Jonathan to delegates: Let's re-launch Nigeria

C M Y K

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 62102

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ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

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CONFAB INAUGURATION: Hon Aminu Tambuwal, Speaker, House of Representatives (4th from left); Justice Mariam Mukhtar, Chief Justice of the Federation; Vice President Namadi Sambo; President Goodluck Jonathan; Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi, Conference Chairman; Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, Vice Chairman and other conference delegates after their inauguration by President Jonathan in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida. More photos on pages 52 & 53.

Jonathan to delegates: Let's re-launch Nigeria •Tells delegates to shun ethnic agenda, as confab opens •Says confab won't usurp functions of legislature •Why Constitution needs to be amended COLUMNISTS

COLUMNISTS:

•P.17

•P.33

Obiano sworn in as —P.15 Anambra governor Immigration deaths: President queries Interior Minister, Moro •P.9 Privatisation: Court stops BPE on Alaoji, Omoku, Gbarain power stations •P.12

BY SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL EDITOR, NORTH & HENRY UMORU

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BUJA — PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, advanced reasons his administration opted to convoke the National Conference this year, citing national unity, peace and progress as some of the compelling factors.

Jonathan, who inaugurated the 492-member conference at about 5 p.m at the premises of the National Judicial Institute in Abuja, said the challenges staring the nation in the face and the need to move the nation forward also informed

the convocation of the dialogue.

Making his remarks, Jonathan received intermit-

Continues on page 4

Mr & Mrs

2— Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014—3

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POCKET CARTOON

preoccupation and reference point at this national Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State (middle), Hon. Victor Ochei, Speaker, Delta State House gathering. Whatever the of Assembly (right) and Mr. Charles Ajuyah, Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, when pressures on you may be, I the Governor signed 2014 Appropriation Bill into law at Government House, Asaba, yesterday. call upon you to put the best interest of Nigeria before all other sectional or group interests.

Jonathan to delegates: Let's re-launch Nigeria Continues from page 1 tent applause from the delegates and guests as he went memory lane to justify the timing and imperatives of the confab at this time.

The President said the timing of the conference could not have been better than now that Nigeria had just celebrated 100 years of existence as a nation and urged Nigerians to see it as a veritable platform for resolving the nation’s headaches.

The President urged the delegates not to bow to the pressure being mounted by ethnic jingoists to promote ethnic agenda during their deliberations but to work for the overall interest of Nigeria.

He said: “The National Conference is, therefore, being convened to engage

in intense introspection about the political and socio-economic challenges confronting our nation and to chart the best and most acceptable way for the resolution of such challenges in the collective interest of all the constituent parts of our fatherland.

“This coming together under one roof to confer and build a fresh national consensus for the amicable resolution of issues that still cause friction amongst our people must be seen as an essential part of the process of building a more united, stronger and progressive nation.

“We cannot continue to fold our arms and assume that things will straighten themselves out in due course instead of taking practical steps to overcome impediments on our path to true nationhood, rapid de-

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

Most times what you want from life is what you get out of life. It is how you see yourself that you find yourself.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

All I ever wanted was to reach out and touch another human being not just with my hands but with my heart — Tahereh If you’ve ever seen a rosebud in a blooming process, the feeling is indescribable. When I witnessed this beautiful wonder of creation, I felt a transformation from within with each opening, and as the protective coat sheds off and a beautiful petal peeks out, behold a lovely rose dancing in delight to the sun. I understood and could see more clearly the miracles of divine love and the wonders of its ways.

The significance of this experience for me is being more aware of the limitless potentials in every way that life offers to unfold and be successful in all that we do.

There is a higher force that governs all of life and sometimes things may not be as you want them to be, but in time, with trust and a believe in yourself, the universe will attract your heart desires to uplift your life. But always align your thoughts and desires to be of service to others.

velopment and national prosperity.

“It is our expectation that participants in this conference will patriotically articulate and synthesize our peoples’ thoughts, views and recommendations for a stronger, more united, peaceful and politically stable Nigeria, forge the broadest possible national consensus in support of those recommendations, and strive to ensure that they are given the legal and constitutional backing to shape the present and the future of our beloved fatherland."

Confab won't usurp functions of legislature

Justifying the convening of the conference despite a National Assembly in session, the President made it clear that the conference would not in any way usurp the functions of the legislature.

According to him, the National Conference is a very important avenue for the voices of our people to be heard. He said: “Our people have yearnings and desires that need to be discussed. Their representatives at this conference are neither usurping the role of the National Assembly nor the executive.

“They are complementing us in our march towards a greater and stronger union.”

Constitution needs to be amended

He said the constitution of Nigeria, which had been criticised by many as a military document and outdated, needed to be amended to cope with the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians since every

constitution is a living document that needs to be revised and improved upon from time to time.

Jonathan also disagreed with those opposed to the conference, saying the challenges of the time were different from those of the past and the future.

He said: “It makes sense, therefore, that as the challenges before us evolve, we must be constant and proactive in our search for fresh solutions. We cannot continue to proffer yesterday’s solutions for today’s problems.”

Areas of focus for participants

In what appeared as a clear agenda for the delegates, the President enunciated the areas of focus for the participants, saying: “This conference is open for us to table our thoughts and positions on issues and make recommendations that will advance our togetherness.

"The issues range from form of government, structures of government, devolution of powers, revenue sharing, resource control, state and local government creation, boundary adjustment, state police and fiscal federalism, to local government elections, indigeneship, gender equality and children’s rights, among others.

“We must not approach these issues with suspicion and antagonism. Rather, we should be open-minded and work to achieve what is best for Nigeria. Even though you come to the conference as nominees and representatives of different interest groups, I urge you all to make a more united, stronger, indivisible and prosperous Nigeria your

No room for divisive cleavages, ethnic jingoism

“Indeed, I am quite worried when I hear people say that some participants in this National Conversation are coming here to defend and promote ethnic or clannish agenda. It is very regrettable that there are persons who believe that we cannot undertake any collective task in our country without the hindrance of ethnic rivalry even after 100 years of nationhood. This conference gives us an opportunity to prove such persons wrong and I believe it will. As we start a new century of nationhood, we have an obligation to reshape and redirect our country for the benefit of our children.

“There should be no room for divisive cleavages and ethnic jingoism. There should be no room for selfish considerations that defeat the purpose of national progress. There should be room only for the national interest. My expectation is that the outcome of this conference will be a positive turning point for our country’s development. We must seize this opportunity to cement the cleavages and fault lines that tend to separate us. We must re-launch our country.

Nigerian Agenda

“I know the task before you is onerous, but there must be only one winner, and there can only be one winner if we do everything right, and that winner must be Nigeria. I urge you therefore to focus strictly on the Nigerian Agenda. I expect that, as persons of integrity and honour, you will do nothing in this conference that will undermine

our efforts and desire to build a truly great nation. I also expect that your discussions will be informed only by the noblest of instincts and persuasions.”

Patriotic desire for better, greater nation

“Our sole motivation for convening this conference is the patriotic desire for a better and greater nation.

We are determined that things must be done in a way and manner that will positively advance that objective. While we recognise that groups and communities are the building blocks of our nation, we must also emphasise that we need one another to build the solid and prosperous country of our dreams. We cannot join hands together to build with a collective vision if we continue to harbour negative biases and prejudices against ourselves.

Today is a new day

“Yesterday’s prejudices should die with yesterday.

Today is a new day. This is the dawn of a new era. This is an opportunity to think anew. We must jettison the poisonous mind-sets of the past, which were built on unhealthy competition among our diverse groups and peoples.

“We need a new mind and a new spirit of oneness and national unity. The time has come to stop seeing Nigeria as a country of many groups and regions. We have been divinely brought together under one roof. We must begin to see ourselves as one community. We are joined together by similar hopes and dreams as well as similar problems and challenges. What affects one part of the community affects the other.”

The Chairman of the National Conference, Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi, pledged to do his best to ensure that the conference was successful and thanked all the delegates for accepting their nominations and turning up.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014—5

Clark, Akinjide disagree on regionalism AS the National Conference kicked off yesterday in Abuja, two prominent delegates Chief Edwin Clark and Chief Richard Akinjide sharply disagreed on the form and structure the country should take. Clark, erstwhile minister of information and senator in the second republic and presently a confidant of President Goodluck Jonathan called for the adoption of the 1963 Republican Constitution which he said provided for

•Clark: We should go back to the 1963 Republican Constitution

strong regional governments.However, second Republic Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Richard Akinjide, opposed the move. Both spoke to Vanguard on the fringes of the inauguration of the National Conference by President Jonathan at the National Judicial Institute yesterday. the centre stronger. We had our reasons for doing those things.

We had military intervention. We didn’t want military intervention again.

“The Central Government is critical because we produce oil which generates about 80 percent of our public revenue. The control of that kind of revenue is critical. The Central, States and local governments should have their own share of this revenue.”

•Akinjide: I don’t believe in transferring any power to the H e states again continued:”However, I want a federal system with a strong legislative list. In a situation where the centre is controlling the oil money, while the states were generating revenue from OWEVER, Akinjide disagreed cocoa, groundnuts and palm oil, we had to be very careful. with Clark.

“I have been to USA, Australia, Canada Said he: “I don’t believe in transferring and India to study how their federal any power to the states again at all. If you systems work. I know the British system are not careful and you make the states too. It was based on the vast experiences too strong, we may have instability. I was of Chief Awolowo, Chief Azikiwe, involved when we had the dichotomy of Sardauna, Chief Akintola and Osadebey the states having a lot of power. This led that we created what we have. People to instability. The states had their own should not touch it lightly. I say this with police just like the Federal Government the greatest sense of responsibility and I and we had no peace. am ready to debate it anywhere in the “I have studied how the constitutions of world. I expect the best from this USA, Australia, Canada and India were fashioned and those of us who were experienced including the late Chief I agree we should go Nnamdi Azikiwe, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and the late Sardauna of Sokoto back to the 1963 Ahmadu Bello, the late Chief Ladoke Republican Akintola and the late Chief Dennis Constitution for the Osadebey deliberately agreed that we must have a very strong centre and weak states. following reasons: The if you reverse that and make the states first reason is because stronger, we are going to have instability.

“The exclusive list of the 1999 it provided for true Constitution is very important for this federalism and a fiscal country and should not be touched lightly.

Unless you have a good reason, you federation should not touch that aspect of the Constitution. I was involved in implementing it under the first republic conference.”

Akinjide further stated that he had been Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa involved in conferences like this before, Balewa and under President Shehu and after Nigeria’s independence adding Shagari during the second republic.”

He also disagreed with those proposing that the outcome of this National a return to the parliamentary system of Conference should go to the National Assembly. government.

Said he:” This is because it is the ultimate Said he: “I have heard people advocating that we should return to the legislative body. You cannot get something parliamentary system of government. out of nothing. I believe members of the Many of those who are saying so don’t National Assembly are responsible people know what they are talking about. I was who should be ready to receive the involved in the parliamentary system. I outcome of this confab.” was involved in the process which led to SEE MORE REPORTS ON PAGE 56 tightening of the Constitution and making

Why I support regionalism — Clark No to regionalism — Akinjide AGREE we should go back to the 1963 Republican Constitution for the following reasons: The first reason is because it provided for true federalism and a fiscal federation.

One of the things that I like about that Constitution was that you couldn’t just become a minister; your people must accept you by voting for you.”

He continued:”You would first be a member of parliament before you became a minister. But under the present dispensation, a Minister who doesn’t know his people or where he comes from could be appointed into office. Such a person would not be accountable to his people or to the parliament. But if he was elected, he would be accountable to the parliament and his people who voted for him.

Secondly, the correct fiscal arrangements are contained in that Constitution.”

Commenting on the present bi-cameral structure of the National Assembly he said: “ It is not the two chambers that matter, it is the expenditure and corruption at the legislative, executive and judicial levels of government.

“It was not expected that the National Assembly was meant for poor people who would go there to look for money and appointments. You must be ready as a Nigerian to serve your country and not expect what your country could do for you all the time.

“Today, members of the National Assembly are not ready to tell the nation how much they earn. I was a Senator myself between 1979 and 1983.We had two chambers too. Sometimes, the salary we got was not up to 1/3 of what we spent.

“There is a second chamber in the parliaments of both Britain and the United States of America. It is because of the way we corruptly organise our own parliament

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that has made Nigerians to ask for a single chamber parliament.”

Clark also advocated for the practice of true federalism as a panacea to the nation’s multifarious problems.

Said he: “We cannot adopt unitarism as a system of government in Nigeria. We want United States of Nigeria. We want true federalism. A unitary type of government would not help us. We want a region where the regions are the federating units. “ If you like, create 20 local government areas for your state and pay them. If you,

I agree we should go back to the 1963 Republican Constitution for the following reasons: The first reason is because it provided for true federalism and a fiscal federation

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like create 20 states for your region and pay them. But let the Federal Government know that there are eight or 10 federating units. The states would then become like provinces within the region. Their powers would be lessened and they would have nothing to do with the Federal Government.

“The resources of the nation should be shared between the states and local governments. This would make the states to work harder. There is no way the states can develop if they remain lazy and don’t collect taxes. If they know that they would have to struggle to generate their own revenue everything would be okay.”

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STORIES BY OKEY NDIRIBE

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6—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

Man, 20, rapes 8-yr-old boy

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UTSE— THE Jigawa State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, says it has arrested a 20-year-old man for allegedly raping an eight year old boy in Dutse Local Government Area of the state.

The Commander, Mr. Muhammad Gidado, disclosed this yesterday.

Gidado said that the suspect was arrested in the Jigawa Tsada quarters of Dutse town on Sunday following intelligence report. He said that the suspect allegedly lured the boy into his room and committed the offence.

Gidado added that a medical report by Rashidi Shekoni Specialist Hospital, Dutse, had confirmed that the boy was raped.

He said that the suspect confessed to have committed the offence with the boy on previous occasions, and that he lured the child with N20 each time. Gidado said that the suspect would be charged to court.

1 dead as Bayelsa youths clash

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

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ENAGOA— A youth was reportedly stabbed to death Saturday at Oruma in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, following a violent clash between youths.

The deceased, an indigene of Otuasega also in the Ogbia council area died when violence erupted at a wake keep between youths from both communities. The victim was said to have died before he could be rushed to the hospital by sympathisers.

It was learnt that the timely intervention of the police prevented the situation from degenerating further.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hilary Opara, confirmed the incident.

He said three persons, including the mastermind of the crisis, had been arrested by the police.

Ekiti commissioner arrested for beating up NYSC member

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

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DO-EKITI— POLICE in Ekiti State has arrested the state’s Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mr. Kayode

z I was protecting him— COMMISSIONER Olaosebikan, for questioning over the beating up of a National Youths Service

Corps, NYSC, member at a registration unit in Otun Ekiti, Moba Local

WATER: Fetching water in Kwaja, a border village with Cameroon in Mubi South Local Government Area of Adamawa State, yesterday. NAN PHOTO.

Pastor drives self to hospital, shouts halleluyah, dies

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA— A clergyman, Timothy Elugbemi, 55, drove himself to a hospital in Sango Ota, Ogun State, shouted hallelujah and died.

It was gathered that the deceased was attended to

by Dr. Ayo Adeoye, proprietor of Lolade Clinic and Maternity Home, where he checked in for medical attention.

Confirming the incident, Dr. Adeoye said the clergyman complained of feeling unwell and was subsequently attended to.

He said that after being confirmed medically fit, the pastor exchanged pleasantries with the nurses at the reception, but suddenly started saying “halleluyah.”

Adeoye said: “I cannot believe this. This was a man who drove himself into the hospital and was attended to and equally found fit.

“He suddenly started saying ‘halleluyah,’ ‘halleluyah’ and before we knew it he lost consciousness

and died. I have never witnessed this type of incidence since I started my medical practice.”

Bizman accused of rape, N10m theft

BY ONOZURE DANIA

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AGOS— A 62-year-old businessman, Clement Chukwu, who allegedly raped a widow, Samaria Danladi, and obtained N10 million from her by false pretence, yesterday, appeared before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court.

The defendant is facing a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining and rape, preferred against him by the police.

The victim, who is a trader, was said to have boarded a taxi from Agbara market going to Satellite Town, when she met the defendant and others, at large, who

brainwashed her and collected the said sum from her, after which she was raped.

The mother of three, who is a widow of a late Navy officer, was said to have collected the N10 million, being the gratuity that was paid to her after the death of her husband.

The defendant pleaded not guilty. Magistrate Eniola Fabamwo granted him bail in the sum of N500,000 with two responsible sureties in like sum. He is also to deposit N150,000 into the account of the court registrar.

She adjourned the matter to April 28 for mention.

Government Area of the state.

Olaosebikan, who is also the Chairman, NYSC board in the state, was seen at the Criminal Investigation Department, CID, making his statement.

Olaosebikan allegedly beat up a youth corps member, Mr. Thompson Enobong, NYSC number EK/13c/1859, who is one of the NYSC members assisting INEC in the just-concluded registration.

Enobong was subsequently rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Ido Ekiti, where he is said to be receiving treatment.

Olaosebikan, however, denied beating up the corps member, saying he merely protected him.

Vanguard also gathered that a soldier, Private Clement John is being interrogated by the police for disrupting the exercise in Emure Ekiti.

The soldier, who claimed to be serving in an Army unit in Borno State, was reportedly over powered by others at the registration unit and handed over to the police. John has equally been transferred to Ado Ekiti for further investigation.

Also one Paul Ezekiel was arrested in Ikere Ward 2 for allegedly threatening officials of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, during the rush for registration.

Spokesman of the state police command, Mr. Victor Babayemi, who confirmed the two cases, said the soldier would be handed over to the Army formation in Ondo State to ascertain whether or not he is a soldier.

Meanwhile, the DirectorGeneral, Prince Adedayo Adeyeye Movement, PAAM, the political organisation of one of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, gubernatorial aspirants, Bisi Kolawole, has called on the relevant authorities to protect NYSC members.

OBOSI CULT WAR

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HE killing of one Mrs. Odibe and twins from Obosi, but resident in Awka, weekend, brings the death toll of the cult war between Ayes and Baga in Obosi, Idemili North Local

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014 —7

Labourer accused of raping 12-yr-old girl

BY CHINYERE ABIAZIEM

L PROTEST: Students

protesting lecturers' strike in Lagos, yesterday. NAN PHOTO.

10 burnt to death in Lagos-Ibadan Expressway auto crash

BY OLA AJAYI

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BADAN— NO fewer than 10 people were burnt beyond recognition in an auto crash that occurred on Lagos Ibadan expressway, yesterday. Four others were left with serious injuries.

Three vehicles, including two trucks and one 18 seater Toyota Hiace commercial bus with number plate BDG 767 XB were involved in the auto crash.

Confirming the accident, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Oluyole Unit

Commander, Mr. Sanya Adeoye, said four people survived while the unlucky victims were taken to the mortuary at Adeoyo State Hospital.

He said an Ibadan bound bus from Lagos was waiting for a truck from the quarry

Gridlock in Lagos as students protest lecturers' strike

BY BOSE ADELAJA

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AGOS— THERE was gridlock on Lagos roads, yesterday, which lasted for hours as over 1,000 part-time students across various higher institutions of learning took over the roads, protesting ongoing strike by Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, and that of College of Education Academic Staff Union, COEASU. The students were drawn from University of Lagos, UNILAG; Yaba College of Technology, YABATECH; Lagos State Polytechnic, LASPOTECH; Ilaro Polytechnic and Ede Polytechnic, among others.

The students carried placards with inscriptions, chanting solidarity songs as they headed towards

Maryland bus stop from the junction in front of UNILAG. The protest which started at 9am and ended at 3pm, also involved Educational Rights Campaign, ERC. Policemen, officials of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, and other law enforcement agents were on patrol while the protest lasted.

One commuter said: “It is rather unfortunate that this traffic hold up is a result of students’ protest. If they want to protest against the strike, they should have done that on the premises of their schools or go to the seat of power instead of causing untold hardship to innocent citizens.”

It was gathered that the protest was also against HND/ B.Sc discrimination, improper funding of

: Death toll rises to 16 Government Area of Anambra State, to 16.

A visit to the ancient kingdom of Obosi, yesterday, revealed that virtually every youth crossing Mike Ajegbo Federal by pass

was tortured.

Investigation further revealed that one Pope Okereke, a mason from Delta State and Mr. Nnoso Obi, alleged to be a staunch member of one of the cult

educational sector and lack of upgrading of lecturers.

to link the expressway.

Another truck without registration number, said to be coming from Lagos end, ran into the stationary commercial bus.

Adeoye said the accident was due to over speeding, adding that the commercial bus caught fire immediately.

He said the four people who sustained injuries were those in the trucks and that they had been taken to the University College Hospital, UCH, for treatment. At press time, Adeoye was trying to reach out to families of the victims.

AGOS— ONE Ikechukwu Egbo, a labourer, was remanded in prison by an EbuteMetta Magistrate, Ms. S. Solebo for allegedly raping a 12 year old girl and strangulating her to death.

The girl was said to be on her way to a tailoring school where she was an apprentice when the accused attacked her at the defunct Nigeria Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n , NITEL, office at Ajara Dokon Badagry.

The magistrate ruled that the accused be remanded in Ikoyi prison while adjourning the case for April 11.

In another murder case, one Michael Ayodeji, Abdulraman Ojikutu and Abiodun Oyedun were arraigned in an Ebute-Metta court over the alleged murder of one Femi John.

The 28 year old deceased was said to have died as a result of a gun shot fired at him by the accused at Obadina Street, Tinubu Square.

20-yr-old man docked for defiling girl, 7

BY CHINYERE ABIAZIEM

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AGOS— A 20 year old man, John Peter, charged with assaulting and defiling a seven year old girl, yesterday appeared in an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates Court in Lagos.

Peter, a trader, was said to have defiled the minor at 2pm on February 15 in his apartment.

The prosecutor, Inspector Richard Odigie, said the accused and parents of the girl were neighbours.

Odigie said that the victim’s mother was asleep when the groups and other youths were among those that have lost their lives.

According to reports, the Ayes and Baga were said to have capitalised on the withdrawal of the military men posted to the town from 82 Division, Enugu, and the withdrawal of the local vigilant group.

accused called the victim to his room. He said that when the woman woke up and did not see her daughter, she went outside and saw the girl’s slippers in front of Peter’s room.

He said: “The victim’s mother told the accused to open his door. He opened the door and pushed the victim out of his room.”

He said the victim said the accused had, on two previous occasions, inserted his fingers into her private part.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty and the Chief Magistrate, Miss S. O. Solebo, granted him bail in the sum of N50,000, with two sureties in like sum.

Solebo adjourned the case to April 1 for continuation.

DUMPSTER: Abandoned refuse on the Iyana-Ipaja motor garage, yesterday. PHOTO: Bunmi Azeez.

8—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

CBN to mop up N1.8tr in 3 months

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

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HE Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, yesterday unveiled plans to mop up N1.866 trillion from the banking system through the sale of treasury bills.

According to the treasury bill issue programme for the second quarter released yesterday, the apex bank said it would sell N933.2 billion of secondary market and N933.2 billion primary market bills from March 20th to June 5th.

Secondary market bills are previously issued bills which are resold by the CBN. They are also referred to as open market operations (OMO) bills. They are most used to manage the amount of idle cash in the banking system.

Primary market bills are freshly issued bills and they are used to borrow money on behalf of the federal government.

The CBN said that it would sell N202.59 billion of OMO bills in the last week of March, N334.25 billion in April, N258.39 billion in May and N137.97 billion in the first week of June.

Similarly, the apex bank would sell N202.59bn of Primary market bills in the last week of March, N334.25bn in April, N258.39bn in May and N137.97 bn in the first week of June.

In the last quarter 2013, the apex bank issued N4.49 trillion worth of treasury bills comprising N2.431 trillion of OMO bills and N2.06 trillion of primary market bills.

In another development, the CBN yesterday expressed concern over the quality of cheques printed by banks, saying that accredited cheque printers were not complying with the approved standard. The apex bank said this has resulted in high level of cheque rejection at its cheque processing center.

This concern was expressed via a circular titled ‘Submission of sample cheques, pre and post production’. The circular was signed by Mr. Dipo Fatokun, Director, Banking and Payments System Department. The circular stated, “Though the cheque truncation system was deployed nationwide on 1st June 2013' reports reaching us indicated a high level of rejects at the MICR processing centers.

25 killed as Fulani herdsmen, Tiv youths clash in Benue

BY PETE DURU

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AKURDI—NO fewer than 25 persons were feared dead, Monday, in a fresh outbreak of heavy fighting between suspected fulani mercenaries and Tiv youths at Agasha and Yelwata, in Guma local government area of Benue State.

Vanguard gathered from an eyewitness that at the time of filing this report the mercenaries had sacked and taken over Tse-Gaa and TseKpaegh, Kaambe district while fighting was still raging at Yelwata.

According to our source, the invaders who opened up two battle fronts in Guma this morning were matching towards the ancient town of Agasha but were being repelled by youths of the community.

“Several houses and farmland have been set ablaze by the herdsmen and many are fleeing the besieged communities.

“They stormed our communities in their hundreds early Monday morning,

shooting sporadically and killing anything in sight, over 25 persons must have been killed on both sides; they took away two of our youths alive but many of our people are missing.

“They came into Agasha after crossing River Buruku at Ayila from neigbouring Nasarawa state; same for Yelwata which is

also a border community.”

The Special Assistant to Governor Gabriel Suswam on Banking and Investment, Mr. Ayoosu Bem who hails from one of the invaded communities said youths of the area were putting up a resistance to the invaders.

Bem said, “the attackers came this morning and started killing

and burning down houses; some of our people are missing while many are fleeing their homes.”

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Superintendent, SP, Daniel Ezeala confirmed the attack but said the command was yet to confirm the number of casualties adding that security personnel had been drafted to the affected communities.

COMMISSIONING: From left —Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Dr. Festus Okubor and Prof. and Dr. (Mrs) Monye at the commissioning of African Institute for Public Policy in Asaba.

Power: FG suspends implementation of TEM indefinitely ...To sell stake in power assets via IPO in 2017

BY MICHAEL EBOH & CHRIS OCHAYI

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BUJA—THE Federal Government, yesterday, gave indications that it has suspended the planned implementation of the Transitional Electricity Market, TEM, indefinitelyas it disclosed that it is not concerned about the declaration of TEM, but is instead bothered about putting the right market conditions in place for the sector to thrive.

The Federal Government also disclosed that there are no plans to remove the N700 fixed electricity charge per customer, in the next couple of years, saying that Nigerians will continue to pay the charges irrespective of whether there is power supply or not.

Speaking at the Nigeria Power Conference in Abuja, Mr. Chinedu Nebo, Minister of Power, declared that the new owners of the distribution companies (Discos) of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, are responsible for the delay in the declaration of the Transitional Electricity Market, TEM. According to him, the new owners of the distribution companies needed to be sure of their ability to recoup their investment, especially through revenue collection.

The TEM was initially slated to commence, March 1, 2014, after the initial postponement last year. The postponement was due to the fact that certain conditions were not met.

Some of the conditions which were expected to be met during the interim period between the completion of the privatisation process and the start of TEM, include the execution of the market participation agreement, market operations system regulations, market settlement system, and the procedures for registration and admission processes for market participants.

The Electric Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA) 2005 established three market stages that define gradual competitiveness in the power privatisation market, which include TEM, mid-term electricity market and final/mature electricity market.

The TEM stage represents the intermediate step to move the electricity market in an orderly manner from an integrated whole utility to a fully competitive market structure with more differentiated players.

Nebo further blamed the delay in the implementation of the TEM on challenges in gas supply, inadequate transmission network and security challenges, especially in the protection of power installations and facilities.

...Insists on N700 fixed charge

Also speaking, Mr. Benjamin Dikki, Director General, Bureau for Public Enterprises, BPE, said TEM implementation is being delayed by the level of power supply, revenue collection by distribution companies and issues surrounding payment of certain amounts by Discos to the Nigerian Electricity Regulation Commission, NERC. ...Stands firm on N700 fixed charge On his own part, Mr. Sam Amadi, Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Electricity Regulation Commission, NERC, said the Federal Government is not fixated on TEM, but with conditions in the market.

He said that the introduction of the N700 fixed charge is to protect the new owners of the privatised assets, who he said might lose their investments if the charges are not introduced.

According to him, that is how the business is done, and this is how investors are assured of recouping their investments in the running of the companies and in facilities upgrade.

He, however, apologised to Nigerians for the erratic power situation, saying that the Federal Government is working to bring about an increase in power supply.

Amadi maintained that the new investors needed time to test-run

the facilities and the market, saying that the interim process is needed to enable the government create a level playing field, so that the investors will come to terms with conditions of the market.

Also, Managing Director, Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, Mr. Rumundaka Wonodi, said TEM will only come when everything is put under control, adding that the Federal Government will not have to wait for the implementation of the TEM before steering the electricity market to great heights.

FG to sell stake in power assets via IPO in 2017 Also, Benjamin Dikki, Director General of the BPE, disclosed that the Federal Government’s stake in the privatised distribution and generation companies, will be sold through an Initial Public Officer, IPO, on the Nigerian capital market, by 2017.

He, however, noted that in addition to the investing public, some states in the country will be given some stakes in the power facilities when the Federal Government decides to sell its stake.

He said, “We have to allow them two or three years of operations so that they can produce the necessary financial statement and operational reports, that people can look at and rely on for investment.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014—9

Immigration tragedy: Jonathan queries Interior Minister

BY FUNMI KOMOLAFE, KINGSLEY OMONOBI, BEN AGANDE & WOLE MOSADOMI

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OLLOWING the outrage that continued to trail the death of 15 job applicants including a pregnant women at the various centres across the country during the recruitment exercise by the Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS, President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday issued a query to the Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro to explain within 24 hours the poor handling of the exercise even as he rejected calls for him to resign over the incident saying “I will not resign”.

One of the survivors of the stampede at the Minna centre, has also recounted her experience just as the Nigerian Labour Congress staged a protest in Kaduna asking the government to probe the incident.

The Interior Minister, Abba Moro and the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service Davis Parradang were yesterday summoned to the presidential villa by President Goodluck Jonathan The Interior minister who was dressed in white Caftan, appeared disturbed after emerging from the President’s office in company of the immigration boss. He had earlier met with the Chief of Staff to the President, Jones Arogbofa, where they spent over an hour before meeting the President.

When the trio emerged from the President’s office, Moro and Parradang refused to be interviewed by State House Correspondents.

Sources at the Villa said President Jonathan who was worried by the Saturday ’s incidence had queried the interior minister to explain within 24 hours the poor handling of the exercise as witnessed across the country.

President Jonathan while inaugurating the National Conference which kicked off yesterday in Abuja lamented the death of young applicants and asked for one minutes of silence in honour of those who died.

President Jonathan said, “just as we were preparing for this confab, a tragic incident happened on Saturday; I don’t want to bore you with details, but we are investigating the incident.

Let us observe a minute silence for them.”

I will not resign —Moro Meanwhile, Comrade Abba Moro declared yesterday that he will not resign his appointment saying such a

move will amount to running away from the problem.

He made the declaration just as he stated that the federal government would soon inaugurate a panel of eminent Nigerians and stakeholders, to probe the tragedy and come up with a template for future exercises, to ensure that the nation does not experience such deaths in future.

Comrade Moro confirmed that fifteen of the job seekers including six women, one of them pregnant died in the aftermath of the stampede that occurred at the various recruitment centers.

