Reps, FG on warpathover Oteh's recall

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61669

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THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

MANDELA, AFRICA'S PRIDE CLOCKS 94 Jonathan ready to honour Reps' invitation — Ababti —P.6

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THE PRIDE OF AFRICA @ 94—Nelson Mandela sits among family members during his 94th birthday celebrations at his home in Qunu, Eastern Cape, South Africa yesterday. South Africa's school children sang happy birthday to antiapartheid hero, Nelson Mandela as he turned 94, joining in the global praise for the much loved statesman. Photo: AFP.

Panel uncovers more frauds —P.7

Reps, FG on warpath over Oteh's recall

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, EMMA UJAH, PETER EGWUATU, BEN. AGANDE, MICHAEL EBOH & CALEB AYANSINA

•SEC staff protest; House debates Report today •It's a confidence draining decision — Industry operators •Govt warns her to adhere to administrative rules

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AGOS—TEMPERS flared among some members of the House of Representatives, yesterday, following the recall of Ms Aruma Oteh by the Presidency as the Direc-

Continues on Page 5

Mr & Mrs

Prejudice, ignorance, profiling and the Fulbe nomad — P. 17

FG, teachers battle students’ under-performance — P.29

N200bn PHCN's pension fund under Pg.6 probe

FG lifts emergency rule in some Northern states—P.7

2 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012 — 3

4 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

Vanguard, THURSD AY, JUL Y 19, 2012—5 THURSDA JULY

POCKET CARTOON

Reps, FG on war path over Oteh's recall Continues from Page 1 tor General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, in contravention of a House report recommending her dismissal.

The anger may be ventilated in a special session of the House this morning when members are expected to deliberate on the issue and the hanging issue of the non implementation of the 2012 budget.

Anger over the recall of Oteh also overflowed to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja where staff, yesterday, mounted a demonstration against the Federal Government's move with workers grumbling over her recall.

Oteh who was sent on compulsory leave by the board of the commission days before its term lapsed last month was on Tuesday recommended for formal dismissal from the commission by the report of the House adhoc committee on the collapse of the Capital Market.

The House report which is scheduled for deliberation today alleged that Oteh did not meet the minimum 15 years experience in the capital market operations required for the job.

The Presidency in a surprise development yesterday, however, lifted the suspension on Oteh on the basis that the audit report of the external auditors did not find her wanting.

Her recall was communicated to her through a circular, SGF.2/S.9/C.13/ 454 dated July 17, 2012, signed by the Secretary to

the Government of the Federation, Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim.

According to him, Oteh’s recall was the outcome of the findings of the external auditors, Price Water HouseCoopers which exonerated her from allegations of fraud and criminal breaches.

She was, however, indicted for some administrative lapses. The circular reads:

The letter that recalled Oteh “Please refer to the decision of the Board of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to send you on compulsory leave in order to enable SEC’s external auditorsthe Price Water Coopers Limited (PWC), to examine the records of the commission’s transactions covering SEC project 50 which you supervised.

“I am to note that government has studied the report submitted by the external auditors and you are neither indicted for fraud nor criminal breach in any form. However, some administrative lapses were reported, particularly, in cases where administrative procedures were not thoroughly observed.

“The purpose of this letter is to recall you from your leave and to caution that you must henceforth endeavour to diligently observe all extant rules and administrative procedures in the conduct of all official transactions.”

News of the recall of the embattled SEC boss came exactly a day after the

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

If you can imagine it you can create it. If you can dream it, you can become it —William Ward

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UCINDA Bassett in her writings reminded us of those beautiful dreams we had while growing up, when we were young. But then, again, how the reality of making a living took over, when we had to pay our bills, rent our apartments, raise our families, and take care of others. We sacrificed our dreams, repressed them, or delegated them to the background until they were so far away that we forgot they ever existed.

Indeed, there is a popular saying which best illustrates this point succinctly. ‘There are people who put their dreams in a little box and say, “Yes, 1’ve got dreams, of course, I’ve got dreams".

Then they put the box away and bring it out once in a while to look in it, and yep, they’re still there.

These are great dreams, but they never even get out of the box. It takes an uncommon amount of guts to put your dreams on the line, to hold them up and say, Yes! I can! That’s where courage comes in. But mostly insight and a great deal of common sense too!

House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on the Near Collapse of the Capital Market submitted its report.

House wanted Oteh sacked The committee headed

by Hon. Ibrahim El-Sudi, had Udoka Ini Akpan; Yakubu Dogara, Bimbo Daramola, Toby Okechulkwu, Jibril Bubar, Usman Adamu, Oko Rose Okoji as members.

Okechukwu, a member of the committee, shocked by the administration’s recall of Oteh said yesterday that he stood by the content of the report.

However, other House sources were not as courteous.

One senior official in the House of Representatives told Vanguard yesterday that the recall of Oteh was another indication of the administration’s lack of seriousness in its engagement with the House in the fight against corruption.

“You can now see that this administration does not take some matters seriously. People are not happy and we are going to consider the issue today,” the official told Vanguard yesterday.

It was learnt yesterday that the preponderance of opinion in the House was on the adoption of the recommendations which prescribed stiff actions against Oteh.

Vanguard could not confirm whether the decision to take up the report today was a result of the administration’s recall of Oteh.

Besides Oteh, the House is also expected to take a debate on the slow implementation of the 2012 budget, a source revealed yesterday.

Meanwhile, members of staff of the commission were unmoved in their earlier objection to the recall of Oteh, even as heavily armed security agents were deployed to forestall breakdown of law and order, ahead of her resumption.

Trouble started at about 10 am when information filtered to the staff that the External Auditors, Price Water House Coopers, which examined the books of the commission after her suspension by the board did not find her guilty of any financial

malpractice and that the federal government therefore decided to recall her.

Angry workers of the commission barricaded the entrances into the SEC headquarters, located at the Central Business District of Abuja and insisted that they would not let her into the premises. They chanted anti-Oteh slogans and displayed placards with various inscriptions such as “No to Oteh”, “ we don’t want Oteh back” and warning the presidency against her reinstatement and vowed to resist such a move.

Members of staff who spoke with journalists decried the alleged oneman show style of Oteh’s as well as alleged highhandedness of the embattled D-G. Oteh had not arrived SEC headquarters as at press time, but the staff insisted that they were prepared to drive her back at the gate and would not allow her back in the office, no matter the decision of the Federal Government.

The angry staff members refused to disclose their names but insisted that the allegations against Oteh were true and that the revelations at the House of Representatives probe were enough to keep her out of the office and indeed face trial for alleged corruption.

The Secretary –General, Staff Amalgamated Union

of Public Corporation, Civil Service and Recreation Employees, Elder Adekoya John, who eventually spoke to journalists urged the Federal Government to ensure it followed due process even if it chose to reinstate Ms. Oteh.

The Acting DG. Ibrahim Bolaji had to convey an impromptu staff meeting to arrest the situation from degenerating into a violent protest as he was said to have appealed to the workers to exercise restraint.

Industry operators protest Industry operatives were no less critical of the reinstatement with some alleging it to be a confidence draining decision.

David Adonri, Chief Executive Officer, Lambeth Trust and Investment Company Limited, said, “The news of her reinstatement hit the market by surprise. Market operators were unable to form any concerted opin-

ion due to paucity of information surrounding her recall. If she was cleared of all the allegations against her, there might be no problem".

In his own view, the Chief Executive Officer, of a finance and investment firm who spoke on the condition of anonymity said, “What is really going on in this country?

How can she force herself on the nation as the DG of SEC despite the fact that the agency’s staff and most capital market operators have clearly lost confidence in her capacity to lead the organisation?

“I was at the 2012 Second Quarter Meeting of the Capital Market Committee last Thursday in Lagos, and the reception given to Ibrahim Bello, the Acting Director General of SEC, was unprecedented.

“From the comments by most of the Capital Market Operators present it was obvious they were glad to see the back of Arunma Oteh.

Two die on Lagos-Ibadan Road auto crash

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI & IFEANYI OKOLIE

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AGOS —TRAG EDY struck, yesterday, on the LagosIbadan Expressway when two persons traveling in a Toyota Camry saloon car with Number plate: LSD 716 AE were crushed as a truck ran over them on Otedola Bridge. An eyewitness told Vanguard that the truck which was heading towards Ibadan had brake failure before it ran over the car in front killing its two male occupants instantly.

According to the eyewitness, the incident happened around 6.30pm which resulted in a serious traffic jam.

Meanwhile driver of the ill-fated truck with Jigawa Number Plate: SA 985 BBR and its conductor were said to have escaped from the scene the moment the accident occurred. An eyewitness, who simply identified himself as Shola, said: “I was trekking to Isheri when the truck drove past me.

Later I heard a loud bang and when I got closer I discovered that the truck had crushed a Toyota Camry with

two occupants. I was also told that the driver and the conductor of the truck had escaped.

When contacted, the spokeswoman of the Lagos State Police Command, DSP, Ngozi Braide, told Vanguard that traffic policemen from Isheri Police Station and officials of the L agos State Traffic Management Agency, LASTMA visited the scene to ensure the free flow of traffic. “The policemen removed the corpses to a mortuary while officials of LASTMA towed the truck and the damaged car to their office in Oshodi”, she said.

6—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

25 investors bid for PHCN power generation coys

BY EMMA UJAH, ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF

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Chief Magistrate Dominic Onwu (left) presiding during the first trial of traffic offenders by the Enugu State Mobile Traffic Court, in Enugu. PHOTO: HILL EZEUGWU.

Jonathan ready to honour Reps' invitation if... — Abati

BY BEN AGANDE

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BUJA — THE Presidency, yesterday, responded to the summons issued by the House of Representatives inviting President Goodluck Jonathan to throw light on the fight against terrorism and other security matters, saying the president would honour such invitation if it was formally conveyed to him.

Special Adviser to the President on Communications, Dr Reuben Abati, who stated the president’sposition, however, hinted that such invitation was unnecessary since majority of members of the House of Representatives are members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which the president briefs regularly on the situation in the country.

Abati who spoke on a radio programme, “Fact file” on Ray Power FM emphasised that “the President does not have any problem with the invitation by the House of Representatives. But there should be a formal letter inviting him to come and address them on the floor of the House. Something will be said on the floor of the Assembly and once the President does not have a formal letter inviting him, the President cannot on the basis of newspapers report say he has been invited.

"I am very sure that when there is a formal invitation from the National Assembly, the President will honour it. In any case, the National Assembly is dominated by members of the president’s party.

“In any case, Mr. President often invites

members of the parliament to hold meetings with him in the Villa and they honour the invitation. So, when they invite him formally, he will go especially since the issues are of mutual interest for both arms of government and of interest to Nigerians.

"It is a procedural thing when the lawmakers ask the President to come and address them. You will remember that every year, he addresses them when presenting the Appropriation Bill.

Whenever the President goes to event in the ruling party, he briefs them. When he does Presidential Media Chat, he gives reports to Nigerians.

"On a daily basis, we report the activities of government online, through newspapers and other possible medium to show that this is a Presidency that is transparent and has nothing to hide. His true mandate is to serve Nigerians. It is not that the President is avoiding the legislature; it is not that the President does not want to go to the National Assembly. Both bodies work together."

On pending bills before the president On Bills that remained unassented to by the

president, Abati blamed the president’s hesitance to sign on controversies surrounding some of the Bills.

According to him, “there are indeed pending unsigned Bills but they are very few. Those bills are already being discussed by the executive and the legislature because there are certain issues arising from the content of those bills. Because there is ongoing dialogue, the legislature has not found itself under any pressure to exercise any veto powers.

There is some kind of understanding that there are issues that need to be addressed.

Jonathan sends PIB to NASS

BY BEN AGANDE

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BUJA — THE final copy of the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, has been forwarded to the National Assembly by the President.

Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke, who disclosed this to State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting said what was sent to the National Assembly was the only authentic copy of the bill and that it contained some security features to guard against circulation of fake copies.

She said an electronic copy of the document would be available on the website of the Petroleum Ministry yesterday evening.

She said: “There is no other Petroleum Industry Bill for 2012. We have seen various adaptations appearing in the media, particularly online, that did not come from the Federal Government of Nigeria and we are unaware of who posted them on these sites.

“There is only one Petroleum Industry Bill 2012 which has been released today for the first time to the National Assembly and will, therefore, be available on the Ministry of Petroleum Resources site by this evening (yesterday) for down-loading.

“You will notice that inside the bill, there are water marks including a signing across each page that says the Petroleum Industry Bill for 2012 and the Coat of Arms of the nation and this is the only

Petroleum Industry Bill that we have produced.

“Therefore, all other versions or adaptations are not valid and have never been. I will like all Nigerians to please take note.”

The Minister said the various stakeholders “had to review it in great detail and rework the bill to reflect as much as possible the entire spectrum of what we considered will be the substantial strategic framework for the petroleum industry and the amalgamation of over 16 laws in the oil and gas sector, that will carry this nation in that sector for the years to come.

“This is, therefore, the definitive petroleum industry bill and we expect that it will receive due consideration in the National Assembly,” she said.

BUJA — A TOTAL of 25 prospective investors have submitted technical and financial bids for the six electricity generation companies of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN. The Federal Government had set a revised timeline of August 17, 2012 as deadline for receipt of technical and financial bids from the potential investors.

The four thermal power generating companies slated for privatisation are: Ughelli Power Plc, situated in Delta area in SouthSouth region of Nigeria with a total installed capacity of 972 MW; Geregu Power Plc- situated in Kogi State in North Central Nigeria with a total installed capacity of 414 MW; The others are: Afam Power Plc, comprising Afam I-V power stations located in Rivers State, SouthSouth Nigeria with an installed capacity of 776 MW; Sapele Power Plc in Sapele, Delta State, SouthSouth Nigeria with an installed capacity of 1020 MW.

There are equally two hydro power generating companies up for sale, namely: Kainji Power Plc comprising Kainji Power Plants and Jebba Power Plants located in Niger and Kwara States respectively in North-Central Nigeria and Shiroro Power Plc at the Shiroro Gorge, Niger State in North-Central Nigeria.

The next stage of the privatisation exercise, according to the spokesman of the BPE, Mr. Chukwuma Nwoko, will be the harvest of the bidders’ technical and financial proposals for distribution companies. It has July 31, 2012 as deadline.

The transaction timeline also reveals that the evaluation of the technical bids will take place between August 14 and 28, 2012. The National Council on Privatisation, NCP, will approve the results of the technical evaluation on/or before September 11, 2012.

The deadline for the shortlisted bidders for generation companies to submit their letters of credit is September 18, 2012 while October 2, 2012 is for shortlisted bidders for distribution companies.

FG okays Lagos-Ibadan railway contract

BY BEN AGANDE

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BUJA — THE Federal Executive Council, yesterday, approved the construction of the LagosIbadan Standard Gauge Rail Double Track with Double Formation under Addendum No. 2 (2nd segment) of the modernisation of LagosKano railway project.

Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, who addressed State House correspondents after the meeting said the contracts were awarded in favour of Messrs China Civil Engineering Construction Company Nig Ltd in the sum of $ 1,487,782,196.00 payable at the prevailing exchange rate at the time of payment, inclusive of all taxes with a completion period of 36 months.

Maku who was accompanied by the Ministers of the Federal Capital Territory, Bala Mohammed; Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga; Transport, Idris Umar; Power, Barth Nnaji, and Urban and Housing Developmnet, Ama Pepple, said council approved contracts including the

implementation of Addendum No. 2 (2nd segment: Lagos-Ibadan to the main contract for the railway modernisation project (Phase 1; Lagos-Kano) for the Ministry of Transport.

According to him, the council also approved the variation of the scope of the contract for design and construction of Abuja Rail Mass Transit Project (Lots 1&3) from the initial work span of 60.67km to 45.245km (Lots 1A &3).

With the variation, the contract sum was reduced from $841,645,898.00 to $823,540,545.87 payable at the prevailing exchange rate, at the time of payment inclusive of 5 per cent VAT and 5 per cent variation on prices.

Speaking on the other contracts in the power sector, Maku said in line with accepted best practice in the operation and maintenance of hydropower the council approved the supply and installation of parts for the 2 x 140MW Units 411G3 Generators at Shiroro Hydroelectric Plc, in favour of Messrs AsNDRITZ Hydro GmbH, in the sum of N2,075,754.00.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012—7

FG probes N200bn PHCN's pensions

BY OSCARLINE ONWUEMENYI

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Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State (right) and Hannatu Dantong, widow of the late Senator (2nd right) paying their last respect to the late Senator Gyang Dantong during a valedictory session at the National Assembly, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan

5,500 displaced by recent killings in Plateau — ICRC zDantong, Fulani dead on arrival —Hospital source zAs FG lifts state of emergency on 15 LGAs

BY TAYE OBATERU & BEN AGANDE

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OS— THE International Committee of Red Cross, ICRC, has said about 5,500 people were displaced as a result of the recent killing in Barkin Ladi and Riyom Local Government Areas of Plateau State.

This is just as President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, lifted the state of emergency imposed on 15 local government areas in some parts of North Central and North East geo-political zones at the height of incessant killings and destruction of property.

The Red Cross in a statement signed by Head of the ICRC Office in Jos, Julia Unger, yesterday, said over 25 villages were affected by the crisis.

ICRC said many of the displaced persons were in dire need of basic items for upkeep as many ran out of their homes with just the clothes on them and were taking shelter in places where such items were not available.

“People left their homes and ran to safety with only the clothes they were wearing. They need everything to survive in this kind of situation. They have urgent needs in terms of food, water and basic household items,” it stated.

The statement said the ICRC had in collaboration with the Nigerian Red Cross Society, been assisting the displaced people currently taking shelter in schools,

community halls and with some families.

It said under the collaboration, a month’s food ration had been delivered to about 2,800 affected people alongside blankets, buckets, and other basic needs.

It added that 10 temporary sanitary facilities had been installed at some of the temporary abodes of the displaced persons while two hand pumps were being installed to boost access to water.

Dantong, Fulani dead on arrival —Hospital source Meanwhile, the Chief Nursing Officer of Barkin Ladi Local Government where most of the victims of Sunday’s attack were rushed to, Mr. Samson Nyam, has confirmed that late Senator Dantong and Fulani were already dead before they got to the hospital.

He told journalists that to the best of his knowledge, the two were already dead but the medical team still performed their professional duty of trying to resuscitate them.

“There was no life in late Hon. Fulani when he was brought to the hospital but despite this, we still tried to resuscitate him before we finally certified that he was dead. There was no way we could have carried out any treatment on him. What we did was to wheel him on a stretcher to the ward,” He added that there was no sign of life in Dantong

when he got to the hospital, adding: “We tried cardiac massage and the necessary things but it was too late.

As a professional I observed him, the skin was cold, there was no life in him. When he was in the car he might probably be gasping, that I can’t tell but when he was brought out of the vehicle and wheeled to resuscitating room, there was no life in him.”

FG lifts state of emergency Meantime, President Goodluck Jonathan has lifted the state of emergency imposed on 15 local government areas at the height of incessant killings and destruction of property in some parts of North Central and North East geo-political zones.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, who announced the lifting of the ban said the decision was to enable “government put in place appropriate confidence building measures to improve security in the affected areas.”

According to him,“the Federal Government has after a careful review of the security situation in the affected areas, resolved to end the state of emergency forthwith.

“In furtherance of the end of the proclamation, the President has accordingly directed that the implementation of the following regulations made pursuant to the

proclamation of a state of emergency in the affected local government areas should cease forthwith.

“With the end of state of emergency, the appropriate authorities at the local and state government levels shall be responsible for the maintenance of security, law and order in the affected areas."

Govt assured on security Government, however, assured that it will continue to work assiduously with relevant stakeholders to ensure security in the country and called for concerted efforts by all citizens to secure the country.

The local governments affected in Borno State include Maiduguri Metropolitan, Gamboru Ngala, Banki Bama, Biu and Jere LGAs, while those in Yobe State are Damaturu, Geidam Potiskum, Buniyadi-Gujba and Gasua-Bade LGAs. Those affected in Plateau State were Jos North, Jos South, BarkinLadi and Riyom LGA while in Niger State, Suleja Local Government Area was affected.

It would be recalled that the state of emergency was imposed following the 2011 Christmas Day bombing of St Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State.

The lifting came at the end of the six months approved by the National Assembly.

BUJA — THE Federal Government, yesterday, inaugurated a panel of inquiry into the illegal pension scheme operated by the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, in which an estimated N200 billion is allegedly missing from the pension funds.

Although electricity workers’ unions estimate that about N331 billion had accrued to the PHCN Pension Fund as at 2010, it is not clear how much had accumulated till date.

The eight-man panel which has the former Auditor-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Joseph Ajiboye, and Managing Director, Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Company, NELMCO, Dr. Sam Agbogun, as its Chairman and Secretary respectively, is expected to investigate the operation of the PHCN pension scheme with an intention to unravel alleged

abnormalities within 30 working days as the case may be.

Part of the terms of reference of the panel include investigation of the status of pension in the power sector vis-à-vis the Pension Act, and the identification of officers involved in any act of misconduct in the management of pension and review of pension matters in the Agari committee report.

The panel will also recommend measures to prevent occurrence of similar incidents in the future as well as sanctions against culprits.

An estimated N200 billion is allegedly missing from the pension funds in view of claims that 25 per cent of workers’ salaries deducted over the years could not be accounted for.

This was however refuted by the Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji, who insisted that that the panel was out to establish facts on the status of the pension.

Fuel subsidy payments: Panel uncovers more frauds

BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI

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BUJA — MORE damning and mind boggling revelations of fraud have been uncovered by the 15-man Presidential Panel constituted by President Goodluck Jonathan to re-investigate the findings of the report of an earlier investigation panel set up by the Ministry of Finance on Fuel Subsidy payments valued at over N2 trillion.

Sources told Vanguard in Abuja that having sat in Lagos and interrogated many of the indicted oil marketers who collected subsidy payments which were undeserving as well as the payment of billions of naira to concerns not known for reasons that bother on fraud, the committee has now moved to Abuja to wind up its investigation of government agencies fingered in the subsidy payment fraud.

It was gathered that the Aigboje Aig-Imoukuedeled committee whose initial report was faulted by some of the oil marketers prompting President Jonathan to establish another one, has stumbled on new findings that have thrown up more subsidy payments that may make the initial amount of N422

billion paid without verification, look like a child’s play.

It would be recalled that following investigations by Police detectives into the $620,000 oil subsidy bribe money collected by Hon. Farouk Lawan from oil magnate, Mr. Femi Otedola, a wider financial scandal perpetrated by the House Subsidy Probe Committee involving the collection of millions of dollars as bribe money from oil marketers indicted by the Aigboje-Aig-Imoukuedeled Finance ministry probe panel was unearthed.

The Aig-Imoukuede-led panel had uncovered fraudulent overpayments to many of the oil marketers to the tune of N422 billion while before now all the oil marketers involved and indicted were invited and interrogated by the Lawan Committee but were given a clean bill of health.

The new panel, it was further gathered, found out that the 2011 subsidy payments were done at the whims and caprices of those who were supposed to verify the authenticity of the supplies, without recourse to strict guidelines on the issuance of licence to import fuel as it was seen as business as usual for all comers to make quick money.

8—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

Dana plane may not have been modified —Former NCAT Rector

BY LAWANI MIKAIRU &

DANIELETEGHE AGOS—THE immedi ate past Rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, Capt. Adebayo Araba has explained why the Flight Data Recorder,FDR, of the ill-fated Dana plane that crashed last June in IjuIshaga, Lagos was burnt, according to the preliminary report released last week by Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB. Captain Araba said that the Flight Data Recorder may have been burnt due to the inability of the Dana

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Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State and His Royal Majesty, Oba Erediauwa, CFR, Oba of Benin during a 'thank you' visit to the royal father on his re-election in Benin, yesterday.

Passengers groan over ill-treatment by airline operators zAs incessant flight cancellations, delays persist at airports

BY LAWANI MIKAIRU &

DANIELETEGHE

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AGOS—PASSEN GERS at the Domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Two, MMA2, and the General Aviation Terminal, GAT, have lamented the maltreatment meted on them by some airline operators at the airport.

Only Arik and Aero Contractors are the two major scheduled commercial airlines operating at the airport as Air Nigeria had suspended its operations due to industrial action by workers while First Nation suspended flight operations for maintenance checks on its three Airbus 320-200 aircraft. Also, Chanchangi Airline stopped operations because of inadequate aircraft while Dana Air remains grounded after its MD 83 aircraft crashed on June 3, One of the passengers whose 2:0 clock flight on Aero Contractors to Benin

was cancelled, Mr. Bodorin Abozu regretted his decision to fly Aero Contractors at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, MMA2, Lagos.

According to him,”This is my first time of taking Aero Contractors. I can tell you categorically that I am not impressed. They told us that we are going to fly around 2:00pm today and now they have cancelled our flight without giving us adequate reasons for such cancellation” “Now, I have been going up and down, they will say go to deck 18, go to deck 14, they have just been directing me here and there.

I have been at the airport for more than three hours now. I was supposed to travel to Benin by 2:00 pm, and it was cancelled without any reason being given by the airline. They just say the flight has been cancelled and that was all” he affirmed.

Another passenger

whose 11:00am flight from Lagos to Uyo was delayed up till 5:00pm, Mr. Jerry Anson Otu said: ”I am going to Uyo, they told us that it was 11:00am flight then they moved it to 1:00 O clock, from 1:00 O clock till 4:00 O clock, from 4:00 O clock, they are now saying one hour delay again, this is 4:30pm if we were to leave by 5:00 O clock they would have started calling us for boarding” “It is stressful, why are they maltreating us like this, you know, I don’t live in Lagos, I just came back from South Africa, so you could imagine the stress I am going through, I didn’t sleep well yesterday night hoping that I will be able to get the 11:00 O clock flight and from 11:00 O clock, they are keeping me here till this time, so it is really painful” Mr. Otu pointed out.

He therefore urged the Federal Government to

Ovie-Whiskey, former Chairman of numbers.

FEDECO, dies at 89 His body, according to a

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI—CHAIR MAN of defunct Federal Electoral Commission, FEDECO, Justice Ovie Whiskey (rtd) is dead. He died, yesterday, aged 89.

Justice Whiskey, who retired as Chief Justice in the defunct Bendel State in 1983, died after a protracted illness.

He died in his IkweghuAgbarho residence. He was appointed as chairman of

FEDECO in 1982 and conducted the second election during the second republic, which saw the emergence of Alhaji Shehu Shagari as President for a second term in office.

Justice Whiskey, who hails from IkweghuAgbarho in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, is survived by wife and children.

At press time, sympathertisers were trooping into his IkweghuAgbarho residence in their

family source had been deposited at the Shell Mortuary, Ogunu, near Warri, Delta State.

The source told Vanguard on telephone at 8:05pm, that the family was yet to meet on his death, adding that the family would soon come up with a detailed report on the death of the former chairman of FEDECO, whose service was cut short on December 31, 1983, when military junta took over government.

make a law that would sanction the airline operators if there is unnecessary flight delay.

Mr. Utu said: “In Sweden, if you are taking a train, and it is delayed for 10 minutes, you can take any transportation of your choice be it air plane or by road and you just bring your receipt the next day and they will pay you with apology but we don’t have such things here in Nigeria. They are just capitalising on that and maltreating us, it is not as if flight business is done on charity, we are paying money for it, so why should they be treating us like this, it is a very bad situation, there should be a law that will bring these airline operators to book” Last week, over twenty passengers of Aero Contractors threatened to drag the airline to court forallegedlyallowingthemtomiss their flight schedule to take-off by 3:00pmfromLagostoCalabar.

Air management to modify the component, just as he described the United States National Transportation Safety Board where the analysis of FDR took place as a credible agency in case of air accident. He however asked Dana Air to produce the Airline Directives ,AD,of its crashed MD83 aircraft.

He expressed doubts during a telephone conversationwithaviationcorrespondents that Dana air management had been complying with the AD from the manufacturer on the maintenance of its fleet and dared it to make public the evidencesofsuchcompliancesince it acquired the aircraft.

He noted that over the years, all aircraft manufacturers had modified the FDR to withstand any severe condition including

fire, insisting that if the FDR had beenmodified,itwouldhavewithstood the intense fire.

He said: “No one knows the quality of the FDR of the crashed plane because all aircraft manufacturers have modified FDR of allplanesandIdoubtitifthiswent throughanyformofmodification.

The taking of the report to the NTSB,howeverIwanttoauthenticate the report because it is the highest investigative body when it comes to aircraft accident.

“It is possible for the FDR to crashiftheaircraftisanoldmodel.

It is possible Dana did not go through all those modifications being an old aircraft. We are talking about an aircraft that is over 20 years old here. It is unfortunate that anybody that died through air crashes in this country is culpable because no report isevermadetothepublic.”heconcluded.

SEC bribery scam: Court grants Hembe, Azubogu N2m bail

BY IKECHUKWU

NNOCHIRI

A

BUJA—AN Abuja High Court, yesterday, released the former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Capital Market and Other Institutions, Herman Hembe and his deputy, Chris Ifeanyi Azubogu, on bail.

Trial Justice Abubakar Sadiq Umar, admitted the embattled lawmakers on bail after they took turns and pleaded not guilty to a two-count charge that was preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday.

They were allowed to go home after they deposited N1million each as well as produced two persons that stood surety for them in like sum.

The trial court main-

tained that the sureties must be responsible citizens resident within the Federal CapitalTerritory,addingthattheiridentity must be thoroughly verified by the Court Registrar before the accused persons would be released.

Specifically, EFCC, in the charge that was read in court yesterday, alleged that the lawmakers had at sometime in October 2011, dishonestly converted to their own use, the sum of $4095 (Four thousand, Ninety Five Dollars), being money that was given to them by the Securities and Exchange Commission as traveling allowance to PUNCTA CANA, Dominican Republic to attend a conference.

“There is no justification not to allow them on bail, I hereby grant the accused persons bail with N1 million each and two sureties in like sum, the sureties must be responsible citizens and approved by the registrar of the court,” he ruled.

Tears as Senators hold Valedictory for Senate President David and the lifeless face lookDantong Mark who noted that the ing into the sky. She

BY HENRY UMORU &

INALEGWU SHAIBU

A

BUJA—THE Senate was yesterday thrown into tears, mourning and solemn mood as Senators held a valedictory session in honour of late Senator Gyang Dalyop Dantong, PDP, Plateau North.

All activities at the National Assembly especially the Senate were put to a halt to enable the Senators respect their own, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Health who died July 8.

Speaking at the session,

late Dantong paid a supreme sacrifice, stressed that the senator must not die in vain, adding that with his death, peace must return to Plateau State now.

Meanwhile the wife of the late Senator, Mrs Hannatu Dantong who led her children to the Senate Chambers, could not hold herself during the procession when she stood for well over five minutes at 1.05 gazing into the casket where her late husband’s body was kept

dressed in white.

The Procession to pay last respect after the plenary session was led by the Senate President, followed by the Deputy, Deputy Speaker, then the Leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives; the Senators; members of the lower House; the Plateau State governor, Jonah Jang; Mrs Dantong; Senator Ibrahim Mantu; Dantong’s parents; former Senators; wives of the senators among others.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012—9

Lagos demolishes more shanties in Makoko

BY MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

L

AGOS—AS the demo lition of Makoko in the Yaba Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, entered day three, yesterday, the state government demolished over 50 more structures on the waterfront, bringing the total to 250 destroyed so far.

It would be recalled that the government commenced the demolition of the structures on its waterfront from Iwaya to Makoko on Monday.

The demolition which commenced at 11 a.m. was intensified as the government officials ensured that the structures were pulled down completely.

Officials, who spoke under anonymity, said the government had given the go ahead to pull down all illegal structures.

It would be recalled that the Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Mr. Adesegun Oniru, had said all structures would be pulled down because they were environmental threat to the people and the state in general.

However, the displaced residents have expressed fear over impending rainfall, saying “our property will be destroyed by the rainfall.''

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI & EVELYN USMAN

L

AGOS—A 34-year-old official of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, was Tuesday crushed to death in his attempt to arrest a driver who reportedly violated traffic regulation at Oke-Afa, in the Isolo area of Lagos.

Eyewitnesses said a blue Volkswagen LT bus with number-plate LSR

LASTMA official crushed to death zBomb hoax rocks Lagos hotel 942XC, drove towards Ejigbo in an attempt to beat the traffic light on reaching Pako. One of the LASTMA officials on duty, one Mustapher Adeleke, reportedly attempted to stop him.

In the process, the motorist, identified as

Haruna Nuru, reportedly diverted to Okota lane, only to swerve back to Isolo lane.

An eyewitness, who identified himself simply as Mr. Oluwole, narrated that “the LASTMA man was pursuing the driver.

When he turned to Okota

From left, Mr. Ayo Gbeleyi, Special Adviser and Director-General, PublicPrivate Partnership Office of the Governor, Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, Mr. Josiah Samuel, Group Managing Director, Coscharis Group Ltd. and Mr. Cosmas Maduka, President/CEO, Coscharis Group Ltd, at the inauguration of Coscharis Group-Eko Limited Liability Partner Automobile Centre, at CGEko LLp Automobile Centre (former PWD Yard), Ikeja, Lagos. Photo: Bunmi Azeez

Fear grips Makoko residents Speaking on the impending rainfall, one Mrs Bose Tave said: “We are afraid because it may rain anytime and if it rains, it is certain that all our property will be destroyed by it. We have no place to go, our children are suffering the most.”

She added that they had to keep their property in sacks to aid easy movement of their belongings as they hover on water.

According to one Mr. Idowu Sanusi; “With the weather, it is certain that if it rains now, all our property will be demolished. This is because they are outside. We do not have anywhere to keep our property neither do we have anywhere to go.”

Sanusi further said they had resorted to prayers to deter the rains because ''we know that Lagos is prone to rainfall.''

Staff of Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, protesting against the reappointment of Ms. Aruma Oteh as Director- General of the organisation by the Federal Government, in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

Lagos taskforce impounds 216 Okada in 45 days

BY MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

L

AGOS—NO fewer than 216 motorcycles both private and commercial otherwise known as Okada were impounded

by Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit for contravening traffic rules between June and mid-July.

The Tasks Force Chairman, Superintendent of Police, Bayo Sulayman, said the state was leaving

no stone unturned towards steming the tide of lawlessness in the state.

He said the unit would not relent in its clampdown on indiscipline.

He added that routine inspection of flash spots, especially under bridges to arrest miscreants would continue to ensure the state is totally rid of criminal hideouts.

He said: “Definitely, very soon we have to start a major operation on miscreants. We have to chase them away from Lagos

because we have realised that they are returning. As we are removing them some are coming back.“ Sulaiman stressed that impounded motorcycles are dismantled into pieces and spare parts auctioned at regular intervals for members of the public, saying the move was to discourage nuisance perpetrated by the operators.

“We will continue the arrest and not allow sentiment to set in, because if we do that is the beginning of failure.''

lane, the LASTMA official jumped on the vehicle.

But he lost balance and fell off as the driver swerved back to the Isolo route. Before he could stand up, the back tyre of the bus matched him.”

A statement by LASTMA, yesterday, however, reads that; “An official of LASTMA , Adeleke has been killed by the driver of a private vehicle (Blue Volkswagen LT Bus) with number-plate LSR 942XC. ''The official, who was at his duty post at Oke-Afa, Ejigbo, with his colleagues, were part of the team drafted to the axis to control and enforce driving against traffic along Mile 2 area. ''The driver of the bus, Haruna Nuru, drove against traffic from Isolo end of the road and hit the officer from behind.

Mustapha was later rushed to Isolo General Hospital and confirmed dead. ''The corpse has been deposited at the hospital morgue. ''The driver, having noticed that he had hit a government official, ran away with the vehicle and was apprehended at Abimbola Road, Limca area, after Isolo Bus-stop, and handed over to the police.

'The suspect has been handed over to the Police at Okota Police Station.”

Meanwhile, LASTMA General Manager, Babatunde Edu, has advised motorists to obey the state’s traffic laws and order and desist from “attacking, maiming or assaulting innocent officers who are tirelessly working to ensure that we get to our various destinations on time and safely.”

Bomb scare in Lagos There was a bomb scare in Lagos, yesterday, when an attempt by a guest to blow up Reliance Royal Suites at Majekodunmi Street, off Toyin Street in Ikeja, was foiled.

The Anti-Bomb Squad men were said to have arrived the scene at 10.20 a.m, with their devices, taking the suspected explosive to their office.

The male guest reportedly planted the combustive substance inside a jacket with its timer, before leaving the hotel room .

Immediately he left, report said, one of the room attenders went in to clean the room only to discover the suspected explosive.

He reportedly raised an alarm, after which the substance was taken outside the hotel premises before the arrival of the Anti-Bomb Squad.

News of the discovery caused panic among residents of the area as most of them reportedly vacated their homes.

When contacted, the Commissioner of Police in -charge of Bomb Squad, Mr Folunsho Adebanjo, said it was a mere bomb scare, describing the substance as a hoax.

He explained that “one Akinwunmi Alagbegun from Reliance Hotel, came to EOD headquarters to report that an object suspected to be bomb was discovered in one of the rooms. ''I sent some men there who recovered the object and brought it here for analysis and discovered it to be a hoax. The object comprises of an Improvised life jacket, three pieces of red rubber strands, a computer mouse and four pieces of small rectangular polystyrene wrapped in a newspaper, with some carton pieces stapled to the jacket” He described the unknown guest as a deranged person who was only out to scare people.

The management of the hotel refused Vanguard entry into the premises.

Moments later, men from the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, visited the hotel, apparently to carry out an investigation.

OUR ERROR

W

E erroneously re ported that four barges of diesel was discovered at DICON SALT Jetty on Tuesday, June 26, 2012, Page 7.

