12,000 lives lost to Boko Haram - Jonathan

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SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014, PAGE 3

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PARIS CONFERENCE ON TERRORISM Yesterday in Paris, France, heads of state of neighbouring countries to Nigeria held a half-day summit on forging a common front to tackle the menace of the terror group, Boko Haram. Below are images of protesters in the BRING BACK OUR GIRLS crusade as well as the faces at the summit. Photos: AFP. Stories on Pages 5 and 6.

Mayor of Montpellier Philippe Saurel (c) and Montpellier’s former mayor Helene Mandroux (7th l) pose with others as they hold placards reading “Bring back our girls” in front of a banner with the same text hung on the facade of the city hall of Montpellier, southern France, on May 17, 2014, as part of the international campaign to free more than 200 schoolgirls kidnaped in Nigeria by Islamist militants Boko Haram a month ago.

French TV show host Cyril Hanouna (C) and schoolgirls holding placards bearing the first names of the 223 Nigerian schoolgirls held hostage in Nigeria by the Islamists, Boko Haram, in demonstration for their release, at the Trocadero plaza in Paris.

France’s President Francois Hollande (c) meets with Cameroon’s President Paul Biya (l), Chad’s President Idriss Deby (2nd l), Benin’s President Thomas Boni Yayi (3rd l), Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan (4th l), European Council President Herman Van Rompuy (3rd r), Britain’s Foreign Secretary (hidden), France’s Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian (2nd r) and US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman (r) during an African security summit.

(From l) French actress and author Charlotte Valandrey, French actress and author Saida Jawad, former French first lady Valerie Trierweiler, French actress Elsa Zylberstein, French TV show host Bernard Montiel and French actress Agnes Soral, surrounded by schoolgirls, during the protest.

Mayor of Montpellier Philippe Saurel (c) and Montpellier’s former mayor Helene Mandroux (L) hold placards reading “Bring back our girls” in front of a banner with the same text hung on the facade of the city hall of Montpellier, southern France

France’s President Francois Hollande (4th r) meets with Cameroon’s President Paul Biya (l), Benin’s President Thomas Boni Yayi (2nd l), Chad’s President Idriss Deby (3rd l), Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou (4th l), Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan (5th l), European Council President Herman Van Rompuy (3rd r), Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague (2nd r) and France’s Defence Minister JeanYves Le Drian (r) during an African security summit to discuss the threat of Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram to the regional stability.

Former French first lady Valerie Trierweiler, and schoolgirls in a demonstration for the release of the Nigerian schoolgirls.

French President Francois Hollande (r) meets with Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan (l), during an African security summit to discuss the Boko Haram threat to regional stability.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 18, 2014 — PAGE 5

PARIS CONFERENCE ON TERRORISM

Global terror networks deeply involved with Boko Haram— Jonathan

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Nigeria’s president Goodluck Jonathan (r) and Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague (l) gesture as they speak next to US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman (c) prior to posing for a family photo during an African security summit with the French president and West African leaders to discuss the threat of Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram to the regional stability, at the Elysee Palace in Paris on May 17, 2014.

French President Francois Hollande (r) greets with Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan (l), upon his arrival to an African security summit to discuss the Boko Haram threat to regional stability, at the Elysee palace in Paris, on May 17, 2014

(L - r) Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague, Niger’s president Mahamadou Issoufou, Chad’s president Idriss Deby Itno, Nigeria’s president Goodluck Jonathan, France’s president Francois Hollande, Cameroon’s president Paul Biya, Benin’s president Thomas Boni Yayi, European Council president Herman Van Rompuy, and US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman pose for a photo during an African security summit to discuss the threat of Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram to the regional stability, at the Elysee Palace in Paris on May 17, 2014.

RESIDENT Good luck Jonathan’s ad dress at the regional summit on security in N i g e r i a h e l d i n Paris, France,yesterday It gives me great pleasure to attend this Special Summit to deliberate on the current security situation in Nigeria.

Let me start by first expressing my deep thanks and appreciation to the President of the French Republic, His Excellency, Mr Francois Hollande, for convening this Summit.

This is the second time within a year that we have come to Paris to discuss what are essentially African security issues. This present Summit further underscores President Hollande’s commitment to Africa’s stability, peace and development.

I also wish to thank my colleagues and brothers from Nigeria’s neighbouring countries, namely, His Excellency President Boni Yayi of Benin Republic, His Excellency President Idriss Deby Itno of Chad, His Excellency President Paul Biya of Cameroon and President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger Republic, for their solidarity and friendly disposition in attending this Summit at a very short notice. Let me also thank the European Union, the United States Secretary of State, Senator John Kerry, and the Rt. Hon. William Hague, the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary of the United Kingdom for honouring this invitation.

You have borne with my country, the huge burden of our counter-insurgency operations, sometimes with collateral damage. I thank you for your support and cooperation.

Without doubt, your concern and empathy with the government and people of Nigeria is a clear demonstration of true solidarity and brotherhood in ensuring that the current security challenges facing our country are addressed in a definitive and conclusive manner.

But let me state clearly

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French President Francois Hollande (r) speaks at the start of an African security summit to discuss the threat of Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram to the regional stability, at the Elysee Palace in Paris on May 17, 2014.

from the outset that what started as a local insurgency in North Eastern Nigeria has now evolved into the new frontier of the global war of terrorism against our civilization, our way of life, and against the many prospects of stability in our region. This is not anymore a challenge to Nigeria alone; it is a threat to each and every one of us in this room.

The Boko Haram Sect emerged in 2002 while its insurgency phase started as far back as 2009. Officially known as the Jamaa’tu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’wati Wal Jihad, which in English means “people committed to the propagation of the Prophet’s Teachings and Jihad”, the group is more commonly identified with its motivating principle, and referred to as Boko Haram which literally means, Western or non-Islamic education is prohibited.

The group is hostile to democracy; it uses every means to indoctrinate its members; its ultimate objective is to destabilize the country, and take over Nigeria in order to turn it into a base of operation in West Africa and the entire continent.

Since 2009, we have had to contend with many attacks and killings, which have now developed into a full-scale war targeting the stability and integrity of our Nation. Boko Haram has launched a vicious guerrilla-style campaign against the government and the people of Nigeria.

It has attacked schools, slaughtered students in their dormitories, destroyed villages, communities and government infrastructure and has wreaked havoc on the economic and social life of our people.

This unconventional war has so far claimed over twelve thousand lives, with more than 8, 000 persons injured or maimed, not to mention the displacement of thousands of innocent Nigerians.

We have developed intel-

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ligence, which indicates clearly that global terrorist networks are deeply involved in the recent activities of Boko Haram, which has now turned into an integral part of the Al Qaeda network as the West African Branch.

More tellingly, the group runs an international network of training and incubation centres in such places as Gao and Kidal areas of Mali, the Diffa, Maradi and Maina Soro areas of Niger Republic, Maroua and Garoua areas of Republic of Cameroun, the Zango and Ridina quarters in Ndjamena, Chad, the RankyKotsy area of Sudan, and also some cells in the Central African Republic.

As a responsible Government, we felt compelled to declare a State of Emergency in three of Nigeria’s North Eastern States of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. This became necessary to give the security forces the required scope and authority, to enable them operate more efficiently in the affected areas in order to gain victory.

They were directed to adhere strictly to clearly spelt out rules of engagement and avoid any excesses that may amount to a violation of human rights. Careful regard for human rights has always been central to our counter-terrorism strategies, resulting in the adoption of rules and procedures to protect the civilian population from excessive collateral damage.

Last year, I had ordered the release from detention of women and underaged persons who had been involved with terrorists and also, persons against whomprima facie cases could not be established. Proven incidents of human rights violation which may have involved our security forces are always promptly investigated and dealt with in accordance with our laws.

In addition to military operation, our administration has adopted what we have termed “a soft approach” to combatting the insurgency. This includes short, medium and long-term measures to mitigate the impact on the people and the entire country. Our focus along this line, has been mainly in form of the introduction of a robust educational programme in the Northern states, to reduce the number of outof-school children and empower the youths.

We have launched economic recovery programmes to create jobs, while also providing infrastructure, which unfortunately is heavily threatened by the terror attacks.

Other measures include the introduction of deradicalization programmes

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Continues on page 6

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 18, 2014 — PAGE 7

12,000 lives lost to Boko Haram — Jonathan Hollande, French President defeat Boko Haram more who appeared broadly ” as well as Continued from Page 1

Pastor Ituah Ighodalo of Trinity House, Lagos, leading a prayer session, at the Churches United, IAM NIGERIA, a prayer rally for Chibok School Girls abducted by Boko Haram in Borno State, held at Tafawa Balewa Square,TBS, Lagos Island, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez

Shekau strikes again: Kills 16, abducts five policemen, 10 Chinese workers

BY NDAHI MARAMA

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OKO Haram terror, at the weekend, raged in Borno State where 16 persons were feared killed in a fresh attack.

In two other attacks, five policemen were reportedly abducted with their armoured personnel carrier (APC) while a Chinese was killed and 10 others kidnapped during an overnight attack in Kuseri Village between Gamboru Ngala council and Cameroun.

The attacks put President Goodluck Jonathan and his counterparts from Nigeria’s neighbouring countries meeting in Paris, France, yesterday, under pressure to come up with concrete steps to address terrorism in the sub region.

The missing/abducted policemen were identified by sources as Inspector Luka Maina, Sergeant Manya Chaka, Corporals Hassan Dauda, Emmanuel Onoche and Umar Ali. Our correspondent gathered that the Banki incident took place on Friday at about 9:50 in the morning when some policemen attached to Banki Division were attacked by terrorists while trying to drop six of them at the junction road who were to proceed to their promotion course examination and interview.

Another source said, “ Five policemen attached

to Banki, a border town with Bama and Cameroon Republic, were attacked by Boko Haram. The terrorists opened fire on the APC No: NPF4960c conveying the policemen led by an inspector and five others.

The policemen quickly dropped from the APC and ran into the bush before the terrorists went away with the abandoned APC. As I am talking to you now (yesterday), the whereabouts of the policemen are yet to be known and we suspect the terrorists might have kidnapped or killed them”.

Borno Commissioner of Police, Mr. Tanko Lawan, confirmed the abduction of the five policemen and the seizing of the APC. The 16 persons were feared killed when some gunmen allegedly attacked Ngubdala village near Ngurosoye community in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State.

The killing of the Chinese and abduction of the 10 others, reportedly took place at an encampment used by the Chinese road workers close to Chibok where some school girls were kidnapped April 14.

“The Boko Haram militants were heavily armed, they came in five vehicles”, an official in Waza, a town near the site of the attack, said on condition of anonymity.

He said the camp where the Chinese road

workers stayed was usually guarded by soldiers from Cameroon’s elite Rapid Intervention Battalion, but many of the troops were in Yaounde for a military parade.

“Cameroonian soldiers retaliated and the fighting lasted until 3 a.m.

(0200 GMT)”, said a local police chief.

He said one Chinese worker was killed and 10 others had been missing since the attack and were believed kidnapped by the Boko Haram gunmen.

A source close to the Chinese embassy in the Cameroonian capital, Yaounde, spoke of 10 missing and one wounded but would not confirm or deny whether one had been killed.

terror activities of Boko Haram in West Africa was approved.

The action plan would involve coordination of surveillance efforts, sharing of intelligence and joint efforts to secure the porous borders in the region.

French President Francois Hollande hosted the summit in response to the terror activities of Boko Haram which peaked about a month ago with the abduction in Chibok, Borno State, of more than 200 school girls.

“We have seen what this organisation is capable of ”, Hollande said at the summit.

Addressing the summit, Jonathan stated that the activities of Boko Haram in Nigeria also injured more than 8,000 persons.

His words: “This unconventional war has so far claimed over 12,000 lives with more than 8,000 persons injured or maimed, not to mention the displacement of thousands of innocent Nigerians.”

Jonathan, who has been criticised for what many see as a lack lustre response to the Chibok girls’ abduction, said he was totally committed to finding them and returning them to their distraught families.

“We are totally committed to finding the girls, wherever they are,” he said.

“We’ve been scanning these areas with surveillance aircraft,” he added, saying Nigeria had deployed 20,000 troops to find the girls.

“Boko Haram is no longer a local terror group,” he said. “From 2009 to today it has changed and can be described as Al-Qaeda in western and central Africa.”

to be confirming Sunday Vanguard’s exclusive stories on the network of terror that had forged an alliance between Boko Haram and Al-Qaeda, told the Paris summit that Boko Haram had forged links with terrorist groups all over Africa.

This is a full confirmation of Sunday Vanguard’s recent stories that Boko Haram was collaborating with other terror groups across Africa to attack Nigeria.

“They have threatened civilians, they have attacked schools and they have kidnapped citizens of many countries. France in particular has been a victim of it.

“When more than 200 young girls are being held in barbaric conditions with the prospect of being sold into slavery, there are no questions to be asked, only actions to be taken,” Hollande added.

At the summit, Paul Biya of Cameroun said it was time the continent declared war on Boko Haram.

“We have affirmed our solidarity and determination to vigorously fight Boko Haram,” Cameroon President Biya said. “They have committed one more attack, attacked businessmen and this comes after the French hostages were kidnapped.

As we speak we are searching for an Italian priest and a Canadian nun. The problem has become regional, if not a Western problem.”

“Religious intolerance has no place in Africa,” Benin President Thomas Boni Yayi said at the summit.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague told reporters just before the summit that the countries in the region had to forge a “strategy to

resolving the case of the missing girls.

“This is one sickening and terrible incident but they continue almost every day to commit terrorist acts and atrocities,” Hague said.

“There are many borders here and they are porous. This is very relevant to finding the schoolgirls. We want to see the countries in the region working together in creating an intelligence fusion cell,” Hague said.

Among the resources already put at Nigeria’s disposal have been US drones and surveillance aircraft. Experts from Britain, France and the US are advising Nigeria on its counter-terrorism strategy.

France has direct experience of dealing with Boko Haram having recently secured the release of a French family that was kidnapped by the group in Cameroon and then held in Nigeria for two months.

Paris also has troops deployed on peacekeeping duty in the Central African Republic and in Mali, where it sent a force last year to combat Al Qaeda-linked militants who had seized control of much of the north of the country.

Although the French believe that the intervention in Mali inflicted significant damage on groups such as Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), military planners remain concerned about the implications of potential alliances being forged between militants across the deeply unstable region.

Panama Erhabor (Aka) Perry Como is dead

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ANAMA Victor Erhabor, alias Perry Como of PerryBills fame died on th 8 May, 2014 in Lagos after a brief illness. Aged 70 years.

The burial ceremony as announced by his family will take place on 13 th June, 2014 at No. 4 Nomayo Lane, off Nomayo Street, Upper Sakponba, Benin-City, Edo State.

He was a well known community leader, businessman and socialite. He is survived by wife, children grand-children, brothers,s sisters and cousins.

•L-r; Prof. Pat Utomi, founder, Centre for Values in Leadership (CUL); Dr. Joe OkeiOdumakin, President Women Arise & Guest Speaker; Mrs. Foluke Salako, Nollywood actress, among others, during a protest in Lagos, yesterday.

•Panama Erhabor

PAGE 8—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 18, 2014

BRIEFS

Civil Defence affirms readiness for Osun, Ekiti polls

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HE Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has cautioned security agencies in the state against compromising their oaths of service in the task of protecting, maintaining and sustaining peaceful atmosphere before, during and after the conduct of the August 9 governorship election in the state.

Aregbesola made the call on Friday, when he granted audience to the Zonal

Commander of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Zone Four, ACG Oladapo Jacob Amujare. The Governor, who said all genuine patriots must be concerned, urged security agencies to bring to bear their intelligence gathering to nip in the bud any threat, affront or reckless abuse of rights of people to choose their representatives through the ballot.

NURTW chair lauds Ethiope East council boss

T Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN (middle), being welcomed by the Head of Information Security Engineering, Dr. Jamal Al-Karaki (2nd right) and the Oracle’s Vice President/Head Applications Business Unit - Middle East and Africa, Mr. Arun Khehar (left) during the visit of Governor Fashola and his team to Abu Dhabi Polytechnic Institute of Applied Technology as part of collaborative engagement with the Abu Dhabi Government, United Arab Emirates, to further enhance technological engineering and ICT education in Lagos State on Wednesday, May 14, 2014. With him are: Lagos State Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr. Adebiyi Mabadeje (2nd left) and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Mrs. Nike Animashaun (right).

Boko Haram is assault on Nigerians’ psychology, says NGO T

HE activities of Boko Haram and the abduction of over 200 school girls in Chibok, Borno State should not stop the celebration of Children’s Day, the founder of a non-governmental organisation, NGO, Yellow Jerry Can Foundation (YJCF) Adaora Onyechere, has said.

Onyechere yesterday in Abuja said Boko Haram has launched an attack on the psychology of Nigerians and should not be allowed to win the war.

According to her, the Children’s Day celebration should be an opportunity for Nigeria to further focus global attention on the situation of Nigerian children and the need for strategic security arrangement for them.

Towards this end, the children advocacy organization is organizing an event to mark the day with them on the 23rd of the

month, Onyechere said.

The event is supported by the National Assembly, DAAR Communications PLC, the ?Department of State Security (DSS), CNN Freedom Project, UBEB and Nigerian Children Ambassador under the theme: “For Love Sake and In Remembrance”.

She said: “Children are tools for national develop-

ment and that is why the sad situation of the missing 200 girls should not be about them alone, it’s about the security of the children children.

“Their abduction and other attacks carried out by the insurgent group were meant to keep us in perpetual fear.

“We can not pretend that if this and other insurgent

PATIENCE TO MOTHERS:

‘Pray for Chibok school girls’

BY ADEOLA ADENUGA

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HE President of the Af rican First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM), Dame Patience Jonathan, has expressed the organisation’s appreciation to the world leaders and global institutions in the ongoing effort to resolve the challenge of

terrorism in Nigeria and ensure the safe return of the girls abducted from their school in Chibok, Borno State, on April 14.

Dame Jonathan, in a statement, yesterday, thanked the international community for “sending out a strong message, consistent with the objectives of the AFLPM and its ef-

Boko Haram’s demand for release of school girls is blackmail — Onuesoke

BY EPHRAIM OSEJI

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ELTA State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in 2007 general elections and Country Director, Network for Good Governance (N4GG), Chief Sunny Onuesoke, has denounced the demand by Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, to swap the abducted Chibok girls for Boko Haram prisoners, saying it is unjustifiable, unreasonable, irritating and

groups were not stopped in their dastardly activities, then the whole of human is threatened.

“Nigeria should not waste the opportunity of this year’s Children’s Day celebration go by without ensuring that the plight of the Nigerian children become a priority for the Federal government, as well as State and Local governments”.

cheap black mail.

Onuesoke, who spoke to journalists in Lagos, yesterday, said Shekau’s demand is devoid of logic and could not be found in law and morality, just as he advised the Federal Government not to succumb to blackmail.

He advised government not to compromise, adding that those who had committed crimes against humanity could not dictate the terms of their release from detention.

“They should account

for their crimes. In which country is that practised? People offended the state. Their ring leaders who sent them on an unlawful errand to invade a school and take the innocent girls are giving conditions. They are saying that their members in detention should be released before they release the girls. Where is that done in the world?,” Onuesoke said.

“Shekau demands could be ascribed to a thief who invaded a house.

forts to promote peace and stability, that the entire world stands in solidarity with the government and good people of Nigeria against injustice and impunity at all times and in all places, and will always uphold commonly accepted global values that promote justice, stability and peace in all nations.”

The statement added, “Dame Jonathan and the AFLPM share in the pain and grief of the affected mothers as well as the families of victims of terrorism and pray that Nigeria will soon overcome the scourge of terrorism and insecurity.

“We appeal to all political parties in Nigeria to rise above partisan interests and focus at this time on the national interest and the urgent task at hand to bring back our girls.”

“The AFLPM strongly condemns the abduction of the Chibok girls by a terrorist organization, Boko Haram, and terrorist activities in other parts of Africa as callous, retrogressive and totally unacceptable.

HE Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Eku branch, Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, Comrade Oghenero lggue, has commended the caretaker and Transition Committee Chairman of Ethiope East for keying into the threepoint agenda of the Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan’s administration through his

empowerment and security network programme.

The union Chairman,who gave this commendation while answering questions from journalists at Asaba, said that the administration of the council chairman, Hon. Sunday Onoriode Eromedoghene, has brought relative peace in the council area, thus ensuring that the area is crime-free for the residents.

UNICAL don shot bygunmen dies in teaching hospital

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R Godfrey Iwatt, the University of Calabar lecturer who was shot in his office on Tuesday last week has died at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital after being in coma for five days.

Dr Iwatt, who was shot by gun men suspected to be students right in his office at the Department of Microbiology, was rushed to the General Hospital, Calabar, for medical attention but was relocated to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital when

there was no improvement in his health after some days in the General Hospital.

When the news of his death was relayed on Friday during the commendation service in honour of another lecturer of the school , Professor Okon Uya, who passed on late last month, many of his colleagues broke down in tears, lamenting the dastardly act, which they say is uncalled for and does not address the academic problem of his alleged assailants.

FG advised to provide basic amenities for manufacturing companies —Obadina

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HE Federal Govern ment has been advised to provide basic amenities to aid manufacturing companies in Nigeria.

Speaking at the 76th Annual Stakeholders Meeting of Greif Nigeria Plc in Lagos, Company Managing Director, Olukunle Obadina, said “If the long neglect of basic amenities which posed challenges of insecurity, electricity, harsh economic policies and devalu-

ation of our currency had been addressed, Nigerian manufacturing companies would have excelled than their foreign counterpart”.

He however stated that despite the challenges, the expansion drive of Greif Nigeria was very crucial as it was intended to yield more dividend for shareholders which, according to him was another way of diversifying in order to earn more revenue for the company.

Ogonis insist on autonomy

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HE people of Ogoni, in Rivers State, have reaffirmed their determination to pursue political autonomy for the area.

Speaking yesterday in Bori under the aegis of Ogoni Environmental Protection Agency, OGEPA, the Administrator of the group, Mr John Lawisa,

said the Ogoni would continue to claim what he termed their inalienable rights to freedom.

“Ogoni has to claim her inalienable right to be free as an indigenous people.

And we are gathered here to stand on the 2nd August 2012, self government declaration”, he said.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014, PAGE 9

All letters bearing writers' names and full addresses should be typed and forwarded to: The Editor, Sunday Vanguard, Kirikiri Canal, P. M. B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. E-mail: sunvanguardmail@yahoo.com

2015 and the leadership options Dear Sir,

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T is said that leaders are born, not made. These assertion is further ex emplified with the motion that leadership is earned not taken.

Perhaps, this is one fundamental reason why military incursion into political leadership has often been tagged an ‘’ aberration” by scholars the world over. In Nigeria, however, this belief has long been with us without a serious thought to its implications.

After many years of trials and errors, 2015 presents yet another opportunity to , in a manner of speaking, right the wrongs.

Already, some steps that need to be corrected now have began to rear up in the polity. One of such is the mounting of billboards and pasting of posters of persons seeking to be Governor, Assemblyman or even President.

Apart from being a clear violation of the Electoral Act and defacing our walls by agents of these aspirants, the whole intent is to fuddle the electorate from focusing on the more larger issues which we as a people must concern ourselves with if we must deepen our democracy through good governance .

The larger issue here is the moral and infrastructural drift and its consequences should we as a people fail to elect those who by every standard can be identified as leaders or as rightly put elsewhere, ‘servant leaders’.

It’s trite knowledge that, going by the Nigerian political culture, leadership options facing us as we approach 2015 is grim. This assertion does not in a way infer that there are no true leaders in our midst. Most often, the challenge has been how to decipher the genuine ones from the pretenders.

By our festival approach to politics, the

leadership options is made much more difficult to decide. This has accounted for the reason why those who are ill-prepared, ill-equipped and ill-motivated for leadership challenges often blitz their way into the reign of power like a thief in the night.

To give their aspiration a semblance of seriousness, a foundation is hurriedly set up. Curiously, people they never reckon with in the past are treated like loved ones.

The most venerable in the society are drawn closer .By so doing, they form a cult of followers . After all, it is said that politics is a game of number.

As interesting as this may seem, the approaching election period provides ample opportunity to wisely use our votes both at the primaries and the general elections. For posterity sake, it cannot be business as usual.

Therefore, as we set out to elect our leaders, the following questions should be in our minds before we cast our votes: Does this aspirant have the political will to provide good leadership ? What has he or she contributed to the growth of my state before now? Does he or she have the patience, political sagacity to pilot a state with diverse ethnic groups? Is he or she a good manager of resource? Is he or her popularity rating high in the entire State?

How much of the State does he or she know? How robust is his or her past records, and many more.

Unless we search our minds and give sincere responses to these questions, we may get it wrong in 2015.

Take the case of Delta State. From 1999 to the present day, colossal investment has been made to frog lift infrastructural development in the state. The icing on the cake is the Asaba Airport, arguably one of the fastest growing airport in the Country. Beyond this, there appears to be consistent and genuine effort to diversify the state oil based economy to non oil driven one.

With this in mind, it is imperative that

as a delegate to the Primaries, which is a first step towards electing a leader , voters should elect someone who in every conceivable category share in the visions of the present administration. Otherwise, the gains recorded so far stand the risk of being reversed as has been witnessed severally in the past with the change of leadership battings. This clearly will take us years back in the developmental indices.

In advanced democracies, personal char-

acter plays crucial role in throwing up leaders. It shall be a tragedy foretold, if in 2015 we have in the saddle someone known to have failed to serve the people well in lesser political positions or entrust such an enormous office as that of a Governor to someone whose antecedent is alien to the people and questionable.

Amaechi Udemba is a public affairs analyst based in Asaba.

An appeal to Gov Uduaghan on Escravos $16billion EPZ project Dear Sir,

I

wish to appeal to Governor Udu aghan to ensure that crisis between the Ijaw and the Itsekiri is averted.

The Warri area does not need repeat of bloody wars. Accordingly, on behalf of Gbaramatu Peace Guardian (GPG), I appeal to Uduaghan to ensure that the Ijaw Interface Committee led by Mr. William Tortor/Chief Godspower Gbenekama be inaugurated at the same time as the planned Itsekiri/Ugborodo Interface Committee to give sense of belonging and accommodation to all concerned.

Reports of alleged imposition of community leadership in the Ugborodo caused a bloody crisis in the Itsekiri nation last December/January. A re-enactment in the Ijaw area should be consciously avoided by upholding what is discerned to be the people's will.

I also wish to appeal that no efforts should be spared in identifying and carrying along all that truly have stake in the

land revoked for the purpose of the EPZ project. Reports from Kpokpo/Okpeleama as well as Yokri/Sokebolou and other communities in the Ijaw flank that they are yet to carried along in the project need to be investigated and accorded due attention, for peace to reign.

It is disheartening that with work long begun in the project site, not all stakeholders are partaking in jobs with respect to the local content law. Also, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was not made available to communities to enable them put in corresponding claims.

It is known that project location names have caused problems which is why it is important that Governor Uduaghan consults well before the location name of the EPZ projects.

May history remember you fairly in your treatment of this issue.

Baro Newton Mala, is Financial Secretary of Gbaramatu Peace Guardian (GPG)

PAGE 10—SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014

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IGERIA is shed ding rivers of blood, mourning and in search of thousands of answers to as many questions at once. My heart bleeds for my country. I never would have thought ten, five, or even two years ago, that we would have descended, so deep, into a hell we created ourselves – all of us. But, we are here and we must dig ourselves out of the hell hole – one way or the other. My heart goes out to the parents whose daughters are still missing. As the father of six daughters, I would by now be fit to be tied if one of them was among the kidnapped. I can feel the anguish in my bones.

But, the Yoruba people have the proper adage for an occasion such as

this – when everything seems to have gone wrong — at once. “Ti a ba nsukun, a ma riran”; translation: “Even as we weep and mourn we must keep our eyes open”. Our Yoruba Tutor at Igbobi College, in 1962, as we were preparing for WAEC, explained to me the reason for increased vigilance even in times of great distress.

WE DON’T WANT TO MAKE THE SITUATION WORSE. And it can get worse – unless we think faster than we shed tears or write placards.

Let me issue a warning to every reader of this series. It is not designed to make you feel better; to excoriate or excuse anything President Jonathan and his aides (including the First Lady) had done or failed to do; to accuse or exonerate anybody, or group, in particular. It is my wish to leave alone most of the things that have been said by the high and low, at home and abroad. These are my thoughts based on facts, some of which might be disturbing, but which right now are very much indisputable. I will only refer to

Let's stand together Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." -- Martin Luther King Jr IGERIANS have been in the dol drums for far too long that most of us have lost the means to feel for others, we have stripped ourselves of every shred of compassion for our fellow human beings. So in a country where most profess to be religiously minded, we definitely do not practise what we preach.

We actually and truly hate our brothers and sisters.

We instead are conditioned by our insatiable hunger for wealth at all cost, poverty, greed and avariciousness.

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Last week, I wrote about the abducted girls and it seems that it did not sit well with some that I dared criticised the government for not acting decisively.

One wrote; "your support for the Northern Governors forum is obvious in spite of the fact that this horror was caused by one of their own and by their collective blackmail of the armed forces. Was it not these same people that elected to promote Sharia law above the constitution? That being the birth of Boko haram? Yet you blame the President in spite of formal evidence written to Borno State to

avert this situation. Shame on you, Reporter Anima!"

The shame of these people who rather blame the young people that were abducted than face the fact that our leaders have failed the nation. So as far as they are concerned Jona is blameless! The president of Nigeria, is the president of the whole country and he had his eyes off the ball and they tell me that he is blameless? None of the president's men and their respective first ladies fared any better. None. This crisis is our calamity and one that we need to shoulder collectively. The world is supporting the whole of Nigeria not just one section of our country. I, like other right thinking Nigerians and citizens of the world, cannot sit around and watch idly by that young girls are been abducted and say nothing. Sometimes, I do wonder how some of us think. Malcolm X once said; "You're not to be so blind with patriotism that you can't face reality.

Wrong is wrong, no matter who does it or says it." We have a blind slide ; we support our respective tribe, state or faith to the hilt no matter how bad things are.

This has been the undoing of us. They say you cannot

other things. And, he knows all of them hate their guts.

They are only useful to him when alive. Most probably, they have regretted the monumental error. Keeping those girls under close watch would have tied down a good number of his fighters. No general in control of his senses can be so wasteful of fighters and hope to win the war. The kidnaps also are indicative of the fact that he is running short of cash. His sponsors have probably started to back off. So, he and his gang are forced to take this increasingly

Shekau had acquired some “bargaining chips” — which, unfortunately, for him and his gang, they don’t know how to trade for the money they badly need.

Meanwhile, even a deranged fellow knows that by snatching 200-plus girls, he had immediately inflicted on himself and his gang 200-plus mouths to feed everyday. In addition, he has to provide custody in several places, as well as

risky option for survival.

FAILURE. FACT 3. “The battle is mine”, said the Lord.

Even, in the midst of our sorrow and perplexity, at this time; when there is a national deficit of hope, permit me to remind all of us of the words of our former military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, GCFR, on October 26, 1985, at the National Institute for Policy

continue to do the same thing over and over again, and expect a different result. This is lunacy. It simply will not do and there cannot be progress.

I touched on the fact that the armed forces had not reduced the activities of the BH. Someone wrote to me to say;" I agree with the points you made but would disagree that our military is incapable Their unimpressive performance is due in part because this is a fratricidal war that some men in the military are unwilling to fight thus rendering a strong fighting force ineffective. The countries assisting will soon notice it.

What the military needs is restoration of unity.But the split among the politicians will make this difficult .The rest of us will do well to

salvo is a threat but it is evident, no one wants to carry the can for the debacle of this government and its grandees. No one seems to care that thousands have lost their lives in the ensuring BH maleficent activities. We have lost the capacity to apportion, accept blame and own up to our mistakes and omission.

The only way forward is to accept that we ran our country to the ground. Only by accepting our faults can we move closer to rebuilding our nation.

The media is right to criticize Goodluck Jonathan, that it was "only after international condemnation and street demonstrations poured in and around Nigeria that the President Jonathan told Nigeria that he would take all necessary

cuss the incident.

DAWN, an English language newspaper in Pakistan, published an opinion piece that takes Nigeria to task for not moving against Boko Haram.

"The popular upsurge in Nigeria in the wake of the latest unspeakable atrocity provides some scope for hoping that the state will finally act decisively to obliterate the growing menace," wrote columnist Mahir Ali. And in Sweden, an editorial posted on the left-wing news website POLITISM.SE, blogger Nikita Feiz criticized the international community for its slow response and asked why the situation hadn't triggered as loud a reaction as when Malala was shot in Pakistan. "Looking at the situation in Nigeria, Malala appears like a false promise from the West that it would stand up for girls' rights to attend school without fear of being subjected to sexual exploitation and abuse," Feiz said.

BH has no friends amongst the learned and religious establishments.

The Al-Azhar University in Cairo, one of Sunni Islam's most prestigious institutions, urged Boko Haram to release the kidnapped schoolgirls. Sheik Ahmed el-Tayeb of Al-Azhar said the abductions "completely contradict Islam and its tolerant principles."

The Egyptian Religious Endowments Minister Mohammed Mohktar Gomaa also said, "The actions taken by Boko Haram are pure terrorism, with no relation to Islam, especially the kidnapping of the girls."

In Indonesia, the world's

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“Nor should we listen to those who say ‘The voice of the people is the voice of God’. For the turbulence of the [masses] is always close to insanity.” Alcuin, 735-804 AD. ( BOOK OF QUOTATIONS p 265).

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Chibok: After the hysteria; time for sober reasoning – 1

Boko Haram leaders are just the gang of loonies of the moment. How we handle this matter will determine whether, or not another insane group will turn up. So, we better be careful about the advice we give to Jonathan and the precedent we establish. Fortunately, Boko Haram has already demonstrated its financial predicament by resorting to kidnapping and slavery. The minute they snatched over 200 girls at a go (I will come presently to address more facts on this) every economists knows that the lunatic

what had been said if it serves any purpose in bringing what I believe are fresh insights into these monster problems. You can stop reading any time you feel too angry to continue.

FACT 1. Boko Haram can never win this war. It can win some more battles; but the war is lost. To win a war, the winner has to be able to occupy the territory in dispute and govern it for a long time. Boko Haram can never claim any Local Government, not to talk of a state or states. So, for Nigeria, victory is assured.

But, as Will Rogers, 18791935, remarked, during World War I, 1914-1918, “Right [will] win; but it would win sooner if it had a few more machine guns..and uniforms on its side.” (VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS p 218).

But, most of those who have been clamouring for the Federal Government to go in and “crush Boko Haram” are not economists who understand too well that even the richest countries in the world still live in a world of allocation of resources. To add more machine guns and men in uniform, government will have to cut back somewhere. Are we all ready for the monumental sacrifice required? We better say YES or stop talking.

FACT 2. “Power and money, of course, do drive people crazy. So, why shouldn’t people gain power and wealth through being crazy?” asked Saul Bellow.

Quite a number of crazy people had gained power and wealth in this country.

Boko Haram can never win this war. It can win some more battles; but the war is lost. To win a war, the winner has to be able to occupy the territory in dispute and govern it for a long time

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We have lost the capacity to apportion, accept blame and own up to our mistakes and omission.

The only way forward is to accept that we ran our country to the ground

avoid blaming each other as that will mean playing into the hands of the adversary".

Some Nigerians have reservations that the international community assistance in the past has not always been supportive. What is the alternative? That we do nothing. Surely not. So that other countries will notice our shortcomings, the fact is, when we fail and that will be our problem, no one else but ours.

I am not sure the passing

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actions to return the young women to their parents and schools, while also acknowledging that the whereabouts of the abductees remained unknown."

Our international newspapers were contemptuous of his tardiness to act .The New York Times faulted the Nigerian president: "It wasn't until Sunday, more than two weeks after the kidnappings, that he called a meeting of government officials, including the leader of the girls' school, to dis-

and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Kuru, near Jos. In an address titled TOWARDS A BETTER SOCIETY, IBB told us, “under our current conditions, it may be thought audacious to talk of creating a better society while we are still battling with the problems of a battered economy. This may be so; but I believe wholeheartedly in the promise of God that in the middle of the utmost adversity, He creates and brings forth a new and greater glory and more auspicious circumstances for people (like Nigerians at the moment) that suffer.” [italics mine].

IBB’s was the tonic we needed at the time. Let us forgive GEJ and work with him. The battle is the Lord’s – not his or ours anymore…

P.S. This column was written before the release of pictures; nothing changed.

I THANK EVERYBODY. With over eight hundred calls, text messages and e-mail addresses from 17 countries, still counting, round the world, it was a wonderful birthday last Thursday. God bless you all.

Now I can “go and die” and leave everybody alone..abi? Thank you for saying YES.

Visit: www.delesobowale.com or Visit: www.facebook.com/ biolasobowale most populous Muslimmajority country, the Jakarta Post published an editorial earlier this month condemning the Boko Haram leader for "wrongly" citing Islamic teaching as his excuse for selling the abducted girls into slavery.

It is a month since the girls 'abduction and the sighting of the girls must have brought some relief to their distraught families and relatives. We all witnessed a glimpse of the girls' presence hurdled together reciting prayers. It is a relief that they are alive but whatever state that they are in, they must be terrified and traumatised. And now Abubakar Shekau wants to trade; his imprisoned comrades for some of the girls. He is adamant that he is not afraid, well ,am sure that thought of the international soldiers and personal may have shaken his nerves.

Nigeria's government said again on Wednesday it is exploring "all options" to win the girls' safe return.

Parents of the girls and supporters holding protests have demanded the government take action.

There are talks to negotiate with him but I do hope that no one does his bidding. The message should be unequivocal; no deal with terrorists!

Earlier this week, the Borno Governor, Kashim Shettima in his press conference, stated that he had pass on information regarding the sightings of the girls to the military for verification.

Mr Shettima added that he did not think the girls had been taken across the border to Chad or Cameroon. I do hope it leads to their rescue.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014, PAGE 11

Chibok Girls! Not a Debate!! strange to comprehend the story of how hundreds of girls were abducted without a challenge in a long drawn out operation.

One rumour had it that the operation lasted from 9pm to 2am but no one knows the author of the story. So, the debate shifted to the whereabouts of our se-

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OME innocent Ni gerian school girls were last month abducted from their school in Chibok, Borno State. Painfully, the real number of girls involved is unknown.

The first report said 100, another 200; yet another version said 234. When a fresh story suggested 276, many people opted to use the term ‘over 200 girls’.

