Death toll rises to 68

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61647

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ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

KADUNA CHURCH BLAST/ REPRISALS:

Death toll rises to 68 •Nigeria heading for religious war — Kukah •IG orders 24-hr surveillance patrols •Jonathan considers State of Emergency •Bombs, gunshots rock Damaturu K KADUNA: THE DAY AFTER

KINGSLEY OMONOBI, BEN AGANDE, LUKA BINNIYAT & VICTORIA OJEME

ADUNA — DEATH toll from last Sunday three coordinated bomb attacks in Kaduna and Zaria has risen to 68 even as indications emerged, yesterday, that President Goodluck Jonathan was considering imposing a state of emergency on Kaduna if reprisal attacks continue.

Sources, however, said the casualty could be higher as some of the victims caught in the Christian dominated areas of Kaduna town were killed and their bodies burnt beyond recognition.

At least 51 corpses are Continues on page 5

PINI JASON:

Farouk Lawan's penkelemesi •P.17

Mr & Mrs

Farouk at Force Hqtrs, fails to produce $620,000 •P.6 bribe money C M Y K

Dangote to resume as NSE President today —P.7

2 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012 — 3

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012—5

POCKET CARTOON

Kaduna: Death toll rises to 68 Continues from Page 1 now deposited at two Kaduna Hospitals, after Christian youths launched reprisal attacks against Muslims following the bombing of one Church in Kaduna, and two more in Zaria.

Findings by Vanguard show that 39 corpses have been deposited at the St. Gerald Catholic Hospital, Kakuri, Kaduna and 12 at Barau Dikko Specialist Hospital, Kaduna.

In Zaria, the death toll was put at 17, with about 45 others injured. All the victims were members of Christ the King Catholic Cathedral, Zaria and ECWA Church, Wusasa, where the suicide bomber attacked the Children wing. The death toll from the bombing of Shalom Church, Trikania, Kaduna was put at 3, with 17 injured.

But Kaduna State Police Commissioner, Mallam Mohammed Abubakar Jinjiri in a telephone chat with Vanguard yesterday evening said he could

not release any figure yet.

“As I am talking with you, we are in a meeting with the Military, Security agencies, National Emergency Agency, State Emergency Agency and the State government. We are meeting to collate and put a final figure to both those that were killed and those injured”, he said.

The following telephone conversation ensued between Vanguard and the police commissioner: Vanguard: Sir, can you just attempt an estimate on the casualty figure from the Police side?

Jinjiri: Sorry, I can’t tell you anything now. I don’t want any confusing figures. I Vanguard: So, when is the Press going to be briefed about the figures?

Jinjiri: “That will be tomorrow (today). It has been very hectic and we are still meeting”.

The Public Relations Officer PRO, of St Gerald Hospital, Mr. Sunday John Ali however confirmed to Vanguard that the number of corpses brought to the hospital

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12 The words of the wisest man on earth that ever lived: Stressing the importance of unity, synergy and team work, where these three suffice achievements come easily and obstacles are easily surmounted, difficulties often give ways to geniuty and a group hitherto in obscurity is usually brought to the lime light.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the sun sets in, their true beauty are revealed only if there is light from within —Elisabeth K Ross

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F you know that your life is a journey and you want to make it a divine connection, you must learn to travel light. Shake off all the nosey knowit-all who try to convince you that they know what you need and how you should go about getting it.

Throw away all of the chronic complaining criticizers who have never done anything except complain or criticize.

Tear yourself away from whimpering –whiners who have excuses for all the things they have not done.

Shake yourself away from people who make promises and keep few commitments.

Iyanla Vanzant, excellent writer and poet says, the best way to do this is to unpack abrasive attitudes limiting your progress and fill your heart with the light of truth, capsules of courage, fistful of faith and a pocketful of goodwill to make your journey light and easy.

had risen from 33 on Sunday evening to 39 last night. He said that 75 others are taking treatment for various degrees of injury.

At the Barua Dikko Specialist Hospital, Vanguard findings showed that 12 corpses had been taken there with two receiving treatment for various wounds, largely from reprisal attacks.

Meanwhile, tension was brewing at the Barnawa part of Kaduna as at last night.

Barnawa, located in Southern part of Christian dominated area has been unaffected by virtually all the violence that has engulfed the state, as the minority Muslims population has managed to stay in peace with the large Christian population that encircle them.

But, at around the time of going to Press around 6:45 pm yesterday, reports reaching Vanguard said that some Muslim youths had grouped to attack Christian interests in the area, prompting Christian youths to come out ready for them.

A Phone call to Kaduna State Police Spokesman ASP Aminu Lawan on the matter revealed a rather unclear picture.

Said Aminu: “We were told that some Muslim youths in Barnawa were angry after a said corpse was brought there. It was said that they took arms, and the Christian youths had also taken arms ready for one another. But when we went there, we only saw soldiers and policemen. We asked about the corpse, no one said anything. So as far as I am concerned, nothing is wrong with Barnawa”, he said.

Nigeria heading for religious war — Bishop Kukah The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, yesterday, warned of impending religious war between Christians and Muslims unless President Goodluck Jonathan acts fast to reverse the trend of attacks against Churches in the country by the Boko Haram Islamist sect.

Bishop Kukah, who spoke during the National Summit on the

Freedom of Information Act, organized by Media Rights Agenda, said even though President Jonathan may not be blamed for the rising level of insecurity in the country, he has the duty to arrest the situation.

Warning of the dire implications of the continued bombing of churches in the north, he said: “I warn him (Jonathan) about the future of Nigeria, I am convinced that Nigeria is running out of time, there is an impending war between Muslims and Christians in the country.”

He described the attacks on Christian places of worship as a deliberate attempt to push them out of the North.

“This country is ours to build and construct, nobody owns this country, the country belongs to all of us as citizens of this country and has the right to reside in any part of the country, if the president does not take decisive steps, we may be pushed to the wall,” he added.

Speaking on Freedom of Information Act 2011, Bishop Kukah said that the task of ensuring the effective implementation of the Act is a critical one that must involve all stakeholders and all sectors of the society.

He said the media was instrumental to the passage of the Act and must continue to play its roles to make sure the Act works effectively.

Also speaking, the Minister of Information Labaran Maku said that the security challenges in the country have effected economic development, adding that if there was no crisis after the 2011 general elections, the country would have witnessed a lot of foreign and local investments.

He reiterated his willingness to work on public enlightenment project in collaboration with all the civil society organizations and other stakeholders committed to the implementation of the FOI Act.

IG orders 24-hr surveillance patrols Meanwhile, following intelligence reports that the violence that erupted in Kaduna State on Sunday as a result of the

bombing attacks on three churches in Zaria and Kaduna towns, is threatening to spread to other neighbouring states with possible reprisal attacks, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar has ordered a 24-hour strategic surveillance patrol of Kaduna and neighbouring states of Katsina, Kano, Plateau, Nasarawa and Niger States.

Aside the patrols, Vanguard can report authoritatively that against the backdrop of the “Sunday-Sunday” attacks and bombing of Christians in churches in parts of the country, the Police have developed a new ‘Standard Operational Order’, not only for Sunday worship but other days of worship.

Confirming the development, Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Frank Mba

said the 24 hour patrol directive by the IGP was to prevent further spread of the crises that erupted in Kaduna and other states.

“While the patrols in Kaduna will be to consolidate on the calm and peace that has returned to the State, it is also designed to ensure that the gains made so far are not lost and the patrols of other states is to ensure no spill over or breach of security of any kind”, CSP Mba said.

On the Operational Order, Mba said: “The operational Oder spells out the standard operational procedure that officers should adopt in ensuring prevention and management of crises situations.

Kaduna: Jonathan considers State of Emergency EANWHILE, President Goodluck Jonathan, in a closed-door meeting he held, yesterday, with Senate President David Mark; the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Dahiru Musdapher and the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshall Oluseyi Petinrin was said to have discussed the possibility of imposing a state of emergency in Kaduna should the reprisal attacks continue.

According to sources, “the president told them that he believes there would be need to impose a state of emergency in Kaduna State should the reprisal attacks that greeted the multiple bomb blasts in that state continue”.

The meeting which lasted for about an hour was considered a process of consultation by the president on how to respond to the escalating attacks on churches in the Northern part of the

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country. David Mark in a brief chat with State House correspondents said ‘the meeting was normal’.

He however called for restraint from victims of the church bombings, saying that vengeance belongs to God.

Bombs, gunshots rock Damaturu Also yesterday, bombs and gunshots rocked Damaturu, Yobe State capital as attackers were said to have targeted Government House. A resident who spoke with AFP on phone said: “It all started late in the evening and there have been bombings and shootings throughout the city and nobody knows what is going on.

Everybody has moved indoors”.

Another resident was said to have given a similar account while police could not be immediately reached.

6—VANGUARD, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

KADUNA/ZARIA CHURCH BOMBINGS:

CAN, CHAIN fault Tambuwal’s comment on reprisal

BY LUKA BINNIYAT

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PUBLIC HEARING: From left, Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi; Deputy Governor of CBN, Mrs. Sera Alade and CBN Deputy Governor, Mr. Tunde Lemo, at a public hearing investigating use of public funds without approval by National Assembly at the National Assembly complex, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

$3M BRIBERY SCANDAL:

Farouk at Force Hqtrs, fails to produce $620,000 Police fear bribe money already shared SSS' reluctance to assist compounds investigation

BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI

BUJA — THERE were indications in Abuja, yesterday, that the $620, 000 bribe money allegedly given by Mr. Femi Otedola, Chairman of Zenon Oil to Mr Farouk Lawan, erstwhile Chairman of the Subsidy Probe Committee and his Secretary, Boniface Emenalo, may have been shared with the money already in circulation, while a new set of cash is being contributed for Lawan.

This discovery came even as Lawan kept to one aspect of his bail condition, which is to make a physical appearance before the Special Task Force investigating the $3 million bribery scandal. He appeared at the Force Headquarters, yesterday, at about noon and left at about 1. 25 p.m. without the $620,000 which he assured the Task Force he would come with.

Vanguard gathered that though Farouk promised to come with the money which he said was kept with the Chairman, House Committee of Financial Crimes, attempts by the Police to get across to the Chairman, Financial Crimes to ascertain Farouk’s claim and collect the money proved difficult as he and some members have become unreachable.

Though sources told Van-

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guard that Farouk pleaded for more time to enable him come with the money, yesterday, there is apprehension that the particular ‘marked money’ may not be traced if the particulars are unavailable by the other security agency involved.

Attempts by the Police to reach the chairman and members of the Financial Crimes Committee of the House shortly after the Special Session held last Friday, proved late as the House dispersed immediately their session ended while invitation to the members of the committee is yet to be acknowledged or complied with.

SSS' reluctance to assist Moreover, Vanguard gathered that the attitude of the State Security Service, SSS, in the entire investigation is giving the police concern as it has remained tight-lipped in either making the serial numbers of the so-called marked money available to the Police or letting the Police know why they handed out such a huge amount to Otedola to give to Farouk without arresting Farouk at the point of collection.

The question being asked by many officers and observers is why the SSS is not forthcoming in assisting

Police get to the root of this matter. Farouk has accepted he collected the money as seen in the video, just like Emenalo. In fact, Emenalo from the video clip, collected $50,000 bunch in two installments and put them in his two Babariga pockets, after earlier collecting $20,000.

A senior Police officer told Vanguard that “in any sting operation of the magnitude we are talking about, Farouk should have been arrested with the money. I am sorry to say, the thing was bungled at that point except for the video and audio evidence as well as Farouk and Emenalo’s acceptance that they collected the money.”

When contacted, Deputy

Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Frank Mba, confirmed that “Hon. Lawan appeared before Police investigations at Force Headquarters“ in compliance with one of his conditions for bail. That in itself is an indication that investigation is still ongoing and indeed we are investigating the matter.”

He, however, appealed to the media to avoid speculative reports on the matter so as not to jeopardize the investigation, noting that at the appropriate time, "we will issue a comprehensive report on the findings of the investigations. At the moment, we don’t want comments that will jeopardize the investigations."

ADUNA — THE Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, and the Kaduna State Christian Awareness Initiative of Nigeria, CHAIN, have condemned the statement credited to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Aminu Tambuwal, condemning reprisal attacks in Kaduna following bomb attacks on three churches in the state, Sunday.

Tambuwal had in his statement said it was wrong for innocent people who were not involved in the bombings to be attacked in reprisals.

However, a statement by Kaduna State Chairman of CAN, Rev. Samuel Kujiyat, read: “Though, the suicide bombings unexpectedly, provoked angry protests by youths in Kaduna South and environs, resulting in some people sadly taking the laws into their hands and bringing about deaths, injuries and destruction of property and vehicles of innocent people, this is regrettable and condemnable in all sense. But the reaction of Aminu Tambuwal, appears to be diversionary and political.

"He tends to be only concerned with reprisal attack than on those killed and injured in the attacks against churches and Christians. It is unfortunate and demeaning to his office as a leader in the country to think in this way” Also, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Pastor Caleb Ma’aji, CHAIN said it did not support citizens who take the laws into their hands and strongly

faulted the reaction of Tambuwal on June 17 bombings of churches in Kaduna.

It said it was an unhealthy approach as well as deviating from the reality, which is Boko Haram’s insurgency against Christians in the country.

It said: "This is something every person abreast with issues in Nigeria is aware of and this has continued unabated. While the House of Representatives under the leadership of Tambuwal has failed to take any concrete steps to safeguard lives and property of Christians who have been killed in thousands during worship on Sundays, the Speaker’s statement seems to be more concerned about the reprisal attacks carried out by some youths which is clearly the result of continuous and unabated bombings of peace abiding Christians than the factors that caused the reprisals.

"Meanwhile, CHAIN wants to make a clarion call on government to work and bring to an end the attacks against Christians and their churches in northern Nigeria.

“CHAIN wishes to remind the Nigerian public and the Presidency that Tirkania, one of the areas a church was attacked, is said to be where one suspected Boko Haram sponsor was arrested and released and the case has remained unaddressed.

"The understanding of CHAIN is that the Presidency needs to clean up its house as we cannot be sure anything has been done to counter the increasing threat to the rights to freedom of worship of Christians in northern Nigeria.”

Terrorism: AGF seeks ICC, AU's support

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

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BUJA — THE Attor ney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN, yesterday, bemoaned the increasing spate of terrorist activities in the country, even as he solicited the collaborative support of International Criminal Court, ICC, and the African Union, AU, towards stemming the tide and

prosecuting terrorist financiers.

While flagging-off the 51st session of the AsianAfrican Legal Consultative Organisation, AALGO, in Abuja, yesterday, Adoke said it was high time the ICC paid closer attention to the worsening security situation in Nigeria.

He said: “As you are aware, Nigeria has recently been grappling with the challenges occasioned by piracy in the

Gulf of Guinea and terrorism in the northern part of the country, we therefore hope to benefit from incisive analysis to effectively combat international crime,” According to the AGF, despite the large number of African state parties to the Rome status of the ICC, the relationship between the organisation and AU has remained less satisfactory.

“We must, therefore, continue to render support

to one another and take advantage of our unique skills and competencies to enhance the well being of our people,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Executive Secretary of AALCO, Prof.

Rahmat Muhammed, in his opening remarks, said the conference would deliberate on important issues concerning member nations, saying the organisation was committed towards ensuring peace and good governance among its member states.

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012—7

DANA AIR CRASH:

Lagos begins Coroner's inquest To summon Aviation Minister, Akpabio, others

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH, ONOZURE DANIA & MICHAEL OLADEPO

AGOS — A Coroner in quest, investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash of Dana Airline in Lagos on June 3, which claimed no fewer than 150 lives and destroyed property worth millions of naira, yesterday, commenced sitting in Lagos.

The Chief Coroner, Mr. Oyetade Komolafe, sequel to the application made by Mrs. Funmi Falana, granted the request to issue summon on the Aviation Minister, Mrs Princess Stella Odua; Governor Godswill Akpabio of AkwaIbom State; Dana Air management; security agencies; government agencies and some individuals to give evidence on the cause of the crash.

Mr Olisa Agbakoba, SAN and Mr Falana and Falana Chambers, had separately, requested an inquest into the cause of the air crash in line with the Coroner Law of Lagos State.

At the inaugural sitting of the Coroner Inquest at the premises of Alimosho Magistrate Court, Abule-Egba, Lagos, the Chief Coroner asked the lawyers to furnish the court with the names of those required to

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Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State (left); Housing Secretary, City of Rio de Janeiro, Mr Jorge Bittar (middle); Head of Housing Policy Section of UN-HABITAT and Coordinator of the UN Housing Rights Programme, Mr Claudio Acioly Jr. (2nd right); Urban and Environmental Management Expert, Jakarta Municipality, Indonesia, Ms Aisa Tobing and Programme Coordinator, Ms Adriana Larangeira during the panel discussion organised by the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and Rio de Janeiro Housing Secretariat as part of the Rio+20, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development at the Forte de Copacabana-Espaco das Humanidades on Sunday.

Dangote to resume as NSE President today Shareholders vow to challenge court ruling NSE denies Dangote’s resumption

BY PETER EGWUATU

AGOS — FOLLOW ING the Court of Appeal ruling, last weekend, upholding Alhaji Aliko Dangote as President of Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, he is expected to resume duty today.

With the reinstatement, Dangote is expected to take over from Mallam Ballama Manu, who has been the Interim President of the Council since August 5, 2010 when SEC intervened in the running of Exchange.

Prior to his election in 2009, Dangote was the Council’s first VicePresident. He joined the Council in February 2008 as the Chairman, Kaduna/Kano/Yola Zonal Council.

It would be recalled that Dangote was elected the 17th President of the NSE in August 2009.

Announcing Dangote’s election, the then Director-General of the NSE, Prof. Ndi OkerekeOnyiuke, had said Dangote was elected based on a unanimous acclamation by the council members immediately after the conclusion of its 48th Annual General Meeting, AGM. However, Dangote’s election was nullified by

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the Federal High Court in Lagos in March 2010 following the application to the court by some shareholders of African Petroleum Plc (now Forte Oil Plc), who had sued him over alleged manipulation of AP shares.

But Dangote challenged the suit and filed appeals which were upheld by the Appeal Court presided over by Justice Helen Ogunwumiju last Friday.

Meanwhile, shareholders have vowed to challenge the court of appeal ruling upholding Dangote as President of the NSE. National Coordinator, Independent Shareholders Association of Nigerian (ISAN), Sir Sunny Nwosu, who spoke on behalf of the plaintiff (shareholders), said: “We are yet to get the written document of the judgment from the court and our lawyers are there in the court waiting for it. As soon as we get it, we will challenge the ruling in the Supreme Court. So he is not expected to assume office as President when a formal statement has not been issued. Definitely, when we get the document we will appeal it in the highest court.”

Meanwhile, the NSE, yesterday, denied knowledge of a court judgment returning Dangote as President of the Exchange.

Senior Manager, Corporate Affairs of the

NSE, Mr. Wole Tokede, said: “I am not aware of the judgment or the proposed intention of Dangote to resume as President of the NSE. I just read it in a newspaper.”

Naira rises by 200k as CBN intervenes in interbank market

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

AGOS — THE Naira, yesterday, rose by 200 kobo against the dollar in the interbank foreign exchange market following intervention of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through special sale of foreign exchange in the market.

The intervention caused the interbank exchange rate to fall to N161 per dollar from N163 at the beginning of trading, yesterday.

A senior bank foreign exchange dealer who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed to Vanguard that in addition to the $400 million sold, yesterday, at the official biweekly foreign exchange auctions, the CBN also sold dollars at the interbank market in a bid to bring down the interbank exchange rate

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and thus narrow the gap between the interbank and official exchange rate.

Vanguard investigation revealed that the naira is expected to further appreciate today due to indications that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, will sell $400 million today.

Meanwhile, the official exchange rate stabilised, yesterday, at N155.9 in the official market, as the CBN sold $400 million at the biweekly auction.

Up till last week, the naira had steadily depreciated in official and interbank market.

Since May 26, the naira depreciated persistently at the bi-weekly auction as the exchange rate rose steadily from N155.69 per dollar to N155.9 per dollar last week Monday. Similarly, the naira depreciated by 386 kobo as the interbank rate rose to N163.21 per dollar

last week from N159.35 per dollar on May 23rd.

However, the Financial Derivatives Company in its monthly economic report blamed the depreciation of the naira on foreign exchange round-tripping, speculation and repatriation of profits by foreign companies.

The report said: “We believe that the weakening of the Naira includes a combination of several factors: Multinationals who have declared dividends have increased their demand for forex for the purpose of repatriating earnings; "Speculators besieging the market to take positions, due to their expectation of a weaker currency as a result of the declining trend in oil prices; i.e. lower oil prices will result in a slowdown in external reserves accretion and the ability of the CBN to continue its support of the Naira."

appear before it, so that hearing summons would be issued on them.

Mrs. Funmi Falana, who represented one of the petitioners, told the court that in line with Section 32 of the Rules of the court, it was for the court to list and issue hearing summons on the relevant agencies and individuals, who are to give evidence before the court to carry out its statutory obligation.

Justice Lateefa Okunnu had following a request by Agbakoba and Falana, directed the Coroner of Alimosho District, Magistrate O. Komolafe to conduct an inquest into the Dana plane crash.

Mrs Falana told the court that the Minister of Aviation, who is in charge of the Aviation Ministry and Governor Akpabio, who said he had earlier issued a warning notice to the airline and others are necessary parties to be summoned by the court.

Also, a lawyer from Agbakoba aligned himself with Mrs Falana and prayed the court to issue official summons to enable the invitees give information on how to get to the root of the crash.

Others expected to be summoned by the coroner court as listed by the lawyers, include Assistant Inspector-General of Police for Lagos and Ogun States; National Airspace Management Authority, NAMA; Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN; the Lagos State Police Command; the Lagos Airport Command of the state Police; Lagos State Fire Service; Lagos State Emergency Management Authority, LASEMA; Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC; Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, and the Chief Medical Examiner, Lagos State Coroner System.

Others are the Nigerian Red Cross; six oil companies believed to have supplied aviation fuel to the airline— Cleanserve Oil, Sahara Oil, MRS, AP, Total, Conoil; the Nigerian Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers; representatives of the Landlord Association of the area where the crash occurred; copy of the report of the Black box; Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority; Accident Investigation Research (Mr Tunji Oketumbi); Aviation Fuel Supplier; Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps; the relatives of victims of the deceased passengers and those on the ground and the surviving victims, among others.

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8—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

From left: Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State; Mr. Gimba Ya’u Kumo, MD/CEO, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, FMBN; Mr. Mike Nwogbo, Executive Director, Organisation Resourcing Department, FMBN and Mr. Newman Ordia, Executive Director, Policy and Strategy/Loans Setup and Payoff Departments, FMBN, during a visit to the Governor by the in Enugu

From left: Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, guest speaker; Chairman, Academic Entrepreneuriall Studies, AES Excellence Club, Mrs. Nike Akande; and President, Governing Council, AES Excellence Club, Dr. Ausbeth Ajagu, during the club's business luncheon in Lagos.

restores 2,000 bpd Fuel price: Court to hear Nwabueze, Chevron crude production Utomi, 48 others' suit Sept 18 L

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

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BUJA—THE Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, yesterday, fixed September 18 to commence hearing on a suit that was initiated against the Federal Government by fifty eminent Nigerians led by Professor Ben Nwabueze.

The plaintiffs are praying the high court to invoke its original jurisdiction and declare the increase in fuel pump price from N65 to N97, as announced by the Federal Government on January 15, as unlawful, null and void.

Listed as defendants in the suit were President Goodluck Jonathan, the

Senate President, Speaker of House of Representatives, Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, as well as governors of the 36 states of the federation.

Others behind the suit are Mr. Balarabe Musa, Dr Tunji Braithwaite, Kalu Idika Kalu, Professor Pat Utomi, late Gani Fawehinmi’s wife, Ganiyat, Shehu Sanni, Dr. Fredrick Fasheun, among others.

In their originating summons, the litigants contended that going by the provisions of Section 7 of the PPPRA and section 81 of the 1999 Constitution, the defendants are not empowered to validly

increase the pump price of petrol as was done on the January 15, 2012 from N65 per liter to N97 per litter.

They further maintained that by virtue of section 81 of the 1999 constitution, the defendants cannot sit as a body or in consultation with one another and validly take any decision affecting the appropriation of revenue accruing to the Federation and, in particular, the removal of subsidy on petrol without a valid Appropriation Act.

OBILITY Aid and Appliances Research and Development Centre, MAARDEC, will today hold a media roundtable briefing on the proposed trip of disabled persons to Abuja tagged Hope and Possibilities Ride.

The event will hold at Golden Tulip Hotel, Festac Town, Lagos (formerly Durbar/FESTAC 77 Hotel) at 12 noon.

Publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Sam Amuka, is Chairman of the occasion, while Senator Bode Olajumoke is the special guest of honour. Mr. Cosmas Okoli, President/CEO, MAARDEC, is chief host.

The ride entails three disabled persons (including MAARDEC President/CEO using

hand-propelled tricycles to travel to Abuja by road, a distance of 1,349 kilometres, through 12 states.

BY SAM EYOBOKA

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A G O S —

ACKNOWLEDGING that

The objective of the ride is to bring disability matters to national consciousness.

Tinubu seeks ways to tackle spate of bombings

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AGOS—NATIONAL leader of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has called for a collective response to the spate of bombings to stem the parlous security situation in the country.

In a statement yesterday, in reaction to the Kaduna and Zaria church bombings of June 17 Tinubu said: “Now that it is clear the present government

caused by January 16, rig explosions at Funiwa gas field in Bayelsa State, may have been more than the oil giant is willing to admit.

In a one-paragraph statement sent out by Chevron, the company simply announced that it “has sealed and abandoned the shallow water Funiwa 1A natural gas well after completing the drilling of a relief well.

Production at the North Apoi field, which had been shut as a precaution, has also been restored and the field is now producing approximately 2,000 barrels of oil per day.”

Northern Christians seek ways of protecting selves Ex-militants vs cultists: Calm

Physically-challenged: MAARDEC holds roundtable on Abuja trip

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Besides, the plaintiffs who approached the high court through their lawyer, Festus Keyamo, are seeking a declaration that the purported increase of petrol pump price from N65 to N97 by the defendants while sitting as a body or in consultation with one another is in violation of Section 81 of the 1999 Constitution and section 7 of the PPPRA Act and therefore null and void and of no effect.

AGOS—CHEVRON Nigeria Limited, CNL, the local unit of America’s Chevron Corporation, said on Monday that it has restored 2,000 barrels per day crude production at its North Apoi Field.

The resumption of production at the field followed the completion of the drilling of a relief well, and upon the sealing and abandonment of the Funiwa 1A. It is uncertain why Chevron chose to abandon the well, as enquiries to this effect to Chevron were not responded to, but it is believed that the damage

cannot tackle it alone. It should not shy away from inviting peace-loving political and community leaders to brainstorm in search for solutions.”

Describing the bombing of churches, the latest of which were the three blasts in Kaduna State on Sunday, as condemnable in its entirely, he warned that Nigeria was slipping, adding that the country needed every help it could get.

the Islamist sect, Boko Haram has infiltrated every apparatus of governance in the country, endangered Northern Christians appear to have resolved to look beyond the Goodluck Jonathan administration for their salvation or else they will soon go extinct.

Reacting to the latest attack on three churches in Kaduna State during service where at least, 13 personswerekilled,thechairman of Northern Christian Forum of Nigeria, Evangelist Matthew Owojaiye and the Publicity Secretary of Northern CAN, Elder Sunday Oibe said it has become obvious that the Federal Government can do very little about the security challenge currently tearing the nation apart.

According to him, the leadership of Northern Christians is looking beyond government to find a local solution to their collective problem before these jihadists annihilate everybody who professes the Christian faith in that part of the country.

returns to Igbinedion varsity

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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ENIN CITY— PEACE has returned to Igbinedion University Okada, where repentant militants in the Niger Delta, who are students of the university, clashed with suspected cultists in the university Sunday morning.

Edo State Police Commissioner,OlayinkaBalogun who led his men to quell the unfortunate incident which led

tothedestructionofoverfiftycars, deployed over fifty battle ready mobile policemen who are currently on 24 hours patrol in the university and its environs.

When Vanguard visited the institution, yesterday, academic activities where in progress and it was observed that the second semester examinations are also in progress. The crisis in the universityensuedaftersuspected cultists at the university attacked one of the repentant militants who was identified as Eric, a 200 Law student.

Aliu, Ahmed, others for INL, Etcetera Magazine award AGOS—AS part of of activities to mark its 10th year anniversary, Independent Newspapers LimitediscollaboratingwithLiving Etceteramagazine to organise an awardonEnvironmentandSocial Housing to advance and support currentglobaleffortsatpromoting green economy.

The award is also organised as

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promotionofhabitatforhumanity and healthy lifestyle towards the attainment of sustainable quality living standards in communities.

In a statement by Victor Ogwezzy,Project Coordinator for the award, Kwara State Governor,AbdulfatahAhmedwill be the Chairman of the occasion, whilehisNigerStatecounterpart, Mu’azu Babangida Aliu, will be the guest speaker.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012—9

Man docked for impersonation

BY ONOZURE DANIA AGOS—A Somolu Magistrate's Court in Lagos has sentenced one Adeleke Ajayi to seven years imprisonment with hard labour for parading himself as an official of Goge Africa Foundation.

Ajayi, 34, docked on a four-count charge, was accused of conspiring with others now at large, to defraud unsuspecting members of the public by presenting himself as an Goge Africa Foundation official.

The prosecutor, Akinlabi Adegoke, said Ajayi had defrauded students of three private schools in Lagos by asking them to

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Chairman of Bi-Courtney Group, Dr. Wale Babalakin (middle) being decorated with the ceremonial gown by the Chancellor, Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar and the Vice-Chancellor, Professor C.A. Agbebaku, during the conferment of honorary Doctor of Letters degree on him by the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, at the institution's 18th convocation, weekend.

NAFDAC ALLEGED N31M FRAUD: warns on noncompliance with regulatory laws

Lagos evacuates residents as 3-storey-building caves in

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

Court reserves ruling on ex-Vanguard staff's bail bid L

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

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AGOS—NATIONAL Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has threatened to deal with importers and exporters of regulated products who fail to comply with regulatory processes, saying that the act had led to many products not being checked by the agency at the ports.

Mean time, the agency has acquired a mini-lab with a view to strengthening its war against counterfeit and fake drugs.

Director-General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, at a sensitisation workshop for importers, exporters, manufacturers, courier companies, airlines and shipping companies, clearing agents among others in Lagos, frowned at the trend, vowing that the agency would clamp down on defaulters as it does not augur well for the safety and quality of products imported and exported.

He said: “It is very important for you to know that it is mandatory for importers and exporters to give pre- shipment information to the agency for import and export of all regulated products.

“As a result of this, NAFDAC is investing heavily in infrastructure and simplifying regulatory processes through automation and userfriendly processes.''

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE AGOS—A Lagos State High Court, sitting in Igbosere, yesterday, reserved ruling on the bail application by a former Circulation Supervisor to

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Vanguard Media Limited, Joseph Ezeobi, accused of stealing N31.7 million belonging to the company.

Ezeobi is standing trial with the former Accountant of the company, Mr. Yisa Bhadmus.

... orders re-arrest, remand of accused in Ikoyi Prison

BY BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE KEJA—A Lagos State High Court, Igbosere, yesterday, ordered the arrest of an accused, Sunday Akinyemi, who was remanded in Ikoyi Prison, but was said to have gone to the United Kingdom for treatment. He said if arrested the accused should be kept in Ikoyi Prison.

In a ruling, the trial judge, Justice Ebenezer

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Adebajo, noted that his counsel, Femi Falana, had assured the court that on Akinyemi’s return to the country, he would be taken back into prison custody and made to stand trial.

Falana had argued that the Federal High Court granted the defendant, who was suffering from cancer, leave to travel abroad for medical treatment and to protect the accused’s right to life.

Dana airline denies crash was caused by adulterated fuel

BY BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE KEJA—THE manage ment of Dana Airline has debunked speculations that its ill-fated plane crash was caused by adulterated fuel and that a preliminary report submitted to the Federal Government contains the fact.

In an interview with

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Vanguard, Head of Quality Department, Dave Sambo, said the management of Dana airline had not seen any preliminary report and that the Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB, had not notified them about any preliminary report .

