Bohari Dares Jonathan - Arrest me if you can

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61625

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N150

THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012

Edo guber race: INEC summons Oshiomhole, Arhiavbere Pg.11

The Sofoluwe we know – Unilag staff, students

—P. 29

BUHARI DARES JONATHAN:

Arrest me if you can •Says only election thieves are afraid of his words •We stand by Buhari's comment on 2015 — CPC •His warning must be heeded — ACN

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR

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AGOS—AGAINST the background of alleged threats to arrest him on account of his predictions of a bloody response to any rigging of the 2015 elections, erstwhile military Head of State General Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, dared President Goodluck Jonathan to carry out the threat.

Responding to the

Continues on Page 5

LCCI decries high interest rate, lack of access to credit —Pg.7

Mr & Mrs

ACCIDENT—An accident at the Mile 2 axis of Oshodi Apapa Expressway in Lagos, yesterday that caused a gridlock on the major economic artery. Photo: NAN.

The 1914 myth and —P. 17 de-legitimisation of Nigeria C M Y K

Court declares Police Act on female officers' —P.7 marriage illegal

Ex-NLC President, Pascal Bafyau dies @ 65—P.14

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Vanguard, THURSD AY, MA Y 17, 2012—5 THURSDA MAY

POCKET CARTOON

Arrest me if you can — Buhari Continues from Page 1 condemnations from the Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to his assertion, Buhari said yesterday that only those now contemplating to rig the 2015 elections could have been afraid of the threat of a violent response.

While giving a robust defence of Buhari’s panNigeria spirit, his party, the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC also chided President Jonathan for fixing his fellow Ijaws in prized national offices.

Support for Buhari also came yesterday from the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN which chided the administration for launching a personal attack on Buhari simply for giving a valid warning against election rigging.

The ACN said the attacks against Buhari were reflective of the determination of the ruling administration to use the instrument of power to return itself to

power.

Buhari had stirred controversy while receiving a delegation of the CPC from Niger State on Monday.

Speaking in Hausa language while receiving a delegation of the CPC from Niger State, Buhari was quoted as referring to the Federal Government as the biggest Boko Haram. He was also quoted as saying: “God willing by 2015, something will happen. They either conduct a free and fair election or they go a very disgraceful way. If what happens in 2011 should again happen in 2015, by the grace of God, ‘the dog and the baboon would all be soaked in blood.’

Special Adviser to the President on Media, Dr. Reuben Abati in the presidency ’s reaction said by his reference to the north in his speech, Buhari who is an elderstatesman has reduced himself to “a regional leader who speaks for only a part of

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

In this modern world with all its pressures, challenges and difficulties, genuine compassion and true kindness are indeed hard to find. People in trying to get ahead and solve their own problems have precious little time for others and their needs.

But there is a lot to say for kindness and truth that is actively followed.

It brings about respect and it is pleasing to both God and man. The story is told of an extremely compassionate lady, so compassionate that when she died, her neighbours refused her body to be buried, surrounding her corpse with precious tears, that same tear made the good Lord move with such compassion that He raised her from the dead! There is someone out there, your compassion is the key to your immortality.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared —Enlightened One

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RYING to live according to the Golden Rule means trying to empathise with other people, including those who may be very different from us.

Empathy is at the root of kindness, compassion, understanding and respect, these qualities that we all appreciate being shown, whoever we are, whatever we think and wherever we come from.

And although it isn’t possible to know what it really feels like to be a different person or live in different circumstances and have different life experiences, it isn’t difficult for most of us to imagine what would cause us suffering and to try to avoid causing suffering to others. For this reason many people find the Golden Rule’s corollary – “do not treat people in a way you would not wish to be treated yourself ” “If people regarded other people’s families in the same way that they regard their own, who then would incite their own family to attack that of another? For one would do for others as one would do for oneself. “Confucius sums it aptly! “Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself.”

Nigeria”.

Denouncing Buhari’s outbursts, the presidency and the PDP had described the former head of state as a serial election loser renowned for inciting his supporters to violence and a blood thirsty politician.

Galadima defends Buhari But responding yesterday, Buhari speaking through his close political associate and national secretary of the CPC, Alhaji Buba Galadima dared the President to arrest him, saying that not even his master, General Olusegun Obasanjo dared to arrest him.

He said: “Let them go and pick him as their mentors are now advising them to. If Obasanjo cannot arrest Buhari, I want Jonathan to do it if he can try it because they are hiring people all over the North to be talking for them because they can pay them money.

“They are picking on the General because it is him they are afraid of and because once you take away rigging, they are gone; but they have forgotten that their master, Obasanjo was the first to talk of do or die, do or die means blood, if you don’t do what I want I will kill you, that is what he said.

“The issue is very simple, if you are not a thief why should you be afraid if they say whoever steals should be killed?

That is why they are afraid."

Galadima said that Buhari was not the first to have noted the existence of three Boko Harams in the country.

“General Buhari said he was quoting Prof. Ango Abdullahi who said that there are three Boko Harams, the original one, the one that is now perpetrated by criminals that are now raiding homes and markets and government itself. Was it not Jonathan who said that there are Boko Harams in his government,” Galadima asked yesterday.

He further gave a strong defence of General Buhari’s nationalistic spirit saying that Buhari as a soldier fought civil wars that arose from election rigging in the

Congo and in Nigeria.

“Are you saying that somebody of Buhari’s stature cannot warn those in authority that there is no need for the country to go into this? Why are we mis-reading things?

The man should be commended for having the courage to tell those in authrotiy that they should behave well.”

He also dared the administration to publish the contents of the Lemu Panel inquiry on post election violence which he claimed exonerated Buhari of culpability and rather blamed the administration.

“Why are they afraid to publish a white paper because it indicted them as having been responsible for the election violence. I dare them if they are honest people and I dare PDP if they are honest people, let them conduct a free and fair election and let’s see whether they will win one councillor.”

We stand by what Buhari said — CPC The CPC in a statement also flayed the Jonathan administration for perpetuating an ethnic agenda separate from what it said was the nationalistic thrust of Buhari while in power.

In the statement issued by the party’s national publicity secretary, Engr.

Rotimi Fashakin, the party said: “As Head of State, his Oil Minister was Professor Tam DavidWest, a Kalabari man in Rivers State. As a Leader, he created the ambience for his ministers to work unobtrusively and devoid of executive meddlesomeness. But what do we find with Dr Goodluck Jonathan? All the appointees as oil ministers in his two-year reign thus far as President of Nigeria have been Nigerians of Ijaw extraction, like himself!

“Second, on October 1, 2010, there was a bomb blast during the year’s independence anniversary celebrations, with attendant deaths of many Nigerians. Without waiting for any preliminary report from the Security Agencies, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, as President, told a traumatized Nation, “it is not MEND! “Third, so far as

President of Nigeria, Dr Good-luck Jonathan has shown very generous affinity for Nigerians of Ijaw stock in terms of appointments and promotions in the Federal Public sector. There is a marked lopsidedness that smacks of clannishness and ethnocentrism by the President!

“On Corruption and sleazy tendency, the Jonathan administration transcends all others before it! Nigerians are still befuddled by the impeachable show of arbitrariness by the regime in expending N2.67Trillion on fuel subsidy instead of the a p p r o p r i a t e d N240Billion in the 2011 appropriation act. As expected, the regime has attempted all manner of subterfuge to give Executive cover for the indicted people in the scam.

On Boko Haram, the party said: “In January 2012, Dr Good-luck Jonathan told a bewildered nation, still smarting from murderous Bombings, that his government has been infiltrated by Boko Haram. In February 2012, a serving PDP senator from Borno South (Mohammed Ali Ndume) was arrested for being a member of Boko Haram.

In March 2012, Ndume deposed to an affidavit before a Federal High Court wherein he stated that Vice-President Namadi Sambo was aware of his activities with Boko Haram. In April 2012, General Andrew Owoeye Azazi , the National Security Adviser, averred that there was indisputable proof that Boko Haram is PDP. As things stand, President Jonathan is the national leader of PDP.”

ACN denounces crude attacks on Buhari

The ACN also condemning the attacks on Buhari said the warnings by the former head of state was only directed against plans to rig the 2015 election.

The party also condemned the personal nature of the attack by the presidency which it claimed did not dignify the president.

In a statement issued in Osogbo, Osun State, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the statement for which Gen. Buhari is now being mercilessly savaged was nothing but a warning against those who may be planning to rig the 2015 general elections, hence should not have rankled anyone who believes in free, fair and transparent polls.

It said the viciousness of the seemingly coordinated attacks by the presidency and the PDP raise a lot of concern regarding their plans for the 2015 elections. ‘’We hold no brief for anyone. But it is true that if elections are rigged, as they have been so shamelessly and brazenly done by the PDP since 1999, naturally people will react, and in doing so it is impossible for anyone to predict how far things can go. This is what, in our opinion, Gen. Buhari warned against. If the presidency and the PDP have no intention to rig in 2015, why are they so worried about the consequences of such action?’’ ACN queried.

The party said Buhari’s warning was in order, considering that the 2011 general elections remain the most systematicallyrigged polls in Nigeria’s history, irrespective of the so-called endorsement by some visceral foreign election monitors.

"The 2011 elections also left Nigeria divided along ethnic and religious lines".

6—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012

Oshiomhole to Jonathan: Denounce godfathers of Edo politics

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM,CHARLES KUMOLU & GBENGA OKE

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From left: Yvonne Ike, CEO, West Africa, Renaissance Capital; Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos, Special Guest and Mr. James Mwangi, CEO/Managing Director, Equity Bank, Kenya, during the third Annual Pan-Africa 1:1 Investor Conference, organised by Renaissance Capital, in Lagos, yesterday.

Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

LCCI decries high interest rate zLists constraints to credit delivery

BY OMOH GABRIEL, BUSINESS EDITOR

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AGOS — Lagos h a m ber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, yesterday, decried the high level of interest rate of between 16-25 per cent in the country, citing it as a constraint to credit delivery to the economy in the first quarter of 2012.

In the Chamber ’s review of the performance of the Nigerian economy in first quarter of 2012, Director General of the body of businessmen in Lagos, Mr Yusuf Mudal, said the body’s banking sector members identified a number of constraints to credit delivery to the economy.

The members, he said, cited tight monetary policy which is affecting liquidity and delivery of credit; Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) of eight per cent; Liquidity Ratio (LR) of 30 per cent and Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) of 12 per cent as major constraints to liquidity and consequently delivery of affordable credit to the economy.

According to him, “many businesses suffered the increasing difficulty of access to credit and high cost of fund. Rates are between 1625 per cent. This gives clear advantage to offshore investors; many banks demand high collateral cover, which is sometimes as high as 150per cent; credit conditions by banks are too strict for many SMEs; high cost of government borrowing, as reflected in the yield on treasury bills and FedC

eral Government bonds, worsened the credit crisis through the crowding out effects on the private sector and erosion of liquidity in the banks.

High operating cost in banking operation “The high operating cost in banking operation in the country is affecting profit margins and that the state of the economy and infrastructure condition had adverse affect on the quality of loan assets just as the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, prescribed provisioning level for loans have become too high and is affecting lending by banks.”

Mudal said his members said that loss of deposits to Federal Government Bonds and Treasury Bills because of the relatively better returns and compliance with IFRS prescribes increases in provisioning levels for loans and threshold for collateral cover are reducing liquidity and restraining lending by banks to the economy.

He said the policy implication is that the CBN may have to relax the tight monetary policy stance to encourage banks to boost credit delivery to the economy.

But the CBN said it was pursuing tight monetary policy to curb rising inflation which in the month of April stood at 12.9 per cent.

He said: “In pursuance of its public policy advocacy mandate and the monitoring of the business environment, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) instituted the peri-

odic evidence-based Business Environment Report.

Periodic assessment "The purpose is to periodically assess the investment climate and highlight the implications for government policy. The report is the outcome of feedback from members of the Chamber and the wider business community in Lagos on investment climate issues.

“A couple of the issues cut across all sectors with economy-wide implications and impact; others are sector specific. The report provides a basis for policy reviews and reforms in the context of national economic management. Lagos being the commercial nerve centre of the country, the outcome of this study would, to a large extent, reflect the experience in other parts of the country.

Issues emerged from the study “Four major issues emerged from the study as cutting across sectors of the economy: Power supply constraint and resultant high energy cost; Security situation and its implications for business confidence and investors’ perception; weak consumer demand reflecting in general declines in sales; fuel subsidy removal, resultant protests, impact on operating costs and disruptions in the economy.

According to the study conducted by the Chamber, “there was an evident deterioration in power supply in the first quarter which took its toll on businesses in

the Lagos area and other parts of the country. The partial removal of subsidy made the impact more severe, especially for Small and Medium Enterprises SMEs that use smaller capacity electricity generators.

The summary of the implications for business were sharp increase in operating cost due to high cost of diesel and PMS; competitive disadvantage for local producers and manufacturers; erosion of profit margins, sub-optimal capacity utilization, business sustainability challenges.

AGOS — GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to publicly denounce the godfathers of Edo politics, who are relying on the presidency to rig the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

He also said he believed that President Jonathan had committed himself to oneman, one-vote and would not give support to election riggers trying to ride on the back of the presidency.

Oshiomhole, who was speaking in Lagos during the conferment on him the Champion Man of the Year Award for 2011, urged Jonathan not to help the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State to rig the forthcoming election just as he expressed determination to further transform Edo State.

His words: "I believe President Goodluck Jonathan has committed himself to one-man onevote and I will like to encourage him to know that the business is not over.

Some of the old men around him do not believe in the slogan. While they are preaching one-man one-vote, the godfather in Edo is talking of the presidency support, that they will re-capture. How will the presidency help them to re-capture? Are they coming to vote in Edo State? I know this president will not

allow anybody to behave as if Edo State is a retirement benefit on account of his services to his party.

My fight against godfathers

"My fight against the godfathers started from his decision to veto what an elected governor had promised to the people of the state. As governor, I was compelled to go to Abuja and invited to a private living room of a man whose name has never appeared on the ballot paper and he has to interrogate me on why I want to build more schools. He was not convinced and he deleted the vote for mass transit, for education and other capital projects including security votes. So I made up my mind that we will not only fight the godfather but we will defeat him in the interest of the people of Edo State.

"Many people who have read my comments on Edo State from time to time are wondering why I am fighting the godfathers. To start with, I think to even use the word God is even wrong, the actual word should be the devils father because there is nothing godly in their acts. Some felt I am insulting elders, but I have no difficulty respecting elders, where I have difficulty is that while I respect the age of these people that are holding our dear state down, I have no respect for the age of their ideas."

Salami: We 'll not interfere — PDP zAs Oyinlola denies rift in PDP leadership

BY HENRY UMORU

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BUJA — THE na tional leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, declared, yesterday, that it would not interfere in the controversy surrounding the reinstatement of the former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami In a statement he signed yesterday, the PDP National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who denied split in the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party over the return of Salami, said he did not need the party to fight his course as one of those who was sacked as governor of Osun State by Justice Salami.

According to Oyinlola,

“it suffices in other words, that I do not need my great party, the PDP, to fight and secure redress. I know what the law requires of me to do and I have been doing it.

Therefore, I do not whatsoever intend that my party be joined in the course of my personal resolve and determination to fight a just cause.

“The alleged rift in the leadership of our great party over the recommendation by NJC to the President to reinstate the suspended President of the Court of Appeal is not only false but a baseless media speculation.

The PDP as a party had at no time discussed the issue much less disagreeing over it. ” The PDP scribe explained that the PDP had

no reason to table for discussion at its National Working Committee, a matter that the Federal Executive and the Judiciary had entirely conceded its resolution to the unconditional context of due process and rule of law.

He said: “However, I wish to make it abundantly clear that while the PDP is least interested in interfering in this matter as a body, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, as an individual whose rights and electoral victory were hurt by the matter which are clearly related to the reason that orchestrated Justice Salami’s suspension, reserves every right to continue to seek redress within the ambit of the law.”

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012—7

FG to accelerate repairs on Apapa/Oshodi expressway

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Group Managing Director/CEO, UBA Plc, Mr. Phillips Oduoza (2nd right); Managing Director, Travelex, UK, Mr. Peter Jackson (2nd left); Group Treasurer, UBA, Funso Olusanya (left) and Vice Chairman, Travelex Nigeria, Chief Godson Evulukwu during Travelex’s management working visit to UBA House, Marina, Lagos, yesterday.

Court declares Police Act on female officers' marriage illegal

BY INNOCENT ANABA

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AGOS — THE provi sion of the Police Act, which prohibits a female officer from marrying a man of her choice without the permission of the Commissioner of Police in the command where she is serving, has been declared illegal and unconstitutional by a Federal High Court in Ikeja, Lagos.

Trial judge, Justice Steven Adah, rejected the arguments of the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and held that Regulation 124 was illegal, null and void due to its inconsistency with Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution.

The court declared the Regulation unconstitutional and proceeded to annul pursuant to Section 1(3) of the Constitution.

Women Empowerment and Legal Aid Initiative, WELA, had brought the suit, challenging the constitutional validity of the said Regulation 124.

The said Regulation states: “A woman police officer who is desirous of marrying must first apply in writing to the Commissioner of Police for the state command in which she is serving, requesting permission to marry and giving name, address and occupation of the person she intends to marry. Permission will be granted for the marriage if the intended husband is of good character and the woman police officer has served in the force for a period of not less than three years.”

WELA counsel had argu-

ing that it was illegal to ban a woman police officer for three years before entering into a marriage and that seeking permission of a Police Commissioner was an infraction of her fundamental right to dignity and freedom of choice.

The group had contended that since a male police officer was not subjected to the same inhibitions, Regulation 124 was inconsistent with section 42 of the constitution and Article 2 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which have prohibited discrimina-

tion on the basis of sex.

The group had asked the court to expunge the said Regulation from the Police Act, as it was not justifiable in a democratic state such as Nigeria, which had domesticated the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and ratified the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa and the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, CEDAW..

Attorney-General of the

Federation, through his counsel, had contended that the said regulation was designed to protect women police officers from falling into the hands of criminals, adding that the purpose of the law was to prevent women police officers from marrying men of bad character.

The AGF further contended that the three-year ban was meant to ensure that a woman police officer was not pregnant “during the rigorous training she must undergo after her employment.”

AGOS— THE Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to accelerating the rehabilitation of the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway. This followed the successful clearing of the axis by the combined team of the Presidential Ports Reform Committee and the Lagos State Government.

The Minister of Finance, Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, gave the assurance while briefing newsmen at the Lagos State Government House, Ikeja, Tuesday, on the government’s intervention on the expressway.

She said the rehabilitaion work had begun and promised that it would soon be completed, adding that government had put some measures in place to ad-

dress the problem of ports congestion, saying the measures were already achieving results.

Okonjo-Iweala was accompanied by Senator Idris Umar and Mr Mike Onolememen, Ministers of Transport and Works respectively, to Gov. Babatunde Fashola‘s office to discuss the Federal Government/Lagos State partnership on road maintenance.

Okonjo-Iweala said: “At the moment, we are doing seven days clearing for non-contraband goods, but this is not good enough.

The goal is to attain a 48hour clearing in our ports.

That is the presidential order and we are working towards that.”

Alleged N44m bribe: Hembe, Azubogu appear in court today

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

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BUJA— THE Eco nomic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, will today dock former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Capital Market and Other Institutions, Mr. Herman Hembe and his ex-deputy, Mr. Chris Ifeanyi Azubogu, before an Abuja High Court over their alleged complicity in an N44 million bribery scandal.

They are facing a twocount criminal charge bordering on bribery, financial recklessness and criminal

breach of public trust.

Trial Justice Abubakar Sadiq Umar had on May 10, okayed them for prosecution, saying he was satisfied that a prima-facie criminal case was successfully established against them by the anti-graft agency.

EFCC maintained that it has evidence to prove that the lawmakers, while presiding over the House of Reps committee probing the alleged rot in the Capital Market sector of the Nigerian economy, sought gratification from the Security and Exchange Commission, SEC, with a view to compromising standard.

Why govs oppose Sovereign Wealth Fund — Fashola zAnother round of banking consolidation coming—RenCap

BY MICHAEL EBOH & CHINEDU IBEABUCHI

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AGOS — Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, yesterday, said state governors’ opposition to the Sovereign Wealth Fund, SWF, and the Excess Crude Account is borne out of distrust for the Federal Government’s ability to judiciously manage the funds and utilise it for the purpose it was meant for.

“These really are the issues. It is not that the governors are up in arms against the idea of saving.

But we are asking what the rules of engagement are and do those rules of engagement work within the rules that bind all of us,” Fashola said at the Renaissance Capital’s 3rd annual Pan-Africa Investor Conference in Lagos.

Fashola also said the

governors’ apathy stems from the fact that the fund lacks the necessary constitutional backing, explaining that until the controversial issues surrounding the fund are addressed, it will continually be seen as a high risk venture by investors.

He said: “Which fund are you saving? Are they yours or are they mine? Before you save on my behalf, there is also need to address the issue of trust. How efficiently have you managed the funds that the federation has put in your trust?

And what makes you the better saver and better investors. And is the saving done within an expectable framework of the constitution?

“Those are the issues surrounding the Sovereign Wealth Fund. For instance, the excess crude account

has no constitutional legality. And I think in trying to find a way around that, we create another solution that will be subject to constitutional scrutiny. And indeed, can we, therefore, build an economy whose constitutional scrutiny is questionable? And until these issues are resolved, there are risk issues for investors.”

Textile sector’s revival He called for specialised investment in the textile industry, saying this will help bring about the much needed revival of the sector.

According to him, what is actually needed to drive the revival of the sector is not just funds but the necessary management capacity and knowledge.

He said: “The textile sec-

tor has enormous potential to drive the economy of Lagos State and the country in general. What we need to revive the sector is for investment that will take over the management capacity of the textile firms.

“Knowledge and capacity is very much needed in the textile sector and not just throwing in money. Pumping money alone has not helped in reviving the sector over the years.”

Another round of banking consolidation coming Meanwhile, Yvonne Ike, Chief Executive Officer, West Africa, Renaissance Capital, said Nigerians should expect another round of consolidation in the banking sector within the next 24 months.

According to Yvonne, the

consolidation exercise will be driven by growth rather than by the need to compete by size.

She said the growth that would be engendered by the consolidation exercise would be much more orderly and would help the banks contribute meaningfully to economic development.

She said: “If you think about the incredible work that the CBN has done to clean up the financial sector and to really prepare it for growth, we anticipate more consolidation, we anticipate banks having to be bigger and better to cope with the growth potentials and opportunities that presents themselves.

“We see the banking sector consolidating over the next 24 months. We think it is healthy for it to happen and the biggest driver of this is growth. So, to meet the growth demands in the banking sector, banks need to be more efficient, they need to be run better."

8—Vanguard THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012

MASS WEDDING FOR 100 DIVORCEES AND WIDOWS IN KANO

The Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero (right) and Secretary to the Kano State Government, Rabiu Suleiman Bichi (left), who represented Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, offer prayers at the Central Mosque, Kano during the mass wedding of 100 divorcees and widows organised by Sharia police known as Hisbah. Pix: AFP/Aminu Abubakar.

A crowd waiting outside the central mosque.

Magajiya Ya'u, a 40 year-old bride (in blue veil) stands with well-wishers outside the central mosque.

Brides sit on benches at the palace of the Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero.

HAJIYA ADEGBITE BAGS ISLAMIC TITLE Adegbite decries insecurity as wife

turbanned Iyalode Adinni of Ibarapa

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ABOVE—Dr. Lateef Adegbite delivering his address. From left: Prince Bola Ajibola; The Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo; Dr Lateef Adegbite; and wife, Hajia Madinat Similola Adegbite during the turbanning of Hajia Adegbite as Iyalode Adinni of Ibarapa.

BELOW—Hajia Madinat Similola Adegbite being turbanned as Iyalode Adinni of Ibarapa C M Y K

AJIA Madinat Similola Adegbite, wife of Dr. Lateef Adegbite, Secretary General, NSCIA, was turbanned as Iyalode Adinni of Ibarapa, Oyo State on Sunday recently.

The event which took place at Tapa, Ibarapa North Local Government, was colourful and well attended, with Muslim leaders and Asalatu groups from Lagos and other South-West states present .

Among the dignitaries who graced the occasion were wife of Ogun State Governor, Mrs. Olufunsho Amosu, Alake of Egbaland Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, Timi of Ede, Oba Munirudeen Lawai and other monarchs from Oyo, Ogun and Osun States.

Also present were Prince Bola Ajibola, Prince Tajudeen Olusi, Alhaji Idris Sulaimon, a former ICAN President, Alhaji A.O Arogundade, a seasoned banker, Prof. Tajudeen Gbadamosi, Mrs. Bunmi Olowude, Mrs. Morenikeji Folawiyo and Hajia Kudirat Remawa.

In his address, Dr. Adegbite appealed to Muslims to take education seriously, to enable them

play roles in the affairs of the country. He noted that unless they were well qualified, top appointments in the public sector would continue to elude them.

Dr. Adegbite also lamented the deepening insecurity in the land and condemned the increasing spate of bomb blasts, especially those aimed at media houses. He called on the people to regard security as the joint responsibility of the government and the people. They should report

suspicious movement to the nearest security agents.

The new chief, Hajia Madinat Similola Adegbite admonished Muslim parents to give special attention to the education of their daughters and should not be misled by those who erroneously claim that the place of women is in the home. On the contrary, Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) extolled women education, stressing that to educate a woman is tantamount to educating a whole nation.

Ondo trains new perm secs

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NDO State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko has informed that newly appointed permanent secretaries in the state are currently on training to allow for improved and strengthened workforce and quality service delivery.

The State Government organised a five-day seminar for its newly appointed permanent secretaries and Tutors-General at the Lagos Business School.

Declaring open the seminar, Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, said

the seminar was part of a deliberately planned and sustained manpower development programmes instituted to support good governance.

Speaking through the Secretary to Ondo State Government, Dr. Rotimi Adelola, Dr. Mimiko, explained that the positive impact of the school on productivity of previous participants from Ondo State, gave birth to ‘COMSERVE’, an acronym for commitment to Excellence Service.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012—9

Court restrains new Ikeja NBA exco

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH & MICHAEL OLADEPO

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KEJA—THE newlyelected chairman of Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Ikeja Branch, Lagos, Mr. Monday Ubani, has been restrained from being sworn in pending the hearing and determination of a suit by his co-contestant, Mr Yinka Farounbi.

From left, Mr. Tani Fafunwa, Managing Director, Resourcery Plc, Mr. Rajan Sweroop, CEO/MD, Airtel Nigeria, Dr. Oba Otudeko, Chairman, Airtel Nigeria, cutting the tape and Mr. Manoj Kohli, Group CEO Airtel Africa, at the opening of Airtel Data Centre in Lagos. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

Police arrest 7 suspected kidnappers, recover N1.6m ransom

BY EVELYN USMAN

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KEJA—THE Special Anti-Robbery Squad of Lagos State Police Command has arrested a kidnap syndicate whose members confessed to have been responsible for the recent kidnap of a 27year-old man in the Iba area of the state.

Of the N5 million collected as ransom for the release of the man (name withheld) the squad said it recovered N1.6 million.

The suspects, including a female, who was alleged to have masterminded the kidnap, were arrested in their abodes in Lagos.

During investigation, they reportedly confessed to the crime with one of them disclosing that he used his share of the ransom for his wedding a fortnight ago.

According to sources at SARS, “immediately we got information about the kidnap on April 24, the squad commander, Mr Abba Kyari, swung into action. But, along the line, they released the man after N5 million was paid as ransom. ''The suspects met their waterloo, after one of their accomplices, a woman, was arrested two weeks after the release of the victim. Her confessional statement led to the apprehension of others, who confessed to the crime. One of them said he got N300,000 as suspect's share but claimed he spent it on his father’s medical bill, while another claimed he used his share to process his girlfriend’s travel documents to Europe.”

ALLEGED N36M FRAUD:

Deji Abiola: Witness become ill in witness box

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH & MICHAEL OLADEPO

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KEJA—THERE was a mild drama before an Ikeja High Court, Lagos, yesterday, when a Lagosbased businessman, Mr. Babajide Jose, suddenly fell ill while given evidence on how he was allegedly swindled of N35.5 million

by Deji Abiola, son of the late politician, Chief M.K.O. Abiola, who was to supply him (Jose) printing machine.

Ajose, an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC’s witness, had concluded telling the court how Abiola collected the money from him but failed to deliver the

machine, when he fell ill.

The trial judge, Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo, was forced to adjourn the matter after Jose was visibly shaking inside the witness box, while he was expected to answer questions under cross-examination from Abiola’s counsel, Mr. Jimoh Lasisi, SAN, on how Abiola allegedly swindled his company, Nurudeen Printers Limited, Okota, Lagos.

The witness said some time in March 2008, his company decided to buy a used Speed Master CD105 printing machine and was introduced to Abiola.

Though, he said there were efforts to settle the matter out of court since Abiola’s arraignment last

Doctors' strike: Judge urges parties to embrace dialogue

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AGOS—THE National Industrial Court, Lagos, yesterday, urged the Lagos State Government and the striking doctors to dialogue to resolve their differences.

Trial judge, Justice Benedict Kanyip, said: “As an institute and going by Section 20 of the National Industrial Court Act 2006, we are urging parties to continue their dialogue. I am certain a common ground will be reached.”

The court gave the advice at the hearing in suit by Dr. Olumuyiwa Odusote and Idris Durojaiye, on behalf of Medical Guild against the state government, adding that it would be better than any ruling or judgment of the court.

The doctors had gone on

the strike on April 24 over the agreement they reached with the government on the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, CONMESS. The government had on May 7 sacked 788 doctors for their absence from duty and failure to reply to queries it issued to them.

The court said if at the next adjourned date, May 22, no agreement had been reached, it was going to hear the applications by the doctors and ordered the Attorney-General of Lagos State, Mr Ade Ipaye, to ensure that he kept to his word that no doctor would be ejected from his official quarters until after the hearing and determination of the suit.

June 30, he added.

The witness told the court that “The accused told us that he had it and can get it for us and that the machine was in Switzerland. On May 10, 2008, he sent me an estimate of the machine that it will cost N118 million. The accused said that we will deposit 30 per cent of the money to show seriousness.

“Fifty per cent will be paid after inspection while the remaining balance of 20 per cent will be paid before the machine is dismantled for shipping to Nigeria.”

He told the court that he was persuaded to go for the business after Abiola promised to help him secure a visa to Switzerland for the inspection of the machine.

He said on May 16, 2008, he issued a First Bank cheque of N35.5 million to Abiola, being the 30 per cent deposit he requested for.

He said:” After paying the money, I did not hear from him again for weeks and when I finally did, he told me that the machine was no longer in Switzerland but in Sweden.

Deji wrote me a letter that the machine is going to cost us more money and requested for another 30 per cent deposit, which I refused.”

The witness said:” After going to EFCC, the Oba of Lagos called a meeting between my daughter and his brother, where he advised us to settle the matter amicably.''

On plan to settle, Jose said: “We told him to pay us N20 million and take N15 million but nothing happened after that.”

Trial judge, Justice O. Taiwo, in her ruling, also ordered other elected officers to stop parading themselves as officers of NBA Ikeja branch, pending the hearing and determination of the suit.

The claimant, Farounbi, who contested the chairmanship position with Ubani, lost at the poll.

He is praying the court to restrain the newlyelected officers from being sworn in.

UNILAG VC for burial May 31

BY IKENNA ASOMBA

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AGOS—THE late Vi c e - C h a n c e l l o r, University of Lagos, UNILAG, Akoka, Yaba, Professor Adetokunbo Sofoluwe, will be interred on May 31 at the Vault and Gardens, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics and Research), and Chairman of the burial committee, Prof. Babajide Alo, at a briefing on the burial programme, said: “His body will lie-in-state on campus between 8 am and 9 am on May 31, followed by a funeral

service by 10 am at All Saints' Church, Yaba.

Interment will hold at the Vault and Gardens, Ikoyi, Lagos, after which a light reception will hold at the Multi-purpose Hall, Main Campus, Akoka.

“There would be services of songs for the deceased on May 29 at the university ’s Main Auditorium and lying-instate at the Multi-purpose Hall on May 30 at 8am; a special Senate session in the Senate Chamber at 12noon, which will be followed by a wake-keep at 5pm at the Multipurpose hall.”

Death of househelp: Prosecutor calls 3 witnesses

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KEJA—THREE more witnesses are to testify in a case of murder brought against a Lagos couple who allegedly tortured their househelp to death, the prosecutor, Mr Femi Adamson, told an Ikeja High Court, Lagos, yesterday.

The prosecutor, at the resumed hearing in the case, said one of the witnesses, Jacob Kinanee, an Police Inspector, was away on a three-week course and so could not be in court.

