N'Assembly buries hope for N5,000 note

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61713

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ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

N'Assembly buries hope for N5,000 note

BY OKEY NDIRIBE, HENRY UMORU, EMMAN OVUAKPORIE & INALEGWU SHAIBU

•Says policy is illegal; IMF agenda A •Lambasts economic team for endorsing policy •Reps give Jonathan 14-day ultimatum to sack Oteh

BUJA —THE Sen ate and the House of Representatives joined forces, yesterday, as they resumed from their two-month recess and asked President Goodluck Jonathan to stop the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi from going ahead with the restructuring of the Naira and the introduction of N5000 note, describing it as illegal and unconstitutional.

This came as the House of Representatives gave President Jonathan 14 days to implement the report of the Continues on page 5

The national •P.17 horrors list DEAR BUNMI LEADERSHIP AWARD 2012—From Left: Director, Lagos Business School, Prof Pat Utomi; Chief Whip,

House of Representatives, Rep. Ishaka Bawa; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Chairman, Leadership Newspapers, Chief Sam Nda-Isaiah, at the Leadership 2012 Annual Conference and Award ceremony in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: NAN.

BOKO HARAM STRIKES AGAIN: Kills Borno AG, Ex-Prison C-G, two guards ....JTF recovers gadgets, guns, bombs

—P.37

Rotimi FASAN •P.19

OGAGA IFOWODO•P.19

Mr & Mrs

•P.8

BAKASSI: Why ceding must be revisited —P.30

Unpatriotic Nigerians behind fuel subsidy protest — Jonathan —P.6 C M Y K

2 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012 — 3

4 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

Vanguard, WEDNESD AY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012—5 WEDNESDA

POCKET CARTOON

N'Assembly buries hope for N5,000 note Continues from Page 1 investigative public hearing on the near collapse of the Capital market, which recommended the removal of Ms Aruma Oteh, as the Director General of Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC. The plan by Mallam Sanusi to restructure the naira, as well as introduce N5,000 note received condemnations from both chambers of the National Assembly as the lawmakers described the proposal as anti-people.

The senators upon considering a motion moved by Senator Ita Enang, accused Sanusi of pursing International Monetary Fund, IMF, agenda which was set to impoverish Nigeria.

They also accused Sanusi of being arrogant, and a misleading public officer who claims to have monopoly of knowledge.

The Economic Team of President Jonathan was also lambasted for endorsing a policy the lawmakers described as unpopular and anti people.

Enang while leading debate on the motion observed that the CBN policy would lead to widespread corruption and untold economic problems for the nation.

He said: “The policy will create multiple economic problems like inflation, corruption and security challenges, and would erode the value of

the nation’s currency and ruin the economy.

Senate President, David Mark, while condemning the policy, accused Sanusi of using hypothetical facts and figures to mislead Nigerians.

He said that the actions of the CBN governor and the argument that the policy would reduce inflation in the country were mere theory that is unacceptable to Nigerians, adding that government should be bold to reverse any unpopular policy.

He said: “The important thing is that if Nigerians say they do not want a particular policy at any given moment, there is no harm in government retracing its stand on the issue and I think that is the situation that we find ourselves.

“I have listened to the arguments from those who support it but those arguments are simply not convincing. They appear to me to be highly theoretical and technical in nature and they do not address any practical issue on ground.

“Any policy that does not address issues directly but just talking about indices we cannot verify for now, should wait. We have not reached that level where we are just talking of hypothetical cases all the time.

“I think the disadvantages of the N5,000 note

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

"

START doing what is necessary; then do what is possible; and suddenly, you are doing the impossible." Even if you never get to do big things, you can find great fulfillment in doing right things.

No act of kindness is too small to be worth doing.

TAKE HEART

I

BY ELLA RANDLE

AM fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say.

Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward.

There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair — Nelson Mandela Paul Rogat, in his writings puts it simply: “Those who make us believe that anything’s possible and fire our imagination over the long haul, are often the ones who have survived the bleakest of circumstances. The men and women who have every reason to despair, but don’t, may have the most to teach us, not only about how to hold true to our beliefs, but about how such a life can bring about seemingly impossible changes .”

Emily Dickinson sums it beautifully: “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul And sings the tune without the words And never stops at all.”

at the moment far outweigh not introducing it and on balance, we should not go for it. And also, from the contributions on the floor, we are all in support of the fact that the timing is wrong and the policy is unnecessary at the moment and the arguments being advanced are not convincing and there is no urgent need for it to take place now.

“There is no ambiguity on our stand on the issue. I am not sure that Sanusi is aware of the Constitution; if he was, he would make reference to us before addressing the issue.”

Senators oppose CBN plan Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who also opposed the policy urged the CBN governor to listen to the people, warning that his failure to do so may lead to disaster for the country.

“Section 4 (2) is clear that sovereignty belongs to the people. Any government that fails to listen to the people is heading for disaster. Let Sanusi listen to the people today”, he warned.

Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba who also contributed to the debate urged the CBN governor to allow the will of the people to prevail, stressing that introducing N5000 note would increase the rate of corruption.

According to him, “in a democracy, no matter how strongly a policy is, you cannot claim monopoly of wisdom. Even if the policy is good for the people and they say they do not want it, it is their right to refuse what is good for them. This is one moment that our policy makers must listen to Nigerians.”

Also kicking against the proposal, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Enyinnaya Abaribe, who addressed journalists at the end of plenary, accused the CBN of contravening section 4 (2) of the 1999 Constitution, He said: “The proposed action is illegal because it directly contravenes section 4 (2) of the constitution. The section empowers the National Assembly to legislate on issues of currency, coinage, and le-

gal tenders. The CBN acted ultra vires by even contravening its own law too because section 8 states that they must consult with National Assembly.”

Senators Smart Adeyemi, and Nurudeen Abatemi, both of PDP, Kogi, East and Central Senatorial districts respectively maintained that Sanusi was acting out IMF plans to ruin Nigeria’s economy, by sticking to the policy despite strong disapproval from the people.

According to Adeyemi, “the agenda of introducing N5,000 is part of IMF plans to impoverish Nigeria. Jonathan should be wary of some policies that are tailored to suit IMF’s plans to impoverish our people.”

Opposing the currency restructuring, Atai Aidoko, ANPP, Kogi stated: “This policy displayed how principal officers mislead Mr. President. This is an agenda of the West to re-colonize this country. This also bothers on the issue of arrogance of the CBN governor. He has displayed so much arrogance, insulted a former President and he has to be called to order.”

Members of the House of Reps who spoke against the plan to introduce N5,000 note stressed the need for the intervention of the House to ensure that the apex bank responds to public reasoning.

After the debate on the motion tagged: “Planned restructuring of the Nigerian currency by the CBN - a cash policy somersault”, the lawmakers directed the House Committee on Banking and Currency to conduct an investigative public hearing on the subject matter, and report back to the House within four weeks.

Hon Sam Tsokwa, chairman House Committee on Rules and Business argued the planned introduction of the note was part of the restructuring of the Nigerian currency and contradicts the recently introduced cashless economy policy aimed at reducing the volume of cash transactions in the country.

According to him: “The House is concerned by the views expressed by some economists and other professionals that the policy will cause hyper inflation, reduce purchasing power, currency devalu-

ation and a widening gap between the rich and the poor. We are further concerned that the policy is also inconsistent with international best practice as leading economies like the USA, Britain and China do not have such high currency notes in circulation. We are also aware that the largest denomination of the British Pound currently in circulation is the £ 50 note while that of US is the $100 bill.”

Hon Patrick Ikhariale argued that the policy is tantamount to economic genocide as it will further impoverish majority of Nigerians who live below poverty level, adding that coins are no longer in use.

Sack Oteh now, Reps tell Jonathan Meanwhile, the House resolution calling on President Jonathan to sack Oteh within 14 days was passed at yesterday’s plenary session of the House where the Reps including Femi Gbajabiamila, Minority Leader; Patrick Ikhariale, chairman House Committee on Power; Jones Onyeleri, chairman House Committee on Banking and Currency expressed displeasure over unsavoury relationship between the Executive and the Legislature.

The sponsor of the motion titled: “Need for Mr President to enforce the resolution of the House of Representatives on the investigation into the near collapse of the capital market”, reiterated the need for the House to challenge the decision of the Executive.

He explained that “the House has been known for courage, focus and that’s whom we are. We need to urge Mr President to protect the sanctity of the Constitution” noting that no one should be treated as sacred cow.

Osai also expressed concern over the state of the capital market, arguing that non-implementa-

tion of the report will further create panic and loss of investors’ confidence.

“It was the resolution of the National Assembly that enabled the President to assume office as acting President in 2010 (using the Doctrine of Necessity). “The House should therefore request the President to implement the resolution of the House of Representatives on the investigation into the near collapse of the Nigerian capital market particularly aspects of the resolution requesting the removal of Ms Arumah Oteh as the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission for being unqualified by law as director general of SEC, as contained in sections 3(2a) and section 38(Ib), 2 and 3 and section 315 of the Investment and Securities Act (ISA), 2007.” The motion was thereafter put to vote which enjoyed overwhelming support of the house.

Following the adoption of the motion, the House then directed the Committee on Legislative Compliance to within 14 days brief the House on the level of compliance with the resolution.

No comment — Sanusi Meanwhile, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mal Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, yesterday, declined comment on the resolution of the House of Representatives that actions on the proposed N5,000 note be stopped, forthwith.

Journalists had sought the position of the CBN on the issue in view of the resolution of the legislators and opposition to the proposed currency note from various segments of the Nigerian public, but the CBN boss insisted he was not ready to speak on it.

He simply said, “I have heard but I have no reaction."

6—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

Unpatriotic Nigerians behind fuel subsidy protest — Jonathan zAs Kufour blames insecurity in Nigeria on uneven development

BY BEN AGANDE

A

BUJA—PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday blamed last January’s protest over the removal of fuel subsidy in Lagos on manipulation by certain Nigerians who wanted the retention of the status quo of corruption in that sector.

He spoke at the 52nd Independence anniversary lecture with the title, Nigeria: Security, Development and National Transformation where the former President of Ghana, John Kufour, identified imbalance in development as the bane of the security situation in Nigeria.

According to President Jonathan, the situation where citizens abuse the privileges guaranteed by government as detrimental to the development of the state was worrisome, noting that because of the interest of 2015, the media were being used to abuse the privileges of the Freedom of Information Act to the point of overheating the system.

The President said: “The key issue we are discussing is about peace and development and of course we all know that there is no way you can talk about development when you have a lot of crisis. In fact some people make more money when there is crisis and when there is crisis it is like a country is in a state of emergency, anything goes.

“Crisis is one aspect but generally if there is no peace, it is extremely difficult for the ordinary people to survive though big players in the economy may survive. Ordinary citizens having small and medium enterprises cannot come out to do business during crisis and of course it affects the economy. So you must have peace to develop.

“Peace is one of the cardinal marks of a leader.

In the monarchy in the olden days, the king had maximum power but for your kingdom to be stable you must have the military strength. So without stability of any state we cannot develop.

“I agree totally with President Kufour who really gave us the break down of the kind of security situation that we have.

“When you talk of insecurity of using bombs and guns to kill people that has been described as physical security but in terms of social security, food security, health and the justice system, all have to do with the security of the individual.

“But I believe what we face in Nigeria though not peculiar to us, one of our greatest problems is what I described as political security. Government can continue to provide physical security but also very important is the political security. When you have unending political conflicts in Nigeria, the country cannot develop.

“I believe political security is a big issue. There is this axiom that the pen is mightier than the sword.

The sword is used to kill and destroy but what we use the pen to do is also very critical. When you have society with these unending political conflicts on the media whether print, electronic or social media, it brings a lot of insecurity to the system and some times people begin to doubt your government.

“For example when we were contesting election we promised it will be free and fair. I was convinced I must do that even if I will lose the election. After our election in 2007, even the presidents in our neighbouring West African states were finding it difficult to congratulate us because the observers felt the election was not properly done. That hounded us even when we travelled out and I promised myself that if I have the opportunity to preside over election, I will do something different even at my expense at least for the sake of the country.

And we did that but unfortunately, though there were crises in some parts of the country, observers felt the election was reasonably free and fair compared to others. But immediately after that election, not quite six months, the kind of media hype that started hitting us made us to stop and ask where is this coming from?

“I said I did not just come out from the blues to contest the election, I was deputy governor for six and half years, I was a governor for

they maybe right, in a way they were also misinformed. If you had followed the last Earth Summit in Brazil, about two countries came out to condemn the issue of subsidizing hydro carbon all over the world. They stated that subsiding hydro carbon does not bring development?

“Look at the demonstrations back home, look at these areas this demonstrations are coming from, you begin to ask, are these the ordinary citizens that are demonstrating? Or are people pushing them to demonstrate.

Nigerians are being manipulated

MEETING—Vice President Namadi Sambo (left) and Deputy Chief of Staff, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Kachalla during meeting on the National Council on Privatization at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday.

one and half years, I was a vice president, and before election, I was the president up to April when the elections were conducted, people knew me. So within this period including when I even acted, if I was that bad would people have voted for me? So for Nigerians to have voted for me overwhelmingly that means there must have been something they were expecting and definitely six months would have been too short to pass any valid judgement. But the media condemned me.

The media abuse use of FOI Act “And I believe it is not just the media. When we talk about the Boko Haram, we have political Boko Haram, religious Boko Haram and criminal Boko Haram. So also in the media, you have the professional media and the political media. That is why I talk about the political media. Because of the interest of 2015 whatever you do is immaterial, the government must be brought down. And that mentality cuts across most African countries and even outside Africa.

“So addressing insecurity is critical in developing African states. When you have this unending political conflict, especially in a country like Nigeria that is highly religious and with high ethno-tribal sentiments, it becomes very potent to even create a lot of problems for government.

“So I will plead with us

as Nigerians that whenever we elect government into power at whatever level, at least for the sake of the country we should allow the government to work before going into unnecessary overheating of the system.

Advises Nigerians against overheating the polity “When you talk of providing infrastructure whether power or water, there is nothing you can use the magic wand to provide for the preople. It takes time to build your personal house, it must take a good number of days not to talk of infrastructure like power in a country like Nigeria and with the challenges we have.

“I believe our greatest problem is political conflict.

For a typical politician, the day you win election is the day you start the next election.

“So as government we are committed to creating the enabling environment. I’m quite pleased with the way President Kufour spoke on the issue of transformation.

I agree that the leader must be the key actor for transformation but those who will implement are the citizens. For instance, during the election, we advocated one man one vote, we were totally committed and I said it that nobody should rig election for me. But Nigerians believed that we were sincere and because they knew we were sincere, that took the life of its own. No I

don’t need to go and preach again.

“We have monitored elections in Edo and other places, nobody wants to compromise with his vote.

It is government that created that environment but it is not government that will enforce it, it is the citizen.

“That is why we are a bit worried that sometimes when government creates the environment, whether economic, social or even the media, how the citizens use those privileges matters so much.

“Take the media environment for instance, we signed the Freedom of Information bill into law, it became the Freedom of Information Act, but are we using it in the way we are supposed to use it? Are some of us not abusing the privileges? The media environment that should have helped our transformation agenda are being used negatively, these are some of the issues we need to address.

“The way Nigerians challenge and abuse me, yes the president has enormous power but if you use that enormous power to some extent you will look like a dictator. In a democratic setting, you want to create an environment where people can create their opinion and that is why people are allowed to talk freely and demonstrate. But are we doing so properly”.

Responding to the January subsidy protest, the President said “the citizens were right, in a way

“Take the case of Lagos, Lagos is the critical state in the nation’s economy, it controls about 53 per cent of the economy and all tribes are there. During the demonstration in Lagos, people were given bottled water that people in my village don’t have access to, people were given expensive food that the ordinary people in Lagos cannot eat. So even going to eat free food alone attracts people. They go and hire the best musician to come and play and the best comedian to come and entertain, is that demonstration? Are you telling me that that is a demonstration from ordinary masses in Nigeria who want to communicate something to government?

“For me, if I see somebody is manipulating anything I don’t listen to you but when I see people genuinely talking about issues I listen.

I am hardly intimidated by anybody who wants to push any issue he has. I believe that that protest in Lagos was manipulated by a class in Lagos and was not from the ordinary people.

“Government everywhere must create environment for development and transformation, so I agree the lead must come from the government but the people must be the implementator if we must transform our country.”

Earlier in his lecture, the former President of Ghana, Kufour, said, “Naturally, imbalanced development that involves horizontal inequalities is an important source of conflict and that is costing Nigeria the opportunity to be the giant nation that it can and should be.”

He said the continued stay of government in office is dependent on its delivery of security and development.

He observed that despite their diversity, Nigerians as individuals are proud, intelligent, industrious and Continues on page 8

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER, 19, 2012 — 7

LEADERSHIP PERSON OF THE YEAR AWARD IN ABUJA, YESTERDAY. PIX: ABAYOMI ADESHIDA.

From left: Guest lecturer, Prof. Pat Utomi; Speaker House of Representatives, Aminu Elder statesman, Alhaji Maitama Sule (right) presenting LeaderTambuwal; chairman of occasion, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; Publisher, ship Governor of the Year Award to Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti Leadership Newspapers, Mr. Ndah Isaiah; General Theophilus Danjuma (rtd); Lead- State while his wife looks on. ership Person of The Year, Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; ACN National Chairman, Bisi Akande and former Lagos State Governor, Senator Bola Tinubu.

Chief of Staff to the Governor of Ekiti

ACN spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed (right); Mrs. State, Mr Yemi Adaramodu (left) and From right: Prof. Jerry Gana; Alhaji Isyaku Rabiu Omisan of Isan-Ekiti, Oba Sunday Ajiboye. and Chief Paul Unongo.

Abike Dabiri-Eruwa and others at the event.

BOOK PRESENTATION ON RETIREMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP BY PROF. DEJI FEMI-PEARSE TO MARK HIS 80TH BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY IN LAGOS, YESTERDAY. PIX: BIODUN OGUNLEYE.

From left: Prof Ade Elebute, chairman of occasion; Engr Peter Bankole, The Celebrant, Professor Deji Femi-Pearse and wife Ibilola with children and book reviewer and Prof Deji Femi-Pearse, the celebrant. grand children cutting the birthday cake at the event

From left: Rt Revd Yinka Omololu; Prof & Mrs Lanre Ogunlana.

Prof Tam David-West and his wife, Sade.

From left: Mrs Omotayo Morgan; Mrs Funlola Dada and Mr Rotimi Morgan.

8—Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

Unpatriotic Nigerians behind fuel subsidy protest—Jonathan Continued from page 6

BOOK LAUNCH—From left: Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos; President Goodluck Jonathan; Dr. Tunji Braithwate, Author of the Book and his Wife, during the launching of Jurisprudence of the Living Oracles by Dr. Tunji Braithwaite in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

Boko Haram kills Borno AG, ex-prison C-G, two guards zJTF recovers gadgets, guns, bombs, arms and ammunition

BY ABDULSALAM MOHAMMED, SUZAN EDEH & NDAHI MARAMA

T

HE Joint Military Task force yesterday secured another major victory in its battle against Islamic sect, Boko Haram after killing its spokesman, Abu Qaqa and arresting two other members on Monday as the task force yesterday destroyed the operational base of the sect in Kano where bombs, arms, ammunition and several laptops were recovered.

The victory of the task force, however, came on a day terrorists, believed to be Boko Haram members killed the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Borno State, Mr Zannah Mallam Gana and a former Comptroller General of the Nigerian Prisons, Alhaji Ibrahim Jarma Katagun in Bauchi.

Following information gathered from those who were arrested when Boko Haram spokesman was killed on Monday, the JTF raided the Kano residence of the spokesman at Rimi Kebe and Rijayar’zaki general area of the municipality and recovered arms, ammunition A statement by the spokesman of Joint Military Task force in Kano, Lt. Ikediche

Iweha, titled “Update on capture of Boko Haram terrorists on September 17, 2012, said “Following further operation in the suspects heavily wired IED hideout, the following items were recovered: two AK 47 rifles, two pump action rifles, one berretta rifle, one smoke discharger, 433 rounds of 7.62 NATO ammunition, 80 rounds of 7.62 special ammunition, 2 AK 47 magazines, 36 prepared IEDs, 13 laptops, two motorcycles, four printers, one photocopier, one 33 slots zenith disc writer, one TG 3900Ez generator set, religious books, large quantity of CD plates, Two decoders, Two Satellite dish, One 21'’ Television set, one DVD player, 2 bags of urea fertilizer, one elite dry cell 12v battery, one blue gate UPS, one stabilizer, 10 hand held Motorola radios and 5 battery chargers.”

The JTF further said, “this latest encounter with the terrorist group have foiled its planned attack to wreck havoc on the good people of Kano State. It has equally further depleted the capacity of the terrorist group to operate. The JTF would like to use this medium to reiterate its resolve to continue to work assiduously towards the protection of lives and property in the

state. The relative peace which Kano enjoys today can be attributed to the collective effort and prayers of the good people of Kano State.”

The JTF appealed to the general public to continue to volunteer information while assuring the utmost confidentiality in dealing with such information.

“Residents are therefore enjoined to go about their normal lawful business activity without any fear as security agents are ready and will respond swiftly to any treat to life and property in any part of the state,” the JTF added.

Borno AG assassinated Meanwhile, Borno State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Zannah Mallam Gana, aged 63, was killed yesterday in his home town Bama, by yet to be identified gunmen.

The late Zanah was said to have been attacked at a popular joint in company of friends.

According to an eyewitness, the gunmen arrived the spot on a motorcycle at about 7 pm, rough-handled him and removed the money in his possession before firing several shots at him as they fled Governor Kashim Shettima who was in

Abuja had to return to Maiduguri immediately to attend to the burial rite where he wept uncontrollaby.

Confirming the incident, the Police Commissioner in a telephone interview told Vanguard in Maiduguri that the Commissioner for Justice, Mr Zanna Mallam Gana was shot dead by gunmen suspected to be terrorists.

He said, already the police has swung into action with a view to unravel those behind the killing.

Ex-Prisons' boss dies after attack Also, a former Comptroller General of the Nigerian Prisons, Jarma Katagun, died yesterday from gunshot wounds inflicted on him in an attack by members of the Boko Haram sect.

Suspected Boko Haram gunmen shot at Katagu in his hometown of Azare, Bauchi State, as the former prisons official left a mosque. Critically wounded, he was taken to an undisclosed hospital for emergency treatment. A family source disclosed that Mr. Katagun died overnight of complications from his gunshot wounds. Two security guards of the retired prisons official also lost their lives in yesterday’s attack.

entrepreneurial regretting however that this resourcefulness had not yet impacted fully on the nation or to the rest of the continent which expects Nigeria to become a major growth pole.

Kufour said: “The challenge is to accelerate the pace of development by using the Nigerian Constitution as a nursery ground for producing leaders who are national in outlook and with a missionary zeal to transform this nation.

“This will help to mold the contending ethnic and religious groups into harmony and help to remove the perceived mutual distrust among them.

“Leaders so emerging would not be limited to championing the causes of their home state, tribe or religious group, but rather focus on deeds and pronouncements which convincingly and positively impact on the entire citizenry of the federal republic.

He added that, “Nation building is the systematic evolution of the political, economic, social and cultural well-being of all the component parts of the state.

“Indeed the transcendent factor should be the common citizenship of all the stakeholders no matter the tribe, gender, religion, economic or social status as your Constitution stipulates.”

Kufuor identified history,

tribe and religion as factors that conspired to put a major stumbling block in the path of Nigeria’s destiny.

Kufour canvasses national identity for Nigeria He advocated the cultivation of a national identity based on shared values, tradition, history and aspirations.

He said Nigerians should develop a high national consciousness where they consider themselves first as Nigerians before anything else.

He added that those in leadership should also share in the vision of one nation and one people.

The former president said political leadership must collaborate with businesses, public organisations and institutions to ensure that public security is guaranteed to maintain a stable environment for development of both the people and the state.

“If there is no security, there is no liberty and if there is no liberty, life is not meaningful and society reverts back to the law of the jungle i.e. the survival of the fittest and man’s primary objective of forming a state is defeated,” he added.

The Secretary to Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, said the lecture markd another critical milestone among programmes of independence.

Customs reads riot act to importers in S-East, S-South

O

W E R R I — IMPORTERS in the South-East and SouthSouth geographical zones of the country have been warned against under declaration of goods, importation of hard drugs, arms and ammunition, concealment and other unwholesome trade related malpractices.

This warning was given by the Federal Operations Unit Zone C Customs Command, Comptroller Mohammed Biu when the South East and South South Amalgamated Traders Association, SEMATA, visited the him in Owerri, yesterday.

Comptroller Biu advised the traders to ensure proper documentation and assured the association that importers who are engaged

in legitimate trade should not entertain any fear provided they did not bring contraband goods into the country.

