RIVERS CRISIS: Okupe, Jonathan's worst enemy— Amaechi

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...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61949

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MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2013

BOKO HARAM: New Army division takes over from JTF P.8

Mrs Jonathan arrives Port-Harcourt, P.12 • enroute Okrika

RIVERS CRISIS:

Okupe, Jonathan's worst enemy— Amaechi

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

•Says he is no longer relevant in politics •Blasts presidential aides for creating enemies for Jonathan

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ORTHARCOURT— GOVERNOR Chibuike Amaechi has lambasted the Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, over alleged disparaging comments he made

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COLUMNISTS:

DELE SOBOWALE

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LES LEBA

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OCHEREOME NNANNA•P.46

Mr & Mrs

AGREEMENT—From left: Managing Director, QB Construction LLC, USA, Paul Lavergne; CEO, Greenfield Assets Limited, Paul Obanua and Governor Theodore A. Orji of Abia State, at the signing of Public/Private Partnership Development Lease Agreement between Abia State and Greenfield Assets Limited with its Development Partners from Canada, USA and UK for the development of a 5,830-shop Mega Mall at Osisioma-Ngwa, Aba, Abia State.

Pastor's wife, 3 children, 4 others die in road crash

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POCKET CARTOON

NSE CLOSING BELL—From left: President, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Alhaji Aliko Dangote; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Chief Executive Officer, NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema and Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, ringing the Trade Closing Bell at the NSE in Lagos, week-end.

Okupe, Jonathan's worst enemy— Amaechi Continues from page 1 on the governor in a radio programme.

Describing the Presidential spokesman as the worst enemy of President Goodluck Jonathan, Amaechi, who spoke through his media aide, Mr David Iyofor, said Okupe was a non-issue in the nation's political equation.

Dr Okupe in an interview on Liberty FM, Kaduna, weekend, ac-

cused Governor Amaechi of being a willing tool in the hands of the opposition. He also alleged that Amaechi had a hostile relationship with the state commissioner of police, Mr Joseph Mbu because the latter did not allow himself to be used by Amaechi to harass, intimidate and punish people unjustly.

In his reaction yester-

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

In university, they do not let you know that the greater component from the law is learning to tolerate fools — Doris Lessing

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, make them — Bernard Shaw

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WO men fell on hard times. Try as they might, they couldn’t find work. They heard that a museum was willing to pay $50 apiece for live rattlesnakes so, in desperation, they decided to catch snakes.

Outfitted with a net and basket, they hiked to a remote area renowned for its large snake population. But as they scaled a steep ledge, rock gave way and they tumbled down a slippery bank into a deep pit crawling with rattlesnakes.

One of the men quickly sized up the situation and shouted to his friend, “Look! We’re rich! We’re rich!”

I find this story hilarious but it is a very good principle to illustrate the intensity of seeing only the possibilities in all situations. Maybe the feller in the snake pit didn’t fully appreciate his predicament. But in most situations, I believe there is a sunny side.

Steve Goodier puts it beautifully: “I’ve learned that my greatest power may well be my power to choose my outlook.” As Abraham Lincoln wisely said, “most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” The truth is, I can choose to view tough times as growing times, I can choose to see life challenges as seasoning for unfoldment, and I can choose to focus on whatever good there is to be found in living.

day, Amaechi accused him of denigrating and disparaging the person and office of the Governor of Rivers State and the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.

Amaechi said: “In the past few weeks, we elected to ignore scurrilous statements from Okupe, as we do not wish to, wittingly or unwittingly, avail him with a sparring partner as he strives, though fecklessly yet again, to elevate his act from an attack puppy to an attack dog. Moreover, like most Nigerians, we believe that Okupe is irrelevant in the political equation that no serious-minded person should take seriously. Over time, his comments and statements are akin to some sort of notice-me monkey dance in front of his boss and his band of cheerleaders.

"However, it has become pertinent to alert the populace and Mr. President that the likes of Okupe represent the very worst of President Jonathan's administration. With an aide and adviser like Okupe, President Jonathan certainly does not need any enemies. Indeed, Okupe is more than a handful.

Pray, what kind of advice will an aide/adviser like Okupe give to Mr President? The earlier Mr President purged the Presidency of characters like Okupe, the better for us all.

“Okupe sank to a new low when he falsely and indecorously claimed

that Governor Amaechi used the police to harass, intimidate and punish people unjustly and could not provide one instance or any evidence to back up his claims.

He bragged about some phantom text messages from “ordinary people” whose families have suffered grave injustice in the hands of Amaechi and, yet again, did not tell us the content and senders of the text messages. What does Okupe take Nigerians for? The phantom text messages exist only in the mind of Doyin Okupe.

"The Presidential spokesman then sank even deeper as he condescendingly descended to become the Chief Advocate and Defender-in-Chief of the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Mbu Joseph Mbu, who the National Assembly has resolved categorically should be removed from Rivers State.

Okupe and Rivers' security “Okupe’s warped argument is that the call for the redeployment of Mbu from Rivers State by the state government is because Mbu has refused to be a ‘tool in the hands of Amaechi’. Pray Okupe, if that is the case and Mbu is such ‘a professional with dignity’, why then did the House of Representatives and the Senate(which sent a committee to Rivers State to investigate the issues) pass two separate resolutions calling for the immediate removal of Mbu from Rivers State? If Okupe’s trend of logic is anything to go by, his likely response would be that it’s because Mbu refused to be a tool in the hands of the National Assembly!

"With comments like that coming from a presidential aide and spokesman, Nigerians now have a better insight into why Mbu is still in Rivers State and continues to act with impunity, in spite of the call by eminent Nigerians and the resolution of the National Assembly that Mbu should go. What interests does Mbu serve for Okupe and his cotravellers that they are bent on keeping Mbu in Rivers State?

"Let us remind Okupe and his co-travellers that it took a lot of efforts, resources and the strong political will and determination of Governor Amaechi to restore peace, security and order to Rivers State from

the dark days of pre-October 2007. To destroy all that in the name of playing politics portends grave danger for our polity and will do no one, more especially, the Presidency no good. No responsible government plays politics with the lives of its people.

It is certainly rude, uncharitable, ill-mannered and hypocritical for Okupe to falsely and superciliously allege that Amaechi is a ‘ willing tool’ to any person or group against President Jonathan. Where was Doyin Okupe when Governor Amaechi led Rivers electorates to overwhelmingly give President Jonathan over two million votes, the highest by any state in the last presidential election?

“For the likes of Okupe and his fellow travellers in the Presidency and Abuja, Governor Amaechi only became ‘willing tool to the opposition’ when he openly refused to cede any part and oil wells of Rivers State to a neighbouring state, and stood firmly and resolutely to defend and fight for the rights of Rivers people, which he was elected to do, anyway. For the likes of Okupe and his ilk in the Presidency and Abuja, Governor Amaechi only became ‘ willing tool to the opposition’ when he, like most other governors, insisted on governors and governors alone, to determine who would be their chairman, the Governors’ Forum Chairman and not some hawks in the Presidency.

Governor Amaechi’s only ‘sin’, to the Okupes in the Presidency, is his penchant for seeking justice and fairness for all, and his ability to speak his mind and say the truth at all times.

This, obviously, is not in conformity with the kind of politics Okupe knows and understands.

“It continues to baffle us, like most Nigerians, that small minds like Okupe in a democracy, still see holding a different opinion from the Presidency on any issue

as anti-Jonathan and fighting Mr. President a taboo and sacrilege.

And any person perceived to be thinking differently must be crucified, politically and otherwise.

“It is indeed a sad commentary on our nation’s democracy and unity that a Presidential aide/ spokesman would see nothing wrong and would cavalierly dismiss the harassment, stoning and attack on eminent and esteemed visiting governors from the Northern states to their colleague and chairman, Governor Amaechi in Rivers State by a mob, a group floated, financed and promoted by a serving minister in the Presidency. This tells a lot about the character of Doyin Okupe."

We will not hand over party structure— Wike Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Education, Mr Nyesom Wike has vowed not to hand over the structure of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state back to Governor Amaechi.

Wike who spoke yesterday in Ahoada, where he went to inaugurate his Grassroots Development Initiative, GDI, said he was aware of alleged claims by the governor ’s camp that he should hand over the party’s structure as part of any reconciliation.

His words:“I was watching television last night and I heard some of them saying that one of the conditions they have given is that they should give the party structure to the governor.

“But I say we don’t operate emirate system.

We don’t operate a monarchical system. So, we don’t ‘dash’ out party structure. It is the people that voted for them.

So, we cannot ‘dash’ out party structure."

6—Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2013

Hunter mistakes colleague for antelope, kills him

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

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DO EKITI — THE Police have arrested a middle aged man, Musibau Mustapha, for killing his colleague during a hunting expedition.

Mustapha, 30, was said to have mistaken his fellow hunter, Sunday Ijasa, for an antelope and released the bullet which instantly claimed his life a couple of days ago at Igbara Odo Ekiti in Ekiti South-West Local Government Area of the state According to the Public Relations Officer of the state police command, Mr Victor Babayemi, in Ado Ekiti, weekend, the suspect was arrested following an allegation that he killed the deceased while hunting at Igbara Odo Ekiti.

According to him, Mustapha was said to have mistook the deceased for an antelope.

The police image maker added that there were inconsistencies in the statement made by the suspect after preliminary investigations conducted by the police.

Babayemi further said autopsy had been conducted on the corpse, while investigation is still on-going, adding that the suspect will be charged to court as soon as investigation is completed.

Meantime, police have arrested two men who specialized in car-snatching. The Police PRO named the suspects as Ajayi Gbenga and Fatoki Olabode, adding that they were arrested by men attached to Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS, on June 28.

Pastor’s wife, 3 children, 4 others perish in road crash

zMy wife, children are resting — Pastor

BY WOLE MOSADOMI

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INNA — TRAGEDY struck, Saturday night, as at least eight persons including a Pastor’s wife, Pastor (Mrs) Hellen Samuel, her three children, Saviour, Ensigne and Purity, were reportedly killed in an auto crash in Katagbegi village of Niger State.

The accident occured when the bus owned by the Niger State Transport Authority they were travelling in ran into an articulated truck at a bad spot along Bida-Minna road.

The family of Pastor Abraham Samuel of the Potter Porch Church, Minna and the other passengers in the bus were said to be travelling from Lagos to Minna when the crash occured at about 8pm, Saturday night.

The bus, according to eyewitness, was said to have caught fire shortly after the accident, thereby making rescue efforts difficult.

It was, however, gathered that only one passenger was rescued alive with serious burns.

Special Adviser to the Niger State Government on Emergency and Disaster Management, Mohammed Shaba, confirmed that the eight bodies had been recovered from the scene of the accident, even though the bus was believed to be carrying 18 passengers at the time of the acci-

dent.

Shaba said corpses of the deceased had been deposited at the Minna General Hospital.

The passengers were said to have been burnt in the vehicle because the local people that rushed for the rescue efforts

lacked the capacity to curtail the fire.

Our correspondent who went to the church met the Pastor preaching during yesterdy’s church service after which he announced the demise of his wife and three children.

Members of the church screamed at the news but the Pastor remained calm with elders of the church around him.

According to Pastor Samuel who, however, maintained sober mood “My wife and the kids are resting.”

WASTE TO WEALTH: Wife of the Governor of Ogun State, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun (in black jacket) addressing participants at the flag-off of her Green Empowerment for the Youth - Waste to Wealth scheme at Opako-Adigbe refuse dump site in Abeokuta.

Lagos arrests butchers selling tuberculosis infected beef zClamps down on illegal slaughter slabs

BY MONSURU OLOWOOPEJO

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AGOS — THE Lagos State government, yesterday, arrested three butchers selling tuberculosis infected beef, even as it clamped down on

three illegal slaughter slabs in the state.

The butchers were arrested at Alapere-Ketu axis of state by a team of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences task force, led by the chairman, Mr. Bayo Sulaiman.

The owner of a shop at Muda Lawal area of Bauchi, Mr Henry Okafor removing water from his flooded shop, in Bauchi, sunday. PHOTO: NAN.

The three illegal slaughter slabs were at Ajegunle, Alapere and Ajelogo.

The Senior Special Assistant, SSA, to the state governor on agriculture, Dr. Nureini Funsho, said that efforts will be intensified to clamp down on other illegal and unhygienic abattoirs to safeguard the lives of the people.

According to Funsho “government has done so much to dissuade butchers from slaughtering infected animals. And this has stopped in our over 20 legal slabs because trained veterinary doctors are available to examine animals before they are slaughtered.

“And if the animal had been slaughtered before they detected it, the state government compensates the butchers.

“Some of these butchers know that the animals are bad for consumption but they still slaughter them for sale at these illegal slabs.”

Funsho also blamed the porous state of the country’s borders, saying: “Most of the

cows slaughtered in Lagos, where traders believe that demands for beef is very high, are brought from neighbouring land-locked West Africa countries. And due to the porous borders in the country, the traders aren’t checked.”

On how the beef infected with such disease are detected, he said: “We have lymph nodes that expose the inner form of the disease.

Once you kill an animal and open it up, you will see that it will not have the normal animal skin colour.”

The SSA, however, urged residents of the state to patronize legal slabs because the unwholesome ones are sold in the unaccredited slabs.

Speaking earlier, Sulaimon said the arrested butchers would be charged to court, adding: “It is only the court that will determine their fate.

“We will start the clampdown on illegal abattoirs throughout the state. We have warned them and it’s time for enforcement.”

Vanguard , MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2013— 7

NCP asks 82 firms to bid for 10 power plants chooses.”

BY EMMA UJAH & SEBASTINE OBASI

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BUJA—NO fewer than 82 companies have been requested to submit proposals for 10 power plants under the National Independent Power Plants, NIPPs, in the next round of Nigeria’s electricity privatisation programme.

In a statement obtained by Vanguard yesterday, the Bureau for Public Enterprises, BPE, said the decision was taken at the second joint meeting of the National Council on Privatisation, NCP, and the Board of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited, NDPHC, which held last Monday, August 12.

The Bureau said NCP approved the pre-qualification of 386 expressions of interest, EOIs, submitted by 82 of the 110 consortia that earlier expressed interest in the acquisition of 80 percent equity in the 10 NIPP power plants jointly owned by the Federal,

state and local governments.

BPE statement According to the statement, signed by the Head of Public Communications of BPE, Chigbo Anichebe, “following the evaluation, 82 of the 110 submissions were successful and have been approved to continue to the Request for Proposal, RFP, stage.

“The Joint Board, chaired by Vice President Namadi Sambo, equally approved the issuance of the request for proposals, RFPs, to the pre-qualified bidders from August 19.

“The Joint Board also approved the recommendation of the Joint Technical Transaction Committee, JTTC, to allow Technical Services Providers, TSP, with no equity stake in the consortia, to participate in the privatisation process with as many bidders as it

Pre-qualified consortia

Some of the consortia include, Omotosho Electric Energy Company, Sepco-Pacific Energy Partners Limited, PPN Power Generating Company Limited, AFC and Globeleg Consortium, AFC, Globeleg and Vogeo Consortium.