We want to set the record straight that it was not DICON SALT

Jetty but Kirikiri Lighter Terminal Phase 2, Kirikiri Jetty. We sincerely apologise for any embarrassment this may have caused UNION DICON SALT PLC. —Editor

10—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

2 cops, suspect die in Ogun auto crash

Ibadan Poly student dies, Eruwa campus shut

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

BY OLA AJAYI

A

I

BADAN—THE Man agement of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, has ordered the immediate closure of its Eruwa Campus following a violent protest by students over the death one of their colleagues.

The students went on the rampage, yesterday, and destroyed the health centre of the institution, claiming that the death of the student was caused by negligence on the part of the medical personnel that treated him.

But, the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr. Soladoye Adewole dismissed the claims by the students.

He said: “One of our students died. He fell sick and was taken to our health centre. He was okay and even played football after his treatment.

But, the sickness relapsed. Instead of bringing him to the health centre which opens every 24 hours, they took him to a private hospital, Awojobi Clinic, where he died.”

He said it was surprising that students claimed he was given injection, adding that no injection was administered on him when he was in the institution’s health centre.

Adewole said the management had to close down the institution to prevent further destruction of property.

PTA condemns test for teachers

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

A

DO-EKITI—THE controversy between Ekiti teachers and the state government over the conduct of competency test has taken a new turn as the National Parent-Teacher Association, NAPTAN, has expressed its opposition to the conduct of the test.

NAPTAN at its general meeting in Ado-Ekiti, yesterday, blamed the government for taken such a serious decision without consulting with other stakeholders; especially the PTA. In a statement by its Chairman, Secretary and Public Relations Officer, Pastor Sunday Isikalu, Mr. Biodun Famoroti and Mr. Oke Gbenga, respectively, the association called on government to review its decision on the issue.

From left, Vice-President/Secretary General, African Development Bank, Ms Cecilia Akintomide; Executive Director, New Faces New Voices, Ms Nomsa Daniels, and Founder/Executive Chairman, Mandela Institute for Development Studies, Dr .Nkosana Moyo at the World Press Conference organised on the second African Women’s Economic Summit in Lagos by New Faces New Voices.

ONDO GUBER POLL:

Why Mimiko must return, by Nwanyanwu, Melaye, others

BY SAM EYOBOKA

A

BUJA—AHEAD of the October 20 governorship election in Ondo State, indigenes of the state have been enjoined to forget party politics and ensure they return Dr. Olusegun Mimiko as governor through their votes.

This call was made by National Chairman of Labour Party,LP, Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, and a former member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dina Melaye, at the first Ondo State Indigene Get-together Forum convened by the state Liaison Office in Abuja.

In his keynote address, Nwanyanwu noted that Mimiko’s achievements had surpassed general expectations, adding that the governor’s victory at the poll was a fait accompli.

He said: “As a party, we are happy with the governor because he has performed beyond our expectation. All the projects that the governor has embarked upon are projects that are touching peoples’ lives.

Wahala dey for other parties — Melaye Melaye said he was invited to the event because of his friendship with the state and his belief in the administration of Mimiko.

He said: “I hope I will not be accused of committing an anti-party offence and I will not be facing any disciplinary committee of my party. But the truth needs to be told, not minding whose ox is gored. ''From what I saw in Ondo State in terms of infrastructural develop-

ment, like the popular song, ‘wahala dey, wahala dey’, I really believe that for every other political party, ‘wahala dey’.

Relatedly, House Leader and a member of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, Mrs. Mulikat AkandeAdeola, who was at the event in solidarity with her colleagues in the House, said she honoured the in-

vitation in appreciation of the governor and people of Ondo State for their massive support during the speakership election in the lower legislative chamber last year.

A Senior Special Adviser, to Mimiko and the state’s Liaison Officer in Abuja, Toyin Aladegbami, said the success of the Mimiko administration was a product of careful planning.

LP accuses ACN of plan to kill party, PDP chieftains zAllegation baseless —ACN

BY DAYO JOHNSON

A

KURE—THE Labour Party, LP, in Ondo State, yesterday, accused the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, of planning to assassinate chieftains of Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, and that of its party to create tension ahead of the October 20 governorship election in the state.

Its Publicity Secretary, Koye Odogiyan, in a statement in Akure, alleged that the opposition party planned to carry out the assassination plots to create the impression that the ruling LP is behind the act to earn ACN people’s sympathy.

In a reaction, ACN Director of Publicity, Rotimi Agbede, described the allegation as baseless and a sign that the ruling party was jittery.

Agbede said ACN would control the state on October 20 through the ballot and do not need to cause any tension or apprehension in the state.

He said the ruling party had failed to deliver and no amount of blackmail would make it return to power.

Odogiyan said LP learnt that ACN, at a meeting in Osogbo, Osun State, after appraising the effect of the One Man One Vote pattern of last weekend's governorship election in Edo State became jittery.

He argued that the party “became apparent that should the same pattern be allowed in the October 20 election in Ondo State, LP, being the party with mass appeal and the most popular in the state, will carry the day, hence the plan to create tension and sense of insecurity in the state and also create voter- apathy against the Labour Party. “ Meantime, Governor Olusegun Mimiko, yesterday, said he will declare whether to run for second term next Wednesday, July 25.

He said this while addressing members of the Igala Community in the state who went to his office to declare their support for his re-election bid.

BEOKUTA—TWO police inspectors, Thomas Olorunjuwon and Ojo Johnbull, attached to Ogun State Command, and an unidentified suspect died in an auto crash on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, Tuesday.

No fewer than 10 other passengers also sustained various degrees of injuries in the accident.

According to an eye-witness, the two police officers died when the Toyota Hilux van with numberplate Lagos DF 413 AAA collided with a blue DAF stationary truck with number-plate Lagos XU 502 JJJ, in IyanaOnigbedu, Itori, Ewekoro Local Government Area about 10 a.m.

They were said to be travelling to Abeokuta from Sango where they had reportedly gone to arrest two suspects.

The source said another 16-passenger yellow Nissan Urvan bus with number-plate Lagos XM 440 BDG also rammed into the police Hilux van from behind.

The policemen died on the spot while one of the suspects died in an hospital.

The second suspect, who sustained serious injuries, is receiving treatment with the injured passengers at Ifo General Hospital.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said only the two policemen who were on official assignment were killed during the auto crash.

However, the Federal Road Safety Commission Unit Commander for Itori, Fatai Bakare, confirmed that one other person aside the two police officers was killed in the accident while ten others sustained injuries.

Democracy 'll fail without good governance — Danbazau

BY OLA AJAYI

I

BADAN—IMMEDI ATE past Chief of Army Staff,COAS, General AbdulRahaman Dambazau (rtd), said, yesterday, in Ibadan, that it was not possible for democracy to be successful in the country without good governance.

The ex-army chief said this in a keynote address at the ''Round Table on Security, Good Governance and Sustainable Development'' organised by Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, CEPACS, University of Ibadan.

Describing the two phenomena as siamese twins that are not easily sepa-

rated, he said, “Good governance and democracy are inseparable to the extent that the latter cannot be successful without the former.”

By implications, he said, “good governance is what fertilises the growth of democracy because all the democratic ingredients of transparency, accountability, public and civil society participation among others are found in it.”

To him, there cannot be sustainable human development without good governance and neither can security be guaranteed without sustainable human development which are all by-products of good governance.”

Atere blames Nigeria's problems on politicians

A

B E O K U TA — BISHOP of Awori Diocese (Anglican Communion), Rt. Revd. (Dr.) Johnson Akin Atere, has attributed the nation’s state of insecurity, monumental corruption and deplorable condition of infrastructure to the political class.

Atere, who made this remark during the presentation of the ‘Bishop Charge’ at the second session of the first synod of the Diocese of Awori, with the theme ‘The Church: A Movement not

a Monument’ at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Ilogbo-Ota, Ogun State, stressed that the three tiers of government were operating below the general expectation of the citizenry in tackling insecurity, corruption and infrastructural deficiency in the country.

The cleric stated that the inability of the government to find solutions to the nation's problems had generated widespread concern in public and private circles.

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012 —11

Return of schools to missions, one of my greatest achievements —Uduaghan

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

A

Akwa Ibom State Deputy Governor, Mr. Nsima Ekere (right) and Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, during an interactive session between Wole Soyinka and students organised by the State Government at Government House, Uyo, Tuesday.

S A B A — D E LTA State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, said that despite the strong opposition he faced during his initial attempt to return schools to missions, he was determined to go ahead with the plan, which he noted had become one of his greatest achievements.

Speaking at a valedictory service for the retiring Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Oleh, Jonathan Edewor, Uduaghan said, “I strongly believe that the Church should be involved in education. Bishop Edewor helped us in

Delta orders arrest of alleged Abavo monarch, others

BY EMMAAMAIZE

A

G B O R — D E LTA State Government,

yesterday, directed the state Police Command to fish out, arrest and prosecute the self-styled new monarch of Abavo kingdom in Ika South Local Government Area of the state and all those who installed him.

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, at Agbor, headquarters of Ika South council, after a State Security Council meeting, he chaired, also directed that, henceforth, family members and associates of suspected kidnappers found to have aided and abetted them in their kidnapping operations, would be punished.

Secretary to the State Government, Mr Ovuozorie Macaulay, who spoke to Vanguard at the end of the meeting, said, the State Security Council also directed the police to shut down a guesthouse in Asaba dis-

covered to be hideouts for criminals. He warned hoteliers in the state to desist from allowing their hotels to be used as hideouts by criminals.

The order to clamp down on the supposed monarch and his group threw the opposing faction in the Abavo Kingship crisis into a quagmire, yesterday.

A

Professor Oserheimen Osunbor, yesterday, said the result of last Saturday ’s governorship election in Edo State was not a surprise to him.

Osunbor in a statement by his Media Aide, Mr Emma Ehijene, said: “Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in fact lost, the election on February 25, when the party leaders manipulated the primaries that produced the candidate.

“When they fielded a candidate who was relatively new to the politics of Edo State against Oshiomhole, the outcome was predictable. His sponsors knew or ought to have known that PDP will be heavily trounced in the

was appropriately enthroned by his people and gazetted by government as Abavo monarch.

“It is the position of government that anybody who is against his ascendancy to power should go to court to obtain an overriding order and until that was done, nobody should parade himself as monarch in Abavo”, a top government official confided to Vanguard.

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN CITY— BENIN monarch, Oba Erediauwa, yesterday, said he prayed to his ancestors and God Almighty to give Governor Adams Oshiomhole victory in last weekend's election, so that he can complete the laudable projects his administration had started.

The monarch spoke when

election as it turned out to be. “Those whose mission at the primaries was to disgrace Osunbor have themselves been disgraced without any exception. They made a costly mistake and should take responsibility for PDP’s woeful performance.

“The result has made it abundantly clear that the leadership of Edo State PDP has failed having lost in all the local government areas and scored 23 percent of the votes. So long as the party remains in the hands of vindictive, unforgiving and self-centred leaders, who endlessly engage in self glorification yet could not win their wards, PDP seems doomed in Edo State.”

Governor Oshiomhole and his deputy, Dr Pius Odubu, visited him in his palace, where the governor presented his Certificate of Return to the Oba. Before the Oba spoke, he brought out a special kola and hot drink, which he mandated the Iyase of Benin kingdom to pray with for the second tenure of Oshiomhole.

In his prayers, the Iyase thanked God and the ancestors for ensuring victory for Oshiomhole and prayed that the godswillprovidethewherewithal with which the governor will use to continue his infrastructural development.

Addressing the governor, the Oba said, he had always prayed

for the success of the governor privately but that he had now decided to address him publicly now that God and the ancestors had given him victory.

Hesaid:“Ihaveaddressedyou privately and prayed for you for your second term. You are welcomed to my palace. We have watched what you have done, likewhatthemediaissayingthat your hand work is going to campaign for you. I prayed to my ancestors for you too and every body has seen what you are doing for the people.

“Some of the roads that wereleft in a bad state, we have seen what you have done. And, of course, not only Benin Kingdom but the entire state, infrastructuraldevelopmentsare goingon.Thelasttimeyoucame, I prayed to the ancestors to assist you come back to complete

BY EGUFEYAFUGBORHI

Y

ENAGOA—ACA DEMIC activities at Niger Delta University, NDU, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, may be disrupted over alleged suspension of payment of arrears of salaries to academic staff of the institution.

Academic Staff Union of University, ASUU, chapter of the university, in a statement, yesterday, said the move could lead to an indefinite halt in academic

AGOS—IJAW

Monitoring Group, IMG, has described Justice Nikki Tobi, former Justice of the Supreme Court who turned 72 years, weekend, as a blessing to the people of Niger Delta and Nigerians as a whole, and asked Delta State and the federal governments to honour him.

In a congratulatory message by its IMG Coordinator, Comrade Joseph Evah, the group stated that Justice Tobi has made the country proud through his contributions to the development of law

practice in Nigeria.

“Justice Tobi excel in two difficult worlds. He was excellent in the academic world as a lecturer and became a reference point in the legal world. This legal icon and academic guru has proved that beyond oil resources, the people of Niger Delta are extra ordinarily gifted.”

The Ijaw group stated that Justice Tobi’s tenure at the Supreme Court was one of the best in the history of the court, stressing that the renowned jurist deserve honours from the Delta

activities, as lecturers would boycott the school’s second semester examinationscommencingendof July.

The statement by Dr. Beke Tuboukiye, NDU ASUU ChairmanandDr.StanleyOgoun,Secretary, explained that the arrears were outstanding portion of a total N1.49billion, approved by immediate past governor, Timipre Sylva to take care of a 12 monthly instalmental payment of 11 months arrears accumulated by the delayed implementation of FG/ASUU 2009 Agreement.

ACF congratulates Oshiomhole ADUNA—Arewa Consultative Fo-

the works your started. As my Chief was praying, he added in his prayers that God and the ancestors should provide you the wherewithaltocarryonwithyour infrastructural development and domore."

Earlier, Oshiomhole thanked the Oba for the support to his administration and assured that he would use the resources of the state to build a new Benin City in his second tenure.

rum, ACF, has congratulated Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State on his re-election.

The forum called on Oshiomhole to ensure that the confidence reposed in him by the people was reciprocated.

It said; “May your re-election which came from the use of democratic rights of the people of Edo State be yet another opportunity that would enable you continue to build people’s capacity to support themselves and make differences in their lives.”

Tanker fire: Okogbe community still counting losses

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

P

ORT HARCOURT— WAILING continued, yesterday, in Okogbe community, Ahoada West Local Government Area

Ijaw group urges Delta, FG to honour Justice Tobi

L

committee, chaired by Bishop Edewor.

“Bishop was one of the people who encouraged me when I had challenges, he did not allow me to fall flat,” he said.

In a sermon on the occasion, Archbishop of Bendel Province, Rev Friday Imakhai, commended the governor for returning the schools to missions.

Crisis brews in N-Delta varsity over pay suspension

K I prayed to ancestors for Oshiomhole to come back —Bini monarch

Edo guber election result didn't surprise me — Osunbor BUJA—FORMER Governor of Edo State,

Villagers who are getting ready to confront the reigning monarch after their own ‘king’ might have completed his eightday purification rites, reportedly went underground, when news of government’s decision filtered to Abavo.

Vanguard gathered that government only recognised HRH Uche Irenuma II, as the Obi of Abavo Kingdom, as he

achieving this success by accepting to chair the committee. I thank God that the Bishop managed the committee well, for me this is one of the greatest achievements of my administration.”

He noted that there was strong opposition to the initial attempt to return schools to the missions, adding that the success was recorded by the report of the

State Government and the Federal Government to encourage selfless and dedicated professionals to put in their best to the service of the nation.

“It is time for Nigeria to honour genuine patriots in their life-time and not when they are dead. By honouring such men and women like Justice Tobi, we are positively connecting the present generation to the future generation as the future generation will draw inspiration from today ’s world to build the future”

of Rivers State, when news got to the community that two of their sons, who were victims of last Thursday’s petrol tanker fire in the area had died in the hospital.

It will be recalled that no fewer than 100 persons from the community perished in the petrol tanker that fell and burst into flames on East-West Road end of the community last Thursday.

A youth leader in the area, Mr Felix, told Vanguard that they had continued to bury corpses of those who perished in the petrol tanker fire.

“We just heard that two of our sons, who made it to the hospital died and are being brought back home for burial,” he said.

12—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

Flood sacks 6 villages, renders 10,000 homeless in C-River

BY JOHNBOSCOAGBAK-

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WURU

ALABAR—A heavy down pour, which resulted in mudslide and flooding in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State, has destroyed about six villages swept away three thousand farm lands and rendered 10,000 people homeless and economically incapacitated.

The flood also left tourists away to Buanchor Canopy Walk Way and the Drill Ranch in Boki council stranded as it swept away the bridges and culverts leading to the sites.

Over eight culverts and two bridges were completely overwhelmed by the flood and mudslide rendering the only accessible dirt road impassible.

The Buanchor Canopy Walk Way of about 30m high, located in the heart of the virgin forest of BokiisthelongestinAfrica,while the Drill Ranch is for the protection of Drill Monkeys, an endangered animal specie which at-

tracts’ hundreds of tourists monthly.

The flood also cut of Boje, the council headquarters from other parts of the area, as one of the major bridges was completely swept away, while the stream which is the only source of drink-

ing water in Katabang communitywithapopulationofovernine hundredpeoplewasflooded.

The development had led to women and children trekking long distances to fetch water with Jeri cans and basins for domestic use.

Substantial parts of the Afi Mountain Range also slide the valleys bringing down rubles,

rocks, and heavy boulders which tore vegetation, houses, bridges and other structures along it’s paths covering over two kilometre radius.

Assessing the disaster, Director General, Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Mr. Vincent Aquah, describedthemagnitudeofdevastation as unprecedented.

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SABA — NIGERIA Se curity and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, operatives in Delta State, have arrested a total of 36 suspects and impounded 11 trucks used in convening 117,795 litres of adulterated petroleum product between January to June this year, state commandant of the Corps, Mr. Andekin Musa, has said.

Musa, who spoke in Asaba, yesterday, while parading three suspects arrested by the command’s anti-vandal squad, said :“the squad on surveillance on July 10, 2012 at 2330 hours sighted a truck

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AGOS—PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has been commended for the successful conduct of last Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State.

Transformation Monitoring Group in a statement by its National Coordinator, Alagba Kenneth, said: “We join well meaning Nigerians to congratulate the people of Nigeria in general, Edo State in particular and give honour to President Jonathan and Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Chairman, Professor Atahiru Jega on the successful conduct of Edo State gubernato-

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ORT HARCOURT— NIGERIA Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has blamed the poor state of East-West Road for last week's tanker explosion in Okugbe, Ahoada North Local Government Area, Rivers State, which claimed no fewer than 100 lives.

It said the “sad incident reminds us of the nonchallant attitude and neglect of our roads by the government.”

Commiserating with the Rivers State Government and the victims of the ex-

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

VALEDICTORY SERVICE: From left; Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, Major General Paul Omu (rtd) his wife, Mrs. Stella Omu during the valedictory service and thanksgiving of the retiring Bishop of Oleh diocese Rt. Rev. Jonathan Edewor at St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral, Oleh in Isoko South Local Government Area, Delta State, Tuesday.

loaded with suspected petroleum product at Okwagbe community in Ughelli South Loca Government Area escorted by armed youths.

“The white Mercedes Benz was trailed by the squad and later intercepted at Otor-Udu on July

11, 2012 at 08am, while in transit to Onitsha.

“On demand for the title document, the three suspects produced a waybill for a chemical product, which was different from the suspected petroleum product concealed in 41 drums of 250 litres each, hence they

were arrested and brought to the command’s headquarters in Asaba.

“From January to June 2012, the command arrested 36 suspects, impounded 11 trucks containing 117,795litres of suspected petroleum product (diesel) they are currently five cases in court against them.”

PDP not dead, Edo PDP replies Ihonvbere

BY GABRIELENOGHOLA-

SE ENIN —CONTRARY to the position of Professor Julius Ihonvbere, that the defeat of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the just concluded governorship

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election in Edo State meant the death of the party in the state, the party, yesterday, dismissed the assertion, insisting that it was not only untrue but diabolical on the part of Ihonvbere to say so.

“To put records straight, PDP in Edo State is very vi-

Group lauds Jonathan on Edo guber polls

BY OKEY NDIRIBE

BY RUTH CHUKWUEME-

plosion, NUPENG, through its Acting General Secretary, Mr Isaac Aberare, said: “It is one tanker explosion too many, in which over 100 people lost their lives. The incident is unfortunate, sad and reminds us of the nonchallant attitude and neglect of our roads by the government.

“The incident could have been avoidediftheEast-WestRoadaxis was in good order. The union regrets that innocent people are made to die untimely and property worth millions of naira destroyed because of government’s failure to live up to its responsibilities to address the challenges of poverty and unemployment in the land."

CRPP tasks Oshiomhole on IsiborandSecretary,FelixImade, rural devt stressed the need to open up the

NSCDC arrests 36 suspected illegal oil bunkerers in Delta zImpounds 11 trucks

BY AUSTINOGWUDA

NUPENG blames Rivers' tanker disaster on failed East-West road

rial poll conducted on July 14.”

The group noted that Jonathanhadpromisedtodeliver a credible electoral process, adding “he has made it possible for democracytoflourishinNigeria.

Thisisacleardeparturefromwhat

Nigeria was used to in past. Is this not the biggest achievement of any Nigerian President?”

The group commended Jega and his team in INEC and security agencies that participated in the poll.

PFN holds inauguration Friday

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SABA—INAUGURA TION of the newly elected executive of Delta State Chapter of Pentecostal FellowshipofNigeria,PFN,willtake placetomorrow,atThe JesusDominion Mission, Airport Road, Effurun.

Chairman of the Planning Committee,BishopS.Gbakaara, in a statement, said the National

President of PFN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor will be Father of the day while Rev. Felix Omobude, National Vice-President of PFN, South-South will be guest speaker and Bishop Odioko, Chairman,DeltaState,PFN, Vice Chairman, Delta State, PFN and Bishop Charles Okoh, will be the host.

brant, cohesive and ready to face its challenges especially after the just concluded governorship election in the state that was marred with irregularities. As a national party that can boast of prominent national officers from the state, PDP cannot be said to be dead in the state.

“While we feel Ihonvbere is still suffering from the dilution of the grandeur as a result of the ignoble role he played while in PDP, we expect him to realise fast that as a failed politician, who is always in motion to any political party in power, he stands the least appropriate and fit person to talk ill of a political party that made him all he has to himself today in Nigerian politics,” the party said in a statement by its Assistant State Publicity Secretary, Mrs. Bisi Idaomi The party said that it was particularly painful when viewed against the background that Ihonvbere was appointed by the same PDP as a presidential advisertoformerPresidentObasanjo on Project Monitoring in 1999.

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ENIN CITY—FOL LOWING the weekend victory in the just concluded Governorship election in Edo State, Coalition of Registered Political Parties, CRPP, in the state, has urged Governor Adams Oshiomhole to focus attention in the rural areas to reduce rural migration to urban centres.

The coalition in a statement by its chairman, Dr. Samson

rural areas by building industries which will create jobs for the people and bring development to the ruralpopulace.

While describing the victory of the governor as victory for the people of the state, the CRPP recalled that it earlier predicted victory for the governor, therefore urged the governor to perform more than he did in his first tenure in order to justify the confidence reposed in him by the people who voted massively for him.

Activists laud Kuku on amnesty the scheme, noting that the scheme quality leadership of Kuku

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ARRI—AS the Am nesty programme continue to yield dividends for the country, activists from the Niger Delta led by Chief Michael Johnny, yesterday, passed a vote of confidence on Mr. Kingsley Kuku.

At a meeting held in Warri, Delta State, the activists reviewed the amnesty programme, and commended the Federal Government for sustaining

was the reason for the huge success recorded so far.

Chief Johnny urged public office holders from the Niger Delta to emulate Kuku, saying that the massive infrastructural development of the region was paramount.

He admitted that Kuku, in addition to the amnesty progamme, had contributed immensely to the relative peace and development in the region.

Toyota plans asembly plant in ing. Toyota(Nigeria)Limitedhas Nigeria

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AGOS—TOYOTA Nigeria Limited, TNL, has denied recent media report that the parent company, Toyota Corporation Japan will not build plants in Nigeria.

The Company’s image maker, Mr. Bukola Ogunnusi, in a statement, yesterday, said the information was misleading as Toyota Nigeria Limited plans to set up an assembly plant in Nigeria and was studying the possibilities with Toyota Japan.

He said: “This is to clarify that the content of the said report is mislead-

aspirations of setting up a Toyota assemblyplantinNigeriaandwas studying the possibility for same in conjunction with Toyota Motor Corporation, Japan. No decision had been arrived at as studies are still on going.”

Vanguard , THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012—13

Mobile court convicts 6 for violating traffic laws in Enugu

BY TONY EDIKE

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NUGU—SIX persons have been convicted by a Mobile Court in Enugu for violating traffic laws.

The convicts are Ogu Chinedu, Udengene Benjamin, Anike Chukwuma and Oluchukwu Okwoanoso. Others are Ekwe Christian and Madueke Arinze.

Before their conviction, prosecution witness, ASP Emma Akpa, told the court sitting at the New Haven Junction, Enugu that the convicted persons were arrested at Nkpokiti junction, Artisan Road, Market Road and the New Haven Junction, for refusing to obey the traffic light thereby committing an offence against Section 9 of the Traffic Regulations in Chapter 137 of the Laws of Enugu State.

All the six persons pleaded guilty to the offence for which they were charged while two others who were arrested for the same offence, Ben Ehi and Ralph Ikea pleaded not g u i l t y .

Delivering judgment, the presiding Chief Magistrate, Mr Onwu Eni Dominic, ordered the convicts to pay a fine of N5,000 each into the coffers of the state government before they could gain freedom and have their impounded vehicles released to them.

Okorocha obeys court order, reinstates 27 sacked LG chairmen

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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WERRI—THE 27 elected local government chairmen and councillors, who were sacked by Governor Rochas Okorocha at the inception of his administration, were yesterday reinstated, following the order of the Appeal Court.

The council chairmen and councillors, who got the reprieve about two

weeks ago, were however refused entry into their offices, sequel to what the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Chief Soronnadi Njoku, termed “pending appeal in the Supreme Court”.

Speaking to Vanguard, the Chairman of Owerri Municipal Council, Chief Emmanuel Odor, said: “We were edged out in the past one year and the court saw the glaring

injustice meted out to us and ordered our reinstatement. We are happy to be back.”

However, the celebration was short lived as government immediately announced three days public holidays for local government workers, while the Directors of Administration and General Services, DAGS, and Treasurers were ordered to attend a seminar in Owerri.

A staff of Ezinihitte Mbaise local council area, who spoke on condition of anonymity, reasoned that “the unsolicited public holidays and the seminar arranged for the management staff of the councils were crafted to stall activities in the local government areas.”

Meanwhile, the State Commissioner for Justice said Imo government was not in breach of the judgment of the Court of

Appeal, stressing that “the advice of the Attorney General of the Federation does not arise at all.

Advising Imo State government to obey the court order in the circumstance is more like playing politics with the law. It is the position of Imo State government that all the parties must allow the judicial process to run its full course as government is prepared, willing and ready to abide by whatever order the court makes in the end.”

Mama Aniagoh, 101, passes on

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community leader in Akpu village, Abagana, Anambra State, Mama Unoaku Aniagoh, (Nee Agwuna), 101 years, is dead.

According to Mama’s Eldest Son, Chief Sam Aniagoh, befitting obsequies in honor of the centenarian mother, grandmother, great grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt and mother-in-law will kick off with a service of songs at her 18A Eke Street, Ogbete, Enugu residence on July 24, 2012.

z Late Mama Aniagoh C M Y K

14—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

Anambra North vows to produce governor in 2014

Azikiwe, Akanu Ibiam, Okpara get posthumous awards

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

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BY TONY EDIKE

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NUGU—YOUTHS under the auspices of Igbo Youths Movement, IYM, yesterday, bestowed posthumous honours on first Nigerian President, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Governor of defunct Eastern Region, Dr. Francis Akanu Ibiam and the Premier of defunct Eastern Region, Sir Micheal Okpara, for their numerous contributions to Ndigbo and Nigeria.

This came as former vice-President Ekwueme and others called on the youths to work hard physically and mentally to achieve true development and take the country to greater heights.

The group also honored former Vice President of Nigeria, Dr Alex Ekwueme, former Ohanaeze President General, Dr Dozie Ikedife among others in the living category as part of activities marking its 13th Annual Conv e n t i o n .

PDP NEC MEETING—From left: Governors Theodore Orji Of Abia, Sullivan Chime of Enugu and Martin Elechi of Ebony during the NEC meeting of the People Democratic Party in Abuja.

Abia CJ grants bail to murder suspect, frees another

BY ANAYO OKOLI

U WORKSHOP—From left: Mr. Sam Akinsulere, Training Consultant; Toye Olusi, Vice Chairman, Lagos Island West LGA; and Mrs. Anire Celey-Okogun, MD, Chanelle MFB, during a workshop on youth empowerment organised

by Chanelle MFB in Partnership with Lagos Island West LGA.

ICJ judgment on Bakassi: Reps ask FG to file fresh process

BY OKEY NDIRIBE & EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

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BUJA—THE House of Representatives yesterday advised the Federal Government to file a fresh process for the review of the International Court of Justice, ICJ, judgment that ceded the Bakassi Peninsula to the Cameroon in 2 0 0 2 .

In a resolution, the House unanimously agreed that the process should be initiated before October 10, ahead of the 10th anniversary of the ICJ judgment.

Also yesterday, some Bakassi returnees stormed National Assembly, NASS, to protests that they want to return to Nigeria.

The Federal Government had in 2006, signed the Green Tree Agreement with Cameroon, which ceded the territory to the Republic of Cameroon in compliance with the j u d g m e n t .

It was, however, argued

WKA—THE people of Anambra North senatorial zone of Anambra State have vowed to do everything humanly possible to ensure that the zone produce the next governor of the state in 2014 when the incumbent governor, Mr. Peter Obi finishes his second tenure.

Of the three zones in the state, only Anambra North has not produced a governor, while the South and Central zones had produced three and two respectively.

At a briefing yesterday,

President of Omambala Union, Justice Obidigwe, who was the immediate past chief judge of the state, said equity and justice demanded that the zone be allowed to produce the next governor of Anambra State.

As part of moves to actualize the objective, the people of Omambala, comprising Anambra East, Anambra West, Ayamelum and Oyi local government have formed the Omambala Union as a platform for fighting the cause. Other local governments that are part of Anambra North include Onitsha North, Onitsha South and Ogbaru local government areas.

that the agreement, an international treaty, was signed without the approval of the NASS. Legislators debating the matter observed that the decision of government was in breach of Section 12 of the 1999 Constitution, which required that such treaties must be ratified by the National Assembly to have the force of law in Nig e r i a .

In a motion by the member Representing CalabarSouth/Bakassi Federal Constituency, Mr. Essien Ayi, he said his people would continue to oppose the judgment because government did not exhaust the remedies before it proceeded to cede the territory. Ayi explained that under Article 61 of the ICJ Statute, a judgment of the court could be reviewed whenever new facts emerged not known at the time the judgment was d e l i v e r e d .

Article 61 states, “An application for the revision of a judgment may be made only when it is based on the

discovery of some facts of such a nature as to be a decisive factor, which fact was, when the judgment was given, unknown to the court and also to the party claiming revision.”

The parliamentarian stressed that “one of these facts is that the 1913 AngloGerman treaty relied upon by the ICJ to cede Bakassi to Cameroon is in breach of Article 6 of the General Act of Berlin Conference that enjoined European powers ‘to watch out the preservation of the native tribes and not to take over or effect transfer of their territory.”

Ayi who argued that “gross injustice” was meted to the Bakassi people by both the Federal Government and the United Nations, cited three cases where countries applied for a review of the ICJ judgm e n t .

One case involved El-Salvador and Honduras in 2002 over the 1992 case “concerning the land, Island and Marine frontier D i s p u t e . ”

A second case involved Yoguslovia, Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2001.

A third case was between Tunisia and Libyan Arab Jamahiriya seeking a review of the February 1982 judgment on the Continental Shelf.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Rules/ Business, Mr. Albert TsamSokwa, supported the motion, urging the Federal Government to file the application urgently.

Sam-Sokwa, who is from Taraba State, told the House that his people were also affected by the ICJ judgment on Bakassi.

He contended that the Green Tree Agreement could only be binding on Nigeria after it was ratified by the National Assembly.

"This is a provision of Section 12 of the Nigerian Cons t i t u t i o n .

The agreement is classified as an international treaty and until it is ratified by this House, it is not binding on Nigeria”, he a d d e d .

MUAHIA—ABIA State Chief Judge, Justice Shedrack Nwanosike, has freed a suspect, Mr. Kelechi John Ugbor who has been in detention for six years for assault and dismissed his case.

Justice Nwanosike also granted a 16-year old Chinemerem Emenike bail to the tune of N500, 000.

Emenike is said to be standing trial for murder.

Nwanosike who was on

jail delivery at Afara Prisons, Umuahia, blamed Ugbor’s problem on the Police and the Department of Public Prosecution, DPP, saying it was disgusting that the police and the DPP had not been doing their work.

“This man has spent a lot of time in the prison without any trial. If he had been taken to court and convicted he would have finished his term by now, therefore his case has been dismissed and acquitted”, the Chief Judge said.

Imo govt donates bus to journalists

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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WERRI—IMO State Government has donated a 14-seater Hyundai bus to the Correspondents Chapel of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Imo State Council.

Making the donation on behalf of Governor Rochas Okorocha, the Chief of Staff, Prince Eze Madumere, said “government is hand-

ing over the bus in fulfillment of an earlier promise aimed at improving the working environment of correspondents in the state”.

While saying that government had lined up a number of other things, Madumere explained that the donation represented the administration’s expression of appreciation of the media.

Workers of Imo newspaper chased out of offices

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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WERRI—WORKERS of Imo Newspapers, publishers of Statesman group of newspapers, were yesterday chased out of their premises, by the management of Imo College of Advanced Professionals, ICAPS. The workers told Vanguard that they were not only chased out into the

early morning rain with the aid of violent and fierce looking Alsatian dogs, but were also physically assaulted by the rampaging ICAP management.

Speaking to anxious newsmen that stormed the place to get first hand information on the ugly event, the establishment’s Joint Action Committee Chairman, Mr. Goddy Nwachulwu, displayed his torn shirt and trouser.

Vanguard , THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012—15

Waku blasts Oritsejafor over comments at US Congress

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ATIONAL Vice Chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, Senator Joseph Waku, has cautioned the National President of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, over comments the cleric reportedly made before the US Congress Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights, chaired by Christopher Smith.

The ACF leader said Oritsejafor should by now see himself as a good ambassador, who should represent the country well wherever he finds himself, rather than making comments capable of heating up the polity and damaging the nation’s image abroad.

Waku said: “Some of us who are equally Christians need to caution Pastor Oritsejafor to stop hiding under his leadership of CAN to make reckless statements that can further divide the country along ethnic and religious lines as well as damage our image abroad.

“It is because Oritsejafor had been allowed to make these reckless statements at home unchecked, that he is now so emboldened to take his personal agenda and campaign of calumny to the international arena.

“That Oritsejafor could go before a US Congress committee to make a case against Nigerian government’s position on the Boko Haram debacle is unfortunate and condemnable.

“This is because the ultimate consequence of his

action will not only affect a section of the country, but the entire nation, its economy and the free movement of its citizens across countries of the world.”

He said if CAN’s President would not apply caution in commenting on sensitive national issues, “some of us in the Christian fold will help him by replying him before he succeeds in creating a different impression about Christianity to other religions.”

COMMISSIONING: From left— Mr. Abdulkadir Kure, former Governor of Niger State; Governor Babangida Aliyu; Senator David Mark, Senate President; Senator Zaynab Kure, and former Justice Fati Abubakar, at the commissioning of the poverty eradication and economic intervention programme of Senator Kure for Niger South Senatorial District at Katcha Town, Katcha Local Government of the state.

CBN boss advocates Bank of Infrastructure

BY EMMA UJAH, Abuja Bureau Chief

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BUJA—GOVER NOR of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has called for the establishment of an Infrastruc-

ture Bank to provide funds for the rapid development of infrastructural facilities across the country.

He spoke at the third Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, ICRC, Public-Private Partnership, PPP, Stakeholders

Forum in Abuja, yesterday.

He said: “Nigeria could pursue such a model, where a new government-owned bank is created that can raise tax-free bonds to fund projects.

“Banks could be financed from funds recovered from petrol subsidy removal, and equipped with professional and qualified management recruited globally. Funding could be by way of non-callable tier-2 capital, returning a decent rate to the Ministry of Finance.

“In terms of lending, the proposed bank could lend to projects based on a selection criteria with a moratorium of up to seven years at single digit inter-

est rates repayable over 20-30 years.

“The government would earn money from the interest and share of the PPP arrangements. The operating and management fees, consultancy and project management, as well as loan loss provisioning could be covered by a minimal yet competitive spread.”

If established, Mallam Sanusi suggested that the bank should devote at least 70 percent of the bank’s portfolio to infrastructure facilities such as seaports, airports, railways, highways and power plants, while devoting the remaining 30 percent would be assigned to fund the acquisition of

ships, trains and aircraft.

According to the apex bank boss, Nigerian economy requires a specific attention to infrastructure if the nation’s potentials are to be realised in record time, as envisaged by the Federal Government.

Mallam Sanusi also pointed out that the mandate of the Bank of Industry, BoI, can be expanded to provide such services after higher capitalisation, enabled by the Federal Government.

He regretted that Nigerians suffer power outages amounting to about 320 annually with national annual generator fuelling cost put at over $13 billion.

... as NACCIMA seeks CBN's clarification on bailout funds economy. her development partner,

BY NAOMI UZOR

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IGERIAN Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, NACCIMA, yesterday, said it had invited the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Bank of Industry, BoI, to come and address the Organised Private Sector, OPS, on how the various bailout funds created by the Federal Government was disbursed and their impact on the real sector of the

National President of NACCIMA, Dr. Herb Ajayi, told newsmen in Lagos that the various Federal Government intervention funds to the real sector was N200 billion for the Small and Medium Enterprises Credit Guarantee Schemes; N300 billion for power and airline intervention fund; N200 billion, restructuring and refinancing facility, and N200 billion commercial agricultural credit scheme, among others.