He said: “We do not intend to delay this trial because we have three more witnesses, but in the

light of this development, I am asking the court for an adjournment.”

Trial judge, Justice Lateefa Okunnu, adjourned the case till September 6.

The accused persons, Elochukwu (40) and Chiamaka Nnajiofor (26) were charged with the murder of one Oliver Arakwe.

The Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions, DPP, had alleged that the 14-yearold boy, who was one of their househelps, was subjected to a series of abuse by the couple, culminating in his death.

Lagos to issue e-C of O Sept

BY MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

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KEJA—LAGOS State Government, yesterday, said it would commence the issuance of electronic Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) to replace the old one from September.

It said it generated over N10 billion from land administration in the last

one year.

Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Lands Bureau, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola, at the ongoing ministerial briefing to commemorate the first year of the second term in office of Governor Babatunde Fashola, in Lagos, said the electronic C of O was designed to replace the old one that had been in existence since 1978.

10— Vanguard , THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012

Ogun covets Lagos Eyo festival

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA—OGUN State Government yesterday said plans were underway to take over the much-celebrated Eyo festival from Lagos State, claiming the cultural festival originated from Iperu-Remo, in Ogun State.

Commissioner for Culture and Tourism,Olu Odeyemi, who spoke in Abeokuta, noted that the government had almost concluded arrangement to introduce Adire school uniform into public primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in the state, to promote culture and patronage for local products.

On the plan to retrieve Eyo festival, the commissioner said there was an on-going talk over the issue between the governors of Lagos and Ogun states, Mr. Babatunde Fashola and Senator Ibikunle Amosun respectively.

He said: “Plans are underway to get back the Eyo masquerade that was taken to Lagos State. In fact, the masquerade belongs to the people in Iperu-Remo area of Ogun State. Eyo started from there.

Robbery: 3 sentenced to death 7 yrs after

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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KURE—SEVEN years after, three persons; Dele Akinbolade, Olorunfunnibi Akintomide and Opeyemi Olaiya were yesterday sentenced to death for robbery by an Ondo High Court.

The convicts were sentenced to death by Justice Williams Akintoroye for robbing one Yahaya Suberu in 2005 while armed by with guns and cutlasses.

The convicted persons, Dele Akinbolade, Olorunfunnibi Akintomide and Opeyemi Olaiya were sentenced to

death by Justice Williams Akintoroye for robbing one Yahaya Suberu in 2005 when armed with guns and cutlasses.

Justice Akintoroye found the trio guilty of robbery committed at 42, Odoyege Street, IleOluji, on January 6, 2005, contrary to Section 1 (2) (b) of the robbery and firearms (Special Provision) laws of the federation.

According to the prosecutor, Mr Ife Olorunfemi of Ministry of Justice, the accused persons robbed the victims armed with guns and cutlasses contrary to the provisions of the law

of the federation.

The Prosecution counsel called five witnesses including the victim and policemen who arrested the convicts and investigated the crime.

Suberu, while giving

the graphic details of how the convicts stormed his residence on the day around 2.am, said they broke the door and came upstairs to meet him and threatened to shoot him if he raised any alarm.

According to him, they

1 dies, 15 pupils injured in Ibadan auto crash

BY OLA AJAYI

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BADAN—NO fewer than 15 pupils of Summit Comprehensive Secondary College and pupils of Mary Groups of Schools, Ogbere, Ibadan, were injured in an auto

crash when being conveyed to their schools in a commercial bus yesterday.

However, the conductor of the bus was unlucky as he was said to have died on the spot when he reportedly fell off the bus.

Chief Keeji for burial

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HE entire families of Anibaba, Fadipe, Wright, Eketunde and Keeji have announced the burial arrangement for their beloved sister, aunty, mother, mother-in-law and grandmother and lya Ijo African Bethel Church, Ireshe Road, Ikorodu, Chief (Mrs) Kehinde O. Keeji.

According to the arrangement, there will be a Christian wake-keep by 5 p.m. today at Aa 44, Federal Low Cost Estate (Itoikin Road) Ikorodu while she will lie-in-state immediately after the event at the same venue.

Interment takes place at Aunty Kenny Estate, Ogijo, Ikorodu, immediately after church service tomorrow.

Popularly called Aunty Kenny, Chief Keeji died on May 1, aged 65 years.

The late Chief K. Keeji

UACN AGM HOLDS:From right, Mr. Larry Ettah, Chairman; Mr. Hakeem Ogunniran, Managing Director, and Mrs. Folashade Ogunde, Finance Director, at the annual general meeting of UACN Property Development Company Plc in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Sylva Eleanya.

LG polls: Ilaro boils as youths go on rampage

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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B E O K U TA — P A L PA B L E anxiety enveloped residents of the ancient town of Ilaro, the headquarters of Yewa South Local Government Area after hundreds of youth members of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, yesterday threw caution into the wind over alleged plot by Governor Ibikunle Amosun and leaders of the party in the state to impose Chairmanship candidate on the people of the area.

This occured barely 72 hours after some youths in Odeda Local Government Area protested and destroyed property of a Senator over the same allegation.

The angry protesters,

who stormed the ACN Secretariat in the local government situated on Leslie Road, in Ilaro, around 11.30am, vented anger on anybody on sight before they started vandalizing the party Secretariat.

The protesters, who

made away with N150, 000, two handsets worth N72, 000 and jewelry worth N11,000.

alleged that Amosun and the leaders of the party were planning to impose one of the chairmanship aspirant identified as Shafiu Odebiyi broke all the window louvers, tore the campaign posters and set ablaze the banners of Odebiyi in front of the

party secretariat.

An eye-witness told Vanguard that some youths in the party protested in Ilaro secretariat of the ACN to condemn the alleged planned imposition of Odebiyi.

According to information gathered by Vanguard, the accident was occasioned by a brake failure which made the driver of the bus to lose control and skidded off the road.

It was gathered that the accident occurred around 7:30 am when the driver tried to avoid running into an uncompleted bridge at Ogbere Bridge.

Sympathizers at the scene of the accident rushed the affected children to St. Mary’s Catholic Hospital, Eleta and the University College Hospital, Ibadan for medical attention.

A witness, Mr. Micheal Adeyinka, said the Hiace bus marked LAGOS XG 754 LSD was heading towards Ogbere, when it happened.

At the St. Mary's Catholic Hospital, Eleta, Rev. Father Clement Emerue, the Catholic Health Coordinator for Ibadan explained that 15 injured pupils were brought to the hospital including the conductor who was already dead.

The Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bisi Okuwobi, was yet to be informed about the incident but she promised to contact the police station in the area.

Meantime, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State promised to offset their medical bills.

PDP slams Fayemi over council workers pay

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DO-EKITI—THE Peoples Democratic Party,PDP, in the Southwest has berated the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, over his refusal to pay salaries of local government workers in the state, saying; “Fayemi and his party, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) should stop treating Ekiti workers like beggars.”

In the last three days, local council workers in

Ekiti State have been protesting non-payment of the N19,000 minimum wage announced by the governor late last year.

N13,000 is being paid instead of the N19,000 the governor said he was paying the workers.

In a statement by its Zonal Publicity Secretary, Kayode Babade, PDP said; “Fayemi is a doublemouthed hypocrite, who preaches true federalism but run local councils in

Ekiti State as parastatals

of the Governor’s Office.”

Fire wrecks havoc in Osogbo

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

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SOGBO—AN early morning inferno yesterday razed five shops in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, destroying property worth millions of naira.

The shops located close to Ladoke Akintola

University of Technology, LAUTECH, Teaching Hospital in Ajegunle area of Osogbo, were loaded with provisions, clothes and other items.

Eyewitness told Vanguard that the shops were seen burning around 7.00am, saying the source of the inferno was not known to them.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 20128—11

LG staff kidnapped after church service

Media professionals to promote peaceful region

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

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SABA—A female worker of Oshimili South Local Government in Delta State has been allegedly kidnapped in Asaba on her way home from church service.

The abduction, according to an eyewitness, occurred about 7pm on Tuesday as she was stepping into her compound.

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EDIA representa tives from Turkey and 54 African countries have declared their determination to make concerted efforts to ensure a peaceful region for their people as well as a stable and prosperous world. This was part of their final declaration at the end of a two-day Turkey-Africa Media Forum 2012 held in Ankara from May 9-10 2012. Participants at the forum initiated by the Directorate General of Press and Information of Turkey (DGPI) with the support of the African Media Initiative (AMI) included representatives from the public and private media organizations as well as scholars.

In the final declaration issued at the end of the forum, the media professionals said:

“As the media representatives of the Afro_Eurasia landmass, * We commit to leverage the power of media to establish a common future for the countries in the region and promote human development and economic prosperity of our peoples. * We share the ideal of building a peaceful world, of shaping its future with democratic values, and embracing a cross_cultural spirit of tolerance and brotherhood. *We underline the importance of freedom of the press as a principle highlighted in all documents that deal with contemporary values, ranging from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to the Helsinki Final Act. *We believe that promoting solidarity among media representatives of participating countries will boost regional and international cooperation and reinforce their democratic culture. * As media delegates to this forum, we publicly declare our will and determination to work towards this goal, as we believe that our common ideals will be realized faster through robust and sustained relations amongst media organizations of our countries. *In order to constantly keep communication channels open, we are launching a joint platform to institutionalize regional media consultations and promote our common interests. *Media representatives present at this Forum agree to establish a journalist exchange program under the auspices of the DGPI and AMI. Further the two institutions commit to explore the creation of a mechanism to facilitate African media houses to access equipment and other resources to develop the African media industry.

COURTESY VISIT: From right, Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko; District Governor, Lions Clubs International, Mr. Kola Oyekanmi and Chief of Staff to Ondo State Governor, Dr. Kola Ademujimi, during a courtesy visit by the District Governor to the Ondo State Governor in Akure.

Uduaghan mourns Ogbon-Day

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G H E L L I — GOVERNOR Emmanuel Uduaghan of

Edo 2012: INEC summons Oshiomhole, Airhiavbere, others to Abuja

BY OKEY NDIRIBE

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B U J A — CHAIRMAN of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Profesor Attahiru Jega, has invited Edo State Governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, the governorship candidate of Action Congress of Nigeria, and that of Peoples' Democratic Party, PDP, General Charles Airhiavbere, in the July 12 governorship election, to a meeting in Abuja, tomorrow.

Also invited for the crucial meeting were the national and Edo State chairmen and secretaries of all the affected political parties.

Citing reasons for inviting the stakeholders to the meeting, Jega said: “The commission is deeply concerned about unfolding events in Edo State which are capable of overheating

the polity and pose a fundamental threat to the integrity of the impending governorship election and indeed, the stability of our democracy.

“To avert further deterioration of the situation, the commission has invited the chairmen and secretaries (national and state) as well as candidates of all the parties contesting the governorship election in Edo State; namely, ACN, All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP; Congress for Progressive Change, CPC; Labour Party, LP; National Conscience Party, NCP; PDP and Social Democratic Mega Party, SDMP, to a meeting at the national headquarters of the commission on May 18, to address the concerns of all stakeholders.”

He added that the commission had received petitions containing

PDP chieftain appeals for early completion of Agbarha hospital

BY FESTUS AHON

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GHELLI—A chieftain of Peoples' Democratic Party, PDP, Delta State, Mr. Solomon Adjedjevwe, yesterday, appealed to the state government to expedite action on the completion of AgbarhaOtor General Hospital in Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state.

Adjedjevwe, who made the appeal, expressed hope that if completed, the hospital would create easy access for the people

of the area to health care facility.

He said the hospital project which was initiated by the administration of former Governor James Ibori had been abandoned since 2006, appealing to the state government to reaward the contract to another contractor or get the old one back to site.

He decrying the dilapidated drainage systems in the community, which he noted was paving way for flooding and its attendant environment hazards.

allegations and counterallegations from various political parties concerning the poll.

Jega said; “Some of the accusations are directed at political parties and candidates, while others are directed at the C o m m i s s i o n ’ s preparations for the election.”

He noted that the principles that had guided the work of INEC were

The woman, whose name was given as Mrs. Anwuli Ossai, is a sister to Chairman of The Pioneer Chapel of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Mr Fidelis Egugbo.

She was said to have been whisked off to an unknown destination by an armed gang which came with a black colour Golf car and forcibly bundled her into the vehicle at gun-point.

transparency, honesty and creation of a level playing field for all political parties and their candidates, adding that the Commission remains committed to these principles.

He reassured political parties, candidates and indeed all Nigerians of its commitment to conducting a free, fair and credible governorship election in Edo State.

Delta State has commiserated with HRM Ogbon Ogoni Oghoro 1, the Ohworode of Olomu Kingdom and the entire kingdom on the death of their princess, Mrs. Elizabeth Ogbon-Day. In a condolence statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Sunny Ogefere, in Asaba, the governor said OgbonDay was an intelligent woman of many parts, who faced life challenges with courage.

“She was a devout Baptist minister, an Ambassador of Nigeria, a patriot and an advocate of the Urhobo, who promoted Urhobo culture at every given opportunity.”

Gunmen kill journalist in Benin

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

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ENIN—A journalist with Radio Nigeria, Benin, Edo State, Mr. Sashua Edeghagba, was, yesterday, shot dead by suspected armed robbers.

Sources told Vanguard that the journalist met his untimely death in Dawson Street in Benin metropolis where he had gone to repair his car.

According to the source, Edeghagba was said to have completed the repair of his car and was playing around with friends at the mechanic workshop, unknown to him, the hoodlums were operating in a nearby house where a policeman lived.

It was learnt that the pandemonium generated by the robbery attracted residents of the neighbourhood, who came out, but the robbers replied by firing sporadically and in the process, a stray bullet reportedly hit Edeghagba.

The policeman and a woman were said to have also been shot by the robbers.

Confirming the incident, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olayinka Balogun, said the robbers were shooting while running away when the bullets hit the journalist and the policeman, who was the target of the

robbery, He said: “The policeman and the journalist were rushed to the hospital, but the journalist died.

Apparently no one knew him in the area as a journalist. The robbers didn’t come for him.”

Healthcare service delivery dead — UCTH CMD

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKURU

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ALABAR—CHIEF Medical Director of University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, UCTH, Dr. Thomas Agan, has said that primary and secondary healthcare service delivery in the country was not in existence.

Dr. Agan, in an interview in Calabar, said there was dearth of medical doctors whose responsibilities it should be to drive the primary and secondary healthcare service delivery across the nation.

He said because of lack of incentives for medical health workers in state

government-owned health institutions, medical personnel prefer to work in Federal Government health institutions, which now make the teaching hospitals to provide the primary and secondary health care delivery instead of acting as a referral institution.

According to him, most states cannot boast of three qualified medical doctors in each of the local government areas, stressing that primary and secondary health care delivery would not be workable until there was collaboration between the states and teaching hospitals.

12—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012

Ijaw communities give Agip one-week ultimatum

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HE people of Donyegbene, Abadegbene, Abiborgbene, Siakigbene and Eseimokumogbene communities in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, yesterday, protested to Grangbene ‘DEEP’A Oil Well project site giving the Nigerian Agip Oil Company through its contractor, BEKS-KIMSE Nig. Ltd a one-week ultimatum to implement the agreement the communities reached with the contractor or leave their land.

They said the agreement was reached on October 20, 2011 in Port Harcourt through the directive given by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godsday Orubebe.

The protesters, number-

ing over 200, carried placards with inscriptions such as: Agip, please implement the MOU; Agip/BEKSKIMSE please don’t cause problem in our creeks because we need peace; BEKS-KIMSE please pay us our October; November 2011 monthly allowances.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Mr. Benjamin Yeigagha, from Eseimokumogbene community, said: “The attitude of Agip and other oil companies is one of the major causes of crises in the Niger Delta region. We are, therefore, calling on various security operatives to take note and compel Agip, through its contractor, to immediately implement the agreement before things get out of hand.”

Obasanjo, Gowon for AES confab

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IGERIA’s two former leaders, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and General Yakubu Gowon, will lead other eminent Nigerians to examine the indispensable role of strong institutions in building a great nation at this year’s edition of the national conference of the Academy for Entrepreneurial Studies, Nigeria, AES. Speaking on the event, Dr. Ausbeth Ajagu, AES President, said while

Gowon will chair the event slated for Tuesday at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos, Obasanjo will deliver a speech on Institution and Systems: Necessary Tools for Building.

A legal luminary and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Prof. Itse Sagay, Ajagu said would speak on Strong Legal System: Necessity for Building A Virile Nation.

Lorry crushes Okada rider, passenger in Asaba

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

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SABA—A tipper and a commercial motor cycle rider, popularly called Okada, yesterday, in Asaba,

Delta State, were involved in a ghastly accident that left the Okada rider and his passenger dead.

The accident, which occurred at Delta Broadcasting

Service, DBS, Junction on Okpanam Road, led to a protest by other Okada riders.

An eyewitness told Vanguard that the tipper, which was coming from the

Bicourtney Aviation Services gets image maker

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S part of its bid to reposition itself to face the challenges of the 21st Century in the provision and management of aviation infrastructure, operators of the Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA) Terminal Two, Ikeja, Lagos, Bicourtney Aviation Services Limited, has appointed a new Public Relations Officer/Head of Communications. He is Steve Omolale-Ajulo.

Omolale_Ajulo, a 1989 graduate of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), is joining the company with over two decades of experience in media practice.

He cut his journalism teeth at The Republic in 1990, after which he had a brief stint in the Federal Civil Service in 1994, where he spent only three months.

He, however, returned to active media practice

in 1994, working for The Guardian in Lagos and Ibadan Bureau as the Head; Daily Independent as the Production Editor; The Nation as Assistant Editor (Features) and the Nigerian Compass, where he rose to become the Deputy Editor (Daily) and once acted as the Weekend Editor.

He is married and has children.

Okpanam end of the road, was on high speed, while the Okada man was waiting to make a turn at the junction.

The witness said the tipper rammed into him, killing the passenger on the spot.

The Okada rider later died on his way to the hospital.

The two bodies were yet to be identified at press time.

Following the accident, which occurred about 10am, an angry mob set the tipper on fire while armed policemen were drafted to disperse the mob. Although the whereabout of the tipper driver could not be ascertained, an eyewitness said that he was caught and handed over to the police.

State Police Command’s spokesman, said: “Two persons on Okada were said to have been crushed by a tipper driver.”

Itsekiri youths defend petition on amnesty before Reps handling of the Federal the programme. tion of June 25, 2009.

BY DANIEL GUMM

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EPRESENTATIVES of Itsekiri ethnic nationality will, today, appear before the House of Representatives’ Committee on Public Petitions to defend their petition against the

Government’s amnesty programme.

The Itsekiri group, which will be represented by Itsekiri National Youths Council, INYC, had in March sent a petition to the Speaker of the House, Mr. Waziri Tambuwal, alleging unjustified exclusion from

The group alleged that the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, deliberately alienated Itsekiri youths, who submitted their arms and ammunition in response to the late Umaru Yar’Adua government’s amnesty proclama-

The Itsekiri youths group had consistently alleged that Federal Government policies on the Niger Delta were skewed to create the impression that the Niger Delta region was synonymous with the Ijaw ethnic group, as if no other ethnic group exists in the region.

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012—13

CHAMPION NEWSPAPER MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD

From left: Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Former Secretary General, The Commonwealth/ Chairman of the occasion; Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Governor of Edo State and Award Recipient; Mr. Raji Fashola, Governor of Lagos State; Aremo Segun Osoba, former Governor of Ogun State and Chief Henry Odukomaiya, former MD, Champion Newspaper during the presentation of Champion Newspaper 2011 Man of the Year Award to Governor Adams Oshiomhole at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos Tuesday. Pix: Lamidi Bamidele

From left: Mr. Ikeddy Isiguzo, Chairman, Editorial Board, Vanguard Newspaper; Mrs Nwadinto Iheankanwa, MD/Editor-in-Chief, Champion Newspapers; Mr. Nosa Igiebor, Editor-in-Chief, TELL and Ms Rose Moses, Managing Editor, Champion Newspaper.

From right: Mr. Ben Murray-Bruce; Dr. Ausbeth Ajagu and his wife Anoli.

From right: Chief Osaro Iwi, the Obazelu of Benin Kingdom; Dr. John Igiehon, the Izuwakor of Benin Kingdom and Chief Isaac Ogiomweire, the Ogeoba of Benin Kingdom.

14—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012

Ex-NLC president, Paschal Bafyau dies zAs Govs, Labour minister, others mourn

BY VICTOR AHIUMAYOUNG & OKEY NDIRIBE

F

CONFAB—Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State (middle); Brigadier Gen. Nnamdi Okere-Affia, DG, NYSC (right); and Mrs. Victoria Okakwu, State Co-ordinator, NYSC (left); during the 2012 annual management conference of the National Youth Service Corps in Umuahia.

Ex-Vanguard staff, 3 others die in auto crash

BY TONY EDIKE

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NUGU—FORMER media aide to Col. Robert Akonobi, ex-military governor of old Anambra State, Mr. Conrad Bosah,

and three others lost their lives in two different auto crashes in Enugu on T u e s d a y .

Bosah, who was also an ex-staff of Vanguard Newspapers, met his

untimely death along the Enugu-Onitsha expressway while returning to his Coal city residence after a trip to his home-state, Anambra.

Sources said Bosah was

SSS parades 23-yr-old lady, 8 others suspected robbers in Anambra

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

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WKA—THE State Security Service, SSS, yesterday in Awka, Anambra State, paraded nine persons over alleged robbery in parts of the state.

The suspects included a 23-year-old female, Miss Blessing Orji, who claimed to be an accounting student of Federal Polytechnic, Oko. Seven of the suspects, including the girl, hail from villages in Awka, while one is from Awba Ofemili in Awka North.

The last person, Jidenuwa, (19) is from Ondo State and most of them were said to belong to cult groups that had been terrorizing Awka and its environs.

The names of the other suspects were given as Chinedu Bosah (20), Ugochukwu Anekwe (20), Ebuka Nwude (17), Chidiebere Nnatuanya (19), Tochukwu Eze (18), Ndubuisi Okoye (18), Onyeka Ekweozor (20) The state director of SSS, Mr. Alex Okeiyi, told newsmen that the suspects were apprehended on May 13, 2012, during a search

in their hideouts which included a hotel in Awka.

According to Okeiyi, the girl was arrested along with her boy friend in the hotel where they had spent five days and were paying N5,000 per night.

He added that during the raid, 25 handsets, many sim

cards, internet modems and laptops, arms and other dangerous weapons were recovered from them.

He further said preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects belonged to senior and junior cadres of the dreaded Vikings Confraternity.

Imo specialist hospital workers' begin strike zOver irregular payment of salaries

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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WERRI—STAFF of Imo Specialist Hospital, Owerri, yesterday embarked on indefinite industrial action over irregular payment of salaries and anti-labour policies of the hospital management.

At about 2.30pm when Vanguard visited the hospital, relatives of patients on admission were seen moving their loved ones hurriedly from the hospital to alternative health institutions.

Vanguard investigations revealed that before the workers closed shop, they marched through a distance of about five kilometres from the Specialist Hospital to Government House, to lay their complaint.

They carried placards with varying inscriptions, some of which read: “Are we staff of Imo Specialist Hospital, Government staff or private staff; If you no fit manage the hospital, away!!!; and Rescue General Hospital, Owerri; Okorocha, please take us back to HMB”.

being driven in a KIA Sportage Jeep by his driver when a trailer hit their vehicle and inflicted serious injuries on them. The veteran journalist was said to have died on the spot, while the driver was u n c o n s c i o u s .

While Bosah’s corpse has been deposited at the Eastern Nigeria Medical Centre mortuary, his driver is now on admission at the Accident and Emergency Ward of the National Orthopedic Hospital, E n u g u .

In another multiple accident involving two big trucks, two cars and a 608 commuter bus at Ama Breweries junction on the Ninth Mile corner-Nsukka highway, three persons reportedly lost their lives while several other passengers sustained i n j u r i e s .

The ever-busy Ninth Mile-Nsukka highway was blocked for several hours on account of the accident but through the combined rescue efforts of police, Federal Road Safety Commission and sympathizers, the road was later reopened to traffic.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed the two accidents when contacted yesterday, said those injured in the auto crashes had been hospitalized at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu, adding that investigations had commenced to determine the cause of the auto c r a s h e s .

ORMER President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Comrade Pascal Bafyau, died, yesterday, at the age of 65. He hailed from Adamawa State.

It was gathered that Bafyau who was President of NLC between 1988 and 1994, reportedly suffered a massive heart attack in his Abuja residence located at Wuse 2, close to Banex Plaza around 10:30pm on Tuesday. He was said to have been rushed to Silver Spring Hospital, Abuja where doctors battered in vain to save his life and pronounced dead in the early hours of yesterday.

According to source, his remains were later taken to the National Hospital around 1:30am.

Labour, Oshiomhole, Labour Minster, others react Leaders of the two labour centres; the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu and other Nigerians, expressed shock over his death.

Among others who condoled with NLC and the family of the late Bafyau, were Governors Olusegun Mimiko of On do State, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, former governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel, and leader of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN. NLC in a statement by its President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, said: “It is with shock and deep sorrow but with total submission to the Almighty, that the NLC announces the passing away of its former President, Comrade Paschal Myeleri Bafyau. The five years during which he was NLC President were the turbulent years of Generals Babangida and Abacha regimes. Comrade Bafyau had been elected NLC President in December 1988 after a ten-month seizure of the Congress by the Babangida regime.”

A colossal loss to labour movement—Oshiomhole, Chime Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole,

who was Bafyau Deputy as the President of NLC, described his death as “a singular colossal loss to the Labour Movement.” Similarly, Minister Labour, Chief Emeka Wogu eulogized Comrade Bafyau for his resilient efforts at improving the welfare of the Nigerian workers as evident in the negotiation of the National Minimum Wage of 1991, establishment of Federal Urban Mass Transit (FUMT) programme which he championed among others.

Governor Chime in a message by his Chief Press Secretary, Chukwudi Achife, said by his death, the nation had lost yet another patriot and a true believer in national advancement. He said that Bafyau fought the cause of the common man with vigour and dedication while advocating the enthronement of democracy and the rule of law in the country.

Mimiko, Aliyu, Daniel mourn Governor Mimiko of Ondo State said Bafyau led NLC at a very difficult time and was able to direct its affairs to the best of his ability, noting that he displayed a high managerial acumen while his reign lasted as the leader of NLC and listed some of his notable achievements.

For Governor Aliyu of Niger State, Bafyau’s passage “constitutes a great loss to Nigerian workers whose lives he touched in his eventful life that was devoted to public service." Governor Aliyu said the former labour leader was concerned and fought for the welfare of the Nigerian worker, the reason for which he will be missed for his immeasurable contributions towards the development of the country as a unionist and a labour leader.

Daniel, the former Governor of Ogun State, said “The death of Comrade Paschal Bafyau is a big loss to the labour movement in Nigeria. With the death of comrade Bafayau Nigeria has lost a dogged fighter for the right of the downtrodden and a committed labour leader who braved the odds to fight for a better deal for Nigerian workers.”

NUTGTWN’s General Secretary, Comrade Issa Aremu said: “his tenure was arbitrarily terminated by the Abacha military dictatorship when the regime dissolved the National Executive Council (NEC) of the NLC in 1994."

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012—15

Senate approves 100 judges for Fed High Court

BY HENRY UMORU & INALEGWU SHAIBU

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BUJA—THE Senate, yesterday, approved the increase of judges of the Federal High Court from 70 to 100.

This came as the Bill for an Act to amend the Federal High Court Act 2005 (Amendment) Bill, 2012 passed the third reading.

The resolution of the Senate followed the Bill which was sponsored by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, in January. The Bill sought to increase the number of judges of the Federal High Court from 70 to 100.

After extensive deliberations by the senators, it was then passed to the second reading in March and subsequently referred to the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Mat-

ters for further legislative action.

Speaking yesterday when he submitted the report before the Senate, Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Umaru Dahiru, PDP, Sokoto, said the Federal High Court currently had 34 divisions spread across the country and the Federal Capital Territory, while two additional divisions had been created in Kebbi and Taraba States, but were yet to take off due to lack of judges.

According to the report, large number of awaiting cases was blamed on shortage of the number of judges.

It also noted that each division of the Court at the state level, except Lagos

and Port Harcourt, was presided over by two judges.

Dahiru, who noted that with democracy in place, the courts were burdened with pre-electoral matters, which usually resulted into overburdening of the judges and often times affected their health. He said due to insufficient number of judges, there were a good number of cases pending before various divisions of the court.

He said available statistics showed that Abuja division had about 2,000 pending cases, with two judges to preside over them.

AWARDS: From left— Mr. Adewale Sangowawa, Executive Director, Globacom; Alhaja Monisola Yusuf of Sozabat Nig. Ltd, third best performing Glo business partner; and Maria Svensson, Director, Customer Care, at the presentation of prizes to awardees during Glo's 2011 Business Associate Awards, held in Lagos.

PHOTO: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor.

Reps probe security at airports

BY BEN AGANDE

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BUJA—AS part of measures to ensure that security arrangements at the country’s airports are functional and capable of detecting threats to the country’s aviation sector, the House of Representatives, yesterday, directed its committee on aviation to carry out a full audit of all security facilities at the nation’s airport and report to it within four weeks.

Similarly, the House also directed the Nigeria Communications Commission, NCC, to initiate measures to remove obsolete NITEL cables nationwide.

In a motion brought by Ossai Nicholas Ossai, the lawmaker noted that the global security challenges in air transportation called for urgent adoption of measures to forestall any

breach of passenger and aircraft safety in Nigeria.

He, however, noted that the on-going renovation of the airports had dislocated and disrupted the smooth functioning of installed scanning machines and other vital security gadgets, thereby posing great security risk to passengers and the airports.

According to the sponsor of the motion, the resort to manual search of passengers, instead of the 3D scanning gadgets installed at

A

BUJA—MINISTER of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, has assured Nigerians of the Federal Government’s determination to complete the Warri-Ajaokuta standard gauge rail line by March next year.

This is contained in a statement by Assistant Director of Press, Federal Ministry of Transport, Abiodun Oladunjoye, after an inspection tour of the project by the minister.

After the inspection, Senator Umar expressed satisfaction at the work done so far, adding that government was making efforts to address the fi-

nancial constraints which had been the fundamental issue militating against the speedy completion of the project.

Senator Umar was later received at Agbor terminal by the Obi of Owa Kingdom, Dr. Emmanuel Efeizomor, who urged him to ensure that the work was finished in time to decongest the roads and bring life to the rail routes.

Project coordinator, who is also a Division Manager of Julius Berger Nigeria, Mr. Guido Abel, identified funding as the biggest obstacle to the realisation of the project and hoped that government would make necessary

the House also urged the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, to initiate measures to remove NITEL obsolete cables nationwide.

In a motion brought by Samuel Williams, he noted that even after 10 years of GSM “our streets are still littered with NITEL cables, erected on wooden and rotten poles loaded with intertwined cobweb of overhanging dirty wires which pose health and safety hazards to people.”

Students' unions ask ICPC to probe tertiary institutions

BY CALEB AYANSINA

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BUJA—NATIONAL Association of Nigerian Students, NANS,

Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri-Ore rail ready March 2013

BY CALEB AYANSINA

the airports, is defective.

He said there was need to restore the existing walkthrough, ground search and other metal and security detection gadget capable of releasing relevant details about passengers and other persons accessing the airports’ vital zones.

The House, therefore, directed that the committee on aviation investigate the functionality of security equipment at the airports and report to it.

In another development,

funds available for its completion.

The rail from Warri passes through Itakpe, Ajaokuta, Agbor, Warri and Ore, with six stations between.

The Warri-Ajaokuta rail line, which is 276 kilometers long, was conceived in 1987 to carry steel products and raw materials from Delta Steel Company, Aladja, Warri, but was later abandoned, after about 254 kilometres had been done, due to lack of funding.

The project was resuscitated in 2009 and is slated for completion in March 2013. It will now carry passengers as well as freight.

and The National Association of Polytechnic Students, NAPS, yesterday, called on the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, to pay more attention to the corruption going on in the nation’s tertiary institutions.

National President of NANS, Mohammed Dauda, and his counterpart from NAPS, Fawole Jacob, said each year, there was an increase in school fees by school authorities, apart from subventions received from government.

They stressed that the projects on ground in many schools were not commensurate with money raised.

The duo, who spoke separately during a courtesy visit to the Acting Chairman of ICPC, Ekpo Nta, in Abuja, also bemoaned the situation where some lecturers exploited students for monetary gains.

Represented by the

General Secretary of NANS, Garos Dalyop, Dauda appealed to the commission to support the unions in ensuring the inculcation of anticorruption studies in school curriculum from primary to tertiary level.

