marketers

whose claims have been verified will continue to go on in a consistent and structured way which protects the best interests of the country.

“All marketers who have genuine issues to raise regarding their claims are encouraged to come forward for discussions or clarifications.”

Suicide bomber, two gunmen killed, three others injured in Borno, Yobe ....Boko Haram plans attacks during Sallah period — JTF

BY NDAHI MARAMA

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AIDUGURI— THREE suspected terrorists and a civilian were killed, yesterday, while three others were injured in separate encounters with members of the Joint Task Force in Maiduguri. This came as a severe gun duel between security forces and suspected members of the Boko Haram that lasted about two hours rocked Damaturu, Yobe State capital yesterday, paralysing economic activities in the state.

In one of the encounters, a suicide bomber carrying an Improvised Explosive Device, on a tricycle attempted to run into a patrol vehicle of the JTF but missed and in the process rammed into a moving Mercedes Benz car which exploded. The suicide bomber died immediately after the explosion while a soldier was injured.

The incident which took place at about 10am in Customs Area of Maiduguri Metropolis caused pandemonium forcing residents to scamper for safety.

Confirming the incident in a statement the JTF spokesman, Lt Col Sagir Musa said: “At about 10:00hours, a suicide bomber in a tricycle (Keke NAPEP) who targeted one of our patrol vehicles around Customs area failed and hit a moving Mercedes Benz. The bomber died

instantly, one civilian died, while two others and a soldier were injured as a result of the explosion”.

The corpse of the bomber and the three injured persons were taken to University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

The JTF spokesman also said that, two suspected members of Boko Haram who stormed Monday Market, yesterday, with the intention of killing innocent citizens were gunned down by the task force team.

According to him, two AK 47 rifles and 18 rounds of ammunition were recovered after the encounter which happened at about 11:00 am Meanwhile, the task force has alerted residents of the state of plans by Boko Haram to launch attacks during the Sallah period.

Intelligence information available to the JTF Operation RESTORE ORDER in Maiduguri indicated that there is going to be a planned attacks on military personnel and civilians by terrorists during the Sallah period.

A statement signed by the JTF Sagir Musa said following intelligence information gathered by the team, people are advised to report any suspicious persons or movements to the Task Force, noting that security arrangement has already been made to ensure the desired peace and security during and after the period.

Also in Damaturu, a severe gun duel that lasted almost two hours

rocked the Yobe State capital, yesterday, paralysing economic activities. The Police Public Relations officer, Mr. Toyin Gbadegesin, who confirmed the incidence said the gun duel resulted from an attack on security forces by suspected members of the Boko Haram sect.

He revealed that security forces had gone to carry the corpse of a civil defence officer believed to have been killed by the insurgents at Gwange Area of the metropolis and on their way back, they were attacked by other suspected sect

members.

The security forces according to him repelled the attack. He said there were no casualties on the side of the security forces pointing out that security operation were still on going in the area because the attackers were believed to have gone into hiding.

After the attack, normal activities in the state capital came to a standstill as shops among other business activities remained closed.

FOI: SERAP requests information on maternal health care spendings

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

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AGOS—SOCIOECONOMIC Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), a civil society group, has in line with the Freedom of Information Act requested the Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, to provide information on the spending relating to maternal health care delivery system and prevention in the country in the last five years.

In a letter dated August 13, 2012 to the minister signed by SERAP executive director, Mr. Adetokunbo Mumuni, the group asked the minister to furnish it with “information on the spending relating to maternal health care delivery system and prevention and/ or reduction of deaths of

women in pregnancy and childbirth in the country for the past five years within seven days.”

The letter read: “SERAP is seriously concerned about the worsening rate of maternal mortality in Nigeria, which is one of the highest ratios globally. Women in rural areas share a considerable percentage of this ratio. The main cause of maternal mortality suffered by the vulnerable sectors of the population is the lack of access of pregnant women to adequate, affordable and accessible healthcare services.

“This situation constitutes a violation of the human rights such as the right to life and the right to health guaranteed by the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights."

6—Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

Proposed strike: FG, Labour meeting deadlocked

BY VICTOR AHIUMAYOUNG

A

BUJA—THE meeting between the Federal Government and organized labour yesterday over the deployment of armed soldiers to Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, and unresolved labour issues, which labour has threatened nationwide strike, ahead of the planned privatization of PHCN, ended in deadlock.

Though the seven days ultimatum by Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, to government over the crisis ends tomorrow, Vanguard gathered that both parties agreed to reconvene on Wednesday August 22, since Monday and Tuesday had been declared public holidays by the government .

It was gathered that labour delegation led by the leaders of NLC and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, insisted that the withdrawal of armed soldiers was a precondition for any negotiation.

According to Vanguard sources, the government side led by the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief

Emeka Wogu, assured that before the next meeting, the issue would be communicated to the parties for appropriate action.

Vanguard gathered that, though the Minister of Power did not attend the meeting, a director from the ministry and some of the minister ’s aides were in attendance.

However, it was gathered that the Labour Minister promised to ensure that his Power Ministry counterpart attended the August 22 meeting.

However a communiqué issued by the Labour ministry at end of the meeting read “Issues of obstacles to continued discussions on the Power Sector Reform were discussed. The meeting agreed to reconvene on Wednesday, August 22, 2012 to continue the discussions on the issues raised, including the notice to embark on strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC.” “Meanwhile, the payment of full salary for July to PHCN workers was assured while the presence of security personnel in the offices of PHCN will be s u b s e q u e n t l y addressed.”

FEC MEETING—From left: Sports Minister, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji, Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Ita Okon Bassey-Ewa and Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga during the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting in Abuja, yesterday.

N100bn scam: Don't celebrate yet, EFCC tells Odili

BY SONI DANIEL

A

B U J A — INDICATIONS emerged yesterday that the perpetual injunction, obtained by the former Rivers State Governor, Dr. Peter Odili, secured from a Federal High Court against

his prosecution over alleged diversion of over N100 billion during his eight-year tenure, might amount to a pyrrhic victory.

Findings by Vanguard revealed that contrary to report of discontinuation, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is pressing ahead

Ogun PDP asks court to sack Oyinlola as party's national secretary

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

A

BUJA—CHIEFTAINS of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ogun State have approached the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, asking it to sack the erstwhile Governor of Osun State and National Secretary of the party, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola from office.

The litigants who were led to court by the Chairman and Secretary of the Ogun State chapter of the PDP, Chief Adebayo Dayo and Semiu Sodipo, respectively, alleged that Oyinola emerged as the national scribe of the party through a kangaroo process they said was perfected by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former National Vice Chairman, PDP South West, Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo.

They argued that in view of two separate judgments

of a Federal High Court in Lagos that nullified the South West Zonal congress that produced Oyinlola as candidate, his continued stay in office is illegal, null and void since his candidacy was annulled ab-initio, noting that “something cannot be built on nothing.”

Consequently, the plaintiffs through their counsel, Dr. Amaechi Nwaiwu, SAN, formulated three questions for determination by the court which are: “Whether the candidacy of Oyinlola as a nominee of the South West Zonal Chapter of the PDP and his consequent election to the office of National Secretary at the National Convention in March 2012 were not invalid, null and void by reason of the order and judgment of the Federal High Court made respectively on the 27th of April 27, 2012 in suit no

FHC/L/CS/282/2012 and May 2, 2012 in suit no FHC/L/CS/347/2012 nullifying the South West zonal congress of March 2012 from which Oyinlola emerged or ought to have emerged.

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

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

order and judgment of the Federal High Court.”

Besides asking the court to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to delete Onyinola’s name from its records and replace same with another candidate that will emerge from a fresh zonal congress to be ordered by the court, the plaintiffs, further sought “a declaration that the candidacy of Oyinlola as a nominee of the South West Zonal chapter of the PDP and his consequent election to the office of National Secretary in March 2012 were invalid, null and void by reason of the order Federal High Court made on April 27, 2012 in suit no FHC/L/CS/282/2012 nullifying the South West zonal congress of the PDP conducted in March 2012 from which Oyinlola emerged or ought to have emerged.

with the case, with a view to bringing the former governor to book.

A source said yesterday that the EFCC was more determined to get the perpetual injunction against the commission lifted so that Odili and his officials could be made to account for the public funds which they allegedly diverted during their stay in office.

It will be recalled that based on petitions from individuals and groups in Rivers State, the EFCC had carried out investigations into the management of Rivers State resources in the eight years that Odili held sway and released a verdict towards the end of 2006, detailing how the state’s funds amounting to over N100 billion were diverted.

The commission’s finding highlighted cases of largescale fraud, conspiracy, conversion of public funds, foreign exchange malpractice, money laundering, stealing and abuse of oath of office against the former governor and some of his officials.

But in a bid to scuttle the EFCC’s legal action, the former governor approached Justice Ibrahim Buba, then of the Port Harcourt Federal High Court and secured a perpetual injunction restraining the commission or its agents from taking any action against Odili.

Since then, several attempts by the commission

to vacate the order have however lingered from 2008 till date, prompting many to conclude that with ‘orders from above’, the EFCC has been forced to abandon the matter. But the commission said it was not relenting in getting the order quashed for prosecution to begin in earnest.

A source said, “It is not true that EFCC has abandoned the case against Odili or any of the former governors. We are just following the normal court process and we will not shy away from it.

“In fact, that particular case came up in March this year at the Appeal Court in Port Harcourt and we are waiting for the next adjourned date to continue with our presentation.

“It is not that type of a case that can be abandoned so as not to give the impression that corruption is being promoted.

“Do not forget that it was the former governor who rushed to court to stop EFCC from prosecuting him after preliminary findings had proved that he and some of his officials should be tried for diversion of money.”

“So, it is not even correct to suggest that EFCC has abandoned a case it did not initiate. What we did was to appeal against the perpetual injunction restraining us from prosecuting the former governor or even investigating his tenure.

Vanguard , THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012—7

Police reform: C'ttee going beyond its brief — Minister zDIG, 9 AIGs redeployed

BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI & BEN AGANDE BUJA—THE Minister in-charge of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (rtd), yesterday accused the Presidential Committee on the reform of the Nigeria Police Force of going beyond its brief by recommending the scrapping of the ministry.

His accusation came as President Goodluck Jonathan set up a committee chaired by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, to work on the report and produce a white paper.

It will be recalled that the former Deputy InspectorGeneral of Police, Parry Osayande, who chaired the committee had said apart from the illegality of the Ministry of Police Affairs it was also irrelevant and a drain-pipe to funds of the Nigerian Police.

But speaking with newsmen, yesterday, Captain Olubolade denied the allegations, saying that the police are solely responsible for award of contracts while the ministry approved payment.

“One of the critical issues in our country today is about the insecurity in the land and you know Mr. President is very passionate about how we can quickly address this so that the police will be able to police Nigeria effectively and protect lives and property.

“As a result of that, Mr. President set up a committee led by Parry Osayande to reorganise the police. That committee should not be misconstrued or should not be confused with the earlier committee set up by the President to reorganise the ministries and restructure ministries and parastatals.

“What happened yesterday was that this committee headed by Parry Osayande submitted its report to the President.

Incidentally, in the same vein, the retired InspectorsGeneral of Police paid a visit to the President.

“The assignment given is to look at how the police can be reorganised, the aspect of finance can come in any

A GAS POWER GAINS—From left: Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, Senior Special Adviser to the Minister, Ufo Eric-Atuanya and Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Engr. Andrew Yakubu at a briefing to announce gains in the GasPower aspirations, yesterday in Abuja.

Clark blasts critics...says 'at 85, I'm not seeking relevance'

BY HENRY UMORU

A

B U J A — ELDERSTATESMAN and prominent Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark yesterday tongue lashed his critics, saying that at 85, he was not seeking any relevance in the country.

According to him, some of those claiming that he was talking because he wants to bring himself to limelight against the backdrop that President Goodluck Jonathan was in charge were not born before he became a national figure and helping to build the Nigerian nation.

Speaking when he received a group from Delta State under the aegis, Anioma Agenda led by its Chairman, Mr Alex Onwuadiamu at his Asokoro residence in Abuja, the former Federal Commissioner during the First Republic described the statement by Dr. Junaid Mohammed and others as an insult to his person.

Every tribe in Delta can produce governor The elder statesman who noted that the three senatorial districts of Delta are all one and inseparable, stressed that everybody in the state is entitled to be governor come 2015, adding that there was no second class citizen in the state.

According to him, once any person or senatorial district is qualified, such a person or group was free to contest, just as he stressed the need for synergy among

C M Y K

the people of the state to get the support of others in the realization of their aspirations.

"We are all one in Delta State, everybody is entitled to be governor in Delta, there is no second class citizen; once you are qualified, you are free to contest. We need love, we must love one another. If we are fair and we exhibit equity, there will be no reason for Ika South or Ika East because everyone is Ika, it is a political division, there must be no differences. You have the right to fight for your right and if you don’t fight, you don’t exist; some people should not be denied what they are entitled to,” he said.

Equity and fairness Chief Clark who reiterated that some persons were wrong by insisting that if the President fails to come from a particular region of the country, Nigeria will not exist, said, "Let no one present Nigeria as if anyone is adopted. If we are fair in this country, we will not worry where the President of this country comes from, so no one should say that if they are not president, Nigeria will not exist.

"I don’t care whatever anyone says. At 85, I am not looking for money, when I was already relevant, some of these people were not born. I am not seeking relevance because Jonathan is President, it is an insult; I am not seeking

relevance, Jonathan or no Jonathan, I am there and already relevant, I have become very relevant even before he became the Vice President of this country. I am mentally alert, I am strong, not senile.

"If anyone occupies Jonathan’s position, if he is being harassed, intimidated, no matter where the person comes from, I will stand and speak in the person’s favour. I am not a child in this country seeking relevance; I was a senator, a minister, a commissioner, chairman of various boards, an activist, I was a member of Zikist movement both in Nigeria and London; I have played prominent

roles in this country. So at 85, I can’t be seeking relevance.”

Clark dismissed as false the allegations that when former President Shehu Shagari was the president, the language at the government house was Hausa, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Yoruba; late Umaru Yar’Adua, Hausa and now Jonathan language is Ijaw. He said those making the allegations were economical with the truth, even as he challenged them to come up with names of how many Ijaws are presently working with President Jonathan.

"How many Ijaws are in Jonathan’s government? I challenge anyone to bring the list,” he added.

ACN urges Jonathan to sack Okupe

A

CTION Congress of Nigeria, ACN, yesterday, insisted that Dr Doyin Okupe, President Goodluck Jonathan’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, is not fit to hold the position given his alleged past corruption and criminal conversion of state funds and warns the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, against any cover up.

In a statement in Ibadan by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party described as false and misleading a statement credited to the spokesman of the EFCC, Mr Wilson Uwujaaren, that he is not aware that Okupe is under

investigation, as it is on record that Okupe was in the custody of the EFCC in Lagos for almost one month between July and August 2006, on account of a contract he obtained from Imo State but which he failed to execute after collecting mobilisation fee.

The party warned the EFCC and other relevant agencies, especially the Presidency not to attempt to falsify and obliterate records to give Okupe a clean bill of health in relation to these allegations as Okupe’s fraudulent activities were not limited to Benue and Imo states alone and were too well documented for any attempt at a cover up.

other form but the assignment is to look at how the police can become more professional.

Meanwhile, following the recent promotion and decoration of one Deputy Inspector General of Police and nine Assistant Inspectors General of Police by the Police High Command, Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar has effected a shake up in the police hierarchy.

Consequently, Mr. Philemon Leha, the former AIG Zone 1, Kano is now the Deputy Inspector General of Police in-charge of ‘Operations’ at Force HQ, AIG. Christopher Dega is now Commandant, Police Academy, Kano, AIG Muktari Ibrahim is AIG incharge Zone 6, Calabar, AIG Aliyu Musa is now AIG in-charge Border Patrol, AIG Bala Hassan is the Commandant, Police Staff College, Jos. Also, the Police Service Commission yesterday approved the promotion of Mr. Johnson Ayotunde Ogunsakin as a substantive Commissioner of Police.

The senior officer, who is the CP in-charge of Special Fraud Unit, had been on acting capacity until yesterday’s confirmation which takes effect from August 1, 2012.

Other AIG’s affected in the redeployment are AIG Mohammed J. Abubakar formerly CP Kaduna Command, now AIG Zone 10, Sokoto, AIG, Tambari Y. Muhammmed, formerly the CP Oyo State Command, now AIG in charge Zone 3, Yola, and AIG Ibrahim Abdu, formerly CP Gombe State Command, now AIG in charge Zone, 12 Bauchi with responsibility for Borno, Yobe and Bauchi states.

According to a statement signed by Deputy Force Public Relations officer, CSP Frank Mba, the redeployments are in continuation of the present Police Management Team efforts aimed at restructuring and repositioning the Nigeria Police Force for greater efficiency and effective service delivery.

8— Vanguard , THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

COMMENDATION SERVICE FOR MADAM OSINUBI Top echelons of the society attended the commendation Service for the late Chief (Mrs) Victoria Olawunmi Osinubi, mother of Mr. Ademola Osinubi, Punch MD, at the Methodist Church Nigeria, Diocese of Ikorodu, Somolu Circuit, Lagos ,yesterday. Pix: Biodun Ogunleye.

From left, Mr .

Gbenga Adefaye, Editor-in-Chief, Vanguard Newspapers; Mr. Victor Ifijeh,MD, The Nation and Mr. Joseph Adeyeye, Editor, Punch.

From left, Mrs. Oluyemisi Jaiyeola, Dr. Abiodun Osinubi, Mr. Segun Osinubi, Dr Titi Benedict, Mr. Demola Osinubi and Mrs Anu Odumosu.

From left, Pastor Jacob Odusanya, Mr Joe Bankole, Deputy Editorin-Chief, NAN, Abuja and Mrs Remi Oyo, MD, NAN. From left, Mr. Gbenga Ogunleye, Mrs Olabisi Obagaye, Mrs Omolara Ogunleye and Ms Olubunmi Aboderin.

BY YEMIE ADEOYE

A

BUJA—TO ensure steady supply of electricity nationwide, four months after the declaration of a Gas Supply Emergency Plan, the Federal Government, yesterday, set a 12-month timeline to address seeming misalignment in the nation’s gas-to-power aspirations.

This comes as the nation’s power generation capacity has reached an all-time high of 4.2GW. Addressing newsmen in Abuja, Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani AlisonMadueke, noted that the underpinning improvement in gas supply, which precipitated the noticeable increase in volume of power generations, were aggressive infrastructure expansion and gas supply development initiatives.

She said: “Since the roll out of the plan, we have achieved major milestones in the expansion of the Escravos-Pipeline System - the major gas supply artery to the power plants. ''This is part of the most extensive expansion ever undertaken on this pipeline network since it was built 30 years ago.”

She listed the items comC M Y K

FG boosts gas supply to power plants nationwide zEgbin, Sapele, Delta IV, Olorunsogo power plants affected zPower generation reaches all-time peak of 4.2 GW pleted in the critical pipeline segments to include the 27km X 24 inch permanent gas supply pipeline from Itoki to Olorunsogo via Ewekoro, all in Ogun State, the 56 km X 24 inch EscravosWarri gas pipeline - doubling the pipeline capacity and enhancing gas evacuation from Escravos as well as the 130km X 36 inch Oben to Geregu pipeline.

“The net impact of all these is the addition of 120million cubic feet of gas per day (mmcf/d) to the grid and the permanent elimination of the challenges of low gas pressure that has plagued the Olorunsogo PHCN and NIPP power plants. ''We are also now wellpositioned to supply gas to the existing Geregu Power plant and all anticipated future expansions in that axis.”

The minister explained that in addition to the pipeline projects, major works on the Utorogu and Ughelli gas plants have reached completion.

Earlier, in the year both plants recorded an alltime low combined output

of 300mmcf/d as a result of some maintenance challenges. With the repairs, the combined capacity is now 360mmcf/d which is a net addition of 60mmcf/d.

“Specifically, with these interventions, we are now able to supply gas to the full requirements of Egbin, Sapele PHCN, Delta IV, Olorunsogo both PHCN and NIPP plants and Omotoso PHCN power plants. ''In addition, we are able to meet the requirements of two out of three turbines in Geregu and one out of two turbines in Sapele NIPP.” Mrs. Alison-Madueke stated that despite the obvious marked improvement in power generation, as a result of the Gas Supply Emergency plan, work continued on the implementation of the plan with further targeted additions.

Some of the projected additions include: a further 65mmcf/d within the next three to four weeks to come from ongoing work at Oredo field which will effectively bridge outstanding gap in supply -

enabling supply to all power plants on the Western axis. It is also envisaged that the gross short term additions by September will be 245mmcf/ d as opposed to the promised 180mmcf/d in the short term.

“In essence, between now and December, Nigerians can expect continued growth over the current all-time peak recorded by the Power Ministry. Going forward, this trend will continue as we finally address the under-

pinning challenges of the supply system. I am convinced that we have effectively come out of the deep with the Nigerian power situation and would expect a steady upward climb from here.”

IG orders investigation into invasion of agents office

BY GODFREY BIVBERE

L

AGOS—INSPEC TOR- General of Police Mohammed Abubakar has ordered a full-scale investigation into the alleged invasion of the head office of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF, by people in army uniforms allegedly on the orders of a Senior Customs officer.

Vanguard gathered that the decision was made known to Customs officers and the founder of NAGAFF, Dr. Boniface Aniegbonam, by the Lagos State Police Commissioner, Mr. Umaru Mako, when they were invited to

the office of the police boss on Monday.

Some members of the Association had petitioned the Comptroller of Customs, about the highhandedness of the Customs officer which infuriated her leading to the alleged the assault on the NAGAFF office in search

of Aniegbonam said to be the target of the attack.

There is conflicting report as to whether the management Tin-can Island Command was aware of the said attack which resulted in the destruction of some property in the office of the NAGAFF founder.

Church partners LAWMA

BY TONY NWANKWO & OLAYINKA LATONA

L

AGOS—THE Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints will on Saturday, join its counterparts across Africa to embark on the sixth edition of its All Africa Service Project tagged “Mormon Helping Hands.”

In a statement, the

Church said the occasion would be used by members to provide voluntary service to the communities where they reside. No fewer than 1,000 members are expected to participate in the project in Lagos Abuja, Kaduna, Jos, Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Owerri, Aba, among others.

Vanguard , THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012—9

Train crushes danfo bus in Lagos

Briefly

C & S Church tasks Fashola

zPregnant woman, 3 others injured

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AGOS—GOVER NOR Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has been advised not to allow himself to be distracted by forces of retrogression but rather remain focused in his effort to make the state a megacity.

Lagos State chapter of the Cherubim and Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria which gave the advise also commended the governor for what it described as his legendary achievement since the second quarter of his tenure.

A statement by Senior Supt. Apostle Segun Amodu and Most Senior Apostle Nathaniel Lawal, Chairman and Secretary of the church respectively, called on the governor to ensure that the lofty programmes for the state were completed before the end of his tenure in 2015.

BY CHUKWUEMEKA RUTH

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From left: Mr Inusa Bello, Chief Sales Officer, Airtel Nigeria; Chief Patrick Yalaju and HRM, Olu Ogiame Atuwase II, the Olu of Warri, during a visit to the monarch in Warri, yesterday.

Security officials arrest 4 robbery suspects

Man, 38, rapes girl, 5

BY ONOZURE DANIA

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AGOS—A 38-year-old man, Oluwadamilare Joseph, was, yesterday, docked before an Ikeja Magistrate's Court, for allegedly having canal knowledge of the fiveyear-old girl.

Joseph, who is unemployed, was said to have sexually-assaulted fiveyear-old Mary Oluwole.

Passage

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AGOS—MRS. Roseline Iranmiola Ogunduyile, nee Shebolatan, aged 70, who died on July 1, will be buried tomorrow at Atan Cemetery, Yaba, Lagos, by 11 a.m.

A service of songs will hold today, at 16 Agas Road, Alakuko Bus-stop, while thanksgiving service will hold on August 19, at Christ Anointed Deliverance Ministry Orija Street off Gbeleyi, Alakuko, Lagos.

She is survived by children and grandchildren including Mrs. Funke Kumolu-Johnson.

Late Mrs. R. Ogunduyile C M Y K

KEJA—AN accident involving a train and a danfo bus occurred, yesterday, at the Ajayi Farm railway crossing in Ikeja, Lagos, injuring four persons, among them, a pregnant woman.

Unconfirmed report said one person died during the stampede.

The incident happened barely two days after a similar one also involving a commercial bus occurred at the same spot, where several persons reportedly sustained injuries.

An eye-witnesses account said yesterday’s incident occurred about 7a.m. with the train colliding with the vehicle with number-plate XF 899 FGG which was driving towards Ikeja.

The impact of the colli-

sion flung the vehicle with its four passengers a pregnant woman and three men - to the front of The Christian Dominion Ministry building at 26 Adegbola Street, Anifowoshe.

The pregnant woman, according to eye-witnesses, was bleeding as at the time she was taken to the hospital alongside other passengers,where doctors were said to be battling to save their lives.

When Vanguard arrived the scene, the affected vehicle which had its windscreen shattered, was dripped with blood stains inside. It was glaring that the train hit the vehicle from the driver’s side.

The incident caused a stampede as everyone fled for dear life. But the train did not stop. Officials of the Railway Service were sighted at the scene.

BRIEFING: From left: Mr. Edward Ajayi, National Publicity Secretary, Odua Peoples Congress, OPC; Dr. Frederick Fasehun, Founder/President, OPC and Mrs. Fatimah Osikoya, National Women's Leader, OPC, at a briefing by OPC in Lagos, Tuesday. Photo: Sylva Eleanya.

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

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AGOS—OFFICERS of Neighbourhood Watch, a grassroot security outfit under the Lagos State

Dana coroner: Plane examined for 12 mins before flight — Witness z LASUTH to trace ‘missing’ corpse

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE, ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH, CHIOMA OBINNA, ONOZURE DANIA & MICHAEL OLADEPO

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AGOS—A mainte nance officer with Dana Airline, Lawrence Edekome, yesterday, told a Lagos coroner that he carried out a 12 minutescheck on the illfated Dana aircraft before it took off from Abuja to Lagos on the aborted trip.

Edekome, who came to shed light on the maintenance schedule of the crashed aircraft before Coroner Oyetade Komolafe, especially on its trip from Abuja to Lagos, said it underwent a check before its final departure to Lagos, where the engines were certified okay to embark on the journey.

He said he left Lagos to Abuja with the ill-fated

plane, from where he carried out a last check to give a clearance for the Lagos journey.

Though, he said he didn’t join the return trip after the check because he was expected to return to Lagos in the afternoon of the following day from where he went to relieve another technical crew.

Speaking on his routine check on the craft before it took off and how they record whatever they observe as error, he said, “ whatever is seen in the aircraft is what is recorded in the technical log book.”

On the time he took to carry out the check, Edekome told the Coroner Judge, “I arrived Abuja around 2pm and I went straight to my office to drop my luggage and came back 25 minutes later to inspect the aircraft for 12 minutes.”

The witness when taken up by lawyers said he did

not qualify as an engineer but was a technician but he undertook necessary training to handle aircraft maintenance and is recognised across the world.

Meantime, management of Lekan Ogunsola Memorial Mortuary of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, TOS Funerals,

has assured the family of the late Mr George Moses, retired Assistant Comptroller of Fire Service, who was involved in the Dana plane crash of June 3, that his alleged missing body will be found and released to them today if the necessary documents for collection were provided.

Ministry of Rural Development, yesterday, arrested four suspected robbers.

The names of the robbery suspects, who specialised in using vehicle jacks as hand guns to rob their unsuspecting victims were given as Jude Ogor, Charles Nwozuzu, Ifeanyi Onwukwe and Akonye Chidozie.

They were handed over to the Rapid Response Squad, RRS Headquarters in Alausa, Ikeja, along with a Volkwagen Golf saloon car, with number-plate, BK 121 FKJ, suspected to have been stolen.

Thesuspectedrobbers,according to Mr. Oguns Musbau, who led his team in the operation, often terrorise residents of Ijanikin and Oto-Awori.

He stated that the suspects were arrested at 2 am at a mechanic workshop in Ajangbadi when they were in operation.

No cassava in Gala yet —UACN

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AGOS—UAC of Ni geria Plc, makers of Gala, has reiterated its compliance with government policy on cassava flour for bread-based products, adding that the snack is currently packaged on “an ingredient list which does not contain cassava.”

In a statement in Lagos, yesterday, Public Relations Manager of UACN, Mr. Mike Asuquo, said “UAC of Nigeria Plc as a respon-

sible corporate citizen is committed to supporting Federal Government’s agriculture policy and programme on cassava.

Asuquo said: “UAC of Nigeria Plc as a responsible corporate citizen is committed to supporting Federal Government’s agriculture policy and programme on cassava. It is probably in anticipation of this, that government envisages inclusion of cassava in some of our wheat flour-based

products like Gala Sausage Roll. We are encouraging and working with our flour suppliers/millers to actively explore the necessary research and product development to ensure commercial success of such a scheme. Our research, product development, formulation trials and tests efforts for now is a work in progress, and when successful, our consumers will deservedly, know of such a breakthrough.''

10—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

ACN's call for Okupe's sack hypocritical

Briefly INSPECTION: From left, Chairman, Ekiti State Teaching Service Commission, Chief Bayo Adeniran; Governor Kayode Fayemi (In yellow Tshirt); and Special Adviser, Bureau of Special Projects, Mr. Bayo Kelekun (right), during an inspection of reconstruction and overlay of Ado-Ikere Road dualisation, yesterday.

— PDP

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BADAN—THE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the South-West has described call by the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, for the sack of Dr. Doyin Okupe, Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan, as irresponsible and hypocritical, saying; “as we have maintained before, a party like ACN does not have the required moral standing to talk on corruption or any crime in Nigeria.”

In a statement in Ibadan, yesterday, PDP Zonal Publicity Secretary, Kayode Babade, said: “ACN must first fumigate its own house to get rid of grossly corrupt and criminal-minded elements in its fold before seeking to clean other peoples’ house.”

PDP maintained that it was laughable that ACN that kept silent over the trial of the Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, who was accused of stealing over N7 billion belonging to the House and is standing trial before a Federal High Court in Lagos for stealing and laundering N500 million, can be asking Mr President to sack Dr. Okupe over an unsubstantiated allegation of fraud.

2015: PDP yet to decide on Jonathan's fate — Babatope

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA—INDI CATION has emerged that the fate of President Goodluck Jonathan on his second term bid is hanging in the balance, as the Peoples' Democratic Party, PDP, is yet to decide on who will fly the flag in 2015.

A member of the Board of Trustees, BoT, of the party, Chief Ebenezer

Babatope, yesterday, in Abeokuta, hinted that it is not yet Uhuru for Jonathan to be re-elected as president of the country on the party's platform.

Babatope, who was fielding questions from newsmen on issues affecting the party, said the apex cadre in the party has not started discussing whether Jonathan would be given the ticket again or not.

Akeredolu indicts INEC in alleged Ondo voter-registration fraud

BY DAPO AKINRE-

FON

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KURE—THE Akeredolu Campaign Organisation, ACO, yesterday, accused the national leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of colluding with the Ondo State ruling Labour Party, LP, to conduct illegal registration of voters in the state.

A statement by ACO’s Director of Media, Publicity and Strategy, Mr Idowu Ajanaku, said: “Indeed, INEC in Ondo State through the Head of Public Affairs, Mrs. Celina Beckley, had in a statement alerted about the illegal house-to-house compilation of voters’ card by a political party. The electoral body said such exercise is unconstitutional.

But failed to name the party.

“This is coming on the heels of accusation by the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, that the Mimiko government has been involved in this act under the pretence of

biometric registration of civil servants in the state.

“But, it has come to the notice of the Akeredolu Campaign Organisation, ACO, that this exercise is being carried out in conjunction with some top officials of INEC in Abuja, who have been doing everything possible to alter the voter registration in the state to pave way for LP to rig the forthcoming election.

“Let it be known that all the political parties, including ACN, have the official registration of voters in Ondo State as given out earlier by INEC, anything outside this official one will not be accepted by ACN for the election in Ondo State as INEC has not embarked on any registration since the last election in April 2011.

“We believe that this plot that collapsed like a pack of cards in the Edo State election is what INEC, is trying to import to Ondo State for the governorship election. It is against this background that ACO is calling on Professor Attahiru Jega to investigate

this plot and name the party involved so that security agents can prosecute them.”

He said: ''I am a member of the Board of Trustee of PDP, we have not started discussing on what will happen in 2015.

“The future is not in our hands, the future is in the hands of God. For those who are saying it are politicians. When we come out, Nigeria is going to respect our position.”

Babatope, who hails from the same town with Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, however, explained the reason why PDP would continue to criticise Aregbesola and his party, Action Congress of Nigeria, AC N, on their programmes.

He vowed that PDP would not relent on taking ACN and its governor

up until it reclaims the state from the party.

He said: ”PDP will not leave him alone, because the same thing was done to us by ACN. Why must we leave him alone? We must continue to fight and fight, that is what PDP is doing in Osun State. In 2014, we will take over the state from ACN.” On the insecurity in the country, the PDP chieftain urged the Federal Government to tackle unemployment among the youths in the country.

He said: “We must address the unemployment of our youths. We should not allow our vibrant youths who are educated to remain unemployed.”

Intrigues as Ijesa chief's trial resumes

BY GBENGA OLARI-

NOYE

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SOGBO—THERE was a mild drama at the Ilesa Chief Magistrate's Court, yesterday, at the on-going trial of Chief Matthew Ogedengbe (62), the second-in-command to Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, when one Emmanuel Fadeyi, who had earlier sought for the order of the court to withdraw the suit he instituted against the chief, changed his mind to continue with the case.

Chief Ogedengbe is facing a three-count charge of stealing, breach of peace and unlawful destruction of property before the Chief Magistrate's Court. Fadeyi had reported Ogedengbe to the police for allegedly trespassing on his

property in the Stadium area, Oke-Ibukun, Ilesa.

When the case came up, yesterday, for mentioning, Fadeyi through his counsel, Olusayo Ajewole, told the court that his client was no longer interested in withdrawing the case against Ogedengbe.

No reason was, however, given for the withdrawal letter which had already been placed before Chief Magistrate M. A. Lasisi.

The police prosecutor, Corporal Jimoh Mufutau, told the court that the complainant brought a letter of withdrawal of the case and later told him on phone that he was no longer interest in withdrawing the case against the accused person.

It was at this point that the counsel to the complainant, Ajewole, objected to the claim, saying that his client was no

longer withdrawing the case against the accused person.

Oyo hunts 7,000 ghost workers

BY OLA AJAYI

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BADAN—OYO State Government has continued a search for 7,000 ghost workers allegedly on its payroll.

The government declared yesterday that the it harboured no fewer than 7,000 ghost workers.

The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Bosun Oladele, who said this at a roundtable talk organised by the League of Veteran Journalists in Ibadan; “Tentacles would be spread to the 33 local governments to get the ghost workers.”

Lijoka hails Obasanjo

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ARRI—A CHIEF TAIN of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo State, Chief Fredrick Lijoka, has called on the people of southern Nigeria to always support the political strides of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, saying that if not for his political prowess the SouthSouth could not have dreamt of becoming the president of this country.

Lijoka, who said this in a chat with newsmen at Osubi Airport, Warri, while on a trip to Abuja, noted that no past president can be equated with Obasanjo in terms of developmental strides, adding that he was able to break the power of the North in favour of the South.''

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012—11

Alamieyeseigha drums support for state police

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

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VISIT: From left: Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan; Group Executive Director, Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, Mr. Anthony Ogbuigwe and Mr. Samuel Babatunde, when the management of the company paid the governor a courtesy visit at Government House, Asaba, yesterday.

E N A G O A — FORMER Bayelsa State governor, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, has said there was nothing wrong with the demand by some Nigerians for the creation of state police.

Alamieyeseigha, who threw his weight behind the call for state police, in a telephone chat, said the demand was timely and proper, especially in a supposedly federal country like Nigeria.