He said NACCIMA and

Enhancing Nigerian Advocacy for a Better Business Environment, had put together a dialogue session on the theme The Impact of Government Intervention Funds in Transformation of the Nigerian Economy, scheduled for July 31, in Lagos as the platform for CBN and BoI to tell stakeholders in the real sector how the various funds had been disbursed, who gets what and impact on the real sector.

Minister woos banks for mining sector

BY JOSEPH ERUNKE

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BUJA—MINISTER of Mines and Steel Development, Mr. Mohammed Sada, has called on banks to come up with programmes that will enhance the professional skills of mineral title holders, saying there was need to repackage solid mineral products for improved patronage.

He tasked commercial banks to particularly organise workshops for mineral title holders to expose them to the mode of packaging their mining projects to satisfy the requirements of their customers. He said it was high time commercial banks take up the funding of mining operations in Nigeria.

Speaking in Abuja,

when he received the management staff of Fidelity Bank, the Minister reaffirmed government’s proactive steps to support mining projects through the establishment of Solid Mineral Development Fund, which he said, would be used to provide infrastructures for the mine sites, improved geosciences data and other supports for the sector.

16—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

TRIPLE CELEBRATION: From left— Mr. Issa Aremu, General-Secretary; Mr. Umaru Mohammed, Vice President, both of Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC; Alhaji Balarabe Musa, former Governor of Kaduna State, and Mr. Oladele Hunsu, President, National Union of Textile, Garment & Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, celebrating Dr. Nelson Mandela's 94th birthday, Governor Adams Oshiomole of Edo State's election victory and Mr. Umaru Mohammed's retirement in Kaduna, yesterday. PHOTO: Olu Ajayi.

NAFDAC inaugurates NYSC-CDS group

BY VICTORIA OJEME

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BUJA—NATIONAL Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, yesteday, inaugurated the first NAFDAC/National Youth Service Corps, NYSC Community Development Service, CDS, group, in Abuja.

Director-General of the agency, Dr. Paul Orhii, said the orientation programme was aimed at col-

laborating with corps members to conduct grassroots sensitisation campaign on drug misuse and abuse in the FTC. Speaking on the initiative, Dr. Orhii, said with the level of education of the corps members in addition to being posted to different places for their primary assignments, it would benefit the agency to have these young people as ambassadors

UNICEF trains 315 health workers in Benue

BY PETER DURU

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AKURDI—DETERMINED to reduce infant mortality in Nigeria, which is considered the highest in Africa, United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, has commenced the training of no fewer than 315 community health workers in Benue State to help galvanise the campaign against childhood killer diseases in the state.

The three-day training, which commenced yesterday in the 23 local gov-

ernment areas of the state, will expose participants to the need for improved Infant and Young Child Feeding, IYCF, at community level and its relationship to the survival, growth and development of children.

Benue State Coordinator of Baby Friendly Initiative, BFI, Mrs. Catherine Anger, said the training would also dwell on the need for exclusive breast feeding, timely and appropriate compulsory feeding for infants and young children.

Christian pilgrims to pay N406,150

BY VICTORIA OJEME

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BUJA—NIGERIAN Christian Pilgrim Commission, NCPC, yesterday, announced fees of N406,150 for intending pilgrimage to Israel for year 2012.

Executive Secretary of the commission, Mr. Kennedy Opara, in Abuja, also announced the appointment of two airline, Atlas Jet Airline and Messrs K S Travel/ Empire Aviation Services, to airlift pilgrims for this

year’s Christian pilgrimage.

On the fees fixed for this year’s pilgrimage, he said: “The package for the 2012 pilgrimage exercise to be paid by intending pilgrims is as follows: pilgrims travelling to Israel alone are to pay N406,150; those going to Israel, Rome or Greece are to pay N529,440, while the special group, which includes the aged and physically-challenged are to pay N400,425.”

VISIT: From left— Mr. Ross Joy, MD of Programmes; Ms. Clara Chow, ECO, current GSD student; Dr. Nike Akande, President, Harvard Business School Association of Nigeria, HBSAN; Anna Ying, Managing Director, during a visit by the Genaration Enterprises Team from US, hosted by Dr. Akande in Lagos.

PHOTO: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor.

Shettima blames plight of Almajirai, orphans, widows on leadership

BY NDAHI MARAMA

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AIDUGURI— GOVERNOR Kashim Shettima of Borno State has blamed the problems of Almajiris, orphans and widows in the North on the failure of leaders to address the educational, religious and parental issues of the vulnerable groups in the society.

He warned that until their requirements and needs were met, the societal burden will continue to weigh heavily on the nation.

The governor spoke, yesterday, at the launching of a foundation— Support for Widows, Orphans and Tsangaya, SWOT— by his wife, Hajiya Nana Shettima at Government House, Maiduguri.

He said the failure of some leaders to provide functional and effective educational system in the North, in addition to religious and moral upbringings, had led to massive breeding of street children who do not have either functional education or acquired skills and trades to overcome poverty and unemployment.

Governor Shettima said: “Between the late 60s and

70s, the educational and feeding systems in schools were the best where students perform remarkably well in West African Examination Council, WAEC and General Certificate in Education, GCE. “I can testify and confirm to you, who are here for the launching of this foundation that my former principals in secondary

school are with us here today.

“If the educational system and structures obtained in those old good days were fully maintained and sustained by our leaders, the launching of SWOT foundation would not have been necessary by my wife, Hajja Nana, to cater for these vulnerable groups of people to overcome poverty

and poor living conditions in Borno State.

“Despite the failure of some leaders, and their inabilities to meet the educational, religious and moral upbringing requirements of vulnerable groups in society, we will try our best to rehabilitate dilapidated schools, skills acquisition training centres and orphanages.”

Teachers raise alarm over insecurity in Northern schools

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

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ORRIED by the se curity challenges in the country and its attendant risks, head teachers of primary schools across the nation have asked the Federal Government to protect the lives of school children by providing adequate security around Nigerian schools.

Speaking under the aegis of Association of Primary School Head Teachers of Nigeria, AOPSHON, the teachers called for the beefing-up of security around schools that are in volatile areas of the North.

National President of the

association, Mr. Lawal Mahmud in Abuja, at the end of its National Executive Council meeting, decried the incessant bomb attacks in the country, a trend he described as detrimental to the development of the nation.

The teachers also said they were in full support of the planned strike action by NigeriaUnionofTeachers,NUT, in states of the federation that wereyettoimplementthe27.5 percent teachers’ enhanced salary structure.

NUT leadership had ordered its members in the 14 states yet to implement the 27.5 percent salary increment, to commence indefi-

nite strike with effect from 23rd of this month.

A statement at the end of the meeting also deplored the inadequacy of training and capacity building for head teachers and urged government at all levels to reverse the trend.

It said: “NEC-in-session decried the level of decay in infrastructure in our public primary schools and called the attention of the Federal, states and local government areas to it and demands an emergency solution before the greatest damage is done to the existing low level of standard of primary education in Nigeria.”

.... Kogi reads riot act to landlords over ‘criminal' use of property and ammunition facto- records and regularise

BY BOLUWAJI OBAHOPO

L

OKOJA—KOGI State Government has warned property owners and occupants of buildings found to be used for any criminal activity in the state, saying the state will henceforth

visit them with the full power of the law.

State Deputy Governor, Mr. Yomi Awoniyi, who handed down the warning, said same had became imperative in the face of the illegal and criminal conversion of residential and commercial buildings to bombs

ries and shelters for those he described as “enemies of society” in recent times.

Awoniyi appealed to owners of buildings that had been converted from their original approved purpose to report to the state Town Planning and Development Board to immediately update their

the change in the use of their buildings.

Describing security as the responsibility of all, he called on the people of the state to report suspicious misuse of buildings and premises to security agents or relevant government institutions in the state.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012—17

T

Prejudice, ignorance, profiling and the Fulbe nomad reported in the media. Most of the media elite is of farming roots and they demonise and profile nomads negatively. The late Chief Bola Ige, who used to write a column for TRIBUNE in Ibadan, in fact described us (all FulBe people) as “the Tutsis of Nigeria”; this was soon after the genocide against Tutsis in Rwanda.

It sounded suspiciously like a call for genocide (Dr. SaddiqueAbubakarof ABU’s Political Science Department did a study of Bola Ige’s antiFulBe tirades in a well-known monograph).

Fulbe nomads and the Media

I

n recent years, the increasing profiling of FulBe nomads

,

HE last time I wrote about the FulBe nomad was on December 16, 2004. The piece was titled “A RESOLVE FOR THE PASTORALIST”; and I had done it for my old column in DAILY TRUST, to coincide with the meeting of the West African body, Pastoralist Resolve (PARE), which held in Kaduna.

I had noted that my pastoralist cousins (FulBeNa’i) are, arguably, the most misunderstood and disadvantaged sections of Nigerian life. They are also regularly prejudicially reported and profiled by the media. I tried to locate the misunderstanding and deep prejudice against the FulBe nomad in the difficult relationship between pastoral peoples and sedentary farming communities on the one hand.

And those familiar with history understand that these difficulties are as old as the invention of agriculture itself.

On the other hand, there is a political history between FulBe peoples and some communities, especially in Yorubaland and North Central Nigeria, in pre-colonial state building processes, which resulted in the creation of the most extensive political empire in pre-colonial Nigeria, the Sokoto Caliphate, led by FulBe Jihadist scholars.

The nomad operates in a world dominated by sedentary farming peoples today, and those elites that hold power or influence power relations in our society come from farming backgrounds.

Naturally enough, they have very little sympathy for nomadic groups whose animals enter farmlands and in the process trigger conflicts with farmers, often leading to deaths and injuries.

More often than not, those responsible for agricultural policies protect the interests of cultivators and nomads are completely out of the loop or are a pitiable after-thought in the scheme of things. In recent years, the conflict element in the relationship between nomads and farming communities has heightened and the clashes are more

Fulbe nomad newspapers,regularly give the impression the conflicts have been exclusively triggered by FulBenomads; the farming communities are often presented as helpless victims of

We must find more innovative means to assist the balance between the needs of nomadic groups and those of sedentary farming communities

has coincided with the almost intractable conflicts with communities in the North Central Nigeria. Reports from Plateau, Nasarawa or Benue, in many of the Lagos

,

aggressive nomads. Even dayto-day crimes involving nomadic FulBe are reported with a mindset that criminalises FulBe collectively. In the past week, I have extensive studied

problems facing the nomadic FulBe and I honestly think that our society needs my FulBe nomadic people as much as they also need the farming communities they have interacted with for millennia. In the same vein, it is imperative for elite groups, especially people in the media, to rise above their prejudices to appreciate the humanity of FulBe nomads; the difficulties associated with their lives and the very significant contribution they make to our economic life.

Afterall, most of the animal protein consumption of the Nigerian people comes from FulBe pastoralists!

From the 1950s fundamental changes emerged in the management of nomadic patterns of existence; grazing reserves and cattle routes were carved out for use of nomadic

The demystification of Tony Anenih J

UST by the huge margin of victory alone, and the fact that even the dinosaur could not hold his community, Adams Oshiomhole’s victory in last weekend’s Edo governorship election, has sounded the political death knell for Chief Tony Anenih. The dinosaur had arrogantly declared that Adams “does not have the capacity to remain as governor of the state”.

The Edo people showed the controversial chief, who has NEVER won an election in his life that he did not speak for them. Adams’ record as governor spoke for him and his style appealed to the people and the dynamics of his politics created a positive appeal with the people. In him, they saw an activist governor who spoke their language and represented their aspiration. They therefore demystified Tony Anenih and voted for progress. Politics can be that simple and effective, if it is in the best interest of the Nigerian people. Adams Oshimhole has shown what is possible.

On an incremental basis, we

must try to win more spaces of development in the interest of the Nigerian people just as we hope that the Nigerian political opposition can work with a greater sense of patriotic purpose to provide the platform of change and political liberation. The challenges facing Nigeria today are located centrally in the failure of politics and governance. The

people have become increasingly alienated from a political process that seems incapable of offering the possibility of change and a new way of doing things for the better. That is why Adams Oshiomhole’s victory at the weekend is very important for Nigeria’s political process. If the PDP had been allowed to steal the election, as it was wont to

Femi Falana: Honour long due

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AST week, Femi Falana was finally announced as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). It was long in coming! Falana is our comrade; this outstanding fighter has spent his entire life fighting against imperialism and the exploitation of man by man. He was a student union leader at the old University of Ife and was a leading member of the Alliance of Progressive Students (ALPS); the Patriotic Youth Movement of Nigeria (PYMN) and the Marxist-Leninist Movement of Nigeria (MLMN). Femi was a leading fighter against military dictatorship and was incarcerated in detention centres around the country. He has consistently used law as an instrument for social change; regularly taking briefs where he can defend the interests of the working people and the poor. Falana is a committed Nigerian patriot, at a time when a lot of people have re-treated into ethno-religious laagers! Congratulations, Comrade Femi Falana, on the well-deserved elevation as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

doing, the effect would have cast a dangerously pessimistic pall on the country’s political process. It is the rapacity of the PDP in the main that has given democratic politics such a bad name in the country, since 1999.

The hope invested by the Nigerian people in the struggle against military dictatorship and for a democratic order, was wastefully expended by the PDP, and to a lesser extent, by the other parties that inherited post-military power. Non-state acts of violence; the loss of monopoly of violence; the erosion of the legitimacy of the political process and the ruling elite are all consequent upon the elaborate regime of theft, fraud and insensitivity to the people’s yearning, which has reigned in the land since 1999.

I also think we should give respect to the revered Oba of Benin.

He spoke unambiguously on the side of his people’s best interest. I really hope our traditional rulers in the North can learn a lesson from the Oba of Benin: stand by the people not with a corrupt ruling elite!

groups around West Africa. The introduction of veterinary drugs had led to the increase in the sizes of cattle herds just as the improvement in health facilities were assisting the growth of populations amongst farming communities around our country. For most of the early years of independence, the grazing reserves and cattle routes functioned effectively enough to ensure that there were few clashes between nomads and farmers. But as populations increased ever more land was alienated for farming and these often included old nomadic migration routes. As patterns of global climate began to change, and trees were felled to provide energy in expanding urban areas, the relentless expansion of the Sahara desert saw the disappearance of fodder for cattle. The recurrent patterns of drought in West Africa from the 1970s decimated cattle populations and nomadic groups began to move further into Central and Southern Nigeria; areas of different cultures, religions and land use patterns. The alienation of old grazing grounds and migration routes often brings nomads into conflicts with farming communities.

Innovative ways to assist groups

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n the past, the clashes were fought out with traditional weapons. However, with proliferation of small arms as a result of the wars fought in West Africa and the general breakdown of law and order in the country, nomadic groups have also introduced small arms into the conflicts they have in various communities. As I noted earlier, policy makers are often from farming backgrounds while the media elite share similar backgrounds and the same prejudices against FulBe nomads. In the Plateau, the past decade of crisis started as urban conflict over political power, but these were then taken into rural areas, where farming communities have attacked FulBe nomads and rustled their cattle; Miyetti Allah, the organisation of nomads recently said over N3billion worth of cows were lost to these recurrent fights.

This is the broad background to the problems associated with FulBe nomadic groups in Nigeria and the clashes over grazing grounds, water and routes of migration. This broad analysis does not justify whatever excesses our people might have committed, anymore than the alienation of grazing reserves and cattle routes by farming communities can be justified.

We must find more innovative means to assist the balance between the needs of nomadic groups and those of sedentary farming communities, because the two play vital roles in the economic, social and cultural life of our country. I also hope elite groups like the media will give themselves the pause to understand the nomadic FulBe. We can do better than the undignified and philistine patterns of prejudice and ignorance which feed the regular profiling of the FulBe, especially, but not only the nomadic FulBe. As we say in Fulfulde: “Allah yiiduFulBe”!

18 — Vanguard, THURSDAY , JULY 19, 2012 IF voters were not determined to have a peaceful election, the frustrations the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, placed on their way would have been enough to ensure that Edo State was on fire. Hours after accreditation of voters should have commenced, voting materials were unavailable. Things were so bad that some polling stations, minutes from the INEC headquarters did not have the materials.

The recurring unwillingness of INEC to effect changes in its logistics was one of the major sore points of the election. INEC has learnt nothing. Since 2010, INEC has managed seven stand-alone governorship elections in Adamawa, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Edo, Kogi, and Sokoto. In each election, INEC mismanaged the voters’ register, and delivered voting materials in manners that created doubts about fairness. In Edo State, INEC again failed to enhance free and fair election. This should be of concern to Nigerians.

Evidence of the failure that led to denying hundreds of thousands of voters the

Edo Election – V ot er s Vot oter ers Saved The Day

right to exercise their choices reflected in the turn-out, which many ironically rate high. Doubtlessly, voters’ enthusiasm was high. Only 667,993 voters out of the 1.6 million on INEC’s roll were accredited for the July 14 governorship poll. Does the 41.74 percent turn-out indicate the Edo State voters’ register is inflated or people returned home after waiting for INEC? Was it possible that fears of violence kept others at home? INEC is becoming rather wasteful in its conduct of elections, yet it does not achieve results that conform to expectations of organisation from lessons of breaches in earlier elections. What were all its resident electoral commissioners doing in Edo State, when the simple matter of lo-

gistics for electoral materials was neglected?

If there had been confusion in Edo State, INEC would have blamed it on the politicians. After all, before the polls,it had built a picture of politicians bent on causing trouble. The peoples’ tenacity exposed INEC’s inadequacies. In 2011, INEC blamed the short time it had to plan for its shoddy performance. What was the challenge in Edo State? Was INEC again short on time?

Some of the plaudits awarded the conduct of the Edo election attest to the marginal standards people have set for INEC. Those standards are unacceptable and would be disastrous in a general election. INEC must start serious re-assessment of the biometrics of registered voters. It could establish a nexus between it and the logistics it requires.

Does INEC need all the documents it moves around when its computers have biometrics of voters? Where are the benefits of the billions of Naira spent on electronic registration last year? Edo election is raising these questions again.

OPINION

BY EJIKE NNAJIOFOR

Continued from yesterday

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HIS is justification could be likened to the decision of h e Obasanjo Presidency at the twilight of his second tenure to award the repair of Onitsha-Owerri road to a local contractor, RCC at about N25 billion against a quote by Julius Berger to the tune of N55 billion. When prominent Igbo citizens protested, and wondered why the South East did not deserve such quality of work done by Julius Berger for the same government in Abuja and elsewhere, Obasanjo explained to them that the nation would save about N30 billion from his wise decision. About three years later, the sign became ominous forcing same government to bend backwards by sharing the job between RCC and Julius Berger.

Two years later, Julius Berger completed its Imo State portion and left site. Seven years down the line, RCC is still battling with its Anambra portion. The difference between the two portions is very clear. The amount spent is no longer being discussed! Awarding a contract for a hotel and convention centre estimated at N5 billion to a local contractor at N2 billion, less than two years to the expiration of Obi’s tenure speaks volumes about the intentions of his government towards this project.To imagine that the government would complete a five-star hotel and a convention centre with all the amenities and facilities with N2 billion is also a huge joke.

Everybody in Anambra State is still at a loss at the decision to construct a mega hotel in Onitsha. Using Onitsha as a metaphor for misplaced priority of the government, given its prime location and importance in the economics of the South East, and its position as the regional gateway to the South East, and most of the South-South, with full complements of its commercial status in the entire West t

Anambra and Gov Obi’s make believe govt(2) African sub-region, what explanations would the government at Awka give for contributing more than 90 per cent to its woes? How does a hotel become a priority in Onitsha? Even if four of such mega hotels are built in Onitsha, where are the roads to access them? Which customers would abandon hotels in a more serene and secure neighbouring Asaba, the Delta State capital for Onitsha? Onitsha is a state-imposed squalor of our time as it is denied the most basic ingredients of development.

E

ven with an annual provision of a whopping N800 million for provision of water in the state( about N5.5 billion so far), there is no public pipe-borne water in the city.

A city with a bustling and overflowing population is yet to have clean drinking water. This is the same for Awka, the State capital, as well as any location within Anambra State.

The boreholes being claimed to have been built in some communities are so far inbetween that the amount being mentioned for provision of water in the state has kept mouths agape. With no roads, and basic transportation modes available in the biggest market in the African sub-region, where is the focus of Obi’s government? In Onitsha, the sight of residents ferrying buckets and gallons of water for domestic use up residential apartments sitting atop five storey buildings is as common as the sight of wheelbarrows being deployed as the biggest mode of transportation in the city.

Lack of access roads restricts vehicular movements in Onitsha and inflicts debilitating traffic jams in all corners of the city.

Since nature does not abhore vacuum, the absence of the state government in Onitsha has been filled by the criminal command to the detriment of the citizens and visitors!

Onitsha has also been at the receiving end of one of Governor Obi’s insensitivity to the feelings of Anambra people, and by extension, all those who transit through it.

The total abandonment of the Onitsha- Enugu Expressway

by Obi since his assumption of duty, on the pretext that this road belongs to the Federal Government, is condemnable.

When the Governor felt that there was no excuse, he invented one when last year, he spun a controversy that his request for permission to repair the road was being delayed by the Federal Ministry of Works. This is coming six years into the administration of Obi, with two years to go! While Obi is still waiting for the permit, those transiting from Lagos to places in Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi, Abia, Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and parts of Benue State, spend five hours to come into Onitsha from Lagos, and spend at least three extra hours in Onitsha traffic owing to the deplorable state of the city’s end of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway.

This is why Anambrarians have lost hope for reprieve from this governor as it is difficult to understand how a governor of six years in power, who is reputed to be close to President Jonathan, would give such a lame excuse to defend his misplaced priority to the suffering of all. As a member of the Economic Team whose photographs adorn newspapers each time he attends the meeting, Governor Obi ought to resign from that committee if he finds it difficult to obtain a simple letter from a minister authorizing him to repair the main artery connecting Anambra State to other parts of the country.

It is a truism that Governor Obi is more associated with businesses than education but the ordeal of both the students and lecturers of the only state university, Anambra State University, and indeed, all the universities in the South East, in the hands of Obi, would not be forgotten in a hurry.

Concluded *Mr. Nnajiofor, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Anambra State.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012—19

, Revolution in Edo State I

N many ways, the July 14, 2012 governorship election in Edo State reminded me of the June 12, 1993 presidential election. I covered both elections. Just like its 1993 peer, the weather was clement: cool and cloudy with sunny intervals but no rain, at least in Kano and Benin City where I reported from. But the following day the heavens opened up.

The electorate was well mobilised. They turned out in their numbers, enthusiastic and patient to cast their ballots. The security organisations, particularly the Nigerian Army, Police and the Department of State Security Services, SSS, came out to work for democracy, not vested political interests or the party in power.

The ideological setting was also similar. The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which controls the Federal Government was akin to the National Republican Convention, NRC, which was favoured by the Federal Government. The Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, was much like the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in that it is perceived as “a little to the left”.

Finally the candidates: Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was not just the incumbent, he also had the track record of performance even as the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC. Same could not be said for his opponent of the PDP, retired Major General Charles Airhiavbere, who posted the dark horse image of NRC’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Bashir Tofa. Airhiavbere was imposed on the PDP by the political godfather of Edo State, Chief Tony Anenih.

The campaigns were similarly themed. The presidential candidate of the SDP, Chief Moshood Abiola’s MuslimMuslim ticket campaigned on a pan-Nigerian mandate, while the NRC banked on the conventional wisdom that the “majority” North would support the Muslim presidential candidate while the East would vote for the ticket because of the Igbo/Christian running mate, Dr Sylvester Ugoh.

The PDP had hoped that the Benin people, who occupy the Edo South zone that accounts for 55 per cent of the population, would vote for their “son”, Airhiavbere, against

The Edo guber has conclusively proved a point that: Give Nigerians good leadership and they would turn their backs on ethnic, sectional or religious sabrerattling

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Oshiomhole who comes from the northern part with its small population.

The choice was very clear before the people. The PDP with Anenih as the chief political force had ruled the state for nearly 10 years of our nascent democracy, producing two governors. They left the state desolate and dispirited. It was during the PDP rule that Chief Igbinedion coined the cynically humorous catch-line: Pikin wey fail exam dey repeat, no be so? (Is it not true that a pupil who fails in an exam is asked to repeat the class?) The PDP had become so cocksure of its ability to win elections in the state that it no longer felt the electorate had a hand in it. All eyes were on the godfather to turn day into night and man into woman, and even he himself felt he could.

A

nd yet, Oshiomhole could not have become governor if it had not been for the split in the PDP camp. In 2006/2007, Anenih wanted his son in-law and fellow

Ishan man, Dr Odion Ugbesia, to succeed outgoing Governor Gabriel Igbinedion. But outgoing President Olusegun Obasanjo propped up Professor Oserhiemen Osunbor (who was related to his late wife, Stella) whom the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Chairman, Professor Maurice Iwu, later awarded the election.

Oshiomhole had picked up the ticket of the ACN and created a complicated alliance whereby Governor Igbinedion, Chief Anenih and the Labour Party supported him. When he won his case at the Appeal Tribunal, he entered the Dennis Osadebay Government House indebted to the godfather.

It was after Anenih virtually dictated the 2009 budget to him that Oshiomhole decided the party must end. He painstakingly plotted the fall of Anenih. He knew that the schools were going to be the polling centres for all elections and he commenced massive rehabilitation and modernisation of primary and secondary schools, widened ancient dilapidated urban roads and constructed many new rural roads. He started the deflooding of Benin City and raised internally-generated revenue from N250 million to over N2 billion monthly. Within four years, Edo State moved from its past of stagnation to visible rapid development.

The difference, as they say, was clear and the choice simple: Edo chose performance rather than ethnicity. The Edo guber has conclusively proved a point that June 12 started making before it was rudely terminated: Give Nigerians good leadership and they would turn their backs on ethnic, sectional or religious sabre-

rattling. The politics of ethnicity, zoning and rotation only thrives in an atmosphere of poor leadership and deprivation. People ask for their turn to enjoy the pie rather than make a difference.

That was why the people flooded the streets in jubilation once the results were announced. The losing party did not have the gumption to allege rigging. It was an exemplary election because everybody – the political parties, security agencies, the candidates, the electorate, the Presidency and the INEC behaved well. Those who wanted to rig the election did not have the opportunity to do so.

There was no reported case of ballot snatching or pronounced thuggery.

There were only three sore spots.

Number one: An accident where three policemen were drowned while conveying electoral materials to Ajorki in Ikpoba/ Okha local government area.

Number two: INEC’s old malaise of late delivery of electoral materials, which left many wondering when this problem would be overcome. And three, Governor Oshiomhole’s rather hasty condemnation of INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega because of minor hitches in his polling unit and a few other parts of the state.

It was based on this that his opponent, Airhiavbere, said he would not congratulate him until he had heard from his polling agents. Airhiavbere hinged his reservation on Oshiomhole’s comments.

However, Oshiomhole’s combative assertion came from his conviction that Anenih was up to an unholy scheme to thwart the will of the people.

Edo has set the pace. Let us build on it.

Edo: All's well that ends well T is Monday morning. We suddenly realise that this column is still waiting.

The congratulatory messages must also wait for us to do the needful. I will rather leave my people wondering why I am absent from the celebration rendezvous than for this column to fail. After all, every occasion must have some opportunity cost.

In the beginning, there was full apprehension everywhere. There were strong arguments against the use of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, members as adhoc staff by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. After all, the guarantees from INEC and the NYSC authorities, the corps members were eventually engaged. At the end of it all, the corps members have proved all skeptics and cynics wrong. As they did during the 2011 general elections, they have proved once more that they are, indeed, the best for that assignment.

We thought that under the guise of security, the election and the State were being overmilitarized. Here again, our “milito-phobia” was misplaced. The rumour mill was rife with speculations that the 3,500 military men were being drafted to Edo State to defend whatever results were going to be concocted and announced. When the military men actually arrived, they were the best. Even in their uniforms, wherein the fright of them normally resides, they were marvelous.

They were in the highest spirit. I can only speak for my polling booth and leave what happened in other polling booths to conjecture and comparison. Even at that, the reports we are getting point to the positive direction that the soldiers were generally very friendly. At the Oghada polling booth where I voted, the military men were obviously elated with the orderliness they met on ground. One of the

soldiers went to an old woman and asked: “Mama, you come vote? You dey hungry?”

When the old woman said yes, the soldier dipped his hand into his pocket and gave her N100. There was jubilation everywhere.

All’s Well that Ends Well. This is not 1602.

We are not Shakespeare. Neither are we Shakespeare’s Helena, the stubborn girl of that era, who was born into a lower caste that she was considered of inferior rank to be married to Count Betramo. Even in her poverty, Helena aspired, against all odds, to get married to Betramo. She pursued Betramo from Italy to France and even against his will, she finally won his hand in marriage.

Oshiomhole’s achievement in the justconcluded election is the modern day equivalent of Helena’s. How else does one explain a situation where Oshiomhole took Edo State from its total comatose situation and in less than four years, he has turned it around to an Eldorado?

The efforts of the Oshiomhole-led administration all showed up in a single election. There is no better way to explain the revolution that has just come our way: A situation in which Oshiomhole and his ACN came tops in all the 18 local government areas; and a situation in which all the PDP big wigs were demolished beyond comprehension.

There is no gainsaying the fact that Oshiomhole is the present day Prometheus – that Titan, the cultural hero, who is credited in Greek mythology with the creation of man from clay and the thief of fire from heaven for the use of man, which has been responsible for man’s progress and civilization.

We are not about to lose sight of the fact that, of the seven contestants at the Edo gubernatorial election, Oshiomhole and

,

I

There is no better way to explain the revolution that has just come our way: Oshiomhole and his ACN came tops in all the 18 local government areas

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Chief Solomon Edebiri, the ANPP candidate, met at a point: They won at their polling units while others lost.

D

id money make the essential difference in the election? The answer is yes and no. We are not going to write-off the importance of money in any political contest. This was the most subscribed election we have ever had – in media adverts, we saw how every available space on radio, television, newspapers, bill boards and the rest were inundated with what we were later forced to regard as political nonsense.

Money, real money, was being burnt in the process.

The various religious bodies – Christians, Muslims and the traditional religionists – did not spare any single minute without prayers mainly against violence and mayhem.

Edebiri thinks money was everything. To him, money or lack of it made the difference, which means that if he had spent as much as the PDP, he would have won as much as the PDP. But where would that have taken him with the run-away victory of the ACN? At the time Edebiri was speaking, he probably had not heard that a particular political party was distributing money at polling centres. Of course, people lined up to collect their Naira and still went ahead to vote their conscience. If money was everything, how could the political elephants, some of whom are even richer than the Federal Government, have lost in their polling units?

This election has shown that money is important but performance is more important.

Our democracy is moving. Most of the defeated candidates have accepted defeat.

But a particular gentleman and scholar among them still insists: “I will not congratulate Oshiomhole yet”. According to him, Oshiomhole had earlier condemned the very system that eventually threw him up as the winner. We wonder who would see what Oshiomhole saw at the time and not be even more apprehensive than Oshiomhole – as late as 3 p.m., election materials had not arrived at some ACN strongholds!

The good thing, though, is that congratulatory messages are hardly time barred. In essence, the man has 48 months within which to congratulate Oshiomhole.

All the same, the sooner the sweeter!

20 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

Indians undermining paper mills in Nigeria — CIPPON

BY FRANKLIN ALLI

B

ULK importation of papers by Indian businesses is undermining Paper Mills in Nigeria, says Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON).

“The Indians are the ones doing the bulk of importation of paper into the country. They felt if they should allow paper mills here to grow, their businesses will not thrive.” said Alhaji Muhammed Wahab Lawal, CIPPON President.

In an interview with Vanguard, Lawal lamented the moribund state of

paper mills in the country. “All the pulps that Murtala Muhammed planted from the Expressway down to Iwopin and the water sides have all gone. If you go there, you can’t see any tree standing; now we are depending on Indian papers, South African papers.

He stressed that CIPPON has been urging the federal government to revive the moribund paper mills because of their enormous advantages to the economy.

“It is not too late for the government to breathe life into the moribund

paper mills; government can do this by fashioning out policy that would create the enabling environment for the mills to grow.”

Commenting on local printers that goes to South Africa and Dubai to print jobs and bring them back, he said: “Even if printing will be taken outside this country, let it be an established printing press here, but if there is a job we cannot complete here, we can take it to South Africa . If the job is printed offshore, whatever you get as profit can be used to buy machine that can print it locally be-

cause you won’t like to be going outside to be printing all the time. “That is why we are urging government to do physical visitation of our facilities.

He commended the decision of the CBN to print

security documents locally and assured that local printers have the capacity to print security documents. He said, “ Recently, the CBN Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido, said they will not print se-

curity document outside this country as from June; we pray he shouldn’t extend the date., and he has mentioned the security printers he’s going to use in Nigeria.”

Security, a major challenge for investors — LCCI

BY NAOMI UZOR

T

HE Lagos Chamber of Commerce and industry (LCCI), has said that the security situation has become a major challenge for investors and it’s already taking its toll

on the economy.

Speaking at the second quarter press conference on the economy, the President of LCCI, Mr. Goodie Ibru said the economy of many of the affected states are on the verge of collapse with implication

for investment losses and job losses.

“Hospitality industry in the affected states have been paralyzed; Many investors, especially SMEs, are relocating to other states with the attendant challenges; Inventory and stocks of many companies have been trapped in some locations in the affected states; Many firms have lost up to 30 per cent of their sales as they can no longer access most part of the northern market; Manufacturing firms sourcing raw materials from the north are now facing serious challenges” he stated He said projects funded by banks in the affected states are now at risk and many bank branches have been closed, while the working hours for others have been drastically reduced; adding that sales representatives of many companies have fled the affected states, many projects under construction in the north have been abandoned and security budgets have been scaled up by many firms.

On the credit situation in the economy, Ibru said banks tolerance of manufacturing sector continues to decline, perhaps because of the perception of the sector as very risky.

Cadburyparleys customers on market, trade initiative

C

ADBURY Nigeria Plc has engaged its customers on market and trade initiative.

In a statement, the company’s Managing Director, Emil Moskofian said the Customer Business Partner’s Forum which took place in Lagos was attended by Cadbury Nigeria’s Trade Business Partners and members of the Commercial Team.

He appreciated the business partners for their loyalty and immense support for the business in recent years.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012 — 21

By LAZARUS IBEABUCHI & WILLIAM JIMOH

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RESIDENT, Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA, Chief Richard Uche has decried the threat posed by insecurity to the ease of doing business in Nigeria especially in the Northern part of the country.

Speaking at its 55th Annual General Meeting, AGM in Lagos, he said the threat of the Boko Haram sect is scaring away international investors, and a dent on the country’s image in the international community.

He said, “This development has paralyzed businesses in some Northern parts of the country and stifled productive activities. Of greater concern is the fact that businesses are closing down, Nigerians are losing jobs and families are being displaced.”

Uche called on a due intelligence search on the root causes of the menace and improvement of security infrastructure, as well as a drastic reduction in unemployment, which is believed to have contributed to the spate of violent crimes and insecurity in the country, among other recommendations.

Richard further expressed worry over the growth in the country’s Gross Domestic Products, GDP, without a corresponding increase in the welfare of the people.

He said, “We wish to reiterate that in assessing the performance and health of our economy, we should go beyond the GDP growth rate. Indices such as per capital income, number of new jobs and new businesses created, sectoral inflow of Foreign Direct Investment, improved and increased road networks, megawatts of electricity generated, life expectancy, number of Nigerians with access to pipe borne water, health facilities, housing, decrease in crime rates, etc should feature prominently

From left: Mr. Omole Niyi, Coordinator, Poise’ Graduate School; Mrs. Ukinebo Dare, Head Poise’ Graduate Finishing School; and Mr. Maurice Iheanacho, an alumnus during a press briefing on its forthcoming graduation ceremony in Lagos.

Insecurity is killing businesses in Nigeria — NECA in the scorecard. These are fundamental issues that assist us in knowing whether our nation is indeed progressing or retrogressing.

“Thus, while we commend the government for its increased attention on improving security in our country, we should, however, emphasize that the antidote to sustainable safety and security of the country lies in a healthy and prosperous economy that ensures

inclusive growth and job creation.”

Continuing, he said, “There is no gain-saying the fact that corruption has been the bane of our economy.

This monster has continued to drain our commonwealth of resources that would otherwise have gone into improving our citizenry. We call on the government of the day to demonstrate a renewed commitment to eradicate corruption and rein in this bull in our

China shop.

In its financial report, NECA reported a surplus of N43.73 million in its 2011 financial year compared to N887.88 thousand in previous year.

It recorded a gross income of N174.57 million as against N178.338 million in the previous year; while its value added rose to N152.82 million from N116.11 million it reported in 2010.

Fuel scarcity looms if… — Independent marketers

BY KUNLE KALEJAYE

O

IL marketers have raised an alarm over an impending fuel scarcity in the country, saying that unless the necessary actions are taken to reimburse marketers, Nigerians should brace up for another round of hardship.

The oil marketers under the Independent Pe t r o l e u m Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) urged the Federal Government to take swift action in reimbursing marketers to enable them import petrol and a v o i d t h e l o o m i n g s c a r c i t y.

A l h a j i D e l e Ta j u d e e n t h e Chairman, IPMAN, Mosinmi Depot Chapter, told news men in Lagos that most depots would run out of stock within two weeks due to the absence of funds to restock.

He therefore, advised the federal government to urgently address the issue of importation, by reimbursing the marketers to

enable them resume importation of the petrol.

He said that most depots around Apapa area have started ex p e r i e n c i n g s c a r c i t y, a d d i n g that trucks at the depots now stay on long queues to load products that are not available.