He warned that the zone would not condone any act of sabotage from any importer or clearing agents as he will deal ruthlessly with anyone who circumvents the Federal Government economic fiscal policy.

The president of SEAMATA, Chief Dr. Okwudili, however, pledged that his members would comply with the laid down Federal Government economic fiscal policy and also promised to cooperate with the new comptroller on this onerous duty of fighting importation of contraband goods intothe country.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012—9

We won’t ignore calls for national confab —Jonathan Says dialogue most potent weapon for development

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE & MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

L

E A D I N G elderstatesmen and activists, who, for over 20 years have been clamouring for a national dialogue to address perennial socioeconomic and political problems plaguing the country will no longer wait for too long to realise their quest.

Reason: President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday assured that his administration would not ignore the calls.

He also assured that calls to grant Lagos a special status in view of the state’s mounting challenges and quantum contribution to the country ’s economy would be looked into because no federal administration could ignore Lagos, which he accounted for between 50-52 per cent of the nation’s economy. He urged the judiciary to combat graft conscientiously and ensure that justice was dispensed at all levels.

Speaking in Lagos at the launch of a book entitled “Jurisprudence of The Living Oracles” written by a legal icon and politician, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, the President said there was need for all Nigerians to work together to build a new nation.

He said: "I appeal to the judiciary to pay close

attention to Dr. Braithwaite’s reiteration of the social purpose of law and dispensation of justice for the benefit of all Nigerians. Cases of corruption, for instance, should be dealt with in a conscientious manner.

My administration will continue to pay attention to those urgent matters that will strengthen our union and the rule of law and accelerate economic growth. The call for dialogue from our citizens will not be ignored.

For me, dialogue is the most potent weapon in our arsenal for greatness and development.

Responding to an earlier call by the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), that Lagos should be granted a special status, the President promised that the Federal Government would continue to work with Lagos State to further uplift it and also work with leaders to change all parts of the country.

“Lagos is very important to us.

According to a recent CBN analysis, Lagos controls about 52 per cent of the national economy. So the state which is the commercial nerve centre of the country is too important to be ignored.”

Jonathan described Braithwaite as a role model to many Nigerians and noted that Nigerians

were “supremely gifted and blessed,” he urged all Nigerians to join forces and continue to work for a better Nigeria where the rule of law would prevail.

In his comment, Braithwaite, who turned 79 on September 17, stressed the need for Nigerians to support Jonathan in his efforts to develop the country.

Lagos CJ frees 236 Kirikiri Prisons inmates

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH & ONOZURE DANIA

L

AGOS Chief Judge, Justice Ayotunde Philips yesterday released 233 inmates, majority of whom were awaiting trials at the Kirikiri Prisons, Lagos.

The exercise which formed part of the ongoing new legal year programmes was also a step to de-congest the prisons.

Most of the lucky inmates have stayed for over 12 years.

The Chief Judge, who was accompanied by senior members of the judiciary including judges and the Chief Registrar, released 133 inmates from the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison and 103 from the Medium Security Prison.

She, however, shifted forward the attempt to release inmates from the women prisons, also

Fashola requests for 30bn supplementary budget

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI & EBUN SESSOU

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OVERNOR Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has requested for the amendment to the Year 2012 Budget Appropriation, to allow the government access extra N30billion.

The state House of Assembly had approved over N430 billion for the year 2012 budget which was signed into law.

The supplementary budget was contained in a letter from the executive to the legislative house and read by the Clerk of the House, Mr. Segun Abiru at the plenary session, yesterday, after

resuming from a six week break.

According to the Clerk, the state Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Ben Akabueze requested for the amendment to the Year 2012 Budget Appropriation.

Akabueze requested for the amendment to access N30billion facility provided for in the budget due to the noninclusion of the facility in the Year 2012 foreign borrowing plan of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The Commissioner further explained in the letter that, approval of the request by the House of Assembly would prevent disruption of the

Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, Ondo State Governor, addressing supporters at a campaign rally in Ikaram-Akoko, in Akoko North-West Local Government Area of the state, last Monday.

infrastructure delivery programme of the state government.

In another development, a former Speaker of the House of Assembly in the first Assembly, Dimeji Longe who represented Surulere in 1979-1983 legislative dispensation is dead.

The deaths of former speaker and two other former members were announced on the floor of the House yesterday.

Also, the demise of two other former members, Tajudeen Ajayi representing Ibeju-Lekki in the fourth Assembly and Rasheed Oluwo representing Epe Constituency also in the first Assembly, was also reported.

located at Kirikiri.

Apart from the ongoing legal year programme, the Chief Judge was empowered to release the inmates pursuant to the powers conferred on her under Section 1 (1) of the Criminal Justice Release from Custody Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2007.

In her remark, Justice Philips said, “ there is a saying in the legal circle that it is better for 10 guilty persons to be free

than for one innocent person to be incarcerated.

“We have gone through the list of those recommended for release. So for those of you qualified to be released, you are very lucky that your name has come up. So, go and sin no more.”

She urged those released to turn a new leaf and go out to contribute their quota to the society, adding, “I promised during my

swearing-in ceremony that I will do my best to decongest the prisons.”

Welcoming the team, the Deputy Comptroller of Prisons of the Kirikiri Maximum Prison, Mr. Olu Tinuoye disclosed that it is very unusual for chief judges of Lagos State to visit the prisons.

Also, the Medium Security Prison, Mr. Tunde Ladipo commended the efforts of the State government for taking care of the prisons.

10 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

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N the last few weeks since what I here call Central Bank of the Few under Lamido Sanusi announced its intention to introduce N5,000 bill into the economy, Nigerians have variously cajoled, begged, pleaded with and even threatened the Bank and its management against the planned introduction. There are many reasons for this popular opposition to the new bill- reasons which include the point that it contradicts the recent policy of the Bank towards creating a so-called cashless economy. But the main reason many have been alarmed by the proposed policy which would also involve turning the lower denominations of 5, 10 and 20 Naira bills into coins- the fear of many Nigerians is that such a policy would consign the lower bills into desuetude as transactions are not done in coins in Nigeria.

We do know that Nigeria is not a country of statistics and where statistics are available they are more often than not very unreliable. Given this fact, it may be very difficult if not impossible to know the percentage of

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Nigerians, among the literate few, either opposed to or in support of the proposed policy. Yet a random appraisal of the majority of opinions in the media and on the streets makes it clear that the vast majority of Nigerians don’t like to hear of this plan- you might say over 95 per cent of those you hear/ read don’t like the policy. They, among whom I number myself, are viscerally opposed to it which is not to say that we are right. But does this prove that President Goodluck Jonathan, Sanusi and others already sold on this idea are right? I don’t think so. If for no other reason than that the vast majority of people don’t like this plan- I say if only in recognition of this fact alone, you would expect a more respectable response from a bank whose staff salaries come from Nigerian tax payers. But Sanusi and his ilk obviously see these Nigerians as stark economic illiterates who don’t deserve to be heard at all. Sanusi at a conference of bankers last week said the N5,000 bill was meant but for a few Nigerians handling huge cash. This for me proves the

ND so, once again, the wife of a serv ing president flies off to Europe in search of a cure for a non-life threatening problem. For plastic surgery, if there is a grain of truth to the unofficial disclosures attributed to sources in the presidency, though that is all that the citizens underwriting this expensive treatment have: the president does not deign to tell us what is wrong with his wife. Mrs Patience Jonathan — who will not be pleased with me for not addressing her by the cherished self-appellation of Dame in her moment of distress — is recovering in Germany after having her uterine fibroid removed.

No, she did not go to excise her ruptured appendix, as was earlier reported: myomectemy, not appendectomy.

This also puts to rest the happier reason of much needed rest from exhaustion (so arduous are the labours of the first spouse) as her spokesman informed us. The eagerness of Nigeria’s rulers to whisk themselves or their wives off to tend to every real or imagined ailment abroad at public expense is nothing short now of a national calamity. And it invites even greater scrutiny than ever before. For want of a better term and since we are speaking of diseases, I will call this infuriating habit bordering on a disorder of the mind the expatriate syndrome or expatriaitis.

According the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word “expatriate” in its verb form means “to withdraw (oneself) from residence in or allegiance to one’s native country”; “to leave one’s native country to live elsewhere”; also “to renounce allegiance to one’s native country”. Now, clearly, our rulers do not live abroad, though we must include the qualification “physically” while sticking to the literal sense of the word. But while they may reside in their official quarters, have palatial homes in their villages, state capitals, Abuja and Lagos, their most cherished mansions are to be found in the priciest neighbourhoods of London, Paris and Washington, D.C. In any case, I am more concerned with the

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foolishness of his intention for we would be right to wonder if the Central Bank, rather than serving the majority of Nigerians by whose name it is called, is indeed a bank meant to serve the interest of a few.

In case Sanusi doesn’t know- and he could in his increasingly arrogant manner call this the ranting of drunken illiterates- in case he hasn’t heard it said before him, many Nigerians believe that the planned introduction of the 5,000 bill could have been informed by no higher sentiments or goals than the desire to make the few Nigerians with the right clout and in the right corridor of power to easily carry around huge cash they can launder or dispense for various purposes, from bribing electorates and electoral officers in the coming elections to financing all sorts of criminal violence including the kind of terrorist siege that has taken over certain parts of the country.

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iven this picture, you would understand why I refer to the bank Sanusi heads as the Central Bank of the Few and not of Nigeria. Since they came up with their zany idea of a new 5,000 bill

second sense which warrants the diagnosis of expatriaitis, defined as a disease of the mind that causes its victims, who, for my purposes here, are Nigerian rulers, to see themselves as foreigners, and so to shape their thoughts and actions with reference to a developed foreign country, especially a European one. I lay no claim to exactitude, but it will do.

If an expatriate is not merely one who resides outside his or her own country (ex patria) but can also be one who has “renounced” or “ withdrawn” allegiance to the native country, then our rulers are expatriates to the core. By tell-tale deeds, they betray their primary allegiance to Europe. As a result, they feel no sense of patriotic duty or responsibility to the land of their birth. If the Christians’ Holy Book is right when it says that where a man’s wealth is there will his heart be also, then nothing proves this claim more than the ultimate destination of the billions our rulers steal: Swiss banks and other EuroAmerican institutions of graft. In other words, Frantz Fanon was right to describe the emergent African bourgeoisie as having “black skin” and “ white masks”. It is a product of the dubious legacy of colonialism, what we refer to in popular parlance as colo-mentality. We may turn the phrase a little to “black skin, white-washed minds”. Our rulers, still ravaged by the unbroken and unexamined, though mostly unconscious, legacy of external conquest and domination, are no more than mere stand-ins for the erstwhile colonial masters whose allegiance was always to Europe.

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hus, a quarter of a century after Gen eral Ibrahim Babangida flew to France to treat a leg injury, no succeeding head of state has thought it necessary to build, or made it possible to build, a medical facility where his head- or tooth-ache, cough, malaria, arthritic toe, “general debility” or, God forbid, any more serious ailment, may be treated. Babangida’s

living off other peoples’ earnings as they do and proposing criminal policies that are dangerous to the economic wellbeing of all. But our bankers can’t think outside the box: whatever Laski or Keynes didn’t say does not exist for them.

Of course, there are no text books to explain why the introduction of higher currency bills or turning some into coins could spawn inflation but that is our peculiar experience in Nigeria. After the 1970s, once a denomination becomes a coin it ceases to have any economic value in Nigeria.

Even banks don’t accept them. The moment N20 becomes a coin you can be sure you’ll no longer get anything for less than N50- from biscuits, sweets to packed water.

You won’t read this in any text books on economics or commerce.

You won’t hear it said at Harvard Business School or London School of Economics but you’ll know it if you are a Nigerian. These are indeed lessons they don’t teach in business schools which our textbound bankers must understand about us economic illiterates.

Sanusi told Nigerians at his bankers’ gathering that Nigeria’s 1970s N20 which exchanged for $30 is the equivalent of the N5,000 he proposes and yet insists there is no inflation. But for the fact that Sanusi knows he’s got Jonathan wrapped around his little finger he won’t be bragging around in the manner he is doing. Jonathan, no doubt, has already given his support to Sanusi even before he had thought about its implication.

The same way he announced a name change in a university without bothering to consult those that would be directly affected by his decision. Sometimes one wonders what hostage this president has become to his appointees.

long-standing injury was given the grandiloquent name of radiculopathy, a condition more appropriately associated with the spine and eminently treatable at home, but, no, he had to go to Europe. Then there

From Radiculopathy to Myomectemy: Nigeria and her expatriate rulers

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Sanusi’s Central Bank of the few

The moment N20 becomes a coin you can be sure you’ll no longer get anything for less than N50- from biscuits, sweets to packed water

and reissuance of lower bills as coins, it is instructive that Sanusi’s supporters have been that tiny minuscule of government contractors misnamed business moguls, those President Jonathan sees fit to cover in national honours for no other reason than that they have more than enough stolen wealth to throw around and support do-nothing politicians in and out of office- it’s this group of Nigerians and fellow bankers like him that support Sanusi’s plan.

At the annual conference of the Chartered Institute of Bankers where Sanusi spoke last week, he displayed the same arrogance that is the usual way of Nigerian public servants. From the manner he spoke one would be excused to think he is the employer of Nigerians rather than Nigerians being the people paying his salary.

Rather than trying to make Nigerians more favourably disposed to his policy by reaching out to them more, Sanusi has been surrounding himself with people who think like him, are in the same profession and who are most likely to turn situations like Sanusi is planning into their own use for their personal gains. Mr. Sanusi must understand that in regard to his proposed plan, bankers are the least credible or trustworthy people to consult. They brought us where we are today by their criminally-minded policies and activities. Sanusi himself went after many of them who are today guests in prisons where they are not living in unearned retirement at the expense of Nigerians. If Nigerians complain they don’t like a fiscal policy, bankers should be careful how they try to convince them because they don’t have the credibility they pretend to possess.

Their image has been battered in the last five years the world over,

The eagerness of Nigeria’s rulers to whisk themselves or their wives off to tend to every real or imagined ailment abroad at public expense is nothing short of a national calamity

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was the case of Mrs Stella Obasanjo who died in Malaga, Spain, after a cosmetic procedure to remove stomach fat.

And so it happens that more than two years after the national embarrassment of the saga of President Yar ’Adua’s endless trips to hospitals in Germany and Saudi Arabia to save his ailing heart and liver, his successor, Goodluck Jonathan, has chosen to shame us anew with another medical trip fiasco. This time, the emergency that necessitated the junket to Germany was uterine fibroid, a condition that many women are known to have without even knowing it because it is generally

benign and so seldom requires surgery, except for cosmetic purposes. And, indeed, the word is out that this was the reason why Mrs Jonathan flew to Germany and checked herself into the Dr. Horst Schmidt Klinik in Wiesbaden, a facility, let us note, shared by the United States Army’s medical department.

How else but in the light of the utter obliteration of national competence and self-belief following a chronic case of expatriaitis can it be explained that Mrs Jonathan’s fibrosis was allegedly misdiagnosed as appendicitis or food poisoning by the doctors at the presidential clinic? Yet the misdiagnosis is only a symptom of the cancer of self-doubt that has now overawed our collective being. Leading to the crying shame that such routine procedures as appendectomy and myomectemy could not be performed at the presidential clinic. Nor in any of our teaching hospitals. Nor in any of the country’s countless private hospitals. But then, I assume that with their necks turned rigidly towards Europe, to anywhere but home — see the staggering number of foreign trips Jonathan has made since assuming office- the President even thought for a second of the possibility of a cure at home.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012 — 11

RSUST crisis: ASUU shuns exams

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

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GRIDLOCK: Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State (middle) directs traffic to clear the gridlock on Ore-Benin expressway yesterday.

Fuel: More scarcity looms as JEPTFON threatens shut down

BY CLARA NWACHUKWU & KUNLE KALEJAYE

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HE current scarcity of petroleum products being experienced in many parts of the country may get worse, if at the close of work today, the Federal Government has not ordered the removal of security operatives at the Integrated Oil and Gas Depot, in Apapa, Lagos.

The development followed an ultimatum issued by the Jetties and Petroleum Tank Farm Owners of Nigeria, JEPTFON, yesterday in Lagos, warning that its members would shut their depots and tank farm facilities across the country if government failed to accede to their requests.

JEPTFON ultimatum, it was gathered, is in response to the alleged forceful invasion and take-over of Integrated Oil and Gas Depot in Apapa, Lagos, by armed men on the orders of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, last week.

It said: “The association unanimously resolved that if NIMASA did not vacate the illegal and criminal invasion of the depot and facilities of Integrated Oil and Gas, including their head office within 24 hours, we shall have no choice than to close all depots in the country.”

If the association makes

good its threats, the country would be plunged into even more serious scarcity of petroleum products, which had crippled business and social activities in many parts of the country. This is because JEPTFON members account for about 60 per cent of the nation’s total fuel distribution facilities.

Indeed, some of its members are currently assisting the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, in distributing petroleum products by trucks around the country, pending when the corporation can resume pipeline distribution.

Stolen product

Integrated Oil and Gas was last week shut by NIMASA for allegedly receiving stolen petroleum products, in its tank farm. But the company had since provided evidence of the requisite approvals by the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, the regulator of the oil and gas industry, and the Nigerian Navy for the clearance of the vessel which brought the product on throughput agreements to its depot.

Speaking with newsmen in Lagos, Executive Secretary of JEPTFON, Mr. Enoch Kanawa, said the association summoned an emergency meeting where members deliberated extensively on the matter.

At the end of the meeting, he said, JEPTFON members condemned the illegal and unlawful seizure of the Integrated Oil depot and offices, especially as it was only the DPR that is empowered by law to close down a tank farm, and not NIMASA. He said: “The illegal and unlawful seizure of the depot and facilities of Integrated Oil and Gas Ltd. and their head office is in total disregard to the safety and sensitive nature of such an enormous asset. We totally condemn this action

by NIMASA. “More worrisome is the physical torture of its Chairman, Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho, who was abducted and had to be rescued by the State

Kidnapped Edo Deputy Gov's CPS regains freedom

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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ENIN—CHIEF Press Secretary to Deputy Governor of Edo State, Mr. Kelly Odaro, who was abducted on Saturday by suspected kidnappers, regained his freedom, yesterday.

Odaro, who thanked God for spearing his life when members of the Edo State chapter of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, led by its interim Chairman, Mr Tunde Egberenwen, paid him a visit, said it was a traumatic experience but thanked God for

His grace.

He said: “It was like a movie because as I was driving into my compound, they stopped me and dragged me into a waiting car. I was blindfolded and did not even know where they took me to. But the people were nice to me, they brought food but I refused to eat.

I thank God for saving my life and I want to thank everybody for their support.”

Egberenwen, who led a prayer session at Mr. Odaro's residence, stressed the need for security agents in the state

and the nation as a whole to provide adequate security for journalists to conduct their activities without any form of intimidation.

He said: “Journalists need to be protected at all times by both government and security agents. We are working for the society and it is our strong belief that we need a conducive environment to operate. I want to commend men of the State Security Services and the police in the state for curbing the activities of kidnappers so far."

ORT HAR COURT—SECOND semester examination kicked off, yesterday, at Rivers State University of Science and Technology, RSUST, despite the ongoing strike by lecturers of the school.

Deputy Registrar/Head of Information and Publication Unit of the university, Mr. Desmond Wosu, told Vanguard that the university had to go ahead with the examination despite the strike by Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, because the examination was approved by the university’s senate.

He said the students wrote examinations on several courses such as GNS, adding that the examination would continue, adding that some lecturers under the aegis of

ASUU in the university were on strike but it would not affect the examination since it was approved by the senate.

Meantime, Chairman of ASUU in the university, Dr. Felix Igwe, has faulted the decision of the management of the university to go ahead with the examination while lecturers were on strike.

He said the students had not been adequately prepared for the second semester examination, adding that the lecturers had been on strike since August 13, and the students were only taught for a few weeks.

He accused the university authorities of flooding the campus with security operatives.

Wosu, who denied the allegation, said that no form of force was applied on the students to write the examination.

Power privatization: Oando, Vigeo, Honeywell, others scale to next stage

BY CLARA NWACHUKWU

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ANDO Energy, and Oba Otudeko’s Honeywell are among the 21 companies approved by the Federal Government for the last stage of the biding rounds for the 10 Power Holding Company of Nigeria distribution companies.

However, No firm met the requirement for the Kaduna disco, while the opening of the financial bid has been for October 10.

The bid comes up about two weeks after the opening of financial bids for the five generation companies slated for Tuesday, September 25, 2012 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.

Honeywell and the Oando consortium are among the 14 firms bidding for the two distribution companies located in Lagos-Ikeja and Eko. Other listed firms for Ikeja are: Oando Consortium, Amperion Power Distribution Company Limited, Honeywell Energy Resources International Limited, Integrated Energy Distribution and Marketing Limite , Vigeo Holdings,Gumco, African Corporation AFC &CESC, Kepco/NEDC Consortium, West Power and Gas and Rockson Engineering Limited for Ikeja while Eko has Oando Consortium, Integrated Energy Distribution and Marketing Limited, Sepco_Pacific Energy Consortium, Honeywell Energy Resourc-

es International Limited, Kepco/NEDC Consortium and West Power and Gas. For Ibadan Distribution Company, three firms made the cut.

They are Western Consortium, Integrated Energy Distribution and Marketing Company and Kepco/NEDC Consortium.

Abuja has Kann Consortium Utility Company Limited and Interstate Electrics limited.

For Enugu distribution company, the four lucky firms are Rensmart Power Limited, Proglobal Power International Consortium, Interstate Electrics Limited and Eastern Electric Nigeria Limited.

Benin distribution company has Southern Electricity Distribution Company, Rensmart Power Limited, Vigeo Power Consortium and Rockson Engineering Limited.

Port Harcourt has Power Consortium and Rockson Engineering Limited.

For Yola distribution company, only Integrated Energy Distribution and Marketing Company made the list.

While also for Jos only Aura Energy Limited met the passmark.

Also, Kano has Power SPV Limited as the only successful firm to meet the passmark.

The result was disclosed at the end of the 5th National Council on Privatisation (NCP) meeting presided over

by Vice President Namadi Sambo at the Presidential Villa.

12—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

National honour on Uduaghan, testament to great strides — Opuoru

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LEGAL YEAR SERVICE: From left: Justice Okechukwu Okeke of the Federal High Court, Lagos; Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Nsima Ekere; Chief Judge of the Federal High Court (FHC), Justice Ibrahim Auta and a former Chief Judge of the court, Justice Roseline Ukeje, during the 2012/2013 Legal Year Service of the FHC at St. Michael’s African Church, Four Towns, Uyo, yesterday.

ARRI—SPECIAL Assistant to Delta State governor on Special Duties, Mr. Matthew Opuoru, yesterday, said that the conferment of National honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger, CON, on Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan by President Goodluck Jonathan, was a testament to the governor ’s tireless efforts at bringing peace and economic leverage to the state.

The governor ’s aide told newsmen in Asaba that apart from consol-

Group passes confidence vote on Diden

Multiple crash as tanker spills diesel F on P-Harcourt road

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

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ORT HAR COURT—SOME persons were feared dead, yesterday, in multiple accidents, after a fuel tanker spilled more than half of its diesel content on the fast lane of the Waterlines – Garrison Flyover in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The diesel spilled by the crashed tanker in the early hours of yesterday resulted in a number of vehicles skewing and crashing against the flyover pavement.

When Vanguard visited the scene, several men of Traffic Management Agency, TIMARIV, had taken control of traffic, advising motorists to go slow on the slippery road while officials of state Fire Service were busy mopping the spilled diesel to ease

vehicular movement on the road.

State Chief Traffic Controller of TIMARIV, Mr. Confidence Eke, however, dispelled fears of deaths as a result of the several cars that crashed

against the pavement of the bridge at the spill spot.

He said: “We did not record any casualty, although there were people with various degrees of injuries. Because of

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S A B A — D E LT A State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, yesterday, formally apologised to the state judiciary over the kidnap of Justice Marcel Okoh, kidnapped sometime last month, assuring that his administration was tackling the menacing issue of kidnapping headlong.

He said that as a result of the seriousness at-

OLLOWING the dissolution of the Board of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, by Delta State Government, a Sapele-based group, Itsekiri Masses Initiative, IMI, has passed a vote of confidence on the leadership of Mr. Michael Diden, a member of the dissolved board.

In a statement by Mr. Henry Ebosa the group said: “As Itsekiri commissioner on the dissolved DESOPADEC Board, Diden was committed to the development of Itsekiri communities.”

It appealed to the state government to re-appoint him on the new board soon to be constituted by the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan.

Delta House on forced adjournment NDDC MD assures on financial probity over dissolution of DESOPADEC

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

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SABA—THE sit ting of Delta State House of Assembly, which reconvened, yesterday, was aborted following the heat generated by the dissolution of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission , DESOPADEC. The lawmakers, who had adjourned sitting till yesterday, had to further move sitting to tomorrow, which an inside

source said was due to their worry that the governor was planning to forward back to them the same names of the dissolved board for reappointment.