He said the government had not made public any preliminary report on the crash.

They are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The court adjourned for ruling after Ezeobi’s counsel and EFCC reached an agreement on the terms of the bail.

Trial judge, Justice Candide-Johnson, had directed the parties to work out conditions for Ezeobi's bail. They agreed that the accused person is to provide two sureties; one of which must be a level 10 public servant and the second, a director in a public or private company.

The accused, it was agreed, is to report to EFCC at the end of every month, while one of the sureties must be a property owner in Lagos State.

EFCC’s counsel said he had no objection to the bail application by Ezeobi, provided he meets the conditions set by the court.

The commission's counsel said: “I have no objection to the bail provided the conditions for bail are met and I leave the court to decide the condition.”

Moment after this, Bhadmus’ lawyer, Mr. A. Jackson, informed the court that he had received a reply to a letter he wrote to the office of the Attorney-General of Lagos State, Mr. Ade Ipaye, for the consolidation of the two charges against his client.

contribute N300 each as registration fee for a programme to be organised

by Goge Africa Foundation.

According to Adegoke, Ajayi conspired with others now at large to collect participation fee from unsuspecting students of some schools, though the programme was for free.

Adegoke said Ajayi collected N74,000 from the students under the guise of facilitating their participation in the programme, adding that Ajayi printed posters for the programme without authorisation from Goge Africa Foundation and circulated same.

AGOS—ANOTHER disaster was averted, yesterday, in the IfakoIjaiye area of Lagos State, when occupants were evacuated from a distressed three-storey building on Ajayi Road, Ogba, Aguda, were evacuated.

The building caved in following a downpour at the weekend.

The quick response of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, saved hundreds of residents, who would have been affected had the building collapsed on them.

When Vanguard visited the emergency alert site, the occupants of the building, said to have been constructed over 30 years

ago, were seen hurriedly packing their belongings amidst tight security to avoid looting.

It was gathered that the situation was made worse by last Sunday’s downpour in the area, which shook the foundation of the building, A resident at the area, Mr. Wale, who spoke with Vanguard, said they had complained several times to the landlord through the caretaker on the need to carry out rehabilitation work on the building without response.

However, the property owner was unavailable for comment at press time but the caretaker, who did not mention his name, agreed to the bad state of the building, upon which he advised the occupants to vacate it.

Group faults planned ban of trailer on Lagos roads

BY GODFREY BIVBERE, DAVID SAGUA & VICTORIA EDAMA

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AGOS—CUSTOMS agents in the country have faulted plans by the Lagos State Government to ban articulated vehicles from plying its roads during the day.

Chairman of Tin-Can Island chapter of Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, Mr. Kayode Farinto, said the decision was “draconian.”

The government had initiated moves to stop the movement of containerladen trailers between 6 a.m. and 7p.m.

Speaking at a forum organised by Maritime Re-

porters Association of Nigeria, MARAN, in Lagos, Farinto said such plan will frustrate, if not erode, the gains achieved.

He noted that trade done via the seaports was a major revenue-earner for the nation, at the federal and state levels.

He said a majority of Nigeria's produce and imports pass through the seaports, adding that the movement of same to and from their origins and points of use, are made via road transport, specifically utilising trailers.

He noted that the nation’s ports were ill-equipped for operations at night, citing the absence of adequate provision for security, in and around the ports.

10—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

Falae decries $3m bribery allegation in House of Reps

Aregbesola probes Oyinlola's N18bn loan

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

BY DAYO JOHNSON KURE—A former Fi nance Minister, Chief Olu Falae, yesterday, has decried the bribery scandal rocking the House of Representatives.

Chief Falae consequently called on the anti-graft agencies in the country to begin a probe of the ugly development immediately and bring those indicted to book.

The chieftain of the Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, said this in Akure at the formal inauguration of Ondo State chapter of Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria.

He asked professional bodies in the country to speak out and condemn the act and other scandals in the National Assembly.

According to him, all those involved in the scam should be identified and necessary clauses be invoked to discipline them.

Falae said: “This nation is in dire need of credible leaders. We cannot afford to leave our country in the hands of charlatans and people of questionable character. Everybody should speak out and condemn this national shame.”

On the occasion, President of APBN, Mr. Segun Ajanlekoko, said the leadership question at all levels remained a major challenge to the attainment of set-goals for the country

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Adegunwa for burial HIEF Omotola Adegunwa, a veteran legal practitioner, popularly called Papa Lawyer, is dead, aged 98.

He died on May 27.

A christian wake-keep holds on June 21, at 5 p.m. at 31, Adeyi Avenue, Old Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State and a funeral service next day, at 10 a.m, followed by interment, at same venue.

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Late Chief O. Adegunwa

SOGBO—Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, yesterday, inaugurated a sixman commission of inquiry on the procurement of N18.38 billion loan by the sacked Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola-led government and major financial transactions and contracts from May 2003 to November 2010.

The governor, while inaugurating the commission in his office in Osogbo, said that transparency and accountability in government system

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will impact positively in the running of government business.

Members of the commission included, Professor Femi Odekunle (Chairman); Mr. Kola Adeyemo, Mr. Obi Daramola, Mr. Akin Akintayo, Mr. Soji Olowolafe, and Mr.Kelani Adesina.

Aregbesola said the exercise will bring sanity and accountability in the way contracts are awarded and implemented in the interest of the state.

The governor stressed that, “in view of the excruciating N18.38 billion loan by the previous gov-

ernment and major financial transactions and contracts from May 2003 to November 2010, and the records we met on ground, there is the need to probe government activities hence the inauguration of this commission

of inquiry to look into the matter without fear or favour.”

He noted that aside from the commission investigating the circumstances of the loan, it will also have to find out the propriety of the officials in-

Ekiti varsity students disrupt exams over school fees

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

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DO-EKITI—STU DENTS of Ekiti State University, EKSU, AdoEkiti, yesterday, disrupted the first semester

examination billed to be conducted in four centres in different parts of the state.

The students were protesting the directive of the management of the insti-

From left, Deputy Governor, Osun State, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori; Governor Rauf Aregbesola; a committee member of Osun State Local Government Area Creation, Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan; Chairman of the Committee, Professor Mojeed Alabi and Technical Adviser to the committee, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi, during the inauguration of the committee at the Governor's Office, Osogbo, Monday.

OGSIEC laments poor quality of LG candidates Clears 89 chairmanship candidates

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA—OGUN State Independent Electoral Commission, OGSIEC, has lamented the poor quality of some candidates being presented by political parties for the council elections.

Chairman of the screening committee for the commission, Mutiu Agboke, stated this yesterday while expressing worry over the quality of candidates nominated by all the political parties for the chairmanship and council seats.

Speaking on the commission’s experience, Agboke said, some of the candidates screened could not define what democracy is and were unable to explain the roles of chairman or councillor

in the local government.

He said: “Can you imagine the quality of candidates being presented for the election? How can someone wishing to direct the affairs of a local government not be able to

volved in the procurement of the loan in the interest of the state, adding that the investigation of such contracts from the period in question and the compliance with due process in the way contracts were awarded.

define what democracy is all about, saying democracy is a game of number?

“Imagine, one of the chairmanship candidates could not spell autonomy.

Another one could not differentiate between care-

taker chairman and elected chairman. He could not tell us. It is as bad as that, not to even talk of the candidates for the councillorship position that have been screened so far.”

tution ordering them to pay their school fees in full before they could be allowed to sit for examination.

The management had arranged four centres at Ifaki, Oye, Ikere and Federal Polytechnic outside the campus as special examination centres Vanguard gathered that the university started the screening of the students and subsequently could not process the issuance of examination permits for the students.

Officials of the university had for three days embarked on the screening of the students where examination permits were issued to those who had fully paid their fees.

Trouble was said to have started at the examination centres when a large number of the students who had paid but were not allowed to sit for the exams as they could not produce exam permits.

The students, apparently enraged by the poor handling of the issue by the university officials, stormed the classes and disrupted the conduct of the examination.

When the matter was brought to the attention of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Oladipo Aina, he was said to have ordered that the affected students be allowed to write their papers.

Bodija traders to rebuild burnt police post

BY OLA AJAYI

BADAN —INDICA TIONS emerged yesterday that traders at the popular Bodija Market in Ibadan, Oyo State, have accepted to rebuild the police post which was burnt down by some irate Hausa mob who stormed the market last Friday.

This came as the Oyo State Police Command confirmed the release of 14 suspects arrested during the crisis.

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The Police Public Relations Officer in the state Mrs. Olabisi Ilobanafor, said, “Some of those arrested have been released conditionally having discovered through preliminary investigation that they must have been wrongly arrested.”

She said anybody found culpable in the violence would be charged to court.

Chairman, Bodija Traders’ Association, Alhaji Olalekan Azeez, also corroborated the police state-

ment, saying, “The police have released 14 of our arrested members.”

Meanwhile, the market will re-open today after the crisis was amicably settled at a stakeholders' meeting that the executives of the market had with the Chairman, Ibadan North Local Government, Mr. Muritala Lapade, representatives of State Security Service and the Oyo State Police Command.

The Public Relations Officer of the Market Traders’

Association, Mr. Akeem Emiola, told newsmen in Ibadan that “We (traders) agreed to cooperate with the police on how to renovate the burnt station.”

The meeting lasted several hours after which the spokesperson of the market said, “The incident is unfortunate. As a matter of fact, we are aware that the police station is for our own security. To that extent, we are ready to work closely with the police in putting it back to shape.”

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012—11

Uduaghan tasks civil servants on wage structures, his employee. productivity "better The governor added that such aspirations must be

BY FESTUS AHON

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From left: Professor Sam Oyovbaire; Prof. George Obiozor; Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State and Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (rtd) at a sensitisation workshop for political parties and stakeholders organised by the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Inter-Party Affairs in Benin City, yesterday.

GHELLI—DELTA State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has challenged civil servants to match agitation for increased salary with increased productivity and hardwork.

Udughan, who spoke through his Deputy, Professor Amos Utuama, SAN, at University of Ibadan Alumni Association, Asaba Chapter ’s 2012 Distinguished Alumni Public Service Lecture Series, noted that while workers were entitled to

3 held over Delta SSG's son kidnap

BY EMMAAMAIZE ARRI—SON of Secretary to Delta State Government, Mr Ovuozourie Macaulay, was kidnapped, yesterday, in his hometown, Owheologbo, near Ozoro, in Isoko North Local Government Area of the state.

The details of the incident were hazy at press time, but spokesman of the state police command, Mr. Charles Muka, told Vanguard that three persons had been arrested by the police in connection with the incident.

Macaulay, who also spoke to Vanguard said: “The news of the kidnap of my son has just reached me.”

He added that he just returned to the country and was still in Lagos State, when he got the report of his son's kidnap.

“I had been away on medical treatment and just returned, when I got the news this (yesterday) morning.”

Asked what his son went to do in the village, he said, “Is it not his hometown, won’t he go to his hometown again? He had just finished his Master’s programme

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outside the country and had been shuttling between Asaba and Owheologbo.”

Vanguard gathered that the kidnappers, whose aim is yet to be confirmed, were yet to establish contact with the family.

It will be recalled that Mr. Samuel Uduaghan, a cousin to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, was kidnapped last week, in his home on Direct Labour Agency Road, Asaba and released, Saturday

Amnesty: Ex-militants threaten FG JTF won't compromise —Spokesman

BY EMMAAMAIZE A R R I — MOVEMENT for the Survival of NigerDelta Disarmed Youth, MOSONDY, weekend, gave the Federal Government a seven-day ultimatum to review its position by including the over 1,800 ex-militants, who were excluded from the post-amnesty programme or risk fresh attacks on oil facilities in the Niger Delta.

The group demanded training and payment of stipends to ex-militants in its fold, warning that oil workers might be targeted in the fresh hostilities, if government failed to listen.

Reacting, spokesman of Joint Task Force, codenamed, Operation

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Pulo Shield, Lt.-Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, had assured that “The mandate of JTF is clear, to curb all acts of economic sabotage bedevilling Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. This will not be compromised."

Head of Media, Presidential, Amnesty Office, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, who spoke on the ultimatum by the exmilitants, said: “The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman of the Post Amnesty Programme, Mr Kingsley Kuku, had made it clear before now that it was only President Goodluck Jonathan that can make pronouncement on the matter.

“Once the President gives directives, most of the

Commissioner orders principal to told the commissioner that each refund illegal fees ofthempaidbetweenN2,500and

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA S A B A — D E LT A State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Professor Patrick Muoboghare, yesterday, ordered the Vice-Principal of Ibruvwe Secondary School, Samagidi, Kolori in Ethiope East Local Government Area of the state (names withheld) to refund immediately the money he illegally collected from students as

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evening. This was days after former Super Eagles player, Christian Obodo, was kidnapped at Effurun, near Warri, penultimate week. Though he had also been released.

examination fees, despite the fact that the state government had already paid for same.

Prof. Muoboghare, who was visibly angry when he paid an unscheduled visit to the school, weekend, to verify the allegation, said it was startling that some teachers and principals were still engaged in such extortion, warning that it was time to wield the big stick.

Some of the students of the school, especially those in Junior Secondary School, JSS III, had

N7,500beforetheywereenrolled for the final examination.

Muoboghare had told newsmen in Asaba that “there had been steady growth in students’ enrollment in the past five years due mainly to the increasing incentives offered to students, parents and communities by free education, payment of examination fees, infrastructural development as well as improved welfare package”.

people will be absorbed, but for now, demobilisation had ended, we are in reintegration phase for the 26, 358 ex-agitators, who were registered.”

Alabrah debunked claims that the Amnesty Office does not want to accommodate more persons in the programme, but it was working under a budget that was designed for 26,358 ex-agitators.

justified through hard work and productivity.”

He said arbitrary salary increase without attendant increase in revenue was antithetical to development, since the available revenue would not be enough to execute capital projects after payment of salaries.

He explained that there was a difference between minimum wage and living wage, noting that while the former could be legislated, the latter could not but was subject to negotiation between an employer and

Chukwu laments poor blood donation

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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ENIN CITY— MINISTER of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, has lamented that only 1,130,000, units of blood are collected annually through the various types of donations as against 1,336,000 estimated number of blood units needed by Nigerians to survive.

He said the number left a deficit of 206,000 units, adding that this deficit alongside infected blood units collected via unsafe

SABA—A couple, which fled from Rivers State to Delta State after their alleged involvement in serial kidnap cases had been arrested.

They were picked up from their hideout in a remote village, Ejeme Aniogor, Delta State, following a tip-off.

State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Charles Muka, who confirmed the arrest, described them as “notorious criminals.”

He said: “We received information that a stranger with his wife

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practices and from donors with high risk behaviour, had resulted to numerous preventable deaths especially among women and children and people with HIV/AIDS. Prof. Onyebuchi who said this on the occasion of the 2012 World Blood donor Day in Benin City, added that deaths associated with lack of blood can be avoided if only two per cent of adult population committed themselves to regular voluntary nonremunerated blood donation.

Poet, Okara, decries corruption in govt

BY JIMITOTAONOYUME

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ORT HARCOURT— C E L E B R AT E D African poet, Gabriel Okara, has decried the level of corruption in the country.

Couple arrested over alleged kidnapping

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

living wage was relative and peculiar to the needs of individual employees, clarifying that living wage to an employee with a family of four may not be a living wage to another with a larger or smaller family size.

Uduaghan blamed the agitations and threat to strike between workers and some state governments on the central wage legislations, which according to him, negates the principles of true federalism.

from Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State were staying in Ejeme Aniogor. As a result, a patrol team from Ogwashi-Uku was dispatched to the village, where the two were arrested.

“The couple (names withheld) actually confessed to series of kidnappings and armed robbery in Rivers State and that they came to Ejeme to avoid arrest.

The suspects had been handed over to the Federal Special AntiRobbery team for further investigation.”

Addressing newsmen in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at an event organised by Rainbow Book Club in conjunction with Rivers State Ministry of Education, he said it was worrisome to see role models being rooted in corruption.

He said: “It is a shock that those who were supposed to be role models are not at all.

Who are we going to trust? Those who are supposed to fight corruption are neck deep in it, it is very shocking.

I hope the country will survive this brazen corruption.”

He called on the Federal Government to take decisive steps in the anti graft crusade, adding that any one indicted or found to be corrupt should be dealt with in accordance with law.

“Let the President come out very strong against corruption. There should be no sacred cow, nobody should be above the law, whether in government or in the private sector. They should be dealt with in accordance with the law.”

12—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

Robbers raid The Nation's office in PH, cart away N500,000

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

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ORT HARCOURT— GUNMEN, yesterday, stormed The Nation’s Newspapers office in Diobu area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, carting away over N500,000 and other valuables.

Bureau Chief of The Nation, Mr. Bisi Olaniyi, who confirmed the incident, said the robbers were two in number, adding that they were armed with pistols.

He said they went straight to the office of the paper ’s Sales Representative, who was busy collecting sales from newspaper distributors.

He said the robbers, who came at 11am, collected all the cash with the Sales Representative and the newspaper distributors, who were on queue to make payment. He said the operation lasted close to an hour, adding that while the operation was on, the robbers ordered

everybody in the office to lie face down.

According to him, the robbers left in a motor bike after the operation, adding that Police was later invited to commence investigation into robbery incident.

Some of the newspaper distributors, who commented on the incident, expressed gratitude to God that they were not shot.

One of them said she never knew arobberyoperationwason-going in the office when she came to makepayment.

Retiree laments 3-yr debt owed by PHCN

BY MICHAEL EBOH

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APELE—A retiree, Chief Vincent Nakpodia, has lamented the non-payment of a threeyear rent owed him by Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, for the use of his property.

Napkodia, who spoke to

YO—AKWA Ibom State Gover nor, Godswill Akpabio, said, weekend, that the Federal Government will take the required steps to revamp the aviation sector in the country to ensure safety for air travellers.

Governor Akpabio who spoke when he paid a condolence visit to 6th

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ARRI—MEMBER representing the Warri Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr. Daniel Reyenieju, has called on Itsekiri youths and their mothers to be calm and hopeful, while waiting for the report of the House Committee on Public Petitions that is currently looking into the petition before the House by Itsekiri National Youths Council, INYC, over the alleged noninclusion of Itsekiri youths, who disarmed into the amnesty programme currently presided over by Mr. Kingsley Kuku.

Addressing representatives of Warri Federal Constituency Women,whopaidhimacourtesy call, weekend, he assured the womenthattheHousehadnever failed in its duties and on any issue, including those that border on the denial of justice and fairnesstoanyindividualorgroup Heassuredthewomenthatthe factthatitwasanincontrovertible

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM ENIN CITY— AHEAD the July 14 governorship election in Edo State, former Chief of General Staff, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe, yesterday, condemned political killings in Edo State and urged politicians to eschew violence.

Ukiwe who spoke during a sensitisation workshop on the forthcoming governorship election organised for stakeholders

B From left: Akwa Ibom State Deputy Governor, Obong Nsima Ekere; Delta State Deputy Governor, Professor Amos Utuama, SAN, and Chief Tony Anenih during the Edo State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship rally in Benin, Saturday.

Battalion, Ibagwa, Abak, to condole the men and officers of the unit over the death of its commanding officer, Lt. Col. Onwechi J. Ochigbo, in the ill-fated Dana Air crash which claimed the lives of 153 passengers aboard the flight in Lagos, said: “I have discussed with Mr. President and I know that he is taking steps to revamp the aviation sector in the country to ensure air safety for all Nigerians.

"Don’t cry like people without hope. We will use this sad incident to prepare a better place for our children so that this kind of sad event would not happen again in Nigeria.”

Akpabio who was accompanied on the visit by Major-General A. S. Bugaji, and Brigadier-General Shehu Yusuf, Commanding Officer,13thAmphibiousBrigade, Calabar, among others, commiseratedwith thefamilyand the Battalion over the unfortunate incident.

Amnesty: Lawmaker assures Warri fact that about 2,000 armed that for now, he had no doubt that women Itsekiriwillinglyrespondedtothe President Goodluck Jonathan

BY DANIEL GUMM

headquarters, then National Electric Power Authority, NEPA, in Lagos, through his now late elder brother, who was a NEPA director of the property, for him to let same out to the authority.

He said: “It was through NEPA headquarters in Lagos, that I was approached over the Sapele property. They occupied the building from 1985 through 2006. They were paying regularly till 2003 and never paid thereafter till 2006."

Edo guber: Ukiwe advises politicians against violence

FG taking steps to revamp aviation sector —Akpabio

BY TONY NYONG

Vanguard, said PHCN occupied his property on Igbuya Drive, GRA, Sapele, Delta State, but failed to pay rent for three years, as he was made to spend so much on transportation to ask for the rent with its attendant risks.

He called on the Minister of Power and the authorities to come to his aid and help recover his money, particularly, as PHCN was in the process of been sold.

Narrating how it all started, he said he was approached early 1985 by officials of PHCN

Federal Government Amnesty Proclamation, and that should naturally earn them participation in the rehabilitation and reintegrationprogrammesasput in place by the Federal Government.

He commended the formally armedyouthsofItsekiriextraction for their peaceful disposition and for opting to bring their grievance totheNationalAssembly,instead of resorting to gangsterism and breaching of the peace, assuring

can be relied upon to be fair in his judgment, and will in his usual senseofjustice,directthataffected Itsekiri youths be included in the programme.

Earlier, leader of the group, Mrs.EstherOkotie-Eboh,toldthe lawmakerthatasItsekirimothers, they had been most sad and disappointed over the noninclusion of formally armed Itsekiri youths into the postamnestyprogrammes.

....As Amukpe women protest power outage permanentpoweroutage,which

BY GODWIN OGHRE

APELE—THE women of Amukpe Community in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State, under the aegies of Ewenjamese, yesterday, held a peaceful protest to the premises of Sapele Power Plc, in GRA, Sapele, over what they described as

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they say they had been subjected to in the last six months.

The women alleged that some staff of Sapele Power Plc, had swindled them of over N75,000 which they contributed and handed over to some of the staff of the company with the promise that electricity would be restored to them but after waiting for six months, the company did not restoretheelectricityaspromised.

in the state, described as sad the reported incidence of violence in the state ahead the election and stressed the need for politicians to play politics according to the rules.

He said: “Election is the most critical and decisive aspect of democracy, but while it is a nightmare to non-performing politicians, a great expectation it is to the people as it affords them the opportunity to choose their leadersaswellasnon-performing ones."

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012 — 13

Don canvasses removal of immunity for president, govs

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

WKA—A UNIVERSI TY don, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ibe of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, has called on the National Assembly constitution review committee to remove the immunity provision for the president and governors and their deputies while amending the constitu-

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tion, arguing that the immunity clause encourages autocratic absolutism against democratic norms.

In a paper he presented at a symposium on the review of the 1999 Nigerian constitution organised by the Federal Polytechnic, Oko in Anambra State, Ibe who is the Head of Department of Commercial and Property Law of the university, contended that the immunity clause had led to the violation of the foundational

and fundamental ideas of sustainable and enduring good governance.

He said: “It is clear that not much attack is made against immunity privileges as it affects the judiciary and legislature and with good reason. It is otherwise with the executive, notably the president and governor. Now, we gaze at our own brothers and sisters who have become our Lords. We see them appropriate public property to themselves,

friends and relatives and with full might because of their immunity.

We have become incapacitated as a result of this opprobrium called immunity sustained by our very constitution.”

The lecturer added that Nigerians would remain grateful to the present lawmakers if they succeeded in removing the immunity provision in the constitution because it would help to keep the leaders in check.

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

WKA— GOVERNOR Peter Obi has given a balance of N1 million to the next-of-kin of each of the 12 families whose relations were allegedly killed by Boko Haram in Mubi, Adamawa State in December last year to enable them cushion the effect of the loss.

He had earlier given relations of the victims N1 million each during their burial at Adazi Nnukwu in Anaocha local government area of the state.

It will be recalled that the 12 victims of attacks were laid to rest at the St. Andrew’s Church burial ground at Adazi Nnukwu in January after an emo-

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Boko Haram: Obi gives N24m to families of slain victims tion–laden church service presided over by the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Reverend Paulinus Ezeokafor.

The victims were traders in Mubi, except a 16year-old student, Master Obinna Akukwe and the only female victim, Mrs. Ukamaka Aforka who had traveled to Mubi to join in the arrangement for the burial of a relation allegedly killed earlier by the sect.

Those whose relations got the cheques were the late Amaechi Onwudike, Obinna Akukwe, Osita Aforka, Ukamaka Aforka, Uchenna Okpala, Ugochukwu Ezenwekwe, and John Obiakonwa. Others were Patrick Aghachi, Job Mgbemena, Bede Anagbado, Simeon Asoh and Sunday Okoye. Altogether, they left about 60 children, most of who are teenagers.

The governor had earlier announced that his administration would offer scholarship to the children left behind by the victims and promised a donation of N10 million for the construction of a monument at the premises of the church in memory of the victims.

Housing: FMBN offers Enugu govt N2bn loan

BY CHRIS OCHAYI BUJA—THE Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, FMBN, has offered Enugu State Government a loan of N2 billion for construction of mass housing in the state.

Managing Director/CEO, FMBN, Mr. Gimba Ya’u Kumo, who announced the offer during a visit on Governor Sullivan Chime disclosed that the loan could be drawn down by estate developers nominated by the State Government, provided such developers meet the lending conditions of the FMBN. Prior to this loan offer, the FMBN had approved a cumulative N5.2 billion to various estate developers in Enugu State for construction of 2,027 housing units in the state.

Currently, the Bank is processing additional N3.7 billion estate development loan applications for development of 760 housing units in the state.

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14 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

Police arraign 5 suspects for murder, kidnap in Imo

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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WERRI—IMO State Police Command has arraigned five men suspected to be brains behind the kidnap and murder of late Emmanuel Uchenna Alaribe, before an Ngor Okpala Magistrate Court. The accused persons included Daniel Aturu, Sunday Ogar, Acho Alaribe, as well as Henry Daberechi

Nnaeke and Sunny Okere.

According to the fivecount charge, the accused persons and others now at large, on Junaury 21, 2012, at Nnorie, Ngor Okpala magisterial district, “did conspire among yourselves to take one Emmanuel Uchenna Alaribe hostage, thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 6 of Imo State Pro-

hibition of Hostage Taking and Related Offences Law Number 4 of 2009”.

The suspects were also charged for demanding N3.5 million from the family and did demand it with threat, assault, blackmail or to kill him if the demand was not met “and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 6 of the Imo State Prohibition of Hostage taking and Related Offences Law Number 4 of 2009”.

VISIT—From left; Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State; Mr. Gimba Ya’u Kumo, Managing Director/CEO, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, FMBN; Mr. Mike Nwogbo, Executive Director (Organisation Resourcing Department), FMBN; Mr. Newman Ordia, Executive Director (Policy and Strategy/Loans Setup and Payoff Departments), FMBN, during a visit to the Governor by the FMBN Management in Enugu.

Part of the fourth count stated that they “did rob late Emmanuel Uchenna Alaribe of his brand new Toyota Camry car valued at N3.5 million and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 402 (2)(a) of the Criminal Code Cap C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, as applicable in Nigeria”.

The suspects were accused of killing Emmanuel Uchenna Alaribe and committed an offence punishable under Section 319 (1) of the Criminal Code Cap C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 as applicable in Imo State. The magistrate, Mrs. Ngozi Onyemazu, who said her court lacked jurisdiction to try the case, ordered that the accused persons be remanded in prison custody, while the case file be transferred to the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, for proper advice.

Boko Haram plans Jihad on Christians, S-East CAN alleges

BY TONY EDIKE

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NUGU—THE Chris tian Association of Nigeria, CAN, South East zone, yesterday alleged that the Northern Islamist sect, Boko Haram and its sponsors had concluded plans to declare a Jihad against the Southern part of the country with the deployment of over 6,000 fundamentalists to the South to prosecute the war.

The association also claimed that part of the plot for the mass killing of Christians in the South was the alleged importation of a poisonous powder which Hausa suya sellers would use to poison the meat they sell as part of the Jihad, warning the people of the South to be careful about eating suya henceforth.

Chairman of CAN in the zone and Anglican Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Bishop Emmanuel Chukwuma, who raised the alarm at a briefing after the meeting of the association at All Saint’s Cathedral, Enugu, condemned the Sunday bomb-

ings of churches which claimed over 40 lives, saying it had on good authority that it had declared war on Christians as part of the agenda to Islamize Nigeria.

He said: “We have information and documents to show that this is a Jihad being sponsored and we have our documents to show where they have dispatched 2,000 people to prepare for Jihad to South East, 2,500 to South-South and about 2,000 to South West.

The names of those who are sponsoring this are in our hand now. So, it is a form of Jihad to make sure that Nigeria is frustrated and islamized and we are saying we are going to resist it, we are prepared to resist and they will not succeed. We have our information because there is already a Boko Haramist that was converted and has leaked most of these secrets to us and we have our document and information. So at the appropriate time we shall strike and we are waiting for them.”

Fight against crime: IG hails Orji, asks others to emulate him

BY ANAYO OKOLI MUAHIA—THE Act ing Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, yesterday commended Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State, for partnering with the police in the fight against crimes and called on other governors to emulate him.

The IGP spoke when he received 30 new patrol vans equipped with modern gadgets donated by the state government to the police.

According to Abubakar, Governor Orji had shown

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the light for others to follow and assured that the police would reciprocate by securing the state.

He said by the donation of patrol vans, Governor Orji had shown that he cared for his people through partnering with the security agencies operating in the state to secure the lives and property of the people of the state.

The IGP assured Nigerians that the present police administration was readyto protect the people of the country, irrespective of religious or ethnic inclination despite the challenges faced in line of their duty.

APGA is alive, stronger — Abia chairman BA— CHAIRMAN of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in Abia, Mr Nnanna Ukaegbu, yesterday said APGA is undaunted over the PDP design to destabilise its stronghold in the South East.

Ukaegbu told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, that PDP’s negative activities against APGA in Enugu and Abia states had rather helped the party to

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be more alive and stronger.

He said the PDP in Abia was in the habit of celebrating false defection of some of its members to the party.

“If APGA is dead, according to Chime, why is he directing South East working committee of PDP to work hard for the success of PDP in Anambra and Imo in 2014 and 2015 respectively.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012—15

Reps, CBN boss disagree over funds disbursement

BY OKEY NDIRIBE & EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

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BUJA—MEMBERS of the House of Representatives Committee on Banking and Currency, yesterday, disagreed with the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, over the powers of the apex bank to disburse funds.

The disagreement arose due to CBN’s injection of N620 billion into some ailing banks in 2009 and donation of N125 million to victims of bomb explosions in Kano and Madalla as well as interventions in agriculture, manufacturing and sports sectors.

The committee members said while the lending to distressed banks, donations to victims of bomb explosions and lending to private sector organisations may be necessary, the legality of these actions were questionable as

long as they had no legislative endorsement.

However, the CBN Governor argued that the apex bank’s actions were legal and in conformity

with CBN Act as created by the National Assembly.

The committee’s inquiry was to establish the facts on the alleged expenditure of public funds by

CBN and Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, without the approval of the National Assembly.

Minority Leader of the

NERC to prosecute DISCOs over exploitation

BY OSCARLINE ONWUEMENYI

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BUJA—CHAIRMAN of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi, has promised to sanction or prosecute any chief executive officers of Distribution Companies, DISCOs, who allow their business units to exploit electricity consumers.

Amadi, who was speaking to newsmen, yesterday, to clarify aspects of the new Multi-Year Tariff Order, MYTO 2, in Abuja, noted that after only about two weeks of implementing the new electricity tariff structure, the Commission has been flooded by complaints and queries over alleged

violations of the conditions of order, including illegal billing and other unreasonable charges for electricity meters and estimated billing.

One particular instance, he said involved the residents of Victoria Garden City, VGC, in Lagos who were individually metered and therefore ought to be on Residential 2 class and pay fixed charge of N500 monthly and energy charge of N12.87/kWh. He said they were asked to pay N21,256.30 before they were allowed to vend at the Eko Distribution Company, EEDC, VGC Business Centre.

He said: “There were also reports of customers being asked different charges or

being required to pay a fixed charge every time they want to recharge their meter."

House, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, who canvassed the position of the parliament at the investigative hearing, accused CBN of operating on a “blank cheque” and refusing to follow due process of the law as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.