He said,“The pressure will continue to mount because most depots in Apapa do not have products, but since people have stock in their stations, you will not notice it now, but there is already p r e s s u r e .

“Demand has been so high in the last five days, which means something is in the offing. You will not notice it now, but in the next two to three weeks you will notice it, because people are still having stock and this is rainy season and demand it not very high at this time.”

Tajudeen said that the situation in the country called for divine intervention, because the whole situation was worrisome adding

that “ we are battling with subsidy probe, now it is importation of products, when are we going to recover from all these.

“Whenever there is any probe in Nigeria you find out that you won’t get to hear anything about it at the end. We were told that we have almost consumed the subsidy for the year, at the middle of the year, this means that there is a problem, a looming problem, because if we don’t import, naturally there is going to be scarcity of petroleum products.”

He stressed that the implication of monies not been paid to marketers to im p o r t p e t r o l e u m products, is the inevitable scarcity of fuel.

H e , h o w e v e r, a d v i s e d t h e government to deregulate the petroleum sector to ease the problem of importation adding that government should be sincere with the people in achieving laudable deregulation of the petroleum industry.

183.85

-2.25

2,213.00

-3.00

22.91

+0.18

103.49 88.30

+2.07 +1.20

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

0.2686 0.2786 25.3719 25.4538 188.8175 189.4271 240.7454 241.5227 41.2943 41.4276 232.4599 233.2104 157.2125 157.7201 154.87 155.37 231.6 232.3477 1.9599 1.9662 24.2783 24.3572

0.2886 25.5357 190.0367 242.2999 41.5609 233.9609 158.2276 155.87 233.0954 1.9725 24.436

CBN Exchange rate as at 18/07/2012

22—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

SEC to tighten regulation of collective investment schemes …Mulls IFRS reporting, professional qualification for fund managers

By MICHAEL EBOH

M

ANAGERS of mutual funds and other collective investment schemes in the capital market will soon be required to attain certain p r o f e s s i o n a l qualification and adopt the International Financial Reporting Standards, IFRS, for their funds, according to a proposal put forward by the Securities and

Exchange Commission, SEC. These, among many other issues, would be discussed at an interactive session comprising SEC officials with fund managers, trustees and custodians of unit trust schemes, the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, Central Securities Clearing System, CSCS and the Fund Managers Association of Nigeria, FMAN, today, at the

Commission office, in Lagos.

According to a notice announcing the interactive session on development of the Collective Investment Schemes sector, SEC is hinted of plans to introduce stricter regulatory regime for the collective investment scheme sector, such as ensuring that custodians and fund managers submit half yearly report of their

various funds and benchmarking the performance of the various funds.

The Commission is also considering classifying funds into fully regulated collective investment scheme, professional collective investment scheme or specialized collective investment scheme.

The interactive session, which would also have the Acting Director-General of

SEC in attendance, will also see the Commission introducing certification and continuous p r o f e s s i o n a l development.

SEC said the proposed initiative is as a result of its desire to develop the Collective Investment Schemes sector of the Capital market and further deepen the Nigerian Capital Market as a whole.

The Commission is also considering other initiatives to develop the sector, saying that the interactive session will afford it the

opportunity to discuss with stakeholders on likely reduction in funds’ expenses, especially in area of management fees and custodian fees.

The Commission further hinted that it is considering a number of incentives that will motivate growth of the various funds.

The Distribution and sales points of the various funds and report on migration to Custodians will also be among the major issue to be considered by stakeholders at the session.

CSR: Unilever to touch one billion lives by 2020

By PRINCEWILL EKWUJURU

U

From left to Right: Group Captain Salami Murtala Osuolale ( Retd) Chairman, Courteville , Adebola Akindele Group Managing Director Courteville and Alhaji Mohammed Gobir , Director Courteville at the 7th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Lagos.

Shareholders urge Courteville to step up dividend payment

By PETER EGWUATU

S

HAREHOLDERS of Courteville Business Solutions Plc , have advised the Board of its company to increase subsequent dividend payment being recommended for approval at Annual General Meeting (AGM) , even as they commend the company’s consistent dividend policy.

Speaking at the company’ s 7Th AGM held in Lagos, Sir Sunny Nwosu, National C o o r d i n a t o r I n d e p e n d e n t Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN ) declared that Courteville has consistently rewarded investors with consistent dividend, but called for enhanced dividend.

According to him, “I am happy about their policy

that something goes to the shareholders; but I am beginning to be very uncomfortable about it; because it’s becoming too conservative; extra one (1) Kobo every year, they should try and increase it the more.”

He advised the Board of Courteville to review their dividend policy in order to endear the Company to shareholders.

In the same vein, the shareholders at the AGM, urged the company to reward them with bonus shares; apart from the cash dividend.

In his reaction, Bola Akindele, Group Managing Director (GMD) of Courteville said conservatism has helped the Company achieve whatever they have achieved so far.

According to him, the company has not been

too extravagant in spending money in getting the business done, “we have just tried to maintain the status of being reasonable in the way we conduct our business. We will pay dividend according to the profit made by the company, we will also consider the position of the Company’s Balance Sheet at the end of each financial year before proposing any dividend” he said.

Akindele further affirmed that the company will not borrow to pay dividend; but rather do so within the profit available to it, with time enhanced dividend will be paid considering the company’s performance and as the country ’s economic situation improves.

“When the economy and business of

Courteville improves, then the company will reward investors with enhanced dividends” he said.

NILEVER Nigeria Plc through it Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, Unilever Foundation, said it aims to reach one billion people all over the world by 2020.

This disclosure was made by the Chief Executive Officer/ Managing Director of Unilever Nigeria, Mr. Thabo Mabe during the formal launch of Employee Volunteering Scheme at Olusesun Primary School Oregun recently.

Unilever Foundation is a key action that Unilever is using globally to meet its goal of helping more than 1billion people improve their health and well-

Ecobank clinches Euromoney awards

E

C O B A N K Transnational Incorporated has been named “Best Bank in Africa” by Euromoney magazine, for the second consecutive year.

The awards were presented at the 2012 Euromoney Awards for Excellence Dinner in London.

Commenting on Ecobank’s achievements, Euromoney ’s Editor, Clive Horwood, observed: “The African continent’s original panAfrican group is now the largest financial institution in Africa by

geographical outreach, operating in 33 countries.

The quality of the management, strategic outlook and growing profitability stand Ecobank in good stead.

Moreover, it is close to holding assets of USD20 billion, thus reaching a level where economies of scale will kick in and boost efficiency and cross-selling of products and services.”

While commenting on the Award, Arnold Ekpe, Ecobank’s Group CEO, said, “”We are honored to be recognized again in these prestigious international awards.

being, and in turn, create a sustainable future.

Speaking on the Unilever Connect initiative, Mabe said, “making a difference every day sits at the heart of all we do, and that is why we launched the Unilever Foundation earlier in the year to make our CSR actions touch more lives, with the aim of reaching 1 billion people all over the world by 2020.”

He said the foundation is the global platform through which the company wants to continue to improve quality of life through the provision of hygiene, sanitation, access to clean drinking water, basic nutrition and enhancing self-esteem.

“As a company, helping children get more out of life is a passion, and we believe that to make a real and lasting difference in our educational system, parents and schools should not be left to fend for themselves. We believe that the private sector should partner the government, as it takes meaningful and practical steps to build a solid educational system that will equip our children for the challenges of this age and the future,” Mabe said.

He however said in keeping with this passion, last year we launched Unilever Connect initiative as a platform to our company and especially Unilever employees, to also give back to the society.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012 — 23

24— Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

APPOINTMENT & PROMOTION

vicahiyoung@yahoo.com 08033348923

Aregbesola appoints Makinde DG of Awolowo centre for good governance G

OVERNOR Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, has appointed Professor Moses Makinde as the Director- General and Chief Executive Officer of Awolowo Centre for Philosophy, Ideology and Good Governance.

The appointment of Prof.

Makinde according to a statement by the Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, took effect from May 1, 2012.

According to Okanlawon, the Centre is expected to inculcate, through training workshops and conferences, ideology and art of good governance and areas of Awolowo’s thoughts and practices bearing in mind the issues of integrity, accountability, and transparency, personal discipline, and fiscal discipline, the regime of mental magnitude, true federalism and good governance.

Prof. Makinde is a professor of Philosophy at the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife. A native of Ado Ekiti, he had a First Class degree in Philosophy from the University of Toronto, Canada; M.A Degree in Philosophy from the University of Western Ontario, Ontario, Canada, and Ph.D degree from the University of Toronto in 1974 with specialization in the Philosophy of Science/logic and scientific method.

He joined the services of University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in December 1974 where he rose to the rank of professor in October 1989.

The new DG was Head of Department of Philosophy in

active and substantive capacities for about 10 years and later Dean of Faculty of Arts 19971999.

Prof. Makinde is a recipient of many local and

international honours and awards including Fulbright Hays award in the USA (198384) academic year, Institute of Administration Manager (IAMN), Certified and

Distinguished Administrator (CDA), Qualified and Incorporated Administrative Manager, he is a member of Editorial Board of The Nation Newspaper, among others.

•Dr. Omotosho

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L-R: MD/CEO Phamatex (Hovid) Nig Ltd, Prince Christopher Nebe and his wife receiving an award for consistent and innovative quality products from the Chairman Board of Fellows, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Pharm. (DR.) John Nwaiwu at Mid Year Meeting and Award for Excellence Dinner 2012 of Board of Fellows, PSN in Lagos.

Phamatex gets excellence award P HAMATEX Nigeria Limited, has been honoured with an Excellence award “consistent quality and innovative products and service to the good people of Nigeria”, by Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN. The company got the award at the Board of Fellows of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria Mid-Year Meeting and Award For Excellence Dinner 2012, held in Lagos.

At the ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Phamatex Nigeria Limited, Prince Christopher Nebe, was the toast of guests at the ceremony.

The Award for Excellence given “in recognition of the company’s Consistent Quality and Innovative Products and Service

to the good people of Nigeria” according to the Secretary to the Board, Prof. Mbang N. FemiOyewo was presented by Pharm John Nwaiwu, chairman, Board of Fellows, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, during the award night dinner in Lagos.

Phamatex Nigeria Limited, licensed by the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria, was incorporated in Nigeria in 1994 with a vision to be a strong and leading company caring for the health needs of the people by way of providing world class and affordable products.

Phamatex Nigeria Limited is the sole agent to Hovid, a multi-national Malaysian based company that is known for innovative and quality products.

Promo Africa Marketing names Odedina MD

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ROMO Africa Marketing, a marketing communications company, has named Mr. Soji Odedina as its Managing Director.

He is said to be a seasoned and thorough bred marketing communication practitioner.

Odedina was at the Polytechnic Ibadan for an OND programme in Estate Management, but abandoned for a degree programme at Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ago Iwoye where he bagged a degree in Political Science.

Odedina graduated top of his class thus winning the Chief Adegbenro’s prize for best graduating student in political science.

He was also at the Lagos

Business School for the Senior Management Programme (SMP 21).

Odedina has had a robust career covering all gamut of marketing communication.

He started his career with the Director for Social Mobilisation (The presidency), Ogun State Directorate as a social Mobilisation Officer, and then proceeded to MKO Abiola’s Concord Magazine where had had a brief stint working as a Proof Reader, Sport Reporter as well as a Copy Editor for the magazine.

He started his marketing communications career as a Business Manager with Talim Associates Ltd, a front line Public Relation agency of the

time ran by Mr Taiwo Alimi.

Odedina later joined the pioneer BTL Agency in Nigeria, Contact Marketing Services headed by Chris Ogbechie from where he moved to 141 Worldwide as a Group Account Director and Client service Director for six years until recently when he teamed up with his partner, Sunday Awoyomi to start the new agency.

As a respected brand communicator Odedina gave excellent professional service to global brands like Guinness (FES, GES, Malta Guinness, Harp and Satz), BAT (Dunhill, Consulate, B&H, Rothmans, Pall Mall, Graven A etc), Etisalat, First Bank, FSDH, Multi Choice, Western Union,

•Odedina Virgin Atlantic, Cadbury/Kraft, Pharma Deco’s Sans Cream Soda, WAMCO’s Three Crowns Milk, IDL’s Chelsea and Squadron amongst so many others.

Omotosho now District 9110 Governor

HE Rotary International, District 9110 comprising Lagos and Ogun States, has installed Dr. Kamoru Omotosho its new District Governor for the 2012 / 2013 Rotary Year.

The installation ceremony held in Lagos, attracted prominent Nigerians from all walks of life, including rotarians from the three major districts, friends of rotary and well wishers.

Omotosho a practicing medical doctor, was born on June 26, 1947.

With over three decades experience since his graduation from the University of Ibadan, the new governor is presently the Medical Director of Kamoras Specialist Clinic, Victorial Island, Lagos. A fellow of the Royal College of Surgeon, he had worked in hospitals in Birmigham and Belfast in the United Kingdom before returning back to Nigeria.

He was a lecturer in Orthopaedics and Traumatology and later a Consultant Surgeon and Traumatologist at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital and later Medical Director of St. Nicholas Hospital Lagos, before setting up his own private practice.

Omotosho is the first Rotarian to emerge as District Governor from the Rotary Club of Ikoyi and a member of the Nigerian Medical Association.

He e was the Chairman, Parents-Teachers Association, Kings College, Lagos from 1995-2000, and President, Obokun Social Executive Club, lagos 2009-2010. He is married to Rotn Susan Omotosho, who is a past assistant governor and past governor of Rotary Club of Ikoyi.

While giving his inaugural speech with the theme: ‘Peace Through Service’, Dr Kamoru Omotosho said, “we choose this year’s theme because there is need for us to give peace to society by helping others to achieve peace, either through political and religious differences which have recently been ravaging our society”, adding that we are going to achieve this based on four pillars, which are peace and conflict resolution; maternal and child health; economic empowerment and water sanitation.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012 — 25

African govts should increase investments in women economic empowerment

By BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

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ATIONAL governments across Africa should increase investments in empowerment of the female gender as the region cannot have real development without improvement in the economic and financial status of women The Executive Director of New Faces New Voices, Ms Nomsa Daniels, who made the call at the World Press Conference on the justconcluded African Women’s Economic Summit highlighted innovations in finance and different initiatives that can be scaledup to encourage decision makers to strengthen the enabling environment for women.

She said African women play a very important role in nation building and should be given support to contribute more to the development process in the region. She stated that the challenges militating against the essence of women in Africa include child birth menace, child mortality, poor health services, disparity in education compared to their male counterparts, culture and traditions that relegate women to the background and inaccessibility to credit facilities.

She therefore declared that the era of relegating women to the background in the economic development process of nations in Africa has gone as NFNV has taken the campaign for their economic and financial emancipation upon itself; advising the policy and decision makers in the region to complement the efforts being made by the organisation to boost contributions of women to gross domestic product of their countries.

Reiterating the vision of New Faces New Voices to see women get involved more in the economic make-up of their respective countries; Ms. Daniels said that the extant vacuum of a lack of women in policy management must be filled to enable them assume more participatory roles when issues concerning economic development are discussed.

Corroborating her position, the Vice President/Secretary General, African Development Bank (ADB), Ms. Cecelia Akintomide, stressed the role of women empowerment in inclusive economic development of any nation. In her presentation, Akintomide noted that Africa is not doing

enough like other continents in terms of economic agenda for women emancipation.

According to her, women still face challenges of limited education, lack of collateral and inability to own fixed assets, as well as lack of access to information. She explained that those restrictions contributed to the relatively inactive role of women in the formal economy.

She therefore decried the current situation where eighty percent of the continent’s Agriculture sector is dominated by women, yet only one percent has proprietary access to landed property. She asserted that the role of women should be

recognised, especially as they constitute the third emerging market in the world.

Also speaking at the World Press Conference, the Division Manager of the ADB, Ginette Yoman, said that women entrepreneurs constitute the majority of people at the micro-enterprise level and should be supported to do more. The prevailing high rate of poverty notwithstanding, she said women actively participate in the nation-building process in Africa.

AWES 2012 is the second of such event hosted by NFNV, a network of African women in the financial and business sectors. The net-

work was borne out of an initiative of the Gra?a Machel Trust Multiplying Faces, Amplifying Voices that seeks to unlock the untapped potential that is held by women in Africa.

NFNV’s inaugural conference was held in Nairobi, Kenya in 2010 and created a platform to begin a serious dialogue with key stakeholders in the financial sector on how society can invest differently in women. The two-day conference covered various topics and identified key obstacles that are faced by women in their quest to drive their entrepreneurial and career goals

From left: Mr. Herbert Eze, Sales Director, Nigerian Breweries; Mr Walter Drenth, Marketing Director and Mr. Nicholas Vervelde, Managing Director during the relaunch of Star Beer in Lagos.

ICAN identifies good governance as panacea for economic transformation

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S Nigeria continues to struggle to find solutions to myriads of its economic setbacks, the upcoming 7th Eastern Districts Conference of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) will be focusing on good governance as a panacea for economic transformation.

According to the ICAN President, “the conference, which was packaged to discuss the way forward for Nigeria’s economy couldn’t have come at a better time than this. Aside topical issues put together for deliberations by eminent resource persons, there will be a special meeting of Districts chairmen and members of the ICAN Governing Council, where a new agenda of the ICAN Council for the ICAN districts will be unfolded in line with the promise I made in my acceptance speech during my investiture to build a solid structure on a solid foundation.”

The Governor of Bayelsa State, Honourable Henry Seriake Dickson, and other top dignitaries and world-class resource persons have been invited to grace the Conference which is scheduled to take place in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State this weekbetween Tuesday July 17 and Friday July 20, 2012 .

The 48th ICAN President, Mr. Adedoyin Owolabi, B.Sc., MILR, FCA will deliver the

keynote address. The theme is Good Governance: A Panacea for Economic Transformation.

The conference will feature paper presentations, workshops, plenary sessions, excursions and a gala night among other events.

BRIEF FBN, Poise, others partner to fight unemployment

By LAZARUS IBEABUCHI & YINKA LATONA

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OISE Nigeria said it had entered into a strategic partnership with First Bank of Nigeria Plc and more than twenty other companies to reduce the level of unemployment among Nigerian graduates.

To achieve this, it had trained about three hundred Nigerian graduates, through its subsidiary – Poise’ Graduate Finishing School (PGS), on employability skills with about eightyfive per cent employed in various sectors of the economy.

Addressing pressmen ahead of its forth coming graduation, Head, Poise Graduate Finishing School, Ukinebo Dare said the employability skills’ training was borne out of the need to equip graduates in the labour market with requisite skills needed in modern work place.

She said employers of labour are ready to employ job seekers but that they complain of prospective Nigerian graduates not having the wherewithal to do such jobs.

“The aim of the programme is to grow individuals with skills that bridge the gap between what they learnt in school and what is obtained in the labour market. As such, we are poised to match their academic certificates with technical knowhow mainly in emotional intelligence, organizational ethics and behaviours, team work, among others that are required to excel in ones career. We are rest assured that experience acquired during the three months training programme will clearly differentiate them from their contemporaries,” she said.

Standard Chartered to boost Africa, China links

S

TANDARD Chartered Bank said it will continually promote and facilitate African-China relationship, stating that it plans to host 12 Africa Chairmen in Beijing for its Annual Africa Chairmen’s Conference.

According to a statement by the bank, the motivation behind choosing Beijing for this year’s location is in line with Standard Chartered’s commitment to use its unique global footprint to support, promote and grow economically enhancing trade and investment corridors between these two regions.

While in China, the bank said it will provide the Africa Chairmen with insight into China’s strides in economic development, the Bank’s Chinese expansion strategy as well as facilitate strategic introductions with relevant and influential government, industry and private sector leaders across China.

The Bank’s Africa delegation will also participate in China’s ‘4th Conference of African and Chinese Entrepreneurs’ during the ‘Forum on China-Africa Cooperation’ (FOCAC) in Beijing.

The Bank’s delegation is not limited to Beijing, but will be participating in various onward visits to cities such as Changsha, Zhengzhou and Chengdu before returning to Africa.

Diana Layfield, Chief Executive Officer, Africa, Standard Chartered, said, “Africa-China trade has risen tenfold in less than a decade. Looking forward, Africa will have 1.1 billion people of working age by 2040 – expected to be the largest working population world-wide, and representing a very attractive consumer base for expanding companies to tap into for the future.

26 — VANGUARD, THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2012

90% of earnings in shipping industry goes to foreigners — Sifax boss

BY GODFREY BIVBERE

E

XECUTIVE Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Sifax Group, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, has said 90 percent of earnings in the shipping sub-sector of the maritime industry goes to foreigners.

He blamed some provision of the Cabotage law for the seeming ineffectiveness and inability to meet the aspiration of operators.

Speaking at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso, Postgraduate School, Department of Transport Management Interactive Discourse Programme 2012, he said the requirements of the law which stipulate that vessels to be used by indigenous operators must be built and registered in Nigeria and also be wholly owned and manned by Nigerians were unrealistic.

Afolabi in his paper entitled, “Impact of Cabotage Act on Entrepreneurial Opportunities in a Developing Economy,” said currently, over 90 per cent of income in the shipping sector was earned by foreign shipping companies alone.

He noted:“Until this issue of cargo rights is addressed, it is my submission that the present controversy raging among the stakeholders concerning the cargo which has come to sound like the proverbial egg and chicken conundrum may prove diversionary, useless and nauseating.

“Of about 400 vessels that are owned by indigenous operators, over 70 per cent of them are reportedly not engaged allegedly because the vessels are presumed to be unsuitable and need to be put up to standard.”

He noted that the act which made provision for waivers, should indigenous operators are unable to meet the requirements of the act, has not been used favourably to better the lots of indigenous operators.

“And if, as it is likely to happen, the indigenous operators fail to meet these requirements, government has also provided a waiver clause in the same legislation that allows their more advantaged competitors to muscle in and corner the larger chunk of the trade.

“Given the combination of these two adverse elements in the act, therefore, in a non-technological and developing economy such as ours, it is little wonder that the critics of government can go to the extent of

pronouncing the enactment of the Cabotage law as “dead on arrival.”

According to the Sifax boss, available statistics indicate that an average annual traffic of about 152 million metric tonnes of oil and non-oil cargo worth over $5 billion (or N750 billon) in freight earnings are generated in the country and that if government ensures that the indigenous shipping interests have access to 50 per cent of these earnings, it will go a long way to solve the problem.

Tunji Aremu of CAC PTML Command of the Nigeria Customs displaying motor spare parts used to conceal furniture illegally imported into the country.

Terrorism: Jonathan asks Customs to look beyond Ladol gets BoI’s N2.75b lifeline revenue collection

BY IFEYINWA OBI

P

RESIDENT Good luck Jonathan has said the crusade against terrorism will be won hands down if Customs agencies across the world see their functions beyond trade regulation and promotion as well as revenue collection.

Jonathan stated this at the 119th/120th sessions of the Customs Co-operation Council/World Customs Organisation (WCO) in Brussels, Belgium.

The President told the gathering that the best approach to tackling rising national and regional security issues relating to the menace of terrorism, proliferation of light weapons, narcotics and smuggling was the enforcement of critical co-operation between Customs administrations worldwide.

On his transformation agenda, Jonathan told the gathering of Customs chiefs from 177 countries that Nigeria had made significant improvement in port reforms, policy rejig and would “continue to review Customs procedures to reduce the cost of doing business, reduce total transaction cost, ensure minimal physical contact and presumptive discretion, through the introduction of ‘single window concept’.”

He further explained that the number of

agencies at the port had been reduced and a “one-stop-check” procedure introduced alongside the establishment of inland container ports and strengthening sister agencies such as the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to make the sea ports more efficient.

Jonathan said his administration had commenced the review of Customs and Excise Management Act, along with other Customs and Excise notices, decrees and guidelines, and was committed to the Doha Round negotiations on Trade Facilitation, among other international agreements on trade.

He added that the government was also committed to the enhancement of Nigeria’s rail, road, inland waterways, sea and airports, to complement the ongoing reform and modernisation of the Nigeria Customs Service.

for local content expansion

BY GODFREY BIVBERE

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HE manangement of Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base (LADOL) has been given a N2.75 billion ($17.8 million) loan by the Bank of Industry (BoI) for further development of its facilities in line with the local content policy of the Federal Government.

General Manager in charge of LADOL project in BoI, Mr. Issac Offor, disclosed this in Lagos when the House Committee on Industry and top management staff of BoI visited the Base.

Offor explained that the partnership between the two organisations started about four years ago, adding that the need to support the efforts of the Federal Government in the area of shoring up its local content initiative informed the decision of the bank to support LADOL. He further explained that

the need to increase capacity in the oil and gas sector to help industrialize the country in the oil and gas sector motivated the bank to throw its weight behind LADOL’s projects.

He said it was regrettable that the number of indigenous firms providing support services in the oil and gas sector had remained low, hence the need to encourage the activities of LADOL. According to him, LADOL has repaid over $5 million of the $17.8 million it borrowed from the bank, noting that so far it has not defaulted in its loan repayment obligations to the bank.

Responding, Chairman of the House Committee, Mohammed Ogoshi Onawo, said it was gratifying to note that the firm had put the loan into a judicious use by expanding the scope of its operations to international standards.

According to him, “this is a story of courage, en-

deurance, success and hope for the nations oil and gas industry.

“I am impressed that this organisation had even ventured into operation six years before they needed to invite BoI for assistance. We have to be glad that we have an indigenous organisation such as this who believes in value addition to whatever they do. We are equally happy with their revenue generation to government coffers and their response to loan repayment.

“We, therefore, urge management of the bank to keep their doors open to LADOL should they be in further need.”

Speaking earlier, Managing Director of LADOL Integrated Logistics Enterprise, Dr. Amy Jadesimi, informed that LADOL was a new state of the art logistics base being developed opposite the Port of Apapa in Lagos.

MSC’s vessel, ‘Flaminia’ on fire in mid Atlantic

BY GODWIN ORITSE

C

REW members on board a container vessel were forced to abandon their ship after an explosion and subsequent fire in a cargo hold mid Atlantic.

At 10:07, Falmouth Coastguard received the relayed mayday broadcast from the German registered MSC Flamin-

ia reporting that the crew on board had abandoned the vessel.

Falmouth Coastguard broadcast an alert to all vessels in the area and the nearest vessel which could provide assistance was the oil tanker, DS Crown, which immediately changed course to intercept the MSC Flaminia.

Six other merchant vessels also proceeded to the location to help with the search and rescue operation but were more than six hours from the location.

Rescue helicopters do not have the endurance required to attend an incident of this nature because the vessel is approximately 1,000 miles from land mid way between the UK and

Canada.

DS Crown arrived the scene to confirm that the MSC Flaminia was still burning and rescued 24 people from a lifeboat and a liferaft. Four crew members had suffered injuries.

The injured were transferred to the vessel MSC Stella which will take them to the Azores. One crew member is missing.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012 — 27

FG, teachers battle students’ under-performance

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

W

ith consistent mass failure in public examinations, the Federal Government and teachers across the country are battling to remedy the situation before it gets out of control.

Minister of Education, Prof Ruqquyat Rufa’i at the 81 st Foundaers' Day organised by the Nigerian Union of Teachers in Abuja recently regretted the mass failure of Nigerian students in certificate examinations.

Certificate examinations include those conducted by the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, which also conducts the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE); the National Examinations Council (NECO) and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, organisers of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) among others.

Rufa’i who though blamed the mass failure of students on the poor quality of teachers among other reasons, was expressly sorry for the massive failure in certificate examinations.

She said: “Over the years, Nigeria has experienced mass failure in external examinations. The poor quality of educational outcome in recent years is attributable to the poor quality of teachers, among others.”

The Minister who centered her lamentations on the theme of the NUT event: The Challenge of Students’ under-performance in Secondary schools Certificate Examination- The Way Forward, said “the Federal Government in an attempt to address this problem is leaving no stone unturned at ensuring quality teacher educa-

*From left: Obong Ikpe Obong, Secretary-General, NUT; Prof. Ahmed-Rufai, Minister of Education and Comrade Michael Olukoya, National President, NUT. tion and development. This is expected to translate to higher students’ achievement and overall educational growth” The education minister confessed that the Federal Government alone cannot shoul-

C M Y K

sector to rise up and support the government in all its endeavours to enable the country achieve its target of transforming the education sector."

Sex education is learning too!

BYAMAKA ABAYOMI & LAJU ARENYEKA

S

EX. The mere mention of this word could make many parents burst with righteous indignation at the indecency they feel their children are being exposed to. Sex. Something everybody thinks about, very few people talk about, and very many are involved in. These ‘very many’ include children in primary

Heads to roll in unity schools over misappropriation of funds — Page 31

der the responsibility of redress the situation.

“To complement the efforts of government, l therefore urge all teachers, parents, guardians and other relevant stakeholders in the education

schools who as reports say, have a code for having sex with each other. ‘FVBB’ which means “F..k your Vagina, breast and Bum”, has become a slang in primary schools in our country.

According to a Nigerian UKtrained sex educationist, a boy could write this down and pass it to a girl and they would both arrange the time for having sex. “It would surprise you

that primary school pupils now talk about sex and even practise it. Do you know what FVBB means? It means f..k your vagina, breast and bum.

What the boys do is write FVBB on a sheet of paper and pass it to the girls. If they agree, a date is fixed for them to have sexual intercourse.”

With the astronomic rise in sexual abuse of young children in Nigeria, the dire need

Stakeholders make case for girl-child in technical education— Page 28

She added: “Teachers are agents of socialization and are channels of dissemination of knowledge, skills, values and attitudes. Their disposition

Continues on Page 28 for sex education is now more than ever indispensable. Experts say that children who have a healthy form of sex education are less likely to fall victims of abuse than those who do not. Surely, the 21st Century parent, more aptly put, the 2012 parent must know that merely shouting at a child to keep away from the opposite sex, without proper explanation, will no longer do the trick.

As a Vice-Principal put it, “these children you are hid

Continues on page 33

Our industrial base is weak — SAMUEL ENIBE ——

Page 36

28 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

Stakeholders make case for girl-child in technical education

BY IKENNA ASOMBA

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ONCERNED by what they termed the wide differing ratio between boys and girls in technical education, stakeholders spanning over 40 colleges and polytechnics of technology under the aegis of Women in Technical Education and Employment (WITED), have convened at the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Lagos to chart the way forward for addressing this gap.

Declaring open WITED’s three-day National Coordinating Committee Meeting and National Awards, Tuesday, wife of Lagos State Governor, Dame Abimbola Fashola advocated the need to address the low participation of girlchildren in science and technical education in the country. She said that for Nigeria to be among the industrialised nations by the year 2020, there was need for more commitment to new and innovative teaching methods and techniques that will attract female children to technical education.

According to her, science and technology has remained the bedrock of industrial development that every nation aspires to attain, stressing that it has become imperative for the Nigerian girl-child to be incorporated in the roadmap of the country’s technological development.

Fashola noted that WITED was established to address the issues pertaining to participation of girls in science and technical education which has been for long dominated by male children.

“At this stage, the truth is that more needs to be done; aside from paper work and proffering solutions, we must put into practice our findings, monitor the progress and draw up the statistics to prove that women can make the positive change required in the industrialization of our country.

“We have women engineers, women computer experts; so why are we not on the world map of nations with industrialized identities such as India – for Information Technology, Japan for cars, among others?” she queried.

Mrs. Fashola, however, called on the members of WITED and other stakeholders, including parents to always encourage female children to go into technical education.

“As role models, you can champion this cause by sharing

your success stories and personal experiences which will serve as a strong motivating factor and inspiration for young girls to tread this path and also facilitate the process

of national industrialization and technological advancement of our country.”

While commending the organisers of the event, the first lady expressed hope that the

workshop would provide practical opportunities for female children to be innovators and make a difference in the industrialization of Nigeria.

On her part, the National

•Mrs. Faith Akinyemi of Candour Foods Ltd., presenting cartons of cakes and writing materials to students of Iju Grammer School Lagos during the Career Talk organised for the school

FG, teachers battle...

Continues from page 27 influence positively or negatively on students' self-esteem which could create ambitions in their minds for future academic success.”

But the NUT president, Comrade Michael Olukoya though concurred on the quality of teachers churned out but identified Federal Government's constant change of education policies and lack of qualitative books for the mass failure.

He said the Federal Government needed to better the lot of teachers to get the best out of them by upgrading the retirement age of primary and post-primary teachers to 70 years just as was done for professors in universities recently.

Olukoya said the primary and secondary education subsector is also losing some of their best teachers to early retirement.

He appealed for the condition of service of teachers to be nationalized as with other professionals to attract the best brains to the profession.

“The condition of service of primary school teachers should be such that allows university graduates in the system to rise to the level of their counterparts in all other servic-

es,” he said.

The NUT president was pained by the failure of some states to implement 27.5 per cent enhanced pay such as Lagos, Delta, Enugu, Cross River, Abia, Katsina, Benue, Niger, Zamfara, Katsina, Ekiti, Kebbi and Kogi.

He said teachers in those states would be forced to carry out strike action by Monday 23rd of July if the affected states failed to pay their teachers before the deadline.

Olukoya who spoke the minds of the teachers said: “Let me say this for the purpose of emphasis, we are going to issue a statement here today that we are giving states that are reneging on the area of 27.5 per cent enhanced pay for teachers up to 23rd of this month, which is next week Monday to effect the 27.5 per cent enhanced pay for our members else teachers will go on strike in those 14 states.”

The NUT president declared: “If by Monday, 23rd of this month, we still have any state that has not paid the money to our teachers, there will be strike in such state and there is no going back on that because it is an agreement that was reached in 2008 and the entire leadership of the union then agreed that it will take effect in 2009 and if by now,

some states feel that the Governors’ Forum is not legal and if they are saying that because they have paid the minimum wage, they will not pay the 27.5 per cent enhanced pay for teachers, we will let them know that there is a difference between minimum wage and the enhanced pay.

“Whatever any state might have paid to teachers, the 27.5 per cent enhanced pay must be paid as an addition. That is the agreement. And they must be paid because we want to motivate the teachers, we want to guard against brain drain but some states are saying that teachers should accept the minimum and forget about the 27.5 per cent enhanced pay.”

Olukoya noted: “It is a diplomatic way of dodging responsibility and we have been patient enough. I am saying this with authority because we have been given the mandate penultimate Thursday that if any state is still reneging on the pay, teachers in such state should begin strike action until they are otherwise directed.”

Olukoya said that government would have to address the issues that maim the zest of teachers to put in their best in enhancing the

Coordinator, WITED, Engr.

(Mrs.) Frances Osiki disclosed that WITED was established 14 years ago as a result of the fact that it was recognised globally that there is exceedingly low participation and involvement of the girl-child in science, mathematics and technical education. performance of students at all levels.

The last three results released by the council had consecutively been bad news for most candidates, with less than 22 per cent of them obtaining credit in five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

According to the WAEC in 2008, 23 per cent of the candidates passed; in 2009, 21 per cent passed and in 2010, 20 per cent passed, while many had their results seized due to their involvement in examination malpractice.

The mass failure is alarming, with no feasible solution except that the various stakeholders, including government and the examination bodies trade blames to exonerate themselves from the failure.

In his argument, the Head of National Office, WAEC, Dr Iyi Uwadiae, noted that more candidates failed due to lack of quality teaching compared to what most adults got during their school days.

According to him: “The standard of examination is intact and it is regularly reviewed to meet up with the international benchmark and even better, but that the poor teaching and lack of interest of many candidates in education, have contributed immensely to the poor results.

He noted that most candidates, including their teachers, rarely read the syllabus, making the council’s effort futile. A random sampling of the opinion of teachers and pupils on WAEC syllabus by Education Tribune showed that most of them did not use the syllabus as a guide.

According to him, mass failures occur in public examinations because most candidates have shallow knowledge of the subjects they study in school; there is disregard for rubrics, while incorrect interpretation of questions, poor command of the English Language, lack of Mathematical/ Manipulative skills, poor knowledge of examination techniques and illegible handwriting are other factors.

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012—29

30 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

BY FAITH OLANIRAN

Students organise training

T

HE campus of the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), was thrown into confusion, Friday, as students trooped out in large numbers to protest the sudden death of their students’ union president, Comrade Oladapo Awopegba (aka D.P.O), who lost his life alongside two other SUG presidents, that of Adeyemi College of Education (ACE), Akure and School of Nursing and Midwifer y, Akure, in a ghastly motor accident that occurred along Emure-Ile on Owo-Akure Road, Friday.

According to investigation, the union leaders were on their way to Akure from Abuja where they had gone to attend an award ceremony organised by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to eminent Nigerians, including Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State.

According to the students, Comrade Awopegba’s death makes it the ninth death the school will record in the last three weeks. Other students who lost their lives within the university community were said to have died mysteriously.

The students want the school authorities to do something about the recurring death within the school premises and also want the Federal Government in conjunction with the state government to find a lasting solution to the bad Akure-Owo Road to avoid future recurrence.

Reacting to the incident, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Biyi Daramola, said that plans are ongoing by the management of the school to

BY TOSIN ADESILEUNILAG

T

•FUTA students protesting the death of their SUG president last Friday

FUTA students protest death of SUG President give a befitting commendation service and a candle light procession to the late comrade.

He, however, appealed to the students to go back to their various hostels and continue to pray for the well-being of the school. He prayed for the school and students that such calamity will not befall them again.

Prof. Daramola also joined the students in their walk from FUTA junction to FUTA south gate singing solidarity songs in

Frequently Confused Words COMPLIMENT – COMPLEMENT Compliment and complement are frequently confused words. Note the difference in spelling between compliment and complement. The letter ‘I’ in the former and ‘e’ in the latter convey a whole world of meaning difference. Compliment is ‘an expression of praise, admiration or congratulations.’ Complement means ‘something that completes.’ A complement in grammar is ‘a noun group which occurs after

honour of the late comrades.

Meanwhile, the Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko has commiserated with the school authorities, staff and students on the sudden demise of the number one student citizen of the school, noting that he died in active service and must not be forgotten.