Others are Spark Generation Power Company, Calls Power Consortium, Neon Electric Power Consortium, CET Power Consortium and Azura Benin Generation Consortium.

The number of EOIs for each of the 10 generation plants include: Gbarain Generation Company, 46; Benin Generation Company, 44; Omotosho Generation Company, 42; Egbema Generation Company, 41; Omoku Generation Company, 41 and Geregu Generation Company, 39.

The others are Calabar Generation Company, 37; Ogorode Generation Company, 36; Alaoji Generation Company, 30 and Olorunsogo Generation Company, 30.

Recall that at the close of the deadline for the submission of EOIs by the prospective investors on July 19, about 110 consortia submitted expressions of interest.

CBN eases collateral terms for N220bn MSME loan

Guidelines Thereafter, two evaluation teams were constituted to evaluate the submissions based on the approved guidelines.

The guidelines provided that to be technically qualified, bidders must show evidence of experience in operating at least 300Mw of thermal generation plant for at least three years and to be deemed financially qualified, meet a tangible net worth threshold of $100 to $200 million depending on the size of plant they wish to be pre-qualified for, among other requirements.

BPE and NDPHC are partners in the joint sale transaction process for the sale of the 10 power plants.

While NCP and BPE are legally authorised to sell Federal Government’s 47 percent shares, NDPHC has the authorisation of the states and local governments to sell 53 percent of their equities in the power plants.

IBB @ 72: Former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida,rtd., (left), receiving a birthday card from Alhaji Ahmed Ibeto, Deputy Governor of Niger State, during Babangida's 72nd birthday celebration at his Hilltop residence in Minna, Niger State.

BY EMMA UJAH, Abuja Bureau Chief

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HE N220 billion Micro Small and Medium Enterprises, MSMEs, fund being packaged by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, would be given to entrepreneurs without the conventional collaterals to make it easier for them to access capital for their businesses.

CBN’s Director of Development Finance, Mr. Paul Eluhaiwe, said this at the end of the MSME Financing Conference and D-8 workshop in Abuja, weekend.

He said that entrepreneurs would be able to use movable collaterals to secure credits from financial institutions from next year.

According to him, the necessary approval of management of CBN had been secured and “we will ensure that collateral registry are movable collateral and we would be able to use it beginning from next year in this country.”

He added that CBN wanted a situation where MSMEs would “be able to use movable collateral, and we are working with the International Finance Corporation, IFC, on this development.

“If this is done, operators will be able to operate because there would be funds and capacities would be built to create sustainability in the sector.

“Entrepreneurs themselves, who are supposed to benefit, with movable collateral will have access to more financial services.”

IG petitioned over alleged looting of ALSCON

BY SONI DANIEL, Regional Editor, North

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AWYERS, representing the American group, BFIG, that won the bid for Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria, ALSCON, in Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State, have petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, over

alleged looting of the smelter.

The two lawyers, Wole Olanipekun and Patrick Ikwueto, both Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SAN, have sent letters to the InspectorGeneral, Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State and the Director General of the Bureau for Public Enter-

prises, drawing their attention to the alleged wholesale looting going on at the plant and the implications for the owners.

In both letters, which were made available to Vanguard last night, the lawyers drew the attention of the Federal Government and the security agencies to the Supreme Court judgment of last year, which

recognised BFIG, as the bonafide owner of the plant.

They pleaded that concrete steps be taken to protect and preserve the assets of the firm so that the import of the court judgment is not defeated.

Olanipekun wrote to the IG: “Since our client is a law-abiding institution and company and would not want any breakdown

of law and order in and around the premises and assets of ALSCON, we hereby request for police assistance and presence in our client’s bid to take over ALSCON.” Ikwueto said that the looting spree at ALSCON, shortly after the Supreme Court judgment, was meant to rob BFIG of the benefit of the ruling.

8—Vanguard , MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2013

BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI

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BUJA—BARELY 24 hours after Vanguard's exclusive report about the establishment of a new Infantry Division for the Nigerian Army with headquarters in Maiduguri, the Federal Government has directed that command of the military onslaught against terrorists in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states be taken over by the Army Headquarters.

The new Division, headed by Major General Obida Etnan, will take over the new phase of the battle to continue the counter-insurgency operation with immediate effect.

A statement to this effect yesterday, entitled JTF Hands Over to New Army Division, by the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Chris Olukolade, noted that the development was in line with the plans laid out for the conduct of the operations to execute the mandate spelt out in the state of emergency declaration by the President.

Incidentally, the takeover is coming three months into the six-month first phase of the mission to stamp out terrorism in the North-East.

The statement read: “The command of the ongoing internal security operations in the North-East will tomorrow (today) enter a new phase as the control of the mission reverts to the Army Headquarters.

“Accordingly, a new Army Division has been created and will take off to continue the counter-insurgency operation with immediate effect.

“Coming three months into the mission to stamp out terrorism in the North-East, this development is in line with the plans laid out for the conduct of the operations to execute the mandate spelt out in the state of emergency declaration by the President and Commander-

LAUNCH: From left— Mr. Ayodele Adegboye, Head, B2B Division; Mr. Brovo Kim, Managing Director, both of Samsung Electronics West Africa, and Mr. Emeka Emuwa, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Union Bank Plc, at the launch of Bank of the Future Solution by the bank in Lagos. PHOTO: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

Boko Haram: New Army division takes over from JTF in-Chief.

“The phase being concluded on Monday was executed by a Joint Task Force, JTF, composed by troops drawn from the services of the Armed Forces as well as other security agencies who conducted Operation BOYONA. “The acronym for the code name, Operation BOYONA, is derived from the names of the three states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, covered by the state of emergency declaration.

“The effort was meant to constitute the first phase of the counter-terrorists operation.

“The Nigerian Army will now be solely in charge of the operations, but still under the routine guidance of the Defence Headquarters.

“A General Officer Commanding, GOC, in the rank of Major General, is being proposed to command the new Division, which will have its Headquarters in Maiduguri.

“He is due to take over Command and the assets of the

Headquarters of the Joint Task Force.

“The new Division is to continue with the conduct of counter-terrorists operations in the North-East, which comes under its Area of Responsibility.”

FG not crowding private sector out of bond market, says DMO

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE & PETER EGWUATU

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HE Debt Management Office, DMO, has dismissed allegations that the Federal Government was crowding out private sector from the bond market.

Director-General of DMO, Dr. Abraham Nwankwo, who spoke weekend in Lagos, also said that the Federal Government had been able to diversify its holding of FGN bonds as the foreign investors’ holdings in FGN securities at the end of December 2012 amounted to US $5.112 billion, compared to about US$500 million at the end of January 2012.

On the allegation that Federal Government was crowding out private sector from the bond market, Dr. Nwankwo said: “How can the Federal Government crowd-out the

private sector from a market which was not in existence?

“We should remember that before 2000, the bond market did not exist in Nigeria, and it was the Federal Government that created and developed the market.”

Nwankwo spoke to newsmen during a one-day retreat programmes organised for editors and finance correspondents in Lagos.

He said that the Federal Government hadd reduced its domestic borrowing to allow the private sector have access to funds in both local and international market.

He said: “Market based funding of the Federal Government’s financing needs started in 2003, and that marked a turning point in domestic debt transformation.

“The initiatives include tenor elongation and establishment of sovereign yield curve of

three months to 20 years thereby creating a market for long term funds; “The diversification of the holding structure of FGN securities to achieve about 93 percent non-Central Bank of Nigeria holding, while the balance of about six percent is being held by CBN through its operations in the discount window of the secondary market; “Streamlining and restructuring of the different types of outstanding debts instruments; and regular issuance of bonds and development of active secondary market for FGN Bonds, among others.”

He said that the achievements recorded in the development of the domestic debt market had led to the recognition and endorsement of the FGN Bond market by reputable international financial institutions,such as JP Morgan and Barclays Capital.

Vanguard, MONDAY,

VISIT: former Head of State/Chairman, Nigeria Prays, General Yakubu Gowon (left), receiving a plaque from Osun State governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (middle) and his Deputy, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori, when General Gowon visited the governor, at Government House, Osogbo, yesterday.

APC to Presidency: Tell Nigerians why PDP govts failed to deliver in 14 years

BY OLASUNKANMI

AKONI

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AGOS—THE All Progressives Congress, APC, has challenged the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and presidency's spokesmen, Dr. Doyin Okupe, and Dr. Reuben Abati, to tell Nigerians why the ruling party has failed to deliver in the 14 years it has ruled, instead of peddling concocted tales about the opposition.

Interim National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a statement, yesterday, also asked the Presidency to tell Nigerians why it allegedly defied Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC's, rules by continuing to campaign for the 2015 elections.

APC called on INEC to sanction any party that violates its ban on early campaigns for the 2015 elections, in view of the First Lady's phantom peace rally that was actually a facade for electioneering campaign, if INEC’s ban on such campaigns is to be taken seriously.

The party said: ’’These are what Nigerians are interested in, not continuous muck-raking about opposition leaders like General Muhammadu Buhari and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. For example, Nigerians want to know why the country can still not feed itself after 14 years of endless promises by the PDP; Nigerians want to know why they cannot be protected by their government when the securi-

ty of lives and property is the rason d’etre of any government. ’’Nigerians want to know why over 40 million youths cannot get jobs under a government that gleefully touts a six percent GDP growth. Nigerians want to know how 400,000 barrels of oil are being stolen daily and who the thieves are. Nigerians want

to know why the country is more divided than ever, under the watch of President Goodluck Jonathan, and why corruption has become a bigger monster in the years under the PDP. ’’The 2015 elections will be fought on the platform of issues, not meaningless attacks on personalities and attentiondiverting tales like how Gen-

eral Buhari wants to stage a comeback, or how Asiwaju Tinubu wants to expand his imaginary empire.’’

APC said the reason its leaders have put national interests above personal considerations is to rescue Nigeria from the clutches of the PDP and a mediocre presidency, both of which have failed the citizenry and dimmed their hopes, not because of power-for-power sake, which, it said, is the mantra of the PDP. "Our eight cardinal programmes, which we shall be articulating in the days ahead, represent a summary of how we intend to rescue the longsuffering citizens as well as our nation. These are War Against Corruption, Food security, Accelerated Power Supply, Integrated Transport Network, Free Education, Devolution of Power, Accelerated Economic Growth and Affordable Health Care. ’’Our guiding philosophy will derive its impetus from these seven principles: Belief in, and the fear of God; Upholding the rule of law; Preserving national unity; Pursuit of a just and egalitarian society; Building of strong institutions; Commitment to social justice and economic progress; and Promoting representative and functional participatory democracy. ‘’These are the issues we will be enunciating in the days ahead as we steer the politics of our nation away from jejune matters that are at the core of the PDP misrule to serious issues of relevance that will benefit our people under an APC federal government,’’ the party said.

Pay our benefits, federal retirees in Lagos beg FG

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

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AGOS—FEDERAL Government pensioners in Lagos, under the umbrella of the Federal Civil Servants branch, of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, Lagos, weekend, pleaded with the Federal Government to pay their pensions and other benefits, lamenting that they had been going through difficult times.

Representatives of the over 10, 000 Federal Civil Service retirees in Lagos spoke to Vanguard, at the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, office, Yaba, venue of the election of officials into the Federal Civil Servants Lagos branch of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP. They said some of them had not been paid since 1996 when they retired.

Mr. Dele Joseph was elected Chairman of the branch amidst protests from opponents who claimed to have

been disenfranchised.

Among the retirees who spoke were Muftau Baruwa, retired senior foreman in the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, who retired 11 years and three months ago, Mrs. Thompson Imakop, a retiree from the National Bureau of Statistics, who retired in 2007 and Afolabi Shotimbo, a retiree from Federal Ministry of

Information and National Orientation, downsized by the Olusegun Obasanjo's government in 2006' after 22 years of service.

According to Baruwa, “As we speak, I have never been paid a kobo, both my gratuity and pension. I have been to hospital twice since my retirement. During this period, I lost my father, my mother and one of my sons. Please, appeal to government to consider me."

LAWMA urges parents to make children imbibe clean habits

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

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AGOS—LAGOS Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, has stressed the need for parents, guardians and operators in the private sector to inculcate the habit of environmental cleanliness in the young ones in the spirit of catching them young at the formative stage aimed at enhancing healthier and safer environment in the state.

The Acting Managing Director of LAWMA, Mrs. Abimbola Ogun, gave the charge at the weekend, during the second edition of the “Waste To Food” initiative programme in collaboration with private partners, held at Agege Stadium, Agege Local Government Area.

She also appealed to students and their parents to buy into environmental advocacy programme of the state government in the overall interest of the public.

AUGUST 19, 2013—9

NRC to commence movement of container freights from Apapa to Kaduna, Kano

BY JONAH NWOKPOKU

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IGERIA Railway Corporation, NRC, will on Friday, flag off the movement of container freights from APM terminal in Apapa Port to Inland Container Nigeria Limited, ICNL, depots in Kaduna and Kano.

A statement from the department of Public Relations of the corporation, said that 20 wagons carrying 20 to 40 containers would be moved per trip with the intention of increasing it to three trips in a week.

It noted that the commencement of the container traffic would help in decongesting the ports as well as facilitating the establishment and use of Inland Container Depots, ICDs, along the track corridors.

2,000 receive free medicare in Lagos

BY JONAH NWOKPOKU

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AGOS—DOCTORS on Air Medical Mission have provided free health care services to over 2,000 people in Yaba Local Council Development Area of Lagos State.

The programme, which was organised in conjunction with Classic, Beat and Naija FM, Lagos and sponsored by Pathcare Nigeria Limited, provided health care services ranging from regular ailments to severe health problems such as diabetes, hypertension and kidney diseases.

Speaking to Vanguard at the programme, the General Manger, Classic and Naija Fm, Deji Awokoya, said the programme was a way of giving back to the society and attending to the pressing health needs of Nigerians.

10—Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2013

APC faction flays Amosun’s endorsement for second term

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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B E O K U TA — A FACTION of the newly registered All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ogun State, loyal to a former governor of the state, Chief Olusegun Osoba, has condemned the purported the second term endorsement of governor Ibikunle Amosun by another faction of the party, describing it as nullity.

The faction, under the aegis of Action Group, insisted that the endorsement by former local government Chairmen of the defunct ACN in the state must be repeated with the approval of Chief Osoba, who it described as a national leader of the party.

This was stated, weekend by spokesman of the group, Mr. Adekunle Adeyemi, a member of the House of Representatives representing IfoEwekoro Federal Constituency.

Sit up or risk sanctions, Ogun warns health workers

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GUN State Government has said it will no longer be business as usual in the health sector.

It advised medical personnel in its services against dereliction of duties, unethical and sharp practices, warning that sanctions would be imposed on violators of rules and regulations of the sector.

In a statement by the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Olaokun Soyinka, the government reiterated its commitment to the welfare of its workers, noting that this informed the policy of the Amosun-led administration to pay salaries as and when due and create a work-friendly environment for its employees.