He said: “There is noth-

Ugborodo graduates to Chevron: You’ve failed in local content policy

MOSOP: Diigbo blasts Daudu over W comment on Ogoni political autonomy

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME & EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

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ORT HAR C O U RT — FAC TIONAL president of Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, MOSOP, Dr. Goodluck Diigbo, yesterday, said outgoing president of Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mr. Joseph Daudu, SAN, was apparently frustrated by the fact that several years after the judicial murder of Ken Saro-Wiwa, the struggle which he symbolised was still alive.

He said he would have been surprised if Daudu had not spoken against the political autonomy declared by the Ogoni because he (Daudu) was the legal aid of General Sani Abacha, who ordered the execution of Saro-Wiwa and other

Ogoni men.

Noting that the people of Ogoni were happier with their self government, Diigbo said the likes of Daudu cannot castrate the struggle of the Ogoni nation for attention from the Nigerian government.

He said: “I understand how frustrated the NBA President may be since the murder of Saro-Wiwa couldn’t stop the cause

for which he died. Daudu is prejudiced as the former counsel to Abacha, who ordered the judicial murder of SaroWiwa, founder of MOSOP that actualised the Ogoni self-government.

“I consider Daudu as unfit to give advisory opinion on any legal question relating to the political autonomy of the Ogoni people. The

Navy hospital'll stop capital flight for medical treatment — FOC

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

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ALABAR—THE Nigerian Navy has assured that the era of Nigerians travelling abroad for medical treatments will soon be a thing of the past, as all

equipment ordered for its ultra modern hospital in Calabar, Cross River State, would be installed before the end of this year.

Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Olufemi Ogunjimi, gave

Bayelsa/Delta coastal communities give NDDC 14-day ultimatum NDDC was established ...allege marginalisation

BY FESTUS AHON

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GHELLI—COA LITION of Coastal/ Swampy Oil Producing Communities of Bayelsa and Delta states has issued a 14-day ultimatum to Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to address the alleged marginalisation of their communities.

The group, in a statement by its leader, Chief Lambert Odudu and others, vowed to stop opera-

Abacha regime, for which he worked had also murdered 3,000 innocent Ogoni children, men and women, before it ordered the hanging of the Ogoni Nine.

“The incoming NBA President should align with citizens, who adhere to nonviolent discipline, instead of conspiring with rulers, who rely on the use of force of arms to govern.”

tions of oil companies in their areas if their demands were not meant within 14 days.

They claimed that they had not benefited from NDDC despite the fact that the total crude oil production capacity of the communities is 668,000 barrels per day, which is about one-third of the total of the crude oil produced in Nigeria every day.

The people alleged that the purpose for which

had been defeated, alleging that the current board has no clear cut policy for the development of the area.

They called on President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Assembly to prevail on NDDC to cause their communities to be surveyed in conjunction with the accredited representatives of their group to ascertain, measures which were necessary to promote its physical and socio-economic development pursuant to NDDC Act.

the assurance when chiefs of Abasi Obori Traditional Council, the host community where the hospital is sited, led by its chairman, Chief Effanga Edet, visited him in Calabar.

Admiral Ogunjimi said the hospital which will have state-of-art facilities and medical experts from all over the world, was modelled after a teaching hospital in terms of service delivery.

He said: “The hospital will be run like a teaching hospital. It will have medical professionals from all over the world.

We are going to provide whatever services there are in any modern hospital in the world.

“Our objective is that instead of people flying abroad for any form of medical situation, they can come to our hospital and receive even better treatments because of the equipment and personnel we have."

ing wrong with the agitation for the creation of state police in the country. The demand is timely and proper but the modalities for operational efficiency should be worked out to minimise conflict.”

He faulted claims that state police would lead to the dismemberment of the country, noting that instead, it will improve security in the country.

“The demand for state police is a very simple matter. It is right and this is the time. But modalities must be worked out," he said.

ARRI—UG BORODO Graduates Association, UGA, in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, has accused Chevron Nigeria Limited of failing to implement Federal Government’s Local Content Act, alleging that employment opportunities given to Osun State alone superseded the entire employments given to people of Niger Delta.

The group in a statement wondered why Chevron was yet to relocate its corporate headquarters to Ugborodo, just like its counterparts had done in Akwa Ibom and Rivers States.

The statement by Erefoluwa Maurice and Olowu Peter, President and Secretary, respectively, accused Chevron of denying employment to hundreds of Itsekiri, who passed the Ogere training and the balance POT result “because their Yoruba kinsmen failed it in multitudes.

“Through systematic exclusion and deliberate

neglect of development responsibilities in Itsekiri communities, Chevron is using a policy of divide and rule to manipulate the election or selection of preferred candidates as community leaders, with a view to further denying its host communities basic infrastructural development.”

They accused Chevron of ceding major contracts and projects to non-indigenes against the Local Content Act.

St Enda's Old Students meet

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AGOS branch of St. Enda’s College (Agbarho Grammar School), Agbarho, Delta State, holds its monthly general meeting on Saturday at 12A, Abuja Close, Agbara Estate, Agbara, Ogun State at 3.00 p.m.

A statement by its secretary, Mr. Sunday Orode, urges members to be punctual as critical issues have been lined up for discussion.

12—Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

Explosions rock Tai community in Ogoni

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

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ORT HAR C O U R T — THREE explosive devices reportedly went off, yesterday, at a Banana farmland in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State. The multiple explosions, which caused panic in the area did not record any casualty.

A community source, who spoke to Vanguard on the incident, said the explosions occurred at the Ueke-Tai axis of the 2000-hecter banana plantation.

President of Ueke-Tai Community Youths, Nnaa Rekpana, enjoined the state government to increase security patrol around the farm, adding that members of the community were happy with the project. He said it was very likely some miscreants from another area were behind the multiple explosions.

He said: “We have no reason not to be happy with the project because the state government has sorted out the issue of compensation. The farm is meant to cater for, not just Tai or Ogoni youths,

but the whole of Nigeria, so we are happy with the project.

“All we are asking for is for the state government to mount security watch around here to ensure the security of the lives of both the natives and expatriate workers in the farm.”

Oyerinde: Oshiomhole wants FG to probe Police, SSS contradictions

BY VICTOR AHIUMAYOUNG

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OVERNOR Ad ams Oshiomhole of Edo State yesterday called on President Goodluck Jonathan to set up a highpowered panel of inquiry to look into the contradictions between two federal security agencies, the Nigeria Police Force and the State Security Service, SSS, over the killing of Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde, his Principal Private Secretary.

Comrade Oyerinde was killed by gunmen in his residence in Benin City, on May 4, this year.

In a statement, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Peter Okhiria, lamented the contradictory statements and said:

Ripples over Ibori’s $15m: DPP carpets Delta govt ...files separate application in court

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

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SABA—LEADER SHIP of Democratic Peoples Party, DPP in Delta State, yesterday, described the excuse offered by Delta State Government for not demanding for the $15 million allegedly recovered from the former governor, Chief James Ibori, earlier than now, as a lame excuse and untenable.

Similarly, Forum for Justice and Human Rights Defence, FJHRD, led by Mr. Oghenejabor Ikimi, described the excuse as “cosmetic and an after thought.”

Delta State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Charles Ajuyah, SAN, had, while briefing newsmen shortly after the Executive Council meeting on Tuesday in Asaba, explained the reason for the delay this

A security source also confirmed the development. Effort to speak with the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Ben Ugwuegbulam, was futile. The Banana farm is a joint venture project between the state government and a Mexican firm.

way.

But speaking to our reporter in Asaba, state Chairman of DPP, Chief Tony Ezeagwu, said: “The money had been there. Why did the Delta State Government not say so since? The money is Delta State money.

“The issue now is not about Ibori. My party has already filed papers in the court. What we are saying is that the money should be sent back to Delta State.”

On his part, Ikimi, said: “The reasons adduced by Delta State Government to lay claim to the $15 million are mere cosmetic and an afterthought as Ibori, with the incumbent, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and others, had dissociated themselves from the said money, as they celebrated Ibori’s victory at the Federal High Court in Asaba in 2009.”

“While the SSS paraded some people alleged to have confessed to the killing of Comrade Oyerinde on account of armed robbery, the Nigeria Police also said they have in their custody exactly the same number of persons who allegedly confessed to the killing of Comrade Oyerinde.

“In fact, the Police have gone ahead to arrest one Rev. David Ugolor who is alleged to have been implicated as the sponsor of the murder. In order to clear the position of the Edo State Government, we wish to note the following: “Following the murder of Comrade Oyerinde, the Governor gave the security agencies a 14day ultimatum to find the killers. Within a few days of the murder, the governor was informed by the SSS in confidence that they had made some progress, having located Comrade Oyerinde’s telephone and those who bought it and eventually using their own skills, they were able to arrest, one after the other, those who have since confessed that they killed Comrade Oyerinde.

“Subsequently, at about the end of June, the SSS again, apparently to assure the Governor of the progress made, paraded the suspects before the Governor and he had the opportunity to ask some questions, for about 45 minutes, about the murder and they told him who fired the shot, where they stood, who bought the phone and for how much and they also showed him the weapons used and the amount of money they found which was less than fifty thousand naira.

“From the interface with the suspects paraded by the SSS, the Governor was convinced that they were indeed responsible for the murder of Comrade Oyerinde to which they had confessed."

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012 —13

30 cheat death in Imo auto crashes

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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BRIEFING: From left: Ms Chinwe Asugha, Special Assistant to Imo State Governor, Lagos Liaison Office; Mr. Smart Echefu, Business Development Officer and Mr. Obiyo Ifeanyi, Acting Director, Administration and Finance, at the briefing on the activities of Imo State Government in Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.

WERRI—NO than 30 persons narrowly escaped death yesterday in the multiple road traffic crash that occurred close to the main gate of Imo State Water Board, Ugwu Orji, Owerri.

Vanguard investigation revealed that the multiple accident involved six fully loaded commercial tricycles, a trailer loaded with bags of cement, an empty tipper lorry, a Peugeot 504 saloon car and another articulated lorry carrying different sizes of plank.

The number-plates of the tricycles are QP 327 NWA, MT 84 ENU, QP 864

Gunmen abduct ESUT VC z3 police guards shot

BY TONY EDIKE

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NUGU—VICEChancellor of Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, Professor Cyprian Onyeji, was yesterday abducted by heavily armed kidnappers after ambushing him and his police escort at the main gate of the

C M Y K

university at Agbani, Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State.

Three policemen attached to him were seriously wounded in the gun battle with the kidnappers, which created panic and sent many students and workers running into the bush to avoid being hit by bullets.

An eyewitness said the incident occurred at 11.30 am when Prof. Onyeji was driving in his official Honda Accord car into the campus with his police escort driving behind him.

On sighting the two vehicles, the kidnappers who had laid ambush near the gate, fired several shots at the escort van and displaced the policemen be-

fore jumping out of the bush to get at their target.

One of the policemen who attempted to return fire was seriously wounded by the kidnappers said to be armed with AK 47 rifles, while the patrol van was riddled with bullets. All the four tyres were destroyed by the kidnappers apparently to demobilize the policemen.

Having overpowered the policemen, the gunmen dragged the vice-chancellor’s driver and orderly out of the car, jumped in and drove off towards Ozalla junction.

At press time yesterday, Prof. Onyeji’s whereabouts was still unknown as the kidnappers were yet to contact his family or the school authorities.

The Public Relations Officer of the university, Mr. Ossy Ugwuoti, and spokesman of Enugu State Police Command, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, confirmed the incident to Vanguard yesterday.

Amaraizu said policemen were already on the trail of the kidnap gang assuring that everything possible would be done to secure the release of the VC. Meanwhile, all the house unions in ESUT, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian University, SANU and Non-Academic Staff Union, NASU, have decided to down tools until the vice chancellor is found.

As a result, both academic and non-academic activities at the permanent campus of the university had been put on hold, even as fears have gripped members of the academic community.

UML, QE 308 NWA and two others whose numbers were not visible because of the points of impact.

The vehicles included the trailer, XB 483 MGR, the tipper, XB 486 UMA, the articulated lorry, XJ 744 NSH and the Peugeot 504 saloon car with number plate AJ 318 KRK. The accident caused serious traffic build up that lasted for hours, especially during the rush hours of the morning.

All the tricycles had serious impact with the lorry laden with goods, which damaged them beyond repair, even as it was not clear at press time why some of the tricycles appeared to be facing oncoming traffic.

Efforts made to get any of the lorry drivers involved in the accident for their comments failed as they securely locked their vehicles and scampered into safety.

Sympathisers, who were

at the scene when Vanguard arrived about 8.15am, said some of the injured persons were quickly moved to the hospital for immediate medical attention.

While some of the people blamed the operatives of the state’s Environmental Transformation Commission, ENTRACO, for the mishap, others claimed that both the tipper and trailer had break failure.

However, none of the fellows that hinged the road crash to break failure was able to explain why the trailer and tipper eventually stopped on the road and not crashing off the road..

None of the traffic policemen, men of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps agreed to talk to Vanguard at the scene but busied themselves in controlling traffic.

Imo govt focused on election promises —Commissioner

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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WERRI—IMO State Government said, yesterday, it would remain focused in carrying out its electioneering promises to the citizenry, despite the vitriolic media attacks it was currently facing.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Chinedu Offor, stated this when he played host to the executive members of Correspondents Chapel in his

office.

“This administration has been facing serious attacks, indeed vitriolic attacks in the media for some time now.

One thing is sure, we will not change our focus because of the new trend.”

Offor said.

According to the commissioner, Governor Rochas Okorocha entered into a bond with the people to give them service and uplift their welfare, adding that the administration is on course.

Hospital to train neurologists, others

BY ENYIM ENYIM

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NITSHA—THE Memfys International Hospital for Neurosurgery, Enugu is to start training of neuroradiologists, neuro-pathologists and neurologists.

Chairman, Board of Directors of the hospital, Professor Sam Ohaegbulam, stated this, yesterday, in an exclu-

sive interview with Vanguard.

He said the hospital, since its establishment in 2002, had been involved in the training of physiotherapists, radiographers and psychologists, adding that the management of the hospital was committed to providing the needed technical support to teaching hospitals and universities in the country.

Group backs Elechi on Ezza-Ezilo crisis settlement

BY PETER OKUTU

A

BAKALIKI—A group, Ezza Development Initiative, EDI, yesterday, said it was solidly behind the decision of the state government to give extra portions of land to Ezza people to bring to an end to the protracted communal clashes between Ezza and Ezilo people.

At a briefing, chairman

of EDI and the member representing Ezza South constituency at the State House of Assembly, Chris Usulor, who appealed to the warring groups to sheathe their sword and embrace peace, explained that the steps taken by government to end the long feud was essential in the interest of peace and coexistence of the two communities.

14—Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

ASUU slams Elechi over Ebonyi varsity name-change

BY PETEROKUTU

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SOLIDARITY VISIT: Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, addressing a forum of Eze Ndigbo of South West during a solidarity visit to the governor in Akure, Tuesday.

Onitsha traders protest demolition of structures by govt

BY ENYIM ENYIM

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NITSHA—TRAD ERS in the commercial city of Onitsha, yesterday, protested the demolition of their structures by Anambra State Government.

Addressing newsmen on the development, spokesman of the traders and national co-ordinator of Human Rights Guide Association, Mr. Raphael Agu, condemned the attitude of the state government as the traders were not given at least 24 hours notice to quit the place.

Agu demanded that government paid appropriate compensation to the victims to enable them look for an alternative place for their businesses, threatening that failure to do that might force the traders to seek redress in court.

A cross-section of traders and industrialists in the affected area who spoke to newsmen said they had lost all their wealth, following the demolition of their shops, offices and factories by the state government.

The government officials who demolished the structures were said to have ar-

rived the area midnight last Saturday with bulldozers and heavy duty equipment for the job.

Some of the victims, Godwin Ezeike, chairman of the God’s Own Line; Emeka Udeze, Managing Director of Fubi Block Industry, Chief Vincent Luemobi, motor spare parts dealer, among others, said they had occupied the place

since 1983 and were issued Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) by the state government in 2000.

Ezeike, chairman of the line, said he lost over N200m worth of property, while Emeka Udeze, who operated block industry and a travelling agency, estimated his loss at N50m, just as Luemobi, the spare parts dealer estimated his at

N30m.

The traders further told journalists that officials of the state ministry of lands in the Peter Obi administration also surveyed the area recently and renewed their C of O with huge amount of money running into millions of Naira with the assurance that their shops, offices and factories were secured.

E

NUGU—CHIEF of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Azubuike Ihejirika, said, yesterday, that efforts of the Federal Government in fighting terrorism and other security challenges, particularly the menace of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, in northern parts of the country, had so far paid off.

He said this against the backdrop of feelings in some quarters that the na-

C M Y K

Obi to Nigerians: Take full ownership of governance

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

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PRESENTATION: From left: Mr. Olajide Adeyemi, Retail Manager, Nokia West-Africa; one of the winners of N100,000 Nokia Danfo reloaded competition, Udosoh Aniema, and Teemu Kijaarvi, Head, Developer Experience, Nokia West Africa, at the presentation of prize for the first draw of Nokia Danfo reloaded competition in Lagos, yesterday.

Terrorism: Our efforts are paying off —Ihejirika

BY TONY EDIKE

BAKALIKI— EBONYI State chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, yesterday criticized the purported change of name of the state-owned institution, Ebonyi State University, EBSU, to Ebonyi State International University, ESIU. The union’s decision, which was the highpoint of an emergency meeting in Abakaliki, came at a time the state government also ordered the university to reduce the number of faculties from 11 to seven and departments from 70 to 35.

The union’s chairman, Prof Emeka Nwakpu, said the government’s move would have dire consequences on both past and present students as well as academic and non-academic staff of the affected faculties and departments.

“Once an institution is privatized, the investors will have to find a way of recouping what they have spent.

“The implication is that it

tion’s security agents were not doing enough to tackle the security challenges confronting the country.

The COAS noted that the kidnappers that shut down the commercial city of Aba, Abia State, in 2010 appeared to have shifted base to Enugu and Imo states.

Speaking with reporters after commissioning some completed projects at the 103 Battalion, Awkunanaw Barracks, Enugu, Lt. General Ihejirika said the efforts to ensure peace in the

troubled parts of the country were indeed yielding positive results.

He said: “When you consider the fact that for every bomb that goes off; several others have been stopped from going off. Arrests have also been made. Only this week, and the week before, bomb batches were uncovered; in some instances, the perpetrators were killed; in some other instance, others were arrested. So I think we are making tremendous progress.”

On how the army was tackling the menace of kidnapping which has gradually resurfaced in the South East geo-political zone of the country, especially in Enugu State where, it was reported, the Vice Chancellor of Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, was kidnapped yesterday morning, General Ihejirika said he would give more support to the Army in the zone.

will fall back on the students and the staff who will be forced to start looking for job after spending about ten years or more in the university without pension or gratuity,” Prof.

Nwakpu said.

Describing the move illegal, Nwakpu said the state government was arrogating to itself the powers and functions of the Governing Council and Senate of the University as stated in relevant laws setting up the university.

He called on government to immediately halt the steps it had so far taken to forestall looming crisis in the university.

He said: “The congress condemns in strong terms, the flagrant violation of university autonomy by the state government in usurping the powers and functions of governing council and the senate of the university as enshrined in the subsisting university law by unilaterally deciding to rationalize the academic programmes of the university.

WKA—GOVERNOR Peter Obi of Anambra State has charged Nigerians to take full ownership of governance, saying it would help to fast-track development.

Speaking at the stakeholders’ consultative meeting on Anambra State’s Application for 2012 MDGS Conditional Grant Scheme in Awka yesterday, Obi noted that the system failed in the past because the people did not assume proper responsibility in governance.

He explained that his administration had continued to carry everybody along as well as opened the door for public involvement and input in decision making, adding that regular interaction would afford people the opportunity to understand and appreciate government policies and programmes.

The DFID team leader and national programme manager of the agency, Dr. Joe Abba, said Anambra State had remained consistent in championing the pace in the implementation of the DFID programmes.

Abba noted that it was a reflection of good governance entrenched by Governor Obi’s administration, and recalled that the state was chosen to pioneer the Governor ’s

For um Peer Review Mechanism and the first state to offer itself to selfassessment, which has become a reference point in the country.

He also observed that Anambra was the first state where stakeholders were practically involved in governance, urging other states to emulate it.

The Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Professor Chinyere Okunna said the MDG, as global aspiration towards good governance, was important as the state vision was anchored on them.

She observed that the Obi administration was poised to do more for the state and called for fruitful inputs as the administration is grassroots-oriented.

In an address, the special adviser to the governor on MDGs, Mrs. Vivian Nwandu, disclosed that the state had proposed allocation of N1.2 billion, with the Federal Government expected to inject N600 million which will be matched with the state government cash counterpart contribution of N600m.

Nwandu explained that adequate consultations would encourage communities to appreciate the need to take ownership of the projects to ensure sustainability urging them to help track and monitor execution of projects in their areas.

Vanguard , THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012—15

FEC approves N1.2bn Obudu Dam rehabilitation project

BY BEN AGANDE

A

BUJA—FEDERAL Executive Council, FEC, yesterday, approved a contract for the rehabilitation of Obudu Dam in Cross River State at the cost of N1.165 billion.

This is to enable Cross River State government carry out its regional urban water supply project, which will cover four communities of Obudu, Ogoja, Ikom and Calabar.

Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Stella Ochepe, who joined her Information counterpart, Labaran Maku, to ad-

dress newsmen after the meeting, said the dam, which belongs to the Federal Government, had been in a state of disrepair for some time.

She said: “The Cross River State government has since 2005 got an International Development Association, IDA, loan to develop the regional water scheme that will meet the needs of these communities in the state.

“Because of the state of Obudu Dam, it has been impossible for that project to commence. The contract was awarded at the cost of N1.165 billion.”

Ochepe said the dam was due for rehabilitation under the World Bank Assisted Second National Urban Sector Reform Project.

She said: “It has a storage capacity of 1.25 million cubic metres and is for multipurpose use.

Other uses include irrigation for about 100 hectares of agricultural land, fisheries and tourism. Cross River State government is carrying out rehabilitation in the water sector.

“It is reforming its water sector, but they need a source of raw water and the World Bank insists that the integrity of every

dam they are using must be assessed.

“Obudu dam was assessed and it was discov-

ered it needed rehabilitation and that was why they gave the note for rehabilitation work to be carried

FG, states, LGs share N564bn from Federation Acct

BY CALEB AYANSINA

A

BUJA—FEDERAL Government and the two other tiers of government, yesterday, shared N564 billion from the Federation Account and proceeds from the Value Added Tax, VAT, earned in July, which will be

used for August expenditure.

A total of N825 billion accrued into the Statutory Account as gross revenue, but only N458.670 billion was available for distribution among the three tiers of government, while N53.910 was earned from VAT.

Nigeria revenue up 8% in July on higher oil sales N

IGERIA’S gross gov ernment revenues rose by eight per cent to N825.39 billion in July, from N763.55 billion in May due to higher crude oil exports, the finance ministry said on Wednesday.

Nigeria distributed N564.08 billion to the three tiers of government for July while N213.10 billion naira was added to the the excess crude account (ECA), Minister of State for Finance Yerima Ngamma told reporters.

Ngamma said government has removed $1 billion from the ECA, where Africa’s biggest oil producer saves money it earns from crude sales over a benchmark price, currently $72 a barrel.

Also, Nigeria is likely to be included in JP Morgan’s Government Bond Index - Emerging Markets (GBI-EM) from October, potentially bringing up to $1 billion into one of Africa’s most developed debt markets, the bank said on Wednesday.

The inclusion of Nigeria, which will become the second African constituent of the index after South Africa, will be phased over three months, from October 1 to December 3, JP Morgan said.

With around $170 billion of assets under management benchmarked against the index and given that Nigeria is expected to have a weight of 0.59 percent in the index by December 3, there could be over $1 billion flowing into its local bond market in the coming months, said Giulia Pellegrini, JP Morgan economist and strategist

zNigeria to be included in JP Morgan government bond index for Sub-Saharan Africa.

She said, “This is a game-changer for the Nigerian bond market.

With yields currently north of 16 per cent, offering a hefty premium to the current GBI-EM Index yield of 5.8 per cent, that estimate may well be revised to the upside as investors are attracted by the possibility to capture higher returns than in the other local markets in the index.”

Inclusion in the index would also support the efforts of the Nigerian government to deepen the bond market, Pellegrini added.

XXONMOBIL’S Ni geria unit said it was investigating an oil spill near its facility off the country ’s southeast coast, which local fishermen said had covered the waters where they fish with a toxic film.

Mobil Producing Nigeria, a joint venture between ExxonMobil and the state oil firm, said on Wednesday that relevant government agencies had been notified of the spill.

“Mobil Producing Nigeria ... confirms that oiling from an unknown source has been sighted along the shoreline near Ibeno, Akwa Ibom State,” spokesman Nigel Cookey-Gam said.

“An emergency response team was immediately dispatched to the

The table of distribution showed that Federal Government took N217.770 billion from the statutory revenue and N7.763 billion from VAT proceeds.

States got N110.456 billion from the federal account and another N25.877 billion from VAT, while the local governments were allocated N85.157 billion from the federation account and N18.114 billion from VAT. The nine oil-producing states received an additional N45.287 billion as 13 percent oil revenue derivation.

Post-Ramadan activities suspended over Emir's health

BY ABDULSALAM MUHAMMAD

K

Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, with Senator Francis Arthur Nzeribe at Sam Mbakwe Cargo Airport, Owerri recently.

ExxonMobil investigates Akwa Ibom oil spill E

out. This project will be financed 200 percent by IDA credit. The contract sum is N1.165 billion.”

shoreline, and samples of the substance were collected for fingerprinting to determine its source, which remains unknown,” he said, adding that MPN remained committed to maintaining high safety, health and environmental standards in its our operations and the well-being of our neighbouring communities.

Sam Ayadi, a fisherman in Ibeno, said by telephone that no one had been able to go fishing since the spill was first noticed on Sunday.

“The fishermen are still off the waters due to the spill. We cannot return yet. We are waiting for Mobil to open to discussions with us about what happened,” he said.

Oil spills are common

in Africa’s top energy producer. Stretches of the Niger Delta, a fragile wetlands environment, are coated in crude. Thousands of barrels are spilled every year, and lax enforcement means there are few penalties.

The companies say the majority of spills are from armed oil thieves hacking into or blowing up pipelines to steal crude, an activity they estimate saps nearly a fifth of Nigeria’s output.

A landmark U.N. report in August last year slammed the government and multinational oil companies, particularly leading operator Royal Dutch Shell for 50 years of oil pollution that has devastated the Ogoniland region.

The government and oil majors have pledged to clean up the region and other parts of the delta, but residents say they have seen very little action.

“Because of this spill we have not been going to fish again since Sunday. So we are suffering because this is the only work we do as fishermen,” Inyang Ekong said. “This is what we go through each time there is a spill, and that is why the prices of fish are going higher every day.”

Several communities have taken Shell to court over a failure to clean up spills, although the oil major says insecurity and rampant oil theft are hampering cleanup efforts.

ANO—KANO emir ate, yesterday, announced the suspension, for the first time, the 700 years tradition of postRamadan festivities because of the ailing Emir, Alhaji Ado Bayero.

A senior Councillor in the emirate council, Alhaji Abbas Sanusi, said the 15th Fulani emir would only attend the Eid prayers on Sallah day.

Sanusi, who is also the Wambai Kano, said: “All other celebrations, from Sallah homage, visit to the state governor and the traditional Hawan Nassarawa, Hawan Daushe and Hawa Dorayi, where the emir interface with his subjects, have been cancelled in view of the health condition of the emir.”

Post-Ramadan festivities were made popular by late emir of Kano, SarkinYaji Dan Samiya, who ruled between 1349 and 1385, before the invasion of Fulani Jihadist in 1804.

The Wambai Kano said: “The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, has directed me to inform all District Heads and traditional title holders that the traditional Sallah activities have been cancelled.”

16 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

Call for Jonathan's resignation splits CAN

BY SUZAN EDEH

B

AUCHI—CHRISTIANS Association of Nigeria, CAN, North-East chapter, has dissociated itself from the alleged call by the northern leadership of the association on President Goodluck Jonathan to resign due to his perceived failure to address the insecurity in the country, especially the challenges posed by Boko Haram.

Speaking yesterday, North-East CAN Chairman Reverend Shuaibu Byal, said the zonal leadership of the association was surprised over the development, because members were not consulted by anybody on the issue.

He noted that the NorthEast Christians were not part of the call for the President to resign over Boko Haram.

Byal lamented that although Christians in the region were worried over the spate of killings and attacks on innocent people by the sect, they would keep on praying rather

than making such comment that could overheat the polity.

He said the statement credited to the northern Public Relations Officer of CAN, Mr. Sunday Oibe, on behalf of the 19 northern states, rebuking the President for perceived

inability to tackle Boko Haram did not reflect the official position of the association.

He appealed to Boko Haram to accept the option of dialogue with the Federal Government for peace to prevail in the country.

SWAN: From left— Mr. Felix Awogu, GM, Supersports Nigeria; Mr. Segun Fayose, Head Corporate Communication, Multichioce Nigeria, and Mr. Victor Ikpeba, ex-international footballer, at the Supersports-EPL media briefing at the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, Hall, National Stadium, Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: Sylva Eleanya.

Resign within 7 days, Benue House orders Information Commissioner

BY PETER DURU

M

AKURDI—THE lingering crisis between the Benue State House of Assembly and the executive arm deepened, yesterday, with the House passing a motion, directing the state’s Commissioner for Information, Mr. Conrad Wegba, to resign his appointment within seven days.

The resolution came on the heels of the unending conflict between the executive and the legislative arms over the alleged non-payment of salaries to a section of civil servants and selected members of the state Assembly in the last three months.

It will be recalled that the Commissioner for Information had debunked the allegation and went as far as accusing the House of armtwisting the executive arm for pecuniary motives.

However, at his appearance yesterday, he said: “I wish it did not happen but it has happened. My response was to put the record straight and did not intend to injure the members.

“My response to the resolution of the House was to put the record straight in line with my duty as the Information Commissioner, not that I made the comment to irritate the members. As an information manager, it is appropriate that I protect my boss.

DAY 26: The benefits of fasting

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HERE are innumerable benefits of fasting.

One of the most prominent is imbibing the character of self-restraint. Self-restraint is really a difficult thing, but with fasting in accordance with the dictates of Allah, it becomes easier and one, therefore, is able to forsake sin and develop the qualities of piety and abstinence.

Fasting saves a person from sin because it develops self-restraint and drives away the passions that lead to sin.

Allah says: “O you who believe! Fasting has been made obligatory for you just as it was made obligatory for those before you. So that you may become pious” Q2:183.

Fasting serves as nutrition for the soul so that the soul gains strength by it. There is nothing as effective as fasting to curb carnal desires. Fasting opens the door to spirituality and lends vitality to one’s acts of worship and purifies the soul.

One of the hadiths says: the Prophet once asked, “O Allah! What brings a person closest to You?” and Allah replied: “When a person is hungry and in Sajdah.” So, it means abstinence from food and drink for Allah can draw us closer to Allah.

Another benefit of fasting is that it inculcates the qualities of Allah.

Just as Allah does not need food, drink or

mundane things, the fasting Muslim also abandons food and drink during the fast and also adopts the qualities of the angels who are sustained not on food.

The fasting person also gets the golden opportunity to be grateful to Allah during the days of fasting, when he also sympathises with the poor. He submerges his feelings with that of the poor who is hungry most of the time.

This feeling allows him to adjust his life style and be more compassionate to the plight of the have-nots.

Furthermore, fasting purges the body of toxins and diseases and is especially effective in purging phlegm.

Fasting harnesses the love of Allah and the Prophet; and elevates one’s spiritual level.

Another benefit of fasting is that a person is fulfilling the command of Allah, thereby gaining closeness to Him.

Prayer of the day Rabbana wa ‘atina ma wa’adtana ‘ala rusulika wa la tukhzina yawmal-Qiyamah innaka la tukhliful mi’aad. Amin.

Our Lord! Grant us what Thou didst promise unto us through Thine apostles, and save us from shame on the Day of Judgment: For Thou never breakest Thy promise (3:194)Amen.

Negotiations ffor or N1 7.8bn N17 Osobo-Ilaodo road completed

M

ANAGING Director of Infrastructure Bank Plc, Mr. Adekunle Oyinloye, said, yesterday, in Abuja, that the bank has completed all negotiations for the funding of the N17.8 billion OsogboIlaodo road dualisation

by Osun State government.

In a statement, Oyinloye said the 45kilometre road, which contract was recently awarded by the state government to an indig-

enous construction company, Sammya Nig. Ltd, under a contractor-financing agreement, will be completed in 24 months.

He said while the Infrastructure Bank provided “the pioneering financial solutions” for the take-off of the project, First Bank Plc provided all the necessary bank guarantees for its total funding, according to the re-payment capabilities of the state government.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012—17

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HEN the Niger Delta toughie, Asari Dokubo, threatened a bloody war against Northern Nigeria, at a press conference in Abuja last week, he hinged that, amongst others, on the threat to impeach President Goodluck Jonathan, by the House of Representatives. The fact that the motion was moved by Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, ACN, from Lagos State, did not move the mind of the Niger Delta lumpen; the impeachment motion, he argued, was part of a ‘Northern Agenda’ against the Ijaw president. Dokubo, therefore, threatened to teach the ‘arrogant North’ a lesson. When his war starts, he boasted that the North will suffer, because he will block the North from the sea and cut off the supplies of fuel and food (!) from the region.

From lumpens to revered intellectuals, it is standard practice to accuse the North of ‘arrogance’, whenever individuals or groups from the region state their preferences about constitutional or governance issues in the country. It is acceptable when groups or individuals from the South agitate for ‘resource control’, ‘state police’, ‘50 per cent derivation’, recognition of ‘geo-political zones’ or Sovereign National Conference of ‘tribes’, in Nigeria.

Agitation and noisy advocacy When they disturb us with the din of their agitation and noisy advocacy, they are not ‘arrogant’; no! Those are ‘progressive’ items of a typical Southern Nigerian intellectual, politician or lumpen agitator’s CV. If the North dares to state its preferences, it is excoriated; abused and labeled ‘conservative’; arrogant’; or exhibiting a ‘born to rule’ mentality, etc.!

In 1999, power was ceded to the South, and with the exception of Umaru Yar ’Adua’s tenure, the North has effectively been on the margins of power (and I explore this narrative only guardedly and in the Nigerian elite manner of reducing power to the regional origins of the president of the country!); but given the way the region continues to be vilified and accused of responsibility for almost every crime of governance failure in Nigeria, one would be excused to assume 1999 didn’t happen. Yet the North is marginal in the economy; it lost out in the bureaucracy and the conspiracy to isolate it from power remains constant. Those holding the knife and the yam, as a Hausa proverb puts it, cannot stop the blame game against Northern Nigeria.

It was that mindset, which accounted for Dokubo’s bellicose statement last week. It was an interesting week, which saw ele-

A struggle for the soul of Nigeria ments of Ogoniland declare ‘autonomy’ just as the Bayelsa government issued an Ijaw anthem!

The state security apparatus seemed too busy questioning Pastor Tunde Bakare or stopping Nasir El-Rufai from boarding a flight to be able to stem the treasonable content of statements and actions from the Niger Delta.

There is a heightened struggle for the soul of our country. The Boko Haram insurgency has emboldened closet secessionist forces to ratchet up the noise for SNC of the ‘tribes’ of Nigeria. The anger of these forces was stoked when the Northern Governors’ Forum rejected state police and Alex Ekwueme’s geo-political arrangement. There is a simplistic assumption in many quarters, that these items are the magic bullets to shoot away the problems of Nigeria.

The narrative reduces Nigeria to the sum total of its ethnic composition, thus missing vital strands of the complexity of our country. The more they push the ethnic platform, the more our concrete realities of life defeat the thesis. When intellectuals from the South-West and South-East argue for the ‘geo-political zones’, in my view, it is fed from the assumed homogenous composition of their own ‘zones’. They never factor into their thesis, the complex ethnic mosaic in a place like Northern Nigeria.