Apart from the fact that it has since become stale to quarrel over the figures, inexactitude of records is one phenomenon Nigeria is known for. Anyone in doubt will see the point better if he tries to find out our population. He will probably run into several versions until he comes across some foreign soothsayers who having looked into the stars imagine what we are likely to be in 2020. In the case of the Chibok girls, too many things have since taken us beyond the debate on figures. The first was the issue of how such a thing could have happened. Initially, it really appeared quite

ported to have alleged that our security had advanced information of the operation. Two of my friends wasted their energies on this some four days ago.

While one cautioned against undue attacks on our security forces that are usually reputed to be gallant abroad, the other was too bitter about his being held up at a check point in Nyanya when action was at

Ordinarily, placing government on its toes to compel it to focus on development and good governance is an attractive posture but undue criticisms can be dysfunctional

curity agencies. In earnest, where were they? One story says only two security operatives were there. A more sinister insinuation was that our security was compromised. Some say it was sabotage especially as amnesty international was re-

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its peak in faraway Chibok.

The futility of the debate was confirmed by a video showing the girls in Boko Haram’s custody. The contention about the number of girls involved, how long the operation lasted and the response of our securi-

PhD, Department of Philosophy, University of Lagos,

Criticism and the unmistakable signs of a society in decline (3) nap of the girls? Why did President Jonathan engage in what Prof. Wole Soyinka calls "chieftaincy jollifications" and owambe political rally soon after these heinous events?

Supposing one of Mr. President's children was a victim of the bomb blast or abduction by terrorists, would he have hesitated to mobilise the entire resources of the federal government to fish out perpetrators of the evil acts?

Compare the response of South Korean leaders to the tragic ferry disaster in which scores of school children died, to the immediate reaction of President Jonathan and his security team to the tragic events noted above.

In South Korea, the Prime Minister resigned as a mark of leadership-withresponsibility. In our own case, ministers and other top government officials can never resign from their posts no matter the situation, because they lack the sense of shame and moral responsibility.

Put differently, our political leaders appear incapable of critical self-examination, self-indictment and remorse, which are essential preliminaries for restitution, selfcorrection and genuine

social transformation, despite the impression of being devout Christians or Muslims, as the case may be.

But then, can we really put all the blame on the leadership, when the average Nigerian also manifests the negative traits in members of the ruling elite? Would our leaders act with impunity if Nige-

ment and good governance is an attractive posture but undue criticisms can be dysfunctional. Therefore, Government should neither get engaged in the debates nor should it be pushed to a state of panic the way it has resorted to discordant tunes in the last few weeks. For instance, the interviews granted by 2 cabinet ministers on the subject of negotiations with Boko Haram were not at tandem with those of other leaders of government. Luckily it is now known that although negotiation with Boko Haram is an option, our girls will not be swapped, for prisoners. As fine as this stance appears to be, it is only a sermon which is far from what we want to hear now. That our girls are back, hale and hearty is what we are waiting for; no more debates please.

the discharge of their duties. The case of Nigeria is compounded by ethnic cleavages and divisive religious affiliations, which are exploited by politicians for their own selfish interests.

There is no doubt that decline in adherence to appropriate values by our people is the fundamental provenance of the maladies afflicting our country.

Through acts of omission and commission, the leaders have virtually decimated institutions and traditions created for the smooth functioning of society. Again, it is impossible for any country to progress in the right direction when a critical mass of the population fails to act in accordance with the dictates of honesty, integrity, diligence, selflessness, compassion, and patriotism. This im-

mation to occur the intellectual, psychological and spiritual aspects of people's lives must be transformed first - in other words, social transformation must be preceded by change in the mentality of individuals.

President Jonathan and his lieutenants seem not to understand that social transformation is a very demanding undertaking, which requires painstaking self-critical reflection backed by iron will to do whatever it takes to change old negative habits and replace them with new and better ones. It is not about pious speeches promising this and that, or explaining government's "good intentions" for the people.

Concerning the barbaric activities of Boko Haram, Nigerians are still hiding their heads in the sand like the ostrich afraid to confront the truth squarely. What I have in mind here is ascertainable from answers to these questions, what kind of education are the average Muslim children receiving from their parents and teachers? From where do members of fundamentalist groups derive inspiration for their violent ideologies? The answer is, ideas embedded in Islamic religious education. Children exposed to Koranic education in madrasas for many years without appropriate guidance tend to interpret the Holy Koran literally and fanatically, even in cases where a symbolic interpretation is most appropriate. Thus, in trying to tackle the problems posed by extremist sects like Boko Haram, it is essential to understand the ideology that motivates such

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N the fight against corruption where he could have made a good impression, the President's achievement is far below average. As I argued sometime ago, the presidential pardon granted Diepriye Alamieyeseigha, former Bayelsa State governor, who was impeached for embezzlement of public funds and under whom he served as deputy governor is a ringing testimony that Jonathan lacks the will to checkmate corruption where it matters most - at the highest echelons of governance. Again, the slow response of our security forces to the Nyanya carnage and abduction of hundreds of secondary school girls in Chibok by evil-minded misanthropes under the aegis of Boko Haram underscores the growing inability of government to provide security for ordinary Nigerians.

Now, with regard to the latter, why did the federal government waste time unnecessarily before seeking the assistance of countries that have extensive experience in combating terrorism, such as the United States and Israel, immediately after the Nyanya bombing and kid-

ty have become a fruitless debate.

But what about the figure of 30 girls which was later corrected to read 53 that luckily escaped during the operation as well as the different versions of the number identified in the video? Again we have passed that level as the entire world has condemned the episode. Indeed, there is unanimity that all hands should be on deck to help Nigeria out of it. Unfortunately, unnecessary issues are still being extracted for debate. There is the one on whether or not it is safe to invite foreign countries especially American to virtually supervise our security.

Some people even imagine that our military was not consulted before the invitation for help was sent to those countries. Apart from the fact the invitation was at the instance of their Commander in Chief, it is better for us all to be humbled than for our Chibok daughters to remain in captivity. Perhaps that was what propelled a group of Northern Elders to openly announce their support for the President on the subject.

Our premise however, is that those castigating the President and those purporting to support him are engaged in a frivolous debate. #Bring back our girls is all that matters now Ordinarily, placing government on its toes to compel it to focus on develop-

Decline in adherence to appropriate values by our people is the fundamental provenance of the maladies afflicting our country

rians have insisted on transparent and accountable leadership all these years? A little reflection on the failure of leadership in Nigeria, and in Africa generally, reveals that the problem is partly due to citizenry that is both unwilling and unable to demand from public officials, through creative activism, the highest levels of accountability in

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plies that the prevailing social character in any society determines its developmental trajectory.

However, social character is the concatenation of complex dialectical relationships between the dominant character traits of individuals in a community, which are usually embodied in social institutions. Therefore, for genuine social transfor-

It is against this backdrop that we deprecate the puerile debate on whether or not the state of emergency in some Northern States should remain or be lifted.

Some people have tried to make the subject a matter of public interest as if that is what matters now. There was even the story that Northern Senators would oppose the request during deliberations on it. Two posers which make the debate unnecessary are as follows. First, if Boko Haram can abduct several school girls in a state supposedly

under emergency what would be the fate of the people of that same state if the emergency is lifted? Second, what is the essence of putting a state that had ample insecurity under emergency if its people would remain unsafe? A review of these posers suggests that we are into a ‘loselose’ game. On the other hand, a ‘win-win’ game presupposes that a robust plan will be put in place to tackle the insecurity. The plan will however be dead on arrival if it does not begin with the release of our Chibok girls which is the matter of the moment Many other issues will remain unimpressive until the girls are freed. Three days ago, a state commissioner told an audience that his governor could not be physically present because he was deeply involved in the schemes to release the girls.

He got a warm applause when he added that like the President, the governor would not rest until the goal was achieved. The debate on whether or not the said determination carries the seriousness it deserves is again irrelevant. Our leaders can sleep if they like; they can also choose not to sleep at all or to do so with one eye or two eyes closed.

Our real interest is to see the girls released. Once again, Chibok Girls; No Debate

groups and how it is inculcated into their members.

Of course, unemployment, poverty, and anger directed against an uncaring society in which safety nets for the underprivileged are disappearing are part of the aetiology of extremism and organised violence in Nigeria. Yet I believe that the fundamental cause all this is the kind of ideas, especially religious ideas, which parents, teachers and adults generally put into the minds of children, who then grow into adults thinking that what they had learned is absolutely true and cannot be questioned. In other words, government officials and other people who ignore the centrality of religion in the activities of Boko Haram are just deceiving themselves. Some Muslims insist that terrorists who use Allah or relevant texts of the Holy Koran to justify evil are not true Muslims or that they are misinterpreting the scripture.

To repeat: Nigeria is in crisis, and there are ominous signs that if appropriate actions are not taken by government, things might fall apart irretrievably. It would be wrong to put all the blame on the leadership, particularly on President Jonathan, although as commanderin-chief his share of it is the biggest. Nevertheless, as citizens of this country, we must begin to ask ourselves fundamental questions about the role responsible citizenship can play in building a strong, united, egalitarian and prosperous society, and what we can do to actualise it.

CONCLUDED.

PAGE 12, SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014

A nation and her discontents

The Say-Do ratio

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N a recent group dis cussion, I came across the concept of the "Say-Do ratio". It was at an international networking session of women executives and entrepreneurs. It was used in connection to partner participation in marriage by a man who was curious about how much working women expected from their men to feel truly fulfilled. The phrase itself in my understanding is the ratio of the number of things said by a person or a company to the number of things that they have actually done. In a perfect world your say-do ratio is 1:1 meaning you have done everything that you said you would do; a perfect score in an integrity test. I met women who were burning the candle at both ends trying to succeed in highly competitive careers, while desperately wanting to fulfil their roles as mothers and wives. I found the group a validation of all that I am as a woman and I learnt that I am not alone in some-

times feeling inadequate and incompetent in the areas that count the most.

There were many great points raised by the extremely intelligent and successful women at my table but the two men at the table provided great insight into the hearts and minds of our life partners and husbands; their contribution was an added bonus. t's very simplistic to re I duce life to an equation; a simple ratio but I am

convinced life really is that simple. For any interaction whether romantic, platonic or commercial to run smoothly we all must know where we stand and what better way to weigh risk than introduce the ratio before we even make a commitment. A long time ago, during a lively conversation with friends, we discussed a crazy hypothesis of having people investigated before we got involved with them. I should confess that I introduced the idea and though most people were

which was quickly nipped in the bud, and the key leaders of the Zikist movement rounded up and jailed, and dismissed from their jobs.

The leaders of the Independence movement chose the path of negotiations and constitutionality, perhaps because of the pragmatist politics of the key leader of that movement, but certainly, and without question, Nigerians did not shed much personal blood for their freedom from colonialism.

I suspect that because Nigerians got their freedom

the nation into exile at the first hint of difficulty and hardship rather than fight for a nation of their own. I see them here in exile in various stages of decay and disillusion – and we are still full of impotent soliloquy.

Those who could not leave succumbed and became conscripts to the social conditions and the morass that

strong and very ready to serve. Snakes come in all shapes and sizes, just like the human beings that are like them; they are creatures of deception and mostly come into our space acting like they are horses; they talk the talk but are not able to walk the walk. Their Say-Do ratio is 1:0, they say but they don't. If you cant rely on people doing what

tegrity blatantly exhibit when they hurt others; a cold bloodedness that is eerily similar to that exhibited by the serpent after Eve had been conned out of Eden.

Lately I have had integrity on my mind anytime I think of Nigeria and wonder when the ruling class will be held accountable for their lack of doing even

ut they lack that B oomph that rises above mere pedantry and

impotent soliloquy. They succumb very quickly to melancholy. Nothing demonstrated the inferiority of the Nigerian intellectual class better than its quick and remarkable surrender and dismantling under the military dictatorship that governed Nigeria from 1983 to 1999. Indisciplined and self-serving, a good many chose to escape from

For many years, Nigerians consoled themselves with their own self-image as the “giant of Africa” -an empty shibboleth spawned from cant.

Nigeria could well be the Giant of Africa – but it is a giant baracoon of people reduced to a slave and colonial mentality

by a relatively sanitized process, they take Nigeria – this fraught inheritance for granted. They take freedom for granted. They seem not to know what to do with the nation they have inherited. They also sit around and moan mostly about the various lacks of “our leaders; what they” have failed to provide; they

initially appalled, some came round to my line of thought. The truth is that we don't all portray a completely accurate picture of who we are and used to be and I am as guilty of that as the rest of the world.

While some of us may rightfully not be so proud of past choices and mistakes and choose to leave them out of view, some others actually stage an intentional act of deceit for nefarious reasons. So maybe an in depth investigation of people's past may be an invasion of privacy but their Say-Do ratio should be easy enough to work out. What you have said and exactly what you have done in previous associations answers every question on personal ethics and character. have a similar theory I to the Say-Do ratio and mine is more of a metaphor.

I group people into two animal types; the snake and the horse, in my view most people are one or the other.

A snake is a creature full of venom, slimy, dark, no backbone, and very pretentious. A horse on the other hand is a magnificent creature, it is noble, gorgeous,

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many examples in Africa and across of the world of how people had to make terrible sacrifices in order to gain freedom. China’s great Cultural Revolution led by Mao Tse Tung and his guerrillas immediately comes to mind. In spite of Gandhi’s “peaceful resistance,” even the Indians also fought the British in various armed skirmishes and defiant campaigns. To fight for individual liberties has always been at great human cost.

This is not to dismiss the sacrifice made by the leaders of the anticolonial liberation movement in Nigeria, particularly between the inter war years and the emergence of home rule in 1951/2. However, compared to other parts of the world, Nigeria gained her freedom and independence literally without firing a shot.

There was that one attempt at an armed struggle in 1949/50 by the Zikist movement which began with the failed attempt to assassinate the Colonial Secretary, Hugh Foot, by that Igbo clerk and Zikist at the Government Secretariat which saw him sent to the Yaba mental hospital where he was confined, and where he died forgotten; and there was the attempt by Zikists to begin an armed defiance movement

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T is very true that Ni geria’s elite – its po litical, business and intellectual leadership – has much to answer for its regard of its historical role in shaping a better Nigeria for posterity. Part of the crisis of Nigeria is elite incoherence where it matters.

A profound, disturbing and perhaps unanswerable question is what they’ve done with the sovereignty secured for Nigerians on “a platter of gold,” by the generation that led the struggle for African liberation in the 20th century. I think it has often been hinted, and I find it now very true, that the manner by which Nigeria secured its freedom from European colonialism complicates the basic Nigerian attitude to this nation.

In other parts of the world, people went into the bushes to fight for their freedom; they suffered death and imprisonment; families and communities were devastated, many of them razed and erased by the colonial forces.

The Kenyans engaged in the armed struggle using the Mau-Mau resistance; in South Africa, the longdrawn battle for freedom took a huge toll on the people and on the land; the Zimbabweans fought an armed Guerrilla war against Ian Smith and his descendants; there are so

have reduced the validity of the Nigerian state. The more cynical ones joined in the party at the trough, and this is largely because, frankly as citizens, Nigerians, including their intellectuals have an ambivalent relationship with Nigeria. It is writ large in Soyinka’s independence play, A dance of the Forest, whose close reading signifies not only the playwright’s deep moral skepticism but also his cynical disrespect, disdain, and ambivalence for postcolonial Nigeria, burdened, he claims, by unresolved history. Nigerians are discontent – but it is hollow discontent founded on self-indulgence and groundless self-regard.

For many years, Nigerians consoled themselves with their own self-image as the “giant of Africa” -an empty shibboleth spawned from cant. Nigeria could well be the Giant of Africa – but it is a giant baracoon of people reduced to a slave and colonial mentality; religious extremism and ethnic intolerance; primitive acquisition and fetishistic materialism – that love for shiny and inferior things. A people who were offered freedom on a gold platter but have no idea what to do with freedom. The greatest failure of the nation is not simply the failure of public leadership.

I do not wholly agree with Achebe here. It is the failure of citizenship and the civilizing impact of a selfreliant and self-aware public guided by a national spirit. This is where the Nigerian intellectual has failed eminently. Leadership does not emerge from a vacuum; it is the product

do hardly anything to organize and press for the good government they deserve as a nation. There are occasional street marches.

Quite a lot of rhetoric about the situation. But no clear push; nor well organized alternative towards creating a national movement to reduce power to service. Nigerian intellectuals for instance are great public critics.

Being true to what is do-able and even possible for us is key to maintaining integrity even at the risk of not being liked. The sure way of maintaining a good ratio is for my word to stand in every situation to the best of my ability

,

they say they will, then contracts, marriages and even friendships are doomed from the get go. Is it harsh to classify some people as snakes? Yes it is, the truth is sometimes harsh. A snake will say anything to get their way but once they do, they will show their true colour by slithering away leaving behind destruction and heartbreak. Most people without integrity are unable to fake it, just like a snake is incapable of standing straight like a horse, its got no spine. Another chilling similarity is the lack of remorse people without in-

when they half heartedly spout promises and defences of the obvious lack of leadership the nation faces. While most snake like people would score a 1:0 ratio in their Say-Do ratio, I actually question whether the Nigerian government of the day shouldn't be scored a ratio of 0:0, after all what have they actually said! Bashing the government of the day is not really the motive behind the column, but I couldn't resist the analogy of the snake like qualities our politicians make so obvious. I actually am more focussed

of citizenship. Before he was president, Goodluck Jonathan was a regular citizen. After his presidency, he will return to his place as an ordinary citizen.

Nigerian leadership flows from the quality of its citizenship, and thus, it is imperative to question the “Nigerian Mind” – the total structure of values that generates the kind of citizenship that produces the kind of leadership that we have circulated. What quality of citizenship for instance, could make President Jonathan this week cancel his proposed visit to Chibok and instead head to Paris to discuss Boko Haram with the “International Community?” Does he in fact comprehend or even care about the symbolism of that action? As president of Nigeria, to whom is he answerable: to the grieving mother in Chibok or the “International Community?” ow can Nigerians H force him to account for both his presidency and his actions? Why have Nigerians failed consistently to force its leaders to such accounting but instead always call on the “International Community” to aid their civic struggles? The answer seems pretty clear to me: Nigerian citizenship is inferior citizenship. Nigerians have never really, truly fought for anything in their lives. They want a perfect nation, but are unwilling to do the real heavy lifting. We weep and pray and are discontent. But it is impotent, melancholic discontent. It is the kind that seeks pity rather than redemption.

on the dynamics that make associations and contracts work between people. oing forward I have G sussed out that silence really is golden; I

wont say much so I can at least do the little I say. We may all have good intentions but let's not forget the road to hell is paved with those. Being true to what is do-able and even possible for us is key to maintaining integrity even at the risk of not being liked. The sure way of maintaining a good ratio is for my word to stand in every situation to the best of my ability. This is especially important for women trying to balance homes and careers. We are natural nurturers, we want to be everything for everybody. What that means for most women is a dip in their Say-Do ratio because people play on our emotions and we get persuaded to make promises we are not able to keep. Ironically we are most persecuted for our unreliability by those who demand more than we can deliver. I walked away from my table of dynamic women (and two great men) encouraged by the raw honesty of the emotions we all share, resolute to get rid of the guilt that has become a currency for family and bosses to spend at my expense and determined that my Say-Do ratio will be as impeccable as I am capable of making it.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 18, 2014, PAGE 13

How tinted glass aids crime *Abuja police move against errant vehicles

By FAVOUR NNABUGWU

O

ne of the important requirements for driving is that drivers must have the clearest possible view of road particularly in poor lighting conditions at dusk, night or while it rains.

For this and other security challenges, police are pouncing on vehicles with tinted films and factory fitted ones in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT. Obviously worried by the worsening insecurity across the country, the police are falling back on a number of laws including those on vehicle tinted glass to address the challenge.

Understandably, terrorism is a potent threat that must be crushed.

The tendency is there for criminally-minded people to use the cover provided by tinted glass to beat security checks at road blocks.

Vehicle manufacturers started the tinting of vehicle windows to protect occupants against harsh sun rays, protect upholstery, especially leather, and save the occupants from injury in the event of an accident as tinted glass is believed to be more adhesive and cause less damage when an accident occurs.

Tinting vehicle glass, however, soon became what can be described as fashion.

Clearly, legal restrictions on the use of tinted car glass is not peculiar to Nigeria.

The law, we understand, is designed to promote and protect security of all through visual transparency of auto mobiles. It reduces the chances of persons driving vehicles with opaque devices, arms,

ammunition and other incriminating materials from being undetected.

In the United States, the tint limits range between 24 per cent and 75 per cent VLT – lower number meaning less light transmittance and darker tint. In the United Kingdom, the best practice provides that a front windscreen must allow at least 75 per cent of light through and the front side windows 70 per cent.

In India, vehicles with tinted glass that allows 70 per cent visual light

objection on the fact that their car tint is not as dark as others and thus should be excused from the requirements of obtaining permits.

While some of these arguments may sound persuasive or even plausible, they are devoid of any known legal foundation.

Nigerian laws are unequivocal in their restriction on the use of tinted vehicle glass.

The Motor Vehicle (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Act, CAP M21 Laws of the

A vehicle glass that is not tinted to the point of being opaque poses no security problem whatsoever. Only glass that is opaque prevents other road users or security personnel from seeing the occupants of the vehicle presents security challenge transmission for safety glass on front and rear windscreen and 40 per cent VLT for side glass are permitted.

A vehicle glass that is not tinted to the point of being opaque poses no security problem whatsoever. Only glass that is opaque prevents other road users or security personnel from seeing the occupants of the vehicle presents security challenge.

Some vehicle owners are of the opinion that there is no valid law restricting the use of tinted vehicle glass in Nigeria. Others who claim to be aware of the legal restriction argue that because the tint on their glasses are ‘factory-fitted’, they are under no legal obligation to obtain a permit.

Yet, others hinge their

Federation of Nigeria, Section 3(a) explains “appropriate authority” as contained in Section 1(1) of the law to mean reference to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) or any person or authority authorized by him to give such permission as contemplated in Section (1) of the law. Regulation 66(2) of the National Road Traffic Regulations (1997) also provides as follows: “All glasses fitted to a vehicle shall be clear and transparent to enable persons outside the vehicle see whoever is inside the vehicle and the glasses shall in no way be tinted except as may be approved by the Inspector-General of Police for security reasons.”

However, by the operation

of the Act, such persons – importer, buyer, donee have 14 days grace, from the date of the purchase of the car or the date of arrival of the car in Nigeria (whichever is applicable) to either remove the tinted glasses or obtain the tinted glass permit.

The law is designed to enhance the smooth discharge of police duties, by making the monitoring of motorists easy.

Intelligence reports at the disposal of the police indicate that majority of crimes relating to terrorism, suicide bombing, kidnapping, gun-running, human trafficking, armed robbery and other related offences are committed with the use of vehicles with tinted glasses.

Persons seeking tinted glass authorization are advised to follow these steps: Write an application to the IGP for the use of factory tinted glass, stating the reason for use, bearing in mind that approval of such application is predicated on health or security reasons only.

The applications should be accompanied with the following: Photocopies of all relevant particulars of the vehicle; photograph of the vehicle; profile of the applicant with relevant background information; passport size photograph of the owner of the vehicle and any other supporting document/information that may help to justify the request.

In an interview with Sunday Vanguard, FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Hyelhira Daniel, said vehicles with factory

fitted tinted glass must get permit from the InspectorGeneral of Police, IGP, while those that use films on their glasses must remove them.

Daniel said owners of vehicles with factory fitted glasses seem not to bother about getting the permit because they believe they do not need it and that the police were not taking it lightly.

“The issue of tinted glasses is something that has been in our laws for a long time; people should learn to abide by the rules if they must drive their vehicles in Abuja”, he stated.

“Even for factory fitted tinted glass, the owner of the vehicle is supposed to change the glasses all round after two weeks of purchase or importation into Nigeria.

“But if for a reason you do not want it changed, you apply to the IGP. If your reason is genuine, the IGP will graciously grant you the permit. The police are humans too but people should learn to obey the laws of the land so that we don’t have issues with them.

“Again, the permit has expiry date; if, on expiration, you fail to renew it, then you have the police to contend with. And the permit is not transferable to anyone other than the person the IGP granted it to.

“For instance, if the owner of a car whom the IGP granted the tinted permit decides to sell his car, he cannot give the new owner the permit as part of the car’s documents. That is why the police tend to review the tinted permit from time to time in order for it to conform with the standard we are trying to maintain”.

PAGE 14 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 18, 2014

$200m rural telephony project at risk T

he National Rural Telephony Project (NRTP) to extend telecommunication services to the rural communities conceived by the Obasanjo’s administration seems to have run into a hitch.

The project was designed to reduce rural-urban migration. To achieve this objective, the Federal Government, through a $200 million concessionary loan from China, awarded the first phase of the project in 2001 to two Chinese companies – Alcatel Shanghai Bell (ASB) and ZTE Corporation (ZTE).

ASB provided the fixed wire-lines while ZTE provided the fixed wireless code division multiple access (CDMA) systems.

The country was divided into seven zones - Abuja, Bauchi, Enugu, Kaduna, Kano, Ibadan and Port Harcourt – while each zone is made up of six states (save Kano which has four).

On the average, there are 36 networks in each zone made up of fixed wirelines and fixed wireless CDMA networks.

In accordance with the deregulation and privatization policy of the government, it was expected that the rural telephony networks would be managed by private operators, to ensure sustainability and achieve government’s objectives of universal access to telecommunications by all Nigerians.

The Federal Government, in 2006, commenced the process to lease the networks to private operators to manage and ultimately own under the public private partnership (PPP) arrangement.

An inter-ministerial committee was set up under the chairmanship of the Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE) to develop the framework for participation of private operators in the NRTP, and also to facilitate the process of identifying and selecting suitable operators. In December 2008, under the leadership of the then Minister of Information and Communication, Professor

Dora Akinyili, the financial bid was publicly opened and fire companies emerged as the preferred bidders in the various zones as follows:Suburban Limited for Abuja and Kaduna Zones at the cost of $47 million and $42 million respectively, Gicel for Bauchi Zone at $30 million, Voicewares for Enugu Zone at $57 million, Key Communications for Ibadan Zone at $38 million, and Hezonic for Port Harcount Zone at $38 million.

Since the award of the contracts to the companies, the execution was stalled.

The official letters of contract award, which should have been given to the winners not later than two weeks from the opening of the financial bids, were not released until a year after.

Later, the then Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Michael Aandoka, to whom the negotiated lease agreement was sent for confirmation, advised that the matter be referred to the BPE for a certificate of no-objection.

This was after the committee, through the then Ministry of Information and Communication, had obtained the approval of President Musa Yar ‘Adua who ratified the transaction and directed without any conditions that letters of award be issued to the winners and the networks handed over.

The AGF also wanted the approval of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) even when it was clear that BPP was not involved in the privatization exercise, and was set up much after the transaction had commenced.

Adding insult to injury for the operators, BPP advised that the matter be referred to the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) for certification.

Stakeholders who spoke to Sunday Vanguard believed that getting the ICRC involved was politics to stall the process as the body was not in existence when the process commenced.

“The ministry is to be blamed for the hitches suffered by government projects. You find out that the

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo

,,

By CALEB AYANSINA

Adding insult to injury for the operators, BPP advised that the matter be referred to the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) for certification

ministry people don’t care; once a letter comes, they just dump it. They are not interested in the progress of the nation,” one of the stakeholders said.

“After two years, I can confirm that the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) just wrote a letter to the ministry. The commission alleged that they had written several letters to the ministry but got no response. They just want to make things complicated so that nothing will go forward. The ministry of communication’s lukewarm attitude towards the whole process is the cause of the delay.”

The operators alleged that some telecommunication giants were behind the stalling of the NRTP as they didn’t want it to succeed, because they know that the project would take over the whole country, forcing down their call tariffs.

Also, the current Minister of Communication is alleged to be making the process difficult, as she has allegedly refused to discuss the project with the NRTP operators.

One of the NRTP operators, Patrick Okonmah, said: “NRTP has become

notorious for its tortuous bureaucratic processes and faulty implementation on the part of the Ministry of Communication Technology and the other government agencies involved in this project.”

Another operator, the owner of Hezonic that won the bid for the Port-Harcourt Zone, Dr Tony Maduake, said: “How can a government spend so much money on a project, and allow it to waste away. They got a loan from China to execute the project and they have even finished paying the loan, and the ministry is not concerned that the project is wasting away.

“If we knew it was going to be like this, we wouldn’t have got involved. The loss is incalculable. It is billions of naira; the time lost, the efforts wasted are unimaginable.

“All these are just complications so that nothing will start. How would one imagine that it could take two government agencies two years to communicate on this project?

The ministry is not interested in a project that is supposed to have commenced operation three years ago.

“Between the last three

years and now, the government would have made billions of naira on tax, employment generation and levies. The project has the potential of creating 10 million direct and indirect jobs in five years. This project ought to have commenced before Etisalat came into Nigeria after four years of going through the process of bidding.

“As a result of the delay in completing this process by government for nearly seven years, most of the financial arrangements made by the NRTP operators both locally and internationally have abated, as most of the financial partners have either withdrawn support or no longer have confidence in the project.

“As a result, the NRTP operators were advised and applied to the FMIC in 2011 for support to obtain a sovereign guarantee to raise the necessary funds in local and international financial markets to enable them refurbish, update, upgrade and expand the networks, in addition to completing the second and final phases of the project, since government was no longer minded to invest further in this project.

“This application was made and supported by the Ministry of Communication.

Again, this application is still pending at the Ministry of Finance and the sovereign guarantee has not been granted.”

Maduake called on the FMCT to present a memorandum to the Federal Executive Council for ratification of the lease agreement negotiated and finalized since December 2009, with a view to signing the same with or without a certificate of no-objection from the ICRC. He noted that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) should be mandated to move in to investigate the alleged involvement of civil servants in the whole process. ”In the event that government is no longer interested in continuing with this project, then the NRTP operators should be compensated for the enormous investments they have made over the years and costs incurred since the process started in 2006 which will run into billions of naira”, Maduaka added.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014,

Page 15

Transforming maritime sector through NMU

BY LUCKY OJI

VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF

The quest to reposition the maritime sector for maximum efficiency

T

HE ground breaking ceremonies of the Nigeria Maritime University, NMU, NIMASA Shipyard/Dockyard and the flag-off of activities at the Kurutie temporary campus of the university all in the Gbaramatu kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State

by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, on 10th May 2014, is another milestone in the quest of the government and management of NIMASA to take the sector to an enviable level.

The Director General/CEO NIMASA, Mr Ziakede Patrick Akpobolokemi, who could not hide his joy over the development, said “A little over three years ago when I assumed leadership of the management of the agency, Mr.

President’s mandate to us was simple and clear- to transform the Nigerian maritime sector in line with his government’s principal agenda of national economic transformation. The import of Mr. President’s mandate was not lost in our choice of priority programmes and activities which are aligned to focus on those areas of our maritime sector with the most critical impact on its growth and sustainable development. This was the key consideration that guided our 4-Point Agenda, which is a Blue-print conceived and founded on objective assessment to fast track development of the maritime sector”.

According to him, the 4-Point agenda was designed to strategically tackle gaps in the maritime sector, and also to achieve accelerated development through partnership with the private sector. This will ultimately improve the sector ’s optimal contribution to the socioeconomic development of the country.

The principle objectives Mr

,

VIEWPOINT

The Nigeria Maritime University (NMU) is a strategic response to the perennial challenge of dearth of indigenous manpower in the sector

,

Akpobolokemi explained, constitute the cornerstone of the 4Point agenda which include building of adequate and relevant indigenous fleet and in-country shipbuilding and ship repair capacity to support and meet the demands of Nigeria’s maritime trade; achieve in-country capacity for composite manpower development for the maritime sector; achieve integrated capacity

Oshiomhole and the Edo revisionists

BY GEORGE ADUN

VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF Between a comrade governor and his critics

A

FTER two years in political hiding, Mr. Osa Director, erstwhile journalist and now failed politician, is on the march again.

Turning the page of Vanguard of Friday (May 16, 2014), my curiosity was immediately fired on sighting an article entitled ‘A ventriloquist at work’ credited to him.

But going through the 11paragraph piece, alas, I could not help bursting into a delirious laughter at its sheer audacity in stupidity. Well, we can overlook the impudence of an intellectual midget attempting to dabble in matters beyond his cognitive abilities. But certainly unpardonable is what is clearly a willful attempt to falsify known facts of our recent history in Edo State.

Against the backdrop of the reported defection of Osagie Ize-

VIEWPOINT

By Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe

VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF The factors that will shape the forthcoming Delta gubernatorial election

T

HE people of Delta State are very much concerned about who takes over the mantle of leadership from Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan come May 29, 2015. The political atmosphere in the state is heated and the war of words is between the Urhobo of Delta Central and Anioma-Ukwani of Delta North. The Urhobo are not taking things low. Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) has since declared its readiness to make good use of the population strength of their people to install the next governor of the oil rich state. Their brothers and sisters in the northern part of the State are also scheming through party lines and other political connections to ensure that power shifts to that axis next year.

Iyamu and a few chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Director chose to describe himself as an ‘insider in APC’ obviously to lend himself some credibility and thereafter went ahead to pontificate magisterially on the ‘remote and immediate causes’ of the defection of his latest associate, Ize-Iyamu.

That is number one lie. At his last outing in Benin-City in 2012, Director was a rabid campaigner for the PDP governorship candidate, Major General Charles Airiavere.

Of course, his candidate was beaten at the polls by the people’s governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, by more than 75 percent.

So, Oga Director, who registered you in APC? If you can lie on an ordinary matter like party affiliation, how do we believe you in other matters?

Anyone who was around in the 1990s would readily attest that Director described himself as a ‘guerrilla journalist’ who managed a rag-sheet called ‘Insider Magazine’. By now, Director should have realized that he cannot also take liberty to falsify facts of recent history of Edo State and expect to

,

VIEWPOINT

Oshiomhole’s declaration for Edo governorship early in 2007 was the gamechanger. With the golden name he brought to the field, he easily became the beautiful bride

,

go unchallenged.

He described Ize-Iyamu as the architect of Oshiomhole’s rise to political limelights. Nothing could be more fallacious. By the time Oshiomhole’s second term as NLC president was ending in 2007, his fame as a true defender of the interest of the masses and the country had spread across the country. It is on record that credible nationalists like the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi openly invited him to contest for the presidency in 2007.

for effective maritime administration to ensure safety and security of shipping in the most environmentally friendly manner and also build and maintain a highly professional, competent and disciplined workforce that is properly motivated to drive an organization with capacity for both static and dynamic efficiency.

In pursuit of the above objectives, NIMASA decided to initiate and establish projects that will engineer growth of the sector despite a number of challenges they are faced with in the course of implementing life-transforming agenda.

The Director General of NIMASA who attributed the glorious horizon attained by the agency to the support and encouragement coming from Mr. President through the Minister of Transport, said this has been a source of inspiration and motivation to keep them focused.

His words: “The Nigeria Maritime University (NMU) is a strategic response to the perennial challenge of dearth of indigenous manpower in the sector. The

university is expected to produce composite high level manpower for Nigeria’s maritime/shipping sector on sustainable basis. It is a tertiary institution for the training of seafarers, master mariners, marine engineers, naval architects, nautical scientists and other specialized maritime/ shipping trade skills.”

Another important reason for undertaking these projects is that the shipyard/dockyard facility will support the university by providing opportunity for practical training of naval architects, marine, communication and control engineers.”

With the preliminary activities concluded and work commencement of work on the projects it is hoped that the Federal Government will put together proper academic and technical structure needed to strengthen the quality of the university’s training programmes which will boost the agency poise to “physically patrol, monitor, enforce and where necessary interdict suspects and vessels that breach our maritime laws”

In the bloodily turbulent 1990s, not many would forget how Oshiomhole took great risk to oppose the Abacha junta. In his desperation to stop Oshiomhole, the Abacha regime had at some point promulgated a decree specifically crafted and worded to exclude Oshiomhole from being eligible to contest the NLC presidency.

But out of humility, Oshiomhole, rather than vie for the presidency in 2007, thought he needed to return home and help salvage his native Edo State from the stranglehold of powers and principalities then masquerading as ‘godfathers’.

So, Oshiomhole’s declaration for Edo governorship early in 2007 was the game-changer. With the golden name he brought to the field, he easily became the beautiful bride.

While it is a fact that the faction of PDP (Grace Group) was one of the numerous groups that eventually coalesced into ACN in 2006/2007, it is a big lie to suggest that IzeIyamu made Oshiomhole in politics.

On the contrary, Oshiomhole provided shelter for political lepers like him to escape being stoned by Benin people for the gross underdevelopment of the state from 1999 to 2007. And if some of these characters have so far not been brought to account for the many

atrocities they perpetrated between 1999 and 2007, it is only because Oshiomhole has a large heart and believes in looking ahead and not looking back.

Director’s vicious calumnious campaign against Oshiomhole is not new. Still on his ill-fated outing of 2012, he had also attempted, without success, to throw mud at the people’s governor. But when it was revealed that Director had lobbied some editors to help persuade the Comrade Governor to ‘dash’ him the senatorial ticket of ACN for Edo South ahead the 2011 general elections, he suddenly fell into a studied silence. Indeed, between 2008 and 2010, he was a regular visitor at Edo Government House under the guise of being a ‘fellow comrade’. Cap-in-hand, he had begged the governor to anoint him.

But the governor replied such would amount to giving democracy a bad name. Having failed to get the governor to short-circuit the democratic process by imposing him on Edo South as senatorial candidate, Director suddenly turned against Oshiomhole and began to abuse him on the pages on newspapers.

*Adun lives in Benin-City.

Delta 2015: The need for equity and democratic principles Therefore, the battle line is drawn and where the pendulum will swing is better imagined.

Those clamouring for Urhobo governor in 2015 are hell bent in actualising their objectives under the UPU umbrella. Their total resolve is anchored on the many sins of Uduaghan which they say include neglect of the Urhobo in state and federal governments appointments alleged to have been cornered for the minority group of Delta North. They say, the Finance Minister and supervising minister of the economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, the incoming Central Bank Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele and many more state and federal appointees are from Delta North.

Uduaghan does not deserve the media attacks. It is obvious that the governor has transformed the health and education sectors and spread development and appointments across the Delta three sena-

torial districts. The peace being enjoyed today in the state is as a result of the candid efforts of the governor who used all know result oriented methodology to strike peace with the restive youths who were agitating for the overall development of the oil rich state.