“The present government not only cleared the backlog of salaries inherited from the previous administration but has invested massively in rehabilitation of dilapidated infrastructures,” he said.

NCC to complete Ekiti emergency centre this year —REP

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI DO EKITI —CHAIRMAN, House of Representatives Committee on Communications, Mr. Oyetunde Ojo, has promised people of Ekiti State that the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, will complete the emergency centre in the state before the end of this year.

He said the commission has built emergency centres across the country to assist people who are in distress to call for help in cases of robbery, fire and other emergencies.

Ojo, who made the promise at Ikole Ekiti, weekend, pointed out that the programme has taken off in Awka, Anambra State and Minna, in Niger State.

He, however, noted that the project will be deployed in the 36 states of the federation.

According to him, other stations, including that of Ekiti, would be completed before the end of this year.

The lawmaker further warned that the NCC will not relent in imposing sanctions on any telecommunication company that

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engages in sharp practices in Nigeria.

The All Progressives Congress lawmaker, however, observed that incessant damage to the companies’ service stations remains a great task that must be tackled at all costs in the country.

The lawmaker, who is representing Ekiti Central Federal Constituency 2 at the National Assembly, said Nigerians may continue to witness poor network services, except the rampant cases of ‘robbery, vandalism, fire and bombing of the stations are

checked.

He equally urged Nigerians to treat telecommunication equipment as critical national infrastructures like those of Power Holding Company of Nigeria, for improved service in the sector.

FUNERAL SERVICE: From left: Evangelist Joseph Famuyide, Deaconess Deborah Famuyide, Mrs Ester Obadare and Pastor Abiola Obadare, children, during the funeral service in honour of the late CAC General Evangelist and WOSEM Director, Apostle Timothy Obadare, in Ilesha, Osun State, weekend. Photo: Dare Fasube.

I’ve no plans to dump APC —Lanlehin

BY OLA AJAYI

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BADAN—FOLLOWING the strained relationship between Senator Olufemi Lanlehin, representing Oyo South in the National Assembly and Governor Abiola Ajimobi, the senator has said he had no intention of leaving the newly formed All Progressives Congress, APC. The comments of the senator were contained in a statement issued by a group, APC Youth Volunteer Forum, led by its state coordinator, Prince Rafiu Omotoye.

He described as self-defeating and regrettable, the alleged way some people within the corridor of power in the state allegedly tried to “outdo one another in a bid to run down a reliable and proven leader of the progressives with a view to fighting the cause of a second term in office for the governor.

He said: “We have watched

with keen interest the scenario whereby some favour-seeking individuals, misuse and abuse their closeness to the Agodi Government House to embark on overt and covert moves to hijack the APC structure even before the proper

take off of the activities of our new great party.

“We condemn the attempts of some party renegades to blackmail a serving senator whose past and present contributions to democracy and party politics in the country

cannot but be commended.

“We recall that Senator Lanlehin was highly instrumental to the repositioning of the party in Oyo State before the progressives could match the antics of the PDP in the state prior to the 2011 elections.”

Aregbesola lauded on political leadership

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EAD of Mission and Charge d’Affaires of the Nigerian Embassy in the Republic of Cote D’Ivoire, Mr. Jack Akiniyenle Bassey, has described the Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, as a highly rated political and administrative leader in Nigeria.

The commendation was made in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire, weekend, when Aregbesola paid a courtesy visit to the Nigerian Embassy where he was received by the Nigerian diplomatic team in the French-speaking West Af-

rican country.

The career diplomat, who played host to the governor at the Nigerian House, noted that the Osun governor has redefined governance with his people-oriented programmes.

Bassey, who remarked that he was meeting Governor Aregbesola for the first time, made reference to media reports he had read about the activities of the governor’s administration and submitted that the Osun governor is highly rated among all political leaders.

He stated further that as a

civil servant and diplomat, his duty was to serve all governments no matter the political party adding that he was glad to receive Governor Aregbesola and other high profile members of his team comprising Senator Mudashir Hussein, Speaker of the State of Osun House of Assembly, Hon. Najeem Salaam, legislators and other dignitaries during the period of his stewardship as the Charge de Affairs in the Embassy where he is holding the forte pending the appointment of a substantive Ambassador.

Ondo oil-producing communities allege neglect

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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KURE—LEADERS from the rich oil-producing communities of Ondo State have cried out over the neglect of the communities in the execution of developmental projects by the Ministry of the Niger Delta Affairs.

They said that projects run-

ning into billions of naira were awarded by the ministry in towns and communities outside its mandate areas of Ilaje and Ese-Odo Local Government Area.

According to them, communities in the two oil producing local governments were not attended to by the Ministry.

Spokesman of the communities, a former Special Assist-

ant to the President on Youth Matters, Mr. Kolade Akinjo, speaking with newsmen, said the people had made several complaints to the ministry over the neglect of the area.

Akinjo said developmental projects were being executed in Irele and Okitipupa Local Government Areas to the detriment of the mandate areas.

According to him, the projects were awarded in the

ministry ’s 2013 budget, whereas no provision was made for Ilaje and Ese-Odo Local Government Areas in the appropriation, contrary to the spirit behind the creation of the ministry.

Akinjo said the ministry should have given priority to the mandate areas which had been ravaged by underdevelopment and the effect of the oil production.

Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2013—11

PDP ‘ll come out of crises stronger —Bayelsa chieftain

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

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ENAGOA—THE Organising Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Bayelsa State, Mr. Alfred Imbasi, weekend, said that the party would come out stronger from its crisis.

Imbasi in an interview in Yenagoa, assured that Governor Seriake Dickson will deliver on his assignment as chairman of PDP Reconciliation Committee, describing

him as “a man with an uncommon zeal” to succeed in all his undertakings.

He said that the crisis within the party would not cause disintegration but enable the different groups appreciate the untiring efforts of Governor Dickson and his national reconciliation committee in their efforts to forge a united front.

The PDP chieftain urged those with different views to take a look at the changes the governor had brought to the

state in less than two years in office as governor, citing his dedication to the course of transforming Bayelsa State to the envy of other states in the country.

“I have no doubt in my mind that Governor Dickson will deliver on his national assignment, because I have known him to be a man with a zeal to do well in everything he applies himself to and this is no exception because he is a committed party member and he has displayed that loyalty

many times.

“Dickson is a man with an uncommon zeal and he is a serious person who goes about his job by first engaging in careful study of the situation to enable him apply the best methods to achieve the desired result.”

He urged all those troubled about the governor’s absence on national assignment to rest assured that Bayelsa State would not suffer any adverse consequences.

LAUNCH: From left, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, National Treasurer, Afenifere; Dr. Joe Okei - Odumakin, president, Campaign for Democracy (CD); Mr. Niyi Adesanya, president, Fifthgear Plus, and Mr. Femi Adesina, president, the Nigerian Guild of Editors at the launching of Meeting Point, in Lagos.

No grudge against College of Education staff, says Gov Uduaghan

BY EMMAARUBI

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ARRI—GOVERNOR Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State has said that he bears no grudge against any staff of the College of Education, Warri for giving evidence against him in the course of litigations challenging his reelection as governor for a second tenure at the election tri-

bunal.

He also said that he supported the demolition of shanties around the Collage because it “encourages criminalities, prostitution and other social vices.”

He noted that the state government will build hostels for the school as it was not safe and proper for students to live in an unhealthy environment, which explaineed why the

government was spending so much on the education sector because of the priority accorded the sector.

Governor Uduaghan at the 19th convocation ceremony of the College in Warri, said that rumours that he bore grudge against some staff was misconceived as he had forgiven all those that stood against him during his trying period.

The ceremony which also

featured the award for Education Excellence on three pioneer students now Professors, Nwose Chukwuma, Alexander Ohunyon and Benjamin Okaba in different fields of studies and business was witnessed by a cross section of important personalities and the representative of the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse 11.

Oba of Benin seeks dividends of democracy in Edo South

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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ENIN CITY — THE Benin monarch, Oba Erediauwa, weekend, tasked elected political office holders in Edo South senatorial district of the state not to disappoint the Bini electorate by ensuring that they provide the dividends of democracy to the people.

The Oba who singled out the

deputy governor of the state, Dr. Pius Odubu as a good example of a hard working politician worthy of emulation, stressed the need for elected office holders to fulfil their campaign promises to the people, so as to stand a chance of being re-elected by the people.

The monarch spoke through the chairman of the Benin Forum, Chief David Edebiri, when the forum honoured the

deputy governor of the state, Dr. Pius Odubu and the seven local government chairmen in Edo South and their councillors at the palace of the Oba of Benin.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Edebiiri, said: “Today’s event is organised by the Benin Forum on behalf of the Oba of Benin to honour some of his subjects, who were recently elected on two separate occasions.”

First, the deputy governor (Odubu), who was elected along with the governor at a popular election on July 14 2012.

“Odubu deserves this honour having regard to his many years of meritorious service, first as a federal legislator and now two time deputy governor of the state.

He has greatly influenced the politics of Edo state with his humane nature and high sense of responsibility.

Emerhor congratulates Blessing Okagbare

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N ALL Progressives Congress, APC, aspirant for Delta Central senatorial district by-election, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor has congratulated Delta State born athlete, Blessing Okagbare for doing Urhobos in particular and Delta State in general proud, in Moscow.

The Sapele born athlete, Blessing Okagbare, on Friday in Moscow, did Nigeria proud in the 14th edition of the IAAF world championships by winning another medal.

Commenting on the performance of Blessing Okagbare, Olorogun Emerhor, said: “I am proud of her; she should be celebrated by all Nigerians. I want to tell our daughter, Blessing Okagbare that the people of Delta Central senatorial district are proud of her, she has brought joy and pride to the district.

“We will do everything to encourage her. Two medals in the world championships is worth celebrating.”

Ijaw groups demand new electoral committee

BY EMMAAMAIZE

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ARRI — TWO Ijaw groups, weekend, called on the Ijaw National Congress, INC, the apex Ijaw group, to dissolve the parallel electoral committees set up by rival factions of the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, and constitute a fresh electoral committee to stem the crisis rocking the youth body.

The groups, Ijaw People Development Initiative, IPDI, and National Association of Izon-Ebe Law Students, NAILS, led by Austin Ozobo and Ebi Wayas respectively, commended INC for suspending the controversial IYC election and setting up a committee to resolve the crisis.

They blamed the crisis rocking IYC on external interference and attempt by some overzealous Ijaw leaders to foist their wish on the youth body.

12—Vanguard, MONDAYDAY, AUGUST 19, 2013

Group faults overseas course for Delta lawmakers

By JOSEPH ERUNKE

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BUJA—A group in Delta North senatorial zone, ‘Anioma Voice Worldwide,’ has kicked against the on-going leadership course by members of the state House of Assembly in the United States of America, describing the exercise as a misplaced priority.

The group expressed disappointment with nine of its representatives participating in the course and demanded explanations for their involvement in the foreign course without first seeking the views of the electorate on the desirability or otherwise of the programme.

The Anioma group, in a statement by its Board of Trustees in Abuja, expressed “utter disappointment in the conduct of our nine elected representatives in the state Assembly regarding the unnecessary and wasteful venture undertaken by the entire members of the state House of Assembly in the name of ‘capacity building leadership course.”

UNESCO names PH World Book capital

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ORT HARCOURT — RIVERS State Government has renovated 100 libraries ahead of next year, when Port Harcourt will assume the UNESCO World Book capital 2014.

Festival Director, Koko Kalango, in Port Harcourt, said that the 100 book clubs would be set up in primary and secondary schools in Port Harcourt as part of activities lined up to celebrate the emergence of Port Harcourt as UNESCO World Book capital 2014.

Kalango said the move would stimulate interest in reading among students, adding that the annual Garden City literary festival had been changed to Port Harcourt Book festival as part of effort to consolidate the city’s reputation for literary activities.

She added that in several Garden Cities in the world, the name Port Harcourt book festival would erase confusion about, where the garden city festival holds because there is only one Port Harcourt.

Delta Senatorial by-election: Withdraw, UPC tells Amori ....I will run, Amori insists

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GHELLI — AS the jostle for who takes over the Delta Central Senatorial seat, which became vacant due to the death of Senator Pius Ewherido heats up, the leadership of DINNER: Chief Adebayo Sarumi, former Managing Director of NPA and board the Urhobo Political Congress, UPC, Chairman of Nigerian Shippers' Council (left), chatting with a guest, at a dinhas advised the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate in the 2011 elecner for stakeholders, organised by the board and management of the Council, tion, Chief Ighoyota Amori not to conweekend. Photo: Godfrey Bivbere test the forthcoming by-election.

Chief Amori, who is the National Chairman of UPC, however, insisted that he would participate in the election, reiterating that it was an opportunity for him to reclaim the senatorial mandate allegedly given to him in 2011 by his people.

Amori in a text message, said: immediately flown from the surveillance on her residence

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME “I am in the race; opinion of one airport to Okrika, her home, on Bauchi Road in the old man cannot deter me from runORT HARCOURT — adding that she was in her GRA end of Port Harcourt. ning.

They had also erected barTHE country’s First home town over issues relat“Withdraw for who? All interricades at the two ends of the ing to the death of her mother, Lady, Mrs. Patience ested UPC members were reroad.

Though vehicles were late Madam Charity Oba. quested to present themselves for Jonathan, arrived Port allowed to drive through the Before her arrival, there was assessment before we can choose Harcourt, Rivers State, yester- heavy Police presence on road, which is a one way trafwho is more qualified electorally. day, for a three day visit.

Police Public Relations Of- some major roads in Port fic, there were fears that traf“So, the personal opinion of one fic may be diverted from the Harcourt. individual, who does not like my ficer in the state, Angela road when she arrives.

The police and other secuface from the beginning of poli- Agabe, told Vanguard, that tics, is irrelevant to our collective the First Lady, on arrival, was rity operatives had mounted resolve. I can assure you that I will win as we have been asked to face the party primaries of PDP.” Leadership of the group after a meeting with the former Secrepolicy of his administration.

Nwaka, the governor said that

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA tary to the Delta State GovernHe spoke, while declaring his administration sees the ment, SSG, Obarisi Ovie Omoopen, the public service leccivil service as the engine Agege, based their insistence on SABA—GOVERNOR ture as part of activities lined room of the state economy and Chief Amori’s withdrawal from E m m a n u e l up to mark the 2013 Public has been providing them with the race on the need for PDP and Uduaghan of Delta Service Week celebration in necessary tool, including exUPC to present a more acceptState, said, yesterday, that he the state. posure to modem trends for able candidate for wresting the has institutionalised pruRepresented by the state enhanced performance. senatorial seat from Democratic dence, credibility and open- Commissioner, Bureau for Peoples Party, DPP. ness with the e-governance Special Duties, Dr. Tony

Mrs Jonathan arrives PH, en route Okrika for family matters

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E-governance institutionalises credibility in Delta, says Gov Uduaghan

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Odiase, composer of national anthem neglected, family cries out

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HE FAMILY of Pa Benedict Odiase, the composer of the national anthem, who passed on at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH on June 11, 2013, has cried out that governments and individuals were not doing enough to immortalise Odiase.