They also ignore history and the territorial and multi-ethnic nature of the history of almost every major nation-building process in what became Nigeria. Those familiar with Nigeria’s complexity can appreciate the Northern rejection of a restructuring of our country on the basis of ethnicities or the socalled geo-political zones. Let me illustrate with my experience in broadcasting during the late 1980s and 1990s. The old Kwara State, before the 1991 creation of Kogi and excision of Borgu, built local radio stations in Otite, near Okene, Egbe and Koro, near New Bussa, to expand the reach of Radio Kwara. Two events tied to these projects gave me the pause and allowed me to understand better, the nature of Nigeria. In 1990, then military president, Ibrahim Babangida, paid an official visit to Kwara State. As part of the build

The Nigerian situation is very bad today; but in all that we see canvassed, the agitators have often stayed at the superstructural levels of constitution making

Map of Nigeria

up, I was assigned to broadcast from the New Bussa station, to sensitize the community. The station had programmes in Hausa, Bissayan, English and Fulfulde.

On my second day at the station, I received a delegation from Agwara and Wawa.

They spoke the same language in the two towns as in New Bussa, but they complained about our presenter was from Bussa; that he regularly cast certain historical aspersions against the other communities. They wanted me to convey to the authorities in Ilorin that they should either employ people from their own communities too, or better still, broadcast programmes only in Hausa, since all of them spoke Hausa and none can claim ownership of the language! Similarly, we commenced a weekly magazine programme for the Ogori and Magongo communities; they were the only two towns speaking their language in the old Kwara.

Fulfilling a social responsibility An old photographer who worked in the Ministry of Information became presenter. Radio Kwara thought it had fulfilled social responsibility until a deputation from Magongo complained that our presenter, Olufemi Oki, only catered to the interest of Ogori. They assured it was incorrect to talk of Ogori/Magongo. Yet they were the same people! It took the decision to alternate the presentation between an Ogori man and a Magongo individual, before we found respite. Such examples abound in many parts of our country. Those who reduce us to a sum total of ethnic groups or even more bizarrely ‘tribes’, ignore these dynamics. Similarly, there are far more dialectically profound social forces underlining the realities of Nigeria today and these include the deepening class contradictions and the emergence

of new urban-based, social forces, demystifying the ethnic paradigm, including class forces impacting upon rural Nigeria.

One of the most oft-cited arguments for a Sovereign National Conference, SNC, is the Constitutional Conferences of the 1950s which prepared Nigeria for Independence. Yet, even they were not organised on ethnic or ‘tribal’ basis. Nigerian political leaders as representatives of various political tendencies met to determine the shape of things at independence.

They were not representatives of ‘tribes’. It is indicative of the frightening and reactionary regression in our national space, that six decades after those conferences, members of the political elite who have creamed off unearned advantages from Nigeria as well as intellectuals who should be thinking for the country, have retreated into the cocoon of ‘region’, ethnicities and ‘tribes’ to further their ambition to delegitimize our country.

Take just one example of this trend. Intellectuals like Ropo Sekoni, who used to teach at the University of Ilorin, now argue from the safe distance of an American university tenure, that a proposed Constituent Assembly, ostensibly charged with writing ‘a newly negotiated constitution by the peoples of Nigeria’, should reject the present federal constituencies, because ‘that is loaded in favour of the North’. So ‘to avoid paralysis of Constituent Assembly, each of the six zones should send equal number of delegates to the conference(from Sekoni’s standpoint, democracy is no longer about population strength)’. As we shall see, such a ridiculous suggestion is a means to an end.

At this National Conference, almost like the proverbial market in the sky, that welcomes only bird traders (kasuwar sama sai tsuntsu, a Hausa proverb which is also rendered in Yoruba as ‘oja oju

orun, eye nikan lolena’!), Ropo Sekoni said “proposals should be by 60 per cent of delegates votes”. He then issued what the French call a coup-de-poing and the real secessionist basis of the entire thought train: “But states or regions (he is apparently confused about which is which at his Constituent Assembly!), that do not want to be part of the decision made by such majority should be given the opportunity to form their own country (s) without any penalty”! So we should be dragged screaming and kicking, after millions had died in a Civil War, to preserve Nigerian unity, to a ‘Constituent Assembly’; ‘SNC’ or any such gathering, to become acquiescing witnesses at the unfurling of an elaborately prepared agenda by the Ropo Sekonis of this world for the dismemberment of Nigeria, from the safe remove of America! He had titled the piece “Only the Nigeria that the North wants?” in The Nation newspaper of August 12, 2012. As usual, the bête noire is ‘the North’; but it was not what the North wanted but his own undisguised call for secession and dismemberment of the country, using an anarchic, undemocratic and badly thought out formula for a ‘Constituent Assembly’! Such deluded thinking ignores those complex dynamics which govern the Nigerian condition and no serious region or political elites, certainly not the North, will be part of such a hypothetical conference that will allow ‘states or regions….to form their own country (s) without penalty”. Dream on then, dear Ropo Sekoni!

Nigerian situation

The Nigerian situation is very bad today; but in all that we see canvassed, the agitators have often stayed at the superstructural levels of constitution making, creation of new states, demands for regional autonomy and so on.

These reflect longings by fractions of the ruling class for fiefdoms they can corner in parts of the country, to satisfy unending desires for prebends of looting.

The political economy escapes them. The imposition of neoliberal capitalism; with the overthrow of public concern at the heart of governance, and its replacement with private licentiousness, seems okay for these fragmented elite groups. Chief Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Sir Ahmadu Bello, ran societies where the state was centrally deployed at the service of the Nigerian people. They were responsible and responsive to the yearnings of the Nigerian people.

Today, the state is an instrument of piracy in the hands of bandits who have become multibillionaires; and which ex-governor today is not a billionaire?

These are central issues which agitators for ‘SNC’, ‘regional autonomy’ and so on, have refused to put at the heart of their narrative. Most of the problems we face are located in the political economy; if we interrogate those issues more closely, we might discover the route to solving the secondary, superstructural contradictions they huff and puff so much about!

18 — Vanguard, THURSDAY , AUGUST16, 2012 N October 10, 2002, the International Court of Justice delivered a historic verdict awarding sovereignty over the Bakassi Peninsula to the Republic of Cameroun. Exactly 10 years later in October this year, by the terms of the 2005 Green Tree Agreement, Nigeria’s cession of its erstwhile territory would be completed unless, by the rules of the Court, she raises fresh issues for a re-visit. their ancestral land to another country Across the nation there is a groundswell were promptly abandoned. Those who of opinion that our past leadership were chose to stay under Camerounian authority unpatriotic, inhuman and incompetent in have been victims of savage attacks and the entire processes of mortgaging the humiliation by the Camerounian forces. territory to win the civil war and approach Frustrated, the indigenes of the Peninsula the ICJ for its verdict. All the way from the have now decided, with support of their negotiations by the colonial authorities to kinsmen in Calabar Cross River State, to the use of the territory as a gambit for war “taken their destiny in their hands.” games, the interests of the people of the The Bakassi Self-determination Front Peninsula were never taken into account. (BSDF) has since emerged and a pirate Even the lawyers and attorneys hired to radio known as “Dayspring” launched as argue the case at the ICJ were people, who part of the drive towards self-rule. had no passionate attachment to the cause We are in full support of all efforts to and flunked miserably. ensure that the wrongs of our past leaders Besides, the Nigerians who agreed to are corrected through the total reclamation relocate to Cross River after the cession of of Bakassi Peninsula. We are happy with

O

Reclaiming Bakassi Peninsula

the House of Representatives, which has taken bold steps towards pushing the Federal Government to return to the ICJ for a re-visit of this shoddy verdict.

Under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Bakassi Peninsula is still listed as part of the 774 local government councils in Nigeria. The Constitution has not been amended to cede this territory to any external country.

And our Constitution is superior to any treaty or court verdict.

Rather than resort to the ICJ, the United Nations should promptly organise a plebiscite to enable the people of the Peninsula to determine their future. They can decide to stay in Nigeria, go to Cameroun or assume a separate sovereign identity. Anything short of this will not be acceptable to us.

Bakassi people are Nigerians fully protected by the constitution. No individual has the right to barter them off to external interests in pursuit of personal glorification. To reclaim Bakassi Peninsula is a task that must be done!

OPINION

BY TONY ODIADI

W

AS the National Assembly right in insisting recently that non-compliance with budget is an impeachable offence and would not hesitate to invoke the power against President Jonathan? This is both a legal and a political question. All those who feel the members are once again over-reaching themselves are wrong. The Appropriation Act, each year remains one of the most important piece of legislations at the very heart of government activities which itself is an access to the national purse by the executive. Every aspect of government involves the accumulation, control, management and expending of resources.

But this must be done within the context of a legal framework in terms of purpose, policy and penalties.

Having said that, an impeachment exercise is not a tea party and that is why it is not lightly mentioned or engaged in.

Impeachment leading to removal from office is rigorous, time consuming and potentially destabilising, even more so for a fragile polity like ours and so rarely an option. Conducts necessitating such must be infractions of such nature that the high office of the President has been brought to some disrepute or the laws flagrantly violated by his person. The political dimension is that it is resolved one way or another through the instrumentality of power superiority. Non-implementation of budget is no doubt a species of violation of an existing law, but it may hardly be from motives of malice suggesting a high crime envisioned for removal from office.

The 2012 Appropriation Act has an aggregate expenditure of N4.748 trillion, just six percent increase from that of 2011 which was N4.484 trillion. The 2012 budget benchmarked the sale of crude oil at $70 per barrel and production expected at 2.4mbpd.

In all of this, estimated growth rate is put at an ambitious 7.2% and an inflation rate at 9.5%. The Appropriation Act was signed into law in April 2012 and the National Assembly raised the alarm that the budget implementation was in the neighbourhood of 35%, meaning that something was seriously

Jonathan and the challenges of budget implementation wrong. The Minister of Finance Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala came out with explanations and figures insisting that the budget is at 56% implementation level. According to her figures, so far, as at July end this year N404billion has been released of which N324billion is cash backed. Whatever be the case, what is at stakes is far more than the proprietary interests of either arm of government, but the wellbeing of Nigerians.

The United States of America Federalist papers have held this position from the early times of that republic: ‘’This power of the purse may in fact be regarded as the most complete and effectual weapon with which any constitution can arm the immediate representatives of the people’’. The legislative arm does have the peremptory powers to compel compliance using the oversight mechanism, but the citizens as a collective are as interested in effective budget implementation which itself is the optimisation of national resources. That is why sections 80-84 as well as 8889 of the Constitution make express these powers as part of our fundamental law.

Remove compliance with budgetary provisions or the Appropriation Act and you will have a chaotic, non-regulated government functioning according to its own whims and caprices, a lawless regime at best. So important is budgetary compliance in any democracy as a measure of the well being of the state that several legal measures are in place to secure its full operation and observance in most jurisdictions. The US government shut down temporarily for weeks under President Clinton in the nineties over issues of budgetary expenditures and timelines in public spending.

Basic principles of government budgeting are (a)- fiscal discipline, which refers to Ministry’s or department’s ability to function within the budget; (b)- allocative efficiency- which refers to the allocation of governments scarce resources to their most productive use, i.e., allocation of budgetary resources to reflect

the priorities of the government; (c)- operational efficiencywhich refers to ensuring that the highest possible output are produced within the given resources consistent with fiscal discipline. These matters seem mostly lost in our budgeting and post-budgeting activities for which reason the executive arm of government in Nigeria at the federal and state level see any interrogation of budget performance as an affront.

With the appropriation figure of over N4.7 trillion, there’s much that the government can achieve if there’s adequate fidelity to the provisions of the Act. A transformation President like Goodluck Jonathan campaigned to be must be very interested in high budget implementation and high service delivery. The challenge of compliance is posed by a systemic failure of anticipation of future expenditure and proper review of previous spending as a broad exercise in effective public financing. The MTEF of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007 is neither followed nor enforced on MDAs. It is to be noted that section 11(3)(a) of the Act provides thus: ‘’A medium term expenditure contain a macro-economic framework setting out the macro-economic projections for the next three financial years and the underlying assumptions for those projections and an evaluation and analysis of the macro-economic projections for the preceding three years’’.

This very important need is yet to come before the National Assembly and hardly finds its way there.

Budgets in the public sector are aimed at providing services to communities effectively and efficiently. Achieving this is best realised through needs assessment of various sectors of the economy. But how best can these needs be assessed and ascertained? Can it be through the legislators engagements with all the sectors and the constituencies or through the executives direct out-reach to all segments and sectors within the polity?

*Mr. Odiadi, a lawyer, wrote from Lagos.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012—19

, Why MMA2 concession matters

F

IRST, I will give you a concise summary of the story. Then, I will discuss the significance of it to you, as an air traveller or patriot concerned for the rapid development of our infrastructure.

In those days when the Nigeria Airways, Okada Air, Kabo Air, Triax Airlines and the others were the main domestic operators, the domestic terminal of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, stood where the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two, MMA2, currently stands.

But it was no more than a makeshift shack, where ticket touts and currency Mallams ruled the roost and air travel was hellish.

When in 2000 the place went up in flames, some of us, though pained at the loss of public and private property, were not so sad to see it go. In line with the new fad of public/ private partnership model of infrastructural development, the President Olusegun Obasanjo regime in April 2003

gave the rebuilding of the terminal out to a concessionaire.

We later heard a Nigerian company known as BiCourtney Aviation Services Limited, BASL, had won the concession. I must confess I do not know whether actual competitive bidding was involved. We were told the company would build, operate and transfer, BOT, the terminal back to government over 12 years. We also read in the papers that the company was being supported with funds from some of the successfully consolidated banks.

In February 2007, five months before the Obasanjo regime handed over to a new regime, the project was almost ready. Apart from the Terminal building which meets international standards, a gigantic three-floor parking lot was constructed. Perhaps due to the unexpected huge cost, the period of concession was extended from 12 to 36 years.

I expected concerned industry stakeholders to raise

If we are serious about developing our infrastructure through private capital investors we must be ready to adhere strictly to the terms of agreement once mutually reached

,

a ruckus about it. Though the original 12 years was rather short and could not allow the investors to recoup their money and make profits, adding 24 extra years seemed way too much. Nobody blew the whistle to alert the general public of any insider abuse or corrupt self-service by public officers packaging the deal. It was not until the facility was commissioned and put to use that some groups, such as Arik Air, National Union of Air Transport Services Employees, NUATE, industry regulators, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, kicked.

T

hey challenged the matter in the courts. They lost the case there and at the Court of Appeal. The groups now opposed to Bi- Courtney ’s windfall are composed of professionals and workers within the aviation sector.

Where were they when the extension was being

packaged? Why did they not raise the alarm then? Why did they not take the matter before the Senate and House of Reps Committees on Aviation for a proper public hearing to be held to determine an appropriate concession tenure that would yield returns to the investors and yet protect public interests?

Why have they chosen to close the stable gate long after the horse had escaped? It is very likely that the same people who are complaining aloud played roles in the variation, but due to fear or corruption they kept mute and allowed the deal to be sealed only to start a noise when a new regime came into position. We must find a way to punish public officers who, either due to negligence or corrupt self-preservation, allow public property and interests under their care to be abused. That is the only honourable thing we can do in this mess.

The failed search for a reversal in court is well deserved. I congratulate the courts for forcing our public institutions to stay true to a pact legally and duly entered into. If people we employ to look after the interests of the general public are foolish enough to allow the nation to be cheated while they watch they should also be kind enough to endure with us the pain of their folly.

I am saying this because Nigeria as a nation has suffered untold damage to the system as a result of going into pacts and backing out unilaterally. It has become a habit with our government, especially the Federal

Government. Public officers do not pay quality attention to the deals they are letting Nigeria into, perhaps because they feel they can always go back on their words of honour. It was this poor attitude that led the Federal Military Government under General Yakubu Gowon to sign a peace pact with the Military Government of the Eastern Region under Lt Col. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

When the federal delegation returned to Lagos they conspired with civil servants and foreign agents and not only backed out of the pact but also started putting in place inflammatory policies. This forced the East to announce the birth of the Republic of Biafra. The rest of the story is history and we are all still reeling from its effects.

This singular national display of lack of honour and character has continued to rule the mentality of the elite and its bureaucrats. Often times, government signs agreements with Labour groups and abandons the effort as soon as strikes are called off.

Government is now seen as the greatest liar. Nobody wants to believe government anymore.

If we are serious about developing our infrastructure through private capital investors we must be ready to adhere strictly to the terms of agreement once mutually reached. The main task is to ensure we protect our interests at the point of negotiation. BiCourtney must also improve its poor maintenance of MMA2.

Industry regulators must check its pricing excesses.

The antelope, the bad leg HILE we were yet sleeping, the world became fully automated and all those unable to speak the language of the machine have been permanently left behind. Christianity attempts to put a moral burden on us to forgive all those who trespass against us, but it is equally difficult to forget the circumstances where we have been disappointed by those in whose hands our affairs had been placed.

Right now, my N40,000 is cooling off somewhere, after it was "kidnapped" by an ATM at the International Airport, Ikeja-Lagos, Nigeria – that airport, which, like the Benin-Ore road – is for ever undergoing renovation! On that fateful evening, between struggling with the boarding formalities for a Heathrow-bound flight and the need to have some extra Pound Sterling in my pocket, I had inserted my ATM card into the machine, with instruction to bring out N40,000, which I intended to convert at a nearby Bureau de Change. The machine gave me a receipt but no money came out.

There was no one to talk to. I was faced with a machine as all the workers had gone for the weekend. A clear alternative would have been to forego the flight and wait till Monday to sort out the money issue. I chose to travel and leave the money issue for another day.

For the greater part of July, NEPA (by whatever name called) did not provide light to my part of Ikpoba Hill, Benin City. The generators had grown tired and evidently overworked!

Soon after I arrived in Manchester, I almost embarrassed myself when I asked my son to bring me his laptop with the UPS so that I could type my story before they would take the light.

He retorted rather curiously: “What is

UPS and to where are they taking the light?” A friend who was around offered some succour: “Daddy, you don’t need any UPS here. I have been in Britain for more than 20 years, during which period the light has not blinked once and it will never blink”. I gradually began to remind myself that in all my years in New York and other neighbouring states of the US, it was only the terrible winter of 1977 that caused a major accident, which made the light to go off once. Up till this day, the US authorities have not fully recovered from the embarrassment caused by that mishap.

No situation ever embarrasses Nigerian officials. We have said often enough that, even without a government, Nigerians cannot be worse than they already are. Just see how we are watching helplessly while the sweet world of automation leaves us behind.

Beyond attending ward and local government meetings, those of us of the analogue age may not be able to cope much longer. The present age demands that in whatever you do, you must talk the language of the machine.

If you must travel by any means – land, air or sea – you must talk to the machine for your ticket and your boarding pass. The trend for the future is that those attendants who now lead us like the blind may not be there much longer.

In every aspect of life, automation is already taking over. An entire department store may not need more than one person to run it. When you get to the store, you pick the items you want; you pay to the machine, which will give you a receipt and your correct change; and you are done with your shopping!

You no longer interact with humans but with machines.

,

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In the advanced democracies, elections are won and lost at the polling booth; not by judicial contraptions; that is where automation assumes full meaning

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There is the serious argument that the machine has come to replace man and taken over his functions, further worsening the unemployment situation. This view is very valid in Africa and the underdeveloped world. In the advanced societies, nothing is lost.

While some people have moved away from the front line where the machines have taken over, more people have moved to the back line where the machines are produced and that more than cancels out the problem created by the replacement of man by machine.

I

n spite of the obvious contradic tions, how many people would say that the world is still the same – some are analogue while others are digital;

some are in the light while others still live in the dark ages; some are progressing while others are retrogressing? For all we know, someday, we shall get to where the rest of the world already is but by then, the rest of the world will be holidaying in the moon.

In the advanced democracies, elections are won and lost at the polling booth; not by judicial contraptions.

That is where automation assumes full meaning. Contestants do not wait for the last ballot to be counted. As soon as the direction of the results is known, a loser quickly accepts defeat, the sportsman’s way; he congratulates the winner and life goes on.

In Nigeria, we still live in the kingdom of the antelope, one of the fastest running animals in the bush. The rule is that if you see an antelope, you must attempt to pursue, with a view to catching it, because you never can tell if it has a bad leg. We hear the PDP has gone to the Tribunal to challenge the Edo State gubernatorial election, which has been adjudged the freest, fairest and best election ever conducted in Nigeria. Some ask why; but we ask why not? After all, it is a free world; the world of the antelope and the bad leg. All the same, the PDP must hear this: Beyond the Nigerian shores, Nigerians everywhere are celebrating the Edo victory and they intend to celebrate it far into the Yuletide season!

A new wave is here with us. Are we willing to ride it?

20 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012 — 21

By GODWIN ORITSE

F

OR the first time in Nigeria, a private firm, Pinnacle oil and Gas limited, has concluded plans to build a private mooring buoy facility in the Lekki Free Zone (LFZ) with a view to reduce cost associated with the shipment of petroleum products.

Disclosing this at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU ceremony between Pinnacle Oil and Gas Limited and China Petroleum Technology Development Corporation (CPTDC) , Pinnacle Managing Director, Mr Peter Mbah, said that the Single Buoy Mooring project will gulp as much as $250million(N39billion) Mbah stated that the partnership with the China Petroleum Technology Development Corporation (CPTDC) and Lekki Free Trade Zone Company (LFTZC) Limited would lead to the development of the Nigerian downstream sector as the free zone provided a more convenient alternative to loading of oil products.

He explained that the Single Point Mooring facility at Lekki Free Zone would enable petroleum cargo vessels to anchor and discharge products via the network of undersea and onshore pipelines to respective tank farms, adding that under the MOU executed

by Lekki Free Trade Zone Company Limited, Pinnacle Oil and Gas Limited and China Petroleum Technology Development Corporation, Pinnacle is expected to complete the $250 million SPM facility with over 11 kilometres of subsea and on shore pipeline network by December 2013 when many of the tank farms proposed for the Zone would have also been completed.

“The Lekki Free Zone SPM couldn’t have come at a better time than now that government is withdrawing subsidy on petrol, considering that factors which impact on the product

His Excellency Shaukat Aziz, Chairman of The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) & Former Prime Minister of Pakistan; Arc. Mike Onolememen, Hon. Minister of Works; Tony O. Elumelu, MFR, Founder, The Tony Elumelu Foundation & Chairman of Heirs Holdings; and Vimal Shah, TEF Advisory Board member & CEO, Bidco Group Ltd during cocktails in honour of the TEF Advisory Board in Lagos.

First private mooring off-shore facility worth N39bn underway price like demurrage and littering of cargo- dock at the jetty would be eliminated. This will therefore reduce the landed cost of petroleum products considerably,” Mbah said.

Speaking in similar vein, Managing Director, Lekki Free Trade Zone Company Limited, Mr. Chen Xiaoxing, noted the strategic importance and location of the free zone as the new economic hub for

Nigeria.

He noted that industry operators have found the Lekki Free Zone to be the most suitable alternative especially considering its location at the outskirts of Lagos and with proximity to the Ijebu Ode axis from where most trucks come to load petroleum products in Lagos.

He said the absence of mooring and discharge facilities at the Zone has

denied oil and gas operators opportunity to tap the benefits of Lekki Free Zone, adding that the SPM would address this challenge and enhance the position of the zone as major economic catalyst.

Single Point Mooring is an off-shore anchored loading buoy that serves as mooring point and interconnect to tankers loading or off-loading gas or fluid products.

Ibaka Sea Port to create 70, 000 jobs, says Akpabio …expresses delight over foreign investors’ interest on project

By CHRIS OCHAYI

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OVERNOR of Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Godswill Akpabio, has said that the Ibaka Deep Sea Port project in Akwa Ibom state is capable of creating about 70,000 job opportunities for the teeming population of unemployed youths in the country when completed.

To this end, the Governor has pleaded that all Nigerians should support the project, which he said will entail convergence of ideas and finances, adding that “wealth creation is all about job creation. We need to take our youths away from all kinds of vices.”

Dr. Akpabio, who stated this at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja while speaking with newsmen shortly after he arrived from the investment Summit organized by Ibom indigenes in the United States and Canada under the aegis of Akwa Ibom Diaspora Network, said foreign investors have also shown interest to invest in the deep sea port project.

According to him, the Deep Sea Port

is a Nigerian project and is neither for state or local government. “I don’t even see it as a Federal Government Project.

For me, any project that is capable of creating about 50-70,000 jobs is a project that all Nigerians should support.”

He said, “There were a lot of dividends from the investment summit organized by Ibom indigenes in the United States and Canada under what they called Akwa Ibom Diaspora Network. They did an exposition of the available potentials in investment in Akwa Ibom state.

“I can tell you that for me that will be the first Diaspora group in Nigeria to undertake such a business venture at their own cost. They were able to bring together top executives of various companies spread across the entire world to discuss what they could do in Nigeria. For me, I was very happy on seeing the interest the foreign investors still have in Nigeria despite the various problems we have.”

“The foreign investors have expressed confidence that the economy under President Goodluck Jonathan

would definitely turn around and the fact that despite the seeming security challenges in Nigeria, it is still good for major investments to take place in Nigeria, he added.

Continuing, he said, “They turned out in thousands and I was also privileged to have the Nigerian Ambassador in Canada, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, Chairing the sessions.

He testified that there are still great potentials for investment in Nigeria.

The outside world is still seeing Nigeria as a very veritable haven for major investments. So I want to thank my people in the United States of America, Canada and United Kingdom and we pray that Nigerians in the Diaspora from various states of the federation would see the need to come together and see what they can do to contribute their quota towards job creation. looking at it from the angle of Nigeria without oil, with improved power supply and improved agricultural sector particularly in terms of the value chain.

162.95

-1.15

2,439.00

+40.00

20.28

-0.11

114.00 93.41

+0.40 +0.68

CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL SELLING DOLLAR POUNDS EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA RENMINBI RIYAL KRONER

154.83 243.0831 191.2615 159.241 1.9688 0.2707 232.5246 24.3477 41.2836 25.6941

155.33 243.8681 191.8791 159.7552 1.9752 0.2807 233.2755 24.4267 41.4169 25.7771

155.83 244.6531 192.4968 160.2695 1.9816 0.2907 234.0264 24.5058 41.5502 25.86

CBN Exchange rate as at 15/08/2012

22—Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

NSE flags Dicon Salt, Capital Oil, 10 others for delisting

BY MICHAEL EBOH & LAZARUS IBEABUCHI

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HE Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, has flagged Union Dicon Salt Plc, Capital Oil Plc and 10 other quoted companies for delisting, due to their failure to comply with its postlisting requirements and other issues.

This was disclosed by the NSE in a notice to dealing members, on the

release of its ‘XCompliance Report,’ designed to highlight the compliance status of quoted companies, especially in the timely submission of their financial statements.

Of the total, 10 companies where marked for delisting due to non-compliance to the Post-Listings Rules, while Poly Products Plc is voluntarily delisting, due to tough operating conditions.

Pinnacle Point Group Plc was also marked for delisting because it is currently undergoing liquidation.

The companies marked for delisting due to their failure to meet up with the post-listing requirements of the NSE are: Union Dicon Salt Plc, Capital Oil Plc, Udeofson Garment Factory Plc , Lennards Plc, Nigerian Wire Industries Plc, A l u m i n i u m

Manufacturing Company of Nigeria Plc, Union Dicon Salt Plc, Rokanna Industries Plc, West African Glass Industries Plc, Hallmark Paper Products Plc and Afroil Plc. Also, 34 companies were identified to be operating Below Listing Standards, BLS, due to their failure to submit their accounts for the 2011 financial year.

The companies marked BLS are: Thomas Wyatt

From left: Mr. Olutade Fadare, Deputy Registrar, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN); Mr. Mustapha Chike-Obi, MD/CEO, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON); Mr. Segun Aina, President/Chairman of Council, CIBN and Dr. ‘Uju Ogubunka, Registrar/CEO, CIBN, during the Institute’s Stakeholders’ dialogue with AMCON.

ASHON moves for allotment of shares via electronic process

BY PETER EGWUATU, With Agency Report

I

N its support for full dematerialization of share certificate in the Nigerian capital market, Association of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria (ASHON) has moved for allotment of public offerings henceforth to be done electronically.

To this extent, only those who have opened account with the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Limited would be allowed to partake in new public offerings.

ASHON further identified the need for regulators in the capital market to enhance sensitization on the benefits of shareholders dematerialising their

shares in the nation’s bourse.

Mr. Emeka Madubuike, President of ASHON, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, said, “The Jan. 1, 2013 deadline for dematerialisation policy was unrealistic as most operators and investors were not aware of the date.”

Dematerialisation is the elimination of physical certificates or documents on ownership of securities through conversion to an electronic ownership mode domiciled with the Central Securities Clearing System Limited (CSCS).He said that sensitisation, which would include n a t i o n w i d e enlightenment and

investment road show, would also involve the nation’s capital market community.

Madubuike, who is also the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Committee on Dematerialisation, said that the aim of the project was to ensure that investors’ buy into the electronic holding of share certificates.

According to him, “ I am not aware of the notice, SEC has not done anything to implement it or ensure enforcement, if you put a rule that has to be enforced, people must be aware of the notice.”

Madubuike said that his committee was working on the modalities for the nationwide project of

educating and sensitising investors on the benefits of dematerisation. He said that the committee’s proposed date for the conclusion of dematerisation was Jan. 31, 2013.

According to him, dematerisation needs a concerted effort of capital market operators toward removing all obstacles and reeducating shareholders.

Madubuike said that in addition to the electronic transfer of shares, the registrars register would also be moved to the Central Securities and Clearing System (CSCS).

SEC in a public notice dated March 13, set Jan. 1, 2013 as deadline for the dematerialisation of all share certificates.

Nigeria Plc, Nigeria German Chemicals Plc, Neimeth International Pharm Plc, Premier Breweries Plc, Union Homes Savings and Loans Plc, G Cappa Plc and Adswitch Plc. Others include: Nigerian Enamelware Coy Plc, IHS Nigeria Plc , Nigerian Wire & Cable Plc , IPWA Plc, Abplast Products Plc, Ikeja Hotel Plc, Daar Communications Plc, Afrik Pharmaceutical, MTI Plc, Jos International Breweries Plc, Stokvis Nigeria Plc, Nigerian Sewing Machine Plc, Big Treat Plc, Mtech Plc and Investment & Allied Assurance Plc. The NSE said the companies were flagged BLS because they failed to comply with its post-listing rules, such as the late submission of their financial statements and for unauthorized publication.

In addition 13 companies were marked Awaiting Bank/Insurance

Regulatory Approval, ‘ARA’ as a result of insufficient financial information owing to the non-approval oftheir financial statement by their primary regulator.

The companies marked ARA include: Wema Bank Plc, Resort Savings & Loans Plc, African Alliance Insurance Plc, Equity Assurance Plc, Goldlink Insurance Plc, Great Nigeria Insurance Plc, Guinea Insurance Plc, International Energy Insurance, Linkage Assurance Plc, Mutual Benefit Assurance Plc, Staco Insurance Plc, Standard Alliance Plc and Unic Insurance Plc. According to NSE rule, companies that miss their financial filing dates or contravene any of the provisions of the Post Listing Rules will have the symbol ‘BLS’ (Below Listings Standard) appended to their name.

The symbol remains in effect until the company regularizes its compliance status.

May & Baker records 100% decline in second quarter profit

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM

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F the quarter two f i n a n c i a l performance of May & Baker Plc, just released, is anything to go by, the company might end the year in the negative region.

This could also be an indication that shareholders of the company may have to wait a little longer to be compensated for their investment as the result has being on a continuous decline.

The financial results of the company for half year ended 30th June, 2012 filed with the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) indicated a 99.9 per cent decline in the gross profit to N1.025 billion from N1.002 billion in 2011.

Resultantly, the profit after tax plummeted by 66.93 per cent from N83.112 million in 2011 to N27.48 million in the review period. The administrative expenses went up to N255.66 million from N238.35

million, while the cost of sales appreciated marginally by 5.33 per cent to N1.40 billion from N1.33 billion.

However, turnover saw 4.03 per cent increase to N2.43 billion compared to N2.33 billion recorded in corresponding period of 2011.

Other highlights of the results showed that net assets went up to N3.18 billion from N3.15 billion, representing 0.89 per cent increase, while fixed assets nose-dived by 1.72 per cent from N4.72 billion in 2011 to N4.64 billion.

Vanguard recalls that the Chairman, Rtd Lieutenant General, Theophilus Danjuma, had bailed out the company from N1.3 billion loan facility owned some banks.

The move, according to the shareholders that unanimously moved for the bailout at the last general, was to save the pharmaceutical company from perpetually repaying interest on loans.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012 — 23

Budget 2013: Okonjo-Iweala’s fresh push for transparent, full budget implementation

BY EMMA UJAH, Abuja Bureau Chief

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HE Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Wednesday, last week submitted the Fiscal Framework for the 2013 Federal Government, four and a half months to the end of the year. It was the first time that the federal executive would start its budget process at that level this early. It also indicated a clear statement by Dr. Okonjo-Iweala that she indeed means to deliver the 2013 budget early and pursue a transparent implementation of the federal budget, next year.

According to the minister, her team is working round the clock to ensure that the budget proposal is presented to the National Assembly next month.

Highlights of 2013 budgets are : projected revenue 2013 - N3.891 trillion; projected expenditure 2013 - N4.929 trillion; Oil price Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Benchmark: $ 75 pbl- (Bonny Light currently hovers around $93 the legislators referred to as -$95 pbl); Oil output: 2.35 million “abysmal” budget performance.

Some claimed the executive has bpd; Deficit - 2.17 per cent The 2013 Budget is her first implemented a mere 21 per cent budget in her second coming, to date. Some said 30 per cent. since the process for the 2012 But the Minister of Finance has budget had indeed begun before cleared the air, putting performance at about she assumed office last 41.3 as at the end of year.

An early June. presentation of the In her presentation budget to the national to the Federal Assembly and a Executive council, she subsequent early To help declared stated that passage of the achieve this the priorities of next Appropriation Bill will year’s budget will be: be critical to the level central job creation, of the performance of objective, a infrastructure, the budget. In the security, increase in past, the practice was key to sent the budget late proposal of capital budget and prudent management to the legislature, of the economy. followed by a squabble the Fiscal This indicates that over its content Strategy the 2013 budget will between the executive and the law makers Paper is the essentially be a before it is eventually continuation continuation of the this year’s budget, a passed. Even after the strategy which is budget had been of the critical for an orderly passed, disputes downward implementation of usually emerge over trend in programmes and the inclusion of a series projects earlier of projects and items recurrent captured in the by the legislature. expenditure administration’s This is perhaps it is most appropriate for and upward development agenda.

“The highlights of Dr. Okonjo-Iweala to trend in the budget, the first is consult with the that we are working legislature well- capital enough on the fiscal expenditure on the basis of crude oil production framework, even projection of 2.53 before present the million barrels a day, detailed budget for against 2.48 million passage. barrels a day in 2012 Poor budget and benchmark price implementation has become a subject of serious face- of $75 a barrel against $72 a barrel off between the National in 2012”, the minister told the Assembly, especially the House president and her colleagues in of Representatives and President the cabinet. The parameters Goodluck Jontahan, with the adopted by the minister for the former threatening to impeach the 2013 budget can be described as latter. There have been various modest, considering the figures quoted to indicated what uncertainties at the international

global economy. The economies of most developed nations of the world, and especially the consumers of Nigeria’s crude oil are struggling to keep their heads above the waters and therefore a cautious oil income projection is necessary to avoid a deep shock should the global economic performance worsen further.

It is in line with this consideration that the decision to put oil price benchmark at $75 per barrel can better be appreciated. The 2013 price is only a $ 3-increase above this year’s $72 pbl. Indeed this year’s budget benchmark had to be reduced to $72 when it became apparent that oil prices did not stand the chances of increasing.

Increasing capital vote According to the minister, “fundamentally, the focus of the Federal Government’s proposals on Budget 2013 as reflected in the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and the Fiscal Strategy Paper is that the budget should make practical impact on the areas that matter most to the Nigerian people – job creation, power supply, roads, rail, other infrastructure and, of course, agriculture.