Gbajabiamila stated that even in the United Kingdom and United States where apex banks intervened in the economy, they did so with the active participation of their parliaments.

According to him it was this collaboration that re-

sulted in the Economic Stabilisation Act passed by the United States Congress in the heat of the global economic crisis.

He said CBN appeared to have been hiding under the loophole of institutional autonomy in carrying out these actions.

Gbajabiamila argued that distinction must be made between autonomy and accountability. He said it is desirable for CBN to be autonomous, but that it does not exempt the apex bank from being accountable.

Prof. Eya, NTA, others get Now Child Award HE second edition of Nigeria Children Brands Awards, now known as Now Child Awards, holds July 11, at the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.

Prof. Regina Eya, a frontline academic, childcare crusader and Dean, Faculty of the Social Sciences, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT; Education Television, a production and programme development arm of Nigeria Television Authority, NTA-ETV; Bobo Milk Drink and Panda Pa-

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racetamol Drops, have been selected for various awards at this year’s edition of the awards.

NTA-ETV will receive the Most Popular and ChildFriendly Television Award, while Bobo will receive the Most Popular and ChildFriendly Milk Drink Award.

Panda Paracetamol Drops will be honoured with the Most Popular and ChildFriendly Paracetamol (Drops) Award.

Managing Director of Vuvuzela Communications Limited, promoters of the awards, said: “Mrs. Eya is

to be honoured with the Most Popular/ChildFriendly Personality Award.

She has, professionally and personally researched and worked for the welfare of Nigerian children all her adult life.”

Also speaking on the awards, Project Director and Editor of Now Child magazine, Ijeoma Richards, said theorganisershavemobilised Now Child Partner Schools to participate actively actively in the 2012 edition of the awards shall involve more schools and children.

16—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

60-yr-old lynched over homosexuality in Adamawa Egyptian parties claim

BY UMAR YUSUF OLA—A 60-year-old man has been lynched in Adamawa State for alleg-

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edly being a homosexual.

The deceased, identified as Hassan Buba, a resident of Yelwa Ward in Yola North Local Government, was

Yari accuses predecessor of N3bn fertilizer fraud

BY SAMINU IBRAHIM

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USAU—GOVERNOR Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State has accused his predecessor, Aliyu Shinkafi, of misapplying about N3 billion worth of fertilizer during his four-year rule.

Yari spoke, yesterday, while addressing a campaign rally of All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, at the Gasau Airstrip. He said his administration had been saddled with the responsibility of refunding the money to the Federal Government.

According to Governor Yari, the state government had so far refunded about N2.7 billion to the Federal Government, following the discovery and pledged to recover state funds stashed away by former government officials.

CPC chair, exco join ANPP Meanwhile, Yari has formally received chairman of the state chapter of Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Alhaji Aminu Dankongila, who

declared for ANPP, alongside members of the state executive.

Dankongila, who is the state Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, said his defection followed the agreement between CPC and ANPP, which according to him was redeemed shortly after ANPP won the state.

A former chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and younger brother to the state chairman of PDP, Alhaji Musa Mallaha, was among those who decamped to ANPP. Others who defected to ANPP during the rally said continuity of projects initiated by the immediate past government and the relative peace in the state informed their action.

Mallaha, who later donated N7 million to ANPP for the local government election coming up on Saturday, enjoined others to join the party ahead of the election.

Two commissioners and four special advisers in Yari’s cabinet, who were members of CPC, also decamped to ANPP.

lynched by a mob after he reportedly admitted having a relationship with a 20year-old man over the years. The young man was said to have been afflicted with a strange illness.

Eyewitnesses told Vanguard in Yola, the state capital, that late Buba met his untimely death when his victim confessed to his parents that his unending ailment was as a result of sexual encounters with the old man.

The sources said the deceased was invited to the family house of his victim, where he admitted having a long-standing sexual relationship with the young man.

He equally confessed using charms, not only to lure his victim into the act but to prevent him from exposing them. Piqued by the shocking revelations, the father of the young man was said to have raised an alarm, which attracted an irate mob that descended on Buba.

They beat him into a state of coma and abandoned him by the roadside.

The police from the Jimeta Divisional Headquarters reportedly took the suspect to Yola Specialist Hospital, where he died.

Adamawa State Police Command Spokesman, Nemuel Yoila, confirmed the incident, adding that the matter was, however, yet to be officially reported to the headquarters from the Divisional Headquarters.

FG won't repeal Land Use Act — Presidential C'ttee on Land's chair

BY ABDULSALAM MUHAMMAD

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ANO—CHAIRMAN, Presidential Technical Committee on Land Reform, Professor Peter Adeniyi, has said the Federal Government has no plan to repeal the Land Use Act which came into existence in 1976.

Addressing reporters in Kano, yesterday, Prof.

Adeniyi explained that the essence of his committee was about identifying and removing bottlenecks associated with obtaining land titles, registration procedure and other processes within the existing land delivery system.

The former Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, stressed that land reform was critical to the attainment of national transformation, adding that his

committee would strengthen its capacities for efficient administration.

He said: “It is important at this point to state categorically that the land reform programme of the Federal Government is not

intended to abrogate the Land Use Act or usurp the powers of the state governors and local government chairmen on land administration or deny individuals or communities the right to their land.”

Infant mortality rate worries Kogi

BY BOLUWA OBAHOPO

OKOJA—KOGI State Government has described as disturbing the alarming rate of increase of infant mortality in the state.

Governor Idris Wada gave the hint at the flag -off of the 2012 maternal and child health week at Ugwolawo, Ofu Local Government Area, yesterday.

The governor, who was represented by Deputy Governor Yomi Awoniyi, said the development

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had prompted his administration to seek for innovative ways aimed at providing strong network of health services to meet the needs of mothers, newborns and children.

According to Wada, this situation had also made the government to cry out to experts in the health sector to help proffer solutions that would address the causes of maternal and child mortality in the state.

victory GYPTIAN presiden tial candidates made unilateral claim of in the run off presidential election which has become a contest between the fundamentalist islamic forces and the old chips from the Mubarak regime.

Former air force commander running against the Islamist dismissed Mohammed Morsy ’s self-declared triumph as a bid to “hijack” the election. Ahmed Shafik, who was also Mubarak’s last prime minister, said that it was he in fact who was ahead. Official re-

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sults are expected on thursday. There was no official word on how the two-day run-off went and electoral supervisors have been warned they remain silent.

Shafik’s camp insisted he led by two to four points but even sources in the army, which has fought the Brotherhood through six decades of military rule, indicated they were preparing to accept that Morsy had won Egypt’s first free presidential vote.

Whoever emerges as president - and at least one electoral official privately endorsed Morsy’s claim to be leading by 52 percent to 48 with

the bulk of votes counted - he will find his powers tightly circumscribed by a decree issued by Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi’s military council as polls closed on Sunday.

It still was not clear, nearly 24 hours after polls closed, who that next president will be.

Mohammed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood’s candidate, claimed victory in the early hours of Monday morning.

The Brotherhood’s unofficial tally had Morsi leading with about 12.7 million votes, or 52.5 per cent of the total. Several other counts from media organisations.

Piracy: UK, France partner with Nigeria

BY EVELYN USMAN FFORTS to combat piracy other sea criminality along the West African Coast received a boost yesterday with the arrival of two warships from Britain and France; for a joint maritime training and operations with personnel of

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Nigerian Navy.

While the Royal Navy came to port with HMS Dauntless, a destroyer warship, under the command of Captain Will Warrender, the French Navy Warships, a frigate, Commanded by Bourhis Gwenegan sailed in L’Herminier, sailed into the country in the early

Nigeria, Iran disagree on jail figures mittee on Diaspora matBY VICTORIA OJEME

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HE Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Nigeria , weekend disagreed with statistics unveiled by the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) that 400 Nigerians are serving various jails terms in Iran for drug related offences. The Director General of NDLEA, Mr Femi Ajayi had reportedly informed the Honourable Abike Dabiri-Erewa led House of Representatives Com-

ter last week that 400 Nigerian nationals were serving time in Iranian prisons for drug related offences.

But a statement made available to journalists in Abuja insisted that only 16 Nigerian nationals were serving various jail terms in Iranian prisons for drug related offences.

According to the statement, “The Embassy categorically denies the statistics by the Director General of NDLEA concerning Nigerians serving jail terms in Iran for drug related offences.

hours of the yesterday.

The Commanding officers were escorted to the Western Naval Command, Apapa, by their respective Defence Advisers; Colonel James Hugh and Colonel Marcelo Oliveira.

Both visiting commanding officers , who paid a courtesy call on the Flag Officer, Commanding Western naval Command, Rear Admiral Ameen Ikioda, said that the partnership would among other things, strengthen the control of the West African Coast as well as enhance security in the region.

They described the collaboration as a timely venture which would also go a long way to boost the West African maritime domain, its Economic Exclusive Zone and the nation’s territorial waters,which a view to ensuring that legal business strive. The training, would also include developing capacity in maritime operation.

Israel deports Ivorian migrants ARELY one week af ter the deportation of South Sudanese migrant, Israel yesterday said it would deport migrants from Ivory Coast as part of a crackdown on foreigners without permits that has focused on Africans who enter across the porous desert border with Egypt. The announcement came a day after Israel launched

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weekly airlifts to send back South Sudanese, a small community in Israel compared to those from Sudan and Eritrea, who can more easily claim refugee status due to war and other hardships in their native lands.

After hosting Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara in Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu said his guest had “expressed agreement that Israel should repatriate Ivory Coast nationals who arrived here without permits”. The two leaders also discussed bilateral cooperation in health care, agriculture, science and technology, a statement from Netanyahu’s office said.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012—17

OWADAYS, the temptation is to preoccupy oneself with the mating habit of porcupines than to follow the typical Nigerian debate. As I said here last week, every issue spawns a polyglot of pseudo-experts and professional public affairs pundits, all climbing, clobbering and falling over one another to arrest our attention. If you are not a very discerning listener or reader, and if you are not familiar with the pattern of a typical Nigerian debate, you are not likely to spot those deliberately injected into the fray simply to obfuscate and confuse the matter at hand.

A familiar spin is the conspiracy theory. Another is the ulterior motive syndrome. The other is to speculate about facts that are very clear and publicly stated while pure fancy and fertile imaginations are purveyed as facts! By the time we are taken through the turns and twists of the habitual obfuscation, we usually lose track of what exactly the argument was all about in the first place. You see why it could be more exciting and even more rewarding to preoccupy yourself with the mating habit of porcupines? And elephants!

One thing that is clear and beyond speculation is that the current Farouk Lawan/Femi Otedola drama is A MESS! Both men are in a mess, if you like, a peculiar mess (penkelemsi, apologies to Chief Adegoke Adelabu, the late stormy petrel of Ibadan politics). Mine is to ask some questions, based on some of the illogicalities I have heard and read on this matter in the last one week.

What do some people mean when they try to remind us that it is still “a mere allegation” against Rep. Farouk until he is convicted? Have such people heard what the law calls prima facie case? Let us call a spade a spade! Did Farouk accept Otedola’s bribe money or not? First he said he did not; that it was “a plot” to smear his image! Was he forced to accept Otedola’s dollars by those “plotting” to smear his image? I watched the news footage of Farouk proposing an amendment to the subsidy report to expunge the names of Otedola’s companies. I did not see a gun pointed on his head when he proposed that amendment! That the House of Representatives reversed itself on that amendment and re-listed Otedola’s companies last Friday is a sad comment on Farouk’s claims.

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ou know, Nigerians are loudest when they are telling lies and lose their voice when confronted with truth!

When Farouk later admitted that he collected the money, he was no longer strident about his integrity and a “plot” to smear him! I have heard some ridiculous analysts argue that he admitted accepting the dollars but not as bribe! And what logic is that? Those who attempt to make such distinction have no honour!

I have read and heard people say the sting operation was a deliberate attempt to entrap Rep. Farouk. Excuse me?

What is a sting operation all about if not to entrap a potential criminal or a man about to sell state secret? Any man with integrity, any man who is not greedy and any man who is not providentially corrupt cannot get his fingers caught in the cookie jar! An honest man does not get even one million miles near entrapment. Farouk should simply have told Otedola to go to hell; am sticking with the report; you go and clear yourself in the court! My question is why do our leaders fall easily to the odour and colour of money?

Why do Nigerian emperors have no qualms about dancing naked in public?

Another question is this: Why must we always beg the government to prosecute criminals? I think I have an C M Y K

Rep. Farouk Lawan answer to that one. It is because the government is afraid of offending the offenders because the offenders are our ruling and governing class! Rep. Farouk was accused of extorting bribe.

He admitted accepting the bribe. He even documented it, although we cannot ascertain the veracity of the dates those letters were allegedly written. Prima facie, an indictable offence has been committed. He should be given his day in court. We should desist from further diverting attention with speculations! By his own admission, he did. Why he did is not our business!

Rep. Farouk wants us to believe that he collected the bribe in order to procure evidence against Otedola. Was it necessary to go to that dangerous extent? Who made Farouk a sleuth? I know that our police are famous for inefficiency, but when did it become Farouk’s job to entrap his entrapper? If he did not take bribe to remove the names of Otedola’s two companies from the list of indicted companies, why did he, after submitting the report, stand on the floor of the House to move an amendment expunging Otedola’s companies? Farouk’s is a ridiculous tale that can only be told by a Nigerian legislator! Why was the Police just “wading” into the matter last week if they had prior knowledge of the sting, both from Otedola and Farouk?

Most intriguing is whose money really was used in the sting? If the security agents contacted by Otedola actually marked the money, which of the three installments was marked? For what purpose was the money marked? If the purpose was to obtain unassailable evidence against Farouk, why did they allow him to walk away with the money? Why almost two months after, were they begging the Speaker of the House of Representative, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, to help them retrieve the money? Was there an initial attempt to compromise the whole issue before someone blew the whistle? The gap between the sting operation and the revelation and the police “swinging” into action leaves much to be desired and must be investigated!

Oil magnet, Otedola cannot come out of this smelling like a rose! It is not enough to claim that he does not import petrol for which subsidy was being paid.

His Forte Oil (FO for Femi Otedola?)

sells petrol. Where does he get his supplies? If he did not do anything wrong, why did he not tell Farouk to buzz off when the legislator “pressured” and “intimidated” him? If the money used in the sting belonged to Otedola, how come that at a time the Central Bank is preaching cashlite and cashless economy, a man can be awash with dollars to the tune of $620,000. Was this kind of sleaze not what the cashless policy was intended to stem? Was the withdrawal of this amount reported by the bank to the EFCC as required by the law? If not, which bank was involved? If Otedola kept such huge amount of cash in his private vault, what was the source? All of these must be investigated and those involved in any infraction prosecuted according to

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Sting operation a deliberate attempt

Farouk Lawan's penkelemesi

Playing the Ostrich about corruption

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e may blame President Jonathan for not prosecuting the anticorruption war to our satisfaction. The truth is that we all are playing the ostrich about corruption. We rave and rant about corruption when it concerns others, while in our minds, we are waiting for the day it would be our turn to have an opportunity to be corrupt. If it concerns “our own man” we apply different standards. Even as we savage Farouk, I can imagine some people salivating about what they would do with $620,000! I can hear people in their minds secretly asking, “if na you dey there nko?” A question that suggests that in fact, when you have the opportunity, you are expected to grab it! It also means that those who do not grab have no chance of being idolized in the society. What do we mean by “juicy” Senate or House Committees or “juicy” Ministries? What makes such posts “juicy ”? What of those who besiege you during and after public

It is unrealistic to expect our elite to be productive or not corrupt. If you create a rent driven economy, you simply ordain graft. If Nigeria was refining its petroleum products and possibly exporting the surplus, we would not have a subsidy regime and all the attendant sleaze to the level of a national culture. Thus, what we are presently engaged in is what I call fighting darkness! The only answer to darkness is to light a candle!

the laws of the land if we want to show seriousness in fighting corruption.

Discrediting subsidy probe report

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of seeing the matter as “a plot” to remove the leadership of the House, or as a deliberate targeting of the House to destroy its integrity. I don’t believe that they are still naïve to think that the sordid behaviours associated with oversights and public hearings are not common knowledge to Nigerians. I quite sympathise with the honourable members. Power probe, pension probe, Capital Market probe, petrol subsidy probe, all ended up in bribe scandal.

These are just recent ones. In the past we heard of bribe-for-budget-padding.

Scandal after scandal, our legislators have been unable to learn any ethical and moral lessons! Some of them are just too greedy for money to care about ethics and personal integrity!

really don’t know how conspiracy theorists arrived at the conclusion that the Farouk/Otedola scandal was “a plot” to discredit the Fuel Subsidy Probe Report. I can’t see any rational connection. It is important to note that the report, from the day it was submitted, assumed a life of its own! It is equally important that the President knows this and has pledged that the scandal will NOT adversely affect the prosecution of all those indicted by the report. Instead, let the conspiracy theorists worry about the diligence of prosecution based on past experiences and monitor the framing of the charges by the relevant security agency so that the case is not thrown out in court!

Many people have wondered about the panic in the National Assembly and the siege mentality members exhibited during the emergency session held last Friday on the matter. Many legislators who earlier spoke on it had distanced themselves. They should have reasons to worry, but not to the untenable extent

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office expecting you to part with what you grabbed? Thus, the real tragedy of Nigeria’s anti-corruption war is that the water with which we want to wash our nation clean is itself muddy and very dirty!

It is unrealistic to expect our elite to be productive or not corrupt. If you create a rent driven economy, you simply ordain graft. If Nigeria was refining its petroleum products and possibly exporting the surplus, we would not have a subsidy regime and all the attendant sleaze to the level of a national culture. Thus, what we are presently engaged in is what I call fighting darkness! The only answer to darkness is to light a candle!

Nigerians will be highly disappointed and it will further ridicule the anti-corruption war if at the end of all the hype, people politicise the matter through unguarded outbursts, lawyers, through their usual antics, truncate the case as soon as bail is granted and the big flies walk away free. Farouk, as I said earlier, should have his day in court and Otedola should prove his allegations against him.

By the way, where is the money in question? Who has custody of the exhibit?

18 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012 PROTESTS in Gabon are rooted in the country’s history that saw its first President Leon M’ba collapsing dictating a one-party state in 1964. At his death three years later, Albert Omar Bongo, his successor, ran Gabon for 42 years. Only death, in 2009, at 71, abbreviated Bongo’s tenure.

Riots are on again as the Front of Indignant Gabon tries to expand democratic frontiers in the country of 1.5 million people. Main opposition leader André Mba Obame, last year declared himself president, contesting results of the 2009 election that made Bongo’s son, Ali, his father’s successor. Bongo learnt well from his friend, Gnassingbe Eyadema, ruler of Togo for 38 years. Eyadema died in 2005.

He had groomed his son, Faure, to succeed him.

Unlike Faure, Ali is having a tough time holding down the opposition. He is propped up by French paratroopers who have protected Gabonese dictators since 1964. Repression against the media is on the increase. Two journalists fled into exile after security agencies queried their report of an alleged illegal use of the Gabonese presidential aircraft for

Gabon – Decimating Opposition a trip to Cotonou.

Tiny Gabon will not attract much international attention. Only its oil and timbers are important to the world and the French ensure the supplies. Africa suffers from sit-tight rulers.

They cripple opposition and their deaths leave their countries rudderless. Instability crosses borders as conflicts in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Rwanda, Somalia, and Congo have shown, put their neighbours under perpetual pressure.

Dissatisfaction with government is no longer contained with a country’s borders. The December 2010 riots over unemployment and corruption, in Tunisia, took down its govern-

ment, led to the demise of Libya’s Colonel Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi and his 41 years of dictatorship and inspired Egyptian riots that landed Muhammad Hosni Mubarak, 82, in jail after almost 30 years in power.

These dictators are the envy of other African leaders scheming to perpetrate themselves in power. They are the biggest obstacle to the continent’s development. Their countries are in trouble, but the depth of the decay is never known, until they leave, after decades of destructive conversion of their countries to private estates.

A short list of Africa’s unrelenting dictators includes Eduardo Dos Santos of Angola, 70, Equatorial Guinea’s Theodoro Mbasogo, 69, and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, 87: in power for 32 years each. In Cameroon, Paul Biya, 78, is marking 29 years, without any indication that he intends to quit. Uganda’s President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, 68, and in his 25th year is a younger member of the club.

Gabonese riots serve more tension on a continent suffused in war and want – one of the telling realities of dictatorship.

OPINION

BY PHILUS ALABA

R. Vannavar Bush was the man who developed the early technology of what has come down to our age as the computer. But he didn’t see long enough to capture the far-range reach of his work. He didn’t even see up to 20 years of the limitless possibilities of the device he had created.

For instance, he was asked if rockets (immensely aided by the computer) might travel three thousand miles.

Bush dismissed the idea and declared: “I feel confident that it will not be done for a very long period of time!”

His “very long period of time” proved embarrassingly wrong because 20 years later rockets blasted off to the moon!

Now if this great man couldn’t see that far, it would be proposing too much at that time to suggest that the computer might be an indisputable tool for global communication. Pray, wouldn’t it be a less promising proposal to push the idea of a laptop or a pad-like successor to the computer in the 21st century? Crazier still would be a proposition that down south of the Sahara in 2012, secondary school students in a place called State of Osun would be tapping from the vast potential of the computer technology.

But this seemingly unthinkable scene is what is playing out in the State of Osun under Governor Rauf Aregbesola. For the first time in the history of education development in Nigeria, a Governor is bringing the unlimited benefits of Information Communications Technology, ICT, right into the homes of students.

Whereas up till now the student could only have access to ICT-driven education through private means or

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Opon Imo: Osun's 'tablet of knowledge depending on your economic power, the government in Osogbo has rolled out a plan to equip its secondary school students with what it calls Opon Imo (tablet or pad of knowledge).

It is an ICT-based device patterned after iPad, the handy tool that the elite in the society wield for omnibus communication purposes. In a stroke of genius, the government has demystified the pad, commissioning a Chinese company to develop the computer tablet for specific local needs. Opon Imo will be in the kit of all the high school students in Osun.

It has been designed to have 38 subjects offered in the schools installed in it. But the authorities have done much more than accommodating the so-called conventional takes. They have included Yoruba history, Yoruba traditional religion, civic education, sexuality education and -wait for it- entrepreneurship education!

At the last official count there are 43 subjects stored in Opon Imo.

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ll the books used in all the three senior classes as well as WAEC, NECO and JAMB past questions and answers are in Opon Imo. Being solar compatible for at least eight hours the tablet saves its user undue dependence on the country’s unstable power supply.

The government of Aregbesola, from the foregoing, can thus be seen to be determined to ensure “total education” to the young sons and daughters of Osun.

His administration is offering the best aid to prepare the boys and girls for both internal and external examinations. Characteristic of governments that are passionate about selfless service to the people that voted them into power, the correct administration is viewing the present from the prism of the future.

His philosophy is to offer stress-free education through Opon Imo which the ancient Latin people would call vade mecum. Literally it means go with me. But it alludes to a handy reference book, a pocket manual that goes with you everywhere you go, giving you instant knowledge and information about your school work.

This value-laden tablet that frees the student from the physical burden of backpack of books and other odds and sods is a giant leap in the history of education in sub-Saharan Africa. It will mark a watershed in the life of the student, parents and society the same way Vannavar Bush’s computer, the great precursor of Opon Imo, has made a difference in the history of mankind.

A government’s real worth is the difference it makes in the life of its citizens. It is the only enduring legacy.

Thus, the lesson from the advent of Opon Imo is that a good government ought always to put on its thinking cap with a view to breaking new concepts of good governance that would be of immeasurable advantage to the citizens.

Opon Imo (alias vade mecum) falls into that special class. *Mr. Alaba, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Osun State.

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012— 19

, HE Guardian Tuesday May 22 2012 interview of Yele Delano (SAN) made explicit the government policy on corruption.

Government has defined corruption as a crime and set up the process of prosecuting those accused of corruption with the aim of having the accused convicted and punished. The criminalisation of corruption is to institute deterrence or prevention of the crime.

Prosecution in the Nigerian judicial system is undertaken by the EFCC and ICPC. According to Delano: “This system requires that a case would commence at the magistrate court, in line with the appellate tradition, move to the High Court, from there to the Court of Appeal and then to the Supreme Court. It is for the aggrieved party, in this case the government, to secure conviction, to appeal and have judicial review of the case. That would be a matter

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for the Attorney-General to look at”.

The procedure to procure evidence that could secure conviction and the process of prosecution seem straight forward.

Given that this is the case, why are there few convictions? Why did it take the UK judicial system to convict former Governor James Ibori? The SAN answered this question in the following: “Clearly, some of the things I have said earlier, you can see them playing out in the Ibori case. I doubt if there was the political will in the prosecution of Ibori by the Nigerian authorities… I am someone who believes that even the Police must be policed. In essence, what I am saying is that the anti-graft agencies too must be investigated before they either slip away or get carried away by self-appreciation. Again I will recommend this model, which I earlier suggested, random investigation, they should also in

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addition examine the memos, the evidence, statements of accused persons, investigation in the bank. I am sure after all these, eminent people would be able to say independently whether or not a particular case has been dealt with properly or not. Right now, nobody does that; nobody knows why these cases are not doing well. Even the Committee has to be random, the people it used have to be random, the people it uses this year may not necessarily be used next year, so that they cannot be pre-approached.

When an investigator knows that at anytime his own case may be reviewed, at all times he would be up and doing”.

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he SAN suggestions are designed to make the process effective in securing convictions and efficient in increasing the number of convictions. But even after the loopholes in the investigation and prosecutorial process have been sealed, corruption will only be marginally curtailed. The reason for

Celebrating Nnimmo Bassey @ 54

BY LEXY OCHIBEJIVWIE

WAS born into a world where evil deed is, and has become cheapy, and good deed, like the feaces of a snake, rare to come by.

Now almost all things in the data of human life have been compromised. Even now that our human will has been so battered, so uncared for, with all the good things so smothered; pointing at a single individual who fits into the social horizon of the ideal man becomes a leeway to justify the logical validity that indeed, good men, in these present times, seldomly exist. However, amid these volatile situations extant in our world, there lie men whose actions, perhaps inactions, have consistently negated the pernicious path man now toe. Put in more specific terms , men who have mortgaged their lives to the service of humanity with no commensurate gain, even at the risk of their own lives. To accentuate a Christian parabolical, men who have vowed that when they see that wounded traveller on the way to Jericho, they would not pass to the other side.

One of such benevolent figures that well typifies this wishful data of human conscience is the humanitarian, Nnimmo Bassey, who turned 54 years of age on Monday, June 11, 2012.

Evangelist, architect, poet, cartoonist, ecoactivist, altruist, teleologist, deontologist, pacifist, zeitgeist, and more. Nnimmo Bassey stands for the most refined of men – forthright, good-natured, good-humoured, goodhearted, good-tempered, and of a noble sense.

For me and to all who share the brightest vision of a near-utopian world founded on easeful living, he is the perfect statute of a multicameral mind who has consistently meditated on nothing, but upon the inalienable rights of humankind and justice for the ecosystem. Nnimmo’s life, yes, is one that measures up with the indubitable saying that, ‘only the test of fire makes a good steel’.

Although, those of us in the literary divide may not fully appreciate how truly God has been using Nnimmo to win souls to his kingdom, how God has used him to touch the lives of those individuals in need of salvation.

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But our sense of fancy will allow us to understand more: his architectural contributions to making places like Abuja, one of the choice destinations in the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. Likewise, we cannot be so feeble-minded to appreciate the good works Nnimmo has being doing, and still willing to do in “ reclaiming our humanity, our memory”. Yet, in everything else, one cannot agree less of his being at the fray in making for a healthy climate for all of humanity.

During those dark and foggy days of military rule in Nigeria, Nnimmo was fervent at standing against nagging dictatorial tendencies aimed at drowning the hopes of the common man. At the risk of his own life and that of his family, he deployed his cartoonist mien in the pages of Nigerian newspapers in ridiculing austere tendencies created by that inconsiderate regime which sets out to shrink the people’s sense of purpose.

As an activist, Nnimmo hounded the military regime of the late General Sani Abacha during the mid-1990s with his often too rational outlook on the Nigerian situation visà-vis the faithless policies of that regime.

Although, for this, he tasted the bitter bill of incarceration. Bassey can rightly be fitted into those immortal heroes such as Solzhenitsyn, Ghandi, Mandela, Soyinka, Suu Kyi, AdakaBoro, Saro-Wiwa, Cheng, and others, who are unjustly persecuted for their unflagging convictions that the rights of the common man must be pursued to a dead end. He, like these deathless figures, can be said to amplify the conservative principles of one of Irish-born British political philosophers and statesmen Edmund Burke, who believes that “the only way evil can triumph over good is for good men to do nothing”.

I have known the avuncular Nnimmo for quite sometime now, but was luck out to communicate formally with him, until last December. Admittedly, I was endeared to him through his momentous inputs to the ecosystem as seen in his poetic afflatus, achievements as Nigeria’s Executive Director of Environmental Rights Action, ERA , an organisation he co-founded in 1993 to look into fundamental issues traceable to the

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Govt policy on prosecution of the corrupt

The judicial system deals not with the political structuring of office holding that provides the opportunity for selfish use of power and authority

this is the fact that the judicial system deals only with individual conducts but not with the political structuring of office holding that provide the opportunity for selfish use of power and authority. The incidents of reported cases of accused persons show the link between opportunity for abuse of power and the lack of effective checks and controls to prevent the abuse or corrupt use of power.

Although it is important to distinguish for policy purposes individual from institutional corruption, but when the focus is on the conduct of office-holders, it becomes more useful to source corruption in the ideological structure of the political system. The Sunday July 18, 2010 Thisday carried the story titled: EFCC Widens Corruption Probe in Ogun State-Allegation not true, says Information Commissioner. The story covered the other face of corruption in Nigeria, namely: Executive Brigandage Institutional Corruption, EBIC. “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has widened its ongoing probe of corruption in Ogun State as it is presently looking into over 40 different cases of fraud involving some top government officials in the state. But the State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Sina Kawonise said there is nothing in the allegations as it follows the regular pattern by the opposition, especially when it is an election year.

He also said the allegation were designed by the opposition to the government from Abuja. EFCC officials told ThisDay the new set of case is different from the previous case of N30 billion fraud allegedly

He is the perfect statute of a multicameral mind who has consistently meditated on nothing, but upon the inalienable rights of humankind and justice for the ecosystem

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environment, and as Chair of Friends of the Earth International, FOEI. Quite candidly, Nnimmo is one of the most fascinating poets who have, in recent times, grazed the ranch of Niger Delta poetry. Among the present Niger Delta poets of repute, such as J.P.ClarkBekederemo, Gabriel Okara, Tanure Ojaide, Odia Ofeimun, Hope Eghagha, Ogaga Ifowodo, Ebi Yeibo, Joe Ushie, Ibiwari Ikiriko, Ebinyo Ogbowei, Peter Anny-Nzekwe, Sophie Obi, and others, who attempted to capture the Deltascape through their poetic stamina, he more than most, matches his creative visions for the environment with a more practical and a more tenable approach to resistance to ecological disasters besetting the continental sphere.

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assey’s poetic collections, which include Poems on the Run, Intercepted, Patriots and Cockroaches, We Thought It Was Oil But It Was Blood, and I Will Not Dance To Your Beat are not just alluring, but sumptuous pieces that have unmistakably smoothened the creative texture of Niger Delta literature, both within and outside Nigeria. A trip into his ingenious poetic flints often reveals the poet’s plangent posture on man’s ignoble state as well as the quiddity of pro-environmental consistency. His poetry, especially those written at the dawn of this new millennium, rather than romanticise nature, as did the Wordsworthian vision in Tintern Abbey, or merely bemoans a near-plundered earth, as evinced in the Osundarean vitality, The Eye of The Earth, engages in eco-terrorism as he lets out his malcontent for an ill-treated ecosystem. Chiefly in his volumes We Thought

perpetrated by certain top officials of the government in connection with sale of land and diversion of local government funds. They voted that the latest twist in the investigation may warrant that the Commissioner invites more officials of the government in connection with the different cases.