The minister, who was speaking during an interview in Abuja, disclosed that a total of 522, 650 applicants from across the nation were shortlisted for the 4, 556 to be recruited noting that seven persons comprising five females and two males died in Abuja, five persons died in Port Harcourt, a pregnant woman died in Benin while two persons died in Minna, Niger State.

Disclosing that all other recruitment exercises in other parts of the country have been put on hold, he said, “To be fair to the people who lost their lives and to ensure transparency in the remaining exercise, it has to be put on hold. That of Lagos State was postponed because the crowd were unruly adding that stadiums were selected for the exercise because of the physical fitness aspect of the interviews”.

He disclosed however that despite the unfortunate stampede and deaths, the exercise was concluded in the venues where the interviews for written and physical tests were carried out.

Asked to comment on why pregnant women were allowed to take part in the exercise, Moro said, “Pregnant women were not qualified for the exercise and no pregnant woman was shortlisted for interview. The truth is that many people who had no business being there including the pregnant women gatecrashed at the venues for reasons best known to them.

On why the exercise was not done in batches considering the huge number of applicants for the jobs, the minister said, “We wanted to ensure a level playing ground for everybody that was qualified. That was why everybody was asked to turn up.

If it had been done in batches, the same Nigerians will make accusation of attempts to influence the outcome through favouritism among others.”

While praying for the repose of the souls of all those who lost their lives, Moro said, government will take care of the medical bills of those who sustained injuries

adding that “we will take care of the burial of those that died. We will also put in place appropriate measures to assist the families mitigate the hardship and challenges these unfortunate deaths have brought on the families of those that lost their lives during the exercise” he said.

One of the survivors of the tragedy in Mina, Niger State, Miss Regina Akachi has also recounted her experience saying that she would have been dead by now but for the assistance given to her by one of the Immigration officers at the venue of the examination on Saturday.

Speaking exclusively to Vanguard, Regina said she was almost falling on the ground as a result of the stampede when the officer rushed at her and pulled her from the crowd to safety.

Meanwhile, the corpses deposited at the Mortuary in Mina General hospital are yet to be claimed while all the patients who were admitted at the hospital have also been discharged.

Commissioner of health, Dr.

Ibrahim Sue who confirmed the development said that those brought to the hospital on Sunday have been discharged.

NLC urges FG to investigate death of unemployed youths The Nigeria Labour Congress officially reacted the death of about 20 unemployed youths who died while scrabbling jobs in a recruitment exercise organized by the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS and called on the federal government to . “ authorize an investigation of the Nigerian Immigration Service, query the methods it adopted and interrogate the discretion it exercised in collecting money from hard pressed applicants.”.

Blaming the NIS for the death of the youths, NLC president, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar in a statement issued in Abuja said, “The explanation by the Minister of Interior, Abba Morro that 520,000 applicants were invited for screening for 4,556 spaces and that the applicants died in a stampede due to

impatience and non-adherence to lay down orderly procedure, is rather weak and untenable”.

The Congress also yesterday in Kaduna staged a peaceful protest at the state command of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) over the incident.

The protesters led by the NLC Vice-President, Mr Isa Aremu, arrived the NIS state command early in the morning and blocked its entrance and prevented the staff from entering their offices.

The union members carried placards that contained various inscriptions and a letter of protest which they wanted to deliver to the state controller.

However, the officers on duty refused the workers access into the premises and explained that the controller was not on seat.

In his address, NLC VicePresident, Isa Aremu, demanded immediate compensation for the families of the 19 victims and appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to demonstrate that no life of an applicant will further be wasted at any recruitment centre.

INAUGURATION: Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko (middle) cutting the tape to inaugurate the Igbokoda Caring Heart Mega Primary School, in Ilaje Local Government Area, weekend.

With him are; the Amapetu of Mahin Kingdom, Oba Lawrence Omowole (3rd left), Commissioner for Education, Jide Adejuyigbe (left), Olu of Igbokoda, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo (2nd right) and others.

Why it’s difficult to stop terrorists in N/East — Yuguda

BY SONI DANIEL

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BUJA—BAUCHI State Governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda, has blamed the seeming difficulty in tackling the Boko Haram onslaught on Nigeria’s North-East on the infiltration of the sect by armed groups from neighboring countries.

Yuguda, who spoke in a BBC interview monitored in Abuja, pleaded with the international community to collaborate with the Federal Government in curtailing the spate of attacks being unleashed by the terrorists in parts of the North.

The governor said that the involvement of terrorists from neighboring countries had changed the face of the

insurgency, making it more difficult to contain.

“It is my belief that since some of the attackers come from across Nigeria’s northeast borders with Chad, Niger and Cameroon, the face of the insurgency has shifted from a national to an international operation.

“Fighting a guerilla war is very difficult especially if you have pockets of insurgents in various locations that are not easily identifiable and accessible.

“We have reasons to believe that this is not a national affair but an international one,” Yuguda alleged.

The governor dismissed claims that the terrorists were better motivated than the Nigerian security agencies, pointing out

that the soldiers have done their best to contain the militias.

Reacting to the development, a group, Nigeria Arise Against Terror, NAAT, endorsed the call by Gov. Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State on the international community to urgently intervene in efforts by the Federal Government to stem the tide of terror currently ravaging the Northeast part of the country.

The group in a statement by its Interim National Coordinator, Mr. Emeka Kanu-Nwapa, and National Publicity Secretary, Malam Abba Aliyu, said it had reasons to believe that most of the attacks in the region recently suggested that the war had gone beyond the Boko Haram and assumed an international face and character.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014 —10

Anthony Village residents enjoy free healthcare by NGO

Ikuforiji's trial suffers setback

BY INNOCENT ANABA

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BY LAMIDI BAMIDELE

AGOS—RESIDENTS of Anthony Village, in Lagos weekend, enjoyed free medical services, courtesy of an International Non Governmental Organisation, the Comforter’s Companions Fellowship.

The medical outreach programme, which attracted many people , both young and old was held at 9, Odunlami street in Anthony Village and involved free hypertensive screening, diabetic screening, free eye check up and glasses, HIV testing and counselling, free medical consultations and treatment.

According to Mrs. Grace Monye, Vice Chairman of the fellowship; "Our aim is to take the medical outreach to people who are less privileged, the widows, prisoners and missionaries who cannot afford it.

"Everything here is free; free glasses, free diabetic screening; HIV screening, counselling and so on. It is a quarterly event and the

programme is commencing from Anthony Village because this is where we started from."

Speaking on the source of funds for the programme, she said: “We don’t have sponsors, we task ourselves within the fellowship. It is the passion we have and we

came together to do it, but if people want to help us we will say thank you.”

Pastor Bimbo Ajayi, a foundation member of the Fellowship further stressed the objectives of Comforter ’s Companions Fellowship, saying, "We are not a

NIS recruitment: SERAP drags FG before UN

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

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AGOS—THE Federal Government has been dragged before the United Nations over the tragedy that befell some graduate job seekers last weekend while participating in the recruitment exercise by the Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS, last weekend.

In a petition to the UN Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, it requested him to use his offices and leadership to “publicly

condemn and refer the unlawful deaths and inhuman and degrading treatment of jobseekers by the Nigerian government to appropriate United Nations human rights bodies.”

Among the human rights bodies mentioned in the petition are: the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Human Rights Council.

This was coming as Human

N27.5bn: Power failure stalls Atuche’s trial

BY ABDULWAHAB

ABDULAH AGOS—FURTHER hearing of the ongoing trial of former Managing Director of Bank PHB, Mr. Francis Atuche, over alleged N25.7 billion theft preferred against him and two others was yesterday stalled due to epileptic supply of electricity.

Atuche, his wife, Elizabeth and a former Chief Financial Officer of the bank, Ugo Anyanwu, were dragged before the court by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Moment the case was called before Justice Lateefat Okunnu who presided over the case, she announced the

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pressure group, we are not political activists, we are just people who have passion to help others. We feel there is a gap where perhaps the government has not touched, which we need to touch and we have sustained this for some years now."

adjournment, following the power outage in the court.

The situation has been a recurring one since last week when several of the court rooms cannot sit because of irregular power supply.

Several of the litigants were left to their fate as the court could not hold the proceeding and were left in darkness.

It would be recalled that, at the last proceeding, the Court had dismissed the application filed by Atuche, asking the court to stay further proceedings of his trial.

Atuche, through his counsel, Chief Anthony Idigbe, SAN, had prayed the court to stay proceedings on the trial.

The senior lawyer said

the stay was necessary pending the determination of the various appeals filed by both the EFCC and Atuche before the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal.

But in his response, counsel to EFCC Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, argued that the application should be dismissed for being an abuse of court processes.

Pinheiro said: “The law as it stands mandates the court to uphold Section 40 of the EFCC Act. “It is a deliberate ploy to delay and truncate this proceeding.”

However, Justice Lateefat Okunnu, in a short ruling, held that Section 273 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law prohibited her from entertaining the application.

Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, through the National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko and the national media affairs director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, demanded the immediate dismissal of the top officials of the Nigerian Immigration Services and the Federal Ministry of Interior, including the minister and permanent secretary and further prosecute them for negligence which led to the high fatality rate at the ill-fated recruitment exercise by the NIS.

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AGOS—THE trial of Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, was, yesterday, stalled due to the absence of the trial judge, who was attending a judges seminar.

Ikuforiji is standing trial alongside his personal assistant, Oyebode Atoyebi, on an amended 54-count charge of money laundering.

The case was adjourned till yesterday, for continuation of hearing, but could not go on as earlier scheduled, due to a judges' seminar organised by the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON. When the case was called, the prosecutor, said that he was aware of the engagements of the court in the AMCOM seminar, and therefore, gave his consent for an adjournment.

11—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

Ogun govt to partner Chinese investors

Ekiti Guber: Consensus candidate fails to emerge in PDP

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BEOKUTA—THE Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun has said his government will continue to welcome investors to enhance socio-economic development, urging the China/Africa Investment Club to present a blueprint for possible collaboration with the state.

Amosun stated this while receiving a delegation of the Club, made up of conglomerate of business concerns in China, in his office yesterday.

He said Ogun State is fast becoming the investors haven with the advantage of suitable land, nearness to Lagos, the nation’s commercial capital and the gateway to the West/African Sub regional market among others.

Speaking earlier, the leader of the Chinese delegation, Mr. William Wang said the team made Ogun State its first port of call in Nigeria because of the outstanding performance of the governor and his team.

Ezekwesili, Fayemi's wife to address women conference

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AGOS—DR. Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, Erelu Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, wife of the Ekiti State governor and a host of other renowned women have been selected to speak during the 2nd annual Women’s Conference organized by the Daughters of Destiny, DOD, Interdenominational Fellowship.

The conference tagged, ‘The Woman as a Change Agent’, which comes up on 21st and 22nd March 2014, at the Orchid Hotels, by Chevron Toll Plaza, off Lekki -Epe Expressway, Lagos, is designed as a capacity building programme to charge and empower women from all works of life as positive political, social, economic and spiritual change agents within their sphere of influence

BY HENRY UMORU

BUJA—MOVES to get a consensus candidate as the standard bearer for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the June 21 Ekiti State governorship election, has failed. Therefore, all the aspirants will this Saturday go for primary election.

The inability of the 14 cleared aspirants to come up with a consensus candidate after a closed door meeting at the PDP presidential campaign office, Legacy House, Maitama, Abuja yesterday, forced the national leadership of the party to insist on the conduct of primary election.

The meeting which had most of the aspirants in attendance was presided over by the national chairman of the PDP, Dr. Adamu Mu’azu.

The cleared aspirants to participate are Obafemi Peter; Bejide Oluwadare; Caleb Olubolade; Adedayo Adeyeye; Ayodele Fayose; Adeyanju Bodunde; Ogundipe Modupe Margaret; Abiodun Aluko; Oladeji Omoyeni; Sen. Gbenga Aluko; Oluropo Ogunbolude; Omalara Adubiaro; Ajayi Ayodeji Eldad and Adewale Aribisala.

It was learnt that while most of the aspirants backed the consensus candidate arrangement as advised by President Goodluck Jonathan, former governor of the state and

an aspirant, Mr. Ayo Fayose insisted on the conduct of primaries.

Speaking at the end of the meeting with the aspirants, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh who disclosed that the party ’s national leadership told the aspirants that the party would only support the consensus arrangement if all the aspirants agreed among themselves, said

that if a candidate refuses with the consensus arrangement, the party would have no choice than to organise a transparent, free and fair primaries so that the constitutional right of all aspirants are secured.

Metuh who disclosed that Ward congresses for the selection of its delegates for the primaries which was scheduled to hold last week would hold tomorrow, said: “It is the desire of the PDP that we have a consensus candidate

in Ekiti State with a proviso that it must be unanimous.

“By chance if one or two persons disagree, we must respect the Constitution of the PDP by concluding the exercise.

“We have sold forms and we will go for the election accordingly. We are in Abuja, we are not looking for governor of Abuja, we are looking for governor in Ekiti State and Ekiti people will participate in choosing their governor."

COURTESY CALL: From left: William Wang, President, China/Africa Investment Club, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru, Ogun State Commissioner for Commerce and Industries, Dr. Chukwu Chime, Regional Vice President (Nigeria), China/Africa Investment Club, during a courtesy call on the Governor by a delegation of the China/Africa Investment Club in Abeokuta, yesterday. Photo: Wumi Akinola.

Obasanjo calls for platform for infrastructure devt zSays ‘I can work with only the trustworthy'

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BY DAUD OLATUNJI

BEOKUTA—FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday, called for the creation of a platform for infrastructure development which could address Africa’s environmental challenges.

The former President stated this in Abeokuta at the opening ceremony of the 3rd International Conference on Infrastructure Development in Africa.

The theme of the three-day conference is “Environmental Sustainability, Safety and Health In Infrastructure Development in Africa.”

It was organised by the Bells University of Technology, Ota, in collaboration with the University of Johannesburg and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

Obasanjo also called for a change in policies and techniques in order to adequately address Africa’s challenges of human insecurity such as food, power, transportation and. healthcare.

Obasanjo said: “Without adequate infrastructural base, efforts at socio-economic

development, growth and progress will amount to futility and our youths will wallow in unemployment, frustration and premature death.”

He particularly urged participants at the conference to break new grounds for progress in infrastructure development.

Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Local Organising

Committee of the conference, Prof. Olusegun Areola, noted that infrastructure was a critical element of the human environment system.

He, however, noted that infrastructure had been poorly developed and managed in most African countries.

Also, yesterday the former president said he remains one

of the easiest persons to work with, saying he could work only with trustworthy people.

Obasanjo stated this in Abeokuta , while paying host to a team of authors; Muyiwa Akintunde and Des Wilson, a Professor of University of Uyo on a proposed book on a former Secretary to the Federation, during his administration, Obong Ufot Ekaete.

OOU lecturers protest alleged non-payment Staff Union of Universities, Dr. of 3 years salaries Deji Agboola said that the state

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BY DAUD OLATUNJI

BEOKUTA—HUNDREDS of lecturers of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwote yesterday, protested the irregular payment of their salaries by the Ogun State Government in the past three years.

The protesting lecturers who are members of OOU branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities carried placards with various inscriptions such as “It is ungodly to owe people their monthly dues,”We need government intervention at

Olabisi Onabanjo University,” “The sweat of the labourer must not dry ” and “Ogun State Government please save OOU from imminent collapse.”

Others bore placards saying, “Ogun Government pays less than 70 per cent of our salaries.

Is Ogun government really broke?,” “We have earned our salaries, we should be paid promptly” and “OOU needs more funding. We say no to the present poor funding.”

Addressing the protesting lecturers, the chairman of the OOU branch of the Academic

government had in the past three years formed the habit of not paying them their salaries regularly.

The lecturers who began their demonstration at the OOU minicampus, Ago-Iwoye at about 10am took their protest to the institution’s permanent site located about seven kilometres away where they sensitised the students on their action.

They later presented their letter of grievances to the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Saburi Adesanya for onward transmission to Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

12—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

Deaths at NIS recruitment, embarrassment to the world —Edo SSG

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

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ENIN—SECRETARY to Edo State Government, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, has described as sad, unfortunate and an embarrassment to the world, the death of over 18 applicants at the Nigeria Immigration Service recruitment exercise. He also consoled the families of those who lost their loved ones during the exercise.

Prof. Ihonvbere, who was reacting to the unfortunate weekend incident, recalled that, “two weeks ago, I represented Governor Adams Oshiomhole at the meeting of the Forum of Progressive Governors, where we discussed this issue of unemployment.

“The truth of the matter is that the pictures you saw at the NIS recruitment tests across the country demonstrate the problem of Nigeria.

The incident shows failure at all levels, particularly at the federal, to stimulate growth and development that will create investments and jobs, so that people will not be dying while trying to write job tests.

“This is an embarrassment to the world because, this is the number you have in virtually all the states and it tells

you where criminality and criminal gangs recruit their members from, the pressure on families and why the middle class cannot grow.

“We have no training to package people who have qualifications that can work. We have no serious training on how to get people self-employed, not even on how to encourage peo-

ple to go for post-graduate training on specialised courses so that they can be employed or self-employed.

We just abandon young people and when they are told to come to write test in a stadium without tables, people are dying. It is very sad and unfortunate. I weep for Nigeria.”

He also noted that his senatorial district was suffering because men of integrity and character were not represented it at the national level, saying: “We had no teaching hospital, no university and no industries until the coming of Adams Oshiomhole, who is now involved in industrial investment."

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BUJA—JUSTICE Abdul Kafarati of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, stopped the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, from taking any step towards opening the bidding process for the privatization of three power stations in the country.

The power stationsthe court yesterday ordered the BPE not to put up for sale pending the determination of a suit before it, were Alaoji, Omoku and Gbarain power stations.

It will be recalled that the BPE had on March 7, 2014, commenced the process of selling the three power stations.

However, a company, Ethiope Energy Limited, went before the high court, alleging subterranean plot by some officials of the BPE to circumvent due process and sell the stations to choice firms.

The claimant told the court that though it entered bid for the power stations, the company said it was deliberately skewed out of the process.

Consequently, Ethiope,

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

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ENDORSEMENT OF POWER OIL: From left: Executive Director, Nigerian Heart Foundation, NHF, Mr. Kingsley Akinroye; President, NHF, Professor Oladipo Akinkugbe; Public Relations Manager, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, Mr. Tope Asiwaju; Chief Operating Officer, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, Mr. Adhi Narto and General Manager, Power Oil, Mr. Gaurau Dwivedi, during the endorsement of Power Oil by Nigerian Heart Foundation, at Protea Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, yesterday.

Privatization: Court stops BPE on Alaoji, Omoku, Gbarain power stations

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

Rescue of Jonathan’s cousin: Bayelsa chiefs, youths laud police

urged the court to order the BPE to suspend the entire bidding process, pending the determination of the suit.

In the statement of claim filed through its counsel, Dr. Alex Izinyon, SAN, the company, spe-

cifically accused the Chairman of the Due Diligence Committee, Mr. Atedo Peterside, of having enormous influence on the BPE and the bidding process for the three power stations.

Ethiope accused the BPE

of bias, prejudice, conflict of interest, manipulation in the technical bid evaluation due diligence exercise, insisting that Mr. Peterside, ought to have completely excused himself from the whole evaluation process especially as it relates to the plaintiff.

ENAGOA—THE Odioma Community Council of Chiefs and youth leaders in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, led by its paramount ruler, the Igoni 21st and the Amanayabo of Odioma Kingdom, HRM Cadbury Omieh, weekend, lauded the Police in the state and other security agencies involved in the operation that led to the rescue of Chief Inengite Nitabai, cousin to President Goodluck Jonathan.

The police through the state Commissioner of Police, Hillary Okpara, had Wednesday midnight rescued the abducted septuagenarian from his kidnappers den, where he was abandoned at Ogboma, off Odioma in Brass council.

The people of Odioma through their paramount ruler, said that though “the act of kidnapping and violent crimes is not part of the culture of the people in the area, the conduct of the investigating officers from the state police command and other agencies was professional and commendable.”

Forget 2016 guber, Oshiomhole tells Edo PDP

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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E N I N— G O V E R NOR Ad-ams Oshiomhole of Edo State has told the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state to forget about winning the state in 2016, saying that Edo State was not “a goat that must be captured.”

The governor, who was reacting to the boast by the PDP in the state that the party would “capture” the state after his tenure in 2016, said: “When I hear the PDP say that after Oshiomhole,

they will capture Edo back, I ask, ‘is Edo a goat that must be captured?’ In 2007, PDP stole the peoples’ mandate. I battled with them

with your support and by the grace of God, the mandate was restored.”

He spoke in Irrua, Esan Central Local Government

Area of the state, where the member representing the area in the state House of Assembly, Mr Victor Edoror, dumped PDP for the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014—13

Don't disgrace Nigeria, Kuku warns amnesty trainees

BY SONI DANIEL, Regional Editor, North

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PECIAL Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, has warned Nigerians being trained by the Federal Government in foreign institutions not to do anything that could embarrass the government or be repatriated.

Kuku gave the warning at the decoration of 18 trained commercial pilots who had graduated from the Royal Jordanian Air Academy, RJAA, by the Presidential Amnesty Office.

The presidential aide made it clear that Niger Delta delegates who failed to meet up the academic requirements would henceforth lose their full financial support and might be made to withdraw from such sponsorship.

Kuku, who was excited by the feat recorded by the Nigerian pilots, said, however, that it was important for the institutions training them to offer employment to them so as to empower them and reduce the number of jobless people in the country.

He explained that the special attention being paid by the government to the development of the trainees through aviation was to strengthen the sector and to enable the trainees to actualise their dreams of becoming pilots.

Kuku said it was not enough to just train the Nigerian pilots and send them home at the end of their course since the goal of the training was to prepare the pilots for gainful engagement in the aviation industry within and outside Nigeria.

While boasting that the Presidency had done more in the sector than at any other period in the nation’s history, Kuku promised to dispatch more delegates to renowned aviation colleges to acquire the relevant expertise in piloting, aircraft engineering and maintenance.

Kuku said: “As far as we are concerned, the Nigerian aviation industry is the most successful aviation space in Africa and we still intend to do more in order to consolidate on the gains already recorded.

“It is in the pursuit of the level of excellence required that we sent out our boys to reputable aviation institutions around

the world for training. We would want them back on the completion of their training but if you find them useful in your country, please don’t hesitate to engage them.

“They are not yet up to the number Nigeria needs and we are going to send out

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ENIN—COALITION of civil society organisations in Edo State, yesterday, protested the collection of N750 from customers by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC, as monthly charge irrespective of whether the customer enjoys electricity or not.

The protesters, who gathered at the Kings Square, Benin, circulated fliers specifying their grievances against BEDC, some of which include the contentious fixed charge of N750, which it tagged “illegal

C M Y K

and an extortion,” failure to supply the 8,000 prepaid meters already paid for, estimated billings without meter checks and poor power supply even when customers pay monthly electricity bills.

Reacting, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of BEDC, Mrs. Funke Osibodu, explained that the N750 fixed charge represents the capacity charge on customers for power supplied by power generating and transmission firms to the BEDC. She said: “It is not a Benin DISCO issue, it has been on before now, it is not new. It used to

approving their training under the PAP and pledged to justify the confidence reposed in them by the government.

Ezinwa said that the Presidency had made their dreams of flying jets to come true, adding that they were proud to graduate as pilots along with others from other countries of the world.

PROTEST: Members of civil society organizations in Edo State, protesting N750 monthly charges by Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC, in Benin City, yesterday. Photo: Barnabas Uzosike.

Rights groups in Edo protest BEDC's N750 monthly charge

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

more for training, particularly in the areas of Air Traffic Control and Ground Handling Operations,” the adviser said.

The team leader of the Nigerian trained commercial pilots, TCP, at the RJAA, Mr. Victor Ezinwa, thanked President Goodluck Jonathan for

be N500 and was increased to N750 and it will still be increased to N1, 500 this year. Once you are connected to us, you pay a fixed charge every month. But when you don’t have power, you are not authorised to be charged. If we don’t have supply and we get a feedback, it will be refunded, it depends on a period of time not one month.

“Again, understand the importance of fixed charge. Transmission has to work. The generating company will have to make capacity available so there is nothing illegal about it.”

14— Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

SWEARING IN OF ANAMBRA STATE NEW GOVERNOR, DEPUTY The swearing in of Dr. Willie Obiano and Dr. Nkamakonam Okeke as Governor and Deputy Governor of Anambra State, respectively, held at Dr. Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, yesterday.

PHOTOS: Akpokona Omafuaire, Obi Ikechukwu.

From left— Chief Peter Obi, immediate past Governor of Anambra State, Governor Willie Obiano and Chief Victor Umeh, Chairman, All Progressives Grand Alliance.

From left— Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State, his wife, Ebele, and Chief Judge, Justice Peter Umeadi (right).

Chief Obi inspecting a guard of honour.

Chief Emeka Odumegwu, Jnr, and wife.

A cross section of traditional chiefs.

Governor Obiano delivering his speech.

Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu arrives.

Crowd at the event.

Red cap chiefs.

HRM, Igwe Emeka Achebe, Obi of Onitsha and his wife.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014 —15

BY TONY EDIKE & VINCENT UJUMADU, NWABUEZE OKONKWO

A

WKA—DR. Willie Obiano and Dr. Nkamakonam Okeke were yesterday, sworn in as governor and deputy governor of Anambra State respectively with a pledge to tackle headlong the perennial problems of power failure and insecurity which they identified as the biggest constraints to the full manifestation of the ingenuity for which Anambra people were known.

Chief Judge on court order

This was even as the state Chief Judge, Justice Peter Umeadi, denied ever flouting any court order by swearing them into office.

However, the Special Adviser to the President on Inter-Party Matters, Chief Ben Obihas announced the appointment of former Governor Obi, as the honourary Adviser on Finance to President Goodluck Jonathan and would soon become a member of the Federal Executive Council, FEC. Society’s enduring virtues of love, unity and brotherhood were some of the central themes that dominated the inaugural address of the new Governor, Obiano after taking the oath of office, in an elaborate ceremony in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

Tackling challenges

At the colourful ceremony held at Dr. Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka and attended by eminent personalities from Anambra and beyond, Obiano said that the realisation of his dreams for Anambra State depends on how well these two challenges were tackled.

He said: “The good news is that there is hope for Anambra State.

We shall aggressively address the challenge of power supply with the proposed citing of ultramodern Independent Power Plants, IPP, in the three industrial hubs in the state, especially, in Onitsha, Nnewi and Awka. When fully operational, these plants will generate enough electricity to power the entrepreneurial dreams of our people.”

Governor Willie Obiano, delivering his speech after the swearing in.

Obiano sworn in as Anambra gov zVows to tackle power, security challenges zObi ‘ll soon become FEC member —President

zAs CJ denies getting court action to stop swearing in and response rate to distress calls.”

Clamour for capital city

Obiano also said that his government would address the long clamour by Anambra people for a capital city “that fully reflects the essence of our people,” adding that Awka would be redesigned and remodeled to meet the structural and aesthetic requirements of a 21st Century city that the people would be proud off.

Apart from these, he also said that his government would faithfully implement the master plans of Onitsha and Nnewi.

He listed other priorities of his government to include aggressive mechanised agriculture, oil and gas development, trade and commerce and industrialisation.

Eulogises Dim In the area of security, he said: Odumegwu Ojukwu

On security

“Anambra will be different under my watch. Not only shall we redraft the operational manual of the entire security apparatchik to ensure a lightening-quick response, we shall also reorientate our people to see that every citizen has a role to play in the security of our communities.

The concept of community policing or what is better known as the Vigilante Groups, has worked well in Anambra State.

“The next challenge however is to re-train, re-equip and refocus them to meet the dynamics of our time. Along the same line, we will strengthen the police and other law enforcement agencies in the state to enhance their efficiency

While paying a glowing tribute to the late APGA leader and Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu for building a new political ark for Ndigbo, Obiano also expressed gratitude to the people of Anmabra for the overwhelming support they gave to him during the last gubernatorial poll.

President Jonathan, who was represented at the occasion by his Adviser on inter party matters, Chief Obi, said he had enjoyed the support of the former governor and assured that “he remains my honourary adviser on Finance.

“Sooner or later Peter Obi will be a member of the Federal

Executive Council,” the president said.

Earlier in his valedictory speech, former governor Obi had described the transition as historic pointing out that since the creation of both old and new Anambra State, “no governor has handed over to anybody.”

Obi speaks

His words: “Chief Jim Nwobodo did not hand over to Chief Christian Onoh (in the Second Republic); Chukwuemeka Ezeife did not hand over to Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju; Mbadinuju did not hand over to Dr. Chris Ngige and Ngige was not available the day I took my oath of office.’’

He also claimed that when he ‘’was sworn in, Anambra did not have the Governor’s Office, there was no Governor ’s Lodge.

When I was sworn in, I came with my car but today as we leave here after the new Governor has been sworn in, he will move in a brand new Governor’s car and he will move into a Governor’s Lodge. Anambra State has returned to the path of peace and progress because when we started the journey all of us knew what it was but today, we can say we have a state.”

He denied entering into any pact with Obiano, advising his successor to give priority attention to the future of the youths in the state.

Roll call

The inauguration ceremony was attended by eminent personalities including former Chief of Army Staff, Gen.

Azubuike Ihejirila, rtd, Gov. Theodore Orji of Abia State, Special Adviser to the President on Inter-Party Affairs, Sen. Ben Obi, GOC 82 Div, Major Gen. S. Yusuf, APGA National Chairman, Chief Victor Umeh, Business mogul, Prince Arthur Eze, Sir Emeka Offor, wives of Delta and Cross River State Governors, Roli Uduaghan and Obioma Imoke, Nigerian Ambassador to Spain, Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu and APC Chieftain, Chief Annie Okonkwo.

Meanwhile, the state Chief Judge, Justice Umeadi, has denied ever flouting an alleged court order restraining him from swearing in Obiano as governor of the state.

In a statement signed on his behalf by the Chief Registrar, N. D. Ezeani, yesterday, after the swearing in ceremony, Justice Umeadi noted that there was a suit seeking a mandatory injunction to stop him from swearing in Obiano and Okeke yesterday, but that the suit had not yet been determined.

He noted that from the numerous legal authorities listed in the publications, wondering whether the plaintiff would still achieve the purport of his reliefs if he continued with his suit.

The suit

Dr. Chike Obidigbo had in a suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/118/ 2014, asked the Federal High Court, Abuja for an injunction restraining the swearing in of Obiano and his deputy yesterday.

Joined in the suit were the factional Chairman of APGA, Chief Maxi Okwu, APGA, INEC and Chief Judge of Anambra State.

Umeadi, however, observed that he would obey all orders of court on matters which come to his notice, even as he would not evade service of any court process.

He said he would equally allow access even where it is to be served on him personally, adding that even where he is absent and the court process is received in his chambers, it would certainly come to his notice and he would abide by same.

Umeadi further said that there was nothing to show that injunction was granted against him on the matter as none was served on him, adding that he was a nominal party in the said suit.

Chief Obiano, ex-banker and technocrat who won the November 16, and run off election on November 30, 2014 on the platform of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, took over from the immediate past governor, Mr. Peter Obi whose two tenures of eights were been largely described as successful In a highly inspiring address titled, Expanding the Frontiers of Excellence; Obiano who is the fourth democratically elected governor of Anambra State sought to rouse the consciousness of Ndi Anambra by reminding them of the Igbo industry and ingenuity when he said: “A people who astonished the world with their ingenuity and resourcefulness during wartime can lend a weighty hand to efforts to re-make our world in peace-time."