“To help achieve this central objective, a key proposal of the Fiscal Strategy Paper is the continuation of the downward trend in recurrent expenditure and upward trend in capital expenditure. Specifically, recurrent expenditure will decline from 71.47% in 2012 to 68.66% in 2013 and continue to decline in the medium-term.

Within the same period, capital expenditure is expected to rise from 28.53% in 2012 to 31.34% in

2013 and will continue in like manner in the medium-term.”

If indeed, the strategy of increasing the amount of money available for capital expenditure is to be realized then the ongoing bio-metric data capturing of all government employees must be carried to its logical conclusion, in spite of distractions fuelled by the corrupt people who have for many decades, benefitted from the pay-roll corruption.

The Task force with the mandate to clean up the federal government pay-roll has been unable to achieve the task with the speed required of it owing to deliberate efforts to stop it or at least distract it.

Ghost workers have been discovered in almost all Ministries, Departments and Agencies so far covered by the exercise, with about N200 billion saved from what would have gone into the pockets of corrupt civil servants. No one knows the exact number of Nigerians in the employ of the federal government as the keeping the public in the dark serves the purpose of those who benefit from the rot.

Debt management: Even though the joint World BankIMF low-income country debt sustainability analysis, DSA, says that Nigeria remains at a low risk of debt distress and that in the baseline scenario and in the case of the standardized stress tests, Nigeria’s debt outlook remains robust, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala cannot but keep her eyes on the nation’s debt profile.

The creation of a sinking fund of N25 billion yearly to accumulate money for paying off bonds is commendable but the volume of borrowing from the bond market should be reduced with a view to further reducing

the domestic debt stock. If there must be borrowing, at all, the minister, working with the Debt management Office, DMO, has to pay particular attention to the activities of state governments to avoid borrowing from the capital market for projects that are not clearly bankable.

Prudent resource management: In spite of the pressure from the legislature and MDAs for the release of funds, it is extremely important for the minister to ensure that the nation’s resources are managed prudently and transparently while ensuring priority is given to the key growth sectors of the economy and national security. This is particularly critical at the year gradually moves to the end with heightened spending by the MDAs in their bid to exhaust their budgetary allocations. The Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, has a major role to play in this regard. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, must resist the attempt by the MDAs to stampede her and the BPP into releasing funds for contracts that fail to meet laid down procedure as outlined by the BPP Act. It is better not to attain 100 per cent budget implementation if it will be to siphon public money into private pockects.

Budget implementation Similarly, President Jonathan doesn’t need to worry himself about threats by any legislator(s) over the administration’s inability to achieve 100 per cent budget implementation. Nigerians know better than to expect a 100 per cent budget performance when the budget was passed by the National Assembly at a time in the year when the entire first quarter had been lost.

Expectations from the National Assembly: Perhaps now is the time for the law makers to prove their earnest desire for a 100 per cent budget implementation. They can pass the Approptiation Bill latest December and then get the president to sign it into law. By so doing, we can have a budget which implementation begins on January 1, 2013. When this happens, even the president will know that no excuse would be tenable because he owes it a duty to mobilize the entire executive towards complying with the BPP process, in full, to enable his administration create a record of a full budget implementation.

The law makers should also resist the temptation of “helping” MDAs to increase their allocations from what the executive presents through the insertion of projects and programmes which were not originally captured and for which funds were not allocated from available revenue as such could distort the budget. There is equally a need for the legislators to tone down on their insistence on constituency projects which often creates conflict between them and the executive.

24—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

Oil theft: Tompolo’s firm acquires 12 armoured boats worth N1.9bn

BY GODWIN ORITSE

F

OLLOWING the re newed fight against crude oil theft , Global West Vessels Specialist has acquired 12 brand new amoured patrol boats to further boost the firm’s moves against the activities of crude oil thieves.

Speaking at the launching of the boats in Lagos, Global West Managing Director, Captain Romeo Itima, said that the boats are the best in their class.

The launch of the boats also coincided with the visit of the members of the House of Representatives Committee on Marine Transport who were at the Headquarters of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for their oversight function.

Itima stated that the deployment of these boats would definitely eliminate or reduce the percentage of the nation’s crude oil to thieves who have formed a cartel.

Although, Itima was silent on the cost of the boats, he, however, stated that the first four boats namely ‘NIMASA Port-Harcourt’ , ‘NIMASA Lagos’, ‘NIMASA Burutu” and ‘ NIMASA Warri’ were still being test run as at the time of filling this report.

One of the Spaniards told Vanguard that each of the boats with all the gadgets mounted on it cost about E900,000 .00 that is about N168million.

The Spanish made vessels are also to be militarised for efficient survey of the nation’s coastal and territorial waters.

Already, the Spaniards who came with the boats to Nigeria have also concluded plans to train some Nigerians on the effective and efficient manning of the boats. Vanguard, however, gathered that most of the boys being trained to man the boats were former foot soldiers of the Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND).

Each of the boats has an engine capacity of 1,200 horse power and can go 50 nautical miles into the sea and has a sitting capacity of about 12 passengers.

Itima disclosed that a total

A

CALL has been made for the establishment of a specialized pan African financial institution, dedicated to infrastructure and skills development in the continent’s maritime, as well as the oil and gas sectors.

Various speakers at the recently held 2nd Africa Shipping and Oil Roundtable in Ghana’s capital city of Accra, described as unacceptable the present state of maritime and energy infrastructure in the continent despite the huge revenue being generated each year from oil production and its support services including shipping.

The two day event with the theme “Sustainable Local Content Development in Africa’s Shipping and Oil Industry” was attended by high level government functionaries and leading players involved in shipping, oil and gas, logistics, trade and banking across Africa.

Guest of Honour and Gha-

sale of crude oil but it would add value to the economy.

Vanguard, however, gathered that the purchase of the boats were funded

through a bank facility from a maritime friendly bank in Nigeria. The purchase of the boats is the part of the N16billion maritime secu-

rity contract awarded to former militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Alia tompolo) by the federal government.

l-r: Capt. Promise Dappa, Commander of NIMASA’s Maritime Guard Command, Hajia Lami Tumaka, Deputy Director in charge Public Affairs and Jargo Bulama, Director of Planning, Research and Statistics at a press briefing on the arrest of 10 suspected pirates in Lagos yesterday.

Agents should get a percentage of revenue collected for government — Shittu

BY GODFREY BIVBERE

T

HE Federal Government has been called upon to grant a percentage of all revenue col-

Experts seek special funding for Africa’s shipping, oil industry

BY VICTORIA EDEMA & MOHAMMED MAIMUNA

of 27 boats are to be acquired at the end of the entire project, adding that government will not only get more revenue from the

na’s Transport Minister, Alhaji Dauda Collins, commended the initiators of the roundtable and described it as a laudable platform for industry stakeholders to brain storm and put together ideas that would lay a strong foundation for local content development, enhance skills and build industrial capacity, which in turn will spur economic and better living standards. The Minister in his keynote remarks spoke on the need for oil producing African countries to develop and push through local content policy, to maximize the benefits of a depleting resource like oil to the country, her people and future generations.

In his words, “we are challenged now more than ever before to enforce the local content policy, come up with good legislations and robust guidelines, he concluded. experience and put in place strong regulatory framework and guidelines to protect their marine ecosystem from exploitation and abuse.

lected as duty on her behalf to clearing agents as a way of curbing corruption at the ports.

In an exclusive chat with Vanguard in Lagos, a front line freight forwarder and Chief Executive Officer of Shiba Services Ltd, Babatunde Shittu, said that corruption would be greatly reduced if government should give agents certain percentage of revenue collected.

Shittu who was part of the executive course organized by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), explained that such action would reduce

the temptation for clearing agents to cut corners on behalf of their principles.

According to him, “Like I mentioned earlier, for every duty, every tax collected for the government and I want to widen it, not only the government, even the money collected on behalf of Terminal Operators, on behalf of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), on behalf of Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), they are supposed to give (clearing) agents a percentage because we are collecting these money for them.”

Reminded that agents get

paid by their principles and by his demand should be asking for too much, he pointed out that what they get from their importers is for the service that they have rendered and stressed that without them making honest declaration, government would continue to loss revenue.

He noted that no agents would want to cut corner if he knows that he would get a percentage of every job handled. In his words, “Take for example, if I handle a job which has duty of say N100 million and I know that I will get, lets say, five percent of that amount which is N5

FOU zone ‘Á’ records 267 seizures in six months

BY JIMOH BABATUNDE

T

HE Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, Lagos of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in the month of June made 267 seizures worth N107, 029, 420 ( One hundred and seven million, twenty nine thousand , four hundred twenty naira), just as a total of N6, 942, 917 was also made in the month.

Customs Area Controller (CAC), FOU, Zone A, Ikeja, Lagos, Comptroller Dan

Ugo, who made this disclosure while receiving the members of the Lagos State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), said the seizures made from eight suspects included poultry products .

He said the seized items had duty paid value (DPV) of N129,998,560 of which N22, 969,140 was the payable duty , adding that the destroyed poultry products were worth N25.2 million .

The destruction of the items, which are high on the Import Prohibition List

(IPL) periodically reviewed by the Federal Ministry of Finance and enforced by the Customs High Command, followed what NCS called a “massive seizure” of over 6,000 cartons of assorted poultry products.

He explained that the command had no choice other than to ensure strict compliance with the marching order of the Customs Comptroller General, Alhaji Inde Dikko Abdullahi, and his management team on zero tolerance for impor

million, why should I want to cut corners for the importer?“ On the domination of the freight forwarding business by foreigners, Shittu explained that it is because Nigerian operators lack technical knowledge.

He said that most Nigerian operators limit themselves to clearing and forwarding aspect of the business and therefore lost out on the bigger picture where the money is.

According to the Shiba Services Ltd, “Our international partners sometimes find it difficult to use the facilities of the local agents because they believe that they are not well equipped.

He, however, stressed that the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) has commenced the training of registered practitioners as the first step to empowering them with the necessary knowledge to enable them compete effectively with their foreign counterparts.

He explained that the Council has commenced training for CEO’s of all the registered freight forwarding companies, at the end of which it would then be extended to staff of these companies.

He noted that, “Now we are more equipped, more empowered through the training.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012—25

APPOINTMENT & PROMOTION

vicahiyoung@yahoo.com 08033348923

Okwechime, Duke now UBA Directors

Mrs. Rose Ada Okwechime

U

NITED Bank of Africa, UBA, Plc, has appointed of Mrs. Rose Ada Okwechime and Mrs. Owanari Duke into the Group’s board.

The appointments, made at a meeting of the Board of Directors held in China, recently bring to four the number of women on the Board of the Bank.

A statement by Charles Aigbe, Divisional Head, Marketing & Corporate Relations Directorate, said the appointment had received the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Okwechime is the Managing Director of Abbey Building Society; a multi-billion naira mortgage institution. She has served as a public company director for over 20 years and her experience of the financial services industry includes service at the Bank of England.

Mrs. Okwechime was formerly a Non-Executive Director on the Boards of Standard Trust Bank Plc and United Bank for Africa Plc. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria; the Chartered Institute of Bankers, London; the Institute of Brand Management; the Institute of Di-

Mrs. Owanari Duke rect Marketing of Nigeria and member of the Institute of Directors of Nigeria.

Duke is the former First Lady of Cross River State of Nigeria and a legal practitioner, a specialist in mediation and dispute resolution and philanthropist. She has been the Managing Partner of the Law Firm of Duke & Bob-Manuel and also the Executive

Chairman of Allied Merchants & Brokers Limited.

She is a Member of the Board of UNCTAD (United Nations Centre for Trade & Development) and the Country Director of EMPRETEC Nigeria Foundation; an UNCTAD Private Sector Support Initiative to assist Nigerians achieve higher levels of productivity and competitiveness among Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises SMEs. Mrs. Duke graduated from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, with LLB Hons in 1983 and a BL at Nigerian Law School, Lagos in 1984.

“We welcome these further distinguished members to our Board and look forward to benefiting from their wealth of experience, as we continue to provide the required leadership and drive to grow shareholder value and delivering on our objective of being a leading African financial services institution” said Chief. I C Ogbue, Chairman, UBA Board of Directors.

Lion Yovnne, wife of the District Governor, Lion Clubs District 404a; the District Governor Lion Clubs, Sam Ekpuk with his insignias of office, the gong and gravel and Lion Kola Oyekanmi, the immediate past DG after the presentation of Ekpuk as the new District Governor 404a of Lion Clubs in Port Harcourt.

20 young Nigerians graduate from LEA T

HE Lions Enterprise Academy, LEA, of Lions Clubs District 404a, has graduated 20 young Pilots in Nigeria to support the Investment Road Show by the

Aviation Minister, Stella Uduah, to attract foreign investors to the aviation sector.

The 20 Nigerians were presented with their Certificates in a ceremo-

Kaigama elected ASCSN President

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Mr. Bobboi Kaigama

SSOCIATION of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, has elected Mr. Bobboi Kaigama as its new President for the next four years.

At the association’s conference in Lagos, 11 others were elected into various positions of the new executive.

In an acceptance speech, the new president pledged to render selfless service and take the Union to a higher level and expressed appreciation to the delegates for the confidence reposed in the newly elected members of the Central Working Committee, CWC, of the Union and assured them that the new execu-

tive would work to protect and enhance the interest of members at the Federal and 36 State Public Services in the country.

Kaigama emphasized that in the election that ushered in the new National Officers of the Association, there were no winners and no losers because the Union was one indivisible family.

“Those who lost in the election should therefore not feel bitter because their participation has deepened democracy in the Association and they are still part and parcel of our great Union,” he added.

He commended the immediate past National

Leadership of the Union and those before it for building a formidable Association.

The ASCSN President assured representatives of Senior Staff Associations at the Conference that the Association would continue to play a leading role in the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) to ensure that the Labour Centre became more formidable.

He stressed the need for unity among Labour Leaders in the country to enable them to continue to protect the interest of Nigerian workers and other underprivileged groups in the country.

20 Nigerians, 11 organizations get NP Awards P

RESIDENT Good luck Jonathan will today confer National Productivity Award to twenty Nigerians and 11 organisations.

Among the recipients of the award is Lady Sandra Aguebor-Ekperuoh of the Lady Mechanic Initiative.

Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Eme-

ka Wogu, who announced this in Abuja, said the development was in line with the directive of the Federal Government which had, at the launch of Operation Excellence in Service on February 21, 1990, declared that 21stday of February of every year be observed as National Productivi-

ty Day, NPD. “This declaration was further given a further boost when National Policy on Productivity for Nigeria was approved by the Federal Executive Council in February this year. A key point in the policy is the declaration of a day to be celebrated as National Productivity Day simultaneously all

over the country ”, he said.

“A major component of the NPD is the National Productivity Order of Merit Award, NPOMA, which is an award of honour and dignity conferred on the most productive organisations and individuals in Nigeria”, the minister added.

He said 236 individu-

als and organisations had so far received the award between 1991 and 2009.

Chief Wogu noted that no nation could enhance the quality of life of its citizenry as well as be self reliant and competitive in the international market without productivity improvement in all sectors of its economy.

ny where Mr. Austin Wokocha, the Rivers State Commissioner for Power and Energy, represented Governor Rotmi Amaechi as the Special Guest of Honour.

The ceremony held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was witnessed by Wayne Madden, the International President of Lions clubs, who was on a visit to the District.

Samuel Ekpuk, the District Governor, explained that the Academy was a career building school designed to provide training in entrepreneurship and basic career skills to young graduates.

“The goal is to make the graduates of the Academy employable and sufficiently resourceful to start small businesses and support them to grow,” he said.

The Academy, whose courses took place at the premises of The Adolescent Programme near Port Harcourt, is part of an ambitious youth development/ empowerment programme earmarked for implementation by Ekpuk during his one year tenure.

The primarily aim of the programme according to Ekpuk, was to ensure that at least 100 graduating Leos were gainfully employed and over 100,000 young people engaged in service activities.

According to him “These will be done through many activities and projects like the Academy.

26—Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

A

S the tension in the power sec tor and fear of a nationwide in dustrial action over the Federal Government deployment of armed soldiers to Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN’s, installations and unresolved labour issues ahead of government privatization of PHCN, Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, SSAEAC, has petitioned Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power and his House of Representatives counterpart, stating its side in the quagmire.

SSAEAC in a 7-page petition by President-General and General Secretary of SSAEAC, Bede Opara and Abiodun Ogunsegha and copied the Minister of Labour and Productivity, lamented that after 15 months of negotiation, about 95% payments of all outstanding monetization arrears of PHCN workers, renegotiation of outstanding 137% salary increase of 2009 leading to a compromise increase of 50% out of the 137% as final settlement of that outstanding agreement implementation and regularization of ‘casuals’ in the employment of PHCN employment were partially achieved. According to the petition, severance pay, gratuity and superannuation fund are three major unresolved issues.

Severance Pay: SSAEAC explained that severance was compensation for involuntary and sudden loss of job and the Condition of Service of PHCN (2010 edition) provided that Severance should be negotiated. The Association noted that “We submitted to negotiations based on this provision and the government proposed on last day of negotiation payment of 20% of sum of gratuity and pensions.

Operating condition of service The unions submitted that they would only discuss this 20% proposal when the component of gratuity and pension are determined using the operating Condition of Service. This is a provision of Condition of Service which requires that both sides must give notice or pay compensation of specific issue of notice to the other party.

In this case, all workers are entitled to 3 months salary in-lieu of notice, payable as part of the terminal benefits.

Gratuity: On gratuity SSAEAC said it “is end-of-service (Terminal) benefit provided for in the PHCN Condition of Service (2010 Edition). It is graduated for payment in accordance with employees’ length of service and rank. It is a worldwide practice payable to reward long service of employees who were not relieved of employment due by dismissal. The Unions were vehement in requesting for the payment of gratuity to all staff at this point of involuntary disengagement. The union therefore finds it preposterous that government claims that Pension Reform Act 2004 does not permit gratuity payment as in PHCN Condition of Service. Please note that the Act is Pension Reform Act and not Pension and Gratuity Reform Act.” PENSION; the NEPA/PHCN Superannuation fund: According to the association, “since the inception of NEPA, it established the superannuation fund as a contributory Pension Scheme for the employees. Over time 25% of Staff pay was earmarked to be paid by the Management of the Authority into the Fund, as provision for retirement benefits. This Fund is managed by a Board of Trustees where Management representative is chairman of

BITS FG, PHCN face-off: Senior staff petition N-Assembly •Over deployment of soldiers and other issues Board. With the Superannuation Fund there was no problem with payments to retirees even those who retired recently were paid their entitlements as defined by the Condition of Service. At a point the Government depended on this Fund to pay salaries of its personnel.

Superannuation Fund Problem: Giving detail of problems of the superannuation fund, the petition said “the Scheme was under-funded by Management as the appropriate money earmarked for remittance to the Fund as withheld from staff were not paid but Management at different times only remitted amounts grossly less than the expected sum to the Fund. Among other reasons, the shortage of fund accruable to the Fund could be responsible for the inadequate funding of the Superannuation due to the followings: The Authority/ PHCN continued to witness inadequate internally generated revenue mainly because of unrealistic low tariff. This is because Government restricted PHCN then from increasing tariff despite the push by both Management of PHCN and the Labour Unions. Government claimed supply of electricity was a social service.”

“The cost of production of power was high relative to selling price of Power. There were several increases in the purchase price of gas from Independent Power Producers, IPP, but these were never reflected on selling price of Power. For instance at a time the unit was N14.00 from IPP, PHCN was made to sell same at N6.00 Therefore internally generated revenue was no longer adequate to sustain constant remittance to Superannuation Fund more so 60% of PHCN Power Stations are gas fired without commensurate tariff to recover cost of gas and other inputs. Several increases in price of petrol and gas heavily weighed on the cost of operations in PHCN. It was in realization of the pitiable condition that the Government actions inflicted on the flow of money into the Superannuation Fund that the Government of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo instructed that non-core assets of PHCN to be released to the Fund, to meet its funding obligations.”

Funds to meet obligations “Since Government interfered with and prevented PHCN to generate enough fund to meet its obligations including remittance to Superannuation Fund, it is logical for Government to make up for the loss revenue and fund fully the underpayment of the Superannuation Fund. The Superannuation Fund had been operating in a manner that makes its payment to retirees easy. It pays in small ranches, such that it always has enough funds for payment.

However, now that all workers are required to leave at once due to proposed liquidation of original employer (NEPA/PHCN), the mode of payment of the Fund also changed. Government should therefore make up for the excess fund needed to sort out the employees exit. This is a fundamental expectation to liquidate labour liabilities before forcefully liquidating PHCN/NEPA.” Way forward: Proffering panacea to the

imbroglio, SSAEAC said “Government should pay gratuity to all as In accordance with provision of the Staff Condition of Service reviewed in 2010. Pay severance as proposed (20% of sum of pension and gratuity) once the value of gratuity/Pension is correctly computed as stipulated in the operating Condition of Service, 2010.

Calculate the pension liabilities of each worker as defined in the Condition of Service towards complying with PRA 2004.

Pay the shortfall into the Superannuation fund towards transforming it to Closed Pension Fund Administrator (CPFA) or for crediting PFA of choice of workers.

“Since all the 18 Successor Companies may not be sold and handed over at the same time, payment of these end-of-service benefits could be made company by company using the agreed format for all.

For instance, TCN can be settled now when an agreement is reached, since the Management Contractor has been appointed while the others follow when they are sold.

Conclusion of all payments as above, including issuing associated ‘documents to all exiting staff. It is our believe that when TCN and all the others are paid this way, they will be able to operate freely without any labour hangover, more so that TCN is an integral part of PHCN that is to be liquidated in line with the Electricity Reform Act.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012— 27

ASSBIFI, ex-bankers trade words over severance pay STORIES BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

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HE Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insusrance and Financial Institutions, ASSBIFI, and the disengaged staff of the Mainstreet Bank are trading words over the severance benefits of the ex-bankers.

While the 800 retrenched workers who were retrenched on June 22, are accusing ASS-

BIFI of compromise, for their inability to get their terminal benefits paid since their retrenchment, ASSBIFI, dismissed the ex-workers’ allegation, advising against lawlessness and to follow due process in the pursuit of their demands.

It will be recalled that Management of the bank had last June sacked aggrieved staff

despite the directive by the labour ministry to the bank to maintain status quo pending the resolution of dispute between the bank and the union in the sector.

Since then, the workers claimed no terminal benefits had been paid to them except the one month basic salary of less than N50,000, paid to each of them in lieu of notice after more than 25 years of serving the bank and its predecessor and benefactor, Afribank Nigeria Plc. The aggrieved ex-workers have been protesting the alleged injustice and had staged peaceful protest at different places including ASSBIFI and Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Lagos Council, secretar-

iats.

The protesting at the NUJ secretariat, the ex-workers led

by Mr. Nwajei Christopher, accused ASSBIFI of compromise and for slowing down negotiation process..

They threatened to disrupt the operations of the bank if it failed to pay their severance allowance within seven days.

Reacting to the protest, Salako advised the aggrieved workers to follow due process in the pursuit of their demands.

He said the issue was not peculiar to Mainstreet Bank adding that the union was doing its best to solve the problem, but will not deviate from following due process.

The ASSBIFI president, who

noted that some other banks had equally downsized, wondered why the workers believe that the union has compromised on the issue of Mainstreet.

“Is it the only bank that can make the union compromise?

What is the peculiarity of this on,´ he asked.

He said ASSBIFI will not condone lawlessness, stressing that the disengaged staff should allow the union to perform its duties as stipulated by the law.

He also said they should build on public confidence, adding that mass protest without exploring other necessary avenues would amount to eroding public confidence.

Pensioners seek sack of Pension Reform Task Force team T

Cross section of pensioners defying the downpour during a peaceful protest against nonpayment of their entitlements at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida

,

HE opposition against the Abdulrasheed Maina led Pension Reform Task Force, PRTF, Team, has remained unabated and appears to be thickening by the day.

This time around, it is the federal civil service Pensioners that are demanding for its sack.

This came on the day the National Pension Commission, PenCom,announced that President Goodluck Jonathan released the sum N34 billion for the commission to pay qualified federal government retirees whose pension has been outstanding.

PenCom said the approval for payment of pensioners followed the recommendation of the Co-coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, on the submission made by the Commission to the Government on the status of the account and the huge deficit therein.

Besides some of the aggrieved para-military and other Federal retirees who had called for the disbandment of PRTF, it will be recalled that the Senate Joint Committee On Establishment, and Public Service; State and Local Governments had in early July called for the dissolution of the Pension Reform Team, and arrest and prosecution of members of the Team after investigating it.

Last week, the Joint Committee of Association of Federal Pensioners who took to the street to demand for the payment of their pension allowances, called for the dissolution of the PRTF team.

The pensioners, who gathered outside the office of the

We request for the dissolution of this pension task force while immediate consideration is given for the creation of a civilian pensions board

,

Head of Service at the Federal Secretariat, chanted “Maina must go” and displayed several placards to back up

their demands, lamenting that the task force had failed the pensioners and inflicted hardships on them unnecessarily.

Chairman of the committee, James Bassey while calling for the dissolution of PRTF, argued that it had created more problems for the pensioners instead of solving them.

He said “ we request for the dissolution of this pension task force while immediate consideration is given for the creation of a civilian pensions board.”

Bassey contended that the management of the defunct Pay As You Go scheme by the Office of the Head of Service, HOS, of the Federation was inefficient and cumbersome, demanding that the payment

of the pension be placed under the Civilian Pension Board in line with the provisions of Pension Reform Act, PRA, of 2004.

However, the leadership of PRTF, was quoted to have explained that the payment of arrears was delayed due to the fact that it decided to pay it in batches after thoroughly vetting their claims.

FG approves N34bn for payment of retirees’ benefits PenCom in a statement by Emeka Onuora, its , Communication Unit, said that the Federal Government has, consistently and religiously, been setting aside 5 per cent of its total monthly wage bill

into the Retirement Bond Redemption Account with the Central bank of Nigeria for the settlement of the accrued pension rights of its employees since the commencement of the Contributory Pension Scheme as required by the Pension Reform Act, 2004.

The statement said “the government pension Account has been overstretched in recent years with the upsurge of retirements from the Federal Civil Service occasioned by the tenure policy, voluntary retirements and thousands of unredeemed death benefit claims resulting into heavy back log of arrears that cannot be accommodated due to paucity of Funds in the Account, giving rise to untold hardship to these people, this special positive intervention by Mr. President would go a long way in settling those outstanding payments to those categories of beneficiaries and alleviating their sufferings”.

“The Commission would like to commend Mr. President’s magnanimity and deep sympathy to the plight of the retirees and Next of Kins of deceased employees of the Federal Government as glaringly manifested by promptly and graciously granting approval for this amount to be released to settle those arrears. Our appreciation also goes to the Coordinator for the Economy and Hon. Minister of Finance for her continued support to pension reform and commitment in addressing the plight of the retirees. Our special thanks go to the thousands of retirees and NOKs of deceased employees for their patience and understanding with the Commission during this trying period.”

28—Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

*Cross section of St. Augustine Secondary School, Ebonyi State, winner of Milo Secondary School Basketball Championship, during the grand slam of 14th Milo Secondary Schools Basketball Championship held at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. Photo: Bunmi Azeez

Minister calls for co-operation between tertiary institutions, others

BY EBELE ORAKPO tertiary Nigerian institutions can no longer continue on their solo trip. No institution can be an island unto itself and expect to succeed in today’s global village. This was the thrust of the lecture delivered by the Minister of Power, Professor Bart Nnaji at the maiden graduation of Ronik Polytechnic, Lagos.

Prof. Nnaji who was conferred with the Fellowship of the Polytechnic, said although he had left the academia for a while in order to contribute his quota to the resolution of the perennial electricity crisis in Nigeria, he still considers higher education his

LASU SUG ELECTION: Who wears the presidential cap?

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primary constituency.

Crisis in higher education in Nigeria Acknowledging that higher education in Nigeria is in deep crisis, Nnaji said before the crisis became pronounced, Prof.

Chinua Achebe had in an interview published in Sunday Concord Newspaper in 1984,

called national attention to the impending crisis. Unfortunately, the nation paid him no attention.

The late Dr. Pius Okigbo in his convocation lecture at the University of Lagos in 1992 entitled Crisis in the Temple, noted the severe and fundamental crisis in the Nigerian university system.

Okigbo lamented that even university authorities were no more interested in honouring men and women of knowledge and integrity but in men and women of wealth and power. In the same vein, former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Professor Chukwuma Soludo said that up to 90 per cent

of higher education graduates were not employable.

Only recently, the Minister of Finance and Co-ordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, noted that graduates from the country’s higher institutions of learning were not employable.

“It is regrettable that the situation has not changed. If anything, it has worsened. Let us look around us, and we shall see how vice-chancellors and others are running around state governors across the country with honorary doctorates. So, we do really have a crisis of values and vision at different levels in our academic institutions.

“Against this backdrop, the nation cannot but commend President Jonathan for recently advising the governing councils, vice- chancellors and rectors of tertiary education in Nigeria against further commercialization of honorary doctorates and fellowships,” said Nnaji.

Supreme irony: Going down memory lane, Prof.

Nnaji described the crisis in the universities as a supreme irony.

He said: “By 1960 when Nigeria attained independence, most villages and whole communities in the country had no university graduates. Still, the few products of the University College, Ibadan, were competing favourably with their counterparts from Oxford, Cambridge, London, etc. But decades later when education has supposedly spread everywhere in Nigeria, products of local universities are anything but inspiring.” He noted that Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Professors Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, JP Clark, Akin Mabogunje, Anya O. Anya, Iya Abubakar, Alex Animalu, Jibril Aminu and other world class scholars were all products of Nigerian universities.

“Can the current university Continues on page 31

WAEC 2012: Nigeria performs better than Ghana, The Gambia

BY AMAKA ABAYOMI, DAYO ADESULU & LAJU ARENYEKA lthough the overall performance leaves more to be desired, statistics of the recently

released May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) by West African Examination Council (WAEC) still put Nigeria ahead of other countries, especially

NUC confronts rot in private univer sities universities

Winner 12 Winnerss of 20 201 Mobil/S Mobil/STTAN science quiz emerge

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Ghana.

Of the 1,672,224 candidates who sat for this year ’s May/ June WASSCE in Nigeria, only 649,156 (38.81 per cent) obtained credit in five subjects, including English and

Water hyacinth: From pest to wealth ——

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Mathematics, a 37.27 per cent increase over 2011’s result.

Out of the 7,847 candidates from 66 senior secondary schools that registered for 32 subjects in the 2012 WASSCE, Continues on page 35

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012 — 29

Customs boss seeks review of Free Trade Zone policy

standard goods could be packaged and exported

C

BY LAZARUS IBEABUCHI & MAIMUNA MOHAMMED

USTOMS boss seeks review of Free Trade Zoneomptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Alhaji Dikko Inde Abdullahi, has decried the vulnerability of the Free Trade Zone, FTZ to illicit activities, saying that lack of controls over imports into the zones, has helped in small measure in promoting smuggling.

He said this affects the

level of security of intellectual property, supply chain and by extension economic security, adding that piracy will thrive conveniently in the zones without adequate control measures.

Speaking at a workshop on money laundering through FTZs, regulatory and supervisory challenges, in Lagos, Alhaji Dikko represented by Asst.

Comptroller of Custom, Mr. Victor Gbemudu, said “considering the peculiar location of FTZs, goods im-

ported into zones are not physically examined, thus making officers to rely on the· description in the accompanying documents.

Since these goods are not subject to usual customs controls, there is the danger of price and document manipulation.”

“Factories in the zones do not require an Entry of Premises, which is the permit to put them under Customs control for close supervision. As a result of this, goods of different description or even sub-

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into the customs territory without being detected.”

He said.

He said the enabling laws should therefore be reviewed, not only to give

NCS the right to control but also to exercise that right by devising appropriate strategies and implementing them systematically

Jonathan to commission Orange Drug soap factory in Onitsha

BY NAOMI UZOR

P

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, will this month, commission the new Orange Drug Limited (ODL) soap factory in Onitsha.

In a parley with pressmen, Plant Manager, ODL, Mr. Henshew Nwaorgu, said following the success of their factories in Lagos, ODL deemed it imperative

to deepen its investment by establishing a state of the art modern soap factory in Onitsha to be commissioned by President Jonathan on Thursday, 30th of August, 2012.

According to him, the plant was fully installed in April 2011 and trial test runs conducted in May 2012 with their technical teams from Germany and Italy as well other tested Nigerian Pro-

f e s s i o n a l s .

He said, “ODL Onitsha plant comprises of high tech and fully automated saponification process plant with twelve finishing lines.The concept is to produce locally, the basic raw materials “Soap Noodles” for our o w n internal consumption and sale to other companies in the same industry both within and outside Nigeria."

30 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

Our target is to facilitate US$20bn foreign investments into Nigeria annually — Nnabuife Mr. Chuck Nnabuife is the Board Chairman Nigeria-USA Chamber of Commerce (NUSSAC). He talked to VANGUARD on how the Chamber has been luring American investors to invest in the country beyond oil and gas sector. Excerpt:

W

HAT informed the need for this International Trade and Investment Summit?

The need for the summit is that in the U.S, Nigerians are the most educated immigrants so we have a lot of Nigeria professionals-Doctors, people that works in NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA is a United States government agency that is responsible for science and technology related to air and space).

When it comes to investment, Nigeria is still widely undeveloped.

So we decided that it is important to team up with those Nigerian professionals living in the U.S.A with American companies, bring them to Nigeria to develop business opportunities, trade and investment. In doing that, we train people and we empower them to start their own businesses and then provide goods and services as a tool for development.

What do you want to use the summit to achieve?

We want to use the summit to bring American investors to come to Nigeria and invest.

They have their own monies and training and a lot of American support systems through the U.S Export –Import bank, overseas products, investment cooperation, U.S. IT, and so many supports system that help American companies to invest in other countries.

Nigeria has a bilateral relationship with the U.S whereby the U.S government supports investments in Nigeria but a lot of Nigerians don’t know about all these. So, we are looking for American companies to come to Nigeria and invest and although the government can say all they wanted to say, yet people have to connect to each other. So we want to get Americans to connect

•Chuck Nnabuife with Nigerians, to come together to trust each other, to break the cultural divide so that they can do business together thereby, creating trade and investment.

What chances are there for American companies to survive in Nigerian business landscape?

The chances are already great; we have a lot of companies, big American companies that are in Nigeria but most of them are in the oil and gas in-

dustry. We are trying to bring them to invest in non-oil related industries, and one of our sponsors of this event, Bonnie Speed Logistics is into retail, import and export. Kenneth Hardy, the company’s CEO is here and has been doing business in Nigeria for three years. We have about ten American companies that are already doing business in Nigeria through our platform. So there are good chances for American companies to do well in Nigeria. We just have to encourage them, remove the fear factor, make them comfortable to meet good people they can trust and do business together.

What is the volume of investment your chamber has facilitated into Nigeria?

We have had close to 500 million to 1 billion US Dollar worth of private sector investments that have come into Nigeria through

our chamber within the last two years (2010/11). That is just a scratch on the surface. As existing American companies operate comfortably in the Nigerian system, more investors would come. Our target is to grow at 20 percent every year. We have exceeded that target. When we started in 2007, there were little or no investments but over the years, we have been able to attract a lot of small scale and medium scale American companies.

So our target is to facilitate 1520 billion dollars worth of private investments into Nigeria every year.

Is the above figure oil-based or non-oil?

It is non-oil products and services. If you are looking at oil related business, it runs into billions of dollars in value. The money came through people who are in small and medium business, people who are in construction, housing, healthcare, beauty and cosmetic, etc.

How many American companies participated in this year’s summit?

Last year, it was 200. This year, 250-350 registered for participation in the event. It’s an all day programme. It starts from morning till evening; so participants come and go.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012—31

Minister calls for co-operation between tertiary institutions, others Continued from page 30 system in Nigeria produce graduates of the international caliber of the people mentioned above? Why are Nigerian parents and guardians desperate to send their children and wards to not just the US, Britain or Canada, but Cyprus, Ghana and Tunisia and pay through their nose for tertiary education? "Why does the unwritten policy among Nigerian parents seem to be ‘Anywhere but Nigeria’ as far as higher education is concerned?” he asked.