They said: “We urge you to beam your searchlight at the academia where there are several allegations of corrupt practices ranging from lecturers’ ‘sorting’ by student, examination malpractices to mismanagement of resources by management of our institutions across the nation.”

Japan boosts Nigeria solar energy project with N2bn

BY VICTORIA OJEME

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BUJA—THE Federal Government, yesterday, received a grant of N2 billion from its Japanese counterpart to support the nation’s drive to boost power generation capacity through solar energy.

A statement by the Japanese Embassy in Abuja said: “Japan donated 0.98 billion Japanese Yen (approximately two billion Naira or 7.84 million US Dollars) for the provision of solar electricity generation systems.

“Concerned by the growing effects of global warming and challenge of power supply, which the G8 and African countries consider as the major impediments to sustainable development, wealth creation and the eradication of poverty, the Exchange of Notes of the project was signed by Mr. Ryuichi Shoji, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and Mr. Darius Ishaku, Honourable Minister of State for Power of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

16—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012

Security forces uncover bomb factory in Kogi

BY ISIAKA OYIBO

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OKOJA—IT was a ma jor breakthrough for security agencies in Kogi State when a combined team of the Army, Navy and men of the Department of State Security, DSS, otherwise known as SSS, yesterday, uncovered another bomb manufacturing factory at Igarra, a central area of Kogi State.

The state Director of DSS,

Mike Fabara, who briefed newsmen in his office in Lokoja, said the joint security forces made the discovery at a bush between a border town of Kogi and Edo states in the early hours of yesterday.

He said some arrests had been made in connection with the incident but failed to give their either identities or number.

He said: “I can confirm to you that some terrorist

groups have invaded the state which has accounted for why the Federal Government decided to send a special squad of the best hands to tackle them headlong.”

Items recovered and paraded before newsmen included, 22 Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs; 10 AK-47 rifles; one Berreta pistol; 57 AK-47 magazines with live ammunitions; 14 locally-made hand grenades and a Nissan jeep.”

FG cautions politicians against inflammatory remarks

BY BEN AGANDE

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BUJA—MINISTER of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, yesterday, said what was needed from politicians and political leaders, especially, at the time of

severe security challenges in the country, are words that can engender peace and unity in the country and not violence.

He said: “We all know the consequences of violence in politics. We

Katsina, Benin partner on N3bn Songhai project

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ATSINA—IN its bid to boost agricultural production and reduce hunger in the country, Katsina State Government has signed over N3 billion integrated farm project with Songhai Farms of Benin Republic.

Governor Ibrahim Shema, who made this known, said the intention of the government was to revolutionise agriculture in the state and encourage youths to go into it and other integrated fields.

He said Katsina State will, in the next four years, become centre for

training of youths from all over the country on agricultural fields.

Shema told the Songhai Farm delegation that sourcing for market for agricultural products from the state should be part of their priority.

Shortly before signing the agreement with the Katsina State government, Prof. Godfrey Nzamuja, Director, Songhai Regional Centre, Port Novo, Benin Republic, had explained the operations of the Songhai Centre and how the state would benefit from the initiative.

Belo-Osagie unveils Metropole magazine

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R. Hakeem BeloOsagie, the Chairman of Etisalat Nigeria, will today unveil Metropole magazine at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja.

Among those expected to grace this star-studded event are Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, Secretary to the Government of the Federation; Rt. Hon. Waziri Tambuwal, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Alhaji Kashim IbrahimImam, Mutawalli of Borno, who will serve as the Chairman, Special Guest of Honour and Chief Host, respectively.

Senator Bala Moham-

med, Minister for Federal Capital Territory, is scheduled to discuss the future of the Federal Capital Territory as the Keynote Speaker.

Also expected at the event are ministers, members of the National Assembly, heads of government agencies and departments, members of the civil society and diplomatic missions, leading journalists, and business leaders.

Metropole is designed to showcase the people and the city of Abuja and has as its target audience the political, business, diplomatic and policy elites.

all know the consequences of lives lost in pursuit of ambitions and the nation is going through a period that is critical. It is important that all of us, who are critical stakeholders in the Nigerian project, should weigh whatever we say such that it would aid national unity, national development and will aid peace, particularly in Northern Nigeria.

“All Nigerians have a duty to ensure greater peace, greater civility in our polity because civility is important. The difference between democracy and other forms of government is that democracy is civil.”

While condemning the call in some circles for a resort to self-help through violence, Maku said “democracy talks about the rule of law. It does not talk about violence. In no major nations of the world will politicians or parties urge people to go and fight in polling stations or defend their votes or threaten violence because democracy is civility.”

While citing the case of some states in the north where violence has had a debilitating effect, Maku said: “We are seeing the consequences of lack of peace in our community. At this time it is not about the Federal Government. It is the responsibilities of all Nigerians, particularly those that God has elevated to positions of responsibility in the polity.

“We should do everything to ensure peace.

Everything that emanates from us should reflect the presence of God; should reflect the presence of good attributes that children can copy.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012—17

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The 1914 myth and de-legitimisation of

Nigeria

be the chief security officer[SIC] of anything? Which state has not failed?” In truth, factions of the Nigerian ruling elite seem to hold 1914 rather like a sword of threat against the progress of Nigeria; they wave it threateningly on occasions, depending on how deep their current frustration is, about the slice of the national cake they are able to get. It is like the proverbial spoilt child at play; and for too long we have lived with this attempted delegitimisation of our country.

Reject the platform

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he narrative is that Nigerians had nothing in common until the 1914 amalgamation by the British.

That might be good political talk to mobilise a captive emotion constituency, but the facts of history vigorously reject the platform. The works of the Jihadist scholars, Usmanu Dan Fodio, Abdullahi Fodio and Muhammed Bello vitiate this narrative. The pioneering historical works of Prof. Kenneth Dike and others also show the

,

SHARE the indignation which informed VANGUARD’s editorial of Monday, May 7th, 2012, titled “NIGERIA-MISTAKE SINCE WHEN?” The editorial noted that “contenders for disintegrating Nigeria are increasing” and the latest recruit into this cast was Prof.

AngoAbdullahi, former Vice Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. The 73-year old Professor told the audience at Sam Nda-Isaiah’s 50th birthday ceremony, that the amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914, was “a fundamental mistake” adding most pessimistically that ‘the question of a likely disintegration is not a too distant future”. Abdullahi warned “the Southerners that are propounding dividing the country should know that it is also not something that the north will not want. We can be on our own…That the north is keeping quiet doesn’t mean we don’t know what we are doing.

We want peace and unity but no one can intimidate us…”

VANGUARD’s editorial asked “what part did 1914 play in the quality education and attendant privileges Abdullahi and his generation had? Is 1914 responsible for insecurity in Nigeria? How did 1914 make millions of children- the leaders of tomorrow- street urchins?

Surely, a country with some of the world’s best professors of agriculture is unable to feed itself because of 1914…Matters are more depressing when Gen. Danjuma, a key player in Nigerian affairs joins the debate…Danjuma preached.

Who was he trying to deceive?

Can governors who do not command a single policeman

of low intensity warfare and socio-economic and political crises which India deals with each day, yet its elite does not canvass the disintegration of the country. Those who have taken so much from Nigeria turn around to advocate its disintegration. I come from an empire-building background with forefathers who helped in the construction of the great empires of old West Africa. The lessons of history teach that to build complex countries, such as Nigeria, has never been a tea party. The ruling elite must be responsible and committed.

Nigeria’s tragedy is to be saddled with an irresponsible

Nigeria’s tragedy is to be saddled with an irresponsible elite; they take so much from the country and when disadvantaged, threaten us with ‘the mistake of 1914’. The Nigerian people must reclaim our country and its history from its fraudulent elites

,

Prof. AngoAbdullahi rich, relentless historical forces at work in the Nigeria area before colonialism. But we do not teach history in our schools anymore, so those able to purvey a reactionary, revisionist versions of history, located in the ethnic jingoism we have spoken about today, have taken over the national space, manipulating the fault-lines of history to de-legitimise the country. There is a romantic delusion that somehow, Nigeria can be broken up to allow ethnic

entrepreneurs to claim fiefs to preside over, in a post-Nigeria, ethnic ‘paradise’. Some even romanticise ethnic wars, apparently oblivious of recent human history!

One of the failures of the Nigerian elite, is the inability to settle into a nation-building mode for constructing the country. Every crisis becomes a reason to seek the disintegration of the country as a preferred solution. I’ve always wondered if our elites know the number

elite; they take so much from the country and when disadvantaged, threaten us with ‘the mistake of 1914’. The Nigerian people must reclaim our country and its history from its fraudulent elites! 1914 was not a mistake; it was the culmination of a historical process which the dynamics of colonialism merely hastened and used for imperialism’s purpose. We can turn that purpose into a triumphant nation building agenda!

Boko Haram and the ethinicity narrative

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AST week, a suspected ‘operational commander’ of Boko Haram was allegedly arrested in the Farawa Quarter of the city of Kano. If it was an indication of ‘success’ by the under fire Nigerian security forces, the preferred manner of reportage and one which most Nigerian newspapers sensationalised, was that this ‘operational commander ’, Suleiman Muhammed, was a Yoruba man! In an immediate riposte, couched in the necessary anger that befitted the ethnic disgust (and denial) reserved for such an occasion, THE NATION newspaper of Sunday, May 13th, 2012, led with a report that the Yoruba (race?) had disowned the alleged commander: “A group of concerned natives of Ogbomosho dismissed the reports as ‘suspicious and lacking in clarity’” A spokesman, Mr. Afolabi Omotoso, responded that: “we are saying with all emphasis that there is no Ogbomosho indigene bearing that name (Suleiman Muhammed)”. Even a source from the palace of the traditional ruler of Ogbomosho, the Soun, was quoted as saying “we’ll want to know more about the suspect. Who is his father and from which compound or adugbo(ward) does he come from”. The former secretary of the Yoruba community in Kano added that the arrested individual was not known to the community, because “the Yoruba in the metropolis network very

C M Y K

well”. The ‘ethnic’ denial goes on and on! Unfortunately, the mystification about a Yoruba man, not being a member of Boko Haram, or the denial of the origins of the alleged ‘operational commander ’, merely shows the depth of sickness which the ethnicity narrative represents in the Nigerian national space today.

Those who deny Suleiman Muhammed’s ‘Yoruba’ origin, operate from some mistaken assumptions which have made it difficult for many of our compatriots, especially from the South, to understand the depth of the crisis associated with the Boko Haram insurgency. One of these assumptions is that because Boko Haram was allegedly some form of Northern conspiracy, a Southerner or a Yoruba person could not have been a member.

But the fact that in recent months we have heard of Igbo, Igala and Yoruba members, has defeated the ethnic and regionalist arguments. The Yoruba terrorist organisation, the OPC, had also warned severally of retaliatory attacks, if Boko Haram ever operated Yorubaland. Again, the basis of its posturing must be located in the fixation with an ethnic understanding of the complex dynamics of social breakdown and insurgency, especially the Boko Haram insurgency.

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any others reduce analysis to the more

outlandish statements allegedly from spokespersons of the group. But why should we be surprised that Nigerians from all parts of the country, or of different ethnic origins can be members of the Boko Haram organisation? Social dynamics are far richer than the simplistic frames of ethnic jingoism, the preferred mode of understanding Nigeria, amongst sections of the political and media elite.

Fundamentally, Boko Haram is both religious and ideological.

A cursory understanding of the history of Islam, reminds that it was not and never was a racist religion. One of the earliest companions of the Prophet Muhammad was Bilal, of Ethiopian origin, who was in fact, the first Muezzin in Islamic history. There were outstanding black war commanders and diplomats in those early years of Islamic consolidation. Given this background, it shouldn’t surprise that a Suleiman Muhammed from Ogbomosho, can be arrested as ‘operational commander’ of Boko Haram.

The ideological element must also not be discounted! I went to work in the Nigerian Socialist movement from the age of 16.

We were driven by a strong ideological commitment, with comrades from all over Nigeria and even beyond, because of the internationalist basis of Marxism. The ethnic origins or religious confessions of comrades were secondary to the commitments we had to the

struggle. Whoever has been forged in an ideological crucible, will understand how ideological commitment can and does trounce ethnicity.

Besides, those playing the ethnic card have also conveniently forgotten the migrations of peoples around Nigeria and their absorption into the host cultures all over the country. This is a process which takes place every day, in ways that most of us do not seem to appreciate in a nuanced manner. However, in the ethnic narrative, history froze and peoples can be simplistically separated into unchanging ‘tribes’, ‘ethnicities’ or even ‘ races’, which ethnic entrepreneurs can ride on for political advantages.

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his inadequate platform has for too long been used to negotiate advantage by groups of the elite in Nigeria.

The narrative becomes more strident, fascistic and threatening in moments of national crisis, as we now have in the country. I think the fact that Nigerians from other ethnic backgrounds have been discovered to belong to Boko Haram, other than the simplistic assumptions about ‘Northerners’, ‘Hausa-Fulani’ (whatever that means anyway!) or ‘Kanuri’, culprits, who are allegedly a part of a ‘conspiracy ’ against the Jonathan administration, has exploded the narrative of the

Nigerian ethnic jingoists and ethnic entrepreneurs. It does not matter that Suleiman Muhammed was Yoruba, from Ogbomosho. His origins do not vitiate the fact that a combination of social circumstances has led some Nigerians to take up arms against the Nigerian state.

Our country’s ruling elite must find the means to locate the roots of the problem in order to solve them. The ethnic narrative is far too simplistic and often too reactionary, to be of any meaningful assistance.

It obscures understanding of complex social phenomena!

Just last week, even the National Security Advicer, Oweye Andrew Azazi, told a Northern Impact Summit in Kaduna, that failure to address economic hardship and lack of economic opportunity have “opened a fertile ground for recruitment, indoctrination, brainwashing and training of terrorists and other insurgents in the country”. If that was the case, how could a Suleiman Muhammed from Ogbomosho, but resident and perhaps born in Kano, have escaped ‘the failure to address economic hardship and lack of economic opportunity’, that Azazi spoke of? From the ethnic narrative, the fact that he was Yoruba must automatically have given him such ‘immunity ’, apparently. That is the absurd cul-de-sac that the ethnic narrative can lead to!

Vanguard, THURSDAY,MAY 17, 2012 OUBTS about the increasing confusion in our electricity transformation programme are strengthened by the relentless quest of Nigerian officials to snap up contracts in all languages. We currently have them in English, French, German, Japanese and Mandarin (Chinese). More will follow.

When the world has deep concerns about compatibility of technologies, Nigeria is on a reckless global search for resources from all sources for its flagging electricity supply.

Some of the agreements and their implications: *President Goodluck Jonathan on a visit to Germany in April, visited Siemens and officials signed new electricity contracts. *The French government signed a N31.4 billion contract with Nigeria on behalf of its companies to undertake feasibility studies, to select and construct high voltage transmission lines and sub-stations. *A N2 billion contract was signed with the Japanese government for solar system at Umaru Ya’dua University in Katsina. Japan’s contributions to the electricity sector, its embassy officials said, were more than N157.

52 billion since 2000.

18 —

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Electricity in eever ver veryy language *Power Minister, Bart Nnaji said last March that General Electric, an American company, signed a $10 billion deal with the Federal Government. GE said it would take only 10 to 15 per cent interest in the business. In August 2010, government officials suggested $100 billion as conservative estimate for new power plants and transmission lines over the next decade. *The Federal Government also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Global Biofuels Limited, for construction of 15 integrated bio-fuel plants in the country. The bio-fuel plant is estimated to gulp about N414 billion. The project is expected to create 120, 000 direct and 750,000 indirect jobs across the

value chain and link 15 states to cheap biofuel generated electricity at 30 megawatts per state. China would provide 70 per cent of the funds while the rest would be from financial institutions. According to the promoters: “The project is agro-industrial, which will use sweet sorghum as raw materials to produce ethanol.”

It is instructive that a contract with the Chinese in one of the plants fell into controversy when the Chinese departed. All the operating manuals of the plant are in Mandarin. Yet more contracts are being signed with more countries, in inaccessible languages, without any visible improvements in electricity supply.

None of the contracts has addressed the nagging issues of gas supply, funding, transmission and the more neglected matters of rising costs of electricity — consumers pay without service and no meters in most places.

Government officials are treating electricity as another of the challenges Nigeria faces. It is a major challenge with consequences that adversely affect other sectors. All these contracts and their conflicting technologies will spell another round of doom for electricity supply.

OPINION

BY HAMILTON ODUNZE

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F President Goodluck Jonathan obeyed Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs, he would do more to ensure that Nigerians have a sense of safety. The Hierarchy of Needs is a theory in psychology developed by Abraham Maslow in 1943. It is a theory of human developmental psychology focused on describing the stages of growth in people. Maslow suggests that people are motivated to fulfill fundamental needs before moving on to more advanced ones. According to Abraham Maslow, security of body, property and resources are the most basic of human needs. Therefore, it is only when people have a good sense of safety and security that they are motivated to pursue other goals.

Even in this day and age, Maslow’s theory remains valid in any discussions about human developmental psychology.

In fact, this is why the primary duty of any government is to protect the lives and property of its citizens. When a government fails in this primary duty, it lacks the moral legitimacy to continue in other aspects of governance. As such, a state is characterized as having failed when the government fails to protect its citizens, or when a sense of relative safety is no longer felt by its people.

While it may be an exaggeration to argue that Nigeria has become a failed state, in May of 2011 the Fund for Peace, a Washington DC-based non-profit research and educational institution, issued a stern warning indicating that Nigeria is on the verge of being a completely failed state based on safety issues.

Yet many Nigerians presume that Nigeria is as safe as any other nation in the world. This presumption seems valid if you consider events like September 11, 2001. On this day, al - Qaeda succeeded in killing more than 3000 Americans in a single attack. Consider also that on July 7, 2005, Islamic home-grown terrorists detonated bombs, in three quick successions, aboard London Underground trains. A fourth bomb was detonated on a double-

Obeying Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs

decker bus in Tavistock Square. Fifty-two people were killed, 700 others were injured. Since these attacks, many more terrorist attacks have happened in other parts of the world. The United States and Britain also struggle with domestic crimes, just like the ones we see in Nigeria. So, terrorism and crime are not peculiar to Nigeria.

Perhaps, it is under the same presumption that President Jonathan announced to the world that Nigeria is a safe place for travel and business. He made the announcement in the wake of a Boko Haram attack on December 25, 2011, in which more than 42 Nigerians were killed in Madalla near Abuja. Even after the President’s announcement, the world still does not perceive Nigeria as a relatively safe place for travel and business.

In fact, the CIA continues to issue alerts to American citizens travelling to Nigeria.

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n saying that Nigeria is safe for travel and business, President Jonathan assumes that safety is exclusively the absence of terrorism or crimes. It makes me wonder if President Jonathan actually knows that a collective sense of safety is primarily a measure of trust in the system. For instance, a sense of safety exists in the United States and Britain because people trust that the emergency systems are well-equipped to work in cases like September 11, 2001 and July 7, 2005, respectively.

For the world to agree with the President that Nigeria is safe for travel and business, there must be well-equipped emergency response systems put in place. For instance, the hospitals should be equipped with modern infrastructures and well-trained personnel. The police and fire services should also be ready to respond with precision and professionalism to emergency

situations. But the irony is that no country that is as corrupt as Nigeria can afford modern infrastructures for hospitals, police, and the emergency response system required to deal with sophisticated terrorist plots. This is why the world sees Nigeria as unsafe for travel and business, despite the President’s appeal.

If we dig deeply into the security issues Nigeria faces as a nation, it is more meaningful for Nigerians to have a sense of safety.

Only then can anyone make the argument to the rest of the world that Nigeria is safe for travel and business. The high walls around houses and the personal use of the police by those who can afford it is an indication that Nigerians do not feel safe. In fact, these are the first things that any visitor to Nigeria observes.

The reason Nigerians build high walls and use the police as a private security force is the same reason they are inclined toward jungle justice. It is because the police have failed in their duty to protect and serve, and the courts have failed in dispensing justice.

While it is important to stop crimes before they happen, protecting citizens is not necessarily the absence of crime.

Protecting citizens extends to what happens after a crime is committed. When the police take bribes and fail to solve a crime, when Nigerians are being kidnapped without any serious effort by authorities to get to the root of it, and when judges fail to dispense justice without bias people’s sense of safety is eroded.

Americans have a sense of safety not because they live in a crime-free society, but because they are confident that when a crime is committed the authorities will get to the root of it even if the crime is committed against the most deprived citizen.

They also trust that the justice system will take its course.

To sum it up, in today’s world when no country is immune from terrorism and crime, fulfilling the need for safety - the most fundamental human need - means having a rapid and wellequipped emergency response system. It also means the ability to solve crimes and dispense justice. *Mr. Odunze, a media consultant, wrote from USA.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012—19

, Operation ‘retake Apapa’

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HEN construction giant Julius Berger was awarded the contract to reconstruct sections of the Apapa - Oshodi Expressway, those of us who have endured decades of suffering on this axis felt our troubles would soon be over. The area around the Berger Yard flyover has been finished, yet the hold-up on the flyover persists.

A couple of weeks ago I was trapped in one of those unexplained snarls. When I drove up to the bridge I even discovered that some Federal Road Safety officers were helping to get the traffic going. Otherwise it would have been a total standstill. The main reason for the snarl was that tankers and trailers had, as usual, been parked on and around the flyover bridge leaving only one lane for other tankers, trailers, buses and cars coming out of the heavily industrialised Kirikiri and the other side of the expressway to find their ways out.

I asked the Road Safety officers why they left the illegally parked juggernauts to block the roads.

They told me that most of those offending trucks and tankers belonged to senior military officers or their friends and relations. Any attempt to

implement the law by towing them could get them beaten up or even dragged to the “guard room”.

The Apapa axis of Lagos State is off-limits to the rule of law and governance as a whole. Everybody behaves just as they like here.

Apart from military officers, both high and low who throw discipline and etiquette to the wind, the trailer and tanker drivers and their unions are a law unto themselves.

As a result of the fact that the Apapa zone is where trailers and tankers from all parts of the country (especially the North) come to deliver goods for export and collect imported goods and petroleum products, these large auto vessels are simply parked indiscriminately everywhere thus making business operations an unspeakable nightmare.

It seems that government is not interested in governing the Apapa area. All that government agencies operating in this flank of Lagos are interested in is the revenue they exploit out of the zone. The roads and physical infrastructures have for decades been allowed to collapse. Apapa has for long been the primary destination for loose elements from all parts of Nigeria and beyond. In fact, majority of

For the operation retake Apapa project to work, military agents must be tamed to obey the law; they are chiefly responsible for the tragedy of Apapa

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these elements bear Sahelian features, showing that they could be from anywhere from Northern Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Mali and Burkina Faso.

Most of them have found lucrative employment in shady activities around the ports where they live in improvised shanties rather than seek decent accommodation in town like other law-abiding residents. It was not until recently when the Lagos State Government moved in to flush them out and demolish their shanties that some illegal refineries, fuel dumps, arms and ammunition and other forbidden possessions were found and destroyed.

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he main problem of Apapa is that a greater part of it is the property of the Federal Government. Apapa and the ports around it are the gateways of our international trade and therefore mainly under the Federal Ministry of Transport, with law enforcement agencies such as the Army, the Nigeria Police, the Navy and the Nigerian Customs having their barracks, offices and installations there.

Lagos Island and Ikoyi were the

areas where the Federal Government offices used to be. But with the relocation of the seat of government to Abuja in December 1992, Lagos Island was given up to the Lagos State Government.

The Tinubu political dispensation remodelled it to the rapidly modernising business district that it has become.

The same could be done for Apapa because the Federal Government and its agencies maintained an iron grip on it, exploiting revenue without exerting the benefits of governance. When Lagos was still the seat of the Federal Government, particularly during military rule, the human flotsams that followed their “brothers” who were in the Army, Navy, Customs and other law enforcement agencies dug into the slums that developed under the bridges and odd corners. Together with the military elements they constituted the menace and nuisance that rendered Apapa off-limits to civilised conduct.

Happily, and after years of cold relationship between the Federal Government controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the Lagos State Government ruled by the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, a common resolve has been reached to “take Apapa back”, as the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Mr Tunji Bello, put it. The Federal Government has shown its desire to commence 24hour operations at the ports in Apapa as part of efforts to completely reform business life there. The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force to clean up Apapa, Professor Sylvester Monye, recently paid a courtesy call on Governor Raji Fashola who, incidentally, has also embarked on efforts to sweep away the illegal shanties in which dangerous

elements dwelt.

For the first time since the return of democracy in 1999, the FG and the LASG, have decided to work together to reclaim Apapa, Nigeria’s foremost theatre of economic operations, the national cash cow.

However, it is not clear to us, bewildered citizens, exactly how far the two tiers of government are willing to go in the “operation retake Apapa” project. Monye vaguely said the FG intends to do in Apapa what the LASG did in Oshodi. Raji Fashola’s LASG crushed the hold of criminals on Oshodi, cleared the clutter of illegal shanties and shops, transformed open spaces and trash dumpsites into flower gardens and widened the express road to ensure orderly movement of traffic. It was a feat no previous government thought possible.

The Apapa project must go way beyond that. For the operation retake Apapa project to work, the military, security and law enforcement agents must be tamed to obey the law. They are chiefly responsible for the tragedy of Apapa. Secondly, the FG must vote large sums of money every year for the maintenance of its facilities, such as roads, bridges, premises, barracks, parks, buildings and machinery within this zone.

Some have suggested the resuscitation of the Federal Ministry of Lagos Affairs, which was last headed by Alhaji Musa Yar’ Adua, the father of the late President Umaru Yar’ Adua.

The FG and LASG must sign a memo of understanding on how to work together to make Apapa the business district of our dreams and the pride of our economy, where Nigerians and foreigners alike can happily take their families for leisure and sightseeing, just as in other great port cities of the world such as Schiphol, London, New York, Singapore, Hong Kong and so on.

This quintessential jurist N spite of the glut of activities in the political and governmental arenas, this Column is, today, taking a break from those areas to attend to a matter of urgent public importance. It is not often that we stumble into a material that provides a shining example for the younger generation and on those rare occasions when we see one, we must quickly tap into the anointing before it passes by.

“The retiring Judge is an erudite scholar of the law that left an indelible mark in the legal literature. He is a quintessential jurist and an embodiment of wisdom-cummastery of the law.” – Hon. Justice Cromwell Idahosa, Chief Judge of Edo State.

“This Judge took the administration of justice to the grassroots in the State… He is a gentleman of a good trade.” – Chief Kola Okeaya Inneh, speaking on behalf of the Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SAN. “Meek and humble personality; an administrator par excellence, whose work has remained an institution in the legal profession.” – Rasaq Isenalumhe, Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Benin Branch.

The foregoing merely represent a small preamble to the introduction of Hon. Justice Joseph Otabor Olubor, OFR, who has just retired as the President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Edo State. Our man of the moment was born at Igbanke in the present Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State on May 4, 1947.

Let me quickly congratulate Justice Olubor on his meritorious retirement at the mandatory age of 65 years. I am confident that many will join me in rejoicing with him on this occasion. I am equally confident that he will feel self-assured that he has worked hard enough to enjoy the happiness, honour and privileges, which his present circumstances confer on him. This becomes important in view of the rather perilous times

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we are in. At a time when the public confidence in the judiciary was fast eroding, he has come as an inspiration that all hope is not lost. At a time when many in the judiciary have tended to lend legitimacy to the aphorism, “Why pay a lawyer when you can buy a Judge”, he has come as a shining example that the judiciary can, indeed, still be the last hope of the people. Olubor has demonstrated in no mean measure that a just Nigeria is possible.

Please permit me to highlight a few points about the man, Hon. Justice Olubor which bespeak him as a man who has distinguished himself in various ways and is destined to make history: Olubor had his early education at St. Paul’s (now Ohuoba) Primary School, Benin City, from 1954 to 1960. Between 1961 and 1963, he attended Edokpolor Secondary Modern School, Benin City. Between 1970 and 1974, he was at the Institute of Continuing Education, ICE, where he obtained the General Certificate of Education, GCE, Ordinary and Advanced levels. In his determination to build up the necessary intellectual robustness relevant to the machinery and process of service to humanity, he proceeded to the University of Lagos in 1975, where he graduated with an LLB Honours degree in 1978. Thereafter, he proceeded to the Nigerian Law School where he had his BL and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1979.

Within so short a time, Justice Olubor has pursued a brilliant working career in the Judiciary, including: State Counsel, Ministry of Justice; Senior Legal Officer, Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority; President Grades II and I, Area Customary Court; and Pioneer Deputy Chief Registrar, Customary Court of Appeal.

He was appointed a Judge of the Customary Court of Appeal in 1991. In 1998, he was elevated to the position of the President of

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We present Justice Olubor, a most perfect manifestation of legal craftsmanship and hope for the younger and future generations; a man destined to make history

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the Customary Court of Appeal in Edo State, a position he held until he retired the penultimate week.

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his eminent jurist has, perhaps, been addicted to law conferences – both local and international, all in search of knowledge and constant renewal thereof.

He has attended these conferences in virtually all the countries of the world and has presented several papers at local conferences.

He was a two time Member of the Board of Governors of the National Judicial Institute, NJI. He has just concluded his tenure as a Council Member, National Judicial Council, NJC. Justice Olubor has received several honours and recognitions, including Knight of St. Christopher, KSC, of the Anglican Communion and Order of the Federal

Republic, OFR, by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Evidently, the future begins today. Ceteris paribus, this son of a bicycle seller, who rose to the pinnacle of his chosen profession and who is happily married to Professor Rosaline Olubor, Director, Institute of Education, University of Benin, has carefully stationed his children to be greater than him: Mrs. Afe Inua is a university lecturer and a doctoral student of Accounting; Dr. Osayem Otabor-Olubor is a Senior Resident Doctor at the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH; Dr. Ogho Otabor-Olubor is a Resident Doctor, Department of Pediatrics, UBTH; and Iyare Otabor-Olubor is a legal practitioner, currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Law at the University of Sheffield, England.

We present to you, Justice Joseph Otabor Olubor, a most perfect manifestation of legal craftsmanship and hope for the younger and future generations; a man destined to make history, yet, whose humility belies the robustness of his attainment in life; an administrator par excellence, a philanthropist extra-ordinaire, a golfer and lover of country music; an exponent of human kindness; one man who renders service to humanity without counting the cost; and above all, a gentleman and a scholar.

Accordingly, this Column’s Award for the Most Distinguished Jurist of the year is hereby conferred on Justice Joseph Otabor Olubor, OFR, with all the honours, privileges and immunities thereto appertaining.

20 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012 — 21

ICAN queries efficacy of audit committees in Nigeria

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

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NSTITUTE of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) h a s queried the efficacy of board audit committees in the country.

“Although the Companies and Allied Matters Act clearly provides for the creation of Audit Committees their efficacy in the Nigerian context is another issue. The current situation is that the composition is skewed in favour of management and this reduces the visible independence of the body and tends to compromise the quality of their work”, said Professor Francis Ojaide, President of the Institute.

He spoke at the 1st annual national conference on audit quality assurance organised by Audit Committee Institute and Center for Audit Quality.

Ojaide, who delivered the keynote address called for change in

composition of audit committees to enhance their effectiveness and independence.

He said, “The body should therefore/ be expanded with stakeholders having more representation. The power of the board to nominate 50 per cent of the membership of audit committees should be circumscribed. The Board should appoint only 20 per cent while shareholders will appoint 80 per cent

inclusive of the chairman.

“Indeed the Audit Committee should have a special role in appointing and reviewing the performance of the chief executive officer and ensuring that internal control procedures are satisfactory. It should be well placed to act as a focal point for internal “ whistleblowers” rather than senior management dealing with the issues who can ask

the right questions and understand what is at stake. In some companies, there has been a presumption that the financial statements will automatically be approved by the audit committees because their members do not possess the requisite accounting knowledge to be able to effectively scrutinize the financial statements or query accounting practices of preparers of those financial statements.”

Security situation: Investors confidence declining — LCCI

BY NAOMI UZOR

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AGOS Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) said the disturbing security situation in the country is impacting negatively on the investment environment, leading to declining confidence across the broad spectrum of prospective domestic and foreign investors in the economy.

In a release on the first quarter business environment report, Director General of LCCI, Mr. Muda Yusuf, said the security situation in the country has assumed disturbing dimensions which is impacting negatively on the image and perception of the country in the global community. This, according to him, has led to escalation of risk of doing business in some parts of the country; relocation of businesses away from the troubled spots in the country; some organisations reviewing their security budgets upwards in the light of developments in the country and significant setback for the tourism sector in the country.

From left: MD/CEO, Sterling Bank, Yemi Adeola; Chairman, Alhaji Suleman Adegunwa and Company Secretary, Justina Lewa, at the 50th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the bank in Lagos.