The family in a statement, said “there had been relentless efforts by the family through its Central Burial Planning Committee to give a befitting burial, particularly as August 23- 25, 2013, the burial dates fast approach.

“The family has reached out to some appropriate government authorities but surprisingly only the Nigeria Police Force has re-

sponded and has been directly involved in the efforts to immortalise this iconic personage of historic national interest.

“This unsettling quietness by

the respective authorities viza-viz the pressing enquiries of the Nigerian people to confirm the position and attitude of the Federal Government to the

Abuja students endorse Glo Bounce

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LO BOUNCE, the revolutionary youth product launched recently by national operator, Globacom, has continued to receive the commendations of student union leaders across the country.

Just like in Lagos where student union leaders of the University of Lagos, Lagos State University and Lagos Polytechnic hailed the launch of

the package and recommended it to students across the country, student union leaders of three higher institutions in Abuja commended Globacom for introducing the Bounce package.

The union leaders who were from the University of Abuja, Dorben Polytechnic, Abuja and College of Education, Abuja, said Glo had, through the

burial arrangements of this great patriot, necessitates this request for the concerned authorities’ due respect and value for patriotism.

product, once more demonstrated that it was the most innovative telecommunications operator in the country and that it had the interest of students and youths generally at heart.

They spoke at the launch of Glo Bounce at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja, weekend. The student leaders described it as a pocket-friendly product which will greatly assist students.

Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2013—13

Era of abandoned projects over — FG

Court stops Ebonyi LG poll

BY PETER OKUTU

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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WERRI—THE Federal Government has instituted a mechanism that will check contractors and monitore the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, to stave off poor implementation or abandonment of projects nationwide.

Senior Special Assistant to the

President on Millennium Development Goals, SSAP-MDG, Dr. Precious Gbeneol, made government’s position known, weekend, while commissioning two primary health care centres, PHCs, and a water scheme.

Gbeneol said: “The era of poor implementation and abandonment of projects are over as the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s administration has successfully

put in place a mechanism that will effectively place both contractors and officials monitoring MDG projects in proper check.”

Gbeneol also used the outing to launch what she termed “enhancing citizens’ engagement protocol for accelerating the attainment of the MDGs in Nigeria”, also known as “Amebo”.

NULGE opposes caretaker c'ttees in Imo, Abia, Anambra LGs

BY TONY EDIKE

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NUGU—THE National Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, South East Zone has condemned the constitution of caretaker committees in Imo, Anambra and Abia states, saying the arrangement was a violation of the constitution.

NULGE noted that Nigerian constitution clearly prescribed that the administration of the third-tier of government should be handled by democratically elected chairmen, stressing that

the use of caretaker committees was working against the progress of the councils.

The union, which made this known in a communiqué signed by its National Vice President, Comrade Akaji Aji and Enugu NULGE President, Mrs Lotachukwu Aneke, said: “The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees “democratically elected chairmen and councillors at the local government level.

"The zone condemned the use of caretaker committees in Abia, Anambra and Imo states and

urged them to emulate the Enugu and Ebonyi states".

According to him, the zone commended Anambra State governor, Mr. Peter Obi for paying arrears of pension and gratuity to local government retirees and teachers.

Akaji also said the association expressed concern over the alarming rate of graduate unemployment in the South East and called on state governments to quickly put in place necessary measures that would ameliorated the situation.

Explaining what Amebo was all about, Gbeneol said it would deepen community engagement by scaling up citizens’ action for participatory governance and development as a means of increasing the drive to achieve the MDGs in Nigeria.

While explaining that the protocol was designed to develop and strengthen tools and mechanisms to ensure that voices of the communities became part of the decision making process, Gbeneol said it would further seek to ensure that communities influenced the outcomes of development projects, as well as enhance local government authorities’ responsiveness to community demand.

She added that the project, being piloted in 21 local council areas through the Conditional Grant Scheme, CGS, of the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs, would further complement government efforts in institutionalising transparency, accountability and entrench good governance in project implementation.

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BAKALIKI—THE local government poll scheduled to hold on September 28 may have hit the rocks, following a Federal High Court injunction restraining Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission, EBSIEC, from conducting the election .

The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt on August 7 issued an injunction to the respondents, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, EBSIEC and Ebonyi State House of Assembly overriding the decision to conduct the forthcoming LGA polls.

In suit, the applicants, comprising Progressive People’s Alliance, PPA, Mr. Okechuku Obor and Mrs. Ebere Samuel Uche Udeogu, in an affidavit prayed the court, among other orders, to grant “a stay of all matters to which this application relates pending the determination of the substantive application for judicial review or until this honourable court directs otherwise in accordance with rules of this court.”

14—Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2013

PDP slams Fashola zSays he is a dictator

LG autonomy: APC leadership anti-people — PDP

BY HENRY UMORU

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BUJA—NATIONAL leadership of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, took a swipe at Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, describing him as the new dictator for sealing off a property belonging to former Abia State governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, because he criticized the recent deportation of Nigerians from the state.

In a statement by the party’s acting National Publicity Secretary, Tony Okeke, PDP described the development as “ reminiscent of the infamous decree No 4 of 1984 promulgated by maximum dictator and supreme leader of the APC, General Muhammadu Buhari, with which he clamped down on the freedom of speech and victimized anybody that criticized his government.”

Ethiopia Airlines begins international flights from Enugu airport

BY HENRY UMORU

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B U J A — N AT I O N A L leadership of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, described governors of the newly registered All Progressives Congress, APC, as anti-people and undemocratic for opposing the proposed financial autonomy for local governments in the country.

Speaking with newsmen, the National Auditor of PDP, Alhaji Adewole Adeyanju, who noted the stiff opposition of the APC governors to the proposed autonomy as being championed by the House of Representatives, however, called on the members of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employes, NULGE, to rise against what he described as the undemocratic posture of the governors.

He said: “We are under a democratic rule and not in a military era. Under a democratic system of government anywhere in the world, majority always carry the day.

“Now, the National Assembly, which is saddled with the responsibility of making laws for the good governance of the country has spoken, the members of the National Assembly were democratically elected from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, so why should the APC be against the wishes and aspirations

of the people?

"Is the APC governors telling the nation that they are above the laws of the land or want their own minority view to prevail on the majority views? This is laughable and undemocratic.

“My appeal is that the members of the NULGE and the general public should rise against the APC for opposing the much desired autonomy for the LGAs. They should reject

the party at the polls because if by mistake the party is given the mandate to govern the country, God forbid, Nigerians should expect the worst.

"As a democrat, I’m always on the side of the people. To me, the National Assembly has done the right thing because it will spread developments, the LGAs will no longer wait for governors to dictate to them the types of projects or programmes

to embark upon as it is being practised now, despite the fact that our constitution recognises three tiers of government.”

Adeyanju alleged that the APC governors knew how they had been cornering monthly allocations of the LGAs from the Federal Government, adding that the posture explained why the governors would go to any length to oppose the autonomy for their selfish and personal interest.

From left: Kufre Ekanem, Corporate Affairs Adviser; Nico Vervelde, MD/CEO NB Plc; Chimamanda Adichie, Creative Director Farafina Trust and Victor Famuyibo, HR Director, Nigerian Breweries.

Honesty, patrotism key to Nigeria's devt — RIBADU

BY KENNETH EHIGIATOR

BY LEVI NWABUGHIOGU

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HE Federal Government, weekend, confirmed that Ethiopian Airlines would commence direct flights to and from Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, from Saturday, August 24, 2013.

This would be the first international flights to be operated into the South East geo-political zone of the country, barely two years after the airport in Enugu was accorded international status.

Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, who disclosed this in Abuja, said she had already written President Goodluck Jonathan informing him of the airlines’ inaugural flight.

She said the airport’s designation as an international airport was part of the aviation master plan of the present administration to give every zone in the country the opportunity to grow its full potentials in economic and social development.

C M Y K

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BUJA—FORMER Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and presidential candidate of Action Congress of Nigeria in 2011 general elections, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, yesterday, said Nigeria could only survive when the citizens and leadership of the country uphold the virtue of honesty and patriotism.

Ribadu, who spoke while delivering a lecture, titled “Nigeria: A Generation’s Quest for Home”, said what Nigeria needed to be developed was not mere change of leadership for a realization of the lofty potentials of the youths and good governance.

He also stated that leaders with conscience, a functional civil service institution that would not ask for bribe, a corrupt-free Judiciary, among others, were indispensable for a new Nigeria.

He said: “What Nigeria needs to realize its potentials is, unfortunately, not mere change of leadership. We don’t need anyone from outer space to come and organise our polity. What we need

are ourselves, our virtues and belief in a collective struggle for good governance.

“What we need are functional institutions. We need institutions that pander to the principle of honesty and socialize successions of citizens who will extol this principle.

"We need leaders for whom the sufferings of the masses are

immediate concerns, not jokers that insult yearnings and honest observations of the electorates.

“We need institutions in which the lawmakers gather to discuss the plight of their constituents, not losing their sense of our realities in the luxuries of the state and federal capitals. We need a judiciary that exerts its independence and resists any

prejudice in the discharge of justice.

"We need a civil service that does not ask for bribes to do that for which they receive salaries. We need institutions! We need functional institutions to restore the lost glories and trust that make a sane nation. Our trouble in this country is principally the collapse of our institutions".

Ex-envoy laments politicization of foreign service

BY VICTORIA OJEME & FAITH GORA

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BUJA—RETIRED Foreign Service veteran, Ambassador Dahiru Suleiman, yesterday, lamented undue politicization of Nigeria Foreign service.

The diplomat said political appointees constituted more than 60 percent of envoys.

Ambassador Suleiman who retired from the foreign service five years ago, rose through the rank to serve as Nigerian envoys in several diplomatic posts, including Pakistan, Brazil, Angola , United States

of America, Ivory Coast, Poland, Austral and twice in Sudan, among other countries.

The former Nigerian envoy also frowned at the disregard for statutory requirements that only three non-career diplomats should be appointed as ambassadors by successive governments.

He lamented that this practice not only diminished the importance of such diplomatic posts where a political appointee was posted, but also often done more damage to Nigeria's foreign policy objectives in the host countries.

Speaking with Vanguard,

Ambassador Dahiru stressed the need for government to reconsider the retirement policy of the foreign service, insisting that the policy of retirement at 60 years or 35 years of service, whichever came first, had robbed the foreign service of professionals and by extension loss of much of the needed skills.

Speaking on the need for a rethink on the large number of political appointees as ambassadors, he said: “I was a professional, I spent all my adult life in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Will I be happy if you bring someone from nowhere and make him ambassador over and above me? No."

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16 — Vanguard, MONDAY,AUGUST19, 2013 SOUTH African-born wives of Nigerians living in South Africa are set for a major nationwide protest against their increasing stigmatisation by their fellow countrymen and women. According to the Chairperson of the United Nigerian Wives in South Africa (UNWISA), Mrs Lindale Uche, fellow South Africans discriminate against them, their spouses and children.

Uche said children of such marriages are called derogatory names and made to feel like outcasts, aliens and unwelcome. The women had protested earlier in March this year, but nothing came of it, hence their decision to form an association and fight together.

This is yet another indication that little is being done, especially by the South African authorities, to create a conducive atmosphere for Nigerians to lawfully live fulfilled life. The hostility that Nigerians suffer at the hands of South Africans was topped in March last year when 56 Nigerian travellers to South Africa were deported from the Johannesburg International Airport over alleged possession of fake yellow vaccine papers. Nigeria swiftly retaliated by bundling 78 South African

BY JUSTUS ANYADIORA

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ALL him a man of honour, courage and commitment, you will not be wrong because at 61 he is all of these beside being a man of destiny as he clearly has an important date with history. It is said that some are born great, while others attain or achieve greatness. Senator Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige(OON) had a humble beginning. During our days as pupils at St. Patrick Primary School, Ogbete, Enugu, which we left in 1964, Ngige was an outstanding pupil both in academics and other extra-curriculum activities.

He was never found wanting in anything.

So I was not surprised when he made distinction in his school certificate examination at St. John Secondary School, Alor in 1972.

I had thought that he would be a lawyer because he had studied arts and commercial subjects to class four before switching over to science subjects, leaving his younger brother, Mr. Emeka Ngige (SAN) to continue with arts subjects. A feat many of us never tried because of fear of failure.

As if that was not enough and without much delay, Ngige secured admission to study Medicine at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, where he graduated with flying colours in 1979.

This was at a time most of us were still retaking our school certificate. While in the university, he was actively involved in student union politics, which he never allowed to affect his studies and

Victimisation of Nigerians in SAfrica S-Africa visitors to Nigeria back to their country.

Diplomatic steps were taken to mend fences.

However, the unwelcoming atmosphere continues to fester in a country Nigeria invested enormous human and material resources and efforts to end its apartheid policy. The freedom, peace and prosperity South Africa enjoys today owes chiefly to the leadership and sacrifices of Nigerians. No other country on the continent, or indeed, in the world should have a bigger place of pride or be more welcome than Nigeria.

It would seem that little effort was made by

the South African leadership to reflect the true pillars of the anti-apartheid struggle beyond the efforts of local South African politicians and activists. If they did, Nigerians would be held in high regard and be happily accommodated in South Africa.

It is high time that the Federal Government took firm measures to force a change of attitude towards Nigerians, their families and sundry interests who have legitimate presence in South Africa. The country stands to lose more than Nigeria if matters should come to a head. South African businesses are thriving in Nigeria, and not a single case of molestation of South Africans living in Nigeria has been reported. Nigeria is a very friendly country which welcomes foreigners with warmth that is uniquely Nigerian. In our cultures, guests are accorded more comfort than kin.

Nigerians and South Africans should be brothers working together for their mutual benefit. The onus is on South Africa to reciprocate the great hand of fellowship which Nigeria has extended to her from her days of need to date. Nigerians did not fight apartheid to become its new victims.

OPINION Ngige, tto owering at 6 1 61 performance.

Upon his graduation, many of his colleagues travelled to overseas, while others picked jobs in multinational companies. But Ngige in line with his deep flair for public and humanitarian service opted for a job at the Federal Ministry of Health where he worked creditably for years before leaving voluntarily in 1998 as deputy director of hospital services, federal medical centres and teaching hospitals.

While in Federal Ministry of Health, he was instrumental in the establishment of permanent sites for most of the federal medical centres and teaching hospitals, especially in the South East zone. In continuation of his burning desire for public service, he ventured into the murky waters of Nigerian politics as one of the founding fathers of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. No wonder he was appointed the protem zonal publicity secretary of the party in the South East in 1998 and later the assistant national/zonal secretary of the party in the zone between 1999 and 2002. The same year he was conferred with the national honour of Order of the Niger, OON, for his diligence and accountability in public service.

It was from there that he emerged the governorship candidate of the PDP in Anambra State in 2003. Though his initial ambition was to become a senator, he was persuaded by the party stakeholders to run for the office of the governor.