Proffering solutions to the crisis so as to make higher education in Nigeria globally competitive, Nnaji recommended that courses like English/ Communication, Logic and Ethics, must be made compulsory in the first two years of undergraduate programme irrespective of a student’s area of specialisation. Then in the last two or three years, Human Resource Management, Marketing, Organisation Theories, Financial Accounting, International Business, Management & Cost Accounting, as well as Elements of Banking should also be made compulsory.

He said our education should prepare graduates for the real challenges in the larger society.

“A medical doctor requires a bit of management skills to run a hospital, just as communication skills will help him or her write a professional paper or prepare a persuasive memo if he or she is a director in the Ministry of Health.

In the US for instance, all university students study the same courses for the first two years.”

Better funding Nnaji said that better funding is not the major problem while harping on the need for tertiary institutions in Nigeria to be more creative, more aggressive and more business-like, without compromising academic integrity or excellence. The minister noted that higher institutions in the US derive immense revenues from their alumni and from research activities. Conversely, public institutions in Nigeria traditionally depend almost entirely on government for funds, which turn out to be mere handouts in relation to their huge and pressing financial needs. ”It is time our educational institutions encouraged their lecturers and others to conduct research for organisations in the private and public sectors, from which they can benefit financially.

“While teaching Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the universities of Massachusetts and

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*Minister of Power, Prof. Bart Nnaji Pittsburgh, I was greatly encouraged by my employers to do research work for the American Army, NATO, IBM, General Electric, etc. Even here in Nigeria, the late Prof. Oliver Mobisson, working as Director of the Industrial Development Centre at the Anambra (now Enugu) State University of Technology worked in collaboration with NITEL on the Eagle Project for the digitization

of the operations of the stateowned telecommunications giant. He also worked with the then Anambra State Ministry of Finance headquarters to conceive, build and develop a specialised computer for the ministry. The university benefited from the collaborative efforts. I am saying that the concept of the university as an ivory tower does not obtain any more. We are now in an era when Town and Gown are married,” he said.

Need for collaboration: "Collaboration among universities is in every person’s interest. I had the privilege of serving as Director of the US National Science Foundation Centre for e-Design at the University of Pittsburgh where I also served, first, as ALCOA Foundation Professor and, later, as William Kepler Whiteford Professor. The centre was made possible because it’s a collaborative effort involving the University of Massachusetts, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, University of Central Florida and the University of Pittsburgh, with

the US Air Force, Ford Motors, US Department of Defence, US Navy, US Army, Aluminum Company of America, KODAK, IBM and Boeing Corporation as member organisations. I hope to see collaborative efforts like this in our country someday.”

Nnaji believes that if these steps are taken to resolve the crisis in our tertiary institutions, then Black Africa will definitely count in the unfolding world scenario as regards the transformation of university education. “All of us have a duty to ensure that Africa is a major st part of 21 Century world history.

"The fear that collaboration with foreign universities will cost Nigerian universities their identity is unfounded. None of the institutions involved in such partnerships have lost their identity. Such partnerships rather help in the promotion of academic and cultural exchanges and in the deepening of international understanding. It is time for us to think global and act local,” he concluded.

NNPC/EEPNL train Geosciences lecturers

By DAYO ADESULU

I

n its commitment to the development of science education in Nigeria, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited(EEPNL), has conducted a five-day training programme for seven Nigerian universities under the University Assistance Programme (UAP) initiative.

The programme is aimed at developing indigenous human capacity in Nigerian universities, particularly in Geosciences, as a way of supporting youth development in the country.

The training programme tagged Train-The-Trainer Workshop, started on Monday, August 6, 2012 and ended Friday, August 10, 2012. The programme was designed to train Geosciences lecturers from the seven benefitting universities who will subsequently impart the knowledge gained on their students and other stakeholders.

Beneficiary universities of the UAP scheme were: University of Benin, Edo State; University of Calabar, Cross River State; University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State; Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun; Delta State University,Abraka; Niger-Delta University,Amasomma and

Educationist launches foundation

BY ONOZURE DANIA

A

n educationist and founder of Adams Adebola Educational Group, Adams College Oshodi, Lagos, Mr. Adebola Adams, has launched a foundation, Adams Education Foundation, to financially assist indigent youths in their quest for higher education.

Speaking during the launch, Adams said the core objectives of the Foundation are to assist students to achieve their academic dreams by encouraging handwork among them and creating healthy rivalry that would stamp out mediocrity and stem juvenile delinquency.

“The Foundation being inaugurated today had actually begun long before now. It’s just that the scholarship given to the numerous beneficiaries only came under an informal arrangement. It therefore shows that the launching of Adams Education Foundation is only to formalise what had been in existence.

“You will agree with me that Adams Education Foundation has come to effect changes so that our dream community will be devoid of hooliganism and other nameless vices. Sanity should be restored; academic woes should be dethroned while our academic environment should be awash with high-flyers that can walk tall anywhere in the world."

School raises education standard

BY EBUN SESSOU

*Dr. Lambert-Aikhionbare of Ehimade Nigeria Ltd; Dr. Mayowa Afe, MD, Danvic Concepts, Dr.Goodluck Adagbasa, Manager, Deepwater Production, Esso and Mr. Ahmed Abdullahi of NAPIMS during the train-the-trainer Geoscience workshop for university lecturers held in Benin City.

Akwa Ibom State University of Technology, MkpatEnin Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Goodluck Adagbasa, Manager, Deepwater Production, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, said,“The Train-The-Trainer workshop is inline with NNPC/EEPNL’s commitment to developing indigenous human capacity in Nigerian universities, particularly in the area of Geosciences.”

He added, “We want to help empower the graduates coming out of our universities to be able to compete in the marketplace with their counterparts from other parts of the world. It is our sincere hope and belief that the better the

output of the university, the more impact they will have on our business moving forward.”

In his remarks, Mr. Ahmed Abdullahi, Supervisor, Community Development, Public Affairs Department, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), representing the Manager, Public Affairs Department, NAPIMS, Mr. Kennie Obateru, noted that “Today’s initiative by NNPC/EEPNL is part of that continuous effort to ensure that we contribute to the development of the country and to the study of Geosciences, which is an important part of the oil and gas industry."

orried by the decline in standard of education W in the country, particularly with

the lack in personal interaction between students and teachers, Chairman of Buckswood School, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Oba Adedapo Tejuosho, has said that the school was ready to close the noticeable gaps.

Speaking with journalists in Abeokuta, he said that the school was introduced in Nigeria to afford children who do not have the privilege of studying abroad to gain the same quality of education compared to what is obtainable in Europe.

Head of Operation of the school, Mrs Chika Nmezi, who represented Adedapo Tejuosho, said children who want to continue their British schooling in Nigeria now have the privilege to do so, adding that, the school was a new and unique private school and an alternative for Nigerians who want their children to benefit from an education with traditional values and 21st Century goals, but close to home.

32—Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

LASU SUG ELECTION:

Who wears the presidential cap?

BY IKENNA ASOMBA & MUSBAUDEEN SHEKONI

B

arely nine weeks after the reinstatement of the students’ union government (SUG) in Lagos State University (LASU), Nigerian Universities Commission’s (NUC) recognised best State University in the country, is agog again with electoral activities that will see the election of leaders who will steer the affairs of the students for the 2012/2013 academic session.

Following the lifting of ban on campaigns by the Lagos State University Independent Electoral Committee (LASUIEC) led by Comrade Olajide Dawodu, candidates contesting for the coveted presidential seat of the union began to roll out the their drums ahead of the elections billed to hold today.

It will be recalled that at last year ’s election, Akeem Durojaiye emerged president ahead of five other aspirants, in a keenly contested presidential poll. This was without the gold-test debate platforms organised for aspirants for the first time in the history of Nigerian tertiary institutions.

Kudos must be given to the likes of LASU chapters of bodies such as the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Christian Community Fellowship (CCF) and the Association of Campus Journalists (ACJ), who held separate debate programmes for the candidates, thus creating an avenue for the over 70,000 students’ electorate to wisely vote their choice can-

Ibrahim Agbomeji didates, especially those with feasible manifestos.

However, this year, at the beginning of the race, there were five aspirants. They were: Maruf Ogungbo, immediate past President, Faculty of Education; Yaqub Eleto, former GeneralSecretary, L ASUL AWS; Ibrahim Agbomeji; who contested and lost as the Welfare Director last year. Others were Hammed Mustapha, former President, Faculty of Sciences and Ibrahim Owolabi, an active unionist from the Faculty of Management Sciences.

Sequel to the adoption of the m a n a g e m e n t ’ s recommendation as contained in paragraph 10, stipulating 3.00 as the minimum Cumulative Grade Point

Yaqub Eleto Average (CGPA) on a scale of 5.00, three of the aspirants were sent packing as they could not meet up the requisite 3.0 CGPA. Yaqub Eleto, Ibrahim Agbomeji and Ajibola Agoro, who joined at the nick of time, are now left in the race to be decided today.

Replicating the scene of a national election, before now, every nook and cranny of LASU and its immediate communities have been awash with campaign posters, fliers, banners and billboards of aspirants, bearing their photographs, various campaign inscriptions and slogans.

Towards the countdown to today’s decider, most student unionists and political observers are of the view that the LASU SUG has been gagged by authorities of the university, even though it has

been re-instated after the suspension placed on it by the university ’s Senate last November in the wake of students’ unrest to protest the 725 per cent tuition fees increment.

Tied to this, they have also described the absence of a physical SUG Arcade to house the offices of elected parliamentarians and executive cabinets as another gagging tool. The old Arcade was bulldozed last June to give way for the construction of a one-storey ultra-modern structure, which management has said would be completed in six months.

According to the ViceC h a n c e l l o r, Pr o f. J o h n Oladapo Obafunwa, this development is due to management’s efforts towards restructuring students’ unionism in the school.

Meet the shortlisted Presidential aspirants Ajibola Agoro, 300 Level Accounting student- was an acting President at the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Otto-Ijanikin(AOCOED).

His manifesto includes: an allencompassing welfare package (security, academic and social and health services), transparency, creating students’ interactive session to close the gap thereby giving room for development.

Ibrahim Agbomeji, 200 level Botany student- was the former public relations officer of the Faculty of Sciences. He was the former Treasurer of the Federation of Epe Division Students’ Association (FEDSA).

Seek legal advice before you buy the property.

I would strongly advise against your having pre-marital sex before the wedding day.

I will contact the First Lady to advise her husband to heed the advice of prominent Nigerians on the state of the nation.

Quell – Quench Quell and Quench are liable to be confused. The two words – quell and quench do not mean the same thing. Quell, according to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (New 7th Edition) means ‘(1) to stop something such as violent behaviour or protests (2) to stop or reduce strong or unpleasant feelings’.

In other words, to quell is ‘to suppress or pacify’. The synonyms of quell are ‘calm, put down, subdue, crush, quash, repress, control, overwhelm’. Quench means ‘to satisfy’ (e.g. to drink so that you no longer feel thirsty). It also means ‘to extinguish’ (e.g. to stop a fire from burning).

Advice – Advise Examples Advice and Advise are two different forms of the same word. The police were called in to quell the violence.

The noun advice means ‘an opinion; a suggestion; a recom- Firemen came to quench the flames raging through the buildmendation with regard to a course of action.’ The verb, advise, ing. means ‘to give or provide advice’. Do not confuse the noun Drink water to quench your thirst. with the verb form. zCONTINUES NEXT WEEK. Examples Send requests/problems to Gabriel Osoba, Ph.D, Department of English, Lagos You are advised to listen to your parents’ advice.

State University, Ojo, through Editor, Teach Yourself English, Vanguard NewspaDon’t ignore the advice of your teacher. pers, PMB. 1007, Apapa, Lagos, or email: editor@vanguardngr.com & Let me give you a piece of advice. gabosoba002@yahoo.co Follow your doctor’s advice.

Frequently Confused Words

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Yaqub Eleto, 400 level Law student is an active unionist.

He has NCE (Biology and Integrated Science) from Adeniran Ogunsanaya College of Education, Otto-Ijanikin (AOCOED). At AOCOED, he was the clerk of the student’s union. The former GeneralSecretary of Education Rights Campaign, is also the immediate past General-Secretary of LASU Law Students’ Society (LASU-LAWS).

Foundation helps teenagers discover purpose

BY ESTHER ONYEGBULA

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HE fourth edition of Teenagers summer retreat with the theme: Understanding purpose, was held recently at Dansol High School Agidingbi, Lagos. The two-day summit which had school children from different schools, was organised by Polished Pillars Foundation (PPF), a non-governmental organisation focused on helping young adults discover and understand their purpose in life.

The summit had several resource persons like Prof. O. A. Ogunmoyela from Bells University who declared the summit open, Mrs A. A Akinyemiju, proprietress, Dansol High School, Mr Austin Ibanga, Mrs Tinu Oye-Johnson, Mrs Dolapo Ayo-Ojo, Mrs Imabong Martins and Babatunde Idowu.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, the coordinator, Polished Pillars Foundation, Mrs. Chioma Emma-Nwachukwu, noted that the summit is aimed at building exemplary leaders by integrating the positive virtues of character, faith, talent and resourcefulness based on Christian principles.

Explaining further, Mrs Emma-Nwachukwu added that purpose serves as a compass to navigate life; a roadmap and direction to guide ones’ journey and a blueprint that spells mode of operation or living.

Some of the topics treated during the retreat include: Understanding purpose, Purposedriven life, Choosing a career, The place of purpose in relationship, The place of purpose in entertainment etc.

Apart from the talent hunt, talk show and cinema, there were interactive skills acquisition sessions that centred on leadership motivation and public speaking, teens entrepreneurship, computer graphics, bead-making, making quick meals and decoration.

The highlight of the event was the presentation of excellence award to well deserving students. Israel Okonuwa received a laptop for his incredible performance while Christian Adeyemi, Peace Archibong, and Favour Nwachukwu received mobile phones courtesy SLOT.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012—33

to be a member of the anti-cult group in the university with a Black Axe member which resulted into a quarrel that was reportedly settled.

But unsatisfied with the settlement, Black Axe members were said to have mobilised and attacked members of the Vikins rival cult group, resulting to the death of the four students.

T

*Students and staff of Federal University of Technology Owerri, FUTO, at a recently held seminar organised by the Center for Women, Gender and Development Studies (CWODS)

AAU boils again: As cult groups battle for supremacy

BY NOSAKHARE UWADIAE,

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o many students of Ambrose Ali University ,AAU, Ekpoma, the second semester of the 2011/ 2012 academic session is illfated. It was two weeks into the resumption when rival cult groups, the Black Axe Confraternity, popularly

known as Aye and the Vikins clashed. It was gathered that Black Axe men gunned down four members of Vikins as against one of their members at different areas in Ekpoma, Esan West Headquarters.

Sources alleged that the Vikins confraternity started it during last semester exams.

The recent onslaught by the Black Axe on their rival cult group (Vikins) was said to be a reprisal attack.

Inside sources told our correspondent that the renewed attack began as a result of an argument between a suspected former member of the Vikins who is also alleged

he source further disclosed that the Black Axe lost one of their men to the revenge mission of the Vikins at a Pepper Soup Joint in Ekpoma, where he was cooling down with his friends when a-fourman gang suspected to be members of Vikins stormed the place, shooting at the group. While others ran for their dear lives, the victim was unlucky.

Penultimate Tuesday when the information filtered out about the deadly clash, parents/guardians quickly asked their children/wards to return home for safety while others who were yet to resume for the new semester were asked to stay back.

The identities of the dead students were unknown as at press time. When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the University, Sir. Chris Adamaigbo declined comment stating that there was no cult clash, let alone killing of students. At the time of filing this report on Monday, it was learnt that the two cult groups have begun a peace negotiation.

Victory at last for Kwara Poly finalists

BY ADEKUNLE OLADUNNI (KwaraPoly)

T

HE months of July and Au gust were glorious for the final year students of Kwara State Polytechnic. The finalists, who started their final examination on the first week of July, were glad to be finishing their last paper and becoming National Diploma holders.

After the examination, the students who were dressed in customized uniforms they designed by themselves, were given the industrial training attachment letter, which contains the permission to allow the ND graduate students to hold their one year industrial training at any organisation or industry of their choice before coming back for their Higher National Diploma (HND) programme. Many students were glad to receive their internship letter, but some of them shared their pains with Quadlife over the industrial training programme.

A final year computer science student named Temitope Zianab said, “Getting a place for inC M Y K

dustrial training is now a problem that many ND students face after graduation. I have a friend who graduated last year, she was unable to get a place to hold the programme, she told me that some firms will tell you they are not accepting IT students whereas they are accepting, but the students accepted must have a strong connection with the firm.

She also said on getting to some firms, you will be told that IT students are accepted, but they won’t be paid. This sounds inconvenient for the IT students because it won’t be easy to work at a place for a whole year without payment.

Feeding and transportation are few of the areas where money will be needed, and students doing IT for one year are not supported by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), the ITF are only in full support of the SIWES students (Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme) and this has created a feeling of discouragement among many IT students, which causes them to forfeit the IT programme

and seek for a job to do in order to finance themselves for their HND programme.

“I will love to use this medium to plead with the government to

please help us out by making it mandatory for industries and organisations to accept us and also encourage us with a little token, we need the training in order to get more experience in our field.

UNILAG Press Club holds inauguration

BY TOSIN ADESILE, UNILAG

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t was an atmosphere of fun and excitement as University of Lagos Press Club members got together for their inauguration.

The inauguration which had been long overdue, was as a result of name change and other various issues that befell the university in the recent past.

Speaking at the inauguration, the president, Tosin Adesile who presided over the event appreciated the management of the university and other students who came to grace the occasion.

According to him, ”this event is a dream come true and I am happy that we all lived to witness the occasion. The Press Club is an organisation that represents the voice of Unilag students and in that case, we must continually replicate that in our existence in the University of Lagos”.

He further appreciated the Dean of Students Affairs, Prof.

Olukayode Amund for his support to the organisation in carrying out its objectives.

Conducting the oath-taking, Nonso Obiajuru, the generalsecretary sounded a note of warning to members who feel the laws of the association are too cumbersome.

Communication students elect new president

BY FOLUSO SOTOMI, LASU

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t was a clash of the titans last Thursday, as the Communication Students’ Association of the Lagos State University-Adebola Adegunwa School of Communication (COSALASUAASOC), went to the polls to elect leaders who will steer the affairs of the faculty for the 2012/2103 academic session. In a stiff presidential contest that lasted over eight hours, Comrade Ibrahim Fatoyinbo was announced winner by Hon. Raphael Ogidan, chairman, Communication Students’ Association Independent Electoral Commission (COSAIEC), ahead of his counterpart, Comrade Tobi Awosanya.

The elections held at both the Ojuelegba and Ojo campuses, saw the following students emerging winners in other contested positions- Kafarju Maria (vice-president); Lukman Awawu (vicepresident, Ojo); Shodunke Segun (secretary); Olasuk a n m i Olajide (treasurer); Agosu Afolabi ( s o c i al director); Ajala Lawrence (financial secretary); Wusu Oluwasegun (Sports director); Adeyanju Esther (PRO); Oseni Saheed (welfare director); Memud Rauf (AGS); Otenaike Olaide (welfare director, Ojo); Idris Risikat (AGS, Ojo).

In his remarks, shortly after the elections, the Presidentelect, Comrade Ibrahim Fatoyinbo thanked the electorate who have bestowed on h i m t h e m a n d a t e t o serve as a leader. He said, “ To say thank you, will be an understatement. I can only pray for God to guide and support us to achieve greater success in this faculty.”

Comr. Fatoyinbo Ibrahim, COSA President-elect

34—Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

NUC confronts rot in private universities

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

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mpowered by Act 1 of 1974 to ensure the orderly development of a well coordinated and productive system that will guarantee quality and relevant education for national development and global competitiveness, the National Universities Commission is pained with the rot in the country’s private universities.

NUC’s Executive Secretary, Professor Julius Okojie declared that the commission would henceforth take a stern measure against any institution that disobeys its rules and regulations.

Okojie said NUC had in pursuant of its statutory mandate, observed that some private universities have persistently violated extant rules and regulations at detriment of quality education.

Areas of infractions common among private universities include: unwillingness to comply with NUC regulations e.g establishment of postgraduate programmes and award of postgraduate degrees before graduating the first set of graduates; inappropriate/absence of governance structure and ethos manifesting in the interference in the day-to-day administration of the universities by proprietors.

Other aberrations are poor management of academic activities especially the running of unapproved programmes and operating from unapproved campuses; generally poor learning environment and mismanagement of students’ affairs including unconventional approaches in the processing of requests for transcripts and statement of results.

For instance, a bank of one of the suspended private universities petitioned NUC over fraudulent diversion of tuition fees from the bank.

The domiciliation of school fees and a legal mortgage of a property of the university reportedly secured a term loan facility for a period of 180 days and an overdraft facility for a period of 90 days both of which its promoter failed to liquidate leaving a debt of N89,798,266.09 being owed to the bank at the time the petition was filed two years ago.

Another example of the lapses in the suspended private universities according to Prof. Okojie, was that a C M Y K

learning institution could only boast of 187 students and 14 lecturers in the seven years of its existence.

Justification for private universities

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he need for private universities in Nigeria was enhanced by a number of factors; a burgeoning demand from students for access and the inability of the public universities to satisfy the growing social demand for university education necessitated the entry of private universities in order to expand the access conditions, the declining capacity of public universities, the retrenchment of public servants and incessant strikes

by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). The union, for instance, went on strike for 20 weeks in 1999; eight weeks in 200, 12 weeks in 2001 a week in 2002; 24 weeks in 2003, two weeks in 2005, one week in 2006, 12

weeks in 2007, a week in 2008, 12 weeks in 2009 and for four weeks in 2011.

In Nigeria now in terms of numbers, there are more private universities than the federal government-owned universities. With a total number of 122 universities, (federal 36, state 36 and private universities increasing from three in 1999 to 50 in 2012).

The private universities are smaller and tend to specialize in specific disciplines e.g. Business Administration, Computer Science & Technology, Accounting and Management, Marketing, Banking & Finance etc.

For the past five years, the Nigerian university system has been going through series of reforms to expand access, quality and encouragement of both internal and external efficiency of the system.

Internal efficiency in terms of graduating students at record time with very few or no dropout at all, and external

efficiency in terms of producing what the market would absorb on graduation to reduce to the barest minimum or eliminate unemployment.

Evolution of private universities

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n 1948 when the first university was established till 1979, university education was on the exclusive list of the government, thereby leaving the establishment, funding and management in the hand of the Federal Government that had the exclusive right.

However, in 1979, the constitution was amended and university education was now put on the concurrent list of the government, which means that both federal and state governments can now establish and own universities. It was from this time that various states started signifying intention to establish their own state universities named after them.

7UP offers student scholarship

BY BETTY INEGBENEBOR

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n the quest to give Nigerian students quality education and leadership skill, 7UP Bottling Company Plc has announced the scholarship award to Mr Olujimi Williams to study at Harvard University for two years.

The Executive Director, 7UP Bottling Company Plc, Mr Femi Mokikan who made this known at the award ceremony held at Sheraton Hotel, Lagos, said that the purpose of the “7UP Harvard Business School Scholarship” is to give young qualified Nigerians the opportunity to acquire business skills and leadership training in the world’s topmost business school. ”One of our problems in this country is leadership.

We want to fill the gap by training young Nigerians in Harvard where they can acquire leadership skills.

CU emerges best private varsity in Nigeria

BY ALADE AROMASHODU

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*Graduands of Pacific College, Shasha at the school's valedictory service

Radiance Nursery and Primary graduates pupils

BY SARUMI KEHINDE & LAJU ARENYEKA

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arents and teachers have been advised to work together in order to produce a synergy that would create a balanced life for the children in their care both at home and at school. This advice was given by Mrs I. Okoye, P.T.A chairperson of Radiance Nursery & Primary School.

According to Mrs. Okoye, parents and teachers should always be willing to give

advice and encourage their wards whenever they walk up to them.

She specifically advised parents to follow up on their children’s activities outside the home, ensure the kids are prepared for each coming term, buy them educative toys and not neglect to pay their fees. ‘’The first law of success is concentration,’’ she said.

Parents and guardians who attended the event spoke on the outstanding performances of their wards ever since they

were enrolled in the school and urged the children to be of high moral behaviour and to strive to succeed in their future endeavours through hard work and diligence.

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he graduating pupils wowed the audience with their fluency in foreign and local languages.

They presented a drama in French and gave wonderful performances like dance in Igbo, Yoruba and Zulu languages.

OVENANT University (CU), Canaanland, Ota has been ranked as the best private university in Nigeria in the July 2012 edition of the World Universities Web Ranking of universities across the globe.

The Head of Corporate and Public Affairs of the institution, Emmanuel Igban stated that CU was the only private university that made the list out of the 10 Nigerian universities ranked among the top 100 in Africa.

Other Nigerian institutions that made the top 100 African universities are the Auchi Polytechnic, University of Ibadan, University of Ilorin, UNILAG, University of Nigeria Nsukka, ABU, Zaria; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and University of Jos. The methodology used in the ranking conducted by the largest public research body in Spain Cybermetrics Laboratory, took into account the volume of contents published on the university webdomains as indexed by Google.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012—35

Winners of 2012 Mobil/STAN science quiz emerge ....As expert urges govt to invest in science education

BY DAYO ADESULU

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inners of 2012 Mobil/ STAN national science quiz/project competition have emerged.

The winners were announced on Friday in Abuja after a stiff competition amongst science students in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

At the final, Benue State emerged winner in the secondary school category, beating three other contending states (Imo, Rivers and Edo) with 122.25 points while 1st runner-up was Rivers State with 118.25 points. Second runner-up, Imo State, had 116 points, while 3 rd runner-up, Edo State got 104.50 points.

Benue State was represented by Masters Odang Omoha, Mount Saint Gabriel’s Secondary School, Makurdi and Akuhwa Fater, Calvary Arrows College, Gboko, Benue State.

However, in the primary school category which comprises Benue, Imo, Delta and Ondo states, Delta State emerged the overall winner with 128 points as Ondo State came second with a total of 117 points, beating Imo narrowly which had 116.75 points. Master Ufuoma Morgan, DSC Model Primary3, Orhunwhorun, Delta State and Omohwovo Uyota Primary 6, DSC Model Primary, Orhunwhorun, Delta State represented the state.

Questions for secondary school category were drawn from life sciences, Mathematics and vocational sciences. For the primary category, questions were drawn from basic sciences, technology and mathematics.

Apart from Mobil splashing a total sum of N1,700,000 on the winners, 56 of the outstanding students are to represent Nigeria abroad in science competition later this year.

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peaking at the occasion, the General Manager, Public and Government Affairs, Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN), Mr. Paul Arinze said that science remains the bedrock of any technological advancement that can be achieved anywhere around the world adding that without science, no meaningful technological breakthrough can be contemplated, let alone a c c o m p l i s h e d . ”When the standard of science education is raised, the

*Susan Eshett, Manager, Public and Government Affairs presenting a trophy to Ufuoma Morgan and Omohwovo Uyota of Delta State, winners of the Science Quiz (Primary School Category) at the 17th STAN/Mobil/NNPC National Science Quiz Competition in Abuja country can then be properly aligned on the path to joining the league of technologically advanced nations,” he said.

Arinze pointed out that there is a direct correlation between technological advancement and economic prosperity noting that if you take a look at the countries which have dominated the world economy over the years, you will discover that most, if not all of them, are reference points in technological breakthroughs.

A

s the institutional sponsor of the competition for the last 17 years, he reiterated Mobil's delight to continue its partnership with STAN by providing a veritable platform for outstanding science students in the country to showcase their intelligence and skills.

He stated that by supporting education, especially science, mathematics and technology education, "we are making an investment in our future, establishing the next generation of science professionals and equipping them with a strong foundation for the future."

He said, “We place a high premium on the development of science and technology education, and have over the years demonstrated this commitment in Nigeria through various scholarship schemes (both undergraduate and post-graduate) as well as science infrastructure provision to several schools in Nigeria at all levels."

According to him, last year, for this reason, they brought Dr Bernard Harris to Nigeria, the first African American astronaut to walk in space to motivate our children to know

that they can aspire to do anything in the sciences if they would put their minds to it.

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rinze who noted that his expectation is that the Mobil/STAN

National Science Quiz and Project competitions will continue to re-awaken the interest of students and teachers in the sciences, said that he looked forward to the continuation of a mutually beneficial relationship with STAN in a bid to fast track the country ’s technological development.

He congratulated the winners and charge them to continue to be hard working and diligent in their studies stressing that he is convinced that in the next few years, many of them will end up as engineers, doctors, astronauts, mathematicians, geologists, or professionals in any of the sciences. He therefore commended the efforts of STAN and urged all stakeholders involved in developing science education to continue to give their best.

Nigeria performs better than Ghana, The Gambia Continued from page 30 only 394 (5.02%) obtained credit passes in five subjects including English Language and Mathematics.

In Ghana, 324,998 candidates registered for the examination while 62,295 candidates, representing 20.04%, obtained credits in English, Mathematics and, at least, three other subjects.

Head of National Office, WAEC, Dr. Uyi Uwadiae, and his counterparts in The Gambia and Ghana, agree that there was an improvement in this year ’s result when compared to 23.71 per cent in 2010; 30.91 per cent in 2011; and 38.81 per cent in 2012. The Gambia also improved from the 4.45 per cent recorded in 2011 to 5.02 in 2012.

Disclosing that results of 112,000 candidates (6.70 %) were being withheld for various reports of alleged involvement in examination malpractice, Uwadiae added “618,924 candidates (40.55%) obtained a credit and above in six subjects; 789,288 candidates (51.71%) obtained five credits and above; 943,187 candidates (61.80%) obtained credits in four subjects; 1,084,817 candidates (71.08 %) obtained a credit and above in three subjects; while 1,223,359 candidates (80.15%) obtained a credit and above in two subjects.”

The Zonal Co-ordinator, WAEC, Ghana, Mr. N. U. Alozie, pointed out that the results of 51,876 candidates (16. 73%) are being withheld

*Dr. Uyi Uwadiae by the Board for their alleged involvement in examination malpractice.

“250,487 candidates (80.78%) have two credits and above; 217,161 candidates (70.03%) have three credits and above; 180,480 candidates (58.20%) have four credits and above; 141,167 candidates (45.52%) obtained five credits and above; while 99,750 candidates (32.16%) obtained six credits and above.”

Commending the performance of science students in the exams, former Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Peter Okebukola, called for the establishment of a national television station which will focus on the transmission of science education to help students improve on the sciences.

“Government needs to implement such for our students because if we have such dedicated channels for transmission of science programmes, it will help redirect the attention of our students from music to

education.”

Vanguard Learning also spoke to some of the lucky 38.99 per cent that passed the exams and they were excited about their results.

Faithful Samuel is one of such. She had to forfeit her admission into the university last year because she couldn’t make all her papers.

“It feels good,” she said.

“Many of the papers were easier this year, and I worked much harder. English was tougher this year but mathematics wasn’t as hard.

Thank God, a lot of sleepless nights have paid off.”

Tochi Nwude, who also passed the exams in flying colours, said, “Most of the questions that came out were in the past questions. I studied really hard, and many of my friends did well too even though there were no cases of exam malpractice in my school.”

Exam malpractice is however, a reason one teacher in Lagos State attributed to this year ’s performance. “There was a lot of exam malpractice, but the government doesn’t want to hear that. On the other hand, I think that here in Lagos State, the ‘Eko’ project helped. Learning conditions in many of the state schools were improved and there were more facilities, so students had more hands-on experience, and that helped memory retention.”

36—Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

By EBELE ORAKPO

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ou see it covering large water bodies like a mat, making fishing, boating and other water activities almost impossible as they clog waterways. People hate to love it because despite its luxuriant foliage and very showy lavender flowers, they believe it does more harm than good to man and the environment. This plant can aptly be described as a sailor’s nightmare. It is water hyacinth, an exotic aquatic plant. It is exotic in the sense that it has a strange allure, beauty and quality.

Although this plant impacts the environment negatively by blocking photosynthesis thereby greatly reducing oxygen levels in the water, which in turn reduces other underwater life such as fish and other plants, research has shown that it has so many beneficial attributes. In this chat with Vanguard Learning, Miss Ogunlana Ayotide, HND II student of Environmental Biology at the Yaba College of Technology said that despite all the negative attributes, water hyacinth has so many positive attributes. She spoke during the 2012 Yaba College of Technology Conference and Research Fair where she showcased products made from the 'troublesome' water hyacinth. Excerpts:

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Other uses Handcraft: “If you intend to use it for handcraft like basket, slippers, wristwatch starp, earrings and bangles, all you need is the stem which you sundry. I tried to oven-dry but it did not turn out well. The reason why I will not suggest oven-drying is because when it is oven-dried, it becomes crispy and tends to break and so will not serve the purpose it is meant to serve. But if you sun-dry, you can monitor the texture of the stem while it is drying. If it dries to your satisfaction, you remove and use,” she stated.

Fertiliser: “If you want to use it for fertiliser, all you need is the roots. That is the main ingredient for fertiliser. “ Fish feed:” For fish feed, all you need is just the leaves.”

Biogas: “Water hyacinth, combined with animal waste is an efficient source of biogas.” Sources say it releases about 249.1 m3 of methane per kilogram , enough to produce 9.54 gigajoules (GJ) of energy.

Animal feed: “Water hyacinths are used as low-cost animal feed. In China for instance, sun-dried and chopped water hyacinths have been used to replace alfalfa for breeding rabbits , while cooked hyacinth leaves and stems are an effective supplement in commercial fattening of Yorkshire pigs .

*Products made from water hyacinth

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ccording to Ayotide Ogunlana, her work on water hyacinth was actually her final project in her Higher National Diploma programme.

“My main research topic was Turning Waste to Wealth.

Water hyacinth has been seen as a pest in the country since 1984 when it entered into the Nigerian waterways.

It is a plant that takes about two weeks to cover the surface of the water. Under two weeks, you see a large population of the plant on water and when it invades the water body, it is very difficult to eradicate.

Unfortunately, many people do not know what to do with it. You can actually make so many things like fertiliser, biogas, paper pulp, soap, basket, slippers, bangles, earrings, wrist watches, fish feeds, cat feeds etc from this pest,” she said.

She said although there have been reports of people using water hyacinth to produce things outside Nigeria, “but here, nobody has actually implemented it so we decided to carry out the research ourselves and see how it really works. It was more like a research, trying to see whether this thing really C M Y K

M

*Women harvesting water hyacinth. Inset is Ayotide Ogunlana

Water hyacinth: From pest to wealth works and we have tested it and have seen that it works,” she stated.

Getting water hyacinth: “We go to large bodies of water where it has populated.

Example, at the Owode Onirin waterways, you see a large population of the plant there. That was where we collected the samples used in making these products. Other places you can get them are from the Ogun River, Ibadan.

In fact, you can get it anywhere that has water,” she said.

Bio-indicator/ phytoremediator: Ogunlana noted that the plant is a bio-indicator

because “ wherever you see water hyacinth, it means that the water is polluted or contaminated. So for you to see water hyacinth in a body of water means that there are pollutants in the water.

“The water hyacinth helps to remove pollutants like heavy metals. It is a mode of phytoremediation (using plants to clean up soils/water); it is a phytoremediation plant.

It absorbs these contaminants.”

Source of carotene: Human beings can use water hyacinth as vegetable as it is a very good source of carotene.

She, however, noted that to be on the safe side, it is

advisable for one to cultivate it by oneself, within his environment where he is rest assured it will be free from heavy metals.

edicinal use: “The only known medicinal use is that the flower is used as a tonic for medicating the skin of horses. Whenever it is in bloom, you extract the tonic from the purple flower and use it for the horse,” she said.

She appealed to government to help them in their bid to turn this pest to wealth. Reports say that in Florida, USA, millions of dollars are spent yearly on water hyacinth control.

So, I believe that if government sees what we have done and decides to help us, we can do more,” Ogunlana said.