16—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

Service Wide Vote: House c'ttee accuses SGF office, others of diverting N16trn .... Reps may scrap SWV

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

A

BUJA — INDICATIONS have emerged that the House of Representatives may call for the scrapping of the Service Wide Vote, SWV, fund used by the executive to combat emergencies due to lack of accountability.

Sources said that the House took into account, the massive fraud associated with the SWV before agreeing informally to recommend its scrapping.

The House Committee on Public Accounts had uncovered financial irregularities in the disbursement of the fund to Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, between November last year and this month.

On March 5, the committee alleged that about N16 trillion was diverted by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Budget Office, even as Hon. Olamilekan Adeola had earlier

on December 22, last year, raised an alarm that N4 trillion was spent between 2004 and 2012 by the Federal Government from the SWV without the approval of the National Assembly, in accordance with Section 80 of the 1999 Constitution.

The committee had also alleged that between 2005 and 2006, the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo spent N250 million on the feeding of former President of Liberia, Charles Taylor and his family, who were then on an asylum in the country.

Olamilekan said the money was spent illegally without parliamentary approval, adding that the trend had continued from Obasanjo’s regime.

Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts, Rep Solomon Olamilekan, All Progressives Congress, APC, Lagos had also, at different interactive sessions with MDAs, called for the scrapping of the fund which he described as “a slosh account.”

Olamilekan explained that “most of the

FG approves 25 Justices of Court of Appeal

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BUJA — PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, approved the appointment of 25 Justices for the Court of Appeal.

This is contained in a statement signe by Mr. Soji Oye, Acting Director, Information of the National Judicial Council, NJC. It said the approval followed recommendation by the council chairman, Justice Aloma Murkhtar.

The Justices are: Hamma Barka, Gombe; Joseph Jella, Taraba; Bitrus Sanga, Bauchi; Muhammed Mustapha, Borno; Yargata

Nimpar, Gombe and Sai’idiu Hussein, Kogi, Others are: Mudashiru Oniyangi, Kwara; Amina Wambai, Niger; Ridwan Abdullahi, Nasarawa; Tani Hassan, Kano; Muhammed Shuaibu, Jigawa; Musa Alkali, Kaduna; Jamilu Tukur, Katsina; Paul Elechi, Ebonyi and Ugochukwu Ogakwu, Enugu.

Included also are: Nonyerem Okoronkwo,Imo; Joseph Ekanem, Akwa Ibom; F.E. Oho, Delta; Abimbola Adejumo, Edo; Bolokuromo Ugo, Bayelsa; Biobele Geogewill, Rivers; Oludotun Adefope-okojie, Ogun;

Misitura Bolaji-Yusuf, Oyo; J.O.K Oyewole, Osun and E.O Williams-Dawudu, Lagos.

The statement said the appointment was in line with the new Court of Appeal Act as amended that stipulates an increase in the number of Justices of the Court from 70 to 90.

It said the appointment was also to fill the vacancies occasioned by the demise, retirements and elevations of some Justices.

The statement said the Justices are expected to be sworn-in on March 24 by Justice Mukhtar.

2015: Court strikes out suit against Jonathan's eligibility

K

ADUNA — THE Federal High Court, sitting in Kaduna, yesterday, struck out a suit challenging the eligibility of President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2015 general elections.

The suit, instituted by Shuaibu Lili and one other, had sought a declaration barring the President from contesting the 2015 presidential election.

Counsel to the plaintiffs, Mohammed Ibrahim, had argued that Jonathan having been sworn twice into office as president has no constitutional right to contest for the post again.

He cited Sections 145, 142 and 146 of the Constitution which limits the tenure of the president and governors to a maximum of eight years.

The plaintiffs had also sought for an order to restrain the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, joined as defendant, from fielding Jonathan as its presidential candidate in 2015.

In her ruling Justice Evlyn Enya-Dike, said the plaintiffs had failed to convince the court in all the prayers they sought, and struck out the case.

She said that Jonathan was yet to obtain or declare formally his intention to contest, adding that the suit was “at best hypothetical, pre-emptive, speculative and mere conjunctures.”

Enya-Dike also said that Section 308 of the Constitution insulated the President from civil and criminal actions until he vacates office, adding that the plaintiffs also lacked locus-standi to institute the case.

“The plaintiffs,” she said, “had failed to show that they would suffer any special damage more than any member of the public if the President contests in 2015.”

The judge, however, did not make any declaration on whether the suit was an abuse of court process.

Enya-Dike, however, dismissed the case without any cost.

Reacting to the judgement, counsels to Jonathan and PDP, Mr. Nnamdi Ekwem, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision.

On his part, Ibrahim said they would appeal the ruling, contending that there were many flaws in the judgement.

expenditures to which the SWV releases were deployed are routine in nature and did not qualify for emergency funding.

“For instance, between 2004 and 2012, a total of N1.20 billion was spent on publicity and publication of various government programmes.

“Between 2004 and 2005, another N14.

57 billion was also released from the SWV for the payment of judgement debts against the Federal Government.

“The office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Budget Office and the Ministry of Finance released to their various offices a total of N2. 1billion to a few auditors as audit fees and in 2011 alone, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation paid out N809,358,504 as audit fees to some external auditors carrying out audit of the Federal Government financial activities instead of the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.”

He had also alleged that over N160 million was released for the Budget and Accountant General’s offices without explanations on what the money was used for.

Olanipekun said: “The expenditure of N162 million from the 2011 SWV releases tagged, 'Closing Accounts' was incurred jointly by the Office of the AccountantGeneral and the Budget Office of the Federation.

“An expenditure of N1,059,177,589.31 ($6,619,859.93 at the rate of $1 to N160) in

2010 and 2011 was said to be for payment of outstanding tax on Nigeria House in New York.

“Such releases were mainly used to finance recurrent expenses not targeted at critical and strategic sectors of the economy and the releases were random and did not follow any clear pattern.

“The SWV had become an alternative budget which government prefers to patronise than the annual budget, leading to poor implementation of such budgets as approved by the National Assembly.

“Successive governments have from 2004 to 2012, spent a whopping N4.17 trillion as against N1.8trillion approved by the National Assembly as SWV component of the budgets of those years, translating to N2.27trillion extra budgetary spending or 220 per cent above the SWV as approved in the budget for the period. Such extrabudgetary expenditures constitute a breach of Section 81 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and an illegality.”

In most cases, the heads of the agencies also, did not have documentary evidence on how the money allocated to them was disbursed.

The committee also raised questions over various sums of money totalling N5.1 billion said to have been used to finance the activities of Presidential Advisory Committee, PAC, led by Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd) in 2010.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014 — 17

N

IGERIANS are so overwhelmed by the inadequacies of Nigeria; we easily ignore its strengths. I am not talking here about Nigeria’s potentials; I am talking about Nigeria’s current actual status in the world economy. I am talking about Nigeria as a country with the biggest consumer market in Africa. Just think about it: the entire economy of Kenya is only equal in size to that of Lagos State in Nigeria.

Says Nigeria’s foremost industrialist, Aliko Dangote: "Nigeria is the best kept secret in the world. Anybody who doesn't invest in Nigeria only has himself to blame, going forward, if he misses out. I don't really know of any place where you can make as much money as you make in Nigeria."

South African invasion I don’t know to what extent rank-and-file Nigerians are aware of this, but South Africa is already making a big onslaught on this lucrative Nigerian market. If we don’t buck up and take charge, we might wake up sometime in the not-too-distant future and discover that, out of indolence; lack of imagination and dearth of enterprise, we have surrendered the commanding heights of our economy to our junior South African brothers. I call them our junior brothers because we paid their “school-fees” in the form of assisting them in their liberation struggle against the apartheid system.

In a slow but steady manner, South Africans are beginning to entrench themselves into key facets of the Nigerian economy. From aviation to banking to construction to entertainment to revenue collection to telecoms; South

IBTC; Standard Chartered; St. Elmos; Truworths; Umgeni Water and Woolworths.

At the moment, Nigerian companies don’t seem to be able to compete with most of these companies, for the simple reason that we don’t have in Nigeria a culture of good planning, sound management and efficient services. However, these are the major selling-points of the South African brands, making them increasingly the preferred choice of Nigerians.

Consider this: in 1994, South African companies made a paltry $11 million in Nigeria.

By 2005, they made a whopping $11 billion.

On the flip side, the Nigerian economic presence in South Africa is insignificant.

Nigerian companies cannot adequately serve the huge Nigerian market, therefore most have little incentive or capacity to explore the South African market. Those that make forays abroad concentrate essentially on the

The South Africans are here in Nigeria with a plan to take over the economy

,

African companies are staking a very forceful claim to Nigeria. With MTN, they now reign like a colossus over the tele-communications industry.

With Multichoice DSTV, they are now king of pay-TV. Tiger Brands has signaled its determination to dominate Nigeria’s food business by taking over majority shares in UAC Foods and Dangote Flourmills; two of the country ’s leading food manufacturing companies.

Take a look at the following firms which are quickly becoming Nigerian brand favourites; you might not be aware that they are all South African. Chicken Republic; Critical Rescue; Defresh Products; Entech and Broll; Eskom; Global Outdoor Semces; Grinaker-LTA Construction; Massmart (Game); Oracle Airtime; Mr. Price; Nandos; Protea Hotels; SAB Miller; Sasol; Shoprite, South African Airways; Stanbic C M Y K

The South Africanisation of Nigeria

,

ECOWAS sub-region. Apart from companies like Dangote Group, Financial Standard, First Bank, News Media, Philips Consulting and ThisDay Newspapers, Nigerian companies are few and far between in South Africa.

MTN supremacy

T

here is really no good reason why a South African company like MTN should dominate the mobile telecom market in Nigeria, if it were not for the fact that Nigerian policy-makers don’t seem to appreciate that, wherever possible, Nigerians should be preferred over foreigners in Nigeria. On the contrary, foreigners often get more special treatment. You may not have realised this, but a foreigner is more likely to get a loan from a Nigerian bank before a Nigerian.

With regard to the mobile

phone system, Nigeria had local people, like Mike Adenuga and Hakeem BeloOsagie, who were not only interested but were also sufficiently enterprising and qualified to participate in the project.

However, some classical Nigerian blunders were made. The scheme was made open to the highest bidder, a requirement which worked in favour of foreigners with access to larger capital.

By the time the bid reached $285 million, Belo-Osagie was constrained to drop out. While Adenuga stayed in, there was some hiatus with his payment transfer and he was disqualified.

The road was then cleared for MTN, a South African firm, and ECONET wireless, a Zimbabwean firm, to pioneer the mobile-phone system in Nigeria. Those two companies quickly ripped-off Nigerians by introducing an extortionate service of N50 per minute. By the time we woke up to what had happened and finally allowed Adenuga back in with his Glocacom system to break up their market monopoly and subvert their high pricing, MTN had already cleaned up the market. Belo-Osagie too has since come back in, partnering with the giant Etisalat, but there is no question that, short of a miracle, it will be impossible to overcome MTN’s headstart.

Thanks largely to that advantage; South Africa’s MTN now controls some 52% of Nigeria’s mobile telecoms market. According to statistics provided by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), MTN stands headand-shoulder above the rest with as many as 55 million subscribers; Globacom comes a distant second with 25 million; Airtel comes third with 21 million; and Etisalat is fourth with 15 million.

I have no problem with MTN or other foreign firms being in Nigeria. I personally have an MTN line, and I can say without being liable to accusations of bias that their services are lousy.

Nevertheless, my position is that non-Nigerians should not be given a head-start vis-à-vis Nigerians in the Nigerian economy, especially in those

areas where Nigerians are more than able to make a useful contribution.

If Nigerians end up being discriminated against in Nigeria, it means we are effectively orphans in our own country.

With currently now over 115 million mobile-phone users in Nigeria, a figure more than double the entire population of South Africa which is 52 million, Nigeria has become MTN's biggest cash cow. The company now makes over $2.5 billion in profits annually from Nigeria alone. That is virtually equal to the total annual budget of Lagos State, by far economically the largest state in Nigeria. This is not an argument against foreign investment in Nigeria, but it means money that could have been earned in Nigeria and re-invested in Nigeria gets repatriated from Nigeria. We need some people somewhere among our policy-makers to start thinking for Nigeria.

Multichoice monopoly

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nother South African flagship in the Nigerian economy is Multichoice DSTV, which accounts for over 90% of the viewers of satellite TV. Multichoice had the distinction of being the pioneer Pay-TV operator in Sub-Saharan Africa. This early-bird advantage enabled it to acquire a number of exclusive content agreements which makes it virtually impossible for others to compete on a level-playing ground with it. The critical one in this regard is the right to the English Premier League (EPL), the most popular TV programme on the continent.

This has ensured that Multichoice has been more than a competitor for the local Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). Supplementing its different Super-Sports channels with several Nollywood (Africa.Magic) and Hollywood (Movie Magic) channels, as well as local and foreign music stations and more, Multichoice is increasingly the preferred choice of Nigerian television viewers. The near-monopoly of Multichoice has enabled it to rip off its subscribers by making Nigerians pay for

films that they don’t even watch.

By having fixed charges instead of pay-as-yougo, Multichoice has been laughing all the way to the bank.

The government attempted to break the Multichoice monopoly by insisting that the right to show the EPL in Nigeria could not be bundled with the right to show it in the rest of Africa. Given the relatively large size of the Nigerian market, a separate bid had to be made for Nigeria alone. This enabled a local rival, HITV, to bid for the right and receive it for three years.

However, HITV turned out to be one big disaster. Its Nigerian CEO, Toyin Subair, got carried away by his vantage position in having exclusive rights to the EPL. He went on a spending spree buying luxury cars, jet-setting all over the world and throwing lavish parties.

Within three years, HITV was bankrupt and Multichoice reclaimed its exclusive rights to the lucrative EPL.

No retreat, no surrender

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his is not a call to discrimination against South African firms; our South African brothers are good for Nigeria. It took South African Shoprite Supermarket for us to realise that there is a market for modern retail outlets in Nigeria. Shoprite’s overnight success has prompted other international retail stores to join the fray, such as Spar, Massmart and Woolworths.

Shoprite CEO, Whitey Basson, said he saw the scope for 700 Shoprite stores in Nigeria alone, up from the current two, arguing that even if 60 percent of Nigerians live in poverty, the other 40 percent would still outnumber South Africans.

Where then are the Nigerian entrepreneurs? It appears they are either asleep or looking for oil. This is an attempt to embarrass us by challenging Nigerians to rise to the South African challenge. Nigerians need to realise that there is already underway a South African play for Nigeria, and this challenge is not simply at the level of the Super Eagles and the Bafana Bafana where we have tended to reign supreme. This is at the more cogent level of economic supremacy. It is at the level of determining the preeminent and representative black African country in the world today.

The South Africans are here in Nigeria, and they are here with a plan. They are here to take over the Nigerian economy. At the moment, we seem to have been lulled into a widespread and deepening surrender. This is a “call to arms.” We must neither ban South Africans nor impede them. But we must match them and best them. We must also recognise that, wherever possible and necessar y, Nigerian firms must be given priority over foreigners. South Africans should not receive in Nigeria the concessions that Nigerians cannot receive in South Africa.

18 Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014 WHERE would the 10-point road map of All Progressives Congress, APC, lead? APC claims it will unchain the potentials of Nigeria, leading it to peace, progress, and prosperity.

APC may have new intentions, but it draws membership from Nigerians, many of who applaud when Nigeria ‘s challenges are mentioned, without any inclinations to admit they contributed to the state of Nigeria today.

APC is a new experiment in redeeming Nigeria . Those conducting the experiment have to explain why earlier experiments, in which they participated, failed. They are also tasked to expunge themselves of a past that has no place in their current aspirations.

APC wants to change Nigeria through: *Better management of our natural resources * Building roads, power and infrastructure * Creating jobs * Fighting corruption * Free, relevant, quality education * Healthcare plan for children and adults * Housing plan * Restoring Nigerian agriculture

BY KELECHI DECCA

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HIS year’s World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos Switzerland confirmed that the annual WEF meeting remains the foremost gathering to contemplate and shape global economic agendas. The prestigious gathering captures in all ramifications the anxieties global business and finance are currently contending with and highlights the crisis of trust facing both public and private institutions. Increasing investment and economic production, deciding optimal levels of taxation and use of public funds, and jobs creation are some of the key issues which need to be resolved in advanced economies as well as Nigeria albeit with varying degrees of urgency. What has become very clear since the 2008 global economic crisis is that policy actions are required both in the advanced Northern economies as well in developing countries such as Nigeria to create conditions conducive to profitable investment of capital everywhere.

An investment by a New York-based private equity group in an e-commerce business in Nigeria not only creates jobs and the opportunity to buy goods more easily and at cheaper prices in Nigeria, it also creates wider and more efficient markets for Western and Nigerian manufacturers as well as enabling investors to pay pensions of former British or American pensioners.The dense interconnections between the flow of capital and global patterns of production, consumption and welfare explain the interests that the members of the World Economic Forum who are also the world’s biggest firms have in countries like Nigeria, hence the decision to hold the 24th World Economic Forum in Abuja.

C M Y K

APC’s Challenging Road Map * Social welfare plan for the less advantaged * Strengthening peace, security, and foreign policy These are noble ambitions that could really change Nigeria. Any organisation that is able to free Nigerians from these shackles would be creating the new country we desire.

Criticisms of the road map are expected. In the contest for power, the opposition would keenly disagree with the ruling party in almost every issue. The country would benefit from better ideas that are distilled from the contentions to serve the people better.

APC’s road map sets high standards of

conduct for politicians and public office holders. Constant APC statements on serving Nigerians better would start making more meaning once APC is different. At the moment, it is not.

The road map is a challenge to all who aspire to lead Nigerians. It is more so for APC, its originator. Only two of the items – natural (mineral) resources and foreign policy - require federal legislation for States to act.

APC should commence the changes the road map promises by implementing the other eight items through its local governments and States. Its impressive spread of presence in every geo-political zone - South East (Imo), South South (Rivers, Edo), North East (Adamawa, Borno, Yobe), North Central (Kwara, Nasarawa), North West ( Kano , Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara) and South West (Ekiti, Lagos , Ogun, Osun, Oyo), 16 States - are enough platforms forAPC to change Nigeria .

A shift from rhetoric to results will make APC different from the other parties. It should start, now.

OPINION WEF Nigeria and the Davos outing The interconnections between capital flows and production were also reflected in the opportunity given to Africa to promote her investment potential in Davos in January.

President Goodluck Jonathan, leading a robustNigerian delegation, underscored the continent’s understanding that political stability is critical for investment and economic growth. He touted the continent’s huge and youthful population, calculated to rise to two billion by 2050 as a magnet for investment.PresidentDramani Mahama of Ghana weighed in, stating that while an enabling investment climate is crucial for growth and jobs creation, African governments must also enhance their capacities to efficiently distribute the fruits of economic growth to make growth sustainable. Africa was thus “on message” at Davos.

Aliko Dangote, President and Chief Executive Officer, Dangote Group, Nigeria, and a CoChair of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in 2014, pointed out that the majority of foreign investors are too cautious in the lead-up to elections.“Today there is no government that will be against business, so go ahead and invest,” he urged. Dangote added: “People always underestimate what Africa can be. By 2050 we could have a united Africa with one common market. Can you imagine if we had sufficient power? Our GDP would be US$ 9 trillion by 2050. It can happen,” he quipped. Julian Roberts, Group Chief Executive, Old Mutual, United Kingdom, told participants that: “Africa is on the move and it is moving forward. But we need to ensure we have an enabling platform for business.” Roberts said the continent will

not succeed unless there is a “handshake between government and the private sector”.

That handshake between government and the private sector is what the World Economic Forum for Africa, Abuja, 2014 will seek to strengthen. WEF on Africa, holding in Abuja between May 7 and 9, 2014 with the theme, "Forging Inclusive Growth, Creating Jobs" reflects the economic priorities and strategy of the Nigerian government. The forum will be co-chaired by chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, and the chairman of Bharti Enterprises, Sunil Bharti Mittal, who are major private sector players in Africa.

The Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi OkonjoIweala used the showing in Davos to highlight the importance of the event coming to Nigeria for the very first time. This event is coming at a time when Nigeria is becoming more integrated into global capital markets and when the country’s aspirations to attract foreign investment into non-mineral sectors is becoming increasingly viable. Hosting the World Economic Forum on Africa is like a coming party for Nigeria in the global investment circles. Dr. Nwanze Okidegbe, Chief Economic Adviser to the President, said recently in an interview: “Sometimes, when people think of Nigeria, they think of oil. But we have far more than oil. The non-oil sector is even growing much faster. There are lots of investment opportunities in manufacturing, infrastructure, agriculture and so on. We are going to use the World Economic Forum on Africa to maximise the benefits by getting both international and Nigerian companies to get together, share information that will further showcase that Nigeria has a lot of

opportunities”.

Perhaps, more effective is the boost that Nigeria received to its investment story in Davos from non-Nigerians. Michael Vincent, Director at Monitor Deloitte, bluntly told South African firms that if they want to “play outside South Africa you have to be in Nigeria”. According to Mr. Vincent, the Economist Intelligence Unit is busy rebasing its gross domestic product data on Nigeria, in part because the populous West African country beats other nations in Africa “hands down” when it comes to foreign direct investment, FDI. “I’m seeing a lot of global companies coming into Nigeria”.

There seem to be a general consensus that the Davos meeting has changed the tone of investors on the state of the global economy.

There is a consensus that a durable recovery is on course. According to one participant: “Businesses and investors are expanding geographic horizons to break into new markets: research shows that while still focused on containing costs, they are migrating to second-tier cities to meet business demands and to take advantage of skills and new market opportunities".

Nigeria’s big challenge is to build on the outing in Davos and the confidence expressed in its growth potential by investors. We are hosting the first World Economic Forum meeting after the most upbeat Davos meeting since the global financial crisis hit in 2008.

The organization of the WEF on Africa in Abuja has to be splendid. Nothing should go wrong. And this is just a basic requirement.

*Mr. Decca, a financial journalist, wrote from Lagos.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014—19

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ATURDAY, March 8, 2014, was this year ’s International Women’s Day, the first of which was celebrated in 1911. The celebration is a reminder of the plight of women all over the world while it marks their economic, political and social achievements.

In history, even among the most socially advanced nations of the world, the status of women was always seen as inferior to that of men. Not only were women’s roles secondary, women were, in several cases, totally excluded from participation in certain activities.

All that is now changing fast!

The 1995 International Women’s Conference, held in Beijing, was a significant turning point for women. The Conference ended with what is now referred to as the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, unanimously adopted by 189 countries, including the developing nations of Africa.

Nigeria was signatory to this historic agenda for women’s empowerment and gender equality.

Before Beijing, social consciousness among Nigerian women could be said to be virtually nonexistent. We knew of women leaders/activists like Queen Amina of Zaria, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Flora Nwapa, Margaret Ekpo and Hajiya Gambo Sawaba. Of course, we also knew of events such as the Aba Women’s Riot of 1929, which was one of the very few struggles for

the liberation of womanhood in Nigeria, if not Africa. It is, however, wrong to give the impression that since then, Nigerian women have been politically docile or socially inactive, either collectively or individually. There have been other notable Nigerian women leaders and role models such as Kudirat Abiola, Grace AleleWilliams, Bolanle Awe, Hajiya Usman, to mention but a few.

Since the current democratic dispensation in 1999, the Nigerian political space has been enlarged for the participation of women who now occupy key positions in the legislative, executive and judicial arms of government. Again, the list is long and the careers are assorted – Justice Aloma Maryam Mukhtar, Chief Justice of Nigeria; Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, female Deputy Governors in a number of states, Ministers, Ambassadors, Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries and Directors in the Federal as well as State Civil Service. It is needless to say that the nation’s agriculture sector and the informal economy, especially the small and medium scale business sector, are dominated by women.

What is striking is that it is under the Jonathan administration that Nigerian women have attained the highest level of participation in the nation’s social, political and economic life. President Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda contains a National

Jonathan’s confidence in women has not been misplaced; some of his administration’s greatest achievements have been in ministries manned by women

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Gender Policy which it mainstreams into all aspects of government planning and development. A major component of that policy is women empowerment in politics. Here, there has been a remarkable success in the creation of awareness on the participation of women in politics. Not only has a Political Trust Fund been established to provide support to women aspirants willing to participate in general elections, a database of women political aspirants has also been created.

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he implementation of Jonathan’s Gender Policy has also resulted in an increase in women’s representation in Government from 10% in 2011 to over 33% 2013, with the appointment of 13 female Ministers out of 42, representing 31% and four Special Advisers out of 18, representing 23%. These appointments have set the stage for the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, target

Aviation after Oduah

BY FOLA AKINKUOTU

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HE departure of Princess Stella Oduah as the Aviation Minister brings to a screeching halt one of the most controversial careers in Nigerian public service.

As the dust begins to settle, it is fitting to xray her services to Nigerian aviation in the context of one project that was not only special to the former minister but would have had farreaching impact on infrastructure and the conduct of aviation business in Nigeria. It is one of her least known but most ambitious dreams, which could be realised just because she had the good sense and prescience to put the right minds in place to manage it.

Princess Oduah was the spearhead of the drive to remodel 12 airports in the first phase of a major infrastructure upgrade. It is tempting to think that this may be her legacy. By all means she deserves full credit for remodeling the airports; this is a valid achievement, especially in an industry where previous ministers tended to underperform.

MMA’s Terminal 1, once known as GAT, was taken down and rebuilt from the scratch. It was opened to passengers in 2012. The terminal building of the MMIA has been given an extensive makeover.. Both fingers have been extended to create more space, improving the passenger experience. With great help from the Chinese, government is building brand new international terminals at four airports across the country.

But on its own, refurbishing airports or even building new ones may no longer rank as such an extraordinary feat. It pales into second best, especially where the word Aerotropolis is mentioned. Aerotropolis loosely means airport C M Y K

city. According to John D. Kasarda, the apostle and acknowledged developer of the concept, aerotropolis is a “new urban development form comprising aviation-intensive businesses and related enterprises extending up to 25 kilometers outward from major airports.”

Kasarda, who is the Director, Center for Air Commerce, University of North Carolina, believes the cities that will thrive in the 21st century are the ones that put airports at their centre.

His widely quoted words: “Airports will shape economic activity and urban development in the 21st century as much as highways did in the 20th century, railroads in the 19th, and seaports in the 18th.”

As a business model, aerotropolis must have value, air connectivity, urbanisation and local accessibility. The numbers are irresistible: there are seven times more high value job growth in Aerotropolis than traditional downtowns; 3000 jobs are directly and indirectly supported by each regularly scheduled long haul service; 10 percent passenger volume increase results in 2 percent regional job growth while 1 in 6 people live within 20 minutes of an airport in developed countries.

In Europe, the United States and lately some Asian Tigers, aerotropolis is not just a concept; it is a reality. Calling her project Aerotropolis Nigeria, Oduah had wanted it to also be a reality in Nigeria. Was this merely wishful thinking or a dream?

Observers believe it was more than wishful thinking. A few facts bear this out.

Aerotropolis is an important part of the former minister’s Aviation Master Plan, which incorporates an extensive airport remodeling

number three on Gender Equity and Women Empowerment.

Outside politics, two microcredit schemes have been set up to assist women: (1) the Women Fund for Economic Empowerment, WOFEE, in collaboration with the Bank of Agriculture and the state governments and (2) the Business Development Fund for Women (BUDFOW), in collaboration with the Bank of Industry. The two schemes are revolving facilities with an interest rate of 10%. In addition to these efforts, 77 skills acquisition centres have been constructed and equipped across the country to increase income generation, through job creation, for women, especially at the grassroots level. A recent research, conducted and published in a book, titled Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Champion for Women, shows that Nigeria was 23rd out of 188 countries studied, in terms of women mobilisation, appointment into positions, participation in governance and women empowerment.

What, precisely, accounts for President Jonathan’s passionate drive to transform the lives of Nigerian women and improve their welfare and opportunities?

Part of the answer is that the President is married to a remarkable woman, Dame Patience Jonathan, who is endowed with some of the greatest human attributes and who is a natural mobiliser of women. The President has, in his private and public life, benefitted immensely from his wife’s virtues. It is generally acknowledged, for instance, that it was Dame Jonathan’s mobilisation efforts that secured Jonathan the massive votes of Nigerian women during the 2011 presidential election.

The 2011 experience was enough

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BY JUMMAI CALEBS

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Empowering women: The Jonathan approach

If Aerotropolis Nigeria and the airport remodeling programme are sustained as envisioned by Oduah, it could safely affirm her legacy as a visionary for an industry that is in dire need of one

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programme, the establishment of 13 cargo terminals, some of them designated for perishable goods. Days before she was sacked, Oduah laid the foundation in Asaba for one of such terminals. A manager has been appointed to bring Aerotropolis Nigeria from the drawing board to reality. To drive the high airfreight content of the project, she appointed a director of cargo services (Uchenna Ofulue) for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN. Special publications touting the concept, “From Airport Cities to Aerotropolis” are in circulation complete with a website.

Commercial hubs such as Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt were designated as the first hosts of the aerotropolis. The idea is to improve infrastructure in and around the selected airports and systematically encourage the development of businesses and related ventures around them. As conceived by Oduah, Aerotropolis Nigerian would evolve from “Airport to Airport City and then to Aerotropolis”; it would be in two phases and driven by the private sector with huge government support. It would also generate massive investment opportunities for local and foreign businesses.

for Jonathan to consolidate his faith in the qualities of Nigerian women. He did not entertain any doubt whatsoever about their character, capacity and competence in playing any role in the land, whether political, technical or administrative. That is the reason behind Jonathan’s Policy of Gender Equality and why, as some Nigerians would say “the President has surrounded himself with women and entrusted them with some of the most critical and sensitive positions.”

The good thing is that Jonathan’s confidence in Nigerian women has not been misplaced. Some of his administration’s greatest achievements, since he came into office, have been in Ministries, Parastatals and Departments manned by women. For example, since the inception of the Jonathan administration, the national economy has been strong and steady. A recent forecast by the IMF has it that the Nigerian economy will grow by an average of 7.3% in 2014, which is an improvement on the 6.7% average of 2013. The person who has been working hard to ensure this resilience of the national economy is a woman, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance.

Another success story of the Jonathan administration is the Aviation Sector, which has been remarkably transformed all over the country. Again, this monumental feat was achieved by yet another woman, Mrs. Stella Oduah, former Minister of Aviation. Nigerian women, serving in various other capacities, have not been less successful in performance. *Miss. Calebs, a public affairs commentaor, wrote from Abuja.

The former minister was also eager to learn about the business model. Nigeria made a strong showing at the 13th Airport Cities World Conference and Exhibition, ACE, in the City of Ekurhuleni, South Africa in 2013. (Malaysia is hosting this year’s edition of the conference) Other countries have turned what was once a conference topic into successful business models. For example, Amesterdam’s Schipol Airport is believed to be the world’s first airport city with more than 58,000 people working daily within the airport grounds. Its modern transport hub integrates people and businesses, logistics and shops, information and entertainment.

Munich Airport has a full-service hospital, a full-service grocery store, two bakeries, a swimming pool and spa, a microbrewery and a huge, open-air covered forum that serves as a concert venue. It employs well over 30, 000 people.