Having been in public service all his life, Ngige is always conscious of Harold McAlindon’s words: “Do not follow where the path may lead, but go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” So from childhood, he never believed in bandwagonism, but in carving a niche for himself in anything he does.

It was for this obvious reason that he redefined governance in Anambra State within the short period he was governor of the state. He set the pace and made the people realise that with sincerity, commitment and transparency, the state government could do much for the people in terms of good governance and provision of basic amenities.

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oday, his numerous achievements, especially in the area of infrastructural developments that cut across the state are obvious. And it has become difficult for his successor to equate or measure up to his performance. As governor, Ngige demystified political godfathers in the state when he took the battle for the soul of the state to them, despite the tremendous backing they enjoyed from the Presidency.

He fought and put his life on line for the liberation of the people of the state; even when he had the option of settling the godfathers financially and remained in office, he resisted it and fought for what was right.

His survival of his political abduction on July 10, 2003 by his estranged godfather in connivance with the security agents was a clear manifestation that God was with him. The judicial/ presidential conspiracy that led to his removal from office as a governor was known to Nigerians. His removal was beyond not winning the election, but his refusal to open the treasury to the godfathers which was the tradition in the state before he assumed office.

It is on record that between 1999 and 2007, Ngige was the only governor that lost his seat in court, even when it was obvious that the 2003 general elections were massively rigged across the country, especially in the South East.

Upon his removal from office, he was given a clean bill of health by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, at a time most exgovernors were dragged to court by the EFCC for alleged corrupt practices while in office.

True to his type and belief, Ngige left PDP and co-founded the now defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN with the likes of Senator Bola Tinubu, former vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and others.

So come November 16, the people of Anambra State may have their wish for the return of the people's governor and the authentic Igbo leader to Anambra Government House to continue from where he was rudely stopped in 2006. *Dr. Anyadiora, a lecturer, wrote from Owerri, Imo State.

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42—Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2013

Support gathers for PIB as Chevron commits to stay in Nigeria

BY ABIYE MEMBERE HE Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is approaching its third reading, but its secure passage out of the legislative mire and into law is not yet guaranteed. The chance of failure, though, is now getting slimmer.

This is because the coalition of support behind the bill is growing - it is now very cross-party in character. The PIB has the support of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and has secured special backing from the President. At the end of May, the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Musa Muhammed Sada, said on behalf of the President that Nigeria’s commitment to the industry transparency protocols (EITI and NEITI) “remains very strong”, stressing that these principles of transparency will underpin the operation of the oil industry under the PIB. Alongside the ruling party, the then Congress for Progressive Change, CPC - spoke in favour of the bill. It remains to be seen if this position survives the creation of the All Progressives Congress, APC, which the erstwhile CPC is now a part of. It is extremely valuable to have the organisational machinery of all parties supporting the bill. It is,

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said, “We believe there are smaller companies who would find these assets a perfect fit for their business profile and portfolio.” Legislators are equally eager to back this expanded role for smaller companies.

More recently, Exxon-Mobil and Total, signed major engineering and fabrication contracts for OML 133 and OPL 130 respectively. Together these two decisions could boost production by over 300,000 barrels per day by 2016. This makes it all the more important to have a stable statutory regime in place to govern the industry.

These investments are as the International Monetary Fund, IMF, predicted back in March 2013, stating that it “looked forward to an early passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, which would boost investment, government revenue, and fiscal transparency” - a valuable endorsement from a highlyregarded international economic authority.

Most advanced In a report produced by prestigious consultants Ernst and Young, Dr Pedro van Meurs (an industry expert) argued that the bill’s transparency provisions

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The bill’s transparency provisions are now among the most advanced in the world, and will make Nigeria a leader in Africa in this respect

as the Senate Committee Chairman on Rules and Business, Senator Ita Enang of the PDP, has said “a top-priority piece of legislation”.

Meanwhile, outsiders have also made contributions. Despite increasing global competition Nigeria is still attracting major investments from large International Oil Companies,IOCs. Two of the larger IOC’s have signed major contracts to invest billions of dollars into the upstream sector in Nigeria.

Smaller assets base Chevron on June 13, announced that it is “in Nigeria for the long term”, reassuring journalists from the Premium Times that they were selling oil concessions off the coast of Bayelsa, in order to focus their investments on a smaller asset base. Deji Haastrup, General Manager of Policy, Government and Public Affairs at Chevron

,

“are now among the most advanced in the world, and will make Nigeria a leader in Africa in this respect”.

His endorsements extended to other areas of the bill, including provisions designed to reduce wasteful gas flaring - Nigeria in 2011 wasted through flaring nearly a third as much gas as it used. At the same time, IOCs have raised concerns about the bill, raising particular concerns about the unpredictability of the tax regime, but they represent a minority voice.

The forces in favour of the bill are marshalling. There are selfish reasons motivating some of the bill’s supporters - the imagined balance of power between Nigeria’s North and South, for example, is one reason compelling several PIBenthusiasts. There are genuine arguments, though, that are winning the bill cross-party support, reasons that will, with luck, propel it through the Senate.

In the private sector, the bill’s

emphasis on transparency and its introduction of communal accountability for damage done to oil infrastructure are reasons for enthusiasm. But, to balance communal accountability, the PIB brings in the Petroleum Host Community Fund, a new line of income feeding directly into local communities. This is winning support from Southerners in particular, but the bill’s creation of the Frontier Exploration Service w h i c h promises to explore inland states f o r hydrocarbon and solid mineral deposits is likewise offering hope t o Northerners eager to expand their participation in the petroleum industry. It’s likely, too, that the bill will benefit s m a l l companies, offering them free access to the latest geological data, which t h e y currently lack.

With the reform of the Nigerian National Petroleum C o m p a n y, NNPC, the bill risks creating an enemy of the NNPC itself t h e sprawling company holds various responsibilities t o d a y , operating as both a regulator a n d commercial player, and faces the prospect of comprehensive reform. But the NNPC

understands the importance of change - it understands that it is impossible for one organisation to regulate the market while competing in it at the same time.

It also recognises the importance of deregulating some areas, such as the downstream sector.

So, as the various constituencies fall into line, the prospects for the PIB are now improving. Some are pushing for further refinements, and there is space for this, but as the then CPC put it, the PIB will create an “enabling environment”. Their word choice could have been clearer, but the point is important: without the PIB, Nigeria’s

energy sector (including power generation) can only continue decaying. Without a stable income from oil and gas, and without a reliable supply of gas for power generation, Nigerians should expect power cuts, budget cuts and lower infrastructure investments over the coming years. Failure is still possible there is a way to hell, even from the gates of heaven – but it seems as if, after a long journey, the importance of the PIB is finally being understood.

•Membere is the Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)

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44 —Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2013

Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2013 — 45

Al-Mustapha: Ilorin OPC lauds Lagos govt on appeal

BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI

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LORIN—THE Oodua People’s Congress, OPC,in Kwara State, has commended the Lagos State Government for asking the Supreme Court,to upturn the Appeal Court acquittal of Major Hamza Al Mustapha, former Chief Security Officer, CSO, to late Nigerian Head of state, General Sani Abacha, and Lateef Shofolahan for alleged complicity over the murder of Kudirat Abiola.

Kudirat was the wife of the winner of June 12, 1993 Presidential election, late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola.

The group described the appeal to the Supreme Court as a renewed hope for equity and justice.

Lagos State Government Tuesday last week announced that it had filed a notice of appeal at the Supreme Court challenging the acquittal of Major Hamza Al Mustapha and Lateef Shofolahan for complicity over the murder of Kudirat Abiola.

State coordinator of the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Salam Maruff Olanrewaju, said in a statement that the OPC particularly hailed the Lagos State Government for sustaining its resolve to pursue the course of justice.

The statement reads in

part: “If a high personality like Alhaja Kudirat Abiola was murdered just like that without bringing the perpetrators to justice, it obviously shows that something is seriously wrong with our judicial system.The entire system needed to be restructured. ”The freedom of Mustapha is nothing but purely political arrangement for political reasons. If the court which is referred to as last hope of common man turned to be an instrument for politicians to use in order to achieve their selfish aims and objectives, it means the country is heading towards disaster”.

Don’t drag me into politics — AKANBI, EX-ICPC BOSS

BY DEMOLAAKINYEMI

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LORIN—THE pioneer Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC, Justice Mustapha Akanbi, has warned that nobody should drag him into politics.

He insisted that he was not involved in any gangup against the political dynasty of the strongman of Kwara politics, Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki.

The octogenarian at a briefing weekend in Ilorin, was reacting to a

news feature in a national daily on Wednesday last week where he chaired an NGO, the official launching of Kwara Citizenship Development Initiative, KCDI. Chairman, board of trustees of KCDI, Dr. Amuda Aluko, had told journalists at the occasion that the NGO among others was aimed at creating awareness for the people to fight for their rights and resist imposition of candidates henceforth.

But Justice Akanbi said he was not involved in any regroup to wrestle

Shema speaks at leadership forum today

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AGOS—KATSINA State governor, Dr. Ibrahim Shema, will be Guest Speaker at a forum to be hosted by the Nigeria Leadership Initiative, NLI, today in Lagos.

The guest speaker forum is aimed at utilization of practical experiences for information sharing with invited guests.

Past Guest Speakers included Dr. Christopher Kolade, Bishop Mathew Kukah, Professor Oba Nsugbe and former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Mr. Yinka Oyinlola, NLI’s Chief Executive Officer said: “Leading in difficult and complex situations and times implies being able to come up with lessons that can be applicable for others in different circumstances.

“It is expected that at the end of the forum, participants would have benefitted from the rich discussions on management of leadership from different standpoints: political sector, business world and private leadership.”

power from the Saraki dynasty because he was not a politician and nobody should drag him into it.

He expressed surprise that the NGO was politically motivated having earlier received assurance from the organisers that it was not.

He said: “A young man called me and said he saw a publication that I was the Chairman at a function of opposition members who have regrouped against Saraki’s dynasty in Kwara. So, when I read it, I was amazed and the sum total of it is that I chaired an organisation designed to wrestle power or authority from the Saraki’s dynasty.

“Now that worries me.

I want to debunk what this gentleman has written. I was there not to lead opposition to Saraki’s dynasty. This is the card given to me; there was no mention of any political party.”

So, gentlemen for the first time, I would really be hurt because of the reputation I have built for many years. ”If they want to fight Saraki, let them fight on their own. They don’t need to use me because the man has not offended me and I am not a party member and I will never be a party member.”

Defiant protesters march in Cairo

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NTI-COUP protesters in Egypt marched towards the Supreme Constitutional Court building in Cairo from six locations in defiance of warnings of a firm response from the authorities.

Protesters have taken to the streets on Saturday in response to calls by opponents of the interim, militay-backed government, including the Muslim Brotherhood, following days of violence in which hundreds have died.

Marchers were attempting to converge on the court complex from areas including Helwan, Giza and Doqqi. However, Al Jazeera’s Sherine Tadros, reporting from outside the central court complex, said that it was surrounded by soldiers, barbed wire and military vehicles.

“People are also gathered, local residents, and they are quite hostile,” she said, adding that she had seen at least one checkpoint to search anyone

coming into the area.

Tadros said it was uncertain if the marchers would arrive at their destination as they had set off late and from a distance. “It is 15km from Helwan and it is an hour before curfew,” she said, referring to a 5pm GMT ruling passed by the military.

“And it is not just a matter of the military. They have to pass through several neighbourhoods that are hostile to them.”

UN inspectors arrive in Syria today

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team of UN weapons inspectors has arrived in the Syrian capital Damascus to assess whether chemical weapons have

been used in the conflict.

Both the rebels and government forces have accused each other of using chemical weapons, with

NSCIA condemns violence in Egypt violence.

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

THE Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, yesterday described as reckless the ongoing killing of civilians in Egypt, while it called on nations of conscience to prevail on the United Nations to intervene to find an instant, amicable solution to the episode in the country.

In a statement signed by the Secretary General of NSCIA, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, the Islamic body expressed a deep worry over the killings which it described as “ massive waste of human lives and reckless maiming of protesting citizens,” and call for a stop of the

NSCIA said : “The brutal murder of hundreds of armless civilians in the course of their legitimate right to protest is despicable and indefensible. The violation of the sanctity of the mosque in which some of the persons were mauled down is a very dangerous precedence, the consequence of which is too grievous to imagine.”

Crisis looms in Venezuela over new decree

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ENEZUELAN politi cians traded insults at the weekend with a showdown looming in the National Assembly over President Nicolas Maduro’s plans to ask for fast-track decree

DR Congo unrest: Children freed from militia

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HE UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo has said that 82 children some as young as eight have been rescued from an armed group.

Monusco said that the children, including 13 girls, had been forcibly recruited in the past six months by the Mai Mai Bakata Katanga militia.

The group is active in Katanga province in the south-east of the country.

Forty of the rescued children have been reunited with their families and the others are said to be receiving

the town of Khan al-Assal at the centre of allegations.

Some 26 people were killed in attacks in the northern town in March.

The UN mission was delayed because of differences with the Syrian government over the scope of the investigation.

However, the Syrian government agreed last month to allow inspectors in to examine three locations including Khan alAssal.

The 20-member team of UN weapons inspectors and public health specialists checked into the Four Seasons hotel in Damascus on Sunday, but declined to speak to reporters on their arrival.

care.

Correspondents say the region remains very restive, with local militia demanding a fairer distribution of wealth between the poorer north of Katanga and the southern zone where foreign mining firms operate.

Monusco - the UN’s stabilisation mission in DR Congo - said in a statement that the children had been identified and separated from the militia through the concerted efforts of child protection agencies.

powers he says he needs to combat corruption.

Maduro, who narrowly won an April election to replace his late mentor Hugo Chavez, says he is ready to change “all the laws” if necessary to stamp out widespread graft that is denting his popularity with some core supporters.

The opposition accuses Maduro of turning a blind eye to major corruption by his allies and of trying to use his campaign to distract voters from worries such as inflation, creaking public services and violent crime. “You don’t need decree powers to fight corruption. That’s part of the ‘show’ by Maduro to cover up his disaster of a government,” opposition leader Henrique Capriles said on Twitter.

“It’s certain he doesn’t have the votes to approve it.”

46—Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2013

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HE Lagos deportation saga exposed our collective poor attitude to issues of citizenship rights. It is a collective, national guilt because what happened in Lagos occurs in all parts of the country in one form or the other, such as employment, educational and sundry opportunities, from which nonindigenes are excluded.

In heavily urbanised states such as Lagos, Rivers and Kano, where there is a pronounced presence of nonindigenous residents, there is a growing tendency to neglect the development of those areas where they live in large numbers. But when it comes to census, elections and tax drives, they are extensively exploited by local officials.

This ugly trend has been accepted as part of the Nigerian way of life.

The deportation saga was a statement that the mega-city project of the Lagos State Government has no place for the

War against the poor destitute along in our quest for development. Instead of this, we are allowing it to whip up undue ethnic tensions among the Igbo and the Yoruba.