The state has produced three governors namely; Chief Felix Ibru (an Urhobo), Chief James Ibori (an Urhobo) and Uduaghan (an Itsekiri). These three personalities have done their bits and it is a truism that the Urhobo may have benefited one way or the other from the two past Urhobo Governors in the person of Chief Ibori and Chief Ibru. This is not to say that the Urhobos do not deserve Uduaghan’s attention and patronage.

But again, leadership credibility and performance in office is individual based and not necessarily the ethnic nationality. That Governor Uduaghan did not reasonably satisfy the yearnings and aspi-

rations of the Urhobo ethnic nationality (as they claim) does not mean that the next Governor will not do better irrespective of the senatorial district he or she hails from.

Delta North has credible candidates who should not be disenfranchised in the next election. There are some of the aspirants who have for decades blended well politically with their Urhobo associates across board. Senator Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa, Honourable Godwin Ndudi Elumelu and Mrs. Ngozi Olejeme are quality materials for the governorship race.

Also, the Urhobo candidates include Godspower Orubebe and Chief Great Ogboru.

It is strongly rumoured that PDP may present a Delta North candidate while the will present Urhobo candidates to fragment the votes.

Mid-way, the two Urhobo candidates may form political alliance to defeat the PDP candidate to produce an Urhobo governor in 2015.

As good as this permutation may sound; it has its defects which are that the Urhobo will be seen as a people using their numerical strength to oppress the minority in the state. This should not be. UPU should meet with Uduaghan to negotiate so as to ensure a peaceful and smooth transition of power in the state.

We should discuss potentials and capabilities rather than ethnic nationality or tribalism. An Okowa or an Elumelu or an Olejeme is reasonable and perfect to occupy the seat of governor in our dear state. In the same token, an Ogboru or an Orubebe, a Keyamo, a Dafinone is cool to be governor.

The focus should be; can he or she deliver?

•Oghenesivbe is a public affairs and political commentator. He is also the National President of the Green White Green Vanguard, a socio-economic and political advocacy group based in Lagos.

PAGE 16 , SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014

DELE SOBOWALE @ 70 (2) ‘My detention story’ IN this concuding part of the interview with economist, newspaper columnist and public affairs commentator at 70, Dr. Dele Sobowale speaks on the economy, the National Conference and life in detention

W

HICH day would you describe as your most memorable day?

I documented it in a book I wrote during Abacha regime, entitled, ‘Let me have the bones’. I went to a party in Ikoyi, and there was this man who came with his dog to the party. We were eating and drinking, the man would feed his dog with chunks of chicken. There was this little boy in rags who was begging and people were driving him away. At the end of the day, the boy could not stand it again and he said, ‘Baba, I am not even asking for chicken, just give me the bones’. I wrote it in Vanguard.

If there is one article I remember most, it is, ‘just give me the bones’. Of course, I had to arrange for the boy to be given food to eat, but it showed how easy it is for people who are comfortable not to know that there is poverty in the land and how easy it is for us to ignore poor people even while staring them at the face.

So, I went home that day and I made up my mind, long before Obasanjo’s regime, that in my neighbourhood, nobody will ever come to my house and ask for food or money and be turned away. It is a pathetic issue and it was really striking.

You have written so much on good governance in Nigeria, but the country is still in the doldrums. What does the state of the nation mean to you?

The state of the nation is pathetic. Everybody can repeat what has been done and what we are not doing now. I always say to people that I am not fighting for myself because I have had a good life. All these things are not for myself.

We must continue to fight because poverty can be reduced. Poverty can be reduced substantially if only we can take certain steps. For whatever that is worth, we have 774 local governments across Nigeria, you can as well argue whether Lagos has 20 or more, when we look at these figures, we can now formulate how poverty alleviation can play a role in our society.

By the time you start empowering Nigerians through wards over a period of time, you will realize how many people have lived above poverty line. It is a huge project because if the Federal government is taking 10 persons per ward and the state government is taking two, we would have lifted several people above poverty line. But the way it is done now when government buys Keke Napep and gives to people and calls it empowerment, it is not properly documented and no follow up; once they give the tricycle, that is the end.

The same government that gave them the tricycle will tomorrow ban then from moving round and they are being arrested by mobile policemen. The state must be interested in developing people and not just giving them tricycle and then abandoning them to their fate.

There are several senators or governors, wives that have given bikes as empowerment programme to people and, a year

after, government bans bikes. So where do those people go to?

Does being a columnist bring any pressure on you?

Not really. Pressure comes if you don’t have principles. Before I write any article, the first thing I do is conduct a research first on that topic. Also, I ask myself where the public interest lies, which position is more in tandem with the people.

Let me give you an example on the issue of Boko Haram: I have been one of the critics of President Goodluck Jonathan but, on Boko Haram, I am 100% his ally.

When you look at the activities of Boko Haram, my feeling is that, Boko Haram is on one side, Mr President and the military are on the other side; so where does my interest lie? Never mind the fact that Mr President might not be doing enough as expected, whether our military is doing their best the way they should do, never mind whether the security operatives are doing their best or not; the question to ask is whether to comfort Boko Haram or encourage the President and the forces.

My feeling is that it is better to encourage Jonathan and the armed forces despite the shortcomings because if we don’t strengthen them, we are all going to regret it. When I write the column, I go home and sleep; if I receive text messages that I have been bought over by Mr. President, I just say ‘thank you, go and write your own so that you can be bought too. Uncle Sam gives his col-

,,

BY DAPO AKINREFON, CHARLES KUMOLU & GBENGA OKE

I wrote one stinker about the CBN policy and the then Governor of CBN, Ahmed, got me arrested; they queried why I had to write such things against the CBN

umnists the best opportunity and you can hardly get that anywhere.

What is the Nigeria of your dream?

Nigeria might have been re-based but I hope the rebasing will turn out to be a guide just to the future of where we should be. We claim to be bigger than the South African economy, but go and read today’s papers and see which countries invest most in Nigeria. You will realize that it is the United States, United Kingdom and South-Africa. We say we are wealthier than South-Africa, but they are the ones investing more here.

They own DSTV, Shoprite, MTN and

•Dele Sobowale several other companies. Even one big bank in South-Africa has more assets than all our top five banks in Nigeria.

Yes we have a potentially big economy which could provide employment for more people than we have now but we are not yet there. We cannot fund most things today because the income distribution in this country is very poor, there is no state in Nigeria that cannot increase its Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, by paying more attention to collecting rents from those high rise buildings. If President Jonathan says redistribution of wealth is our problem, let him start it by going to places like Maitama, Asokoro, let him find out what people are paying and how much they should be paying and they should use it to develop the country.

Give low income housing; that is how to distribute wealth; it is not all about giving money to people; poverty is not just lack of money, it is a matter of lack of access to basic necessities of life. You need to breathe to stay alive. Poverty alleviation programme must start with the provision of food, water and shelter; health facilities. Once you reduce the hardship people face on these basic things, you are now reducing poverty.

The other ones include access to education.

Do you see the National Conference addressing some of our major problems in Nigeria?

The confab is already addressing some of our problems. Various committees are already addressing some of the issues.

The fear I have is that the recommendations of the conference might not see the light of the day; it might turn out to be a fruitless exercise. I think the fundamental issues of federalism have not been properly addressed, there is still too much power at the centre and the problem of derivation is hanging. The committee on derivation has proposed another formula but that formula is not binding on the Federal Government and the Federal Government might not even accept it and if the Federal Government does not accept it, where does that lead

minerals and oil producing states?

My detention story I used to publish my column on Mondays until 1994 during the Abacha regime. How did I start writing Sunday column? One day, I was at the office writing and Uncle Sam came to my office and asked don’t you write a column for us on Sunday’ and my take on it was to say, ‘I am an economist and I don’t want general commentary ’. He enquired, ‘Don’t you feel anything’, and I said I will write if he promised to publish the article. Uncle Sam said it will be published if it was not defamatory or libellous.

So, I wrote the first in August 1994 and that very Sunday the first article came out, I was very happy. It was then that I launched into Sunday commentary during the Abacha administration and I have always been against military government; even that first article raised questions from friends whether I was not biting too much. During the Babangida administration, I went to detention three times. I wrote one stinker about the CBN policy and the then Governor of CBN, Ahmed, got me arrested; they queried why I had to write such things against the CBN. During the Abacha era, I was there four times. In fact, one of the arrests took place at the Vanguard premises. Most of the other arrests happened in the house. In those days, either AlMustapha or General Diya will sign the arrest order. But most of the time, when you are arrested, you don’t even know who signed it. The first three times under Abacha was a warning that I will be dealt with but the last time was very serious. That time, some journalists were already bombed in Kaduna and, when I was arrested in this office, they took me away. At that time, government was even denying that they were holding me, they claimed they were not holding me.

When I got to the prison, some of the inmates said only God knew when I will be dispatched with. They told me once you enter that particular prison, you are on your way to kingdom come!

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 18, 2014, PAGE 17

bb pin: 75E17ABC

Relationships don’t work for me — Evia Simon

F

AST-rising Nollywood actress, Evia Simon, has said men go crazy over her figure. That was her first encounter with Potpourri and the Abuja-based actress was everything but shy in telling us that men have embarrassed her more times than she cares to remember.

She recounted an experience where a guy left his car by the road side and followed her all the way home on bike just to get her attention.

No big deal in directors sleeping with actresses — Aniedi Noba

But the actress has said such overtures do not fool her as she is well aware that most men who chase after her do not do so because they have true feeling for her “It is difficult to find someone who really likes or loves me because I just feel every man that comes

A

NIEDI Awah Noba isn’t a name that would cause a stir because it is a face that works behind the cameras. But the man, like most directors are the ones who pull the strings and oftentimes dictate the tunes to which the actors must dance.

For Aniedi, he doesn’t believe the sexual harassment issue is a big deal. To him, it is a question of two adults, meeting up and making up their minds to make out.

“If a director is a man and the actress is a woman and they find themselves attracted to each other, they’re permitted to do anything because they are adults.

Where it becomes bad is when one person puts a gun on the other person’s head and make unhealthy demands through some blackmail.

Sexual issues are not things you can really predict because they are human related.

Anybody can sleep with anybody anywhere in the world as far as it’s an agreeable venture. So if I’m a director and I see an actress and I say I want to sleep with you and the actress agrees I don’t see anything wrong with that.

Where it becomes bad is when I say I will not give you a job until I sleep with you. Now, we over-flog this issue of directors sleeping with actresses. A man will meet a woman anywhere, any day and they will sleep with each other. Let anybody sleep with anybody they want, life goes on. Let’s just do the work” he asserted.

C M Y K

around wants to just come and have a feel then move ahead. It is very difficult.

It’s not that there are no good men out there, there are a lot of good men but how do you know when everybody that comes, comes with lust writen all over their faces” she said According to her, many of

them come with such randy expressions like ‘’Babe, your ass is massive, I really like you, but you don’t know what’s in their minds, you don’t know what their mindset is towards you, so dealing with my male admirers is very difficult for me because I don’t know who loves me, I don’t know who likes me, I don’t know who just wants to play around with me and go.

Seriously, it’s not easy but I’m trying my best. Relationships don’t work for me so I don’t really put my mind in there. Relationship is not my thing. I’ve tried and it’s not working, so I don’t want to push it. If it comes, fine. If it doesn’t come, fine”.

•Evia Simon

I have been sexually harassed on countless occasions — Gloria Chiazor

T

•Gloria Chiazor

HE issue of sexual harassment has been a matter of diverse opinions in Nollywood.

While some believe the issue is over bloated by some actresses who make outrageous claims that directors and producers sexually harass them for movie roles, others maintain that it is the desperate actresses who go after the directors and producers, offering all sorts of palliatives, even including sex to get movie roles.

Meanwhile, upcoming actress, Gloria Chiazor, popularly known as Tega has her own story and it doesn’t sound like the

producers and directors have much chest-beating to do.

“I have been harassed on countless occasions for movie roles. I was told by a particular producer that I have a killing shape and that if I want that particular job that I’d get it only if he slept with me and that was after passing the audition but the good thing is that my refusal didn’t stop me from getting acting roles anyway because of the polite, friendly and matured manner I turned them down” she told Potpourri in a recent chat.

Speaking on heartbreaks, Tega said she has had her

own share of heartbreaks and that it hasn’t deterred her from believing in love “I am a single lady who has put in so much in her past relationships which didn’t work. For now, I am single but still have a heart that can love again. Though, heartbreaks are always difficult to wriggle out of but the good thing about me is that I have learnt never to feel bad for too long because I always tell myself that for the fact that I am no longer needed in a relationship doesn’t mean that I am not good enough but it simply means, that person is no longer good enough for me, with this, I move on with my life” she said.

PAGE 18 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 18, 2014

I can go nude in my music video

— Harmony

N

•Emike Ekwe

OT many people have heard about Emike Ekwe known by the stage name, Harmony, but the new music sensation, from Auchi, Delta State, seems to have so much up her sleeve. Not just with her music, which is just beginning to get off the ground, the fair-skinned diva certainly has other tricks in her kitty, that may leave the likes of Adokiye and Niyola gaping in bewilderment.

For starters, she isn’t too freaky about letting on some flesh here and there.

When she was asked if she could bare it all in her music video, Harmony coolly replied “Of course, I can do video without pant and bra, and go nude if my scripts says so”. Yet, she was quick to remind us she is in music because there’s nothing she can do better. “ Harmony recently released a single Chocolate produced by Popito and mixed by Brains.

I’m blind to women — Solo Urete I

soko gospel music artiste, Evangelist Solo Urete, who has been mistaken for Gordons, the comedian at several instances , is a man who knows his business. After 13 albums to his name and still counting, God Over do crooner, is looking beyond his Isoko, Delta State domain to conquer the world of gospel music.

Though, he started by singing in his dialect but Solo has now infused more of other languages like Yoruba, Igbo, Efik and other Nigerian languages into his music to make it more appealing to a wider audience across the country.

In a recent encounter with Potpourri, Solo revealed much of the real person behind the hot brand and made us C M Y K

understand he is as different from most musicians as day from night.

The normal excesses of musicians just don’t cut with Solo and he told us he could not imagine himself getting involved in acts that ‘would soil his soul.

“My body is a temple of God and it should be kept free of iniquities and vanities of life. Since I was born I never knew any other woman except my wife. It is not that women don’t come after me, they do, but I am blind to them. The only woman I see is my wife. I must keep myself clean to fulfill my mission of ministration to people. The motto of my song is ‘dance until something happens” he said.

Girls I used to run after now run after me — Zayo, Koga new act

R

AHEEM Adeyemi known as Zayo, Koga new act and an undergraduate of Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) was once ignored, refused and sent off stage with insults and sachet water thrown at him during a musical performance.

But all that has changed; he’s now every girl’s favourite at school and an emerging talent in Nigeria’s burgeoning entertainment industry.

“Girls I used to run after now run after me, they are now hailing me, checking me out, they greet me at school enthusiastically, talk to me, unlike before and even went on to add me on Blackberry Messenger, it is like a case of ‘rejected stone becoming the head corner stone’. All thanks to God and Koga for changing my story.”

At the moment, he is doing a legendary song with Sir Shina Peters and an album is expected from him with lots of collaboration towards the end of next year.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 18, 2014, PAGE 19

Juliet Ibrahim gives guys hard lesson on lo lovv e

Lydia For son goes mean Forson on #BringBackOurGirls campaigner campaignerss First Ghanaian winner of the prestigious African Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, Lydia Forson is an opinionated woman who airs her views unabashed on any issue regardless of whose ox is gored.

The actress cum producer took to her instagram page last week to lash out at those who have turned #BringBackOurGirls campaign into something of a fad without adding real value to the problem at hand.

“When I said this some days ago, people thought I was being cruel and insensitive. But here’s proof! Of course there are some genuine people out there, but the FACT is, #bringbackourgirls has become a FAD... If we really want to help this situation, let’s ask the REAL questions, let’s start a debate about how this happened.

The more questions we ask, the more accountable people will have to be” she wrote.

N

o one ever thought beautiful Ghanaian actress, Juliet Ibrahim has any mean streak in her. Not until some illinformed fan made light of her musical talent. That got Juliet all ballistic and the guy learned fast enough that truly hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

That was some few days ago, but now Juliet is showing another side of herself, a subtle one wrapped in so much caramel and cream as she gave a hard lesson to a fan on matters of the heart.

Hear her: “Giving her (your woman) everything you think she wants might not be what she needs. you can give her material things whilst all she needs is attention or something else; you can give her all the love and attention but maybe she doesn’t want that and she wants material things and so on.

This means you are not giving her all her needs then! It brings in your insecurity because now you are aware you are not giving her 100%” she tutored the fan through her twitter handle.

Fan blas ts Psquare oover ver luxur blasts luxuryy pos postt

S

ince the Psquare brothers got back together, it has been roller-coasting ride of good-times for them. Some of the joyful moments, the brothers could not help posting on the Instagram to tell the world what a terrific time they are having.

But in one of their numerous posts last week , one where the brothers were brandishing all sorts of luxury cars in more luxurious environments got on the wrong side of one of their

fans who thought the brothers have picked the wrong time to show off wealth.

“It bugs me that 234 girls are missing and people like you cannot use your large followership to add your voices. Life isn’t all fun and dance. And I used to be a huge admirer because I felt you twins were socially responsible”, fired the fan who simply calls herself/himself drzsb

Behold the beauties out of Kenya!

O

n the world stage now, the place to come out of must be Kenya. President Barrack Obama of United States of America started the popularity campaign and the actress, Lutipa Nyong’O sealed it after winning the Oscars at this year ’s Academy awards.

The 12 Years a Slave actress won the Oscar for best supporting actress, signed a deal with cosmetics giant, Lancôme to become its first black ambassador, and now People magazine C M Y K

has bestowed one of its highest honours on her, ‘Most Beautiful Person for 2014’.

Long before now, no one ever thought Kenya, has such collection of beautiful people and even some sexy ones. Corazon Kwamboka and Vera Sadika, both models and actresses also come from the country. The duo do not have the popularity of Lupita, they do have something else even though the western world seems to think Lupita is the most beautiful, curvy African person right Corazon Kwamboka now.

Lupita Nyong’o

Vera Sidika

PAGE 20— SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 18, 2014

Y

ou’re a veteran in the industry, when did you start acting?

First of all, my name is John Okafor, Mr Ibu and I hail from Ezeokwe in Nkanu West Local Government, Enugu State. My first experience on camera was 1978 December 3.

It was a soap opera in Benin City. A soap opera they called Hotel de Jordan. I was just a passerby and then they called me to be part of it, part of the crowd.

My face wasn’t even showing but I was comfortable, I was contented being part of that big work.

Why did you decide to become an actor?

That is the bone breaker. I had nothing in mind before when all of us were in school, from elementary school to secondary school. Then I didn’t really have something in mind I was going to be but I know I was having medicine in my mind. At the end of the day, when I came across the camera, I was so crazy about watching people doing things on television. I said well maybe I will diversify and that’s exactly how I found myself here How has your acting career been so far?

The career has been so interesting and we’re enterprising. Very fantastic, I must confess. The industry has made me 99.9% of who I am today. It’s a very wonderful constituency and I am happy to be a part of it.

Have you won any awards?

Yes. I was the first Nigerian to win the best comedy actor in English films in Africa in London. That was 2002/2003.

I also won the same thing 2005 in Germany (Best Comedy Actor in English films in Africa). Then the same 2005, the first national comedy award in Nigeria, I won it. In 2006 also, I won it, organized by Virgin Productions or something. It was all about national thing. So I won it two times consecutively 2005 and 2006 and then my film was the best film of the year that same year.

Other awards, I have City people awards, a whole lot of them. I have plaques in my house.

What is the name of the movie you’re shooting now?

C M Y K

Don’t offer your body for movie roles — Mr. Ibu Not many people know him by his real name, John Okafor, the character they know is Mr. Ibu, and he doesn’t have any equal in his trade in the industry. Though his humorous acting is often characterised by stupidity, hilarious imbecility and a sharp disconnection from reality but John Okafor is a colossus in the industry, so, when he speaks people listen, even when they expect him to make them laugh.

Mr. Ibu was recently tracked to a location in Magodo, Lagos, by one of our reporters and as usual it was a pleasurable chat with the actor who opens up on varieties of issues.

Excerpts:

By DAMILOLA SHOLOLA Well, the reason why we don’t want to expose the name of the movie is because we have virus in the industry and this virus which is piracy, means we try as much as we can to make sure we conceal the title of the movie otherwise, once they get hold of the title, they would go further before we even start.

H

ow was it like working with the cast and

crew?

The cast and crew we have here, I will give them 99.9% in attitude, in presentation, in accuracy, communication I will give them 50% and then welfare, I will give them 40% and then caring, I would give them 100%. Acting generally, I would give them 80% so the cooperation is fine. They have pass mark.

You’ve been in Nollywood for a while now. What is your general view of the industry?

The industry is not really giving us what we expect now because when we started with the heavyweights, there was a lot of network guarding the industry. But

The industry is not really giving us what we expect now because when we started with the heavyweights, there was a lot of network guarding the industry. But unfortunately as the thing proceeds like this, we begin to discover that people who are not supposed to be in the industry are here and they are making the whole journey very steep for us unfortunately as the thing proceeds like this, we begin to discover that people who are not supposed to be in the industry are here and they are making the whole journey very steep for us. However, we believe in God. The industry has not stopped. We are still going further and the more we go further, the more we learn more things and we are beginning to use more than one camera in a production unlike before, we used only one camera. Today, we can use like 2, 3. The white men, they use like 100 cameras, 50 in one production. I was involved in one in Germany, we used 20

cameras at a role. However, I’m not trying to measure or probably compare our own production with them but the issue is that we are growing If you could change one thing in Nollywood, what would it be?

I will definitely change the system of distribution because the distribution system here is very poor. We have only 3 major outlets while we have about 36 states and FCT. If you do a movie and an approximate of about 3,000 copies are sold in each of the states, count how many you’re going to sell. But we are bent on buying the

pirated copies and then trying to view it for free, waiting for DSTv to show it and all that, so it is actually dragging us down.

You recently celebrated the dedication of your first son?

That’s not my first son, my first son is 24 years, my second son is 21 and the other one is 19 and then my smallest son is almost a year.

So you have 4 kids total?

4 boys. It was 5 but I lost one to kidnappers.

What attracted you to your wife?

She’s beautiful, face of Imo State then. So I decided to look for beauty because I want to see a contrast What More should fans expect from Mr Ibu? I’m still on location. I’m still doing what I’m doing. Let them keep praying and I will never disappoint them by the special grace of God and I’m advising those who are greedy, who are coming to the industry all because of money, come into the industry, work on your face first, discover who you are in the industry, learn, ask questions, get the proper thing to do then before the money would come in. You won’t even know when the money starts coming. And then I advise those girls that pay for roles, if you’re one of those that go to producer, director to give money to get roles, you will never get out of this industry. You will never see the light of the day.

Leave that thing. Go ahead and allow God to give you your own position in the industry. Keep doing what you’re doing. The one that is yours is yours, the one that is not yours, forget about it. Do not go and give your body because of roles. Do not go and give money because you want to get a role in a production. That is not how the industry grows. If you pay, they will give you something you’re going to do, you’re not going to be anybody. The industry is like a spirit. They will reject you immediately you begin to pay yourself in. What is going to happen to those who are studying Theatre Arts in the University? What will they do when they come out? Will they be paying for roles again or will they be paying for having spent time in school to learn or will they be paying for serving you? I’m angry about that. I don’t want to go further about that.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014, PAGE 21

Email: vanguardwoman@gmail.com

AMID HOME CHALLENGES

Young mothers must get priorities right —Yinka Ogunde, CEO , Goals & Ideas

M

rs.

Yinka Ogunde is o n e personality worthy of emulation.

An enviable careerwoman who prefers keeping a low profile due to her ever busy schedule, she is the pioneer of EDUMARK Consult, an educational guild for students and parent alike. She is also the CEO of Goals & Ideas, an integrated m a r k e t i n g communications agency.

In this encounter with OLAYINKA AJAYI, she speaks on the need for young mothers to acquire necessary skills in order to climb the ladder of their chosen career.

W

hat spurred you into spearheading these task driven organizations?

Basically, my background is in Mass communication and I had my first Degree in English from the prestigious University of Lagos. I later did my second degree in Mass Communication, specialising in Public Relations and Advertising. Ever since I finished my Masters Degree program, I have been in the business of marketing communications.

I started my Advertising career at Promoserv, after which I moved to M.Gold Communications, formerly Magnet Gold, before I floated Goals and Ideas.

What have been the challenges?

One of the interesting things I have found out in a sector like ours is that it’s a very dynamic sector. There are so many opportunities that any discerning professional can actually tap into.

I am of the opinion that opportunities abound everywhere, except you go about with your eyes closed. If you have a country that is as wealthy as Nigeria, where

you have about 2.8million people walking about with diverse needs and desire, looking at the massive population, what do you see ? You must be able to create something that will be of need to them and the society at large.

Marketing communication is a sector grossly dominated by men; how did you find yourself raising your head above deep waters?

Perception about life varies.

Every individual has issues he or she has to contend with. I don’t see advertising in Nigeria as a gender sensitive industry but an industry that is competency driven. Competency does not have anything to do with gender issue. If you are good at what you do, you're good. If a man gets a pitch from me, I would see it as him being able to strike the cord with the client. All I have to do is, go back to my drawing board and make sure I create something better next time.

Young female managers should not bother themselves with gender sensitive issues because it won’t allow them go the extra mile to acquire the necessary skills required to get to the top of their careers. In every project I embark on, I strive towards excellence, not just in rhetorical terms because it’s easy to say things in rhetorics. As a professional, anytime you open your mouth, quality must come out of it. You must be ready to say what the client will buy into and not what he already knows.

Knowing what to do, is what your clients are paying you for. So, if you are not consistent in improving on yourself, which equals to having an edge above your client, he or she won’t be ready to pay you.

As a woman, I strongly believe you need to work very hard so as to ensure that your competence is seen and your brain is respected.

I don’t think brains are created differently. So,being a man or woman, there is need for your knowledge to

*Yinka

There was a time I had to give up my career to look after my kids, even though it was a critical situation in this equation...it requires lots of commitment to achieve your goals in life. be above that of your client in order to be relevant in any sector you find yourself.

With the heavy task required in heading an organization, how do you manage your home and career ?

You must get your priorities right; there is time for everything. When the need arises to attend to a particular thing, you must do so quickly. You must learn to know what is important to you and what is secondary.

You need know what needs to be done at every particular time and what should be postponed.

There was a time I had to give up my career to look after my kids, even though it was a critical situation in this equation. Being a young lady, taking care of your family does not mean you should give up your brain.

When it’s time for you to work effectively, you can do so from home. On my part, when I want to do serious work, I don’t bother myself going to the office.You would be amazed at the result you'd get. The fact that you want to do everything to make your family comfortable does not mean your brain has to be redundant.

There are so many seminars

and workshop taking place in different sectors of our economy. If a seminar is from 10am to 2pm, rush down. Even if it’s for two hours, let your colleagues see you there. Rush back to pick your children from school. From there you can go to the market. In order to keep yourself constantly updated and relevant. By the time you step into your profession, it would be as if you never left. But once you stop attending such seminars, reintegrating yourself back will pose a problem because you are no longer current. So, the fact that you are looking after children does not mean that your brain should die.

What's your advice for upcoming managers looking up to you?

Achieving your dream requires a lot of commitment.

Anybody who says business is easy to run is not being sincere. It demands lots of focus and your giving up lots of frivolous activities. It’s a journey that comes with a price.

PAGE 22—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 18, 2014

BRAND COMMUNICATION

- The Imperatives for Brand Positioning

across banks and financial institutions, drinks, telephone services, food & beverages, luxury goods, travel and tours, education, entertainment make up the numbers to a large extent. Increasingly, these big brands have been so badly managed; their campaigns are now negatively posing a problem to the profession. New entrants to the profession of brands management now think what they see are the ideal, instead of what they really are: case study on how not to manage a brand.

It is for the purpose of correcting this wrong impression we need to properly articulate the ideal situation.

Every brand support effort in form of advertising or marketing communication must “sell” the given brand as a distinct personality and its offer/promise, to the extent of target audience engagement. It could all start from share of TA mind. For the purpose here, we shall have to skip part of the creative process in this analytical piece, to focus on the very critical element of brand differentiation.

Basically, marketing is about differentiation. Differentiation underlines the individuality of brand in their totality, at the market place. A brand represents itself among competition at the market place, representing its individuality, with all its character traits, attribute and offer. This community of brands exists in the presence of broad and peculiar similarities that becloud their individuality, in varying degrees.

Among brands in same market segment, the similarities are

more pronounced. Because brands can only sell on the strength of their individuality, the most important challenge, therefore, is carving any given brand’s individuality, communicate same for the purpose of (1) creating awareness for the brand and its offer, among its target market, (2) establishing a contact or meeting point between the brand and its target market, (3) effec-

,

S

HELF off-take or consum er engagement of any brand is a culmination of so many activities prior. One of such inputs is brand communication or advertising. Depending on set-objectives, an advertising support can drive target market awareness for brand, help proper brand identification from among competing brands, stimulate tactical sales growth, enlighten target market on new developments, announce reward for patronage or loyalty, answer questions or just simply announce a given brand’s presence. Every campaign effort is capable of achieving so much, depending on set objective.

Suffice that every campaign effort is objective driven. As a professional, it is the responsibility tied to a campaign or advertising that excites me. A campaign must deliver on its objective. So whether a campaign effort is to be evaluated on its effectiveness, efficiency or appropriateness, it all begins by bench-marking its effect against set objective.

Advertising or campaign development – from planning to execution – is a logical sequence of activities, frontally. Starting from the client who generates the campaign brief, it runs through a careful and professional distillation of the brief, verification of claims, instructional information bothering on hypothesis contained in the brief. Full throttle on the creative process starts only after due and diligent distillation of the client’s brief, onward concept generation, creative review, process completion, clients’ final check on agency’s proposal, before campaign breaks. It is a whole and very long sequence of so many inputs. It is simply termed a process.

One would reason that the process is so long and carefully broken down and methodological because of the end-result. As a matter of fact, the primary and immediate consequence of a badly managed campaign planning and development process is its boomerang. A badly or unprofessionally managed creative process results in a campaign that directly attacks own-brand – be it a product, idea, service, etc. It is easier to develop a bad or selfdestructive creative end product than a successful one. So, it is instructive that the creative process and sequence of activities is driven through by professionals.

Again, it seems the process is called a creative process for reasons of its importance, method, sequence, logic and scientific analysis…and so much more. The consequence of a badly managed creative process is better imagined. We at MC&A DIGEST and some others, who share similar burden, have dedicated ourselves to stating rules of advertising, reminding fellow practitioners of the MUSTS of practice, in order to help guide against bad creative products. Bed creative products are lethal, toxic to brands and destructive to investors.

Brands handled by non-professionals die, resulting in failed investment and all the ripple effects down the line. Unfortunately, over 80% of brands in the market today suffer from bad creative products of unprofessionally managed development process. Interestingly, the big brands

common today, do not show evidence of appreciation of these basic marketing communication objectives. As mentioned above, inadequate professionalism and/ or lack of it, results in creative products that, at best attempt to create awareness for their brands. Even at that, they create the awareness with the wrong effect.

All kinds of reasons are given

Every brand support effort in form of advertising or marketing communication must “sell” the given brand as a distinct personality and its offer/promise, to the extent of target audience engagement

tively tell a persuasive story (including the brand’s offer and promise) that will, at least, pull the target market towards trying the brand’s offer, believing it will deliver on its promise. These three target objectives are primary and fundamental to every brand. When a marketing campaign or advertising achieves the above, the brand is established and ready for new targets.

Unfortunately, however, brand communication or campaigns

,

for such weak creativity, including size of relatively similar brand offering, near-commodity posturing of competing brands.

As is commonly said, brands in particular market segments share so many similarities, it is almost impossible to successfully achieve differentiation. Take leisure and tours, snacks, carbonated drink market, body care market and recently, energy drink market. Majority of brands in the markets mentioned above are

more often to suffer from improper differentiation.

Consequently, a campaign developed for them neither make concrete promise nor leave the target audience with memorable information that is important for top-of-mind presence, engagement or recall after “initial contact”.

But, the task of effective and functional differentiation is primary for every creative process.

It only requires deep thinking, proper and articulate understanding of the contending issues, scientific, knowing what questions to ask and where to seek what information, ability to properly articulate available information, scientific analysis of market and consumer insight and a very aggressive, bold and purposeful visual interpretation and execution. We do not think there is any brand that cannot be distinguished from competition and be made to stand alone for its offer, peculiarities, and promise and market position. For every brand communication or advertising campaign, the process must establish the operative strategic thrust, the broad creative platform and the brand’s positioning statement. All of these are the creative imperatives that set the focus towards a successful creative execution.

In sequence, the creative imperatives are derived; derived from a proper application of the creative brief forms, examined at a properly constituted creative review session, seen through by a team of experts intellectually equipped enough to logically and scientifically piece the hoard of information presented at such sessions together, to tell a whole story. The job is completed when the story that emerges at the end of the creative process play out good enough to achieve the marketing and communication/advertising objective, as should be contained in the originating document: THE CLIENT’S BRIEF. The missing link and the reason we find majority of ads and campaigns that are empty of substance, ineffective and dangerous, is that this logical sequence is considered too difficult a road to travel, for many people who go about parading themselves as advertising practitioners on the one hand, and those on the clients’ side who have also become too lazy to discern who the true professional is, and how to fit in to the creative process. So many so-called brand managers today cannot read a good brief (not to talk of writing one). Most brand managers/marketing managers/ corporate affairs on the clients’ side are not trained for the responsibilities of their offices.

Consequently, they corrupt the system from the start point.

Brands and brands owners must begin to rethink their work system and value preferences, because until the present system changes, casualty in form of failing brands will keep rising. at them

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 18, 2014, PAGE 23

08112662589

Romance after 60: 1 seem to have stirred the hornets’ nest!

A

few weeks ago when I gave an opinion on starting a fresh romance at 60 +, I carried a few remarks of readers who believed I wasn’t fair on people in that age group who believed they still had passion in their loins. Lola, a 62-year old retired nurse and an old friend came into my office recently. I hadn’t seen her for years, and looking at her, I didn’t know how to describe what I saw in her face -happiness? Resignation? The last time I saw her was over a decade ago.

She’d just had her 50th birthday and told me that now the kids had grown, she was thinking of leaving her husband of 25 years.

“I guess Motola (the husband) and I have outgrown each-other,” she sighed. “All he does is swig beer by the TV Whilst I get on with keeping the household together. I mean is this domestic drudgery all there is to life? The plus paints are the two well-behaved children of the marriage - and my job as the head of a small clinic set up by a manufacturing firm. I enjoy the money and the confidence my career brings. But work isn’t everything and marriage to Motola is a minus. We’ve had good times, yes, but they’ve not outweighed the bad. I long for liberation. All I need now is the courage to

break free. At my 50th birthday party, some of the guests laughed and danced with their partner. Realisation dawned - my marriage was definitely over. Now I owe it to myself to make the next few decades happy...”

A couple of years after, I heard she’d not only landed a new man, she was thinking of tying the knots. I was a bit apprehensive. At 58, what kind of complex knot would she be tying? When 1 got her on the phone, she confessed she never thought she could be so lucky. “After I made my decision to start a new life, I first sort the blessings of my two children,” she filled me in. 4They were all for it.

They knew I was the bubbly type and was no longer happy being married to their dad. So on the rare occasion he travelled to see his mum, I moved into a flat I’d bought a few months back. I left Motola a note that I didn’t think we’d ever resolve our issues and wished him well. Callous?

I don’t think so. The time of ‘talking it over’ was long gone. I’d finally cut loose. “ “When I met Mike, I wasn’t really looking for romance. He was a widower with three children and, at eight years older

than I am, had good physique. He was a gentleman too; making sure I was well-provided for and always calling I was alright if he wasn’t with me. Two of his children were abroad and only the youngest, who had a good job, lived with him. The house he lives in is quite big and it felt spooky whenever I visited.

It was as if the ghost of his wife was still hanging around.

“I was quite touched when he redecorated a part of the house and let the rest.

So when he asked me to marry him, I didn’t hesitate.

We have become one of those loving couples I’d always yearned to be. We’ll be getting married soon, and you’ll be invited...” After she left, I was still sceptical.

Why spoil the freedom she’d just earned by getting hitched so soon? She was clocking 60 when I learnt of her marriage. I shrugged and wished her well. Now, here she was in my office looking as if she’d won a jackpot - and lost it. “How is married life?” I asked her, not quite sure of what her answer would be.

“Hmmm...” She sighed.

“My sister, I’ve been to hell

and back!

“Married life was good. As soon as we got married, 1 put the house up for rent and moved in with my new husband. He was like a new groom. It was as if he was trying to prove to himself he was still a stud. He used sex enhancing drugs and drugs to give his hormones a boost. I was already menopausal, but, surprisingly the sex was good. We couldn’t get enough of each other.

You can then imagine how alarmed I was when I discovered I was pregnant! My periods weren’t regular and I was already four months gone when my doctor told me I didn’t have a bloated tummy, that I was with child! I laughed. He was joking of course. My husband had gotten me some feelgood drugs he said would make me feel virile - which they did. Could they have been responsible for my pregnancy?

“My daughter was already married and having children of her own. Will mother and child be now new parents? What would Mike say? I know he would be ecstatic about it, but I wasn’t. He took me straight to our pastor who recommended all sorts of prayers and fasting to see me through. Secretly, I wondered if he wasn’t responsi-

ble for this ‘miracle’ child.

What was in my tummy?!

Scans revealed a healthy foetus alright, but I wasn’t sure I wanted a baby. When rumours started flying in the church that my ‘miracle’ baby was a ruse, the pastor arranged for me to have a spiritual birth with other expectant mothers so they could see my bump.

“Anyway, I had the child a healthy boy and Mike said he was going to be the bond that tied our union together. My children weren’t exactly jumping for joy - neither were Mike’s. Unfortunately, our son was only five months old when he suffered from diarrhoea. As a nurse, I knew what to do and when he didn’t stop stooling, I took him to the hospital where he died a few days later. I was devastated of course, and so was Mike.

To this day, I still can’t understand what happened to my body. Believe me, if I’d known 1 was pregnant in the early days, I would have had a termination.

“Life goes on though, and Mike and I are trying to pick up the pieces. He’s promised to stop using his wonder drugs and I’ve thrown mine out of the window. All I want is a quiet life, not a controversial one!”

08052201867(Text Only)

Fight the flab in your arms

F

OR the pearshaped woman fat is mostly concentrated in the lower half of the body. With the apple-shaped one the

lard is mostly in the upper half.

As to which type a woman belongs is determined by the genes.