Mimiko said his plans will be communicated to the students in a short while. He

said necessary measures will be taken on the issue of AkureOwo Road to avoid such recurrence.

The Governor who had earlier visited the Federal Medical Centre, Owo to see the injured students receiving treatment, prayed for the families of the deceased that God in his mercy will give them the fortitude to bear the irreparable losses.

a verb such as be, seem or become’ e.g. in the sentence ‘Professor Niyi Osundare is a renowned poet’, ‘a renowned poet is a complement.’

Each of the two words can be used both as a noun and as a verb. You can pay someone a compliment (noun) i.e. you say something nice about the person. You can compliment (verb) someone i.e. You praise the person. As a plural noun (compliments), you send compliments ‘to express good wishes or respect.

Examples: The Principal paid the brilliant student a compliment on his academic performance.

The cashier did not take the customer’s remark as a compliment.

Compliments of the season!

Communal labour should complement government efforts on road repairs.

Men and women have strengths that complement each other.

OFF-HEAD - BY HEART - OFFHAND Off-head is not an English word (though it is common among Nigerian users of English) but offhand is. Offhand is an adverb which means ‘spontaneous, without needing to think very hard, without preparation or research’; as in

HE Press Club,University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, just concluded its first training organised for all members of the organisation. The event was held at the Complete Sport Newsroom,department of M a s s Communication,UNILAG. Speaking with the press family were Dr. Tola Sunday,lecturer at the Department of Mass Communication, Fisayo Soyombo,editor,The Will Newspaper(Nigeria Correspondent), and Sunday Oguntola,The Nation Newspaper.

The speakers spoke extensively on how to be a successful writer and reporter while the ethical aspect was not left out. Dr. Sunday advised students of journalism to be wary of ethical issues in order to be successful writers.

Mr. Fisayo Soyombo who spoke on Fifteen Habits of Great Writers and Reporters, advised the students to read “10 Do’s and Don’ts” of the Press club as regards writing and reporting and advised members to put to practice all they learnt during the training.

The Press Club,University of Lagos is the students' voice, an association under the office of the Dean, Students Affairs, UNILAG.

‘Offhand, I can think of five examples of criminals in government’. Do not say offhead, when you want to express that you can remember something perfectly. By heart is the expression to use. By heart implies ‘from memory, by rote’. Example: ‘Some teachers encourage learning poetry by heart’.

IT’S HIGH TIME… The expression ‘it’s high time’…is not followed by a present tense verb though its meaning is present or future. It is always followed by the past tense of a verb. It is ungrammatical to say ‘It’s high time he comes’.

It is an error in the use of verbs. The grammatical sentence is ‘It’s high time he came.’

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

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012 — 31

Fashola urges corps members to acquire vocational skills

BY DAYO ADESULU

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HE first lady of Lagos State, Mrs Abimbola Fashola has said that since nobody can guarantee any graduate an automatic employment, corps members during orientation, should be thinking of acquiring a vocational skill that will make them self-reliant and employers of labour. ”While you are here on this orientation camp, it is time to think of the way out of financial predicament, even when you are doing something, you can also occupy yourself with some other things,” she said.

Speaking at the 2012 NYSC batch B orientation camp held at Iyana-Ipaja, Lagos, Fashola urged the corps members to ask for the right way from God to generate fund.

According to her, there are many odd jobs Nigerians do overseas which they would not do in Nigeria, adding that part of the problems with our youths is that they over price themselves. She charged the over 3,000 corps members to think of how they can, through their industry, increase our country's GDP. “Put your energy into good

BY AMAKA ABAYOMI

N

•NYSC Mainland Local Government batch C corps members engaging on a sanitation enlightenment exercise at the Oyigbo market, Lagos. Photo by Segun Padonu things,” she added.

The first lady who told the corps members not to think of having millions of naira before starting something said with just N250,000, a business could be established that will yield millions.

Fashola who pointed out team spirit as one of the se-

crets of success said: “Try to work as a team, learn to understand your differences, adding: “If you have likeminded persons, come together to make progress.” “Do not ever feel sorry for yourself,” she added.

Using herself as a case study of diligence and indus-

try, she said that when she was working with the British Council, while official time of work was 7:30am to 4 p m , "I w o u l d w o r k t i l l 10pm. When I resigned, the British Council had to employ five persons to fill that gap."

ASUU debunks rumours of strike

BY BABATUNDE ALAO, AAUA

A

MIDST rumours of strike that have, in recent times, engulfed the campus of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA), Ondo State, the university’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has debunked the rumours.

The chairman of ASUU in the university, Dr. Busuyi Mekusi, while briefing journalists shortly after the end of the university’s first semester examination, threw more light on the circumstances surrounding the strike action of the union.

Speaking on the event that caused a break during the first semester examination, the ASUU chairman described it as “transition”, saying, “it was not a strike, it was a period of transition, though we were to go on strike. We did not go on strike because there were interventions from the union leadership. On that day, there was a congress and we finished late so it was impossible for the exams to go on same day.”

While giving answers to the reason why ASUU threatened C M Y K

NANS mourns dead student leaders

strike in the period of examination, Dr. Mekusi listed issues that centre on the nonimplementation of the 2010 agreement.

Acknowledging the effort of the management to ensure the infrastructure development of the university, Dr. Mekusi

said: “We are aware of the fact that some projects are going on in the university and the effort of the university to provide solution to the issues of office and lecture spaces, but all these are taking too long”.

He also used the medium to

urge the students who have nursed the fear of strike action in the campus to be calm as there are no plans by the union to go on strike.

He, however, informed students and the public of the intention of the lecturers to embark on their outstanding 15 days leave.

NACOSS condemns Oronsaye report

BY FAITH OLANIRAN, FUTMINNA

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HE National Executive Council of the Nigerian Association of Computer Science Students (NACOSS) has condemned the report submitted by Mr. Stephen Oronsaye which said that the National Information Technology Development Agency should be reduced to a department under the Ministry of Communication Technology. NACOSS is also the umbrella for all students studying any IT-related course in all higher institutions in Nigeria.

The Presidential Committee on the Rationalisation and Restructuring of Federal

Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies led by a former head of service of the federation, Mr. Stephen Oronsaye, recently released its report.

The 800-page concise summary recommended scrapping of 38 agencies, merger of 52 and conversion of 14 to departments in ministries. In all, it recommended that statutory agencies be reduced from 263 to 161 in order to reduce cost of governance.

Segun Adanigbo who is the National President of NACOSS said that should the recommendation stand, it will affect the development of IT at all levels across the nation

which will in turn discourage the development of local content which is supposed to increase the entrepreneurial ability among Nigerian youths.

The president went further to say that the report was hurriedly concocted and that the NACOSS National condemn it in its entirety.

"For we budding professionals, it is a wakeup call to stand up and be counted; backward policies must be resisted for our sake and the sake of coming generations.

Our advice to the Federal Government is to concentrate its resources, manpower and skills on surmounting the numerous security challenges facing the country.

IGERIAN students, under the aegis of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), have been thrown into mourning following the death of three student leaders last Friday, after a tragic motor accident on Owo-Akure Road on their way back from an official outing.

They are presidents of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Dapo Awopegba; Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, Abiodun Akintola; and the student union president of Ondo School of Midwifery, Akure.

According to NANS President, Comrade Dauda Mohammed, “this loss to us as an organisation is unimaginable as I wish to state that several members of our union are still in a state of shock over the incident.

Nigerians urged to invest in youths with talents

BY DAYO ADESULU

T

HE Chairman, MTN Foundation, Ambassador Hamzat Ahmadu, has called on privileged Nigerians to invest in talented youths who though endowed with latent talent but lack the wherewithal to nurture such talent to earn a living.

Speaking at the 5th graduation ceremony of the M T N F - M U S ON music scholars programme held at Muson Centre, Lagos, Ahmad u s a i d : “ T h e r e a r e many Nigerians who have this latent talent, but lack the wherewithal to nurture such talent to the extent that they can earn a profitable living from it.”

He noted that the major objective of the scholarship programme for the Muson students among others is to motivate and assist the talented student to achieve his dream of being a musician.

According to the former A m b a s s a d o r, a c r o s s t h e world, the creative industry has emerged as one of the most dynamic economic sectors, with massive strides being recorded in the music and film industries.

32 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

Heads to roll in unity schools over misappropriation of funds

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

T

HE Federal Government has vowed to sack any public officer of federal unity colleges indicted in the alleged misappropriation of funds and general mismanagement of the schools.

Minister of State for Education, Barrister Nyesom Wike, made this known in Abuja on Tuesday, on receiving the reports of the various Needs Assessment Committees set up three weeks ago on

unity schools across the six geo-political zones of the country.

Wike was apparently angered by the reports that some principals of the schools misapplied the resources allocated to the institutions for infrastructure development.

Assuring members of the committees that the reports would not be swept under the carpet, he stressed that any body that was indicted would face the wrath of the Federal Government He said that a committee

would be set up immediately to harmonise the reports for government to commence action.

The reports indicated misapplication of funds, dilapidated infrastructure and inadequate teaching staff as some of the factors responsible for decline in the quality of educational delivery in the colleges.

The Minister said: “We have the political will to implement the recommendations of the committee on Needs Assessment of the federal gov-

ernment colleges in the country.”

While commending the risk taken by the members of the committee especially those who went to the North-East and North-West, assured that the report is not the kind that were dumped in the past.

Wike who lamented the lack of interest of the staff of the ministry, however, directed that the names of the directors and committee members who were absent from the assignment given

to them should be submitted to his office for further action. In reaction to some of the recommendations, the Minister disclosed that his ministry has been given the go ahead to regularize the services of about 1,000 qualified teachers who were on part-time.

To buttress the seriousness of the Federal Government, the Minister said the ministry will within two weeks set up another committee to review the report submitted. ”We must do something to show that we are serious, resources will be rationed, we will bring back the lost glory of these schools, members of the committee and directors in the ministry who failed to attend the completed assignment will be compelled to explain their action," he added.

Ojo LGA seeks to improve primary school infrastructure

BY LAJU ARENYEKA

O

VER-CROWDED classrooms. Leaking roofs. Schools with broken fences. Schools with no fences. Pictures whose unveiling could be the nightmare of any education district in Nigeria.

But for Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos state, these pictures, coupled with over a thousand words were used as tools at the recently held education summit on Public Private Partnership; Tools to secure a better learning environment for the primary school students of the area.

According to the education secretary of the district, Mr. Tolani Sule, the essence of the summit was to “bring together all stakeholders-public, private, non-governmental organisations, churches, mosques etc- to see what is going on in the educational system here, and how we can improve it and make it better.”

Sule said that there is a wide disparity between the required infrastructure and the available infrastructure to cater for primary school students in the area. “The required furniture for the 33,764 pupils in our 52 schools is 14, 884 desks and chairs, but we have only about 7, 472 available.

Only about 20 of these schools have good toilets, and only about 12 are well fenced.”

The former Deputy Governor of lagos State who also doubled as Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Sarah Adebisi Sosan chaired the occasion as various speakers sought to proffer solutions to the situation.

The state Commissioner for Rural Development, Hon. C.O

•An overcrowded classroom in Ojo LGA Ojelabi called on individuals and organisations to practise foundation-based and faithbased, public-private partnership (PPP) as well as the adopt-a-school programme and engage in the school capacity-building initiative.

Dr. Danoye Laguda, a lecturer at the Lagos State University advised the district to seek private intervention from the Alaba Market Community. He also added that “Contractors should be willing to give back from what they earn. For example, if they have been contracted to build a specific number of classrooms, they can build an additional number on their own bill. There should be a bye law

supporting this.” Laguda also called on the government to provide incentives for those who are willing to support the cause, as well as proper maintenance by the royal fathers.

Lanre Ogunyemi, a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly said that public confidence in public primary schools is very low. “How many political office holders or even teachers have children in these schools? Community leaders must seek the support of more privileged members of the society, the Local Government should generate a database of all those that can be ap-

•A dilapidated classroom in Ojo LGA proached to salvage the situation.” Sosan, however, assured all who are willing to support the local government of transparency and integrity. “The money in the hands of the government cannot meet all these needs. That is why we are

enjoining the support of all stakeholders. What we did when I was in office was to lay our challenges on the table and solicit support.

We allowed them to do what they wanted and only ensured through monitoring that they met our specifications.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012 — 33

34 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

MEC revamps interest in French

BY AISHA MOHAMMED TIFFIN

Barovbe calls for HSC, charges Westminster graduands to excel A

s Westminster College, Lagos, held its 10th valedictory service and graduation ceremony last Thursday, churning out 39 students (16

boys and 23 girls), Chief Johnson Barovbe, Proprietor and Managing Director of the elite school, has called for the re-introduction of Higher

School Certificate (HSC) to raise the quality of graduates from our universities.

In his graduation address, he said: “The re-introduction

B

OTHERED by the low interest of Nigerian students towards French Language and culture, Medat Edu Concept, a consulting company with specialty in foreign language, culture promotion and development held the 2012 edition of its French academic competition, tagged Le quiz. The competition which was endorsed by the Lagos State chapter of the National Association of French Teachers (NAFT) held at Ikeja, drew the attention of both primary and secondary schools in Lagos.

Speaking at the event, the managing partner of Medat Edu Concept, Mr Mohammed Saheed Abdullrahman disclosed that Le quiz competition, apart from testing the knowledge and skills of French learners in the country, will help evaluate the learning and teaching of the language in schools as adopted by the National Council on Education to be taught in schools in Nigeria.

GEC Int'l College marks first graduation

BY OLAYEMI FOFAH

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S part of its commitment to nurse, nurture and produce well educated and well-rounded students in Nigeria, GEC International College, Lagos has graduated 18 students as its first set. The event which took place at the school’s auditorium in Victoria Island Lagos brought together, parents, educationists, friends, well-wishers and representatives of different universities, particularly,University of Debrecen, Hungary.

Admonishing the students, the Director of Studies Mr. Theo Theodorou challenged the graduates to be good ambassadors of the country when they travel abroad for studies. He called on the students to take the responsibility of taking out of the shores of Nigeria, good morals, principles, knowledge, maintaining the good name of the college and their families, and also ensure their dreams, mission in life, and what they want to achieve in life come to reality.

•Students of Ajeromi Ifelodun Junior High school, Apapa, Lagos being addressed by their Principal during the school's inter-class quiz competition at the school auditorium. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.

of HSC will keep students longer in the education system and that could also reduce unemployment temporarily, while the major gain would be that of quality education to produce tomorrow’s leaders who will have bold ideas for solving the problems the country faces.”

Noting that it is now obvious that the Nigerian problem is beyond the political class to tackle, Barovbe asserted: “We need well educated experts and leaders across many disciplines including business, economics, science and policy to propose big and refined ideas for our big problems.”

He blamed lack of proper funding of the education sector and age of our university students as major reasons for the low standard, adding: “It is only in Nigeria that you have students of 15 years in the university.”

Sex education is learning too!

Continued from page 28 ing things from you know more than you, that is why we must give them the right kind of sex education.”

A sex educationist who spoke to Vanguard Learning said: “there is need for sex education to be an integral part of Nigeria’s school curriculum, but there is a greater need for parents to live up to their duties by educating their children on sex-related issues. A lot of parents shy away from discussing sex with their children and quickly change the topic or scold them not to ask such questions.

“Parents need to start educating their children from the moment they start talking by telling them to report if anyone touches their privates.

I do so to my kids and they don’t hesitate to shout if any one, particularly the opposite sex, touches them.”

Another parent who said proper sex education should start when the child is getting close to puberty, however, suggested that children should be monitored closely and taught to protect their bodies from a very young age.

Mrs. Toyin Oni, a parent, said sex education should begin from home when the child has reached puberty. “I believe that sex education is

firstly a major duty of the parents before the school can take over. Many parents tend to shy away from discussing such with their children."

When asked if she had spoken with her children on sex-related issues, she said no, stating that she would do so when the time is right.

However, according to a Guidance Counsellor, the ‘right time’ should be when children are about five years.

“At that age,” she said, “they begin to notice the differences between girls and boys, and are more aware of themselves as sexual beings.”

Eight out of 10 secondary school students who spoke to Vanguard Learning said that they first learnt about sex from their friends. The same number agreed that they have been pressured to have sex at one time or the other, most times by friends of the opposite sex.

Mrs. Ebi Anyakpele, the Vice-Principal of a secondary school in Lagos, said that teachers should not shy away from teaching about sex.

According to her, “Many of these students are actually more aware of sex than we think. So we should let them know that sex is not a bad thing, but the timing matters.

Students, especially girls, should know the implications of pre-marital sex.”

Commenting on rape cases, Anyakpele said: “We have a few cases of girls who have been raped, but as a result of the forum we hold fortnightly in our school, many of these girls have opened up to us.

But we counsel them and let them know that if they focus on education, they can empower themselves and help others in the future.”

Girls are not the only victims of sexual abuse, the much publicized video of an 11-year-old girl sexually molesting a 4-year-old boy had over 15,000 views on the internet before it was finally brought down.

The old adage “prevention is better than cure” rings true in this situation. Some teenagers shared with Vanguard Learning some tips on how to prevent sexual abuse.

Emem Ekong said: “Girls should be careful about the way they play with boys so that they don’t think they are flirting or asking for it.”

Peace Awomu advised girls to avoid “skimpy clothing, and being alone in dark places with men.” “Be careful about the kind of friends you keep,” Ijeoma Ogbonna warned.

Anyakpele, however, advised parents and guardians to have a close relationship with their children and

wards so that they can tell when sexual advances are being made towards such children.

Mrs. Olayide Shonumbi of Child Rights Advocacy Foundation, an NGO aimed at protecting the rights of children, said: “We have even had cases of parents sexually abusing their children, but parents don’t want it to come out in the open, and a lot of times, when we bring up such cases, the authorities don’t do anything about it.

“We’ve even had a case where a child said the pastor had been making advances at her. But when we approached the mother, she refused to listen and admonished us not to spoil the name of their church.”

Continuing, she said: “A lot of parents hide the fact that their children have been raped because of the stigma attached to it. But the only way that this can be eradicated is when we get to a point where victims can be open about the abuse and the perpetrator. Parents must also protect and educate their children.”

Sex education and enlightenment must start from the home, move to the school, the church or mosque, and then the community.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012—35

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Our industrial base is weak — SAMUEL ENIBE

•Solar refrigerator ready for commercialisation

BY EBELE ORAKPO

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SING the energy of the sun to provide cooling: Said Prof. Enibe: “Most of my research works centre on energy both renewable and conventional and more recently, the modelling of systems and dissemination of the information to the general public.”

Prof. Enibe started his work on solar refrigerator by building on an earlier work done by his colleague, Prof.

O. C Iloeje who did experimental work using calcium chloride (similar to common salt) which has the capacity to absorb a gas called ammonia at ordinary temperatures. “He then developed a system such that we built a solar collector so that when you expose the calcium chloride that has absorbed ammonia to the solar collector, the solar collector heats it up to the extent that the temperature becomes very high.

We got temperatures of up to 100oC. At that temperature, the gas will leave the salt (the absorbent) and act as a refrigerant. In a conventional refrigerator, there is a gas inside called a refrigerant, so in this case, ammonia can be used as such a gas. Once you release that ammonia from the salt at very high temperature and pressure, it becomes a very useful raw material.

"We then developed another circuit where that gas will go and change into liquid. When it changes to liquid, it will be like when alcohol touches your hand, it evaporates and cools the hand. So in the same way, the ammonia passes through the inside of a refrigerator coil and cools whatever is there and produces ice,” he said.

System modeling: ot satisfied with that achievement, Prof.

Enibe went further to study and understand the system more. He said: “These days, we do not stop at building a system. After building a system, you will like to understand the internal dynamics of that system. What will happen if you change the temperature or pressure or

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So when we did that and found that the results generated by the experimental model and the computer model were in agreement, we were very happy. Next, we used the computer model we have built to find out how the system will perform in various parts of the world. When you have done a good model, sometimes you may not even need to take it to a physical location, once you get data for that location, you can test the performance of that system for that location.

Testing the product: ith the computer model we developed, we tested the performance of the refrigerator in all parts of Nigeria for the entire year and then we extended it to major cities in Africa. We did not have to carry the refrigerator from town to town. Because we built the computer model, we were able to test it in Sudan, South Africa, Egypt and all the major climatic areas in Africa. We confirmed that it will perform in most of the places. Of course, there were areas - the very cold areas – that it could not do well like Cape Town during winter. In places like Juba, Sudan which has high temperatures, the performance was quite good,” he stated.

Optimization: ontinuing, Enibe said they went on to optimize.

“In optimization, what you do is that having tested something by experiment or computer programme over a very wide range of conditions, you will want to find out the best set of operating conditions that will give you best performance.

Example, those who make cars have to make the car first, it has to be beautiful so that those who

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*Professor Samuel Enibe...in our modern world, we normally back up experiments with what we call modeling

If Nigeria must progress, her industrial base needs to be strengthened. Talk of the great nations of the world; they are nations with great industrial bases.

Although Nigerian scientists are doing their bit in their laboratories, but the people seem not to feel the impact. In this chat with Vanguard Learning in his office, Professor Samuel Ogbonna Enibe, a professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka spoke on his research work on solar refrigerator and says there is usually a problem between laboratory work and the market place. Excerpts: environment or like this one that is powered by solar energy, what will happen if the sun is not enough or when it is too much?

Although you can usually find out these things by doing experiments, but in our modern world, we normally back up experiments with what we call modeling. What I did was to study this system that has been built and tested, study all its components and then convert the performance of each component into mathematical equations. That is modeling.

For each component, you write mathematical equations to describe the performance, all

the input and output, you model them mathematically and at the end of it all, you write a computer software that will calculate everything from the beginning to the end for may be, one year. Having written the computer programme which was the topic of my PhD thesis, we compared the results we got with experimental data because when you have done a mathematical model, you convert it to computer algorithm, whatever results you get (since we believe more in the things we can see), you compare it with the experiment and that gives you the assurance that you have done the model correctly.

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like good things will appreciate it. At the same time, the price has to be low enough so that ordinary people can afford it because if you have a very beautiful car but it is too expensive, then it will not sell. You look at all the input materials, all the things that affect it and put them all together and find out what you really want. Do you want something at very low cost or very high performance etc?

So we found out the conditions under which the refrigerator will perform optimally.”

Commercialisation: He regretted that although the refrigerator was ready for commercialisation “but it has not been commercialised because in Nigeria, there is usually a problem between laboratory work and the market place.

Many times, you do a very fine job in the laboratory and you are sure the thing works but bringing it to the market often requires an industrial base and our industrial base is weak so that is what is delaying the commercialisation of a number of things that have proven technically feasible.

But we have worked out the technical things and they are okay but because of lack of industrial base, we have not brought it to a stage whereby it will be available in every market,” he stated.

"Other things we have done are in the area of energy consumption modeling in Nigeria which as an oilproducing nation, doesn’t consume much. We compared the energy consumption of the average person in Nigeria with that of others in many countries of the world and we discovered that the per capita energy consumption in Nigeria is very low, lower than Ghana, South Africa, Egypt etc.

The reason is that industrial production base is very low and in most countries, the key energy consumer is industrial production like automobile and steel factories. Because the heavy industries are not operating here, the nation’s energy consumption is low.

I CAN CHANGE THE WORLD My name is Nwede Lawrence, an SS1 student of Ijaye Housing Estate Senior Grammar School, Ojokoro, Agege. I want to become an accountant because I want to help people keep their money safe, prevent fraud and money laundering, and uplift the nation. My role model is the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido.

36 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

Council holds valedictory ceremony for pupils

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•Nigerian Air Force Primary School Lagos organised their annual speech and prize-giving ceremony at the school premises, as outgoing pupils bowed for their parents during the event. Photo: Diran Oshe.

VER 4,000 pupils in public schools under the Ajeromi/ Ifelodun Local Government Education Authority will be hosted to a formal graduation ceremony on July 25, 2012.

According to the Executive Secretary on Education, Ajeromi/ Ifelodun LGEA, Hon. Adewale Adeogun, the ceremony is being organised to acknowledge and motivate children in public schools.

“Primary school education is the bedrock of a sound education, it is our pride to honour and celebrate our pupils who have successfully completed their primary school education. One of the main reasons for organising the ceremony is the fact that many children in Lagos have chosen to stay away from school or failed to complete their primary school education, hence the need to celebrate our pupils and encourage them to complete their secondary and tertiary education.

Get connected through Facebook, college director urges alumni

Education stakeholders commend Abia gov

BY DAYO ADESULU

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HE importance of social media as a tool for bringing old friends together and also connecting to new ones was again highlighted during Trinity International College's 12th valedictory and graduation ceremony held at Ofada, Ogun State.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Director, Mrs Folasade Phillips who tasked the graduating students to work in unity said: “When you go into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together with alumni as a people you have known for years. Students should network and while making new friends, keep old ones.”

Stressing the importance of networking through facebook, Phillips said that through FB, students can know themselves better, interact with one

another and make progress.

Phillips who was thrilled by the responses of the alumni who flew in from the UK and the US to rejoice with the graduating students, urged them to reach out to help their alumni in time of need, adding

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ISS Okunubi Fehintola, a physically challenged girl has beaten thousands of contestants to clinch the LUZ NEEMA $40,000 scholarship award to study Biomedical Engineering in Canada. Okunubi who has already secured a provisional admission to study engineering at the University of Lagos said, with this latest development, she would prefer going to Canada to study biomedical engineering and come back to Nigeria to help the disabled.

Speaking at the formal presentation of the $40,000 cheque which covers her tuition fees, the Managing Director, LUZ NEEMA, Mrs Mobo Oresegun stated that in the process of recruiting, counselling and application processing for Nigerian students to study in Canadian universi-

are on earth, they must begin with God. He charged them to endeavour to set goals, be disciplined and to never give up in the face of discouragement.

According to Odetola: “You can reach your goals without fulfilling God’s purpose for your life,” urging them to turn to God and His word.

Brainfield introduces capacity-building workshop

BY IDORENYIN INYANG

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RAINFIELD Group of Schools, a foremost ed-ucational institution with headquarters in Port Harcourt and branches in Aba and Owerri, has in a bid to raise the quality of teachers and parents/teachers parley introduced a capacity-building workshop for the retooling of staff. The proprietress, Professor (Mrs.) Ngozi Obasi made this known while fielding questions from newsmen in Port Harcourt recently.

She said what is known as

Physically challenged girl wins scholarship

BY DAYO ADESULU

that making their problems known to the appropriate persons will enhance rapid solution.

Also, the Principal, C. O Odetola in his speech told the students that the purpose of God creating them is greater than their careers, families and ambitions, adding that if they want to know why they

ties or colleges, she discovered that Nigeria is blessed with extremely brilliant and dedicated students who are interested in pursuing a brighter future but are hindered by several socio-cultural or financial challenges. “That was what gave birth to LUZ NEEMA Scholarship,” she said.

According to Oresegun, there are some courses which are not available in Nigerian universities but which Canadian schools have attained mastery level, urging government to provide opportunities for willing students to study courses which will propel economic development. She said, “For quite a number of industrialised nations, there are bilateral agreements which ensure that either citizen is accorded same treatment while taking abode in these nations.

Brainfield Group of Schools today “is a fruition of the dream to teach children success through hard work and an unshakeable commitment to the inculcation of moral discipline and academic excellence in our students.

"I saw the direction in which our most valued social good was heading and was compelled to come up with this intervention – Brainfield Schools - with the support of my husband, Engr. Brendan Obasi."

She noted that the school, whose motto is Success through hard work, has been able to produce outstanding professionals in every field.

“Through the rich array of academic and uniquely packaged extra-curricular activities coupled with the optimum utilisation of high definition human

and material resources at our disposal, we have remained committed to our motto.”

She named some ex-students of the school who have made the nation proud to include “Onobuogu Nneka who graduated with a first class at Linton University College, Malaysia; Obasi Ebubechukwu , best student (MSc. Business and Enterprise), Oxford University England; Okpokwasili Chibueze, first class from the University of Port Harcourt and Ezeji Kelechi, first class from the Federal University of Technology Owerri.

“Our students have always represented Rivers State and Nigeria as ambassadors in the National High School Model United Nations Conference and have done very well in other competitions," she said.

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DUCATION stakeholders have commended Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji, for his visionary and exemplary leadership towards rebuilding the moral infrastructure of education in Abia State.

Orji was commended at the Consultative Forum of Education Stakeholders in Abuja on the Exam Ethics Campaign for his actions aimed at making Abia the most exam ethics-friendly state in Nigeria through his policy of zero-tolerance for exam malpractice in Abia.

Briefing delegates on the status of the campaign in states across the country, the founding Chairman of Exam Ethics Marshals International, Ike Onyechere, MFR, said Abia State Government stood out in its determination to record zero involvement in exam malpractice by candidates, principals, teachers, supervisors and invigilators in 2013 post-primary exit examinations.

Statistics show that between 1996 and 2011, a total of 7,146,720 candidates out of 59,569,560 that sat for postprimary exit examinations (WAEC, NECO, JAMB, NABTEB) in Nigeria were caught in the act of malpractice.

Topfaith marks 10th anniversar y

BY IDORENYIN INYANG

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RRANGEMENTS are on to mark the 10th anniversa-ry of Topfaith International Secondary School, Mkpatak, Akwa Ibom State on Saturday, July21. According to the proprietor, Dr Emmanuel Abraham, the event will feature anniversary lectures by three professors from the University of Lagos, Federal University of Technology Owerri and the University of Uyo. They are expected to give lectures on the theme: Training of children for good adulthood.

Also expected is Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, who will inaugurate the school’s 5,000-seater auditorium, a lodge corpers' lodge and a hostel, Godswill Akpabio Hall.

Abraham said the school has a vision to run an international education centre that will produce children who can compete favourably in the global world.

He noted that in the past 10 years, “the school whose philosophy is Garbage in, Gold out, has produced close to 800 students; some of who are concluding their PhDs in various fields.” Abraham

said the school has been able to maintain high academic standards because of discipline and teacher:student ratio.

"We have a multi dimensional approach to discipline, our first step in disciplining a child is to discipline the mentor. If the mentors are time-conscious, courteous and hardworking, the students will follow the example. Initially when we started we had a ratio of one teacher to 20 students but we now have one teacher to 10 students.

We have 1128 students and 162 teaching staff and more than 200 non-teaching staff.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012 — 37

BY OLA AJAYI, Ibadan

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A Peugeot 504 Station Wagon that ran into a bridge washed away on Arulogun Road.

Ibadan: Flood of tears, accusations and counter-accusations sist all. So, let the people assist the government to avert any further loss”.

One of the victims of the recent flood, Mr. Sakiru Adarabiabo who fled when his house was submerged said: “We have been in this house for many years. And until last year, we never had any problem of flooding. We are always scared any time it appears as if it’s about to rain. How long shall we live in fear. We have no money to build another house. Where shall we move to?” nother victim, Mr. Akin jide Akintola, the Political Editor of Nigerian Compass, complained: “The bridge needs attention. It is too low and the river really needs proper dredging. In the first place, political influence affected the construction of the bridge. Instead of making the road from Orita to run straight and make the flow of water to be much easier, it was bent over there, so that some houses belonging to some powerful ones on the other side would not be affected”.

One of the residents of Apete, Mr. Najeem Raheem, said: “It was as a result of this situation that many residents of this community stayed at home yesterday. The pedestrian bridge we are managing has collapsed. There is no way we can move out through it. The other road linking Ajibode is so bad that it is not passable. The

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one to Akufo is also bad with many potholes created by rain since it was graded. The Polytechnic students and staff are now in dilemma. Students of Lifeforte School here are starting exams tomorrow

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UT for the timely interven tion of Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, who opened up about 199 drainage channels linked to streams and rivers within Ibadan metropolis, the state would, by now, be counting another heavy human and material loss after the heavy downpour that sacked many residents in the city from their homes.

When the rain that started on Saturday evening and continued for three to four hours, many residents in the city, especially those living in houses that are close to riverbanks, needed no soothsayer to warn them of impending danger.

And with the ugly incident of August 26, 2012 still fresh in their memories, some of them abandoned their property and fled for dear lives.

The rains fell heavily throughout the night and continued on Sunday morning so that some Christians could not take the risk of going to their churches.

While commenting on the effects of the flood, the State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Bosun Oladele, said the incident had further exposed some of the structures that should be demolished on the water ways, especially at Orita Challenge and other parts of the city.

Oladele said: “Some of the structures that were not marked for demolition before were being exposed and the government would have no choice than to continue with the demolition exercise. But, on the whole, we thank God that no casualty has been recorded”.

The government had many times threatened that it would demolish structures obstructing waterways but rescinded its decision due to some pending litigations filed by the owners of the structures. It had earlier marked over 200 houses but ended up demolishing about 56 houses. This generated heated arguments with some landlords alleging that the government had introduced some political considerations to the demolition exercise.

Dr. Festus Adedayo, the Special Adviser on media also explained why the government was hesitant in demolishing the affected structures. He said: “The government has been very careful, lest the people rise up against it just like they did when 3, 000 workers with falsified ages and forged certificates were sacked. If the redmarked 200 houses have been demolished at a time, you know what would have happened.

Our advice is that people residing in such buildings should vacate them. The government had relocated some victims of last year’s flood. It cannot as-

Until last year, we never had any problem of flooding; we are always scared any time it appears as if it’s about to rain.

How long shall we live in fear?

We have no money to build another house

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(today), and so many of them will have to miss it except the exam is postponed. People here are particularly not happy with the way the contractor, KBB International, is handling the bridge. Transportation from Apete to Sango which used to attract a fare of N50 now goes for N500. This is becoming unbearable”.

Meanwhile, dissatisfied with the level of work done so far

many months after commencement, the state government has revoked the contract it signed with the company. The state Commissioner for Works and Transport, Alhaji Yunus Akintunde, who spoke with newsmen after the weekly state executive meeting said with the intensity of the rain, government had to act fast.

He said: “The council equally considered the Apete Bridge today and resolved that because of the current development and the heavy downpour that had suddenly occurred, there is the need to take a drastic action on the bridge construction so as to ameliorate the suffering of our people. In this wise, council decided that the drastic measure would have to be a reassessment and re-awarding of the bridge contract which should take place within the next 24 hours”. is counterpart, the Com missioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development noted that: “The government is beginning soon the second phase of the removal of such structures (built on flood plains). However, we are inhibited by the activities of some landlords and landlords’ associations whose houses are located on flood plains who have taken government to court even for marking their structures for demolition. But we do plan to embark on the demolition exercise very soon.

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We have marked the structures and we are going to remove them but we may not cover them in totality due to these court injunctions”.

Owing to the enormity of the project, Dr. Adedayo, said that part of the pro-active measures the government took was to work in partnership with the World Bank. “Because the task of reconstructing these bridges is so massive and is beyond the state government alone, immediately after last year’s flood, Governor Abiola Ajimobi met with officials of the World Bank and did a power-point presentation on the case of Ibadan flood disaster, upon which the bank sent its representatives to the state for an assessment. The report has culminated in the bank, with the support of the Federal Ministry of Finance, agreeing in principle to grant the state government the sum of N200 million emergency relief, which is almost ready.

“Part of the fund is to channelise the 30 kilometres Ona River and complete the Upper Ogunpa River, along with helping solve the state waste management challenges, from storage, collection, transportation to disposal sites, so as to turn them into sanitary landfills and to eventually begin a waste-towealth programme. An absence of these efforts has often been a major cause of flood disasters,” the government said.

38—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

dayobenson@yahoo.com I N S I D E

Counsel Corner: Original Certificate as Surety for Bond

A Socio-Legal Analysis of GaniF a w ehinmi’s Human GaniFa Rights Praxis

As Ojo Maduekwe leaves for Ottawa … (3)

— Pg 42

— Pg 41

— Pg 42

How NBA election was won and lost

BY INNOCENT ANABA AND ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

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•Mr Emeka Obegolu

•Chief Okechukwu Wali, SAN adopted by lawyers from different parts of the country, under different fora.

For instance, for the office of the President which were contested by lawyers from the Eastern Bar Forum, drew much controversy and horsetrading. Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN, from the East, had felt cheated and uncomfortable with the adoption of Chief Oke Wali, SAN , by the General Assembly of the Eastern Bar Forum,

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HE die is cast as a new executive, which will lead the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, for the next two years finally emerged Tuesday after series of horse trading and politicking. The road leading to the emergence of the new exco was torturous and challenging.

Except for those who were returned unopposed in the well contested elections of the association, all the candidates had campaigned from one part of the country to the other.

While this was on, most of them spent time and money to draw supporters, using different methods including one on one campaign at the same time whipping up sentiments to canvass support.

Many of the candidates also used Information Technology (IT) and SMS to convey their ability and proficiency to occupy the respective offices they were running for.

No doubt, two offices; the office of the President and Secretary were keenly contested. Except the offices of the 2nd Vice-President, the legal Adviser, 1st Assistant Secretary and Assistant Publicity Secretary that were returned unopposed, other offices were also keenly contested. It was evident that much energy and resources were committed by the candidates vying for the elections.

Among the positions keenly contested were that of the President, which had Chief Okechukwu Wali, SAN, Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN and Chief Blessing Ukiri.

For General Secretary, Emmanuel Haruna, Emeka Obegolu and Olumuyiwa Olowokure slugged it out.

For the position of 1st Vice President were Folusho Fayokun, O.J Erahbor, Caleb Dajan and Awoniyi Alabi.

For the office of the 3rd Vice President were S. H. Garun Gabas and Francis Ekwere.

Joyce Oduah and Shinyanbola Ganiat Adetutu slugged it out for Treasurer. For Publicity Secretary were Afam Obi and Gbolahan Gbadamosi.

We have welfare Secretary contested

by Ma‘Sud M. Alabelewe and Kelvin Ezinna , while 2nd Assistant Secretary office was contested by Benjamin Isetin, Gabriel Opayinka and U.F.O Nnaemeka.