The House dissolved the board during last Wednesday's sitting on account of inefficiency.

The source said: “They are really in a dilemma because some of the lawmakers, who earlier voted for the sack of the board, are now singing

Kidnap of Delta judge: Uduaghan apologises to judiciary

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

the slippery nature of the road, we had multiple rear end collisions as vehicles ran into the spill portion hitting the walkway on the bridge.

But I think no one has been confirmed dead.”

idating on peace building in the state in particular and the country at large, Uduaghan’s national award conferment, which is coming after earlier awards by some media organisations and the National Executive of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, speaks volume of the governor ’s economic and infrastructural strides in the state.

Opuoru enjoined all Deltans to continue to support Uduaghan, particularly in his vision of creating a Delta State beyond oil.

tached to the declared war on kidnapping and other criminal offences, his administration had set up two special courts dedicated to trying offenders of these crimes, in addition to acquiring communication gadgets to assist law enforcement agencies to track down the criminals.

Receiving the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Zai-Laye Smith, who led other judges on a courtesy visit as part of ac-

tivities to mark the beginning of the 2012/2013 legal year, the governor, who was represented by his deputy Prof. Amos Utuama, SAN, said: “Talking of security, good governance cannot be enthroned in an atmosphere of insecurity.

There cannot be peace without security. Unsecured environment breeds anarchy. Security is a public good that must be sold and bought by government and the people respectively."

a new tune, regretting their action.”

The source added that the Speaker, Mr. Victor Ochei, was desperate not to be caught in the web in view of his future political ambition of becoming a governor in 2015.

“He does not want to ruffle feathers in the process and at the end of the day put his ambition on the line, hence he cleverly put off the sitting till Thursday to sort out things first before they sit. We heard that the governor is coming up with DESOPADEC list as well as that of Delta State Independent Electoral Commission, DSIEC," he added.

CORRIGENDUM

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N a paid advertise ment in our edition of Tuesday, September 18, 2012, we inadvertently addressed the Deputy Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon (Barr) Basil Ganagana as Hon (Barr) Basil Ganagana. We have since realised the error.

-Editor

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HE management of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, is committed to ensuring judicious application of funds at its disposal, Managing Director of the commission, Dr. Christian Oboh, has said.

Speaking at a Business Hallmark Town Hall Meeting in Lagos, with the theme Nigeria’s Road to Transformation, Oboh said things were beginning to be done right in the Commission and that a high level of teamwork and commitment among the top executives and

staff of the commission were key indices of change.

He said: “For us in NDDC, there is every reason to change. The region desires development."

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012 — 13

14 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

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Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012 — 15

16 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

— 17 Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012— “Stealing a drum is easy, but finding a place to beat it is not.” —Nigerian Proverb

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The national horrors list unblemished service, not a trapping of office. *Honours may be bestowed posthumously to deserving persons; *The Presidency and Governors should not nominate more than one quarter of the Award recipients in any one year; *All Honour Awards should be made only in recognition of excellent and unblemished service and transparent honesty. They should seek to reinforce our values of hardwork, enterprise and innovation, create role models, and should be inclusive and innovative; *All nominations, except those made

by Federal and state governments should be published at least three months before confirmation. Clearly spelt out guidelines which should assist

President Goodluck Jonathan the recipients themselves now feel genuinely honoured when they look at the entire list and find the names and history of those they are honoured with.

In 2001,under the chairmanship of the late Malam Liman Chiroma, the nomination committee became worried by the seeming lack of rigorous criteria and the existence of strong political influence in the exercise which were obviously compromising the quality of the Awards, and recommended some far-reaching amendments to the process of selecting those deserving the honour. Among the recommendations made, these stand out: *Awards should not exceed 100 in any one calendar year. This figure may be reviewed every four years; *There should be a ratio of 60 men to 40 women in any one year. The ratio may be reviewed every three years. *No public office holder, including President, Vice President, leaders of the Legislature and members of the Judiciary, Public Service or the military and para-military should receive a National Honour while occupying office. The Award is to be seen as recognition of

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HE uproar which greeted the publication of this year’s National Honours list has been very unfair to the majority of the those honoured. Most critics ignored the fact that many people on the list have eminently earned their recognition and rewards. A few are borderlines. If you lowered the bar for who should be honoured in a nation of 160 million people, where values of hardwork, service and enterprise have been severely damaged, but are still basically standing, you will not lose sleep over their inclusion in the list. If, on the other hand, you believe the bar should be raised so that a nation desperate for role models, genuine heroes and heroines and distinguished patriots should reclaim vast ground lost, you will keep them out. It is those who have no business being on a list of rare Nigerians who deserve to be identified as honorable men and women who embody all our values in their lives and works that have drawn all the negative attention to the list. The list, like many before it, has failed to distinguish between the good, the bad and the ugly, and the good have been unfairly besmeared.

Naturally, the Federal Government has defended its decisions on the list, including bestowing the second highest honour on Mr Mike Adenuga, a prominent Nigerian whose business of politics and politics of business has brought him under very close scrutiny of the nation.

The heavy presence of politicians, and a large number of people whose qualification, if one is charitable, can be described as unknown, and if one is not, as dubious, have also been roundly condemned. Others have questioned why distingnished jurist, Kayode Esho, should be given only the award of the Commander of the Federal Republic, CFR. There are a few more “misplaced” recipients, and loud voices against the insulting number of women and young persons, as well as persons with disabilities. On the whole, this year’s list appears to have attracted more condemnation than previous years, but President Jonathan will shrug this off as typical, a characteristic response from a nation which has been more critical of him than all his predecessors combined.

There will be some sympathy for President Jonathan’s defence of his list as consistent with previous patterns and practice. Perhaps so, but this will render this otherwise useful mechanism for national celebration of service and excellence even more questionable in terms of its values. The fact is that politicians at federal and state levels have long turned the national honours award into a major source of bestowing political patronage. The quality of the list has progressively deteriorated with every year, and it is doubtful if many of

On the whole, this year’s list appears to have attracted more condemnation than previous years, but President Jonathan will shrug this off as typical, a characteristic response from a nation which has been more critical of him than all his predecessors combined

,

professional groups, civil society and communities in making nominations should be published. No person who has not consented to being nominated should have his or her name published.All other nominations outside those to be made by governments should

be made by citizens and group. *Awards should be withdrawn after establishing that recipients have fallen below clearly spelt-out criteria involving personal integrity, records of service or conviction for fraud or embezzlement; *Awards should not bestow any other privilege on recipients; *Service and professional group awards should be encouraged, but these should be guided by strict rules which should protect merit and integrity.

There were a few more of these recommendations, which, needless to say, were rejected. To be honest, even those who made them knew that they were merely a wish list. Looking back, one wishes it were possible for President Jonathan to re-visit them and stamp his authority on history as the President who reversed the corruption of one of the hallowed traditions of recognising and rewarding increasingly rarified values in our nation. While he is at it, he could also stop the bastardisation of the awards of Honourary Degrees by our universities. He could re-visit the criteria for awarding the Academic Merit. And why not re-assess the qualification, experience and integrity of the people appointed to serve as ministers, special advisers and key officers in the public service? He could ask where it is gospel that politics necessarily involves the sacrifice of excellence and experience, and encourages mediocrity and sycophancy as cherished qualities. He can ask how many of his ministers are qualified to head ministries made up of vastly experienced civil servants who would run circles around them the moment their incompetence or greed shows. He could ask how many of his advisers are qualified to advise him on anything, and why the overall performance of his administration has made it the object of national and international derision. The answers, he may discover, are not beyond his reach. They are the very people he interacts with every day, people he trusts to deliver targets and services.

When Professor Chinua Achebe rejected the award of the third highest National Honour last year, the second time he did this, many people hoped that the Presidency will take a hard look at the manner this Award business is being handled. True, old man Achebe did not hold up his nose at the stench from his fellow Award winners. He did it against his country, saying it was not good enough to honour him. There will be people in this year’s list who will toil with the dilemma of accepting a deserved honour, or doing an Achebe.

They should not. Many people on the list deserve their honour, and we congratulate them. The few who do not will grab it with both hands. It will not redeem them. They and the government that gave them the award have done a great disservice to a nation desperate to find quality and respect in its leaders and citizens.

OPINION

BY SEHINDE OMONIYI

I

N his classic 1927 travelogue, The Desert Road to Turkestan, Owen Lattimore narrated his intricate journey through the Gobir desert in the old Mongolian land.

Lattimore’s experience has been qualified by several readers and reviews in several adjectives from harrowing to gruesome, all in an attempt to paint a vivid picture of travelling in that dreaded part of Central Asia.

For those who are endowed with the patience to follow The Desert Road to Turkestan to the end, it is clear that the traveller was determined to make a point to his readers, that the disappearance of caravan travel in China was imminent. How true he was, rail and other modern travel systems have since taken over the once maraudersinfested journey through the ‘Winding Road’.

In Nigeria, a couple of months back, Lattimore’s conclusion about the inevitability of a transition in the mode of travel through the desert of Gobir was beginning to win converts among citizens of the country.

Dilapidated and in utter state of disrepair

C M Y K

No more roads to Turkestan were most of the country’s roads, especially those conspicuously and sometimes for political gains, mischievously labelled: ‘Please bear with us, this is a Federal Government road,’ that most Nigerians were losing hope and travels by roads, where possible, were completely avoided.

From the North to the South, the East and the West, the tales of woes rang out like a broken pot which pieces could not be fixed again. Now, to tell the truth, there were federal, state and local roads in this cluster forming a terrible ring of bad roads across the land; but the federal roads received the biggest lash because of their conspicuous positions, length and perceived huge appropriation for their maintenance and repair announced in the annual budget.

Some of these roads were outrightly labelled death traps. And unarguably the busiest road in the country, the ShagamuOre-Benin expressway was caught in this vortex. Each day, heart rending reports of loss of lives, goods, vehicles and valuable man-hour inundated the people.

Journeys that were supposed to last a few hours dragged on endlessly such that when people travelling from Lagos to the East and southern fringe states like Rivers, Cross River, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom got to their destination in two days, they were celebrated with pomp.

The numerous unpleasant accounts of loss of lives on the Shagamu-Ore-Benin stretch is better forgotten because of the deep emotions that it evokes.

Then suddenly, all that tale of journey-to-nowhere has become a thing of the past.

Between July last year and this August, it would appear that more works have been done to maintain and repair Nigerian roads by the Federal Government than was the case in the last 12 years.

And this is because there is a clear understanding of what the situation is, what should be done and where we should be in terms of road infrastructure as a nation by a man who is not only equipped with the appropriate skills but has totally fallen in line with President Goodluck Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda.

The critical part of this agenda include: The completion of about 160 on-going road projects across the country, highlighting priority road projects for the network and their development, taking steps to ensure promptness and good quality of works being executed, and reforming the process of road management and financing, among others.

A

n architect, Mike Onolememen has exhibited a deep understanding of the situation which is not common place in the country’s public sector. The result is the flurry of works that is going on across the country simultaneously on Federal Government roads.

With a roadmap of where he would want the Nigerian roads to be in the next couple of years, he shunned the endemic partisan disposition towards road maintenance and repairs over the years and brought commissioners of works of the various states in the federation for a discussion, intimating them of the new federal Continued on pg 18

18 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012 T would have taken more than a miracle for the national honours to be awarded without criticisms. What weakens present criticisms is that the proponents pretend the standards for the awards are new or that the high number of awards is necessarily an abuse.

Doubtlessly, there are many things to crit- Queen hands out two sets of national honicise about the awards. The key one would ours in a year, one for the New Year and the be the selection process, which could be ex- other at her birthday in June. tended to the criteria for the type of honFor a country of 160 million people, the ours bestowed. number of awardees does not reflect the conCriticisms of the honours are mostly on tributions of many Nigerians to the develthe high numbers. Last year, 365 people (the opment of the country. The awards appear record for highest number of awardees in a more like privileges, dispensed at the pleasyear) were awarded honours, while only 149 ure of the authorities, along political affilimade the list this year. Did the critics no- ations and other indiscernible criteria. tice the 40.82 per cent drop in number of Only five awards were made in 1964 when awardees? Does the lower number mean the awards started, though they were backthat a higher quality of awardees in 2012? dated to 1963. The 1964 event had 248 awarThe emphasis on numbers bears little rel- dees and 267 were honoured in 1965. Presievance to the awards. We think that the con- dent Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2008 honcern should be more on the contributions oured 275 people. of awardees. The 2012 Queen’s Birthday The honours list could be saved from disHonours List alone had 1,201 people, yet the honour, but the approach should be such that

I

National Honours

does not bring it to further disrepute. Orders from President Goodluck Jonathan for the awards committee to list those to strip of their awards is curious.

Since a law establishes the honours, the only way to proceed is to amend the law to specify criteria for withdrawing honours.

For the Queen’s Honours, a forfeiture committee addresses complaints against awardees. Another important amendment to the law should be clear and measurable criteria for nominating awardees.

Awardees should be role models. The President used two awardees to illustrate this — businessman Mike Adenuga, whose telecommunication company employs thousands of Nigerians and Muhammad Zakari, a senior information officer in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, who last November, returned N6 million paid to him in error.

If criteria for selecting awardees are improved, the national honours list could make a major difference by spurring Nigerians to serve their country better.

OPINION Continued from page 17

BY SEHINDE OMONIYI

government thinking on roads and emphasising the need to create an interface between government agencies at both levels for effective delivery on roads in the country.

Today, the Federal Road Maintenance Agency, FERMA, is replicated by the states in their various Road Maintenance Agencies and with the inauguration of the Board of FERMA, there is no doubt that proper frame has been established for road maintenance across the country.

Several institutional and legislative instruments that were hitherto non-existent but are necessary to bring the nation at par with the rest of the world with regard to contemporary road design and maintenance have also been introduced. Those that have not become operational could only be that they are awaiting the passage of the National Assembly.

Conscious of government’s dwindling resources which makes it nearly impossible for it to meet the need to establish a sustainable and efficient road network across the country, the Minister of Works has formally established a unit in the Ministry ostensibly for the purpose of a proper public private partnership in road construction, maintenance and repairs and this is in strict adherence with global trend.

Conscious of the need to have a ministry C M Y K

No more rroads oads tto o TTur ur kestan urk with capacity to match the various reforms that government plans for the road sector, Mr Onolememen, as part of this institutional changes to make it more responsive to the increasing demands for effective supervision and monitoring of road contracts across the country, established six Zonal Directorates in the Ministry.

These directorates are headed by Directors with full powers of the ‘Engineer’ to pave way for more intensive and better supervision of road projects in the six geopolitical zones of the nation, instead of the archaic one Director of Highway, who is domiciled in Abuja and far removed from the various theatres of road rehabilitation and reconstruction across the country.

A highly motivated leader, the Minister has raised the morale in the Ministry as the over 70 directors in the highway section now have hopes of rising to the peak of their career with 11 new slots of directors as against the former two.

Added to this, is the new drive that has seen the recruitment of young engineers into the Ministry of Works which has assuaged the Council of Registered Engineers and the Nigerian Society of Engineers, two groups that have lamented the dearth of younger engineers in the Ministry.

The quick and surprise payment of some outstanding certificates to deserving contractors without the contractors knowing

as they got to know through huge electronic transfers and positive balances in their accounts when alerted by their bankers, got contractors to return to site with pledge to work cooperatively with the Ministry.

In collaboration with National Planning Commission, NPC, the FMW is engaged in the development of a Strategic Roads Programme, SRP, to take account of modern road planning tools, economic growth projections and zones, integration of transport modes, unity roads, among other value chains.

If there is efficiency in project delivery across the states, it is also that the Ministry under Onolememen has developed an agreed framework for allocation of funds for road projects based on economy and federal character to help with prevention of diversion of funds from important trunk roads to less important roads.

A new highway design and highway maintenance standard which the Minister introduced has led to improvement in quality and reduction in construction costs.

And as a way of contributing to job creation and cost saving, FERMA has been encouraged to discharge its statutory functions through labour-based operations as opposed to award of contracts, particularly for routine maintenance.

Determined to make lasting changes and restore public confidence, the road

maintenance engineers located in all the states of the federation and co-ordinating engineers in all the geo-political zones, road maintenance and repair exercises can be successfully executed.

A monthly allocation of funds is made available to each Federal Road Maintenance Engineer, FRME, for the procurement of materials, fuels, and other charges. At zonal level, the Coordinating Maintenance Engineers are also empowered to undertake larger activities, where desirable.

Today, FERMA undertakes improved maintenance activities like regulation of carriageway, crack sealing, asphalt overlay, provision of drains, turn-outs, embankment protection, provision of additional culverts, street lighting, and the construction road/ observation camps.

There has been several levels of agreements with such global agencies as the World Bank, the Africa Development Bank, the International Financial Corporation, etc, to construct some of the most economic roads across the country.

And this is on-going.

Across the country, construction works are going on at the same time, standards have been raised and the private and public partnership is bridging the cumbersomeness formerly associated with bureaucracy.

*Mr. Omoniyi, a journalist, wrote from Abuja.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012 — 19

20 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 2012 — 21

‘Iron, Steel sector possess capacity to enlarge Nigeria’s industrial base’

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

T

Dr. Olusegun Aganga, Trade And Investment Minister (3rd left); Ms Evelyn Oputu, Managing Director, Bank Of Industry (4th Left), and Mr Waheed Olagunju (Right), General Manager, Corporate Communication and Strategic Planning, with trade delegations from India after their meeting in Lagos.

NIPC, ABUCCIMA woo Indian investors T

HE Nigerian Investment Promo tion Commission (NIPC) and Abuja Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ABUCCIMA) have appealed to Indian investors to explore investment potential in Nigeria. Speaking while receiving a trade delegation from India in Abuja on Monday, the Executive Secretary of NIPC, Alhaji Mustafa Bello, said the commission would provide assistance to prospective Indian investors.

The purpose of the visit is to invite Nigerian businessmen and investors th to the 6 Vibrant Gujarat 2013 Summit scheduled for Jan. 11-13, 2013.

Bello said Nigeria has made giant strides in economic reforms, hence the need for investors to take a look at the opportunities that abound in the country.

“There is a better business environment and favourable global economic arena, combined with improved poli-

174.50

-6.60

2,577.00

-65.00

19.98

+0.07

113.61

-3.05

96.77

-2.23

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

154.78 251.0377 203.2261 166.9327 1.974 0.2856 237.6424 24.4579 41.2186 27.251 239.8316

155.28 251.8486 203.8826 167.472 1.9804 0.2956 238.4101 24.5373 41.3518 27.339 240.6064

155.78 252.6596 204.5391 168.0112 1.9868 0.3056 239.1778 24.6168 41.4849 27.427 241.3811

CBN Exchange rate as at 17/09/2012

cy formulation, implementation and coordination to generate a stable macroeconomic environment and increased investment.” He said that Nigeria was the fifth fastest growing economy in the world and home to the emerging world’s largest cement companies, therefore, could not be ignored by investors. According to Bello, the forthcoming event in India provides prospects to the State of Gujarat to display its strength and investor friendly climate.

The NIPC boss called on Nigeria investors to explore investment opportunities provided by the summit, while promising to facilitate the trip for investors from Nigeria and other West African countries. Dr Solomon Nyagba, the President of ABUCCIMA, said that members of the chamber would attend the summit, adding that the chamber had undertaken business trips to India. He called on the Federal Government to emulate India in the area of public-private partnership as the surest way to economic growth.

Nyagba stressed the need for Nigeria to transform from a consumption economy to a production one and

called on Indian investors to establish firms in Nigeria. “We need to produce majority of the products we consume, our colleagues from Gujarat can come here and manufacture and create wealth and employment. We have to close that gap between import and production because most of the security challenges we are facing are caused by unemployment”. He listed areas of potential investment as transportation, water supply, infrastructure, agriculture, tourism, ICT, education and power.

Earlier, Mr Pankaj Kumar, the leader of the delegation, said Gujarat was the gateway to the Indian economy with a huge market size and consumption capacity. Kumar said that the summit would provide opportunities for exchange between investors across the globe.

He added that Nigeria was India’s largest trading partner in Africa and would benefit by networking with investors from 100 countries that would be represented at the summit. Gujarat is a state in the Republic of India and attracting investors’ interests from all over the world.

HE Manufacturing Association of Nigeria, MAN, has charged the federal government to complete the outstanding projects and investments in iron and steel industry as it has the capacity of enlarging the country’s industrial base.

MAN President, Dr. Kola Jamodu, who spoke at the media presentation of blueprint for “The Accelerated Development of Manufacturing Sector in Nigeria”, in Lagos, said that lack of political will to bring all pending projects to completion has been the major hindrance in the sector.

Specifically, he said there was need for the federal government to urgently complete the reactivation of Ajaokuta Steel Complex, and ensure that all other component shops are made to function optimally.

He said, “Urgent but realistic programmes should be put in place to complete investments in the core industries, which Nigeria has ventured into albeit haphazardly but which have huge potentials for providing great linkages to other parts of the manufacturing sector.

“The Petrochemical and Iron and Steel industries have the potentials of spin-offs that would enlarge the industrial base of the country. The government should conclude investments in these industries.”

He observed that despite enormous presence of iron ore in the country, the government was yet to fully develop capacity utilisation in the sector.

According to him, “investments in the sector is over N125 billion, with over 3500 factories in operation and employing 280,000 people directly.

Jamodu said that the approach of MAN in the implementation of its mandate now rests fully on evidencebased advocacy.

“Our action is in tune with global best practice as a Membership Business Organisation. Secondly, MAN advocacy stance is not about persons but organisations.

CBN collates database for microfinance banks

T

HE Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, says the bank will soon inaugurate a database of all microfinance banks in the country. Sanusi disclosed this at the stakeholders’ meeting of Non-Bank Micro Finance Institutions of Nigeria (ANMFIN) in the South-West in Lagos.

The CBN governor, who was represented by Mrs Udoo Fateh, an official of CBN Department of Development Finance, said that the apex bank was committed to the growth of micro finance banks. While presenting a paper on “The Importance of the Apex Bank to Micro-finance Development

in Nigeria“, Sanusi said that women would be given priority in every micro-finance scheme. “Microfinance banks play significant roles in the economic transformation of this great country. ”When you empower women, you empower a whole family and that is what microfinance banks should be about,” he said. Sanusi said that women were not “packaging“ themselves enough to access loans, adding that women easily give up in their quest for loans at the slightest setback.

Sanusi urged ANMFIN to re-position itself by reaching out to more grassroots people and also encouraging more people to join.

“The association can step forward and stand as guarantor for any of its members that want to take a loan,” Sanusi said. Mr Giwa Afolabi, the National President of ANMFIN, said that the association was re-organising its executive council in the South-West Zone for improved service delivery to its members. Afolabi, who is also a member of the Kwara State House of Assembly, said that there was the need to re-position the association to make it relevant to government’s economic engineering. He urged all members to be financially committed to the association so that they could access credit facilities from the CBN.

22 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

Capital base: SEC, NSE to implement risk-based regulation

By PETER EGWUATU

C

ONTROVERSIES sur rounding the capital base for capital market operators may be put to an end soon as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) have reached an advanced stage towards working modalities to adopt risk-based regulation for stockbroking firms and other market operators instead of the current system where all operators are required to have the same level of capitalisation.

Investigation by Vanguard revealed that the current capitalisation requirement by SEC for stockbroking firms still remain a minimum of N70 million paid-up share capital, despite the controversies that came as a result of announcement by the Commission that the capital base had been raised to N1billion.

Meanwhile, some firms have share capital above that benchmark, while others operate below it, there have been calls for an increase in capital base. This development attracted various reactions,

some in support, while others against it. However, given the recent market downturn and development in the global capital markets, the need to strengthened regulation has thrown up issue of set-

ting adequate capital base for operators in the Nigerian capital market.

It was gathered weekend that both regulators and operators are working towards a risk base regulation, rather

that setting a one size-fits-all capital base for stockbroking firms.

Although details are still being worked out, the Chairman of Association of Stockbroking Houses (ASHON),

From left: Manager, National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Mr. Ita Calix; Head, Consumer Protection Council, Lagos, Mrs. Ngozika Obidike and Mrs. Peju Ibekwe, Brand Management and Communications, Sterling Bank Plc, at the second monthly Sterling Bank Savers Promo Draw, held in Lagos

IOSCO moves to curb benchmark manipulation by stock exchanges

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

I

N a bid to stop possible manipulation of its set benchmarks by member stock exchanges,the International Organization of Securities Commissions, IOSCO, has constituted a Board Level Task Force on Financial Market benchmarks.

The Commission said that the recent move became necessary following the outcome of investigations into an attempted manipulation of the benchmarks and related enforcement actions, especially the recent incidents involving the London Interbank Offer Rate, LIBOR, European Interbank Offer Rate,EURIBOR and the Japanese equivalent, TIBOR. Accordingly, the task force is saddled with the responsibility of identifying relevant benchmark-related policy issues with a view to developing global policy guidance and principles for benchmarkrelated activities of particular relevance to market regulators, including those related to self regulation.