The new cases involved acts perpetrated by the officials between 2003 and last year. According to EFCC officials, some of the new charges against the state government official include the N1billion unremitted pension deduction from the state workers salaries, fraudulent and illegal payment of over N1billion purportedly as counterpart funding for water project even when there is a standing order to the Federal Ministry of Finance for deduction from the state’s allocation in respect of the same projects. There is also the alleged case of fraudulent and illegal fund expended on debt servicing to the tune of N5.2 billion as against the appropriation of N350 million for the same purpose in the 2009 budget by the State House of Assembly; fraudulent payment of N300 million electricity charges despite direct deduction of same from various ministry departments and agencies. EFCC also alleges cases of N500 million agricultural loan diversion to cronies and associates of an amount totaling over N5 billion in the name of salaries and allowances in the governor’s office; illegal transfer and disposal of government-owned enterprise totalling over N15 billion

by Gateway Holdings.

Continues next week

It Was Oil But It Was Blood, which clearly recaptures a moment of recognition for the Niger Delta people, and I Will Not Dance To Your Beat, whose title obviously voices a message of defiance, Bassey falters not in calling a spade by its rightful name, as he indicts neo-liberal forces in tandem with the government as culpable for the lingering ecocides in the Niger Delta region; the same way he exhibits adept knowledge for environmental matters, while mapping out the people’s will to stand against seeming distaste by any conventional means.

For well over two decades, Nnimmo Bassey has being getting his teeth into issues peculiar to our environment. Still new in our memory is his efforts at ensuring justice for the communities hit by the BONGA oil spill, which will forever remain in the annals of liberal eco-activism. Using ERA as a conduit, he invests his time and mental strengths in tackling issues which relate to man and justice for our fast wilting climate, not only in Nigeria but elsewhere in the world. In these, Bassey’s efforts have been quite commendable and matchless. Particularly, his tireless efforts in helping to assuage the issues of gas flaring and oil spills in the Niger Delta region and his impassioned voice in advocating an alternative source of energy for almost seven billion people of the world’s population are well received. In order to ice his unbridled vision for the ecosystem, the benign Nnimmo Bassey has written highly fascinating books.

Two of which include Knee Deep in Crude, and To Cook a Continent: Destructive Extraction and the Climate Crisis in Africa, profound volumes which reel in his consternation for man’s exploratory activities.

Outside writing books, Bassey has also granted interviews, organised rallies and attended international conferences in which he shared key thoughts on the state of the ecosystem.

It is partly for his timely efforts that ERA, for its work on environmental justice, won the Sophie Prize in 1998; and in 2009 won the Bloomberg Award for the control of tobacco; the same year Uncle Nnimmo, in what may be considered as one of the most defining moment of his life, was proclaimed by TIME Magazine as the “Hero of the Environment”. *Mr. Ochibejivwie, a doctoral student, wrote from Jeddo, Delta State.

20 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012 — 21

Depleting reserves, threat to Nigeria’s economic growth — Citi Analyst

BY CHINEDU IBEABUCHI

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AVID Cowan, an Economist with Citi Investment Research & Analysis, a subsidiary of Citi Group Global Market Incorporated has expressed concern over Nigeria’s depleting reserves, declaring that this poses a serious threat to achieving the country ’s economic growth programme.

“Rather than run large deficits and build up new debt to aid increasing government spending, the government has run down savings to the point where they are now virtually non-existent,” Cowan said, in his presentation titled, ‘Global economic trends: Where do Africa and Nigerian capital markets stand,’ at the June edition of the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Learning Series in Abuja.

He further stated that there is an urgent need for the country to rebuild savings as a cushion for uncertainty.

According to him, given global economic policy, there is now a huge demand structurally for African assets.

“The key for Nigerian government is how to meet this demand, while at the same time meeting the needs of Sub-Saharan Africa, SSA, governments for the development of local capital markets; there is also need to focus on how to manage monetary policy and portfolio inflows; and how to get more companies to list,” he added.

Commenting on Africa’s growth prospect, Cowan said that most African governments are going to have to think clearly about closing fiscal deficits in the coming years as the bottom line is that spending has risen and will be difficult to curtail going forward; adding therefore, that the key need is to raise greater revenue.

He declared that in recent years,

there has been a growing body of evidence, led by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) that shows that private sector investment in Africa is highly profitable.

He added, however, that the other side of this is that productivity levels in Africa are lower than in the rest of the world and investment does not seem to yield the same impact on economic growth in Africa as in other parts of the world.

He blamed this lower productivity on a number of reasons, saying, “First, there is the high cost of doing

+0.95

2,243.00

-20.00

20.77

+0.80

97.31

+0.14

84.18

+0.27

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

0.2753 26.1377 194.3375 240.6372 41.3012 234.0229 161.7586 154.9 233.1885 1.9501 24.3185

0.2853 26.2221 194.9648 241.414 41.4345 234.7783 162.2807 155.4 233.9412 1.9564 24.3975

0.2953 26.3065 195.5921 242.1907 41.5678 235.5337 162.8028 155.9 234.6939 1.9627 24.4764

CBN Exchange rate as at 18/06/2012 C M Y K

growth going forward.”

Cowan further stated that despite optimism about growth, going forward in Africa, it may be that, in the next few years, growth actually slows a little, or does not pick up significantly.

“This is because Asian growth is weakening a bit and the domestic policy stimulus has to be taken away.

So it may not be logical to assume that growth will pick up towards seven per cent beyond the next couple of years, but it may seem to be stuck around the 5-6 per cent level in the next few years.

From left: Mallam Bello Gwandu, Mr. Bashir Bakare and Mr. Adeniyi Makanjuola, all Directors of Caverton Offshore Support Group at the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos.

Nigerite workers down tool over salary deduction

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

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business in Africa, or the need to reduce the transactions costs for private enterprises. Second, the lack/ weak state of infrastructure, the need to overcome the neglect of the 1980s and 1990s. There is a major need for a large infrastructure push and third, the lack of ‘ real’ integration into the global economy.”

“The fundamental lesson of Asian growth is that trade and capital flows are key drivers of growth.

Africa needs to fundamentally strengthen its ability to ride on the coat-tails of g l o b a l , a n d a r g u a b l y, A s i a n

ORKERS of Nigerite Limited in Lagos have downed tools to protest unfair conditions of service, especially alleged deduction of their salary and perceived ill-treatment by the management.

The aggrieved workers who protested at the Oba Akran, Ikeja premises of the company, called for the removal of the Managing Director, whom they accused of being responsible for their plight.

Many of the protesting workers claimed they had been working in the company for over 15 years without problems, until the present Managing Director assumed office.

A worker who spoke on condition of anonymity lamented, “Our salaries are being deducted because we observed May 1 as public holiday. The MD

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also gave us code of conduct which is very difficult for us to comply with.

“Our colleagues in Coca-Cola company told us that the Managing Director did the same thing to them while he was serving in the company.”

Another, who simply identified himself as “Adesina” noted that the problem started a week ago, when workers told the Managing Director to refund the deducted salaries and also withdraw the code of conduct, which he refused.

He said “before we began strike, we gave management seven and three days ultimatum to put things in place and thereafter, we down tool and he ordered the policemen to come around while we were locked outside’.

As at the time of filling this report, the workers are yet to commence work, insisted that the managing director should leave the company

for peace to reign.

Effort to speak with the management of the company proved abortive as one of the workers said he was not around.”

Leaders of local company ’s unit of the National Union of Chemical Footwear, Rubber, Leather and NonMetallic Products, Employees, NUCFRLANMPE, and the Chemical and Non-Metallic Products Senior Staff Association, CANMPSSA, appealed to the workers in vain to be patience.

Efforts of other individuals and group to persuade the workers weekend failed as they insisted the Managing Director must go.

Nigerite Limited is the manufacturer of NT fibre cement roofing and ceiling sheets, concrete roofing tiles and vinyl floor tiles.

The company was incorporated in Nigeria in 1959 but began its commercial operations in early 1961.

22 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

FG should purchase, warehouse undervalued stocks — Stockbrokers

By MICHAEL EBOH

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TOCKBROKERS in the Nigerian capital market have called on the Federal Government to intervene in the Nigerian capital market by empowering the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, or any special body to purchase and warehouse stocks selling below their market

value.

Speaking at the investiture of the newly elected executives of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, CIS, in Lagos, the new President/Chairman of the CIS, Mr. Ariyo Olushekun, said the intervening agency should be made to focus on undervalued securities with strong fundamentals.

He said this will help address the current volatility in the market, especially with the current improved activities of foreign investors and the absence of domestic investors in the market.

He said, “These purchased and warehoused stocks can subsequently been sold at a profit in a systematic and orderly manner.

This matter is crucial as domestic investors have abandoned the market having lost money in recent past.

“If we cannot bring them back, quickly enough, we should not leave the market at the mercy of foreign portfolio investors who have more options available to them and can quickly bring volatility to the market

from their country ’s allocation actions.”

He called on the Federal Government to give tax incentives to quoted companies as a way of deepening the market and encouraging more listings.

He disclosed that the tax incentives would make listed companies to remain quoted, while new ones would be encouraged to access the market.

“Tax incentives involving company tax should be applied to quoted companies while Valued Added Tax, VAT, and withholding tax should be eliminated or significantly reduced for market transaction.

Stamp duty, I dare say, is no longer relevant and thus should be eliminated,” he said.

To ensure the revival of the capital market, Olushekun said interest rates should also be managed very well, outstanding margin debts issues resolved and investor education

intensified.

He called for the establishment of a stabilisation fund, saying it would fasttrack the revival of the market.

According to him, the current high interest rates regime is harmful to productive activities and is equally affecting the patronage of the capital market.

He said: “High interest rates impair ability of business to launch new projects and products, reduce profitability of companies(quoted and unquoted), threaten loan repayment by borrowers and drive fund away from active entrepreneurship to passive investment in risk free government securities.”

He explained that if gilt-edge and tax-free government bonds can yield in excess of 15 per cent in an economy with 12 per cent inflation rate, risk-averse investment practice will be the order of the day.

Fortis MFB to shore up capital base by N7bn From left: Mr Akinniyi Arikawe, Director, Africa Commercial, International Treasury Services Africa Limited, ITS; Mr. Terry Gamell, Director, ITS (Europe Middle East Africa) and Mr Sanmi Shobowale, Country Manager (Nigeria), at the launch and presentation of ITS Africa to the Nigerian Banking and Insurance Industry, in Lagos. PHOTO: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

IFRS ’ll improve companies’ profitability—Obazee

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM HE adoption of International Financial Reporting Standard, IFRS, will impact positively on companies’ overall financial performance, the Executive Secretary/ Chief Executive Officer, Financial Reporting Council, FRC, Mr. Jim Obazee, has said.

Making the assertion at the inauguration ceremony of the 6-man team of the newly elected officers of Capital Market Correspondents Association of Nigeria, CAMCAN, in Lagos, Obaze observed that under IFRS , companies operating in the country would exhibit higher leverage measures following the high financial reporting quality.

He said, “I am

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convinced that IFRS implementation will favourably affect the overall financial performance and position of reporting entities in Nigeria.

Under IFRS, key financial figures, such as profitability and growth shall be higher.”

“The principles-based nature of IFRS triggers the need for enhanced explanations that can provide readers with sufficient information to e f f e c t i v e l y understanding the company ’s financial statements. In addition to this, there are numerous detailed rules pertaining to specific disclosures requirements in all the existing standards.

These are likely to increase as new standards are issued, old ones reviewed and convergence with US GAAP progresses.

In the light of the

m a n d a t o r y implementation of IFRS as of 1 January 2012 in Nigeria, it is worthwhile if a comprehensive study would be undertaken on the impact of IFRS adoption on Nigeria firms’ financial numbers and related volatility effects. Following the fair value orientation of IFRS, its adoption was likely to introduce volatility in income statement and balance sheet figures,” he added.

According to him, IFRS would reduce the potential uncertainty and risk that was attributed to a firm and subsequently enhance the credibility and the borrowing bargain power of entities.

Obazee noted that the higher volatility, adopters’ interest cover ratio would not be adversely affected, implying that IFRS

adoption would not lead to debt covenant violation or financial distress.

The FRC boss stated that aside the legal implications, the strategic implication has to be considered as well if the entity is to survive in the ensuing aggressive global competitive climate.

Obazee further noted that IFRS on operating segment made it mandatory for reporting entities to disclose those competition sensitive information that were hitherto the exclusive preserve of management, adding that with the implementation, information on revenue, cost and profit margins, use of assets for business and product lines would now be available for all users of the financial statements.

BY MICHAEL EBOH

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O R T I S Microfinance Bank Plc said it is set to shore up its capital base by about N7 billion.

Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of the bank, Mr. Kunle Oketikun, said the capital raising programme is part of its three-year strategic growth plan aimed at positioning the bank among the leading the microfinance institutions in Nigeria.

He said the hybrid security issuance programme have reached advanced stage and is being packaged by Deap Capital Management & Trust Plc as the Issuing House/Financial Advisers.

According to him, the bank has in the past four years laid the foundation for a rapid growth aimed at positioning it at the top wrung of the microfinance industry in Nigeria.

He noted that the operational strategy that underlines the foundation and success of Fortis is the

professionalism and a commitment for best practices which have equally translated to consistently good performance of the company.

According to him, Fortis Microfinance Bank Plc, since inception, has committed itself to be a microfinance bank of choice in the Nigerian financial industry.

He said, “We adhere strictly to professional standards and international best practice.

We have constantly achieved record pre-tax earnings, earnings per share, free cash flow and improved profit margins, with increased revenues and have continued to deliver superior returns to shareholders most importantly.”

Oketikun further stated that the dealings of Fortis are knowledge and research-based which has placed it in a distinct competitive advantage in the continuing products and services that always satisfy bank’s customers irrespective of market conditions.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012 — 23

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24 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

Reps appoint consultant to review FG insurance

BY ROSEMARY ONUOHA

HE House of Repre sentatives has appointed Rowland Madiebo as its consultants to assist the chambers on the forthcoming review of federal government insurances.

Jubrin Abdulmumin, chairman of the committee on finance that is saddled with this function made the announcement at a meeting in Abuja.

Madiebo who was unveiled at a meeting of the sub-committee on insurance was described as a thoroughbred practitioner with over 39 years experience in the industry.

Abdulmuminu said Madiebo would bring his untainted experience to bear on the committee’s work which is basically to make the insurance industry more responsive to the growth of the na-

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tion’s economy.

Abdulmuminu is leading the federal lawmakers’ first attempt at redirecting the insurance of federal government after the collapse of monopoly in the industry.

Previous exercises of the National Assembly in the insurance industry were the amendment of its Act and that of its regulator, NAICOM in 2002 and that of motor insurance as well as workmen compensation in the last administration.

Rowland Madiebo, who has traversed different areas of insurance, is a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria and Associate of the chartered Insurance Institute of London as well as the Associate of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers.

An astute professional,

NPF MFB shareholders approve N45.7m dividend

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM

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HAREHOLDERS of NPF Microfinance at the bank’s 18th annual general meeting in Lagos, approved the distribution of N45.7 million cash dividends for the financial year ended December 30, 2011.

The dividend so approved amounts to 2kobo per 50 kobo share held by every member of the bank as at year end.

Speaking on behalf of other shareholders at the meeting, Mr. Boniface Okezie, President, Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria (PSAN), said that despite the dividend glut in the capital market following the crash, the bank has sustained its tradition of rewarding shareholders with cash dividend.

He however, stated that 4kobo would have been more acceptable going by the size of the bank’s reserve, while demanding for further increase in the amount to be paid in the coming year.

He further urged the board and management to, in addition to cash dividend, consider giving shareholders bonus issue, saying that script issue of 1:5 would be much more acceptable.

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He observed the growth in the bank’s total assets was indicative of the healthiness of the bank’s and the management’s proactive nature. “I commend the board for the growth in the total assets. It shows that the bank is healthy.

Most companies don’t have this. This really proves NPF Microfinance bank is doing well.

Microfinance banks are not exempted from the over-regulation and recklessness of the so-called capital market regulators, the bank has proved its worth,” he stated.

Addressing shareholders earlier in the meeting, the Chairperson, Mrs. Florence Adebanjo, explained that reduction in total dividend recommended was a result of provisioning made during the year.

She said, “Due to increased depreciation and operating cost from N630.396 million in 2010 to N730.150 million in 2011 as well as provisioning made on investment from a write back of N40.78 million in 2010 to a provision of N234.012 million, the profit before taxation reduced by 19 per cent from N242.182 million to N195.738 million in the period under review.

several Courses both within and outside the country has presented papers in different areas of insurance. Started his Insurance carrier with Unity Life and Fire

Insurance Co Ltd in 1973 and later moved to B.C. Madiebo and Company Ltd Insurance Brokers and Pension Consultants where he rose to the position of the Managing

Director. He later became the Managing Director of Intercontinental Assurance Company Limited between 1994 and 2006. In 2007 after the Insurance Industry

Consolidation, he was appointed Executive Director Technical, Unity Kapital Assurance plc.

Presently, he is the chairman of RIM Insurance Brokers Limited.

From left: Branch Chairman, Nigerian Red Cross, Mr. Onibudo Mobolaji; Managing Director, CAP Plc, Mrs. Omolara Elemide; Chairman CAP Plc, Mr. Larry Ettah and Director CAP Plc, Solomon Aigbavboa, at the Dulux Let’s Colour Programme of repainting Red Cross Lagos State Motherless and Abandoned Babies Home building, yesterday.

Regency Alliance posts N262m profit

BY ROSEMARY ONUOHA

EGENCY Alliance Insurance plc recorded N262.8 million Profits after Tax during the year ended 31st December 2012. The figure showed an increase of 13 per cent compared to that of 2010. This was contained in the company’s annual reports and accounts recently released into the market.

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While Premium earned less Re-insurance during the period stood at N1.68 billion, it recorded N304.3 million before taxation.

Its gross premium for the year was about N 2.196 billion as against N2.007 billion in 2010, a 9.4 per cent increase.

The highlights of the result showed that the company made adequate provision of about N481 million as bad

SEC Board not sacked

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HE Securities Ex change Commission, SEC, y e s t e r day said its Board was not sacked contrary to media report.

According to the Commission, “The tenure of the board members expired, June 18, 2012, and the Federal Government did not deem it necessary to renew their tenure.”

The Minister of F i n a n c e D r. ( M r s . )

Ngozi OkonjoIweala had declared last week in Abuja that “ Ibrahim Bolaji Bello is to take charge of the running of the affairs o f t h e a p ex regulatory body of the Nigerian capital market just as the four year term of the current board of SEC led by Senator Udoma Udo Udoma expires Fr i d a y, J u n e 15, 2012, to rule out the possibility of tenure elongation for the board”.

debts in accordance with the National Insurance Commission, NAICOM’s guidelines.

During the period under review the company paid over N367 million claims. Its earnings per share stood at 3.87 as against 3.45 in 2010, an increase of about 12 percent.

The report indicates that a proposal for dividend would be presented to the shareholders at its 18th Annual General Meeting schedule for July 12 2012.

Speaking on the result, the company’s Managing Director, Mr. Biyi Otegbeye said that the result showed the company is growing steadily adding that the fundamentals are getting stronger year by year.

According to him, “It is a thing of delight that we still maintaining a healthy bottom line. We still respect the expectation of our shareholders by maintain a consistent dividend policy”.

Otegbeye disclosed that the company is following the five year development programme that was launched two years ago adding Regency Alliance Insurance is fast emerging as a dominant

player particularly in the oil and gas insurance.

He continued, “We are optimistic that by 2013 our company would be among the first eight insurance companies in Nigeria”.

He also said that the company’s subsidiary in Ghana as well as the local ones is already making contribution to its bottom line. “We are happy with the significant improvement in the company ’s subsidiary in Ghana”.

On the company’s plan for the future, Otegbeye said the company would strengthen its credit management and control system to reduce the huge debtors’ profile. He further said,” we will boost our internal efficiency and ensure claim response time is abridged. We will also sustain our efforts at expanding the insurance market by developing more penny products that will create value for ordinary man”.

He added that the company branch networking would be re-invigorated for effective service delivery.”We will also review our investment strategies in view of the market reality.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012—25

HE Quadrant Legend stout, its promo and reward mechanism TCompany (TQC) was TQC recently celebrated at

…as Enugu consumers benefit STORIES BY PRINCEWILL EKWUJURU

HAT moves consum W ers to a brand is beyond the product, rather, its intrinsic behaviours attract consumers. Consumers may prefer a brand as a result of its taste, some because of its interactive engagement, and some, because of its artistic packaging.

But the best known factors for the phenomenal sustenance of brand position in the market is the advertising support which consistently projects the

quality of the brand over others, even as the market dominance by some may have been as a result of some marketing communication activations.

These reasons may have informed Nigerian Breweries reason to embark on the Real Deal promo, to bring the brand closer to consumers and to reward loyalty in parts of Nigeria, and in Enugu State particularly, where consumers carted home various prizes.

Invariably, the awareness created by the promo has resulted in a consumer traffic that has projected the

drink’s image beyond the imagination of its brewers, typical is the consuming rate in Enugu occasioned by the gift items at the promo reward ground at the Bush House Arena.

If NB had any premonition of the response to the promo, it may well have termed it ‘The Legendary Consumer Promo.’ Since the promo commenced on May 1, 2012, the brand has witnessed a phenomenal leap both in sales and rating among beer drinkers.

Now that the promo has sparked a wild scramble for Legend crown corks. A trip

to the nearest bars , chances are you are likely to validate the rush for bottles of Legend extra stout.

Not just for the liquid content, but also for the corks.

For many Legend consumers, it’s their ticket to win prizes during the promo period.

In Lagos, for Onafuye Olushola, 30, winner of an LCD TV, a car wash operator was in ecstatic mood over the new television he won courtesy the promo.

His words, “My brother, I am still in cloud nine. I never imagined that I would win a prize like this."

Brussels when it won an award in the 2012 Superior Achievement in Branding and Reputation (SABRE) Award.

The SABRE Awards, which attracted more than 2,000 entries from across the EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa), last year, saw TQC as “African Consultancy of the Year” At this year’s awards, which took place on May the 31st, one of the organisation awarded was their Swiss affiliates Fleishman-Hillard .

Speaking on the Award, Mr. Bolaji Okusaga, who picked the Award in

celebrates 2012 SABRE awards Brussels said, the SABRE Awards is to recognize, showcase and celebrate the best campaigns that demonstrate the highest levels of strategic planning, creativity and business results, produced by public relations firms among which TQC among Agencies that put in entries.

‘As a consulting firm, we have people with diverse skills, knowledge base and interests from a variety of backgrounds, which we harness for our services.

Our people come with varying depths of experience in corporate PR across various business sectors, direct marketing, database management, advertising, event management, and award winning journalism. This plays out as in-depth relevant strategy and implementation currently unmatched by any other communications consulting firm in the Nigerian market.’

FPH & Casino gives children treat

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HE Children’s day have come and gone, Federal Palace Hotel & Casino still took time out to make a memorable day for the children of Sisters Unite.

Sisters Unite for children is an NGO that seeks to help rehabilitate indigent and abused children – as it hosted them at it’s Swimming Pool Club.

David Kliegl, General Manager Federal Palace Hotel & Casino, said that the establishment decided to host the children from the Sisters Unite for Children as part of its corporate social responsibility effort. He stressed that the hotel saw the need to celebrate children because they are a core part of the family which is the strength of any society.

“It is important that children are provided the best of everything as they are the leaders of tomorrow. This is why we invited the children to enjoy our hospitality because we are aware of their relevance to the society at large.”

26—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

‘Oil price speculation cannot be stopped’

BY CLARA NWACHUKWU HE Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani lison-Madueke, has argued that it is impossible to do away with speculators in determining crude oil prices t the international market.

The minister posited this while speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the just-concluded 5th OPEC International Conference, in Vienna, Austria.

She said, “As you know, we cannot run away from it the oil commodities speculators and the futures market in terms of the oil prices.”

Against this backdrop, she noted that speakers at the seminar critically reviewed the situation with a view to the world understand that there is no gain in pushing oil prices unnecessarily since it affected global economic growth.

Also speaking on the same subject, the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mr. Austen Oniwon, who was also part of the Nigerian delegation, noted that the incidence of speculation on oil prices is generating a lot of concerns.

He said, “You can see people who are not even in the oil industry coming to talk, so it is good for us to be able to perceive how other people are

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seeing the energy industry and what they think the future is likely going to be. You heard the gentlemen who spoke and looked at the activities of speculation and speculators in the industry, this is becoming an increasing factor, and at times, you cannot relate the price of crude with the reality on ground, so speculators are becoming more and more important in the way we do our

business.”

With regard to aligning such speculation with reality, Oniwon said it was impossible because oil is now being sold as a commodity, saying, “Speculation is business, and once a product has become a commodity, definitely speculators will wade in, and oil and gas have become commodities and you cannot stop it because it is an

international way of trading in these commodities.”

Notwithstanding the fact that speculation contributes to global economic instability, the NNPC boss insisted it cannot be done way with in view of global developments, adding that “The only time to stop it is if the whole world is at peace and there is no crisis. But there is always going to be crisis and people will capitalise on it.

OPEC Governor, Alhaji Goni Sheik; Leader of delegation/Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, and Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mr Austen Oniwon, at the 161st Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of OPEC, in Vienna, Austria, last week.

Century Energy seeks production assets •Urges local companies to embrace Content Act

BY CLARA NWACHUKWU ENTURY Energy Services said it will seek for exploration rights from future bid rounds for oil blocks in Nigeria.

The General Counsel of Century Group, Mr. Gogo Karibi-Whyte, revealed this to Vanguard on the sidelines of the just concluded 5th OPEC International Seminar, in Vienna, Austria.

Karibi-Whyte said the move will boost the Group’s existing portfolio, as it intends to expand from just being an oil services company to crude exploration and production.

He said, “Century Group is now looking at the possibility of going into exploration and production. Right now, we have taken a major stake in the Atala Field, which is owned by the Bayelsa State Government, and we are investing in Primewaters Field too.”

He added that the Group will

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be operating and maintaining the Atala Field for the state government, without disclosing how much equity it owned.

Currently, he said the Group has been very busy growing its existing portfolios, saying, “We have grown into a conglomerate, the Group is doing very well because we have been busy in the last four years; we have supported the operations of many companies such as Afren, Amni, Oyo with Camac and Eni, and Oriental . We are also in partnership with a Malaysian Group and supply Floating Production Storage and Offloading, FPSO and do the operational maintenance.”

In addition, he disclosed that the Group recently got a concession from Shell to manage its Kidney Island facility, which is used to move products as well as manage the equipment.

Taking advantage of

Nigerian Content In view of Federal Government’s vision to increase Nigerians participation in the petroleum industry with a view to increasing the sector ’s contributions to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP, Karibi-Whyte, urged indigenous companies to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the Nigerian Content Act, to grow their businesses.

He noted, “The Act gives a lot of leverage to indigenous companies along the spectrum; all they need to do is to read the Act clearly, take advantage of the inherent provisions, which allow you to bid for almost every job. In fact, in most jobs where there is enough Nigerian capacity, the Act bars foreigners from bidding for them. So inherently, you have been given an advantage over the foreign companies, so what

Nigerian companies need to do is to make themselves competent and ready to do those jobs.”

He argued that the Act was developed under a very sincere philosophy to grow Nigerian companies and equip them with the capacity to compete favourably with their foreign counterparts.

If this happened, he predicted that more Nigerian companies would prefer to go into exploration and production s opposed to the current trend where they restrict themselves to mainly services.

All that is required of the Nigerian companies is to acquire the requisite technical capacities, by subjecting themselves to training and retraining as well as upgrading themselves with current developments and they will be capable of taking on ore projects, as Century Group had done over the years.

BRIEF

Privatisation: FG, electricity unions may meet tomorrow

BY KUNLE KALEJAYE

HE Federal Government and labour unions in the electricity sector are billed to meet tomorrow (Wednesday), the final round of negotiations on severance package for workers of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, ahead of the planned privatisation of the firm at year end.

It is uncertain if the meeting will hold as scheduled because the last meeting held on the subject in May, between the two parties was deadlocked.

The President General of Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, SSAEAC Mr. Bede Opara, told Vanguard in an interview that the Minister of Power, Prof Bart Nnaji, had agreed to meet with the lobour unions of PHCN tomorrow to discuss the severance package and other emoluments.

According to Opara, “The last negotiation we had, Labour Unions had a position and government also had their own position. We did not agree to their position, government did not accept our position. But because of the way the negotiation was becoming turbulent, the meeting was adjourned.”

It was gathered that PHCN labour unions are insisting that the Federal Government must pay the workers severance package and total emolument before the conclusion of the privatisation exercise, while government on the other hand, maintained that it could only pay off the workers a maximum of one year basic salary.

However, the unions were suspicious that if they accepted the offer the rest of the emoluments would not be paid, and maintained that they wanted their gross earnings.

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012—27

Last week, the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, at its 161st Ordinary Meeting of the Conference, in Vienna, Austria, decided to retain its production output at 30 million barrels per day; Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, in this interview with Clara Nwachukwu, argued that the decision was based on consideration of global events.

Excerpts: What was the outcome of the just-concluded meeting? e covered quite a lot of issues, I think most critical amongst them is the production volumes in response to the supply and demand situation, and a slight glut on the supply side, if you want to call it that. We unanimously decided that we will retain the 30 million barrels per day volume that we set in the last meeting. To do that, all countries are taxed to try and keep within their margins.

In addition to that, we also looked at administrative issues such as the position of the Secretary General of OPEC, and there are four very strong candidates, and it was felt that a body should review them and that will be done in September, so that we will be advised on who is the most qualified when we meet and take it from there.

So that before we congregate in December, a new Secretary General would have been unanimously picked for the organization.

What is the implication of this decision on Nigeria?

I think that in the medium term the implication is fairly balanced for the country. Bear in mind that when we give our volume projections, and our volumes in the real sense we usually amalgamate both our condensates with the actual crude, so at this point in time, we are pretty much within our margins in terms of OPEC. We had in fact, witnessed a slight drop in production over the last few months due to the high rate of pipelines vandalism, and one or two asset integrity issues, but mostly vandalism ,and that has become a key issue at this point in time. But I think that overall, we will be fine in terms of the OPEC quotas. But bear in mind that these margins have also taken into consideration the non-OPEC production as well, and we are trying to ensure that there isn’t a glut in the market because there isn’t an over preponderance proportion of crude around the globe, as obviously that could lead to a major drop in the price of the barrel.

Considering OPEC ’s concern on price volatility, one would have expected the group to go for a change in volumes, but that didn’t

Current OPEC output is derived from global trends —Alison-Madueke reducing the world growth rate by 2.5% of the GDP.

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•Alison-Madueke happen, why?

I think that we looked at the balance across the globe in terms of crude volumes, both in terms of OPEC and nonOPEC, and in looking at that under the assumption that member countries will stick to their margins, the 30 million barrels per day volume is still very safe. And in the medium term, we still ensure that prices are kept fairly stable.

But part of the issue has always been countries keeping to their quotas? ou cannot actually punitively enforce quota because each member country and every government has the sovereign right to the production of its hydrocarbon resources, but as a body, we expect that member countries, to a large extent stick to them.

Will the game change if the European Union makes good its threats to sanction Iran over nuclear activities?

We are still looking at that; we looked at it as a body and we felt that it was a political move and that as a body, we should not get involved with political issues. But of course, if that does happen, a consideration will be taken of it going forward. And I believe we will call a meeting and take a decision on that.

OPEC also just concluded its 5th International Seminar, what did Nigeria take away from it all?

We took away all the issues that were discussed at the meeting. We now have a better understanding of the volatility

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of the market, of the global implications of demand disruptions, and the implications of rising oil prices.

We looked at the futures market and how the derivatives in the money market affect the price of the barrel in the market. Oil and the world

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It was said that about 4.5 billion people in the world are affected by energy poverty, or not even having access to it at all. Considering that a lot of these people are also in Nigeria, how are we addressing this? e are looking at it from a number of perspectives, first, there is clearly an abundance of natural gas resource in our country, 187 trillion cubic feet, as you know discovered and 600 tscf undiscovered potential, so we are first and foremost moving for the stabilization of LPG for domestic gas within the country and to ensure that we put in place the right logistic basis to ensure that over the next three years, LPG becomes a fuel of choice.