Apart from the strategies employed by the candidates, especially for those that contested for the offices of the President and the Secretary General, the preferred candidates were freely

After the adoption of the EBF, the hope of other candidates who contested the office of the president were sealed by similar adoption by the Arewa Lawyers Forum

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EBF, in Umuahia, Abia State, while ratifying the adoption of candidates by its leadership, earlier in May. The Governing Council of the association and its elders had at its meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on May 19, adopted candidates for the different offices.

At the meeting which was chaired by the EBF chairman, Mr Kemasuode

Wodu, they allowed aspirants, who were non members to address them and canvass for votes. Those who addressed the meeting included E.A. Haruma, Emeka Obegolu and O.O. Olowokure as General Secretary aspirants, Mr. O.J. Erhabor, a candidate for the office of 1st vice president also addressed the forum.

The Arewa Lawyers Forum delegation addressed the meeting and presented their letter to the Forum.

Those adopted for the election included Chief Wali, SAN, for the President; Joyce Odua for Treasurer; Afam Obi for Publicity Secretary; Kelvin Ejeleonu for Welfare Secretary and Unachukwu John Echezona for Assistant Publicity Secretary.

Shortly after the adoption by EBF, the hope of other candidates, who contested the office of the president were sealed by similar adoption by the Arewa Lawyers Forum, which threw its support behind the EBF’s candidates, for future political calculations.

Close to all the candidates adopted by these fora eventually coasted home to victory.

Those who eventually won the elections were Chief Okechukwu Wali, SAN, who emerged as the 26th President of Nigerian Bar Association, NBA. He was declared winner having polled a total of 688 votes as against 449 and 2 votes that were polled by other contenders for the position, Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN, and Chief Blessing Ukiri, respectively.

Others, who also emerged victorious were, 1st Vice President, Mr O.J Erahbor with 372 votes; 2nd Assistant Secretary, Mr U.F.O Nnaemeka with 507 votes; Publicity Secretary, Mr Afam Obi with 628 votes; Welfare Secretary, Mr Kelvin Ezinna with 600 votes; National Treasurer, Mrs Joyce Oduah with 925 votes; 3rd Vice President, Mr Francis Ekwere with 734 votes, while Mr Emeka Obegolu, emerged General Secretary, polling 527 votes, to beat two other candidates.

A massage to other candidates, who are from EBF, who were not adopted, the forum chairman, said: “There is always another day, those who were not adopted should take it in good faith and wait for their own turn. Some other day, it may well be their turn”.

On whether The Forum has May Continues on page 41

EDITORIAL TEAM Dayo Benson (Editor) Innocent Anaba Wahab Abdulah Ikechukwu Nnochiri

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012— 39

40 —VANGUARD, THURSDAY JULY 19, 2012

How NBA election was won and lost Continues from page 40 sanctions for its members who refuse to respect the spirit of the adoption, Igwenyi said: ‘’if you refuse to obey our resolution, you will pay the price because it means that we cannot trust you to handle our briefs, you’re not somebody that plays by the rules, but if you respect our verdict, it means that next time you show up, we will be able to look in your direction.”

It was not all the candidates adopted by the different fora, who emerged victorious. This is to be expected any way. Some of the candidates, who had the backing of their respective fora, did not win. The charisma of some of the candidates, their reach, contact and manifestoes also contributed in no small way to their winning. While it is accepted that the endorsement played a major role, it must be pointed out that it was not absolute, otherwise, how would one explain the failure of other candidates endorsed by their fora from winning?

One unique thing about the just concluded election was that we have two persons from the same geo-political zone, the East, occupying the offices of President and General Secretary,

respectively, in the person of Wali, SAN and Obegolu.

This happened last during Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, tenure, when Deacon Dele Adesina, SAN, was the Secretary General, both from the West.

One other unique feature of the election, was the ability of EBF to deliver all the candidates it endorsed for the various positions. Which ever way one looks at it, EBF came out of the election, better for it.

The new NBA President Okechukwu Wali, was born in Rumualogu, Akpor in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. He attended University of Buckingham, United Kingdom and graduated with Bachelor of Laws degree in 1983. He returned home for the mandatory one-year vocational training at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos.

After his NYSC programme, he joined the law firm of C.C.L. WilJiams-Chukwu & Co, in PortHarcourt, where he spent five years, learning the ropes and acquiring vital skills, encompassing solicitor practice

and courtroom advocacy. In 1990, he took the step of courage by establishing the law firm of Okey Wali & Co. in Port-Harcourt, and amidst devotion to diverse responsibilities as would be seen hereunder, he has run the chambers till date.

He has exhibited sterling leadership qualities right from his childhood to his adolescence and throughout his adult life. He has discharged with impressive efficiency, all the responsibilities that have devolved on him and he never shrinks from taking responsibility.

Two years after he started his private chambers, he became the Secretary of NBA, Port-Harcourt branch, in April 1992, a position he held till April 1994.

In the same 1992, he became a member of the National Executive Committee of NBA, which position he holds till date.

Never tired of assuming responsibilities under the aegis of his Association, Okey Wali was appointed a member of the Disciplinary Committee of the NBA Port-Harcourt in May 1996 and held that position till

The Supreme Court doctrine in the interpretation and construction of statutes (7) approach has been accepted in England Continues from last week

I

T is very clear from the relevant provisions that No person elected under the 1999 Constitution Can remain in that office for a day longer than as provided, otherwise the intention of the framers of the Constitution would be defeated. To accede to the argument of the respondents is to bring uncertainty into the clear provision of section 180(2) of the 1999 Constitution which will render the tenure of Governors indefinite……To calculate the tenure of office of the governor from the date of their second oath of allegiance and office while ignoring the period from May 29, 2007 when they took the first oaths is to extend the four years tenure constitutionally granted the governors to occupy and act in that office which would be unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court finally held that the second oath of allegiance and office taken in 2008, though necessary to enable them to continue to function, were clearly superfluous in the determination of the four years tenure under section 180(2) of the 1999 Constitution. In consequence, the tenure of the respondents began on 29th May, 2007 and terminated on 28th May, 2011, being four years allowed by the 1999 Constitution.

Conclusion The judgment of the Supreme Court finally laid to rest the issue of tenure elongation in Nigeria. This judgment is in line with the principles of statutory interpretation. In interpreting statutes, courts are enjoined to give the statutes its ordinary and literal meaning unless this would lead to ambiguity or inconsistency. In interpreting a statute or Constitution, courts are to discover the intention of the legislature and such intention is to be deduced from the language of the statute or Constitution.

To have held otherwise, would have meant that the five governors would stay

in office for more than eight years. This would defeat the intention of the framers of the Constitution. Section 180(2) of the Constitution is clear and explicit and its provisions did not allow for the interpretation suggested by the respondents.

This interpretation by the Supreme Court is in line with the purposive approach to statutory interpretation. A purposive approach to statutory interpretation seeks to discover the intention of the legislature. This

and indeed in many Commonwealth countries as the best approach to statutory interpretation. The Supreme Court has also shown that it is abreast with comparative jurisprudence on statutory interpretation. This is the Supreme Court doctrine in the interpretation and construction of statutes.

* Professor Lawrence Atsegbua, Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Benin.

NBA election result PRESIDENT OKECHUKWU WALI — 688 EMEKA NGIGE — 449 BLESSING UKIRI — 2 GENERAL SECRETARY EMEKA OBEGOLU — 527 Emmanuel HARUNA — 322 O.O OLOWOKURE — 298 1ST VICE PRESIDENT FOLUSHO FAYOKUN — 134 O .J ERAHBOR — 372 CALEB DAJAN — 266 AWONIYI ALABI — 369 2ND VICE PRESIDENT STEPHEN ABAR (UNOPPOSED) 3RD VICE PRESIDENT FRANCIS EKWERE — 732 S .H GARUN GABAS — 600 TREASURER JOYCE ODUAH —925 SHINYANGANIAT ADETUTU —217 LEGAL ADVISER USMAN O. SULE (UNOPPOSED) PUBLICITY SECRETARY AFAM OBI — 622 GBOLAHAN GBADAMOSI —514 WELFARE SECRETARY KELVIN EZINNA — 600 MA‘SUD M. ALABELEWE — 534 1ST ASSISTANT SECRETARY PAUL EBIALA (UNOPPOSED) 2ND ASSISTANT SECRETARY U. F .O. NNAEMEKA — 502 GABRIEL OPAYINKA — 451 BENJAMIN ISETIN — 158 ASSISTANT PUBLICITY Secretary NWACHUKWU JOHN AUSTIN (UNOPPOSED)

Alex to hold lecture on Constitutional Reform and People’s Will

A

ELEX Legal Practitioners is set to play host to the great Professor Ali Mazrui, Albert Schweitzer Professor of the Humanities and director of the Institute of Global Cultural Studies, at Binghamton University New York; who will be the Guest Speaker at the 8th Aelex Annual Lecture.

Mazrui, who has been named one of the 100 greatest Africans of all time, as well as one of the world’s top 100 public intellectuals will be speaking on the lecture theme for this year, “This House Must Not Fall: Constitutional Reform and the

People’s Will.”

The lecture is expected to open a discourse on this hot topic, to provide the general public the opportunity for education on topical issues of national interest, which is usually handled by experts in relevant fields.

Discussants at this year’s lecture include, former Research Professor, Dr. Haroun Adamu, a renowned academic and veteran journalist and a member of the 1989 Constitutional Conference, Dr. Ayo Teriba, the chief executive officer of Economic Associates and member of National Economic Intelligence Committee,

NEIC and Ms. Ann-kio Briggs, a prominent activist from the Niger Delta and Founder/President, Agape Birthrights Organisation.

The annual event which commenced in 2005 is organised to commemorate the formation of AELEX on July 1, 2004, which was borne out of a merger of four leading law firms with diversified practice areas.

This year’s event holding at the Agip Hall, Muson Centre, Lagos on July 25, 2012 will be Chaired by Justice Kayode Eso; a retired Justice of Supreme Court.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012—41

VANGUARD LAW IN PIX Original Certificate as Surety for Bond Is it legal to ask new employers being recruited as trainees to submit their original certificates as surety for a bond agreement?

Anonymous An agreement is a contract between two or more parties and it is binding on the parties involved. Not all agreements or contracts are written in black and white. The law recognises oral contract and it is enforceable. In the case of a written agreement, it becomes binding when the parties involved attest their signatures to it. There are some factors that can however vitiate an agreement and make it unenforceable.

For instance, where fraud is intended by one of the parties or where certain unanticipated circumstances occur. That is why it is presumed that parties involved understand the terms and conditions contained in the agreement clauses.

Hence, a minor cannot enter into a contract and if he or she does, it has no force of law. Also, before an illiterate or a blind person enters into a contract, the content of the contractual documents must be read to such a person and it must be understood before he thumbprints.

In the case of an educated individual with capacity to enter into a contract, the law presumes that the person knows the implications of such a contract and that they are satisfactory. If an employer requested for original certificate of trainee employee as surety for a bond. It is left for such an employee to accept or reject the offer.

The question of legality or otherwise of such a request does not arise. Perhaps, one may interrogate the morality behind it. Sometimes what is legally right may not necessarily be morally correct. I am certain that some unpleasant past experiences might have informed the decision of the employer to ask for original certificates of trainee employees as surety for bond.

There might have been instances in the past where the employer had trained some new employees to acquire skills that would enhance their performance on the job and such beneficiaries unceremoniously left the employment for better ones. So, by asking the trainees to submit their original Certificate as surety, the employer is only trying to secure its investment on the trainees.

With your original Certificate in your employer’s possession, you are not likely to walk away after the investment on you.

NBA elects Wali, Obegolu, others The Nigerian Bar Association NBA, Tuesday, held its national biennial delegates Conference in Abuja and elected national officers to run the association for the next two years. Photos: Gbemiga Olamikan

From left: Outgoing NBA President, Mr Joseph Daudu, SAN, and Chief Mike Ahamba, SAN.

Chief Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN (right) and Mr Sikiru Oke

In-coming President of NBA, Chief Okey Wali, SAN (right) and Mr Nankham Dammo.

From right: Mr Layi Babatunde SAN, Mr Chuma Oguejiosor, Ofiah A. J, SAN and Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN.

Ministerial Appointment and Constitutional Provision What is your reaction to Mr. President ‘s refusal to appoint a minister from Urhobo Nation in Delta State with respect to Section 14 (3) of the Constitution?

Stanley, Warri I think it is proper to answer this question by quoting Section 14 (3) of the 1999 Constitution as Amended which you referred to.

According to the section “the composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few States or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies.”

I think the provision of this section of the Constitution is very clear. In appointing ministers and heads of federal agencies, the Constitution enjoins the President to ensure that the appointments reflect federal character and that no particular ethnic group is in dominance.

This, however, does not mean that the President must appoint ministers from every ethnic nationality that is in a particular state. It is his discretion to appoint a minister from any part of a state based on recommendation made to him.

He is not constitutionally bound to appoint a minister from Urhobo nation. The minister representing Delta State in the federal cabinet can be from other ethnic nationality in the state. So, this is the letter and the spirit of provision of Section 14 (3) of the Constitution.

You can send your questions to dayobenson@yahoo.com or 08056180119 (text only)

Delegates line up to vote.

From right: Mr. Solomon Umoh; Mr. Dele Oye, SAN; Mr. Emmanuel Umoren and Mr. Abdul Ibrahim.

Delegates shopping as the election was going on.

A delegate casting his vote.

Delegates marking their ballot papers at election

Delegates lined up to vote.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012—43

42—VANGUARD, THURSDAY JULY 19, 2012

As Ojo Maduekwe leaves for Ottawa … (3)

BY AWA KALU, (SAN)

S

AMSON’S power was shut down by his dalliance with Delilah while Saul lost power due to disobedience – doing what he was not supposed to. David, Solomon and a host of others fell from the Olympian height at different times.

The abiding lesson is that all power comes from God and when you are entrusted with power, you most use it in a manner that edifies and not for pedestrian purposes. Ojo Maduekwe was charged to be an Ambassador for Christ and only in that way will Glory come to the country and to God. A whole day of celebration followed the church’s send forth and it would serve no useful purpose to list the political and social juggernauts who turned up to wish the Maduekwe’s farewell.

However, it would be apposite to merely recapitulate one or two instructive speeches that were made in the course of the celebration. Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives,

•Awa Kalu, SAN ably surmised the Nigerian condition and was of the view that Nigeria can be rescued from the precipice if an internal regeneration process is designed and faithfully executed. The present crop of leaders, under whose watch the nation’s hopes are fast evaporating, must rekindle their spirit and speak out boldly when things are going wrong. On the same line, the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission recommended that Nigeria’s way forward is to develop a template for selecting our leaders at all levels. The cliché’s in this era of technology is ‘garbage in, garbage out Properly translated as a mantra for

national development, only tested and trusted leaders should lead us in the management of public affairs.

On that premise, it is easy why Chief Ojo Maduekwe has successively shown up in the hunt for talent. He graduated with honours from the University of Nigeria in 1972 and was admitted to practice as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme court of Nigeria in 1973. That was the beginning of a stellar career at the Bar, in politics and public office. He served as a member of the National Boundaries Commission in 1997 and in the same year was appointed member/ Technical Adviser, VISION 2010. He served as a member of the defunct National Assembly in 1983 before the military took over the reins of Government that year.

Between 1988 and 1989 he served as a member of the National Assembly and even though the 1989 Constitution never became the ‘grundnorm’, the Babangida step by step transition to civil rule which was designed to start at the grassroots and

culminate in an elected President benefitted from the work of the Assembly. Each stage of the transition programme was empowered by a Decree which extracted an appropriate portion of the 1989 Constitution to enable democratic tutelage. He was an Adviser to the Chairman of the Social Democratic Party between 1990 and 1992, Adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1993 to 1995. He also participated in yet another constitutional conference in 1994-1995. At the dawn of the new democratic experience in 1999, he was appointed Obasanjo’s Minister of Culture and Tourism and was later appointed Minister of Transport, a position in which he proposed a bicycle riding culture for Nigerians not only as a means of transport but for fitness. When he left that office, he became the President’s Adviser on Legal and Constitutional Affairs and later served as National Secretary of Africa’s largest political party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He was tapped from that position

and translated to the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs between 2007 and 2010. When it was time for elections, he became the Deputy Director General of the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan Presidential Campaign – the outcome of his sojourn being the election of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

That summarizes the career in public office of a senior member of the Nigerian Bar. Born to a Presbyterian Minister, Chief Ojo Maduekwe himself is also a ruling Elder of the church, just as his wife, Ucha. As the Prelate of the Presbyterian church, most Rev. Professor E.M. Uka said, Chief Ojo Maduekwe’s life of public service merely confirms that there is spiritual capital and it can provide a rich harvest. I know that I speak the mind of his many admirers by prophesying that he will go to Canada and the Nigerian flag will be held aloft having regard to his pedigree. We look forward to eating Ohafia soup in his Residence once he settles down there.

A Socio-Legal Analysis of GaniF awehinmi’s Human Rights Praxis GaniFa

BY PROF OBIORA OKAFOR

T

HIS paper is to assess systematically, the human rights praxis (the theory-informed human rights practice) of the late GaniFawehinmi, one of Nigeria’s – and indeed one of the World’s – most cerebral, dogged, accomplished, and thus celebrated, human rights lawyer/activist. The idea here is to train a scholarly searchlight on the character, attainments and limitations of this iconic figure’s human rights praxis, while conceptually situating that praxis in the broader contexts of both Nigerian and global human rights discourse and experience.How precisely did GaniFawehinmi(hereafter referred to by his virtual nomdeguerre“Gani”) go about doing his human rights work?

What exactly, if any,are his value-added contributions to the advancement of the cause of human rights in Nigeria (and beyond)? What were the limitations, if any, of his preferred approaches to human rights activism? And in what ways, if at all, did his human rights praxis conform with or depart from the dominant approaches to human rights activism within and without Nigeria?

A key conceptual and methodological point that should be noted at the outset is that the goal of this paper is not to analyze the entire body of work that Gani produced as

a lawyer andsocio-political activist. That very massive undertaking is way beyond the scope of a paper such as this. The focus here is squarely on his body of human rights work. An even then, only a representative sample of that segment of his body of work(gathered via the purposive sampling method) is analyzed here.The vastness of the terrain to be covered were every single aspect of his human rights work to be collected and reviewed, and the space constraints that inevitably define a paper such as this,necessitated the adoption of the sampling method.

In a similar methodological vein, it should also be pointed out that since, even upon cursory examination, Gani’s body of human rights work appears tohave transcended the narrow confines of the legal, and did in fact include the political and the social,the analysis undertaken here had totake on that the same colour.

Accordingly, the range of efforts that Gani made to advance the human rights of Nigerians is treated in this paper in a more or less transdisciplinary way. Thismeans that Gani’s work in the fields of law, politics, and social relations are viewed as intertwined, interconnected, interdependent, and often symbiotic, and are not treated or analyzedas separate spheresof activity or silos.It is for this reason that the analysis undertaken in the

•Gani Fawehinmi paper isproperly viewed as of “socio-legal”or “law-insociety” character.

As importantly, given that one of thekey overarching concerns of the enquiry that is conducted in this paper is the extent to which Gani’sotherwise much celebrated human rights praxis wasneverthelessriven by the very same kinds of“immanent dualities” that appear to have historically characterized virtually all manifestations of human rights praxisthe world over(what I have referred to elsewhere as “the dualistic deep structure of the [human rights] discipline”)the concept of immanent duality as it applies to human rightsdoes require someexplanationin this introductory section. The expression“the immanent dualities of human rights” or the phrase“its dualistic deep structure”refers to the fact that

throughout recorded human history human wrongs have always been the flip side of the human rights coin, and vice versa. Human wrongs and human rights have always been joined at the hip, one with the other. As such, at no time in human history has a human rights heaven existed. Rather, what we have always had are human rights worlds: which are places of imperfection, of good and evil, of contradictions, of dualities.

For, throughout the history of human society, the enjoyment of human rights for some has always existed side by side with, and has always in fact entailed, the violation of the human rights of some others. For e.g., as I have argued elsewhere, “The American Declaration of Independence loftily proclaimed that all humans were born free and should remain so while slavery remained conceptually legitimized in the praxis of the very drafters of that document and went on largely unhindered for over a century afterward (Morgan, 1972).”

And the high quality of life enjoyed by the great thinkers of any society, whether within the four walls of the ancient university at Timbuktu, or in the Roman Curia, has always come at the price of the displacement suffering to the hewers of wood and fetchers of water whose grinding toiling existence allowed these thinkers the free time and full bellies usually

necessary for meaningful reflection.

Even in the most human rights friendly societies of our time, significant rights violations and displacements of suffering from one segment of society to another (the “other”) do occur on a daily basis. Indeed, in the real world, in the living human rights law (which is human rights law as it is actually experienced by real people and not the human rights that exist in the texts of constitutions, statutes, and treaties), the enjoyment of certain human rights almost always requires the deprivation however minor in extent of certain rights from others. Your freedom of expression is for some others a deprivation of their right to privacy or right to dignity or freedom from racist discrimination. The difference between eras and between societies has always been relative: i.e. how extensive the zone of violation is in one era or in a specific society, relative to the zone occupied by violations, and compared to other eras and societies.And so the question raised by the phenomenon of the existence of such “immanent dualities” iswhether, just like human rights praxis itself, Ganiwas at one and the very same time a defender of human rights and a perpetrator of human wrongs? And whether this matters in any way?

To be continued

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012—43

tor are not in conformity with ICAO SAARPs. The fact that the various enactments setting up the aviation parastatals are still in force, coupled with the current set up at the Ministry of Aviation effectively diminishes/dilutes the role of the NCAA as industry regulator.

3.5.4 It is worthy of note that the proposed civil aviation bill, tries to streamline some of the apparent duplications and role conflicts between the Ministry of Aviation and NCAA on the one hand and, between NCAA and the other aviation agencies on the other hand.

The bill is yet to become law. There is also the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) version of the bill which is significantly different from version of the bill authored by the Federal Ministry of Aviation. Meanwhile, the following comments are based on the law as it is now.

3.5.5.

Within the NCAA itself, several factors have been identified as major impediments to its effective regulation of the aviation industry, in accordance with existing legislation and ICAO SARPs.

US Airways plane which crashed into the New York Hudson River

Dearth of qualified manpower An American plane that crashed in Afghanistan

Why our planes crash (7) The summary of the final report of the Presidential Task Force on Aviation Industry submitted by the Task Force team headed by Air Vice Marshal Paul Dike (rtd) on March 2006

,

There is a dearth of suitably qualified manpower; to perform core functions in the technical departments of the agency.

The Task Force discovered that the manning level at the technical departments of NCAA were very poor

,

Continues from yesterday

I

N an industry where conti nuity is the watchword and experience the very foundation upon which it is built, frequent changes of its personnel, particularly on the top echelon, have not augured well for the industry.

3.4.5 Appointment of Chief Executives and key staff of the agencies under the ministry are said to have been politicised, with every aviation minister appointing his own set of chief executives and key personnel of the parastatals.

This has resulted in unnecessary wastage of experienced and qualified manpower due to premature disengagements/retirements whilst taking on board persons whose competence on the job is doubtful, or questionable.

3.4.7 The Task Force was informed and has received petitions to the effect that after every ugly aviation incident, scapegoats are hurriedly identified and booted out under the guise of reorganisation; instead of conducting a thorough invetigation, identifying the real culprits and appropriately sanctioning them. The discontent among the staff of the agencies is caused by the fact that those who

are really guilty may be left untouched while innocent people have had their careers unjustifiably truncated. It has also robbed the agency of competent hands who have been trained over the years and who would otherwise have been available to render the much desired professional services to the agencies.

3.4.8 Another problem is the apprehensions of staff over what is now perceived as arbitrariness on the part of senior management with respect to labour issues namely career advancement and job security among others. In aviation a disgruntled worker, the saying goes, is an accident waitng to happen.

Sense of belonging The Task Force is of the view that staff of the organisation need a sense of belonging, sense of purpose, job security, motivation in order to bring out their best.

Discontent and apprehension do exactly the reverse.

NIGERIAN DIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY (NCAA) The Civil Aviation Act of 1964 vests in the Honourable Minis-

(I) There is a dearth of suitably qualified manpower; to perform core functions in the technical departments of the agency. The Task Force determined that the manning level at the technical departments of NCAA were very poor. In the Flight Operations Department, the pilot employed were found to be very few in number and mostly unqualified. Some of the NCAA pilots could not pass their simulator checks, yet they were retained as inspectors or in the Flight Calibration Unit.

Pilots who could not pas their simulator checks should not be

ter of Aviation the power to make regulations in respect of air. travel.

The NCAA decree empowers the board of the Authority to make regulations. ICAO prescribes that: (a) Member states should establish a civil aviation authority; (b) authority and responsibility to develop, issue and revise operating regulators and rules consistent with the code of air navigation is in the hand of the aviation authority. © Enforcement of the code of air navi•Air Vice Marshal Paul Dike (rtd), gation regulations chairman, Task Force on Aviation Industry and rules should be done by the civil aviused to inspect other pilots or simation authority.

3.5.2 It is worthy of note that ulators, as they cannot command ICAO had advised Nigeria to the respect of their peers. In the properly delegate authority and Airworthiness Department very corresponding responsibilities few of the inspectors had relevant over the aviation sector to a Civil practical experience or licence.

Aviation Authority; (ICAO com- Unlicensed engineers were givments on Civil Aviation Policy of en responsibility to inspect airplanes for issuance of certificate Nigerian 1998).

3.5.3 Existing institutional ar- of airworthiness and certificate of rangements in the aviation sec- Continues on page 44

44—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

Why our planes crash (7)

Institutionalising mediocrity (xiii)The Agency has been accused by its staff and industry analysts of institutionalising mediocrity by adopting an improper rewarding system which places unproductive staff over and above hard working and dedicated ones. (ivx) The pay and conditions of service of NCAA in relation to what obtains in the industry which the agency regulate does not provide morale among its staff .

NIGERIAN AIRSPACE MANAGEMENT AGENCY (NAMA) NAMA is responsible for the provision of Air Navigation Services within the Nigerian Airspace. This includes Air Traffic Control, Aeronautical communications. Navigational-Aids, Equipment calibration, Aeronautical Information Services, and Aeronautical Search and Rescue.

The Task Force found that the agency had several deficiencies such as: (i) NAMA has experienced lack of stability of leadership and the problems of lack of continuity due to improper succession of its leadership, and within its departments. (ii) At the airports visited, the Task Force found that NAMA

equipment and facilities, including terminal radar, were not available, and where available, not serviceable. (iii) Poor maintenance of available equipment and faciities, as seen from the number of non-functional facilities at the airports. (iv) The technical staff complained of inadequate remuneration; inadequate trainng and lack of advancement. (v) The staff records show that agency work force is ageing, and, that there is a shortage of Air Traffic Controllers due to non-recruitment of cadets for many years, whilst the Administrative and Finance staff over bloated.

are weather related. And that of 80% of commercial transport aircraft accidents which had occurred during take-off and landing, a significant proportion occurred in, or near, thunderstorms.

Airlines have therefore adopted strict procedures of evaluating meteorological observations and forecasts. There are now automated warning and delivery systems capable of combining data sources to improve forecasts. With this, one can determine the nature and severity of weather, the short-time scales involved in its formation, development and involvement of conventional systems, including wind shear hail and downstairs.

ports/forecasts are not available even at the key airports and weather stations.

(III)The use of electronic devices such as Runway Visual Range (RVR) is yet to be provided for.

(IV)Majority of the field staff have not enjoyed training and retraining for a very long time.

(V)There are allegations of financial impropriety in the application of NIMET resources. Whilst its equipment and facilities remain out of service for long, the agency is said to be spending huge amount on non-essential items/overheads.

3.8 FEDERAL AIRPORTS AUTHORITY OF NIGERIA

A Boeing 727 that crashed into Mexico’s Sonoran desert (vi) At most of the airports, the agency still uses out-dated methods in disseminating aeronautical Information to prospective users including pilots. (vii) The Task Force found that there is waste of resources of NAMA through misapplication of budgetary provisions to nonpayment essential items to the detriment/up keep of vital equipment, facilities and staff welfare. (viii) NAMA has not adequately performed its assigned role in Aeronautical Search and Rescue.

The role expected of each major stakeholder including relevant units of the military and paramilitary, NAF, and other organization, neighbouring states and local governments: MoUs with neighbouring countries for onboarders operations, in the event of an emergency are not specified. What is each group to do? etc need to be all streamlined.

NIGERIAN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY (NIMET) In aviation, weather has remained an important parameter in determining safety, reglarity and efficiency of aviation operations. The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) bulletin of October, 1995 reported that 40% of all general aviation accidents

3.7.2.

It is also common knowledge-among aviators that wind shear in the terminal area associated with conventional clouds and thunderstorms can cause aircraft accidents.

3.7.3.

The aviation industry in Nigerian depends on NIMET for its weather reports to ensure safe operation of aircrafts.

NIMET should therefore be in a position to provide the industry very accurate weather reports and forecasts, and regularly up-date same.

Updated weather reports/forecasts However, the Task Force has established that NIMET currently lacks the resources (human and material) to provide the type of comprehensive, accurate, and regularly updated weather reports/forecasts. There are several reasons for this.

(I)Although NIMET has a good number of observation stations across the whole country, including most airports, the equipment available is either obsolete, or ouserviceable, or poorly located.

(II)Modern, automated warning and delivery systems, capable of generating comprehensive accurate, up-to-date weather re-

(FAAN) 3.8.1 The law establishing FAAN empowers the agency to develop, provide and maintain airports and all necessary services and facilities for the safe, orderly, expeditious and economic operation of air transport. The Authority presently manages and maintains 19 functional airports. The airports and their facilities are discussed in detail in this report.

However, it is instructive to note that: (I) None of the 19 functional airports, including the four International airport at Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt, met the desired ICAO SARPs for its categorization. The airports all had equipment and facility deficiencies requiring substantial investment to bring them to the desired standard. (ii) The deficiencies in Runways, Taxiways, and Aprons; street lighting systems; airconditioning systems; telecommunications and electronic equipment etc were due largely to poor maintenance. (iii) The Management of Jos, Calabar and Katsina airports were commended by the Task Force for exemplary and innovative leadership, despite the deficiencies at these airports.

To be continued

,

Continues frompage 43 maintenance. The inspectors were perpetually globtrotting to carry out inspections. Some inspections that could be combined were split. An inspector would not combine the inspections of airplanes in the same country. He would rather collect an allowance for seven or 10 days to inspect one airplane and return the next week to inspect the other. Respected pilots in the industry or outside Nigeria should be brought in and in their correct numbers to man the Flight Operations and Licensing Division.

Respected maintenance engineers with relevant practical background could be brought in, trained in inspection functions and injected into NCAA. (ii)Frequent changes of headship and politicisation of key appointments within the agency have led to the loss, over time, of competent and experienced personnel. ix) Staff told the Task Force that collective decisions of aviation safety inspectors are not respected and dissenting views are not subjected to further investigation. x) The Air Operator Certificates (AOCs) issued to airline operator.S are not audited. (xi) Poor attitude to commitment and dedication to duty. (xii) NCAA has not really shown serious commitment towards the collection of dues from airlines, despite the facts that NCAA has unmet budgetary commitments and its debtors are right doorstep.

Respected pilots in the industry or outside Nigeria should be brought in and in their correct numbers to man the Flight Operations and Licensing Division

,

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012—45

C M Y K

46—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

Riverine community affected by the oil spill

munities. It seemed to be satisfied with the response of Shell to the clean up exercise, which, no doubt, was wonderfully handled, but if truth be told, government has not demonstrated that it is troubled about the after effects on the oil communities. Okonedo told Vanguard in Warri recently that some of oil communities, which initially refused clean up because of some rigid conditions bothering on compensation, have capitulated.

Ostensible therapy: What looks like a seeming remedy for NOSDRA came more than six months Bonga oil field ...alleged source of the massive spill after with the disclosure, Monday, at Abuja, by NOSDRA didefinite pronouncement on the rector general, Dr. Peter Idabor, culpability or otherwise of Shell when he appeared before House is NOSDRA. The Nigerian Mar- of Representatives Committee on itime Administration and Safety Environment that SNEPCO had Agency, NIMASA, at the time been fined $5billion over the maschallenged the propriety of the sive oil spill that occurred at its claim by Shell that the spilled Bonga oil field on December 20, 2011. The committee’s 40,000 barrels of oil public hearing was did not pollute commeant to provide key acmunities. The agentors in the Bonga oil spill cy’s director general, an opportunity to brief Ziakede Patrick Akthe committee on the pobolokemi, at a meclaims of affected commudia briefing in Lagos, nities. Idabor said the said preliminary insum was an “administravestigation report on tive penalty” considering the oil spill at the The the large quantity of SNEPCo’s Bonga fa- spilled crude oil discharged into cility indicated that the leak came from the 40,000 bar- the environment by Shell Spilled crude oil scooped by villagers the impact of the inBonga FPSO platform rels impact- and cident on the water and operated by Shell, lonities declined on grounds that ry body, its silence on the matter cated about 120 kilo- ed approxi- aquatic life. proper procedures were not fol- for more than six months is susmetres off Nigeria’s lowed. picious.

Penalty not coast and produce mately on Disbelieving hush on fingerVanguard gathered on good 200,000 barrel of oil compensation 950 square printing result: Clearly intrigu- authority that Shell already had per day. ing in the Bonga spill affair is the the result of the samples it took Shell’s Corporate kilometres According to Idabor, fact that despite assurances that abroad for fingerprinting, but is Media Relations of water the penalty was also conthe result of the crude oil sam- keeping the findings secret.

Manager, Mr. Tony sistent with what was ples, taken abroad shortly after NOSDRA, which is the regulatoOkonedo, however, surface and obtainable in other oil prothe incident for fingerprinting to ry agency and the Directorate of said that only finger- affected ducing countries such as determine the origin of the spill, Petroleum Resources, DPR, also printing would deterVenezuela, Brazil and would be known in two weeks, it collected samples for fingerprintmine the source of the great num- the United States of has been a game of deception, in ing and no word has come from oil. ber of sensi- America. the last six months. them since then.

FG not shown satHe, however, pointed The question on the lips of isfactory concern: tive enviout that the penalty was many is: Where is the National Time for NOSDRA Oddly, beyond the the same as compenOil Spill Detection and Regula- to be out of bed ronmental not overfly visits of some sation since compensation Agency, NOSDRA, whose of the ministers at the resources tion could only be deduty it is to monitor such spills, How long it will take NOS- time and stopover by manded from a polluting find out what happened and pro- DRA to rise up to its responsibilsome members of the across the company after a proper vide protection for host commu- ity is in the womb of time, but an National Assembly, impacted post impact assessment nities from the oil companies. The industry source said the results the Federal Governhas been conducted and unconfirmed story making the of the different tests carried ment has been play- area scientific evidence of imrounds is that the agency has showed some dissimilarities and ing deaf on the plight been settled, and as a superviso- the authorized agency to make Continues on page 47 of the affected com-

SIX MONTHS AFTER BONGA SPILL:

Oil communities still grumbling •Drag NOSDRA, SPDC to court •Accuse Shell of using toxic dispersants •Uncertainty over fingerprinting result

By EMMA AMAIZE, Regional Editor, South-South

D

ISPLACED life: MORE than six months after the December 20, 2011 crude oil spill in the Niger Delta that devastated the flora and fauna of most coastline communities in the region, inhabitants of the affected settlements are living hopelessly, as they have been displaced from their major means of livelihood: fishing.

The home economy is biting hard with hunger becoming endemic according to our findings.

Residents have also complained of the harzadous effects of the chemical dispersants used by Shell Nigeria Production Oil Company, SNPECo, to dissolve the spilled crude oil.

Nevertheless, SNPECo, whose deep-sea oil production facility, known as Bonga Floating Production Storage Vessel, FPSO, supposedly caused the massive damage, had maintained doggedly, in the past six months, that the spilled 40,000 barrels of crude oil did not surge to the communities in question.

Accusing fingers SNEPCo pointed accusing fingers at a third party, ostensibly oil thieves. Though, the company carried out clean-up exercises in a good number of the communities on grounds of corporate social responsibility, the activity was also steeped in controversy, as some of the commu-

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012—47

Oil communities still grumbling Continues frompage 46 pact established. Idabor disclosed that NOSDRA, Shell and other relevant stakeholders have concluded plans to conduct the post impact assessment on the spill as soon as approval for funding was secured from National Petroleum Investment Management Services.

Is it an afterthought?

Not many took Idabor serious on the issue of post impact assessment, as it is outlandish that NOSDRA was only considering a post-impact assessment on such a spill nearly seven months after the disaster and even at that, no funding has been approved for it. This is coming even when some of the oil communities had dragged the agency and SNEPCO to court for dereliction of duty, seeking among other reliefs, that the court should order the agency to carry out a Joint Investigation Visit, JIV. As expected, Shell differs: Expectedly, Shell has contested the fine, saying it had done nothing wrong to deserve the fine. Mr. Okonedo said, “We do not believe there is any basis in law for such a fine. Neither do we believe that SNEPCo has committed any infraction of Nigerian law to warrant such a fine. “SNEPCo responded to this incident with professionalism and acted with the consent of the necessary authorities at all times to prevent environmental impact as a result of the incident.”

Heat of the controversies In the heat of the controversies over the spill, especially with regard to third party spill, which was cited in several other parts of the Niger Delta, Shell claimed it had sent samples of the spill to laboratories abroad for tests to confirm its liabilities. But till date, nothing was heard of the result of the tests.

Irabor’s validation: But, the NOSDRA boss explaining the reason for the $5 billion fine noted that “although adequate containment measures were put in

His Highness, Rev Desikan, Bakiri community

Hon Albert Olomubatuta, leader, Bakiri community

place to combat the Bonga oil spill, it, however, posed a serious environmental threat to the offshore environment.” He said: “The spilled 40,000 barrels impacted approximately on 950 square kilometres of water surface; affected great number of sensitive environmental resources across the impacted area and has direct social impact on the livelihood of people in the riverine areas whose primary occupation is fishing.