FG to compel MDAs to patronise locally-made products

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM & PROVIDENCE OBUH

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HE Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga has revealed the decision of the Federal Government to mandate all government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, including the state government to patronize Madein-Nigeria products in line with the local content provision for government procurement.

Aganga who spoke on the second day

Total makes progress on Ibewa gas leak

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OTAL E&P Nigeria Limited’s (TEPNG), said that its team has reported significant progress in the efforts to ensure that the incident is brought under control and to stop the subsurface gas flow from the affected well.

The snubbing intervention started on May 9, and if successful, could stop the gas flow in the next few days, the French oil giant said in a statement made available to Vanguard.

A snubbing operation consists of introducing small pipes into the well to pump heavy fluid to stop the flow.

TEPNG continues to monitor the safety perimeter around the resurgences area: C M Y K

The surveillance of water and gas resurgence points is performed by teams on ground and by daily helicopter flights.

The team continues to perform analysis of air and water quality several times a week. No hydrocarbons or toxic compounds have been detected. As a precaution, two private water wells near the resurgences area have been secured.

Total promised to continue to engage and provide updates to the representatives of the neighboring communities, State and Local Government, regulators and other stakeholders on its operations.

of a Workshop on “Enhancing the Productivity of Industries” in Lagos, stated that the enforcement was a key part of FG’s industrial revolution embarked on by the present administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

To this effect, he stated that his Ministry was working with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, to ensure that local manufacturers also got higher shares in the supply of goods to be procured by the government.

He said, “We are looking at the list of things that are procured by the Federal Government because the government is the biggest spender in the economy. So, we are looking at the items that are procured locally and working with the industries to find out which of these items are locally available so that our local manufacturers are patronised.

“One of the highlights of the workshop today is how we can put an institutionalised framework that will allow us to match the government, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and innovators to possibly have an off-take agreements with them so that manufacturers can use that to raise funds to enable them grow their businesses.”

He added, “We are also looking at reviewing our local procurement

procedures to differentiate between locally manufactured products and the ones that are imported. Where there is a differential of about 15 per cent, we are reviewing that to see if 15 per cent is the right number, or whether some sectors should be less or more. We are working with MAN to come up with the right number in this regard.”

177.20

-0.75

2,259.00

-2.00

20.36

+0.12

111.70 93.33

+0.13 -1. 45

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

0.2843 26.7273 198.7276 248.309 41.2489 237.1706 165.3838 154.7 236.5693 1.9354 24.4828

0.2943 26.8137 199.3699 249.1116 41.3823 237.9372 165.9184 155.2 237.3339 1.9417 24.5624

0.3043 26.9 200.0122 249.9141 41.5156 238.7037 166.4529 155.7 238.0985 1.948 24.6419

CBN Exchange rate as at 16/05/2012

22 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012

Skye Bank targets sustained improvement in value, returns

BY MICHAEL EBOH

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KYE Bank Plc said ensuring shareholders’ value and improved returns to stakeholders are the pivot and major building blocks of its growth projection and future plans.

Speaking at its preAnnual General Meeting press conference in Lagos, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the bank, Mr. Kehinde Durosinmi-Etti, said, “For us, our projection and future plan is all about shareholders’ value. Even though the last year has been tough

as we know, we have been able to still achieve some positive shareholders’ value, ensuring we pay dividends.”

He said, going forward, the bank will focus on building its brand value, increase its support for the real sector and continue to invest in its people and processes.

He added that the bank will also leverage on its strength in electronic banking to grow its profitability and ensure a sustained increased in return on investment to shareholders.

The bank in its financial statement for the 2011 financial year declared a

dividend of 25 kobo for its shareholders.

The dividend declaration was in spite of a 48 per cent decline in its profit before tax, from N12.7 billion in the 2010 financial to N6.5 billion in 2011.

However, the bank’s gross earnings grew by 24.8 per cent to N104.8 billion from N83.9 billion recorded in 2010.

According to DurosinmiEtti, the improvement in its gross earnings was represented by growth in interest income and fee and commission income, while the decline in its profit was due to additional provisions of N15.9 billion for

From left: Olusegun Fafore, Team Lead, Media Relations, Access Bank Plc; John Foster, Senior Tutor, PMA Media Training, UK and Phillip Isakpa, Editor, Business Day at the Access Bank International Financial Journalism Workshop, in Lagos.

diminution in assets value.

The bank’s asset base appreciated by 31.3 per cent to N927.1 billion, from N705.9 billion recorded in 2010 financial year, “showing an appreciable expansion in its business activities in spite of the challenging operating environment,” DurosinmiEtti.

Skye Bank’s deposit liabilities rose to N658.1 billion during the year under review from N507.6 billion in the previous year, reflecting a growth of 29.6 per cent, while operating income also grew by 22.5 per cent from N60.8 billion in 2010 to N74.4 billion.

“The Bank maintained its focus on certain business segments in which it has had good track records, in addition to new segments where it exploited business opportunities.

“The major growth areas included oil and gas commercial banking, retail banking, treasury, corporate and investment banking.

This growth trajectory reflected in a 29.6 per cent increase in deposit volumes in the year, from N507.6 billion to N658.1 billion, and a 22.3 per cent growth in gross loans and advances from N424.8 billion to N519.7 billion,” The bank’s chief executive stated.

Shareholders applaud Sterling Bank performance, net profit up by 60%

BY PETER EGWUATU

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HAREHOLDERS of Sterling Bank Plc has commended the performance of the bank for the financial year ended December 31, 2011 as its net profit rose by 60 per cent to N6.7 billion.

The shareholders at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Lagos on Tuesday praised the bank for declaring a dividend of 10 kobo per share, totaling N1.6 billion for the year under review despite the turf operating environment the company operated upon.

Audited report and accounts of Sterling Bank for the year under review shows that gross earnings rode on the back of 110 per cent growth in non-interest income and 23 per cent growth interest-based incomes to N45.2 billion

in 2011 as against N30.4 billion in 2010, indicating an increase of 49 per cent. Interest income had increased from N24.5 billion in 2010 to N30.2 billion. Operating income also grew by 32 per cent to N27.0 billion in 2011 compared with N20.4 billion in 2010. Profit after tax and extra-ordinary income thus jumped by 60 per cent to N6.7 billion in 2011 as against N4.2 billion in 2010.

The bank emerged with a stronger and healthier balance sheet as the proportion of bad loans to total loans and advances surpassed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s industry target of 5.0 per cent at 4.8 per cent. Nonperforming loans had stood at 10.7 per cent of gross loans in 2010.

Sterling Bank’s total balance sheet nearly doubled from N259.6

billion in 2010 to N504.4 billion in 2011. Total deposits doubled by 104 per cent to N406.5 billion as against N199.3 billion while the bank expanded its risks assets as net loans and advances rose by 60 per cent to N163.5 billion from N101.9 billion in 2010.

Commenting on the result, shareholders said, “The performance of the bank demonstrated the thoroughness and success of the bank’s acquisition of Equitorial Trust Bank (ETB). Nearly all other banks that had undertaken mergers and acquisitions during the period ended with decline in profit or outright losses. Several banks, which were not involved in business combinations, also witnessed declines in net earnings or outright losses due to provisions

for bad loans.”

Speaking on the results, Managing Director/CEO, Sterling Bank, Mr. Yemi Adeola said the bank’s performance in 2011 underscored its ability to attain growth despite challenging economic conditions.

He noted that the bank had harnessed the opportunities created by the successful business combination with ETB, which put it as a stronger institution with a network of almost 200 branches.

The Sterling Bank CEO reiterated the commitment of the board and management to unlocking values for shareholders as the bank consolidates its operations to focus on core commercial banking business in line with the new regulatory regime of the apex bank.

PCMN to pay shareholders N0.08 dividends

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM

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HAREHOLDERS of Paint and Coating Manufacturers Nigeria Plc have given a nod to the management of the company to pay N0.08 dividends to its members for the year ended 31 st December, 2011.

The dividend so approved represents 33 per cent improvement over N0.06 kobo paid in the corresponding period of 2010.

A d d r e s s i n g shareholders at the 3rd yearly meeting in Lagos, the Chairman, Engr.

Sylverius Okoli, disclosed that the turnover rose by 42 per cent to N1.79 billion from N1.25 billion in 2010. The profit before tax, according to him went up by 13 per cent from N108.61 million in 2010 to N122.97 million in the review period. After tax profit also witnessed 15 per cent increase to N122.97 million as against N106.67 million in 2010.

Okoli explained that the company was able to absorb increase in cost of raw material which prevailed throughout 2011 as a result of management’s ability to ramp up its production of international paint range of Oil & Gas and marine products.

He explained that despite the negative effect \ of the non-passage of the Petroleum Industries Bill into law, PCMN continued to make inroad into oil and gas sector.

He said, “As emphasised in my address last year, we are still waiting for the Federal Government of Nigeria to enact the Petroleim Industries Bill into law. The enactment of this law should release the shackles that have been restraining the Oil & Gas sector in Nigeria and release tens of billions of dollars of investment into the sector, and there by lead to more business opportunities for the company.”

UPDC shareholders approve 65k dividend

BY CHINEDU IBEABUCHI & OLAYEMI FOFAH

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HAREHOLDERS of UACN Property Development Company Plc, UDPC have unanimously approved a dividend of N0.65 per share for the company’s 2011 financial year.

Announcing its 2011 financial result at the company ’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos, its Chairman, Mr. Larry Ettah, stated that UPDC posted a turnover of Nl0.75 billion, an increase of 31 per cent compared with N8.19 billion for 2010.

Profit Before Tax (PBT) was N2.72 billion against N2.54 billion in the preceding year. Profit After Tax stood at N1.99 billion for the year.

Addressing the shareholders, Mr. Ettah said that UPDC retained its leadership position in the premium segment of the Nigerian real estate market with strong financial and operating fundamentals, stressing: “The prestigious i5-storey Victoria Mall Plaza Office Block (Phase II) was completed to budgeted cost and time and was delivered to the Lessee in October 2011.

The 44-unit residential

development at Gudu Abuja (Emerald Court) was also completed in the year and some of the buyers have already taken possession.”

The Chairman stated that the company is poised to take advantage of the emerging opportunities in the country, stressing that the real estate business remains promising with the huge housing deficit of 17 million units, the growing population and the emerging middle class.

Mr. Ettah noted that 2012 promises to be another challenging year for the business in view of rising interest rate, inflationary pressures from the deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum sector, instability in the foreign exchange market and the rising level of insecurity in the country.

He further stated that a number of new projects in the luxury and premium categories were commenced during the year including Cameron Green, Ikoyi (32 units); Grandville, Ikeja GRA (18 units); Metro Gardens, Lekki (51 units) and UPDC Metro City, Dutse, Abuja (225 units).

Vanguard, THURSD AY, MA Y 17, 2012 — 23 THURSDA MAY

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24 — Vanguard Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012

APPOINTMENT & PROMOTION

Oteh re-elected IOSCO’s chairperson D

IRECTOR-GENERAL Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Ms. Arunma Oteh, has been reelected Chairperson of the African/Middle East Regional Committee, AMERC, of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions, IOSCO. According to a statement by SEC, she was unanimously returned un-opposed at the annual IOSCO conference in Beijing, China.

Also returned unopposed, according to the statement by Yakubu Olaleye, Head Media, SEC, was the Vice Chairman of the regional committee, Hassan Boulaknadal, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Moroccan capital market regulatory authority.

In view of the new strategic direction of the IOSCO, he said Oteh and Boulaknadal automatically became members of IOSCO Transitional Board,

•Oteh the highest policy making body of the organization.

He said, “Having served as Chairperson of the regional committee for a two year term, Oteh had expressed the intention to re-contest the position for another term given the expiration of the initial term.

According to some of the

delegates who participated at the election, her unanimous return by the 22 member countries of the regional committee was a direct consequence of the visionary leadership which she has provided the committee since becoming chairperson in 2010.

“Specifically, the AMERC chairperson was said to have remained committed to the actualization of an enduring vision for the region in concert with the goals and objectives of IOSCO. Her efforts have also resulted in improved capacity, communication, cooperation and visibility for the region within the IOSCO community.”

IOSCO was established in 1983 as the standard setter for the securities industry worldwide and currently has over one hundred ordinary members.

The Beijing Conference was the 37th such conference in the annals of the organization.

vicahiyoung@yahoo.com 08033348923

Shehu now FAEO President

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RESIDENT of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE, Engr.

Mustapha Shehu, is now the President-elect of the African Federation of Engineering Organisations, FAEO. He is expected to assume office in May 2014.

Arising from the General Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya which was held on the 8th of May, 2012, the continental engineering body also approved the hosting of its Secretariat in Nigeria.

Shehu was inaugurated President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers in February this year.

His election into the presidency of FAEO will be the first time a Nigerian will occupy that position.

Nigeria also took the Position of the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Women in FAEO which by the constitution of the body automatically qualifies the occupier to be a Vice-President

•Mustapha Shehu of the body. Valerie Agberagba, the Vice President, will occupy the position on behalf of Nigeria at the FAEO. The objectives of the Federation of African Organization of Engineers include, among others, the promotion and advancement of engineering science in Africa and advancement of common aims and objectives of the member engineering organizations.

Caretaker committee for AITC

L

AGOS State House of As chukwu Imo group (the other sembly has directed the faction to the leadership crisis); Mushin Local Government to Paramo Development Ventures, immediately devolve the lead- and the Mushin Local Governership of Aguyi Ironyi Trade ment Area, and must be constiCentre, otherwise known as tuted and inaugurated immediLadipo Market Traders’ Asso- ately with the aim of taking ciation headed by one Jonath- charge in the affairs of the maran Okoli and set up a Caretak- ket, ensuring peace as well as er/Market Management Com- organising a free and fair elecmittee to run the affairs of the tion of new executive within association in the next three three months from the date of months to end the leadership its inauguration. crisis that had engulfed the tradThe recommendation followed ers’ association in the past five a petition by one of the factions years. to crisis to the Committee and In a recommendation by the subsequent public hearing deHouse Committee on Judiciary, tailing the genesis of the probChief Emeka Anyaoku, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth (left) presents the2011 Human Rights and Public Peti- lem.

In a 12 -point recommendaChampion Man of the Year trophy to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, with them is tions, it declared that the leadership crisis bedeviling the tions signed by the Chairman Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State at the ceremonies Lagos. market had degenerated un- of Committee, Mr. Agunbiade precedented violence in the S.O.B, dated May 7, 2012, the market just as it had become a House barred about 10 individmajor threat to peace in the lo- uals identified as parties to the cal government at large. crisis including Okoli, from According to the House, the participating in the running of MOBILE money Qualifications in Technology, committee should consist the association either in the of three representatives each caretaker committee or the elecoperator, Afri-Pay Management & Strategy and from the Okoli group; the Oke- tion of new executive.

Limited, has appointed Mr. came to Afri-Pay Limited with Charles Ogunmola as its new an extensive background in Managing Director and Chief Telecommunications and Technology spanning 21 years.

Executive Officer, CEO. From 1989 with British Prior to his new role at AfriPay Limited, Mr. was the Chief Telecom as a Commercial Technology Officer of IEI Officer & Manager and Investments Limited, a Special thereafter working in various Purpose Vehicle setup for the other Organizations including AGOS Business School, LBS, has emerged as Africa’s sec takeover and re-launch of AT&T Europe, First Telecom, ond best in the open enrollment executive education pro•Charles Ogunmola Societe Generale Bank Nigeria Level 3 Communications on the gramme providers category ranking 54th position globally. development, administration Ltd. The Financial Times’ Executive Education 2012 ranking pubBefore then, he was the Group and management of Key National Lottery. lished on Monday, May 14, 2012 in London, ranked LBS for the Speaking on the appointment, Director, E-Banking Services at Operational Support Systems sixth consecutive time.

UBA Plc and prior to this role across Europe, North America Chairman Afri-Pay, Mrs. Angela Dean of LBS, Dr Enase Okonedo, said the school was pleased he was also the Chief and Asia Pacific. He returned Nwabuokusaid,“Ware privi- with the ranking by the Financial Times, as it was the pre-emiTechnology Officer overseeing to Nigeria in 2004 to lead the leged to have Charles Ogun- nent international executive education ranking.

UBA’s Group IT function and Business Support Systems Team mola in this key leadership role According to her, “We want to be the number one business the crucial merger of Core for the start up of GLOBACOM especially as the Company reschool in emerging markets, and the FT ranking compels us to Banking Systems in the post- after which he worked as Chief mains resolute in its mission to compete with other world-class schools.” make life easier by providing Technology Officer building consolidation era.

Okonedo who is also the chairperson of the Association of Afriunhindered access to financial Nigeria’s largest VSAT Mr. Ogunmola, who studied History & International Network (1200 Node), “State of services through the deploy- can Business Schools, AABS, business schools in the continent Relations as a first Degree, Art” Data Centre and 35-seat ment of innovative, value- that charged with developing managers to take Africa to her next growth phase. earned various Postgraduate Call Centre for the Nigerian based, superior solutions.”

Afri-pay appoints Ogunmola CEO

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LBS emerges Africa’s second executive education provider

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C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012 — 25

NASS to review concession agreement

By GODFREY BIVBERE

N

ATIONAL Assembly is set to review the concession agreement of the nation’s port terminals to ensure that all the goals drawn up at the initial stages are met.

Disclosing this to Vanguard in Houston, Texas, the Deputy Chairman of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Akpor Pius Ewherido, said the committee was taking a second look at the concession agreement.

Ewherido explained that both the Federal Government and the concessionaires have not fully met all the terms of the agreement and as a result, the exercise has not fully achieved the goals.

The senator who admitted that despite the above mentioned lapses, there has been a measure of success, also disclosed that the Senate Committee on Trade and Investment was looking at the concession agreement.

He said: “We are taking a second look at the concession agreement. I think the Trade and Investment committee is also doing so.”

Ewherido blamed the lapses in the concession agreement on the absence of a regulatory as specified by the law, stressing that until there is a body

to effectively regulate and implement it, the situation will remain as it is.

The senator who commended the management of Nige-

Concession asgreement

•Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar with Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, (NPA) during a boat ride around the water front in Lagos port area

Customs meets Ajelete community leaders to end clashes

BY IFENYIWA OBI

T

OP officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have been meeting with community leaders at Ajilete, a border town in Ogun State, to find lasting solutions to incessant clashes between Customs personnel on the one hand and suspected smugglers and their supporters on the other.

It was gathered that Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘A’, Assistant Comptroller General of Customs Victor Osita Gbemudu, accompanied by Customs Area Controller (CAC), Ogun State Customs Command, Deputy Comptroller Bamidele Akande, and Controller in charge of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’, Comptroller Dan Ugo, met with the traditional ruler of Oloke Odan of Oke Odan last

Thursday.

Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, Akande said the forum had been more-or-less a town hall meeting between the Customs and the community, adding that a consensus was reached to hold further meetings to put a final end to the incessant crises.

He said both parties have agreed to work peacefully from now onward after the most recent clash, adding: “The consensus is to make peace and there should be regard for human lives. We have been having such meetings in the past until the unfortunate incident that led to the death of one of their own. But now we have both pledged to continue to hold such meetings. It is a step forward toward having a peaceful relationship within the communities where we operate and

for us to do more on the enlightenment campaign.” The CAC, however, noted that they have not put a final rest to the matter, as, according to him, some suspected smugglers are insisting that the Customs dismantles its checkpoint at Ajelete.

Akande averred that the Customs cannot dismantle its checkpoint at Ajelete, noting that it was an approved border post of the Federal Government.

T

HE Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, is set to take delivery of four new water crafts meant to boost navigation of vessels in and out of the nation’s harbours.

Confirming this development, NPA’s spokesman, Chief Micheal Ajayi, said the two pilot cutters and two tug boats would arrive any time soon and would immediately be deployed to other outer ports across the country.

One of the tug boats has been named ‘OTUOKE’ after C M Y K

President Goodluck Jonathan’s village in Bayelsa State while two of the pilot cutters named ‘Hong Lagos’ and ‘Hinna Lagos’. Sources close to the authority told Vanguard that the water crafts have passed the sea trials in Daman Shipyard in the Netherlands where they were manufactured Although, Vanguard could not ascertain the cost of the boats, but it was gathered that the process for the acquisition of the crafts started about four years ago.

Vanguard also gathered that while the pilot cutters are due

He said: “Some of the diehard smugglers are working against Customs maintaining a checkpoint around their community, but there is nothing they can do about it, because it is a government approved route. We only want a peaceful relationship with the community that is why we have not come back. But, because it is a government’s approved border, we may have to return there as soon as possible. But we believe dialogue is the way forward.”

On the side of the concessions, he noted that while some are doing very well, others are still lagging behind.

He, however, frowned at the fact that the concession agreement has resulted in the employment of so many people that were retired from the NPA as was promised during the signing of the agreement.

In his words: “I don’t believe that it should be left the way it is, of course there has been improvement but the jobs which were promised are not as many as claimed then.”

Speaking on the participation of the Nigerian contingent to the Offshore Technology Conference, OTC, Ewherido said that it is gathering the best of the best in terms of technology and professionals in the oil and gas sector and therefore; there is a lot to take back home from the conference.

NPA records increase in container and vehiclar trafffic

BY GODWIN ORITSE

T

HE Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has recorded an increase in contain-

4 tug boats, pilot cutters for NPA underway

By GODWIN ORITSE

rian Ports Authority, NPA; the body that signed on behalf of government for its efforts so far, he explained that there are some areas where the Authority has not meet up with its side of the agreement.

Ewhewrido pointed out those areas like common user facilities and dredging of the channel as areas where the NPA needed to improve.

He, however, said that there NPA has some constraint which is making it difficult for them to effectively perform their end of the agreement.

to arrive Nigeria this month of May, the tug boats are expected to arrive in July.

The acquisition of these crafts are part of the plans of the authority to rake in as much as N157billion revenue for the year 2012. Already, the NPA has witnessed an increase in the level of cargo thorough put from 48million metric tonnes to over 80 million metric tonnes.

Ajayi explained that with the proposed N157billion and without any distraction, the indices are that the port will experience a further increase in cargo thorough put .

er and vehicular traffic at the end of the first quarter of 2012 showing an increase over the same period of 2011.

Available statistics shows that Laden Container Throughput stood at 210,057 TEUS reflecting a 5.7 per cent increase over the figure of 198,694 TEUS in the same period of 2011.

The Empty Container Throughput was 161,107 TEUS which showed an 18.9 per cent increase over the first quarter figure of 135,543TEUS of 2011.

Vehicle traffic stood at 63,992 units showing a growth of 42 per cent growth over the first quarter 2011 figure of 45,077.

The Nigerian Ports Authority in fulfilling its obligation of planning, development and maintenance of port infrastructure and provisions of common user facility as laid out on the

concession agreement has continued to undertake massive marine rehabilitation.

These developments have been witnessed in the areas of laying of channel marking buoys, removal of all the identified critical wrecks our channels and continuous maintenance dredging of the channels among others.

These efforts have attracted more vessels as safe and secure navigation has been guaranteed.

The Managing Director NPA, Omar Suleiman has been consistent in saying that the Authority will continue to improve in its efforts to attract bigger vessels, develop new port facilities, expand the existing port facilities and develop the necessary infrastructure to make Nigerian Ports the hub in the West and Central African Region.

26 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012

School prefects: Expert tackles Tomorrow’s falling education leaders today standard — Page 34 — Page 33

UNILAG refuses to let Sofoluwe's candle go out — Page 31

The Sofoluwe we know – Staff, students

BY AMAKA ABAYOMI, EBELE ORAKPO & AISHAT MOHAMMED TIFFIN HUMBLE, humane, team player, generous, unassuming, the list goes on.

These were the adjectives used to describe the late Professor Adetokunbo Babatunde Sofoluwe, the 10th ViceChancellor of the University of Lagos by staff, students and associates when Vanguard Learning went to feel the pulse on campus following the sudden death of the helmsman.

It is good to be good as a man’s character is what he will be remembered for. Little wonder students and staff of the institution have continued to mourn the late VC without pretence.

Professor Sofoluwe, who was appointed Vice- Chancellor of the University of Lagos on January 30, 2010, slumped at a meeting on the campus last Friday and was first rushed to the institution’s medical centre and later to Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, where he died on Saturday.

Describing the late VC as a leader who carried everyone

along, the Superintendent Pharmacist, Unilag Community Pharmacy, Mrs. Dorcas Omeire, said Sofoluwe had a way of getting people to do things without using force.

“The late VC was a simple, unassuming man who was very approachable.

He communicated with everyone and carried us along without micro-managing and he treated all memos promptly. The impression I have of him is that of a man who depended on divine intervention, and he used to say he didn’t know it all and always tried to surround himself with intelligent people.”

For the Deputy Dean, Students’ Affairs, Kayode Adebayo, Sofoluwe was humane and gave hope to a lot of people.

“His enigma would be missed because he demystified the office of the VC by operating an open door policy. He had the ability to make things look so ordinary and accomplishable and we all felt comfortable in his presence.

“He was one of the best academics this country had and as a computer scientist, one of the projects dear to him was the computerization of this

Leader par excellence

•Late Professor Sofoluwe university which I’m glad he accomplished before his death.”

For Dr. Henry Boyo, a senior lecturer and Head of Hardware Development Laboratory, Dept.

of Physics, in the university’s Faculty of Science, the late VC was looking forward to the commissioning of the zeroenergy green building. “He

Late VC’s unfulfilled wishes for the University of Lagos

BY EBELE ORAKPO

D

ay was Tuesday, May 8, 2012, venue was the Senate Chamber, Senate House, Main Campus, University of Lagos, Akoka and event was the PreCelebration Press Conference for the university’s 50th anniversary scheduled to run from April through October, this year.

The late Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, C M Y K

Professor Adetokunbo Babatunde Sofoluwe addressed the Press on activities lined up to mark the institution’s 50th anniversary.

“From my vantage point, the future looks beautiful, full of promises and myriads of opportunities. I see a future of outstanding excellence in the quality of staff and of course, as a consequence, of students.

I see a future of trail-blazing collaboration between the academia of this university

really encouraged me and was anxiously waiting to see the completion of the project,” he said.

Dr. Efe Ikponmwosa, a senior lecturer in the Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Unilag, said: “We will miss him greatly. He carried everybody along. He got everyone working for the interest of the institution.

The ICT facility was greatly improved so that students could easily access their results online.

His style of administration tended towards welfarism. He speedily handled every memo, job application letter etc, that gets to his table.

He contacted a lot of people in the industry and the alumni, to contribute in the infrastructure development of the institution.

We are definitely going to miss him.”

For Ime Bassey, an alumnus of Unilag, Sofoluwe was a humble man who didn’t allow his office to determine who to relate with.

and the budding industry in Nigeria and the world to improve our national and world economy. I see UNILAG joining the league of 100 best universities globally,” the erudite scholar had said.

The late Professor of Computer Science and 10th vice-chancellor of the university said the institution “ was established by an act of the Federal Parliament in 1962 with the mandate to ‘train the requisite professional

workforce for a newlyindependent Nigeria.’ The first lecture was held at the Idi Araba Campus on October 3, 1962. I am pleased to announce to this august gathering and the world through your media that the University of Lagos has to an appreciable degree, fulfilled this mandate.”

Continues on page 34

“I will always remember him as a very humble man because at our last AGM on April 29, he went round and shook hands with each of us. That was very humble of a VC of his status.”

Pointing out that the late VC left a big gap that would be hard to fill, a security officer, Prince Obeten said Sofoluwe was a leader par excellence.

“He was very approachable and if you have any issue you want to discuss with him, he would always listen. He was a good and humble man who will be greatly missed.”

Mr. Olawale Olasunmade, Information Officer, VC’s Office is yet to recover from the shock of the his death because he worked closely with him and offered him pieces of advice on some issues.

“He was a very nice man, an accomplished scholar, an amiable, kind and pleasant fellow. Despite the fact that I’m very junior to him, he respected

Continues on page 27

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17 , 2012 — 27

Girl-child education is top priority —FG

By FAVOUR NNABUGWU

I

n the drive to achieve education for all by 2015, the Federal Government has marked the education of the

UniAbuja symbolises system failure – Minister

By FAVOUR NNABUGWU

W

ITH all the troubles brewing at the University of Abuja, Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’i has said the institution was a typical example of system failure of the country’s learning environment which requires urgent and total overhauling.Rufa’i admitted this at the on-going Ministerial Platform on Key Achievements in Commemoration of the 1st Anniversary of President Goodluck Jonathan’s Administration in Abuja. “Why we acted on the University of Abuja was to save it from total collapse, the university is a big issue, I'm sorry to say that it is a total system failure.”

Continuing, the minister said:

“There is a problem in the university, but look at other universities, it is a total difference from what we have in University of Abuja. The institution receives funds just like other functional universities, yet there are a whole lot of challenges facing it. But I am assuring you that soon, the problems we have in the university will be fixed.”

She said that the Federal Government has budgeted over N2 billion for the construction of Girls Education Projects (GEP) schools in 16 states of the federation with a view to ensuring that the country meets the targeted Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015. The issue of access and equity, she said, is very critical to the development of

education sector in any country, adding that it cannot be relegated to the background.

She said the ministry is working very hard to strengthen the institutional management of education, Teacher Education and Development; Technical and Vocational Education & Training (TVET) amongst others.Rufa’i noted that the Federal Government has made efforts in ensuring that Almajirai education programme is achieved in all the states of the federation. ”You will recall that Mr President flagged off the programme in Sokoto, the ultimate goal is to have 400 Almajiri schools by the year 2015, but currently, 102 schools are to be completed by June.“Addressing the almajiri

problem is addressing over 6070 per cent of the problems we have in the development of education in the country”, she added.In terms of teacher education and development, she said that 125,000 teachers were trained by the National Teachers Institute (NTI) while 28 head teachers in primary schools were trained from all geo-political zones for optimal service delivery. “The ultimate goal of the four-year strategic plan is developing world class institutions in Nigeria with world class infrastructure, learning resources, teachers that are able to produce highlyskilled, world-class manpower individuals with entrepreneurial flair.”

girl-child as top priority with the aim of bridging the disparity of gender education in the country.

Minister of State for Education, Barr. Nyesom Wike, at the recent 12th Girls’ Education (GE) National Steering Committee Meeting in Abuja, said that government is determined to ensure parity in the country’s education system and equity and access have been chosen as priority areas in the Ministry’s four-year strategic plan. Wike said for the country to achieve its targets in education and social sector development, there is need for stakeholders at federal, states, local government levels and the private sector to collaborate in order to actualise the goal.

The minister recalled that Nigerian government is committed to achieving the Millennium Development goals (MDG) 2- “Achieve Universal Primary and Junior Secondary Education” and (MDG) 3- “Eliminate gender disparities in education by 2015.”

The Sofoluwe we know – Staff, students Continues from page 26 my views and treated me as a son and I’m yet to recover from the devastating effect of his death.

"We hope the projects he initiated would continue because they are staff and student-friendly and would uplift this school.”

Pointing out that the late VC ensured that salaries were paid on time, the News Editor, Unilag FM, Mr. Tayo Takuro, said staff were paid before the 23rd of every month unlike what obtained in the past.

“I first met him in 2006 when he was a DVC and was still driving a beetle car. He saw me trekking and offered to take me to the gate to pick a bus despite the fact that it was not his route.

When he later saw my daughter and I, he said to her: ‘do you think they will steal your Daddy’ because she looks like me.

“Even when we enter the lift, he would insist that the lift attendant should drop others first before taking him to his 11th floor office. I believe the projects he initiated would continue because they are good and in favour of students and staff.”

Open door policy In agreement is Lydia Eke Eyidiya, a reporter with Unilag FM who described the late VC as a man who treated everyone as an equal.

“He operated an open door policy and interacted with us individually. He had a great vision for the university and wanted it to be reckoned with C M Y K

*From left: Mr. Rotimi Shodimu, Registrar, University of Lagos; Professor Adetokunbo Sofoluwe, Vice-Chancellor and Professor Rahman Bello, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Management Services, during the school's pre-celebration press conference for its 50th anniversary held at the school's Senate Building. Photo by Lamidi Bamidele globally. He was concerned about the welfare and security of the staff and students and gave a lot of support to the radio unit. He will be missed.”

For the National Director of Sports, NANS, Ninalowo Saheed Shola, the passing of the VC is a loss to the entire Nigerian students as he was a father, mentor and role model to the students.

“To the best of my knowledge, he is the first dead VC that students are actually mourning as the empty streets of the school shows. He listened to students’ complaints and acted on them. May his gentle soul rest in peace and the entire student community will continue to mourn him.”

Odunola Olajoke and Adebola Abisola Adeagbo, both students, described Sofoluwe

as a father to the students who students could stop anywhere to complain to.