We are allowing drug addicts and discredited politicians seeking relevance

The commercial success of Lagos gives it the reputation of a place where professional beggars can come and actually become “rich”! Today, all sorts of crimes against humanity are committed, such as the renting and outright selling of babies and children to be deployed on the streets of Lagos and other big towns to make money for evil syndicates poor and destitute. In every urban centre all over Nigeria, you will see hundreds, if not thousands of beggars, destitute, homeless and mentality ill people loitering without anybody bothering to factor them in when funds of state are being allocated to solve socio-political problems. We do not even see them as co-owners of the federal allocation we go to collect in Abuja every month.

If you drive along the Benin – Shagamu Express, you will come across sections of the road occupied by lepers.

For decades, these former inmates of abandoned leper colonies have been on this highway, waving and hollering at the vehicles that go by at high speeds in the forlorn hope that someone would slow down and show kindness. These are people dislodged from their families and communities as a result of ailments, which the society regards as taboo.

If we were a society that learns useful lessons from our experiences, the dust generated in the wake of the Lagos deportation episode would force us to look for ways of carrying the poor and

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to lead sabre-rattling that, if it boils over into street fights, they would melt into background and allow the misguided youth from both sides to murder one another before the army would be brought in to quell it.

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he question remains germane.

What do we do as a nation to develop our urban and rural areas and at the same time keep our streets and under our bridges clean of the destitute and homeless people, some of whom can become a threat to society? It is a well known fact that Lagos is a choice destination for beggars, especially those who come from cultures that are very tolerant of begging as a way of life. The commercial success of Lagos gives it the reputation of a place where professional beggars can come and actually become “rich”! Today, all sorts of crimes against humanity are committed, such as the renting and outright selling of babies and children to be deployed on the streets of Lagos and other big towns to make money for evil syndicates.

It is very common to see young men and women dressed in green trousers and white shirts, clutching tills and waving them under the noses of motorists while a severely disabled person sits in the middle of the road displaying his/her disfigurement to attract alms. This manner of criminal exploitation of the destitute goes on but little is done by officials to address them.

Let us emulate the white man who brought the modern lifestyle that we all are living to us. When the white man came to colonise Nigeria, he knew that the effort to develop the society through the capitalist model would leave some weak and destitute members of society behind the rest. Therefore, institutions were set up where such people were taken care of by the state, missionaries and philanthropic agencies. These included leprosariums, hospitals for the mentally ill, old people’s homes and shelters for the homeless and

temporarily displaced persons.

It requires only a small amount of money out of the budget of a state to house, feed and care for these persons under social welfare programmes, and thus keep the streets clean and safe.

Jigawa is about the only state in the country that followed their ban on street begging with the payment of seven thousand naira (N7,000) per month to beggars of Jigawa origin. It costs the government just about a quarter of a billion naira per annum to maintain.

Other states have adopted some measures, such as payment of stipends to the old and retired persons, free healthcare for pregnant women, children and the aged and other measures that do not go far enough. Can’t we have a national model for catering to the needs of the poor and destitute to avoid the problem of such people going for “greener pastures” in other parts of the country where they are subjected to humiliating treatment by the indigenes of such states?

Let us think about it.

Governor Babatunde Fashola

Orji Kalu’s house seal-up by LASG

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T nearly made me laugh if it were not so ridiculous. Former Governor of Abia State, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu (OUK) reacted without proper advice to the deportation saga by declaring Lagos a “No man’s land”, threatening to sue Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola for the controversial exercise.

In a flash, some officials of the LASG went to the Park View palatial mansion of OUK and sealed it up! And before it became another hot potato topic, Governor Fashola ordered it reopened. Perhaps, it was their way of asserting that Lagos is not such a “no man’s land” after all. It was a show of power; a demonstration that the indigenes of Lagos, who are in charge of the machinery of government of the state, can “do and undo” when it comes to that.

If I know OUK well (and I think I do) this is exactly the kind of thing he would do those days when he was in power in Abia State if anybody questioned his authority as he questioned the authority of Lagos indigenes when he called their state a “no man’s land”. Fashola also played smart when he quickly reversed the seal-up because it would have mired him deeper in controversy and probably scar him permanently as a politician and leader in the state and country at large.

In those days when OUK and Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT) were governors in Abia and Lagos states respectively, they used to be such close friends that tongues even wagged in certain mischievous quarters. What happened?

OPINION

BY CHIEDU OKOYE

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HE British without consulting us amalgamated diverse ethnic groups and christened the union Nigeria.

So, a revered northern monarch called the union the mistake of 1914; and, Chief Awolowo referred to Nigeria as a mere geographical expression. Since Nigeria came into being, we have always been conscious of our ethnic origins. In the 1950s, during our struggle for political emancipation, the northerners wanted to secede over the Nine point programme.

More so, the political parties that existed in preindependence era and first republic were ethnic-based political parties. They’re not national in out-look. The A.G was to the Yorubas what NCNC was to the Igbos, while NPC was owned by the northerners.

When the seemingly intractable crisis in the western region prompted and motivated the five majors to topple the political regime of Sir Tafawa Balewa, it was branded an Igbo coup. Consequently, a counter-coup happened some six months, later; and, the Hausa-Fulani carried out a genocidal decimation of the Igbo population in the north.

This led to the 30-Month Civil War, at the end of which Yakubu Gowon declared that neither side emerged as the winner in the Nigerian-Biafrian civil war. It was no victor , no vanquished. He formulated some programmes, like the NYSC that will help the nation achieve national integration and cohesion.

But, true peace and unity has continued to elude us since then. We look at issues through the prism of ethnicity. We are retrogressing in Nigeria because the issue of ethnic

Nigeria not yet a united nation-state origin is one of the factors that determine those who will occupy exalted positions in our super-structure. When merit is sacrificed on the altar of ethnic origin and religion, backwardness is guaranteed. It is akin to putting a square peg in a round hole. Nigeria moves in circles as old and tired and incompetent people are recycled in public office in order to ensure balance of power among the ethnic groups. Is Nigeria being led by her first eleven? Mediocre leadership yields infrastructural decay, dysfunctional educational system,and other social ills.

It takes a great leader for a country to become a great country. Contrast what happens in Europe and America with what happens in Nigeria. In the immediate past, Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State relieved nonindigenes in Abia State civil service of their jobs. Accident of birth is the reason their parents are not of Abia state origin. And, they paid dearly for that after they had served for long years in the Abia State civil service.

The issue of indigene ship and state of origin as it concerns contesting elective posts and civil service should be addressed holistically by law-makers. It hurts to hear that a man who lived a greater part of his life in Anambra state should be denied certain privileges in the state because of his state of origin.

It is apparent that Nigeria is not practicing true federalism. The pseudo and lop-sided federalism we

practice cannot cater to the exigencies of the time and our peculiar problems. This pseudo-federalism accounts for our stunted national development .

In a true federal state, a man who hails from Anambra state would be able to win election in his state of residence, which is not Anambra state. He will not be labelled omoIgbo and stereotyped because of his ethnic origins. The electorate will assess him based on his personal qualities and pedigree and not based on his native tongue and religion.

And, the ethnic chauvinism drive and campaign of some ethnic groups in our country does not make for peace and progress. The slogan of a state in the north is born to rule.

This kind of political posture undermines our national unity.

Let us see one another as one people and equal partners in the Nigerian Federation.

Lastly, the deportation of destitutes of Igbo extraction from Lagos to Onitsha is an injudicious and insensitive action.

Aren’t they Nigerians? Can’t the Lagos state government rehabilitate them and give them a better life in Lagos? So, to where will Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos state deport beggars, who hail from Lagos state? Or, are all Lagosians born with silver spoons in their mouths? *Mr. Okoye, a poet,,wrote from Uruowulu-Obosi, Anambra State.

Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2013— —47

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HERE is no doubt any longer about the fact of Goodluck Jonathan running for the Presidency come 2015. His interest has moved beyond “reading of body language” and reading of “his lips” to “transformational” actions. He should and would run, for two obvious reasons.

One, he has a constitutional right to two tenures and this is guaranteed by the Nigerian constitution. For that reason, any other agreement, ordinance or even constitution written and signed by Jonathan or his proxy, negating his capability and capacity of running in 2015, becomes null and void to the extent of the supremacy of the Nigerian constitution [as amended inclusive].

Two, the first geo-political zone to have the feel of the presidency in this very Republic [commenced in 1999] completed two tenures.

The South/South geo-political zone, having successfully completed the two terms of fouryear-each [making total of eight years], have set a precedent of standard. Again, this antecedent is derivable from the Nigerian constitution.

It is against this second reason that former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s effort to short-change the South/South geo-political Zone by moving the presidency to somewhere in the North would be a catastrophic failure – something

that will be similar to the thunderous crashing of “tenure elongation” of his time.

The two reasons given above, though looking as comfortable factors, for the Bayelsa State politician, to continue his sojourn in Aso Rock Villa beyond 2015, may not really be “comfortable” enough for his wish to come to reality. He may have to add some other “unholy advantages” at his disposal, to what the constitution has given to him if he really would want to remain there. I identify a few of them below but with emphasis that they are “unholy advantages”. They are “available advantages” nevertheless because those who occupied the seat before him used some of these very effectively and l cannot tell if “Oga” Jonathan has not be deploying them.

He has the advantage of knowing, contacting and connecting to different volatile groups across the country. These may be Militants from the Niger Delta regions to Boko Haram from the North, MASSOP for the “re-deliverance of Biafra” to the notorious “JUJU” sect that slaughtered over one hundred police officers and men “without using arms and ammunition” in Nasarawa State recently. Maybe very soon, the world of insurgence will extend and include those in the illegal bunkering business [and this would be more notorious because presently, members include high military officers –

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both serving and retired and some highly placed traditional rulers all across the country] who might want to come together to negotiate for amnesty.

A

rmed robbers” may want to come together very soon in Nigeria and negotiate for amnesty.

Ditto the “Nigerian society of “ witches and wizard” [as it is in the United Kingdom] who may want to join the anticipated beneficiaries of amnesty.

Kidnappers may soon write, informing the Nigerian Authority of its existence and its willingness to negotiate for truce and come under some amnesty arrangement.

There could be more groups coming up in the days ahead because this is Nigeria where “everything is possible”.

For now, the groups in existence are really enjoying financial

Close to 50 and above in dominion

BY ERIC TENIOLA

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LL roads led to Kano last June, where the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero marked his 50th year on the exalted throne of Kano.

To show how strong he was, he rode on a horse to the admiration of all and sundry.

To be on the throne for 50 years in the modern day world, particularly in a tumultuous, agitating city like Kano where the two civilisations-antique and modernity -constantly clash, a city that is perpetually at war with its soul, is a laudable achievement.

And to have survived for 50 years on that throne with all major crises, religious, commercial, social,including a suspension under the Major General Muhammadu Buhari junta, an undeserved query under my late friend Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, many assassination attempts, the last one, last February, there must be something remarkable and sublime about this ruler.

Let it be noted that his predecessor, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi, grandfather to the present Governor of the Central Bank, Alhaji Lamido Sanusi, who ruled between 1954 and1963, was dethroned and died eventually in exile in Katagum.

Even the Emir before Alhaji Sanusi, who was, Alhaji Abdullahi Bayero (1881-1953) the ruler whom the Bayero University in Kano was named after, ruled for 26 years (1927-1953) before he died on December 25, 1953.

So the more reason why we have to hail Alhaji Ado Bayero and say Happy congratulations.

Alhaji Ado Bayero has therefore followed the footsteps of other traditional rulers who ruled longer than 50 years or close to 50 years. The late Elekole of Egbe Oba (Ikole) in Ekiti State, Oba Adetula Adeleye was crowned in 1958. He ruled for 52 years

before his death in 2010.

One of his sons-in-law, Prince Dayo Adeyeye from Ise-Ekiti wants to be Governor of Ekiti State next year.

Sir Adesoji Martins Titus Tadeniawo Aderemi (1889-1980) succeeded Oba Ademiluyi Ajagun on September 26, 1930 as the Ooni of Ife. He also succeeded Sir John Dalzell Rankine (1907-1987) as Governor of Western Region in 1960 and served as Governor between 1960 and 1962 before the Action Group crises.

He died on July 7, 1980 after being in the saddle for 50 years and left behind many successful children, including the now frailing Mrs. Tejumade Alakija,former Head of Service of Oyo State and the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, which was established during his reign.

The late Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Bankindo Mustapha was on the throne for 59 years before he died on March 13, 2010.

His son Muhammadu Aliyu Bankindo Mustapha succeeded him on March 18, 2010.

The late Owa of Idanre in Ondo State, Oba Adegbule Aroloye Arubefin III reigned from 1919 to 1969 for 50 years and died at the age of 120 years, making him one of the oldest monarchs in Nigeria.

He was succeeded by his son Oba Frederick Adegunle Gbolagunte Aroloye Arubefin IV who was crowned in September 1976.

Oba Afunbiowo Adesida ruled Oyemekun kingdom of Akure between 1897 and 1957 for 60 years. His beloved Olori (wife) is believed to have come from Idanre.

He is the grandfather of my friend, Oba Adebiyi Adegboye Adesida Afunbiowo II,the present Deji and paramount ruler of Akure Kingdom and Chairman Ondo State Council of Traditional rulers. His name is still music in Akure today.

The foremost Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Siddik Abubakar III was born in Dange,

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BY GODWIN ETAKIBUEBU

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2015: It's Jonathan with his works

If Jonathan moves us from the present available four thousand megawatt of electricity to twenty thousand megawatt of electricity’s generation and distribution, by the end of 2014, he would be rewarded by an appreciating citizenry

patronage of the Federal government in all ways. It stands to conclude therefore that whatever other group that will come into existence will always secure the approval of the federal government under the able leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan. He who pays the piper dictates the tune, goes the adage.

It means that Mr President can use such groups as “added advantage of walking very comfortably” into 2015. But will such path take him into 2015 easily?

I am of the opinion that he is mostly likely to hit the rock if he chooses to follow that route but instead he should, if he will ever listen to godly advice, follow a path made possible by what the Bible calls “the work of their hands”. The holy book says, concerning the promises of God to man, that “l shall bless the works of your hand”.

If the truth must be told, it is what Goodluck Jonathan does or fail to do that will keep him in the Villa for two tenures but not anything else.

My suggestion to Mr.President f is to pick on one major Nigerian project for efficient finishing. The present day Nigeria is a country in total darkness, almost the same as it was in the beginning of creation according to the biblical Genesis report. “There was total darkness over the surface of the earth” and God said, “let there be light and there was light”. Can Mr. President work and do a “little more” to give us light?

For the past fourteen years or so we have been fluctuating between 0ne thousand to four thousand megawatts in generation and distribution of electricity for a country of more than one hundred and fifty million people. For this

To be on the throne for 50 years in the modern day world, particularly in a tumultuous, agitating city like Kano where the two civilisations-antique and modernity constantly clash, is a laudable achievement

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some 60 kilometres from Sokoto on March 15, 1903 the same day on which the British colonialists finally subdued the Sokoto Caliphate. He became the Sultan of Sokoto on June 17, 1938 and ruled for 50 years till he died on November 1, 1988.