That’s the recent report on the phenomenon of fat distribution in the body.

So what does this mean to the person desirous of shedding too much fat.”

Obviously it must be thus if the fat is chiefly in the torso in comparison to the thighs and legs, it means you’ll have to do a lot more exercises for the top half. If the problem is in the lower half it calls for you to do a lot more exercises meant for the lower half.

Well, in yoga the idea is to exercise a greater part of the body everyday.

In fact with as few as ten postures almost every part of the organism can be “touched” ensuring an all round state of good conditioning.

My yoga teacher’s approach used to be that you are given as few as three postures to practise diligently. After two months practice when the body could then assume the postures with considerable duration (which is what counts in yoga, the ability to hold a posture for the full count) then he would add a couple more.

One good thing about this approach is that it ensures that each posture is mastered and not improperly executed. We have discussed the need to keep the thighs and legs well in tone. We know an exercise like the chair pose works wonders on flabby thighs. We also know that the deep knee bend or Vajirasana practised faithfully banishes celulite.

For those women whose arms are flabby there are three postures prescribed here to deal with the problem. Of course there are other postures that can equally deliver but we shall focus on these three for

now.

Let’s start off with the Camel Posture which is

called dhirtyasana in Sanskirt. Sit on the heels keeping your knees apart arrange the hands with palms flat down on the heels.

As you inhale deeply lift the pelvis and chest

high up as possible as you drop back the head.

Retain the pose for about 20 seconds as you breathe deeply. Breathing out sit on the heels again. Besides rendering a good work out in the arms, the camel is excellent for strengthening the Pelvis small of the back

,

Sit on the heels keeping your knees apart, arrange the hands with palms flat down on the heels.

As you inhale deeply lift the pelvis and chest high up as possible as you drop back the head

,

* The Camel

Yoga classes STARTED at 32 Adetokunbo Ademola, Victoria Island, Lagos, 9.10am on Saturdays

and the abdominal muscles.

Our second exercise is the Writer’s Pose. Sit on the heels and bending the left arm, bring it up.

Bend the right hand downwards and hook fingers of both hands. This is to be done for as long as it’s comfortable. Then change hands and repeat. Apart from working up a miracle in the arms I have said it before that it is great against a running nose.”

You can do the writer’s posture for a more forward-thrusting posture.

Our third posture is the Inclined Plane. As you sit with legs wide apart place your hands on the ground behind the back.

Inhale while houting up the waist as high as you can be above the ground very slowly and carefully.

As you exhale, return slowly to the floor and lie flat down on your back for a short rest. You may repeat this exercise three times” - Morning and evening.

Apart from the arms this posture brings tone to the legs and abdomen.

P AGE 24—SUND AY Vanguard , MA Y 18 , 2014 SUNDA MAY

bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk

08056180152,

SMS only

Did you make love on your wedding night?!

E

VEN those with a jaundiced view on matrimony still see the wedding night as something to look forward to. After months of planning and executing a wedding, you’re now alone with the spouse you vowed to spend the rest of your life with - starting with the wedding night. And sex,What else rears its interesting head. But are things that cut and dried? According to a recent study, more than half of couples don’t manage to consummate their marriage on their wedding night - with alcohol, stress and exhaustion named as the top passion killers.

Mercy, a polytechnic lecturer was 23 and a fresh graduate when she got married to Elijah some 30 years ago. “He never actually proposed/ ’ she explained, “so, I guess getting married was simply mutually agreed. My parents saw it as a social suicide to openly ‘live in sin’ as some of our mates did.

Planning the wedding just happened and my mother went into overdrive making plans for the wedding of her only child and the whole day was exhausting. It was a huge relief to arrive at a mutual friend’s family house for the only honeymoon we could afford.

“It was a huge company house and he and his wife had gone to a considerable extent to make the guest-room very romantic. The clueless man had also arranged for a small welcoming party that night.

Not one to miss an opportunity for past time drinking with his friends, Elijah cajoled me into the party venue - not to the marriage bed. Eventually, after much imbib-

ing, we hit the sack.

‘Well’, he leered, ‘I suppose we’d better consummate this marriage’.

I told him the room seemed to be spinning.

1 felt sick as I wasn’t used to drinking. The feeling overwhelmed me. The bathroom was down the corridor, I ran as fast as I could, but I missed. I staggered back to the room, shaken and shame-faced. ‘I’m sorry, I think I’ve messed up the corridor ’, I told Elijah and passed out. He spent what was left of our wedding night clearing up the corridor and cleaning me up. No wonder it didn’t last - we were divorced nine years later!”

“Did we make love on our wedding night? You bet we did!” hooted Ndidi cheekily. Married to David for 20 years with four children, she said: I’d been counting of the minutes for months. We were born again Christians, so we were virgins and had been waiting for the night with the keenest expectation. My husband is an evangelist and when we went for counselling before we got married, the Reverend had asked us why the need for marriage. Apparently, he was expecting some pious answer such as, ‘To help each other in Christian work’.

We both immediately and unanimously replied, ‘Sex’. Why else would you get married?

“We were so excited about the prospect that wild horses wouldn’t have kept us away. But my mother unwillingly scuppered our sneaking off in the afternoon for sex. We were to remain in the family house, in our room, for the few hours in between the easy church wedding and the reception. So she’d left us alone, hinting she fully expected

Y

OUR column to express your loving thoughts in words to your sweetheart. Don’t be shy. Let it flow and let him or her know how dearly you feel.

Write now in not more than 75 words to: The Editor, Sunday Vanguard, P.M.B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. E.mail: sunlovenotes@yahoo.com Please mark your envelope: “LOVE NOTES"

TEN WAYS TO LOVE

(1) LISTEN without INTERRUPTING (Proberbs 18) (2) SPEAK WITHOUT ACCUSING (James 1:19) (3) GIVE without SPARING (Proverbs 21:26)

my new husband to make the most of the time we had before the reception proper. I was so embarrassed at her even having these thoughts that I made very sure we didn’t. Instead, I stayed in the living room with friends. I made sure my hair remained up and tidy, leaving my mother in no doubt whatsoever that it hadn’t been rumpled and tussled. At close to midnight, with the party still in full swing, we retired, sober and excited to our hotel room and enjoyed a night of madly-looked forward to - and extremely inexpert - lovemaking. It was worth the wait!”

Tunji and Kate had been living together for a couple of years before they got married 30 years ago. “But did we consummate our new married status on our wedding night at one of the poshest hotels in the city? We did not. In fact, to my enduring shame, we didn’t even retire to bed at the same time.

Kate was three months pregnant, her growing bump hidden by an empire line wedding-dress.

Half-way through the reception, when the dancing proper began, she made her excuses. But I was still in the mood to hang out with my friends, whooping it up until my new sister-in-law politely but firmly told me that my place was upstairs with my new bride - not downstairs twirling other women around the dance floor.

“When I got to our room, there was just far too much to talk about, from what friends and relatives had worn, to how one or two of them behaved, to an assessment of the food and the drinks, the speeches. We were so happy everything went according to plan we just collapsed on the bed and fell asleep.”

Are You Easily embarrassed?

A man once recalled a party he attended at one of his in-laws’ house. It was a very lively party and he got so sloshed that when sleep eventually enveloped him, he welcomed it. You can, therefore imagine how embarrassed he was when he

(4) PRAY WITHOUT CEASING (Colossians 1:9) (5) ANSWER without ARGUING (Proverbs 17:1) (6) SHARE without PRETENDING (Ephesians 4:15) (7) ENJOY without COMPLAINT (Phillipians 2:14) (8) TRUST without WAVERING (Corinthians 13:2) (9) FORGIVE without PUNISHING (Colossians 3:13) (10) PROMISE without FORGETTING (Proverbs 13:2).

Chris Onunaku.

08032988826/08184844015.

Dear Blessing,

My dear one place me as a seal upon ur hrt, as a seal upon ur arm, because love is as strong as death is, insistence on exclusive devotion is as unyielding as grave is, its blazings are the blazing of a fire, the flame of love is always high in the heart of those

woke up the following morning on one of the party tables! All guests were long gone and the neighbourhood was noisily waking up to a new day. All eyes were curiously on him as he scurried off.

Another family man told me his wife had already given up on trying to persuade him not to go to parties on Friday nights only to return on Saturday mornings. On one particular morning, however, he drove home confidently, only to be greeted by the landlord on the balcony. He told me: “You can imagine how embarrassed that made me feel. The landlord has always been like a father to me and my family. Seeing me coming in at seven in the morning, made me feel like a thief caught dipping his hand in the till.

To complete my embarrassment, his wife and some of the children were with him. It put a temporary hold on my wild nights!”

Embarrassment is something we all have to put up with one time or the other. But do you

know why you get embarrassed or how to cope with situations that get you flustered? Here are some facts about embarrassment as compounded by some experts.

Is a woman more embarrassed than a man?

No. Psychological studies show women have much more social poise than men and are better able to take an embarrassing moment in their stride.

Is a person with high opinion of himself the most easily embarrassed? , No. People with low self esteem are more easily embarrassed by real or imagined criticism of their clothes, attitudes or manners. They tend to feel others are judging them and finding them wanting. And their low esteem makes them believe the negative evaluations are valid.

What’s the easiest way to make a man get flustered?

Tell him, something’s wrong with his clothes especially in mixed company; that would not embarrass a woman. It would just make her annoyed. And women don’t get as easily flustered as men.

Are you more easily embarrassed as we get old?

No, The adolescent years are when we’re most prone to embarrassment.

Is the best way to cope with an embarrassing moment simply to act as though nothing happened?

No. That often increases the tension of everyone involved. A sociological study show that the best way to cope is to laugh it off. This invites others to view the moment as something they can laugh at too.

who cherish it; my dear one.

Emma Mine 07051037749 Delta State

I love you

I love your lips when they’re wet with wine And red with a wild desire; I love your eyes when the lovelight lies Lit with a passionate fire.

I love your arms when the warm white flesh Touches mine in a fond embrace; I love your hair when the strands enmesh Your kisses against my face.

I love u!.......my sweet heart!

CENT OBAMA +2348061379003

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014, PAGE 25

08116759757

My 13-day-hell in police hands

—Nigerian returnee from Netherlands

BY EVELYN USMAN

D

ecember 9, 2013 will forever remain indeli ble in the memory of 54-year-old Jonathan OgidiNwankwo, who returned to the country after 26 years stay in The Netherlands. This followed his abduction by some suspected policemen in an eatery around Lekki at gun point.

The Abia State indigene was said to have been driven to Maroko Police Station where he was stripped and thrown inside the cell.

He traced his ordeal to the misunderstanding between his wife, Nicoline Tresfon Ogidi-Nwankwo, who was invited from The Netherlands to work as head teacher in a school around Lekki, and the school’s proprietress. Trouble, according to him, started barely three months after his wife started working.

As at the time of her appointment, Nicoline was said to be pregnant. During the school’s summer holiday in August, she reportedly traveled to Umuahia, the native town of her husband, with her two older children.

While there, contractions started and was reportedly advised by her doctors at the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, Abia State to have a Caesarian operation due to prolonged diarrhoea caused by what doctors described as Salmonela bacteria obtained through unclean water.

After birth, the baby, as gathered, spent close to two months at the Intensive Care Unit, with doctors battling to save his life, before he was flown to The Netherlands where Sunday Vanguard was told he underwent two surgical operations.

Meanwhile back in Nigeria, the proprietress of the school, whose identity was given simply as Priscilla, reportedly terminated Nicoline’s appointment when she did not resume by September, an action the expatriate described as unjust and a breach of contract. She consequently sued the school.

Twist C M Y K

A violent twist was reportedly introduced in the matter, following alleged threats on the the lives of Ogidi-Nwankwo and their lawyer, by the proprietress of the school,which led to his abduction.

Narrating his ordeal, OgidiNwankwo said: “I had a phone call on December 8, 2013,where the caller introduced himself as a parent to one of the pupils at Priscilla’s school. He asked if he could see me regarding a project. I booked an appointment for the next day, at an eatery.

“But on that fateful day, the man came with two other men and, to my shock, they bundled me into a vehicle to an unknown destination. One of them introduced himself as a policeman attached to the Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit, at the Force Headquarters Annex, Lagos.

He gave his name as Inspector Reuben while the other said he was Inspector Abass.

“They drove me to Maroko Police Division and told the policeman at the counter to detain me. But the policeman insisted they go to the Divisional Police Officer first.

The DPO then signed a document and told them to detain me, that it was an order from Abuja.

“Without being questioned, they forced me to write against my wife’s lawyer, Barrister Ajayi, whom they said they wanted to use me as a bait to trap. When I told them I wasn’t resident in this country and that I had not been in contact with Barrister Ajayi, they said they had been trying to trace the lawyer without luck but that since I was in town, he would show up.

Transferred to Abuja “I slept on bare floor that Saturday night. At about 5.30am the next day, some men came and bundled me into a car. I don’t know how long they drove but they said their boss wanted to see me in Abuja, that I threatened to bomb a place. I tried to explain to them that I was not even in the country at the time in question but they would not listen.. After two days, I was

Jonathan Ogidi-Nwankwo

Mrs OgidiNwankwo made to understand that I was in Garki Police Station, Abuja. I was again thrown into a cell, where there were about 35 other persons.

“My phone was collected from me. It was only when they wanted me to call my wife’s lawyer to hands off the case, that they gave me the phone. I was not given water nor food and they refused me from reaching people I wanted to come and bail me.

They attempted to force me to write a statement accepting that I knew the lawyer and that he had been writing threat letters to Priscilla and that I should condemn and deny that he was representing my wife. But I refused.

with a broken neck, when it became apparent that the lawyer was not coming. I had to beg for money with which I contacted my family on phone. If I had died, nobody would have known where I was” .

Drama in court Undaunted by the threats, the Ogidi-Nwankwos went ahead with the court case. Barely had the case been heard last Friday at the National Industrial Court, Ikoyi and adjourned to May 26, than a mild drama unfolded. This followed an alleged foiled attempt to kidnap a legal practitioner, later discovered to be the counsel to Mrs Ogidi-Nwankwo, Ajayi, right

They drove me to Maroko Police Division and told the policeman at the counter to detain me. But the policeman insisted they go to the Divisional Police Officer first. The DPO then signed a document and told them to detain me, that it was an order from Abuja “They paid deaf ears to my plea to allow me go, that I was only in Nigeria to retrieve my son’s medical file which was urgently needed back in The Netherlands and that I had to go and sign for an operation he had to undergo.

“On the 13th day, they dumped me by the roadside,

inside the court premises.

He was said to have been trailed to the court premises by his alleged abductors. As he was about leaving the premises, one of the abductors approached him, consequent upon which an alarm was raised which led to his arrest.

The alleged abductor identified himself as a policeman

attached to the IGP Monitoring Unit.

Calling for an urgent investigation into the kidnap attempt, Ajayi, in a petition to the IGP, explained : “Today (last Friday), while we were having a court proceeding, where I illustrated how I have been monitored and my life in danger of imminent attack by some persons who have tried severally to kidnap me and Mr. Jonathan Ogidi-Nwankwo sometimes in December, 2013.

After my testimony to the court, the presiding judge, Justice Amadi, warned all parties to maintain peace. But immediately I got out of the courtroom, a policeman in mufti, by name Musa, whose identity card was recorded by court officials and witnessed by over 20 lawyers, accosted me and grabbed me while in my wig and gown and said he was instructed by the Inspector General of Police to arrest me without any invitation, warrant of arrest or court order.

I asked if he was aware of the pending suit at the Federal High Court restraining the Police from prying into the matter in suit number:- FHC/ UCS/548/14, he said he did not care and attempted to bundle me away”...

When the Force Public Relations Officer, Mr Frank Mba, was contacted to ascertain whether the policemen were attached to the IGP’s Monitoring Unit, he said it would be difficult for him to determine since he was not in Lagos State. But he promised to send the contact of the Commander in charge of the Unit to Sunday Vanguard

PAGE 26, SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, MA Y 18, 2014 MAY

EXCLUSIVE NIGERIA’S VOTER REGISTER SCANDAL

T

How INEC tracked over four million ghost voters

HE Advance Automatic Finger Identification System, AAFIS, is what the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is deploying to ensure that it gets a ‘CLEAN’ Voter Register, VR. But the process is slow and painstaking. Yet, the Commission is going ahead because it remains its surest way of providing Nigerians with a Valid Voter Register, VVR. Already, over four million ghosts have been removed from the register; and still counting.

This report explains the details of how INEC is going about its ghost-bursting venture; and also asks whether the slash in the Commission’s 2014 budget from N93billion to N45billion would not be a spanner in the works. The report is revealing.

BY JIDE AJANI

S

OME of those hunting for votes illegally are now being hunted down.

Professor Attahiru Jega, the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has promised Nigerians that he would deliver a successful election in 2015.

He has already engaged the crucial first steps towards achieving that. This is by way of ensuring that the Voter Register, VR, for the general election of next year is clean, very clean.

And already, INEC has identified and exorcised over four million ghosts from the register.

INEC is achieving this

through the instrumentality of the Advance Automatic Finger Identification System, AAFIS. At the time of going to press, Sunday Vanguard gathered that the exercise is all but completed at the INEC headquarters in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.

Indeed, for all the states of the federation and Abuja, there has been a wiping out of names on the system.

And whereas states have lost names on the VR in thousands, that is a mere reflection of the level of multiple registrations done by some individuals, especially in collusion with unscrupulous politicians.

WHAT IS AAFIS To have a clear understanding of the enormity of having a clean and valid register, this is how it works: The over 119,000 polling units in Nigeria are the primary cells grouped into clusters – and that is the very point where it all starts.

These clusters are what make up the various wards in the country.

When prospective voters engage the registration exercise, each is expected to provide data made up of but not limited to names, date of birth, residential address and the like.

The persons faces are also captured.

For full-proof personalization and to give effect to the

one-man-one-vote system, the biometrics of each person is captured - because it has been proved that no two individuals have the same biometrics configuration in the world (some wonder of science).

Mind you, at this stage, some individuals, out of a genuine fear that their data may not have been properly captured owing to the familiar glitches that characterize the registration exercise, may move to another polling unit to get registered again.

Y

ET, there are those who, doing the bidding of crooked politicians, could move round up to 20 polling units to register 20 times.

In some instances, some disgruntled and corrupt INEC officials, too, may elect to compromise the exercise by feeding multiple entries for a single person.

The objective of this cocktail of vices is just so that multiple voter cards, VCs ,would be issued in the name of different persons but all geared towards empowering a politician with access to many cards just imagine 1,000 individu-

als registering in 20 places and being issued with cards (1,000 x 20 = 20,000).

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LL these are done at the polling unit level and are then brought together to create a register for wards, local governments, states and then the bulk VR itself for the country.

But before the final valid register is produced, another grueling though scientific process is engaged.

It is at this next stage that all the data for each registered person would be fed into a central system. This is where science demystifies criminality.

The raw data that is fed into the system creates a register of all that has happened in the field.

But that is not the register that Nigeria desires for a free and fair election.

Indeed, over the years, and as a consequence on relying on this type of raw data collection and compilation, Nigeria has never had a clean, valid VR. What the system being put in place does is to clean the

Continues on page 27

SUND AY SUNDA

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ECAUSE science has succeeded in putting a lie to crookedness, individuals who had tried to be smart by doing multiple registration would have their names popping up in the system separately (assuming they chose to use fake names).

But the science of AAFIS is that fake biometrics cannot be used.

And herein lies the catch: No matter how many times an individual registers, the systems have been designed in such a way that even having registered 20 times, all the registration inputs would all fall into on single registration because the biometrics is one and one alone.

So, the product of this exercise is what is known as the Valid Voter Register, VVR. Therefore, whereas the first outcome may have produced an over bloated register, the outcome from the AAFIS programme would have succeeded in cleaning the first product.

At the INEC headquarters on Zambezi Street, Maitama, Abuja, this exercise is at its completion stage.

Very interesting revelations are emerging as a result of the AAFIS programme.

However, the reduction in the budgetary proposal sent in by INEC for the 2014 year may create the seemingly unintended consequence of compromising this process.

This, sources say, is be-

Today, there is a fresh anxiety in some quarters that the ghost of truncation is once again in the air, especially with the slashing of the budget of INEC from N93billion to N45billion.

Mercifully, when Sunday Vanguard asked President Goodluck Jonathan,.during penultimate Sunday’s Presidential Media Chat, about this issue and its implication for ensuring the conduct of a free and fair election, the latter explained that everything would be done to ensure that INEC gets all the funding it requires.

IF EVS FAILS AGAIN HE consequences of the short fall in budgetary provision are manifold.

Firstly, the Commission may not have the funds it requires this year.

Secondly, it would have to prioritize and dump some projects it would have undertaken had the funds been approved as requested.

Add to this the challenge associated with release of funds; in the event that the funds are released late.

For an institution like INEC, there are some activities that are timebound and cannot be left to the destructive vagaries of delay in release of funds.

That is not all.

The most critical project that INEC plans to embark on this year preparatory to the general elections of next year is the engagement of the full complement of the EVS. This, as a matter of necessity, implies the compulsion of the acquisition of the Card Reader.

Another integral component of this is the PVC. Some of the facilities required for the prosecution of these are not on the shelf for INEC to pick whenever funds are made available.

These are equipment that are country-specific, to be ordered for specifically and customized to suit the needs of the electoral umpire in Nigeria, taking into cognizance the peculiarity of the nation’s voting arrangement.

The primacy of the conclusion of the EVS can be located in the provision of an authentic and clean Voter Register, VR. Therefore, the AAFIS programme of INEC needs to be carried through.

Also, Professor Jega needs the encouragement and support of Nigerians.

Already, Jonathan has enlisted his support – at least judging from his response to Sunday Vanguard’s question at the Media Chat.

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•Voting in session... Will INEC get it right in 2015? cause the procurement and issuance of the Permanent Voter Cards, PVC, is tied to the programme.

SO FAR SO SCANDALOUS Consequent upon further investigations by Sunday Vanguard regarding Jega’s move against electoral fraud with the full complement of AAFIS, it was discovered that another 3,600,397 names were deleted from the Voter Register, VR, in another 10 states of the federation – these figures are not connected with the earlier published deletion of 504,818 names from the register in respect of Anambra, Ekiti and Osun States.

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HE 10 states involved are Kebbi, Zamfara, Taraba, Gombe, Benue, Kogi, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Enugu and Abia.

The total names deleted from the Voter Register in the 13 states are 4,105,215.

The latest figures between 2011 and now are as follows: Kebbi -1,638,308 but now 1,306,405 Zamfara - 2,045,131 but now 1,130,245 Taraba - 1,357,551 but now 1,184,950 Gombe - 1,318,377 but now 988,043 Benue - 2,390,884 but now 1,657,266 Kogi - 1,358,049 but now 1,234,074 Bayelsa - 640,372 but now 503,837 Akwa Ibom - 1,656,595 but now 1,443,227 Enugu - 1,374,583 but now 1,005,585 Abia - 1,536,264 but now 1,252,085 Sunday Vanguard also learned that the distribution of the Permanent Voter

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Continued from page 26 compiled data.

So, how does it work?

Simple!

And this is where AAFIS comes in.

Mind you, we already have a register.

But the register we have is just the result of the compilation of all that happened in the field - including, ridiculously, of course, the putative genetically engineered 20,000 prospective voters by just 1,000 people.

And whereas the process of AAFIS is slow (and should be), it is the surest way to ensure that Nigeria gets a clean and valid VR. This is not the first time it would be attempted.

But it is the first time that it would be moving to this stage where it is now because of the massive investment in the acquisition of cutting edge scientific equipment.

Once the AAFIS process is engaged using a cluster of computer systems, polling unit by polling unit, each registered voter ’s data is presented and mapped face, biometrics and all.

Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014, PAGE 27

Because science has succeeded in putting a lie to crookedness, individuals who had tried to be smart by doing multiple registration would have their names popping up in the system separately (assuming they chose to use fake names)

,

Card, PVC, for these states would commence on May 23 to May 25; while the Continued Voter Registration, CVR, is expected to hold between May 28 and June 1.

It would be recalled that 108,529 voters were deleted from the VR for Ekiti State.

The governorship election in the state holds on June 21, 2014.

In addition, the governorship election in Osun State, which holds on August 9, 2014, would witness the use of a voter register that has lost some 98,824 voters.

In fact, Anambra State, which reportedly had 2,011,746, in 2011, has now dropped to 1,714,290. What this means is that 297,456 names have been removed from the state VR by virtue of the detection of irregular or double registration or the absence of fingerprints, a basic hallmark of the biometric registration.

OBASANJO’S INEC Unfortunately, however, a poisoned cocktail of Nigeria’s political leadership, the electoral umpire and the

perpetually intemperate aspiration and expectation on the part of the aggressive and agitated populace, all conspired in 2007 to ensure that the exercise was not carried out to the letter.

For instance, just before the general elections of 2007, INEC, under Professor Maurice Iwu, demonstrated to Nigerians that the electoral body was ready to ensure that the collation of results of that year’s election was done in real time.

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HIS, it was hoped, would ensure that the perennial snatching of ballot boxes and the declaration of wrong figures would be avoided.

Therefore, Iwu, against all odds, succeeded in installing satellite facilities in the 774 LGs for the purpose of real-time results compilation from all parts of the country to complement the Electronic Voting System, EVS. But this was scuttled by the leadership in the country at that time.

In fact, as part of preparations for and the need to show Nigerians that Iwu’s INEC was ready, the Commission pleaded with and got the support of some prominent Nigerian leaders to conduct a facility tour of the equipment.

Upon inspection of the Control Centre in Abuja, leading politicians, including General Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the then All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, as well as a former military head of state, General Yakubu Gowon, praised the efforts of INEC. Unfortunately, the politicians ensured that the EVS was not used.

PAGE 28 — SUNDAY, Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014

Henr omaiy a’s daught er w eds in style Henryy Oduk Odukomaiy omaiya’s daughter weds

L-R: Bride's father, Prince Henry Odukomaiya and chairman of the ceremony, Prof. Akinjide Idowu Osuntokun

L-R: The couple, Mr Oladapo and his wife, Omotoyosi with Bishop, Diocese of ijebu Southwest Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Rt Revd. Babatunde Ogunbanwo.

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L-R: Oba Olufemi Ogunleye, the Towu Lade Akinale, Arole Olowu, Ogun State with bride's parents, Prince and Mrs Henry Odukomaiya.

eteran journalist, Chief Henry Odukomaiya entertained the crème de la crème of the society when he gave the hand of his daughter, Omotoyosi Odukomaiya, in a Holy wedlock to dashing Oladapo Adeyemi. The couple were joined as man and wife at Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, Ikeja, Lagos. It was a grand outing as both families of the bride and groom went all out to make sure their guests had a memorable evening. Photos by Diran Oshe.

Chief taincy title on Wilson Okpubigho Chieftaincy

A Lagos-based businessman and Managing Director of OK Contractors Limited, Chief Wilson Enajite Okpubigho, a native of Kokori, Isiokolo LGA, Delta State, was recently conferred with a traditional title The Ganagana of Agbon Kingdom. The investiture ceremony was performed by the Monarch of Agbon Kingdom, HRM Ogunrime-Rime Ukori 1, the Ovie of Agbon Kingdom.

Chief Wilson Okpubigho (centre) acknowledging cheers from well wishers

Chief Wilson Okpubigho (left) and Chief Isaac Anigboro, MD of Summerland Hotel

Monarch of Agbon Kingdom,HRM OgunrimeRime Ukori 1, the Ovie of Agbon Kingdom (right) conferring the title on Okpubigho

A cross section of family members and guests with Chief Okpubigho

L-R: Groom's parents, Mr and Mrs Ademola Adeyemi, with bride, Omotoyosi.

Cross section of friends of bride's mother, Mrs Lydia Odukomaiya

L-R: Vice Chairman, APC, Lagos West, Chief Funso Ologunde with Mr Duro Olatunji.

SUNDAY, Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014, PAGE 29

10th remembrance ceremon or TTajudeen ajudeen ceremonyy ffor Animashaun

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he 10th year remembrance ceremony of Alhaji Tajudeen Animashaun was held at the prestigious Eko Club,Surulere, Lagos.

The ceremony was preceded by prayer from Imams and Muslim clerics who extolled the virtues of the late Alhaji Tajudeen Animashaun when he was alive. The reception of guests later followed at the same venue. Photos by Lamidi Bamidele.

Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju (l) and Alhaji Musiliu Smith, former IGP.

Children of late Alhaji Tajudeen Animashaun during an Islamic prayer and reception of guests to mark the 10th year remembrance of their father at Eko Club

Star beer launches Star football

From left; Alhaji Tunde Adele; Faruq Grillo and Ayo Animashaun.

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igeria’s favourite beer, Star lager, is set to dominate football in Nigeria. The beer brand officially launched Star Football and announced the signing of Austin Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu as brand ambassadors. Below are pictures from the event

From left; Mrs Sade Animashaun; Mr Gbolahan Animashaun and Mr G K Animashaun (Jnr).

L - R: Obabiyi Fagade, Brand Manager, Star, Walter Drenth, Marketing Director and Ita Bassey, Senior Brand Manager - Star; all of Nigerian Breweries Plc.

Walter Drenth, Marketing Nigerian Breweries Plc.

Director,

Kufre Ekanem, Corporate Affairs Adviser, Nigerian Breweries Plc addressing the audience

Ita Bassey, Senior Brand Manager Star; Nigerian Breweries Plc.

Edem Vindah, Corporate Media & Brand PR Manager, Nigerian Breweries Plc. addressing the audience

Football jugglers entertaining guests

R-L: Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju (rtd); Alhaji Ganiu Animashaun; Mr Ademola Animashaun and Mr Gbolahan Animashaun.

L-R: Mr Deji Tinubu and Mr Gbolahan Animashaun

PAGE 30—SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014

japhdave@yahoo.com 08056402376

CBAAC COLLOQUIUM: Scholars chat new way for Africa

By JAPHET ALAKAM CULTURE

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•Frm Left, Edem Duke, Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientaton (standing) with other delegates at the event exclusively to extending the frontiers of global African unity and networking as well as increasing the tempo of pan-Afrianist consciousness among Africans on the continent and the Diaspora. theme of the colloquium was meant to underscore the significance of multidisciplinary approach to the comprehensive study and wholistic understanding of African and African Diaspora history and culture.

The colloquium was one of the Centre’s several outreaches committed to enriching the enduring connectivity between Africa and the Caribbean, it furthers stronger collaboration and partnership between the University of the West Indies (UWI) and CBAAC on the one hand and between Jamaica, the Caribbean and Africa on the other hand.

It also bolstered Jamaica’s new orientation in favour of renewed South-South cooperation particularly in the di-

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n the face of the plethora of challenges confront ing Africans on the continent and the Diaspora, concerted and strategic response is required to frontally tackle them. This was the focus of 9thGlobal African Colloquium organised by the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC) Nigeria, in collaboration with the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus Kingston, Jamaica, the African Caribbean Institute of Jamaica (ACIJ), the Pan African Strategic and Policy Research Group, (PANAFSTRAG), the High Commission of South Africa Jamaica, and the Nigeria High Commission in Jamaica held at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Kingston, Jamaica 23 –25, 2014.

The conference with theme: “Toward a New PanAfricanism: Deploying Anthropology, Archaeology, History and Philosophy in the Service of Africa and the Diaspora” set for itself many laudable objectives which includes: create the desirable space and forum for African and African Diaspora experts, students, scholars and researchers to meet, debate, exchange ideas, and present their work particularly the humanistic and social science disciplines of history, the arts, philosophy, anthropology and archaeology. To foster understanding of the relationship between Anthropology, Archaeology, History and Philosophy and identity politics in Africa and the Diaspora; etc. he Keynote address ti tled: “Global Africa: Moving Forward” delivered

by Professor Augustin Holl,Professor, Université Paris-Ouest Nanterre La Défense, France.

The opening events included music by Rastafari Group, UWI Pop Group and Etu Group. Panel sessions held on Thursday 24 and Friday 25 April 2014. Topics at the plenary include: “Knowing Enough: Africanists Anthropology to the Rescue”, “the African Origin of Obeah: Etymological Inferences and Historical Evidence from Benin Kingdom, Nigeria”, and “Rediscovering The Spirit of Africa and the Africana Renaissance”, among others.

The closing sessions took place on April 25 with a reception by the Nigerian High Commission in Kingston, in the evening of April 26.

In all, a total of about Twenty-five papers were presented which spread across the many broad sub-themes

window of opportunities for constructive engagement between Nigeria and Jamaica and set the pace for produc-

The colloquium was one of the centre’s several outreach programmes committed to enriching the enduring connectivity between Africa and the Caribbean

rection of seeking friendship with Nigeria in particular and the African continent. It also offered avenue for the celebration of what Jamaica shares with Africa, consolidating the relationship, and further the promotion of understanding between the Caribbean and Nigeria in particular and Africa in general.

The colloquium opened new

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tive and mutually beneficial exchanges in education, business, socio-cultural as well as other spheres of human endeavour of our countries’ economies. It also identified with and complemented UWI’s efforts at rewriting Africa and the diaspora history different from the way European or Eurocentric scholars have written about the conti-

Macmillan holds youth cultural Day

By PRISCA SAM DURU LITERARY

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ll is set for the 2nd edition of the Macmillan Youth Cultural Day which is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, 21st of May, 2014, at the Agip Recital Hall, Muson Centre Lagos.

The programme which is part of the Macmillan Youth Events, is themed ‘My Country, My Pride’ and it explores a theme that is fundamental to the goals of the Nigerian nationhood.

The youth event according to the Chairman Macmillan Literary Events Committee, Mrs Francesca Emmanuel, CON, “has explored two significant areas of the human endeavor; Literary and the cultural” adding that “The Macmillan Youth Literary Day and the Macmillan Youth Cultural Day are thus alternated on an annual basis especially since 2012 when the latter became a permanent feature of the company’s corporate social responsibility programme.”

The Youth Literary Day she stated further, “encourages students to directly engage in literary creations which they ultimately put on stage, while the Youth Cultural Day, challenges them to interpret culture as a way of life transmitted with all possible elements of Nigerian cultural expression.”

The event is therefore, aimed at encouraging the youths to understand that “despite all challenges faced by the country, we can remain strong, united and equipped with all the capacities needed to build a country that we all can be proud of.” hile 60 schools were invited as audience at the cultural event, a total of 6 schools namely; Ifako International Private School, Focus Secondary School, Ebute Meta; Edidot College, Badore Ajah; Jubril Martins Memorial Grammar School, Iponri; Methodist Boys High School, V/I and Yaba College of Technology Staff School, Lagos, have been invited to use the nation’s cultural values and aesthetics to interpret the various sub themes covering religion, culture, education, attributes, governance, etc. This they are expected to achieve using their own discretion under the supervision of selected supervisors.

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nent and its diaspora, as well as foster sustainable inter-continental scholarship.

The Colloquium had participants and delegates from Nigeria; Botswana; France; Cape Verde; USA; United Kingdom; Barbados; Jamaica; South Africa;; and Japan including Edem Duke, Minister, of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation; Professor Archibald McDonald, Chancellor & Campus Principal, University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Kingston; Gen. Ishola Williams (Rtd.), Executive Secretary, PANAFSTRAG International; Ambassador Olatokunboh Kamson, The High Commissioner of Nigeria to Jamaica; Philip Riley, Counsellor South African High Commission Kingston Jamaica representative of Her Excellency, Mathu Joyini, High Commissioner of the Republic of South Africa to Jamaica and Caricom, Kingston, Jamaica; Brimmo Yusuf, Chairman CBAAC Board and a host of others. t the end of highly en gaging deliberations, the following observations and recommendations were made.

It was observed that: Pan Africanism as an ideological framework provided a guide and direction for the course of decolonization and could be a basis for the development of Africa and the Diaspora in a globalized world. The disciplines of Anthropology, Archaeology, History and Philosophycould be deployed in defining and constructing a new Pan Africanist agenda for development in Africa and the Diaspora. The educational programs are not sufficiently structured or developed to decolonize the African mind and are still generally Eurocentric in curricular and methodologies. Africa and the Diaspora have enough scholars and intellectual resources to fully reflect on African situations and contexts with better and deeper understanding because of the advantage of their being products of the cultural milieu of their study areas.

Others include that, African scholars and public intellectuals must deconstruct Eurocentric dependencies and develop epistemologies that are reflective of African realities. In encouraging Africans from the Diaspora to visit Africa, CBAAC and similar African organizations should provide a database of interested Diasporan Africans who would like to go to Africa as well as those in Africa who are willing to host brothers and sisters from the Diaspora. The production of films, movies and documentaries on historical figures and experiences from the continent and the Diaspora should be actively pursued.

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SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014, PAGE 31 japhdave@yahoo.com 08056402376

Soyinka salutes ancestors at Afenmai Mass Assembly of Masquerades outing CULTURE It was another celebration of cultural heritage of the Afenmai as people from all walks of gathered for 2014 Afenmai Mass Assembly of Masquerades Outing. The well attended event witnessed the presence of traditional rulers, culture enthusiasts including the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, who was representative of Dr. Asani Edo Omozuwa and others.

The day started in a colourful note as instrumentational strokes in a mixed rhythm from the various Masquerades and Traditional Troupes, rented the air as spectators moved into their seats. Chairman of the occasion, Prince Abdulmalik Suleman Afegbua, the Executive Chairman of Etsako East Local Government Council took his seat and the hosting royal father, H.R.H. Alhaji Aliru Momoh, Ikelebe III, the Otaru of Auchi came in while the Eluemosi Dance Troupe of Fugar took the stage, exhibiting a dexterous weaving pattern of dance steps dictated by its soothing team of instrumentalists.

This was followed by a specially rehearsed female ensemble of Ogbona held the audience in captivity with its deliverance of folksongs in Etsako dialect with an embellished Aigbi format line of songs of praise, pain and abuse, very well known to the people.

The Aluaye female Troupe of Okpella (a much travelled troupe) took its turn and Prince Afegbua couldn’t contain himself as he sent out one of his aides to enter the stage and spray the dancers on his behalf (he is also from Okpella). he Isiko (hunters dance) troupe from Auchi took its turn: the starcatto strokes from the pot drums capped in varied snake skins, produced a smart pattern of dance steps evidently demonstrated by the male dancers, depicting the tactics of hunters while in the bush.

Barrister (Alhaji) Nurudeen Asunogie, who delivered a paper on the theme “Rhythms of the Drums & the Gongs, Don’t lie”, held the audience in absolute quietness with his style of emphatic deliverance, which prompted the chairman of the occasion to Christian him “as our own Wole Soyinka”.