It would also ensure that it put in place robust processes and procedures for benchmark calculation, and constructing credible governance struc-

tures, to address conflict of interests in the benchmark setting process as well as ensuring transparency and openness in the benchmarking process.

The high level Task Force is composed of members of the IOSCO Board and will be chaired by Martin Wheatley, the Managing Director of the UK Financial Services Authority (UK FSA), and Gary Gensler, the Chairman of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), IOSCO said in a statement on Friday.

The Commission noted in the statement that the Task Force would take into account other relevant initiatives by policymakers and stakeholders on benchmarks, and serve as the IOSCO representative, together with the Chairman of the IOSCO Board, in any other international work initiatives on benchmarking, with a view to avoiding overlap or inconsistencies.

“As the global standard setter in the securities area, IOSCO is committed to taking necessary steps to prevent the manipulation of benchmarks and restore confidence in the use of those benchmarks in global financial markets.

Benchmarks are critical to

the pricing of many financial instruments. Doubts about the integrity and accuracy of benchmarks will undermine market confidence, distort the real economy, and potentially cause losses to investors and market participants,” the statement said.

Confidence The Chairman of the IOSCO Board, Masamichi Kono, stated, “IOSCO, as the international organization of financial market regulators, is firmly committed to restoring confidence in benchmarking activities globally, and will carry forward the needed work expeditiously through this Task Force.

“Benchmarks in use across global financial markets constitute the very foundation of free, fair and transparent market transactions, and doubts over their integrity and sound operation must be removed.”

Martin Wheatley, Managing Director of the UK FSA and Chief Executive Designate of the UK Financial Conduct Authority, said, “given the global nature and extensive use of benchmarks in a wide range of financial markets and products, it is important to develop international-

ly consistent principles that ensure their credibility and integrity.”

Mr. Emeka Madubuike, confirmed weekend that it was a consensus among stakeholders in the market that a riskbased regulation should be adopted.

According to him, a committee in that regard, comprising officials of SEC, NSE, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) and ASHON, was set up to work on the issue of capitalisation early this year.

“The committee was chaired by the former Commission of SEC in charge of operations, Ms. Daisy Ekineh. After several meetings, it was agreed that in line with what is obtainable in other jurisdictions, risk-based supervision and regulation should be adopted. This implies that each operator would be required to have capital base depending on the level of risk it is carrying. The arrangement and framework is being worked and would be made known at the appropriate time,” he said.

He added that the broking firms would be classified into different categories including broker/dealer, broker or subbroker. This is said would determine the level of capital each would require.

“Besides, the NSE would then be reviewing each operator using the base set by SEC. The NSE will look at the performance of each firm, the volume of transactions and decide to advice on the need to increase the share capital or otherwise,” he revealed.

PZ committed to remaining industry leader — Edozien

BY EMMA UJAH

T

HE Chairman of PZ Cus sons, Prof. Emmanuel Edozien, has assured that the company has re-strategised to retain its top position among its competitors by expanding and strengthening its distribution chain across the country.

His words, “we will intensify our efforts in the areas of our competitive advantages over our competitors “the chairman said, adding, “Our brands remain strong and remain market leaders.”

Speaking at the 64th Annual General Meeting of the company in Abuja, he described the year under review which ended May 2012 as a most challenging one for businesses across the globe and in Nigeria, especially due to insecurity in the Northern part of the country.

Edozien disclosed that the overall turnover of the company increased by 10 per cent from N65.9 billion last year to

N72.2 billion in the year under review. He however, admitted “profitability was adversely affected with pre-tax profit before exceptional items decreasing by 41 per cent from N8.0 billion to N4.7 billion, as the company was unable to fully pass on the impact of the raw material cost increases and Naira devaluations to the trade.” The chairman said that net profit after tax decreased by 55 per cent to N2.5 billion from its earlier record of N5.217 billion in the previous year.

According to him, although the overall results were not in line with the company’s projections, shareholders of the company could be assured that PZ has a positive outlook in the years ahead. His words, “the economic fundamentals give us reason to be positive about the future for the country and our company’s potential to return to profitable growth.” Shareholders got a dividend of N1.707 billion, which translates to 43 kobo per share.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012—23

EDITED by Adekunle Adekoya

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Preview

New inventions shaping life and living

Cat tunnel sofa The Cat Tunnel Sofa concept was created to provide a more harmonious seating situation for humans and their feline companions.

Designed by Seungji Mun of South Korea, the sofa features a cat-sized tunnel that travels along the side, back and arm of the sofa. The tunnel gives the cats a way to play and exercise that complements their natural tendencies while allowing the owners a new and easy way to interact with them during their own couch-time.

Although still in the concept phase, Cat Tunnel sofa could come to market in early 2013.

I N S I D E C M Y K

ByPRINCE OSUAGWU & LAIDE AKINBOADE

T

HE journey to Nigeria’s plans to switch to digital broadcasting took early steps in October 2008 with the constitution of a Presidential Advisory Committee, PAC, by the Nigerian broadcast Commission, NBC. The committee which consisted of experts selected from a wide range of business and economic sectors was to create the roadmap for the takeoff of digital broadcasting in Nigeria. The Committee quickly got down to business and by December 2009, it had submitted its report to the then Minister of Information and Communications detailing the best approach the government can take in realizing the migration.

It also recommended, among other things: The adoption of a new broadcast model based on two classes of digital broadcast licenses. They were Content license that legally empowers broadcasters to produce content, and Signal distribution licence that provides broadcast companies with the authority to create the transmission platform for other broadcasters.

It also recommended the establishment of public broadcasting; and the implementation of certain digital standards, like DVB-T and MPEG4 (terrestrial digital television), DVB-S (satellite), DVB-H (mobile TV) and IBOC system for FM Digital.

With this, coupled with the support of the federal government, the NBC quickly imposed on itself a target of June 17, 2012 as the change date.

However, despite the wide acceptance of the digital transfer proposal, there were doubts that government would realise the change at the date it targeted.

Adenuga: The grand commander of telcos

A digital broadcast studio

Hurdles on Nigeria’s road to digital broadcast …as Stakeholders doubt, NBC reassures on success Broadcasters and experts in relevant field held the view that government was under-estimating the huge complexities to be faced in implementing the migration and suggested that there was need to first make the regulator more efficient.

Eventually, about three months after the target, Nigeria is yet to fully migrate, giving the predictions some substance and a dint of realism.

,

DIARY

The hope is that the country meets the ITU’s deadline of June 17 2015 when every country is expected to have fully migrated, otherwise broadcasters in Nigeria may be isolated as their equipment may no longer shake hands with spare parts in the world market that would have been flooded with digital materials and spares.

Dokpesi raises alarm However, there are

Today, a critical examination of the present state of broadcasting in Nigeria will reveal that the broadcasters, particularly independent broadcasters, face very challenging and trying times

also fears that the 2015 deadline may also pass Nigeria by. For instance, at a recent launch of a new broadcast code by the NBC in Abuja recently, the Chairman of Daar Communications, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, listed the challenges private broadcasters are facing in switching from analogue to digital broadcasting in Nigeria.

According to him, despite the development in broadcasting in Nigeria, private or independent broadcasters face a lot of challenges like financial strangulation that may make the transfer a mirage.

According to him, “today, a critical examination of the present state of broadcasting in Nigeria will reveal that the

Huawei debuts with Ascend C8655 CDMA The Reuben Abati smart phone that they don't know?

broadcasters, particularly independent broadcasters, face very challenging and trying times.

Even in the face of improved modern technology, transiting to digital transmission, may not be easy because most broadcasters face financial strangulation as access to fund is scarce and limited.

I think that broadcasting in Nigeria needs more favourable operating climate before transition becomes easy. It is common knowledge that broadcasting is a very capital-intensive venture. All equipment, from digital tape to television and radio transmitters, are imported. Yet we face incredulous high import duties, as well as an as-

Continues on Page 26

FG links 1007 youths to prospective employers

24—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

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Adenuga: The grand commander of telcos

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T is no surprise at all that Otunba Mike Adenuga, Jnr, supremo of Globacom got a national award, the second highest in the land. The real surprise is that it has taken so long for the GCON to be conferred on Nigeria's biggest indigenous investor in the telecommunications sector, a sector whose phenomenal growth in just ten years has radically and permanently changed the way Nigerians live and interact with each other.

Adenuga did not start business with Globacom; indeed, he has been on the business turf as a n entrepreneur iespecially in the oil and b a n k i n g sectors, with recognised brands like C o n o i l , Equitorial Trust Bank, and Devcom Bank among others.

His foray into the telecoms sector began in 2000 with the first GSM licensing auction in which his firm, Comunications Investments Limited (CIL) participated, alongside running operators like MTN from South Africa and Econet from Zimbabwe. As things later turned out, CIL lost the license owing to inability to pay requisite fees within the stipulated 14 days. So, the nation had to make do with 0802 and 0803, and a lame-duck 0804 (M-tel, mobile arm of NITEL that government dashed a license).

After the disappointment of losing out, Dr Adenuga did not get disappointed, but went back to the trenches and strategised afresh. In 2002, a second national operator license was up for grabs, and Globacom bidded and won to become a national carrier.

That enabled an indigenous Nigerian entry into the GSM business. Prior to this the Southern Africans running Econet and

MTN were making a killing via the billing system; Nigerians had been told to live with per minute billing with all its conditions of validity, expiration and all that.

Since we could talk with each other at last, we were all paying, and happily too.

But Glo came and changed all that; Glo started per second billing, which is now the norm. It is here that the doggedness of Adenuga's attitude to his telecoms venture is to be saluted; his initial disappointment with CIL did not deter him b u t spurred him on to create the o n l y Nigerian whollyowned telco.

Remember IILL's failed bid for NITEL and the unending sorrows it generated?

That is not all. In just eight years Glo has today become an international brand, with operations in Benin Republic, Ivory Coast, and Ghana, where it has garnered two million subscribers in just four months of operation.

Perhaps the biggest achievement of this telco is Glo-1, the 9,800 kilometere-long submarine cable laid from Bude in the UK to land Alpha Beach in Lagos.

The potential of Glo-1 to provide secure, highspeed broadband will in no small measure further help to power national development as the nation strives to fully enter the 21st century.

All these mean just one thing: with a company like Glo and its supremo, the Nigerian dream is possible in all other sectors of the national economy in just a little time.It is no mean achievement, and Otunba Mike Adenuga deserves the award of Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON).

Congratulations, Otunba!

The doggedness of Adenuga's attitude to his telecoms venture is to be saluted; his initial disappointment with CIL did not deter him

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igeria’s mobile market added competition last week when Huawei debuted with a new sleek mobile device it tagged Ascend C8655 smart phone.

This device however is for the CDMA genre of telecom business and interestingly Nigeria’s frontline CDMA operator, Visafone, hooked up with it to become the first CDMA operator in Nigeria to add the new sleek device among its fleet of other smart gadgets. The smart phone, truly fulfils the promise of a sleek phone with creative components, a smooth user-interface, fast functions and simple interactions.

Introducing the phone at a product launch recently, President Huawei Technologies Nigeria, Mr David Pan said the entry of the smart phone into the Nigerian Market will present consumers with an unforgettable experience.

According to him, Huawei holds a significant share of the wireless market and is advantageously positioned in the ALL-IP convergence era including Mobile, Fixed

Huawei debuts with Ascend C8655 CDMA smart phone

and Software Solutions. It is also poised to provide excellent ICT solutions and services to create maximum value for its customers.

Also, Chairman of Visafone, Mr Jim Ovia,

who co -hosted the launch, noted that the company was in Nigeria to support the local economy and empower the people with creation of business chains that will generate employment.

Product features The Ascend C8655 was designed to have simplicity of operations and dynamism in experience. It is backed by the DTS Professional Voice Effect technology, an ultra-slim and stylish design, and a 3.5" IPS display screen.

It sports an Android 2.3.Gingerbread, which impeccably integrates with a 3D graphics accelerator with 800MHz CPU, offering a smooth 3D gaming experience.

The ‘Hard-Screen’ provides visibility for up to 178° viewing angle when tilted, thereby expounding on the realtime response, specially designed for moving images. In addition, it serves a smooth screen without extrusion deformation, protecting your eyes.

Brainfriend empowers Lagos teachers with ICT tools

BY EMEKA AGINAM

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o fewer than 45,000 teachers in the Lagos state will benefit from the first phase of computer ownership scheme powered by BrainFriend educational software solution.

Already, no fewer than five hundred computers have been given to the beneficiaries in the first phase at the launch over the weekend while four thousand five hundred computers will be distributed in the second phase of the scheme.

Under the ‘customized Laptops on e-teaching/ learning process scheme’ being promoted by Nigerian Union of Teachers, (NUT) Lagos State chapter, Cinfores Limited, an indigenous software provider, promoters of Brainfriend software will provide the application which has about 42 subjects, over 10,000 theorems, definitions and formula for the e-gadgets while Digital Communications Konsult will provide the hardware.

Already a Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) has been signed by the promoters of the capacity building project expected

to make computers available to teachers in a flexible payment scheme.

With this development, beneficiaries will move away from traditional teaching to e-teaching practice.

With the Brainfriend educational solution embedded in the Laptops, the scheme will promote e-learning as it contains useful e-notes that will enable teachers to prepare their pupils for all kinds of tests.

Excited by the scheme which is first of its kind in the country, the Lagos State Commissioner of Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye who was represented by Mrs. Victoria Mopelda Peregrino, Permanent Secretary, Education district 1 Lagos State said that the capacity building project is a welcome development.

“I commend Cinfores for developing the innovation software that powered the Laptops. It will help teachers adapt in the virtual learning environment which is now a global practice.

With the project, Lagos teachers will now be part of the best practice in elearning which is replacing traditional learning” she said.

According to her, any teacher who fails to take IT education serious will be left behind in the knowledge-based society.

For the the State Chairman, NUT, Comrade Sampson Kayode Idowu in his speech said that as implementer of education policies, it was the occupation of NUT Lagos chapter to add value to the efforts of the government to ensure significant improvement in the overall quality of education in Lagos State.

“We are happy to partner with Brainfriend educational software , promoted by Cinfores.

Their products have the state of the art educational solutions to support the customized Laptops for the teachers in Lagos State. We encourage teachers in other states to follow suit.

Computers are replacing lesson notes and eteaching is relegating the manual method of teaching globally, We must therefore be ICT compliant to be worthy of our professional callings” he said.

Also speaking, the ICT committee Chairman of the project under the NUT, Andoyi Hafeez

Akanni, while applauding the programe said that it will go a long way in empowering teachers in the State with IT skills and knowledge.

Akanni, who is a teacher in Oluwu Community Junior Secondary School with optimism noted that the programwe will change the face of teaching in Lagos State.

Meanwhile, the solution, according to General Manager, West, of Cinfores Limited, Mr. Moses Osunde during practical demonstration of the gadgets told the gathering that the solution when fully deployed will aid teachers in preparing lesson notes on various subjects and topics in their teaching activities.

He said that the solution will also enable teachers gain access to the national curriculum as a guide in their teaching activities.

With over 40,000 questions, answers and explanations embedded in the software, he added that it also serves as career counseling guide for parents, teachers and students.

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26—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

Hurdles on Nigeria’s road to digital broadcast

NCS to create 1m jobs through call centres, BPOs in five year s

BY EMEKA AGINAM

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ith youths unemployment surging by the day across the nation at geometric progression, the Nigerian Computer Society, (NCS) at the weekend disclosed that plans were underway for the creation of over one million jobs across the nation through call center development, Business Processing Outsourcing, (BPO) among others.

The president of NCS, Sir Demola Aladekomo while explaining how this can be achieved when he led the leadership of the group to the office of the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) in Lagos recently said that there was urgent need to create more jobs through ICT so as to reduce youths unemployment thereby fighting terrorism to the barest mininum Aladekomo said it has become imperative tackle the rise in youth unemployment in the country, adding that the ugly trend has resulted to social vices which are affecting economic growth.

With NCS partnership with other interest groups including the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria; Information and Technology Association of Nigeria and Internet Service Providers Association of Nigeria, he was very optimistic that Nigerian youths stand to get gain a lot through capacity building in ICT. Incubation centres will create jobs: ”We are working with the ministry of Communication Technology for job creation. We h a v e major initiative to create over one million jobs in the next five years. We are hoping to use Call centres, BPO and E-payment initiatives and technologies in relationship with governments towards generating these jobs.

We can achieve this through concerted efforts by the stakeholders. We will not relent in our advocacy role. Nigeria cannot continue to be a consuming nation. This is the time to stop it.”, he C M Y K

explained.

He added that NCS has been in the forefront in the establishment of incubation centres across the nation where young Nigerian can be gainfully employed.

These are centres where young and upcoming ICT professionals can go in order to sharpen their skills, he said.

Local content: Aladekomo, who is passionate about creativity among the

youths noted that NCS was determined to promote local content development, research and development among others through advocacy, capacity building. This he added will create millions of jobs for the Nigerian youths NCS is the umbrella body of all IT professionals and organizations in Nigeria.

We have more than 17,000 members with three major interest groups (ISPON, ITAN and ISPAN).

Our areas of focus and intervention areas are: Employment Creation: In view of the current events in the country, he disclosed that the group has major initiative to create One Million jobs in the next five years.

We are hoping to use Call centre, BPO and Epayment initiatives and technologies in relationship with Governments towards generating these jobs, .” he explained

From left: General Manager, West of Cinfores Limited, Osunde Moses, Femi Fabunmi, Project Manager, Digital Communications Konsult and Bayo Pguntayo Executive Director also of Digital Communications Konsult during the formal launch of customized Laptops on e-teachig/learning in Lagos State at the weekend.

Study reveals increase in use of social media among TV viewers

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new result released by Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) ConsumerLab’s annual study presented in the TV & Video Consumer Trend Report 2012 shows that social TV is becoming a mass-market phenomenon.

According to the report, sixty-two percent of consumers use social media while watching TV on a weekly basis, an increase of 18 percentage points in one year.

By gender, the study revealed that about 66

percent of women engage in this behavior, compared to 58 percent of men. Twenty-five percent of consumers use social media to discuss what they are watching while they are watching it.

Ericsson ConsumerLab Senior Advisor, Niklas Rönnblom said: “Mobile devices are an important part of the TV experience, as 67 percent of consumers use smartphones, tablets, or laptops for TV and video viewing.

Furthermore, sixty percent of consumers

say they use on-demand services on a weekly basis. Watching TV on the move is growing in popularity, and 50 percent of the time spent watching TV and video on the smartphone, is done outside the home, where mobile broadband connections are facilitating the increase.”viewing behaviors and demands are changing, the study also showed that only 7 percent of consumers say they will reduce their TV subscriptions in the future.

ByEmmanuel Elebeke

Continues from Page 23

tronomically high tax” he lamented He also decried the influx and apparent control of broadcast content, especially the direct to home television initiatives, by foreign interests, saying they were inimical to growth.

“For me however, certain developments have become very worrisome; as a parent, a broadcast media proprietor and a patriotic Nigerian, I know that radio and television moulds the child and helps build individual. Television in particular, may be the single most influential tool, not only in shaping public opinion, but also in sculpting mindsets. It is potentially dangerous to leave such potent tools such as radio and television at the whim and behest of foreigners.

“The increasing influx and control of broadcast content, particularly direct-to-home services by foreign interest, may portend very unhealthy long-term consequences for our nation. Our peculiar socio-cultural and socio-economic landscape, ethno-cultural diversity and inter-ethnic relations demand that we jealously guard and protect our collective heritage as a nation” he added.

Bolarinwa reassures Earlier in his welcome address the Director General of NBC, Engr.

Yomi Bolarinwa, said that the commission was committed to promoting Nigerian indigenous culture linking the commitment with reasons of launching the Broadcast code.

For him, “the Nigeria Broadcasting commission is committed to meeting the aspirations of the people for quality broadcasts. That is why we periodically review the code in conjunction with other stakeholders so that our own broad-

Bolarinwa: NBC -DG

cast industry can respond to emerging trends in the world.”

Among eminent dignitaries that graced the event included the former Minster of Information and Communications, Mrs Dora Akunyili who in her goodwill message commended the commission for a job well done, saying that she had firm belief in the capacity of the commission to take the country’s broadcast sector to greatest heights.

“I know that the commission is capable. I am not surprised at the new code because but for the principles of the commission, broadcasting in the country would have taken a negative dimension. There is no way you would have a good regulation without a good system and vice versa” she stated.

Also in his own goodwill message, Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, expressed the commitment of the Federal government to developing broadcasting in the country, adding that the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan will continue to support the commission.

Capital outlay as panacea But trailing Dokpesi’s fears, it may be unconnected with the common perception that the country’s macro-economy particularly driven by the banks may be unable to support the relative long period it takes digital broadcasting investments to break even.

To meet up the 2015 target, there are also expert suggestions that government may as a measure of antidote to failure, plan a better capital outlay that can see financial assistance or cheaper funding sources to be extended to private broadcasters to convert existing equipment and to operate digital terrestrial broadcast systems. Governmentowned stations may also require same external funding assistance, even for those that have been fully commercialised.

Local producers may also have to be supported to be able to generate programmes if broadcasters are to fill regulatory quotas for local content on the new platforms.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012—27

President Jonathan to attend ITU World 2012 in Dubai N igeria will present a high p r o f i l e delegation at the ITU World 2012 holding in Dubai, UAE, as

information filtered in Monday that President Goodluck Jonathan would be leading the Nigerian delegation to the event.

Jonathan who would be Special Guest at the Nigerian Pavilion at the event will also meet with global ICT leaders and investors at the forum

holding between October 14 – 18, 2012 in Dubai.

ITUWorld 2012 is being organized by Genevabased International Telecommunications Union, ITU, and prides itself as the biggest ICT forum that brings

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N the opinion page of The Guardian on Sunday of August 26, 2012, Reuben Abati wrote among others and I quote: “They in this piece refers to all the cynics, the pestle-wielding critics, the unrelenting self-appointed activities’, the idle and idling, twittering, collective children of anger, the distracted crowd of Facebook addicts, the BBM-pinging soap opera gossips of Nigeria who seem to be in competition to pull down President Goodluck Jonathan”. Before I launch this piece, let it be emphasized that Dr. Reuben Abati is himself a digital/technology knowledge addict and enthusiast. The piece is a contributory response to Abati’s excellent attempt on re-awakening, re-constructing and re-positioning the need for Naija digital revolution and averting disaster – viewed from a centrifugal force mirror of the Nigeria we don’t know but fear. Our technophobia and subverted innovation ecosystem? Is that the synopsis of our suppressed development?

The fear of that creature painted and recognized in our mind image but remains impalpable; these digital addicts gradually emerging into an emonster? But, who is to blame? “They; Them; or collective Us”?How did we get to this point of being entwined as an ehelpless nation by this centrifugal flip-flop storm of information bits and bytes that is gradually clustering and seizing us with octopus spider-web claws of the digital age? Reuben Abati – a fine gentleman deserves our pity – as he becomes the barometer with which we can measure the gravity of our national digital contradiction. Thank you for prompting us on the shape of things to come!

Before we are consumed by this ferocious e-storm, now is time to call for action.

As an active player in the Nigeria IT space and the President of the Institute of Software Practi-

The Reuben Abati that they don't know?

As an active player in the Nigeria IT space and the President of ISPON I had earlier questioned the residence of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan on Facebook – not as an individual, but as President of Nigeria

tioners of Nigeria (ISPON) I had earlier questioned the residence of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan on Facebook – not as an individual, but as President of Nigeria. It was a fatal trap in the ocean of digital connectivity and e-cacophony — learning to eswim in that space without a prepared army of software code warriors, Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) and above all, e-disaster recovery roadmap! The nation owes Reuben Abati a profound gratitude and deep appreciation for unveiling the critical state of the nation’s ICT. It is a wake-up call, with respect to how to consciously map our national challenges in the information society, and indeed, how to engage global competitiveness in this ferociously emerging global knowledge Olympiad.

It goes a long way to show and translates to the fact that, the traditional model of government, education, finance and environmental engineering have become obsolete and require a national emergency transformation strategy. For the past 12 years, IT Professionals have advocated the establishment of the office of the IT Officer of the Fed-

eration, a Professional National IT Adviser to the President, establishing and moving IT Ministry to the Presidency, building a National ICT Gateway, establishing PKI, CERT, knowledge clusters and IT Parks all over the country and engaging the more than 60% of the Nigeria population (youth) code warrior with assignments, creating incentives, rewarding and mentoring knowledge rather than breeding and creating BBM and DST….. bandwidth consumer battalions, both real and imaginary.