This is particularly important because while, energy poverty tends to relate to electricity, we have at this time in Africa, over 70% of the population still using biomass fuels such as fire wood for cooking and for heating. In Nigeria, as you know, most of our population use kerosene, which is not an environmentally friendly fuel of choice, but LPG will both heat

We covered quite a lot of issues, I think most critical among them is the production volumes in response to the supply and demand situation, and a slight glut on the supply side

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economy were looked at in all the ramifications, and oil within the entire global picture. I think that this year’s seminar took complete cognizance of the critical importance of oil in the life of the economies across the globe.

We also heard very interesting perspectives, particularly from the emerging economies, and the fact that the importing countries are hit the hardest. Since it was pointed out that oil prices affect the economic growth of developing countries, we can’t afford to leave price stability unregulated, and in the hands of the speculative market.

We heard that high oil prices definitely affect oil consuming countries as much as it does the oil producing countries by

and cook food to bring it down to fundamentals and also give you light as well.

So, while we move to ensure that we increase our power sources at a higher level, which means that we are aggressively moving on a 12month gas emergency roll out plan to ensure that we provide enough gas to sustain the NIPPs, and other power plants as a common stream over the next three years, and in turn, ensure that we have the requisite power that they will produce for Nigerians.

We must also look at the fundamentals and ensure that in this period of time that out people who have been dependent on biomass actually move on to a much better environmental fuel In terms of LPG.

BRIEF

Lagos, UNIDO sign MoU on renewable energy

BY KUNLE KALEJAYE HE Lagos State Government and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, UNIDO, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, for the promotion of renewable energy in the state.

The MoU will enable the parties to collaborate and maintain close and continuing working relationship in all aspects of industrial development, particularly in renewable energy.

The Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr Taofiq Ajibade Tijani, who signed for the state government, lauded the initiative with UNIDO, noting that it will facilitate the d e l i v e r y democracy dividends for the people.

The Commissioner argued that in view of globalisation and liberalisation, the private sector has become the prime mover and engine of economic growth and d e v e l o p m e n t ; while governments and international agencies like UNIDO, provide the enabling environment.

The collaboration is expected to work on various strategies and decisions that will promote sustainable development, including those from major international development conferences on sustainable energy.

Additional areas of cooperation as contained in the MoU, include trade capacity building, promotion of energy access for productive use in a sustainable manner, promotion and development of environmentally friendly industrial strategies, energy conservation, energy efficiency initiative, and energy systems policy planning and development.

On it part, the state government is expected to create awareness for UNIDO’s programmes and projects including those on poverty reduction through productive capacities, trade capacity building as well as energy and the environment.

The state is also expected to collaborate with UNIDO to mobilise the necessary resources to support the cooperation agreement, as well as identification, promotion, development, implementation and monitoring of programmes such as seminars, conferences, projects, training and development within the framework of the memorandum.

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28—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

Unrealistic tariff impedes investment in power

BY KUNLE KALEJAYE

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HE Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, has linked the absence of cost-reflective tariff in the power sector as impeding on investors' confidence.

“The absence of a costreflective tariff is a key reason why the power sector has failed to serve Nigerians in the past three decades. Without a cost-reflective tariff, no utility provider will enter the market,” the NERC Commissioner for Marketing, Competition and Rates, Mr. Eyo Ekpo has said.

He gave the hint at the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, NESG’s forum in Lagos, noting that that the government alone can no longer sustain power supply in the country.

In a presentation titled, “Appropriate pricing and the future of Nigeria’s Electricity Supply Industry,” Ekpo said that the investment gap in the sector had increased immensely in the last three decades, adding that the wide gap is responsible for Nigeria’s inability to equal countries like Brazil, South Africa, and Egypt, in power achievements.

Epko stressed that Nigeria required about $500 billion investments to guarantee constant electricity supply.

He, however, noted that apart from this volume of investment, Nigeria also needed additional $300 billion to achieve 10,000 megawatts generation capacity.

With the present population of the country, he said that

there is the need to attract private investors to the sector in order to remove key challenges such as corruption and poor management.

He argued that with the intervention of the private sector comes in, the issue of low penetration of meters; the incidence estimated billings, and poor power supply will be abolished.

“By 2017, more investment will be recorded in the power sector. The Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry will need an average of $20billion per

annum, to achieve 7,500 megawatts, excluding domestic gas investments,” he said.

Ekpo said that within the next decade, state governments will develop the capacity to regulate market operations within their boundaries.

The NERC commissioner added that despite the power sector reform, the sector is bedeviled with lots of challenges such as the domestic gas market, and the inability of domestic banks to

finance the power sector.

The Chairman of NESG, Mr. Phillips Foluso, said that the forum was aimed at creating an avenue for the power sector regulators to explain the rationale behind the recent increase in tariff.

Foluso argued that the private sector must be a key player in the power sector in order to achieve sustainable power supply in the country, while government provides the needed framework for measuring effectiveness and drive in the economy.

From left: Executive Technical Assistant to the Chairman, Kaztec Engineering Company Limited, Mr. Tochukwu Odukwe; General Manager, Mr. Dan Nicholson, and General Manager, Onshore/Shallow Offshore & Engineering, Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, Mr. Toyin Olagunju, during the just concluded SPDC 2012 Engineering Day.

Shell’s Afam plant delivers 10GWh electricity HE Afam VI Combined Cycle Power Plant in Rivers State, rceently achieved a milestone as it delivered some 10 gigawatt hours, GWh, of electricity into the National Grid.

The milestone, which was recorded in May, it’s the highest since the plant came on stream in 2008. This means the plant has contributed to providing four years worth of 24-hour power supply to about 760,000 residential consumers or 63,000 medium-sized commercial enterprises. It also translates to three years worth

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of 24-hour power supply to Port Harcourt City alone, Shell said in a statement made available to Vanguard.

The Afam VI power plant was built by the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, SPDC Joint Venture and achieved first power in August 2008, about three years after the contract was awarded.

“Afam VI is evidence of our strong support for the Federal Government’s power agenda,” said SPDC Managing Director, Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu. “Since 2008, the plant has continued to impact positively on power

generation in the country and we’re looking forward to more years of sustained performance.”

Located at Okoloma village in Oyigbo Local Government Area, the plant has an installed capacity of 650MW and consists of three gas turbines each rated at 150MW, and 1 steam turbine rated at 200MW. The gas turbines were fully commissioned in July 2009, while the steam turbine came on stream in December 2010.

The plant receives gas from SPDC’s gas plant also at Okoloma.

Afam VI is the second largest contributor to the National grid (contributing about 17%) and the largest combined cycle power plant on the grid. Built on the best technology in the industry and utilising waste heat energy in the gas turbine exhaust gas, the plant generates an additional 200MW from the steam turbine, thereby providing considerable reduction in the carbon footprint of the plant.

The plant’s combined-cycle technology also enhances the efficiency of electricity generation.

BRIEF

NIPCo bags education award

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IPCo Plc, a key player in the downstream sector of the nation’s oil and gas industry, has bagged an award for unparallel support to the Lagos state particularly in the education sector.

The company had few years ago adopted the Apapa Primary School, Apapa for Infrastructure upgrade and educational excellence in response to government clarion’s call to assist the state under the “Support our School” Initiative.

Presenting the award recently at the council secretariat, Chairman Apapa Local Government, Hon. Ayodeji Joseph said Nipco ranks higher than its peers in the industry in their quest to consistently partner with the council especially in the Education sector.

He pointed out that the award is in recognition of the company ’s unwavering desire to impact positively on its host community as exemplified by the scores of support being offered to the State Government.

According to him, the award of excellence is an aftermath of the silent but very worthwhile contribution to educational growth in the state in general and the L.G in particular.

He said the company has not only redefined the concept of Corporate Social Responsibilities, CSR, in education but had also upheld the imperative of wealth creation scheme through the allocation of Dual Purpose Kerosene, DPK, at affordable prices to the locality.

“In our hall of fame all those who assist us towards successful execution of our programmes will be generously mentioned so that unborn generations can also appreciate their efforts” he declared.

Reacting to the award, the Managing Director of NIPCo, Mr. Venkatapathy Venkataraman, said the recognition is an endorsement of our broad plan for Corporate Social Responsibility which transverse three key areas – Education, Health and promoting greenery.

He posited that the recognition will spur us to do more not only for our host community but to the entire country in the quest to make the society better than we met it.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012—29

FG insists on transparency in Total’s $2bn Egina project •As multinationals compete on new orders

BY OSCARLINE ONWUEMENYI WITH AGENCY REPORTS BUJA – The Federal Government has called for transparency and an effective system that increases international investors’ confidence, even as French oil giant, Total, is set to open tender covering various packages on its deep-water Egina project in Nigeria.

The Total operated Egina oil field is located 150km off the coast of Nigeria, The French oil major, which has 24% stake in Egina, plans to sign the contract by the end of 2012, and to begin production from 2015.

Industry sources said bid documents will be issued to shortlisted contenders for a new-build floating production, storage and offloading, FPSO vessel, subsea umbilicals, risers and flowlines as well as a subsea production system.

President Goodluck Jonathan recently visited South Korea during the Nuclear Energy Summit, and used the visit to woo foreign investors from South Korea to Nigeria.

Besides, the government has been wooing investments from other climes. But, according to industry sources, the government is not going to gloss over issues on transparency and the strict adherence to the local content laws.

It is believed that the delay

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in the award of the Egina contracts, which started some years ago must be as a result of government’s efforts to ensure transparency not just

by Nigerians, but by the international community.

Market sources calculated that local content requirements could drive up the cost of the 2,000,000 barrel-per-day FPSO by about $500 million, so investors are keen to ensure work exists beyond Egina to sustain their investments and allow for a fair return on capital.

The Surf and SPS packages, however, are rather more straightforward because capacity does exist in Nigeria

to meet local content needs.

Industry watchers are therefore keen to see if President Goodluck Jonathan will keep the promise of transparency for the Total projects.

One source said competition is tough for the $1.4billion Surf order, although Italy’s Saipem with its huge Rumuolumeni Yard in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, is in a prime contender because it also secured the Surf packages for both the Usan and Akpo fields also operated by Total.

Other contenders include Technip, the new AcergySubsea 7, and two Nigerian players, West African

Ventures, WAV, and Nestoil.

This package calls for about 40,000 tonnes of hardware, including 32 kilometres of production flowlines, 23 kilometres of water injection line and 75 kilometres of gas export pipeline.

For the $600million SPS package, involving 44 Christmas trees plus associated hardware, the contenders include Cameron, which supplied the subsea hardware on Usan and Akpo as well as FMC, Vetco and Aker.

All the Egina contracts were due for award last year but due to ongoing delays, first oil has been pushed back from 2014 to 2015.

•General Manager, Century Group, Mr. Ebinimi Koripamo, and General Counsel, Mr. Gogo Karibi-Whyte, at the just-concluded 5th OPEC International Seminar, at the Holfburg Palace, Vienna, Austria

LCCI calls for legalization of ‘little refineries’

BY KUNLE KALEJAYE

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ATHER than clamping down on illegal refineries in Niger Delta, the Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, has called on the Federal Government to find a way of encouraging them to reduce the incidence of petroleum products importation.

Recently, government blamed the loss of about $7billion annually from crude oil theft to the activities of illegal refineries, has urged to stop destroying the refineries.

However, the Vice President of LCCI, Mr Adam Idufueko, during the LCCI 2012 Business Clinic of the Petroleum Downstream Group in Lagos, argued that rather than destroying such little refineries, as he called them, they should be empowered to do it the right way.

He said, “People who operate illegal refineries should be empowered to do the right thing. When they are taught the right thing, they will do it well and in the next two to three years we may no longer import petroleum products in the downstream sector.”

He noted that it was shameful that since C M Y K

the first refinery was constructed in 1963, Nigeria is still a major importer of refined petroleum products.

Idufueko further argued that the issue was not about lack of funds, as the country had enough money from oil revenues to build more refineries judging by the amount of money paid to subsidise the importation of premium motor spirit, PMS, as revealed in the recent subsidy payments probe.

Speaking on, “Sharp Practices in the Downstream and its Effects on the End User,” the Director of the Department Petroleum Resources, DPR Mr. Osten Olorunsola, noted that the downstream petroleum sector was reputed for a lot of sharp practices.

Olorunsola, who was represented by one Mr. Alphonsus Mudei, said such malpractices impacted on the end users negatively.

He reveled, “Some of the sharp practices in retail outlets operations include false declaration of distance between site and station to qualify for Approval to Construct, doctored

photographs of stations to quicken receipt of license for the station. We have also seen situation where operators present false certificate of pressure/leak test and tank burial report.

He maintained that the requirement put in place by the DPR is to ensure that petroleum facilities are safe in the oil and gas sector, adding that tanker drivers and station owners still diverted petroleum products to unauthorised outlets in order to optimise profit.

“DPR has repeatedly warned tanker drivers not to divert petroleum products to unauthorised sites, and adjusting dispensing pumps thereby underdelivering, and illegitimately increasing their product stock and income.”

Explaining the effects of the sharp practices by operators in the downstream on the end users, Olorunsola said diversion of products leads to artificial scarcity in areas from where the product is diverted.

“Adjusting dispensing pumps automatically means stealing from the buyer and shot-changing them,” he said.

BRIEF Dana Air crash: DPR mourns Zonal head

BY OSCARLINE ONWUEMENYI

BUJA – The Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, last week mourned the demise of the former Zonal Operations Controller, Mr. Anthony Irondi Nwaokoagbara, who died in the recent Dana Airlines crash in the Lagos suburb of IjuIshaga.

The Acting Zonal Operations Controller of DPR, Mrs. Chioma Njoku, during a condolence visit by the Governing Council of the Petroleum Training Institute, PTI, Effurun, Delta State, at the Zonal headquarters in Abuja, noted that the deceased was a force in the nation’s oil and gas sector and would be missed by the entire industry.

She said, “The entire oil and gas industry will miss him because he was very intelligent and always full of ideas for the development of the industry. We will him more because of his fatherly disposition and his attitude to work.”

Njoku added, “He was a very hard worker; very committed to his staff and immediate family. He always admonished us to pay attention to details because other people could be affected negatively by our negligence.

In fact, if he was around, he would be the one screaming about the blatant negligence that could have led to such a mishap.

She further noted that Nwaokoagbara’s infectious energy and gentlemanly disposition worked magic for everyone who came in contact with him. “From a distance, people easily get attracted to him and were never disappointed at the end of the day. His mien was the tonic many needed to start their day. He was a role model and mentor with a difference. He successfully proved that the word father mustn’t be looked at from the biological perspective alone. He was a father to all.

“It has been tough coming to terms with the fact that Tony would no longer be with us; we try to deny it, but the reality hits us in the face each morning we arrive the office and we don’t see his genuine smile to greet us,” she said.

Speaking on behalf of the her team, the PTI Principal, Mrs. Clara Dennar, expressed heartfelt condolences on the death of the former Zonal Operations Controller.

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30—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

HIGH POINTS C of O will enhance the value of properties like this

Advantages of having C of O *They serve as collaterals and are required for financial transactions like obtaining loans . *In Lagos, before building plan approvals can be granted by the government for construction of houses, applicants are required to present their Cs of O *The C-of-O officially transfers the ownership of land to the holder for a specified period of time, usually 99 years.

E-C of O will restore integrity of title documents —Experts

By JUDE NJOKU

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he setting was the Federal High Court, in the highbrow Ikoyi area of Lagos. A politician from one of the eastern states who was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for allegedly enriching himself, had just being granted bail by the court. The bail condition required one of the two sureties to own a landed property in Lagos and that the certificate of occupancy, C of O to the property must be verified by officials of the anti-graft agency as a genuine document.

Aides and relations of the docked politician were approached by a horde of touts who promised to get somebody who has landed property with C of O to stand as surety for the him to regain

This is the concluding part of the article published on this page last Tuesday.

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If you’re only looking for a dog that will alert you by barking at intruders, there are C M Y K

his freedom. But all the Cs of O presented by these touts were found to be fake.

The plethora of fake and cloned certificates of occupancy must have prompted the decision of the Lagos State Government to dump the yellow certificates for an electronic or digitalized version.

Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola who disclosed this had at a ceremony to mark his 1,800 days in office, said the e-C of O would be forge free.

His words:”Because we understand very clearly the importance of proper land documentation to our collective prosperity and economic growth, we are also finalising the plans for the issuance of a new certificate of occupancy, different from the yellow certificate that you are accustomed to.

The new certificate will be much more secure, tamper

and forge-proof document that is bar-coded and electronically readable, and in the next few months, we will be announcing details of its implementation in a way that will ensure a seamless transition from the old to the new”.

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he decision to dump the yellow certificates has been adduced as the reason why Governor Fashola is reluctant to sign new ones. In fact, between May 2011 and March this year, only 920 Cof-Os on state land were processed. The Governor is said to have returned about 3,000 ready applications sent to him unsigned because he wanted them to serve as the first batch of electronic C-ofOs to be issued by the state.

Giving further insight on the introduction of the electronic C of O, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos

State Land Bureau, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola said the e-C-of-O is expected to come on stream before the end of this year.

Muri-Okunola who spoke at a press briefing to mark Fashola’ one year anniversary said:”The bureau is working relentlessly on the introduction of the e-C-of- O, which is expected to come on stream before the end of this year.

“The introduction of the eC-of-O will bring to an end the issuance of the present Cof- O, which has been in existence in the state since 1978. The e-C-of-O is designed to prevent all forms of unwholesome activities perpetrated by fraudsters and to deliver to the people a current international acceptable format.”

This decision has received kudos from built environment experts who see it as a way of restoring integrity to the C of O. President of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, NIESV, Mr. Emeka Eleh dismissed the notion that the introduction of e- c of o is cosmetic. “No! It is not cosmetic; the whole idea is to ensure the integrity of the document being given. The C of O is an evidence of title and every evidence of title in whatever for must have integrity. It must be such that anybody holding it is certain that what he is holding is what its salt and that is what the Lagos State Government is doing. Whatever name they call it, the idea is to increase the integrity of a document called the C of O in Lagos,” he said.

Going down memory lane, the NIESV President said: “ You know what happened in

Hazard Secure your house unassisted (2) many breeds that make good “ watchdogs” as well. When choosing a dog that will be good with other family members, you need to exercise a bit of caution.

•Keep Door Locks in Good Condition.

The safety of your home also depends on the condition of

your doors. A door in a poor condition will grant criminals easy access into your home.

Another inexpensive way that you can keep your home secure is to regularly test and maintain your locks. If you don’t have a deadbolt lock, it’s highly recommended that you install a deadbolt lock on

your doors. Deadbolt locks offer increased security, and usually not so expensive. *Installing Door/Window Alarms.

A door or window alarm is a simple device, and usually not so expensive. It operates by having two “contact points”, which are separated when a door or window is open.

the past, people have cloned the document, you have one, some other person has one.

The idea is to increase the integrity of the document with more features, like the Naira, dollar or whatever currency. If you hold a 100dollar bill, you know it is a 100dollar bill anywhere. That is the idea, to increase the integrity of the document so that anywhere you go, you are sure that the document you are transacting on is the right document and you are sure it is”.

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lso hailing the introduction of digital c of o, immediate past NIESV president, Mr. Bode Adediji, said its introduction is long overdue.

His words: “When you digitalize, you save time, money and minimise if not not eliminate the fraudulent tendencies associated with some aspects of C of O. It is something that we welcome and it is something that all professionals must support Lagos State to achieve”.

On how to transmit from the old to the new, Adediji warned against blanket cancellation of the old Cs of O. He was of the opinion that both the yellow certificates and the e-version should be allowed to run simultaneously.

“The blanket cancellation of the old without allowing both of them to run parallel is what I would not canvass. Lagos state must learn from the Abuja experience where having gone digital, problems arose here and there. I know that with the capacity in-house of the Lagos State government and their tendency to always seek for consultations, and advice here and there, such a project of digitalizing the C of O will be successful,” he said.

One of the perceived flaws of the digital C of O is the fact that the governor would not have to sign each certificate personally under the new dispensation, but instead have his signature digitally embossed on the document, But officials of the government and the experts said there was no cause for apprehension as the e-C-of-O had many security features. Moreover, the new Evidence Act accepted electronic signature in place of life signature.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012—31

Building materials watch

BY JUDE NJOKU An example of socail housing

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he move by the Federal Government to revitalise the housing and urban development sector through the development of social housing schemes, has received the backing of estate surveyors and valuers. The land professionals who were at the public hearing organised by the Senate on May 28, lent their weight behind the move which they said, is overdue if housing for all by the year 2020 would be actualised.

Giving further insight into why estate surveyors who have always held the view that the private sector is better equipped to provide housing, are backing the social housing scheme, the President of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, NIESV, Mr. Emeka Eleh explained that it will guarantee equitable distribution of housing and ensure that every Nigerian is properly housed.

His words: “We submitted a memo to the National Assembly and were at the public hearing to support that move. We believe that if you are talking of housing for all in this country, there is no way there won’t be a social housing component. The Federal Housing Authority, FHA was meant to provide social housing. That is not the case anymore because most of the houses are overpriced. You cannot have an equitable society without providing for those who don’t have and that is where social housing comes in. All the government needs is to follow what they have done before. If FHA was

Items

Cement per 50kg bag 1,850.00 Unwashed gravel per tipper 16,000.00 Granite (30 Ton Truck) 140,000.00 Sharp sand (20 Ton Truck) 70,000.00 Soft sand (20 Ton Truck) 60,000.00 Laterite filling (20 Ton Truck) 40,000.00 Sand filling (20 Ton Truck) 65,000.00 Hardcore (broken stones) per tipper load 15,000.00

Why NIESV backs FG’s social housing policy —Emeka Eleh meant to provide social housing, then it should allow FHA or grant them the enablement to provide housing at a cost that is manageable”

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ontinuing, Mr. Eleh noted that although estate surveyors and valuers believe that housing is better driven by the private sector, “ we also appreciate the fact that to enable equitable distribution of these housing to ensure that everybody is housed, there must be an element of social housing that would be encouraged by the government”.

The NIESV boss further buttressed his arguments with examples which he called on

the 774 local government areas in the country to toe. “It is like that all over the world. In England, we have the Council flats, every where, you have all manner of social housing component. If all the local government areas which are nearer to the people can say, every year, we will add 100 units, if that had been done in the past ten years, it means that these LGAs would have added 1,000 housing units to their LGAs. Because these LGAs are closer to the people, they would be in a better position to allocate the houses to those who need them on a social basis So, we believe in social housing because it will ultimately lead to a more equitable society where

everybody has a home and nobody is under the bridge,” he said.

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sked what he considered appropriate pricing for social housing, the NIESV President said: “The price of a property has many components -there is the component of infrastructural cost, interest cost, land cost, construction cost and cost of raw materials. What the government needs to do is to create an enabling environment that can make some of these things easier. If you are doing an estate in Ajah for instance, by the time you do the roads and do the drains and get power line to Ajah, that’s about 30 percent of the cost of the house.

DANA PLANE CRASH:

Engineers seek thorough investigation of buildings around crash site

By KINGSLEY ADEGBOYE

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uilt environment experts have called for a thorough investigation of buildings around the scene of the Dana plane crash at Iju-Ishaga in order to determine their structural stability and fitness for habitation.

A former president, Nigerian Institution of Structural Engineers, NISTRUCTE, a division of Nigerian Society of Engineers NSE, Mr. Kunle Adebajo said the vibration and effect of fire from the crashed plane on the surrounding buildings could have caused structural defects to the buildings, hence the appropriate authorities should carry out investigation of the buildings in the area to C M Y K

(N) Price

ascertain the extent of their damage.

Adebajo enjoined the government to liaise with structural engineers and other relevant professionals to carry out the investigations adding that such investigations are necessary to avert more loss of lives and properties.

Corroborating Adebajo’s views, Mr. Afolabi Adedeji, an engineer and Chief Executive Officer, Buildwell International Company Limited, a facility management outfit said the vibration and heat from fire that resulted from the crashed plane must have caused some structural defects on the surrounding buildings which were not designed to withstand such impacts.

He stated that structural

survey of the buildings within the vicinity should be done to determine the impacts of the shock, vibration and heat from fire on the surrounding buildings.

According to him, the structural s u r v e y should be within a radius of 200 metres from the ground.

He added t h a t engineers are the best professionals to carry out the structural survey.

A l r e a d y, Lagos State Government

has said it will conduct structural tests on buildings located around the scene to ascertain their fitness for habitation. Mr. Femi Oke – Osanyintolu, General Manager, L agos State Emergency Management A g e n c y LASEMA, who disclosed this at the site, added that after the clearing of debris at the site, the State Ministries of Environment and Health w o u l d fumigate the area to g u i d e against epidemics.

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32 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

Environment Watch

Environment minister tasks Nigerians to join green economy crusade

BY JUDE NJOKU

RE you part of the green economy?” With this question, the Minister of Environment, Mrs, Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafia enjoined Nigerians to partner with her ministry to form a synergy that would actualise the attainment of the nations’ quest for a green economy.

The Minister declared that ”every Nigerian has a responsibility to protect what God has bestowed on this country, which is hardly found anywhere else in the World. This is a country where on the ground, under the ground, you have different Kinds of resources. Everyone accepts that Nigeria is a blessed country “.

Mrs Mailafia who spoke at an interactive session with media representatives in her office in Abuja to mark the 2012 World Environment Day, WED, noted that ecological problems and challenges cut across geographical expressions. “When there is a disaster in one country, it trickles down to another.

When there is flooding in one river, it overflows into another or into some one’s home. We are all involved. All groups and persons need to work together with the Ministry of Environment to form a synergy that would actualize the attainment of our objectives,” she said The World Environment Day which is marked on the 5th of June every year, was shelved

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Mrs Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafia flanked by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Mrs Ibukun Odusote and the Permanent Secretary, Ecological Fund Office, Mr. MacJohn Nwaobiala

as a mark of respect to those who died in the ill-fated Dana plane crash.

The minister who stated that this year’s celebration of the Environment called for action rather than speech, called on the media representatives to “reawaken the spirit in the nation, the spirit of belongingness, the spirit that will protect our environment, take care of

our neighbours; that will save resources that we can use for further development by protecting and preserving the environment.”

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he mass media, she said had a pivotal role to motivate Nigerians, create awareness and educate people to ensure that they participated in protecting the environment. She therefore

Energy saving bulbs: Are they environmentally friendly?

EARS have been reignited about the safety of energy saving light bulbs after a group of scientists warned that they contain cancer causing chemicals.

Their report advises that the bulbs should not be left on for extended periods, particularly near someone’s head, as they emit poisonous materials when switched on.

A report published in the Telegraph quoted Mr Peter Braun, who carried out the tests at the Berlin’s Alab Laboratory, as saying that such carcinogenic substances should be kept as far away as possible from the human environment.

The bulbs which were recently introduced in Nigeria by President

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Goodluck Jonathan as part of efforts to reduce energy consumption in the country has been widely used in the UK following EU direction to phase out traditional incandescent lighting by the end of this year.

But the German scientists claimed that several carcinogenic chemicals and toxins were released when the environmentally-friendly compact fluorescent lamps CFLs were switched on, including phenol, naphthalene and styrene.

Andreas Kirchner, of the Federation of German Engineers, said: “Electrical smog develops around these lamps.

“I, therefore use them only very economically. They

should not be used in unventilated areas and definitely not in the proximity of the head.”

But British experts insisted that more research was needed and urged consumers not to panic.

Dr Michelle Bloor, senior lecturer in Environmental Science at Portsmouth University, told the Daily Express: “Further independent studies would need to be undertaken to back up the presented German research.”

The Department for the Environment insists the bulbs are safe, despite the fact that they contain small amounts of mercury which would leak out if the glass was broken.

implored Nigerians in all sectors; youths, women, trade unions, civil societies, market people, to key into environmental protection programmes as groups and individuals at home, in school or in the market place. Stated she: “you can do that by participating in a clean-up of your environment, your community where you live, you can spearhead that. You can also spearhead

greening the economy by ensuring that trees are planted in your community, along your streets, boulevard, avenues or wherever you live. You can spearhead this. You can spearhead by advising people to buy vehicles with less emissions. You can do this, key into this programme by ensuring that people living around you do not block our drainages.”

RIO+20: Green economy to lift millions out of poverty transition to a green economy could lift millions of people out of poverty and transform the livelihoods of many of the 1.3 billion people earning just US$1.25 a day around the world, but only when supported by strong policies and public- and private-sector investments.

These are the findings of a new report, Building an Inclusive Green Economy for All, launched today at the Rio+20 summit by the Poverty-Environment Partnership (PEP), a network of bilateral aid agencies, development banks, UN agencies and international NGOs. The report finds that many developing and least developed countries are already pursuing a transition towards low-carbon, resource efficient economies.

Scaling-up current examples of the green economy in action - particularly in developing

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countries - has the potential to deliver a ‘triple bottom line’ of job-creating economic growth, environmental sustainability and social inclusion, says the report.

But targeted investments and governance reforms are needed to overcome current barriers that are preventing many poor communities from fully benefiting from a green economy.

The new report finds that many Least Developed Countries, as well as many poor regions of middle income countries, are actually richly endowed with the natural resources that would allow them to build green economies that can sustainably reduce poverty.

“Many least developed and developing countries and communities are seizing the opportunity to bring economy and ecology together in order to generate transformational social outcomes,”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012—33

Property Briefs FCTA plans new camp for corps members

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

HE Federal Capital T e r r i t o r y Administration, FCTA, has promised to assist the FCT National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, with a new camp site in the territory.

Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, who made this known while receiving the new FCT Coordinator of the NYSC, Mr. Frank Okey Ekpunobi, said a new camp would help to ensure a more secured environment for the corps m e m b e r s .

She said: “I am concerned about the current NYSC Camp in FCT. We need to make it conducive for our young people. We need a safe environment for the young people. We shall provide land for FCT NYSC as part of our agenda to decongest the c i t y . ” Akinjide asked the Board of FCT NYSC to include it in its 2013 budget, stressing that “if it is not captured in the budget, it will be difficult to accommodate. We will ensure that we have a conducive and secure camp for the corps m e m b e r s . ”

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Earlier, the FCT Coordinator of the NYSC had commended the FCTA administration for the transformation in the territory, particularly in the areas roads construction, satellite towns’ development and reduction of crime rate.

Ekpunobi, however, solicited the intervention of

Power generation tops Nigeria’s RIO+20 agenda

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IGERIA’s major challenge at the moment is to generate more power from all possible sources including solar and other clean energy sources. Minister of Environment, Mrs Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafia, who disclosed this, explained that Rio+Conference is about issues of sustainable developments that affect the whole world, such as jobs, energy, cities, food, water, ocean and disasters.

The minister who spoke with newsmen in her office said the Country’s Report which represents Nigeria’s position on issues to be discussed at the conference is ready. The Nigerian delegation to the global summit will include

UK RICS index of house prices still negative

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U.K. house-price index stayed negative in May as the crisis in Europe and the end of a tax exemption for first-time buyers limited demand, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors said.

The gauge rose to minus 16 from minus 19 in April, which was a sixmonth low, Londonbased RICS said last week, citing a monthly poll of property surveyors. A reading below zero means more surveyors saw price drops than gains last month. A measure of demand fell to a four-month low.

Demand for homes was

the administration in providing a new camp for the NYSC, adding: “The office, which we are currently staying, is not conducive for effective administration. We require the help of the FCT Administration in the area of new camp for corps members and also housing for staff of the FCT NYSC.”

boosted earlier this year as first-time buyers took advantage of a tax exemption on purchases of homes costing less than 250,000 pounds before it ended March 24.

The U.K. economy has slipped back into a recession as the debt crisis worsens in Europe, where Spain was forced to seek aid for its banking system. The Bank of England held its bondpurchase plan at 325 billion pounds ($505 billion) last week and its key interest rate at a record low of 0.5 percent as policy makers assess inflation risks in the economy.

negotiators, nong o v e r n m e n t a l organizations, NGOs, community based organizations, CBOs, and the press.

The minister called for the support and partnership of the media in reporting the country’s participation at the United Nations Conference on sustainable development (RIO+20) holding in Rio de Janeiro Brazil positively. Mrs. Mailafia enjoined all Nigerians to partner with the Ministry of Environment as issues of environment cut across geographical boundaries.