I am Amorit Latifat and I’m an SS2 student of Eko-Akete Grammar School, Lagos Island. I want to become a medical doctor which is one of the professions recommended by Allah because it saves lives.

My mother is my role model.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012 — 37

38—Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF TRADE UNIONISM IN NIGERIA service. During critical times in his trade union career especially in rallies, protests and strikes, the colourful Imoudu dorned the colonial British army uniform of his father complete with service medals and charms. He had finished his primary school education in 1927, moved to Lagos the following year where he worked with the Post and Telegraphs Department as a linesman before moving, in1929 to the Nigeria Railway as a labourer.

I

Labour leaders and workers protesting fuel price increases

Imoudu's release led to re-organisation of Labour This is the fourth edition of the serial on OWEI LAKEMFA's latest work: "One hundred years of trade unionism in Nigeria". The third part was published yesterday.

,

I have gone into exile for training, I have done very little towards trade unionism. Without the confidence of the workers, I would not have triumphed. I am prepared to die for Nigerian trade unionism, for the working class

,

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MOUDU'S biographer, Baba Oluwide wrote that: “A week after the German instrument of surrender was gladly accepted, the war cabinet of Mr. Winston Churchill of Great Britain despatched to all their possessions, the world over, for amendments to the Defence Regulations (under which Imoudu was detained) Speculations were rife that Imoudu would soon be released”.

Imoudu’s release came on May 20, 1945 following a letter delivered to him by the colonial District Officer in Auchi informing him of the “...revocation of Sections 57 to 63 of the Nigerian General Defence Regulations, 1941” under which he was detained.

What followed on June 2, 1945 when Imoudu set foot on Lagos soil after his release was perhaps the biggest anti-colonial rally ever held in the country. Oluwide wrote that vigil was kept by Lagosians and “from Oshogbo (Osun State) down to Iddo, and mostly at Lafenwa, the train was mobbed by workers, railmen not to be outdone and peasants.

They formed guards of honour.

Children were upfront in the guards, chanting, waving and singing. Many had come from

surrounding hamlets and villages to see the man lionised by the colonial authorities... At Iddo, traffic was held up for an hour.

Buses could only snake slowly through the crowd. Mounted on a brown horse, a stallion was Imoudu.” He rode into central Lagos to a reception in the Oko Awo play ground with an unprecedented crowd of some 50,000 people attending.

Father of nationalism Reverend Adelakun Howells, the representative of the Lord Bishop of Lagos gave the opening prayers, while the father of nationalism in Nigeria, Herbert Macaulay, who was chairman of the occasion concluded that with Imoudu’ s release, “there is not the slightest doubt that the liberation of this country is very near.”

Dr Nnamdi Azikwe, General Secretary of the then only PanNigerian political party, the National Council of Nigeria and the Camerouns, NCNC, and future president of Nigeria in his oration said: “Imoudu paid the penalty of leadership. He trod the stony road of Golgotha. He bore the cross of Calvary. He was cru-

cified. He was resurrected. He has returned to us in flesh” In conclusion, he charged Imoudu “Courage brother, do not stumble. Though the path be dark as night; There’s a star to guide the humble, Trust in God and do the right” Azikiwe’s poetic rendition and charge was one of many. One of the most memorable was published in that day’s Daily Comet newspaper by an emergent poet, Moses. S. Ekpenyong who greeted Imoudu with the following lines.

“Man took you away to suffer, God has brought you back to prosper; Two and a half years in exile, We’re sure you’re now more virile.

To fight the cause of the worker” Imoudu in his response to the Oko Awo reception and the fine thoughts that poured out, told the gathering: “I have gone into exile for training I have done very little towards trade unionism. Without the confidence of the workers, I would not have triumphed. I am prepared to die for Nigerian trade unionism, for the working class.”

Imoudu was born in 1902 in Oke Ora in the then Afemai Division, Benin Province (now capital of Edo State). His father, Allanghagba Imodu was a soldier in the West African Frontier Force who lost seven of his nine sons in The Gambia his last station of

n his first major victory on the trade union turf, he had in 1941 led 3,000 protesting railway men in a demonstration to the colonial Government House then occupied by Sir Bernard Bourdillon. On this occasion, the protesting workers had won their major grievance for de-casualisation in the railways and succeeded in forcing the hated Chief Mechanical Engineer, Mr. W. G. W. Wilson to resign.

Two years later, the colonial authorities decided that Imoudu’s cup had overflowed. Here was a chief agitator against British colonialism when the colonial master was engaged in a life or death struggle against Hitlerite Germany. To check freedom agitators like Imoudu, the British government had imposed in 1941 a Nigerian General Defence Regulation under which agitators could be detained. A 1942 order under this regulation made strikes and lockouts illegal for the entire duration of the war.

On November 20, 1942, Churchill in a world broadcast told the British people that “The dawn of 1943 will soon loom red before us, and we must brace ourselves to cope with the trails and problems of what must be a stem and terrible year.”

Major source of worry to colonialism As Churchill spoke in Britain, his colonial officials in Nigeria were trying to decide what to do to a major source of worry to colonialism. About the time of Churchill’s speech, Labour historian, Wogu Ananaba wrote that “complaints were rife that the cost of living had risen considerably.

The complaints set many union leaders thinking. Rumours spread that railway workers under the powerful influence of Imoudu were planning to begin a new agitation for wage increase.

Rumours of plans to derail trains and remove vital railway stores if the demands were not granted leaked into official quarters and the administration suspected Imoudu to be behind these plans”!!

Based on these unsubstantiated rumours, the colonialists made a pre-emptive move. The date chosen was January 23, 1943.

First the railway authorities struck by dismissing Imoudu from service for alleged misconduct and insubordination. A few hours later as Imoudu contemContinues on page 39

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012—39

was actually shot at twice, but he disappeared into the crowd that had gathered in front of the hotel. Angry that some of the men brought Gowon to power, his sup- escaped, the soldiers turned on porters got whiff of a planned the rest of the workers and startcoup against him. What was ed throwing them into army lormore, the alleged coup plotters ries. As the vehicles drove off, the were said to be meeting at an workers were forced to stare at the floors of the lorries.

When they were allowed to raise up their heads again, it was at the Ikeja Military Cantonment in Maryland.

The workers were ordered to remove all their clothes including pants while in the lorries and these were thrown outside the vehicles. As they alighted naked, it was into the hands of soldiers armed with horse whips who mounted “guards of honour ” on both Labour leader number one, Comrade sides of each Michael Imoudu lorry. The army offichotel on Ipodo Street near Ikeja er who led the soldiers then probus stop in Lagos. nounced death sentences for all In a jiffy, armed soldiers head- the men unless they revealed ed for the hotel and sealed it up. their coup plot. Protestations of Sure enough there were a num- innocence merely angered the ber of men holding a meeting at soldiers who ordered the workthe hotel. At the head of the table ers to “Lying down” (lie down). was Comrade Wahab Omorilewa Some of the unfriendly soldiers Goodluck the 43-year-old presi- added “I don’t hear English, I dent of the Nigerian Trade Union hear gun”. The workers were so Congress, NTUC. mercilessly flogged that some of them fainted. Goodluck was Reviewing the flogged despite his shouts that he was not a young man. In spite of strike action this, the beatings continued until What happened was that a suddenly the soldiers stopped. strike had broken out at the Ikeja based Nigeria Enamels CompaContinues tomorrow ny, NEWCO. And while Goodluck as General Secretary of the NEWCO workers was holding a meeting with the workers at the Protestations of hotel to review the strike action and plan their next move, the com- innocence merely pany’s personnel manager, Mr. angered the solJoseph Abiodun, put his obviously fertile imagination to work on diers who orhow to break the strike and prevent material losses to his boss- dered the workes. He hit on the fantastic idea ers to “Lying that given the explosive state of the country, if he reports to the down” (lie down). military authorities that coup plot- Some of the unters were gathered to plan the toppling of Gowon, soldiers would friendly soldiers quickly round up the striking added “I don’t workers leaders.

Mr. Abiodun rushed to the Ike- hear English, I ja Military Cantonment to report hear gun”. The that the gathering being presided over by Goodluck was a coup workers were so plotters’meeting. He clearly did mercilessly not realise the danger he was putting the workers and their flogged that some leaders. While soldiers took up poof them fainted. sitions around the hotel and sealed up all adjacent streets to Goodluck was Ipodo, Goodluck and his men continued with their meeting al- flogged despite though some of them observed his shouts that he that the noisy area had gone quiwas not a young et.

When the armed soldiers broke man into the meeting hall, some of the workers like Comrades A.O. Lawson Agomo escaped. The latter

Imoudu's release led to reorganisation of Labour Continues from page 38

plated this development and what his next move should be, agents of the colonial authority swooped on him at his 72, Patey Street, Ebute Metta, Lagos home, forced him into a black car and sped off. While sandwiched in the car, his captors brandished before him a detention order signed by Governor Bourdillon which read: “I am satisfied that it is necessary to prevent you, Michael Athokhamien Ominu Imoudu, acting in a manner prejudicial to public safety and defence.” The next time anything was heard of Imoudu was at the Benin prisons. A week after he got there, he led a prisoners riot. Recalled Imoudu. “The food they were serving us then was not good enough for dogs. I said this was unacceptable. After the riot, the prison governor called all of us and asked who was the cause of the riot.”

Imoudu in his fearless manner stepped forward. The colonialists realised that his spirit could not be confined within prison walls and that if anything, he could spread the anti-colonial message amongst prisoners. So he was taken from prison and deported into internal exile in Auchi, the local headquarters of his birth place.

In later years, apartheid South Africa perfected this system of internal banishment of freedom fighters to home regions called Bantustans.

When Imoudu returned to La-

plicity had paid European civil servants increased bonuses immediately after the war while leaving unchanged the income of African civil servants.

Robin Cohen in his Labour And Politics In Nigeria wrote: “Apart from banning strikes during the war, the colonial government had stressed the strategic importance of Empire goods as a reason for holding down wage demands, but apparently remained quite oblivious of the increased awareness of the wage-earners that their labour was being used to uphold an international economic system with whose purpose their interests were not necessarily coincident.”

Imoudu's release Imoudu’s release was part of the colonialists plan to defuse the crisis. Rather than this, Imoudu merely swam along with the strike current. An attempt by some leaders of the Labour Movement to halt the strike take-off was effectively crushed during two mass meetings on June 21, 1945. With those rallies, the moderates lost control and Imoudu with the radical wing of labour seized the leadership.

On June 21 and 22, 1945 the strike began in the railways, public works, printing and marine departments and the Lagos Municipal Council. It lasted fortyfour days with over twenty-two

During his service to workers, Imoudu was elected president of a total seven national labour centres from 1949 to 1977 when the Murtala-Obasanjo military regime issued the Trade Unions (Disqualification of Certain Persons) Decree15 which banned him and ten other labour leaders from trade unionism. Imoudu went into politics rising to become a leader of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, founded by another former labour leader, Mallam Aminu Kano. When the more radical arm of the party which included Prof Wole Soyinka broke away, Imoudu became their leader.

WAHAB GOODLUCK The year 1966 was one of the most turbulent in the country’s history. The civilian administration which took over from the British colonialists on October 1, 1960 seemed to have run the country aground. Some army officers led by five majors thought the best option open to the country was a military coup. On January 15, they struck, in the name of the “Supreme Council of the Revolution of the Nigerian Armed Forces.”

The soldiers suspended the constitution, dissolved the regional governments and all assemblies and banned “all political, cultural, tribal and trade union activities, together with all demonstrations and unauthorised gatherings...”

,

NLC president, Omar; TUC president, Esele and Lakemfa

gos in 1945, there was a groundswell of opposition to colonial rule. Amongst workers, this took the form of an agitation for a Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) the unions claimed that between 1942 and when the war ended in 1945, the cost of living had risen by 200 per cent. The British colonialists in their characteristic du-

unions participating. The strike was a success; strikers returned to work after an agreement with the colonialists that no worker will be victimsed, contemplated criminal charges against some strikers will be stopped, workers grievances will be looked into and that the ban on the West African Pilot would be lifted.

The revolt was put down, but the civilian administration did not survive the crushing blows. The military led by General AguyiIronsi assumed power. On July 29,1966 there was a counter coup and Lt. Colonel Yakubu Jack Gowon became the new Head of State. On August 11, that is thirteen days after the coup that

,

40

— VANGUARD, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

dayobenson@yahoo.com I N S I D E

Insecurity and religious Counsel Corner tension in Nigeria: Seeking Right to life: Can the President be sued? the Third Way — Pg 41

NHRC DG, tasks FG, states on urban slums — Pg 43

— Pg 42

Corruption in Judiciary: Retired Judges and Senior Lawyers are involved — Professor Uche Uko Uche

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

P

ROFESSOR Uche Uko Uche is a professor of Law at the University of London. He is also a visiting lecturer at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA. In this interview he spoke on the nation’s judiciary, especially on the issue of corruption that has tainted the institution, the legal profession and standard of legal education in the country.

Excerpts:

•Professor Uche Uko Uche drop disqualifies it from being a white shirt. So, one mistake from the judiciary could easily dent the image of the judiciary. It should never be the case particularly if you want to be taken seriously in any encounter between two people. You have to be above board, you have to be reliable, you have to be dependable. It should

,

What is your assessment of the nation’s judiciary, especially against the background of the allegation that politicians have corrupted the institution?

I will give you two interesting examples. One totally unrelated to issue of law practice. There is this particular priest that came into church and said, “may the peace of the Lord be with you” and the Church responded, “and with you also”. Then priest tapped the microphone and said, “something is wrong with this microphone” and the Church responded, “and with you also”.

A group of law firms in international law practice held a meeting in South Africa. I was the only African at the meeting. So they ask me what I felt about what was going on. I then told them that if you are sitting in the reassuring safety of air-conditioned office and you gets a letter telling you that there is a contract which had been awarded and performed and about $60 million and because of difficulty in getting the money. And you are told that if you can get the money out you will get $25 million commission, and if you accept such an offer, then you’re part of it because there is nothing you have done to deserve such an amount. That tells the story of who is collaborating with who.

As a Professor of Law, how then does it make you feel when you hear allegations of corrupt practices among top members of the judiciary?

Naturally, I feel terrible, it shouldn’t be the case. When you are having a white shirt on and there is a drop of blue ink on it, it becomes a soiled shirt. It may just be a drop but it is no longer a white shirt. That

the judiciary, some have argued for instance that serving judges should be exempted from adjudicating on election petition matters. Do you agree?

I don’t see why not but the local problem is the capacity of judges and our system of administration of justice. It has not been fully

A retired judge should not become a farmer because he has retired nor should he go to clear cement at the port. If people seek his advice or his input in anything, he should be able to give them an honest input and he should stop at that.

,

not be because the other man is related to you or he has met you in other capacity or he is a member of your club and you want to favour him.

This should never be the case in the judiciary and any attempt to leave it that way is a colossus tragedy. It is something that ought to be avoided as much as a plague should be avoided. If something other than the law is determining what you are going to do, then it is a very sad,and when it is found, the person should be penalized.

Still on the issue of corruption in

computerized. People who are writing these things by longhand, it takes a long time and they get tried.

If you have so many cases and few judges then you make rooms for people to get adjournments. So, a case that should have been done within a year will go on for eight years. It is this type of long delays that make people feel there should be special courts.

What is your position on calls for increase in retirement age of serving judges?

Sometimes we forget the fact that

the pressure on the judges and the way they record court proceedings is telling on the health of those judges. Many of them before they get to the age of 65 are already tired.

And when people are saying their retirement age should be increased to 70 or 80. Then it is not the same way we look at Lord Denning of this world. We are putting two incompatible systems. Lord Denning was a very eminent judge in England. Of cause we have our local Denning; we have very good judges here in Nigeria too. If I start naming them it would be unfair to the others because they are quite few. Despite the problems, these judges still perform very well. But you see, you don’t define a rule by the exemptions, you say what the rules are and the exemptions will stay as exemptions.

Do you think that retired judges should acts as consultants to public institutions or law firms?

We are back to the issue of integrity.

If anybody has integrity you don’t get pushed around by anybody. If a case is on the table, there are rules that govern the case. If you are satisfied that the judge before whom the case is going to will apply the law, you wouldn’t worry.

A retired judge should not become a farmer because he has retired nor should he go to clear cement at the port. If people seek his advice or his input in anything, he should be able to give them an honest input and he should stop at that. Is not prudent for him to go the extra mile of pushing it to whoever is the judge deciding the case. What the President of the Bar Association is saying also apply to senior members of the Bar. It is not just limited to the retired justices.

Continues on page 41

EDITORIAL TEAM Dayo Benson (Editor) Innocent Anaba Wahab Abdulah Ikechukwu Nnochiri

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, AUGUST16, 2012 — 41

Insecurity and religious tension in Nigeria: Seeking the Third Way T

BY UDO JUDE ILO

HE fact that Nigeria confronts one of its most dangerous security challenges in history is no more news. These are really defining times. Every day comes with one disturbing story or the othersectarian violence or provocative utterances by religious leaders frustrated by government’s response to the violence. These security challenges stem amongst others from terrorism, sectarian strife or overzealous security personnel with questionable rules of engagement.

Essentially, the situation is degenerating and government, the primary responsible party for security and protection of human life has grossly failed in addressing these problems. Through a combination of incoherent security policy, bad governance and progressive alienation of the general public in government processes, government in Nigeria has created an environment that undermines its ability to rein in the degenerating standard of human safety and

security.

The inability of government to address these challenges has created a culture of self help on the part of the citizens. This trend portends danger especially when it is driven by suspicion and vengeance.

Nevertheless, there have been a number of community initiatives that are positive and constructive. Some of these citizen driven initiatives like the interfaith platforms provides an exciting model of citizen’s process that is credible, neutral and owned by the people. It provides a model that can to reasonable extent fill the gap created by government’s inability and allows citizens to re-write the Nigerian narrative especially as it relates to interreligious relationship.

Interreligious relationship has become a contentious one in the light of incessant attacks on churches and the retaliatory violence experienced in Kaduna and most recently in Jos. The crisis has provided an environment that triggers mutual suspicion amongst Christians and Muslims. There are accusations of complicity and counter accusations of violence mongering. Government has

lost the credibility in playing any meaningful role in promoting interreligious relationship. It is mostly overwhelmed by the violence in the country. In areas like Jos where there was existing sectarian crisis, Boko Haram has ridden on the religious coloration of the crisis to further complicate the process and provoke violence. Since 1994, Nigerians have been dying in Jos and government has largely been unable to provide any meaningful leadership to address these challenges. Regarding Boko Haram, government also has failed and allowed the group to continue to provoke religious tension.

It was against this background that OSIWA facilitated the setting up of the Interfaith Action for Peace (IFAP).

This initiative draws from the progressive interfaith initiative amongst various localities in Nigeria aimed at improving relationship between Muslims and Christians in various communities around the country. IFAP was facilitated by OSIWA through the Lux Terra Leadership Foundation and Islamic Education Trust with the mission of filling the dialogue gap between

Christians and Muslims. Its first meeting convened on 17 April 2012 had about 24 religious leaders from both the Christian and Muslim community agreeing to work together to promote harmony and stability in the country especially against the background of misinformation and distrust. Some of the groups represented in the meeting include Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, National Council of Muslim Youth Organisation, Da’wah Coordination Council of Nigeria (DCCN), Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Anglican Communion Nigeria, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Christian Association of Nigerian, Islamic Education Trust, Waziri of Katsina among others.

Currently, IFAP has engaged on massive media advocacy on religious harmony in partnership with some media organization. The Interfaith platform brings together an uncommon amalgam of influences across the major religious groups with the purpose of using their considerable reach and goodwill to promote peaceful coexistence of religious groups and also seek solutions to the security and stability challenges facing Nigeria.

Retired judges and senior lawyers are involved Continues from page 40 Many senior members of the Bar have been seen or known to cooperate in the corruption saga rightly or wrongly. So, it not peculiar to retired judges or senior members of the Bar. Many of them are guilty of it because of this get reach quick.

How have you engaged yourself ?

Before I finished my Masters programme and register for my PhD in the University of London. I was appointed a lecturer at the University teaching law at the School of Oriental and African studies which was one of the five colleges of the University of London. As a staff, I got seconded to the University of Nairobi, Kenya as Dean of Law originally for two years and after two years they wanted a second helping for four years and four years, they wanted some more helping for six years but I said no that I have to go back to London.

I went back to London but the pressure to come back to Nigeria was strong because my uncle who was then the first Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos told me he was in bad health and that I should come back to Nigeria. I was visiting professor at the Institute of International Affairs for one year and in 1968 started a law practice.

What is your assessment of the country’s legal education ?

Everybody is complaining about the deteriorating state of education generally and legal education is one of them. The one that pains us most is the legal one because that is where we should make things look excellent. So, it is true that there has been this complaint about

C M Y K

deteriorating standard of legal education in Nigeria.

How do you think this negative trend can be corrected?

Well, a number of suggestions have been touted by many people. The most current one is that of raising law to the status of a second degree. It would help in making a lot of people more knowledgeable, more mature and it would help legal education and legal practice. It would help law generally because once there is fairness and maturity at the law level, it goes round.

But, some lecturers have argued that most students that apply to study law as second degree hardly attend classes because of their jobs and businesses.

As for division between part time students and full time students, it is a matter of determination and what you really want to do. Some people who come into law after a long exposure in order areas always have a feeling that this is what they had always wanted to do but they couldn’t probably because their parents wanted them to study medicine and become doctors or wanted them to come and join them in business.

The types of people we are talking about are those who will get into the University, qualify in a degree there and then take on Law as a continuation. It is possible that they may see it as additional expense on the part of their parents but everything as a sacrifice element. If they don’t have to read law, then they don’t need to. It is not good

lowering standard because you want to differ to peoples wishes. Law is an expensive outing, if you cheapen it, you cheapen the practice.

Are you in support of suggestion that Law school lecturers should be drawn from lawyers in active practice?

I do not see anything wrong in practicing law on a part-time basis when you are teaching law. I did it when I was in the University of London. It gives you an opportunity of knowing what goes on in practice.

But, some people might over do it that one thing suffers because of being overdone. If you are practicing law on a full time basis and you are also a law lecturer, sometimes you could detract from your availability to your students. It is for you to decide where your loyalty lies.

42 — VANGUARD, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

VANGUARD LAW IN PIX NIALS holds 2nd State of the Federation Lecture

Right to life: Can the President be sued?

Nigeria Institute of Advance Legal Studies, NIALS, recently, held its 2nd State of the Federation Lecture in Abuja, which was delivered by former Federal Information Commissioner and South South leader, Chief Edwin Clarke. PHOTOS BY INNOCENT ANABA

I

N view of the right to life as enshrine in sec.33 of the 1999 constitution as ammended,has the president not breach the oath to uphold the constitution when he was sworn-in,considering his inability to protect the lives of nigerians as a result of daily killings going on in the northern part of the country.today,for instance woman lost her life in sucide attack in sokoto metropolise.

Anoymous.

The President cannot be sued on the bases of the provision of section33 of the 1999 constitution as Ammended over the killings going on in the north which you reffered to.The letter and the spirit of that constitutional provision is that nobody shall be deprived of his or her life unlawfully except on some circumstances.That however,does not mean that the government should look elsewhere while peoples lives are being taken unlawfully in otherwords,it is the duty and responsibilty of the government to protect lives and property. for avoidance of doubt,it is partinent to cote the provision on section33.According to the section ''(1) Every person has a right to life, save in execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been found guilty in Nigeria.(2) A person shall not be regarded as having been deprived of his life in contravention of this section, if he dies as a result of the use, to such extent and in such circumstances as are permitted by law, of such force as in reasonably necessary(a)for the defence of any person from unlawful violence or from the defence of property ; (b)in order to effect a lawful arrest or to prevent the escape of a person lawfully detained; or (c)for thre purpose of suppressing a riot, insurrection or mutiny.''

I think the appropriate section of the constitution which applies to your question is the provision of section14(2)(b). which imposes the responsibilty of security and welfare of the people on the government .The section provide thus ''the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government;''. this is the first section under Fundamental Objectives And Directive Principles Of State Policy which is the chapter two of the constitution.unfortunately,all the eleven provisions under this chapter of the constitution are not justiciable,that is,they are not enforceable.Which means that the government cannot be sued if it fails to adhere to any of these provisions either by ommision or commision.

Left: Mr Celestine Omehia, former Governor of Rivers Left: Chief Clarke and Mr Godsday Orubebe, State and Prof Jerry Gana, former Information and Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.

Orientation Minister.

Left: NIALS Director of Research, Prof Bolaji Owasanoye, Prof Obiora Okafor and Prof Paul Idornige

Still on tenancy law My dear dayo benson your advice on section 2 of the lagos state tenancy law is wrong.The copy with me says and i quote it shall be unlawful for a landlord or his agent to demand or receive from a sitting tenant in excess of 6months for a monthly tenant and 1 year for a yearly tenant in respect of any premises without prejudice to the nature of tenancy held at the commencement of the tenancy.In an interview with lagos State solicitor General lawal pedro, he said if you are a yearly tenant you dont have to pay more than a year rent.in another interview with the state Attorney General ade ipaye,he confirmed this section 2 of advance rent.Then do you know more than them?

GP Adesola The piece of advice in this column last week which you reffered to was a repeat because of several questions readers have been asking on the lagos state tenancy law.As at the time of the original puplication,i relied on the copy of the law obtained from a government source because it was not available for sale immediately after the government signed the bill to .I do not know what might have happened between the time it was signed and its official gazette.This clarification is neccessary because you reffered to section 2 but i coted section 4 i must however say that if the copy you have provides for sitting tenant in section 2 and the rent payable is 6 months and 1 year respectively there might have been a typographic error somewhere.I do not claim to know more than the solicitor and Attorney General of the state. please try and make your response a bit coherent next time.Thanks.

You can send your questions to dayobenson@yahoo.com or 08056180119 (text only) C M Y K

Left: Mrs Uju Okeke, Amanbra Commissioner for Education and D-G NIALS, Prof Epiphany Azinge, SAN.

Left: Prof Saliba Mukoro and Chief Sunny Udoh.

Left: Mr Austin Odokuna, FAC and Mr Gboyega Isiaka.

Left: Mrs Ifeoma Agbomah, PDP NEC member and Left: Mr Eze David and Mr James Bathnna, NIALS Mrs Chinwe Monu-Olarewaju, former Commissioner, Secretary.

Delta State.

Left: Dr Kazeem Mustapapha and Mr Nnia Agu.

Left: Prof Clement Dakas and Mr Uzezu Obeuwou.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012 — 43

NHRC DG, tackles FG, states on urban slums

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

E

XECUTIVE Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission,NHRC, Prof. Bem Angwe has tasked the states and federal government to take proactive measures to prevent growth of urban slums.

This came as the commission commenced investigations into complaints of forced evictions received from Makoko waterfront communities in Lagos with a call on both federal and state governments to adopt a right based approach to urban development.

In his recent visit to the waterfront, Prof. Angwe said “governments should take proactive measures to prevent the growth of urban slums and when they are allowed to grow, especially for many decades, careful planning, sensitization and adequate alternatives must be put in place before rebuilding such communities”.

Prof. Angwe, promised the evictees that the Commission will fully investigate all the issues raised as it affected them and meet with all government agencies concerned, in order to arrive at an informed decision on their case.

He assured the inhabitants that the decision of the Commission was binding on all the parties, as provided for in the NHRC Act 2010.

Prof. Angwe also observed that the poor sanitary condition and overcrowded nature of the settlement could constituted health and environmental hazards and

called on the Lagos State Government to immediately undertake a health audit of the area in order to forestall the outbreak of epidemic as well as determine the health needs of the people living in the area.

He said that the entire settlement was unsuitable for human habitation and a violation of the rights of the inhabitants to a clean and

protected environment.

The state Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye had told the Executive Secretary who had earlier visited him that it has become necessary to reclaim part of the Lagoon which was taken over by illegal settlements leading to increased flooding in other parts of Lagos.

The commissioner had

explained that the Lagoon was a critical resource where waters drain from all over Lagos deposit, but regretted that such an important facility was in jeopardy due to illegal fillings with garbage and erection of makeshift shelters by the ever increasing population at the waterside.

He said government will look at issue of compensation where it is necessary.

Earlier, the Baale of Makoko, Mr. Steven Aji, traced the fishermen existence in Makoko to 1890 but alleged that the government only gave them 72 hours to quit.

He further alleged that at the expiration of the 3 days notice Armed Marine Police came and demolished their houses without any alternative arrangement for resettlement.

PWD tasks govt over implementation of disability law

By BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

P

EOPLE living with disability, PWD, have tasked the Lagos state government over implementation of Lagos State Special People’s Law during a two-day workshop aimed at fashioning out a better programme for people with disability in the State.

Speaking at the workshop that took place in Ikeja, representative of Department for International Development (DFID), Felix Obanubi, who is also the Lagos team leader of State Accountability and Voice Initiative (SAVI) expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the workshop and the level of participation of members of the Lagos State Office of Disability Affairs, LASODA. According to him, “the joy of it is that the process has made them (PWD) internalize the mandate that establish them.

Not only that, they can see

the correlation of the mandate, the vision, the mission, the core value and from there they were able to also define the issue from the mandate.”

Obanubi pointed out that the workshop was also to enable people living with disability in Lagos come up with strategies of engagement, saying “and then at the end of the day, we were able to come up with strategies of engagement, which I know that by the time we finish the circle of the training, we would make the implementation and fashion out a programme that will lead to the implementation of the law very soon.”

Chairman Governing Board of LASODA, Mrs. Tolulope Animashaun praised the organizers and pledged the commitment of the agency towards Lagos Civil Society Disability Policy Partnership (LCSDPP), stressing that the board would ensure that the Lagos State Special People’s Law was properly implemented.

“My office should be able to make things better for people living with disability because they have the same right as everybody else. They have a right to education, health care and the right to access public loading like everybody else.

And because of this, offenders have to be prosecuted” Animashaun added.

Describing the workshop as being very helpful, she noted that the aim was to help LASODA clarify their goals and outline a plan of action.

General Coordinator of LCSDPP, Barth Uche Ekugun said the workshop was put in place as one of the capacity building processes to further empower the board members of LASODA to discharge their responsibilities with sense of focus.

“We feel as a stakeholder in the affairs of persons living with disability in the country, we should contribute our own quota to ensure that the office of LASODA functions effectively as envisaged by Lagos State Government. We are much concerned about the eagerness and systematic

implementation of policies and their mandate as provided for in the 2011 Lagos State Special People’s Law” he said.

One of the participants in the workshop, Mr Bada Oladipupo, a lawyer, applauded the State government for taking another step in implementing the Law, noting that it was a landslide action.

He said that the workshop has enabled people with disability in the State to have a full grasp of the nitty-gritty of the mandate, towards making Lagos a new place of hope for people with disability.

“I consider it a right step in the right direction. It is a thing we are all clamoring for and as a stakeholder we have been agitating for it. Once again, I consider it a breakthrough, a landslide action by Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) for taking another bold step towards implementing this particular law, which the Federal Government has not even considered” he added.

AMCON ttak ak es possession of debt or’s assets akes debtor’s S

EQUEL to an order of a Federal High Court, the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has taken possession of properties of one of its alleged debtors; American Specification Autos limited.

The corporation through its lawyer, Mr. Olisa Agbakoba & Associates, had approached the court for an order to invoke it’s special powers in a debt recovery case, and take possession of the landed properties pledged as securities for loan facility.

In its application before the court, AMCON sought an injunction preventing the alleged debtors from taking away their assets from jurisdiction, to liquidate the judgment debt. In his ruling, Hon. Justice

Abubakar Idris granted the orders as prayed for the commission to take possession pending the determination of the substantive suit.

Part of the properties attached by the Corporation were the one located in Ajao Estate, Mushin, Somolu and Ejigbo areas of the State. The properties include a duplex in Ajao Estate occupied by the Debtor, a duplex in Shomolu and a Plaza located at Ladipo Mushin with over 50 shops and offices.

AMCON is a creation of the government in response to recent near collapse of the financial sector in Nigeria. In response to the global economic turmoil and its devastating effect, countries all over the world have

devised means of dealing with these toxic assets/ nonperforming loans, ranging from bad banks to asset management companies (AMCs).

The core objectives of AMCON and similar Agencies all over the world are the same to wit; to purchase the toxic loans and bad loans and remove it from the balance sheet of the banks, Return the banks to liquidity by bringing its shareholders funds to a zero level, aggressively pursue the recovery of the debts.

AMCON is granted special powers under AMCON Act to ensure quick recovery of non performing and toxic loans and to curtail the immense financial loss being suffered in the financial

sector as a result of activities of recalcitrant debtors.

In pursuance of its powers under the Act, AMCON purchased a staggering

13,000 non-performing loans from Nigerian Banks and has commenced aggressive debt resolution and recovery process.

•A cross section of members of the Lagos State Office of Disability Affairs, LASODA and Lagos Civil Society Disability Policy Partnership (LCSDPP) during a two-day workshop in Lagos.

44—Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012 Edited by MCPHILIPS NWACHUKWU 08026350360 E-mail: chimeena@yahoo.com

Kenneth Murray who has already been making private collection of antiquities, and appointed him a surveyor of Nigerian Antiquities, and charged him to make recommendations on the practical steps to be taken to preserve the known antiquities, which he eventually did. He submitted a report in which he recommended the erection of museums at the three centres across the country, one being in Lagos. But because of the world war, action on these proposals were deferred.

In late 1945, a further step for mu seum movement was taken when Mr. H.J. Brauntholtz of the British Museum visited West Africa on behalf of the Colonial Office to advise on the preservation of antiquities.

Tremendous impact Some of the collections in a museum

Celebrating Nigeria's 90 years of Museum movement and political economist in London after 1850, who became the founder of modern UGUST 2012 marks nine decades socialism, used the British Museum and of the museum movement in Nige- Library to write his famous Des- Capital ria which started in 1922, with Esie mu- which shook the world to its foundation.

The Museum movement in Nigeria seum, being the first to be established in started in the 20th century or to be lacon1945 by the colonists.

Museum is described as an institution, ic, in August 1922 but the earliest referbuilding or room for storing, preserving ence to Museums in Secretariat files was and exhibiting artistic, cultural, historical made in 1929 when a file, NO 23004, enor scientific objects. The term, Museum is titled “National Museums and Galleries” derived from the Greek word “museion: was opened with a circular from the Colowhich means abode of muses. Muses nial Office, asking for information about were the daughters of Zeus, the kind of museums in the colonies. The same file the Olympian deities. Since they were contained a request made in 1932 for invery good at singing and dancformation about museums for ing, they helped men to forget the Museum Association. Contheir cares and concerns of sequently in 1934, a Directory life’s challenges or their sorof Museums in British Africa rows and anxiety through these was published in which a brief activities. Hence, “museion” description of the Mines Decame to be associated with a partment Museum at Jos was place where man’s mind found made. Another file, NO 31346, rest and aloofness from day-to- The idea of entitled “Nigerian Museum” day affairs of life. included a suggestion made in museum Muses were also credited 1936 for a museum of local prodwith a great deal of imagina- movement ucts. But such moves and assotion, inspiration and infinite in Nigeria ciated ones concerning exhibimemory. They were spirits that tions such as the Wembley Exare thought to inspire poets or emanated hibition in London and the Calother artists. Thus, apart from from Mr. abar Exhibition in 1927 did not being a place where man’s produce any meaningful musemind found rest and aloofness, E.H. Duckum policy.