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y friend Reuben knows, and is history conscious of the fact that a nation’s character and global image perception (brand) is dictated by the innovative design, structure, organization, secured access and sustainability of its information and data management systems. Nature teaches us that even the chicken in the village is conscious of the might-inflight and danger of the vulture and therefore protects her chicks from falling prey of the danger.

The don’t care attitude of flooding the national spectrum and bandwidth with all-comers informa-

tion, data and content engagement is equal to a cancer that is eating deeper and deeper into the development and growth of the fabrics of our national knowledge chamber,. And again to Reuben our friend, we say thank you for identifying the digital space as the albatross of the Nigeria leadership and indeed of the survivability of the Nigerian nation? Thank you indeed for availing us with the precious information that the situation is very alarming — and raging at the Presidency like a bushfire in the harmattan.

“But sir, that is why he’s doing this and doing that in the name of transformation agenda. And that is why he is doing XYZ and that is why the Presidency and inner-circle are the true representative of the national aspiration etc.” Agree, but having identified the core strength of the emerging e-monster as the digital minds and presence in the cyber space and their hidden audacity to distribute terabytes of digitized half-truths and lies – what are the next steps?

Knowing that these under-construction national e-consumer moulds of digital gluttons and deepthroats are capable of brinkmanship on the tallest skyscraper, does our current national e-readiness inaction not translate to that of presenting a loaded gun as a present to a 10-year old at Christmas and letting him/her loose — with access into a warehouse loaded with gun-powder and explosives!

In other words unless we redesign, restructure

National Award: From left: Mr. Tony Ojobo, Director of Public Affairs of NCC, Lady Nkechi Ayogu and Senator Ayogu Eze, CON at a special reception at the Yar’Adua Center, Abuja. together governments and the private sector, regulators, investors, operators, vendors, and academia, youths and and reconstruct the nation’s ICT landscape and digital information gateway, access, security and activity domain, we may regret the nightmare that will befall the nation in the unregulated digital odyssey swamped by digital half-truths, lies ,lies lies……

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es, I agree, President Goodluck Jonathan is to a large extent misunderstood by many including youths, and intelligentsia. But are we surprised, having left all our e-flanks open? How do we fortify our national eGateway, Networks, trenches, and cyberspace, knowing that these phenomena will not abate but rather increase momentum and eat deeper into the fabrics of our existence and national sustainability? If left unstructured, professionally organised and managed, I predict that it is capable of abruptly sweeping a President out of office and bringing a surprised institutional stampede to find a hero and change the direction of nation building.

All said, one significant lesson we must learn from the digital addiction of Naija youths and people online is the recognition of the availability of quantum resources of e-Knowledge potentials in our youths who make up more than 60% of the population. The nation stands at a great advantage if the required enabling environment is urgently created to harness those potential resources to drive national transformation and eluding change management. Fix Power as signs are beginning to show, Automate all government processes, establish a reliable national database system and security; make education mandatory, establish science, innovation, knowledge and IT and BPO Parks – create incentives for investors in those domains — sit back and watch the e-spin. God bless Nigeria. Thank you Dr. R Abati.

professionals of different hues, and equipment vendors, operators, and innovators.

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igeria is billed to s h o w c a s e investment and market opportunities for broadband whose campaign began at the last year’s forum where the Minister for Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, and Executive Vice Chairman of the N i g e r i a n Communications Commission, Dr Eugene Juwah, led the delegation that received commendations by the Secretary General of the ITU, Dr. Hamadoun Toure.

Executive Vice chairman of the NCC has indicated that the theme of the country ’s participation at the ITU World is: Nigeria Broadband – A Connected Nation. This point will be canvassed by the President who will also use the occasion to assure the international community of Nigeria’s readiness to protect investments and promote competition in the spirit of deregulation and private sector participation.

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igeria is set to host the global ICT leaders to a closed door meeting and lunch while a special day has been set aside for hosting key participants at the forum including presentations at the Nigerian Pavilion where public and private institutions and companies are provided spaces to showcase their potentials to the world.

Speaking about the country’s participation at the ITU World recently with the Nigerian media, Dr Juwah said: “We want to tell potential investors that Nigeria remains the preferred investment destination in Africa. We will also explain to the investors the areas that still need their attention since we have sizeable progress in voice telephony.”

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32— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

Ferguson: United’s reputation on the line in Champions League

Ferguson

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ir Alex Ferguson has talked up the importance of Manchester United’s Champions League campaign by saying the club will get ‘pilloried’ if they fail to reach the knockout stages again.

United host Galatasaray today looking to make amends for their early exit last season.

‘If we don’t go through, we will be criticised and pilloried for it and quite rightly. We’ve had our warning and I don’t anticipate going out this time,’ said Ferguson.

Last season, United were in an easy-looking group alongside Benfica, Basel and Otelul Galati but finished third. The draw has been kind to them again, pitting them against Galatasaray, Braga and Cluj.

‘Certainly, we’ll do better than last year - no question about that,’ he added. The only thing you can think about is qualifying.’

Ferguson said the Red Devils needed to win the Champions League again to be considered alongside

Europe’s top teams. ‘ T h e European Cup is incredible.

There’s an atmosphere in the build-up to a European final and great charisma about it.

‘Also, without question, it elevates your status within the game like the Real Madrids and AC Milans. We want to be up there in terms of the number of trophies won in European football.’

Galatasaray coach Fatih Terim said his team would not be scared of their illustrious opponents.

‘I don’t need to tell you how Manchester United are a big club,’ said the 59-year-old. We respect them but we don’t fear them. We are going to England [to take] a good result.’

OHN TERRY has been passed fit for the start of Chelsea’s defence of the Champions League.

The Blues skipper jarred his knee in Saturday’s heated goalless draw at QPR days after recovering from an ankle injury.

But tough-nut Terry has given boss Roberto di Matteo a boost by coming through a light training session yesterday as preparations get underway for the visit of Italian champs Juventus tomorrow.

And UEFA bigwigs admit they will be watching the visitors’ bench at Stamford Bridge like hawks to make

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anchester United veter an Ryan Giggs will never forget his first visit to Istanbul.

November 1993. Champions League second knockout round, second leg.

Galatasaray away.

Welcome to Hell. “I remember it vividly. It will always stick with me,” the veteran Reds midfielder said.

“I was 19 and, when we arrived at the airport, there were all the banners and fans.

Thousands of fans screaming at you.

“There were things being thrown at us when we were driving away on the coach.

Outside the hotel their fans were chanting all night, making sure we didn’t get any sleep. People were phoning the hotel room. Prior to the game, the manager told us to go on the pitch and sample the atmosphere. The fans had been in the ground for hours and hours. The atmosphere was buzzing 90 minutes before kick-off.

“We were stood in the middle of the pitch watching the fans chant. It was one stand to another.”

Nineteen years on, Giggs

recalls it as being a brilliant experience - at least until the final whistle when United, who had Eric Cantona sent off, were knocked out, triggering a frenzied reaction from their hosts.

Giggs

Can Celtic do something in the Champions League this year?

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nyone going to Celtic Park now is saying, ‘You’ve got to beat that atmosphere, the energy they spend in their games’.” – Sir Alex Ferguson No greater compliment can be paid to Celtic fans from one of the greatest managers the world has ever seen.

Celtic Park on a big European night is second to none.

Terry fit for Juve J

Giggs recalls Galatasaray ‘chaos’

sure banned Juve coach Antonio Conte does not try to beat his rap and phone his pals in the dugout.

Conte is serving a 10month ban for keeping quiet over match-fixing when boss of Siena and is banished to the stands.

A UEFA spokesman said: “The ban does extend to UEFA competitions.

“Conte isn’t allowed to have any contact with the players during the game or at half time.”

We cannot afford to make mistakes, Lindegaard warns teammates

The atmosphere the Hoops support create is deafening and Neil Lennon and his players will need their 12th man in full song as usual starting against Benfica as they try to battle their way out Group G of the UEFA Champions League.

When both sets of teams walk onto the pitch tonight, the hairs on the back of their necks will rise because when the iconic Champions League anthem is played, there is no better place to be in world football. The roar the Celtic fans make is incredible and they really do provide their players with that extra 10% that could be the difference between a win and a draw and so often is.

Robben unsure of Valencia clash

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he Bayern Munich wing er missed his side’s 3-1 win over Mainz last Saturday with a groin injury, and is staying cautious as he looks to recover full fitness Arjen Robben admits he is still in the dark over whether he will recover from a groin injury in time for Bayern Munich’s clash with Valencia this evening.

The Dutchman suffered the knock while on international duty with Netherlands last week, and was forced to miss his side’s Bundesliga clash with Mainz last Saturday.

However, the former Real Madrid man has made a swift return to training, but remains unsure whether he will be able to line up at the Allianz Arena today.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012 — 33

Neuer ready to bounce back

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Barca await Spartak visit H

eavyweights Barce lona start their bid for a fifth title in Europe’s premier club competition against Spartak Moscow today.

The Spanish perennial favourites should top Group G with ease but it is the scrap for second and third that will pose the greatest intrigue.

Spartak are notoriously difficult to beat at home, and will pose a threat to even Barcelona, while Benfica and Celtic will both expect to make a big impression on the group.

Spartak have the unenviable task of being the first club to trek to Camp Nou on Wednesday after missing out on the Champions League altogether in 2011/12.

Meanwhile, Barcelona, under Tito Vilanova’s new regime, will hope to rebound from last year ’s shock semifinal exit to eventual champions Chelsea.

Lionel Messi bagged an incredible 14 goals in last season’s edition and is well on his way to better Raul’s record of 76 goals in the competition, with the Argentine 25 goals away from breaking the mark.

Benfica start their journey two men down after the de-

TODAY’S MATCHES GROUP E Chelsea v Juventus S. Donetsi v FC Nordsjaelland

7:45pm “

GROUP F Bayern Munich v Valencia Lille v BATE Borisov

7: 45pm “

GROUP G Barcelona v Spartak Moscow Celtic v Benfica

7:45pm “

GROUP H Braga v CFR Cluj-Napoca Man Utd v Galatasaray

7:45pm “

parture of stars Axel Witsel and Javi Garcia for a combined 48 million pounds.

Neither were replaced leaving Jorge Jesus with the monumental task of ensuring safe passage to the knockout stage for the second consecutive season without them.

Jesus has proven himself a shrewd and adaptable tactician and helped knock out Manchester United last season in the group stage.

Mar tinez: Va l e n c i a w i l l push Bayern hard

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he Spain midfielder has spoken of the perils that await his side at the Allianz Arena today, highlighting Los Che’s ability to exert pressure on their opponents Javi Martinez says Bayern Munich must be prepared to deal with Valencia’s high-tempo brand of football when the two sides face each other on the opening match day of the Champions League.

The 2000 finalists will lock horns today in Group F’s curtain-raiser on the back of contrasting fortunes, as the Bavarians finished runners-up in last season’s competition, while Los Che were dumped out at the group stage.

And Martinez, who has vast experience of playing Valencia from his time at Athletic Bilbao, expects the Liga outfit to pose a considerable threat to his new team, even at the Allianz Arena.

“I know [Valencia] very well and I’ve played them quite a few times,” he told Bayern’s official website. “They’ll definitely push us hard because they have a great team.

ayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer says his side will find it tough to come back from last season’s heartbreaking Champions League final defeat.

The German side looked set for glory, only to fall on their own patch to Chelsea on penalties - an eventuality that president Uli Hoeness labelled a disaster.

On overcoming last season’s disappointment, the Bayern goalkeeper remarked to Bundesliga.com: “It’s natural to always want to achieve the maximum amount of success.

Unfortunately we squandered that opportunity last season, but we’re looking to the future.”

The Bavarians kick-off their Champions League venture with a home match against Valencia.

Neuer insists it is a difficult opening encounter but, the group which features French side Lille and Belarus’ Bate, could have been harder.

“We get to start from scratch again and in our first match we face a very strong opponent who we want to pick up our first three points against,” he added.

“We’ve definitely had a little more luck than last season.

Nevertheless, we’ve got to take every opponent seriously in this group because they’ve all rightfully qualified and deserve to be playing in the Champions League.

“From that point of view it’s going to be fiercely competitive once again.”

Haye wants British boxing license to fight Klitschko D avid Haye has indicated his desire to take on world heavyweight champion Vitali Kiltschko by returning his Luxembourg boxing license to get a British one.

Former world heavyweight champion Haye retired following his loss to Klitschko’s brother Wladmir in 2011, and ended up getting a Luxembourg license for his comeback grudge match victory over Dereck Chisora in July this year.

Now the 31-year-old is keen to continue his comeback against the Ukrainian, who has held his title for eight years.

‘I’d like to thank the Luxembourg Boxing Federation for licensing me ahead of my July bout with Dereck Chisora in London, but I no longer require that license,’ said Haye.

‘It’s been well-publicised already, but the reason I ap-

David plied for a license from the Luxembourg Boxing Federation was because my opponent, Dereck Chisora, had seen his British license withdrawn.

‘The only way we were able to deliver the fight the public wanted, when they wanted it, was to both apply for foreign licenses, as arranged by Chisora’s promoter.

Wozniacki cruises in Seoul

Wozniacki

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enmark’s Caroline Woz niacki has cruised into the second round of the Hansol Korea Open with a 6-1 62 win over Arantxa Rus. The 22-year-old Dane, who is the top seed at the tournament in Seoul, won 73 percent of points on serve as she overcame Rus in 62 minutes.

Rus sent down eight double faults as she struggled against an opponent ranked 60 spots

above her, with Wozniacki smashing the Dutchwoman on her second serve courtesy of a 76 percent success rate.

Number three seed Kaia Kanepi of Estonia also breezed through her firstround match at the WTA International event, easily winning 6-1 6-0 over wildcard Han Sung-Hee in less than an hour.

Kanepi, who had not played since the French Open due to an Achilles tendon injury, broke her South Korean opponent five times for the match.

The big shock of Tuesday was Silvia Soler-Espinosa of Spain’s 1-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 victory over fifth seed Julia Goerges.

Tiger set to hit jackpot T

Neuer

iger Woods can win the Fe dEx Cup finale, says Dave Tindall, who also has three R1 leader bets lined up.

5pts win Tiger Woods ‘enhanced win only’ at 28/5 (Stan James).

1pt e.w. Keegan Bradley to be first round leader at 33/1 (General, 1/4 1,2,3,4).

1pt e.w. Zach Johnson to be first round leader at 33/1 (Ladbrokes, 1/4 1,2,3,4).

1pt e.w. Ryan Moore to be first round leader at 45/1 (Stan James, 1/4 1,2,3,4).

The goal is a common one to win the $10m FedEx Cup jackpot.

But it’s certainly possible to break the field down into categories for this week’s playoff finale - the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta.

For 17 of the field - all 12 of the American team and five Europeans - it’s the week before the Ryder Cup so a morale-winning send-off is an added motivation.

34 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

C M Y K

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012 — 35

36—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

Apprehension as divestment directive approaches end …Wapic Insurance out to refine insurance landscape

By ROSEMARY ONUOHA

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•Segun Balogun, MD Wapic Insrance Plc

reverting to the company’s original name. The values demonstrated by the company as Wapic Insurance Plc align with our vision of transforming the company into Africa’s most respected insurance company.”

Since the insurance firm is a composite company, the change of name is not just for the general arm of the company but also applies to Wapic Life Assurance Limited (formerly Intercontinental Wapic Life Assurance Limited) and Wapic Insurance (Ghana) Limited (formerly Intercontinental Wapic Insurance (Ghana) Limited).

As one of Nigeria’s oldest insurance companies, Wapic Insurance has built enviable expertise in risk management and actuarial services. This, coupled with its association with Access Bank Plc, will surely strengthen its capacity and capability to redefine service in the insurance subsector of the Nigerian financial services landscape.

“Our new corporate identity will further entrench our long standing leadership position in the insurance sector and signposts the beginning of a new dawn in insurance services in Nigeria,” Koroye said.

Established in March 1958 as West African Provincial Insurance Company Limited (WAPIC) to transact life and non-life insurance business, Wapic has consistently shown

,

s the era of universal banking gradually draws to a close, following the directive by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to banks to divest from all non-bank subsidiaries by December this year, apprehension is high in the insurance sector. Industry observers are watching keenly to see which bank-owned insurance firms will survive at the end of the day.

To this end, Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Fola Daniel said that the National Insurance Commission, NAICOM, is on top of the divestment process. Daniel said that the Commission has put in place measures to ensure stolen funds are not used to recapitalise bankowned insurance firms.

NAICOM, according to Daniel, would screen local and foreign funds to be invested in the firms to ensure they do not contravene the Money Laundering Act as well as forestall developments where individuals with questionable funds hijack the firms.

In line with NAICOM’s objective,the Board and Management of Intercontinental Wapic Insurance Plc has decided to continue to pitch tenth with Access Bank Plc due to the bank's track record of transparency and good corporate governance.

However, the insurance firm has transformed back into Wapic Insurance Plc. The strategic change of name of Intercontinental Wapic Insurance to Wapic Insurance Plc coupled with the unveiling of a new corporate identify is premised on Access Bank’s acquisition of controlling interest in Wapic Insurance Plc. As a subsidiary of Access Bank, Wapic Insurance Plc is out to refine the Nigerian insurance landscape and infuse the entire industry with a higher degree of ingenuity, innovation and professionalism.

According to the Executive Director, Access Bank Plc and Board member, Wapic Insurance Plc, Taukeme Koroye, “In expressing the dynamism typified by the new Wapic Insurance Plc, we recognised the unique brand value inherent in the company ’s over 50 years impressive track-record of delivering efficient and transparent insurance services to Nigerians, hence our

As one of Nigeria’s oldest insurance companies, Wapic Insurance has built enviable expertise in risk management and actuarial services. This, coupled with its association with Access Bank Plc, will surely strengthen its capacity and capability to redefine service in the insurance sub-sector

,

BRIEFS Health insurance cost hikes slowing —Study

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its resilience over other brands that were its peers.

Reputed as one of Nigeria’s oldest and most established insurance companies; with presence in the key commercial and industrial centres of the country and a clientele spanning various sectors of the economy, the company has a distinguished history of providing innovative and client-focused insurance services to individuals and corporate clientele.

According to the Deputy Managing Director of Wapic Insurance Plc, David Aluko, “A critical factor for successful brands is the ability to consistently reengineer.

Therefore, Access Bank Plc completed Nigeria’s award winning Merger and Acquisition with Intercontinental Bank and this consequently makes Intercontinental Wapic Insurance Plc one of the subsidiaries of Access Bank Plc.” Managing Director, Wapic Insurance, Mr. Segun Balogun, recalled that in March 1958, West African Provincial Insurance Company (Wapic) made its entrance into the insurance industry with a commitment to providing efficient and transparent insurance services to individual and corporate clients; the company is renewing that commitment with a return to its heritage name.

Balogun said “The return to heritage is a wholesome change; giving rise to a modifications in our visual identity revision along with adjustments in our corporate philosophy. The thrust of the Company’s new philosophy is the vision to become the most respected insurance company in Africa. The ideals of respect speak to a culture of quality service, ethical and sustainable business practices and professionalism. It also connotes a commitment to the highest level of value to shareholders and host communities. Wapic has returned to these age-long ideals and is poised to redefine the business of insurance across Africa thereby.”

Indeed, the company ’s business model has been refined to engender higher levels of efficiency and transparency. The Company’s alignment with its heritage further positions the company to deliver first-class risk management services across markets.

ow-wage workers pay more for health insurance than high-wage earners, receive lower quality coverage and get less support from their employers, according to new survey on annual health care costs.

The Kaiser Family Foundation survey of more than 2,000 small and large employers nationwide also found that health costs, while rising, are going up at much smaller pace than average and dramatically slower than in previous years, likely because of the recent recession. The survey also provides several data points for analyzing the impact that the Affordable Care Act will have on costs, both for employers and their workers, as it gradually goes into effect after being approved by Congress in 2010.

Health insurance premiums grew by a relatively modest rate this year, according to the report, but the increase has proven tougher to take for workers at low-wage firms.

The average annual premium for employersponsored family coverage this year is $15,745, up 4 per cent from last year, according to the Kaiser survey.

Insurers’ premium income rising, says broker

A

ustralian insurers are recording strong premium growth after years of catastrophe losses, according to Aon Benfield.

Gross written premium (GWP) across liability, property and motor lines rose strongly in the past year, while volatility in gross loss ratios was more than competitive against international counterparts, the reinsurance broker ’s annual Insurance Risk Study says.

Australia was the 10th largest insurance market in the world, at $US31.2 billion ($29.5 billion) in annual GWP, despite underperforming loss ratios in motor and property and low growth in liability lines. The volatility of loss ratios in Australian motor and property lines is in the top five globally, according to the report.

After rising by an average of 10.1 per cent every year for the past five years, GWP in property lines soared 25.2 per cent last year – the thirdfastest rate in the Asia-Pacific region and well above the 6.7 per cent global average.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012—37

Nokia and women empowerment in Nigeria STORIES BY PRINCEWILL EKWUJURU

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UST recently, Nokia partnered with Cherie Blair Foundation for Women and MTN Nigeria to bring Business Women Service via Nokia Life to Nigeria. Nokia and its partners really want to empower the women by providing essential business entrepreneurship tips, delivered via SMS. The women who participated were business minded and want to help bring the under privileged ones amongst them to the top.

But the question is whether women empowerment lacks adequate knowledge or funds or a combination of both? One could say there seems to be an imbalance in connecting both entities.

One of Cherie Blair

Foundation mission for women is to bridge the imbalance amongst women entrepreneurs in Nigeria, because they observed that women are faced with significant barriers in scaling up their businesses, including access to affordable resources, marketing channels and training inputs.

However, research conducted by the Foundation for Women, supported by the ExxonMobil Foundation, showed that 93 percent of women entrepreneurs in Nigeria were

willing to use a valuedadded mobile service like Business Women to address the core challenges they face in their business; and 75 percent of them felt that addressing these challenges would lead to a significant increase in the value of their business (“Mobile Value Added Services: A Business Growth Opportunity for Women Entrepreneurs”, May 2012).

There was need to bridge this gap by using a service based technology such as the Nokia Life tools to pass information across more women whilst targeting the next billion people. Cherie Blair, Founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, said partnering with Nokia on the Business Women service is a ‘welcome development’.

According to her, “Giving women the chance to become financially independent and make the most of their talents is the key to higher living standards and stronger economies.” Statistics have also shown that women face diverse challenges in the Nigerian business world. Recently, the World Bank condemned the low percentage of women in the Nigerian business environment, saying there are only 15 per cent women in business.

Nigeria gets representative to Miss Motor N

IGERIA will be represented for the first time by Miss Taiwo Amusa in the Miss Motor International pageant competition scheduled to hold in Italy this month.

Miss Amusa was selected by the organizers of Miss Motors Nigeria

by Royal Event Africa based on her pedigree: her humility, her previous modeling career, self-esteem and being able to stand as an ambassador of beauty and safety.

Speaking, Miss. Evelyn Igwe, Managing Director of Royal Event Af-

NB’s Legend rewarded with International Quality Award

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EGEND from the stable of Nigerian Breweries has been rewarded with the Gold Quality Award at the 51st Monde award ceremony in Athens, Greece.

To this effect the brand held a celebration party at the Nightshift Coliseum to officially present the award to the consumers and other stakeholders.

Mr. Walter Drenth, Marketing Director of Nigerian Breweries, said that, every time Legend calls, it does so to share and celebrate good news. “You are all living witnesses to the tremendous strides the Legend brand has made over the years, establishing itself as a Real stout on many counts and refreshing its outlook uniquely.

“Over the past 20 years, the Legend brand has continued to position itself as a credible choice of stout, full brewed, the way an original stout should - giving Legend the credibility to be called the ‘Real Deal,’ - a sincere proposition that has sustained the brand s’ growth since the re-launch and acceptance in 2009.”

He reminded the consumers that the campaigns at the re-launch further rides on the brands’ real brewed positioning with emphasis on the production processes considered desirable for a real stout.

rica, while listing the duties the Miss Motor International, Nigeria, said she will be responsible for and to endorse national talents both in Italy and abro a d through the celebration of: “made in Italy ”, enhancing national cultures worldwide and showing various facets to the international delegates and their guests.

The event also promotes road safety as a social content to further educate on road regulations and use.

She went further to say that this year Miss Motors International is combined with the first edition of the “Italy Beauty Festival”, an event that wants to celebrate Italy in its most peculiar features: art, fashion, cooking, culture, and environment.

Igwe also pointed out that on her return to the countr y, a Miss Motors pageant 2013 calendar will be unveiled and made public at the welcome party, if eventually Amusa wins.

38—Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

MIDWEEK SERMON

with SAM EYOBOKA sameyoboka@yahoo.com

SJCCG approves women ordination ...ordains 37 new ministers

By SAM EYOBOKA and OLAYINKA LATONA

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S part of ongoing reorganisation in the St. Joseph Chosen Church of God, SJCCG, the Council of the Church predominantly governed by spiritual revelations through the Holy Spirit which manifest through the prophets and prophetesses, visionaries and dreamers, has approved the ordination of women.