“He was a very consistent and approachable father figure and since he became the VC, he ensured the school calendar was stabilized and also initiated laudable projects in the school, particularly in the Distance Learning Institute (DLI).”

For Eze Pascal, student, the late VC was a great leader and father that changed the face of the school and was on the path of repositioning the school.

“He did a lot, especially in the DLI and also reduced cultism to the barest minimum. He took control of almost all students’ activities.”

Akiyimi Willson, a graduate of the university, received the news with shock when he came to check his NYSC posting.

“He was a nice man to his colleagues and students. I remember an incidence when a female student misplaced her purse and she reported to the school authority. The purse was later found by a male student who returned it to the owner but the surprising part was that Prof. Sofoluwe gave the boy N300,000 and paid his hostel fees till he graduated.

In fact, he was a father to many and gave hope to many people.”

Background

Born on April 15, 1950, Sofoluwe attended CMS Grammar School for his secondary education after which he proceeded to the University of Lagos to study Computer Science and graduated with a Second Class

upper Division (Honours) in 1973. During his days as a student, he was awarded a German scholarship for being brilliant academically, he also won the Dean’s prize back to back in the 1971/72 session.

After graduation from the University of Lagos and the completion of his one year compulsory service to the nation, he proceeded to Edinburgh University in Scotland where he earned his Master's and Doctorate in 1975 and 1981 respectively after he won a Commonwealth Scholarship.

Back home, he kick-started his teaching career at the University of Lagos as a graduate assistant in 1976, rose through the ranks till he became a full professor in 1996.

Achievements

•Professor Sofoluwe served twice in the Computer Science department as the head of department (1989-1991 and 1994-1996).

•Served as a Dean of the Faculty of Science between 1998 and 2002.

•He was elected as a member of the Governing Council of the University of Lagos (2000-2004).

•While he was appointed as a Deputy Vice-Chancellor, he returned to the Governing Council in August 30, 2006 by virtue of the appointment.

•On January 30, 2010, Professor Adetokunbo Sofoluwe was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos.

Meanwhile,Professor Rahman Bello, Deputy ViceChancellor, (Management Services), has been appointed the Acting Vice-Chancellor.

28 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012

UNILAG refuses to let Sofoluwe's candle go out

By LAJU ARENYEKA

T

heir black attires showed the mood of thousands of students at the University of Lagos on Tuesday as they took to the streets in a candlelight procession for their late Vice Chancellor, Professor Adetokunbo Sofoluwe, who passed on last week.

The procession which began

at 6.00 pm, kicked off at the Senate Building of the main campus at Akoka, as students took a 360-degree journey past various departments of the school to climax at the same venue two hours later.

The beauty of the procession became more apparent after dark; as thousands of candles were lit in honour of the late VC.

Even after the procession, many students boycotted cabs and shuttles, walking all the way to the main gate, and causing traffic jam along the way. Some students went beyond the traditional black attire to special branded Tshirts with Sofoluwe’s picture on them.

Some of the students who spoke to Quadlife gave insight as to the reason for such a laudable response from the student body.

Oshimade Anu from the Pharmacy department said:

“We are here to give him the last respects as our VC, because we will really miss him.”

Another student, Timi Tijani opined: “He was a man of great integrity, everything worked smoothly under his administration. I see him as a martyr, because if he had lived, he would have been a hero.”

Chika Azike who studies Marine Sciences said: “The VC really showed fatherly love to us, also he wasn’t too strict.

That is why we decided to

honour him today.”

Abiola Sobikun, a student of Cell Biology and Genetics, said: “The loss of the VC is very pathetic and devastating.

It is very sad indeed."

Even Oshineye Olivia, who came all the way from the Idiaraba Campus, had good things to say about the late VC: “We came all the way to honour our VC because he was a good man. He was very caring, and he had the students’ interests at heart.”

Femi Ajayi, a student of Public and International Affairs recalls his last interaction with the VC: “The last time I saw him was last week Friday in the library.

I never expected that he won’t be here with us today.”

Sofoluwe died of a heart attack on Saturday, May 12, this year.

LASU part-time students get date for examination students of 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 can now be accessed via www.lasunigeria.org/ result_external.

Commenting on the new development, Emmanuel Chukwu, a 300L Mass Communication student at the Ojuelegba campus expressed happiness, but lamented that the delay was unnecessary.

His words: “It is disheartening that I have spent close to five years in the school but still in 300L. The worst part of it is that my employers have been thinking that I’m playing pranks claiming that I am pursuing my Bachelor's degree.”

Speaking further, Chukwu affirmed that the delay which has kept students away from school since last December, will certainly have a negative impact on their performances

in the forthcoming exams.

“Since December 2011, students have been away from class, and probably their books. How do you expect students like this to perform well in their exams? If I must tell you, some of them may have forgotten where they kept their notes and other reading materials.”

On the position of the management that the delay was due to alleged irregularities and financial improprieties bedeviling the system and transition in the school, the student who works for a media outfit in Lagos said: “Whatever the reason might be, I expect the administration to clean the system holistically, to avoid a recurrence of this academic tragedy.”

Bible.

He was not explicit about what he really felt.

The instructions were not explicit enough.

Cigarette packs carry explicit health warnings.

The congregation discerned an implicit political statement in the Bishop’s remark.

“The explicit massage of the ad urged consumers to buy the product while the implicit message promised popularity”. (Andrea Lunsford and Robert Connors The St Martin’s Handbook.

Implicit also means ‘have no doubts about something; absolute and unquestioning’, as in ‘I have implicit faith in Jesus Christ’ and ‘I have implicit confidence in my son’s ability to succeed in the medical school’.

others involved in the illicit activities.

Hanged – Hung

BY IKENNA ASOMBA

A

Some students at the candlelight procession

Frequently Confused Words Explicit – Implicit Explicit means ‘directly, openly or clearly expressed; without hiding anything’. Implicit means ‘indirectly expressed or implied’. Do not use the two words interchangeably. They are virtually opposites.

Examples ‘Do not commit adultery’ was God’s explicit command in the C M Y K

FTER about five months of delay in sitting for their 2010/2011 second semester examination, students of the Lagos State University External System (LASUES) heaved a sigh of relief as authorities of the university finally announced May 21 for the commencement of their long awaited exams.

Information from the office of the Acting Director, LASUES, confirmed that the examination billed to commence May 21 across all its external campuses, will run concurrently for three weeks.

The source also urged concerned students to study earnestly in order to record success in the exams, even as it revealed that backlog of results for graduating

Elicit – Illicit The verb elicit means ‘to draw out or evoke; to get information or a reaction from somebody’. The adjective illicit means ‘illegal, unlawful or forbidden’. An illicit activity or substance ‘is not allowed by law, or is not acceptable according to the social customs of a country’.

Examples Five women were prosecuted for illicit liquor selling.

Her tears elicited great sympathy from her audience.

The NDLEA boss tried to elicit from the criminal the names of

Hanged and Hung are two past forms of the verb ‘hang’.

Hang means “to support from above, especially, by a rope, chain, etc. to suspend; (door) to attach by hinges to allow to swing, freely; to decorate with pictures, or other suspended objects …” Of the two past forms of hang, only hanged refers to executions – “to execute or kill someone by tying a rope around the neck and taking away the support from under the feet so that the person hangs in the air”. Hung is used for all other meanings. In other words, hung is the past tense and past participle of most senses of hang.

zCONTINUES NEXT WEEK. Send requests/problems to Gabriel Osoba, Ph.d, Department of English, Lagos State University, Ojo, through Editor, Teach Yourself English, Vanguard Newspapers, PMB. 1007, Apapa, Lagos, or email: editor@vanguardngr.com & gabosoba002@yahoo.co

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012 — 29

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30 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012 — 31

Many industries owe their survival to BoI — Aganga STORIES BY NAOMI UZOR

A

LOT of industries in the country would have collapsed but for the funding support from the Bank of Industry (BoI) says Trade and Investment Minister, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, “If not for BoI, lots of companies would have collapsed”, the Minister said during a courtesy visit to the Bank’s headquarters in Lagos.

He commended the bank’s management led by Ms. Evelyn Oputu for leaving up to expectation,

adding that the Federal Government on its part will continue to give the bank all the supports it needs to play a pivotal role in the industrialisation of the country.

“We shall ensure that the bank’s corporate governance practices, operational policies and procedures are in line with international best practices to enable it attain the top status needed to mobilise the much needed financial and technical resources we need to fast-track the transformation of our industrial sector,” Aganga said.

“The idea is to come and meet with the management team and to let you know that you are so important to the economic development of this country.Our aim is to build our industries where we have comparative and competitive advantage.

Also, we want to proactively link industries to our research institutes across the country because we strongly believe that innovation is a key part of industrial development.

Countries that have successfully achieved rapid industrial

development were able to do so because of the strong link between the industrial sector and research institutions. We have begun talks with the

Ministry of Science and Technology on how we can make this work,” he added.

The Minister urged the bank to try as much as possible to support the

manufacturers with technical advice on how to go about their businesses and proffer solution to areas they might be facing difficulties.

Coleman Cables boss laments high energy cost

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ANAGING Director of Coleman cables, Mr. George Onafowonkan, has lamented the high cost of generating alternative electricity supply by manufacturing industries, adding that his company

alone has within the last two years of its operations spent over N60 million on generator expenses.

“Today, infrastructure is worse than it was before.

We run our factory on generator 90 per cent of the

day; if you look at investment on generators, it continues, we opened this new factory two years ago and in those two years, we have managed to maintain generator expenditures at N60 million excluding diesel,” he told Vanguard.

“So you just find out that you spend an adequate amount of your capital buying generators and diesel.

It is not encouraging; instead of investing more in machineries and creating more jobs. Our own sustainability of it is we continue to deal with the challenges as they come, I hope that the current government as they go on, will put more effort into seeing sustainability of industries.”

Investors seek national policy for Free Trade Zones

D

OMESTIC and international investors have called for a national policy for the operation of Free Trade Zones in the country.

Managing Director, Lekki Worldwide Investments Limited, Mr. Tajudeen Disu, who bore the minds of stakeholders in the FTZs sector, said a national policy has become necessary in order to encourage Nigerians and foreigners to invest in the sector.

Speaking at the just ended 6th Lagos Economic Summit, Disu identified Trade Zones as the major step towards boosting the economic growth and increasing the inflow of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI).

He stressed that government should simplified business environment with clear cut operational guidelines that are free from bureaucratic bottlenecks and unnecessary trade barriers, adding that also needed are excellent industrial facilities and security such as serviced plots, pre-built factory buildings.

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32 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012

Student pharmacists hold sensitization programme

BY SIKIRU AKINOLA, OAU

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HE Pharmacy Foyer of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU), Ile-Ile was filled to the brim as the Pharmaceutical Association of Nigerian Students (PANS) organised a sensitization programme tagged: Headroom which comprised oratory contest and edutalk.

The event which was the first of its kind was chaired by a popular and radical social analyst who is a lecturer at the faculty, Prof. Adebayo Lamikanra. The event was organised by the executives of PANS to stimulate the minds of Pharmacy students and to give an insight into the opportunities available for students to study abroad.

Issues of local, national and international interests were

discussed while the oratory competition was keenly contested. Dr. O.I Adeyemi and Dr (Mrs) Moji Olateju were in attendance.

In her speech, Educational Advisor in the office of the US Consulate-General, Margaret Anyigbo enjoined the students to study very well.

She noted that her office is open to all students who need advice on how to get foreign admission. She said studying abroad is not as difficult as people think.

In the oratory competition, the 200 level students represented by Adeola Agboola defeated other classes to clinch the first position while the part one represented by Obianuju Ndedigwe came second.

While thanking everybody for making the event worthwhile, the president of PANS, Ayoola Onifade was

UNICAL inaugurates Electoral Commission

*The executives in a group photograph with the Educational Advisor to the US ConsulateGeneral, Margaret Anyigbo (middle). full of praises for his colleagues while he observed that there was an urgent need for pharmacy students to

continually equip themselves intellectually in order to tackle the challenges ahead.

The final-year student

thanked the PANS staff adviser, Dr G. Olayiwola who contributed in no small way to the success of the event.

Vocational Centre should award diplomas —Lapade tells Ajimobi

BY EMMANUEL AHANONU

T

he 4 th of May 2012 marked another historic day in the University of Calabar (UNICAL), as the Calabar University Electoral Commission (CUECO) was inaugurated by the institution’s Vice- Chancellor, Prof. James Epoke for the second time. The body is to see to the peaceful conduct of the institution’s Students Union Government election.

The first inaugurated CUECO was brought to a compulsory liquidation just few days to the election consequent upon 28 August 2011 students' riot which forced the institution's management to shut down for five months.

Meanwhile, the community has been without student leadership since resumption from the strike as a result of the ban placed on the Students’Union Government (SUG) until two weeks ago when the ban was lifted. This ban has crippled all union’s activities ranging from SUG, to faculty and department as any form of gathering could amount to arrest by the school's security operative, though the press has been the only functional group/ union. In preparation for the SUG election, the CUECO was C M Y K

inaugurated.

Inaugurated alongside the CUECO (which is headed by Dr. Idaga Idaga) is the Independent Observers Committee headed by Prof. B. I. Ita and Orientation Committee headed by the Dean of Students Affairs, Prof.

Eyong U Eyong.

The VC warned members of the committees against any form of malpractice that will jeopardize the real essence of their establishment.

*Prof. James Epoke, VC UNICAL, addressing members of the Commission during the inauguration.

BY MUSLIUDEEN ADEBAYO, IBADAN

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overnor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has been urged to make the Ibadan North Local Government Skills Acquisition Centre located at Yemetu Aladorin a diplomaawarding institution.

The caretaker committee chairman of Ibadan North Local Government, Hon. Idris Lapade charged the Oyo State Government and the state House of Assembly to make a law that will make the centre a diploma-awarding institution during the presentation of certificates and equipment to outstanding students and graduation ceremony of 207 graduands of the centre on Friday, May 11, 201 2.

The council boss who said the skill acquisition centre which has trained thousands of youths in the areas of Computer Studies, Fashion Designing/ Embroidery, Hair Dressing, Leather Works, Barbing and Electrical works said the centre is a practical manifestation of the efforts of the council to find solutions to unemployment, poverty, illiteracy among the youths in the area. He said conversion of the centre to a diploma awarding institution

will help to reduce the stress admission seekers usually face on yearly basis.

While appealing to the graduands to make wise use of the knowledge acquired, the council chief said the moral of the graduands will be boosted if the state House of Assembly, the Ministry of Education and the state government can convert the centre to award

diplomas so as to make the students compete with others in other tertiary institutions.

“I will like to use the opportunity to appeal to the state government to assist the local government by standardizing this training centre so that the centre will become a diploma-awarding institution,” he said.

Construction of new SUG building underway in LASU

BY OLASUKANMI AROWOLO, LASU

T

he Lagos State Government, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, has ordered that construction work begins on the Lagos State University Students’ Union (LASUSU) Arcade Building which was demolished recently.

Confirming the motive behind the demolition, the President, Lagos State University Students’ Union (LASUSU), Comrade Akeem Durojaiye said the development was not to eradicate the students unionism. “It is hereby impeccable to state at this point that the current

demolition of Arcade (SUG building) was not to exterminate unionism, rather, a progressive demand by the union from Lagos State Government to build New Modern Arcade for the students’ union activities. The developmental project was demanded by the last leadership of the union.”

Mr. Tony Olorode, representative of ABRAMFEM Construction Company in charge of the new project, stated that it is to last for six months. A clause was added that though the project duration is six months, but its completion within the stipulated time seriously depends on cash flow.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17 , 2012 — 33

BY LAJU ARENYEKA

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here is no bullying and fagging in this school.”

The JSS 1 student told me.

And I believed her. After being beaten and punished for five of six years in the boarding house, I believed her. It didn’t matter that I stood on the grounds of a Pro Unitate school that reminded me of my own alma mater. The JSS 1 student had spoken. If I was in her shoes just a few years back, I would have spoken of how much I longed to become a prefect so that I could “do my own back”, exercise authority, have junior students fetch my water and scream “yes senior” at my command.

Forget tomorrow; children are already leading today.

While the National Assembly may await his leadership years from now, Ifeanyi Michael Onyemesi leads assembly in his secondary school in Lagos.

“As the assembly prefect, my job is to help conduct assemblies, lead prayers and national anthem.” He said. As his tenure draws to an end, Ifeanyi recounts: “I had some power, but it was limited; it entailed correcting the younger ones as well as giving pieces of advice to my mates. I had the opportunity to exercise my authority over the younger students which was quite fun.”

Beyond the fleeting authority that prefectship may confer, teachers and students alike who spoke to Vanguard Learning agree that giving students such added responsibility prepares them for the future. As a teacher, Mrs. Olarenwaju Florence Nwabuisi puts it this way: “Being a prefect is like

School prefects: Tomorrow’s leaders today undergoing a training, you’re preparing yourself for greater things in the future.” Another prefect, Mayegun Odunayo described her learning experience thus: “As a prefect, I learnt to work closely with the principal of my school and I learnt a lot from him. I also learnt that honesty and

tr uthfulness pay. I was nominated to become a prefect because people knew that I was trustworthy and they testified of it.”

What about the flip side of this added responsibility?

What if it affects a student’s academic performance? VicePrincipal, Academics of

The two edged buckle

Barbara Cox College, Mr. Solomon Abiodun, responds to this: “Concer ning the choosing of the prefects, we look at their academic performance so that they would be able to function properly. We choose students who are strong academically, who we are sure can cope.”

Nwabusi states clearly the standards of selection that every teacher who spoke to

Vanguard Learning agrees with: “We look at academic performance, morale, comportment and appearance.”

The selection process of these students also begs for attention. Prospective prefects in some schools have to campaign for their slots with manifestos to boot. Obi Blessing who just became a prefect said that her school has a “prefect selection committee.

If you’re nominated as a prefect,” she said “the committee will interview you to determine how capable you are.”

According to Abiodun, “We use a democratic system here at the beginning. We ask the students to give us the names of students who they think are suitable. The teachers then meet and look at whether the names submitted fit the criteria. We look at leadership traits, academics and behaviour. If they come out all right after the process, we badge them.”

However, heavy is the chest that wears the badge; as prefects can be impeached or even suspended from school if they disobey the rules and regulations of their school. On the other hand though, advantages abound; prefects in some boarding schools get a double portion of food from the dining hall, diplomatic immunity from some form of punishment and labour, as well as a wide array of junior students at their beck and call.

A wise man once said that “with great power comes great responsibility.” Becoming a prefect can ring that true in the ears of a young chap. And that, in no small measure, brings hope for the future of Nigeria.

BY LAJU ARENYEKA

B

elts! They are every woman’s fashion dream. They can turn baggy tops into attractive silhouettes.

And plain dresses into a Cinderella story. They can bring a useless bag out of the closet, and make priceless a pair of shoes you never thought would match.

Belts! They can be every woman’s fashion nightmare. They can nearly cause a crack in your rib cage or draw a map of

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sweat on your designer clothes. They can emphasize the love handles you try to hide or take the class out of your style.

Belts! They’re big, they’re small. Some massive, some tiny.

In all shapes, colours, sizes and textures. They are for all, and are here to stay. On campus, off campus. Beneath the bust. On the belly button. Within belt holes. On the bottom. Below the bottom. And everywhere else.

34— Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17 , 2012

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

NIPR holds training

Expert tackles falling education standard T ...offers e-learning programme

he Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) is organising a seminar on presentation and public speaking skills and effective PR writing programmes for public relations officers and other corporate executives.

Slated to hold from May 28th – 31 st at Hamdala Hotel, Kaduna, the seminar is aimed at equipping PR practitioners with mastering the art of public speaking, managing the voice, body language and stage fright, among others.

By BOSE ADELAJA

T

he falling standard of education in Nigeria will soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a centre for online learning NGStudent, which has designed an easy means through e-learning by way of accessing past questions and solutions to them.

This new direction in learning gives advantage to most challenging examinations like SSCE, NECO, JAMB and GCE as well as SAT, GRE, GMAT and TOEFL as it enables students to take past tests online and gain valuable feedback and insights into their examination performance.

A US-based education consultant and Chief Executive Officer of Elnuks Consulting Company, Mr. Michael Aromolaran, disclosed this Tuesday in Lagos during a press briefing saying the product will afford students the opportunity to get easy and convenient access to past examination papers in 15 subjects which includes Science, Commercial and Arts-related subjects.

Also, it will improve

*From right: Chief Executive Officer, Elnuks Consulting Company, Mr. Michael Aromolaran, General Manager, Elnuks Consulting Company and Chief Executive Officer, Whitepole OAC Ltd. Mr. Andrew Odioko at the press briefing. students’ academic profile for application into the University and open up their possibility of studying abroad.

Aromolaran who attributed

the fallen education standard to family structure also called on parents to lay good examples adding, “the family structure has contributed to

the fallen standard of education, in the past, training of the children used to be a team work where the father goes to work and the

mother stays at home to look after the children. Nowadays, the family structure has broken down and everybody is looking for money,” he said.

This package, which will start with about 5,000 private schools in Nigeria, will allow students take practice tests online as this gives instant and detailed feedback and explanations to enable them improve on their examination scores or boost their academic profile. “NGStudents offers the most complete examination preparation package that is easy to use and inexpensive. Every subject is divided into topics that allow students to target weaknesses in order to improve their score and revise efficiently so they can work smarter not harder,” said Aromolaran.

Late VC’s unfulfilled wishes for the University of Lagos Continues from page 26 Partnerships and Linkages According to the late VC, in its 50 years of existence, UNILAG has “enjoyed greater international visibility through partnerships and international linkages. The recent one is between this university and Soochow University in China.

Other institutions with which the university enjoys partnership are: the University of South Africa (UNISA); Hogskolan Dalama University, Sweden; DUN Groupment De Recherche International (GORI), France; Universite Charles-Louis De Montesquieu D’Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire; Virginia State University, USA; Kennesaw State University, USA; Confucius Institute, China and University of Bedfordshire, United Kingdom among others.”

National Centre for Energy Efficiency and Conservation The Federal Government C M Y K

established a National Centre for Energy Efficiency and Conservation (NCEEC) in the University of Lagos, two years ago. The construction of the building for the Centre beside the Central Laboratory being constructed by the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries has commenced.

Projects Sofoluwe couldn’t complete “The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Lagos from 1984 to 1985, Chief Arthur Christopher Izuegbunam Mbanefo MFR, CON, FCA has donated a Research and Resource Centre to the University of Lagos.

The Centre, when completed, will be a world class facility which would aid and enhance academic research and productivity in the university and Nigeria as a whole. It will also have a digital/internetbased research library to support advance research and postgraduate studies in

Nigeria.

“The Department of Geosciences, University of Lagos received a grant of Kingdom Suite Software. The three-year grant from HIS Global Incorporation, Houston, Texas, United States of America is worth $2, 310, 000.00. The donation is for Geophysics and Geology programmes as it relates to oil and gas exploration.

“An ultramodern medical laboratory was recently completed at the Medical Centre with funds provided by foremost philanthropist and industrialist, Chief Adebukunola Adebutu Kessington, OFR. “Troika Group has also donated a three-storey building to the university’s Department of Mass Communication.

When completed, the building will provide additional classrooms.”

50 th anniversary programme he won’t attend The late VC had outlined the programme for the 50 th anniversary celebrations as

follows: On May 18, there will be Anniversary Light and Sound show, followed by My 50 Golden Words on May 20.

Anniversary Park will take place from April – June 16, 2012 while UNILAG Ideas and People’s Festival will take place between April and July 27.

Alumni Week comes up from June 11 – 16. From July 5 to 6, Mr. and Miss Golden Jubilee comes up, followed by Lecture (Faculty of Environmental Studies) on July 7.

Anniversary Lecture (Faculty of Law) comes up on July 12. Nigeria Nite follows on July 20. On July 2 6 , U N I L AG 2 5 Ye a r Strategic Plan/Donor Club will be inaugurated.

UNIL AG Festival of Arts comes up from August 13 to 19 and Anniversary Games Championships takes place from September 3 to 9.

Other activities are: Anniversary Museum

(September 9); Golden J u b i l e e r e s e a r c h Fa i r (September); LUTH Lecture (College of Medicine), (October 3). The high point of the activities will be the Special Anniversary Convocation & Awards and Anniversary Gala Nite & Launch of Anniversary Documentary & 50 Years History of UNILAG on October 4, 2012.

The event had in attendance the Deputy Vi c e - C h a n c e l l o r (Management Services), Professor R. A. Bello; Re g i s t r a r, O l u w a r o t i m i O. A . S h o d i m u ( E s q ) ; B u r s a r, M r.

L. A. Odekunle; Acting Librarian, Dr. Okanlawon Adediji; Senate members; Deans; Directors; Heads of Departments/Units; Staff and students of the university. *Prof. Sofoluwe died on Saturday, May 12, 2012, just three days after this press conference.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17 , 2012 — 35

NANS holds South-West elections

By AMAKAABAYOMI

E

lection of principal officers to pilot the affairs of the Zone D of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, was held at the association’s 5th convention at the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeoguta, Ogun State.

The elections saw Comrade Okikiola Ogunsola from Federal College of Education, Abeokuta, unanimously elected the convention chairman who immediately dissolved the executives for the elections to commence.

The elections produced Comrade Oketooto Adebayo from Federal Univeristy of Agriculture, Abeokuta, as Secretary General; while Awowole Samuel from Osun State College of Education, Ilesha, is the Assistance General Secretary. Others are Adeyemon Monsuru from Emanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo, as the Coordinator, while Ayantuga Adetola from Lagos State University, is the Deputy Coordinator; Bamigbade Taiwo from Federal University of Technology, Akure, emerged as Public Relations Officer; and Badmus Sordiq from Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, as the Treasurer.

NUC approves 30 programmes for Open University

By FAVOUR NNABUGWU

R

esolute about its position to ensure that universities across the country do not run programmes that are not approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC), the commission recently approved 30 programmes for National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN. The approval came on the heels of abuse of the Part-time

and sandwich programmes in the nation’s learning institutions.

Executive Secretary of the Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie, who talked tough over the excesses of the tertiary institutions at a one-day advocacy forum on the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in the Nigerian University System, warned that it was not going to be business as usual, urging the Senate and

Councils of universities in the country to wake up to their responsibilities in sanitizing the system.

He revealed that the Commission had granted accreditation of 30 programmes to NOUN. Meanwhile, Okojie had explained that the advocacy forum was put together to sensitize as well as encourage more universities to key into the ODL as a useful mode in

NGO donates computers to school By ABDALLAH KUREBE

New Fountain School holds career day

By AISHA MOHAMMED TIFFIN

I

N its bid to ensure that students are properly guided to choose the right professions, the management of New Fountain Secondary School, Festac Town, is organizing a career day for its students.

Billed to hold Wednesday 30 May, the Career Day is aimed at making students imbibe the needed skills for their future careers so as to make them more focused.

Shedding more light, the school proprietress, Mrs. Oluyide Fola Ukachi, said the students stand to benefit many professionals would be on hand to talk to them.

“It is very important in any educational setting to invite professionals to talk to students on Career Day because it will make them have a focused mind towards what they want to become.

“The students are given tips and the necessary skills required for their chosen fields of study. Resource persons like doctors, engineers, bankers, pilots, dentists, journalists, professors, economists, etc, would be there to talk to the students.”

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expanding access to university education.

He disclosed that the Commission has already developed a framework to ensure standards and guarantee the quality of the products of the ODL as obtainable in conventional university education.

In his remarks, the ViceChancellor of NOUN, Prof.

Vincent Ado-Tenebe, said "ODL is the only thing that can salvage the world’s population, because the traditional system of education where you have the classrooms can no longer contain, especially in countries like Nigeria, where the population growth is high”.

*From left: Mrs Atinuke Ojedokun, tutor, School Leavers Initiative; Mr. Stephen Oyebola Benedict, principal, Ogudu Senior Grammar School, Ogudu GRA, Lagos; Mrs Bridget Unegbu, School Counsellor; Chief Mosunmade Adegunle, member, Board of Trustees, Ebi Initiative and Mrs Bolatito Adegunle, chairman, during a free vocational training for students of Ogudu Senior Grammar School, Ogudu, Lagos tagged 'School Leavers Initiative' and sponsored by Ebi Initiative at the school premises on Monday. Photo by Lamidi Bamidele

Ondo student wins national quiz contest T he efforts of the Governor Olusegun Mimiko-led government in Ondo State at repositioning the state’s education sector has recorded another major boost with Master Akinboboye Akinwande, a JSS 3 student in the state, emerging the overall winner of the 2012 Edition of the All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) National Quiz Competition.

A student of Greater Tomorrow College, Arigidi – Akoko, Master Akinwande represented Ondo State at the National Quiz Competition held in Enugu, Enugu State and emerged the overall winner.

Akinwande was at a ceremony recently, presented to the State Government by

members of the Executive Council of the State’s ANCOPSS, at the office of the State’s Commissioner for Education, Barr. Remi Olatubora.

At the event, the Commissioner noted that the intervention of the present administration in the state’s education sector is yielding results both in the state’s public and private schools where the state’s Ministry of

Education is maintaining standards.

The commissioner noted that a former student of St Louis Secondary School, Ondo, Miss Tolulope Falokun had recently made the state proud by emerging the Best Student in West Africa in the 2011 West African School Certificate Examination after recording nine A1s in the nine subjects she sat for in the examinations.

EL-

A Kaduna-based NonGovernmental Organisation, Dialogue Global Links, has acquired 20 sets of laptop computers with internet facility to enhance the learning activities of Government Secondary School, Silame, Sokoto State. Principal of the school, Mallam Abdulrahman Ali, disclosed this, saying that the internet connectivity was solar-powered to effectively facilitate students learning process. According to him, a modern studio has been planned and designed to support the internet network connection, adding, “a corps member has taken up the project for his community development project. ”Mallam Ali explained that the school has also acquired three generating sets as its power source before linking the project with national grid.

“We have eight solar panels for the facilities.”

I can change the world My name is Bello Hadiza. I’m in SS3B. I attend Mokoya Secondary School. I want to be a fashion designer in future. Right now, I’ve designed about five clothes. Apart from school, I’m also learning how to sew. My role model is the person that I’m learning from, Mrs. Amina Abubakar. I believe there is hope for Nigeria.

36— Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17 , 2012

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VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012—37

dayobenson@yahoo.com I N S I D E

Fair hearing: Appeal Court cannot resolve issues it ordered for retrial (2)

Counsel Corner — Pg 39

— Pg 38

•CJN Musdapher

•President Jonathan

Fuel subsidy probe ore another repor t: Bef Before match — Pg 46

•Justice Salami

Who is afraid of Justice Salami’s reinstatement? …..Division in NJC, as Jonathan weighs options

T

HE spiral controversy surrounding suspension and subsequent reprieve granted the embattled President of the Court of Appeal, PCA Justice Isa Ayo Salami, by the National Judicial Council, NJC, on August 18 2011, may have unwittingly exposed the fallibility of justice administration in the country.

It took precisely nine months for all the judicial eggheads in the country to pin-point the way forward, though it is still in doubt if the healing process would be sufficient to erode the shame that has clouted the judiciary in recent times!

Empirically, whenever the relationship between the judiciary and politics turns rosy, probability between compromise and professionalism becomes infinitesimal.

As Nigerians await the amicable settlement of one of the highestjudicial-scandals that has ever rocked the apex institution of justice in the country, history students will in no distant future, cite this particular era as the most turbulent periods in the jurisprudential annals of Nigeria judiciary.

Specifically, the NJC, which is one of the Federal Executive Bodies created by virtue of Section 153 of the 1999 Constitution, had after an emergency rowdy session it held on August 18 2011, suspended the PCA

,

By IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

from office, saying he should hand over to the most senior judicial officer at the appellate court.

That decision which was vehemently opposed by some members of the council sympathetic to the PCA, was sequel to Justice Salami’s blunt refusal to apologize to the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Aloysius KatsinaAlu, who he accused of attempting to pervert justice in a gubernatorial election appeal dispute involving Sokoto state.

Remarkably, Katsina-Alu who was

A cross section of Nigerians have hailed the NJC for the unparalleled courage it exhibited by admitting its error in judgement and seeking public recompense.

,

very close to the presidency at that time and Salami were classmates in the law school.

Their relationship reportedly turned frosty after the ex-CJN, allegedly

asked the PCA to disband the appeal court panel that was presiding over the Sokoto state case, after it was perceived that the judgment was tilting against the governorship candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the state.

Though the Appeal Court had absolute jurisdiction over governorship appeal at that time, however, the ex-CJN wielded his powers and halted the ready verdict of the Sokoto Division of the Appellate court and subsequently entered judgment in favour of the PDP. However, to get back at the PCA for refusing to “play ball”, Katsina-Alu allegedly hatched plans to technically humiliate Salami by “pushing” him to the Supreme Court Bench, where in terms of judicial hierarchy, he would automatically become the least justice on the revered apex court Bench.