After that, the main speaker, Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka who was busy in Portharcourt for the World Book Capital but was represented by Dr. Omozuwa. In his address, The Nobel Luareate said. “Greetings to the Ancestors. I am sorry that I cannot join the living who will wel-

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come you to the ecumenical city of Auchi during your brief visitation. However, I have no doubt that your children will give you a proud welcome and that you would take fond memories of the reception back to your abode. Continue to intercede on behalf of progeny that they may soon overcome these troubled times and prove themselves worthy of your blessing” The applause was deafening and the master of ceremony, Felix Umoru took the pains to explain the contents in Etsako language which was quite soothing to the audience.

The vivacious Aimi Masquerades of Ogbona, a troupe that had excelled in its performance at the Black Heritage festival in Lagos in April 2010 at the invitation of the

,

By USMAN ABUDAH

•An exhibition stand tistic contents of the Afenmai people and promised to make it an issue before the Edo North Traditional Rulers Forum towards joining hands to

The day started on a colourful note as instrumentational strokes in a mixed rhythm from the various masquerades and traditional troupes rented the air as spectators moved into their seats

Nobel Laureate, took over, but they performed below expectation as it didn’t keep to its cue to perform with only a masquerade rushing to the stage. Usually, its format of stage entering is for the bushy Idu masquerade to come to the stage and later the troupe would emerge. Obviously, it was a messy turnout and the Artistic director fumed over this inexplicable blunder.

The Royal father urged the Artistic Director not to relent on this his yearly promotional effort in propagating the ar-

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sored project. Most painfully, the local government councils in Edo North are never forthcoming, no response to written correspondence, personal visitations to their respective locations are turned into searching for my letters and on top of it all, some troupes nurse the suspicion that Usman is given money by the government. In fairness to

Governor Oshiomhole of Edo State who attended the maiden edition in April last year at Auchi was very forthcoming with a financial donation to kick start a permanent location for the body, but the recent edition was embellished in self-egoistic attitude at the State Ministry of Arts, Culture and Orientation, but these won’t kill my spirit”.

ensure a continuity.

In his remarks, the founder of Afenmai Heritage & Cultural Studies and Artistic Director of the outing, Prince Usman Abudah said that he would continue with the project despite lack of sponsorship from , the different tiers of •Rt - left- Dr Edo Omozuwa, representing Prof. Wole Soyinka, Chairgovernment. “ I man of the occasion, Prince Suleman Afegbua, HRH The Otaru of Auchi would continue and Saliu Ahmed, The Sadiq of Auchi.rof. Elechi Amadi (2nd left) Prof with this self spon- Ebele Eko (3rd) flanked by well wishers at the evnt

Epiphany of the vernacular of Esan land in print

By GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

BOOK NEWS

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new book, The Vehicu lar Architecture of Esan Land (VOL.1) written by Prof Joseph Ahianba was recently presented to the public.

The book which is about the vernacular architecture of the Esan people that occupy the Edo Central Senatorial District of Edo state is the author’s study and documentation of the contributions of the Esan people to the development of the study of the field of Architecture.

The author, who is trained as an Architect and has been a lecturer in the Department of Architecture in the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo state for over two decades took time to wade through the history and territory of Esan land, documents their culture and vernacular architecture and went ahead to propose modern architectural

prototypes for the people with the onset of modernity. The 238 paged book divided into six chapters is beautifully illustrated with pictures, layouts, plans, elevations and structural details.

The six chapters are concise and informative and flow smoothly into each other and richly illustrated with dozens of well formatted tables and scores of clear informative and colourful plates and figures.

Speaking at the recent launching of the book at Uromi, the administrative headquarters of Esan North-East local government area of Edo state, Prof. Olu Ola Ogunsote of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, a Professor of Architecture, said, “the book is a treatise on the history, geography, religion, administration and settlement patterns of the Esan people and their larger towns of Irrua, Uromi, Ekopma, Ubiaja, Ewohimi and Igueben.

This followed by a review of the

importance and evolution of the socio-cultural and climatic context in vernacular architecture.

The section on indigenous building materials in Esan land documents the variety, properties and utilization of common materials for walls, floors, roofs and foundations including adobe, rammed earth, clay, timber, grass, thatch, bamboo and palms” “Probably, the most engaging chapter is the appraisal of Esan vernacular architecture. This documents Benin and Esan traditional and vernacular architecture including several Palaces and houses. The layout and architectural details are shown on plans and elevations, and social interactions that determined the organization of spaces are clearly explained. The consistency of the architectural vocabulary is highlighted, including the prevalence of multiple court yards, zoning, decoration, detailing, and prominence of religious and ceremo-

nial spaces. ”.

Concluding Prof. Ogunsote said, “The significant pioneering reference work will certainly aid both practicing architects and academics in architecture and related fields in their quest to define a truly Nigerian style in architecture by providing a deeper understanding of the history and evolution of Nigerian traditional and vernacular architecture.

On his part,the author who is a registered member of the Nigerian Institute of Architects and the Association of Architectural Educators of Nigeria (AARCHES) disclosed that the idea of writing the book came to him in 1984 when as a 400 level student he was given a topic to write on noted that contemporary architecture does not give room or opportunity to home grown architecture to thrive adding that in 1989, he discovered that the Esan people had inadvertently evolved their own unique type of architecture as a result of the necessity of accommodation.

PAGE 32 — SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014,

It is crazy to have 36 states — Maj. Gen. Momah *‘We must stop prophecy of doom on Nigeria’

By EBELE ORAKPO

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ajor-General Sam Momah (retired) was Nigeria’s Minister of Science and Technology from 1995 to 1999. Besides being a civil engineer and the author of four books, the latest being Nigeria Beyond Divorce, Momah also has a doctorate degree in strategic studies. In this interview, he says Nigeria cannot afford to disintegrate and so, there is an urgent need to restructure the country.

Excerpts:

There was this projection that by 2015, Nigeria will disintegrate. Going by events in recent times, do you think that might happen?

Well, I believe the National Conference came at the nick of time and it is for us to use the opportunity to ensure that the prophecy of doom does not come to pass. That forecast must not succeed. Nigeria is too precious to disintegrate. A country of 174 million people; I mean it’s not like Ghana that is 120 million. If Nigeria disintegrates, the whole world will be in turmoil because refugee problem alone will shake the entire world not to talk of Africa. So I believe that it won’t be that easy for Nigeria to collapse; I believe too that the National Conference has come to kind of make sure that, that does not happen. I hope that it will come out with good recommendations that will look into restructuring Nigeria, revenue allocation etc. When I talk of restructuring, we must look into how we started, with three regions in 1945, to four regions in 1966 and from there, we had 12 states

by Gowon, to 19 by Murtala, then 21 and 30 by Babangida and 36 by Abacha. So we moved from three to 36, 33 extra states in 50 years – from 1945 to 1995. You can see that the foundation that was made for a three-storey building is now carrying 36 storeys, without making sure that the

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foundation was reinforced to carry extra 33 storeys; you can imagine!

That is how crazy we are. Now, there is need to restructure, to bring down those storeys. It may be very painful but unless we do that, the storeys will collapse…God forbid! So we must restructure and people are looking at six regions but I am saying that we should make it 12 regions; each of the zones will be divided into two again so that we don’t get too tight. I am also looking at the zones, I don’t want them to ever think of seceding because when you are too powerful, the tendency is to start challenging the centre one day. But if you split them into two, you will be able to give and take; so I am looking at 12 states, back to what Gowon did but then, splitting the zones into two. I am not thinking of them becoming states, they could become states but I am looking at them becoming more or less like regions so that they will be self-sustaining and they will then decide to determine how many provinces or states they want to have within the region; that is their business because federal allocation will be given on equal basis; every region will get the same amount of money.

So you are not for resource control?

No. My own suggestion is that the federal revenue should be shared equally. Right now, the sharing is in the ratio of 58 (federal): 32 (states):10 (local governments). This should be reversed. It should be 20 per cent to federal, 60 per cent to states, then the remaining 20 per cent should be for derivation, for the oilproducing areas; there will be no local government. The states or regions should determine the number of local governments they want to create and pay from their allocation. If you want to create 100 local governments, go ahead; you will pay them. That is my suggestion.

Govt should hands-off religion Then, of course, as part of the restructuring, the National Conference should also talk about religion. We must try and get government to hands off

*Maj. Gen. Momah *Momah...The states or regions should determine the number of local governments they want to create and pay from their allocation.

You can see that the foundation that was made for three-storey building is now carrying 36 storeys, without making sure that the foundation was reinforced to carry the extra 33 storeys; you can imagine! That is how crazy we are.

Now, there is need to restructure, to bring down those storeys

everything religion. There should be no question of sponsoring people to pilgrimages, that should be off the book.

The presidential system is said to be too expensive, so should it be parliamentary?

I think it should remain presidential. In 1952, Dr. Azikiwe won election to the Western House of Assembly and could have become the prime minister; he was the first head of government in the West but overnight, people crossed and he lost majority. That is what parliamentary democracy is all about. Now that corruption is so rife, you find that people are just crossing from Party A to Party B, collect money from them and then move to the other party. So parliamentary system will bring confusion; we should

remain presidential but we have to tackle corruption.

Tackling corruption The Constitution should provide some deterrent, there should be no immunity. If a person commits an offence while in office, he should be tried and disgraced. Corruption should be tackled in a very serious way.

Infrastructure When we are thinking of infrastructure, it has to be in the constitution that some percentage of our budget should go into infrastructure. For many years, our power stations were not repaired but if it is in the Constitution that 20 per cent of our revenue must be used for infrastructure, then that will be taken care of. Power is the back bone of any economy. We need Continues on page 33

SUND AY SUNDA

sharing. We must realise that we are shooting ourselves in the foot and the earlier we realise that and allow everybody to express himself, be himself and be what God has made him to be, the better for us. They always say that the five fingers are not equal and God knows why. So if someone is good in one area, someone else will be good in some other area, let us just recognise everyone’s talent and give him that recognition. Like I said, government should de-politicize education; do something about brain drain – bring back all our children who are abroad, let them come home and develop Nigeria; that is what Asians did.

Continued from page 32 power, railway, waterways, refineries, etc., so that if any government comes, it will not neglect infrastructure.

Today, government will rather spend money in paying salaries and on irrelevant things than on infrastructure. They leave our infrastructure to decay.

Security The judiciary must be revamped, made autonomous, self-accounting and allowed to run their budget so that they don’t feel that Mr. President is the one to pay or promote them, so they have to do his bidding. I believe that the police should be demobilized in phases.

Then a new breed of Nigerians should be recruited. To be in the police force, you must have at least a first degree. They will be few in number but effective and the police will now be well paid, well accommodated, well catered for so that they will be able to do their job. If the police are doing their job, then you and I will sit up because they can arrest and discipline us and if they are well paid, they will not be doing what they are doing.

So I believe insecurity is one of our major problems.

Tenure of executive I am suggesting that the national conference should think of a single six-year term for the executive and legislature. As Minister of Science and Technology for five years, it was only in the third year that I started knowing exactly what was happening in the ministry.

When you come in the first year, the permanent secretary may not want to put you through because he wants to be in control, so, in the first one year, I was taking home so many files and reading, familiarizing myself with the ministry because nobody briefed me.

So, in the first year, I got to see all the work done and the unfinished projects. In the second year, I started making up my mind on what to really do and, by the third year, I started crystallizing those visions. For a politician, that is the year campaigns will start because it is a four-year tenure and they will leave in the fourth year; so you find that four years is spent with nothing achieved. This is what we

Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014, PPA AGE 33

But many of them do want to come back but are deterred by unconducive environment…

Yes, the environment is not conducive. It is a gold mine we are not tapping. They can overnight give us the quantum leap we need to have in development. So I believe these are the main issues that the conference ought to handle.

Restructuring is the main thing which will take a bit of argument.

Should corrupt officials be treated the way they are treated in China? *Momah...The money the legislators are collecting is unbelievable A corrupt official should not be killed but we should be able to give a minimum of between 10 years and life jail. Let it be life jail for official corruption and then a term for unofficial corruption. What I call official corruption is the one you sign and collect like have been having. So I was the security vote. How can dismayed when the media a governor collect up to one was against Jonathan’s billion naira (minimum is suggestion of six-year single half a billion) monthly? It is term. To me, that was the scandalous and they don’t greatest thing Jonathan has account for it; that is why it done, a wonderful idea is so convenient for them; because this is my personal you cannot probe them. conviction. When I was in That should be expunged cabinet, I wrote a memo on from the Constitution. The this to the executive council police is there to protect that we should have a single them, I don’t know what every nation must vote at six-year term to give the giving their best. When we security vote they need. I least 26 per cent of its executive time to achieve talk of unity, we must don’t know who put that budget for education what they want to achieve. practicalise that unity, we thing in the Constitution because they know that is Secondly, in the third world, should not pay lip service and they are capitalizing the live wire of it is difficult to beat an because that is the core on it and just scooping up development. Even Britain, incumbent, so if you know strength of a country. If we the entire money and as educated as it is, is still that you cannot beat say we are united, we must taking home. And, of spending money on somebody- the result is be united. We must do course, the legislators too, education. US is doing the already known - why waste things as one. I keep giving the money they are same as developed as it is money? You can’t beat an example of our football collecting is unbelievable. because that is the live wire incumbent in Africa because team. The very first time we They should have sitting of development. But here, he will use government won the African Cup, I said allowance only as is done we are politicizing it. So we resources to control the they played like a team; if in the US. If you sit for two must be serious by not just electorate, INEC, etc. I they did not play like a hours, you are paid for two voting money, the money mean he will always beat team, they could not have hours. That is what we should be properly utilised. you and you will not do a won. Keshi decided to pick should do so that they will It’s not just voting money; thing about it; so let him do local players and they go and do other jobs. meanwhile, the schools have stayed in Nigeria and one single term and go with Everybody wants to be a no desks, no books, no his conscience. I hope they practised over a long period; politician because they are equipment in the will do something about they did not go for foreign collecting so much. These laboratories, and then when that. players because foreign should be enshrined in the you want to employ players normally come late law. When the police is teachers, you bring Education and, when they do, they do there to arrest you and the Pakistanis when there are Government is spending not have enough time to judge is there to throw you Nigerians who could teach. less than three per cent of practise together. Team spirit into jail, and everything is And those foreigners could the budget now on is what is lacking in done quickly, that will be be exploitative.! They are education but the United Nigeria. Since we brought the beginning of sanity, here just for a time, and Nations says 26 per cent. in all this mediocrity into the everyone will sit up. then go away. They are not They made it clear that system, we always talk about

’We must stop prophecy of doom on Nigeria’

How can a governor collect up to one billion naira (minimum is half a billion) monthly? It is scandalous and they don’t account for it so that is why it so convenient for them; you cannot probe them

PAGE 34—SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014

Whence cometh the Nigerian spring?

A scene from the Algerian spring

P

ERHAPS it is not an idle talk again to engage in wishful thinking or indulge in gymnastic pastimes as to whether or not the state of the nation is imminently close to explosion or that the current state of the nation is unsustainable.

Whichever is the case, the following stark realities are indisputable; even though they are repetitive, they are an eye opener method considered to be necessary in order to lay a basis for my yet to be expounded views.

1. Since the emergence of the 4th Republic, the Nigerian state has daily exported between 1.5 to 2million barrels of crude oil at an averagely 75-100 U.S dollar per barrel. There is an unbelievable irreconciliation between the huge petroleum dollar the Nigerian state has earned and the statistically verifiable fact that about 70% of Nigerian population live below the poverty level.

In the last 14years of civilian governance in Nigeria, social services have become an embarrassment. Basic infrastructures have worsened inspite of the gigantic petrol dollars earned by the Nigerian state.

2. The Nigerian state’s skewed consideration for continuing with a prohibitive executive presidential system government has led to a situation whereby about 70-75% of its earnings is spent on recurrent expenditure leaving just meager resources for development.

3 . T h e N i g e r i a n state irresponsiveness to the glaring acute poverty level of the people has led to the discomfiting human welfare index status which has consistently, located Nigeria within the war ravaged countries bracket in recent times.

Furthermore, the stark reality that the more petroleum dollar the Nigerian state earns, the poorer her citizens become is sufficiently indicative of the missing link. In jurisprudence, there is always the need to understand what the law is (the laga lata) as opposed to what the law is supposed to be (de laga faranda) 4. In the Nigerian state, partisan politics is permanent all year round and expensive, thereby making politics, apart from religion, to be the most lucrative business in town.

Therefore, majority of political office holders are devoted to the pursuit of political power which, in turn, grants the ”victorious

politician” an unrestricted access to public funding from which they regularly steal. In other climes, the normal occurrence is that close to election seasons, partisan politics dominate the polity, but when candidates have been pronounced as winners, governance begins in earnest whereby the elected people’s preoccupation is how they can utilize government powers and authority to actualize and or execute the promised programs.

5 The Nigerian state has been constructed primarily on falsehood, and arbitrariness by the British colonial masters and the politicians in the Nigerian military. T h r o u g h m a n y insurrections against civilian and military regimes they usually serve the interests and prejudices of the ”owners”while the significant majority of the people are programmed to be outsiders, spectators and dispensable elements in the distribution and usage of the commonwealth.

6. From January 15, 1966 when politicians in the Nigerian army uniform staged their first insurrection against the civilian rulers, the significant members of the military dynasty and their civilian collaborators, confederates, sympathizers, and conduit pipes have turned out to be the main actors in the political process of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Republics along with their sponsored surrogates. Thus, they are always two steps ahead of the few rightly-headed members of the dwindling political class because they have acquired ill gotten wealth in their relationship with the military personnelwho held political offices.

7. The Nigerian state has criminally and irresponsively carry on governance that has failed and/or neglected to provide social services (education, health, water, food, housing, etc) not to talk of providing basic i n f r a s t r u c t u r e (efficient transportation system, modern road network, adequate power supply etc). What the Nigerian state offers today as education is immoral and deceptive.

They practically destroyed public education services through inadequate funding from which a significant part is stolen and demonstrablyfrustrated supervision in the public school while their own children are educated in very expensive private schools in Nigeria or in foreign schools. Since Obasanjo’s administration’s th emergence in this 4 Republic, less than five percent of the ritual annual budget is devoted to education as opposed to the

UNESCO’s well thought-out 26% recommendation.

8. I am not sure as to whether or not anybody can tell Nigerians how much of the state resources (8,12,16,24 billion USD) has been spent on power supply since 1999. Yet, all manners of irresponsible excuses are dished out as reasons for the continuation of epileptic power supply. The fact that the Obasanjo’s government planned 10 Independent Power Projects but did not r e a s o n a b l y provide nor guaranteed adequate gas supply to power the IPP will forever remain part of an everlasting negative legacy of his unproductive tenure.

,

BY AYO OPADOKUN

N othing tells the unpleasant story more than the fact that even though the Nigerian state declared a state of emergency in three North-East states in the last one year signifying the highest operational alertness, Boko Haram successfully and audaciously carted away over 250 young school girls and we are all still licking our wounds

9. The present political office holders have deliberately stunted the growth and expansion of democracy and its culture in th the last 14-15years of the 4 Republic. In the public and private activities, they have exhibited their unbelief in deepening democracy, and democratization of the polity.

Former President Obasanjo’s regular antidemocracy stunt, for instance, using security agencies to harass, intimidate and dehumanize political opponents including some of the PDP founders was unbelievable.

For mer President Obasanjo’s most ingenious but more of political gerrymandering was how he

imposed and removed PDP Chairmen at will.

‘Life is c heap’ The state of insecurity in Nigeria today is unbelievably scary because life is cheaply eliminated either by state sponsored violence, Islamic fundamentalism, or indescribable human rights violations and also through the violent criminal activities of armed robbers. Nothing tells the unpleasant story more than the fact that even though the Nigerian state declared a state of emergency in three North-East states in the last one year signifying the highest operational alertness, Boko Haram successfully and audaciously carted away over 250 young school girls and we are all still licking our wounds. The Nigerian state has worsened the plight of the parents, guardians of the young girls and the general public by contradictory and uncertain pronouncements. First Lady, Dame Patient Jonathan, embarrassed the Nigerian state and the international public with her unsolicited theaterical crocodile tears over the agony of the mothers of the abducted children. She is ever too bossy and garrulous.

Amnesty International andthe London Economist have exposed the unfortunate tardiness of the Jonathan government on the ungodly abduction of the school girls from Chibok. Now that the entire global community is singing the same song and refrain – Bring back our girls now”, the Jonathan government will have to accept that fact that because the world is now a global community through technology, no ruler can continue to misrule and misgovern without being exposed. I think majority of Nigerians will be surprised and in consternation to know that Western Europe and the United States had offered assistance to the Nigerian state within 24hours after the reportage of the abduction, yet the Nigerian government did not respond to the various offers for almost three weeks for reasons best known to our government. To run for the next election on this chain of misrule and obviously incompetent leadership is a misadventure of ambition in all ramifications.

Dangerous signal Having regard to the on-going National Conference, the media reports and private discussion sessions with some delegates, the reality that some delegates have been mandated to ensure that genuine agitations and campaign issues like true federalism, devolution of powers to the component parts, fiscal federalism are vehemently rejected is regrettable.

Furthermore, the media reporting their opposition to the return to parliamentary system of government, wanting a retention of the unreasonably prohibitive executive presidential system is equally discomfiting. Matters relating to boundary adjustment to guarantee that the rights of ethnic nationalities like the Ijaws, Yoruba, Nupe, Gwari/Gbayi, who are currently balkanized into two three states or zones thereby making them permanently d i s a d v a n t a g e d , are also being misguidedly opposed. This is a dangerous signal. There is no doubt that self determination is the anthem of this millennium. Every insensitive efforts to further the use of government coercive apparatus to enforce the dominance of one group over the others will be difficult to maintain and or sustained henceforth.

If the right wing elements and representatives of those who have held Nigerian down till date succeeded in ensuring that the status quo on these vital matters are maintained, they probably

Continues on page 36

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014, PAGE 35

SIMON BEGBULEM, BENIN CITY

P

rince Edun Akenzua is the younger brother of the Oba of Benin and the Enogie of Obazuwa. In this interview, he bares his mind on the ongoing battle against Boko Haram, accusing President Goodluck Jonathan of being sluggish in taking decisive actions. He faulted the recent resignation of some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State from the party, insisting that no matter their allegations against Governor Adams Oshiomhole, he remains “ God sent to Edo State”.

He also spoke on the expected return of stolen Benin bronze works by the British in June.

Excerpts:

A

s somebody from the traditional institution, how do you feel over the recent abduction of school children in Borno State by members of Boko Haram?

Kidnapping those children in that circumstance is bad enough. Unfortunately in our country, we don’t appear to care about human life. It is a pathetic situation that more than 200 students sleeping in their dormitory were abducted by terrorists. But what is worse is that after that our leaders began to talk rubbish. Some were even talking as if it did not happen and no body made any move to do anything until the Americans and others came. I understand that the parents of those children even went to the forest in search of the children; so one is wondering, if those women could do that, why was it too much for our military to accompany them? The women were not even armed, they came back after they were advised that it was not safe.

But what did our own leaders do to help them? Nothing.

The Federal Government is supposed to be the chief security officer of Nigerians, so if they cannot protect 200 of our children in school, then what are we talking about?

How we traced stolen Benin artefacts to Britain — Prince Akenzua *’The problem with Edo APC defectors’ The Boko Haram insurgency is an embarrassment to the country. It is nice that the Americans came to help but we also know that some of these people causing problems in the world like bin Laden, even the Taliban were trained by America even though the people later turned around to fight America. When Boko Haram came here, we all thought it was a joke. They are killing people, saying they are against Western education but they are using western arms and western communication gadgets to wreak havoc. I heard some people saying Nigeria wants to negotiate with them, that is a new concept. We have not seen the end of Boko Haram yet, only God can help us.

Jonathan’s request for extension of emergency rule in three states It seems to me that our President boxed himself to a corner; so he has no choice now than to accept the intervention of the international community. If he decides to extend the state of emergency in that area and the emergency has been there in the past six months, it will make no sense because we have not achieved anything. So why extend the emergency rule? Our military are the same people who have gone to ECOMOG and they performed well, you want to tell

me they won’t be able to quell Boko Haram if they are allowed to? Those advising Jonathan, I don’t think they gave him professional advice on the matter.

Do you thing we can still go on with 2015 general elections amidst this insurgency?

If you take all the variables together, one will have that fear, there is reason for concern. But one needs a Nostradamus to say what will happen in 2015.

A lot could happen in one year.

I cannot say whether we can go on with the 2015 elections or not, but the way things are going, many believe they are a prelude to the prediction of Americans that we will have problem in 2015. When that news came, our political class said the country won’t break up, but no one is doing anything to ensure that the country does not break up.

Everything they are doing

is wrong. They only came up with the confab idea recently.

And the people of the Niger Delta are still suffering despite their oil and that is why I get angry when people quarrel with them anytime the issue of derivation is discussed. We still have a lot of problems in the system and only God can help us as a nation.

Some APC leaders in Edo have resigned from the party and set to join the PDP. How do you react to the political situation in the state?

It is all about personal interest and ambition which should not bother the governor. Up to this very moment, I give Governor Oshiomhole pass mark; I think h e has done very

well. Those who are moving from APC to PDP or PDP to APC the are typical Nigerians.

I am not surprised. I don’t know how they will feel comfortable with such moves. And when you watch the group of people moving, they are the ones going forward and backward which shows that whatever they are looking for is their personal interest; so if they cannot get it there, may be they will get it here. Now those moving from APC to PDP claimed there is no internal democracy in the party but that brings us to the question, what type of party members are they? Are they loyal? Your house is burning and you ran out of it to some body’s else house; if you believe in your house and you are quite comfortable with it initially, then you go to the fire brigade to stop the fire. For them to leave a party after they said some body was a tyrant, suppose they move to another party and they meet the same problem, what will they do? Most of them have said that was what drove them away initially from Continues on page 35

PAGE 36—SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014

How we traced stolen Benin artefacts to Britain – Prince Akenzua Continued from page 35

the PDP; so what has changed in the PDP? Those who left APC for PDP now, I believe the welcome the PDP leaders are telling them is just to get them to come to destabilize the other party, but I don’t think they will be trusted in PDP. If you could leave the way you left and haven left you said so much bad things about them when you were away and suddenly you come now that they should accept you back, you are not coming like a prodigal son, no body knows how you are coming. If you now don’t get what you want in the PDP, how will you now feel. Besides, they met people in PDP, if all those people had left the party the way you left, who will you be meeting now in that party?

But my joy is that they are not leaving because Oshiomhole is not performing; what they are saying is the conduct of the congresses. If the congresses were not properly done, rather than issuing Oshiomhole

seven day ultimatum, they should have taken the matter to the national leadership to hear the matter. If there is anyone who wants to be governor and left APC thinking he will get it in PDP it is a tall dream because people have been in PDP and keeping the party going. It will be difficult for us to trust these people who decamp from one party to the other in Edo state. You need stability in every system.

You would have thought that Mrs Clinton will leave the Democratic Party when she lost to Obama, but she stayed. And at the end of the elections, she was appointed by Obama as the Secretary of State. The truth of the matter is that those who are leaving from one party to the other are not serving the interest of Edo State.

Oshiomhole has done his best for Edo people, he has built roads in Benin, done several other projects. But the greatest thing Oshiomhole has done in Edo State is to improve our psyche. Never again will any-

body come to this state who will say it can never be done because there is no money.

People are going to ask how Oshiomhole did it. He has lifted our realization, our consciousness, Oshiomhole has now shown that we have a right to ask questions Recovering missing Benin artefacts Each time I travelled out, I interact with people and each

and the South. So that one too was in the papers everywhere.

Then somebody in the UK, who was aware of the way we feel about these things, who also knew where some of these things were, now went on TV and gave an interview where he said they have some of those things; his great grandfather was a soldier who fought in Benin in 1897, and he has some of those things in his house. My daughter in

The question to ask is, what type of party members are those people who say they are dfefecting? Are they loyal? But my joy is that they are not leaving because Oshiomhole is not performing opportunity I have, I always talked about these looted artefacts. But in October last year, I spoke on TV over there on the issue. Some weeks after my TV interview, our President announced that they were going to do the centenary of the amalgamation of the North

London watched that TV interview and contacted me. I told her to go and meet with the television house, and find out if they could get the contact of that person. Eventually they established contact and they invited the man who had spoken on TV to a meeting. We got a Benin group in London

to meet with him, I also got the High Commissioner in London involved. And when they met, he told them that his great grandfather had those two images in his house. Apparently the man told them that he wanted those two images returned to Benin Kingdom. So we did a letter to the Nigerian High Commission in London requesting that the British man be given visa to visit Nigeria. Our High Commissioner did better than that; apart from giving him visa, he offered to give him ticket to fly to Nigeria. And he assured me that he knows some families in the UK, descendants of the troops who came to fight in Benin, that after the war the soldiers were allowed to take whatever they wanted. He said he knows families in the UK that have those artefacts in their homes; he said he will talk to them to assist in returning them. We are expecting the artefacts in June, initially I chose March so that it will coincide with the coronation anniversary but when we missed that date, I thought we should make it June to coincide with the Oba’s birthday.

Whence cometh the Nigerian spring?

,

Continued from page 34

would soon realize that the permanently disadvantaged will never again throw red carpet for them.

All geographical expressions that were held together by forces of arms globally like the old USSR, Czechoslovakia,eventually distingerated.

Even the master imperialist, Great Britain, has been forced to concede law making powers to the Irish Republic, and Scotland. In addition, Jamaica has given Great Britain forwarding notice of her intention to turn its nation state into a republic pretty soon.

The leadership of the National Assembly is seeing to be doing something as the executive seems to be irresponsive to the genuine feeling of most Nigerians over the unprecedented abduction of over 250 young girls from Chibok College. The singular motion by the House of Representatives that the Service Chiefs must return the ladies to their parents within seven days or resign their appointments orcommission is consistent with desperate and abnormal situation we are faced with.In fact, the executive, if it were to be sensitive should have virtually halt all routinegovernment activities until this young Nigerians are safely returned to their parents. A wrongly headed Aba Moro that cannot emphathise with what the parents of the girls and most Nigerians are going through should stop his ministerial embarrassment by keeping silent. Afterall, through his ungodly scheme, unemployed youth who showed up for the ministry of Internal

The Nigerian state cannot do better until the significant majority of our people are ready to take their destinies in their own hands.

Nigerians must stop the unprofitable and opportunistic collaboration with each succeeding set of wrongly headed rulers

Affairsrecruitment announcement were rather dispatched to heaven in their youthful vibrant times instead of being employed.

The most important reason citizens surrender certain personal rights to the collective as a government is that the collective strength of the people can be used by government to provide adequate security of lives and property. We all as citizens are in deepest agony with the unchallenged media

reports on how BOKO HARAM easily ransacked both the Nigerian Army Barrack and the Air ForceBase in Maiduguri environ in February and March 2014. Nigerians have genuine reasons to believe that our military and Intelligence cadres have been sufficiently trained and empowered to protect us. But if our own human protectors have turned out to be easy catch for the insurgents, then we are in a quandary and we must acttimeously to refix our security and intelligence. That an insurgent group can abduct over 250 Nigerian girls and was so daring as to issue a videotape of a d r a m a t i c footage on how the Christian girls were being forced to recite Koran would remain a humiliation and unpardonable dent on the Nigerian state, its intelligence and security apparatus. But we know that resignation is not an option for them as they cannot ever contemplate what the Prime Minister of South Korean did just last week when he tendered his resignation over the maritime mishap which claimed about 200 young South Korean pupils. The Prime Minister did not come up with ingenius excuses, perhaps that the accident was not in his round of duty.

The Nigerian state cannot do better until the significant majority of our people are ready to take their destinies in their own hands. Nigerians must stop the unprofitable and opportunistic collaboration with each succeeding set of wrongly headed rulers. Grumbling silently remains a pastime of those who relish in misguided lamentations over their plight when they can take concrete steps to change their fortune. We must be ready to organize and mobilize

ourselves for street actions thereby forcing to step down many of the pretenders in our public offices.

The Tunisian trader who immolated himself to kick start the Arab spring will forever remain a matyr. No progress can be made when the preoccupations ofthose elements who constitute the middle class are mundane desires, eg. to bury their old parents, send their wards into the unreasonably expensive schools to announce their status symbols, how to build their new mansion in Ikoyi, Lekki or high brow Matama in Abuja, how to buy a customized new car or their intention either to marry the next wife or acquire a much more glamorous new girl friend. In other words they are pleasure lovers and fun seekers. (apology to the immortal Fela Anikulapo Kuti in VIP, Vagabonds in power, Suffering and Smiling etc).

Unsustainable status quo This unworkable and unsustainable status quo of the Nigerian state can only be sustained by the collective pretentious and inactions of us all. The cheaters and slave masters are adept at divide and rule strategy. If we continue with our usual lamentations, the leadership of the Nigerian state will continue to be pleased with our agonizing pastimes because they will remain in office to serve themselves as they are used to doing from time immemorial. *Opadokun, a lawyer, was the Secretary of the defunct National Democratic Coalition (NADECO)

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 18, 2014, PAGE 37

I believe Nigeria is not a lost case —Patricia Arawore, Initiator, Hallmarks of Labour

*Speaks on choice of personalities for Hallmark of Labour Volume 7

BY JOSEPHINE IGBINOVIA For how long have you been championing this revolutionary cause and why?

T

HE Hallmarks of Labour Foundation has been in existence for the past 18 years. I actually noticed Nigerians were excessively scrutinised at airports and labeled fraudsters on the international scene despite the fact that we weren’t all horrible; at least, many of us could match our counterparts anywhere in the world. Except that people hardly notice such people. Of course, in those days, a wave of negative role models had emerged because fraudsters had taken over and were making so much money while professionals and professors took the back stage. So, from my experience as a journalist with the Nigerian Television Authority-NTA, researcher cum publicist with the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria-UPN where I was Acting Director of Publicity and Research, and later, as an advertising practitioner, I decided to champion the cause when Hallmarks of Labour found its way to my heart.

How did you take off with the vision?

I started by uncovering Nigerians with exceptional virtues and conferring them with the Hallmarks of Labour Role Model award. I told you earlier that there are people in this country who can match their counterparts anywhere in the world. That’s why I believe Nigeria is not a lost case. All we need to do is bring out these people for the younger generation to learn from and know that they too can become great by following the straight and narrow path rather than be fraudulent. So, we felt the best way was to look for C M Y K

reputable Nigerians, show them on national television, give a history of their lives and tell people why we believe they are role models.

We also get credible Nigerians to testify to the fact that they are role models worthy of emulation.

Of course, after we had done all that, looking at the lives of these people, I discovered I had so much material in my hands. We therefore decided that the best thing was to compile their histories in the form of a book series. That way, younger people would be able to read extensively about them. Researchers, as well as lawyers and judges, can also rely on these books for facts.

Each of the last six volumes of the Hallmarks of Labour series chronicled the lives and times of three distinctive personalities.

What inspired the choice of personalities for this 7th volume and who are these three Nigerians?

People you find in the Hallmarks of Labour book series are people who have received our awards. Take this newest edition for example. You have Honourable Justice Obakayode Samuel Eso who was in the Supreme Court for almost 20 years. We all know about Justice Eso who was a very upright, nononsense and straight forward kind of judge. In the book, you’ll learn that he was indeed an ordinary boy like any child, who, through determination, got to the zenith of his profession. We also have Professor Ben Obi Nwabueze who is probably one of the greatest constitutional lawyers we have in this country. Again, there is Professor Oladipo Olujimi Akinkugbe who was the youngest medical professor in his time, having become professor of medicine at the age of 35.

People in paid employment

*Patricia Arawore

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o salvage a society flawed by cupidity and lack of integrity, a few Nigerians like Mrs.Patricia Otuedon-Arawore have committed themselves to championing a new order. She is the initiator of the Hallmarks of Labour Foundation, an organisation that has in the last 18 years celebrated Nigerians who have personified integrity, character and hard work, through the Hallmarks of Labour Role Models award. Similarly, her desire to revive fast eroding virtues in younger Nigerians informed the subsequent institution of the Hallmarks of Labour Young Achievers Award which targets Nigerians between the ages of 7 to 26. The UKtrained communicator turned researcher is also behind the Hallmarks of Labour television and book series. In this interview with Sunday Vanguard, Patricia speaks on the 7th volume of the Hallmark of Labour book series which is billed for presentation this Thursday, May 22, 2014, at the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations in Lagos, amongst sundry issues.

People you find in the Hallmarks of Labour book series are people who have received our awards. Take this newest edition for example. You have Honourable Justice Obakayode Samuel Eso...Professor Ben Obi Nwabueze...Professor Oladipo Olujimi Akinkugbe... might also find these histories helpful as against stealing from their employers on the basis of job insecurity.

You declared earlier that Nigeria is not a lost case; but are recent events in the country not pointers that it might collapse soon?

Why should Nigeria collapse? It is true that we have bad leadership, but the bad leaders are actually Nigerians themselves. They

emanated from this society.

Did we not vote them into government? When they return home, do we not crave for what monetary benefits they’ve brought us from Abuja instead of requesting accountability?

Even though we did not vote in some, did we not allow them sit there in peace? Take the Arab Spring for example. These people were under dictatorship for so long but when they said

it was over, it was over!

When the people say it’s enough, then it is enough.

That’s why I say we complain unnecessarily in this country. Whatever we want stopped can be stopped if we are determined because power rests in the hand of the people.

What solutions would you therefore proffer as an advocate for development and positive values?

What we need is total reorientation because we all are responsible for Nigeria's predicament. If we decide that enough is enough, all of this nonsense will stop. I have come to the conclusion that you do not have to be in government to help Nigeria retrace its steps; Hallmarks of Labour for example is totally nongovernmental.The number of students that benefit from this foundation scholarship wise; the number of widows we empower, and things we do to help so many others, are without government funding.

PAGE 38 — SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014

INTRIGUING EXPERIENCES

•Charity (backing camera) with dad and a relation

•Charity ’s parents

CONTROVERSIAL ISLAM CONVERSION

Sorry dad, I quit Christianity for good — Charity-turned-Aisha

•CAN aborts secret wedding to Muslim brother

By WOLE MOSADOMI

C

harity Uzoechima, the 26-year-old girl who converted to Islam and kept in the palace of Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, for “safety” for three months, is in the news again.

Her fate and whereabouts since July last year when she was brought to Government House, Minna, Niger State for reconciliation with her parents had not been known until days ago when she was said to be prepared and almost given out in marriage to a Muslim lawyer without the consent of her parents.

The last time she was brought to public glare was July 3,2013 in Government House, Minna.