Future homes award: As part of its10th anniversary, Independent Newspapers Ltd., in collaboration with Living Etcetera magazine is putting together an award on Environment and Social housing. The award is aimed at advancing and supporting current global efforts at promoting green economy, habitat for humanity and healthy lifestyle towards the attainment of sustainable quality living standards in our communities.

The event which is slated for June 28, seeks to recognise the contributions of governmental organisations, corporate bodies and institutions that have demonstrated strong capacity, exemplified value and best practices in setting benchmark in our national quest for improved environment and quality home living.

Nigerite pacifies aggrieved workers NIGERITE Limited has initiated plans to pacify its workers who are demanding better welfare packages.

The hint was dropped, weekend, by a top management staff of the company while commenting on the latest developments over the face-off between the workers

and its management. Mr. Toyin Gbede, the company’s marketing director said: “there has been an on-going discussion between the company’s management and representatives of the workers on welfare issues."

It will be recalled that the workers had in a move to press home their demands

for better conditions of service, embarked on a sitin industrial action.

Mr. Gbede further disclosed that prior to strike, relationship between management and workers had been cordial, as demonstrated when the organisation launched its ten point agenda last year.

34 —Vanguard , TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

Toyota Avanza returns with more power, improved comfort, better handling

BY THEODORE OPARA

ITH more power, spacious interior, improved comfort and fuel efficiency, the allnew Toyota Avanza Multi-Purpose Vehicle, MPV, has been launched into the Nigerian market following the success of its predecessor.

The Avanza was first introduced into the Nigerian market in 2007 and ever since, the vehicle has became a household name among families, and for business activities, especially for school activities, airport shuttle and conveying of goods and people.

The all-new Toyota Avanza has grown bigger in length, width and yet more fuel efficient with intimidating presence.

Toyota has given the Avanza the right touches both inside and outside, which has resulted in its class-leading look.

The new Avanza is 20mm longer and 30mm wider than its predecessor while retaining its height and wheelbase.

It also retained its turning radius of 4.7m and ground clearance of 200mm.

The new Avanza now comes in four variants including 1.3 Manual Transmission, 1.3 Automatic Transmission, 1.5 Manual and 1.5 Automatic Transmission as against two specifications of 1.3MT and 1.5AT in the old model.

Also, the fuel efficiency increased in the new models as it can cover 12 kilometres with just one litre of fuel. Apart from improvement in fuel

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Ferraru F12 Berlinetta C M Y K

consumption and engine performance, Toyota has enhanced the steering system for more efficient performance.

The steering system has been changed from hydraulic system to electric power type which is more smoother and softer than the former steering system. Also the all-new Avanza owes its ride-comfort and handling stability to improved suspension.

The MacPherson Strut suspension and five link suspension coupled with the Electric Steering System enhance ridecomfort and stability at all speed.

Toyota maintained the seven seat configuration in the new Avanza but with more flexibility, which means that the seats could be adjusted to take more load depending on the need.

The three row seating can

be adjusted to offer more space for cargo with the compact body.

Apart from improved overall performance of the new Avanza, Toyota did so much in improving the design of the multi purpose vehicle, both

externally and internally.

With some slight contours on the side, the Avanza looks more attractive than ever, especially, with the new headlights, rear lights and fog lights.

Inside, the dashboard

has been completely redesigned with quality materials and sound system with ipod and CD player. The steering wheel is now multifunctional as the driver can control his sound system without taking his

hands off the steering wheel. Also improved is the air conditioning system with more vents to service the passengers on the second and third row seats, while the windows are now powered.

Why vehicles sales dropped — Ajuya HE Marketing Manager of Toyota Nigeria Limited, TNL, Mr. Andrew Ajuya, has explained the declining sales in the automobile sector, blaming it on government's inability to purchase new vehicles and the chain of events in the banking sector.

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Answering questions from reporters during the press presentation of the new Toyota Avanza, Mr. Ajuya explained that the market has been dull because government was no longer buying vehicles as a result of turn of events in the oil sector.

It has been observed

that there has been a decline in the number of vehicles sold in the last five month when compared to the same period last year by all the automobile marketing companies in the country.

Mr. Ajuya said: "What drives automobile sales in the country is government

This car would give aircrafts a chase if....

F the roads were as free and straight like air space, some cars would travel at the speed of aircrafts this days.

Ferrari has one of such

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cars. Have you heard of Ferrari F12 Berlinetta?

This is a car that would have given aircrafts a chase if the roads were as straight and free as the

air spaces. The speed is amazing and the finishing is out of this world. Described as the most potent Ferrari road car ever, the F12 Berlinetta 6.3 V12 engine delivers 730 brakehorse power and it take it just 3.1 second to reach 062mph. Ferrari design director, Flavio Manzoni described this machine as a car with two souls. “It is a highly technical car but at the same time you have to fall in love with it.

Did I hear you ask about the price? Well you have to set aside about 250,000 pounds to grab one but this exclude the tariff, you have to settle that with the customs. It is for his boys and those who likes travelling at Supersonic Speed.

purchase and the commercial sector. He disclosed that in the last five months, government had planned its revenue from oil sales, subsidy removal, but unfortunately oil production declined resulting in government to cutting down on spending.”

Accordig to him, the happenings in the banking sector has affected the way the banks replace their fleets.

“What has been happening in the banking sector where retrenchments has been going on is also affecting the car market.You don't expect a bank that is retrenching staff to be buying new vehicles," he said.

Speaking on the competition for their latest arrival in the market, the all new Avanza, the Marketing Manager said there was no competion so far, because the new Avanza stands out in terms of engine size, comfort, fuel efficiency and road handling.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012 — 35

36 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

A Video film director issuing instructions to the cameraman

The industry called Nollywood

By MCPHILIPS NWACHUKWU

N the beginning: The story of Nigeria’s Nollywood is like Ben Okri’s “river” in his novel, The Famished Road, “which becomes a road and branches out to the world.” Like a river, which starts small from a tiny tributary, the industry began as a small effort by some persons with energetic entrepreneurial spirit, who wanted to do small budget films for commercial purposes; and suddenly branched out like an ocean into one huge market that today intersects the world of business interests of actors and actresses, script writers, production crews, distributors and regulatory bodies, even in the daunting face of threatening copyright infringement challenges.

Berthing in Nigeria in since 1992, this entertainment industry popularly known as Nollywood is acclaimed by industry players to rank as the second largest movie industry in the world after India’s Bollywood and America’s Nollywood. According to movie scholars and critics, Nollywood industry, which despite its relative young emergence in the global movie market has successfully become an enviable artistic cultural vehicle with which African narrative is communicated to the world, ironically emerged as a child of necessity to fill in the gap created by the total collapse of the country’s theatre and stage culture.

According to industry sources, the failure of government in providing adequate security surveillance over life and property in the late 80s’and early 90s’resulted in the very negative manner at which the public viewed public shows, especially

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as it had to do with cinema, stage and theatrical performances with disenchantment.

Also added to this ugly development “was the fact that there were inadequate television stations across the country with enough entertainment contents to satisfy the yearning needs of the viewing public, a development that led content providers to seek alternative."

"Nollywood was a child of necessity" says Professor Ahmed Yerima, theatre artist and former Artistic Director of The National Troupe of Nigeria. He said: “There were very few television stations and we got to a point where the TV stations that existed needed you, the producer, to get sponsorship for your productions.”

Movie-theatre going culture But for Obby Patrick Ebewo, Nigerian born and American based film scholar, “The collapse of movie-theatre going culture in the 1980s caused by incessant harassment of innocent citizen by criminals, the country’s economic downturn and various problems affecting celluloid film production, gave rise to video film.”

The implication of this new development, according to Yerima, was that fast thinking and business minded entrepreneurs cashed into the opportunity provided by this yearning need; and aided with the arrival of VHS tapes embarked on a business trial and experimentation that was to transform the continent’s entertainment turf.

Prior to this boom, efforts had been made by some dramatists to evolve a film culture in Nige-

ria. It is on record that as early as the 1960s’ theatre artistes in the mould of Hubert Ogunde, had recorded his plays on celluloid.

Other artistes like Moses Adejumo and Duro Ladipo had equally attempted to reduce the cinematic art of film to a more popular medium for social commentary.

In an effort to trace the emergence of Nollywood and the entire film culture in the country, Ebewo argues that “the current video film industry in Nigeria owes a huge debt to the pioneering efforts of Nigerian theatre, particularly practitioners of the Yoruba Travelling theatre, who branched off from mainstream theatre to experiment with celluloid.”

However, the Nollywood brand today owes its projection and commercial resourcefulness to Kenneth Nnebue, who according to market consensus pioneered the raving popular media brand with his movie, Living in Bondage in 1992. According to unconfirmed sources, since inception, “the industry rakes gross estimate of about 200 million dollars every year with a popularity that cuts across the entire continent of Africa to Europe and North America."

Popularity of video film If you ask any person from any part of Africa whether he knows or has heard about the country called Nigeria, he is most likely to answer in the affirmative.

When you probe further to know if he understood what you meant, by asking him to mention one landscape feature of significance to identify Nigeria with,

you would be shocked when he tells you, Nollywood.

The next thing you may hear him say would be a reel out of names of stars in the industry, and mostly screen markers like Chinedu Ikedieze and Osita Iheme (Aki na Ukwa), Mama Gee, Patience Ozokwo, Toronto Dike, the bad girl of Nollywood, Desmond Elliot, Ramson Noah; the lover boys and some other patron markers like the late Sam Loco, Chinwentalu Agu, Pete Edochie, Enebeli Enebuwa and

University of Alberta, Canada states: “in Nigeria, Nollywood is popular because it speaks aspects to aspects of social life that many people live. It speaks to and debates social and cultural anxieties the way no other media had done before.”

Also aiding the popularity of the video film in Nigeria is the cheapness of the CD tapes across video shops located in every nook and cranny of the country. Ebewo adds: “The industry has also saved poor Nigerians the cost of procuring expensive films from the West. The price per film ranges from N150 to N200, something short of $100 dollar per film.”

Therefore, as a result of the cheapness of the product and its availability coupled with the fact that the thematic narratives of the filmic plots revolve around issues that the mass of people can easily lay claims to, help to endear the industry and its products to the public.

In a nutshell, the popularity of Nigeria’s video film is akin to the popularity enjoyed during the era of the pamphleteering narratives popularly known as Onitsha Market literature; the era that produced such popular titles like Veronica My Daughter, Beware Harlots of Many Friends, Rosemary and the Taxi Driver, Boys and Girls of Nowadays and Drunkards Believe Bar as Heaven. Nollywood films churned out in their thousands address such everyday concerns of the public ranging from subjects as diverse as love, hatred, envy, wickedness, magic, sorcery, bewitchment and such other socio-cultural and religio-political matrix.

Prolificacy of films: Going by market indicators, It is no longer

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The collapse of movie-theatre going culture in the 1980s caused by incessant harassment of innocent citizen by criminals, the country’s economic downturn and various problems affecting celluloid film production, gave rise to video film

Alex Usifo.

Some of these characters are the defining screen markers, around which script writers and producers of Nollywood video films weave their arresting stories about African experiences, and experiences that form the thematic template of these video films.

Talking about the popularity of Nigerian video films, Ebewo submits that “Nollywood films are popular in Nigeria because they have indigenous contents and address issues relevant to a mass audience. He adds: “through an amalgam of narrative techniques (African story lines) and western technology, these films document and re-create socio-political and cultural events that occur within and beyond the borders.”

Supporting this view, Professor Onookome Okome of the School of English and Film Studies,

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contestable that Nigeria is one of the highest producers of video films in the world. It is said that an average of 50 video films are churned out from different producers every week. This is understandably so going by the fact that producers of Nigerian film go for low or shoe string budgets.

"Films can be produced with as little as $10,000 dollars”, says Ejike Nwankwo, an independent film producer. He adds: “the low budget film makes it possible for us to shoot and complete production as quickly as possible, sometimes within a month or less. But sadly, it affects the quality of productions as everything is hurriedly done.”

Added to the problem of low budget films is the problem of inadequate infrastructure that can support the shooting and proContinues on page 37

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012—37

The industry called Nollywood Continues from page 36 duction of big budget films like Titanic and Passion of the Christ.

Comparing the situation between Nigeria and South Africa, Professor Kole Omotosho, who played prominent role in the production of MNET’s popular movie, Jacob’s Cross argues that “in South Africa, there are structures and infrastructure for film producers and there is also a thriving video culture. So both exists unlike in Nigeria, where the infrastructure to produce film in the real sense of the word hardly exists.”

With low budget and inadequate infrastructure, movie producers are, therefore, left in the hands of mediocrity and unprofessionalism. It is against this background that one can explain the poor quality of video films produced from annoying scripts and bad technical finishing. Going by this disturbing scenario, movie business in Nigeria has, sadly, become a one man show. And Just as Yerima observes “the producer who sits in Aba or Onitsha says what he wants to act in the film and that is how he does his casting.”

In the process of making the industry jack of all trade, “technicalities", Omotosho maintains, “is not a question of one person writing the script, doing the directing, doing the set. No, it is a communal thing. Film, theatre, television, these are communal forms which have different roles for everybody.”

Nollywood: Television drama or film?

As popular as Nigeria’s Nollywood has become, can it now be said that the country is qualified to be described as a film nation? It is still doubtful wheth-

er through all that have been done and achieved so far one can come to that glorious conclusion.

By applying all the film aesthetic standards, is it also possible to say, yea, Nigeria is now one of them? A country that can boast of the types of Danny Clover, Samuel Jackson or Denzel Washington, all renowned world film makers and producers? Regarding this issue, both scholars and industry players agree that a lot still needs to be done for the nation’s Nollywood to be accepted into the global hall of fame.

Not until then can the Nigerian film begin to take stand at such prestigious film fora like Cannes Film Festival, Oscar and Emi Awards.

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Reports have it that Nigeria loses an estimated $50 million annually to international piracy of Nigerian movies and films in America, Canada and African countries

Blurring any hope of launching into global acceptance in the near future, Yerima argues that Nigeria’s video film is at best a television drama, which explains why most of the movies are shot in episodes. He said: “I doubt whether what we describe as the Nigerian film can be described as film in Europe and America.

They will rather call it television drama or documentary. They were originally T.V. series. They were to be serialized. Because the market was there, they now got encouraged not to go to TV houses any more. So from TV drama series, they became movies.”

Nollywoodand representation: In the 20 years existence of Nollywood in Nigeria, the industry

Video filmartistes at a film shooting site C M Y K

has been trailed with some disturbing criticisms. Despite the criticism about poor quality productions, which has been explained to be as a result of low budget and poor infrastructure, the industry is also accused of playing into the antics of western etiquettes by portraying in many of the movies the continent as a backward one.

Nollywood movies are said to be replete with images of cultic, voodoo and fetish re-enactments that do not in any way represent African practices of the present generation. Another critical issue that has come under serious fire of criticism is the question of gender imbalance in movie narratology. Opinions and

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recent discourses reveal that scripts and directional interpretation of Nollywood movies still follow the patriarchal order and, therefore, favours men over the women.

"Ninety five per cent of the video films down play the liberating and positive roles of women.

Women characters are cast in such ways that they are either made appendages to men, object of sexual gratification or lust.

I think it is time Nollywood retold the narrative of the woman in the light of contemporary achievements,” says Ejim Omalicha.

Reacting to negative representation given to the continent’s religious and cultural ethos, Pro-

fessor Gbaazi Uko, a cultural anthropologist said: “The idea of constantly casting the continent in the Conradian mode is bad. It does not help to fight our cause.

Why would it be that both the writers and producers of these scripts insist that western values would always prevail over the indigenous ones. Who are they trying to please?”

For these aggrieved scholars and the entire viewing public, Nollywood may not have told the world the whole truth about Africa. But it has all the same done a lot to project the image of the continent across the globe. For these people, the industry should strive as Sandra Obiago argues, and "enable the world to continue to see Africa, as unbelievably beautiful.”

Back to big screen In several quarters, involvement of producers in low budget films has been identified as one of the greatest banes militating against this fast rising industry.

The poor quality of films experienced from the industry as well as the hurriedness with which these movies are shot and produced have all been attributed to low budgets.

Nollywood films apart from being produced with shoe-string budgets ranging from $10,000 to $15,000 are also hurriedly done in less than ten days, and equally devoid of premiere, which is the only professional way of introducing a new movie to the viewing public. Says Ibiwikari Nengi: “When films are premiered and first viewed in cinemas, it makes it a lot easier for the producers to reap profit from their investments and also helps to checkmate piracy, which tries very hard to undermine the interest of producers.”

It is, therefore, heart warming to note the decision of some industry players who go for big budget films and have also concluded to return movies to the big

screen. One industry source, who would not want to be mentioned told this reporter that “Stephanie Okereke’s award winning movie, Through the Glass grossed well over N10 million in two weeks after it premiered at Silverbird Cinema, Lagos last year."

Apart from enjoying economy of scale provided by big budget films, the effort also helped in bringing international touch to the previously domesticated industry by also incorporating international actors and actress into the entire enterprise. Okereke’s movie was also said to have premiered in America, where it was shot and had in its cast Hollywood stars as well as Ghanaian and Kenyan stars.

Other producers that have toed the line of producing big budget films are Emen Isong, who jointly produced Guilty Pleasure with Desmond Elliot and Uche Jombo and Mahmood Ali Balogun, who produced Tango With Me.

Piracy as challenge With all these litanies of achievements recorded in the industry, can it also be said that all is rosy for the movie industry in Nigeria? No. That is far from the truth.

The movie industry in Nigeria, like in all other creative industries, suffers the hard bite of piracy and copyright infringements.

Reports have it that Nigeria loses an estimated $50 million annually to international piracy of Nigerian movies and films in America, Canada and African countries. This sad situation is worsened by the fact that the existing distribution system has been stretched to the limit, which makes it impossible to satisfy the ever growing need of Nollywood audience.

The absence of a structured and wide distribution network has equally accelerated the incidence of piracy and encouraged bootleggers whose activities magnify as the distribution problem worsens.

38— Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19,

2012

7th Lagos Assembly inaugurates ultra modern chamber

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI & EBUN SESSOU

AGOS State House of As sembly, May 30, flagged off its new session by moving into its new ultra modern chamber.

The House sat for the last time on May 28 in the old chamber.

Prominent Nigerians led by the National Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria and former Governor of the State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who had earlier been honoured as a member of the state House; Deputy Governor of Lagos, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, senators, members of the House of Representatives and top Lagos government officials were also present.

Others were former governor of the state, Lateef Jakande and his wife, former Senator, Olorunimbe Mamora; ACN chieftains including the State Chairman of the party, Henry Ajomale; National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, traditional rulers and Speakers of State Assemblies led by their Chairman and Speaker of Gombe Assembly, Mohammed Inuwa, were present.

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he new chamber of the Lagos State Assembly was commissioned, May 31, in commemoration with the one year anniversary celebration by the seventh legislative assembly which was inaugurated in 2011.

The idea of building a new chamber which has the capacity to contain over 500 people was the brain child of Tinubu as the then Lagos State Governor. In what could best be de-

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•The new ultra-modern Chamber of the Lagos State House of Assembly recently commissioned.

scribed as a mission fulfilled, people-inspired motions and values which are vital to the the newly completed chamber make life-changing laws. Con- socio-economic well-being of is said to meet all needs of mem- cern for the people will contin- our state.” bers of the House and enables ue to be our major goal. We will Explaining further, he said the state to retain its status as a see a totally new, regenerated the new chamber and gallery role model for the other state and different Lagos State House which foundation was laid of Assembly with lawmakers three years ago, will improve assemblies.

Speaker of the the quality of legislahouse, Hon. tive service delivery.

Adeyemi Ikuforiji, in According to the his address said the House, the administra•Rt. Hon Oladosu Osinowo new chamber retion of Fashola re1st legislative Assembly (1979-1983) flects hopefulness leased funds for the •Rt Hon. Oladimeji Longe and is in line with construction of the new 2nd legislative Assembly (Oct. 1983-Dec. 1983) the strategic plans chamber and the con•Rt. Hon. Abayomi Shakirudeen Kinyomi for the future, addstruction actually be3rd legislative Assembly (1992-1993) ing that it will ingan on May 2, 2009 •Rt. Hon. Adeleke Olorunimbe Mamora spire the House and was completed in 4th Legislative Assembly (1999-2003) members to serve January 2011. Ikuforiji •Rt. Hon. Jokotola Waheed Pelumi the people better. said with the new com5th legislative Assembly (2003-2005) His words: “It shall plex, the House had •Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji become a bastion for overcome the problem 6th and 7th legislative Assembly (2007-till date) democracy, a shelter of insufficient space for for the strong and lawmakers and memthe weak, where the burdens of who are being guided and in- bers of the public especially the people will be shared in spired to be the best while pro- during plenary sessions. order to alleviate such. In this viding a peaceful and stable ennew chamber, we shall move vironment and protecting the

Former Speakers of the Assembly

Fashola hands over 8 reconstructed roads ••stops further payments for Igando Housing Estate

By OLASUNKANMI AKONI

A

S part of measures to cre ate alternative roads within communities and ease traffic in Lagos State, Governor Babatunde Fashola has handed over eight newly reconstructed inner roads totalling about 13 kilometres in Alimosho Local Government area.

Also, after inspecting Igando housing estate, Fashola ordered the Lagos State Property Development Corporation, LSDPC, to immediately stop further collec-

BRIEFS Empowerment: Lagos Senator distributes farm materials to residents

tion of down payments from individuals interested in purchasing the houses in the Igando Housing Estate, saying “government would not only complete the project but also add additional units and upgrade access road to the state”, which he said would form part of the revise budget plan.

The roads, which have just been rehabilitated by the state government are Shasha/ Orisumbare Ejigbo roads, Agodo Community roads, Association Avenue, and Old Ota

road. Others are Rufai, Yekini, and Church Streets in Egbeda/ Akowonjo area of the local government.

Inaugurating the roads, Fashola said the delivery of the projects was a demonstration of the state government`s commitment to ensure infrastructural development of the entire state.

He said the completed projects would stimulate socio-economic activities in the area,adding it would ease the problem of gridlock experienced by motorists .

The governor said the government planned more projects for the benefit of the people of the area and urged residents to support the government to deliver these planned projects.

He said: “We are almost concluding the master plan that will bring the kind of malls that you have in Lekki and Ikeja to Alimosho. Also we are building a new town in Iba that will have the kind of properties you have in Lekki, Victoria Island. It is in your hand to take ownership of these projects by helping us.”

ENATOR Gbenga Ashafa, representing Lagos East Senatorial District, has distributed various farm empowerment materials including farm inputs as part of “operation back to farm" programme.

The farming inputs donated were 10 bags of fertilizer, cassava stalks, plantain sucker, maize seeds, herbicides, knapsack sprayer, hoe and cutlasses.

Ashafa, while presenting the materials as part of activities marking his first year stewardship at the Senate, said the gesture was in fulfilment of his electoral promises. He noted that the challenge plaguing the polity was the imbalance of resources centralization versus responsibility decentralisation.

The senator said the mantra on food and food security has not changed, adding: ”a country that can not feed her citizens can not protect them. Human dignity derives its root from decent meal from the body.”

Ashafa maintained that with over 18 million people, the state faces the challenge of food production and distribution hence, the need to go back to farm as many people have shifted to white collar jobs that were nonexistent.

New traffic bill underway for Lagos transport — Speaker

BY EBUN SESSOU

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PEAKER of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji has said that the new bill before the House on regulation of road traffic and vehicle inspection will consolidate all laws relating to traffic in the state and make Lagos roads safer.

The Speaker who was represented by his deputy, Hon. Kolawole Taiwo, spoke at a public hearing on ‘A bill for a law to repeal and re-enact the road traffic law and to make provisions for road traffic and vehicle traffic inspection in Lagos state’, which held at the Lateef Jakande Auditorium at the Assembly complex.

He said there were several disjointed laws on traffic regulation and vehicle inspection in the state which had led to a lot of confusion and crisis among law enforcement agencies and road users.

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19,

2012— 39

This is Africa’s first authentic Traffic Radio...

96.1 Khz (FM)

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

E

*Old Lagos City

Lagos makes N380m registering 94,671 vehicles in four months

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

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AGOS State government realised well over N378,684,000 as internally generated revenue from registration of different types of vehicles in the last four months.

Statistics from the State’s Ministry of Transportation show that the state is making optimum efforts to harness its resources from the money spinning exercise of motor registration.

Towards this end it has put in place a well-structured and modernized vehicle licensing and registration machinery for the attainment of safety on the roads, socio-economic development, security of vehicle titles through a veritable database and improved service delivery at its various Motor Vehicle Administration Agency, MVAA , centres.

Speaking on the state’s database, Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, while giving accounts of

stewardship for the past one year in the state said the hallmark of the ministry‘s success in motor vehicle registration which has remained one of the major drivers of the transportation blue print of Governor Babatunde Fashola’s 10 Points Agenda, had been the transformation of the issuance of vehicle particulars from manual to full automation.

Opeifa said: “This indeed has made Lagos State a veritable pacesetter in modern motor vehicle administration in Nigeria and a provider of technical and professional expertise in motor vehicle administration to an increasing number of states in the federation. In the last 12 months we have continued with our data collection programme especially with conduct of traffic counts and traffic impact analysis of strategic locations listed below.”

For the government policy thrust, therefore, an efficient traffic data, traffic studies and its use in determining impacts and for planning purposes is critical. With

DO YOU KNOW? HAT Lagos is one of the largest urban agglomerations, currently counting about 13 million inhabitants (UN Habitat, 2008).

Since the late 70s Lagos has been experiencing an enormous population explosion and has a growth rate of 5.7 percent per year (UN Habitat, 2008).

This means, Lagos is growing

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2000 inhabitants per day.

As the city’s growth rate and the slum growth rate are mostly the same, the city development is not able to connect and to build at that speed. Lacking infrastructure and the emergence of informal settlements and at first glance chaotic conditions are resulting effects.

*New Lagos City total area of only 3,577, square kilometers, 787 square kilometres of which is made up of lagoons and creeks, no fewer than 180,000 vehicles are registered in Lagos every year, making Lagos one of the cities with the highest vehicular density in the world.

Lagos has a vehicular density of 224 vehicles per kilometre compared to the national average of 15 vehicles per kilometre.

Enhanced infrastructure Governor Fashola, while stressing the need for an enhanced infrastructure in the state at a forum recently, said that this year alone between January and the end of April, the state had already registered 94,671 vehicles out of 250,653 vehicles licensed issued within the same period captured under the Auto Registration (AUTOREG). A total of 1,114,429 vehicles were duly registered in Lagos between year 2007 and 2011.

However, a source at MVAA told Vanguard that there are 38 motor vehicles registration stations across the state with each having a monthly 200 allocation for those seeking registration of vehicles. This translates to the fact that there are 76,000 monthly allocations available for disbursement.

Rates for registration: The amounts paid for vehicle

registration in the state are graded as follows: N38,000, for a car, N40,000 for Sports Utility Vans, SUVs; N45, 000 for buses and N47,000 for trucks, excluding special numbers which normally attract higher costs.

Issuance of unified drivers‘ licence: Meantime, the state government is set to issue the new Unified Drivers’ Licencing Scheme, UDLS, anytime from now as all logistics required for the take-off have been put in place.

Opeifa said that arrangements had been concluded to kick start the scheme, adding that the licence will cost an applicant about N6,000. The National Drivers’ Licence is a tripartite arrangement between the MVAA, the Vehicle Inspection Office, VIO and the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC. The commissioner added that in the last one-year, though the physical capture and issuance of drivers’ licence have been suspended by FRSC, a total of 45, 644 applicants registered with the ministry for the new drivers’ licence.

He explained that while the MVAA which is the first contact, is in charge of processing the information of the applicants, the VIO conducts proficiency tests for the applicants and only those who are cleared and certified fit to drive after the test are referred to the FRSC for physical photo capture and bio-metrics.

VEN from the sign-off of Lagos Traffic Radio - This is Africa’s first authentic Traffic Radio - one will not be left in any doubt as to the purpose the dedicated station is out to serve.

It was established to assist road users have pleasurable rides and to elicit prompt response in case bottle-necks develop.

Managing traffic in a mega-city like Lagos with ever increasing population estimated at over 18 million is undoubtedly a herculean task.

Even with the establishment of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, about 10 years ago, left more to be desired.

Transport and vehicular traffic situation in the state, prior to1999, was in a dire state of neglect and confusion due to human surge. The condition many road users are faced with in Lagos was rather harrowing, begging for urgent government attention. Consequently, studies carried out showed that the vehicle density in the state is about 224 vehicles per kilometre, as against a national average of 15 vehicles per kilometre, the resultant effect was the perennial road congestion with its attendant traffic logjam.

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eantime, motorists in La gos have attributed the current reduction in traffic jams in the metropolis to the effect of the newly established Lagos Traffic Radio - 96.1 FM. The stateowned Lagos Traffic Radio was commissioned on May 29 by Governor Raji Fashola to monitor traffic and safety matters in the state.

The station, believed to be the first traffic radio in Nigeria, is to educate motorists in the state on transportation, traffic news, alerts and diversions. A cross section of motorists observed that the station has helped in educating them on the traffic situation in every part of the metropolis.

They said that the radio station was giving adequate information on the traffic situation in the state, thereby making motorists to use alternative routes in case of any gridlock. A civil servant, Mr Fidelis Okolie, said that the traffic radio has helped him and other motorists to plan their movements in the metropolis, stressing: “I listen regularly to the traffic radio before living my house or office daily and it has been of immense help to me because I usually beat the traffic to get to my destination on time.”

40—Vanguard , TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

ACN on ground in Delta — Eghomien

BY FESTUS AHON

U

ROTARY—From left: Mr. Charles Okonkwo; Ms. Amina Danesi; Mr. Loye Akinbami; Miss Vivian Tador; Mr. Uche Obienu; Mr Ayo Faroun and Mrs. Nike Mayaki, all of the Rotary Club of Ikoyi, during the District 9110 conference in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

GHELLI—DELTA State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, has enjoined its members to remain focused and steadfast in their belief, arguing that the party was very much on ground in the state.

Disclosing this during a chat with newsmen, the State Publicity Secretary, Mr Frank Eghomien expressed readiness of the party to field candidates in the forthcoming local government council elections in the state.

He insisted that the party was very much on ground , adding, “ACN is a party to beat in the forthcoming local government

elections in the State.

The PDP is afraid of us hence the state government is reluctant in announcing date for the election. We are prepared for them whenever they are ready for the elections.”

Expressing confidence in the leadership of Chief Adolo Okotie-Eboh, Eghomien said the leadership of the party in the state has been strategizing after the 2011 elections. He urged members of the party to remain focused and shun rumour mongering.

Eghomien said the ACN was out to alleviate the sufferings of Deltans and described the death of Chief Patrick Atsiangbe as “a colossal loss to the ACN in Delta".

Church attacks: Kaduna govt relaxes curfew to 12 hrs K

PARTY—Children of the Nigerian Red Cross Society's Motherless and Abandoned Babies Home, Makoko, dancing at a party organised by the Berger Paint Nigeria Plc, in Lagos.

Madam Bamigboye, 80, for burial ADAM Felicia Adeg benle Bamigboye, aged 80, is dead. There will be a Christian Wake Keep at Adelakun Compound, Omu-Aran, Kwara State on Friday, June 22 to be followed by burial and thanksgiving at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, OmuAran, Irepodun L.G.A of Kwara State on Saturday, June 23 while reception follows immediately at OmuAran City hall, Omu-Aran, Kwara State. She is survived by several children and many grand-children.

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Late Madam Bamigboye C M Y K

ADUNA—KADUNA State Government yesterday relaxed by 12 hours, the 24-hour curfew imposed on the state following Sunday’s bombing of three churches in Zaria and Kaduna. The curfew will now take effect from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Saidu Adamu made this known while speaking to newsmen after the State Security Council meeting.

Enugu govt denies imposing monarchs on communities

BY CHINENYEH OZOR

N

SUKKA—ENUGU State Commissioner for Chieftaincy Matters, Mr Emeka Abugu has said the state government does not impose traditional rulers on communities in the state.

Abugu said monarchs who were recognised by the government were usually the popular choice of the communities and not pretenders or jokers who lay claims to the royal thrones of such communities.

He spoke during the chieftaincy verification in Eziani Community, Nsukka Local Government Area, of Enugu State, adding that the Ministry of Chieftaincy Matters, only assisted in ensuring peaceful atmosphere in communities where there were wranglings over vacant chieftaincy stools instead of imposing any particular candidate on the people.