The famous Rijksmuseum exhibits art in Amsterdam’s Schiphol while the London Philharmonic Orchestra performs at Heathrow. Even Dubai is fondly described as an “airport with an emirate attached.”

If Aerotropolis Nigeria and the airport remodeling programme are sustained as envisioned by Oduah, it could safely affirm her legacy as a visionary for an industry that is in dire need of one.

The good news is that even in Oduah’s rather stormy exit, the industry would remain in safe hands - all by her design. She left behind a crop of technocrats who could effectively mann the critical systems such as FAAN, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Agency, NCAA.

*Mr. Akinkuotu is the Director-General of NCAA.

20 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

Tension as Uvwie women march against soldiers over Ohorhe land

BY FESTUS AHON

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storm of discontent is pres ently brewing in Ohorhe village, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State as the Nigerian Army moves to demolish all the buildings in the area. Last week Uvwie women, numbering over 3,000, blocked the ever busy East/West road in protest, describing the move as wicked and inhuman.

The women, who came out as early as 6:30am with placards, barricaded the road for several hours, thereby causing serious traffic jam. Chanting songs such as ‘Soldiers oleh; leave our land’, the women called on President Goodluck Jonathan to come to their aid, decrying that Ohorhe village was at the verge of being sacked by soldiers.

Marching through the Council Secretariat Road to the palace of the Ovie of Uvwie, HRM Emmanuel Sideso Abe I, with placards which bore various inscriptions such as: “Our land is our heritage, abi na soldiers get am?”, “We need our arable farmland for farming”, “You cannot acquire existing villages,” “Stop this inhumanity and return our land” to express their grievances before the monarch, the women said they would not leave any stone unturned in getting the soldiers to stop further encroachment into their land.

Further encroachment Speaking during the protest, Women Leader of Uvwie Kingdom, Mrs. Sarah Agoda, said: “We are protesting against attempt by soldiers to demolish Ohorhe community. Soldiers are selling all our lands to foreigners. They are telling us indigenes to pack to enable them sell the land. We don’t know where the Ohorhe people will pack to. Federal Government should tell us where we will be taken to”.

One of the protesters, Mrs. Mary Unuagba who also spoke said: “We came out to block the road in protest against illegal sales of our land by the soldiers. We did not give them land to sell but for the purpose of establishment of Nigeria Defense Academy. We no longer want soldiers in our land.

We want President Goodluck Jonathan to intervene by withdrawing the soldiers from our land”.

Mrs. Margaret Aka said: “We no longer want soldiers in our land because they are trying to take all our land away from us. They are raping married women and young girls. They should leave Uvwie for peace to reign”.

An indigene of Ohorhe commuC M Y K

*Placard-waving women protesting the planned demolition of their village by the army (inset) One of the buildings marked for demolition

Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, HRM Emmanuel Sideso Abe 1, addressing the protesters

nity, Chief Jimoh Eshenake, while addressing newsmen, informed thus: “About a week ago, the Army came to Ohorhe and marked all the houses for demolition. In fact, they gave our people 48 hours to move out of their houses, that the Army is coming to demolish the place. They told us that their reason was that the land being occupied by the community belongs to the army. That it is part of the army acquisition. But I must tell you the story behind it.

Acquisition of land “In 1975, that land was acquired for the army by the defunct MidWestern government but before 1975, Ohorhe and other villages around that place had been in existence. The law is very clear on this: you cannot acquire a land already occupied by people. If there is even a need to occupy it, you must re-allocate them but this didn’t happen. And somehow our king wrote to the Acting President then in March 2010 to complain

about this acquisition.

“The truth is that the army acquired over 2,000 hectares of land, and the area they have occupied, the army barrack, mammy market is less than 10 percent of the land but they are now selling it to private companies and individuals.

They have turned to landlords in our own land. We the original landlords have turned to refugees in our own land. We are calling on the Federal Government to look into this issue critically. We, Ohorhe people, are farmers who need enough land for farming.

The Federal Government must immediately come to our aide. The land was acquired for Army Barracks, Market and Defense Academy but they didn’t build the Defense Academy. The area occupied by them is less than 10 percent of the over 2000 hectares acquired, they are now selling the remaining part to private developers”.

On his part, the President General of Uvwie Kingdom, Chief MacDonald Ugbewanku, said the people had decided to embark on the protest to ask for justice. “Government usually acquires land for

a purpose, the purpose was definite, they wanted to put a Defence College which they did not do.

What has been put into use is less than 10 percent of the total land acquired. We have been asking government to dis-acquire the area since the purpose for which the place was acquired has not been achieved.

“But instead of doing that we now found that the army has now incorporated a property company and through that they are now selling Ohorhe land to their cronies. Even we the indigenes are not even privileged to buy”.

Addressing the aggrieved women at his palace moments after, the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, HRM Emmanuel Sideso Abe 1, said: “The Ministry of Defense needed land to establish the NDA, the community generously gave out land for that purpose. All along we have been looking at development at the area for the past years. Of recent it was observed that the

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away but in the actual fact they supposed to benefit from it. We will continue to protest this marginalization and oppression peacefully because we want peace and dialogue in Delta state. We are not against any development but do not go outside the agreement. Can you imagine that a village is on the verge of being thrown away? All the houses where marked for demolition. Where are they going to stay if you throw them out?

This is what they have just came to tell me. “Although in the past, I have written several letters but I promise that I work with those in authority here to take the message of their protest to the Presidency. We want our undeveloped lands back so that we can make use of it. We want Nigerians to come tour aide”.

Effort made to reach the Commanding Officer of the 3

We are protesting against attempt by soldiers to demolish Ohorhe community; soldiers are selling all our land to foreigners; they are telling us indigenes to pack to enable them sell the land

place is now being commercialised, being sold to companies, and administered by the army.

“That was not the purpose. Of course no reasonable community will accept that. This is our place, we welcome development, investors but at the same time people should not cheat, marginalise us in our own place. You could see most of the houses there are not meant for the army. They are owned by private individuals.

“Our people cannot get a shop there, they are being thrown

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Battalion, Effurun, Lt Col Ifeanyi Otu proved abortive as he told newsmen on phone that he would not entertain questions on the matter.

A military source, however told newsmen that they have acquired the land, adding: “No amount of protest will change it. They are just making noise; perhaps they want their voice to be heard, hence the protest. We have given them notice and we hope they abide by it”.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014 — 21

Benin power company plans N45bn investments

BY PETER EGWUATU

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HE Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC, said to overcome the power challenges in the areas covered by it, over N45 billion would be required in order to improve the network and increase meter availability.

Managing Director of the company, Mrs. Funke Osibodu, who said this in a presentation,

maintained that this massive investment is required over a sustained period of several years before positive results could be visible in states ( Edo, Delta, Ekiti and Ondo) covered by the company.

Located in transmission network hob of Edo, Delta, Ondo and Ekiti states, the BEDC, Osibodu said, is allocated nine percent but sometimes gets up to 12 per-

cent power availability, which is the highest in the country.

She said: “Massive investment of over N45billion is required over a sustained period of several years before positive results can be visible.

BEDC management focus is to address the rot in infrastructure and to reposition the company on the path of providing good service to the customers and ensuring operational viability.”

Manufacturers groan unde gas shortage

Others, according to the BEDC Chief executive Officer, are “ensuring financial viability, meeting the requirements of the regulators, especially Nigerian Electricity Regulating Commission (NERC) and having well trained, motivated and highly competent workforce.

“We are in the largest gas producing terrain - key source of cheapest power- Delta State and the company has largest number of power plants around it.”

From left : Executive Director, Market Operations and Technology, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Ade Bajomo; Chairman, Vetiva Fund Managers Limited, Mr. Chuka Eseka; Chief Executive Officer, NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema; Managing Director, Vetiva Fund Managers Limited, Mr. Damilola Ajayi and Executive Director, Business Development, NSE, Mr. Haruna JaloWaziri at the Facts Behind the Listing of Vetiva Griffin 30 ETF in Lagos.

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ANUFACTURING and power sectors are currently groaning under the severe gas shortage and its impact on their production.

A major cement manufacturer has hinted that the twin problem of pipeline vandalisation and the maintenance work on some Chevron gas installations taking place at the same time is responsible for the disruption of gas supply to the cement plants and other manufacturing outfits in the country.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had in the wake of the gas supply disruption attributed the development to pipeline vandalism. The NNPC GMD, Andrew Yakubu, had lamented that about N800 million had been spent on fixing the damaged pipelines and blamed it on alleged outright sabotage of some crucial pipelines, which he said had significantly eroded available gas supply to the power plants leading to incessant blackout.

The shortage of gas supply has also impacted negatively on the electricity supply in the country. Mr Doyin Salami, an economist and member of Faculty at the Lagos Business School was quoted to have said at a Rand Merchant Bank Executive discussion that ‘’it may take three to five years to get sustainable power supply in Nigeria.”

Etisalat group, Ericsson partner to power networked society initiatives

BY EMMANUEL EBELEKE

I

N response to the change and the increasing need for improved quality of service with latest technology, Etisalat and Ericsson have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, for a new collaboration to actualise the objective.

The collaboration will enable a highspeed, responsive network, laying the foundation for next-generation infrastructure for m-government and smart city initiatives.

High-speed broadband connectivity is fundamentally changing the way people live, interact and do business; consumers expect access to information, entertainment and businesses with faster speeds.

Through this partnership, Etisalat Group will launch trials of innovative Ericsson technologies such as LTE Broadcast, Ericsson Radio Dot System, and Ericsson’s heterogeneous network

solutions.

Speaking on the development, the Chief Technology Officer, Etisalat Group, Mr. Hatem Bamatraf, said “Over the years, Etisalat Group has demonstrated its ability to build and sustain the most advanced and innovative networks.

“Conducting such innovative trials is only the first step. This will pave the way for further collaborations and the eventual delivery of more advanced, reliable and faster broadband access to users across the region,” he added.

Etisalat will jointly collaborate with Ericsson to roll out a mobile identity based service, and to explore opportunities for expanding these services across each of the countries Etisalat Group operates in. Mobile identity is a key foundation for m-government, mcommerce and m-health services.

The service allows subscribers to use their mobile identity securely via a one-click sign in, giving access to diverse applications, government services and websites, without the risk of being data-mined by the various

ID providers.

Together, Etisalat and Ericsson said they will support regional government initiatives with key enablers such as ubiquitous connectivity, citizen proximity, ease of access, and open platforms.

The parties will work together to ensure that citizens have seamless access to services through the devices of their choice, without compromising on performance or user experience.

Also speaking, the Chief Digital Services Officer, Etisalat Group, Khalifa Al Shamsi, said “Innovative experiences must be delivered to our customers anywhere. For that, we are always looking for the latest technologies that enable the most advanced customer experience. Enabling the Networked Society across our network will support m-government initiatives.’

“Over the years, partnerships with Ericsson have placed Etisalat at the forefront of deploying leading technologies, guiding us to enable the Networked Society.”

201.35

-3.7

3,008.00

+54.00

17.28

-0.54

108.51

+1.12

98.67

+0.47

CURRENCY BUYING DOLLAR STERLING EURO FRANC CFA WAUA RENMINBI RIYAL KRONA SDR YEN

154.75 257.5195 214.8085 176.2328 0.3088 239.3639 25.2076 41.2612 28.7778 239.6304 1.497

CENTRAL 155.25 258.3515 215.5025 176.8022 0.3188 240.1373 25.2895 41.3945 28.8708 240.4046 1.5022

SELLING 155.75 259.1836 216.1966 177.3716 0.3288 240.9107 25.3714 41.5278 28.9 8 241.1789 1.507

CBN Exchange rate as at 17/03/2014

22— — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

Dead banks and living deposit (2)

By BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

I

F you are a depositor in any of the 48 banks that collapsed between 1994 and 2006, and you have not collected your money, you can still recover some or all your money. You can recover the part of your money covered by the insurance provided by Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).

That portion of bank deposits insured by the Corporation is called ‘maximum insured deposit’. It used to be N50,000, and later N100,000. Now it is N500,000 for banks and N200,000 for microfinance banks and mortgage banks. So depending on the ‘maximum insurance deposit’ as at the time your bank was closed, you can still recover part of your deposit in the dead bank. There is also the possibility of recovering the remaining portion of your deposit not covered by the NDIC insurance cover. This definitely sounds strange. But the truth is that it is possible and some people and organisations have actually recovered all their

deposits in dead banks.

When a bank is closed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and NDIC commences the liquidation of the bank. The Corporation first pays depositors the maximum insured deposit.

Thereafter, it sells the assets of the closed bank, and uses the proceeds of the sales to pay for

deposits above the maximum insured deposit. For example, if you had N1 million in a dead bank, and N500,000 is the maximum insured deposit. NDIC will pay you N500,000 as soon as the bank closes shop. The remaining N500,000 will be paid from the money the Corporation received from selling

the assets of the bank. This is called liquidation dividend. According to the Corporation, it had declared N1.5 billion as liquidation dividend for eight banks-in-liquidation as at December 31st 2010. But out of this, it has only be been able to pay N848.127 million. This leaves a balance of over N600

Top 10 performing stocks O

N the top 10 performing stocks last week were shares of Oasis Insurance Plc, Prestige Assurance Plc, NPF Micro-finance Bank Plc, Conoil Plc, Skye bank plc and Fidson Healthcare Plc. The rest were 7-Up Bottling Company plc, Academy Press Plc, Ikeja Hotel Plc and Union Bank of Nigeria Plc. Oasis Insurance Pc led the pack with 16.00 percent or N0.08 price appreciation to close at N0.58 from N0.50 it started the week at. Last month, FBN Life acquired 71.2 percent

equity stake in the company through acquisition of 4.63 billion ordinary shares of 50kobo each. The acquisition, according to the company, was effected through the execution of a share sale and purchase agreement with the majority shareholders of Oasis. The business combination is believed to have the potential of to enhancing efficiency and profitability of both firms. Nine months financial statement of the company for the period ended 30th Septem-

ber, 2013, showed 18.5 percent decline in gross premium to N1.153 billion from N1.414 billion; net premium earned fell by 17.4 percent to N889.56 million from the previous N1.040 billion in 2012, while the underwriting profit for the period declined by 31.1 percent from N644.139 million to N443.699 million. However, profit after tax soared by huge 131.6 percent to N100.706 million from N43.477 million. The stock initially rose by 30 percent to 65 kobo from following the announcement on the first week before sliding to the present market price. Oasis is licensed to carry on non-life insurance business in Nigeria, spanning fire, general accident, motor, marine, aviation, oil & gas, bond and engineering allrisk policies.

Prestige Assurance followed with 7.14 percent or N0.04 price increase to close at N0.58 from N0.54 per share. It is one of the 39 underwriters to have migrated to international financial reporting standard, according to information from the national Insurance commission, NAICOM. Prestige, according to the chairman, Dr. C.S. Sankey, strength-

ened capacity in some key areas of its business, particularly risk management and oil and gas. Despite the huge claim incurred in 2013 following the Dana Air crash incident, the company’s profit before tax increased to N870 million in the 2012 financial period from N157 million in 2011. Also, the profit after tax increased by 811 percent from loss position of N34.7 million in 2011 to N603 million in 2012. It has continued the winning streak into the current financial period as could be seen in the nine months results for September, 2013, where it recorded profit after tax of N344.785 million as against N308.682 million recorded in the corresponding period of 2012, a 12 percent increase.

NPF Micro-finance Bank placed third with 6.85 percent or N0.05 price appreciation from N0.73 to N0.78. Of the two

million yet to be collected as liquidation dividend by depositors of these eight banks. Your money that you believe is gone or lost might be among this N1.5 billion. You never can tell.

Now, if you have money in any of the 48 closed banks, the million dollar question on your mind would be, ‘how do I recover my money from this NDIC? It is very simple.

The first thing is to either visit the Corporation’s office, or its website for information. Most importantly, you will be required to complete relevant forms for deposit insurance claims. You will also be required to provide as evidence of ownership of account in the closed bank, accounts documents such as unused cheque books, old cheque stubs, passbooks, fixed deposit certificates etc. You will also have to identify yourself with a valid identification document such as National ID card, driver’s licence or international passport. After verification of the ownership of the account and account balance, the depositor would be duly paid the insured deposit or liquidation dividend by cheque or deposit transfer through an agent bank or acquiring bank.

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

micro-finance institutions listed on the NSE, NPF MfB is the least priced with Fortis MfB, the next enjoying more patronage and consequent price increment. It had recorded 52 week high of N1.30 before slowing down to the present market price. Available financial statement for the second quarter ended 30th September, 2013 showed a decline in profit after tax for the year though the tax expenses reduced significantly. It ended the year with N312.945 million, as against N375.285 million. Similarly, the fees and commission earned within the period fell to

N344.042 million from N452.527 million. It, however, grossed N1.292 billion compared to N1.235 billion recorded in corresponding period of 2012.

Conoil Plc was the next with 5.66 percent or N2.78 share price increase as it rose from N49.12 at the beginning of the week to N51.90 per share. It was

one of the stocks approved last year for margin lending by the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC. Conoil ranks fourth in terms of share value in the petroleum and petroleum products distributors quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, trailing Total Nigeria Plc, Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc and Forte Oil Plc. It recorded 255 percent increase in profit after tax from N450.9 million in 2012 to N1.6 billion at as half year-ended June 30, 2013. The profit before tax jumped to N1.98 billion as against N663.1 million recorded in 2012, while the revenue rose to N79.6 billion from N76.2 billion in the same period of 2012.

Skye Bank advanced by 5.62 percent or N0.20 from N3.56 to N3.76 per share; Fidson added five percent or N0.15 from N3.00 to N3.15; 7-Up Bottling Co rose by five percent or N4.13 to close at N86.77 from N82.64; Academy Press advanced by 4.65 percent or N0.08 to close at N1.80 from N1.72; Ikeja Hotel went up by 4.55 percent or N0.03 to close at N0.69 from N0.66, while UBN appreciated by 3.87 percent or N0.38 to close at N10.19 from N9.81 per share.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014 — 23

Vetiva Griffin 30 ETF listed on NSE D

uring the week, a total of 159.40 million units of Vetiva Griffin 30 ETF Securities at N17.27 were admitted to trade at the Exchange on Friday, March 14th, 2014. The fund is an open-ended Exchange Traded Fund managed by Vetiva Fund Managers Limited. Termed VG 30 ETF, it is designed to track the performance of the constituent companies of the NSE 30 Index and to replicate the price and yield performance of the Index. The fund seeks to give investors optimal exposure to the Nigerian bourse (over 90 percent exposure on a market capitalisation basis).

The underlying securities are held by a Custodian in the name of a Trust for investor protection, while the entry and exit costs for ETFs are generally lower when compared to traditional Unit Trusts. Information from the NSE website stated that the fund is expected to pay biannual distributions.

The Executive Director in charge of Business Development, NSE, Mr Haruna JaloWaziri, in a statement noted that the Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund (VG 30 ETF) is an open-ended fund that will be listed on the Exchange. “The VG 30 ETF is designed to track the performance of the constituent companies of the NSE 30 Index and to replicate the price and yield performance of the Index. The NSE 30 Index comprises of the top 30 companies listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange in terms of market capitalisation and liquidity and is a price index weighted by adjusted market capitalisation”.

“In order to provide an alternative investment window for investors, the first ETF was launched on the Nigeria bourse in December 2011. We are using the ETF product category to open up cost-effective diversification opportunities for investors, while giving the broker-dealer community an instrument to better service their clientele.This listing of the VG 30 ETF is anticipated to help advance the investor market in Africa’s fastest growing economy by further broadening the choice of asset classes open to local investors,” said Jalo-Waziri.

Speaking about the new ETF, the Exchange’s Product Lead for ETFs, Mr Osahon Aire, explained that “ETFs are essentially index funds that are listed and traded on the Exchange like shares.

Buying and selling ETFs is as simple as buying /selling

of shares. Unlike shares and mutual funds however, the ETFs will trade continuously all day long and allow investors to lock in a price for the underlying stocks immediately, rather than being bought and sold based on end-of-day prices” The Managing Director of Vetiva Fund Managers

Limited, Mr. Damilola Ajayi, said “In line with the growing ETF industry, Vetiva developed the VG 30 ETF to give investors optimal exposure to the Nigerian bourse by tracking the movement of the NSE 30 index. The offer for subscription of 100 million units of the Vetiva Griffin 30 Ex-

change Traded Fund Securities commenced on Monday, 13 January 2014 and closed on Friday, 31 January 2014”.

“Further to the successful completion of the offer, we expect that the VG30 ETF securities will be listed on the Floors of the Nigerian Stock Exchange by March 2014” said the Vetiva Chief,

ahead of the listing.

According to the third largest multinational professional services firm in the world, Ernst & Young, the global ETF industry as at October 2013 had 5,042 ETFs, with 10,053 listings, assets of US$2.3 trillion, from 215 providers on 58 exchanges and annual growth of 15 percent to 30 percent is predicted around the globe over the coming five years.

From left: Deputy Group Managing Director, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, Mr. Abdullahi Sule; Chief Executive Officer, the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema; Group Managing Director, Mr. Graham Clark, and Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Suleiman Yusuf, both of Dangote Sugar, on a courtesy visit to introduce the company’s new management and also ring the Trade Closing Bell at the NSE.

W

ITHIN the week some companies indicated the likelihood of rewarding their shareholders with dividend payment. Okomu Oil Palm Plc for instance, recommended N1.00 dividend for the financial year ended December 31, 2013. The payment date falls due on 11th June, 2014. Glaxosmithkline proposed N1.30 dividend, to be paid on 12th June, 2014, a day after the annual general meeting.

Guaranty Trust Bank proposed dividend of N1.45 dividend to be paid on 14th April, 2014. Closure date for ordinary shareholders is 28th March,

MARKET NEWS

Expected Dividends 2014, while that of GDR holders is 24th March 2014. Zenith Bank Plc is also recommending payment of N1.75 dividend on 4th April, 2014. Closure date is 24th to 28th March, both days inclusive.

In the same vein, Mrs. Oil Plc notified the Exchange that its Board of Directors is scheduled to meet on Thursday, March 27, 2014 to deliberate on 2013 audited financial statement and accounts and to recommend dividend. Courte-

ville Business Solutions Plc also notified the NSE of the intention of its Board to recommend payment of dividend for the year ended December 31, 2013. According to the company, due to the unavailability of some members of its Board to formally convene a meeting, the resolution approving the recommendation of payment of dividend shall be circularized to the members of the Board for execution.

The written resolution and the

date of the AGM upon execution by the Board of Directors of the company shall be communicated to shareholders.

Skye Bank Plc: In compliance with the Appendix III of the General Undertaking of the NSE, Skye Bank Plc notified the Exchange that its Board of Directors is scheduled to meet to deliberate on the bank’s audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2013, which may include a proposal for the recommendation of dividend for shareholders’ approval at its next annual general meeting.

24 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

C M Y K

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014—25

BY CHRIS OCHAYI

T

HE Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, has recanted its earlier position that it uncovered $22.8 billion unremitted oil revenue by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC. NEITI’s Director of Communication, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, said also that media reports from the presentation attributed to NEITI that the nation loses $8 billion annually through crude oil swap were not only wrong but misleading.

He said, “The media report from that presentation attributed to NEITI that the nation losses $8 billion annually through crude oil Swap. This is not only wrong but misleading. What NEITI presented and explained at that hearing was that there is no cost efficiency in the transactions with the offshore processing organisations.

“By this we mean that the total cost of offshore processing when compared with the reported price of PMS, DPK, AGO and other retained products proceeds paid to NNPC is not economically beneficial to the country. This is as a result of the under deliveries of petroleum products to the tune of $866 million by the companies involved in the swap.”

Furthermore, Orji also noted that reports that the Agency uncovered $22.8 billion unremitted funds to the Federation Account, carried by several news-

NEITI clarifies alleged NNPC unremitted $22.8bn papers were equally inaccurate.

According to him, “What NEITI presented and explained at the public hearing was that “the Federal Government, through the NNPC entered into alternative funding/financing arrangements with its JV partners in the form of third party financing from external financial markets, i.e. banks, and Modified Carry Arrangements (MCA) which are loans from existing JV partners, IOCs.

“NNPC’s share in the third party financing is paid to CBN/ NNPC crude oil and gas Dollar revenue account and subsequently swept to the federation accounts while under the MCA an escrow account is opened at the lenders’ bank into which buyers pay proceeds from the crude oil and gas sales.

“NEITI observed that these transactions which sum up to $22.8billion are off balance sheet items, not disclosed in NNPC’s

audited financial statements. The implication is that there may be significant contingent liabilities to the federation that is not being disclosed.

“We need to state further that it does not mean that NEITI has discovered some funds hidden somewhere or monies that were unaccounted for by the NNPC. That was why NEITI recommended that all alternative funding arrangements should be disclosed in the audited financial

•Port Harcourt refinery

statements of NNPC for clarity and openness in line with the EITI principles.”

He, however, expressed NEITI’s concerned that the contents of its presentation to the legislative Committee “have been largely misconceived, misinterpreted and misrepresented by some sections of the media,” even as he thanked them for their continued support for the agency.

Consequently, he said that “As an Agency with principles, methods, procedures and mandate firmly rooted in transparency, accountability and integrity, we are constrained to make some clarifications on key issues that were certainly not correctly reported by the media following that presentation.

“This clarification has become necessary in the overriding public interest, NEITI stakeholders, our international partners and the global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.

Orji explained that, “NEITI’s presentation to the Committee was based on the findings and recommendations of its 2009 2011 independent Oil and Gas Industry Audit Report, is in the public domain and on the NEITI website.”

He added that “All relevant government agencies, relevant committees of the National Assembly, companies, the media and civil society have copies of the Report which was also made public since last year.”

FG permits DISCOs to disconnect indebted agencies •AGF to deduct debts from source

BY CHRIS OCHAYI

T

HE Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, has granted distribution companies, DISCOs, the liberty to disconnect government agencies which failed to pay their bills.

The Chairman of NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi, stated this after the meeting of the operators of the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry, NESI in Abuja. He also revealed that circulars have been issued to the Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs in 2012, on the need to pay their electricity bills as at when due.

He said, “The federal government has already issued a circular in 2012 that every government agency should pay their bills as provided in their budget and the accountant general is being mandated by that circular to deduct from source if after 90 days that agency has not paid its bill.

“We want to restate that even with the DISCOs, we have com-

municated to them the President’s directive that they should provide meters to all government agencies. We also want to restate that because we are a new market every agency or customer be it public or private, will be cut off after due process because we want to make sure that the suppliers of electricity services have enough revenue to continue to supply those services.

“So we want to appeal to consumers, private of public entities to pay their bills on time. Even as we are working hard to ensure that all forms of energy theft and tempering will be punished drastically, we cannot talk about improvement in this sector except we are prepared to play by rules.”

Noting that the DISCOs could cut off supply after following laid down procedures, Amadi added that the circular mandated the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, AGF, to deduct defaulting agency’s debts from

the source after three months.

He recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan had last year directed government offices to pay up the electricity bills, noting that with the private sector now in charge of the sector, government agencies and offices could

no longer enjoy the privileges they were used to.”

He said, “Now, if the DISCO goes through that process they will be at liberty to cut off that consumer and NERC will sanction that such consumer should be so disconnected. And because

there are some of these consumers that are in strategic sectors what we are saying is that they should now recognise this change in the power sector and they should put in place mechanisms for paying their bills as at when due.

Total denies shutting Ofon-2 project

T

OTAL E&P Nigeria Ltd, the operator of the NNPC/Total Joint Venture, has denied re cent media reports claiming it had shut down its Ofon-2 project.

The denial comes even as the company acknowledged receipt of a notice of non-compliance with the Nigerian Content Act, from the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, against one of its contractors, Hyundai Heavy Industries, HHI. A statement from Total on Sunday, read in part, “Contrary to some recently published media reports, the Board has not now and did not at any time, make a request or issue an instruction that the Ofon-2 project be shut down.”

The statement, which was signed by the company’s Deputy General Manager, Public Affairs, Mr.

Charles Ogan, also denied reports suggesting that there were only two Nigerians working for HHI on the Ofon-2 project.

He said, “…this is incorrect. There are over one hundred Nigerians currently working for HHI, which is just one of the Contractors on the Ofon-2 project.”

The statement further said that “Total will be meeting with HHI and NCDMB to ensure a timely and satisfactory resolution of the issues raised by the NCDMB notice.”

It also noted that the Total Group worldwide and all its contractors “are required to carry out all operations in a diligent and professional manner and in full compliance with, and respect for, all national laws and regulations.”

26 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

Maximising natural gas in Nigeria: Prospects, constraints

N

IGERIA is one of the top ten nations in the world with huge natural gas reserves.

Nigeria’s estimated proved plus potential reserves stood at 184 trillion cubic feet (tcf) as at 2007. This is made up of 95 tcf of associated gas and 89 tcf of non-associated gas. The combined total of proved, probable and possible reserves is estimated at 300 tcf.

Unfortunately, there have been no significant gas exploration activities and the modest developments in gas reserves are largely connected to oil exploration (i.e. associated gas). As at 2006, estimated daily gas production was 4.6 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd), and nearly 55% (about 2.5 bcfd) was flared. The balance 45% was channeled towards gas reinjection into producing oil wells, domestic usage and as feedstock for the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) project.

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

Gas policy & Gas Master Plan Gas development in Nigeria has been constrained by the absence of clear fiscal terms; gas pricing mechanism; legal and regulatory framework; and inadequate financing. Consequently, government introduced a natural gas policy and a gas master plan. The natural gas policies was targeted at promoting a public – private sector partnership for an orderly and speedy commercialization of the nation’s gas reserves, and so contribute to

the development and diversification of the domestic economy. Similarly, the gas master plans was developed as a framework for maximizing the value inherent in the nation’s gas reserves, and thus ensure the multiplier effect of gas usage in the economy and enhance the high value gas export market.

The gas master plan has three main components: the national domestic gas supply; pricing policy and regulations; and the gas infrastructure blueprint. The domestic gas

supply obligation is meant to deal with the issue of improvements in domestic gas supply by imposing supply obligations on petroleum upstream operators.

The gas pricing policy is predicated on a pricing framework that segregates the demand sector into three categories (domestic, industrial, and commercial), to which the different pricing regimes apply. The domestic category consists of the use of natural gas for domestic cooking and for power generation. This category has direct multiplier effect on the economy. The industrial category comprises of industries that consume natural gas as a raw material (feedstock) for the production of secondary products, such as methanol, fertilizer, gas– to- liquids (GTL).

The commercial category consumes natural gas as an industrial fuel for manufacturing firms.

The gas infrastructure blueprint was developed as an integrated infrastructure strategy to support

domestic, regional, and export LNG markets.

The key challenge to realizing the objectives of the gas master plan is ensuring the availability of gas for power generation and domestic consumption. Oil and gas resources are internationally traded products, and domestic pricing for these has been an issue in this country. Therefore, pricing these resources below their international prices for domestic consumption is considered in certain quarters as providing subsidy and so, unacceptable.

As a result, the core international oil companies (IOCs) have developed a strong portfolio interest that is biased towards export of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The gas market (associated gas) is controlled by the few oil majors, and so their bias towards the export market creates a major conflict with, and resistance to, plans for a significant boost in domestic usage of natural gas. Furthermore, this bias impedes plans to put a stop to gas flaring.

Growing globally competitive national oil company I

N the recent times, the Ni gerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has been faced with a legion of issues relating to crude theft and pipeline vandalism, divestments, finance and accountability, products distribution and a host of many others.