On getting wind of the plot to use him to fill the vacant slot of the South West geopolitical zone at the Bench, Salami proceeded to court, describing his planned elevation as a “Greek Gift.”

Angst by the subterranean plot of Katsina-Alu, the PCA, via an affidavit he personally deposed to before a Federal High Court in Abuja, gave a bit-by-bit account of how the ex-CJN pressurized him to compromise standard in the Sokoto state election saga, saying it was the reason behind the conspiracy to “push” him to the apex court.

Meanwhile, to save the judiciary from imminent ridicule, NJC, urged Salami to withdraw the case, just as it constituted a panel to probe the feud between the warring parties.

The said probe panel which was headed by a former PCA, Justice

Umaru Abdullahi, found Salami guilty, even as a review committee headed by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, affirmed the decision, recommending that Salami should be asked to apologize to both the council and the ex-CJN. Meantime, Salami who was crossexamined by the probe panel, had insisted that the present CJN Justice Dahiru Musdapher was privy to the meeting where Katsina-Alu was begging him to pervert the course of justice in Sokoto state, a claim Musdapher who was not a CJN then, refuted.

Following refusal of the PCA to recant his allegation, the NJC while announcing his suspension via a statement signed by its Director of Administration, Mr. E.I. Odukwu, maintained that: “having therefore established that the allegation/ complaint by the President, Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Isa Ayo Salami, OFR, against the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Aloysius

Continues on page 38

EDITORIAL TEAM Dayo Benson (Editor) Innocent Anaba Wahab Abdulah Ikechukwu Nnochiri

38—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012

Law Report

Fair hearing: Appeal Court cannot resolve issues it ordered for retrial (2) “However, what the appellants seem to be complaining about here is that the lower court has improperly pronounced on issue 1 (one) for determination prior to ordering a rehearing of the appeal before the appellate High Court. In other words, that having made up its mind on the matter, it should have proceeded straight on to order a .. rehearing, without more; and should not have allowed the appeal in part prior to making an order of rehearing of the matter. The respondents have conceded the point. 1 am satisfied that the lower court, with respect, has partly allowed the appeal when it has resolved issue 1 (one) before it against the appellants in favour of the respondents. And that by so having pronounced on issue 1 (one) it has unarguably interfered with, albeit dealt with a vital question which otherwise is properly for resolution at the rehearing of the appeal and thus has erred in pre-empting that issue tantamounting to not having provided a level playing ground for the parties at the hearing before the appellate High Court. I must however in the interest of providing a level playing ground for both parties for and avoidance of any doubt hereby set aside the resolution

OGED OVUNWO GODFREY OVUNWO (For themselves and on behalf of Ovunwo Family of Rumuaghaolu Village in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State) IHEANYICHUKWU WOKO NNAMDI WOKO OSONDU WOKO (For themselves and on behalf of Woko Family of Rumuaghaolu Village in Obio/ Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State) MAHMUD MOHAMMED JSC (Presided) C. MITCHELL CHUKWUMA-ENEH JSC (Read the Lead Judgment) MUHAMMAD SAIFULLAH MUNTAKA-COOMASSIE JSC, OLUFUNLOLA OYELOLA ADEKEYE JSC SULEIMAN GALADIMA JSC ISSUES of issue 1 (one) against the appellants in favour of the respondents as pronounced by the lower court as having been made in error. And 1 so order as it is crucially important in order to clear the way for a rehearing of the appeal as has been ordered by the lower court (as affirmed by this court) to be complied with by the appellate High Court.

For the avoidance of doubt, 1 hereby set aside the lower court’s resolution of issue 1 (one) having been made in error. The entire case is hereby remitted to the Customary Court of Appeal which has since replaced the appellate High Court for a rehearing. And 1 so order.”

Per MOHAMMED JSC: [Pp. 615 616, paras. D - C] The appeal is against the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Port-Harcourt Division delivered on 4 July 2005. In that judgment, even though the court allowed the appeal from the decision of the trial High Court of Rivers State which heard the case on appeal, upon holding that there had been a breach of the right of fair hearing and therefore sent the case back to the High Court for rehearing the appeal by another Judge, the Court of Appeal again proceeded in its judgment and determined same appeals on the merit. Obviously, by proceeding to resolve the issue on the merit of the case between the

parties, the Court of Appeal had completely lost the sight of the fact that the same issue on the merit of the case contained in the issue of the omnibus ground of appeal was still pending before the High Court of Justice for consideration and resolution by another Judge of that court following the Court of Appeal’s order of rehearing. This order was made by the court below in its judgment at pages 188 - 189 of the record where the court said in the lead judgment as follows: “Parties have agreed that there is a clear breach of fair hearing since the court below failed to determine the issue touching on the omnibus ground of appeal. And since there is a clear breach of fair hearing, the mandatory order that is warranted is one ordering a fresh trial of the appeal by another Judge of the court below. And order accordingly.”

The law on the effect of the act of breach of the rule of natural justice or denial of fair hearing by any court, is as correctly stated above by the court below having regard to a number of authorities including the cases of Adigu v. Attorney-General, Oyo State (1987) 1 NWLR (Pt. 53) 678; Otapo v. Sunmonu (1987) 2 NWLR (Pt. 58) 587 and Salu v.

Egeibon (1994) 6 NWLR (Pt. 348) 23.

To be continued

Who is afraid of Justice Salami’s reinstatement?

Continues from page 37 Katsina-Alu, GCON regarding the Sokoto Gubernatorial Election Appeal was false. Council decided that it is misconduct contrary to Rule 1(1) of the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Thus Council further decided as follows, that, (1) the Hon. President of the Court of Appeal should be warned for such unethical conduct which eroded the public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the Judiciary.”

Among those who celebrated Salami’s suspension were former governors of Ekiti and Osun states, Chief Segun Oni and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who were both sacked from office by separate appeal panels that were constituted by the PCA. Besides, it was a sweet relief for President Goodluck Jonathan, who was at that time, finding it difficult to convince the presidential election petition tribunal panel headed by Justice Salami, to dismiss a petition that was filed against his election victory by the Congress for Progressive Change CPC. Nevertheless, nine months after the NJC persuaded President Jonathan to appoint Justice Dalhatu Adamu as acting President of the Court of Appeal it has unsavourily made a Uturn, imploring that Salami should be recalled from the judicial-Siberia he was erroneously sent to, whilst the

major election appeals subsisted!

Though the NJC has kept absolute mum regarding circumstances that precipitated the suspension of Salami, the decision that culminated to the reinstatement recommendation was reportedly brokered at a 2-days rowdy session the council held in Abuja last week.

It was said that despite vehement protestations by a faction of the council against Salami’s recall, after a voting session that saw those in favour of the decision securing marginal victory, the CJN, Justice Musdapher, okayed that

President Jonathan should be formally notified.

Despite controversy and kicks emanating from various political circles in opposition to his reinstatement, a cross section of Nigerians have hailed the NJC for the unparalleled courage it exhibited by admitting its error in judgement and seeking public recompense.

So we await the reaction of the presidency, a careful perusal of the facts and events that occasioned the tribulation suffered by the PCA, has agitated so many questions in the

minds of pundits, among which are, “what becomes of the suit challenging legality of the actions that were taken by the NJC in relation to the Salami vs Katsina-Alu saga?

Is it true that a sitting CJN attempted to pervert justice in a gubernatorial election appeal matter?

Is NJC accepting its wrongs and daring the consequences of subjudice? How impartial is President Jonathan in the issue? Nigerians await answers to these questions.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012—39

Vanguard Law In Pix Family after my late husband’s property

NIALS holds Founders Day lecture THE Nigerian Institute of Advance Legal Studies, NIALS, recently, held its Founders Day Lecture at the University of Lagos, UNILAG, campus of the institute, Lagos.

NIALS Director-General, Prof Epiphany Azinge, SAN (left) and the lecturer, Director, Centre for Criminal Justice, University of Leeds, United Kingdom, Prof Sussane Karsted.

M

Y late husband and I were happily married until an untimely death struck. The marriage was blessed with four children.

We got married at a registry and the union was also blessed in a church. However, before our marriage, my husband had a female child by a woman whom he was never married to. Before his death, he registered four of his property in the names of our four children. Similarly, he made me and our first child, a male, his next of kin where he worked.

I’m aware that in his lifetime, he made provision for the female child he had before our marriage.

Like he did for our children, registered a property in her name.

My husband who suddenly died at the age of 50 was a second loss to his siblings and extended family having lost his 56-year-old elder brother 48 days earlier. It was however a rude shock to me when his family began a desperate move to take over the property of a man they were supposed to be mourning.

They have been going about it shamefully to the extent of using police to harass me.

Not only that, they are ganging up with the woman my late husband did not marry to fight me.

I guess their interest is two other property that belonged to my husband. They are even alleging that I was responsible for his death.

Already, our family lawyer has applied for a letter of administration because my husband did not leave any Will behind.

I want to know what the position of the law is on the issue and whether the family can make any claim over his property?

Stella, Benin-City.

Cases like this are rampant these days in which extended family members of a male deceased try to take over his estate without regard to the immediate family left behind.If the story is true as you narrated it, you have little or nothing to worry about.

To start with, your late husband was probably not unmindful of the kind of extended family he had, so he took that step. What he did in his lifetime was to secure the interests of his children in case of the eventuality that occurred. And I must say he acted properly. What he did by registering those property in the names of the children was one of the few ways a parent can share property to his or her off-springs without writing a Will. Some even prefer this to writing a Will. The houses registered in the children’s names have become their own both in law and equity. Another method is what is known as intervivour gift, that is, a gift given while the parent is still alive.

This is usually backed up with a Deed of gift duly signed by the parent in the presence of a magistrate.

There are one or two other ways of doing this which space would not allow us to discuss in this edition.

These days, more people are embracing these other options rather than writing a Will which is usually a subject of controversy especially over its authenticity.

In the same vein, the law recognises the payment of entitlements to the next of kin of a deceased. So by making you and your first child his next of kin at his place of last employment, that aspect has also been taken care of. Whatever is left of his estate outside the ones mentioned will be administered in accordance with the provisions of intestacy law. That is the only way the deceased dependants outside his or her nuclear family can benefit. For instance, aged parents, siblings and other close relations that the deceased was responsible for their upkeep. The child outside the marriage may also benefit depending on the provision of the intestacy law. Note that this is purely a civil matter which does not in any way concern the police. I will advise that you don’t succumb to the attempt to intimidate you with the police. I’m sure your lawyer knows what to do in this regard. As long as there is no evidence directly that you have hands in your husband’s death, you having nothing to worry about.

You can send your questions to dayobenson@yahoo.com or 08056180119 (text only) C M Y K

Dr Nkoli Aniekwu (left) and Institute Librarian, Mrs Mrs. Eunice Erhagbe (left) and Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye Ufuoma Lamikara.

Prof. Nathaniel Aniekwu (left) and Mrs Sena Jerry Imahiagbe

From left: Prof. Paul Idohnigie, Dr. Emmanuel Okon and Dr. Adebisi Arewa.

Mrs. Hajara Goniri (left) and Mrs. Bilikisu Mani.

Mr Alex Muoka (left) and Mrs. Morenike ObiFarinde

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From left: Sunny Okojie, Manager OA&A; Mrs. Priscilla Ogwemoh, Managing Partner OA&A; Chinwe and Mrs. Bisi Akodu, Partner OA&A.

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From left: Chijioke Emeka, Partner Litigation, OA&A; Chinwe and Mr. Bisi Akodu, Partner on Corporate, OA&A.

40 —VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012

Lagos Special P eople’s La w tto o the rescue of PWD People’s Law

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

F

OLLOWING the concern of Lagos State Government on People with Disabilities (PWD), a group under the aegis of Lagos Civil Society Disability Policy Partnership, LCSDPP, has called on the private sector to support the state government in implementing the Lagos State Special People’s Law. The Lagos State Government has promised to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety and protection of persons living with disability taking cognizance of their peculiar vulnerability and has said that no person shall employ, use or involve a person living with disability for alms begging.

No doubt, the PWDs constitute a significant proportion of the poorest of the poor and face inequalities in access to education, health care, employment, asset accumulation and opportunities for social and community participation.

A critical assessment on the increase of PWDs begging for alms on the streets have shown that more than 80% of People with Disabilities live in low and middle income parts of the society. Among this group, 30% are street youths and 20% are children with disabilities. PWDs are particularly more vulnerable to abuse and are victims of violence, rape or sexual abuse.

This can be juxtaposed with the words of former President of World Bank, Paul Wolfowwitz, who said: “people with disabilities are people with extra talents. Yet, they are often too forgotten. When people with disabilities are denied opportunities, they are more likely to fall into poverty. As long as societies exclude those with disabilities, they will not reach their full potential.”

LSCDPP, in a memo to the state governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) proposed that the Lagos State Government approve and inaugurate the Public Private Sector Partnership on the implementation of the Lagos State People’s Law by the end of the second quarter of 2012.

The civil society group urged the private sector to invest in employment and economic empowerment, access to products and services and work place environment, noting that the need for support for accessible public infrastructure, information communication & technology and inclusive education for PWDs cannot be over-emphasized.

In its words: “The ability of investors to imbibe inclusive and disability-friendly practices and organizing work places and business environment, design, development, production and delivery of products and services such as: banking, telecoms, transportation, hotel, ICT, education, health, mass media, etc will increase turnovers and profits on investments as no potential consumer is left out.”

However, LCSDPP, has enjoined steady reduction of Government’s expenditures on disability issues C M Y K

especially through the setting-up of Lagos State Disability fund as provided by the Law, noting that it is not just about organizations giving money to people with disabilities but creating a working environment to accommodate PWDs in their organizations.

According to the Lagos State Special People’s Law, all employers of labour employing up to 100 persons shall reserve at least 1% of such workforce for qualified persons living with disability and government shall take steps to ensure the self reliance of persons living with disability and accordingly give adequate assistance to those of them who desire to be employed.

Dealing with the issue of discrimination, Lagos State Special People’s Law, which was enacted in 2011 stipulates in Chapter 21 (1) that no person living with disability shall be discriminated against on the ground of his or her disability by any person or institution in any manner or circumstances whatsoever.

“No employer shall be relieved of his employment on the ground of disability sustained during employment and an employer of labour whose employee sustained a disability shall retain and re-train the employee for effectiveness within the organization” the Law states.

The law is aimed at safeguarding all persons with disabilities against all forms of discrimination and equating their opportunities in all aspects of living in the society.

Lagos Civil Society Disability Policy Partnership (LCDPP) partners.

JUSUN warns against intimidation of its To avoid industrial disharmony, officers JUSUN called for the restoration of

T

BY DONALD ARJI

HE Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN)south-west zone has frowned against alleged act of victimization and intimidation against some of its union officers for performing the duties of the union through unilateral posting in the zone.In a communiqué made at the end of their meeting in Lagos observed with dismay the alleged erroneous way the Ekiti state government handled the remuneration of their members as compared to their counterparts in the civil service which was against their request.The union also complained about litigation allowance approved for their members in the Lagos state judiciary by the state government but was stopped.

the suspended payment of the allowance to avoid a breakdown of industrial peace in the state judiciary.It equally expressed grievances on the salary disparity which was recently discovered in comparison with what obtained in other ministries and government agencies in some of the States.

It argued that they were being short paid since January, 2011 but they have complained to relevant authorities, but no response has been given to them. The communiqué stated, “The meeting also reiterated the issue of litigation allowance that was approved for our members in the Lagos state judiciary by the state government which was erroneously stopped and want it restored to avoid a breakdown of industrial peace in the Lagos state judiciary.”

ore another Fuel subsidy probe report: Bef Before match

BY AHAM NJOKU

T

HE recent release of the fuel subsidy probe report by the Honourable Farouk Lawan adhoc committee of the House of Representatives has ignited calls across the nation for the prosecution of those individuals and companies that are culpable. A twist to the call came penultimate week from the conveners of the Save Nigeria Group (SNG) and their associates who gave the federal government and anti-graft agencies two weeks to commence prosecution of the indicted persons or face a public protest similar to the one held in January over removal of fuel subsidy otherwise referred to as “Occupy Nigeria”. They even went ahead to suggest the appointment of a private or special prosecutor for this purpose.

However, the Chief Law Officer of Nigeria, the Honourable Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria has canvassed that the report of the Lawan Committee needs to be filtered before prosecution can start. This view of the Attorney-General is believed to be

unpopular because of the anger of many Nigerians who are frustrated over the nature of the different scams in Nigeria which Transparency International, the world-wide corruption watch-dog has described as “gargantuan”.

There are several cogent reasons which despite the above agitation makesAdoke’s view the correct and best position to adopt. The truth remains that the Lawan committee is not absolutely an investigative panel perse but a fact-finding one. In addition it is very possible that some level of review ought to be carried out by the anti-graft agencies on the report to remove the wheat from the chaff so that any criminal prosecution in court would be almost fool-proof.

In this wise, the question arises, is two weeks from the time the Lawan Committee report was adopted by the National Assembly enough time for the anti-graft agencies to have invited, interviewed and investigated those indicted? The answer of course is no.

Even when the ICPC and EFCC have concluded their investigations and taken a decision to charge the indicted persons to court the prosecuting counsel will still need time to review the charges and prepare adequately to

commence the battle in court.

For example since the report came out about seventeen firms have argued on the pages of newspapers that they were never invited to the probe panel sitting thereby alleging lack of fair hearing. This has led the National Assembly to extend the committee’s work to about two weeks. Even one of the accounting firms Indicted has been shouting to high heavens to prove its innocence. This is not to absolve anybody from guilt but to point to some grey areas that may need to be tidied up to avoid embarrassment at the court when prosecution commences.

The Lawan committee itself had suggested that all those found culpable by their report should not only pay back the monies they collected but also should be prosecuted by the Independent Corruption Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). In the concluding part of its report which is often ignored by angry Nigerians, it suggested that ICPC and EFCC may need some time to digest its report before commencing prosecution.

To be continued.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012—41

CONSTITUTION REVIEW:

Reps' plan to cage Governors The House of Representatives is set to commence the process of amending the extant Constitution with landmark proposals to set the State legislative houses and the local government councils from the irongrip of the nation’s governors!

lawmakers are nevertheless in support of the removal of the clause. But their ability to do so against the desire of many governors would be remarkable.

Incidentally, no section of the constitution can be amended without an endorsement by at least 24 state houses of assembly, a provision that gives the governors significant influence over the amendment process.

Making House resolutions binding: Also, the constitution review committee is working on a proposal to compel the

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE THE National Assembly it seems has put the amendment of the 1999 Constitution on top of its agenda. Unlike in the last attempt when some areas were ignored, there would no 'no-go areas' this time, the Deputy President of the Senate and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, Senator Ike Ekweremadu told Sunday Vanguard recently. Towards realising the gaol, the Senate Committee recently called for memoranda from members of the public. The House of Representatives is itself not lagging behind on the issue. The House Committee it was learnt would soon embark on a working retreat to Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital to deliberate on the issue.

Issues for amendment: Indeed, the 44-member ad-hoc committee headed by Deputy Speaker of the House, Rep. Emeka Ihedioha, has already been mandated to work on several contentious issues like state police, financial autonomy for state legislatures, state

matters connected to it .

Other bills include a bill by Hon. Jagaba Adams Jagaba to remove the word ‘Force’ from the name of the Nigeria Police Force

,

Also, the constitution review committee is working on a proposal to make all resolutions of the National Assembly binding on the executive to implement

creation, autonomy for local government councils, revenue allocation, derivation and other knotty issues that have been plaguing Nigeria.

So far, about 10 private member bills have been introduced, debated and referred to the Committee. These include a bill

by Rep Femi Gbajabiamila to provide for a definite date for the President to present an Appropriation Bill for the next financial year; a bill by Hon. Uche Ekwunife to alter the provisions of sections 7 & 162 of the Constitution to provide for independence and financial autonomy of local government councils; a bill by Hon. Leo Ogor to alter the provisions of sections 89 and 129 of the constitution to direct the Attorney General of the Federation to prosecute any person or authority found wanting by the Senate or House of Representatives and for C M Y K

*Gbajabiamila: Wants State Houses to be independent

*Ekwunife: LGs must be free

,

to bring it in tune with the current democratic dispensation in the country; a bill by Hon. Patrick Ikhariale to amend the Electric Power Sector Reform Act, Cap. E7, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and other matters connected therewith, the purpose of which is to open up the electricity sector by enabling a state government that desires to participate in the generation, transmission, trading, distribution and bulk supply and resale of electricity either directly or otherwise; and a bill by Hon. Suleiman Kawu to alter relevant provisions of the constitution to make for financial autonomy for state legislatures.

LG financial autonomy: Financial autonomy for councils has been a recurring issue.

Uncertainty of funding has led to a disconnect between the councils and governors, who recklessly expropriate funds for

their councils. The contentious provisions are contained in Section 162 which states among others: “Each State shall maintain a special account to be called “State Joint Local Government Account” into which shall be paid all allocations to the Local Government Councils of the State from the Federation Account and from the Government of the State.

“Each State shall pay to Local Government Councils in its area of jurisdiction such proportion of its total revenue on such terms and in such manner as may be prescribed by the National Assembly. The amount standing to the credit of Local Government Councils of a State shall be distributed among the Local Government Councils of that State on such terms and in such manner as may be prescribed by the House of Assembly of the State.”

Fiscal matters: Apart from the Bill before the ad-hoc committee, the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) had on several occasions made submissions to the National Assembly canvassing the scrapping of the State and Local Government Joint Account (JAC). RMAFC Chairman, Engr.

Elias Mbam, recommended that JAC, which is operational in most states be

abolished to ensure the sovereignty of local government administration in the country.

According to him the abolition would forestall abuse of funds by state governments as allocations meant for local councils would go directly to council accounts without any interference by state governments.

Removal of immunity clause: Also in consideration is the removal of immunity for the President, Vice President, State Governors and their deputies.

Rep. Eziuche Ubani, a third term member of the House told Vanguard that the removal of the immunity clause would depend on submissions gathered from stakeholders.

Biggest sentiment “There is no proposal before us on the removal of immunity clause yet. However, we will respond to the biggest sentiments of the people of Nigeria. The President will have to send a proposal to the National Assembly. So, I assure you that we will treat the issue appropriately if we have a proposal to that effect,” he said.

The Justice Alfa Belgore committee set up by President Goodluck Jonathan had recommended the removal of the clause. A host of federal

executive to implement certain resolutions of the National Assembly. A Bill to that effect has equally been debated and passed on to the constitution review committee for further legislative actions. Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila (ACN/Lagos) who is championing this proposal disclosed that the amendment aims to put to an end the current scenario where resolutions of the House are regarded as “mere expressions of opinions” and are either ignored or treated with levity.

Independence of state legislatures: The issue of granting financial independence to State Houses of Assembly is equally being considered. A bill to that effect has been endorsed by the House and referred to the constitution review committee .

It is aimed at putting state legislatures on the first line charge, a status which the National Assembly now enjoys.

In the last constitutional amendment, the amendment was made by the National Assembly but majority of the State Houses of Assembly rejected it.

It was believed that State governors were not favourably disposed to the amendment because of its tendency to redeem the state legislatures from the shackles of perpetual financial dependence on governors and possibly encourage “disloyalty”.

42—Vanguard,

THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012

No Bini agenda against Oshiomhole — Omo-Ojo OROBOSA OMO- OJO is the Special Adviser to Governor Adams Oshiomhole on Arts, Culture and Tourism. Orobosa is also the Publisher of a community paper, the Mid West Herald. In this interview in Benin, he claims that Governor Oshiomhole has fulfilled 95 percent of his electoral promises to Edo people, dismisses insinuations of a Bini Agenda against the governor and affirms that people will return the governor for a second term Excerpts:

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

A

DAMS Oshiomhole was touted as a trade unionist that could not fit into the political system. To what extent has he accomplished his political goals as conceived at his political advent?

Our position and response then to those people that made such assertion was that they should wait and see. People said then that we were inexperienced and were new comers in politics. The PDP did say that they were going to teach us political lessons that we would never forget but looking back, all the assumptions, hypocrisies and empty talks have been proved very wrong. We have not only asserted that we were new breed of politicians but have asserted ourselves as the new face of the

political class in Edo State. By and large, we have achieved 95% percent of what we set out achieve in this state. I want to say categorically without fear or favor that Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has achieved over 95% of our blueprint in our contract with Edo people. Our campaign then was tailoredmade and was well planned.

We have been executing our work plan such as the rebranding of the state; employment of teachers; construction and reconstruction of schools across the state, construction of roads across the three senatorial districts; hospitals etc, etc. This did not come by accident. We have achieved all we promised in our contract with the people. The redeployment of resources especially in the employment of the work force did not come by

SIR Pat Mgbemena is the Special Adviser to Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State on Project Monitoring and Implementation. In this interview Mgbemena chronicles the state administration’s efforts in boosting infrastructure in the state and gives reasons why the government is also seeking external sources of funding for some projects. Excerpts:

BY ANAYO OKOLI THE administration has embarked on road construction and rehabilitation of existing roads especially in Aba. But how do you plan to maintain them to last?

There is a map of the drainage system in the city and all of them are being de-silting and we hope to ensure that no refuse are dumped in to the drainages again. We have being educating Aba residents on the need to ensure that the drainages are free to enhance free flow of flood to keep the city clean.

Apart from roads, which other areas is the government working on?

Governor T.A. Orji is in a hurry to develop Abia state. He has embarked on the construction of an International Conference Centre; there is a twin secretariat for civil servants, which is nearing completion and rehabilitation of

C M Y K

*Mgbemena: Orji doing well the old one. New office block complexes are being built for the Judiciary, the state radio station,

*Omo-Ojo:No Bini agenda accident, but was contained in our detailed manifesto in 2007.

What is your take on the campaign that a Benin man must rule the state now?

It is on record and I stand to be challenged that there are very few people who can lay claim to the Bini agenda more than Orobosa Omo Ojo. It is on record that I begged for a Bini governor in 2007 and I was castrated by political godfathers of the state because we were bold to stand as a cultural -political class that demanded for a Bini man as governor in 2007. But most of us have now realized that we are

now doing better.

T h e progressive Bini men and women, the true leaders, the traditional institution, the young men among them that are still left in the civil society group have said a word; enough is enough for those depriving the generality of the people from Edo South.

They should stop depriving Edo South of their rightful place in the comity of Edo State. As far as I am concerned, the Bini agenda as it is now is a parochial thing, a kind of a mortgage decision; we are very happy right now, because the two urban local government areas, Egor and Ikpoba are now like Benin – City. The governor is an Etsako man who has thought it wise to revamp Edo South, we are grateful, we are not deceivers; the governor is detribalized and has the backing from the seven local government areas that make Edo South.

The PDP governorship candidate has promised to bring his military experience to bear in tackling the matter of

insecurity in the state. Do you see him getting an advantage on that?

When the PDP carelessly accused the ACN administration of not doing enough on security, I can say that these people were in this state when armed robbers were sending letters to households ahead of their visit and the PDP government could not do anything. If they are honest enough, they will recognize that we have left that Dark Age since 1999.

When I was appointed by the Igbinedion government to revamp the Nigerian Observer Newspaper. I know where we were coming from and I know where we are and as a Chief political historian and a publisher of a community newspaper I have all the records but God knows where we are going to.

The PDP (federal) administration controls the police SSS, Air force, Army and Navy and they have been confronted with the menace of Boko Haram, they have not found answer to it; the issue of security has not been guaranteed by the PDP till now.

The Election is around the corner, what is your advice to Edo people?

First is to do is that those who are registered and those who are to be registered should not sell their votes because most of these noise makers would want to cause problem on election day. I also advise those who have registered not to play with their voters cards, they appreciate the importance of their voters’ cards.

Why we need more money in Abia — Mgbemena and the health sector has witnessed the greatest infrastructural revolution.

Abia is best described as a health tourism centre. These things are there to be seen not mirage. We are relocating two markets to two new international standard markets we are building.

At the Ubani Ibeku market where the present Umuahia Central Market will move to, we already have over 3500 shops ready and the target is 7300 shops. At the Industrial market, we have 1500 shops ready and the target is 5000 shops. We are also relocating mechanics and the luxury bus parks in Umuahia to Oyiha.

You are aware that water does not run in Umuahia, the capital city and of course in Aba, the commercial city. What

is the plan of the Government to see that potable water runs in these cities?

We are working assiduously to see that water runs in these towns. We have concluded arrangement for the Federal Government to take over the Aba Regional Water Scheme and this we hope would fasten the provision of water to the commercial city.

For the Umuahia Regional Water Scheme, the problem was that construction companies damaged the pipes. The government is replacing them.

Even some pipes were cut and people built on them. We are repairing them and water would soon run in Umuahia.

Umuahia as a state capital is expanding and more people are coming in to settle there. This is stretching the existing accommodation in the city and it is evident on the ever increasing house rents, does the government have any plan to tackle this?

Oh yes, we have. We are doing a lot in the housing sector. We have the Amuba Housing Estate,

where we already have about 100 units out of the 300 units target ready. They are made up of low and medium units. At the Isieke Housing Estate, we have 25 Duplexes for the legislators. Our target here is 1500 and we have got 60 units to roofing level.

The government uses local contractors for most of its projects. What informed this decision?

Yes, it is deliberate. The local contractors go to site when you want them without waiting for mobilization. Foreign contractors demand 40 per cent mobilization.

We brought a foreign contractor to Aba. They demanded 40 per cent mobilization of the contract sum before they could move their equipment to site.

The cost of the four roads was N9 billion and they wanted 40 per cent which is about N3.5 billion which we would use to do some roads. They are very expensive. By engaging local contractors we are empowering them and they are engaging our youths in their sites.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012—43 Edited by MCPHILIPS NWACHUKWU 08026350360 E-mail: chimeena@yahoo.com

BY JAPHET ALAKAM As part of its avowed mission to empower the people by promoting reading culture and bringing books and other instructional materials closer to the people for better education and self-improvement , the Nigerian Book Fair Trust Fund last week held its 11th edition of the Nigeria International Book Fair (NIBF 2012) at the Multi-purpose halls of the University of Lagos, Nigeria.

How not to Bring Back the Book ... As govt shuns Lagos Book Fair

T

A

nd this year’s international conference held at Afe Babalola Auditorium, University of Lagos, and Lagos, Nigeria as usual looked at a crucial issue that threatens the growth of the book industry in Africa with the theme: The State of Infrastructural Development in Africa and the Future of the Book Trade.

The speakers at the conference were of the view that though the book industry is lacking infrastructural support that should aid its growth, that there is future for the book industry if major players think outside the box and see the current challenges as surmountable.

The conference was chaired by

•Participants at the 11th edition of Nigeria International Book Fair which ended last week at the Mult-ipurpose halls of University of Lagos, Nigeria.

•Prof.Wole Soyinka authographs a book at the fair

Ambassador Segun Olusola, Chairman of African Refuge Foundation, while the keynote speaker was Ghanian born Richard Crabbe, a book expert from the World Bank group who has been in the book business for years.

Crabbe in his well researched paper engaged the minds of the audience on the future of books in Africa by looking at the infrastructural problems in Africa, how it affects the growth and stability of the book trade and what is to be done to address the situation.

In his address, Mr. Samuel

Kolawole, Chairman of NBFT highlighted the importance of infrastructure to economic growth and its input to human development. He said that it has an extensive influence on the entire economy and the existence of a state, and hence the book industry is no exception.

He acknowledged the fact that infrastructural development in Africa has been very poor in spite of considerable amount of resources which has been deployed to it. And explained that the trust of the global book trade is that despite infrastructural deficiency, the content, which defines a good book will be presented to the public hence the publication of nonbound books or novelty titles like; e-books and online book sales.

The keynote speaker, Crabbe in his paper opened the mind of many to the challenges in the book industry and the way forward. According to him, current research indicates that Africa which is labeled a hopeless continent ten years ago is today hailed as the rising continent.

Africa, he said is “experiencing significant changes in many areas and as she braces these changes the question for the publishing industry will be: how will it prepare

,

he fair which was organ ised by Nigerian Book Fair Trust, a coalition of major stakeholders in the Nigerian book sector as usual lived up to its bidding as over 150 exhibitors from Nigeria and other parts of the world participated.

The fair also opened another window for many to network in the book and publishing sector with direct contact with major players in the industry from within and outside the country. For many who have been looking for where to buy books, connect with publishers, especially young writers, schools and schools’ children as well as the general public, the fair provided an avenue to meet their educational needs under one roof in a conducive environment.

Apart from the exhibition, one other major feature of the fair was the annual International Conference of Nigeria International Book Fair that brings together stakeholders in the book industry to rub minds on topical issues that bother on the stability of the industry.