The commissioner’s explanation came against the backdrop of reports that about 90 percent of disputes in most communities in the state arose from imposition of party supporters as traditional rulers by government agents.

Abugu, however, explained that after verification, the ministry would critically scrutinize the process of choosing an aspirant presented by the community before endorsement for installation as royal fathers.

He praised the peaceful conduct of Eziani autonomous community during his visit for the verification and urged them to stand behind their popular choice.

Earlier in his speech, the Eziani town union President, Mr. Roy Ugwoke said each of the six village heads in the community attested to the credibility of the aspirant, who he said had contributed immensely to

the development of Eziani.

Ugwoke also said those opposed to the choice of Tony Ezema were detractors hired from neighbouring communities to mar the state verification, stressing that they do not recognize them.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the state government had imposed the curfew following a violent protest that erupted in Kaduna after the attacks.

Hundreds of youths had taken to the streets in Trikania and Gonin-Gora areas of the metropolis, pro-

I'm amazed Warri refinery is still working — MD ...gives kudos to workers

BY EMMA AMAIZE

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ARRI—MANAGING Director of Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, WRPC, Ekpan, near Warri in Delta State, Mr. Simon Ehiemua has expressed surprise that the 34-year-old plant was still working, notwithstanding

Ministry to boost PC market with 490,000 computers BUJA—MINISTER of Communication Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson, said yesterday the ministry had imported about 490,000 computers to boost the Personal Computer, PC, market.

Johnson told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, that the figure represented 70 per cent of the 700,000 computers the ministry had so far bought for sale to interested Nigerians at subsidised rate.

“Today we have 700,000 computers, 30 per cent of

A

testing against the bomb blast near Shalom Church in the Trikania neighbourhood.

Explosions also occurred at CKC Church in Sabon Gari area, as well as the ECWA Church, Wusasa, both in Zaria. Scores died in the attacks while many were injured.

which were manufactured locally, while 70 per cent were imported to increase the PC market.

“We are working with banks and ICT development agencies to ensure that we provide these PCs at reasonable cost to people who will not ordinarily have access to them,” she said.

Johnson said the ministry was working to ensure that local manufacturers supply 50 per cent of the 1.4 million units of computers it planned to deliver between now and 2014.

its poor state. He gave kudos to the workforce.

Ehiemua told Vanguard, “I was amazed when I took over in 2011 and saw the state of the plant. I was amazed because our people here were able to run the plant even in the state it was then”.

His words, “If you go into the plant, you will be shocked that such a plant like this can run at all, but people are managing to make it work. The state of the plant is poor, but our people are striving to make it continue to work”.

He, however, said there was hope on the way, as the Federal Government had announced that funds would be provided for the rehabilitation of the plant, which was commissioned in 1978 by the end of 2013.

Ehiemua added: "For Warri refinery, they have targeted that we will be in a state where we will be able to run more reliably by the end of 2013”.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012—41

LAWAN: A

mixed legacy at home

BY ABDULSALAM MUHAMMAD

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HAT started like a tale by moonlight, had last weekend, turned into a national political sensation demanding the recall from vacation of the House of Representatives.

Remarkably, the guilt or otherwise of Rep. Farouk Lawan in the $3 million cash for clearance scam remains on the balance given the decision of the House to refer the issue to its Committee on Ethics and Privileges for investigation.

Given that the scandal has become the focus of almost all political discussions in the National Assembly and many political talk shops around the country, it is not surprising that constituents of Lawan in Bagwai and Shanono local government areas of Kano who have sent him to the House since 1999 would have a say.

Not surprisingly, the echoes of the people are a mix of shock, embarrassment and yes, there is a 'serve him right' response from his local political traducers.

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Shock and anger A middle aged farmer, Ubale Bapayo of Kofar Fada told Vanguard that “we learnt of the scandal on BBC Hausa service one early morning. What I can deduce from his argument in my capacity as a layman is that our son has a case to answer”.

Bapayo stated that “Farouk Lawan's trouble is self imposed because he failed to demonstrate smartness while dining with those that are more clever and sophisticated. We, however, cannot deny him at this trying period, until the whole process ends but I have no reason to go out of my way either in prayers or otherwise for a son that barely recognizes our existence.”

Speaking in the same vein in Shanono, a stalwart of the opposition All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, Abubakar Usman, revealed that the absence of sympathy for the embattled legislator by his people

OTEDOLA: I

*Lawan: Representing his people for 13 years emanated from his own negligence.

Usman said: “You only identify with someone that recognizes your existence but go round and find out whether anyone from this town appears to have shown concern on what has befallen a man they can legitimately claim to be one of them.”

He revealed that the ranking member

of the National Assembly has no viable constituency office of any description in the two local councils, adding that “we only learnt that he engaged and paid few people stipends at the end of every month”. He affirmed that Lawan has not impacted on his people, asserting that there is no developmental project in any of the two local councils that make up

ut Ali Katako, another chieftain of PDP told Vanguard that Nigerians are being treated to the other side of quality representation, stressing that the two councils that make up the federal constituency have nothing to show for Lawan’s claim of long representation in the House of Representatives.

He said: “We have remained faithful to Lawan’s political career over the last 13 years, but I doubt if any of us can point at something in return for our political gesture. He hardly comes over here which perhaps explains our under development structurally and physically.

In a nutshell we have seen less of his impact arising from so called long and quality representation”.

Katako, who also doubles as Commandant, Bagwai unit of Askarawan Kwankwasiyya noted that the development is self imposed, adding that “the only regret we seem to be nursing now is the twist that has put us in bad light”.

While the people in his constituency share a mixed feeling on the matter, elements in the State House of Assembly seem bent to drag politics into the issue as some legislators were last week proposing a motion that would condemn the focus on Lawan as a "move against the North."

It is not surprising, given Lawan’s well known gubernatorial ambition. Well that motion, however, seemed to have lost steam after the House of Representatives resolution suspending Lawan from his committee positions.

wasn't bribed to support Lawan —

REP. Bello-Osagie, the member representing Oredo Federal constituency of Edo State in the House of Representatives claims to dislike Farouk Lawan's perceived arrogance. He, however, seconded Lawan's motion to delist Femi Otedola’s Zenon Oil and Gas from the list of indicted companies. In this telephone chat, he claims he was not influenced to do so. Excerpts:

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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the federal constituency traceable to him.

He, however, stressed that despite the mistake “we will continue to identify with him in prayer at this moment of trial and tribulation.”

Similarly, the Bagwai PDP council chairman, Alhaji Inuwa Zangina Dangada noted that “if in the end a prima facie case is established against the lawmaker, he should be made to face the full wrath of the law."

Dangada, however, called for robust investigation that will lead to the root of the scandal pleading that “Farouk should be presumed innocent until it is established otherwise.”.

HEN Farouk Lawan moved the motion to drop Zenon Oil and Gas from the list of indicted companies in the report of the adhoc committee on Subsidy Management you seconded him.

Why? Let me explain how these things work in the House. Before considering that report on the floor

of the House, Farouk made an application through a motion to expunge Synopsis Enterprises Limited and Zenon oil and Gas that the two companies should be expunged from the list of indicted companies by the committee.

This Synopsis and the other one were part of the other indicted companies. But before the presentation of the report to the House, Hon. Farouk Lawan vide a

*Osagie: I don't like Lawan motion informed the House that the committee discovered that these two

Rep Bello-Osagie

companies were not part of the fuel subsidy scam and that therefore they should be removed from the list of indicted companies.

So the Speaker now asked him to move a motion to that effect. As usual the Speaker will ask for secondment after a motion.

So the Speaker then asked him to move a motion; he moved a motion and over a hundred or more people raised their hands to second the motion because we were all satisfied with what the committee did.

Then the Speaker identified me and then I now seconded the motion. The next thing the Speaker did was to raise the question, that all those supporting the motion moved by Lawan should say aye, and those against should say nay. Everybody Continues on page 42 C M Y K

42—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

It's one over three for Yakowa

KADUNA:

THE last one year of Patrick Yakowa’s administration in Kaduna has been largely successful in the area of infrastructure development. However, despite his strong efforts, not much can be said of the Peace and Unity legs of his agenda.

BY LUKA BINNIYAT

N

OT even veiled Muslim women in purdah agreed to be left out of the celebrations that day as the motley crowd consisting of men, women and young boys and girls turned out for the commissioning of the N589 million bridge in Hayin Danmani. The new bridge recently commissioned by Governor Patrick Yakowa connects the community which is only about five kilometers from the Government House with civilization.

It was as such not surprising that as the people celebrated their linkage with civilization that the community which just over a year ago voted strongly against Yakowa in the gubernatorial election, were now praying to God for his sustenance.

Following the commissioning, Yakowa went on to inspect the N1.6 billion fourth bridge to cross the Kaduna river in the capital city.

OTEDOLA:

In the provision of infrastructure, Governor Yakowa may have scored far above average given the focus on road constructions and rehabilitation, provision of potable water and housing.

As the Commissioner of Finance, Barr. Sunday Marshal Katung, told newsmen recently, the state government has spent N27 billion to make Kaduna State the leading state in supply of potable water.

Given his three point agenda of Peace, Unity and Development, PUD there is little doubt that the last leg of the agenda, to wit, Development has been the most successful anchor that Yakowa can hold on to.

Volatile trophies Peace and unity, however, remain very volatile trophies for the governor.

Not too long ago as an international delegation on a

fact finding mission visited the governor bitterness among the different sectarian tendencies was obvious as Christians and Muslims bitterly pointed accusing fingers at each other in the presence of the dignitaries over who was to blame for last year’s violence that shadowed the presidential elections.

The visitors comprised officials of the World Council of Churches and renowned Islamic Clerics from the Royal Aa-Al Byat Institute of Jordan , led by Prince Ghazi bin Mohammad (PhD) of Jordan, said to be a direct descendant of Prophet Mohammed. Both sides accused each other of gory crimes, and said they were yet to get justice, denouncing government’s several peace initiatives as lame and ineffective.

An hour before then, Governor Yakowa had hosted the visitors where took about an hour to lament the gulf that the post election violence created.

“My focus remains Peace,

Unity and Development (PUD)”, he told his guests, “and I have been doing everything within the law, resources and time available to me to achieve that in the past

one year”, he said.

But, the encounter later that afternoon showed that much work needed be done on the Peace and Unity legs of his agenda.

I wasn't bribed to support

Lawan — Rep Bello-Osagie Continued from page 41 said aye without a single nay.

As a matter of fact what is fundamental is that this saga came in after the consideration of the report. It came to limelight after two weeks that I moved the motion. The House had no knowledge of what was going on until last week for some thing we considered two weeks ago. So that was what happened.

But some persons believe you may have been working with Lawan and that that was why you seconded the motion?

It is only people who want to play politics that will say something else. The truth is that not one person said nay to the motion moved by Farouk Lawan that very day.

I have been moving motions and equally seconding motions at the floor of the House.

C M Y K

*Yakowa: Focusing on peace and unity

supported the report that day not knowing that it will be scandalous later.

It is because the House did not have the information about the scandal if not there is no way we would have passed it. And now if they are insinuating any other thing against me, personally I am not close to Lawan. Lawan is one person that will expect you to greet him first before he greets you and I don’t like that kind of person.

Discoveries in the report

*Osagie: We were ignorant on Lawan This is not the first time and besides, hundreds of people

would have done the same that very day. I believe we all

Again, I am not a member of the committee. Secondly we are not friends he is just my colleague. But I was satisfied like every other Nigerian about the discoveries in the report.

A lot of Nigerianns applauded the report and we could not have done otherwise. It was actually

based on the joy, the recognition that we have done something good for our people that I seconded the motion.

We were all happy until this matter came up. If outsiders applauded them why can’t I applaud the report? This bribery scandal came nearly two weeks after the consideration of the report by the House.

There is no question of inducement, I did what I did because the report was applauded by Nigerians and that is the truth. Nobody could have induced me because I am not even close to the chairman of the committee, Lawan.

He is just a colleague so it will be very wrong for anybody to insinuate that I was involved in the bribery and that was why I seconded the motion.

If I knew about the scandal, there is no way we would have seconded or even acted on that motion.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012—43

How Toyin Saraki saved the last of the Chukwukaelo quadruplets

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

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HE last is yet to be heard about the set of four pre-term babies (quadruplets) born at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, UITH, Kwara State,on May 24, 2012., to Joy Chukwukaelo, a nursery school teacher and her husband, Samuel, a petty trader.

Following the death of two of the babies between May 27 -29, 2012, anxiety rose to fever pitch within the medical community at the Federal Teaching Hospital where the babies were being observed.

The condition of the last two surviving infants remained fragile but stable, when an SOS message sent out late May was received by the Wellbeing Foundation, WBF, Africa a frontline African Maternal Newborn and Child Health, MNCH and e m p o w e r m e n t organisation, dedicated to transforming the lives of women and children through advocacy and action. On reciept of the distress call, Wife of the Kwara State Governor, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, who is also Founder /President of the WBFA, personally intervened.

Her response to the needs of the pre-term babies on May 30, 2012, was through immediate dispatch of the WBFA Alaafia Kwara Twins and Multiple Births Assistance Unit which runs longstanding assistance programmes at the UITH as well as the Children’s Specialist Hospital Centre, Igboro - both in Kwara state.

Unfortunately, on the 2nd of June 2012, a third baby suffered a bleed and also passed away.

In a statement, Toyin Saraki observed that from the onset, as informed by the supervising physician, the WBFA, the current needs of the two surviving infants included antibiotics, fluid, diapers and most importantly, pre-term baby formula.

“Most of these essential commodities were accessible locally but critically not the infant pre-term baby formula, which is a specialised product for hospital use only,” she

stated.

In her account, the WBFA Founder noted how the parents of the quadruplets, had little to no hope of acquiring this formula, not only due to the lack of financial resources, but unavailability of the formula in the Nigerian market and within the health

sues that spans two decades, Saraki reached out immediately to partners from an informed position, knowing what products were needed and where most likely to access to it.

“An eight- hour search finally resulted in the acquisition of the pre-term formulas thanks to the world

• The surviving quadruplet.

• Networking as strategic approach service delivery to saving lives: WBFA President/Founder, Mrs .Toyin Saraki and the Executive Director WBFA, Dr. Tayo Erogbogbo collecting the special formula for the surviving Chukwukaelo quadruplet at the Great Ormond Street Hospital, for Children, London, in the UK. system.

Armed only with her phones, and most importantly, her considerable knowledge of MNCH is-

renowned Great Ormond Street Hospital, London. A fortuitous logistic arrangement allowed the product to be delivered to the hos-

pital within 24hrs through the WBF Africa Executive Director Mr. Temitayo Erogbogbo who was travelling back to Nigeria that

very evening.

The WBFA Alaafia Kwara Twins and Multiple Births Assistance Unit led by consultant Hajiya Serifat Abdullahi has been providing on-going counselling to the family and complimenting the hospital staff care, while also providing financial support to cater for their essential immediate needs.

According to Toyin Saraki: “The experience of this young family illustrates the challenges within the Nigerian health system, the obvious lack of commodity illustrated by the absence of access to per-term formula, but more critically the lack of information and early engagement by pregnant women within the health system.

“The WBFA has long advocated for essential commodities for MNCH, most notably the IMNCH Personal Health Record (PHR). A key motive for the use of the PHR is to encourage expectant mothers to more readily access maternal services, guiding

Less than 100,000 units of blood collected in Lagos annually

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

F the 185,000 units off blood required to meet the blood transfusion requirements in Lagos state every year, less than 100,000 units of blood is collected.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris who disclosed this last week during an event to mark the 2012 World Blood Donor Day with the theme Every Blood Donor is a Hero, appealed for more voluntary donation to boost the state's blood supply.

Idris who lamented the unimpressive position of Nigeria in voluntary blood donation, said based on the World Health Organisa-

O

tion, WHO, estimates, a country needs at least, one percent of its population to donate blood once a year to meet its requirements.

Speaking through the Special Adviser to the State governor on Public Health, Dr. Yewande Adeshina, the Commissioner called for more "heroes" to willingly donate their blood "to save lives."

He hinted that all General Hospitals in the state have been equipped with "modern blood banking equipment to make safe blood available for transfusion.

In his lecture, Prof. Alani Akanmu of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital's

Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion said presently, less than 10 percent of blood transfused in Nigeria is from voluntary donors, noting that about 95 percent of blood collected in the country, is from family replacement donors.

He awarned that a country with poor voluntary blood donation record stood a higher risk of getting its people infected with plasma-borne diseases.

"It is the voluntary donor that is very likely to say the truth about his or her history. Even majority of the people we refer to as family replacement donors are indeed touts who collect

money to donate blood."

Also speaking, Chairman of the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Committee, Dr. Adetoun Agbe – Davies stated that voluntary blood donors have been acclaimed internationally to be the safest group of donors because they have the lowest prevalence of transfusion transmissible infections.

Encouraging Lagosians to embrace voluntary blood donation, Agbe- Davies disclosed that the committee carries out voluntary blood donation drives twice a week in institutions of higher learning, churches, mosques, work places and social clubs.

them through antenatal, postnatal and childhood development up to the age of five. In the case of a potential complicated pregnancy and risk of preterm births such as a multiple pregnancy, this could be identified early to allow for closer monitoring and due preparation taken to minimise risk to both mother and babies.”

With reference to the recent UNFPA report titled Born Too Soon championed

by WBFA to highlight the growing number of preterm babies and their increasingly high contribution to annual neonatal deaths globally and in Nigeria, Toyin Saraki notes: “In Nigeria, there are 1015 pre-term births per 100 live births. It is essential that there is a strategic approach that includes building partnerships to cater for the pre-term challenge as part of the country’s ongoing effort to address its poor MNCH indices.

“WBF Africa hopes that the appointment of President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria as Co-Chair of the UN Commission on LifeSaving Commodities for Women acts as a catalyst to improving access to essential live saving commodities.

“We continue to pray for the Chukwukaelo family and the staff at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital. I’ll be watching their progress closely.

Every case such as theirs reminds me why I began this journey to address maternal, newborn and child health challenges over 20 years ago. It also strengthens my resolve that there is so much to do particularly in Nigeria, further still, it highlights that we need to work together to overcome these challenges,” she asserted

44 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

C M Y K

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012 — 45

What are the symptoms of gonorrhoea, watery sperm?

Dear doctor,

D

OCTOR, please what are the symptoms of gonorrhoea and watery sperm? I feel continuous headache and body heat. What is the problem?

Tony, Jos

Worry over toilet infection Dear doctor, OCTOR, I am 22, and a virgin, I

D

contacted toilet infection at the age of 15. Ever since , I have been treating it.

I have used different drugs but there has been no improvement.

Now I am scratching like mad and having rashes.

Please help me as I am the only child of my parents, I don’t want anything to happen to my womb.

Catherine, Agbo

Answer

Answer FIRST and foremost, it is proper to make correct diagnosis. What you are likely to be having is vaginal excoriation secondary to severe candidiasis.

Your womb won’t be affected by this unless there is a secondary bacterial infection leading to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, PID. If you are 22 and you have been having this for the past seven years it means you persistently exposed to the causative agent. Take Diflucan three capsules once weekly for four weeks, Doxycycline capsules 100mg twice daily for 10 days, Flagyl tablets 200mg twice daily for 10 days, and apply Nystatin cream for four weeks.

Then, change all your underwears, Shave off your pubic hair and keep your toilet relatively clean. I think we should have headway.

Can I still give My husband has low sperm birth after 4 count, should I divorce him? abortions?

D D Dear doctor, OCTOR, I have done up to four abortions (D and C). Can I still give birth?

Udoh, Akwa- Ibom State Answer YES you can, provided the abortions were uneventful. Try to be more careful I beg you. That practice is not fashionable.

Strange movement in my stomach D

OCTOR, sometimes I feel wormlike and noisy movement in my stomach. What can I do to stop it?

Answer THIS most times is normal, but to be on the safe side, do abdominal scan and show result to your doctor.

Smoked food and cancer risk Dear doctor,

D

OCTOR, is eating smoked food safe or is it cancerous?

Kenneth, Egbu, Owerri

Answer EATING smoked food directly is carcinogenic. That is the word. That can cause cancer, especially of the oesophagus, stomach, and even leukaemia.

Dear doctor, OCTOR, my husband was diagnosed to have very low sperm count.

We have been married for three years and there is nothing to show for it. Should I divorce him?

Clara, Osun Answer

THE Holy Bible says something about this and I quote: “What God has joined together, let no man put asunder”.

In view of this, I would not advise that you divorce him. This from the spiritual angle.

From the socio-medical angle, you shouldn’t divorce him as well. Assuming it was you having a problem such as bilateral tubal blockage, should he divorce you for another woman?

Both of you should work hand in hand to deal with the problem. Are you sure you are completely free as well?

GONORRHOEA is a sexually transmitted infection, which means there must have had a history of sexual intercourse few days prior to presentation of symptoms like purulent penile discharge, painful urination, painful and swollen testes, and infertility in the long run.

As par headache and continuous body heat, do full blood count, malaria parasite test and check your blood pressure.

Is breast cancer hereditary?

Dear Doctor,

OCTOR, our mother died of breast cancer three years ago.

What is the implication of this to our own health?

Oluwafunmi, Ikorodu

D

Answer BREAST cancer runs in family at times, you people are better off screening for breast cancer once a year.

Information on breech presentation Dear doctor,

He is AS, I am SS, what shall we do?

Dear doctor,

D

OCTOR, I have a I would like to marry. We have agreed to get married and our parents have accepted. Later, however, we discovered that his genotype is AS. My own genotype is SS. He is insisting we get married.

What should we do?

Chinyere, Owerri Answer I DON’T think it is a wise decision to go into that kind of marriage.

Don’t fall for it. There is high possibility of giving birth to a child or children with SS genotype as well.

My advice is that you go for someone who has AA genotype.

Your parents need to understand the implication of your coming together as one.

Caesarian Section is advisable in an untested pelvis with breech presentation

D

OCTOR, I read in one of your publications sometime ago about a woman you advised to go for Caesarian Section, CS, because of breech presentation as a first pregnancy. I had my first child 12 years ago presenting like that and delivered per vagina. Why? Fola, Kwara State Answer, MEDICAL practice is evolving. Research is going on a daily basis. Yes, I said it and I’m still standing by it.

Caesarian Section is advisable in an untested pelvis with breech presentation. It is advised in order to further prevent hanging head.

Big swelling on operation line Dear doctor,

D

OCTOR, my wife has a big swelling along the operation line in her abdomen. What could that be?

Emma, Ogun State Answer, THAT may be an incisional hernia.

Operation has to be repeated to push it back.

46 — Vanguard, TUESDAY,

JUNE 19, 2012

Taxi driver benefits from THT health plan

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

T

• Miss Universe: L-R: Group Head Marketing, Ecobank, Mrs. Ama Okyere; Miss. Universe 2011, Leila Lopez; Interim National Director, SOS Childrens Villages Nigeria, Eghosa Erhumwunse; and Head, Brands and Communication, Ecobank Nigeria, Mrs. Adetola Osomah, at the cheque presentation of six million Naira to SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria last week.

OTAL Health Trust, a Health Maintenance Organisation, HMO, holds a cheque presentation ceremony at the LUTH Gate Taxi Park tomorrow, June 20 to reimburse Gabriel Udoh, an enrollee on its SureHealth Plan.

The beneficiary, who is a taxi driver operating from the LUTH Gate Taxi Park, signed up with Surehealth Plan in November 2011 and was up-to-date with premium payment.

He is obtaining the cheque to the extent of coverage amounting to 70 percent of the total costs he incurred recently while on admission at the LUTH, following which he submitted a claim for reimbursement to cover his hospitalisation costs for four weeks at LUTH as covered un-

Ecobank donates N6m to orphanages •As Miss Universe 2011 visits Nigeria

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

I

N an effort to ensure its com mitments to support Miss Universe 2011, Leila Lopes, on her activities to raise funds to support orphans, reduce poverty and create awareness about HIV & AIDS in Africa, Ecobank has donated N6 million to SOS orphanages.

Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Jibril Aku, said: “Our Vision as to build a world class Pan African bank and contribute to the economic development and financial integration

of Africa” “This is also the guiding principle of our corporate social responsibility activities. Our main focus is to give back or contribute effectively to the societies in which we operate. We project Ecobank as a responsible and caring corporate,” he added.

Speaking further, Aku said, HIV & AIDS for instance is one of such areas we have focused on. Ecobank has long partnered with the national AIDS Awareness Campaign championed by the National Agency for the Control

der the scheme. The SureHealth Plan is a unique health insurance package specially developed for the informal sector market.

A statement by THT said the objective is to extend access to affordable healthcare to hitherto excluded segments of the population which have largely remained uninsured by most health plans. This segment represents almost 75 percent of Nigeria's population, who because of non-engagement in the formal sector economy, lack any form of financial protection from health shocks.

The Plan is a comprehensive health insurance cover providing primary care, specialist consultations, maternity care (including Caesarean Ssection), laboratory Tests, immunisations, admissions/hospitalisation, radiology, optical care and dental care. It comes at an affordable price of N50 per day.

of AIDS, NACA, in Nigeria.

Twenty-six-year-old Leila Lopes who has been on a tour of SOS Villages and Orphanages across West Africa said she was delighted at the reception given to her in Nigeria. Lopes presented a cheque of N6million to SOS Villages Nigeria. The donation formed part of her activities to raise funds to support orphans, reduce poverty and create awareness about HIV & AIDS in Africa and the world at large. She said we have to continue to raise awareness about HIV&AIDS in Africa and the world.

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012 — 47

Family cries out over detention of vigilante boss by soldiers •alleges political undertone OR the family of Moses Eze of Amuzu- Umuacha in Isiala-Ngwa South Local Government Area of Abia State, life is no longer the same since their father and bread winner was arrested in March this year by operatives of the Operation Jubilee, the anti kidnapping and other crimes outfit operating in the state. Moses Eze, 38, until his arrest on March 23, was chairman of the vigilante group assisting the troops to fight kidnappers in the area.

Eze’s family said they now live in fear as they were not sure of the fate of their bread winner.

The vigilante group he led was said to be a very strong one that gallantly fought criminal elements in the area to a standstill. Ironically, Eze was arrest-

F

ed on the allegation that he connived with two soldiers presently in detention with him to abduct a staff of Works Department of Isiala-Ngwa Local Government Council. According to the family, Eze was held since March at the Ohafia Barracks where he is said to be undergoing interrogation, but was moved to 82 Division, Enugu last week, where further investigation into their case is going on.

However, the long detention of Eze without charging him to court has given the family serious concern. According to the family, his five children, three boys and two girls, have been questioning their mother daily over the whereabouts of their father. And the poor woman could not offer them satisfactory answer. The family’s worry

•Ihejirika, Chief of Army Staff

•Moses Eze is worsened by the fear that their father has serious cough suspected to be tuberculosis.

Giving insight into how their breadwinner was arrested, a family source said Eze had, few days to his arrest, assisted the troops from Asa High School Camp in his capacity as chairman of the vigilante group, to trail a suspected kidnapper in the area on the request of the soldiers.

However, Eze in a telephone interview from Enugu where he is currently being detained gave the following account of how he was arrested: “One morning, I was called by a senior army officer who was formerly at the Asa Camp to assist them trace a suspected kidnapper in the area. He sent one officer and three soldiers to me for the operation.

When we got to the guy’s house, he was not around.

W

e re scheduled to visit again. So, they dropped me and as they were going back to their base, they met council workers of the local govern-

ment doing some works on the Umuoba road. The soldiers were in mufti but had army bullet proof jacket which the former Commander, Major General Audu, introduced to disguise the operatives. They came in a private Volvo car because of the nature of the operation so it was not easy to identify them as soldiers.

S

o, when they got to the place, the council workers on duty directed them to take another route. But there was a lorry with big loads at their back, whose driver said he could not reverse because of the load.

One of the soldiers got down from the car to remove the bamboo sticks with which they used to block the road, an action which made one of the workers to grab him and fracas ensued.

,

By ANAYO OKOLI, Umuahia

whether he knew me and he said that I helped them when he was at Aba. The commander then asked them to take me to the guardroom that he would send for me in the morning or he would come to see me.

“But till today I have not seen him. So, I am worried and my health is deteriorating. I have been coughing, I have tuberculosis. Till now, I am still being detained. Even when the accused soldiers were brought here in Enugu, the officers wondered who I was because my name was not in the list.”

When contacted on telephone, the Assistant Public Relations Officer, 82 Division, Lt. Col. H.I. Mohammed, confirmed that Eze was in army custody. He, however, allayed any fear over his health saying that investigation into their case was still going on. According to Mo-

I am worried and my health is deteriorating. I have been coughing, I have tuberculosis. Till now, I am still being detained

The soldiers then picked the worker to their camp when he attempted to escape. It was alleged that they also shot him on the leg while he was escaping.

“Later the soldiers were accused of kidnapping the council worker. This is why I was invited by the commander who said he wanted to hear my account of the incident. The Special Investigation team from Lagos came and verified this fact. Later the commander sent for me and they took me to his house in Ohafia Barracks at about 10 pm, and he came out and saw me.

He asked me my name and what happened on Tuesday between his soldiers and one civilian. I was about to tell him before one Lt. Tanko called me.

The commander asked him

,

hammed, the case involves security issue which takes time to investigate and being investigated did not mean that the person was guilty. He urged the family to be patient even as he assured them of the safety of their father.

However, another source from the community alleged that Eze’s arrest and detention was political. The source claimed that some people set the vigilante chairman up because he had, perhaps, stepped on their toes in the course of doing his job. “To the best of my knowledge, Moses Eze worked assiduously to assist the soldiers combat kidnapping and other criminal elements in this area, so I don’t see him engaging or sabotaging the same war he fought with his life”, the source said.

48 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

Vanguard,

LIBRA; Mid-morning till early afternoon period may bring more promises than it can actually deliver; your being clever will see you through. Be very practical.

SCORPIO; Continue to attach necessary importance to your family values. Here is a day when joint ventures can bring you under pressure between 9.46am and 12.43pm.

SAGITTARIUS; Other people will continue to feature in your activities; that is to say you will need to be as cooperative as reason permits. Watch it between 9.46am&12.43pm CAPRICORN; You may be in position to minimise the pressure of yesterday. And you will need to watch your mood from 9.46am to 12.43pm.

—49

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 VIRGO; Emphasis will continue to be on career related issues. However you will not be wrong if you take mattersof-the-heart more seriously now. Be more loving.

TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

LEISURE

YOUR LUCK TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

N

OW you will like to ask me, are there no committed, dedicated and disciplined men and women in the university? My answer to that is in form of ques-

The best education — 2 tion: What is the news if a dog bites a man?

One of the greatest problems besetting our country today is the nature and quality of graduates churned

TERROR MUDA

out of our universities.

Many of such graduates are simply not qualified to man the commanding sectors of the nation. Let us agree the facilities are

in “Never say goodbye”

not there, but the greatest problem is un-seriousness on the part of students. Now tell me, of what use is knowledge that cannot be applied?

Think about it!

By Kola Fayemi

AQUARIUS; It is important you don’t take things for granted around mid-morning and early afternoon period so that you will not run into avoidable disappointments.

PISCES; If you are in position to control your actions you would fare better if you can wait till after 12,43pm before you make an important move. Be family minded.

ARIES; Your being receptive can enhance your prospects but that is not to say you have to be naïve, especially during mid-morning and early afternoon periods.

TAURUS; Success is boldly printed on your cards and like yesterday if priority attention is given to money the scope of your success will be wider.

GEMINI; Although things may be happening around you, you are the right person to make things happen and give others opportunities.. Be wise.

CANCER; Take note that others may break promises made before early afternoon period; that is to say you should not take anybody for granted before 12.43pm.

LEO; Although friends are willing to assist you circumstances may not allow complete help as expected. 9.46am to 12.43pm can be a bit sensitive

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING Send your date and place of birth to the Astrological Counselling, P.M.B 1007, Apapa, Lagos

Are they compatible?

Dear Joshua, Kindly analyse horoscopes of two young lovers willing to share the rest of thie lives together. I am concern because one of the is my own son. However I want you to leave out their birth dates.

Peter, Umuahia.