She was not alone on that day. Her parents, Pastor and Mrs. Raymond Uzoechima; their lawyer, Femi Ikotun; the National Secretary of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Dr. Musa Atake; CAN Chairman, Niger State, Rev. Musa Dada; and immediate past governor of the state, Engr, Abdulkadir Kure; among other stake holders, were at the peace meeting held at Government House, Minna on that day with the deputy governor, Alhaji Musa Ibeto, presiding.

The purpose was to reconcile Charity with her family. But the reconcilation failed due to a pending court case that compelled Charity to remain in Etsu Nupe’s palace until the case was discontinued.

The deputy governor said after the meeting that the issue at hand was not religion but how to settle the case out of court amicably.

“We believe that the issue at hand is not the religion Charity should practice but how the case should be settled out of court amicably and get the girl reconciled with her parents,” Ibeto remarked.

Charity’s father, Uzoechima, had filed a case on July 15, 2013, praying the court to bar the Sharia Court from entertaining a suit filed by his daughter on the grounds that the court lacked competence and jurisdiction to hear the suit. Charity, now Aisha, had dragged her father to Sharia court, Bida, seeking its protection from the father over her conversion from Christianity to Islam in order to exercise her new faith without hindrance.

Meanwhile, the lady was withdrawn from the Etsu Nupe’s palace and kept in the deputy governor ’s house where she was said to have been residing.

The secret p l a n was allegedly halted only hours to the wedding when a letter was written by the National body of CAN to its Niger State wing

H

owever, arrangements were said to have been made to give Charity out in marriage according to Islamic injunctions to a Muslim brother, said to be a lawyer.

The secret plan was allegedly halted only hours to the wedding when a letter was written by the National body of CAN to its Niger State wing to investigate the matter and make its findings available to appropriate quaters.

Niger State CAN Chairman, Dada, was said to have alerted

•Charity-turned-Aisha

the state Commissioner for Religious Affairs and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice on the development, seeking to know what led to the Charity’s proposed wedding especially without the consent of the stakeholders especially the parents of the lady.

The Commissioners, it was gathered, could not give satisfactory answer and the matter was taken before the deputy governor, Ibeto, for intervention.

The stage was allegedly set for the wedding on a Friday with Imams and other Muslim clerics in attendance when Governor. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, after being consulted about the development ordered that the wedding should be aborted.

The aborted marriage has generated questions from different stake holders. What is the fate of Charity? For how long would she remain in “custody ”? would have collected her dowry and on whose permission would have the marriage been contracted?

Charity was admitted to Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger State in 2012 to read public administration but converted to Islam along the line and could not accomplish

her academic pursuit.

In an exclusive telephone conversation with her last year on the issue, the lady called on Nigerians to leave her alone to practice the religion of her choice, pointing out that nobody forced her into the religion and she should be left to carry her cross alone.

“I did it on my own. Nobody forced me into it. Am I the first to convert to Muslim in Nigeria?

I know it is people that are pushing my father and I am praying for him and other members of my family to know that this is the right religion,” she remarked. On whether she would like to follow her father back home if the matter was amicably settled, Charity insisted that she was afraid going back with the parents for fear of being killed.

“I am not going back to my father because of his actions.

He had been threatening me.

But at my age, I am free to practice any religion of my choice and so, I should be left to decide,” Charity declared.

Efforts to get in touch with her parents on the latest development proved abortive.

Our correspondent reliably gathered that the state government may be forced to contract the wedding between Charity and her groom with or without the consent of her parents and family members.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014, PAGE 39

The paradox of Nigeria’s rising debt *The warning sign of future trouble – Martin Onovo

BY AKOMA CHINWEOKE

Chief Martin Onovo is not only a financial analyst but also the presidential candidate of Action Alliance (AA) in the 2011 general elections.

He speaks on Nigeria’s rising debt stock.

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Chief Martin Onovo

Prince Wale Oyekoya

Facts External debt as at 31 Mar 2014 = $9.2b - DMO (debt Management Office).

Domestic debt as at 31 Mar 2014 = N7.2t ($45b) – DMO. Total national debt = $54.2b (31 Mar. 2014).

2013 budget for debt service = N592b 2014 budget for debt service = N712b (proposed).

Proposed capital expenditure for 2014 = N1.1t.

Previous capital expenditure for 2013 = N1.59t.

project at the current fiscal levels.

Consequences of increasing national debt

The consequence of increasing national debt includes:Rising cost of debt servicing. As the debt increases, the cost of debt servicing increases too; decreasing capital expenditure (assuming a constant cost of recurrent expenditure:); lack of funds for developmental projects (as debt servicing cost increases, less funds are available for developmental projects); lack of funds for critical infrastructure like power (as debt servicing cost increases, less funds are available for critical infrastructure); decreasing national credit ratings as debt/GDP ratio increases, credit ratings decrease, higher cost of future loans (vicious circle: when credit ratings decrease, credit risk increases and so, credit cost must be higher); increasing dependence on creditors; national debt crisis and possible national bankruptcy (as debt servicing cost increases, it becomes more difficult to pay). If the debt rises to a level where it is impossible to pay, then bankruptcy may fol-

,

HE current national debt burden of Nigeria is a cause for serious patriotic concern and the present trend of national debt servicing cost is a clear warning sign of future trouble if not r e v e r s e d .

Therefore, the Federal Government must immediately evaluate and mitigate our rising national debt to prevent a debt crisis.

Therefore, it is paradoxical that with current national oil revenues, about 13 times the levels we had in 1984, we were not borrowing in 1984 and yet we were developing major infrastructure while we are borrowing so much now with the very high oil revenues and yet we are not developing major infrastructure. Instead, we are ‘privatizing’ public assets and yet borrowing much more! This looks like a template for national economic sabotage.

The rising national debt and debt servicing requirements are subverting development.

Funds that could be applied to development projects and national infrastructure are being applied to service debts.

If debt servicing requirement continues to rise at the current rate (20.3%) every year, then, the debt servicing cost will be as follows in the next five years: YEAR 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2 0 1 9 COST (NB) 712 857 1030 1240 1491 1794 So, if our debt servicing cost continues to rise at the same rate, we would need over N1 trillion for debt servicing by 2016 and would require N1.8 trillion (40% of our 2014 budget) for debt servicing by 2019. This would completely erode the capital budget of Nigeria at the current level of N1.1 trillion.

This 2014, N1.1 trillion (capital budget) + N712 billion (debt servicing cost) = N1.8 trillion.

By 2019, the requirement of N1.8 trillion for debt servicing will be the total of current capital budget and debt servicing cost.

Therefore, the country will have no capital budget by 2019 and government will be unable to fund any capital

If the debt rises to a level where it is impossible to pay, then bankruptcy may follow and, above all, under-development will naturally result from lack of funds for developmental projects

,

low and, above all, underdevelopment will naturally result from lack of funds for developmental projects.

Solution

The solution may be straightforward and may require the following immediate steps:Stop further borrowing; make budgets based entirely on conservative revenue estimates; establish fiscal discipline; follow budgets and supplementary budgets strictly; fight corruption; ensure that public education, empowerment, leadership by example and law enforcement are applied to control corruption; improve productivity and apply all appropriate measures to ensure improvements in capital efficien-

cy and productivity, increase external revenue from oil and other exports (agriculture, solid minerals, etc.) by diversifying the economy; reduce waste in government such as ten presidential jets, long convoys of cars, indiscriminate medical tourism, etc. and, more importantly, good governance (increased prudence in public spending).

With these measures, we can control the risks that the rising national debt represents today.

Nigeria’s debt profile is critical and sadly differentOyekoya Prince Wale Oyekoya, Chairman, Agric Group, La-

gos Chamber of Commerce& Industry also shares his view on the nation’s rising debt stock Generally, there is nothing wrong to borrow as other countries borrow to finance developmental projects and create employment, but Nigeria’s case is critically and sadly different, coupled with the state of infrastructure not commensurate with its huge appetite for borrowing.

Nigeria’s debt profile had jumped from $48.36bn to $65.25bn between March 31' 2013 and March 31, 2014 and the debt to Gross Domestic Product ratio slid from about 20 per cent to 12.79 per cent.

This translates that, within a period of one year, the debt profile increased by 34.93 per cent. The dramatic decline in the debt to GDP ration is explained by the fact that following the recent rebasing of the nation’s GDP, the economy experienced a quantum leap of about 50 per cent, peaking at N510tn.

My reaction to the debt profile is mixed. First is that the earlier the country reduces it’s debt profile, the better if they have no meaningful usage for the borrowed money like improving infrastructure development and creating employment. Secondly, as earlier said, there is need to borrow more, especially from the external sources for the reasons stated above to improve the nation’s decrepit infrastructure and bring down the cost of doing business in the country.

The borrowed money hase to be truly spent on what it is borrowed for.

Relating this to the agricultural sector, more money is needed to be injected into the sector and to be available to real farmers, and not to political farmers on a single digit interest rate. Mechanized farming will increase job creation to the youths and adequate food supply to the populace.

It will reduce importation of food stuff to our dear country which has become a dumping grounds for junk foods.

A lot of money that is supposed to go into agricultural development and infrastructure is being diverted to tackle insecurity. Until we are able to reduce insecurity, money will be going to fight insecurity as most of the food comes from the troubled northern states.

Also, a lot of money being borrowed by government was going into financing big government and growing recurrent expenditure that stands at 75 per cent of our annual budget, instead of financing agriculture and infrastructure dev e l o p m e n t .

PAGE 40—SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 18 , 2014

Made in Nigeria vehicles are better than imported ones – Innoson

BY ABEL KOLAWOLE

We know what we need here and what is good for our people; so we are making it much better in terms of weather conditions and quality than the imported ones

It is no longer news that Nigeria is manufacturing her own vehicles, but the good news is that the first indigenous vehicle manufacturing company, Innoson Group, based in Nnewi Anambra State, is setting up a training school for workers who will be picked from the company. after training, service centers would be opened for them across the country where they will attend to automobile cases. Speaking in Nnewi, the business mogul and award winning vehicle manufacturer Chief Innocent Chukwuma, revealed that 60% of local content is being used by his company for the manufacturing of vehicles, saying that the vehicles are far better and durable than the ones imported.Excerpts:

T

ELL us about yourself, who is Chief Innocent Chukwuma?

Chief Innocent Chukuma is the Chairman of Innoson Group from Nnewi.

I started by trading before going into manufacturing. I was trading in motorcycle and motor parts. Later, I started assembling motorcycles. From that, I built a plastic plant to support the motorcycle assembly plant and later I built a motor vehicle manufacturing plant. I also built a tyre manufacturing plant and all are working well.And you can say it took of from there.

What is the staff strenght of Innoson?

I have about 7,200 workers in companies and more still to be added because we are continually expanding. A new car plant is coming on stream.

Why did you go into manufacturing?

I felt that Nigeria is a virgin place, and a very big and profitable market to tap into, I felt

Chief Innocent Chukwuma manufacturing is better for Nigeria. I am also advising any body in business like us to go into manufacturing. This will also create jobs for youths. I don’t want to be an importer any longer and keep creating jobs for youths abroad while are youths here are looking for work and getting into all sorts of social vices and thus giving the country a bad name. If I can source most of the raw materials in Nigeria, it is better.

With the new government policy and imported vehicles ban, how has the government supported you manufacturers?

Well, government is doing its best to support us manufacturers.

They have done a lot of things, which is why we are moving. Minus government support I don’t think we will be here. The setting up of the Bank of Industry, the National Automotive Council, and all the other organizations

that are giving us different kinds of support is indicative of government interest in vehicle manufacturing.

Powers in very vital in manufacturing. How do you intend to get round this obstacle?

Everybody is supposed to be happy with the improvement in power supply in Nigeria. The time we started these factories, power supply was very poor; there was no hope but today we have hope.

We were using 10-20% olf national grid but today we are using 70% power supply is improving.

Is there any plan of training people in automobile manufacturing?

We are already building an automobile school very close to our factory. We want to pick workers here and train them; after training, we can open a service station in any part of the country for them. This system helps make our product more attractive to the

user because to repair does not mean that the user has to come to our factory since there are service stations all over the federation.

What is your relationship with the Chinese government?

I have a very good relationship with them; they come and train our people.

What about local content?

I have about 7,200 workers; only 30 are Chinese. I am also thinking that this year, 60% of local materials must be used in our manufacturing. Like the body of the vehicle, we make it 100% here with flat sheet plates.

All the pastic components too are made from my plastic plan. Rubber materials, seats or upholstery, we source it in another factory here in Nnewi.

The battery too is sourced locally.

How are you dealing with acceptance of your vehicles by Nigerians knowing that we are used to imported vehicles?

Our only challenge is acceptance. It is time we as Nigerians nay Africans take pride in cars manufactured on our shores. I want Nigerians to accept our products as they can compete with anyone’s anywhere in the

world. Aside this, our economy will grow and most of the vices we see our youths engaged in today will stop because when they are employed there is no time for politicians and other evil intended people to use them to foment trouble.

Who are your targeted clients?

My vehicles are every where.

We have the plan to go well beyond Africa. Like people say, a good product will naturally sell itself, that is our target. When the product is good, it will sell anywhere in the world. The federal ministries, private organisations, state governments use Innoson vehicles.

How affordable are your vehicles compared to imported ones?

The vehicles we produce here are better than the ones imported from Europe. We know what we need here and what is good for our people; so we are making it much better in terms of weather conditions and quality than the imported ones. Our prices are reasonably better compared to the imported ones from Europe.

What is your relationship with other manufacturers?

Our relationship is cordial. I related well with Dangote and other manufacturers. I am a member of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and anything that is a stumbling black to us, we use the association to talk to government and they listen to us.

Any plan to expand beyond Africa?

I have told you that my vehicles are all over Africa. Innoson Motors will soon expand its brand beyond Africa. The world is our target andn we will get there.

What is your advice to upcoming manufacturers?

I am advising them to join hands with me instead of paying for things brought from outside.

With that you will pay people working here and thus empower your own people. Any of the ministries that import vehicles from outside. I believe that ministry does not want to support its own country.

Nigeria emerges 3rd in FLP Global ranking

BY TONY NWANKWO

N

IGERIA has made history in London as Forever Living Products International celebrated its 2014 Global Rally in the UK capital. Nigeria was ranked 3rd in the world among the 158 countries that Forever Living Products International is presently doing business. This is an improvement from the 4th position Nigeria was ranked for two years running - 2012 and 2013.

With this ranking, Nigeria has also maintained the first position in sales in Africa, a position FLP Nigeria has held since 2010, as well as retaining the five top distributorship positions of the company in the continent. Considering the fact that FLP Nigeria has been in business in Nigeria for only 13 years, this feat remains unprecedented in the history of the global multi level marketing company, according to sources.

Nigeria’s No. 3 position was

announced on Saturday, May 3, 2014, at the presentation of Top 10 FLP Countries at the 2014 Global Rally which attracted 20,000 distributors and guests to the famed O2 Arena, London.

Presenting the award to FLP Nigeria/Benin’s Country Manager and Managing Director, Cornelius Tay, and his wife Caroline Olabisi Tay, FLP founder and Chairman, Rex Maughan, assisted by FLP President, Gregg Maughan commended the Nigerian company and the nation’s distributors for their dedication, hard work and resilience that have enabled the country to outperform many older FLP countries in Europe, Asia South America and the USA/Canada. Responding to the recognition, Mr. Tay said Nigeria’s third position is dedicated to the hardworking distributors in Africa. FLP International Inc has been in operation for 36 years since its founding by Rex Maughan.

With a contingent of over 400 FLP distributors and guests, mostly qualifiers in the Global Rally and Chairman’s Bonus Incentives, Nigeria was determined to showcase its determination to make Africa proud on the international stage of the acclaimed multi-level marketing company.

Aside from emerging the third position in the global sales, three Independent Distributors from Nigeria received shared over US$1,500,000 for their exceptional achievements in the annual Chairman’s Bonus Incentive. Nigeria and Benin Republic distributors received nearly US$3 Million for participating in the 2013 Chairman’s Bonus.

Speaking at The O2 Arena on the landmark award, FLP Nigeria Country Manager, Cornelius Tay, said “Nigeria’s destiny is to become No. 1 in FLP global sales”, adding that “although Nigeria’s distributors work under difficult and unfavourable conditions, the

FLP Nigeria/Benin’s Country Manager and Managing Director, Cornelius Tay, and his wife, Caroline Olabisi Tay receive the award from FLP Founder and Chairman, Rex Maughan for Nigeria’s achievement as No. 3 in Forever global sales for 2013. The ranking was announced at the 2014 Global Rally of FLP held at The O2 Arena, London. Nigeria was among the Top 10 countries recognized among 158 countries in which Forever Living Products International is presently operating. distributors remain united in purpose and have refused to allow adversity and challenges to stop them from achieving greatness”.

Earlier, President, FLP International Inc., Gregg Maugh-

an, had disclosed that Forever ’s goal is to be the best Multi Level Marketing company in the world with a plan to pay US$20 Million annually in Chairman’s Bonus.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014, PAGE 41

‘How smuggling hinders the furniture industry’

BY ANINO AGANBI Michael Tawadrous MD/CEO, Vava Furniture came to Nigeria as an expatriate. He saw a gap in the industry and filled it. He runs one of the biggest furniture firms in Lagos State.

In an interview held with him, he reveals more.

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HAT informed your deci sion to establish a furniture company in Nigeria?

I came to Nigeria as an expatriate to manage a furniture outlet in Lagos in 2007 with a company that is a major player in the industry. While working with this organization I realized that there was more to the way we were doing the business. I did my best to improve our mode of operation, but still I couldn’t express myself the way I wanted owing to the fact that I was only a manager not a shareholder. Then I began to think of what to do, I realized that I had passion for the job.

What are the current trends in home decor and furniture industry?

The major trend in home d?cor revolves round modern furniture as against the classic furniture.

This has been aided with advancement in technology. This modern trend is sometimes mixed or blended with a bit of classic style in a way that shows class and beauty. For instance, the increase in the number of homes and offices has made it expedient to provide an avoidable furniture in large quantity and quality. So the need to blend classic with contem-

porary furniture became high.

And machines play a major role in modern day furniture industry.

What is your comment on the furniture industry in Nigeria?

The industry is very viable and capable of generating the needed resources to advance the cause of any economy. The industry is growing at a moderate rate and has the potential to improve from the current level. Generally the industry is viable, it generates employment and makes good return on investment.

It is often said that the importation of poor quality furniture is negatively affecting the industry. What has been your experience?

No industry will survive with low quality products or services.

You don’t need to be an economist to know that. It does not only show red flag to customers, even the producers of such low quality products don•ft enjoy their job, they only make short term gains and long term losses. Because of my experience in the industry, I can smell it, and I do no good to any one either the buyer or seller.

As a matter of policy, we have resolved to dwell in not only quality products but pocket friendly prices; in fact, we offer to all our customers two years warranty even though they are going to enjoy the products much more than two years.

Some stakeholders have said that some government policies are not encouraging to producers of wood products. What is your take on this?

Michael Tawadrous

No industry will survive with low quality products or services.

You don’t need to be an economist to know that Well, government policies on the manufacturing industry generally have been inconsistent. I say this because of our experience over the years. Today is favourable, tomorrow is not, but as an entrepreneur we just have to deal with every situation we find ourselves in. Don’t forget that the law enforcement agencies also play a major role; because they are the ones to ensure that

government policies are properly carried out. Where there are lapses a favorable policy can become a bad policy, so what happens? Do we cry to the government again, no; we just have to deal with it and move on. Presently, importation of wood work is contraband but they are still in our local shops. How do we address that? So, it has not successfully achieved the aim of the policy. You can then understand what I mean by enforcement.

Tell us about Vava Furniture.

Do you source your materials locally?

Vava Furniture Nigeria Limited is the home of classic and contemporary furniture for everyone and anyone who desire quality, durability and affordable furniture. Though we are very young in the industry, we are vibrant and dynamic. We have also created an edge for ourselves by ensuring after sale service that enable customers feed us back on what they think about our products and services. We have offices in business center areas to allow our customers access to our products. We have office scapular plaza by Igbo-Efon, Lekki, Karimu Kotun Street, Victoria Island, and Allen Avenue, Ikeja.

We equally plan to commission both Abuja and Port Harcourt offices this December. Our customers are very dear to our heart, the reason we ensure they have value for their money. We pay attention to finishes and prompt delivery systems. Our relationship

with customers is cordial to the extent it had earned the company and myself many awards. I was recently decorated with both Millennium Development Goal (MDG) and United Nations (UN) Ambassador for Peace Apart from the harsh business environment, what are the other challenges that players in the furniture industry are faced with?

Harsh business environment here includes lack of access to funds and poor infrastructures.

The most important among the challenges in the business environment is uncoordinated multiple tax system and insensitivity of the officials from local authority. Talking about furniture business, the major challenge is the influx of cheap and sub-standard products in the market. Fake products pose a big challenge to the survival of the industry, as customers are face with how to identify good quality products, and eventually all products are judged equally by uninformed eyes. The standard organization plays a role here to ensure that products meet minimum standards. Don’t forget this is an industry that is not regulated, everyone does whatever he or she pleases without question. Everyone is going digital , do you see this industry doing same soon in the country?

The industry is in a position to go digital in the nearest future, because we can’t operate in isolation. As much as other industries are moving forward we cannot afford to lag behind. Meanwhile, we have achieved some feat by moving away from usual cut and nail to more advanced method production using machinery.

PAGE 42—SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014

SONI DANIEL,

E

Regional Editor, North

vents in the country are moving in rapid succession as if they are shifting sands. Ever since the Boko Haram sect decided to wage war against the state and its people, particularly, Christians, who Abubakar Shekau, the sect leader, refers to as enemies of Allah, the nation has been cowering in fear and intimidation, principally handing over its fate to God. Apparently emboldened by the inability of the security agencies to stop the gale of terrorist attacks in the three North-east states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, the evil men have taken delight in bombing strategic public institutions and almost always getting away with it. An asinine and provocative pattern of response to series of attacks by the insurgents has even been established by those saddled with the task of protecting the citizens from harm’s way: It is as if as each attack gives way, security agents return to base and literally do nothing to prevent further assault until another or even more deadly confrontation occurs. This was the pattern adopted when the United Nations House in Abuja was bombed by Boko Haram fighters; nothing was done about it until the insurgents bombed the Police Headquarters right at the city centre and close to the seat of power.

ST ATE OF EMER GENCY ON BOK O HARAM: STA EMERGENCY BOKO

The emerging battleground Allah).”

Shettima is not alone. Governor Nyako of Adamawa has not spared Jonathan’s latest move to extend emergency rule by six more months. Just like his Borno counterpart, Nyako said the emergency already in place had not added any advantage to the fight against terrorists but had merely worsened the quality of life for the people and created avoidable problems across the state.

Nyako, who spoke through his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Mr. Ahmed Sajoh, said the emergency was a failure and should be discontinued while the Federal Government should adopt a more concrete method of combating insurgency in the country.

“We still hold our position that there was no need to declare a state of emergency in Adamawa in the first place because the level of attacks in the state has even increased with the imposition of emergency rule”, Nyako said.

“As far as we are concerned, the state of emergency has not changed anything and we advise the government to adopt a new approach in tackling the insurgency rather than the business-as-usual tactics that do not add up.” The Yobe State governor, Ibrahim Gaidam, was more formal in his rejection of the move by Jonathan to elongate the state of emergency in the state.

In a strongly-worded letter, which he issued through his Special Adviser on Press Affairs and Information, Abdullahi Bego, Gaidam said he took serious exception to the move by Jonathan to further extend emergency rule, wondering what it was meant to achieve.

According to the governor, the affected

Then came the Nyanya blasts on April 14 and May 1, 2014.

Despite the many army barracks, police stations and other numerous security outfits that straddle Abuja and environs, not many now feel state safe to sleep with their two eyes closed. The residents are pained, agitated and buffeted by constant fear of the unknown. While the situation in the FCT, which has witnessed several lethal onslaughts by terrorists, remains manageable, residents and natives of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa State, where Boko Haram fighters have their strongholds, can be likened to a people whose destiny has been handed over to uncertainty.

The natives of the three states live at the mercy of terrorists, who have consistently wreaked incalculable havoc in the areas.

But of all the atrocities so far committed by the daring insurgents, the abduction of over 200 girls from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State remains the most devastating and inhumane crime by the malevolent agents.

Despite the fact that the abduction and the first blast in Nyanya occurred on the same day, national and global attention has since shifted from the Abuja blast to the Chibok girls, whose faces were recently shown in a footage by the Boko Haram leader, Shekau, to the consternation of the world.

As the parents of the children and the world plead with Boko Haram to free them, attention is once again moving gradually from their abduction to the desirability or otherwise of the extension of the state of emergency that has been in operation in the three North-east states.

Not many, particularly, those in the affected states are happy with the continued deployment of soldiers there. Their freedom of movement has been hampered.

It is a Herculean task to move from one location to another in any of the three states since President Goodluck Jonathan slammed emergency rule in the states and deployed soldiers to man their gates, roads and other institutions. Twice, Mr. President sought the approval of the National Assembly to declare emergency in the three states and twice the lawmakers granted his request with glee. The first was in May 2013 while the second was in November of the same year. Even at the declaration of the emergency rule in the first instance, the governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako, did not see any justification for the inclusion of his state, saying the security situation there did not warrant the imposition. According to him,

C M Y K

zPresident Goodluck Jonathan the state was substituted for Taraba, which was originally slated for the declaration of emergency rule by the President.

Third time

Getting the National Assembly to approve the emergency rule for the third time may pose some difficulty to the leaders of the NASS. But the consolation lies in the belief that like the principle of necessity, which the NASS devised to enthrone President Jonathan when hawks dubiously attempted to circumvent his ascension to the Presidency, virtually all the members granted the request by Jonathan to declare a state of emergency in the three states and there was nothing the governors could do about it.

But a year after the slamming of emergency rule, it has not mitigated the attacks by terrorists. In fact, many in the affected states claim that the action of the President has emboldened the terrorists to launch more attacks than when he did not declare emergency rule.. It was, therefore, not surprising that the latest request by Jonathan for the elongation of the state of emergency in the three states, dated May 5 and addressed to the Senate President David Mark and Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, met with some resistance even before it could be read to members.

Apart from the governors, who have described the renewed bid by the President to extend emergency rule in their states as unnecessary, lawmakers from the affected states have also risen against the request, saying it was uncalled for given the fact that the presence of the military in those states has not even marginally reduced attacks by insurgents.

Although the governors have not met at a central point to forge a response to the President’s request, their separate responses are as acidic in tone and language as it

zFrom left: Govs Shettima (Borno), Gaidam (Yobe) and Nyako (Adamawa) is scary and potentially capable of causing Jonathan some upset. In fact, Governor Kassim Shettima, whose state of Borno bears the most imprint of Boko Haram assaults, angrily described the emergency rule imposed in his state, Adamawa and Yobe as ‘useless’, accusing the military of being ineffective in carrying out their responsibility.

Avoidable problems

He said: “This state of emergency is useless; these wicked people had a field day when they annexed Giwa Barracks; the civilian JTF confronted them; many of them died. “This state of emergency is nonsense; our major concern is to find our Chibok girls alive, I can sacrifice my life for that, wallahi, wallahi (I swear by

states could be effectively manned by security agencies without state of emergency if they are properly equipped and motivated to do their work.

Senators join fray

The governors are not alone in their opposition to Jonathan. Northern senators have already served notice that they will not approve the request for further extension of the emergency rule. As a demonstration of their seriousness over the issue, senators from the northern part of the country met for over three hours on Wednesday and resolved to vote against the extension when it comes to plenary.

Continues on page 45

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014, PAGE 43

BOKO HARAM The negotiated settlement, resolution we need, by Lai Mohammed *‘How govt rejected options to curtail insurgency’

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n an encounter, the Interim Publicity Secretary of All Progressive Congress, APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, blamed the Federal Government for engaging in blame game on Boko Haram and called for a security stakeholders meeting in order to curtail insurgency in the North-east.

What is your stand on the Boko Haram sect?

Without being partisan, government has not handled the Boko Haram issue in a competent manner. The government has approached the insurgency in three ways.

First, they thought it will go away on it’s own; second, at every point in time, they tried to hold somebody else responsible for the insurgency; third, the Federal Government believes the insurgency is politically motivated against them. This attitude of the GEJ administration does not allow them to take responsibility for the insurgency and on how it can be resolved. It is the role of the government at the centre to take responsibility and control over the security apparatus in Nigeria. But you will observe that the government is just interested in blaming perceived political enemies and parties rather than act. For instance, when there is a bomb blast, government would blame it on the opposition. When these girls were abducted, they said it was meant to discredit government. When there is killing, some people will say it was because Jonathan is a minority leader or it has religious undertone. This in not the way a responsible government should tackle insurgency. While you are tackling the insurgency, you could at the same time look for those behind the dastardly act. But Nigerians are not interested in those behind the insurgency. They are interested in two things. One; bring the insurgency to an end; two bring culprits to justice. We are tired of the blame game.

It is irresponsible for any government to continue with the blame game. For instance, if there is fire in my office, I won’t be looking out for what caused the fire outbreak; my aim should be how to put out the fire. This is the unyielding attitude of the Federal Government in responding to Boko Haram. While they were doing this, they allowed the sect to link up with some more deadly international organisations, got better training, funding and equipment. Today, there is paralysis in Jonathan’s administration, that shows they do not know what they are doing.

What’s your suggestion on how to curtail the insurgency?

At first, the Federal Government did not accept the fact that the insurgency was beyond their capacity and as such did not call for outside help; by outside help, I mean not going outside Nigeria.

The government must be ready to think outside the box by reaching out to all other stakeholders . In curbing the insurgency, every Nigerian should be seen as a stakeholder. We have offered advice several times to this administration that had been ignored. Incidentally everything we suggested to the Federal Government is what is being re-echoed by the United States . The first thing we C M Y K

told this administration was that they should call a national summit of all stakeholders on security. In the last one month, we have issued this advice more than three times. Before then, we offered the following recommendations to them: Government should develop a holistic counter insurgency strategy, rather than reacting to attacks of terror groups; intelligence gathering is another major key to combat insurgency. Even when you have the whole military men on ground, without intelligence gathering, you can not get effective result. We also advised them to strengthen what I refer to as the force enablers. This has to do with the equipment for fighting the insurgent group such as attack helicopters, air transportation field engineers, even medical assistance.

When the governor of Borno State cried out that it appeared the BokoHaram sect was better equipped than the military guys on ground, all he was actually asking for was for government to improve force enablers for the military to allow them to do their job.

Thirdly, we advised them that in defeating any insurgency, there must be negotiated resolutions and settlement.

What do you mean by negotiated resolutions and settlement?

You can hold negotiated settlement if there are intermediaries between government and the sect. We know of two instances when people like Shehu Sani volunteered to be the middlemen between the Federal Government and the sect. When negotiations were going on, government broke the agreement. We

,,

BY OLAYINKA AJAYI

unemployed and ask such person to do a job for you with N10,000 but a man who is gainfully employed would not even be seen. If a governor is visiting or a head of state goes for party rallies, you will observe lots of crowd following him; if they have jobs, will they come out to listen to campaigns? Or can you imagine the kind of campaign we have in Nigeria where we have one million people coming out on campaign ground. Can that happen in the United State? They would rather do it on the social media because everybody is busy. We are not saying the terrorist group does not have religious under tone, no!

Are we saying it does not have political under tone?

All we are saying is that, be it political or religious undertone, you can reduce it, by building the economy, by giving hope to the youths.

Government must recognize that if they improve the economy with a Marshal Plan, it will weaken the base of Boko Haram in recruiting youths.

You can hold negotiated settlement if there are intermediaries between government and the sect

were also aware of a journalist who was negotiating on behalf of the sect in Kano.

In sensitive issues like this, you use individuals the sect has confidence in to negotiate. Shekau won’t come out at the beginning of negotiation. But he has people he trusts who he would send.

Also these people operate from certain localities. They belong to certain states and ethnic groups and they have leaders.

So when government begins to ask who to negotiate with, it is an admission of failure on the part of the leadership.

When husband and wife are fighting, is it not the in-laws that settle it without the spouses being present? We don’t have to have Shekau on ground to begin negotiations. There are people government can start negotiations with.

There is no where in the world that insurgency is wished away. Today, part of the problem in the North-east is poverty, unemployment and bad governance. If you introduce a serious economic plan there today, you are surely going to win many youths away from Boko Haram. If somebody can feed and he has a good job, he will not consider associating with Boko Haram as the next option. It is easier to go to a person who is

It is also a battle for the mind of the people. The Federal Government should de-radicalise by changing the kind of message that the average youth in the North-east listens to which includes if you kill a non- Muslim, you will make paradise and you will be bestowed with seven virgins. Government must send messages about the values and sanctity of lives. Letting people imbibe moral values would be an advantage. Government can start the strategy through secondary schools.

There is also a problem with interagency rivalry between the army, the navy and the police which is also weakening their result and strengthening the sect. I guess the reason for the reshuffle of the service chiefs can be linked to it.

Again the military can not bring peace to any part of the world. They can only quell riots. But people have to live together. So you must include internal peace makers, which include the immediate community, non-governmental organisations, who have the experience of mending together broken families. These are some of the suggestions we made to government through letters and through our various gover-

Lai Mohammed

nors. Anybody who says we are not making suggestions to the Federal Government is not correct.

Since the international community is showing keen interest in the ‘Bring Back Our Girls’ campaign, do you see the scourge of insurgency being curtailed any time soon?

When these girls were abducted, what did government do? They first denied it, that nothing happened, that they were trying to blackmail government; later, they said the opposition was responsible. Then, they said they wanted to see their pictures to confirm it.

Over 200 children were abducted and they wanted to wish it away.

For 15 days, this administration did nothing. The President must change his attitude and accept that he is in charge.

As the President of a country, the buck stops at his table. Pointing accusing finger does not help the matter. Who ever is behind it should be arrested but first and foremost bring back all these girls safely.

I don’t know what the United States is bringing on board, but I can assure you that some of the recommendations that we have made either in intelligence gathering, strengthening our force capability, aligning the political, social with the military, or getting a defined counter terrorism strategy, these are the things they will recommend. I don’t see them going outside the parameters we have suggested.

If they do, good for us, because these European countries have lots of experience in fighting insurgency. But we believe that the matter wouldn’t have gotten this far, if government from the beginning had focus on the matter rather than alleging the opposition as the cause of it.

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Vanguard, MA Y 18, 2014 MAY

BY FEMI FANI-KAYODE

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n May 4, 2014, Abubakar Shekau, the leader Boko Haram, proclaimed: “I am going to marry out any woman who is twelve years old, and if she is younger, I will marry her out at the age of nine. I am the one who captured all those girls and will sell all of them. Slavery is allowed in my religion and I shall capture people and make them slaves. We are on our way to Abuja and we shall also visit the South. I am going to kill all the Imams and other Islamic clerics in Nigeria because they are not Muslims since they follow democracy and constitution. It is Allah that instructed us, we will soak the ground of Nigeria with Christian blood, and so-called Muslims contradicting Islam. We will kill and wonder what to do with their smelling corpses. This is a war against Christians and democracy and their constitution”.

It is self-evident that Mr. Shekau is not only a dangerous, barbaric, sadistic, bestial, delusional, homicidal, misogynistic, paedophilic, psycopathic and sociopathic vampire and cold-blooded murderer all rolled into one but his words adequately reflect the sheer ruthlessness and callousness that has seized the Haramite mind.

There is no doubt in my mind that he is possessed by the most vicious and cruel demons and that he has a bloodlust that is second to none. Even Al Qaeda condemned the latest atrocity committed by Boko Haram in Chibok.

Yet despite their sheer depravity they appear to have a few friends at home who insist on speaking for them. Permit me to give just one example.

Some northern elders have said that the Federal Government ‘’should pay billions as ransom to Shekau and release all detained Boko Haram members’’ and that there must be ‘’no foreign forces in It is another that said, only a few weeks Nigeria”. They have also demanded that ago, that our country ‘’would burn” if ‘’force should not be used’’ in securing President Jonathan or any other souththe freedom of the abducted girls. erner contests for the presidential These demands are repugnant. It is the election in 2015. It is another that told same people that did not want troops to us last year that ‘’poverty was the root be deployed in the area in the first cause of Boko Haram’’ and that the place.

South was receiving too much money It is the same people that did not want whilst the North was not receiving state of emergency to be declared in the enough. How much more of this can we North. It is the same people that have be expected to take? been urging the government to negotiate Just three weeks after the Haramites with Boko Haram in the last three have abducted almost 300 young school years. girls at Chibok, burnt down their school It is the same people that have consisand kept them as sex slaves, just a few tently asked that Boko Haram should be days after they abducted eight more at treated lightly and that they should be Warabe Village, Borno state, just two offered amnesty even though they have weeks after two bombs went off in slaughtered no less than 10,000 innoNyanya, Abuja killing a total of 150 cent people. people between them and just three days It is the same people that are suggesting after no less than 350 innocent people that Boko Haram is actually a creation were slaughtered by the terrorists in of the CIA, MOSSAD and the Christian Gamborou Ngala, a border town with Association of Nigeria (CAN). the Camerouns, these northern elders It is one of these northern elders that are saying that force must not be used referred to Boko Haram as ‘’freedom against them. This is unacceptable and fighters’’ who are simply ‘’fighting for their suggestion must be treated with the justice” only last year. It is another that contempt that it deserves. said that members of Boko Haram ought to be treated ‘’in the same way as ‘Never negotiate with terrorists ‘ the Niger Delta militants’’ and that they I do not know what it will take for the should be rehabilitated, resettled and Nigerian people to accept the fact that paid large sums of money only last year. Boko Haram is the greatest evil that our It is another that said that ‘’Muslims country has ever had to contend with should only vote for those that would and that there can be no dialogue with protect their interests” and that he would such demons. I do not know what it will see to it that ‘’Sharia law is take for these northern elders to accept implemented and applied throughout the the fact that evil is evil, that you must whole country” in 2001. never negotiate with terrorists and that It is another that said that Nigeria was their ‘’gentle way’’ simply cannot work. created by the British and granted The truth is that until every single one of independence by them in 1960 on the the Haramites is hunted down, brought clear understanding that ‘’a northern to justice and despatched to hell there Muslim would always lead the country” will be no peace in our country. We must in 1994. It is another that said that if also eliminate those who secretly the North does not have it’s way on the encourage, fund and protect them. voting formula at the Constitutional I have always viewed those that suggest Conference he would lead his people that Boko Haram should be treated with ‘’out of Nigeria and into the Camerkid gloves with the utmost suspicion. It is ouns” just over a month ago. It is either that we live in a secular state another that said that they would make where the rule of law prevails, where our country ‘’ungovernable” if a southbeasts have no place and where murdererner was elected into power in 2011. ous animals are treated like the savages

zMilitants...at war against Nigeria

CHIBOK

Boko Haram, northern elders and Americans

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that they are or we shall have no country at all.