In the last 30 years of his life, he did not touch currency or coins for purity purposes.

Two of his sons have succeeded him, the last being the present Sultan, Alhaji Saa’d Abubakar IV whose successful career was pioneered by Alhaji Shehu Malami, former Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa.

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he late Jaja Amanyanbo of Opobo, Chief Douglas Jaja (1915-1980), son of Chief Arthur Mac Pepple Jaja (18721936) ruled for 60 years although he renounced his chieftaincy temporarily between 1943-1951 to get involved in politics. At the time of his death in 1980, he was much loved by his people.

The late of Oba of Benin, Oba Uku Akpolokpolo Akenzua II (1899-1978), son of Oba Eweka II born as Edokparhogbuyunmun ruled for 44 years following the death of his father in 1934.

In 1925, he served under the supervision

reason, all industries are dead, and those that survived do so purely on importation of finished products from other countries . Artisans have no jobs , leaving them with no option but to take to robbery and other vices.

I must admit that previous leaders, from Yakubu Gowon till date, have failed woefully on this challenge. Nigerians will identify an achiever, who can do “a little more” [which is really the difference between Great men of history and failures], in replacing darkness with light. Nigerians will do everything possible to reward this achievement.

If Jonathan moves us from the present available four thousand megawatt of electricity to twenty thousand megawatt of electricity’s generation and distribution, by the end of 2014, he would be rewarded by an appreciating citizenry with “a crown of an achiever that deserves continuity”.

This is the Master Key Goodluck Jonathan needs to renew his tenancy of Aso Rock Villa for another four years from 2015. But without this Master Key, there is no any advantage; be it constitutional or “unholy advantages”, enumerated at the beginning of this essay will retain him as President of Nigeria beyond 2015.

And of course, he could continue his presidency, if he fails in this electricity matter, but only as the “President of Ijaw National Council”, presiding from Otueke Community in Bayelsa State of Nigeria.

So it is what he does or fails to do. The choice is his!

*Mr. Etakibuebu, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Lagos.

of the late Alake of Egbaland, Oba Ademola in his palace.

He was a custodian of the rich Benin culture and tradition.He was succeeded by his son in 1979, a retired Federal Permanent Secretary, Oba Solomon Igbinoghodua Aisiokuoba Akenzua III who is still on the throne. The late Attah of Igala Dr. Aliyu Obaje succeeded Ahmed Oboyi on November 2, 1956 and for 56 years, till he died in July 16, 2012, he was on the Igala throne and piloted Igala Kingdom to modernity. Dr. Obaje was an example in humility.

Sir Oladipo Samuel Ademola (18721962) was crowned the Alake of Egbaland on September27, 1920, to succeed Oba Gbadebo who died on May 28, 1920.

At the crowning ceremony, over 70,000 people were present, including a representative of the Queen of England. He ruled for 22 years. One of his sons Justice Adetokunbo Ademola eventually became the first Chief Justice of Nigeria.

In 1948, Prince Adeyinka Oyekan challenged Prince Adeniji Adele (1893-1964) to the throne of Lagos. The Oracle told the two of them that they both will be Kings.

Eventually Oba Adele ruled from 19491964 while Oba Adeyinka Oyekan II (June 30, 1911-March 1, 2003) ruled Lagos for 38 years making him the second longest ruling monarch in Lagos. The first being Oba Akinsemoyin who ruled from 17041749 for 45 years.

Oba Suleiman Durotoye Abegunde(19071993) ruled Omuaran in Kwara State from 1945 to 1993, while the late Olofa of Offa also in Kwara State, Oba Mustapha Olawore Olaonipekun, who died in 2010, ruled for over 40 years. The late Ataoja of Oshogbo, Oba Iyiola Oyewale Matanmi, who was crowned on July 7, 1976 and died in August 2010, ruled for 34 years. It was during his reign that Osogbo was made the Capital of Osun State.

Continues tomorrow on page 18 * Mr. Teniola, a former Director at the Presidency, wrote from Lagos.

48 —Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2013

Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2013 — 49

50—VANGUARD, MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2013

11 aspirants gang-up against Andy Uba •obtain injunction against INEC

•Uba: On his own in PDP STORIES BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN & VINCENT UJUMADU

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LEVEN ASPIRANTS in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP who at the commencement of the congresses pledged to work for the realization of the party ’s victory in the gubernatorial polls have taken their collaboration to a higher level. The 11 aspirants Vanguard learnt at the weekend have obtained an injunction restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC from interfering in the ongoing congresses.

The injunction is to be served on INEC this morning, authoritative sources in the Group of 11, G11 told Vanguard at the weekend. The injunction it was learnt follows fears among the aspirants that INEC

could intervene to the extent of declaring the ward c o n g r e s s e s conducted by the Ken Emeakayi led mainstream of the party illegal.

Indications to a possible decision by INEC follows the commission’s insistence that it only recognizes the Ejike Oguebego faction of the party which reportedly has the sympathy of Chief Chris Uba. There is little doubt among PDP partisans in Anambra that the coalition of aspirants which obtained the injunction is

aiming its arsenal against Senator Andy Uba, the PDP’s candidate in 2007 and one of the most powerful forces on ground in the state.

Senator Uba is presently the chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC and the 11 aspirants in the Emeakayi camp according to sources fear that Senator Uba may use his influence on the commission to get it to recognize the nomination congresses being organized by the Oguebego faction of the party.

“We will not take chances and that is why we are going this way,” one of the aspirants involved told Vanguard at the weekend.

“INEC has no role in the organization of the congress and we do not want to take any chance on the issue,” the source told Vanguard.

APC in secret mobilization drive

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HE APC hierarchy had recently spread the word across the state to members that it had gotten the INEC voter ’s cards for members.

However, those who came to locations around the 21 local government areas of the state for the voter ’s cards last weekend instead of the INEC voter ’s cards were formally registered as members of the party.

Indeed, in many places in the state at the weekend, members of APC were seen registering new members.

Meanwhile, the assertion by

two of the party ’s leading gubernatorial aspirants, Senator Annie Okonkwo and Mr. Godwin Ezemo that they have adopted the former ANPP chairman in the state, Chief Pat Orjiakor as the interim chairman of the APC in the state is being hotly disputed by the camp of Senator Chris Ngige.Senator Ngige was not at the meeting where Orjiakor was adopted and his camp is believed not to be inclined towards Orjiakor, a source close to Ngige disclosed at the weekend.

7 aspirants to participate in NNPP gubernatorial primaries

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O fewer that seven persons are to vie for the ticket of New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, for the Anambra governorship election. The party has already chosen its candidates for the local government elections.

National secretary of the party, Mr. Major Abu, who spoke during the presentation of nomination form to one of its governorship aspirants, Prince Leonard Uchendu at the party’s state headquarters in Awka, explained that primaries for the selection of NNPP candidate for the November 16, 2013 governorship election will hold on August 30, 2013.

According to Abu, the party is collecting only N1 million from the aspirants because of its belief that asking the aspirants to pay so much money was a way of scaring good people who may have good ideas for the development

of the state, but could be scared to Speaking after picking the form, Uchendu, who is the president general of Umuawulu Town Union in Awka South local government area of the state, promised to tackle the critical areas of social

Gov Obi struggles to wiggle out of the Soludo ‘conspiracy' GOVERNOR Peter Obi was yesterday desperately trying to divorce himself from the alleged conspiracy that disqualified Prof. Charles Soludo from the governorship race on the ticket of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA. Prof. Soludo alongside five other aspirants including the erstwhile SSG, Mr. Oseloka Obaze were disqualified by the party ’s screening committee on Friday.

Since the news of the disqualification of Soludo from the APGA nomination contest, insinuations of a conspiracy orchestrated by powerful interests in the presidency have been abuzz.

Powerful interests According to the speculations, the APGA top hierarchy was coerced to move against Soludo on the suspicion that he, Soludo would be antagonistic to Jonathan’s presidential aspirations in 2015.

Commissioner for Information and Culture, Chief Joe Martins Uzodike, who spoke for the governor, described the insinuation as unfounded, adding that APGA, set up a committee to screen prospective candidates with clear guidelines and wondered

why Governor Obi should be blamed for a job done by a committee he was not a member.

Uzodike said: “Do you think the Governor himself is happy over the screening? How can he, when the immediate Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Oseloka Obaze whom he brought back from the USA was also screened out?” the Commissioner asked.

He also described as untrue the rumour that Prof. Charles Soludo was screened out because of the interest of the presidency after it was rumoured that Obi was the one who brought him into APGA to replace him.

According to him, the fact is that whatever happens in Nigeria is often interpreted not according to facts, but according to the people’s fancies, without even an iota of truth in most of them.

On Governor Obi’s insistence that the governorship will move to Anambra North, the commissioner said people should understand it from the point of view of the fact that the governor would only support a candidate from the North, as he, according to him, does not have the powers to stick to that if the people of the state decided otherwise.

He, however, assured that the governor’s preference for the next governor remains Anambra North.

“Even as electioneering is gearing up, the Governor says it at any fora that he will only support a candidate from the North in the spirit of equity and fairness," he said.

and economic sectors of the state if elected governor of Anambra State.

He commended the incumbent governor, Mr. Peter Obi for the giant strides he recorded during his tenure and promised to surpass him if given the opportunity.

Shock, disbelief trail Soludo’s disqualification in APGA

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•Soludo: Red carded

ANY people in Anambra State expressed shock weekend when information filtered in that Professor Charles Soludo did not make it at the screening of governorship aspirants at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.

While people wondered why any party would not like to field somebody like Soludo as its flag bearer, others said he ought to have known that Nigerian politics is not meant for people like him.

•Obi: I am not involved in Soludo's problems

VANGUARD, MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2013—51

We prevailed over the military, so Jonathan is no big deal – Bashir Yusuf, PDM chairman

and that is why we have a new political party. If we saw that there was a genuine alternative there, we would not have formed another political party.

Given the personalities involved in the APC, especially General Muhammadu Buhari, what faults do you find in the party as an alternative to the PDP? I have not told you that I find any fault in them. What I am saying is that they have not met the standard of people like us and I am sure a lot of Nigerians will tell you the same.

Nigerians want a total break from the existing paradigm and that is what we are trying to give them.

What exactly is this high standard that you are offering?

For one, we want to ensure that our party is 100 per cent democratic; that there will not be imposition of candidates at any level. Secondly, we are not focused on tomorrow; we are focused on the next 50, 100 years, so we are here for the long haul. If we don’t win election for example in 2015, we would still be there and we will wax stronger.

THE Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM, is arguably the country’s most enduring political group. Initiated by the late Gen. Shehu Musa Yar‘Adua in the late 80s, the group, last week, got its registration certificate as a political party from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. The registration came after failed attempts in the past to register the movement as a political party during military rule. The PDM was one of the major building blocks of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1998 with some of its members such as Atiku Abubakar, late Chuba Okadigbo, Anthony Anenih, late Umaru Musa Yar‘Adua, Roland Owie and Lawal Kaita among others on the frontline at the inception of the Fourth Republic politics.

However, there is no question to the fact that the influence of the PDM was seriously curtailed during eight straight years of the Olusegun Obasanjo administration when PDM’s top strategists were either removed from their positions of reckoning or compromised. The interim National Chairman of the new party, Bashir Ibrahim Yusuf, erstwhile political adviser to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and secretary of the Northern Political Leaders Forum, NPLF, in this telephone interview, the first since the party was registered, discusses the essence of the new party and why existing opposition parties are simply not worth their effort. Excerpts:

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, Political Editor

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HY did you form the new political party, Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM? We formed the party because we are dissatisfied with the current state of affairs in the country. We believe that the existing political parties do not offer voters and Nigerians as a whole enough choices and do not advance their interests and we believe and have seen that all the existing political parties

•Yusuf and we are going to proceed on a totally different plane and we are going to give Nigerians the kind of party that they have been yearning for.

But you were part of the PDP? Yes I was.

So what were the fault lines you found in the PDP? The most important thing is that PDP has left Nigerians and Nigeria and there was no other option than to leave it. We want a party that caters to the

We cannot go on like this. We cannot be focused on only acquiring power.

We must be focused on delivering services to people, providing employment, providing security

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are united in upholding the current order and the status quo and we believe that since we have been on this path for these many years without any progress, that there is need for a paradigm shift.

Our party as you know has been on the political scene since 1994, we have been trying to register this political party since during military rule but they stopped us, and this is the third time that we are trying to register PDM and we thank God that we were able to register it and I can assure you that this is the real alternative that Nigerians are looking for

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interest of Nigerians and not the interest of a few. We want a party that is not focused on power, but focused on delivering services to people and I think that this too much focus on power is doing a great deal of harm to Nigerians and their interests.

The PDM was known to have shaped the affairs of the PDP at the beginning and there is the insinuation that it has lost much of its influence? Are you not afraid you have lost too much influence?

Fear is not in our vocabulary.

If you have an idea of our precedence… we have taken

on the military and prevailed so we don’t see any reason why we can’t prevail under a democratic environment.

So many people who associated with you at that time like Tony Anenih and Atiku Abubakar have not identified with you?

You know Nigeria has changed since 1994. In fact, Nigeria has changed seriously since 1999. The demography of the country now is such that 46 per cent of Nigerians actually don’t know what happened in 1999.

So, if about half of Nigerians were children in 1999, we are focusing on the future and not on the past and we are not closing our doors to anybody.

We hope that elders who share the same views with us will see what we have seen and jump the PDP ship before it sinks and come and jump on our ship and work with us to save this country.

You know this is a democracy, everybody has a right to choose where they want to be and we are not begrudging anybody that changes, we are just hoping that more Nigerians share in our vision and come and work with us.

Have you made consultation with former leaders of the PDM like Senator Roland Owie, Tony Anenih, and Atiku Abubakar?

Consultation involves a process and at the level at which we are now, we have

done enough consultations to register a political party but the consultations are not going to stop here. In fact, they have only just begun and we are going to consult as widely as possible and will include other people that you have not mentioned. There are many other PDM members across the length and breadth of Nigeria that we are yet to consult and we will like to appeal to these members that we are going to still call on them to come and prescribe their diagnosis to the ills of the nation as they have done in the past.

Ingredient of democracy How do you react to insinuations that the emergence of the PDM just after the registration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) could help the PDP in that it could help to split the opposition against the ruling party?

No, there can never be too much choice. The truth of the matter is that one important ingredient of democracy is choice and it is Nigerians themselves that will determine which is the true and genuine alternative. Right now, we are only speculating, it is what we do and not what we say that matters.

You can say that there is an alternative already in existence, but I see it differently

Imposition of candidates There are political parties in other countries that have been there and out of power for more than 50 years, but eventually because they say they believe in principles and they fought for these principles, they prevailed.

So, this is the kind of vision we have. We have young people that are out of job, 46 per cent of graduates in Nigeria are out of job, in fact, the National Bureau of Statistics churned out a figure of 5 per cent of graduates out of job in 2012. So, I am just giving you a conservative figure. We cannot go on like this. We cannot be focused on only acquiring power.