Dear Peter, COMPATIBILITY GUIDE What will follow here-under are analyses of their horoscopes , so that they will know each other very well vis-à-vis strong and weak points of each other. By this you will decide if actually what you are looking for is in the relationship.

THE HOROSCOPE DATA/PLANETARY PLACEMENT OF THE LADY SUN SIGN = AQUARIUS; SUN IN 13TH DEGREE OF AQUARIUS. MOON SIGN = CANCER ; MOON IN 3RD DEGREE OF CANCER MERCURY IN IST DEGREE OF AQUARIUS VENUS IN ZERO DEGREE OF ARIES MARS IN 29TH DEGREE OF PISCES JUPITER IN 29TH DEGREE OF CAPRICORN SATURN IN 27TH DEGREE OF SCORPIO. URANUS IN 16TH DEGREE OF SAGITTARIUS. NEPTUNE IN 2ND DEGREE OF CAPRICORN PLUTO IN 4TH DEGREE OF SCORPIO. NORTH NODE IN 23RD DEGREE OF TAURUS. SOUTH NODE IN 23RD DEGREE OF SCORPIO. ANALYSIS OF THE CHART SUMMARY Here is a gentle person who cares so much for both her extended family (especially her mother) and her personal family. She can be highly emotional, although highly intelligent too THE WEAK POINT She can unexpectedly burst into tears whenever she fails to control her husband. And if she does not result to weeping she can many times force this man to turn violent to the detriment of too many things. She in particular will many times become jealous for no reason and can be difficult to manage by this man.

Although she loves freedom, she will want to be in firm control of the man’s freedom. Issues of control and freedom must be clearly defined before final marital rite, or else serious trouble would be the result.

THE HOROSCOPE DATA/PLANETARY PLACEMENT OF THE MAN woman. Great LEADERSHIP quality is his portion. He likes to make money (gives much of his energy to money making) and become successful.

VIRGINIA

Commen3

dadadekola@yahoo.com

by Lawrence Akapa

50 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

Tenant’s tales: ‘My landlord demanded for my car’ (5)

A

LL his rantings was concluded with the remark that he sees me when I walk in with a crate of eggs every week.

He went further to affirm his point by saying that he is aware of the fact that I cannot finish a crate of eggs every week. He therefore cam to the conclusion that it was my girlfriends and the other friends who hang out at my place that eat the bulk of everything I buy.

Praising himself, baba said he knows he is a good landlord who does not like to molest his tenants anyhow, like most of his landlord colleagues often do.That this is not just because he is a godly man, but also for the fact that he is a father to children who are of same age group with

me, adding that he does not pray that they meet with evil people where ever they go.

However, he does not think he will be asking for too much if asks me to include him in my budget and buy him a crate of eggs too when I buy mine. The

,

HI The problems associated with landlord versus tenant relationship are innumerable.

From indiscriminate hikes in rent to molestations over how occupants manage the premises. In extreme cases, landlords and tenants have had to trade punches or taken their grieviances to the courts of law.

Almost every tenant has a story or another to tell about their landlords, from the bizzare to the hillarious. Stories of greed, jealousy and hatred and of course, kindness and love.

Tega, (32), banker, was forces to park of his former apartment when his Oliver Twist of a landlord asked for too much.

He tells his story below:

wriggle out, he will top everything with some kind of prayer or another. And naturally, who does not like prayers?

At some point, baba’s young wife too wanted to join in the free gift party.

She approached me one

In his usual relaxed manner, he started pointing out why I must let him have the car as I could not use two cars since I was not married

way he said it just made me burst out laughing.

So that was what all the gist was about. He was like a little boy, anxiously waiting for what my response would be. I told him it was not a problem and that I did not know he loved eggs that much, adding that I will be giving him regularly. It was this single act that opened the gate for a flood of requests from baba landlord. From slippers to sunshades, watch, crates of minerals, beer and sometimes clothes.

He would always say he loves and that which he saw on me at sometime or the other. At other times, he would ask for a little change to take care of his medication or his little children’s school fees.

His usual phrase was that I should help make the last few days of an old man happy and that his spirit would never forget me after he passes on. To ensure that I dont get a chance to

,

day to inform me that she wanted to report my “daddy” to me. The gist was that she needed money to attend her social group’s annual event and baba was not ready to give her.

I knew if I was not careful, both baba and his wife will turn me to their bank.

The only way I could stop her was to tell baba which I promptly did. And baba ordered that I must never entertain her in any way.

But the old man himself, soon became a pest. I was only indulging him because I liked him. I’d lost both my parents at a tender age and had been raised by an uncle who was also dead then, so I didn’t owe anyone that much obligation. Again, the man was not troubling me that much with house rent or unnecessary increases unlike what many of my friends used to complain about. So, a few favours here and there didn’t really matter. Also, I felt very

sorry for the man because of the sad stories he’d told me about his marital life.

How his first wife had left him because he’d married another woman who also finally left him after several years.

The woman did not have any children for him, though she’d had three from two previous relationships. His first two children had deserted him and now lived abroad.

Finally, out of frustration and the need for a helper, he’d married his present wife.

On his death, she would inherit the house and nothing more with her children.

So, if she likes, she can have a dozen of them, he’d said.

The man was fun to be with and from time to time, I felt drawn to sit with him when I didn’t have anything to do. About two years after the parley started, I was given an official car and a driver at the office.

Baba expressed great happiness and lots of prayers for my continued success.

But a few months later, he called me to tell me in his usual casual manner that since I now owned another car with a driver, it would not be out of place if I gave him my old car, my personal car. I thought it was a joke, but he said he was dead serious.

In his usual relaxed manner, he started pointing out why I must let him have the car. I could not use two cars since I was not married.

Two, the cost of maintenance. Three, the need to protect myself for the fear of enemies especially from my family members. Finally, the need to take care of my elderly poor old landlord. I just concluded that the man must be senile or he would not make such a request.

I started lookingfor another accommodation after this and I soon got one. Though more expensive, I did not want one that had the owner in residence. In fact, I can never stay in a house that has the landlord living there.

Concluded.

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BY ONOZURE DANIA

Casual sex, is it really casual?

BY ONOZURE DANIA

CASUAL relationships and casual sex usually involves with dishonesty. This is because most people don’t really know what they want. People are not being honest with themselves about what they can offer and what they can handle and what they want. Casual sex can refer to one of sexual encounters with strangers or agreements that stretch over a longer period of time.

Casual sex also doesn’t necessarily mean heterosexual intercourse, it can involve any sexual act with anyone. The point is that it is done in the context of an agreement where the sex is an activity that mainly satisfies a sexual desire or physical a t t r a c t i o n .

Casual sex lacks the emotional ties that come with relationships. Sex without any commitment or ties may sound appealing and for a lot of people it can seem very attractive.

Firstly it’s important to make the point that casual sex is not for everyone and there are many who would say it is wrong or simply don’t want to engage in it. Whatever you think, it is a fact that casual sex is very popular and for a lot of people it’s something that either satisfies a desire or serves a purpose.

It is therefore an issue that affects many young people today. It could be said that because we are often brought up to see sex outside of a long term, serious relationship as wrong, we develop a sense of casual sex being more exciting, a feeling that it is naughty or an act of rebellion that can be

very appealing.

The excitement of mystery and unfamiliarity can add to the appeal of casual sex and often, there is a low chance of meeting again, so, inhibitions can be cast aside.

It is also made easier by the fact that majority of the time, both parties are aware that the sex is not going to lead to a relationship and are therefore more likely to be able to relax and just have sex for the pure pleasure of the actual act. No matter how much we analyse the reasons why, if you were to ask most people they would simply say that casual sex is attractive simply because it can be a bit of enjoyment. People have sex for different reasons.

For the most part, I think, men have sex to release the poison, as they say. But I honestly believe women have sex for a variety of reasons and only some of them actually have to do with gratification or pl e a s u re.

Now, I don’t think it’s a bad thing to have sex when what you really want is attention or affection. Sometimes we eat when we’re depressed but convince ourselves that we’re doing it out of hunger.

The problem, to me, is when people don’t know why they’re having sex .

We’ve thrown around the term “self-actualized” here a few times. Giving that it takes a few trial and error experiences to learn that it’s good to keep these hook ups contained, it’s not just about the logistics. It’s about turning things on and off.

That isn’t something we’re wired to do. We feel what we feel. Like a more serious or traditional re-

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Henceforth, only messages sent through the numbers readers want to be contacted on will be published.

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012 — 51

KADUNA BLASTS: DAY 2 Between Okunbo’s existential accomplishments and hubris

P

A deserted road in Kaduna following the 24-hour curfew imposed by the government after the violent clashes on Sunday.

Photos: AFP

A vandalized car in the Trikania neighbourhood in Kaduna, yesterday, following the suicide bomb attack and reprisal killings.

Nigeria faces $4bn fuel subsidy gap

N

IGERIA needs an additional $4bn to maintain its controversial fuel subsidy in 2012 after the Federal Government spent more than half of this year ’s allocated budget for the subsidy plugging holes from 2011.

The latest figures reflect the stark choices facing President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration after an unprecedented surge in the cost of the subsidy during the 2011 election year ate into savings and put government finances at risk.

President Jonathan has pledged to stop the leaks.

However, because of arrears payments and continuing waste, the overall cost this year could be as much as 75 per cent of the record $14bn spent in 2011, even after the government halved the subsidy in January.

Senior officials said the president has floated the idea of a supplementary budget worth $4bn to cover the 2012 subsidy.

Agency reports quotes Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the minister of finance as saying the country would be unable to safeguard itself against external

shocks if it covered this cost.

She said: “We are vulnerable if there is a contagion from Greece.

We can afford to keep paying the subsidy but it means we will be very thin on buffers,”adding that losses from oil theft were also taking a huge toll on government finances.

However, she vigorously defended the administration’s record in trying to straighten out the mess.

Government memo A government memo suggests that maintaining the subsidy would wipe out funds saved up as insurance against a drop in the price of oil, on which the country typically depends for over 90 per cent of state revenues. The memo also calls into question the government’s ability to pay the wage bill and meet its obligations to the 36 states of the federation should oil prices fall.

The savings account, known as the Excess Crude Account, has about $4bn in it, according to Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala. This

is equal to the amount being floated by the presidency to cover the 2012 subsidy. Of the N881bn ($5.54bn) budgeted for the fuel subsidy in 2012, Nigeria has so far spent N451bn ($2.84bn) paying off arrears for 2011, OkonjoIweala said.

Separately a task force dealing with the same issue and headed by Nuhu Ribadu, the former anti-corruption czar, is preparing to submit its findings. A further complicating legacy lies in the build-up of debts that fuel marketers owe to international banks, including BNP Paribas, Société Générale and JPMorgan.

An adviser to one of the banks said the arrears total $3.4bn. The banks suspended financing of Nigeria fuel importers a year ago as a result. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, which itself is in arrears to the marketers, has since been covering the cost of fuel imports with opaque crude oil swaps, which have further complicated efforts to assess the overall cost of the subsidy.

ERHAPS, if he had caved in to pressure piled on him by many stakeholders in Edo politics to throw his hat in the ring for the governorship seat, multibillionaire businessmancum- politician, Captain Idahosa Wells Okunbo, would have by now been traversing the nooks and crannies of the state, mounting the soap box to articulate his promises to the people. Such is the theatrics that have been going on in Edo State in the name of electioneering.

He would have, understandably, emerged as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. This is because of the solid political structure and network that he has been able to emplace in the ecology of politics in Edo State. But the man of means popularly referred to by his friends and associates as “Captain Hosa” chose not to upset the political calculations that had subsisted for quite some time before some stakeholders embarked on an enterprise of drafting him into the race.

Today, General Charles Ehigie Airhiavbere (rtd.) might not have been the candidate of the PDP. Today, Captain Hosa might just have been the candidate of the party; today, he might have become Comrade Adams Oshiomhole’s greatest foe and major threat to his re-election bid. It is not that both of them do not have one or two points to settle; the grudge war would have been more gruelling than the current proxy battle in which Captain Hosa is backing Airhiavbere to dislodge Oshiomhole from power.

Whereas Captain Hosa was one of the persons who reportedly funded Oshiomhole’s election in 2007, the game has now changed as both men have since parted ways due to some irreconcilable differences.

Captain Hosa has pitched his tent with the PDP, explaining that he would prefer to be with his friend, President Goodluck Jonathan, in the party. And he has been working assiduously for the success of the party in the forthcoming governorship election.

Not many people would have been able to resist the opportunity that presented itself to Captain Hosa to become governor of his state.

He rebuffed the overtures to him, insisting on being allowed to focus on his thriving multi-billion naira business empire with global networks. He would not want his business empire to suffer a deficit of positive public perception as people may construe his wealth as coming from the coffers of the state

government.

Here is a very wealthy man, one of the very few well educated and quiet persons in Nigeria whose palm kernels have been cracked for them by the benevolent spirit: he is very humble; he does not make noise about his accomplishments. Captain Hosa has, no doubt, chosen to define his existence and shape his destiny in the world of commerce, far away from the topsy-turvy terrains of politics and governance.

This is his essential spirit: he is not out to flaunt his wealth and his accomplishments, which political exposure would have forced him to do.

There is no way he could have been in the race for the governorship seat in Edo without deploying his massive material and financial resources to push through the

,

BY SUFUYAN OJEIFO

This is a tribute to a man whose existential nature is geared towards promoting the dignity of the other man and not the reckless hubris that has been the Achilles heel of some political office holders in recent times

,

venture. He would have taken the battle as personal to preserve his reputation as an emergent aficionado of politics in Edo. He is not the type to celebrate mundane things as well as the mendacity around them, such that gives a sense of fulfillment to many people who have had the opportunity of using the platform of government to “break through” in life. He is solemnly reflective. Indeed, Captain Hosa’s gravitas has a way of celebrating itself: his facial expressions are always serious - no smile or should I say no smiling face indicating a solemn mind preponderating the sundry tensions that are putting exertions on the exterior.

Notwithstanding his massive accomplishments in the world of business, he still does not believe he has been able to contribute his quota to the growth of national, continental and global economies. This is in spite of the rare recognition accorded

him by the Congress of the United States, which in collaboration with African Society Summit, African Diplomatic and the US business community, has selected him for the “2012 Africa Titans Award.”

In a letter, dated June 1, 2012, signed by members of Congress, Bobby L. Bush and Yvette Clarke, wherein Captain Hosa was formally informed of the award ceremony, the organisers said: “Your award will be conferred during the ‘2012 Africa Day on the Hill.’ For the first time, this year’s Africa Day, to be held on Wednesday, June 20, will focus on Africa in transformation: 'Celebrating Africa Renaissance'”.

The organisers said further that: “The 2012 Africa Day activities will feature prominent African business ‘titans,’ leaders, celebrities and many others who seek to project a new and hopeful light on Africa. Indeed, this illuminates the philosophy behind Captain Hosa’s selection for the award. Yet, in his characteristic humility, he had said, in a letter of invitation to some of his friends to attend the award ceremony in Washington D.C., that: “I may not know at this point those contributions of mine that have aided my nomination, but I have always seen Africa as my focal point and the need for concerted efforts towards her development. I really must say that I am humbled by this recognition and encouraged to do more for my fatherland.”

This is thus a tribute to a man whose existential nature is geared towards promoting the dignity of the other man and not the reckless hubris that has been the Achilles’ heel of some political office holders in recent times. Sampler: Former Imo State Governor, Ikedi Ohakim, boasted during the 2011 election that he would defeat Owelle Rochas Okorocha by a wide margin. What happened thereafter? He was shocked by Okorocha.

In Edo State, Oshiomhole is boasting that he would dismiss Captain Hosa’s PDP with a landslide victory. The election is not about who can talk more or better. It is about credibility of the political leaders at the state, local government, ward and unit levels to win the trust of the people. Captain Hosa’s credibility is expected to provide salutary effect on the side of the PDP and shore up the chances of its candidate in his Edo South base….This is congratulating Captain Hosa as he receives tomorrow, in Washington D.C., the “2012 Africa Titans Award.” You are indeed a titan! *Mr. Ojeifo, a journalist, wrote from Abuja.

52 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012 — 53

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54 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

ATURDAY afforded me the first opportunity of watching live, Keshi’s “Work –in-progress” Eagles, so off I went to calabar.

Calabar was as tense as it was electric. The match in hand was not a FIFA World Cup, Brazil 2014 qualifier, a league system where a slip could still be redeemed in the course of the home and away six match experiment.

Saturday was the return leg of the South Africa 2013 CAF Orange Nations Cup qualifier and after a 0-0 draw at away, the Eagles were condemned to winning at home in order to qualify for the group stage.

Some explanations. All the countries that did not qualify for Gabon-Equatorial Guinea were mandated to play the preliminaries against each other (Twenty six of them ) and the winners are to qualify for the group stage in September where those who went to the Nation’s Cup will now be thrown into the fray If you read the media officer of the Super Eagles Ben Alaiya on Friday informing us that the Eagles practiced penalty shoot outs, it was because should the Eagles fail to win, and record a scoreless draw then the match would have been decided by penalties (A winner had to emerge).

Predictably, the Wasps of Rwanda hit town with a lot of boast as their coach delighted in churning out mind games telling us how the pressure was on the Eagles!

Egypt did not help matters. On Friday, the mighty Pharaohs of Egypt, seven times Nations Cup champions had the Central African Republic for lunch in Alexandria only for news to filter out that the tiny Central African country had triumphed 3-2! Incredible but true.

In Calabar, near panic. “ ……those of you who say there are minnows in football, come hear how the Pharaohs need to win by two un replied goals in Bangui or risk two successive Nations Cup failures” the barb was thrown at me and some explanations sought. Yes I was in Bangui for the World Cup qualifier and witnessed how the Rwandans demolished Botswana 2-0. I spoke about determination, about youth, about patriotism, about crowd support and how all of them combined to afford the Central African country an historic first ever World Cup victory.

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I was in Calabar I benefitted a sneak preview of the starting line up without Utaka and Victor Moses

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Outside Bangui, just a week later, the team travelled to Addis Abeba and were trounced by the Ethiopians 2-0, so I nearly concluded that the visit to Egypt was also going to be a rout.

How wrong.

In Calabar the Rwandans came out for warm up walking tall. What the Central Africans can do, we can also do, even better…..their body language suggested. The Eagles also marched out to the roar of the not too impressive crowd. Yes the crowd. what ever happened to that throng that came out against Namibia? A lot of excuses.

First, that twenty five per cent of the football watching public in Cross River are Ibo and Yoruba traders who don’t joke with their business on Sturdays.

Also, the organizers of the match, impressed with the Namibia crowd upped the gate takings to 1,000 naira for popular side from 500 naira, not conscious of the fact that on June 3 most civil servants still had their pay packet intact different from June 16 which was mid month.

I have dwelt a bit on this because we need to

UEFA bans Bendtner over pants S ICKLAS Bendtner has been banned for one match and handed an £80,000 fine by UEFA as a result of his goal celebration against Portugal.

The Denmark international flashed a sponsored waistband on his underpants after netting in a 32 defeat to Portugal at Euro 2012.

European football’s governing body have strict rules when it comes to advertising, and Bendtner breached them.

UEFA’s Control and Disciplinary Body have decided to impose a fine and suspension for ‘one competitive fixture’.

“This suspension applies to the next 2014 FIFA World Cup match, including the qualifying competition, for which Bendtner is eligible,” read a statement on UEFA’s official website.

Bendtner has three days from receiving the written receipt of the sanction is which to appeal.

UEFA started disciplinary proceedings after seeing Bendtner act out of line

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during the Group B fixture in Lviv, with the Arsenal forward charged with improper conduct.

Law 4 of the Laws of the Game stipulates that: “Players must not reveal undershirts which contain slogans or advertising. A player removing his jersey to reveal slogans will be sanctioned by the competition organiser.”

Article 18.18 of the Regulations of the UEFA European Football Championship 2010-12 states: “All kit items worn during the final tournament must be free of any sponsor advertising.”

Bendtner claimed the underpants, which bore the logo of a Dublin-based betting firm, were ‘lucky’.

IR Alex Ferguson is likely to be deeply unhappy with the Premier League fixture list after it emerged that Manchester United will have to play away from home after five of their six midweek Champions League group matches, including trips to Liverpool, Newcastle United, Chelsea and Aston Villa. The other away game is against Manchester

Mr. Niyi Oyeleke, Productions Manager, SuperSport Nigeria; Mr. Felix Awogu, General Manager, SuperSport Nigeria and Mr. Segun Fayose, Head of Corporate Communications, MultiChoice Nigeria during “Meet the Executive” media interactive session with SuperSport, held in Lagos

develop the culture of watching matches in this country. Go elsewhere, Congo DR, Gambia , Tanzania, Malawi, Uganda, Ethiopia…….and you will be amazed at the turn out of spectators well decked in their national colours.

During the world cup qualifier in Bangui (Popular side went for a one thousand naira equivalent) I had to order the use of the public address system to beg spectators to go back home and watch the matches on TV because the stadium had surpassed what we call in football security “Safe stadium capacity ” Back to Calabar. The Eagles came out to warm up and I benefitted a sneak preview of the starting line up without Utaka and Victor Moses and I said to myself that at last consultations were having an upper hand.

By half time I and Onochie Anibeze did some analysis and were not too pleased with what we saw.

At the end of the match, Mike Itemuagbor declared that there was light at the end of the tunnel. He had a lot of praise for Keshi,s determination to stick to the development and the building of a new team even at the risk of losing his job.

Coach Charles Bassey ex Super Eagle whose national honour (MON) could not afford him recognition in the stadium, is happy that Keshi has benefitted two and a half months to continue to work at a team that may be a pride to all of us.

You will realize that I have not delved into details and analysis of the match as regards the efficiency or otherwise of individuals players, the tactics used and so on. No I have not because I have been reliably informed that the Technical Committee will meet soon to digest the technical report of the coach and his future plans and to evaluate our progress so far.

Till then.

For now, it is congratulations for crossing the Rwandan bridge. The ‘greater congratulations’ go to the Falcons who in Lagos did not shed any sweat against Zimbabwe on their way to the qualification for the African Women Championship in Equatorial Guinea of which they are defending champions.

See you next week.

Man Utd unhappy at fixtures City at the start of December.

With City at home in the Premier League when United are away, it follows that the champions have only one trip to make after midweek European action. That game is against Chelsea at the end of November.

The situation is almost a reversal from last year, when City were away from home after all six of their Champions League group ties while United had the benefit of playing at Old Trafford after every European midweek game during the group stage.

Chelsea also have only one away match after their Champions League group games (against Sunderland) while Arsenal have three trips (Manchester City, West Ham United and Villa) to make.

Ferguson has complained about the Premier League fixture list

in the past. He was unhappy in the 2008-09 season that United were forced to play away from home after each Champions League away fixture.

He also expressed his annoyance that they had to play each of the previous season’s top nine away from Old Trafford in the first half of the season and suggested that United would send a representative to the Premier League to monitor how the fixtures are worked out ahead of the 2009-10 campaign

•Ferguson

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012 — 55

Man City begin title defence against Southampton In-fighting derails Dutch ANCHESTER Euro dreams M City will begin the defence of their Premier League title at home to newly promoted Southampton.

Runners-up Manchester United start their campaign at Everton when the top flight kicks off on 18 August.

Reading return to the Premier League by hosting Stoke, while promoted West Ham entertain Aston Villa.

The Manchester derby at Etihad Stadium takes place on 8 December with the return fixture at Old Trafford scheduled for 6 April.

New Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers starts with a trip to West Brom, now managed by former Reds coach Steve Clarke.

Liverpool, whose poor home form of last season was a factor in Kenny Dalglish’s dismissal, face Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United in their first three home games.

Michael Laudrup, who took over from Rodgers at Swansea, can look forward to an opening game at QPR. Paul Lambert’s reign as Aston Villa manager begins with a trip to playoff winners West Ham before he has a chance to impress fans at Villa Park when taking on Everton.

RJEN ROBBEN admits Holland’s Euro 2012 hopes were derailed by bitter infighting.

The Dutch are heading home after they were knocked out at the group stages following last night’s 21 defeat to Portugal.

SunSport last week lifted the lid on the power struggles within their fractured camp.

And Robben said: “Of course there were some internal issues but we will keep them indoors.

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Emenike’s parents escape kidnap attempt

athletes are already in for the Olympic trial in Calabar, Cross River State.

“Performances will be rewarded. There is a N2m jackpot to be won in all the events, but the winners for instance will have to make 9.99 and 10.99 secs for the men and women respectively. We will use this standard to measure all other events,” Ogba stated.

He added that the trial is not going to be an all comers’ affair, stressing that it was the best of Nigeria that will be on parade.

“We are expecting an exciting trial. The best of Nigerian athletes from home and abroad are already in town, we have a full house.”

Also, Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan in solidarity with his Cross River State counterpart has promised to reward all NigeC M Y K

HE parents of Nige ria striker Emmanuel Emenike escaped an attempt to abduct them Sunday in Otuocha, Anambra State the family said.

“Five armed men tried to kidnap our mother this morning (Sunday) from Emma’s house,” Ebuka Emenike, younger brother of the Super Eagles star told MTNFootball.com “I was not there when the incident happened.

I was called shortly after the incident took place. I was told that my aunt who came out of the house was mistaken for my mother as five men on motorcycles pointed guns at her and told her to cooperate so as not to lose her life.

“They threatened to kill her but she screamed for help which alerted people around to

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•Aguero

Eagles know Nations Cup foes July 5 HE draw for the fi nal round of qualifiers for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations will

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Dollar deal Continues from BP

“But believe me we tried everything, it’s just not worked.”

Holland’s big names have been blamed but Robben insists it was a collective failure.

The former Chelsea man added: “The hunger in the team is there but we failed together.

“And I mean the technical staff, the players, the whole team.

“This is the harsh reality of the sporting world.

“We must all, therefore, look in the mirror.”

rian athletes who qualified for the Olympics with 2,500 dollars to aid their preparations for the London 2012 Olympics.

An Athletics Federation of Nigeria official disclosed in Calabar that Dr. Uduaghan was pleased with what Liyel Imoke was doing for athletics, hence his decision to make his own contribution towards the up keep of Nigerian athletes.

“Governor Uduaghan has promised to reward all the athletes who qualify for the Olympics. He is very appreciative of what is happening here in Cross River State and has made the contribution in solidarity with his colleague Senator Imoke,” said the official.

The All Nigeria Cross River Championships begin today with over 340 athletes vying for Olympic slots.

be conducted on July 5 most likely in Johannesburg.

The 30 teams through to the final round of the qualifiers will be ranked based on their performances during the last three Africa Cup of Nations, i.e. the 2008, 2010, and 2012 editions.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will thus match the 15 top teams in Pot 1 against the 15 teams in Pot 2 for a final playoff to be decided on knockout basis between September and October.

Hosts South Africa have automatically qualified for the final tournament, which kicks off on January 19 with the final on February 10.

Among the teams in Pot 1 are Nigeria’s Super Eagles, defending champions Zambia, Ghana, Cameroon, Tunisia, Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea.

The top team in Pot 2 are Senegal, while other decent teams would be Uganda and DR Congo.

H o w e v e r, s h o u l d Egypt turn the tables

and reverse a 3-2 home loss at Central African Republic in their second round qualifiers, they will make it to Pot 1, meaning Morocco will drop to Pot 2.

The draw for the final tournament is slated for October 26, also in South Africa.

In the meantime, Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi has disclosed he wishes to play an African team in August prior to the final qualifiers for the 2013 AFC O N .

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have said they are studying a proposal for the Super Eagles to feature in an invitational tournament in India in August.

But Keshi said he would prefer an African opposition leading up to the continuation of the qualifying series in September.

“I will want to play against another African team in August during the FIFA free window so as to prepare the team for the final round of the qualifiers,” Keshi told MTNFootball.com

rush out, forcing the men to run away. While she was trying to escape from them, she got injured.”

Ebuka Emenike said a gang of gun men had laid ambush for either their father or mother to step out of the house first for the morning Catholic mass, but unfortunately for them neither of the two came out as the person who first got out of the house was an aunt.

They then mistook her for Emenike’s mother and tried to whisk her away on a motorcycle before she raised alarm.

Only last week, Italybased midfielder Christian Obodo was abducted and later freed by police around Warri, while the father of Chelsea star Mikel Obi was also held for several days before he was set free by the police.

Sheva KO fears

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N D R I Y SHEVCHENKO is struggling to face England because of a knee problem.

The Ukraine striker missed his country ’s penultimate training session before today’s Euro clash in Donetsk.

A Ukraine Football Association spokesman said: “Andriy suffered a kick to his knee against Sweden and another in the same area against France.”

Shevchenko, 35, scored both Ukraine goals in their 2-1 win over Sweden.

The former Chelsea star has also featured in all four of his country’s pre-

•Shevchenko vious meetings with England, stretching back to May 2000.

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012 Today’s Euro Fixtures

Top Stories — Page 55

•In-fighting derails Dutch Euro dreams •Emenike’s parents escape kidnap attempt

Dollar Deal!

Athletes burn tracks in Calabar

BY BEN EFE & JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU, Calabar

TODAY'S

Premier League Fixtures Saturday 18th August Arsenal v Sunderland 3pm Everton v Man Utd 3pm Fulham v Norwich City 3pm Manc City v Southampton 3pm Newcastle v Tottenham 3pm QPR v Swansea 3pm Reading v Stoke 3pm West Brom v Liverpool 3pm West Ham v Aston Villa 3pm Wigan v Chelsea 3pm

Saturday 25th August Aston Villa v Everton 3pm Chelsea v Newcastle 3pm Liverpool v Man City 3pm Man Utd v Fulham 3pm

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THLETICS Federa tion of Nigeria president Solomon Ogba said yesterday that athletes who make world standard performances in their respective events at the All Nigerian championships will go home with N2m.

He said this during a press briefing heralding the 2 nd All Nigeria Cross River Athletics Championships that the federation will reward all athletes who set standards at the Calabar meet. No fewer than 348 foreign and home-based CContinues on Page 55

England v Ukraine 7:45pm Sweden v France 7:45pm Q/finals Thursday June 21 Czech Republic v Portugal 7:45pm Friday June 22 Germany v Greece 7:45pm

L-R: Nigeria’s Agnes Osazuwa, Damola Osayomi and Blessing Okagbare after winning the women’s 4x100m relay at the All African Games in Maputo, Mozambique.

PUZZLES

YESTERDAY'S

Norwich v QPR 3pm Southampton v Wigan 3pm Stoke v Arsenal 3pm Sunderland v Reading 3pm Swansea v West Ham 3pm Tottenham v West Brom 3pm

QUICK CROSSWORD

ANSWERS ACROSS 4 Whim (5) 7 Confused (6) 9 Obtain (3) 10 Twitching (3) 12 Passage (5) 13 Exclude (4) 15 Snake (5) 17 Calm (6) 19 Location (4) 20 View (5) 22 Brown (3) 24 Erased (7) 27 Lair (3) 28 Stadium (5) 31 Talent (4) 33 Worshipped (6) 35 Biscuit (5) 37 Droop (4) 38 Peel (5) 39 Uncooked (3) 41 Novel (3) 42 Hidden (6) 43 Pointer (5)

DOWN 1 Noted (6) 2 Counsel (6) 3 Encountered (3) 4 Dread (4) 5 Map-book (5) 6 Making (8) 8 Cubes (4) 11 Competitor (9) 14 Nurse (4) 16 Defeat (4) 18 Rush (4) 21 Baptise (8) 23 Close (4) 25 Petal (4) 26 Sketched (4) 29 Revised (6) 30 Shrewd (6) 32 String (5) 34 Spoken (4) 36 Top (4) 40 Lump (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Strap 5, Vapour 8, Barge 10, Tomato 11, Stud 14, Tenant 15, Regular 18, Net 19, Tom 21, Dawn 23, Lever 24, Mesh 27, Den 29, Log 31, Rapidly 32, Doomed 34, Tale 35, Elicit 38, Aided 39, Thread 40, Tenet

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 2, Too 3, Abacus 4, Pat 5, Vest 6, Pruned 7, Rotten 9, Rotated 12, Ten 13, Data 16, Ease 17, Rover 20, Menaced 22, Will 24, Modest 25, Slot 26, Homage 28, Divide 39, Gel 33, Dead 36, Let 37, Ire.

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

Place a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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