“Museion” also was associat- worth, who ed with learning of encyclohe idea of museum move is best paedic character . ment in Nigeria emanatOwing to the encyclopaedic described ed from Mr. E.H. Duckworth, nature of this institution, the who is best described as an inearly museums tried to hoard as an indedefatigable champion of the virtually everything that con- fatigable need to preserve the Nigeria’s tributed to knowledge and works of art. He was a member champion learning. For example, the of Education Department in Museum at Alexandria con- of the need Nigeria and held the position tained statues of thinkers, vo- to preserve of Editor of the Nigeria Teacher tive donations, astronomical (Now Nigeria Magazine). He and surgical instruments, ele- the Nigerelentlessly worked towards the phant tusks as well as rare an- ria’s works development of museum in Niimals among others. geria. He used the magazine as Museum has indeed been a of art a medium or rather, a means of research institution or centre of organizing his powerful crulearning right from time exsade for museum movement in tending back beyond memory or record. Nigeria. Indeed, the first article , entitled It could be recollected that Karl Marx, a “A Plea for Museums” published in No 1 revolutionary leader, social philosopher of the Nigeria Teacher of 1933 was writBy APOLLOS IBEABUCHI OZIOGU

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ten by one of the staff of Mr. E.H Duckworth in the Department of Education. In 1937, Late Kenneth C. Murray, an arts teacher in various Government schools of the country, held an Exhibition of works of the arts students in London which opened a campaign for Nigerian Museum. By this way, he re-introduced “plea for museums” into the notes for the opening speech by the Secretary of the State for the colonies. Thus, an intensified campaign began with article in Nigeria Teacher, Nigerian Field and the Journal of the Royal African Society.

The first step taken towards the fulfillment of the robust but laudable idea was the inauguration of the Nigerian Antiquities Service on July 28, 1943 at the Government House, Lagos. Sir Alexander Granthan, being the Officer administering the government at that time, invited

His report had a tremendous impact on the museum movement. Again, the museum movement was re-enforced by the important discovery of brass-head in Ife, and by Mr. E.H. Duckworth’s pressure for a museum at Ife, which led to a successful application by the Government for a grant of £1000 from the Carnagie Foundation. The Nigerian Antiquities Service, inaugurated in 1943 later metamorphosed into the Federal Department of Antiquities under the Federal Ministry of Education. As the crusade for Museum movement grew an geometrical progression, museums were established in some zonal cities of Nigerian Besides the British Nationals who were the vanguard for Museum movement in Nigeria like K.C. Murray Bernard E.B. Fagg, E.H. Duckworth, H.J Brauntholtz, other crusaders for museum movement in Nigeria include top Nigerian politicians like late Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and Chief Obafemi Awolowo etc. There were also traditional rulers like the Oni of Ife, Oba of Benin, Obi of Onitsha, Akarigbo of Ijebu-Remo , Akenizua of Benin, Akaran of Lagos, Alafin of Oyo, Olowo of Owo, Obong of Calabar, Sultan of Sokoto, Atta of Igala, Shehu of Borno, Tur of Tiv and Lamido of Adamawa and others.

3rd National Troupe Children Creative Station commences

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HE National Troupe of Nigeria is set to hold the third edition of its annual long vacation theatre workshop dubbed the Children Creative Station (CSS). Coming on the heels of the success of its Dramatized Schools Storytelling Competition, the programme aims at engaging the children creatively during the long vacation.

The first edition of the CSS targeted at children between the ages of five to eighteen was held in August 2010 and it was designed primarily to expose participants to theatre practice and appreciation of drama in such a manner that their creative talents can be fully harnessed, nurtured and developed to realize their imaginative potentials.

Speaking on the exercise, the Artistic Director of National Troupe Mr. Martin Adaji explained that the CSS aims at engaging the children creatively during the long vacation. He also stated that it is aimed at not only fostering the imaginative skills of children which is in line with the Troupe’s objective of encouraging the development of children theatre. “We believe that by engaging them creatively,

they will not only take their minds off certain known vices during the long holiday but they will be able to harness and polish their individual creative talents” he said.

Coordinator of the project and Director in charge of Drama of the National Troupe Miss Josephine Igberaese stated that the children will be taking basic dance, music, drama and puppetry routines. She also hinted that a special command performance, a product of the one month intensive training will be staged to close the workshop as it was done the previous years. It would be recalled that the maiden and second edition closed with a command performance of Tolu Omojola’s Colours of the rainbowand Noel Grieg’s Whispers in the Darkrespectively which was staged before theatre goers, parents, teachers and students.

The Director Drama also said the 2012 edition will be better in scope and content compared to the previous editions.

“We have expanded the content to include voice training, pantomime and the usual storytelling, singing, dancing, acting and creative writing” she said

Vanguard, THURSDAY,AUGUST 16, 2012— 45 Edited by MCPHILIPS NWACHUKWU 08026350360 E-mail: chimeena@yahoo.com

Diamond Bank pledges support for child art competition

By PRISCA SAM-DURU

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OLLOWING the huge success recorded at the 2012 Black Heritage Festival (LBHF), the festival team led by its consultant Prof Wole Soyinka and the finalists of the Child Art Competition, paid a “Thank You” visit to Diamond Bank in appreciation for its support.

Features at the event which held last week at the Bank’s Corporate Headquarters, Lagos, included display of the art works of the children, formal issuance of certificates to the artists and presentation of gifts to management of Diamond Bank.

It will be recalled that the 5th edition of the Lagos Black Heritage Festival(LBHF) with theme, ”The Black in the Mediterranean Blue” held last April, focused on the linkages and historical contributions of blacks to the Mediterranean region as reflected in the dance, plays, street theatre, music and other cultural programmes .

Also, the festival which featured in the past, adult art competitions, during this year’s, focused on young creativity through the Diamond Bank sponsored Child Art Competition with a sub theme,” The Vision of the Child”.

The painting event which took

Prof Wole Soyinka addressing the audience during the visit. Photo by Prisca Sam-Duru place at Freedom Park Lagos had participants made up of children between nine and twelve years competing in a visual narrative of their grasp of the culture they live in, their observations of developments in their immediate environment and their dreams

and fantasies about Lagos .

The results were framed and mounted for exhibition on the 2nd of April, 2012 which was on the final day of the Festival Colloquium. While all competitors were issued certificates and LBHF customized laptops, the

best six received in addition, cash awards.Speaking during the “Thank You” visit to Diamond Bank , the group managing director and chief executive officer of the bank, Alex Otti stated that Diamond Bank took a stand to support LBHF because of the in-

volvement of Prof. Soyinka and also because Diamond Bank being a bank of the future has no choice but to keep supporting children who are the fut u r e .

The festival consultant Wole Soyinka in his own words, appreciated Diamond Bank for deeming it necessary to lend its support to the festival. He explained that the history and relevance of the black race is what the festival sets out to address thematically, disclosing that just as this year’s theme focused on the Black in the Mediterranean Blue, 2013 festival will have theme on black presence in Portuguese cultures. Rather than make public next year’s theme, he wrote it on a piece of paper and presented it in an envelope to Otti to be kept safe in the banks vault pending when it is appropriate for public knowledge, to avoid giving undue advantage to the artists present.

The presentation of gifts was made to management of Diamond Bank by LBHF’s director of protocol Femi Segun. Present at the event were the designer/ director of Freedom Park Theo Lawson, Mrs Soyinka and directors of the bank Victor Ezenwoko and Uzoma Dozie.

Faniyan’s two books for presentation

By JAPHET ALAKAM

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OURNALIST, copywriter and author Babatunde Faniyan is not new in the literary world. The creative thinker who has worked in many media houses and was at one time the acting City Editor of the defunct Daily Times after many years of research is set to storm the literary community with the entrance of a new novel into the literary terrain.

After his first published book in 1988, titled, Die and Let Live, a fiction job which was shortlisted for an Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) award in 1989, Faniyan whose mission is to use his God given talent, skills and experience to establish a pervasive and potent communication platform to inform, educate, entertain and empower man is out with his second book titled, Deliver Us From Evil, a 450 page book.

The book, a Socio-Spiritual story set in Mid-20th Century Nigeria chronicles active spiritual consciousness as key against the Evil that is C M Y K

resolutely threatening to overwhelm the world. The book which is recommended for adult audience only is a thrilling story of hard-core conflict between good and evil.

This conflict cuts across familiar and not-so-familiar realms taking advantage of the rich

,

The book, a socio-spiritual story chronicles active spiritual consciousness as key against the Evil that is resolutely threatening to overwhelm the world

,

and flexible quality of the human imagination.

With the wave of violence rocking the world now, one is bound to ask why it is so . From the Jos plateau in Nigeria to the French Riviera in France, evil schemes to grow root in the Nigerian soil and complete the physical, economic, social and spiritual rout of the people.

And from all indications, all the variables seem to be working in favour of Evil: corrupt, oppressive and unproductive governments; decayed morality; deceitful religious preachings; deprivation on all fronts; hatred; intolerance, etc.

The book tells the story of the birth of Ireti at the first highbrow, European-run Mission hospital in Port Harcourt and that of Solomon Ogun at a decrepit, dingy traditional Maternity home at an Ijebu-Ode side street. The drama surrounding and heralding both births were rich in contrasts, humour and tragedy.

The paths of both boys crossed briefly at primary school in Jos, where they had

One of the books for launch brilliant academic careers. At secondary school level, Solomon was officially recognized as a genius. But the two boys grew up to be opposing spiritual beings. Solomon, at the age of 16 got enlisted as a disciple of Satan and progressed to become a Grand-

master - one of the top three in the hierarchy of the World Council of Satanists, (WCS).

Ireti, on the other hand received a brief from God - a challenge to salvage the world from evil, else it was doomed for destruction. Ireti accepted the challenge. Thus a battle line was drawn. The story continues.

The new book, Deliver Us From Evil which has started receiving commendations from notable scholars and the first book Die and Let Live will be officially presented to the public in September, 2012.

Faniyan who is an accom plished writer won the award for Best Creative presentation of the Association of Advertising Practitioners (AAPN). He runs his own Communications outfit known as Revelation Advertising Ltd since 1997 and is the publisher of Thinker’s Digest and lead writer of Wind of Hope, the authorized biography of President Goodluck Jonathan launched in March, 2011.

46— Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

Re: Tales from tenants

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Dear Yetunde, Thank you for that write up on the activities of our so called landlords.

It is a pity that many of them are like that.

It is rather unfortunate that Amune lost his wife in that controversial circumstance. However,

heaven and not just building commercial houses on earth to make life difficult for their fellow men.

Please remember that whatever God has given you is not for your personal benefit alone. It is for the benefit of all

The case of Lagos, Abuja and perhaps Port Harcourt are classic examples of why government must show more interest and commitment to the provision of houses for the masses

,

i, The problems associated with landlord versus tenant relationship are innumerable.

From indiscriminate hikes in rent to molestations over how occupants manage the premises. In extreme cases, landlords and tenants have had to trade punches or taken their grieviances to the courts of law.

Almost every tenant has a story or another to tell about their landlords, from the bizzare to the hillarious. Stories of greed, jealousy and hatred and of course, kindness and love.

A couple of weeks ago, we published stories from two respondents who narrated some perculiar tales.

According to Amune, he strongly suspected that his wife of barely four years was killed by his landlord who disliked her from the first day he brought her into the house. The old man he said, wanted him to marry one of his young daughters.

Amune’s wife was considered as the clog in the wheel of his plans, so she had to go, at least, that was what Amune said his mother was told by some spiritualists.

Today, we bring you some of what our readers have to say on the issue.

Dear readers, we will still love to hear from you on this topic. Share your views/opinion and contribution with us by sending them to our address: The Human Angle, Vanguard, P.M.B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. or e-mail us via: humananglepage@yahoo.com Cheers!

I want to believe that his case is a rare one. But that is not to say that such a thing cannot h a p p e n .

Many landlords, especially in this Lagos are callous and wicked.

They see their houses as investments that they must benefit from to maximum. It is like a company and they will do anything to protect their business.

Building a house in Lagos, Abuja and any other commercial city across the country has become premium investment. Building houses in our remote villages is no longer attractive in any way, but from the fact that such a house will serve as a symbol of one’s personal contribution to the community.

However, we have failed to realise that it is not everyone that will build a house. God did not design all fingers to be equal. But this does not mean that those who do not own houses must be denied access to comfortable and peaceful life.

Our landlords must learn how to build everlasting houses for themselves in

,

who come in contact with you and God will hold everyone accountable for all He has given us.

Thank you for your time.

A. Emmanuel.

L a g o s

Dear Yetunde, It has been quite a few years since I last read your column. I stopped reading after I travelled out of the country 10 years ago. I was surprised to see that it is still running after all these years. Please keep up the good work as they say.

All I want to say is that, for as long as housing, one of the main components of man’s basic needs for survival remains elusive on the list of projects that government is committed to, then landlords and their agents will continue to take advantage of the s i t u a t i o n .

The case of Lagos, Abuja and perhaps Port Harcourt are classic examples of why government must show more interest and commitment to the provision of houses for

the masses.

I am particularly irked by the activities of successive government in Lagos State since the administration of Alhaji Lateef Jakande.

By my own assessment and I know that many will share my opinion, Jakande remains the only true “action” governor the state has ever had.

His achievements and people oriented programmes will perhaps never be surpassed by any other administration for a long time to come.

The houses he built remains a legacy in the state till date. I make bold to say that subsequent governments must be ashamed of themselves.

Yet, it is not that Jakande’s successes cannot be duplicated, but we are being ruled by corrupt people who lack vision, intelligence and compassion for the people they govern.

They have continued in only projects aimed at further isolation of the common man.

Pray Yetunde, please tell me why any right thinking government should engage in construction of housing projects that will be sold to the public for as much as tens of millions of Naira. How many members of the masses can afford to buy such houses.

All that the Lagos State government has continued to do in the last decade or more is to covet the people’s land, use the people’s money to fund it and sell them off to themselves, their family and cohorts, who at the same time will use money stolen from government’s shaddy deals to acquire such houses. Thereby running a vicious cartel at the expense of the masses.

If government is serious about housing the masses, let them take cue from nations such as Cuba and Isreal who have recorded great successes in this area and stop fooling us by making stupid laws that are almost impossible to enforce.

To be continued

Asisited by Onozure Dania

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08039582019 •Lin, 53, Ibo, separated and a business man, in Lagos, needs a Christian lady, who is 5.3ft tall,educated, and employed, aged 36-42, for marriage.08057002189, 07065557964 •Cic, 25,based in Lagos needs a matured, sexually sterved lady in Lagos,aged 28-40. 08180990369 •Peter, 30 and good looking, needs a beautiful and matured woman, aged 40-50, for a serious relationship.07033326960 •Nicol, 35, employed and resides in Abuja, needs a tall, fair in complexion and busty lady, for a relationship.08034245667 •Ageh, 32, needs a lady, for a serious relation-

ship, aged 21-26.07030296571 •lkechukwu, 28, tall, fair in complexion and resides in Asaba, needs a lady, who is loving, caring, God fearing and who can take good care of him, aged 29-30, for a serious relation•Dear readers, please note that neither Vanguard, nor Yetunde Arebi will be liable for any error in the publication of requests on the Lovezone that may result in any form of embarrassment to any member of the public.

Also note that we do not run any match-making agency in or outside the country. Any reader who transacts business with anyone claiming to be our agent does so at his/her own risk.

Henceforth, only messages sent through the numbers readers want to be contacted on will be published.

This notice is necessary in order to serve you better in our refreshingly different style. To get your requests published, just text it to the code number 33055. For further enquiries, call 08026651636. Cheers!

Men who treat women with disrespect

BY ONOZURE DANIA

AN average man always expects women to respect them irrespective of their status, height, colour and other wise, but they never show women respect.

They always feel that they are more superior to women.

Recently, I had an argument with a guy who felt he was superior to me because he is a man, but I told him that he can only do that in his house with his sisters because when you are outside your house you keep all those being a man thing, in your house.

You might be wondering that am trying to take this personal, but its because this is what happens every day and it needs to be addressed that women needs respect too from the men too.

Respect is what every woman craves. To be disrespected is epitome of rudeness. Why some men disrespect women is not a tossup, but rather a given.

Disrespect is a symptom of something far deeper than an action. It is an attitude that stems from believing that womanhood is not admirable.

When men believe that women are inferior to them, or that women will allow disrespect, they will show their contempt for them by talking rudely to them, ignoring them, or treating them like animals.

Men are taught at an early age the concept of respect or disrespect. Parents live it before them.

If a male child constantly views women being castigated before them, then they derive the opinion that this is just how women are to be treated. If fathers always put mothers down before their children, the children will bring to their tables this same attitude towards women.

Another reason men disrespect women is that the women represents no challenge to their male ego. The woman is free or loose with herself. She does not value her womanhood before the

man and shows no restraint at any time. She is like a bargain basement item in the man’s sight.

He can never appreciate her as a virtuous woman and doubts her honesty and integrity when in her company or presence.

Unless the woman begins to put a price tag on herself, she will remain a bargain basement item. Then there are men who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

At these times, they are not in their right minds. They hardly know what they are doing. To slam a woman around, address her in disrespectful tones is something they do at those moments. If she does not remove herself from his presence at these moments, she cannot blame anyone for her t r e a t m e n t .

There are men who are self involved in a power struggle.

When a man feels belittled, put down or like an underdog, he will treat a woman rudely to feel big inside. He’s the great one and not she. That brings to him a feeling of superiority and elevation.

If she allows it, he will repeat these actions towards her again and again each time he needs to experience the much needed feeling of power.

Women must take control of themselves in order to be appreciated, respected, and loved. They must recognize that they are not here to be trampled upon in any form. They are the beautiful counterpart of men.

They are the precious dewdrops from heaven that God designed should complement men. They are delicate and supportive, but not pieces of trash to be thrown to the dogs. If women believe men are dogs, then they should change their viewpoint and see men as rocks of strength, towers of support, and in their proper roles, leaders of communities and homes.

As men and women

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Vanguard anguard,, YOUR LUCK TODAY

LEISURE

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139

CANCER; Professional advice may be needed over your finances but if you are sure of what you are doing you can go ahead. Be more family minded.

LEO; Some of you who are travelling purposely for love are in for a rewarding day. All of you will need to take your social life more seriously.

VIRGO; Unusual co-operation may come your way today but if you are carried away by this the whole thing may change soonest. Respect your spouse.

LIBRA; Tomorrow will prove more rewarding financially but you will have good opportunity to do things rightly within your working arena. Be loving.

SCORPIO; Although tomorrow may be your best day good opportunity to enhance your financial prospects will come your way even today. Try to be more practical however.

THURSD AY, A UGUST 16, 2012 — 47 THURSDA

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Better grooming

By Richard Eromosele

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ROOMING simply means the things you do to keep yourself neat and clean. These include keeping your clothes clean, keeping your hair neat, clean and tidy, cut-

ting your finger nails etc.

I can hear you ask; how do you practice better grooming?

The truth is that there are no hard and fast rules as to what constitute bet-

TERROR MUDA

ter grooming. However, there is a general perception about the right form of grooming among people of different communities such as — biological community, ethnic, so-

in “Never say goodbye”

cial, religious, etc.

Like the saying goes, dress the way you want to be addressed. Same thing with grooming. Let your hair be neat and clean, let your clothes be thoroughly clean etc. In all be moderate.

By Lanre Kehinde

SAGITTARIUS; This is your day when both your personal efforts and element of good luck will bring you much desired result. The more self assertive you are today the better for you.

CAPRICORN; Tomorrow is your day; although there will be some challenges within your base of operation today, eventual success will be yours. Be more family minded.

AQUARIUS; Even if friends have failed to live up to expectation in the recent days you will need to leave the past behind you and forge ahead. Lovers are fairly favoured.

PISCES; Business challenges of yesterday notwithstanding pleasant surprises are possible. The more financially ambitious you are today the better for your cause.

ARIES; Better opportunities indicated for those of you willing to be as self assertive as possible, and it could turn out to be a happy day to be remembered by real lovers.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

TAURUS; Although you will need to keep your secrets for the next few days that is not to say you should not pursue your financial interest. Take care of your health.

GEMINI; Don’t wait till tomorrow before you make an important move because good luck and success are closer to you today than you image. Be hopeful.

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING Send yyour our dat th ttoo the As tr ological datee and place of bir birth Astr trological Counselling, PP.M.B .M.B 1100 00 7, Apapa, Lagos 007,

Who am I? Dear Joshua,

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

Please keep my birth data secret, but I want you to analyse my horoscope bluntly so that I can know who am I; talking about my personality. Who am I ?

Emma, Kano.

Dear Emma, What you will find here under will prove useful if you take them seriously and utilise them.

ANALYSIS OF YOUR HOROSCOPE DATA/PLANETARY PLACEMENT Aries that hosted the most important heavenly body (the Sun) together with indicator of mental focus lens-Mercury, is known for special leadership quality and higher degree of positive aggressiveness. Yes you were endowed with leadership talents which can manifest either in the business world or POLITICS and probably both.

It is true that Aries can be very aggressive, but with many planets placed in more mild Star signs, with less than 50% of push-full influence, loving Venus as most influential planet when you were born, certainly aggression of Aries is greatly water down to the minimum . That is not to say you the timid type but yours is a balanced personality. You are gentle, honest and straight forward person. Preponderance of fixed and earth in your chart are pointers to the fact that you are the careful type who will not change his mind just for the fun of it. Then as peace loving Venus was the most influential planet when you were born, peace and harmony will always come first whenever you want to take any (important and/or) decisive action.

Placement of mighty Sun (indicator of basic-self hood) the Moon (indicator of sub-conscious self/emotion) and the Stellium (that is more than two planets in one Star sign} in Aries, Pisces and Taurus respectively meant that basic characteristics of the three Star signs stated in this paragraph are highly pronounced in your inner-self..

Commen3

by Lawrence Akapa

48 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012 — 49

50 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSD AY, AUGUST 16, 2012 —51 THURSDA

Foundation promotes cancer screening for women in Lagos

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

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O fewer than 3,000 women are benefitting from series of free cervical and breast cancer screening and distribution of food items being carried out by the Hadassah Healing Foundation, HHF, in partnership with Optimal Cancer Screening Center, Lagos.

Explaining the essence of the exercise in a chat, Pastor Adenike Lamai, President, of the Foundation, observed that the move became necessary as a means to check the considerable level of ignorance

among women in the country.

Lamai, an ordained minister of God, said the free medical screening and distribution of food items for women at the grassroots was inspired by God."Last year, God spoke to me to take the Foundation to the hintherland and beyond the familiar to the grassroots. . He laid it in my heart to reach out to these women "Enough awareness is still required about cervical cancer screening which is still not very pronounced in this part of the world. It is disheartening that several women do not appreciate the importance of this screening.

• Beneficiaries during the medical outreach in Ikorodu.

Further, Lamai observed: "We have been told that cervical cancer is the 3rd largest killer of women in as a disease, and it is really taking taking toll on women, who are dying daily in ignorance.

"This is a painful development because cervical cancer is one unique cancer that has a cure if detected early. The downside is that it does not show symptoms until it has eaten deep into the body."

Lamai who said when she did her own screening, it was at a cost of N15,000, wondered how women of little or no means would be able to afford the current cost screening cost of N25,000.

"We have started with the Church. We took 25 women out of which one tested positive. We were thankful that she was diagnosed before the disease had gone very far, "We should not be ignorant, and should pray about what we know, HadassahHealing Foundation is all encompassing, involving the the body carries the soul. If your body is weak so is the soul weak."

She said after the screening, those who test positive are followed up by Optimal Cancer Care Foundation. Noting that the exercise is continuous Lamai, said the campaign will be taken ing to Ajegunle, Epe and even beyond Lagos.

"The next phase is sheduled for August 18, 2012, at Daolak International School, Lawal Court, Alausa, Ikeja,.The climax holds September 15, 2012 during the Hadassah Conference at the Balmoral Hall, Kudirat Abiola Way, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos. The theme is: "I Will Arise".

• Pastor Adenike Lamai We are sensitising women to know that if they start early, cervical cancer can be curtailed. A lot of the so-called rich and educated women are unaware that this thing is deadly, and it would be a life wasted because once it crosses a stage, nothing can be done.

Also speaking, Clinical Director Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, Dr. Femi Olaleye, lamented the low level of cancer awareness by women. "It is quite low, because 95 percent of women in the country have never been screened. We are using the platform of the Church to spreadthe message and brealk the ignorance. What is killing women is the ignorance. On government's role, he said it cannot do it all.

Nigeria needs cancer screening and treatment centres. W also need more, commitment from government, individuals, faith based organisations, and the community.

As Christians we should be healthy," he remarked.

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

H

ELLO again everybody. Today we continue revealing our new arrivals for this summer and the coming months. In this edition, we will examine new organ enlargers, performance enhancers, books, masturbators and vibrators.

Organ Enlargers/ Vaginal Shrinkers Size Matters Enlargement Strap: Unlike any other penis enlarger we have ever talked about, Size Matters Enlargement Strap is not a tablet, cream or pump. It is a device worn on the penis all night for organ enlargement.

It comes highly recommended and guarantees a bigger, longer and thicker penis within a few weeks. It works by gradually stretching the penile tissues, making your skin cells divide and multiply. Before you know it, you’ve got a mighty big gun for a penis. In addition to enlargement tablets like Max Size, enlargement creams like Mega Me Cream and penis pumps like Pistol Pump, men now have the option of using Size Matters Enlargement Strap for enlargement.

Reverse Vagina Tightening Gel. While men want to be bigger, women want to be tighter. The Reverse Vagina Tightening Gel is a new vagina tightening formula that enables women get tighter instantly for better sex. The results last for a few hours and you can reapply as often as you want. It can also be used as a regular lubricant.

Adult Books A Pumper’s Hand Book teaches you how to use your penis pump for organ enlargement and instant erection (in the cases of men with erectile dysfunction), how to get the best results with pumps and the kind of pumps that are best for penis enhancement. Users of penis pumps will benefit from this book.

Sex Toys for Men and Women Sasha Grey’s Cream Pie Masturbator: This masturbator for men is an exact replica of Sasha Grey’s lady parts.

Sasha of course is one of the biggest and most successful adult movie stars in the world and recently went main stream, featuring in movies by Steven Soderberg and C M Y K

Mark Whalberg.

Pipe Dream’s Extreme Fanta Flesh Masturbator: This is a superb and portable masturbator for men. It is made with materials so real and skin-like that you forget the difference. What I appreciate most about masturbators in general is that they keep men out of trouble. If your wife or girlfriend is not in the mood for sex, you don’t have to have an affair. With a good and portable masturbator, you can take care of business any time of the day. No cheating and no sexual frustrations to deal with. That’s the miracle of science.

Lucid Dream Water Proof G Spot Vibrator: The month of August is all about G-Spot vibrators and we have got six new toys in this category. G-Spot vibrators are suitable for female ejaculation. If you are a female looking for the best and affordable orgasm that money can buy, Lucid Dream Water Proof G Spot Vibrator is your man.

Inflatable Vibrating Strap-On: This is a one of a kind strap-on for women that not only vibrates but can also be pumped to increase in size. The straps are also adjustable and fit most women.

Performance Enhancers for Women and Men Climax Female Sexual Enhancer: This is a superb performance enhancer for women with low libido, low arousal and low sexual enjoyment problems. It is very effective and works within an hour.

Max Testosterone: This supplement helps men with low libido regain their sex drive. It is ideal for middle aged men and older men who have ‘lost their mojo’.

Next week, we will have out third and final new product introduction for the month of august. Men and women in need of these treatments/novelties can call 08027901621 or 08051924159 or any other number here to order or they can also order online at www.zeevirtualmedia.com. Zee Virtual Media delivers to you wherever you are in Nigeria. For enquiries, send your emails to custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com - Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media..

52—Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

*Northern governors at a meeting L-R Yakowa (Kaduna), Aliyu (Niger), Suswam (Benue) and Shema (Katsina)

BOKO HARAM:

At last Northern Govs intervene The Northern States Governors Forum recently set up a committee to look into the state of insecurity in the region. The move considered belated in some quarters, is the first overt move by the northern governors to stem the crisis that has turned the region into a theatre of war. were the subject of the attack as it happened in Kano last January, not much expression of revulsion was expressed. It was as such not surprising that some alleged that Boko Haram had become a tool by the north's elite to negotiate power ahead of the 2015 general elections.

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

T

HE decision of the governors of the 19 northern states to set up a 41-man committee to address the spate of bombings and other terrorist actions in the region came out of the blue. For long the governors had kept mute on the issue with many of them skirting around calls for decisiveness from the populace.

Their silence and that of other notable northern leaders at one point forced the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, to chide them over what he insinuated was either cowardice or cringing fear.

Speaking during an Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, summit in January, Senator Mark berated Northern leaders over their inability to condemn terrorism in the region. He had fumed: “Won’t we be able to condemn current degree of insecurity in the North occasioned and heightened by Boko Haram? Are we afraid to openly condemn Boko Haram either for political reasons or out of fear of possible attack by the sect? ”

•Kukah: Member Despite this challenge by Mark and several others, nothing much came from the northern leaders and governors except, calls now and then, for dialogue with the sect by a few northern radicals such as Alhaji Balarabe Musa, Alhaji Ali Monguno, Shehu Sani and the Arewa Consultative among others.

The 41-man rescue squad: The seeming quietness inevitably sent signals of acceptance of the actions of the Boko Haram group by the northern leaders. Even when northerners and Muslims

Initiative will resolve the problem — Tsav But a member of the committee and former Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, expressed optimism that the move would bring about lasting peace in the region. Tsav, who told Vanguard that the committee members had not been briefed on their mandate, commended the governors for initiating the process.

Terms of reference

Peaceful coexistence Suggestions to that effect now seem to be punctured with the recent formation of the 41-man panel to tackle the Boko Haram insurgency by the northern governors. Put together at the instance of the Northern States Governors Forum, NSGF, the term of reference “is to engender the restoration of the most desired peaceful co-existence, unity and development in the entire region.” The Committee is expected to be inaugurated next Wednesday in Abuja.

Members of the panel are Ambassador Zakari Ibrahim, Prof. Tijani El-Miskin, Prof.

Shedrack Best, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, Prof. Habu Galadima, AIG Hamisu Ali Jos (rtd), Gen. Martin Luther Agwai (rtd), Prof.

mandate is to fashion out strategies to address the disturbing state of insecurity, and proffer practical and enduring solutions. “The negative consequences of insecurity for freedom, liberties and the thriving economic activities within the northern states are very serious. It is in recognition and total concern for the hardearned national peace and harmony of our great country, Nigeria that the Forum decided at its meeting held on Thursday July 26, 2012 to constitute a highpowered committee to handle issues bordering on reconciliation, healing, peace and security within the troubled areas across the northern states of the federation,” Shashere noted.

Nonetheless, some are sceptical about this move, given the delay in the action. "For making that move, they have toed the line of wise reasoning, but why doing it this late. It would be a success if there is sincerity of purpose on the part of the governors, but anything short of dispassionate approach to the underlining issues of the insurgency, would be counterproductive to the search for peace,’’ Dr. Ekenwa Anazia, Executive Director, Federation of Peoples Rights and Advocacy stated.

•Tsav: Member Muhammad Akaro Mainoma, Hajiya Dije Bala, Maj. Gen.Yakubu Usman (rtd), Prof.

Sani Abdulkadir, AVM Mukhtar Mohammed (rtd), Justice Umaru Abdullahi, Hajia Mariam Uwais, Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, Group Capt. Bilal Bulama (rtd), Col Musa Shehu (rtd), Iliya Ithuve, Ali M. Dandiya, Gen. GP Zidon (rtd) and Justice Usman Baba Liman among others.

Justifying the convening of the panel, a statement signed by the Secretary to the Government of Niger State and Chairman, Forum of Secretaries to the Government of Northern States, Mr. Daniel Shashere, said the

He noted: "We have not been given guidelines on what to do, but the move is a good one. By the time we are given our terms of reference we can be able to speak on it. However, I am satisfied with the calibre of people in the committee, especially the membership of Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah. He is a very notable person with unquestionable integrity."

Tsav, however, countered claims that the move was belated saying "I dont think the idea of the panel is belated, the governors did a very good thing.

During the Niger Delta crisis when the region was boiling, it was not the governors that rescued the region. It was President Yar’Adua that calmed the Niger Delta region , when he intervened with the amnesty programme. But in the case of

Continues on page 53

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012—53

ABUJA PROPERTY LAW:

Will Senate soak the rich?

BY INALEGWU SHAIBU

W

HEN the idea of a befitting federal capital for Nigeria was first mooted in the 70s, the vision of the Federal Government was to have a capital with all the trappings of modern day civilization. A model city that will have functional roads, good health facilities, and other social amenities that were hitherto absent in Lagos, the then sprawling capital of Nigeria; a capital city that is devoid of chaos and commotion occasioned by traffic gridlocks.

Little wonder, the founding fathers of Abuja picked a virgin land to ease the actualization of a model capital city.

To actualize this lofty dream, the Federal Government came up with a master plan, which detailed how Abuja would be built. However, with the master plan in place, the dream of the founding fathers of Abuja is fast being eroded.

Public infrastructures that were meant to set the city apart from other cities in Nigeria are fast collapsing. The roads are becoming too congested due to heavy traffic. Portable water is not readily available in most parts of the Abuja, except for highbrow areas like Maitama, Asokoro and Wuse. More so, good health and educational facilities are becoming hard to come by for residents.

Collapsing infrastructure Analysts attribute the chaos and collapsing infrastructures to two major variables. One is the high influx of people into FCT, and the other is paucity of funds to drive accelerated development.

Property tax bill In response to these issues, the Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory, intervened with two bills geared towards boosting the revenue profile of the city as well as restructuring the administration of the FCT. The bills sponsored by Senator Smart Adeyemi, Chairman of the

Two legislative proposals in the Senate are aiming to raise funds from the rich. Do the Abuja nouveau riche deserve this?

*Mark: Senate President Senate Committee on FCT are FCT Board of Inland Revenue Service Bill and FCT Property Tax Law Bill. The two bills received support from the majority of senators who spoke on them during the debate on the two bills.

Among those who spoke were Senators Atai Aidoko, Ahmad Lawan among others with Senator Ben Ayaide arguing seriously against it. Leading debate on the bills, Adeyemi held that government alone could not continue to shoulder the burdens of the FCT. He stated that for Abuja to be the dream city that all Nigerians would be proud of there was need for a parallel revenue generating agency that would sustain the city.

On the Board of Inland Revenue for the FCT, specifically, Senator Adeyemi said the board would boost the revenue profile of Abuja even as he lamented that the FCT was being shortchanged by unscrupulous

*Adeyemi: Champioining the bills public servants and their cohorts with 75 percent of taxes collected for the development of the FCT not remitted to government coffers. He blamed this anomaly on the absence of law, arguing that the board would address this anomaly by having in place a well run agency that will track and collect all taxes meant for the FCT. According to him, “about 75 to 85 per cent of all taxes you see people collect in Abuja go into private pockets. That explains why it suits some senior staff of the FCT that we do not have a board of internal revenue. So it pays them that this law is not passed. But when you have a board in place, you can now sit down and articulate all the taxes and levies you are supposed to collect.”

Adeyemi while also introducing the property tax bill, entitled: “A Bill for an Act to Provide for Assessment, Levy and Collection of Tax on Real Property in the

Federal Capital Territory and other matters connected therewith, 2012,” was of the view that privileged Nigerians with properties in Abuja must be seen to contribute to the overall development of Nigeria through payment of property tax.

He said such taxes which are operational in other climes would help to boost government coffers.

He said the law when passed would tax the rich to enhance the standard of living of the poor as a way of addressing the unacceptable high rate of unemployment ravaging the Nigeria economy.

Beneficiaries of the bill: “This bill is targeted at the high brow areas of Abuja. Let them pay because they can afford it. Let’s take from the rich people and provide for the poor. We are going to make sure that the proceeds coming from property tax will not be used to pay contractors constructing roads in Abuja. We are going to focus on

As Northern govs embark on rescue flight Continues from page 52 insecurity that has crippled the north, President Jonathan has not done anything. All he has been saying is that he knows the sponsors of Boko Haram and that they are in his government and other places. Yet, he has not been able to address the issue. And people are almost taking it as a northern issue. It is for this reason that the governors resolved to take this step, because they can not keep waiting for the president,

who has failed to provide a solution. I am optimistic that by the time we conclude our work, peace would return to the north.’’

Move not belated — Uranta Corroborating Tsav’s stand, General Secretary of the National Summit Group, NSG, Mr. Tony Uranta hailed the governors on the initiative, saying that the move was for the whole nation.

He said “while some people may

see it as belated, I see it as a welcome development that the Northern Governors have begun to rise up to their responsibility, as leaders of not just a region but of Nigeria. All of us need to realise that Boko Haram is not a threat only to the North, nor against Christianity, but a threat against humanity.’’