The first batch of 25 female ministers including the wife of the Spiritual Leader, Deaconness Pat Alile, will be ordained in February next year after the church conference.

Speaking in an interview recently, the Spiritual leader of SJCCG, Apostle Hayford Alile confirmed the development, saying that the proposal for female ministers had been in the card long before the passage of the founder of the church, Apostle Joseph Ikechiuku who was a little hesitant because he could not identify experienced female members for ordination.

The reorganisation process began two years ago with a structural adjustment which saw the church migrating from the former zonal arrangement to a regional one with regional apostles supervising the regions and overseeing affairs at the zonal levels.

According Apostle Alile, "we have watched that arrangement for the last two years and found that the church is expanding by the day and very soon our ministers will be over stretched. We won’t have sufficient manpower because most of the ministers are anxious to expand.

"Thank God we have a lot of our ministers' wives, a lot of the deaconesses who are very experienced. They may even be better than some of our male ministers. We have been toying with the idea for years, right

from the last five years of the founder, to have female minist-ers.

"He didn’t seem to see sufficient matured and experienced females; but now I believe we have a number of them gifted spiritually. I’m happy the church welcomed it," Alile explained.

According to the clergyman, the new develop*R-L: Chairman, Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission, NCPC, Archbishop ment is driven by growth and the appreciation of the goodness of God in making women equal Nicholas Okoh, NCPC Executive Secretary, Mr. John Kennedy Opara and the Legal Adviser of NCPC, Mrs. Helen Odegbaro (standing) during the signing of to men.

"What I’ve found in this church is that what an air carrier agreement for the 2012 Christian Pilgrimage in Abuja recently. men can do, women can do and sometimes better," he stated, adding that the church is both Pentecostal and spiritual which is inclined more to the spiritual where there are no limitations and gender neut-rality.

According to Alile, the church has identified some female members who are experienced enough to be ordained and has challenged them to get the permission of their husbands.

"My wife is one of them. I have ticked that column in her form and I expect that almost all of them will be approved by their husbands. No matter what we get at our conference in February 2013, we will ordain the women," he stated.

Alile sees no reason why women should not be given equal opportunity to preach the gospel, saying "they are entitled to equal rights and responsibilities. The only restriction is that the married ones may not be transfered far away from their families. We want to maintain first and foremost their families."

Apostle Alile also corfirmed the ordination of 37 male ministers including one apostle, Gideon *L-R: Executive Secretary of NCPC, Mr. John Kennedy Opara in a warm Irerhievwie and 36 pastors recently at an national handshake with the representative of Atlas Jet Airline after the signing of an air headquarters of the church in Benin City. carrier agreement in Abuja recently while the NCPC chairman, Archbishop The service was presided over by the Spiritual Nicholas Okoh (m) watches with delight.

Leader who was assisted by Apostles Wilfred Omoregie, Nosa Obasuyi and others.

Apostle Alile charged the newly ordained ministers to humble themselves, adding "the pressing regret at the unfor- identifying the culprits and

By SAM EYOBOKA true path to great leadership is tunate incident, said that the bringing them to book,” he to be humble and look for the S Lagosians continue only way to checkmate such stated. greatness in others." to count their losses incidents from reoccurring is for While applauding some He therefore charged them to following recent multi- law enforcement agents to be efforts by the IGP to reform and learn that they can only become reposition the force for better, masters if they can produce ple attacks on the metropolis by alert at all times.

“I support the call by the the clergy man said that the masters out of their followers, men suspected to be armed stressing that Jesus Christ gave robbers, the Director of Social Inspector General of Police that Lagos State Commissioner of a perfect example of servant Communications, Catholic the Lagos State Police must Police and his men must, as a leadership during His last Archdiocese of Lagos, Very Rev. wake up from its slumber. From matter of urgency, brace up to Msgr. Gabriel Osu, has called the reports we read in the the task of detecting and supper with His disciples.

At that occasion, Alile stated, on the Police and other security newspapers on how the robbery matching the wave of organizJesus watched the feet of His agents to wake up from their attacks were randomly execut- ed crime and the unloading of disciples and wiped them with slumber and face the security ed in parts of the state unhind- terror on innocent citizens by the towel that was tied around challenges ravishing the state. ered, show that something is dare devil robbers.

Reacting to the recent siege wrong somewhere. Where were He equally called on the Him. by men of the the law enforcement agents various arms of government to underworld at when the robberies were going consolidate effort at providing jobs for the teeming number of different lo- on? Were they all on recess?

“It is obvious that the robbers unemployed Nigerian youths, cations in Lagos in which se- did their home work well before warning that unless the alarmveral lives striking. They knew the weak- ing spate of unemployment in were lost and nesses of the Police that was the country is urgently addressseveral mill- why they were able to succeed. ed, armed robbery, insecurity ions of naira The onus now lies with the and other forms of vices in the carted away, authority to restore the people’s society would continue unabatOsu, while ex- confidence in the force by ed.

Osu chides Lagos CP on insecurity

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Cleric tasks Christians on faithfulness

By Itoroh Chijindu, Nwaeke Josephine and Chimezie Chidinma

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*Apostle Hayford Alile anointing one of the newly ordained pastors.

ASTOR Aremu Joseph of All Saints Apostolic Church, Ogwashi Uku in Aniocha South Local Government area of Delta State, has urged Christians to always be faithful to God.

He made the call during a recent service, saying that only those who have passed through temptation, fire and brimstone successfully would be qualified to wear the crown of life.

“Your enemy may want to kill you. He may insult you, tell lies against you, and spit on you. Don’t worry. Know that you are

a child of God. If they did it to your Master, Jesus Christ, they would also do it to you. Stay firm in your faith. At the end, God would make you victorious and you will certainly win the promised crown of life”, Joseph said.

He reminded Christians that the greatest weapons against the foe are prayers and the Word of God.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012 — 39

40 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

How Police in Benue arrested cashier, 7 others for robbery M

EN of the Benue State Police Command have arrested an eight-man robbery gang that invaded and robbed the Katsina-Ala branch of First Bank of Nigeria, last week. Among those arrested was the branch cashier of the bank, (name withheld) who was alleged to have coordinated the robbery from within.

Briefing newsmen in his office on the arrest of the gang, the Benue State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Christopher Katso, said the police recovered from the gang, large cache of AK 47 riffles, 80 fullyloaded AK 47 magazines, live ammunition, rocket launchers, RPGs, Improvised Explosive Devices, IED and four cars.

According to the Commissioner of Police, the bandits numbering about 30 stormed the premises of the bank shooting sporadically to scare off passers-by and customers within the premises of the bank.

Improvised arms bunker He stated that the robbers invaded the bank in a Volkswagen Bus with registration Lagos FKJ 450 XA, loaded with weapons in an improvised arms bunker underneath.

Katso said: “My men got wind of the incident and laid siege for them. They engaged the gang in a shoot out. When they noticed that they were being overpowered, the gang withdrew and drove towards Todonga. Unfortunately for them, they ran into our men at Todonga where we had laid ambush after having circled the Katsina-Ala axis of the road. Another exchange of fire also ensued there. We overpowered them and apprehended some of them with their vehicles and the cache of arms.”

The Police boss who was visibly shocked at the type of weapons in possession of the young men, regretted that the

,

By PETER DURU

We had earlier warned that we will not condone any form of crime in this state, and I can assure you that we are not joking about it because we are prepared to track down all those who eke a living by unleashing havoc in the society

gang shot and killed two innocent persons as they carried out the operation in the town.

Among those killed was an engineer who was effecting repairs on the bank’s power plant and and a passer-by who was dispossessed of his car after being shot.

He said his men were still on the trail of other members of the gang most of who escaped with bullet wounds. The Police boss who acknowledged that the bandits made away with some quantity of money from the bank, however, noted that the actual amount carted away has not been ascertained adding “we are still waiting on the bank to reconcile its account before we can tell the actual amount that was stolen by the gang.”

Katso who disclosed that the Police have intensified its sur-

,

veillance of the state added that in the last few weeks, the command has recovered over 200 pistols of all types from criminals and owners of light weapons in its renewed onslaught on criminals and all forms of criminality in the state.

“We had earlier warned that we will not condone any form of crime in this state, and I can assure you that we are not joking about it because we are prepared to track down all those who eke a living by unleashing havoc in the society”, he stressed.

Some of the vehicles recovered by the Police from the bandits include a Toyota Avalon with number plate Delta WWR 94AA, Honda Akura with number plate Abuja 535 AE, and a KIA Sedan with number plate PHCN 997.

*Arms recovered from the gang

*Some of the vehicles used in the operation .

My wife bit-off my lower lip for not buying her a new car, lawyer tells court

By BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

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50-year-old lawyer, Adewoyo Adetoro, has told a Lagos Grade ‘A’ Customary Court in Ojo, that his wife bit-off his lower lip because he told her he had no money to purchase a new car for her. The lawyer, who resides at 5, Adekanbi Lane, Okokomaiko in Lagos, said he married his wife, Ronke, 12 years ago and their marriage is blessed with three children aged 11, nine and five, noting that all had been moving on

well with his marriage until she later started keeping the company of high class women.

He said: “In 2006, my wife engaged me in a fierce battle over my inability to buy her a car. I have received several slaps from this woman I call wife. I had initially sought dissolution of this marriage in 2006, but her family members intervened and I relented. She makes unnecessary demands that are too hard for me to meet.”

Adetoro accused his wife of using his money to open a shop

at Iyana-Isashi, Lagos, without his consent, adding that he even sacrificed his car for her just for the sake of peace but she told him that she was not a second hand wife and should be given a new one.

Praying the court to dissolve his union with Ronke, the lawyer said his wife is too money conscious, self-centered and wicked to be called a wife or mother. He noted his wife asked him to change their cooking stove to gas cooker and demanded that daily food allowance must be increased

from N600 to N2,000.

“I pray this court to dissolve our union since I have endured beyond acceptable limit. Without my consent, she used my money to open a shop at Iyana-Isashi, but my anger now is that she makes my children go to school late and leave early so that they can come and sell for her. I don’t like it because it is affecting my children’s education,”he said. The lawyer appealed to the court president, Mr S.B. Giwa, to grant him custody of their three children, adding that he would never allow the children grow under the hands of such a greedy woman.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012 — 41

Lagos Police boss goes for the onslaught

It is now fire for fire, he declares

By IFEANYI OKOLIE & DONALD AJI

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Lagos dep gov raps POWA on compliance with traffic law

By OLASUNKANMI AKONI

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*Kasto

HE Lagos State Deputy Governor, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, has solicited the support of wives of policemen serving in the state, under the aegis of Police Officers’ Wives Association, POWA, on the total compliance with the new traffic law in the state.

Adefulire who was speaking while receiving in her office, the executive members of POWA in the state, led by the state

Church’s General Overseer arraigned over alleged rape of 14-yr-old girl

By BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

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ENERAL Overseer of Mountain Movers Fire M i n i s t r i e s International, Nyanya, Abuja, Basil Princewill, has been arraigned before an FCT High Court over alleged rape of a 14-year-old girl, in his church office.

Princewill, who was arraigned on two-count charges of rape, was also accused of having had carnal knowledge of another 15-

year-old girl in his churchoffice, on a different occasion.

However, when the accused plea was taken before Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, he pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against him.

Justice Baba-Yusuf, on granting the accused bail, ordered that the surety must be a civil servant resident within the FCT. The case was adjourned to October 14, 2012 for hearing.

Chairman, Mrs. Rabi Manko, noted that the traffic laws as enacted was government’s way of responding to the usual cases of avoidable deaths on the roads as a result of street trading, motor cycle accidents and driving against traffic.

She added that most of the deaths on the highways were avoidable if motorists obeyed traffic rules, respect other road users and desist from turning the roads into commercial centers.

Adefulire, enjoined the POWA delegation to educate other members on the new traffic laws and support their husbands and the government as enforcement of the law commences.

She also implored women in the state to desist from trading on major roads and highways, noting that such does not only cause traffic gridlock but also endanger the lives of women as witnessed in the frequent cases of motor vehicles running over street traders.

“I want to enjoin you to educate members and other women on the need to ensure that business activities and all forms of trading are done in designated places, we don’t want to continue to see useful lives wasting on the highway as a result of street trading,” Adefulire charged.

what security sources said are ‘new hidden strategies’ that will ensure that criminals would no longer succeed in intercepting police communication lines while carrying out operation.

Sources said he brought his knowledge as a known cime fighter whose reputation is high on the crime fighting terrain to bear in the new strategies, having successfully served at different occasions as a commissioner of Police in Sokoto State, Katsina State, General Investigation Force C.I.D, Abuja, Airport Command and Edo State, before coming to Lagos. It was gathered that officers and men of the command are in high spirit and optimistic that his versatility will work wonders. One of the officers told Crime Alert, “he directed that henceforth, any Area Commander or DPO that failed to answer his calls any time of the day would be penalized and this is one of the new strategies that is presently paying off because all of us are at alert. He said we

OLLOWING the massive raid carried out by dare-devil armed robbers, Sunday, in Lagos in which no fewer than eight persons, including three policemen were killed, the Lagos State police boss, Umar Manko, has reportedly vowed to put an end to criminal activities in the state. To this end, he has reportedly embarked on new security measures aimed at ensuring that his new tactics achieved the desired positive results.

Police sources at the command headquarters intimated Crime Alert that the Commissioner of Police was deeply rattled by the success of the operation carried out by the bandits and has decided to wield the big stick against all his officers and men found wanting in the discharge of their duties. The first step he has embarked upon, according to sources, was to marshal out a new security code for all Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers on their modus operandi. The source said the police boss stated in unmistakable terms that henceforth, both the Area Commanders and DPO’s must be in their respective offices, 24 hours of the day. This, according to the source, is to ensure that they take full responsibility for all crimes committed in *Manko their areas and ensure that they are either nipped in the bud or tackled should avail ourselves of the decisively as they occur. Secondly, magnanimity of Lagos State he was reported to have directed government that provided that any DPO that fails to recover vehicles for operations by working any car snatched in his area within harder to ensure that what twenty four hours would be re- happened last Sunday will not take place again. I will simply assigned without delay.

On the issue of kidnapping, the tell you that the measures he has police boss reportedly issued taken so far which I cannot disclose stern directives that it should not for security reasons is like saying rear it’s ugly head again stating that it is now ‘fire for fire.” Crime however, that if it happens, officers Alert gathered that the new in-charge must ensure total measures have led to startling commitment and do every thing discoveries about criminals in the possible to locate the victim and state. “For now, we can only tell deal decisively with the you that those bandits that operated last Sunday would soon perpetrators.

Cp Umar Manko was also said be rounded up. We cannot say to have called for high level more until you see what we have cooperation between all the achieved in that regard. You officers on ground with a view to cannot come to Lagos from another tracking criminals where ever they state and operate freely expecting are without creating unnecessary to get away with it”, the source boundaries. He also initiated stated.

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N5000 Note: Sanusi is devaluing Naira through the back door — Ewherido •You cannot win Boko Haram war with guns SENATOR Pius Akpor Ewherido represents Delta Central Senatorial District in the Senate on the platform of Democratic Peoples Party, DPP; from 1999 to 2007, he represented Ughelli South constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, where he served as Speaker and Deputy Speaker. In this interview with selected newspapers, he spoke on some topical national issues.

Excerpts:

H

IS experience in the Senate The Senate has been a very challenging place and a very interesting one this past year.

This is one of the most turbulent years in Nigeria’s history in terms of internal strife especially by the Boko Haram sect. The Senate spent most of the time on security issues rather than on issues that deal with our perennial problems of unemployment and poverty including trying to correct some of the ills perpetrated by privatization and the subsidy regime.

But it has been very interesting and intriguing too. Let me say that this status of a_one_man senator from a party has not affected me in my legislative work as such. I am not sure there are very sharp divisions in the Senate that will really discriminate against you in an apparent manner on issues affecting the nation. What I have observed in the Senate is that across political parties we have always been on one page.

How he has affected his constituents In terms of empowerment we have started a lot of things.

Within the limit of means as a legislator and in working with other agencies, we have just finished training of 80 women, 10 from each local government area in various trades. The next batch will be 100 boys that we want to train in various trades.

We have done a lot in terms of empowering those who are knowledgeable in some crafts and others to set up productive ventures that will earn them a living apart from those we have helped to get employment. We also have a scholarship scheme that has been there but enlarged now with over 150 students as beneficiaries. We pay them N100,000 per session. Those in law schools get N200,000 per session.

During the election, I did promise that we will revive the Urhobo language because the

language is going into extinction, by my estimation; we have set up a programme; the Urhobo language competition.

The examination will be written this month. The essence is to encourage our youths and young ones to speak the language such that it will not go into extinction and we have a brand new car as the star prize and other consolatory prizes, we want to give to ginger people to encourage their children to speak the Urhobo language.

The issues that we brought to fore at the Senate like the Delta Steel Company all that were electoral promises. You recall that DSC as a company used to bubble in the 80s and 90s but today it is in a state of disrepair with a faulty privatization process and there were problems of retrenchment, casualisation and question of DSC pensioners.

I am sure you must have read the Senate recommendations. By the time they are implemented, DSC pensioners will smile. Apart from that, in the last budget, we tried to ensure that there were projects

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BY FESTUS AHON

at the federal level but also at the state level as a majority ethnic group in the (Delta) state. But at the federal level, it beats my •Ewherido...senate has always been on one page imagination that the fifth largest security challenges are. ethnic nationality has no place anybody is saying.

If we allow state police to First of all this is a very in the Federal Executive Council and not represented on the list unpopular move with the Nigeria function it will act in such a way of Federal Advisers and populace. Even within that will be quicker in fighting Administrative Secretaries of any government, it is unpopular crime in this country and I believe reasonable parastatal of the over because if people in the that unless we have an 400 parastatals in the country. It legislature are already arrangement like that it will be calls for concern, we are working disagreeing on it, unless you difficult to bring down crime in on it and we hope that we will want to say the legislature is not Nigeria. Yes they argue it will be part of the government but the open to abuse and I tell you; get some responses very soon.

On introduction of N5000 note best way for government to work everything is open to abuse. We It is an unnecessary affront on is for a harmonious relationship can agree as we are approaching the economic situation of this between executive and the constitutional amendment; we country to introduce N5000 note. legislature. I don’t know why the can agree that first, we are not If you ask me, I believe that the CBN Governor wants to going to allow them to operate Sanusi man is a bundle of unnecessarily heat up the polity. as if it is a lawless organization.

For every organization that is set contradiction. Here is a man who up, you must spell out, you must said he wants a cashless Nigeria, Voices of draw boundaries and you must now introducing N5000 note. I Nigerians provide penalty for crossing am not too sure that both of them at this time will do well together.

In my thinking it is not a those boundaries. So there must If he wants to devalue the naira, esponsible move. I believe that be checks. People look at it that he should just say so, because it they should look at Nigeria, listen governors will abuse it. The best to the voices of Nigerians and attribute of a good law is that it is stop this move on N5000 note. It capable of standing the test of is very unnecessary, besides it time. will even encourage corruption.

You want to encourage banking State and you want to introduce a police currency that will make people know that in a box they can keep I am for state police and I have a billion naira. How can the two not seen any reason to shift me go together? I don’t agree with from that position. I believe that Nigeria will be a safer place, a is like devaluing the naira it. I don’t see the wisdom in it.

On state police more secured environment if we through the back door.

I am one of the first persons that have state police. Security is Sometimes I ask myself, what is the necessity of this introduction? generated this debate on state bedrock of development. The The move doesn’t make sense to police and my position at the unstable security situation in this me considering the amount of beginning still remains. I believe country is what has scared a lot money to be used in printing the that every crime is a localized one of foreign investors. And for you notes. Besides, I am very miffed because it happens in a local to cure these problems of with the brazen manner they are environment and the better way unemployment, poverty, etc, going about it. Government is to it is the participation of the there must be investment. If collective; for Sanusi to speak as immediate people in crime industries thrive, people will get if they can do anything in spite fighting. I try to look at the jobs, but industries cannot thrive of the legislature is an affront on peculiarity of the security in an unsecured environment.

On whether state police will democracy. The Senate problems in the states. The Committee on Banking and security problems in Delta is not address the issue of Finance has said no; put this the same as the security problem kidnapping, terrorism and thing on hold. But the report we in Borno State and the Borno other crimes Yes, it will minimize it. If you are getting is that they are going people have a clearer ahead with it in spite of what understanding of what their Continues on page 43

It is an unnecessary affront on the economic situation of this country to introduce N5000 note; If you ask me, I believe that the Sanusi man is a bundle of contradiction

in the local government areas in Delta Central, but you know the problems with the implementation of the last budget. So the materialization of those projects is something that will take some time but we ensure that projects are put into the various local government areas of Delta Central.

On marginalization of Urhobo under President Goodluck Jonathan.

I have interacted with Mr. President on the Urhobo problem and he gave me some assurances but one of my biggest worries is the place of the Urhobo people in Nigeria politics today not just

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Those calling for Nigeria’s break-up are pretending leave the Boko Haram issue for Borno State government and they have state police you will get a better result. Their tactics will be different from what we are applying now. Now, we are using the same rule for different set of people in Nigeria. It is not exactly correct to act like that in terms of peculiarities of crime in different areas.

I am even talking beyond state police. You can have state police and have what is called community policing. All we need do is to refine some of them. We need to refine the vigilante groups because the way some of them operate is crude as if we are in a country without laws.

President Jonathan’s handling of the Boko Haram insurgency What I think they should step up is intelligence; not necessarily violence and brute force.

Something tells me that you cannot win this Boko Haram war with guns. When you see a particular set of people teaching in a particular fashion, you should try to probe into their psyche. What makes these people reason the way they are reasoning? You must look into a whole lot of factors and you look at their operations and work more towards prevention. That is why I said what is to be stepped up is intelligence unless you want the President to commit genocide.

Descent on fellow Nigerians So he should step up intelligence because Boko Haram people are also Nigerians. The only difference is the brutal manner they have descended on fellow Nigerians.

I believe part of the reason for the slow arrest of the Boko Haram problem is that it is a new kind of problem in terms of modus oparandi and volume of operation. We have not had it this bad before and even our security operatives are not equipped enough to handle this kind of situation. I believe that with time, the Boko Haram thing will be arrested.

The Federal Government says they are talking already; they should take that negotiation seriously. Some people don’t believe that there should negotiation, but I support the negotiation, that they say is going on but let it be genuine negotiation because it will not be right for a set of Nigerians to believe that they can destroy people and get away with it. So let it be genuine negotiation because we all want peace. Some of the people, who are saying that the country should break up; a lot of them are just pretending.

A lot of them cannot afford a break up of this country and it is not in our interest to break up.

On extension of amnesty programme to Boko Haram sect Before you go to amnesty you

must discuss with the people to find out their problem and what the demands are; not the kind of demands we hear that Jonathan should become a Moslem. You cannot force somebody to convert to your religion. They should hit the nail on the head. I think beyond what they are saying; there is really something that they want that they have not said. Let them say it.

On the slow pace of reconstructing the East-West road.

The Senate Committee on Niger Delta, I recall, once questioned the Minister on it and he said it was due to paucity of funds, that the funds provided were inadequate. I think it is the desire of both the committee and every well_thinking Niger Deltan that more funds should be provided because the road is too crucial in terms of linking the Niger Delta states. We are all concerned about it and whatever we can do within our power, including appealing to Mr. President to provide more funds for the speedy completion of the project, we will do.

On Mr. President not doing enough in developing Niger Delta.

If you ask me, the question of development of the Niger Delta region is not just an issue for Mr. President alone. Yes I believe that Mr. President should do more, but I also believe that our various state governments from the 13 per cent derivation money should do a lot to complement the effort of the Federal Government. I am not too sure, because when people from the North question our governors about it, some of them say oh we are not responsible to you. But those of us who come from the area that they are responsible to, I am not sure that we are convinced that all of them are doing enough for the region.

Quantum of money We must tell the truth; from what we see in some of these states, we know the quantum of money that comes to the area, so let it reflect. I have not said all, but in some states it is appalling.

On the establishment of the Niger Delta Council as a step towards the development of the Niger Delta region and whether it is not duplication of effort considering the existence of the NDDC. There are many duplication of efforts in Nigeria; I don’t believe that it is even necessary. We have enough bodies on ground including the state governments to properly develop the Niger Delta. What we need to do is to properly harness our energies towards that direction and be sure that what comes to us is used for what it is meant for. All these new bodies go with more responsibilities. The more bodies you create, the more funds you

•Ewherido need for the bodies. Sometimes we just want to duplicate things without knowing that the money that we spend to maintain some of these bodies can even handle some of the projects.