Some of these issues particularly those of crude oil theft, finance and accountability has occupied the public discourse and further compounded by the allegedly induced recent fuel shortages.

While these challenges remain daunting, the Corporation said it is resolute in its determination to become a globally competitive national oil company, NOC, of other oil producing countries in the likes of the Saudi Aramco, Venezuela’s PDVSA, or even Algeria’s Sonatrach and many more.

Rather than allow these challenges to weigh it down or distract it from its bigger objective of becoming a world class company, the incumbent leadership of the NNPC, under the watch of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, has struggled to take them on in its strides.

Fuel scarcity While still smarting from allegations of financial impropriety levied against it by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, the country was thrown into another round of nationwide fuel scarcity with attendant negative economic impact.

Although fuel marketers attributed the supply shortages to delays in the release of the

•NNPC Head Office, Abuja

quarterly import allocations, outstanding subsidy payments and a host of others, but the Ministry and NNPC insisted that the scarcity was artificially induced.

Petroleum Minister, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, while on a two-day intensive monitoring of fuel depots and retail outlets in Lagos last week, promised to apply full sanctions against any oil marketer or product dealer found culpable in the hoarding or diversion of products.

While re-assuring Nigerians of enough products in strategic reserves to meet the demand, she said, “…It appears there are lots of factors militating against efficient delivery of fuel. We learnt for example that some tanker drivers were changing the number plates of their trucks after loading to make it difficult for tracking.

This is obviously being done to aid diversion of products from areas that are meant to receive them to other areas.”

Accordingly, she directed the

ministry’s relevant agencies including the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR; Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, as well as the marketing arm of the NNPC, Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, to arrest the situation. ”I want to establish that there is diversion. If we can establish there is, I want to know when and how this is being done. They need to supply me how these trucks are being tracked because diversion is not easy to do. The perpetrators will be sanctioned and I’m ready to publish names of anybody that may be involved,” she said.

Apart from the ministerial directive, NNPC as the supplier of last resort, in the wake of the scarcity had immediately swung into action by releasing additional 209 million litres of petrol for distribution nationwide, the bulk of which was for the Lagos market.

NNPC’s Group Managing Director, Mr. Andrew Yakubu,

also undertook a similar monitoring of products distribution in Abuja the nation’s capital. He disclosed that the Corporation had increased the number of trucks loading for Abuja from 100 to 150 per day, where each truck carries approximately 33,000 litres.

Finance and remittances Since late last year, the NNPC has battled with allegations by the CBN Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi over the non-remittance of about $49.8billion into the Federation Account. It took a Joint Audit Committee made up of the ministries of Finance; Petroleum Resources; Federal Inland Revenue Services, FIRS, the CBN; and NNPC to discover an unreconciled $10.8billion.

Even at this, the NNPC’s Group Executive Director, Finance, Mr. Ben Otti, clarified that the outstanding sum is not missing. He said some of this could be traced to maintaining a national strategic reserve of 40 million litres for 32 days, worth about $0.37billion; products and

crude oil losses $0.72billion; and pipeline management and repairs of $1.22billion.

Otti went further to quote that these expenditures were supported under the NNPC Act, Section 7 Sub-section A and B, which states: The Corporation shall maintain a fund which shall consist of (a) such monies as may, from time to time, be provided by the Federal Government for the purposes of this Act by way of grants or loans or otherwise howsoever; and (b) Such monies as may be received by the Corporation in the course of its operations or in relation to the exercise by the Corporation of any of its functions under this Act, and from such fund there shall be defrayed all expenses incurred by the Corporation.

Transparency and accountability Perhaps the declaration by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke, with regard to transfer of interests of some oil mining leases to its subsidiary, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, underscores NNPC efforts to institute transparency and accountability in the oil industry.

Adoke affirmed that by virtue of Paragraph 14 to 16 of the First Schedule of the Petroleum Act, CAP.P.10 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, LFN, 2004 (NNPC Act) and Regulation 4 of the Petroleum (Drilling and Productions) Regulations 1969 as amended, the NNPC can legitimately transfer its participating interest.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014 — 27

FG grants Pinnacle Oil waiver forOCHAYI

BY CHRIS $250m projects HE Federal Government

30 million Nigerians lack access to electricity — FG T

has said that over 30 million Nigerians have no access to electricity supply because they are yet to be connected to the national electricity grid.

The Minister of Power, Prof.

Chinedu Nebo, who disclosed this while declaring open, the Nigerian Renewable Energy Private Equity seminar in Abuja, said most of the affected Nigerians are in the rural areas.

Speaking at the seminar organised to sensitise investors, fund managers, policy makers and other stakeholders on the need to support the development of renewable energy, the minister called for more private sector financing to improve electricity supply.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Amb. Godknows Igali, he noted that the training is meant to sensitise and mobilise stakeholders to initiate an equity fund through private sector participation to promote sustainable energy.

Citing the United Nations Report on access to power, he said, “there is still a wide gap in power supply. Sadly for us here in Nigeria, we still have about 30 million people that do not have access to power at all.”

“This is the reason the federal government is focusing on Renewable Energy (RE) particularly off-grid solar and small hydros that would not need to depend on the national grid,” Nebo explained.

He disclosed further that gov-

ernment is now rounding up on financing process for the 3050mw Mambilla hydro dam and would soon be flagged off

by President Goodluck Jonathan.

He said, “There are 264 hydro dams which have not been fully utilised, so in this first quarter, government did a study and is fixing the turbines and other components in 12 of them to increase their generation capacity.”

In his remarks, the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance,

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said there is a need to supplement mainstream power generation through the harnessing of renewable energy.

Okonjo-Iweala, who was represented by Hajia Lare Shuaibu, said that the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company Plc (NBET) has received proposals and enquiries on developing the vast renewable energy in Nigeria.

“Giving the national resources of sunlight, wind, biomass among others, we need to start thinking of how they can be

harnessed for the power sector,” she added.

The Chief Executive Officer, Henshaw Capital Partners, Ms. Barbara James said in her remarks that business financing through banking lending and capital market lending at a percentage of the GDP is still relatively low, about 20 percent unlike in other advanced countries like Brazil.

James noted that the seminar is to prepare the grounds for an intended development of a Private Equity and Venture Capital where resources would

IKEDC partners LASG on energy conservation

T

•Egbim power plant

NERC abolishes flat tariff system

By SEBASTINE OBASI

N

IGERIAN electricity consumers may no longer pay flat tariff rate, if the promise of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, is anything to go by.

The Special Adviser, Research and Strategy, NERC, Mr. Uche Okoro, stated this in a chat with Vanguard on the sidelines, at the just concluded refinancing assets in the Nigerian power sector workshop, organised by Detail Commercial Solicitors in Lagos.

According to Okoro, NERC has mandated the new owners of the GENCOs and DISCOs to engage consultants to help check how healthy they are.

“NERC has mandated the new owners to engage consultants to help check the health of their GENCOS and DISCOS. That is to get the number of their customer base, the loss base, the bypass levels and everything that is happening there, the transformers that are down, the quantity of electrons they need

be pooled to develop a sustainable renewable energy for the country.

She stated that private equity is an ecosystem that involves investors, fund managers, entrepreneurs, and the policy makers adding that, “We work with these different groups in the ecosystem to raise their awareness, engage them in pre-investment and post investment activities in the sector.”

Also speaking, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, Senator Philip Aduda, said despite the vast renewable energy sources, Nigeria still experienced acute inadequate power supply, adding that renewable energy needs to be developed to boost supply.

to sell, the accuracy of the consumption level in their areas that NERC did not know before.

“When these data come in, what follows will be to look at the facts, with the facts we have in the multi-year tariff order, MYTO. Remember MYTO has progressed. Before now, we used to have one flat tariff system for the entire country. Now, it has been disaggregated into 11.

NERC agreed that it is not what somebody in Yola pays that the person in Lagos or Port Harcourt should pay,” he said.

Okoro also explained that though the next major tariff is expected in 2017, it may not be carried out until NERC gets all the needed data which have been non-existent in the past.

“The problem is the data we used in the last review came from PHCN and sourced from PHCN. PHCN was good in opaque management. They never revealed their facts. They did not do their financial reporting. They did not want to reveal their customer base properly. They did

not want to say how many people they gave meter to. They did not want to be open because they did not want to show their real fiscal state. They knew that change was coming and so their mind was not in the business any longer.

We could not rely on their data.

Financial penalty “But we have to still use the data and there were a lot of approximations in the MYTO. And now, the new owners, the people we can put financial penalty on if they give us inaccurate data, the independent people who have something to lose if they put inaccurate data on the table, the people who put in billions and will be in the business in the next forty to fifty years, so they have a future in the industry, it is not in their interest to manipulate figures.

They are vulnerable to the whip of the regulator, because they are not government backed like PHCN,” he said.

Okoro also said that the data collected from the new owners will determine when and how tariffs will be adjusted.

“All the studies they are bringing in the result are going to be disco specific. When they come in, as we look at the tariffs, the building blocks in the multi-year tariff order, we start to look at the data which they bring, which are now close to reality. The differentials between it and the one PHCN gave us, which are more of estimates and guess work; we will now start to see what needs to be adjusted.

“If the differentials are huge in certain issues and you look at the window of MYTO, your start off to understand that maybe something has to change. You don’t have to wait for 2017 to change, because you are now looking at a very huge variable.

That is the problem with tariff increase. We should not be obsessed with tariff increase or be sensational with it. It is about the reality in the building block.

HE Ikeja Electricity Dis tribution Company, IKEDC, has concluded arrangements to partner with the Lagos State Government on energy conservation to reduce unnecessary wastage of electricity by consumers.

This is one of the issues raised during a courtesy visit to the General Manager, Lagos State Electricity Board, LSEB, Mrs. Damilola Ogunbiyi by the Management of IKEDC led by the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Abiodun Ajifowobaje.

Ajifowobaje said the incidence of energy wastage in Lagos is part of the problems militating against the effective distribution of electricity, as the energy being wasted could be easily utilised by other customers. He noted that consumers have formed the habit of putting on electricity, when not in use.

He therefore sought the assistance of the State Government to partner with the Company in enlightening electricity consumers on energy conservation.

The IKEDC Management also sought the assistance of the State for the removal of structures erected under power lines, as these posed serious threats to human lives as electrical lines may snap and affect people living or trading under the lines.

Responding, Ogunbiyi said the issue of energy wastage is at the heart of the State Government, and is part of the issues in focus for its upcoming 7th Lagos Economic Summit, tagged, “EHINGBETI 2014.”

She said that the Government had started an awareness campaign to educate Lagosians on how to manage electricity wisely and economically.

28 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

Oil discovery in Chad Basin realistic — FG

BY CHRIS OCHAY I

A

BUJA: The Executive Sec retary, Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF, Dr. Oluwole Oluleye, has said that the discovery of oil in neighbouring Niger and Chad Republic has given an encouraging prospect that oil discovery in the Nigeria’s sedimentary basins is realistic.

Oluleye, who said this at the close out seminar of the 2011/ 2013 Annual Oil and Gas Research Grant Competition in Abuja, was optimistic that the development will boost the nation’s oil reserves.

He stated further that findings from the research conducted on the Nigerian section of the Chad Basin revealed that

oil discovery in the sedimentary basins is realistic and achievable.

According to him, “I want to use this opportunity to inform this gathering that adequate attention shall, henceforth, be given to renewable and unconventional energy in our grants.

The discovery of oil in neighboring Niger and Chad Republic has given an encouraging prospect of oil discovery in the Nigerian sedimentary basins. This no doubt will boost the Nation’s oil reserve.

“While progress is made in the discovery of fossil fuels in the Chad Basin, we should not lose sight of the fact that there is a global shift to environmentally source of energy. In this regard the Fund will sponsor

more researches on the production of biofuels and biogas from non-edible fruits.

“Resources have been committed in this area and I am glad to inform you that the result has been positive although more work needs to be done, as we continue our efforts at ensuring biofuel production on a commercial scale in the next research cycle.

“The Fund has already endowed professorial chair on renewable energy in the University of Benin and the successful research work of Dr. Frank Oroka and his team further shows our effort in this direction. Findings from the research of Prof. John Adekoya and his team on the Nigerian sector of the Chad Basin shows further

that oil discovery in the sedimentary basins is realistic and achievable. “I wish therefore to call on National and International Oil Companies to cooperate with PTDF sponsored researchers by providing them with relevant data and other assistance when needed. This will aid the solving of specific industry problems; enhance job creation and knowledge transfer in – country.

Oluleye, who was the pioneer Executive Secretary of Petroleum Products Pricing and regulatory Agency, PPPRA, said the sponsorship of indigenous research into critical areas of the petroleum industry is an aspect of PTDF’s intervention programmes to develop capacity for the industry.

Tough times await buyers of PHCN assets •problematic assets, faulty evaluation

BY MICHAEL EBOH

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UYERS of the assets of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria’s, (PHCN) are in for tough times

in the days ahead.

A former Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Mr. Ransome Owan, disclosed that the assets are problemat-

ic, while a faulty valuation system was used in the sales process.

Owan, who disclosed this in a document obtained by Vanguard, titled, ‘Operation and Maintenance ( O & M ) issues in the privatised p o w e r market’ said t h e transaction leading to the sale of the assets was based on government asset valuation and not a business valuation.

He further stated that the business turnaround plans tendered during the bid round require reexamination based on facts discovered.

H e disclosed that the privatised businesses are full of problems including the support systems, both from within and without.

According to him, the key challenge is how to turn the business around to profitability, including abundant

regulatory, technical and nontechnical issues.

On the part of the power generating companies (GENCOs), Owan, noted that the gencos fair a bit better because of their smaller footprint and fewer employees, noting however, that plant readiness, scheduling and dispatch frequency and capacity payments are concerns.

He questioned the capacity of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) in terms cash sufficiency, saying, “Does the central wholesale buyer, NBET, have sufficient cash even with 90-day Letter of Credit (LC)?”

He noted that evacuation challenges and ability to meet ready and suppressed demand will linger, while proper Revenue Cycle Management (RCM), metering, billing and collection challenges are here to stay.

Other problems facing the sector, according to him, include meeting loss trajectories (LTs), lack of power, unmet vesting contract supply or quotas, change integration and management, culture wars, fear by retained staff, insider financial manipulations, unknown consumers, poor payment culture and theft.

He predicted mass retrenchment in the power sector, saying that the privatisation exercise will bring about a workforce re-balancing between technical and non-technical staff.

Owan further disclosed that dependency on vesting contracts alone would lead to slow progress, stating, however, that engaging in direct purchase of power from embedded generators at approved competitive rates would accelerate progress to 24 hours, seven days a week power supply.

WEC identifies poverty, corruption as critical to Nigeria’s energy

BY ONYEGBADUE AMAMDI

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HE 2014 World Energy Is sues Monitor, a report by the World Energy Council (WEC), has identified Energy poverty and corruption as the top critical uncertainties for Nigeria.

These factors, the report said, have significant impact on the country’s sustainable development. Although equipped with extensive and diverse energy resources, more than half of the Nigerian population still had no access to electricity. As in many African countries, the challenge of modern energy access is acutely visible here.

Largely driven by the oil sector, the WEC reports that the Nigerian outlook for economic growth remains positive. This growth is not inclusive, however, as it does not translate into poverty reduction and shared prosperity.

The proposed oil and gas industry reforms of the Petroleum Industry Bill have not yet been voted on by the National Assembly. This remains a source of concern to the industry key stakeholders and operators, with implications for investments says the WEC report.

The country’s power supply remains unstable and unreliable, with poor performance and a weak infrastructure. This negatively impacts business, social and economic development.

Together with six other countries, Nigeria is now part of President Obama’s Power Africa Initiative, aimed at accelerating investment in Africa’s power sector and improving electricity access over the next five years.

Corruption is another critical uncertainty and has been an ongoing concern for the Nigerian Administration. In spite of many efforts to improve transparency, it remains a critical issue yet to be solved.

Cooperation with China, India and Brazil has been strengthened, and has resulted in more opportunities for the energy sector says the report.

The report says the most important need-for-action issues in Nigeria include: China and India, large-scale hydro, renewable energy and energy efficiency. Nigeria’s cooperation with China and India is being reinforced. As emerging countries with similar challenges to Nigeria, much can be learned from their cases and success stories.

With a huge potential of about 15 GW (with less than 1.4% exploited thus far), large-scale hydropower is perceived as a clean renewable energy option that needs to be further developed to meet energy needs in a sustainable way.

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014—33 er sentences. They have a higher school drop-out rate. They are more likely to be a product of single parentage in their upbringing (including Obama). The murder rate resulting from black-onblack violence is quite high, especially in Chicago (again, Obama’s home city). They suffer from other forms of discrimination more than their compatriots. And, the worst scenario is that the cycle goes on from one generation to another.

Having engaged other minority issues such as gay rights and the rights of women, President Obama must have found it appropriate to focus on African Americans and Hispanic young men. So, he called them to the White House and brought in some affluent and powerful people to match words with money and action. And the businessmen and power-brokers pledged an initial sum of $150 to support the programme which Obama appropriately called My Brother ’s Keeper,and whose primary objective is to find credible ways to uplift the socio-economic conditions of minority kids.

Here is what Obama said while inaugurating the body that will champion this initiative: “I believe the continuing struggles of so many boys and young men - the fact that too many of them are fall-

At last, Obama tackles ‘minority’ issues

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T the outset of his presiden cy, President Barack Obama must have calculated that it was not in his strategic interest to single out minorities in the U.S. for special attention. His mantra was that he was elected the president of the United States, not of a faction or fraction of its population.

It was a way of being politically correct. He needed to serve two terms of office and sending any signal that he would pay more attention to the two most important constituencies that elected him to office – African Americans and Hispanics - may have been politically naïve.

But, times have changed.

Obama will soon waltz into what Americans call ‘lame duck’ presidency where real attention will shift to whoever his successor might be; and the aura and indeed the power of his office will begin to diminish, at least in public’s eye. He no longer has any re-election to worry about. Perhaps, Obama is now looking toward shaping his legacy, for how

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might it be said that a president from the minority group served for two consecutive terms of office and left no tangible imprint that would enhance the status of his constituency of origin.

President Obama chose the last week of February (27) to do what some critics say he should have done years ago. He addressed the issue of uplifting the economic condition of young black and Hispanic men, and went on to identify never-has-been-done concrete steps to deal with the issue.

Unlawful activities The fact is, minorities, especially African-Americans perhaps unfairly populate the jail houses in the U.S. They are more likely to find their way into doing drugs and other unlawful activities that are likely to land them in jail. They are more frequently harassed and killed by the police. When they appear before judges in court, they are more likely to get harsh-

ing by the wayside, dropping out, unemployed, involved in negative behaviour, going to jail, being profiled - this is a moral issue for our country. It’s also an economic issue for our country…….We’ve become numb to these statistics, we’re not surprised by them, we take them as the norm. We just assume this is an inevitable part of American life, instead of the outrage that it is.But these statistics should break our hearts. And they should compel us to act.”

President Obama has acted.

But, even before the event at the White House was over, critics have started making scurrilous remarks about it.

Scurrilous remarks Of course, at the vanguard of the attacks is the conservative wing which sees anything with an Obama imprint as bad and repugnant. One of the acolytes of this wing, Bill O’Reilly of Fox News, apparently fired the first salvo while interviewing Valeria Jarrett, White House senior adviser in his programme. To him, the trouble with the African-American youth has to do with their “gangsta” culture that lands them in jail or at the morgue.

I suspect that the next phase of attacking Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper campaign will be to remind him that he also has brothers who are neither African-American nor Hispanics. He might be reminded that he had pledged to

be the president for all Americans, not just that his African -American community. Now that all efforts by his critics to situate Obama in Kenya where his father was born have apparently held no traction, it might be easier to characterize him as a sectional leader of the “gangsta” race. The conservative groups never get tired of creating anything, any label that will make the president look like a misfit in the White House.

But, I like the argument put up

by CNN’s Don Lemon to preempt this charge of sectionalism against President Obama. He admits that for once Obama has shown himself as the Black President but opines that it is a good thing to do so, because it does not diminish his position as the president of the entire United States.

Then, he stated that no one called Obama the president of the auto industry when he bailed out the ailing industry; nor did anyone label him the president of the Wall Street when he bailed out failing banks and financial houses.

My Brother’s Keeper is not only a bold programme but one whose time has indeed come. It is equally commendable. It is overdue. The beneficiaries of the programme are no less Americans than their mates on the more privileged side of the economic and social fence. When the young men of today succeed tomorrow and become creative in ways that would uplift America, it is their country that will take the pride, not just their minority communities.

34 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

By Theodore Opara

•Land Rover Discovery

Land Rover launches most fuel efficient, powerful Discovery T

HIS is good news for Land Rover Discovery fans in Nigeria. The Land Rover Discovery is now available with a powerful super-charged all-new V6 engine which out-performs the normallyaspirated V8 petrol engine. The new petrol engine delivers 250 kw and 450 Nm with emission of 285g/ k. Improvement in fuel consumption is 12.01/100 km as against 14.11/00 km on the V8 engine.

The new engine was part of the new upgrading of the Land Rover Discovery which now has a refreshed exterior with distinctive badging, as well as extended navigation for unrivalled courage of Africa. Other changes on the Discovery include new wheels, and new colours to go with them as well as new technologies such as wade sensing and T-Junction camera.

Vanguard Motoring was among journalists from across the subSaharaAfricathattest-drovethenew Discovery in Botswana recently titled: “Discover the Africa you lovein the new 2014 Discovery.”

The test-drive was from Khwai (pride of Africa Tented camp) to Kasane airport in Botswana, having visited some villagers with officials of Jaguar Land Rover in Khwai to distribute mosquito nets as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility.The new Discovery proved itself as master of all terrain, as it contended with the tough terrain worsened by the heavy rain in Botswana. Sometime the C M Y K

journalists had to go through the bush part as most of the road were flooded. But the Discovery never disappoints. It finds a way where there is none.

The new Discovery, is the most fuel efficient Discovery ever made.

It has raised the bar in luxury and Leisure ride with its new features in terms of engine performance, fuel efficiency, audio system, new range of driver assistance, comfort and safety. According to Nigel Clarke, Operations Director, Jaguar Land Roversub-SaharaAfrica,“Itisfitting and right that we launch the model year2014Discoveryatthesametime as we announce the Discover the Africa you love programme.” There has never been a vehicle more appropriate for discovering Africa than a Land Rover Discovery and it remains the perfect vehicle for

people who enjoy living an active lifestyle.

Continuing, he said: “with the introduction of the supercharged V6, which supersedes the V8, we can now offer a more fuel efficient vehicle, and a number of other upgrades to make the acclaimed Discoverybetterthanever.” For2014, the Land Rover Discovery has been given a new ‘face’ and numerous detail exterior changes.

Daytime running lights The grille, front bumper and headlamps are all new while new daytime running lights with a distinctive LED signature and a more premium execution to the froglamp surround further enhances the Discovery’s

appearance.

There are three types of headlights, vehicle gradedependent. XS and S models use bi-halogen bulbs with a single Daytime Running Lamp (DRL) while the SE gets Xenon headlamps with Signature DRLs and flagship HSE models get the Adaptive Xenon version. To complement the design changes seen at the front of the vehicle, the rear light units receive a black mask for an especially clean look.

Two new alloy wheel designs have been introduced and, to give vehicles a heightened level of distinction, the optional ‘Black Design Pack’ remains available for 2014 models, featuring revised detailing and a choice of 19-inch or 20-inch black alloy wheels. New colours include Corris Grey, Loire

Blue, Scotia Grey, Chablis and Luxor which have also been added to the palette. In a change driven by form and function, the 2014 Discovery has redesigned exterior mirrors.They’remoreaerodynamic than before but also support the introduction of new technologies: they house the cameras for the surround camera system, and the sensors for the all-new Wade Sensing system. In recognition of the Discovery’s established identity, therefreshedexteriordesignfor2014 also incorporates a change of identity. For the first time ever, the ‘Discovery’ name replaces ‘Land Rover’ on the bonnet and the number 4 will be removed from the tailgate leaving just the word ‘Discovery.’ Enginebadgingmoves fromthetailgatetoaningotmounted on each of the front doors.

PAN turnover declines from N31.75b to N1.96b in six years

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HE Managing Director of PAN Nigeria Ltd, Ibrahim Boyi has disclosed that the company’s car sales quantity and turnover declined from 11,768 vehicles and N31.75b in 2007 to 659 vehicles and N1.75b in 2013 respectively.

The Managing Director who made this disclosure in Lagos recently at the launch of new Peugeot range of vehicles also stated that direct employees of the company were reduced to 230 from 1,120 staff over the last decade. According to him, dealership networks and service centres along over 70 local auto component manufactures were

decimated and agreement with Peugeot France was also suspended four years ago.

Despite all these, he said, PAN Nigeria had kept its plant in good condition, and ready to do business. “In its current form, it remains the best and most comprehensive assembly plant in the west coast of Africa.The Managing Director blamed the misfortunes of the company on unstable government polcies, inadequate tariff protection for local assembly plants, global financial meltdown and weak management in different degree in the last decade. The managing director further noted that the

declining fortunes of the company led to the intervention of Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) in 2012.

“In 2012, AMCON acquired the debts of the companyandconvertedaportionofequity, leading to 80 percent shareholding in PAN Nigeria Ltd, acquiring board and management control. The managing director explained that a new board, led by Alh. MuhammedMunirJa’afaru,YarimaZazzau, appointed in July last year was mandated to turnaround the fortune of the company. Key

Continues on Page 29

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014 — 35

By Theodore Opara

Evoque gets world’s first 9-speed auto transmission, refreshes for 2014 THE Land Rover Evoque has scored yet another first by becoming the first sport utility vehicle (SUV) to be fitted with a ninespeed automatic transmission.

The new transmission developed by transmission experts, ZF specially for front-transverse driveline cuts fuel and emissions to the bearest minimum.

The facelifted Range Rover Evoque which was unveiled to the sub-Saharan Motoring journalists recently during a testdrive from David Livingstone Safari Lodge, Zambia to Botswana Boarder boasts more performance, less fuel consumption and lower emission.

Other features of the 2014 Range Rover Evoque include exterior and interior design enhancement as well as new alloy wheel designs.

Compared to previous 6-speed automatic transmissions for fronttransverse installations, ZF’s 9HP cuts fuel consumption and consequently also CO² emissions. The technical basis for the great efficiency of the 9HP is the very high transmission speed – and yet particularly small gear steps thanks to the nine ratios.

This not only enhances ride comfort but also makes sure that the engine always runs in the most efficient speed range.

A revolutionary transmission concept uses four individual gearsets and six shifting elements. This required some very

•Range Rover Evoque

innovative packaging and the gearsets are not stacked one behind the other on a longitudinal axis but are ‘nested in’. This concept was supplemented by using hydraulically-operated constant-mesh elements: They can be integrated without major impact on the transmission length and feature a high level of efficiency. Remarkably, it is just 6 mm longer but 7.5 kilograms

lighter than the six speed transmission it replaces. A torque converter is used as the standard starting element in the 9HP. A multi-level torsion damping system minimizes hydraulic losses by quickly closing the torque converter. With its direct drive it reduces fuel consumption and enhances comfort as well as driving dynamics. Advanced software and extensive

testing has reduced shift and response times below the threshold of human perception.

Direct multiple gearshifts are also possible with the 9HP and give the automatic transmission its sporty character: shift points and shift dynamics can be highly variable depending on conditions and driving style. It has also been designed with an eye on the future; and can cope with

Eight winners emerge at Toyota Dream Car Art Contest THE annual Toyota Dream Car Art Contest recently took place in three different geographical zones of Nigeria.

The contestants were Students in the Junior Secondary Schools as well as Primary school pupils cutting across three different age categories viz: CategoryOne:children under Eight years, children ages Eight to 11 and children ages 12 to 15. Some private and public primary as well as secondary schools across three zones: Lagos,

Abuja, and Port Harcourt took part in the thrilling competition. At the end of the exercise, over 1000 participants were collated and a panel of Creative Arts professionals and automobile engineers was constituted to do a careful selection using environmental friendliness, safety and futuristic as yardsticks for selection.

Eventually, the zonal contest produced eight best entries .The winners of the entries, accompanied by

Winners of eight Toyota Dream Car Art contest C M Y K

their parents/guardians and art teachers were invited to the prize and certificate presentation ceremony which held in Toyota (Nigeria) Limited, head office, Lekki, Lagos to receive their certificates of excellence from the General Manager Corporate Services, Mr Bunmi Onafowokan who represented the duo of the Managing Director Mr Chandraskeker Krishnadas Thampy and the Executive Director, Mr Kunle Ade Ojo. In addition to the certificates, the children were presented with lap tops and other gifts that would make event to linger in their memories for a long time to come.

Speaking on behalf of the winner Master Tomide Olunloyo described Toyota as a standard setter in Nigeria. In his opinion, Toyota has forever been engraved in his mind. He thanked the company for providing the platform for him and other contestants to showcase their talents. He professed to be an owner of a Toyota model in future.

Mr Datoru Tammy who spoke on behalf of parents and guardians submitted that this gesture on the part of Toyota is tantamount to opening a novel dimension in the realm of knowledge impartation and mental development of children across the world in general and in Nigeria.

torque outputs of up to 480Nm, is start-stop capable and can be hybridized. With the torque converter replaced by an electric motor it easily works as a parallel hybrid. The ZF 9HP is manufactured at a freshly-built plant in Gray Court, South Carolina, USA, using the very latest manufacturing techniques.

In 2013, the Range Evoque sold nearly 34,000 units worldwide and has remained the preferred compact SUV. It has won several awards since its launch.

PAN turnover declines from N31.75b to N1.96b Continues from Page 28 objectives of the new management according to him were to re-acquire the company’s last market share and re-start assembly operation. This he said the management is already on course in realising as evidenced by the recent product launch in Lagos. “The recently unveiled Auto Development Plan is designed to restart the local assembly plant and local components manufacturers. PAN and Peugeot France have keyed into the policy and I am glad to announce that assembly of Peugeot vehicles at our Kaduna plant will restart in June this year,” he said.

Also speaking at the unveiling, the Chairman, PAN Nigeria, Alhaui Ja’afaru told the audience that Peugeot b rand is back, bigger in terms of what it can offer you and better in terms of architecture, design, technology and cost.”

He recalled that many years ago Peugeot brand of vehicles had carved a niche as a reliable partner to Nigerians as the standard vehicle for pursuit of peoples daily businesses, commercial and domestic schedules in all nooks and crannies of the country.

“Perhaps we can share fond memories of the popular Peugeot 404, 504, 505 which tremendously served diverse families and the corporate sector.”

36 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

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HE Lagos state govern ment, through the state Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, has sanctioned at least three Private Sector Participants, PSPs saddled with waste collection and disposal and issued warning to several others over alleged increment in the monthly service charges to residents across the state.

At the Local Government level which is the third tier of government, waste/environmental management unit handles general environmental sanitation.

The unit is headed by a Chief Environmental Health Officer, CEHO, under direct supervision of the Executive Chairman .

The CEHO is responsible for policy formulation, implementation, inspection, monitoring and prosecution of defaulters of any environmental offences at that level. They also liaise with the state government on environmental issues, through the Ministry of the Environment.

However, the peculiarity of the metropolitan status of Lagos could not allow the constitutional framework to operate, as regards waste management structure and responsibility.

General solid waste LAWMA is responsible for general solid waste management and the management of all government disposal facilities. The PSPs involvement was as a result of irregular and erratic services of government owned agencies (Necessity and Invention).