The trust of the global book trade is that despite infrastructural deficiency, the content, which defines a good book will be presented to the public

and position itself to fulfilling the needs of potential readers/users.”

The continent, he continued, “ is living with the development of the information communication technology in the world today, technology now enables digitising a work to allowing for repurposing and repackaging into various formats and onto different platforms for use in different media.”

T

he world bank expert went on to highlight some of the likely benefits accruing from a virile book industry to which include: removal of burden of printing en mass, shipping the materials before printing, correcting mistakes without incurring extra cost, making it easy for people to assess books from any part of the world thereby satisfying the local and the international market at the same time.

Based on the much advertised clamour about the Bring Back the Book Culture by the President, one would have expected that at such a debate on the future of the book industry, people from the presidency, the education ministry and legislators will be

,

present. But they were not there neither their representatives.

Even the Minister of Education Prof. Ruoqaayyatu Rufaí who was supposed to be the Special Guest of Honour and the House Committee Chairman on Education, Farouk Lawan, who was billed to chair the event were conspicuously absent and were not even represented. Another group of people that were not represented include; the financial institutions which were supposed to be there too . So the absence of the Education Minister and House Committee Chairman and others from the presidency brings to the fore the reason why the education sector is continually neglected.

Other activities that marked this year ’s fair include the unveiling of Prof. Wole Soyinka’s new book , special education workshop, Children’s programmes and the NBFT Life Time Achievement Award which was conferred on two eminent people in the book industry including; Chief M.O.Akinleye, former Chief Executive Officer of University Press Plc and foremost librarian, Prof. Felicia Adetoun Ogunseye.

44—Vanguard , THURSDAY THURSDAY,, MAY 17, 2012

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSD AY, MA Y 17, 2012 —45 THURSDA MAY

Glass of milk a day keeps your weight in check eatrightconsult@yahoo.com D 08091276796 UE to the fact that cheese is a concentrated dairy product made from milk curds, it is a dense source of many of the nutrients in milk. With its naturally occurring calcium and phosphorous, coupled with its protein, fat and vitamins, you cannot overemphasize the versatility of cheese.

Consume cheese in-between, with or after meals especially if you indulge in sugary drinks and snacks because it may help in preventing your tooth from decay.

This is because when we eat cheese, our

with Funke Oshifuye reduce and replace the calcium lost when teeth come under attack from acids produced in the mouth. It has been shown that when we eat cheese after repeated consumption of acidic drinks, the levels of calcium in the plaque can be returned

to pre-drink levels.

Lactose intolerance describes a reduced ability to digest the milk sugar, lactose due to low levels of the enzyme, lactase, in the gut.

In people who have this condition, consumption of certain amounts of lactose tends to produce symptoms such as bloating, production of gas, stomach cramps and diarrhoea which can be painful and unpleasant. In effect, dairy products are often avoided by this section of the population and this can compromise requirements for nutrients such as calcium and phosphorous towards which dairy products make a significant dietary contribution. But cheese has come to the rescue! It is worthy to note that most

of the lactose in the original milk used to make cheese is removed during processing.

Cheese is often criticised because of its high salt content. This is owing to the fact that sodium in the form of sodium chloride (or salt) is added to cheese in order to preserve them and bring out the flavour.

Worried about your high blood pressure?

Put your mind at rest because the sodium content of cheese varies between the different varieties depending on the amount of salt added by the manufacturers and there are many low sodium varieties now available in the shops. Eat your cheese in moderate quantities as it is a good provider of a host of other essential nutrients. In effect, it is more beneficial to health than harmful!

FG tasked on Zamfara lead poisoning epidemic

T mouth produces more saliva which helps to clear food and reduce the amount of sugar present for fermentation and acid production by the bacteria in the mouth.

The saliva also helps to neutralise the acid that is formed, and can help to inhibit the action of plaque bacteria helping to reduce acid production and damage. Studies have also found that consuming cheese either alone or as part of a meal, whether mixed or cooked increases the concentration of calcium in the plaque around our teeth which in turn helps to

HE Nigerian government has been called upon to commit significant resources to respond to the lead poisoning epidemic in Zamfara State, which has killed or maimed thousands of children since 2010.

The call was made by international medical humanitarian organisation, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and other delegates at the International Lead Poisoning Conference held in Abuja.

Delegates at the conference endorsed an action plan calling for the Nigerian government’s commitment to resolve the crisis, which included three key pillars: medical care; environmental remediation; and safer mining. To succeed, government, in particular the ministries of mines, environment, and health at both Federal and state levels, must commit to

significant resources and coordination efforts. Decision-makers from the Nigerian government and the ministers of mines, environment, and health were not present at the event and no concrete action was announced.

“There has been plenty of talk, but now is the time for action,” said Ivan Gayton, MSF country representative in Nigeria.

“MSF will consider this conference to be a success when all of the poisoned children are living in a safe environment and receiving treatment.”

Promised funds of N850 million ($5.4 million) for environmental remediation (the removal of contaminants) and safer mining in Zamfara have languished for months, while thousands of children continue to suffer from acute lead poisoning.

Release of the funds is a key priority of

the Action Plan, as is the immediate remediation of the village of Bagega, where an estimated 1,500 children have been suffering from lead poisoning since 2010. They continue to wait for their village to be made safe. MSF cannot provide effective treatment in locations such as Bagega, until it is remediated.

MSF treats the sickest children at its inpatient facility in Anka Hospital.

“The people of Bagega are desperate for help,” said Zakaria Mwatia, a nurse and project coordinator for MSF in Zamfara. “Some of the villagers are attempting to remediate their own compounds in hopes that MSF will be able to provide treatment.”

“To effectively cut the pathways of lead contamination requires specialized expertise and equipment,” said Simba Tirima, a scientist with Terragraphics, an environmental engineering firm.

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46—V anguard, THURSD AY, MA Y 17, 2012 46—Vanguard, THURSDA MAY

Love is a bitch! (3)

“The road which leads to happiness varies, it depends on the path”. – My Love For him, there was no

second meeting.

This brings me down to case study number two…

11th January, 2011 He was a part of my past, I knew him before I met my love and just when I needed to be in a “ real relationship”, I met Jan in October, 2007.

As I journeyed through the never-ending routes between Lagos and

,

HI One of the most painful experiences a spouse can go through is discovering suddenly that what he/she shares with the other is a ruse. That he/she is only being stringed along.

That time, emotions and hope have all gone to waste.

What does one do when you discover that the whole relationship has been a lie? You may think that the right answer will be to walk away.

However, as they say, the heart is not so smart. The heart wants only what it wants, so it keeps falling again and again.

Today, we will be reading an expose from a young lady on her quest to finding love. Though she makes no attempt to hide her shortcomings, she is bold to state that her heart remained with the guy who could not love her the way she ought to be loved.

I do not intend to pass any comments here. I want to leave that to you, our readers. Please, Amy as she identified herself will be happy to read your views and advice for her.

Our address remains: the Human Angle, Vanguard Media Limited, 1007, Apapa, Lagos. Or e-mail a d d r e s s : humananglepage@yahoo.com We look forward to your contributions.

“Was I the one to call daily?” “Wasn’t it also your responsibility?” “Didn’t you bother to ask what happened to me all this while too?” those and many more where the questions on my lips as I wondered what he meant by his statement. To make matters worse, when I told him I needed a break, he said “just know that you might

My company shared a building with his and since I was an administrative officer, he would always pass through my office on the way to his,one thing he had, carriage and another thing, charm

Anambra State, I happened to be in a bus with two very fine guys, who were scoping my friend and me all the way, till we made stops and even until we alighted.

Lucky for them, we caught their charms and exchanged conversations, and even phone numbers.

That was the beginning of something “real” for me.

He was nice, fun and understanding, nice smile what I needed at that time.

But in a little while, he became the opposite; he called less and then didn’t call at all. I kept on calling, understanding that he had issues at hand and just when I decided to relent for two months, my dear one didn’t think of me either. I made contact with him again after two months and the first thing I heard was “why did you stop calling?” now, that got into me.

,

not meet me there when you decide to quit your break”. That brought about the spark in my head and just then I knew I didn’t need this, not when I was beginning to receive friendship calls from my would-be-love.

He apologized several times through the years but I was carried away with recent developments that I ignored him and as usual, told him about my new love, one I had given my all, all that I could not give him. Now that got him upset, but he reasoned with me and begged me not to throw away what we shared.

Well, I considered that when he showed up in January, 2011 after a long time of struggling to be happy with or without my love.

One thing led to another and I compromised for the

first time since being heart broken in 2009, he got what I didn’t give him in his time, there was supposed to be “one and only”, but it became” two and one only” because I knew then that there could be no other love, because for me, my heart recognized just one, no matter how many I got intimate with. Just like the first, there was no second meeting.

20th July, 2011 Having fulfilled my Degree requirements from my University, I got called up for National Youth service and though things were on and off again with my love, I decided to stay off anything that would bring me pain, but pain was written in my eyes and mostly in things I did.

My mood fluctuated badly and I just kept to myself, smiling when I should and keeping a straight face otherwise.

NYSC camp days were just okay for me, but what made it fun was the fact that I got myself involved in Spiritual affairs, I was occupied and didn’t have reason to be alone, but my introvert nature always came to play once in a while.

Also interestingly, I met wonderful people who were and still are my “besties” and when I look back, I thank God for the great gifts he sent me in camp.

My next case started when I resumed at my Place of Primary Assignment. There, I couldn’t hide my nature and though I tried to be all jovial, he noticed me.

My company shared a building with his and since I was an administrative officer, he would always pass through my office on the way to his. One thing he had, carriage and another thing, charm. His smile always reminded me to smile and when he spoke to me, he made sure to address the pressing needs, assuring me that life was not worth the stress and trouble attached to it.

Friends Searching Males

•Edi, a graduate, needs an employed and God fear-

ing lady, aged 25 and above, for a relations h i p . 0 7 0 8 4 7 4 4 6 8 0 •Kelly, 26, resides in Lagos, needs a lovely and pretty lady, for a relationship.

0 8 1 2 3 5 8 3 7 1 4 •Chuks, 27, 5.6ft, tall resides in Warri, needs an employed girl, in Warri, aged 18-25, who is God fearing, neat, romantic and respectful, for a serious relationship. 07053067564 •John, 32, needs a God fearing girl, aged 20-25, for a serious relationship.08036977960 •Graham, 30, resides in Ogun state, needs a fat woman, aged 29-30, for a relationship, that could lead to mariage.

07031876782 •Reme,30, physically challenged, resides in Warri, needs an employed man, aged 32-36, for a relationship, that will lead to marriage. 08059738882 •Emmy, 25, needs a sexual active woman aged 25-40 who is based in Lagos, for a relationship.08123082175 •Moses, 34, self employed, resides in Asaba, needs a matured girl, that is ready for marriage.

0 8 0 3 0 8 5 3 1 3 5 , 0 8 0 2 6 9 9 9 3 6 4 •Lambert, resides in Lagos, needs a good girl, aged

17-18, for a relationship.08167660077

•Eddie, 25, resides in Lagos, needs a good look-

ing and responsible, girl, aged 22, from Akwa Ibom state.08162117154 •Austine, 27, from Ughelli Delta state, needs a romantic and sexy lady, aged 18-25, for a serious relationship, that can lead to mar•Godwin, riage.08029289143 22, resides in Onitsha, needs a girl, aged 18 and above, for a serious relationship. 08101044860

•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 08056180122. Cheers!

BY ONOZURE DANIA

Dating mistakes

BY ONOZURE DANIA

A

RE you making dating mistakes that stand in the way of you finding the right person or keeping the right person after finding him or her?

Too often people end up ruining their chances with the person they are dating by committing fixable errors.

If you’ve ever had to sum up the biggest mistake women make in dating in one sentence, it would be this. Women start making the man a priority, when they are still just an option.

In other words, ladies start acting like the girlfriend way before he has decided he wants the lady in that role!

Women start expecting contact, expecting him to do certain things and when he doesn’t they freak. They start wanting to control the outcome. Big mistake! You c a n ’ t !

So how do they start trying to control the outcome?

They may start to initiate contact when they haven’t heard from him for a few days. If he does not reply to their texts message, they text again and sometimes again. This sends him the signal loud and clear, that they are way more into him than he is in to them.

Another way ladies make mistakes in dating, is to start asking questions like, why didn’t you call? Are you going to call? Where do you see this going? Are you looking for a relationship?

Things like that. When ladies ask these questions, they are telling him loud and clear he has the power to dictate the terms of how this dating thing plays out.

They are seeking reassurance from the man and he sees this as insecurity and feels he has to validate them. This is not good, at all.

Another mistake women make in dating which also applies to the option or priority rule is to start giving to the man.

They start making offer to do things for him to make his life better, hoping this will make him like them more.

They may do his laundry, cook for him, go out of their way for him. This is a huge attraction killer.

This behavior should be reserved for a man that has made you a priority, not a man that has taken you on a few dates. Stop worrying about if he likes you or not, let him wonder if you like him instead.

On the other hand, men too make these mistakes and one of the mistakes men make with women is giving away their power. What most guys don’t realize is that by giving away their power and making the woman the leader, they trigger a particular emotional response in a woman that can be described roughly as an instant buzz kill. Giving away your power kills attraction faster than you can say, “I touch myself.”

Women are not attracted to weak men but guys always act weak around the ones they desire. Think about it. As a guy, are you more attracted to a 6ft tall or a woman with short hair, or a woman who’s 5.6ft tall with a slim, hourglass figure, long hair and a model face? Another way guys screw this dating up is by doing things such as asking a woman out, then asking her where she’d like to be taken out.

Then, when she says, “Oh, wherever is fine,” men push the issue and try to force her to lead by saying, “No, really where do you want to go?” please take the lead and act the man that you are!

•Tony, 26, a footballer, from Anambra state, needs a beautiful and good lady, aged 30 and above, for a serious relationship.08132333050 •Mamus, reside in Delta state, needs a girl, that will love him, aged 19-21, either from Delta, Edo or Bayelsa.

08135738103 •Kakis, 26, a student, from Warri, needs a girl, aged 18-24, for a serious relationship.

08097039599, 08065200302 •Gabriel, 33, handsome, cool, from Delta state, needs a nice lady, for a serious relationship.

07056711495 •Mosco, 37, tall and handsome man, needs a lady, for a sincere relationship, to satisfy mutual, physical and emotional needs, no strings attached. 07053906983,07067016294 •Success, 27, resides in Benin, needs a decent, respectful and honest lady, for a serious relationship.08075116441,08174919850 •King, 22, from Delta state, needs a matured and very comfortable lady, who can take care of his needs.08164073491 •Ochuko, 54, tall, handsome and dark in complexion, from Delta state, needs a fair in complexion, tall and beautiful girl, who is a Christian, aged 25-28, for marriage. 08056190540, 07033035888

Vanguard Vanguard,,

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 PISCES; Success is within your reach but you must do away with mental arrogance and take good and practical advice from the professionals. Work harder.

ARIES; Your being enterprising will go a long way to further enhance your prospects and if financial advancement is your priority you will fare better. Be more loving.

TAURUS; Prepare to take the lead and exhibit your special talent. Advice from younger people may look good but not practical enough thus if you must take advice today take it from matured personality who may appear authoritative.

GEMINI; Element of luck will work in your favour, however that is not to say you can not back your reasonable plans with practical action. Keep your secrets.

CANCER; You will have your ways; much will depend on how ambitious you are, the bigger your aspiration the better. Take your tried and trusted friends seriously.

THURSDAY THURSDAY,, MAY 17 17,, 2012

— 47

LEISURE

YOUR LUCK TODAY

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Righteousness of prosperity

By Richard Eromosele

T

HE holy writ dwell so much on righteousness. In one, He says righteousness exalts a nation. Who is that nation? Is it the trees and stones?

Never! It is the individuals. It is the people that make up the nation. When the

people of any nation are blessed that nation is said to be wealthy.

What is the relationship between righteousness and prosperity? Must the righ-

TERROR MUDA

teous always be prosperous? The righteous may not be financially prosperous.

However, he can be blessed with other riches of life — a suc-

in “Never say goodbye”

cessful marriage, happy family, good name, wonderful children, contentment, God’s leading etc.

Righteousness exalts a nation and by extension the people. Therefore, the righteous must prosper in the same ways.

By Kola Fayemi

LEO; Here is an ambitious day for many of you and with moderation things will go according to your plans. Financial success is actually close to you than you think.

VIRGO; Make sure your plans for both immediate and far future are legal friendly. This is day of success you will need to savour with your partners/spouse.

LIBRA; Even if you think your health is ok you better make sure you confirm your fitness from your doctor before giving in to strenuous activities. Success at work indicated for those of you who are truly healthy. Be practical please.

SCORPIO; It will not be a bad idea trying to consolidate on progress made recently. And the more co-operative you are today the better it will be for you..

SAGITTARIUS; You will be in good position to take good advantage within your working arena.. Don’t wait till tomorrow before you make important future plans.

CAPRICORN; Tomorrow may bring more challenges than anticipated that is why you will need to prosecute your plans now. Lovers are fairly favoured.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

AQUARIUS; Those of you who are moderate and practical with their financial plans are in for a good day. Live up to expectation within your family circle.

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,

Early death for me?

Dear Joshua, I am not having any terminal disease but some times am afraid of life. Bluntly ‘am I meant for early death? What are my weak points health-wise? Please tell me about my career line.

Sam- Abeokuta.

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

Dear Sam, You are not meant for sudden death but that should not be a license for reckless life style. Although Cancer is said to be one of weak Star signs, with potent and positive aspects the Sun and Mercury got from planets in Virgo and more powerful Scorpio yours is a strong constitution meant for good health. .

Certainly you must have gone through rough times when you were younger, once you are out of it your health path is clearer. And nothing is pointing to early death.

Naturally Cancer born people must be more careful about their tummy (stomach related ailments) and you are not an exception. Other thing you will need to watch carefully include the circulatory system (because of Aquarius influence). Your sense of taste is distinctive and capable of making you a little bit stout as a result of little enlargement of liver because of your sugar intake, which you can control perfectly. As a tropical man fever can come and go, but nothing fatalistic here please.. If you notice toothache symptom do not ignore it.

But yours is a sound and good health, astrologically.

Mercury –the planet of education and Accountancy, together with mighty Sun at positive angle to planets in Virgo (another Accounting Star sign) attracted you to both Accountancy profession and the academic world. Truly you did not make wrong choice of career.

Money will eventually come along this line but it’ll not be as faster as if you take to OIL RELATED BUSINESS. Because Neptune (the planet of OIL) was very comfortable when you were born. It will not be out of place if you have filling stations as time goes by, because you are basically a GAS PERSON. Another money spinning vocation for you include writing either along your line or for film making industry; it is important you exhibit the higher quotient of creativity in your inner-self. Politics is another area you are not looking at now but will surely come. Do you say why?

Because Aquarius is equally political.

Commen3

by Lawrence Akapa

48—Vanguard , THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012

Ondo govt donates bus to NANS

Bill on accident victims underway in Delta

O

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI—A bill that will criminalize refusal by any medical personnel, hospital/clinic to attend to victims of road accidents would soon be enacted in Delta State.

Already, a bill to establish the Delta State Paramedics Board and Commercial Vehicle Passengers Welfare Scheme has passed its second reading on the floor of the state House of A s s e m b l y .

This followed the conclusion of debate on the merits and demerits of the bill by members during which only one legislators opposed the establishment of the board with the rest in f a v o u r .

Leading the debate on the bill, the sponsor, Edoja Rufus Akpodiete said the bill sought to establish a board that would be charged with responsibilities of protecting passengers traveling within and outside the state.

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM—From left: Biola Alabi, MD, M-Net Africa; Dr Akudo Anyanwu Ikemba, CEO/Founder, Friends Africa; and Osayi Alile Oruene, Executive Director, Fate Foundation during the World Economic Forum on Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

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WKA—A DEPUTY Director with the Anambra-Imo River Basin Development Authority, Owerri, Mr. Basil Ejezie, has been clubbed to death at his Umunze, Anambra State country home on a day members of his church were celebrating this year’s Fathers’ Day. The late Ejezie, a Knight of St. Mulumba, KSM, was said to be attending a church service at the Holy Rosary Catholic Parish in the town when he received an information that his attention was needed at home and barely 20 minutes of that invitation, his relation rushed back to the church to inform the Parish priest, Rev Fr Emmanuel Anyaji and other fathers of the church gathered there, that Ejezie had a confrontation with his brothers’ in–law and in the process, a scuffle ensued which led to his death.

It was gathered that when his colleagues got to his house, they saw him lying unconscious and still

association to ensure judicious use of it and never to indulge in any act of thugery, especially as the state prepares for the gubernatorial election.

The governor’s aide noted that the state government has accorded priority to the welfare of students through regular payment of bursary and scholarship, as well as giving attention to matters affecting their lives.

According to him, the purpose of the vehicle was to eradicate the transportation challenges confronting the student leaders during their meetings both within and outside the State.

Group cautions Oshiomhole

BY DOTUN IBIWOYE

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Workers of Eat 'n' Go with their trainers during a training programme in Maimi, USA, organised by the eatery and Domino Group. Photo: Godfrey Bivbere

River Basin Authority boss killed in Anambra

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

NDO State govern ment on Tuesday presented an 18-seater Toyota bus to the State Joint Campus Committee of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, in order to aid mobility of its members.

The gesture brings to two the number of buses so far donated to the student body by the Dr Mimiko administration in the State.

The Special Assistant to the state governor on Student Affairs, Comrade Olamide George, who made the presentation on behalf of the government, implored the leadership of the

wearing the Catholic Men’s Organization, CMO, uniform which he wore to the church earlier.

According to the information, four big sticks allegedly used in clubbing Ejezie to death which were seen at the scene of the incident, have been taken to the police station as exhibits.

Ejezie’s wife of 20 years and a lecturer at the Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze), Dr. Virginia Ejezie, who is the daughter of the founder of the famous Nkpokiti Dance Troupe, the late Chief Festus Nwankwo, was said to be present when her husband was allegedly attacked by her brothers.

Fellow Christians rushed the deceased to the Immaculate Heart Hospital, Umunze, but because there was no doctor on duty, he was taken to Ekwulobia General Hospital where the doctors pronounced him dead after battling unsuccessfully for hours to revive him.

Police public relations officer, Mr. Emeka Chukwuemeka said the

matter had not been brought to his attention, but promised to get in touch

with the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, at Umunze for proper briefing.

13 ships await berthing at Lagos ports

BY EMEKA MAMAH

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BOUT 13 ships are now waiting to berth at the Lagos ports while 15 others are being offloaded at the various terminals following disruption of activities as a result of a one-week strike by tanker drivers in the state last week.

Tanker drivers under the aegis of National Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO, in Lagos State, embarked on strike following disagreements with the state government over parking space, leading to non-offlading of ships throughout the week.

However, by the time work started on Monday, several ships had been stranded in the high sea as they were unable to access any of the terminals for berthing and subsequent offloading of goods.

At the Green View (Dangote) Terminal yesterday, two ships were being offloaded having been allowed to berth, while six others were being offloaded at the ENL Terminal just as three others were being offloaded at the AP Molar Terminal among others.

A port official who spoke on the condition of anonymity told Vanguard that ‘’13 ships are waiting outside the anchorage for space to anchor and discharge of their goods,’’ adding that the high number of ships waiting to anchor was as a result of the face-off between the Lagos State government and NARTO over parking space.

The source said that ‘’each tanker driver who takes away any container of goods must bring back the empty container after removing his goods.’’

HE umbrella organisa tion of Edo youths, Edo Youth Vanguard, EYV, rose from its meeting yesterday in Abuja, with a resolution cautioning Governor Adams Oshiomhole over alleged politics of violence resulting to several deaths in recent times in the state.

In a statement by its Chairman, Matthew Idemudia, the EYV also frowned at the utterances emanating from Governor Oshiomhole, especially the aftermath of the murder of

his former Principal Private Secretary, PPS, Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde, regretting that judgment had already been passed on the opposition party even before the security agencies had concluded their investigations to unmask the perpetrators of the heinous c r i m e .

Idemudia further criticised Oshiomhole for always leading street protests in and outside the state, wondering what legacy he wanted to leave behind as the chief security officer of Edo State.

Stockbroker, 2 others accused of stealing N.141m

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

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CONOMIC and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has dragged a 36-year old stockbroker, Faniran Olubanji Samuel and two others before a Lagos State High Court sitting in Igbosere, for allegedly stealing N141, 000, 000 belonging to APT Securities and Funds Limited during a Shares transaction.

Other defendants in the suit are Charles Odum 33 and Solomon Nathaneal 30.

They were said to have

sometime in March 2008 conspired to commit felony to wit stealing the sum of N135,000,000 property of APT Securities and Funds Limited, an offence contrary to Section 516 of the Criminal Code Law CAP C17, Lagos State, 2003.

In a confessional statement to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the stockbroker said he was approached by the third defendant (Nathaniel) to get 30m units of Food Concept Ltd for APT Securities Ltd in the sum of N135m and N6m respectively.

Alamu Shitta-Bey becomes Seriki Musulumi of Lagos

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LHAJI Nurudeen Ala mu Shitta-Bey has been installed as the new Seriki-Musulumi of Lagos, at the Lagos Central Mosque. Some of the personalities at the event included former governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande, Oba Adedapo Tejuohso, the Osile of Oke-Ona, Egbaland and

the representatives of Turkish government among others.

Tejuosho, in his comment said the choice of Alhaji Shitta-Bey as the new Seriki-Musulumi of Lagos was divine and in line with the desire and yearnings of the Muslim community and other natives.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012 — 49

Ex- PenCom board member urges President Jonathan to embrace CPS BYVICTORAHIUMA-YOUNG

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MMEDIATE past Labour representative in the Board of National Pension Commission, PenCom, Barrister Ivor Takor, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to embrace the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, to give it the political will to sustain it, describing the 2004 Pension Reform as a great gift the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo bequeathed to Nigerian workers.

Takor who is a former president of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, and an exTreasurer of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, argued that it is the President's political will that is required to ensure among others, regular monthly payment of federal government’s employers’ contributions are remitted to workers’ Retirement Saving Accounts, RSA.

Speaking on “Implication of the recommendations of the Presidential Committee on Rationalisation and Restructuring of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies on Pension Reform” he said: “The 2004 pension reform is a great gift the administration of former President Obasanjo bequeathed to workers of this country. However, because gains of reforms are most times not immediately noticeable, workers were and some are still skeptical about the workability of the reform. The current mind blowing fraud uncovered in the administration of the old defined benefits pension scheme where people who lack morals, ethics and fear of God are swimming in “blood” money belonging to senior citizens of this nation, is a pointer to them wisdom of the 2004 pension reform.

It goes without saying that one of the issues likely to engage the

Ivor Takor attention of the Adoke committee is what to do with staff of the 38 agencies to be abolished, the 52 to be merged and the 14 to be transferred to their departments.

Going by past experiences, the government is likely to go for the so called easy way out, retiring and retrenching without taking into consideration the social implication of such a decision.

The purpose of this article therefore is to draw the attention of the Adoke committee and invariably the federal government to the implication of another mass retirements and retrenchments on the pension reform.

“There is a need for the immediate review of the five per cent of the total monthly wage bill payable to all employees of the Federal Government and the Federal Capital Territory currently being paid into the Retirement Benefits Bond Redemption Fund Account in the Central Bank as the percentage has proved to be inadequate.

To build and retain confidence of workers in the workability of the pension reform and prove to critics of the reform that the government put the reform in place for the benefit and wellbeing of retirees and not just to diverse itself from pension administration, the government should through actuarial valuation, determine an appropriate percentage that will have to be paid into the redemption account in order to take it to its pre 2007 retrenchment and eight year tenure policies of government.

These two policies were responsible for depleting and messing up the redemption fund account.

“The Adoke Committee must

realise that throwing all the employees of the affected agencies into the already saturated unemployment market must be a matter of last resort. In that case they must seriously take into consideration and fully address, all labour issues involved in the current policy.

They include but not limited to how the retirement and severance benefits of affected staff are going to be paid without compounding the current problems of lean funds in the Retirement Benefits Bond Redemption Fund Account in the Central Bank of Nigeria, which is currently not guaranteeing the payment of retirements benefits to retirees as and when due."

He added that President Jonathan "should buy into the Contributory pension scheme because political will is required to sustain the .reform, by ensuring the monthly regular payment of the federal government’s employers’ contributions into the Retirement Savings Accounts of public servants and ensuring that the Retirement Benefits Bond Redemption Fund Account in the Central Bank is adequately funded to ensure that retirees are paid their retirement benefits as and when due.”

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Munachi /Mode 9 face-off

Why she deleted ‘apology tweets’

By CHARLES MGBOLU

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HE face-off between hip-hop act, Mode 9 and beauty-queen-turned-rapper Munachi Abii has taken a new twist with the latter deleting the ‘apology tweets’ which she initially tendered to Mode 9 via Twitter.

Munachi’s action, some industry watchers say, may rekindle another round of verbal confrontation between the two respected acts.

Mode 9 and Munachi had a sharp disagreement during the Nokia competition, “Don’t break The Beat” which held about two months ago.

The singer who compered the show was said to be dissatisfied with the decision of the judges in respect of the choice of the winner of the show, as she insisted that her observation should be looked into. A situation, which sparked off a kind of misunderstanding between her and Mode 9, leading to her dishing out command that the latter should “pass the mic”.

But having since apologised to Mode 9 using the same platform - Twitter, Munachi

may have eaten her own words by deleting the famous “apology tweets.”

Unconfirmed sources said Munachi’s management was not happy with the tweets and asked her to delete them.

According to the sources, ‘they expected her to stand by their statement and not apologize, I guess they were pissed off when Muna tweeted it and asked her to delete it.”

•Munachi and Mode 9

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BBA StarGame: Tanzanian pair, Zimbabwean housemate evicted

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Nneji honours Ojukwu in new single

•Nneji

•Evicted Tanzanian pair Hilda and Julio

inger and song writer Nneji Edo has released a new single in tribute to the late Biafran warlord, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

The single titled Obinwanne dwells on Ojukwu’s achievements and what the late Ikemba stood for, while he lived.

For Nneji, the late Igbo leader was a man whose contributions to his Igbo race and the Nigeria nation was overwhelming.

Nneji says “I am so inspired by him. He was a legend to the Igbos, many should learn from his life people should learn to live together, that is why Obinwanne preaches peace, love and unity. People should

learn to make sacrifices he made which will not be in vain.”

He continued “The Igbos should learn to come together as a group among contending ethnic groups in the country.

Apart from the tribute song to the late Ikemba, the Imo State born singer is also promoting his other single I’m in love. Nneji is one of the fast- rising new acts on the block. He hopes to do collabos with big acts like Tuface Idibia, Terry G, Duncan Mighty and Wyclef Jean.

According to him, “they are great artistes, working with them will add to my music style. They are the best in their respectable fields I want to work with people that will build my future. I am proud off any day and anytime.”

ontrary to expectations, three housemates, instead of an expected two, in the on-going Big Brother Africa StarGame reality show, have been evicted last Sunday night.

Big Brother as usual pulled a surprise by evicting Tanzanian pair Hilda and Julio together with Zimbabwean housemate Teclar during last Sunday’s live eviction show in Johannesburg, South Africa.

After a round-up of an adventurous, exciting and entertainment filled first week of season seven of Africa’s most watched reality show, Zimbabwean pair Maneta and Teclar were the first to be asked by IK, host of the show, to leave the house and join him on stage.

Just when the rest of the housemates thought Big Brother had finished casting his painful eviction dice, Tanzanian pair Hilda and Julio were ordered by the host to leave the house and also join him on stage.

Hilda had won the Head of House task on Friday and was expected to assume her role as Head of the Downville House Monday morning. But with eviction staring at her face, many were wondering what Big Brother’s game plan was.

After the results of this week’s votes were handed over to IK, he subsequently asked Maneta to leave the stage with her fate hanging in an unknown balance.

Apparently, she has been saved from eviction and moved from the Downville house to the Upville house which had seven celebrities as housemates.

After that twist, Big Brother decided to throw his painful eviction dagger evicting Teclar first. That was followed by the eviction of Julio and then Hilda who never survived to see the day light of her being Head of House.

With Hilda gone, one has to wait to see who takes over as Head of House of the Downville house.

Stevie Wonder’s nephew arrested for attempted blackmail

•Stevie Wonder‘s

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WO people, including legendary singer Stevie Wonder‘s ‘nephew’, were arrested on Wednesday, May 2, 2012 for allegedly trying to blackmail the artiste.

According to TMZ, Alpha Lorenzo Walker who claims to be the singer’s nephew was arrested with his girlfriend Tamara Eileen Diaz as they tried

extorting money from the singer, claiming they had embarrassing information about him.