We must be focused on delivering services to people, providing employment, providing security, not look the other way when people are being killed everyday, when young people are looking for job, when families are breaking up because of poverty and then what people are concerned with is on how to acquire power only.

Power is not an end in itself; power is a means to an end.

We want to acquire power, but we want to acquire power on the basis of principle, on the basis of programmes for the people of Nigeria, not for its own sake and not for our own sake.

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WAWE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Wawe Poweide Phoebe, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Dunyin Poweide Phoebe. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

known and addressed as Raymond Egwu, now wish to be known and addressed as Royal Raymond Emmanuel.

All former documents remain valid. General

Member, House of Representatives and Vice-President, Parliament of Commonwealth countries, African region, Hon. Daniel Reyenieju, speaking to the press after the opening ceremony of the 13th Pan-African Parliamentary session in Midrand, South Africa.

From left: Mr. David Okeme, Brand Building Director, Unilever Nigeria PLC; Nnenna Osi-Anugwa, Category Manager, Fab Cleaning and Mr. Ani Gopalan, Vice-President, Operations at the launch of New Omo Multi-Active detergent in Lagos, weekend. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele

Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2013 — 53

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54 —

Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2013

Wenger: ‘People say buy... But who?’

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RSENE Wenger was left lamenting a “huge, huge blow” as Arsenal were beaten 3-1

by Aston Villa in their opening home game of the Premier League campaign.

“It’s hugely disappointing to start the championship with a defeat,” he said, as he attempted to digest a growing list of problems with the season one game old.

“We are there to spend money,” he said. “People say: ‘Buy players, buy players, buy players … ‘ But who? We analyse every single player in the world and work 24 hours a day for that. We are serious about it. Until we buy players we have to win football games.”

Wilshere begs fans

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RSENAL midfielder Jack Wilshere has pleaded to the Arsenal fans to stick with the team after their opening day defeat to Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

“It is understandable.

People pay their money and we have to put in a better performance in order to win games. We want to win trophies so the message is – stick with us, it is a long season. Villa are a tough team but we are not happy with our performance. We have to look at ourselves and pick ourselves up for the [Champions League] qualifier in the week”.

•Soldado strikes as Spurs sink Palace session.

A

debut goal from Roberto Soldado saw Tottenham Hotspur edge out capital rivals Crystal Palace 1-0 at Selhurst Park.

The Eagles put in an industrious display upon their return to Premier League competition, but were unable to offer enough in the final third to trouble a Spurs side that dominated pos-

Luck shone on Spurs five minutes into the second half as Aaron Lennon used his pace to get to the byline and fire over a cross which was blocked by the arm of a sliding Dean Moxey.

Soldado stepped up to convert the resulting spot kick, with the Spaniard making no mistake as he sent Julian Speroni the wrong way.

A fan holds a protest banner as Arsène Wenger watches Arsenal’s 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium.

Mourinho vows to quit if he fails

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OSE Mourinho in sists he will walk away from Chelsea if his Midas touch deserts him.

“I’m not the kind of person to be at the same club three, four years without

winning a trophy, In this case, I don’t need the club to say ‘we’re not happy with you, goodbye’.

“I will be the first one to say: ‘I gave everything I could, but I didn’t succeed, so let’s go and try a different thing’. Of course

it’s about winning trophies. My DNA didn’t change, my nature didn’t change.”

•Soldado •Mourinho

Rooney: I need game time M

•Rooney

Instant impact

ANCHESTER United and England striker Wayne Rooney is looking to ‘kick on’ and build his match fitness and sharpness.

“I needed the game (against Scotland) because of the couple of injuries I have suffered in pre-season,” he said.

“Hopefully, I can kick on from that. I was OK although I had a few painkillers in the shoulder injury.

“It was great to have the minutes and now I’m looking forward to hopefully getting a few games."

Reds love Suarez —Toure

Newcastle boss eyes European place der my management

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EWCASTLE United manager Alan Pardew has set his sights on gaining a place in European competition at the end of the current season.

“What I do know is the guys are fitter than they’ve ever been un-

and they’re ready to go.

“Last year was difficult for us, not only with the extra games but also because it was compounded by an injury crisis. We will be better armed next time we go into Europe and that’s where we want to play.”

•Suarez

D

EFENDER Kolo Toure says the Liverpool players have had no difficulties welcoming Luis Suarez back into the fold. “It is nothing for us.

We know football, it is big business. For a player like Suarez there is no problem, we love him.”

•Pardew

Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013 — 55

Minister assures on foreign coach FROM ONOCHIE ANIBEZE, Moscow

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RESIDENT of Ath letics Federation of Nigeria, Chief Solomon Ogba, had for long, planned to hire a foreign coach to transform athletics in Nigeria.

But sourcing the fund to pay the wages of one or two foreign coaches has always been a problem. The sport has been suffering so much neglect by the government for many years.

Sports minister Bolaji Abdullahi who was here in Moscow for the 14th edition of the World Championships plans to address the problem.

He has not only given the go ahead for the engagement of foreign coaches for Nigeria, he has also set in motion the process to hire one or two. He was scrutinizing some of the applications his ministry has received from top sports coaches and athletics instructors here.

And what about the money to fund the payment of their wages?

Will such an exercise not ridicule Nigeria when the ministry begins to owe the coaches as had happened before?

“The minister already has a fund for this. He has made provision for this and we will go ahead with the plan,” Ogba said here in Moscow “We shall not have problem with payment of their wages. The minister has a special fund for that,” Julius Ogunro, aide of the minister said here while displaying the applications.

The minister appeared more determined to hire a foreign coach after the long sessions he had here with Mike Afulaka, the British coach of Nigerian parents. Mike, with his laptop , so analysed the races of Blessing Okagbare that the minister felt a foreign coach was needed to lift athletics in Nigeria.

Blessing’s reaction on the block was not bad but she did not drive long enough before raising her head for the power sprinting. At the time she did, Shelly Ann Fraser and Murriela Ahoure, the winner of the gold and silver medallists respectively and others were still on the drive. It was at that moment, which was just few metres after take off, that Blessing blew it.

Others gathered more momentum and rose from the drive to start sprinting home.

Blessing probably saw that Fraser was already ahead immediately on take off and quickly ended her drive to catch up.

But that was the mistake which probably made her drop to the sixth position. Another error that Afuleka pointed out were her strides from 50 to 60 meters. She was struggling and was not sprinting the way she needed to. Bolaji Abdul-

the difference on the scoresheet, but it was a team showing for Chelsea who controlled the pace and dictated attack after attack.

Brilliant passing and buildup by Blue shirts up front caused the Hull City squad to tire quickly, leaving them gassed and unable to offer anything on the attack.

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I

•Okagbare

lahi saw all these and heard the brilliant analyses of the British coach who played back the race repeatedly while analysing every move. Abdullahi immediately felt that the job of really taking Nigeria to a high level in track and field was beyond Nigerian coaches.

Blessing is, however, being coached by John Smith, one of the top coaches in USA. Most top athletes have their individual coaches. But

why are the Nigerian coaches not producing top athletes? Do they have programmes that can help in producing stars? Does the system accommodate them and enhance their performance? Is it their fault or a systemic failure?

Nigeria is here for the World Championships and the minister feels that a foreign coach would have placed the country in a better position. That’s why he has approved that for the AFN.

Fans await Beta9ja launch S OCCER fans in Nigeria are in for a swell time as one of the biggest odd sports betting company Bet9ja is to be formally unveiled to the public on September 5th in Lagos.

According to the CEO of

Mourinho Continues from BP

... A tale of two kids, Okagbare and September 16

Early on Hull City keeper Allan McGregor conceded a silly penalty inside six minutes after coming out of goal to challenge Fernando Torres, catching the striker late on the face with his arm. McGregor made amends though, as he saved Frank Lampard’s spot kick.

the Sports betting company Ayo Ojuroye “we intend to formally launch on September 5th, although we have being in business now for more than 6 months. We are positioned as the premier sports betting company in Nigeria by bringing together people of vast experience in odd betting spanning decades.

To achieve our targets, we

have engaged the services of foreign technical partners of repute with over 100 years experience to provide first class service” Ojuroye said the company which already has outlets at Alaba,Orile, Mushin, Lagos Island, Ikeja, Ikorodu, sango Otta will provide sports and leisure services to customers in very good ambience.

Nadal wins first Cincinnati title

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AFAEL Nadal has won his first Cincinnati Masters title by winning through two close tie-break sets against John Isner yesterday.

In the opening set there was not a single break point until the final game before the tie-break. Isner put plenty of pressure on Nadal’s serve but the Spaniard showed resolve to save two set points and force a breaker. Isner was the first to blink in the tie-break to hand Nadal a 5-3 lead, but he earned the mini-break back two points later.

start by apologizing sincerely for not writing last week.

I am in the middle of a project that has further strengthened my belief that the future of this country lies in our hands and it is up to us to either make or mar it. In Calabar where I am supervising a holiday coaching clinic in track and field for secondary school students courtesy Mobil Producing Nigeria, I daily come across so much potentials, that I daily believe.

I can imagine if a programme like this was replicated in all the states of the federation, even in as many sports. Let me start this weeek’s column by telling you a true life story of two young boys of about 13, born into two different football families. A study of their life has revealed that while the Arsenal boy has grown to be morose, tired with life and dreading every week end of his football life, the boy from Man U has grown to be very cheerful, full of life, sporting a confident gait and so full of confidence.

Three days ago, I was the recipient of a news release by the Press chieftains of the Honourable Minister/ Chairman National Sports Commisssion, from the Spokesperson of the AFN, while a verbal appraisal came from the Delta State Government, who will not fail through Amaju Pinnick to enumerate all that Governor Uduaghan has done to keep her where she is today.

Yes it has become convenient to quickly identify with the exploits of Blessing Okagbare. It has become fashionable to share in the limelight of a young lady who today threads the glory path of the Mary Onyali’s before her.

Wanted someone to also help us craft releases, I mean those of us who fast and pray daily for her success, we the veritable supporters of the lady who has written our names in silver in the comity of track and

field nations.

September 16 is the day that FIFFA, through CAF will hold the final draw to determine the pairings for the final ten countries that will go into a play off for eventual qualification to Brazil. Forgive my arrogance in not taking the match against Malawi into consideration as I look forward to that very expectant event that will determine the weight of our duty going into Brazil. They call it “… the luck of the draw” as you suddenly confront an opponent believed easy and ready for demolition.

South Africa is such an opponent one that Nigeria has never struggled to beat.

Beat them again we did, to enhance our FIFA Ranking that will be published September 12. That ranking will help put Nigeria in the favoured pot of those countries that will not only play the second leg match at home but will also be pitched against believed weaker opponents. The FIFA Ranking will not cease to amaze a lot. It is that “scientific” eexperiment that puts Cape Verde as the 6th best football playing country in Africa while Egypt lies in the 11th position and Zambia in the tenth, among others. In other words, if the September Rankings confirm the Auguust placement, then Nigeria is in for war against among others, B.Faso, Cameroun, Tunisia, Zambia, Egypt, South Africa, Ethiopia and Congo.

Before then however, we are in for titanic battles in Group E between Congo and Burkina Faso( only a point separates them).

Ethiopia and South Africa are locked in Group A, Ghana and Zambia in Group D and Cameroun and Libya in Group I. Senegal has nine points in Group J while Uganda has eight. It is that tough. Just imagine, Nigeria’s Green Eagles drawn against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroun.

That, will be the match!

See you next week.

VANGUARD, MONDAY, AUGUST 19 , 2013

World Athletics Championships Medals Table

Mourinho victorious on Chelsea return I

T was total domina tion by Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea side as newly promoted Hull City had no answer, falling 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.

Goals from Oscar and Frank Lampard made Continues on Page 55

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 10 11 12 12 12 12 12 12 19 20 21 22 23 24

Russia USA Jamaica Kenya Germany Ethiopia Great Britain Czech Ukraine France Poland Colombia Croatia New Zealand Sweden Trinidad & Tobago Uganda Australia Ivory Coast Canada China Cuba Nethelands

G 7 6 6 5 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

S 4 14 2 4 2 3 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 1 1 1

B 6 5 1 3 1 4 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 3 2 1

Total 17 25 9 12 7 10 6 3 3 4 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 2 5 4 3 2

Barca batter Levante 7 - 0

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Results Chelsea 2 Hull 0 Palace 0 Spurs 1 Liverpool 1 Stoke 0 Arsenal 1 A/Villa 3 Norwich 2 Everton 2 Sunderland 0 Fulham Frank Lampard of Chelsea celebrates with team-mates after scoring the second 1 goal against Hull.

West Brom 0 Southampton 1 West Ham 2 Cardiff 0 Swansea 1 Man U 4

ARCELONA yesterday began their La Liga title defence in devastating fashion, battering Levante 7-0 at the Camp Nou. Barcelona scored six goals in the opening half of their first game The game had barely got underway when Alexis Sanchez fired home the opening goal in just the third minute to get the Blaugrana up and running.

Cesc Fabregas provided the assist and the forward slotted home from close range.

Barca’s star striker Lionel Messi was next up nine minutes later with a strong left-footed shot from the centre of the penalty area to double the Catalan’s lead.

Minister assures on foreign coach — P.55 QUICK CROSSWORD

Sudoku TODAY'S

PUZZLE

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Prophet (4) 4 Expire (3) 6 Desire (4) 8 Struggle (6) 9 Communication (6) 10 Wages (3) 12 Mar (5) 14 Lees (5) 15 Respond (5) 18 Slumbering (6) 20 Aver (6) 24 Poisonous (5) 26 Deadly (5) 28 Savour (5) 30 Pin (3) 32 Pester (6) 33 Recover (6) 34 Askew (4) 35 Circuit (3) 36 Reluctant (4)

DOWN 2 Fit out (5) 3 Breathe (7) 4 Profound (4) 5 Facile (4) 6 Bet (5) 7 Reel (7) 11 Curve (3) 12 Spring (3) 13 Shelter (3) 16 Suitable (3) 17 Levy (3) 19 Superficial (7) 21 Pose (3) 22 Disgrace (7) 23 Fasten (3) 25 Mineral (3) 27 Irate (5) 29 Larceny 30 Toll (4) 31 Clutch (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 2, Tally 7, Thorn 8, Titan 10, Agent 12, Nap 13, Avail 15, Groaned 17, Pellet 19, Ill 20, Dwindle 23, Loop 25, Yarn 26, Thinned 30, Ark 31, Teller 34, Wrinkle 37, Royal 38, Ant 39, Ethic 40, Annoy 41, Dared 42, Wheel.

How to Play Sudoku

DOWN: 1, Shove 2, Trail 3, Angled 4, Long 5, Finally 6, Taper 9, Tan 11, Trinket 13, Apple 14, Allot 16, Old 18, Twinkle 21, Early 22, Snarl 24, Phantom 27, Irk 28, Deride 29, Grant 32, Local 33, Eager 35, Inn 36, Etch.

TWO WEEKS TO LIVE

P

lace a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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