All this talk about ‘’not using force’’ must stop because it is nonsensical, it is counter-productive and it presents a very real threat to our desire to continue to live as one nation. Those that abduct, rape, kill and enslave children do not deserve to live.

Those that say that ‘’force should not be used’’ should give up them their own daughters in exchange for our missing girls. After they have done that they can be as gentle as they like with Boko Haram.

In all this, President Goodluck Jonathan has much to learn and I would be the last person to endorse what I consider to be his inexplicable restraint and obvious weakness in the fight against Boko Haram. Mr. President has failed to protect the lives and property of the Nigerian people and no responsible, selfrespecting and rational human being, including those that consider themselves to be his friends, should shy away from telling him so. ’Playing into critics hands’ We expect far better from him and if he fails to deliver he would not only have betrayed his mandate, violated his oath of office and let down the Nigerian people but he would also play right into the hands of his critics. These include the American Senator John Mcain, who told the world that ‘’no government exists in Nigeria’’ and Senator Hilary Clinton, who said that the Federal Government of Nigeria had ‘’squandered their oil wealth, allowed corruption to fester and now they are losing control of parts of their country’’.

These are timely admonitions from the Americans but they made their own fair share of blunders as well. For example, one wonders why it took the Obama adminstration up until early this year to formally recognise Boko Haram as a terrorist organisation despite repeated calls to do so earlier by many prominent Nigerians including Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, the President of CAN.

When Senator Clinton was Secretary of State, the State Department refused to label Boko Haram as a terrorist organisation even though they had butchered thousands of Nigerians.

Perhaps if they had done so more lives would have been saved.

There is no doubt that our government has handled this matter in an

unacceptable manner but the Americans must carry their own fair share of the blame. For Jonathan, the words of Mr. Opeyemi Agbaje are instructive. On May 9, 2014 he wrote: “We warned Jonathan. We called for action against Boko Haram and we screamed until our voices went hoarse.

Now the people who advised him against taking strong action and called for dialogue, the very people that said it was caused by poverty, the very people that promised that traditional rulers would resolve the matter, the very people that encouraged him to vacillate and do nothing or little, are the ones mocking him. Well, that is why leaders must exercise leadership. The buck stops at his table. The credit or the failure goes to him. I hope he learns!’’

A word is enough for the wise. *Fani-Kayode was a Minister of Aviation

Negotiate or fight, Shehu Sani, Boko Haram negotiator, tells FG

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hehu Sani, a former negotiator between Boko Haram and government, has called for Nigerian authorities to negotiate with the girls’ Islamist captors, and he said they may have to embrace the unpalatable option of a prisoner swap. “There are two ways to which you can get these girls free,” Sani told CNN’s “Connect the World” show. “The first is to use force, and the second is through dialogue. The use of force is not an option for now in the sense that nobody knows where these girls were kept.

“And even if you know, these girls have been embedded in with the insurgents who are heavily armed. And any attempt to rescue them will be putting their lives in further danger.”

SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014, PAGE 45

The Maiduguri Civilian JTF model as solution to Boko Haram insurgency,

by Hon. Gujbawu

*’Why it is difficult to access Sambisa forest’

Hon Kaka Kyari Gujbawu, a member of the House of Representatives, represents Maiduguri Federal Constituency, Borno State. In this interview, he speaks on the move to extend the state of emergency in the troubled states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

T

here is a fresh move to extend emergency rule in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states. As one of the major supporters of this action, what do you say?

There were a lot of views tied around this.

Out of the three affected states, those of us from Adamawa and Borno had a common stand to concur in our caucus to support the request of Mr President with some helpful and insightful additional suggestions that we believed would assist the military and intelligence community.

There was division among the Yobe caucus in the House for good reason. I think it was for that purpose that the leadership of the House decided that the service chiefs be invited to brief the House in an executive session and make clarifications where necessary.

For those members who are not from the affected states, we had an understanding to enlighten them. And for our colleagues in Yobe State who are averse to it, to have the opportunity to enquire from the service chiefs where they had misgivings for a better understanding of the situation.

Immediately after that meeting, we came to plenary and it was like a unanimous decision of the House as evidenced from the voices recorded. During the briefing with the service chiefs within the Green Chamber with 360 members present, we were so proud of our men in green uniform, blue uniform, white uniform and,

of course, the men in black whose hands are not seen but their impact felt through the effective gathering of intelligence.

They’re on top of the situation. I will like to call on my fellow citizens that, as a nation in war, this is a time we should not only stand as one, but should be seen to be standing and walking as one. This is a period when not only all the arms of government but indeed all the ‘limbs’ of the nation should, be seen to be functioning harmoniously. So, we should give maximum support and encouragement to our war-time Commander-in-Chief, President Goodluck Jonathan, I believe that my elders, senior colleagues in the Senate, particularly my northern elders, will reconsider their position after being briefed and find a harmonious position with the security institutions.

It is difficult to consider an alternative to having the military on ground. We could consider a hypothetical situation: Where will the nation be if not for these gallant and patriotic citizens, our soldiers in the field?

During the debate on the extension of emergency rule, you spoke on what you termed ‘community based approach’, a support for the civilian JTF. Can you shed more light on that?

After expressing appreciation for the inestimable sacrifice and efforts of our gallant and patriotic soldiers, I seized the opportunity to submit an invaluable input from my constituency and indeed Borno to the counter-insurgency campaign that will not only make it more

JTF by way of the provision of operational effective but ensure speedy success. And tools such as vehicles, torch lights and this input from the affected citizens at the some form of allowances, as well as epicentre of the insurgency is that government should broaden the operation inclusion of the youths in special FGN to community-based operation. And this youth empowerment schemes such as SURE-P employment programmes, Yousuggestion is borne out of our experiWin, Youth in Agric, etc. The major ence when the insurgency reached strength of these youths in the on-going it’s crescendo, and providence operations is the employment of their offered the peace-loving people of massive numbers against the insurgents, Maiduguri only two choices - to and for them to achieve that, they have to accept to live in perpetual forfeit their menial jobs that fetch them slavery that the insurgents N200 - N300 daily, to participate in subjected us to, or to stand-up operations and offer 24/7 surveillance. It and fight to regain our dignity and rights. The choice is only fair that government comes to their support. Mr. President has given them the was obvious- the people enviable epithet of ‘New Heroes of the mobilised, particularly the Nation’. We believe that as the father of youths - the now famous the nation, he will do more than the ‘Civilian JTF” organised themselves and extended collaboration, including combat needful to encourage them and inspire other youths to play politics across the support, to our gallant soldiers. Maidugnation. uri had been a very safe haven for the insurgents because they were living within There are fears that elections may not the large civilian population of over two hold in the affected states as emergency million people, thereby making it difficult rule is extended. for the military to fight them. It also gave We agreed in the chamber as responsible them cover from exposure through representatives and leaders of our people gagging law abiding citizens from that at such a time when issues that are at sharing intelligence with the security agencies through horrendous punishments stake are human lives, we should put such as slaughtering of informants or even politics aside. And when we said we suspected ones. No sooner, the community should put politics aside, that included the very offices that accepted to offer the we now hold, supreme sacrifice for because you their dignity and don’t play nation, did the military Maiduguri had been a politics with the and the community lives of people. arrest or kill over 2,000 very safe haven for the The moment you insurgents, confiscated insurgents because they play politics or destroyed over 3,000 with such sacred light and heavy rifles in were living within the less than a month. Ever large civilian population matters, then the of since, Maiduguri has of over two million people threshold responsible remained the safest leadership is town in Borno State.” crossed.

And just less than 48 hours ago, the courageous people of Kala- You held a meeting with the service chiefs. Could you let us into some of the Balge town in Borno State repelled yet things revealed by them which convinced another attack by the insurgents and you to approve it? killed over 50, arrested some, and Of course, some of the information is confiscated about ten trucks, 70 motorcyconfidential, but there are those I believe cles and rifles from the insurgents. will not be counter productive to the Now, we are urging, as patriotic, and operations on the ground. Most of them primary stakeholders in this counterare already known, but it was an opportuinsurgency campaign that government nity for us to ask them to pass the message should extend support and cooperation to the communities, particularly the Civilian to the honourable members.

The emerging battleground

Continued from page 42

The Chairman of the Northern Senators’ Forum, NSF, Senator Umaru Dahiru, told journalists that apart from opposing the extension being requested by Jonathan, they were going to meet with the three governors of Adamawa, Yobe and Borno to know if there was need to further adjust their position.

“If you notice, we had a meeting this afternoon and basically the issue of state of emergency is one of things that we discussed. We discussed it thoroughly, the pros and cons because majority of us were here to make their own contributions and a lot has been said. “This time around, if you discover in the past a request was made and it was approved the way it came. This time around there is a rethink. The majority position, which we have agreed upon, is that we are not going with the state of emergency.

“Categorically, that is our position. We are not convinced that it is only under the state of emergency that the security

personnel can achieve maximum result. We believe that more needs to be done and there are things that need to be addressed to conquer insurgency,” Dahiru said.

For the Senate leadership, which is known to be very supportive of Jonathan and his policies, the latest attempt by Senators and the three northern governors to reject the extension of emergency rule, may once again bring to the fore the ability of David Mark to manage the fallouts.

Apparently to douse the smouldering fire, the Senate on Wednesday tactically deferred voting on the matter, opting instead to summon Service Chiefs and security officials in Jonathan’s administration to brief them on the state of security in the affected states.

As the 1999 Constitution provides in Section 304(6), the Senate requires two third majority to approve the request by the President and that may prove to be a tough task to accomplish given the angst of the northern senators over the matter. But the Senate President, who has handled even tougher challenges on

the floor of the upper chamber, has the may come with a joker to herd the dissenting politicians from the north into the side of the majority.

As the battle ground shifts from Nyanya to Chibok and from Chibok to state of emergency in the North-east, the furore generated across the word simply adds to Jonathan’s problems and amplify the position of one journalist, who wrote last week: “Jonathan is a President in need of help”. But is the help on the way?

Jonathan can, however, take consolation in the interest being shown by the United States and its allies to help find the missing girls with or with no state of emergency in Borno or any of the northern states. That is a bid soothing.

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Vanguard, MA Y 18, 2014 MAY

Nothing is wrong if our int’l friends assist us contain Boko-Haram —Dosunmu

BY IKENNA ASOMBA

L

agos State governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2011 election and former Director-General of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Ade Dosunmu, in this interview, says there is nothing wrong if international friends offer to help Nigeria contain BokoHaram insurgency, stating that his party has all it takes to wrestle power from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2015 Lagos State gubernatorial election, among other issues.

Looking at the current outrage in the country over the abduction of 234 female students of Chibok Government Girls College, the United States, United Kingdom, France and lately Israel have offered a hand of help, but there are insinuations that their offers are Greek gifts. What do you make of this?

It is very unfortunate that we are in this situation. We have over 200 of our girls being abducted by terrorists. It is very sad. I can feel the pains of most Nigerians, particularly the affected parents. But the fact remains that the situation has got to a stage where government has no choice than to accept any offer of assistance coming from our international friends. We have to realize one thing, terrorism is a global problem. It is not limited to Nigeria. If the US, UK, France or Israel decide to help Nigeria, what is wrong with that.? After all, Nigeria also helped other countries in the past. We have moved into Sierra-Leone, Sudan and other countries that have had problems. We did not go there to impose our position or economic interest on them. So, if our international friends decide to assist Nigeria, what is wrong with that? So, with the insinuations here and there, you will understand that it is very difficult to satisfy everybody as a government. If the government says no, don’t come, tongues would wag, if the government says come, people will still say they want to surrender our sovereignty. What do you want government to do under these circumstance? So, I think it is a step in the right direction and it is a welcome development.

During the 2011 presidential election, some political opponents of the the incumbent President made some statements, which your party’s National Publicity Secretary has always blamed for the recent Boko Haram insurgency. How do you react to this?

By my training, I don’t deal with assumptions. I like to deal with statements of facts and, for that reason, I would not want to point accusing fingers at anybody, because I believe that the current instability in the county occasioned by terrorism is not something anybody could have had control over. I don ‘t think it is something some one will sit at one corner of his room to sponsor. There may be some external forces, but I don’t think any Nigerian politician in his wildest imagination or even in his right senses will sit down and inflict this type of pain on the country. I don’t think it is right for us to start to apportion blames, pointing accusing fingers. That will not help the situation. I think it is a common problem that we should all join hands together and confront frontally.

You were your party’s flag-bearer in the 2011 gubernatorial election of Lagos State, where you lost to the

incumbent governor. How can you assess his performance few months to the end of his administration?

Well, I always try to run away from that, because I contested against him and I am from the PDP. Whatever I say, people will say, ‘oh, he is talking politics. But, honestly, I feel if you take the opinions of Lagosians about, the current administration, you will be able to make some deductions, and that will tell you to a large extent whether they are satisfied with the government or not. But from my own angle, if I were the governor, there are certain things I would have done differently.

For instance, one issue is the school fees in the Lagos State University. In talking about public education, there is no how you can justify increasing the fees of a public university like LASU to between N193, 750 and N348, 750. How can LASU be the most expensive public university in Nigeria. It is not acceptable. It has even defeated the objectives of the founding fathers of the university. Don’t forget that when this school fees were hiked astronomically, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, who founded the university, stood up to appeal to the government to do something about it, as well as wellmeaning Lagosians and Nigerians. The students have gone on strike severally to express their pains, but the governor remained adamant.

Infact, it is not even acceptable that you have two universities in a state, one is federal and the other is state-owned, and the federal-owned is still paying N20, 000, while the state-owned is paying a minimum of N193, 750.

Public infrastructures too, I would have done that differently. I don’t see any reason government must be collecting taxes from the people and at the same time be tolling roads. How can you have two to three toll gates in one local council area? That is bringing about inequality. If two people are working in the same office, one lives in Surulere and the other in Lekki, they are earning the same income, pay the same tax to the government, you have further reduced the income of the man living in Lekki on the amount he would spend on tolls. And these are roads built with public funds. The Lekki-Ikoyi bridge, the Ikoyi bridge were built with public funds on Federal Government lands, so, why are you tolling them?. I would have done that differently.

My background will not allow me run a government that will not be masses-friendly or one that will not be to the benefit of the majority. I feel so many things needed to be done in order to bring government closer to the people, as stipulated by democracy. The unfortunate thing is that in Lagos today, the people are now being alienated from government.

2015 is around the corner, what next for you?

Yes, 2015 is around the corner, but one thing one must be very conscious of politically, is that no individual can personally put himself forward for election. Even the President needs the nomination and support of members of his party, to be able to come out for party primaries and being the flag-bearer of his party. The same for me. All I can say is that, if members of my party still consider me worthy of flying the party’s flag, I will graciously accept it.

CONFRONTING INSURGENCY

BY MONDAY PERI OKONNY

T

he most daunting challenge confronting Nigeria and threatening it’s very exist ence is the emergent national insecurity. It is imperative that every well-meaning Nigerian should be genuinely worried about this rather unfortunate development, especially after a successful celebration of Nigeria’s centenary. We hear on daily basis reports killings of innocent Nigerians, school children, nursing mothers in the north-east by insurgents; Fulani herdsmen fighting with farmers and leaving dozens of dead, villages razed, thousands of villagers displaced in Benue, Plateau and Nasarawa States.

Since the problem of Boko Haram heightened under the Yar ’Adua Presidency in 2009, a lot of questions have been asked. There is also valid suspicion regarding this matter. What is the root cause of this problem? How do we solve it? Who and where are the capable hands qualified to help the present administration tackle the intractable threat to national security?

The leadership and political class have not provide the direction for the restoration of peace and order in the country. That is why the views that if politicians and leaders, especially from the North, agree that the insurgency should end, it can hardly be faulted. For example, Governors Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State and Musa Kwankwoso of Kano State cannot be making inciting statements and talking about peace at the same time. That is fallacious.

National security, notably, should be everybody’s concern. In developed countries, every citizen, irrespective of political, ideological, ethnic and religious differences, come together against threat to national security. But here in Nigeria, instead of reinventing our collective sense of patriotism to the country like it happened in the United States of America during the September 11 terrorist attack, our differences are highlighted during crises. Any national crisis in Nigeria is often interpreted from the myopia of ethnicity, religion, geopolitical zone, among other differences.

National security also has a direct link with socio-economic factor. For instance, as a result of failure of governance system in the country over the years, meaningful development capable of creating jobs for the youth is largely absent or too weak to make any significant impact. Job creation engages the youth and reduces the temptation to engage in anti-social activities.

Although the present administration has been working very hard on this, it needs support because a lot still needs to be done to address the situation.

As a cursory reflection of our checkered history would show, the sustainability of the Nigerian federalism beats even a rationalist conclusion at every point, especially after the civil war in which more than three million lives were wasted. Unfortunately, the post civil war’s relative peace in the country was never consolidated. Between then and now, the fallout of national pogrom, military interregnum in civil government and the ineptitude of the political elite at democratic experiment seem to have permanently placed the unity of Nigeria on the edge.

As a nation, must we allow ourselves to go through horrible tragedies, bloody experiences and unquantifiable destructions to actually realize that peace and security of lives and property are priceless? From leaders to citizens who are truly committed to this country, we cannot continue to wallow in hypocrisy, mediocrity and false patriotism to one united Nigeria.

Nigeria cannot overcome its national security challenges without collective efforts which can only be achieved if we all lay down the arms of ethnicity, religion, sectionalism, extremism and political ideological differences. *Monday is a public affairs commentator

PAGE 47—SUNDAY

Vanguard , MAY 18, 2014

M

r Kingsley Osadolor, member/ spokesperson for the Presiden tial Fact-pfinding Committee on the Chibok abduction, speaks on the body’s job.

On May 2, the day after the second Nyanya bombing in the Federal CapitalTerritory, President Goodluck Jonathan summoned a top-level security meeting at the Presidential Villa. By then, the world was abuzz with a welter of conflicting information on the schoolgirls who were abducted in the night of April 14 at Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, where the students boarded to write their West African School Certificate Examinations.The schoolgirls had not been found, and the trauma was aggravated by the fatalities of the Nyanya bombings and the lingering terror mostly in the North-East of the country.

One immediate fall-out of the highlevel security meeting was the decision by the Federal Government to set up a multi-agency/stakeholder fact-finding committee on the mass kidnap of the Chibok schoolgirls. “In view of the inconsistent and contradictory information available to government on the Chibok abduction, the President has set up a Fact-Finding Committee comprising security agencies, civil society, international organisations, and other stakeholders,” Information Minister Labaran Maku told State House correspondents, while announcing the conclusions of the security meeting.

The Fact-finding Committee was inaugurated by Jonathan on Tuesday, May 6. Chaired by Brig.-General Ibrahim Sabo (rtd), one-time Director of Military Intelligence, nominees of the United Nations, ECOWAS, National Parent Teacher Association, and All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools, are members of the Committee. There are officers from the intelligence, security and defence services, as there are representatives of civil society organisations, National Council of Women’s Societies, the media, and Ministry officials. A member, who is a Visiting Professor at Harvard, flew into Abuja that morning for the formal takeoff of the Committee.

The Committee’s terms of reference are: to liaise with the Borno State Government and establish the circumstances leading to the school remaining open for boarding students when other schools were closed; to liaise with relevant authorities and the parents of the missing girls to establish the actual number and identities of the girls abducted; to interface with the security services and the Borno State Government to ascertain how many of the missing girls have returned; to mobilise the surrounding communities and the general public on citizen support for a rescue strategy and operation; to articulate a framework for a multistakeholder action for the rescue of the missing girls; and to advise government on any matter incidental to the terms of reference. The Committee is not a substitute for the search and rescue efforts already mounted by the security and defence forces.

By declaring that the Fact-finding Committee was neither a judicial nor administrative panel of inquiry, President Jonathan effectively put paid to any potential litigation either to frustrate the work of the Committee, or its outcome, because there is a subsisting judicial decision (on the Oputa Panel) that such panels of inquiry are matters for state governments, not the Federal Government. Still, there was a potent ingredient for controversy on the day of the Committee’s inauguration at the President’s Meeting Room. At the close of the brief ceremony, State House correspondents had asked me why the representatives of the Borno State Government, who were announced as members, were absent at the inauguration. The immediate suspicion

Kingsley Osadolor (left), with members of the committee

We are engaging in a forensic exercise —Kingsley Osadolor *Fact-finding Committee tackles abduction assignment by the reporters was that the Borno State Government had shunned the Presidential Fact-finding Committee, with its multifarious connotations and implications.

I urged the correspondents to be patient, because I was meeting most of the Committee members for the first time and could, therefore, not positively identify all of them. On the other hand, I said, the Committee was proceeding to hold its inaugural meeting within the precincts of the Presidential Villa, and the Borno State representatives might show up at the meeting; but that was not the case. The Committee contacted the Secretary to the Borno State Government, Ambassador Baba Ahmed Jidda, who explained that he had been away, and had not apprehended the official communication from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The Secretary to the Borno State Government, however, promised to send the nominated representatives at the next plenary of the Factfinding Committee, which was promptly communicated to the correspondents. As promised, the Borno representatives have since joined the Committee, and are participating enthusiastically. Indeed, two of the representatives have their roots in Chibok—-one, a retired Brig.General; the other a member of the State House of Assembly, who informed Committee Members that some of his grandchildren were among the abducted schoolgirls.

Illuminating briefs Breaking out into clusters of workgroups, the Committee immediately began to gather and sift facts already in the public domain and within the knowledge of appropriate agencies. This was done with a view to ascertaining gaps, which would assist the Committee in the various stages of its assignment. As the take-off of the Committee coincided with the three-day World Economic Forum for Africa, formal interactive sessions planned with a number of government agencies were shelved, on account of the work-free days during which offices were closed.

The Fact-finding Committee has since held intensive interactive sessions and consultations with competent sources within the Federal Capital Territory.Among the sessions held were those with the Minister of

Defence, Chief of Defence Staff and the Service Chiefs in charge of the Army, Navy, and Air Force; as well as the Inspector General of Police. The Committee also met with the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Besides the very illuminating briefs provided by the Service Chiefs, their whole-hearted endorsement of the work of the Fact-finding Committee disclosed an unqualified willingness to co-operate and a determination to overcome the current security challenges. Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh thanked members of the Committee for taking on the assignment. “It will give us respite if you are able to get to the root of all that has happened,” he said.

According to Air Chief Marshal Badeh, “Everybody thinks this war is for the military alone; no. It is a war for all of us.” He stressed that, “soldiers don’t fight wars on their own. It’s a nation that goes to war.” He expressed the hope that with current efforts and support, “we shall win the war (on terror), and bring back our girls.” The Service Chiefs — Army, Navy, and Air Force — dispelled insinuations that had been rife over the abduction and terror in general. Such insinuations concern the armoury and fire power of the terrorists, the morale of Nigerian troops, as well as operational deployment of troops.

The military top brass explained their rules of engagement, and related issues of appropriate firepower in situations which terrorism presents within Nigerian territory where there is civilian population. In part, what emerged is that while the Nigerian Armed Forces are a disciplined institution, the terrorists are not, hence the latter use all manner of weapons in any circumstance. This, the armed forces are by law and Conventions not allowed to do. While thanking the Service Chiefs for the insight provided, the Fact-finding Committee Chairman, Gen. Sabo (rtd), frowned at the disparagement of the country’s armed forces, and commiserated with the Services on the personnel losses suffered in the fight against terrorism.

At another meeting with the Department of State Services (DSS), its Director General, Mr Ekoenyong Ita, gave a detailed brief on the Department’s antiterrorism efforts, which he said had led

to several arrests and the bust of terror threats and plots. He also spoke on the Chibok abduction. The Director General dispelled the notion of inadequate intelligence gathering as a factor hindering the fight against terror. “We have gone beyond the lack of intelligence. If we didn’t have intelligence, we would not get the Nyanya bombers,” he said.Urging Nigerians to be patient, Mr Ita gave assurance on the safe return of the abducted schoolgirls. “We will get these girls,” he said. “If we can get the people who bombed Nyanya, we will get the girls.”

In addition, the Director General of NIA, Ambassador Ayo Oke, briefed the Committee extensively on the measures taken so far by the Agency in the joint intelligence and security efforts to locate the whereabouts of the kidnapped schoolgirls and ensure their safe reunion with their respective families.According to Ambassador Oke, “We will not know peace until these girls are found,” adding that, “we must agree as a people that this is the time to end the menace of Boko Haram.” To him, “The incident (Chibok abduction) has awakened a new sense of humanity and collective pain to all Nigerians and friends of Nigeria.”

At the session with the Police, Inspector General Mohammed Abubakar explained the circumstances of the abduction and the immediate steps taken by the Police Force. He informed the Committee members of the on-going investigations and the pursuit of leads that might assist in securing freedom for the kidnapped schoolgirls. The Inspector General of Police also articulated perspectives on the mass abduction, which the Committee members acknowledged would greatly facilitate their work.

The Committee has also held extensive consultations with a number of foreign experts from the countries that have pledged support to the efforts by the Federal Government to secure the release of the abducted schoolgirls. As the Committee Chairman, Gen. Sabo (rtd), told the experts, the global response to the abduction was a reflection of our common humanity. This is all the more underscored by the step taken by the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, who has appointed a Special Representative on the Abduction of the Chibok Schoolgirls.

The Fact-finding Committee has met with the UN Special Representative, Ambassador Said Djinnit, an Algerian, who informed the Committee that,beyond the outrage and condemnation of the abduction, the UN Secretary General was interested in a support package to ensure the release of the schoolgirls, and to deal with the larger issues arising from the circumstances of the mass abduction. “We care about Nigeria,” the Special Representative said. “We highly support the multidimensional approach of President Goodluck Jonathan in solving the problems in the North-East of the country.” Amb. Djinnit was delighted that the Federal Government co-opted the UN into the Factfinding Committee through the membership of the Head of the UN Agencies in Nigeria. Crucially, the Special Representative pledged to assist the Committee with the UN wideranging expertise and experience in factfinding missions.

Invariably, the question may arise as to the utility of these rounds of consultations and interactions. The straightforward answer to such a query is that the Committee is mindful of the circumstances that warranted its coming into being, namely, the confusion fostered by the conflicting information on the abduction. The Committee is, therefore, engaged in a forensic exercise that will enable it fulfill its mandate within the shortest possible time in what we all hope will be a happy ending to the abduction saga in which our young daughters are hapless victims.

PAGE 48, SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014

CHIBOK I revealed the names of 180 abducted girls at great risk — Evangelist Owojaiye

BY SAM EYOBOKA

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VANGELIST Matthew Owojaiye, penultimate week, released a list of 180 girls among those taken away by Boko Haram from the Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State on April 14.

The radical preacher was in Lagos where he spoke to journalists on the controversy that trailed the list of the 180 students, and how he came about it when the Federal Government is asking the affected parents to assist security operatives with the pictures of their missing children. In the interview, Owojaiye urged Nigerians not to politicise the issue, because the story is true.

“You can imagine if your daughter disappeared for more than one week, no trace, and some people were even thinking the story was made up”, he said, adding that there were more girls in captivity but he was only able to get the names of the ones from Chibok.

,,

So the 180 are from Chibok local government area Yes. They knew that Chibok local government area is 90 per cent Christians. Why didn’t they attack other girls’ schools? The people knew that the terrorists were coming, according to what we are hearing now.

Which people? The leadership of the school?

The locals; it’s in the papers that they knew some people were coming. They didn’t know it was the girls they were coming for.

People cannot move in large numbers without people knowing.

Are they goats? Can you carry more than 200 human beings away without the DPO of the town knowing? They could not send signals around? Within 24 hours, government could surround and cut them off before the girls could be taken outside the country? We are treating the whole abduction issue with levity as if the girls are not important. It’s a tragedy.

How did you come about the names?

I’m a northerner. I attended Government College, Keffi. The late President Umaru Yar’Adua was two years my junior in Keffi.

There’s no part of Nigeria I don’t know. So if they say my information is wrong, that’s where there will be questions. But I will not give the source of my information. As a former Chairman of Northern Christian Elders Forum, NOSCEF, I have a large network over the years from where I am able to gather information at all times.

When you got the names, why didn’t you take the list to relevant government authorities? Why did you decide to make the list

They knew that Chibok local government area is 90 per cent Christians. Why didn’t they attack other girls’ schools?

public?

You don’t report such a thing to a police man because you don’t know whether he is a member of Boko Haram. If you don’t want anybody to kill your information, you bring it out.

The kidnapped girls are your children.

Whether they are Muslims or Christians, I’m a father, I’m an elder.

People are imputing religious motive to what you did. For example, in your statement, you said the town is dominated by 90% Christians, and they are asking, what if those girls were not Christians?

Well, we would still have screamed.

But let me tell you, we are marginalized, we have been persecuted, we have been deliberately undeveloped; all Christian areas in the North. So we know what we are suffering. But when I was asking for compensation, did I say they should give Christians alone?

How much compensation did you ask for?

I asked for N50 million. There’s what we call punitive judgment. Did you expect me to ask for N5? If you ask for N50 million, at the end, they may say 10 or 20 million. But if you ask for N10 million, at the end, they give you N2 million, they will now say are you not the one that asked? Am I going to get one naira out of it?

People are just wondering why you asked for compensation considering the fact that the girls have not even

Owojaiye

been rescued...

To make the parents happy that somebody is fighting on their behalf.

When a man is in trauma, you get confused, and you feel abandoned by everybody. When people rise up at your back, you feel some sort of relief. It’s for the parents, not for me.

Have you visited Chibok since the incident?

No, I will not, because they will recognise me.

Who? What are you talking? Even our people can’t give information to anybody, because they will kill you.

I can’t sneak in there and spend one day without them knowing. Do you know they kill any Muslims that talk against them? So when you are gathering information, you send people. You gather information from your people that cannot be known.

You don’t send a known person. You won’t get the information and you will die. That’s double tragedy.

So how are the locals in Chibok feeling about this attack?

They are happy that I shouted. They are sending me texts thanking me.

They were feeling helpless, but when they saw the whole world making noise on their behalf, it gave them relief that they are not abandoned after all. Even America says they are going to help the Nigerian government. So there’s a feeling of great joy. But before, they felt abandoned.

What’s the guarantee that if they rescue these girls, other girls will not be abducted?

This is what we are saying. If you read my paper, it says we should move them temporarily to other parts that are safer. The students that were abducted should be taken abroad, but others in SS1 to SS2 should be moved because they are still vulnerable. It is impossible to deploy soldiers to all schools in the country. How many soldiers do we have? So moving them away from dangerous areas should be the first step. Because now we are even hearing rumors that they want to take more. By the time they start

kidnapping more, what I have said now will become clear.

People are questioning the authenticity of the entire episode.

Some people in Abuja said maybe this was even stage managed from the word go....

That’s why I’m boiling. If your daughter is missing and somebody says it was stage managed, doesn’t it cause you more pain? While you are crying and can’t see your daughter, someone is saying stage manage!

Have you had cause to speak with some of the parents of the abducted girls?

My people reported back to me, so it is not a lie. You mean you can fool the whole world? What do we gain if we stage manage the issue? What do we gain if it’s a lie?

Since the publication of the list, how many people in government have reached out to you?

None.

Why? Because they know it’s true. Let me tell you; if these children were writing their SSCE, are you telling me that WAEC doesn’t have their names and photographs? The people in the North know me very well, all the people in government, and nobody has said it’s a lie. Those in Abuja cannot even tell me it’s a lie.

Even within the security circle, nobody has reached out to you to ask how you got the names?

They don’t need to, they know me before. I carry integrity. I preach on television every week and I’ve handled national issues, I’m an activist, fighting for the truth. The Muslims like me in the North, they say I preach the truth and rebuke whoever is wrong, be he Muslim or Christian.

Are you planning to relocate?

Why should I relocate? The people know I’m saying the truth. I walk on the streets, I can take motor cycle around, and I can go to the market and trek round. I’m not afraid. The people love me.

Now that you have the list of some of the girls, because we don’t even know the number of the girls that were captured, do you have any plan to go to government to present the list or negotiate?

No need to. I told you government already has the pictures. Didn’t WAEC collect information from the girls? Do you mean FG doesn’t have the list from WAEC with the pictures? If they don’t have it, then it’s a terrible thing.

The President in his recent media chat urged affected parents to help them with photographs......

Couldn’t he collect such pictures from WAEC? The truth is that the parents are afraid. If they speak, their lives would be in danger. In such a situation, let the government go to WAEC. The principal of the school, wouldn’t he have the pictures of the girls? If they burnt the school, did they burn the ones with WAEC too?

Are you angry that this whole situation has been politicized?

God will judge whoever is playing politics with it. A nation that doesn’t care for its youths, a nation that does not respect lives; if we do that, we are in trouble. So nobody should turn it to politics.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014, PAGE 49

PAGE 50—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 18, 2014 sameyoboka@yahoo.com

08023145567 (sms only)

Adeboye, Adefarasin, others extoll virtues of Oyitso

By SAM EYOBOKA

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T was an unending torrent of encomiums for the pastor-incharge of Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Province 23, Pastor Brown Oghene Oyitso on Thursday, May 8, at the Shell Hall of the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos where eminent personalities from all walks of life gathered to celebrate his 60th birthday anniversary.

After extolling the virtues of Pastor Oyitso, General Overseer of the church, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, his wife, Pastor (Mrs.) Folu Adeboye, national vice president of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, Pastor Paul Adefarasin, Pastor Johnson Odesola and Pastor Femi Atoyebi among others prayed God to sustain him and his family for much more good works for the Lord’s Vine-yard.

Pastor Adeboye must have stunned several people in the crowded hall when he began by describing Pastor Oyitso as “my beloved Carita Papaya” in reference to grammatical verbosity Oyitso was once noted for. He saluted Oyitso so heartily for taking the gospel to different parts of the world as part of his duties as the chairman of the Central Missions Board of RCCG. “I salute a man who is a missionary to the core. A man who wants to see the kingdom of God expand to all over the world. May the Almighty God bless you and release His grace upon you in any area of your life and your later end will be far more glorious than the former. Congratulations my Son and many happy returns,” Pastor Adeboye prayed.

The lot fell on his wife, Mummy G.O. to pray for the celebrant and his family just as Pastor Adefarasin said the Body of Christ is truly grateful for what God is doing through his Oyitso’s ministry in the Kingdom of God, praying that God “ will grant you wisdom and grant you the power to do

L-R: Pastor (Mrs) Helen Oyitso, Pastor Brown Oghene Oyitso, celebrant, Pastor (Mrs) Folu Adeboye, wife of General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor (Mrs) Funso Odesola and Pastor Johnson Odesola, Special Assistant to the General Overseer on Administration, during the 60th birthday thanksgiving service of pastor-in-charge of RCCG Province 23, Pastor Brown Oyitso at the MUSON Centre, Lagos. much more for the Kingdom.”

One thing that Pastor Oyitso’s elder sister, Mrs. Lucy Ogufere admires so much in her brother is his tenacity to succeed and his drive to excel, praying also that the “joy of the Lord will continue to be your strength.”

Elder Felix Ohiwere and his wife found difficult to believe that 10 years had past since they attended Oyitso’s 50th birthday anniversary, adding that the celebrant hadn’t change much since then because “the typical Oyit*Pastor Brown Oyitso and wife, Passo Brown use of the English language tor (Mrs) Helen Oyitso cutting his continues to flow unabated.”

Special assistant to the G.O. on Ad- birthday cake. Shots: BUNMI AZEEZ. ministration & Personnel and a regional pastor, Pastor Johnson Odesola who specifically at the Central Missions preached the only sermon of the day Board. Indeed, you are a blessing to noted that they both had grown to- our generation.” gether in ministry, noting “ your unRCCG’s head of First-Born Family, relenting devotion and diligence to- Pastor Feli Atoyebi’s prayer for an oldward our Master ’s busi-ness is un- age gift of the fruit of the womb, preferquantifiable particularly in RCCG and Continued on Page 51

NCPC boss tasks state officers on morals

By SAM EYOBOKA HAIRMAN of Ni gerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh has urged chairmen and secretaries of State Christian Pilgrim Welfare Boards (SCPWB) to be morally and spiritually transformed in order to make pilgrimage in Nigeria more impactful and more robust.

Okoh disclosed this during the Commission’s second meeting for the year with the Conference of States at the NCPC corporate headquarters in Abuja.

The NCPC chairman stressed the need for transformation to begin with the stakeholders because according to him, “that is the only way our pilgrims can equally be transformed”.

He therefore charged the

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state chairmen and secretaries to seek the fruit of the Holy Spirit which is love, noting that love is the principal thing.

Okoh maintained that Nigeria is passing through a tunnel, adding that at the end of the tunnel, people will come out with good character and brand new minds.

Earlier in his welcome address, NCPC executive secretary, Mr. John Kennedy Opara said that there was need for the Commission and the SCPWB to embark on aggressive sensitization to churches and their heads, Christian philanthropists and corporate bodies to sponsor Christians who are hard working and deserving to go on pilgrimage as a reward for their hard work and commitment, so that pilgrimage in Nigeria could stand without government support.

The NCPC boss urged the

Group identifies factors against transformation

By PROVIDENCE OBUH

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VERY Home for Christ has iden tified evangelism, renewal of spir it and improvement in morality as crucial ingredients for national transformation.

Speaking at a conference tagged: “Vision Casting,” national co-ordinator of the group, Mr. Lanre Da Silva, said the time has come to transform the nation and engender peace and love through spiritual renewal, noting that transformation will be achieved via evangelism.

Noting that Christendom has a burden to transform the world, Da Silva said such will only happen if the evangelical zeal to share God’s word is revived among Christians.

Also speaking, international presi-dent, Global Outreach, Evang. Werner Nachtigal maintained that the vision to evangelise has a muscle that will ensure every individual on earth receives the good news.

Bishop visits Nsukka indigenes in Lagos

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HE Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Very Rev. Msgr. Godfrey Onah, is expected in Lagos on May 31, to meet with the teeming population of the Catholic faithful from his diocese.

He is expected to use the occasion to thank his people for the role they played during his installation as the second bishop of the diocese.

Preparations in Lagos have reached advanced stage for the historic visit just as the bishop and his flock are reportedly excited about the prospect of meeting each other in an atmosphere of spiritual comradeship.

The bishop is expected to pay a courtesy call on a fellow bishop, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, the archbishop of Lagos Metropolitan See and will celebrate a High Mass at St. Agnes Catholic Church, Maryland, on Sunday, June 1 by 11.30 a.m.