PSP pilot scheme project in 1996/1997 started with 22 Private Sector Service Providers (PSSPs). Today, over 750 formal PSPs operate in the state.

Recently, residents have raised alarm over increment

by PSP operators on the monthly service charges amidst erratic services.

LAWMA truck picking garbage

Mess in filth business, as LAWMA sanctions erring PSPs roads, appear on days convenient to them and not as scheduled.

Many residents who patronize them after the cart push-

,

LAWMA, is responsible for general solid waste management and the management of all government disposal facilities

In some cases, the PSP which often have their vehicles broken down for days on

,

ers had been banned, were shocked when letters started flying around from their PSP

operators on the increment in service charges claim to have been authorized by LAWMA. Many wondered what should necessitate the increment in-spite of no added value to service.

One of the letters read; The Landlord/ Occupier; We are directed to inform you that as a result of increase in every aspect of waste management cost, the Authority reviewed monthly disposal charges as follows; Duplex; N1000, room, N200, room and parlour N400, shop N300 while flat is N750, bungalow

N800 and self contain/ mini flat N500.

These charges will take effect from January 2014. Let us join hands together to keep Lagos clean for healthy environment. Thank you for your continued cooperation.

When contacted, Managing Director of LAWMA, Ola Oresanya, said it is illegal for any PSP to increase the monthly charges as LAWMA has not approved any increment.

According to him: LAWMA has not approved any general increase in the tarrif for res-

idential waste collection by PSP. Any erring PSP will be sanctioned immediately.

“Though, presently, three erring PSP operators have been sanctioned in the last two weeks and many have been served warning to desist from such act.”

Oresanya, who did not disclose the names of the erring operators, therefore, urged residents to report any PSP operator that increase the service charges to LAWMA for appropriate action against such operator(s).

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

— 37

Odds against the Lagos Consumer Protection Law

By DOTUN IBIWOYE

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AGOS state has scored another first, being the pioneer state to delineate a law for consumer protection, expected to guard against the exposure to harmful usage of goods and exploitation by consumers.

Basically, consumer protection laws are designed to protect consumers by ensuring that they have access to accurate information about products and services for sale.

Consumerism is the protection of rights and interests of consumers especially with regard to price, quality and

those that are not fit for consumption into the market, adding that he expects that the law should tell consumers that they should not be helpless against erring manufacturers or vendors or service providers in Lagos because the state government has deemed it proper to give support to them so that their voices can be heard.

Naturally, the over 20 million inhabitants of Lagos applauded this new law but how effective can it be since the there is an existing protection agency of the federal government which has made little or no impact on the lives of Nigerians since its inception many years back.

,

No government that is alive to its responsibilities will not seek to protect consumers who expend money in order to ensure that they get value for their money

safety.

Last week, Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) of Lagos state signed the State Consumer Protection Agency Bill into a law, stating that the purpose is to protect consumers and to ensure that they get value for their money.

He noted that consumers must be able to seek relief or remedy against manufacturers who put goods that are substandard or

,

In Nigeria, protection is provided for in the Consumer Protection Council Act, CPC Act under Chapter C25, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

It is an act to provide for the establishment of the consumer protection council and for matters connected therewith.

The slogan that;The customer is king and is always right’ gained worldwide acceptance as consumer protection laws were

enacted and customers and consumers became more aware of their rights when purchasing goods and services.

Recently, the CPC called for speedy passage of the reviewed consumer protection laws to A consumer in a supermarket setting in Lagos enable the government provide adequate Sola Salako, had said recently portability introduced by the that Nigerian subscribers remain Nigeria cover for consumers.

Communication CPC’s Director general, Mrs. highly frustrated even after many Commission which allows the Dupe Atoki, made the call when years of the GSM technology in user to choose as laudable. she led a delegation on a courtesy Nigeria.

However in signing the Lagos Also, Executive Secretary of the version of the law, the governor visit to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Consumer Rights Project, Onu said; I hope everybody benefits Waziri Tambuwal, to canvass for Uche, blamed the situation on the because this law will raise the the speedy passage of the bill to general lackadaisical attitude of service levels of providers, it raisreview the CPC laws as well as Nigerians and the lack of laws to es compliance levels, it improves to seek for an improved protect Nigerian consumers. the quality and standards of budgetary provisions in a bid to goods that are put in the market enhance the performance of the Right and the manufacturers and sercouncil. direction vice providers also now know that She affirmed that the present there is at least a minimum serConsumer Protection Act has He commended the Lagos vice level expectation that the some gaps so it cannot protect State Government for passing the market will expect.

Nigerian consumers and it was Consumer Protection Law, which He explained that one of the because of the gaps in the Act he said was a step in the right selling points of Lagos state that multinationals come to direction. internationally and nationally is dump goods in the country with National President of the its large population and the no law to hold them responsible. National Association of Telecom consumption power that the Will this turn out to be the case Subscribers, Deolu Ogunbanjo, population brings, adding that no in Lagos too? also said that the regulators were government that is alive to its The Founder of the Consumer trying in the sense that they were responsibility will not seek to Advocacy Foundation of Nigeria, beginning to introduce features protect consumers who expend that make the subscribers more money in order to ensure that comfortable. He cited the number they get value for their money.

WEEKEND OF RAGING FIRE:

Part of Elephant building, 22 rooms burn in Lagos

By MONSURU OLOWOOPEJO

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Part of Elephant House engulfed by fire C M Y K

ROPERTY worth millions of Naira were destroyed in Lagos last weekend during different fire outbreaks across the state.

The fire outbreaks affected over 22 rooms, a two- bedroom apartment in Osoba Street, Iyana- Ipaja axis and a section of Elephant cement building at secretariat, Alausa.

Of the 22 rooms, 10 rooms were razed in the fire outbreak at Badia, Yaba Local Council Development Area, LCDA, 12 in Idimu axis of the state.

Sources said that the fire outbreak in Badia started around 04:00 am on Saturday, while the two- bedroom apartment in Osoba Street started at about 02:06 am.

Vanguard gathered that these fire outbreaks were due to electric surge which apparently started in one of the rooms before spreading to others.

In Alausa, Vanguard gathered that the fire which razed a sec-

tion of the Elephant cement building, ASSBIFI road, Alausa, Ikeja occurred at about 8:00 am on Sunday.

Though, no casualty was recorded but eyewitnesses said that all they saw was the building enveloped by smoke.

Confirming the incidents, Director of Lagos State Fire Service, Mr. Rasak Fadipe said; “For the fire outbreak on Saturday, these were among the seven distressed calls the fire officials in the state responded to.”

On the Elephant house inferno, Fadipe blamed the cause of the fire on electric surge from one of the split air conditioner in the section. According to him, “we received the distress call at 8:10 am this morning (yesterday) from one of the officers who ran to our Alausa fire station.”

He said that the fire affected a department on the fifth floor of the building, adding “it was due to our timely response that helped reduce the effect, if not the damage would have been more .”

38—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014 YOUR LUCK TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139

VIRGO; You will have more to gain if you back your plans with positive actions early in the day. 6.43 to 9.04pm can bring misunderstanding.

LIBRA; Unnecessary aggression and behind-thescene activities are potential agents of avoidable trouble today.6.43 to 9.04 may force others to break promises.

SCORPIO; Unexpected challenges can come through financial transactions, but your being practical will see you through. Watch what you do between 6.43&9.04pm.

SAGITTARIUS; Romantic Venus moves to positive angle to your Star sign and give you the needed urge to create time for the betterment of your love life. Yet you will need to be more careful in other areas so that you don’t work against your own interest. Be loving.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

I

guess you are won dering whether tomorrow is a physical thing that you can see. You see, what we are simply asking you is: what is your vision for your future.

If you don’t have a vision for tomorrow, honestly, I will say, it

Can You See Your Tomorrow? is a tragedy.

Everyone that must be somebody should have an idea of how his future will look like. And in order to realise his vision, it

should have a realistic feature. For example, if you want to be an Engineer, you must be seen to be engaged in things that could lead you to

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye”

to be an engineer – do the necessary examination etc.

Be an active participant in the business of life. Have a clear picture in your heart of what you want from life. Remember, there can’t be a place for you in the future that you can’t picture.

By Lanre Kehinde

CAPRICORN; Provided you are in control of happenings within your base of operation you will not have cause to worry. It is important you respect the law AQUARIUS; Other people money and/or jointly owned fund can be sources of challenge today. If you take friends for granted you would be disappointed.

Be steadfast.

PISCES; Both your personal career/business lines and partnership related issues are what can bring you under pressure. Be diplomatic between 6.43&9.04pm.

ARIES; Your being steadfast will not go unrewarded.

But then your subordinates may unconsciously make things difficult for you.6.43 to 9.04pm can be a bit sensitive.

TAURUS; You must know the difference between enterprising endeavour and gabling so that you will not walk your way into avoidable trouble. Love can excite you GEMINI; There may be domestic challenges but if you carry your mate/spouse along early enough there will be solution. Watch your steps between 6.43 and 9.04pm.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

CANCER; Even if unnecessary argument upset you, eventually you will have cause to smile probably through money. Watch your tongue especially around 6.43&9.04pm LEO; Doing things before planning will only lead to avoidable loss financially. Matters-of-the-heart are favoured. 6.43 to9.04pm may be sensitive.

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,

What are my lines?

Dear Joshua I am interested in your column; more ink to your pen.

I hate poverty and will like to know how I can be rich in a positive way; here I want to know about my career line (what are good lines for me) and my finance Ogunbowale, Jos. Dear Ogunbowale, Nobody likes poverty. But first rule that must be observed by would be a rich person is HARD WORK while the second is being PRAYERFUL. You were endowed with powerful brains/mind indispensable to very important positions and luckily for you your talents have been polished by sound education. As communication related Mercury was powerfully placed at positive angles to both political/ electronic related Uranus and Jupiter the planet of good luck, communication industry, POLITICS, electronics and the bridal needs are good areas where you can rightly expect remarkable success. Whatever areas you decide to go, your aspiration must be towards important LEADERSHIP POSITIONS. When talking of electronics here computer and its’ accessories are the main thing. And because Mars and Neptune conjoined with positive aspects from Pluto OIL and food related businesses are truly good for you.

All said and done it must be known by you that the more positively AMBITIOUS you are the better for you.

Libra that hosted Jupiter-the planet of good luck, is one of the Star signs related to MONEY and COMFORT. Luckily for you Jupiter conjoined Uranus (the planet of genius) at positive angles to Mercury meaning that your brilliant ideas will always bring you financial success on one hand, on the other hand Jupiter and Uranus are also related to POWERFULLY PLACED and INFLUENTIAL PERSONALITIES. Thus POWERFUL MEN and WOMEN will one time or the other aide your FINANCE. But don’t forget that the more positively AMBITIOUS you are the better for your cause. What you will need to guard against here are deceit and emotion.

VIRGINIA

HOME & ABROAD

dadadekola@yahoo.com

By Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014—39

2015: Group urges Jonathan to declare intention

2015: Ijaw group asks Manager to contest Delta guber poll

A

non-governmental organisation, Tell Nigeria Initiative, TNI, has appealed to President Good-luck Jonathan to declare his intention to contest next year’s presidential election, noting that the issue of security required concerted efforts from all citizens of Nigeria, who should see it as everybody’s business, rather than the sole duty of government.

TNI, in a statement by its Director-General, Mr Godwin Okaka, also urged Nigerians to support the proactive government of President Jonathan, who it said, represents a paradigm shift in the country’s democracy.

It said: “The Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East, is not intrinsic or developmental, as it is not a fall out of bad governance by President Jonathan. Security in the society is everybody ’s business and not that of the government alone, and so, requires the contribution of every citizen.”

The group expressed satisfaction with some of the remarkable achievements of President Jonathan’s administration, which it described as a welcome development, saying: “The president being a responsible number one citizen of Nigeria, decided to set up a national conference to ensure the unity and stability of the nation.

“It is a welcome development, as the conference will create a forum for Nigerians to dialogue, ventilate their grievances, and profer workable solutions for the country. Again, Jonathan, as a responsible leader, accented to the bill passed by the National Assembly on Anti-Gay Marriage, which is condemned in strong terms by both Christians and Muslims.

“For the first time in Nigeria, the President has made provisions for dry farming and N14 billion earmarked, so as to ensure that oil is not the only source of the country's revenue. With this development, more investors are trooping into Nigeria to grab the largest market in Africa."

BY FESTUS AHON

U

VISIT: Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State (right) and Air Vice Marshall B. A. Ajawo, Tactical Air Command, Markurdi, during a courtesy visit at the Governor's Office, Uyo.

Confab: Rivers delegates told to demand for new constitution

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

P

ORT HARCOURT—RIVERS State delegates to the national confab have been told to demand for a fresh constitution that will guarantee fiscal federalism.

Speakers at a mini-conference organised by Rivers Mainstream Coalition, weekend in Port Harcourt, said the confab should not aim at constitutional amendment, adding that it should rather give Nigerians a fresh constitution that will address defects in the country’s federalism.

Former OMPADAC chairman, Chief Albert Horsefall, who spoke at the event, urged delegates from the state to pursue issues that would promote a healthy federal system.

A communique at the end of the conference also called on delegates from the state to ensure that obnoxious laws such as the Land Use Act, Petroleum Act, Oil Pipeline Act, among others, were abrogated.

Meantime, the people of Etche, an oil-rich area in Rivers State, have described the failure of the Federal Government to appoint one of them as delegate to the confab as another act of marginalisation.

Dr. Acho Nwokogba, who spoke under the aegis of Etche Heritage Foundation, said it was shocking that Etche, the third highest producer of oil and gas in the country, does not have a delegate in the conference.

The group said the national conference should have been composed of the various ethnic groups since its essence was to chart the way forward for the country.

The group further called for legislation to back power rotation at various levels of government in the country, stressing that it will reduce tension in the polity.

Immigration tragedy: Rep decries death of job seekers

BY DANIEL GUMM

W

ARRI—THE death of several job seekers at the recruitment exercise organised, weekend, by the Nigeria Immigration Service, has been described by a House of Representatives member, Mr. Daniel Reyenieju, as a national tragedy which must be thoroughly investigated with a view to preventing a recurrence.

Reyenieju, who spoke at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, said: “Though I am not in possession of the full report as it affects the different centres where the aptitude tests were scheduled to hold, one fact that is clear from

the reports I have gathered so far is that some of our young women and men lost their lives in the process of seeking for jobs. This clearly epitomised the degree of the problems confronting this country, particularly in the area of unemployment. The incident must be thoroughly investigated to prevent a re-occurrence.”

Reyenieju, who is Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee of Inter-Parliamentary Union, decried the incident and called on government agencies to put in place the necessary mechanisms for inter-agency collaboration and sharing of expertise.

He said: “If the Immigration Service must conduct aptitude tests in which tens of thou-

sands are being expected, what it should have done was to approach any of such agencies like WAEC, JAMB, among others given their expertise and experience, and such tragedies would have been avoided.”

The lawmaker was on his way to Geneva to join more than 715 parliamentarians from 141 countries for the Inter-Parliamentary Union, IPU, at its 130th Assembly holding in Geneva, Switzerland, from March 16-20, 2014. The global parliamentarians will commit to efforts to make the world free from nuclear weapons and elect a new Secretary-General of the IPU.

GHELLI—A group, Movement for the Socio-Political and Economic Development of the Ijaw Nation, MSPEDIN, has called on the member representing Delta South in the Senate, Senator James Manager, to contest the governorship seat in Delta State come 2015.

They argued that since the creation of the state in 1991, no person of Ijaw extraction has occupied the number one seat despite its huge contributions to the economy of the state and country in terms of crude oil and gas production.

MSPEDIN, in its statement by its Chairman, Mr. Isaac-Boro Benin and others, described Senator Manager as a performer, visionary and a charismatic leader that will bring the needed development to the state, calling on the Ijaw nation, Deltans and President Goodluck Jonathan to throw their support behind him.

....As NYSC DG cautions corps members ahead of polls

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

Y

ENAGOA—THE Director-General of National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Brig-Gen. Johnson Olawumi, has warned corps members who will serve as prospective electoral officials in the 2015 general elections, to resist any form of inducement from politicians.

The DG gave the warning, yesterday, while addressing 2014 Batch A corps members deployed to Bayelsa State, during an unscheduled visit to the NYSC temporary orientation camp in Kaiama, Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of the state.

Olawumi, who reminded the corps members of their role in ensuring a free, fair and credible election in 2015, noted that they must always be seen as unbiased umpires.

40—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

We've been running Nigeria like a big prison — Olu Falae •Says conference will determine our collective future CHIEF Samuel Olu Falae is a former Secretary to the Federal Government and also the joint presidential candidate of the All People’s Party, APP and the Alliance for Democracy, AD in 1999.

In this exclusive interview with Vanguard, Falae

expresses his concern about the national conference and at the same time, faults the number of delegates going for the dialogue saying it is too small. He also bares his mind on the resuscitation of the Social Democratic Party among sundry issues. Excerpts: Nobody in his right mind will go to a meeting and say let’s discuss the unity of Nigeria. A break up is something that can happen if there is no agreement or meeting of minds. It is not a topic to be discussed, it is an event that can occur if people are rigid and unreasonable.

Nobody will go and debate it but it can happen if people are unreasonable. What I am saying is that without debate, it can happen.

Another concern that has been raised is that the composition of delegates should have been more of the younger generation. What is your view on it?

My view is that the conference should reflect the reality of the Nigerian society. When you want to go to a place like that, you will want to send the people who have the best education, the best experience, the best exposure, contact and outreach so that your interest can be maximally canvassed.

BY DAPO AKINREFON

W

HAT is your reaction to the decision by opponents of the National Conference to stop it in court?

This is a democratic society, every citizen is free to go to the law court if he or she feels that his or her rights are being threatened. The other way of looking at it is that everybody ought to know that the Nigerian federation is not at ease and that all is not well with our federation.

Therefore something must be done so that all of us can feel happier in this country.

A dialogue or a conference to discuss issues is a well known way out of that kind of dilemma and therefore, I expect every well meaning Nigerian to welcome the opportunity to discuss these issues with a view to resolving them and ensuring that Nigerians are happier people, more satisfied and more contented.

Ethnic nationalities Therefore, if you take that second view, you will then wonder why should anybody go to court to stop Nigeria from becoming a better country. So, those are the two ways of looking at it but I believe the judiciary will handle the matter and I believe the conference will go on.

There are various estimates of the ethnic nationalities we have in Nigeria but the most generally accepted is about 400 distinct

•Falae: The total size for the conference is too small government in Nigeria where you have more than three ethnic nationalities. If you think that is a reasonable hypothesis, then, you can say that a national conference of three delegates multiplied by 774, which will enable everybody to be accommodated. The question is that, is it too large for a population of 160 million people?’ It means that one delegate will represent

,

My position is that every ethnic nationality should be at the conference because it is our collective future that is going to be determined

ethnic nationalities that speak different languages in the country.

There are 774 local government areas in the country and my hypothesis is that it is most unlikely that you can have a local

Preponderance of more mature people

,

almost 100,000 people which means that the answer is no. Do we have a hall that can take us, the answer is yes.

The International Conference Centre in Abuja is designed to sit 3000 people and so, we have

a method of ensuring everybody is there and there is a reason why everybody should be there because the decisions to be taken are so fundamental that nobody should be excluded.

So, if you are going to have a conference that will make a new constitution, every ethnic group must be there. Therefore, my position is that every ethnic nationality should be at the conference because it is our collective future that is going to be determined.

Why should some people be there while others are not there?

The government did not accept my approach of an all inclusive ethnic nationalities conference. A grudging recognition was made to the ethnic nationalities by conceding 15 delegates to them per zone.

That is 90 delegates out of 490

to the owners of Nigeria, that is hopelessly inadequate and that is why some ethnic groups are now left out because they don’t have enough slots for them.

That is the truth if the matter.

The number is a recipe for bad blood, for quarrel and for anger.

But some have argued that the number of Federal government nominees for the conference is too much. Do you think so?

No, my position is that the total size for the conference is too small. That is where the problems comes from. That is why I proposed a conference of 2262 to accommodate the ethnic groups.

Everybody must have a chance to speak out. You see, we have been running Nigeria as a big prison and as long as that continues, so many will want to move out of the prison.

Do you think Nigeria’s unity is negotiable?

That is why you have the majority being older people. That is what has happened, everybody wants to send his first eleven and how do you know your best eleven, people who have played for you in a long time and who have not failed.

People who are known to have integrity over time.

They want to send tested people who can canvass their course and win for them. That is what has informed the preponderance of more matured people in the conference. That is my own rationalization.

But the Afenifere Renewal Group has come up to say that delegates’ list for the south west does not represent their first 11?

Well, everybody has his own opinion. But what are the criteria for deciding? It is a matter of opinion but all I can say is that the list I see and not just the

Continues on page 49

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014—41

Delta 2015:

New permutations trail Ochei’s exit

THE resignation of Engr. Victor Ochei as Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly has ominous signs for aspirants the 2015 governorship contest in the state.

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR

T

HE Deputy Majority Whip, Peter Onwusanua is to emerge Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly today following the formal resignation of Victor Ochei as presiding officer of the House.

Ochei had occupied the office since the inauguration of the House in 2011 and his resignation has been generally traced to intrigues and politicking around the 2015 gubernatorial contest in the state.

Ochei’s resignation with effect from today, Vanguard learnt, followed the realization by some of his opponents in the House that Governor Emmanuel Uduagahan was not backing his 2015 gubernatorial aspiration as many of the members had

“House members thought that the governor was carrying him and preparing him for 2015, so many members toyed along fearing that if they did anything •Ochei against Ochei that they would be stepping on the toes of the governor. The kind of approvals he got and the way he carried himself drove fear into many members,” a House member confided on the basis of anonymity.

“The whole state thought that he was being prepared for 2015

,

Ochei according to sources is to sustain his gubernatorial ambition in a field of increasingly crowded aspirants that had been dominated by himself

generally been led to believe.

The realization which dawned on the members last week also followed allegations that Ochei had stepped on sensitive toes outside the legislature in his carriage and conduct in the past.

,

and that is why people started drifting to him and you know many people with interests in 2015 did not want to hurt him or the governor,” one of the principal architects involved in the development told Vanguard.

•Okowa Over time, concerned associates of the governor were said to have increasingly leaked to the Government House their apprehensions over Ochei with some asserting that with the influence he was already pulling that he could become a problem for everyone should he become governor in 2015.

The governor it was learnt was said to have recently disowned his patronage of Ochei’s gubernatorial aspiration, a development which emboldened his local enemies within and outside the House to launch an onslaught against him.

With the tide turning against him last weekend and with majority of the House members believing that the governor had abandoned him, it was not easy for Ochei’s enemies to use the

•Okubor name of the governor to wipe up sentiments against the speaker.

“Me, I would not have signed for his removal because of the simple fear that the governor is the one protecting him, but when we got the clear signal we all signed,” a member of the House ordinarily close to the former speaker told Vanguard.

Meanwhile, Ochei according to sources is to sustain his gubernatorial ambition in a field of increasingly crowded aspirants that had been dominated by himself, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and lately, the governor’s chief of staff, Dr. Festus Okubor.

Meanwhile, the contest for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP gubernatorial ticket is expected to be jolted in the next few days when a serving commissioner and a major associate of Governor

Uduaghan from the Delta Central enters the race.

The serving commissioner Vanguard learnt is exploiting the opportunity of the absence of a strong candidate from Delta Central to press home his ambition to replace Uduaghan in 2015.

The expected challenge from the commissioner follows the lacuna created by the death last year of Senator Pius Ehwerido one of the most formidable aspirants expected to have shaken the contest from whatever party.

He is expected to push his advantage in the face of the strong division in Delta North between the three major aspirants, Okowa, Ochei and Okubor.

Conference 'll determine our collective future — Falae Continues from page 48 Yoruba list, contains a good number of people who are credible, who have been successful in their chosen careers, who are regarded as honest and credible people.

That is what is at stake. We cannot say the list is the best that we can produce.

As an elder statesman, what are your concerns for the confab?

I have concern for everything.

Nigeria should not be where it is today. We have been independent for more than 50 years. If we had solved the problem of infrastructure, today we would have first class roads linking Nigeria.

We should have established power generation, our educational system should be improving and not degenerating but that is a very sad thing because in our time,

•Falae: Nigeria should not be where it is today graduates from Nigeria were in high demand in schools overseas.

The best universities in the world were fighting for Nigerian graduates at that time but today, you have a first class from Nigeria who goes abroad but they will ask him to go and take their own exams to show that you deserve to be a graduate.

That tells you a story about the huge decline in the quality of education because education determines the future. Our education has declined.

We are not where we are supposed to be and that is why I am very concerned. How do we turn this thing round? How do we begin to raise the standard of education? We have no plan and that is one of the greatest tragedies that is happening now.

The activities of Boko Haram gives one concern and someone suggested that Boko Haram members should be part of the conference...

(Cuts in) Boko Haram has now proved to everybody what I always knew it was. It was not a group of religious people, who could be talked to. I have always thought that they were a group of evil people, devil incarnate who are in the world to maximize murder and mayhem.

Murder and mayhem They now go to murder children in their beds in schools and throw bombs into dormitories, behead and shoot them. These are evil people.

The government has now recognised that the only way you can deal with them is through force.They have now realized that it is now war.

What informed your decision to resuscitate the Social Democratic Party, SDP? It is very obvious. Where are the parties in Nigeria that I can

join? What are the ideologies of these parties? You are in PDP today, tomorrow, you are in the APC, there is no ideology.

Ideology is what captures what you will, do for the people.

Ask some of the so called big politicians running around whether they have ever seen the manifesto of their party? They don’t even know whether one exists. So, when this nonsense is going on serious minded people must go for that which is principled and that is why we went and resuscitated the SDP. We remembered what it did within its short span of life.These parties are not interested in the individual Nigerian.

Graduates have no jobs, there is no water, there is no light, there is nothing. We are going around in a circle. We cannot rely on any of those parties to do the job because they have failed woefully.

42— Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014 — 43

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44—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

I never abandoned my job — Sacked senator's aide

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

A

N aide to Senator Domingo Obende, representing Edo North in the National Assembly, Mr. Dominic Ifidon, allegedly sacked for working for another senatorial aspirant, Professor Julius Ihonvbere, has denied abandoning his job.

Senator Obende said he did not sack Mr Ifidon, but that the former aide abandoned his job for over six weeks.

His words: “I do not understand how this will be a story for the newspapers if at all it happened. The young man abandoned his job for the past six weeks and I do not know if this will now be treated with sentiment. I am sure he wants people to be sympathetic to his deliberate action that encourages laziness and lies all in the name of politics. For me, I wish him well.”

It was gathered that Senator Obende sacked Ifidon for allegedly spying for Professor Ihonvbere.

Speaking on his alleged abandonment of his job, Ifidoh said; “we were the closest in the senatorial district. I worked for him with all my heart and he knows that. I was never disloyal to him. I did not abandon my job. Some people told him that I was working against him and that I was working for Ihonvbere. I have not even spoken with Prof since December. He sent me the text message on February 4, 2014. He did not even bother to verify the truth of the allegation. I was the oldest staff with him. I worked for with him for three years."

Uduaghan signs 2014 budget into law

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

A

SABA—DELTA State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, yesterday, signed thestate 2014 budget into law, assuring Deltans that his

administration was poised to finish strong, hence more money would be spent on capital projects with a view to completing ongoing projects.

He signed the budget of N451 billion, comprising N161.74

Power failure looms in S-South as tanker destroys transmission cables ...It will be fixed in 6 months — Minister

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN CITY—POWER failure is looming in the South South, following the destruction of some transmission cables and towers estimated at over N1 billion in the Warri area of Delta State.

The transmission lines, which includes 12 towers were damaged during an accident involving a 33, 000 litre tanker, which caught fire in the area, damaging the transmission cables and towers seriously.

According to the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, it will pose a threat to the resolve of the Federal Government to provide steady power supply for Nigerians, if the problem was not fixed soonest.

The minister, weekend during an on-the-spot assessment of the damaged cables, appealed to Nigerians to help protect power facilities rather than destroy them and lamented the destruction of other power facilities in OgwashiUku, Delta State.

He noted that the funding of an alternative transmission line by the Federal Government made it possible to evacuate the 350 megawatts of power being generated from the Delta axis of the country.

According to him, “This is the point, Tower Number 8, there was an accident where a 33,000 litre tanker with fuel fell and exploded and the fuel in it caught fire and because of the intensity of the

heat, the conductors caught fire and were affected. All the towers are under tension and once the heat reached its limit, it will snap and because it snapped, it affected 12 of them, though two others were affected but they didn’t fall. The ones that fell we have started repairing.

“It is not something that can be done overnight, but we are going to make sure that something is done soonest. It will take about six months, but we can hasten it if we put more men to it.

billion or 36 percent of the total budget for recurrent expenditure while N289.2 billion or 64 percent for capital expenditure.

Initially, the governor had presented N391.51 billion budget proposal for the 2014 fiscal year budget of ‘Consolidation, Sustainable Economic Growth And Development,’ comprising of N159.78 billion or 48.8 per cent for recurrent expenditure and N231.72 billion or 59.1 per cent for capital expenditure to the state lawmakers.

But in passing the budget, the lawmakers increased it with N59 billion. Uduaghan, while signing the budget into law, explained that “capital expenditure was higher than recurrent in this year’s budget as the state government in the last few years had tried to control recurrent expenditure, so as to free up more funds for capital projects so we are spending more on capital projects as this is what the people benefit from directly.”

Akpabio tasks Akwa Ibom confab delegates on unity represent Akwa Ibom well and

A

BUJA — GOVERNOR Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, has charged Akwa Ibom delegates to the national conference to be united and defend the unity of Nigeria as an indivisible entity.

He urged them to show patriotism in their deliberations at the conference.

Governor Akpabio gave the charge in Abuja during a meeting with delegates from Akwa Ibom State on the eve of the conference in Abuja.

He commended President Goodluck Jonathan for convening the national conference, adding that it would afford Nigerians the opportunity to design a road map for the country.

He said “as a state, we have confidence in your ability to

make us proud. I urge you to remain united and speak with one voice on issues that affect us as a state.

“I commend President Jonathan for his foresight in convening this conference at this point of our national life and I am confident that Nigeria will emerge from this conference more united as I expect that every issue that has confronted us as a nation would be discussed frankly and resolved amicably,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of the delegates, former military administrator of the state, Atuekong Idongesit Nkanga thanked the governor and the President for their nomination as delegates to the conference. He pledged the delegates’ resolve to be good ambassadors of Akwa Ibom State at the conference.

PEOPLE SPEAK

08102479985

Also signed into law, yesterday were three other bills passed by the state House of Assembly, namely, the Delta State Local Government Bill 2013; Delta State Security Fund Bill, 2013 and the Renumerations, Salaries, Gratuities and Allowances of other Public Officers Bill, 2013.

Embattled Speaker of the State Assembly, Mr. Victor Ochei presented the four bills to the governor for assent.

3,998 traffic offenders convicted in Edo, Delta, Anambra last year — FRSC

BY EMEKA MAMAH

B

ENIN CITY — A total of 3,998 traffic offenders have been convicted in Zone RS5, Benin City, comprising of Edo, Delta and Anambra states by the mobile courts constituted by the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, in conjunction with the judiciary within the zone in its 2013 operational year in the three states.