On the number of bills he has introduced The process of law making is such a cumbersome one in Nigeria. I have presented two bills and I have submitted the third one for presentation. The first one is on devolution of powers and the amendment of the constitution to remove areas of fraud in some government agencies; then an amendment that will separate the office of the Auditor General of the Federation from the office of the Auditor General of the Federal Government. Second one is the Welder’s Regulation Council bill that one has to do with the industries, the welding profession in industries especially in the oil sector.

Hitherto, there has not been proper standardization and there is nobody that regulates the welding profession as such in Nigeria in terms of standard.

Corporate manslaughter Then the third one that I have submitted is that of corporate manslaughter. We had to do that after the Dana air crash. You know there were early reports that the air craft was certified by experts, that is, technicians from Ghana not to be fit for flight, but administration overruled technical expert. If that is true, it means that it was the fault of somebody that decided to put an unfit aircraft on air that caused the loss of over 150 lives. I decided to work on that bill, corporate manslaughter bill, to

handle such situation so that both companies and individuals will not escape subsequently and that will deter such kind of actions.

The first, a simple one on devolution of powers, has become so popular in Nigeria.

Everyone seems to agree that the Federal Government is taking too much; I mean holding on to too much and these are responsibilities they can share with the states and ease the

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Continues from page 42

bodies which the current constitution says should not audit those accounts. If the Auditor General has been doing so, then officially we will have government records of how money that were got through the sale of oil were spent because the Auditor General’s report will state exactly what came in and what was spent and when whether in the process, due process was followed or they were properly utilized.

Whether the current constitution review includes making the third tier of government autonomous The question of local government in Nigeria is a naughty one and let me tell you, do not believe that this constitutional amendment is exclusive in terms of only contributions from the National Assembly will be accepted. As an individual, if you have a position on any issue in the constitution you want amended you are free to present it in a memorandum to the committee. But specifically on the local governments, because of the worry of many people including a lot of Senators it is an area I believe should be amended. And if Nigeria really wants proper grassroots development, we must amend the provisions on local governments. The local governments in the constitution as it is today are just tied to the apron strings of the state governments, they have no independent recognition and all that is normal in a federal constitution, local governments are normally not granted the kind of autonomy that we are talking

Some of the people, who are saying that the country should break up; a lot of them are just pretending. A lot of them cannot afford a break up of this country and it is not in our interest to break up

burden and make performance more effective. Take prison for instance; why should prisons be on the exclusive list? Today, you hear of congestion, if you visit any of our prisons you will be amazed at what you will see, but if you throw it open to both states and the federal governments I am sure we can have more and better equipped prisons. One of the issues in the bill on devolution of power has to do with an amendment of the constitution.

Now, the Auditor General of the Federation has no power to audit some federal agencies. And that was the problem we faced with the oil subsidy regime. You recall that Auditor General of the Federation has no power to audit the account of NNPC. They can only approve an external auditor; that is an anomaly, so we are also asking for an amendment to make it possible for the Auditor General of the Federation to audit the NNPC and other government

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about, but we are in a peculiar situation. You recall in my argument about state police, I said there are peculiarities from state to state.

In our democracy in Nigeria, there is that peculiarity in operation of local governments and our experience tells us, if we continue to tie local government to the apron strings of state governments we will never know genuine grassroot development because we now know that governors pilfer the funds of local governments but it shouldn’t be so. Even the local government chairmen have complained.

ACGON as a body has complained that all governors do is to pilfer their funds. Some say they want to use it to do some other development. Money allocated to local government is expected to be used for the development of that local government so you cannot appropriate local government money for them.

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Ajegunle Primary Healthcare Centre on brink of collapse Operates on obsolete facilities, without doctors, nurses, water, or toilets

• Twelve years after it was established, general decay in the form of collapsed infrastucture, obsolete equipment, dilapidated structures, failed sewage system, no water supply, lack of qualified medical personnel are the hallmarks of the Primary Healthcare Centre, Ward G, Ojokoro Local Council Development Area, Ajegunle - Alakuko, Ilo, Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area of Lagos State.

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

T

HE Primary Healthcare Centre, PHC, in Ward G, Ojokoro Local Council Development Area, Ajegunle - Alakuko, Ilo, in Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area of Lagos State, is an eyesore. Since 2001, when it was constructed by the Federal Government and opened for public use alongside five others, the Ajegunle PHC has not undergone any form of infrastructural rehabilitation, staff rationalisation or refurbishment of equipment.

The Centre which was meant to care for child delivery and management of other health complications and primarily paediatric related issues, is today a shadow of its self.

Facts show that the Federal government aimed to utilise the facility to bring primary health services closer to the grassroots, as mooted and championed by former Minister for Health, Late Professor Olikoye Ransome Kuti.

But, 12 years down the line, the dream of that goal has been truncated. Good Health Weekly investigations revealed that although the Centre was built by the Federal government, it was handed over to the Lagos state government several years ago, before the State, in turn, passed it to the local government and then down to the community.

It was gathered that previous administrations did not make adequate effort to intercede on behalf of the ailing Centre,and it is now grossly under-utilised

and currently bogged down by plethora of administrative and infrastructural problems and is constituting serious threat to the wellbeing of residents of the area.

More findings show that there are just four bonafide staff at the Centre who habitually report late for work or fail to show up at all. Patients at the Centre confirm there is usually no doctor on call at any time of the day, and the only qualified and experienced staff is the Head of the nursing unit. Other staff are adhoc staff, privately recruited or hospital-trained nurses and' health workers.

Good Health Weekly discovered that in view of the chronic shortage of qualified medical staff, it is not uncommon for cleaners and sweepers to take up the task of administering drugs and even injections to children.

The Centre, which, normally, should run 24 hours daily, remains open for just a few hours and is idle most of the day.

As a result, patients who turn up for treatment and other services wait endlessly for attention. Findings showed that it is at least a decade ago that the delivery of any baby was recorded there. No drugs or medical consumables of any sort are being provided. Everything is bought or brought by the patient A visit to the Centre on one of the two weekly post-antenatal clinic days, reveals a structure wearing a forlorn look of dilapi-

dation, decrepitation, and desolation. There is dirt and unkempt everywhere. The surroundings, including the road leading up to the premises is overgrown with weeds.

Signs of farming are obvious within the open vast of land but a collapsed long section of the perimeter wall remains unfixed.

The building itself, which at inception, was adequately equipped with modem hospital equipment, is now an empty carcass - its valuable stock of equipment either looted, damaged or obsolete. The reception is in shambles, the waiting room in disarray and unbefitting of a health institution. There are huge cracks on the walls, rodents run about freely, and the electrical fittings a potential hazard.

Dry running water taps There is no running water. Taps are dry because the only borehole on the premises has long stopped functioning. With no reliable source of water, patients resort to purchasing and utilising packaged water (pure water) sachets. On such day, it is commonplace to observe mothers improvising with packaged water sachets to step down their children’s high body temperatures before injections can be administered.

Expectedly, the premises is littered with empty packaged water sachets.

The septic tank (soak-away) is

collapsed and toilet facilities are severly deplorable. In so many other ways is the degree of rot phenomenal.

Patients confirm that drugs are never available because there is no straight forward and committed administrative mechanism for purchasing and distributing drugs at the Centre. It was gathered that nurses ont only dispense, but also sell drugs.

They complain of an arrangement through which the nurses, cleaners and other staff including members of a caretaker committee monitorng the Centre, take advantage of these lapses, to purchase drugs on private basis and resell to patients.

Efforts to get the Chairman, Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area to comment on the issue were unfruitful as he could not be reached. Good Health Weekly also attempted to speak to the Chairman, Ojokoro LCDA, Alhaji Amusat Azeez but he was said to have travelled abroad.

However, in a reaction to the development, the 2nd Vice Chairman, Ojokoro Joint CDA, Chief Olufemi Olusola Davies, gave a graphic picture of the challenge faced by the Centre.

Davies, who is also Chairman, Ward G, under which the PHC is domiciled, acknowleged that the LGA is labelling the PHC a Federal institution.

“The Local Government has abandoned the PHC, and pushed its problems to Ojokoro CDC to cope with,” he remarked

in a telephone interview.

“When I came on as the 2nd Vice Chairman of the LCDA, the PHC being in my Ward, I organised people from different CDAs to join me to ensure that we bring the PHC back on track.

I organised and reconstituted another committee to take charge but since that was done , we have not really started, mainly because we need funds to go on.

“We are not getting these funds from the LGA. I asked the entire CDC including the 92 CDAs to help out, we are trying to bring the attention of the state government.

In his narration, Davies recalled that in January 2012, when Governor Babatunde Fashola visited the LGA, during the cross-border campaign against polio between Lagos and Ogun state, he was there andI mentioned the condition of the PHC to the Governor.

“The Governor replied just once. I was expecting something would have been done but nothing has been done . As Chairman, if I can get support from the state government, I will put things right,” he attested.

Also in a chat, Omo-Oba Ademola Odusote, a concerned member of the committee, lamented the development. “We have this edifice that has been lying fallow since 2003. We were elected by the commubity to look after the Centre. We went there and found that the place was rot-

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BAKASSI PENINSULA:

Why ceding must be revisited Okoi Obono Obla in this piece argues that the United Nations as the repository of international peace and custodian of Human Rights should organise a referendum in the Bakassi peninsula so that these Nigerian ethnic nationalities would have the opportunity of deciding in a democratic manner whether or not they want to belong to the Federal Republic of Nigeria

BY OKOI OBONO-OBLA

T

HE judgment of the In ternational Court of Justice, which purported to award the Bakassi Peninsula to the Republic of Cameroun, is to all intents and purposes outrageous, blatantly unjust and patently unsupportable. The judgment delivered in October, 2002 which was the consequence of a suit instituted by the Republic of Cameroun claiming sovereignty over the

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It was clear that the handing over of Bakassi by Obasanjo to Cameroon was a conscious act of appeasement to endear himself to Western Powers such as the United States, France and United Kingdom.

The interest of the people of Bakassi who are mainly minority ethnic nationalities in Nigeria was secondary

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C M Y K

Bakassi Peninsula and some parts of the Lake Chad region is the climax of the dream of Cameroun to exercise control of this area particularly the Bakassi Peninsula. The suit was instituted in 1995 during the heydays of General Sani Abacha’s Military Dictatorship when the country was torn by crisis caused by the decision of General Ibrahim Babangida and his Military Junta to annul the presidential election held in June 12, 1993. Before the suit was filed by Cameroun, she had long been subjecting Nigerians in Peninsula to all sorts of brutalities ranging from false imprisonment, murder and intimidation.

In 1981, the Cameroonian armed forces made an incursion to the Peninsula and murdered a contingent of Nigerian troops from the 13th Amphibious Brigade, Calabar. Nigeria reacted forcefully by moving troops to her boundary with Cameroon. Somehow Cameroun realised the foolhardiness of her armed forces and profoundly apologised. The Federal Government under the then President Shehu Shagari balked.

It was an opportunity to call off the bluff of Cameroun as far as the ownership of the Bakassi Peninsula was concerned. It was insinuated in some quarters that President Shehu Shagari backed down because he did not want to confront the then President Ahmadu Ahidjo, who is a Fulani like him.

This matter was not squarely resolved throughout the peri-

Map of Bakassi peninsula in April 1926 od of the Babangida and Abacha military dictatorships.

The Cameroonian army was allowed to roughshod on Nigerians of Efik, Ijaw, Oron and Ibibio ethnic nationalities who inhabit this Peninsula. This was the bleakest period of Nigerian political history. These military leaders were so steeped in looting and violating the Human Rights of Nigerians that other facts of national endeavours suffered blithe neglect.

Military potentates It must be stated that if we finally lose this part of Nigeria the blame must be totally put on the footsteps of these military potentates who seized political power in Nigeria for more than thirty years. It must be pointed that this area known as Bakassi was under the suzerainty of the Obong of Calabar before the balkanization of Africa by the European Powers in a Conference held in Berlin, Germany in 1884 where the decision to appropriate Africa was arrived at and taken.

It must be noted that one of the documents that the Inter-

national Court of Justice relied on heavily in its judgment was the so-called Maroua and Yaoundé 11 Declarations, which were entered into between President Ahidjo of Cameroun and the then Nigeria Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, which purported to vest the ownership of the Bakassi Peninsula on the Republic of Cameroun. This agreement was made during the Civil War as a deal with the Cameroonian Government to block Biafra from using the area as pad to launch Naval bombardment and maritime trading. The treaty was never ratified by the then Supreme Military Council which was the sole legislative authority of Nigeria at that time.

However, it is on record that this document was shrouded in the usual military secrecy and capriciousness. It was never presented for ratification before the then Supreme Military Council, which by the Constitution (suspension and modification) Decree No. 1 of 1966 was vested with legislative sovereignty over the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is sad that this matter has been caught up

by the ineptitude, irresponsibility and bad governance, which characterised military regimes in Nigeria. The Murtala/ Obasanjo military dictatorship, which took over from General Gowon had denounced this document. Curiously, no steps were taken to get them quashed by the Supreme Court. As military rule took it tolls in the country, Cameroun shrewdly filed the suit in the International Court of Justice.

Colonial international law The pertinent question is what becomes of the ethnic nationalities in the Bakassi Peninsula , which are basically of Nigerian origin? The International Court of Justice surprisingly relied on Article XII of the Anglo-German Agreement dated April 12, 1913 in its judgment. This treaty underscores the arbitrariness and capriciousness of colonial International Law. As a “conquered” people these ethnic nationalities of Nigeria were never consulted before the British ColoContinues on page 31

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‘Why ceding of Bakassi Peninsula must be revisited' nial Government enacted this treaty, which effectively separated them from their brothers and sisters in the present Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Rivers and Cross River States of Nigeria.

The arbitrary and capricious carving out of countries in Africa by European imperialists at the infamous Berlin Conference of 1884, without the slightest regard for demographic and ethnic composition of these countries was one of the hallmarks of colonialism in Africa. The consequence of this blatant carving out of Africa without regard to the basic principle of humanity at the Berlin Conference is still reverberating and causing tension in the continent.

The consequence of this is that in Africa you find people of the same ethnic nationalities straddling more than two countries for instance. Ewes in Togo and Ghana, Yoruba in Benin and Nigeria; Ejagham in Nigeria and Cameroun. Colonialism has effectively ended. However the question is: must we Africans allow this state of affairs to continue.

Imperialism and the positivist school I think these Rules of International law which were largely formulated by European imperialists in the eighteenth century must be completely and totally jettisoned by Africans.

International law based on racism, imperialism and the positivist school of jurisprudence is completely outdated. Undoubtedly since the end of the Second World War the influence of the positivist school of law has considerably waned in the Municipal law of many countries in the World.

However, in international law the influence of the positivist is still prevalent. It is submit-

ted that the concept of international law predicated on racial superiority and colonialism must be rejected. Happily the right to self-determination has been implicitly asserted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international covenants.

Undoubtedly the people of the Bakassi Peninsula have unequivocally demonstrated their will to be an integral part of Nigeria. To insist that these people are in Cameroun under the umbrage of a benighted colonial treaty foisted on them by some paternalistic colonial masters to feather their capitalistic instincts and imperialistic designs would amount to an egregious injustice unprecedented in the annals of world history.

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n this wise, it is incumbent on the United Nations as the repository of international peace and the custodian of Human Rights to immediately organise a referendum in the Bakassi Peninsula, so that these Nigerian ethnic nationalities would have the opportunity of deciding in a democratic manner whether or not they want to belong to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Otherwise the Federal Government of Nigeria must as a matter of urgent national interest take effective measures to safeguard the sovereignty of Nigeria in the Bakassi Peninsula . This would surely be seen in the international community as an outrage and an affront. But how many countries which the International Court of Justice had found against have obeyed its decisions?

How many times has the State of Israel arrogantly and with reckless abandon flouted resolutions of the United Nations urging her to respect the right of self-determination of the hapless Palestinian people? What

Camerounian soldiers in Bakassi peninsula C M Y K

of the case of Morocco in the Western Sahara? Has the United States, which is the supposed bastion of International Constitutionalism, not defied the principles of international law and the United Nations in her present face-off with Iraq over weapons of mass destruction? There must be no double standard in international relations. Furthermore, the 1999 Constitution, which is the Supreme law of the country, has expressly asserted that Bakassi Local Government Area is an integral part of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

It follows, therefore, that the judgment of the International Court of Justice cannot supersede the basic law of the country. This principle was given judicial approbation by the Supreme Court of Nigeria, in the celebrated cause of The Guardian Newspapers Ltd. V. Federal Republic of Nigeria, where the Supreme Court boldly asserted that an international treaty cannot override the provisions of the Constitution, where there is a conflict.

It is clear that the Green Tree Agreement entered between Nigeria and Cameroon in 2006 at the instance of the United Nations and the Western Powers finally transferred the sovereignty of Bakasi to the Republic of Cameroon without compliance with the mandatory provisions of the Constitution especially Section 12 thereof.

Gross violation of the constitution It follows, therefore, that the purported transfer of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon was in gross violation of the constitution. The Obasanjo Presidency was seemingly in a hurry to compromise the interest of the hapless people of Bakassi who were obviously abandoned and

sacrificed as pawn in the chess board of International Politics and the selfishness of President Obasanjo. It Attorney General and Minister of was clear that Justice, Mohammed Adoke, SAN the handing over of Bakassi by Obasanjo to Cameroon was a being at the mercy of the Camconscious act of appeasement eroonian Navy which must give

by President Obasanjo to en- its consent before vessels candear himself to Western Pow- not venture out of their Base in ers such as the United States, Calabar.

France and United Kingdom.

The interest of the people of •Okono Obla writes from Bakassi who are mainly minor- Calabar ity ethnic nationalities in Nigeria was secondary. Perhaps if this territory was inhabited by people of the majority ethnic nationalities in the country The Obasanjo such impetuous decision would not have been taken without fePresidency was rocious opposition from those seemingly in a concerned.

It is scandalous and regrettahurry to comproble that more than six years mise the interest since this ill advised and ill motivated decision to handover of the hapless a portion of the territory conpeople of Bakasstituting the Federal Republic of Nigeria without the slightsi who were obest regard for constitutionalism and the right of self determiviously abannation of the people of Bakassi doned and sacrithe National Assembly has refused, failed and neglected to ficed as pawn in take any step to reverse this dethe chess board cision. The decision to handover Bakassi to Cameroon has of international largely compromised National politics and the Interest and poses grave danger to National Security of the selfishness of Country. It is clear that InterPresident national Shipping cannot enter into Calabar, Nigeria withObasanjo out passing through the shores of Cameroon. This has rendered otiose the Naval Base of the Nigerian Navy in Calabar in the sense that Naval Vessels of the Nigerian Navy cannot carry out manoeuvre without

Bakassi residents in Akwa Akpa in the peninsula

,

Continues from page 30

,

52 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012 — 53

Socialist movement condemns suspension of OAU SSANU

BY EBELE ONUORAH

D

CPA CONFAB IN SRI LANKA: From left: Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal; Deputy House Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor and Hon Christiana Alaaga, at the recently concluded 58th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association , CPA, confab in Sri Lanka.

SEMINAR: From left: Mrs. Dorothy Esangbedo, President, Paediatrics Association of Nigeria; Professor Matthias Egri-Okwaji, key speaker/Professor of Paediatrics, LUTH; Mr. Peter Eshikena, MD, FriedslandCampina, WAMCO Nigeria Plc; Mrs Elizabeth Disu, Consultant Paediatrician, representing Dr. Olugbile, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health and Mr. Sharman Iha, Marketing Manager, FriedslandCampina, WAMCO Nigeria Plc at the WAMCO Nutrition Centre Seminar held at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos. Photo: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor.

EMOCRATIC So cialist Movement, DSM, Osun State Chapter, has condemned the suspension of the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, branch of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, by the national leadership of the union, describing it as undemocratic and anti- worker.

The group noted that the suspension was ill motivated and came at a time the union’s branch was engaging the Prof.

Tale Omole- led management on welfare issues of its members vis-à-vis immediate implementation of the parity policy of government and end to double deduction of pension contribution by the management.

In a statement by its state Secretary, Mr. Kola Ibrahim, the group called on the national leadership of SSANU to reverse the anti-union action and restore the branch and its leadership while demanding that it supports the demands of its OAU branch.

It said: “The suspension was premised on a

Imo Assembly poll: Court declares PDP candidate winner

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

O

WERRI—AN Imo State High Court sitting in Orlu, has dismissed the suit by the defeated candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Mr. Walter Uzornwanne, against Chief Eugene Dibiagwu of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Uzornwanne had prayed the court to, among other things, restrain Speaker and Imo State House of Assembly from swearing in Dibiagwu, who was declared winner by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of Oguta state constituency seat supplementary election.

The defence counsel, Prince Ken Njemanze, SAN, had challenged the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter, citing several authorities to back his argument, contending that the court had no business dabbling in the matter.

Trial judge, Justice Kemakolam Ojiako, in his

ruling, held that “The claimant by this action is questioning the validity of the said election and has premised same on the pendency of suit No, FHC/PH/343/2012, which proceedings is not even exhibited to this affidavit as to engender a belief in its pendency.”

The court noted that in view of the fact of the election having been conducted and a winner an-

nounced, the action was clearly and unequivocally a post election dispute.

He said: “Much as the claimant curiously did not join INEC, who conducted the election as a party in this action, this court will certainly not assume jurisdiction over acts and decisions of INEC. On the whole, it is my finding that the subject matter of this originating summons is

outside the jurisdiction of this court.”

On the plea that the state House of Assembly should be restrained from swearing in Dibiagwu, the court said it would be “contrary to democratic norms as the entire citizens of Oguta state constituency will remain unrepresented in the House of Assembly, which is inequitable and unjust.”

ridiculous excuse that the branch was organising congresses during working hours, which to the national leadership is tantamount to a strike, and a violation of its ‘NoStrike’ order to the branch.

“Indeed, the manner in which the national leadership took the decision clearly showed that it

was carrying out a hatchet man's job for the university authorities. By these actions, SSANU leadership is exposing workers to direct attack from the authorities.

“Nothing emphasises this than the appeal of SSANU leadership to OAU authorities and its security unit, to ensure implementation of the suspension order."

Nigeria not ripe for state police, says DPO

V

ARIOUS speakers and stakeholders at a conference on the imperative of having state police in Nigeria organised by the Centre for Patriotic Leadership Initiative, CPLI, a leadership and right advocacy group based in Lagos, weekend, gave diverse opinion on the issue, which had generated a lot of controversy in the polity.

Mr. Monday Agbonika, Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in charge of the Adeniji Adele Division, Lagos, was of the view that Nigeria as presently constituted is not ripe for state police.

He said there were still

issues that would interfere with the implementation of such a decision, adding that the authorities should look at the current Police Force and work out ways to improve its structure, services and performance.

Mr Opeyemi Agbaje, a public policy analyst and columnist was of the view that, “at the root is the issue of federalism - true, effective federalism.”

He noted that it was an anomaly in a federation of diverse ethnic nationalities to have a single, national police, while having federal, state and local government laws with only a federal controlled police.

Amnesty: 300 beneficiaries poised to boost nation’s economy—KuKu

BY DANIEL ETEGHE

S

PECIAL Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, has said that the 300 beneficiaries of the Presidential Amnesty post-training and entrepreneurship programme were expected to contribute to the nation’s economic growth especially in the Niger Delta area.

Speaking at their

graduation in Lagos, weekend, Kuku said the pilot scheme was for the first batch of beneficiaries, who had completed their training in different vocational skills during the amnesty programme.

Kuku, represented by his Technical Assistant on Reintegration, Mr. Larry Pepple, explained that the scheme was designed to equip and prepare beneficiaries to become self-reliant and employers of labour in their vocational skills.

Amnesty: Give Urhobo youths their Cleric warns against fair share —UYC materialism

BY FESTUS AHON

U

G H E L L I — URHOBO Youth Council, UYC, yesterday, said Urhobo youths would not be intimidated by a frivolous allegation of plotting a protest against the Presidential Amnesty Programme, by the Presidential Amnesty Office, over their noninclusion in the programme, insisting that Urhobo should be given

their share without recourse to blackmail.

UYC, in a statement by its National President, Mr. Henry Baro, said: “We are constrained to respond to reports in the media by the Presidential Amnesty Programme office on a phantom allegation of threat of mayhem by Urhobo and Itsekiri youths billed to commence at far away Akwa Ibom State.

“The apex youth or-

ganisation of the Urhobo ethnic nationality is not surprised by the antics of our Ijaw brothers, who believe that whatever is coming to Niger Delta belongs to them. We are, therefore, least surprised that they had resorted to blackmail and subterfuge in denying other ethnic nationalities from benefiting from the third phase of the Amnesty Programme as they did in the other phases."

C

HAIRMAN, Chris tian Association of Nigeria, CAN, in the South-West and president of the Gospel Baptist Conference of Nigeria and Overseas, Archbishop Magnus Adeyemi Atilade, weekend, expressed concern over what he called craze for material wealth by Nigerians.