“It also potentially caused a number of physiological effects on aquatic lives while surviving aquatic species around the spill site would migrate to a farther distance to situate new habitat thereby forcing coastal communities to move deeper into the sea to carry out fishing activities.”

Chairman, House Committee on Environment, Hon. Uche Ekwunife had at the opening of the interactive session expressed displeasure that seven months after the spill, there were doubts if Shell carried out a thorough clean-up programme as the oil firm was said to have hurriedly resumed operations on the facility. She further stated that there were also indications that Shell had refused to accept full responsibility for the incident and had rebuffed claims from communities affected by the spill.

Vanguard investigation: Van-

Okorlorgbene in Warri SouthWest local government area of Delta State; Pine-gbene, Warezimor-gbene, Bragbene, Ekpidizuye, Ofugbene and Biagbene fishing camps in Diebri community, Warri South-West local government area of Delta State; Azamabiri community and its seven fishing camps in Kou kingdom, Bayelsa state.

“Others are fishing, farming and cooperative societies, among them, Ausbok fishing multipurpose co-operative society, Egbenebo fishing group I, Egbenibo-Idumu fishing group, Deep fishers group, Owei-Ware multipurpose , Wenebokefe group I, Wenebokefe group II, Ituwere, Kokoide Zitu, Shark fishing group and Ocean fishing mongers, (Agge).

Regional Editor, Emma Amaize (right), High Chief Pius Fedezena and other Azamabiri villagers

guard, as customary, undertook a fresh tour some affected communities, villages, fishing camps to find out how the people were coping.

Dust over toxicity of dispersants: Osteen Igbapike, a lawyer, holding power of attorney for Azamabiri and other affected communities, said that apart from dislocation of their economy, the major problem faced by the people now is the toxic dispersants used by SPDC. “The toxicity of the dispersants used by the oil company has posed a fresh problem to the communities, villages, fishing camps and cooperative societies that go round the coastline of the Bight of Benin, located within the Forcados and Ramos estuaries, not far-flung from Bonga”, he explained.

Fishing communities According to him, “Aghoro 1 and its communities, fishing camps and villages in Burutu and Ekeremor local government areas of Delta and Bayelsa states to wit: BakriAma, Birigbene, Famous-Ama, Azatotor, Shellkiri, Ekpekpie, Woroworo-Amagbene, Newyeargbene, Febarghawaregbene, Akarakemegbene, Omoligbene, Daunimighagbene, Ayama, Gbogbogbene, Stevengbene, Ajolgbene, Idegbene and Oldmangbene are affected”.

“Also hit are Ebiyegbene, Izanforgbene, Zituade, Mikagbene, Kokomokeme-gbene and

There were also indications that Shell had refused to accept full responsibility for the incident and had rebuffed claims from communities affected by the spill

Hazardous chemicals used as dispersants –His Highness, Rev Desikan Bakiri community

At Bakiri community in Ekeremor local government, the leader of the community, His Highness, Rev Austin B. Desikan told Vanguard: “Our life and land have remained in shambles since the SPDC crude oil spill from Bonga.

No water to drink "It has greatly affected our life and aquatic life until date. Our existence in this part of the world is dependent on the river and because of the pollution, we cannot fish again, there is no water to drink either and it is currently affecting our health. My people have been suffering from fever, stooling, vomiting since then”.

Miscarriage, other health complications now prevalent: He asserted that the chemicals used by Shell to disperse the crude oil spill was causing miscarriage and other problems to the people, adding, “Doctors ask us which water we are drinking whenever our people are taken to hospital and we tell them it is the same water that was polluted since we have no alternative.

“The kind of stooling I am talking about here is different, regular and fervent”, he added, dismissing the suggestion that the ailments could be natural.

According to Rev Desikan, “Since this spill in December, 2011, it has not been well with us.

We use to have electricity from Shell, but it is not longer working, there is not health centre here. We are in Bayelsa State, but Warri in Delta State is nearer to us than Yenagoa, our state capital, so we take our sick kinsmen to Warri or Aghoro community, depending on how serious the case is”.

We are yet to recover — Olomubamuta

A leader of the community, Hon. Albert Olomubamuta, said, “Six months after the spillage, our people have not recovered from the disaster.” He showed Vanguard part of the crude allegedly from Bonga oil field, which the villagers scooped at the time of the spill, maintaining, “We are still feeling the effect up till date”. A villager, Enoch Oruseibio told Vanguard, “I fell ill when I drank the water because of the dispersants that were used by Shell to disperse the crude oil. It affected other members of the community too”.

Our fishes smell poison — Mrs. Abukawa

Woman leader of the community, Mrs. Christmas Abukawa said, “I am still fishing in the river, not because I am not aware that the fishes smell chemical, chemical, poison, poison, but because there is no other way I can raise money to pay my children’s school fees and clothe them. It has hapbeContinues tomorrow

48—Vanguard , THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

Embattled Ughelli South NULGE boss rejects dissolution of executive

BY FESTUS AHON

U

From left: Mr Amaechi Okobi, Outgoing President, Amb Vincent Okobi, Charter President, Mrs Onari Duke, fromer First Lady of Cross River, and Mr Akindele Semowo, Incoming Presiden during Toastmasters International Club president nite in Lagos. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

GHELLI—EMBAT TLED Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, Emmanuel Uwadewhe, has described the dissolution of his executive by aggrieved members of the union as illegal, null and void.

The union in Ughelli South, Udu and Patani Local Government Areas has been engulfed in crisis after election into Local Gov-

Police DCO allegedly tortured by soldiers, hospitalised

BY TONY EDIKE

E

NUGU—A Deputy Su perintendent of Police, Mr. Wilfred Ugwu is now lying critically ill at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu after he was allegedly tortured by some soldiers from 82 Division of Nigerian Army, Enugu who prevented the arrest of one of their colleagues for a drug related offence.

Vanguard gathered that the soldier, whose name and rank could not be ascertained, was in mufti at the time he was arrested on June 30, 2012 while smoking Indian hemp with other suspects at Ugwogo Housing Estate, Abakpa Nike, Enugu by a team of policemen from Abakpa Police Division led by DSP Ugwu.

Fidau prayer for Oyelakin

T

HE death has been an nounced of Alhaji Ramoni Akanji Oyelakin, aged 74 years. He died on Sunday, July 15, 2012 and had since been buried according to Islamic rites. The eight-day fidau prayer takes place on Sunday, July 22, 2012 at his residence in Alagbado, Ogun State. He is survived by wife, alhaja Basirat Oyelakin, nine children, several grand children, brothers and sisters.

zLate Alhaji Oyelakin

Ugwu, who is the Divisional Crime Officer for Abakpa Division, acting on a tip-off, led the police team to the hideout where the soldier and the other suspects were smoking Indian hemp and arrested them.

It was gathered that the soldier resisted after identifying himself as a military man.

Sources said the soldier immediately contacted some of his colleagues at the Abakpa military barracks on phone, asking them to come to his rescue and within few minutes some soldiers armed with rifles arrived the scene.

It was gathered that the

soldiers attempted to whisk their arrested colleague away but the policemen refused.

According to an eye witness who spoke on condition of anonymity, “The police officer (DCO) led a team of policemen to a joint where people are smoking Indian hemp. A man was arrested smoking Indian hemp with some other persons. The DCO who was performing his duty ended up being attacked by soldiers who wanted to free the man arrested with Indian hemp, who later identified himself as a soldier.

“In the process the DCO was badly beaten with rifle

butt and fist blows until he lost consciousness. He suffered a dislocated jaw. He is currently on admission at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu where he is being treated of the injuries inflicted on him,” said the sources.

Efforts to speak with the police officer on his hospital bed proved abortive as the nurses denied Vanguard access to him.

When contacted, yesterday, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu said that the command was aware of the development, adding that the matter was already being handled.

Kidnapping: Osayande flays Delta Assembly over comments

BY EMMA AMAIZE

W

ARRI—CHAIR MAN of Police Service Commission, Mr. Parry Osayande, has flayed the Delta State House of Assembly for the manner his name was maligned on June 12, during its deliberations on the clearance of the former Head, Anti-Kidnapping Task Force, Delta State Police Command by Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar.

Mr. Osayande, who was reacting to a recent media report, said he had earlier written to the House, following the reports, asking the House to reverse itself.

He said, “the attention of the Chairman, Police Service Commission has been drawn to media reports. The news item was carried under different captions by the media.

“As published, the Depu-

ty Majority Leader of the House, Mr. Johnson Erijo, member representing Isoko South Constituency 1, was reported to have moved the House to “condemn Osayande’s action” for redeploying to Delta State the Head of the disbanded anti-kidnapping squad. The House Majority Leader, Mr. Monday Igbuya, member representing Sapele, who supported the motion was reported to have “queried Osayande’s interest in Osamwonyi’s deployment,” and accused him of “suspected clandestine dealings with Osamwonyi.” All sorts of vituperations and damaging allegations were quoted as being freely used and made on the floor of the House against the person of the Chairman.

“Mr Osayande would like to observe that while democracy allows for freedom of speech and makes it pos-

sible for issues to be discussed freely on the floor of the House, this must, however, be guided and regulated by code of ethics and good conduct. Legislative power does not give room to members to be unmindful of their individual utterances, especially when it bothers on slander and false accusations.

“Osayande wishes to state, with all sense of responsibility, that he does not know the officer in question in person or has any affiliation with him in any manner whatsoever. He is neither aware of the officer’s arrest nor of his deployment/redeployment.

“In addition, the Officer’s matter had not been brought to the Police Service Commission by the Office of the Inspector-General of Police and as such the Commission cannot intervene in a matter that is not before it".

ernment Councils executive conducted by the State leadership of the union.

Reacting to media report that the executive which he led had been dissolved, Uwadewhe argued that the congress that purportedly dissolved the executive was not convened by the appro-

priate authority.

He said, “besides quorum was not formed. Only about 25 workers attended the congress, which was convened by the opposition. I can assure you that all those behind the illegal congress will be suspended by the union".

Labour writers congratulate Oshiomhole

BY ADEREMI OGUNGBADE

L

ABOUR Writers Associ ation of Nigeria, LAWAN, has described Saturday gubernatorial election in Edo State won by Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, as watershed in the history of elections in the country.

LAWAN in a statement by its leaders in Lagos, congratulated Governor Oshiomhole for his acclaimed performance and developmental initiatives since assuming the governor of

Edo State which have endeared both the people of Edo State and other Nigerians to him.

The association also congratulated the people of Edo State for believing in the governor and giving him the support and trust to continue his efforts at making Edo State a true heart beat of the nation.

According to the statement “the overwhelming victory of Governor Oshiomhole is an approval and appreciation of his development politics as against individualistic politics of the past".

Senate c'ttee on education inspects projects at Yaba Tech

BY IKENNA ASOMBA

T

HE Senate Committee on Education, led by its Vice Chairman, Prof Sola Adeyeye, visited the Yaba College of Technology, YABATECH, Lagos, to inspect completed and ongoing projects in the school.

Among the projects inspected were the College’s School of Science; a 500 lecture theatre been upgraded; Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFUND, special

intervention; bursary/registry and Federal Government’s skill G. Appraising the leadership of the college for its performance in the execution of projects, Prof. Adeyeye said: “It’s worthy of mention to observe that you have judiciously made use of the funds made available to you by government and other sources in the execution of these wonderful projects you are putting in place for the good of technical education".

From left: Dr. George Ukwa, Director of Mapping, Office of Surveyor General of the Federation, Mr. Oded Ephrat; Vice President, Israeli-based Ofek Photos, Minister of Works; Arc Mike Onolememen, Minister of State for Works; Amb Bashir Yuguda and Surveyor-General of the Federation; Prof Peter Nwilo during the presentation on the use of satellite mapping and aerial photography in maintenance of roads and right of way in Abuja yesterday.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012 — 49

50 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

We 've withdrawn PDP from Edo State — Sen Uzamere SENATOR Ehigie Uzamere, ACN, Edo South is the first senator from his senatorial district to return to the Senate having defeated his predecessor, Senator Daisy Danjuma who flew the PDP ticket in the 2011 polls. As the most ranking political office holder from Edo South, Senator Uzamere was caught in the akward position of leading the ACN assault against his cousin, Gen. Charles Airhavbere, the PDP candidate in the recent gubernatorial election in Edo State.

In this interview he reviews the result of the election and gives reasons why the PDP suffered the embarrassing defeat in the election. Excerpts:

*Uzamere: Oshiomole is as popular as Coca-cola

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

W

HAT does this breakthrough mean for Edo South and you as a person?

For me, I am fulfilled in this regard because right from 2007, I have been crying out aloud that we were being short-changed.

Not financially, but in human resources.

The Binis have been shortchanged on who decides at the

Oshiomole, who has turned our city into a goldmine, where everyone of us can be. Oshiomole is as popular as Coca-cola.

Where I voted in my own village, the old men and women were coming to ask ‘where is Oshiomole party?’ So that is to show that Oshiomole is as popular as Coca-cola. We presented him because he has done well. We presented him because we have seen that he will lead us to the Promised Land, which he has done today.

,

PDP rejected me at a particular time, not because I did not do well in the Senate, not that I am not popular in my Senatorial District, but because I refused to do what they wanted me to do federal level. The rejection by the Edo people is a signal to those who control PDP that we cannot be humiliated to the background.

The PDP presented a Bini man but the ACN opposed the Bini man, so how does this mean independence for Bini man?

Well, the man that ACN presented is Governor Adams

,

The issue is not whether it is a Biini man, the issue is ‘who can deliver us from this bondage that we found ourselves?’ So to us, Oshiomole is a Benin man.

When you talked about ‘deliverance from bondage’ what bondage do you mean?

Political bondage! Back in 2007, if you looked at the number of

our people on the federal level, in terms of ministerial appointments, you will find that the Edo South had been shortchanged.

I do not have power to nominate who gets what at the federal level but I have power to stop anyone that is sent to the Senate; and I have done so.

When we (Edo South) had minister towards the end of the four years of former President Yar’ Adua, it was the Minister of State.

This is because that Minister of State was mainly recommended by a particular person from this State; he was given Minister of State. Now, in terms of population, who is supposed to get a full Minister?

Even when we had a minister in 2007, who recommended the minister? It was not our choice. So these are the things we are saying.

So now, the only way we can convince the PDP F e d e r a l Government is to withdraw their party at the State level.

Besides this political bondage, what other factors made you people to support Oshiomole in this election?

Like I said, Oshiomole is like a wind.

He came from the Labour Movement and some p e o p l e

thought he could not do well. But it is a very good tomato that sells itself in the market. So Oshiomole is a good product, he sold himself to the hearts of the Benin people.

At least majority of us never believed he could do very well because we thought there was no money in the state. We have seen what he has done with the little resources. If you look at the development in Akwa-Ibom and that of Edo, and compare the two allocations, Edo State is more developed to Akwa-Ibom comparatively.

So this shows that Oshiomole is doing well and we pray that he is going to do more for us.

The PDP candidate is your nephew and you led the campaign against him, how do you feel campaigning against your blood relation?

As a human being, I felt bad initially. But what happened?

PDP rejected me at a particular time, not because I did not do well in the Senate, not that I am

not popular in my Senatorial District, but because I refused to do what they wanted me to do.

Just because I did not respond to the wishes of the godfather and I was rejected because of that.

At the point of PDP rejecting me, Governor Oshiomole, whose party is ACN accepted me. That is when my senior brother, I will use the word ‘senior brother’ (Gen. Charles Airhiavbere, the PDP candidate) was still a serving General in the Army.

So PDP rejected me, not because I am not popular, but because I did what my conscience asked me to do, against the wishes of the godfather.

I thought they debased me for not doing their wishes, rather they rejected me. Governor Oshiomole came to my rescue, when the PDP rejected me in the market place. It is only fair and a matter of integrity for me to stand with Oshiomole, stand with him, fall with him and rise with him and I will continue to follow him.

What then is your wish to the PDP candidate?

To me, he is my senior brother and very closed friend, so I will advise him to accept it as a game.

I wish him well in his future endeavours.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012 — 51

52 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2012

PDP is about to retake S/West — Babatope CHIEF Ebenezar Babatope erstwhile Minister of Transport under the Sani Abacha regime is presently a top chieftain of the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP. A one time activist, Babatope in this interview examines the issues that have recently bestirred the polity including the Farouk Lawan scandal, the Dana Air crash among others. Excerpts:

BY HUGO ODIOGOR

W

HAT is your take on the Lawan — Otedola controversy arising from the House probe on the disbursement of fuel subsidy?

The issue is still being investigated by the House of Representatives and I know that nobody has pronounced Alhaji Farouk Lawan guilty, yet. But we need to know more on who demanded for $620,000 and how it was paid. I think the House of Representatives has done the right thing by asking Mr. Lawan to step aside to enable them invstigate the matter properly.

Nigerians are watching and I think the best thing Mr. Lawan should do for himself as Mr. Integrity, is to present all the facts to the investigating panel. This will assist him and the panel to unravel the truth.

Mergers and acquisitions

Root of the matter The House of Representatives should know that this is not an issue that will be swept under the carpet. We must get to the root of the matter.

The issue now is not whether Otedola is a saint and Farouk Lawan is a sinner. But unravelling truth, because the issue of corruption in the House was taken up by General Olusegun Obasanjo who dscribed the law makers in uncomplimentary terms, it is now in their interest to redeem their image on this.

The Board of the NNPC was sacked yesterday by the president, what is your reaction to this?

To the extent that what goes on in NNPC is unknown to millions of Nigerians, it will be difficult to say whther the president was right or wrong in sacking the GMD and other top members of the management on NNPC. The closest interest I may have had in NNPC was the presence of late Dr. Levi Ajuonuma, who was inviting me to his programme “the Sunday Show” on NTA, then. I followed his activities in NNPC, when he was alive and from a distance; but beside that; every other thing that is done in NNPC is shrouded in secrecy, yet this is an institution that handles the country’s major revenue Even in a democracy where transparency should be the cardinal principle of

Jimeta, all the past Inspectors General of Police, DirectorsGeneral of the State Security Service among others to come together and brainstorm on the security situation and produce a blue print of how to reconstruct our national security to cope with the challenges of a modern society like Nigeria.

As a former Minister of Transport, what is your reaction to the crash of the Dana Air plane?

First and foremost I support the raising of a panel to look into what is happening in the aviation sector. The aviation industry I must say, needs a massive bail out, a government intervention, that will need about N3 trillion which will help to stabilise the industry. This will enable the operators to acquire aircraft that should not be less than 15 years.

*Babatope: PDP is putting its House in order governance, we had an agency like NNPC that millions of Nigerians, including the enlightened segment of the society, do not have information of the activities of the corporation, to that extent, it is difficult for me to comment on NNPC affair.

As an Alumnus of University of Lagos how did you feel when the name was changed to Moshood Abiola University?

Honestly, since the matter is already in court, it will be subjudice to make comments on it. As a lawyer, I know I cannot comment on a matter that is already in the court. But I can say that the Alumni Association of which I am a member is doing the right thing.

What is your reading of the sacking of Gen. Owei Azazi and appointment of Col. Sambo Dasuki?

Well, the assumption seems to me that they believe that if you appoint an Hausa Fulani person as the National Security Adviser, the situation created by Boko Haram will go away, but we have not taken into consideration, the thinking of the Kanuri man in Borno State, thehotbed of this Boko Haram insurgency. We have to take a serious look at what is happening in the Borno axis.

I recall that when Gen. Buhari threw all the second republic politicians into jail, I was among those sent to Bama prison. One day there was a big fight among inmates among whom were some members of the Maitatsine sect.

One of them inflicted a deep cut on the other and began to drink his blood.

What is is happening today, I mean the Boko Haram uprising, has its seed sown over the years.

It has been festering for a long time.

Security and intelligence There should be a better approach to managing it. I support the calls for negotiation with the Boko Haram people but the issue is who do you negotiate with? Don’t forget that General Olusegun Obasanjo went to the father-in-law of the slain leader of the group, Mohammed Yusuf and four days after that he was killed.

We need a total overhaul of our security and intelligence community and I will suggest that we summon a security summit of all the former security chiefs like Alhaji M.D. Yusuf, Alhaji Mohammed Gusau, Chief Sunday Adewusi, Alhaji Gambo

The bail out should come in form of soft loans which the operators should pay back.

There should be mergers and acquisitions in the industry which will enable the weak ones to fizzle out. People will always tell you that the age of aircraft does not matter as long as the aircraft go for C- checks. What they fail to recognise is that we do not have the technology that assists those aircraft with such old age to fly. We do not have the maintenance culture like those other countries.

When I was the Minister of Transport, our airports had no Instrument Landing System (ILS). I had to place order for purchase of ILS equipment which did not arrive until I left office. I am advocating that all the airports in the country should have ILS. At the moment, it is only the Nnamdi A z i k i w e International Airport,Abuja and the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, that had ILS. We had an experience when I was the Minister of Transport, a British Airways flight could not land in Lagos because there was no ILS. The aircraft had to fly to Accra to land and when it finally came to Lagos, I happened to be at the airport at the time and behold, one of the passengers in the aircraft was the former vice president, Dr. Alex Ekwueme.

I had to approach the head of state then, late General Sani

Abacha to present the case for ILS, but like I said earlier, it did not arrive before we left office. I also want to advocate that all airports in the country should have the Instrument Landing System.

Since the June 3, 2012 Dana Air flight crashed in Lagos, there have been sharing of experiences from passengers that had used the aircraft, if there was an Ombudsman, such reports should be handled immediately. I therefore I want to suggest that at this point, the Aviation industry needs an Ombudsman who will oversee the daily operations of the airlines.

The main function of NCAA is to ensure safety of our air space and comfort of passengers. It also supervises the airlines to go for C-Checks, but the duty of the Ombudsman will be to take daily reports from passengers on their flight experiences and take action on complaints from passengers.

The Ombudsman will step in on any infractions or shoddy treatment from airline operators.

How would you assess the politics in the South West where PDP seesm to have lost to ACN which is seen as a progressive shift which many people believe is your natural turf?

The Peoples Democratic Party is putting its house in order. In Osun State where I come from, we have succeeded in reconciliating the aggrieved.

The reconciliation is taking place in all the South West states fortunately we have time on our side. 2015 is still a long way to go. We will reclaim the South West.

Why did you withdraw from the contest for secretary of PDP? When I saw the way the contest was going, and it dawned om me that the governors from PDP had made up their minds on giving the secretaryship to a particular candidate, I felt that there was no point hitting my head on a brick wall.

First, they have control of the delegates, secondly, they have more financial resources to fight to ensure that their choice prevailed, but thirdly and most importantly, if I had insisted in going through the battle, in the end it will create a schism in the party. It will create a wound that will be difficult to heal. I assessed the situation and felt that in the interest of peace and unity in the party, that I should withdraw from the race, that is what happened.

The reconciliation is taking place in all the South West states fortunately we have time on our side. 2015 is still a long way to go, we will reclaim the South West

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012—53

FG, NECA harp on improved industrial peace THE need for improved industrial peace was one the major issues at the 55th Annual General Meeting, AGM, of the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, NECA, that took place Thursday, July 12, 2012, at the NECA in Lagos.

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O drive home its concerns for deteriorating level of industrial peace in the country, the umbrella body for employers body in the country, brought the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, to present a paper on “Industrial Harmony as Panacea for Sustainable economic Development: Government’s Blueprint” In a 19-page paper, Chief Wogu said government was aware that achieving a relative industrial harmony would entail an appreciable level of good governance anchored on sound principles of governance.

According to him, “Government is taking a holistic and proactive measure to address observed gaps in labour administration.

Such measures include capacity building for labour administrators and enforcement of existing labour laws. From the macroeconomic perspective, we know that an equitable legal framework, applied consistently to all will defend people from abuse from any of the social partners. Our home-grown economic blueprint has been tailored to meet our peculiar economic circumstance.

Policy of gradual withdrawal The policy of gradual withdrawal of government from active role in state enterprises is a mark of respect for the expected impact on the lives of ordinary Nigerians. It is designed to encourage community groups, professionals and young entrepreneurs to turn their ingenuity and commitment to venture into entrepreneurship and sound management which ultimately should create new jobs and relief the negative outcomes of globalization. This was amply demonstrated in the recently launched You-Win Programme by Mr. President, and the inclusion of Entrepreneurship Programmes in the curriculum of Nigerian Universities.”

Speaking further, he said “the analysis of the recipe for industrial harmony cannot be exhausted in a short address such as this. There is need for a national discourse and intellectual engagement on the way forward as the current challenge of industrial disharmony is global. We must debate to adopt adaptive measures to cope with the global wave of industrialization and

by flagrant disobedience of court orders, spontaneous and illegal strike, vandalisation of company's property in the name of strikes, disrespect for union jurisdictional scope (sympathy strike), disregard for grievance and trade dispute procedures, resistance to structural changes, partisanship by custodians of process and procedure for trade dispute resolution. Unfortunately, the casualty of this is the Nigerian economy.”

Besides, he noted that the nation's Industrial Relations System requires wholesale reform that will protect the rights of all economic actors (Government, Employers and Labour) and promote productivity.

Reciprocal respect

*(l-r) Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, President of NECA, Chief Richard Uche, Director-General of NECA, Mr.Segun Osinowo and President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, at NECA's AGM in Lagos.

demands if we are to achieve our desired economic development and growth. We have all agreed on the need for a paradigm shift from the current adversarial industrial relations practice to a much friendlier situation that is developmental.

Engagement of stakeholders: Continuing, the Minister said “We successfully engaged stakeholders in the oil and gas sector to produce Regulation that covers a wide variety of the many complex forms of contract work in the sector. Our aim is to achieve a level of confidence and trust among our economic partners on general rules of engagement.

Given the relative success of the Regulation on Labour Administrative issues on Contract Staffing /Outsourcing in the oil and gas sector in regulating and

reducing the number of disputes, we are prepared to engage stakeholders in the Telecommunication Sector as well. Our plan is to identify and articulate similar consensus building in other sectors so that the economy can generate the required steam for development and growth. We are broadening the base of our consultation on policy options. Government will continue to draw from the wealth of its social and development partners on fashioning out ways of growing the economy. ” “Government will always call on you to support the above plans and programmes from time to time in the course of their implementation.

The Transformation Agenda of this administration will appreciate the cooperation, support and

collaboration from all Nigerians who look forward to better days for posterity. This AGM should come up with its blueprint on achieving industrial harmony from the employers’ perspective.

Together, we hope to join the league of twenty most developed nations of the world by the year twenty-twenty.”

State of Industrial Relations: Earlier, President of NECA, Chief Richard Uche, posited that the essence of the rule of law in any society was to promote orderliness, civility and development.

He said “With our knowledge of past experience in promoting industrial harmony in Nigeria, the current dispensation is arguably the worst in the annals of industrial relations in the country.

The current clime is characterized

Accordingly, he enjoined the Federal Ministry of Labour to rise up to the challenge and restore tripartism, enthronement of rule of law and reciprocal respect of rights as espoused by the International Labour Organization (ILO).

His words: "An urgent revamping and resuscitation of the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) that has been moribund for years is required to facilitate and enhance Government's efforts at reforming the Industrial Relations System.”

Cost of Governance: According to Chief Uche, “Over the years, we have watched with concern the gradual and worrisome escalation in the cost of governance. We believe it is not prudent for a country to spend over seventy (70%) percent of its yearly budget on recurrent expenditure, leaving less than 30% for capital expenditure.

Where an increasing ratio of government budget is used to support its administrative structure, poverty will abound and remain pervasive as economic growth declines or even stagnates. Let us recall that in the 1970's, total recurrent expenditure as a percentage of total government expenditure was about 32.04 per cent, increasing to a tolerable 38 percent in 1983.

PENGASSAN tasks workers on Post-PIB challenges

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ETROLEUM and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), has advised its members and other workers in the petroleum sector to step up their productivity levels to meet the exigencies of the time especially the challenges of the post-Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, in the oil and gas industry.“ PENGASSAN President, Comrade Babatunde Ogun, spoke at a three day Synergy/ Workshop on “Impacting the Right Culture in trade Union Services on PENGASSAN Staff,” organised by the union for its

employees at Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.“ He said, “Going forward, the terrain for doing our jobs will not be an easy one for the Nigerian nation and for the oil and gas industry. It will be tight because of the ongoing reforms in the oil and gas industry. Such reforms such as the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), unbundling of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and the Nigerian Content Development Act among others will impact on the industrial relations in the industry."“

Ogun noted that the staff appraisal system would be reviewed and base on performance level of individual rather that collective to achieve optimum productivity and the growth of the association.“ He noted that staff should be able to checkmate excesses of the branches and elected officers with their training and expertise to develop the union, saying that “Staff is individually responsible for their actions and inactions in the union.”

Speaking on the training, some employees lauded the

management of PENGASSAN, especially the President for organising the workshop, saying that “This will be the first time that all staff of PENGASSAN would come together under one roof to be trained and interacted.”

According to the Media and Information Officer of union, Comrade Babatunde Oke, the Synergy/Workshop is "an eye opener to all staff on opportunities and advantages that abound in the union to develop themselves and the union.“

54—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

from July 1st 2004 to 30th June 2012, in view of the fact that no deductions had been made or paid on behalf of PHCN workers.”

Pay us our 25 percent deduction from salaries —workers

*Koripamo-Agary

FG, PHCN workers tango over severance benefits •We’ve concluded negotiations with Labour — FG

BY VICTOR AHIUMAYOUNG

THE Federal Government and organized labour in the nation’s electricity sector are heading for a major showdown over dis agreement on the payment of severance benefits and other entitlements due to over Fifty Thousand workers expected to be affected by the planned privatization of Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN. While the Federal Government insisted that it had concluded negotiations with organized labour under the aegis of National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, and the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, SSAEAC, labour said negotiations ended in deadlock and vowed that nobody would take over PHCN assets without all labour issues being resolved.

Govt reacts: Reacting to Labour Vanguard’s interview with the President-General of SSAEAC, Engineer, Bede Opara, published on July 12, 2012, Spokesperson to Government negotiating team, Dr Timiebi Koripamo-Agary, said “Government, after fourteen months of eight rounds of painstaking and patient negotiations with the labour unions of PHCN, has made the best offer to the Unions on behalf of their members, and has concluded the negotiations.

In these months of negotiations with the Unions, government

recognized the strategic place of PHCN and its workers in the ongoing reforms of the power sector and the transformation agenda of President Good luck Jonathan’s administration and ensured that their rights and all legitimate claims and entitlements were protected, promoted, defended and paid up as at when due.”

Disingenous portrayal “We are however surprised at the disingenuous portrayal of the offer of Government as a fixed position. It is pertinent to note that while the Unions were inflexible in their demands for payment of severance as part of a package comprising other items already agreed to, Government shifted its position twice to take cognizance of the concerns of the Unions with respect to years of service and seniority.

Thus, while Government moved from its initial offer of five weeks for every year of service with a ceiling at twelve months as is prevalent in similar industries, the Unions held on to their position of five weeks for every completed year of service with no capping.

Government subsequently reviewed its position and made a final offer of 20% (up from an initial offer of 10%) of total accrued pensions and gratuity. This final offer was made in consideration of the need to ensure that the

employees received an enhanced package and also to remove the ceiling of 12 months for all staff categories.”

“Despite this consideration by Government, the Unions rejected the offer. In addition, the unions insisted on being paid gratuity and pensions under the Defined Benefit Scheme which is to be funded through the PHCN Superannuation Fund which is grossly underfunded even by the admission of the President General of SSAEAC in the same publication. More importantly, the Pension Reform Act 2004 required all active workers to comply to its provisions regarding pensions in the country with effect from July 1st 2004 by opening Retirement Savings Account (RSA) with Pension Fund Administrators of their choice Only workers who had “3 or less years” to retire were exempted from the Scheme (PRA 2004 Section 8.1). The problem in PHCN has been with the Unions’ insistence on remaining in an unfunded pension scheme in clear breach of the law.”

She added that “notwithstanding this position of the Unions, and in spite of the underfunding of the PHCN superannuation fund, Government offered to provide all accrued benefits of gratuity and pension under the Defined Benefit Scheme up to June 30th 2004, in addition to the 15% contribution under the Contributory Pension Scheme

,

*Bede Opara

But speaking at joint briefing

by NUEE and SSAEAC, President General of SSAEAC, Engineer, Bede Opara, dismissed Government claims that the unions were insisting on remaining Defined Benefit Scheme, saying they are asking for the 25 percent deduction from workers salaries be paid as against the 15 percent government wants to pay.

Unions fault govt: The unions also faulted government argument that the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, which came up because of the Pension Reform Act, PRA, of 2004, had cancelled gratuity payment, arguing that there is nowhere it is stated in the PRA that gratuity had been stopped.

According to him, “PHCN workers we received only 75 per cent of their salaries while 25 percent is set aside as contribution into superannuation fund till date.

Even when the new contributory pension policy came up they were talking of 15 per cent. The same law says 15 per cent is the minimum provision. The government is saying they will pay 15 per cent. But we are saying the 25 per cent is not government money, but the money deducted from staff salaries.

Why can't we settle the 25 per cent first before talking about 15 percent? But they argued that there is no money. PHCN is not a sector where people queue for their gratuity and you retire, your gratuity and other benefits are paid. Now that government is asking everybody to go, they are

they did not do research before embarking up the reform in the sector, and he said they did. If they did, they should have known the financial implications and not coming to tell us that Federal Government is in financial problem. If anybody wants to take over PHCN when our entitlements are not paid, the person is a joker.”

“Government proposed that a percentage of the Gratuity and Pensions, two will be paid as severance as Government contended that Gratuity is merged with Pensions in the new Pensions Reform Act 2004. The Unions objected to this vehemently. The Unions were of the opinion and rightly too that Gratuity payment is exclusive of Pensions in the new Pensions Act," Opara stated.

Payment of gratuities While Gratuity is a one stop payment at the end of service which the Pension Reform Act never contemplated, or bordered with as it has nothing to do with Pensions. A Pension is for life and its mode of operation is adequately provided for in the Pension Reform Act. In the light of this, the Unions demanded from Government the payment of Gratuities to all our members on exit from PHCN.” “In paying our Pensions, Government posited that it will pay into RSA to be opened by all staff and it will calculate in accordance with our superannuation up to June, 2004 which takes into recognition 25% of our salaries deducted for that purpose and from June 2004 (effective date of the Pension Reform Act) it will calculate only 15% which is the minimum % granted by the Pension Act. The Unions contended that our Pensions should be calculated based on the practice of our

The problem in PHCN has been with the Unions’ insistence on remaining in an unfunded pension scheme in clear breach of the law

now telling us that there is no money and that baffles us. What we are asking for is what has been deducted from workers salaries.

We will first collect the money deducted first before talking of 15 per cent.

He added that "the Managing Director of PHCN is appointed by government, and parts of the money were invested property and others. It is not a question of not having money. We are not foolish up to the level that government will ask us to open RSA retirement saving account that they will pay us.

If government fails to pay our money it is as good as they have not started the reform programme.

In one of our meetings with Minister of Labour, we asked if

,

superannuation fund by calculating all Pensions to date on 25% deducted from Staff salaries for that purpose.”

“We request and urgently too that Government should pay our gratuities as end of service benefits in line with the stipulations of Condition of Service which we, operate in PHCN. Pay appreciable severance package as it is the practice all over the world. Pay our Pensions in accordance with the 25% set aside from the salaries of PHCN Staff for the settlement of this benefit. Stop the attempt at forcing our members to open Retired Savings Account (RSA) when the payment of our benefits is yet to be finalized.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012 — 55

Effort, a kidney patient needs N10 million for transplant

BY NKEM EGENUKA

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NLESS there is urgent medical intervention, 31year-old Effort Ikpone may not live much longer. The Delta State indigene and graduate of Geography and Regional Planning from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, is currently battling with a chronic kidney disease.

The bottom line here is that Effort requires N10 million for a life saving kidney transplant. But the hitch is that his parents have already spent their life savings on this same problem, with no hope in sight.

His pathetic case is supported by three separate medical reports which only agree that except for divine intervention, a kidney transplant in the shortest period of time, is Effort’s only hope.

According to a medical report from the Delta State Hospitals Management Board, Effort has Chronic Renal Failure secondary to hypertensive nephrosclerosis. The Report maintained that the patient is presently on maintenance dialysis but that the definitive treatment is kidney transplant.

In another Report from Hope Scan centre, the renal dimension of Effort’s body system suggests chronic glomerulonephritis. Yet another medical report from Mount Horeb Clinic & Dialysis

Centre signed by a Consultant Physician and Nephrologist, points out that Effort has been having regular session of haemodialysis of twice weekly but also advised that the definitive management for his condition was a renal transplant. Effort is alive today courtesy of regular dialysis.

A youth organisation Youth & Conflict Resolution Initiatives, YCRI, in collaboration with Association of Disabled Persons in Oil and Gas Producing Communities, ADPOGPC, is currently championing his course,bearing the huge cost of the daily dialysis. Effort may soon be on a dan-

ger list, hence the passionate call on Nigerians and corporate organisations to donate towards saving his life.

Effort is in a dire need of assistance to undergo expensive kidney transplant. Withouth help in the short tem, he may lose his life faster than envisaged. Every effort, no matter how little, is crucial at this point.

Your assistance is very essential to the survival of Effort. He has a lot of talent and believes that Nigerians will not let him down.

If you are touched by this story, please contact 08036320415 or 08103012404

Study links chocolate to improve blood pressure

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new Dutch research suggests that eating or drinking cocoa appears to lower blood pressure and even reduce the death risks for older men.

Since the 1700s, cocoa has been associated with healthy hearts, but only recently has scientific evidence backed up these claims, according to a new report in the Feb. 27 issue of the Archives of Inter-

nal Medicine.

According to the study, cocoa contains flavan-3-ols, which have been linked to lower blood pressure and improved function of the cells lining the blood vessels.