"We still have not heard Boko Haram come up with any tangible reason on what they are doing.

Dialogue must go on, it must begin now and not tomorrow. The

federal, state and local governments must come to realise that a threat to one is a threat to all and the federal government especially must initiate a process to bring about a better understanding between all component units of Nigeria, ethnic and communal. If we do not talk to one another, we cannot understand one another and friction will build up within and among us and where there is friction, there is no peace.”

development that will impact positively on the lives of the people of the FCT.” Exemptions to the tax according to the bill include; “Properties owned and occupied by a religious body and used exclusively for religious or congregational worship, religious education or similar purpose; real property owned by any person and used as a non-profit making cemetery or burying ground. But where the cemetery or burying ground is not immediately required for the interment of the dead it shall not be exempt from taxation hereunder until such time as the real property has been actually and acquired in good faith and at least in part used for the interment of the dead.

Both bills received wide support from Senators, as most of them stressed the need to make Abuja a self-sustaining city.

Senator Atai Aidoko, ANPP, Kogi noted that the bill would put the FCT on a self sustaining level instead of being a perennial drain on the nation’s lean resources, adding that the bill would help decongest the city. “With this bill, there will be enough funds to develop facilities in the satellite towns, thereby encouraging people to relocate and decongest the city centre.”

Also, Senator Ahmed Lawan, ANPP, Yobe said there must be transparency and accountability in the administration of the board when the bill becomes law.

“Those who are going to collect the taxes and levies must be very honest and transparent people.

There is the need to make it impossible for the Minister to grant exemptions to some members of the public.”

Senators express mixed views Few Senators were, however skeptical on the viabilities of the two bills, which they feared would impose severe tax burden on Nigerians, if passed.

Senator Ben Ayade, PDP, Cross River, argued that passing the bills would connote imposing more tax burden on Nigerians who he said were already being over taxed by the government.

Adeyemi however doused the fears that the revenues accruable through the tax laws and revenue board would be misused.

He said: “I think it is proper that people who can afford it should be taxed. Even the little that is collected is not properly utilized. I think that is where the committees should come in to address where there are leakages.”

With the bills passing second reading at the Senate, it is expected that little effort would be needed for both bills to become laws and Nigerians remain expectant of having laws that would not only reduce the financial burden of the FCT on the Federal Government but also boost the economy through creation of more jobs.

54—Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012—55

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012 — 56

Israel

W

AR with Iran would probably turn into a month-long conflict on various fronts with missile strikes on Israeli cities and some 500 dead, Israel’s civil defense minister said in an interview published yesterday.

“There is no room for hysteria. Israel’s home front is prepared as never before,” Matan Vilnai, a former general who is about to leave his cabinet post to become ambassador to China, told the Maariv daily.

The interview coincided with Israeli media reports over the past week suggesting that Israel might attack Iran’s nuclear facilities before the U.S. presidential election in November.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Tuesday that Washington does not believe

weighs war plan with Iran

Israel has made a decision on whether to strike. “I don’t want to be dragged into the debate,” Vilnai said, when asked if Israel should go to war against Iran. “But the United States is our greatest friend and we will always have to coordinate such moves with it.”

Echoing an assessment already voiced by Defence Minister Ehud Barak, Vilnai was quoted as saying hundreds of missiles could hit Israeli cities daily and kill some 500 people in a war with Iran, which has promised strong retaliation if attacked.

“There might be fewer dead, or more, perhaps ... but this is the scenario for which we are preparing, in accordance with the best expert advice,” Vilnai said.

Gaza would also launch rockets at Israel. Israel has built a sophisticated missile shield likely to stop some of the salvoes and regularly holds civil defence drills to prepare for rocket strikes.

Vilnai made no mention in the interview of the impact a month of conflict would have on Israel’s economy should

Syria: UN alleges human rights violations

S

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahau “The assessments are for a war that will last 30 days on several fronts,” he said, alluding to the

possibility Iranianbacked Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon and Palestinian militants in

Greece PM meets Euro leaders on bailout

G

REEK Prime Minis ter Antonis Samaras will next week hold his first meetings with euro zone leaders since taking office, striving to assure them he will honor a pledge for more austerity and gauging whether they could grant him more time to pull it off.

Having recovered from eye surgery that has prevented him travelling since June, Samaras will fly to Berlin and Paris to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande. Earlier in the week, he will meet euro zone chief Jean-

Claude Juncker, Greek and German government officials said on Wednesday.

Samaras will meet Merkel on August 24, German government spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters. The dates of the other two meetings will be announced soon, a Greek official said on condition of anonymity.

Samaras will insist he can ram through an austerity package worth about 11.5 billion euros ($14.2 billion) — a key condition to continue receiving EU/IMF bailout funds and avoid default and a possible exit from the currency club.

•Greece PM, Antonis Samaras

China asks Japan to release activists

C

HINA demanded Ja pan immediately and unconditionally free 14 Chinese activists held over a protest landing on disputed islands yesterday, as tensions between Tokyo and its neighbors flared on the anniversary of the end of World War Two. The landing by the activists on an island chain in the East China Sea and their detention by Japan’s coastguard came on a day of regional diplomatic jousting, underscoring how history dogs Japan’s ties with China and South Korea.

In a meeting with Japan’s ambassador to Beijing and a phone call with a Japanese official, Chinese Vice Foreign

Minister Fu Ying lodged “solemn representations” over the latest territorial quarrel between Asia’s two biggest economies.

Fu “demanded that Japan ensure the safety of 14 Chinese nationals and immediately and unconditionally release them”, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on its website.

Japan arrested five members of a group of activists from China, Hong Kong and Macau who landed on the island, Japan’s coastguard said.

China’s Xinhua news agency said Japan’s coastguard later detained nine activists on their boat. Japanese media also said that in all, 14 activists had been de-

Tel Aviv, Israel’s commercial center, be hit by long-range missiles.

Tel Aviv was not struck by missiles during Israel’s three-week war in the Gaza Strip in late 2008 and early 2009 and in a 34-day conflict with Hezbollah in 2006. But it came under Scud rocket fire from Iraq during the 1991 Gulf war.

tained.

Earlier, South Korea prompted an official protest from Japan after comments by South Korean President Lee Myungbak which some saw as going too far by insulting Japanese Emperor Akihito.

And in a move likely to add to the anger of Japan’s neighbors, two Japanese cabinet ministers paid homage at a controversial Tokyo shrine for the war dead. Memories of Japan’s wartime occupation of much of China and colonization of South Korea run deep despite close economic ties in one of the world’s wealthiest regions.

YRIAN government forces and allied militia have committed war crimes including murder and torture in what appears to be state-directed policy, United Nations investigators said yesterday.

This came as a Syrian air raid killed 30 people in the rebel-held northern border town of Azaz on Wednesday, a local doctor said, and a bomb went off near U.N. and military sites in the capital Damascus, wounding three.

The doctor, Mohammad Lakhini, said at a hospital in Azaz that scores of people were wounded in the air strike. It reduced several houses in the town to rubble and dozens of men clawed through the concrete and metal debris looking for survivors.

As the violence intensified, U.N. human

rights investigators accused forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar alAssad of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity.

UN investigators said Syrian rebels fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad have also committed war crimes but these “did not reach the gravity, frequency and scale” of those carried out by the army and security forces. The report called for the U.N. Security Council to take “appropriate action” given the gravity of documented violations by all sides.

The Security Council can refer a case to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, a United Nations tribunal, but Russia and China - which have veto power - have been loathe to condemn Syria.

Prince Philip hospitalised P

RINCE Philip has been admitted to hospital with a recurrence of the bladder infection he suffered earlier this summer, Buckingham Palace says.

Palace officials said he would likely stay in the hospital for a few days for investigation and treatment. The 91-year-old royal consort was hospitalised for five days in June with a bladder infection that may have been aggravated by his prolonged appearance at a flotilla pageant marking the Queen’s 60-year reign. Philip was taken from the royal family’s Balmoral estate in Scotland to the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary on the advice of his physician.

The palace said he trav-

eled the 64 kilometers to the hospital by road.

Philip resumed royal duties after recovering from his bladder infection in June, attending the opening ceremony of the Olympics on July 27, watching his granddaughter Zara Phillips take part in Olympic equestrian competition two days later and carrying out engagements on the Isle of Wight on Monday.

He has looked well at recent events despite his advancing years. He was diagnosed with heart disease in December after experiencing chest pains that required him to spend Christmas in a hospital. He underwent a successful coronary stent procedure and seemed to

•Prince Philip recover well, resuming a full schedule within several weeks. Philip is a former naval officer who married the Queen in 1947. His health remained robust through his 80s, but he has appeared frailer in recent years.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 2012 — 57

FOOTBALL SPECIAL MY OL Y OLYMPIC DIARY YMPIC DIAR

Muamba: It’s over and out Mabrice Muamba painfully retired from football yesterday, after doctors advised him to hang his boots. today announced his retirement from the game.

And for the ‘Miracle Man’ it was the hard part after he survived a chilling episode of a cardiac arrest during an FA Cup tie in March.

Muamba drew world wide attention as he battled for life, he showed his gratitude to God and the numerous fans who prayed for his speedy recovery. He had wanted to continue his career, but was sad to annouce his health must have to come first before football.

Muamba said: “Since suffering my heart attack and being discharged from hospital, I have remained utterly positive in the belief I could one day resume my playing career and play for Bolton Wanderers once again.

“As part of my on-going recovery, last week I travelled to Belgium to seek further medical advice from a leading cardiologist.

“But the news I received was obviously not what I had hoped it would be and it means I am now announcing my retirement from professional football.

“Football has been my life since I was a teenage boy and it has giv-

en me so many opportunities.

“Above all else, I love the game and count myself very lucky to have been able to play at the highest level.

“While the news is devastating, I have much to be thankful for.

“I thank God that I am alive and I pay tribute once again to the members of the medical team who never gave up on me.

“I would also like to thank everyone who has supported me throughout my career, and the Bolton fans who have been incredible.

“I am blessed to have the support of my family and friends at this time.”

Muamba’s heart stopped for 78 minutes after he collapsed on the pitch at White Hart Lane on March 17.

Millions on TV watched as medics from both teams and a heart specialist who rushed from the stands desperately battled to keep him alive.

He spent a month in hospital but stunned doctors with his amazing recovery and never gave up hope of a return to the pitch.

The midfielder even underwent a heart operation in Belgium last week as he set his sights on a comeback.

His fiancee Shauna tweeted a hopeful update to friends and fam-

ily following the surgery.

She said: “Thank you guys for the support if it is Gods will @fmuamba will play again even better and stronger than before. Faith can move mountains.”

But docs told him playing in the top flight could put too much strain on his heart and was not worth the risk.

A source said: “Fabrice is devastated as you can imagine.”

Bolton chairman Phil Gartside said: “To have Fabrice here and with us is truly amazing and we are all very thankful for that.

“We are all hugely disappointed that Fabrice will be unable to return to his playing career but we have to be guided by the medical recommendations and the best interests of Fabrice.

“The most important thing is that Fabrice and his family have the rest of their lives ahead of them.”

His family fled war in the Democratic Republic of Congo before seeking asylum in the UK. Despite arriving in London aged 11 unable to speak English, he managed to get 10 GCSEs and three A-levels at school.

He then joined Arsenal FC’s youth academy in 2002 before moving to Birmingham and then Bolton in 2008.

•WORKING MAN ••• Muamba in action.

MUAMBA DOWN ••• Muamba suffers a cardiac arrest during an FA Cup match against Tottenham.

CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Sunshine will survive in Algeria — coach

S

•BYE AND OVER ••• Muamba waves bye to football.

UNSHINE Stars of Akure coach, Gbenga Ogunbote disclosed that his team will survive without four key players who will miss their CAF Champions League clash against ASO Chlef of Algeria at the weekend.

Ibrahim Ajani, James Moses, Dayo Ojo are out on account of suspensions, while Osas Idehen was ruled out by injury.

“Ajani, Moses and Ojo are suspended for the game. But this is not a worry, because we have good replacements. We will go out there play our game and hope for a good

result,” said Ogunbote.

Sunshine Stars defeated Algerian champions, ASO Chlef 2-0 in IjebuOde to go second on four points behind African

champions, Esperance. A good result will put them in pole position for qualification from the group for the semifinals playoffs.

Oduamadi to miss Liberia clash

N

IGERIAN winger, Nnamdi Oduamadi, has been ruled out of the Super Eagles 2013 Africa Nations Cup qualifier against Liberia next month after he underwent a surgery on his leg at the NEO Specialist Hospital, Turku in Finland yesterday.

The Nigerian international, 21, injured his

right ligament while training with the Super Eagles in Calabar few months ago, and has been ruled out for three months by the Milan doctors. The former Flying Sport academy player however said his return to action depends on how fast he recovers and the recommendation of the team’s doctors.

58—Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

Group differs with Uduaghan on LG poll delay

BY EMMA AMAIZE

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MEETING: Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State (left) and Mrs. Flora Ebi William, Chairman, Bayelsa State Universal Basic Education Board, during a meeting at Government House, in Yenagoa.

EXECUTIVE WEEKEND TRAINING: Director of Fisheries, Mrs. Olufumilayo Bamtefa; Senior Special Assistant to Lasos State Governor on Agriculture, Dr. Nureni Funsho and Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Prince Gbolahan Lawal, during the flag-off of the 8th Annual Executive Weekend Training on Investment opportunities in Fish farming.

ARRI—FORUM for Justice and Human Rights Defence, FJHD, in Delta State, has disagreed with Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan on the reasons he adduced, last week, for the setback in the conduct of local government elections in the state.

The governor had told reporters in Warri that he had no powers to fix date for the council polls as he was an interested party in the elections, being a politician and member of one of the political parties.

He also said that a list to ensure equal representation of the three Senatorial districts in Delta State Independent Electoral Commission, DSIEC, had been sent to the state House of Assembly for approval, adding that until the House approved it, the Commission would not commence work on the polls.

But Coordinator of FJHD, Mr. Oghenejabor Ikimi, in a statement, said: “I consider the governor ’s response as dodgy.

“What the people of the state are craving for is for

Yuguda assures flood victims of govt assistance

BY SUZAN EDEH

B

AUCHI—BAUCHI State Gover nor, Mallam Isa Yuguda, has assured that his administration will do everything possible to ensure that the recent flooding of the state did not cause hardship to the affected people.

He has, meanwhile, directed relevant government agencies to take urgent steps to repair damaged roads, including the ones owned by the Federal Government, so that communities are not cut off from each other.

Governor Yuguda, who went round the affected communities to see things for himself, yesterday, sympathised with those affected by the flood, assuring them that government will come to their aid, noting that there was urgent need to resettle them.

The governor who vis-

ited Misau, Giade, Shira and Jama’are Local Government Areas, worst hit by the flood, directed that the culverts on Misau-Hardawa and Zadawa roads be repaired immediately before they completely cave in and cut off the communities in the areas thereby making it difficult to deliver relief materials.

At Arobana Bridge on Kari—Misau-Kano high-

way, Governor Yuguda lamented that four years after his administration worked on the road to prevent it from collapse, relevant federal authorities had not refunded the money expended by the state government, saying, “That will not stop us from salvaging it this time again because our people are involved.”

He directed the state Ministry for Rural Devel-

opment in conjunction with other relevant agencies to mobilise to the site and repair the bridge, saying: “This time around, serious technical work must be done on the bridge, so that we don’t face the same problem every season, believing that the federal agencies concerned will come to our aid by ensuring that every kobo spent was refunded.

Delta govt urges feuding Ndokwa youths to embrace peace

BY VICTOR AHIUMAYOUNG

D

ELTA State Gov ernment has called on feuding youths in Ndokwa West Local Government Area of the state to sheath their sword by embracing peace to promote sustainable socio-economic development in the area.

Commissioner for Directorate of Youth Devel-

opment, Mr. Ebifa Ijomah, at a peace meeting between the anti-cult group and Abbi youths at the Delta State Police Headquarters, Asaba, said the call became necessary as it would go a long way in building a strong and united society.

He said that the feuding youths should embrace peace by accepting the olive branch offered

to them by the state government so as to build a society anchored on peace, unity and progress.

He noted that the anticult group was put in place to assist security agencies checkmate crime in the area, noting that instead of appreciating members of the group, some persons decided to destroy and burn down their property.

the governor to put in place the necessary mechanism for the democratisation of the 25 local government areas through the constitution of the board of DSIEC. “Rather, the governor has consistently failed to offer cogent explanation to the people of the state for his refusal to consti-

tute the DSIEC Board.

Instead, the governor plays politics with same as he claims he is a politician to the applause of members of the state House of Assembly, who till date, are yet to assert themselves as an independent and legislative arm of government in the state.”

Army pledges support to sickle cell foundation

BY EBELE ONUORAH

T

HE Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Azubike Ihejirika, has pledged support to Dabma Sickle Cell Foundation for its concern for sickle cell patients and humanity in general.

He described sickle cell disease is a serious one that was yet to receive the required attention; with no solution yet, while patients are left in crises.

Speaking at the wedding reception of his younger brother, Ndubuisi Ihejirika, at Nigerian Army 81 Divi-

sion Officers Mess, Lagos, General Ihejirika said it was a thing of joy to witness the wedding of the youngest of the Ihejirikas.

Chairman of the occasion and chairman Board of Trustee, Dabma Sickle Cell Foundation, Pastor Emmanuel Ibekwe, expressed gratitude to the Chief of Army Staff and urged the newly wed to avoid foxes in their marriage. Ihejirika noted that the job of sickle cell foundations was similar to soldiering by way of sacrificing their life and comfort for the wellbeing of others.

Group tasks women on leadership roles

U

GHELLI—A nongovernmental organisation, Niger Delta Professionals for Development, NIPRODEV, has enjoined Nigerian women to take active part in the leadership of Nigeria at all levels.

The group, in a statement at a one-day workshop it organised in Oleh, Isoko South Local Government Area, Delta State, stressed the need for all women to acquire education, urging them not to shy away from leadership positions.

Participants at the workshop, which was

supported by Oxfam Novib, Netherlands, told women to “regard themselves as role models in the society, adding that women should learn how to be outspoken and make their concerns known, while community constitutions should make provision for women participation in decision making.”

The statement by Mrs. Onyekweli Fina, who represented the state Commissioner for Women Affairs, appealed to government to continue to see women as part of the society.

Pastor Anyaharah for burial

P

ASTOR Christian Anyaharah of Umuodah Okpala in Okpala Autonomous Community, Ngor-Okpala Local Government, Imo State, is dead, aged 69.

According to burial arrangements announced by the family, there will be a service of songs/ Christian wake at his last residence, No. 14 Odukoya Crescent, by Afolabi Bus Stop, along Igando LASU Road, Lagos, on Friday 17, August, 2012 by 2pm.

He was until his death,

a community leader, philanthropist, chairman, Lagos Branch of the Umuodah Isu-Na-Azu family meeting for 14 years as well as President, Umuodah Development Union, Lagos branch.

Late Pastor Anyaharah

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012 — 59

Ferguson closes in on Van Persie

Kenya investigate London 2012 poor performance

M

K

ANCHESTER United were locked in talks with Arsenal on Tuesday night over what they hope will be a deal-clinching improved offer for Robin van Persie.

Sportsmail exclusively revealed how the Gunners were expecting a new bid, with sources claiming the move could be sealed by Saturday’s big-kick off.

And United took a significant step towards securing the deal by reopening discussions with the North London club. Their improved offer, likely to be close to Arsenal’s minimum £20m asking price, is expected to be submitted in the next 48 hours.

United front: Sir Alex Ferguson is closing on the deal of the summer for Van Persie who is with the Holland squad United front: Sir Alex is closing on the deal of the summer for Van Persie - who is with the Holland squad

•Ferguson

I’m Barca bound — Agger D

ANIEL Agger has stunned Liverpool by admitting he could be lured away from Anfield by an approach from Barcelona.

The 27-year old defender reiterated his contentment at Liverpool and made it clear he has no real

Lampard uncer tain over Chelsea future

•Lampard

C

HELSEA midfielder Frank Lampard says he is still waiting for contract talks to begin as he enters the final year of his current deal.

The 34-year-old has admitted he is not sure where his future lies but has expressed his desire to remain with the Blues for the rest of his playing days.

Lampard says he was told discussions would kick-off when he returned for the 2012/13 campaign but acknowledged that he was still waiting for the club to make their move.

“We spoke once last season and it was a case of coming back - and it hasn’t come back from their end,” Lampard told reporters. “I

•Van Persie

don’t know (what will happen).

“At the minute I’m just playing. I’d like to sit down and speak with them. But at the minute I’m playing and it’s up to the club to do that.

“I would like to end my career there. I feel I can play at the top level for a good few more years, but it’s whether the club feels the same.”

Chelsea are in the process of rebuilding their squad, with young stars Eden Hazard, Oscar and Marko Marin brought in during the pre-season.

At 34, Lampard is one of the survivors of the club’s previous English Premier League-winning team and believes he can still play at the top level.

interest in joining Manchester City, despite a failed £20million bid for him from the Barclays Premier League champions.

But, speaking at a media gathering ahead of Denmark’s game against Slovenia, he left a question mark over his Anfield future by saying: ‘Barcelona would be great. They are the one team who would make it difficult for

me to stay.’

Sportsmail understands Agger would put an end to the uncertainty in an instant, if Liverpool offered him a new long-term contract that reflected his market value. But the player who has established himself as an accomplished, dependable left-sided centre-back since a £6million move from Brondby in January, 2006.

ENYA athletes won two gold, four silver and 5 bronze at London 2012 Olympics, but according to that country’s sports minister Paul Otuoma this performane was below par. He disclosed that there will be an inquiry into why Kenya athletes fell short of expectations.

Kenya finished 28th overall in the team positions.

“This time, I want to state that we shall not hide anything. When the report is prepared we shall release it to the public to know what really happened,” said Otuoma, who was in London for the duration of the Games.

“I have already made instructions that what happened in London should be brought out

IRTEL Africa has unveiled a Pan African soccer tourney - Airtel Rising Stars Africa Soccer Championship - that will provide an opportunity for budding stars to showcase and gauge their raw talent with the best in the continent. The Championship will be part of a soccer tal-

•Rushida

Lukaku slams Chelsea

R

OMELU Lukaku has hit out at parent club Chelsea just a matter of days after leaving the club for West Brom on a season-long loan deal.

The Belgium international arrived at Stamford Bridge last summer after two prolific season with Anderlecht, but he started just one Premier League game as Didier Drogba, Fernando Torres and Daniel Sturridge were preferred in attack.

The 19-year-old, who cost the Blues £18million, told the Daily Star that he feels last season was a complete waste of time.

‘I couldn’t see myself staying at Chelsea. I sacrificed a year of my career with them and didn’t want to put up with it any more,’ Lukaku said.

•Lukaku

Aguero eyes more success at City

M

ANCHESTER City forward Sergio Aguero is confident the club can build on last season’s Premier League title triumph.

Roberto Mancini’s side got their season off to a positive start with a

•Agger

Airtel unveils Pan-African soccer tourney

A

for all to see. We will have to make hard decisions to avoid a repeat in the future.”

Kenya’s performance has led to acrimonious debate at home, after the squad bagged only 11 medals and ended up being the third best African nation behind arch-rivals South Africa and Ethiopia.

ent initiative that has focused on identifying and nurturing soccer talents from the grassroots to the national stage.

The Championships will take place from 20th to the 25th of August in Nairobi, Kenya.

The tournament will comprise of a preliminary qual-

ifying round, a knockout round and a final. A draw will be conducted in Nairobi on the 15th of August to determine the group stage fixtures. The format of the under 17 tourney will give both boys’ and girls’ teams the chance to assess their team work and individual skills against some of the

best nations in Africa.

The football extravaganza will attract teams from some of Africa powerhouses in the under 17 category such as Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia, DR Congo pitted against upcoming nations such as Gabon, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Burkina Faso amongst others.

3-2 victory over Chelsea in the Community Shield and the 24-year old hopes that they can begin the top-flight fixture list in similar fashion.

Aguero believes that City are only getting better due to the increased understanding developing between the club’s players on the pitch.

•Aguero

60 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

FIFA U-20 Cup:

Nigeria will soar in Japan — Izilien

By KATE OBODO

F

ORMER Super Fal cons coach, Godwin Izielin is confidenct that the female U-20 national team, the Falconets would soar over their Korea Republic counterparts in their opening group match of the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women World Cup in Saitama., Japan.

The match comes up on August 19.

“I have confidence in

the Falconets because they are focused and ready to work if there are no distractions,” Izilien said in a telephone interview.

Continuing, he said, “ what I would plead for is that the NFF should play its part by providing for these girls and official as at one due.

The coaches should also be given free hands to carry out their duties.

With their performances

Handball federation plans foreign courses for officials

T

HE Handball Feder ation of Nigeria (HFN) on Wednesday said it planned to send some technical officials on International Handball Federation (IHF) refreshers course in Qatar later in the year.

The HFN Technical Director, Musa Hamza, that the programme was to update their knowledge of the sport.

“Some of our coaches and referees will be in Qatar before the end of this year for a comprehensive training programme basically to boost their awareness on the latest rules of handball,” he said.

He said the federation was passionate about developing youths as they were expected to represent the country in international competitions.

According to him, the officials are the ones that coach the young players and therefore should be up-to-date with international requirements

NPL results Lobi Stars 3 Rangers 0 Sharks 2

Wikki

3

Jigawa 1

Enyimba 0

Akwa Utd 0 Pillars 1 Tornadoes 4 Dolphins 0 Warri Wolves 1 3SC 0 Heartland 2 Gombe 1

which are applied in IHF organised championships.

“We are working toward having competent coaches and referees, who will be in-charge of our young players so that they can be brought up in the right direction.

“The coaches cannot give what they don’t have and we believe that exposing them to foreign courses will go a long way to bring out the best in them,” he said.

He declined to name the officials, who would be attending the programme, adding: “ we have our records on their performances and contributions to athletes training programmes. ”

so far in the qualifier, I see them surpassing their performance in the last edition.

Stressing that, “Football is a collective activity; therefore every departments of the team should endeavour to do their best so that the country’s name will not be in total mess, following our porous performance in the just concluded London Olympics.

“If we have failed in Olympics, we can’t afford to fail in football otherwise it would be a total mess,” he concluded.

READY TO FLY ••• Falconets players celebrate one of their goals during one of their matches and are ready to do Nigeria proud in Japan.

wmak er calls ffor or early Olympics: La Lawmak wmaker preparation bef ore major e before evvents

BY EBUN SESSOU

M

•Ajoke Odumosu gasps for breath.

•Chika Chukwumerije(l) fails to live up to expectation.

•Blessing Okagbare dashes all hope.

Coaches speak on way forward to international reckoning In separate interviews can win laurels in inter- He said that if ath-

S

OME coaches in La gos State have advised the Federal Government to embark on an aggressive talent hunt and exposure of athletes to international competitions, to avoid another woeful performance in the 2016 Olympics.

The next Olympic games will be staged in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The coaches who spoke on Wednesday in Lagos blamed Team Nigeria’s inability to win any medal at the justconcluded London Games on maladministration and inadequate preparation.

with the coaches, they said that sports administrators relied too much on foreign-based athletes, at the expense of the home-groomed ones.

They also said that lack of equipment and welfare packages for the home-based athletes also contributed to Nigeria’s dismal performance in international competitions.

Kehinde Ajayi, Technical Director, Lagos State Tennis Association said that athletes discovered from grassroots programmes should be given international exposure.

He said that Nigeria had budding talents who

national competitions, if they were given the right training and some international exposure.

“We have athletes with lots of potential in this country who could win international laurels, but we misplace our priorities and that is our problem.

“If we expose our athletes to international competitions, they will always excel and win medals for us,” Ajayi said.

An assistant coach with the Judo Association, Patrick Ifamoru, said that lack of preparation was responsible for athletes’ dismal performances.

letes were camped early, it would help them to understand what they needed to do and as such, it would boost their performances.

He also alleged that organising secretaries who had no knowledge of sports were dictating the pace and by so doing, they unwittingly retarded sports development, adding that things usually went well whenever coaches were in charge.

“Nigeria is used to the fire brigade approach to preparations, but we must also learn to give coaches some opportunity to play a pivotal role in sports

EMBER of the La gos State House of Assembly Babatunde Ayeni who is also the Chairman Committee on Youth, Sports and Social Development has called on the Nigeria Olympic Committee NOC to concentrate on making Nigerian people proud in whatever sporting activity it is involved in.

Ayeni who credited the failure of Team Nigeria at the London 2012 Olympics to poor organisation to and inadequate preparation and lack of readiness, pointing out that the athletes must be better prepared before the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

In a chat with journalists at the Muritala Mohammed International Airport after the London Olympics Games, he said poor preparation and non-release of funds by the Government were responsible for the failure.

His words: “What a shame for Nigeria, a country of over 160million could not win a single medal at the Olympics. This situation calls for general overhauling of our sports. Look at a country like Jamaica, Grenada, and Estonia even some countries in Africa; Kenya and Botswana were on the medal table”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012 — 61

Jonathan Continues from BP give details on who may lose his job in the planned re-organisation of the sports sector.

According to the Minister a national retreat which will involve state governments as well as the private sector to reorder priorities in the Nigerian sporting sector would be convened to address the challenges in the sector.

The minister said “President Goodluck J o n a t h a n today(Wednesday) ordered for total and comprehensive re-organization of the sporting sector, following the disappointing performances of the Nigerian contingent to the London 2012 Olympics. The President accordingly directed for a national retreat which will involve state governments as well as the private sector to re-order priorities in the Nigerian sporting sector. ”He said what took place in London must be the beginning of a new momentum to place Nige-

rian sports at a level that will enable this country return to the glory it is known for in the areas of sports. ”President Jonathan believes for us to change the present scenario we need to specialize, we need to plan and we need to fund sports in a way that this country will continue to make impact in global competitions. ”He believes that the next Commonwealth Games and the 2016 Olympics in Brazil must enable Nigeria set specific targets and realize them in order to promote our sports development. ”He also called for a new direction in sports management as well as funding and planning. He believes that what this nation needs at the moment is to take a sober look at what has happened and indeed change the scenario by working hard on all that we need to do to return the sporting sector to his g l o r y . ”Mr. President emphasised the need for early

planning, better administration of sports as well as funding which he believes can no longer be left to the government alone but must involve the private sector to generate sufficient resources to return our sports to it’s glory. ”So in the next couple of weeks you are going to see action in this area as we prepare to work and ensure that Nigeria in subsequent continental and global events takes her proper place within the comity of sporting nations” he said.

Continues from BP

Eagles Continues from BP General Seyni Kountche in Niamey, which was half-filled saw both sides give their best with Nigeria having the edge in a match that saw three yellow cards to the visitors and one to the hosts. The culprits were Solomon Kwambe, Solomon Jabason and Sanni Sanusi. While Niger hitman Kalilou Dawodu was also booked for rough play.

Niger started the better side when after only five minutes Boubacar Talatou tried to chip the ball past goalkeeper and skipper, Chigozie Agbim. The Warri Wolves man slipped, picked himself up and went for the save, which resulted in him hitting his shoulder againt the woodwork. The Nigerian bench looked worried but after the medics attended to him he was

Delta

“The great thing about the summit that Delta will host is that our governor has promised to personally deliver the solutions that will be proffered to the President and ensure that they will be implemented,” Amaju said.

The governor was scandalised by the performance of the Nigerian team to the London 2012 Olympic Games. And he had ordered the summit even days before the

games ended. His decision to host a sports summit was influenced by his long monitoring of the sports sector which climaxed at the London Games.

“The governor wants serious reforms in our sports and he is determined to help reshape the future of our sports because he believes Nigeria has the potential to be a big sports nation that could reap from the huge industry that sports is glo-

•Keshi bally,” Amaju said, adding that “experts from some countries will be invited to tell us how they did it.” He said Nigerians who have pedigree in sports development will also deliver papers.

back to his feet but nneded additional attention after the game.

Isoufou Boubacar, Sidibe Modibo and Mohammed Soumaila, also had their tries at the Nigerian goal area in the first quarter but Azubuike Eguweke, Papa Idis and Juwon Oshaniwa held on strong. Egwueke gave his bench another scare in the 20th minute when he was stretchered off after hitting the ground while attempting a clearance, but he was again back after treatment.

Keshi said after the match that it was a game his wards would have won but nevetheless he was impressed by the attitude of the players who kept their concentration to the optimum throughout the encounter. “Its a good warm up for the Liberia game and we should pick a good result in the encounter, because we did not play with the compliments of our Europe based stars”.

Niger on the other hand featured up to eight foreign based professional players in the encounter.

62 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012 — 63

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

Olympic flop: Delta to host sports summit I

BY ONOCHIE ANIBEZE

MMEDIATELY after speaking with Blessing Okagbare after the 100 metres final in the

2012 Olympics fall out:

London Olympics, Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan decided to host a sports summit that should lead to sports revolution in the country.

Jonathan or ders total overhaul of spor ts sector •Calls for a national retreat that will involve state governments as well as private sector operators •Emphasises specialisation, early planning, good administration and adequate funding of the sector •Says targets must be set for the 2014 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games and the 2016 Olympics in Brazil

P

TODAY'S

Continues on Page 61

•Uduaghan

Menas hold Eagles in Niamey

BY BEN AGANDE, Abuja RESIDENT Good luck Jonathan has ordered a total and comprehensive re-organisation of the Nigerian sporting sector following the disastrous outing of the country’s contingent to the recently concluded Olympic Games in the United Kingdom.

Minister of Information, Labaran Maku who dropped the hint after yesterday’s federal Executive Council meeting however declined to Continues on Page 61

Executive Chairman of Delta Sports council Amaju Pinnick said yesterday that experts will be invited from home and abroad to deliver paper on sports revolution and the way out for Nigeria.

•Keshi proud of players attitude

N

PENSIVE: Engr. Sani Ndanusa (NOC President) Bolaji Abdullahi, (Sports Minister) and Dr. Pat Ekeji, DG, NSC at a news confernce in London. PHOTO: SYLVA ELEANYA.

IGERIA’s Super Eagles were on Wednesday held to a goaless draw by the Menas of Niger Republic in an international friendly that both sides used as part of preparations for the upcoming Nations Cup qualifiers in September.

The entertaining encounter played at the 50,000 capacity Stade Continues on Page 61

PUZZLES YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 2 Hazardous (5) 7 Object (5) 8 Prepared (5) 10 Reluctant (5) 12 Sick (3) 13 Temptress (5) 15 Bargained (7) 17 Ogled (6) 19 Bar (3) 20 Contrived (7) 23 Appear (4) 25 Fail (4) 26 Fundamental (7) 30 Free (3) 31 Fruit (6) 34 Show-case (7) 37 Song 38 Weight (3) 39 Prevent (5) 40 Deceived (5) 41 Step (5) 42 Passage (5)

DOWN 1 Weird (5) 2 Governor (5) 3 Passed (6) 4 Kindred (4) 5 Ruled (7) 6 Drone (5) 9 Every (3) 11 Home (7) 13 Cult (5) 14 Allude (5) 16 Fuel (3) 18 Scoffed (7) 21 Dismal (5) 22 Reel (5) 24 Sailor (7) 27 Row (3) 28 Fix (8) 29 Stick (5) 32 Wed (5) 33 Sum (5) 35 Spar (3) 36 Inform (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS

ACROSS: 1, Unfair 5, Afresh 9, Copse 10, Review 11, Hasten 12, Deter 14, Plum 17, Ran 18, Pier 20, Eerie 22, Folly 23, Swallow 24, Paste 26, Perch 29, Ally 30, Met 32, Rota 33, Radar 35, Pedlar 36, Sequel 37, Irate 38, Steady 39, Edited.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 1, Unripe 2, Favour 3, Iced 4, Rower 5, Ashen 6, Fear 7, Entail 8, Hungry 13, Tallied 15, Legal 16, Misty 18, Power 19, Elect 21, Ewe 22, Fop 24, Pampass 25, Sludge 27, Robust 28, Hailed 30, Marry 31, Taste 33, Raid 34, Reed.

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

Place a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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