Zonal Commanding Officer of FRSC in the area, Mr Nseobong Akpabio, who made the disclosure in a chat with newsmen in Benin City, Edo State at the end of his three-day working visits to FRSC formations in Auchi and Igarra Unit Commands (Akoko Edo), said the judiciary in Edo, Delta and Anambra states charged 4,263 traffic offenders last year to mobile courts along the strategic corridors of Benin – Ore highway; Benin – Asaba and Benin – Warri among other routes where the corps carried out mobile court exercise including Asaba- Onitsha, Onitsha- Owerri, Awka- Enugu and Asaba – Benin highways.

By Bartholomew Madukwe (nwamad@yahoo.com)

On withdrawal of fuel subsidy

I was not happy that subsidy was removed on the 1st of January 2012 but at the middle of 2012, I supported the removal. All that is now history and I pray Nigerians should always look before leaping. Removing the subsidy is really good for Nigerian, instead of enriching oil marketers. Ms. Chimezie Ezembu - Student

If removing the oil subsidy will stop corruption in the oil sector, make kerosene readily available to the poor masses and help create jobs for our teeming youths, why the delay? If we survived PHCN high tariff, communication firms high billing, we won't die if subsidy is removed. Mr. Emmanuel Iyoke- Worker

I am in support of total subsidy removal. It is only the importers and marketers who present over-inflated import and landing cost receipt to the government for re-imbursement benefitting from it. The poor masses are not enjoying it in any way, so let it be removed.

Mr. Abraham Alexander Video coverageman

If Nigerians had allowed the subsidy to be removed in 2012, by now we would have got used to it and the economy would have been better off. Also, the billions paid to marketers will not be there again. Why can’t we suffer this thing once and reap the lifetime benefit? Mr. Ademola TundeBusinessman

Why should the focus be placed on oil subsidy removal or retaining, instead of a spirited, effective and conscientious action to stem the tide of the massive corruption and racketeering going on among petroleum marketers, NNPC and significant politicians? Ms. Mgbemena Mabel- Businesswoman

The problem of fuel subsidy removal lies with the application or misapplication of its principle. In essence, a subsidy is a support, in financial benefits by government to the people.

In agriculture when fertiliser is sold to farmers at reduced costs, that is subsidisation. Mr. Jonas Odocha - Businessman

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014—45

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46—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

Okorocha orders street traders to relocate to Relief Market, Owerri

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

O

WERRI — GOVERNOR Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has ordered street traders along Douglas Road and other streets within Owerri municipality to relocate immediately to Relief Market, Owerri.

Okorocha, who gave the directive when he made an unscheduled visit to Relief Market, also said the open sheds in the market were ready and would be open for the petty traders to occupy.

“The sheds would be provided for the traders at no cost. Application forms would soon be made available to the street traders,” Okorocha said.

Mushin LG partners Ohanaeze on peace in markets

C

HAIRMAN OF Mushin Local Government, Olatunde Babatunde Adepitan, has expressed readiness to work with Ohanaeze Ndigbo to maintain and sustain peace in the Ladipo Auto spare parts market.

He spoke when the president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos State, Chief Fabian Onwughalu paid him a courtesy visit.

“I am happy and delighted to see that a body that can bring about peaceful coexistence between government and the traders has been established.

“The perennial problems and misunderstandings between Mushin Local Government and some traders within the market can now be better handled."

Disengaged PHCN workers protest non-payment of entitlements

BY CHINYERE ABIAZIEM

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AGOS — ONE hundred and thirteen disengaged staff of Ikeja Distribution Company, IKEDC, formerly under Power Holding Company Nigeria, PHCN, yesterday, protested nonpayment of their entitlements, pleading with President Goodluck Jonathan to come to their aid in ensuring they were paid.

The disengaged staff, who took their protest to the Ikeja headquarter office of the company, said they

would not relent in their protest until their entitlements were paid.

But Public Relations Officer of IKEDC, Pekun Adeyanju, said in a quick reaction that the aggrieved protesters were relieved of their duties because of the change in the firm’s security outfit, adding that some of them were not entitled to any severance benefit.

He also said the contract staff were only entitled to a month salary.

Spokesman of the protesters, Bolanle Otunuga, said: “The main reason for our protest is to let the public know that we the regularised security staff of former PHCN, who were disengaged two weeks ago by IKEDC, are yet to paid all our entitlements, including our several pay; two years leave bonus, two years bulk rent.

“Some of us have been in service close to 30 years, but were disengaged as mere commissionaires, it was the same man

BURIAL: From left, former Minister of Establishment, Chief Innocent Nwoga; Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha; Chairman, FWE Construction Company Limited, Mr. Henry Ojinere; Chairman, House Committee on FERMA, Hon. Ofor Chukwuegbo, and Deputy Chairman, House Committee on FCT, Hon. Raphael Igbokwe, at the final burial of late Pa Athanasius Ojinere Odom, at Ahiazu, Mbaise, Imo State, weekend.

FG identifies threats to National Parks …says parks now upgraded to para-military status

BY FUNMI OLASUPO

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BUJA — THE Federal Government has identified parks’ degradation and poaching of wildlife as some of the threats to the development of National Parks and sustainability of wildlife in Nigeria.

Minister of Environment, Mrs. Laurentia Mallam, made the observation at the inaugural meeting with MESSRS T. Y. Holdings Ltd and the Nigerian Conservation Foundation on private sector participation in the management of national parks in Nigeria, in Abuja.

The Minister also revealed that the National Park had been up-

graded to full status of a paramilitary organisation, explaining that with the new status, the National Park Service would be able to curtail incidents of poaching and sporadic attacks on park personnel.

Speaking on challenges facing the parks, the Minister listed degradation of parks, poaching of wildlife as some of the factors leading to threats of extinction of some of the wildlife species in the country.

According to her, while these affect various wildlife species, attacks on parks protection officers, habitat destructions and infrastructure decay are also some of the daunting challeng-

es facing the nation’s parks.

She noted that the Ministry had stepped up efforts to address some of the challenges, as she called for government’s collaboration with the private sector to overcome the ‘teething challenges.’

Mrs. Laurentia appealed to stakeholders at all levels to commit themselves to the protection and conservation of the environment and its natural resources for sustainable development.

60% out-patients seek malaria treatment

BY MONSUR OLOW-

OOPEJO

Land allottees decry loss of N81m to Obi’s govt

BY ENYIM ENYIM

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NITSHA — ABOUT 500 land allottees in Anambra State yesterday protested the refusal of Governor Peter Obi’s government to approve before leaving office, the land allocated to them at the cost of N81 million by the Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban Development, Mr. Okoli Airika.

Addressing reporters in Awka, a spokesman for the group, Chief Cyril Nweke, who described the land allocation as a C M Y K

rip-off, said it was expected that Obi’s government should not have collected money from applicants when it knew it would not approve it before the end of its tenure. ”Anambra State government under Mr. Peter Obi, in August last year, advertised for applications for land allocation at the Hill Top, near NNPC, Awawbia, and the Business District, all in Awka and over 500 applicants met the criteria and were approved for land allocation by the Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban Development, Mr. Okoli Akirika,” he said.

He said the applicants were asked to pay N2,000 for structural plan, three years tax and N10,000 to APLUC,a state government agent, adding that each of the applicants paid N150,000 as tax.

He said: “ We have completed all the processes required for the land allocation and the individual files of applicants as approved by the commissioner was pushed to Governor Obi, but he refused to sign the allocation files till this day of his exit from Government House.”

that signed our regular letter, that is now referring to us as commissionaires. ”Our problem dated back to 2011 when the corporate headquarters in Abuja, headed by Alhaji H.S. Labo, issued a secular signed by Apuye, the executive director on April 8. In that secular, Ikeja management of PHCN was instructed to regularise corporate guards that meet the requirement outlined. ”The Ikeja human resource manager waited two years for reasons best known to him before effecting the instruction on the 8th of April 2013 and backdated it to February 24, 2012.

“After doing this he wrote to the corporate headquarters in Abuja requesting for our staff numbers which are necessary for us to get our entitlements. ”But Alhaji Labo refused issuing our numbers referring to us as newly recruited staff of PHCN, whereas we had been in the system for a very long time.

“Because of the refusal of Labo, we petitioned the National Assembly, which was published last December, but up till now, nothing has been heard, whether it was received or not and no action was taken relating to the petition.

“After the selling off of PHCN, we went to the Bureau of Public Enterprise, BPE, they said they could not help us, that we did not have staff numbers, that we should go and meet Abikoye, who is the source of our problem, that he failed to do the regularisation when other zones were doing theirs and he also did not make us go through the biometrics done for all PHCN staff through- out Nigeria. They said they advised Ikeja management to pay us as commissionaires.

“We are bread winners of our various families, we are suffering and dying, we are appealing to the president to intervene.

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AGOS — LAGOS State government, yesterday, said 60 per cent of out-patients that visit the state health facilities, seek treatment for malaria.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, made this known in Ikeja to herald the commencement of the 2014 Indoor Residual Spraying, IRS, which began yesterday and will end on April 23, 2014.

Out-patients are patients that are not admitted in the hospital, who only visit for treatment.

Idris said: “Malaria remains

endemic, and one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the state.”

He noted that this was the reason the state government commenced the distribution of insecticide nets and IRS, as major means to reduce and eliminate malaria transmission in the state before 2015, especially in a targeted area.

The commissioner explained that IRS is the application of chemical insecticide on walls and roofs of all houses and domestic animal shelter in a given area.

Idris, however, urged residents to cooperate with the officials whenever they visit their houses to apply the insecticide.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014 — 47

AWARD: From left: Sales Director, Nigerian Breweries, Hubert Eze, Nigerian Breweries Managing Director's wife, Clementine Vervelde, Managing Director, Nigerian Breweries, Nicolaas Vervelde, National Champion of the Distributors Award, Joy Igwe; her husband, Sir Gabriel Igwe of Ifeoma Chukwuka Nigerian Ltd, and Nollywood icon, Patience Ozokwor, during Nigerian Breweries distributors award, in Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.

BOAT CRUISE: From left: Group Managing Director/CEO, Arco Petrochemical Engineering Co. Plc, Mr. Alfred Okoigun, his wife, Julie and Nollywood actor, Desmond Elliot, during a cruise on Arco Fast Crew Boat 4 to celebrate its arrival in Lagos.

AWARD: From left: National President, Association of Akwa-Cross Indigenes, Nigeria, Mr. Unyime Samson, awardee, President, International Bible Academy, IBA, Dr. Murphy Akrasi, and Treasurer, Akwa Ibom State Community, AKISCOM, Lagos, Elder Nsebot Williams, awardee, during the induction, graduation and awards ceremony of the IBA, in Lagos.

From left: Delta State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Misan Ukubenje, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ward 9 Chairman,Warri North LGA,Mr. Morrison Omagbemi, Special Assist to Governor Uduaghan, Mr. Egert Omoneukanrin,and Special Project Director, Mr Francis Maku-Eyituoyor, during the rally in Abigborodo community to drum support for Governor Uduaghan's senate ambition in 2015 election.

Chairnam, Amuwo Odofin Local Government, Mr. Ayodele Adewale (middle), Secretary, All Progressives Congress, APC, Lagos State, Primate Charles Odugbesi (left), and Hon. Femi Afikuyomi, during the tour of on-going road projects in Festac Town, Amuwo Odofin Local Government, Lagos.

PRESENTATION: From left: Project co-ordinator, SMP 47 Class, Lagos Business Schools, Pan Atlantic University, Mr. Thomas Eze, President, Mr. Ubong King, Home co-ordinator, Ozanam House, Sister Stella Mbanu, and member, SMP 47 Class, Ms. Irunna Ejibe, at the cheque presentation to Daughters of Charity, Ozanam House in Lagos.

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From left: Justin Korte, GM, GSK Consumer Nig Plc., Chief Olusegun Osunkeye, Chairman, Chidi Okoro, Outgoing MD, his wife, Nneka Okoro, Lekan Asuni, MD, GSK Pharmaceuticals, Osaretin Jaiyeola, Regulatory Affairs Director, Africa, at the send forth for Chidi Okoro in Lagos.

From left: Mr. Paul Mba, Product Marketing Manager, Home Entertainment Division, LG Electronics Nig., Miss Caroline Edoh, LG Elrctronics West Africa Operations and Mr. Adeniyi Adewunmi, LG Elrctronics West Africa Operations, during the launching of the new LG xboom Pro Hi-Fi System in Lagos. Photo: Diran Oshe.

Regional Director, South-East/South-South, First City Monument Bank, FCMB, Ltd, Mr. Okey Ezeala (left), Deputy Managing Director, FCMB, Mr. Segun Odusanya (third left), Principal, Community Secondary School, Aka Offot, Uyo, Mr. Jehu J. Obobikpe (3rd right), and some students of the school, during the Financial Literacy programme organised by FCMB in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

48—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

Yero abandons int'l confab over Kaura attacks

Oko poly crisis: Governing Council denies plans to relocate institution

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ADUNA— GOVER NOR Mukhtar Yero of Kaduna State, yesterday, abandoned a scheduled official assignment in the United States and returned to the country following weekend’s attack on three villages in Kaura Local Government Area of the state.

Suspected Fulani herdsmen attacked the communities, killing over 100 people.

Already, the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, has carried out an assessment of the affected communities and victims in a bid to provide relief materials to the displaced victims.

Yero was already in the United Kingdom en-route the United States to attend a symposium on peace and security in northern Nigeria, organised by the United States Institute of Peace, USIP. According to a statement by the Director General, Media and Publicity, Ahmed Maiyaki, the governor was billed to address the conference on the security challenges in the North, with particular reference to Kaduna State, but had to cancel the trip on receiving the sad news that some hoodlums had attacked some villages in Kaduna and killing many innocent citizens.

Yero departed the country Friday morning but returned on Saturday without attending the USIP conference.

The USIP symposium was to be attended by governors in the northern states now facing security and economic challenges as well as lawmakers and investors from the US and Europe.

The aim was to seek collaborative solutions that would hasten the security and economic development of the north.

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The Vice President, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and General Secretary, National Union of Textile Garment & Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, Comrade Issa Aremu (middle) with the Deputy General Secretary, Comrade Sylvester Chimeze and Comrade Emeka Nkoala at the protest rally on the Nigeria Immigration Service recruitment stampede, in Kaduna, yesterday. Photo: Olu Ajayi.

B'Haram kills two, sets churches, houses ablaze in fresh Borno attack

BY NDAHI MARAMA

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AIDUGURI — SUS PECTED members of Boko Haram sect, yesterday, invaded Pela Birni village in Hawul Local Government Area of Borno State, killing two residents before setting ablaze two churches and many residential houses.

Pela Birni is one of the thickly populated and remote villages under Kwajafa District in southern Borno with Christians as majority, and about few kilometres from Garkida town in Adamawa State.

Eye witnesses said the gunmen arrived the village at about 10 p.m., Sunday, with sophisticated weapons and opened fire on their targets as hundreds of residents fled to the mountainous areas of Kwajafa District and its environs.

Mallam Musa Anjili Birni, who spoke in a telephone interview with Vanguard said, he narrowly escaped being killed by the attackers as the house he was sleeping in was also set ablaze.

He said: ”The gunmen invaded our village at about 10 pm on Sunday and started shouting 'God is great'. In some houses, they did not shoot at the residents but ordered them to vacate their houses before setting them ablaze, saying we are here for God’s work.”

Another resident who spoke on

FUT, Minna expels 5 students over exam malpractice

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INNA —THE authorities of the Federal University of Technology, FUT, Minna, have expelled five students of the institution over alleged examination malpractice.

This is contained in a statement signed by the university’s Registrar, Mrs Victoria Kolo, in Minna, yesterday.

The statement stated that the C M Y K

action would serve as deterrent to others nursing similar ideas.

They are: Ishola Kolawole, Department of Chemical Engineering; Sani Francis, Agriculture and Bio Resources Engineering; Wole Agbaje, Electrical/Computer Engineering; Akpan Augustus, Chemical Engineering and Michael Idahosa, Library and Information Technology.

condition of anonymity said most of the neighbouring houses near the Church of Brethren (EYN, in Hausa) were set ablaze including the church, while two people lost their lives with several others sustaining injuries.

He said the gunmen who were large in number carrying AK-47 rifles, petrol bombs and Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, had a field day wrecking havoc on the poor civilians.

The Chairman of Hawul Local Government Area, Dr. Andrew Malgwi, confirmed the incident, lamenting that the rate at which suspected insurgents were hold-

ing people to ransom in Borno State had become worrisome.

He said: ”Yes, there was an attack in one of the villages (Pela Birni) yesterday (Sunday evening) which led to wanton killings and destruction of property. We have communicated the matter to the relevant security agencies who have swung into action with a view to apprehending the perpetrators.

"We have also mobilised our people to ascertain the level of destruction to how we could assist the displaced persons as an interim measure,” he added.

2015: Aliyu asks aides nursing political ambition to quit

BY WOLE MOSADOMI

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INNA — GOVERNOR Babangida Aliyu of Niger State has asked his commissioners and other public officer holders nursing political ambitions in 2015 to resign their positions by April or face being sacked from government.

Sources said that Aliyu gave the directive following the open involvement of the public office holders in partisan politics to the detriment of their official assignments.

It was learnt that the governor gave the directive during last week’s State Executive Council, SEC, meeting at Government House.

Vanguard reliably gathered that although the governor was not against any of his officers or aides aspiring for political offices in the next political dispensation, he was however, totally against those who fail to perform their primary assignments due to politics, even when the whistle for politicking was yet to be

blown.

Among the public officers allegedly eyeing political offices were said to include the state Commissioner for Works, Alhaji Mu'azu Mohammed Bawa; the Head of Service, Alhaji Abbas Bello; Chief of Staff, Mr. Joshua Bawa; Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Idris Kpaki Saidu, and the Deputy Chief of Staff, Alhaji Mohammed Saba.

The Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Musa Ibeto, said to be eyeing the governorship seat is not, however, affected by the directive as he was constitutionally protected.

Works Commissioner, Bawa, is reportedly angling for the governorship slot along with the deputy governor, Alhaji Ibeto, while others were eyeing the National Assembly seats from their various districts or constituencies.

The ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, had zoned the governorship seat to Zone C where the deputy governor and the commissioner hail from.

KO — THE Govern ing Council of the Federal Polytechnic Oko, Anambra State, has dismissed claims of plans to relocate the polytechnic to a neighbouring community by the Rector, Prof. Godwin Onu. The Council Chairman, Dr Christian Azubuike, after an emergency meeting in the institution, said the accusation against the rector of attempting to move the federal institution to his home town, Ezira, was untrue and misleading, describing it as a desperate attempt to smear the image of the school management.

The council also condemned recent demonstration by Oko People’s Union (OPU) and the women of the community, who demanded the immediate removal of the rector.

He noted that the reasons adduced for the protest were merely speculative and untrue and urged people dissatisfied with the activities in the institution to seek other legitimate channels to express their grievances.

“Placards suggesting that the Rector is responsible for the ASUP strike, absence of students in the school among others are avoidable if the persons involved in the demonstration sought better information from the school authorities,” the Council maintained.

Tambuwal wants Uwechue immortalised

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BUJA— THE Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, has called on the federal and Delta State Governments to immortalise the late Ralph Uwechue, former President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

He said they could do this by instituting mechanisms for the study of his life and works.

The Speaker’s call is contained in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Malam Imam Imam, in Abuja, Sunday.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014—49

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50— Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014—51

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52 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

INAUGURATION OF THE 2014 NATIONAL CONFAB

From 8th left, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, Speaker, House of Representatives; Justice Mariam Mukhtar, Chief Justice of the Federation; Arch. Namadi Sambo, Vice President; President Goodluck Jonathan; Justice LeboKutigi, Conference Chairman; Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, Vice Chairman, and others, outside the Justice Aloma Mukhtar Banquet Hall, after the inauguration of the 2014 National Conference of the people of Nigeria, at the National Judicial Institute, Airport Road, Abuja , yesterday. Photos: Abayomi Adeshida, Gbemiga Olamikan (State House)

From left, Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar; Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal; Vice President Namadi Sambo, President Goodluck From left, Sen. Jack Tilley-Gyado, Peter Odili, former govJonathan, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, Chairman of the Conference, Hon. ernor of Rivers State; Chief Olusegun Osoba, former govJustice Idris Lebo Kutigi; Deputy Chairman of the Conference Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi , Secreernor of Ogun State, and Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of tary to the Conference Dr. Valerie-Janette Azinge, and SGF, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim.

Delta State.

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A cross-section of delegates

Amanyanabo of Brass, Chief Diette Spiff (left), and Lamido of Adamawa, Dr. Muhhamadu Barkindo Mustapha.

Former Industries MInister, Chief Onikepo Akande (r) and other delegates

Cross-section of traditional rulers

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

— 53

From left, Gov. Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State; Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, and National Chairman of Labour Party, Chief Dan Nwanyanwu Cross-section of diplomats.

From left, Taraba State Ag. Governor, Alhaji Umar Garba; Governor Godswill AkpaInspector General of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar (left), and bio of Akwa Ibom State; Chairman PDP BOT, Chief Tony Anenih, and former PDP other officers of the security services.

Chairman, Alhaji Ahmadu Ali

MOSOP Leader, Mr. Ledum Mitee (r) and other delegates.

From left, Chief Nosakhare, Sen. Bello Yusuf, and Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, SGF

From left, former Speaker, House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali Na’aba and Alhaji Mohammed Gambo Jimeta, former Police Inspector-General

From left, Amb. Yusufu Mamman and Chief Mike Ozekhome.

Thisday Publisher, Nduka Obagbena (left), and Chief Raymond Dokpesi, Chairman, AIT/Raypower.

54 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

L-r: Mrs. Nkiru Nnorom, Victor Omoregie, George Etomi, Hugo Odiogor, Michael Faloseyi, Joe Ajaero, Charles Ilofulunwa and Kunle Kalejaiye

Consumers have right to challenge unfair tarrif in court L

we have made, we will be able to correct it and it will be better for us to listen to ourselves.

Mr. Charles Ilofulunwa: You did mention that some people were given licence to generate power and since 2005, they have been unable to do that. I think we need to view it from this angle, we have been having what is called policy inconsistency on the part of the federal government whereby one government will come up and initiate a policy that is mass-driven. At the end of the day, another government will come and change everything without regards to the cost of what investors have put on ground as if that person has somewhere he brought the money to ‘dash’ the people of Nigeria.

Licence to invest You will discover that most foreigners who have the money are still watching to be sure of the direction government is going. People who were given licences to generate power are also still watching the body language of the government because they can give you licence to invest, then you will go and borrow money and mobilise your technical expert to come into Nigeria and invest.

The project may have gone about 60 percent and they will come up and say they don’t want to go toward that direction again.

As at last census, we said there were 170 million Nigerians. 20 years after, we are still using the same power, the same

infrastructure. So, there is no way the same capacity will still carry the same number of people. For the past 20 years or since the advent of this democracy, you will discover that the level of economic activity in the country has expanded, so you can expect high level of energy consumption from the populace and there is no commensurate increase on ground to carry it. That is why I am even suggesting to the new investors like Eko and Ikeja and those who bought generation and distribution companies to change the old infrastructure and put in the latest cutting edge technology that will go a long way to save lot of us and even capture the possibility of public expansion in the next ten years.

It is not enough for you to say that you are targeting 10,000 megawatts of electricity without considering the potentials population expansion and huge economic expansion; all of them need to go together. Then on the issue of metering, I think we have to accuse the DISCOs for not doing enough.

Payment for the meters Dr. Sam Amadi of NERC came up with a wonderful policy called CAPMI where consumers are meant to pay for the meters in advance and unfortunately, I need to say that the DISCOs are not doing what they are meant to do.

They gave us licence to manufacture and import meters and make it available to Nigerians. We equally told them

that we have the capacity to get it done but when you get to the DISCOs, you will discover that the process of driving the scheme to the grass root to make sure that electricity consumers are metered is slow. What we need to do is that since they have various business units in all the PHCN offices, they should go and do the jingles, encourage the people to make the payment and we will

,

On Friday March 14, we published the second part of the participants' examination of the privatisation of the power sector. In this concluding part, they argue that consumers have the right to challenge unfair tariffs in court.

AST year, we used to have at state capitals, but we discovered that perhaps we were talking above people’s head. It was then brought down to local government and we picked three local governments in each of the geographical zones. Ogun State was picked in south west and I was at Ota, Ijebu-Ode, and I was also at Abeokuta.

So, it is a gradual process because we have started from state capital and now we have moved to local government, but you also need to know of the fact that what Nigerians need most is electricity. If you are telling them to pay their electricity bill and the power supply is not there, you even stand the risk of being stoned. Let us not deceive ourselves, electric power supply is not readily available. So you don’t shout more than necessary, otherwise, you will become a nuisance to yourself and the people you are talking to.

The reality on ground is that we don’t have enough and anytime we have power, 10 other people are being disconnected.

The fact of the matter is that we are moving gradually and just as I said earlier, it is good that we have a broader perspective, alternative and counter perspective of the way we are going so that whatever mistake

have a window to put move things forward. Why on earth do I produce from Mambila or from wherever and I take it to the grid and somebody somewhere in the grid will determine what I get.

Some parts of Nigeria don’t pay electricity bill because they don’t have the money to pay but they have light and essentially those who are paying in other places are subsidising it. That is the system we have been running in Nigeria, but now we have a chance to break from it. One of the points I am hoping that we move to is the point where we will have captive generation and it is expanded to regional generation so that they can develop their electricity infrastructure and they will develop at their own pace.

Engr. Kola Balogun: The man from West Power and Gas has actually highlighted some of the points I wanted to make, but the most important thing that is actually derailing the process is still information gap. There is not enough information dissemination from the regulator, NERC. That is why I said earlier that somebody needs to uphold the reform, somebody needs to process and drive it.

NERC needs to drive it more and from my own judgment, they are not doing enough. Let them stand up and drive the process like what NCC did in telecoms sector. They need to educate the entire populace about the business opportunity within the power sector. For instance, he made mention of somebody constructing a power distribution line in accordance with the distribution company. I have never heard it before, so these are the opportunities that some

In the next five years, we should not be talking about prepaid meters, but smart meters, but the DISCOs are not doing enough and they have refused to sensitise the people

make the pre-paid meters available to them. We are not talking about analogue meter, but prepaid meter. Analogue meters should be phased out. Even the pre-paid meters we are talking about now is not what we should be talking about. Smart meter, which is in vogue, has the capacity to measure the quantity of energy you consume and the time it was consumed. In the next five years, we should not be talking about prepaid meters, but smart meters, but the DISCOs are not doing enough and they have refused to sensitise the people.

George Etomi: It is important that we understand where we are all coming from. After independent, everything was working, from education to agriculture. In fact, everything was working because regions were competing to catch up with one another. Let’s just put things in perspective because we now

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new millionaire will be able to invest in and get some return on investment.

My factory as at today has the capacity to produce 100,000 prepaid meters in a month. I have a stock of pre-paid meters in my warehouse but I cannot sell because the new DISCOs are just waking up, trying to adjust to the reality on ground. They are not encouraging CAPMI, they probably don’t have sufficient fund now to actually say they want to buy meters in bulk and start distributing.

Joe Ajaero: Let me respond to some of the points that have been raised here. It was mentioned that the new investors will invest $250 million for over five years. I want to say that I don’t think that is realistic because I am aware that they have started operations on debts and I have to say it

Continues on page 55

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014 — 55

Michael Faloseyi

Hugo Odiogor

George Etomi

Kola Balogun

Joe Ajaero

Charles Ilofulunwa

Consumers have right to challenge unfair tarrif in court development and Nigerians should have Continues from page 54 again that the new investors started their followed suit by building more power operation on debts because they borrowed plants. Some oil companies started to from banks and that is the major problem build power plants, but corruption came we are having now. Before they took off, in along the line. Mobil and Agip generate they have started paying back, that is to and they sell to PHCN at N11 per kilowatt say that they have started servicing their hour, while PHCN sells to customers to N4 per kilowatts hour. loans from the banks.

The same thing is applicable to Enron Moderator : They have increased electricity tariff, I have a case of a consumer AES in Egbin. They generate about 220 who was billed N50,000 for the month of megawatt. Whether they generate or not, November alone even when she has been it was said that they had an international paying her bills in a duplex in Ago, Okota, agreement that at the end of the month, in Lagos, which is purely a residential PHCN must pay them. Even if they generate one megawatt, PHCN must pay building.

Joe Ajaero continues: It is not official. them for the 220megawatts and PHCN NERC has never approved any tariff pays them at N11 per kilowatt hour, while increase as we talk now. Now, the new it sells at N6 per kilowatts hour after investors borrowed money and they are transmitting distributing and all other using borrowed money to run their services.

They were there as generating business, which means they are already in debt and they must finance the loan companies with people that are highly and to post profit is another issue. Now, connected that must force PHCN to buy you are saying that $250 million will be the power at N11 and take N5 loss. So, invested in the power sector. At what that was the way PHCN was operating return on investment are these guys doing with these companies - Agip, Mobil, AES business that they will service their loan, and so many other companies. It was easier then because PHCN could get gas make profit and invest this amount.

The situation you are seeing today is that from the gas companies and say they will the power situation is going down, pay since PHCN was government agency.

Now, if it is the private man that takes transformers and other power infrastructure are going down. About what that gas from the gas company, he must the NERC representative said If we generate 6,000megawatts in this about companies that generate and country, the transmission network will distribute power, I not carry it don’t think it is a new

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development. The Nigeria Electricity Supply Company, NESCO, Jos, and I have my members there, has been in existence in Nigeria since 1929. They generate and distribute power in Jos up till today before the birth of NERC. In fact, they were covering about two to three states before and they are still there today making their small profit with that customer base. It was on that background that we felt that people who were given licences could equally function even if it is 20megawatts or 50megawatts, we will add to what we have. It is only when they have finished selling to their customers that they will now send to the national grid. Then, PHCN will pay them for the power they supply them.

So, I don’t think this is a new

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pay them and still recoup his profit. The point I am trying to make is that there is much to be done for you to say that you are investing $250 million. We can bet on this on this our programme now and monitor it and see how far they can go in investing this amount. They are not reinvesting and if they are not re-investing, the little system that we have will be going down. So, all this noise that we are making that we are targeting 10,000megawatts is nonsense because our networks are not okay. The distribution networks will not carry it. All the transformers are on overload. So, until we decide to work and we start somewhere, we will still be speaking grammar.

56—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

Delegates should go on tour of the political zones — Sen Nwokeafor

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

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CHEIFTIAN of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Senator Levi Nwokeafor has said that for the National Conference to have a genuine outcome, delegates from various parts of the country should visit every geo-political zone, so as to have an idea of the concerns of the zones.

Nwokeafor in an exclusive chat with Vanguard argued that the diverse composition of the various zones, made it imperative for delegates to embark on a fact finding tour.

His words: ‘’My views on the National Conference is that delegates from the northern part of Nigeria, should visit the South East, because some of the

delegates do not know the enormity of the challenges the easterners are contending with in this country. That will assist them in their deliberations about the needs of the Easterners. The same

thing also applies to the West. ‘’The delegates should also come to the West and understand the concerns of the West, that will go a long way in providing a fruitful deliberation on the concerns

of the West."

The people of the south on their part, should also come to the north. When this suggestion is followed, I am of the opinion that a new Nigeria will emerge from the

conference.

All the contentious national issues, particularly the one relating to population dichotomy between the north and South will be addressed through such visit.’’