He said that if left unchecked, the craze would have negative implica-

tion on Nigeria's leaders.

Atilade also raised alarm over the high rate of crime, where Nigerians kidnapped or robbed their fellow brothers and sisters or kill them for ritual purposes The archbishop who spoke at the the 40th annual conference of the church at Gospel City, Awe, Oyo State, emphasised that only godliness and honesty can exalt a nation.

54—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

State governors are sole administrators — Danjuma •Says their excesses must be checked •As Tinubu calls for the scrapping of the Senate •No Opposition parties in Nigeria — Pat Utomi •Nigeria must pay attention to values and ethics —Fayemi •National Assembly should come up with a law to computerize Party membership — Melaye

By HENRY UMORU

A

BUJA— FORMER Minister of Defence, Lt. General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma rtd, yesterday, took a swipe at State governors, describing some of them as sole administrators in their respective States.

Speaking at the 2012 Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony of Leadership Newspapers at the Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja, the one time Chief of Army Staff, stressed that if democracy must be sustained and safeguarded, what he termed the excesses and abuse of power by the state governors must be checked.

According to him, they abolish local government councils and put in place caretaker committees as well as unilaterally send names of ministerial nominees to the Federal Government without the inputs and contributions of other stakeholders in the state.

Meanwhile, former governor of Lagos State, and a one-time senator, Bola Tinubu, yesterday, called for the scrapping of the upper legislative chamber, the Senate against the backdrop that it is expensive to run both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

General Danjuma who noted that no one gets nomination to any elective position at the local government, House of Assembly elections if the governors did not support, stressed that the governors handpick candidates for election. He said: "almost all the governors are sole administrators. They have abolished local government councils and name candidates for ministerial positions at the centre.

There is nobody, including me who will emerge for positions without the governor. The governors are the most powerful people and until we phase out that power, there will be problem.”

Senator Tinubu, whose wife represents Lagos

Central at the Senate said, "We have kept complaining about the cost of governance and the recurrent expenditure that is not even allowing the proportion of the country for developmental programmes. But we have never examined the structural problem of even the constitution that we are operating. Why do we need two Houses of the National Assembly whereas as the House of Representatives representing the smaller constituencies is enough in the same number of population? Why not get rid of the Senate for a slim and better legislative activities? Let us start examining that; congratulations to Leadership Newspapers because you have a great structural management.”

Power to appoint Resident Elelctoral Commissioners On the need for the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to have powers to appoint State Resident Electoral Commissioners, Tinubu said: "Once you say somebody is Chairman/Chief Executive of a corporation, you have given him all the powers and authority to act on behalf of the people. We gave INEC the power and authority to act on our behalf, to be an institution that will be transparent and independent and the commission is being funded directly from source, from allocation, from tax and expenditure from our commonwealth and the wealth of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

"Why would we not allow the buck to stop on the table of INEC Chairman so that if he messes up, we have somebody to blame. Why will an INEC chairman not be able to appoint those in the branches in the states the Resident Electoral Commissioners who are representatives of INEC in the states? Why will they be appointed by the

President who is equally partisan and a member of a political party which said they will rule Nigeria for 60 years? Why? If they are the one appointing RECs and card-carrying members of PDP, how would we have a reliable electoral system?

"Whether you have executive opposition or not, power is not served a la carte. It is not like a menu in Sheraton Hotel. You have to struggle for it. Let us first of all straighten the institutions. This is my proposition. We are ready as opposition to work together with other political parties to wrestle power from this government."

In his contribution, former member of the House of Representatives, Dino Melaye, stressed the need for the National Assembly to put in place law that will allow for the computerization of all political parties.

The guest speaker, Professor Pat Utomi, who noted that there was no opposition in the country, however, called for a total overhauling of the political system, even as he called on INEC to provide for a level playing ground for all parties.

In his remarks for other award recipients, governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, noted that Nigeria must pay serious attention to values and ethics if we must get it right, adding: "at every level, our people have become sceptical, if not downright cynical about leadership. And this is not just political leadership, but leadership of faith based institutions, leadership of corporate institutions, leadership even at the family level. I believe at the core of this loss of faith in leadership is a loss of values and ethics.

Values are critical to societal transformation and no country succeeds without paying significant attention to ethics and values.

Honours are used in most countries to reinforce the values that are cherished by a people. Values that are transformational, not transactional."

L-r: Mrs Ndidi Obioha, CEO Enthyst Ltd; Senator Florence Ita-Giwa; Simi Belo, Head of Channel and Trade Strategy, Vlisco; and Evelyn Okere, St Eve Concepts at a press conference on the Foundation for Children of Bakassi held in Lagos.

Photo: Lamidi Bamidele R-l: Rt Rev Olayinka Abbe, Bishop of Lagos Central Diocese of the African Church presenting an award to Barr.

Dayo Olomo, patron of the Church while Rev Akinropo Dada, Vicar-In-Charge looks on at the 60th founders day/ thanksgiving and investiture of St. Michael's Church Parish, Jehovah Jireh Archdeaconry, Shogunle, Lagos.

Photo: Biodun Ogunleye

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012 — 55

C M Y K

56—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

HONOUR: President Goodluck Jonathan (left), decorating Chief Anthony Ani (OFR) former Finance Minister, at the 2012 national honours award investiture in Abuja, Monday. PHOTO: Abayomi Adeshida.

Police discover another cache of arms in Anambra

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

A

WKA—ANAMBRA State Police Command, yesterday, said it recovered another arms stockpile at Umuihefula, Umuaku village in Uli, Ihiala Local Government Area of the state and arrested the suspected kingpin (names withheld), following information allegedly volunteered by the suspect’s parents.

The suspect was said to belong to the notorious gang led by one Olisa Ifedike, whose houses were demolished in Oraifite last week, following the discovery of large cache of arms and ammunition in his compound.

However, another suspect (names withheld) said to be from Ezumeri, Oraifite in Ekwusigo Local Government Area, is said to be on the run with the police on his trail.

Items recovered by the police at Uli, included 27 AK-47 rifles, with numbers 56-2401697, 56-2520707; one type 06 rifle; one rocket grenade; three rocket propellers; 770 rounds of 7.62mm life ammunition and nine chains, allegedly used on kidnapped victims.

State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Raphael Uzoigwe, could not confirm the development, but Vanguard gathered that the suspect is being detained at SARS headquarters.

Postgrad medical college begs for recognition

BY NNAMDI OJIEGO

P

RESIDENT, National Postgraduate Medical College, Ijanikin, Lagos, Prof. Victor Wakwe, has appealed to the Federal Ministry of Education to recognise the college as a tertiary institution so it can benefit from grants accrued to educational institutions.

Wakwe made the appeal at a briefing in Lagos, on the forthcoming convocation of the college. According to him, the institution is being starved of fund because the education ministry was yet to recognise it as a parastatal or body under its purview.

He said since the college was established under the ministry of health to regulate, train and certify postgraduate medical education, there was need for it to be recognised.

Wakwe said: “We need a lot of help in this college. We need grants to build examination/multipurpose hall.”

BOOK DONATION: From left— Dr. Adeleke Ipaye, Commissioner for Local Government Service Commission, representing Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State; Dr. Femi Majekodunmi, representing former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo; Prof. Eze Nwankwo, the donor; Mr. Segun Aina, President, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, and Prof. Walter Ofonagoro, former Minister of Information/Chairman of the occasion, during book donation to 200 higher institutions in Nigeria by Prof. Green Nwankwo Foundation at the Bankers House, Lagos.

‘Illtreatment of pensioners should attract death sentence' zAs David-West flays Jonathan over national honours

BY UDUMA KALU & LAJU ARENYEKA

T

HE continuous mal treatment of older persons in Nigeria is a criminal and inhuman act that should attract death sentence. Also, President Goodluck Jonathan’s threat to withdraw national honours from persons not deserving of the award is a sign of poor leadership.

These were some of the views expressed by some of the nation’s older and eminent citizens, yesterday, at the book presentation of Retirement Entrepreneurship, written by Prof.

Deji Femi-Pearse in Lagos.

Femi-Pearse, a former acting Vice Chancellor of University of Lagos, who lamented how government treats older persons in the country, said: “The government is corrupt. The gov-

ernment does not respect its people. A government that respects its people will not tolerate corruption; will not tolerate inhumanity to pensioners.

“Actually, inhumanity to pensioners should be a big crime, it should carry death sentence. We are inhuman to children and older people. It is wrong.”

Pearse noted that poor infrastructure, such as bad roads, poor electricity supply, among others, affect entrepreneurship.

On banks

The former Provost of the College of Medicine called on banks to come to the aid of older persons by seeking out those with skills and investing in them as they were wasting away. This request, he said, was the basis for writing the book.

He charged the banks to

“screen those with passion, those with the skills and those who have collateral to offer. The banks that will excel in future are banks that invest in the skills of people, such as Steve Jobs.

“They never got the highest university degrees.

Some of them did not even finish their first degrees.

But look at them; they are the richest people in the world today. If the banks invest in selected people, they will never fail because it is skills that bring money.

“Without skills, the banks can’t make money. You can’t depend on the mediocre for your money in the banks. They must explore other avenues and this is by identifying people with skills, people who have technological passion.

“Imagine all the toys and aircraft that our children buy; they are from China

3 dead, students raped as cultists clash in Makurdi Varsity

BY PETER DURU

M

AKURDI—THREE students of Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State, were, Monday night, feared dead following a clash between rival cult groups in the institution.

Scores of female students were raped and others injured.

Vanguard gathered from an eyewitness, who craved anonymity that the crisis broke out at the institution

Monday evening after some students residing at one of the private hostels off campus engaged each other in a free-for-all over undisclosed reasons.

The source said minutes later, the crisis escalated to the main campus of the institution with rival cult groups engaging each other, using dangerous weapons.

The eyewitness, a student, said no fewer than three students were hacked down in the fight, with

scores of female students raped in the open by fellow students, while many sustained injuries.

Meanwhile, the development forced students, who live in private hostels close to the institution, into the streets, yesterday, in protest over the crisis.

The students barricaded the main entrance to the institution, demanding that the school’s management provide them adequate security.

However, efforts by the authorities to calm the pro-

testing students was resisted as they kept shouting, became violent and headed for the Vice Chancellor’s office.

They were stopped by security personnel, but the angry students went wild, wielding dangerous weapons, when they learnt that some of them were invited for interrogation at the school’s security office.

At press time, some staff of the school, who spoke to Vanguard, said they had to flee to safety.

and America. Why can’t we use our potential? There are potential in this country.”

David-West on democracy

For Prof. Tam David-West, government’s inability to cater for its older people discourages workers.

He said: “I keep telling them that democracy is a contract. My country must do something for me, so I can do mine. Only a living person can be democratic.

If I am dead, can I be democratic? If you live, you have to thank God everyday.

“But the Nigerian system kills you everyday. If you are alive and if you are old, the system deserts you. It can be very difficult.”

He noted that there were provisions in the constitution for the government to cater for old people, adding that government does not even care to secure the people, its first responsibility, because of selfishness.

David-West said: “Government is too selfish to carry out its primary duty of securing Nigerians.

Does Nigerian government obey any law? The constitution says security of the citizen is the first duty. I am just sorry for young men and women of Nigeria today.

“Nigeria is a great country, but we have useless leaders. How can you give national award and say ‘I will withdraw it from those who are not worthy of it’. If they are not worthy of it, why did you honour them in the first place?”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012 — 57

58 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

First a mastectomy...then what?

A

NOTHER issue that commonly arises after mastectomies is reconstructive breast surgery. Not only are mastectomies physically devastating procedures, the emotional trauma they cause can be unbearable and even pose a huge psychological barrier to recovery.

So, it is not uncommon for women to jump at the opportunity to have reconstructive surgery as soon as possible after the mastectomy.

While this option certainly gives hope to women who have been subjected to breast removal that can cause feelings of humiliation and even shame, many studies now show there are numerous risks associated with the implants used in typical breast reconstruction procedures.

Silicone breast implants were banned in the 1990s after being associated with siliconosis - a situation in which silicone leaks from the implant and poisons the body causing symptoms such as fainting, extreme fatigue, muscle and body aches, fever, rashes, forgetfulness, loss of vision, and an array of autoimmune and connective-tissue diseases.

Even more startling is the possibility that of the women who receive these silicone implants, eighty percent, who have had these implants for ten to fi fteen years, will experience at least one rupture and another 21 percent will have an implant shift to another part of the body as was anecdotally reported.

Despite the overwhelming evidence of the potential dangers of silicone implants, the fourteen-year moratorium on traditional silicone implants was lifted in November 2007, now making them an option for women over twenty-one, as well as all breast reconstruction and

revision patients. Although the silicone implants used today are supposedly redesigned to prevent leakage, they are still silicone and they may still have irreparable and devastating repercussions.

And while the majority of surgeons use saline, a theoretically safer alternative to silicone, the truth is, both types of implants often still may use silicone to envelope the actual implanted material.

Finally, a saline implant is a foreign substance to the body – more foreign

Julia Oyefunke Fortune

The Cancer

FIGHTER

juliafortune@hotmail.com

than cancer – and can cause specifi c bacterial infections no matter what surgical sanitary precautions are taken. It is important to remember that no matter how simple or complex a surgery is, it still creates havoc within your nervous system.

All surgery requires some form of anesthetic and post-operative drugs which can dramatically aff ect the liver’s ability to heal and protect the body against cancer. Stay healthy and do not forget to write. All correspondence to julifortune@hotmail.com.

Ajegunle PHC on brink of collapse Continued from Page 46 ten. We wrote to the Local Government Council. We went around, identified the problems and made recommendations on what is to be done, but till today, no response on the request about the state of the PHC has been obtained.”

Also speaking, another concerned party, Mr. Adeyemi Adesina, Chairman, Akinde/ Karan, CDA, observes that “there only appears to be a semblance of activity there because of the two days of post-natal care clinics held weekly.

“The place is in shambles, without water or toilets. devoid of alll structure of a PHC of that standard.We are calling attention of those in charge to come to the rescue of the people, he remarked.”

Residents of Ward G, Ojokoro LCDA, are still baffled by the deplorable condition of their PHC. Already, there are doubts about the safety and reliability of diagnoses and treatments carried out at the Centre owing to the aforementioned issues. Even as they now depend on primary health facilities at Oke-Odo, and private hospitals in adjoining communities in neighbouring Ogun State their

hope and expectation is for the authorities to step in and take urgent and decisve action to turn its fortunes around for the better. They want the state and Federal governments to come to terms over the Centre, for the sake of the people.

eral Ministry of Health to come up with clear-cut and straight forward guideline for the running and maintenance of the Centre, urgently rehabilitate it supply with modern-day equipment and hand it over to a new management committee.

Even as a big question mark lies over an annual allocation of N2 million that is accruable to the PHC since 2003 and no one appears to be in the know the status of the allocation. Part of their expectation is that the LGA should repair the road to the health Centre and provide adequate and qualified staff such as Youth Corper doctors in order to give the community something to show for its travails.

It was gathered that trouble began after the creation of Ojokoro LCDA,when some miscreants vandalised the facilities.

They also want the Fed-

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Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012 — 59

60 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

Vanguard,WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012 — 61

Mik el w ants Chelsea flying ssttar Mikel wants artt NFF stand by under-fire Keshi

Mikel Obi has said he expects Chelsea to begin their UEFA Champions League defence on a winning note when they host Italian champions Juventus on today.

Mikel told MTNFootball.com that the team have started the season well in the English Premier League and he is optimistic they will translate such form to Europe also.

“We are the champions and we want to still go for the title this season. And we all know we have to start well from the opening match,” he said.

“Juventus will be tough no doubt but I believe we will win. We have a quality team.

We have been doing well in the league, I am sure we will do well and come out victorious against Juventus.”

Mikel was an important part as Chelsea won a first-ever Champions League title last season at the expense of Bayern Munich.

Wednesday’s clash at Stamford Bridge promises to be a titanic battle as Juventus have won all their Serie A games this season, while Chelsea too

Anichebe shines in Everton draw against N/Castle

S

UPER Eagles striker, Vic tor Anichebe came off the bench and almost won the match for Everton but was undone by the referees’ inaccurate judgements Anichebe came off the bench for Nikica Jelavic in the 44th minute and was almost the hero for Everton until Demaba Ba salvaged a goal in added time in Monday night’s Premier Leagu game.

Everton scored in the 15th minute through a 17-pass move which gave the game its impetus for the 90 minutes.

The Nigeria Football Federation have dismissed rumours that a foreign coach will be hired to boss Eagles coach Stephen Keshi.

NFF vice-president Mike Umeh speaking against the backdrop of media reports that plans are underway to strengthen the Eagles bench with an expartriate coach, said, “There is no such thing or plan to hire any foreigner.

“What will the white man do that Keshi cannot do? Is Keshi not better than some of the socalled white coaches? Please, I am begging those peddling this rumour to stop because it

SOLID: John Mikel Obi of Chelsea battles for the ball with Alberto Aquilani of AS Roma in a UEFA Champions League Group match at Stamford Bridge in 2008 are yet to lose in the EPL. However, Juventus have not won on their last 11 visits to England and the last time

mercial income exceeded that from broadcast and matchday income.

A United spokesman said: “The results are consistent with what we expected. We strongly believe the outstanding results in the commercial sector demonstrate the huge potential the club has, and the financial outlook is very positive.”

The growth in income from sponsorship and commercial deals has certainly cushioned the blow of the shortfall from the Champions League and FA Cup compared to the previous season. Commercial revenue was up 13.7% to £117.6m, while broadcast revenue was down 11.3% to

C M Y K

Navy can produce gold medalists for Nigeria in Rio if…

— Admiral Ajonu

N

IGERIA’S poor Olympic fortunes could be changed for the better, beginning with the Rio 2016 Olympic Games if government, through the National Sports Commission gives the necessary support to

F/Eagles jet out for SA T

HE national U-20 football team will depart for South Africa tonight to keep a date with that country’s representatives for Friday’s AYC qualifier.

Team handlers have named an almost unchanged squad from their last clash against Tanzania for the clash in South Africa.Kano Pillars utility player Shehu Abdullahi will be the only player who was not on the squad for the return leg clash against the Ngorogoro Heroes from Tanzania last month.

The Flying Eagles are due to

Man Utd's financial results drop Continues from B/P

Juventus met Chelsea was in 2008/2009 Champions League Round of 16 and they lost.

£104m and matchday revenue down 10.9% to £98.7m.

A Manchester United plc statement said: “Broadcasting revenues for the year decreased … primarily as a result of our elimination at the group stages of the Champions League.

“For the fourth quarter, revenues decreased 37.4% to £27.5 million as no participation fees were earned compared to Champions League participation fees from the quarter-final, semi-final and final in the fourth quarter of the prior year.

“In addition, we earned minimal revenues from the FA Cup following our fourth round exit, compared with reaching the semi-final in the previous year.

depart for Johannesburg by tonight from Lagos.

The final round qualifier for the 2013 Africa Youth Championship will be played Friday night at Nelspruit, which is less than two hours by road from Johannesburg.

Kick-off time has been fixed for 7.30 local time, which is 6.30 Nigerian time.The return leg will be played in Ilorin on October 13.Both teams clashed in an invitational tournament in Cape Town in July with the home team running away 1-0 winners.Meanwhile, Nigeria ambassador to Benin, Laurence Olufemi Obisakin, met with Flying Eagles officials led by coach John Obuh Monday at his office.

He praised the team for keeping the country’s flag flying and wished them luck in South Africa.

RVP can haunt us Continues from B/P doesn’t haunt us.

“You have to accept it, it’s part of life. Obviously, it hurts to see him in another shirt.

“Every move he makes, every gesture, he tries to do it to perfection.

“You can call him at 10 o’clock at night, you won’t find him in a nightclub.

“He’s either watching a football match, a video or preparing himself for the next match.”

could distract the Super Eagles coach.”

Umeh further stated, “The federation is 120% behind Keshi because we are confident that he will qualify this country to the Nations Cup. You know we missed the last edition, but next year’s edition will not go pass us.”

The Super Eagles take on Liberia on October 13 in the return leg final round qualifier after both teams drew 2-2 in Monrovia earlier this month.

Fans have been far from impressed with the performance of the Eagles in Liberia.

•Umar Aminu

the growth and development of water sports. This was the belief of Rear Admiral Azubuike Ajonu, Flag Officer Naval Training Command, who was guest of honour at the pre-Independence dinner for the forthcoming Independence Day Water Race being put together by the Navy Sailing Club, Navy Town, Lagos.

Admiral Ajonu said, “the Navy Sailing Club is working in synergy with the Nigeria Swimming Federation to ensure the country’s medal prospects are bettered in future international competitions like the All Africa Games, Commonwealth Games and the Olympics.”

Continuing, the naval chief explained that “it was unfortunate at what happened in the last Olympics where Nigeria could not win a single medal.

The Sailing Club is organizing a race to mark our national day and it will signal a new dawn for water sport in this country and in the near future, we may produce medalists in water sports.”

Emenike takes battle to Barca Continues from B/P day at the Nou Camp.

Emenike scored his second goal of the season last weekend. He stated that he is out to hand Barca frustration as Spatak try to create an upset. “ Barcelona are beatable and that is why they have not won all the trophies since inception. No team is invincible and all we need do is to give them a big fight. We are ready for them,” said Emenike He added that: “I scored at the weekend and that has boosted my confidence even more. When a striker does not hit the back of the net in about four games, there will be pressure, but I kept my focus

and the coach as well as the team also kept the faith in me.

And so I’m delighted that I was back scoring again.

“I want to keep scoring and I believe I can repeat same feat in Camp Nou to help my team shock the world.

“Getting a goal against Barca will make my day, but victory will take me to the top of the world.

“I have watched Barcelona games several times and I have seen their weaknesses which we can capitalise on.

“And I can’t wait to debut in the UEFA Champions League group stage. It has been my long-term dream. Everybody loves the Barca style but we will take the battle to them.”

62 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012 — 63

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

Wenger: RVP can haunt us

A

RSENE WENGER fears he will be haunted by Robin van Persie.

Van Persie signed for

Manchester United and Wenger said: “I’d have preferred him to go to a foreign club, so that he

Continues on page 61

Emenike takes battle to Barca S

UPER Eagles striker, Emmanuel Emenike is seeking to mark his debut in the Champions League with a win, when his Russian Club Spatak Mosco take on European giants Barcelona to

Continues on page 61 •RVP

Today’s Fixtures

Man Utd's financial results drop

Group E Chelsea v Juventus 7:45pm Shakhtar Donetsk v FC Nordsjaelland 7:45pm Group F Bayern Munich v Valencia 7:45pm

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ANCHESTER United’s total income fell by 3.3% to £320.3m for the year ending 30 June 2012, the club’s annual results revealed on Tuesday.

The fall in revenue had been expected after United’s failure to make the knockout stages of the Champions League last season.

For the first time, however, revenue from com Continues on page 61

Lille v BATE 7:45pm Group G Barcelona v Spartak Moscow 7:45pm Celtic v Benfica 7:45pm Group H Braga v CFR ClujNapoca 7:45pm Man Utd v Galatasaray 7:45pm

Mik el w ants Chelsea flying ssttar t— P .6 1 Mikel wants art— P.6 .61

•Emenike TODAY'S

•Messi

PUZZLE

YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Pamphlet (5) 5 Trousers (6) 8 Hurry (5) 10 Chant (6) 11 Noose (4) 14 Slender (6) 15 Yield (7) 18 Untruth (3) 19 Stray (3) 21 Burlesque (4) 23 Scoff (5) 24 Plant (4) 27 Label (3) 29 Youth (3) 31 Inactive (7) 32 Tremble (6) 34 Neck-hair (4) 35 Sexless (6) 38 Burdened (5) 39 Unrefined (6) 40 Lawful (5)

DOWN 2 Manage (3) 3 Option (6) 4 Brown (3) 5 Vend (4) 6 Dandy (6) 7 Soul (6) 9 Part (7) 12 Lubricate (3) 13 Peep (4) 16 Untie (4) 17 Staple diet (5) 20 Recoil (7) 22 Press (4) 24 Brawn (6) 25 Slender (4) 26 Scholar (6) 28 Exempt (6) 30 Lair (3) 33 Depend (4) 36 Fish (3) 37 Epoch (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Oddity 5, Plug 8, Snare 9, Sad 10, Agog 11, Ovum 12, Bully 13, Encamp 16, Alas 18, Nook 20, Ate 22, Ash 23, Gun 24, Glen 25, Sped 28, Dawdle 30, Beset 32, Goal 33, Rang 34, Tea 35, Sober 36, Deep 37,Cradle.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 1, Ousted 2, Dedicate 3, Trauma 4, Anguish 5, Prolong 6, Levy 7, Game 8, Sob 14, Plastered 15, Won 17, Asp 19, Outdated 20, Ale 21, Envelop 26, Dagger 27, Sedate 29, Aged 30, Base 31, Tar.

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

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

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

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

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