In their study, researchers led

by Brian Buijsse, of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, in Bilthoven, examined links between cocoa and cardiovascular health in 470 men aged 65 to 84 years. The men had physical examinations and were interviewed about their diet at the start of the study in 1985 and then again in 1990 and 1995. The researchers found that over a 15-year period, men who ate cocoa including chocolate — regularly had significantly lower blood pressure compared with those who didn’t.

TREM takes free medical services to Apapa community

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•Effort Ikpone during one of his dialysis session

HE Redeemed Evangeli cal Mission, TREM City of Joy, Apapa, is again taking Apapa community by storm through its quarterly medical outreach programme. The programme, which holds,Saturday, is part of the Church ‘Community Impact Free Medical’ programme carried out quarterly within the Ajeromi Ifelodun local government area environs.

The current edition will also coincide with the Church annual event tagged ‘Celebration

of God’s Faithfulness’, which flags off tomorrow.

Part of the features of the coming event will involve wholesale medical screenings for adults. Other services to be offered include: Cervical Cancer Screening and BSE; Prostrate Cancer Screening (PSA); Eye Test & giving out of glasses; Blood Sugar Estimation; Treatment of other minor ailments; Body Mass Index (BMI) as well as general health education.

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

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56 — Vanguard,

THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

World leader s celebrat e Mandela’s 94th bir thda leaders celebrate birthda thdayy P

EOPLE in South Af rica and across the world are celebrating Nelson Mandela’s 94th birthday by dedicating 67 minutes of their time to help others. The country ’s 12 million schoolchildren began their day on Wednesday with a special birthday song for the former president, ringing with the line: “We love you father”.”As we celebrate his birthday, we remember that he fought for us in the struggle. The struggle was to fight apartheid,” said 12year-old Kgaugelo Masunhloane at Batsogile primary school in Soweto.

In 2009, the United Nations agreed to commemorate Mandela’s

birthday every year to recognise the Nobel Peace Prize laureate’s contribution to resolving conflicts and promoting race relations, human rights and reconciliation. People all over the world were enouraged to devote 67 minutes of their day to public service, to honour Mandela’s 67 years in politics.Volunteers carried out a wide variety of tasks including building houses, feeding the poor and cleaning schools.

President Barack Obama and former president Bill Clinton paid tribute to Mandela ahead of his 94th birthday, as having “abiding humility” and “unbreakable will”.

“On behalf of the peo-

predecessor Bill Clinton, meanwhile, hailed his close ties with Mandela before visiting the South African icon’s home in his childhood village.

Before the visit Clinton

China to amend investment guide on Africa

BY NAOMI UZOR with agency report

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•Mandela ple of the United States, we would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Nelson Mandela on the occasion of his 94th birthday and the fourth annual Nelson

Mandela International Day,” the US first couple said in a statement honouring the anti-apartheid icon.

Obama’s Democratic

Romney under pressure to release tax record

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ITH President Obama’s campaign hammering Mitt Romney over his personal finances, the Republican Party flag bearer has come underpressure even from some Republicans who have begun calling for the presumptive GOP nominee to release more than two years of his tax returns.

But Romney is digging in by attempting to di-

vert the attention of the voters with his new adverts saying that President Obama used the bail out money to favour his campaign donours.

Romney wants Americans to ask President Obama: “Where did all the Obama stimulus money go?” The adverts says the money went to “Friends, donors, campaign supporters, special interest groups.”

•Romney

The ad goes after two companies linked to Obama supporters that Romney has repeatedly mentioned on the campaign trail: the green energy company Solyndra, which filed for bankruptcy after receiving more than $500 million in federal loans, and Fisker, a California hybrid car company that builds part of its automotive fleet in Finland that also received federal money.

But some Republicans said it’s time for Romney to give the public a better look at his personal finances. Conservative political analysts saiys Romney is allowing people to assume he has something to hide. “It’s crazy” not to release several more years of returns, “tomorrow,” says William Kristol, editor of The Weekly Standard.

UN votes on Syria today

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HE U.N. Security Council will today vote on a Western-backed resolution that threatens Syrian authorities with sanctions and is aimed at ending the 16-month conflict, but Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov,said a “decisive battle” had begun in Syria. Lavrov also made clear Moscow would oppose a draft UN security council resolution threatening

punishment if Assad did not implement the UNbacked peace plan promoted by Kofi Annan. diplomats said on Wednesday. International envoy Kofi Annan had earlier had requested that the vote, which was planned for later on Wednesday, be postponed because he wanted to “ensure all efforts were made for U.N. Security Council to speak with one voice .

opened a library at a primary school together with Mandela’s wife, Graca Machel, and daughter Zindzi ahead of the statesman’s birthday.

Despite the pressure, Romney said on Monday on Fox News that he was releasing his 2010 and 2011 returns, and nothing more. Romney is believed to have earned $21.7 million in 2010 and $20.9 million in 2011, says John Cassidy at The New Yorker.

That’s a lot of money, “but Romney may well have earned considerably more in earlier years.” In fact, Romney’s 10-year severance agreement with Bain Capital ended in 2009, so going back just one more year might tell a lot about how the mysterious deal “allowed Romney to keep pocketing a substantial portion of the firm’s profits. And the years before 2008 were massively successful ones for Bain and other private-equity firms.”

HINA’S Special en voy to Africa, Zhong Jianhua, yesterday said, Beijing was determined to rewrite negative perceptions of its growing ties with Nigeria and other Africa countries.

“As China’s economy transitions, shifting labour intensive industry to regions outside of China offers production opportunities. African countries should seize this opportunity. They can step into a track that China has taken in the past to develop their own industry. China’s economic trade with Africa reached $166.3 billion in 2011, according to Chinese statistics. In the past decade, African exports to China rose to $93.2 billion from $5.6 billion and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, for example, the world’s most valuable lender, has invested more than $7 billion in

Taliban des tro ys NA TO destro troys NATO trucks

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BOMB planted by the Taliban destroyed 22 NATO trucks carrying supplies to their forces in northern Afghanistan, the Taliban and police said yesterday.

US ready to confront Iran’s threat

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•Koffi Annan

HE United States has the military capacity to defeat any Iranian attempt to shut down sea commerce in the oil-rich Gulf region and will hold Tehran directly responsible for shipping disruptions, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said yesterday.

“The United States is

various projects across the continent” he said.

Chinese President Hu Jintao will speak at the summit’s opening day and is expected to announce a new set of loans for the continent.

At the last meeting held three years ago, China pledged $10 billion.

Along with the staterun firms, a growing number of smaller private Chinese businesses are looking to frontier markets like Africa to sell consumer goods and join in on promising growth prospects.

Manager of the compliance and safeguard division at the African Development Bank, Anthony Nyong, said “They (African nations) are thinking about the immediate resources that could get them billions of dollars. We need to gradually work at building the capacities of African countries to see how they can negotiate good deals and know what is important for them.”

fully prepared for all contingencies here,” Panetta told a Pentagon news conference. “We’ve invested in capabilities to ensure that the Iranian attempt to close down shipping in the Gulf is something that we are going to be able to defeat, if they make a decision to do that.”

Eighteen fuel trucks and four supply vehicles were parked in Aibak, the capital of Samangan province, when a bomb ripped through them, wounding one person, local police said. “At 2 a.m. the mujahideen attacked the invader NATO trucks,” the Taliban said in a statement, referring to the wagons which had been driven from Uzbekistan to Afghanistan’s north. The trucks were attacked in the same province where prominent anti-Taliban lawmaker Ahmad Khan Samangani was killed on Saturday at his daughter’s wedding, in a suicide bomb attack that killed 22 other guests.

56 — Vanguard,

THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

— 57

Pressure on Assad, henchmen killed

By HUGO ODIOGOR with agency report

F

OUR top officials fo Syria’s war machine including the defense minister, Daoud Rajha and the deputy defense minister,Assef Shawkat, the brother-in-law, to President Bashar Assad were killed yesterday in Damascus in an explosion that rocked the national security building in the capital. The four officials killed in the bombing were Defense Minister Dawood Rajiha, Deputy Defense Minister Assef Shawkat, al-Assad’s brother-in-law; Hasan Turkmani, al-Assad’s security adviser, assistant vice president, and Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim al-Shaar.

The moral boosting attack on the Assad regime came as top officials of the government converged

for meeting in the capital.

Reports said the four men were kill in a suicide bomb attack by suspected bodyguard in what was described as the hardest blow to Assad’s regime and the military high command since the beginning of the rebellion 16 months ago. The attack will redraw the war map in the embattled Middl East nation. At least 102 people were killed across the country yesterday.According to security sources, “a bodyguard assigned to Assad’s inner circle, struck at a meeting in central Damascus being attended by ministers and senior security officials as battles raged within sight of the nearby presidential palace. But Rebel leader Riad al-Asaad said in a phone interview from his headquarters in Turkey that rebel forces planted a bomb inside a room where

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (C), Minister of Defence, Lieutenant General Daoud Rajha (R), and Chief of the General Staff, General Fahid al-Freij (L), attending a ceremony at the tomb of the unknown soldier in Damascus. senior government officials were meeting.

Initial reports had spoken of a suicide bomber.

Later reports, however, appeared to confirm that a bomb had been placed

in the room where the top officials met, and was detonated either by a timer or by remote control. “It is a serious blow to Assad.

It will weaken Bashar but it is not necessarily good

Profile of Syria's hatchet men T

HE suicide bomber who attacked a crisis meeting of Bashar al-Assad’s security officials yesterday did more than just kill and wound some of Syria’s most senior figures.

He blew apart the inner circle of trusted kin that the Syrian president has relied on to control every aspect of the state he inherited from his father, and was counting on to crush the 16-month-old rebellion against him.

The bomber, apparently an insider and possibly a trusted bodyguard, struck at the daily meeting attended by ministers and senior security officials as

battles raged inside Damascus, within sight of the nearby presidential palace.

Rajha, 65, a former Army General, was the most senior Christian Government official in Syria. Assad appointed him to the post last year.

His death will resonate with Syria’s minority Christian population, who make up about 10 percent of Syria’s population and have generally stood by the regime.

Christians say they are particularly vulnerable to the violence sweeping the country of 22 million people, and they are fearful that Syria will become an-

Slain Minister of Defence, Lt.-Gen. Daoud Rajha

other Iraq, with Christians caught in the crossfire between rival Muslim groups.

Shawkat, 62, was the president’s powerful brother-in-law and deputy defense minister. He held the formal title of deputy chief of staff but who headed the president’s military intelligence hierarchy, he died after being hospitalized in critical condition.

General Hassan Turkmani, a former defense minister and senior military official, died later of his wounds. Turkmani, was a former defense minister, and a senior official.

He was at the forefront of the battle against the rebels.

Hisham Bekhtyar, the Intelligence chief and was responsible for security coordination, Rajha was minister of defense, alongside them are Ali Mamlouk, special adviser on security, Abdel-Fattah Qudsiyeh, head of military intelligence, and Mohammad Nassif Kheyrbek, a veteran operator from the era of Assad’s father. and Interior Minister Mohammad Ibrahim al-Shaar were also wounded. The men form the core

of a military crisis unit led

by Assad to take charge of crushing the revolt which grew out of a popular protests inspired by Arab Spring uprisings.

In response, Assad has taken charge of a military crisis unit and takes all the daily decisions, from the deployment of army units to tasks assigned to the security services, as well as mobilization of the Alawite Shabbiha, the militia accused of a series of massacres in the past two months On the ground, the security forces reaction was swift. As Damascus vowed to retaliate for the bomb attack, its forces hit rebel positions across the capital. Analysts said the response heralds more bloodshed to come. He said the chances of a negotiated transition of power were now even more remote. The Assad family that has ruled Syria for four decades is struggling for its life against a growing rebellion. Before the attack officials close to Assad described a tight inner group determined to fight its way out of the crisis, even as support for the government falls away.

news for the opposition too,” said Patrick Seale, the biographer of Assad’s father, Hafez. “It is likely to make the regime much more violent, ruthless and brutal. It will become

more savage.”

Assad has not appeared in public since the attack or made any statement, but security sources said he was not at the meeting where it took place. The armed forces chief of staff, Fahad Jassim al-Freij, quickly took over as defense minister to giving avoid any impression of official paralysis.The explosion appeared to be part of a coordinated assault on the fourth day of fighting in the capital which rebel fighters have called the “liberation of Damascus” after months of clashes which activists say have killed more than 17,000 people. The unit, led by Assad’s brother Maher, has been instrumental in crushing protests around Syria. “This is a situation that is rapidly spinning out of control,” U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said, calling for maximum global pressure on Assad to step down.

Assef Shawkat, slain brother-in-law At its head is President Syria was at war and orAssad, who inherited dered his government to power from his father in spare no effort in pursuit 2000 appears increasing- of victory against rebels he described as ly detached from reality. has He is convinced that he is terrorists.But “you hear fighting a conspiracy more realistic language. against him and Syria. All The prestige and standunits are under Bashar’s ing of the regime has been command and many have scratched”.

He drew around him a family ties.

Maher al-Assad, the tight circle of family and president’s younger clan members, and a sebrother and Syria’s sec- curity establishment ond most powerful man, staffed mainly by adhercommands the main strike ents of the Alawite minorforces. “Maher is directly ity to which the Assads beinvolved in the confronta- long, a branch of Shi’ite tion on the ground and is Islam in a country that is in direct contact with ev- three quarters Sunni. ery one of them. He has GOVERNMENT CONdirect military responsibilities,” the Lebanese poli- TROL SLIPPING Many Sunni officers, tician said. police and security staff As the rebellion gains ground, Assad’s inner cir- have either defected or are cle is beginning to realize not reporting for duty. it faces a serious crisis. “In Those manning traffic and the hierarchy of the au- police checkpoints are thorities you don’t see a mainly Alawites, who can noticeable change,” he be recognized by their accent, residents say. said. The 46-year-old Assad said last month that

58 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

Love on the run dress remains: The Human Angle, Vanguard, P.M.B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. Or Email address: humananglepage@yahoo.com For Ada, (29), Script Writer, her attacker showed no remorse, she said: “It happened on a bus

,

H

I, Have you ever taken a bus ride with a sex pervert? Many who are privileged to own a car or have one within reach, may not actually know what I’m talking about. They may even find this very difficult to believe.

However, this happens all the time when one commutes with public transportation.

The story line goes thus: You board a bus and a stranger, for whatever reason, takes out his fantasy on you. Without bothering to seek your consent or even make a pass at you for starters, someone starts touching or rubbing himself against you!

Actually, women seem more prone to this, but a male friend also informed me that he’d once fell victim of this mobile sexual attraction to a lady before.

The amazing thing about this act is the culprit’s boldness when challenged.

They never seem embarrassed or remorseful of their inappropriate behaviour. A friend’s elderly aunt once came home lamenting her ordeal with one of such perverts while returning home. As evidence to her claims, she displayed the portion of her wrapper, smeared with semen which was already dry and stiff like a starched fabric. Some of our respondents shared the stories you will be reading with us.

Dear reader, you can add your voice to this issue too, if you or someone you know of had such an experience?

Feel free to send your comments/views or opinion on this topic with us also.

Perhaps, together, we can run these perverts off our buses for good. Our ad-

was my imagination running wild. But I was proved right a few minutes after.

The heat began radiating again and this time around, he pulled my pant. I felt the sting of the elastic band as it sprang back against my skin. I turned back immediately and caught his gaze again. He looked petrified

To my amazement, this guy just eyed me and replied what is it in fact,what’s wrong with you

ride from C.M.S. bus stop to Obalende, on Lagos Island. The guy sat in the back row right behind me.

As the journey progressed, I started feeling a kind of warmth around my backside.

At first, I thought it was the heat coming from the engine or somewhere in the vehicle. We all know that most of these buses are not properly maintained and may develop a fault at any time. So I did not really take note.

When the heat continued radiating, I was really worried, but the thought that a sex maniac could be sitting right behind me never occurred to me. In my confusion, I looked back and caught his gaze. I became curious just because of this queer guilty glint I observed in his eyes.

He immediately dropped his gaze and something told me not to be hasty in judging the poor man. He was a very young man, probably not up to 30years.

He was well dressed with a jacket and tie. I soon took my mind off it, thinking it

,

for a few seconds before turning to look out of the window. I was then convinced that he was the culprit. I was filled with rage almost instantly, So much so, I did not know what to do.

Initially, I was highly embarrassed and ashamed to tell the other passengers what was going on. But my annoyance won me over. I turned to him and asked why he could not keep his hands to himself.

To my amazement, this guy just eyed me and replied “what is it? In fact, what’s wrong with you”? I could not believe my ears, so I had to ask him to repeat what he said. He just ignored me and continued looking out of the window.

By that time a few passengers sitting close to us were already looking at us.

This guy boldly raised his eyes at them, ordering that they mind their business and face their fronts. At this point, I lost my cool and started abusing him. The rest of the passengers became aware of what was going on. Unfortunately,

the men only looked at us and turned away. Only the two women in the bus responded.

They both joined me to abuse this young man with the older woman admonishing him seriously.

At Hawley bus-stop, someone dropped, leaving a vacant seat beside the woman which she invited me to take. We all continued abusing him till we got to Obalende. But he showed no remorse. I guess he’d probably been doing it for a long time, so he was used to the abuses. Or he was prepared for any eventualities and could not be bothered.

On alighting at Obalende, I took the pains to scrutinize him properly. I then concluded that he could be Area-boy. He was not well dressed after all, as I had earlier observed. His pair of sandals was worn out and his shirt had seen better days too.

In short, he looked rather rugged and shabby. He took another look at me, eyed me again, before crossing to the other side of the road, making his way through the crowd. I concluded that if he was not an area-boy, then he must be a frustrated guy.

Nana (20), Student, said the man’s stature frightened her into silence.

I boarded the bus from Ojuelegba. I was going to Ikeja but eventually had to drop at Maryland to continue the journey in another bus. I sat by the window, the guy next to me was very huge. The first thing I noticed was that when he came in, he sat too close to me. So close that I felt trapped in the corner and I told him so.

His reply was that the other passengers were a bit big too and that the seat was not big enough for the four of us. Since this is a fact, I decided to drop the issue.

As the journey began, I noticed that I was feeling more uncomfortable. The man was virtually resting on me.

To be continued Asisted by Onozure Dania

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Also note that we do not run any match-making agency in or outside the country. Any reader who transacts business with anyone claiming to be our agent does so at his/her own risk.

Henceforth, only messages sent through the numbers readers want to be contacted on will be published.

This notice is necessary in order to serve you better in our refreshingly different style. To get your requests published, just text it to the code number 33055. For further enquiries, call 08026651636. Cheers!

Loving without losing your identity

BY ONOZURE DANIA

S

HARING your time with someone can give you a sense of fulfillment and happiness. Making a commitment brings on a sense of deeper love and responsibility.

When someone is ready to be in a relationship, it can be a great part of their life. Unfortunately, many people, both men and women, tend to get so caught up in a relationship that they lose their own separate identity.

There’s nothing wrong with sharing your life with someone else. However, many fall into the trap of giving up many of their own opinions and beliefs for the sake of their significant other. They also tend to give up their social life, forsaking time with good friends to devote their hours to the new love of their life.

Losing your identity can also lead to a lack of a support system. While some friends will stay by you no matter what happens, many who are neglected in favor of a relationship will find other avenues and other friends.

When the going gets tough, you may find that those you would have turned to for help have moved beyond the realm of your friendship, put out by the fact that they were long ago abandoned in favor of your relationship.

If you are in love and it feels wonderful, if you notice any difference from your previousrelationship, you would want to do anything to make it last. To prevent this ship from sinking, you would work hard to steer the relationship into a safe harbor.

In the process you may lose yourself and your romantic relationship becomes all consuming.

When ladies fall head over heels in a relationship, they would go out of their way to create the wonderful relationship they have always wanted.

You find out that they would do the man’s cooking, keep his house clean, go to

different places with the man with him and his friends and in the process she would forget about her own dreams and aspirations.

While compromise in a relationship is a necessary ingredient for its success, denying the core of who you are is not. When you finally realise that an all consuming relationship is depleting you, there will be nothing but resentment and identity conflict.

You will encounter great difficulty in reclaiming yourself while remaining in that same relationship. No matter how much he loves you, he loves the person you project for his benefit. He cannot love what he doesn’t know yet, the real you. The outcome of such a relationship are usually a heart breaking crisis, with no one to blame butyou.

How do you overcome this?

There are ways to invest a good portion of yourself into a relationship while still maintaining your own identity. If you’re at the beginning of a relationship that seems to be getting serious, try this suggestion, to keep you, from getting so wrapped up that you forget you who are.

Don’t give up your own opinions.

Whether they emerge on the first date or the tenth, you are bound to find some things that you and your significant other don’t agree on.Many of these things could be as simple as different tastes in restaurants or music. In many cases, they can also be a little more serious, like differing political opinions or religious beliefs.

Don’t change your own beliefs to make him happy.

They were part of you before you were in the relationship and they should stay part of you well into it. Respect their opinions while being true to yours. If problems arise because of your differing viewpoints, it might not be worthy of a long term commitment

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012 — 59

TchoukBall comes to Nigeria By TONY ADEMULIYI

IONEL Messi has stressed that titles are more important than individual records after his best personal season saw Barcelona fail to deliver either the UEFA Champions League or La Liga.

The Argentinian scored a staggering 73 goals as Barça won the Copa del Rey, FIFA Club World Cup and both European and Spanish Super Cups.

The main prizes eluded them, though, but Messi believes that both he and the team can find a way

S

PORTS has held an undeniable place in the history of mankind.

In spite of the noble ideals of sports, there are some times that the frail human nature tends to bastardise it by violating fair play. We have witnessed cases of sportsmen taking performance enhancing drugs to win.

A common attribute of sports are also injuries.

The careers of many have been unceremoniously cut short due to them.

A Swiss biologist, Hermann Brandt was highly disturbed about the evil effects of unhealthy competition and he was so concerned about the numerous injuries on sportsmen that he opined “The objective of all physical activities is not to make champions, but make contributions in the building of a harmonious society.”

The product of his thoughts was the development of tchoukball.

The sport is usually played on an outdoor court measuring 27 by 16 metres. At each end there is a frame which measures one metre and a semi-circular Dshaped forbidden zone measuring three metres in radius. Each team can score on both ends on the field, with seven playing at a time. In order to score a point, the ball must be thrown by an attacking player, hit the frame and bounce outside the D without being caught by the defending team. Physical contact is prohibited, and defenders may not attempt to intercept the attacking team’s passes. Players may take three steps with the ball, hold the ball for a maximum of

READY TO ROLL . . . Members of the International Tchoukball Federation officials after a media briefing heralding a competition will be held from August 10th to 12th in Togo. three seconds, and teams may not pass the ball more than three times before shooting at the frame. The ball used weighs between 325 and 475 grams and has a circumference of 54 to 60 centimetres. Two teams of seven players each play at a time with the aim of one of them gaining the most points at the end of the game.

Fouls are also a feature of the game and they come into play when the ball touches the ground during passing, more than three contacts are made, the ball is held for more than three seconds, the ball is touched with any part of the body below the knee, any form of interception is made whether deliberately or accidentally, while the other team is passing or physically preventing another player from catching the ball. Substitution of players during the game is also allowed during the game and is unlimited – all players can be substituted in the course of it.

There is the International Federation for Tchoukball (FITB) which was founded in 1971 and currently based in Geneva. The game is now played in thirty-five countries.

The first world championship game was played in China in 1984.

The sport is new in Nigeria and the fact that it is free from injuries which is a bane of most sports is a strong reason why it should be promoted.

Quality Assurance and Research Development Agency, Nigeria, an educational NGO in Nigeria in Lekki, Lagos has been promoting it in Nigeria. It realised the importance of sports in the development of students. Since 2011, it has, in collaboration with the International Federation of Tchoukball (FITB), organised series of trainings for Physical and Health Education Teachers in schools such as British International School, Corona, Crescent,

El-Kanemi draw

A

LACKLUSTER per formance by Crown FC of Ogbomosho and El kanemi Warriors of Maidugiri in the second encounter of the on going round of 16 group matches of the Federations of at the Agege Township Stadium ended goalless.

Both teams came out with high expectations from the fans but they could not show any sparks in the first 45 min-

Messi ready to fight again L

utes. In the second half, Adeyemi Adeyeye’s free-kick from twenty yards was saved by Itodo Ikor in the 54th minute causing the Agege fans to cheer a little.

The entire Crown FC bench challenged the referee and the fourth official midway into the second half when their cry for a penalty was not given following an infringement on their striker inside the eighteen

yard box.

In the first match Kano Pillars beat Kwara United 2-1.

•Emeteole

Grange, Meadow Hall, Lagos Preparatory School, Peak L ane, Green Springs, Chrisland, Starling, Clemmy High and Children’s International School.

Qaardan has worked in close collaboration with Julio Calegari, a Brazilian coach of the game. He has been a member of the Brazilian Physical Education Council as a coach and instructor.

The frames used for the sport is made locally by a Nigerian and is the agency’s miniscule way of promoting local content and entrepreneurship. The tournament in Africa is scheduled to hold in Togo this August between the 10th and 12th with some Nigerian representatives.

Theresa Okafor, Director Qaardan.

Kwara govt immortalises Yekini former governor Lawal

BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI, Ilorin

T

HE administration of Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara state yesterday immortalised the former governor of the state, Late Alhaji Mohammed Alabi Lawal and former Super Eagles striker, Late Rashidi Yekinni .

The decision was taken at the state executive council meeting.

The SSG,Alhaji Isiaka Gold flanked by commissioner for information and home affairs,Prince Tunji Moronfoye and Commissioner for sports Barrister Kayode Towoju said this at a post exco press briefing yesterday.

The state commissioner for Sports and Youths development, Mr. Kayode Towoju told journalists that, the Ilorin Golf Club was named after late

Fergie sings for Mandela

A

to succeed under the management of Tito Vilanova, Pep Guardiola’s replacement.

He told Marca after starting pre-season training: “What Tito Vilanova has done in these two days is exactly what Pep did in his four years. The same hardworking people remain, everything is equal and we start in the same way.

“I am not looking to beat my level of goals.

This isn’t my objective.

My objective is to win titles and this for us is fundamental.”

LEX Ferguson has wished former South African president Nelson Mandela a Happy 94th Birthday.

And the Manchester United manager even broke into song for his old friend, who he first BACK IN THE DAY ... met in 1993 — three Alex Ferguson meets Nelson years after the anti- Mandela in 1993 apartheid activist’s historic release from him you’re sort of in awe of him — his presence, his prison.

F e r g u s o n , personality exudes all around currently on a pre- you.”

United defender Rio season tour of South Africa, said: “I have Ferdinand added: “Mandela met him a few times was selfless. He gave up the now, and I think majority of his life for every time you meet everybody else.

while the, CBN- Ola-Olu road was named after late Rasidi Yekinni.

Towoju added that, during the life time of Late former governor, Lawal used his wealth to develop the Golf development across the nation and Kwara in particular.

He added that, apart from this, late Alhaji Lawal has also sponsored many people in the state for Golf competition which according to him has brought a lot of laurels to the state.

On the part of Late Yekinni’s contributions to the football development in the nation, Towoju said that, the late striker has done the nation proud and his home state, Kwara that called for the immortalisation.

He said that, this contributions has gone a long way of putting the state in the world map.

Towoju therefore assured the people of the state of government commitment towards rewarding any body that had worked for the socio economic development of the state.

Commissioner for education and Human capital development,Alhaji Saka Onimago also told newsmen that the state government has splitted its ministry of Education and Human Capital Development into two. The commissioner said that the ministry now has a twin sister of ministry of tertiary education, science and t e c h n o l o g y Onimago said the government took the decision to ensure that its policies plans for education in the sate are effectively implemented.

60 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

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Olympics Basketball:

D’Tigers can shock Team USA – Kaleh

BY JACOB AJOM

F

IRST Vice President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, Muktar Kaleh has told Nigerians that the national male basketball team, D’Tigers that qualified for the London Olympics last week had equal chances of qualifying from the group stage like any other team in their group, which parades the likes of USA, Lithuania, France, Argentina and fellow African representatives, Tunisia.

Muktar who spoke with Sports Vanguard at the National Stadium, Lagos was unfazed by the quality of opposition in Nigeria’s group, insisting, however, “the Olympics is open for everybody, any team can spring surprises.”

Said he, “We are taking any team with all the seriousness and we are not going to underrate any team. We are going to put in our best, like we did in the qualifiers and then we will watch what comes out at the end of the competition.”.

Asked if he hoped for a Nigeria victory over the dreaded American Dream Team 7, the NBBF chieftain retorted, “America is the best basketball nation and have

a fantastic team. Although I am not saying categorically that D’Tigers will beat the USA, I repeat, no team cannot be beaten, We will play America with all our hearts and take our chances and at the end of the day we will be happy we qualified for the Olympics and played against America.

D’Tigers will not fear any team in London but can only respect them.

Any team that underrates us could pay dearly for that.”

Muktar said when Team USA played Brazil in a pre-Olympic tune up match, Monday night, the Americans had to resort to their reserve bench before overcoming Brazil.

He recalled, “D’Tigers a chance, today everybody is talking about them being the team to watch.”

to 30 minutes to ensure the show, scheduled for three hours, concludes between midnight and 12:30 a.m.

“This is like any other piece of film you would make, things end up on the cutting room floor,” London organizing committee spokeswoman Jackie Brock-Doyle said.

Boyle, the Oscar-winning filmmaker of “Slumdog Millionaire,” is directing the 27 million pound ($42 million) ceremony featuring a cast and crew of 10,000.

The ceremony will take place on July 27 in the 80,000-capacity sta-

CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Sunshine bank on away record •As Bassey goes to Lubumbashi

•Ogunbote Coach Gbenga Ogunbote was to say that too much respect for the defending champions cost them victory and though his wards woke up in the

second half the damage had been done , one in which they will want to redress this week end.

In doing so, Sunshine will have to fall back on a superlative away record last year when they campaigned in the CAF Confederation Cup. Early on last year they beat Tiko United of Cameroun 2-0 in Ijebu Ode and followed it up with a 1-0 away victory in Cameroun. As they progressed they also went away to J.S. Kabylie of Algeria and beat them 2-1.

86 happy cheers for Pa Ojidoh F

Nigeria’s Al - Farouq Aminu (r) trying to shoot past a Dominican Republic player during their qualifying game in Venezuela.

Olympic ceremony Continues from BP

FTER a shaky start to their debut in the prestigious Orange CAF Champions League campaign, Sunshine Stars football Club of Nigeria will this week end be guest to Etoile Sportif of Sousse, Tunisia, just as CAF has appointed Paul Bassey General Coordinator for the Group B cracker involving T. P. Mazembe of Lubumbashi, Congo DR and Berekum Chelsea the Ghanaian champions.

For the Nigerian champions this is a match they are condemned to win given the loss of three points and two goals in their opening encounter, even at home.

dium in east London and be watched by a global television audience expected at 1 billion.

Brock-Doyle said a 34 minute sequence featuring stunt bikes has been deleted from the show. The riders will still be paid and credited.

In addition, she said, Boyle is making other changes across the entire show to keep within the time frame.

“It has been an evolution,” she said. “It was longer 10 days ago than it was a week ago and was longer a week ago than it is now. It is a matter of tightening. It’s not cutting big chunks.”

OREMOST sports administrator, Pa John Ojidoh turns 86 today.

Apart from been a referee, Ojidoh worked at every level of Nigerian football – from being a school’s games master to club owner then to the fold Bendel State Football Association and eventually to the board of the Nigeria Football Association, now Nigeria Football Federation.

Pa John Ojidoh was a member of the former board of the NFA headed

by Colonel Abdulmumini Aminu(rtd). He is an administrator extra extraordinaire whose expertise, even after his long service has always been of tremendous assistance to Nigerian football.

As a referee, his forthrightness, discipline and uncompromising stance often got him into trouble with club officials, yet he remained steadfast and unbending to the rules of the game. As a match com-

Edin Dzeko Continues from BP German side Wolfsburg in January 2011.

With Sweden star Zlatan Ibrahimovic having joined Paris St Germain this week, Serie A giants Milan are in the market for a replacement.

And Dzeko’s agent Sead Susic reckons his client would be keen to fill that void.

He said: “Edin would love to play in Serie A and with the Rossoneri.

“A move to AC Milan is more than possible.

There have been discussions and they are continuing. Let’s see what will happen in the

coming days.

“After the departure of Ibrahimovic, Dzeko would be an ideal replacement and it would be a wonderful experience, but we are waiting to see what happens.

“Is there a 70 per cent chance that he ends up at Milan? Maybe.”

A City spokesman however disputed Susic’s claims and said: “The club have no knowledge of the so-called spokesman Mr Susic, nor has it given a mandate to any third party to discuss the transfer of Edin Dzeko, who remains a Manchester City player.”

missioner, he was dreaded by home teams.

As a sports analyst and

commentator, he remains brilliant. We wish him many happy returns.

Wigan reject third Chelsea bid for Victor Moses

D

AVE WHELAN has knocked back a third bid from Chelsea for Wigan star Victor Moses.

The Champions League winners started off with a £3.5million offer, which the Latics supremo dismissed as “rubbish”.

Since then the Blues have raised it twice — with £5m believed to be the latest bid.

Whelan is hopeful the Nigeria ace, 21, may still agree to further his education under boss Roberto Martinez by penning a new deal.

He said: “They’ve made three bids and we’ve not accepted any."

Man U

Continues from BP lucrative global sponsorship deals.

Real Madrid are in second place, at $1.88 billion (£1.20 billion). The New York Yankees and Dallas Cowboys are third at $1.85 billion (£1.18 billion). Rounding out the top five are the Washington Redskins at $1.56 billion (£1 billion).

Continues from BP

All 32 NFL teams make the list of 50 most valuable teams with seven Major League Baseball teams earning spots.

The highest value for an NBA team belongs to the Los Angeles Lakers 35th overall. No NHL clubs made the survey, but two from Formula One racing were included: Ferrari and McLaren.

Osaze

Odemwingie will now travel with the West Brom contingent on their pre-season tour of the Scandinavia amid rumours of a bust-up with new manager, Steve Clarke.

West Brom have denied there was an altercation between the two.

Clarke is reported to be keen to work with Odemwingie, which has led to West Brom turning down negotiat-

ing with Al-Gharafa for an undisclosed fee for the Nigerian.

Clarke is impressed with the 31-year-old’s scoring record at The Hawthorns of 25 goals in 60 games for West Bromwich Albion.

Doha-based AlGharafa are willing to offer Odemwingie a three-year contract with a lucrative wages.

Odemwingie is contracted to West Brom until 2014.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012 — 61

62 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012 — 63

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

E

DIN DZEKO could join AC Milan this summer — according to the Manchester City star’s agent.

The Bosnian frontman has struggled to earn a regular first-team place at Eastlands following his £27million move from Continues on Page 60

Olympics Basketball:

D’Tigers can shock Team USA – Kaleh — P.60

West Brom reject Qatari’s club bid for Osaze

E

NGLISH Barclays Premier League club, West Bromwich Albion have reportedly rejected the bid of Qatari side, Al-Gharafa for Peter Osaze Odemwingie.

West Brom received a formal bid for their Nigerian international but told Al-Gharafa that Odemwingie is not for sale.

Continues on Page 60

Man U: World's most valuable team GRIT: Nigeria’s Ade Dagunduro gets the better of Dominican Republic opponent in the final match of the London 2012 Olympic qualifier in Venezuela, 8 July. Nigeria won 88-73 to pic the final ticket.

CENTRE OF ATTRACTION — Ready for the opening ceremony

Olympic opening ceremony cut short D

IRECTOR Danny Boyle has been forced to cut parts of the TODAY'S

Olympic opening ceremony - including removal of a stunt bike se-

PUZZLES

quence - to make sure the show finishes on time and spectators can YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

get home by public transportation.

London organizers

said Boyle was “tightening” the ceremony by up Continues on Page 60

M

ANCHESTER United are the most valuable team in sports at $2.23 billion (£1.43 billion), according to Forbes magazine’s annual survey.

The Premier League team, owned by the same American family that owns the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, are ranked on top thanks to Continues on Page 60

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 3 Staid (5) 9 Dealer (6) 10 Writer (6) 11 Decree (5) 12 Standard (4) 15 Ignoble (4) 17 Enthusiast (7) 20 Enclosure (3) 21 New (5) 23 Crew (4) 25 Awful (4) 26 Domesticated (5) 28 Delve (3) 30 Recovery (7) 33 Thought (4) 35 Valley (4) 36 Heathen (5) 38 Steered (6) 39 Ill-treat (6) 40 Revolt (5)

DOWN 1 Rod (5) 2 Devil (5) 3 Observe (3) 4 Appoint (6) 5 Every (4) 6 Groove (3) 7 Inexpensive (5) 8 Inexperienced (5) 13 Listless (7) 14 Lean (5) 16 Various (7) 18 Lid (5) 19 Cot (3) 22 Angry (5) 24 Joke (3) 27 Vilify (6) 28 Dull (5) 29 Sprite (5) 31 Worth (5) 32 Even (5) 34 Wither (4) 36 Through (3) 37 Nothing (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS

ACROSS: 1, Deceit 5, Sphere 9, Ditto 10, Random 11, Elapse 12, Libel 14, Sled 17, Dip 18, Trap 20, Solid 22, Chest 23, Tubular 24, Peace 26, Tower 29, Arch 30, Let 32, Wane 33, Mania 35, Credit 36, Riddle 37, Meted 38, Letter 39, Decree.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 1, Duress 2, Cancel 3, Idol 4, Timid 5, Steep 6, Poll 7, Expire 8, Exempt 13, Bitumen 15, Lover 16, Ditch 18, Throw 19, Ashen 21, Due 22, Cat 24, Parcel 25, Accent 27, Wander 28, Revere 30, Later 31, Tired 33, Mine 34, Aide

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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