One minute silence for 16 dead job seekers STORIES BY HENRY UMORU

It would be recalled that the employment test for recruitment into Immigration conducted across the country last week Saturday turned deadly as stampede at three centres claimed the lives of 16 applicants and left many injured.

At the National Stadium, Abuja, eight lives were lost; at the Liberation Stadium, Elekkahia, Port Harcourt, five

persons died, while three applicants were also feared dead in Minna.

Speaking yesterday before the inauguration of 492 delegates to the National Conference and six officials at the National Judicial Institute, NJI, Abuja, President Jonathan who arrived the hall of the event at 4.34pm and started his speech at 4.45pm paused for

a minute silence for the young Nigerians who lost their lives in search for job.

President Jonathan said, ”just as we were preparing for this confab, a tragic incident happened on Saturday; I don’t want to bore you with details, but we are investigating the incident. Let us observe a minute silence for them

S-East leaders sing discordant tunes T

HE opening of the National Conference was an opportunity for President Goodluck Jonathan to give strong indications that he would not let the death of 16 job seekers during the recruitment exercise into the Immigration Service be swept under the carpet.

APC leaders shun conference T

HE national leadership of All Progressives Congress, APC yesterday shunned the inauguration of the 492 delegates to the National Conference and six officials by President Goodluck Jonathan.

While the party did not attend, some of APC governors were at the venue of the conference for the opening ceremony. Some of the APC governors spotted were Senator Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State; Owelle Rochas Okorocha of Imo State; Comrade Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, among others.

APC leadership They joined many governors of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP who flocked the conference venue yesterday.

The PDP governors included Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta; Isa Yuguda of Bauchi; Aliyu Babangida of Niger; Acting Governor of Taraba, Umar Garba; Liyel Imoke of Cross River; Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom and Martin Elechi of Ebonyi.

Dr. Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State who belongs to Labour Party, LP was also present.

While the APC leadership shunned the inauguration, former National Chairman of PDP and ex- Deputy National Chairman of PDP, Dr. Ahmadu Ali and Chief Olabode George represented the PDP respectively, just as Labour

•L-r: Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, Justice Legbo Kutigi, Deputy Senate president, Ike Ekweremadu, President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice president Namadi Sambo, House of Representatives Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal and chief justice of the federation, Mukhtar Party, LP National Chairman, Dan Nwanyanwu and Comrade A.A. Salam represented the party.

It was however not sure if All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA’s representatives, Chris Ejike Uche and Dr. Sagir Auwal Maidoya were there for the party because of legal war among the leadership of the party.

APC reacts But in a swift reaction on why the APC was not represented and also to confirm statement

by Anyim that all the delegates

confirmed, Acting Spokesperson of APC, Chief Lai Mohammed who noted that the party had taken a

decision not to attend, explained that Governors of APC attended because it was a state matter, just as he stressed

that it was not compulsory for people to attend the conference, adding, “let Anyim be deceiving himself ”.

Tough first two days for delegates

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EANWHILE, delegates are to use the first two days of the conference to digest the speech delivered by the president before the commencement of the pleanary session.

Besides that, the delegates are to also use the first two days to study the reports

produced by similar past conferences.

The reports and other documents for the conference are to be delivered to the delegates in two boxes today, normally reliable sources told Vanguard following the inauguration by the president yesterday.

Vanguard, TUESD AY, MARCH 18, 2014— 57 TUESDA

Kidney transplant survivor reveals:

Many Nigerian Policemen are dying silently from kidney disease WORLDWIDE, the incidence of End Stage Renal Disease, ESRD, is increasing by 6 to 7 percent every year and about 16 million (10 percent) of 160 million Nigerians are suffering from kidney disease. Apart from high cost of treatment and kidney transplants, patients are faced with challenges sustaining their treatment for life as they are expected to be on drugs and ensure regular checks from time to time.

In this chat with CHIOMA OBINNA, kidney transplant survivor, Bartholomew Osuji, a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP, relates his experience as a Policeman and his life after transplant. He expresses worry over the lack of any form of support or insurance for Policemen who come down with ESRD: Excerpts:

‘I

T all began one evening in 2008 when I was a Police Officer on incident duty in Anthony area of Lagos. We encountered armed robbers. I was alone in the car, my boys were not with me although nearby around 11pm. I never knew the occupants of the vehicle were armed robbers until they got close and opened fire at the Police van. Luckily I did not sustain any bullet wound.

I shouted to my men to return fire and we were able to gun down one of them. After that incident, I was no longer myself. I went to the hospital and was told it was shock from the armed robbery incident.”

Bartholomew was taken to various hospitals without tangible investigations until 2009, when he ended up at Reddington Hospital in Victoria Island, where he was diagnosed with Chronic

Kidney Failure, CKF, and was eventually rushed to India.

Role of the Nigeria Police At this point life became tough. Bartholomew’s family expected the Nigeria Police to come in as their bread winner’s problem began while he was on duty. Unfortunately, his employers failed him and even indicted him.

“The Police did not take any part in my treatment. They claimed that I did not get any paper from the Federal Minister of Health and Police Affairs before I was flown to India. I told them I was flown to India unconscious. My son went to Abuja twice while I was in India, but nothing came out of it to date. When I returned, I went to the Police and I was told the same thing.

Policemen dying: “Many Police men are dying of kidney disorders today because of lack of money. The Nigeria Police

• Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar

• Kidney transplant survivor, Rtd. DSP Bartholomew Osuji After the transplant, things

will not do anything. At Falomo Barracks where I lived, three Policemen have died since I returned from India.

The transplant was financed by the Church of Assumption, Falomo. Reverend Father Innocent who was in charge at that time was of good help to my family. It was he who contacted some parishioners who rose to the occasion. . And that was how I got to India for treatment.

Life after kidney transplant

have changed. I cannot do as much as before. I was warned not to strain myself. I have been on drugs since the surgery. In a day, I take drugs five times. To date, I don’t know who paid the initial US$15,000 the Indian hospital demanded before I was given my visa. My last check up in India was also a miracle. Before I got to the hospital, someone had paid US$1,000 into my account.

Now, I drink water faithfully, I don’t eat anyhow again. As I

Financial constraint, low awareness hinder survival of kidney patients

By GABRIEL OLAWALE

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OOR awareness about kidney disorders as well as high cost of treatment and mangement of the disorder, especially after a kidney transplant, have been identified as major obstacles to the survival of kidney patients in the country.

Making the revelation in Lagos last week, participants at an event organised by Kidney Foundation For Africa, to mark this year ’s World Kidney Day, with the theme: “When the Kidneys Fail- What Next? , Renal Replacement Therapies” expressed worriy over the rate of people who die due to financial constraint and poor knowledge, calling for support to save lives.

A transplant survivor, Mr Paul Solomon, who narrated his bitter experience of the battle to stay alive confessed how he stopped his

medication due to financial challenges.

"I don't intend to stop taking my drugs, but what will I do? I had two children in school before I went for surgery, but since I returned from India, they stopped schooling and joined a Poverty Alleviation Centre in the state. From my pension, we have to feed. Will I let my two children die of hunger? Is is not better I go so they can live,” he lamented.

Findings from an Enugu-based study showed that 15,000 new cases of kidney failure occur every year in Nigeria. While statistics revealed that 30 million Nigerians are suffering from kidney disease and currently, patients pay up to N150, 000 for three sessions of dialysis every week or N5 million annually, the cost of transplant ranges between N2 million and N3 million and a patient needs about N150,000 monthly to get

immunosuppressive drugs after a successful transplant.

Professor of Nephrology and Transplantation, Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre, Ahmedabad, India, Dr. Manoj Gumber, who was on a visit to Lagos, noted at the interactive session that chronic kidney disease can be prevented by early detection through simple inexpensive tests of urine, blood sugar and blood pressure.

According to him, “Hypertension and diabetes remain the major curses of kidney failure and if detected early, the progression can be prevented through diet, regular physical exercise, taking care of blood pressure and diabetes.

"Cultivating a healthy life, eating good food and going for regular medical check up will go along way in preserving your health," he added.

Continues on page 58

go out, I prepare my food. I abide by the doctor ’s instruction that I will never miss my drugs. That is how I have been managing my life.”

Coping with cost of drugs Every September /October, I go for check up in India and each time I require about US$10,000 because I must buy the drugs I will use for one year.

But I go for regular check up at St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos.

I was to go every two weeks, sometimes I do that monthly because of the funds involved.

The drugs are not cheap. I have been able to cope with the assistance of my Church and my family.

Call to Government While I was in India, I learnt that the Lagos State government is working towards building a cardiac centre, Government should do that as quickly as possible. In the hospital in India, many of the doctors are Nigerians. A boy of eight years who did the surgery with me on the same day died last year. There is need for government to invest in this line because many of our people are dying.

I thank God I am alive today because of people who contributed to my transplant surgery. I don’t even know them all, particularly the person who paid for the last US$10,000 for my check up. I advise people to believe God in all things. All the period I was sick, I told my wife that nothing happens without God knowing it. If you believe God, he will deliver you.

I would also remain grateful to my wife. She went through a lot throughout the period. The eight months were not easy for her.”

58—Vanguard, TUESD AY, MARCH 18, 2014 TUESDA

Nigerian food companies shun labelling requirement

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE & CHIOMA OBINNA

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OST food manufacturing companies in Nigeria have not complied with the recommendation to adopt the Nigerian Heart Foundation, NHF, Heart Check Food Labelling programme introduced in 1988.

Worried by the development, which is allegedly fuelling cardiovascular diseases among Nigerians, health experts have called for immediate mandatory requirement of heart check food labelling in the country.

The experts who spoke in Lagos are also of the view that compulsory food labelling would ensure proper dietary manners as well as promote good nutrition in Nigeria.

Making the call in Lagos last week, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, Professor Oladipo Akinkugbe, disclosed that out of 300 Nigerian food manufacturing companies only five have so far adopted the NHF recommendation.

Akinkugbe, who is President, Board of Trustees of the NHF, expressed worry about the high number of unhealthy food products in the Nigerian market.

He observed that although the heart check food labelling programme is currently voluntary, it is of importance to Nigerians as it is designed to halt the spread of common cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension and stroke while improving the welfare of those already afflicted.

The NHF’s labelling programme is a systematic endorsement of food items certifying them healthy for consumption and heart friendly with emphasis on low fats and cholesterol, low sodium and low glucose.

“It means eating the right amount of foods that are heart – healthy and nutritious which is part of the global strategy to reducing non communicable diseases, Non Communicable Diseases, NCDs, including heart diseases, cancer and diabetes mellitus,” he said.

Akinkugbe spoke during the formal endorsement of Power Oil, a product of Raffles LFTZ (Dufil),

Nigeria. “We are determined to reduce suffering and death from heart diseases in the population.

Therefore, NHF is calling on government to make the heart check food labelling programme compulsory. We want to ensure that food products such as vegetable oil, water, beverages, fruit juices and fish have the heart friendly logo.

“The food labelling programme aims to emphasize the importance of creating awareness and sensitisation of manufacturers in the food and beverage industries on the importance of reformulations and marketing of foods which are heart – healthy.

The programme aims to facilitate a reorientation of foods manufacturing companies and the public towards demand for healthy and nutritious foods,” he added.

He further identified dearth of analytical laboratories in the country to carry out detailed food analysis as stipulated by the international requirements as a main challenge towards achieving the objective o f the programme. Akinkugbe further advocated provision of well equipped laboratories to evaluate food products and certify them heart friendly.

• L-R: GM, Power Oil; Chief Operating Officer, Power Oil, Mr Adliu Narto; President, Board of Trustees, NHF, Professor Oladipo Akinkugbe; Executive Director, NHF, Dr. Kingsley Akinroye and GM, Paslim Gyan, Mrs Pamela Umebuani during the official endorsement of Power Oil by NHF in Lagos last week.

Unskilled persons are running most dialysis units in Nigeria — BAMGBOYE

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

A

CONSULTANT Nephrologists, and Clinical Director, St Nicholas Hospital, Dr. Ebun Bamgboye, has raised alarm over the running of dialysis units in the country by unskilled personnel.

Bamgboye who is also President, Nigerian Association of Nephrology, NAN, told Good Health Weekly, that “an ideal dialysis unit should have an appropriately trained nephrology doctor, a nephrology nurse, a dialysis technician and good water supply amongst others. But most of the centres have none of these.

“Dialysis in some extent looks like a simple procedure but to some extent it is technical and that is why it requires appropriately trained people to ensure safety of patients,” he asserted.

“Some people do not require dialysis but some of the units are carrying out dialysis just for the money. There are units that will go ahead and dialyze a patient they know could not withstand the process and the outcome is

usually negative. Some centres are using inappropriate consumables at inappropriate time.

“You don’t put a patient that is anaemic or whose blood pressure is not appropriately high on dialysis but some centres are doing it today. There are things in the process of training, the dialysis nurse and doctors or technicians acquire. It is important that any unit be staffed by skilled individuals and this is why government must come in,” Bamgboye alleged.

He disclosed that NAN is working on guidelines for dialysis units,for onward subsmission to state governments.

In his lecture during a kidney screening exercise organised by St Nicholas Hospital for over 500 people as part of activities to mark the World Kidney Day, Bamgboye said if CKD is detected early and treated it would dramatically reduce the growing burden of deaths and disability from chronic renal and cardiovascular disease worldwide. He said the two types - acute and chronic kidney failure

are quite common conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, chronic glomerulonephritis, analgesic nephropathy, bleaching creams and soaps containing heavy metals, sickle cell amongst others are common among Nigerians. Decrying

shortage of functional dialysis units in the country, Bamgboye called on the three tiers of government to help increase access to treatment by establishing more treatment and dialysis centres.

Financial constraint, low awareness hinder survival of kidney patients Continues from page 57 Urging government to invest in the health of people living with kidney disease, Gumber said: "The cost of treatment is high globally, but the only way out of this challenges is for the government to subsidise treatment for kidney failure just like it is done in some countries.

“This should not be limited to transplant but also dialysis and other drugs. That is the only way outcome for kidney failure can improve in the country," he stated.

Founder, Kidney Foundation for Africa, Dr Bose Peters worried over the level of awareness and care available in the country.

"The level of awareness is relative low in the country, that is why our Foundation is taking it upon itself to create awareness and educate the public about the causes, prevention and gains of early detection of chronic kidney disease and kidney failure."

Regretting that facilities required to routinely access and treat patients with kidney disease are not readily available within the country, she said this has remained a challenge for the nephrology and renal community.

Peters, who is also a kidney trasnplant survivor appealed to well-meaning Nigerians, government, public and private individuals for support particularly to save indigent kidney patients who cannot afford to travel abroad to obtain required health care services to ameliorate their condition.

The Foundation has set up a support bank account in achieving this noble course which can be made through Kidney Foundation for Africa, FCMB 2075409015 or call 08033052000.

• A free screening exercise held at Freedom Park, Lagos by St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos, to mark this year’s World Kidney Day, Thursday last week.

V anguard anguard,, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014 — 59

Crimea votes: US, EU sanction Russia C

RIMEA has voted to join Russia against diplomatic moves by the Western countries to use the U.N. Security Council to block the vote,but Russia blocked the move.

The ministers met after a referendum on Sunday showed an overwhelming majority in Crimea in favour of joining Russia, a vote the EU condemned as illegal and in violation of Moscow’s own international commitments to preserve the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Crimea’s regional assembly declared independence from Ukraine after the referendum, and applied to join Russia, saying all Ukrainian state property on the peninsula would be nationalised.

“The republic of Crimea appeals to the United Nations and to all countries of the world to recognise it as an independent state,” read a document approved on Monday by the assembly.

It followed the announcement by introducing the Russian ruble as a second currency alongside the Ukrainian hyyvnia. Crimea’s deputy prime minister also said the region has set up a new central bank and is expecting to get $30m in support from Russia.

Nevertheless the European Union and United States have agreed to impose sanctions against Russian and Ukrainian officials deemed responsible for a contested independence referendum in Crimea, officials have said.

CONTINGENT of 24 countries have joined the expanded search for the missing Malaysian airplane Aviation officials in Pakistan, India and Central Asia as well as Taliban militants said claimed that they knew nothing about the whereabouts of Flight MH370.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 vanished on March 8 about an hour into its flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people aboard and inves-

Diaspora Nigerians woo Chinese investors

BY VERA SAM ANYAGAFU and PRISCA SAM-DURU

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•Putin Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said in a tweet yesterday that 21 officials would be targeted by travel bans and asset freezes, with “more EU measures in few days”.

The US has also imposed financial sanctions on 11 Russian and Ukrainian government officials and politicians, including two top advisers to Russian President Vladimir Putin and former Ukrainian President Viktor

•Obama Yanukovich. The list of officials who will see any property, assets and interests blocked in the US also includes Dmitry Rogozin, Russia’s deputy prime minister.

Washington says its sanctions targets those who “undermine democratic processes and institutions in Ukraine”. Despite these moves, President Putin signed a decree on Monday recognising Ukraine’s Crimea region as a sovereign

state, Russian news agencies cited the Kremlin press service as saying.

France moved forward with cancelling a trip to Moscow by its Defence and Foreign Ministers that had been planned for Tuesday, ahead of the EU summit talks to be held in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, where the crisis in Ukraine is expected to top the agenda.

Merkel seeks greater role for Ukraine on the referendum in of agreement. in OSCE “The chancellor sug- Crimea and the issue of

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ERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel told Russian President Vladimir Putin Sunday she backed a bigger role in Ukraine for the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), her spokesman said.

In the latest in a series of often heated telephone talks between the two leaders since Russia seized Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula earlier this month, Merkel’s office indicated that she and Putin had found a point

gested quickly expanding the OSCE’s presence in Ukraine and sending a greater number of observers to the crisis zones, in particular eastern Ukraine,” her spokesman Steffen Seibert said in a statement summarising the conversation.

Merkel said she hoped for a decision approving such measures by the Vienna-based OSCE yesterday. Seibert said Merkel and Putin had spoken “about the tense security situation in Ukraine despite their differing takes

The list of those sanc territorial integrity and sovereignty”.

The chancellor condemned yesterday’s incident in the area of Kherson on the Ukrainian mainland in which Russian troops occupied a natural gas pumping station,” Seibert said.

The Ukrainian foreign ministry said 80 Russian military personnel had seized a village on the Arabat Spit called Strilkove with the support of four military helicopters and three armoured personnel carriers.

Missing Plane: Pakistan, India, Taliban deny link

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BRIEFS

tigators are now increasingly convinced it was diverted thousands of miles off course.

Malaysia said it had sent diplomatic notes to all countries along an arc of northern and southern search corridors including India and Pakistan, requesting radar and satellite information as well as land, sea and air search operations.

This came as the News Corp. executive chairman, Rupert Murdoch had Twit-

IGERIANS in Diaspora have stressed the need to increase the drive for Chinese investment following plans to build up Nigeria-China bi-national trade and investment relationship.

The initiative which was conceived by China-African Investment Club (CAIC) in collaboration with Beijing Yeaco Investment Consulting firm, have pledged their readiness to intensify efforts towards ensuring that Nigeria-China bi-national trade relationship grow from strength to strength.

Speaking at an investment partnership meeting yesterday with some Nigerian key industrialists in Lagos, head of delegation Mr. William Wang expressed that the Chinese government is interested in the progress of Nigeria and expects a cordial and well meaning collaboration towards ensuring that all parties achieve their desired goal.

Obama tasks Abbas, Netanyahau on Middle East peace

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S President Barack Obama yesterday told Pal estinian leader Mahmud Abbas that both he and Israeli leaders must make tough political decisions and take “risks” for peace.

Meeting Obama at the White House, Abbas said Israel’s release of a fourth tranche of Palestinian prisoners by March 29 would show how serious Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was about extending peace talks.

“As I said to Prime Minister Netanyahu when he was here just a few weeks ago, I believe that now is the time .... to embrace this opportunity,” Obama said as he sat side-by-side with Abbas in the Oval Office.

Deadly car blast hit military in Benghazi

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CAR bomb targeting a military academy in Lib ya’s restive eastern city of Benghazi has killed at least nine soldiers and wounded more than 10, military and hospital sources said.

The medical centre in Benghazi reported that “five bodies plus an indeterminate number of body parts” had arrived at the hospital, along with “more than 10 wounded people”. It was not immediately clear where other bodies were taken.

A military source said the car parked in front of the academy blew up as soldiers emerged from an awards ceremony for army promotions. Benghazi, cradle of the 2011 uprising that toppled veteran Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, has seen near-daily attacks on security and other targets in recent months as the weak central government struggles to rein in former rebel brigades turned militias.

US SEALs seize rebel oil tanker

A •The missing plane ted at the weekend that the missing aircraft may have been stolen and “effectively hidden, perhaps in Northern Pakistan, like Bin Laden.”

The News Corp. executive chairman didn’t stop there.

He said It’s not the first time Murdoch has weighed in on the Malaysian Air mystery.

TEAM of Navy SEALs has taken control of a stateless oil tanker seized earlier in the month

by Libyan rebels, the Pentagon said yesterday.

The SEALs boarded the tanker Morning Glory late Sunday in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea near Cyprus. Rear Adm. John Kirby said no one was injured in the operation, which was approved by President Barack Obama.

The vessel, whose ownership remains a mystery, was carrying stolen Libyan crude oil from the port of Al-Sidra. Libyan officials had ordered the tanker confiscated, but it managed to escape.

60 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

Ronaldo eyes top-scorer title

Drogba nervous over Stamford Bridge return ...warns I won't spare Blues D

IDIER Drogba ad mits he is nervous about returning to former club Chelsea on the eve of Galatasaray’s Champions League tie at Stamford Bridge.

‘First of all I was happy to play against my exclub, against my friends.

But at the same time it is a very special moment because I do not know what my reaction will be, ‘You know that I spent eight years at Chelsea, so I really don’t know, I am quite apprehensive about it.

‘It’s the club where I experienced everything.

It allowed me to get closer to the best players in the world.

‘I hope that Galatasaray qualify. It will be difficult, but I think that regarding the welcome, I think I’m allowed to say that I will receive a warm welcome, because I know Chelsea’s fans and our relationship is really special,’ the 36-year-old added.

R

EAL Madrid hold a 6-1 aggregate lead going into the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie against Schalke thanks to a demolition job at the Veltins-Arena in February.

According to ESPN’s Dermot Corrigan, however, Carlo Ancelotti confirmed in his press conference on Monday that Ronaldo will start the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, bucking the trend of recent management techniques which usually involve resting key players for dead-rubber games.

CR7 will have affirmed his wish to play the game before Ancelotti gave the okay and the Portuguese will line up alongside Alvaro Morata—the Daily Mail reports that he’s an Arsenal target this summer— and Jese in a front three.

There will likely be a start for other fringe players such as Isco, Asier Illarramendi and Alvaro Arbeloa too.

It can mean only one thing: Ronaldo is keen to extend his lead at the top of the Champions League scoring charts, with the European Golden Shoe firmly in his sights for 2014.

The Portuguese has won it twice before.

•Drogba

R

EAL Madrid will be without Karim Benzema for tonight’s Champions League game at home to Schalke but he should be fit for Sunday’s La Liga “Clasico” against Barcelona, coach Carlo Ancelotti said yesterday.

France forward Benzema took a knock to the thigh in a collision with team mate Cristiano Ronaldo in Saturday’s 1-0 La Liga win at Malaga and had to be replaced by Angel Di Maria in the 32nd minute.

Luiz, Eto’o boost Chelsea Mancini: Mourinho doesn't have friends

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HERE was good news for Chelsea on Monday as David Luiz and Samuel Eto’o returned to training ahead of today’s UEFA Champions

•Eto'o

League round of 16 second leg against Galatasaray.

David Luiz has been out of action since coming back from international duty with Brazil on 5 March.

Samuel Eto’o scored in Chelsea’s 4-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday 8 March. Neither player made the trip to Villa Park on Saturday.

However, Ashley Cole has not returned to training yet and will be unavailable for the Galatasaray game. The England leftback picked up a lateral ligament injury prior to the Tottenham game, 10 days ago.

R

OBERTO Mancini has fired another pot shot at Jose Mourinho before Chelsea’s Champions League meeting with Galatasaray by claiming his old rival does not want friends in the game. ”I said some perfectly normal things but someone stirred it up into controversy and he got offended In Istanbul we saw each other and said only ‘hello’. We certainly aren’t friends. I don’t think Mourinho wants to have friends, or maybe that’s just the way he likes to appear.”

Djokovic rules Indian Wells

J

•Djokovic •Mata have to cope with, when you have to show pride and professionalism until

the end. And when all this is gone I’m sure I will be a more mature footballer."

•Mourinho

•Mancini

Mata: Sun will rise again at Man U UAN Mata has claimed that “the storm will pass and the sun will rise again” following Manchester United’s dire 3-0 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday.

“The storm will pass and the sun will rise again. I have no doubt.

Besides, no one said this would be easy, but this is football. It gives you fantastic moments but also very hard times you

Real suffer Benzema blow

N

OVAK Djokovic is a title winner again after fighting his way past Roger Federer to clinch victory at the BNP Paribas Open

in Indian Wells.

The Serb’s start to the season has offered plenty of cause for concern and another painful defeat looked on the cards when, having fought back from a set down, he failed to serve out the match. But Djokovic was much the stronger in the tie-break and triumphed 3-6, 63, 7-6 to end Federer ’s 11-match winning run.

The victory brought Djokovic his third title at Indian Wells and closed the gap in his head-to-head record against Federer to 1617.

The world No2 had ended his on-court interview after beating John Isner in the semis by declaring there was no favourite for the final but the form guide disagreed.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014 — 61

FIFA U-17 W/World Cup: I’ll score more goals – Ajibade WTF Youth Olympics qualifiers:

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IGERIA defeated China 2-1 to begin their Costa Rica 2014 U17 Women’s World Cup campaign on a bright note in Group D on Monday morning in Alajuela.

Goals from Rasheedat Ajibade and Uchenna Kanu either half gave Nigeria the victory over the Chinese at the

Alejandra Morera Soto stadium.

Speaking after the game, Flamingoes first goal hero and Man-ofthe-match winner, Rasheedat Ajibade expressed delight at winning the award and promised to perform better in subsequent games as well as make Nigerians proud.

Nigeria Flamingoes jubilate after victory over China

Black Stars Continues from BP maintain our bonuses and for the record, the 2010 figure was $75,000 and so we should maintain the 2010 figure because we are all going through challenges,” he told Accra-based Power FM.

”[Winning bonuses] will also be maintained.”

Cabinet over the weekend approved US$ 9.6m budget for Ghana’s participation for this June’s tournament.

Continues from BP dat Ajibade who score with a shot, 1-0.

At the beginning of the second half the Nigeria looked the better side and in the 63rd minute they scored again thanks to a header from Uchenna Kanu, 2-0.

China were back in the game a minute later when captain Fan Yugiu calmly finished off a cross from Yan Liu to

make the score 2-1.

The Chinese continued to press for an equaliser during the final 25 minutes but the Nigerian backline held firm.

China will look to earn their first points in Group D when they face Mexico on Wednesday, while Nigeria will look to secure a firm grasp atop the group when they take on Colombia.

Team Nigeria arrives Taipei City

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HE nine-man contingent of Team Nigeria at the weekend arrived Taipei City in Chinese Taipei in readiness for the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF)-organised 2014 Youth Olympics Qualifiers, which kicks on Thursday March 20.

With support from the

National Sports Commission (NSC) and under the guidance of the new national coach, Jin Beom Kim, the duo of Esther Godwin (-63kg) and Ogeh Ogochukwu (49kg) will weigh-in on Wednesday March 19, while the draw will also hold same day.

Nigerian refs go to Zambia as Bayelsa, Wolves get CAF officials

T

HE CAF Confederation Cup enters the 1/8th finals this week end with Warri Wolves and Bayelsa United set to move into the last but one lucrative league stage, just as Nigerian referees have continued to find favour with CAF. Referee Joshua Amao, assisted by Peter Edibi, Robert Aundugh and Ferdinand Udoh as fourth Official are biled to handle the return leg match involving Zesco Utd and Medeama of Ghana.

The match is billed next week end in Lusaka, Zambia.

Bayelsa United will jet out on Thursday to Zimbabwe, to face How Mine FC at Boubafiels Stadium, Bulawayo.

62— Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014—63

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VANGUARD, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

Today's Champions League fixtures Chelsea Real

v v

Galatasaray Schalke 04

8.45pm 8.45pm

Costa Rica 2014: Omagbemi on cadet championship, folFIFA duty lowing her stint in Azerbai-

F

LORENCE Omagbemi, the former Pelican Stars midfielder who captained the Super Falcons for more than 20 years, is one of the FIFA officials working at the Women’s U17 World Cup in Costa Rica. This will be the second time Omagbemi will be called upon by FIFA to work at the women

jan two years ago. Omagbemi is a member of the FIFA Organising committee for this age group competition, and their major role is to work as Match Commissioner at games.

The former Falcons skipper was the Match Commissioner in the first game between Germany and Canada.

Black Stars to get N13m World Cup appearance fee Nigeria beat China E

ACH of Ghana’s 23-man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals will be paid an appearance of US$ 75,000.

(N13m).

Sports Minister Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah has confirmed the amount remains unchanged from what was paid four years ago in South Africa. ”Based on our discussion the government insist that we should Continues on Page 61

N

Black Stars' captain, Gyan

Champions League: Page 60

Drogba nervous over Stamford Bridge return

IGERIA beat Chi na 2-1 in their Group D clash at the 2014 Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica on Sunday.

The Nigerian’s took the lead in the 21stminute when Uchenna Kanu corner kick was initially saved but fell to Rashee Continues on Page 61

Chinwendu Ihezuo (r) stops a Chinese opponent

QUICK CROSSWORD

Sudoku TODAY'S

PUZZLE

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 4 Courage (5) 7 Stank (6) 9 Owing (3) 10 Child (3) 12 Wed (5) 13 Excursion (4) 15 Harmonium (5) 17 Usual (6) 19 Inform (4) 20 View (5) 22 Father (3) 24 Scorned (7) 27 Illuminated (3) 28 Recent (5) 31 Go by (4) 33 Fixed (6) 35 Engine (5) 37 Turn (4) 38 Biscuit (5) 39 And not (3) 41 Circuit (3) 42 Erase (6) 43 Motionless (5)

DOWN 1 Free (6) 2 Delineate (6) 3 Damp (3) 4 Animal (4) 5 Inclined (5) 6 Remiss (8) 8 Fate (4) 11 Custom (9) 14 Pool (4) 16 Pleased (4) 18 Stagger (4) 21 Waterfall (8) 23 Adroit (4) 25 Gap (4) 26 Sketched (4) 29 Revised (6) 30 Concealed (6) 32 Aroma (5) 34 Trampled (4) 36 Spoken (4) 40 Material (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Teach 5, Rather 8, Radio Delete 11, Part 14, Ermine 15, Portion Tee 19, Sad 21, Dray 23, Liked 24, Else Ten 29, End 31, Doorman 32, Rancid Dope 35, Eating 38, Fudge 39, Expect Erred.

10, 18, 27, 34, 40,

DOWN: 2, Eke 3, Create 4, Hat 5, Rope 6, Termed 7, Remedy 9, Deposit 12, Art 13, Tier 16, Opal 17, Naked 20, Denoted 22, Aura 24, Enrage 25, Send 26, Encoded 28, Writer 30, Dip 33, Deft 36, Age 37, Nee.

How to Play Sudoku

P

lace a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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