Reception/interaction with Nsukka Catholics will follow at the church's reception hall immediately after.

Prior to his appointment as bishop-elect of Nsukka Diocese on April 13, 2013, by Pope Francis Monsignor, Onah was a distinguished professor and vice rector of the Pontifical Urban University, Rome, Italy.

LDS counsels youths

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Chairman of NCPC, Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh (left) in a warm handshake with the executive secretary, NCPC, Mr. John Kennedy Opara at the meeting of NCPC and the Conference of States at NCPC corporate headquarters, Abuja. state officers to strive to make pilgrimage a Christian reality by remaining steadfast in the things of the Lord,

noting that “the challenges we face are real, but I know that with our commitment, we shall overcome”.

HURCH of Christ of Latter-Day Saints, LDS, recently held a oneday career counseling seminar for youth and singles in Lagos and its environs, reports WILLIAM JIMOH. Organised by the Self Reliance Center, SRC, of the church the event was part of efforts to tackle unemployment as well as mentor participants on how to be gainfully engaged and avoid negative influences currently facing the society.

According to Adeyemi Ojediran, a member of the Seventy and president West African area of the church, the seminar was informed by the believe held by the pioneer of the church; “it is impossible for a Christian to be a good child of God, while depending on others to survive.”

Ojediran also said that, “it is important as we grow in our spiritual life; we also try to grow in education, skill or training that we can always provide for our personal needs.

“This programme titled; "Identify with a Mentor" was designed for our young single adult, to help them in career planning and decision taking because we know that at that age group a lot of things happen. Those who are going to get it right that is where they get it right and vice

Continues on Page 51

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 18, 2014, PAGE 51

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OD says: “as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9). Jesus goes even further to reveal that the ways of God are not only different from, but often diametrically opposite to, those of man. He insists that: “What is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:15).

This means that if man thinks something is black, God is likely to consider it to be white. If man thinks that something is good, God is likely to consider it to be bad. Or if man thinks something is beautiful, God is likely to consider it to be ugly.

Kingdom dynamics Let me put this even more graphically. If man establishes a university and says that the first 100 pupils in the exam would be admitted, then know that in God’s university it is the last 100 pupils that would be admitted. Or if man has an Olympic Games and gives the gold medal to the person who comes first, then be sure that in God’s Olympic Games the gold medal would be given to the person who comes last.

The first must become last and the last become the first.

God seems to violate deliberately every human yardstick and criterion.

This inclination was a matter of great fascination to Solomon. He notes that: “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to

A KINGDOM NOT OF THIS WORLD the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favour to men of skill.”

(Ecclesiastes 9:11).

When God sent Samuel to anoint one of the sons of Jesse as the new king of Israel, Samuel forgot that he was not acting on behalf of a man. He immediately jumped to the conclusion that Eliab, the oldest, tallest and most distinguished son, was the Lord’s choice. But the Lord quickly corrected him: “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him.

For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7).

Reversal of fortune The kingdom of God is designed to bring about a radical transformation of the human or world order. For this reason, God works in contradictions, creating a reversal of fortunes: “The LORD kills and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and brings up. The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and lifts up.” (I Samuel 2:67).

According to the coun-

LSD counsels youth Continued from Page 50 versa.

“It will help the youth to know what opportunities are available out there," he maintained, adding "at the centre, we train people on skill acquisition, how to prepare and get job and how to run their own busi-

nesses."

Also speaking, Mr. Charles Adebayo, manager, Lagos SRC, said the programme is held twice a year, adding that the next one will be a job fair where the youth will be brought face to face with employers.

Adeboye, Adefarasin, others extoll Oyitso's virtues Continued from Page 50 ably a baby girl, elicited thund-erous applaud from the crowd of admirers. The head There were several goodwill messages and tributes from all over the world including Pitts-burgh, USA, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, UK, Lond-on, England, Nether-lands, Ireland and friends like Pastor Johnson Kale-jaiye, Pastor Idowu Iluyo-made, Pastor Amos Emo-von and several acq-

uiantances from the corporate world.

As expected there was plenty to eat and drink while Holy Malam treated participants to scint-illating jokes when he drew attention of all to Pages 14-15 of the Cele-bration of God’s Grace brochure which featured photographs of the pastor’s early days when he was carrying an ‘Afro hair’ while

Pastor Kunle Ajayi led the pack of singers and musicians at the event.

Know this for certain: if it is popular in the world, then it cannot be of God. sel of God, the rich are going to become poor and the poor are going to become rich. Therefore, if you are rich be considerate. Use your riches wisely for the time of poverty is coming. If you are poor take heart, your time of enrichment is coming.

Let the weak say that they are strong, and let the strong realise that by strength no man can prevail. The older shall serve the younger, and the master shall become the slave.

John the Baptist prophesied that: “Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:4-5).

Observe that the glory of the Lord cannot be revealed until every valley is exalted and every mountain and hill brought low.

Disadvantageous advantages

A

BUJA – GEN ERAL Overseer of Intercessory Prayer Ministries (IPM), Prophet ThankGod Abam believes that the end of an era of insurgency, their sponsors and sympathizers in the country had commenced.

Abam stated this during the second anniversary of IPM/fund raising of

Accordingly, every advantage in the world becomes a disadvantage in the kingdom of God. Likewise every disadvantage in the world becomes an advantage in the kingdom of God. Every mountain of beauty, wealth, position, brains, skill, background or pedigree shall be brought low. Every valley of ugliness, poverty, lowliness, stupidity, lack of skills, lack of education, or lack of social status shall be exalted.

At the end of the age, God has promised that: “All the trees of the field shall know that I, the LORD, have brought down the high tree and exalted the low tree, dried up the green tree and made the dry tree flourish; I, the LORD, have spoken and have done it.” (Ezekiel 17:24).

It also means that everything will be renewed.

God is determined to wipe the slate clean and begin all over again.

Therefore, he says: “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I

will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43: 18-19). Indeed, to enter the kingdom of God, every man has to begin all over again. Thus, Jesus tells Nicodemus: “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3).

Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount turns everything on its head. It is the poor in spirit who are enriched by the inheritance of a kingdom more glorious than all the thrones on the earth. It is the meek who renounces self-aggrandisement who ends up by inheriting the earth. It is those who hunger and thirst after righteousness (and not earthly riches) who are filled.

Devil’s kingdom Is God just determined to be disagreeable? Not so. We have to remember that his kingdom was the only kingdom. The kingdom of God preceded the kingdoms of this world.

But the kingdom of God on earth was given to man to administer, and man ceded the dominion and authority to the devil as a result of sin.

So it was not God who decided to be contrary. It

was the devil, the ruler of the darkness of this world, who was determined that everything about this world should be the antithesis of the kingdom of God. Therefore, “all that is in the world- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life- is not of the Father but is of the world.” (1 John 2:16).

Look around you and you will see that the prevailing way of doing things in this world is ungodly. The policeman harasses innocent motorists in order to extort a bribe from them. The mechanic puts fake parts in a car. The pharmacist sells expired drugs. The armed-robber snatches cars. The civil-servant demands a bribe. The lecturer demands sexual gratification from his students. Without a doubt, the world around us is under Satan’s power and control. (1 John 5:19).

Therefore, know this for certain: if it is popular in the world, then it cannot be of God. It must be devilish. If Michael Jackson’s album Thriller was the highest selling album of all time, it must be because the devil approved of it. If Bruce Wilkinson’s book, The Prayer of Jabez, was such a runaway bestseller, it must be because its underlying principles are fundamentally ungodly. If Mel Gibson’s film, The Passion of the Christ, was so popular, it must be because it excites the flesh and not the spirit. That is how we get the darlings of the world, such as Jerry Springer, Eminem and J. K. Rowling.

End of Boko Haram imminent, says cleric

By CALEB AYANSINA N1.5b church permanent site project in Abuja, noting that none of the sponsors and sympathizers will go unpunished, adding that the Lord had started dealing with them. “God has started

dealing with them and none of them will escape; anyone that has ever contributed for the bloodshed will not go scot-free,” Abam said.

The guest preacher, Prophet Dauda Maiwaazi is also of the opinion that those who cause

chaos in the nation would not go unpunished, urging Nigerians to unite in prayer against all enemies of the country. He explained that people with extraordinary faith backed with action are visited with divine grace and abundance.

Ebikeme Clark thanks God over freedom from abductors

E

BIKEME Clark, the son of Delta State elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, has appreciated God in a special thanksgiving service over his release by his abductors without paying any ransom.

Ebikeme, family members and well-wishers who were at the Christ Embassy Church, Airport Road , thanked God for rescuing him from the hands of kid-

nappers on the 6th of April 2014.

“I was abducted by gunmen in my village to an unknown location inside the creek and all I was saying was Jesus Christ after they have tied my hands and legs. While they were waiting for my wife to bring the ransom they ran into confusion as I was praying continuously. That was when one of them asked me which Church was I attending because I

was causing confusion among them and I said Christ Embassy.” God used people to rescue me without paying any ransom and I came out unhurt” “So, the fourth day they said my father has sent soldiers everywhere after us so we are taking you to another location far away where no one can see us, in my mind I said am not going anywhere that I must

go home tonight. So, few minutes later one of their phones rang and the next thing they took me to the river side around Bomadi area and they gave me five thousand naira to make sure I get home safely,” he said Mrs. Elizabeth Clark, the wife of Chief Clark and mother to Ebikeme was also present to thank God for the release of her son with other dignitaries.

PAGE 52—SUNDAY

Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014

Achieving the big "O"

By Yetunde Arebi

B

ELLA listened as her two friends chatted on. The discussion was an interesting one but she had very little to contribute. For her, sex has never been the mind blowing passionate experience she'd read about in romantic novels, nor even close to what Tinu, one of the ladies was describing to them.

She has only been with two men, the first, with whom she'd shared wild passionate moments with as a young teenager and her husband, whom she'd had to marry as her first visit to his apartment had gotten her pregnant. And though she'd made a success of the marriage, their sex life has remained colourless no matter how much she'd tried. The story is slightly different for Ewa who believe she is the problem as her husband does try to please her most of the time. According to her she enjoys the sex, only she just can't figure out if Tinu's stories were exaggerated or not. For many women, the inability to achieve orgasm during sexual intercourse has remained as elusive as a mirage, leaving most confused with many unanswered questions.

To know if you have ever experienced the big "O", or will ever actually do, you need to understand what it is in the first instance. It is like travelling to a new destination. You will not know if you have arrived there without an address or map guiding you to the location. The truth is that most women who have taken time to study their body, especially the sex organs and how they work find it easier to enjoy their sexual relationship, just as a man who is knowledgeable about the female body will understand and know how to set it in correct motion.

You may be wondering why the emphasis is on the female body.

Studies have shown that men are likely to orgasm 90-98 percent of the time they have sex. In fact, this is often the way a woman knows that the game is over. Unfortunately, same cannot be said about the woman.

Research have it that about 15% of women report difficulties with orgasm while 10% have never climaxed and 40–50% have either complained about sexual dissatisfaction or experienced difficulty becoming sexually aroused at some point in their lives. These

similar to this. According to her, she has only experienced orgasm three times in all of her 19 years relationship with her husband.

One night during one of her few outbursts on her lack of sexual fulfilment in the early days, her husband had categorically told her that he found it weird that he had to bring her to climax with his fingers. A full grown woman according to him, must learn to orgasm through sexual intercourse. The subject died a natural death that night and has never been discussed again.

Hmm!

Guys, sweating and tiring yourselves out by humping and thrusting endlessly at your partner does not mean you are giving her the most pleasurable experience of a lifetime. You need to get more creative, versatile and patient with us figures are significantly higher in African societies and cultures where Female Genital Mutilations (FMG) as well as other cultural practices are predominant and act as inhibitors.

The inability to have orgasm after ample sexual stimulation is called anorgasmia, ejaculatory anhedonia, or inorgasmia and as stated above, is significantly more common in women than men.

Sigmund Freud was the first to suggest that there were two types of female orgasm, the Clitoral and the Vaginal orgasms. He went on to describe the clitoral orgasm as a juvenile act of pleasure, to be experienced while in one's youth. Freud said once a woman matures she will go on to experience the vaginal orgasm as a result of stimulation through penetrative sex or intercourse.

A friend once told me something

Sex researcher, Alfred Kinsey will later refute this claim in his own study which according to him revealed that there is only one type of female orgasm. To him, an orgasm is an orgasm so long as it takes place inside or outside of the female genital, no matter which part of her body was being stimulated. Most sexologists and researchers over the years have corroborated Kinsey's findings, insisting that the area located in the front wall of the vagina identified as the Grafenberg spot, or otherwise known as the G-spot is actually a bundle of nerves, gland or series of glands from the clitoris which extends into the wall of the vagina. Therefore, the vaginal orgasm can also be achieved when combined with stimulation of the clitoris, invariably making the clitoris the central or focal point

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of the female orgasm. Are you still wondering why many African women may find it difficult or indeed, may never experience an orgasm?

Now, the clitoris may be described as the most important part of the female sexual pleasure. It is to the woman, what the Penis is to the man. The clitoris or clit is a small bud-like formation located slightly above the opening to the vagina and at the top of the inner labia. Though its size and shape differs from woman to woman, it is generally believed to be between 1/8 to 3/8 of an inch in size. The clitoris is highly sensitive and full of nerve endings which becomes engorged when a woman is aroused. Though many of the clitoral nerve endings are subterranean, or below the surface, the visible part is just the tip of the iceberg as, even “in hiding,” the 6,000 to 8,000 sensory nerve endings are a mega source of incredible pleasure for many women.

This is in contrast to the vaginal walls which contains relatively few nerve endings and only the lower third of it has enough nerve endings to feel stimulation from a penis, finger, sex toy, or other penetrative object. It is therefore logical that intense sexual stimulation, pleasure and orgasm from vaginal-only penetration are pretty much unlikely to happen. This is why a vast majority of women will need clitoral stimulation to achieve orgasm since vagina penetration on its own is not always enough.

So guys, sweating and tiring yourselves out by humping and thrusting endlessly at your partner does not mean you are giving her the most pleasurable experience of a lifetime. You need to get more creative, versatile and patient with us. And even more so if you discover that your partner is missing that vital part of her sex organ, the clit.

Don't be fooled by those moans, name callings and "ohmigods", they could just be a way to hurry you up to get it over with. Believe me, most women are experts in this instance.

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DISCLAIMER!

be on top of your game as a male or female, here is how to know if you've scored the big O! The woman first: According to sex researchers, William H. Masters and Virginia E. Johnson in their seminal work titled Human Sexuality, orgasms are a combination of two things, a build up of muscle tension and the release of same.

When a woman gets incredibly turned on, she builds up muscle tension around her pelvis and her clitoris and vagina becomes engorged with blood just like the male penis does. At the same time, the vagina wall also starts to secrete beads of lubrication which eventually gets bigger and flow together. During an orgasm, all these tension technically known as Myotonia is released and a flood of hormones flows into the body causing intensely pleasurable feelings. Though centred around the genitals, pleasure can be felt all over the body depending on the individual. Her heart rate, blood pressure and breathing increases, muscles contract throughout her body, especially in the vagina, uterus, rectum, and pelvic floor.

Upon orgasm, all the tension is released and a pleasurable, relaxed feeling takes over. This is probably why most men will fall asleep after sex. And the women? If you have felt anything close to this, then you are damn lucky! And if otherwise, don't be sad, it is achievable, you only need to work harder at it.

As for the man, if you want to know if you have done a good job and she is not just faking it.

Watch out for these signs: Her skin will be flushed. Her pupils will dilate. Parts of her will be shaking and those she can steady, she’ll be pushing into you.

This will continue until she’s done and can’t take anymore.

Now, let's go and put all we've discussed to test and we'll meet again next Sunday to explore how to hit the target big O without missing. At least, most of the time!! Do have a lovely week.

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SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 18, 2014, PAGE 53

Messi outshines Ronaldo in fat pay league L

IONEL Messi has agreed terms on a new Barcelona contract which is set to see him overtake Cristiano Ronaldo as the world’s highest-paid player.

Messi’s current deal ends in June 2018 and contains a £204million (about N55.7b) release clause. Those details are apparently set to remain unchanged, but Spanish newspaper El Pais claims he will receive a pay-rise from £10.6m (N2.8b) to £16.3m (N4.4b) a season, after tax.

Talks on an improved deal have been ongoing since last autumn, when it became clear that teammate Neymar and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo were imposing on his status as the world’s best-paid player.

While each player ’s contract will include different incentives and bonus structures, Ronaldo’s annual salary is reported to be around £15m (N4.1b) net basic salary, although Real Madrid have never confirmed the figures.

Barcelona, under leadership duress as well as a legal investigation over taxes earlier this year, released details of Neymar’s salary, which showed the Brazilian star earning a net £5.7m (•7m) annually before bonuses.

Messi is set to see his weekly wage rise to just over £313,000 (•384,000)

•King of Football... Lionel Messi showing why he earns mega bucks which would put him ahead of both Ronaldo and Real Madrid’s record signing Gareth Bale, who reportedly earns around £300,000-a-week before tax.

Wayne Rooney signed a bumper new deal with Manchester United in January which allegedly earns him £300,000-aweek and makes him the Premier League’s top earner, while Monaco’s Radamel Falcao takes home every penny of his reported £11.4m salary (£219,000-a-week) because there is no tax in the principality. Zlatan

Ibrahimovic earns around £11.3m at Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain while Sergio Aguero was claimed to be the highest paid player in the Premier League (£11m annual salary) until Rooney signed his new deal.

As Barca’s talks with Messi dragged on there was even speculation over recent months - dismissed last week by the Argentine himself as “crazy stuff ” - that the board had considered putting the 26-year-old up for sale to use the £204m for a complete overhaul of the squad this

Give me Robben, Van Gaal tells Man. U

L

OUIS van Gaal has given Manchester United chief executive Ed Woodward a list of transfer targets - and it includes Arjen Robben.

It was revealed last week how Mats Hummels, Toni Kroos and Luke Shaw were all among the men Van Gaal wanted.

But according to new reports this morning, the soon-to-be named United boss wants countryman Robben as well.

The Guardian claim Van Gaal has put together an A, B and C list of desired players which he has given to Woodward.

Thomas Muller joins

Robben among them.

Robben has enjoyed a three-year spell in England before with Chelsea, where he won two Premier League titles.

He is now 30 but is still tearing apart defences for Bayern Munich. Van Gaal will work with Robben at the World Cup in his role as Holland boss.

summer. Clubs including Manchester City, Chelsea, PSG, Bayern Munich and even Real Madrid were mentioned

as possible new destinations for the fourtime Ballon d’Or winner.

However, a statement on the club’s official website

Suarez loves life at Liverpool L UIS Suarez claims to be loving life at Liverpool and has no thoughts of leaving Anfield.

The Uruguay star has enjoyed a superb season for the Reds, scoring 31 goals and winning both the Professional Footballers’ Association and Football Writers’ player of the year awards.

That came after a hugely controversial summer last year, when Suarez - serving a ban after biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic - tried

to force a move away.

Now transfer speculation has started again but Suarez, who earlier this week denied a clause allowing him to move to one of Europe’s biggest clubs had been inserted into a contract signed in December, has been quick to distance himself from the rumours.

The 27-year-old, who is reportedly of interest to Real Madrid, told Sky Sports News: ‘I signed the contract because I love it here and I’m so happy here. If you’re not

Bayern open door for Mandzukic exit

B

AYERN Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says the club is open to Mario Mandzukic leaving the club due to the imminent arrival of Robert Lewandowski.

Rummenigge tells the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper, “Naturally if Mario stays it won’t be easy for him

because a world class player is coming to us. The question is whether he confronts this competition or would rather go to another club.”

Mandzukic was dropped

by Bayern coach Pep Guardiola despite being fit for yesterday’s German Cup final against Borussia Dortmund, fueling speculation he is leaving the club.

on Friday morning read: “FC Barcelona has reached an agreement to adjust the terms in the contract binding Leo Messi to the club as a professional first team player. The revised and updated contract will be signed over the next few days.”

Barca coach Gerardo Martino said the development was excellent for everyone at the Camp Nou. “These are matters that will help bring tranquility for Leo and for the club,” Martino said ahead of his side’s title-deciding clash with Atletico Madrid.

“Obviously anything that is good for him is good for us. It will help him to bring us more on the pitch. Whatever is good for Leo is good for Barcelona.”

Messi has scored 354 goals at Barcelona, including five straight seasons of at least 40.

Living Large... Suarez enjoying the moment

happy here you don’t sign any contract.

“Liverpool’s team for me is one of the best in the world because nobody here in the dressing room thinks I am better than another and the people here inside Melwood work very well.

“I love it here and this mentality I like because maybe in some other dressing rooms I am bigger than you and another bigger, it’s difficult for the teammates to play together on the pitch in something like that.’

PAGE 54 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 18, 2014

Brazil 2014 Special: Players left behind The best players not heading to the World Cup. Yes, there are a host of players who aren’t going to the World Cup. That’s because the soccer gods have come to the conclusion that there can only be 32 teams in the tournament, which means some talented souls have to watch from the comfort of their own living room.

And yes, there are some incredible men that won’t be going due to the fact that fate is cruel, and they picked up severe injuries that will leave them out of contention in Brazil.

This list includes Christian Benteke, Theo Walcott and, most likely, Radamel Falcao.

But what of the ones whose countries qualified, yet still won’t be boarding the plane? In some cases, their national team coaches had reasons for keeping them out of the squad.

In others, their lack of inclusion remains a true head-scratcher.

Ikechukwu Uche Villarreal and Nigeria

I

KECHUKWU Uche is Nigeria’s most noticeable striker in the European league this season. But according to the Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi there is no place in his team for a player who would not play to instructions. Despite plea by fans Uche is not going to Brazil and he has accepted his faith and also made up with the coach.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris Saint-Germain and Sweden)

S

O what if Sweden didn’t qualify? Someone high up at FIFA should’ve worked through a quick rule change that would’ve allowed Ibra to switch his nationality. Because what is a World Cup without Zlatan? Nothing. Just wait. You’ll see.

Samir Nasri (Manchester City and France)

W

ELL, this one was confusing.

Nasri impressed at title-winning Manchester City this season, where he had seven goals and •Vela seven assists. He was involved in France’s World Cup qualification, making four appearances. So why isn’t he part of les bleus? Turns out Didier Deschamps thinks Nasri has a bit of an attitude problem, and doesn’t appreciate being left on the bench. He likely also now thinks Nasri’s girlfriend has an attitude problem, after she lashed out on twitter when the French squad was announced.

•Uche

Carlos Tévez (For ward, Juventus and Argentina)

A

FALLING out with Alejandro Sabella means Tévez hasn’t played for La Albiceleste since 2011. Of course, Argentina have plenty of firepower up top, what with Sergio Agüero, Gonzalo Higuaín and…what’s that guy’s name again? Oh right, Leo Messi. Still, 19 goals and 7 assists in 33 league games with Juventus is nothing to sniff at. Who knows, if Tévez scores four this weekend, he could even become Serie A’s top goalscorer this season. But no matter – he’s going to Disneyland instead.

Francesco Totti (AS Roma and Italy)

R

OMA’S captain began his international career back in 2000, and was part of the azzurri side that lifted the 2006 World Cup. He retired from international duty after the triumph, but made it clear he was open to returning this season. However, Cesare Prandelli decided to put his faith in younger players, and left the 37-year-old off the roster – despite an impressive season in Serie A, helping Roma fly into second place and challenge for the title.

(Honoroable mention to Luca Toni, another veteran having an amazing season in Serie A. The 36-year-old scored 20 goals for Hellas Verona this season).

Nasri

Carlos Vela (Forward, Real Sociedad and Mexico)

A

•Tévez

Ashley Cole (Chelsea and England)

GAIN, everyone knew this was coming. Vela hasn’t played for El Tri since 2011, despite various coaches trying to entice him back to the side. After accepting the management gig, Miguel Herrera did his best to convince Vela as well, but the attacker just didn’t feel himself mentally ready to return to international competition. That’s too bad for the struggling Mexico team. Vela’s done well for himself in Spain, putting in 41 goals in 104 appearances with Real Sociedad. There are even strong rumors that he just might make a return to Arsenal – assuming he’s mentally prepared for that, of course.

C

OLE must have thought his chances for England were good after fighting his way back into the Chelsea squad. But Roy Hodgson, slightly surprisingly, gave his England squad a more youthful feel, and it’s Luke Shaw that will take up the role of the understudy of Leighton Baines. It’s a bonus for England, having to choose between talented left-backs rather than taking along Stephen Warnock, but it’s gotta hurt for the 33-year-old to miss out on his last chance for his country. Cole retired from international football after getting the news that he wasn’t headed to Brazil.

•Cole

•Vela

Totti

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 18, 2014, PAGE 55

Brazil 2014: Keshi made the right choice, says Onuh

BY EDDIE AKALONU

F

ORMER home based Eagles handler, Erasmus Onu has described as “superb” the 30 man provisional list released By Stephen Keshi, saying it contained the best players the country have for the World Cup in Brazil. “ I must commend Keshi because despite lots of distractions, he remained articulate and composed, that enabled him to conclude on the names on that list and I am of the opinion, that there is a team we can be proud of, only if the players work extra hard.”

Speaking to Sports Vanguard, Onu, who has also handled top teams in the domestic league, including, NPA, Wikki Tourists, Jigawa Stars and OUK now Abia Warriors, thumbed up Keshi for the handsome number of places accorded to players from the domestic league, stating “it is a glowing time for our home players and makes the domestic league large.

It will be honored if they can prove themselves worthy, compete favorably with their foreign based counterparts for a place in the 23 man list bound for Brazil now that the opportunity is there.. “There is also that important need for them to prove their worth to give Keshi kudos that

BY EDDIE AKALONU

N

•Pressure... Stephen Keshi feeling the heat. he was right in choosing them for the competition, to Nigerians and the world because we have

LYING Eagles forward Chidera Eze on Friday showed positive signs of recovery after he scored a brace, ahead of the African Youth Championship (AYC) qualifier match.

The Eagles would meet Tanzania in the second leg AYC qualifying match in Kaduna.

The FC Porto of Portugal striker had been suffering from a hamstring injury that sidelined him during the first leg match in Dar es Salaam.

A statement released by the team’s Media Officer, Sam Audu, on Friday said that Eze, showed positive

never had it so good in recent times,” he said.

Onu expressed the belief that the list is a bank

of players that’s enough to play in the world cup and do well stating “it only needs to be subtract-

ed from and nothing else to be added to it. If players work hard, with luck we might just be going to our best world cup.”

NPFL: Bayelsa, Nembe gun for victories N I G E R I A Professional Football League (NPFL) clubs, Nembe City FC of Brass and Bayelsa United FC of Yenegoa, have assured their fans of victories in their league matches to be decided

AYC qualifiers: Chidera’s recovery gladdens Manu Garba

F

CBN Open Tennis: Upsets a measure of high standards, says Husseini

signs of full recovery from the injury.

It said the striker scored two well-taken goals for the second team during today’s training session at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna.

The statement quotes Head Coach, Manu Garba as saying: “I am happy my boy is coming back to life”.

It noted that the first team, which was the same that started in Tanzania without injured Wilfred Ndidi, eventually won the training game, 3-2 with a brace by Taiwo Awoniyi and another goal by Abdullahi Alfa.

today.

Nembe will confront ElKanemi Warriors FC of Maiduguri in Omoku, Rivers, while Bayelsa United is away to FC Taraba in Jalingo.

Victor Baribote, proprietor of Nembe, told NAN by telephone that the players had resolved to redeem their names in the match against ElKanemi.

He said that the team had put behind the 0-3 defeat they suffered in Wednesday’s mid-week encounter with Kaduna United in Kaduna.

“The boys have resolved to take the bull by the horn; at least, we have got our first victory and that will always put them in a good frame of mind.

“It is better we started bad so that we can put in our best rather than start well and end bad,” Baribote said.

He said the club in spite of being privately managed, the management was trying to match the government-

owned clubs in terms of salary and financial motivation for the players and officials.

Richard Bubara, Coach of Bayelsa United also told NAN by telephone that the club was prepared for its encounter with FC Taraba in Jalingo.

“I have talked to my players to forget the past and forge ahead.

“I told them that losing to their former boss is one of those things that happens in football but that should not discourage them from getting a good result in Taraba.

“We are ready to deliver and I know we cannot leave Taraba without a point; we are going there to win or pick a point,”

•Tug of War... Nigeria Professional League action between Kano Pillars and Bayelsa United.

IGERIA Tennis Federation Technical committee chairman Bulus Husseini has expressed satisfaction with the standard of the 36th Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN Open in Lagos, going by the number of upsets recorded in both men and women categories. “I will say it has served the purpose given upsets recorded in the competition in men and women.”

I am also happy because we have had a smooth organization of this edition for which I have to commend everyone involved. It has also given NTF a lid on players because there were cases of players one may say are good fell by the wayside because they lacked the stamina to face even less experienced opponents.

It’s evidence of their level of preparation, fitness level and attitude to training. The wheelchair version was also fun to watch going by the hard-work that the players put into it. However one is bound to say the championships meets my expectations and we will strive to do more,” he said.

The championships which began May 7, end Saturday.

Meanwhile Bulus Husseini has restated his call for Primary Schools Games to be put in place in the country as basis for sports development.

“Primary schools is where to start for sports to be truly developed. Skills imparted at the level stick and lives with the athlete for life,” he said. Husseini, who commended the national youth Games held this year, however faulted it’s timing, saying “it should never have been held midway the school calendar. The concept is good but spoilt by timing It would have served the purpose if it was held during the long vacation by which time, teams would have time to camp, prepare and compete in the games.

So, the timing is something the National Sports Commission have to look into next time it is to hold so the Games can serve us well.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 18, 2014

Suarez loves life at Liverpool —P-53

Brazil 2014 Special —P.55

Brazil 2014: Siasia fears for Keshi’s Eagles F

ORMER Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia said that his predecessor, Stephen Keshi has a lot of work to do, to bring his key players to a competitive level, since most of the players in his squad had little playing time in their clubs during the season.

Key player like Mikel John Obi whom Keshi is banking on to drive his midfield played 36 games in all competitions for Chelsea this season, most of those were from the bench. Others like Victor Moses also had limited playing time.

“The biggest problem (for the team) is that most of the players did not play regularly for their various clubs and this cannot be good for the team.

“What you can do when the players come together for the training camp for the World Cup would be mostly tactical and so I don’t know how (coach Stephen) Keshi will go around this problem.”

Siasia submitted that Mikel’s contribution will be crucial to the team’s success in Brazil 2014, but it all depend on his playing form..

“Mikel will be key for Nigeria, having played at the highest level for a top club like Chelsea for many years. Such an experience should count for something,” he said.

Former Nigerian striker Benedict Akwuegbu also said he expected Mikel to play a big role and described him as “the engine room of the Eagles’ midfield”.

Mikel, who missed the last World Cup finals because of a knee injury, is a holding midfielder at the at Chelsea but is given a freer, more attacking role for his country as Lazio youngster Ogenyi Onazi does all the grafting alongside him.

SEIZE THE DAY... Gunners players ecstatic, after they came back from the dead to beat Hull City 3-2 in the FA Cup final at the Wembly Stadium, London. That win ended Arsenal’s nine-year trophy drought .

Atletico beat Barca to La Liga tittle A

TLETICO Madrid yesterday fought back from a goal down and held Barcelona FC to a draw to claim the 2014 Spanish League title.

Madrid coached by former Argentina international Diego Simone are now one step away from completing a double as they face city rivals Real Madrid in the Champions League final on Saturday.

An Alexis Sanchez shot from an improbable angle gave Barcelona a 1-0 34th minute lead over visiting Atletico Madrid. But their

RESULTS FA CUP Arsenal SPAIN -LIGA Real Madrid Barcelona

3

3 1

Hull

Espanyol A/Madrid

NATIONS CUP QUALIFIERS Malawi 2 Chad Namibia 1 Congo Sao Tome 0 Benin

2

1 1

0 0 0

opponents did not back down, as Diego Godin headed home a deadball just after halftime to tie the score and put Atletico Madrid back in the driver’s seat to its first La Liga title since 1996. They did not relinquish the lead.

Lionel Messi seemed to have found the go-ahead goal in the 64th minute, but was ruled off-

sides after the ball popped to him off a scrum in the 18.

Filipe Luis picked up a yellow card for a sliding tackle on Messi just outside the 18, and a free kick came as the clock neared 70.

After a solid minute of jostling and arguing over how far away the wall should be, Messi sent

the ball directly into it.

Barca’s passing just wasn’t there the rest of the way. They were a fraction off almost all day, and Atletico parked the bus after the interval as if they were masters. The Camp Nou is no longer a house of reigning champions, as Barca is trophy-less.

CROSS WORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1. House of Reps Speaker (8) 5. Assistant (4) 7. Praise (5) 8. Upright (4) 9. Lantern (4) 11. Tradition (6) 13. Lagos masquerade (3) 15. Exclamation (2) 16. Pig’s nose (5) 18. Agent (3) 20. Glitters (6) 24. Forward (5) 25. Nigerian state (6) 27. Boring tool (3) 29. Ghanaian fabric (5) 31. Perform (2) 32. Oshiomhole’s state (3) 34. U.S. currency (6) 36. Vow (4) 38. Musical quality (4) 39. Inclination (5) 40. Eager (4) 41. Damages (8)

DOWN 1. Sample (5) 2. Niger state town (4) 3. Observe (5) 4. Lecture (6) 5. Everyone (3) 6. Use (6) 10. Inquires (4) 12. Carpet (3) 14. Colour (6) 15. Resistance unit (3) 17. Coax (4) 19. Rollicked (6) 21. Hatchet (3) 22. Satisfied (4) 23. Nigerian state (3) 26. Cry of derision (3) 27 . African country (6) 28. Endure (4) 29. Child (3) 30. Spoke (6) 31. Adorn (5) 33. Baking chambers (5) 35. Asterisk (4) 37. Possessed (3)

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SOLUTION on page 5

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PAGE 6—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 18, 2014

PARIS CONFERENCE ON TERRORISM Global terror networks deeply involved with Boko Haram — Jonathan Continued from page 5 for convicted terrorists and suspects awaiting trial, and the promotion of opportunities for dialogue and collaboration with critical stakeholders from the region.

Nonetheless, Boko Haram has continued to attack innocent Nigerians without regard to religion, ethnicity and gender.

Christians have been killed; churches have been destroyed, Muslims have also been murdered and mosques destroyed.

The reprehensible abduction of innocent school girls in Chibok, Borno State is another manifestation of this criminality.

We believe that it is the success of our administration’s Transformation Agenda, evident in the growth of our economy and increasing opportunities for our people, that has prompted the terrorists to intensify the war against Nigeria, because our success is their failure.

The activities of the terrorists have also been felt across Nigerian borders particularly in Chad, Niger and Cameroon. Border and cross-border attacks have taken place with Boko Haram terrorists seeking refuge in our neighbouring countries. So many Nigerians, fleeing from terror attacks, have also become refugees in our neighbouring countries creating additional burden (security and financial) in those countries.

It is the regional and global character of the terrorists’ campaign that makes it imperative that we explore and adopt a regional

and global approach to addressing this insurgency and menace. Indeed, in the spirit of collective regional security, it is important that we accept that an attack on one country is an attack on all of us, and our common humanity.

It is equally important that we accept the principle of hot pursuit of terrorists in the context of joint border patrols and cooperation in order to deny them sanctuaries and make it impossible for them to take refuge in each other ’s territory. I note with satisfaction that some mechanisms for joint border patrols including customs and immigration administration have commenced.

But we need to do more to restore security along our common borders, focussing especially on the actualisation of the mandate of the Multinational Task Force on the Lake Chad Basin.

In addition, we have intensified the exchange of intelligence and information on cross-border movements of goods and services of illicit origin, especially small arms and light weapons as well as human trafficking.

At the multi-lateral level, we are developing a regional strategy to win the war against terror within the region. The importance we attach to combating terrorism informed our decision to invite African leaders during our Centenary celebrations to deliberate on ‘Human Security, Peace and Development: Agenda for 21st Century Africa.’

We have signed bilateral agreements with our neighbouring countries on security and are engaged in

Joint Operations with Benin Republic, Chad and Niger. In this regard, we welcome the support and assistance of all our partners from the region, the continent and around the world in providing technical expertise, training programmes and support for border-area management programmes.

At the international level, we should take concrete steps to designate the Al Qaeda in West Africa, alias Boko Haram, as a Terrorist Organisation on the basis of the Proscription Order that my government has already imposed on the organisation.

We should also accelerate the implementation of other international sanctions, particularly under the auspices of the United Nations, on Boko Haram, Ansaru and their principal leaders.

We are already making thorough intelligence efforts to identify their sponsors and their sources of funding and arms supply. I have no doubt that with the cooperation of Nigeria’s neighbours, it would be possible to rein in these organisations until this scourge is ultimately eliminated and defeated. We will not succumb to terrorists and their dangerous tactics. Terrorists will not be allowed to define who we are or instil fear in our people and cause destruction and mayhem. The time has therefore come for all peace-loving peoples of the world to unite against this new threat to global peace and stability.

29. The abduction of young innocent school girls in Chibok represents a watershed, and a turning point,

President Goodluck Jonathan in the global terrorist war against human civilization. The escalation by the terrorists should not go unanswered by us. The world is entering a new stage and we must stand firm to protect our civilization.

I will like to seize this opportunity to express the gratitude of the Government and the people of Nigeria to all countries who are actively participating, side by side, with our country, in seeking the rescue of these school girls. I must commend the efforts of countries like France, the United States, the United Kingdom and Israel, among other partners who have offered technical assistance to my Government in our joint efforts to res-

cue these innocent children.

The major challenge that we have faced in our search and rescue operation so far has been the deluge of misinformation about the whereabouts of the girls and the circumstances of their disappearance.

We have deployed about 20,000 troops to the area, intensified aerial surveillance, and strengthened local intelligence resources. We shall spare no effort, we shall explore every avenue; we shall turn every stone, to ensure the return of the girls to their families and that the terrorists are defeated.

Once again, I wish to thank all participants for your attendance at this

C o n f e r e n c e .

34. I am confident that the outcome of our deliberations will go a long way in assisting us to address both the immediate challenges and root causes of Boko Haram insurgency in order to restore enduring peace and stability, not just to Nigeria but also to our s u b - r e g i o n .

35. This latest attack is a wake up call for all of us. A line has been drawn in the sand; a test is put to each one of us. Nigeria will rise up to this challenge and will prevail. I call upon each one of you to stand up and be counted with us in this fight.

I thank you all.