The couple threatened to go to the tabloids to declare that Walker is a product of an ‘incestuous relationship between Stevie and his sister’.

Walker earlier demanded the sum of $5 million, but later lowered it to $10,000.

Both pleaded not guilty and have been in custody since then. They are scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 for a hearing, in which a judge will decide whether there is enough evidence for them to stand trial.

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Defrauding people is the only job I know how to do best •Confession of fake Customs officer arrested over N7m fraud

By IFEANYI OKOLIE

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NYONE who comes across Ramoni Raji, on his geycoloured Nigeria Custom Service uniform and the rank of deputy superintendent on his shoulders, would pass him for a real Customs officer. Unfortunately, the reverse is the case for the 60-year-old man whose stock-in-trade is to swindle prospective buyers of auctioned goods from the Customs service.

His dirty deals blew open after operatives from the special antirobbery squad, SARS, Zone two, Lagos got wind of his nefarious activities after he swindled a middle-aged woman, Kikelomo Godson of N7m. Kikelomo attempted to procure some seized goods from the Customs. SARS men arrested him with two other members of his syndicate at Apapa area of Lagos State. They used a man who set him up and they ended up in their net.

The suspect told Crime Alert during an interview that he took to fraud since 1978 owing to his inability to get engaged in a better means of livelihood. He said: “I have been a fraudster for over 34 years and this is the only job I

take them to a warehouse in any of the Ports and also at the Federal Operations Unit in Ikeja. I would then show them goods and if they indicate interest, would give •The suspect, Ramuni Raji them prices for the goods and ask them to pay part of the money so that I can start processing Bank cheque for N5m. I was arrested by the police who were the papers for them in Abuja.”

Asked the number of his waiting for me at the banking unsuspecting victims, the suspect premises.”

Meanwhile, Mrs. Godson who kept mute refusing to divulge names of people he has duped. spoke with Crime Alert on the He, however, agreed to have phone over the incident said she swindled Mrs Godson of her has been hospitalized since the money but added that he took only incident occurred. She also said N3m from her. He said: “She came she borrowed some of the money to me last August at Apapa Warf Raji took from her. She said: “I met and asked if I could help her buy Raji through one Chief Doati who auctioned goods from the claimed he Customs. I told her that the was a retired Customs wanted to sell two trailer C u s t o m s loads of rice that was impounded officer who could link me from an importer. his “I took her to a warehouse filled to with rice and told her that they colleagues in would be sold for N5000 each; she still agreed and gave me part payment. service. He me She evinced considerable gave optimism and I thought of getting Raji’s phone more money from her. I then told number and her I had a better business for her. I contacted We I took her to Federal Operations Raji. agreed to meet at A p a p a wharf.

I thought I was dealing with a genuine Customs officer, I Unit in Ikeja and showed her never knew Hilux trucks assuring her that if that he was a she could buy them, she would fraudster. He make better profits. She asked for showed me a the prices and I told her that each warehouse of it would be sold for N1.5 million filled with against the original prices. I don’t rice and said know how she did it, the next thing C u s t o m s I saw was that she gave me a wanted to cheque of N2m and I cashed it auction them at N5,500 per from the bank.

“After I took the money, I bag. ”You know disappeared. I and Chief Doati a trailer load shared the money. But last week, of rice I got a call from one of my scouts who usually got customers for me contains 600 and he said some people were bags, so, I looking for textile materials seized paid him

by Customs and asked if I could N3.3 m for get it for them. I asked that a the rice. Then meeting be arranged between me he said rice and the buyers. I didn’t know it don’t pay was a set up. I met with the party good profits and told them to pay N5m for the and that he goods and they gave me a First had a better

Customs officers at the Federal Operations Unit, Ikeja opened the gate for him and he walked around the premises like a genuine officer

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know how to do. Before I went into fraud, I tried some other jobs but they weren’t providing enough money to fend for my family. I started using this Customs uniform last year when I and one Chief Doati decided to form a syndicate that could defraud prospective buyers of auctioned goods. You know lots of people are competing to buy Customs auctioned goods because they are cheap.

“I and Chief Doati thought it wise to swindle prospective buyers. First, I bought a uniform from Customs Training School, Ikeja, and sewed it at a tailoring shop in my area in Ipaja. Chief Doati’s job was to get our victims.

He would tell them that he had connections in the Nigeria Custom Service that could help facilitate the easy buying of auctioned goods. Then he would link them to me. All I needed to do was to

,

•Cp Lagos, Mr. Umaru Manko business for me. He took me to Federal Operations Unit in Ikeja and showed me three white coloured Hilux trucks and said if I could raise enough money that Customs intended to auction them. While at FOU, everyone that came across him greeted him properly.

“They opened their gate for him and he walked around the premises like a genuine officer.

After getting the prices, I then contacted one of my business

partners in Port Harcourt to lend me N4 million so that I would pay for the goods pending when Raji would process the papers. And the man brought the money for me. I even went to pick the man from the airport with him and he gave a cheque of N4 m. After he got the money, he disappeared. He stopped picking my calls and I made several efforts to see him but I couldn’t. I fell sick over the lose and the man who provided the money for business have been on my neck ever since.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012 — 57

Aptitude tests expose education fallen standard, says Mokikan

Femi Mokikan

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HE Executive Director of 7UP Bottling Company Plc, Mr. Femi Mokikan, has said aptitude tests before employment has exposed the level of rot in the nation’s education, warning that if urgent steps are not taking by the government, it could take Nigeria not less than 50 years to recover.

Mokikan a human resource expert, spoke to Labour Vanguard on experiences from interaction with different individuals and employees during job interviews and on the jobs in relation to educational qualifications.

"I remember years back, when you make statements like our educational standard is falling, some will say it is not falling, that it is just that the things we were looking at in those days and the ones we are looking at today are not the same. I remember primary six pupils in those days, some of them used to teach. Some of them could teach in secondary schools today. Today, a graduate cannot even teach. Anyway, the aptitude tests that we have administered show the kind of educational system that we have.

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nybody can say whatever he likes, but I have no doubt in my mind that there is a sharp decline between the qualities of students that leave our educational institutions, not just universities. I started my life as a lecturer in a polytechnic. I went to the university as a student, and to the polytechnic as a lecturer. I know what it was then, and what it is today, because I still relate with some of my friends there. Things have changed. We had a test here (7UP), the very first question in the quantitative section was to compute mean, mode, median, of the following…. , I know that anyone who did statistics in school, even in secondary school, when they give you data you rearrange it first before you start anything.

There was a man who said he had Bsc Mathematics/Statistics, and won an award, but he failed the

question. He failed the test, and I insisted they invite him for interview, because I wanted to know what exactly the problem was.”

“So, he came for the interview, and I asked him whether he could recall any of the questions especially in the quantitative. He said yes. I said how did you do that one? He said it was okay. The way I was asking him questions, he suspecting something, so he asked; if he did not pass the test, how come he was invited for interview. I said, I cannot beat that logic, but insisted that he failed.

I had his paper with me. So I said, if you say you had a Bsc in Mathematics/Statistics from one university up there, you do not need to prepare for just mean, mode, median. So, I stared at him for a long

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BY VICTOR AHIUMAYOUNG

that I would pay money. Then he said, somebody like you, if you enter, “for six years will you still come and be writing exams too?”

I said, if I do not write exams, how would I graduate? Then he started mentioning names of military leaders who had gone through that course. He said “do you think they wrote exams?” I said that is their business. But the truth is that our educational system is rotten. It is a reflection of the society at large. Everything today is about money.”

“The university and polytechnic people know what their problems are. Unfortunately, the students are not helping matters. Because they know they can pay money, they go into all kinds of societies and threaten lecturers.

Lecturers are afraid of failing students. I think there is one university in the middle belt where they went and killed two lecturers. Because of these, things have gone very bad. I know some of my colleagues who when they want to employ 20 persons they would call 100 people and send them to one particular university,

I know some of my colleagues who when they want to employ 20 persons they would call 100 people and send them to one particular university, take them through a six months program, give them exams, and pick the best 20 out of them

time, and he said “I’m no longer interested in this job, I don’t want to continue”. I said, “you will continue my friend”. So I asked him.

“Who is the owner of this result?

Tell me. I do not want to hand you over to the security. Not because what you did is right. But because, I will be the one they will be telling come today, come tomorrow”. Then he said “Oga, just let me go”. The truth is that many just pay money for results.”

Personal experience.

When I wanted to go and do law, they said we should come for test, I went for the test. I went to the wrong place, and somebody agreed to show me the right place. But I said, I know where the right place is. He said he was going there, that I should give him a ride, so I gave him a ride.

On the way, the man asked me why I wanted to write the test. He said there is a way they could do it that I would not write the test.

He gave me somebody’s name,

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take them through a six months program, give them exams, and pick the best 20 out of them. The solutions to our problems are not farfetched; it is just the people at the top, our leaders.”

Way forward I believe what is needed is honesty, transparency, believing in it, saying “once I believe in our educational system, as president, as Governor, as Head of State, as minister, why will I arrange for my children to go to school elsewhere? 70 to 80 percent of them went to school in Nigeria, and they did very well but they watched these same schools go down. Go back to the school you attended from secondary to university, what you see will today will make you cry. Why, because in the course of running after money, getting values wrong, we abandoned those things that we ought to be promoting. Do not make any mistakes, Nigerians are naturally very gifted. The only thing you need as proof is what

they call 419, cyber crime. That is where you will know that Nigerians are extremely gifted, they just need to channel it in the right direction. Unless we make a determined effort to reverse the trend, 50 years from today we will still be talking about it. Of course, the whole world would have left us behind.

Patronising public schools “All rich men that are sending their children abroad to study, we should insist that they must patronize public schools; whether public or private. If you insist that they must all benefit from it, the attitude will change. Why should I worry about such schools when my children are schooling in America or Japan. If you go to those places, there is no such thing as strike. Even in our days it was not that bad. You went in there for three years. Three years

you get your degree, you go. Today except in one or two universities, you get there and you do not know when you will finish.

You only know when you start. For a course that should last four or five years, someone could spend eight years and still be in 300 level. Sadly too, the parents have not helped matters as many buy all kinds of results. Even to get into the university they will pay for their children because the system promotes it. They go and buy admission and all kinds of things because everything has been reduced to naira and kobo.”

The values we used to cherish in those days, somehow we lost those values. When I was a kid, our parents used to tell us “do not spoil my name o, I know I do not have money but I have a name to protect.” These days, there is nothing like a name again. In fact, most young children today do not answer their parents’ names. For example take all our young musicians. Which of them answers their fathers’ names? We used to hear of Sunny Ade and Ebenezer Obe, Fela Anikulakpo Kuti, Sunny Okosun, Victor Uwaifo, Celestine Ugwu. But today you hear 2face, who is his father? 9ice, Ice Prince, MI who are their parents? People have distanced themselves from their roots. That is why it has become all about money. People are saying “Whatever I must do to make this money, I must make it”. And it is affecting every aspect of our lives.

Unions at Oyerinde’s burial

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OMRADE Olaitan Oyer inde, Principal Private Secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, who was assassinated by yet-to-be identified four agents of Satan on May 4, 2012, in his residence, Benin City, the Capital of Edo State was buried last Thursday, May 10, in Ede, his home town, Osun State.

While Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC team was led by Congress President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, were at the burial, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, was led by its Secretary General, Chief John Kolawole.

Among industrial unions and associations that attended the burial of Oyerinde, who was until his death, the Deputy Gener-

Olaitan Oyerinde

al Secretary of NLC, on secondment to Comrade Oshiomhole, were Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, AUPCTRE, Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions, ASSBIFI, Food and Beverage Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, FOBTOB, Iron and Steel Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ISSSAN, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, MHWUN, Nigeria Civil Service Union, NCSU, National of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, National Union of Food Beverage and Tobacco Employees, NUFBTE, National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees, NUBIFIE, Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, National Union of Shops and Distributive Employees, National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Leather, Rubber and Non-Metallic Products Employees, Steel and Engineering Workers of Nigeria, and Senior Staff Association of Nigeria University.

Campaign for Democracy, Committee for Defence of Human Rights, Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Joint Action Front and Michael Imoudu National Institute of Labour Studies, MINILS.

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e ffor or ECO WAS troops G/Bissau: US seeks clear mandat mandate ECOW

BY HUGO ODIOGOR

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HE United Staes has demanded for a clear mandate for the ECOWAS troops being deployed to Guinea Bissau. The United States Secretary of State for African Affairs Mr. Johnnie Carson told African journalists yesterday that Washington welcomes the initative of West African leaders under the guidance of Alhassan Ouatarra, who is the chairman of the sub regional body which is spearheading the peace effort in the region that is witnessing increasing insecurity.

Ambassador Carson said the US has not decided on the type of support it would give to the troops being sent to Guinea Bissau because the mandate of the troops is not clear. He said the mission of the troops must be clearly defined and the security of the subregion is vital to the global community.

He said the US welcomes the ECOWAS condemnation of the military adventurism in Mali and Guinea Bissau

and warned that military men should not be allowed to roll back the gains of democracy on the continent. He said the US also supports the meditaory efforts of former South Africa president, Thambo Mbeki in the Sudanese conflict and urged the two sides to return to the negotiation table. Both Sudan and South Sudan which became independent in July last year have been at each others juggular over border and resource control which that have left hundreds of people dead.

The US secretary of State for African Affairs Ambassador Carson told journalists in a telephone conference yesterday that the two parties should abide by the 7point policy that supports the UN resoultion on the conflict between the two countries. Ambassador Carson said the US supports efforts to resolve the issue of the oil bearing regions including the status of Abiyei, the use the Blue Nile, and monitoring of the borders between the two countries. He called

on South Sudan to withdraw its troops from Abiyei while a verification committee is set up to monitor the borders.

He said the leadership of Sudan and South Sudan must embrace negotiatio and meet on regular basis to ensure peaceful coexistence.

Reports yesterday said Government troops opened fire to stop about 6,000 armed Lou Nuer tribal youth from entering the town of Pibor in Jonglei state which is home to the rival Murle people, Lise Grande, the UN humanitarian co-ordinator for South Sudan, said on Tuesday. Tensions between the two tribes over cattle rustling have mounted in recent months.

•President Obama

Taylor gets Ma e ffor or w ar crimes Mayy 30 dat date war

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HARLES Taylor, the former Liberian president found guilty of perpetrating war crimes in neighbouring Sierra Leone, has accused prosecutors of paying and intimidating witnesses as a UN court heard argu-

Judge rules Greece till June 1 7 vvot ot e 17 ote

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REECE put a senior judge in charge of an emergency government on Wednesday to lead it to new elections on June 17 and bankers sought to calm public fears after the president said political chaos risked causing panic and a run on deposits.

In a sharp blow to confidence, sources at the European Central Bank told Reuters it had halted liquidity operations with some Greek banks because their capital had been too far depleted.

The move would mean those banks are no longer able to park assets at the ECB in return for cash, and would have to seek costlier emergency financing from the Bank of Greece. It was not immediately clear which banks, or how many of them, were affected. One person familiar with the matter said the capital of four Greek banks was so depleted they were operating with negative equity capital.

Greeks have been withdrawing hundreds of millions of euros from banks

in recent days as the prospect of the country being forced out of the European Union’s common currency zone seems ever more real - although there has so far been no sign of a run on bank branches in Athens.

European leaders who once denied vociferously that they were fretting over Greece leaving their currency union have given up pretence. Asked if he was concerned about a Greek exit, European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi said simply: “No comment”.

•Taylor ments before his sentence hearing in two weeks. “Witnesses were paid, coerced and in many cases threatened with prosecution if they did not give statements,” Taylor told the special court at The Hague for war crimes committed during Sierra Leone’s civ-

•Pikrammenos

HE Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has confirmed reports linking Nigerian Pastor Eric Abakporo, who is also a lawyer based in New York to “despicable” fraud: the theft of the life savings of an elderly African-American woman through deceit and lies.

Pastor Eric Abakporo of

Deeper Life Bible church and a cohort, Latanya Pierce, were arrested for swindling the 78 year-old woman and stiffing a bank with a phony $1.8 million mortgage loan.

Pastor Abakporo was arrested on Monday in Queens, NY, while Pierce surrendered voluntarily. According to

with more than 50,000 dead.

It was the first time a former head of state had been convicted of war crimes since the aftermath of World War II. The former president told judges that he sympathised with victims of the war, but stopped short of apologising or expressing remorse. He insisted his actions had actually been done to help stabilise the region and claimed he never knowingly assisted in the commission of crimes.

“What I did...was done with honor,’’ he said. “I was convinced that unless there was peace in Sierra Leone, Liberia would not be able to move forward.”

Bashir links Syrian crisis to foreigners

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OUNTRIES that “sow chaos” in Syria could suffer from it themselves, President Bashar

Nigerian pastor arrested in US for fraud

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il war.

“I express my sadness and sympathy for crimes suffered by individuals and families in Sierra Leone,” said Taylor, speaking before his scheduled sentencing on May 30.Seeking leniency, Taylor, who was convicted last month of 11 counts of war crimes including murder, rape and conscripting child soldiers, said he did not condone impunity in any form. Judges at the UNbacked court said his aid was essential in helping rebels across the border in Sierra Leone continue their bloody rampage during the West African nation’s decade-long civil war, which ended in 2002

New York State Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman, “Through lies and deception, these individuals abused the trust of an elderly woman in order to perpetrate a multimillion dollar fraud. Now that their despicable scheme has been exposed, they will face justice.”

al-Assad has said in an interview shown on Russian television.

Assad is facing an increasingly militarised uprising, which has claimed thousands of lives across the country since it erupted in March last year. “For the leaders of these countries, it’s becoming clear that this is not ‘Spring’ but chaos, and as I have said, if you sow chaos in Syria you may be infected by it yourself, and they understand this perfectly well,” Assad said in the interview, broadcast on Wednesday,

referring to the so-called Arab Spring that toppled other long-time rulers.

He again denounced the armed opposition as a gang of “criminals” who he said contained religious extremists including members of al-Qaeda.

Referring to the opposition Free Syrian Army (FSA), Assad said: “It is not an army and it is not free. “They get money and weapons from abroad from various countries. It is a group of criminals who have for years broken the law and received convictions.” Assad said.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012 — 59

Euros: Terry in, Ferdinand out

Liverpool sack Dalglish

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ENNY DALGLISH has been sacked by Liverpool after just 16 months in charge.

The Scot’s contract was terminated after he flew to the United States to present his end-of-season review to principal owner John Henry and Tom Werner.

Despite Dalglish leading the Reds to Carling Cup glory and to the FA Cup final where they lost to Chelsea, it was their dismal Premier League form which ultimately led to his downfall.

Dalglish said: “It has been an honour and a privilege to have had the chance to come back to Liverpool Football Club as manager.

“Whilst I am obviously disappointed to be leaving the football club, I can say

T

HE new England manager Roy Hodgson has confirmed that John Ter r y will travel to Poland and the Ukraine as part of his squad for the European Championship, while Rio Ferdinand will stay at home.

Hodgson, who named Steven Gerrard as his captain, also underlined his determination to usher in a new generation of England players by including Arsenal’s 18year-old winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in his Euro 2012 squad.

Despite speculation to the contrary, Paul Scholes has not been tempted out of i n t e r n a t i o n a l retirement, while his team-mate Michael Carrick is not even on the standby list.

The Liverpool winger Stewart Downing and his team-mate Andy Carroll will also be travelling to the championships despite mixed seasons for their club following big money moves.

B

that the matter has been handled by the owners and all concerned in an honourable, respectful and dignified way and reflects on the quality of the people involved and their continued desire to move the football club forward in the same way as when they arrived here. "

Obama meets Galaxy

•TOP TARGET — Drogba

Barca line up Drogba ARCELONA are eyeing up a move to nab Didier Drogba on a free transfer from Chelsea.

The Spanish giants want to offer Drogba, 34, a two-year deal worth up to £5million a season to quit Chelsea and snub a move to China, Milan or the USA. Chelsea have also offered the striker a new two-year deal with owner Roman Abramovich pulling out all the stops to keep him.

But Drogba is out of contract and could quit the Blues after the Champions League final on Saturday.

Though a move to Shanghai FC could be far more lucrative, the lure of playing alongside Lionel Messi and Co could prove irresistible for the Ivory Coast star.

A Barcelona source confirmed: “What the

•Dalglish

team needs is an attacking player who has the presence and strength to trouble defenders.

“Drogba has that profile and is one of the players the club are looking at.”

Drogba has spent eight seasons at Stamford Bridge but new boss Tito Vilanova, who will succeed Pep Guardiola after the Copa Del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao next week, wants a worldclass striker as cover for David Villa.

The Spain superstar missed most of this season with a broken foot but will be fit for next season.

Italian giants AC Milan, who have wanted Drogba for years, were also in touch to declare their interest just after Chelsea beat Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final.

•Obama with LA Galaxy team

Tevez begged me to pass him RIP B Fergie sign •City fan tells how star got banner

A

•Tevez with the banner

TEACHER has told how Carlos Tevez BEGGED her to hand him the “RIP Fergie” sign he waved during Man City’s victory parade.

Sue Bradsell, 52, passed the cardboard tombstone to the Argentinian striker as he toured streets by bus to mark City ’s Premier League title win.

She said: “He was leaning over the side of the bus, obviously trying to reach for this poster and begging the crowd to pass it to him. I didn’t know what was on it at the time.

I just saw that he was keen to get hold of it, so I grabbed the sign and shouted out ‘Tevez’ and he took it off me and smiled.”

The delighted soccer star — who previously played for Utd — then held it aloft, sporting a huge grin.

ARACK Obama met David Beckham and his LA Galaxy teammates at a White House ceremony yesterday.

Becks, 37, sported a new moustache and beard as his US team celebrated a league title win with the president.

Obama joked of the exEngland skipper, who has launched a range of pants at H&M: “It’s a rare man who can be that tough on the field and also have his own line of underwear.”

The president also quipped that Beckham was much older than some of his young teammates.

“We are getting old David, although you are holding up better than me.”

The former Man United and Real Madrid star’s new moustached look left him with a passing resemblance to the Guy Fawkes masks worn by anti-capitalist protestors.

60 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012

second in Daegu, off to Eagles storm Calabar May 27 Okagbare Shanghai for IAAF diamond league

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IGERIA will storm Calabar May 27 ahead of a 2014 World Cup qualifier against Namibia next month, officials disclosed.

The qualifier will be played on June 3 and six days later, the Eagles will be hosted by Malawi in continuation of the series.

FIFA have already named Sudanese referee Khalid Abdel Rahman for the Namibia game, while Mauritian referee Rajindraparsad Seechurn will be at the centre when the Super Eagles battle Malawi in Blantyre on Saturday, June 9.

The match will be played at the Kamuzu Banda Stadium in Blantyre, starting from 2.30 pm local time (1.30pm Nigeria time).

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) also announced that coach Stephen Keshi, will on Thursday in Abuja unveil his hit squad for the three qualifiers next month.

Keshi is also expected to name same day the 17 players from the domestic league who will be joined by the five foreign-based players for the trip to Lima, Peru.

Turkey-based striker Ekigho Ehiosun already

joined the squad in Abuja Tuesday evening.

The team to Peru will depart for Madrid from Lagos on May 19 and

Falconets off to Congo DR

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LAYERS and officials of the U-20 Women National Team, nicknamed Falconets, on Wednesday departed for Kinshasha, Congo DR ahead of this weekend’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifying match between both nations.

Saturday’s clash is the second leg , final round of the African series final qualifying fixture that will determine who picks one of the two World Cup tickets reserved for Africa. Nigeria won the first leg 4-0.

Head Coach Edwin Okon led out 18 players and 10 officials aboard an Ethiopian Airline to Addis Ababa, from where the team will connect another flight to the Congo capital from Abuja.

Coach Okon said : “My girls are fully prepared for the match in Congo DR. Our victory in Abeokuta gives us an edge over our opponents but that is already history as we know that our match in Kinshasha is

Eagles camp Continues from BP Obinna Nwachukwu and effectively the battle for the 17 spots for Lima, Peru has started.

After light work out supervised by Coach Sylvanus Okpala, Keshi took charge of the day’s training with novel styles that he hopes will put the players in shape against their South American opponents. He was to explain later; “any South American team play possessional football, they won’t allow you touch the ball but when they know you can match them skill for skill, they respect you.

That is what I’m preparing your minds for in Peru”, he told the players.

Ehiosun looked fresh from his exploits in the Turkish league and was quick on the ball when

connect a direct flight from Madrid to Lima on May 20 – an 11-hour flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

he played for the possibles against the probables, later at training. It was an interesting sight to behold as Keshi assumed the role of referee in the game won by the probables 3-1.

On a not too positive note, Kwara United striker, Barnabas Imenger, may have ruled himself out of considerations for the trip to Lima, as he was yet to resume training by Wednesday morning. The medics were still working on his troublesome knee and even Keshi took several minutes during training to personally assess the player’s recovery rate.

In all, 25 players trained Wednesday and the list is expected to be pruned to 17 by the weekend for the trip to Lima, the Peruvian capital.

going to be a different ball game,” he said.

“We are not going there to under-rate the Congolese, because we know how good they are, but we certainly do not fear them. It is a battle and we are determined to win”.

Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Sports, Honourable Ayo Omidiran is the leaders of delegation that also includes Director, Technical at the federation, Dr. Emmanuel kpeme and NFF technical committee member, Mr. Paul Bassey.

R

EIGNING national 1 0 0 m champion,Blessing Okagbareyesterdayreturnedtothe stadium in Daegu where she became the third Nigerian nay African sprinter to run in the 100m final of the IAAF World Championships to race at theColorful Daegu Championships Meeting.She camesecondinthe100mrace (11.21 seconds) behind the woman who won the last time out at the 2011 IAAF Worlds,Carmeliter Jeter (11.11 seconds) of the USA. TheotherNigerianstarwho competed at the meeting,Gloria Asumnu placed fifth in the 200m in an unimpressive 23.79 seconds.

Meanwhile Okagbare will be the lone Nigerian campaigner this Saturday in Shanghai,China where the second leg of the 14-meeting series IAAF Diamond League will hold.

The Beijing Olympics long jump medallist ,who will be

NFF board Continues from BP tion, which established the body and would receive their recommendations for final amendments and ratification.

Toro, while maintaining that the inputs of all football stakeholders would be sought before their final report is presented to the Congress, said that the committee was different from other bodies set up by past administrations.

“We are different from other committees that were set up in the past because we have the mandate of the Congress, which is the highest legislative body of the NFF and anything that is approved by the Congress becomes law. So we are conscious of our mandate and are confident that our independence is completely guaranteed”, said Toro, adding that Aminu Maigari, the President of NFF has repeatedly assured that their report would be taken seriously and implemented.

Toro noted that inputs can also be made through the committee’s web add r e s s , www.nfftransformation.com, which is already functioning.

“The time to sit on the fence or perfect the art of arm-chair criticism is gone. Nigeria belongs to

all of us. We implore all and sundry to be part of this onerous task so that the document we finally produce will be a truly national consensus on how to improve the game in Nigeria”, said Toro And to achieve the task of collating inputs from stakeholders into the final report, a member of the body Charles Ojugbana, said that public sittings in selected cities across the country would commence on May 30 in Benin City.

The train of the public sittings will then move to Calabar on June 14-15, before hitting Abuja on July 4-5 and from there to Enugu on July 11-12.

The Bauchi leg of the public sittings holds on July 18-19 while football stakeholders in Lagos and the South-West will get their opportunity to make inputs into the final draft report holds on July 25-26.

Toro, who was once a Secretary-General of the NFA, said the committee intends to digest the reports of all former committees that were set up in the past to improve the fortunes of Nigerian football He added that in doing their job that they would be guided by the relevant FIF/CAF and NFF Statutes.

•Okagbare competinginthe200mevent will attempt to run faster than the 22.70 seconds new personal best she has set last month at the Mount San Anthonio meeting in Walnut,California,USA. She will also be aiming to upstage the deadly duo of reigning world champion,Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown who

holds a 22.22 seconds personal season’s best as well as her training mate,Jeter.

Okagbare was also the only Nigerianinattendanceatthe opening leg of the moneyspinning meeting in Doha,Qatar last weekend where she ran an impressive 11.01 seconds to place fourth in what was her first 100m race of the year.

SONigeria set to feature in Winter Games

BY SOLOMON NWOKE

S

PECIAL Olympics Nigeria (SONigeria) has concluded plans to participate in the forthcoming Special Olympics Winter Games scheduled to hold in South Korea from January 24 to February 6 next year.

Chairman of Board of Directors, Victor Osibodu said they require about N14 Million for the country to feature at the Games.

Osibodu who used the occasion to celebrate the athletes with intellectual disabilities said the country would participate in the floor hockey at the Games and would be represented by 12 athletes, three coaches, one head of delegation and an assistant.

Bolumole said Nigeria would feature in floor

hockey at the winter games with 12 athletes, three coaches and two other officials.

“This is the first time Nigeria will be participating in the Special Olympics Winter Games and we hope to encourage our athletes with intellectual disabilities. We are soliciting your usual support for our athletes knowing fully well that Special Olympics Nigeria is a non governmental organisation and at the same time thanking you for your support over the years,” Bolumole said.

Also speaking, the National Director SONIgeria, Mrs. Folashade Bolumole, thanked sponsors and partners including MTN, Coca-Cola, Southern Sun, Ikoyi Hotel, Union Bank and Soulcomm for their support for all Special Olympics activities over the years, especially towards the country’s participation in the games in Athens.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012—61

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62—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012—63

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VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012

Barca line up Drogba ide s n si l i ta De

Ehiosun, Egwueke, swell Eagles camp E

XPECTEDLY, the mood in the national team’s camp took an upward swing, at Wednesday ’s training session following the arrival of players of Heartland of Owerri and Warri Wolves from continental club assignments as well as the home-coming of Turkey based striker, Ekigho Ehiosun.

Star players like defender, Azubuike Egwueke, midfielder Uche Ossai, striker Sunday Mba, who scored twice against Liberia Lone Star in a friendly and goalkeeper and skipper, Chigozie Agbim, made things look different in training. Heartland added fillip with keeper Dan Akpeyi and winger

Continues on page 60

President Barack Obama meets David Beckham as his US team celebrate a league title win with the President.

TODAY'S

PUZZLES

NFF board will not jettison our report — Toro •Plans public sittings in six cities

BY JOHN EGBOKHAN

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HE Nigeria Football Federation Strategic Committee on Roadmap for the development of Nigerian football has allayed fears that their final recommendations would be jettisoned by the Executive Committee of the NFF. This comes as the committee has earmarked six cities for its planned public sittings, starting

May 30 in Benin City.

Speaking during an interactive session with stakeholders yesterday at the National Stadium, Lagos, Hon Sani Toro, who is Chairman of the committee, which has three months from their day of inauguration to present their report to the football governing body, said their autonomy from any manipulations from the NFF board was guaranteed by the Congress of the federa Continues on page 60

Falconets off to Congo DR — P.60 YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Blurst (6) 5 Fired (6) 9 Elector (5) 10 Slacken (6) 11 Season (6) 12 Observed (5) 14 Bathe (4) 17 Free (3) 18 Yield (4) 20 Loathed (5) 22 Ate (5) 23 Curl (7) 24 Memorise (5) 26 Not ever (5) 29 Whirlpool (4) 30 Network (3) 32 Challenge (4) 33 Round-up (5) 35 Infrequently (6) 36 Gorge (6) 37 Beleaguer (5) 38 Blush (5) 39 Menace (6)

QUICK CROSSWORD DOWN 1 Burnish (6) 2 Gain (6) 3 Flat (4) 4 Stitched (5) 6 Parched (4) 7 Cat (6) 8 Dashed (6) 13 Thrilled (6) 15 Flourished (5) 16 Blithe (5) 18 Quoted (5) 19 Postpone (5) 21 Noise (3) 22 Lair (3) 24 Minor (6) 25 Confused (6) 27 Portmanteau (6) 28 Reiterate (6) 30 Females (5) 31 Cap (5) 23 Dress (4) 34 Curse (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS : 4, Taken 7, Punish 6, Lac 10, Her 12, Puppy 13, Axed 15, Reset 17, Response 19, Earl 20, Hotel 22, III 24, Dangled 27, Nun 28, Frame, 31, Grid 33, Distil 35, Event 37, Plot 38, Haste 39, Gel 41, Eat 42, Wonder 43, Pearl.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 1, Splash 2, Insert 3, Ash 4, Tape 5, Acute 6, Emporium 8, Hero 11, Resigning 14, Deed 16, Sell 18, Plan 21, Overcame 23, Left 25, Nude 26, Drip 29, Allude 30, Entire 32, Deter 34, Slow 36, Veal 40, Low.

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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